I'll see you with the nether Gods before I give you aught till
you've settled that score."

"Well, Tob, I hope you'll drown easy. As for that wife of yours,
I've always had a fancy for her myself, and I shall know how to
find a use for the woman."

"I'll draw your neck for that, you son of a European," said
Tob; "and if you do not clear off this deck I'll draw it here.
Go," he cried, "you father of monkey children! Get away, and let
me fight you fairly, or by my honour I'll stamp the inwards out of
you, and make your silly crew wear them as necklaces."

Upon which Dason went to his galley.

Promptly Tob set going the machine on our own "Bear," and
bawled his orders right and left to the other ships. The crew
might be weak with scurvy, but they were quick to obey. Instantly
the five vessels were all started, and because our Lord the Sun was
shining brightly, got soon to the full of their pace. The whole of
our small navy converged, singling out one ship of their opponents,
and she, not being ready for so swift an attack, got flurried, and
endeavoured to turn and run for room, instead of trying to meet us
bows on. As a consequence, the whole of our five ships hit her
together on the broadside, tearing her planking with their
underwater beaks, and sinking her before we had backed clear from
the engage.

But if we thus brought the enemy's number down to five, and so
equal to our own, the advantage did not remain with us for long.