noon
Luckily , before giving the order he paused long enough to allow the fact to be borne in upon him that the masts were already whipping and bending like fishing-rods , and the gear taxed to its utmost capacity of resistance ; and being , despite the characteristics above-mentioned , a reasonably prudent and careful officer , the sight restrained him , and he forbore to attempt anything so risky as the further over-driving of the already greatly over-driven craft . Not so with the skipper of the barque . It was , of course , impossible for us to know whether he had observed the capture of the _ Conquistador _ -- we hoped and believed not ; but , however that may have been , it was certain that he had been keeping his eyes sufficiently open to promptly become aware of the fact that the schooner had altered her course and was standing after him under a very heavy press of sail , and if our surmises as to his character were anywhere near the truth , that circumstance alone would be quite sufficient to fully arouse his easily-awakened apprehensions and to urge him to keep us at arm 's - length at all risks . Be that as it may , we had just made it noon when the quarter-master called our attention to the fact that the barque 's people had loosed their main-topgallant-sail and were sheeting it home over the double-reefed topsail . It was an imprudent thing to do , however , for the sail had scarcely been set ten minutes when the topgallant-mast went over the side , snapped short off by the cap . Her skipper instantly availed himself of the pretext afforded by this accident to bear away three or four points while clearing the wreck , his object doubtless being to determine beyond all question whether we really were after him or not ; and if this was his purpose , we did not leave him long in doubt upon the point , our own helm being put up the instant that we saw what he was about . Realising , by this move on our part , the true state of affairs , he now squared dead away before the wind , shook out all his reefs , and set his fore-topgallant-sail , as well as topmast and lower studding-sails .