captain of the kali by gary wright sail down the wind, kali! victory waits across the seas--and so does death! [transcriber's note: this etext was produced from worlds of if science fiction, january 1963. extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the u.s. copyright on this publication was renewed.] john ward, god helper, hung in his chair like a damp, empty uniform. an open, four-foot port showed a circle of blazing blue sky and a regular glimpse of a high, curving topsail. the humid, hot salty flavor of a strange sea blanketed the cabin, and sparked a sudden thought: "what the hell am i doing here?" there was no prompt answer. the wind rushed and moaned. the roiling water crashed and hissed under the stern. the following ship heaved its topsail into sight again, and withdrew it. a lilting chant drifted like smoke on the wind. _we ride the wind down like sleek, skimming birds. the seething foam furrows follow true. the sky is clouded with our singing sails. we ride the wind down, down the wind._ he was comet colonel john ward, terran confederation, earth; he was certain of that. age? forty-two, more or less. specialty? historical naval tactician. if you had to call it something you might as well call it that. hobby? sailing. but, god, snipes and lightnings aren't ships-of-the-line! reading? well ... lyric poetry and ancient history, if you must know. present occupation? god helper. no, call that commander advisor to the kali, aqua. future? oh, hell-yes; right up the.... _wide shouldered, wave exploding, trim twin-hulled we come. first, the sky tall, fine first-liners. then the seconds, flanking fast. lean and level slide the frigates. all around us flash the corvettes. ride the wind down, kali seamen, down the wind to ande-ke._ six months ago he had a future all outlined, but six months ago he was a shining god helper, come in glory. now he was simply a god helper, and sometimes not even that. _we are the kali. the fortunate ones. yes! heirs to our wind and water world. like our ships we are tall and proud. like our wind we are wild and restless. like our sea we are strong and savage. this is our world, wide and lonely. ride the wind down. kali brothers, down the wind to anda-ke._ * * * * * six months on this barely discovered, one per cent land area, behind-the-galaxy planet, with piercing confederation insight: aqua. where the land was scattered about like pepper on an egg, and even the wind tried to run backwards. _down the wind at anda-ke--there is trouble. there we meet the stupid grimnal. there the challenging, groveling grimnal. he will plead for his wives and children. and, as proper kali seamen. we will keep them soft and happy. after, we send their men away, under the hungry gray-green water: under the wind as we ride the wind down, down the wind to victory._ and here he still was, trying to show some life-loving, song-singing, battle-mad, contrary-thinking, conceived of leather and salt spray, five-foot humanoids how to fight a sea war. and that was really quite a joke. the kali and the grimnal had been at this for a hundred years, and doing quite well. they were in no danger of getting overpopulated for one thing, and had evolved a dual power political system over the entire planet before the invention of an explosive. but now, being newly discovered by bigger and better dual powers, they were being shown how to fight in a bigger and better way. only the grimnal seemed to be learning, however. oh, the kali listened, and even followed directions, but they seemed incapable of understanding that slamming two corvettes upwind into the guns of eight first-liners was simply not good military tactics. they had a game. something like tag in reverse. one man was it, and everyone on ship tried to catch him. he could go anywhere, do anything, even cut the rigging as long as it didn't endanger the ship. the more daring he was, the better. ward had watched one make a hundred and fifty foot dive from a skysail yard with the ship making about twenty knots in a heavy sea. how do you go about explaining caution to a people like that? * * * * * but he had to. somehow. since the big boys had taken sides the kali had been losing. or, more accurately, ward had been losing. _all the gods are busy beings. we know. but even they have noticed now_, ward's wandering mind snapped back. this was a new verse. _and sent a sky man down to help us; sent a helper down to lead us. but the ways of gods are strange. the grimnal leaps from isle to island, while the kali stand and watch him. while the gods and helpers falter. ride the wind down, kali brothers. at anda-ke we stand the test._ a polite cough from behind reminded him that captain tahn was still in the cabin. the kali coughed to express anything from rage to sheer joy, and this one probably meant that ward's hearing the last verse was an accident. ward swung around and glanced at him, but the kali deliberately kept his slitted eyes on the chart before him. ward was reminded again of the kali likeness to the long vanished american indian: black, straight hair; narrowed, snapping black eyes; high, angular cheek bones. but not much beyond that. if you took a fine featured sioux of long ago ... shortened him about a foot, thinned him down--bones and all, raised his shoulders to a perpetual shrug, stretched his arms so that they still reached his hips, then starved him for a month ... you might be close. but if you took a picture of him then, and looked at it slightly sideways, you would almost have it. an extremely thin, short, shrugging strip of muscled rawhide. tahn coughed again; the your-attention-please cough. he swung a chart around for ward to see. it was a rough drawing of anda-ke, the largest of the grimnal group, and more or less the home island. it looked somewhat like a startled elephant: mouth open, trunk arced out at an angle. the mouth was anda bay, and was guarded by anda passage where the lower lip came within two miles of the upper. the trunk was pelo head, and was broken about halfway down by pelo break. the area between the drooping trunk and the neck was the grimnal sea. it was into this that the kali fleet was charging like a peanut sailing for the mouth. tahn tapped a pencil-like finger at the rearmost reach of anda bay. * * * * * "there," he said, in the kali-confederation mixture they found to be the shortest distance between two cultures. "anchored there like marks on a sail. feeling so safe in their home. thinking we do not dare come after them. grimnal rafts just waiting to go to the bottom." "and the gliders?" ward asked. "are they returned? we have no information but the tales of two natives." tahn glanced at a water trickling, time-measuring device hanging from the overhead. "soon the gliders return, but...." he shrugged, somehow. "and those are not rafts," ward went on. "the natives said three, two and single gun rows. that means first and second-liners, frigates and probably corvettes. and they said 'many,' which means anywhere from fifty to two hundred." tahn coughed his agreement. "but with grimnal stupidity," he said, "they can do no more than run around in terror as we shell the city and fire their ships. we have this won." ward looked down at his bands, caught a deep breath, and continued. "i have said before. we are not fighting just the grimnal. we are fighting god helpers too. men like myself have come to help the grimnal." he caught tahn's flickering glance and added quickly, "men who are probably better fighters than i am." tahn coughed and leaned his head sideways, fairly equivalent to a casual 'so what?' "false gods. false helpers," he said. ward held his breath and swung back to face the port. great, sizzling hell! he wondered if his opposite with the grimnal had such problems. probably not. problems weren't allowed in the united peace worlds. and with the grimnal preference for island life over the sea, it apparently took little urging to make them want all the islands in the world. "you realize," ward said without turning, "that they have probably known of our coming for days." "good." "and what would they still be doing at anchor?" cough, cough. probably meaning how the hell should i know? ii if only they didn't have this towering independency and conceit, ward thought. they used to fight as individual ships. then they weren't the least surprised if a lonely frigate was blown to splinters by an overwhelming grimnal force. in fact, it was a thing of joy and beauty forever. it was only by the very fiercest thundering had he gotten this fleet together under tahn, and only tahn's high position had kept it together. and god only knew how much longer it would hold together. the grimnal had shown remarkable organization. ward had pointed that out, and that was a gross mistake. the kali wanted nothing to do with what the grimnal did. a sharp rap sounded on the cabin door and a kali slipped in. he made the casual motion that could be a salute, a greeting or a wave good-by, depending on circumstances. "two gliders return," he said happily. "in the bay are two first-liners, four second-liners, five frigates and some corvettes. all at anchor. just waiting for us." ward nodded. "how many corvettes?" the kali's face wrinkled in dismay. "fifty-six," he said softly. ward smiled to himself, and ran the kali fleet by in his mind. eighteen first-liners mounting a hundred-twenty guns apiece. eleven second-liners mounting eighty to ninety guns. twenty-four frigates mounting fifty to sixty guns. fifty-two corvettes mounting ten to twenty guns. a strong force, but not as strong as the grimnal potential. firmly, he said: "we will run down almost to anda passage--then wait." the kali glanced at each other. tahn coughed. "not to go in?" "no!" "why?" ward took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm. "we know there are land guns along the passage. we know that even without them three first-liners could hold it against anything. we know that those ships in the bay are not the whole fleet. where are the rest?" double cough. double head bob. two helpless expressions. "we outnumber," tahn said hopefully. ward muffled a smile. at least they were learning something. "we cannot go in, tahn. it's a trap." tahn was quiet, his whole body slowly coming to what ward knew was hurt pride and anger. "then we wait?" "we wait." tahn was nearly rigid, his voice fighting its cage of control. "we wait like before?" * * * * * it was ward's turn to let a tingling moment pass. this was the first overt mention of his past actions. he must walk softly. kali temper was like nitroglycerine; one touch the wrong way.... "we wait only to learn of the other grimnal ships," he said evenly. "we let them make the first move in order to see what they are doing. then we strike--hard!" after a long, breathless moment, tahn coughed. it was one that ward never heard before, but judging by sound, it was not meant to be pleasant. ward stood up, stared directly at tahn and said quietly "i charge you with honesty, tahn." it was a serious phrase. tahn made the equivalent of a nod. "there is much talk," he began, his voice higher pitched. "we ask ourselves why we do not fight. the grimnal takes many islands; land that is ours. he does not defeat us, but we do not stop him. we wait as you tell us. we wait and see our islands lost. "the kali are ashamed, and the grimnal laughs. we cannot go home and face our women and children. "you come to show us how to fight, you say. but we do not fight. we wait. you tell us things that will make us win, but we do not fight. we wait. you hold us back. we ask ourselves why." he straightened, obviously grabbing a big piece of kali courage. "there is an answer why. perhaps you help other gods than ours. or--perhaps you are afraid." there it was. stark and ugly. ward looked at tahn for a long time, then straightened to his full five-eleven. "as a god helper i am charged with honesty at all times," he said, and let it sink in for a second. "i see many more things than the surface of the sea and the direction of the wind. what i do for the kali is for the good of the kali. if you follow me, you go to victory. if you do not follow, you go to the bottom." the kali glared with glittering eyes. tahn's cough was a bark. "perhaps some will follow." their parting salute was crisp as they spun and left. ward eased himself back to the chair and stared at the door. this was the ragged edge. they fight the one coming, or else.... and if they lost it, the confederation could mark off the kali, john ward and the planet. he remembered all too clearly the other engagements, if you would call them that. and he remembered too the disappointment, chagrin and outright anger of the kali, and his own frustration. * * * * * engagement one: taley point. they had surprised a small grimnal force close in to shore on the leeward side. after trading shots at extreme range. ward gave the order to withdraw. reasons? shallows, reefs, a raising wind, and nightfall. the grimnal was gone in the morning. the kali had been stunned. it was the first time they had ever withdrawn with whole ships. engagement two: gola island. they had chased a smaller force into port, but ward had held off because of intense shore fire. the kali did not sing for three days. engagement three: bari sea. they were closing with a nearly equal force, yet out of range, when a large wind devil, one of the freak, contrary winds, had slashed across both fleets; shredding sails, splintering masts, effectively crippling both forces. ward gave the order to heave to and repair damages, as the grimnal did the same. the kali were astonished. such a thought was madness with the enemy in sight. but they followed orders, and did not smile when he appeared any more. engagement four: darel sea. (oh, the darel sea!) they were closing at glider range when a lucky grimnal had sneaked in and managed to fire bomb a first-liner. without that ship they were greatly out-gunned and, leaving a frigate to take off the crew, they slipped off downwind. it was a near rebellion, but tahn had held them. then the wind came up, bringing the grimnal force with it. and both the frigate and the burning first went down fighting. the kali had cried, probably, ward thought, more in admiration than in sadness. and now, as a result of a vote of ships' captains, they were headed straight for the grimnal's heart; and ward wondered if he was anything more than a passenger. he knew he had been tactically right in each case, but the kali knew he was morally wrong. so who had it, the head or the heart? and what about this thing of being afraid? that hurt. he didn't believe he was afraid. honestly, he really couldn't say. he had, as a fact, never fought a battle in his life. * * * * * he used to play a game in the scouts. what did they call it? capture the flag, or something like that. each side had a hidden flag and the other tried to get it. he was always the planner. how'll we do it, john? and he would tell them, and keep away from the rough stuff, and they nearly always won. but violence fascinated him as a spectator. later his reading took him in that direction, and later still his studies. in the middle of his life he found he was one of the leading historical naval tacticians in the world. he started writing historical novels, under a pseudonym, of course, and soon became the world's authority. then someone blundered into aqua. for a couple hundred years the terran confederation and the united peace worlds had been at war. not an open, honest, stand-up-and-get-it war; but an undercover, half ignored, let's-get-the-kids-to-fight war. a galaxywide game, played for planets, using local cultures. and always according to the rules. no new technologies. no new weapons. use what you have at hand. play it fair. because if you do not, neither will we--and together we will eliminate the universe. aqua was a natural. it had a war already underway. deep in the secretmost catacombs of confederation central a voice said: "find a man who knows ancient naval tactics. find a man who knows sailing. find a man who knows combustion firearms. find a man. now!" and the order went rattle-rattle, click-click, wink, blink ... and reached out and touched doctor john ward. although _colonel_ ward's training had filled three straight days, there was one thing they forgot to tell him--what do you think about, really, when someone fires a cannon in your face? a knock came at the door. ward rubbed his face back into an expression of awareness. "come." tahn entered briskly and strode to the opposite side of the table. his eyes held a level, challenging look. "gliders say there are grimnal coming up behind us along the coast. about--uh--two hours distant." "how many?" "there are four firsts, five seconds, twelve frigates and some corvettes." ward patiently tapped the table. "how many corvettes?" "twenty-three." ward was thoughtful for a moment. "we still have them. but it still is not their whole force." "we hit them?" i'd better answer this one right, he told himself. they were now just below pelo break, about two hours from the passage. there was about an hour of daylight left. "after the sun dies," he said, avoiding the word "wait," "we will swing to meet this new force. if the wind holds straight and steady, we will come across to them like sharks in the night." "sharks?" ward grinned. "a very savage deep sea fish of my world." tahn relaxed, and a twisted smile came over his narrow face. "it will be a short fight," he said softly. iii aqua's sizzling sun was getting hazy as it settled behind lower pelo head, outlining the violent peaks like teeth in some savage jaw. ward stood on the bridge of the first-liner, _bad weather_, and watched the fleet and the late returning gliders. he never failed to marvel at these ships--sleek, sea-flying catamarans, steady, tall and wonderously beautiful. their twin hulls skimmed the seas with hardly a roll. their speed was something you had to feel to believe. he watched the second-liner. _south bird_, come around to catch her glider. both soaring upwind, they aimed for an intersection. as they drew closer, two long booms with netting between were extended over the stern. slowly they angled together. when it appeared that the glider would crash the bridge it pulled up, stalled and fell softly into the net. he never failed to exhale a long breath after such a landing--catching, rather. launching was even more spectacular. the ship raced out on fast beam reach with its glider poised upwind on its two poles. then a streaking corvette hissed up under the stern, swung slightly upwind, caught the braided stretch-line and actually yanked the glider aloft. ward was quite sure it was something he never wanted to try. the _bad weather_ was coming around now. he caught the white flash of her glider high downwind. tahn came to stand by him, his quick, cat-like motions betraying his eagerness. "they bring more news," he grinned. "the grimnal in anda bay is starting to raise sail." ward frowned. "they think to trap us between them. perhaps they expect us to race into the passage after dark." tahn coughed his pleased cough. "but our--uh--tactics, is it? they are to keep out of the passage?" ward smiled. "for now. we fight them as two separate fights, not as one. we will overwhelm each in turn." tahn's cough was one of agreement. "yes," he breathed. "just as long as we fight." they turned to watch the glider make its long floating approach. it had dumped its spoilers and was losing altitude, when it suddenly climbed impossibly fast, spun completely around and exploded in a hundred pieces. * * * * * tahn leaped to the rail, stared, then keened the kali howl of alarm. ward squinted downwind in puzzlement, then saw it--the seething, wild slice of a wind devil arcing toward the fleet. curling, lashing, faster than any ship, it bore down on them in a track of boiling foam. other ships took up the cry. knives flashed as sheets were cut and sails crashed down. seamen ran aloft to furl the wild cloth. some of the leading corvettes tried to turn and run out of the way, but the wind was too fast. a corvette suddenly lifted her bows, flipped over backwards and slammed down like a thrown stone. a frigate lost her sails and masts in less than two seconds. another corvette rose sideways on one hull, spun and broke in two. the wind shriek became deafening. another frigate lost its masts, lifted on its stern and fell back in an explosion of water. the first-liner, _thunder_, lost its masts and rigging, put its bows down as if stepped on, spun a full ninety degrees and finally relaxed. a corvette went tumbling end over end into the side of a second liner, which immediately lost its masts and half its bridge. a corvette went streaking out of the fleet at blinding speed, one hull hiked entirely out of the water, and disappeared in a wall of spray. it was abruptly silent. the foaming wind track left the fleet and slashed toward the open sea. with a soft flutter, then a breeze, the westerly quietly resumed its push. the kali appeared on deck again and slowly gazed about them. and the fleet lay dead in the water. ships lay heading in all directions. wreckage, lines and bits of sail littered the water. a frigate lay listed hard over. damage reports were coming in to the _bad weather_: the _thunder_ dismasted and leaking; another first dismasted; one second leaking badly, perhaps going down; three other seconds dismasted; one frigate sinking fast; two more dismasted and leaking; two more dismasted; six corvettes lost; four dismasted and damaged. tahn was grim as he scratched marks on a slate. twenty-one ships out of action in less than a minute. ward cursed and slammed the rail. damned planet! damned grimnal! damned everything! tahn coughed beside him. _and_ damned coughing! "there is more news," tahn said quietly. "we just fished out a glider flyer who had returned from cruising pelo head." ward turned. there seemed to be a smile flickering on tahn's swarthy face. "he says there is a great grimnal force coming into the break from the north. sixteen firsts, eighteen seconds and ten frigates. there are no corvettes." ward's whole body seemed to tighten. thanks to a damned wind the trap was sprung. "can they come through the break?" he asked, more to stall for time than gain information. tahn coughed three times. "it is a brave thing to do. even for kali it would be brave. it is bad water in the break. the wind goes up; the current comes down. it is slow, but it can be done." "how slow?" * * * * * tahn tilted his head, stared at where the slice of the break was barely visible on the horizon, and shrugged, almost. "maybe--uh--two hours. maybe more." he coughed. "maybe less." ward glared at the crippled ships. "and they would try it at night?" tahn coughed assent. "there will be a good moon. i would try it." damn. forces from three sides that, united, would blow them right out of the water. they could meet any of them alone, but.... "if we could slip south," he pondered aloud, "we could--" tahn snarled, his face an unearthly mask in the dimming light. his breath whistled between his teeth. "you _polasti_!" he hissed. ward straightened and faced him. the kali around froze in their tracks. _polasti_ was the foulest word in their language. "kali have died in this water just now," tahn was barely able to manage his voice. "they are down there right now. we will not run and disgrace them! we will stand here. we will put a wall of sails and guns around this spot, and if we die it will be in honor. we will run no more. _we will run no more!_" he was trembling when he finished, and ward expected a knife to make one final arc. it was impossible to try to explain. it was broken.... that thought crashed through as a knife never could. it's over. the grimnal will surround this pitiful fleet like a storm. it's over; we've lost the fight, the war and the planet. and i've done it. it's my baby. the thing seared him, roared through him, shook him--and touched a secret place. a deep place where he stored his anger. all his past angers, big and little; covered stifled, caught and hidden. old hurts, old dreams, old reproaches screamed and gibbered through him like a thousand ghosts and devils. they swamped the gentle man. they dragged him down and gagged him. and something else took his place--something that had never been allowed to stand before. "you stupid bastards!" he roared, wheeling to face them all. "you god-forsaken fools! a grimnal baby is a greater fighter than your bravest man. look what he has done to you. look! like blind animals you have been led into a trap. you have been put in a cage of your own ignorance. you call me _polasti_! i am the only one who can show you how to win. the only thing you know is to bunch together and be killed like animals at slaughter. you stand together in one tight group to make it easy for him. you know how it will be? look!" he sprang to the glass globe that held the magnetized needle, seized it and hurled it to the deck. it exploded like a small bomb. the kali moved back. "that is what the grimnal will do to you. your bravery will be as that glass, nice to see--but look at it now!" water from the globe trickled slowly through the shattered glass. the chips winked red in the dying sun. only the cry of the wind sounded through the ship. ward forced his choking breath to an even rhythm. "now go die like the fools you are." he left the quiet bridge and threaded his way to his cabin. night was coming softly to the grimnal sea. * * * * * it was dark in the cabin when the knock sounded. there was no answer, and it came again. "come," ward said in a very tired, hollow voice. the door swung open and someone entered. after a long moment, tahn's voice came softly in the dark. "no one has ever spoken to the kali like that." ward did not answer. "it is a brave man that can do that. and bravery is something we understand." there was a silent moment. tahn coughed. "may i light the lamp?" ward swung around in the chair. "certainly." flint flicked on steel, a spark glowed, caught, and light wavered in the cabin. the two faced each other, ward sagged low in the chair, the kali by the lamp. tahn coughed again. "there is a way?" ward let a moment pass. "there is a way to try." "fighting?" "yes, fighting." tahn paused the barest second. "tell me." iv the frigate, _windsong_, skimmed downward like a low, lean cloud. behind her, vague in the dim moonlight, followed four more frigates and the skating corvettes. before her, like a gate to hell, gaped the jagged mouth of pelo break. ward leaned against the bridge rail beside resi, the scarred and battered captain of _windsong_. "keep close to the eastern side," ward said. "in the shadow of the cliffs, out of the moonlight." resi spoke softly to the helmsman, and the _windsong_ eased into the shadow. ward turned and watched the following ships as, one by one, they slipped out of the moon and all but vanished. he swung back and squinted ahead. as far as he could see, high, broken cliffs reared straight from the water on both sides, angling together in the distance. there tahn had said, they stood a scant two hundred yards apart, and the break turned nearly sixty degrees to the west. that was the narrows. ward turned to resi, wondering if the old kali fully understood the plan. "if we do not meet them before, we wait for them at the narrows." there was no acknowledgement that he could tell. not even a cough. he doesn't like this, ward thought. he relishes the fight coming, but not me. despite tahn's heated pep talk, i am a bad totem. but tahn had accomplished one thing--an honor promise from each ship's captain to follow orders. ward knew they would, as long as everything went along with fighting, but the moment something went wrong. he remembered tahn's bark of surprise as the plan unfolded. then the argument, and his own firm stand that he command this force. for this was the crucial contact. the key. if this failed--it all failed. he was sure that tahn and the rest of the feverishly anxious kali would more than whip their end. they were outnumbered, but had an overwhelming firepower edge. for the hundredth time he reviewed the thing, looking for the fatal flaw. one frigate for the crippled ships, which gave them quite a bit of firepower right there. two firsts, four seconds, five frigates (the _storm bird_ had gone down) and four corvettes. they were to make fast repairs, jury rig, then stand by in the shadow at the mouth of pelo break. if the kali came back out--fine; they would all rejoin tahn. if not--and the grimnal came--they were a last stand. tahn had the main force of sixteen firsts, seven seconds and thirteen frigates. he was to intercept the grimnal coming from behind. he would run their fleet through, come about, rake them again and run out to sea. he was to hit them hard enough to stop them, then make them believe he was running away. after any pursuit was discouraged he was to come downwind and fly for anda passage. if the timing was right, he would run right over the force from the bay, and with a little effort clear them off the water. "then," ward had added with a half smile, "you can shell the land guns in the passage in your spare time. if the first grimnal force comes limping in you shouldn't have any trouble." * * * * * no, tahn wouldn't have any trouble. in the kali's present mood they could probably do it with half their ships. but hell would be open in the break tonight. five slim frigates and forty-two tiny corvettes against sixteen firsts, eighteen seconds and ten frigates. ship for ship; but what unbalanced firepower! their advantage would be surprise, if nothing slipped, and maneuverability where the grimnal ships would have their hands full just keeping clear of the cliffs. and this was the fulcrum. a sudden flare from the maindeck. "cover that!" resi snapped. then to ward, "they are cooking the liquor." ward nodded. apparently resi had a good idea of what was expected. that was one good thing. the liquor, as they called it, was their explosive. a revolting, highly inflammable slime brewed of seaweed and fats. it was prepared in port, but had to be brought to a firing temperature on board. this was done by heating in large kettles and kept just below boiling. when a gun was to be fired, a certain measure of this soup was poured down the muzzle to a sizzling hot firing chamber, kept hot by a covered charcoal packing and quickly sealed by a lava-stone ball. it was the gunner's sense of timing then to know when the gun was ready, and slam the firing stud with a hammer. this slapped flint to steel inside the chamber--and wham. but it was touchy. if the gunner swung too soon, nothing. if he waited too long, it fired itself. if the chamber was too cool, it would not fire at all; if too hot, it might go the second the ball was rammed. a very delicate operation. and in the midst of battle--with charcoal flying, hot shot coming in, glowing fires under the kettles and spilled hot liquor everywhere--it was hard to see what kept a ship from blowing the whole battle apart. but that never happened. the liquor was easily diluted with water, and they went into battle with special water crews sloshing down the decks. and the stuff was fast. in the gola island fight, with fairly hot guns, they were loading, aiming and firing in about ten seconds. the _windsong_ eased along, the narrows loomed closer and ward began to tighten. any second he expected the double bows of a grimnal first-liner to slide into sight, followed by another, and another, and another.... he felt the urge to move about, to do anything as long as he was moving. he noticed the kali were the same. they were as restless as the troubled waters of the break--lunging, hissing, swirling, rocking up and down. they were constantly at the rail relieving themselves, or rattling the dipper at the water barrel. and he could see the glint of their eyes as they threw quick glances in his direction. he caught resi watching too, and moved away. * * * * * they didn't trust him. they were waiting for him to call it off. they expected him to; probably wanting him to. he suddenly found he was quivering like a captured bird. he gripped the rail hard with both hands to stop. but it wouldn't stop. it galloped through him, ran him down and trampled him. and in panic he saw what it was. fear. not simply the fear of failing. it was.... god! the reality of it! this wasn't like reading a book or writing a story. this was going to be real shot and flame instead of words and paper. real people were going to die, with their blood warm and sticky and horror in the eyes--and he wouldn't be able to glance away to ponder it. it was going to roll from start to finish with the reality of now and the surety of death. it was going to flame as fights have flamed since something first snatched up a rock. and he was going to be right in the middle of it with these kali, win or lose, live or die. and what was he doing here with these strange, alien kali? he raised his head and glanced around. resi was standing by the helmsman, talking with his deck lieutenant. water splashed down on the maindeck; the water crews at work. there was a breathless quiet over the ship. he could see them standing like shadows, watching the curve of the narrows. the spartans must have stood like that at the pass of thermopylae! and the athenians on the plains of marathon. and the americans at bastogne. and men anywhere, any time before a battle. a single, whispering line from an old poem sang through him: _into the valley of death rode the six hundred._ there was no alien here but himself. * * * * * the ominous walls of the narrows closed and filled the sky. beyond the curve, some two miles up, the grimnal ships were slowly beating upwind. suddenly, like a touch of fire to old ashes, he knew what he was doing here. a long imprisoned breath escaped from him, and a great sigh seemed to come from the whole ship. resi turned. ward could barely make out what must be a smile in that old kali face. "we made it, ho?" "just barely, by god. have the ships string out as planned, with the lead frigate in the tip of the shadow where the break turns into the moonlight. and be careful of noise. it will carry in here like a cannon shot." resi coughed and was gone like a cat. the _windsong_ fell dead in the water. the others whispered past like ghosts. voices called softly, and the small, shielded signal lights licked from ship to ship. and the _windsong_ was alone. her bows swung out slightly to allow the foreguns a field of fire. ward climbed down from the bridge, strode the water-slick maindeck and gained the foredeck. the gun crews turned, glanced at him, then turned back. he could not tell if they were smiling or not. so what. they would have plenty to smile at in a moment. the lead first-liner was about a mile now and keeping well to their side. ward squinted at the point of the shadow, but there was no light flickering there that he could see. damn! the grimnal ship looked huge in the moonlight, and the break behind it seemed filled with sails. it was nearly abreast of the shadow tip, still holding to their side, and the tiniest flicker of light danced in the shadow beside it. ward grinned. david and goliath. the giant first-liner started its slow tum on the very edge of the shadow, drifting into the dark until only its sails held the moon. the sails came around, fluttered and filled. the silent hulls came into sight. ward let out a breath, echoed by resi. the lead liner was well on its new tack. the next was starting to edge into the shadows, and behind that was another, and another, and another. resi muffled a cough. "you tell when?" he whispered. ward nodded. "i'll tell when." the grimnal rode closer, the crash of its bow waves sounding louder. ship after ship was coasting past the hidden frigate. ward's excitement grew to a pounding thing. they would be able to get them all in range. the sails towered over them. a hundred yards. almost abreast; just at the narrowest point. ward took a deep breath, and said quietly: "now." * * * * * resi turned and hissed. steaming liquor trickled down hungry cannon mouths. lava balls were softly rammed home. muzzles came down. aimed. the gunners tensed, raised their hammers--and swung. the night came apart. a crashing roar racketed through the break. the walls blasted back the echo. the _windsong_ rocked and trembled. smoke boiled into the moonlight and dimmed the grimnal ship. and that was only a small sound. over a mile of fire smashed from the shadow and for a quivering second, it seemed the world had exploded. then came the thunder, and ward flinched. waterspouts climbed in the moonlight. wreckage spun from the grimnal ships. holes splintered in their sides. the _windsong_ roared again; the bobbing corvettes answered. and a deafening, mind dulling thunder covered the break. and the grimnal did not answer. the lightning flared steady now from the kali line. resi climbed halfway up the ratlines for a better look. and still the wounded giants had not answered. grimnal were running in all directions on their decks. resi let out a howl of sheer triumph. "they do not have their liquor cooked!" he cried, swinging to the deck. "we have them with cold guns!" the kali cheered, and the firing seemed to cease. ward was shaking again, but for a different reason. "hey, resi," he bellowed. "let's get in there closer." sails snapped and the _windsong_ came alive. she seemed to leap into the moonlight. then a corvette appeared beside her, and another, then two racing side by side into the smoke. and all the kali were moving. the _windsong's_ men were laughing like children, and the water crews had everything soaked halfway up the mainsails. what people! ward laughed, ducking another bucketful. resi slid to a halt beside him. "we fool them, ho? we fool them!" "closer," ward yelled. "under their guns!" "but they are not firing." "under their guns anyway," ward laughed, and added to himself--away boarders! a few scattered shots were coming from the grimnal, ripping overhead. ward stood a little taller. the _windsong_ came about, her starboard bow nearly slashing the looming first-liner. ward felt resi's hand on his arm. "it was really _you_ that fool them." ward grinned foolishly. "but _we_ whip them, ho?" ward wanted to answer, but it was the starboard guns' turn to speak. transcriber's note: inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. obvious typographical errors have been corrected. italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=. off santiago with sampson the "stories of american history" series. by james otis, author of "toby tyler," "jenny wren's boarding house," etc. each story complete in one volume; with 17 original illustrations by l. j. bridgman. small 12mo, neatly bound in extra cloth, 75 cents each. =1. when dewey came to manila.= =2. off santiago with sampson.= two new volumes on the recent spanish-american war, in the author's deservedly popular "stories of american history" series. =3. when israel putnam served the king.= =4. the signal boys of '75=: a tale of the siege of boston. =5. under the liberty tree=: a story of the boston massacre. =6. the boys of 1745= at the capture of louisburg. =7. an island refuge=: casco bay in 1676. =8. neal the miller=: a son of liberty. =9. ezra jordan's escape= from the massacre at fort loyall. dana estes & co., publishers, boston. [illustration] off santiago with sampson by james otis author of "jenny wren's boarding-house," "jerry's family," "the boys' revolt," "the boys of 1745," etc. illustrated boston dana estes & company 1899 copyright, 1899 by dana estes & company colonial press: electrotyped and printed by c. h. simonds & co. boston, u. s. a. contents. chapter page i. "keep out" 11 ii. keep in 31 iii. off santiago 48 iv. the merrimac 66 v. the chase 86 vi. teddy's daddy 103 list of illustrations page the maria teresa in flames _frontispiece_ at the gateway 12 talking with the longshoreman 17 the merrimac 22 teddy comes on board the merrimac 27 setting the hiding-place in order 34 teddy discloses himself 41 the fleet 51 "'this 'ere steamer is goin' to be sunk'" 57 the texas 63 sailors from the texas 68 keeping watch of the brooklyn 73 the sinking of the merrimac 79 the sunken merrimac 83 teddy tries to assist the wounded sailor 90 the texas in the fight 99 off santiago with sampson. chapter i. "keep out." it was a small but by no means feeble-looking boy who stood in front of a driveway disclosed by the opening of huge gates which, until they had been swung inward, appeared to have been a portion of the high fence of boards. there was seemingly no inducement for a boy to linger in this vicinity, unless, indeed, it might have been the sign posted either side the gate, on which was painted in letters rendered conspicuous because of the vivid colouring, the forbidding words, "keep out." "i'll not keep out 'less i'm minded to, an' him as can hold me this side the fence needs to be spry on his feet," the small boy said, half to himself, and with a gesture of defiance which told he had not been accustomed to obeying commands that might be evaded. through the gateway nothing could be seen save enormous heaps of coal, some enclosed in pens formed of planks as if to prevent them from mingling with the others, and between all a path or road of no more than sufficient width to permit the passage of a cart. in the distance, a rough building abruptly closed the view, and beyond it the puffing of steam and rattle of iron implements told of life and activity. [illustration] outside the fence, it was as if this certain portion of the city had been temporarily deserted; but one could hear the rumble of wheels over the pavements on either hand, giving token that the coalyard was situated just beyond the line of city traffic. the boy gazed into the uninviting-looking place as if fascinated, only glancing up now and then at the signs which mutely forbade his entrance, and, as if unconscious of his movements, stole slowly nearer and nearer the gateway until he stood directly on the line that separated the yard from the sidewalk. "if i wanted to go in, it's more'n a couple of signs that could keep me out," he muttered, threateningly, and then, with one backward glance to assure himself that no unfriendly policeman was watching from the distance, the boy darted forward, taking refuge behind the nearest heap of coal, lest an enemy should be lurking near at hand. save for the hum of labour everywhere around, he heard nothing. no guardian of the smutty premises appeared to forbid his entrance, and after waiting a full minute to make certain it was safe to advance yet farther, he left one place of partial concealment for the next in his proposed line of march. so far as he could see, there was no other guardian of the yard save the two signs at the entrance, and the only purpose they served was to challenge him. grown bolder as the moments passed without bringing to light an enemy, the lad advanced more rapidly until he stood, partially concealed by one of the pens, where it was possible to have a full view of all that was being done in this place to which the public were not supposed to be admitted. if the intruder had braved the unknown dangers of the yard simply in order to gratify his curiosity, then had he paid a higher price than the view warranted. the building, which from the street appeared to mark the end of the enclosure, was a structure wherein puffing engines, grimy men, long lengths of moving chains, and enormous iron cars or boxes were sheltered from the sun or rain. in front of it a wooden wall extended down into the water,--a pier perhaps it might be called,--and at this pier, held fast by hemp and iron cables, lay a gigantic steamer built of iron. the intruder gave no heed to the busy men and machinery within the building. the vessel, so powerful, but lying there apparently helpless, enchained his attention until he had made mental note of every spar, or boat, or cable within his range of vision. then, suddenly, from somewhere amid the chains, and cars, and puffing steam, came the shrill blast of a whistle, and as if by magic all activity ceased. the engines no longer breathed with a heavy clank; cars and chains came to a standstill, and men moved quietly away here or there as if having no more interest in the hurly-burly. one of the weary labourers, his face begrimed with coal-dust until it was not possible to distinguish the colour of his skin, took from its near-by hiding-place a dinner-pail, and came directly toward where the small boy was overlooking the scene. within two yards of the lad the dusty man sat down, brushed the ends of his fingers on his trousers, rather from force of habit than with any idea of cleansing them, and without further delay began to eat his dinner. the boy eyed him hungrily, looked around quickly to make certain that there were no others dangerously near, and stepped out from behind his screen of coal. "you'd better keep an eye out for the watchman," the man said, speaking indistinctly because of the bread in his mouth, and the boy replied, defiantly: "i'd like to see the watchman 'round here that i'm 'fraid of, an' besides, he couldn't catch me." "what'er you doin' here?" "nothin'." "a boy of your size has got no business to be loafin' 'round doin' nothin'." "i might be eatin' if i had a chance; but there hasn't been much of an openin' for me in that line this quite a spell." "hungry?" "give me a piece of that bread an' i'll show yer." "don't you do anything for a livin'?" the man asked passing the lad a generous slice from the loaf. "course i do." "what?" "anything that pays. i've sold papers some since the spaniards got so funny; but it ain't any great snap, only once in awhile when the news is humpin' itself. a feller gets stuck mighty often, an' i'm thinkin' of tryin' somethin' else." "where's your folks?" "i ain't got any to speak of now, since my father got giddy an' went off to war." "out for a soldier, eh?" "not a bit of it! he shovels coal aboard one of them big steamers that's down smashin' the life out'er cuby, that's what he does, an' he's nobody's slouch, dad ain't!" "what's your name?" "teddy dunlap." "want more bread?" the boy leaned over in order to look into the dinner-pail, and then said, promptly: "i've had enough." "don't think you're robbin' me, 'cause you ain't. i believe in feedin' well, an' this is only my first pail. there's another over there that i'll tackle later." teddy glanced in the direction pointed out by his new acquaintance, and, seeing a pail half concealed by some loose boards, at once stretched out his hand, as he said: "if you've got plenty, i don't care if i do have another piece of that bread." "can't you earn enough to keep you in food?" and the man gave to the boy a most appetising sandwich. "say, that's a dandy! it's half meat, too! them you get down-town don't have more'n the shadow of a ham bone inside the bread! course i make enough to buy food; but you don't think i'm blowin' it all in jest for a spread, eh?" "runnin' a bank?" "well, it's kind'er like that; i'm puttin' it all away, so's to go down to cuby an' look after the old man. he allers did need me, an' i can't see how he's been gettin' along alone." "where's your mother?" "died when i was a kid. dad an' me boomed things in great shape till he got set on goin' to war, an' that broke it all up." "did he leave you behind to run wild?" [illustration] "not much he didn't, 'cause he knows i can take care of myself; but he allowed to make money enough so's we could buy a place out in the country, where we'd have an imitation farm, an' live high. oh, i'm all right, an' every time i catch a sucker like you there's jest so much more saved toward goin' down to cuby. you see i never did take much stock in dad's kitin' 'round fightin' spaniards, an' since he left it seems as if i was mighty foolish to let him go, so i'm bound to be where he is, when things come my way." "look here, teddy," and the dust-begrimed man spoke in a more kindly tone to the boy, "if your father is a coal-passer in the navy, an' that's what he seems to be, 'cordin' to your story, you couldn't see very much of him, even though you was on board his vessel all the time." "don't yer s'pose i know that? i ain't sich a baby that i count on bein' right under his nose; but i'm goin' to be somewhere near the old man in case he needs me." "it seems as if you might get down to cuba easier than earnin' the money to pay your passage." "how?" and teddy ceased eating for the instant to look at this new friend who had made a suggestion which interested him more than anything else could have done. "why don't you try to work your passage? now, here's this 'ere steamer, loadin' with coal for the navy--perhaps goin' to the very ship your father is on. if you could jolly the captain into takin' you to do odd jobs, it would be a snap, alongside of payin' for a ticket an' trustin' to luck after gettin' there." "well, say! that would be a great racket if it could be worked! is it a dead sure thing that the steamer's bound for our war-vessels?" "that's what, though it ain't to be said that she'll be goin' to the very craft your father's on. all i know is uncle sam has bought this coal, an' it's bein' taken out to our navy somewhere 'round cuba." "i don't reckon any but them what enlists can go aboard the steamer, an' the snap can't be worked, for i've tried four times to get taken on as a sailor." "but bless your heart, this 'ere craft is only a chartered collier." "a what?" "i mean she's only a freighter that uncle sam has hired to carry coal. you won't find enlisted men aboard of her." "an' do you really think there's a chance for me?" "i can't say as to that, lad; but i'd make a try for a berth aboard if my mind was set on goin' into that part of the world, which it ain't. the captain went below not ten minutes before the noon-whistle sounded, an' he's likely there this minute." teddy gazed inquiringly at this new acquaintance for an instant, as if suspicious that the man might be making sport of him, and then marched resolutely toward the end of the pier, with the half-eaten sandwich almost forgotten in his hand. after perhaps five minutes had passed, he returned, looking disappointed, but not disheartened, and seating himself by the side of the owner of the two dinner-pails, resumed operations upon the sandwich. "see the captain?" "yep." "didn't want a boy, eh?" "guess not; he said he'd give me two minutes to get out of the cabin, an' i thought perhaps i'd better go." "quite natural, lad, quite natural; i'd done the same thing myself. there couldn't have been any very great harm worked, though, in askin' the question." "it stirred him up considerable; but i guess he'll get over it without any very bad spell," teddy said, grimly, and after a brief pause, added, reflectively, "it seems as though some men hated boys; i've seen them as would take a good deal of trouble to kick a feller if he stood the least little bit in the way, an' i never could understand it." "perhaps there's more'n you in the same box; a brute's a brute whether he be old or young, an' age always makes 'em worse. it's a pity, though, that you didn't strike one of the right kind, because if you're set on gettin' down where the fightin' is goin' on, this 'ere steamer would have been the safest way." "do you know when she's likely to leave?" teddy asked, after a long pause, during which he had been gazing intently at the gilt letters, _merrimac_, on the vessel's rail. "some time to-night, i reckon. we've been workin' night an' day at the loadin', an' it's said that she'll leave the dock within an hour after the last scoopful has been put aboard." "how long will it take her to get there?" "i can't say, lad, seein's i don't rightly know where she's bound; but it shouldn't be a long voyage at the worst, for such as her." [illustration] again teddy gazed at the gilt letters on the rail, as if in them he saw something strange or wonderful, and when the owner of the dinner-pails had come to an end of his meal, the boy said, abruptly: "do you know the watchman here?" "watchman! i haven't seen any yet, though i reckon likely there is one around somewhere; but he ain't agitatin' himself with doin' much watchin'." "is the yard open all the time?" "i haven't seen the gates closed yet; but most likely that's because the work has been pushed on so fast, there hasn't been time to shut 'em. look here, lad!" and now the man sat bolt upright, staring as intently at the boy as the latter had at the gilt letters, "is it in your head to stow away on that steamer?" "sim donovan did it aboard a english steamer, an' i've heard it said he had a great time." "yes, i reckon he did, if the captain was the usual sort," the dust-begrimed man replied, grimly. "i could keep out of sight a whole week, if it was for the sake of comin' across dad," the boy added, half to himself. "that's what you think now, lad; but it ain't the easy work you're countin' on. as a general rule, stowaways get it mighty tough, an' i'd sooner take my chances of swimmin', than to try any such plan." "if a feller kept under cover he couldn't get into much trouble." "but you can't stay in hidin' any great length of time, lad. you'd have to come out for food or water after a spell." "not if i took plenty with me," teddy replied, in the tone of one who has already arrived at a conclusion. "it looks easy enough while you're outside; but once shut in between decks, or cooped up in some small hole, an' you'd sing a different tune." "i wouldn't if it was a case of seein' dad when we got there." "but that's the trouble, my boy. you don't know where the steamer is bound. she might be runnin' straight away from him, an' then what would you do?" "you said she was goin' to carry the coal to our vessels, didn't you?" "yes; but that don't mean she'll strike the very one your father is workin' on." "i'll take the chances," and now teddy spoke very decidedly. for an instant it was as if the owner of the two dinner-pails would attempt to dissuade him from the hastily formed determination, and then the man checked himself suddenly. "i like to see a boy show that he's got some backbone to him, an' it may be you'll pull out all right. it'll be an experience you'll never forget, though, an' perhaps it won't do any harm." "how can it?" teddy asked, sharply. "them as have tried it might be able to explain more'n i can; there's no call for me to spend wind tryin' to tell what you won't listen to, so i'll hold my tongue. i'm bound to say this much, though, which is that you're certain to catch it rough when the time comes for showin' yourself." "that'll be all right; i can stand a good deal for the sake of seein' the old man once more." having said this, teddy turned his head away as if no longer inclined for conversation, whereupon the owner of the two dinner-pails surveyed him admiringly. "i wouldn't wonder if you had considerable sand in you, teddy dunlap," he said, musingly. "an' even though it seems a queer thing for a grown man to do, i'm minded to give you a lift along what's goin' to prove a mighty hard road." "meanin' that you're willin' to help me?" the lad asked, his face brightening wonderfully. "it's little i can do, an' while i ought'er turn you over to the police in order to prevent your makin' a fool of yourself, i'll see the game out so far as i can. what have you got by way of an outfit?" "i don't need any." "you must have food and water." "i ain't broke, an' it won't be any great job to buy as much grub as will keep me goin' for a spell." "that's the same as all stowaways figger, an' the consequence is that they have to show themselves mighty soon after the ship sails. i ain't advisin' you to try the game; but if you're set on it, i says, says i, take all you'll need for a week, an' then perhaps there'll be a turn in affairs that'll help you out of a bad hole. here are my pails; they're yours an' welcome. fill 'em both with water, or perhaps cold tea would be best; buy whatever will be most fillin', an' walk aboard as bold as a lion within the next hour. them as see you are bound to think you're waitin' upon some of the workmen, an' not a word will be said. the hidin' of yourself is easy enough; it's the comin' out that'll be rough." "say, you're what i call a dandy!" and teddy laid his hand on the man's knee approvingly. "i was mighty lucky to come across one of your kind." "i ain't so certain about that. before twenty-four hours have gone by you may be wishin' you'd never seen me." "i'll risk that part of it, an' if you really mean for me to have the pails, you'll see me go aboard the steamer mighty soon." "they're yours, my boy, an' i only hope you'll come out of the scrape all right." "don't worry 'bout that; it'll be a terrible spry captain that can make me cry baby when i'm headin' toward where dad is. be good to yourself!" teddy took up the pails, and as he turned to go out of the yard his new acquaintance asked, solicitously: "got money enough to buy what'll be needed? if you haven't there's some odd change about my clothes that--" "i'm well fixed, an' that's a fact. ever since the idea came to me of huntin' dad up, i've kept myself in shape to leave town on a hustle. you're mighty good, just the same." "i'm makin' an old fool of myself, that's what i'm doin'," the man replied, angrily, and then turned resolutely away, muttering to himself, "it's little less than sheer cruelty to let a lad like him stow away on a collier. there ain't one chance in a thousand of his findin' the father he's after, an' the odds are in favour of his havin' a precious hard time before gettin' back to this town." [illustration] then a whistle sounded as a warning that the labourers must return to their tasks, and a moment later the building was alive once more with the hum and whir of machinery, the clanking of great chains, and the voices of men. one of the steamer's hatches was already on and battened down. a second was being fastened in place, and the final preparations being made told that the enormous hold had been nearly filled with the black fuel needed by the war-ships. every man, whether a member of the vessel's crew, or one of the labourers employed for the lading, was intent only on his own business, and among all that throng it is probable that but one gave any heed to a small boy who came rapidly down through the yard carrying two tin pails in his hands, and a large paper parcel under his arm. that single workman, who was giving heed to other than his own special work, nodded in the most friendly fashion as the lad passed near where he was standing, and whispered, gruffly: "god love you, lad!" the boy winked gravely, and then, setting his face seaward, marched boldly up on the steamer's deck, glancing neither to the right nor the left, lest it should be observed that he was not familiar with his surroundings. the man, who a few moments previous had been the possessor of two dinner-pails, watched carefully as the small lad walked rapidly forward, and only when the latter was lost to view did he give heed to his own work, saying half to himself as he took up the task once more: "i've half a mind to blow on the boy even now, for it's a cruel shame to let him take the chances of stowin' away with but little hope of ever findin' his father." as if in pursuance of this thought he took a step forward, and then checked himself, adding, thoughtfully: "it would be more cruel to stop the little shaver just when he believes he's workin' his plan so smooth. better let him go his own course, an' trust that them he comes across will remember the time when they were lads." chapter ii. keep in. teddy dunlap's father was formerly a coal-passer on a steam-tug, and many times had the lad, while spending the day with his parent, seen an ocean-going steamer at close range, while the small craft went alongside the larger one for business purposes. at such times the boy seldom lost an opportunity of boarding the big vessel, and thus it was that he had a general idea of where he might the most readily find a hiding-place this day when he was venturing so much in the hope of meeting his only relative. the dinner-pails and the parcel under his arm would have done much toward warding off suspicion as to his purpose, had any one observed him; but every person on deck, whether member of the crew or temporarily employed to make the ship ready for sea, was so intent on his duties as to have no thought for a lad who appeared to be attending strictly to his own business. even if any one aboard had observed teddy particularly, the natural thought would have been that he had come to deliver the parcel and pails to one of the workmen, and so long as the boy had been permitted to come over the rail, it was reasonable to suppose he had due authority for being there. teddy knew full well that his chances for successfully stowing away in the vicinity of the main cabin, the engine-room, or the deck-houses, were exceedingly slight, for such places were visited by many; but down in the very eyes of the ship, where were located the quarters for the seamen, was more than one dark, out-of-the-way hole into which he could creep with but little fear of being discovered. turning his head neither to the right nor the left, and moving rapidly as if it was his desire to be ashore again as soon as possible, the boy went into the forecastle--the sailors' parlour. the dark, ill-ventilated place, filled with noisome odours, had at that moment no living occupants save the rats who had grown bold through long tenancy. the crew were all on deck, for at this time, when quick despatch was necessary, no skulking would be allowed, and had teddy's friend with the dinner-pails attended to the arrangements, the boy could not have had a better opportunity. he might be even boisterously noisy, and there was little likelihood any would come to learn the cause of the uproar until after the steamer had left the coal-sheds to begin her long voyage straight toward the enemy's islands. being in a certain degree aware of this last fact, teddy set about making his arrangements for the ticketless voyage in a methodical fashion, there being no reason why he should allow himself to be hurried. the crew on board the good steamer _merrimac_ had neither better nor worse quarters than those to be found on any other craft of her class; but to a lad whose experiences of seafaring life had been confined to short excursions around the harbour, this "sea parlour" was by no means inviting, and save for the incentive which urged him forward, teddy dunlap might have allowed himself to become disheartened even before it had been proven that he could take passage secretly. "it ain't so _awful_ tough," he said to himself, "an' daddy will be all the more glad to see me after knowin' i've had a hard time gettin' to him." this last thought was sufficient to strengthen his failing courage, and straightway he set about searching for a hiding-place where he might remain concealed until the steamer should come alongside commodore schley's flag-ship, the _brooklyn_, whereon was his father. then--but there would be time enough to form plans for showing himself when he had nothing better with which to occupy his attention. the forecastle was well filled with sea-chests, bedding, which as yet had not been put in place, and such like goods as seamen would naturally bring with them on a reasonably long voyage, therefore teddy found it difficult to judge as to what might be the general arrangements for stowage after the steamer should be under way; but he had good reason to believe it was necessary to find some place so small that it could not well be utilised by the men. when, after some search, he came upon a narrow, dark, doorless closet, partially filled with coils of rope, bolts of canvas, and what appeared to be a general assortment of odds and ends, it seemed as if he had indeed found that for which he was looking. there was little chance this small den would be required for other than what it was then used, and he had only to fear that some of the articles it contained might suddenly be needed, when he must of a necessity be discovered by whosoever should be sent to overhaul the goods. [illustration] "i'll have to take the chances," teddy said to himself, having considered well this possibility of discovery. "it ain't likely they'll want anything out of here till after the steamer is at sea, an' then it'll be too late to send me ashore." once having decided that this was to be his abiding-place during the time he could remain in hiding on board the _merrimac_, teddy set about making such bestowal of the goods as would best serve to his comfort, arguing with himself that he might not have another opportunity for putting the new quarters into decent shape. understanding that once the steamer was at sea she would be tossed about by the waves until it might be difficult for him to remain in whatever place he pleased, the boy's first care was to make of the rope and canvas a barricade to hold the remainder of the goods in proper position, and, this done, there was little else possible, save to unroll a bolt of the sail-cloth that it should serve as a bed. "it's a good deal snugger than i expected, an' the dark part of it don't count," he said to himself, contentedly, as he wedged the two tin pails filled with water, and his store of provisions, inside the largest coil of rope. "when there ain't too much noise i can hear the crew talkin', and that'll help out big if a feller happens to get lonesome. them signs on the coal-yard said 'keep out,' an' i come in; now i ought'er put up one that says 'keep in,' an' perhaps i'll go out quicker'n i'm countin' on. anyhow it's a case of keepin' in mighty snug, 'less i want to run up against that captain once more, an' i'm thinkin' he'd be an ugly customer." teddy dunlap was well content. he believed his store of provisions and water was sufficient to keep both hunger and thirst at a distance during such time as it might be necessary for him to remain there in hiding, and when the short term of imprisonment should come to an end, he would be with his father. what more could any twelve-year-old boy ask for? it was while counting up his reasons for being thankful that the stowaway fell asleep, the heat, the darkness, and the comparative quiet all contributing to make his eyelids heavy, and he was yet unconscious when two noisy, bustling little tugs, one either side of the big vessel, towed her down the harbour. the voyage had begun, and, apparently, there was no suspicion in the minds of the officers that the _merrimac_ had on board other than her regularly shipped crew. when teddy awakened he felt comfortable both in mind and body; the steamer was rising and falling on the ocean swell, but not to such a degree as inconvenienced him in the slightest, and the many odours with which his nostrils were assailed passed almost entirely unnoticed. he believed, because of the pounding of the waves, that the _merrimac_ was rushing through the waters at a sharp pace, and this supposed fact was in itself sufficient to counterbalance any defects he may have discovered in his hiding-place, for the greater the speed the sooner he might see his father. not until after he had been awake several moments was it possible to distinguish, amid the varied noises, the sound of human voices; but he was finally able to do so, and became greatly cheered thereby. "now, this ain't goin' to be so bad," he said to himself, contentedly. "i'll know everything that's goin' on, 'cause it won't be a big job to crawl out far enough to hear the men talk, an' a feller couldn't be better fixed, not if he'd paid two prices for a ticket." then the idea came to teddy dunlap that he was hungry, and he laughed gently at the thought that it was only necessary to stretch out his hand in order to satisfy the desire. "talk 'bout your palace-cars! they ain't a marker 'longside this way of travellin'. i don't have to wait for any tousled-headed nigger to bring my order, 'cause here it is!" straightway the boy began to satisfy his hunger, doing it in an economical fashion, for he was not minded to exhaust his supply on the first day of leaving port. he drank sparingly of the water, but yet taking sufficient to quench his thirst, and when the meal was come to an end lay back on the canvas bed luxuriously, congratulating himself again and again, upon his determination to go in search of his father. the motion of the steamer grew more violent; but teddy was proof against such rolling as the _merrimac_ was indulging in then. there remained the same buffeting of the waves which told of progress; told that the distance between himself and his father was rapidly being lessened, and this was sufficient for the stowaway. the plunging of the steamer was to teddy dunlap no more than the violent rocking of a cradle would be to an infant; it prevented him from remaining quiet as would have been pleasant, but did not drive slumber from his eyelids. in less than ten minutes after having partaken of the meal he was again wrapped in slumber, and during a full twenty-four hours he alternately slept and ate; but at the end of that time was more than ready for a change of programme. then it was that his eyes refused to close; the folds of canvas, which at first had seemed as soft as any fellow could have asked for, became hard as iron, and he suddenly discovered that he was sore and lame from having been flung about when the vessel rolled. the hardships of a stowaway's life suddenly became a reality, and instead of congratulating himself upon being on board the _merrimac_, he began to speculate upon the probable length of the voyage. he hungered to hear the voices of the men more distinctly, and spent full two hours gently moving the dunnage around so that he might crawl out near the entrance to this seeming cave. when he had gotten so far into the forecastle that no more than two coils of rope hid him from view of the watch below, and understood it would be dangerous to advance any farther, he learned that it was impossible to hear any more than such words as were spoken in the loudest tone. there was little hope of being able to realise what might be going on around him by such means. then came a most dismal twenty-four hours, when the _merrimac_, met full in the teeth by a gale of wind, staggered, plunged, and rolled her way along, every wave striking the iron hull with a force that caused teddy to wince, and then came that deathly sickness which those who sail upon the sea are sometimes forced to endure. there were many hours when the stowaway believed the steamer was about to go to the bottom, and he fancied death was the only relief from his agony. he even ceased to think of his father, and considered no person save himself, wondering why he had been so foolish as to believe it might be wise to search for commodore schley's flag-ship. more than once while the malady had a firm hold upon him, did he decide to throw himself upon the mercy of whosoever might chance to be in view when he emerged from the hiding-place, and perhaps if the sickness had been less severe, his adventures would have ended as do the greater number of such exploits. once having recovered, however, his heart became braver, even though he learned that nearly all the water had been spilled while the steamer was tossing about so wildly, and his store of provisions, which had seemed so large when he came on board, was nearly exhausted. after this the hours passed more slowly, and each moment the imprisonment seemed more irksome. it was only with difficulty he could force himself to remain screened from view, and more than once did he venture dangerously near the entrance to his floating cave in the hope of seeing a human face, but yet he kept his secret forty-eight hours longer, when the provisions, as well as the water, had come to an end. he had ceased to speculate upon the meeting with his father, but thought only of how long he could endure the pangs of hunger and thirst, and even the fear of the commander's possible brutality faded away as he dwelt upon the pleasure of having sufficient to eat and drink. and finally, as might have been expected, the moment arrived when he could no longer hold his courage against the suffering, and he made preparations to discover himself. how long he had been cooped up in that narrow place it was impossible for him to so much as guess; he did not try to compute the number of hours that had elapsed since he last tasted food or water; there was only in his mind an intense desire to receive the punishment for having stowed away, in order that he might the sooner satisfy the cravings of his stomach. "it's no use to hold on any longer; the voyage ain't comin' to an end for weeks an' weeks, an' i'll be dead in another day if i don't have somethin' to eat. i'll go out this minute, an' take whatever they give me in the way of a floggin', for waitin' won't make things any better." having arrived at this decision, teddy dunlap began to attack the cordage which screened the entrance to his retreat as if each strand of rope was a deadly enemy to be overcome without loss of time, and when he had thrown down the last obstacle he stood blinking and winking in the not overly strong light of the forecastle, confronted by a short, round-faced sailor, who surveyed him in mingled fear and astonishment. "where--who--what--oh, a stowaway, eh?" the little man cried, after having expressed on his glistening face, in rapid succession, fear, astonishment, and bewilderment. "well, i'll eat my hat if i ever heard of a lad stowin' away on a collier what's out on an errand like ours!" [illustration] "yes, i'm a stowaway, an' i don't care who knows it!" teddy cried, in a tone of desperation. "i held in just as long as any feller could, an' it seems as if i was next door to bein' dead, i'm so thirsty an' hungry!" "you won't count triflin' things like that after you've come face to face with the captain, lad," and the little man appeared as truly sorrowful as any one of a like jolly countenance ever can, however saddening the situation. "will he let in to me pretty tough?" "i'm thinkin' that anything else you've had in that line will seem a good deal like a joke, alongside of what he'll deal out, an' that ain't the worst of it." "what else can he do?" and teddy looked up timidly, absolutely frightened out of his hunger. "this 'ere is the next thing to a government steamer, seein's we're on naval service, an' the captain is like to turn you over to the first cruiser we meet, for extra punishment. i don't know how uncle sam treats them as stows away on his vessels, but i'll go bail it ain't with any very tender hand." teddy dunlap looked around the forecastle, searching for some one to whom he could appeal, for he believed this jolly-looking little sailor was trying to play upon his fears; but the sea-parlour was empty. if he had waited forty-eight hours for an opportune time in which to make his appearance, he could not have come at a better moment. "what's the use tryin' to scare a feller almost to death?" he asked, piteously. "i've got to take the dose, of course; but there's no need of your rubbin' it in." "i ain't comin' any game on you, lad, an' that's the solemn truth. while i never saw the captain of this 'ere steamer till i came aboard, i'll eat my hat if he ain't a tartar when you rub his fur the wrong way, an' i'm tryin' to think if there ain't some way of gettin' you out of the scrape." "i'd go back into my hole if i had somethin' to eat an' drink." "where'd you come from?" teddy pointed to his late place of concealment, and the jolly little man said, quite cheerfully: "that's the very thing for you to do, my son. i don't want to see you abused, an' it'll be hard lines if between us you can't be got off this bloomin' steamer without everybody's knowin' that you've cheated uncle sam out of a passage." "can you get me somethin' to eat?" teddy asked, imploringly. "i will if it takes every cent that's comin' to me in the way of wages, to square the cook. tell me what brought you here, sonny? you can stand jest behind this dunnage, an' we'll be able to talk quite comfortable." that the little man would be a real friend there could be no doubt, and without hesitation teddy told him the whole story, neither adding to nor taking therefrom, and saying, by way of conclusion: "of course it'll be all right when i come across daddy, for there ain't no captain of a coal-steamer who'd dare give it to me very rough while he was around." "an' your father is aboard the _brooklyn_, eh?" "yes; he shipped as coal-passer." "well, i don't rightly know what he'll be able to do for you in case we come across him, which is doubtful; but from what i've seen of skippers since this war begun, i'm thinkin' our captain will swing a pretty heavy hand, unless he meets some other feller who holds a bigger commission." "you talk as if i couldn't find daddy," teddy interrupted. "he's aboard the flag-ship." "that's what i heard you say; but it ain't any proof we'll come across him. this 'ere cargo of coal is goin' where it's most needed, an' we may never find any of schley's fleet." "but we're goin' right where the war-vessels are." "see here, my son, commodore schley's fleet ain't the only squadron in this war by a long chalk, an' we might work at coalin' the navy from now till we're gray-headed without comin' across him. i'm afraid the chances of findin' your father are slim; but i'm bound to help you out'er the snarl that bloomin' longshoreman got you into, if it so be i can. get back into the hole, an' i'll see what can be found in the way of grub." teddy, more disheartened because of the doubt expressed as to the possibility of finding his father, obeyed the little man's order without remonstrance, and once alone again, gave himself up to the most disagreeable thoughts, absolutely forgetting for the moment that he had supposed himself on the verge of starvation a short time previous. as yet he had not absolutely divulged his secret, save to the little sailor who had promised to be his friend, and it might be possible that at some port he could slip on shore without the knowledge of any save this one man. but all such counted for nothing at the moment, in view of the possibility that he had, perhaps, made the venture in vain. there was another and yet more alarming view to be taken of the situation. he might be forced to go ashore in a strange harbour, for it was hardly within the range of probability that he could return in the _merrimac_ to the home port, and then there was the ugly chance that possibly there would be great difficulty in finding his way back. "i've made the biggest kind of a fool of myself!" he wailed, very softly; "but i won't let anybody know that i'm willin' to agree to it. when a feller gets into a muss he's bound to crawl out of it an' keep his upper lip stiff, else folks will have the laugh on him. it ain't so certain but i'd better go straight on deck an' take my dose; the captain won't be likely to kill me, an' the sooner it's over the easier i'll feel." it is not certain but that teddy dunlap might have put this new proposition into execution at once, had it not been for the coming of the little sailor, who said, in a cheery tone: "here you are, my hearty, salt horse an' tea! i reckon you can worry along on that for a spell, an' meanwhile i'll keep my weather eye liftin' for you. things may not be more'n half as bad as they look, an' even that'll be tough enough." "i've been thinkin' i'd better have it out with the captain now, an' then i wouldn't be dreadin' it." "what's the sense of picklin' a rod for your own back when you may run away from it? hold on here for a spell, an' i'll get the lay of the land before anything foolish is done." "you're mighty good to me," teddy murmured, softly, as he took the hook-pot of tea and strip of cold meat from the sailor's hands. "what's your name?" "bill jones--snippey, some of the hands call me when they want to be funny. i reckon we'd best not do any more chinnin', for the port watch will be in here precious soon, an' there's more'n one man who'd make life hot for you if he had the chance. i know what sailors are, lad, seein's i've been one myself, man an' boy, these thirty years, an' their foolin' is pretty tough play for one like you. lay low till i give the word, an' if there don't seem to be any way out of this snarl within the week, then it'll be time enough to let the old man have a whack at your hide." chapter iii. off santiago. it was really wonderful how changed everything appeared to teddy dunlap after his interview with bill jones. as a matter of course there had been no enlargement of his hiding-place, and yet it seemed as if he could move about more freely than before. he was forced to remain in quite as cramped a position, but it no longer seemed painful. although the sailor had given him no encouragement that he might succeed in the task he had set himself, but, on the contrary, appeared to think it a hopeless one, teddy felt positive that the moment was very near at hand when he would be clasped once more in his father's arms. he had come out from his hiding-place weak and despairing, choosing the most severe punishment that could be inflicted rather than longer endure the misery which had been his constant companion during so many days, and now, even before partaking of the meat and tea, all was forgotten in the belief that he would soon be with his father. it was as if some other boy had taken teddy dunlap's place, and this second lad was strong where the other had been weak. he made a hearty meal, rearranged his bed so that he might be nearer the entrance to the hiding-place in case the sailor found it necessary to communicate with him hurriedly, and then indulged in more refreshing sleep than had visited his eyelids during the past forty-eight hours. when teddy awakened, however, much of this new courage had vanished, and again he allowed himself to look forward into the future, searching for trouble. he had no means of knowing whether it was day or night, for the sunlight never came into this hole; but, because of the silence in the forecastle, it seemed probable the crew were on deck. the steamer rode on an even keel, save for a sluggish roll which told she was sailing over calm seas, and the air had suddenly grown stifling hot. creeping so near the entrance that there was great danger of being discovered by such of the men as might come that way, teddy waited with feverish impatience for some word from bill jones, and it seemed as if a full day must have passed before the voice of the jolly little sailor was heard. "well, my hearty, you're in great luck, an' no mistake. i wouldn't have believed things could have gone so nearly your way, if i hadn't seen 'em with my own eyes." before the sailor ceased speaking, teddy had come out from his hiding-place regardless of possible discovery, and appeared to be on the point of rushing up the narrow companionway. "hold on, you young rascal! do you count on jumpin' right into the captain's arms?" and bill jones seized the lad by the shirt collar, pulling him backward with no gentle force. "where was you headin' for?" "ain't it time for me to go on deck?" teddy asked, speaking with difficulty because of the sailor's firm clutch. "time? i reckon not, unless you're achin' for a taste of the rope's end. our skipper ain't any very mild tempered man at the best of times, an' this is one of his worst days, for everything has been goin' wrong end foremost jest when he wants to see the ship in apple-pie order." "i thought you said somethin' about my bein' in luck, an' the only thing of the kind that could come to me, would be to know father was on deck." "i don't reckon you'll see him aboard the _merrimac_ for some time to come, though you're nearer to him this minute than i ever allowed you'd be in this part of the world." "what do you mean?" and teddy literally trembled with the impatience of anticipation. "sampson's fleet is dead ahead. his vessels are the very ones we've come to coal, an' if that ain't luck enough for a stowaway, i'd like to know what you could call it?" "is the _brooklyn_ anywhere near?" and teddy did his best to speak calmly. "dead ahead, i tell you." "will we run right alongside of her?" "i don't allow you've any claim to count on luck like that; but we're hard by sampson's fleet, and it'll be strange if we can't find a chance of lettin' your father know where you are." "find a chance? why, i'll go right on deck an' yell to him. he's bound to come out when he hears me." [illustration] there was in this remark something which struck bill jones as being so comical that he burst into a hearty laugh, and then, realising that his messmates on deck might come down to learn the cause of such unusual mirth, he partially checked himself, gurgling and choking in the efforts to suppress his merriment, until it appeared that he was on the point of being strangled. "go on deck an' yell to him," he muttered in the intervals between what appeared to be spasms. "say, lad, it's precious lucky the weather is so hot that the crew have been driven out, else we'd had 'em all down on us, for i can't hold in, no matter how hard i try. so you think it's only a case of goin' on deck an' yellin', to bring your father right over the rail!" "he'd come if he heard me," teddy replied, sharply. "i ain't so certain 'bout that, for coal-passers don't have the choice of promenading a battle-ship's deck. the officers generally have somethin' to say about capers of that kind. besides, you might yell yourself black in the face, even if the _merrimac_ was layin' close alongside the _brooklyn_, an' he'd never be any the wiser. you seem to have the idee that one of uncle sam's vessels is built something after the pattern of a tugboat." "but i've got to get at him somehow," teddy said, in perplexity, the new and great joy which had sprung up in his heart dying away very suddenly. "true for you, lad; but it ain't to be done in the way you're figgerin' on, an', besides, havin' come along so smooth this far, i'm not countin' on lettin' you run your nose against such a thistle as the captain is like to be. it ought'er be enough that we've struck into the very fleet you wanted to find, an' a boy what can't wait a spell after all the good fortune you've had, ain't fit to be scurryin' 'round here huntin' for his father." "i'll go right back into the hole, an' wait till you tell me to come out," teddy said, meekly, understanding full well what his plight would be should this friendly sailor turn against him. "now you're talkin' sense," bill jones said, approvingly. "i was countin' on cheerin' you up a bit, by tellin' of where the _merrimac_ had fetched up, an' didn't allow to set you off like a wild injun. hot down here, eh?" "it's kind'er warm, an' that's a fact." "so much the better, because the crew will stay on deck, an' you'll have more of a chance to move around. it's only a case of layin' low for three or four days, an' then we'll see what your father can do toward gettin' you out." "how will you let him know where i am?" "there'll be plenty of show for that if we come alongside the _brooklyn_; i can manage to send him word, i reckon." the conversation was brought to an abrupt close by the appearance of a sailor's feet as he descended from the deck, and bill jones turned quickly away, pretending to be overhauling his sea-chest, while teddy made all haste to regain his "hole." now it was that the stowaway had every reason to congratulate himself upon the fair prospects which were his, when it had seemed positive that much trouble would come before the venture was ended, and yet the moments passed more slowly than at any time since he had voluntarily become a prisoner. with each hour his impatience increased, until it was with difficulty he could force himself to remain in hiding. while he believed his father was very far away, there appeared good reason for remaining hidden; but now, with the _brooklyn_ close at hand, it seemed as if he must make his whereabouts known without loss of time. fear as to what terrible punishment the captain of the _merrimac_ might inflict, however, kept him in his proper place, and before many hours passed bill jones brought him further intelligence. "the _new york_ is to take on the first of the coal," he said, leaning over the barricade of rope, and whispering to the impatient prisoner. "i'm thinkin' we'll get around to the _brooklyn_ before all the cargo is gone, an' then this game of hide will come to an end--if your father is a smarter man than the average of us." the jolly little sailor had no time to say more, for one of the petty officers interrupted the stolen interview by calling loudly for "bill jones," and while obeying the summons the sailor muttered to himself, "i wish the boy was well clear of this steamer; it seems as if he was under my wing, so to speak, an' i can't make out how any man, lower in rank than a full-fledged captain, can take him aboard one of uncle sam's ships." fortunately teddy had no misgivings as to the future, after his father had been made aware of his whereabouts. he believed it would be the most natural thing in the world for him to step on board the _brooklyn_ as a guest, and the possibility that a coal-passer might not be allowed to invite his friends to visit him never entered the lad's mind. bill jones, however, was seriously troubled as to the outcome of the affair, as has been seen. he had promised to aid the stowaway, as he would have promised to aid any other lad in trouble, for the jolly little sailor was one ever ready to relieve the distress of others, no matter how great might be the cost to himself; and now, having taken the case in hand, his anxiety of mind was great, because he was by no means as certain of his ability to carry it through successfully as he would have teddy believe. within four hours after the sailor reported that the _merrimac_ would speedily begin to take out her cargo, the prisoner in the forecastle became aware that the steamer was at a standstill. for the first time since leaving port the screw was motionless, and the absence of that pounding which marked the revolutions of the shaft caused a silence that for a few moments seemed almost painful. shortly afterward, when bill jones came to bring a fresh supply of provisions and water, he reported that the _new york_ was taking on coal. "the other ships are certain to need a supply, an' we're bound to come alongside the _brooklyn_ sooner or later," he said, cheerily, and teddy replied, with a sigh: "it seems like a terribly long while to wait; but i s'pose i can stand it." "i reckon it's a case of havin' to, lad, unless you're willin' to take the captain's medicine, an' that's what i wouldn't like to tackle." "it's as if i'd been here a full month, an' accordin' to what you say i'm mighty lucky if i have to stay only two or three days more." "you're lucky if you get out in a week, so don't go to countin' the minutes, or time will be long in passin'." twice during the next twenty-four hours did teddy have an opportunity of speaking with his friend, and then he knew that the _merrimac_ was alongside the _massachusetts_. "you see we're goin' the rounds of the fleet, an' it's only a question of the coal holdin' out, to finally bring us to the _brooklyn_," bill jones said, hurriedly, for there was no opportunity of lengthy conversations while the crew were engaged in transferring the fuel. another long time of waiting, and bill jones appeared at the entrance to the hiding-place in a state of the greatest excitement. "somethin's got to be done right away, lad, an' i'm clean beat as to how we'll figger it out. this 'ere steamer is goin' to be sunk!" "sunk!" teddy cried in alarm, clutching bill frantically by the arm, as if believing the _merrimac_ was even then on the point of going down. "that's jest it, an' we're to be shifted to the other vessels, gettin' a berth wherever one can be found." "what will make her sink?" "she's to be blowed up! wrecked in the harbour of santiago de cuba, so the spaniards who are inside can't get out!" teddy looked around him in bewilderment and alarm, understanding not one word of the brief explanation. [illustration] "you see the spanish fleet is inside the harbour, and the mouth of it ain't more'n three hundred feet wide. this steamer will be blowed up right across the channel, an' there the spaniards are, bottled up tight till our fleet gets ready to knock 'em into splinters." "but what'll become of me? i'll have to face the captain after all!" "i reckon there's no help for it, lad, because it don't stand to reason that you want to go down with the ship." "how long before you'll sink her?" "_we_ sha'n't have anything to do with it, lad. it's what you might call a precious fine job, an' 'cordin' to the way everybody looks at it, them who do the work ain't likely to come back again." "why not?" "look here, lad, if you was goin' on deck an' set off three or four torpedoes under your very feet, what do you think would be the show of gettin' ashore alive?" teddy made no effort to weigh the chances; his own affairs were in such a precarious condition that there was no room in his mind for anything else. "i'd better have gone to the captain when i first made up my mind that it had to be done, an' it would be over by this time," he said, with a long-drawn sigh. "it wouldn't have been over till you got ashore, because pretty nigh every sailor thinks it his bounden duty to make things lively for a stowaway. you've saved yourself from bein' kicked an' thumped jest so many days as i've been coddlin' you up, an' there's a good deal in that." "are we anywhere near the _brooklyn_?" "she was five or six miles away when i saw her last--" "five or six miles!" "yes; did you allow she laid within hail?" "i thought from what you said that we was right among the fleet." "so we are, lad; but these big ships don't huddle very close together, an' ten miles off is called bein' mighty near at hand. i can't stop here chinnin' much longer, so listen sharp. when the time comes, an' it's precious near at hand now, you'll have walk up to the medicine-box like a little man, so kind'er be bracin' yourself for what's sure to happen. i'll watch till the captain appears to be in good humour, an' out you pop." teddy nodded his head; there was too much sorrow and disappointment in his heart to permit of speech, and bill jones was so pressed for time that he failed to give due heed to the boy's mental condition. "be ready when i come back next time!" the sailor whispered, warningly, and then ran on deck, leaving the stowaway in a most unenviable frame of mind. when teddy's mouth was parched with thirst, and his stomach craving for food, he had brought himself to believe that he could submit without a murmur to whatever punishment the captain might see fit to inflict; but now it seemed different. during a very long time he had been cheering himself with the belief that before the close of this hour or the next he would be with his father, and such a sudden and startling change in affairs caused him deepest despair. crawling into the narrow hiding-place, he gave full sway to the grief which had come upon him like a torrent, for once captain miller knew of his having stowed away, so he argued to himself, there would no longer be any hope of communicating with his father. to his mind he had not only failed in the purpose set himself, but would be more widely separated from his father than ever before, and it is little wonder, with such belief in his heart, that the boy ceased longer to battle against his sorrow. he was lying face downward upon the canvas when bill jones came to announce that the moment had arrived when he should brave the ordeal of facing captain miller, and the sailor was forced to speak several times in a loud tone before the lad realised that his friend was near at hand. "come, teddy," the little sailor said, soothingly, "it'll be over after awhile, an' perhaps won't be so bad as we've figgered, for the old man ain't tearin' 'round dreadful mad. let's get on deck in a hurry, so's not to think about it too long, an' i'll stand right by your side till matters are settled one way or the other." "i might as well stay right here, an' be sunk when the steamer goes down," the boy wailed. "nonsense, lad; after havin' the pluck to come thus far in search of your father, you mustn't lose heart now. be a man, teddy, an' count on me for a friend so long as the trouble lasts." it was not possible for bill jones to arouse the boy to a proper show of courage until after fully half an hour had passed, and then the two came out into the sunlight, both looking much as if having just been detected in the most heinous of crimes. the dazzling sunlight nearly blinded the boy, who had been shrouded in darkness so many days, and forced him to cover his eyes; therefore he failed to see the look of surprise and bewilderment on bill jones's face immediately they came on deck. during several moments he was in such a daze as to be virtually unconscious, and then he heard his companion ask: "where is the _merrimac's_ crew?" "they've been set aboard the _new york_ for a spell, seein's how this ain't likely to be a very pleasant craft to sail in after we get through with her," a strange voice replied, and teddy opened his eyes. the deck of the collier appeared to be thronged with sailors in naval costume, all of whom were apparently bent on doing the greatest amount of destruction in the shortest possible space of time. not far away to windward was a huge war-vessel, looking more like some submarine monster than anything built by man, and in the distance others of the same kind, cruising to and fro, or lying quietly upon the ocean, rising and falling with the heavy swell. all this picture teddy took in with a single glance, and then his attention was diverted by bill jones, who said to the sailor with whom he had first spoken: "ain't we to take our dunnage out?" "i reckon that'll be done after a spell; but just now it's a case of hurry, an' what a few old shellbacks like you may consider dunnage, ain't taken into account." "where is captain miller?" "i saw him goin' toward the flag-ship. it seems he's got the biggest kind of a bee in his bonnet because lieutenant hobson is to be given the chance of killin' himself an' his crew, when he claims the right because of havin' been in command of this 'ere collier." [illustration] teddy was wholly at a loss to understand the meaning of the conversation, and he looked at the little sailor, who now appeared perplexed rather than jolly, until the latter said, speaking slowly, as if in a maze of bewilderment and doubt: "i'm all at sea, lad, about this 'ere business; but it begins to look as if you wouldn't have any very hard time with the old man to-day. he's got somethin' else on his mind that's of more importance than a worthless little stowaway like you." "he'll come back, won't he?" teddy asked, yet unable to gather any clear idea of the situation. "unless he comes soon, there won't be anything left of the _merrimac_, an' that's a fact," bill jones replied, pointing here and there to where a hundred men or more were busily at work, seemingly trying to make a wreck of the collier. "i s'pose they're bent on gettin' out of the old hooker all that's of any value, before sinkin' her, an' it looks as if they'd finish the job in a jiffy." "where's the _brooklyn_?" "see here, my son, we've no time to bother our heads about her just now. it's enough for you that we can't get speech with your father, an' unless i'm way off my reckonin', here's the chance to pull out of what promised to be a bad scrape for you." teddy remained silent, for the very good reason that he was at a loss for words, and after a short pause, bill jones exclaimed, as if a happy thought had at that instant come into his mind: "hark you, lad, our men have gone over to the _new york_, an' so long as we don't follow them it'll be plain sailin'. we'll watch our chance, go aboard the nearest ship, so it ain't the admiral's flag-ship, as bold as lions, an' it'll be believed that you belong to our crew. unless captain miller shows himself, you'll be livin' on the fat of the land." "but when he comes?" "we won't bother our heads about anything of the kind. it's enough for us to know you've slipped out of the smallest kind of a hole without a scratch, and we'll take all the enjoyment that comes our way, at uncle sam's expense." chapter iv. the merrimac. there was no good reason why, as bill jones had suggested, teddy could not successfully pose as one of the _merrimac's_ crew. the undertaking in hand was so important, with such great advantages to be derived from its accomplishment, that for the time being it was as if every officer and man in the american squadron had no thought save concerning the work upon the steamer to be sunk. that the situation may be made more plain, as it was to teddy before he had been on board the _texas_ two hours, the following description of the daring venture is quoted from an article written the very day bill jones and his protã©gã© sought shelter on the battle-ship:[1] "the mines in the narrow, tortuous channel, and the elevation of the forts and batteries, which must increase the effectiveness of the enemy's fire, and at the same time decrease that of our own, reinforced by the guns of the spanish fleet inside, make the harbour, as it now appears, almost impregnable. unless the entrance is countermined it would be folly to attempt to force its passage with our ships. "but the spanish fleet is bottled up, and a plan is being considered to drive in the cork. if that is done, the next news may be a thrilling story of closing the harbour. it would release a part of our fleet, and leave the spaniards to starve and rot until they were ready to hoist the white flag. "'to drive in the cork,' was the subject nearest rear-admiral sampson's heart, and he at once went into consultation with his officers as to how it could best be done. one plan after another was discussed and rejected, and then assistant naval constructor richmond pearson hobson proposed that the big collier _merrimac_, which then had on board about six hundred tons of coal, be sunk across the channel in such a manner as to completely block it. "the plan was a good one; but yet it seemed certain death for those who should attempt to carry it out as proposed. lieutenant hobson, however, claimed that, if the scheme was accepted, he should by right be allowed to take command of the enterprise. "the end to be attained was so great that admiral sampson decided that the lives of six or seven men could not be allowed to outweigh the advantage to be gained, and lieutenant hobson was notified that his services were accepted; the big steamer was at his disposal to do with as he saw fit." this was the work which had been begun when bill jones brought teddy dunlap on deck that he might confess to being a stowaway, and it is little wonder that matters on board the collier were in seeming confusion. on the night previous lieutenant hobson had received the notification that his services were accepted, and at an early hour next morning the work of making the _merrimac_ ready for destruction had begun. a dozen boys would have attracted no attention just then, and the lad, who had mentally nerved himself to meet the captain of the steamer, failed in finding any one to hear his confession. bill jones, however, was quick to see the possible advantage to be gained, and teddy had not fully recovered from his bewilderment before the little sailor was forcing him over the rail into one of the _texas's_ boats, which had just come alongside. [illustration] "turned out of house an' home, eh?" one of the sailors asked, with a laugh, and there was no question but that the boy, as well as the man, had a right to be taken aboard the battle-ship. the officers had all left the boat, therefore the two were not subjected to any searching examination, and once on board the big vessel, it was supposed, as a matter of course, that they had been regularly detailed to that ship. strange as it may seem, these two who had but just come from the _merrimac_ knew less regarding her proposed ending than any other, and, therefore, were most deeply interested in such information as was to be picked up from the crew. before having been on board an hour they knew as much as has been set down at the beginning of this chapter, and, for the time being at least, they, like all around them, had little thought save for the daring adventure which was to be made by lieutenant hobson and six men. "it's a mighty brave thing to do," bill jones said confidentially to teddy as the two were on the gun-deck, having concluded a most satisfactory repast; "but i wouldn't want a hand in it." "why not?" teddy asked, in surprise, for he had been turning the matter over in his mind until having come almost to envy those who were to brave death in the service of their country. "because i ain't what might rightly be called a fightin' man; owin' to my bein' undersized, most likely. i take real pride in the deeds of others, but can't seem to get my own courage where it belongs. i'm only what you might call a plain, every-day sailor, with no fightin' timber in me, else i'd been in the navy long before this." "do you think they will live to sink the _merrimac_?" teddy asked, thoughtfully. "there's no doubt in my mind but that they'll hold on to life long enough to do the work, but it's afterward that the trouble will begin. every spanish gun within range will open fire on 'em, an' what chance have they got of comin' out alive?" "when will they start?" "it'll be quite a spell before they get the steamer ready to make the dive, 'cordin' to my way of thinkin'. in the first place, as i'm told, there are to be plenty of torpedoes put in position inside the old hooker, an' it'll take some time to made them ready. anyway, you're snug as a bug in a rug now--" "until captain miller comes aboard," teddy interrupted. "have no fear of him," the little sailor said, as if the subject was not worthy of consideration. "when he comes, if he ever does, it isn't to this part of the ship that he'll pay a visit. officers spend their time aft, an' small blame to 'em. it may be, teddy dunlap, that he'll see you; but the chances are dead against it, so take all the comfort you can--" "i ought to be huntin' for daddy." "well, you can't, leastways, not while we're aboard this craft, but you can count on comin' across him before this little scrimmage is ended off santiago, an' then i warrant there'll be all the chance you need." "but what am i to do on board here?" teddy asked, anxiously. "it don't stand to reason that we'll be allowed to loaf around as if we owned the whole vessel." "that's the way you look at it; but my idees are different. uncle sam will keep us for a spell, that's certain, an' until he gets tired of the job we needn't worry our heads. you might live to be a thousand years old without strikin' another job as soft as the one we've got on our hands this blessed minute, so i say, make the most of it." "it's different with you; but i'm only a stowaway, an' stand a good show of gettin' into a heap of trouble when the officers of this ship find out that i've no business to be here." "i don't figger that way," bill jones replied, with a light and airy manner. "it doesn't stand to reason you should have been left aboard to go down with the steamer, eh?" "they might have set me ashore." "an' had a precious good job doin' it. look ye, teddy dunlap, are you countin' yourself of so much importance that a battle-ship is to leave her station for no other reason than to put you ashore?" "i didn't mean it that way. you see they ought to do somethin' with me--" "then wait till they get ready, an' don't borrow trouble. this crossin' of bridges before you come to 'em is likely to make life mighty hard for a young chap like yourself, an' considerin' all you've told me, i wonder at it." teddy could say nothing more. it surely seemed reasonable bill jones knew what it was proper he should do, and from that moment he resolved to "take things easy," as his friend advised, rather than fret over what couldn't be mended. therefore it was he ceased to worry, although at the same time keeping a sharp watch over the _brooklyn_, and by such a course saw very much of what happened off santiago during those months of june and july, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight. surely the stowaway had no cause to complain of his treatment by the crew of the _texas_. every man did his best to make these waifs from the doomed steamer feel perfectly at home, and when bill jones brought his sea-chest aboard, as he did the day following their abandonment of the _merrimac_, there was not a man on the battle-ship who did not suppose teddy's dunnage was in the same capacious receptacle. rations were served to the stowaway the same as to any member of the crew, and then he and bill jones were called upon for some trifling duty, but as the latter said, there was no more work than was good for them by way of exercise. in the most pleasant fashion possible the time passed until the _merrimac_ was made ready for her doom, and these two comrades, for it can well be supposed they were become fast friends, saw all the preparations without being obliged to do any of the disagreeable work. there was hardly an hour during these days of labour when the two did not hear lieutenant hobson's plans discussed, and they knew to the slightest detail all he proposed to do. [illustration] "here is the way he'll sink our craft, 'cordin' to all i've heard," bill jones said to teddy when the two were alone for a short time on the afternoon after it had been reported on board the _texas_ that everything was ready for the desperate venture. "he'll run at about ten-knot speed until four hundred yards or less past the estrella battery, or, in other words, till he's in the narrowest part of the channel. then he'll put the helm hard aport, stop the engines, drop the anchors, open the sea connections, touch off the torpedoes, an' leave the old hooker blockin' up the entrance to santiago harbour." "he can't do all that alone," teddy suggested. "of course he can't, else why is he takin' a crew with him? i'm told that this is the exact way he counts on workin' it. there'll be four men on deck besides himself, an' two in the engine-room; all of 'em will be stripped down to their underclothes, an' with revolvers an' ammunition strapped in water-tight packin' to their waists. one will be forward with an axe to cut the lashings of the anchor when the word is given. of course hobson signals the engineers to stop the engines, then the fellow forward cuts the anchor loose; some one below smashes the sea connections with a sledge-hammer when the machinery stops, and all hands jump overboard, countin' on swimmin' to the boat that's bein' towed astern. the lieutenant himself touches the button that explodes the torpedoes, an' then over he goes; it's a case of every man for himself once the work is begun. the steamer is bound to go down athwart the channel, an' there you have the entrance to santiago bay shut up as tight as admiral sampson can wish." teddy did not venture any criticism. he had heard the subject discussed so often that there was nothing new he could suggest, and it seemed wisest to hold his tongue. on the close of this day word was passed among the crew of the _texas_ that the venture would be made during the coming night, and the two visitors from the _merrimac_ were on deck from sunset until sunrise. the work of preparing the big collier was continued throughout the entire night, and just at daybreak she got under way, as if to begin the voyage which it seemed certain could end only with the death of all; but before the men on the battle-ship had time to give her a parting cheer, she put back to her station, because, as some of the men declared, the admiral had given positive orders for her to wait until another night. twenty-four hours of additional preparation; as many of speculation and discussion among those who were refused an opportunity to offer their lives as a sacrifice, and then came the moment when teddy was awakened from his sleep by bill jones, who said, as he shook the lad roughly: "get on deck, my hearty, get on deck! this time there'll be no mistake as to the sailin', an' if you want to see the last of the _merrimac_, now's your chance!" the stowaway did not wait for a second invitation, and a moment later he formed a small portion of the human fringe which overhung the _texas's_ rail, peering out across the waters where, by the pale light of the moon, could be seen the doomed steamer. it was even possible to distinguish the forms of her crew as they stood well forward, much as though taking a last look at the fleet, and, near at hand, the tiny launch from the _new york_, which was to follow the collier in with the hope of picking up some of her brave crew when they leaped into the water. among all that throng of men on the _texas_ hardly a word was spoken as the _merrimac_ slowly got under way. every one remained silent as if under the spell cast by the bravery of those who were literally taking their lives in their hands that the starry flag might wave triumphant. boldly the collier steamed in toward the coast, being lost to view immediately she got under the shadow of the high hills at the entrance of the bay, and a mile or more astern the tiny launch puffed her way along as if conscious that this morning's work was of extreme importance. then both craft were swallowed up by the gloom, and yet that throng of men overhanging the _texas's_ rail remained motionless, waiting with an anxiety that was most intense for some sign which would give token of their shipmates' fate. during half an hour every man waited in keenest suspense, never one venturing to so much as speak, and then from the heights at the entrance of the harbour the flash of a gun streamed out. it came almost in the nature of a relief, for every one knew that the _merrimac_ was nearing her destination at last. the suspense was at an end, whatever might be the result, and even teddy dunlap believed he could predict the close of that most desperate venture. within ten seconds after the first flash, another was seen, then a third, and a fourth, until it was no longer possible to count them. the heights guarding the channel appeared to be ablaze; but yet not a sound could be heard. the blockading squadron were so far away that the reports were lost in the distance. then the eager men found tongue, and it was as if each spoke at the same instant, giving no heed as to whether his neighbour replied. during full twenty minutes these silent flashes could be seen in the distance, and then they died away just as the gray light of the coming dawn appeared in the eastern sky. "it's all over!" bill jones said, as he laid his hand on teddy's shoulder. "i reckon the old _merrimac_ is layin' in the channel to keep the spaniards from sneakin' out; but them as carried her in so bravely are past all troubles of this world's makin'. it's great to be a hero; but the glory of it is soon over!" "do you suppose they've all been killed?" teddy asked in a whisper, for it was much like speaking in the presence of the dead. "there's little doubt of it, lad. think you a craft like the _merrimac_ could stand the storm of shot and shell that was poured on her from the time we saw the first flash? just bear in mind that every puff of flame betokened a chunk of iron large enough to sink this 'ere battle-ship, if it struck her fairly, an' you can have a fair idee of how much chance those poor fellows stood." [illustration] among all the crew there was hardly one who did not share this opinion with bill jones. to them, the heroes who went smilingly to their death had left this world for ever, and yet the men continued to overhang the rail, awaiting the return of the launch, with the idea that when she arrived they might hear something of importance. not until three hours later did the little craft show herself, and then she came out from under the shadow of the land followed by a shower of missiles from the big guns ashore. the men on the _texas_ were forced to wait some time before learning what information she brought, for the launch went directly to the _new york_, as a matter of course, and several hours elapsed before the crew heard all that could then be told. this was to the effect that the tiny boat followed the collier until fire was opened upon the doomed steamer, and she was so enshrouded by smoke as to be lost from view. then the launch was headed in under the batteries, where she remained until daylight on the lookout for a swimmer. at five o'clock in the morning no sign of life had been seen, and the little craft made for the fleet, followed by a rain of shot from the shore batteries. while crossing the harbour entrance one spar of the _merrimac_ was seen sticking out of the water, and thus it was known that the little band of braves had done their work faithfully, at whatever cost to themselves. there was neither jest nor careless word among the crew of the battle-ship during this forenoon; even bill jones remained almost absolutely silent. it seemed that they stood in the presence of death, and more than one acted as if believing he was taking part in the funeral services of those who had so lately been among them. teddy had seen every man who went to make up that devoted crew, and to him it was as if his personal friends had met their death; but in such a brave fashion that it would have been almost a crime to mourn their taking off. then, like a flash of lightning from a clear sky, came the joyful news that every man among that band who had devoted themselves to death, was yet among the living, and comparatively uninjured. it was almost incredible information, and yet, because of its source, no one could doubt it. at two hours past noon, while the men of the _texas_ were sheltering themselves from the burning rays of the sun and discussing for the hundredth time the last probable moments of their shipmates, a steam-launch, carrying a white flag, put out from the harbour, making directly for the flag-ship _new york_. at the time no one fancied for a single moment that the coming of this craft could have any connection with those who had left the station to wreck the _merrimac_, but there were some who suggested that the spaniards were ready to surrender, and, in support of this theory, cited the fact that the royal squadron was bottled up so tightly it could never be used against the united states. others declared that the spanish admiral was about to make an offer of compromise, and not a few believed the flag of truce had to do with the capitulation of the city of santiago de cuba. not a man was prepared for the news which floated from ship to ship, no one could say exactly how; but in less than an hour from the time the launch made fast alongside the _new york_, it was known that she brought a message from admiral cervera, commander of the spanish fleet, to the effect that the crew of the _merrimac_ had been captured, and were held as prisoners of war. [illustration] lieutenant hobson was uninjured, and only two of the party had been wounded slightly. it seemed too good to be true, but when the men realised that this information must be correct, that it had been sent by a generous enemy, they spent a good five minutes cheering alternately for those who had escaped after having gone down into the very jaws of death, and for that gallant spaniard who, recognising bravery even in his foe, had taken the trouble to announce the safety of those who were battling against him. "it's what i call a mighty fine thing for the old admiral to do," bill jones said, as he held forth to a gun's crew with whom he and teddy messed. "it ain't every officer as would go out of his way to send such news as that, an' if admiral cervera should ever fall into my hands as a prisoner of war, he can count on bein' treated like a white man." there was a roar from bill's auditors at the intimation that the commander of the spanish fleet might ever be captured by that sailor, for by this time all had come to know him as a "plain, every-day sailor, with not a fightin' timber in him;" but not a man within sound of his voice cared to contradict him. on that night, after the subject of the venture and its sequel had been discussed until worn threadbare, the little sailor said to teddy, as if telling him some important truth: "you'll see great doin's now, lad, an' it wouldn't give me such a terrible surprise to know that the war was ended within the next twenty-four hours, for them bloomin' spaniards in santiago must understand by this time that the sooner they give in whipped, the less of a lickin' they're like to get." and teddy, thinking more of his own condition than the glory of the country, asked, with no slight distress of mind: "if it should come to a stop as soon as that, how could i ever get word to father? of course the _brooklyn_ would go right home, an' i'd be left here." "i'll take care of that, lad," bill jones replied, in a tone of assurance. "never you have a fear but that i'll see she don't leave this station till you've had a chance to go on board long enough to sort out the coal-passers." footnote: [footnote 1: "the boys of '98."] chapter v. the chase. bill jones found time to change his opinion as to the speedy termination of the war after the _merrimac_ had been sunk at the entrance of santiago bay. instead of displaying any anxiety to surrender, the spaniards on the island appeared to be making every preparation for a stubborn defence, and the fleet of war-vessels had little opportunity to do much more than blockade duty. teddy dunlap, looked upon by the crew of the _texas_ as a lad who had every right to be among them, might have enjoyed this cruising to and fro, keeping watch over the entrance to the harbour, now and then overhauling a suspicious-looking vessel that ventured too near, and at times throwing shells ashore from the big guns, but for the fact that he burned with impatience to be with his father. the _brooklyn_ remained in view nearly all the time, now so close at hand that it seemed as if the two ships must immediately come within hailing distance, and again so far away that she appeared only as a tiny speck against the white sky, yet the stowaway was as completely separated from his father as if they were thousands of miles apart. "if only the captains couldn't talk with those little flags, it might be that the ships would come side by side!" he said, with a long-drawn sigh, to bill jones. "there'll never be any need for them to sail nearer than within sight, an' i won't get a chance to speak to father,--perhaps not this year." "the prospect don't look very encouragin' just at the present time, an' that's a fact," bill said, thoughtfully, filling his pipe with unusual care. "two or three days ago it seemed as if the war was mighty nigh at an end; but now there 'pears to be a good deal of fight left in the dagoes." "an' while we're loafin' 'round here, captain miller will come aboard some fine day. then where'll i be?" "right here, my lad, an' there's no use lookin' ahead. he won't come the sooner, or stay away any longer, no matter how much you fuss, so why not save the wear an' tear of thinkin'?" "see here," and teddy leaned forward to look the little sailor full in the eyes, "do you believe i'll ever have a chance of lettin' daddy know where i am?" "it stands to reason there must be a show for it in course of time." "when?" "now you're askin' me a question i ain't in condition to answer. it may be two or three weeks, or, then again, the show might come sudden, within an hour. at sea you can't ever tell what's goin' to happen, teddy dunlap, an' there's nothin' for it but to keep your ears an' eyes open all the time, ready to jump on the first promisin' chance that comes your way." there is no good reason why such a conversation as this should be set down, save that it is similar to a hundred others which were held between the two comrades during the weeks which followed the sinking of the _merrimac_, when teddy dunlap, without effort on his part, was transformed from a stowaway to a lad apparently in the employ of uncle sam. never for a single moment did he lose sight of the possible fact that either the _brooklyn_ or the _texas_ might be ordered away from this particular station, in which case it was reasonable to suppose that many months must elapse before he could inform his father of his whereabouts. there was grave danger the two might be separated so widely that months, perhaps years, would elapse before they could meet again, and teddy was never comfortable in mind, but, despite all the good advice given by bill jones, continued to look out into the future, searching for trouble. meanwhile both he and the little sailor were kept at work on board the _texas_ exactly as if they had been regularly enlisted; but the duties were so light among such a large number, that he who complained of the work must indeed have been an indolent fellow. and while teddy worried over his own seeming troubles, the two nations continued at war, killing and wounding men at every opportunity, and ever striving to strike some decisive blow. as a matter of course teddy and bill jones took their small part in the bombardment of the batteries at the entrance to santiago harbour two days after the _merrimac_ had been sunk. the _texas_ was the third vessel in the first column, headed by the _brooklyn_, when, shortly after sunrise, the fleet steamed inshore and opened fire with the heavy guns. it was to the boy as if he went into action almost by the side of his father, and he worked with a will at whatsoever was set him to do, although at times the terrific roar literally stunned him, while the heat was so great that it seemed as if he was on the verge of suffocation during every moment of the four hours the bombardment continued. then the squadron steamed back to its blockading station, and at no time had the _brooklyn_ and _texas_ been so near each other as to have rendered it possible for teddy to see his father, even though the latter had stood on the battle-ship's deck every moment. again and again, as the days passed, did the _texas_ go into action, and at no time were the little stowaway and his small comrade remiss in their duties. they did their full share of the work, despite bill jones's assertion that he was only a "plain, every-day sailor with no fightin' timber about him," and as the weeks wore on these two became more and more closely identified with the battle-ship to which chance had sent them. when the ship was sent to bombard the works at matamoras, and a spanish shell struck near the stern on the port side, passing through the hull three feet below the main-deck line, and exploding on the berth-deck, killing one man and wounding eight, teddy's search for his father nearly came to an end. a fragment of the shell passed within ten inches of the boy's head, striking down a sailor just beyond him, and teddy won the admiration of every man on board by springing to the relief of the poor fellow whose leg had been shattered, instead of taking flight, as might quite naturally have been expected. [illustration] later, when the _texas_ had withdrawn from the action, man after man congratulated the lad upon his behaviour, predicting that he would in time prove himself worthy of serving under such a commander as captain philip, and otherwise bestowing so much praise that at the first opportunity he said confidentially to bill jones: "it makes me ashamed to have them say so much about how i acted. it wasn't different from what any other feller would have done, because i forgot all about the danger when baker fell." "i'm thinkin' you're out of your reckonin' there, lad, for accordin' to my idee, there ain't a boy in a thousand who'd handled himself as well as you did. now i'm no fightin' man, as i've said before, but your keepin' such a stiff upper lip, when there was precious good chance of bein' killed, did me solid good. i knew you had sand, from the first minute of settin' eyes on you, but never suspected there was so much of it." "you're talkin' worse than the others, even when i'm tellin' the truth about not knowin' there was any danger. i only saw poor baker, an' thought i might help him." "it ain't what you thought, lad, but what you did, that counts, an' now if captain miller comes aboard i'm willin' to guarantee he won't be allowed to kick up any row because of your stowin' away on the _merrimac_. the crew wouldn't allow any funny business with you, after this day's work. don't you see how much nearer your father we are than we were this mornin'?" "what do you mean?" "just what i say, lad. you've made for yourself a standin' on board this ship, an' now when the time comes right i'm goin' to tell your story to one of the petty officers, askin' him to see it reaches captain philip's ears. once that's been done, teddy dunlap, we'll be hailin' the _brooklyn_ with signals flyin' to tell the coal-passers that one of 'em has got a son on board this craft." "do you suppose any such plan might work?" teddy asked, breathlessly. "there ain't a shadow of doubt about it in my mind." "why don't you do it now? i've given up hopin' this war is pretty near at an end, an' am hungry to see daddy." "better wait awhile longer, my boy. it's a little too soon to show ourselves very big, 'cause it ain't no ways certain the captain has had time to hear of what you did. we'll hold off a spell, an' then, when the signs come right, you'll see me put this business along in great shape." because of this promise, and also owing to the many words of praise which were showered upon him by the men, teddy dunlap believed, as he had several times before, that the hour was very near at hand when he would be with his father once more; but, as in the past, he was doomed to disappointment during more days than he cared to count. the "signs" never came so nearly right as to give bill jones courage to take the responsibility of telling teddy's story to those who would repeat it to captain philip, and these two refugees from the _merrimac_ remained aboard the _texas_, much to the satisfaction of the crew. it was known to them, as to every one on the warships, that hot fighting was going on ashore in the vicinity of santiago, and at frequent intervals the big vessels steamed toward the land, in this direction or that, to shell the spanish camps; but they were at such a distance from the scene of action that such work had little the appearance of warfare. in fact, the air of plain, every-day business about the operations rendered it difficult to believe the huge shot and shell which were hurled landward carried in their wake death and destruction to many. when one of the _texas's_ big guns was discharged, teddy could hear the roar, and feel the concussion, as a matter of course; he could also see the missile as it sped through the air; but he had no means of knowing where it struck, neither did he have a view of the desolation and ruin it caused, therefore, like many another man aboard the battle-ship, he came to look upon this work of war as nothing more than harmless practice. the day was near at hand, however, when the stowaway and his little comrade were to have all too good a view of the butchery and inhumanity of war. it was on sunday morning, the third day of july. the crew of the _texas_ had been mustered for religious services, and while bill jones and teddy waited in their proper places for the coming of the chaplain, the sailor whispered: "to-morrow mornin' i'm goin' to start in on your business, lad. so far as i can see, the fleet is likely to be here a year or more before the spaniards are ready to surrender santiago, and if i don't bring you to the captain's notice soon, all your good behaviour when the shot came aboard will have been forgotten." "i'm afraid we've waited too long already," the lad replied, with a sigh, for the hope had been so long deferred that his "heart was sick" indeed for a sight of his father. "i reckon not, teddy; but if i've made a mistake in holdin' off, it was done through fear i might speak too soon." "don't think i'm blamin' you," the boy replied, quickly, pressing his comrade's arm in a friendly fashion. "if you never did anything more, i'd feel as if you'd been mighty good to me, for i couldn't have run across many sailors who'd lay themselves out to help a stowaway." "that part of it is--" bill jones was interrupted by a shout,--teddy will never know who uttered it, or what the words were,--and instantly, without the slightest apparent cause, all was seeming confusion on board the ship. it was to the lad as if the very air bristled with excitement; he saw men darting here and there, heard sharp, quick words of command, and as if at the very same instant, the _texas_ seemed to leap forward with a bound, huge clouds of black smoke suddenly pouring out of her stacks. "the spaniards! the spaniards!" bill jones yelled in the lad's ear, at the same time pointing toward the entrance to the harbour, from out of which could be seen the dark hull of an enemy's ship. it was as if in that small fraction of time very much took place. teddy saw long lines of signal-flags run up to the _brooklyn's_ masthead; he heard the roar of a 6-pounder as the _iowa_ fired the first shot at the foe, and understood, rather than saw, that every vessel in the squadron was under a full head of steam almost immediately. at one instant the blockading squadron lay motionless and apparently lifeless off the harbour, rocking lazily on the long swell, and then, before one could speak, as it were, every listless hull was a war machine, quivering with life, and pouring forth deadly shot and shell. the transformation was so sudden and complete that it is little wonder teddy and bill jones stood transfixed with astonishment until the chase was well under way. one after another of the spanish cruisers came at full speed out of the harbour which it had been believed was closed by the hull of the _merrimac_, and as each ship rounded the point her guns were discharged at the yankee squadron. the dense smoke pouring out of their stacks; the clouds of spray from their bows, glistening like diamonds in the sunlight of that sabbath morning as it was thrown aft by the fierce impetus of the huge vessels to mingle with the smoke that came from every gun; the roar and thunder of the discharges; the shrieking of the missiles, and the spouting of water as the metal fell short, made up a scene of war in its most terrific phase. on the other side, three battle-ships and an armoured cruiser dashing forward at the full speed of their engines; the heavy reverberations of guns; black clouds and white of smoke from coal and from burning powder; men stripped to the waist and working at the pieces with a fury, haste, and energy that could not have been increased had each individual member of the crew been fighting against a personal foe, and words of command, encouragement, or hope, which were heard on every hand, thrilled the boy who had trembled before the supposed wrath of a collier's captain, until each nerve was tingling with excitement,--each pulse bounding with the hot blood that leaped in feverish throbs from artery to artery. teddy dunlap was in the very midst of what but few had ever seen,--a sea-battle with the mightiest ships in the world as combatants. it was while the lad and his elderly comrade stood like statues, gazing at the wondrous, terrible sight around them, that the former saw a huge shell leave the turret of the _iowa_, rise on the arc of a circle in the air, cleaving its way directly toward the _teresa_, the foremost of the fleeing ships. teddy was still following the missile with his eyes when it struck the spaniard's hull, cutting its way through as if no resistance was offered, and it seemed that the huge mass had but just disappeared when great volumes of smoke and flame burst from the aperture made by the shell, telling that the first of the enemy's fleet was already vanquished. then came a mighty yell from every man aboard the _texas_ as well as the _iowa_, for the gun had been aimed with a precision worthy a yankee gunner whose forefathers, perhaps, had been forced to shoot accurately in order to save their scalps from the lurking indian. this cry of satisfaction had not yet died away when the _maria teresa_ was headed for the beach, with smoke and flame enveloping all her after part,--a wreck before she had more than cleared the harbour's mouth. "there's one of 'em done for, an' in short order!" bill jones screamed, dancing to and fro like a crazy person, and if he made any further remark teddy failed to hear it, because of the cheers of triumph which came from every vessel in the american fleet. the enemy had counted on cutting his way through the blockading squadron, but the first of his vessels had come to grief before the chase was fairly begun. as the _teresa_ swung round in order to gain shoal water before the fire should completely envelop her, teddy saw two small, swift, low-lying steamers come out from behind her with a speed which seemed like that of the wind, and the little sailor cried, in tones nearly resembling fear: "there are the destroyers! the _pluton_ and _furor_! our ships are not speedy enough to keep out of their way! now is the spaniard's chance to pay for the loss of the _teresa_!" teddy had heard of these torpedo-boats, and knew what it was possible for them to do unless, perchance, they might be checked at long range, and yet the commanders of the yankee battle-ships apparently gave no heed to the dangerous enemies which had been designed for the sole purpose of destroying such as they. straight toward the _brooklyn_ these formidable craft were headed, and the stowaway involuntarily cried aloud in terror, for was not his father on board that vessel which appeared to be in such peril? then, coming up swiftly, as a hawk darts out upon its prey, the lad saw the little yacht _gloucester_ swim directly inshore to meet these mighty engines of destruction, when one well-directed shot from their guns would have sent her to the bottom, crushed out of all semblance of a vessel. at that moment teddy and bill jones saw what much resembled the attack of a fly upon two huge spiders. the tiny _gloucester_ steamed straight down upon the destroyers, cutting them off from their intended prey, and pelting them with shells from her small 6-pounders, but doing the work with such accuracy and precision of aim that it seemed as if the battle was no more than begun before these two mighty machines turned toward the shore to follow the _teresa_, but sinking even while one could say they were beaten. "hurrah for wainwright! bully little _gloucester_!" two hundred voices rose high with shouts of triumph and exultation that the yankee gunners had not only done their work well, but with bravery such as could not be excelled, and meanwhile the big ships went tearing madly on lest the _vizcaya_, the _cristobal colon_, and the _almirante oquendo_, all that were left of the spanish fleet, should escape them. the _iowa_ and the _texas_ had selected the _vizcaya_ as their prey, and while the remainder of the fleet stretched away in pursuit of the other ships, these two cut off the big spaniard, forcing her to fight whether she liked or not. [illustration] teddy and bill jones stood on the port side of the _texas_, all unconscious that they were exposed to any chance shot the spaniard might send aboard, and realising nothing save the fever of battle. the odour of burning powder was in their nostrils, and life or death, danger or safety were alike the same. the _texas_ literally reeled under their feet as her big guns were discharged full at the _vizcaya_, which ship was hurling shot and shell with reckless rapidity and inaccuracy of aim. the roar of the pieces was like the crashing of thunder; the vibrations of the air smote one like veritable blows, and enormous smoke clouds rolled here and there, now shutting off all view, and again lifting to reveal the enemy in his desperate but ill-directed flight. "can we sink her?" teddy asked once, when the two comrades were so closely enveloped by the pungent vapour that it was impossible to distinguish objects five feet away, and the little sailor cried, in a delirium of excitement: "sink her, lad? that's what we're bound to do!" "she is workin' her guns for all they are worth, an' i've heard it said that even a ship like this would go down if a big shell struck fairly." "ay, lad, an' so she would, i reckon; but we'll have yonder spaniard under the water before her gunners can get the range. every shot of ours is hittin' its mark, an' they're not comin' within half a mile of us! sink her! we'll--" even as bill jones spoke, the 12-inch gun in the _texas's_ forward turret was discharged. the smoke rolled aside at the same instant, and the two watchers saw a huge shell dart forth, speeding directly toward the ship that had so lately been a friendly visitor in the harbour of new york. it struck its mark fairly, crashed through the iron plating as if through paper, and then teddy saw the mighty vessel reel under her death-stroke when the shell exploded. another howl of triumph; half naked men danced to and fro in their excitement; the gunners rushed out from the turrets gasping for breath, but yelling with savage joy, and the _vizcaya's_ bow was headed toward the shore! the fourth vessel of the enemy's fleet had been disabled, and there only remained the two mighty ships in the distance, from the smoke-stacks of which poured forth long rolls of black smoke, flecked with sparks and burning brands, that told of the desperate efforts being made to escape. chapter vi. teddy's daddy. the _maria teresa_ and the _vizcaya_ were in flames, heading for shoal water that they might not carry down with their blackened hulks the men who had defended them, although feebly, and there was no longer any reason why the _texas_ should remain in that vicinity. the _iowa_ swung inshore to make certain the ruin was as complete as it appeared from the distance, and when the royal ensign was hauled down that a white flag might be hoisted on the _vizcaya_, captain philip gave the word which sent the _texas_ ahead in chase after the survivors of what had, less than half an hour previous, been a mighty fleet. as one who witnessed the battle has already written concerning this particular time and the wonderfully one-sided engagement, his words had best be quoted: "huge volumes of black smoke, edged with red flame, rolled from every port and shot-hole of the _vizcaya_, as from the _teresa_. they were both furnaces of glowing fire. though they had come from the harbour to certain battle, not a wooden bulkhead, not a partition in the quarters either of officers or men had been taken out, nor had trunks and chests been sent ashore. neither had the wooden decks or any other wooden fixtures been prepared to resist fire. apparently the crew had not even wet down the decks." it was the experience of a full lifetime, to witness the destruction of these four fighting-machines, and yet teddy dunlap and his little comrade almost forgot what they had seen in the excitement of the race, as their ship leaped forward in that mad chase which was to end only with the wrecking of all those vessels that had sailed out of the harbour to make their way past the yankee fleet. the two comrades were conscious of nothing save the throbbing and quivering of their own ship, as, under press of every ounce of steam that could be raised, the _texas_ dashed onward, overhauling first this yankee vessel and then that, flinging the spray in showers over her deck, and rolling from side to side in the heavy swell as she tore onward at a rate of speed that probably she had never before equalled. it was a race to the death; now and then the hatches were opened that some one of the engineer's crew, exhausted by almost superhuman efforts and the excessive heat, might be brought up from those fiery depths below, while others took the place of him who had fallen at the post of duty, and the speed was never slackened. on, on, over the long swell, every man aboard in the highest possible state of excitement, eager that the _texas_ should be in at the death, and ahead, straining every nerve as it were, fled the spaniards, knowing full well that there could be but one ending to such a race. "it's yankee grit an' yankee skill that's winnin' this fight!" bill jones cried, excitedly, forgetting that he was only a "plain, every-day sailor, with no fightin' timber about him," and at every onward leap of the ship his body swayed forward as if he was eager for a fray. but neither bill jones nor any man aboard the _texas_, save those brave souls in the very bowels of the gallant ship, had any opportunity to display personal bravery. the fight ended when the chase did, for then nothing was left of those mighty spanish ships save blackened hulks. the _oregon_ was sending 13-inch projectiles after the _oquendo_ at every fair opportunity, and the _texas_, more than holding her own with the other vessels, was coming up astern with a speed that threatened to bring the long race to a speedy conclusion. then, suddenly, although all had been expecting it, the _almirante oquendo's_ bow was headed toward the shore,--she saw the uselessness of further flight,--and all the pursuers, save the _texas_, hauled off in pursuit of the _cristobal colon_. standing with a group of _texas_ men, teddy and bill jones saw the spaniard near the line of surf, and as their vessel's speed was checked there came a roar mightier than when the battle was first opened; the doomed ship rocked to and fro as if she had struck a sunken reef, there was an uprending of the iron decks, and then came a shower of fragments that told of the tremendous explosion within the hull of the _oquendo_. now it was the yankee crew burst once more into shouts of triumph; but before the first cheer arose on the morning air captain philip cried: "don't cheer; the poor devils are dying!" then it was that every man realised what had, until this moment, been absolutely forgotten: the game in which they were such decided victors was one of death! while they were triumphantly happy, scores upon scores of the enemy were dying,--mangled, scalded, drowning,--and on the instant, like a flash of light, came the terrible fact that while they rejoiced, others were suffering a last agony. "don't cheer; the poor devils are dying!" at that instant teddy dunlap understood what might be the horror of war, and forgetting the joy and exultation which had been his an instant previous, the lad covered his eyes with his hand,--sick at heart that he should have taken even a passive part in that game which could be ended only by suffering and death. later, after the men were sufficiently calm to be able to discuss intelligently the doings of that day when the full spanish fleet was destroyed by yankee vessels who throughout all the action and chase sustained no injury whatsoever, it was learned that more than six hundred human beings had been sent out of the world in less than four hours, and nearly eighteen hundred men were taken prisoners by the american vessels. teddy dunlap was like one in a daze from the instant he realised what all this thrilling excitement meant, until bill jones, who had been ordered to some duty below, came to his side in the greatest excitement. "what do you think of that, lad?" he cried, shaking the boy vigorously as he pointed seaward, and teddy, looking in the direction indicated by his outstretched finger, but without seeing anything, asked, hesitatingly: "is it the _cristobal colon_?" "of course it isn't, my lad! that vessel is a wreck off tarquino point, so we heard half an hour ago. don't you see the ship here almost alongside?" "oh, yes, i see her," teddy replied, with a sigh of relief. "there's been so much that is terrible goin' on around us that it's like as if i was dazed." "an' that's what you must be, lad, not to see that here's the _brooklyn_ nearer alongside than she's like to come again for a year or more." "the _brooklyn_!" teddy cried, now aroused from the stupefaction of horror which had come upon him with the knowledge of all the suffering caused that day. "the _brooklyn_!" "ay, lad, an' her launch is alongside makin' ready to transfer some of the prisoners. now's our chance, when such as we don't amount to a straw in view of the great things that have been done this day, to slip over on a little visit to your daddy!" probably at no other time could such a thing have been done by two members of the crew; but just now, when every man and officer was overwhelmed by the fever of victory, little heed was given to the movements of any particular person. therefore it was that teddy dunlap and the little sailor had no difficulty in gaining the _brooklyn's_ deck without question or check, and the first person they saw on clambering aboard was a coal-passer, stripped to the waist and grimy with dust and perspiration, who stared with bulging eyes at the boy who followed close behind bill jones. "teddy!" "daddy!" "i reckon this is no place for me," bill jones muttered as he made his way forward, and if the "plain, every-day sailor with no fightin' timber about him" had sufficient delicacy to leave father and son alone at such a time, surely we should show ourselves equally considerate. * * * * * it is enough to say that teddy's troubles were at an end after a short visit with his father, and that he did not leave the _texas_ immediately. captain philip came to hear the boy's story, and an opportunity was given him to enlist for so long a term as his father was bound to the _brooklyn_. since the purpose of this little story was only to tell how the stowaway found his father, there is no excuse for continuing an account of teddy's experience off santiago with sampson; but at some future time, if the reader so chooses, all that befell him before returning home shall be set down with careful fidelity to every detail. the end. off to sea, by whg kingston. