The Harpy was then about two miles from Jack's vessel, and the Spaniard about a mile from him, with all her boats ahead of her, towing towards him; Mesty examined the Spanish vessel.
"Dat man-of-war, Massa Easy,--what de debbel we do for colour?
must hoist something." Mesty ran down below; he recollected that there was a very gay petticoat, which had been left by the old lady who was in the vessel when they captured her.

It was of green silk, with yellow and blue flowers, but very faded, having probably been in the Don's family for a century.

Mesty had found it under the mattress of one of the beds, and had put it into his bag, intending probably to cut it up into waistcoats.

He soon appeared with this under his arm, made it fast to the peak halyards and hoisted it up.
"Dere, Massa, dat do very well--dat what you call 'all nation colour.' Everybody strike him flag to dat--men nebber pull it down," said Mesty, "anyhow.

Now den, ab hoist colour, we fire away--mind you only fire one gun at a time, and point um well, den ab time to load again." "She's hoisted her colours, sir," said Sawbridge, on board of the Harpy; "but they do not show out clear, and it's impossible to distinguish them; but there's a gun." "It's not at us, sir," said Gascoigne, the midshipman; "it's at the Spanish vessel--I saw the shot fall ahead of her." "It must be a privateer," said Captain Wilson; "at all events, it is very fortunate, for the corvettes would otherwise have towed into Carthagena.