human
What think you of that fellow, Timmins?
gpt
A fine polacca brig, sir, as one can see with half an eye, he answered deliberately;
human
We should--starboard the helm a point my lads, exclaimed the master.
gpt
Steady, that will take us clear, and we shall be near enough to have a look at him. Ah! there goes some buntin' aloft. What colours are they, Timmins?
human
The Austrian ensign, sir, replied the mate.
gpt
A black eagle on a white ground, and there flies a pennant at his mast head.
human
That's extraordinary indeed, exclaimed the master.
gpt
Hoist the ensign there, he shouted.
human
Austrian or devil, we'll show him that we are not ashamed of our flag, and will not strike it either in a hurry. Come here, Timmins, we mustn't frighten the young lady by what we say. You know the paper dropped on board here last night; now it's my opinion that that's the very brig it speaks about, and the one the felucca's two men tried to persuade us was an Austrian man-of-war. To my eye, she looks fifty times more like a Greek than an Austrian, for all that her colours say. Well, what's your opinion that we ought to do?
gpt
With respect to her being a Greek, I think she is, answered the mate.
human
And if she's a pirate, we ought to do our best to stand clear of her, seeing that we were commissioned to carry merchandise, and not to look after such gentry; but if she comes after us, and we can't get clear of her, that alters the case, sir, and we must stand to our guns and fight her.
gpt
I am glad to hear you say so, Timmins,
human
Turn the hands up, my good fellow, and let them go to quarters. (The people were at their breakfast.)
gpt
We will not fire the first shot; but if she attacks us, we will give it them as well as we can. One satisfaction is, that they cannot board us while the gale lasts.