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ off to sea, by whg kingston. chapter one. my birth and education. from my earliest days i have been known as jovial jack junker. i got the name, i believe, from always being in good humour, and seeing the bright side of things. whatever i ate did me good, and i never had had an hour's sickness in my life; while if things happened to go wrong one day, i knew they would go right the next. people said i was of a happy disposition; i suppose i was. i always felt inclined to be singing or whistling, and when i did not, it was because i knew i ought to keep silence--in church, for instance, or in the presence of my elders, who happened to be engaged in conversation. still, i was not born, as the saying is, with a silver spoon in my mouth, nor did i possess any great worldly advantages. i did not trouble myself much about the future, i must confess that. if i got what i wanted, i was contented; if not, i expected to get it the next day or the day after. i could wait; i always found something to amuse me in the meantime. my father was a marine--a man well known to fame, though not the celebrated "cheeks." he was known as sergeant junker. he had several small sons and daughters--young junkers--and when i was about twelve years of age, he was left an inconsolable widower by the untimely death of our inestimable mother. she was an excellent woman, and had brought us up, to the best of her ability, in a way to make us good and useful members of society. she was indeed a greater loss to us than to our poor father; for, as my elder brother simon observed, as he rubbed his eyes, moist with tears, with the back of his hand-"you see, jack, father can go and get another wife, as many do; but we can't get another mother like her that is gone, that we can't, nohow." no more thorough testimony could have been given to the virtues of our mother. she was a superior woman in many respects, and she was of a very respectable family, and had a nice little fortune of her own; but she had the common weakness of her sex, and fell in love with the handsome face of our honest, worthy father, ben junker the marine, at the time a private in that noble corps. she did not like his name, but she loved him, and overcame her prejudice. he could, at the period i speak of, scarcely read or write; but she set to work to educate him, and so far succeeded, that, being a very steady man, he rose in due course to be a sergeant. she had the ambition of hoping to see him obtain a commission; but he used to declare that, if he did, nothing would make him more unhappy, as he should feel exactly like a fish out of water. he was thus, at the time of which i am speaking, still a sergeant. our mother, in consequence of the income she enjoyed, was able to give her children a much better education than we should otherwise probably have obtained. at the time of her death, it would have been difficult to find in our rank of life a more happy, contented, and better-conducted family. our father, as i have said, was at first inconsolable; but he was of a happy, contented disposition, as it is very necessary that marines, as well as other people, should be--a disposition which i fortunately inherited from him. he took the rough with the smooth in life, as a matter of course. a favourite song of his, which he used to hum, was- "what's the use of sighing, while time is on the wing? oh! what's the use of crying? then merrily, merrily sing fa! la!" consequently, as simon said he knew he would, he began in a short time to look out for another wife; and, unhappily for us, fixed on a widow with a family. she was, however, a very amiable woman; in fact, her great fault was, that she was too amiable, too soft and yielding. she could not manage to rule her own family, and a most uproarious, mutinous set they were. from the time they came to the house there was no peace or quiet for anyone else. they, indeed, soon took to try and rule over us with a high hand. her girls used to come it over our girls, and her boys over our boys. brother simon, who was bigger and stronger than her eldest, more than once threatened that he would thrash them all round, if they had any more nonsense, and that invariably made our poor stepmother burst into tears, and plead so hard for her rebellious offspring, that the good, honest fellow had not the heart to put his threat into execution. at last some of us could stand it no longer. as simon was old enough, he went one day, without saying anything to anybody, and enlisted in the marines. bill, our second brother, got our father to apprentice him to a ship-carpenter; and, after no little trouble and coaxing, he promised to let me go on board a man-of-war. he did so, however, very unwillingly. "you don't know the sort of life that you will have to lead aboard ship, jack," he observed. "boys afloat are not the happy-go-lucky sort of chaps they seem on shore, let me tell you; but, to be sure, they have got discipline there, which is more than i can say there is to be found in a certain place that you know of." and my father uttered a deep sigh. we were walking, one evening after tea, up and down our bit of a garden, while he smoked his pipe. he was allowed to live out of barracks, and we had a small cottage a little way off. "i don't know, jack, but what i should not be sorry, if my company was ordered on service afloat," he observed, confidentially, after a minute's silence. "your new mother is a good woman--a very good woman; about her i made no mistake, though she is not equal, by a long chalk, to her that's gone; but oh! jack," and he sighed again, "i did not take into account those young cubs of hers. they will not rest till they have driven your sisters out of the house, as they have driven the boys; and then--and then--why, i suppose, they will drive me away too!" my poor father! i sighed at the thoughts of his domestic happiness being so completely destroyed, in consequence of the advice of king solomon not having been followed--the rod having been spared, and the children spoiled. the following day, my father being sent on duty to portsea, took me with him. soon after we landed, i met, just on the inner end of the common hard, an old friend of mine, dick lee, a waterman. "father," i said, "if dick will let me, i'll stop, and have a pull in his wherry. as i am going to sea, i should like to learn to row better than i now do." my father, glad to keep me out of harm's way, told me that, if dick wished it, i might remain with him. well pleased, i ran down the hard, and jumped into old dick's wherry. dick intended that i should sit in his boat, and just practise with the oars, but i had no notion of that sort; so, casting off the painter, i shoved away from the shore. i kept pulling up and down for some time, and round and round, till my arms ached; when, determining to take a longer voyage, i turned the boat's head out into the harbour. the tide was running out: i went on very swimmingly, i did not think of that. i had not, however, got very far, when i heard old dick's voice shouting to me-"come back, jack, come back, you young jackanapes!" dick was in a rage, no doubt about that. i pulled round, and in spite of all my efforts could make no headway. dick shouted, and swore, but to no purpose. i might have cracked my sinews with pulling, but still the boat would keep drifting down and down, running a great risk of getting athwart-hawse of some of the vessels moored a dozen yards below me. at last, dick did what he might as well have done at first--stepped into another boat with his mate, and came after me. he soon brought me back as a prize. his temper was in no way soothed, though i cried out, again and again, i could not help it. "jump ashore now, lad," he said, as we touched the hard. "next time you'll do what i tell you you may do. i never said you might go and run the chance of getting the boat stove in, and yourself drownded. i keeps my family in order, whatever other people may do." obeying old dick, i stood disconsolately on the hard, while he took his fare on board, and pulled away across to gosport, without deigning to waste another word on me. however, i soon recovered my spirits, and amused myself making an excursion over the huge logs of timber that occupy a considerable space in that nook of the harbour. i was running along on the more steady pieces of timber which formed the boundary of the pond, when i saw a boy in a boat, placed very much in the position from which i had just escaped. in vain he attempted to stem the tide. he was evidently not accustomed to a boat. he looked round, and saw that the boat was drifting towards the cable of a vessel moored off the hard. i shouted out to him to pull hard with his starboard oar; but, instead of so doing, he jumped up, and caught hold of the cable, across which the boat had just then come, letting go at the same time one of his oars, which fell overboard. he now clung to the chain, and the current swept the boat away from under his feet. "hold on! hold on, for your life!" i shouted out; but, instead of so doing, he let go, expecting to regain his boat. he tried to swim, but he was evidently a bad swimmer. i looked round. no boat was near. i saw there was every chance of his being drowned. i was a capital swimmer; so, hoping to save the lad, i plunged in, and followed him. just as i was taking the leap, i caught sight of old dick, coming across the harbour. i shouted at the very top of my voice, pointing to the place where the boy was floating away. this gave me some hopes that we should be picked up. i soon saw that i had miscalculated the distance, for the boy seemed a very, very long way off. i had very little hopes of helping him, and thought it very likely i should get drowned myself, when i saw a hawser, somewhat slack, stretched across the course down which the boy was drifting. "if he has got any sense, he will catch hold of it," i thought. how thankful i felt when i saw him grasp it! as i got near, he cried out-"help! help! i can hold on no longer!" "hold on, whatever you do?" i cried out. "oh dear! oh dear!" he shouted again, "what will become of the boat? what will become of the boat?" he was evidently getting somewhat stupid and confused. i redoubled my efforts, and grasping the hawser with one hand, caught hold of his jacket with the other, just as he was relaxing his grasp. "now, stupid!" i cried out, "just catch hold of this rope again, and hold on! you don't want to get drowned, do you?" "no, i don't; but you had no business to call me stupid," he exclaimed, in an indignant tone. "if you go and get drowned when there's no need of it, you are stupid," i answered; "but if you will hold on tight, till dick comes and takes us off, i will say something for you." my arguments had some effect, for hold on tight he did, i helping him by the collar of his jacket. i had enough to do, however, to keep him and myself afloat, as well as to hold on at the same time. it seemed to me that old dick was a long time coming. at last i shouted out. "ay, ay!" answered his well-known voice, and at last i saw the bow of his boat coming round from under the stern of a vessel above us. no one was on the decks of any of the vessels round us, which was the reason, i suppose, that we were allowed to hang on there so long by ourselves. "well, what mischief have you been after?" asked old dick, as he hauled the other boy and me afterwards out of the water. "well, you do look like two drownded rats?" "he has been after no mischief at all!" exclaimed the other boy, who, in spite of his recent alarm, had not lost his spirits. "he jumped into the water to save my life, and he has saved it; and i am sure my papa and mamma will not think it was any mischief, but will be ready to thank him very heartily, as i do." "and who are you, young gentleman?" asked old dick. "what business had you to be tumbling into the water?" he had begun to pull up the harbour, i should say, placing us in the stern sheets while he was asking these questions. "who am i? you want to know who i am?" said the young gentleman, who was employed in squeezing the wet out of his clothes; "i am richard alfred chesterton plumb," answered the boy, standing up and assuming an air of dignity; "and i did not tumble into the water, but my boat got away from me, and i tried to get after it; and that reminds me that she is floating down the harbour; and so, old gentleman, i will just trouble you to go in chace of her and try to bring her back." "ho! ho! ho!" exclaimed old dick; "some young bantams do crow loud. howsomdever, there is spirit in the lad, no doubt about that!" "well, old man," again asked the young gentleman, "are you going after my boat?" old dick did not deign an answer; but, looking away down the harbour, espied the boat, and, pulling round, made chase after her. we were soon up to her, and master richard, as he called himself, wanted to be put aboard again. "i can row about till i am dry," he observed. "what's the odds?" however, as there was only one oar remaining, this was an impossibility. "you will only go and get yourself drownded again," said the old man, "and catch your death of cold sitting in your wet things into the bargain. so you just come up to my missus, and she will give you a hot cup of tea and dry your duds, and then jack here and i will see you safe home to your friends." i have a notion that old dick was afraid the young master might forget all about the service which had been rendered him, and having an eye to the main chance, he was resolved that i should receive a reward--he himself hoping probably to obtain some remuneration also for his trouble. on our way back young master richard, who was in no way disconcerted, espied the missing oar, which had been caught in an eddy, and drifted in towards the shore. we got hold of it, and he now seemed perfectly happy. we both looked very foolish, i thought, as dripping wet we followed old dick up to his house. the old woman had our clothes very soon off us, and tumbled us both into their bed. the young gentleman whispered to me that it was not very nice, but i was in no way particular. "it will not do to be ungrateful. i would bear anything, rather than show i did not like it," he added, still whispering. he at last got rather impatient, and singing out, asked dick if he would go and buy him a new suit at selby's, the tailor's in high street. the old man laughed. "i've got no credit there, young gentleman," he answered. "maybe, too, your friends would not be quite pleased. your clothes will be dry enough in time; and, there now, the water's boiling, and you shall have a bowl of tea hot enough to take the skin off your mouths." the steaming liquid was soon brought to us, and after drinking it, master richard said he felt as warm and comfortable as he had ever done in his life. he was only anxious to be off. at length, however, the warmth and closeness of the room sent us both off into a sound sleep. we were awoke by old dick's voice. "well, lads," he said, "are you ready to put on your clothes, and come along to young master's friends? i have seen your father, jack. he knows all about them, and says it is all right. he tells me, jack," he whispered, "they're no end of grand people, so i hope you have stepped into the right boat this time." i could not exactly understand the meaning of my old friend's remarks, but i saw that he was well pleased. old mrs. lee pressed some more tea and bread and butter on us, and had a sausage frying in the pan. i was not sorry to get it; but, after taking a few mouthfuls, the young gentleman said he was very grateful, but that he had had enough, and that he expected to find dinner when he got home. "i could not have eaten another mouthful, even if the old woman had threatened to throw me into the frying-pan," he observed, as we left the house, "but i did not like to hurt her feelings." i had eaten up the remainder of the sausage, so i benefited by master richard's delicacy of stomach. chapter two. my first start. we crossed the water to gosport, and took our way along the road which led past the small row in which we lived. i inquired on my way of old dick, if he knew who the young gentleman's father was. "they say he's a nabob," answered old dick, "but what a nabob is, i'm sure i don't know, except that he's a yellow-faced gentleman, with lots of money, and always complaining of his liver." having received this lucid explanation to my question, i rejoined my young companion. i thought i might learn more about the matter from him. "they say your father is a nabob; is he?" i asked. "a nabob? no," he answered. "he is a great deal more important person--he is a brigadier; at least he was in india, and mamma always speaks of him as the brigadier, and people always talk of her as mrs. brigadier." "then i suppose you are the young brigadier?" i said, very naturally. "no, indeed, i am not," he answered. "but there is the house. and, i say, i am very much obliged to you, remember, for what you have done for me. i see you are up to joking; but let me advise you not to come any of your jokes over my father, or mamma either. indeed, you had better rather try it with him than with her. you would think twice before you ever made the attempt again." passing through an iron gateway, we proceeded up to the house, which was some little way from the road. it was low, with a broad verandah round it, and i found was known as chuttawunga bungalow. i saw the name on the side-post of the gateway. a tall, dark-skinned man, dressed in white, a broad-rimmed cap on his head, came to the door. he seemed rather doubtful as to admitting old dick and me. "here, chetta, let us in at once!" exclaimed the young gentleman in an authoritative tone. "these are my friends. they have rendered me an essential service. the boy saved my life when i was drowning, and the old man pulled us both out of the water, when we could not hold on much longer. where is my papa? and, i say, chetta, do not go and tell mrs. brigadier just yet. i would rather have the matter over with one of them first." i felt rather awe-struck at having to go into the presence of so great a man, for i had pictured him as a tall, ferocious-looking personage, with a huge moustache and a military air and manner. great was my astonishment when i saw, seated in an arm-chair, cross-legged, with one foot resting on a foot-stool, a small man with yellow hair, thin cheeks, and habited in a silk dressing-gown and nankeen trousers. "why, richard alfred chesterton!" he exclaimed in a sharp, querulous tone, "where have you been all this time? it is as well your mother had to go out, or she would have been thrown into a state of great alarm; and something else, i suspect, too," he said, in a lower tone. "well, papa," answered richard, when the brigadier had ceased speaking, "you would not address me harshly, if you knew how very nearly you were having the misery of losing me altogether. it is a long story, so i will not now enter into details. it will be sufficient for you to know that i was in a boat, and that out of that boat i fell into the dangerous current of the harbour; and had it not been for the bravery and gallantry of this young lad whom i have brought with me, i should have been at this moment food for the fish in the solent sea, or a fit subject for a coroner's inquest, had my body been discovered." the brigadier opened his grey eyes wider and wider, as the boy continued speaking. "and, papa, we must not forget this old boatman, too, who pulled the boy and me--what's your name? ay; jack junker--out of the water." thus master dicky ran on. "well, my boy, i am thankful to see you safe, and i wish to express my gratitude to the brave lad, jack junker, who saved your life, and to the old man who pulled you out of the water. my friends, i must consult mrs. brigadier plumb, how i can best show you my gratitude. i always do consult her on all important matters. till then i hope you will remain in this house. i am too great an invalid to talk much to you, but my son will do his best to make amends for my deficiencies." on this master richard went up and whispered something in his father's ear. "will one or two do?" i heard the brigadier ask. "no, no, father, do it handsomely. to be sure, he ran no risk, but it was the way he did it; and i rather think he looks for some remuneration." on this the brigadier shuffled off his chair, and opening his writing-desk, took out a bank note. "here, my friend," he said to old dick, "i should like to pay you for the loss of time, and the expense you have been put to, for this youngster, so accept these few pounds. i hope to show my sense of what you have done, more heartily by-and-by." i saw old dick's eyes sparkle. he had probably expected a sovereign at the outside. "jack," he whispered to me, as we left the room, "you are in luck; for, if he pays me five pounds for just picking that young shrimp out of the water, he will certainly do a good deal more for you who saved his life." master richard soon overtook us, and then insisted on showing us over the house--into the drawing-room, and dining-room, and breakfast-parlour, and into several of the bedrooms, then down into the servants' hall. i had never been in such a fine house in my life before. and then he took us out into the garden, and walked us all round, showing us the fruit-trees in blossom, and the beautiful flowers. "my mamma will be home soon," he observed, "and my two sisters. i want her to see the brigadier first, because, you see, although it was a very fine thing in you to pick me out of the water, i had no business to tumble into it, or, indeed, to be in a boat at all. the brigadier did not see that, but she will. she keeps us all precious strict, i can tell you. i have several brothers--the eldest is in the army, and two are away at school. i have not quite settled what i am going to be. i should not object to go into the navy, but then i should like to be made an admiral or a post-captain at once. i have no particular taste for the army, and as for the law, or several other things, i would as soon dig potatoes, or go shrimping; and thus, you see, the navy is the only profession likely to suit me, or i am likely to suit." old dick cocked his eye, as he heard young master's remarks. "i rather think he must be changed a bit before he is suited to the navy, however much he may think the navy will suit him; and there i have an idea he will be pretty considerably mistaken," he whispered to me. the young gentleman had evidently caught the habit of a pompous style of speaking from mrs. brigadier, as i afterwards discovered. it sounded somewhat ridiculous, especially from the mouth of so small a chap. i had reason to suspect that he now and then, too, made curious mistakes; though of course, not very well able to detect them myself. at last an open carriage drove up to the door, with a curly-wigged coachman on the box, and two dark-skinned servants standing behind, dressed like the one who had opened the door. inside was a very tall lady, sitting bolt upright, with two considerably smaller young ladies opposite to her. young master told old dick and me not to make any noise, lest she should see us, as we were watching their arrival through the shrubbery. she got out with a dignified air, resting on one of the black servants, and strode into the house. the two young ladies followed demurely in her wake. she was exactly what i should have expected the brigadier to be, only she wore petticoats, and a bonnet instead of a cocked hat. in a short time the servant appeared, and summoned young master into the house. he quickly appeared, and beckoned us from a window to come in. i did not see the meeting of the mother and son, but i know when i entered she stretched out her arms, and gave me a kiss on the brow. "you have rendered me an essential service, young lad," she exclaimed, in a voice well calculated to hail the maintop in a gale at sea, or to shout "advance!" at the head of a regiment in action. "i wish to show my gratitude, but how can i do so?" "and you--" and she looked towards old dick, who drew back; and i really heard him say-"oh, don't!" he thought she was going to salute him as she had me. "you took them into your boat; you preserved them from catching cold: i am grateful--very grateful!" and i saw her fumble in the deep recesses of a side-pocket. "my dear," whispered the brigadier, "i have already bestowed a pecuniary recompense." "you have!" she said turning round sharply, "without consulting me?" this was said in an intended low voice, but i heard it. "well," she said, "money cannot repay you for the service you have performed. but you have found your way to this house. come again to-morrow, and by that time i will have considered how i can best show my gratitude." "thank you, marm!" answered old dick, evidently very glad to get away. "shall i take jack with me? he lives over on this side, and i can drop him at his home as i go back to gosport." "if you so think fit, my friend," answered mrs. brigadier; "and if the boy--by-the-by, what is your name?" she asked. "jack junker," i replied; and i told her that my father was a sergeant. "jack junker? yes, if you wish to go, jack," she answered. "i also then shall have time to consider how i can best express my gratitude. farewell?" she put out her hand, and shook old dick's; but i thought, as she spoke to me, her manner was considerably colder than it had been at first. old dick and i left the room, and the door was closed behind us. "i doubt her," whispered old dick to me. "i am glad the old gentleman, however, gave me the five pounds. it was handsome in him. but jack, my boy, i suspect you will have to rest satisfied with having saved the life of a fellow-creature; though, as you were the means of my gaining this, i think i must hand over half to you, as your share." to this, of course, i would not consent; and somewhat disappointed, perhaps, i accompanied my old friend through the hall, having the honour of being salaamed to most profoundly by the dark-skinned domestics. we walked slowly, and had not got very far, when i heard footsteps coming behind us. turning round, i saw master richard running with all his might. "here, jack?" he said, "the brigadier gave me this, and told me to hand it over to you. my mother was out of the room at the time, so do not say anything about it to her. she will show you her gratitude in some other way. i do not mean to say it is as much as i should like to have offered you; but here, be quick i put it into your pocket, or we may be seen from the house." "don't be a fool, jack!" said old dick, seeing i hesitated. "it's justly yours, boy, and let them settle the matter as they think best." "good-bye, jack!" said young master, shaking me by the hand. "good-bye!" he added, taking old dick's rough paw. "we are a curious set; but i say, do not refuse anything you can get. if you want any interest exerted, then boldly ask my mother. she will do that in a way which overcomes all difficulties. if she wanted to make me archbishop of canterbury, she would work away till she had done it, if she happened to live long enough." old dick dropped me at my home. there was a tremendous noise going on, created by my stepmother's children. she was crying out and imploring them to be quiet, and they were squabbling and crying and abusing each other. the big ones had appropriated the little ones' toys, or other property, and all the poor woman could do they would not restore the articles, while the young ones were crying to get them back, every now and then making a rush at their bigger brothers and sisters, and getting a box on the ear in return. my appearance rather increased than quelled the commotion. tommy, the biggest, asked me in a threatening way where i had been, and of course i was not going to answer him; so he doubled his fist, and, had i not stood on my guard, he would certainly have hit me, but he thought better of it. just at that moment my father returned off duty, full of my performances, of which old dick had told him all particulars. he was very indignant with tom. "is this the way, you young ruffian, you treat a brave lad who has been saving the life of a fellow-creature, and that fellow-creature the son of a brigadier? do you know what a brigadier is, you young jackanapes, eh?" he exclaimed, giving way for once to anger, of which he was very seldom guilty. his remarks silenced all the party, who, of course, were then eager enough to learn what i had done and what had happened. my poor stepmother embraced me warmly, and tears fell from her eyes as she glanced round on her own disorderly offspring. for the rest of the evening they behaved better. my father was well pleased on hearing of the brigadier's gift, for the purse contained ten sovereigns. "it's very liberal," he said; "for though i suppose he thinks his son's life worth more than that, yet, from what you tell me, no doubt it is as much as he dared to give; yet i can tell you, from what i have heard, that that shrivelled-up yellow-faced old fellow was as plucky an officer as ever saw service." my father would not let me go back to the bungalow. "you have done your duty, jack, and you have received a present, which you must lay by for a rainy day; and if the brigadier's lady wants to show her maternal gratitude, it's her business to find you out." i thought probably that young master would take care to see something more of me. i liked his manner; for although there was a good deal of seeming bombast and pretension about him, i had an idea he was sterling at bottom--a plucky little chap, just as his father had been. this circumstance had in no way put aside my wish to go to sea. i kept talking about it whenever i had an opportunity. "i see how it is," sighed my father; "you are right, jack. the way tom stood up to you just now showed me that your old home is not as pleasant as it should be." "then you will let me go, will you not, father?" i said. the fact was, it was a very different thing for him to talk about letting me go, and to ship me off. he hummed and hesitated, and said he thought i had better wait till i was a year older, or till he himself was sent to sea. "oh, but that may not be for a long time, father; and what should i do with myself till then?" i exclaimed. "i am not quite so sure that it will be a long time, jack," he answered, with a sigh. "once upon a time my only wish was to remain on shore, but times are changed. i don't want to say a word against my present wife. she is a good woman; an excellent woman; but somehow or other she does not manage to keep the house as quiet as it might be; and those children of hers are terribly unlicked cubs." i agreed with him there. "they want to be under the management of mrs. brigadier for a few months," i observed; "i rather think that she would not be long in bringing them into order." "you are right, jack. but i have seen her, and with all her perfections, i would not swop my present wife with her on any account." my father gave a shudder. "well, jack," he said, "there's an old friend of mine--sergeant turbot--whose company has been appointed to the _roarer_, fitting out for the east india station, alongside the topaze sheer hulk." "well, father," i said, "though i should like to go with you, yet i fancy that `a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush;' and, if you will let me, i'll go with sergeant turbot. he will look after me and keep me out of mischief, and stand my friend, if i want one. i should not like to lose the opportunity." "well, well, i see how it is, home is too hot for you," sighed my poor father. "to-morrow morning, please heaven! i will take you on board, and see what turbot has to say to the matter. if he's agreeable, why there won't be much difficulty in getting you rated as one of the boys aboard." my father was as good as his word, and at an early hour the next morning we embarked in a wherry, and pulled alongside the _roarer_. when i got on board, and while standing with my father waiting for sergeant turbot, who was on duty, it seemed to me as if every man and boy in the ship had gone stark staring mad, rushing and rolling about, tumbling over each other, shouting and bawling at the top of their voices. presently i heard a ferocious-looking hairy monster of a man growl out, in a voice loud enough to wake a dozen midshipmen, however fast asleep they might have been, "up all steerage hammocks?" the shrill sound of his whistle piercing through my head. i had been on board men-of-war before when there was no duty going on, and all was quiet and in order. if i had not had hold of my father's hand, i think i should have gone down the side again into the wherry. in reality, however, it was only ned rawlings performing an ordinary piece of morning duty--as gentle and tender-hearted a fellow as ever stepped, in spite of his gruff voice and hairy face, and the "cat" he had sometimes to wield. i have a notion, that every time he laid on that cat, he felt it as acutely as the culprit on whom it was deservedly inflicted. i still felt something like a fish in a tub, trying to escape the dangers i supposed surrounded me, when sergeant turbot came along the main deck. he laughed heartily, till his fat sides shook again, when he saw my affrighted countenance, and my father told him i could not make out the cause of all the uproar. "why, the men are pretty quiet," he observed; "they're pretty much like this at all times, except when they're sleeping, or at mess, or at quarters." my father told him our object. "that i will, junker," he observed at once. "i am sure you would look after a boy of mine if i had one, and i will look after yours. i cannot teach him much seamanship, but i'll give a hint to those who can, and i'll look after him, and see that he gets into no mischief, as long as i am in the ship. we are going out to a somewhat trying climate though, and men of my figure are apt to suffer, i am told." he cast a momentary glance over himself. it was fortunate for sergeant turbot that he was a marine, and still more that he had not to go aloft. on board ship he could do his duty admirably, but on shore his figure was decidedly against him. he was very stout. it was lucky for me that he was so, for i could always find him when i wanted him. at first, i thought that i could run away from him, if desirable; but in that respect i was mistaken, for he could send after me, and have me back pretty quickly. all being arranged, the sergeant undertook to speak to the first-lieutenant; and he had me and my father up, and asking him a few questions, told him to fill up different papers, which he did forthwith, and i was regularly entered as a boy on board the _roarer_. chapter three. life on the roarer. i went back with my father, and the remainder of the day was spent by my stepmother in getting my outfit ready. it was an unusually good one, in consequence of the brigadier's gift. "i don't expect to hear much more about that," observed my father. "there is a good deal of talk about those sort of people; though, to be sure, the old man and the young one have some feeling; still i don't see what good they could do you, jack, even if they wished it. i should not wish you put above your station; though, to be sure, your poor dear mother was a lady herself, that she was, every inch of her, and too good for me. however, jack, there's one thing i have got to counsel you: do your duty, tell the truth, and never mind the sneers or laughter of those who try to lead you astray. there is one in heaven who will hear your prayers, and don't you go and forget to tell him your wants, and ask him to do what is best for you. and now, my boy, you have my blessing; and i am sure, that good mother of yours--she who's gone i mean--will be looking down from wherever she is, and watching over you, and praying for you, if so be she has the power; but of that matter, i must own, i have no certain knowledge, only i do think it's the work she would like to be employed in, anyhow." the next morning i took an affectionate farewell of my brothers and sisters, and very far from an affectionate one of the children of my poor stepmother. she herself, however, wept bitterly, as i went out of the house; my father, and a marine he had got from the barracks, carrying my chest. it was not a very big one, as may be supposed. we had got some distance from the house, when who should i see, scampering after us, and well out of breath, than the young master richard. "oh, jack!" he exclaimed, "where are you going? i wanted to come yesterday, but could not, because my mother took me to see the port-admiral, and all sorts of other naval authorities. i wanted, as i told you, to go to sea, and she seems to think it's a very good place for me to go to. she says that as i have been so nearly drowned once, i am not likely to be drowned again; that it's much less expensive than being in the dragoons, and, in fact, she made up her mind that to sea i was to go. somehow or other she and the naval big-wigs have settled it, and i am to go on board the old _roarer_, which is to sail, in a short time, for the east indies." "that's the very ship i have joined," i answered. "is it? how jolly! but are you to be a midshipman?" "no," i answered, "i am only rated as a boy on board." "oh! i suppose there is no great difference. i do not know much about a ship, or the ways of a ship. i am to have a fine new uniform, and a dirk, and a chest full of no end of things. well, we shall know more about it by-and-by; but i was forgetting what i came for. i wanted you to come up to the house. my father wants to talk to you, and my sisters want to see you; to make much of you, i fancy, but that might be a bore. but, i say, let those two soldiers take your chest aboard, and present your compliments to the captain, and say you will come by-and-by." my father and his companion, on hearing this, burst out laughing. "i have a notion, young master," said my father, "that that would not do for jack. much obliged to you all the same; but you are likely to be in one station, and he in another, so i am afraid the kindness you intend him will not do him any good. i promised to take him on board the _roarer_ this morning, and i shall have to go on duty again very soon; so once more i have to thank you, and wish you good morning!" master plumb seemed rather astonished at this answer. "rather a proud chap that soldier," he said to me. "i should have taken him for an officer, if he had not been carrying the box. who is it?" "my father," i answered. "oh, that's it," he observed. "well, jack, i wish you could come, but if you cannot, i must take your excuses; though i am sure the captain would not be angry, if you sent him a polite message." "my father knows better than i do," i answered; "and i have not seen the captain, so i must go. i am very sorry, for i should like to have come with you." master richard wrung my hand very warmly, and most unwillingly went back towards his home. how sergeant turbot did laugh when we got on board, and my father told him what had happened. he advised me not to give master richard's message. my father, having left me under charge of the sergeant, took his departure. he came on board, however, several times in old dick's wherry. "i don't ask you to come home, my boy," he said, "for i have not got the heart to go through that parting business again. besides, jack, the home is not as comfortable as it should be. perhaps, however, when you come back, four or five years hence, things will have mended. and you will not forget your father, jack, and i'm sure you won't her that's gone." these remarks were made the last time i saw my worthy father before the ship went out of harbour. i, in time, got accustomed to the ways of a ship, or, rather, to the ways of the men. it was rather curious, at first, to see a number of big fellows standing round a tub or basin, all washing themselves in the same water; one toothbrush, if they were particular enough to have such a thing, and one comb, serving for the whole party. only a few, however, of the cleanest men used the former article. still, things were somewhat trying to a young chap. when the ship appeared to have got a little quiet, suddenly, as i was seated near sergeant turbot, i heard a sharp whistle and a ferocious growl, which made me jump off the bench. "all hands on deck?" or some such cry, were the words which followed the whistle. "who is that growling out?" i asked of the sergeant. "that is one of our licensed growlers," was the answer. "it's his business to growl; he is paid for it. seamen are fond enough of growling generally, but they get nothing when they do, though they growl till they are hoarse." now, as i said, i had been aboard all sorts of ships in ordinary, or in the dockyard, but never before on board one fitting-out. when, therefore, i stepped on deck after the men, i was perfectly confounded; and the scene of confusion around me--such piping, and swearing, and bawling, and shouting, swaying up yards, getting in guns and stores, and pulling and hauling in all directions. still, i made the best of it; and, having my eyes about me, kept out of harm's way, and stood ready to try and do anything i was told to do. this went on till the men knocked off work again, and the hubbub was concentrated on the main and lower decks, especially round the galley-fire, where the cooks were busy serving out dinners to the different messes. "it smells fine, at all events," i thought to myself, and would have made me hungry, if i had not been so already. then a marine struck a bell four times double, which made eight bells, and the officer of the watch roared out, "pipe to dinner!" didn't the whistle of the boatswain and his men sound shrilly then! the dishes being arranged on the mess-tables, which were placed in rows along the decks, all hands fell to with a will; and i, among the number, ate my first dinner aboard ship. in about an hour there was another pipe, and the word "grog!" was bawled out. each man went to receive his quantum of rum and water. the sergeant said that rum was a bad thing for little boys, and drank mine for me. i now think that he was right. i had as yet seen nothing of master plumb, and i began to think that he was not coming after all. this did not concern me, i own, very much; for, as he would be at one end of the ship and i at the other, we should not exchange words very often, and i knew pretty well, from what i had already seen, that he would soon get into the ways of his messmates, and look down upon me, and swear and abuse me, as some of the other young gentlemen were apt to do. at last all stores were on board, the sails were bent, and, casting off from the old hulk, we hauled out into the stream. the _roarer_ certainly looked to greater advantage than she had hitherto done. the next day decks were cleared, the men put on clean shirts and trousers, the officers appeared in full fig, and the long-expected captain came up the side. "butter won't melt in his mouth," i heard one of the seamen near me observe. "you think so?" remarked ned rawlings. "now do you just get near, and have a look at his eye, and you will sing a different song. it's not always the rough-and-ready looking chaps, like you and i, tom, as are the best men for work!" our captain certainly did look more fit for a ball-room, or a naval officer in love on the stage, than for the deck of a man-of-war. he was the most polished article about his whole ship. his whiskers were curled; his cheeks were pink; the gold lace on his coat shone with undimmed lustre, not a particle of dust rested on the fine cloth of which it was made, while it fitted with perfection to his well-formed figure. kid gloves covered his hands, and a fine cambric handkerchief appeared from his breast-pocket. he bowed to the flag, and he bowed to the officers, as he cast a scrutinising glance round the deck. some of the older officers pulled rather long faces when they saw him. in a short time, he ordered all hands to come aft, and then, in a clear, somewhat soft voice, made a long speech. the sum total of it was, that he was determined to have a crack ship, and a crack crew, and that he did not like to use the lash, but that he did not always do what he liked; still, that he always would have done what he wanted done. the men could not quite make him out, nor could i; but i came to the conclusion, that he was not just the sort of man to whom i should like to carry such a message as master plumb had requested me to give. next day we went out to spithead. no signs of my friend. i told sergeant turbot that i thought master richard plumb would not come after all. "perhaps not," he answered; "mrs. brigadier does not like to part from him, or maybe they are washing and combing him, and making him fit to come aboard, which i suppose occupied the time of a certain person who should be nameless, and prevented him joining us till yesterday. maybe, young master has thought better of the matter, and would rather go for a parson, or one of those chaps as goes to foreign courts to bamboozle the people." i, at all events, made up my mind that i should see no more of master richard. however, scarcely had i come to this conclusion, than a large wherry came alongside, and a card was sent up for the captain. "certainly," he answered. the boatswain's mate whistled; the side boys were called away, i being one of them, and we hastened to our posts on the accommodation-ladder. there, in a boat, sat mrs. brigadier, with the brigadier on one side and master richard on the other, and the two young ladies i had before seen. mrs. brigadier, putting her hand on the shoulder of one of the men who was holding on the bow stepped up the accommodation-ladder with a dignified air, followed humbly by the brigadier. then came the young ladies. young master followed his sisters in a spick-and-span new uniform, looking especially well pleased at himself. as he came up he espied me. that there was no pride in him, he showed by an inclination to shake hands with me. but against this there were two reasons: first, i should have fallen from my perch, and then it would have been decidedly against nautical etiquette. "why, jack, shall i have to do this sort of work?" he asked, as he passed me. "i think not, sir," i answered, for i had learned to say "sir" to a uniform. "i am a side boy, you are a midshipman." "oh, ay, that makes a difference," he observed, following up his sisters; and i do believe he gave the last a pinch in the ankles, as he pretended to keep down her petticoats, for she kicked out behind, missing his nose, though, narrowly. the whole party were soon on deck, where the captain stood to receive them, bowing with formal politeness to mrs. brigadier and to the brigadier, as well as to the young ladies. he cast a very different sort of glance at young master, who came up, no way disconcerted, by the side of his father. "we were anxious to see the last of our boy," said mrs. brigadier, for the brigadier seldom spoke much in her presence. "we wished also properly to introduce him to you and to his brother officers. he is not our only son, but he is our youngest son, and as such we naturally prize him greatly. these are our two girls--leonora and euphemia. they are not likely to leave us, unless at any time they should be destined to make the home of some worthy man happy; but boys, captain sharpe, must go out into the world, and richard alfred chesterton does not find himself an exception to the general rule. he desired to enter your noble profession, and i am sure, captain sharpe, that you will watch over him with paternal care; i trust by-and-by because you appreciate his merits, but at present, as he is unknown to you, for my sake--for the sake of a fond, doting mother." "i always do look after my midshipmen, madam," answered the captain; "i wish them to learn their duty, and i make them do it. if your son behaves himself, he will get on as well as the rest; but if not, he will probably find himself spending a considerable portion of his time up aloft there," and the captain glanced at the mast-head. i saw young master screw up his mouth at this. however, mrs. brigadier said nothing. she had unburdened her maternal bosom, and done her duty, as she considered it. the captain now invited the brigadier and his family down to luncheon, and master richard followed, his air of confidence somewhat abated. he had taken the captain's measure, and the captain had taken his, but they were not likely to get on the worse for that. i saw many glances of admiration cast at the young ladies by the lieutenants and midshipmen, for really they were very pretty, nice girls, according to my notion-not a bit like their mamma. at last the party came out of the cabin again, and the side boys were once more called away. the old brigadier took a hearty affectionate farewell of his boy, and his sisters kissed him--all very right and proper--and then came mrs. brigadier. i saw that poor master richard was rather uncomfortable, when, quite regardless of where they were, she took him up in her long arms, and kissed his cheeks, and his forehead, and his lips, just as if he had been a baby, and a big tear did start into her eye. "well, she is human, at all events," i thought, "in spite of her appearance." though some of the midshipmen might have laughed, the captain looked as grave as a judge, and so did the other officers. master richard went down the ladder, and saw his party off: then he again came up the side, and walked about the deck by himself, evidently not knowing exactly what to do. at last, the first-lieutenant, mr. blunt, went up to him. "have you ever been to sea before, mr. plumb?" he asked. "no, indeed, i have not," was the answer, "and i am rather doubtful--" "well, well," broke in mr. blunt, "remember, i speak to you as a friend. you should say, `sir!' when you address a superior officer." "certainly," answered master dicky, "but i did not know you were my superior officer." the lieutenant laughed. "you will have a good deal to learn, i suspect, mr. plumb. remember, i am the first-lieutenant of the ship, and you must obey with promptitude any orders which i, or any of the other lieutenants give, or the master, or the warrant-officers, or, indeed, any officers on duty, may issue. you have a great many people above you on board this ship, mr. plumb." "so it seems, sir," said richard, "but if they all try to teach me my duty, so much the better; i shall learn the faster." "you will," said mr. blunt, "only there is one thing you must never pretend to be, and that is--stupid. the captain believes you to be one of the sharpest lads who ever came to sea; and, let me tell you, he is not the man to allow anybody to gainsay his opinion." chapter four. first experiences of sailing. we ran down channel at a rattling rate, the wind off shore, the sea smooth, the sun shining brightly. young master richard soon got the name from his messmates of dicky plumb--a name which, of course, stuck to him. in spite of his airs of dignity, he soon showed that he was a plucky little fellow; and he was at once for going aloft with the other midshipmen and boys. the first time, he ran up the main rigging pretty smartly, till he got to the futtock-shrouds; go higher he could not, and go through the lubber's hole he would not. he kept looking up, till at length he determined to go round by the futtock-shrouds into the top. he clambered along; i was aft, cleaning some brass-work, and could not help looking up, and watching him. round into the top he could not get. more than once i thought he would lose his hold. the captain, who came on deck, thought so too. he made as if he would go aloft himself, when ned rawlings caught his eye. "go and look after the boy," he said. ned sprang aloft, and in a twinkling had his arms round dicky's waist. "don't struggle," he said, "and i'll have you down safe." in a few seconds, dicky was all right on the deck. he was not contented, however; aloft he would go again, immediately. "i will try once more, sir," he said, turning to the captain--for he had learned to say "sir," by this time, to everybody--and after three or four attempts--ned rawlings taking care to be in the top beforehand-round the shrouds he got, and safe into the top. he was not going to stop there, though; and up the top-mast rigging he went, and down again on the other side. "if that boy does not break his neck, he will do well in the service," i heard the captain observe. "the little fellow has got pluck and coolness." "they say in the berth, sir, that he is a most impudent little chap," observed mr. blunt. "very likely," remarked the captain; "it takes some time to rub that sort of material out of a boy." dicky often came forward to have a talk with me, and though he could be uppish enough with his equals and superiors, he was as kind and gentle to me as any one could be. "i am very glad i came to sea, jack," he observed. "i am learning more about my work every day; and then the weather is so different to what i thought it was at sea. i always fancied we were tumbling and tossing about, except when the ship was in harbour; but here we have been gliding on for the last fortnight with the water as smooth as a mill-pond." i, in reply, said i was glad i came; but from what i heard, we must expect ups and downs at sea--sometimes smooth, and sometimes blowing hard. "it is all the same to me," i observed. "when i came to sea, i made up my mind to take the rough and the smooth together." "jack, were you ever sea-sick?" asked dicky. "not that i remember. were you?" "no; and i don't intend to be," he answered, drawing himself up somewhat proudly. "i am not going to be made the sport of my inside." "more likely of your messmates," i answered. we soon found, however, that this easy sort of life was not going to last for ever. one night we had to tumble out of our hammocks, in the middle watch, pretty fast, at the cry of--"all hands shorten sail!" the men were out of bed in a twinkling. it was wonderful how soon they slipped into their clothes. the sea was roaring, the wind howling and whistling, and the officers shouting--"clew up! haul down! close reef topsails!" and similar cries. i was very glad not to have to go aloft just then, right up into the darkness, amid the slashing of ropes, and the flapping of sails, and the fierce whistling of the blast as it rushed through the rigging. so, i have an idea, was dicky plumb, though he had been boasting so boldly the previous afternoon. i remember being ordered aft with other boys, to man the mizen-topsail clew-line, which we did, and pulled, and hauled away, till we were ordered to belay. this is the only piece of service i recollect rendering to my country that night. when the ship was got under snug sail, the crew were piped down; and i, with the watch below, turned in. i was, however, by this time, feeling rather curious. i had hitherto been very well, and remarkably jolly; and was sure i was going to make a first-rate sailor. the ship, however, began to roll, and went on rolling more and more. not only i, but most of the other boys, and many of the men, too, were looking very queer. i had a friend i have not mentioned before--tommy punchon by name--a fine little chap. he had never seen a ship before he came on board the _roarer_; but he had read of ships, and foreign lands, and that made him come to sea, he told me. now he had heard there was such a thing as sea-sickness, but he was not going to knock under to it--not he. i met tommy coming along the lower deck (i am speaking now of the next morning), looking very green and yellow; indeed, all sorts of colours; perhaps i looked the same, i rather think i did. i asked him how he felt. "very jolly, eh?" "oh, don't! don't!" he answered, with the corners of his mouth curling down. "it's an awful reality; i must confess it." just then, i caught sight of dicky plumb, who had been sent along the deck on some duty, which he had evidently a difficulty in performing. i doubt if his mother would have owned him, so crest-fallen he looked. i dared not speak to him. he, indeed, cast an imploring look at me, as much as to say, "don't!" on he went, trying to reach the midshipmen's berth, but overcome by his feelings--miserable i know they were, from experience-he stopped, and if sergeant turbot had not caught him in his arms, he would have sunk down on the deck. the sergeant, however, helped him along, till he got him stowed safely away in the berth, where there were probably several other young gentlemen in a like prostrate condition. meantime, i grew worse and worse. tommy and i were soon joined by other boys--a most miserable crew--and we all together went and stowed ourselves away in the fore part of the ship, thinking that no one would be troubled about such wretched creatures as we were. my grand idea was a hope that some one would come and throw me overboard. we lay thus for some time unnoticed, and began to hope that we should not be discovered. still, i must say, i did not care what happened to us. i asked tommy how he felt. "oh, jack! jack?" he groaned out, "do take me by the head and heels, and heave me overboard, there's a good fellow!" "that's just what i was going to ask you to do for me," i answered, in the same dolorous tone, though i have an idea, that if any one had actually taken us at our word, the cold water would soon have restored us to health, and we should have wished ourselves on board again. suddenly, we were all aroused by a gruff voice sounding in our ears, and, looking up, who should we see, but that hard-hearted individual, bryan knowles, the ship's corporal, standing over us, cane in hand. "what are all you boys idling here for?" he growled out. "rouse up, every one of you; rouse up, you young villains, and go to your duty?" poor little wretches that we were; as if we could possibly do anything but just crawl from one place to another, and lie down, wishing to die. but it was not only the boys who were ill, but great hulking fellows, some seamen, but mostly marines; fully fifty of them, lying and rolling about the decks like logs of wood. i need not further describe the scene, or enter into too minute particulars. at length, old futtock, the boatswain--a friend of sergeant turbot's-gave me leave to go and lie down in his cabin till i should get better. the very feeling that i had some one to care for me did me good. in most ships there is a dirty jem; we had one, a miserable fellow, with a skin which no amount of washing could cleanse. now it happened that a party of tall marines had stolen down the fore cock-pit, and having found their way into the cable tier, had snugly stowed themselves on some spare sails and hawsers. there they lay, groaning and moaning, and making other noises significant of what was going on, when mr. maconochie, a big, burly scotchman, mate of the orlop deck, coming forward, heard them, and very soon began to peer about with his large goggle eyes into the recesses of the tier. i dreaded the consequences, as, slipping out of the cabin where i had been, i looked out to see what he was about. "what are you sodgers doing there?" he roared out, in a furious passion at seeing what they had been about. one of them, with a wicked leer, at once pointed to dirty jem, who lay fast asleep not far off. now, whether mr. maconochie thought he could not punish the marines, and was glad to get hold of some other individual on whom to vent his rage, i do not know; but, be that as it may, he roused up the poor boy, and having boxed his ears, ordered him to take one of the steerage, that is, a midshipman's hammock--which had been left by the marine who ought to have lashed it up--and to carry it up and stow it in the poop nettings. poor jem poked his fingers into one of the turns, and began to drag the big hammock along, but so weak was he that he could scarcely move. i do not think he could ever have got up, even to the lower deck. fortunately for dirty jem, mr. blunt, who would allow no one but himself to bully, and that he never did, happened to come down, and inquiring why he was dragging the hammock, ordered him to put it down, and hauled mr. maconochie pretty severely over the coals for his barbarity. the marines had meantime sneaked off, and thus escaped the mate's rage. i had got nearly well by this time, and thought, as the ship was still tumbling about, that i was going to enjoy myself. the captain, however, having ascertained that we had got our sea legs and sea stomachs into order, ordered the ship's corporal to turn us out of our hammocks at four o'clock next morning to muster at the lee gangway. we there had to answer to our number, and then came the pipe-"watch and idlers, holystone decks?" we were sent on to the poop, and were employed for some time amidst the slashing and dashing of water, working away on our bare knees on the sanded decks, grinding them with the holystones. then we had to scrub with hard brushes, while the captain of the mizen-top kept dashing buckets full of water round us, often sending one right into our faces. there were generally one or two of the midshipmen there, who had to paddle about, with their trousers tucked up and their feet and legs bare; however, as the first-lieutenant set them the example, they had no cause to complain. for a whole day i had seen nothing of dicky plumb. at length, one morning, who should appear on deck but the young gentleman himself. he looked doubtingly at first at what was going forward, then off he slipped his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers, and began like the others running here and there, seeing that all hands worked away with a will. we had to muster for numerous purposes--to see that we were clean, and that our hammocks were lashed up properly. the latter was severe work; for, the hammocks being heavy and we little, when the ship was rolling it was as much as we could do, and sometimes more than we could do, to hold on to them, and keep ourselves from rolling away across the deck. poor jem (dirty jem, i mean) was often in trouble. the lieutenant made us tuck up our shirt-sleeves and trousers, and then lift our arms and legs to see that they were properly washed. dirty jem had really got his arms clean up to his elbows, and legs up to the knees. "turn up your shirt-sleeves higher, boy, and your trousers too," said the lieutenant. a dark rim of dirt was seen at each place. "corporal, give this boy twelve finnams!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "please, sir, i didn't know that we were to muster there," spluttered out dirty jem. the excuse, however, did not save him. he got the finnams, and had to clean himself into the bargain. to the latter operation he objected even more than the first, and seemed to think it a very hard case of cruelty. however, i shall have no space for our adventures in the far east, if i go spinning my yarn in this style. we touched at madeira, the chief object, i fancy, being to procure a cask or two of wine for the captain and the admiral on the station. hearing one day that we were nearing the line, i, with tommy punchon and several other boys, were very anxious to know what that could mean. i promised to ask sergeant turbot. i did so. he looked very wise, and replied--"why, you understand, jack, that the line is what you don't see, but it's there, and runs right round the world, from east to west, or west to east, it's all the same. and then it's very hot there, because the sun is right overhead, and for the same cause it's always summer, and the days are neither very long nor very short, and there are mostly calms. for this reason, and because he could not pick out a more comfortable part of the whole watery-world, the king of the ocean, daddy neptune, as we call him, once on a time used to live there. he does not now, that i know of, because i have heard say that all the heathen gods and goddesses have given up living at all on the earth; though, to be sure, i don't say but what he and they may visit it now and then. now, jack, you understand all about the matter, or as much as i, a sergeant of the royal marines, do, and that surely must be quite enough for a second-class boy on board ship." full of the lucid information i had received, i returned to my messmates, who told me that, in spite of what the sergeant had said, they heard, positively, that neptune and all his court were coming on board, either the next day or the following. sure enough, daddy did come on board, in right fashion, when the opportunity was taken of giving dirty jem a thorough washing, and punishing three or four other individuals in a rather unpleasant way, by cramming their mouths full of grease and pitch, under the pretence of lathering them, before being shaved by neptune's barber. i should say, that a lower studding-sail had been fastened up, in the form of a long bag, in the main deck, on the starboard side, and filled with water. the skid gratings had been taken off, so that, looking down from the starboard gangway, nothing but water was to be seen. neptune and his wife made their appearance from forward, sitting on what they said was their chariot, but which looked like a gun-carriage. they had two infants, who put me wonderfully in mind of two small boys in our mess, while his wife had very much the appearance of ned rawlings; and i thought, too, i recognised the features of his secretary, his coachman, and barber. they were followed by a number of courtiers, and twenty-four bears, and as many constables. the chief business of the latter was to catch the fellows who were to be shaved and ducked. we boys were tossed about from side to side of the tank by the bears, they crying out, "he's none of my child!" and very fortunate we thought ourselves when we got out again. the side being smooth and steep as an earthen pan, we were very much like rats caught in one. besides dirty jem, the smaller, we had a big, hulking fellow--michael clack, by name. he was a dirty, lazy, lubberly fellow, disliked and despised by all the ship's company. he had, from the first, i doubt not, a pretty good notion that he would receive no very delicate treatment from neptune's ministers, so he went and hid himself away, thinking that he might, perhaps, escape notice. he had been marked, however, from the first. "michael clack! michael clack!" was soon called out by the secretary, and "michael clack! michael clack!" resounded along the decks. the constables searched for him everywhere, along each deck, behind every chest, and each store-room, and in each corner into which he could possibly have crept. at last, it was believed that he must have gone overboard. still, as he had been seen by more than one of the boys scudding along the decks faster than he had ever been known to move before, the fact that he had gone overboard was doubted by a great many. at length, the constables instituted another search along the orlop deck, and in the cable tier. a shout proclaimed that clack was found. he was stowed away in the coil of a cable, and a piece of canvas drawn neatly over him. he was dragged up, and placed on the plank before neptune. "you are a big, lazy, idle, mischievous, do-nothing rascal," began his majesty. "you deserve no good from any one, and you will get it, too, my hearty! give him number 1." that was the roughest razor in use. "plenty of lather! lay it on thick!" neptune's ministers of justice did not require a second bidding. the moment the unhappy clack opened his mouth to plead his cause, the tar-brush was run almost down his throat. his face was next covered with it, and scraped with a jagged razor, till the blood ran out in all directions. in this state he was tossed into the tank, and bandied about among the bears, every one of whom owed him a grudge, till some one cried out that he was done for. he had fainted, or, like the australian dingo, had pretended to faint, and looked, indeed, as if he were dead. the captain, seeing what had happened, was very angry, and ordering him to be taken to the doctor, forbade the sports to be continued. neptune and his secretary begged pardon as well as they could for what had happened, and he and his followers waddled forward, and disappeared over the bows. we heard that evening that michael clack was very ill, and there was a general idea that he was going to die. what the doctor thought about the matter i do not know. clack hated work, but he disliked nasty physic still more. this the doctor knew; and by giving him all the most nauseous draughts he could think of he soon got him out of the sick list. clack, though out of the sick list, was very soon in the black list; and being shortly afterwards detected in helping himself to the contents of another man's bag, he was adjudged by the captain to be placed in irons, to be kept in solitary confinement, and otherwise punished. chapter five. across the ocean. falling in at length with the north-east trade-winds, we stood towards the coast of south america, and entered rio de janeiro harbour, which was but very little, if anything, out of our course for the cape of good hope. this will be seen by a glance at a map of the world, and ships, therefore, frequently touch there on their way to the regions beyond the cape of good hope. it is a magnificent bit of water, surrounded by curiously-shaped mountains and peaks, with a big city on its shores, full of large streets and no end of churches. sergeant turbot took tommy punchon and me with him, to keep us out of mischief, though we would rather have gone alone to try and get into it. i was astonished at the quantity of black slaves, grunting and groaning away under their heavy loads. still, they were ever ready for a joke, and the niggers we met with loads were merry laughing fellows, who went along singing and joking, as if no such thing as slavery existed. i might fill my journal with an account of the numberless curious things i saw on shore, but if i did i should have no space for my own adventures; so i will leave to others to give a description of rio, and go on with my sea log. that night, when we got on board again, sergeant turbot and the boatswain were walking the forecastle, and punchon and i were standing not far off, when a splash was heard, and the sentry shouted out, "a man overboard!" he immediately fired, but did not hit the man, whose head i could see as i looked out from one of the ports as he struck out boldly for the land; there were plenty of sharks about, so that there was not much chance of his reaching it, even if he was allowed to go. the sentry's shot was, however, followed by the officer of the watch calling away the second cutter. she was lowered and manned pretty quickly, and i watched her eagerly as she made chase after the fugitive. he was soon brought back, and proved to be no other than michael clack, who, taking advantage of the short interval when a prisoner is relieved from his manacles in the evening, had contrived to slip overboard. no one had supposed that he was a good swimmer, yet, to reach the shore, he must have been a first-rate one. perhaps some friend had told him that an american vessel lay inside of us, and he hoped to reach her, when he would have been taken on board and concealed. he would, however, have been a somewhat dear bargain, if they had got him. we were soon again at sea, steering across the atlantic for the cape of good hope. i need scarcely say that soon after we got out of harbour michael clack got four dozen for his attempt at desertion. i am not going to describe the ceremony; it is a very unpleasant one for all hands concerned. still, i must own, master michael got what he deserved. "you have heard of good service stripes, may-be, jack?" said the sergeant to me. "those are what we call bad service stripes; and mind you, boy, never do anything to deserve them." i asked sergeant turbot if he could tell me anything of these trade-winds, which had been blowing so strong in our favour for so many days. "that's just what i have been talking to futtock about," he answered. "he and i make it out, that they always do blow in some parts from the north-east, and, further south, from the south-east. why they blow thus, is more than i can tell you; but i've heard say, that they have got the name of trade-winds, because they help on traders in a voyage through the atlantic." i was not quite satisfied with this answer, and determined to try and find out more of the matter by-and-by. the weather had been threatening for some hours, and towards evening the hands were turned up to reef topsails. three reefs were at once taken in, and not a moment too soon. down came the gale upon us. the big ship heeled over till the lower-deck ports were under water. the rolling seas tossed round her, and roared, as if eager to swallow her up. the wind whistled, the thunder growled, every now and then breaking overhead with tremendous rattles and crashes, and a pitchy darkness came down over the ocean, the occasional flashes of lightning only rendering the darkness still more dark. before long we had our fore-topsail close reefed, three reefs in the main-top-sail, and mizen-topsail furled, and we were running dead before the gale, at not less than fifteen knots an hour. mr. futtock said that we were going twenty; and, of course, i believed him; but i do not now, because i never found the fastest ship go so fast, and the old _roarer_ was, as the men said, a good one to fight, but not to go. in spite of the remarks i made of our captain, many of the men still held to the notion that there was more talk than do in him. "just a lady's man--very fine to look at, with his cambric handkerchiefs and scent bottles, but you never get much out of such chaps." officers little think how much they are discussed by the men. the second-lieutenant was thought still less of, and not without reason. he was fond of spouting poetry, and doing the polite to young ladies, whenever any came off to see the ship; but as to seamanship, he knew little about it. he often got the ship into a mess, but had no idea of getting her out of it again. now, it happened to be his first watch; it had just struck eight bells. the starboard watch had been called, and a few minutes afterwards the other watch was mustered. during this time the rounds went to see all cleared up and safe below. the watch relieved was just turning in. some already had their clothes off, when suddenly a fearful crashing sound was heard. no one knew what had happened, only that there was a feeling that the ship was in some awful danger. not a word was heard from the officer of the watch. if we were in peril he was not going to take us out of it--so it seemed. neither punchon nor i had taken off our clothes, so we scrambled on deck to see what was the matter. a seaman will understand our position, when i say that the ship was taken right aback, and driving, stern first, at the rate of some twelve knots an hour, with the sea breaking over her poop, two-thirds of which were already under water. no one spoke; not an order was given. suddenly, a loud voice was heard, shouting, "on deck, lads, for your lives?" and directly afterwards ned rawlings piped, "all hands save ship!" the crew were on deck almost before the sound of the pipe had died away; and again the same voice--we now knew it to be that of the captain--shouted, "man the starboard fore-brace!" officers, marines, any one who was near, grasped the rope, and hauled away on it with a will. the head yards were very soon braced right up, and the head sails took and filled at the very moment that the poop was nearly under water, and it seemed as if the ship was going bodily down. the main and cross-jack yards were soon braced round, and in less than a quarter of an hour from the time the wind had shifted we were braced sharp up on the starboard tack, and going seven knots through the water. "we have had a merciful deliverance," i heard old futtock remark to the gunner a short time afterwards. "it's not often that a ship gets into the position we were in and gets out of it. in another minute the sea would have been rushing right over the poop down on our quarter-deck, and it would have been all over with us. if mr. muddlehead had had his wits about him, he would have braced the yards up the moment we were taken aback. a pretty go it would have been, if we had not been under snug sail. why, we should have gone right down, stern foremost, and never have come up again. that's been the fate of many a ship out in these parts, which has never since been heard of." "a fine fellow, our skipper," i heard mr. plumb observe to a messmate. "i really did think at first that the brigadier and my mother would have had to bewail my loss. i am deeply indebted to him." a loud laugh followed the young gentleman's remark. "ha! ha! ha! dicky, remember that all people are not taken at their own value," exclaimed an old mate, who was fond of putting mr. plumb down now and then. after this night our captain was more than ever respected by the crew, because he was now known to be a thorough seaman--a doer as well as a talker--and in consequence he maintained discipline on board without flogging and without difficulty. we touched at the cape, where dicky plumb really did go on shore and dine with the governor, who happened to be a friend of his father's, and he took good care afterwards to talk not a little about his visit to his messmates, and the way he was treated by the governor. i was at this time appointed to wait on the midshipmen, the boy i superseded being the unfortunate jem smudge. "i don't like having you to wait on us," observed mr. midshipman plumb to me, one day soon after this. "i am afraid the fellows will be abusing you, and i could not stand that; but you must not mind it, if they do; and if you will bear abuse for a little time, i will manage to make all square in the end." "do not trouble yourself about that, master richard," i answered. "depend upon it, i don't care what the young gentlemen say to me. i intend to do my duty to them, and sergeant turbot says it will be all the better for me. so, whatever they say, let it pass. don't say anything for or against me." "as to that, jack, you must let me take my own course," answered mr. plumb. i found that dicky plumb got considerably laughed at by his companions for what they called his uppishness, and his boasting of his various friends and relations of rank. still, nothing would ever put him down. "it is no fault of mine if my father happens to have a duke for a cousin, or a governor-general of india for a brother-in-law, or if he is intimate with the prime minister, or if the queen herself holds him in high estimation; so i do not see why you chaps should laugh at me." "but, i say, master dicky," exclaimed an old mate, sampson trueman by name, "is it a fact that your father has a cousin a duke, and is brother-in-law to the governor-general?" "i ask you, mr. trueman, whether it is becoming of you--a master's mate in the british navy, and soon, i hope, should the lords commissioners of the admiralty be made aware of your superlative merits, to become a lieutenant--to call in question the word of another officer, notwithstanding that he may not be of your own exalted rank," exclaimed dicky, in his usual pompous manner. "i must decline answering those questions." there was a general laugh, in which mr. trueman joined; and though, probably, the older members of the mess suspected that the gentleman had been romancing, others were still under the impression that he really possessed the exalted connections of whom he boasted. helped along by a fine steady breeze we made good progress, and at length reached the entrance to the river hoogley. dicky got leave to accompany the captain up to calcutta. whether or not he was received as a relative by the governor-general no one in his own mess could ascertain. he dined, however, at government house, but that might have been in consequence of some introduction sent out by mrs. brigadier. she was, at all events, a person to take care that her son should not be overlooked. we did not remain there long before we received orders to make the best of our way on to china, where an expedition was engaged in teaching the celestials to pay due respect to the outside barbarians, as they call the nations of europe. chapter six. we reach the flowery land. on a fine afternoon we found ourselves sailing into a beautiful bay, with high mountains rising up on either side. we soon dropped anchor off a town, which we found was the new english city of victoria, in the island of hong kong, close to the mainland of china. a large number of other vessels were already at anchor, men-of-war, merchantmen, transports, and store-ships. the transports had on board a body of british troops destined, as sergeant turbot informed me, to teach the chinese manners. before long, several of the officers and men from other ships of the squadron came aboard us, and soon told us what had been done, making us, of course, very eager to be engaged in similar exploits. boxes, slippers, daggers, knives, and all sorts of articles were exhibited as trophies. the most highly prized were the chinamen's pigtails, which our men had cut off, they declared, when the enemy ran away. we had a busy time of it at hong kong. it was understood that there would probably be a good deal more fighting with the chinese. the marines, of course, expected to be employed on shore. i could not help feeling, however, somewhat anxious for my friend, sergeant turbot; for in that climate to have to make a long march, or to storm a fort at the top of a hill, would, i thought, too likely prove fatal to him. "we shall have some work, jack, before long," he observed to me; "and i have no doubt our corps will uphold its credit. these chinese are curious fellows to fight with, i hear; for, though they are easily beaten, they don't seem to find it out; they stop and fight till they are killed. i rather think, however, jack, that you will be disappointed, as our ship is not likely to have much work to do herself, except, perhaps, attacking forts at the mouths of the rivers, or a big town or two near the sea. however, you will hear of it from those who are sent away in the boats, and i dare say we marines shall have something to talk about when we get back." a day or two after this, however, mr. plumb stopped me outside the berth. "jack," he said, "i have been appointed to a schooner--the _fawn_--which is to be fitted out as a tender to the ship. mr. ormsby, the third lieutenant, is to command her, and i have made up my mind to get you as one of her crew. two or three boys are certain to be sent in her." i thanked master dicky for his kind intentions. "if i am ordered to go, i must," i observed, "but i would rather ask sergeant turbot what he thinks about the matter, if i am to have my choice." i told the sergeant. "i don't want to lose sight of you, boy; but, of course, you will see more of what is going forward if you go aboard the schooner, and you will get more seamanship, too, than you will in this big ship." i told mr. plumb, the next time i saw him, what the sergeant said. "of course, i knew he would," he answered, "and i will see about it, jack." whether master dicky had anything to do in the matter or not, i do not know; but i and tommy punchon were two of the boys selected to go on board the schooner. the whole squadron soon after sailed, and proceeded to the mouth of the canton river, where they astonished the celestials by blowing their forts to pieces. the larger ships remained at the mouth of the river, while the smaller vessels, we among them, with a couple of steamers, were sent higher up. the chinese did their best, of course, to bamboozle the diplomatists. however, those gentlemen saw enough to make them advise all the foreign merchants living at canton to leave the place. they heard also that the chinese had laid plans to destroy the english ships, and that a large army was also collecting, to meet our troops, should they land. we, with several other small men-of-war, corvettes, and brigs, lay high up the river. generally speaking, the river is crowded with boats of every possible shape and fashion, moving up and down the stream. a vast number of people live in these boats, and merely go on shore occasionally to buy food, or to sell their fish or ducks, or the articles they may have brought from other places. at this time, however, not a boat was to be seen; they had all gone up the creeks, out of the way of the barbarians. at length the sun set gloomily, the sky was overcast, and the darkness increased, till it was difficult to see far beyond the bowsprit end. our people were all ordered to remain on deck. the guns were loaded, and each man was armed. the boats were cleared, ready to be lowered as they hung at the davits, at a moment's notice. "well, jack, what do you think of it?" said mr. plumb, who came forward where i was standing. "i suppose something or other is going to happen," i answered, "but i don't know what." "why, i will tell you," he said; "the chinese think they are going to catch a weasel asleep, but they are mistaken. they will find that they have only stirred up the british lion with a long pole, and that he will not only roar, but make a spring which will astonish them. i have been anxious to have something to do, and i hope we are going to find it at last." scarcely had he spoken, when the sentry from a vessel ahead of us hailed. he got no answer, it seemed, for he immediately fired. directly he had done so, in the midst of the darkness, as it were, a bright light burst forth, blazing away furiously, and revealing a number of dark objects floating on the water. instantly the drum sounded, beating to quarters. the chinese had commenced their plan for destroying the english ships by fire-rafts. the boats of the squadron were seen immediately, pulling up the river, when, grappling the rafts, they towed them away clear of the ships. some went on shore on one bank, some on the other. some drifted down towards a village, the houses of which they immediately set on fire. dicky plumb had jumped into one of the boats, and i, without orders, followed him. we steered away towards one of the rafts which seemed to be approaching the _fawn_. just as we got hold of it, it burst into flames; but, in spite of the heat, we got it clear of the vessel, and did not leave it till it was close in with the shore. and now, on all sides, were blazing up vast fires, some drifting about the river, others on shore where the rafts had struck; their light exhibiting the panic-stricken chinese who had had charge of them, some trying to escape towards the shore, others swimming down the stream, those who could not swim standing on the deck till driven overboard by the heat; all the time a sharp fire being kept up at them by our marines, who, naturally, under such circumstances, showed them but little mercy. as the first body of fire-rafts had been towed clear, guns opened on us from the shore, the chinese having erected several new batteries for that purpose. now began the roar of artillery, though, in consequence of the darkness, the chinese, not being able to distinguish the vessels, took but bad aim. we also could only find out the whereabouts of their batteries by the light of their guns, and the reflection of the fire from the burning houses on the shore. these showed us numerous tartar officers hurrying about, and endeavouring to rally and encourage their men to fight the guns. we managed, as did other vessels, to escape damage, by alternately veering out cable and shortening it again, so as considerably to alter our position, and thus to deceive the chinese gunners. this sort of work continued till daylight. at length, when the sun rose in an unclouded sky, it exhibited to our sight a scene of havoc and destruction on either side. on the banks were the wrecks of the still burning fire-vessels; the batteries on shore knocked to pieces by our shot; the suburbs of the town, and several of the villages, in flames; while, here and there, a spar knocked away on board the vessels, or some other trifling damage, showed how we had been employed during the night. one of our active little steamers, soon after daylight, was some distance ahead, when a large junk made her appearance from round a point, and began firing away. the steamer very quickly put the junk to flight, when, at a signal made, the boats of the squadron were ordered to proceed after her. in a few minutes, some twenty men-of-war's boats were pulling away, as hard as the crews could lay their backs to the oars. i, as before, jumped into dicky plumb's boat, and she was away before i was discovered. no sooner had we rounded the point i have spoken of, than a whole fleet of war junks and boats of all sorts were found huddled together at no great distance. instantly, we dashed at them. many of the junks had soldiers on board, who, as soon as they saw us coming, did their best to get on shore, shoving off in small boats as fast as they could leap into them. some, in their hurry, fell overboard. a considerable number had thus made their escape by the time we reached the scene of action. some of the junks and boats were pulling away up the river. we, with other boats, made chase. the shot from the ships' launches quickly set many of the junks on fire. as soon as we got up to a junk, we examined her carefully, to ascertain if anybody was on board, before we devoted her to the flames. in a short time, the whole water was covered with burning vessels, one after the other, those having powder on board blowing up with loud explosions. in spite of our humane intentions, there are so many hiding-places on board a chinese junk, that nearly in every one several unfortunate fellows had concealed themselves. as the fires in creased, we saw them rushing up from below, where they would remain until no longer able to bear the heat on deck. some then were seen to jump desperately overboard. most of these swam on shore without much difficulty; but others, who apparently could not swim, remained clinging to the outside of the junk or the rudder. here we saw them holding on till the junk blew up, or the heat compelled them to leave their last refuge. when we could, we took them on board, but there were so many junks burning together that this was not always possible, and consequently a considerable number must have perished. we had got alongside a boat, not knowing what was on board her, when dicky plumb leaped on to her deck. i had followed him, when my eye caught sight of a little fizzing spot of light, just as if the end of a cigar had been thrown down. i saw the fire slowly working its way on. in an instant, it occurred to me that it was a slow match. seizing my friend by the arm, i leaped back into the boat. "hillo, jack! what do you mean by that?" he exclaimed in an indignant tone. "shove off!" i shouted, "and pull away!" the men guessed what it was, and the boat had not got ten yards off, when up went the chinese craft, on board which we had been a moment before, shivered into a thousand fragments. there were a number of similar boats near at hand, some of which caught fire, and blew up at the same moment. happily, we escaped without much hurt. we found fifty of a similar character, which had been prepared for the destruction of the english fleet. it was a curious scene--the chinese craft, of all sizes, sailing, pulling, and paddling away in every direction, the english boats dashing here and there in pursuit. sometimes a chinaman would blow up just as one of our boats got alongside, and then we had to pull off after a different enemy. we had captured a good many junks, when, some way ahead, we saw what looked like a steamer. though there was no steam up, the wheels were paddling away. we managed, however, to get up to her, when overboard jumped a number of people; and, on reaching her deck, we found that, though there were paddles outside, the inside had only wooden machinery, to be worked something like a treadmill by men. she managed, however, to go through the water at the rate of three or four knots an hour. several similar sham steamers were captured, which had been manufactured by the celestials, for the purpose of overawing us barbarians. the fighting for the day, however, was very far from finished. the troops had been landed, as well as the marines and brigades of blue jackets, and were now busily employed in storming the forts surrounding canton. we had gone up a creek which ran near the base of a high hill, on the top of which was a fort. a party of marines and blue jackets had marched round by land, to attack it, and as we approached, we saw them charge up the hill. mr. hanson, the mate, who commanded the boat, was very eager to join in the fray. we had a strong current against us. however, by dint of hard pulling, we managed at length to get up near the base of the hill. the chinese at the top had made a gallant defence, and many of our people had already been killed or wounded, or knocked up by the heat. among others, struggling up the side of the hill, i saw a marine, whom i knew by his red coat; his sword was in his mouth, and with hands and feet he was endeavouring to climb up the steep side of the hill. i guessed by his figure that he must be my friend sergeant turbot. i could almost fancy that i heard him puffing and groaning, as every now and then he looked up, and shouted to his men to lend him a hand. they, however, had dashed on, to get at the enemy; in fact, it seemed a wonder that he should have escaped hitherto with his life from the showers of shot which came sweeping down the hill-side. just then, we saw, coming round the base of the hill, a strong body of tartar troops, evidently intending to take our men in the rear. "now is the time, my lads!" shouted mr. hanson, starting up. it must be understood that we had been completely concealed from the enemy. with loud shouts and cries we all dashed forward together to attack the head of the enemy's column. they, expecting that we were merely a leading body of blue jackets, turned tail, and retreated, with a greater rapidity than they had advanced, we keeping up a hot fire in their rear. i could not bear the thoughts of leaving my old friend in his present predicament, and, therefore, without stopping to ask leave, i scampered off to his assistance, forgetting all about the shower of bullets through which i had to pass. happily, not one hit me, and i was soon by the sergeant's side. "why, jack, you seem to me like an angel from heaven!" he exclaimed, as he saw me. "put your shoulder under me and help me up. up i must go, but it was cruel to send me to storm such a hill. it is not fit work for a man of my figure; but, up! up!" the sergeant had chosen a short cut, though a very steep one. by my aid, shoving astern, we had already made some progress, when part of the boat's crew arrived, led on by dicky plumb. "oh, mr. plumb, do get your men to lend me a hand and haul me up this place. we should be in the fort as soon as the rest, if we could but get up to the top of the cliff." i was not sorry, i confess, to have some assistance. by the aid of the men the sergeant at last reached a level spot at the summit of the hill. "now, my lads," he shouted, taking his sword from his mouth, "we'll be at them!" the chinese, believing that no one could get up that way, had neglected its defences. led on, therefore, by the gallant sergeant, we all together made a dash into the fort. the enemy, taken on the flank, began to give way, and the main body of marines and bluejackets, making a renewed effort in front, dashed in over all obstacles, cutting down the defenders, who stood bravely at their guns till the last. "jack, jack," said the sergeant, when the fort was in our possession, "i owe you much. you saved my life, i believe, but you did more than that, you saved my honour." before the day was over, not only canton, but all the surrounding forts were in possession of the british. as sergeant turbot could descend the hill more easily than he could get up it, i wished him good-bye, and returned with my young officer to the boat. poor mr. hanson had received a wound in the leg, which had, i found, prevented him joining in the attack. chapter seven. our cruise in the junk. just as we got out of the creek we caught sight of a large junk stealing round a point at no great distance from us. although mr. hanson and one of the men were wounded, he instantly ordered us to give chase, and away we pulled after the junk, which as we rounded the point we saw was making for one of the innumerable canals which intersect the country in all directions. if she once got into it she might escape us. the men therefore bent to their oars with a right good will, apparently just as fresh, as when they left the schooner in the morning. as we approached the junk, the chinese began firing at us with their gingals and swivels, and for a couple of minutes or more we were exposed to a pretty heavy shower of bullets. i got the rim of my hat taken off. "no odds," i cried out; "it's better than the tip of my nose." a man near me had a shot through the fleshy part of his shoulder, and a dozen bullets or more stuck in the sides of our boat. on we dashed, however, right under the oars of the chinaman. "come on, my lads?" shouted dicky plumb, whose blood was up to boiling pitch; and catching hold of a pike which was thrust at him, he hauled himself up on to the junk's deck, four of our men climbing up at the same moment. fortunately for master dicky, ned rawlings was by his side, and saved his head from a blow aimed at him by a chinaman. mr. hanson, in spite of his wound, got the men to haul him up. i followed close behind mr. plumb, and in a few seconds we were all upon the deck of the chinaman, slashing and cutting away. so frightened had the chinese become at our proceedings in the morning, that very few stopped to oppose us, and scarcely had we gained the deck, than the crew began to jump overboard on the opposite side. in another minute not a chinaman was left alive on the upper deck. "now, lads, let us look after them below!" shouted mr. plumb, leading the way to the main deck. a considerable number of the crew had remained there, intent upon mischief. as they saw us, however, they made a bolt right forward and leaped through a large port, striking out for the shore, which was not more than thirty yards off. "they have been after something or other," cried mr. plumb. as he spoke, i sprang down to the deck below, and there i saw what looked like a thin snake of fire crawling along the deck. i rushed at it, and found the end of a slow match which had not long been lighted. to snatch it up and throw it overboard was the work of a moment. i was only just in time, however, and did not feel very comfortable even then, for it was leading down, through an opening in the deck, to what i had little doubt was the magazine. ned rawlings, who had followed me, sprang to where several buckets were hung up, and seizing one of them to which a rope was attached, in a moment he had it full of water, which he dashed down the opening into the magazine. mr. hanson now ordered the cable of the junk to be cut, and sent the boat ahead to tow her out of the creek. there was no time to be lost, for a number of chinese were collecting on the shore, some of them already beginning to take long shots at us. four hands jumped into the boat with mr. plumb, while two others, with ned rawlings and i, remained to assist mr. hanson. as there were a number of small boats along the shore, the chinese might easily have come back again; but they expected to see us blown up into the air, and the fear of the consequence kept them at a distance, and proved our safety. at length, just as it was growing dusk, we got clear out into the harbour, when the wind proving fair, we hoisted the junk's sails, and stood away towards where we expected to find the schooner. several times we were chased by english boats, and were twice fired at by some of our friends, who supposed that our junk was still in the hands of the chinese, who were endeavouring to escape. our prize was indeed a curious craft; a capital place for playing hide-and-seek in--full of all sorts of odd little cabins and cupboards and recesses in which people could stow themselves away. having found several lanterns, we lighted them, and mr. dicky and i hunted throughout the vessel, in case any chinese were still on board, who might steal out and perhaps after all blow up the vessel. we thought that we had looked into all the cabins and cupboards, and nooks and corners, and came and reported the same to mr. hanson. "go and look again, dicky," he answered. "take rawlings with you, and let him run the point of his cutlass gently through all the crevices." off we started again, rawlings carrying a huge paper lantern, covered with dragons and other monsters, and having his cutlass ready to stick into any crevice we might discover. we began forward, examining all sorts of curious places, but no one was to be found there. at length we got aft, where we thought we had searched thoroughly, and came to a little cupboard in one of the quarters, into which ned gently inserted the point of his weapon. a shrill cry, which made us start, was the result, and putting in his hand he hauled out a young chinese boy, who had managed to coil himself away in a very small space. he seemed by his gestures to be entreating us not to kill him, and then gave us to understand that he was anxious to be our friend, and to serve us. of course, not a word he said could we understand. "are there any more of you stowed away?" asked ned; but if we did not understand the chinese boy, neither did he understand us, and no answer could be got to this question. having looked about in the neighbourhood of the spot where we found the boy, we carried him on deck to mr. hanson. he there went through the gestures he had made to us, and mr. hanson signed to him to sit down on the deck, and let him know that he would receive no harm. we were then sent back to continue our search. no other person was, however, found, and at length we got alongside the schooner. we were received by a loud cheer from our shipmates, and mr. ormsby ordered us to retain possession till he could inspect the junk in the morning, and settle what was to be done with her. "but mr. hanson is wounded, sir," sung out dicky plumb; "and besides, sir, _we are hard up for grub_. the provisions the chinese have left on board don't look very tempting." mr. hanson, with the other wounded man, was therefore ordered to go on board, that the assistant-surgeon might look to their hurts, while a supply of provisions was sent us from the schooner, dicky plumb thus remaining in command of the junk. "jack," he said to me, "if i had my will, i should like to appoint you my first-lieutenant, for i think you know as much about seamanship as i do; but as that would not be quite correct, i am afraid i must have ned rawlings as my second in command. i only hope we may be ordered to take a cruise somewhere. it would be great fun going away by ourselves to look after prizes, would it not?" i agreed with him, but observed that i did not think mr. ormsby would dispatch us for that purpose. the next morning, when mr. ormsby came on board, he declared that the junk we had taken was so fine a vessel that it would be a pity to destroy her, and therefore obtained leave to carry her off to hong kong. "can i remain in command of her, sir?" asked dicky, touching his hat when mr. ormsby had arrived at this decision. the lieutenant looked at him with a smile. "why, mr. plumb, what amount of navigation do you possess?" "why, sir," said dicky, promptly, "i know how to steer, and we can keep the _fawn_ in sight, so she will serve as our pole-star." "but suppose it came on thick weather, and you lost sight of us?" observed the lieutenant. "we would not rest till we had found you again," answered dicky, promptly. "i suspect the _fawn_ will outsail the junk, and then what will you do?" "ask every one we meet the whereabouts of hong kong," answered dicky. "i have no doubt you would do your best," said mr. ormsby, "but still i cannot quite trust you. i must send mr. hanson back, and i have no doubt that you will prove a very efficient first-lieutenant to him." with this master dicky was obliged to remain content, and, in a couple of days, mr. hanson, having somewhat recovered his strength, came on board and took the command. before many days were over the chinese succeeded in bamboozling our plenipotentiaries; we gave up all we had won, and the fleet sailed away back to hong kong. we followed in the wake of the schooner, which had to shorten sail for us, when the wind was abeam; but at length it came aft, and we then kept very good way with her; indeed, she had to make all sail not to let us pass her. our captive chinese boy seemed very well reconciled to his fate. we could not make out what was his name, so we called him "joss." he was a merry, yellow-faced little chap, with the funniest pig-eyes imaginable. he seemed always ready to laugh, and sing, and dance about the deck. it was very evident that he would pick up english sooner than any of us were likely to learn a word of chinese. in the course of a few days, indeed, he could ask for all sorts of things, and seemed to know a great deal that was said to him. i should say mr. hanson spoke very handsomely of the way dicky plumb had behaved in boarding the chinese, and told mr. ormsby that he had been the first on deck, and how gallantly he had behaved also on shore, when attacking the fort. i found, also, that he made favourable mention of my conduct on both occasions. "indeed, had it not been for junker," i heard that he observed, "we might all of us have been blown into the other world." mr. ormsby had said that he should report my conduct to the captain, who would be sure not to let it pass unnoticed. dicky told me all this. "i was very glad of it, jack," he said. "to tell you the truth, i have an idea in my head. what it is, i am not going to tell you; only, jack, if i am ever a captain, i should like to have you as my first-lieutenant." "thank you, sir," i said, "for your kind wishes, but i am afraid such good luck is not in store for me." at length, our junk, with several others that had been captured, reached hong kong in safety. the harbour was crowded with vessels. there must have been a hundred or more craft, of various sorts, from line-of-battle ships down to schooners and cutters, and a variety of chinese and other foreign-rigged vessels. chapter eight. a typhoon and a shipwreck. the junk lay in hong kong harbour, close to the _fawn_. soon after we brought up in the harbour, finding that a boat was to be sent from the _fawn_ to the _roarer_, i got leave to go in her. i had some misgivings about sergeant turbot, and was anxious to see him. i found that he was in the sick bay, where there were several wounded men. he shook me warmly by the hand when he saw me. "jack, my boy," he said, "you saved my life t'other day, and, what is more, my honour. if it had not been for you, my fellows would have got into that chinese fort while i was at the bottom of the hill; but jack, i confess it, i feel i am not cut out for campaigning in a hilly country; indeed, to advance, at double-quick, across a plain, tries me considerably." i was afraid, from the sergeant's way of talking, that he was very ill. i made some remark to that effect. "in honest truth, jack," he answered, "i was pretty well knocked up altogether with that work on shore; what with the hot sun, the rapid marching, and climbing those heights; but still, jack, i don't think i am going to give in just yet. if i do, remember me to your father, and tell him that i consider you are worthy of him. however, i hope to be fit for duty in the course of a few days, and to have another pull at the chinamen's pigtails before we have done with them." from what i could hear on board i found that our business in the boat and capture of the junk was highly approved of. our captain, with several of the boats of the _roarer_, had been engaged, and he had behaved with great bravery and activity. i was glad to find, that in the course of a few days sergeant turbot was much better. his gallantry was well known, and dicky plumb told me that he had heard the captain of marines on board say that in future he would take care that he was not sent on an expedition where any great bodily exertion was required. we had been some time off hong kong, and began to grow weary of not having more to do. the weather had now become excessively hot and sultry. dark black clouds collected in the sky, and there was an oppression in the atmosphere which made all hands feel uncomfortable. the weather-wise predicted a typhoon. i asked sergeant turbot, the last visit i paid him, the meaning of a typhoon. "why, jack, you must know that a typhoon is just like ten everyday gales of wind pressed into one," he replied. "if a fellow is aloft he has need to hold on with his eyelids, teeth, and nails; and if he's on shore, to look out for falling chimneys and roofs. if we get one--and from what i hear there's every chance of it--you'll know what it is fast enough, and not forget either, as long as you live." the barometer, too, supporting the opinion of the weather-wise, was falling, indicating a change of weather. meantime, the chinese on shore seemed to be greatly excited. we saw, stuck out from many of their houses, long poles, twenty or thirty feet high, with huge lanterns at the end of them, ornamented with grotesque-looking figures of various sorts. then began the beating of gongs, the firing of crackers, and the explosion of little bamboo petards, from one end of the town to the other, and from all the boats along the shore. the chinese might possibly have thought that their fireworks had produced some effect, for the day passed by and no typhoon broke over us. at night, however, dark clouds again collected overhead, out of which the most vivid lightning shot incessantly. for an instant the whole sky was lighted up, and the numerous vessels in the harbour, and the distant shores, could be seen clearly. then all again was pitchy darkness. the night passed away, however, without any incident worthy of note. in the morning, mr. ormsby, who had been on board the _roarer_, came back, and said that he had received orders to convey the junk to macao. "then i am afraid our independent cruise will be up," i heard mr. plumb observe to mr. hanson. we accordingly got under weigh, and stood out of the harbour. we had not, however, proceeded far, when the threatening appearances of the weather returned. again the clouds collected, the lightning flashed vividly, and sudden gusts came furiously off the land. mr. ormsby hailed, and ordered us to bring up under the high shore, a couple of miles to windward, he setting us the example. a few tacks brought the _fawn_ to an anchorage, when her topmasts were struck, and every preparation was made for the typhoon, which, it was now evident, was about to commence. we were some way astern of the schooner, when down came a fierce blast with tremendous force upon us. the sails were lowered, and the huge anchor let go. "the craft will ride it out after all, i believe," said mr. hanson, watching to ascertain whether the junk was driving. "that's more than any other ship will do," observed ned rawlings, pointing to the vessels in the distance, many of which were now driving away furiously before the wind; and already the sea was covered with the wrecks of native vessels, to which numerous persons--both men and women and children--were clinging desperately, as they drove onward before the wind. fearful must have been the destruction of life and property in that crowded harbour. however, we had to think about ourselves. the typhoon was increasing in fury; it seemed to be working itself up like a man getting into a rage. a blast ten times stronger than the first now struck us. "she has parted, sir," cried ned rawlings. away we drove before the wind. at first we went sideways, and it seemed as if every instant we should be blown over. the helm however, was put up, and away we drifted right before the gale; the farther we got from the shore the higher the seas became, and the stronger the wind. mr. hanson looked grave; there was good reason for his so doing, for the junk began to pitch and roll in the most furious manner, while the seas danced up round her, seeming determined to come on board. at times, it seemed scarcely possible that we could hold on to her deck; we felt somewhat like peas on a drum--jumping up and down, with the prospect of being jerked overboard every instant. as to setting sail, that was impossible; for even had a foot of the bamboo-matting been presented to the wind it would have been blown away. the junk, flimsy as she looked outside, was strongly built, so that there was less risk of her going to pieces than might have been supposed. i asked rawlings what he thought about the matter. "well, jack," he said, "if we can keep the open sea the old tea-chest may float; but if we get the coast under our lee we shall drive ashore and go to pieces." more than once mr. hanson looked astern. "perhaps he hopes that the _fawn_ will come after us," i observed to rawlings. "that's not likely," was the answer. "it would not do to risk the loss of the schooner on the chance of helping us; and, to my mind, there's little help any vessel can give us." had, indeed, the schooner been following, we might not have seen her; for, so thick was the spray which drove over us, that we could scarcely see many yards beyond the junk, all the time the wind howling and shrieking, and the water hissing and foaming around us. we could do nothing to help ourselves; indeed, it took all our strength just to hold on to the side. every now and then a huge sea would come rolling up, and seem about to break on board, but the buoyant junk rose to the top of it, and then again down we plunged into the deep trough below. mr. hanson and two of the men stood at the helm, trying to steer the lumbering craft, and not without difficulty could they prevent her from broaching-to. dicky plumb had done his best to keep his legs, but, finding that impossible, at length sat down on the deck, holding on, and endeavouring to look as unconcerned and cool as possible. as we looked out we could see fragments of wreck floating by, showing us what would, too probably, be our fate. we passed one large junk almost under water, to which several people were clinging; they held out their hands to us, asking for assistance, but we could give them none, and soon we drove by, when they were hid from our sight by the driving spray. on we went. "breakers ahead!" shouted ned rawlings, who had been looking out. there appeared, right before us, a line of coast--to weather it, seemed impossible; and yet, if we could not do so, our destruction was inevitable. at length we made out a point of land on the port bow--we were driving towards it--mr. hanson put the helm as much as he could to starboard. "if we can get to the other side of that," he observed to mr. plumb, "we may escape with our lives; if not, there's not a chance for us." "it cannot be helped," answered mr. dicky, quite composedly. "we have done our best, and can do no more." closer and closer we drew to the wild rocks at the end of the point; the surf was breaking furiously over them. i know i held my breath, and i cannot exactly say how i felt; only i kept wishing something was over. there were the rocks, and there was the fearful surf roaring over them. in another instant we were in the midst of the surf; i expected to hear a crash, and to find the vessel going to pieces. the water came rushing over our decks; the masses of spray blinded us. on we flew, and in another moment the point was passed; and though the sea broke heavily on the shore, still there was a possibility of our landing on it. we had no anchors remaining, so we could not bring up, even could any anchor have held; shipwreck was certain. the only doubt was where we should strike--that was settled in another minute--lifted high on a roller we were hurled towards the shore; then suddenly down we came with a tremendous crash; the masts instantly fell; the upper works were washed away; with difficulty could we hold on to the wreck. "now, jack, let's see what you can do," exclaimed ned rawlings. "there's not a better swimmer on board!" i understood what was wanted. ned got hold of a rope, which i fastened round my waist. "i'll carry it ashore," i cried out. "let me go, too," cried dicky plumb, forgetting that he could not swim. there was no time for thought. i dashed overboard, and struck out for the shore; i ran a great risk of being knocked on the head by pieces of the wreck; i knew that several passed close to me. now the sea came roaring up, and, passing over the vessel, sent me some way towards the shore; as it receded, however, it carried me back again almost to the junk; still i struggled on; the next sea which came up took me still nearer, and, though i went back again, still i had gained some distance; at last, i felt my feet touch the ground, then i seemed about to be swept back again, but i struggled on, and with a wild spring, clutching the sand with my hands, i resisted the receding water, which came hissing and foaming around me; then with a few more desperate struggles i found myself out of the reach of the sea. near me was a pointed rock; round it i securely fastened the rope. in the meantime, three or four men had thrown themselves into the water; one poor fellow was swept out, his dying shriek reaching my ear just as i landed; another was holding on desperately to a piece of the wreck; two more came on shore, but greatly exhausted. i saw rawlings making signals to me to haul in the rope; i began to haul away, but the rope he had secured to the light one i took on shore was so heavy that i could not accomplish the task; just then i was joined by my two shipmates, and all three of us pulling away at the rope, we got it on shore; the end was secured, as the lighter one had been, round the rock; and the first person who tried it was rawlings. i found that he had secured a couple of travellers to the rope. "i will go back," he said, "and bring mr. plumb. mr. hanson will not leave the vessel till all are on shore, i know." master dicky, however, was for coming entirely by himself; still, i think he would have been washed off had not rawlings gone to his assistance. little joss, the chinese boy, clambered along as actively as a monkey. there was more difficulty in getting mr. hanson on shore, as he had scarcely quite recovered from his wounds. not a moment after he left the junk a sea came roaring up, and in an instant she split into a thousand fragments; not a particle of her remained holding together on the rock on which she struck; the same sea tore the poor fellow who had been clinging to a piece of the wreck from his hold, and he was washed away, no more to be seen. the remainder of us clambered up away from the beach, where we sat down to consult what was best to be done. it was now growing dark; not a house or shelter of any sort could we see. "we shall all perish if we spend the night exposed to this bitter blast," said mr. hanson. "lads, we must look out for some place or other for shelter," and saying this, he led the way further inland, where a lofty cliff appeared before us. searching about, we found an opening in the rock, down the centre of which a stream flowed, running on towards the sea. here we were somewhat sheltered from the wind, but it was open at the top, so that the air even here felt very cold. chapter nine. captured by the celestials. the night passed slowly by. we were very hungry and very cold. i had the satisfaction of having my praises sung by my commander. "indeed, junker, i am ready to confess that we owe our lives to you," said mr. hanson. "it required no little courage to carry the rope on shore in the way you did." i made a suitable, and, i hope, modest reply. there was no room to lie down, so we all had to sit up and do our best to keep our feet out of the stream. as the morning broke the typhoon subsided, and at last we went out of our resting-place to look about us. the whole shore was lined with pieces of wreck. one of the poor fellows who had been drowned had been thrown up, but the bodies of the others could not be seen. we most of us had become desperately hungry: i know i was. where to get food was the question. hunting along the beach, however, we found a ham and a small keg of biscuits. we soon fell to on them. though the biscuits were somewhat soaked with water, in a short time there was little of either one or the other to be seen. mr. hanson said that we were on an island, but how we were to get away was the question. we could only hope that the _fawn_ might come and look out for us, on the possibility of our having escaped. we had just finished our breakfast, when we heard some cries above our heads, and, looking up, we saw a number of chinese, who were amusing themselves by gazing down on us. we asked joss who they were. "bad people! bad people!" he answered, shaking his head. they seemed in a short time to have gained courage, and now some thirty or forty men, dressed like common fishermen, came down from the heights, and stood round us. seeing that we were unarmed, they became familiar, and presently one of them signed to mr. hanson to take off his coat. this he did, hoping to satisfy them. no sooner did they get it, than they set up a shout and laugh, and then signified to dicky plumb to do the same. "i will do no such thing," he answered, buttoning up his jacket. on this a couple of fellows seized him and tore it open, and in another minute hauled it off his back, in spite of his indignant expostulations. pleased at their success, they treated us all in the same way, leaving us only our shirts and trousers. mr. hanson at length got hold of one of the men who appeared to be a leader among them, and endeavoured by signs to explain that if he would take us back to hong kong he should be handsomely rewarded. little joss, who was very quick in understanding our meaning, came to our assistance. at length the man agreed to take us for a hundred dollars a head. we had, however, to wait for a considerable time before the weather moderated sufficiently, and we were then all marched to the harbour, at some distance from the place where we drove on shore. here another dispute arose among our captors. the owners of different boats considered that we ought to be divided among them. finally, mr. dicky plumb, with ned rawlings and i, with little joss, fell to the share of an old fellow with a remarkably roguish expression of countenance. we, however, could not help ourselves, and could only hope that the promise of the reward would induce him to take us back safely. in the evening we were carried on board different junks. our boat was open amidships, with a small cabin aft, into which we were all stowed. here we spent the night, for we saw from the first that our friends had no intention of getting under weigh till daylight. the other junks sailed first, but our old captain showed no disposition to follow them. we inquired why he did not sail with the others, but he only grinned and shook his head at us. he was waiting apparently for some of his crew. at length we got under weigh; and now we began to hope that before the next morning we should find ourselves at hong kong. we had not been at sea more than an hour when, coming round a point, there appeared a large mandarin war junk. our old captain was evidently in great trepidation. still he sailed on as before, hoping that the mandarin junk would not overhaul us. a signal, however, from her was seen, ordering us to heave-to. on this the old captain made signs to us to lie down at the bottom of the boat, and he then covered us up with mats. on came the junk. what was going to happen we could not tell. presently we heard loud voices and shouts, and we felt that a boat had come alongside. we might well have given ourselves up for lost. "jack," whispered mr. plumb to me, "if we could but get hold of some swords, we would have a fight for it. i should like to die game. i have no idea of being killed like a rat in a hole." i felt very much as he did, but while there was a chance of escaping notice, i saw that it would be wiser to remain concealed. presently, however, we found the mats being lifted up off us; concealment was no longer possible. we sprang to our feet, and there we saw a dozen chinamen, with weapons in their hands, ready to cut us down, should we attempt resistance. their officer turned upon our unfortunate old captain, who stood at the helm the picture of dismay; the crew were sitting forward, chattering with fear; without another word the officer gave a flourish with his sword, and the old man's head rolled off into the sea; the crew attempted to leap overboard, but were mercilessly cut down. we fully expected to be treated in the same way; instead of this, the boat was brought alongside the junk, on board of which we were all ordered to go. the junk having cast off the fishing-boat, with the body of her murdered owner still on board, and those of several of the crew, made sail to the east. what was to be done with us we could not say. with oars and sails the junk made great progress. our only hope rested on the possibility of being fallen in with by a man-of-war; but even then, if hard pressed, our captors were very likely to murder us all. having got clear of the land, the junk stood away to the north. we three were thrust into a little cabin on one side of the deck, so small, that only one could lie down at a time; joss, however, was allowed to come to us, and wander about the deck as he liked. how he had escaped we could not well tell; and now it seemed that no one intended to injure him. he told us, that, as far as he could make out, we were going to some place in the north, a long way off. we suspected that the captain of the junk intended to make the most of us, and would probably declare that, he had taken us from aboard a barbarian man-of-war, we being the only survivors. "i do not at all like the look of things, jack," said dicky plumb to me. "i am afraid they will be clapping us into cages, and sending us about the country as a show." "that will be one way of seeing the world," i answered; "and provided they do not cut off our heads, i dare say, some day or other, we shall be getting back to our friends." day after day we sailed on; in vain we looked out for an english man-of-war. "very little chance of falling in with one," observed ned rawlings. "after that typhoon they will all be in harbour, repairing damages." ned was right. it was probably owing to that circumstance that we escaped recapture. at length we entered the mouth of a large river, and joss made us understand that we were being carried to the city of nankin; we were, in reality, in the great river yang-tse-kiang. from the time we had been coming we knew that it must be a long way from hong kong, and our hopes of being retaken now vanished altogether: the wind coming down the river, the junk came to an anchor. i should have said that all this time our only food was salt fish and rice. when we anchored, several boats brought off some vegetables, which we had given to us in addition; it was hard fare, however, but after all it did not much signify, as it kept body and soul together, and our health did not suffer. the mandarin, being anxious, apparently, to deliver the despatches which he carried, as well as to exhibit us, took us on shore, and we were now all three placed in a cart, and driven off into the interior; as there were no springs, we went bumping and thumping over the road in a way sufficient to dislocate all our limbs. just as we were starting, little joss, who had managed to get on shore, jumped into the cart, and we were not sorry to see his merry, good-natured face. to make a long story short, at last we arrived at a walled city; it was not nankin, however, but a place supposed to be very strong--chin kiang-foo; it was full of tartar soldiers, who scowled at us as we passed. we had not gone far when we stopped before a sort of public office, i suppose, when a man came out and put some large labels round our necks. what they were of course we could not tell, but we made out from what joss said, that they were to inform the world, that we were prisoners taken in a bloody fight from an english war ship, which had been sent, by the bravery of the chinese, to the bottom. having been carried round the city, we were taken to a place which we soon found was the public prison; here we were all four (for joss was with us) thrown into a small cell not much larger than our cabin on board the junk. "no chance of cutting our way out, mr. plumb," observed ned rawlings. "i wish there was," said mr. plumb. little joss we found looking very sad. he seemed, from what we made out, to think we were all going to be killed. "it cannot be helped," said dicky. "jack, are you prepared to die?" "i hope so," i said; "but i would rather live, i confess; and, do you know, i think we shall, in spite of appearances. the chinamen would gain nothing by killing us, and our keep cannot cost them much." by such remarks i soon restored dicky's hopes. we were kept for some days in our wretched little prison, having our food brought to us, but being otherwise left alone; at length, one day, the door opened, and four soldiers appeared: without saying a word, they seized hold of ned; he shook himself free of them, however, having an idea, that they were going to take him out and kill him. four finding they could not manage him, six more appeared, who, rushing on him, at length pinioned his arms, and carried him away out of the cell. "i hope they will not separate us, jack," said dicky. "i am very unhappy about ned." "i hope they will not indeed," i answered. poor ned! though he made no further resistance as long as we could see him, the chinese soldiers were kicking and cuffing him, some pulling his hair, and others his ears, as they dragged him along. two days afterwards we received a visit from a dozen soldiers at least. they stopped for a moment when the door was opened, and then rushing in seized the midshipman, and pinioning his arms, dragged him out of the cell. "good-bye, jack?" he shouted out. "i suppose they are going to cut my head off. it is reputed to be a dignified way of making an exit, and if i cannot escape, i must grin and bear it." even at that moment, dicky could not help having a joke. i felt very sad when i was left alone, for it seemed too likely that our cruel captors would kill us all. at length my turn came, but i was only honoured by six soldiers, who appeared to think that they could manage me without much difficulty. i tried to sing, and appeared as merry as possible, even when they came round me, knowing that kicking and scratching would do no good. still, i own i had an uncomfortable feeling about my throat, fully believing that before long i was to have my head cut off. one of them, however, clapped an iron collar round my neck, from which a chain extended to my feet. on my ankles irons were also fixed, so that, had i been a very samson, i could scarcely have escaped. in this state the soldiers dragged me along, and passing through several courts, i was carried into a house, where, seated at a table, i found several dignified-looking personages, with scribes at either side of them, pen in hand, ready to make notes. they began by asking me all sorts of questions, to which, of course, not knowing a word they said, i could make no answers. at this, several persons rushing forward, one gave me an unpleasant kicking behind my knees, while another pressed me down, a third seizing my head and banging my nose on the ground. this process did not make me speak chinese a bit better than at first. i guessed it was what my companions in captivity had had to go through, and i fully expected to be led off and treated as i supposed they had been. instead of this, after i had received a considerable number of blows and kicks, the mandarins, finding that they could make nothing of me, ordered me back to my cell. for some hours afterwards i kept constantly feeling my neck--not quite certain whether or not it had been cut through with a fine-edged sabre, and almost expecting every now and then to find my head roll off on to the ground. chapter ten. liberty again. days and weeks passed away. i was kept in a solitary cell. even joss was not allowed to visit me. i feared, indeed, that he must have been killed. of what had become of my companions i could gain no tidings. "they have not killed me, perhaps they have let them live." this reasoning was the only thing that gave me hopes. i must confess, however, it was a hard matter to keep up my spirits. the iron chains on my neck and arms weighed me down. i was now moved into a cell in which were two dozen or more prisoners. in it was a bench, to which i was chained, but in such a way as to allow me to sit, if not with ease, at all events without pain. my youth might, perhaps, have excited the compassion of my fellow-prisoners, for savage as some of them looked, they treated me with kindness. had i been sure that my friends were even no worse off than i was, i should have been contented. many of the poor prisoners were suffering from all sorts of complaints, and several of them were led out from time to time, when we could hear their cries and shrieks, and when they came back their legs and arms and bodies bore signs of the fearful treatment they had received. twice a day my fellow-prisoners and i were unchained and allowed to go into the courtyard for air and exercise. sometimes we were allowed to remain there longer than at other times. on one occasion we were hurried back and quickly chained up again, when we found that it was in consequence of the unexpected visit of a mandarin to the prison. in vain i tried to find out whether dicky plumb or ned rawlings were alive. at last it struck me that if they were within hearing they might answer if i were to sing a song; so, to the astonishment of my fellow-prisoners, i suddenly struck up "rule britannia?" walking about the yard, and shouting louder and louder. they, i believe, thought i was mad. i stopped and listened. i thought i heard a faint response from another part of the building, but i was not certain. several days passed by, when, as i sat on the bench, chained as usual, i heard a voice in the courtyard below humming the very air i had sung, but whether it was the voice of dicky plumb or ned rawlings i could not tell; indeed, it seemed to me to be that of a stranger. i had lost all account of the time i had been in prison, when one day i remarked that there was a considerable excitement exhibited by my companions. that something of importance was taking place i was certain. suddenly, at the time we were usually taken into the yard in the morning, the sound of musketry reached my ears. faint at first, it grew louder and louder. then there came the roar of big guns. oh, how i longed to be with dicky plumb or ned rawlings! there could be no doubt that the english were attacking the place. it did not occur to me that in revenge the chinese might cut off our heads. the noise grew louder and louder. presently i could hear shouts and cries, and bullets seemed pattering against some of the buildings in the neighbourhood. the city was attacked--of that there could be no doubt. i could not help shouting out again "rule britannia!" the chinese looked at me with great awe; they must have fancied it an incantation. the hubbub increased; there was evidently some desperate fighting close at hand. suddenly two of the gaolers rushed into the cell, and came up to me. i could not help fancying that my last moment had come. instead of that, greatly to my satisfaction, they undid my fetters, then made a sign to me to follow them. i did so gladly enough, and in the courtyard whom should i see but dicky plumb himself! we cordially shook hands. "i am so glad, jack!" he exclaimed. "to this moment i did not know whether you were alive or dead." "nor i you," i answered. directly afterwards we were joined by ned rawlings, who seemed well pleased to see us both again, while little joss, who soon afterwards appeared, exhibited the greatest possible satisfaction. directly afterwards the gates were thrown open, the chinese scampered off and hid themselves, and in rushed a body of blue jackets, among whom i recognised several of the crew of the _fawn_. supposing that we had long been dead, they did not know us; indeed, pale and thin and dirty as we were, this was not surprising. the whole place was, in a short time, in the power of the british. the tartar soldiers fought desperately, and when they found they could no longer defend their houses, they deliberately killed their wives and children, and then destroyed themselves. several of the superior officers, rather than be taken, threw themselves upon their swords. others, however, who had heard that the english treated their prisoners with humanity, if they could not run away, more wisely lived "to fight another day." when the battle was over we were taken on board the _fawn_, which lay some way down the river. although we had gone through many hardships, we had reason to be thankful, for we found that we were the only persons on board the junk who had escaped with life. i often shudder, even now, as i think of what we had to go through. a considerable number of english and lascars were, about this time, seized by the chinese, and were put to death, after being cruelly ill-treated for several months. the emperor of china finding that, in spite of the boasting of his generals, the barbarians managed to beat his troops on every occasion, signed a treaty of peace. the squadron, therefore, once more returned to hong kong. although the war was over, we were not to be idle. we had just time to pay our friends a visit on board the _roarer_, when we were ordered off in search of pirates, large numbers of which gentry infested the china seas. mr. ormsby appointed me to attend him in the cabin. little joss had, from the first, attached himself to me, and mr. ormsby, seeing this, allowed him to help me in the cabin. he looked upon me as an old friend, from our having been fellow-sufferers, and to show his regard, endeavoured to teach me chinese. i must, however, confess, that he learned english far more rapidly than i did chinese. we had another mate and midshipman from the ship, instead of those lost, and they, with mr. plumb, all messed together with the lieutenant, as well as the second master and the assistant-surgeon. mr. ormsby, being a very particular person, had a supply of plate, which he put under my charge. it was kept in a chest with a number of other articles which he had picked up in china, and valued highly. we had been away some weeks without meeting with any suspicious craft when one night we saw a bright light burning ahead. "a ship on fire!" sung out mr. mason, the officer of the watch. mr. ormsby at once came on deck, and ordered all sail to be made to get up with her. the wind was light; the flames appeared to be rising higher and higher; we were afraid that we should be too late to render assistance to the poor people on board. every stitch of canvas the schooner could carry was set. "i would give a good round sum to be up with that vessel," exclaimed dicky plumb. "a dreadful thing for them to be burnt alive or drowned." several remarks of a similar nature were made; and certainly, if wishing or whistling would have brought us up to the vessel, we should have been there quickly enough. at length we could make out the masts and hull of a brig--a large vessel she seemed; the flames had caught her sails, and were playing round her spars and masts. suddenly, as we gazed at her, the deck seemed to lift; like sky-rockets up rose the masts; the flames burst up brighter than ever from the hull; and then, like showers of rockets, down came the burning rigging, hissing, into the sea; after this the flames raged more furiously than ever; then, suddenly, there was perfect darkness; a groan escaped the breasts of many on board. we were too late to save any of the sufferers, still we stood on towards the spot where the vessel had been. suddenly a hail reached us; we replied to it. in a short time we shortened sail, and a boat came alongside; we had little doubt that she contained some of the people from the brig; six men soon came up the side, most of them had their heads and arms bound up. "who are you, my men?" asked mr. ormsby. "i am the mate, sir, of the brig that just now blew up; we are the only people who have escaped," said one of them. "this afternoon we were attacked by half a dozen malay prows; we fought desperately, hoping to drive off the pirates; at length, the master and the other hands being killed, we jumped into the long-boat and made off, hoping to return to the brig when the pirates had left her; they, however, set her on fire, and we were intending to make the best of our way to singapore when we caught sight of the schooner." the mate expressing his belief that the pirates had stood to the southward, all sail was made in that direction. the weather had been threatening for some hours; it now grew worse and worse. mr. ormsby's chief regret was that it might drive the pirate fleet into port. we made such good way, that soon after noon we caught sight of the vessels of which we were in search; they saw us, and guessed our intentions, and away they went before the wind. we stood on, hoping to come up with them; hour after hour passed by, and they kept ahead. the weather was getting more and more dirty; still we persevered, and, as the wind increased, we gained upon them. "i think i could hit the sternmost of those fellows," said ned rawlings, as he ran his eye along a gun. the gun was trained forward. rawlings, who was one of the best marksmen on board, fired. the shot struck the nearest prow, and sent the splinters flying away in every direction. "well done, rawlings?" cried mr. ormsby. the gun was again loaded, when just as he fired a fearful crash was heard; the schooner shook from stem to stern. "she's ashore!" cried out more than one voice. "and we must heave her off, lads!" cried our commander; giving the order to take in all sail. the vessel only hung forward; a boat was lowered, and a hawser carried out immediately astern. we had not struck long before our enemies discovered what had happened; they now came clustering round us at a respectful distance, though, having seen the effects of our shot. the wind, however, was increasing, and the sea was getting up; and there seemed every probability of the schooner being completely wrecked. i bethought me, meantime, of mr. ormsby's directions. while the men were working away to heave her off, i went down into the cabin; having secured a rope round the chest mr. ormsby had placed under my charge, i got a long thin line to serve as a buoy-rope, and got hold of a piece of light wood, out of which to form the buoy. i did not think much, i own, of the danger we were in. the wind was increasing, the sea was getting up meantime, and i might have seen that the little craft would not hold together many hours exposed to such a sea as was likely to roll in on her. the junks were drawing in closer and closer, just waiting for the moment when, our masts going, we might be thrown into confusion; and they would have less difficulty in boarding. having done all i could below, i went on deck; the wind had greatly increased, the seas came rolling slowly in towards us; still, the crew, encouraged by our brave commander, laboured on. the cable by which we were hauling off was tight as a harp-string; the men were pressing with might and main upon the capstan-bars; those who were not thus employed were ordered to run from side to side--now forward, now to rush aft altogether. just then, through the gloom, we observed a heavy sea rolling in towards us; it might prove our destruction, or-"heave, lads! heave!" shouted our commander. with a bound, so it seemed, as the sea passed under us, the vessel came off the reef, and was quickly hauled up to the anchor. had it been daylight, the pirates would have discovered what had occurred; as it was, they probably did not find out that we were free. the cable was brought ahead, sail was made, the anchor was hove up, and away we shot, close-hauled, clear of the reef. i had gone below to get supper for the commander, for, as may be supposed, no one had eaten anything for some hours; soon afterwards he came into the cabin. "hillo! what is this?" he exclaimed, as he got his foot round the buoy-rope. i told him what i had done. he laughed. "well, jack," he said, "you did what every man should do--your duty. you attended to your own business, and looked after the property placed under your charge. however, i suspect if the schooner had gone to pieces, we none of us should have remained alive to tell what had become of my plate-chest. still, i will not forget this night's work, jack." i heard mr. ormsby tell the officers that he was not going to let the prows escape. "we must wait, however, till daylight," he observed, "or we may be getting on shore again." bumping on a pointed rock tries a vessel. scarcely had we got off, when one of the carpenter's mates, who acted as our carpenter, came aft. "she's making water very fast, sir," he said, addressing our commander. "it's as much as we can do to keep her afloat till the morning." "rig the pumps, then; and, mr. norton, send the hands to work them," said mr. ormsby, quite composedly. "we must not let the _fawn_ go down, whatever we do." in another minute the clank of the pumps was heard, and on it went--"clank! clank! clank!" i dropped asleep in the midst of it. when morning broke, a large fleet of prows was discovered about three miles to leeward; we immediately made sail, and stood down towards them, a bright look-out being kept for reefs and shoals. the size of the little vessel evidently encouraged the pirates. their numbers having been now increased, instead of running, they stood boldly up towards us. "we shall see some fun now, jack," said dicky plumb, "depend on that." in a short time we were near enough to open fire on the leading junks. they, in no way daunted, returned it with their long brass guns and gingals, peppering us very hotly. i rather suspect that mr. ormsby now saw that it would have been wiser had we kept clear of such gentry, especially in the sinking condition of the schooner; as long as the breeze held, and the schooner was under command, we could run here and there, raking the prows, and handling them very severely. at length, however, as the evening was coming on, the wind fell; our enemies, on this, were seen to get out their long sweeps, and come out towards us in a body, some on one side, some on the other. it was evident that we should have to fight for our lives; for the moment, not a man on board thought of the leak. i got hold of a cutlass, which i could handle pretty well, and a brace of pistols; mr. plumb armed himself in a similar manner. for some time we managed to keep the enemy at a distance with our guns, which we fired as rapidly as we could load them. it was now again almost dark. just as the nearest prow was about to board, down she went; our men cheered, and redoubled their efforts; but we had another big enemy on the other side. on she came, though hulled several times; her crew were ready to spring on board. mr. ormsby, aided by ned rawlings and one or two others and myself, had run in a gun, and loaded it; it was quickly run out again, and fired right down into the hold of the prow. just as the malays were about to spring on board, a thundering noise was heard; flames burst forth, and up went the vessel into the air; the schooner's sails were set on fire, and several of our people were hurt; my face was blackened all over, and so was dicky plumb's. down came the wreck of the prow on our deck, while the limbs of her unfortunate crew were sent right over us, some sticking in the rigging; this fearful event kept the rest of our enemies at a distance for a few minutes, and enabled us to put out the flames, and to clear away the wreck. scarcely, however, had we done this, than with fierce cries and shouts once more the prows pulled up towards us; we met them with further discharges of shot, but though many of their people were killed, yet a big prow grappled us on either side. so fiercely did our people fight, that not a man who reached the deck had time to recover his legs before he was cut down. joss exerted himself bravely, and though not big enough to handle a cutlass, kept bringing ammunition up from below, and then getting hold of a revolver, did good execution with it, running in and out among the men, and killing numbers of pirates as they attacked our people with their sharp scimitars. at length we succeeded in casting off the grapnels which the malays had thrown on board; and the breeze catching our topsails, we stood out once more from between them; we had, by this time, lost four or five of our men, three of whom were killed outright; and it seemed too likely, if the malays were determined to overpower us, they would do so. our young commander fought like a lion, and dicky plumb, i must say, fought like a lion's whelp; no sooner did a malay show his brown face over the bulwarks, than dicky was at him; indeed, all hands were doing their utmost. i will not boast of myself; in fact, if i had been ever so great a coward, i should have fought; for i felt very sure, and so did everybody on board, that if we did not fight, we should one and all be knocked on the head. directly there was a moment's cessation of firing we had to run to the pumps, and to work away for our lives to keep the vessel from sinking. again and again, however, the prows came round us, and no sooner had we beaten off one set, than others took their places. at length mr. ormsby was hit; he sank on the deck. dicky and i, who were standing near, ran to help him up. "don't give in, mason?" he shouted; "fight to the last!" "are you much hurt, sir?" i asked. "i don't know. lend me a handkerchief." the assistant-surgeon, who was fighting as furiously as any one, now hurried up, and bound a handkerchief tightly round mr. ormsby's leg. "give me my sword again!" he exclaimed. "there is some fight in me yet!" at that moment several fresh prows were making towards us. every man on board would be required to repel them. our guns were, however, all loaded ready to give them a warm reception. in spite of the hot fire we poured aboard them, on they came. now one of them grappled us on the starboard bow, while we had another on our quarter. and now, with loud shrieks and cries, the pirates began to spring upon the schooner's decks. "lads! we will sell our lives dearly?" exclaimed mr. ormsby. "yes; never say die?" shouted dicky plumb, in a shrill voice. the crew being divided, some went on the starboard bow and some on the port side, to repel the boarders. still it seemed impossible that we should drive them back altogether. the malays, from the prow on our bow, came pouring on board. mr. ormsby, with ned rawlings and dicky plumb, made a dash forward to try and repel them. just at that moment a loud, hearty british cheer saluted our ears. a blue light burst forth at our port bow, and a number of blue jackets were seen climbing up over the bulwarks, led by no less a person than our gallant captain himself. we could scarcely believe our senses when we saw them; in fact, i fancied it was a dream. they soon, however, by the way they treated the malays who had gained our decks, showed us that their appearance was a satisfactory reality. in a few seconds the fore part of the vessel was cleared; and now, sweeping up, they soon drove off the pirates who were leaping down on our quarters. in another instant, the prows were making the best of their way from us. "we must not let them go free!" exclaimed the captain; and calling his men into the boats, away they started after the prows. meantime, we could see the blue lights from the ship burning a couple of miles away to windward. the surgeon had now time to attend to mr. ormsby's wound. i was looking out for dicky plumb. he was nowhere to be seen. the thought came across me that he had been killed, or else that the malays, as they retired, had carried him off. we, meantime, made sail and followed the boats. four prows were captured. we could see their men jumping overboard as the boats dashed alongside. daylight at length broke. there lay the schooner, her decks bloody, her bulwarks shattered, and her rigging cut up. portions of wreck floated round us. not a human being, however, was to be seen. the four captured prows lay close together, and half a mile off was the old _roarer_, standing towards us under all sail. captain sharpe now came on board, and greatly to my satisfaction dicky plumb came with him. he had slipped into the captain's boat as he shoved off, as he said, to see a little more of the fun. the _roarer_, we found, was on her way to calcutta. as soon as we were again free of the pirates, the hands were again sent to the pumps. mr. ormsby had done his best to keep the crew ignorant of the condition of the vessel. it now became evident, however, that, pump as hard as we could, she could scarcely be kept afloat. captain sharpe was convinced of this as soon as he returned on board. he at once ordered mr. ormsby and the other wounded men into the boats. fresh hands went to the pumps, but all they could do was in vain. "all hands into the boats?" shouted our captain. there was not a moment to lose. i got hold of mr. ormsby's sextant and chronometer, and scarcely had i leaped with them into one of the boats, than the schooner gave a plunge, and down she went, her pennant streaming up, the last object seen as she disappeared beneath the surface. the end of it, however, floated for a few seconds. she had gone down, it was evident, in shallow water. "hillo! what is that buoy floating there?" asked the captain. my heart gave a jump of pleasure. "it's mr. ormsby's chest," i answered, and i told him what i had done. the launch and pinnace were ordered up, and in a short time the chest was weighed and safely got on board, and i got highly praised for being the means of saving it. the surviving pirates being taken out of the prows, they were set on fire, and we watched them burning to the water's edge, while we sailed away after their companions. "what are we to do with these black fellows, i wonder?" i asked of sergeant turbot. "why, i suppose, jack, they will all be hung, as a lesson to their friends," he replied, "not to go and do the same; but to my mind these fellows are terribly hard to teach." chapter eleven. in the pirate stronghold. the navigation of those seas is ticklish work, and we knew that unless great care was taken, we might run the old _roarer_ on a rock, as we had the little _fawn_, with much more serious consequences--once hard and fast, we were not likely to get the old barky off again. a lookout was stationed at the foretop mast-head, and at the fore yard-arms, to watch the appearance of the sea, and give notice of any change of colour; while the hands were at their stations, ready to shorten sail, or to brace the yards sharp up, should any danger appear ahead. danger, however, was not likely to deter captain sharpe in any course which he conceived it his duty to follow. "these pirates must be put down," i heard him observe to mr. blunt. "the only way to do so is to follow them up whenever we can get tidings of them, to burn their villages and their vessels, and to hang them whenever we can catch them in the act. they understand no other kind of treatment. i remember once, in the mediterranean, capturing a greek pirate. we let him go, as he showed a letter from the master of a merchantman, in which great gratitude was expressed for the way in which the greek had behaved. we found, however, that the fellow had plundered the vessel of everything of value immediately after he had got possession of the letter. i caught him again the following year, and asked him how, after once he had been so generously pardoned, he could think of returning to his piratical ways. "`ah, signore,' he answered, `it is our nature. had you hung me then, i should no longer have gone pirating.' "we put an effectual stop to his career this time, and he submitted with the most perfect grace; it was our business to hang him--it was his fate to be hung." i did not forget our captain's remarks. i felt much pleased when mr. ormsby sent to desire that i might attend on him while he lay suffering from his wound. "i know that i can trust him to you, junker," said the surgeon, "and take care he has his medicine at the exact hour i mark down." "i am thankful to have you by me, jack," said mr. ormsby. "you have behaved admirably, and i shall always be glad to render you any assistance in my power." i will not say that these remarks did not raise me somewhat in my own estimation. i do not see how it could have been otherwise; and vague ideas of what i might perhaps become by-and-by, floated through my mind. i was the son of a marine only, but then he was a sergeant, and my mother was certainly a lady by birth, though she might have been supposed to have lowered herself when she married my honest father. "well, well, that may be all nonsense," i thought over and over again, "and yet, if there is an opportunity, i will try to distinguish myself. i may, to be sure, get knocked on the head, and then there will be an end to the matter; but still, people do go through all sorts of dangers, and come out without even a scratch." all day long the _roarer_ ran on, when towards evening we stood into a bay, where she brought up. it was supposed that the pirates were hiding away in the neighbourhood, and during the night a bright lookout was kept, lest any of the prows, not aware of our vicinity, might be stealing by. i sat up, as long as i could keep awake, with mr. ormsby; but at length the surgeon sent me to my hammock, he or one of the midshipmen taking my place. he, however, had a good deal himself to do, looking after the other wounded men. when the sun rose there was not a breath of wind, the water in the bay looking like a polished mirror, so clear, that we could see the fish swimming about, far down below the surface. at length the land breeze came off the shore, the anchor was hove up, and we once more made sail. i may as well say that this sort of work continued for several days. mr. ormsby was gradually recovering, so that he did not require much of my attendance. dicky plumb met me one day. "jack," he said, "i have been making interest, in case there is any boat-work, that i may be employed, and i have asked, if i go, that you may go also. of course the old _roarer_ herself is never likely to get hold of any of these fellows. they can see her coming, and hide away without difficulty, but with the boats it may be a very different matter." the very day after this we brought up as usual in a sheltered bay, the high points on either side covered with trees completely concealing the ship. it was dusk before we came to an anchor, so that, unless the people on shore had been expressly looking for us, we were very likely to have escaped observation. as soon as the sails were furled, the captain issued an order for five boats to be got ready, and armed with provisions for a couple of days, and it soon became known that he himself intended to lead our expedition in search of the pirates. the captain went in one of the boats, the second-lieutenant with the master and two mates in the others. dicky told me he was going with mr. mason. "and you are to take an oar in the boat, as barket, who belongs to her, is ill. depend upon it, we shall see some fun. the captain would not trouble himself, unless he felt pretty sure of bagging a few pirates." there was a thin crescent moon in the sky, just sufficient to enable us to see the land, but not affording light enough to betray our approach to any of the people on shore. i should say that two days before we had fallen in with a trading junk proceeding northward. captain sharpe had questioned the master, and having treated him very liberally, obtained, i fancy, a good deal of information from him. as the chinaman sailed away to the northward, there was no danger of his carrying the information of our being on the coast to the pirates, had he been so disposed. he, however, was probably very thankful to us for endeavouring to put an end to the career of those "ocean gatherers of blackmail." the men, having had their suppers, got ready for the expedition. we all had pistols in our belts and cutlasses by our sides, while in each boat there were several muskets besides those carried by the marines. in the bow of the launch, as also in that of the pinnace, there was a long brass gun, which could throw a shot well able to send a pirate prow to the bottom in the course of a few discharges. the captain gave the order to shove off, and following him closely, the flotilla of boats pulled away to the southward. i could not help looking every now and then at the big ship, as her dark hull, and masts and yards rose up against the clear sky. our oars had been muffled, so that the pirates might not be warned of our approach. the only sound heard was the light splash of the blades, as they clove the calm surface of the water, and the light ripple caused by our stems as we glided through it. we had to round a high wooded point, which in a short time hid the ship from our sight. we now coasted along at some distance from the land, but sufficiently near to discover any prows which might be at anchor. hour after hour we pulled on, but no suspicious craft were seen which might tempt us to overhaul them. not a word was exchanged between the different boats, for sound is carried at night over a calm sea-especially in that clear atmosphere--to an immense distance, and had we laughed or talked, we might easily have betrayed our approach. "slow work this, mason," whispered mr. plumb. "i hope, however, we shall have our reward before long." we soon after this saw behind us a high wooded point, very like the one near which the _roarer_ lay. just then the captain dropped alongside each boat, and told the officers to be prepared, as he fully believed we should find a fleet of piratical prows on the other side. this put us all on the look-out. each man might be seen tightening his belt, and feeling to ascertain that his pistol was ready at hand. keeping close together, we followed our brave leader round the point. scarcely had we opened the bay, when we made out a large fleet of prows at anchor, close in with the shore. it would have been difficult to count them. "lads," said the captain, as he again dropped alongside, "i expect you to be cool and obey orders. you are to attack each prow in succession. two will attack one and two the other, and i will move on to wherever i am most required. no cheering till we are actually on board and the vessel is our own. we must make sharp work of it, and i hope daylight will see the pirate fleet either taken or destroyed. no cheering, lads, now. that is just what i expect you to do." saying this, the captain once more took his position at the head of the little squadron. how calm and quiet and peaceable looked that bay! not a ripple broke the surface of the water, which reflected the stars that glittered in the clear heaven. like a snake springing on its prey, the line of boats advanced towards the prows. our approach was not perceived, as far as we could judge. probably the malays, trusting in their numbers, and not aware of the neighbourhood of the ship, kept no watch. there was one awkward question, which i suppose our captain had asked himself--were the people we were going to attack really pirates or honest traders? he, i conclude, had received information which made him sure that they were pirates; if not, that they had been, or would be, if opportunity offered. if they were the gentry who had burned the merchant vessel and attacked the _fawn_, they deserved punishment, there was no doubt about that. steadily we advanced, every moment expecting to have a fire of gingals opened upon us. the pirates slept soundly; not even a dog barked on board any of their vessels. as we got nearer we saw the masts of a square-rigged vessel rising up in their midst. she was probably their prize. this made our captain more certain that they were the pirates he hoped to find. on we steadily went till the leading boat was within twenty yards of a large prow, two others appearing close astern of her, while the others were anchored in line, the barque--for such she appeared to be--inside of all; indeed, from the way she heeled over, we judged that she was aground. there seemed to be every probability of our getting on board unobserved, when suddenly a shout was heard from the deck of the nearest prow, and a bullet directly afterwards whistled over our heads. numerous other wild cries and shouts arose from the nearest vessel, quickly taken up by those astern of her. "on, lads!" cried our captain. "remember my directions?" scarcely had he spoken, when his boat dashed alongside the prow, two others following his example; we pushed on to the next. there was no time for thought before we were clambering up her side and engaged hand to hand in a desperate conflict with her dark-skinned crew, looking still darker in the gloom of night, grinning, and shouting, and hacking away at us with their sharp sabres, while others fired their matchlocks and gingals in our faces. our pistols and cutlasses, were, however, well matched to them; i kept close to dicky plumb, who sprang on board with the greatest gallantry. the glitter of dicky's uniform seemed to excite the fury of the malays; three big fellows making a dash at him together. i turned aside the sword of one fellow who was about to cut him down; but it would have gone hard with him, had not ned rawlings, who was with us, sprung forward, and with a sweep of his cutlass settled the other two; the remainder of the crew, finding that resistance was vain, leaped overboard, and attempted to swim on shore. no quarter was asked for; the pirates were not accustomed to give it themselves, and probably expected none. in ten minutes not a malay remained alive on board. according to orders, as soon as we had captured one vessel, we leaped again into our boats, and pulled off to the next; in another instant we were alongside her, with pikes being poked down at us, and matchlocks and gingals fired in our faces. though two of our men had been wounded, no one as yet had been killed. in spite of the warm reception we met with, we managed to climb on board, and we went through much the same scene as that before enacted; we found the malays no despicable enemies, for they fought with the greatest desperation, even when all hope of victory had been lost. as on board the other vessel, no one would yield; and after a third of the crew had been killed, the remainder sprang overboard, some being drowned, others, probably, reaching the shore in safety. it might have been wise if we had set the captured prows on fire immediately; but probably our captain wished to recover the cargo of the barque, which they might have got on board, and therefore spared them till there was time to search their holds. we went on from vessel to vessel, not always seeing what became of those who jumped overboard. we had captured eight or ten in this way, when the remainder were seen to be cutting their cables, and running on shore; at the same time, the first vessel we had captured was observed to be moving; there could be little doubt that the malays who had jumped overboard from the other prows had contrived to reach her; as she was the largest, and had a considerable amount of cargo on board, they probably thought it worth while running every risk in the hope of escaping with her. mr. mason was the first to discover what had occurred, and ordered us immediately into the boat; we then pulled away in chase. the prow was making towards a point which formed one side of the bay; she had already got a considerable start before she had been perceived. we had had by this time one of our number killed and two wounded, who, though they persisted in keeping at the oars, could not put forth their usual strength; one, indeed, had before long to give up; still mr. mason persevered, hoping to overtake the prow before she could reach the shore. as we shoved off from the last vessel we had taken, he shouted to the crew of the boat which had boarded with us, saying where we were going; but probably he was not heard, for we were left to make chase alone. we had four marines with us, who stood up every now and then, and fired at the enemy, but that only made them pull away the faster; we were gaining on them, but not very rapidly. now and then, the enemy fired at us in return. "pull away, lads i pull away!" shouted dicky every now and then, helping the stroke oar. the prow was getting nearer and nearer the shore. it seemed very doubtful whether we should overtake her before she reached it. still, the example set by captain sharpe was followed by his officers. his motto was "persevere," so was theirs. at length the prow got within twenty fathoms of the beach. we were almost up with her, when the other wounded man i spoke of gave in, sinking down, poor fellow! at his oar. this hindered us when we were almost up to the vessel. once more we were on the point of hooking on, when the prow dashed high up on the beach. at that moment, a number of men with firearms rushed out from among the trees and rocks, and began peppering away at us. "we will board her first, and drive them away afterwards," shouted mr. mason, springing up the side of the vessel. dicky plumb and i followed him, with ned rawlings, the marines covering us with their muskets as we did so. the enemy soon gave way, the greater number rushing over the bows and wading on shore. we had recaptured the prow, but just as we were congratulating ourselves on our easy victory, bright flames burst forth from the fore part of the vessel, spreading rapidly. to extinguish them was impossible. "to the boats, lads!" shouted mr. mason, "or the craft may be blowing up and carrying us with her. we must punish these fellows, however." the warning came just in time. scarcely had we jumped into the boat and made towards the beach, than up went the vessel, almost overwhelming us with her burning fragments; indeed, it seemed a wonder that we should have escaped, so close were we at the time. many pieces, indeed, fell on the outside of us--no large portion, happily, striking the boat. led by mr. mason, we dashed on shore, and with our four marines, who had fixed bayonets--the rest of us armed with cutlasses--charged the enemy. they ran away--the wisest thing they could do, but we followed, which was not at all a wise thing. the malays first fled along the beach, we every now and then firing at them; then they turned inland. still, as long as we kept sight of them, mr. mason led us on. rocks and trees were on either side of us. just as we were leaving the beach, i thought i heard a shout from the boat, in which were the wounded men and a couple of hands left to keep her afloat. our blood was up, mr. mason vowing that, though the malays might run fast, he would overtake them. we had now got a considerable distance from the beach, when our enemies disappeared. they had evidently concealed themselves among the trees and rocks. it was equally evident that we had done a very foolish thing. all we could now do was to retrace our steps; that, however, was not quite so easy a matter. before we had moved a hundred yards we discovered that we had lost our way. with daylight we might have found it, but in the darkness we could not discover a glimpse of the sea. just then we caught sight of numerous dark forms appearing above the rocks and among the trees. slowly they closed in upon us. we were surrounded by our enemies; there was no doubt about that. they were well armed with matchlocks, for we saw the matches fizzing away at their belts, while we had only four muskets and half a dozen pistols. our cutlasses and the marines' bayonets would have enabled us, perhaps, to have fought our way out from among our enemies, could we have seen it. "there is no help for it; i am afraid it is all up with us, lads!" cried mr. mason, as some fifty armed men pressed closer and closer round us. "we must sell our lives dearly!" the threatening gestures of the enemy showed us that we must do this, if we could not escape. an open space, however, appeared before us. "fire, and then charge?" cried mr. mason. the order was obeyed. several of the malays fell, and on we dashed. they, in return, however, poured in a shower of bullets upon us, which knocked over two of the marines, and hit another of the seamen. "on, on, lads! we must regain the beach!" cried mr. mason; and we fought our way on for another fifty yards. the malays had, however, in the meantime reloaded their pieces, and a second deadly discharge was poured in upon us. our leader fell, as did the two marines and three more of our men. ned rawlings, dicky, and i, indeed, were the only ones of the whole party untouched. hearing poor mr. mason groan, dicky and i stooped down to lift up his head. "i just now caught sight of the water," cried ned rawlings. "if you will help him up on my back, i'll carry him off to the boat." we instantly lifted mr. mason on ned's broad shoulders, and as the malays did not press on us, there seemed a possibility of success. they, however, seeing only two persons able to fight, now made a rush towards us. we, of course, thought our last moments had come. resistance was useless. instead, however, of cutting us down, they seized us by the arms, wrenched our cutlasses out of our hands, and dragged us along as prisoners. they soon caught hold of ned, who, however, would not let mr. mason go. he was soon brought up to where we were. mr. mason could, by this time, scarcely speak. "put me down, my good fellow," he said, "it is useless; i have received my deathblow; i only hope these fellows will not murder you and the lads. put me down, i beg you; you only increase my suffering by attempting to carry me." very unwillingly, ned obeyed him. mr. mason then made signs to the malays, entreating them to spare our lives; and trying to explain to them, that if they did so, we should certainly be ransomed, and they would be the gainers. they seemed to understand him, for they held a consultation together, as if to decide what was to be done with us. it was an anxious time, for we knew that they were just as likely to settle to cut off our heads as to allow them to remain on our shoulders. we, meantime, sat down near poor mr. mason; he had been shot in two places, and though we managed to tie handkerchiefs over the wounds, we could do no more. his voice grew weaker and weaker; at length he made no answer to our remarks, and when i lifted up his hand it fell helplessly by his side. "he's gone, lads," said ned rawlings. "he was a brave officer, but he wanted judgment in bringing us into this fix." the malays seemed to have decided to let us live; binding our arms behind us, they dragged us all three off up the country. at length we heard some dogs barking, and lights were seen glimmering ahead; and in a few minutes we found ourselves in the midst of a village of huts, with bamboo-built walls and roofs thatched with leaves. dawn was just breaking. a number of dark-skinned women and children came out, chattering and screeching, and eagerly pressing round the white prisoners. "keep up your spirits, jack!" said dicky to me. "if we put a bold face on the matter we are more likely to gain their respect than if we allow them to suppose that we are frightened." the inhabitants having satisfied their curiosity, we were carried into a hut, in which we all three were shut up; the furniture consisting only of a mat spread on the ground. "can't say i like the look of those chaps," said ned rawlings to me. "shouldn't be surprised but what after all they meant to kill and eat us. i have heard say that there are some chaps in these parts who do that sort of thing." "i hope not," i observed. "i think they would have knocked us on the head at first, if they had intended to do so; and, considering that they must feel rather savage at having their vessels destroyed, we are fortunate in not being killed." "well, the wisest thing we can do is to make the best of it," observed mr. plumb; "and as i feel pretty tired i will lie down on this mat and go to sleep." saying this the midshipman coiled himself up on the ground, and in another minute was snoring away as if he were in his own hammock. i felt very much inclined to follow his example; ned, however, seemed to think that it was his duty to keep watch, and when i lay down, i saw him still sitting up, and evidently intending to keep awake. in a very few minutes i was as sound asleep as mr. plumb; how long i had slept i do not know, when i was awoke by the sound of firing, and loud shouts and cheers in the distance; the midshipman also awoke, and we all sat listening attentively, hoping that our friends were coming to the rescue. the sounds grew louder and louder. ned tried to force open the door, but though made only of bamboo, the fastenings were so strong that he could not succeed. now arose the cries and shouts of the malays, and the sound of their matchlocks, as they fought desperately to defend the approach to their village. "if they are beaten, they will come in and knock us on the head in revenge," said dicky plumb. "it cannot be helped, though; i wish we were out of this, however, for we might then have, at all events, a run for life." the sounds grew louder and louder. it was evident that our captors were being driven back. "it is just like our captain," observed dicky. "when he found one of the boats missing, he came on shore to look for her, and then discovered this village, and determined to attack it, hoping to find us inside. he will be very sorry when he hears of the death of mr. mason and the other poor fellows." "i think we could get out through the roof of this place, though we cannot force open the door," observed ned, beginning to climb up the side. in a little time he had worked a hole in the thick thatch; in another minute he was through it. "now, sir, catch hold of my hand and i'll haul you up," he said to mr. plumb. the midshipman was speedily on the top of the hut; i followed, hauled up by the same friendly hand, scarcely had i reached the top when the door of the hut was opened, and we heard several voices utter exclamations of surprise. "follow me," whispered mr. plumb; "there is not a moment to be lost! we must run for it, that's evident!" we dropped down to the ground as noiselessly as we could. it was broad daylight; but, happily, we had got to the rear of the hut, which, as it seemed, was on the outside of the village. the ground was very wild and rough, sloping rapidly down towards the sea. we had got a considerable distance, however, before we were discovered. as soon as we were seen the malays pursued us, for they had no intention that we should escape. several shots were sent after us, but from the roughness of the ground, as we kept leaping from rock to rock, we escaped being hit. our enemies pursued us, determined to prevent our escape. if we were active, so were they; and away we all went, leaping from rock to rock, they jumping as we did. a curious sight it must have been to any one looking on. a stumble or fall would have been fatal. we mercifully kept our legs; still, they were overtaking us, when we caught sight of a party of our own men, who finding that side of the hill undefended were advancing towards the village. we ran towards them. and now the tables were turned, and the malays had to scramble back as fast as they had come. in the meantime captain sharpe with the main body was fighting his way up towards the village, the road being desperately defended by the piratical inhabitants. conducted by us, the smaller party we had joined now attacked the enemy in flank. they at length gave way, though they bravely covered the retreat of their women and children. a large number of the men were killed, but we were too glad to let the others escape. having driven out the inhabitants, we were now ordered to search for booty. we had soon ample proof of the character of the people by the various bales of silk and cotton goods, cutlery, and other articles which were discovered in different store-houses, apparently the property of the rajah and other principal men. having made a thorough search, and collected all the articles of value to be found, we conveyed them down to the boats. this done, the village was set on fire in several places, to secure its complete destruction--no very difficult matter, considering the materials of which it was composed. we then pulled back towards the barque which i have before mentioned. her unfortunate crew and passengers, for she apparently had had some, were all murdered. not a human being belonging to her could be discovered. how the malays had allowed dicky, rawlings, and myself to escape, we could not at first tell. we had, i should say, taken a few prisoners, and among them was a lad who was discovered to be the rajah's son. it was concluded, therefore, that they had spared our lives for the sake of exchanging us for him. our victory was complete; for we had captured all their prows, and recovered the merchant vessel they had carried off. it had, however, been dearly purchased; for we had lost the best part of a boat's crew and a boat which the malays had destroyed. the cries we heard just before leaving the beach we found afterwards had been those of our unfortunate countrymen when they were attacked by the malays, who had immediately put them to death. as soon as all the articles of value had been taken out of the prows and put on board the prize, they were set on fire, and, burning rapidly, one after the other quickly went to the bottom. the prize, i should have said, had been hove off the shore. a breeze now springing up, sail was made, and taking our boats in tow, we stood back to the _roarer_. it was hoped that the lesson we had given the pirates would make them and their friends behave better for the future. we cruised for another fortnight in search of any similar gentry. the barque was very useful, as while we lay at anchor, concealed in some wooded bay, she was sent out to act as a bait, for the purpose of drawing any pirates from their lairs. fifty hands were sent on board her, including a dozen marines, besides which she was armed with four long sixes and half a dozen brass swivels. after all, however, the pirates were too wary, and the bait did not take. at length, without any further success, our time to remain in those seas was up, and captain sharpe had, according to orders, to proceed to calcutta. chapter twelve. i get promoted. we brought up for a few days at singapore. it is a large place, numerous fine buildings, warehouses, public edifices, and private residences extending along the shore to a considerable distance, while the harbour is full of vessels of all