CHAPTER XXXIV
The mist was sweeping past in swirls and streaks, and though the windhad abated somewhat, the _Tiger_ still ploughed along into the obscurityat a fair rate of speed. Jeremy stayed forward with the lookout, peeringconstantly into the gloom ahead, and half expecting to see the ghostlikesails of the _Revenge_ whenever for a moment a gray aisle opened in themist. But there were only the grim, uneasy seas and the shifting fog.
Before darkness fell Job shortened sail, for he did not wish to get toofar ahead of the enemy. And about the end of the second dog watch hegave the order to slack sheets and fall away for the southward run.
The wind turned bitterly cold in the night, and when the watch waschanged Tom and Jeremy staggered below, glad to escape from the stingingsnow that filled the air.
But with that snow-flurry the weather cleared. The sun rose to a day ofbright blue water and sharp wind, and hardly had its first level raysshot across the ocean floor when the watch below was tumbled out by achorus of shouts from the deck.
Jeremy, as he burst upward through the hatchway, cast an eager eye toeither beam, then uttered a whoop of joy, as he caught the gleam ofwhite canvas over the bows. There, straight ahead and barely a leaguedistant, raced the _Revenge_ and her pirate crew.
Captain Job reached the deck only a couple of jumps behind the boys, andan instant later his deep voice boomed the order to shake out all reefsand set the top-sails.
Bob, who had slept the clock around and eaten a hearty breakfast, soonappeared at Jeremy's side, looking fit for any adventure. With Tom theywent up into the bows and were shortly joined there by others of thecrew, all intent on the chase.
The swells as they surged by from stern to bow seemed to move more andmore sluggishly. Beneath a press of sail that would have made mostskippers fearful of running her under, Job was driving the _Tiger_ alongat a terrific pace. Now once more Jeremy's steering-wheel was provingits worth. Job at the helm could hold the plunging schooner on hercourse with far less danger of being swung over into the trough thanwould have been the case with the old hand tiller.
But in spite of the schooner's headlong speed, the distance between herand her quarry seemed to lessen scarcely at all. The old _Revenge_ withher tall sticks and great spread of canvas was flying down before thewind with all the speed that had made her name a byword, and the manwith the broken nose was evidently willing to take as many chances ashis pursuers.
All morning the chase went on. At noon, when the winter sun flashed onthe high white dunes of Cape Cod, to starboard, the _Tiger_ seemed tohave gained a little. Job, leaving the wheel for a bit, came forward andmeasured the distance with his eye. He shook his head. "Two miles," hesaid. "At this rate we can't get within range before dark." And he wentback to his steering.
But for once he was mistaken. For an hour or more the buccaneers hadbeen hauling over little by little toward the coast, possibly with theidea of running in and escaping overland as soon as night should fall.Now the lookout in the foretop of the _Tigers_ gave a cheer.
"They've caught a flaw in the wind!" he shouted. "Watch us come up!"
Sure enough the _Revenge_ had sailed into an area of light air toleeward of the Cape, and the boys could see that their own sloop, whichstill had the wind, was hauling up hand over hand on her adversary.
"By the Great Bull Whale!" roared Job, leaping forward along the deck,"now's our chance! Hold her as she is, Hawkes, while I load the longgun."
The big gunner-captain worked rapidly as always, but before he had doneramming down the round-shot, the pirate schooner was within range for along-distance try. She lay off the _Tiger's_ starboard bow, almostbroadside on, but still too far away to use her own guns.
Job aimed with his usual care, but when at length he put a match to thepowder, the shot flew harmlessly through the pirate's rigging, strikingthe sea beyond. Almost at the same moment the wind drew strongly in thesails of the _Revenge_ once more, and she began plunging southward at abreakneck pace.
Job ran aft for a word with the mate, who had the wheel, then returnedand again loaded the bowchaser, this time with chainshot and an extraheavy charge of powder to carry it. When he had finished he stood by thebreach in grim silence, watching the chase.
It soon became apparent that though the _Tiger_ could gain little on herrival in actual headway, she was gradually pulling over closer to thequarter of the _Revenge_. Hawkes, who was an excellent seaman, humoredthe craft to starboard, bit by bit, without sacrificing her forwardspeed.
At the end of twenty minutes Job gave a satisfied grunt, maneuvered thecannon back and forth on its swivel base once or twice, and fired.Above the roar of the discharge the boys heard the screech of thewhirling chainshot, and then in the _Revenge's_ mainsail appeared agreat gaping rent, through the tattered edges of which the wind passedunhindered. There was a howl of joy from the crew, and without waitingfor an order, they tumbled pell-mell down the hatches to man thebroadside cannon in the waist.
Job stayed on deck, watching the enemy through his spy-glass.Handicapped by her torn mainsail, the _Revenge_ was already fallingabeam. When they had hauled up to within five or six hundred yards ofher, Job called the men of the port watch on deck to shorten sail. Thisdone, and the two sloops holding on southward at about an even gait, theCaptain took a turn below, where he looked at each of the guns, gave afew sharp orders and ran back to his station on the after deck.
"All ready, Hawkes," he called, "bring us up to within a hundred andfifty fathoms of her!"
The mate spun the wheel to starboard, and the schooner, answering, drewnearer to the enemy.
"Close enough--port your helm," cried Job.
But even as the _Tiger_ swung into position for a broadside, there camethe roar of the pirate's guns, and a shot crashed through the forestays,while others, falling short, threw spray along the deck.
"All right below," shouted Captain Job, steady as a church. "Ready astarboard broadside!" And at his sharp "Fire!" the five cannon spoke inquick succession. The deck rocked beneath Jeremy's feet, where he stoodby the companion, ready to carry Job's orders below.
As the dense smoke was swept away forward on the wind, they could seethe _Revenge_, her rigging still further damaged by the volley, goingabout on the starboard tack, and making straight for the shore.
"Put your helm hard down and bring her to the wind!" roared Job, at thesame time jumping toward the mainsheet.
The schooner swung to starboard, heeling sharply as she caught the windabeam, and was in hot pursuit of her enemy before a full minute hadpassed.