culverins;
and presently, as the great galleass altered her course, obedient to
the motion of Don Miguel's hand, I beheld, some half-league to
windward, the towering stern of the ship we were pursuing, whose length
gradually grew upon me as we overhauled her until she was fairly in
view. She was a small ship, and by her build I did not doubt but that
she was English; even as I watched, up to her mizzen-peak fluttered the
English flag. And hereupon a great yearning came upon me, insomuch
that of a sudden her high, weatherbeaten sides, her towering masts and
patched canvas grew all blurred and indistinct.

Thrice already our guns had roared, yet (though she was now so close
that I made out her very rope and spar) she made no sign. In a little
our guns fell silent also, wherefore, looking about, I beheld Don
Miguel standing beside the tiller yet with his impassive gaze ever bent
upon the foe; and, as I watched, I read his deadly purpose, and a great
fear for the English ship came upon me, and I fell a-praying beneath my
breath, for we carried a weapon more terrible than any culverin that
was ever cast, the long, sharp ram below the water.

The English ship was now so near that I could see the yawning muzzles
of her guns, while her high, curving sides seemed to tower over us. As
I gazed, with my heart full of a pitiful fear for her, I saw a head
appear above her quarter-railing, a very round head whereon was a
mariner's red cap. Came a puff of smoke, the sharp crack of a caliver,
and one of the officers beside Don Miguel threw up his hands and,
twisting on his heels, fell clashing in his armour. When I looked
again for the red cap, it was gone. But Don Miguel waited, silent and
impassive as ever. Suddenly he gestured with his hand, I saw the heave
of the steersmen's shoulders as they obeyed, while the air rang with
shouts of command as, the starboard oars holding water, the larboard
thrashed and churned amain and the great "Esmeralda" galleass (turning
thus well-nigh in her own length) drove straight for the side of her
foe.

Never had I seen it better done, and I set my teeth, waiting for the
grinding crash that was to send the English ship to the bottom, but lo!
her creaking yards were braced round, and, paying off before the wind
(which now blew strongly) she stood away upon a course at right angles
to her old, whereby both vessels were running parallel as before. Yet
it had been close, so very close indeed th