nations from china, japan, russia, america, and every portion of the eastern seas. i had never before seen such a curious collection of rigs, the _roarer_ looking somewhat like a leviathan among minnows. summary justice was here executed on the pirates we had captured, many of them having been taken red-handed from the murder of the crew of the barque. they themselves died with the most perfect indifference, fully impressed with the idea that they had lived excellent lives, and that their last act was highly meritorious. it was necessary, however, to read a lesson to the crews of the numberless vessels crowding the harbour, who would carry an account of the execution wherever they went, and show the piratical tribes that the english were determined to make them change their mode of life for one of a more peaceable character, and more conducive to the prosperity of commerce in those regions. the son of the rajah whom we had captured was, however, pardoned; and it was made known that this was in consequence of the way we had been treated by our captors. the young gentleman was, however, not allowed to return to his family and friends, but kept at singapore that he might receive instruction, and be induced to lead a more creditable life than his father and his ancestors had probably done. at first he begged very hard that instead of going to school he might be taken off and hung at the yard-arm as his friends had been. however, he shortly became reconciled to his lot, and is, i have reason to believe, by this time a very respectable member of civilised society. sergeant turbot told me that in his younger days he had come out to singapore when it was little better than a sandbank with a few tumble-down huts upon it, inhabited by the followers of the rajah, whose chief occupation was to pounce out and rob all passers-by. "that was a good many years ago, as you may suppose," said the sergeant. "there was, however, at that time, a man out in these parts who had a head on his shoulders. he was called sir stamford raffles. he was governor of java, which our government, very foolishly, afterwards gave up to the dutch, who owned it before we took it. well, sir stamford saw that it was very important to have a place to which the traders in those seas could resort under english protection, and so he got the government to purchase the island from the malay owners, and it was established as a free port. that was all that was done. people very quickly came and bought the land and built the warehouses, and the place became what you now see it." we had to keep a bright look-out as we passed through the straits of malacca. we made the northern end of sumatra and were about a couple of days' sail from it when the weather gave indications of a coming typhoon. all hands were on deck shortening sail when down it came upon us. over heeled the old ship, and it seemed at first as if the masts would be taken out of her, or that she would go over altogether. she righted, however, and by desperate exertions she was made snug before any great damage was done. it reminded us somewhat of the one we had encountered at hong kong, but it was not so severe. had we, however, delayed another five minutes in shortening sail, it would have made us look very foolish. all night we lay hove-to, trusting to one who looks after sailors, but feeling that we could do very little for ourselves. next morning by daybreak the weather began to moderate. the hands had just been sent aloft to shake a reef out of the topsails, when dicky plumb, who was in the foretop, shouted out-"a vessel on the lee bow! dismasted! she seems a large ship, sir!" all eyes were turned in the direction to which mr. plumb pointed, but as yet the ship could not be seen from the deck. mr. ormsby accordingly went aloft, and soon found that mr. plumb was right. the _roarer_ was accordingly kept away towards her. as we approached her we saw signals of distress flying from a spar which had been secured to the stump of the mainmast, and, on passing near her, a man held up a board on which was written, "we are sinking! no time to be lost!" there was, however, still a good deal of sea running, and it was no easy matter for a boat to go alongside a vessel rolling as she was, without any masts to steady her. captain sharpe, however, was not a man to desert his fellow-creatures in distress; indeed, i may say, it would be hard to find a captain in the british navy who would do so. we accordingly hove-to to leeward of the ship, and made a signal that we would send assistance as soon as possible. after waiting for a little time the boats were lowered. mr. blunt went in one of them, and mr. ormsby in the other. we watched them anxiously as they pulled towards the dismasted ship. now they seemed as if about to be thrown upon her deck; now they sank down, and it appeared impossible that they could escape being crushed by her as she rolled over. at length, however, with great risk they got alongside, and we could see several women and children being lowered into them, and also a few men. at length they once more shoved off, and we watched them anxiously as they returned to the _roarer_. i was standing near dicky plumb at the time they approached the ship; i saw him fix his eyes intently on one of the boats; he seized a glass and looked towards it:-"yes, i'm sure i'm right! why, i do believe there is my respected mother! yes, and there is the brigadier and my sisters! yes, yes! how wonderful! pray heaven they may be got on board in safety!" he added, with more feeling than i had ever before known him exhibit. every preparation had been made by captain sharpe to get the people out of the boats as they came alongside. the young ladies were first lifted up, for mrs. brigadier would not go till she had seen them and her husband safe on board; she came last, and not till then did she discover that the ship was the _roarer_, and that her son was on board. she received dicky very affectionately; again and again she pressed him in her arms, and the tears rolled down her somewhat furrowed cheeks. of course, his father and sisters exhibited the feeling that might have been expected. the boats returned immediately to the ship; and, to make a long story short, all the people from her were got safely on board; scarcely, however, had the last person left her, when her bows lifted, and then down she went as if to make a long dive; we looked, and looked in vain; she was never more destined to come up again. "oh, jack!" said dicky, a short time afterwards to me, "i am so thankful that my father and mother, and those dear sisters of mine, were got safely on board the _roarer_; suppose we had been too late, and they had all gone to the bottom! and, i say, jack, i have been talking about you; and have told them all the things you have been doing; and they want to see you, and have a talk with you; the captain, too, i can tell you, has been praising you, and said--what i have often said--that you ought to be on the quarter-deck." i thanked master dicky for his kind wishes; but replied (and i must honestly confess i did not speak the truth), that i had no ambition that way, but was very jovial and happy where i was. "maybe, jack," he answered, "but i rather think you would find yourself still more jovial and happy as a midshipman." well, i had to go on the quarter-deck, where mrs. brigadier shook hands with me, as did the young ladies and the brigadier himself. "i have heard a good deal about you, young man," said the old officer, taking me aside. "if it had not been for you i should have lost my son; and, since then, i hear you have done many gallant things. i think also that there is another reason why mrs. brigadier is bound to give you a helping hand. do you happen to know your mother's maiden name?" "evans, sir--mary evans." "i thought so," he said; "evans was my wife's name. there were two sisters: one married a private of marines, and the other a captain, as i then was; but blood is blood, and i am not the man to deny its claims. your father is a fine, honest fellow, and i should not have been ashamed to call him brother-in-law therefore; in fact, jack junker, you are my nephew." i will not say how i felt; indeed, i cannot very clearly. i know i felt very jovial; and my heart bumped and thumped in a way it had never done before. i thanked my uncle, the brigadier, for his kindness; and told him i was very glad i had been of service to his son--though i little dreamed at the time that he was my cousin--and that i liked him for himself; and that ever since i had been on board the _roarer_ he had proved a steady friend to me. i confess one thing--i could not help secretly hoping that my new aunt would not be too demonstrative in her affection. dicky soon afterwards came up, and shook me warmly by the hand. "you are to be on the quarter-deck from this day forward," he exclaimed. "i am so glad! i have not been more jovial for many a day. the brigadier is to get your outfit, so you will have no trouble or bother about the matter." this announcement was confirmed soon afterwards by captain sharpe himself, who complimented me very kindly on my conduct on several occasions; and said that even had not the brigadier and my aunt made the application, he himself purposed endeavouring to obtain an appointment for me on our arrival in england. from that day i entered the midshipmen's berth; and, to the credit of my new messmates, i must say they treated me with the greatest kindness and consideration. of course, i was only provisionally a midshipman, but there was no doubt of my appointment being confirmed by the proper authorities, as captains have no longer the power they once had of making midshipmen. dicky and i had a very pleasant time of it at calcutta; he, generous fellow, insisting on calling me cousin, and introducing me wherever he went. we were both very sorry when at length the ship was ordered away on her return to england; however, our feelings were not shared in by the majority of the officers and ship's company, who rejoiced at the thoughts of once more returning to the shores of their native land. by the time we reached england, i found that my father had gone to sea, my sisters were married, and our poor stepmother had been driven out of existence by her uproarious offspring. ned rawlings, on our arrival, in consequence of the recommendation of captain sharpe, got his warrant as a boatswain. sergeant turbot went on shore with his company, and he told me that he thought if he was ever ordered foreign again, he must quit the service. "as long as i have got a ship's deck or a plain to fight on--provided there's not much marching--it's all very well, jack," he said; "but if i had to climb a hill, i should run a risk of losing my honour, if not my life, for up it i never could get." i was very glad to find that shortly afterwards he got a snug little appointment, and was never likely again to be sent to sea. little joss, who had accompanied us to england, remained on shore as a servant in captain sharpe's family. becoming a christian, he had no desire to return to his own country; and being a faithful and intelligent fellow, he ultimately became the captain's butler, a position he still holds. i occasionally have the honour of dining with my old captain, and at no house am i so well looked after by the servants. i always stop afterwards to have a yarn about the flowery land with mr. joss. he tells me that he thinks he could do very well at hong kong, and i should not be surprised to find him going off to establish himself there, with the wages gained during his long and faithful service. dicky and i, soon afterwards, through captain sharpe's interest, got appointed to a smart frigate; and when she was paid off, he having served his time, received his promotion as a lieutenant. all nonsense had long since been knocked out of him; and he was a universal favourite with officers and men, and acknowledged to be as gallant a fellow as ever walked a ship's deck. captain sharpe is now an admiral, and highly esteemed in the service. one of my cousins married mr. ormsby, who a short time before had been made a commander; and when i am not at sea i always find a pleasant home at his house, or at that of my kind-hearted uncle, who, after a few more years' service, returned to england, and, in spite of his liver, has managed to live to a green old age. mrs. brigadier has in no way changed; and owing to her exertions, dicky, in a short time, was made a commander, and i became a lieutenant--a rank i at present hold. my friends flatter me, by saying that i am such a very good first-lieutenant, that it would be a loss to the service to make me a commander. i am jovial and contented as ever; and after all, in my opinion, i am in a far more enviable position than many who, as they think, have risen to the summit of fame. -----------------------------------------------------------------------the end. the boy who sailed with blake, by w.h.g. kingston. ________________________________________________________________________ another vintage kingston book, this time with a background of the 1650s, when cromwell and the roundheads were in power. with acknowledgement to chamber's biographical dictionary we read: blake, robert (1599-1657) english naval commander, the son of a merchant. educated at wadham college, oxford, he continued his father's business and led the life of a quiet country gentleman until he was 40. returned for bridgwater in 1640 to the short parliament, he cast in his lot with the parliamentarians. in the civil war he took part in the defence of bristol (1643) and lyme regis (1644), and his defence of taunton (1644-45) against overwhelming odds proved a turning point in the war. appointed admiral in 1649, he destroyed prince rupert's fleet and captured the scilly isles and jersey. in the first dutch war (1652-54) he defeated tromp at the battle of portland and shattered dutch supremacy at sea. he destroyed the barbary coast pirate fleet off tunis (1655) and in 1657 destroyed a spanish treasure fleet at santa cruz off teneriffe. he died as his ship entered plymouth, and was buried in westminster abbey, but his body was removed at the restoration. he is considered one of the greatest of english admirals, second only to nelson. that was the background to this story. the only thing that upset your transcriber is that he is by nature on the side of the cavaliers and the monarchy, rather than that of the roundheads. ________________________________________________________________________ the boy who sailed with blake, by w.h.g. kingston. the following story is not one of reckless adventure, nor one in which fighting and bloodshed are introduced to fan a spurious spirit of heroism. it is the reproduction of a page of history, and a most important one, when good men held not their lives dear to uphold and defend that which was dearer than life--civil and religious liberty. the example of blake is held up to the boys of to-day, not because he fought and conquered, but because he was a conscientious, god-fearing man, and his conscience told him that the best interests of his country demanded resistance to the stuart rule. such a man as blake was a hero everywhere, and needed not a quarter-deck to display his heroism. chapter one. my friends and i. "hark! the bells of saint michael's are sending forth a jovial peal!" exclaimed lancelot kerridge, as he, dick harvey, and i were one day on board his boat fishing for mackerel, about two miles off the sea-port town of lyme. "what they are saying i should mightily like to know, for depend on't it's something of importance. haul in the lines, ben!" he continued, addressing me; "and, dick, put an oar out to windward. i'll take the helm. we shall fetch the cob by keeping our luff." the wind was off shore, but as we were to the westward of the cob, and the tide was making in the same direction, we could easily fetch it. the water was smooth, the sea blue and bright as the eyes of sweet cicely kerridge, my friend lancelot's young sister, while scarcely a cloud dimmed the clear sky overhead. lyme, then containing but one thousand inhabitants, where my two companions and i lived, is situated in dorsetshire, near its western border, on the northern shore of a wide bay, formed by the bill of portland on the east and the start point on the west. along the coast are several other towns, of which dartmouth, owing to its excellent harbour, is the most considerable, besides numerous villages, including charmouth and uplyme. a line of cliffs of no great height extends away on either side of lyme, which stands at the bottom of a valley; while beyond it rise the green slopes of colway and uplyme, hills overlooking the town. on the eastern side was the house of my father, captain roger bracewell. he had commanded several of the trading ships of master humphrey blake, of bridgwater, at one time a merchant of renown, and the father of captain robert blake, who had already made his name famous for his gallant defence of prior's hill when bristol was besieged by prince rupert, until it was yielded in a dastardly fashion by governor fiennes. my father retiring from the sea with a competency, having married late in life, settled in lyme, his native place. his house, which overlooked the bay, was of the better sort, with curious gables, and a balcony supported on strong wooden pillars in front, where he was wont to sit, smoking his pipe, and enjoying a view of the ocean he still loved full well, with the ships--their white canvas spread to the breeze--sailing by in the distance, or approaching to take shelter in our roadstead. there were a few other residences of the same character; but most of the houses were built of soft stone, with thatched roofs, forming four irregular narrow streets, with several narrower lanes of no very dignified character. still, we were fond of our little town, and had reasons to be proud of it from the events i am about to describe. my two friends and i spent much of our time on the water. lancelot, my senior by two years, was the son of the worshipful master kerridge, mayor of lyme, and dick's father was mr harvey, a man of considerable wealth and influence in the neighbourhood, brother-in-law of mr ceely, who had been made governor of the town by the parliament. our fathers were puritans and staunch parliamentarians. they had become so in consequence of the faithlessness of the king, and the attempt of laud to introduce popish rites and to enslave the consciences of free-born englishmen. who, indeed, could have witnessed the clipping of ears, the slitting of noses, the branding of temples, and burning of tongues, to which the archbishop resorted to crush nonconformity--who could have seen their friends imprisoned, placed in the pillory, and even scourged through the streets, without feeling their hearts burn with indignation and their whole souls rebel against tyranny so outrageous? "it is a wonder that any honest man could be found to support that miscreant laud," i remember hearing my father say. "he and his faithless master are mainly answerable for the civil strife now devastating, from north to south and east to west, our fair english land." but i must not trouble my readers with politics; my object is to narrate the scenes i witnessed, or the events in which i took a part. i was too young, indeed, at that time to think much about the matter, but yet i was as enthusiastic a roundhead as any of my fellow-townsmen. as we approached the little harbour we passed through a large fleet of traders, brought up in the roadstead for shelter, most of which, belonging to london merchants, dared not therefore put into any port held by the cavaliers. three or four had dropped their anchors while we were out fishing. we hailed one of them, which had come in from the westward, to ask the news. "bad news!" was the answer. "the malignants have taken exeter, and many other places in the west country, and are now marching in great force on london." "i hope they won't come to lyme on their way, for if they do, we shall have but small chance of withstanding them," i observed to my companions as we sailed on. "i have but little fear on that score," replied lancelot. "we'll fight while a man remains on his legs, or a gun can be fired from our batteries." lancelot's enthusiasm inspired me. the breeze freshened. we soon rounded the cob, when we pulled up among the small craft which crowded the harbour, to a spot where lancelot usually kept his boat. as soon as we had moored her we sprang on shore, and hurried through the lower part of the town, which was almost deserted. we found the greater portion of the inhabitants collected at the northern side; and i had scarcely time to ask a question of my father, whom i joined, before we saw a body of troops approaching, led by an officer on horseback. he was a strong-built man, of moderate height, with a fair and florid complexion, and, contrary to the fashion general among puritans, his hair, in rich profusion, was seen escaping beneath his broad-brimmed hat, while he wore large whiskers, but no beard--his countenance unmistakably exhibiting firmness and determination. he returned in a cordial manner the salutes of the principal townsmen, who had gone out to meet him. "who is he?" i asked of my father. "that, my son, is colonel blake. he has come with five hundred men of popham's regiment, to protect us from a large army of malignants--twenty thousand men, it is said--under prince maurice, cousin to the king. he threatens to annihilate our little town; but though we shall have a hard struggle to beat them back, god will protect the right." the bells we had heard had been set ringing on the announcement of the approach of colonel blake; and now, as he and his brave followers entered the town, they pealed forth with redoubled energy. while the men were sent to their quarters, he, accompanied by the governor and mayor, and several officers, rode round the outskirts of the town, to point out the spots where he judged it necessary that batteries and entrenchments should be thrown up. he was accompanied by a young nephew, also named robert blake, son of his brother samuel, who was killed some time before at bridgwater, while commanding a company in colonel popham's regiment. i afterwards became well acquainted with young robert blake, as we were much drawn together by the fondness for a sea life which we both possessed. his was rather a passion than mere fondness--indeed, like his noble uncle, he was enthusiastic in all his aspirations, and a more gallant, noble-minded lad i never met. that evening the newly arrived troops, as well as every man in the place capable of labouring, set to work with pickaxes, spades, and barrows to throw up embankments, to cut trenches, to erect batteries, to barricade the roads, and to loophole all the outer walls of the houses and gardens. officers were in the meantime despatched by the governor and the mayor to obtain volunteers from charmouth, uplyme, and other villages; while foraging parties were sent out in all directions to collect provisions, cattle, and fodder. although, in addition to colonel blake's five hundred regulars, scarcely more than three hundred fighting men could be mustered in the town, there were no signs of wavering; but high and low endeavoured to make amends for the paucity of their numbers by their dauntless courage, their energy, and unceasing toil; and even women and children were to be seen in all directions, filling baskets with sods, and carrying materials to the labourers at the earthworks. lancelot and i kept together, and did our best to be of use, though i could not do much, being a little fellow; but i know that i worked away as hard as my strength would allow me. colonel blake was everywhere, superintending the operations and encouraging the men. stopping near where my friends and i were at work, he addressed the labourers. "the haughty cavaliers fancy that they can ride roughshod into your little town, my lads," he said; "but i want you to show them that you can fight for your hearths and homes as well as did my brave fellows at prior's hill; and i do not fear that a traitor will be found within our trenches to deliver up the place, while we have a cask of powder in our magazines, or a musket to fire it. and even should our ammunition run short, the lord of hosts being with us, we'll drive them back with pike and sword." "rightly spoken, colonel blake," said my father, who had just then reached the spot where the colonel was standing. "i am an old man, and had looked forward to ending my days in peace; but willingly will i promise you that the enemy shall march over my dead body before they get within our entrenchments. i served on board the ships of your honoured father, when we had many a tough fight with corsairs, spaniards, portingales, and dutchmen; and i feel sure that i shall not draw my sword in vain when his son commands. maybe you may remember richard bracewell?" "well indeed i do," answered colonel blake, putting out his hand and warmly shaking that of my father. "and many a long yarn about your adventures have i listened to with eager interest, while i longed to sail over the wide ocean and to visit the strange countries you described. who is that youngster standing by you?" he then asked in a kindly tone, looking down on me. "my only boy, the son of my old age," answered my father. "though young now, he will, i trust, ere long grow big enough to fight for the civil and religious liberties of our country, or to defend her from foreign foes." "judging by his looks, and knowing whose son he is, i would gladly have him with me when he is old enough, should heaven spare our lives; but at present he is too young to be exposed to the dangers of war, and i would advise you to keep him under lock and key when the fight is going on, or he will be running where bullets and round shot are falling, and perhaps his young life will be taken before he has had time to strike a blow for the liberties of our country." "i hope that i can do something now, sir," i said, not liking the thoughts of being shut up. "i can fire a pistol if i cannot point an arquebuse; and since morning i have carried a hundred baskets or more of earth to the embankment." "you speak bravely, my boy, and bravely you will act when the time comes," said the colonel, and forthwith he addressed himself to others who came to receive his orders. such was my first introduction to one with whom i was destined to serve for many a year. i well remember the spot where we were standing. on one side lay the blue sea extending to the horizon, below us was the town with its white-walled, straw-thatched buildings, the church with its spire to the left, and before us were the green slopes of the hills sprinkled here and there with clumps of trees, while on the more level spots were to be seen corn-fields and orchards smiling in the rays of the setting sun. beyond the town was colway house, a substantial mansion, once the residence of the cobham family; and about a mile from it, on the opposite side of the valley, was a collection of buildings known as hayes farm, both of which had been fortified, and occupied as outposts. we had, we knew, not many days to prepare for the defence; and i am proud to say that, scrap of a boy as i was, i worked as hard as many of my elders. late in the evening, when it was already dusk, my father found me, with lancelot and dick, still at our self-imposed task. "come, boys," he said, "it is time for you to go home and get some sleep. you must leave it to stronger men to labour during the night." "just let us carry a few more basketfuls, sir," answered lancelot. "see that gap; we have undertaken to fill it up, and, for what we can tell, the enemy may be upon us before the morning." "well, well, lads, i like your spirit. i will not baulk you. give me a spade; i will try what i can do to expedite the work." and my revered father, as soon as the spade had been handed to him, began digging away with right goodwill, filling the baskets, which were carried up to the embankment. he soon became so interested in the work that he was as unwilling to knock off as we were. "run back and get a lantern. its light will help us to finish our task more quickly. maybe the host of the `three tankards' will lend thee one; or master harris who lives opposite; or, if you cannot get one nearer, go home and bring our big lantern which hangs inside the hall door. see that it is well trimmed, though." "ay, ay, father," i answered, and set off. knowing every foot of the way, i was not afraid of running, even though the gathering darkness made it difficult to see objects at any distance beyond my nose. at the first places where i called, all the lanterns had been put into requisition, and so i had to run on until i reached our house. i found my sister audrey, and margaret our maid, wondering why we were so long absent. supper was on the table, and the viands getting cold. on hearing why i wanted the lantern, they both wished to come and help us, audrey declaring that she could carry a basket as well as either of us boys. "you must stop and take care of the house," i answered, feeling a little jealous that a girl should fancy she could work as well as my companions and i. "there are a good many strangers in the town, and it would not do to leave the house empty. margaret can trim the lantern, as she knows how to do it better than i do. be quick about it, for i must be off again as fast as my legs can carry me." "take a crust of bread and a piece of cheese in the meantime, master ben," said margaret, as she took down the lantern, and examined the wick. "i have no time for eating; i am not hungry," i answered, and i watched her impatiently, while she poured in some fresh oil. taking the lantern as soon as it was lighted, i hurried out, and, holding it before me, ran on without fear of rushing against any one coming from an opposite direction. i had got a short distance when i found myself in the midst of a body of men, who were coming up from the harbour carrying loads on their shoulder. they had, i discovered from the remarks which reached me, just landed. "do you bring any news?" i inquired. "fine news, young sir," answered one of the men. "prince maurice has been driven away from plymouth, which he tried to take, but couldn't. but, as maybe he will pay a visit to lyme, we have brought you powder and shot, and other munitions of war, and no doubt colonel blake will make good use of them." having obtained all the information i could from the communicative seaman, i hurried on with the satisfactory intelligence to the works, where i found my father leaning on his spade, pretty well tired out by his unusual exertions. the light of the lantern i brought, however, enabled us to proceed, and he recommenced digging with as much energy as before. as we were running backwards and forwards, i could see numerous other lights all along the line, within a few yards of each other, marking the spots where the people were working. it was nearly midnight before our task was concluded. not one of us had felt hungry or thirsty. my father then insisted on our returning home, and on our way we left lancelot and dick at their respective homes. we found audrey and margaret sitting up for us, both looking somewhat pale, naturally supposing that if the finishing of the earthworks was so important, immediate danger was to be apprehended. supper over, we knelt in prayer, which, on all occasions and under all circumstances, was our wont. then retiring to bed, i for one slept like a top. next day was like the previous one. the news that prince maurice, at the head of a vast army, was marching into dorsetshire, spread through the town and incited every one to renewed exertions. volunteers, who came in from all sides, were being drilled by colonel weir and other officers, most of them having to learn not only the use of the pike and sword, but how to load and fire an arquebuse or musket. the soldiers and townsmen were still labouring away at the fortifications, when one morning, as lancelot, dick, and i were employed at the top of an embankment, my father helping us, we saw a horseman who had been on outpost duty come galloping down the hill towards the town. "the enemy are near at hand!" he exclaimed, as he rode up to where colonel blake and governor ceely stood. "they will be here anon. i could see them defiling along the road like a host of ants. i had to ride hard to escape their advance guard." on receiving this news, the colonel ordered the drums to beat to arms. parties were sent out to strengthen the two outposts, and the troops and townsmen, with the volunteers, hastened to the lines. "how many fighting men have we?" i asked of my father, as i watched the defenders taking up their appointed positions. "colonel blake brought five hundred men with him, and, maybe, with the townsmen and volunteers from the neighbourhood, we shall muster well-nigh another five hundred," he answered. "a thousand men to withstand twenty thousand?" i asked in a doubtful tone. "each man of the one thousand will count for twenty when fighting in a just cause," he answered. "colonel blake thinks that we can not only withstand, but drive back the malignants, or he would not wantonly throw away our lives." we watched eagerly for some time, when at length horse and foot, gay banners flying, cuirasses and helmets glittering in the bright sun, appeared over the brow of the distant hills. on they came, until every height was crowned, and we saw drawn up in battle array what appeared to us an army sufficient at a single charge to overwhelm our slender defences. there they remained. we could see horsemen galloping to and fro on the sides of the hills, but as yet not a shot had been fired. sentries were posted along our whole line, and the men were ordered to sit down and take their dinners. i saw my father look graver than usual. "ben," he said, "i have been consulting with master kerridge, and he agrees with me that it would be wrong to allow you boys to expose your lives. i promise you that if you can render service to the cause you shall be employed; and you must all three give me your words that you will remain where i place you, and not come forth until you are sent for." very unwillingly lancelot and dick and i gave the promise exacted from us, though we were more content when my father took us to the church, and told us that we might remain in the tower, whence, as it overlooked the greater portion of the lines, we could see through a narrow loophole what was going forward. he then returned to the post which he, with martin shobbrok, an old follower of his in many a voyage, had undertaken to keep. he had directed me, should the enemy get into the town, to run home and try to protect my sister from insult, and our house from plunder. "though i may never return, my boy, should the malignants force an entrance, yet you, ben, will, i trust, live to become a man, and serve our country either on shore or afloat," he said in a grave tone, which showed, however, no signs of fear. i often afterwards thought of his words, and prayed that i might fulfil his expectations. we had not long taken up our position in the tower before we saw the cavalier forces moving down the slopes of the hill. one party advanced towards our outposts at hayes farm, and then attacked colway house, at which their great guns commenced a furious fire, wreaths of white smoke filling the calm air. presently the two little garrisons returned the salute with right goodwill. then we caught sight of them rushing at full speed towards our lines; and good reason they had to move fast, for, following them close, came horse and foot in battle array, with trumpets sounding, drums beating, lances in rest, pikes at the charge, and swords flashing in the bright sunlight. the enemy halted, however, when still at a distance, and a herald advanced, who blowing a blast on his trumpet summoned the town instantly to surrender. colonel blake, mounting on the ramparts, answered in a loud tone, which reached our ears-"not while we have men to fight, or breastworks to defend the place. go, tell the prince who sent you that such is our resolve." shaking his fist at the town, the herald wheeled round his horse and galloped off. but a short time elapsed before the trumpets sounded a general charge, and the infantry rushed impetuously forward towards the lines, hurling immense numbers of hand-grenades among the defenders, which, bursting as they fell, filled the air with smoke and deafened our ears by their explosions. not one of our brave fellows wavered, but fired rapidly in return among the dense masses of the foe. the next instant we could see a large body of cavalry riding furiously onward, expecting to gain an easy victory. in vain the bravest attempted to ride over the earthworks, up to the very muzzles of the muskets; but they were driven back by the heavy fire poured into their ranks, and compelled to retreat up the valley, leaving many dead and wounded behind. we three boys could not refrain from giving way to a shout of joy, believing that the battle was won; but we were grievously mistaken. again the serried ranks of foot advanced with fierce shouts, threatening the destruction of our little garrison. chapter two. a successful disguise. on came the enemy with determination. fiercely the battle raged--again and again the foot advanced up to the embankment, each time retreating from the storm of bullets, case shot, and round shot poured into them, leaving the ground strewed with their comrades, some in the calm of death, others struggling in vain efforts to rise and escape from the field. again we thought that the fight for that day was over, when we distinguished a horseman riding along the broken ranks of the cavaliers, waving his sword, as if to lead them on. he advanced, but not a foot would they budge. they had that day gained a lesson they could not so easily forget. at length, losing patience, the cavalier, who we had no doubt was the prince himself, rode round to where his cavalry were posted. the advance was sounded, and now the horse, drawn up in the rear, urged forward the foot with lances and pistol shots at their backs. "they must come on this time," cried lancelot; "if they don't, they'll get cut down by their friends in the rear." "then i hope that such will be their fate," said dick. "see, the poor fellows are advancing. i pity them, for they well know how they will be treated by colonel blake." as the enemy got within range of our firearms they were received with showers of musket balls and case shot, which went through and through their closed ranks, striking down dozens at a time, but still, urged on by their officers--who, to give them their due, fought with the most heroic bravery--they advanced close up to our lines. here they were met by pistols, pikes, and spears, and then, staggering, they broke and fled, followed by showers of missiles, until they were beyond our reach. a loud shout rose all along our line, in which we in the tower joined right heartily, but our troops were too wearied with the ceaseless exertions they had made during the whole of the afternoon to pursue the fugitives; indeed, it would have been the very thing the prince would have desired, as he would have been down upon them with his cavalry, and although they might have retreated to the lines, many a valuable life would have been sacrificed, and no advantage gained. colonel blake therefore contented himself with the brilliant success he had achieved. he had shown those haughty cavaliers that the garrison of lyme was not to be so easily overcome as they had thought, and had taught them what they were to expect should they again venture to assail us. such was the termination of the first day of the siege. descending from our tower with the satisfaction of having faithfully fulfilled our promise, we went down the lines to view more nearly the battle-field. the whole ground was strewed near and far off with the bodies of men and horses. parties were at once sent out to bring in any who might be still living, and to bury the dead while the rays of the setting sun gleamed on the white tents of the royalist camp, which could be seen in the distance. few doubted that another day would see a fresh attack made on our entrenchments, but some were sanguine enough to believe that the prince, after the lesson he had received, would retire. i asked my father what he thought. he answered-"the royalists will not go away without further attempts to reduce the town, for they know too well that if they do they will leave a vigilant enemy in their rear, under whose standard thousands of honest puritans will gladly gather to destroy the enemies of our country's freedom." the next morning it was seen that the cavaliers were busy erecting batteries and throwing up earthworks on all the neighbouring heights, so that they might command our forts and batter down our houses. notwithstanding the preparations made for the destruction of the town, colonel blake urged the garrison to resist to the bitter end, assuring them that ere that should come parliament would send them relief. i cannot attempt to give a detailed account of the siege. soon after his first repulse, prince maurice opened fire from his great guns placed on all the heights commanding the town, from the effects of which not only the houses but our forts suffered. in a short time the fort at the cob was knocked to pieces by a battery which had been thrown up at holme bush, which also swept the bay, so as to render it dangerous for any vessel to enter the harbour in the day time. information was also received that the cavaliers were busy throwing up another battery at colway hill, in front of colway house, and into this battery they were seen dragging some of their largest ordnance. as it commanded davies fort, which was the key of our defences, the colonel ordered a large body of men to strengthen that fort as rapidly as possible. volunteers were not lacking, and lancelot and i were allowed to help. we called for dick harvey on the way, and when the men saw three young gentlemen, the sons of the three principal persons in the place, labouring away as hard as any one, it encouraged them to still greater exertions, and in a few hours a bank twelve feet thick had been thrown up, which it was not likely the shot from the enemy's guns could penetrate. colonel blake passing while we were thus occupied, patted me on the head. "well done, young comrade," he said in a kind tone. "if we had a garrison of a few hundred boys like you, we might hold the place against all assailants, without the help of more veteran troops." the earthworks had been completed, and lancelot and i were standing on the top, surveying with no little pride the portion we had assisted in throwing up, when i saw a puff of smoke issue from colway hill, followed by a thundering report, and a round shot plunged into the bank close beneath our feet. "come down, youngsters!" shouted my father, who had just before entered the fort. "more of those iron balls will be coming in this direction. you must not run the risk of losing your lives when you cannot advance our good cause." we unwillingly obeyed, but we had not gone far before a succession of reports showed that the enemy had already got several guns into position, and had not the fort been strengthened, it would soon have been rendered untenable. numerous successive attacks were made, but were repulsed as the first had been. poor little audrey and cicely were in a great state of alarm while the firing continued, naturally fearing that the whole town would soon be battered down. at length, however, the royalists drew off, and we were left in quiet for nearly a week. the time was spent in strengthening the fortifications and drilling the volunteers. we had spies in the camp of the cavaliers, who managed under cover of the night to come into the town with information of what they were about. one piece of news they brought caused governor ceely and my friend dick much anxiety. it was that mr harvey, dick's father, who, having been absent from the town when the cavalier army arrived before it, had been unable to join us, was made prisoner, and was now in the camp. dick was afraid that the prince would hang him, as he had others, and talked much with lancelot and me of a plan for rescuing him; still, for a long time we could strike out nothing feasible. dick, like a good son, was ready to run every risk, and i was ready to assist him if i could obtain my father's leave, as was also lancelot. we took audrey and cicely into our councils. audrey proposed that she and cicely should go to the camp and try to bribe the guards to let mr harvey escape. "bad as the cavaliers may be, they won't injure two young girls, and prince maurice, who is a gentleman, would be sure to treat us with courtesy," observed audrey. "you, lancelot, and dick might, in the meantime, during the night, row along the coast, and landing, obtain a horse, with which you can wait outside the royalists' camp, until mr harvey, being free, finds you and gallops off." "no, no, such a plan i can never agree to," exclaimed lancelot. "i would sooner trust you two girls in a den of lions than amongst those malignants. we must devise some other plan; i am sure that our fathers would not consent. mr harvey was taken without arms, and nothing can be proved against him." this conversation took place on the 6th of may, 1644, and good reason i had for remembering the date. the weather had hitherto been fine, but soon after midday it began to blow hard from the southward, and the seas came rolling into our little harbour. lancelot, who had gone away, returned in a hurry, accompanied by dick, and asked him to assist in hauling up his boat, which ran a chance of being dashed to pieces, as tom noakes, who had charge of her, was likely to be engaged on the lines. we all three hurried down. when we got there, we found a number of men, who, as the enemy were quiet, had left their posts in order to secure their craft from the tempest. evening was approaching, and as the gale was rapidly increasing there was no time to be lost. we found the boat tumbling and tossing about at her moorings, exposed to great risk of being run down by the smaller vessels which were standing in for shelter. to get on board was the difficulty, as no other boat was at hand, so lancelot, pulling off his clothes, and swimming through the foaming sea, was soon on board. "stand by, to haul her up as she comes in," he shouted out, as he cast off the moorings. then springing aft, he seized an oar. it was well that he did so, for just then a vessel which had rounded the cob came tearing up under her foresail, the man at the helm apparently not seeing the boat in the way. lancelot shouted lustily and plied his oar, the craft just scraping the stern of the boat as she luffed up to come to an anchor. we were on the east shore, the most exposed side of the harbour, it should be understood. dick and i stood by to seize the boat as she struck the beach. lancelot, leaping on shore, slipped into his shirt and hauled away likewise, but with our united strength we could scarcely have succeeded, had not martin shobbrok come to our aid. fortunately there were some rollers near at hand, and by their means we at length got the boat hauled up out of harm's way. never had i seen our harbour in a state of greater confusion. the smaller craft continued to stand in sometimes two or three together, many of them running foul of one another before they could bring up, and others being driven on shore. the larger vessels outside were getting down fresh anchors, and several making sail were endeavouring to beat out of the bay, to obtain an offing where they could ride out the gale. a large number of the townsmen were engaged in securing the vessels, when sounding high above the roar of the tempest a rapid fusillade was heard in the direction of the lines, while shot after shot from the enemy's batteries came hurtling into the town. "the soldiers would be at their suppers at this hour," exclaimed martin. "i fear me much that the place has been surprised, and if so, it will go hard with us. hasten to your homes, young gentlemen, and await the issue; i must to my post." martin, without waiting to see what we should do, taking his musket, which he had placed near the boat, hurried away, as did all the men engaged in securing the vessels. we followed, eager to know what was taking place. the sound of bursting hand-grenades, the reports of muskets and pistols, the shouts and shrieks which reached our ears, showed us that the fight was raging much nearer than usual. "there's no doubt about the enemy being in the town," cried lancelot. "we may as well die fighting as be killed like rats in a hole. come on, lads!" we dashed forward through the market square, in a street leading from which towards the lines we could see, by the bright and rapid flashes, that hot fighting was going on. a party from the harbour had come up just in time to stop the entrance into the square, and with loud shouts they pressed onwards, while from the windows of every house there burst forth bright flashes from arquebuse, musket, and pistol. to force our way in that direction was impossible, so, led by lancelot, we made a wide circuit, until we reached the neighbourhood of the lines, where we found a furious fight was also raging. we met on our way several wounded men supported by mourning parties of women, who had ventured up, even to the scene of the conflict, for the sake of succouring those who had been struck down. still, the fight in the centre of the town continued, and at length we learned from one of the wounded men that a large body of cavaliers had forced their way into the town, when colonel blake, closing in on their rear, had cut them off, but though malignants as they were, like gallant men they were fighting desperately. meanwhile another party outside were endeavouring to drive back the garrison and rescue them. the darkness increased, the south wind bringing up a thick fog, which prevented our assailants from seeing their way. often the hand-grenades they intended for us were thrown among their own companions, while our people plied them with every weapon which could be mustered. the bullets came pinging against the wall above where we were standing, but in our eagerness we boys heeded not the risk we were running. "let us fight too!" exclaimed lancelot, and we made our way on to the trenches, where not only the soldiers, the volunteers, and the townsmen were fighting, but women, with muskets in their hands, were firing away, encouraging their companions with shouts and cheers. lancelot had got hold of a musket belonging to one of the garrison who had fallen, and had taken his powder-horn and shot-belt. dick and i, after hunting about, succeeded in finding a couple of horse-pistols, but scarcely had we fired them than the din in front of us ceased, though the report of firearms to the right and left of us still continued. we could hear the tramp of men and the cries and groans of the wounded in front, but the uproar towards the market-place was quelled. no shots were heard, no clashing of swords, no shouts and shrieks. "the enemy have retreated! the malignants are flying!" was the cry passed along the lines. still, we could scarcely believe it possible. but an hour had passed since the attack had commenced, and our little garrison had driven back once more the well-equipped troops of prince maurice. the storm raged fiercely during the night, and many fearing that another attack might be made, the greater portion of the garrison remained under arms, ready for any emergency. not until morning was the full extent of the cavaliers' loss discovered. within the lines well-nigh four hundred men lay stark and stiff where they had fallen, struck down by the fire from the houses and the fierce onslaught in front and rear, few prisoners having been taken. outside the trenches a hundred more strewed the ground, among them many officers of distinction, including colonel blewett, a gallant gentleman, greatly esteemed by maurice. we knew this, because early in the morning the prince sent a herald to request that he might be restored if a prisoner, or that his body might be given up if dead. a prisoner he was not, for every officer who had come inside the lines had been slain. the colonel answered that the body should be restored if found, provided our people were not injured while searching for it and burying the dead. before long the body of the cavalier was discovered where he had fallen, at the entrance of the town, leading on his men. it was placed with all decency in a coffin, and colonel blake sent word that it was ready to be delivered up, and that he hoped, in return, his friend mr harvey would be set at liberty. the prince, to the indignation of the garrison, replied that they might keep the body, and refused to give up mr harvey. the coffin was, notwithstanding, carried to the lines opposite holme bush, when a signal was made to the heralds to come for it. colonel blake stood by to receive them. "have you any orders to pay for the shroud and coffin?" he asked. "we have received none," was the answer. "take them, notwithstanding," answered the colonel, curling his whiskers, as was his wont when angered. "we are not so poor but that we can afford to give them to you." the body was taken up by the men sent to fetch it, and slowly they wended their way back to the camp. an officer approached while the flag of truce was flying. he was one with whom colonel blake was acquainted. "here, friend," he said, "you see the weakness of our works. we trust not to them. tell prince maurice that should he desire to come in, we will pull down a dozen yards, so that he may enter with ten men abreast, and we will give him battle." "not so," answered the royalist, stung by the reproach to the military prowess of his party. "we will take our own time, but will come ere long." the colonel replied by a scornful laugh. all that day we enjoyed unusual quiet, for the royalists had not the heart again to attack us, though we were well aware they would do so should occasion favour them. day after day and week after week went by, still our garrison held out. our provisions were running short, as was our ammunition, and should that fail us--notwithstanding all the heroic efforts which had been made--we should be compelled to yield. my friend dick was still very anxious about his father. "i have an idea!" exclaimed lancelot. "you, dick, are like your sister mildred. probably the prince is not aware she is not in the town. what say you to dressing up in her clothes, and taking ben with you? he can pretend to be your brother. he looks so young, no one would think of injuring him more than they would you, supposing you to be a girl. you can steal out at night; go boldly to the prince, and say you wish to see your father. he will scarcely refuse you. you can then tell mr harvey your plan, and he is a man of wealth; the chances are he'll find the means of bribing his guards. i meantime will sail along the shore, and landing, arrange as i proposed about a horse, which i will have ready at the foot of charmouth rise." we kept our plan secret. i had some doubt whether i was acting rightly, but i trusted that my father would not blame me. audrey and cicely were delighted, and soon rigged up dick, so that the keenest eye would not have discovered that he was a boy. that very night lancelot, accompanied by tom noakes, who had charge of his boat, put out of the harbour, and favoured by a light breeze, stood along the shore. we slipped out and crept along past the sentries, making our way to the east of colway hill. every moment we expected to be discovered, but a thick fog favoured our design, and we got away, creeping along hedges and under banks, until we were clear outside the enemy's entrenchments as well as our own. proceeding northward, we reached a wide-spreading tree on the top of a high bank, where we sat down to rest and consult as to our future course. the moon rising and the fog blowing off, we saw spread out before us the white tents of the cavalier army, covering a wide extent of ground. we agreed that it would be wise to wait until daylight, lest, approaching the camp, we might be shot by the sentries. dick produced some food which he had brought in his pocket. we ate it with good appetites. we then stretched ourselves on the sward, not supposing that we should go to sleep, but in spite of our anxiety we dropped off. when we awoke it was broad daylight. it was fortunate we were not discovered, for dick's dress looked so draggled and dirty that no one would have taken him for a young lady. i set to work to brush and clean him, and make him more presentable. we had resolved to walk boldly on unless challenged, until we could reach the prince's tent, when dick would ask leave as if his request was sure to be granted to see his father as though on family matters. if refused, we would wait about the camp until we could find an opportunity of gaining our object. we came sooner than we expected on a sentry, who at once challenged us. "you won't stop us, my good man," answered dick, going up and slipping a silver crown into his hand. "we have come to see our father, and surely you would not interfere with two young children like us, who can do no harm to anyone." the man, a fresh recruit, who knew nothing about military discipline, having pocketed the coin, was easily persuaded to allow us to proceed. the next sentry dick managed in the same way. we advanced, dick holding my hand, until we were within the camp. several persons spoke to us, but did not seem to think it necessary to interfere with our progress, and at length, by dint of inquiring the way we found ourselves standing before a large tent, occupied we were told, by prince maurice. we were waiting for leave to enter, when the curtain was drawn aside, and a cavalier in cuirass and plumed hat, a light moustache, his locks curling over his shoulders, came forth. "who are you, my pretty maiden?" he asked, looking at dick. "an' it please you, sir, i've come to see my father, who, we have heard, is a prisoner in the camp, though why or wherefore he is detained we cannot tell, for no more peaceable gentleman is to be found in the south of england. we wish to deliver some messages to him, and learn how he fares. have we your permission, for you are, i opine, the general of this army?" the prince, for that such he was we knew by the way the officers who stood round addressed him, smiled as he replied-"say, who is your father?" "master harvey, your highness," answered dick. "you have an arrant rebel for a father, then, i fear," said the prince. "please, your highness, i know nothing of politics; all i desire is to have a few words with my father, whom i am bound to honour, whether royalist or roundhead, and then to quit the camp and return home." the prince, after exchanging a few words with one of the gentlemen standing by, handed a piece of paper, on which he had written a few lines, to dick. "take this, maiden," he said; "it will gain your object. but, understand, after you have seen your father, for your own sake, without loss of time, you must return home." thankful that we had so easily accomplished the first part of our enterprise--accompanied by one of the officers, who undertook to show us the way--we set off for the cottage in which we were told mr harvey with other prisoners were confined. chapter three. in the enemy's hands. mr harvey looked so astonished when dick and i were introduced, that he almost betrayed us. quickly, however, recovering himself, he opened his arms and embraced us affectionately. the other prisoners, gentlemen well acquainted with him, seeing that he wished to be alone, retired to the farther end of the room, when dick lost no time in whispering into his ear the plan we had arranged for his liberation. he listened with a thoughtful brow, and dick continued to press its adoption, but i much feared that he would not agree. "i will try it," he said at last; "but you, my children, must hasten from the camp; it is no place for young persons, and should i fail to escape, you will be made to suffer." though dick begged hard to remain, his father was firm, and told us to return by the way we had come, hoping that we might get free without further questions being asked us. having taken an affectionate farewell of mr harvey, we set out, dick cleverly replying to all the questions put to us, and, with much less difficulty than we had expected, we gained the outskirts of the camp. instead of returning to lyme, we kept on towards charmouth, to a spot where we had agreed to meet lancelot. to our infinite satisfaction we found that he had obtained a horse and left if in charmouth wood as arranged, under charge of a lad who had been directed to stay there until mr harvey appeared, being supplied with food for himself and corn for the animal. we would gladly have remained to see the success of our undertaking, but lancelot was impatient to get back to relieve the anxiety which his father and mother would feel when his absence was discovered. we therefore set off to return to the shore, keeping a look-out to ascertain that we were not watched. we had reached the top of the cliffs, and were about to descend, when we caught sight in the distance of a party of horse galloping towards us. "they are out on a foraging expedition, probably," observed lancelot. "we must get away before they come here, or they will be apt to inquire our business." whether we had been seen or not, it was impossible to say. we, however, made the best of our way down the cliff; on reaching the bottom we found tom waiting for us, and forthwith set to work to launch the boat. we had scarcely got her into the water when some of the men we had before seen appeared at the top of the cliffs. they hailed us, and ordered us to come back. "very likely," said lancelot. "shove away, tom. let them halloo as long as they like." we had got out the oars, and the boat was soon in deep water. dick took the helm while the rest of us rowed, as there was not wind enough to fill the sail had we hoisted it. a voice from the top of the cliff again ordered us to come back, and presently several shots pattered into the water close alongside. "cowards!" exclaimed lancelot. "even though they fancy they see a girl steering, they make no scruple of trying to hit us." the shot only made us pull the harder. presently we saw some of the men descending the cliff, and making towards a boat which lay hauled up on the beach at some distance. "they suspect something, and intend to pursue us," observed lancelot. "nevertheless, we have a good start of them, and when we get farther out, we shall feel the breeze and be able to make sail." "and maybe the other boat hasn't any oars in her, and if so we can laugh at them," said tom. lancelot told dick to steer right out to sea. "they won't be inclined to follow us far away from the land," he observed; "and if we make for lyme, they will guess where we come from." we saw the men reach the boat, and presently they began to launch her. by this time we had got well beyond the range of their firearms. "hurrah!" cried dick, who had been looking to the eastward. "i see a sail coming up from portland. she's more likely to be a friend than an enemy, and if we can get on board her we may defy our pursuers." this announcement encouraged us. we had need, however, to exert ourselves, for the soldiers had almost launched the boat, which showed us that they had found oars, or they would not have taken the trouble of putting her into the water. we could only just see what they were about, but we made out that four or five fellows had got into her. directly afterwards, her head being turned towards us, they gave way. though the boat was heavy, four stout hands were more than a match for us, for though tom pulled a strong oar, lancelot and i were scarcely equal in strength to one man. dick kept looking eastward. again he cried out, "there's another sail, and another; a whole fleet of them!" "if they are parliament ships, they'll soon make the fellows in the boat astern put about," exclaimed tom; but we were pulling too hard to turn our heads even for a moment. our pursuers still kept on, but they were not near enough to allow them to fire with any chance of hitting us. they had undoubtedly seen the ships, and thought we were going out to carry them information. this probably made them more anxious to catch us. at length the breeze, as we expected it would, freshened. "i'll step the mast; you, master lancelot, go to the helm. stand by to hoist the sail, master ben," cried tom; and in half a minute we had the mast stepped, the sail hoisted, and the sheet hauled aft, when, again getting out the oars, we glided rapidly through the water. we saw that our pursuers had no sail, or they would have hoisted it. this was satisfactory, though they were pulling harder than ever. should the wind hold, we had good hope that they would soon be left behind, still it would be folly to relax our efforts. "hurrah! we are distancing them," cried tom. as he spoke, our pursuers fired two shots at us, but the bullets fell into the water astern. "blaze away as fast as you like!" cried lancelot; "every shot you fire will help us to get ahead of you." the men in the boat had to throw in their oars to fire, while they lost some time in reloading. the ships were still a long way off, and it was very probable that, as evening came on, the wind would fail before we could reach them. there was, however, one frigate ahead, which, propelled by oars as well as sails, was making good way. we steered for her. "all right, boys," cried tom; "i see the parliamentary flag flying from her peak, and if those fellows come near us they'll have to rue it." notwithstanding, our pursuers, finding that they could not reach us with their muskets, again took to their oars and pulled away with might and main, trusting probably to the chances of the wind falling. still, as we were already well ahead, we determined to maintain our advantage. the frigate meantime was coming on at good speed, carrying every stitch of canvas she could set. at length both we and the boat in chase were seen, but should the frigate fire at the latter, we might run a chance of being hit. we kept on therefore. as we got nearer, tom stood up and waved as a signal that we wished to get on board. on perceiving this, our pursuers knew that their game was up, and, to our regret, putting about, pulled away towards the shore as fast as they had come. the frigate, to allow us to get on board, now clewed up her sails and drew in her sweeps. we were welcomed on board by her commander, who inquired where we had come from and what we had been about. we frankly told him, when, to our joy, he informed us that the fleet was that of the earl of warwick, sent by the parliament to the relief of lyme. "you have come opportunely, sir," said lancelot, "for we lack both ammunition, food, and clothing, and had you not arrived, we might in a short time have been compelled to yield to the foe." _the mermaid_, the frigate we had so fortunately reached, again making sail, continued her course towards lyme. darkness, however, quickly came on, but tom piloted her up to a berth close in with the harbour, where none of the enemy's shot could reach her. we then accompanied captain ray, her commander, on shore, to convey the joyful intelligence of the approach of the earl of warwick's fleet. the news spread through the town quickly, but colonel blake issued orders that no demonstration should be made. my father, when he had heard of our expedition, did not blame me for having taken part in it. "ben," he said, "you should have trusted me; and, my boy, let me urge you never to undertake anything for which you cannot ask the blessing of your father in heaven as well as your earthly parent. now go to rest. before to-morrow evening important events may have occurred." on rising the next morning, i saw a goodly array of ships at anchor before the town. soon after i had left home i met my friend lancelot, and we hurried down to have a look at them. while standing on the quay, colonel blake with two other officers came down, about to embark to hold a consultation with the earl. "would you like to accompany us and see the big ships?" he asked, looking kindly at lancelot and me. we doffed our hats, and answered that it was the very thing we wished. "come, then!" he said; and we followed him and his companions into the boat. we pulled away for the _vanguard_, one of the largest ships, on the deck of which the earl stood ready to receive colonel blake. briefly exchanging greetings, they went to work on business at once, while lancelot and i were allowed to go round the ship to see the big guns, the huge lanterns, the stores of pikes, and the tops high up the lofty masts, each capable of holding a score of men. "have you a mind to sail with us, youngsters?" asked one of the officers. "you are likely boys, and will become prime seamen in time." i answered that it was the desire of my heart, but that i must be guided by my father's wishes, for that he, being himself a master mariner, well knew the nature of the calling. the officer laughed at my reply, and i was about to ask him why he laughed, when lancelot and i were summoned to return with colonel blake to the shore. from the conversation i overheard i found that the earl had brought, by order of parliament, some provisions and military stores, of which we stood greatly in need. indeed, by this time we wanted nearly everything. one third of our men had no shoes or stockings, and large numbers were but scantily clothed, while famine had made the faces of the stoutest look pale and thin. so shocked were the brave seamen with the appearance of the garrison, that they made collections of food and clothing on board their ships, while they gave a fourth of their daily allowance of bread for a month to supply our wants. colonel blake had also arranged with the earl a plan by which it was hoped the prince would be more signally defeated than before, should he again attack the town. scarcely, however, had we landed, and before the plan could be carried out, than the cavaliers in great force once more approached our lines to attempt taking the town by assault; but colonel blake, hurrying to the front, placed himself at the head of a chosen band, and sallying forth drove them back. the battle lasted little more than an hour, and during that time colonel weir was killed, as were many other officers, and colonel blake himself was wounded badly in the foot, while many cavaliers, several of them of note, lost their lives. the next day, while the funeral of colonel weir was taking place, another equally sanguinary attack was made with the same result. that night, according to a plan before arranged, three hundred seamen came on shore, and were concealed in the houses. in the morning the fleet was seen under weigh, standing towards charmouth, now approaching the shore as if about to land some men, now firing at the cavaliers who appeared on the cliffs. this made the prince fancy that part of the garrison had gone away in order to land and attack him in the rear, and that the town was even less prepared for resistance than before. it was still early in the evening when we saw the cavaliers in three solid columns approaching, and at the same time the big guns opened fire upon us with redoubled fury. instead of being diminished, our little garrison had been increased by the seamen landed from the ships, so that we now mustered twelve hundred men. as the enemy approached, the whole of our force springing into view, opened so withering a fire, that the front ranks of the foe fell into confusion. the next column coming on was treated in the same manner as the first. the big guns meanwhile battered at our earthworks, knocking down walls, and sent their shot through the roofs of the houses, many of which being set on fire were blazing up brightly. the second column driven back as the first had been, the last advanced shouting fiercely, hoping to retrieve the day, but our brave commander was prepared for them. while he pressed them in front, his best officers appeared on their flanks, and the seamen rushing forward leaped on them furiously with their hangers. in vain the gentlemen cavaliers urged on their men. beaten back at every point, the soldiers took to flight, and at length, when that summer's day closed, five hundred cavalier corpses strewed the ground in front of the lines. in wanton rage at his defeat, prince maurice fired red-hot balls and bars of twisted lead into the town; but no farther attempt was made to capture it, and the following day his army was in full retreat, he having heard that the earl of essex with a large force was marching to the westward. altogether upwards of two thousand cavaliers lost their lives in front of our earthworks. to us that last day was the saddest of all. by our father's desire, audrey and margaret had taken up their abode in the house of mr kerridge, as our own was greatly exposed. lancelot and i had been endeavouring to ascertain what was taking place, when he saw bright flames ascending from the direction of my father's house. we hastened toward it. our worst fears were realised. already every part was burning, while red-hot shot and cannon balls kept ever and anon plunging into the midst of it, preventing the possibility of extinguishing the flames. so dangerous was the position, that lancelot dragged me away, and accompanied me in search of my father, to whom i wished to give the intelligence. as the firing in front had ceased, we went on, hoping every now and then to meet him. it was by this time getting so dusk that we could hardly distinguish one person from another. as we approached the part of the lines where my father was generally posted, we met a person hurrying towards us. he was martin shobbrok. "alack, alack! young gentlemen, i have bad news to give you," he said. "i am hastening for a stretcher on which to carry the captain home, though i fear much it will be but his lifeless body." "where is he?" i asked, in an agony of sorrow. "take me to him." "i remained with him where he fell till a surgeon camp to bind up his wounds, but from what he said i fear the worst," answered martin. hurrying on, i soon reached the spot where my dear father lay, as martin had told us, attended by a surgeon. he knew my voice, but his eyes were already growing dim. pressing my hand, he whispered-"ben, i am about to be taken from you, but i have fallen in a righteous cause; may you never fight for another. and remember, my boy, do your duty in the sight of god, and never fear what your fellow man may say or do to you." "i will, father," i answered, bursting into tears. "is there no hope?" i asked, finding that my father did not again speak. the surgeon shook his head. ere many minutes had passed, my kind, brave father breathed his last. "poor dear audrey will break her heart," i cried, while lancelot raised me from the ground. we followed the litter on which some men, who had been sent to collect the dead, had placed my father's body. he received a soldier's funeral, with several other brave men who had fallen on that day, so glorious to the national cause. we were orphans, but not friendless, for mr kerridge invited audrey and me, with margaret, to take up our abode at his house until arrangements were made for our future disposal. dick had all this time received no new of his father, and he, as were all who valued mr harvey, was in great anxiety as to his fate. had he been unable to make his escape, prince maurice would not have scrupled to hang him, as he had other roundheads who had fallen into his power, when he found himself defeated. dick, lancelot, and i were going along the lines picking up bullets and searching for arms and any valuables which might have been left by the cavaliers, when we saw a horseman spurring at full speed towards the town. dick gazed eagerly at him. "that's my father!" he exclaimed. "i know his way of riding. heaven be praised!" dick was right. in a short time mr harvey, having thrown himself from his horse, was embracing his son. owing to the arrangements we had made, he had effected his escape, though he had nearly been caught afterwards by prince maurice's troops as they advanced eastward. he came to inform colonel blake of the road they were taking, and of their probable plans for the future. he brought also news of the near approach of the parliamentary army under the earl of essex and of the recapture of weymouth. the result of this information was that colonel blake marched out of lyme with his now veteran troops, and, joined by other roundhead forces, captured taunton without a blow. his heroic defence of that town, when it was soon afterwards surrounded by the cavaliers, i cannot describe. for a year the brave garrison held out against all the assaults of some of the bravest of the cavalier leaders, including lord goring and his ruffian crew. although their clothes were reduced to rags, their ammunition had run short, and they were almost starved, they maintained it until relieved by general fairfax. in the meantime lyme was unmolested, and audrey and i continued to reside with our kind friend mr kerridge and his family. a young minister undertook to superintend our studies, but all my leisure time was spent with lancelot and dick, as had been our wont before the siege, on the water. sometimes we extended our excursions westward as far as the teign, and even to dartmouth, at other times along the coast to the west of portland bill, but as there were no safe harbours to run to, we seldom ventured in that direction. colonel blake, we heard, remained governor of taunton, and i much feared that i should never see him more, as he was not likely again to come to lyme. the battle of naseby had been fought, and the parliament had gained the upper hand through the length and breadth of england and scotland, though the royalists still held jersey and guernsey and scilly, and the greater part of ireland. news now reached us but rarely; indeed, our little town, which had lately been so famous, seemed almost forgotten. audrey and i, having recovered from the grief caused by the loss of our father, were very happy in our new home. mr kerridge and mr harvey had arranged our affairs, so that we were not dependent upon others. at the same time it was necessary that i should have a profession. my inclinations prompted me to follow that of my father, but my friends found it difficult to settle with whom i should be sent to sea. both lancelot and dick declared that they would go with me, though their fathers were not very willing that they should engage in so dangerous a calling. one day, the weather being fine, lancelot proposed that we should make a trip to dartmouth, taking martin shobbrok, now our constant companion, with us. storing our boat with provisions for the voyage, we made sail. we had a fine run to that beautiful little harbour, and having gone on shore, we spent more time than we had intended in purchasing various articles which were not to be procured at lyme. it was somewhat late in the evening when we stood out again, but as there was a moon we expected no difficulty in finding our way back; scarcely, however, had we got well out of the harbour than the wind shifted to the eastward, but as the tide was in our favour we agreed that by making a long leg to the southward we should fetch lyme on the next tack. to our disappointment, just as we were going about, the wind veered three points to the northward, and we found it blowing directly in our teeth. unwilling to be defeated, we continued standing out to sea, expecting that when we went about we should be almost abreast of lyme. in a short time, however, the sky became covered with thick clouds, the wind came in fitful gusts, and the hitherto calm ocean was broken into foam-covered waves. we reduced our sail as much as possible, and martin, as the most experienced, took the helm. the night became darker and darker. we had no compass, and no land could be seen. still, supposing that the wind was now remaining steady, we stood on, our stout boat riding buoyantly over the increasing seas. martin at length expressed his fear that the wind had gone back to its old quarter, and judging by the heavy foam-crested seas which came rolling on, that we were no longer under shelter of the land. we kept up our spirits, though i guessed by the tone of martin's voice that he was far from happy at our position. the tide, too, we knew by this time must have turned, and we should be unable to fetch lyme. we might, we agreed, run back to dartmouth, but the attempt to find the entrance of the harbour in the darkness of the night would be difficult, if not dangerous. though martin steered as well as the best of seamen, the rising seas came washing over our bows, and we all had to turn to and bale out the boat. this prevented us from thinking of the danger we were in. at length, not without risk, putting an oar out, we got the boat round, and stood, as we supposed, towards the shore. by this time we were wet through to the skin, and in spite of our exertions our teeth were chattering with cold. "i hope mistress margaret will have some bowls of hot porridge ready for us when we get in," said lancelot. "oh, don't talk of that," observed dick. "let us get in first. shall we ever reach the shore, martin, do you think?" "that's as god wills, master dick," answered martin. "it's our business to do our best." just then a sudden blast almost laid the boat over. martin saved her by luffing-up. scarcely had he done so than we saw a dark object away on the starboard hand. "that's a ship; she's standing directly down upon us," cried martin. "shout, lads, shout at the tops of your voices." we all shrieked out, joining martin's deep bass, which rose above the howling of the storm. the next instant there came a crash, our boat had been run down, but before she sank, having been happily struck by the bow, and not by the stern of the ship, we found ourselves alongside, when martin, seizing me by the arm and catching hold of the fore-chains, hauled me up as the boat disappeared beneath our feet. we hung there for a few seconds before we were discovered, though i caught sight of several figures leaning over the side. i uttered a cry of sorrow as i thought that my two friends were lost. in vain i looked down for them. the next instant several willing hands assisted martin and me on board. "oh, save dick and lancelot," i cried out. "lower a boat; pick them up; don't let them perish." my heart bounded with joy when i heard lancelot's voice. "here i am, safe and sound," he cried out, running forward and shaking me by the hand, "thanks to our friends here, who hove me a rope just as i was sinking." "and dick, where is dick?" i said. "the youngster is on board, but he got a knock on the head. he's coming round though," said a voice from the afterpart of the ship. martin, lancelot, and i hurried aft, where we found dick lying on the deck, supported by a seaman, who seemed as wet as he was. we were told that the gallant fellow had fastened a rope round his waist, plunged overboard and picked up dick just as he was being washed by astern. dick quickly came to. "where is the boat!" he asked, lifting up his head. "she's gone to the bottom," answered lancelot. "where are we?" "on board a ship." "what ship, what ship?" asked dick, still confused. "that's more than i can say," answered lancelot, "we shall soon know, however." chapter four. on board his majesty's frigate. scarcely were we on board the ship than the gale came down with greater fury than before, so that the seamen being required to hand the sails left us to ourselves. two or three persons, however, gathered round us, one of whom--the surgeon, i concluded--advised that we should be taken below, and stripped of our wet clothes, for our teeth were chattering with the cold. very thankful to be so treated, we had no time to ask questions before we found ourselves in the officers' cabin; dick and i being placed in one bed, and lancelot in another, while martin was allowed to go forward among the men, to obtain such assistance from them as they were inclined to give. after a short time some food and a cup of warm tea were brought us, having partaken of which, thanks to its genial warmth, we soon fell asleep. once i awoke when the rolling and pitching, the battering of the sea against the sides, and the noises overhead, told me that the gale was still blowing. i was soon asleep again, and when i opened my eyes it was broad daylight. no one was in the cabin. i roused my companions. our clothes had been brought back tolerably well dried, so we dressed, intending to go on deck and learn what ship we were on board of, and where we were bound. the pistols, hangers, and other weapons hanging up against the bulkhead showed us she was a ship of war, and lancelot discovered several prints ornamenting his cabin, which made us suspect that she did not belong to the puritans. "if they inquire who we are, as they are sure to do, what shall we say about ourselves?" asked dick. "tell the truth and shame the devil! whoever they are, we should be grateful to them for having saved our lives, and maybe, if we speak them fair, they'll set us on shore at the first port they touch at," answered lancelot. "if they're cavaliers, there's no port they can put into on the south coast without the certainty of being fired at," i observed, "though perhaps they may be induced to set us ashore in one of their boats, and we can find our way back over land. i much wish to relieve the anxiety that audrey and cicely and your father must be feeling about us, for they will--should we not return--give us up for lost." "we shan't grow wiser by staying here," said lancelot, as he led the way on deck. "halloa, young masters. who are you?" exclaimed a gentleman in plumed hat, scarlet doublet, and sword hanging by a rich scarf at his side. an officer approached and spoke to the gentleman, whom we guessed must be the captain. i had time to look around; the sea had somewhat gone down, but it was still blowing fresh. over the starboard quarter i observed a long point, which i at first thought was the start, but afterwards learned was the lizard. the frigate, for such i saw was the vessel we were on board of, was heeling over to the breeze, and the union jack waving from her peak showed me that she belonged to the royalist party; indeed, when i remarked the varied costumes of the officers, the careless manners of the crew, and heard their strange oaths, i had no doubt about the matter. seeing that we were expected to reply to the question put to us, lancelot advanced and informed the captain that we were young gentlemen belonging to lyme, and were taking a pleasure trip when caught by the gale. "young roundheads, i wot," answered the captain, with an oath. "you might have been left to drown with small loss to honest men. however, as you are now on board the frigate, you may remain, and we will see to what use we can put you. you have a companion, i understand. is he a sailor?" "yes!" i answered, somewhat incautiously. "he spent his early life at sea, and visited many strange parts with my late father, captain bracewell." "so much the better for him. he shall serve on board, and i will order his name to be entered on the books." from the way we were first received, we fancied that we should have been treated like young gentlemen, but on his ordering us with an oath to go forward and do what we were told, such we found was not the captain's intention. we obeyed, for we had no choice. on our way we encountered a big fellow with a knotted rope in his hand, who, from the chain with a whistle hanging to it round his neck, we knew was the boatswain. "come along, my young masters. i'll soon find tasks for you. you!" he exclaimed, seizing dick, "go and help the cook in the galley, you two will pick oakum," he added, turning to lancelot and me; "and when the hands are sent aloft to reef sails, as you seem active fellows, you'll go to the foretop-gallant yard." "but i have never been aloft," said lancelot, "and shan't know what to do when i get there." "then the sooner you go the faster you'll learn, or you'll have a taste of my persuader," and he flourished the knotted rope. "up, both of you, and let me see how you can lay out on the yard." as we hesitated, flourishing the rope, he laid it across our shoulders, at which the men standing by laughed and jeered at us. to remonstrate was useless, so to avoid a repetition of the unpleasant infliction, we sprang into the rigging and began to mount, taking care to hold tight as we went up until we got into the top, where we both stood looking down, not liking to go higher. "aloft with you, aloft, or i'll send a couple of hands to start you," shouted the boatswain from the deck. we looked up at the tall mast swaying to and fro, and i fully expected, should i make the attempt, to fall down on deck, or to be plunged into the sea, for which i had no wish; but looking down for a moment, and seeing two men about to come up the rigging, i told lancelot that i would run the chance. "it is the only thing we can do," he answered. catching hold of the topmast shrouds, we began to mount. we got up at length, and crawled out on the yard, holding on tightly by the ropes which seemed most secure. finding that it was not so terrible as i had supposed, i crawled out to the very end of the yard, where i clung on, in spite of the fearful way in which it moved about. thankful i was, however, to hear the boatswain shout, "you may come down now, lads;" and i made my way into the top. lancelot had gone out at the other end of the yard, and when we met on deck he could not help shaking hands, as if we had arrived successfully from some desperate enterprise. the seamen laughed as they saw us, and even the boatswain's grim features wrinkled into a smile. "you'll do, lads," he said. "you'll make prime topmen in a few weeks, and thank me for having taught you." such was the commencement of our sea life. things, we agreed, might have been worse, though we got many a kick and rope's ending, not only from the boatswain, but from others among the more brutal of the crew. martin, when on deck, always came to our rescue, but old as he was, he was but ill able to contend with so many opposed to him. "better grin and bear it, master ben," he said; "they'll soon give up ill-treating you if you take it with good temper, and i should do more harm than good if i was to shove in my oar except at a favourable time; but i shall be on the watch, never fear, and i'll take care matters don't grow too bad." we followed martin's advice, and found it answer. the seamen of the frigate were a lawless and disorderly set, every sentence they uttered being accompanied by strange oaths, while below, when not asleep, they spent their time in dicing and gaming. we found, i should have said, that we were on board the _charles_ frigate, captain blackleach, carrying one hundred and fifty men and thirty-two guns, one of prince rupert's squadron, from which she had been separated while in chase of a trader the captain had hoped to capture, but which had escaped. a bright look-out was now kept for the squadron, and for traders of all nations. our cruising ground was the mouth of the english channel, where we lay in wait to pounce down upon any unwary vessel coming up with a rich cargo. we were all three below, poor dick by this time looking as black as a negro; he had unfortunately let it be known whose son he was, and consequently, i believe, got a double allowance of ill-treatment. "all hands make sail!" was shouted, and we with the rest sprang on deck. "aloft, you youngsters!" cried the boatswain, looking at lancelot and me. we ran up the rigging to the fore-topgallant-yard, and with the aid of two other men let fall the sail which had been furled. on looking ahead, we saw a large ship in the distance, for which the frigate was steering. the stranger held on her course, not apparently fearing us, though we had the union jack flying at the peak, while that of holland fluttered at hers. on getting within range of our guns, we opened fire from a dozen pieces or more, but without doing her much damage. again we fired, sending our shot crashing on board her, when the guns being run in and reloaded, we stood on, receiving her broadside, the shots going through our sails and cutting some of our running rigging, then luffing-up across her bows, we raked her fore and aft, and went about, showing that we intended to give her the other broadside. not relishing this, she hauled down her colours and triced up her sails. a well-armed boat's crew was sent on board to take possession, when her ship's company were speedily removed, and those of her people who remained in her were ordered to steer her to kinsale harbour, a short distance to the southward of cork, in ireland. the next vessel we chased proved to be english, and as she was bound for the thames, she was captured and sent away like the first, with part of the dutch crew, who, being promised good pay, had no objection to navigate her. a third vessel was seen the next day, carrying the flag of france. chase was given to her also, and the _charles_ coming alongside, she struck without firing a shot. she was also sent away, under command of one of the officers, for the same harbour as the former prize. "why, these fellows are pirates," observed lancelot to me, though he took care to speak in a low voice, so that only martin and i who was standing near could hear him. "little doubt about that," answered martin; "all's fish that comes to their net! i wish that we were well free of them, but how to get away is the difficulty. i suspect that if a parliamentary ship was to catch the frigate, they'd hang us all up at the yard-arms." "heaven forbid!" said lancelot. a few days after this, the look-out from the mast-head shouted-"five sail to the eastward!" presently afterwards three more were seen standing down channel, under all the canvas they could carry. "what if they should prove to be parliamentary ships," i said to lancelot. "we must try and explain who we are, and how we came on board," he answered. "but what if they won't believe us?" i asked. "we may be strung up before they find out the truth." "that would be a hard case, but i do not see how we are to escape, unless we jump overboard when the fight begins, and try to swim to one of them." instead of running away, as we expected, the _charles_ stood boldly towards the approaching squadron. at length from the peak of the leading ship we saw the union jack flying. "that must be prince rupert's squadron after all," said lancelot. that this was the case was soon evident, for the frigate, ranging up alongside the big ship, exchanged friendly salutes. an officer in handsome costume, with a gold chain round his neck, was seen standing on the after-castle. when captain blackleach raised his beaver, the officer took off his in return, and inquired how many prizes he had made. "three since we parted with your highness," was the answer, "and they are by this time safe in kinsale harbour." "you have used diligence; you shall have a bigger ship before long," said the officer in the handsome dress. "who is he?" i asked one of the men standing by. "what! have you never seen prince rupert, the bravest commander in the king's armies, and now his best admiral? wherever he leads, rich prizes are sure to be found." such we discovered was a fact, for that very day the squadron captured well-nigh a dozen merchantmen homeward bound, which mistook it for the earl of warwick's fleet, and fell without firing a shot into its voracious jaws. in high glee the prince with his prizes stood for kinsale harbour, where we found a dozen other goodly ships, which had been captured by his cruisers, including the three taken by the _charles_. while we lay here, lancelot and i, when no one was by, often talked over various schemes for escaping, but we had to ask ourselves the question, where should we go? the whole southern part of ireland was in favour of the king, as the prince of wales was now called, his father having been put to death in london. thus, even should we reach the shore, we should run a great risk of being knocked on the head when attempting to travel through the country, for rumours had reached us of the fearful way in which the romanists had treated the protestants residing among them. martin to whom we confided our wishes, was as eager as we were to escape, being anxious, as he said, to get away from the swearing, drinking, gambling crew. "i won't say there's not a godly man among them, because there are two or three who have been pressed into the service, and are ready to get away if they can, but the rest, the lord deliver us from them," he said, while we were standing on the forecastle one evening, out of hearing of the rest of the ship's company. lancelot, who was full of devices, proposed that we should take a boat and pull away out to sea, hoping that we might get across to the welsh coast and be picked up by a parliamentary cruiser, some of which were said to be in the irish channel. this plan seemed most feasible, though in reality full of danger. it would be no easy matter, in the first place, to get hold of a boat, and to obtain provisions and water. it would be still more difficult to slip away out of the harbour unperceived; and then, after all, we might be picked up by one of prince rupert's squadron and treated as deserters. "nothing risk, nothing have!" said martin. "i would chance it for myself, but i do not like the thought of hazarding your young lives. howsumdever, i'll speak to the men i think will join us, and hear what they say." the _charles_ was one of the outer line of frigates placed at the entrance of the harbour to give due notice of the approach of an enemy, so that we should have a better opportunity of getting off than would have been the case had we been higher up the harbour; but then the difficulty of obtaining a boat was greater. many of the crew were allowed to go on shore, but we had hitherto always been refused. lancelot suggested that if we could by some means get on shore, we might obtain a boat, and late in the evening pretend to be returning in her to the ship, instead of which we might pass her and get out to sea. "i fear that the guard ships keep too sharp a look-out to allow us to do that," observed martin; "still, i see no better way of making our escape." "we must wait for our opportunity; it will come, maybe, when we least expect it," said lancelot. buoyed up with this hope, when our watch was over, we turned into our hammocks. next morning a frigate came in, towing a boat. she passed close to us. on her deck stood ten men heavily ironed, their features, which we could clearly see, showing that they felt themselves to be in a dangerous predicament. the frigate sailed on, and brought up in the centre of the squadron. soon afterwards a signal from the flag-ship was seen flying, ordering two boats from each vessel to come alongside. ours were in the water, when the captain ordered martin and three other men, together with lancelot, dick, and me, to go in one of them. "it may teach you a lesson, lads, which for your own sakes i advise you not to forget," he said with a significant look. "i am afraid the captain has an inkling of our plans," whispered lancelot to me as we went down the side. we took our seats in our respective boats, which pulled away up the harbour. we found numerous other boats, the men resting on their oars round the flag-ship. presently a gun was fired from her, and up went ten human beings dangling by their necks to the yard-arms. some struggled in a way it was fearful to look at. they were the men we had seen on the deck of the frigate, and who had, we heard, attempted to make their escape in a boat, just as we proposed doing. such would have been our fate had we carried out our intention and been captured. we returned on board very low-spirited. "we must be careful what we are about," said lancelot to me; "i have no fancy to share the lot of those unhappy fellows." "what's to be done?" i asked. "grin and bear it, as martin would say," he answered. although we were not allowed to go on shore, we saw what was taking place up the harbour. boats were constantly going backwards and forwards, carrying the cargoes of the captured vessels to the town, where the goods were disposed of to eager traders, who came in from all parts to purchase them--often for less than half their value; but still, from the number of vessels taken, they must have realised a large profit to the prince, seeing that he had paid nothing for them. the cargoes being discharged, the stouter ships were fitted out with guns, there being found no lack of men ready to serve under so successful a corsair, for such the prince had become. the fleet being ready, we once more sailed in quest of fresh prizes. i did not note the number taken, but i often grieved to see the despair of the poor ship-masters and owners when they found themselves robbed of their hard-earned gains. no flag protected them--dutchmen, spaniards, portuguese, englishmen, all were treated alike. some fought pretty hard, especially the english, but the frigates hung about them, preventing their escape, until the big ships came down and they were compelled to strike their flags. we were cruising about the mouth of the channel, and, favoured by fine weather, had taken many prizes, when a south-westerly wind sprang up, and soon increased to a heavy gale, harder than any we had yet encountered. the dark leaden seas came rolling up from the atlantic, crested with foam, which flew in masses across our decks. the sky, covered with black clouds, sent forth vivid flashes of lightning, whilst peals of rattling thunder vied with the loud howling of the blast through the rigging, the creaking of blocks and bulkheads, and the dashing of the waves against the bows and sides. now the wind blew from one quarter, now from another, and prevented our running for kinsale, the only harbour in which we could have found a secure refuge. we could see the rest of the fleet tumbling and tossing about under close-reefed canvas, scattered far and wide, some in one direction, some in another. thus the night closed down upon us. we had to keep a watchful eye on every side, for should we run foul of another ship under such circumstances, the destruction of both would be inevitable. the next day and the greater part of the following night the storm raged with as much fury as ever. fearful of being driven on the scilly isles, or the southern coast of england, our captain endeavoured to keep a good offing, though we thereby lost sight of the rest of the fleet. about the middle of the next night the storm began to abate, and when morning came we found ourselves enveloped in a thick fog, while the ocean, though still heaving in slow undulations, gradually assumed a glass-like surface of leaden hue. we, having borne up, stood to the northward in search of the squadron. the captain ordered a bright look-out to be kept. "marry! a bright look-out. we must have eyes of a different nature to most men to pierce through this dense mist," quoth martin, laughing. still, such a look-out as was possible was kept, the captain hoping ere long to see one of the prince's vessels, and to learn from her where the rest were to be found. at length, about noon, the sun made an effort to burst through the thick veil which shrouded us. soon afterwards the mist lifted for an instant ahead, and during that instant i saw what appeared to me the hull of a ship, the canvas just rising above it; but it was only a glimpse, and it needed a sharp pair of eyes to discern any object a few fathoms off. i pointed her out to lancelot, but he was doubtful whether i had actually seen a vessel, and no one else appeared to have observed her. the frigate therefore stood on, and unless the stranger which i supposed i had seen was sailing at equal speed, we must have passed her to leeward. presently the wind blowing stronger, the fog once more lifted, and the sun bursting through, it fell on the white canvas of a tall ship close aboard us to windward. putting up her helm, she came nearer, when the captain hailed through his trumpet, supposing her to be one of prince rupert's squadron. the answer was not heard, but the question, "what ship is that?" came down clearly to us. "the _charles_," answered the captain, again putting the same question. scarcely had he spoken than we heard the words, "strike to the parliament ship, _constant warwick_!" and, the mist clearing still more, we saw flying from her peak a white flag with a red-cross. "we are caught in a trap, and must fight to get out of it," exclaimed the captain, ordering the drums to beat to quarters. the men rushed to the guns, which they were well accustomed to handle; but before they could cast off the lashings and run them out, a broadside from the _constant warwick_ came crashing into us, several of the crew being struck to the deck to rise no more. with scant ceremony their shipmates hove the bodies overboard, while the gunners, running out their pieces, returned with interest the fire of the other frigate. i prayed that neither my friends nor i might be killed or wounded, though we ran as great a risk as the rest. i felt thankful when we were all three ordered down to the magazine to bring up powder, for below the risk of being hit was less, though neither of us felt any cowardly fears. having brought up the powder, we were ordered to sit on the tubs until it was wanted. we could thus see what was going forward, though we would far rather, i must confess, have been below. captain blackleach, a brave fellow, to give him his due, seemed in no way inclined to strike while he had a chance of getting off. the _constant warwick's_ fore-yard was soon shot away, and her main topmast shortly afterwards fell, on which our corsair crew cheered lustily, and with redoubled vigour plied their guns. i looked round to see how it was faring with my friends, dick and lancelot. they were seated on their tubs, dick making himself as small as possible, so as to have less chance of being hit. a short way off stood martin shobbrok among the sail trimmers. just then two of the gunners fell, their heads shot off, and their brains scattered over the deck. the captain, seeing what had occurred, shouted to martin and another man to take their places. martin stood with his arms folded, as if he did not hear the order. the captain again shouted to him. "i'll do a seaman's duty, but will not fight against those who have justice and right on their side," answered martin. "mutiny! mutiny!" shouted the captain. "suffer the fate of a mutineer!" and, drawing a pistol from his belt he fired. i expected to see my old friend fall, but the bullet merely grazed one of his grey whiskers; and, fixing his eye on the captain, he answered-"the lord forgive thee, and be thankful thou hast not murdered an old man who is acting as his conscience bids him." the captain, unmoved by this rebuke, was about to draw another pistol. "i must save martin, even at the hazard of my own life," i exclaimed, and was about to spring aft to strike up the pistol when the cry arose-"another enemy close aboard us!" looking round, i saw, looming large through the fog, the wide-spread canvas of a tall ship coming up on our quarter. chapter five. the engagement. the fate of honest martin hung in the balance; should i fail to strike up the captain's arm, his death would be certain. whether or no my action had been observed i could not tell, for the appearance of the stranger drew the captain's attention off from his victim, and in a moment he seemed to have forgotten all about martin. the approaching ship fired a broadside which raked us fore and aft, sending many of the roystering crew to their dread account. still undaunted, the captain ordered the starboard broadside to be fired in return, and the _constant warwick_, in consequence of the loss of her headsail, being unable to keep her position, we drew ahead of her; but our fresh antagonist, with her yards and rigging uninjured, quickly came up, and her guns, aimed at our masts, ere long brought down the fore and main-yards; but the flag still flew out at the peak of the corsair, and her guns on either side continued to belch forth their deadly missiles. though round shot and bullets from her antagonists came crashing on board the ship, tearing up the decks, piercing the sides, carrying away lanterns, boats, and spars, wounding her masts and plunging through her bulwarks, the scuppers running with blood, her gallant captain, standing still unharmed amid the dead and dying, refused to yield. malignant though he was, i could not help admiring his courage, regretting that he was not fighting in a better cause. i heartily wished that he would give in before more damage was done. he seemed, however, in no way inclined to strike while there was a chance of escaping. i feared, indeed, that after all he would get off, but the two parliament ships plied him hard. their commanders were as brave as he was, and had no intention of letting him escape. of this the corsair's crew were at length convinced, and some, unwilling to encounter certain destruction, cried out to strike the flag. "who dares to say that?" shouted captain blackleach. then he cried out to the boatswain, "reeve a dozen ropes, and we'll show our enemies how we treat traitors to our cause." the boatswain, seizing one of the men who desired to strike, was actually about to put the order into execution when martin rushed to the poor fellow's rescue. "avast, master boatswain!" he exclaimed, cutting the rope; "are you not afraid of committing murder, when, at any moment, you may be sent to stand before the judge of all men?" the boatswain, with an oath, again seized the man, and, aided by his mates, was forming a noose at the end of a rope, when a shot striking him on the breast sent his mangled body through a wide gap in the bulwarks into the blood-stained ocean. most of the superior officers had by this time been killed or wounded, the latter being in the hands of the surgeon below. "what's to be done?" said dick, as we were together making our way to the magazine, being ordered down to fetch up more powder. "surely the captain won't hold out longer! if i didn't feel that it was cowardly, i should like to stow myself away below till all is over." "to go down with the ship and be drowned," i observed. "no, no; let us remain on deck while we can, and take our chance," said lancelot. "if the captain fights on until the ship sinks, we may get hold of a plank or spar. the roundhead seamen will not let us drown, even though they think we are malignants." "stay for me!" said dick, as he saw us lifting up our tubs to go on deck again. to say the truth, i suspected that he had been in no hurry to fill his. just as we were going up the ladder two thundering broadsides sounded in our ears, and several shot, crashing through the stout planks and scattering splinters in every direction, passed close to our heads, but happily none of us were hit. they were followed by the groans and shrieks of the wounded as they lay struggling on the deck in their agony. then there came what truly seemed an awful silence. we had naturally stopped midway on the ladder for unwilling slaves as we were, we lacked a motive to expedite our movements. as we at length gained the upper deck a sound of cheering struck on our ears, but it came from the other ships. i looked up at the peak. the flag was no longer there. on the after-castle lay the captain; he had fallen desperately wounded. two officers alone remained on their feet, while fore and aft a sickening sight met our view. the ship was a perfect shambles; the dead and dying lay everywhere, the countenances of many distorted with agony; the decks slippery with blood, and covered with blocks, ropes, torn canvas, and shattered spars, while several guns had been dismounted, and every boat knocked to pieces. the master of the mariners, one of the surviving officers, was shouting to the crew to shorten sail. throwing our tubs of powder on deck, we gladly ran to obey the order, joined by martin shobbrok, who, amid the bloody strife, had escaped unscathed. meantime the two victorious frigates had hove to and were lowering their boats, ready to send on board and take possession of their prize. "what shall we do now?" asked dick, as the boats were coming alongside. "our friends will look upon us as deserters, and perhaps string us up at the yard-arm." "not much fear of that," said lancelot. "we can tell who we are and how we came to be on board." "but will they believe us?" asked dick. "the rest of the crew will prove that we have been helping the gunners to load their pieces by bringing powder from the magazine." "just trust in god, young masters," said martin, who had overheard them. we had not much time for talking before the crews of the three boats which had been sent sprang on board. the officer in command at once ordered the whole of the "rovers" to muster aft. of well-nigh two hundred men who had commenced the action, one half were dead or wounded. the survivors stood with downcast looks, expecting no gentle treatment. "you have taken up arms without lawful authority against the parliament, and you must be prepared for the punishment due to you, unless the admiral thinks fit to remit it," explained the officer, casting his eye over the men. "have you anything to say for yourselves?" there was no reply until lancelot stepped aft, followed by martin, dick, and me. "we were on board against our will, sir," he said, "and acknowledge the parliament as the supreme authority in the realm." he then described how we had been rescued by the _charles_ when on our way from dartmouth to lyme. "a likely story, young master," said the officer; "but i will talk to you more anon. the rest of you tumble into the boats and go peaceably on board the ships to which they will convey you." nearly half the men had already taken their seats in the three boats which had shoved off, when the cry arose, "the ship is sinking!" the carpenter and his mates were among those who remained, and the officer ordering some of his own men to assist them in stopping the leaks, directed them to man the pumps. the rovers obeyed with alacrity, for they had no wish to drown. we four assisted them, and as the pumps clanged loudly the water spread over the decks, partly cleansing them from their bloody stains. it was an anxious time, for i feared that the ship would go down before the boats could return. we pumped, and pumped away with might and main, while the carpenters stopped the most dangerous shot holes between wind and water. it was a great relief at length to see the boats come back. they brought more men, and among them some carpenters from the frigates to assist in repairing the damages. the remaining prisoners having laboured so well, had the choice given them of continuing on board, and they gladly accepted the offer, promising faithfully to serve the parliament. evening was drawing on, and the two frigates lay still hove to close to the prize, when, looking to windward, i saw the upper sails of several ships, which i deemed to be of size, rising above the horizon. i pointed them out to martin, and asked if he thought they were prince rupert's squadron. "no fear of that," he answered; "they must have been seen some time ago from the frigate, and they show no intention of trying to escape." during this time everyone on board was working away with a will, for there was much to be done both below and aloft, while the wounded men had to be looked after. the captain had been taken to his cabin, where the surgeon had dressed his wound. dick, who had been ordered to watch him, came rushing out after some time, looking greatly terrified, and declared that the captain was raving and swearing that he would rise and blow up the ship rather than yield to the roundheads. fortunately we found the surgeon, who sent two men to watch over him, and dick was relieved from his trying duty. a boat now came alongside with orders to remove more of the prisoners, and among them martin and my two friends and i were ordered to get into her. in a short time we were conveyed on board the _constant warwick_, and found ourselves standing on her deck together with the other prisoners. "now is our time," i exclaimed to lancelot. "let us go boldly aft and tell the captain who we are, or we shall be sent below and placed in irons with the rest." lancelot took my advice. we stepped aft, followed by dick and martin. "what have you to say, lads?" asked the captain, looking greatly astonished at our audacity. we gave him the same account of ourselves that we had to the officer who had come on board the _charles_. "you are ready enough now to declare yourselves roundheads," answered the captain, "but you were found on board an enemy's ship, and must be treated like the rest." "they are brave little fighting-cocks, cavaliers to the backbone," shouted one of the men from the group of prisoners, not wishing that we should receive more favour than themselves. i had observed a young officer standing close to the captain. i looked at his countenance, and the thought flashed across me that i had seen him before. "captain stayner," he said, "allow me to say that i believe the account these young gentlemen give of themselves. i was at lyme with my uncle, the admiral;" then turning to us he inquired our names. "i thought so," he said, putting out his hand; "i remember them all well. one is the son of mr kerridge, the mayor, who fought so bravely for the good cause; the father of the other, who served under my grandfather, was killed during the siege; and this one," he added, taking dick by the hand, "is the son of mr harvey, who expended his means in aiding in the defence of lyme." while the young officer was speaking, i recognised him as the nephew of colonel blake. "i truly rejoice to see you," he continued, turning to us, "for, putting into lyme some weeks ago, i found your relatives and friends in great sorrow at your supposed loss. we will take the earliest opportunity of sending them news of your safety." thus were our anxieties brought to an end. instead of being treated as prisoners, we were received as guests by the officers, who insisted on supplying us with clothes and other necessaries, of which we stood much in want. great was our surprise to hear that the admiral of the ships in sight astern was no other than colonel blake, who had been placed in command of the fleets of england by the parliament in conjunction with colonels deane and popham. admiral blake was now in chase of prince rupert's squadron, which it was his intention, should he fail to overtake it at sea, to shut up in kinsale harbour. this, to me especially, was satisfactory news, for i had not forgotten the remark made by colonel blake to my father, that he should like to have me with him, and i felt very sure that he was a man who would fulfil his intentions. i mentioned this to mr robert blake, who promised on the first opportunity to take me on board the flag-ship and introduce me to the admiral. "not that you will require an introduction," he answered; "my uncle never forgets those he has once known, and, though grown, you are not altered much from the little fellow i remember at lyme." i felt bound to put in a word for my two friends, as also for martin, whose brave conduct on board the _charles_ i described, when he refused to fire at the _constant warwick_. "it would not become me to make promises to you," he replied, "but you may depend upon it that the admiral will not overlook such conduct, and as shobbrok is an experienced seaman, he will gladly place him in some position of trust on board." the other frigate which had assisted in the capture of the _charles_ was, i should have said, the _seaford_. the breeze freshening, we had no opportunity of going on board the _triumph_, admiral blake's flag-ship, as he was pressing on under all sail in chase of the corsairs. the frigates led the way, and the next morning, from the mast-head of the _constant warwick_, we caught sight of well-nigh a score of ships right ahead. that they were those of prince rupert we had no doubt; but they must have seen us coming, and having no stomach to engage in fight--for they knew by this time who commanded the english fleet--they pressed on before us. we continued in chase under every stitch of canvas we could carry, hoping to come up with one or more of the rearmost ships and to bring them to action, so as to keep them employed till the rest of the fleet should arrive and compel them to strike. the breeze freshened, and the _constant warwick_, followed closely by two other frigates, tore through the water, as if eager to overtake her foes. "hold on, good sticks!" cried the captain, looking aloft. "time enough to go overboard when we have grappled the enemy." the topgallant masts bent like willow wands, and i expected every moment to see them fall, but though the lofty sails tugged and tugged, yet they held fast, and we hoped that we should yet be in time to stop some of the corsairs before they could get into harbour. the _triumph_ was still far away astern, followed by the rest of the fleet, our captain doing his best to drive his ship through the water. the corsairs did not gain upon us, and we well knew that for a good hour or more we should have them to ourselves, should we overtake them. captain stayner walked the deck, now casting his eye ahead at the enemy, now aloft at the straining canvas, and now astern, to judge, by the way the sails of the _triumph_ were blowing out, how the wind was holding in that direction. presently the lofty canvas was seen to hang down against the masts, then slowly to blow out again. in a short time our own royals and topgallant sails followed their bad example. the captain gave a stamp of impatience on the deck. the breeze was falling, even the topsails and courses no longer bellied out as before. still, the frigates glided on, but the sluggish eddies astern showed how greatly their speed had decreased. at length, on the larboard bow, the old head of kinsale appeared in sight, with prince rupert's ships passing round it. still, they too might get becalmed and a change of wind enable us to approach them. our hopes, however, were doomed to be disappointed. though the wind was light, they moved as fast as we did, and the lighter vessels getting out their sweeps, they ere long disappeared, shrouded by the gloom of evening, and by the time we came off the mouth of the harbour not a sail was to be discerned. "though they have escaped us this time, we have shut the rats up in their hole, and they will find it a hard matter to get out again to seek for prey," observed the captain. "can't we go in and destroy them?" inquired lancelot of mr blake. "from the information we have received, we judge that it would be a hazardous undertaking," he answered. "there are castles on either side of the harbour, and the corsairs have thrown up earthworks, armed with heavy guns, for the protection of their ships, so that they would blow us out of the water should we attempt to enter. we must content ourselves with blockading them." such, i afterwards found, was the plan adopted. we stood on and off the land to watch the entrance. the next morning the whole fleet arrived, forming a line from the old head of kinsale northward, which prince rupert, daring as he was, would not, it was believed, attempt to break through. it was somewhat trying work. night and day a vigilant watch was kept, great care being required so that each ship should maintain her proper position, and that one should not run foul of the other. according to his promise, mr blake took lancelot, dick, and me, with martin shobbrok, on board the _triumph_. the admiral recognised me immediately, and remembered also what he had said to my father. "would you wish to remain with me?" he asked. "should such be your desire, you shall become my cabin boy, and when you have gained a knowledge of navigation and seamanship, you shall, without delay, be made an officer." "such i desire above all things," i answered, "and i am deeply grateful for the offer." "and your friends here," he continued, looking at lancelot and dick. "were they with us at the siege of lyme?" "they were, sir, and we all three worked together to throw up the embankments," i answered. "good! they appear likely lads, and i will watch over their interests, if the lord spares my life." lancelot and dick made proper acknowledgment of the admiral's intended kindness. i then bethought me that now was the time to speak a word for martin, and told the admiral how he had behaved on board the _charles_, being ready to lose his own life rather than fire at the parliamentary ships. "brave fellow! i remember him when he served with your father and mine," he observed. "he shall have a post on board such as his merit deserves. i will see to it." several captains from other ships coming on board, we retired, following young robert blake, who took us into the gun room, where he introduced us to such of the officers of the ship as were below. i had long been wishing to hear from lieutenant blake how his uncle had become an admiral, and i now took the opportunity of asking him. "simply because he is one of the most worthy men the parliament could find," he answered. "his great talents, his undaunted bravery, are well-known, and although he had not before been to sea, the government felt sure that he would be able to fill the post, and seeing him as we do now at the head of naval affairs, no one would suppose that he was fifty years of age before he set his foot on the deck of a ship as commander, taking precedence of such men as captains penn, jordan, ascue, stayner, and lawson, while admirals deane and popham, though of the same rank, yield to his judgment." for the benefit of those who may not be acquainted with the history of one of the most famous of england's sea commanders, i may here note that admiral blake, eldest son of a highly-esteemed merchant, humphrey blake, trading with spain and other foreign parts, was born at bridgwater in the year of grace 1598, and that he had many brothers and sisters. when a boy he studied navigation and the routine of sea duties from his father and some of his captains who had come to live on shore, but at that time his own taste made him wish to obtain a knowledge of literature, and at sixteen he entered as an undergraduate at saint alban's hall, oxford, whence he removed to wadham college. here he remained several years, until his father being reduced in circumstances from the failure of many of his enterprises, he returned home to watch over the interests of his family. he had, i should have said, offered himself as a candidate for a scholarship then vacant at merton, but sir henry saville, the warden, who delighted in tall men, objecting to him on account of his height which fell below his standard of manly perfection, refused to admit him, and the admiral, after he had been summoned to the death-bed of his father, did not again return to oxford. for some years he remained at bridgwater, chiefly occupied with the care of his mother and brothers and sisters. at the same time he was a keen observer of passing events. his indignation was aroused by the persecutions of bishop laud and his attempt to impose the papal system on his country. when the king, after a lapse of many years, summoned a parliament, the admiral, then mr blake, went up as member for bridgwater. soon afterwards came the outbreak in ireland, when forty thousand protestants were murdered by the papists, who asserted that the king sanctioned their bloody acts. although this might not have been the case, the parliament demanded that a fleet and army should be placed at their disposal to quell the rebels. soon afterwards the king, leaving london, raised his standard at northampton, and declared war against the parliament and those who sided with it. mr blake was among the first gentlemen who took up arms in the south of england in defence of the people's right, his first military achievement being the gallant defence of prior's hill, bristol. the rest of his career up to the time of which i am speaking i have already mentioned, and i may truly say that he had never been defeated. he had, for some time before i was received on board his flag-ship, been engaged in reforming the navy, into which numerous corruptions had crept. his great object was to see that the men were duly paid and well fed, that hospitals were provided for the wounded, and that stout seaworthy ships were alone employed. he perseveringly engaged even in the most minute details, to add to the comfort of his men, and already they had learned to trust and revere him. his fame had spread even among the royalists, numbers of whom, escaping when opportunities occurred, eagerly came on board our ships to serve under his flag. that flag was now a red-cross on a white ground, and that banner was destined soon to claim the respect of england's foes, wherever it was seen waving at the peak. while we were watching kinsale harbour to prevent the escape of prince rupert's cruisers, general cromwell, who had gone over to the north of ireland with an army, was righting his way to the southward. blockading was no pleasant duty, for often heavy gales from the eastward compelled us to keep an offing from the shore, or when they blew from an opposite direction we had to beat backwards and forwards under close-reefed sails to maintain our position, and several times we had to run for milford haven, to escape the danger of shipwreck. we young seamen, however, thereby gained much practical experience in nautical affairs, as did undoubtedly our superiors, who had hitherto been more accustomed to the command of regiments of foot and horse than to the management of ships. by the first bag of letters despatched after we got on board the _triumph_, we wrote an account of our adventures to our friends at lyme. in due course we received others in return, with expressions of thankfulness that we had escaped the perils to which we had been exposed. audrey and cicely especially gave us an account of all that had occurred since we left home, praying that we might soon return. october came, and with it a furious gale, which once more scattered the blockading squadron. in vain the _triumph_ endeavoured to maintain her station. still she kept the sea in spite of the furious blasts which laid her over and threatened to carry away her masts and spars, and hurl her, a helpless wreck, on the rocky coast. a few other captains imitated the example of their dauntless commander, but it was impossible to remain in sight of kinsale. at length, the weather moderating, we once more came off the old headland, and, by degrees the ships assembling, the frigates were sent in towards the harbour's mouth to inspect the squadron of prince rupert. they returned with the intelligence that the corsair prince, with, several of his ships, had escaped, leaving behind, however, a considerable number, which fell into our hands. chapter six. afloat in the squadron. i must pass over some months, during which the _triumph_, having returned into port, we three friends paid a visit to lyme, the admiral promising to send for us when he should next go to sea. we had not long to wait. it being reported that prince rupert and his brother had fled to the tagus, admiral blake was appointed to the command of a small squadron, of which the _tiger_ was his flag-ship, with orders to pursue the pirates, and to seize, make prizes, fight with, and destroy all their ships he could overtake, while he was to protect all lawful traders in the exercise of their calling. the other ships were the _john, tenth, whelp, signet_, and _constant warwick_, carrying altogether one hundred and fourteen guns. we were glad to find that young robert blake was one of the lieutenants of the _tiger_, and equally rejoiced were we to see martin shobbrok walking the deck with a chain and silver whistle round his neck doing duty as boatswain. although it was midwinter, no time was lost, and with a fair breeze we stood down channel. the winds, and the necessity of chasing every suspicious sail, prevented us from reaching our destination--the month of the tagus--until the approach of spring. to our infinite satisfaction, we found that the prince's squadron was at anchor in the river, and forthwith the admiral despatched his nephew, whom i had the honour of accompanying, with a message to king john of portugal, requesting permission to attack the ships of prince rupert, belonging to the commonwealth of england, and carried off by treachery. i had never before been in a king's palace; i have not the power, however, to describe the finely dressed ladies and gentlemen we saw, or the forms and ceremonies we went through. the king, or rather one of his ministers--who spoke for him--declared that he could permit no such proceeding, that the princes were his guests, and that we must take our departure without injuring them. "the king sends us back, as he thinks, with a flea in our ears, but it is a flea which will tickle his majesty before long," observed lieutenant blake, who had something of his uncle's humour. we returned on board the _tiger_, and reported the result of our mission, when the admiral immediately ordered a squadron of boats to enter the river. i went in one of them. as we approached a white stone castle shining brightly in the sun, near the mouth, a puff of smoke issued from one of the embrasures. another and another followed, the shot splashing into the water close to us. on this the commander of the expedition, according to the orders received, returned to the squadron. the admiral, curling his whiskers, sent to the castle to inquire why his boats had been stopped. the officer replied that his orders were to prevent any foreign ships sailing up the river. the admiral on this despatched another embassy to king john, demanding the reason for his conduct, but received as unsatisfactory a reply as before. the portuguese king was not aware with whom he had to deal, and fancied that blake would sail away without taking further notice of the affair. in spite of the threats of the governor of belim castle, the _tiger_ leading the way, the squadron sailed into the river, not a shot being fired at us, and we brought up in viera bay. here some weeks passed, the crews fuming at the delay, and hoping every day that we might be able to get at the corsairs and punish them as they deserved. our men were frequently on shore, when they constantly met the sailors of the prince's squadron, on friendly terms. occasionally, however, there were quarrels, when our men jeered at the others, calling them pirates and robbers, and expressing a wonder that they should be willing to serve under such leaders as rupert and his brother. others of our people acted more wisely, and succeeded in inducing a considerable number of the prince's men to desert and come on board our ships. this greatly enraged the prince, who strung up several poor fellows found making their way to us. still, others came off, and one of them told us that the _swallow_, a ship of thirty-six guns, had actually got under weigh and was on the point of escaping, when the intention of her officers and crew being discovered, she was brought back. some time after this, three boats under command of lieutenant blake were sent on shore to fill our casks at the fountain where we usually obtained water; lancelot and i accompanied him. as there was no fear of our men deserting, we allowed some of those not required for the work in hand to stroll a short distance inland, lieutenant blake going with them, while i remained to superintend the watering party. i was thus engaged when i heard some shots fired, and saw lancelot, who had gone a little way off, running towards me. "what's the matter?" i inquired. "our shipmates have been attacked by a party of cavaliers and portuguese hidalgoes, who have, i fear, got hold of lieutenant blake. if we bring up the men quickly, we may rescue him before he is carried off," he answered. calling our people together, some of whom were rolling the casks down to the boats, lancelot and i led them in the direction we had heard the shots. we had not gone far when we caught sight of our party warmly engaged with a number of persons in hunting dresses, some being english, others portuguese, among whom we distinguished our lieutenant, held by two portuguese, while others were pointing their swords at his breast. almost before they discovered us, uttering a loud shout we were upon them. the lieutenant on seeing us, shaking off the grasp of the two men who held him, knocked up the blade of another, and seizing the sword of a fourth, sprang towards us. at that moment, however, a strong reinforcement arriving we had to retreat, with our faces to the foe. several of our men fell dead, and others were wounded. an attack also was made on six of our people who had been separated from us, when, with the exception of one who cut his way out from among those surrounding the party, the rest were made prisoners. we showed so bold a front that, notwithstanding our heavy losses, the cavaliers and their allies did not venture to follow us, though they fired a volley which killed one more of our men and wounded another. we at length reached the boats, and taking the casks on board, pulled away to communicate the circumstance to the admiral. lieutenant blake told him that he had recognised prince maurice as well as two or three of his officers, and that the other leaders of our assailants were portuguese grandees. the admiral was highly indignant, but how to punish our dastardly foes as they deserved was a difficult matter to determine. the king of portugal would certainly refuse to deliver up the offenders, and we were not as yet in a position to compel him. we had therefore to bide our time. that evening, as i was walking the deck with lancelot, we saw a small boat coming off from the shore. she had but one man in her. he hailed as he got alongside, and asked if he might be permitted to come on board, as he had a communication to make to the admiral. permission was at once given, and after remaining a short time in the cabin, the stranger took his departure, when the admiral came on deck and ordered the ports to be closed. soon after this another boat was seen coming off, containing a person dressed as a portuguese tradesman, and rowed by two negroes. the boat also carried a large cask. after coming up under the stern, she pulled round on the starboard side. the seeming portuguese then handed up a letter, which one of the officers took. it purported to come from a merchant on shore, stating that he had sent off a cask of oil for the use of the crew. the white man was still seated in the boat, when the boatswain and two other men came aft and informed the admiral that they were very sure he was no portuguese, but one of the persons belonging to prince rupert's ship whom they frequently met on shore. "let the cask remain in the boat, and order the man up the side," said the admiral. the portuguese, on receiving the order, showed a great disinclination to obey, and said something to the negroes, who were getting out their oars to shove off when three of our men jumped into the boat, and having secured her, the white man and two blacks were brought on deck. the admiral now turning to the boatswain ordered him to reeve a rope to the yard-arm. "so my friend," he said, turning to the white prisoner, "you intended to blow up this ship and all on board. if that cask is full of oil my information is incorrect, but if not, be prepared for the consequences." on this the man fell on his knees, and pleading for mercy, offered to reveal the plot he had been engaged to carry out. "you deserve death, but your life shall be spared if you speak the truth," said the admiral. the man then confessed that he had been employed by the cavaliers to destroy the admiral and his flag-ship; that the cask was double-headed, and that the interior was filled with gunpowder and missiles of all sorts; that between the two heads there was a lock so contrived that on being opened it would fire a quick match and cause the whole to explode. "as you understand its mechanism, you shall be employed in extracting its contents," said the admiral. the man on hearing this looked greatly disconcerted, but was forced to obey. the carpenter having provided him with tools, he descended into the boat, when she was towed some distance from the ship, where she was anchored, and the oars being removed, he was left to operate alone on the cask. he was watched with great interest as he cut a hole through the bottom. this done, he took out the contents and hove them overboard, when he hailed to say that the cask was empty. the admiral then ordered him and the two blacks to depart with a message for the prince, informing him of the miscarriage of his enterprise. the prince afterwards, we heard, spread a report that he and his brother, while out hunting, had been attacked by a party of men from admiral blake's fleet, and that he had in consequence allowed the attempt to be made to blow up the flag-ship. i should here say that on board the prince's fleet were many republicans, who sent the admiral information of all his intentions. we now heard that, fearing lest the king of portugal should no longer be willing to afford him protection, prince rupert proposed putting to sea, and seeking his fortune in another direction. on this, a calm coming on, our ships were towed down to the mouth of the river, where we lay ready to intercept him, and so the prince's plan was defeated. some weeks went by, when admiral popham arrived with a strong reinforcement, and by one of the ships came letters to lancelot and me, of which i will speak anon. the king of portugal, just before this, throwing off all disguise, arrested several english merchants residing in lisbon, and declared his intention of supporting the corsair princes. no sooner was this news received on board our ships than the admiral sent word to the portuguese government that he proposed to make reprisals. while the messenger was on the way, a number of ships were seen with all sails set coming out of the river. they proved to be richly-laden merchantmen bound for the brazils. as they approached, our squadron got under weigh, and before the brazilian ships had time to retreat we surrounded them and captured the whole. as they were well-armed, the officers and crews being removed, we sent all the men we could spare on board, and thus nine fine vessels were added to the strength of our fleet. winter was approaching, and with it came heavy gales, greatly trying our ships. information had been received that another richly-laden fleet from the brazils was expected in the river. we accordingly, our ships having been carefully fitted to encounter the fiercest storms, got under weigh and stood out to sea in order to watch for it. we had not long to wait, when one of the look-out frigates brought intelligence which made us all on the alert. the commander stated that he had counted no less than twenty-three sail approaching under all the canvas they could carry. on they came. the admiral ordered the signal to be thrown out to prepare for action. the portuguese fleet approached, supposing our ships to be those of their own nation; and as far as we could judge, were in no way ready for battle. they advanced in gallant array, their admiral leading, but as they drew nearer their suspicions must have been aroused. they were soon convinced that we had hostile intentions, when the _tiger_, standing across the bows of the flag-ship, ordered her to strike and heave to. a shot which struck us was the answer, when tacking so as to bring our other broadside to bear, we commenced firing away as fast as our guns could be run in and loaded. the other ships imitated our example, each engaging one, and some two or three of the enemy. again our commander ordered the portuguese admiral to strike, but he refused, notwithstanding the fearful punishment we were inflicting on him. our shots, fired at short range, were going through and through the sides between wind and water. presently one of the enemy's ships astern of us was seen to be on fire. the flames spread rapidly, bursting out from her ports and climbing the tall masts. another and another was speedily in the same predicament. the fate of these ships brought terror into the hearts of the enemy. now the flag of a large ship attacked by the _resolution_ was hauled down. now another struck, and quickly the antagonist of the _constant warwick_ lowered her flag, allowing that gallant barque to pay her attentions to a second foe. cheer after cheer burst from the throats of our crew as they saw these rich prizes captured, while they redoubled the efforts they were making against the portuguese flag-ship. still the action continued raging in all directions over the blue ocean, canopied by a dark pall of smoke, which was increased each moment by the curling wreaths arising from the thundering guns. every effort was now made by the portuguese to escape, for their ships contained rich treasures which they were unwilling to lose, but their efforts were in vain. like eager hounds heated by the chase, our ships, setting all sail, soon came up with the fugitives, whose masts and spars being knocked away, they hauled down their flag. their admiral had been fighting long and bravely, when martin shobbrok, who was standing near me, exclaimed, pointing at her, "the lord have mercy on their souls! mark you not, master ben, how deep by the head is that stout portugale ship? see, see! she is sinking lower and lower." still the guns from her upper deck continued to belch forth flames and smoke. it seemed as if her crew were not aware of the fate awaiting them. before another minute had elapsed shrieks and cries arose. men were seen rushing up from below, and clambering on the bulwarks. others were engaged in lowering the boats and throwing overboard planks and hen-coops, and pieces of furniture, and whatever they could lay their hands on. "cease firing!" cried our admiral, and not another shot was discharged at our helpless foe. lower and lower sank the stout ship, her stern lifted high out of the water, then downwards she glided, her canvas set, her flag still flying, her commander and his officers still standing on the lofty after-castle, until that too disappeared beneath the wild waves which dashed over them, and soon even the main truck vanished beneath the surface, leaving a few struggling forms and pieces of wreck, and articles thrown overboard, floating on the spot she had lately occupied. stern necessity compelled us to sail in chase of her flying consorts, one of which proved to be the ship of the vice-admiral, who, taught a lesson by the fate of his chief, as we approached lowered his flag. seven of the smaller vessels which had sought safety at the commencement of the engagement in flight, being already close in with the mouth of the river, escaped, but we captured eleven large ships, not counting the admiral's which sank, and three others consumed by fire. as soon as the prizes were secured, the boats were lowered to try and pick up any of the helpless people who alight have escaped from the ships destroyed; but few only were rescued, though i am well assured that, had the admiral acted according to the dictates of his heart, he would rather have allowed the vice-admiral to escape than have delayed the attempt to save the perishing seamen. as we could not enter the river, and another gale might come on, we lost no time in repairing damages and refitting the prizes, so that they might undertake the voyage to england. admiral blake was well aware that the portuguese would endeavour to revenge themselves for the loss they had suffered, but still undaunted, he prepared to resist their squadron, united to that of the prince, should they venture to attack us. day after day we sailed backwards and forwards off the mouth of the river, or when a tempest threatened, shortening sail, we beat out to sea to avoid shipwreck, again to return the instant the wind moderated. this sort of work greatly added to the experience my companion and i had gained on the coast of ireland, so that we could boast of being efficient seamen. "you'll soon be made a lieutenant, mr ben, and ere long a captain; and, when you get command of a ship, i hope that you'll apply to have me sent with you," said martin to me one day as we were walking the deck together. "although she may be only half the size of the _tiger_, i would rather be with you than even with our good admiral, much as i love him. he is the man to win all hearts, not only because he is the best commander we ever had, but because he attends to the wants and looks after the interests of the men below him." i promised martin, if i lived to get the command of a ship, that i would obtain him as boatswain, should he not in the meantime be advanced to a higher grade such as his merits deserved. "martin shobbrok is too old for a lieutenant, and besides, is no navigator, so that he would feel like a fish out of water," he answered. "he has been boatswain for the best part of his life, and boatswain he is willing to remain, unless he is made chief gunner, and no great learning is required for that." again we sighted the rock of lisbon, when a thick mist came on, which shrouded it and the whole coast from sight. notwithstanding the fog, a fresh breeze was blowing. we were steering on our usual course under easy sail, when, as i was on deck, with martin pacing a short distance from me, he exclaimed-"there's a tall ship close to us," and looking in the direction he pointed, i could dimly see through the fog a dark mass of canvas. the sound of the rattling and creaking of blocks, too, reached our ears. "she's an enemy; to your guns, lads!" he shouted. "go and tell the captain, master ben." i ran aft to tell the commander, who, followed by the admiral, appeared on deck. "silence!" he cried; "go to your quarters without beat of drum." the guns were cast loose, and powder and shot brought from below, and our men stood ready for the next order. the phantom ship, for such she appeared, loomed larger and larger. the admiral divined her object--to run us on board. "she's either the portugale flag-ship or maybe that of prince rupert's himself," whispered martin to me. one thing was certain, that she was not one of our squadron. silently she glided up under our lee. "now give it her, my lads," cried the admiral, and every gun from the starboard broadside was fired into the stranger. down came her fore-topmast by the run. silence being no longer necessary, our crew gave a hearty cheer, hoping that we were about to tackle the stranger, but being under a press of sail, she shot past ahead, and so dense was the fog, that in a few seconds she had disappeared. we eagerly sought for her, but we searched in vain. next day, the fog having cleared away, the united fleets were discovered, but our admiral's object was to avoid a regular engagement, as no good could thereby be attained, and he contented himself with cutting off first one and then another of the enemy's ships. "i know who tried to surprise us yesterday evening," exclaimed martin. "the tall ship with the prince's flag flying, and her fore-topmast gone, but she would have been surprised herself had she not slipped out of the way." at length the admiral gained information that another large brazilian fleet was at sea, which, being of far more value than the empty hulls of the prince's squadron, we sailed in search of. after cruising about for several weeks, we heard that some of the brazilian ships had taken refuge in spanish ports, and that others were at the azores. we accordingly sailed back to the tagus. scarcely had we arrived than a frigate with a flag of truce came to meet us, bringing intelligence that the corsair princes had left the river, and that the king of portugal had sent an ambassador to england to sue for peace. the admiral's work in the tagus being accomplished, we prepared for returning home. i mentioned that lancelot and dick had received letters from lyme. lancelot's was from his father's head factor, the other from mr harvey. they both gave us the same alarming intelligence which affected lancelot as well as me. they told us that mr kerridge and his daughter, accompanied by audrey and mistress margaret, her waiting-maid, had sailed in a hoy bound for plymouth, at which place, to their dismay, they found she had not arrived. some hours after leaving lyme, a heavy gale had arisen, but it was calculated that the hoy might by that time have got into plymouth, or run back for lyme, or found shelter in some other harbour. whether she had foundered, or run on the eddystone or on some other rock, or had been captured by an enemy, no one could surmise, but that some sad disaster had happened to her there could be no doubt. the news of course caused lancelot and me great grief, in which our friend dick heartily sympathised, as did lieutenant blake, who had when at lyme been well acquainted with mr kerridge and cicely and my sweet sister audrey. "should the hoy have foundered, we must submit to god's decrees; but should she, as is possible, have been captured, we will, as soon as we are at liberty, search the world over to discover the missing ones," he said, as he wrung our hands, and told us how sincerely he entered into our feelings. chapter seven. further successes. the hopes of those who expected to return home were destined to be disappointed. we were still at sea, keeping a look-out for the fleet of the royal corsairs, when a shout from the mast-head announced the approach of several ships from the northward, and as they got nearer the white flag with the red-cross flying from their peaks told us that they were friends. the leading ship proved to be the _fairfax_, of fifty-two guns and two hundred and fifty men, carrying the flag of vice-admiral penn. following her came the _centurion_, captain lawson, the _adventure_, captain ball, and two others commanded by captains howett and jordan, with the _assurance_, captain benjamin blake, the younger brother of the admiral. directly afterwards vice-admiral hall with another squadron of seven ships joined us. the admiral had now under him a fleet capable of coping with that of either france or spain. his first object, however, was to capture the corsairs, who were committing much damage among the merchant vessels. it was still unknown in what direction they had gone, when, the day after admiral hall's squadron had reached us, a vessel was seen coming from the south. on approaching she hove to, and her master came on board the flag-ship. his vessel, he said, was the only one which had escaped from malaga, on the coast of andalusia, into which the corsairs had entered and burnt six of his consorts under the very guns of the spanish batteries. "we shall catch them at last!" exclaimed the admiral on receiving this information, a gleam of satisfaction lighting up his countenance. having taken some stores on board which had just arrived from england, we made sail for the straits of gibraltar, admiral penn with his squadron being left to watch outside the entrance to catch the corsairs, should they endeavour to escape from the mediterranean. with a fair wind we stood in for the gut, the lofty rock, on which we could discern only a few ruins on our left, and the coast of africa on our right. for centuries no english admiral's flag had been seen in the mediterranean, our merchant vessels trading in those seas being thus exposed to the attacks of pirates without hope of redress. on coming off malaga, we found to our disappointment that the princes had fled, in what direction no one would inform us. while we lay there, a furious gale threatened the destruction of our ships, but we rode it out in safety. just as we were sailing, information was brought that the pirates were in cartagena. pressing on all sail, we made for that port. as we came off it, our hearts beat high with satisfaction, for there lay the fleet for which we were in search. the admiral, who was well acquainted with the dilatoriness of spanish diplomacy, not waiting for leave, bearing down on the corsairs attacked the _roebuck_, the largest of their ships, and quickly mastered her. another was set on fire, while the remainder, cutting their cables, ran on shore utterly disabled. great, however, was our disappointment not to find either of the princes; and we learned from some of the prisoners that they had both been separated from the rest of the squadron during the gale, but what had become of them we were unable to ascertain. in vain we sailed from port to port. at last we heard that they had taken shelter in the harbour of toulon. on receiving this information we immediately steered for that port. on arriving we found that the corsairs had been honourably received by the french admiral, and that assistance had been given to them to dispose of their plunder. on this admiral blake sent word that he considered the french had been guilty of a hostile act, and that unless the corsairs were driven from the harbour, and the plunder restored to its lawful owners, he should feel justified in making reprisals on the commerce of france. no answer was given to this message, but after a short time it was discovered that the two princes had fled, though in what direction we were, as before, unable to ascertain. leaving admiral penn to search for them, we at length steered for england. just as we were passing through the straits, a large ship was seen which approached us without any apparent hesitation, showing french colours. getting nearer, she hove to, while a boat being lowered her captain came on board. he was received with the usual courtesy by the admiral in his cabin. the frenchman being seated, the admiral informed him that he must consider himself a prisoner, and requested him to deliver up his sword. "no, monsieur," answered the frenchman; "not while i have strength to use it," and he placed his hand on the hilt. "i confess, brave sir, that you have been unfairly beguiled on board, and that you were ignorant that i had thrown down the gauntlet to your admiral at toulon. if you desire it, you may go on board your ship and try to escape if you have the power," said the admiral. "i accept your generous offer," answered the frenchman with a bow, and he made his way on deck. we attended him with due honour down the side, when he returned to his ship. as soon as he had gone the drum beat to quarters, but we waited before firing, to allow him to prepare his own vessel for the encounter. due time having passed, we fired a shot across his bows, which he returned, aiming at the _tiger_. the fight now commenced in earnest. the frenchmen fought bravely, endeavouring to knock away our spars so as to make their escape. but their gunnery was not equal to that of our men. so severely did we pound them, that after holding out two hours they hauled down their flag. the boats were immediately sent to bring the prisoners on board, when the captain, making a low bow, bestowed an affectionate kiss on the hilt of his weapon, and handed it to the admiral, who replied-"you are a brave man, and deserve to keep your sword: pray receive it and wear it for my sake," and he handed the weapon back to his prisoner. the prize was a valuable acquisition, being a fine frigate of forty guns. four other large french vessels were taken on our way home, and at length we arrived safely at plymouth. lancelot, dick, and i at once got leave to go to lyme, being anxious to learn whether any tidings had been received of the lost ones. mr harvey, who was there, received us very kindly. every means had been taken for discovering them, but not even the slightest clue had been obtained, and he acknowledged that he had very slight hopes that we should ever again hear of them. the reality came with fearful force upon me when he said this, and it was with difficulty i could refrain from giving way to my passionate grief. lancelot, feeling as i did there was nothing to keep us at home, returned to plymouth, where dick promised to follow. on a bright day in the early part of spring, 1651, lancelot and i went on board the _tiger_, which had been hastily refitted for sea. martin, who was on the look-out, welcomed us back. "just in time, gentlemen; there's work cut out for us, and the admiral is to be on board this evening," he said, as we shook hands. "we are to rout out that nest of hornets in scilly, and i've a notion we shall make them disgorge the plunder they have been collecting for many years past." we were truly thankful for the promised excitement, for in the present state of our minds we could ill brook idleness. besides the _tiger_, a number of small frigates were collected, well calculated for the work to be undertaken. the admiral, accompanied by his nephew, came on board that evening, the former receiving lancelot and me in his usual kind way, not forgetting to make inquiries whether our sisters and his friend mr kerridge had returned. "don't despair, notwithstanding, my young friends," he said, when we told him nothing had been heard of them "by god's providence they may still be found." robert had now become, next to the captain, the principal officer on board, and though so young, he well fulfilled the duties of his post. lancelot had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant, but dick and i were still in the admiral's cabin. we were often employed in transcribing his letters and other similar duties, though at the same time we pursued our nautical studies. despatches being received from london, we immediately sailed for our destination. two days' sail brought us in sight of the scilly islands, slumbering quietly on the surface of the bright blue ocean. they looked green and pleasant to the eye, with here and there a few rocky heights rising in their midst, but in most parts the land was not elevated many feet above the water. above the other hills appeared the height on whose summit the cavaliers had built a strong castle, which it was our object to capture. coming off saint mary's, the principal island, we hove to, and the admiral ordered a boat to be lowered, in which went robert blake, and i accompanied him, bearing a message summoning sir john grenville, the governor, to surrender. having proceeded up the channel leading to the fort, we landed, bearing a white flag, and walked on until we reached the entrance. we were at once admitted, when we had an opportunity of taking a glance round the fortifications. the castle was filled with men, a large number being evidently, from their dress and appearance, officers. they were rollicking-looking gentlemen, and were laughing, and joking, and amusing themselves at our expense as we passed along. sir john grenville received us with due courtesy. on reading the summons he replied-"i might rather demand that admiral blake should deliver up his fleet, but yet i am willing to enter into a treaty, although it should be known to you that i have a force with me not only sufficient to protect these islands, but to restore the exiled prince to the throne of his fathers." "the result will prove that, sir," answered the young lieutenant. "am i to inform the admiral that you refuse to deliver up the islands and their castles to the fleet of the commonwealth?" "certainly such is my intention," answered sir john, and he bowed us out of the hall. we returned unmolested to the boat, and pulled back for the ship. no sooner had we arrived than the admiral sent for captain morris, one of the most trusted of his commanders, and ordered him to take eight hundred of the best men from the different ships, and to land at the back of tresco, which is next in size to saint mary's, and lies close to it. lieutenant blake and i, with a small body of seamen from our ship, accompanied the troops. we found a line of breastworks thrown up for the defence of the shore, and held by fully a thousand men. but our brave leader was not to be hindered in performing his duty by this show of resistance. the boats in line dashed on, and in spite of the round shot plunged in among us, and the bullets whistling about our ears, the moment the keels touched the beach we threw ourselves overboard, and, wading on shore, speedily formed. then the order to advance was given, and pike in hand we rushed up the bank. the cavaliers received us with a hot fire of musketry, but their artillery was silent, being unable to play on us without hitting them. the contest was fierce but short. nothing could withstand our onslaught. the cavaliers gave way, and, escaping across the island, made for their boats, reaching which they crossed over to saint mary's, leaving us in possession of their cannon, muskets, and pikes, and pistols, besides several prisoners. a lodgment on the island being thus effected, we threw up trenches to prevent our position being retaken when night closed down upon us. we had to keep a strict watch, the men sleeping with their arms by their sides, for at any moment we might be attacked. when morning came, the admiral, with a reinforcement, landed, and immediately gave the word to advance. we passed over a high ridge which crossed the island, and descended on the other side, when a view broke on our sight which for picturesque beauty could scarcely be surpassed. before us rose saint mary's island, with its castle and ramparts; below, in the centre of the roadstead, lay the war ships of the cavaliers, with the prizes they had captured, the blue expanse bordered by jutting points and fantastic rocks of various shapes, while the surrounding shores were covered with umbrageous trees, green fields, and rich orchards. the admiral at once selected a point overlooking the harbour and roadstead, on which he forthwith ordered a battery to be erected. no sooner were the works thrown up than we opened a hot fire on the castle and other fortifications, as well as on the vessels, which, cutting their cables, endeavoured to escape up various channels hitherto concealed from our sight. the admiral, however, no sooner seeing that, at the distance we were from the castle, our shot could produce but little effect on it, returned on board, leaving captain morris to continue the siege, and ordering his nephew and me to follow. we now found that he had devised a new plan of attack. summoning all the lighter