"
"Very good, sir."
Without leaving the bridge Ensign Fullerton passed the word for the
manning of the gun and loading with a blank cartridge.
There was a new, deeper glow in Eph Somers's eyes as he paced the
bridge. He was to have, at last, his wish to see the "Sudbury" fire
a shot.
In a few minutes more the "Sudbury" was ranging tip alongside the
schooner, though a full quarter of a mile away to windward.
"Mr. Fullerton, fire the blank shot at the stranger," ordered Lieutenant
Jack Benson.
"Aye, aye, sir."
The order was carried by a simple wave of the executive officer's hand.
The petty officer in command behind the bow gun, looking for the signal,
saw it and gave a low-toned order.
_Bang!_ Eph was watching for it. His eyes danced as he heard the sharp
explosion and saw the cloud of white smoke, with the tongue of fire
spitting through the center of it. In most of us there is left some of
the spirit of the old Norse pirate; Eph had a lot of it.
"The people on the schooner act as though they were bewildered," smiled
Jack, watching the schooner through his glass. "It doesn't look as
though they expected any such order from us.
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