. Spunyarn and spindrift : a sailor boy's log of a voyage out and home in a china tea-clipper. ut a hundred yards ahead,knocking up a cloud of spray, and then flew whizzingthrough our main-topsail. Boom !—came the reportimmediately after. Thats the eighteen-pounder,said the captain,in quitehis usual voice. Theyve mounted it on the poop, I see. Then he sang out to the mate, who was in charge ofthe forecastle, to train his gun about a couple of pointson the port bow, and directed the two eighteen-pounderson the main-deck to be trained as far on the bow aspossible. While this was being done we, t
. Spunyarn and spindrift : a sailor boy's log of a voyage out and home in a china tea-clipper. ut a hundred yards ahead,knocking up a cloud of spray, and then flew whizzingthrough our main-topsail. Boom !—came the reportimmediately after. Thats the eighteen-pounder,said the captain,in quitehis usual voice. Theyve mounted it on the poop, I see. Then he sang out to the mate, who was in charge ofthe forecastle, to train his gun about a couple of pointson the port bow, and directed the two eighteen-pounderson the main-deck to be trained as far on the bow aspossible. While this was being done we, the afterguard,brailed in the spanker. All ready with the guns, sir, shouted the mate. Very well, replied the captain; Im going to runher off a bit, so fire as soon as your guns will bear. Loadwith grape afterwards. Then to the man at the wheel, Port UNDER FIRE. 139 Port, sir. Slowly the ships head fell off, and I saw the mateand the boatswain squinting anxiously along their guns. Presently the mate fired, and in a few seconds theboatswain followed suit. Bans:! Bangr!—roared the THE RAJAH AND FORMOSA. Luff again, said the captain. Luff it is, sir, replied the helmsman. The words were scarcely out of his mouth, whensmack came a shot right through the cabin skylight,showering splinters of wood and broken glass in alldirections, fortunately without wounding anybody. I40 SPUNYARN AND SPINDRIFT. Close work, that, remarked the captain. My piece of ice had quite disappeared by now, andI felt more anxious to have a slap at the mutineers inreturn than otherwise. When the smoke from our guns drove away to lee-ward, we saw that the Formosas main-topgallant-mastwas knocked away. Stand by the starboard gun andfire as soon as you can, roared the captain. Ay, ay, sir, replied the second mate. Luff you may—luff—let her come. Bang I Thats a good shot, cried the captain. Bravo,Robinson! youve stirred them up, Ill warrant; it struckher bulwarks just abaft the mainmast. We were now
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