frigates, he placed on board a number of men, and supplied each also with several guns of larger calibre than they were wont to carry. going himself on board one of them, the _fox_, with robert blake, lancelot and i, he led the way towards a narrow channel between the open sea and the roadstead, directly opposite saint mary's. our progress was slow, but by dint of towing and warping we advanced unmolested, until we reached the harbour of saint mary's. the castle, as we were seen approaching, commenced thing, when dropping our anchors, with springs to our cables, we returned the salute with our broadsides. in a few minutes the harbour, which had looked so bright and calm, was canopied by dense wreaths of smoke; the shot came crashing into the sides of the vessels, or splashing into the water, while our ears were deafened by the roar of the guns thundering from the castle and from our own and the corsairs' fleets. though frequently struck, we received less damage than i had anticipated, while we soon perceived that the ill-constructed walls of the castle and fortifications were crumbling away from the effect of our shot. night coming on put an end to the attack, and we retired out of range of the enemy's guns. but our admiral had no intention of desisting. all night long we remained at our quarters, thinking it possible that the enemy might venture to board us in their boats during the darkness. more than once an alarm was raised and the men flew to their guns, but the night passed off tranquilly; the cavaliers had no stomach for such an enterprise. morning broke at last. the castle walls, wearing a battered appearance, rose above the calm water shining in the rays of the rising sun; the air was soft and balmy, a thin haze softening the more rugged features of nature. prayers being offered up, and breakfast over, we stood in to our former position to recommence our work of the previous day. forthwith the guns on both sides began blazing away. "hurrah!" cried lancelot, "we shall soon bring matters to a conclusion. look there!" turning my eyes in the direction he pointed, i saw that our fire concentrated on one side of the fortress was producing a considerable effect. huge pieces of masonry, earth, and stones came toppling over and slipping into the ditch, and ere long we perceived that our shot had produced a practicable breach, through which our troops would quickly effect an entrance. the admiral then ordered them to prepare for the assault, but as they were advancing, a flag of truce was thrown out from the walls, and a herald descending came off in a boat to the ship with a message from sir john, requesting to hold a parley. it was agreed to, when conditions were proposed. six john offered, provided that the lives of the officers and men were spared, to surrender the islands with their garrisons, stores, arms, ammunition, standards, and all implements and materials of war; the soldiers and seamen being allowed to enter the nation's service, while the gentlemen were to be sent to london, to await the decision of parliament. to these terms, which were considered very favourable to the royalists, the admiral consented, and sir john, with his corsair companions, were put on board admiral askew's squadron to be carried to plymouth. we, in the meantime, were employed in collecting the various vessels which had been captured by the pirates and bringing them under our guns, lest some of the rovers might attempt to get off and pursue their old calling in other regions. lancelot and i were employed in this service. we had boarded several when we caught sight over the land of the masts of another moving slowly through the water; we gave chase, and soon came up with her. the captain vowed that he had no intention of escaping, but appearances were against him. on getting back to the harbour, we sent him on board the flag-ship to answer for his conduct. while we were on board we entered into conversation with an intelligent fellow, ned watkins by name, who acted as boatswain. he seemed to be fond of making use of his tongue. lancelot, wishing to ascertain something about the corsair career of these ships, asked him if his vessel, the _speedwell_, had been long at sea and what prizes she had taken. "never craft had worse luck," he answered. "we had sailed from jersey with the _hector_, another ship of the same size as ours, carrying eighty men and twenty guns, bound out to lisbon, or anywhere, as long as we could fall in with that royal rover, prince rupert, when, as we were coming down channel, a strong gale blowing, we sighted a hoy, a tight little hooker, somewhere off the start. we both made chase, for a small fish is better than no fish at all, and soon came up with her, though she tried her best to escape. the _hector_, which boarded her, took out her people and several passengers, for so i judged them to be, as they wore petticoats, and all her cargo, and then a crew being put on board the prize we made sail for scilly, where we had been ordered to call on our way southward. a strong north-westerly gale, however, which caught us just as we neared the islands, drove us out to sea, and when it moderated and we were about to beat back, seven large ships hove in sight, which, as they approached, we saw carried the parliamentary flag. as we had no wish to fall into their hands, we made sail to escape, and succeeded in keeping ahead of them, but during the night we lost sight of the _hector_. in what direction she was steering we could not make out. when morning dawned, however, we caught a glimpse of the enemy's squadron, and from the way they were steering, we had little doubt that they were in pursuit of her. by furling all sail we escaped observation, and three days afterwards managed to get back with the sloop to scilly." "what became of the _hector_?" i inquired eagerly, at once feeling certain that the vessel she had captured was the hoy in which mr kerridge and his party were proceeding to plymouth. "from that day to this i have heard nothing of her," answered the boatswain. "my idea is, if she escaped from the roundhead squadron, and not managing to get into the tagus, that she ran up the straits to do some privateering on her own account. her commander, captain kerby, was not a man to let a chance escape him, and he had been in charge of a trader to all parts of the mediterranean." we questioned and cross-questioned ned watkins, but he could give us no further information. lancelot and i talked the subject over. "my father and our sisters were not drowned, then, as some suppose, and may still be alive, though held, i fear, in durance, or they would have found means of communicating with us," he said. "that the _hector_ did not reach the tagus we may be pretty certain, for if she had, my father would have contrived to send a message to the admiral. if watkins is right in his conjectures, she must then have gone up the straits, and she may or may not have afterwards joined the prince's squadron, though i am inclined to think she did not, or we should have heard of her from the prizes we took, and she was certainly not among the vessels we destroyed. it follows then that she met with some other fate." "alack! and that may be a disastrous one," i exclaimed. "too probably we shall never again hear of the dear ones." "not if we don't search for them," answered lancelot, "but i have an idea. what do you say to obtaining leave from the admiral to fit out one of the vessels we have just taken, and to go and look for them? we may learn where the _hector_ has been, and by that means trace them. i cannot bring myself to believe that they are lost." i fully entered into lancelot's plan, which we speedily matured. he at once went to robert blake, who, approving of our proposal, undertook to speak to his uncle. before long the admiral sent for us. "i can ill spare any trustworthy officers, but your cause is a sacred one, and you shall have the best vessel you can find, with such men among the prisoners as will volunteer, and whom you deem fitted for the service. i will undertake to pay their wages and all other expenses, and you may gain such information of what is going on in the mediterranean as may be of use to our country." we heartily thanked the admiral, and taking our leave, hastened to carry out our intentions. we soon, with lieutenant blake's assistance, fixed on a vessel, appropriately called the _good hope_. she was in seaworthy condition, with stores of all sorts on board, and carried twenty guns. her complement of men we had no difficulty in obtaining, as the corsairs who had just been captured were glad to obtain good pay and to escape having to serve on board the parliamentary ships. lancelot was appointed captain, i went as his first lieutenant, and dick, who got leave from the admiral, as his second, while martin shobbrok went as gunner, and ned watkins volunteered to act as boatswain. getting such further stores, provisions, arms, and ammunition on board as we required for a long cruise, we bade our friends "good-bye," and making sail stood away from the scilly islands, which we soon ran out of sight. chapter eight. close quarters. the _good hope_ had got well to the southward. hitherto things had gone on smoothly, though we found our crew less inclined to submit to discipline than we desired. neither did martin and watkins pull very amicably together. at first we thought that the old gunner was inclined to demand more respect from the boatswain than the latter was inclined to pay, but one night, while i was keeping watch on deck, martin came up to me. he looked round to ascertain that no one was near, as if he had something of importance to communicate. "well, old friend, what has happened?" i asked. "nothing as yet, but something will happen, if we don't look sharp," he answered. "i mistrust that fellow watkins." "that's just what i wanted to speak to you about. it would be better for the discipline of the ship if you could make friends with him. unless the officers pull together, we cannot hope to keep a crew like ours in order." "it's not my fault that we have disputes," answered the old man; "he's always trying to pick a quarrel with me and to bring me into disrepute with the crew. i have had my eye on him of late, and i have observed that he is constantly going among the men when below, talking to them in the most familiar way, endeavouring to make them think him a very fine fellow, to gain them over to some plan or other he has in his head." i questioned martin, thinking he must have been deceived, but he was positive that he had not. "i will tell the captain what you say, and i'll take such precautions as are possible," i replied. "in the meantime let me know what men are likely to hold staunch to us if your surmises should prove correct." "i think i can find a dozen god-fearing men, who were compelled against their will to serve with the malignants. the rest are a drunken, rollicking, swearing lot, who would be ready to carry out any evil deed watkins may propose." "with a dozen good men and ourselves, being prepared beforehand, we may be able to counteract any plan the boatswain has in view," i observed. "do you, martin, secure those who you think you can trust, and i will consult with the captain as to the precautions which may be necessary. go below, now, and take care no one discovers that we suspect watkins." as soon as dick came on deck, i told him what martin had said, and he promised to be on the alert; then going below, i went into lancelot's cabin, and we held a consultation together on the subject. he at once arrived at the conclusion that watkins had conceived the possibility of taking the ship from us, and, should he succeed, that he intended to join prince rupert, or make a piratical cruise on his own account. he might hope, by hoisting the prince's flag, to be taken for one of his squadron, and be able to sell his prizes in a spanish or french port, or if he could not, by running across to the west indies to dispose of them there. as martin did not lead us to suppose that watkins' plans were mature, we agreed that we might wait without apprehensions of mutiny for a day or two, or perhaps longer, until we ascertained who were the men we could trust. next morning a heavy gale sprang up, and the crew had plenty of work in shortening sail and attending to their other duties, so that they had little time for plotting, were they so inclined. the gale lasted three days, the sea running mountains high, and threatening to engulph the ship. during the time we marked the way the men performed their duties, and noted such as appeared the best seamen, believing that those generally would prove the most trustworthy. when the storm was over the ship was put on her proper course and all sail made, for we were eager to get through the straits to prosecute the object of our voyage. we were now about the latitude of cadiz. dick harvey was on deck, i was seated in the cabin with lancelot, when martin came in under pretence that he had been sent for to receive orders. "i was not mistaken in my suspicions, captain kerridge," he said. "watkins has won over well-nigh two-thirds of the crew, and their intention is as soon as they get inside the straits to seize the ship and join prince rupert, if he is still up the mediterranean, and if not, to follow him wherever he has gone, making prizes of all the craft they can fall in with, to supply themselves with provisions and stores. they have learned a pretty lesson from their cavalier leaders, and it is natural that they should desire to follow it." "but have you found any men on whom you can rely?" asked lancelot. "that's just what i was going to tell you i have done," answered the old gunner. "there are twelve i have spoken to who have promised to fight to the last, rather than let their shipmates follow such desperate courses, and there are six others who are not likely to join the mutineers when they find there is a party to oppose them. it has been so ordered by providence that i have discovered a young nephew of mine, who, having been seemingly won over by watkins, is in all his secrets. when he found out who i was, he told me everything, believing that to do so was for the good of us all. i advised him not to let it be known that he had changed sides. he is a sharp lad, and though he has been in bad company, he has not forgotten the lessons his mother taught him, and wishes to do what is right. thus i am kept informed of all the purposes of the mutineers, who are not likely to take us by surprise, as they have not yet secured any of the arms." we settled, to prevent them from doing so, to lock up all the small arms and ammunition in one of the after cabins, without allowing the crew to know what we had done. lancelot then directed martin to go forward, as he wished not to excite suspicion by keeping him in the cabin longer than was necessary. we at once armed ourselves, and either martin, lancelot, dick, or i kept watch on deck, while we took care always to have two trustworthy men at the helm. martin assured us that the mutineers had no suspicion that their designs were known. the weather had again become fine, and we ran through the straits of gibraltar. the moment the mutineers proposed to execute their plan was approaching. martin brought us word that they intended to seize the ship at midnight, putting in irons all who refused to join them, and to kill us should any resistance be offered. as soon as it was dark, we ran two of the guns called "murtherers" through the ports of the after-castle opening on the main deck, which should an enemy when boarding gain a footing there, are intended to rake it. we also loaded and placed in readiness arms for about a score of men, who we hoped would side with us, while we also barricaded all the doors which led to the after part of the ship. when all was ready, martin, going below, told the men he could trust to muster aft. one by one they crept up, so as not to attract the attention of the rest. as they came up we put arms into their hands, and stationed them under the after-castle. to our satisfaction we found that we had as many as we had expected, who all swore to protect us with their lives from the mutineers. before the expected moment all our arrangements had been made. the sea was calm, a gentle breeze filled the sails, and the ship glided on, leaving a long trail of bright light astern. midnight came, when the captain's voice was heard, summoning all hands on deck to shorten sail. the crew, supposing that the ship was about to be struck by one of those white squalls which sometimes come on with fearful suddenness in the mediterranean and lay over many a stout ship, hurried up from below, and instinctively sprang aloft. the boatswain having remained on deck, dick and i, with two men we called to our aid, rushed forward, and seizing him dragged him aft. this being done, the captain shouted-"the squall will not strike us, lads; let fall the canvas and haul aft the sheets." the crew, ignorant of what had occurred, obeyed, and were then ordered on deck. there they stood waiting for the signal the boatswain was to give them to set on us. there were three other ringleaders. the captain called two of them aft by name to take the helm. they came without hesitation, supposing that it would afford them a better opportunity for carrying out their plan. instantly they were seized and placed in irons, the darkness greatly favouring our proceedings, as the rest of the crew could not see what was taking place. the third man, fortunately for us, coming aft was recognised by martin, who, seizing him, we had him in limbo before he could be rescued. the crew not finding the signal they expected given, crowded together, calling to their ringleaders and to each other. some among them now suspecting what had occurred, cried out that they were betrayed, and summoning the rest to the rescue, they advanced towards the place where their companions were confined. on they came, armed with handspikes, belaying pins, boat stretchers, knives and axes, the only weapons they could procure, with threatening gestures, well able, it seemed, to overwhelm us. "stay where you are," shouted lancelot; "the guns are loaded. if you advance a step further we fire. you know the consequences." the mutineers, well aware that the guns would sweep the decks and hurl them in a moment into eternity, stopped short. not one of them ventured to utter a word. "my lads," continued their young captain, "you have been deceived by artful men, who would have led you to your destruction. i have no desire to injure one of you, and will overlook your conduct if you return to your duty. you engaged with me and my friends for a worthy cause, to search for some helpless ladies and an old man who are perchance held in bondage by the enemies of our country. we trusted to you as honest englishmen to fulfil your engagements. let it not be said that you turned renegades to a noble cause. some of you have sisters and parents for whom you would be ready to fight. are you then acting like brave men by turning against your officers? i will not believe that you are so base and worthless. now, lads, let me see who will stand by us. those who would keep to their pledges come over to starboard, while the rest stand on the larboard side." for a short time the men hesitated, then first one, then another, and finally the whole body came over to the starboard side. "i thought it would be so!" exclaimed the captain. "thank you, lads. i intend to trust you; and if we meet an enemy, i am sure you will prove that you are true british seamen." the crew gave a hearty cheer in reply, and that cheer must have proved to the leaders of the mutiny that their influence over the men was lost. to prevent them committing further mischief, we kept them in irons, intending to deliver them over to the first english ship of war we should meet. next morning, from the way the men behaved, and the quietness which prevailed, no one would have supposed that a fearful conflict had been imminent the previous night. they, indeed, went about their regular duties with more than usual alacrity. we let them see, however, that we were prepared, should they be inclined for mischief. our intention was to visit sardinia, majorca, minorca, and other islands in that direction, then to run down the coast of italy and sicily, and afterwards steer for the levant, making inquiries at all places and of all the vessels we met for the missing _hector_. we were many weeks thus employed, often being delayed by calms and kept long in port while prosecuting our inquiries. when off elba we sighted several ships showing english colours. we ran down to them, and found that they formed part of a squadron under commodore bodley. heaving to, we lowered a boat, and i took master watkins with the three other prisoners on board the commodore's ship, telling him of the trick they wished to play us. "they'll not attempt a like one again," answered the commodore. "we shall probably engage with the enemy before long, and they will then have an opportunity of retrieving their characters." as the calm came on, i was able to visit each ship and make inquiries for the _hector_; but no tidings could i gain of her. it would occupy too much space were i to describe the places we visited, and all the adventures we met with. we lay for several days in the beautiful bay of naples to refit, and then stood across for sicily, where we saw mount etna casting up fire and smoke, and afterwards coming off the island of stromboli, we were well-nigh overwhelmed by the showers of ashes which fell on our deck, making the men believe that we were about to be overwhelmed, or that the day of judgment had come. fellows who had never before prayed, fell down on their knees and cried for mercy. a breeze springing up, we got once more under the blue sky, and they quickly forgot their fears. hitherto we had been sadly disappointed. had the _hector_ touched at any of the ports we had visited she would have been remembered, as she was, as watkins had described her, a stout ship of peculiar build. we should have regretted losing him, as he might have been able to identify her, had not two of the men who remained served on board her, and they declared that should they set eyes on the old _hector_ they should know her among a hundred such craft. we resolved, at all events, to continue our search as long as we had the means of procuring provisions and stores. we had no small difficulty, however, in keeping our unruly crew in order; accustomed as most of them had been to the corsair life, they longed for the excitement of the battle and chase, and murmured at the peaceable work in which we were engaged. we promised them, therefore, that they should have fighting enough should we fall in with an enemy to our country, and of such england had many by this time, dutch, french and spaniards, though the italian princes and portuguese wisely wished to keep on friendly terms. we had got some distance to the eastward of malta, when a calm came on, and we lay with our canvas flapping against the masts, the sea shining like glass, and not a cloud overhead to dim the blue heavens or to shield our heads from the rays of the burning sun. the crew lay about the decks overcome by the heat, and grumbling at the idle life to which they were doomed. the red sun went down, and the pale moon rose, casting a silvery light over the slumbering ocean. not a ripple broke the mirror-like surface of the deep. "we must give these fellows something to do, or they'll be brewing mischief," observed lancelot, as we listened to the growling tones which came from forward. "unless we turn corsairs, or fall in with a hollander or a don, i do not see what we can give them to do," answered dick. "the chances are we shall not have long to wait, or we may encounter a storm. that will give them some occupation, especially if it carries away some of our spars," i observed, laughing. we were in truth put to our wits' end to keep our men in good temper. again the sun rose, and from the appearance of the sky there appeared every probability that the calm would continue. we immediately set the men to work with paint brushes and tar brushes, made them scrub the decks, and black down the rigging. we then exercised them at the guns. they were thus employed when, looking to the southward, i caught sight of a white sail rising above the horizon. "she can't move without wind, and if so, she'll be bringing up a breeze," observed dick. "we shall soon be throwing the spray over our bows as we make way again through the water." still the ship lay as immovable as before, her masts and spars, her black rigging, her white sails and shining hull reflected on the glass-like surface; at the same time the stranger got closer and closer, and now her topsails appeared, next her courses. "she's a big craft, that; twice the size of the _good hope_, i opine," observed martin. "if she's a friend, she may bring us news, but if she's an enemy we shall have to up stick and run for it." "not until we see how many teeth she carries," said the captain, who overheard the remark. "big as she is, the _good hope_ may be able to tackle her." while we were speaking, our loftier canvas began to swell and flutter, then the topsails and courses napped against the masts, and cat's-paws ran playfully over the water. presently ripples were seen on all sides, and every sail swelled out. the ship gathered way, but instead of keeping before the wind, the captain ordered the maintopsail to be backed, and we lay to waiting for the stranger, while our white flag with a red-cross was run up to the peak. hardly had it blown out than the approaching ship showed her colours, and the design of a crescent moon proved that she was turkish, or belonged to tunis, tripoli, or some other of the barbary states. "my lads," cried lancelot, "we shall probably have to fight yonder ship if she proves what i suppose her to be. if we capture her we shall obtain a rich prize. if she takes us, we shall have our throats cut, or be carried into slavery." "we will fight her, and beat her," cried the men, and they gave utterance to a loud cheer. "brace round the main-yard, then," cried the captain, and the ship stood on close-hauled, ready to tack, so that if possible we might gain the weather-gauge. the stranger seeing this altered her course, in order to prevent our doing what we proposed. at length, finding that we could not gain the advantage we wished, we ran under her lee, and lancelot in a loud tone ordered her to strike to the commonwealth of england. as a haughty refusal was the answer, we opened fire, hoping to knock away a mast or some of her spars, and thus be able to gain the position we desired; but the corsair, for such the stranger undoubtedly was, replied with a broadside of upwards of twenty guns, the shot from which passing between our masts, did no further damage than cutting away some of our running rigging. we now stood on yard-arm to yard-arm, firing our guns as rapidly as they could be run in and loaded. our enemies meantime were not idle, and their shot came crashing pretty thickly on board. two of our men were killed and others wounded. but we judged that we were committing more damage than we received. many of our shots went through and through the corsair's sides, others swept her decks and killed several of her crew. still, from her superior size and greater number of guns, it was probable before we could take her that she might so seriously damage our little frigate that we might be prevented from prosecuting our object. notwithstanding this, lancelot had no idea of retreating from the fight, and it only made him more anxious to gain a speedy victory. it was soon seen that the corsair was suffering the most in her hull, though her masts and spars had hitherto escaped. on the other hand, we had lost our fore-topmast, and shortly afterwards our fore-yard came down by the run on deck, killing two of our men. still these disasters did not induce us to relax our efforts. our crew, now that they were put on their mettle, showed that they were sturdy englishmen, and as our shot went crashing through the side of our big opponent they cheered again and again, believing that she would soon be compelled to strike. lancelot stood on the after-castle, watching every movement of the enemy. at last his voice shouted, "boarders! be prepared to repel boarders!" and as he spoke the big ship was seen bearing down, evidently intending to run alongside. our men had hangers and pistols in their belts. those not required to work the guns seized the boarding pikes and stood ready to spring to that part of the ship's side where the enemy might board us. the corsair glided up, and her bow striking ours, she hooked on to our fore-chains. the next instant a countless number of swarthy figures with turbaned heads, bright scymitars flashing in their hands, swarmed in the rigging of the corsair and came leaping down on our deck. led by lancelot, dick and i fighting by his side, we met them with hanger, pike, and pistol, driving them back over the bulwarks, or cleaving them from head to chine as they got within reach of our swords. those who were about to follow, seeing the rate of the first, held back, and the next moment the ships separated. ere they did so their sides were brought close to each other, and i saw a man make a tremendous spring from that of the enemy and grip hold of our bulwarks, to which he clung desperately, crying out-"i am an englishman; save me, save me!" several shots were fired at him by the corsairs; but he escaped, and some of our men rushing to his rescue hauled him on board. "to the guns, to the guns!" shouted lancelot, and we again began to work our artillery with the same rapidity as before. chapter nine. the corsair beaten off. after the failure of her attempt to board us, the corsair hauled aft her sheets and shot ahead of the _good hope_. we believing that she intended to rake us, quickly got headsail on the ship, and by squaring away the afteryards, and brailing up the mizen, put her before the wind, all the time blazing away as fast as we could with our guns. instead, however, of passing either astern or ahead of us, which having all her canvas set, she might easily have done, the corsair kept on a wind, and presently, when beyond the range of our guns, going about she stood away to the south-west. we had beaten off our big assailant, and we might possibly in a longer contest have compelled her to strike or sent her to the bottom, but we were in no condition to follow her. all hands being required to repair damages, some time passed before we could question the stranger who had taken refuge on board us. as he looked sick and careworn, lancelot had directed that he should be conducted to the cabin, where, the ship having at length been put somewhat to rights, i was able to join him. finding that having been properly looked after and supplied with food he had much recovered, i inquired who he was and from whence he came. "my name is joseph aylett; i am an englishman and a sea officer," he answered. "i was captured many a long month ago, on board a vessel by a ship from tunis, not far from where we now are. the night was dark, the sea smooth, a light breeze only filling our sails. not a thought of danger entered our heads. a bad look-out must have been kept, for, without warning, suddenly a large ship ran us alongside before we could fly to our arms or fire a gun, and a whole host of moors came swarming down on our decks. resistance was useless, though had we been prepared we might have fought the enemy as you did and beaten her off. we were prisoners to the corsairs, and doomed, as we supposed, to a life-long slavery. if the lot of us men was hard, that of our female passengers was harder still. we had two poor young ladies with a waiting woman and their father, who had been taken on board against their will and compelled to accompany us out to these distant seas. every respect had been shown to them by the captain and officers, of whom i was one, and we had promised to send them home by the first ship we should fall in with returning to england. "as no blood had been shed we were better treated by the moors than we had expected, the passengers even were allowed to remain in their cabins without molestation, and i was thankful to find that the young ladies did not make their appearance. still i trembled to think to what indignities they might be exposed when carried on shore, and perhaps separated from each other and their father. most of our crew were quickly removed to the corsair, their places being supplied by the moors, but i and a few others were left on board to assist in working the ship. a calm coming on prevented us from reaching tunis for a couple of days. during the time, i turned in my mind the possibility of assisting the young ladies, and at length a plan occurred to me, by adopting which their position might be rendered less perilous than would otherwise be the case. "we had had two young boys in the ship, son and nephew of the captain. the one had died from sickness, the other had fallen overboard and been drowned. their clothes had been left in a chest, and when no one was looking, i possessed myself of the articles and carried them to their cabin. my object was quickly explained, and they at once expressed their willingness to follow my advice. "their father saw its wisdom, and leaving them to don the garments i had brought, i hastened away that i might not be perceived. then telling the other officer left with me what i had done, we at once agreed as to the way we should behave to the seeming lads. we were, should we have an opportunity, to inform our captain, who was on board the corsair, of what we had done, and to treat them as if they were his son and nephew." the feelings with which i listened to the officer's narrative can better be supposed than expressed. "tell me, mr aylett, who were those young ladies of whom you speak?" i asked, in an agitated voice. "their father was, i understand, a roundhead, kerridge by name, but otherwise a well-disposed, amiable gentleman whom i was glad to serve." "kerridge!" i exclaimed, not regarding his remark. "tell me, sir, the name of the vessel on board which you were." "the _hector_," he replied. all doubt vanished from my mind as to whom those unfortunate persons were. "go on, sir, i pray you," i said. "tell me what happened next." "the following morning, while we were some way off tunis, the old gentleman accompanied by the two young ladies appeared on deck, but it would have required a keen eye to have discovered that they were not what they seemed. i forthwith went up to one of them and sang out, `lay hold of this rope and do as i do; now haul away.' the other joined us, and by the way the moors looked at them, i felt satisfied that their disguise was not discovered. "i then spoke to the old woman who attended on them, advising her to conceal their female attire. "`i have taken good care of that, sir,' she answered. `i've thrown some through a port and packed the rest in my chest; it won't be my fault if they are found out.' "our captors treated us with more civility than i had expected. i and the men left were doing our best to navigate the ship, and the moors knew that we could not escape. no sooner, however, had we dropped anchor and furled sails in the harbour of tunis, off the strong castle of porto ferino, than several boats came alongside, and we, as well as the poor passengers being mustered on deck, had our arms lashed behind us, by which treatment we knew that we were looked upon as slaves. we were then carried on shore to the slave market, where we found the rest of the crew of the _hector_. i thought little of my own sufferings while reflecting on the sad fate to which mr kerridge and his young companions were doomed. in a short time purchasers appeared, and the sale of the captives commenced. from the prices offered it was evident that the common men were looked upon as of greater value than the officers, from its being supposed that they were capable of performing more work. "most of the men had been disposed of, when an old moor in magnificent costume, and several attendants, entered the bazaar. the prices of the men who remained, consisting of the boatswain and his mate, the gunner and three of his crew, all standing six feet high, with broad shoulders, had been considerably raised, but no bidders were forthcoming. "i thought that the moorish chief would have bought them, but on hearing the price named he turned away and pointed to mr kerridge and the two boys. satisfied with the sum asked, he at once paid it down, and they were transferred to the care of his black attendants. on seeing this the old woman rushed up to him, and by signs entreated that he would purchase her, amid much laughter, and finding that a very trifling amount was placed on her, he paid it over. i was thankful to find that the whole four were thus purchased by one master, and was wondering what would become of me, when the old moor, looking into his purse, seemed to discover that he had sufficient for the purchase of another slave. after examining each of the officers, to my great satisfaction he fixed on me, for i had a fancy that he was likely to prove more kind-hearted than most of his countrymen, and that i might be of use to the young ladies and their father. "apparently well pleased with his purchases, the old moor left the bazaar followed by his attendants, who led us along. outside we found several camels, on which the whole party being mounted, we set off, following a road towards the interior. although our chance of escape would be greatly lessened by being at a distance from the coast, i was thankful to get out of the town. at last we arrived at what looked like a large farm. it was the chief's residence, a number of smaller buildings surrounding it, and at the back large gardens, shaded by fine trees, with ponds and fountains and flower beds. the whole was under the care of a big black fellow, to whose charge mr kerridge and i were committed. we found that it was intended we should labour in the garden, while the two seeming boys were destined to attend on the old chief, and margaret on his wives and children. our lot was thus happier than we could have expected, still there was the fear that the sex of the young ladies might be discovered, though, with margaret's help, we hoped that this might be avoided. of course, from the first mr kerridge and i discussed the possibility of escaping, but, removed as we were from the coast, that we should succeed appeared almost impossible. "i was one day labouring as usual, when the old chief came into the garden, accompanied by another person whom i recognised to be the captain of the ship which had captured us. "he looked at me and inquired who i was. `he is the man who brought the prize into the harbour,' he observed. `i am in want of some good seamen for my new ship, and i will buy him of you, so name your price.' "i was in hopes that the old chief would refuse, for though i might possibly, by getting on board ship effect my escape, yet i was unwilling to leave mr kerridge and his daughters to their hard fate. i found, however, that the transfer had been made without the option of remaining being given me, so i was carried off by the captain, and in two days going on board the vessel he spoke of, i was ordered, under pain of having my brains blown out, to perform the duty of a lieutenant. as it would have been madness to resist, i tried to appear reconciled to my lot, though i resolved on the first opportunity to make my escape. it came sooner than i had expected. "i confess when i sprang from the side of the corsair that i scarcely hoped to reach your deck alive." i need not say into what a state of agitation mr aylett's account threw me. he repeated it again when lancelot and dick came below, and it was with difficulty that we could attend to the duties of the ship, thinking of the means to be taken for rescuing those for whom we had searched so long. mr aylett, however, gave us no hope of success. "it would be impossible even to communicate with them," he observed; "the only chance would be to send a message to their owner, and to offer a large sum for their ransom." how this message was to be sent was the question. aylett pointed out that were he to go he should be immediately seized as a deserter and lose his life, while any other englishman who might set foot in the country would be carried off to slavery. unfortunately, much time must elapse before even the best-formed plan could be put into execution, for so battered was our ship that it would be absolutely necessary to go into port and refit before we could venture on the coast. it would be difficult to describe our feelings at the delay, yet our better judgment told us it must be endured. it was a satisfaction to know that audrey and cicely and mr kerridge and poor margaret were alive, and from aylett's account not ill-treated; yet bondage in any form is hard to bear, and we could not tell what change for the worse in their circumstances might occur. happily the weather remained calm, and enabled us to get up a fore-yard on which sail could be set, though we had no spar for a topmast. the men worked with a will, for they feared that the barbary corsair might return, and they had no wish to become slaves, which would be our lot should she succeed in capturing us. a moderate breeze springing up from the southward, we were able to steer a course for cagliari in the island of sardinia, one of the few friendly ports in the mediterranean, where we could refit and obtain provisions. we reached it without encountering an enemy, and lost no time in commencing the necessary repairs. still we were in as much doubt as at first as to what means we should take to rescue our friends. one thing was certain, that force would not avail. should we reach the coast, our little ship would be blown out of the water by the tunisian corsairs; or, should our whole crew land, we should be out to pieces before we had advanced a mile into the country. we talked of going on shore in disguise, but our ignorance of arabic would betray us. our only hope of success would be to negotiate, but the old moor would probably demand a far higher ransom than we were able to pay, and very likely should we sail into the harbour, even with a flag of truce, the moors would seize our vessel and help themselves to everything on board, while we should be carried off as slaves. we had now been a long time without hearing from england, and were ignorant of the events taking place nearer home. of one thing we felt certain, that admiral blake was not idle. if work was to be done, he was doing it. the _good hope_ was nearly ready for sea, but still our plan of proceeding was as unsettled as before, when a squadron of five ships with the flag of the commonwealth flying was seen coming in from the southward. as soon as they had anchored, lancelot and i went on board the flag-ship, to pay our respects to commodore bodley, the commander of the squadron, and to ask his advice and obtain his assistance in recovering our friends. we were invited into his cabin, where we found several officers collected. they were unanimous in the opinion that the attempt to rescue mr kerridge and his companions would be madness without a strong force at our backs, and urged us to abandon the idea of going alone. the commander declared that nothing would give him so much satisfaction as to accompany us with his squadron, but without the permission of parliament he could not venture on the undertaking. numerous and startling events had taken place since we sailed from scilly. news of the latter had been brought by a large ship which had joined the squadron from england. jersey, though gallantly defended by sir george carteret, had been captured by a fleet under admiral blake. commodore young had fallen in with the dutch fleet, the admiral of which refusing to lower his flag, the commodore had attacked it, and after a sharp action had compelled the dutchmen to strike. "those were brave deeds, but the fighting was mere child's play compared to what took place afterwards," exclaimed captain harman, commanding the _diamond_, the frigate which had just come out from england. "it was thought after the lesson they had received that the dutch would not again flaunt their flag in british waters, but before long the dutch admiral, van tromp, made his appearance in the downs with a fleet of forty-two men-of-war and frigates. at the time admiral blake was cruising in the _james_ off eye, when the news reached him that van tromp was off dover. he at once made sail. upon reaching the straits he saw the dutch fleet standing out to sea. suddenly, however, they tacked and stood towards him. he had but fifteen ships, but he had sent to admiral bourne to join him with a squadron of eight ships. they were, however, not yet in sight; still, our ships were larger, with more men than were on board the dutch, so that the disproportion of strength was not so great as might appear. tromp, who led the van in the _brederode_, fired into the _james_, when admiral blake instantly ordered his gunners to return the salute. the fight then became general. the _james_ bore the brunt of the action. her masts were knocked away, her hull riddled, and many officers and men were killed. "young robert blake, who--vice-admiral penn being absent--took command of the _triumph_, greatly distinguished himself, succouring his uncle and contributing much to the success of the day. "from four o'clock to nightfall the battle raged, when admiral bourne arriving with his squadron turned the scale, and the dutchmen took to flight, leaving two ships in our hands, while the rest were more or less disabled, with two hundred and fifty prisoners and many more killed. "admiral blake thus remained master of the narrow seas, and in less than a month had captured forty rich prizes from the dutch, which he sent into the thames. as the government were well assured that the dutch would try to revenge themselves, great preparations were made for renewing the contest, and in one month one hundred and five vessels carrying three thousand nine hundred and sixty-one guns were placed under admiral blake's command. "as sufficient seamen were not to be found, two regiments of foot were sent on board the fleet. "the admiral then sailed north to capture a large fleet of dutch herring busses, in order to obtain fish for his crews. no less than six hundred fell into his hands, but, unwilling to injure the families of the poor men depending upon them, he contented himself with taking only a small portion from each buss, and forbidding them again to fish in british waters. they were convoyed by twelve dutch men-of-war, which he attacked, sinking three and capturing the other nine. "a portion of the busses he pursued to the danish coast. while still in those northern seas, several of his ships having been sent to the orkneys to repair, he received news that tromp was on his way to attack him, with a fleet greatly outnumbering his. "the evening of the 5th of august was drawing on, when as the admiral was cruising near fair isle, about midway between the orkneys and shetlands, he caught sight of the dutch fleet. instant preparations for battle were made, but before a gun was fired, the admiral observing that a heavy gale was coming on, threw out a signal to his ships to prepare for it. "down came the tempest with fearful force. the seamen instead of having to fight with mortal foes had now to contend with the raging tempest. the wind shifted to the north north-west, gaining every instant additional force. the sea ran mountains high, filling the air with sheets of foam, through which one ship could scarcely distinguish the other as they were tossed and tumbled by the raging waves. the coming darkness increased the horrors of the scene. admiral blake collecting his ships in time, steered for the southward of shetland, under the shelter of which he remained secure during the height of the tempest. no sooner had it abated than he pursued the sorely battered dutchmen, capturing many before they escaped into port. the dutch, after this, knowing that admiral blake was waiting for them, did not for some time put again to sea. while he was cruising in the channel, expecting their appearance, news was brought him that the spaniards were besieging dunkirk, but that the french king had sent a fleet for its relief. believing it was to the interests of england that it should fall, lest the dutch admiral should make it the basis of operations against the towns on the opposite coast of england, he resolved to go and attack the french fleet. "the admiral led the way in the _resolution_, followed by the _sovereign_, the largest of our ships, carrying eleven hundred men and eighty-eight guns. he first attacked the _donadieu_, commanded by a knight of malta, and boarding her, pike in hand, took her in a few minutes, while the _sovereign_ with her terrible broadside sank one of the royal frigates and dismantled five others. "so desperate was the onslaught, that in a few hours every french ship had been sunk or captured, the prizes being carried into the downs. scarcely was this victory gained when the dutch fleet, under admirals de witt and de ruiter, were sighted off the north foreland. admiral blake, without waiting for the rest of his fleet, which were astern, immediately ordered each ship to engage as she came up, and leading the way attacked de witt's line. tremendous were the broadsides exchanged. as night came on the dutch retreated, having suffered severely, the masts of many of the ships being shot away and vast numbers of men being slain. the next morning the dutch seemed disposed to renew the bloody work of the previous day, but their courage failed as the english admiral bore down, and putting up their helms, they ran for their native coast, followed by blake until the shallowness of the water compelled him to desist from pursuit. the dutch, though thus signally defeated, would, it was thought, again attempt to regain their lost power on the return of spring, and information was received that their most celebrated admiral, van tromp, would take command of their fleet. it was not supposed, however, that it would be ready until the spring. "no sooner had our ships been dispersed to their winter stations, than tromp appeared with a fleet of more than a hundred sail off the goodwin sands. "admiral blake, who was still on board the _triumph_, on hearing of this, collected all the ships he could get, and stood out of dover to attack the dutch. for the whole of that winter's day the two admirals watched each other, each endeavouring to obtain the weather-gauge. "a dark and tempestuous night then coming on separated the fleets of both ships. the following day the weather moderated. still for some hours the _triumph_ and tromp's flag-ship the _brederode_ kept manoeuvring, until late in the afternoon the dutchman made a sudden attempt to take the english admiral at a disadvantage. blake, however, by suddenly luffing-up crossed the bow of the _brederode_, followed by the _garland_, against which ship the _brederode_ ran with a tremendous crash, when both became hotly engaged. the _bonaventura_, a trader of only thirty guns, gallantly came up to the rescue of the _garland_. while thus fighting, admiral evertz attacked the latter ship, the whole four being alongside each other, when after a desperate struggle, more than half the crews of the two english ships being killed and wounded, they were boarded and carried by the dutchmen. meanwhile the _triumph, vanguard_, and _victory_ were fighting desperately with twenty of the enemy's ships, frequently almost surrounded before many of the rest of the fleet had gone into action. the men stood bravely to their guns, although numbers were falling on their decks, and fought their way on, until the night coming down put an end to the battle. "the following morning a thick fog prevented the enemy being seen, and with his shattered fleet admiral blake thought it wise to retire up the thames to repair damages and collect his ships in readiness again to encounter the enemy. such was the last action which was fought before we left england," continued the officer; "but i am ashamed to say that tromp was seen vauntingly sailing up and down the channel with a broom at his mast-head, as if he had swept the english from the sea." chapter ten. a bitter disappointment. the news brought by the _diamond_ made the officers and crews of the squadron eager to return to england to avenge the insult put upon the english flag by van tromp. the crew of the _good hope_, royalists as many of them had been, shared equally in the feeling. so would lancelot and i, had we not had a more sacred duty to perform; but when we mentioned our plan to the commodore, he positively forbade our making the attempt. "it would be the height of madness to venture in your small ship on the barbary coast," he repeated. "before you could explain your object, she would be captured, and you and your crew would be carried into slavery." for a long time we entreated him in vain to allow us to prosecute our undertaking. at last he said-"i will allow you to go, provided your people are ready to accompany you after you have clearly explained to them the dangers of the enterprise; but i again warn you of your certain fate. my advice is that you should return to england, make known the sad condition of your own friends, and numberless other christian captives in barbary, and i have little doubt that as soon as we have thrashed the dutch, admiral blake will be sent out to compel the corsairs to give up their prisoners." the only course open to us was to follow the commodore's advice. bitter was our disappointment when our crew declined further to prosecute the undertaking. in vain martin and dick urged them to fulfil their engagement, supported by mr aylett. they were ready to fight with a prospect of success, but they had no desire to be made slaves, or to lose their lives in a hopeless cause, they answered. i cannot describe our feelings; we did not possess even the means of communicating with the captives, and letting them know that we were making efforts for their liberation. at last the signal was made to weigh anchor, and the _good hope_, with several ships ordered home, set sail for england. having met a dutch fleet which we beat off, though they left us sorely battered, and encountered a fearful storm which well-nigh sent the _good hope_ to the bottom, we at length reached plymouth in a sinking state. there the shipwrights pronounced the _good hope_ unfit again to go to sea. this was the climax of our disappointments, for we had not the means of obtaining another vessel. "cheer up, shipmates!" exclaimed dick harvey. "i'll try and induce my father to help us. he will rejoice to see me back safe, and you too, for he has a sincere regard for you, and is grateful for the service you rendered him." finding that mr harvey had gone to london, we repaired thither, taking martin and mr aylett with us. mr harvey was glad to see his son, and treated lancelot and me with great kindness; his means, however, would not allow him, he said, to purchase a ship, but he advised us to repair to queensborough, in the island of sheppey, where admiral blake was busily employed in fitting out a fleet to attack the dutch. that we might not miss the opportunity of joining the fleet, we immediately went on board a hoy which was going down the river. we found the roads crowded with men-of-war, sixty sail at least, beside frigates, all busily engaged in taking stores, and powder and shot on board. the admiral's flag was flying at the mast-head of the _triumph_. as we reached her deck, we found him surrounded by officers, to whom he was issuing orders. it was some time before we could approach to pay our respects. he recognised us at once, and holding out his hand, shook ours warmly, listening with much interest to the account we gave him of our adventures. "you have come in the nick of time," he said. "we sail to-morrow in search of the dutch. you shall all serve on board. there's work to be done, and i have not too many officers or men to do it. after we have thrashed the dutch, i promise you, should my life be spared, to inflict due chastisement on the barbary corsairs, and to endeavour to recover your friends." more than this we could not expect, and we at once zealously set about performing the duties assigned to us. lancelot and aylett were appointed to act as lieutenants, and the admiral directed dick and me to remain by him ready to signal his orders to the rest of the fleet, to carry messages, or to perform any other duties he might require. on inquiring for his nephew, young robert blake, we found that he had been appointed to command the _hampshire_, a thirty-four gun ship; but as no boat could be spared, we were unable to pay him a visit. near us lay the _speaker_, vice-admiral penn, and the _fairfax_, rear-admiral lawson, while the other ships were commanded by the best captains in the navy. at daybreak next morning we sailed. soon after we got round the south foreland, a fleet was descried from the mast-head of the _triumph_, standing out from the land. the hearts of all on board beat high, for we believed that the enemy were in sight. but the strangers tacking soon showed english colours, and we found that it was the plymouth squadron, which had been sent out to join us. thus, with eighty ships, we stood down channel, with a north-westerly wind, until we had passed the isle of wight. when nearly up to the bill of portland, the _triumph_ leading, just as day broke the look-out aloft shouted-"a fleet ahead, a fleet ahead! away to the south-west." there was no doubt now that the dutch were in sight. the officer of the watch ordered me to call the admiral. with a cheerful countenance he rose, and quickly dressing himself, came on deck, going to the fore-top, where i accompanied him, that he might take a perfect survey of the enemy with whom he was about to engage. on one side of us was the _speaker_, on the other the _fairfax_, both within hail, and about a score of other ships forming our vanguard; but admiral monk, with the main body of the fleet, was still some four or five miles astern. though we could see them, they were not visible to the dutch admiral, van tromp, who, having under him many other celebrated captains, was known to command the dutch fleet. the sun, which was just rising above the horizon, clearing away the wintry mist, showed us the whole shining ocean covered with sails, a large proportion nearest to us being men-of-war, but fully three hundred others could be counted beyond them, which were supposed to be merchant vessels. undaunted by the overwhelming numbers opposed to him, without waiting for the rest of the fleet to come up, admiral blake pressed on with all sail to attack the enemy. the leading ship of the hollanders was recognised as the _brederode_, carrying the flag of van tromp. close astern of us came the _speaker_ and the _fairfax_, the rest of the vanguard not being far behind. "he hasn't got the broom aloft," whispered dick to me, as he stood close to the admiral on the after-castle watching the enemy. "if he had we should soon knock it away." "we shall, i hope, before long knock away his masts," i answered. "but see, he is getting closer; before another minute is over the fight will begin." we were now so steering, that we should speedily pass along the dutch line, which only waited for the _triumph_ to get within range to open fire. presently a puff of smoke issued from the bows of the _brederode_, and almost before the shot aimed at us could strike, the _triumph_ opened fire from the whole of her broadside. the _speaker_ and the _fairfax_ followed our example, as did the other ships, receiving in return the broadside of the entire dutch fleet. the dutch admiral, with the wind free, shot by us, delivering his fire from one broadside, then tacking under our lee, discharged the other with tremendous effect, wounding our masts and spars, riddling our canvas and rigging, and strewing our decks with killed and wounded. other dutch ships imitated the example of their admiral and steered down upon us, when we should have fared ill from odds so overwhelming, had not admiral penn, followed by two other vessels, come to the rescue and drawn off the attention of the enemy to themselves. as we got out from the circle of fire we could better see what was going on, though all the time we were hotly engaged with one or more of the enemy. dick and i immediately reported every circumstance to the admiral. now the _assistance_ was boarded by the dutch. now two ships ran alongside the _prosperous_, and in spite of the valour of her crew, she was captured by the enemy. the _oak_ shared the same fate, though her people fought long and bravely. on my reporting what i had seen to the admiral, "we must go to their help," he exclaimed, and ordering the master to steer for them, we furiously attacked the ships to which they had struck. we had, however, to contend with the rest of the dutch fleet, and it appeared to be going hard with us. in spite, however, of almost overwhelming odds against us, we and the other ships of the vanguard fought on. often i turned my eyes to the eastward, but could discover no signs of the advance of the fleet, the thick wreaths of smoke often preventing me from seeing to any distance. at length, however. i saw the rays of the sun falling on their white canvas, and ship after ship appeared. it was the white division, led by general monk; as they arrived they gallantly opened their broadsides on the dutchmen, increasing the fearful uproar. on every side the sea appeared covered with shattered spars and planks. now a noble ship was wrapt in flames, now i caught sight of the tall masts of another sinking beneath the surface as she and her crew went down to the depths below. the ship we had rescued was the _prosperous_, of forty guns, commanded by captain baker; but he and many of his crew lay dead on the deck. admiral de ruiter, who had attacked her, was himself almost surrounded, and would have been captured had not several of the enemy under admiral evertz come to his rescue. the _speaker_, not far off, was meantime fiercely assaulted, and reduced almost to a wreck. first her foremast fell, then her mizen-mast was shot away, and she would have been captured had not several ships been sent to her assistance. a dutch ship within sight, the _ostrich_, commanded by captain krink, with her rigging cut to pieces and her sails in tatters, fought on until her masts were shot away by the board, when two of our ships ran alongside and carried her. it appearing impossible that she could swim, her captain with the survivors of his officers and crew were hastily dragged on board their captors, and the _ostrich_ was deserted. on the other side of us another dutch ship, commanded by captain de port, was attacked by two of ours, and from the way they handled their guns, in a short time it was very evident that they had reduced her to a sinking state. another brave hollander, captain swers, seeing her condition, hastened to her relief; but he came too late, and our ship turning on him, ere long reduced him to the same condition as his countryman. as i stood on our lofty after-castle i could look down on the fight, and saw the brave de port, though lying on the deck desperately wounded, flourishing his hanger and shouting to his crew to resist. before the english could get on board, down went his ship, carrying him and his men with her. scarcely had she disappeared than swers' ship was seen to be sinking, but more fortunate than his brother captain, he and several of his officers were rescued by their victors. in other directions we could see that several of the dutch ships had struck their flags. four of ours had been boarded by the enemy, but afterwards recaptured. among them was the _sampson_, commanded by captain bullon. so fearfully had she suffered, he and the greater portion of his crew having been slain, that the admiral ordered the remainder to be taken out, and allowed her to drift away. we ourselves, having endured the brunt of the battle well-nigh from sunrise to sunset, had also suffered fearfully. i was standing near the admiral, when a shot struck down mr sparrow, his secretary, by his side, and our commander, captain ball, also fell shortly afterwards. as i looked along the decks i could see them covered with dead and wounded, there being scarcely men left sufficient to carry the latter below, the survivors having to work on at the guns. still the battle raged, and round shot continued tearing along our decks. one came whizzing close to me. turning at the same moment, i saw that the admiral was struck. i sprang forward to save him ere he fell to the deck. "it's a mere flesh wound," he replied to my inquiries. "let not the men suppose that i am hurt," and taking a handkerchief, he, with my assistance, bound it round the wound and resumed his upright position, cheering on the men as was his wont. the same shot had torn away part of the buff coat of general deane, who had remained on board to aid his old comrade in arms. i often, as may be supposed, looked out to see how it was faring with my old friends. though many were laid low by their sides, still they remained unhurt. the evening of that short winter's day was approaching, when our admiral, perceiving the shattered condition of a large number of the enemy's ships, and that no less than eight had been sunk, blown up, or captured, directed the fastest frigates nearest to us to make all sail and cut off the fleet of traders, which had been hove to in the distance during the day. this done he kept his eagle eye on tromp, who shortly afterwards was seen to throw out signals to steer to the south-east, followed by a considerable portion of his fleet, evidently with the intention of protecting the traders. seeing their admiral apparently retreating, the rest of the fleet took to hasty flight, on which from every english ship arose a loud shout of triumph, the crews for the moment forgetting the heavy price at which the day's victory had been gained. as we passed in view of the captured ships, the scene which their decks presented was sufficient to sicken our hearts. none of the brave dutchmen had yielded until the last hope was gone. fore and aft lay the mangled corpses of the slain, while the shattered bulwarks and even the stumps of the masts were bespattered with blood and gore. though a battle was no new event to me, i turned away appalled and sickened at the sight. not only were our crews exhausted, but few of our ships were in a condition to pursue the enemy, and great was our fear that they would escape during the night; but as the sun disappeared beneath the western horizon the wind dropped, and both squadrons lay becalmed on the smooth ocean. all the boats which could float were immediately lowered, and the wounded being placed in them, they were rowed to shore, where hospitals had been prepared for their reception. general deane and others entreated the admiral to land and obtain that attention to his wound which he was so anxious to afford to others. "no, no, my friends," he answered, pointing to the lights from the dutch ships, which streamed across the wintry sea. "with the enemy out there, it is no time for me to seek for rest," and before retiring to his cabin he issued orders that every effort should be made to prepare the fleet for another battle on the morrow. not a man or boy able to work turned in that night, for all were employed in stopping shot holes, knotting and splicing rigging, bending new sails, and repairing the tackles of the guns. the survivors of the crew of the _sampson_ came on board the _triumph_ to assist, but even the united crews scarcely made up the ship's complement. as daylight broke, a light breeze enabled us to make sail, and followed by the whole fleet, the _triumph_ stood for the enemy, who were steering under all sail to the eastward. soon afterwards we saw ahead a ship floating which we made out to be dutch, and as we came up to her, we perceived that she was the _ostrich_, the ship of the brave krink, and terrible was the spectacle she exhibited. the masts, shot away by the board, hung trailing over the side, not a human being stood alive on her blood-stained decks, which were covered with corpses, lying were they had fallen when she had been abandoned on the previous day. there was no time to take her in tow, and we left her afloat on the ocean, the coffin of her hapless crew; then onward we pressed under every sail we could carry. it was not until noon that we were near enough to open fire, and it was two o'clock, dungeness being in sight, before the whole fleet got into action. to give an account of the battle would be to describe the scenes of the previous day. the gallant de ruiter was well-nigh captured, and would have been so had not another brave dutch captain come to his rescue. well and courageously did our captains do their duty, imitating the example of the admiral, and carrying their ships as best they could alongside the hollanders. five or six of their men-of-war were that evening taken, besides which many others were fearfully mauled. another night came down upon the world of waters, bitterly cold, yet calm and clear, enabling us to distinguish the lights of the dutch ships, now retreating towards boulogne. the second night was spent like the first, and a third day found us still in sight of our unconquered foe. the wind had shifted to the southward, preventing their escape, and our frigates being again despatched with all canvas set, bore down on the richly-laden merchantmen, while we once more assailed the men-of-war. in vain van tromp fought with courage and desperation, endeavouring while retreating to protect the merchantmen. already in the distance we could see the frigates playing havoc among the traders, which were thrown into the wildest confusion, numbers running against each other, some hauling down their flags, others contriving to escape. as we pressed on, we could see the other english war ships at length got among them, and several ran up to us with the intention, it was seen, of yielding, and thereby delaying us in our pursuit of van tromp. "we are not to be delayed by such a device," exclaimed the admiral. "make the signal, bracewell, to all the ships of war to press on regardless of the traders. the frigates will look after them; they can with ease be picked up when we have finally defeated van tromp and his captains." thus we continued the pursuit until again night was approaching, when van tromp with the remnant of his fleet was seen to run in under the french coast, where he dropped anchor and furled his sails. before we could reach him night came down upon us. it was a night very different to the last. the wind was blowing strong from the southward, threatening every instant to increase into a hard gale. clouds obscured the sky, and darkness and mist shrouded the enemy from view. our fleet dropped anchor to the southward of cape grisnez, when every man who could keep his eyes open was employed in repairing damages. the pilots asserted that with the wind as it was then blowing from the north-east, and with the tide as it would be running during the morning, the dutch would find it impossible to weather cape blanchnez, and we looked forward eagerly to the next day, in the anticipation of inflicting a final and crushing blow on our enemy. alas! and such is war, though i thought but little at the time of its sinfulness, its horrors, and the sufferings it entails, not only on the combatants but on those at home, their wives and families. that lesson i was to learn in subsequent years from the son of one of our admirals, who pointed out to me its iniquity, and how contrary it is to all the teaching of the gospel. even on lower principles i had already seen the folly of that war between two protestant nations, who ought to have continued to advance each other's commercial prosperity, and more than all, to resist the machinations of the sworn enemies of the faith. chapter eleven. once more in the mediterranean. when morning broke, gloomy and tempestuous, and we stood out from under the lee of cape grisnez, so as to get a view of the coast, where we had seen the dutch anchor, great was our disappointment on discovering that not a mast was visible. it was very evident that, favoured by darkness, they had slipped out with the last of the flood, and were by this time amid the sandbanks and shallows off the flushing coast. the gale increasing, we now threw out the order for the fleet to bear away and steer for the isle of wight, under the shelter of which we at length brought up. on counting our prizes, we found that we had captured no less than nineteen men-of-war, and not under fifty merchantmen, which had been carried to different ports. three dutch captains had been taken prisoners and seven slain. even though still suffering from his wound, the admiral went on shore, not to take a part in the rejoicings with which our victory was welcomed throughout the land, but to visit the hospitals and see that the wounded men were properly cared for. i accompanied him from ward to ward. he had a land word for every one, and many an eye was filled with tears as he thanked them for the noble way in which they had fought for their country, and the glorious victory they had won. refusing to go home, though he required rest more than any one, he continued to superintend the repairs of the fleet. i cannot dwell on the events which followed. we again sailed in april with a hundred ships for the texel, where we drove the dutch fleet back into port, capturing fifty dogers. the admiral hearing that van tromp had gone northward, to convoy a fleet of merchantmen, we sailed in pursuit with part of the fleet, leaving admiral lawson in command of the larger portion. missing the dutch, we once again steered southward, when just as june had commenced, a fast frigate brought intelligence that van tromp had appeared in the downs, and that another fierce battle was hourly expected between him and the english fleet under admirals penn and lawson. setting all sail, we pressed on before a northerly breeze, when the sound of firing reached our ears. robert blake in the _hampshire_ was ahead. how we envied him! at length, some way to the southward of yarmouth, the two fleets of england and holland appeared in sight, hotly engaged. with every stitch of canvas set below and aloft, he sailed on into action, firing his broadsides with terrific effect into the enemy's ships. we followed, eager to engage, as did the rest of the squadron, and were soon in the midst of it. among the ships we perceived the _james_, vice-admiral penn, alongside the well-known _brederode_, with van tromp's flag flying aloft. the dutch had endeavoured to board the _james_, but were now being driven back, with fearful slaughter, and already scores of british seamen, slashing and cutting with their hangers, had gained her deck when a terrific explosion was heard. up rose the deck of the dutch ship, sending into the air the mangled forms of the boarders with the shivered fragments of planks. the _james_ cast off from her foe, it being believed that van tromp with his crew were about to founder, but the smoke clearing away, we saw them rushing up from below, with the admiral at their head. before he could be captured, lowering a boat, he pulled away for a frigate which lay near, and was seen sailing through his fleet, assuring his followers of his wonderful escape. but his efforts and those of his vice-admiral were in vain. hard pressed by our ships, they ere long took to flight, and steered for ostend, leaving eleven of their men-of-war in our hands, besides six sunk, two blown up, and one burnt, and nearly fourteen hundred prisoners, including a vice-admiral, two rear-admirals, and six captains. the battle was won, but so shattered were our ships that, unable to pursue the enemy, we were compelled to put into harbour. not until he saw his fleet at anchor would admiral blake allow himself to be carried on shore, when he invited me to accompany him to his country house of knoll, near bridgwater. dick, i should have said, had been summoned home by his father, but i bade farewell for a time to lancelot, as also to old martin, who, in spite of his years, preferred remaining on board to taking his ease on shore. "who knows but that the ship may be sent out to the mediterranean, and if so, that i may have the chance of hearing of mistress audrey and margaret, and mr kerridge and his daughter?" he said. "for that reason i ought to remain," i answered; "but the admiral has promised, should any ship sail for those parts, to let me go in her, and as he knows everything that takes place, i am not afraid of missing the chance. "and very right, master ben, that you should take a holiday. you look as thin as a line, and i have been afraid that you'd wear yourself out before your time." so i set off with my noble patron. great was the contrast which his life in that quiet abode presented to the uproar of battle and tempest, in which so many of his days had of late been passed. his board was frugal. his mornings were passed among his books or in writing letters, in which i assisted him; a long walk when his strength was sufficiently restored through the green fields and woods; his evenings in the society of a few chosen friends, when his conversation was chiefly on religious matters or on the affairs of state. to me the change was beneficial in the extreme. i felt refreshed in mind and body, still my thoughts were often far away with my sister and friends, captives still, as i believed, in barbary. the tranquil existence the admiral was enjoying was greatly disturbed by the news of another complete victory gained over the dutch by admirals monk, penn, and lawson. the battle had lasted, like the former, for well-nigh three days. it was the last van tromp was destined to fight. on the third day, while still leading on his fleet, a musket ball entered his heart, and his captain hearing of his death took to flight, pursued by the victors, who, it is sad to say, had received orders from monk to give no quarter, but to destroy every ship and their hapless crews as they were overtaken. the captains and their crews, however, disregarding the sanguinary order, picked up several hundred dutchmen from their sinking ships. i was thankful to get a letter from lancelot describing the fight, assuring me of his and martin's safety. ere long we heard of the arrival of ambassadors from the states general, sueing for peace, when among other matters they agreed to lower their flag to that of england whenever it should be seen flying. i must pass over several months, when once more admiral blake went afloat in command of a fleet of twenty-four sail, and hoisted his flag on board the _saint george_, a new ship of sixty guns and three hundred and fifty men. lancelot and martin had joined her, and dick soon after came on board, having obtained leave from his father once more to go afloat. we three were thus again united. great was our satisfaction to learn that the mediterranean was the ultimate destination of the fleet, though its other objects, for political reasons, were not made known. at the same time that we sailed, another still larger fleet went down channel under command of admiral penn, having general venables and a body of troops on board. its destination was the west indies, where it was to attack the colonies of spain, while we were to capture and destroy her fleets on her coasts. this work, however, was not to commence for the present. we having reached the roadstead of cadiz, found there a dutch fleet. no sooner was the red-cross seen flying from our mastheads, than the dutch admiral lowered his flag. "the hollanders have learned a lesson they are not in a hurry to forget," observed the admiral, as he walked the deck, while we came to an anchor. a french squadron paid our flag the same respect, while on shore the admiral was treated with every possible consideration by the spanish authorities, as well as by the officials of all nations. while here we received information that many more vessels had been captured by the barbary states. the pope and grand duke of tuscany also had given offence to the commonwealth, by allowing prince rupert to sell his prizes in their ports. those combative monks, the knights of malta, also sworn foes to those they chose to call heretics, had captured several english merchantmen, while the duke of guise was threatening naples, which state, then in alliance with england, it was deemed important to protect. we had work enough thus cut out for us, and as soon as provisions had been obtained we sailed, and passing through the straits of gibraltar without molestation, we directed our course for naples. we there found that the duke of guise had taken his departure, but in what direction we could not discover. we therefore steered northward along the coast of italy until we came off leghorn. dropping anchor, the admiral sent an envoy to the duke of tuscany, demanding redress to the owners of such vessels as had been sold by the corsair princes. the duke hesitated, declaring that he must refer the matter to the pope of rome, at which the admiral, smiling scornfully, observed that "it was not the pope's business, and that he would presently have to look out for himself." we had just before received intelligence of the alarm our appearance had caused in rome. monks had been walking in procession, many persons had been burying their treasures, and the wealthy had fled from the city, believing that ere long it would be pillaged by the english. the grand duke, not wishing to have leghorn battered down, yielded to the demands of our admiral, who then despatched the envoy to the pope. in vain that priestly potentate endeavoured to excuse himself, but his subjects had undoubtedly bought the illegal prizes, and at last, to avoid the threatened consequences of refusal, he sent the money demanded on board, twenty thousand pistoles, "which," as the admiral observed, "was probably the first cash which had ever been transferred from the papal coffers to the treasury of england." this was not the only satisfactory task performed by our admiral. he wrote to the grand duke, urging him in forcible terms to permit the english and other protestants settled in his domains liberty to keep the bible in their houses, and to follow their own form of worship, a privilege which had hitherto been denied them. while we lay off leghorn two algerine cruisers came in with a flag of truce, bringing a number of english captives liberated by the dey in order to appease the wrath of the english. "it is well," said our admiral, as he received the liberated persons; "but let the dey understand while an englishman remains in bonds i shall not be content." lancelot and i eagerly questioned the freed captives, in the hopes of possibly gaining information about our friends; but they replied that the distance between the two states was so great that they were aware only of the fact that many english were held captive in tunis. the admiral had from the first promised that he would pay that pirate city a visit, and use every means to discover and liberate our friends. we now hoped that he would without delay carry out his intention. but another disappointment occurred. just as we were about to sail, the plague brought from the levant broke out on board, and the admiral himself was stricken down by the fell disease. others suffered, and for many weeks, until the admiral recovered, we were unable to sail. although with the cold of winter the disease disappeared, a storm kept us still longer at anchor; but at length the wind proving favourable we sailed for tunis, and ere long came in sight of its two powerful castles of goletta and porto ferino. bringing up beyond reach of their guns, the admiral despatched a messenger to the dey, demanding the release of all prisoners and the restoration of the numerous prizes lately captured, or their value if destroyed. the dey in return sent an envoy on board the _saint george_, who, though he professed to wish for peace, declared that his master would not give up the prizes. while negotiations were going on, we sailed close up to the castle of porto ferino, piloted by lieutenant aylett, that the admiral might obtain an idea of its strength. he then (the envoy being sent on shore) sailed away with the larger ships, leaving captain stayner with the smaller frigates to watch the entrance of the harbour. lancelot and i could not help expressing our disappointment to each other; we soon found, however, that the admiral had no intention of abandoning the undertaking, but that it was necessary to obtain provisions before we commenced operations, our stock having run short. we now steered for cagliari in sardinia, where we lay while vessels were despatched in all directions to obtain bread, and the ships in harbour were being refitted. our hearts beat high when once more the tall minarets and domes of the pirate city appeared in sight, for we made no doubt that the dey would yield, and that we should ere long recover our friends. again the admiral sent an officer on shore, repeating his former demands and requesting water for his ships. the dey insolently replied that "there stood his castles of porto ferino and goletta, and until the english could carry them off in their ships, nothing should they have from him." "let the dey understand that such conduct shall not go unpunished," answered the admiral to the barbarian envoy, his anger rising, and his usually calm eye flashing fire; "god has given water to all his creatures, and the sin which one commits who refuses it to another is great indeed." no sooner had the envoy taken his departure than, to the surprise of all, the admiral ordered the fleet to sail away from the harbour, not leaving a ship behind. "can the admiral really intend thus to allow the pirates to escape with impunity?" said dick to lancelot and me, as we watched the moorish city recede from our eyes. "i much fear that your relatives will be left to languish in hopeless captivity." "have you sailed so many years with our good commander, and yet can fancy such a thing?" exclaimed martin, who overheard the remark. "depend upon it, he has his reasons, and i shrewdly guess wishes to throw the pirates off their guard. rest assured before long we shall get a nearer sight of tunis than we have hitherto had." notwithstanding what martin said, we steered on until we once more entered the bay of cagliari. we had good reason, however, to believe that the admiral intended after all to attack tunis. orders were issued to all the ships to prepare for some severe work. at length, after well-nigh a week had passed, we made the signal to weigh anchor, and the whole fleet before a light northerly breeze stood under full sail towards the bay of tunis. just as the evening of the 3rd of april, 1655, was approaching, we stood into the bay, where we brought up, the now well-known towers and minarets of tunis in sight. the night which came on might be the last we knew for many a brave fellow. it was spent in preparation for the work we were destined to undertake the next day. ere the sun rose a gun from the flag-ship was fired as a signal to the crews of the whole fleet to offer up prayer to almighty god for protection and success in the struggle about to commence in our righteous cause. it was a solemn time. not a sound was heard except the yokes of the ministers until those of the congregations joined in prayer, or burst forth into a hymn of praise to the all-powerful one whose protection they sought. then rising from our knees we weighed anchor, the sails were let fall, the guns run out, and, led by the _newcastle_, which was quickly followed by other frigates, the big ships stood into the harbour. of these the _saint andrew_ was the first. close astern came the _plymouth_, and we in the _saint george_ followed in her wake, not casting anchor until we had got within musket shot of the batteries, nor was a shot fired until we had furled sails. so astonished were the barbarians that their artillery remained mute. it was not for long; we setting the example, every ship opened with her broadside, to which the pirates speedily replied, their shot coming crashing on board through our bulwarks, or tearing their way between our masts and rigging. and now commenced the most tremendous din and uproar our ears had ever heard, the echoes of the guns reverberating among the crumbling walls and falling houses. for two hours the battle raged, the sky obscured, and the castles and batteries almost concealed by the dense masses of smoke, on which a lurid glare was reflected by the flames belched forth from the guns. the smoke blown in the faces of the pirates tended to conceal the ships from their sight, and prevented them aiming their pieces with accuracy. not for an instant did our fire slacken, until the guns in the batteries were dismounted or burst, or the gunners killed or driven from their post. within us, higher up the harbour, lay a squadron of nine stout ships. while the bombardment was taking place the admiral called captain stokes to his side. "now is the time to carry out your plan," he said. "you, bracewell and kerridge, may accompany captain stokes," he added. each ship had before received an order, at a certain time to send her long-boat with a picked crew, bringing torches, hand-grenades, and other combustibles. they now arrived. we took our places in the long-boat of the _saint george_, and captain stokes at once led the way towards the pirate squadron. for some time we were concealed by the clouds of smoke from the sight of our enemies, and only such shot as passed over the ships came near us, but as we got farther up the harbour we were perceived and assailed by showers of bullets and round shot, fired at us from the corsairs. we pulled on, however, until we were alongside them. the torches were then lighted, and without a moment's delay we began to heave them into the ports of the pirate vessels. so unexpected was the proceeding, that every ship was set on fire fore and aft, before the crew on deck had perceived what had occurred, and in a few moments the flames were bursting through the hatchways and ports, and encircling the masts and spars. in vain the pirates made the most frantic efforts to extinguish the fire, wherever they were seen labouring with buckets, the broadsides of the frigates which came up to our assistance drove them away and compelled them to leap overboard. now every one of the ships was burning furiously, the flames forming huge pyramids of fire. leaving them to their fate, which all the efforts of the pirates could not avert, protected by the frigates, we pulled back to the _saint george_ to report that the whole of the corsair squadron of nine large ships was utterly destroyed; and as we rowed away, first one and then two or three together blew up with a tremendous explosion, scattering their fragments far and wide, while their keels sank to the bottom of the harbour. chapter twelve. the captives rescued--blake's exploits and death. lancelot and i had formed a plan with lieutenant aylett, by which we deemed that it would be possible, though no more than possible, to recover our two sisters, mr kerridge, and margaret. we had asked permission of the admiral to undertake it. he pointed out the the dangers we must encounter. "far be it from me ever to refuse my sanction to so righteous an object," he added; "such volunteers as you can obtain may go, and heaven prosper you." when our design was made known on board the _saint george_ and _hampshire_ we might have obtained the whole of the crews of both ships, as well, indeed, as those of the rest of the fleet. on consulting captain blake, however, he advised us to take only fifty men; thirty from the flag-ship and the _hampshire_, and the remainder from among the others of the fleet. we calculated that the whole of the warlike part of the population of tunis would have been summoned to the defence of the castles and batteries. it was our intention to land while the action continued about three miles from the city, at a spot with which lieutenant aylett was acquainted, and from thence he know the road to the residence of the old chief who held our friends captives. we might, he believed, reach the house and be back again to the boats before the dey could gain intelligence of our expedition, and send any force of strength sufficient to oppose us. dick, of course, was of the party, and old martin was as eager as any of the younger men to go; but we tried to persuade him to remain on board, fearing that the fatigue of our march would be more than he could endure. he entreated so hard, however, to be allowed to take part in the recovery of mistress audrey that we gave way, and with hanger by his side, pistols in his belt, and a musket over his shoulder, he prepared for the expedition. while the cannonade was still going forward, we put off in two boats, which kept on the larboard side of one of the frigates, despatched for the service, so that we were unseen from the town. as soon as we had got near the landing-place, the frigate tacked and hove to, while we, pulling rapidly in, leaped on shore, and the boats returned to the frigate, which sailed back as if to rejoin the fleet, but according to orders was ready again to put about to receive us, should our expedition prove successful, on our return. led by lieutenant aylett, we set out on our march at as fast a rate as our feet could move. old martin kept alongside me, showing the activity of many a younger man; fearing, however, that his strength would fail, i begged him to let me carry his musket. "no, no, mister ben," he answered; "i care not, if we get mistress audrey and margaret back, whether i fall by the way. i have faced death in too many shapes to fear him now." as to the character of the country through which we passed, i cannot describe it. i know that there were palm trees, and prickly pears, and other strange shrubs, and rocks covered with creepers, and here and there fields of corn and plantations of fruit trees. we saw but few people, and those women, children, or old men, who fled at our approach to hide themselves. onwards we pushed, regardless of enemies who might be gathering behind--eager only to find the captives and to place them in our midst, when we were prepared to fight our way back against any odds which might oppose us. my heart bounded as if it would choke me when, on gaining the top of a hill, lieutenant aylett exclaimed, pointing ahead-"there's old mustapha's house!" but the next instant a sickening feeling came over me, as i dreaded lest those we hoped to find might have been removed. without halting for an instant, we rushed down the slope, and so divided our force that we might surround the building. orders had been given that not a shot should be fired lest we should wound our friends. in silence we dashed on, until we were close to the gates, when lieutenant aylett cried out-"open, open; we come as friends." the bars were withdrawn, the gate swung back, when instead of a turbaned moor, who should we see but old margaret! she recognised us at once, as we grasped hands. "where are my father and sister?" exclaimed lancelot. "where is my dear audrey?" i cried. before she could reply there arose such a shrieking and shouting from the farther end of the hall that we could scarcely hear her speak. "mr kerridge is there," she at length said, pointing through an opening into the garden, "and the young ladies are with mrs mustapha and the other women who are making all that hubbub there." "run, good margaret, and tell them we are here," i exclaimed, while lancelot, like a dutiful son, rushed out into the garden in search of his father. scarcely had he gone than the door at the other end of the hall opened, and two young boys, as they seemed, sprang towards us, followed by margaret. the next instant i had audrey in my arms, and was holding the hand of mistress cicely. in spite of their disguise and sunburnt cheeks, i knew them directly, and in a few words explained how we had come to rescue them. they were less astonished than we expected, for the sound of firing had reached their ears, and they guessed that either the town or pirate ships had been attacked by a foreign squadron. margaret was eagerly talking to martin, whose attention was more occupied by audrey than by what she was saying. the moment his sense of propriety would allow, coming forward, he took her hand and poured out the feelings of his heart at having recovered her. before many minutes had passed, the clashing of swords and lancelot's voice shouting for assistance reached our ears. dick, followed by several of the men, rushed in the direction he had taken, when they found him defending himself from the attack of a sturdy old moor and three attendants, who, however, on seeing the british seamen approaching, took to flight. the sailors pursued, and coming up with the old moor we were about to cut him down, when a man with a hoe in his hand sprang out from behind some bushes, exclaiming-"spare his life, friends; though he has kept me in slavery, and is somewhat a hard taskmaster, we should return good for evil." then, turning to the old moor, he made a sign to him that he should remain quiet while he eagerly questioned the seamen. lancelot by this time had come up, and i saw him spring forward and embrace the stranger, who was, i had no doubt, his long-lost father, although so greatly changed that i had not recognised him. such he was, but as not a moment could be spared, after a few words had been exchanged, we were summoned by lieutenant aylett to commence our retreat. we did not stop to bid farewell to mustapha and his family, but placing the two girls with margaret in our midst, we recommenced our march. not a moment did we halt, for we had many miles to travel before we could reach the water, while at any instant we might be attacked by overwhelming numbers of enraged moors. my fear was that the rescued ones, unaccustomed to rapid walking, might sink from fatigue, but the joy of having recovered their liberty kept up their strength. the firing had ceased, but as we looked towards the city we could see a cloud of smoke still hanging over it. the last height we had to cross was gained. the sea lay before us, when one of the men on our left flank shouted out he saw a large body of moors approaching. we all soon saw them, and it seemed doubtful whether we could reach the boats before they were upon us, but as we pushed on the frigate came in view, standing close in with the shore, towards which her guns were directed. the moors were rushing on, and even at that distance we could hear their savage cries, when the frigate opened fire upon them, compelling them to beat a retreat, while we hastened down the hill and gained the boats which had just come in to receive us. the frigate was obliged to tack, but before the moors could return we had pulled away beyond the range of their muskets. we were soon on board the frigate, when our arrival caused no small astonishment as well as delight, when it was discovered that we had rescued the captives, and still more so when it was known who they were. the young ladies, although they had so long worn male attire, were far from feeling at ease on finding themselves among their countrymen, and they entreated to be led below, to avoid the gaze of the seamen. we should, we feared, have great difficulty in procuring suitable costumes to enable them to appear with satisfaction in public. "we must apply to the admiral to help us; he can do everything," observed lancelot. "so don't trouble yourself about the matter, cicely." as we stood towards the fleet we saw the line-of-battle ships getting up their anchors, and making sail away from the shore, from which not a gun was now fired. one of the boats conveyed our party to the _saint george_, where the admiral received our friends with the greatest kindness, highly commending us for the way in which we had achieved our undertaking. we found that he intended to inflict no further chastisement on the dey of tunis, it being considered that the destruction of his fleet, the ruin of his forts, and the vast number of men who had been slain would induce him to refrain from interfering with english interests in future. running along the coast we visited tripoli, the dey of which state, taught a lesson by the punishment the ruler of tunis had received, showed every desire to be on terms of friendship with us. the fleet then proceeded up the adriatic to pay the venetians a friendly visit. space does not permit me to describe that curious canal-intersected city, where the admiral was received with such honours as are accorded generally only to royal persons. thanks to his generosity, cicely and audrey were here supplied with all the requisite articles of female dress, which were sent on board the day after our arrival, so that they were able to go on shore in their proper characters, and view the wonders of the city. leaving the adriatic we again came off tunis, when a white flag was seen flying from the castle of porto ferino. the dey immediately acceded to all our demands, and signed a treaty affording advantageous terms to the english. thence we stood across to malta, where the haughty templars, having heard of the way in which our admiral had exacted reparation, not only from the grand duke, but from the pope himself, at once succumbed and delivered up the ships and their cargoes of which they had despoiled the english merchants. this matter settled, we sailed across to algiers, the pirate prince of which state immediately sent a present of cattle on board the fleet, and undertook to liberate all english captives in his country at a moderate ransom per head, they being, he observed, the property of private individuals who had purchased them from others, while he undertook never again to molest english traders. to these terms the admiral consented, and in a few days a whole fleet of boats came off, bringing numerous liberated slaves, a large portion of whom had endured the sorrows of captivity for many years, the amount agreed on being paid over to their late masters. while we lay close in with the shore, we observed one morning a number of persons swimming off towards us. just as they neared the sides of the ship, several boats, manned by turbaned moors, were seen pulling away in chase of the fugitives, who now, shouting out in dutch, entreated us to take them on board. our seamen, regardless of the savage war we had lately waged with the hollanders, hurried to lower down ropes and to drag the swimmers on board. scarcely were they all on deck than the algerine boats came alongside, and the moors demanded the fugitives, affirming that they were their own runaway slaves. "what!" exclaimed martin, "give up christians who have once enjoyed the freedom of an english man-of-war, even though they may be enemies, to pirates and infidels. i don't believe any honest man on board will stand by and see that done. just bundle the rascally turks out of the ship, and let them know that when once a man steps under our flag he is free." the algerines, with looks of indignation, took their departure, but before long they returned with a message from the dey, insisting on the terms of the new treaty, by which a certain ransom was to be paid for all liberated captives. on hearing this, martin suggested that a subscription should be raised to pay the ransom of the dutchmen. a boat being sent round from ship to ship, the necessary sum was soon collected, the admiral himself paying in proportion to his rank. while we lay off algiers we heard of the fearful massacre of the protestants of the vaudois valley by the soldiers of the duke of savoy. the admiral had received instructions from the protector to threaten the southern coast of france and piedmont, should the duke refuse to make all the reparation in his power. the menace had its due effect, and the duke gave a pledge not again to interfere with the christian inhabitants of those lovely valleys. we sailed for the straits of gibraltar, calling on the way at malaga to obtain water and fresh provisions. while a party of our seamen were on shore at that place, a procession carrying the host, with banners and heathenish figures, passed through the streets, when they not only refused to bow, but mocked and jeered, at which the mob, urged on by a priest, savagely attacked them and drove them back to the boats. on hearing this, the admiral sent a trumpeter on shore demanding, not that the mob should be punished, but that the priest who had set them on should be delivered up to him. the governor replied that such a thing as giving up a catholic priest to heretics had never been heard of, and that he had no power in the case. on this the admiral replied, "if i fail to see that said priest on the deck of the _saint george_, before the lapse of three hours, i will burn your city to the ground." within the specified time the priest appeared, when the admiral, summoning witnesses from both sides, heard the case, and decided that the seamen were wrong in mocking, even at the superstitious observances of the natives, but that the priest was also wrong in taking the law into his own hands, instead of sending on board to complain, when the seamen would have been properly punished. satisfied that the priest had been placed at his mercy, the admiral, warning him for the future, sent him safely on shore. on the fleet reaching cadiz, the admiral finding that he was expected to remain on the coast of spain to wait for the silver fleet, offered mr kerridge and his party a passage home in the _constant warwick_, by which he was sending off despatches. he at the same time sent lancelot and me. "i intend to let you return with your friends, as you require rest after the hard work you have gone through," he said in a kind tone. "you must also take charge of martin shobbrok, whose great age and failing strength unfits him for active service. your names will remain on the books of the _saint george_, and should any captures be made, you will obtain your due share of prize money." we were both well-nigh overpowered by the admiral's kindness. though i desired to remain with him, i felt unwilling to be again separated from audrey as also from cicely, as between us a warm attachment had sprung up, though i always before looked on her in the light of a sister. "but you, sir," i observed, "require rest more than any other person in the fleet." the admiral smiled faintly as he replied, "while i have life and my country requires my services. i must remain afloat." of the homeward voyage i will not speak. once more the well-known start appeared in sight, and the _constant warwick_ steering for lyme, we went on shore, thankful to heaven for our safe return to our native land. mr kerridge forthwith set about placing his affairs, which had suffered from his long absence, in order, lancelot and i assisting him. cicely promised to be mine when the war was over, as i acknowledged; should the admiral summon me, i could not refuse to go. my sister audrey had made the same promise to lancelot; and the ladies could not help laughing and archly remarking to one another that "although they had so long worn a certain pair of garments--considered the exclusive property of men--they were never again likely to put them on." in the course of the summer admiral blake returned to england, but there was no repose for him. in spite of his illness, and the suffering he endured from his wound, he was occupied day after day in visiting the dockyards and arsenals, forwarding the building and repairing of ships, and other duties of his station. the commonwealth was at war with spain. portugal had not fulfilled the terms of her treaty, especially that clause which secured the english from the supervision of the diabolical inquisition, and other nations were only waiting an opportunity to draw the sword against her. another fleet was consequently fitted out, and admiral blake, who had hoisted his flag on board the _naseby_, sent the summons lancelot and i had expected to join her. the admiral looked pale and ill, yet his spirits were as high as ever, and as the fleet sailed down channel, and the white cliffs of old england faded from sight, we little thought that he, our beloved chief, had looked his last on the land he loved so dearly. i can but give a brief account of the important services rendered during the long cruise we had now commenced. passing down the coast of portugal, the admiral sent a frigate up the tagus, demanding of the king of portugal a complete fulfilment of the clauses of the late treaty. the effect of the message was satisfactory in the extreme. every clause was agreed to, and among others the right of englishmen to have bibles and protestant books in their houses, without thereby infringing the laws of the country. without stopping we pressed on to cadiz, looking out for the silver fleet, which had not arrived. we here encountered a fearful storm, by which several of our ships were damaged and compelled to return home, but yet the spaniards would not venture out of port to fight us; and the admiral, leaving captain stayner in the _speaker_, and six other ships to watch in the bay, sailed for malaga, on which town we inflicted condign punishment in consequence of the assistance the people had afforded to a genoese and to a sicilian galley which had taken part with the spaniards against us. on our return to cadiz, we found to our infinite satisfaction that captain stayner's squadron had fallen in with the first division of the silver fleet, and had sunk or captured every galleon containing treasure of immense value. in the hopes of encountering the second division, the admiral remained at sea the whole winter off cadiz, notwithstanding the heavy gales we encountered. we were absent from our post a short time, during which we came off algiers to settle a dispute with the dey, who, not forgetting the punishment inflicted on tunis, yielded to our demands without a shot. on our return towards the straits, we relieved tangiers, then a portuguese settlement, closely invested by the moors, whom our guns drove away and dispersed. returning to cadiz we again endeavoured, but in vain, to draw out the spanish fleet, and while we lay off and on the harbour, news came from undoubted sources that the second silver fleet, hearing of the disaster to the first, was afraid of continuing the homeward voyage, and had put into santa cruz, a port of one of the canary islands. thither the admiral resolved to sail with his fleet, now numbering by arrivals from england about twenty-five large ships and frigates. on the morning of the 19th of april, 1657, the frigate sent on ahead brought intelligence that the silver fleet, together with several men-of-war and merchant vessels, were at anchor in the bay of santa cruz, guarded by castles and batteries of immense strength. notwithstanding, the wind being favourable, the admiral resolved to attack at once, and the fleet under all sail stood in, rear-admiral stayner, with a portion, being directed to assail the galleons, while the admiral himself assaulted the batteries. the spaniards, their ships formed in a semicircle, believing that our defeat was certain, opened a tremendous fire, which every british ship returned with terrible effect to the enemy. in a few minutes the action became general, equalling in fury any which we had ever fought. so well was our artillery plied, that many of the guns in the castles and batteries were ere long silenced, when, leaving a few frigates to keep them in play, the admiral sailed on to the assistance of the gallant stayner, and now with our united guns we played havoc among the spaniards. ship after ship was set on fire, while two proud galleons had already sunk, and by two o'clock of that eventful day not a mast remained above water--the whole of the silver fleet was destroyed. no sooner was the work performed than the wind shifted to the south-west, enabling every one of our ships to sail out again, beyond range of the castle guns. not one was missing, and we had only fifty men killed and a hundred and fifty wounded in this most gallant exploit. some of the most damaged ships were sent home, while we returned to the coast of spain, where we found the spaniards eager to make peace in order to avoid future disasters. thence we sailed for salee, to compel the corsairs of that state to restore their christian captives to freedom. at the appearance of our red-cross banner the moorish chief sent an envoy on board, promising to comply with all the admiral's demands. in one week every christian captive in the country was on board our ships. water and such provisions as we required had been received, and a treaty of peace had been signed, but, alas! we who were with him saw that the admiral's days were numbered. after looking into the tagus, our canvas was spread for england. onwards we pressed under all sail. often during the voyage he expressed the hope that he might see again his native land. the lizard was sighted. soon ram head was rounded, and an officer from the deck came into the cabin to announce to us, who with sad hearts were standing round the death-bed of our beloved chief, that plymouth itself was in sight. stretching out his arms, he sought to rise, but his strength had failed. his eyes gazed upwards, his lips murmured a prayer, and then, when, from the expression of his noble countenance, we saw that his spirit had fled, even the stoutest-hearted amongst us burst into tears, sobbing like little children. deep, honest grief was marked on the faces of the vast crowds which had gathered on the shores to welcome the returning hero. i need not speak of the magnificent funeral ordered by the protector to lay at rest in westminster abbey the honoured remains of the greatest of england's admirals. among the mourners stood a grey-haired veteran, leaning on a staff to support his tottering steps. "alack, alack! master ben, it is a sad day, and little did my eyes wish to see it," murmured martin. "i followed his father to the grave, but little did i expect to outlive his noble son. i knows, howsumdever, that it won't be for long, and i am ready, when the lord wills, to depart." old martin's words were prophetic. he returned with lancelot and i to lyme, and in a few days the old sailor took to his bed, from which he never rose. we mourned for him sincerely, feeling that we had lost a true and faithful friend. but he was spared from witnessing the degradation of our country. three years passed. the great protector himself was dead. his son had retired into private life, and charles stuart came back to gain eternal infamy by a thousand vile deeds, not the least among which was to order the body of the great admiral to be exhumed and to be cast into a hole dug near the back door of one of the prebendaries of the abbey. after the death of my patron, i for a short time only went to sea. dick, who had hitherto remained afloat, came back to be present when lancelot and i married, and having himself taken a wife, he settled near us in the neighbourhood of lyme. it was not from lack of my talking of them if our children were not well versed in the deeds of the great admiral which i have briefly narrated in the preceding pages. the end. [illustration] _the gun-boat series._ frank, the young naturalist, frank on a gun-boat, frank in the woods, frank before vicksburg, frank on the lower mississippi. price, $1.25 per volume, or $6.25 per set, in a neat box, forming a most excellent and interesting library for young folks. _the gun-boat series._ frank before vicksburg. by h. c. castlemon, "the gun-boat boy." with illustrations. cincinnati: r. w. carroll & co., publishers, opera-house building, _73 west fourth street_. 1866. entered according to act of congress, in the year 1865, by r. w. carroll & co., in the clerk's office of the district court of the united states for the southern district of ohio. stereotyped at the franklin type foundry, cincinnati, o. contents. page chapter i. home again 7 chapter ii. harry on a scout 23 chapter iii. on duty again 38 chapter iv. the fight in the woods 60 chapter v. in the hands of the "johnnies" again 80 chapter vi. an old acquaintance 96 chapter vii. a close shave 111 chapter viii. taking down the captain 126 chapter ix. a practical joke 144 chapter x. new messmates 153 chapter xi. a good night's work 162 chapter xii. in the trenches 183 chapter xiii. the scout's story 194 chapter xiv. running the batteries 206 chapter xv. a race for the old flag 213 chapter xvi. the rival sharp-shooters 227 chapter xvii. the smuggler's cave--conclusion 243 frank before vicksburg. chapter i. home again. after all the tragic adventures which frank nelson had passed through, since entering the service of his country, which we have attempted to describe in the preceding volume of this series, he found himself surrounded by his relatives and friends, petted and fêted, enjoying all the comforts of his old and well-beloved home. only those who have been in similar circumstances can imagine how pleasant that quiet little cottage seemed to frank, after the scenes of danger through which he had passed. he looked back to the memorable struggle between the lines; the scene in the turret during the first day's fight at fort pemberton; the privations he had undergone while confined in the prison at shreveport; his almost miraculous escape; and they seemed to him like a dream. all his sufferings were forgotten in the joy he felt at finding himself once more at home. but sorrow was mingled with his joy when he looked upon the weeds which his mother wore, and when he saw the look of sadness which had taken the place of her once happy smile. she seemed ten years older than she looked on that pleasant morning, just fifteen months before, when, standing in the door, she had strained her son to her bosom, and uttered those words which had rung in frank's ears whenever he felt himself about to give away to his feelings of terror: "good-by, my son; i may never see you again, but i hope i shall never hear that you shrank from your duty." frank shuddered when he thought how intense must have been the suffering that could work so great a change. but now that he was safe at home again, there was no cause but for rejoicing. his presence there afforded abundant proof that he had _not_ been shot while attempting to run the guards at shreveport, as had been reported. and how great must have been the joy which that mother felt at beholding him once more! although he did not move about the house in his accustomed noisy, boyish way, and although his cheek had been paled by his recent sickness, from which he had not yet wholly recovered, he was still the same lively, generous frank whom she had so freely given up to the service of his country. during the short time that they had been separated, he had been placed in situations where his courage and determination had been severely tested, and had come safely through, never forgetting his mother's advice; and that mother could not suppress the emotions of pride that arose in her heart, for she knew that her son had done his duty. numerous were the questions that were asked and answered, on both sides. frank was obliged to relate, over and over again, the story of his capture and escape, until aunt hannah thrust her head into the room, with the announcement that supper was ready. when the meal was finished, frank removed his trunk into his study. every thing there was just as he left it: the fore-and-aft schooner, and the box inclosing the scene at sea, still stood upon the bureau; his sporting cabinet hung on the frame at the foot of the bed; the little clock on the mantel-piece ticked as musically as in days of yore; and the limb of the rose-bush that covered his window flapped against the house just as it did the night when it was broken off by the storm. after he had taken a fond, lingering look at each familiar object, he went into the museum, accompanied by his mother and sister, while brave ran on before. julia opened the door, and there stood the wild-cat, just as he looked when the young naturalist had encountered him in the woods. frank remembered how the cold sweat had started out from every pore in his body when he first found himself face to face with this "ugly customer," and he could not help smiling when he thought how terrified he was. as he walked slowly around the museum, examining all the specimens, as though he had never seen them before, he thought over the little history of each. there was the buck that he and archie had killed in the lake, when they lost their guns, and the latter had wished they "had never seen the deer." then came the owl, which frank had shot on that rainy morning when archie had felt so certain of his prize. then there was the white buck, which the boys had rescued from the wolves only to have him killed by a panther. next came the moose with which frank had struggled so desperately in the woods, and from which he had been rescued by the trapper and his dog. the skin of the bear, which he had trapped, and followed to the cave, and that of the panther that killed the white buck, still hung on a nail behind the door, where he had left them after his return from the woods. after examining every thing to his satisfaction, he went into the shanty behind the museum, where he kept his pets. the raccoons, which had become so tame that julia allowed them to run about, started away at his approach; but the squirrels and otter recognized him at once; and while one ran down into his pockets in search for nuts, the other came toward him, uttering a faint whine, and looked up as if expecting the piece of cracker which frank, in former days, had always taken especial care to provide for him. while frank was caressing the little animal, the king-birds and crow flew into the shanty. the former were now five in number, the old birds having raised a nestful of young ones, which were no less efficient in driving every bird from the orchard, or less lenient to the crow, than their parents. the old king-birds lit on frank's shoulders, while daw seemed to prefer his master's uniform cap, and was about to take possession of it, when his enemies straightway commenced a fight, and the poor crow, after a desperate resistance, was driven from the shanty. perhaps the reader would like to know what has become of the young moose and the cubs which frank captured during his visit at the trapper's cabin. well, they have good quarters, and are well provided for at uncle mike's, the same who assisted the young naturalist on the morning when we saw him trying to get his scow up to his work-shop. the moose has about an acre of pasture allowed him. he is as tame and gentle as ever, never attempting to escape. uncle mike has put this entirely out of his power, for he is surrounded by a ten-rail fence. the animal more than pays for his keeping, and many a load of wood has he drawn up to mike's door for the use of his family. the cubs, which are considerably larger than when we last saw them, are a source of a great deal of annoyance to the honest irishman. they are still as playful as ever, and amuse themselves all day long in turning somersaults and wrestling with each other; but mike has learned to "stand from under." he can generally defend himself against the attacks of one of the cubs, but the other is always ready to lend assistance, and the irishman is invariably worsted. he keeps them confined in a building that once served as a smoke-house; and not daring to trust himself within reach of their paws, he gives them their food through the window. it was dark before frank had seen and heard enough to satisfy him to return to the cottage. the evening was spent in listening to his stories of gun-boat life on the mississippi, and it was midnight before he retired to his room. the newfoundlander, which had been close at his master's side ever since he returned, scarcely leaving him for a moment, followed him into his study, and took possession of the rug before the door. after winding up the clock that stood on the mantel, and setting the alarm, frank put out the light, and tumbled into bed. although he was pretty well tired-out, he did not hesitate a moment to answer the summons of the little bell that rang at four o'clock, but was out on the floor almost before the notes of the alarm had ceased. in a few moments he was dressed; and taking his fish-pole and basket, which hung on the rack at the foot of the bed, accompanied by brave, set out with the intention of paying a visit to the lake in the swamp, which had been the scene of the fight with the buck. as he walked along up the road, the associations connected with each locality were recalled to his mind. here was the place where the black fox, which had so long held possession of reynard's island, had crossed the creek with sport--"the dog that had never lost a fox"--following close on his trail. there was the tree leaning out over the creek, behind which archie had crept for concealment when in pursuit of the canvas-backs; and a little further on was the bridge which they had crossed on that rainy morning that the geese had taken refuge in the swamp. frank feasted his eyes on each familiar object as he walked along, until he arrived at the end of the road, where stood uncle mike's rustic cottage. as he approached, that individual appeared at the door, shaded his eyes with his hand, gazed at our hero for a moment, and then sprang out, and greeted him with-"arrah, master frank! is this you, me boy?" "yes, uncle mike, it's i," answered frank, extending his hand to the man, who shook it heartily, while tears of genuine joy rolled down his cheeks. "i'm back again, safe and sound." "it's me ownsilf that's glad to see you," said mike. "i heered you was kilt intirely by the rebels; bad luck to the likes o' them. but come with me, master frank; ye's been fightin' rebels, but i've been fighting them varmints ye ketched in the woods." the irishman led the way to the building in which the cubs were confined, and opened the blind which protected the window, to allow frank to look in. he could scarcely recognize in the large, shaggy forms that were tumbling about over the floor, the small, weak cubs which he had carried for twenty miles in the pocket of his overcoat. as soon as the window was opened, they raised themselves on their haunches, and endeavored to reach uncle mike's red-flannel cap, an article he had worn ever since frank could remember. "aisy, aisy, there, you blackguards!" exclaimed mike, endeavoring to ward off the blows which the cubs aimed at him. "can't yees be aisy, i say? that's the way they always do, master frank; me old cap seems to give 'em a deal of throuble." after amusing himself for some time in watching the motions of the clumsy animals, frank followed uncle mike to the pen in which the moose was kept. he had grown finely, was nearly as large as a horse, and his head was furnished with a pair of wide-spreading antlers, the sight of which made frank shudder, and recall to mind that desperate fight in the woods, and his narrow escape from death. the moose was very gentle, and allowed his young master to lead him about the yard, and would come at his call as readily as a dog. after seeing the animal "shown off" to his best advantages, frank got into uncle mike's skiff, and pulled up the creek toward the lake. half an hour's rowing brought him to the point behind which he and his cousin had captured the eider-ducks, and where they had first caught sight of the buck. after making his skiff fast to a tree on the bank, he rigged his pole, baited his hook, and dropped it into the water. almost instantly a sudden jerk showed him that the "old perch-hole" had still plenty of occupants, and in a moment more a fish lay floundering in the bottom of the boat. we need not say that frank enjoyed himself hugely during the hour and a half that he remained in the lake. the fish bit voraciously, and the sport was exciting, especially as it had been so long since frank had had an opportunity to engage in his favorite recreation. but his conscience would not allow him to "wantonly waste the good things of god," and, when he had caught enough for his breakfast, he unfastened his skiff and pulled toward home. frank spent the forenoon in recounting some of his adventures to his mother and julia, of which they seemed never to grow weary. when aunt hannah announced that dinner was ready, he lingered for a moment on the portico to watch the movements of a flock of ducks, which, in company with the old ones, the same that he and archie had captured in the lake, were swimming about in the creek in front of the house; but, as he was about to follow his mother into the dining-room, he heard a loud scream, which seemed to come from above him, and looked up just in time to see a bald eagle swoop down upon the ducks. the old ones uttered their notes of alarm, and, rising from the water, flew over the cottage toward the barn, while the ducklings darted under the leaves of the lilies. but one was too late; for, as the eagle arose in the air, he bore off his prize. frank immediately ran into the house for his gun, determined that the life of the eagle should pay for that of the duck; but on his return he found that the robber was already being severely punished for the mischief he had done. daw and the king-birds, which seemed to have an idea that something unusual was going on, had attacked him with a fury that frank had never before witnessed. the eagle was flying, zigzag, through the air, but was met at every point by his tormentors. frank, who dared not fire for fear of wounding his pets, ran down the walk, sprang over the fence, and awaited the issue of the fight, hoping that the eagle would be compelled to take refuge in one of the trees that grew on the bank of the creek. nor was he mistaken; for the robber, finding that he could not escape his enemies, settled down on a limb but a short distance off, and, after deliberately folding his wings, snapped his beak, as if defying them to keep up the contest. the king-birds seated themselves on the branches above his head, and commenced their angry twittering, and daw joined in with a loud "caw, caw." this seemed to be the first intimation that the king-birds had received of his presence, for they straightway flew at him, and daw, although he had lent effective assistance in fighting the eagle, did not stop to resist, but beat a hasty retreat toward the cottage. this seemed a favorable moment for the eagle; he leaped from his perch, and was flying off with his booty, when the report of frank's gun brought him to the ground. the young naturalist shouldered his prize, and was starting toward the house, when a voice called out: "halloo, there! at your old tricks again so soon?" frank looked up, and saw harry butler coming toward him. neither had dreamed of the presence of the other in the village, and the cordial manner in which the two friends greeted each other proved that their long separation had not lessened their affection. but frank noticed at once that his friend was greatly changed. he looked haggard and careworn; he was no longer the wild, impetuous harry; he had grown more sedate; and his face, which had once beamed with a smile for every one, now wore a look of sorrow, for which frank could not account. it is true that he noticed that harry carried his arm in a sling, but he knew that it was not bodily suffering that had caused that look of sadness. "harry, what is the matter with you?" was his first question. "you look completely worn out." "so i am," was the answer. "let us sit down on this log, and i'll tell you all about it. i've often been here to visit your folks," he continued, "never expecting to see you again, as i learned that you had been captured, and afterward shot, while trying to escape. you say i look worn out; so would you if your only brother was a prisoner in the hands of the rebels, held as a hostage, and every moment expecting to be hung. george is in that situation, and i look upon his death, not only as a possible, but a very probable thing. it has been a hard task for me to convince myself that, if i should live to return home after the war, i should be alone, as i certainly thought i should be when i heard that you had been shot, and that george was not much better off. i had made up my mind to pass my furlough in the house, for i didn't want to have any one near me; but, now that you are here, i want to visit all our old haunts again. let us take a walk in the woods. bring your dinner along with you; i haven't had mine yet." in accordance with harry's suggestion, a basket was filled with eatables, and the boys bent their steps through the orchard toward the meadow that lay between the cottage and the woods. as they walked along, frank related some of the interesting incidents of his life in the service, and harry finally began to recover his usual spirits. at length they reached the cabin in the woods, that had been the scene of the camp on the day of the raccoon hunt, and here they stopped to rest and eat their dinner. chapter ii. harry on a scout. when they had finished every thing in the basket, the boys threw themselves on the grass in front of the cabin, and harry said: "i shall never forget the last time we made our camp here--on the day we had that 'coon-hunt, and archie fell into the creek. i've thought of it a great many times since i left home to go into the service, and it makes me feel sad to see how things have changed. from school-boys and amateur hunters, who started and turned pale when we heard the howl of a wolf or the hooting of an owl, you and i have grown pretty well on toward manhood; have become experienced in scenes of danger, and have had more narrow escapes than when we climbed up that tree to get out of the reach of the wolves that were in pursuit of the white buck. but there are some who have not been as fortunate as ourselves. there has been a thinning out of our ranks, and two good fellows who have hunted with us in these woods, and slept under the same blankets with us in this cabin, we shall never see again; and the probabilities are, that, if we live to return home again, after peace has been restored, and we go tramping around through these woods, to visit all our old hunting and fishing-grounds, we shall miss a third. ben lake and william johnson are dead; my brother is suffering in a rebel prison, and, from what i have seen and heard of the manner in which union prisoners are treated at the south, i never expect to see him again, even if he is not executed. ben lake, you know, was a quiet, good-natured fellow, scarcely ever saying any thing unless he was first spoken to, and i had an idea that he would be a little cowardly when he heard the bullets whistling around him; but i was never more mistaken in my life, for he won his promotion in the very first battle in which our regiment was engaged. when i was made captain of our company, he received the appointment of first lieutenant, and an excellent officer he made. he was a splendid rider, and when mounted on his horse--'thunderbolt' he called him--he made a fine appearance. he was no band-box officer, however, for he never shrank from his duty, and he was above ordering one of his men to do what he was afraid to undertake himself. he and i were prisoners once for about forty-eight hours, and the way it happened was this: "our regiment, after the battle of pittsburg landing, was detached from the western army and ordered to the potomac. we had scarcely been there a week before we were sent out on a scout, with orders to capture mosby, who was constantly harassing us, and scatter his command. we were out about ten days, without accomplishing our object. not a single glimpse did we get of a reb, and finally we turned our faces toward the camp. our horses, as well as ourselves, were nearly jaded, and the way we do there, when a horse gives out, is to put a bullet through his head, shoulder our saddles, and trudge along after the column on foot, until we can find another animal to ride. i had command of the rear guard; and when we had arrived within a day's march of camp, my horse suddenly gave out--laid right down in the middle of the road, and couldn't go a step further. i was in something of a fix, and my feelings were none of the pleasantest when i found myself sprawling in the dusty road, and saw that my horse was used up. it was something of an undertaking to find my way back to camp, through a country infested with guerrillas, and with which i was entirely unacquainted. it is true that i could have had a horse, as several were at once offered me by my men; but i could not be mean enough to save my own bacon by leaving one of those brave fellows behind; so i told ben to go ahead with the company, keeping a good look-out for a horse, and if he could find one, to send it back to me. i then shot my animal; and it was a job i hated to do, i tell you, for he was as fine a horse as ever stepped; he had carried me many a long mile, and being my constant companion for almost a year and a half, i had become very much attached to him. but there was no help for it; our orders were strict; and i shouldered my saddle, and marched after the column, which was soon out of sight. "i walked along at a pretty lively pace, keeping a good look-out on each side of the road for horses, and now and then looking behind, half expecting to see a squad of mosby's cavalry in pursuit, until i was startled by the report of a pistol directly in front of me, and, coming suddenly around a bend in the road, i found ben sitting beside his horse, which had also given out, waiting for me to come up. as i approached, glad enough that i was not left to find my way back to camp alone, ben picked up his saddle, and glancing sorrowfully at the work he had done, said: "'there's an end of poor thunderbolt--the best horse in the regiment. it has no doubt saved him many a long scout, but i never felt so sorry for any thing in my life.' "it was hard work, walking along that dusty road, carrying our heavy saddles, and we anxiously scanned every field which we passed, in hopes that we should find some stray horse; but without success. about three o'clock in the afternoon we reached a cross-road, and then we knew where we were. we had frequently been there on short scouts; so, without stopping to keep any further look-out for horses, we quickened our pace, and about two miles further on, arrived at the house of a lady with whom we were well acquainted, and who, as we had always considered her loyal, had been allowed to remain in undisturbed possession of her property, which our regiment had once defended against mosby's men. here we halted, and asked the lady if she could furnish us with some dinner. she replied in the affirmative, and we deposited our saddles in one corner of the room, while the woman began to bustle about. in half an hour as good a dinner as i ever tasted in that part of the country was served up, and ben and i sat down to it with most ravenous appetites. before sitting down, i should mention, we took off our belts, to which were fastened our sabers and revolvers, and laid them in the corner with our saddles; a very foolish trick, as it afterward proved; but, as we were within fifteen miles of camp, we did not apprehend any danger. "after our hostess had seen us fairly started, she said: "'you will excuse me for a few moments, gentlemen, as i would like to run over to see my sister, who is very sick. will you keep an eye on the baby?' she continued, pointing to the small specimen of humanity in question, which lay fast asleep in the cradle. "'yes,' answered ben, 'i'll see to him;' and the woman started off, leaving us to finish our dinner and attend to the child. "she hadn't been gone two minutes before the young one awoke, and, of course, began to yell. we didn't know what to do, for it was new business to us. after trying in vain to make it hush, ben took it out of the cradle, and began to trot it up and down on his knee. but it was no use, and he finally put it back, determined to let it cry until it got ready to stop, when i happened to think of the sugar-bowl. that was just the thing. ben took good care to keep its mouth so full of sugar that it couldn't yell, and we succeeded in keeping it pretty still. "in about half an hour the woman returned, and, in reply to our inquiries, informed us that her sister was considerably better, and she hoped would be well in a few days. she then commenced talking on indifferent subjects; and we finally finished every thing on the table, and were thinking about starting for camp, when some one suddenly called out: "'here! here! get up, you yanks. get up from that table.' "we looked up, and there, standing in the door-way, with their revolvers leveled at our heads, were two rebels--colonel mosby and a corporal. "'i've fixed you!' exclaimed the woman, triumphantly. 'you didn't think that while you were stealing my chickens, and abusing me, that i would ever have the power on my side.' "the old hag had betrayed us. she had invented the story of her sick sister, in order that her absence might not cause us any suspicions, and had left the child for us to take care of, so that we should be obliged to remain until she returned. the story of stealing her chickens, and abusing her, was a mere pretext; for our orders to respect her property were strict, and we had not dared to disobey them. "'there's only one thing that i am sorry for, madam,' said ben, coolly, 'and that is, that i didn't choke that young one of yours.' "'come, come, there!' interrupted the colonel. 'get up from behind that table at once, or you are dead men!' "'we're gobbled easy enough, harry,' said ben, in his usual careless manner, as we arose from our chairs. 'well, i suppose there's no help for it, seeing that we have no weapons. what do you intend to do with a fellow, johnny?' "'take you direct to richmond,' was the encouraging answer, made by the corporal, as he walked across the room and took possession of our arms. 'come out here!' "we had no other alternative; so we marched out in front of the house, our captors mounted their horses, and we trudged along before them on foot toward centerville. "you have been a prisoner, and can easily imagine the thoughts that passed through our minds. we saw before us a long, fatiguing march, with hard fare, and harder treatment, and the dreaded libby looming up in the background. but we were not allowed much time to commune with our own thoughts, for mosby immediately began to question us in relation to the forces we had in different parts of the country. of course we told him some of the most outrageous stories, but he seemed to put some faith in them; and when we reached the cross-road he left us, after ordering the corporal to take us to culpepper. "as soon as the colonel had got out of sight, the corporal began to abuse us in the worst kind of a manner, swearing at us, and calling us abolitionists and the like; and said that if he could have his own way he would hang us on the nearest tree. we told him that it was a mean trick to treat prisoners in that way, and advised him to keep a civil tongue in his head, as the tables might be turned on him some day; but he paid no attention to us, and kept on jawing, until finally, just before night, we reached centerville. "we stopped at a house near the middle of the town, where we were treated very kindly by the people, who gave us plenty to eat, but told us that we were fighting on the wrong side. after supper, the corporal took us out to the barn, where he proceeded to 'go through' us pretty thoroughly. he robbed me of twenty dollars in greenbacks, a watch, comb, several letters--in short, he did not leave me any thing. after overhauling ben's pockets, he ordered him to 'come out of his coat,' which he did without a grumble; and after cutting off the shoulder-straps--because ben 'wouldn't need 'em any more,' he said--he put the coat on his own back, locked the barn, and left us to our meditations. as soon as the sound of his footsteps had died away, i said: "'ben, i'm going to get out of here, if i can.' "'all right,' said he; 'feel around on the floor and see if you can't find something to force that door open with. how i wish i had that young one here! i wouldn't feed it with sugar, i tell you.' "we commenced groping about in the darkness, but not a thing in the shape of a club could be found. then we placed our shoulders against the door, and pressed with all our strength; but it was too strong to be forced from its hinges, and the floor was so securely fastened down, that it could not be pulled up; so, after working until we were completely exhausted, we sat down on the floor to rest. "'we're in for it,' said ben. "'but i'm not going to libby, now i tell you,' i answered. 'to-morrow we shall probably start for culpepper, under guard of that corporal; and the very first chance, i'm going to mizzle.' "ben made no reply, but i well knew what he was thinking about. after a few more ineffectual attempts, we then lay down on the hard boards, and tried to go to sleep; but that was, for a long time, out of the question. "our situation was not one calculated to quiet our feelings much, and as we rolled about the floor, trying to find a comfortable position, i could hear ben venting his spite against 'that brat.' he did not seem to think of the woman who had betrayed us. "we passed a most miserable night, and at daylight were awakened with: "'come out here, you yanks. it's high time you were moving toward libby.' "that rascally corporal seemed to delight in tormenting us; but there was only one thing we could do, and that was to 'grin and bear it.' after a hasty breakfast, we again set out, the corporal following close behind us on his horse, with a revolver in his hand, ready to shoot the first one that made an attempt at escape. we kept on, stopping only once or twice for water, until we reached the bull run bridge. here the corporal stopped, and called out: "'come here, one of you fellers, and hold my horse.' "i did as he ordered, and the rebel dismounted, bent down on one knee, and commenced fixing his spur. my mind was made up in an instant. it was now or never. giving a yell to attract ben's attention, i sprang at the rebel, caught him around the neck, and rolled him over on his back. he kicked and swore furiously, and if i had been alone, he would most likely have got the better of me; but ben, being close at hand, caught up the revolver, which the rebel had laid on the ground beside him, and in a moment more i had secured his saber. he saw that further resistance was useless, and bawled out: "'don't shoot, yank. don't shoot me, for mercy's sake!' "'nobody's going to hurt you if you behave yourself,' said ben. 'get up.' "the rebel raised himself to his feet, and i at once began to 'sound' him, as we call it. i got back my watch, money, and every thing else he had taken from us the night before. we then ordered him to travel on ahead of us, and, as ben's feet were so badly swollen that he could scarcely move, i told him to get on the horse, while i walked along by his side. we passed back through centerville, keeping a good look-out for rebel scouts, which we knew were in the vicinity, but we did not meet with any of them until along toward night, when we heard a yell, and, looking up, saw half a dozen cavalry charging across the field toward us. "'i guess we're gobbled again, captain,' said ben. "'not if our legs hold out,' i answered. 