Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/86

 sun blazed overhead and was reflected from water as smooth as oil.

“‘Ben,’ says the captain, ‘oblige me by going up into the crow’s- nest and casting your eye around.’”

“Why, Ben, were you to look for eggs?” said the wondering Charlie.

“Eggs?” echoed the sailor, with as puzzled a look.

“You said crow’s-nest, didn’t you? But do birds build their nests up the masts of vessels, and did the captain collect eggs?”

Ben’s astonishment subsided into a broad grin.

“Shift your ’el-em, Master Charles, you’re on the wrong tack. There weren’t any poultry aboard the Saucy Susan. The crow’s-nest is what they call the place where the look-out stands, but why it’s so called is more than I can say, and so I won’t deceive you. I climbed the rigging, and was scarcely stowed away before I clapped my eyes on a strange craft creeping out from behind one of the islands, and I sang out, ‘A sail.”

“‘Where away?’ says the captain.

“‘On our starboard bow,’ says I.

“‘Can you make out her rig?’ says the captain.

“‘She’s too far off,’ says I, ‘but if she’s a Christian craft my name’s not Benjamin.’ In another minute I sung out, ‘A sail on the port quarter, sir!’

“‘Glue your peepers to her, Ben, and tell us what she’s like.’

“‘Ay, ay, sir,’ I calls back, ‘my eyes are glued, and she’s so much like the first that you couldn’t tell t’other from which.’ Almost as quick as before, I sung out again, ‘A sail, sir, dead ahead!’

“‘Avast there,’ says the captain, ‘you’re a-seeing too much.’ And up he climbed himself with his spy-glass. He’d hardly got fixed when, ‘Shiver my timbers!’ says he, ‘but you're right, and then he claps his eyes astern. ‘May I never splice the mainbrace again if there aren’t three more of the same gentry. Ben,’ says he, as solemn as a judge, ‘it’s about all U.P. with us.’

“Down we went on deck, and all hands being piped, the captain says, ‘My lads, we're in a tight place, and so I won’t deceive you. There’s three strange craft ahead and three strange craft astern, each one choke full of cannibal pirates thirsting for our blood. They’ll kill us if we don’t kill them. To be cooked and eaten is the least we can hope for; but I mean to do my best to beat them off or die in the