Command

The noise of the rain squall fell away and there was a sudden cry from a lookout. 'Sail hoooo! Two sail three points t' loo'ard!'

Kydd dropped his work and scrambled to his feet, hastening on deck. 'Sir!' Dacres pointed with his telescope. There were two vessels lying stopped together just ahead and to leeward,

clearly surprised by Teazer's sudden emergence from the shower.

Heads turned to Kydd in expectation. 'Y'r glass, Mr Dacres,' he snapped, and steadied the telescope on the pair.

There was not much doubt: they were witnessing the predation of one vessel upon the other. No flag on either, but one had the unmistakable low, rakish lines of a corsair. Kydd's eyes gleamed: he could not go far wrong if he took action. If the victim was friendly he would earn undying gratitude, and if enemy, Teazer would be taking her first prize.

'Down y'r helm—set us alongside, Mr Bonnici!' he roared, thrusting back the telescope at Dacres. The last image he had seen was of an ants' nest of activity on both decks as, no doubt, the corsair prepared to flee. A mile or so downwind and both vessels dead in the water; the circumstances could not have been better.

'Brace round, y' lubbers,' he bawled as, close-hauled, Teazer loosed bowlines and came round to lie before the wind, picking up speed now she was not in confrontation with the waves.

'Hands t' quarters!' he snapped. Wincing at the ridiculous drum, he was pleased nevertheless at the enthusiasm the gun crews showed: with wet clothing still clinging they readied their weapons for what must come. On both sides of the deck—eight 6-pounders a side—gun captains checked gunlocks, vents and tackle falls with ferocious concentration.

The corsair was now poling off from the victim, on its three masts huge lateen yards showing signs of movement: it had to be a xebec and, judging from the polacre rig of its prey, this was a merchantman.

In his excitement Kydd could not hold back a wolfish smile as they bore down on the two vessels and he could see that the others aboard Teazer were as exultant. Stirk's head popped up at the fore hatchway and its owner stared forward. His quarters were at the magazine but he obviously wanted to see what was going on.

This was what Teazer had been built for—destined for! One by one reports were made to him of readiness for battle. Dacres's quarters bill would be shortly tested. Kydd could see him forward, scribbling in a notebook. But it would be an easy baptism of fire for the ship: they would get no fierce broadside- to-broadside hammering from the undisciplined rabble in a corsair.

The xebec had its sails abroad now: the two larger forward ones a-goosewing, spread on opposite sides to catch the following wind and the smaller mizzen taken in. Its low, wasp-like hull would give it speed but Teazer was no plodder.

They were coming up fast on the merchant ship, which was untidily at sixes and sevens and with no clue as to its flag. Its side timbers were bleached and drab, the sails grey with service. However, Kydd had eyes only for the chase, which was making off with ever-increasing speed.

'Cap'n, sir,' said the master, quietly. Kydd spared him a glance. 'Sir, you're not a-chasin' this pirate?' Kydd frowned. Of course he was—the merchant ship would still be there after they had dealt with the corsair.

'You c'n wager guineas on it, Mr Bonnici,' he said testily, and resumed his eager stare forward. The master subsided meekly.

They plunged past the merchantman under every stitch of canvas they possessed. 'Give 'em a gun, there,' he threw forward. 'Let 'em know we're not forgetting 'em,' he growled, in an aside to a solemn Dacres.

Kydd snatched a glance at the master, who was watching events blank-faced. The chase was just what was wanted to sort out the real warriors among them, and if Bonnici was not up to it his days in Teazer were numbered.

'Stretch out aloft, there, y' old women!' he bellowed, to the foremast topmen who were sending up stuns'ls but making a sad mess of it. Kydd stared ahead through his pocket glass until his eyes watered, willing Teazer on. As far as he could judge they had a chance. The xebec seemed over-pressed with sail, with much white around its bows but not making the speeds he had seen in similar craft. One thing was certain: with the large number of men crowding its deck he would be very sure never to come close enough to allow them to board.

A popping and a puff of smoke from its high, narrow stern was met with contemptuous laughter by the seamen in Teazer —they had no bow-chasers worth the name but all they needed was to come up with the vessel and settle the matter with a couple of broadsides. A xebec, like all corsairs, was intended to board and overwhelm, never to try conclusions with a warship.

It began angling away, trying for a better slant, and Kydd was certain they were slowly overhauling it, now no more than a mile ahead. His excitement increased and he recognised a rising bloodlust.

'The merchantman is falling astern, sir.'

'Thank ye, Mr Dacres,' Kydd snapped. The ship was now at quite a distance, but it was still apparently immobile and could wait. Should he try a yaw? That involved suddenly throwing over the helm briefly to bring Teazer's broadside to bear, but it would be at the cost of losing way in the chase and he could not allow that.

It was fast and exhilarating, this hot-blooded flying after the corsair, knowing that there was little doubt about how the battle would end, and then a triumphant return to the grateful merchant ship.

Kydd turned to his midshipman messenger. 'Go an' get my sword, if y' will, Mr Martyn.' The heft of his fine fighting sword was satisfying and he saw that they were decidedly nearer. It would not be long now—neither darkness nor a friendly port would save their prey.

Every eye forward was on the xebec. It seemed to hesitate, the big lateens shivering, the speed falling off. Surely not—it couldn't be so easy. Teazer came on in fine style, Kydd giving away nothing to chance. The corsair's aspect changed slightly to larboard.

He would take it ranging up on his starboard side for the first broadside and then—

As quick as a warhorse wheeling for the charge, the xebec's sheets flew in and it slewed round. Was it trying to