'get down off that horse, quick. we must foot it, now.' "ben hastily dismounted, and, catching our prisoner by the arm, we pulled him over a fence, through the woods, and into a swamp, where we fastened him to a tree. we then tied a handkerchief over his mouth, to prevent him from making his whereabouts known to his friends, and made the best of our way to the camp, which we reached about daylight. we at once reported to the colonel, who sent us back with our company after the prisoner; but he was gone. his friends had doubtless discovered him, and released him from his unpleasant situation. the woman who betrayed us paid the penalty of her treachery. her house was burned over her head, and her husband, whom she had reported to us as dead, but who was found concealed in the barn, was taken back to the camp a prisoner." chapter iii. on duty again. by the time harry had finished his story, it was almost sundown. putting the cabin in order, and fastening the door, the boys then started for home. after a hearty supper at the cottage, different plans for their amusement were discussed and determined upon. if time would allow, we might relate many interesting incidents that transpired during the month they spent together; how, one day, the young moose ran away with uncle mike's wood wagon and upset the boys in the road. we might, among others, tell of the hunting and fishing expeditions that came off, and the trials of speed that took place on the river, when the speedwell showed that she had lost none of her sailing qualities during the year and a half that she had remained idle in the shop; but one incident that happened will suffice. it was on the morning of the last day that they were to pass together, as frank's sick-leave had expired, and he must soon bid adieu to home and friends again, perhaps forever. this day had been set apart for a fishing excursion; and, bright and early, frank was at captain butler's boat-house, where he found harry waiting for him. when the bait and every thing else necessary for the trip had been stowed away in the skiff, the boys pulled into the river, and after spending an hour in rowing about the bass-ground, during which time they secured half a dozen fine fish, they started toward the perch-bed, and anchored outside the weeds. although they were remarkably successful, they did not seem to enjoy the sport. frank's thoughts were constantly dwelling on the parting that must come on the morrow. it could not be avoided, for duty called him; and although the idea of disregarding the summons never once entered into his head, he could not help condemning the circumstances that rendered that call necessary. harry, on the other hand, was impatient to recover his health, as he wished to rejoin his command. while he was free, and enjoying the delights of home, his brother was languishing in a southern dungeon--held as a hostage for a notorious guerrilla, who had been sentenced to death--not knowing at what moment he might be led forth to execution. often, during the time that he and frank had been together, living over the scenes of their school-days, had harry's thoughts wandered to that brother, and it had done much to mar the pleasure he would otherwise have enjoyed. he imagined he could see him, seated in his loathsome cell, loaded with chains, pale and weak, (in consequence of the systematic plan of starvation adopted by the brutal authorities at richmond to render our brave fellows unfit for further service, if they should chance to live until they were exchanged,) but firm in the belief that he had done his duty, and ready at any moment--for george was far from being a coward--to be sacrificed. harry's thoughts, we repeat, often wandered to the dreaded libby, and especially did they on this morning. and as he pictured to himself the treatment that his brother was daily receiving at the hands of the enemies of the government, is it to be wondered if he indulged in feelings of the deepest malice toward the inhuman wretches who could be guilty of such barbarity? "there's only this about it, frank," he said, suddenly breaking the silence that had continued for half an hour; "there's only this about it: if one hair of george's head is injured, company 'm' of our regiment never takes any more prisoners; and if i have no friendship for a traitor, neither have i for such men as these who are now approaching." frank looked up, and saw charles morgan and william gage rowing toward them. "here is the very spot," continued harry, "where we met morgan when you first became acquainted with him, on the morning when he told such outrageous stories about the fishing there was in new york harbor, and about his fighting indians in the adirondack mountains, in the northern part of michigan. william gage, you know, used to be first lieutenant of the "midnight rangers." "yes, i remember them both," answered frank. "but it seems to me that i heard some one say that mr. morgan is a rebel sympathizer; and charley, of course, not having brains enough to think for himself, is following in his father's lead." "so i have heard; but he has never said a word against the government, and he'd better not, for i feel just like choking somebody this morning; and if i hate a rebel, i hold a domestic traitor in the most profound abhorrence." "hullo, boys!" exclaimed charles, at this moment, coming alongside and stretching out a hand to each of them, "how are you? i'm glad to see you back again, frank. but why haven't you been around to see a fellow? you've kept yourselves very close since your return." "yes, harry and i have spent most of our time in the woods," answered frank. "but we part again to-morrow." "going back to your ship, eh? well, when do you suppose you will be home again for good?" "i don't know. if i live, however, i'm going to see this war settled before i come back to civil life again." "you've had some pretty hard times since you have been in the service, from what i hear." "rather tough," answered harry. "well now, you see bill and i were too sharp to go into any such business as that," said charles, knowingly. "the old man said, from the start, that you never could whip the south." "well, your father was never more mistaken in his life," answered frank. "we _are_ going to bring back the seceded states, if it takes every man and every dollar at the north. but i don't see why you don't volunteer. how can you stay at home?" "o, it is the easiest thing in the world," answered charles, with a laugh. "in the first place, i think too much of my life; and then again, i don't care a snap which whips. i am not interested either way--i'm neutral." "you're no such thing," answered harry, angrily. "you never saw two dogs fight in the street, without wanting one or the other of them to whip, and your sympathies are either one way or the other. there's no such thing as a neutral in this war." "besides," said frank, "if i were in your place, i should be ashamed to say that i was neutral. but i hope that you will be compelled to go into the army. since you have neither the intelligence to determine which side is in the right, nor the courage to fight for that side, i hope that you will be drafted, and that you can't find a substitute." "thank you," replied charles, sneeringly. "you are very kind. but i, of course, know that this is a free country, and a man has a right to talk as he pleases." "you have no right to utter treasonable sentiments," said harry; "and another thing, i am not going to sit here and listen to them." "you are not, indeed! i don't see how you can hinder it," replied charles. "i say now, and it makes no difference who hears me, that i hope the south will whip, unless the north will allow her to go out of the union peaceably. i haven't any thing against the south." "well, _i_ have," answered harry, scarcely able to control himself. "my brother is now starving in a rebel prison." "i can't help it. i have not the least sympathy for him. the south said, at the commencement, that they only wanted to be let alone; and if george hasn't any more sense than to meddle with them, i say, let him take the consequences;" and, as charles ceased speaking, he dropped the oars into the water, and was about to row off, when frank seized the gunwale of his boat. "avast heaving, there, for a moment," he said, quietly. "charley, take back what you have said." "no, sir; i sha'n't do it. i mean what i have said, and i won't take back any thing. let go of that boat, or i'll hit you," and he raised his oar as if about to strike frank. but harry was too quick for him. springing lightly into charles's skiff, he easily wrested the oar from him, and then, seizing him by the collar, exclaimed: "take back every word you have said, or i'll wash some of the vile rebel sentiment out of you. i'll dump you overboard. come, take it all back--quick." "help! help! bill," whined charles, writhing like an eel in harry's strong grasp, "are you going to sit there and see me abused in this manner? help, i tell you." william looked first at harry, then at frank, who had grown exceedingly tall and muscular since the last time he had measured strength with him in friendly contest, and made no reply. "come, take it back," urged harry. "no, i won't," replied charles, who, finding that he was left to fight his own battles alone, now began to struggle desperately. "i tell you i won't take back any thing." "then overboard you go," said harry. "i'll see what effect cold water will have on you;" and, easily lifting charles from his feet, in spite of his struggles, he threw him headlong into the water. "how is it now?" he coolly inquired, as charles appeared at the surface, looking very forlorn, indeed. "any more rebel sentiment in you that wants washing out? come in here, you young traitor;" and, as he spoke, he again seized him by the collar, and drew him into the boat. "unhand me," shouted charles, as soon as he could regain his feet; "i'll fix you for this." "are you ready to take back what you said?" demanded harry, tightening his grasp. "no; nor shall i ever be," was the stubborn answer. "well, then, down you go again." "no, no! don't," screamed charles, who now began to be really frightened; "i take it all back." "what do you take back?" asked harry. "i don't want to see the northern prisoners all starved." "well, what else?" "i don't want to see the union destroyed." "go on; what next?" "but i _do_ wish the south could be whipped to-morrow, and be made to stay in the union." "well, now you are talking sense," said harry, releasing his hold of charles's collar. "of course, i know you don't mean what you say, but i was bound to make you say a good word for the union before i let you off. i have one more favor to ask of you, and then i am done. will you oblige me by giving three cheers for the boys who are fighting our battles--every day risking their lives in defense of the old flag?" charles hesitated. "i sha'n't ask you but once more, then," and here harry pointed to the water, in a very significant manner. charles, knowing that he was in earnest, and that there was no escape, gave the required cheers with as good a grace as he could command. "that's right," said harry, approvingly. "now i have done with you, and you can thank your lucky stars that you have got off so easily. if you had been in the army when you said what you did a few moments since, the boys would have hung you to the very first tree they could have found. now, take my advice, and don't let me hear of your uttering any more such sentiments as long as i remain in the village; if you do, i'll duck you as often as i can get my hands on you." harry then sprang into his own skiff, and charles sullenly picked up his oars, and pulled toward home. "there," exclaimed harry, "i feel better now. i worked off a little of my indignation on that fellow. the rascal! to tell us that george ought to be starved for helping to maintain the government, and that he didn't care whether the union went to ruin or not. now that i think of it, i'm sorry that i let him off so easily." "he was pretty well punished, after all," said frank. "it will have the effect of making him a little more careful." at noon, the fish stopped biting, and the boys started for home. they parted at the boat-house, after frank had promised to call and say "good-by" before he left in the morning. when the latter reached home he found his trunk packed, and every thing in readiness for the start, so that he had nothing to do but roam about the premises, and take a last look at every thing, as he had done on a former occasion. his mother and sister tried to look cheerful, but it was a sorry failure, for frank could easily read what was passing in their minds. morning came at length, and at eight o'clock, to frank's great relief--for he wished the parting over as soon as possible--he saw the carriage approaching which was to take him to the steamer. a few embraces and hastily-spoken farewells, and frank was whirling away from his home. at captain butler's he stopped for harry, who met him at the gate with an open letter in his hand; and, as he sprang into the carriage, he exclaimed, joyfully: "it's all right, frank. here's a letter from george. he has been exchanged, and is now in the hospital at washington. the rebels, he says, tried to starve him to death, but couldn't make it. he is only waiting until he gets strong enough to travel, and then he's coming home. he's pretty well used up. when i get back to the army, with company 'm' to back me up, i'll make somebody smart for it." by the time harry had finished venting his anger against the enemies of the government, the carriage reached the wharf, as the steamer was moving out into the river. frank had just time to get on board, and a few moments afterward the julia burton carried him out of sight of the village. he stopped only a short time at portland; and, four days after leaving that place, found archie waiting for him as he sprang off the train at cairo. he reported to the fleet captain, who ordered him to "take passage down the river on the united states dispatch steamer general lyon," which was to sail at four o'clock that afternoon. the cousins passed the day together. when four o'clock came, archie returned to his high stool with a sorrowful countenance, and frank waived his adieu from the steamer that was to carry him back--to what? it is well that the future is hidden from us, for frank would not have trod that deck with so light a heart had he known what was in store for him. in a few days he arrived at his vessel, which he found anchored at white river. time makes changes in every thing, and frank saw many new faces among the ship's company. the old mate was still on board, and greeted him in his hearty sailor style as he came over the side. after he had reported to the captain, and had seen his luggage taken to his room, he was joined by one of his old messmates, whose name was keys; and who, in answer to frank's inquiry, "how is every thing?" proceeded to give him a statement of the condition of affairs. "the ship still floats on an even keel," said he, pulling off his boots, and taking possession of frank's bed. "the old man is as eccentric and good-natured as ever, sometimes flying off into one of his double-reefed topsail hurricanes, which don't mean any thing. all goes right about decks, but you will find some things changed in the steerage. there are only five officers left in our mess that were here when you went away, and we have three new johnny master's mates. they all came down in the same box; and the express man must have left them out in the damp over night, for they are the softest fellows i ever saw. they must have been brought up in some country where such a thing as a steamboat is unknown, for they don't know the starboard from the port side of the ship, call on deck 'up stairs,' and the captain's cabin goes by the name of the 'parlor.' it wouldn't be so bad if they would only try to learn something, but they are very indignant if any one undertakes to volunteer advice; and, besides, they stand on their rank." at this moment supper was announced, and frank and his friend repaired to the steerage, where they found the mates of whom the latter had spoken. while they were eating, the whistle of a steamer was heard, and one of the new mates (whose name was french, but who was known as "extra," from the fact that he was perfectly useless as an officer,) ordered the waiter to "go up stairs and see what boat it was." the boy did not move, for it was a regulation of the mess that when there was only one waiter in the room to attend to the table, he was not to be sent away. besides, the mate had no right to give such an order without first obtaining the permission of the caterer. "do you hear what i tell you?" he inquired, in a rage. "mr. french," said the caterer, quietly, "you can find out the name of that boat after supper, by asking the officer of the deck, or the quarter-master on watch." "but i choose to send this boy to find out for me," replied mr. french. "come, go on, there, and do as i tell you, or i will see if you can not be made to obey the orders of your superiors." "stay where you are," said the caterer, addressing the waiter, "and don't start until i tell you to." then, turning to the mate, he continued, "you have no right to order him to do any thing in this mess-room without first consulting me." "i haven't, eh? i wonder if this darkey ranks me? my appointment reads that i 'am to be obeyed by all persons under me in this squadron.'" "that boy is not subject to your orders, as long as i am in the mess-room." "well, i shall take pains to inform myself on that point. i'll ask the captain." "do so," said the caterer, quietly; "and if you don't get the worst raking-down that you have had since you have been on board this vessel, then i am greatly mistaken." the mate made no reply, but, after he had finished his supper, went on deck. "now, frank," whispered keys, "just come with me, and i will show you some fun." frank, always ready for any mischief, followed his companion on deck, where they found mr. french in animated conversation with his two friends. "see here, french," said keys, approaching the latter in a confidential manner, "are you going to put up with such abuse as you received from that caterer?" "i'd see, if i were in your place, whether or not i had authority to command my inferiors," chimed in frank. "certainly, so would i," said keys. "go and report the matter to the old man." "that caterer ought to be brought down a peg or two," said frank. "well," said the mate, "i know that i have got the right on my side; but i'm afraid, if i report the matter, the captain will give me a blowing up." "o, that's only one of that caterer's stories," said keys, contemptuously. "you see he's afraid you will report him, and he told you what he did to frighten you. every body on board the ship is trying to run down us mates; they don't seem to care a fig for our orders; even the men laugh at us, and the sooner they find out that we have some authority here, the better it will be for us. i wish i had as good a chance as you have; i'd report the whole matter." "i believe i will report it," said the mate, encouraged by the sincere manner in which mr. keys and frank spoke. "i can't have a man trample on my authority, when it comes from the admiral. is the captain in the parlor?" "yes," answered frank, making use of his handkerchief to conceal his laughter; "i saw him go in there just a moment since." the mate accordingly walked aft, and without waiting to speak to the orderly, who stood at the gangway, he opened the door without knocking, and entered the cabin. as soon as he had disappeared, frank and his companion ran on to the quarter-deck, and took a position at a grating directly over the captain's cabin, where they could hear all that went on below. "my eyes!" whispered keys; "i wouldn't be in extra's boots for the whole squadron. won't he get his rations stuffed into him?" the captain, who was at supper, looked up in surprise, as mr. french entered unannounced; and, after regarding him sharply for a moment, said: "well, sir!" "i came here, sir," began the mate, "to tell you"---"take off your cap, sir!" vociferated the captain. the mate, not in the least embarrassed, did as he was ordered, and again commenced: "i came here, sir"---"do you know what that marine is standing out there for?" again interrupted the captain. "if you don't, your first hard work will be to go to the executive officer and find out. now, don't you again ever come into my cabin in this abrupt manner. always send in your name by the orderly. it seems impossible to teach you any thing. but what were you going to say?" "i came here, sir," began the mate again, "to see if i have any authority to command my inferiors in rank. my appointment says"---"o, hang your appointment!" shouted the captain. "come to the point at once." "well, sir, while at supper, i ordered our steward to go up stairs and execute a commission for me, and he wouldn't go." "are you caterer of your mess?" "no, sir." "then sir, allow me to inform you that you have no more authority over those waiters in that mess-room than you have to break open my trunk and take out my money. if you should need the services of one of the boys, go to the caterer and get his consent. but i wish you would try and learn something. you have been on board this ship now three weeks, and are of no more use than an extra boiler. go to somebody else in future with your foolish complaints. you may go, sir." the mate left the cabin, feeling very cheap, and wondering what was the use of having any rank, if he couldn't use it, and more than half inclined to believe that the captain had no right to address him in so rude a manner. "well, what did the old man say?" inquired keys, who, with frank, had hurried forward to meet him at the gangway. "he says he will fix it all right," replied mr. french, averting his face, for he knew that he was uttering a falsehood. "i knew i would get satisfaction." so saying, he walked off, shaking his head in a very knowing manner, while the two friends retreated to the steerage, where they gave full vent to their feelings. the circumstance was related to the caterer, who came in a few moments afterward, and after enjoying a hearty laugh at the mate's expense, frank retired to his room and turned in. about two o'clock in the morning a steamer came down and reported that a regiment of rebels had posted themselves behind the levee at cypress bend, and were holding the position in spite of the efforts of three gun-boats to dislodge them, rendering navigation impossible. the matter was reported to the captain, who, after making himself acquainted with the facts, ordered the ticonderoga to be got under way and headed up the river. chapter iv. the fight in the woods. on the next day they arrived at cypress bend, where they found three "tin-clads" anchored, paying no attention to the perfect storm of bullets which the concealed rebels rained upon their decks from behind the levee. as soon as the ticonderoga came within range, the guerrillas directed a volley against her; but, although her decks were crowded with men, the fire was without effect. the boatswain's whistle, and the order, "all hands under cover," rang sharply through the ship, and the decks were instantly deserted. the second division--the one which frank commanded--was at once called to quarters, and as soon as the gun could be cast loose and pointed, an eleven-inch shell went shrieking into the woods. it burst far beyond the levee. the rebels sent back a taunting laugh, and their bullets fell faster than ever. the levee which lines both banks of the mississippi forms a most excellent breastwork; and behind this, a party of determined men can easily hold twice their number at bay, unless a position can be obtained where they can be brought under a cross-fire. the formation of the river rendered it impossible for such a position to be taken, and it was evident that to anchor before the levee and attempt to dislodge them with big guns, was worse than useless; neither could they be beaten back with their own weapons, for the rebels were very expert in "bushwhacking," exposing but a very small portion of their persons, and the best marksman would stand but a poor chance of hitting one of them. some more decisive steps must be taken. so thought the captain of the ticonderoga, as he paced up and down the turret, while frank, divested of his coat, was issuing his commands with his usual coolness, now and then catching hold of a rope and giving a pull at the gun, all the while sending the shells into the levee, making the dirt fly in every direction. "cease firing, mr. nelson," said the captain, at length. "it is useless to think of driving them off in this manner." "cease firing, sir," repeated frank, showing that he understood the order. "run the gun in, lads, and close those ports." the captain then ordered his vessel to be run alongside of the rover, (one of the tin-clads,) and, after a few moments' consultation with her commander, some plan seemed to have been determined upon, for frank was again ordered to open a hot fire on the levee. under cover of this, signal was made for the other two vessels to get under way, and proceed down the river. "mr. nelson," said the captain, as soon as he had seen the signal obeyed, "give the command of your division to the executive officer, and come down into the cabin for orders." as soon as the executive could be found, frank gave up the command to him, and as he entered the cabin, the captain said to him: "i have ordered the tin-clads to go down the river and land as many men as they can spare, to get around in the rear of those rebels, and get them out from behind that levee. they must be got out of that, if possible, for navigation is virtually closed as long as they remain there. i shall also send our two howitzers and forty men, of which you will take command. i need not tell you to do your best." the captain then went on deck, selected the men, and frank succeeded in getting them and the howitzers safely on board the rover, which still lay alongside. the smoke from the gun of the ticonderoga completely concealed their movements, and the rebels were entirely ignorant of what was going on. as soon as the men were all on board, the rover steamed down the river and joined the other vessels, which were waiting for her to come up. about five miles below was a point which completely concealed them from the view of the rebels, and behind this point the vessels landed; the crews disembarked, and commenced marching through the woods toward the place where the rebels were posted. they numbered two hundred and fifty men, and were commanded by the captain of the rover, who, although a very brave man and an excellent sailor, knew nothing of infantry tactics. the second in command was mr. howe, an ensign belonging to the same vessel. he had never been in a fight; and when he first entered the navy he knew no more about a vessel than he did about the moon. his appointment had been obtained through some influential friends at home. he had served in a company of state militia, however, before the breaking out of the war, and considered himself quite a military genius. the sailors marched in line of battle--with skirmishers in front and on each flank, and frank, with his battery, was in the center. in this manner they marched for about an hour, and then a halt was ordered, and the captain, with several of his officers, went forward to reconnoiter, while mr. howe, who was left in command, ordered the men to "stack arms." frank was astounded when he heard this command, and, approaching the officer, saluted him, and said: "i object to this, mr. howe. i think it would be much better, sir, to keep the men under arms; for it is by no means certain that all the rebels we shall be obliged to fight, are in front of us." "i believe you were put in command of that battery, sir," replied mr. howe, haughtily, "while i was left in charge of these men. i would thank you, then, to attend to your own business, and to let me alone." "very good, sir," answered frank. "i did not intend to give any offense, sir, but merely to offer a suggestion. but if i command that battery, i intend to have it in readiness for any emergency. cut loose those guns, lads, and stand to your quarters!" the reports of muskets in their front proved that the rebels were yet keeping a hot fire directed against the ticonderoga. but still frank was not deceived; he knew that all the fighting would not be done at the front. scarcely had these thoughts passed through his mind, when there was a rapid discharge of fire-arms in their rear, and two of the men fell. as frank had expected, the rebels had been informed of what was going on, and had sent part of their force to cut the sailors off from the river. for a moment the greatest confusion prevailed. the men, who had been lying about in the shade of the trees, made a general rush for their weapons, and after delivering a straggling and ineffectual fire, hastily retreated, with the exception of frank's men, and a few of the more courageous of the infantry. the latter concealed themselves behind trees and logs, and deliberately returned the fire of the rebels, while the former, who were old seamen, and had long been accustomed to the discipline of the service, stood at their guns awaiting orders. mr. howe, for a moment, stood pale and trembling, and then, without waiting to give any orders, disappeared in the bushes. frank, who was left alone with but sixty men, was astounded when he witnessed this cowardly conduct of his superior, and he had hardly time to recover from his surprise, when the rebels, after firing another volley, broke from their concealments, with loud yells, and charged toward the guns. this brought frank to his senses. with the handful of men he had left, he could at least cover the retreat of his timid support. "steady there, lads!" he shouted. "aim low--fire!" the howitzers belched forth their contents, and, as frank had taken the precaution to have them loaded with canister, the slaughter was awful. the muskets had also done considerable execution, and the rebels recoiled when they witnessed the havoc made in their ranks. frank, who was always ready to take advantage of such an opportunity, immediately ordered a counter-charge. the sailors sprang at the word, with a yell, and, led by frank, who fixed his bayonet as he ran, threw themselves upon the rebels, who at once fled precipitately, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. "back to your guns, lads," shouted frank, "and give 'em a shot before they get out of range." the men worked with a yell, sending the shells rapidly in the direction in which the rebels had retreated, until a loud roar of musketry at the front told them that they had other enemies with which to deal. while this fight at the rear had been going on, the sailors who had retreated had been met by the captain and his officers, who were returning from their reconnoissance, and, as soon as order could be restored, an attack had been made on the rebels who were still posted behind the levee. in a few moments mr. howe came running up, and addressing himself to frank, exclaimed: "what are you doing here, sir--shooting into the woods where there are no rebels? why are you not at the front, where you belong? if you are afraid to go there, you had better give up the command of that battery." frank thought this was a nice way for mr. howe to talk, after the manner in which he had behaved a few moments before, but, without stopping to reply, he ordered the guns to be secured, and the men, catching up the trail-ropes, commenced dragging the battery toward the place where the fight was raging, while mr. howe again suddenly disappeared. when frank arrived at the front, he found the rebels were still behind the levee, where they were exposed to a galling fire from the sailors who were concealed among the trees, evidently preferring to run the risk of being driven out by the musketry than to brave the shells from the ticonderoga, which now began to fall into the woods just behind them, and bursting, threw dirt and branches in every direction. without waiting for orders, frank immediately took up a sheltered position, and straightway opened upon the rebels a hot fire of canister. by the exertions of the officers, the stragglers were all collected, and, while the line was being formed for a charge, frank was ordered to move his battery out of the woods, into the open field. the young officer's blood ran cold when he heard this command, for the rebels, who greatly outnumbered the sailors, and who were deterred from making a charge and overpowering them only through fear of the shells from the ticonderoga, were sending a perfect shower of bullets into the bushes where the howitzers were stationed. even in his present protected position, frank had lost five of his men, and when he thought what a slaughter there would be when he should move out of his concealment, it made him shudder. but he had always been taught that the success of the navy was owing to "strict discipline;" and once, when he had been reported to the captain for disobeying an order which he had considered as unjust, that gentleman had told him--"always obey whatever orders you may receive from your superiors, and, if you are aggrieved, you can seek redress afterward." in the present instance, this seemed very poor policy; for what good would it do to make objections to the order after his men had been sacrificed? he had no alternative, however, but to obey. the men, too, were well aware of the danger they were about to incur, but hesitated not a moment when frank repeated the order to advance. they at once pushed the guns out into the open ground, and the effect was as they had expected. the whole fire of the rebels was directed against them, and every volley left frank with less men to handle his battery. in fact, it soon became impossible to load the guns; for, as fast as the men picked up a rammer or sponge, they were shot down. it was evident that they could not remain there. "jack," said frank at length, turning to the old boatswain's mate, "go and ask the captain if i can't be allowed to move back to my old position. i can do more execution there. besides, we'll all be dead men in less than five minutes, if we remain here." the man bounded off to execute the order, and just then the captain of one of the guns was killed. frank immediately seized the priming-wire which had fallen from his hand, and worked with the rest. his fear had given place to a reckless determination to do his duty, for, let the consequences be what they might, no blame could be attached to him. impatiently, however, he waited for the return of the mate, and his impatience increased when word was brought him that the ammunition was failing. at length, after a delay which seemed extraordinary, a charge was ordered. the rebels seemed to have an idea of what was going on, for, a few moments before the order was given, their fire slackened considerably; but, as soon as the sailors, in obedience to the command, issued from the woods, they were met with a terrific fire, which threw them into confusion. in vain their officers urged and commanded; the men refused to advance, but remained standing in full view of the rebels, while every moment their comrades were falling around them. at length the enemy made a counter-charge, and the sailors, without waiting to resist, broke and fled in every direction. frank and his men remained at their posts until the last moment; but they soon found themselves completely deserted, and were obliged to fall back into the woods. by the exertions of the officers, a few of the men were rallied in the edge of the timber, and, bravely standing their ground, the rebels were met with a murderous fire, and the shells from the ticonderoga, which now began to burst in their very midst, completed their confusion, and they, in turn, were compelled to retreat. in an instant, frank and several of his men sprang out and attempted to recover the howitzers, which had been left between the lines, but the rebels were on the watch, and, after the loss of three of his men, he was obliged to order a retreat. for two hours a severe a fight was maintained, the rebels making several charges, which were easily repulsed by the sailors; and each time frank made unsuccessful attempts to recover his battery, but was as often compelled to retreat, leaving some of his men dead on the field, or prisoners in the hands of the enemy. the left of the line rested on the bank of the river, where a full view of the ticonderoga could be obtained. after the fight had raged nearly three hours, without any advantage being gained on either side, one of the men reported that the ship was making signals. the commander of the expedition hurried along the line, calling out-"mr. howe! where's the signal officer, mr. howe?" but he received no answer. no one had seen mr. howe since he had so ingloriously retreated at the commencement of the fight. "pass the word along the line for mr. howe!" shouted the captain. the order was obeyed, and finally a faint voice, some distance in the rear, replied, "here, sir." "what are you doing there, sir?" demanded the captain, in a voice of thunder. "why are you not at your post? get out there with your flag, and answer the ticonderoga's signals." and the captain began to consult his signal-book. mr. howe looked first at the rebels, then at the captain, then down at the flag which he held in his hand, but he did not move. it was a dangerous undertaking; for, in answering the signals, he would be obliged to stand on the bank of the river, where there was nothing but bushes to protect him, and where the rebels would be certain to see him; but the rattling of the musketry, the sharp whistle of the bullets as they flew thickly about among the trees, and the roar of the ticonderoga's guns--sounds which he had never before heard--so worked upon the imagination of the terrified man, that the danger seemed tenfold worse than it really was. in a few moments the captain had made out the signal, which was, "how do you succeed?" and exclaimed: "mr. howe, make the answer that we don't succeed at all--no advantage on either side; that our ammunition is getting scarce; and that----. why don't you start, sir?" he shouted, seeing that mr. howe did not move. "captain," faltered the man, in a scarcely audible voice, "i should be very happy, sir; very glad, indeed, sir; but--, but--" "no remarks, sir, but do as you are ordered, instantly." "really, captain, i--, i--" the man could go no further, but stood trembling like a leaf, with the utmost terror depicted in every feature. "you're a coward, sir!" shouted the captain, in a terrible rage--"a mean, contemptible coward." "i know it, sir," replied the man, so terrified that he scarcely knew what he was saying; "but the fact is"---[illustration] "go to rear!" shouted the captain, "and stay there. here, sir," he continued, turning to frank, who happened to be the nearest officer, "can you make those signals?" "yes, sir," answered frank, promptly. his face was very pale, for, accustomed as he was to the noise and confusion of battle, he well knew there was danger in the step he was about to take. but his features expressed determination instead of betraying terror. his duty must be done, whatever the consequences might be; and hastily picking up the flag which mr. howe, in his fright, had dropped, he sprang out in view of the ticonderoga, made the required signals, and retreated in safety. the rebels had seen the flag waving above the bushes, and had directed a hot fire against it, but, although his frail protection was riddled with bullets, frank escaped unhurt. in a quarter of an hour, during which time the fire was warmly sustained by both parties, the ticonderoga again made signals, ordering the captain of the expedition to make the best of his way back to his vessels. frank answered the signal, and again retreated in safety. the word had already been passed along the line to fall back slowly, when frank, approaching the captain, said: "i do not wish to go back to the ship without my battery, sir. will you give me men enough to recover it?" "no, sir; i can't send any one out there to be shot at. it is certain death, sir." frank, who thought that the captain had suddenly grown very careful of his men, made no reply, but hastened back to the spot where he had left his battery. to his joy and surprise he found one of the howitzers safe in the hands of his men; and, as he came up, a shell went crashing toward the rebel line, followed by a triumphant shout from the sailors. the boatswain's mate, who had managed to secure the gun, by throwing a rope around the trail-wheel, was endeavoring, in the same manner, to obtain possession of the other. after a few ineffectual attempts, he succeeded, and the gun was pulled back safely into the bushes. when they had secured the remainder of the ammunition, the men caught up the trail-ropes, and, without delay, frank took his old position in the center of the retreating line. the rebels followed them so closely that the sailors were frequently compelled to halt and drive them back. during one of these halts, the captain of the expedition was killed. as if by magic, mr. howe appeared on the scene, and, without waiting to recover the body of his officer, gave the command to fall back more rapidly. at length, just before they reached the bank where they had disembarked, the ammunition for the howitzers being exhausted, frank requested permission to retreat still more rapidly, and get his guns on board the nearest vessel. "that request is in perfect keeping with your conduct during the fight," returned mr. howe, sneeringly. "the plea of saving your battery is a very handy one; but if you are afraid to remain here with us, you may run as fast as you wish. i'd be ashamed to hold up my head after this, if i were in your place." "i am not afraid to remain here, sir," answered frank, with a good deal of spirit; "and if you say that i have acted the part of a coward during this fight, i defy you to prove the charge. the idea that i am afraid, because i wish to retreat in order to save my battery, is absurd. run those guns along lively, lads." frank succeeded in getting his howitzers on board one of the tin-clads, which still lay alongside of the bank, without the loss of another man. a moment afterward the sailors came pouring down the bank. as soon as they were all on board, the vessels moved out into the stream, and commenced shelling the woods. while thus engaged, the ticonderoga came down the river, and, after dropping her anchor, signaled for the officer in command of the expedition to repair on board. mr. howe at once put off in a boat to obey the order, while the vessel in which frank had taken refuge ran alongside of the ticonderoga, and as soon as the battery had been taken off, the men, covered with dust and blood, and their faces begrimed with powder, stood silently around the guns, while the remainder of the crew gathered on the opposite side of the deck, and regarded their comrades with sorrow depicted in every feature of their sun-burnt faces. frank knew that the fight had been a most desperate one, and that he had lost many of his men; but he could scarcely believe his eyes, when he found that out of the forty brave fellows who had started out with him in the morning, but _fifteen remained_--more than half had been left dead on the field, or prisoners in the hands of the rebels. in a scarcely audible voice he called the roll, and his emotion increased when, at almost every third name, some one answered: "not here, sir." in a few moments the captain appeared on deck. the report of the commander of the expedition had, of course, been unfavorable, and the captain's face wore a look of trouble. hastily running his eye over the line of dusty, bleeding men that stood before him, he said, in a low voice, as if talking to himself: "only fifteen left. i could ill afford to lose so many men. you may go below, lads. doctor, see that the very best care is taken of the wounded." after delivering this order, the captain, who was evidently ill at ease, turned and walked down into his cabin. chapter v. in the hands of the "johnnies" again. as soon as the men had disappeared, frank, with a heavy heart, repaired to his room to dress for supper. he thought over all the little incidents of the day, and frequently detected himself in saying: "only fifteen men left; fifteen out of forty!" what a slaughter--a useless slaughter--there had been! and all had been occasioned by the ignorance of the commanding officer of the expedition. had frank been allowed to retain the sheltered position which he had at first taken up, the result would have been far different. and how had he escaped without even a scratch? he had stood beside his men during the whole of the fight--freely exposing himself, and, rendered conspicuous by his uniform, had signaled the vessel twice; and each time the flag had been riddled by bullets, but not a shot had touched him! it seemed but little short of a miracle that he had come off unscathed, when so many men had fallen around him. he was interrupted in his meditations by the entrance of the orderly, who informed him that his presence was wanted in the cabin. frank hastily pulled on his coat and repaired thither. as he entered, the captain said: "take a chair, mr. nelson. i wish to have a few moments' serious conversation with you." frank, surprised at the captain's tone and manner, seated himself, and the latter continued: "are you aware, sir, that you have this day destroyed all the confidence i have hitherto placed in you, and have rendered yourself liable to severe punishment?" the effect of this question, so abruptly put, was astounding, and frank could only falter-"sir? i--i--don't understand you, sir." "mr. nelson, i am surprised at you, sir," said the captain, sternly. "i shall have to refresh your memory, then. you have this day been guilty of misdemeanors, any one of which renders you liable to a court-martial, and to a disgraceful dismissal from the service. in the first place, you have shown gross disrespect to your superior officer, and"---"i guilty of disrespect, sir!" repeated frank, scarcely believing his ears. "there must be some mistake, sir, for"---"don't interrupt me, sir. i repeat, you have been guilty of disrespect to your superior officer, and of cowardice, having been found with your battery far in the rear at a time when your services were very much needed at the front; and then, after the fight had fairly commenced, as if waking up to a sense of your duty, and, no doubt, wishing to make amends for what you had done, you, contrary to orders, recklessly exposed your men, and, as a consequence, out of forty of the bravest fellows that ever trod a ship's deck--which were placed under your command this morning--you had but fifteen left when you returned on board. the energy displayed by you in working your battery, and the manner in which you obtained possession of it, after you moved out from your sheltered position, and had been compelled to retreat, were feats of which any officer might be justly proud, and which i should have been most happy to reward with your promotion, had you not spoiled every thing by your infamous conduct at the commencement of the fight. hitherto, since you have been on board this ship, you have been a good officer, have always attended to your duties, and it pains me to be obliged to talk to you in this manner. i never thought that you, after what you did at cypress bend, while you were on board of the milwaukee, would ever have been guilty of such misdemeanors. however, as your conduct heretofore has always been such as i could approve, i shall see that no charges are made against you; and i sincerely hope that what you have learned to-day will be a lesson that you will never forget. i shall give you sufficient opportunities to make amends for what you have done, and i shall commence by sending you ashore with a flag of truce, to ask permission of the rebels to bury our dead. you may start at once, sir." this was a hint that his presence in the cabin was no longer desirable, and frank, who, in his confusion and bewilderment scarcely knew what he was doing, made his best bow and retired. what his feelings were as he listened to this reprimand, administered by the captain, who never before had spoken a harsh word to him, it is impossible to describe. he again thought over every thing he had done during the fight; how he had, at the commencement of the action, beaten back the rebels, with a mere handful of men; how he had, in obedience to orders, taken the exposed position where he had lost so many of his gun's crew, and which he had held in spite of the storm of bullets that rained around him, until the whole line had been compelled to retreat, and he was left unsupported; how he had twice risked his life in signaling the ship; and how, when the retreat was ordered he had brought back his guns in safety: he thought of all these things, and wondered where the charge of cowardice could be brought in. and then, when and how had he been guilty of disrespect to his superior officer? certainly not in remonstrating against ordering the men to stack their arms, for that was a privilege to which he, as one of the commanding officers of the expedition, was entitled. in regard to recklessly exposing his men, the case was not quite so clear. it was true that, in the beginning of the fight, he had ordered a charge upon the rebels, who greatly outnumbered his own men, and had easily driven them, without loss to himself: perhaps it was there that the third charge had been brought in. but although he was conscious that he had endeavored to do his whole duty, the words of the captain had cut him to the quick. it had been an unlucky day for him. the expedition had proved a failure, and he had been accused of misdemeanors of which he had never dreamed. it seemed as if fate was against him. "i believe, as archie used to say," he soliloquized, "that i am the unluckiest dog in existence. troubles never come singly." "the captain wishes to see you, sir," said one of the men, stepping up and interrupting his meditations. "all right," answered frank, who was so completely absorbed in his reverie that he was entirely unconscious of what was going on around him; "call all hands to quarters immediately." "sir--i--i don't mean--sir--the captain wishes to speak with you, sir," repeated the sailor, half inclined to believe that frank was getting crazy. this aroused the young officer to a sense of his situation; as he approached the quarter-deck, where the captain was standing, the latter said: "mr. nelson, do you intend to go ashore with that flag of truce, sir?" "i beg your pardon, sir," faltered frank, "i forgot all about that. will you have the kindness to call away the first cutter?" he continued, approaching the quarter-master, and saluting him as the officer of the deck. "mr. nelson," shouted the captain, "what are you doing? are you crazy, sir?" "i believe i am, captain, or pretty near it," answered frank. "the charges that have been brought against me have well-nigh upset me. they are false, sir, and i don't deserve the reprimand i have received." in his next attempt to find the officer of the deck frank met with more success. while the cutter was being manned, he ran down into the steerage, and seizing a pen, hastily dashed off the following: united states steamer ticonderoga, } off cypress bend, _oct. 30, 1863_. } sir: having been reported, by the officer in command of an expedition--sent ashore this day for the purpose of dislodging a body of rebels posted behind the levee--for cowardice, disrespect to my superior officer, and for recklessly exposing my men to the fire of the rebels, and knowing, sir, that these charges are utterly groundless, i respectfully request that a court of inquiry may be convened to examine into my behavior while under the enemy's fire. i am, sir, very respectfully your obedient servant, frank nelson, _acting master's mate_. acting rear-admiral d. d. porter, u. s. n., _commanding miss. squadron_. while he was sealing the envelope the messenger boy entered and reported the cutter ready. frank ran on deck, and, after giving the communication to the captain, with a request that it might be approved and forwarded to the admiral, he sprang into the boat, and gave the order to shove off. the old boatswain's mate, who was acting as the coxswain of the cutter, had rigged up a flag of truce. as they pulled toward the shore, frank waved this above his head until he elicited a similar response from the bank; then, throwing down the flag, he seated himself in the stern sheets, and covered his face with his hands. the old mate, mistaking his emotion for sorrow at the death of so many of his men, said: "yes, it is a hard case. not a few of us are left without our chums; but we all know it wasn't your fault. there would have been more of us left if you had been allowed to have your own way." "then i did not expose you needlessly, did i, jack?" "why, bless you, no, sir. who says you did, sir?" inquired one of the crew. "but tell me one thing, jack," said frank, his face still covered with his hands, "am i a coward?" "no, sir," answered the mate, indignantly; "'cause if you was, you wouldn't have held on to them guns as long as you did, and you would not have pitched into that rebel atween the lines, as you did about a year ago, at this very place. in course you ain't no coward." this was some consolation. the men whom he commanded, and who had always cheerfully followed where he had dared to lead, thought very differently from the man who had retreated almost before the fight had commenced, and who, to screen himself, had brought those charges against one whose conduct had always been above reproach. "yes, as you say, it is a hard case, jack," said frank, uncovering his face, and glancing toward the rebels who thronged the levee. "it is a hard case, indeed, but i will come out at the top of the heap yet." "what's the matter, sir?" inquired the mate. "any one been wrongin' you, sir? he'd better not show his ugly figure-head when what's left of the first division has shore liberty. we'll douse his top-lights for him." by this time the cutter had reached the shore, and frank, taking the flag of truce, sprang out, and walked up the bank to where a group of officers was standing. "wal, yank, what do you want now?" inquired a man dressed in the uniform of a colonel. how frank started when he heard that voice. could he be mistaken? he had certainly heard it before, and he remembered the time when it had given an order which still rang in his ears: "stiles, you stay here until this man dies." he looked at the men, some of whom were lying on the ground about the levee, and others standing at a little distance, waiting to hear what was going to be the result of the interview, and what had at first appeared a vague suspicion, now forced itself upon frank as a dread reality. he was in the presence of _colonel harrison and the louisiana wild-cats_. nothing but a bold front could save him, for he knew that these men paid very little respect to a flag of truce, unless it was likely to further their own interests; and if he should be recognized, his recapture was certain, and then, what would be his fate? would not summary vengeance be taken upon him, in retaliation for the manner in which he had treated the sentinel on the night of his escape, and the way he had served the man who had overtaken him in the woods? brave as frank was, and accustomed as he had become to look danger in the face, he could not but regard his situation as critical in the extreme. "what did you say your business was, yank?" inquired the colonel again. "i wish to see the commanding officer," said frank, steadily meeting the rebel's searching glance. "i wish permission to bury our dead." "well, that's a fair request," said the colonel, carelessly. "i don't know as i have any objection to it. want your prisoners also?" "yes, sir," answered frank, with a smile. "i should like to take them back to the ship with me. but you know that i have none to exchange for them." "that's what i thought. i couldn't afford to give your men back for nothing." "i didn't suppose you would. but have we your permission to come ashore and bury our dead?" inquired frank, who was anxious to bring the interview to an end. "yes," answered the colonel, "and we will leave the field in your possession. you will send that message by one of your men, for i don't think, youngster, that you can go back. if i am not very much mistaken, i've got a better right to you than any one else." "yes, colonel," shouted one of the men, "i'll be dog-gone if i didn't think he was the chap that give us the slip at shreveport." "i didn't think i could be mistaken," said the colonel. "so, youngster, just consider yourself a prisoner." "what do you mean, sir? you have no claim whatever upon me, and never had!" exclaimed frank, indignantly. "i am acting in obedience to orders, and am under the protection of this flag of truce." "very well spoken. but what do you suppose we care for that dish-rag? besides, i say we _have_ a good claim upon you, for you have never been exchanged. here, jim!" he shouted to one of his men, "put this little yank with the rest, and don't give him a chance to get away this time." the man advanced to obey the order, and when he came up to the place where frank was standing, he seized him by the hair and shook him until every tooth in his head rattled. "avast heavin' there, you land-lubber!" shouted the mate, who until this time had remained in the boat with the crew; and, springing ashore, he ran up the bank, and with one blow of his fist felled the rebel to the ground. "here we have it," said the colonel, who, instead of defending frank, seemed to consider the manner in which he was treated a good joke. "boys, secure this blue-jacket also." "no you don't, johnny!" exclaimed the mate, as one of the men sprang forward to seize him. "if you think that one of you is as good as five yankee sailors, now is your chance to try it on. it'll take more'n one of you to put the bracelets on me;" and, as he spoke, he planted another of his tremendous blows in the face of the advancing rebel, which lifted him completely off his feet. but before he had time to repeat it, he was overpowered by half a dozen rebels, who had run to the assistance of their comrade. after a hard struggle, he was secured, and his hands were bound behind his back. "now, you fellows," said the colonel, addressing himself to the men in the boat, "get back to your vessel; tell the captain how matters stand, and also that he may come ashore and bury his dead as soon as he chooses." "tell the first division," said the mate, "that the next time they go into action they must give one shot for jack waters. if you fellers don't pay for this," he continued, turning to the rebels, "then blast my to'-gallant top-lights." "tell the captain," chimed in frank, "that he had better not trust these men again, for they are not sufficiently civilized to know what a flag of truce is." "you are very complimentary, young man, to say the least," said a rebel, who was standing near the colonel. "i am telling the plain truth," answered frank, "and you will find that your barbarous mode of warfare will never succeed; and that the crew of that vessel will never allow the mean action of which you have been guilty to pass unnoticed." "douse my top-lights but that's the truth," said the mate, making an effort with his confined hands to salute his officer. "see that these prisoners are well secured," said the colonel, "and be sure and take special care of that youngster, for if you allow him the least chance, he'll escape," and the colonel turned on his heel and walked away. in obedience to these instructions, frank and the mate were delivered into the charge of a sergeant, who at once conducted them toward the place where the prisoners which had been taken during the fight were confined under guard. as they passed along through the rebels, they were insulted at every step, and finally a man drew his ramrod out of his gun, and seizing frank by the collar, proceeded to give him a severe thrashing. frank immediately appealed to the sergeant, who, instead of offering to defend him, stood at a little distance, watching the operation, as if not at all concerned. the mate was fairly beside himself with rage, and struggled desperately to free his hands, all the while venting his anger by "dousing" his "top-lights" and "shivering" his own "timbers." the rebel continued his punishment amid the cheers of his companions, and at every stroke of his ramrod he exclaimed: "shot the best blood-hound in louisiana, did ye! stick a bayonet into young davis, won't ye!" until frank, smarting with the pain, determined to defend himself. "unhand me, you scoundrel!" he shouted; "i've had just about enough of this." turning fiercely upon his persecutor, he snatched the ramrod from his hand, and commenced laying it over his head and shoulders. the rebel, after trying in vain to defend himself, retreated precipitately, amid the jeers of his comrades, and shouts of derision from the mate. the sergeant here thought it time to interfere, and frank and the mate were not again molested. chapter vi. an old acquaintance. they found that the rebels had captured nearly twenty of their men, several of them badly wounded, and, as there was no surgeon with the enemy, the poor fellows were suffering intensely. frank shuddered when he thought of the inhuman treatment to which his wounded companions had been subjected by the very men in whose power they now were, on the march from vicksburg to shreveport; and he knew, from the scenes through which he had just passed, that the wild-cats had not grown more lenient in their treatment of those who were so unfortunate as to fall into their power. as soon as they were placed under guard, jack's hands were unbound, and he seated himself on the ground beside his officer, in no very amiable mood. "it isn't for myself that i care, sir," said he; "but i am afraid that the treatment you will receive will be a heap worse nor keel-haulin' on a cold winter's mornin'." "don't talk so loud, jack," whispered frank, glancing toward the guard, who was walking his beat but a short distance from them. "i've been in just such scrapes as this before, and i'm not going to be strung up. if they give me the least chance for life, i'm going to take advantage of it." "there comes a boat from the ship, sir," said the mate. "if we could only give them the slip now." "no, sit still; we are watched too closely; wait until to-night." in a short time the cutter reached the shore, and an officer, whom they recognized as the gunner, sprang out with a flag of truce in his hand. he walked straight up to colonel harrison. after a short conversation with that individual, he handed him a letter, and, accompanied by a rebel officer, approached the place where frank was sitting. "well, old fellow," he said, as he came up, "i'm sorry to see you in this fix. but i've got good news for you. the colonel has given me permission to inform you that you will be well treated as long as you remain a prisoner. you see, we happen to have a prisoner who belongs to this regiment on board the flag-ship, and the captain is going to ask the admiral to exchange him for you. so keep a stiff upper lip. don't think of trying to escape, and we shall see you on board of the ship again in less than a week. good-by." frank and the mate shook hands with the gunner, who walked back to the place where he had left his men, and set them to work collecting and burying the dead. after considerable trouble, an agreement was entered into between captain wilson and the colonel, and all the prisoners, with the exception of frank and the mate, were paroled and allowed to return on board the vessel, after which the wild-cats mounted their horses and commenced marching back into the country. while the fight had been raging, their horses were safely hidden in the woods, out of range of the ticonderoga's guns; and when they were brought out, frank, although he had not seen either a dead or wounded rebel, was able to judge pretty accurately of the number that had been disabled in the struggle, by counting the empty saddles. what had been done with the dead and wounded he could not ascertain; but the probability was, that the latter had been carried on in advance of the main body of the regiment, and the former hastily buried on the field. the prisoners were each given a horse, and frank was a good deal surprised to find that although the mate was closely watched, scarcely any attention was paid to himself; his captors, no doubt, thinking that he would prefer waiting to be exchanged, rather than run the risk of the punishment that had been threatened in case he was detected in any attempt at escape. he was given to understand that it was useless to think of flight, for he would certainly be recaptured, even if he succeeded in getting outside of the pickets, and that he would be shot down without mercy. but frank, who well knew that the rebels would not willingly lose an opportunity of regaining one of their officers, was not at all intimidated by these threats; and, as he had not bound himself to remain a passive prisoner, he commenced laying his plans for escape, intending to put them into operation at the very first opportunity which offered. just before dark the column halted in front of a plantation, and commenced making its camp on each side of the road. while the men were making their preparations for the night, the colonel, who evidently preferred more comfortable quarters than could be found in the open air, repaired to the house, where he was cordially greeted by its inmates. frank and the mate lay down on the ground by the side of the road, and were talking over the incidents of the day, when a dashing young lieutenant stepped up, and inquired: "yanks, don't you want something to eat? come into our mess; we want to talk to you. i'll hold myself responsible for their safe return," he continued, turning to the guard. this individual, after a few moments' consideration, concluded that the "yanks could pass," and the prisoners followed the lieutenant to the place where the members of the mess to which he belonged were seated on the ground, eating their suppers. "sit down, yanks, at the very first good place you can find," said their host. "our chairs have been sent on board one of your gun-boats to be repaired, and the sofa hasn't come in yet. do you ever have as good a supper as this on board your men-o'-war?" "o yes," replied frank, glancing at the different dishes that were scattered about over the ground, which contained corn-bread just raked out from the ashes, salt pork, onions, and boiled chicken, the latter evidently the fruits of a raid on some well-stocked hen-roost. "o yes, we live very well on board our boats. there is nothing to hinder us, if we have a caterer worth a cent." "where do you get your grub?" asked the lieutenant. "we steal every thing along the shore that we can lay our hands on, just to keep it away from you, and there are no provisions at the north." "well, you need not believe any such story as that," answered frank, who could not help laughing outright at the idea of the people at the north having no provisions to spare. "i never knew a gun-boat to be short of rations, except down the yazoo pass." "well, then, some of our folks tell what is not the truth," said one of the officers, who had not yet spoken. "but, to change the subject, how many men did you lose in the action to-day?" "i am not able to tell," replied frank. "i see that you have taken good care to hide your loss. i haven't seen a single wounded man since i have been with you, and i know i saw several drop during the fight." "yes, we did lose a few men," said the lieutenant; "how many, you will never know. but, to change the subject again, what did you come down here to fight us for?" "now, see here," said frank, setting down his plate, which had been plentifully supplied by the lieutenant, "you were kind enough to ask me here to get some supper, and i don't want to spoil a good meal by entering into a political discussion; for, if i answer your question, i shall tell you some pretty plain things, and i know you will get provoked at me." "o no, we are not as unreasonable as that," replied the man. "answer my question." "well, then," said frank, "i will make the same reply as i once did to that question in the prison at shreveport. it is this: i believe that if ever there was a lot of men in the world who need a good, sound thrashing, you rebels do." "that's the truth, sir," said jack, talking as plainly as a mouthful of salt pork would permit. "stand up for the old flag, sir." the discussion thus commenced was maintained for an hour, the rebels evincing the utmost ignorance in regard to the principles for which they were fighting; and the manner in which frank knocked their flimsy arguments right and left, and the fearlessness with which he upheld the course the government has pursued, and predicted the speedy overthrow of the rebellion, excited their respect and admiration. at length bedtime came, and, just as frank and the mate were about to be conducted back to the guard, colonel harrison, accompanied by two ladies and a strange officer, walked up. "here, yank," he exclaimed, addressing frank, "here's an old acquaintance of yours. come here." as frank obeyed the order, the strange officer advanced to meet him, and he recognized lieutenant somers. he was not at all pleased to see him, for the lieutenant, doubtless, had not forgotten the circumstances connected with his capture, and although he could not remember of ever having treated him badly, still he feared he might harbor some feelings of malice, and might see fit to take a summary revenge upon him. to his surprise, however, the rebel eagerly advanced to meet him, and, extending his hand, greeted him with: "how are you, nelson? you're in a fix, i see. i am the free man now, and you the prisoner." "yes," answered frank, "i'm in for it again. although i was captured in violation of all the rules of war, i suppose i must submit to it for awhile." the lieutenant passed nearly an hour in conversation with him, talking over all the little incidents that had happened while he was a prisoner in the hands of frank and his fellow-fugitives, and was compelled to pilot them through the country, and ended by saying: "although you were sometimes obliged to use me rather roughly, you did the best you could under the circumstances, and i shall let you see that i don't forget favors. i'll speak to the colonel, and get him to furnish you with quarters at the plantation to-night." the lieutenant then left them, and shortly afterward a corporal and his guard came up, and conducted frank and the mate to the plantation, where they were confined in a deserted negro cabin. a few blankets had been spread out on the floor to serve as a bed, and, had they been among friends, they could have passed a very comfortable night. as soon as the corporal had locked the door and retired, the mate, who had been examining their quarters, said: "i wish, sir, that lieutenant hadn't taken so much interest in you, 'cause we're in darby now, sure." "we are much better off than we would be out in the camp," answered frank. "try that window-shutter--carefully, now." the mate did as he was ordered, and, to frank's joy, reported that it was unfastened. "now," said the latter, "the next thing is to ascertain where the sentries are posted." "there's one out aft here," replied the mate, "'cause i can see him; and there's one at the gangway for'ard, 'cause i heered the corporal tell him to keep a good look-out." "we must wait until the camp is still," said frank, "and then we will make the attempt." for two long hours the prisoners sat on their rough bed--the mate, in accordance with the discipline to which he had been accustomed from boyhood, waiting for his officer to speak, and frank listening for the advent of that silence which should proclaim that the time for action had arrived. eleven o'clock came at length, when, just after the sentry's cry of "all's well," frank arose to his feet, and cautiously approaching the window, pushed open the shutter and looked out. the sentry was seated on the ground at the corner of the cabin, holding his musket across his knees, now and then stretching his arms, and yawning. jack remained seated on the bed, while frank debated long and earnestly with himself as to what course it was best to pursue. should they spring out and overpower the sentry where he sat? this could not be accomplished without a fight, for the sentry was a large, powerful-looking man, and, without doubt, possessed of great strength; besides, if a struggle did ensue, the noise would attract the attention of the guard at the other side of the cabin, who would lend prompt assistance, and, with these two men opposed to them, escape would be impossible. still, there seemed to be no other course for them to pursue, and frank had already proposed the plan to the mate, and was about to push open the shutter and make the attempt, when he noticed that the sentinel had leaned his head against the cabin, and was sleeping soundly. "jack," he whispered, "get out of this window quickly, and make the best of your way into those bushes," pointing to a thicket that stood about twenty feet from the cabin. "as soon as i see you safe, i will follow. don't make any noise now." the mate touched his cap, lingered for an instant to press frank's hand, then mounted lightly into the window, reached the ground without arousing the rebel, and, in a moment more, disappeared in the bushes. frank was about to follow when the sentry suddenly awakened, rubbed his eyes, gazed vacantly about him, and then sank back to his former position. as soon as frank felt certain that he was asleep, he again opened the shutter, descended noiselessly to the ground, and, after carefully closing the window, sprang into the bushes. "shiver my timbers, sir," whispered jack, seizing his officer's hand, "that was well done. won't the johnnies be surprised when they call all hands in the morning, and find us missin'?" but the fugitives were by no means safe, neither had their escape been accomplished. they were still inside of the lines, and might, at any moment, stumble upon a picket. but it was necessary that they should get as far away from the camp as possible before their escape became discovered, and frank, without waiting to receive the congratulations of the mate, who now looked upon their escape as a certain thing, threw himself on his hands and knees, and moved slowly across a field that extended a mile back of the cabin, and which must be crossed before they could reach the woods. their progress was slow and laborious, and it was two hours before they reached a road which ran in the direction in which they supposed the river to lie. not having seen any pickets, and now feeling quite certain that they were outside of the lines, they arose to their feet, and commenced running at the top of their speed. the road ran through a thick woods, but they had no difficulty in following it, as the moon was shining brightly. just before daylight, they arrived at the mississippi. it was a pleasant sight to their eyes, and both uttered a shout of joy when they found themselves standing on its banks. but their spirits fell again, when, on glancing up and down the river as far as their eyes could reach, they could not see a vessel of any kind in sight. they were not yet at their journey's end. there might be a gun-boat close by, hid behind one of the numerous points that stretched out into the river, or there might not be one within a hundred miles. they must not linger, however, for they were not free from pursuit until they were safe on board some vessel. sorrowfully they bent their steps down the river, listening for sounds of pursuit, and eagerly watching for signs of an approaching steamer; but the day wore away, and the fugitives, who began to feel the effects of hunger, halted, and were debating upon the means to be used in procuring food, when, to their joy, they discovered smoke around a bend, and, in half an hour, a transport, loaded with soldiers, appeared in sight. they at once commenced waving their hats, to attract the attention of those on board, who evidently saw them, but being suspicious that it was a plan of the rebels to decoy them into shore, turned off toward the opposite bank. "i should think they ought to see us," said frank, and he commenced shouting at the top of his lungs. a moment afterward a puff of smoke arose from the forecastle, and a twelve-pounder shot plowed through the water, and lodged in the bank at their very feet. it was then evident to them that they had been taken for rebels. after watching the boat until it disappeared, they again turned their faces down the river. night overtaking them without bringing any relief, the fugitives, hungry and foot-sore, lay down in the woods and slept. chapter vii. a close shave. when the morning came they bent their steps down the bank, keeping in the edge of the woods to prevent surprise, but not far enough from the river to allow any boat that might chance to pass to escape their observation. they again began to feel the fierce pangs of hunger, which they endeavored to alleviate by chewing twigs and roots. but this affording them no relief, the mate finally proposed that they should turn back into the country and ask for food at the first house they could find. recapture was preferable to starving to death. frank easily turned him from his purpose by assuring him that they would certainly be picked up during the afternoon, or on the following morning. but night came, without bringing them any relief, and the tired and hungry fugitives again lay down in the woods and slept. about noon, on the next day, they found themselves on the banks of a wide and deep ravine, that ran across their path. to climb up and down those steep banks was impossible; their wasted strength was not equal to the task. their only course was to follow the ravine back into the woods until they could find some means of crossing it. after wearily dragging themselves for two hours over fallen logs, and through thick, tangled bushes and cane-brakes that lay in their path, they emerged from the woods, and found before them a small log-hut, standing close to a bridge that spanned the ravine. hastily drawing back into the bushes, they closely examined the premises, which seemed to be deserted, with the exception of a negro, whom they saw hitching a mule to a tree at the back of the cabin. "i don't see any white men there, jack," said frank. "i think we may safely ask that negro for something to eat. i hardly think there is any danger, for, if he should attempt mischief, we could soon overpower him. what do you say? shall we go up?" "just as you say, sir," answered the mate. "but let us first get something to use as a belaying-pin, in case any body should run foul of our hawse." the fugitives procured two short clubs, and moved out of the woods toward the cabin. the negro immediately discovered them. at first, he rolled up his eyes in surprise, and acted very much as if he was about to retreat; but, after finding that the two sailors were alone, his face assumed a broad grin, which the fugitives took for a smile of welcome. when they had approached within speaking distance, frank inquired: "well, uncle, is there any chance for a hungry man to get any thing to eat in here?" "plenty ob it, massa," answered the negro. "go right in de house." the fugitives, far from suspecting any treachery, were about to comply; but frank, who was in advance, had scarcely put his foot on the threshold, when two rebel soldiers sprang out of the cabin, and one of them, seizing him by the collar, flourished a huge bowie-knife above his head and demanded his surrender. so sudden was the assault that frank, for a moment, was deprived of all power of action. but not so with the mate, who, retaining his presence of mind, swung his club about him with a dexterity truly surprising, and brought it down with all the force of his sturdy arms upon the head of the rebel, who, instantly releasing his hold, sank to the ground with a low groan. but before he could repeat the blow, three more soldiers sprang from the cabin, and, in spite of their struggles, overpowered them; not, however, until the mate had been stunned by a blow from the butt of a pistol. "wal, i'll be dog-gone!" exclaimed one of the rebels, "but this is a lucky haul of yankees. tom, get some water and throw it into the captain's face," pointing to their prostrate companion, "an' fetch him to. the rest of you, get some ropes an' tie these fellers' hands behind them." while the men were executing these orders, frank had time to scan the countenances of his captors. they evidently did not belong to the wild-cats, for, although that regiment was composed of most ferocious-looking men, they appeared like gentlemen compared with those in whose power he now found himself. these were a dirty, ragged, blood-thirsty looking set of men, and, unless their countenances belied them, they were capable of any atrocity. presently, the men who had gone into the cabin returned with some pieces of cord, with which they proceeded to confine the hands of their prisoners, who offered no resistance. by the time this was accomplished, the man whom the mate had handled so roughly had been restored to consciousness, and supported himself against the cabin to collect his thoughts, while the others stood silently by, as if awaiting his orders. "get every thing ready," he said, at length, "and let the job be done at once. it needs no judge or jury to decide the fate of these men, knowing, as we do, what has befallen those of our number who were so unfortunate as to fall into the hands of the federals." the rebels, in obedience to the order, brought out of the cabin two pieces of rope, which they took to a tree that stood close by, and, coiling them up in their hands, threw one end over a limb that stretched out about six feet from the ground, and fastened them there. "douse my top-lights," exclaimed the mate, as he witnessed these proceedings, "but it is all up with us, sir. they're going to swing us to the yard-arm." the horrid truth was too apparent, and frank was so completely unnerved that he was compelled to lean against the cabin for support. he was soon aroused by the voice of the leader of the rebels, who said: "this is to be done in retaliation for an order issued by admiral porter, stating that he would hang all 'guerrillas,' as he termed them, who might be caught firing into transports along the river. you can see the effect of that order right here. out of a company of a hundred of us who entered the army at the commencement of the war, you see all that are left. the remainder have been killed or captured by you gun-boat men. those captured have suffered the penalty of that order. they were no more guerrillas, however, than you are, but were regularly sworn into the service, and were detailed to harass the enemy in every possible manner; and, for obeying our orders, some of us have been strung up like dogs. we shall continue to retaliate on you until our government receives notice that the order has been countermanded. i will give you an hour, and at the end of that time you must swing." "if you must execute us," said frank, in a husky voice, "why not let us die like men, and not like criminals?" "my men would have preferred to be shot," said the rebel, "but were not allowed the privilege of choosing." so saying, the captain turned on his heel and walked away, while frank seated himself on the threshold of the cabin, and repeated his sentence with a calmness that made him think his senses were leaving him. could it be possible that he had heard aright, and that he was in reality a condemned man? when he had entered the service, the thought that he should be killed had never once occurred to him. he had fully and confidently expected that he would be permitted to live to see the end of the war, and to return home to enjoy the society of his friends once more. could it be possible, then, that, after indulging in such bright anticipations, he must end his life in that desolate place, away from home and friends, in so terrible a manner? he could not convince himself that it was a reality. but there was the tree, with the ropes, and the fatal noose at the end, dangling from the limb; and there were those blood-thirsty looking men lounging in the shade, and only waiting until the hour granted by their leader should expire to begin their horrid work. o, the agony of that moment, when he could look forward and count the very seconds he had to live! an hour! how often and how lightly had he spoken of it! for an hour in the life of one moving about at freedom in the world, not knowing when death will come, and, as is too often the case, scarcely giving the matter a moment's thought, is a space of time of very little importance; is carelessly spoken of, and, when passed, no notice is taken of its flight. but an hour to a person condemned to die, who has heard his sentence, and who is bound, and watched over by armed men, that he may not escape from that sentence; who is in the full possession of all his faculties; who can look abroad upon the beauties of nature, and feel the soft breeze of heaven fanning his cheek, but who knows that, at the end of that time, he will be deprived of all these faculties; that his life will be suddenly and terribly terminated--in the case of such a person, who can describe the thoughts that "make up the sum of his heart's fevered existence?" it seemed to frank that scarcely five minutes of the allotted time had passed, when the leader of the guerrillas arose from the ground where he had been sitting. the signal was understood by his men, two of whom approached the prisoners, and conducted them toward the scaffold. the mate had been encouraged by the example set him by his officer, and both walked with firm steps; their faces, although pale as death itself, being as expressionless as marble, and bearing not the slightest trace of the struggle that was going on within them. without the least hesitation they took their stand on a log under the tree, and the fatal ropes were adjusted. their farewells had been said, and the leader of the rebels had made a signal for the log to be removed from under their feet, when suddenly there was a sound of approaching horsemen, and the next moment a party of the wild-cats galloped up, headed by colonel harrison and lieutenant somers. a few harshly-spoken orders rung in frank's ears; he saw the leader of the guerrillas fall, pierced by a dozen bullets, and then all was blank to him. * * * * * let us now return to the wild-cats, whom frank and the mate had so unceremoniously deserted. the escape was not discovered until morning, when the orderly sergeant went to the cabin to call them. it was scarcely daylight, and quite dark inside of the cabin, and as the sergeant opened the door, he vociferated: "come, yanks! get out of this and get your grub!" the echo of his own voice was the only reply he received. after waiting a moment, he repeated the summons in a louder tone, and still received no answer. "i'll be dog-gone if them ar yanks don't sleep at the rate of more'n forty miles an hour," said the sergeant to himself, as he entered the cabin and commenced feeling around in the dark to find his prisoners. "come now, yanks!" he exclaimed, "none of your tricks. i know you heered me. get up, i say, and get your grub, for it is high time we were movin'." still no answer. the rebel finally threw open the window-shutter, and by the straggling rays of light that came in, he found, to his utter amazement, that his prisoners were gone. with one bound he reached the open air, and without paying any attention to the inquiries of the guard as to what was the cause of his strange behavior, he started for the house, where he hurriedly asked for the colonel. "what's the matter now, sergeant?" inquired that gentleman, appearing at the door with his boots in his hand. "the prisoners, sir," began the sergeant---"well, what's the trouble with them?" asked the colonel, who was very far from guessing the facts of the case. "won't the lazy yankees get up? punch 'em with your bayonet a little if they get unruly; that will put life into them, and keep them civil at the same time." "i could manage them easy enough, sir, if they were here," answered the sergeant; "but, sir, they"---"if they were _here_," repeated the colonel, who now began to suspect the truth. "if they were here! have you allowed them to escape?" "no, sir, we didn't _let_ them; they went without asking us!" "a plague on you lazy scoundrels," shouted the colonel, in a rage. "let loose that blood-hound at once, and pursue them. no; stop! tell the officer of the day that i want to see him." the sergeant started off to execute the order; and the colonel, after pulling on his boots, entered the house, where lieutenant somers and the people of the plantation were assembled, awaiting breakfast. "what's the matter, colonel?" inquired the lieutenant. "any thing wrong?" "don't bother me with your foolish questions now," replied the colonel roughly, pacing up and down the floor with angry strides. "it's enough to upset any one's patience. that little yankee has escaped again." "escaped!" repeated all in the room, holding up their hands in astonishment. "yes; escaped--gone--mizzled--cleared out," said the colonel, frantically flourishing his arms above his head; "and unless i catch him, which i don't expect to do, i'm short a captain, for he was to have been exchanged for one of my officers." at this moment the officer of the day entered, and the colonel, turning to him, continued: "that rascally little yankee has escaped again. i thought i had him safe this time, but he has succeeded in giving me the slip when i least expected it. that sailor that we captured with him has gone too. send a squad in pursuit of them at once. use the blood-hound, but hold him in the leash, and don't injure either of the prisoners if you can avoid it." the officer bowed, and left the room; and the colonel, after giving orders that the case should be investigated, in order to see who was to blame in allowing the prisoners to escape, mounted his horse, and, accompanied by lieutenant somers, set out in pursuit of the squad, which had already started and was following the trail of the fugitives, led by a large blood-hound, which was kept in check by a chain held by one of the men. in a couple of hours they arrived at the place where frank and the mate had been fired upon by the steamer, and here the trail was lost. after several hours spent in unavailing search, the squad separated, and, for two days, scoured the country every-where, looking in vain for traces of the fugitives. at the end of that time, the colonel, completely disheartened, collected his forces, and was returning to the plantation, when they were met by a negro, in a great state of excitement, who anxiously inquired for the commanding officer. "get away from me, boy," shouted the colonel, impatiently, "and don't bother me now." "but, sar," persisted the negro, "massa thorne done kotched two white gemman, an' be gwine to kill 'em, shore." "bill thorne in this part of the country again!" said the colonel. "he'd better keep clear of me. he and his pack of horse-thieves are more injury to us than a yankee gun-boat;" and the colonel, without waiting to hear any more, put spurs to his horse, and galloped off. "these two white men he caught," said lieutenant somers, "what were they? yankees?" the negro replied in the affirmative, and then proceeded to give a full and complete description of the prisoners, so that the lieutenant knew in a moment that they were frank and the mate. after questioning him as to the locality where the execution was to take place, he galloped down the road, and soon overtook the colonel, to whom he related the circumstance. the latter at once ordered part of his men to follow him, (directing the others to keep on the trail, so that, in case the negro was misleading them, no time would be lost.) as we have seen, he arrived just in time to save his prisoners; one moment more, and he would have been too late. the guerrillas were so completely surprised at the approach of the cavalry, and so dismayed at the death of their leader, that they did not think of retreat until it was too late. the wild-cats had surrounded them, and the sight of half a dozen revolvers leveled at their heads caused them to throw down their weapons and cry for quarter. chapter viii. taking down the captain. when frank's consciousness returned, he found himself lying on the floor of the cabin, where the fight had taken place which resulted in his capture by the guerrillas, his head supported by a dirty blanket, rolled up to serve as a pillow, and the mate sitting on a three-legged chair beside him. through the open door could be seen a squad of the wild-cats, lounging under the shade of the trees. slowly the recollection of the scenes through which he had passed, the sentence he had heard pronounced, the preparations he had seen made for his execution, came to his mind, and he instinctively put his hand to his throat, as if expecting to find it encircled by the fatal rope. "are you on an even keel now, my hearty?" asked the mate. "where are the guerrillas, jack?" asked frank. "are we safe?" "o yes, we're safe from them, but we are still prisoners." at this moment a shaggy head, nearly covered up with a slouch hat, was thrust in at the door, and a voice inquired: "are you all right now, yank? if you are, come out here, for we must be off." frank, although very weak, was able, with the assistance of the mate, to walk out of the cabin, where they found several of the rebels mounted, and waiting for them. they were each given a horse, after which the wild-cats closed about their prisoners, as if to put all further attempts at escape out of the question, and conducted them down the road at a rapid gallop. as soon as frank's ideas had fairly returned, he began to make inquiries in regard to the singular manner in which he and the mate had been rescued, and learned that the men by whom they had been captured were guerrillas, in spite of what they had said to the contrary; that they made war on rebel as well as union people, and being especially obnoxious to colonel harrison--from whom they had stolen several horses--they had been summarily disposed of. at first frank could scarcely credit the statement that they had been rescued through the agency of the very negro to whom they owed their capture; but, after being assured that such was the case, it occurred to them that their approach had first been discovered by the rebels in the cabin, and that the negro, to save his own life, had acted in obedience to their orders; and then, to make amends for what had at first appeared to be an act of treachery, he had conveyed the news of their capture to colonel harrison. as soon as they had fairly started, the orderly sergeant galloped up beside frank, and inquired: "yank, how did you get out of that cabin that night? nobody don't seem to know nothing about it." "i have already told him, sir," said the mate, "that we walked by the sentinel when he was asleep; but he don't believe it." frank then proceeded to give an account of the manner in which their escape had been effected, and as it corresponded with the mate's story, the sergeant was compelled to believe it. "purty well done," said he. "but, mind you, don't go to tryin' it on agin, 'cause, if you do, it's the colonel's orders that you both go in double irons." having delivered this piece of information, the sergeant rode up to the head of the column. the prisoners did not again attempt to escape, for they knew that it would be an impossibility. they were closely watched, not a single movement escaping observation. wherever they went, two stalwart rebels were at their heels; and when they slept, their guards stood over them with loaded muskets. that same evening they overtook the main body of the regiment, and on the sixth day after their rescue from the guerrillas, they arrived opposite the village of napoleon, where the exchange was to take place. the ticonderoga was not there, but two days afterward she made her appearance; and, as soon as she had dropped her anchor, a boat was seen approaching the shore with a flag of truce flying in the bow. the colonel waved his handkerchief in reply. as the boat drew near, frank saw two men in rebel uniform seated in the stern-sheets, and he knew, from the remarks made by the wild-cats, that one of them was the officer for whom he was to be exchanged. as soon as the boat touched the shore, the executive officer sprang out, followed by the two rebels. after a moment's conversation with the colonel, the former advanced toward frank and the mate, and, after greeting them cordially, exclaimed: "come aboard the ship, boys; you belong to uncle sam once more." the mate could scarcely believe that he, too, was exchanged. he had expected nothing less than a long confinement in vicksburg, or perhaps a march to shreveport; but, as it happened, the captain of the ticonderoga had found a rebel soldier on board the flag-ship, and had obtained permission from the admiral to exchange him for the mate. "yes, yanks," said the colonel, "you are at liberty to make yourselves scarce as soon as you choose." the prisoners lingered only to shake hands with lieutenant somers, who had treated them very kindly, and had often found means to procure them many little privileges and comforts, and then ran down the bank and sprang into the boat, which at once pushed from the shore and started toward the ticonderoga. as frank came over the side, the officers crowded around him, asking innumerable questions in relation to the treatment he had received while in the hands of the rebels; but he was scarcely allowed time to answer one-half of their inquiries before he was summoned into the presence of the captain. that gentleman greeted him in the most cordial manner, requesting him to be seated and relate his adventures. frank gave a minute description of the manner in which he had transacted the business intrusted to him with the flag of truce, his recapture by the wild-cats, and the circumstances that had led to the retention of the boatswain's mate; recounted the plans he had laid for their escape, their reception by the guerrillas, and, finally, the rescue from a horrible death, to all of which the captain listened attentively. after frank had finished, the captain said: "it is, of course, needless to say that i am overjoyed to see you safe on board the ship again, mr. nelson, and that you have returned none the worse for your sojourn among the rebels. i am especially glad, because i wish to make you an explanation. you have been misrepresented to me, and i was very hasty in reprimanding you as i did on the day that you behaved so gallantly in the fight at cypress bend. it was on account of the report of mr. howe, who assumed command of the expedition after the captain had been killed. his report showed that we had been severely whipped; and when i learned what a slaughter there had been of the men i placed under your command, and which i find, upon inquiry, was caused by the ignorance of your superior officer, and not by any fault of your own--i say, when i heard of this, i was so completely disheartened that i scarcely knew what i was about. it was the first time that ever an expedition that i had planned failed, and also the first time in my life that i ever gave the order to retreat; and as i had every reason to hope for success, you can have some idea of how i felt. after you had gone, many facts came to light, of which no mention was made in mr. howe's report, and with which i was, of course, unacquainted, and i find that i have done you a great injustice. if ever a man earned a shoulder-strap, you did at that fight. i have, however, sent in your application for a court of inquiry, and have also represented the case to the admiral. as soon as we arrive at the flag-ship, you will report to him, and he will investigate the case." frank, as can easily be imagined, listened to this statement with a much lighter heart than when he had received that unjust reprimand. after the captain had finished questioning him in relation to incidents that had transpired during his captivity, he left the cabin, and went forward into the steerage, where he found his mess just sitting down to dinner. "well, frank," exclaimed keys, as the former entered and took his place at the table, "was the captain glad to see you?" "yes, he appeared to be," replied frank. "i thought as much. he has been as uneasy as a fish out of water ever since you were captured. he told the executive officer that if there was any thing he had ever done that he regretted, it was that he had given you that blowing up. he said that he had no right to talk to you as he did, and that he would make amends for it at the very first opportunity." "did he?" inquired mr. french, eagerly. "i was certain that the navy regulations state distinctly that the captain of a vessel has no right to reprimand an officer, and that, if he does do it, he can be made to apologize. he once gave me a blowing up, and said that i was of no more account on this ship than an extra boiler; and, if he has apologized to mr. nelson, he must do the same by me. i'll go and see him immediately after dinner." the effect of this speech on the older members of the mess can be easily imagined. they looked at mr. french for a moment, to see if he was really in earnest, and then burst into a fit of the most uproarious laughter. the idea of forcing the captain of a gun-boat to apologize to one of his subordinate officers for administering a reprimand that he really deserved, was ludicrous in the extreme. mr. keys was the only one who could keep a straight face. he, with his ready wit, at once saw that here was a capital chance to satisfy his love of mischief. he dropped his knife and fork, looked first at one, then at another, and, when the noise had subsided, said, quietly: "i don't see where the laugh comes in. perhaps some of you gentlemen think that an officer has no right to demand an apology from a superior! then i can tell you that you are very much mistaken, for i have got the whole thing in black and white, copied from the navy regulations; and, if i was in mr. french's place, i would make the captain take back what he said, or i would report him." we must pause here, for a moment, to say that the result of mr. french's interview with the captain, when the former had complained that his rank was not respected, had become known. mr. keys, who had overheard every word of it, and who was one of those uneasy, mischief-loving fellows who always liked to see some one in hot water, considered the joke as too good to be kept, and had told it, confidentially of course, first to this officer, then to that one, until every person on board the ship had become acquainted with the particulars; and thus far mr. french had been compelled to bear the jokes of his messmates without any chance of obtaining redress. however, he had discovered it at last. the captain had apologized to frank, and he must do the same by him, if he wished to keep out of trouble. he was certain that he should succeed this time, for he knew that keys had been in the service long enough to become well acquainted with its rules and regulations, and there was such apparent truthfulness and sincerity in what he said, that mr. french was certain of bringing the captain to terms. "yes, sir," repeated keys; "if my superior officer abuses me, i shall seek redress. because a man wears three or four stripes of gold lace around his arms, he has no right to impose upon me." "i shall see the captain about it as soon as i have finished my dinner," said mr. french, decidedly. "you had better let that job out," said the caterer, who, being a very quiet, staid sort of a person, did not wish to see any disturbance. "you will remember that you got a blowing up once for not taking my advice. i have been in the navy longer than you, and you had better listen to me." "i know that you have more experience than myself," answered french; "but that experience doesn't tell you that a captain can use me as he pleases. i have rank as well as he has. besides, you see, i have the advantage this time." "yes, sir," chimed in keys, winking at frank, who struggled hard to suppress a laugh, "and, if you will only push the matter, you will see some fun on this ship." here the subject was dropped. immediately after dinner was finished, as usual, the officers all congregated under the awning on the main-deck. mr. french walked up and down the deck, conversing earnestly with his two friends, who, entirely ignorant of what might be the consequences of such a step, were urging him to seek an interview with the captain, to demand an apology, which would certainly be given, and would show the ship's company that they _had_ rank, and that it must be respected. frank had for some time missed keys, and was wondering what had become of him, when he discovered that individual on his hands and knees behind the pilot-house, beckoning eagerly. frank walked toward him carelessly, so as not to attract the attention of mr. french and his friends, and, as he came up, keys said, in a hurried whisper: "see here, nelson; you know i told french that i had the rules and regulations all copied down in my order-book. now, it has just occurred to me that he might want to see them; so i want to write something to show him. i can't get to my room without his seeing me, so i wish you would lend me your key." frank accordingly produced it; but his conscience reproved him when he thought in what an unpleasant position his friend was endeavoring to place mr. french. "look here, keys," said he, "i propose that you don't carry this joke any further. it will get the poor greenhorn in a bad fix." "i can't help it," returned keys. "i have often volunteered to give him advice, and have tried to convince him that if he ever wants to understand his business he must make use of somebody's experience besides his own. but he has always snapped me up very short. now, if he wants to learn by experience, i'll help him all i can." so saying, keys crawled off on his hands and knees toward frank's room, where he locked himself in, and the latter returned to the main-deck. about an hour afterward keys made his appearance, walking rapidly across the deck, as if searching for something that he was in a great hurry to find, and thus attracted the attention of mr. french and his two friends, who took him familiarly by the arm and led him forward, out of ear-shot of the other officers, who were still seated on the main-deck. "see here, keys," said french, "i understood you to say that you had the regulations in relation to the treatment of subordinate officers, copied in your order-book. will you allow me to look at them?" "ah, yes," said keys, "i remember. here's something that relates to it;" and he produced his memorandum-book, and pointed to an article hastily written in lead pencil, which ran as follows: "_and be it further enacted_: that, as in the maintenance of his authority over his officers on shipboard, it is rendered necessary that the commanding officer should, in all cases, treat his subordinates as gentlemen, all harsh words from a commanding officer to an officer of lower grade are hereby strictly prohibited; and in all cases where the commander is guilty of a violation of this act, the person aggrieved shall be, and is hereby, authorized to seek redress." "there, gentlemen," exclaimed mr. french, after he had carefully read the article, "is an act of the american congress, which authorizes me to seek redress. all harsh words in the navy are strictly forbidden; and if the captain does not apologize for what he said to me, i'll report him." "you will please excuse me, gentlemen, for the present," said keys, who was finding it exceedingly difficult to control himself. "the turret must be got ready for inspection at sundown;" and, thrusting the book in his pocket, he walked rapidly below. mr. french immediately moved aft, and, drawing himself up very stiffly, said to the orderly: "tell the captain that i have business with him." the marine disappeared, and soon returned with a request that he would walk into the cabin. the captain was seated at his table, writing; but, as the mate entered, he dropped his pen, turned in his chair, and waited for him to make known his wants. "captain," began mr. french, hesitatingly, for he scarcely knew how to commence the conversation, "i--i--i--have been reading the navy regulations, and i find that i have been abused." "who has abused you, sir?" "well, you see, sir," began the mate---"i asked you who had been abusing you, sir," interrupted the captain. "answer my question, and make your explanations afterward." "well, sir, to come to the point, you have abused me, sir." the captain started back in surprise, and looked at the mate for several moments, as if to make sure that he was in his right mind, and then quietly asked: "how have i abused you, sir?" "in reprimanding me, sir. the navy regulations distinctly state that a commanding officer has no right to use harsh words to his subordinates; and i demand an apology." "can you furnish me with a copy of those regulations?" "yes, sir; mr. keys has them," replied the mate; and he left the cabin, and commenced searching for that individual. we should remark that mr. keys was pretty well aware that he would be likely to get himself into hot water. wishing to delay the interview between himself and the captain as long as possible, he had retreated to the hold, where he appeared to be very busily engaged; but, as soon as mr. french made known his errand, he readily produced his book, glad indeed that he was to be let off without seeing the captain. the mate carried it into the cabin. the captain read over the article several times, and then arose from his seat, and, going to one of the after-ports, appeared to be busily engaged with his own thoughts. mr. french stood watching him with a smile of triumph, certain that the captain had been worsted, and that he would soon receive the required apology; but, had he been a keen observer, he would have seen that the captain was convulsed with laughter, which he was vainly endeavoring to conceal. he easily saw through the trick, and it reminded him of the days when he was a midshipman, and had been implicated in similar jokes. "mr. french," said he, at length, "you may retire for a few moments. i will send for you presently. orderly, tell mr. keys that i wish to see him." chapter ix. a practical joke. mr. keys, who began to be really afraid that the plan he had adopted for assisting his green messmate to "learn by experience" was about to rebound with redoubled force on his own head, was found by the orderly in earnest conversation with frank, to whom he always went for advice. "it's getting hot, nelson," said he. "what shall i do? i'm in for my share of the rations this time, sure." "make a clean breast of it," replied frank. "you will only get yourself in trouble if you do not, for the captain knows exactly how the matter stands." the mate had already determined to make a full confession; but, nevertheless, his feelings, as he entered the cabin, were not of the most pleasant nature. his reception, however, was far different from what he had expected. the captain, as we have seen, was one of the most reasonable men in the world, if approached in the proper manner, and if he saw that an officer endeavored to do his duty, he was very patient with him; if he found that a reprimand was necessary, it was administered in the most friendly manner; but if he once took it into his head that an officer had willfully, or through negligence, omitted a portion of his duty, then, as the ship's company used to remark, it was "stand from under." mr. keys was a great favorite with the captain, as he was with all his brother officers, who admired his dashing style and his good-natured disposition. he was never idle, but was always hurrying about the ship, as if the well-being of every person on board depended upon himself, and, as a consequence, his duty was always done, and the deck of which he had charge was kept in the nicest order. as he entered the cabin the captain greeted him with a smile. pointing to a chair, he inquired, as he commenced turning over the leaves of the memorandum-book: "mr. keys, is this some of your work?" "yes, sir," answered the mate. "well, what in the world possessed you to hoodwink mr. french in this manner?" "because, sir, he has often informed me, when i have undertaken to instruct him, that he wishes to learn every thing by experience, sir. i have been assisting him." "do you think he has improved any with your help?" "yes, sir; he has learned that his authority in the mess-room is not equal to that of the caterer." "well, i thought you had a hand in that affair," said the captain, "and now i wish to give you a piece of advice. i, myself, have often been in such scrapes as this, and have been brought up with a round turn. this reminds me of a little incident that happened while i was a midshipman on the colorado. the story has grown old by this time, but it will be considered a good one as long as the navy shall exist. there were eight of us in the mess, and while we were lying at the navy-yard we had nothing to do but to play tricks upon each other, and upon every one who came in our way. our ship was commanded by a commodore who never bothered his head about us so long as we remained within bounds. as is always the case, we abused our privileges, grow's bolder by degrees, until finally the commodore taught us a lesson that we never forgot. "one pleasant afternoon, as we were lounging about the decks, waiting for something to turn up, we saw a green-looking specimen of humanity come over the side, and, in an instant, were on the alert. he, probably, had never been on board of a man-o'-war before, for he stared with open mouth at every thing he saw. here was a chance for us, and as soon as the officer of the deck had walked aft, out of sight, we collared the countryman, and led him back to our mess-room. "'by gum, but you have got every thing nice here,' said he. 'i'd like this better than workin' on a farm.' "'ah, you ought to go up in the commodore's cabin if you want to see something nice,' said a midshipman, who was our leader in all sorts of mischief. 'but, look here, my friend, if you wish to remain with us, you must have on a uniform. no civilians are allowed to stay here.' "we all took this as a hint, and commenced rigging the yankee out in our clothes. one furnished him with a coat, another a pair of pants, another a cap, and i gave him a sword that had just been presented to me. "'now,' said our leader, 'do you want a good dinner--one of the very best?' "'sartin,' replied the countryman. 'got any?' "'no; but the commodore has, and it is just about his dinner time.' "we then explained to him that he must go up to the cabin and tell the commodore that he had just been ordered to the ship; and, in accordance with his usual custom, the old gentleman would be certain to invite him to dinner. "'he is very cross sometimes,' said we, 'but don't be at all afraid of him--he doesn't mean any thing. talk to him as though he was your father.' "'by gum, i kin do that,' said the yankee, and off he walked, while we took up a position where we could hear and see all that passed. "the commodore was seated at his desk, writing, and the countryman at once walked up to him, slapped him familiarly on the shoulder, and shouted: "'hullo, ole hoss! how de do? shake hands with a feller, won't ye?' "the commodore looked up in surprise, and ejaculated: "'eh! what do you want here? get out of this. away you go.' "'o no, ole hoss, not by a long shot,' replied the yankee, coolly seating himself in the nearest chair. 'them ar young fellers down stairs told me to come up here and git some dinner; and, by gravy, i ain't goin' till i git it; so fetch it on.' "of course, it was as plain as daylight to the commodore that we were at the bottom of the whole affair, for the countryman never would have had the audacity to act in such a manner, unless some one had put him up to it, and he determined to punish us in a manner that we had not thought of. "'look here, my man,' said he, 'do you see that soldier out there?' pointing to a marine that was pacing back and forth before the gangway. 'well, he has got a loaded musket, and unless you get off this ship instantly, he will shoot you. now, away you go, you land-lubber, and don't stop to talk to any body.' "we saw our victim moving off, and were convulsed with laughter at what we considered to be the best joke we had ever perpetrated. we supposed, of course, that he would return with our clothes, but you can imagine our astonishment when we saw him walk down the gang-plank and out on to the wharf. we held a hurried consultation, and then i started for the cabin, and, making my best bow, asked permission to step ashore for a moment. "'no, sir,' replied the commodore; 'no shore liberty is to be granted to-day.' "in short, we all lost our clothing--every thing that we had loaned the countryman--and a more crest-fallen set of midshipmen one never saw. we endeavored to keep the affair a secret, but the commodore told it to the first lieutenant, and from him it soon spread, until the entire ship's company were acquainted with the particulars. we were very careful after that, and never undertook to play any more jokes on the commodore. there are many things objectionable in this custom--for i can call it nothing else--which is so general among young officers, of playing off tricks upon each other; and your jokes are getting a little too practical. if you must indulge in them, i wish you would endeavor to keep them out of the cabin, for i don't like to be bothered. that will do, sir." mr. keys retired, highly pleased with the result of his interview with the captain, and went straight to frank, to whom he related every thing, and showed him the sham "regulation" in his memorandum-book, which had been the cause of so much merriment. mr. french was soon afterward seen to emerge from the cabin, where he had listened to a lengthy lecture, containing advice which, if followed, would in future prevent all difficulty. of course, all the officers were soon made acquainted with the affair, and many were the inquiries, in mr. french's hearing, as to what kind of an apology the captain had made. it is needless to say that he was fully convinced that "experience is a hard taskmaster," and that it is well enough, especially on shipboard, to take advice. a few days after the events which we have just been relating transpired, the ticonderoga arrived at yazoo river. in obedience to his orders, frank reported on board the flag-ship. owing to a press of business, it was nearly a week before the court of inquiry was convened. scarcely an hour was passed in the examination of the witnesses, during which time the main facts of the case were developed, frank completely vindicated, and mr. howe, who had reported him, was sent on board of ship in disgrace. the same evening the former received his promotion as acting ensign, accompanied by orders to report on board of the trenton for duty. "i am very glad, for your sake, mr. nelson," said the captain, "to be able to give you this promotion, but very sorry for my own. i regret exceedingly that you are detached from this vessel, but it is something over which i have no control. i am perfectly satisfied with your conduct since you have been with me. if you will attend to your duties in future as well as you have since you have been here, i will answer for your rapid advancement." chapter x. new messmates. the next morning, immediately after quarters, the second cutter was called away; and frank, after seeing his luggage safely stowed away in her, shook hands with his brother officers, who had gathered on the quarter-deck to see him off, and started toward his new vessel. the cutter had made, perhaps, a dozen yards from the ticonderoga, when frank observed a commotion among the crew assembled on the main-deck, and the old mate, mounting one of the boat-davits, shouted: "three cheers for mr. nelson!" the cheers were given with a will, and frank answered them by taking off his cap. it was one of the happiest moments of his life. he knew that while attached to the ticonderoga he had endeavored to do his whole duty. the shoulder-straps which he wore showed that his services had been appreciated by the captain, and the hearty expression of good feeling which had just been exhibited by the men, afforded abundant proof that he had left no enemies among them. when he arrived alongside of the rover, he found the officer of the deck, boatswain's mate, and side-boys standing on the after-guard, and frank was "piped over the side" with all the ceremony due his rank. it made him feel a little embarrassed at first, for never before had so much respect been shown him. but he knew that he had won the uniform he wore by hard knocks, and was more entitled to this honor than those who sported ensign's shoulder-straps which had been obtained, not by any skill or bravery of their own, but by the influence of friends at home. frank made known his business, and was immediately shown down into the cabin. the captain, who had often met him on board of the ticonderoga, and who had heard of his exploits, greeted him cordially, and was glad to learn that he had received such an acquisition to his crew. when he had endorsed frank's orders, he sent for the chief engineer, to whom he introduced him, with a request that he might be made acquainted with the other officers of his mess; after which frank was shown to his room, whither his luggage was soon conveyed. just before supper he was introduced to the officers belonging to the ward-room mess; but when he had seated himself at the table, and listened a few moments to the conversation that followed, he found that some of his new messmates went by names very different from those by which they had been introduced. one of the ensigns, whose name was andrews, was known as count timbertoes, from the very dignified manner in which he always conducted himself, and from his wooden-leg style of progression. the executive officer, whose name was short, answered to its opposite--long; and sometimes, behind his back, he was called "windy." frank was not long in discovering why it was that such a name had been given him, for he was certainly the most talkative man he had ever met; and when asked the most simple question, instead of answering it by a plain yes or no, he would "beat about the bush," and deliver a regular oration on the subject. he had a great command of language, and seemed desirous of making every one whom he met acquainted with the fact. the paymaster went by the name of young methuselah. he was a man about twenty-seven years of age, but the account kept by one of the engineers, who messed in the steerage, made him about two hundred and eighty years old. there was scarcely a trade or profession in the world that, according to his own account, he had not followed for five or ten years. he had been a shoemaker, a painter, a grocer, a horse-jockey, and an editor; had practiced medicine, traveled in europe, and, when a mere boy, had been master of as fine a vessel as ever sailed out of boston. he was a "self-made man," he said, and early in life had started out with the intention of seeing the world. this was the reason he gave for following so many different occupations. unlike the rest of the officers, he disliked very much the name they had given him, and had often complained to the caterer of the mess, and finally to the captain. the former took no measures to correct it, and the latter "didn't want to be troubled with mess affairs," and so the paymaster was compelled to bear his troubles, which he did with a very bad grace, that only made matters tenfold worse. it was a noticeable fact, however, that, whenever any of the officers were in need of money, he was always addressed as _mr._ harris, but as soon as the money had been obtained, or the safe was empty, he was plain methuselah again. the chief-engineer's name was cobbs, but he went by the name of gentleman cobbs, from the fact that he was always dressed in the height of fashion, sported his gold-headed cane and patent-leather boots about decks, and had never been known to "do a stitch of work" since he had been on board the vessel. these names were, of course, applied only in the mess-room, for the captain was a regular naval officer, a very strict disciplinarian, and any such familiarity on deck would have brought certain and speedy punishment on the offender. on the whole, frank was very well pleased with his new messmates; they seemed to be a set of generous, good-natured men, and, aside from the grumbling of the paymaster, which was kept up without intermission from morning until night, but which received no attention from the other members of the mess, every thing passed off smoothly. the ward-room was kept scrupulously clean and neat, and the manner in which all the delicacies of the season were served up bore testimony to the fact that, although gentleman cobbs was very much averse to work, he well understood the business of catering, and was fond of good living. after dinner, the officers belonging to both the steerage and ward-room messes congregated on the main-deck, under the awning, to smoke. during the conversation the carpenter, who went by the name of "chips," remarked, as he wiped the big drops of perspiration from his forehead: "this boat is intolerable. i would like to be where i was six years ago this summer." "where was that?" "i was in a whale-ship, off the coast of greenland. i was tired enough of it then, but now i'd like to have just one breath of air off those icebergs." "so would i," said the paymaster. "it would be so refreshing." at this, a little, dumpy man, who had sat lolling back in his chair, with his hat pushed down over his eyes, and his cigar, which he had allowed to go out, pointing upward toward his left cheek, started up, and carelessly inquired: "were you ever there, sir?" "yes, when i was a youngster. i went up there just to see the country. i spent five years on the voyage." the dumpy man made no answer, but there was a roguish twinkle in his eye, as he drew a little memorandum-book from his pocket, and, after deliberately placing it on his knee, proceeded to make the following entry, on a page which was headed "chronological tables," and which was covered on one side with writing, and on the other by a long column of figures: paymaster spent on voyage to greenland 5 years. after adding up the column of figures, he closed the book and returned it to his pocket. then, turning to the paymaster, he quietly remarked: "four hundred and eighty-five years old! that's doing well-extremely well. you don't look as old as that, sir. you won't find one man in five hundred hold his age as well as you do." the effect of this speech on the officers sitting around was ludicrous in the extreme, and had the party been in the mess-room the dumpy man might possibly have been obliged to "run a race" with a boot-jack, or any other missile that came handy to the paymaster; but as it was, the latter was compelled to choke down his wrath, and leave the deck. frank also found that these strange cognomens were common in the steerage; one, in particular, he noticed. it was a master's mate, who went by the name of "nuisance." he was as "green" as he could possibly be, and, although he seemed to try hard to learn his duty, was continually getting himself into trouble. he had a room off the quarter-deck, (the same that frank was to occupy,) but seemed to prefer any other room than his own; for, when off watch, he would take possession of the first bunk that suited his fancy; and, not unfrequently, boots, neck-ties, collars, etc., which had been missed, were found upon his person. it was not his intention to _steal_ them, for the articles were always returned after he had worn them to his satisfaction. if an officer went into his room to write, or to engage in any other business at which he did not wish to be disturbed, the mate was sure to be on hand, and hints were of no avail; nothing but a direct "clear out--i don't want you in here," would have the desired effect. it was this habit that had given him the name he bore. one would suppose that after receiving so many rebuffs he would cease to trouble his brother officers; but he seemed to be very dull of comprehension. the executive officer scolded him continually. finding that it did no good, the officers were obliged, as a last resort, to keep their rooms locked. had the mate been of a surly, unaccommodating disposition, he would not have got off so easily; but no one could have the heart to report him, for every one liked him. he was always cheerful, ready to do any one a favor, and was generous to a fault. frank at once took a liking to his new room-mate, but, having been duly instructed by the others, he took particular pains to keep all his wearing apparel, when not in use, safely locked in his trunk. chapter xi. a good night's work. frank's past history soon became known to every one on board the trenton, for several of the crew had acquaintances on board of the ticonderoga, and when they were allowed liberty, had taken pains to inquire into the character of their new officer. he was scarcely allowed time to become settled down in his new quarters, before he was given an opportunity to establish his reputation among his messmates. information was received that the rebels were intending to cross a large body of cavalry about twenty miles above the yazoo river, and the trenton was ordered up the mississippi to prevent it, if possible. for several days they patrolled the river near the suspected point, but nothing unusual was seen; neither could any intelligence of the contemplated move be obtained from the people on shore. there were several houses on the beat, and in one of them lived a frenchman, who, as he said, having claimed the protection of his own country, was not compelled to bear arms; neither was he at all interested in the war. it was near his house, however, that the crossing of the cavalry was to take place, and the captain of the trenton thought that this neutral frenchman would bear watching. although there were several white women on the premises, he was the only man who had been seen; and he seemed to be in constant anxiety lest the rebels should confiscate a large drove of cattle he had at a pasture back in the country, and was in the habit of riding out twice each week to "see to them," as he said. there was something suspicious in this, for persons as much in want of provisions as the rebels were reported to be--as they had gathered up all the stock in the country for miles around vicksburg--would not be likely to respect such property, although it did belong to a neutral. the captain and his officers mingled freely with the people, who appeared to be eager to communicate all the plans of the rebels with which they had become acquainted. frank, as usual, was on the watch; and if he sometimes paid a visit to the house, he was more frequently seen questioning the negroes--of whom there were about half a dozen on the plantation, the others having been compelled to leave their master to work on the fortifications--who were either profoundly ignorant of what was going on, or else were true rebels. there was one negro, in particular, in whom the young officer was interested. he was a tall, muscular fellow, black as midnight, about whom there was a kind of sneaking, hangdog look that frank did not like. he always accompanied his master on his trips to attend his cattle, and frank felt confident that if any one about the plantation knew of any thing suspicious going on, it was this negro; but, in spite of his efforts, he could not find an opportunity to talk with him, for the negro was generally in the company of his master, and, when alone, seemed to take particular pains to avoid the young officer. this was enough to arouse his suspicions, and he determined to watch him closely. he reported the matter to the captain, who readily granted his request that he might be allowed to spend his time, when off watch, on shore. a week passed, but nothing had been developed. at length, one morning the frenchman prepared to pay his usual visit to the country. the negro was to accompany him, and as frank saw them about to move off, he inquired, carelessly: "haven't you got another horse? if you have, i should like to go with you." "o, no," answered the man, quickly, "i have no other horse; and if i had, it wouldn't do for you to go, for you would certainly get captured." this set frank to thinking. the frenchman had often told him that there were no rebels in that section of the country, and now his excuse for not wanting company was that frank would be captured. there was something suspicious in this. after seeing the man depart, he hailed the ship for a boat, and as soon as he arrived on board, sought an interview with the captain. "i do not believe, sir," said he, "that this frenchman owns any stock in the country. it is my opinion that he goes out there to hold communication with the rebels. he's a sort of spy and messenger-boy, and relies on his nationality to protect him from suspicion." frank then related the particulars of what had transpired at the house, and the captain readily agreed with him. but the question was, how to proceed, in order to ascertain what was going on, and what kind of information was furnished the rebels. it was impossible to follow the men on their trips without being discovered; neither was it policy to seize the man, accuse him of treachery, and compel him to confess the truth, for the plot, whatever it was, might not be completed, and it might be necessary to keep the frenchman in ignorance of the fact that his complicity with the rebels had become known, in order that, when the work was completed, it might be finished up entirely. "well, to tell the truth," said the captain, rising from his chair and pacing up and down the cabin, "i really don't know how to act. that something is wrong, i have long been satisfied; but i don't know how to go to work to find out what it is." "i believe i can find it out, sir," said frank, who, with his usual promptness, had determined upon a plan. "they will return this afternoon about three o'clock, and, with your permission, i'll see what i can do." "very well," replied the captain, in a tone which showed that he did not anticipate his success. "go ahead; but be careful not to excite their suspicions." such a commission as this--something requiring skill and judgment--was just what suited frank, and, having laid his plans, he felt confident of success. at half-past two a boat was called away, and he, in company with the mate--both armed with revolvers--went on shore. frank walked up to the house and seated himself on the portico, while the mate, previously instructed, strolled off toward the barn. there were two officers in the house belonging to the vessel, and frank had spent but a few moments in conversation with them, when the frenchman and the negro rode up. the former dismounted and greeted the officers with apparent cordiality, but frank scarcely noticed him, for his eyes were upon the negro, who rode off toward the barn to put up the horses. frank arose from his seat and followed slowly after him. as the officers were accustomed to roam wherever they pleased about the plantation, no notice was taken of his movements. when he reached the barn where the negro was unsaddling the horses, he entered and closed the door behind him. the negro became terrified when he found himself thus confronted, for suspicions that he and his master had been discovered instantly flashed across his mind. "ah, i know that you are guilty, you rascal," said frank, triumphantly, as he noticed the man's trepidation. "come here; i want to have a few moments' conversation with you on a very important subject. come here." the negro dropped the saddle which he had just taken from one of the horses, and stood for a moment undecided how to act; then springing forward like a tiger, he thrust the officer aside, and endeavored to open the door. quick as thought, frank grappled with him, but the negro was a most powerful fellow, and would no doubt have succeeded in escaping, had not the mate sprang from a manger, where he had lain concealed, and felled him to the floor with a blow from the butt of his revolver. for some time he lay insensible, in spite of the buckets of water which were dashed over him; but at length he began to recover. when he was able to sit up, the mate stationed himself at the door to guard against surprise, and frank proceeded to interrogate the negro. "in the first place," said he, "i guess you have found that we are in earnest, haven't you?" the negro felt of his head, but made no reply. "now," continued frank, "unless you answer every question i ask you, i'll take you on board the ship as a prisoner. what do you and your master go out into the country for, twice every week?" the negro still remained silent, and frank, finally growing impatient, exclaimed, "here, jack, take this scoundrel on board the ship; i guess we can find means to make him open his mouth." "o, my master will kill me," whimpered the negro, trembling violently. "if i don't tell you every thing, you will kill me; and if i do, my master will kill me, too; so i shall die any way." "no you won't; just tell me the truth, and i'll see that no one harms you. your master need know nothing about it; we shall not be likely to tell him. now, what is there out in the country that you go to see so often?" "torpedoes," replied the negro, in a low voice, gazing about the barn with a frightened air, as if he expected to see his master appear before him in some magical manner. "torpedoes!" repeated frank. "where are they?" "in a little creek about six miles from here." "who is making them? are there any rebels there?" "yes; there is a colonel, major, and lieutenant there; but my master's black men are doing the work." by adroit questioning--for the negro was very careful to answer no further than he was asked--frank finally gleaned the whole particulars. one piece of information troubled him not a little, and that was, an attempt was soon to be made to blow up the trenton. he also learned the number of the torpedoes, the manner of operating with them, and other particulars that will soon appear. he was then as much puzzled as ever, and paced the floor of the barn, undecided how to act. the time set for the sinking of the trenton was friday night, (it was then thursday), and as information of her movements was every day conveyed to the rebels, the question was, how to keep them in ignorance that their plot had been discovered, so that the work might be carried on as usual. there was, apparently, but one way, and that was to hold out inducements to the negro. "see here," frank suddenly exclaimed, "you are between two fires now." "i know that," replied the negro, well aware that he was in a most precarious situation; "i know that. but what am i to do?" "well, this is what you must do," answered frank; "go off and attend to your business, just as you did before. of course you won't be foolish enough to say a word about this meeting to any one around the plantation; but if every thing does not transpire to-morrow night just as you said it would, i shall think that you have been telling some one, and that the plot is discovered, and then you're a goner. but if you will assist me, i will take care of you; i will take you on board the ship, and make a free man of you." the negro, who had been worked up to the highest pitch of terror at the turn affairs were taking, brightened up when the words "free man" struck his ear, and frank, who was a pretty good judge of human nature, could easily read what was passing in his mind, and knew that in the negro he had a faithful coadjutor. "now, if you are certain that you understand what i mean," said he, "be off. go out the back door, so that no one will see you from the house; and remember that your freedom depends upon the manner in which you behave yourself." the negro arose from the floor, and speedily made his exit. after waiting long enough to allow him to reach the house, frank and the mate slipped out of the front door. giving the negro quarters a wide berth, they approached the house in a different direction from that in which they had left it. the mate had been instructed to keep the affair a profound secret, for, now that they had succeeded in working out so much of the plot, they wished to have the honor of completing it. after a few moments' conversation with the frenchman at the house, they repaired on board the vessel. "i have returned, sir," said frank, as he entered the cabin. "so i see," replied the captain, good-humoredly, "and have, i suppose, accomplished nothing." "no, sir; i can't say that," answered frank, guardedly. "i have accomplished considerable. i know that the frenchman is a spy; that he has daily communication with the rebels, and that his story of visiting his stock in the country is nonsense. he has about as many cattle there as i have." "have you indeed succeeded?" inquired the captain, in surprise. "well, no, sir, not entirely," replied frank, who did not know how much it was best to tell the captain. "i have learned more than that, but it takes time to complete the work. before i go further, sir, i should like authority to manage the affair myself. after i have gone as far as i have, i shouldn't like to be superseded." "that was not my intention. no one shall be placed over you. if you can accomplish any thing more, do it. but what else did you hear?" frank then related the result of the interview between himself and the negro, and then left the cabin, with repeated assurances that his plans for capturing the rebels should not be interfered with. the next day, it seemed to frank, moved on laggard wings; but afternoon came at length. he then went on shore, and after having learned from the negro that every thing was working as nicely as could be wished, returned, and commenced making his preparations for the night's work. at eight o'clock he again left the vessel in a small skiff, with two negroes for a crew, and the mate shortly followed in the cutter, with twenty men, all well armed. the former held up the river, and the cutter pulled in an opposite direction. the officers of the ship were, of course, very much surprised at these movements. as they had not been informed of what was going on, they thronged the forward part of the deck, watching the expedition as long as it remained in sight. the night was dark as pitch, but it could not have been better for their purpose; and frank was highly delighted at the handsome manner in which all his plans were working, and which promised complete success. he held his course up the river until he arrived at a small creek whose mouth was almost concealed by thick bushes and trees. he boldly entered this creek, but had not proceeded far when a voice hailed: "who comes there?" "death to the yankees," promptly replied frank. "why, you're half an hour ahead of time," said the voice. "didn't the yanks see you as you came up?" "i'll wager a good deal they did," said another voice. "it would be just our luck to have the whole affair knocked in the head. but we'll make the attempt, any way. come up here." it was so dark in the creek that frank could scarcely see his hand before him; but he knew pretty well who it was addressing him. pulling up the creek, in obedience to the order, he came in sight of a boat lying close to the bank, in the shade of the bushes that hung out over the water. in this boat were seated three men, two of whom were holding in their hands several ropes that led to a dark object that lay in the water astern of the skiff. "here's the torpedo," said one of the men, as frank came alongside, and as he spoke he passed the ropes over to the young officer. "just drop silently down the river as far as you can without being discovered, and then cast off the torpedo, and let it float down on to the trenton. we'll go up on the bank and watch the experiment." "gentlemen," said frank, suddenly pulling a brace of revolvers from his pocket, "you are my prisoners." as he spoke, the negroes threw down their oars and sprang into the skiff. before the rebels could draw a weapon, they were powerless in the strong grasp of frank's sable coadjutors. the prisoners were the colonel and major of whom the negro at the plantation had spoken. the third person in the boat was one of the frenchman's slaves, who had rowed the boat down the creek for the rebels. he had jumped to his feet as if about to escape, but had been collared by one of frank's negroes, and thrown into the bottom of the boat, where the fear of the revolvers kept him quiet. "what's the meaning of all this?" asked the colonel, as he struggled furiously to free himself. [illustration] "it means," replied frank, coolly, "that you are prisoners in the hands of those you sought to destroy. so surrender yourselves without any more fuss. make their hands fast, boys." the negroes, who seemed to be well prepared, drew from their pockets several pieces of stout cord, with which they proceeded to tie the arms of the rebels, who, finding that escape was impossible, submitted to the operation without any further resistance. as soon as they were secured, frank made the torpedo fast to the bank, after which he and his men, with the prisoners, disembarked, and commenced marching toward the house. they had proceeded but a short distance when they received a challenge, to which frank replied, when they were joined by three of the crew, who had been stationed on the bank by the mate, to capture the rebels, in case they should escape from his officer. the prisoners were given into their charge, and frank continued his march toward the house, congratulating himself that, although his work was but half done, he had succeeded beyond his expectations. the field about the house was silent as death, but he knew that the mate had neglected none of his instructions, and that trusty men were hidden all around him, ready at any moment to lend effective assistance. arriving at the door, he pounded loudly upon it with the butt of his revolver. the summons was answered by the frenchman, who gazed upon our hero with surprise, not unmingled with a feeling of alarm. "i'm glad to see you," said frank. "you're just the chap i want." the frenchman comprehended at once that he had been betrayed. drawing a pistol, he leveled it full at frank's head, but before he had time to fire, a blow from a saber in the hands of one of the negroes, who had followed close behind frank, knocked the weapon from his grasp. the next moment the back door of the room was suddenly opened, and the frenchman was clasped in the sturdy arms of the mate. "give him to some of the men, jack," said frank, "and then follow me quick, or we may be too late." the order was obeyed, and the mate, accompanied by the two negroes, followed frank, who led the way back to the creek where the torpedo had been captured. they were just in the "nick of time," for, as they approached, they distinctly heard a voice inquire: "where's the colonel? here's the torpedo, made fast to the bank. i wonder if there is any thing wrong?" frank and the mate at once became more cautious in their movements, but their approach had already been discovered, for the lieutenant called out: "who goes there?" "yankees," replied frank, stepping out from the bushes, with a revolver in each hand. "come out here, and surrender!" the rebel was taken so completely by surprise that he seemed deprived of all power of action. he could hardly realize that he was a prisoner, until frank repeated his order in a more decided manner, adding, "i'm a good shot at that distance." the lieutenant evidently did not doubt this, for he arose to his feet, and sprang out upon the bank. the prisoners having now all been secured, frank collected his men and returned on board his vessel. we will now pause to explain. frank, as we have seen, had learned from the negro that one of the torpedoes would be finished by friday night; that it was to be towed down the creek to the river by the colonel and major, who were to put it in working order, and deliver it to the lieutenant, who, with two negroes to row his boat, was to leave the plantation at half-past eight o'clock, to note the exact position of the trenton, so that, after getting the torpedo into position, he could allow it to float down upon the vessel. the frenchman was to be on board, and, with the assistance of the negroes, was to capture any who might escape the explosion. frank had laid his plans to capture the lieutenant first; but, through fear of creating a disturbance, or being seen from the house, he had been compelled to abandon the idea, and had started half an hour earlier, that he might secure the lieutenant after the capture of the others had been effected, and before he would have time to discover that any thing was wrong. his plans had all worked so admirably, that he was not a little elated with his success. it was a happy moment for him when he brought his prisoners over the side of the vessel, and conducted them to the quarter-deck, where the captain and all the officers were waiting to receive them. the necessary explanations were soon given, after which the prisoners were ordered below, and frank retired to his room, well satisfied with his night's work. the next morning an expedition went ashore, accompanied by the captain. after destroying the torpedo which had been captured the night before, they were conducted by the negro to the place where several more were in process of completion. these also were demolished. while thus engaged, one of the sentinels, which frank had posted a short distance up the road, fired his gun, and commenced retreating. frank at once formed his men in line, in readiness for an attack. shortly afterward a company of cavalry came galloping around a bend in the road, and fired their carbines at the sentinel, who ran for dear life. they halted, however, on seeing the preparations made to receive them, and the captain, taking advantage of this, ordered frank to fire. the muskets cracked in rapid succession, and, when the smoke cleared away, the sailors saw several riderless horses galloping about, showing that their fire had been effective. the rebels scattered in all directions, and, dismounting, concealed themselves behind logs and bushes, and commenced fighting in their regular indian fashion. the captain, knowing that such an action would not result advantageously to him, and having accomplished the work for which he had set out, ordered the sailors to fall back slowly. as they obeyed, the rebels commenced pursuing; but the expedition reached the river without the loss of a single man. the officer in command of the vessel, hearing the firing, commenced shelling the woods, and under cover of this fire the sailors reached the ship in safety. the work which had been assigned the trenton had not been accomplished, but as the time allotted for her stay had expired, she started the next morning to join the fleet at yazoo river. the prisoners were delivered over to the commanding naval officer--the admiral being below the batteries--to whom a flattering mention was made of frank, and the skillful manner in which he had performed his work. the young officer received the assurance that his gallant exploit should not be overlooked. chapter xii. in the trenches. the day after their arrival at yazoo river an officer from the flag-ship came on board. after holding a short consultation with the captain, the order was given to get the ship under way, when, as soon as the anchor was weighed, they steamed down the river. what could be the meaning of this new move? were their services needed below vicksburg, and were they about to imitate the queen of the west, and run by the batteries in broad daylight? that hardly seemed to be the case, for the men were not called to quarters, and the officers were allowed to remain on deck. every one was excited, and many were the speculations indulged in as to what was to be the next duty the trenton would be called on to perform. to the impatient men, the seven miles that lay between yazoo river and vicksburg seemed lengthened into a hundred; but at length they rounded the point above the mouth of the canal, and saw before them the sebastopol of the rebellion. it was the first time frank had ever seen the city, and it was a sight that he would not have missed for a good deal. on the heights above the city, and even in the streets, the little mounds of earth thrown up showed where rebel cannon were mounted, and now and then a puff of smoke would rise from one of these mounds, and a shell would go shrieking toward the solid lines of the besiegers, which now completely inclosed the rebels, while an occasional roar of heavy guns told them that the iron-clads still kept close watch on the movements of the enemy below. the right of the army rested on the river, above the city, and here the trenton landed, just out of range of the batteries. preparations were at once made to move some of the guns on shore. the ones selected were those belonging to frank's division, and they were to be mounted in the batteries above the city, and about a quarter of a mile from the river. it was something of a task to move the battery that distance, but frank and his men worked incessantly, and on the second night the guns were brought to the place where it was proposed to mount them. the sailors, although almost exhausted, at once commenced throwing up a battery; but as soon as the day dawned, a couple of shells, whistling over their heads, admonished them that it was time to cease. after a hearty breakfast on the rations they had brought with them, the men lay down in the trenches, and, wearied with their night's work, slept soundly, in spite of the roar of cannon and the rattling of musketry that had commenced as soon as it became light enough for the combatants to distinguish each other. but life in the trenches was a new thing to frank, and he walked through the rifle-pits, every-where cordially greeted by the soldiers, who liked the looks of these big guns, with which they knew he had something to do, and who made their boasts that, as soon as the "beauties" were mounted and in position, they would "square accounts" with the rebels. there was one gun in particular that annoyed the soldiers exceedingly, and prevented them from working on the trenches. every time a shell flew over their heads, they would exclaim, "shoot away there, for this is your last day;" and frank was obliged to promise, over and over again, that his first care should be to dismount that gun. frank found that, the further he went, the nearer the rifle-pits approached to the city; and finally he came to a group of soldiers who appeared to be conversing with some invisible persons. as he approached, he heard a voice, which seemed to come from the ground, almost at his side, exclaim: "i say, yank, throw over your plug of tobacco, won't you?" "can't see it, johnny," replied one of the soldiers. "you wouldn't throw it back again." "yes, i will, honor bright," answered the rebel. "why," exclaimed frank, in surprise, "i didn't know that you had pushed your lines so close to the enemy's works!" "yes," said a lieutenant, who at this moment came up, "there's a rebel rifle-pit not four feet from you." "here," said a soldier, handing frank his gun, "put your cap on this bayonet and hold it up, and you'll soon see how far off they are." frank did as the soldier suggested. the moment he raised his cap above the rifle-pit, a bayonet was suddenly thrust out, and when it was drawn in, his cap went with it. "now, look at that!" exclaimed frank. "it's very provoking!" "aha, yank! you're minus that head-piece," shouted a voice, which was followed by a roar of laughter from the rebels, and from all the soldiers in the rifle-pit who had witnessed the performance. "i'm sorry, sir," said the soldier. "i did not want you to lose your cap." then, raising his voice, he shouted--"johnny, throw that cap back here!" "o, no," answered the rebel; "but i'll trade with you. a fair exchange is no robbery, you know," and as he spoke a hat came sailing through the air, and fell into the rifle-pit. it was a very dilapidated looking affair, bearing unmistakable proofs of long service and hard usage. "say, yank," continued the rebel, "do you see a hole in the crown of that hat?" "do you call this thing a hat?" asked frank, lifting the article in question on the point of his sword, and holding it up to the view of the soldiers. "it bears about as much resemblance to a hat as it does to a coffee-pot." "i don't care what you call it," returned the rebel; "i know it has seen two years' hard service. that hole you see in the crown was made by one of your bullets, and my head was in the hat at the time, too." "well, throw me my cap," said frank; "i don't want to trade." "what will you give?" "we will return your hat, and give you a big chew of tobacco to boot," said the lieutenant. "that's a bargain," said the rebel. "let's have it." "we are not doing a credit business on this side of the house," answered frank. "you throw over my cap first." "you're sure you don't intend to swindle a fellow? upon your honor, now." "try me and see," replied frank, with a laugh. "here you are, then;" and the missing cap was thrown into the rifle-pit, and a soldier restored it to its owner. it was rather the worse for its short sojourn in the rebel hands, for there was a bayonet hole clear through it. "say, you rebel," exclaimed frank, "why didn't you tell me that you had stuck a bayonet into my cap?" "couldn't help it, yank," was the answer. "come now, i've filled my part of the contract, so live up to your promise. remember, you said honor bright." "well here's your hat," replied frank; and he threw the article in question over to its rebel owner. "and here's your tobacco, johnny," chimed in a soldier, who cut off a huge piece of the weed, and threw it after the hat. "yank, you're a gentleman," said the rebel, speaking in a thick tone, which showed that the much coveted article had already found its way into his mouth. "if i've got any thing you want, just say so, and you can have it; any thing except my weapons." frank, who was so much amused at what had just taken place that he laughed until his jaws ached, returned his mutilated cap to his head, and, in company with the lieutenant, continued his ramble among the rifle-pits, the latter explaining the operations of the siege, and the various incidents that had transpired since it commenced. the rifle-pits, the entire length of general sherman's command, were close upon those of the rebels, and the soldiers of both sides were compelled to suspend operations almost entirely. if a man raised his head to select a mark for his rifle, he would find a rebel, almost within reach, on the watch for him. the soldiers were very communicative, and all along the line frank saw groups of men holding conversation with their invisible enemies. after viewing the works to his satisfaction, frank accompanied the lieutenant to his quarters--a rude hut, which had been hastily built of logs and branches, situated in a deep hollow, out of reach of the enemy's shells. here he ate an excellent dinner, and then retraced his steps, through the rifle-pits, back to the place where his battery was to be mounted. throwing himself upon a blanket, he slept soundly until night. as soon as it became dark, the work of mounting the guns commenced, and was completed in time to allow the weary men two hours' rest before daylight. frank had charge of one of the guns, and an ensign attached to one of the iron-clads commanded the other. the whole was under the command of the captain of the trenton. as soon as the enemy's lines could be discerned, frank, in accordance with the promises made the day before, prepared to commence the work of dismounting the battery which had given the soldiers so much trouble. he pointed his gun himself, and gave the order to fire. with the exception of now and then a musket-shot, or the occasional shriek of a shell as it went whistling into the rebel lines, the night had been remarkably quiet, and the roar that followed frank's order awoke the echoes far and near, causing many a soldier to start from his blanket in alarm. a shell from the other gun quickly followed, and the soldiers, as soon as they learned that the "gun-boat battery" had opened upon the rebel works, broke out into deafening cheers. they had great confidence in the "beauties," as they called the monster guns, for they had often witnessed the effect of their shells, and knew that those who worked them well understood their business. frank had opened the ball, and in less than half an hour the firing became general all along the line. the gun against which their fire was directed replied briskly; but after a few rounds the battery got its exact range--an eight-inch shell struck it, and it disappeared from sight. cheers, or, rather, regular "soldier-yells"--a noise that is different from every other sound, and which can not be uttered except by those who have "served their time" in the army--arose the whole length of the line, as the soldiers witnessed the effect of the shot, and knew that their old enemy would trouble them no more. in obedience to the captain's order, the fire of the battery was then directed toward different parts of the rebel works. the "beauties" performed all that the soldiers had expected of them, for they were well handled, and the huge shells always went straight to the mark. at dark the firing ceased, and frank, tired with his day's work, ate a hearty supper, and threw himself upon his blanket to obtain a few moments' rest. the soldiers from all parts of the line at length began to crowd into the battery, examining every part of the guns, and listening to the explanations given by the old quarter-gunner, who, although almost tired out, was busy cleaning the guns, and could not think of rest until the battery had been put in readiness for use on the morrow. at length a man approached the spot where frank was reposing, and, seating himself at his side, commenced an interesting conversation. frank soon learned that his visitor was one of the most noted scouts in the union army. he was a tall, broad-shouldered man, straight as an arrow, and evidently possessed a great deal of muscular power. though ragged and dirty, like his companions, there was something about him that at once attracted frank. his actions were easy and graceful, and he had an air of refinement, which was observed by every one with whom he came in contact. he was serving as a private in his regiment, and, although frequently urged to accept a command, always declined, for he despised the inactivity of camp life, and delighted in any thing in which there was danger and excitement. it was hinted that he had seen some hard times during his career as a scout. at length, when the conversation began to flag, one of the soldiers asked for a story, and the scout, after lighting his pipe, settled back on his elbow, and began as follows: chapter xiii. the scout's story. "boys, the life of a scout is the most fascinating, as well as the most dangerous one that i know of. it is a responsible one, too, for not unfrequently the safety and well-being of the entire army depends upon our reports. if, while we are roaming about the enemy's camp, we are deceived in regard to their numbers and position, and our commanding officer, judging by our reports, thinks himself able to surprise and defeat them, and if, upon making the attack, he finds that he has been misled, we are responsible; at least that is the way i have always looked at the matter; and many a time i have misrepresented cases, and have, no doubt, been the cause of allowing the rebels to escape, when they might easily have been beaten, knowing that our hot-headed commander would order an attack, no matter how small the chance for success might be. "just before we started on the campaign that resulted in the capture of fort donelson, i was detailed to scout for head-quarters; and one day, while lying in my tent, heartily wishing that a move would be made which would put an end to the lazy life i was compelled to lead, one of the general's staff-officers entered, accompanied by a youth, whom he introduced to me as mr. henderson, and informed me that he was to be my 'partner.' "'he my partner!' i ejaculated. 'is he a scout? what does he know about soldiering?' "the new-comer was rather below the medium height, very slimly built, with soft, white hands, that looked as though they had never been accustomed to hard work, and a smooth, beardless face. he seemed very much out of place among our rough soldiers. "'i don't know much about scouting, that's a fact,' said he, with a laugh. 'but i know every inch of the country, and can use a rifle. i have been knocked about considerably since the war commenced, and my father was hanged in tennessee for being a union man, and i suffered all sorts of hardships before i succeeded in making my escape.' "the officer left us together, and, in spite of the chagrin i felt that a mere stripling had been sent to me for an associate, i was soon deeply interested in him, for with his almost childlike simplicity there was mingled an air of confidence in his own powers which drew me irresistibly toward him. he told me his history, and when he dwelt on the cruelty with which the rebels had treated union men in tennessee, and related, in a subdued voice, the particulars of his father's death, his slight frame quivered with excitement, and his fingers twitched convulsively, as if he felt the perpetrators of the deed in his grasp. he seemed to have the real grit in him, and i finally came to the conclusion that i had mistaken my man. i soon learned it was so, for, the very first time we got on a scout together, i found that he was made of the right stuff, and i began to have a great deal of confidence in my youthful companion. i don't believe he knew what fear was. he was a splendid shot and an excellent rider; in fact, he seemed to be out of his element unless he was in the saddle. "the first time that sam (for that was my companion's name) had a chance to show his qualities was after the battle of pittsburg landing. one night, just after dark, we set out on horseback to watch the movements of the enemy. we were dressed in our rebel uniform, and provided with passes which would carry us through our lines. the night was dark and cloudy, but sam, who knew the road like a book, took the lead. we had proceeded in this manner about four miles, scarcely saying a word to each other, when suddenly, as we came around a bend in the road, we found ourselves close upon a picket station. several men were lying around a fire, eating their supper; and the reason why we had not discovered them sooner was on account of the thick trees and bushes, which completely concealed the glare of the fire from any one coming down the road. how we had succeeded in passing the sentries, which were posted some distance from the station, is still a mystery to me. either our advance had been so still that they had not heard us, or else the sentries were asleep; at any rate, we were in the enemy's lines before we knew it, and in something of a scrape. if we undertook to retreat, besides running the risk of being shot by the men at the fire, we should be obliged to pass the sentries, and we might not succeed, for the clatter of our horses' hoofs would certainly alarm them. the only way was to ride up to the fire and put a bold face on the matter, which we did, the rebels supposing that, as we had passed the sentries, we were all right. they at once took us for some of their scouts, and one of them inquired: "'how are the yanks?' "'they're there,' i replied. 'and you'll have to haul in these picket posts before long, or i am mistaken.' "'how is that sentry out there?' asked the lieutenant in command. "'o, he's all right,' i answered, and seating myself at the fire, began to pitch into the eatables. sam followed my example, and we enjoyed a very good meal, after which we smoked a pipe, and talked with our companions about the probability of soon thrashing the yankees soundly, and wishing that we were in the eastern army, that we might have the honor of carrying the secesh rag into philadelphia and all the other large cities at the north. we also received some very valuable information in regard to the rebels and their intended movements; and finally, concluding that the general must be looking for us, we bade the pickets good-by, mounted our horses, and galloped down the road toward the rebel camp. as soon as we thought we had gone far enough to deceive the pickets, we turned off from the road and started through the woods, intending to take a wide circuit, pass the pickets, and start back for our own camp. we stumbled about through the woods for nearly an hour, and finally struck a road that appeared to run at right angles with the one we had just left. this we followed at a rapid gallop for about a mile, when sam pointed out a light that appeared to be shining in the window of a house ahead of us. we at once determined to reconnoiter, and rode slowly forward for that purpose, walking our horses on the grass at the side of the road, so that our advance would be noiseless. we had gone but a short distance when we were halted. to the challenge, 'who comes there?' sam replied, 'scouts,' and throwing me his rein, he swung himself from his saddle, whispering: "'hold on a minute, bill! let me manage that fellow;' and before i could say a word he had disappeared in the darkness. "several moments passed, when i again heard his voice, and riding forward, wondering how he had 'managed' the sentinel, i was surprised to see him with a musket in his hand, pacing back and forth across the road. i instantly understood what had transpired, and leading the horses cautiously into the bushes at the side of the road, i fastened them there, and then returned to sam. "'i couldn't help it, bill,' he whispered, as i came up. 'i meant to capture him, and compel him to give us some information; but he fought so desperately that i had to settle him to save myself.' "'it can't be helped; such things are not uncommon in war times. now you play the part of sentry here until some one passes, and you can find out what the countersign is. then i'll go up to the house and reconnoiter.' "i then lay down by the side of the road, and in a few moments sam whispered: "'bill, i wonder what's the number of this post?' "'i'm sure i don't know,' i replied. "'well, how am i going to find out?' he inquired. 'if some one should happen to come along without the countersign, and i should want to call the corporal, i would be in a nice fix, wouldn't i?' "sam said this in such a perfectly cool and unconcerned manner, that i could not help admiring him. "just then i heard a faint shout: "'twelve o'clock! number one. all's well.' "'there,' i whispered; 'the sentries are passing the call. now look sharp.' "the call passed the round of the sentinels, until number eight was called, but a short distance from us. then came a pause. "'sam, you're number nine,' i hurriedly whispered. "'number nine; and all's well!' shouted sam at the top of his lungs. 'so far, so good,' he continued, in a low voice. 'now i guess we're all right. halt!' he shouted, hearing the sound of horses' hoofs rapidly advancing. the horseman at once drew rein, and at sam's challenge, answered: "'colonel peckham.' "'dismount, colonel peckham, and give the countersign.' "'look here, my man, just let me pass, will you? don't detain me, for i am on important business, and am in a great hurry.' "'halt,' shouted sam again; 'dismount.' "'i tell you i am colonel peckham, commanding----' "'i don't care what you command. just climb down off that horse instantly, or i'll fire on you. you shouldn't go by me if you were president davis himself.' "the colonel, seeing that entreaty was in vain, reluctantly dismounted and gave the countersign, 'virginia.' "'the countersign is correct. pass, colonel peckham,' said sam, bringing his musket promptly to a shoulder arms. "after the rebel had mounted and disappeared, i whispered: "'now, sam, i'm going up to that house. keep a sharp look-out.' "after shaking his hand i started toward the place where i had seen the light. walking carelessly up toward a group of soldiers who were lounging about on the ground, i glanced in at the window, and saw several officers seated around a table, apparently engaged in earnest debate. i listened for a few moments to the conversation of the men, and found that i was two miles inside of the rebel lines. this knowledge was something that would not have pleased me had i been alone, for i was wholly unacquainted with the country, but, knowing that i had a friend on whom i could rely, i looked upon it as merely a little difficulty, from which i could extricate myself as soon and as easily as i pleased. "i lounged about, picking up a good deal of information, until i heard the relief called, and knowing that, unless we beat a hasty retreat, we would be discovered, i hastened back to the place where i had left sam, and found him industriously pacing his beat. i was about to bring out the horses, when we heard the clatter of hoofs coming up the road from toward the house, and i at once concealed myself. the answer to the challenge was colonel peckham, who was returning to his command. as he was about to pass, i, thinking that it would not look well to go back to the camp empty-handed, sprang out of my concealment and seized his reins, while sam, who instantly comprehended what was going on, placed his bayonet against his breast. "'what means this?' asked the colonel. "'don't talk so much,' replied sam. 'a blind man could see that you are a prisoner. so hand over your weapons, and don't make any fuss.' "as sam spoke, he proceeded to 'sound' the colonel, and the search resulted in the transfer of two revolvers to his belt. then, throwing away his musket and cartridge-box, he sprang upon his horse, which i had by this time brought out, and, seizing the colonel's reins, we started down the road at a full gallop. "we had proceeded scarcely a quarter of a mile when we heard several musket-shots behind us, and we knew that the relief had found no. 9 post vacant, and were alarming the camp. sam, still holding fast to the colonel's horse, at once turned off into the woods, through which we with difficulty worked our way. at length, however, we reached an open field, which we crossed at a gallop, and, leaping our horses over the fence, found ourselves in the road again. we had struck it just outside of the rebel pickets, who, hearing us gallop away, fired at us; but the bullets all went wide of the mark, and in less than an hour we reached our own camp, and the prisoner was delivered over to the general." * * * * * "i could relate many other adventures to you, but, as i have to go on guard at midnight, i must bid you good-night." so saying, he arose from the ground, where he had been lying, and walked off toward his quarters. one by one the soldiers, who had gathered about to listen to his story, followed his example, and finally frank and the ensign who had assisted him in managing the battery, were left alone. although they had been together but two days, they were on excellent terms with each other; and as frank had learned that his companion had run by the batteries at vicksburg, he was naturally anxious to hear the details. the ensign, at his urgent solicitation, then told the story of his thrilling adventures, which here follows. chapter xiv. running the batteries. "in obedience to orders from the admiral," began the ensign, "the concord, with the iron-clads, commenced making preparations to run the batteries, by greasing the casemates to glance shot, and by protecting the machinery with heavy timbers and bales of hay. when every thing was ready, the long-looked-for signal was made. the vessels took their stations in accordance with a general order that had been issued a few days previous--the concord, with a coal-barge in tow, being the fourth in advance. "as soon as the anchors were weighed, all hands were called to quarters, the ports closed, and every light on board the ship, except those in the magazine and shell-rooms, was extinguished. i took my station beside my men, who stood at their guns as motionless as so many statues, and in that darkness awaited the issue of events, with feelings that can not be described. the moment i had so long been dreading was fast approaching. would i survive the experiment? "as soon as the vessels were fairly under way, the engines were stopped, and we drifted along with the current. not a sound was heard, except the creaking of the wheel as the pilot guided the vessel down stream. i became more and more excited each moment, until finally my suspense seemed greater than i could bear. that awful silence was worse than the fight itself. i became impatient, and strode up and down the deck, anxiously waiting for the first roar of a gun that should announce that our approach had been discovered. how i longed to look out and see what progress we were making! but the ports had been closed, with imperative orders that they must not be opened without the captain's command, and i was obliged to remain in ignorance of what was going on outside. "at length, after remaining at our quarters for nearly an hour--to me it seemed an age--the loud roar of a gun burst upon our ears. the pilot at once rang the bell to 'go ahead strong,' and the puffing of the engines told us that we were rapidly nearing the city. soon, from another direction, came a second report, accompanied by a shell from 'whistling dick,' which went directly over our heads, and exploded far behind us. this was followed, not by the report of a single cannon, but by a crash, as if all the artillery of heaven had been let loose at once, and shells and solid shot, with a noise that was almost deafening. it did not seem possible that we could succeed in running by the batteries; besides, i was very much averse to being shut up in that manner, without the privilege of returning shot for shot. the idea of allowing my vessel to be made a target of, when so many brave hearts were waiting impatiently to give as good as they received, did not at all suit me. "until we reached the city, the concord escaped unhurt, and i began to think that our danger was not so great as i had at first supposed, when, just as we arrived opposite the upper batteries, a shot came crashing through the sides of the vessel. the deck was lighted up for an instant with a flash, and the groans and shrieks that followed told that it had been too well directed. confined as the men were, in total darkness, where it was impossible for a person to distinguish those who stood next to him, such an occurrence was well calculated to throw them into confusion. i believe that every one on deck was frightened, but the order, 'stand to your guns, lads!' delivered in a firm voice by the executive officer, at once put an end to the confusion. "'on deck, there!' came thundering through the trumpet. 'open the ports, and return their fire!' "how my heart bounded when i heard that order! and the men, too, anxious to be on more equal terms with the enemy, sprang at the word, the port-shutters flew open with a crash, and the city of vicksburg burst upon our astonished view. "the rebels had profited by their experience, and instead of finding the city shrouded in total darkness, as i had expected, a glare equal to the noonday sun lighted up both the river and the city, the latter seeming one blaze of fire. the vessels in advance of us were rapidly answering the fire of the batteries, and the waters of the river, usually so quiet and smooth, were plowed in every direction by the shrieking, hissing shells. it was a magnificent sight, one upon which i could have gazed with rapture, had i been a disinterested person; but, as it was, i had no time to dwell upon it. "'out with those guns--lively!' shouted the captain. 'give the rascals as good as they send.' "for half an hour the fight continued, the rebels sending their shells thick and fast about our devoted vessel, and we directing our fire against the water-batteries, which lined the shore as far as the eye could reach, when suddenly the pilot rung the bell to stop, which was followed by a command shouted down through the trumpet to 'back her--quick!' i scarcely noticed the circumstance, until one of my men exclaimed, in a frightened voice, 'we are drifting into the bank, sir, right under the batteries!' "the appalling fact was too evident. we were fast approaching the shore, and the engines appeared to be working in vain against the strong current. a cry of horror burst from the lips of the men, who deserted their guns, and made a general rush for the after part of the vessel. i was astounded. had the concord been disabled, and was the captain about to run her ashore and surrender? but i was not allowed much time to ask questions. the conduct of the men recalled me to my senses, and, after considerable difficulty, i succeeded in bringing them all back to their quarters. "'the vessel must have been surrendered, sir,' said one of the men. "'i can't help that. i've received no orders to cease firing. let them have it. powder-boy, bring two eight-inch canister as soon as possible. run away lively, now.' "the vessel still continued to approach the bank, and several of the nearest batteries ceased firing, while the rebels, supposing that she was about to surrender, came running down the bank in crowds, calling out: "'have you struck your flag?' "'no!' came the answer, in a clear, ringing voice, which i knew belonged to the captain. 