The Argosy — page 247: what you’re looking at

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

Overhauled by a Pirate. 231 “Well,” he answers, at length, with a grim earnestness in his voice, “it happens that I Aave got a yarn about Cape Frio—and such a one as you don’t often hear now-a-days. You young travellers of this gene- ration only read about what I saw then ; but it was not a thing to be forgotten. Listen, and I'll tell you about it. “On a fine morning in May, 1831, I was rounding that very head- land that you see yonder, in the brig Carron, bound from Glasgow to Rio de Janeiro ; and although we had had our share of rough weather on the way, I can’t remember a voyage that I enjoyed more. You young fellows of this high-pressure age, who gallop through your lives as you would ride to hounds, and fly over a country or an event as you would take a big fence, can’t think how much you lose. In my time, the passage of the Atlantic was a voyage; now, it’s a jump. Wée used to be months upon months at sea, in the glorious breezy weather, with blue water and blue sky all round us, and the fresh air stirring our blood like the breath of life, and all the troubles and botherations of our life on shore lying behind us like a dream ; while you—but I mustn’t forget my story. ‘It was about ten in the morning, and I was lying on a spare sail in the main-top (a favourite lounge of mine) just as I’m lying here now— reading and looking through my telescope turn about—when all at once the skipper shouted up to me ‘ Maister K—, weel ye jist tak’ a look through the prospec’ (telescope) at yon craft on the weather bow?’ I levelled my glass at her, and made her out to be a long, low-lying craft, seemingly standing away from us; and so I reported to the captain. But in another ten minutes or so, his voice came up again (and this time with rather a different sound in it) ‘ Maister K—, I dinna like the look of yon craft ; wull ye jist tak’ anither look at her?’ “Why,” said I, levelling my glass; “ she’s changed her course—she’s coming right down upon us!” “ “Wad ye kindly bring down the prospec, sir? I wad like to tak’ a look mysel !” ‘“‘ This time there was a tremor in his voice, which no one could mis- take. I began to feel rather uncomfortable, and came down post-haste. The skipper took the glass ; and I, watching him as he looked through it, saw his great red face grow whiter and whiter, till it was livid as a corpse ; and he just got out four words in a kind of half-choked whisper: ‘ She’s an armed vessel !' ‘“‘T understood it all in a moment; and so did everyone else that heard him. ‘This was just at the close of the war between Brazil and Buenos-Ayres ; and the Eastern coast was swarming with ex-p rivateers, who had been thrown out of work by the peace, and didn’t care whom they attacked, so long as there was anything (tobe got by it. For one moment we thought of showing fight; but that idea wouldn’t COMmMiIcloOoks.conn ,