Page:Demon ship, or, The pirate of the Mediterranean.pdf/15

Rh to see a friendly power apparently so near; and there was a feeling of hopeless desolation when, on removing the glass, the vessel shrank into a dim, grey speck on the horizon. The captain uttered an infernal oath, and called aloud to his sailors, 'Seamen—ahoy—ahoy! Make all the sail ye can. VecrVeer [sic] out the main-sheet—top-sails unreefed—royals and sky-sails up,' [&e. &e.] 'Stretch every stitch of canvass. Keep her to the wind—keep her to the wind!' I was surprised to find that our course was suddenly ehangedchanged [sic], as the vessel, which had previously driven before the breeze, was now evidently sailing with a side wind.

The Demon Ship was made for fast sailing, and she literally flew like a falcon over the waves. Once more I turned to the horizon. God of mercy! the frigate again began to sink upon the waters.

I felt that in a few hours I might not only be butchered in eoldcold [sic] blood myself, but might see Margaret—that was the thought that unmanned me. I tried to think if aught lay in our power to avert our eomingcoming [sic] fate. Nothing offered itself. We wcrewere [sic] entirely in the power of the Demon buccancersbuccaneers [sic]. And I saw that all Girod eouldcould [sic] do was to gain a few hours' delay. My earnest desire now was to inform Margaret as quickly as possible of hcrher [sic] eomingcoming [sic] fate. But after Girod's parting injunction, I feared to precipitate the last fatal measures by any step that might scemseem [sic] taken with reference to them. I therefore lay still until morning was farther advanced. I then arose, and left my cabin. It was yet scarcely broad day, but many a face I had not bcforebefore [sic] seen mctmet [sic] my eye, many a countenance, whose untameable expression of ferocity had doubtless been dcemeddeemed [sic], even by thcthe [sic] ruffian eommandercommander [sic] himself, good reason for hitherto keeping them from observation. All on the quarter-deck was quiet, and it seemed that the eountesscountess [sic] and her female attendants were still enjoying a calm and secure repose. I longed to descend and arouse them from a sleep which was so soon to be followed by a deeper slumber.

I had now an opportunity of discovering the real nature of my sentiments towards Margaret. They stood the test which overthrows many a summer-day attachment. I felt that, standing as my soul now was on the verge of its everlasting fate, it lost not one of its feelings of tenderness. The sun arose, and the countess appeared on deck. I drew her to the stern of the vessclvessel [sic], so that her back was to the crew, and there divulged the fearful secret which so awfully eoncernedconcerned [sic] her. At first, her chcekcheek [sic] was pale, her lips bloodless, and respiration seemed almost lost in terror and overpowering