'that flag floats as long as one plank of this vessel remains above water!' "this reply was followed by a shell from one of our broadside guns, which burst in the very midst of a crowd that was preparing to board the vessel the moment we touched the bank; and by this time the concord began to mind her helm, and commenced moving from the bank. the astonished rebels hastily retreated to the cover of their breastworks, and i succeeded in getting my guns loaded in time to use the canister upon them. the vessel soon got headed down the river again, and at two o'clock in the morning we rounded to, out of reach of the batteries. the passage had been effected without material damage to us, and it was with a light heart that i repeated the order, 'secure your guns, lads!' the battle was over, and after the decks had been cleared, and the wounded taken care of, the dead were laid out in the engine-room, and covered with the flag in defense of which they had delivered up their lives. the weary sailors then gladly answered to the order, 'all hands stand by your hammocks,' and i retired to my room almost exhausted, but highly elated at our glorious success." chapter xv. a race for the old flag. "the next day," continued the ensign, "the squadron again got under way and steamed down the river, and came to anchor above, and almost within range of, the heights of grand gulf. a casual observer would hardly have thought that the bluffs which arose so majestically, like grim sentinels watching over the lesser heights around them, were bristling with hostile batteries, ready to dispute the further advance of the union fleet; for, so carefully had they been concealed, that nothing suspicious could be discovered. but we were not deceived. we knew that the trees which covered the bluffs, and waved so gently back and forth in the breeze, concealed fortifications of the most formidable kind, and that union blood must be shed before they could be wrested from the traitorous hands that had constructed them. "during the week of inactivity that followed, many an impatient eye was directed toward the heights which, now so quiet, were soon to be disturbed by the noise and confusion of battle. at length the flag-ship was seen approaching, and every one was on the alert. two more days of inactivity passed, however; but on the third morning, just after the crews had finished their breakfast, signal was made to commence the attack. the anchors were weighed, the men called to quarters, and the fleet bore down upon the rebel stronghold, which was soon enveloped in the smoke of battle. "the concord led the advance. for two hours the battle raged with great fury on both sides, the rebels stubbornly holding their ground, in spite of the storm of shells that thinned their ranks and tore up the ground about them. during this time the concord had again become unmanageable, on account of the strong eddies in the river, and had worked into a position scarcely two hundred yards from the batteries, from which she could not be extricated. it was impossible either to advance or retreat without running into the bank, and if she attempted to round-to, her destruction was certain. of course, we below, being busy fighting our guns, knew nothing of our danger; but the captain, although as brave a man as ever trod a ship's deck, was not a little dismayed when he found himself in this perilous situation. he did not expect to bring his vessel safely out of the action, but he stood in the pilot-house and issued his orders with as much coolness as though he were going through the regular daily exercise, instead of being under the hottest fire the enemy could rain upon his vessel. "in the mean time, i had been sending my shells as rapidly as possible toward the rebel gunners, whom i could see moving about in the batteries. up to this time not one of my men had been injured; but, just as i was in the act of sighting one of my guns, there was a stunning crash, and a vivid light shone for an instant in my eyes, accompanied by a terrific explosion. i saw the air filled with smoke and splinters, heard appalling cries of terror and anguish, and then all was blank. a shell had entered the casemate above the port, killing and wounding several of my crew, and a piece of heavy timber, which had been detached from the bulk-head by the explosion, struck me on the head, and laid me out senseless on the deck. "when i was restored to consciousness i was lying on a mattress in the engine-room, and anxious faces were bending over me. i remember of mistaking the doctor and his attendants for the men belonging to my gun's crew, and imagining myself still in battle, i gave the order to 'train that no. 2 gun a little further to the left, and fire;' then i became insensible again. "about the middle of the afternoon i awoke from a refreshing slumber, but, of course, could not imagine how i came to be in that situation. i felt of my head, which was covered with bandages, and of my arm, which was done up in a sling, and finally the remembrance of the scenes through which i had passed came back to me like a dream. "while i was wondering how the fight had terminated, and who had come out victorious, a sailor, who had been appointed to act as my nurse, entered the engine-room, and approached the bed on tip-toe. from him i learned that the concord had been under fire for five hours and thirty-five minutes; that we had been only partially successful, not having silenced all the batteries; that the fleet, with the exception of one vessel, which was lying a short distance above the bluff, and occasionally sending a shell into the batteries to prevent the rebels from repairing the damage which they had suffered, were at their old anchorage again; that the concord had been struck thirty-five times by heavy shot, but, although quite badly cut up, was not permanently injured; and that our vessel would soon be ready for action again, the entire crew being busily engaged in repairing the damages she had sustained. "my head and arm pained me considerably; but, being under the influence of some powerful medicine which the doctor had administered, i soon fell asleep, from which i was awakened by the rolling of a drum. hastily starting up, i found the engineers at their stations, and i knew, by the tramping of feet on the deck above me, that the men were hurrying to their quarters. the 'ruling passion' was strong with me. i had grown so accustomed to yield prompt obedience to the call to quarters, that i quite forgot i was wounded. springing up, i at once pulled on my clothes--an operation which i found rather difficult on account of my wounded arm--seized my sword, which lay at the head of the bed, sprang up the stairs that led to the main-deck, and ran forward to take command of my division. as i passed the door of the dispensatory, i was confronted by the surgeon, who, holding up his hands in dismay, exclaimed: "'mr. morton! do you know what you are about? where are you going?' "'going to quarters, doctor. didn't you hear that drum?' "'get below, sir, instantly,' was the doctor's answer. 'get below! and don't let me catch you on deck again until i give you permission. get below, i tell you, sir!' he continued, in a louder tone, seeing that i hesitated. 'haven't you got sense enough to know that you are dangerously wounded? i am surgeon of this ship, and have authority to enforce my commands.' "of this i was well aware, and i was obliged to retrace my steps to the engine-room, where i lay down upon the bed. "the morning's fight having convinced the admiral that, although the batteries had been partially silenced, they could not be completely reduced, without the co-operation of the land forces, he returned to his old anchorage, for the purpose of convoying the transports which were to run by the batteries and ferry the troops across the river below. the latter followed close in the wake of the gun-boats, on which the batteries opened quite as briskly as in the morning. the iron-clads replied, and under cover of their fire the transports passed the batteries in safety, after which the gun-boats also ran by, and assisted in carrying the troops across the river. in this fight the concord was struck but twice, and no one was injured. as soon as she had been brought to an anchor, the doctor entered the engine-room, and, after regarding me for a moment with an expression that i could not understand, said: "'you're a nice one, ain't you?' "'why, doctor, what's the matter?' i asked. "'you don't wish to get well, i guess.' "'o, yes, i do! but i am not badly hurt; there was nothing to hinder me from taking my station.' "'you will allow me to be the judge of that, if you please,' returned the doctor. 'but i have got a room fixed up for you on deck. do you feel able to walk up there?' "'certainly. i am not hurt, i tell you, doctor,' i repeated. 'i can outrun, outjump, or outlift you; and yet you take as much care of me as though i was badly wounded.' "'well, you've got a big hole in your head anyhow,' said the doctor, as he took my arm, and assisted me up the stairs, in spite of my assertions that i was 'able to walk alone.' 'it's an ugly-looking wound. just take my advice now; let me put you on the sick-list for a day or two, and you will be all right.' "'well, don't keep me on the list any longer than is necessary,' i answered, knowing that i would be compelled to submit to the doctor's requirements, whether i wanted to or not. 'i do detest a life of inactivity. i want to be doing something.' "i was furnished with a bed in the ward-room, for my own quarters had been almost demolished during the late fights, and during the two days that followed, i passed the time miserably enough. every able-bodied man on board the ship was engaged in repairing damages, while i, being closely watched by the doctor, was obliged to remain quiet. my wounds troubled me very little. on the third day after the fight, to my immense relief, my name was taken off the sick-list, and i was allowed to return to duty. "the next morning after this, signal was made from the flag-ship to get under way, and resume the attack upon the batteries at grand gulf. as we approached the heights, a column of smoke, which was seen arising over the trees, told us that the rebels had abandoned their fortifications. the gun-boats touched the bank at the foot of the hill at about the same moment; and, as the concord's bows touched the shore, the captain thrust his head from the pilot-house, and shouted: "'get ashore there, you sea-cooks! get ashore there, and hoist the concord's flag over that fort on the top of the hill! off you go--run like quarter horses!' "the sailors did not need a second bidding, but, leaving their quarters, they made a general rush for the place where the boat-ensigns were stowed, and if one of the men succeeded in securing a flag, he was instantly seized by half a dozen others, who desperately struggled to wrest it from him, that they might have the honor of planting it upon the rebel heights, while he struggled as furiously to retain it. all discipline was at an end. the sailors, wild with excitement, were struggling and shouting below, while the captain stood on the quarter-deck, almost beside himself, for fear that his men would be behind, for the crews of each vessel were jumping ashore, bearing in their hands the flags which they had determined to plant upon the deserted fortifications. "i stood at the hatchway, looking down upon the struggling crew beneath, regretting that my wounded arm--which still continued to pain me at intervals--prevented me from entering as a competitor, when i was aroused by: "'mr. morton! i know you want this, sir.' "i turned, and found one of the quarter-masters holding out a flag to me. "'certainly i want it,' i answered. 'thank you;' and seizing the flag, i sprang upon the hammock-nettings. at this moment the doctor discovered me, and shouted: "'mr. morton, what are you about, sir? remember, i only put you on light duty. it will be the death of you, if you attempt to run up that hill.' "but i was excited, and, without waiting to answer, sprang overboard. i was so anxious to be first, that i could not waste time to go below, and leave the ship in a proper manner. the moment i touched the water, i struck out for the shore, and as i clambered up the bank, i found crowds of men from each vessel running at the top of their speed toward the hill, all bent on planting the glorious old flag on the pinnacle, for the possession of which they had fought so long and desperately. but far in advance of all of them i saw one of the engineers of the concord. i was both pleased and annoyed at this--pleased that the ship to which i belonged should have the honor of hoisting the stars and stripes over the rebel stronghold, and annoyed that i could not be the person who was to raise it. but it was not my disposition to be discouraged. as i had few equals in running, i determined to overtake the engineer, and, if possible, to beat him. "as soon as i reached the top of the bank, i commenced running, and was soon ahead of many of those who were far in advance of me when i started. the engineer, in the mean time, also proved that he was no mean runner; and the little flag which he carried over his shoulder moved far up the mountain, dancing about among the rocks and bushes like a will-o'-the-wisp, seeming to recede as i advanced. soon i had passed all of my competitors with the exception of this one, and the race was now between us. up, up we ran. i soon discovered that i was gaining at every step. presently i was so close to him that i could hear his quick, heavy breathing. we were rapidly nearing the fort that crowned the crest of the hill, and i redoubled my exertions. the engineer did likewise. it seemed as though the sight of those battered fortifications had infused new life into him, for he ran at a rate that astonished me; and when i reached the top of the hill the little banner had been planted on the breastworks, and my rival lay on the ground, panting and exhausted. cheers, long and loud, burst from the gallant band standing at the foot of the hill, who had been interested spectators of our movements, and their shouts were answered with redoubled energy by the crew of the concord, who, in their joy at seeing their own flag planted on the fort by one of their own officers, forgot all the sacrifices they had made to accomplish that end. "in a short time the heights were covered with men, who busied themselves in completing the destruction which the rebels had commenced. at dark all returned on board their respective vessels, which moved out into the stream a short distance, and anchored. i paid dearly for my foolishness in jumping overboard, and then running that distance in the hot sun; for two days after that i was confined to my bed, and finally, at the doctor's suggestion, i was dumped into an ambulance and sent by land to the hospital-ship. i was well again in two weeks, and learning that a naval battery was to be mounted on shore, volunteered to assist in working it, received permission, and am ready to face any new dangers for the sake of the old flag." the next day, while frank and his companion were fighting the battery, the former was surprised by the appearance of a strange officer, who brought orders for him to report on board his vessel without delay. he obeyed the summons, and found that the trenton had been ordered up the yazoo river, and that he had been sent for to take charge of a division whose commanding officer had been sent to the hospital. as soon as he arrived on board, the vessel was got under way, and, in company with the flag-ship and several gun-boats, which they found waiting for them at the mouth of the yazoo river, they started toward haines' bluff. the report was, the attack was to be a 'feigned' one, but frank thought, from the pounding the trenton received, that it might as well have been a _real_ one. the fight was continued until dark, when the vessels dropped down out of range of the batteries and anchored. chapter xvi. the rival sharp-shooters. about half-past four o'clock, on the succeeding morning, just after frank had come off watch, and was dozing in his berth, he was awakened by a loud crash. starting up, he discovered his looking-glass in fragments, and the pieces scattered about over the floor. while he was wondering what could have been the cause of the accident, he happened to discover that the bulk-head behind the looking-glass was splintered, which looked very much as though it had been done by a musket-shot; and, at the same instant, he heard a shrill whistle, with which he was perfectly familiar. he also heard a rustling in the bunk above him, and mr. williams, his room-mate, sprang suddenly upon the floor, exclaiming: "my goodness, mr. nelson! the rebels are shooting at _us_." "i see they are," answered frank, coolly, as he slowly arose from his berth and commenced drawing on his pants; "just see our looking-glass! but where are you going?" he asked, finding that his room-mate was frantically gathering up his clothing. "i'm going to get below as soon as i can," was the answer. "don't you know that this room isn't iron-clad?" "yes, i know that. but what's your hurry?" mr. williams did not stop to reply, but, having collected all his clothing, opened the door and sprang out on deck. one bound carried him to the gangway that led to the main-deck, and in a moment more he had disappeared. frank was laughing heartily at the comical figure his timid room-mate had cut, when another shot came crashing through the bulk-head, and lodged in the mattress in the berth above him, showing how narrow had been mr. williams's escape. this made him think that he also had better be getting below. he waited, however, until he was entirely dressed, and then walked slowly out on the quarter-deck, and took refuge behind the wheel-house, intending to make himself acquainted with the nature of the attack before going below. the officer of the deck and the quarter-master on watch were the only persons in sight, and they, too, were standing behind the wheel-house for protection. "what seems to be the matter, mr. martin? are we likely to have a brush?" "o no," answered the latter; "a few rebels have taken possession of the battery from which we drove them yesterday, and are trying to pick some of us off. did you see 'nuisance' when he came out of his room? he ran like a streak, but came very near being winged, for a ball struck the deck not six inches from him." at this moment the captain appeared, and went into the pilot-house, that he might investigate matters without running the risk of being struck by the bullets. he had scarcely closed the door, when a ball carried away the latch. had he been a moment later, he would certainly have been killed. "a close shave," said he, with a laugh. then raising one of the windows of the pilot-house, he shouted, "on deck, there!" "ay, ay, sir," answered mr. martin. "get under cover as quickly as possible; and, mr. nelson, see if you can throw a few shells among those fellows, and drive them out of there." it was not an easy task to get under cover, for, the moment they showed themselves, the bullets whistled about them like hail-stones. but, after dodging from one stanchion to another, using even the sky-lights for concealment, they succeeded in reaching the main-deck, where they were safe. frank ran into the turret, while mr. martin and the quarter-master dived down the hatchway, and ran up into the pilot-house. "turn out, you first division, and cast loose that no. 2 gun," shouted frank, as he reached the gun-deck, where the crew were still sleeping soundly in their hammocks. "turn out lively, lads." the men at once sprang out of their comfortable beds, and, as soon as the deck was cleared of the hammocks, the gun was cast loose. a moment afterward, a hundred-pound shot plunged into the battery, raising a cloud of dust; but the rebels had seen the flash of the gun in time to throw themselves behind the embankment and escape. "on deck, there," shouted the captain, through the trumpet. "that was very well done. try them again, and fire a little higher, and a trifle further to the left." "very good, sir," shouted frank, in reply; and the gun was again pointed, and another breach was made in the battery, but a loud, derisive shout was sent back in reply, showing that the shot had been without effect. for nearly an hour the fight was kept up, frank using his gun as rapidly as possible, and the rebels replying with their bullets, which rattled harmlessly against the trenton's iron mail, until the captain, finding that it was impossible to dislodge them, gave the order to cease firing. as soon as frank had seen the gun secured, he left the deck and went into the ward-room. it was filled with officers, who had been awakened by the firing, and were engaged in an animated conversation on the probabilities of having breakfast. "if the rebels continue to shoot at us, i don't know what you can do, gentlemen," said the caterer. "you know that the galley is on deck, and i can't send the cook up there, where he will be in danger of his life. when you get hungry you will find plenty of hard-tack and pickles in the paymaster's store-rooms." "o no," said the executive officer, "i am not going without my breakfast. there's no danger." "if you will go on deck, and remain there five minutes," said the caterer, "i'll agree to cook some breakfast for you." the proposition was accepted by the executive officer, and the two men went on deck, and walked toward the galley. they reached it in safety, when the executive said, triumphantly: "what do you think now? i told you there was no danger." a loud crash cut short his words, and a bullet entered the galley, and glancing from the stove, struck the opposite bulk-head, where it remained firmly embedded in the wood. "that will do, i guess," said the executive, hastily retreating toward the hatchway. "you needn't mind about sending the boys up here to cook breakfast." the two officers made the best of their way back to the ward-room, where they enjoyed a very good meal on some provisions that had been brought up out of the paymaster's store-rooms. they then went into the pilot-house to watch the movements of the rebels in the battery. the latter, finding that their fire was no longer returned, took no precautions to conceal themselves, but arose to their full height when they fired their muskets, and even stood on the battery, waving their hats, as if inviting a shot. frank watched them until he could stand it no longer, and then ran down below, to ask the captain's permission to return the fire. "look out there!" exclaimed that gentleman, as frank entered the cabin. "the first thing you know"---he was interrupted by the report of a musket, so loud that it seemed scarcely a stone's throw distant. a bullet came whistling into one of the ports, barely missing frank, and lodged in the captain's pantry, where a crashing among the crockery told that the ball had not been altogether thrown away. another shot followed close after it, but frank had dodged behind the bulk-head, and was safe. the captain was emphatically in a state of siege. his cabin was in the extreme after-part of the vessel, and in it were two port-holes, which were open. two sharp-shooters had taken up a position on the bank, where they could see into the cabin, and had compelled the captain to leave the desk where he had been writing, and take refuge behind the bulk-head. he was taking matters very coolly, however, being stretched out on a sofa, engaged in reading a newspaper. "mr. nelson," said he, with a laugh, "if many more of you officers enter this cabin, i shall be a ruined man. every shot that comes in here goes slap into that pantry, and i don't suppose i have a whole piece of crockery left. what did you wish?" "i came, sir, to ask permission to take one of your spencer rifles," answered frank. "i believe i can drive those rascals away from there," he added, glancing through the port. "very well, you may try. but i don't bother my head about them. they can't shoot through this bulk head, that's certain. however, it makes me feel rather uncomfortable to know that i can't get out of here without running the risk of being shot;" and the captain stretched himself on the sofa again, and resumed his reading. after considerable dodging, during which two more bullets were lodged in the captain's pantry, to the no small disgust of that gentleman, frank succeeded in securing a rifle and cartridge-box from one of the racks in the cabin, and concealing himself behind the bulk-head, thrust his gun carefully out of the port, and waited for a shot. the bank was scarcely fifty feet distant, but for a long time not a rebel showed himself, and frank had about come to the conclusion that they had given up the fight, when he noticed a small gully, scarcely a foot wide, that ran down to the water's edge, and in that gully he saw the top of a head, and afterward discerned a pair of eyes that were looking straight into the port. it was a small mark to shoot at, but frank had killed squirrels at that distance many a time; so, carefully raising his rifle, he took a quick aim, and fired, confident that there was one rebel less in the world. the ball landed in the bank, and raised a cloud of dust that for a moment concealed the effect of the shot; but it had scarcely cleared away, when a puff of smoke arose from the gully, and another bullet whizzed past frank's head, and landed among the captain's crockery, showing that the rebel still maintained his position. frank cautiously looked out, and saw the rebel hastily reloading his gun; but, before he could give him another shot, the deadly rifle was thrust over the bank, in readiness for another trial. "o, i'm here yet, yank!" shouted the rebel, as he saw frank regarding him as if he could scarcely believe his eyes. "i'm here! and you want to keep close, or down comes your meat-house. this 'ere rifle shoots right smart." as he ceased speaking, frank again fired at him, but with no better success than before, for the rebel answered the shot, and dodged back into the gully to reload. for two hours this singular contest was maintained, and frank was both astonished and provoked at his poor workmanship; still he would have continued the fight, had not the rebel coolly announced--"it's grub-time, yank. we'll try it again this afternoon." the fellow's impudence was a source of a great deal of merriment on the part of the captain, who laughed heartily at his remarks, and forgot the loss he had sustained in his crockery. "captain," said frank, as soon as he was certain that the rebel had gone, "it's a good time to close those ports now." "don't go near them. i won't trust the villains. tell the officers that they are at liberty to return the fire, but that they must not waste too much ammunition." frank went into the ward-room, and, after delivering the captain's order, deposited his gun in the corner. while making a hearty dinner on hard-tack and salt pork, he related the incidents of his fight with the rebel, which was listened to with interest by all the officers present. after finishing his meal he went on deck to get a letter which he had commenced writing to his cousin, intending, as soon as the firing recommenced, to renew the battle. not a shot had been fired since the rebel left the gully, and when frank walked across the deck and entered his room, not a rebel was in sight. he took the letter from his trunk, and was preparing to return below, when a bullet crashed through the bulk-head, and, striking his wash-bowl, shivered it into fragments. this seemed to be a signal for a renewal of the fight, for the bullets whistled over the ship in a perfect shower. frank sprang to his feet, and waited rather impatiently for an opportunity to make his way below; but none offered. as he opened the door of his room, he heard a sharp report, that he could easily distinguish from the rest, accompanied by a familiar whistle, and a bullet, which seemed to come from the stern of the vessel, sped past him, striking the pilot-house, and glancing upward with a loud shriek; at the same instant several more from the battery whistled by, too close for comfort. it was evident that the rebels had seen him enter his room, and knowing that his only chance for escape was across the deck, had determined to keep him a close prisoner. but why did they not fire through the bulk-head? perhaps they thought that it, like the rest of the ship, was iron-clad, and preferred waiting for him to come out, rather than to waste their lead. but frank, who knew that the sides of his room were only thin boards, which could afford him no protection whatever from the bullets of his enemies, was not blessed with the most comfortable thoughts. to go out was almost certain death, for, although he might escape the bullets of the rebels in the battery, there was his rival of the morning in the gully, who handled his rifle with remarkable skill. to remain was hardly less dangerous, for a bullet might at any time enter his room and put an end to his existence. "well, i'm in a nice fix," he soliloquized; "i've often heard of treeing bears, raccoons, and other animals, but i never before heard of an officer being treed in his own room, and on board his own ship. i don't like to go out on deck, and have those bullets whizzing by my head and calling me 'cousin;' besides, i shall certainly be shot, for there's that fellow in the gully, and i know he's an excellent marksman. i've got to stay here for awhile, that's evident. if i ever get out, i'll make somebody sweat for this. i wish i had my gun; but, as i am here unarmed, i must find some kind of a protection." so saying, he snatched the mattresses from the beds, and, lying on the floor, placed one on each side of him as a barricade. he remained in this position until almost night, the bullets all the while shrieking over the deck, and making music most unpleasant to his ears. at length the firing began to slacken, and frank determined to make another effort to get below. it was not a long distance to the gangway that led to the main-deck, but there was that fellow in the gully who still maintained the fight, as an occasional crash in the pantry proved, and frank had a wholesome fear of him. he resolved, however, to make the attempt, and, waiting until the rebel had fired his gun, he threw open the door, when a few hasty steps carried him below. he heard a loud shout as he ran, and knew that the rebel had seen him. at dark the firing ceased altogether; and after supper--the only cooked meal they had during the day--the officers assembled on deck to enjoy the cool breeze, for the heat below had been almost intolerable. it was late when they retired, but it is needless to say that those who had rooms on the quarter-deck slept in the mess-rooms. the next morning, just as every one had expected, the firing was again renewed by the rebels in the battery, and it was at once answered by some of the younger officers of the ship, who cracked away, whether an enemy was in sight or not. frank had not been able to get the thought of that rebel sharp-shooter out of his mind. the audacity he had displayed in taking up a position so close to the vessel, and the skill with which he handled his rifle, excited his admiration, and he determined that, should he again take up the same position, he would renew his attempt to dislodge him. he, however, took no part in the fight until he came off watch at noon. he then provided himself with a rifle, and, after considerable trouble, succeeded in getting into the wheel-house, the lower part of which, being built of thick timbers, would easily resist a bullet, and here he settled down, determined to fight his enemy as long as he had a charge of powder left. the rebel was in his old position, concealed as usual, and, as the cabin ports had been closed, he was directing his fire toward the pilot-house. he was, of course, not aware that frank had changed his base of operations; but he did not long remain ignorant of the fact, for the latter commenced the fight without ceremony. as nearly every officer on board the vessel was engaged in fighting the rebels, the one in question could not determine whence the shot came. he drew back for a moment, and then thrust his head carefully out, to reconnoiter. frank, who could fire seven shots without stopping to reload, was ready for him, and another bullet sped toward the mark, but, as usual, with no more effect than throwing up a cloud of dust. this time, however, the rebel saw where it came from, and a moment afterward a ball was buried in the thick timbers, scarcely an inch from the place where frank was cautiously looking out, watching the motions of his rival. from his new position, frank found that the rebel, after he had fired his gun, was obliged to turn over on his back to reload, and he determined that, if he could not dislodge him, he would at least put it out of his power to do any further mischief. so, when the rebel exposed his arm, as he was in the act of ramming down the charge, he fired at him again. the latter, ignorant of the fact that his opponent had a seven-shooter, now redoubled his efforts, and made all haste to reload his gun; but again did a bullet strike in the bank close beside him, and cover him with a shower of dust. this seemed to puzzle the rebel, for he raised his head and gazed intently toward the place where his enemy was concealed. that move was fatal to him. scarcely three inches of his head was exposed; but the bullet went straight to the mark--the rebel rolled down the bank, and the deadly rifle fell from his hands. chapter xvii. the smugglers' cave--conclusion. "tom," said frank, addressing himself to the quarter-master, as the two were standing their watch that evening, "how came you to go to sea?" "i was born a sailor, sir," answered the man. "my father, and my grandfather before him, followed the sea for a livelihood. they were smugglers, living among the rocks and crags on the southern coast of england. "my home was not such a one as would have suited you, sir; but it was a pleasant place to me, and i often look back to the days of my boyhood, although passed amid scenes of danger, as the happiest ones of my life. our house, as we called it, was a cave in the side of a high mountain, at the foot of which was a long, narrow, and rocky passage, that led to the ocean. at the end of this passage, next to the mountain, was a small but deep bay, where a vessel could ride at anchor in safety without being seen by any one outside. in front of the cave was a small grass plot, which overlooked a vast extent of sea and land, and from which the distant shores of france could be seen. this was my post, where i sat many a night, watching for the return of my father, who was the captain of the smugglers. it was my business to watch for revenue-cutters, and to give the signal of danger in case any appeared off the coast at the time father was expected to return. "it would have been a lonely watch in that cave for one who was not accustomed to it, for i never had a companion; but, having been brought up to that kind of a life, i was never at a loss to know how to pass away the time. the fishing in the basin was excellent, and i had a small boat, the exact model of my father's little schooner, with which i sometimes amused myself for hours together in running in and out of the channel, which, owing to its rocky nature, was very difficult of passage. it was here that the cutters were always given the slip. father never approached the coast except during the night, and many a time have i seen the swift little schooner come bounding over the waves, with every stitch of her canvas stretched, followed close in her wake by a cutter. the latter would be certain of his prize when he saw the schooner heading straight toward the rocks; but, the first thing he knew, the smuggler would be out of sight in the channel. no light was necessary, for father knew every inch of the ground, and before the man-o'-war could lower his boats and discover the place where his prize had so mysteriously disappeared, father would have his goods landed, and, ere the cutter was aware of it, he would run out of the channel under his very nose, and make all sail for france. no one outside of the band was ever known to enter the channel; for, even in broad daylight, a person would have declined making the trial, as the waves dashed and roared among the rocks in a manner that seemed to threaten destruction to any thing that came within their reach. "the schooner was several times overhauled and boarded while at sea, but father never lost a cargo. he always succeeded in fooling the revenue chaps in some manner. i remember one time in particular, when i made a trip on board the schooner as mate. we made the run in our usual time, easily eluding the cutters that were watching us, and arrived off the coast of france with every thing in order. one dark night we landed our goods, and, after receiving our money, we ran down to a little town, to purchase some necessary articles, and to take in our return supply. a lot of jabbering french policemen sprang on board of us, almost before we had touched the wharf, and commenced rummaging the hold; but they, of course, went away disappointed in their hopes of finding something to condemn us. we lay in port alongside of a little dutch trading vessel, that was our exact model and build in every particular, until night, when we received our goods, ran by the police, and stood out to sea. we got along nicely until just before daylight, when an 'irish-man's hurricane,' as we call a calm, set in, accompanied by a heavy fog, and we lay motionless on the water, with the sails flapping idly against the masts. it was provoking, and a more uneasy set of men than that schooner's crew i never saw. we remained becalmed for nearly an hour, anxiously waiting for the wind to spring up, when i happened to step for'ard, and heard a noise like the washing of the waves against the side of a vessel. i hastily ran aft and reported the matter to father, who silently stationed his men, and walked for'ard, with his speaking-trumpet in his hand, while we stood at our posts, almost fearing to breathe, lest it should be heard on board of the strange vessel, which was still concealed from our view by the thick fog. "at length, to our inexpressible relief, we felt a puff of wind; then came another and another, each one increasing in force, until the sails began to draw, and the schooner commenced moving slowly through the water. we stood off on the starboard tack, intending to give our invisible neighbor a wide berth; but he had also caught the wind, and we could hear him moving along almost in front of us. at length the fog lifted a little, and we saw a large revenue-cutter standing directly across our bows, scarcely a cable's length distant. we luffed, to allow him to pass, when a hail came from his deck: "'schooner ahoy!' "'yah,' shouted father through his trumpet. "'what schooner is that?' "'dis? dis is my schooner. you know it.' "we all held our breath in suspense, wondering what would be the result of this strange answer, when we distinctly heard the voice say: "'it's that rascally dutchman again.' then, in a louder tone, came the question, 'did you keep a good look-out for that smuggler, as we requested?' "'yah! but i haven't saw him.' "'o, shiver your ugly figure-head,' was the answer. 'i've a good notion to put a six-pound shot into you, you wooden-headed sour-krout eater. this makes twice that we have been fooled by you. now off you go, and don't you cross our hawse again.' "father made no reply, and the cutter put her helm down, and started off. we passed under her stern, and in a few moments she disappeared in the fog. the next night we entered the channel, and landed our goods in safety. we afterward learned that the cutter, which had been closely watching our movements, had boarded the dutch schooner, (which i have before mentioned, and which sailed about two hours in advance of us,) and so certain were they that they had at last gobbled the smuggler, that they seized the vessel, and unceremoniously slapped the captain and his crew in double irons. the skipper was so terrified that he forgot his english, and jabbered away in dutch; and it was not until the ship's papers had been overhauled, that the cutter discovered her mistake. when the revenue fellows ran foul of us, they were again deceived by the resemblance between the two vessels, and the manner in which father had imitated the dutch skipper's language. about a year after that we had a stopper put on our operations, by one of our own men. "the cave had two entrances--one by a rope ladder from the basin below, which we could draw up in times of danger, and the other by a path through the mountains, which was known only to a few of the band whom father thought he could trust. but his confidence was abused. there is a black sheep in every flock, and we had one among us--a man who, tempted by the offer of reward that was held out for our apprehension, betrayed us, and broke up our harboring-place. "it was this man's business to go to bath, a small town about two miles from the cave, to dispose of our goods to the merchants in that place, and receive the funds. young as i was, i almost knew that the fellow would one day get us into trouble. he was a short, powerfully-built man, with a most villainous countenance. he was always silent and morose; could not bear to have you look him in the eye; in short, he was just the man that i would have picked out from among a hundred as a traitor. father seemed to repose entire confidence in him, and always asked his advice in times of danger; but, as much as i respected his judgment, i could not conquer the feeling with which i had always regarded the man, and i was constantly on the watch. "one night the schooner sailed as usual, but this man, under pretense of sickness, remained behind, with instructions from father, in case he got better, to go to the village and collect some money due him for goods. "'all right,' answered the mate; 'i'll attend to it.' then, as soon as father had got out of hearing, he muttered, 'i'll collect something for you that you won't expect.' "as soon as the schooner had cleared the channel, and was fairly out to sea, the rapidity with which that man got well was astonishing. he staid about the cave all day, scarcely saying a word to me, and at night departed by the secret path for the village. i was very uneasy, for a dread of impending evil constantly pressed upon me, and i determined to watch the path, and be ready for any emergency. "on the cliff, at the entrance of the channel that led to the bay, was a pile of dry wood, that was to be lighted in case of danger. this i replenished, placing materials for striking a light close at hand, and then returned to the cave to keep watch of the path. "two days passed without the occurrence of any thing unusual, and the night came on which the schooner was expected to return. i divided my attention between the secret path and the offing, and at length a blue light, moving up and down in the darkness, told me that the schooner was approaching. i answered the signal, and stood peering through the darkness to get a glimpse of the approaching vessel, when i heard a rustling behind me, and looking down the path i discovered, to my dismay, a party of armed men approaching, headed by the traitor, who said, in a low voice: "'it's all right now. catch that brat before he has time to light the signal of danger, and let the schooner once get into the channel, and we have got them fast.' "the person spoken of as 'that brat' was myself, and i knew that the salvation of the schooner depended upon my exertions. in an instant i had determined upon my course, and, springing from the cave, i ran toward the rope ladder that led to the basin below, and commenced descending. a moment afterward the mouth of the cave was filled by the burly form of the traitor, who exclaimed: "'there he is--shoot him!' and, suiting the action to the word, he leveled his pistol and fired. i felt a sharp pain shoot through my shoulder; a faintness seized upon me, and, being unable longer to retain my hold upon the ladder, i disappeared in the basin. my sudden immersion in the cold water revived me, and, being an excellent swimmer, i struck out, intending to climb the cliff on the opposite side, and fire the pile. i exerted myself to the utmost, for i could see by the lights in the mouth of the cave that the traitor and his men were preparing to follow me; but, it seemed, in my hurry and excitement, that i scarcely moved through the water. at length, however, i reached the opposite shore, and after climbing the cliff, (which i did with the utmost difficulty, for my wounded arm was hanging almost useless at my side, and i had not stopped to look for the path,) i ran at the top of my speed toward the pile. the schooner having seen my signal, and supposing, of course, that all was right, was still standing toward the mouth of the channel. a moment more, and i would have been too late. "i had considerable difficulty in finding my flint, and then it seemed impossible to strike a light; but, just as the foremost of my pursuers reached the top of the cliff, i succeeded in catching a spark; in a moment more, the whole pile was in a blaze. i could not refrain from giving a shout of triumph as i saw the flames shooting upward toward the sky, lighting up the whole face of the rocks, until every object was as clearly defined as in broad daylight. i heard an exclamation of surprise on board the schooner, followed by a few hastily-spoken orders; then i knew that i had succeeded, and the schooner was safe. but i was not a moment too soon, for the little vessel was rapidly nearing the mouth of the channel, and once enclosed by those rocky walls, once under the influence of those waves that dashed so madly over the rocks, retreat would have been impossible. "i was allowed scarcely a moment to congratulate myself upon my success, for my pursuers, finding themselves foiled, determined to wreak their vengeance upon me. they could plainly see me by the light of the burning pile, and the quick discharge of half a dozen pistols sent the bullets thickly around me. it was death to remain where i was, so, taking a last look at the cave, i threw myself over the cliff, and struck out for the schooner. "my father, having seen me when i took the leap, laid the schooner to, and lowered a boat to pick me up. i tell you, sir, i was a proud youngster when i stood on that deck, receiving the thanks and the congratulations of those i had saved. i forgot the pain of my wound, and the dangers from which i had escaped, in the joy i experienced at finding myself once more safe among my friends." their watch ending with tom's interesting reminiscence, they then turned in for the night. the next morning the attack upon the bluffs was renewed, without resulting to the advantage of either side, and at night the vessels again withdrew, and retreated down the river. the trenton returned to her old landing, and frank, at his request, was again placed in command of one of the guns of the battery. but he was not destined to hold the position long, for, now that the "beauties" had dismounted that troublesome gun, general sherman had advanced his works until he could go no further without getting into the enemy's line. at length, one morning, a flag of truce was raised within their fortifications, and hostilities were at once suspended. then came that celebrated interview between the generals, during which the soldiers on both sides clambered out of the rifle-pits, and conversed face to face with the men with whom they had so long been engaged in deadly conflict. "how are you now, johnny?" inquired frank, seating himself on one of the guns, and waving his hat to a rebel officer who stood in the rifle-pits, gazing at the battery with great interest. "what does that flag of truce mean? are you going to surrender?" "don't know," replied the rebel; "but, i say, yank, will you let a fellow come over there?" "certainly. come on." the rebel accordingly laid aside his weapons, and walked over to the battery, where, after examining the guns very curiously, he entered into conversation with frank, in the course of which he informed him that they were a "played-out concern," and could not possibly hold out more than a week longer. but they did not "hold out" so long; for, on the next day, the fourth of july, the victorious army entered the city, and raised the stars and stripes over the "sebastopol of the rebels." here we leave our hero, reposing before vicksburg on his well-earned reputation as a gallant young officer, waiting to be ordered to new scenes of excitement and danger further down the mississippi and up her tributary streams. through these scenes we shall conduct our readers in a concluding volume, which will close frank's career on our western waters. the end. r. w. carroll & co., publishers, booksellers, and stationers, 73 west fourth street, opera-house building, cincinnati, ohio call attention to their list of standard, useful, and interesting works: =the works of shakespeare.= complete. 8vo., shp. $4.50 turkey antique, $10. =vagaries of van dyke browne.= an autobiography in verse. by wm. p. brannan. 1 vol., 16mo., $1.75. =lights and shadows of army life=; or, pen pictures from the camp, the battlefield, and the hospital, by rev. w. w. lyle, chaplain u. s. a. 1 vol., 12mo., $1.75. =discourses from the pulpit.= by rev. wm. m. daily, a. m., ll.d., late president indiana university. with portrait. 1 vol., 12mo., $1.50. =the mystic circle and american hand-book of free-=masonry. by george h. gray. 1 vol., 12mo., illus. _new edition._ $2. =the illustrated book of manners=; a manual of good behavior and polite accomplishments. by robert de valcourt. illustrated, 16mo., $1.75. =the odd-fellows' minstrel=; a collection of odes for all occasions, for the use of the fraternity. by j. fletcher williams, p. g. s. of grand lodge of minnesota. 1 vol., flexible cloth, 75 cents. =the heroes of the war for the union=, and their achievements. with a portrait of general grant. by rev. p. v. ferree, m. d. 1 vol., 12mo., $2. =the gun-boat series.= by h. c. castlemon, "the gun-boat boy." comprising: frank, the young naturalist. illustrated, $1.25. frank in the woods. illustrated, $1.25. frank on a gun-boat. illustrated, $1.25. frank before vicksburg. illustrated, $1.25. frank on the lower mississippi. illustrated, $1.25. =incidents of the war=: humorous, pathetic, and descriptive. by alf. burnett, comic delineator, army correspondent, etc. 1 vol., 12mo., illustrated. cloth, $1.25. =the sioux massacre in minnesota=: a history of the great massacre by the sioux indians in minnesota; including the personal narratives of many who escaped. by charles s. bryant, a. m., and a. b. murch. 1 vol., 12 mo., 504 pages, cloth, $1.75. =trial of clement l. vallandigham= by a military commission, and the proceedings in _habeas corpus_. 1 vol., 8 vo. paper, 75 cents; law sheep, $2. =internal rules and regulations= for vessels of the mississippi fleet. issued by order of rear-admiral david d. porter. 8 vo., stitched, 25 cents. =thrilling adventures of pauline cushman=, the famous federal spy. 1 vol., 12 mo., stitched, 25 cents. =poems.= by alice mcclure griffin. from the riverside press. 1 vol., 12mo., cloth, gilt tops, $1. =lawson on consumption.= a practical treatise on phthisis pulmonalis. by l. m. lawson. m. d., professor of the theory and practice of medicine in the medical college of ohio, etc. 1 vol., 8 vo., sheep, $3.50. =a history of the discovery of the circulation of the= blood. by p. flourens, sec. of the academy of sciences, paris. translated from the french by j. c. reeve, m. d. 1 vol., 16 mo., cl., $1. =a popular manual of practical microscopy.= by john king, m. d. illustrated with 114 cuts. 8 vo., $2.50. =the eclectic practice of medicine.= by william byrd powell, m. d., and r. s. newton, m. d. 1 vol., 8 vo., sheep, $4. =the concordia.= by a. d. fillmore. a splendid book of church music, with ample lessons for schools, in round notes, containing over 400 pages. $1.50 per copy; $12 per dozen. =the polyphonic=; or, juvenile choralist. by a. d. and c. l. fillmore, containing a great variety of music and hymns, new and old, designed for schools and youth generally, and adapted to use in religious meetings and in the home circle. three parts, in 1 vol., 128 pages. paper covers, 30 cents per copy; $3 per dozen. stiff covers, 35 cents per copy; $3.60 per dozen. teachers and sabbath-schools supplied by the dozen or hundred, at a liberal discount. =nelson's mercantile arithmetic=, for commercial schools and colleges. by richard nelson. 1 vol., cloth, $1.25. =the little speaker.= by j. c. zachos. 60 cents. =the high school speaker.= by j. c. zachos. $1. [symbol: hand] liberal discounts to the trade. any work on our list sent, post-paid, on receipt of price. r. w. carroll & co., _73 west fourth street, cincinnati._ to physicians and medical students. r. w. carroll & co. keep at all times a complete stock. -of medical books, to which the attention of physicians and students is directed. among them will be found the latest editions of all the leading authors in the use as text-books in the colleges, comprising works on materia medica and pathology, works on surgery, works on mechanical and operative dentistry, anatomical books, domestic medicine, etc., etc., etc., recently issued: a new and complete medical catalogue, (prices attached,) which will be sent on receipt of a postage stamp. the trade supplied on liberal terms. r. w carroll & co., publishers, _73 west fourth street, cincinnati._ a new and stirring set of juveniles each volume handsomely illustrated. these are the only works published relating to adventures in the gun-boat service on our western waters. the author speaks from actual experience. frank, the young naturalist, frank in the woods, frank on a gun-boat, frank before vicksburg, frank on the lower mississippi. by h. c. castlemon, the "gun-boat boy." these works are the productions of a young officer, who has been serving his country in the gun-boat service on our western waters. they are written in a chaste style, filled with stirring adventures, and are admirably adapted to interest and improve the rising generation. the tone of the entire series is healthy, while it takes a wide range, detailing the adventures, amusements, and exploits of frank and his cousin archie, from early boyhood to the end of the rebellion, against which they both fought. 5 volumes, elegantly printed and bound, in a neat box, $6.25. any volume sold separately, price $1.25. sent by mail, post paid, on receipt of price. for sale by all booksellers in the united states. r. w. carroll & co., publishers, 73 west fourth st., (opera-house building,) cincinnati, o. shakespeare r. w. carroll & co. call attention to their edition of the complete works of wm. shakespeare. one vol., large octavo, elegantly illustrated. sheep, $4 50; turkey antique, $10. this is the handsomest one-volume edition published. it is printed from clear, bold type, illustrated with steel engravings, and comprises the complete dramatic and poetical works, from the text of the late george steevens, with a glossary and notes, and a memoir by alexander chalmers. 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[symbol: hand] a standard work on freemasonry. just ready, a new edition of the mystic circle, and american hand-book of masonry by george h. gray, sr. this excellent work contains a brief history of freemasonry in europe and america--symbolic chart--ancient constitution of the grand lodge of england--abiman rezon--constitutional rules--resolutions, decisions, and opinions of grand lodges and enlightened masons, on questions liable to arise in subordinate lodges, and a code of by-laws for subordinate lodges--instructions, suggestions, and forms for secretaries of lodges. one vol., illustrated, handsomely bound, $2.00. sent by mail, post-paid. r. w. carroll & co., publishers, 73 west fourth street. new poems by wm. p. brannan. vagaries of vandyke browne, an autobiography in verse. by wm. p. brannan, author of "the harp of a thousand strings" 1 vol., elegantly printed on laid paper, and exquisitely bound in new style cloth, $1.75. _sent by mail, postage paid, on receipt of price_. mr. brannan is well known, to the people of the west especially, as an artist, and an occasional contributor of poetry to the press. his "harp of a thousand strings," a burlesque sermon, has been long recognized as the best of its class. the present volume is one of superior merit for the wit and humor of the autobiography, the pathos, imagination and smooth versification of the occasional pieces scattered in profusion throughout. this work is destined to place mr. brannan high in the rank of american poets, and to give him position as a leader among the bards of the west. _notices of the press_. "the breezy freshness of the prairie pervades his thought, and breathes in many of his lines."--_portland daily press._ "the collection of poems does honor to the author, whose name is so familiar to western people, that the mere announcement of the work will be sufficient to secure a host of readers."--_cincinnati gazette._ "this autobiographic verse is made to link together a number of fugitive poems which have the true gold of poetry, without alloy."--_cincinnati commercial._ "the poems display a tender and refined sensibility, and the book is one to buy."--_boston saturday evening gazette._ "the author manifests more than ordinary skill in versification."--_salem register._ r. w. carroll & co., publishers, 73 west fourth st., opera-house building, cincinnati. musical works of a. d. fillmore. r. w. carroll & co. call attention to the following list of mr. fillmore's works, which are published by them: _harp of zion_: a large book of church music, in figure-faced notation on the staff. the work contains a concise course of lessons, and a series of practical exercises for schools; also, a number of fine secular pieces, designed for social and school practice. $1.25 per copy; $12 per dozen. (in preparation--entirely new.) _concordia_: a splendid book of church music, with ample lessons for schools, in round notes, containing over _four hundred pages_. $1.50 per copy; $15 per dozen. _polyphonic_: designed for sunday-schools. bound in boards, 35 cents per copy; $3.60 per dozen. paper covers, 30 cents per copy; $3 per dozen. liberal discounts, on the above works, to sunday-schools, teachers, and the trade. sent by mail, post-paid, on receipt of price. a pleasant volume for the fireside. humorous, pathetic, and descriptive incidents of the war. by alf. burnett, humorist and army correspondent. with a sketch of his life; and humorous illustrations, from original designs, by thee. jones. 1 vol., 12 mo., cloth. $1.25. mr. burnett has a reputation, throughout the entire country, as a first-class humorist. in this volume he has gathered incidents both grave and gay, to convulse with laughter, and to subdue with tears. it is a book which will be readily welcomed by a large class of readers, and contains much worthy of preservation. sent by mail, post-paid, on receipt of price. r. w carroll & co., publishers, _73 west fourth street, cincinnati_. opera-house bookstore, cincinnati, o. wholesale department. r. w. carroll & co., wholesale booksellers and stationers, keep constantly on hand the largest and best assorted stock of books and stationery, of every imaginable kind, to be found in any one house in the mississippi valley. they offer these at reduced prices, and will always sell on as favorable terms as the market will permit, or as any other house can give. among the great variety of articles sold by r. w. carroll & co. are the following: school books of every kind, used in the west, law books, medical books, scientific books, theological books, agricultural books, and all varieties of miscellaneous books, including histories, biographies, travels, novels, and illustrated works; photograph albums and cards, plain and fancy letter and note paper, foreign and domestic stationery, foolscap and flatcap paper, gold pens, inkstands, steel and quill pens, lead pencils, chess boards, cribbage boards, paper weights, paper cutters, card cases, pocket books, portfolios, writing desks, pocket cutlery, diaries, memorandum, scrap and blank books. in fact their stock includes every variety of books and stationery, which they invite dealers to examine before purchasing, as they are confident they offer the greatest facilities, and can give satisfaction. _r. w. carroll & co._, 73 west fourth. st., cincinnati. google books library project (https://books.google.com) and generously made available by hathitrust digital library (https://www.hathitrust.org/) note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see 59423-h.htm or 59423-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/59423/59423-h/59423-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/59423/59423-h.zip) images of the original pages are available through hathitrust digital library. see https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hnx5cg;view=1up;seq=11 famous fighters of the fleet [illustration: publisher's logo] [illustration: _frontispiece_. the enemy in sight--'full speed ahead!' [looking down, on board a battleship, from the forward fighting-top.]] famous fighters of the fleet glimpses through the cannon smoke in the days of the old navy by edward fraser they left us a kingdom none can take, the realm of the circling sea, to be ruled by the rightful sons of blake and the rodneys yet to be. henry newbolt. as it was in the days of long ago, and as it still shall be. rudyard kipling. with illustrations london macmillan and co., limited new york: the macmillan company 1904 all rights reserved dedication the lasses and the little ones, jack tars, they look to you; the despots over yonder, let 'em do whate'er they please, god bless the little isle where a man may still be true, god bless the noble isle that is mistress of the seas. tennyson. preface this book, as far as its subject is concerned, is something of an experiment, something of a new departure. it is an attempt to interest people by recalling some of the associations of the brave days of old that cluster round and attach to certain historic man-of-war names. as far as that goes, indeed, having for its subject, as it has, the doings in battle of famous hearts of oak of the fighting times- those oaken giants of the ancient race that ruled all seas, the book ought not to require an elaborate introduction, any special pleading on its behalf, among those whose pride it is to count themselves the sons and sires of seamen whose realm is all the sea. further, it may possibly be, that in a degree, this book may serve as a reminder, even to some of those who to-day man his majesty's fleet, of what an inheritance is theirs, and how tremendous an obligation. the heroism of the old navy lives evermore in the man-of-war names of the modern navy, and should lead our sailors more even than they do, to 'glory,' in kinglake's stirring language, in their ships' 'ancient names, connecting each with its great traditions, and founding upon the cherished syllables that consciousness of power which is a condition of ascendancy in war.' the names of the men-of-war, the stories of which are told here, stand in the forefront among the famous names of the sea service for their associations with great and dashing exploits. they are possibly not the most widely known of all, not so familiar to everybody as are certain other names similarly associated with other famous feats of arms of the fighting days,--but that, after all, is perhaps all the more reason that their stories should be told now. 'we are few, but of the right sort,' said nelson on one of the memorable occasions of his life, and it is hoped that the half-dozen stories within these covers may with justice say the same for themselves. the story of lord charles beresford's little _condor_, if not an old navy event, has much in keeping with the old order, and is included on its merits as being as gallant a piece of fighting-work in its way as has been done in the british navy in our time. my aim throughout has been to interest my readers. that a man-of-war's life-record is not necessarily a dull subject, a mere collection of dry facts, nor its incidents all matters of common knowledge, the following pages, it is hoped, will show. in the main, as far as possible, the accounts and impressions of eye-witnesses of the various events related, as written down while the events were in progress or were still fresh in recollection, old logs and letters, diaries and journals, and the newspapers of the time, have been relied on. strangely appealing and mutely eloquent at times are some of our old ship logs, with their pages faded and yellow and blurred, often with the stain on them of what was once, more than a century ago, a fleck of fresh sea spray that rested there just as it was whisked in through an open port; now and then indeed with on them a dull rusty brown smear or spot, grimly suggestive of something else. and, too, a terse, blunt note, scrawled painfully down after a day under fire by the hard fist of some rough old navy skipper, gone long since to his last reckoning, says more--a good deal more--often, than pages could do of smoother prose, by people who were not on the spot. practically all the literature of the subject in book form has been laid under contribution. among modern writers i am particularly indebted to captain mahan and professor j.k. laughton, r.n., of king's college, london, and to mr. david hannay, to whose brilliant monograph on rodney i am in a special degree under obligation. for myself, i am well aware of the pitfalls that beset the path of the landsman who presumes to write of nautical matters. so, indeed, it has ever been since agur the son of jakeh, in the days of king solomon, placed it on record that "the way of a ship in the midst of the sea" was "too wonderful." for any shortcomings of mine in this regard i ask the kindly indulgence of my naval readers. throughout the stories, i trust, the amplest justice has been done, and the fullest credit given, to those who were our gallant foes on the several occasions. in conclusion, i am greatly indebted to lord selborne, first lord of the admiralty, for allowing me to use information which has proved invaluable for my purposes; to mr. a.b. tucker of the _graphic_ for assistance with my proofs and maps, and suggestions as to certain footnotes; and to commander c.n. robinson, r.n., for placing at my disposal his fine collection of old naval prints and drawings. e.f. contents page 1. the _monmouths_ in war 1 how arthur gardiner fought the _foudroyant_. 2. rodney's ship on rodney's day 43 the _formidable_ that broke the line. 3. won at the cannon's mouth 172 his majesty's ship _undaunted_. 4. 'billy blue': a ballad of the fleet 199 one of the _royal sovereign's_ days. 5. the 'fighting' _téméraire_. 213 where, how, and when she made her name. 6. 'well done, _condor_!' 287 alexandria, 1882. illustrations the enemy in sight--'full speed ahead!' _frontispiece_ page 'ready, aye ready!' our cruiser _monmouth_ of to-day 1 in action at midnight 25 the _monmouth_ fighting the _foudroyant_ at close quarters 28 'success to the _formidable_!' nov. 17, 1898 43 'ut veniant omnes!' the big 50-ton guns of the _formidable_ 46 rodney's _formidable_ on the day before her launch 52 rodney's sword 53 admiral lord rodney, k.b. (after gainsborough's portrait) 57 the pitons of st. lucia 61 the count de grasse 63 clock-face from the _ville de paris_ 71 bell of the _ville de paris_ 72 chart showing rodney's pursuit of de grasse 83 monument of the three captains--blair, bayne, and lord robert manners--in westminster abbey 111 fighting the guns on the main deck 114 the critical moment of rodney's battle--how the french line was broken 122 the _formidable_ breaking the line. april 12, 1782 126 one of the 'fighting lanterns' of the _ville de paris_ 147 de grasse's flag comes down. rodney watching the surrender of the _ville de paris_ 148 'count de grasse resigning his sword to admiral rodney' 150 the 'rodney temple,' spanish town, jamaica 162 admiral de grasse as a prisoner of war 163 captain robert faulknor 172 captain faulknor storming fort louis 187 the death of captain faulknor 197 'billy blue'--admiral the hon. sir william cornwallis, g.c.b. 199 'cornwallis's retreat' 208 the 'fighting' _téméraire_ tugged to her last berth to be broken up 213 where turner met the _téméraire_ 215 camp of the grand army at boulogne, 1804 227 captain lucas--the french hero of trafalgar 253 the battle of trafalgar. oct. 21, 1805--2.15 p.m. 260 admiral villeneuve's sword 265 admiral villeneuve's signature 279 the _téméraire_ entering portsmouth harbour on her return from trafalgar. dec. 20, 1805 281 relics of the 'fighting' _téméraire_ 284 alexandria--july 11, 1882. the _condor_ attacking fort marabout 287 bombardment of alexandria. july 11, 1882--9 a.m. 295 vice-admiral lord charles beresford, k.c.b. 298 [illustration: 'ready, aye ready!' our cruiser _monmouth_ of to-day from a drawing by w. fred mitchell, by kind permission of messrs. j. griffin & co., portsmouth.] i the _monmouths_ in war how arthur gardiner fought the _foudroyant_ aye stout were her timbers and stoutly commanded, in the annals of glory unchalleng'd her name; aye ready for battle when duty demanded, aye ready to conquer--or die in her fame! _old song._ the _monmouth_ of to-day is one of our 'county cruisers'--and among them one of the smartest and best. her special rôle in war-time will be to help in safeguarding the commerce of the british empire on the high seas, to see that the corn-ships and the cattle-ships from across the atlantic, on which the people of these islands depend for their existence from day to day, reach port without molestation by the 'corsair cruisers' of the enemy. it will be her duty to patrol on the trade routes far and wide, and chase off hostile ships at sight, or run them down and fight them. all that, with other duties at times thrown in:- for this is our office, to spy and make room. as hiding, yet guiding the foe to their doom; surrounding, confounding, to bait and betray and tempt them to battle the seas' width away. for her work, whatever it may be, the _monmouth_ is well equipped. she carries quick-firing guns and krupp steel armour on her sides, and can steam at high speed--23 knots, or, on occasion, a trifle more. a glance round on board this brand new twentieth-century cruiser of ours may be of interest at the outset. an ugly customer to tackle looks the _monmouth_ in her 'war-paint' of sombre navy grey, devoid, as are our modern men-of-war, of all that has to do with prettiness and the merely decorative. mis arreos son las armas, mi descanso el pelear, my ornaments are arms, my pastime is in war, is the motto of the royal navy of our day. a big ship is the _monmouth_, a first-class cruiser of not far short of 10,000 tons displacement,--9800 tons, to be exact,--a floating weight heavier than all the mass of iron and steel in the eiffel tower. she measures over all, from end to end, from ram to rudder, 463-1/2 feet. to give an idea, in another way, of the ship's size. if she were stood on end inside st. paul's cathedral, her bows would project 60 feet above the cross over the dome. set up on end beside the clock tower at westminster, the ship's length would overtop the tower by half as high again. the monument piled on the top of the nelson column would need an extra 50 feet to equal the _monmouth_ from stem to stern. propped up against beachy head, the _monmouth_ would overtop the turf at the edge of the cliff summit fully 90 feet. laid lengthways inside st. paul's, the _monmouth_ would fill the whole length of the nave and chancel from the western door to the reredos. placed along the front of buckingham palace, the _monmouth's_ hull would overlap the façade for 50 feet on either side. in width the ship is 66 feet broad amidships,--22 yards, just the length of a cricket-pitch, or one foot wider than london bridge after its recent enlargement. it takes 5 tons weight of paint to coat the hull above water, and 6 tons to coat it below; and costs, the single item of paint by itself, every time it is laid on--£800. her three funnels each stand up 75 feet into the air--very nearly the height of the round tower of windsor castle above the mound at its foot. each funnel weighs 20 tons, and costs £400 to make--a year's pay of a colonel of hussars. in diameter each is the exact size, to an inch, of the 'two-penny tube.' if they were laid flat, a life-guardsman in king's birthday regimentals could trot through them. each lower mast is a steel tube, 80 feet from end to end and weighing 20 tons. the rudder weighs 18 tons; and the ram, a steel casting, 19 tons. the propellers each weigh 12 tons, and are each 16 feet across from tip to tip. the stern-post weighs 20 tons. the armour on the conning-tower is 10 inches thick, and weighs 65 tons, the weight of a great western express engine. it cost £7500--a sum equal to the lumped salaries for one year of all the sea lords of the admiralty. the 10 inches of nickel steel of which it is made can stand a harder blow than the 17 inches of iron armour on the turrets of the old _inflexible_. the conning-tower is the main 'fighting station' of the ship, the nerve-centre of the mighty organisation. thence in action, from behind a ring-fence of solid metal, are controlled the huge engines, far down below, impelled by the strength of twice ten thousand horse that serve the one command, --if one may vary mr. kipling,--engines of the power of twenty-two thousand horses, the strength of an army corps of cavalry; also the steering of the ship and the firing of the guns. by means of a simple arrangement in the three primary colours--red, blue, and yellow--painted in bands round the walls of the conning-tower inside, the captain can tell at a glance, at any moment, which of his guns, and how many of them, can train on an enemy at any given point. the _monmouth's_ 'fighting-weight' is another matter. fourteen 6-inch guns, vickers-maxims of the latest pattern, contribute something to that. this is the sort of weapon the 6-inch gun is. imagine one set up in trafalgar square to fire with extreme elevation. its 100-pound shells would drop on kingston bridge in one direction; beyond harrow, ten miles off, in another. other shells would burst over barnet; sweep the woodland rides of epping forest; startle the tennis-players on the trim lawns of chislehurst in kent. and not many seconds would elapse between the flash of the discharge and the shell doing its work. ten miles, of course, is the farthest that the gun could shoot, its 'estimated extreme range.' in war-time that sort of firing would not be worth while, as it would be impossible to mark the shots. seven miles, roughly, or 12,000 yards, is the limit the gun is sighted for. then again, imagine our gun firing at a mark. at 2000 yards, the minimum engaging distance in naval war because of torpedoes, aiming from trafalgar square at a target set up, say, in ludgate circus or at hyde park corner, the shot would smash through a slab of wrought iron 14 inches thick as easily as a stone goes through a pane of glass. firing at 6000 yards, the maximum distance for opening action in ordinary circumstances, at a target set up at hammersmith, for example, the shot would cut a hole clean through 6-1/2 inches of wrought iron--armour 2 inches thicker than our first ironclad, the _warrior_, had on her sides. fired with a full charge of 25 lbs. of cordite, the shot leaves the gun at a speed of 2775 feet (or half a mile and forty-five yards) a second--a pace capable of carrying it in a minute as far as reading; with energy sufficient to toss cleopatra's needle 30 feet into the air as lightly as a schoolboy flings up a wicket, or heave the biggest railway express engine 100 feet high, to hurl an elephant over the eiffel tower, or a cart-horse out of sight to three times the height of snowdon. every round from one of the _monmouth's_ 6-inch guns costs the country £12. the gun itself costs £1700. as a fact, each gun takes five months of work, night and day, to make; and weighs 7-1/2 tons, like all modern naval guns of any size, it is a 'wire gun,' constructed of steel tape wound round an inner tube or 'barrel,' in the same way that the string is laid round the handle of a cricket-bat, and jacketed over by an outer steel tube. upwards of 18,200 yards of steel 'wire' are used for each 6-inch gun, 10-1/2 miles of it--a length that, pulled out straight, would stretch for half the distance between dover and calais. the set of sights for each gun, as an item by itself, costs £80. the _monmouth's_ 6-inch guns are each capable of firing from five to eight shots a minute, and there are on board, besides, ten 12-pounders, three 3-pounders, and some maxims. the 12-pounders cost £300 each, and take four months to make. in action, the _monmouth_, fighting both broadsides at once, would let fly at the enemy at each discharge two-thirds of a ton of projectiles; within the first minute 3-1/2 tons weight of metal; every five minutes, 18 tons--all bursting shells. that is the _monmouth's_ 'fighting-weight.' to supply her guns the _monmouth_ carries, stowed away in the different magazines far down in the recesses of the hold, 200 tons weight of ammunition--30 to 40 tons of it in cordite cartridges; the rest in shot and loaded shell, with each projectile painted its differentiating colour--white-banded 'armour-piercers,' red-tipped shrapnel, yellow lyddite, and so on. electricity works the great hooded turrets on the forecastle and quarter-deck, each of 4-inch nickel steel and carrying a pair of 6-inch guns, mounted side by side in double-barrelled sporting-gun fashion on a twin mounting, training the eighty odd tons of dead-weight to right and left, or from one side of the ship to the other, through three-quarters of a circle, as easily as one wheels one's arm-chair in front of the fire after dinner. electricity also 'feeds' the guns, both in the turrets and in the casemates, as fast as they can be fired, bringing up the ammunition to the guns directly from the magazines. the 4-inch krupp steel armour on the _monmouth's_ sides at the water-line, from the ram for three-quarters of the ship's length aft, cost to manufacture, in round figures, £60,000--equal to the total yearly income of four archbishops of canterbury or six lord chancellors. two 'turtle-back' decks of thin steel armour further help to keep out shot. altogether, in dead-weight, the armour all over the ship--on the sides, decks, bulkheads, conning-tower, casemates, barbettes, ammunition-supply tubes--amounts to 1800 tons, a fifth of the ship's entire displacement weight in sea-going trim. then another detail, and the most important of all. speed, for a cruiser, is, of course, the prime essential. it means the power of picking out a foe, of running down a foe, the command of the weather-gage, the choice of the range, the power of bringing on or refusing battle. twenty-three knots an hour, or 26-1/2 statute miles, is the _monmouth's_ best pace. twenty-three knots an hour means the covering of a land mile in 2 minutes 36 seconds; or 100 yards in 7-4/5 seconds. in modern athletics 9-3/5 seconds is the record for 100 yards. the record for the oxford and cambridge boat race works out at under 11 knots an hour--considerably less than the _monmouth's_ everyday cruising speed in time of peace. how it is done is, of course, an engine-room affair. two main engines drive the ship: one engine to each of the immense 16-feet-wide twin-screws. at full speed they work up to an aggregate power of twenty-two thousand horses: eleven thousand horses each engine. thirty-one boilers, of the much-maligned belleville type, supply the steam. what that means the staff below have good reason to know. the thirty-one boilers, with their 'economisers,' provide seven thousand tubes to be looked after and kept clean. collectively, the boiler-tubes offer to the fires in the stoke-hold a total heating-surface of 50,300 square feet: an area, that is, of an acre and a sixth, a space about equal to trafalgar square within the roadway, or the floor-space of the albert hall. each boiler has two furnaces to heat it, making sixty-two in all. when all are alight they burn 40 tons of coal at once, on a grate-area of 1610 square feet; practically giving off a square space of flame 170 yards each way. the main engines, however, are by no means all. there are on board sixty-five separate 'auxiliary engines' besides. the weight of the machinery alone on board the _monmouth_, amounts to 1750 tons--a fourth of the total weight of the ship. six hundred and eighty officers and men form the complement of the _monmouth_, and their pay costs the nation £32,000 a year. to feed them, 'bare navy,' costs two-thirds of that sum a year. the ship herself, as she floats, represents to the country a value not very far short of three-quarters of a million sterling, or, put in concrete form, 8 tons of sovereigns--a railway truck packed tight. our first ironclad, the _warrior_, cost less than half the amount expended on the _monmouth_. the _collingwood_, a first-class battleship of eighteen years ago, cost to complete £20,000 less than the price paid for the _monmouth_ cruiser of to-day. ten _victorys_ or _royal georges_ could have been built and fitted for sea at the cost of this one cruiser of ours. such, in brief, are some of the 'points' of our modern _monmouth_. the reputation that she has to live up to, the ancestry of her famous name, in particular the magnificent feat of arms that one of our _monmouths_, the most famous of all, once achieved--these have now to be told. * * * * * the _monmouth_, as a fact, bears a name that ranks second to none for brilliant associations and memories of heroism. hardly another man-of-war has so many 'battle honours' to its credit. no ship of the old navy perhaps ever won such distinction in battle for sheer hard fighting as did the six _monmouths_, one after the other, from which our cruiser _monmouth_ of to-day takes her name. were it possible for his majesty's ships-of-war to have ship flags for display at reviews or on other ceremonial occasions, just as the regiments of the army use regimental colours, the _monmouth's_ flag would show a record of upwards of thirty fights, and even then the list would not be complete. no flag, probably, could display the detailed record of the occasions on which _monmouths_ of old did their duty before the enemy at sea. the navy owes the name to charles the second, who introduced it on the roll of the fleet as a mark of special favour and a paternal compliment to lucy walters' ill-starred son, the vanquished of sedgemoor, whose headless body now lies beneath the altar of the chapel of st. peter ad vincula in the tower. that was in the year of the dutch attack on chatham, and the same year saw our first _monmouth's_ first fight. mr. pepys's 'complaints' notwithstanding, the _monmouth_ made a good show on the occasion.[1] her allotted duty was to bar the approach to the iron chain stretched across the medway below upnor castle, and captain clarke, the _monmouth's_ captain, kept his ship at her post until the position was no longer tenable. the _monmouth_ later on was in the thick of the fight in the tremendous battle off solebay, where james, duke of york, defeated the dutch fleet under admiral ruyter after nearly sixteen hours at close quarters; in prince rupert's three battles with the dutch in 1673; and at la hogue. our second _monmouth_ was with rooke when he made his swoop on the vigo galleons--which dashing affair is commemorated to this day in the name of vigo street, off regent street;--took a distinguished part in the capture of gibraltar; fought the french off malaga; and helped byng--sir george byng, viscount torrington, the father of the other byng known to english history, the byng who beat the enemy and was not shot--to settle the spanish fleet off cape passaro in the year 1718. the next _monmouth_ had a hand in defeating two french fleets within six months--first with anson and then with hawke, in may and october 1747. this was the _monmouth_ whose brilliant capture of the great french flagship the _foudroyant_ in a desperate ship-to-ship duel at night forms our main story here. the fourth _monmouth_, at the close of a hot and bloody day, after a drawn battle with the french in the west indies, in july 1779, received the unique compliment of being toasted that same night at dinner by the officers of the enemy's flagship--'to the brave little black english ship!' nor is it easy to match another story of how this same _monmouth_, in battle in the east indies in 1782, resisted the fiercest onsets of the mighty de suffren and his best captains, holding her own at bay, and stubbornly standing up to five french seventy-fours at once. her main and mizen masts were shot down; the wheel was cleared of the men at it three times; the colours were shot away twice. still, though, the _monmouth_ fought on--until help came. only three men were left alive on the _monmouth's_ quarter-deck when the fight was over; one being her captain, james alms, a sturdy son of sussex, who stood at his post dauntlessly to the end, though twice wounded by splinters, with his coat ripped half off by a shot, with two bullet-holes through his hat, and his wig set on fire. yet another _monmouth_ proved herself the bravest of the brave at camperdown. the brief summary of the _monmouths'_ deeds of valour here given is, of course, not nearly all. it would take a big book to do adequate justice to the _monmouths'_ war record--and there need not be a dull page in the volume. so we pass on to what is by common consent accounted the brightest gem in the _monmouth's_ coronet of fame, her fight with the _foudroyant_, a french ship powerful enough to have sent the _monmouth_ to the bottom at the first broadside, a set-to that lasted half through a february night, and ended the right way. now clear the ring, for hand to hand the manly wrestlers take their stand. it was in february 1758, in the middle of the seven years' war. the british mediterranean fleet in that month was blockading a french squadron that had sought shelter in the spanish naval harbour of carthagena. the squadron, numbering seven ships of the line and two frigates, had set sail from toulon in january to reinforce the french fleet on the coast of canada, and assist in the defence of louisbourg, cape breton, which, as was known at versailles, was to be attacked in force in the following summer. they counted on being able to evade the british mediterranean fleet and give it the slip by running through the straits of gibraltar under cover of a dark winter's night. but _ils se faisaient un tableau_, that fault against which napoleon in later days was always cautioning his generals. it all depended on the chance of their getting past gibraltar unseen. unfortunately for the french plans, the british admiralty were well aware of what was to be attempted. the fitting-out of the squadron at toulon had been carried on with the greatest secrecy, but not so secretly that the british admiral at the head of the mediterranean fleet had not learnt all about it. admiral osborn had also been warned from home of the probable destination of the french ships. the result was that when the french came they found him cruising with twelve line-of-battle ships a little to eastward of the rock, and with a chain of look-out frigates stretching right across from ceuta to cape de gata. m. de la clue, the french admiral, found his way out of the mediterranean barred, and having only seven ships of the line with him to the british commander's twelve, he turned aside and ran into the 'neutral' harbour of carthagena.[2] he only got inside the port in the nick of time. just as m. de la clue's ships let go anchor within the spanish batteries. admiral osborn's ships, duly warned by signals from their look-out frigates of every movement of the french squadron, came hastening up. de la clue sent off an urgent appeal for reinforcements, and in response five fresh ships of the line and a frigate were despatched from toulon, in charge of the marquis du quesne, _chef d'escadre_, or, as we call the rank, commodore. with these additional ships de la clue would have the same numbers exactly as his adversary, and should, the french considered, be able to fight his way out. the toulon ships sailed for carthagena on the 25th of february with the idea of running the gauntlet of the blockading fleet and joining m. de la clue at night. again, however, admiral osborn was forewarned of the enemy's approach, and his look-out frigates did their work. two of the french ships, pushing ahead of the others, managed, during the night of the 27th of february, to get past the british scouting frigates off cape palos and turn into carthagena unseen, but the main french force, three ships of the line and the frigate, were caught in the act. soon after daybreak on the 28th of february--a bright, clear morning--the british frigate _gibraltar_, cruising some twenty leagues north-east of cape palos, spied four strange sail away on the horizon to the north-east of her. the _gibraltar's_ signals were repeated by the _st. george_ and the _culloden_ and then admiral osborn ordered part of his fleet off carthagena to head towards the strangers and chase. he had at the same time, of course, to keep his grip on m. de la clue inside carthagena and prevent him from making use of the opportunity to break out. the strangers showed no colours and were too far off to be identified, but it was certain they could only be french ships. indeed, too, as the english turned towards them, they began to edge away. a little later they divided and went off on different courses. one ship, a two-decker, stood in directly for the land. the smallest, the frigate, stood seaward, to the south-west. to cut off the two-decker and stop her from getting into spanish waters the _monarch_ and _montague_ were detached and went off chasing to the north-west. the frigate was already practically out of reach. a little later the remaining two french ships, both two-deckers, were seen to draw apart. one of them headed as if to work round into carthagena. the other, the biggest ship of the whole squadron, held on down the coast, as though to draw the british after her. in pursuit of the first of these two two-deckers went the _revenge_ and the _berwick_. the _monmouth_ and the _swiftsure_, with the _hampton court_ following them, went after the big ship. of what force the french ships were, or their identity, nobody of course could tell as yet. they were too far off for the ports on their broadsides to be counted. it is with the _monmouth_ and her chase that we are particularly concerned. from off the _monmouth's_ deck all that at first could be seen of the chase was that she 'loomed large,' as the old sea phrase went--looked likely to be a tough customer. that, though, was so much the better. going ahead before the wind with every reef shaken out, on her best point of sailing, the _monmouth_ soon outstripped the _swiftsure_ and the _hampton court_. by early in the afternoon she had left them both some leagues astern--mere dots on the far horizon. at the same time she was overhauling the big frenchman fast. the _monmouth_ had the reputation of being the fastest line-of-battle ship in the royal navy. 'she never gave chase to any ship that she did not come up with,' said the newspapers of her, when, in 1767, the _monmouth_, unfit for further service and worn out after twenty-five years on the effective list of the fleet, was brought in to be broken up. to-day the ship displayed a speed in keeping with her reputation. hand over hand the _monmouth_ drew up nearer and nearer to her prospective foe, which loomed ever larger and larger. from the stranger's vast bulk and what gun-ports of her double tier could be counted end-on, from nearly dead astern, the chase was either an eighty-gun ship or an eighty-four. if that was really so, it made all the difference in the world. french eighty-fours were at that day the most powerfully armed ships afloat. a french eighty-four carried 42-pounders as her main armament, and threw a broadside of 1136 lbs. at every discharge. that, in point of fact, was heavier metal than the _royal george_ herself, the biggest first-rate in the british fleet, could throw. the _monmouth_ was a small third-rate, one of the very smallest ships of the line in the royal navy, a sixty-four. her heaviest guns were 24-pounders. her total broadside amounted only to some 540 lbs. there would also be on board the eighty-four from 800 to 900 men, as against 470 in the _monmouth_. who and what was the stranger? one man on board the _monmouth_ knew, and apparently one man only. the captain of the _monmouth_ knew. he had already identified the ship ahead of him as the great _foudroyant_ of 84 guns, until recently the flagship of the french mediterranean fleet. arthur gardiner had good reason to know the _foudroyant_. gardiner had been byng's flag-captain, and the _foudroyant_ had been the flagship of the french fleet off minorca. the evidence at byng's trial had absolutely exonerated captain gardiner.[3] it showed that admiral byng himself had practically taken the charge of the flagship out of his captain's hands, and had rejected his advice to go straight for the enemy without waiting for ships that were out of station, but in spite of that gardiner had refused to be satisfied. he felt his connection with the affair bitterly, as a personal disgrace, he said. indeed, as he told one of his friends, he only lived to find an opportunity of wiping out what was a slur on his good name, a stain on his honour. apparently the idea became fixed in captain gardiner's mind that he was a marked man, that people said things of him; especially, that it was thought he had been 'shy' about laying his ship alongside the french flagship. that was intolerable, and out of it grew a feeling of peculiar antipathy towards this particular ship, the _foudroyant_, that had become a sort of monomania with captain gardiner. it must, in these circumstances, have seemed to captain gardiner like the hand of providence, when, some four months after the byng court-martial, he was appointed to the _monmouth_ and ordered out to the mediterranean. and now his day had actually come. there was the very _foudroyant_ right ahead of him, by herself, and with his own ship overtaking her fast. at a quarter-past one in the afternoon the _foudroyant_ ran a red flag up to the foretopgallant mast-head.[4] apparently it was meant as a signal to her nearest consort, the ship that the _revenge_ and _berwick_ were in pursuit of, _l'orphée_, to hoist her colours and commence firing. as the _monmouth_ as yet was out of gunshot, three or four miles distant, the _foudroyant_ had no need for the moment to hoist her own colours--nor did she show any until towards four o'clock, when the _monmouth_ had at length begun to come within range. then, exactly at six minutes to the hour, as an eye-witness notes, the french flag was displayed on the _foudroyant's_ ensign staff, and a commodore's broad pennant at the main. the _monmouth's_ men had not long to wait. on the stroke of four o'clock a spurt of flame leapt from one of the stern-chase ports of the _foudroyant_, and as the smoke blew away to leeward the boom of a heavy gun came over the waters towards the _monmouth_. it was the first shot. the ball splashed in the water not far off, and then the _foudroyant_ fired a second shot--followed quickly by a third. the enemy had got the range. that, too, was enough for captain gardiner. his heavier guns could at least carry as far as the _foudroyant's_ guns, and without waiting longer the _monmouth's_ bow-chasers took up the game. 'soon after being in gunshot of our chase,' says lieutenant carkett, the first lieutenant of the _monmouth_, in his journal, 'she, having up french colours, began to fire her stern-chase at us, which we soon after returned with our bow-chase, and continued for about an hour, then ceased firing as she did, except a single gun now and then.'[5] by this time, about five o'clock, the wind had fallen very light, but the _monmouth_ still continued to gain steadily on her opponent. she was single-handed. the _swiftsure_ and the _hampton court_ were hull down on the horizon, though they were still following with all sail set. the rest of the fleet was quite out of sight. just before the _foudroyant_ began firing, captain gardiner, as we are told, called all hands aft. his address to them was brief, but what he said was to the point. 'that ship has to be taken, my lads, above our match though she looks. i shall fight her until the _monmouth_ sinks.' then they piped down and returned to quarters. a little before this, while pacing up and down the quarter-deck with lieutenant campbell, a young army officer from gibraltar who was on board in charge of a small detachment of soldiers (600 men from the gibraltar garrison had been lent to admiral osborn to assist on deck in ships that were short-handed), he had said to the young officer, pointing to the _foudroyant_ ahead of them: 'whatever happens to you and me, that ship must go into gibraltar.' in that spirit captain gardiner took the _monmouth_ into action as the evening began to close in- her ports all up, her battle-lanterns lit, and her leashed thunders gathering for their leap. captain gardiner had a worthy antagonist. the marquis du quesne-menneville, whose broad pennant flew at the _foudroyant's_ mast-head that day, had the reputation of being as able an officer as any in the french service. no braver man ever wore the _bleu du roi_. and he commanded a man-of-war that was, by common consent, considered the finest ship in all king louis's navy. only a short time before this a french officer, a prisoner of war, in conversation with one of his captors, had said of the _foudroyant_: 'no single ship in the world can take her, not even your new _royal george_! she can fight all to-day, and to-morrow, and the next day, and still go on fighting!' the _foudroyant's_ weight of metal, indeed, was heavy enough to have sent the _monmouth_ to the bottom at a single discharge. m. du quesne, however, did not think fit to let the _monmouth_ come up alongside. he would not venture to bring-to and accept the _monmouth's_ challenge because of the _swiftsure_ and the _hampton court_. they were a long way off, several hours distant, but they were to him, as far as the _foudroyant_ was concerned, an enemy 'in being,' and he kept on before the wind. 'at half-past seven,' says lieutenant carkett, 'we came very nigh her, gave our ship a yaw, and discharged what guns we could bring to bear on her.' this meant checking the ship's way and hauling up at an angle to her course, turning off as it were to let fly a broadside right ahead. apparently the _monmouth_ lost ground in so doing. according to the first lieutenant's log, captain gardiner did not repeat the manoeuvre, and it took the _monmouth_ nearly an hour to regain the distance that she dropped back. 'at half-past eight,' says lieutenant carkett, 'we came to a close engagement.' [illustration: in action at midnight from the engraving after t. stothard, r.a.] the _monmouth_ now ranged up on the _foudroyant's_ larboard quarter and hurled into her a crashing broadside of round-shot and grape, at half musket range. it was the first heavy blow, and it got home. then fastening with a bulldog's grip on her big opponent, the _monmouth_ set to and blazed away fiercely into the french ship as fast as the guns could be loaded and run out. nothing could be more masterly than the way the british captain handled his ship. captain gardiner knew his business. he meant to settle his personal score with the _foudroyant_ once for all; but he had no idea of sacrificing needlessly the life of a single man. there was to be no reckless clapping of the little _monmouth_ side by side with the _foudroyant_. gardiner was well aware of the weight of his opponent's metal. he laid the _monmouth_ on the _foudroyant's_ quarter and kept her there, skilfully placing her in a way that allowed every gun on the _monmouth's_ broadside to train on the enemy, while, at the same time, the french were unable to bring a number of their guns in the fore-part of the ship to bear. it was of course quite dark when the battle at close quarters began--half-past eight on a february evening. the moon, within two days of the last quarter, would not rise till between eleven and midnight. each ship, however, had her distinguishing lights hoisted, and the gleam of the battle-lanterns through the _foudroyant's_ ports gave the _monmouth's_ men sufficient mark to lay their guns by. more they did not want. the _swiftsure_ at this time was about nine miles off, as her log notes, steering for the spot by the flash of the guns. the _hampton court_ was a couple of miles or so astern of the _swiftsure_. the enemy, for their part, with their heavier guns, smote the _monmouth_ hard and answered back her fire with equal spirit. even now though, the french commodore would not risk bringing-to for a space and making an effort to get the _monmouth_ fairly under his broadside, where his crushing superiority in gun-power might well have been decisive. he held on instead, drifting slowly before the light wind, fighting as he went. so far there was little to disquiet m. du quesne in the way that things were going. as a fact, during the first hour, the terrific punishment that the _foudroyant's_ 42-pounders were able to inflict told heavily on the _monmouth_, and it looked as though the _foudroyant_ could well hold her own to the end. captain gardiner, however, stuck to his task unflinchingly. all the time an incessant fire of musketry was kept up from the _foudroyant's_ tops, and from her towering bulwarks, which were lined with soldiers all along the length of the ship. they did considerable execution among the men at the upper-deck guns, and, among their other victims, wounded captain gardiner himself with a musket bullet through the arm. it was an ugly wound, but the gallant captain of the _monmouth_ refused to quit the deck, and had the wound bound up as he stood. this was about a quarter to nine. fate, however, unhappily had more in store for arthur gardiner that night. at half-past nine, the captain received a second and a mortal wound. 'captain gardiner received a mortal wound which obliged him to be conveyed off the deck,' lieutenant carkett briefly records. a grape-shot struck gardiner on the forehead, according to the journal of lieutenant baron,[6] the third lieutenant, and he was carried below insensible, to linger in the cockpit until four next morning, when he died, 'having been speechless since he received his wound.' neither account exactly tallies with the story of gardiner's fall that reached england. according to that, poor gardiner was conscious for some moments after he was struck down, and was able to recognise carkett, as the first lieutenant bent over him. he bade carkett, it was said, as his last orders, 'to fight the _foudroyant_ to the last, and sink alongside rather than quit her.' in reply, the account proceeds, carkett swore to the captain to fight the battle out to the very last, and sent on the spot for the carpenter and had the _monmouth's_ ensign nailed to the staff, after which he declared with an oath that he would shoot dead on the spot any man who should even whisper a thought of lowering it. so, indeed, it well may have been. robert carkett could be trusted to die hard. he was just the man to make such a threat and to keep it. lieutenant carkett was a rough sea-dog. as senior officer after captain gardiner's fall, carkett took charge on the quarter-deck, and the battle went on with even more desperate fury than before:- spars were splinter'd, decks were shatter'd, bullets fell like rain; over mast and deck were scatter'd blood and brains of men. hour after hour, from half-past nine to twelve o'clock, the _monmouth_ hung doggedly on the quarter of the great _foudroyant_ and refused to be shaken off. she kept pace with the frenchman steadily, not losing a foot, and not drawing nearer; mercilessly pounding away into the _foudroyant's_ hull at a short seventy-yards range, as fast as the shot could be brought to the guns. nor did the _foudroyant's_ fire in reply slacken appreciably until midnight was past. then, at length, the enemy seemed to tire, and the _foudroyant's_ fire began to grow irregular and gradually to weaken. [illustration: the _monmouth_ fighting the _foudroyant_ at close quarters. the final round--1.30 a.m. from a contemporary print. ['at half past [one] her main-mast was shot away. she then ceased firing' (log of lieutenant carkett of the _monmouth_).]] it was the beginning of the end. aided by the clear moonlight,--by half-an-hour after midnight the moon was well up,--the _monmouth's_ gunners made better practice than before. they redoubled their efforts, as gun after gun in the _foudroyant's_ ports stopped firing, until, a few minutes after one o'clock, the big vessel ceased resisting altogether, and not a shot came from her. the _foudroyant_ lay helpless, like a log on the water, dismasted, hammered to a standstill, a silenced and beaten ship. lieutenant carkett in his log thus summarises what passed in the last hour. 'half-past 12: our mizen was shot away. at 1 a.m. the enemy's was shot away. also at half-past her main-mast was shot away. she then ceased firing, having slackened her fire for some time before.' still, though, the _foudroyant_ made no sign of giving in. _lassata, nondum satiata_--all was not quite over yet. so the _monmouth_ continued her cannonade. until the enemy made the customary sign of surrender, lieutenant carkett had no option but to go on firing. commodore du quesne was holding out _pour l'honneur du pavillon_: and also for his own personal credit. he had not long to wait. within a few minutes of the _foudroyant's_ fire giving over the _swiftsure_ arrived on the scene. ranging up under the _monmouth's_ stern, she hailed across requesting her to stop her fire. the _monmouth_ held her hand. she had done her work, and there was no need to do more now. as the _monmouth's_ gunner, reporting on the night's expenditure, stated, the ship had fired away no fewer than 80 barrels of gunpowder (about four tons weight of powder), with 1546 round-shot, 540 grape-shot, and 156 double-headed shot. then the _swiftsure_ rounded in to pass between the _monmouth_ and the _foudroyant_. all her batteries were lighted up, showing the men standing ready by the guns. captain stanhope as he came abreast hailed the _foudroyant_, asking if she had surrendered. her ensign was down. it had been shot away about the same time that the mizen-mast went. the reply came instantly--two shotted guns in rapid succession, and a sharp crackle of musketry. m. le marquis's honour was not satisfied yet. what followed was inevitable. the _swiftsure_ had now to administer the _coup de grâce_ according to the rules of naval war. as the sound of the _foudroyant's_ defiance died away, the _swiftsure's_ double tier burst into flame, and the british seventy-four's broadside crashed into the french ship, sweeping her decks from stem to stern. it was enough. the next instant down came the _foudroyant's_ lights and she called for quarter. the battle was over. the marquis du quesne had refused to surrender to the _monmouth_ single-handed. it was a point of honour. in the presence of a second british ship and a fresh ship, a seventy-four, his honour was fully satisfied. all the same, when the _swiftsure's_ officer came on board to receive his sword, he insisted on being taken on board the _monmouth_ and surrendering it to the commanding officer of that ship, to lieutenant carkett, giving it up, we are told, 'with great politeness.' a story was told afterwards that the french commodore expressed himself in bitter terms, and shed tears next morning when in full daylight, at close quarters, he saw the small size of the _monmouth_ as compared with his own splendid ship. but that is as it may be. the _hampton court_ came up some ten minutes after the _swiftsure_ had arrived. it remained now only to count the cost and overhaul damages. how things stood on board the _monmouth_ they knew before the night was out. captain gardiner was the only officer who had fallen. the four lieutenants of the ship had escaped without a scratch, as had the _monmouth's_ two marine officers and lieutenant campbell. it was otherwise, unfortunately, among the men. the casualties between decks amounted to upwards of 24 per cent of the entire ship's company. the figures as officially returned were--29 killed and 81 wounded--110 altogether. not a boat was left that could swim; the mizen-mast had been shot right away, smashed through close above the deck; the main-mast, riddled with holes, was tottering; every one of the sails had to be stripped from its yard and new sails bent; most of the rigging was lying in tangled heaps about the decks. in the _foudroyant_, the prize-crew that was placed in charge had their work cut out for them in looking after prisoners below and stopping leaks and dangerous shot-holes. the deadly shooting of the _monmouth_ had in parts almost rent the _foudroyant_ open. more than seventy shot-holes through the hull were counted, low down, at or near the water-line. all over the hull, more than a hundred shot-holes were to be seen, gaping holes with jagged and splintered edges; and more shots than one had gone through some of the holes. some of the _monmouth's_ shots had even gone right through from side to side, leaving enormous rents in the _foudroyant_ on the unengaged side of the ship where they had smashed their way out. to give an idea of the terrible hammering that the _foudroyant_ underwent, it may be stated that the repairs to the hull at portsmouth took eight months to execute, at an expense of £7000, just half the total sum at which the admiralty prize court valued the whole ship for purchase from her captors. as far as could be made out, the _foudroyant's_ casualties amounted to 190 officers and men killed and wounded; but the french practice of throwing the dead overboard in action as they fell, made it impossible to arrive at the exact figures. as well as could be managed on the spot, the two ships were cleared of wreckage and put in sea-going trim, and at noon next day, the 1st of march, they set out to rejoin admiral osborn, the _swiftsure_ towing the _foudroyant_, and the _monmouth_ under her own canvas, under jury-rig, with the _hampton court_ close by in case of need. they found the admiral with the rest of the fleet off carthagena. with them was the french _orphée_, which the _revenge_ and _berwick_ had run down and taken within two miles of carthagena mole. m. de la clue had missed his chance entirely. he had not stirred, although with the two men-of-war that had got in the night before he had had nine ships of the line, and the british admiral, with five of his ships detached in chase of du quesne's squadron, only seven. all that the french admiral had done the livelong day on the 28th had been to man and arm his boats and send them down to paddle about aimlessly at the mouth of the harbour. the _monmouth_ and _revenge_ were ordered to gibraltar to repair, accompanied by their two prizes. on the way the dead of the _monmouth_ and the remains of captain gardiner were committed to the deep, off cape de gata, at half-past three on saturday afternoon, the 4th of march. all four ships hove-to and half-masted their ensigns during the funeral service, and the bodies were passed overboard to the booming of the _monmouth's_ minute-guns--his ship's last tribute to her dead captain. no tablet exists to arthur gardiner's memory in westminster abbey or elsewhere; but that, after all, matters little. there is in the lone, lone sea a spot unmark'd but holy, for there the gallant and the free in his ocean bed lies lowly. down, down beneath the deep, that oft in triumph bore him, he sleeps a sound and peaceful sleep, with the salt waves dashing o'er him. he sleeps serene and safe from tempest and from billow, where storms that high above him chafe scarce rock his peaceful pillow. the sea and him in death they did not dare to sever; it was his home when he had breath, 'tis now his home for ever. sleep on, thou mighty dead, a glorious tomb they've found thee, the broad blue sky above thee spread, the boundless ocean round thee. no vulgar foot treads here, no hand profane shall move thee, but gallant hearts shall proudly steer and warriors shout above thee. and though no stone may tell thy name, thy worth, thy glory, they rest in hearts that love thee well, they grace britannia's story.[7] at gibraltar the _foudroyant_ was measured and found to be 12 feet longer than the _royal george_. she was berthed alongside the mole with the _monmouth_ lying next her, and an officer present graphically describes the disparity of size between them in these terms: 'it was like the monument overlooking a ninepin!' the french prisoners were still on board the _foudroyant_. they went to england in the ship, most of them to be shut up in porchester castle, the great war-prison of the south of england in those times. the visitor to the ruins of porchester castle to-day, if he explores in a certain part of the keep, will find at one spot, rudely cut in the wall, a string of french names, under a sort of scroll similarly carved roughly in the stonework, with the legend '_vive le vaisseau le foudroyant_--1758,' the handiwork, it can hardly be doubted, of some of these very men. the marquis du quesne and his first and second captains came to england by themselves, in the _gibraltar_ frigate, and were interned on parole at northampton. the other surviving officers of the ship were paroled at maidstone. all england rang with arthur gardiner's name when, in the first week in april, the _gibraltar_ arrived at spithead with admiral osborn's despatches, and the _london gazette_ told the story of how gardiner had died 'as he was encouraging his people and inquiring what damage they had sustained between decks.' everywhere, we are told, the news of the taking of the 'mighty _foudroyant_' and how it was done excited the liveliest enthusiasm. inn signboards were repainted with pictures of the fight, a favourite way with our eighteenth-century forefathers of commemorating great events; and a ballad was composed about it which was set to a popular tune of the day and sung all over the country. one of the signboards so painted was in existence a very few years ago,--and may be so still,--at lostwithiel in cornwall, bearing a representation of two old-fashioned men-of-war in desperate combat, with the legend 'the memorable battle of the _monmouth_ and _foudroyant_.'[8] of the ballad and its music no trace is to be found, although some lines on the fight, apparently contemporary, are in print. one can, though, hardly fancy them being set to any sort of tune, still less anybody trying to sing them. their shortcomings as verse too are obvious, but one must remember that it was the period when the poet laureate was colley cibber. there was no market in the days of george the second for what our present poet laureate calls 'the higher kind of poetry.' stanzas on the capture of the _foudroyant_, of 84 guns, by the _monmouth_, of 64, anno 1758. as louis sat in regal state, the monarch, insolently great, accosts his crouching slaves, 'yon stubborn isle at last must bend, for now my _foudroyant_ i send, the terror of the waves. 'when once he bursts in dreadful roar, and vomits death from shore to shore, my glory to maintain; repenting britons then will see their folly to dispute with me the empire of the main.' he spake, th' obedient sails were spread, and neptune reared his awful head, to view the glorious sight; the tritons and the nereids came, and floated round the high-built frame, with wonder and delight. then neptune thus the gods address'd: 'the sight is noble, 'tis confess'd, the structure we admire; but yet this monst'rous pile shall meet with one small ship from britain's fleet, and strike to britons' fire.' as from his lips the sentence flew, behold his fav'rite sails in view, and signal made to chase; swift as camilla o'er the plain, the _monmouth_ skimm'd along the main, unrivall'd in the race. close to her mighty foe she came, resolv'd to sink or gain a name which envy might admire; devouring guns tumultous sound, destructive slaughter flam'd around, and seas appear'd on fire. when lo! th' heroic gardiner fell, whose worth the muse attempts to tell, but finds her efforts vain; some other bard must sing his praise, and bold as fancy's thoughts must raise the sadly mournful strain. carkett, who well his place supply'd, the mangling bolts of death defy'd, which furious round him rag'd; while hammick[9] points his guns with care, nor sends one faithless shot in air, but skilfully engag'd. baron and winzar's[10] conduct show'd their hearts with untam'd courage glow'd, and manly rage display'd; whilst every seaman firmly stood, 'midst heaps of limbs and streams of blood undaunted, undismay'd. austin[11] and campbell next the muse thro' fiery deluges pursues, serenely calm and great; with their's the youthful preston's[12] name must shine, enrolled in list of fame, above the reach of fate. hark! how destruction's tempests blow, and drive to deep despair the foe, who trembling fly asunder; the _foudroyant_ her horror ceas'd, and whilst the _monmouth's_ fire increas'd, lost all her pow'r to thunder. now, haughty louis, cease to boast, the mighty _foudroyant_ is lost, and must be thine no more; no gasconade will now avail, behold he trims the new-dress'd sail, to deck britannia's shore. if e'er again his voice be heard, with british thunder-bolts prepar'd, and on thy coast appears; his dreadful tongue such sounds will send, as all the neighb'ring rocks shall rend, and shake all france with fears. what is more interesting is that one of the _foudroyant's_ officers, while a prisoner of war on board and on the way to england, wrote a set of verses in honour of the captain of the _monmouth_. they appeared in the _gentleman's magazine_ for july 1758 in this form:- chatham, _july 23_. mr. urban--by inserting the following elegy, which was written by a french officer, taken prisoner on board the _foudroyant_, you will oblige many of your readers, and particularly your humble servant, p. cochet. élégie sur la mort du capt. gardiner ce héros respectable a fini ses beaux jours, il a trop peu vécu, ce sage capitaine, le _monmouth_ pleure encore l'objet de son amour et moi la cause de ma gêne. aux combats il étoit un terrible ennemi, son exemple animoit le coeur le plus timide, au milieu des hazards le foible est affermi, ayant un tel chef pour son guide. o _monmouth_! quelle nuit, lorsque le _foudroyant_, par ses bouches d'arain menaçoit votre ruine, vous tenez contre lui, vous êtes triomphant, la victoire pour vous s'incline, conduit par ce héros, vos canons vomissoient la foudre à gros bouillons, et la mort tout ensemble, il inspiroit sa force à ceux qui combattoient, ha! l'ennemi le sent et tremble. o! quel funeste coup, ce héros n'est donc plus? le brave gardiner tombe et finit sa vie, mais il vit dans nos coeurs, il vit par ses vertus, est-ce le ciel qui nous l'envie? quelle aimable douceur envers ses prisonniers, sa tendresse pour eux égaloit son courage, il ne ressembloit point aux inhumains guerriers, qui ne respirent que carnage. whatever may be the quality or literary merit of these verses, there could, surely, be no higher tribute to the memory of a british officer, the tribute of an enemy in the bitter hour of defeat; and the incident in all its circumstances is unique. with it we may close the story. * * * * * the 'little black ship' _monmouth_ (captain fanshawe's ship), to which the officers of the french flagship _languedoc_ drank at dinner on the night of the 6th of july 1779, was the next successor to gardiner's _monmouth_, and it was this _monmouth_ on board which, in the east indies, captain alms, on the 12th of april 1782 (actually the same day on which rodney was fighting his battle in the west indies) made so heroic a stand. the camperdown _monmouth_ came next, and after her a _monmouth_ that was never commissioned at all. finally we come to our modern _monmouth_ cruiser of the present hour. the quondam french _foudroyant_, as a man-of-war of the royal navy, fought for england and did well. her successor of the same name in the navy had strangely varied fortunes. she began her life as one of nelson's flagships; and when she was worn out was sold to a german shipbreaker, by whom she was re-sold at an immense profit to mr. g. wheatly cobb, of caldicot castle, chepstow, in monmouthshire curiously, who interested himself in the fate of the _foudroyant_, and 'for nelson's sake,' as he himself put it, spent £25,000 out of his own pocket in re-purchasing her and re-building and fitting her out to make the old veteran of the sea look, as far as possible, as she appeared in nelson's time. a cruel fate, however, cut short the nobly conceived project. our second _foudroyant_ ended her days off blackpool, of all places in the world, where, in the summer of 1897, in the hundredth year of her existence, she was wrecked in a gale. [illustration: _photo, symonds & co., portsmouth._ 'success to the _formidable_!' november 17, 1898] footnotes: [footnote 1: pepys's _diary_, june 30, 1667.--'several complaints, i hear, of the _monmouth's_ coming away too soon from the chaine, where she was placed with the two guardships to secure it.'] [footnote 2: spanish neutrality was a by-word at this period. england and spain were not at war yet, but the family relationship between the bourbons of versailles and the escurial caused the latter power to put the loosest construction on their obligations.] [footnote 3: summary of evidence at the court-martial on admiral byng, quoted in entick's _new naval history_ (published shortly after byng's trial), p. 872:- tuesday 11 [jan. 1757]. captain gardiner of the _ramillies_ under examination and cross-examination all day. he ... said that he advised the admiral to bear down, that the admiral objected thereto, lest an accident of a similar nature with that of admiral mathews should be the consequence. wednesday 12. captain gardiner was again examined and made it appear that the admiral took the whole command of the ship from him, and no thing done that day but what he ordered. byng's words as to bearing down were these: 'you see, captain gardiner, that the signal for the line is out and that i am ahead of the ships _louisa_ and _trident_' (which two ships, according to the order of battle, should have been ahead of the admiral). 'you would not have me, as the admiral of the fleet, run down as if i were going to engage a single ship. it was mr. mathews' misfortune to be prejudiced by not carrying down his force together, which i shall endeavour to avoid.' one of byng's ships, ahead of the flagship, had broken down. he would not pass her and go at the enemy, but stopped to re-form and 'dress' his line, during which time the enemy severely mauled byng's leading ships. the french then drew out of range, and byng, without further fighting, retired to gibraltar. at the trial gardiner was asked what he himself considered being 'properly engaged.' 'what i call properly engaged,' was the answer, 'is, within musket shot.' see _minutes of the court-martial, etc._, published by order, 1757 (folio).] [footnote 4: log of the _revenge_, captain storr. admiralty documents, captains' logs, at the public record office.] [footnote 5: admiralty documents, captains' logs, _monmouth_, at the public record office.] [footnote 6: captains' logs, _monmouth_, at the public record office (admiralty documents).] [footnote 7: _poems, chiefly religious_: rev. h.f. lyte, 1833.] [footnote 8: the 'monmouth' inn, to which the signboard belonged (now known as the 'monmouth' hotel) was actually so named in 1758 in honour of gardiner's _monmouth_.] [footnote 9: stephen hammick, second lieutenant of the _monmouth_, in command on the lower deck.] [footnote 10: david winzar, fourth lieutenant of the _monmouth_.] [footnote 11: captain of marines.] [footnote 12: lieutenant of marines.] ii rodney's ship on rodney's day the _formidable_ that broke the line brave rodney made the french to rue the twelfth of april 'eighty two. _old song._ the west indies is the station for honour. nelson. '_who can feel any pride in a mere blustering adjective? we do seriously believe that the admiralty would add something to the popularisation of the navy by a reform of the naming system. it is proper enough to christen new ships after famous old vessels of the past, and the 'admirals' also are very proper and pleasant, but why this mania for adjectives and such futilities?_' so a london newspaper commented on the selection of the name _formidable_ for the great first-class battleship that to-day bears that name proudly lettered at her stern. well, we shall see what we shall see. when all is said and done, it may appear, perhaps, that some of us are not so unreasonable after all in taking pride in seeing this 'blustering adjective' inscribed as a man-of-war name on the roll of our modern british fleet. handsome is, every nursery knows, that handsome does. it is more than highly probable that should the day for 'the real thing,' as mr. kipling calls it, come in our present _formidable's_ time, those to whose lot it may fall to face the _formidable_ from the enemy's side will think that, in regard to this particular ship at least, there is something in a name. this is the sort of vessel that our twentieth-century battleship the _formidable_ is, glancing at some of her points--the details on which she relies to make good the intention of her name. hard hitting is the _formidable's_ business in life, so to speak, her _raison d'être_; her forte, the dealing of knock-down blows. to that end she carries the most powerful guns in existence: 50-ton breech-loaders, a foot in diameter in the bore; capable of hurling gigantic shells each between three and four feet long and weighing 850 lbs., or 7-1/2 cwts., with a bursting charge of three-quarters of a hundredweight of powder or lyddite, through three feet of iron at a mile and a half off, or all the way across from shakespeare's cliff at dover on to the sand dunes round calais. each firing charge of cordite weighs by itself nearly 2 cwts.--the weight of a sack of coal as delivered at a house-holder's door from a tradesman's cart,--and each gun by itself takes a year to construct. the _formidable's_ guns could silence the old 'woolwich infants' and the mighty 80-ton guns that the famous _inflexible_ carried, from a range miles beyond the farthest that the older guns could reach. yet these less than twenty years ago were reckoned a wonder of the world. a finger's pressure, nothing more, the ponderous cannon's thund'ring roar, a passing cloud of smoke, and lo! the waves engulf the haughty foe! wrote a versifier once about what the guns of the _inflexible_ could do. with less than half the weight, they are considerably more powerful weapons than the 110-ton monsters of the _benbow_ and _sans pareil_ and the ill-fated _victoria_, one of which was tested at shoeburyness against a specially-built-up target of enormous proportions, and sent its shot, as easily as one can push one's finger into a lump of putty, clean through 20 inches of steel-faced compound armour, 8 inches of cast iron, 20 feet of oak, 5 feet of granite, 11 feet of concrete, and lastly 6 feet of brick--to a depth of 44 feet 4 inches altogether. as to the actual size of the guns, of the ship's heavier pieces: each is 41 feet long--13 yards and 2 feet from muzzle to breech. pace this out on a gravel garden-walk, and imagine the length covered by a gigantic steel tube, three-quarters of a yard across at one end and swelling gradually to over 5 feet thick at the other--that may give some idea of the bulk of a _formidable_ gun. such a piece of ordnance would have suited the mood of old marshal soult when he refused to fight a duel on the score of his dignity. 'a marshal of france,' growled the old gentleman at his challenger's seconds on their calling to offer him the choice of weapons, 'a marshal of france only fights with cannon!' four of these weapons form the _formidable's_ 'main armament.' they are mounted, two on the quarter-deck and two on the forecastle, each pair in a circular barbette 37-1/2 feet in diameter, walled round with 12-inch thick harveyed steel of immense resisting capacity, and weighing upwards of 315 tons. they can load at any angle of elevation or of training, and the ammunition-supply mechanism ensures the guns being loaded as fast as they can fire. _bis dat qui cito dat_, 'who gives quickly gives twice,' is the maxim of the modern navy gunner. as far as her 12-inch guns are concerned, the _formidable_ could let the enemy have two 850-lb. lyddite shells from each gun every eighty seconds. the ship's magazines and shell-rooms stow eighty rounds for each gun. fired at the same time, the four guns exert a combined force enough to lift the whole ship up bodily ten feet. [illustration: _photo by stephen cribb, portsmouth._ 'ut veniant omnes!'--the big 50-ton guns of the _formidable_] to support the 'main armament' and provide for all comers, down to hostile torpedo boats, there are on board the _formidable_, as 'secondary armament,' twelve 6-inch vickers guns of the latest pattern (mounted six a side), sixteen 12-pounders and six 3-pounders (mounted in the fighting-tops--three in each top), with maxims and light boat and field guns. in battle, fighting an enemy end-on, this embodiment of a 'blustering adjective' would, within the first five minutes, have sent at the enemy upwards of 7 tons of bursting shells; fighting broadside-on, over 16 tons. the _formidable_ is no less efficiently fitted for standing up to the enemy and taking her share of hard knocks. on her sides amidships, shielding from injury the engines and boilers, the 'vitals' of the ship as they are called, a wide belt of harveyed steel armour extends. it is 9 inches thick, and 217 feet long by 15 feet deep, and is built up of some seventy odd plates or slabs of solid steel fitted together, each one of just the surface area of a billiard-table with an extra yard added to its length, and weighing each upwards of 12 tons. each plate separately takes from a fortnight to three weeks to make. where the 9-inch armour leaves off, towards the ends of the ship, a thinner steel belt, 3 inches thick, with an armoured deck, also of 3-inch steel, carries forward the protection. at the bows it joins on to the ship's enormous ram--a ponderous forging of 35 tons of steel. such, roughly indicated, are some of the main features in regard to offence and defence of this titanic 'bruiser of the sea,' his majesty's battleship the _formidable_. below, the ship has twenty belleville boilers, capable of raising steam at a pressure of 300 lbs. to the square inch; engines of 15,000 horse-power, capable of driving the ship's immense hull, a length of 430 feet over all from stem to rudder, through the water, full speed ahead, at 18 knots an hour (nearly twenty land miles), each of the great 17-foot twin-screws thrashing round at the rate of 108 revolutions a minute. she can stow coal enough to carry her without re-coaling, at an average cruising speed of 10 knots, from spithead to buenos ayres or through the suez canal as far as the bay of bengal. a million sterling of the nation's money, with a trifle of forty odd thousand pounds added, is what the _formidable_ represents--£1,040,000 literally cast on the waters. of that sum the guns by themselves cost £74,500--more, in fact, than it cost to build and rig and fit the _victory_ for sea. and her upkeep in commission--interest on first cost, wear and tear, crew, victualling, coal, stores, and ordnance stores--costs £163,000 a year. in action every shot from the _formidable's_ big guns would cost £80--a sum equivalent to the annual pay of two midshipmen _plus_ a naval cadet. these features of the _formidable_ are enough to show that in the case of this particular modern battleship, at any rate, the name is not misapplied, not unsuitable, nor without justification: that it is something more than a 'futility,' something more than a 'merely blustering adjective.' we may trust the honour of the flag to the _formidable's_ keeping, assured that should the hour of trial come in her time she has the means of taking her own part with power and advantage. grant her, when that time comes, 'good sea-room and a willing enemy,' as the war toast of the old navy used to go, and the british empire may rest assured that, as far as this particular ship is concerned, ... in the battle's dance of death, she'll dance the strongest down. there is, though, another justification, and of the amplest kind, for the presence on the roll of the british fleet of the name _formidable_. this 'merely blustering adjective' has a meaning there that is all its own--a _raison d'être_ not only for the royal navy but for all the world in that connection that is _sui generis_. the british fleet does not owe the name to any whim or fancy of a modern admiralty first lord. _vixere fortes ante agamemnon_--there have been famous _formidables_ before the present ship. _formidable_, indeed, is one of our best 'trophy names'--a name that came into the british service as spoil of war, won from the enemy in very exceptional circumstances. it stands in a special sense as a memento of one of the most brilliant exploits in our annals--of that tremendous november afternoon battle of 1759, fought in a wild atlantic storm amid the reefs of quiberon bay, on that historic occasion, so happily described in mr. henry newbolt's stirring verse,[13] 'when hawke came swooping from the west.' 'twas long past noon of a wild november day when hawke came swooping from the west; he heard the breakers thundering in quiberon bay, but he flew the flag for battle, line abreast. down upon the quicksands roaring out of sight fiercely beat the storm-wind, darkly fell the night, but they took the foe for pilot and the cannon's glare for light when hawke came swooping from the west. one result of hawke's swoop was, of course, the stopping of all french invasion schemes for the rest of the seven years' war. henceforward there was no need to watch the southward beacons night after night; no need of more shore batteries at brighton and elsewhere along the sussex coast; no further need to cover the south of england with standing camps for pitt's new militiamen to learn their drill in; no more need to shock the good ladies of hampshire with the sight of bare-legged highlanders marching to and fro. the guns that should have conquered us, they rusted on the shore, the men that would have mastered us, they drummed and marched no more; for england was england, and a mighty brood she bore when hawke came swooping from the west. the other result of hawke's swoop was the _formidable_--the french flagship _formidable_--the sole trophy that the stormy weather allowed hawke to bring off from the fight. the royal navy took over the fine prize, a magnificent two-decker of eighty guns, enrolled her name as it stood on the list of the british fleet, and in due course handed the name on from one successor to another, until we come in the end to our own fine steel-clad battleship, the _formidable_ that to-day graces the proud armado of king edward's ships, in the words of poor kit marlowe's 'mighty'--and prophetic--line.[14] then we have another justification, the most notable of all. the _formidable's_ name has acquired a new significance since the days of hawke. to-day it has to the royal navy a more recent meaning. it stands on the roll of the fleet as the special memorial of another achievement, as a memento of another admiral's 'stricken field,' in special honour of rodney's most famous feat of arms, of the great victory that has given rodney his place in the history of the british empire. on that day a _formidable_ was rodney's flagship; the second ship of the name, the immediate successor of hawke's great prize, our first british-built man-of-war _formidable_.[15] 'if ever,' wrote froude, 'the naval exploits of this country are done into an epic poem--and since the _iliad_ there has been no subject better fitted for such treatment or better deserving it--the west indies will be the scene of the most brilliant cantos.' in at least one of those cantos rodney's _formidable_ would be a central figure. we now come directly to the place, time, and circumstances of the event, taking up the tale a little before the fighting actually opens. [illustration: rodney's _formidable_ on the day before her launch from a pencil sketch. [note, to the right of the ship, the canvas 'booths' or stands for the commissioner of chatham dockyard and officers and guests of distinction. the launching flagstaffs on board were usually set up on the day before a launch, to fly the jack at the bows, the admiralty flag, royal standard, and union flag where the three masts would be; and the 'st. george's ensign' (white ensign) on the ensign staff.]] it begins, first of all, in gros islet bay, st. lucia, a locality that one wants a fairly large map to find. the name is hardly a familiar one, yet it has a place of its own, of special interest in our naval annals. gros islet bay was rodney's headquarters in the west indies during march 1782 and the first week of april, at the time that the _formidable_ was rodney's flagship. rodney was in gros islet bay with his fleet of 36 sail of the line, and the french admiral de grasse, at the head of 34 of the line, was facing him in fort royal bay, martinique, distant some thirty miles--about as far off as boulogne is from folkestone. so the lists were set. [illustration: rodney's sword] rodney had come out from england specially to save the british west indies from de grasse. and even more than the fate of the 'sugar islands' depended on his efforts. 'the fate of this empire,' were the last words of the first lord of the admiralty (lord sandwich) to rodney before he sailed, 'the fate of this empire is in your hands!' he forced his way across the ocean in mid-winter, battling through a series of fierce storms that day after day threatened to tear the masts out of his ship. 'ushant,' wrote rodney to his wife, 'we have weathered in a storm but two leagues, the sea mountains high, which made a fair breach over the _formidable_ and the _namur_, but it was necessary for the public service that every risk should be run. persist and conquer is a maxim that i hold good in war, even against the elements, and it has answered.' it did answer. rodney arrived to find that there were still four islands left to great britain. all our west indian possessions had fallen except jamaica, barbados, antigua, and st. lucia. st. kitts, nevis, montserrat, and demerara had been taken, actually, while rodney was on his way out. de grasse when rodney arrived was refitting for a yet more audacious project at fort royal, martinique, the portsmouth of the french navy in the west indies; and to be on the spot to intercept him and bring him to decisive battle at the first chance, rodney anchored his fleet in the nearest available harbour, within touch and almost within sight of the french fleet, in the roadstead of gros islet bay, st. lucia. both fleets during march and the first week of april were hard at work refitting. twelve of rodney's ships had come out from england with him and wanted little; the others of the thirty-six, however, belonged to the fleet originally on the station, and after the trying time of it they had had during the past six months, including two sharp fights with the french, were badly in need of a refit. de grasse's fleet was in like case. the arrival of convoys from home, however, with war stores and supplies of all kinds for both fleets, towards the end of march, made it all but certain that the month of april would not go by without a battle in the open sea. those days in gros islet bay proved to rodney of vital importance. secret intelligence came to hand which disclosed to him the enemy's entire plan of campaign. a gigantic and startling project was on foot. an elaborate and wide-reaching combination had been designed in which a franco-spanish army and a franco-spanish fleet were both to take part, the operations being projected on a scale far beyond anything hitherto attempted in the war on either side. it aimed at nothing less than the sweeping of the british flag out of the west indies by one tremendous and overmastering _coup_. de grasse's fleet was to be the chief factor in the situation, the mainspring of the movement. the preliminary dispositions had already been made. thirteen spanish ships of the line were at that moment waiting off cape haitien in san domingo, accompanied by transports with 24,000 troops on board. they were expecting to be joined by a force of 10,000 french soldiers from brest, escorted by five or six men-of-war which were already overdue. according to the grand plan, de grasse with his fleet, thirty-four of the line, with store-ships and the convoy that had arrived in march, was to move out from fort royal, with some five or six thousand more troops on board the men-of-war, and cross over and join hands with the assemblage off san domingo. the united armada, making up some sixty ships of the line, against which rodney's thirty-six and the handful of ships at port royal could not hope to stand, were then to swoop down on jamaica and capture it out of hand. there were only 3500 british regulars in jamaica, and the planter militia and armed negroes were of little account. jamaica taken, said the enemy, barbados would fall at the first summons, and antigua and st. lucia would follow, making an end of the british west indies. so confident were the enemy of success that, as it was reported, don bernardo galvez, the spanish commander-in-chief, had already been publicly addressed at havana as 'governor of jamaica,' which island, according to the secret arrangement between the allies (already drafted), was to be spain's share of the spoil. rodney's fleet--the _formidable_ and her thirty-five consorts off st. lucia--were all that stood between the scheme and its fulfilment. realising to the utmost what depended on him, rodney pressed on his preparations for sea with intensified vigour, so as to be ready to fall on de grasse immediately he left fort royal. [illustration: _from dupont's engraving of gainsborough's portrait._] [illustration: [facsimile of the signature to despatch announcing the victory over de grasse.]] during march and the early part of april--except for ten days lost in a futile attempt to cut off de grasse's convoy from france on its way to fort royal--rodney was busy refitting: a task that taxed all his energies owing to the state to which some of the ships had been reduced, short of powder, shot, sea stores of all kinds, bread, even anchors. all the fleet, too, had to be watered, which proved a slow and difficult business owing to the bad weather. 'i think,' wrote rodney in march, 'the winter season has followed us: nothing but violent hard gales, and such a sea that half the boats of the fleet have been stove in watering, which has delayed us much in refitting.' incidentally the admiral had other matters to attend to. one--it will be interesting to make a small point of it here--was to correspond personally with his opponent. the subject was the interchange of prisoners taken at st. kitts and earlier in the campaign. the british sloop-of-war _alert_ was the intermediary, going and coming under a flag of truce. nothing could exceed the courteous tone of rodney's correspondence with the french admiral; and, on the other hand, de grasse was civility itself. he treated captain vashon of the _alert_, while that officer was at fort royal, with every consideration, made him his guest for the time, and expressed in conversation with the british captain the highest esteem and consideration for 'le chevalier rodney.' rodney wrote to de grasse, for instance, in one letter, after dealing in the pleasantest way with the business in hand:- it will make me happy if at any time this island produces anything worthy your acceptance, or that may be the least useful to your table. as the merchant ships which have lately arrived from europe may have brought different species of necessaries that may be agreeable to your excellency, it will make me happy, sir, to obey your commands. the bearing of the two admirals to one another in their personal dealings affords a pleasing instance of the high-bred, chivalrous courtesy that was so characteristic of the old-time fighting days. it was the way with the men of the _ancien régime_ on both sides the channel when they met in war never to forget that, first and foremost, they were gentlemen. in this spirit, almost at that very moment, indeed, de crillon at gibraltar was exchanging similar compliments with the 'old cock of the rock,' general eliott--'eliott the brave': the same spirit that at fontenoy, as all the world knows, moved one side to challenge the other to fire first. it was the same chivalrous spirit that prompted the captains of the british fleet in the east indies to pay their unique compliment to the great de suffren at the close of this war. hostilities were over, peace had been proclaimed, and the rival fleets, so lately enemies, met, both on their way home, in table bay. they had fought five fierce battles within sixteen months--each one a drawn action, with honours divided. on finding the bailli de suffren and his fleet in table bay when they arrived, the british captains, brave old commodore king, the senior officer, at their head, proceeded in a body to call on the gallant leader of their quondam foes, and pay the homage of brave men to the brilliant tactician they had more than once been hard put to it to keep at bay. their generous tribute delighted the warm-hearted provençal immensely, as he described, by the spontaneity and peculiar graciousness of the act. the intercourse between rodney and de grasse was in essentials of the same kind: the outcome of two warriors' sense of _noblesse oblige_ the one to the other; the obligation, as a point of honour, on both sides- to set the cause above renown, to love the game beyond the prize, to honour while you strike him down the foe that comes with fearless eyes. to count the life of battle good, and dear the land that gave you birth, and dearer yet the brotherhood that binds the brave of all the earth.[16] it was, as it were, the swordsmen's obligatory recognition of each other in 'the salute' when they first come face to face, ere the sword-blades cross and clash in fight; one of the courtesies of war between destined opponents, wishing one another well until the striking of the appointed hour- health and high fortune till we meet, and then--what pleases heaven! 'always be polite,' said bismarck once to moritz busch; 'be polite to the foot of the scaffold, but hang your man nevertheless!' nothing could be nicer than rodney's attentions, but he was in deadly earnest all the same--he meant, at the proper time, 'to hang his man nevertheless!' [illustration: the pitons of st. lucia] another incidental detail. it was while rodney's fleet off gros islet bay was getting ready for sea that, according to local tradition, the grim little real-life tragedy of the pitons took place. the pitons or 'sugar loaves,' as, from their general shape, they are to this day commonly called by seafaring men, are two gigantic cones of rock, of volcanic origin, that thrust themselves up out of the sea off the south-westernmost end of st. lucia, rising abruptly, almost sheer from the water's edge. the larger of the two, the grand piton, towers up to a height of some 2720 feet, or nearly seven times the height of st. paul's cathedral; the smaller has an elevation some 300 feet less. a number of sailors, the story goes, either stragglers from a watering-party or, possibly, men from the _russell_, a seventy-four, then undergoing repairs in the _carénage_, managed to get on to the grand piton, clambering up on to its lower slopes 'by means of lianes and scrub.' their intention was to try and scale the huge mass and plant a jack flag they had brought with them on the boulders at the summit. the grand piton is covered almost to the top with dense bush, but there are bare patches and open areas of rock surface and ledges here and there. how many landed or started to climb is not stated, but, according to the story told at st. lucia to this day, lookers-on with telescopes made out four men, including one man with the flag, more than half-way up. immediately afterwards one of the party was seen to stagger and fall, and then roll down a little way and disappear. the others went on until some two or three hundred feet higher up, when a second man dropped. the two survivors went on steadily higher still, and then suddenly one of the two was seen to go down. his companion apparently took no notice. he pressed on with his flag, intent only on getting to the top. he nearly succeeded. the last man seemed to have almost reached the summit when he, like his messmates, was seen to stop, stagger, throw up his arms, and drop. so the local people tell visitors to st. lucia to this day. what was it? what made the men fall dead so suddenly? how they met their death no man ever knew. few human feet besides theirs, if indeed any, have ever tried to scale the pitons, and the bones of rodney's sailors lie up there on the windy height as they fell--what the weather and a hundred and twenty years' exposure in the open has left of them. was it sunstroke? local opinion attributes their fate to another cause. the pitons, like the whole island of st. lucia itself, are known to swarm with venomous serpents, the deadly _fer de lance_--'perhaps the deadliest snake in the world' it has been called--an ugly monster, in average length from 3 to 5 feet, as thick as a boy's wrist, of a dull red or reddish-yellow colour, fiercely aggressive in its ways, ever ready to strike at sight, and its bite practically instant death. _craspedocephalus_--the name in itself is almost enough to kill--would account for everything. whatever the cause really was, at any rate the grand piton has ever since kept its secret to itself. at fort royal, meanwhile, everybody, from the great french admiral de grasse himself down to the smallest _mousse_, was in the highest spirits and assured of victory. to one and all the hour was at hand for the development of the grand scheme that was to lay all the west indies at the feet of france. hardly a finer fleet, perhaps, had ever assembled under a french admiral than that lying there at that moment in attendance on the orders of de grasse. there were thirty-four ships of the line, the finest men-of-war in the french navy among them, and their captains were some of the smartest and most dashing and most highly trained officers that ever trod a french quarter-deck. a specially interesting set they were, as it happened, in many ways. [illustration: the count de grasse (from the portrait in hennequin's _biographie maritime_)] de grasse himself was a man of reputation, a talented and highly trained officer, able to map out the strategy of a campaign in advance with any man of his time, as his admirably planned and executed chesapeake campaign had just proved to all the world. he was just fifty-nine--five years younger than rodney. both men had followed the sea for half-a-century, the young de grasse taking service under the order of malta, in which seven-and-twenty of his ancestors had been enrolled before him, just about the time that the schoolboy rodney was leaving harrow to enter the royal navy as the last of the 'king's letter boys.' since then de grasse, as an officer of the french navy in the regular line, had served all over the world, and done well for his country and himself. he had fought against england in three wars and been taken prisoner once. in the present war, indeed, he had already taken part in six fleet actions, and in three of them as _chef d'escadre_ and third in command had had opportunity of learning something of rodney's methods on the day of battle. such was joseph paul de grasse-briançon, knight of malta, grand cross of the order of st. louis, chevalier of the order of cincinnatus, count de grasse and marquis de grasse-tilly, thirty-fifth of his line, of the _noblesse_ of provence, overlord of forty fiefs, the man in whose hands rested the fate of the campaign now about to open. 'fresh from the victorious thunder of the american cannon' as he was, not a man under his orders doubted his ability to achieve success in the grand project that had been committed to his hands. the marquis de vaudreuil was de grasse's second in command. there was no better gentleman, from all accounts--never a nobler specimen of a french naval officer of the old school than louis philippe de rigaud, marquis de vaudreuil. he looks it in his portrait at versailles--a _beau sabreur_ of the sea, _rusé_, ready-witted in emergency, a 'first-class fighting man' in all respects. the son of a sailor, the grandson of a sailor, the great-grandson of a sailor, he belonged to a family that had sent its sons to serve 'on the ships of the king' ever since france had had a navy. '_il a de l'eau de mer autour du coeur_' is an old breton saying that applied in the case of the scions of the norman house of de vaudreuil. he was a year younger than de grasse, and like his chief had once had to go through the bitter experience of having to raise his hat on the quarter-deck of a foeman's ship as he gave up his sword to a foreigner in token of surrender.[17] like de grasse also, de vaudreuil had taken part in six fleet battles since the war began. he was there by his own choice. there was not a man in the fleet who had not heard how, only a little time before, de vaudreuil had refused the king's personal offer of a lucrative colonial governorship--de vaudreuil was a poor man--rather than be absent from what to him was the post of duty. 'i am a sailor, your majesty,' was the fine reply, 'and in war-time a sailor's place is on the sea.'[18] no officer in the whole french navy was more personally popular than was this courtly son of old-time france--'_noble de sang, d'armes, et de nom_.' the circumnavigator bougainville, _chef d'escadre_, was third in command, and about to add another experience to the many he had gone through in his crowded life. professor of mathematics, barrister, author, major of militia, diplomatist, colonel of light dragoons, a.d.c. at quebec and on the rhine, circumnavigator, flag-captain--there were few things within his reach that louis antoine de bougainville, the clever son of a country lawyer, had not tried his hand at in his time.[19] of the other officers, a third almost of the _annuaire de la noblesse_, the debrett of versailles, was represented at fort royal. among the senior officers alone there were four marquises, two viscounts, five counts, six chevaliers, two barons, nineteen 'de's,' only two plain messieurs. there was a second de vaudreuil, the vicomte's younger brother, the comte de vaudreuil, a man of another kind--a smart, hard-fighting officer, but better known for his feats of gallantry than for his feats of arms, in particular as the favoured first lover of that haughty young beauty gabrielle yolande de polignac, daintiest of court ladies of the hour, '_avec le visage d'un ange et_'--perhaps it will be kinder to say no more. the comte de vaugiraud was captain of the fleet. baron d'escars, of the house of fitz-james, notorious for his fanatical hatred of great britain, was captain of the _glorieux_. the sieur de la clochetterie, an impetuous and brilliant officer--whose name as captain of the _belle poule_ in her duel with the 'saucy' _arethusa_ at the outset of the war, the french navy still remembers--commanded the _hercule_. comte d'albert de rions, by reputation the ablest tactician in the french navy, after de suffren, was the senior captain. a de la charette commanded the black _bourgogne_;[20] a de castellan, the _auguste_; de la vicomté, the _hector_; and so on. there is, indeed, as one runs down the list of the french captains at fort royal, quite a ring of mediæval chivalry, of old-time romance, about their names. de mortemart, de monteclerc, de saint césaire, de champmartin, de castellane-majastre, le gardeur de tilly, to take half-a-dozen other names at random--one might almost be checking off one of bayard's _compagnies d'élite_, or calling over a muster-roll of the lances of du guesclin. in the junior ranks were a de tourville, the vicomte de betisy, two scions of the historic house of st. simon, a grimaldi, a lascaris, a de lauzun, a de sevigné, a macmahon, a talleyrand, a de ségur, a de rochefoucauld, a montesquieu. brueys d'aigalliers, of a noble family of languedoc, who later on took service under the revolution, and perished fighting nelson at the nile, was one of the lieutenants. la pérouse, the explorer, was a _capitaine de frégate_. bruix and denis decrès, napoleon's ministers of marine in later days, were two of the midshipmen. magon, who fell a rear-admiral at trafalgar, was an _enseigne de vaisseau_. l'hermitte, troude, willaumez, emeriau, bourayne, others of napoleon's admirals, were among the boy _volontiers d'honneur_ (naval cadets) in various ships of the fort royal fleet. de grasse's personal staff comprised the vicomte de grasse, the admiral's nephew, the comte de cibon, and the marquis de beaulieu. it was a glittering and gallant crowd that walked the quarter-deck with all the gay _abandon_ of their race those balmy, fragrant west indian evenings of april 1782, while the band played 'vive henri quatre!' and 'charmante gabrielle,' high spirited, and heedless of the coming days. what were they not going to do, '_pour en finir avec ces anglais--bêtes_!' jamaica first, _cela s'entend_! then the sack of barbados,--the spoil of the goldsmiths and silversmiths of bridgetown and the mansions of the planters, whose sideboards, groaning under the weight of gold and silver plate, 'astonished and stirred the envy of every passing visitor,' as travellers had told ever since the time of old père labat, 'gold and silver plate so abundant that the plunder of it would pay the cost of an expedition for the reduction of the island!' _vive la france! vive la gloire!_ light-hearted and gay, how many of them gave a thought to something else? what of those who would not live to see the coming battle through? how many of them all would kneel next sunday three weeks to receive the _aumônier's_ blessing at early mass? ah well!--what mattered it!--_fortune de guerre!_ perhaps so. perhaps, indeed, better so--at any rate, for some of them. those who were to fall in the coming fight were to be envied, rather, in their ending. it was better, surely, to go down there and then, to be dropped overboard in the clear, deep water alongside, eight hundred and fifty fathoms down, to sleep the last sleep beneath the lapping wavelets of the blue caribbean, dead on the field of honour, than to survive for what was yet to come for france, to experience the fate that was to befall so many a gallant french officer who outlived the cannon thunders of rodney's day. to be laid to rest there in those soft summer seas was at least a better fortune than to have to undergo the cruel doom that a few years later overtook so many of their messmates who outlasted the fight. better be smashed in two by an english cannon-ball on the quarter-deck, than perish hideously in the dungeons of draguignan, or go in the tumbrils to a death of ignominy and cold-blooded horror, clattering over the cobble-stones to the place de grève, while all round the mob of paris howled and danced and cursed--the hapless lot of so many a gallant naval officer among the rest of the gentlemen of old-time france, ... those gallant fellows who died by guillotine, for honour and the fleur-de-lis and antoinette the queen. it was better too, surely, than what befell so many others of those who escaped the terror; better than to have to drag out year after year a pitiful existence as an _émigré_ in london, in squalid lodgings in somers town, driven, poor fellows, to earn a wretched and precarious livelihood by teaching french for a few pence a lesson, or as dancing-masters, and then after it all be put away in a cheap grave in the grimy soil of st. pancras old churchyard. it was better than that. _vive la gloire! vixerunt._ each one has had his day- and somewhere, 'mid the distant stars, he knows, mayhap, what glory is. [illustration: clock-face from the _ville de paris_ now in the museum of the royal united service institution, whitehall. the clock-face was set up at the break of the poop, above the quarter-deck. it was the duty of a sentry to move the hands on every hour.] the ships were worthy of the men. the pick of the french fleet was with de grasse--one ship of a hundred and four guns, five of eighty-four, three eighties, nineteen seventy-fours, six sixty-fours--thirty-four sail of the line altogether, besides sixteen frigates. a fine show they made with their yellow sides, belted with black at the water-line, and dark blue bulwarks, with red ports, gilded figure-heads and balustraded galleries, and gleaming brass gribeauval guns, the newest type of ordnance from the foundries of indret and la ruelle. the magnificent _ville de paris_, 'leviathan of ships,' was de grasse's flagship, the finest and largest first-rate in the world, the splendid present offered by the citizens of paris to the king at the close of the seven years' war, as their contribution towards making good the losses that france had suffered in the war. four and a half million livres she was said to have cost, nearly four times the price of the british _royal george_ or the _victory_. seven others of the fifteen powerful men-of-war that the provinces and corporations of france, following the example of the capital, then offered to the state, were at fort royal, on which no money nor pains had been spared to make them equal in efficiency to the finest ships afloat. [illustration: bell of the _ville de paris_ now in the museum of the royal united service institution, whitehall.] a small army of soldiers was at fort royal, as well as de grasse's fleet. there were between five and six thousand troops there, waiting under canvas for the order to embark on board the men-of-war. bouillé commanded them,--the marquis de bouillé, the conqueror of st. kitts and nevis and montserrat and dominica and st. eustatius, 'tiger-spring bouillé,'[21] though better known to fame, perhaps, for his share in the events of a later day, as commandant-general of metz and the 'last refuge of royalty.' varennes, however, was a name that de bouillé, possibly, had as yet not heard of. postmaster drouet still rode in the ranks of the condé dragoons. some of the smartest corps in the french service were there: regiment de foix, dashing d'armagnac, artillerie de metz, regiments de béarn, de touraine, and de monsieur, red-coated irishmen of the walsh and dillon corps, half a battalion of royal contois, two battalions of auxerrois, brought from york town with de grasse, after having witnessed the march out of the surrendered british army. one of the most striking of the great paintings on the walls of the _galerie des batailles_ at versailles shows an aide-de-camp, a cocked-hatted, high-gaitered young dandy, garbed in bourbon white with the mauve facings and silver lace of auxerrois receiving orders from washington just before the last attack. de bouillé's division had already its place on paper as one of the wings of the 'army of jamaica.' now we turn to gros islet bay and the british fleet. rodney's ships lay at anchor to the south of pigeon island, off the north-west of st. lucia, in the roadstead in front of gros islet bay, about half-a-mile off shore, a stretch of deep water extending a mile and a half. the gros islet, from which the bay takes its name, was the old french name for pigeon island. there was also a village of the name on the shore opposite the island. seven miles along the coast to the south was the _carénage_, where ships could be hove down and repaired; now called castries, and an important port and naval station, destined, with the opening of the panama canal, to become the valetta of the west indies. the watering place for the fleet was at trou gascon in the bay. rodney's thirty-six sail of the line in gros islet bay were thus made up: five three-deckers (four of 98 guns, _formidable_, _barfleur_, _prince george_, and _duke_, and one of 90, the _namur_), and thirty-one two-deckers (twenty of them 74's, one a 70-gun ship, and ten 64's). they were as a rule older and slower vessels than the french ships: nearly a third of them, in fact, had seen service in the seven years' war. in guns the british fleet mounted 2620 pieces all told, against 2526 on the french side, but the enemy's metal was considerably the heavier. most of de grasse's ships carried 36-pounders (french weight, equivalent to 42-pounders by british reckoning), as against the 32-pounders that were rodney's heaviest guns. according to the british flag captain, sir charles douglas, the difference between the fleets in weight of metal worked out at 4396 lbs. (nearly two tons) in favour of the enemy. it made the french stronger, douglas held, by 'the weight of metal of four 84's.' that was the difference on paper. in point of fact, certain details of equipment reversed the disparity. most of rodney's ships had their guns fitted with locks and priming-tubes, in place of the old port-fires and powder-horns which the french still used. also, they had been supplied with certain devices for quickening the service of the guns, increasing their rate of fire, and giving them a wider arc of training on the broadside. all that gave rodney a very real advantage in hard-hitting power, without counting the carronades[22] or 'smashers' that most of the british ships mounted as extra to their regulation armaments. in all respects rodney's fleet was in the very highest order, and its discipline and general smartness left little to be desired. thanks to the energy and skill of dr. blane, rodney's physician of the fleet, no previous british fleet in time of war perhaps had ever been so free from sickness. in some ships there was not a man unfit to go to quarters. the _ajax_, to name one ship, had no sick list. in the _formidable_, out of 900 men on board, only two were unfit for duty. before leaving plymouth, dr. blane had had teneriffe wine supplied to the flagship instead of rum, together with molasses and pickled cabbages, and the dietary had had a marvellous effect on the health of the men. for the first four months of the commission there was not a single death from sickness.[23] as we glanced at de grasse's captains, so we may glance at the gallant fellows in whose hands rested the fate of the british empire. they were of another class than the captains of the enemy. there were no counts or viscounts with long pedigrees and high-sounding romantic names among rodney's captains. few of them were of 'the offspring of the sons and daughters of fashion,' though of course some were men of birth and breeding. rodney himself, a baronet and k.b. (distinctions won on his own account), was a man of family. sir samuel hood, also a self-made baronet, was a somersetshire parson's son. rear-admiral francis samuel drake, the third in command, a descendant of the great sir francis of elizabethan days, belonged to the ordinary country gentleman class--man for man, no doubt, as good as any nobleman of france, but as denizens of another world to a lord chamberlain or a master of the ceremonies. among the captains, lord robert manners, of the _resolution_, was the marquis of granby's second son; the hon. william cornwallis, of the _canada_, was a younger son of earl cornwallis; captain reynolds, of the _monarch_, was heir-presumptive to the ducie peerage; captain lord cranstoun, a volunteer on board the _formidable_, was a baron of the scottish peerage. these four, with sir charles douglas, the captain of the fleet, another self-made baronet (for war service), and sir james wallace, a knight, constituted, with the admiral and hood, the social _élite_ of rodney's fleet--a list that hardly comes into comparison with de grasse's little versailles. the bulk of the british captains were the sons of ordinary folk, sons of squires and country parsons, and old naval officers to some extent, drawn from all over the three kingdoms--the sort of men that had officered the royal navy for the past hundred years, the men to whom great britain to-day owes her place among the nations. that, indeed, is literally the case. also, not a few of those who to-day serve his majesty king edward on the quarter-deck are lineal representatives of rodney's officers who in that april week of the year 1782 were in gros islet bay, watching hour by hour for the _formidable_ to hoist the sailing-flags. it is an interesting instance of hereditary inclination--of how the naval spirit runs in families. two-thirds of rodney's captains, practically, are represented at the present hour in the royal navy by direct descendants. one has only to turn over the pages of the current navy list to find hoods and inglefields and parrys, and graveses and gardners, fanshawes and dumaresqs, a buckner, a blur, a burnett, a balfour, a savage, a symons, a charrington, an inglis, a wallace, a byron, a cornish, a truscott, a saumarez, knights and wilsons, and williamses and wilkinsons and thomsons, besides others, who either trace their descent directly from rodney's captains or come of the same stock. all in gros islet bay were burning with anxiety to meet the enemy, absolutely confident of the result. about that, from the highest to the lowest, there were no two opinions. 