D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 101: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

92 The Messenger. victs? They crack on. I never saw such set effort to rack and ruin in my born days!” | “There is something also wrong with the Frenchman,” remarked the musketeer, anxiously. “‘You understand these matters—what is ailing her?’ “Strain! too long and narrow—she lays over us by thirty feet and has scarcely as broad a beam! She has broken her back, I fear! But all is one if she is sink- in 39 “Master, we are sinking!” whispered to his captain a slim, frail man, almost a boy, who, from a smattering of learning and writing, was the supercargo, purser and clerk on board the Xip/ias. This was enough to draw attention from the chase and the French craft on the outer edge of the attacked and attackers. D’Artagnan sighed as he wrenched away his eyes. The hold was sounded. ‘Solid water to the false keel,’ grimly remarked Pedro to the musketeer, whom he regarded as his lieu- tenant. “Cease bailing! If we are water-logged, and we show no rag aloft, the gale may overblow us, since we lay so low—for these winds glance upward.” Perforcedly idle, drifting with bare poles, the helm little obeyed, the doomed crew resumed peering toward the scene of the strange conflict. Reconciled to their fate, their curiosity was irrepressi- ble about their neighbors in similar or worse jeopardy. All at once, fhaving probably estimated their own state correctly, but unable to contemplate with serenity the cruel attack on the vessel invisible to the XipMias, but seen by the Messier, the latter fired a gun and ran up a flag of great size on the last of its four masts. This was clear, as a mass of rain, like a curtain, fell between her and the land and caused her outlines to stand out. This same cloud entirely veiled the disappeared vessel. As if maddened by the first prey balking them, the three Spanish trimmed sail and ceased rowing on one side, to bring a broadside to bear on this challenger. The galleys had long pivot-guns, which were now brought to bear on the same point. “The flag of France—it looks novel—a kind of special Gomichbooksseo