if you'd never ate before, if you don't, you are a goner."
John very faintly uttered, that he couldn't "eat a dom bit."
"Then you'll die, and the fishes will eat YOU."
John shuddered, "Well, I'll try."
So saying, he downed one of the pieces of pork, which as speedily came up again.
"Now drink, and be quick about it, or I shall drink it for you."
With much exertion they made John eat and drink heartily, after which they left him to sleep awhile.
The following morning John appeared on deck again, exceedingly pale to be sure, but entirely recovered from his sea-sickness, and with a feeling of fervent gratitude toward the sailor, who, as he fancied, had saved his valuable life.
Nothing occurred to interrupt the peaceful monotony of life aboard the little craft for the following ten days: before a good breeze they had made much way in their voyage, and all on board were pleased with prosperous wind and calm sea and sky.
On the morning of the following day, however, the cry from the mast-head of "sail ho!" aroused all on board to a feeling of interest.
"Where away?"
"Right over the lee-bow."
"What do you make of her?"
"Square to'sails, queer rig – flag, can't see it."
"O! captain," said Julia, "can't you go near enough to speak it?"
"Of course I could, 'cause it's right on the lee, but whether I'd better or not is quite another thing."
"The captain knows best, my dear," said the merchant.
"Certainly, but I should so like to see some other faces besides those which are about us every day."
"If you are tired already, my pretty lady," said Captain Horton, "I wonder what you'll be before we get to the Indies."
"Heigh-ho," sighed the fair lady.
"Mast-head there," shouted Captain Horton.
"Ay, ay, sir."
"What do you make of her now?"
"Nothing yet, sir; we are overhauling her fast though."
In a short time the top-sails of the strange vessel became visible from the deck.
"Ah! she's hove in sight, has she?" said Captain Horton. "I'll see what I can make of her," and seizing his glass he ascended the fore-ratlins, nearly to the cross-trees, and after a long and steady survey of the approaching vessel, in which survey he also included the whole horizon, he descended with a thoughtful countenance, muttering to himself, "I was a little afraid of it."
"Well captain," inquired Julia, "is it an English vessel?"
"May be 't is – can't tell where 't was built."
"Can't you see the flag?"
"Can't make it out yet."
"Captain Horton," exclaimed the merchant, who had been watching his countenance from the moment he had descended the ratlins, "you do know something about that vessel, I am sure."
Captain Horton interrupted him by an earnest glance toward Julia, which the fair girl herself noticed.
"O! be not afraid to say any thing before me, captain. I am not easily frightened, and if you have to fight I will help you."
The bright eyes of the girl as she spoke grew brighter, and her little hand was clenched as if it held a sword.
Casting a glance of admiration toward the beautiful girl, Captain Horton leisurely filled his pipe from his waistcoat pocket, and replied as he lit it —
"Well, I'm inclined to think it's what we call a pirate, my fair lady."
"A pirate," sung out John, "a pirate, boo-hoo! oh dear! we shall all be ravaged and cooked, and eaten. O dear! why didn't I marry Susan Thompson, and go to keeping an inn – boo-hoo!"
"John," said his master, "be still, or if you must cry, go below."
The servant made a manly effort, and managed to repress his ejaculations, but could not keep back the large tears which followed each other down his cheeks in rapid succession.
"Can't you run from her, captain?" asked the merchant.
"Have you no guns aboard?" inquired Julia.
"I see you are for fighting the rascals, Miss Julia, and I own that would be the pleasantest course for me; but you see, we can't do it. The company don't allow their vessels enough fire-arms to beat off a brig half their own size – there's no way but to run for it, and these rascals always have a swift craft – generally a Baltimore clipper, which is just the fastest and prettiest vessel in the world, if those pesky Yankees do build them – but the Betsy Allen aint a slow craft, and we'll do the best we can to show 'em a clean pair of heels."
"You are to windward of them, captain," said Julia.
"Yes, that's true; but these clippers sail right in the teeth of the wind; see, now, how they've neared us – ahoy! – all hands ahoy!"
"Ay, ay, sir."
"'Bout ship, my boys – let go the jibs – lively, boys; now the fore peak-halyards. There she is – that throws the strange sail right astern; and a stern chase is a long chase."
Three or four hours of painful anxiety succeeded, when it became evident even to the unpracticed eyes of Julia and her father, that the strange vessel was slowly but surely overhauling them. Yet the brave girl showed none of the usual weakness of her sex, and even encouraged her father, who, though himself a brave man, yet trembled as he thought of the probable fate of his daughter. As for poor John, that unfortunate individual was so completely beside himself, that he wandered from one part of the vessel to the other, asking each sailor successively what his opinion of the chances of escape might be, and what treatment they might expect from the pirates after they were taken. As may be imagined, he received little consolation from the hardy tars, who, although themselves well aware of their probable fate, yet had been too long schooled in danger to show fear before the peril was immediately around them, and were each pursuing the duties of their several stations, very much as if only threatened with the usual dangers of the voyage. The unmanly fears of John even induced them to play upon his anxiety, and magnify his terror.
"Why, John," said his old friend, who had so scientifically cured him of his sea-sickness, and toward whom John evinced a kind of filial reverence, placing peculiar reliance upon every thing said by the worthy tar, "why, John, they will make us all walk the plank."
"Will they – O, dear me! and what is that, does it hurt a fellow?"
"O, no! he dies easy."
"Dies! oh, lud!"
"Why, yes! you know what walking the plank is, don't yer?"
"No I don't. O, dear!"
"Well, they run a plank over the side of the ship, and ask you very politely to walk out to the end of it."
"O,