'their fate,' wrote rodney himself in a letter on the 4th of april, 'is only delayed a short time, for have it they must and shall.' that was the common sentiment with all. the fleet was prepared to sail at an hour's notice. all leave was stopped. not an officer or man was allowed out of his ship except on duty. rodney meant that the blow, when it fell, should come, in the language of the prize-ring, as a 'knock-out' blow. it should be, to use rodney's own words, 'the great event that must restore the empire of the seas to great britain.' de grasse was closely watched from hour to hour. every movement at fort royal was signalled to the _formidable_ practically as it was made. a chain of rodney's frigates reported everything that de grasse did--a line of ships that stretched across the thirty miles of sea between gros islet bay and the fleet in fort royal. to and fro they tacked day and night, patrolling ceaselessly, observing all that passed and sending word of it along the chain. two line-of-battle ships, the _magnificent_ and the fast-sailing _agamemnon_, stiffened the frigate line at the end nearest the enemy. captain george anson byron, of the _andromache_, was in command of the look-out squadron--'an active, brisk, and intelligent officer,' rodney calls him, the second son of old john byron, 'foul weather jack.' a signal-station on pigeon island, set up near the edge of a steep cliff 340 feet high (nearly the height of beachy head), kept touch with the frigates and linked them with the battle fleet. from the look-out post the men on duty could see not only the nearer frigates of the chain, but also right across to the mountains of martinique, and in clear weather catch the white glint of the topgallant sails of the more distant vessels in front of fort royal, on the far horizon and hull down. the admiral himself, we are told, used to land on pigeon island nearly every day, and go up to the signal station, where, under an awning made from a sail, he would sit in an arm-chair with his telescope at his eye, scanning the frigate line. on the site of rodney's signal-station there now stands a small fort, called 'fort rodney,' and visitors are shown what is said to be the actual slab of rock on which the admiral's chair was placed. on the 3rd of april captain byron sent in the message that the enemy's preparations for sea appeared complete. on the 5th he signalled across that he could see the french soldiers being embarked on board the men-of-war. the fateful hour was on the point of striking. then the news that rodney wanted came. just before eight on the morning of sunday, the 8th of april, the signal was seen flying at the mast-head of the nearest of the frigates: 'the enemy are coming out of port.' the whole fleet was at sea, says dr. blane, 'in a little more than two hours.' in rapid succession the _formidable_ signalled, first to recall all boats and watering parties on board their ships at once, then for the fleet to 'prepare to sail.' following on that, at nine o'clock, according to the _formidable's_ log, the signal was made--'prepare for battle!' before half-past ten all was ready. the _formidable_ now loosed her main-topsail and fired a gun; to prepare to weigh anchor. that done, down dropped the foretopsail, and off went a second gun--'weigh!' a quarter of an hour later- with boats on board, with anchors weighed, the fleet rides ready in the bay. the whole fleet was under sail and moving out to sea by a little before eleven. rodney had started on his chase. before noon the rear ships were clearing pigeon island and point du cap, the northernmost headland of st. lucia, was on the beam. the _magnificent_ and _agamemnon_, falling back from their advanced positions while the frigates held on ahead, now came into the fleet. de grasse, they reported, had come out and gone off to the north-west, with thirty-five sail of the line, ten frigates, and an immense convoy of merchantmen and store-ships, numbering upwards of a hundred and fifty sail. the convoy had left fort royal at daybreak, some time in advance of the men-of-war, working up along the coast towards st. pierre under a small escort. as the british fleet gained the open sea it formed up in order of sailing, hood's squadron leading. nothing could be seen of the enemy from the fleet. not even from the mast-head was a glimpse of the french to be got. touch, though, was well maintained by the frigates, who kept rodney continuously informed of the course the enemy were taking. diamond rock, a solitary haystack-shaped mass off the morne du diamant, the south-western point of martinique, began to rise on the sea-line ahead towards three o'clock. half-an-hour later they could make out the bluff shoulder of cape solomon, on the southern side of fort royal bay. nothing of the enemy, though, was visible even from the mast-head of the battle-fleet, until, at eight minutes after four. hood's ship, the _barfleur_, flagship of the van squadron, suddenly made a signal that she saw them. enthusiastic cheers burst out in response from ship to ship all down the line. from the _formidable_, farther astern, they did not get their first sight of the enemy until nearly two hours later, not long before sunset. then they sighted five strange sail on the horizon to the north-west, 'which we suppose,' says the _formidable's_ log, 'to be part of the french fleet.' darkness came on soon after that. 'during the night,' says sir charles douglas, 'we followed them, under as much canvas as we could in prudence carry, the wind blowing very fresh at n.e. by e.' [illustration: emery walker sc. chart showing rodney's pursuit of de grasse, and the engagements of april 9 and 12] at nine o'clock one of the headmost of the frigates, dropping back from the van, hailed the _formidable_ to the effect that they had de grasse's lights well in view. by midnight the enemy's signal-flares were distinctly visible from the british flagship, and an occasional signal-gun was heard. at two in the morning (the 9th of april) the _st. albans_ dropped back alongside the _formidable_ and hailed across that she and the _valiant_, sailing to windward, had seen the enemy's lights. the _formidable_ had sighted them for herself just before. satisfied with the progress made, rodney now brought the fleet to. daylight was wanted for the next move. clear daylight came about half-past five. it disclosed the entire force of the enemy, both men-of-war and convoy. they were full in sight to the north-east, an irregular array of ships stretching along under the high land of dominica, and from six to twelve miles off. the leading french ships were trying to weather the northernmost point of the island and work round into the stretch of open water between dominica and the next island to northward, guadeloupe, but their progress was slow. since midnight the wind had fallen away until it was now nearly a dead calm. the bulk of de grasse's ships were lying off prince rupert's bay with barely steerage way. rodney, farther to seaward, was in like case. until nearly seven o'clock it was impossible to move on either side. then there came a change. towards seven o'clock the sea-breeze from the north-east, blowing through the channel between dominica and guadeloupe, began to reach hood's ships at the head of the british line. the breeze carried hood forward and out into the channel; but at the same time it caused him to break away and separate from his own fleet. rodney himself with the whole of the british centre, and drake with the rear squadron, were left at some distance astern, beyond the reach of the breeze. they remained unable to get clear of the belt of calm under the lee of dominica.[24] a gap was formed in the british line as hood was swept more and more ahead, and it widened rapidly. the opportunity was too good for de grasse to miss. he had the windward berth, and fourteen or fifteen of his ships, helped by the same breeze that carried hood forward, were simultaneously getting clear of the island and into the channel. only eight ships were with hood. de grasse saw a chance of dealing his opponent a telling blow by crippling hood before the british centre and rear squadrons could move to his support. he signalled to de vaudreuil, who led the french line, to bring hood's isolated squadron to action at once. an incident of the most exciting and extra-ordinary kind occurred while de vaudreuil, who well knew what kind of action his leader intended him to fight, was preparing to carry out his orders. two french ships, to leeward of the rest, attempted to cut across the head of hood's ships, which were sailing in close order at one cable interval. the two had got separated from their consorts during the night, and were taking the nearest way to rejoin. one of them shirked coming to close quarters, and made a sweep round well ahead of hood. the other, in the coolest and most insolent way, stood directly for the leader of the british column. she approached deliberately and aggressively, and came on as though she did not care if she came into collision with anybody or not. her ports were closed down, her ensign staff showed no colours. on the reckless frenchman came, and the next instant, to the astonishment of the whole squadron, the _alfred_, hood's leading ship, herself gave way, and sheered out of line. the _alfred_ bore up to allow the enemy's seventy-four to pass. the amazing display of impudence was attended with complete impunity. everything was done in dumb show. not a gun went off on either side. hood's men in the eight ships were all at quarters and ready, fidgeting with suppressed excitement but in hand. their guns were pointed and run out and all training on the frenchmen--yet not a shot was, or could be, fired. no signal to 'commence action' had gone up. until it did, until the red flag broke at the _formidable's_ foretopmast-head, no captain dared begin. why rodney delayed the signal was inexplicable. the _formidable_ was between five and six miles from hood at that moment; but on board the flagship they must have seen what was taking place. at any rate it was a fine display of british discipline. in breathless silence the french ship forged slowly past the _alfred's_ broadside, every gun of which was kept pointed on her, training round and following her as she went by. she made no sign, but held stolidly on for her own fleet, until she had reached a safe distance from the british ships. then, as if in bravado, the french captain hauled his ports up, ran his guns out, and displayed his colours. immediately afterwards the _formidable_ made the signal--'engage.' de vaudreuil at the same moment opened his attack--such as it was. he had had his instructions from de grasse as to the sort of attack he was to deliver. it was not to be pressed home. no risks were to be run. hood was to be dealt with by long-range fire from the french 36-pounders, and his ships dismasted and crippled, the french ships themselves meanwhile keeping off as much as possible out of harm's way. with fifteen ships to the british eight, de grasse anticipated being able to handle hood so roughly that rodney would be forced after the fight to stop behind to attend to the repairs of his second in command's squadron, which would let him go on his way to san domingo without further interference. that was what was in the french admiral's mind. de grasse would not see that he had only to go one step farther. the gods had favoured him, the odds were all on his side: a little boldness, a little of the _furia francese_ at point-blank range, and rodney's whole fleet would be out of action for the rest of the campaign. had de vaudreuil made use of his superiority on the spot and attacked hood vigorously at close quarters, there would have been no question of repairs. hood's squadron would have ceased to exist as a fighting force: twenty-five per cent of rodney's total strength would have been shorn away at one stroke.[25] when de vaudreuil began firing, the nearest ships of rodney's squadron were four miles from hood, and still becalmed; admiral drake and the rear squadron, all also becalmed, were from ten to twelve miles off. it was an anxious moment for the british, until they saw how things were shaping themselves. de vaudreuil attacked in a very clever fashion, with a remarkably artistic display of minor tactics. he circled his ships round and round and blazed away with a continuous fire on his opponent, who kept a close line for most of the time, with main-topsails to the mast. at times two or three of the french ships--sometimes, indeed, more--were firing at once on individual british ships. the _barfleur_, we are told, 'had at one time seven and generally three ships upon her.'[26] hood remained very little the worse for his hammering, and after three-quarters of an hour's firing de vaudreuil gave over for a time. the attack was renewed a little before noon with some fresh ships. the breeze had reached the french main body, enabling de grasse and three-quarters of his fleet to arrive on the scene. it also brought up some of the headmost ships of rodney's own squadron, the _formidable_ among them, but these were far fewer than the french, who throughout had a superiority within the fighting zone of nearly two to one. the rear division of rodney's squadron and the whole of drake's still remained becalmed a long way astern. once again de grasse refused to seize his chance and push his advantage home. 'had the french fleet come down as they ought,' said rodney, 'in all probability half my fleet would have suffered extremely; but they, as usual, kept an awful distance, and only made a cannonade!'[27] for upwards of an hour and a half the firing went on, and then it ceased for the day. rodney's rear division and drake's ships had at last got a breeze and were beginning to work up into action. on seeing that, de grasse broke off the fighting abruptly and drew off out of range. his half-hearted game had failed entirely. none of hood's ships had suffered damage that could not be repaired at sea within twenty-four hours. on the other hand, the straight shooting of hood's gunners, long as the range had been, had severely mauled some of de vaudreuil's ships. on board the _formidable_, in the short time she was in action, three men were killed and ten wounded; the killed including an officer. lieutenant hill--'my best lieutenant,' as rodney called him. de grasse employed the afternoon in working to windward towards the saints, a group of islets about six miles to southward of guadeloupe. rodney, after reversing the order of his line so as to bring drake's fresh ships to the van and place hood's squadron in rear, hove-to in order to give the damaged ships an opportunity for attending to their repairs. they remained hove-to until daybreak next morning (wednesday, the 10th of april), when once more rodney took up the chase. the french were in sight, some twelve miles off. all day rodney chased hard, beating up against a stiff north-easterly breeze. the french admiral showed no disposition to turn on his pursuers and fight. 'the french,' wrote rodney, 'always had it in their power to come into action, which they cautiously avoided.' de grasse held on his course, and gaining steadily during the day led by fifteen miles at nightfall. he was by then near the saints. rodney's last signal before sunset was 'general chase,' so as to give his ships every chance of doing their best independently. there was little fear of missing the enemy. throughout the night the flashes of the french signal-guns and their signal-flares and false fires were plainly visible. in spite of rodney's efforts, however, the french gained on him in the night. to the british admiral's bitter disappointment, on thursday morning the enemy were nearly out of sight. only a few of their ships were to be seen. de grasse, indeed, had secured so long a lead that already a large part of his fleet had weathered the saints. it looked, in fact, as though the enemy were going to get away clear after all. rodney, however, was not a man to despair. 'persist and conquer,' was, as he himself said, his favourite maxim in war. he held doggedly on, trusting to the chapter of accidents. it was, no doubt, all he could do. anyway, as events proved, it was the right thing. he had his reward, and before he had waited very long. early in the afternoon two of de grasse's ships were made out to be in difficulties. they had dropped astern of the french line and to leeward, and were drifting in the direction of the course of the advancing british. during wednesday night the _zélé_, a seventy-four, had collided with another french ship, losing her main-topmast in the collision. unable to make good her damage, after trying in vain to keep up with her consorts, the unfortunate vessel had dropped gradually to leeward, in company with the _magnanime_, also a seventy-four, whose foreyard had been carried away in tacking. the two ships were several miles to leeward of the french fleet when, early in the afternoon, they came under rodney's attention. at that time they were still a long way to windward of the weathermost of the british fleet, but their situation offered rodney an opening. supposing he made a show of trying to cut the two french ships off--how would de grasse take it? would he turn back and come to the rescue? rodney felt sure that he would. de grasse, he was positive, would never let two of his ships be snapped up by an enemy in full view of his own fleet without making an effort to save them. that being so, there could only be one outcome. 'i flattered myself,' said rodney, 'he would give me an opportunity of engaging next day.' the signal to chase the two ships was made at once, and within a few minutes the weathermost of the british ships were drawing out directly towards them. they were rodney's fliers, and they sailed fast. they 'gained on the french so fast that the two french ships,' according to sir charles douglas, who was watching the chase from the quarter-deck of the _formidable_, 'began to make signals for help to three or four of the enemy, all then in sight from the mast-head.' that was just what rodney wanted. what he hoped for followed. de grasse could not stand by and see two of his ships cut off. the french admiral, observing the signals of distress, went about and bore down to the rescue under full sail. 'de grasse,' said captain douglas, describing the afternoon's work, 'bore down _en corps_, our chasers still menacing their game until the count's headmost ships had got very near them, when they and the rest of the fleet were recalled into close order by signal.'[28] by five o'clock de grasse had lost all the advantage of position that he had toiled so hard to secure during the past two days. he saved his two ships, and he was still to windward; but it was more than an even chance now that rodney would be able to force on a battle next day. 'i hope we shall do most effective business to-morrow,' were hood's words in a note to rodney that evening. rodney made it his business that de grasse should not have the chance of evading battle on the morrow. with that one aim he issued his orders for the night. he saw his way to outmanoeuvre the french under cover of the dark. all lights on board every ship were to be dowsed except one lantern at the stern of the _america_, told off as the 'guide of the fleet.' on a signal, given from the _formidable_ after dark, the whole fleet, in order of sailing and under press of canvas, was to stand to the south, 'which was away from the french,' until two o'clock in the morning. then, on a gun signal from the _formidable_, all would tack together and beat up until daylight. everything turned out exactly as rodney anticipated. from the british fleet they marked the flashes of de grasse's signal-guns from time to time during the night, and could guess what he was doing. the french admiral, on the other hand, saw nothing and heard nothing of the british fleet. he had not the least idea of rodney's whereabouts all the night through, and was immensely surprised when daylight showed up the complete success of rodney's clever move. 'we had no conception,' said one of de grasse's officers afterwards, 'that the british fleet could be so near.' rodney at daybreak was asleep in his cabin. having set things in train, he had lain down to get what rest he might before the fateful morrow came. he had not been able to sleep at all for anxiety during the three previous nights. the admiral was sleeping peacefully when, a little before half-past five, sir charles douglas entered the cabin and awoke rodney with the news that 'god had given him his enemy on the lee bow!' rodney was on deck a very few minutes later. it was broad daylight. this is the situation as it presented itself before rodney's eyes that morning. the british fleet in line ahead, not a ship out of station, was steering east-north-east on the starboard tack. the wind was from the south-east. right ahead lay the open channel between dominica and guadeloupe, divided by the chain of islets known as 'the saints'--columbus's name for them in commemoration of their discovery on all saints' day. they lay off the south end of martinique, six miles from shore, with, on the other side, between them and dominica, a wide space of open water, fifteen miles across--'the saints' passage,' as it was called. prince rupert's bay in dominica lay some miles away on rodney's starboard beam. the enemy were to the north-east of the british fleet, as douglas had said, 'broad on the lee bow.' they were out of formation, a straggling array of ships, making towards the south on the port tack and pointing diagonally across the saints' passage.[29] the french had had a bad night and were widely separated. most of their ships were far off on the horizon, nearly twelve miles away. a small group of five or six ships, with a big three-decker in the midst of them, were not more than eight miles from rodney. that, however, was not all. rodney, after his first glance ahead, turned his attention in another direction. what he saw was enough to astonish him. there, under his very eyes, by an extraordinary chance, the situation of yesterday afternoon was repeating itself. dead to leeward of the british fleet, and only five or six miles off, were two isolated french ships. one was a seventy-four, with her foremast down and bowsprit gone. the other was a frigate, which had the crippled ship in tow. the two were going off before the wind, apparently bound for basse terre, guadeloupe. there had been another collision in the french fleet. the hapless _zélé_, whose earlier misfortunes had been the cause of de grasse turning back on thursday afternoon, had during the previous night had a second collision. while tacking shortly after midnight, she had blundered clumsily into the _ville de paris_ with disastrous consequences. in her present state the _zélé_ was a danger to his fleet, and de grasse told off la pérouse of the _astrée_ to tow the crippled ship off at once into basse terre. it proved, though, for one reason and another, not so easy a thing to do in the dark, and the first streaks of dawn were showing before the towing-cable had been got across. after that, when at length the two moved away they crawled off dead slow, making barely five knots. all the time, ever since midnight, the wind and set of the tide had been carrying not only the _zélé_ and the _astrée_, but also the _ville de paris_ and the half-dozen ships with her that were standing by, steadily to leeward, away from the main body of the french fleet, and ever nearer to the course on which rodney, in the dark, all unknown to de grasse, was fast approaching. the french had entirely lost touch with rodney since sunset, owing to his having put out his lights. from the _formidable's_ quarter-deck rodney marked the situation of the _zélé_. he saw what it meant. a flutter of signal-flags broke overhead, and within two minutes four of hood's smartest ships--the _monarch_, _valiant_, _centaur_, and the _belliqueux_--were sweeping out of the line with all sail set, heading straight for the _zélé_ and the frigate. de grasse saw it. to lose the _zélé_ like that would be a personal disgrace; but that was not all the mischief. the great de bouillé himself, commander-in-chief of the french army, was on board the _astrée_. it was terribly awkward. de grasse at once signalled to his fleet in the distance to make all sail and close on the _ville de paris_, forming line on the port tack.[30] he himself meanwhile with the ships nearest him bore down towards the british four to frighten them off. that was just the false step that rodney wanted him to take--the outcome of "an impulse of hasty unbalanced judgment."[31] by another move he might have forced rodney to recall his chasers before they could reach the _zélé_, at the same time also keeping the weather-gage for himself. by hurrying down under sail ahead of his fleet de grasse not only delayed the formation of his line, as his ships had the farther to go to reach their stations, but he also carried his fleet bodily to leeward and within rodney's reach. a worse blunder still was the forming line on the port tack--the opposite to that on which rodney was standing. by continuing on the port tack, the french, after the first exchange of fire in the open channel, could not help running into the belt of calms and variable airs off the coast of dominica, which would render further manoeuvring on their part impossible. it was a glaring blunder, and his own fleet saw it. 'what evil genius,' exclaimed de vaudreuil's flag-captain, du pavillon, who had the reputation of being one of the ablest officers in the french navy, as he read off the flags at the _ville de paris's_ mast-head with his glass, 'what evil genius has inspired the admiral!' when the french had come far enough to leeward to suit his purpose, rodney recalled his chasing ships and went to breakfast. the men had already breakfasted, and every ship was ready, cleared for action: the decks were rid of unnecessary gear and sanded down, the yards slung and sheets stoppered, fire screens rigged, the guns cast loose, and run out, the galley fires extinguished and the magazines opened. on board the _formidable_ during these preliminary moments, sir charles douglas with captain symonds went round below and inspected the gun-locks throughout the ship and the supplies of quill priming tubes--eighty tubes with a couple of kentish flints to each gun. the admiral's breakfast party, we are told, sat down in a very cheerful and confident mood. douglas of course formed one of the party, and captain symonds; paget the admiral's secretary. dr. blane, and the flag-lieutenant were the others. one chair was vacant, that of lord cranstoun. lord cranstoun was remaining behind on deck to watch the movements of the enemy. when the others were half-way through the meal he came hurrying into the cabin with the announcement that the course on which they were standing must carry them through the enemy's line. everybody glanced at rodney expecting him to say something;--but the admiral made no remark and calmly went on with his meal. when they went on deck again after breakfast the enemy had hauled up rather nearer to the wind than before, but were still standing on the port tack and heading to cross the bows of the british fleet. de grasse's line was not yet formed. the ships farthest off when the french admiral first made his signal had not yet had time to join, though they were hastening down with all sail set. the spectacle at every point was inspiring, and was girt round by a magnificent setting. on one hand, right ahead, the saints' group stretched away to the north-east, islet beyond islet, all showing up clear in the golden sunshine of the cloudless morning against the towering darker background of the souffrière of guadeloupe. on the horizon, due east, a faint greyish-blue blur marked the low-lying island of marie galante. away on the starboard beam and not far distant the mountain masses of dominica, crowned by the jagged volcanic summit of the mighty diablotin, the loftiest peak of the antilles, overtopped the scene and closed in the view. 'if superior beings,' wrote dr. blane, 'make a sport of the quarrels of mortals, they could not have chosen a better theatre for the magnificent exhibition.'[32] the fleets in themselves afforded a spectacle in keeping with the surroundings. nothing could have been finer than the show they made that morning: nearly eighty men-of-war all told, three-deckers, two-deckers, and frigates in battle array, their lofty canvas glinting white in the bright sunshine, with gleaming yellow sides, tiers on tiers of ports, wide open with the red port-lids lashed back showing the brass muzzles of the shotted guns, all gliding forward in stately order across a placid sea of the deepest blue, shimmering under a cloudless sky. the blue ensign led the british line, the colours of drake's squadron; twelve ships all with blue ensigns at the stern. the white ensign was in the centre, waving over the _formidable_ and her division of twelve; rodney's own colour as admiral of the white. hood's twelve in rear wore the red ensign, hood being a flag officer of the red. on the french side, bougainville led with the 'escadre bleue,' de la clochetterie having the post of honour in the van ship. de grasse himself, with the 'cornette blanche' at the mast-head of the mighty _ville de paris_, was in the centre. de vaudreuil with the 'blanche et bleu' at the fore, the service term for the parti-coloured flag that french seconds-in-command flew, brought up the rear.[33] after calling in his chasers rodney closed his fleet to one cable interval all along the line. his van ships continued meanwhile to lead obliquely across the course that the french were steering, making towards the spot where, as both sides could see, the two lines were bound to intersect. the headmost ships of the french fleet passed over the spot first; just, it so happened, as the leading ships of the british fleet came within range. for that the french had been watching. as soon as they saw that their shots could reach the enemy they opened fire. de grasse did not intend, if he could help it, to fight a pitched battle. it was not his policy to fight the battle out. since he must fight he would confine the day's proceedings to a mere passing cannonade, after which he would work to windward and slip away. he knew he had the heels of rodney; the events of the past two days had shown that. thus at the last moment de grasse thought he might snatch a strategical advantage in the great game. his gunners, however, did not shoot straight enough. they failed to do the execution among rodney's masts and spars that their admiral hoped for. the british fleet came steadily on with little to show by way of damage except a few rope-ends dangling loose and some shot-holes through the sails. the _marlborough_, a powerful 74, one of the finest men-of-war that deptford dockyard ever sent to sea, led the line. she kept her helm steady and held her way forward without checking for an instant, unswerving, regardless of the storm of shot that hurtled overhead or splashed in the sea alongside. taylor penny, the _marlborough's_ captain, a gallant son of dorset and a veteran now serving in his third war, was not the man to mind a cannonade. the _marlborough_ stood on silently until she had come within 150 yards of the french line. then, when nearly opposite the fifth ship from the enemy's van, her helm went swiftly up and the ship's huge bulk swung round to port. the next minute she began to range along the enemy broadside on, in the opposite direction to that the french were taking. not a shot had come from the _marlborough's_ ports all this time. four french ships in turn passed her and fired at her, but captain penny took no notice. the flagship had made no sign. no order to 'commence action' had been given. every telescope on board was kept fixed on the _formidable_, while below the captains of the guns fidgeted impatiently with the firing lanyards. they had to practise patience. eight bells clanged out on board the silent _marlborough_, and still they waited. then, instantaneously the signal was made. the _formidable's_ signal halyards were seen to twitch, and a little ball of bunting slid swiftly aloft to the mast-head. there was a jerk, and the next instant the red flag for battle--the 'bloody flag,' as the navy called it--was 'abroad,' flying out upon the breeze. it went up just as the _marlborough_ came abreast of the french _dauphin royal_, the ninth ship in de grasse's line, and as the flag 'broke' the _marlborough's_ opening broadside flashed off with a thundering crash, guns, carronades, and musketry all together. the british ships nearest astern of the _marlborough_ opened fire at the same moment. each in her station, a cable's length apart, they had been following close in the _marlborough's_ wake, equally ready and eager to begin. there were sixteen ships in the line between the _marlborough_ and the _formidable_, each 200 yards apart (the length of a cable), and the men of rodney's flagship had to wait some little time yet for their turn. their eyes, though, had something to look at, for most of the ships ahead of them were full in their view meanwhile. what they saw was worth seeing. the _arrogant_, a veteran 74 of the seven years' war time, backed the _marlborough_ up; an exceptionally ugly customer for an enemy to tackle, for her guns were fitted with all the newest improvements,--locks, tubes, and sweep-pieces,--and her men knew how to make the best of them. captain douglas, watching the _arrogant_ from the _formidable_, noted that he saw her firing three broadsides to the enemy's one--one broadside meeting the enemy as they came up; the second right into their ports as they passed; the third a slashing good-bye salute, training three-quarters aft into the frenchmen's stern. some of the enemy struck back savagely as the _arrogant_ went by, but the tough suffolk oak of the old ship's timbers could take hard knocks, and the harwich dockyard-men's work came through the hammering little the worse. the _alcide_, captain charles thomson, followed next, a british-built model of one of old 'dreadnought' boscawen's prizes, whose french name she had also taken; then the _nonsuch_, captain truscott; and the _conqueror_, captain george balfour, a gallant scot who had won post-rank for an act of exceptional daring in battle five-and-twenty years before. these five 74's headed the british fleet and 'broke the bowling.' they ranged forward alongside the french within pistol-shot, 'sliding down slowly,' as captain douglas, looking on from the _formidable's_ quarter-deck, described it. they passed parallel to the french and to leeward, on the opposite tack, from the ninth ship of the enemy to their rear ship, exchanging fire with every ship of the enemy, one after the other as each came by, until they had passed and overlapped the end of the french line. forward they went, ship following ship, keeping exact station and each lashing out, broadside after broadside, into the enemy as they swept along, as fast as the powder could be brought to the guns. admiral drake followed in the wake of the _conqueror_, with the _princessa_, an ex-spanish two-decker, a 70-gun ship, but bigger than hood's _barfleur_, one of the prizes that rodney had made in his moonlight battle with langara off cape st. vincent that wild january midnight two years before when he was on his way to relieve gibraltar. the big _prince george_ (captain williams), a giant 98-gun three-decker, the hardest hitter of the van squadron in weight of metal, seconded drake. keppel's pet ship, the ever-ready old _torbay_, came next in the line, with, astern of her, the anson, a small 64, captain william blair--to-day, poor fellow, in his last fight. in the heat of the action a round-shot, sweeping some three feet above the deck, struck captain blair at the waist, smashing his body right in two and carrying half of it across the deck and up against the bulwarks on the farther side. the van squadron was completed by the _fame_, 74, and the _russell_, captain james saumarez, the famous admiral of later days, then a young post-captain twenty-five years old, whom a stroke of unexpected good luck a few weeks before had transferred from a small fireship to the quarter-deck of one of the best line-of-battle ships in rodney's fleet. each ship as she reached the spot at which her immediate leader had turned put her helm up sharply and ranged along in the wake of the ship next ahead, firing into every frenchman that she passed, keeping meanwhile her leader's three masts in one and checking her distance with the sextant. that was at the outset, as they came round and steadied into line alongside the enemy. as the firing became general the smoke, rolling heavily down from windward, smothered the british ships in a dense fog and blanketed them in, shutting out the view all round, except now and again as a glimpse ahead was caught in an occasional rift here and there. rodney's squadron followed drake's without a break. the _america_, captain thompson, led them, a cable's length astern of the _russell_. her name is out of the navy list now, but it had a meaning of its own in those days, commemorating as it did a former gift of a man-of-war to great britain by those colonists of north america who had become since then her deadliest foes. the _hercules_, 74, commanded by a 'character' of the day, captain henry savage, came next. her captain's doings that morning were of peculiar interest. savage took his ship into action with two ensigns up, one nailed to the staff, the other at the peak, with the halyards so belayed that the flag could not easily be hauled down. beyond a casual gun, he would not let a shot be fired until he had come right abreast of the french admiral. then he opened with a full broadside into the _ville de paris_, every gun double-shotted, at less than 50 yards. not thirty seconds elapsed between the first gun and the last, said the _hercules'_ first lieutenant. as the men reloaded, captain savage, who, a martyr to gout, had been sitting in an arm-chair on deck waving his hat and calling out uncomplimentary epithets to the frenchmen as he passed each ship, forgetting his pain in his excitement, jumped on an arm chest and struck up a line of a song of the day- oh! what a charming thing's a battle! once she had passed the _ville de paris_ there was no more holding back on board the _hercules_. they fired as fast as the guns could be loaded and run out, using rammers that captain savage himself had invented for quick loading. 'her side,' said the officers of the ship astern of the _hercules_, 'was in a constant blaze.' captain savage, who had resumed his arm-chair, soon afterwards received a bad wound, and had to be taken to the cockpit. as he went below he told his officers 'to point between wind and water and sink the d----d rascals!' he returned on deck in a few minutes and sat the battle out bandaged up, fixed in his arm-chair, which was set by the ship's side in the gangway, and shouting out expletives as before. as the _hercules_ cleared the rear of the french fleet, captain savage luffed up directly into the wake of the enemy, at right angles to their line, and by way of a parting kick sent a raking last broadside crash into the rearmost french ship's cabin windows as she disappeared in the smoke. captain buckner's _prothée_, a 64, taken from the french two years before, followed the _hercules_ in the line, and after her came the smart _resolution_, 74. the captain of the _resolution_, lord robert manners, was the first on board her to fall. a round-shot struck him down, smashing his left leg and injuring the right badly, and at the same moment a heavy splinter fractured his right arm. lord robert was carried down to the cockpit, where it was found necessary to amputate his left leg, the heroic young officer--he was only twenty-four and chloroform or anæsthetics of any kind were as yet unknown--'making jocular remarks on the operation with a smiling countenance during its most painful steps.'[34] captain manners' injuries unfortunately proved mortal. he seemed to be getting better, and was on his way home in the frigate that carried rodney's despatches, when mortification suddenly set in, and he was dead within twenty-four hours. 'i would rather have lost two seventy-fours than lord robert manners,' king george is reported to have said when his majesty received the news of the death. a monument to him, conjointly with captains bayne of the _alfred_ (killed on the 9th) and blair of the _anson_, was erected by order of parliament in westminster abbey. another brave fellow on board the _resolution_, as the ship's surgeon related, was a seaman whose name history has not preserved. he was standing by his gun as the ship sheered abreast of de grasse's flagship. the gun was all ready and just going to fire when a shot came in at the port and took his leg off at the knee. as quick as thought the man pulled off his neckcloth and tied his leg above the stump. the next instant he seized his shot-off limb and thrust it into the muzzle of the gun, which went off two seconds later. '_my_ foot,' shouted the man exultantly, 'is the first to board the _ville de paris_!' such was the spirit in which rodney's tars went into the fight that day. [illustration: monument of the three captains--blair, bayne, and lord robert manners--in westminster abbey] the big _duke_, of 98 guns, 'a splendidly efficient three-decker,' with a large effigy of 'butcher' cumberland of culloden fame, in the war-paint of a british general, at her bows for the ship's figure-head, came on in the wake of the _resolution_.[35] her captain was alan gardner, the lord gardner of later days, an officer and seaman worthy of such a ship. there was no more efficient man-of-war in rodney's line than the _duke_, nor one more perfectly equipped, not excepting the _formidable_ herself. and her men were worthy of their captain and their ship. captain gardner had the honour of leading rodney himself into the battle as the flagship's 'second ahead.' the _formidable_ came into action next immediately astern of the _duke_. the _formidable_ fired her first gun, by the ship's log, exactly at eight minutes after eight o'clock: it was just as she was opposite the fifth ship from the french van. the enemy had already opened fire on the british flagship, 'in stemming towards them,' but without drawing rodney's fire until he got closer, when the admiral returned it 'by giving some little elevation to his guns to good effect.' rodney stood on in his place in line until he had come almost abreast of the ninth french ship. at that point, within pistol-shot of the enemy, the _formidable_ put up her helm and swung over to port to follow her consorts ahead. a smashing broadside of round-shot into the nearest of the frenchmen announced that the british flagship had begun, and with that the _formidable's_ men settled to their morning's work, 'keeping up,' as captain douglas bore witness, 'a most unsupportable, quick, and well-directed fire.' as they rounded-to alongside the french fleet, coming bows on towards them, they plunged abruptly into the dense fog-bank of smoke that hung heavily along the firing lines, clinging thickly over all, sluggish and inert and almost opaque, blurring everything out except quite close at hand. for those on board the _formidable_ it was like passing at a step from a sunny street into a cellar, a transition in the blinking of an eye from a radiant april morning to the gloom and darkness of november midnight. on deck, in the open, the dark haze that shrouded everything in was at times impenetrable. the ship had to grope her way forward blindfold, steering, actually, by the flashes of the _duke's_ guns, which kept up 'a most dreadful fire.' when now and then the smoke lifted or thinned a little, it became possible to catch a glimpse of the upper canvas of some approaching enemy in the act of nearing them, and fire at her as she came up, but for great part of the time they had to fire blindly or by guess work, unable to make out anything at all until an enemy suddenly loomed up close at hand, right abreast. then a blaze of fire and the enemy had gone, disappeared, swallowed up in the smoke. below, between decks, for most of the time they were worse off. not the faintest gleam of light came in through the ports--only smoke, pouring back into the ship with every discharge of the guns, thick and suffocating, blotting out everything from sight and filling every corner of the ship with hot sulphurous fumes. except close underneath the horn battle-lanterns, that swung overhead above the guns and threw a weak glimmer on the white glistening shoulders of the seamen--as they fought their pieces, stripped to the buff and dripping with sweat, naked except for their breeches, tugging and swaying with bent backs at the training tackle, barefooted, for the decks, though sanded down, soon got slippery--all was impenetrable darkness, ink black. the din below was fearful, incessant, deafening, with the reverberating crashes from the firing; the continuous trundling roll and thumping to and fro of the heavy gun-carriages, flung about by main force backwards and forwards as the guns were run in and out; the rattle and clatter of gear; the hoarse shoutings of orders. now and again a sudden terrific crash, mingled with the harsh rending noise of splintering timber, would shake the ship's frame from end to end and overpower every other sound for the moment, as an enemy's broadside beat furiously against the stout oak planking of the ship's sides, followed by yells of agony from somewhere in the dark within the ship, and the gruff abrupt 'close up there! close up!' from the captains of the guns, signifying that some poor fellows had gone down. [illustration: fighting the guns on the main deck. 1782. after rowlandson. [this would seem to have been drawn in 1782, when rowlandson paid his flying visit to see the remains of the _royal george_, and was probably worked up from a sketch on board one of the obsolete guardships in harbour with certain fancy touches of the artist's own.]] rodney was on the quarter-deck, seated for most of the time in an arm-chair. he was badly crippled after his last attack of gout, from which he had hardly recovered. every now and again the admiral would rise and pass aft through his cabin under the poop to the stern gallery to look out astern and see what might be made out of the battle from there, or go forward to the gangway at the side, clear of the piled-up hammocks on the quarter-deck bulwarks, to look out ahead. his gout, it would seem, would not let him mount the ladder to the poop. it was during one of the admiral's intervals of rest probably, while he was sitting down for a few minutes in the middle of the men as they worked the quarter-deck guns, that rodney, as we are told, made the discovery that one of the gunners there was a woman. brought up on the spot before the admiral and taxed with disobedience of orders in not staying to help in the cockpit, the delinquent threw herself on rodney's mercy. she was, she said, a sailor's wife. her husband had been wounded and carried below, whereupon she had come up to take his place at his gun. it was of course a breach of discipline, and rodney reprimanded the woman sharply. then he softened, gave her ten guineas, and sent her down to nurse her husband. here is another incidental personal detail about rodney on that morning. in one of his passings to and fro, between the quarter-deck and the stern walk, as rodney went through his cabin he saw some lemons lying on a side table. the old gentleman was hot and his throat parched with the sulphurous fumes of the all-pervading powder smoke. he called to a midshipman near by to make him a glass of lemonade. the boy did so, and having nothing to stir the glass with, picked up a knife on the table that had been used by some one for cutting up a lemon. quite happy, he stirred the admiral's drink with the black and sticky blade. rodney turned and caught sight of the performance. 'child, child!' he exclaimed, with a grimace, as the boy was about to present the glass to him, 'that may do for the midshipmen's mess. drink the stuff yourself and go and send my steward here!' the midshipman obeyed both orders. it was about twenty minutes to nine, as the _formidable_ was nearing the centre of the french line, that the vast bulk of the _ville de paris_ began to loom up ahead of them. there was no mistaking de grasse's flagship. her towering canvas, her tall sides and lofty bulwarks, her triple tier of ports, all these marked out the pride of the french fleet among the other ships, even without the identifying feature of the figure-head, the great shield at the bows with the arms of paris heraldically emblazoned in gold and crimson and blue. just before this, as captain fanshawe of the _namur_, next astern of rodney, noted, our ships had slackened fire to let the smoke drift off. each flagship could thus distinguish the other easily as they closed. each, of course, bore at her mast-head her commander-in-chief's personal standard; the _ville de paris_ de grasse's plain white bourbon flag, the 'cornette blanche'; the _formidable_, rodney's flag as admiral of the white, the red cross flag of st. george. it was a dramatic moment as the two leaders drew together to cross swords. the _formidable's_ men felt it. they redoubled their efforts and blazed away with every gun that would train into the imposing-looking french three-decker's bows as she came on, leading off with a tremendous cannonade of round-shot and grape that made terrible havoc along the crowded decks of the _ville de paris_. to the utter surprise of all there was next to no reply. a loose, irregular discharge came back, fired hurriedly and badly aimed. that was all. with a weak, half-hearted fire from about half her guns, the _ville de paris_ surged past the _formidable_ and vanished in the smoke astern. it was indeed a pitiful exhibition. the fierce broadsides of rodney's ships ahead had done their work. every british captain had reserved at least one of his broadsides for the _ville de paris_, 'sickening' her, in the expressive old navy phrase, and after that the startling rapidity of the outburst with which the _formidable_ greeted her approach had completed the demoralisation on board. it flurried and staggered the french flagship's crew, and before they could recover themselves they had gone astern. as de grasse went by some of the _formidable's_ batteries got off four double-shotted rounds into the _ville de paris_, none less than three, with such magnificent smartness did rodney's gunners handle their guns. what did de grasse himself think of his men's poor show? what did he think now--he could hardly have forgotten it--of his polite challenge to rodney from fort royal by captain vashon a few weeks ago 'that nothing would give him greater pleasure than to meet 'le chevalier rodney,' and that he 'looked forward to personally welcoming the british admiral on board the _ville de paris_'? it was the second opportunity for a personal encounter with his antagonist that de grasse had lost that week.[36] he was to have no more. as to his welcome of 'le chevalier rodney,' he would have the opportunity of making the acquaintance of the british admiral face to face and within twenty-four hours--though not on board the _ville de paris_. the french flagship took her hammering from the _formidable_ and passed on to run the gauntlet of the other british ships astern. it was apparently just as the _ville de paris_ was passing that a french cannon-ball struck a fowl-coop on deck where a number of pullets for the admiral's table were kept. the coop was smashed to splinters and the fowls flew out. one of them, the story goes, a little bantam cock, fluttered up and perched on a spar above the quarter-deck, where it set-to crowing lustily and clapping its wings at every broadside from the guns. rodney passed at the moment and pointed the bird out to dr. blane. 'look at that fellow,' said rodney, 'look at him; i declare he is a credit to his country.' the admiral gave orders that the little cock should not be killed, but be taken care of and made a special pet for the reminder of its days. following in the wake of the _ville de paris_ came the big _couronne_, a powerful eighty-four, whose efficiency in war rodney had personally tested on a former day; the _eveillé_, le gardeur de tilly's little sixty-four, showing signs of what she had gone through; and then the _sceptre_, the comte de vaudreuil's ship, a seventy-four. as the _sceptre_ went astern, rodney, with blane at his elbow, walked out from the quarter-deck on to the starboard gangway at the side of the ship to get a better view. as he got there he saw another french ship nearing them. it was the _glorieux_, reeling under the terrific punishment she had just undergone from the _duke's_ guns. her captain, d'escars, had been struck down, and the ship wrecked from end to end; left lying a log on the water, 'shorn,' in blane's words, 'of all her masts, bowsprit, and ensign staff, but with the white flag nailed to the stump of one of the masts, breathing defiance as it were in her last moments.' according to the french accounts they nailed their colours to the mast as the _glorieux_ was approaching the _formidable_, the operation affording opportunity for a fine little bit of heroic by-play. while they were nailing up the flag a sergeant of the auxerrois regiment (a company of which was on board), choissat by name, fastened a white cloth to his halberd and sprang on the bulwark rail and held it up, waving it defiantly. a bullet from either the _formidable_ or the _duke_ broke choissat's right arm, whereupon the brave fellow caught the halberd with his left hand and held it up until the ship's flag had been secured. he lived through the fight and was given a commission for his heroism. rodney marked the oncoming of the _glorieux_ as the stricken vessel dropped slowly down on them. then, a second later, seeing that the french seventy-four was drifting in such a way that she would brush close past them and almost collide, he turned abruptly to dr. blane. both the admiral's aides-de-camp were out of the way. 'run down,' he told the doctor, 'and tell them to elevate their metal.' blane went. he guessed the admiral's meaning, thanks to _hudibras_, a couplet from which came opportunely into his mind. thus cannon shoot the higher pitches, the lower you let down their breeches. 'if this holds true,' says dr. blane, telling the story for himself, 'so must the converse of it, that is the muzzles must be lower by the elevation of the breeches. the admiral's meaning could be no other than that of taking the enemy between wind and water.'[37] blane hurried down and gave the order. in the interests of historic truth, in view of what immediately followed, it would have been well if he had not left the deck. at the very moment that rodney was sending blane below, the wind suddenly shifted. it veered to the southward and headed the french fleet off, taking them all aback and throwing them out of order all along their line. it checked their way, and cast every ship round with her head to starboard, half-right as it were, setting the whole line _en échelon_. for the british, on the other hand, the shift of wind made things more favourable than before. it sent rodney's ships briskly forward. its effect was instantly apparent in the immediate neighbourhood of the _formidable_. the mastless hull of the _glorieux_ drove down steadily on the _formidable_. the ship next astern of her in the french line, the _diadème_, a seventy-four, hung back and then swung round sharply at right angles, paying off on the wrong tack. a wide gap was made at once in the enemy's line, and just opposite the _formidable_. what was to be done? ink enough to float the _formidable_ herself has been spilled over the incidents of the next three minutes on board the british flagship, and we cannot even now say that we know the true story. according to one officer, who, as a quarter-deck midshipman, was an eye-witness of what took place, but did not put pen to paper about it until half a century after the event, a highly dramatic--and in the interests of discipline not very edifying--scene followed, between rodney personally and sir charles douglas his flag-captain. [illustration: how the french line was broken from 'military drawings of battles and sieges ... from original surveys by lieut.-colonel c. hamilton smith,' now in the department of mss., british museum. [no. 19 c is the _formidable_. the centre one of the three french flagships is the _ville de paris_. no. 13 is the _bedford_. no. 6 d is the _barfleur_.]] here is midshipman dashwood's narrative as he wrote it down from memory some forty years or so after both rodney and sir charles douglas had been laid in the grave. dashwood was then an admiral, sir charles dashwood, k.c.b. the account was written for sir howard douglas, son of rodney's flag-captain.[38] i shall simply relate facts, to which i was an eye-witness, and can vouch for their truth. being one of the aides-de-camp to the commander-in-chief on that memorable day, it was my duty to attend both on him and the captain of the fleet, as occasion might require. it so happened, that some time after the battle had commenced, and whilst we were warmly engaged, i was standing near sir charles douglas, who was leaning on the hammocks (which in those days were stowed across the fore part of the quarter-deck), his head resting on one hand and his eye occasionally glancing on the enemy's line, and apparently in deep meditation, as if some great event were crossing his mind. suddenly raising his head and turning quickly round he said, 'dash! where's sir george?' 'in the after-cabin, sir,' i replied. he immediately went aft; i followed; and on meeting sir george coming from the cabin close to the wheel, he took off his cocked hat with his right hand, holding his long spy-glass in his left, and making a low and profound bow, said, 'sir george, i give you joy of the victory!' 'pooh!' said the chief, as if half angry; 'the day is not half won yet.' 'break the line. sir george, ... the day is your own, and i will insure you the victory.' 'no,' said the admiral, 'i will not break my line.' after another request and another refusal sir charles desired the helm to be put a-port, sir george ordered it to starboard. on your father ordering it again to port, the admiral sternly said, 'remember, sir charles, that i am commander-in-chief--starboard, sir,' addressing the master, who, during this controversy, had placed the helm amidships. both the admiral and the captain then separated, the former going aft, and the latter forward. in the course of a couple of minutes or so each turned, and again met nearly on the same spot, when sir charles quietly and coolly again addressed the chief, 'only break the line, sir george, and the day is your own.' the admiral then said, in a quick and hurried way, 'well, well, do as you like,' and immediately turned round and walked into the after cabin. the words 'port the helm!' were scarcely uttered when sir charles ordered me down with directions to commence firing on the larboard side. how far an admiral's recollection of something that happened when he was a midshipman seventeen years of age is likely to be trustworthy is the point. sir charles dashwood's account was called forth by the great magazine controversy of 1830 over the question as to who was the actual originator of the manoeuvre of 'breaking the line,' on the 12th of april 1782. a claim to the credit of it for his father, made by sir howard douglas, as set forth by him in the preface of a book that he wrote on _naval gunnery_, raised the storm, and half england took sides in the discussion. against admiral dashwood's memory for fifty-year-old details have to be set the disciplinary improbabilities of the story for one thing, particularly in the case of an officer so notoriously strict and punctilious as was rodney. it is incredible, not only that he would have taken part in an altercation before the men on the quarter-deck, but also that the most brilliant naval tactician of the time could have missed seeing so obvious an opportunity. it is also significant that not a word that anything unusual had happened on board rodney's flagship, in the most famous battle of the whole war, ever found its way into print from any one of those on the _formidable's_ quarter-deck, and near by at the moment, during the lifetime of either rodney or sir charles douglas, or until the flag-captain's son burst his bombshell. and it is possible to pick other holes in the case set up against rodney. it is easily probable that captain douglas called rodney's attention to the gap in the enemy's line, but without any theatricals. it would have been his duty to do so. he had then to stand back and take his orders. the admiral, by nature, and as his whole career proved, 'a man quick to see an opportunity, prompt to seize it,'[39] would hardly require teaching his business, least of all a man with rodney's fighting record. blane returned on deck at the moment that midshipman dashwood was flying down the ladder to the batteries below with the order to open fire on the port side. it was just as the _formidable_ was swinging her bows slowly round to pass through between the wreck of the _glorieux_ and the _diadème_. he apparently saw no trace of excitement about the admiral, no sign of loss of temper, nothing to suggest that anything unusual had just been happening. on the contrary, rodney was in quite a jocular mood. 'now comes the struggle,' was rodney's greeting to the doctor, with one of those classical allusions that came so naturally to the gentlemen of that day, pointing to the hulk of the dismasted _glorieux_ as it drifted close alongside them,--'now comes the struggle for the body of patroclus!' blane looked down on to the _glorieux'_ deck and right into her port-holes. 'the _formidable_,' he tells us, 'was so near that i could see the cannoniers throwing away their sponges and handspikes in order to save themselves by running below!' the british flagship swept through the gap, pouring a broadside into the _glorieux_ to the right and the _diadème_ to the left. the _glorieux_ was at that moment 'close to our starboard side and almost in contact therewith, about a ship's breadth from us.' on the larboard side, eye-witnesses related, the _formidable's_ three tiers of guns went off with 'one platoon report.' after it the _diadème_ had vanished. she was seen no more from the _formidable_, nor apparently by any other ship of the british fleet. rodney himself believed--and reported to the admiralty in his official despatch--that she had been sent to the bottom, with all hands there and then.[40] [illustration: the _formidable_ breaking the line. april 12, 1782 after j.c. schetky. [the original water-colour was painted for the duke of rutland (elder brother of captain lord robert manners, mortally wounded in the battle), and is at belvoir castle.]] immediately after that, as the smoke cleared off, a group of three or four french ships were made out near at hand, all huddled together in a mass. they were the ships that had been following the _diadème_. thrown aback by the shift of wind, and further disordered by the sudden turning round of the _diadème_ herself right across their bows, they had got jammed together in confusion, 'almost, if not quite, in contact with each other.' they were full in the path of the _formidable_ as she went through the line. she had to pass quite close to them. at the same instant the _duke_ was about to pass on the farther side of the group. captain gardner had seen the admiral, astern of him, swing round suddenly to break through the enemy's line, and guessing what was intended, had of his own accord followed suit, forcing his way through between the two frenchmen nearest himself at the moment. thus the hapless group of french ships found itself all at once placed under fire on two sides from the most powerful three-deckers in the british fleet, they themselves also at that moment being hardly able to fire a shot in reply. it was a shattering and an overwhelming stroke. it practically crushed the french centre out of existence as a fighting entity. rodney's men had only to fire 'into the brown.' dr. blane, who was watching it all from the _formidable's_ gangway, by rodney's side, describes what he saw. 'the unfortunate group, composing now only one large single object to fire at, was attacked ... all at once, receiving several broadsides from each ship, not a single shot missing, and dreadful must have been the slaughter.' captain fanshawe's hard-hitting _namur_, a 90-gun ship, followed the _formidable_; then came inglis's _st. albans_, a 64; cornwallis's _canada_, one of the deadliest fighting 74's in rodney's fleet; dumaresq's _repulse_, another 64, manned by a smart set of guernsey lads; and nicholas charrington's 74, the _ajax_. one after the other these all filed close past the helpless crowd of panic-stricken frenchmen, firing into them fast and furiously. each one, at the same time, passed close and fired into the luckless _glorieux_ on the farther side,--still quivering after the last tremendous salvo from, to use captain douglas's own expression, 'the _formidable's_ thundering starboard side,' racked through and through by that awful tornado of 8 cwts. of solid shot, lying like a log on the water, a bare hulk under a mass of splintered spars, torn canvas and tangled rigging. captain inglis of the _st. albans_ was watching her and made note of what he saw. the _glorieux_, said inglis, did not return a single shot to the _st. albans'_ broadside, although the rags of her colours could be seen still fluttering defiantly from where they had been nailed to the stump of the mizen mast. only one man was to be seen on deck, on the poop, and he, poor fellow, dropped to the _st. albans'_ marines. after his ship had passed the _glorieux_ inglis looked back at her and watched the _canada_ give her a staggering broadside. 'from the dust, the pieces of timber, and the smoke which flew to a great distance from the side opposite of that where she had received the blow, it seemed as if the ship (literally speaking) had been blown out of the water, and as if the whole of the mass had been driven to windward'! with the smashing of the french centre the fate of the day was settled. the end might be some hours off--as it was in fact,--but from now onwards it was plainly in sight. 'from this moment,' says blane, 'victory declared itself. all was disorder and confusion throughout the enemy's fleet from end to end.' as a fact, to make things worse still for the enemy, de grasse's line had been broken through in yet another place. at the same moment that rodney's ships were crossing the french line at the centre, hood's division was breaking through it in the rear. it was quite unintentional with hood and his captains, a blunder in the smoke fog; but it had a most telling effect on the fortunes of the day. it completed the ruin of de grasse's array. the same southerly shift of the wind which had caused the gap in the centre was the cause primarily of hood's going through farther along the line. the _bedford_, commodore affleck, the rear ship of rodney's centre squadron, was following in her place, astern of the _ajax_, when she suddenly lost her leader in the smoke. at that instant the shift of wind broke up the french. unaware of what she was doing, the _bedford_, keeping her helm steady and holding straight ahead, pushed through the nearest gap in the enemy's line. so little, in fact, was the _bedford's_ captain aware of what was happening, that the first intimation he had of what he had done was the sudden discovery that he had no enemy to starboard to fire at. as the best thing to be done he ported helm and stood on along the larboard side of the enemy's ships ahead, which belonged to de grasse's _corps de bataille_, the french centre squadron. hood's leading ships, the _prince william_ and the _magnificent_, followed the _bedford_, and in the wake of them, through the widening gap, poured the rest of hood's ships, ten in number. they pressed in, sweeping across the stern of the _hector_, the rear ship of the french van, and between her and the _césar_, the leader of de grasse's squadron. thus at one stroke were the ships of the french van cut off _en bloc_ from the centre and the rear. one after the other, as they passed, hood's twelve ships (or thirteen counting in the _bedford_ as one) cannonaded the _césar_ and the _hector_, crippling both hopelessly, and reducing them to a state little better than that in which rodney's five followers had left the _glorieux_. to give an idea of the wide expanse over which the battle was at this moment raging, it should be said that hood's _barfleur_, when she broke the line, was 2-1/4 miles from the _formidable_. the _marlborough_, away in the van, was 3-1/2 miles off, and had already come out of action, having ceased firing after passing the french rearmost ships. hood's rear ship, the _royal oak_, fired her parting broadside into the stern of the ill-starred _césar_ a few minutes after eleven, with which the first stage of the battle came to an end. the _formidable_ had ceased firing more than an hour before. the two fleets, after passing through each other, drifted slowly apart, the breeze falling gradually away to light airs and mere catspaws, after which it dropped altogether and left both sides becalmed, to look at each other from a distance and repair damages. they lay like this, out of range for most of the ships, for upwards of an hour. each was left by the events of the morning in a straggling and broken-up array, but, as the clearing off of the smoke disclosed, in widely different circumstances. the british, though the three squadrons were all separated, were yet more or less within touch, and with each of their groups fairly well together. they were about four miles from the nearest of the french ships, and having regard to the quarter whence the breeze would in ordinary course spring up during the afternoon, to windward of them. the french, on the other hand, were in hopeless disorder at all points and all dead to leeward. they were lying anyhow, in three irregular groups or clusters of ships, and widely separated. the centre group comprised the _ville de paris_, herself, with five or six ships, all more or less crippled. two miles from de grasse and to leeward of him lay twelve ships of bougainville's van squadron. three or four miles away to westward was de vaudreuil with the rear squadron. such was the position on both sides when, between noon and one o'clock, the anticipated breeze suddenly sprang up, coming very light and fitful at first, then steadily and from the expected quarter. one grim detail must be noted. as the two fleets drifted apart and men had time to look round, they saw, we are told, an awful sight, which struck horror into briton and frenchman alike. on all sides the water was alive with ravening sharks, that had swarmed up from the bottom, attracted to the spot, summoned to their banquet, by the splashes in the water and the noise of the cannonade. right and left the surface of the sea was furrowed by the fins of the greedy monsters as they swam about, snapping savagely all round. under the murderous fire of the british gunners most of the french ships had been turned into veritable slaughter-houses. each ship had been packed with troops for the jamaica expedition. every seventy-four that morning, including the hundred and fifty or two hundred soldiers on board, had carried not fewer than nine hundred men at least. some ships had had still more on board. the _ville de paris_, for one, carried thirteen hundred. awful indeed had been the slaughter as the english broadsides, aimed at the french port-holes at point-blank range, swept the decks and tore lanes through the closely-packed masses of men as they stood helplessly at quarters. it was the dreadful sequel that interested the sharks. in order to get the dead out of the way at once in the turmoil of the fighting, and give room to work the guns, most of the bodies of the fallen had been pitched overboard then and there--the dead, and, as some said, the not quite dead as well. many a poor fellow had gone overboard with the spars and rigging as they crashed over the side, shot away in action. _requin_ is, of course, the french for shark. as a fact, it is a popular corruption of the word 'requiem,' which was the old french name for the monster down to the seventeenth century. littré explains why:--'à cause,' he says, 'qu'il n'y a plus à dire qu'un requiem pour celui qu'un requin saisit.' the british were the first to feel the breeze as it came again after mid-day, and every captain began to cast his ship's head round to follow in the direction of the enemy. hood, who at the outset remained becalmed after rodney and drake had begun to move again, was seen getting out his boats to tow the _barfleur_ round into the breeze. to over-take the french as soon as possible was the business of the afternoon for rodney's captains. de grasse's business, on the other hand, was to get away without further fighting if he could, or at least to try and re-form. it was not an easy task, in the scattered state of his fleet and in the presence of an enemy who had the weather-gage. the _ville de paris_ signalled for all to re-form line on the ships farthest to leeward, at the point farthest off from the british, and she headed in that direction herself. it was 'playing for safety,' so to speak, at the cost of abandoning some of his ships. what the rally so far to leeward would inevitably mean for certain of de grasse's worst-damaged ships was soon seen. the more manageable of the french ships were able to make their way to leeward; but it was another matter for the cripples--in especial for the shattered trio--for the dismasted _glorieux_ and the partially wrecked _césar_ and _hector_. for them it meant that they were to be left to their fate, left lying, between the two fleets, hardly able to move at all, full in the way of the advancing british. and so it proved in the result. on the hapless three, in due course, on each in her turn, fell the first blows of the reopening battle. the _glorieux_ was the first of the french to yield, in spite of an extremely gallant effort to save her. about one o'clock, as the breeze began to freshen, the french frigate _richmond_ was ordered to close the _glorieux_ and pass a towing cable on board. the effort was made under fire, for rodney's nearest ships were already within range of the _glorieux_. midshipman denis decrès, _aspirant de marine_ of the _richmond_, had charge of the boat, round which the english cannon-balls splashed on all sides. he did his work, despite its difficulties, and won widespread fame and promotion for his gallantry. he lived to become an admiral, napoleon's favourite minister of marine and a peer of france, duc decrès. on his grand monument in père la chaise is a sculptured panel in relief, to commemorate this particular incident in admiral decrès' career. it is elaborately carved, and represents a naval battle in grey marble, smoke-clouds, cannon firing, and so forth, with, in the centre, a small boat with a rope, a boy standing up at the stern, and near by a big dismasted man-of-war. over the panel is the legend--'remorque portèe au _glorieux_: 1782.' the attempt, however, was palpably a hopeless one. the stricken seventy-four was water-logged and could hardly stir. the officers of the _glorieux_ recognised the state of things at once. they hailed across to the frigate to cast off the tow and shift for herself. de mortemart, the captain of the _richmond_, however, was not inclined to abandon a consort in distress. although some of the british ships were already threatening to cut him off, as well as the _glorieux_, he flatly refused to leave her. after that, as the only thing to be done, the hopeless ship's company of the _glorieux_ cut the rope. so the two ships parted. the _richmond_ had to move away, and in the end she only saved herself with difficulty. another french ship that tried at the last moment to create a forlorn-hope diversion in favour of the _glorieux_, was de glandevé's _souverain_, but she in turn had to give up the attempt, and, hunted like a hare among hounds, was hard put to it in the end to get clear. now, without further respite, the british dogs of war ran in and closed on the doomed _glorieux_. trogoff de kerlessi, her first lieutenant, and the senior surviving officer on board, could do no more. as the first british ship came up, he with his own hand stripped away the tattered shreds of the _glorieux_' ensign, that still remained nailed to the stump of the mizen mast, and called across to the british to take possession. there was no other course left. the decks of the _glorieux_ were shambles from end to end--'a scene of complete horror,' in the words of dr. blane. 'the numbers killed were so great, that the surviving, either from want of leisure or through dismay, had not thrown the bodies of the killed overboard, so that the decks were covered with blood and mangled limbs of the dead, as well as wounded and dying.' baron d'escars, the captain, had fallen some time previously, about nine o'clock,--one of the victims of the _formidable's_ awful first broadside. 'on boarding her,' adds blane, 'our officers ... were shown the stains of blood on the gunnel where his body was thrown overboard.' the _royal oak_, one of hood's squadron, was ordered to take the _glorieux_ in tow. captain burnett had almost exhausted his ammunition, and he utilised the opportunity to ransack the prize's magazines and transfer on board his own ship all the powder barrels the _glorieux_ had left, to fight any further frenchmen he might encounter with their own powder. several others of rodney's ships, indeed, were equally short of powder after their morning's work, and another of hood's squadron, the _monarch_, was at that very moment alongside the _andromache_, lifting forty barrels out of the frigate to enable herself to continue in action. the _césar_ was the second french ship to meet her fate. she was the next to drop astern, and the _centaur_ and the _bedford_ went at her together as they came up. though little better than a wreck, the _césar_ made a heroic defence for nearly half-an-hour. hailed by the _centaur_ to surrender, the comte de marigny, the _césar's_ captain, replied by nailing his colours to the mast with his own hand and opening fire. de marigny fell dangerously wounded within the first five minutes, but captain paul, his commander, took charge and made a desperate defence. he held out until, one after the other, his masts had gone overboard, the mizen carrying the ensign staff with it. after that, no rescue being possible, with six feet of water in the hold, and with only thirty-six rounds for her guns left in the magazine, the _césar_ surrendered to the _centaur_. elsewhere at this time, towards four o'clock, there was a good deal of 'partial and desultory' firing, to use dr. blane's term, going on here and there, principally in the direction of de grasse's squadron. the french admiral's attempt to rally and re-form line had failed. bougainville's ships kept away in a body, apparently too much occupied in repairing their own damages to pay attention to their commander-in-chief. many of de vaudreuil's seemed equally shy, although de vaudreuil himself, with two or three of his command, gallantly beat to windward and joined the _ville de paris_, making up a forlorn-hope band round de grasse that comprised the rearmost formed group of the french fleet. they moved away at the best speed they were capable of, but owing to the state of the _ville de paris's_ masts and spars, the rate of sailing was dangerously slow. de grasse's group, numbering, with de vaudreuil's accession and others, nine ships in all, formed, as it were, a lodestone to the british captains. it drew towards it all who could possibly make for the spot. the great french flagship in the centre, with the commander-in-chief's flag at the mast-head, was for all eyes the supreme attraction. each followed as well as the wind, which was variable and at times very light, and the state of his own masts and spars, would let him. the french _hector_ was their first victim, between five and six o'clock in the evening,--the third frenchman to surrender. she had been badly hammered by hood's squadron when it broke the line, losing so many men that to supply the main and upper deck batteries the quarter-deck and forecastle guns had to be abandoned, but had been able to keep up with the _ville de paris_ for most of the afternoon. for the last two and a half hours, according to a letter from one of the _hector's_ officers, they had been firing their stern chasers to try and keep the advancing british back, but in vain. then, towards the end of the time, two british seventy-fours drew out and ranged alongside the _hector_. they were the _canada_ and the _alcide_. the two pushed up abreast and came to close quarters. their attack was met by the _hector_ in a spirit worthy of her heroic name. she struck out right and left like a wounded tigress at bay. she looked, in the words of an eye-witness, 'like a blazing furnace vomiting fire and iron.' the display was brilliant, but it could not last. de la vicomté, the gallant captain of the _hector_, was struck down, mortally wounded, and with his fall the spirit of the defence flickered out. 'some men on the main deck having run from their quarters,' says the letter just referred to, 'the captain was putting his foot on the ladder to go below to kill with his own hand the dastards, when a cannon-ball smashed his thigh.' he was carried to the cockpit, and a few minutes later de beaumanoir, the first lieutenant, 'seeing the ship being knocked to pieces and powder running short,' after a hasty consultation with the other surviving officers, hauled the ensign down and hailed the _alcide_ that they had surrendered. a fourth ship, the _ardent_, was taken about the same time. she was one of bougainville's squadron, and the only ship of all the french van that, on seeing how things were likely to fare with the commander-in-chief, had turned back to lend him a hand. in so doing she met her fate. the _ardent_ was intercepted and cut off by the british _belliqueux_ and the _prince william_, who brought her to close action, and after a sharp set-to of a quarter of an hour, made her lower her colours. some english prisoners, taken a few weeks before out of a merchantman prize, happened to be on board, and their red ensign was hoisted in token of surrender. the taking of the _ardent_ was peculiarly gratifying to the british fleet. in point of fact it was a recapture. the _ardent_ was a british-built man-of-war which had fallen into the hands of the enemy in very discreditable circumstances earlier in the war. it was this same ship that the franco-spanish combined fleet had snapped up, practically without her firing a shot, off plymouth sound three years before, when they were parading the english channel in triumph at the time they compelled the channel fleet to retreat before them to spithead. it was a satisfactory stroke of retaliation, although if it had taken place six weeks earlier it would have been still more satisfactory. then the vicomte de marigny--charles réné louis, of an old norman family, elder brother to comte bernard, the captain of the _césar_--the officer who had been the original captor of the _ardent_, would have been on board. in honour of his capture of a british man-of-war, 'si vaillamment,' charles de marigny had been posted to the prize by the king of france's special command, his commission being accompanied by a picture in oils representing his feat, painted at the instance of his most christian majesty, and sent by the king's order to be hung in the cabin of the _ardent_, with the legend over it: 'donné par le roi au brave vicomte de marigny.'[41] the vicomte, unfortunately for the dramatic completeness of the situation, had been sent home with de grasse's despatch after the capture of st. kitts, and he had taken the oil-painting with him. still, though, even without de marigny, it was a good thing to have the _ardent_ back under her old flag once more. we now come to the closing fight of the day, to the story of the fate of the noblest victim of all. it was next the turn of the _ville de paris_ herself. between half-past five and six o'clock the course of the pursuit had brought the headmost of rodney's ships well up with the rearmost group of the enemy, close astern of de grasse himself and the little group of ships that kept company with the _ville de paris_. there were ships both of rodney's own squadron and of hood's squadron among the british at that point, although most of them were hood's, hustled forward in chase by their chief's incessant signals during the afternoon. the _barfleur_ herself, with every inch of canvas set and stu'ns'ls out aloft and alow, was following among the foremost and eagerly pressing on. the _formidable_ and great part of rodney's squadron were in rear, a little way off. as they neared the enemy the headmost ships came streaming on and firing briskly, steering to overlap the french on either side. the french, for their part, were in a straggling line, with irregular gaps between the ships. they comprised the _ville de paris_, originally in the centre but now fallen back to be almost last ship; the _triomphante_, de vaudreuil's flagship; de la charette's _bourgogne_, macarty macteigne's _magnifique_, de rions' _pluton_, and the _marseillais_, commanded by de castellane-majastre. all these belonged to de vaudreuil's squadron, and had rallied with their chief to try and help the admiral. three of de grasse's own ships were with them--all that had stood by the chief,--the _languedoc_ and the _couronne_ (the _ville de paris's_ two 'seconds' in the original line of battle) and the younger de vaudreuil's _sceptre_. like his brother, that officer was at the post of greatest danger, in accordance with the traditions of his house. the last three had dropped back to join de grasse about four o'clock. none of bougainville's ships were near de grasse; the only one that had tried to reach him had been the _ardent_, now, as the result, in rodney's hands. round this devoted band of nine ships the british attack concentrated, and for a second time the battle blazed up fiercely. the encounter was, however, too one-sided to endure. stout-heartedly as they defended themselves, and most of them were fighting both broadsides at once, the french last-hope band were thrown into disorder and broken up. the british _canada_, cornwallis's hard-hitting seventy-four, fresh from her victorious bout with the french _hector_, came on in the forefront of the pursuing british and fastened at once on the _ville de paris_. the french flagship by now had fallen quite to the rear. the _couronne_ had failed her admiral at the last moment. de grasse, as he himself reported to versailles, had personally hailed her just before, and ordered her to keep station close in the flagship's wake. they had answered back, 'oui, général!' but as the _canada_ came up the _couronne_ shifted out of the way and edged off past the flagship, letting cornwallis in.[42] cornwallis knew what he had to do, and pointed his guns high. stationing the _canada_ on the quarter of the _ville de paris_, out of direct reach of de grasse's broadside, he hung on there fixedly, pounding his hardest meanwhile into the french flagship with every gun the _canada_ could bring to bear, cutting away spars and rigging and holding the great vessel back until other british ships were at hand to take up the task. the _canada_ then moved off after the other french ships farther on, passing over the work of holding the _ville de paris_ to saumarez of the _russell_, the only captain of admiral drake's squadron who was 'in at the death'--thanks to his own intelligent anticipation of probable events earlier in the day. the _russell_ during the afternoon had had a series of long-range encounters with four of the french fleet elsewhere, but she was fresh enough for the business before her. saumarez pushed in boldly, hauled up under the stern of the _ville de paris_, and gave her a raking broadside that swept the giant three-decker from end to end. after that the _russell_ placed herself on the lee quarter of the _ville de paris_, to prevent her from edging off after the other french ships of her group, which were now giving way everywhere as the attack on them was being driven home. there she remained until hood himself with the _barfleur_ came on the scene. de grasse by this had been practically abandoned to his fate. even de vaudreuil's devotion could help him no further now. the _languedoc_ made one despairing attempt to come to her flagship's rescue, but could not get through. beaten back by the _duke_ and another ship, she turned away and fled, hoisting all sail. on board the _ville de paris_ every spar had been shot down, stripped from the masts, which had themselves been riddled and were tottering. the rudder had been smashed away, and the ship could not be steered; many guns were disabled; one gun had burst, killing sixteen men and injuring thirty. there was hardly a yard of space along her sides that had not a shot-hole through it. from three to four hundred of her crew--the exact numbers were never returned--were dead or in the cockpit. those who were still at quarters were dead-beat and nearly dropping from exhaustion, having been without food since daybreak. all the cartridges in the magazines were exhausted, and they had to supply the guns by ladling loose powder into them from open barrels brought up on deck. the 'fighting lanterns' between decks were mostly extinguished, the candles burned out; all was dark below, and they waded ankle-deep and stumbled amid the horrible _débris_ of what that morning had been living human beings. even then de grasse would not give in; not at least to any british captain. he stoutly resisted until, a little after six o'clock, he caught sight of hood's flag at the _barfleur's_ mast-head, showing above the smoke a little way off. he would wait until hood came up and then surrender. it was a point of honour: his flagship should lower her colours only to a flagship. [illustration: one of the 'fighting lanterns' of the _ville de paris_ now in the museum of the royal united service institution, whitehall.] as the _barfleur_ got nearer, de grasse fired a challenging gun. it was to attract the approaching flagship's attention. hood marked the gun and understood it. he at once headed the _barfleur_ directly for the _ville de paris_. 'i concluded,' said hood, 'the count de grasse had a mind to be my prisoner, as an old acquaintance, and therefore met his wishes by looking towards him.' as the _barfleur_ began to close with the french flagship, de grasse made a show of opening fire on her, 'which i,' continued hood, 'totally disregarded till i had proved, by firing a single gun from the quarter-deck, that i was within point blank.'[43] that was the _barfleur's_ distance. ranging up to the _ville de paris_ hood greeted the french admiral with one tremendous salvo of round-shot and grape at close quarters that crashed through the sides of de grasse's doomed flagship as though they were cardboard. that one broadside struck down sixty men. all was over for the french admiral now. in less than ten minutes the end had come. de grasse stepped to the taffrail, and with his own hand pulled the _ville de paris's_ ensign down. the battle of the 'glorious twelfth of april' had been fought and won. as the _ville de paris's_ ensign dropped the sun's rim touched the sea-line. there were but three unwounded men on the _ville de paris's_ quarter-deck when the admiral hauled down the flag. de grasse himself was one. more than a third of the flagship's immense company, officers and men, had gone down, while he himself, at the most exposed point of all from the first shot to the last and seeming to court death throughout, had come through the day unscathed, except for a contusion across the loins from a splinter which did not break the skin. [illustration: de grasse's flag comes down. rodney watching the surrender of the _ville de paris_ after the picture by robert edge pine; now in the town hall of kingston, jamaica. [immediately behind rodney's left shoulder is seen the head of lord cranstoun. midshipman dashwood is readily recognisable, and the tall, bulky man on the extreme right of the picture is sir charles douglas with the little bantam cock near his feet. the picture was shown at the royal academy exhibition of 1784.] ] the grand finale was witnessed from the _formidable_, now close at hand and drawing up, but just too late to share in the honour of the event. dr. blane saw the french flag drop. 'the _formidable_ was right astern, and having come within shot, was yawing in order to give the enemy a raking broadside, when, sir charles douglas and i standing together on the quarter-deck, the position of our ship opened a view of the enemy's stern between the foresail and the jib boom, between which we saw the french flag hauled down!'[44] some one else saw it too--de vaudreuil. he was about a quarter of a mile off at the moment, and still fighting. it made him senior officer, commander-in-chief. there was now no de grasse to keep pace with for the honour of the flag. he could consider his own safety. de vaudreuil at once clapped on every sail that his masts could bear and made off, hoisting as he did so the signal to rally to the north-west. the _bourgogne_ was the nearest ship to him. across to her de vaudreuil shouted orders to make all sail and follow, and as he passed the other ships ahead of him he hailed each to the same effect in turn. captain knight of the _barfleur_--son of dr. johnson's old friend, admiral sir joseph knight, with whom the doctor once stayed for a week on board the _ramillies_ at chatham, and afterwards expressed the opinion that 'no man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into gaol'--received de grasse's surrender. a party of seamen and marines from the _barfleur_ under the first-lieutenant at the same time took possession of the prize. they put off within five minutes of the surrender, and arrived not a moment too soon. with the hauling down of the flag all discipline on board vanished. 'the moment the _ville de paris_ struck,' wrote captain douglas, 'her worthless, disorderly crew broke open the chests and trunks of all their officers, and with lighted candles in their hands, stove in the doors of the store-rooms in quest of wine and other liquors, to the great danger of all on board from fire.'[45] lord cranstoun in a boat from the _formidable_ reached the _ville de paris_ a few minutes after captain knight. he described de grasse as 'a tall, robust, and martial figure, presenting in that moment an object of respect, no less than of concern and sympathy.' he looked pale and apparently dazed at the tremendous catastrophe that had befallen him. according to lord cranstoun the french admiral 'could not recover from the astonishment into which he was plunged, the expressions of which he often iterated, at seeing in the course of so short a time, his vessel taken, his fleet defeated, and himself a prisoner.' lord cranstoun brought de grasse a courteous message from rodney, to the effect that if he wished he might remain for the night 'at his ease' on board the _ville de paris_, 'with every testimony of attention and regard manifested towards him on the part of the british commander.'[46] [illustration: 'count de grasse, the french admiral, resigning his sword to admiral rodney after being defeated by that gallant commander in the west indies. april 12, 1782.' from the engraving by fiegl, after metz.] the state of things on board was appalling, 'altogether terrible,' said lord cranstoun. the quarter-deck was 'covered with dead and wounded.... between the foremast and main-mast, at every step he took,' lord cranstoun told sir nathaniel wraxall, 'he was over his buckles in blood.'[47] below, where the cattle (to provide the troops on board with meat) had been stalled between the guns, things were even more horrible, for 'they had suffered not less than the crew and troops from the effects of the cannon.' de grasse himself, incidentally, gives an idea of the state to which the _ville de paris_ had been reduced at the end. in his official report to versailles on the battle he said, 'i was reduced to such a state that the enemy on the morning of the 13th, to strike the ship's pennant, were obliged to cut away the masts for fear, in sending a man to get at the pennant, all would go overboard or come down in a crash on deck.' immediately after the surrender of the _ville de paris_ rodney made the signal for the fleet to cease firing and bring-to. there was to be no pursuit. it was a decision for which rodney has been bitterly criticised. he had, however, his reasons, and he put them in writing; but it was, all said and done, a very grave error of judgment on the part of the british leader. 'come, come,' he is said to have exclaimed in reply to a suggestion that was made to him by hood, that part of the fleet at any rate might follow up the enemy, 'we have done very handsomely!' it was not the old rodney of the _eagle_ who said that, one must remember. rodney in april 1782 was a man broken in health, racked with gout, a man grown prematurely old,--ten years, at least, older than his real age,--and utterly worn out after twelve anxious hours on deck under a burning sun. before that, also, as rodney himself said, he had had no proper rest for four nights. most unfortunately, as it proved, rodney underestimated the force of the smashing blow that he had dealt the enemy, and formed an entirely erroneous estimate of the condition of the ships that had escaped. he allowed himself to form a picture of their condition that was totally at variance with the facts, and did not think it wise to risk a pursuit in the dark. he made up his mind that the enemy had gone off 'in a collected body,' and that his own fleet had suffered more severe damage than was actually the case. there is no need here to press the matter further, or to recall hood's bitter animadversions on his chief's breakdown, or what certain of the captains are said to have thought. rodney was commander-in-chief and all responsibility for the safety of the british west indies rested on his shoulders. also his reasons for bringing-to commended themselves to him at the time. the short tropical evening closed in, and darkness fell on the scene--the darkness of a sultry black night without moon or stars. each ship, of course, had her poop lantern showing, and lights gleamed out through the ports of all as the working parties moved about between decks, busily engaged in cleaning up and taking temporary measures to clear away the marks of battle, as far as might be done in an hour or two, preparatory to turning-in for the night. yet before the wearied men could get to their hammocks one more event was to happen, to mark the dread closing of a tremendous day. nor was it out of keeping with what had gone before. towards nine o'clock, all of a sudden, a burst of roaring flame shot up from one of the french prizes, illuminating the sky and sea for many miles all round. de vaudreuil and his fugitive fifteen, far away to northward by now, below the horizon, could see the reflection and guessed what it was. bougainville, in the other direction, flying towards curaçao, saw it too. the victim was the captured _césar_. one of her own disorderly crew, it came out later, did the mischief. they had been as usual clapped under hatchways after the surrender, but had the hold to themselves. there the rabble--as on board the _ville de paris_, all bonds of discipline had ceased to exist with the striking of the flag--had broken into the spirit-room and held a wild orgy among themselves, regardless of consequences. a drunken french soldier, seeking for more drink with a pannikin in one hand and a naked light in the other, dropped the flaring candle into an open cask of ratafia. who-o-o-f!!! instantly the whole place was ablaze from end to end, and the flames leapt along in a flash from deck to deck throughout the ship. there was no checking them, and the splintered woodwork everywhere was in the best state to feed the fire. out of mercy to the prisoners below the hatches were lifted off, and those who could escape given a chance. that, unfortunately, at the same time made things worse for the ship. the more sober of the frenchmen joined the small british prize-crew of fifty-eight men and a lieutenant, and lent a hand to try and get the flames under. half-a-dozen thought of their wounded captain, the comte bernard de marigny, who was lying badly wounded in the cabin. these made their way into the cabin, and told de marigny that the ship was expected every minute to blow up. 'so much the better,' was all the captain replied, very quietly, according to french accounts, 'the english won't keep her! shut my door, my friends, and leave me. try and save yourselves!'[48] the british prize-crew--they were all from the _centaur_--fought the fire heroically, and spared no efforts to beat the flames back, but in vain. the british lieutenant in command was seen at the last in the stern gallery giving his orders. all the _césar's_ boats had been knocked to pieces in the battle. outside, all round, were the boats of the fleet lying on their oars, ready to save all they could, but, for various reasons, unable to get near the ship. one of the reasons has been specially recorded--the sharks. again the sharks were on the spot, 'not yet glutted,' said dr. blane, 'with the carnage of the preceding day.' what the men on the boats saw and told the doctor, was, in blane's words, 'too horrid to describe.' a solid belt of sharks surrounded the burning _césar_, a closely packed mass of struggling, huge-girthed brutes, rolling and tumbling about all round, jostling one another and scraping their rough backs together as they plunged and wallowed about all over the surface. attracted by the glare they had come crowding to the spot, 'every shark in those waters seemed to be there,' and swarmed thronging close round the vessel, surging up and snapping and tearing at the poor frenzied wretches who were clinging on alongside on fragments of spars and wreckage that had dropped overboard. one by one the sharks picked the poor fellows off. the boats meanwhile could not, dared not, force their way through. they could only look helplessly on and wait for the end:- watch the wild wreck; but not to save. the end came between ten and eleven. the _césar_, half burned to the water's edge, blew up with a dull heavy roar--'not a loud explosion,' notes an onlooker. indeed there was not much powder left to blow up in the bravely defended ship's magazines. it was merely a belching up of flame and sparks, like the blowing out of the pinch of powder at the bottom of a squib or roman candle; just enough to rend the remains of the hull apart and scatter its contents. then all was black darkness. a few twinkling sparks high overhead caught the eye, as the burning fragments poised in mid-air and turned for the downward drop, followed by splashes in the sea all round, and here and there, out of sight, a solitary shriek, the bubbling cry of some strong swimmer in his agony, as some shark claimed its last victim, and then all was over. silence and darkness fell once more on the heaving waters, and the boats pulled sadly and wearily back to their ships. such was the tragedy of the _césar_. a handful of survivors were picked up, though how they escaped is not stated. all were frenchmen. not one of the british prize-crew escaped. now at last rodney's day was over: the 'glorious twelfth' reached its last hour in silence and passed away. * * * * * 'the battle is over and the british fleet victorious, de grasse is in my cabin, the _ville de paris_ and four ships of the line are in our possession and one sunk, their whole fleet completely mauled.' so ran the opening sentence of rodney's first letter after the battle, written on the morning of the 13th. writing to a brother-admiral he spoke of the battle as having been 'long and bloody, but never doubtful in my opinion.' eleven hours was rodney's estimate of its duration, and he added, 'by persons appointed to observe there was never seven minutes' respite during the engagement.' for the enemy it had been a sanguinary and costly day. the french losses in the battle--including the crews of four ships taken by hood a week later--amounted, in round numbers, to 'at least 15,000 men.' seven thousand of the number were either killed, wounded, or drowned. six french captains were among the dead,[49] who, reckoned by themselves, were 3000. over a thousand of the casualties were in the _ville de paris_ and the _césar_ alone. among the 8000 prisoners were 2000 soldiers. the monetary loss to france, in the value of _matériel_ taken, was put at just half a million sterling; and that sum does not include the treasure-chest of de bouillé's army, thirty-six boxes of money containing coin to the value of £25,000.[50] also on board the captured ships, by a curious chance, was found the whole of the french army's siege-train for jamaica, heavy guns and carriages, and equipment complete. such were some of the first fruits. the immediate collapse of the campaign against jamaica was another of the fruits of the victory, and there were yet other results of wider-reaching effect. the blow that rodney dealt on the 12th of april reacted on the sea campaign in home waters, and strengthened howe's hand for the final effort of the war, the relief of gibraltar. 'on that memorable day,' says froude, 'was the english empire saved.' for the british the 'butcher's bill,' as the tars of rodney's day called it, proved comparatively light. the admiral's first despatch gave the figures as 230 killed and 759 wounded; corrected later to 337 killed and 766 wounded, or 1103 in all. of the total the _formidable's_ share was surprisingly small, only 14 killed and 39 wounded, yet hers was the third heaviest return sent in. the french officers of de grasse's suite, indeed, when they were told the figures, refused at first to accept them. 'it was with difficulty,' says dr. blane, 'we could make the french officers believe that the returns of killed and wounded made by our ships to the admiral were true. one of them flatly contradicted me, saying we always gave the world a false account of our losses. i then walked him over the decks of the _formidable_ and bade him remark what number of shot-holes there were, and also how little her rigging had suffered, and asked if that degree of damage was likely to be connected with the loss of more than fourteen men, which was our number killed, and the greatest number of any in the fleet except the _royal oak_ and _monarch_. he was visibly mortified to see how little our ship had suffered, and then owned that our fire must have been much better kept up and directed than theirs.'[51] it was, of course, the demoralising effect of rodney's gunnery on the enemy at the outset that made all the difference. the _formidable_, as to that, had taken her own part effectively. the gunner's return showed that the british flagship had fired eighty broadsides--35 tons of shot. rodney himself was enthusiastic over his ship's performance. 'the _formidable_,' he wrote, 'proved herself worthy of her name!' de grasse came on board the _formidable_ next morning, and stayed there as rodney's guest for two days while the _ville de paris_, for the time being in tow of the _namur_, was being cleansed and made habitable. a night's rest worked wonders in the french admiral. 'he bears his reverse of fortune with equanimity, conscious as he says that he has done his duty, and i found him very affable and communicative.' so dr. blane wrote. he and captain douglas acted as interpreters between the admirals: rodney--it is rather curious, if we remember a certain story--could not speak a word of french.[52] de grasse was very frank with everybody. for one thing, he said, he did not wonder that he had been beaten. from what he had seen he considered that the french navy was 'a hundred years behind that of great britain.' wrote rodney himself of one conversation:--'comte de grasse, who at this moment is sitting in my stern gallery, tells me he thought his fleet superior to mine, and does so still, though i had two more in number; and i am of his opinion, as his was composed of all large ships and ten of mine only sixty-fours.'[53] rodney remained in the neighbourhood of dominica for four days, refitting and repairing damages. his frigates meanwhile searched the bays among the islands to northward, st. kitts and eustatius in particular, for traces of french fugitives in that quarter. none, however, were found. the only news brought back was that several crippled french ships, one identified as de vaudreuil's _triomphante_, had been sighted by the islanders passing on the day after the battle. on the morning of the 17th hood was despatched with the least damaged of the british ships to cruise off the south of san domingo and intercept any of de vaudreuil's laggards. rodney himself moved off in the afternoon of the same day with the more seriously damaged ships and the prizes in tow, for jamaica, following on much the same course towards san domingo. he met hood four days later, returning with four french prizes, two ships of the line and two frigates, the proceeds of a smart little affair that hood had had with a force of the enemy in the mona passage. rodney then continued his course for port royal where he arrived on the 29th, to be received as the saviour of the colony. [illustration: the 'rodney temple,' spanish town, jamaica [the two guns from the _ville de paris_ are visible behind the railings.]] 'all jamaica,' wrote rodney, 'went mad with joy.' so much so, indeed, that the admiral did not set foot on shore for a week, 'to avoid being pestered with addresses, etc.' to this day rodney is the _genius loci_ in jamaica. the statue to him, by bacon, voted by the house of assembly 'as a mark of gratitude and veneration,' is one of the sights of the island. it represents the admiral in the dress of a roman imperator, and stands, flanked by two brass guns from the _ville de paris_ presented by rodney himself, under an imposing classic temple that takes up one side of 'the square' in the centre of spanish town, the old capital of jamaica; with the 'king's house,' the residence of the governor, on one hand, and the house of assembly on the other, and facing it, across the gardens of the square, the court house. [illustration: admiral de grasse as a prisoner of war from the _london magazine_ for august 1782. stated to have been 'drawn from the life by a celebrated artist,' while de grasse was in london on parole as a prisoner of war. the background is, of course, artistic fancy work.] the fleet remained refitting at port royal for upwards of nine weeks. port royal dockyard proved to be in an almost hopeless state of neglect and confusion, totally unfitted to supply the needs of a great fleet in the condition of rodney's. de grasse left for england in the interval, as a passenger in the first convoy sailing. we may take leave of him here. how the french admiral--the first commander-in-chief of an enemy brought to this country since marshal tallard came over after blenheim--landed on southsea beach in the presence of a cheering crowd; how king george received him in the most kindly and gracious manner, while english society showed him every mark of courteous sympathy, are matters beyond our present scope.[54] nor can the unfortunate admiral's after fate be referred to at length. it will be enough to say that de grasse later on published an open letter complaining that he had been betrayed by his captains. this caused an outburst of indignation in france which led to a _conseil de guerre_ on every officer from de vaudreuil downwards. the tribunal exonerated everybody,[55] laying all the blame on de grasse himself, and the admiral was banished from court in disgrace, which meant social ostracism and the cold shoulder for the rest of his days.[56] the _ville de paris_ followed her late admiral with the next convoy to england--never, however, to arrive there. she went to the bottom in a terrific storm which fell on the convoy in mid-atlantic, but when, or exactly where, or how, is to this day unknown. of all on board, upwards of five hundred officers and men, one seaman only was saved. he was picked up after the storm one morning, clinging to some floating wreckage--an imbecile. mind and memory had gone. the only thing that the man could say was that a day or two before he had seen the _glorieux_ go down suddenly. all after that, all about his own ship, everything, except that he was 'wilson of the _ville de paris_,'--was a blank. rodney was detained at port royal until the 10th of july. then with all the fleet repaired and fit for service, just as he was on the point of sailing to blockade the enemy off cape haitien, a ship from england, the _jupiter_, arrived bringing a curt order from the admiralty to 'strike his flag and come home.' it was the first word of any kind he had had from england since the battle; indeed, since the beginning of april, when he was in gros islet bay before the battle. to add to the sting of the blow rodney's successor was on board the ship that brought the order:--admiral pigot, an absolute nonentity, a man who had never served at sea since he was a captain, and then without distinction. that was the sort of man sent out to supersede the first naval commander of the age on the morrow of his greatest triumph. it was all a matter of party politics, a shameless political job. rodney was a tory in politics and had been appointed by a tory first lord. the whigs had come into power since he last heard from england, and the new ministry on coming into office had promptly cancelled his appointment and sent out one of their own partisans, hitherto only known as a naval m.p., to replace, in the presence of the enemy, the ablest sea officer that great britain possessed. the ministry having discarded rodney, what took place when the startling news of rodney's victory, with the capture of de grasse and the finest man-of-war in the world, reached england, was indeed the irony of fate. it made up a striking and intensely dramatic situation. when rodney was ordered home the news of the battle had not arrived. it came on the 18th of may, when captain byron of the _andromache_, and lord cranstoun, who had accompanied him, arrived with rodney's despatches at the admiralty at two in the morning. admiral pigot had only left london for plymouth two or three days before. the admiralty and the ministry were aghast, amazed, absolutely nonplussed. they had recalled the victor in the hour of the greatest victory that the royal navy had ever won perhaps since the defeat of the spanish armada. it was an extremely awkward position. admiral pigot must be stopped at all cost, and rodney's order of recall torn up. that was the only thing to be done. a king's messenger with relays of horses was sent galloping down to plymouth as fast as man could ride. he carried with him a letter of compliment and congratulation to rodney, written at seven on the morning of the 18th, which was to go instead of the other. the messenger got to plymouth just too late. he arrived there at two in the afternoon of the 19th, to find that pigot had sailed on the evening before. a swift cutter was sent after the _jupiter_, but failed to catch her up. so the whig ministry were left face to face with the unenviable situation that their own narrow partisanship had created. 'a generation ago,' says a writer in one of the earlier numbers of the _quarterly review_, 'men were still living who could tell of the flame of indignation which ran through the country when it was known that the new whig government had recalled admiral rodney, because the expedition which he commanded had been planned by the tories.' no doubt that was so. but the flame burned itself out quickly. the whigs in parliament and outside it were able to counter the tory reproaches by retorting that whatever was the case then, when the recall of rodney was first notified, three weeks before the despatches came, not a voice had been raised against it. all over the country at the same time, whigs and tories made common cause in heaping adulation on the victor, and expressing their general feelings in exuberant rejoicings. in london, after the park and tower guns and the pealing of the church bells had confirmed the breakfast-table rumour, 'the whole town was in an uproar,' we are told, everybody making the day a holiday and hanging out flags. all london was illuminated that night, the very poorest finding a candle to stick in every pane in their windows. wraxall, writing in 1816 (the year after waterloo) his recollections of how london received the news of rodney's victory, says: 'when i reflect on the emotions to which it gave rise in london, i cannot compare them with any other occurrence of the same kind that we have since witnessed in this country.'[57] dr. blane writing some years afterwards from what he was told, says that even the cripples and invalids in hospital 'demonstrated their joy on hearing of this victory, by hoisting shreds of coloured cloth on their crutches.' lady rodney and her daughters went to the theatre that evening. 'when we went in,' wrote miss jane rodney to her father, 'the whole house testified by their claps and huzzas, the joy they felt at the news, and their love for you, and their acclamations lasted for, i am sure, five minutes.'[58] the versifiers of course seized on the occasion, and they found editors ready to take their 'copy.' the grass in paris streets so long had grown that farmer rodney thought it should be mown, so up his formidable scythe he took and cut the grass of paris at one stroke-was one effusion that is among the best. throughout the country, as the laurel-bedecked stage-coaches passed the news along, there was hardly a village that did not ring its bells and have its bonfire. half the taverns, we are told, painted out their 'markis o' granby' signboards for 'the admiral rodney,' and rodney's is to this day the most common of naval names on inn signboards. there are, as a fact, more 'lord rodneys' up and down the country than 'lord nelsons.' rodney, at port royal, accepted the situation with quiet dignity. he said nothing, handed over the command to admiral pigot, and shifted out of the _formidable_ forthwith into the smaller _montagu_, then under orders to proceed to england. twelve days after pigot's arrival, rodney sailed. there is no need to carry the story further. how rodney was rewarded by the country, and how he passed his closing years, are matters of general history. one of the _formidable's_ men on rodney's day was a smart young seaman named stephens. he lived to be 'mr.' stephens, the boatswain of the famous _shannon_ when she met the _chesapeake_, on which occasion, too, he lost an arm. he found a place in captain broke's despatch, and had the further distinction of being asked by the officers to sit for a statuette of himself to be made, which became one of the special treasures of the last of the _shannon's_ officers, the late admiral of the fleet, sir provo wallis. the last surviving officer of rodney's flagship was sir charles dashwood, who died in 1847, vice-admiral of the white, and k.c.b. the last survivor of all, both of the _formidable's_ company in 1782, and of all who fought in the battle itself, was a seaman of the _formidable_, george neale, who died at coventry in 1849. we will close the story with one final word about the _formidable's_ after career. she outlasted rodney by nineteen years, and served in the interim throughout the war with the french revolution and with napoleon. had it not been for an accidental delay she would have been duncan's flagship at camperdown. the _formidable_ had been fitted for admiral duncan's flag, and sailed from the downs for the texel on the very day that the battle was fought. her end came in 1813, in which year the fine old veteran of the sea was struck off the navy list as unfit for further service, and handed over to the shipbreaker. to dead man's bay when her day is past, to dead man's bay comes the ship at last. thus for the present we close the record of this 'blustering adjective' from the point of view of naval history. enough has been told. 'a nation,' says guizot, 'is safe in the greatest crisis of its fate if it can remember its own history.' those who on a future day may serve in our present _formidable_ before an enemy, will be none the worse for remembering the associations of old-time victory that form part and parcel of their ship's famous name, in virtue of which, that name finds its place to-day on the roll of the royal navy for 'one of the best' among the battle-ships of the british fleet.[59] 'no man,' wrote a young officer of the famous _bellerophon_, in his last letter home on the evening before trafalgar, 'can be a coward on board the _billy ruff'n_.' no man on board the _formidable_, who knows the story of his ship, should be found wanting on the day of battle. it will rest as a point of honour with those who then man the _formidable_ to remember rodney and prove the _formidable_ 'worthy of her name.' footnotes: [footnote 13: _admirals all, and other verses_, p. 15.] [footnote 14: _edward the third_, act iii. sc. 1.] [footnote 15: built at chatham in 1777 as a 98-gun three-decker of 1945 tons. the _formidable_ taken at quiberon was broken up some ten years previously.] [footnote 16: from mr. newbolt's verses on a memorial brass in clifton college chapel.] [footnote 17: he was captain of the french frigate _l'aréthuse_ on may 18, 1759, when she was cut off and captured, off the brittany coast, by a british squadron; to become a british frigate, and later on the 'saucy' _arethusa_ of the celebrated ballad.] [footnote 18: hennequin's _biographie maritime_, art. 'vaudreuil'; also l. dussieux's _généraux et marins du xviii. siècle_, p. 260. the governorship of the island of dominica was offered to de vaudreuil after its capture from great britain through treachery. some of the creole inhabitants of dominica invited the french over from martinique, and, on the night of their landing, made the garrison of the principal fort in the island drunk, plugged up the touch-holes of their cannon, and put sand in the locks of their muskets.] [footnote 19: bougainville was born in 1729. he was granted the _particle nobiliaire_ by order of the king as a special favour, escaped the guillotine during the terror by the merest chance, and died a senator of the empire in 1811. bougainville's name is commemorated in the french navy to-day in a corvette used as a training ship for cadets. the vessel is well known as a visitor to dartmouth and plymouth sound every year.] [footnote 20: it was the practice of the comte de la charette to blacken the sides of each ship that he commanded. ordinarily, at this period, ships' sides were of a yellow colour--the planking simply varnished over.] [footnote 21: carlyle, _french resolution_, vol. ii. bk. ii. chap. i.] [footnote 22: carronades were short pieces of large calibre, throwing heavy shot, but with a very limited range. they were only of use for fighting at close quarters, when, however, they were terribly destructive. they were invented and first made at the carron ironworks in scotland--whence the name.] [footnote 23: sir gilbert blane, _dissertations on medical science_, vol. i. p. 86.] [footnote 24: it extends sometimes to as far as six or seven miles seaward.--_west india pilot._] [footnote 25: 'de grasse's action,' says captain mahan (_the influence of sea power upon history_, p. 290), 'was justified by the court which tried him, in which were many officers of high rank and doubtless of distinction, as being "an act of prudence on the part of the admiral dictated to him by the ulterior projects of the cruise." three days later he was signally beaten by the fleet he had failed to attack at disadvantage, and all the ulterior projects of the cruise went down with him.'] [footnote 26: _annual register_, 1782 (history of europe), p. 206.] [footnote 27: mundy's _life of rodney_, vol. ii. p. 251.] [footnote 28: _united service journal_, 1833, part i. p. 512, sir c. douglas's narrative.] [footnote 29: imagine this page the surface of the sea, the top being north, the foot south, and so on. the wind would be blowing diagonally across from the right-hand corner at the foot of the page. rodney's ships would be approaching slantwise towards the centre of the page from near the left-hand lower corner. de grasse's fleet would be coming down to meet them near the centre from a point at the top of the page about two inches from the left-hand corner.] [footnote 30: to make sure that they saw the signal and obeyed it without delay, de grasse kept firing gun after gun to enforce it, until all had answered.] [footnote 31: captain mahan in _the royal navy: a history_, vol. iii. p. 528.] [footnote 32: mundy's _life of rodney_, vol. ii. pp. 235-236.] [footnote 33: british flag-officers were at this time still divided, for purposes of promotion, into groups and subdivisions, as admirals, vice-admirals, and rear-admirals of the red, white, and blue (except that there was no admiral of the red), which had existed since the middle of the seventeenth century, although the original purpose of the arrangement, in accordance with the tactical formations of fleets for battle, had long ceased to exist. the french, on the other hand, had no permanent subsidiary gradations in their flag-officers' list, and held to their original tactical distribution of squadrons; the senior officer commanding the escadre blanche, the second the escadre blanche et bleue, the third the escadre bleue.] [footnote 34: _hist. mss. commission: report xiv._ duke of rutland's mss. at belvoir castle, vol. iii. p. 55. at belvoir castle there are preserved, besides eight brass cannon of french make, the carved tiller of the _resolution_, and some bottles of wine stamped with the manners peacock, which were in the ship as part of the captain's stores.] [footnote 35: there is a very fine model of the _duke_, representing her exactly as she appeared on the 12th of april 1782, in the naval collection at south kensington museum.] [footnote 36: the first was in the fighting on the 9th of april. 'de grasse had sent me a message that he could not meet me in march, but that he certainly would attack us in april. he did not keep his promise, for i attacked him. in the first day's action, when the _formidable_ came abreast of the _ville de paris_, i ordered the main topsail to be laid aback. [this was a well-understood form of personal challenge at sea.] de grasse, who was about three miles to windward, did not accept the challenge, but kept his wind and did not fire one shot the whole day.' (letter to lady rodney, may 4, 1782; quoted in mundy's _life_, etc., vol. ii. p. 291.)] [footnote 37: sir gilbert blane, _dissertations on medical science_, vol. i. p. 88 _et seq._] [footnote 38: sir c. dashwood's letter is dated torquay, 8th july 1829. it is quoted in full in the _united service journal_ for 1833, part i. p. 73.] [footnote 39: professor j. knox laughton, r.n., _dictionary of national biography_, art. 'rodney.'] [footnote 40: the _diadème's_ name appears in de vaudreuil's official return of the ships rallied by him which reached cap françois, san domingo, on the 25th of april.] [footnote 41: hennequin, _biographie maritime_, vol. i. p. 356.] [footnote 42: navy records society: _the naval miscellany_, vol. i. p. 234. a letter apparently from a lieutenant of the _ville de paris_ gives details.] [footnote 43: navy records society, _letters of sir samuel hood_, pp. 102-103.] [footnote 44: sir gilbert blane, _dissertations on medical science_, vol. i.] [footnote 45: _united service journal_ for 1833, vol. i. p. 514.] [footnote 46: de grasse, it is stated, had not once left the quarter-deck since daybreak. see also _historical memoirs of my own time_, sir n.w. wraxall, vol. iii. p. 108.] [footnote 47: wraxall's _memoirs_, iii. p. 107. lord cranstoun told sir n.w. wraxall that _he_ 'was sent after the _ville de paris_ struck to take possession of her, as well as to receive de grasse's sword.' in the memoir of captain knight of the _barfleur_ (_naval chronicle_, xi. pp. 428-429) it is stated that 'captain knight received and presented to his admiral the sword of count de grasse and those of all the surviving officers of the _ville de paris_, who, with the exception of the count (he, by desire of sir samuel hood, remaining in his own ship), lodged that night in the captain's cabin of the _barfleur_.' our illustration depicts a third version of the incident.] [footnote 48: hennequin, _biographie maritime_, vol. i. art. 'marigny.'] [footnote 49: they were:--the chevalier du pavillon, de vaudreuil's flag-captain; de la clochetterie; de la vicomté; comte bernard de marigny; de saint césaire; and d'escars of the _glorieux_.] [footnote 50: half a million sterling was the french monetary loss in one of the biggest sea battles ever fought. japan lost upwards of a million and a quarter by the sinking of one battleship alone, the _hatsuse_; and russia, a million and eight thousand pounds by the sinking of the _petropavlovsk_.] [footnote 51: blane's _dissertations on medical science_, vol. i., as before.] [footnote 52: it is certainly curious that a man of the world such as rodney was should not have known french. most people have heard the story--the truth of which is well established--of rodney's detention in paris, at the outset of the war, owing to his debts, and how the duc de biron advanced him the money which enabled rodney to leave for england.] [footnote 53: it is rather difficult to reconcile these two statements by de grasse, one to dr. blane and the other to rodney.] [footnote 54: according to the _london magazine_ for august 1782, king george, at an audience granted to de grasse shortly after the french admiral's arrival in england, returned him the sword that de grasse had surrendered to rodney. 'this _etiquette_,' the _london magazine_ proceeds, 'enabled the count to appear at court.' he spent the week he was in london, we are told, 'in paying visits to the great officers of state and some of the principal nobility of the kingdom, by whom he was entertained in a sumptuous and hospitable style. he likewise took a view of the bank and other public edifices, and of vauxhall and other places of amusement.... every mark of respect was shown to him, even by the common people, in testimony of his valour.'] [footnote 55: practically everybody: four or five officers were called before the court at the close of the proceedings, and formally reprimanded for not having done all they might. de vaudreuil came off with flying colours, and all documents containing reflections on him were ordered to be suppressed. the warmest commendation was bestowed on the captains who rallied with de vaudreuil to the support of de grasse.] [footnote 56: 'the most virulent expressions of disgust were hurled on his misfortune and his fame; epigrams circulated from mouth to mouth, and even the women carried ornaments called "à la de grasse," having on one side a heart and on the other none.' (sir e. cust's _annals of the wars of the eighteenth century_, vol. iii. p. 329). also general mundy in his _life of lord rodney_ (vol. ii. p. 290, note), says of de grasse: 'on his return to france he was disgraced by his court, and in the gardens of the tuileries his life was nearly sacrificed to the fury of an exasperated mob.'] [footnote 57: wraxall's _memoirs_, iii. p. 104. several of the medals, in silver and bronze, struck to commemorate the great occasion are now in private collections. a lady's fan of the period, bearing a portrait of rodney with emblematical devices in honour of the victory, was on view two or three years ago at a small exhibition of fans of the eighteenth century in bond street.] [footnote 58: letter quoted in mundy's _life of lord rodney_, vol. ii. p. 309.] [footnote 59: mr. schetky, the artist, whose picture of rodney's victory is reproduced in this book, relates in a note the following anecdote. 'it is in reference to this famous action (rodney's victory) that the story is told of the old one-legged veteran, a patient in the edinburgh infirmary, who, being asked by dr. john barclay, "where did you lose your leg, my man?" briefly replied, "at the 12th of april, your honour." the doctor, not immediately calling to mind that great day, inquired again, "_what_ 12th of april?" jack looked him in the face with supreme contempt, and retorted indignantly, "what 12th of april? who ever heard of any 12th of april but one."'] iii won at the cannon's mouth his majesty's ship _undaunted_ sound, sound the clarion, fill the fife! to all the sensual world proclaim, one crowded hour of glorious life, is worth an age without a name. scott. there is no incident quite like it in all the annals of the royal navy. there is hardly a finer tale, all said and done, hardly a more stirring story, than that which tells how we came by our first _undaunted_--why there is an _undaunted_ to-day on the roll of the british fleet. better name for british fighting ship there could be none; none, assuredly, of happier omen. in a sense, indeed, it is, so to speak, a self-made name. no admiralty lord of high degree in the comfortable surroundings of a sanctum at whitehall first made choice of or appointed it. no lady fair with customary libation of foaming wine on dockyard gala day wished 'god speed' to our first _undaunted_. in quite another way, indeed, was the name first given. amid the clash and ring of hostile steel, in the heat of a hard-fought fight, with shells bursting round, and grape-shot hurtling through the powder smoke, with bullets flying thick, while men closed hand to hand with cutlass and bayonet and boarding pike, came the first idea of the name _undaunted_, and the scene of its first appointment, of its first bestowal on a british man-of-war, was the quarter-deck of a british flagship, as the last echoes of battle were dying down. [illustration: the first captain of the first _undaunted_--captain robert faulknor from holl's portrait engraved by ridley.] the west indies, nelson's 'station for honour,' was the scene of the event, off the island of martinique, and thursday the 20th of march 1794 was the day. there had been turbulent doings in martinique for the past six weeks. ever since the second week of february, day after day, almost incessantly, the quiet valleys and hillsides of the fair island had re-echoed with the crackle of musketry and the booming of cannon. it was the old story, of course, red-coats fighting blue; the old story--with the old result. we were in the second year of the war with the french revolution, and a british army had been sent over to drive the french from their west indian possessions. martinique was the first to be attacked, and three columns of british troops had landed there at different points to fight their way inland until they met, driving the french field force and garrisons before them. outmatched in the open, the french troops and local militiamen had in the end fallen back on fort royal, whither general rochambeau, the french commander-in-chief in the west indies, had called in all his forces and massed his battalions to make a final stand at bay. the fate of martinique depended on their power of holding out until help from outside should reach them. a large and powerful british fleet under vice-admiral sir john jervis, the future earl st. vincent, had escorted the troops across the atlantic. after assisting the soldiers in the earlier stages of the campaign it had closed in and fastened its grip on the seaward approaches to fort royal. fort royal was the headquarters station of the french in the west indies. it was situated at the head of a deep bay, cul de sac royal as it was called. the place was strongly fortified, and was the great arsenal and dockyard of france across the atlantic. for a hundred years past and more french fleets and squadrons had fitted there for war, and had put in to repair after battle. thence du casse had sailed to fight benbow. from there, as we have seen, de grasse put out to meet his fate off the 'saints' at the hands of rodney. two fortified positions of considerable strength and with heavy cannon, besides outlying redoubts and batteries, defended the town of fort royal; one position fronting inland, the other facing towards the sea. against the former, fort bourbon, an entrenched work set on high ground at the back of the town of fort royal, the main force of our soldiers was to operate, attacking with a siege train of heavy guns and mortars and opening zigzags and parallels in the orthodox way. fort louis on the sea front, blocking the entrance to the _carénage_, or man-of-war harbour, and the dockyard, was to be attacked by the naval brigade, assisted by a number of grenadier and light infantry companies, with siege batteries made up of ships' 24-pounders. at the entrance to fort royal bay, to 'keep the ring,' as it were, rode the big two-deckers and frigates of the fleet. the bombardment began on the 7th of march and lasted ten days, during which time the enemy resisted stoutly. their sorties were, however, beaten back, and by the 16th of the month the advanced batteries of the second parallel had been pushed forward to within 500 yards of fort bourbon. the sappers and miners had in the same time got nearer still to fort louis. as yet though no date had been fixed for the assault. on the 17th of march an accidental circumstance suddenly brought on the crisis. lieutenant bowen of the flagship _boyne_, who commanded the guard boats of the fleet, heard that there were some british seamen prisoners on board a french frigate that lay in the _carénage_ moored close under the walls of fort louis. he was a young fellow of exceptional daring, and a fine piece of work suggested itself to his mind. it was to dash in on his own account and try and cut out the french ship and rescue the prisoners. young bowen said nothing about it to any one. he took his boats in and made the attempt. he boarded the frigate in the face of a sharp fire, only, however, to find that the prisoners had been removed. then he tried to bring the prize off. it proved, however, impossible. the frigate had been moored with chains and had no sails bent to her yards. lieutenant bowen had to retire, but his daring attempt gave an idea to the british admiral. it took shape on paper, and the co-operation of the military on shore was arranged for. sir john jervis's plan was to send in all the boats of the fleet _en masse_, carrying landing parties of sailors and marines, and attempt fort louis itself by a _coup de main_. at the same time, it was arranged, a brigade of troops, detached from before fort bourbon, should move down and threaten the town of fort royal and the landward bastions of fort louis. the plan was put in hand at once, and thursday the 20th of march was fixed on for the attempt. it was to be made in broad daylight, going straight at the enemy. this, briefly, was to be the order of the attack. the _asia_, a 64-gun ship, captain john brown, with the _zebra_, a 16-gun sloop of war, commander robert faulknor, were to push on ahead of the boats. having got as close in to the ramparts as the tide would allow, the _asia_ was to batter away at the fort and breach the sea-wall. the _zebra_ at the same time was to sweep the ramparts with grape and canister and cover the approach of the boats with the storming parties, which were to come up a little astern of her. all the boats in the fleet--flat-bottomed boats, barges, and pinnaces, carrying 1200 seamen and marines--were to be employed, each provided with a number of bamboo scaling-ladders of from 20 to 36 feet long. everything was ready by the appointed time, seven on wednesday night, and at five o'clock on the morning of the 20th the signal was given to set off. promptly the _zebra_ led in. there was a brisk north-easterly breeze blowing, and standing right before it she headed directly for the french batteries. the enemy on their side opened fire on her at once, a long-range cannonade, but without effect. she was a small object to hit. without checking her course the _zebra_ held on steadily. the _asia_ followed, and all went well until just as she was getting within grape-shot range. then suddenly an amazing thing happened. to the blank astonishment of the whole squadron, the 64 suddenly wore round and stood out of the bay. she turned round deliberately and drew off from the enemy. what was the matter? something very serious indeed must have happened on board. sir john jervis himself, the admiral, thought it could only be that captain brown had been killed, and sent off his flag-captain to take charge. it was not that, however. not a man had been touched by a shot. captain grey[60] was only a few moments on board, and then went down the side into his boat to return to the flagship, after which the _asia_ stood in again. it was a great relief to all--when suddenly, just as she got to the same spot as before, within grape-shot range, round went the _asia's_ bows once more, and she for the second time put back. what on earth had happened now? this is the story. it is not a very nice one. a french naval officer who had deserted to the british was on board the _asia_ in charge of the pilotage arrangements for the day's attack. he was a m. de tourelles, a royalist, formerly harbour-master at fort royal. he had volunteered for the post and had been accepted for his pilot knowledge. the failure of the _asia_ was due to lieutenant de tourelles' nerves. all of a sudden, as the enemy's opening shots began to fly overhead through the _asia's_ rigging, m. de tourelles got alarmed and lost his head. whether it was sheer cowardice, or a qualm of conscience at the part he was taking against his own countrymen, or a fear for his own skin if anything went wrong and the french got hold of him--from one cause or another m. de tourelles broke down abjectly. before any one on board knew what was happening, he had put the _asia's_ helm hard over and rounded the ship out of action. that was the first failure, and the frenchman's explanation was that he had somehow got out of his reckoning. after captain grey of the _boyne_ came on board m. de tourelles said he would try again. he did so; and the same thing happened again. there was, though, another failure on board besides that of the pilot. once more, to the surprise of all on deck in the _asia_, captain brown did nothing. he was an officer who had seen service--of the same seniority as nelson on the post list, and not far off flag rank in the ordinary course--yet he let the frenchman for the second time carry the ship out of battle. lookers-on expected him to pistol de tourelles on the spot, or cut him down; at the least to send him below under arrest and take charge himself. the tide was flowing, it was nearly three-quarters high water, and he might well have risked touching on a shoal and borne up directly for the batteries. captain brown, however, did nothing of the kind. the _asia_ for the second time headed tamely out of action, this time to remain out.[61] it was a disheartening spectacle and a bad start. the whole attack indeed was jeopardised. the _asia_ dropped back nearly outside the bay. the boats lay on their oars just within the bay. the _zebra_, all by herself, entirely unsupported, was some distance ahead; all the time under fire from the enemy, stormed at by round-shot and shell and grape from every gun that the french could bring to bear on her. fortunately commander faulknor was not of the stamp of captain brown. he might well have anticipated a signal of recall and turned his little sloop away to retire out of range and wait for further orders. but he was not that sort of man. when he saw the _asia_ go about and retreat for the first time, although he had already got so far in as to be within musket-shot of the nearest french battery, he lay-to and waited. the french were already firing at him, but not the smallest notice would he allow to be taken of the enemy's shots. the _asia_, as he saw, headed in and came on again; after which, for the second time she turned away and stood back. commander faulknor knew what that meant. he saw that he had been left in the lurch. he saw now that he must expect no assistance from the _asia_, the big ship that was to have been the mainstay of the attack. the odds against him might well have daunted the bravest man. they did not, however, daunt robert faulknor. he then and there determined to undertake the whole duty of tackling the french batteries and covering the boat attack single-handed, with his own little ship and her crew of one hundred men all told. it was a daring resolution, for fort louis was a very formidable work, mounting heavy guns and strongly held. it crowned a rocky eminence that jutted out menacingly into fort royal bay. the sea face rose abruptly from the water's edge, with a wall and parapet, 15 feet high, scored with embrasures for big guns all along that side. in rear of the parapet three lofty tiers of platforms, rising one above another, with the muzzles of guns showing at all points, frowned fiercely down on all who should venture to approach in hostile guise. fort louis guarded the fairway into the _carénage_, or man-of-war harbour, round a bend immediately in rear of the fort, and it also covered the town and warehouses of fort royal proper, the civil settlement, which fringed the harbour on the farther side. the perilous nature of the task he was taking in hand did not, however, count with the gallant officer who had charge of the _zebra_. he was used to taking risks. commander faulknor had already in this campaign shown the stuff he was made of, and that not once nor twice. he was not the man to blench here. the commander of the _zebra_ was indeed a man in a thousand. hardly a finer fellow in every respect than robert faulknor ever trod the quarter-deck of a british man-of-war in any age. he could not, perhaps, well help being so. if ever a british naval officer had the sea 'in his blood,' as the old saying went, faulknor had it. not many families ever did more for the sea service than the faulknors of hampshire in the eighteenth century. a round dozen of its sons, as captains and admirals, walked the quarter-deck in the times between queen anne and william the fourth. as a fact, he owed his very origin to a naval romance. his father was 'bob faulknor of the _bellona_,' perhaps the most popular man in the service in his day, who in the first year of george the third's reign took a big french 74, the _courageux_, off the coast of spain, in a ship-to-ship duel fought out to the bitter end, and won a fortune and a beautiful bride, our hero's mother, at one and the same time. the newspapers were full of the dashing fight, a story full of incidents of heroism on the part of the _bellona's_ captain, and the young lady reading the story there, gave her heart to the gallant captain she had never seen. meeting 'captain bob' on his return to england at a ball, quite by chance, he for his part, in turn, fell violently in love with her, and they married and lived afterwards the happiest of wedded lives. commander faulknor's grandfather was old admiral balchen's flag-captain, who was lost with his veteran chief and upwards of a thousand officers and men, in the wreck of the _victory_ of george the second's fleet, the predecessor of nelson's _victory_, off the caskets near alderney, one stormy october night of the year 1744. commander faulknor's great-grandfather got his lieutenant's commission three years after the battle of la hogue, fought all through 'queen anne's war,' and died in george the first's reign, lieutenant-governor of greenwich hospital. such was the stock that commander faulknor came of. faulknor gave orders to let fall the foresail and hoist every stitch of canvas that the ship's masts would stand. then he again headed the _zebra_ up the bay, pointing in directly for the ramparts of fort louis. all round her, as the little sloop dashed forward, the water leaped and splashed, torn into spray under the tornado of grape and canister and round shot--any single one of which hitting the _zebra_ fairly must have torn the little vessel open and sent her to the bottom like a stone--with which the french batteries met her as she came on. but it made no difference. a special providence--in the form of a drizzling squall that suddenly came on, blowing in from the sea right in the faces of the french gunners--seemed to be protecting the ship and her men, and she passed through practically unscathed. one shot cut the main-topmast away, but that was all. the balls whizzed through the rigging and within a few inches of the men's heads but not a single man was harmed. at the instant that the _zebra_ was seen to make sail and move ahead, the boats of the squadron set off rowing after her at their best speed, while the naval brigade batteries on shore, facing the flanking bastions of fort louis on either side, redoubled their fire on the enemy's works to distract the attention of the french as far as possible. at the same time, to hold fort bourbon on the hill behind fort louis in check and prevent reinforcements being sent down to assist the lower fort, the british siege batteries up above burst out into a tremendous fire of round-shot and shell that swept the french ramparts in the upper fort from end to end. on board the _zebra_ it was an anxious time for every one; and with it all, simultaneously, commander faulknor had yet another trial sprung upon him. the risk from the enemy's shot was not the severest ordeal that the captain of the _zebra_ had to go through. by an extraordinary coincidence, exactly the same thing happened on board the _zebra_ as had already happened with such unfortunate results on board the _asia_.[62] the pilot's nerve failed. the pilot of the _zebra_ was an old man-of-war's man, who had been employed for many years in the west indies on account of his pilot knowledge of the islands. he now broke down at the critical moment. but, as has been said, commander faulknor was not a captain brown. as he gave the pilot the order 'to place the sloop close under the walls of fort royal,' he instinctively noticed that something was wrong. the man, he thought, seemed to hesitate. he turned aside to one of his officers. 'i think mr. ---seems confused, as if he doesn't know what he is about. has he been in action before?' 'many times, sir,' was the reply; 'he has been twenty-four years in the service.' but faulknor was not satisfied. he eyed the pilot closely and then stepped up to him and asked him a trifling question to test him. his suspicions were fully confirmed. the pilot's 'agitation was such as to render him incapable of giving any answer.' recovering himself to some extent a moment later the wretched man, keeping his eyes on the deck, in a low voice addressed faulknor, who was bending over him, with this startling admission: 'i see your honour knows me. i am unfit to guide her. i don't know what is come over me. i dreamt last night i should be killed, and i am so afraid i don't know what i am about. i never in all my life felt afraid before.' one cannot help feeling pity for the unhappy fellow; but it was no time for pity. commander faulknor could do only one thing, and he did it. without for an instant losing his presence of mind, he replied to the man in a still lower tone: 'the fate of this expedition depends on the helm in your hand. give it to me, and go and hide your head in whatever you fancy the safest part of the ship. but mind--fears are catching. if i hear you tell yours to one of your messmates, your life shall answer for it to-morrow!' [illustration: captain faulknor storming fort louis 'the poor fellow,' in the words of the _naval chronicle_, 'panic-struck, went away, and overcome with shame sat down upon the arm chest, whilst captain faulknor seized the helm and with his own hand laid the _zebra_ close to the walls of the fort, but before he had got upon them at the head of his gallant followers, a cannon-ball struck the arm chest and blew the pilot to atoms.' he was the only man killed of all the _zebra's_ crew that day. from the engraving by james daniell, after henry singleton.] would the pilot have escaped had he pulled himself together and stuck to the helm? this is what commander faulknor wrote home to his mother after the fight.[63] 'i had a ship's cartouch box, which is made of thick wood, buckled round my body with pistol cartridges in it, for the pistol i carried by my side. as the _zebra_ came close to the fort, a grape-shot struck, or rather grazed my right-hand knuckle, and shattered the cartouch in the centre of my body: had it not miraculously been there i must have been killed on the spot.' faulknor ran the _zebra_ in and laid her as close under the french guns as the depth of water at that state of the tide would allow, within fifteen feet of the walls of fort louis. the next instant 'the scaling-ladders flew from the rigging, the boats in tow astern became the bridge, and captain faulknor headed his boarders over the parapet into the fort.' the boats of the squadron, led by captains nugent and riou--'the gallant, good riou,' killed before copenhagen seven years later, as all the world knows--were coming up astern, flying through the water after the _zebra_, as fast as the men, bending their hardest to their oars, could send them forward; but they were still some way off. faulknor and his men clambered up the parapet, through the embrasures, and sprang over into the fort. right in front of them, drawn up in rear of the ramparts, stood with muskets at the present, a whole french regiment, the 33rd of the line, a veteran battalion of the old royal army of france, and one not yet disorganised by republican methods, the régiment de touraine. it met the first appearance of the sailors, as they set foot on the ramparts, with a crashing volley. only three of the _zebra's_ men were hit, and they had only flesh wounds. with a cheer up went the cutlasses and the sailors made a rush in on the french bayonets, to settle the matter hand to hand. but no! a sudden panic seized the frenchmen. down, clattering to the ground, went their muskets all along the line, and up went their hands, as the régiment de touraine, panic-stricken, screamed and yelled for quarter. it was given. faulknor turned round short, flung himself before his leading men, and by main force stopped them as they were in the act of closing. 'i take some credit to myself,' he related to his mother, 'that after the _zebra_ had stood a heavy fire, and when we had the power to retaliate, for we were mounted upon the walls, i would not allow a man to be hurt, on their being panic-struck and calling for mercy.' the iron gates leading to the citadel of fort louis then barred the way, but these were burst in and the little band of sailors rushed through, the heroic faulknor leading. they fought their way steadily and swiftly, until within seven minutes of forcing their entry they had got up to the very topmost platform of fort louis. that was instantly seized and the place was theirs. the commandant of the fort and his staff yielded themselves up as prisoners of war, and the french flag was hauled down, an english jack going up in its place, 'amidst the shouts of triumph from the armed boats, from the squadron, and from the army, which thus announced its arrival outside.' five stands of military colours were taken with the garrison. 'the sword and colours of fort royal,' wrote faulknor home, 'were delivered to me by the governor of the fort.' this is the modest way in which faulknor recorded the events of the day in the _zebra's_ log:- _march 20._--at 5 a.m. we weighed and came to sail. at 8 a.m. the enemy began to fire on us from fort royal, which they con'd till noon, when we ran in under their fire to the fort. i, together with the officers and seamen, stormed the fort, with the loss of one man killed and five wounded. the rigging, masts, and sails much cut, and kedge anchor, which hung under the bowspritt, cut away the spritsail yard and carried away the jib-boom. a heavy and well-directed fire was kept up from our battery's and gun-boats whilst we were running in, and the flat boats under the command of commodore thompson followed us with 500 seamen.[64] a touch that helps to show us something of the chivalrous character of commander faulknor must be noted in passing. 'the british ensign being displayed over the fort, captain faulknor sent his second lieutenant to the casements (_sic_), where the french officers' families, (and) the sick and wounded were, to assure them of protection.' 'after that,' we are told, 'mr. hill (the second lieutenant) had the proud duty of letting down the drawbridge to the commander-in-chief of the army.' the securing of the capture, the holding of the fort was, of course, for other people to do. the 100 officers and men of the _zebra_ were too few to do it. but the boats of the squadron were now alongside the walls and landing their men, and the soldiers were at the gates. there was no object in remaining ashore longer. captain faulknor handed over his capture to the senior officer present, and quietly drawing the _zebra's_ company off, marched them down and returned on board. then he sent his boats and had the french frigate lying in the _carénage_ taken possession of--the _bien venu_ was her name--which was done without resistance, after which, in the most ordinary and matter-of-fact way, just as it were going out of a morning from portsmouth harbour to spithead, he made sail and stood out to rejoin the squadron. the unprecedented scene that followed, is indeed the climax of the whole story. 'such compliments, that it is impossible for me to relate them--compliments ... without example in the navy,'--were commander faulknor's own comments on the extraordinary reception that was accorded him. as the little _zebra_ was seen approaching, the _boyne_, sir john jervis's flagship, manned yards and rigging. then, a moment later, when the _zebra_ had neared the _boyne_ and was shaping her course to pass under the flagship's stern on her way to reach her station among the other ships, the 'flagship's band, drawn up on the poop, struck up "see the conquering hero comes!"' and a tremendous burst of enthusiastic cheering, repeated again and again, rang echoing out to welcome the daring little ship. it was a splendid scene, stirring and magnificent, and worthy of the occasion, but it was not all. there was more to come. the admiral had a part of his own to play. 'old jarvie' did it in a way peculiar to himself. the man of iron had his other side. they did not know the real jervis who spoke of him as a tyrant, unsympathetic and saturnine, pitiless and a grim martinet, who hanged men on sunday for the sake of discipline. this was an occasion after jervis's own heart. none knew better than he how to reward merit: none ever did it better. a signal was made to the _zebra_ for commander faulknor to come on board the flagship. while the order was being obeyed, as the _zebra_ was lowering her boat sir john had all hands on board the _boyne_ called aft and the guard of marines paraded under arms on the quarter-deck. all the officers were sent for to attend the admiral. the _zebra's_ boat sheered alongside, and commander faulknor came up the gangway. as he set foot on the flagship's quarter-deck the admiral, before the assembled officers, stepped forward to meet him. he greeted the young commander with unusual warmth and publicly embraced him. then he ceremoniously handed faulknor a commission promoting him post-captain on the spot. 'captain faulknor,' said sir john jervis, 'by your daring courage this day a french frigate has fallen into our hands. i have ordered her to be taken into our service, and here is your commission to command her, in which i have named her, sir, after yourself,--the _undaunted_.' the ship in question was of course the frigate _bien venu_, which had been moored in the _carénage_ under the walls of fort louis, and had been taken possession of by faulknor's men after the fort had fallen. in such exceptionally heroic circumstances was the name 'undaunted' first introduced on the roll of the british fleet. it has remained there ever since to this day. a more happily chosen name in such a case there surely could be none--better name for british fighting ship there surely could be none. 'no language of mine,' wrote sir john jervis, in his despatch to the admiralty that very afternoon, 'can express the merit of captain faulknor upon this occasion, but, as every officer and man in the army and squadron bears testimony, this incomparable action cannot fail of being recorded in the page of history.' 'the idol of the squadron,' 'the admiration of the whole army,' were other expressions that jervis used in regard to captain faulknor. captain faulknor, though, did more than storm and take fort louis. by the same act, with the same stroke, he brought about the fall of fort bourbon and the capture of the town of fort royal, 'rushed' by a column of the besieging troops simultaneously with the storming of fort louis. in addition, beyond that, it brought about the formal surrender to england of the entire island of martinique. all collapsed like a house of cards. general rochambeau, startled at seeing fort louis, his bulwark towards the sea, which covered the only way by which he might hope for relief, snatched abruptly from him, while his own garrison was thrown into a state of hopeless demoralisation by the rabble of fugitive soldiers, bolting before faulknor's men, and flying in wild disorder for refuge to fort bourbon, despaired of making a further stand. he beat the _chamade_, and sent in a flag of truce. at half-past two that afternoon one of rochambeau's aides-de-camp from fort bourbon appeared before the british outposts with a letter from the french governor, offering to treat and asking for terms. commissioners on each side were named, and two days were spent in discussing details, but the french position, with fort louis gone, was doomed. within 48 hours of captain faulknor's hoisting the british flag on fort louis the terms of surrender were agreed on and ready for signature. it was a great capture. sixty-eight guns and 55 mortars and howitzers were taken in fort louis alone; and more than twice as many more came into our possession with the fall of fort bourbon, besides immense supplies of ammunition and stores, shot and shell, and a large number of prisoners. these last included four regiments of infantry, among them one of the most famous corps of the french army of the old _régime_, the 37th of the line, the régiment de maréchal turenne. on their behalf, indeed, a special effort was made by the french commissioners in drawing up the terms of surrender, to save the credit of so famous a regiment. they demanded that it should keep its colours and arms on being shipped back to france with the rest of the army, on condition of taking no further part in the war, but the attempt failed, and the régiment de maréchal turenne had to share the lot of the other regiments, except that its officers were allowed to keep their swords.[65] it went back to france to meet its end as a regiment under napoleon in russia, drowned almost to a man in the terrible catastrophe which sealed the doom of the _grande armée_ at the passage of the bridge of the beresina. on the afternoon of the 23rd the gates of the fort were delivered over to the charge of the british, the french being confined to quarters inside, and guards were mounted under the command of prince edward, afterwards the duke of kent, the father of queen victoria and grandfather of king edward, who was in command of a brigade of the attacking troops, and had been present throughout the siege. the colours taken at martinique were sent home, and, by command of king george, were placed in st. paul's cathedral. they were carried through london in triumph, from st. james's palace to st. paul's, the tower guns firing a salute, escorted by life guards, grenadiers, and foot guards, with the band of the first guards playing the procession along the streets, which were filled with cheering crowds. at st. paul's they were received at the great west door of the cathedral by the dean and chapter, with a full choir. where are those colours now? not a rag, not a staff, remains. as was the fate of the captured flags won at camperdown, at st. vincent, and at trafalgar, they were left to rot uncared for, and then at the time of the reaction in the years after waterloo, the rags that were left were pulled down and bundled out of sight. what remained of the flags was thrown on a dust-heap and the poles were handed out among the vergers as broom and scrubbing-brush handles and for poking down rats' nests. [illustration: the death of captain faulknor after the engraving by stothard.] on the morning of the 24th the french garrison marched out of fort bourbon. they were granted the honours of war, to make their exit with flags flying, bayonets fixed, drums beating, 30 rounds a man, and 2 field-pieces each with 12 rounds, and march down--between a double line of british seamen and soldiers--to the place of embarkation. they laid down their arms on the parade of fort royal, and filed on board the transports that had brought the british troops out, to set sail for france next day. the island of martinique was signed away from france with the capitulation of fort bourbon. one last word must be said here of captain faulknor. he did not live to enjoy the benefits of his promotion long. within ten months he was dead, killed in action, struck down in the performance of a deed of valour equal to anything that has in our own time won the victoria cross. in january 1795, when in command of the _blanche_, a fine 32-gun frigate, to which he had been transferred, and while still in the west indies, he fell in with a big french 36-gun frigate, the _pique_, brought her to close action, and fought her for five hours, from midnight until five a.m., when the french ship surrendered. captain faulknor was shot dead, with a bullet through the heart, in the third hour of the fight, while in the act of lashing the _pique's_ bowsprit to the capstan of his own ship. he died, mourned by the whole country as a national loss, as the monument to him erected by order of parliament in st. paul's cathedral testifies to this day. not once or twice in our rough island story the path of duty was the way to glory. since faulknor's _undaunted_, five british men-of-war have borne the name, and in every instance with distinction. three of them may be referred to here. one _undaunted_--the _undaunted_ of the napoleonic war--crowned a career of exceptional brilliancy--a career that is one continuous record of daring exploits, which indeed won for her captain the _sobriquet_, taken from the name of his ship, of 'undaunted ussher'--by carrying napoleon a prisoner of war to elba. this same ship was later the last man-of-war to fly the flag of a lord high admiral of england at sea.