"
The bullets were now whistling past the lugger, sometimes striking
her sails, sometimes with a sharp tap hitting her hull or mast.
"We may as well sit down out of sight till the time comes for
fighting, Rupert," the marquis said. "Our standing up does no good,
and only frightens this little girl."
The firing ceased when they sat down, as it was clearly a waste of
powder and ball continuing. Rupert from time to time looked over
the stern.
"The first boat is not more than fifty yards behind, the other
thirty or forty behind it. They gain on us very slowly, but I think
they will catch us."
"Then we must do our best, Rupert. We have each our pistols, and I
think we might begin to fire at the rowers."
"The pistols are not much good at that distance, sir. My idea is to
let them come alongside; then I will heave that cask of water down
into the boat, and there will be an end of it."
"That water cask!" the marquis said. "That is an eighteen gallon
cask. It is as much as we can lift it, much less heave it through
the air."
"I can do it, never fear," Rupert said. "You forget my exercises at
Loches, and as a miller's man.
"My only fear," he said in a low voice, "is that they may shoot me
as I come to the side with it. For that reason we had better begin
to fire. I don't want to kill any of them, but just to draw their
fire. Then, just as they come alongside put a cap and a cloak on
that stick, and raise them suddenly.
Pages:
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372