"Mr. Tracy," said a young officer on her quarter-deck to the gray lieutenant, "what do you think of her, sir?" "My boy," replied his commander, "she's the chap we're here for. She has just the style o' foremast and tops'l that Syme told us of. That's the Yankee. I can't believe, though, that she's all he said she was. The fellow was badly scared, you know." "We'll knock some splinters out of her, and take her in, then," laughed the young man, jauntily. "You were right, sir, in coming this way. The others missed her." "We won't do that," said Tracy. "All hands clear away for action! We are going to take that American privateer!" "Ay, ay, sir!" came cheerily back, and the crew sprang away in genuine British readiness for anything like a brush with an enemy. An ugly antagonist the _Arran_ was likely to be, and she was sure of good handling. She was speedy, too, and the two vessels were all the while nearing each other. It was to be noted, nevertheless, as Captain Avery had said, that at the same time they were getting away out of reach of the overpowerful ship of the line. "I'm going to strike first," he remarked, "and I mean to hit hard. Ready, Up-na-tan! Williams, pull down that Norway bunting, and run up the stars and stripes! We'll fight under our own flag to-day. I'll cripple that fellow or take him. If I don't, we're bound for a British prison, instead of Amsterdam." "That's so, sir," said Groot. "She's a pretty big bird for us, I'm thinking." "Big or little, we'll fight her! Three cheers for the flag!" sang out the captain. The three cheers were rousers, and the _Noank_ gained a point by it. Lieutenant Tracy had been using his glass just then, and he angrily roared out:-- "Fletcher, my boy! If they haven't challenged us! Give 'em a broadside! Hurrah! They mean to show fight!" Good gunners were those mariners of the _Arran_. Well sent was that broadside; and in a moment more Captain Avery was leaning over his port bulwark, and was making a somewhat serious examination. "Hurrah!" he shouted in his turn. "So much for ice-fender timbers and planking. Two shot struck fair and didn't go through. Up-na-tan, let fly! Show 'em the difference!" The Manhattan did not obey at once. He was sighting, sighting, sighting, for almost a minute, and the men at the broadside guns were following his example. "Fire!" shouted the captain, and even then there was an irritating pause. [Illustration: THE FIGHT WITH THE ARRAN. "'Fire!' shouted the captain, and even then there was an irritating pause."] "Ugh!" grunted the red man, at last. "Ole chief wait and see brig bowsprit. Send shot behind it." The long eighteen spoke out, and was instantly followed by the three sixes on that side of the _Noank_. It was at the very moment when Lieutenant Tracy remarked, inquiringly:-- "What? Don't they mean to answer us? You don't say they'll surrender without firing a shot? That isn't like 'em, now--"