"Gentlemen," said he, "let us kneel
down and pray for wisdom, in this sore
strait."
He and his officers kneeled on the
quarter-deck. When they rose, Dodd
stood rapt about a minute his great
thoughtful eye saw no more the en
emy, the sea, nor anything external It
was turned Inward. His officers
looked at him In silence.
"Sharpe," said he, at last, "there
must be a way out of them with such
a breeze as this is now, if we could but
see it!"
"Ay, if," groaned Sharpe.
Dodd mused again.
"About ship!" said he, softly, like an
absent man.
"Ay, ay, sir!"
"Steer due north!" said he, still like
one whose mind was elsewhere.
While the ship was coming about
he gave minute orders to the mates
and the gunner, to insure co-operation
In the delicate and dangerous maneuv
ers that were sure to be on hand.
The wind was W. N. W. he was
standing north one pirate lay on his
lee beam stopping a leak between
wind and water, and hacking the
deck clear of his broken masts and
yards. The other fresh, and thirsting
for the easy prey, came up to weather
on him and hang on his quarter, pirate
fashion.
When they were distant about a ca
ble's length, the fresh pirate, to meet
the ship's change of tactics, changed
his own, luffed up, and gave the ship
a broadside, well-aimed, but not de
structive, the guns being loaded with
ball.
