cr own readers

92 A THREE DAYS' CHASE.
8. Instead of gaining by our manceuvre, we had
allowed th e privateer to gain several hundred yards
upon us ; and his funny little shot, which had excited
so much mirth, passed through th e lee foretop -sail
yard-arm. Had it struck on th e windward side,
where the yard was cracking and straining at a most
furious rate, th e greater part of the sails on the foremast
might have come down quicker tha n we could
have wished, for we were now going at a great rate,
with the wind on the qua rter.
9. Soon another shot cut through the weather
maintop-gallant sheet ; and so he went on, firing
away briskly, till most of our lofty sails were fluttering
with th e holes made in th em. His own sails, I
need scarcely add, were by this time so completely
torn up by OUl' shot that we could see the sky through
them all; but st ill he refused to heave to, and by
constantly firing his single stern-chaser, he showed
that he meant to lose no possible chance of escape.
Had one or two of his shot st ruck eit her of our topmasts,
I really believe he might have got off
cruise
quest
sus-pt-cious
rog~uish
fore-cas-tle
in-ex-pli-ca-ble
re-pair-ing
per-ceived'
ma-ll-cious
pri-va-teer'
cur-fled
in-vul-ner-a-bil-i-ty
vo-ra-cious
dol-phin
wretch-ed
frig~ate
in-trep-id
ap-plause'
gal~lant-ry
man-oeu-vre
' V OR D EXERCISE:-
I. Explain the force of the suffix in roguish, British, ant! g reenish.
2. Analyze the words inexplicable ant! invulner ability, showing the
meaning of each part.
3. Give examples of common word s, as sheet, which have a special
meaning when used of ships.
For NOTt:S, see page 261.