I went to the powder-magazine, brought up a blank
cartridge and loaded the big brass gun, which, it will be remembered,
was unhoused when we set sail, and as I had no means of housing it,
there it had stood, bristling alike at fair weather and foul all the
voyage. I took care to grease its mouth well, and before leaving the
fore part of the ship, thrust the poker into the fire.
All was now ready. A steady five-knot breeze was blowing, so that I was
now not more than quarter of a mile from the reef. I was soon at the
entrance, and as the schooner glided quickly through, I glanced
affectionately at the huge breaker, as if it had been the same one I
had seen there when I bade adieu, as I feared for ever, to the island.
On coming opposite the Water Garden, I put the helm hard down. The
schooner came round with a rapid, graceful bend, and lost way just
opposite the bower. Running forward, I let go the anchor, caught up the
red-hot poker, applied it to the brass gun, and saluted the mountains
with a _bang_ such as had only once before broke their slumbering
echoes!
Effective although it was, however, it was scarcely equal to the bang
with which, instantly after, Peterkin bounded from the bower, in scanty
costume, his eyeballs starting from his head with surprise and terror.
One gaze he gave, one yell, and then fled into the bushes like a wild
cat. The next moment Jack went through exactly the same performance,
the only difference being that his movements were less like those of
Jack-in-the-box, though not less vigorous and rapid than those of
Peterkin.
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