Where's
the boatswain? Pipe to breakfast."
"You've plenty of hands on board, mate," said Bramble.
"Yes, plenty of them, such as they are; we've twenty of the ship's
company, and twenty-five passengers from Malta."
After breakfast the captain ordered up the small-arm men; five seamen
and fifteen of the passengers made their appearance with their muskets,
which were examined, and they were dismissed. At eleven o'clock, as we
neared the land, the men were ordered to quarters, the guns cast loose,
and they were exercised as on board of a man-of-war, the captain giving
his orders with his speaking-trumpet. "Double-shot your guns! Run out!
Point your guns! Fire! Repel boarders on the bow! Repel boarders on the
quarter!" etc. This continued for more than two hours, when the guns
were again secured.
"Well, pilot," said the captain to Bramble, "what do you think? do you
fancy a privateer could take us in a hurry?"
"Why, captain, if the men fight, I should say not; but, you see, these
guns, handsome as they are, won't fight of themselves."
"I'll answer for the men fighting; they'll have but their choice--fight,
or the contents of my pistol through the first man's head who quits his
gun.
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