Commodore Junk — page 203: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

196 COMMODORE JUNK. But the greatest beauty of the scene to Humphrey Arm- strong was the sight of the schooner lying right across his course a quarter of a mile away, and ready to concentrate her fire and rake the sloop from stem to stern. “Curse him! no wonder he has had so long a career !” said Humphrey, stamping with rage as he watched the execu- tion of his orders, and a well-directed fire was once more made to answer that of the buccaneer. ‘‘ With such a ship, crew, and place of retreat, he might have gone on for years.” The firing grew hotter than ever, and the schooner became enveloped in a cloud of smoke which elicited a burst of cheers from the sloop. ‘‘She’s afire ! she’s afire!” roared the men. Humphrey’s triumph was now at hand. The scourge of the western seas was at his mercy, and shrinking from attempt- ing to board so desperate an adversary for the sake of his crew, he gave orders to lay the sloop right alongside of the schooner, where he could cast grappling-irons, and then pour his fire down upon her deck. The orders were rapidly executed, and the sloop bore down right for the smoke-enveloped schooner with little fear of being raked now, for the pirates had ceased firing, and could be dimly seen through the reek hurrying to and fro. ‘Shall we give her one more salvo, sir?” asked the first officer, coming up to where Humphrey stood, trying to pierce the smoke with his glass. “No, poor wretches ! they’re getting fire enough. I hope she will not blow up, for I'd give anything to take her home unhurt.” There was a perfect rush of flame and smoke now from the schooner, and once more Humphrey’s men cheered and shook hands together, even the wounded in the excitement of their triumph taking up the cry, when, just in the height of the excitement, and when the sloop was within a hundred yards CONNIE OO;KS.EO©