88 THE CALL OF THE SEA 



"Won't do, my boy ! You cannot, carry to it as 

 you will, clear the land as you are standing ; you 

 must tack soon, unless you mean to jump the little 

 beauty over it." As I spoke she hove about and 

 stood across the schooner, exchanging broadsides 

 gallantly. " Well done, little one ! " The Spider 

 tacked also and stood after her. A gun ! 

 Another! Both replied to by the felucca, the 

 musketry peppering away all the while from each 

 essel ; the tiny white puffs instantly obliterated 

 y the foam-drift ; and now neither fired a shot. 

 The gale at this moment came down in thunder ; 

 all above as black as night, all below as white as 

 wool. The Spider shortens sail just in time ; the 

 Midge not a pistol shot ahead on the weather bow. 

 See ! the squall strikes her — her tall lateen sail 

 shines through the more than twilight darkness 

 and the driving rain and spray, like a sea-bird's 

 wing. Mercy ! how she lies over I She sinks in 

 the trough of the sea ! Now she rises again and 

 breasts it gallantly ! There ! that's over her 

 bodily ; her sails are dark and sea-washed three- 

 parts up. Look how the clear green water, as she 

 lurches, pours out of the afterleech of the sail like 

 a cascade ! Now she is buried again ; no — 

 buoyant as a cork, she dances over it like a wild 

 duck ! See how she tips up her round stern and 

 slides down the liquid hollow ! Once more she 

 catches the breeze on the opposite rise of the sea. 



