Can you make her out ?" "Yes, by heaven, it's a ship, and a large ship too! What is it, think you, Seymour ?" "An English ship, of course, a frigate; we have no ships like that in these waters, or in our navy, either--more's the pity." "Whew! This looks bad for us." "Well, we 're not caught yet by a long sight, Talbot.

A good many leagues will have to be sailed before we are overhauled, and there 's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip, you know; that old stale maxim is truer on the sea than any place else, and truer in a chase, too; a thousand things may help us or hinder her.

See, we are going better now that the reefs are out and the topgallantsails set.

But it's a fearful strain on our spars.

They look new--pray God they be good ones," he continued, gazing over the side at the masses of green water tossed aside from the bows and sweeping aft under the counter in great swirls.
The spars and rigging of the Mellish were indeed fearfully tested, the masts buckling and bending like a strained bow.