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Date Posted: 18:40:03 01/30/02 Wed
Author: Vito
Subject: Chapter. 5
In reply to: Vito 's message, "Of Guns and Canvas" on 14:11:55 01/22/02 Tue

The second broadside roared out, cutting up the American's deck and rails, but leaving her rigging unscathed for the most part. The men were becoming an angry and their shots began landing with less accuracy. By the fifth broadside the Captain gave the order to stow the guns, since one gun's shot hit more then twenty meters to the starboard of the fleeing vessel.

The men obeyed with good humor, and they quickly secured the guns into their notches. Arbator was proved to be right on this issue, for without the guns going off the ship stayed on a steadier course, and she ran just a very little faster. Now the sky began to cloud, and a little before six bells a light rain began to trickle down from the heavens. The sky was growing dim, and the lookout, a poet to some extent, said softly to his mate:

"Of late the sky grows dimmer, and spread all she can bear,
the prey perhaps the swifter, yet to the hunter's lair.
For a steady breeze she carried, and faster she so sought,
for the Lord looks kindly upon us, and upon or foes does not."

His mate whirled around. "Ebenezer, where did you git that from?"

"Me uncle, near Norfolk," the lookout replied.

His mate was about to question Ebenezer again, when he turned and looked through the gray, wet mist. He gasped, and whispered, "Oh God, where'd she go?"

Indeed, the American ship was nowhere to be seen. They scanned the horizon with their spyglasses, checked behind them, and finally hailed the deck.

"SHE DISSAPEARED SIR, SHE AINT THERE!"

The lieutenant told this to the Captain, who looked quite blank. But cheering up quickly at the scent of fresh coffee brewing in his cabin, John Arbator said to James, "Very well, we will press on forward for the next glass." Then hailing the master, he said Mr. Marshall, "rig royals and prepare to heave the log."

Royals are basically speed-enhancing sails that are put up at the very top of the mast. As for heaving the log, that's another matter entirely. First, a wooden log with a long rope attached to it is taken out, and dropped into the sea behind a ship. At the same moment a thirty-second hourglass is turned and allowed to run. When the sand runs out, the log's rope is grabbed so it won't be able to move out any farther behind the ship. The rope is then measured, and through several calculations the speed of the ship can be determined.

At the moment, the Spectre was running at over thirteen knots. Thirteen. Almost the fastest she had ever gone, and her captain was willing her faster every step of the way.

The afternoon wore on into dusk, and the sea was as rough as ever. The drizzle had become a large deluge, and men were franticly yet tirelessly manning the water pumps, spraying the water back out into the sea in great jets.

At eight bells the watch was changed. The wet men had a chance to go below and dry off, while the not-to-eager second watch came upon deck. One and two bells rang, and the darkness thickened into a black veil around the ship. Water still poured from the sky, but there was still a hint of visibility beyond the raging waves.

Yet at three bells, a whispered hail floated down from the lookout.
"On deck there, I think I see something to the east, two points off the larboard bow."

James and Roach, who had the deck, rushed to the rail and were handed spyglasses by a midshipman. They peered through them into the utter darkness.

"He can't have seen it, it's just to dark out there!" the second lieutenant said peevishly. "Need a better lookout, that's what I think."

But James didn't say anything, he just stared out into the darkness, trying to pierce it through to the clearness of day. Yet nothing did he see, and he lowered the glass.

The Captain hailed the lookouts. "Where away?"

"I can't see it anymore, but she was there, there on the larboard bow, sah!"

Arbator pondered for a while. As he did this four bells was struck, and all of a sudden, as if the ship's bell had woken Neptune himself, the rain stopped. The sky grew clearer, and though it was still dark, everyone on the quarterdeck could clearly see a ship, two points off the larboard bow.

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