[66] another, in more recent times, as flagship on the east indies station, had the honour of escorting his present majesty king edward, then prince of wales, through the indian ocean on his historic visit to india. yet another _undaunted_, our present cruiser of the name, was lord charles beresford's first ship as a captain of the royal navy--with the mediterranean fleet under sir george tryon,--and proved herself during a memorable commission _nulli secundus_ for smartness and efficiency, in the spirit of her well-remembered duty call:- 'undaunteds,' be ready! 'undaunteds,' be steady! 'undaunteds,' stand by for a job! [illustration: 'billy blue'--admiral the hon. sir william cornwallis, g.c.b. by d. gardner. [this portrait was drawn in 1775, and shows cornwallis as a captain at the age of 32. no later portrait of him is in existence apparently.]] footnotes: [footnote 60: captain george grey, flag-captain in the _boyne_ to sir john jervis.] [footnote 61: in his 'public letter' sir john jervis throws all the blame on m. de tourelles' 'want of precision,' and captain brown's name appears at the head of those to whom the admiral declares himself 'greatly indebted' (james's _naval history_, i. p. 244). on the other hand, captain brenton (_naval history_, vol. i. p. 183) says: 'i once heard a lady ask lord st. vincent why he did not bring captain brown to a court-martial. i think his lordship replied, "i thought it best to let him go home quietly." captain brown should have demanded a court-martial on himself.'] [footnote 62: _naval chronicle_, vol. xvi. pp. 31-32.] [footnote 63: _naval chronicle_, vol. xvi. p. 33.] [footnote 64: public record office. admiralty documents: captains' logs, _zebra_.] [footnote 65: _london gazette_, april 21, 1794. articles of capitulation of fort bourbon, no. 3. 'the 37th regiment, formerly marshal turenne's, shall keep their colours and arms. answer: refused; being contrary to all customs of war. the officers may keep their swords.'] [footnote 66: h.r.h. the duke of clarence, afterwards william iv., in 1827.] iv 'billy blue': a ballad of the fleet one of the _royal sovereign's_ days slowly they mov'd, and wedged in firm array, the close compacted squadron won its way. homer, _iliad_ (pope's version). could common prudence have allowed me to let loose their valour on the enemy, i hardly know what might not have been accomplished by such men.--admiral cornwallis, _june 17, 1795_. (from the official despatch.) fighting days abound in the story of the _royal sovereign_. there is hardly a more famous name in the annals of the royal navy, and its record goes back to a hundred years before the spanish armada. our first _sovereign_ was one of the consorts of the _great harry_ in henry the eighth's navy, and fought the french in battle side by side with that 'greate shipp.' the second was charles the first's _sovereign of the seas_, built out of the ship-money tax which began the quarrel with parliament that in the end brought the king's head to the block. 'her building,' says evelyn, 'cost his ma'tie the affections of his subjects, who quarrell'd with him for a trifle, refusing to contribute either to their own safety or to his glory.'[67] the ship did brilliant service with blake and monk against tromp and ruyter, and won from the dutch the _sobriquet_ of the 'golden devil,' in allusion to her gorgeous ornamentation and the death-dealing broadsides from her heavy guns. as the _royal sovereign_, the name bestowed on her by charles the second at the restoration, in place of the original form, the ship added laurels to her fame. she was in the thick of the fray in the 'four days' fight' of 1666--the 'four days' fight' was what the courtiers of whitehall called the battle, the ruder 'tarpaulins' who fought the guns called it the 'four days' bloody blunder';--in the 'st. james's day fight' of the same year; at solebay; and in all the other fleet battles of the second and third dutch wars. among the men of note who flew their flags on board the _royal sovereign_ in battle were james, duke of york (afterwards king james the second), and prince rupert. this same man-of-war, too, in william the third's time, was one of the flagships at la hogue, where she had 'a very hott dispute' with one of the french flagships. she was also flagship of the admiral in command at the burning of the famous _soleil royal_ and two other french first-rates in cherbourg bay. a sleepy old bo'sun's mate, one january night, four years after la hogue, left a lighted candle-end in his cabin in the _royal sovereign_, and then went on deck to keep his watch, forgetting all about it. so the quondam _sovereign of the seas_ came to her end. in accordance with the sentence of the court-martial[68] on the wretched man, he was rowed up the medway past the fleet lying there with a halter round his neck, and was then publicly flogged on his bare back, after which he was landed at chatham dockyard with every mark of degradation, and taken off to be imprisoned in the marshalsea for life. the third _royal sovereign_, partly built, in accordance with an admiralty order, out of as much of the timbers of the old ship as could be saved--'such part of the remains of the said ship as shall be serviceable'[69]--was launched in the presence of the great duke of marlborough, who presided on the occasion. it was in the cabin of this _royal sovereign_ that admiral rooke planned his swoop on the vigo galleons, and the ship also served as flagship to sir clowdisley shovell.[70] she lasted long enough to be flagship at portsmouth during the seven years' war, and it was on board her, one stormy march morning, that admiral boscawen signed the order for the firing party that shot admiral byng. the fourth _royal sovereign_ fought as a flagship with lord howe on the 'glorious first of june,' and was collingwood's ship at trafalgar. 'see how that noble fellow collingwood takes his ship into action!' exclaimed nelson, as he saw the _royal sovereign_ open fire and break the line. nor did any other ship in all the british fleet make a more brilliant fight of it that day than the _royal sovereign_ and her 'tars of the tyne,' as collingwood himself called the sturdy northumbrian lads who formed nine-tenths of his flagship's crew. our fifth _royal sovereign_ was an ironclad of the 'sixties, and the sixth is the present battleship of the name, now in the home fleet, which was named and launched with much _éclat_ by queen victoria at portsmouth on the 26th of february 1891, and served for many years as flagship of the channel fleet. such in brief outline are some of the leading events in the story of the _royal sovereign_. the historic event here related in ballad form belongs to the story of the _royal sovereign_ of the great war with the french revolution, the fourth ship of the name. 'cornwallis's retreat' was the name that our ancestors had for it. it took place on the 17th of june 1795, and the _royal sovereign_ was the british flagship on the occasion. the event, no doubt, is unknown to most of us. nine out of ten people probably never heard of it. it is one of the forgotten episodes of our annals. nothing is said of it in our general histories. one finds it alluded to in naval books, but little mention is made of it outside that class of literature. even that famous naval dining club, the 'royal naval club of 1765 and 1785,' which meets regularly at intervals throughout the year to commemorate notable events in the annals of the sea service--la hogue, rodney's battle, the 'glorious first of june,' the battle of cape st. vincent, camperdown, and so on--does not celebrate the 17th of june, the anniversary day of 'cornwallis's retreat.' yet, surely, it is deserving of the honour? as a display of cool valour in the face of tremendous odds, of down-right heroism and unflinching endurance, crowned in the end with complete success, this feat of admiral the honourable william cornwallis's distinguished career deserves, there is no gainsaying, to be reckoned among the finest exploits in our history.[71] it may partly be, of course, because of the term 'retreat' that the event of the 17th of june 1795 has nowadays been forgotten by the navy and the nation. englishmen do not like retreats. everybody knows the story of how napoleon once told a captured british drummer boy to prove his identity by beating the british army 'retreat,' and how the little lad scornfully flung down his drum, and looking bonaparte in the face replied, 'there is no such drum-beat in the british army. we don't do it!'[72] to our forefathers of a hundred years ago, however, 'cornwallis's retreat,' as they themselves called it, was a source of infinite pride and gratification. they did not hesitate to compare it, and not unreasonably, with that famous tale of history, xenophon's _retreat of the ten thousand_. here is the story, told in plain unconventional ballad form, as it were by one present on the occasion. the details are historical, and the words attributed to the admiral are his own, as reported at the time. 'billy blue,' it should be added, was a favourite nickname for cornwallis in the navy, although whether it had come into vogue as early as the date of the incident is another thing. [illustration: 'cornwallis's retreat' from an engraving in the _naval chronicle_. [on the left are the french frigates in a body to windward. the two leading british ships are the _bellerophon_ and the _brunswick_, the slowest sailers of the squadron. to the right centre is the _royal sovereign_ bearing down to help the _triumph_ and the _mars_. on the right is the _pallas_ frigate (captain the hon. h. curzon), cornwallis's repeating frigate.]] billy blue a ballad of the fleet it was just at break o' day, we were cruising in the bay, with blue billy in the _sov'ren_ in the van, when the french fleet bound for brest, from belleisle came heading west- 'twas so, my lads, the saucy game began. billy blue- here's to you, billy blue, here's to you! washing decks was hardly done, when we heard the warning gun, and we saw 'em, black and clear against the sky; twelve big ships of the line,- and with frigates, twenty-nine, on the easterly horizon drawing nigh. billy blue, etc. we'd the _triumph_ and the _mars_, and the _sov'ren_--pride of tars, _billy ruff'n_, and the _brunswick_, known to fame; with the _pallas_, and the _phaeton_, frigates that the flag did wait on- seven ships to uphold old england's name. billy blue, etc. from the _phaeton_ frigate first, in a flash the numbers burst, as the signal bunting 'broke' and fluttered free; but we cheer'd from ship to ship, and we set the guns to strip, for to fight 'em we could trust old blue billee! billy blue, etc. he was shavin', so they say, when he heard the news that day, and his skipper came his wishes for to larn; but he only said, 'all right, let 'em bark, for we can bite, for all they're like to try on us, i don't care a darn!' billy blue, etc. 'no, i don't care a rap for any frenchy chap, when they come they'll get the dressing they deserve; i've the best four in the fleet, that the frenchmen well could meet, with the "fightin' _billy ruff'n_" in reserve.'[73] billy blue, etc. 'as she broke the line with howe, so she's game to do it now, and repeat her "first o' june" here in these seas; with their name for dauntless pluck, and the _billy ruff'n's_ luck, i will fight as many frenchmen as you please!' billy blue, etc. but it wasn't merely bluff, for he saw the job was tough, and the signal promptly flew to 'go about': with the slowest ship in front, and his own to bear the brunt,- so we headed back for england, guns run out. billy blue, etc. to the _sov'ren's_ lads he told like some hero chief of old, as he bade 'em from the quarter-deck 'good luck'; 'to no foe upon the sea. you may take it, men, from me, is the ensign of the _sov'ren_ to be struck!' billy blue, etc. 'let the odds be what they will, we must go on fighting still, for the honour of the _sov'ren's_ old renown; and when, men, all is done, as we fire our last gun, with our colours flying still, we'll go down!'[74] billy blue, etc. soon we heard the _branle-bas_ what cheers up the frenchy tar, and their 'vives' for 'la nation!' and 'la patrie!' 'tis the way, as you should know, with the maritime crappo, when he's got to do his fightin' on the sea. billy blue, etc. then they came on, looking slaughter, like to blow us from the water, as they near'd to port and starboard and astarn; but we put in double shot, and we paid 'em back so hot, that they looked at one another with consarn. billy blue, etc. 'just a broadside or two--_certainement_, for the honour of their flag--_cela s'entend_, but it's more than very fine, seven ships to twenty-nine!- most decidedly 'no go,' not at all _comme il faut_, and a bit of british insolence for punishment condign!' billy blue, etc. 'just a broadside, if they like, then forthwith their colours strike having rendered to their flag the homage due: it's sheer madness to pretend, they can fight us to the end- there's no other course the _rosbifs_ can pursue!' billy blue, etc. next the _triumph_ they attacked, and the _mars_ got badly whacked, 'twas the _sov'ren_ with her broadsides beat 'em back: her three tiers all aflame, sweeping round the flagship came, leaving death and frenchmen's wreckage in her track. billy blue, etc. and they didn't let us rest, for they did their level best, fighting on and off from eight till after five; till at length they seemed to see, that it wasn't going to be, that they shouldn't take us dead, nor yet alive. billy blue, etc. how it ended, is a story, not at all to france's glory, of a little game the _phaeton's_ men did play; making mossoo go in fear, that the channel fleet was near, and think perhaps he'd better run away. billy blue, etc. for blue billy sent the _phaeton_, when the pass looked like a strait one, to cruise out in the offing,--just in sight: 'at a fitting time,' said he 'you will signal down to me, that lord bridport will be with us before night.' billy blue, etc. 'you will fire guns, you know, and to'gallant sheets let go, as the custom is, reporting fleets at sea; with a signal that they're 'friends'- which i think will serve our ends, to humbug those chaps astarn with monsieur v.'[75] billy blue, etc. the frenchmen cried 'morblo!' and they shuffled to and fro, till they judg'd they'd haul their wind and go about; to belleisle back all the way, at anchor there to stay, till they learnt the coast was clear to venture out. billy blue, etc. yet no channel fleet was near, to excuse the frenchmen's fear, for lord bridport was still cruising leagues afar,[76] and a well-worn _ruse de guerre_ was a hardy game to dare, with french frigates--seventeen--the plot to mar. billy blue, etc. it so happened, for the rest, just to point the _phaeton's_ jest, by the merest chance--it wasn't meant at all- distant coasters passing by, chanced to fleck the evening sky, and still faster to impel the flying gaul. billy blue, etc. here's to stopford of the _phaeton_, and flag-captain whitby bold, to fitzgerald of the _brunswick_, tried and true, gallant gower of the _triumph_, gallant cotton of the _mars_, lord cranstoun--_billy ruff'n_--here's to you! billy blue, etc. aye, blue billy:--here's to him, with three times three, to the honour of his name upon the sea! 'he upheld old england's credit,' said the country in its pride: 'cornwallis's retreat,' greek xenophon's great feat, in its spirit we may claim to set beside. billy blue, etc. e'en our foes, the _parley voos_, at this feat of billy blue's professed to be astounded--'_etonnés_':- '_hors de ligne_' 'twas, so to speak, '_une affaire trop héroïque_,' '_le déterminé_,' they call him to this day. billy blue- here's to you, billy blue, here's to you! for the magnificent display made by one and all on the occasion, admiral cornwallis and the captains of his squadron were thanked by both houses of parliament, while every ordinary seaman on board the ships was specially rated 'a.b.'[77] of his men, indeed, cornwallis himself said in his official despatch, 'could common prudence have allowed me to let loose their valour on the enemy, i hardly know what might not have been accomplished by such men.' the last survivor of cornwallis's squadron, one of the midshipmen of the flagship _royal sovereign_, died in the year 1869. 'billy blue'[78] himself lived to command the channel fleet in the great war with napoleon, and, in conjunction with nelson at the head of the mediterranean fleet, to save england from invasion in 1805, when the grand army stood on the heights above boulogne every day expecting an opportunity to cross over, 'battling,' in the words of captain mahan, 'the wild gales of the bay of biscay in that tremendous and sustained vigilance concerning which collingwood wrote that "admirals need be made of iron."' a man-of-war of 74 guns, a model of which is one of the treasures of the royal united service institution at whitehall, was in 1813 named the _cornwallis_ in honour of admiral cornwallis, and that ship's immediate successor is our fine modern battleship the _cornwallis_ of to-day. [illustration: the 'fighting' _téméraire_ tugged to her last berth to be broken up from the engraving by j.t. willmore, a.r.a., after the picture by j.m.w. turner, r.a., in the national gallery. [this print of turner's _téméraire_ differs from the painting. the sky was engraved by r. dickens principally in dry-point, and was toned down by j.t. willmore; the ship and tug were engraved in line by saddler. the rigging of the _téméraire_ and the mast and funnel of the tug do not correspond with the picture at the national gallery, but turner permitted it as making a better engraving.]] footnotes: [footnote 67: _evelyn's diary_, july 16, 1641.] [footnote 68: the court-martial was held at chatham on january 27, 1696, and comprised two admirals and seventeen captains. the minutes of the evidence and the sentence are in the public record office. (_admiralty (secretary's dept.) in-letters_, 5256.)] [footnote 69: public record office, _admiralty out-letters_: order of october 29, 1697.] [footnote 70: sir cloudesley shovel is the popular form of the name. it is here given as the admiral himself spelled it.] [footnote 71: the naval medal was granted for cornwallis's retreat with a clasp inscribed '17 june 1795.' the _gazette_ notification records the service that the medal was granted for thus: 'brilliant repulse of a fleet four times superior in force.'] [footnote 72: compare the curious definition of the term 'retreat' in falconer's _naval dictionary_ (2nd edition, 1789). 'retreat:--the order or disposition in which a fleet of french men-of-war decline engagement, or fly from a pursuing enemy. (note) the reader who wishes to be expert in this manoeuvre will find it copiously described by several ingenious french writers ... who have given accurate instructions deduced from experience for putting in practice when occasion requires. as it is not properly a term of the british marine, a more circumstantial account of it might be considered foreign to our plan.'] [footnote 73: 'the _bellerophon_,' wrote cornwallis to the admiralty, 'i was glad to keep in some measure in reserve.... i considered that ship as a treasure in store, having heard of her former achievements and observing the spirit manifested by all on board.' quite unaccountably, as it so happened, the _bellerophon_, the fastest 74 in the service, sailed very badly that day. according to one of her men, the reason was this: 'it warn't in the natur' of her to run from an enemy.'] [footnote 74: admiral cornwallis's actual words were, 'remember, men, the _sovereign's_ flag and ensign are never to be struck to an enemy. she goes down with them flying.'] [footnote 75: 'monsieur v.' was the familiar term for the french admiral then in command of the brest fleet--admiral villaret-joyeuse. the words of the last line are the actual words cornwallis used.] [footnote 76: severe comment was made at the time on lord bridport for so disposing his fleet as to leave cornwallis's squadron isolated and in such a situation of extreme peril.] [footnote 77: 'landmen' or 'landsmen,' 'ordinary seamen,' and 'able seamen' or 'a.b.s' were the three classes or ratings into which men before the mast were divided, usually according to ability and length of service. 'a.b.' was the highest rating, entitling those of the rate to increased pay, and affording opportunities for promotion.] [footnote 78: it should have been mentioned earlier that he was the same officer who so ably commanded the _canada_ in rodney's fleet on the 12th of april 1782, and took a leading part in bringing about the surrender of de grasse, as has been described.] v the 'fighting' _téméraire_ where, how, and when she made her name heard ye the thunder of battle low in the south and afar? saw ye the flush of the death-cloud, crimson o'er trafalgar? such another day never england will look on again, when the battle fought was the hottest, and the hero of heroes was slain. francis turner palgrave. in england's song for ever she's the _fighting téméraire_. henry newbolt. trafalgar was her day. it was at trafalgar that the _téméraire_ made her mark and won undying fame. first of all- she came to nelson's aid, the battle's brunt to bear, and nobly sought to lead the van, the brave old _téméraire_. then she was 'the _victory's_ companion in her closing strife,' as mr. ruskin has called the _téméraire_, 'prevailing over the fatal vessel that had given nelson death.'[79] that is one of the reasons why people remember the _téméraire_. there is another--that all the world knows. to learn it one has only to visit the national gallery. turner's masterpiece has made the _téméraire's_ name a household word all the world over. but, all the same, had turner never painted his picture at all, even without the aid of turner's magic brush, the _téméraire_ must surely, for the part she took in the greatest sea-fight of history, have achieved for her name an immortal renown. how turner came to paint his 'fighting _téméraire_' is a story in itself. the famous picture came into being by the merest accident; as the outcome of a happy chance, as the result of a casual meeting with the old ship at a water-picnic on the thames one autumn evening of the year 1838.[80] turner, with clarkson stanfield and some friends, was boating off greenwich marshes in blackwall reach when the old ship passed them, coming up the river from sheerness to meet her destined end off rotherhithe, where the shipbreaker beatson's men were waiting for her. she had been sold out of the service some days before for £5530, barely the market value of the copper bolts that held her timbers together--just a twelfth of the prime cost of the ship's hull in labour and materials, or one-twentieth of the total value of the ship, gunned and equipped for sea. forlorn enough, and a thing for pity, looked the grand old man-of-war as the sheerness men had left her, her sails stripped from the yards, her tiers of ports without guns and closed down, her hull with its last coat of dockyard drab all rusty-looking and weather-stained, cast off and discarded, as it were a broken warrior being borne to a pauper's grave. [illustration: emery walker, sc. 'turner saw the tug and ship just before entering greenwich reach, and when before rounding the isle of dogs she would be steering about south-south-east up blackwall reach, with the summer setting sun astern of her in the north-north-west.'--mr. r.c. leslie in the _athenæum_.] two tugs had the ship in tow, as contemporary accounts of the _téméraire's_ arrival in the river relate, not one, as turner has painted the memorable scene.[81] in turner's picture the _téméraire_ is shown passing the water-party before she rounded the isle of dogs, when heading south-south-east up blackwall reach, with the september sun setting astern of the ship to the north-west. 'there's a fine picture, turner,' said stanfield, pointing to the war-worn veteran of the sea as she stemmed her way past them, and turner went home full of the idea to reproduce the scene on canvas, with touches of his own, to give the world a picture 'of all pictures of subjects not involving human pain,' says mr. ruskin, 'the most pathetic that ever was painted.'[82] now the sunset breezes shiver, _téméraire! téméraire!_ and she's fading down the river, _téméraire! téméraire!_ now the sunset breezes shiver, and she's fading down the river, but in england's song for ever she's the _fighting téméraire_.[83] the fighting _téméraire_ tugged to her last berth to be broken up,' was the title turner gave his picture when he sent it in to the royal academy exhibition of 1839. he added these lines, composed apparently by himself- 'the flag that braved the battle and the breeze no longer owns her.' the 'fighting' _téméraire_ was an essex ship, built--nine-tenths of her--of oak cut in hainault forest and sent across to chatham dockyard, where the _téméraire's_ keel was laid in july 1793.[84] tuesday, the 11th of september 1798, was the day of her launch, 'a squally day with drenching rain.' she was a three-decker, a second-rate, 'a ninety-eight,' in the navy parlance of the time, a ship carrying ninety-eight guns (32-pounders, 18's, and long 12's, with twelve carronades as well), throwing a broadside weight of metal at each discharge of 1336 lbs., very nearly twelve cwts.--three-fifths of a ton of solid cast iron. 'she is one of the finest ships that we have seen,' wrote an officer who inspected the _téméraire_ on the stocks a little while before she was launched. an essex man captained the _téméraire_ at trafalgar, eliab harvey, of rolls park, chigwell, essex. he was a great-grandson of eliab harvey, brother of dr. william harvey the discoverer of the circulation of the blood, by whose side he now lies buried in the family vault under the harvey chapel in hempstead church, near saffron walden. all essex, we are told, was represented at the funeral, or followed the coffin to its last resting-place. captain harvey, during the time that he commanded the _téméraire_, had also a seat in parliament for the county of essex, in accordance with a political usage of those days which enabled officers on active service to represent constituencies at westminster, although ministers apparently did not always find it satisfactory. 'i don't like your m.p. navy captains,' said castlereagh once; 'they are always off cape finisterre when they are wanted, and when they are sent for they say they don't like being "whistled up merely to give a vote."' those who know their marryat will remember the case of the hon. captain delmar, m.p., of h.m.s. _paragon_, a frigate in the channel squadron, 'which was never sea-going except in the recess.' it was better though than this with the _téméraire_, which captain harvey commissioned for the 'western squadron,' as in those days the channel fleet was generally called, at plymouth, in november 1803, six months after the outbreak of the great war with napoleon. strange as it may seem to us, the _téméraire's_ name at that moment had for most people an unpleasant ring about it. the shadow of a terrible tragedy rested just then over the name _téméraire_. the public had not yet got over the shock with which, barely two years before, the whole country had learnt that the crew of one of the flagships of the channel fleet, while lying in bantry bay, had mutinied, and offered violence to their admiral and officers, using ugly threats and proposing to point guns loaded with grape-shot to sweep the quarter-deck. nor had people forgotten the grim sequel, the relentless severity of the retribution that fell on the ringleaders; how eleven of the _téméraire's_ men had been hanged at the yard-arm, two flogged through the fleet at spithead, receiving two hundred lashes each, seven sent to the hulks for life. the newspapers had been full of the terrible story, as related day by day in the evidence at the two courts-martial that sat at portsmouth to try the mutineers. the trial lasted five days, and the report of it in the _times_ of the 13th of january 1802 took up the whole paper, all but two columns. nor had the following paragraph which appeared in the _naval chronicle_, done any good to the _téméraire's_ reputation:--'plymouth, october 7th, 1802; the seamen of the _téméraire_ of 98-guns, rear-admiral campbell, paid off, put on crape hat-bands round their straw hats in memory of the mutineers in that ship who were executed for the mutiny in bantry bay last year.' that unhappy episode in the ship's story was, however, as far as the _téméraire_ herself was concerned, now past and done with. now the _téméraire_ had a new ship's company throughout; captain, officers, and men, with a future of their own before them. captain harvey manned his ship to a large extent with liverpool men, sent round from the mersey by tender, and sailed from cawsand bay on the 11th of march 1804, to join admiral cornwallis off brest. it was perhaps the most critical period in our national history. on the heights above boulogne lay napoleon's grand army, 160,000 men, waiting for the french fleet to put to sea and secure its passage across the straits of dover.[85] the fate of england depended on the british navy. there were twenty-one french line-of-battle ships in brest, six others at rochefort, and five sheltering in the spanish port of ferrol. at brest, also, there were known to be upwards of 20,000 french soldiers; and another 20,000 under augereau were under canvas at rochefort, 'supposed against ireland,' according to admiral cornwallis's instructions from the admiralty. it was the business of the channel fleet to hold the enemy in check at all points from ushant island, off brest, to cape finisterre, and prevent aid from elsewhere arriving to enable them to put to sea. at the same time, as his appointed part in the great strategic plan of campaign, nelson off toulon kept his tireless watch over the french mediterranean fleet. thus the toils were set, the gambit was opened. 'they were dull, weary, eventless months,' says captain mahan in one of his most telling passages,[86] 'those months of watching and waiting of the big ships before the french arsenals. purposeless they surely seemed to many, but they saved england. the world has never seen a more impressive demonstration of the influence of sea-power upon its history. those far-distant storm-beaten ships, upon which the grand army never looked, stood between it and the dominion of the world.' it was napoleon with all the resources of his empire in its full vigour at his back, napoleon at the zenith of his intellect and genius for war, napoleon in the year before austerlitz--baffled and held at arm's length by the british navy. one has only to glance at the daily newspapers of 1804 to realise the superb self-confidence with which great britain braced herself to meet the threatening peril. the nation knew its strength and on what, under providence, it relied; the nation knew it and the navy knew it--as we too, after forgetting it for a time, have in these later years at length come again to recognise the vital root-fact of great britain's existence- no track of men, no footsteps to and fro lead to her gates. the path lies o'er the sea invincible. six months of pitching and rolling in the dreary bay of biscay was the _téméraire's_ lot at the outset, as one of vice-admiral calder's squadron watching rochefort. the most disliked of all billets perhaps was blockade duty off the basque roads, ever facing the dreary sand dunes of aix and oléron, stretching wearily along the featureless coast, there and back, between sables d'olonne and the mouth of the gironde, buffeted week in week out by persistent gales and rough weather. all there was to do, practically, was now and again to stop some wretched neutral passing by--usually a portuguese trading brig, or a prussian galliot, for or from bordeaux--and examine her papers; but for days together sometimes- the wind at the west or thereabout, nothing gone in and nothing come out, was all that went down in their logs, according to the refrain on the dull routine of their daily life of a gun-room ditty composed on board one of the ships blockading rochefort. every two or three months, as her turn came round, one or other of the ships would part company for a week or ten days and proceed to cawsand bay--communicating on the way with the fleet off brest to take letters for england--to fill up her water-casks and take in fresh stores and provisions, overhaul spars and rigging, and then return bringing bullocks and bread and vegetables for the squadron. that was their only relaxation. in her turn, towards the end of may, the _téméraire_ went in to cawsand bay, as the 'plymouth report' of the naval chronicle records. _may 26._--came in from the channel fleet, which she left all well, last wednesday, the _téméraire_ of 98 guns. the enemy as usual. our frigates frequently go in to reconnoitre within a mile and a half of the outer-most ships, and within range of their shots and shells of which the enemy give them plenty but without damage. in august, when collingwood had relieved calder, a closer watch on the enemy than before was maintained, owing to the prevalence of rumours that the french were on the point of putting to sea. collingwood, we are told, frequently passed the night on the quarter-deck of his flagship, at intervals lying down on a gun-carriage to snatch a short sleep, 'from which admiral collingwood would rise from time to time to sweep the horizon with his night glass lest the enemy should escape in the dark.'[87] the french, though, remained quiet all the time. one or two of their ships would come out now and then and exercise at sail drill in basque roads, and they had a small sham fight once, but no attempt was made to run or force the blockade. september saw the _téméraire_ transferred from the rochefort squadron to 'the team' off brest, as the big ship division of cornwallis's main fleet was familiarly called in the navy. there was more to do and see off brest, perhaps, but the life there was no less hard and toilsome. the three-deckers cruised by themselves outside ushant, patrolling night and day; keeping far out to seaward when the wind was from the west, and, as the standing order ran, 'well up with ushant in an easterly wind.' off black rocks, between ushant and the mainland, cruised four or six two-deckers, the 'inshore squadron'; while close in, off the mouth of brest harbour itself, just out of gunshot of the shore batteries, watching every move in the french fleet as it lay at anchor in the roadstead, were frigates and cutters on the look-out. every day they expected the enemy to leave port, but, as it had been off rochefort, in vain. then the winter storms set in, hard gales continuously and squally weather. twice during october severe storms from the south-west compelled cornwallis to stand off the coast and bear up for torbay: to lie there with the 'blue peter' at the fore, and not a soul allowed on shore, until at the first sign of the wind shifting anchors were weighed for brest again. in november a rough north-easter drove part of the fleet off the station many leagues out into the atlantic. the rest found shelter on the enemy's own coast, in douarnenez bay, less than twenty miles from brest, and rode the storm out there. 'it is with great satisfaction,' says the _times_ of the 16th of november 1804, 'we understand that our fleet off brest, has withstood the violent gales which have of late prevailed, and continues to maintain that vigilant position, which, we trust, will effectually obstruct the designs of the enemy.'[88] december and the january of the new year (1805) brought worse weather still, a succession of fierce gales--'it blows harder than ever we remember,' wrote the _naval chronicle's_ portsmouth correspondent in january--that crippled half the fleet and forced cornwallis to spend all february and half march repairing damages in torbay. seven of the big ships, leaking seriously, with hulls strained, gear swept overboard, masts sprung, spars carried away, had to go into dock at plymouth, among them the _téméraire_, whose repairs took two months to make good. [illustration: camp of the grand army at boulogne, 1804 from a sketch by a british naval officer in the blockading squadron. [the tents north of the harbour (to the reader's left) belong to vandamme's division of marshal soult's army corps (the 4th). those to the south belong to an outlying brigade of marshal ney's corps (the 6th). the camp inland is that of suchet's and st. hilaire's divisions of soult's corps. napoleon's headquarters were near mont lambert, the hill crowned by a signal station. in the centre of the sketch are seen the masts of the 'invasion flotilla' behind a breakwater mounting heavy guns.]] she rejoined the flag off brest in april, just as the startling news came to hand that the french toulon fleet had appeared off cadiz, joined hands with the spanish fleet there and gone off westward. their destination was unknown and there was no news of lord nelson. all that month of may the _téméraire_ and her consorts off brest held themselves ready to clear for action at the shortest notice, daily expecting the sails of admiral villeneuve's fleet to appear on the horizon to the south-west. as if awaiting villeneuve's arrival, also, the whole of the brest fleet had come out of harbour and was riding at single anchor, twenty-one sail of the line completely equipped for sea, under the cliff batteries of bertheaume bay. the british fleet off brest for the moment could only muster seventeen sail. in england, meanwhile, the newspapers were full of accounts of how the grand army at boulogne, now vauntingly styled _l'armée d'angleterre_, was duly holding embarkation and landing parades and drills on the sea-shore under the eyes of soult and ney. at the end of the month intelligence arrived that villeneuve was in the west indies, and that nelson had gone in pursuit of him. june passed in waiting for information of villeneuve's return to europe, the channel fleet being continuously reinforced from england, which enabled collingwood and a 'special service' squadron to be detached to keep guard off cadiz and the straits of gibraltar. on the 11th of july came the news that villeneuve had been sighted in mid-atlantic, homeward bound; after which, a fortnight later, came the further news that admiral calder had had an indecisive battle with the enemy off cape finisterre, and that villeneuve had put into ferrol. calder himself rejoined cornwallis a few days afterwards, and then nelson came in with his fleet. cornwallis, from the ships now at his disposal, immediately made up a new fleet of eighteen sail of the line to blockade villeneuve in ferrol. it was placed under calder's orders and sent off on the 16th of august. the _téméraire_ sailed with calder, and so the story of her service with the 'western squadron' ends. before they arrived off ferrol they heard from a frigate that villeneuve had left the port. he had put to sea as though intending to cross the bay of biscay direct to brest, but when two days out, had suddenly, for some unfathomable reason of his own, gone about and stood southward. whither he was bound could only be guessed, but calder's orders were to follow the french wherever they might go, and he made for the straits of gibraltar under all sail. did he pass over a certain spot, some ninety miles north-west of cape finisterre, where a mass of frigate wreckage and splinters and jagged chips was floating about--like the ring of fluttered feathers that one sometimes sees at the corner of a wood on an autumn afternoon telling how a sparrow-hawk has passed that way? that flotsam off finisterre, could it have spoken, would have told a tale; the story of the incident on which the campaign of trafalgar hinged:--_why_ admiral villeneuve had gone south instead of north.[89] off cadiz calder found collingwood with half a dozen ships, and learned that the french were refitting in that port. collingwood had had the narrowest of narrow escapes of being cut off and overpowered by the enemy's sudden appearance off cadiz,[90] but he had cleverly got out of their way in the nick of time, and was now 'observing' them, making believe by sham signals every day that he was in touch with a large british fleet in the offing. collingwood as the senior officer took calder under his orders, and the united forces continued to watch cadiz until at the end of september lord nelson himself arrived from england to take the supreme command. for three weeks, as we all know, nelson kept watch and ward over the enemy in cadiz, until on the morning of saturday the 19th of october his look-out frigates off the mouth of cadiz harbour at last made the longed-for signal that the combined fleet was coming out of port. they began to come out between seven and eight o'clock on saturday morning, and from that time until the two fleets were in presence of each other off cape trafalgar on monday morning, every move the enemy made was signalled to nelson, lying out of sight from cadiz, off cape st mary, by flag signals passed along a chain of ships in the day-time, and with rockets and blue lights and the firing of guns at night. 'for two days,' writes midshipman hercules robinson of the frigate _euryalus_, captain blackwood's ship, in charge of the look-out squadron, 'there was not a movement that we did not communicate, till i thought that blackwood, who gave the orders, and bruce our signal mid, and soper our signal man who executed them, must have died of it; and when we had brought the two fleets fairly together we took our place between the two lines of lights, as a cab might in regent street, the watch was called and blackwood turned in quietly to wait for the morning.'[91] so close to the enemy did the _euryalus_ keep all sunday night that, in the words of one of the men on board (a marine named pearce) in a letter home, 'their lights looked like a street well lighted up.' monday was trafalgar day. the enemy when first sighted from the british fleet at daybreak were about eleven or twelve miles off, 'a forest of masts to leeward,' as one officer described them, standing along the coast towards the straits of gibraltar. nelson at once headed eastward, straight for them:--'ere it was well light the signals were flying through the fleet to bear up and form the order of sailing in two columns.' then, immediately after that, up went the flags 'prepare for battle,' signal no. 13, and in response throughout the fleet, the drums on board every ship at once struck up the stirring old war-beat of the navy, 'hearts of oak'- come cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer, to add something more to this wonderful year. by seven o'clock every ship in the fleet had been cleared for action and all were ready for the enemy. a quarter of an hour was sufficient to clear for action on board a smart ship in 'eighteen hundred and war time,' as our grandfathers called the days when the 'fighting' _téméraire_ was at sea. so admirably had nelson organised his fleet and arranged things beforehand that three signals were all that he needed to make to set the day's work in train. at twenty minutes to seven the _victory_ signalled--'form the order of sailing in two columns.' then, a moment later, up went 'no. 13,'--the fighting flags--two flags, the upper one comprising three horizontal bands, yellow, red, yellow; the lower, three vertical bands, blue, white, blue--'prepare for battle.' ten minutes later another signal went up--'bear up and sail large on the course steered by the admiral.' the whole fleet on that headed directly for the enemy under all sail. these three signals were all that were necessary for the tactics of the battle, and all that nelson made. what other signals were made from the _victory_ during the day, until after the fight had been won, dealt with subsidiary points and were merely incidental. here is the opening entry for the day in the _téméraire's_ log. 'at daylight saw the enemy's fleet in the s.e. cleared ship for action and made all sail. light airs. standing for the enemy.' at eight o'clock all hands throughout the fleet were piped to breakfast. 'the officers,' we are told by one of them, 'now met at breakfast, and though each seemed to exult in the hope of a glorious termination to the contest so near at hand, a fearful presage was experienced that all would not again unite at that festive board.' more than one seemed 'particularly impressed with a persuasion that he would not survive the day.... the sound of the drum, however, soon put an end to our meditations; and, after a hasty, and, alas, a final farewell to some, we repaired to our respective posts.'[92] all on board now went to quarters, to their stations for the battle; the cooks' fires were put out, and the magazines opened and powder sent up to the guns. at nine o'clock the two fleets were about six miles apart. it was a gloriously fine morning, with the sky almost cloudless. a light breeze blew from the north-west, before which, with every sail set, the fleet bore down towards the enemy, the ships lifting on the swell as the long surging rollers from the ocean bore them forward. at this point we may for one moment glance across at the enemy and see how they on their side have been faring. with the combined fleet,[93] as it happened, the situation was by no means promising. the coming event was already casting its shadow before. things had already begun to shape themselves awkwardly. admiral villeneuve had found it advisable to go about, and the combined franco-spanish fleet was now standing northward, heading back towards cadiz, and forming into line of battle as they went along. the sight of the british fleet that morning had been an unpleasant surprise for admiral villeneuve. his look-out ships on the previous evening had reported the british fleet to him as not more than eighteen sail of the line, and to leeward. there were now in sight,--he could see them with his own eyes--upwards of ten sail of the line, including several three-deckers, more than that. also--what weighed even more with admiral villeneuve--they were to windward of him. that meant that a stronger force than villeneuve cared to meet was within striking distance of him and had the weather gage. whether he went on or whether he went back, he would have to fight. he had cast the die. he had crossed the rubicon. 'twas vain to seek retreat and vain to fear, himself had challenged and the foe drew near. as the best thing, if not indeed the only thing he could do in the circumstances, he decided to turn back and make for cadiz. if he could not avoid a battle, he trusted to be able to get sufficiently near cadiz to have the port open to him after the battle, for his damaged ships or as a place of general refuge should things go wrong. with such thoughts in his mind, villeneuve, just about the time that nelson was sitting down to breakfast, issued orders for the combined fleet to go about, every ship independently, and form in line of battle on the port tack, with half a cable interval between ships. they were still in the middle of the manoeuvre at nine o'clock. it was not till after ten o'clock that anything approaching the line of battle as ordered had been formed, and then hardly half-a-dozen ships were in station. all the enemy's efforts, at the end of two hours, resulted in the formation of a crescent or bow-shaped array of ships, sagging in the centre away to leeward like a slack cord, with the ships distributed irregularly along its length, here in single file and with wide gaps between, there in two's and three's. as things turned out this malformation proved ideal for the occasion; but it was entirely by chance. it has been said, indeed, that admiral villeneuve had already begun to anticipate defeat. as he took in the grouping and disposition of the british fleet, the double column of attack and how the leaders were pointing, there broke from his lips, we are told, an exclamation of blank dismay. before a shot was fired villeneuve had already admitted himself beaten. there was no precedent known to him for a battle formation such as nelson was adopting.[94] there was nothing like it in paul hoste, nothing like it in the pages of de morogues or ramatuelle. no text-book could help him, and to improvise a new order of battle for himself on the spur of the moment was beyond admiral villeneuve's capacity. practically he could only await events and meet an absolutely new form of attack, specially devised for the occasion by the greatest master of the art of naval war that ever lived, with an order of battle that was not new in the days of the grand monarque, with tactics such as tourville had employed at la hogue. it was like the prussian general rüchel at jena opposing napoleon with the tactics of frederick at kolin; attempting to foil ney and murat by giving the order 'right shoulders up.' there were on the franco-spanish side thirty-three ships (eighteen french and fifteen spanish); in the british fleet twenty-seven. nelson's plan of battle at the outset, as we shall presently see, reversed the odds and turned them into odds in his own favour, of twenty-seven against twenty-three. that is, the odds reckoned numerically, by counting ships. the average british ship of the line in 1805 could fire three broadsides while a french ship was firing two, which vastly increased the odds in nelson's favour. the british fleet came on in two columns; one (nelson's own) comprising twelve ships; the other (collingwood's column) of fifteen. nelson's plan of battle was for collingwood to break the enemy's line at about a third of its length from the rear, and hold fast in close action the ships cut off. he himself, after that, would break through the remaining two-thirds of the franco-spanish line midway, and fall on the enemy's centre, joining hands with collingwood. with the wind as it then was, a little to the north of west, the ten ships of the enemy's van squadron would be cut off by these tactics and thrust to leeward, out of the battle. they would have to work up round laboriously against the wind before they could get to the aid of their consorts, a business that must take a considerable time. meanwhile the whole force of the british fleet would have been brought to bear on two-thirds of the enemy with, as nelson confidently trusted, decisive results. throughout the british fleet the men were in the highest spirits, eager and ready for the fray, and at the same time cool and confident. 'as we neared the french fleet,' an officer in the _ajax_ relates,[95] 'i was sent below with orders, and was much struck with the preparations made by the bluejackets, the majority of whom were stripped to the waist; a handkerchief was tightly bound round their heads and over the ears, to deaden the noise of the cannon, many men being deaf for days after an action. the men were variously occupied; some were sharpening their cutlasses, others polishing the guns, as though an inspection were about to take place instead of a mortal combat, whilst three or four, as if in mere bravado, were dancing a horn-pipe; but all seemed deeply anxious to come to close quarters with the enemy. occasionally they would look out of the ports, and speculate as to the various ships of the enemy, many of which had been on former occasions engaged by our vessels.' elsewhere, we are told, the men kept pointing out various ships in the franco-spanish line, as seen through the open ports, and calling to one another, 'what a fine sight them ships will make at spithead!' particularly keen was every man that his ship should if possible get alongside the huge spanish four-decker which all could see, near the centre of the enemy's fleet, the _santisima trinidad_. on board the _bellerophon_, one of collingwood's leading ships, the men at quarters on the main deck chalked '_billy ruff'n_, victory or death' on their guns.[96] how keen was the rivalry among the ships at the head of nelson's line, as the morning advanced, is shown by two incidents in which the _neptune_--a 98-gun three-decker like the _téméraire_, the ship next in the line to her--and the _téméraire_ herself, both figured. the _téméraire_ had the post of honour in nelson's line, that of 'second,' or chief supporter to the _victory_, but the _neptune_ had gradually drawn up level with her. not content with that, the _neptune_ began to edge past the _téméraire_, until, forging ahead, she had come up alongside the flagship herself. indeed, it appeared as though she was ambitious of passing ahead of the _victory_, and leading nelson into the battle. the admiral himself stopped her. nelson at the moment that the _neptune_ began to draw up level with the _victory_, happened to be in the stern gallery leading out of his cabin, observing how the rear ships of the fleet were coming on. he saw what was taking place, and at once hailed the _neptune_. '_neptune_ there,' he called out in a sharp, rasping tone, 'take in your stu'ns'ls and drop astarn. i shall break the line myself!'[97] the _neptune_ had to comply forthwith, and on her falling back the _téméraire_ pushed up and resumed her allotted berth as the ship next to the _victory_. then came the incident that specially concerned the _téméraire_. a little time after the _neptune_ had resumed her station the _téméraire_ was herself hailed from the _victory_ and ordered to pass the flagship and lead the line. captain blackwood of the _euryalus_, who with the other frigate captains was on board the flagship, in his anxiety for nelson's personal safety that day, on having his first suggestion that nelson should direct the battle from on board the _euryalus_ set aside by the admiral, next suggested that the _téméraire_ should be allowed to lead the _victory_ into battle, to help in drawing off some of the enemy's fire. the enemy's fire, urged blackwood, would be certain to fall with exceptional severity on the leader of the line, particularly when the leading ship was so easily recognisable a vessel as the british flagship. nelson assented--or seemed to assent. 'oh yes,' the admiral answered, with a significant smile and giving a look towards captain hardy, 'let her go ahead--if she _can_!' blackwood went aft and himself hailed the _téméraire_ to move up, and she was also signalled to do so. the hail was heard. blackwood had a voice about which a number of good stories used to be told in the navy. 'it could,' one of his officers once said, 'carry half a mile.' at once the _téméraire_ made every effort to press forward. she was, as the sailors said, 'flying light' that day; having been away from port for some time she was carrying less dead-weight than usual, most of her sea-stores and heavy casks of beef and water having been used up. fast sailer as the _victory_ was--she was admittedly the fastest three-decker in all the royal navy--the _téméraire_ before long began to close on the flagship and overlap her, by degrees working up closer to the _victory_, and finally racing her side by side, almost abreast. it was a grand moment for captain harvey and his gallant _téméraires_. but the goal was not yet won. nelson's mood had yet to be taken into account, and nelson was in no humour to see his flagship passed. no ship in the world should give the _victory_ a lead on the day of battle. as the _téméraire_ sheered alongside, the admiral stepped up briskly to the _victory's_ poop and from there hailed across in a curt tone to the quarter-deck of the _téméraire_. speaking with a strong nasal twang, in his norfolk accent, as we are told, he called over: 'i'll thank you, captain harvey, to keep your proper station, which is _astarn_ of the _victory_!' the _téméraire_ had to drop back, exactly as the _neptune_ had previously had to do, and content herself with following in the _victory's_ wake. she closed up astern and kept so near that her jib-boom, in captain harvey's own words, 'almost touched the stern of the _victory_.'[98] the same spirit of eager anxiety to get early into battle prevailed everywhere, coupled with the utmost friendliness and good-comradeship. the _tonnant_, the second ship in collingwood's line, was ordered in the course of the morning to give up the place of honour to the faster _belleisle_. as the _belleisle_ was passing her. captain tyler of the _tonnant_ on a carronade slide and called across to the other captain (hargood): 'a glorious day for old england: we shall have one a-piece before night!' a moment later the _tonnant's_ band, by way of greeting to the _belleisle_, began to play 'britons strike home.'[99] such was the spirit in which nelson's captains went into battle at trafalgar as the hour for the opening of the fight drew on. there is, as it happens, no note in the _téméraire's_ log of nelson's famous signal, 'england expects that every man will do his duty'; but it is on record that it was received by signal midshipman eaton, who acknowledged it to the _victory_. we know from captain blackwood, who was with the admiral at the time, how it was received by all the ships near by with 'a shout of answering acclamation,' and the _téméraire_ was the nearest ship of all to the _victory_ at that moment. after the battle the _téméraire's_ officers had the words engraved on a brass plate which was let into the quarter-deck in front of the steering wheel, where it remained till the ship came to her end. * * * * * at noon, almost to the minute, the first shot was fired--by the enemy. it came from a french ship lying nearly opposite the head of collingwood's line, the _fougueux_. it was aimed at the _royal sovereign_--to try the range. the shot went home, and at once other french and spanish ships near by took up the firing. the _royal sovereign_ was about 400 yards off at the moment, about three-quarters gunshot. at the same time the enemy all along their line hoisted their colours, the spaniards in addition hanging up large wooden crosses at their gaffs. why they did so has never been explained. some of the spanish captains had held special religious services on board their ships at an earlier hour that morning,[100] but it is not known that that had any connection with the display of the crosses. a midshipman fired the first shot on the british side at trafalgar--by accident. it came from the _bellerophon_. to the surprise of the whole fleet, as they were nearing the enemy a spurt of smoke flew out from the side of the _bellerophon_ followed by the boom of a single gun. it was, according to the _spartiate's_ log--the _bellerophon_ herself does not record it--just as nelson's great message was going up. on board every other ship they were holding their hands: the officers of the batteries had orders to wait until their ship was in the act of passing through the enemy. a boy midshipman of the _bellerophon_ tripped, or caught his foot, in the loose end of a gun-lock lanyard and let off one of the ship's 32-pounders. his name is not on record, nor what they did to him. the shot had the unfortunate effect of drawing the enemy's attention specially to the _bellerophon_, and as they got the ship's range a little later they turned their guns on her and pounded at her heavily, under the impression that the gun had been meant as a signal, and that some officer of distinction was on board that particular ship. collingwood opened the battle on the british side and first of all broke the enemy's line at trafalgar, as all the world knows. all the world knows also how he did it. the _royal sovereign's_ first broadside, as she broke through immediately astern of the spanish flagship _santa ana_, struck down 400 men and dismounted fourteen guns. 'il rompait todos,' it smashed down everything--as a spanish officer on board the _santa ana_ afterwards wrote. 'what sheep,'--asked in broken english the spanish officer who came on board collingwood's flagship on the surrender of the _santa ana_ to give up his sword on behalf of the wounded vice-admiral alava,--'what sheep is dis?' he was told. '_royal sovereign!_' the spaniard exclaimed, 'madre de dios! she should be named de _royal devil_!' the ships immediately facing nelson as he advanced began their firing a few minutes after the others, the _victory_ and _téméraire_ and the leading ships of that column being farther off from the enemy. the _bucentaure_, an 80-gun ship, on board which admiral villeneuve was, led off here. of the opening scene on the enemy's side at that point, we have a vivid narrative from a french officer--captain lucas of the _redoutable_, a ship destined to fill a large part in the _téméraire's_ story.[101] 'at half-past eleven,' says captain lucas,--giving the time, as it would appear, according to his own watch, which was slow,--'the fleet hoisted its colours, and those of the _redoutable_ were done in an imposing manner, the drums and fifes playing, and the soldiers[102] presenting arms as the flag was hoisted. the enemy's column, which was directed against our fleet, was now on the port side, and the flagship _bucentaure_ began firing. i ordered a number of the chief gunners to mount to the forecastle and told them to notice how many of our ships fired badly. they found that all their shots carried too low. i then ordered them to aim at dismasting, and above all to aim well. at a quarter to twelve the _redoutable_ opened fire with a shot from the first gun-division which cut through the foretopsail yard of the _victory_, causing it to lie over the foremast, whilst shouts of joy resounded all over the ship.' lord nelson held his fire. no notice was taken of the firing of the french and spaniards, except that, in response to the enemy's opening shots, the whole british fleet simultaneously hoisted their colours. nelson showed a vice-admiral of the white's flag at the fore in the _victory_; collingwood the flag of a vice-admiral of the blue at the fore in the _royal sovereign_; lord northesk, the third in command, a rear-admiral of the white's flag at the mizen of the _britannia_. all the ships in both divisions displayed the white ensign at the peak, and, by nelson's particular order, to ensure that there should be no firing into friends in the smoke and confusion of battle, and in case colours got shot away, every ship flew at least two other british flags besides their ensigns: jacks or union flags, one on the foretopmast stay and one on the main-topmast stay. some ships showed more; the _victory_, for instance, flew five british flags; the _orion_ flew (including her ensign) four. a young officer of the _neptune_, the ship next astern to the _téméraire_, midshipman badcock, thus describes what things were like near him about this time. 'lord nelson's van was strong: three three-deckers--_victory_, _téméraire_, _neptune_--and four seventy-fours, their jib-booms nearly over the others' taffrails, the bands playing "god save the king," "rule, britannia," and "britons strike home"; the crews stationed on the forecastle of the different ships, cheering the ship ahead of them when the enemy began to fire, sent those feelings to our hearts that ensured victory.'[103] 'the _téméraire_ at this moment,' captain harvey himself says, in a letter to his wife after the battle, 'almost touched the stern of the _victory_, which station she had taken about a quarter of an hour previous to the enemy having commenced their fire upon the _victory_.' the _téméraire's_ log thus describes the opening of the battle:- p.m. variable light winds. running down with lower topmast and topgallant studding sails set, on the larboard side, within a ship's length of the _victory_, steering for the fourteenth ship of the enemy's line from the van. quarter past noon, cut away the studding sails and hauled to the wind. at 18 minutes past noon the enemy began to fire. at 25 minutes past noon the _victory_ opened her fire. immediately put our helm a-port to steer clear of the _victory_, and opened our fire on the _santisima trinidad_ and two ships ahead of her, when the action became general. nelson broke through immediately astern of the french _bucentaure_, the ship on board which he had himself made up his mind, from her position, villeneuve would most likely be found. for some unknown reason the french admiral's flag was not flying that day. nelson, however, as they advanced, had kept the _victory's_ bowsprit pointing for the _santisima trinidad_. something instinctively told him that he should find the enemy's commander-in-chief on board one of the two ships immediately astern of the big spanish four-decker, probably in the ship next astern. he was right. villeneuve was on board that ship; the next astern to the _santisima trinidad_, the _bucentaure_. as the _victory_ steered through the enemy's line the _téméraire_ put her helm over to port and drew out from her leader's wake. she had to find a passage through the enemy for herself. it was not easy. immediately ahead of her the french _redoutable_, a seventy-four, the ship following the _bucentaure_, barred the way. the _téméraire_ for some little time drifted along slowly. she had received serious damage aloft to sails and rigging during the previous half-hour as she and the _victory_ were nearing the enemy under fire, and the breeze was dropping lighter every minute. she opened a brisk cannonade on the _redoutable_ and on the french _neptune_, a large 80-gun ship that came next astern of her. the _redoutable's_ fire shot away the head of the _téméraire's_ mizen-topmast. she held on, however, standing to the south-east and outside the enemy's line, until at length she bore up to avoid being raked by the _neptune_ and to go through the line. there was scarcely any wind at all now, and the smoke hung heavily all round. slowly the _téméraire_ forged her way ahead, groping her course forward in some little uncertainty as to her own whereabouts. as she passed through the line, she unavoidably gave a chance to the french _neptune_, which ship, getting her port broadside to bear on the _téméraire's_ starboard bow, attacked her fiercely. the _neptune_ shot away the _téméraire's_ main-topmast and foreyard, and crippled the foremast and bowsprit, besides causing other damage which rendered the _téméraire_ almost unmanageable. in the dense smoke all round her officers hardly knew for the moment where they had got to. 'we were engaged with the _santisima trinidad_ and the other ships,' wrote captain harvey in his letter home, 'when for a minute or two i ceased my fire, fearing i might, from the thickness of the smoke, be firing into the _victory_.' then for a brief space there was a rift in the smoke. it showed the _victory_ alongside a french two-decker (the _redoutable_), and foul of her. the two ships were seen not far off and were drifting down directly on to the _téméraire_. every effort was made to move out of the way and keep clear, but in her disabled state it was impossible to get the _téméraire_ under control. within the past few minutes, under the _neptune's_ punishing fire, all three of the _téméraire's_ topmasts had been shot away, her mizen yard had come down, the rudder head had been smashed off. all that could be done was to cannonade the _redoutable_ as she gradually drifted nearer until the actual collision came. that took place just as captain lucas was about to make an attempt to board the _victory_. his musketry from the tops seemed to have almost cleared the _victory's_ upper decks of men, and, mad as was the idea of so settling with a british first-rate, and lord nelson's flagship to boot, the captain of the _redoutable_ actually entertained it. a sweeping _mitraille_ of grape from the 68-pounder carronade on the _victory's_ forecastle, fired into the thick of the french boarders as they crowded on the gangways from below, did not daunt him, and he still persevered after the first rush had been checked by the impossibility of getting across the space between the bulwarks of the two ships. that difficulty captain lucas saw his way to meet. 'i gave the order,' he says, 'to cut the supports of the main yard and to cause it to serve as a bridge. midshipman yon and four seamen sprang on board by means of the anchor of the _victory_, and we observed that there was no one left in the batteries. at that moment, when our men were hastening to follow, the ship _téméraire_, which had noticed that the _victory_ fought no longer, and that she would be captured without fail, came full sail on our starboard side, and we were subjected to the full fire of her artillery.' it proved for the _redoutable_, in the language of the prize-ring, a 'knock-out' blow. as the _téméraire_ came into collision with the _redoutable_ she fired her entire broadside, double-shotted, full into the french boarding-parties as they stood massed thickly and packed along the _redoutable's_ upper decks from end to end. it meant instant annihilation. it was a massacre. the awful tornado of the _téméraire's_ fire swept the _redoutable's_ crowded decks clear of men, as a garden broom sweeps a path clear of autumn leaves. it struck down everything. at one blow it hurled into eternity nearly a third of the _redoutable's_ whole crew. midshipman yon, we are told, disappeared, and was never seen again. lieutenant dupotet, at the head of the boarders, was struck down, mangled and dying. captain lucas himself received an ugly flesh wound--his first after seeing service in nine battles. speaking of the _téméraire's_ onslaught captain lucas in his official report says: 'it is impossible to describe the carnage produced by the murderous broadside of this ship; more than 200 of our brave men were killed or wounded; i was wounded also at the same time, but not sufficiently to prevent me staying at my post.' [illustration: captain lucas (from the portrait in hennequin's _biographie maritime_)] the gallant captain of the _redoutable_ stayed at his post. he set his teeth and refused to admit that his ship had received her _coup de grâce_. in spite of his awful losses the gallant fellow still tried to make a show of fight. 'i ordered the rest of the crew to place themselves promptly in the batteries and fire at the _téméraire_ the guns that her fire had not dismounted. this order was carried out.' at the same time the _redoutable_ met the _téméraire_, as she swung alongside, with a hail of bullets from the tops that almost cleared the upper deck of captain harvey's ship, while the topmen also flung down hand grenades and fire-balls. the _redoutable's_ topmen, indeed, flung the fire-balls about with criminal recklessness.[104] they endangered their own ship. some of the fire-balls falling short rebounded back on board the _redoutable_ and set the french ship herself on fire. one fell blazing on board the _téméraire_ and caused a fire below that nearly led to a catastrophe which threatened to involve _téméraire_, _redoutable_, and _victory_ alike in one common destruction. the pluck and presence of mind of the _téméraire's_ master-at-arms, mr. john toohig, saved the after-magazine, and with it the ship. the fire-ball, as it was, caused a serious explosion and loss of life on the main deck. at the same time the _téméraire_ was set ablaze elsewhere, on the upper deck, by a fire that had been caused on board the _redoutable_ by one of her own fire-balls falling short, and had spread across to the _téméraire_, and also to the _victory_ on the other side, but the flames in all three ships were fortunately got under before they had time to take serious hold. the _téméraire's_ captain very soon had something else to think of besides the _redoutable_. hardly had the _redoutable_ been lashed fast alongside than another enemy came on the scene, and one that was apparently approaching with the fixed intention of attacking the _téméraire_ at close quarters. the french _neptune_ was at the same time remaining near by, barely a ship's length off, firing her hardest into the _téméraire_. the newcomer was the french _fougueux_, the ship that had fired the first shot in the battle. she had already had a rough time of it elsewhere, but she was still full of fight, and with nearly 700 men on board, was likely to prove a dangerous foe to a ship situated as was the _téméraire_ at that moment. the _fougueux_ had been _matelot d'arrière_, or 'second astern' to the spanish flagship _santa ana_, just as the _redoutable_ had been the _bucentaure's_ second. in that capacity she had experienced some hard knocks at collingwood's hands, and then, after a brisk exchange of fire with the british _belleisle_, as that ship followed collingwood into the fight, she had had a sharp set-to with the _mars_. through all this the _fougueux_ had not come unscathed, but she was still a very formidable opponent for the _téméraire_ to tackle. the _fougueux_ came on as though bent on rescuing the _redoutable_. it did not look an impossible task. both the _victory_ and the _téméraire_ showed signs of having undergone a very severe mauling, and there was the french _neptune_ near by, apparently quite fresh and ready to lend a hand, only waiting for an opportunity to join in the fray. the _téméraire_ particularly, looked in a bad way. under the _neptune's_ punishing fire, she had been reduced aloft to the appearance of a wreck. her topmasts had gone, her foreyard was gone, her foremast was tottering, all her rigging was torn and tangled, her sails hung down in rags. her ensign, too, had been shot away, or at least was down owing to the fall of the gaff; very few men were to be seen alive on her upper deck; not a shot came from her guns on the broadside facing the _fougueux_. captain baudoin, the captain of the _fougueux_, seemed at first uncertain whether he would lie off to leeward, and with the _neptune's_ help rake and cannonade the _téméraire_ into submission, or come to close quarters at once and board. the second alternative seemed to promise quicker results, and he adopted it. he made up his mind to bring the matter to an issue on the spot before other british ships could interfere, and carry the _téméraire_ by a _coup de main_. the few people he saw about on the _téméraire's_ upper deck was one inducement to try boarding her. he could not know, of course, that captain harvey had ordered everybody who could possibly be spared to go below so as to avoid unnecessary loss of life from the _redoutable's_ musketry. another was that the _téméraire's_ attention seemed to be wholly devoted to the _redoutable_. captain baudoin put the _fougueux's_ head directly for the _téméraire_, and as they closed, the french ship's shrouds quickly became black with men, cutlass in hand, while more swarmed on the forecastle and gangways cheering and shouting 'à l'abordage! à l'abordage!' so the _fougueux_ neared the _téméraire_. for her part, as it befell, the _téméraire_ had for some time foreseen what was coming. she was by no means so incapable of meeting a new antagonist as she looked. the _téméraire_, as it happened, had not yet fired a single shot from her guns on the starboard broadside. she had her triple tier of 32-pounders and long 18's ranged there all ready, all double-shotted and clear for action. to man these guns was quick work. without checking the fire that the _téméraire_ was keeping up into the _redoutable_ and the _neptune_, lieutenant kennedy, the first lieutenant, rapidly called away sufficient hands from the guns on the port side to man all the starboard batteries. then the gallant officer and his men waited--the captain of each gun standing ready with arm raised and his firing lanyard out-stretched stiff as wire--all eagerly watching the coming on of the _fougueux_. not a sign that the guns were manned came from the _téméraire's_ ports, as nearer and nearer the french seventy-four swept down on her. now she was 200 yards off--now 150--now 100--now 80 yards! confidently came the _fougueux_ on as to certain conquest, amid wild tempestuous shoutings of 'a l'abordage!' 'vive l'empereur! vive l'empereur!' the supreme moment came. '_téméraires_--stand by--fire!' holding back until the yard-arms of the two ships all but touched, with a deafening thunder-burst that for the instant overpowered all other sounds of battle, the _téméraire's_ whole starboard broadside went off at once, in one salvo, like one gigantic gun. a terrific crash re-echoed back, with yells and shrieks. there was no more shouting from the _fougueux_. as the smoke drifted off, the _téméraire's_ men looked and saw the enemy's rigging and forecastle and decks swept clean and bare. the next minute, with her whole side practically beaten in, crushed in like an eggshell trampled under foot, the hapless seventy-four ran, blundering blindly, in hopeless confusion, right into the _téméraire_.[105] like the _redoutable_ she was promptly lashed fast, and then--'boarders away!' was the call. a master's mate, a little middy, twenty seamen, six marines, followed close behind lieutenant kennedy as he clambered into the _fougueux's_ main rigging, and thence down on to the _fougueux's_ quarter-deck. one of the seamen with the boarding-party had a union jack rolled round his neck. 'it'll come handy perhaps,' said the brave fellow as he followed his messmates over the side. there was a sharp tussle on the quarter-deck of the _fougueux_, where captain baudoin, struck down by the _téméraire's_ broadside, lay mortally wounded. second-captain bazin hastily rallied seventy or eighty men, called up from below to meet the boarders, but the impetuous onset of the nine-and-twenty _téméraires_ carried everything before it despite the odds. the _fougueux's_ second captain was cut down. a lieutenant who took his place was shot dead with a pistol bullet through the heart. the frenchmen then gave way and broke and were driven off the quarter-deck pell-mell. slashing and stabbing their way, without a single fresh man from the ship, in less than twelve minutes lieutenant kennedy's party were masters of the _fougueux_. they hustled the surrendered frenchmen down into the hold, clapped the hatches on them, and then the union jack came in 'handy' to hoist over the tricolour on the _fougueux_' ensign staff. so the _redoutable's_ would-be rescuer was added to the row of four ships, all fast to one another side by side, the _victory_, _redoutable_, _téméraire_, and _fougueux_. relieved from the hostile presence of the _fougueux_, the _téméraire_ turned her attention to finishing off the _redoutable_, now plainly at her last gasp, though still unsubdued. her guns were silenced, but musket shots still came from the tops. a few minutes later the _victory_ broke herself clear and steered away from the group. she boomed herself off, leaving captain harvey to receive in due course the submission of the _redoutable_. but even now captain lucas would not give up. 'the _téméraire_, to quote captain lucas's own words once more, 'hailed us to give ourselves up and not prolong a useless resistance. i ordered some soldiers near me to answer this summons by firing, which was done with alacrity.' the end, though, was at last really at hand. scarcely had the british flagship broken away than the _redoutable's_ main and mizen masts came down. the main-mast crashed over the _téméraire's_ poop, and in its fall formed a bridge from ship to ship, across which a party of the _téméraire's_ officers and men, headed by the second lieutenant, john wallace, promptly clambered. with more than 500 of his original crew of 600 odd _hors de combat_, dead or wounded, there was no opposition possible, and captain lucas had to yield up his sword. [illustration: _victory._ _redoutable._ _téméraire._ _fougueux._ battle of trafalgar. october 21, 1805--2.15 p.m. after j.c. schetky.] no captain, perhaps, ever fought his ship better against overwhelming odds than captain lucas fought the _redoutable_ at trafalgar. napoleon had him specially exchanged as soon as possible, and sent for him to st. cloud where, in the presence of the assembled _état major_, he decorated him with his own hand with the grand cross of the legion of honour.[106] 'had my other captains,' said the emperor, 'behaved as you did, the event of the battle would have been very different.' there is an ironclad _redoutable_ in the french navy to-day which bears the name in remembrance of the gallant two-decker lost with honour at trafalgar. the _téméraire_, however, had still one of her first foes left. the french _neptune_ was still dangerously near. she was lying where she had been from the first, pounding away steadily into the _téméraire_ from a short distance off, 'willing to wound but still afraid to strike.' it says little for the courage of the french captain that he had not ventured to force home an attack at close quarters, and less still for the gunnery of his men that it had not before this reduced the _téméraire_ to a sinking state. not far off, also, there was, as the _téméraire's_ log notes, 'a spanish two-decked ship ... on the larboard bow or nearly ahead, who had raked us during great part of the action.' on seeing the _victory_ move off, the french _neptune_ apparently took heart of grace. she now made as if she really meant at last to close with the _téméraire_. it was not very brave of the _neptune_, seeing how the _téméraire_ was situated, with five-sixths of her guns blocked in by the two prizes alongside. but all the same the _téméraire_ did her best to give the _neptune_ a warm reception. by clearing away the wreckage from aloft that overlay most of the _téméraire's_ upper-deck guns, captain harvey was able to get some of these into action and keep the _neptune_ off. then a few minutes later assistance arrived. the approach of the _leviathan_, a british seventy-four, once more daunted the _neptune_, and she sheered off and withdrew altogether from the scene. after that came a well-earned breathing space for the _téméraire_ and her gallant crew, a brief half-hour's pause that captain harvey and his men made use of in putting prize-crews in charge of the _redoutable_ and _fougueux_, and doing what they could towards repairing their own damages and clearing away their wrecked top-hamper. the _sirius_ frigate during this spell, in response to a signal from captain harvey, took the _téméraire_ and her prizes in tow. a note in the _téméraire's_ log shows how intermixed some of the british ships had now got. 'the _royal sovereign_,' it says, 'was a short distance to leeward, and the _colossus_, dismasted, with one of the enemy's two-deckers on board of her, who had struck, and appeared to be spanish.' in the half-hour that the _téméraire_ stood by, the battle passed through its crisis, although fighting went on fiercely at many points for another two hours yet. before half-past two, six or seven of the enemy had given in and could be seen 'lying with british ensigns displayed at the stern over tricolours or spanish flags.' by three o'clock nearly a third of the enemy's fleet had either struck their colours or were on the point of striking them, and another third were hauling out of line and preparing to quit the battle and run for cadiz. the spanish flagship _santa ana_, with every mast down and her starboard side shattered to matchwood, had surrendered to the _royal sovereign_. the french flagship _bucentaure_ had hauled down her ensign and admiral villeneuve was a prisoner on board the british _mars_. the surrender of the _bucentaure_--although perhaps it only comes incidentally into the _téméraire's_ story--was one of the most dramatic events of trafalgar. when the french flagship, beaten to a standstill, with her three masts shot down, one after the other within five minutes, was on the point of surrendering, admiral villeneuve ordered a boat to be lowered to take him on board another french ship. 'le _bucentaure_,' said villeneuve as he gave the order, 'à rempli sa tâche, la mienne n'est pas encore achevée.'[107] but every one of the _bucentaure's_ boats was found to have been smashed to pieces. then villeneuve's flag-captain, majendie, hurried aft and clambering into the wreckage of the ship's stern gallery with his speaking-trumpet hailed the _santisima trinidad_ to send a boat at once. there was no reply. the _trinidad_ was lying quite close to the _bucentaure_ at that moment, so close that only a very few yards separated majendie from her as he hailed, but the tremendous thunder of the guns all round completely overpowered his voice. nor did any one on board the spanish ship see him. there was no means of attracting help from elsewhere. the _bucentaure_ had indeed done her work--and villeneuve's too. there was left now but one thing to do. the colours of the _bucentaure_ were hauled down to the nearest british ship,--a seventy-four named, by something of a coincidence, the _conqueror_,--'and a white handkerchief was waved from her in token of submission.' captain israel pellew was in command of the _conqueror_. he was at the moment unable to spare lieutenant couch, his first lieutenant, to whom in ordinary course the duty of boarding the prize would have fallen, and being unaware, from the absence throughout the battle of villeneuve's flag from the _bucentaure's_ mast-head, that the enemy's commander-in-chief had surrendered to him, he told captain atcherley of the _conqueror's_ marines to go in the first lieutenant's place and take possession of the _bucentaure_. atcherley went off in a small boat with two seamen and a corporal and two marines. he was pulled alongside and clambered on board the prize, little dreaming whom he was going to meet and the reception in store for him. this is what then took place. [illustration: villeneuve's sword] as atcherley gained the _bucentaure's_ upper-deck and the british officer's red coat showed itself on the quarter-deck of the french flagship, four french officers of rank stepped forward all bowing and presenting their swords. one was a tall, thin, sad-faced man of about forty-two, in a long-tailed uniform coat with flat high collar and dark green corduroy breeches, gold-laced at the sides. it was admiral villeneuve himself. the second was a short, rotund, jolly-faced man, a typical _boulevardier_ in appearance:--flag-captain majendie.[108] the third was second-captain prigny of the _bucentaure_; and the fourth a soldier resplendent in the full-dress uniform--somewhat besmirched by powder-smoke--of a brigadier of the grand army, general de contamine, the officer in charge of the four thousand troops that were serving on board the french fleet that day. 'to whom,' asked admiral villeneuve in good english, 'have i the honour of surrendering?' 'to captain pellew of the _conqueror_.' 'i am glad to have struck to the fortunate sir edward pellew.' 'it is his brother, sir,' said captain atcherley. 'his brother! what; are there two of them? hélas!' 'fortune de guerre!' said captain majendie with a shrug of his wide shoulders as he became a prisoner of war to the british navy for the third time in his life. prigny and de contamine said nothing, as far as we know. captain atcherley politely suggested that the swords of such high officers had better be handed to an officer of superior rank to himself--to captain pellew. he then went below to secure the magazines, passing between decks amid an awful scene of carnage and destruction. 'the dead thrown back as they fell lay along the middle of the decks in heaps, and the shot passing through these had frightfully mangled the bodies.... more than four hundred had been killed and wounded, of whom an extraordinary proportion had lost their heads. a raking shot which entered in the lower deck had glanced along the beams and through the thickest of the people, and a french officer declared that this shot alone had killed or disabled nearly forty men.'[109] atcherley locked up the magazines and put the keys in his pocket, posted his two marines as sentries at the doors of the admiral's and flag-captain's cabins, and then returning on deck, he conducted villeneuve, majendie, and second-captain prigny down the side into his little boat which rowed off in search of the _conqueror_. the ship, however, had ranged ahead to engage another enemy, and as her whereabouts could not be discovered in the smoke, the prisoners were temporarily placed on board the nearest british ship, which happened to be the _mars_. the battle, however, even though both the french commander-in-chief and the spanish second in command[110] and also the big _santisima trinidad_ with the spanish third in command,[111] had surrendered, was not yet over. there were still a number of ships of the enemy that were yet apparently unbeaten, besides one group that had hardly fired a shot as yet. at three o'clock, or a few minutes after that, the _téméraire's_ men had again to stand to their guns. fresh foes were seen approaching. these were five of the ships of villeneuve's van squadron under rear-admiral dumanoir. admiral villeneuve's last signal had been to order dumanoir's squadron, which had been cut off by nelson's tactics and had so far not been engaged at all, to head round and come to the rescue of the centre and rear. there were originally ten ships under dumanoir's command, but five of them, after they came round, broke away, and edged off to leeward towards where admiral gravina (the spanish commander-in-chief, now left by villeneuve's surrender the senior officer on the enemy's side) was rallying some of the rear ships to try and escape into cadiz. what befell these does not concern us. dumanoir's remnant of five (four french ships and one spaniard) stood along a little to windward of the ships engaged as far as where the _téméraire_ lay, making it appear as though they were coming down to attack. 'at 3,' says the _téméraire's_ log, 'observed five of the enemy in good order, starboard side. sent the men from the quarter-deck guns to assist on the other decks. the _sirius_ made sail from us, when four of the enemy's ships opened their fire on our starboard side; having but few guns clear of the prizes, cut them loose.' 'while they were about three-quarters of a mile to windward,' says captain harvey describing what happened in his letter home, 'they opened their guns upon the _téméraire_ and her prizes, and for some time i could return no guns; but when those we could fight with were brought to bear upon the enemy, the gentlemen thought proper to haul to a more respectable distance, and thus towards evening with me ended this most glorious action.'[112] dumanoir's fire did little harm to the _téméraire_ herself. it mortally wounded one of her midshipmen who was on board the _redoutable_, and cut away the _fougueux_' main and mizen masts,--the _fougueux_ had been cleared away from alongside the _téméraire_ a few moments previously, and allowed to swing athwart the _téméraire's_ stern, end-on to dumanoir's ships as they passed by,--but that was practically all they did. 'half-past 4,' says the _téméraire's_ log, 'ceased firing.' the _téméraire_ had now played her part. it only remained to house and secure the guns. the battle was over--although near by there were still some three or four of the enemy who had not yet gone through the formality of lowering their ensigns. they were feebly firing, though they could neither fight nor fly. all could see that the inevitable end could hardly be long deferred. the knife was already at the throats of the last of the destined victims of the day. the _téméraire's_ last gun, as a fact, went at the same instant that nelson, in the cockpit of the _victory_, breathed his last. three-quarters of an hour later all resistance on the part of the enemy had ceased, and there was a silence on the sea. trafalgar had been fought and won. seventeen of the enemy had surrendered--eight french ships and nine spaniards. one french ship, in addition, was on fire and her crew were being rescued by the boats of the nearest british ships. the remainder of the enemy had run out of the battle and were in full flight, some in one direction, some in another. the scene all round at that moment, as it appeared from the _téméraire_, was one that the last survivor of trafalgar could hardly have forgotten to his dying day- nobly, nobly, cape saint vincent to the north-west died away, sunset ran, one glorious blood-red, reeking into cadiz bay, bluish 'mid the burning water, full in face, trafalgar lay. cape trafalgar was sighted from off the deck, we are told, just as the battle was ending, and was made at about eight miles off. on either hand lay ships with shattered bulwarks and hulls gashed all over and riddled from the water-line upwards with gaping and splintered shot-holes, the yellow strakes between the ports seared and scorched by the back-blast from the guns and crusted over with half-burned powder. some also had several of their ports knocked into one, or their port-lids unhung or wrenched away; others had their figure-heads clean gone, and their bowsprits smashed off short; others, in addition, had their stern and quarter galleries beaten in; and there were ugly smears and stains down the sides of all where the scuppers opened overboard. no fewer than nine ships were lying entirely dismantled--'ras comme des pontons,' as a frenchman put it. in these everything on deck above the bulwarks was gone, shorn roughly off--rigging, spars, masts--everything. a short stump, only a few feet high, remained in one or two of the ships to show where a tall mast had that morning stood--that was all. all else had disappeared--smashed down, shot by the board and lying over the sides amid the tangled confusion of broken spars, torn rigging, and ragged sails. eight of the dismasted ships were trophies of the battle, french or spanish prizes--the _bucentaure_ and the _santisima trinidad_ among them. the ninth was a british ship, the cruelly battered _belleisle_, which had undergone a terrific mauling. the burning ship was the french _achille_, which lay not far off--a mass of flames from end to end. she had been set on fire by accident in the last hour of the battle, and was now blazing fiercely from stem to stern, sending off heavy volumes of dense black smoke into the clear evening air, as the hapless vessel lay burning to the water's edge, or until the flames should reach the magazine. over yonder a group of british ships, several with topmasts and yards gone, were closing on a big three-decker that had only her foremast left standing, collingwood's _royal sovereign_. nearer, the battered ships of nelson's column formed another group, collecting round the _victory_. far to the north-west, towards cadiz, could be seen the sails of eleven ships that were escaping with gravina. among these fugitives was the _téméraire's_ first antagonist, the french _neptune_, which, by carefully avoiding every attempt to bring her to close action, had got through the battle with a loss of only 13 men killed and 37 wounded. black dots against the western sky, now ablaze in all the wild glory of a stormy october sunset, dumanoir's flying ships could be seen--four in number--standing away into the atlantic. the fifth ship of the group, the spanish _neptuno_, had been cut off and taken as the battle closed by the british _minotaur_ and _spartiate_. all the while during the final scene nelson's flag remained flying at the _victory's_ mast-head--although the admiral had for nearly an hour now been lying dead. those on board were, perhaps, loth to lower it before they must. in accordance with one of the old fighting instructions of the navy, the commander-in-chief's ship in action kept her admiral's flag flying in all circumstances until the battle was over, whatever might have happened to the admiral meantime. whether he was disabled or whether he was killed, the flag must still fly to the end of the action in its accustomed place. as a fact, at trafalgar, flag-captain hardy of the _victory_ had had the entire handling of the british fleet from the moment that nelson was struck down until the last shot had been fired. his descendants treasure to this day the silver pencil-case that hardy 'used to write down signals during the battle of trafalgar, _with the marks of his teeth on it made in moments of excitement_!' it was shown at the naval exhibition at chelsea in 1891, one newspaper speaking of it as 'something like a relic!' nelson's flag flew till sunset, and, in consequence, except the _victory_ and the _royal sovereign_, to which captain hardy, of course, had sent the news specially, and captain blackwood's _euryalus_, barely half a dozen ships of the fleet were aware of nelson's death that night; or even that he had been wounded. in the _téméraire_ herself the news was not known, owing to the dispersal of the fleet caused by the stormy weather of the three following days, until the 24th, when captain harvey first learnt what had happened by a casual signal from the _defiance_. this is what was said on the spot of the way the _téméraire_ had done her work. 'i congratulate you most sincerely,' wrote collingwood to captain harvey, on the 28th of october, 'on the noble and distinguished part the _téméraire_ took in the battle; nothing could be finer; i have not words in which i can sufficiently express my admiration of it.'[113] this from a man so temperate in his language as collingwood was at all times was indeed high praise. her day's work at trafalgar cost the _téméraire_ in casualties exactly 123 killed and wounded; or as captain harvey put it: 'killed, 47; badly wounded, 31; slightly wounded, 45--in all, 123.' captain busigny and lieutenant kingston of the marines, one midshipman (john pitts) and mr oades, the carpenter, were the officers killed; one lieutenant of the royal navy, the surviving lieutenant of marines, a master's-mate and a midshipman, with the _téméraire's_ boatswain, were the officers wounded. forty-three more of the _téméraire's_ men were drowned on board the _fougueux_ and the _redoutable_, in the storm after the battle. as everybody knows, all nelson's trafalgar prizes except four perished in the storm after the battle, or were set on fire or scuttled. whose fault it was, or how it came about that nelson's dying order to anchor immediately the battle was over, which would probably have preserved all the prizes, was set aside, we need not discuss. both the _téméraire's_ prizes were among the ships that were lost--the _fougueux_ being wrecked a few miles south of cadiz and the _redoutable_ foundering in deep water. the _redoutable_ foundered during the night of the 22nd, carrying down with her 13 of the _téméraire's_ men. she was in tow of the _swiftsure_, which had relieved the _téméraire_ of her, when, about five on the previous afternoon, she made signals of distress. the straining of the dismasted hull as it pitched and rolled in the heavy seas had reopened the shot-holes below the water-line and the ship was filling. the _swiftsure_ hove-to and lowered her boats, which in two trips brought off safely many of the prisoners and the wounded, and part of the _téméraire's_ prize crew. then, however, the attempt had to be given up. 'the weather was so bad and the sea so high,' that, in the words of the _swiftsure's_ log, 'it was impossible for the boats to pass.' they were still, though, keeping the _redoutable_ in tow, hoping she might live out the night, when, at half-past ten, all of a sudden, the prize foundered by the stern. the sinking was so sudden at the last that the _swiftsure's_ men had no time to cast loose the tow-rope and had to chop it in two with axes. during the night a few of the _redoutable's_ men were picked up floating on rafts that they had made, but upwards of 190 hapless fellows went down in the ship. the _téméraire_ herself had a bad time of it in the storm. all tuesday, the 22nd, the _sirius_ kept her in tow, but it was so rough that little could be done on board towards refitting the ship or attempting to rig jury-masts or repair damages. on the 23rd the _sirius_ was called off by signal to recover prizes adrift which the sortie that the refugee ships in cadiz attempted that day was threatening. the _africa_ was told off to take the _téméraire_ in tow, but the storm came on worse than ever during the afternoon, and the _africa_, whose badly damaged masts were threatening to roll over the side every minute, could do nothing but stand by. 'the state of the _téméraire_ is so bad,' wrote captain harvey, that night, 'that we have been in constant apprehension of our lives, every sail and yard having been destroyed, and nothing but the lower masts left standing, the rudder-head almost shot off and is since gone, and lower masts all shot through and through in many places.' the _téméraire_, however, managed to come through all safely, and she again held her own by herself throughout the 24th and all the next day. unaided, she brought up in the end in safety off san lucar, at the mouth of the guadalquivir some 25 miles north of cadiz, at seven on the morning of the 25th. here the men stopped shot-holes above water, cleared away wreckage and completed the knotting and splicing of the damaged rigging and cleaning up of the ship, and got up jury-masts and lower yards:--five days' hard work. on the 30th of october, the _defiance_ took the _téméraire_ in tow for gibraltar, where the ship let go anchor on the afternoon of the 2nd of november, twelve days after trafalgar. at gibraltar the _téméraire_ was patched up and refitted sufficiently to enable her to proceed to england under sail. the _victory_ had arrived four days before, and was lying at anchor with nelson's flag and her ensign at half-mast, as were the other ships of the fleet, upwards of a dozen, that had as yet come in. four days afterwards the _euryalus_, from which admiral collingwood had removed into the _queen_, sailed for england, carrying on board collingwood's completed trafalgar despatch,[114] the captured french and spanish ensigns (to be hung up in st. paul's and left there to perish through neglect), and admiral villeneuve himself, going to meet his doom. within six months the hapless french admiral was dead--by his own hand. the story, so long believed in england, that admiral villeneuve's death was another foul murder to be charged against napoleon has every probability against it. paroled on his arrival at spithead, and exchanged on the usual terms, villeneuve had landed at morlaix in brittany, and was on his way to report himself in paris, when one evening a sealed letter from the minister of marine was handed to him. next morning he was found in his bedroom at the inn where he had put up, stabbed to the heart. a letter taking leave of his wife was found in the room. he was buried that night without any honours. [illustration: villeneuve's signature] poor villeneuve! it was a pitiful and hapless closing to a career that had opened with such bright promise for a certain young _garde de la marine_ on the quarter-deck of de suffren's _héros_[115]; a sad, unworthy ending for one in whose veins ran the blood of eight-and-twenty knights of st. louis, st. esprit, and st. michel; for one who in his own right was of the highest of the old _noblesse_ of royal france, for a member of a house that had given one of the most famous of grand masters to the order, and a saint and ten bishops to the church.[116] poor villeneuve!--where moulders his unhappy dust? the summer visitor from england, at the price of a cheap ticket, may see where the poor remains of the vanquished of trafalgar rest to-day--if, that is, he can find the place. beneath no storied monument is it, among his country's greater dead; not in the vault of the villeneuves where his high-born kinsmen sleep:--not there. in a forgotten spot in the old burial-ground at distant rennes, a provençal he among stranger bretons, the most luckless of his line lies there in a suicide's desolate grave. and it is all the more pitiful too, when one thinks of our own trafalgar chiefs laid to their rest together in honour in st. paul's. side by side in the vaulted crypt beneath the cathedral dome rest our three trafalgar admirals in honour evermore. brothers-in-arms in life, like brothers in death they lie; till, pealing out on land and sea, the dread archangel's trump shall sound their final call to quarters. poor villeneuve! what a contrast! [illustration: the _téméraire_ entering portsmouth harbour on her return from trafalgar. dec. 20, 1805 after j.c. schetky.] the _téméraire_ followed the _euryalus_ to england some days later. she brought on board, like the other returning ships, three hundred french prisoners, together with, as her special passenger. captain infernet of the french _intrépide_. she arrived at spithead on the 5th of december, the day after the _victory_, with nelson's remains on board, had anchored at st. helens, and on the 20th of december went up portsmouth harbour to go into dock. it so chanced that an artist, john christian schetky, afterwards marine painter to king george the fourth, william the fourth, and queen victoria, was at portsmouth on the day the _téméraire_ came in, cheered to the echo on all sides by crowds on the platform and point batteries and by every boat and ship that she passed. sketchbook in hand mr. schetky made good use of his opportunity. captain harvey arrived in england to find himself a rear-admiral, one of the officers specially promoted in honour of trafalgar, included in the promotion caused by the creation of the rank of admiral of the red. he handed over the _téméraire_ to acting-captain larmour who, six weeks later, paid the ship off for a refit and repair in portsmouth dockyard which lasted several months. admiral harvey was one of the pall-bearers at nelson's funeral. when in january 1815 he became a k.c.b. he was granted as a special motto above his crest, the name _téméraire_, together with as supporters to the harvey family arms,--a triton with a laurel-wreathed trident, and a sea-horse with a naval crown inscribed 'trafalgar,' bearing underneath all as an additional motto the legend _redoutable et fougueux_. how for six years after trafalgar the _téméraire_ did her duty before the enemy, at one time helping to keep marshal soult out of cadiz, at another taking her part in holding in check the powerful new fleet that napoleon created in toulon to avenge trafalgar on some future day that never came--all that is another story. her last shotted guns were fired to silence a french battery in hyères bay, near the entrance to toulon harbour, which rashly opened fire on the _téméraire_ one day. the _téméraire_ closed with the battery and gave the french gunners one tremendous broadside that practically cleared the battery out. not a shot came from it again. the war story of the _téméraire_ ends six months later with her final paying off at plymouth. there only remained for the _téméraire_, after that, to complete her allotted span and await the striking of the inevitable hour. for age will rust the brightest blade, and time will break the stoutest bow; was never wight so starkly made, but age and time will bring him low. she outlasted, indeed, her old captain at trafalgar. in 1836, six years after sir eliab harvey had been gathered to his fathers, his old ship entered on her last turn of duty, harbour service at sheerness as guardship of ordinary, captain-superintendent's ship for the fleet reserve in the medway. by an interesting coincidence, the officer who last of all hoisted his pennant on board the 'fighting' _téméraire_ was the man who had been her first lieutenant at trafalgar, now a grey-headed old post-captain, holding his last appointment before retiring from the service as captain-superintendent of sheerness dockyard, captain thomas fortescue kennedy. actually the last guns that were ever fired on board the 'fighting' _téméraire_ were for the royal salute in honour of queen victoria's coronation day. six weeks after that, on the 16th of august 1838, the _téméraire_ was put up for auction and sold for £5530 to mr. beatson, the rotherhithe shipbreaker. she was sold out of the navy 'all standing,' with her masts and yards still in her, just as her guard-ship crew left the vessel, as turner saw her and has faithfully painted her: a fact, also, that explains what has puzzled many critics of the famous picture, the removal to be broken up of a man-of-war rigged and masted and with yards across. so we come, at length, to the _téméraire's_ final hour and her appointed end. her deck, once red with heroes' blood, where knelt the vanquished foe, when winds were hurrying o'er the flood and waves were white below; no more shall feel the victor's tread, nor know the conquered knee- the harpies of the shore shall pluck the eagle of the sea. all the way up the river on her last day, we are told, the _téméraire_ was cheered as she passed along by the crews of the merchant ships and the people on board the river steamboats 'surprised as well as delighted by the novel spectacle of a 98-gun ship in the pool,'[117] while after they had begun to break the _téméraire_ up at rotherhithe numbers of people came to visit 'the ship that helped to avenge nelson at trafalgar,' attracted by reports of the finding of trafalgar relics on board. one of these was a round-shot, found deeply embedded in the centre of one of the _téméraire's_ main-deck beams with a french sailor's red cap, which had evidently been used as an improvised wad in the hurry of the fighting, stuck fast to it. another was the brass memorial tablet (already spoken of), let into the quarter-deck near the wheel, and bearing the inscription, 'england expects that every man will do his duty.'[118] two gigantic figures, quarter-gallery decorations, taken from the _téméraire_ during her breaking up, are still in existence, preserved by the successors to the firm at whose hands the old ship met her fate.[119] any one, also, who cares to make a pilgrimage among the byways of riverside london on the south side, may come across a church within a stone's-throw of where the final scene in the _téméraire's_ career was enacted--st. paul's, globe street, rotherhithe--in which the altar, altar rails, and sanctuary chairs are all made of heart-of-oak carved from the frame timbers of the 'fighting' _téméraire_. [illustration: relics of the 'fighting' _téméraire_ two quarter-gallery figures now in the possession of messrs. h. castle & sons, millbank.] so the story reaches its close. it can hardly end better than with the eloquent passage in which mr. ruskin has delivered what is, in intent, the funeral oration at the passing of the 'fighting' _téméraire_.[120] 'this particular ship, crowned in the trafalgar hour of trial with chief victory, prevailing over the fatal vessel that had given nelson death--surely, if anything without a soul deserved honour or affection, we owed them here. those sails that strained so full bent into the battle, that broad bow that struck the surf aside, enlarging silently in steadfast haste, full front to the shot, resistless and without reply, those triple ports whose choirs of flame rang forth in their courses into the fierce revenging monotone, which, when it died away, left no answering voice to rise any more upon the sea against the strength of england--those sides that were wet with the long runlets of english life-blood, like press planks at vintage, gleaming goodly crimson down to the cast and clash of the washing foam--those pale masts that stayed themselves up against the war-ruin, shaking out their ensigns through the thunder, till sail and ensign drooped--steeped in the death-stilled pause of andalusian air, burning with its witness-clouds of human souls at rest--surely for these some sacred care might have been left in our thoughts, some quiet space amidst the lapse of english waters? nay, not so, we have stern keepers to trust her glory to--the fire and the worm. never more shall sunset lay golden robe on her, nor starlight tremble on the waves that part at her gliding. perhaps, where the low gate opens to some cottage garden, the tired traveller may ask idly why the moss grows so green on its rugged wood, and even the sailor's child may not answer, nor know, that the night dew lies deep in the war-rents of the wood of the old _téméraire_.' there's a far bell ringing at the setting of the sun and a phantom voice is singing of the great days done. there's a far bell ringing, and a phantom voice is singing of renown for ever clinging to the great days done. [illustration: alexandria--july 11, 1882. the _condor_ attacking fort marabout after the painting by w.l. wyllie.] footnotes: [footnote 79: ruskin, _notes on the turner collection_, p. 80.] [footnote 80: thornbury's _life of turner_, vol. i. pp. 335-336.] [footnote 81: 'she was towed up the river by two steam tugs; every vessel that she passed appeared like a pigmy.'--_gentleman's magazine_, 'domestic occurrences,' september 16, 1838.] [footnote 82: ruskin, _notes on the turner collection_, p. 81.] [footnote 83: the _téméraire_, of course, was fading _up_ the river, but the exigences of euphony no doubt required the inversion.] [footnote 84: the _téméraire_, from which the trafalgar _téméraire_ took her name, was a french 74, captured by admiral boscawen in his battle with de la clue off lagos in august 1759. she served in the british navy for some years, and after being utilised as a floating battery at plymouth during the american war, was finally sold out of the service in 1783.] [footnote 85: '"thirty-six hours' calm, and england is ours," so says one of the french papers in announcing that the invasion of england is to be attempted before the 14th july. a division of the imperial guard has already arrived at havre on its way to boulogne, where the emperor will arrive within a week.'--the _observer_, june 24, 1804. 'by an american gentleman just arrived from the continent, we have received positive and authentic information that the boulogne flotilla is in a complete state of equipment and ready to embrace the first opportunity of putting to sea. whether that opportunity will ever be permitted to the enemy by our blockading squadrons remains to be seen. the troops stationed on the uplands above boulogne, and in its vicinity, amount to upwards of 160,000 men.'--the _times_, august 14, 1804.] [footnote 86: captain mahan, _the influence of sea power upon the french revolution and empire_, vol. ii. p. 118.] [footnote 87: _memoirs and correspondence of lord collingwood_, by g.l. newnham collingwood, p. 93.] [footnote 88: says the _observer_ for the 18th of december: 'the motto of admiral cornwallis seems to be that from dryden: "endure and conquer." we could dwell upon this theme for ever. others have simply taught the british navy (apt scholars enough) to triumph. he has first instructed them in manly perseverance and endurance so opposite to the impetuosity of their natures. we could name the periods, and these too frequently occurring, when a damaged yard or topmast was a sufficient excuse for a good fortnight in port, and this with officers of acknowledged gallantry. what a contrast have we now! the hardy veteran deserves an order of merit to be invented on purpose for him.' without detracting from the admiral's merits this is a little hard on some of cornwallis's predecessors--on hawke, for instance, who in the seven years' war blockaded brest throughout 'one of the worst winters on record.' says horace walpole, writing on the 14th of january 1760: 'what milksops the marlboroughs and turennes, the blakes and the van tromps appear now, who whipped into winter quarters the moment their noses looked blue. there is hawke in the bay weathering _this_ winter, after conquering in a storm.'] [footnote 89: the capture of admiral villeneuve's frigate the _didon_, sent out on a mission of the highest importance, by the british frigate _phoenix_, prevented villeneuve's junction with another french fleet cruising in the bay of biscay. hearing nothing of his colleague, villeneuve, after leaving ferrol, became nervous and turned south, instead of pushing on across the bay for brest as napoleon expected him to do.] [footnote 90: wrote collingwood to his wife on the 21st of august: 'i have very little time to write to you, but must tell you what a squeeze we were like to have got yesterday. while we were cruising off the town, down came the combined fleet of thirty-three sail of men-of-war: we were only three poor things, with a frigate and a bomb, and drew off towards the straits, not very ambitious, as you may suppose, to try our strength against such odds. they followed us as we retired, with sixteen large ships; but on our approaching the straits they left us, and joined their friends in cadiz, where they are fitting and replenishing their provisions. we, in our turn, followed them back, and to-day have been looking into cadiz, where their fleet is now as thick as a wood' (_memoirs and correspondence of lord collingwood_, by g.l. newnham collingwood, p. 109).] [footnote 91: rear-admiral hercules robinson's _sea drift_, p. 209.] [footnote 92: narrative by lieut. p. harris nicolas, royal marines, of the _belleisle_, quoted in the _memoir of admiral sir william hargood, g.c.b._, appendix e, p. 279.] [footnote 93: the 'combined fleet' was the everyday term in the navy for the fleets of france and spain while acting together. it was used also by the french and spaniards themselves.] [footnote 94: admiral duncan at camperdown, eight years before, attacked in a double column formation, but the circumstances otherwise were totally different.] [footnote 95: _memoirs and services of general sir s.b. ellis, k.c.b., of the royal marines_, p. 4. general ellis was a second lieutenant of marines in the _ajax_ at trafalgar.] [footnote 96: letter from lieut. w. price cumby, first lieutenant of the _bellerophon_.] [footnote 97: _personal narrative of events_, vice-admiral wm. stanhope lovell (formerly badcock), p. 45.] [footnote 98: james's _naval history_, vol. iii. p. 391.] [footnote 99: lieut. p. harris nicolas, royal marines, in the _memoir of admiral sir william hargood, g.c.b._, appendix e, p. 279.] [footnote 100: episodios nacionales, par b. perez galdos. _trafalgar_, p. 157. octava edicion. madrid, 1893.] [footnote 101: _combat de trafalgar. rapport fait au ministre de la marine et des colonies_, par e. lucas, commandant le _redoutable_, etc. published by h. letuaire. hyères, 1891.] [footnote 102: there were nearly 4000 french soldiers distributed among admiral villeneuve's fleet, mostly embarked for the west indies when it originally sailed from toulon.] [footnote 103: _personal narrative of events_, vice-admiral wm. stanhope lovell (formerly badcock), pp. 46, 47.] [footnote 104: 'les grenades pleuvent des hunes du _redoutable_.'--_monumens des victoires et conquêtes des français_, vol. xvi. p. 174.] [footnote 105: a terrible account of the awful carnage and destruction caused on board the _fougueux_ by the _téméraire's_ broadside is given in a letter by captain pierre servaux of the marine artillery on board the french ship, which was published in paris in the _figaro_ on the 21st of october 1898.] [footnote 106: 6th may 1806. _biographie maritime, etc._, par m. hennequin, chef de bureau au ministère de la marine. paris, 1837; vol. iii. p. 85. captain lucas was born in 1764, and died in 1819. two pictures of 'the _redoutable_ at trafalgar' have been exhibited at the salon.] [footnote 107: _histoire de la marine française sous le consulat et l'empire_, par e. chevalier, p. 214. see also _monumens des victoires et conquêtes des français_, vol. xvi.] [footnote 108: see rear-admiral hercules robinson's _sea-drift_, p. 208.] [footnote 109: _life of admiral viscount exmouth_, by edward osler, appendix a, p. 377.] [footnote 110: vice-admiral alava in the _santa ana_, who had surrendered to collingwood in the _royal sovereign_.] [footnote 111: rear-admiral don b. hidalgo cisneros.] [footnote 112: admiral dumanoir, writing from tiverton in devon, where he was interned as a prisoner of war, to the _times_ on january 2, 1806, in reply to certain adverse comments on his conduct, pleads that he was 'handled very severely' in his attack. dumanoir and his ships were intercepted off cape finisterre, ten days after trafalgar, and captured bodily by sir richard strachan's squadron. one of his ships is afloat to this day, our only existing trafalgar prize, and with the _victory_ the last left of all that fought at trafalgar--the devonport training-ship _implacable_. the _implacable_ fought at trafalgar as the _duguay trouin_. on being taken into the british service in 1806, the admiralty gave the ship her present name.] [footnote 113: marshall's _naval biography_, vol. i. part i. p. 275.] [footnote 114: collingwood sent off his first short despatch announcing the battle and nelson's death, by the _pickle_, a 4-gun schooner, on the 26th of october. the completed despatch gave full details of the battle and the casualty lists from most of the ships.] [footnote 115: vice-admiral pierre charles jean baptiste sylvestre de villeneuve-flayosc was born on december 31, 1763, five years after nelson. he became _garde de la marine_ at fifteen. at the revolution he dropped the _particle nobiliaire_ from his name, and was thenceforward known simply as villeneuve. napoleon took a fancy to him after villeneuve's escape from the battle of the nile, as a 'lucky man,' and to that fancy villeneuve owed his command at trafalgar.] [footnote 116: grand master hélion de villeneuve, grand master of rhodes; buried at malta: sainte roseleyne de villeneuve, abbess of la celle roubaud.] [footnote 117: _gentleman's magazine_, 'domestic occurrences,' september 16, 1838.] [footnote 118: see _notes and queries_, 7th series, vol. vi. p. 371.] [footnote 119: messrs. h. castle and sons, of the baltic wharf, millbank, s.w., to whose courtesy the author is indebted for the photographs of the two figures here reproduced.] [footnote 120: ruskin, _notes on the turner collection_, pp. 81-82.] vi 'well done, condor!' alexandria, 1882 but little recked they of doubts or fears that vexed the soul of the wise, they did as the world did round them, and they claimed their share of the prize. sir rennell rodd. the modern story of what lord charles beresford's _condor_ did at the bombardment of alexandria on the 11th of july 1882 closes our series. everybody knows in a general way something about it, but the details of the fight deserve attention on their own account. it was no doubt only one incident of the day, but all the same it was a good piece of work. * * * * * this briefly is how the situation came into being at the outset. the bombardment of alexandria was brought about by the usurpation of power in egypt by arabi pasha and the so-called national party early in 1882, raising the cry of 'egypt for the egyptians.' great britain, alarmed at their avowed hostility towards her, was forced to intervene on behalf of her interests in egypt, and to ensure the safety of the suez canal. diplomacy, and all efforts to induce the sultan, as suzerain of the khedive, to take action, having failed, in june the british mediterranean fleet was ordered to the scene, at first by way of demonstration. a french squadron arrived at the same time, france being specially interested in egypt under the joint control agreement, and other great powers sent representative ships. in reply arabi and his partisans began throwing up works and mounting additional guns at alexandria, and then riots broke out in the city and at cairo leading to a massacre of europeans. at the end of june the arming of the forts, which had been suspended under direct orders from constantinople, was defiantly resumed, drawing strong remonstrances from the british admiral, sir beauchamp seymour, as the late lord alcester then was. the discovery of a plot to wreck part of the suez canal and to block alexandria harbour, and the activity displayed on the fortifications, resulted in leave being telegraphed from england to the british admiral to take action if necessary. thereupon, on the 6th of july, admiral seymour demanded the immediate disarmament of the harbour forts on pain of bombardment. an evasive reply was given, while the mounting of heavy guns proceeded with increased vigour at night, as the searchlights of the fleet disclosed. on the 10th the british admiral notified to the governor of alexandria that, unless in the course of that day certain of the harbour forts were evacuated and handed over to him to dismantle, he would open fire next morning. the foreign consuls were informed of sir beauchamp seymour's intention, and during the day all the foreign men-of-war withdrew outside, the french squadron proceeding to port said. the british fleet off alexandria comprised eight battle-ships and five gun-vessels. when the british admiral's ultimatum was sent off on the morning of the 10th two of the battle-ships, the _invincible_, on board which admiral seymour had his flag, and the _monarch_, with the gun-vessel _condor_ commanded by lord charles beresford, and the other gun-vessels, were inside the harbour. the rest of the fleet, the battle-ships _alexandra_, _sultan_, _inflexible_, _téméraire_, _superb_, and _penelope_, were lying outside. at this point we take up the story of the _condor_, and of the part she played in the events of the hour. as it happened, mr. frederic villiers, the well-known artist and correspondent of the _graphic_, was on board as the guest of lord charles beresford. his vivid narrative of events gives a striking account of all that passed under his eyes.[121] for the last day or two everything had been ready and all the ships were kept cleared for action. the egyptians were expected to throw off the mask and try to take the british fleet by surprise. special precautions were taken on board the _condor_, which lay well up the harbour in proximity to the ras-el-tin battery. there an exceptionally dangerous piece, a breech-loading gun firing a 250-lb. shot, and mounted on the moncrieff disappearing system, was known to be in position. the _condor_ was a small second-class gun-boat of some 780 tons, and the thin iron sheeting on her sides was hardly stouter than a piece of cardboard. a rifle bullet could penetrate it, and there was not a scrap of armour about the ship. to protect his ship as far as possible against the big gun, lord charles, we are told, converted 'the shore side of the _condor_ into a temporary ironclad by dressing her in chain armour. every scrap of spare iron and chain on board was hung over her bulwarks, giving her a rakish list to starboard.' also, as mr. villiers relates, 'all available canvas had been got out and draped round the inboard of the ship's bulwarks. hammocks had been slung round the wheel to protect the steersmen from splinters. the main-topmast was lowered, the bowsprit run in and the gatling in the main-top surrounded with canvas. even the idlers, who constituted the engine-room artificers, stewards, and odd hands on board, were continually practised in drill.' shortly before sunset on the 10th lord charles beresford, who had been for instructions on board the flagship, returned on board the _condor_ and turned up all hands. 'he at once,' says mr. villiers, 'called the crew together and from the bridge addressed them to this effect. '"my men, the admiral's orders to the _condor_ are to keep out of action, to transfer signals, and to more or less nurse her bigger sisters, if they get into trouble." eloquent groans burst from the men. "but," continued beresford, "if an opportunity should occur," and he (their commander) rather had an idea that it would, "the _condor_ was to take advantage of it and to prove her guns." the crowd of upturned faces listening to these significant remarks now shone with satisfaction in the ruddy after-glow of the sunset, and then lord charles added: "no matter what happened, he was confident that they would give a good account of themselves and their smart little ship." to see the gleam in their eyes, who could doubt that within them beat hearts as stout as in those hearts of oak of the grand old days?' the admiral's instructions in writing, as issued to the commanders of the gun-vessels early next morning, ran thus. 'they are,' he said, 'to take up a position as far out of the line of fire or of forts, or of the _inflexible_, as convenient, moving away immediately it is found that fire is being directed on them. they will take advantage of every opportunity of annoying the enemy, especially where camps are to be seen, or where infantry or other troops are seen; but they are to avoid as much as possible the fire of the enemy's heavy guns.' 'there was little sleep that night,' says mr. villiers. 'as i lay in my cot ... i could catch the familiar squeaking noise of the fiddle coming from the fo'c'sle, as the crew passed the feverish hours before the impending action with a horn-pipe or some popular ditty. even the old gun-boat seemed to bestir herself long before dawn, for the hissing of steam and rattle of coal told me that the engineers were firing her for the eventful struggle with arabi's forts. at the first peep of day the _condor_ steamed off from her moorings, and followed the other vessels out of the harbour, as they took up their stations for bombarding.' even then, though, it seemed possible that there might be a slip 'twixt cup and lip. at daybreak on the 11th the despatch boat _helicon_, which had been ordered to remain in harbour to the last, was seen standing out. she had signals flying that she had on board egyptian officers with a letter from the egyptian government. the signal caused dismay for the moment among the men. they were already at quarters, braced up and eagerly awaiting the order to begin firing. were the enemy going to back down at the last moment? but the suspense was not for long. the message, which purported to be a reply to the british admiral's ultimatum, was on the face of it merely a subterfuge to gain time. the bearers of it were sent back again with a written statement that their proposals were inadmissible. the egyptian gunners in the batteries on shore, indeed, could be seen ready for action at their guns. as soon as the officers had been returned to shore the day's work began. * * * * * the opening scene may perhaps be best described in the words of the correspondent of the _standard_ newspaper, mr. cameron, afterwards killed in battle in the soudan, who was on board the flagship _invincible_. 'at half-past six,' he says, 'a quiet order was passed round the decks, "load with common shell." a gleam of satisfaction shone on the men's faces. half-an-hour later a signal was made to the _alexandra_ to fire the challenging gun. that was done, and, the egyptians continuing hostile preparations, the flags ran up at the _invincible's_ mast-head for the fleet to commence action. the order was given on board the _invincible_ to begin "independent firing." a deafening salvo from five 9-inch guns went from the side of the _invincible_, while overhead the ten nordenfelt guns in the tops swelled the din which burst forth from all the ships with a succession of drum-like tappings. 'the smoke from the very commencement of the engagement was so dense that we could see nothing of the effect which our fire was producing, nor of what the enemy were doing; but soon after we began, a sharp scream overhead, followed by the uplifting columns of spray to seaward as the shots struck the water, made it clear that the enemy were replying to our iron salute.... they appeared to have got our range pretty accurately, and round and conical shot whistled thickly through the masts. i went round the ship and found the men fighting the main-deck guns all stripped to the waist. between each shot they had to sit down and wait until the smoke cleared a little.' meanwhile the _condor_ and the other gun-vessels lay in the offing, behind the battle-ships that were engaging fort mex, looking on and awaiting their opportunity. the first thing that came the _condor's_ way was to assist the _téméraire_, which had got aground. the _téméraire_ was got off about eight o'clock, and immediately after that the _condor's_ chance offered. [illustration: emery walker sc. bombardment of alexandria: july 11, 1882--9 a.m. (in the course of the morning the _inflexible_ and _téméraire_, and the _alexandra_, _sultan_, and _superb_, shifted their positions.)] lord charles beresford, as he watched the battle, had observed that the westernmost of the forts, fort marabout, was firing at the british inshore-squadron opposite mex, the _invincible_, _monarch_, and _penelope_, and apparently annoying them. he sent for one of his officers and said, 'i shall stand down and make myself useful by engaging that fort.' 'you must be mad, sir,' was the reply. 'it is the second heaviest fort, and one shot from the heavy guns would knock us into smithereens.' but the commander of the _condor_ was not to be put off that way. 'the apparently impossible,' he answered, 'is often the easiest. anyway, nothing can be done unless we try.... if i can get on the angle of the fort, i believe we can hit their guns without their hitting us. the thing is to get there.' fort marabout mounted three 9-inch armstrongs, firing 250-lb. shells; one 7-inch armstrong, firing 115-lb. shells; eight 10-inch muzzle-loaders, firing 84-lb. hollow shot, or 100-lb. solid shot; seventeen 32-pounders, smooth-bores; and seven mortars, two firing 13-inch shells and five 11-inch mortars. there were also in this fort--whether mounted or not was unknown--two 10-inch armstrongs, firing 400-lb. shells; two more 9-inch armstrongs, and one 7-inch. against that the little _condor_ set out to match herself, with one 7-inch gun, firing 12-lb. shells, and two 64-pounders, three 7-pounders, and one or two gatlings. as has been said also, the little sloop had not an inch of armour on her sides or deck:--boilers, engines, magazines, all were open to the lightest of the enemy's shot. all the same they steamed off towards the grey ramparts of the big fort without a moment of doubt or hesitation. mr. villiers carries on the story. 'the _condor_ steamed ahead. our men stripped off their jackets. the decks were sanded, and the racers, or rails, on which the guns run were oiled. 'as we neared fort marabout, its terraces and embrasures bristling with armstrong guns, not a man aboard but knew the peril of our audacity,--for a little gun-boat, one of the smallest in her majesty's service, to dare to attack the second most powerful fortress in alexandria,--but the shout of enthusiasm from the crew when the order was given to "open fire!" readily showed their confidence in their beloved leader. the guns, run out "all a-port," blazed away. the smoke hung heavily about the decks. the flash of the cannonade lit up for a moment the faces of the men, already begrimed with powder, and steaming with exertion, for the morning was hot and sultry. the captain from the bridge, glass in hand, watching anxiously the aim of her gunners, would shout from time to time: "what was that, my men?" 'sixteen hundred yards. sir!' "then give them eighteen this time, and drop it in." "aye, aye, sir!" 'then a shout from the men on the main-mast told us on deck that the shot had made its mark. the little ship quaked again with the blast of her guns. the men were now almost black with powder, and continually dipped their heads in the sponge buckets to keep the grit from their eyes. one of our shots had fallen well within the enemy's works; another had taken a yard of scarp off--for a slight breeze had lifted the fog of smoke, and all on board could plainly see the enemy working in their embrasures. the arab gunners now trained one of their armstrongs in our direction. our engine-bell sounded, and the _condor_ at once steamed ahead. a puff of smoke from the fort, a dull boom, a rush of shell through the air, and a jet of water shot up far astern, followed by a shout from our men. the enemy had missed us. when the arabs reloaded and brought to bear, the _condor_ steamed back again, and the shell whistled across her bows. [illustration: _photo, london stereoscopic co._ vice-admiral lord charles beresford, k.c.b.] 'the enemy's fire on the ships attacking fort mex slackened, and soon ceased altogether. irritated by the constant fire of the little _condor_, the egyptian gunners now devoted their entire attention to us. they set about slewing their other armstrongs in our direction. their long black muzzles slowly turned their gaping mouths towards us. we looked at each other, then some of us looked at the captain, for the situation was becoming critical.... in an instant he decided,' proceeds mr. villiers, 'and gave the order for the _condor_ to run in closer, and we came within 1200 yards. we all saw in a moment the wisdom of the seeming audacity. we were well within their guard; though the gyppies blazed at us, they could only practise at our masts; they could not depress their guns sufficiently to hull us. we cheered again and again as their abortive attempts to get at us failed, for a shot below water-mark, with the lurch the _condor_ was already making with all her guns abroadside, would have sent her down to davy jones's locker in less than ten minutes. 'the egyptians, in their rage, opened fire with their smooth-bores from the lower parapet. the round-shot would whistle through our rigging, making us lie low awhile; but we would scramble to our feet again, dropping another 9-inch shell well within their works, scattering their gunners, and making things quite unpleasant for them. only once did the enemy touch us, when a deep thud started the little ship trembling from stem to stern. the carpenter was ordered below. there was an anxious moment or two, when at last he returned, reporting the glad news that "all was well"; we had only been grazed.' it may be noted, by the way, that at twelve hundred yards a gun like the 9-inch guns on fort marabout has a velocity of 1233 feet a second, and a penetrative power equal to carrying their 250-lb. shot clean through a target of wrought iron nine and a half inches thick. had only one of these projectiles hit fairly, there would have been an end of the _condor_, there and then. that is certain. at the same time, at twelve hundred yards the time of flight of a shot from muzzle to mark would be 2.72 seconds, and the shot in that period would drop 75-1/2 feet. it was not an impossible task for the egyptian gunners on the ramparts to hit the _condor_. that they failed utterly was the _condor's_ luck--the fortune of war, pure and simple. the _condor's_ crew through it all seemed to bear charmed lives. shots fell thick in the water all round, as other ships observed, or cut the rigging overhead. one big shot tore the awning over the quarter-deck. a 10-inch shell struck the water close underneath the ship's bows, and the column of water sent up by the splash knocked an officer and two men off the forecastle. to resume with mr. villiers. 'it was a scorching, thirsty time on deck. the particles of carbon from the powder floating in the air dried our throats till we almost choked. the captain's steward was always ready to quench the thirst of the guests, mr. moberly bell, the now famous manager of the _times_, and myself, with cool drinks whenever we found time between the shots to rush below; but just as the tumbler reached our lips the blast of the guns would almost shatter the glass against one's teeth, and we would rush on deck to see how the shot had told. 'all the time the navigating lieutenant, with eyes fixed on the chart, was calmly moving the vessel up and down a narrow tortuous passage which we could distinctly see, by peering over the side of the vessel, for the reefs on either flank of the narrow channel glistened from out the blue-black of the waters.' here is lord charles beresford's own account of the _condor's_ day at alexandria, as briefly given once to an interviewer. 'the _téméraire_ got aground on the northern part of the boghaz pass, so we went down and towed her off. whilst doing so the marabout fort opened fire on the english ships inside the bar. the idea struck me that the _condor_ being small, with low freeboard, might get through the zone of fire and under the fort. it wasn't altogether easy work, for had one shell struck the _condor_ fair and square we should have been sunk to a dead certainty. however, she was easy to handle, and when once we were on the angle of the fort and under it we were all right. my dodge was to throw a couple of missiles into the fort at a time, and then back or fill, as the case might be, so that just when the egyptians thought they had got our right range, the _condor_ was out of the way, and so it went on pretty well all day.[122] the men behaved splendidly,--upon my word, i don't think they have their equals!' for upwards of two hours the _condor_ fought fort marabout, and then the admiral, apparently thinking that she had as much as she could manage, signalled to the _beacon_, another gun-vessel (commander g.w. hand), and the senior officer's ship of the flotilla, for the _bittern_, _cygnet_, and _decoy_ to go to her assistance. the fort, though, had already, by that, been practically subdued. the egyptians had had enough, and soon afterwards ceased firing, although they kept their flag flying until next day, when the officer who is now admiral sir a.k. wilson, v.c., landed, and hauled it down. he presented the colours of marabout to lord charles beresford, in whose possession they are now, together with another trophy of the fight, a fragment of one of the _condor's_ shells which was found to have passed through the magazine of fort marabout, and did not explode until outside. among his most treasured mementos lord charles also preserves the _condor's_ binnacle, as taken from the ship when, some ten or twelve years later, she passed into the shipbreakers' hands at dead man's bay, plymouth sound. in her action with fort marabout the _condor_ expended over nineteen and a half hundredweights of powder (a ton all but fifty-four pounds), and two hundred and one projectiles:--65 rounds of 7-inch shell, 128 64-pounder shells, and eight 7-pounder shells; besides 200 rounds of gatling gun ammunition, 13 war-rockets, and 1000 rounds of martini-henry small-arm ammunition. when the gun-boats had finished their work admiral seymour made the signal of recall, and they returned, passing close to the _invincible_ to their stations. now it was that the celebrated signal to the _condor_ was made. the little vessel was passing the flagship, from on board which the _invincible's_ men were cheering her enthusiastically, when the admiral on the quarter-deck turned to his flag-lieutenant, lieutenant hedworth lambton,--the future captain of the _powerful_ and the man who saved ladysmith,--and said, as if musing to himself, 'i should like to tell them something.' lieutenant lambton made a suggestion, and within less than a minute, the flags went up at the _invincible's_ mast-head making the words, 'well done, _condor_!' that is the story of the _condor_ at alexandria. the day ended for her with covering the landing-party sent ashore at the close of the bombardment to spike the guns of fort mex. * * * * * the story of the _condor_ alone, of all the ships at the bombardment of alexandria, has been told. for one reason or another, what the little gun-boat did in the action appealed specially to people at the time, and attracted universal attention. it was, of course, largely a matter of opportunity--the seizing of an exceptional chance for an effort of individual daring. all at alexandria did well, and the _condor_ had the best of the luck. in fairness, a few words must be also said of others of the ships present on the occasion, and of the part that they individually took in the fighting. in addition to the _condor_, another ship won the honour of a special signal 'well done!' from the admiral--the big _inflexible_, captained on that day by the officer who is now admiral sir john arbuthnot fisher, g.c.b., first sea lord of the admiralty. the _inflexible_ during the earlier part of the engagement was posted outside the reefs off the 'corvette pass' entrance to alexandria harbour, enfilading the lighthouse batteries. 'it is invidious to particularise,' says the _times_ correspondent, who was on board another ship in the fleet, 'but the _inflexible's_ firing to-day was certainly second to none.' describing how the _inflexible_ shifted her position, and at ranges between 3000 and 5000 yards shelled the mex fort with one turret, and the ras-el-tin batteries with the other, the correspondent continues: 'every shell seemed either to burst right over the ras-el-tin works, or to pitch upon the very parapet of the mex fort upon the hill.' it was just after this that admiral seymour signalled, 'well done, _inflexible_!' the _inflexible_ bore the brunt of the firing from the ras-el-tin batteries for three and a half hours, until she had silenced the egyptian guns. after that, with the aid of the _téméraire_, she silenced the lighthouse fort and fort adda, the front of which strongly fortified work her fire is said to have literally blown in. it was on board the _inflexible_ also that the late commander younghusband performed an exploit of great daring--though only characteristic of the man, and of the spirit that has ever existed in the service to which he belonged. in the midst of the fighting the vent of one of the _inflexible's_ 80-ton guns had become choked; with the result that for the time being the gun was completely out of action. lieutenant younghusband (as the gallant officer then was) calmly got inside the gun--a muzzle-loader--and caused himself to be rammed by the hydraulic rammer right up the bore of the gun (a tube 16 inches in diameter) until he reached the powder-chamber, when he managed with his fingers to remedy the defect, all the time at imminent risk of suffocation from the powder gases. when he had done his work, a rope fastened to his feet hauled him back and drew him out of the gun. the _inflexible_ at alexandria had numerous dents made in her armour, and the unarmoured part of the hull was pierced by shot in several places. her most serious injury was from a 10-inch shell, which struck the ship below the water-line outside the central armoured 'citadel,' and, glancing up, passed through her decks, killing one of the men, and mortally wounding lieutenant francis jackson as he was directing the fire of one of the light guns on the superstructure. her due, too, must be given to the 'old _alex_,' as the navy used to call the favourite flagship of the fleet during the closing years of queen victoria's reign. on board the _alexandra_ (captain c.f. hotham) mr. israel harding, the chief gunner of the ship, won the v.c. just at ten o'clock, about three hours after the action began, a 10-inch spherical shell crashed through the _alexandra's_ side, at a part where the ship was unarmoured, and with its fuse burning rolled along the main-deck. with great gallantry and presence of mind, mr. harding, who from below had heard the shout, 'there's a live shell just above the hatchway!' rushed up the ladder, and taking some water from a tub near by, dashed it upon the burning fuse, after which he seized the shell and plunged it bodily into the tub, rendering it harmless. for this act of valour, which undoubtedly saved many lives, mr. harding was deservedly awarded the victoria cross. the shell was presented to his majesty king edward, then prince of wales. it was in the circumstances by no means an inappropriate presentation. the _alexandra_ was so named in honour of her majesty queen alexandra, then princess of wales, who launched the ship on an april day of the year 1875 that chatham is not likely to forget. on the stocks, until a few days before she was sent afloat, the ship had been known as the _superb_, and her re-naming as the _alexandra_ was meant as a special compliment to her royal sponsor, which met with universal applause. it drew forth, among other poetical tributes elsewhere, the following latin verses in the _times_:-the launch of the alexandra fulcra securifera fabri succidite dextra; omen habet primas si bene tangit aquas. dicite--sit felix--proraeque invergite vina; nomen _alexandrae_ dulce _superba_ tulit. nomine mutato, sit et omine fausta secundo; sit sine rivali, nec tamen ipsa ferox. jam neque tormentis opus est, nec triplice lamna, forma tumescentes sola serenat aquas. te capiente capi qui non velit ipse phaselus, 'ferreus, et verè ferreus iste fuit.' h.k. to add to the _éclat_ of the _alexandra's_ launch, the archbishop of canterbury (dr. tait), with the bishop of rochester, conducted the religious service on the occasion--the first time that a religious service of any kind had been used at the launch of a british man-of-war since the reformation. to queen alexandra we owe the restoration of the ancient usage of invoking, at the outset of their existence, the protection of almighty god on the ships by which our homes and our empire are guarded, and also on those who are to man them; and the practice, so instituted, has continued to be observed at the launches of all british men-of-war, ever since the launch of the _alexandra_. the _alexandra_ came out of action after the bombardment of alexandria with twenty-four hits from shot or shell on the hull outside the armour-plating, and with several dents in her armour, one of her funnels damaged, and her rigging a good deal cut about. most of the enemy's shots, fortunately, had been aimed too high.[123] the _invincible_ (captain r.h. more-molyneux), on board which ship sir beauchamp seymour had his flag for the day,--the _alexandra_ was really his flagship, but he had removed into the _invincible_ a short time before because of her lighter draught in order to enter the harbour,--had also numerous dents in her armour near the water-line, and the unarmoured parts of her hull had holes through it in several places. her part in the fighting was for most of the time at anchor off fort mex, and the precision of her firing was enthusiastically applauded by the officers of the american ships who watched it from the offing. it was from the _invincible_ that the landing-party of four officers and twelve men--all volunteers--went off, towards the close of the action, to disable the guns of fort mex. the duty was an extremely dangerous one. there was no means of knowing what troops the enemy might not have under cover close behind the fort. to effect their landing the little party--the officers were lieutenants barton bradford and poore, flag-lieutenant lambton, and major tulloch of the welsh regiment (military staff officer to the admiral)--had to swim through the surf. no opposition, however, met them, and after bursting the guns with charges of gun-cotton the party returned on board without a casualty. less is on record about what took place on board the other ships. all did their duty, and it was not their fault that no chances of special distinction came their way. the _superb_[124] (captain t. le h. warde) was hit badly near the water-line, just above the armour-belt, by a shell that shattered a hole in the hull 10 feet long by 4 feet wide. one shot made a hole, 10 inches across, in the fore part of the ship near one of her torpedo-ports, and another a hole, a foot across, a little aft of her battery; besides which her armour was dented and her foremast shot through. the _sultan_ (captain w.j. hunt-grubbe, c.b., a.d.c.) had an armour-plate on the water-line dented and 'started,' four boats damaged, and one funnel shot through. the _penelope_ (captain st. g.c. d'arcy-irvine) was hulled eight times, and one of her guns had its muzzle chipped. the _téméraire_ and _monarch_ (captains h.f. nicholson and h. fairfax, c.b., a.d.c.)--though the value of the work they did and the way they were handled were second to none--came out of action with little or no damage to report. * * * * * here we break off finally and close the book. alike in our stories of the far-off past and the last story of the nearer past, the men whose names have been mentioned, round whom the incidents related centred, are, after all, only typical of their fellows in the sea service at the present hour. as occasion will prove too, when the time next comes for great britain to stand to her arms once more in defence on the sea of her rights and the honour of the flag against a european foe, the enemy, whosoever he may be, will find the spirit of the cornwallis's and rodneys and faulknors and the gardiners of the older day--to name no other, no more recent names--burning as brightly as of yore in the breasts of those who in that hour will officer and man the war-ships of the british fleet. no wonder england holds dominion o'er the seas- still the red cross shall face the world, while she has men like these! footnotes: [footnote 121: _pictures of many wars_, pp. 177, etc.] [footnote 122: this is very much the way that the late admiral sir w.r. mends, g.c.b., (then a captain) handled the _arethusa_ frigate (now a training-ship in the thames) under sail at the bombardment of odessa on the 22nd of april 1854, to the enthusiastic admiration of the whole fleet.] [footnote 123: the first officer to hoist his flag in the _alexandra_ was the late admiral of the fleet sir geoffrey phipps hornby, g.c.b. she was afterwards the flagship, also in the mediterranean, of the late duke of edinburgh. sir geoffrey hornby hoisted his flag on board on monday, the 15th of january 1877, and the _alexandra_ was his flagship when in the following year, at the most critical moment for europe of the russo-turkish war, sir geoffrey, with a division of the mediterranean fleet, made the passage of the dardanelles. speaking of the close association between the _alexandra_ and the royal lady who so auspiciously sent the splendid battleship afloat, sir geoffrey hornby's biographer, his daughter, mrs. fred. egerton, says: 'h.r.h. was recognised, so to speak, as the patron saint of the ship. her birthday, december 1, became the fête day of the ship; a danish cross, with a garland of oak leaves between the arms of the cross, was adopted as the crest, and a photograph of the princess, presented by her to the officers, received the place of honour in the wardroom.'] [footnote 124: one of lord beaconsfield's 'purchased squadron,' an ironclad built in england for turkey, and bought, with the _belleisle_, _orion_, and _neptune_, at the time of the 'scare' of 1878, during the russo-turkish war, when the crossing of the balkans by the russian armies threatened constantinople and strained the diplomatic relations between great britain and russia almost to breaking-point.] index 'achille,' the, 272 admiral of the red, 281 affleck, commodore, 130 'africa, the,' 277 'agamemnon, the,' 79, 81 aix, 223 'ajax, the' (see under ships) alava, vice-admiral, 245, 268 (note 1) alcester, lord (see seymour, admiral) 'alcide, the' (see under ships) 'alert, the,' 57 alexandra, queen, 307-308 (and note) 'alexandra, the' (see under ships) alexandria, bombardment of, 287-311 'alfred, the,' 86-87 alms, capt. james, 13, 41 'america, the,' 94, 108 'andromache, the' (see under ships) anson, admiral lord george, 12 'anson, the,' 107 antigua, west indies, 54, 56 antilles, the, 101 april 12, day of rodney's victory, 171 (note 1) arabi pasha, 287, 288 'ardent,' the, 141-142, 144 'arethusa, the' (see under ships) 'arrogant, the,' 105 'asia, the,' 177-181 'astrée,' the, 97, 98 atcherley, capt., 265-267 augereau, marshal, 221 'auguste,' the, 67 austin, capt., 39 bacon, john, statue of rodney, 162 badcock, midshipman (vice-admiral w.s. lovell), 247-248 (and note) balchen, admiral, 183 balfour, capt. john, 106 bantry bay, 219 barbados, 54, 56 'barfleur, the' (see under ships) baron, lieut., 27, 38 basque roads, 223, 224 basse terre, guadeloupe, 97 battle formation adopted by nelson, 236 baudoin, capt., 256-259 bay of biscay, 222, 228 bayne, capt., 111 bazin, capt., 259 'beacon, the,' 302 beatson, mr., shipbreaker, 214, 283 beaulieu, marquis de, 69 beaumanoir, de, 140 'bedford, the' (see under ships) bell, moberly, 300 'belle poule,' the, 67 belleisle, 205, 210 'belleisle, the' (see under ships) 'bellerophon, the' (see under ships) 'belliqueux, the' (see under ships) 'bellona, the,' 182, 183 benbow, admiral, 174 'benbow, the,' 45 beresford, lord charles, 198, 287, 289, 290, 294-304 beresina, bridge of the, 195 bertheaume bay, 227 'berwick, the' (see under ships) betisy, vicomte de, 68 'bien venu,' the (see 'undaunted' under ships) 'billy blue,' 205-212 bismarck, prince, 60 blackwall reach, 214 blackwood, capt., 231, 240-241, 243, 274 blair, capt. wm., 107, 111 blake, admiral, 200 'blanche, the,' 197 blane, dr., 76, 100, 101, 119, 120, 121, 126, 128, 129, 137, 138, 149, 155, 159, 160, 168 boghaz pass, alexandria, 301 boscawen, admiral, 202, 217 (note 2) bougainville, louis antoine de, 66, 102, 132, 139, 141, 144, 154 bouillé, marquis de, 73, 98, 158 boulogne, 212, 220, 227 bourayne, ----, 68 'bourgogne,' the, 67, 143, 149 bowen, lieut., 176 'boyne, the' (see under ships) bradford, lieut. barton, 309 brest, 55, 205, 220, 221, 223, 224-225, 226, 227, 228 bridge of the beresina, 195 bridport, lord, 209, 210 (and note) 'britannia, the,' 247 british mediterranean fleet, 288 broke, capt., 170 brown, capt. john, 177-180 bruce, midshipman, 231 'brunswick, the,' 206 'bucentaure,' the (see under ships--french) buckner, capt., 110 burnett, capt., 137 busch, moritz, 60 busigny, capt., 275 byng, admiral, 12, 19 (and note), 21, 202 byng, sir george, 12 byron, capt. geo. anson, 79, 80, 166 byron, john, 79 cadiz, 227, 228, 229, 230, 234, 235, 263, 269, 273, 275, 277, 281 cairo, 288 calder, vice-admiral, 222, 224, 228, 229, 230 caldicot castle, 42 cameron, mr., correspondent of the 'standard,' 293-296 campbell, lieut., 23, 31, 39 campbell, rear-admiral, 220 camperdown, battle of, 13, 41, 170 'canada, the' (see under ships) cape de gata, 15, 34 cape finisterre, 221, 228, 229, 269 (note 1) cape haitien, san domingo, 55, 165 cape palos, 16 cape passano, 12 cape st. mary, 230 cape st. vincent, 107 cape solomon, 82 carkett, lieut., 22, 24, 27-31, 38 carronades or 'smashers,' 75 carthagena, 14-17, 33 caskets, the, 183 casse, du, 174 castellan, de, 67 castlereagh, lord, 218 castries, 74 cawsand bay, 220, 223 'centaur, the' (see under ships) 'césar,' the (see under ships--french) ceuta, 15 champmartin, de, 68 charette, de la, 67, 143 charles i., 199-200 charles ii., 11 charrington, capt. nicholas, 128 chatham, 11, 307 cherbourg bay, 201 chesapeake campaign, 63 'chesapeake, the,' 169 choissat, sergeant, 120 cibber, colley, 37 cibon, comte de, 69 cisneros, rear-admiral don b. hidalgo, 268 (note 2) clarke, capt., 12 clearing for action, 232 clochetterie, sieur de la, 67, 102 clue, admiral de la, 15-16, 33, 217 (note 2) cobb, g. wheatley, 42 cochet, p., 40 collingwood, admiral, 202, 212, 224, 228, 229-230, 239, 245, 247, 255, 268 (note 1), 274-275, 278 'collingwood, the,' 10 'colossus, the,' 263 colours captured, fate of, 196, 278 combined fleet, the, 234 'condor, the' (see under ships) 'conqueror, the' (see under ships) contamine, general de, 266, 267 cornwallis, hon. wm. ('billy blue'), 77, 128, 144-145, 199, 203, 205-212, 220, 221, 225, 226 'cornwallis's retreat,' 203-211 'cornwallis, the,' 212 corvette pass, alexandria, 304 cotton, capt., 210 couch, lieut., 265 'courageux,' the, 183 'couronne,' the, 119, 144-145 cranstoun, capt. lord, 77, 100, 150-151, 166, 210 crillon, de, 58 'culloden, the,' 16 cumby, w. price, 239 'cygnet, the,' 302 d'aigalliers, brueys, 68 dardanelles, the, 308 dashwood, sir charles, 122-126, 170 'dauphin royal,' the, 104 dead man's bay, plymouth sound, 303 'decoy, the,' 302 decrès, bruix, 68 decrès, admiral denis, 68, 135-136 'defiance, the,' 274, 277 demerara, 54 d'escars, baron, 67, 137 diablotin, the, 101 'diadème,' the, 122, 126, 127 diamond rock, 82 'didon,' the, 229 (note 1) dominica (see under west indies) douarnenez bay, 225 douglas, sir charles, 75, 77, 82, 93, 99, 100, 105, 106, 112, 122-125, 149, 150, 160 douglas, sir howard, 124 drake, rear-admiral francis samuel, 76, 85, 88, 89, 101, 106, 108 drouet, postmaster, 73 'duguay trouin,' the ('implacable'), 269 (note 1) 'duke, the' (see under ships) dumanoir, rear-admiral, 268-269 (note 1), 270, 273 dumaresq, capt., 128 duncan, admiral, 170, 236 (note 1) dupotet, lieut., 252 eaton, signal midshipman, 243 edinburgh, duke of, 308 (note) edward, king, 198, 307 egerton, mrs. fred, 309 (note) egyptian government, diplomacy of arabi pasha and result of, 287-289 eliott, gen., 58 ellis, gen., 238 (note 1) emeriau, ----, 68 'england expects that every man will do his duty,' 243 'euryalus, the' (see under ships) 'eveillé,' the, 119 'evelyn's diary,' quoted, 200 fairfax, capt. h., 310-311 'fame, the,' 107 fanshawe, capt., 41, 116, 128 faulknor family, 182-183 faulknor, commander robert, 177-197 ferrol, 228, 229 (note 1) 'fighting téméraire' (see 'téméraire' under ships) fisher, admiral sir john arbuthnot, 304 fitzgerald, capt., 210 fontenoy, 58 'formidable, the' (see under ships) fort adda, alexandria, 305 fort bourbon, martinique, 174-197 fort louis, martinique, 175-189, 193, 194 fort marabout, alexandria, 296-303 fort mex, alexandria, 294, 296, 298, 304, 305, 309 fort rodney, 80 fort royal, martinique (see under west indies) 'foudroyant,' the, 12, 14-42 'fougueux,' the (see under ships--french) 'four days' fight,' 200 france, part taken _re_ egypt, 288, 289; french army, 73; napoleon's grand army, 195, 220, 222, 227; régiment de touraine, 188; régiment de maréchal turenne, 195; french fleet, 71-72; french officers of the fleet, 65-70 froude, j.a., quoted, 52 galvez, don bernardo, 56 gardeur de tilly, le, 68, 119 gardiner, capt. arthur, 19-41 gardner, capt. alan, 111-112, 127 'gentleman's magazine,' 40 gibraltar, 12, 14, 16, 33, 35, 36, 58, 159, 228, 229, 231, 277 glandevés, de, 136 'glorieux,' the (see under ships--french) 'glorious first of june,' 202, 207 gower, capt., 210 grand army, napoleon's, 195, 220, 222, 227 'graphic, the,' mr. villiers correspondent of, 289-290 grasse, admiral de, 53-72, 79, 81-152 157, 160-161, 163-164, 166, 169, 174 grasse, vicomte de, 68 gravina, admiral, 268, 273 'great harry, the,' 199 greenwich, 214-215 grey, capt. george, 178, 179 gribeauval guns, 72 grimaldi, ----, 68 gros islet bay (see under west indies) grubbe, capt. w.j. hunt, 310 guadeloupe, 84, 85, 90, 95, 97 hammick, stephen, 38 'hampton court, the' (see under ships) hand, commander g.w., 302 harding, israel, 306-307 hardy, capt., 241, 274 harvey, capt. eliab, 218; trafalgar day, 241-242, 248, 250-263, 269, 274, 275, 277; promotion of, 281; death of, 282 hawke, admiral lord, 12, 50-51 'hector,' the (see under ships--french) 'helicon, the,' 292 hempstead church, 218 'hercule,' the, 67 'hercules, the,' 108-110 'héros,' the, 279 hill, lieut., 90 hill, second lieut., 190 hood, sir samuel, 76, 77, 81, 82, 85-90, 94, 102, 130-131, 134, 143, 146-148, 152, 158, 161-162 hornby, admiral sir geoffrey phipps, 308 (note) hoste, paul, 236 hotham, capt. c.f., 306 howe, admiral lord, 159, 202, 207 hyéres bay, 282 'implacable, the' ('duguay trouin'), 269 (note 1) indret, foundries of, 72 infernet, capt., 280 'inflexible, the' (see under ships) inglis, capt., 128, 129 'intrépide,' the, 280 'invincible, the' (see under ships) irvine, capt. st. g.c. d'arcy, 310 jackson, lieut. francis, 306 jamaica, 54, 55, 158, 162 james, duke of york, 12, 200 jena, 237 jervis, vice-admiral sir john, 174, 176, 178, 191-193 joint control agreement (egypt), 288 joyeuse, admiral villaret, 209 (and note) 'jupiter, the,' 165, 167 kennedy, lieut. thomas fortescue, 257, 259, 283 kent, duke of, 195-196 kerlessi, trogoff de, 137 khedive, the, 288 king, commodore, 59 'king's letter boys,' 64 kingston, lieut., 275 kipling, rudyard, quoted, 4 knight, admiral sir joseph, 149 knight, capt., 149-150 labat, père, 69 ladysmith, 303 lagos, 217 (note 2) la hogue, battle of, 12, 183, 201, 236 lambton, lieut. hedworth, 303, 309 langara, 107 'languedoc,' the, 41, 144, 146 larmour, acting-capt., 281 la ruelle, foundries of, 72 lascaris, ----, 68 'launch of the alexandra,' 307 lauzun, de, 68 l'hermitte, 68 lighthouse fort, alexandria, 304, 305 'l'orphée,' 21, 33 lostwithiel, cornwall, 36 'louisa, the,' 20 (note) louisbourg, cape breton, 14 lovel, vice-admiral wm. stanhope, 240 (note 1) lucas, capt., 246-247, 251-254, 260-261 macmahon, ----, 68 macteigne, macarty, 143 'magnanime,' the, 92 'magnificent, the' (see under ships) 'magnifique,' the, 143 magon, ----, 68 mahan, capt., quoted, 212, 221 maidstone, 36 majastre, de castellane, 68, 143 majendie, flag-captain, 264, 266-268 malaga, 12 manners, lord robert, 77, 110-111 marigny, bernard, comte de, 138, 155 marigny, charles réné louis, vicomte de, 142 'marlborough, the' (see under ships) 'mars, the' (see under ships) martinique, 173-197 matthews, admiral, 19-20 (note) mends, admiral sir w.r., 302 (note) menneville, marquis de quesne, 16, 23-31, 35-36 metz, 73 minorca, 19 'minotaur, the,' 273 molyneux, capt. r.h. more, 309 mona passage, 162 'monarch, the' (see under ships) moncrieff disappearing system, 290 monk, gen., 200 monmouth, duke of, 11 'monmouth, the' (see under ships) 'montague, the,' 17, 169 monteclerc, de, 67 montesquieu, ----, 68 montserrat, 54 morlaix, 278 morne du diamant, 82 morogues, de, 236 mortemart, de, 68, 136 m.p. navy captains, 218-219 'namur, the' (see under ships) napoleon, 170, 195, 204, 212, 219, 220, 222, 261, 278, 282 'naval chronicle,' quoted, 186-187, 220, 224, 226 naval exhibition, chelsea, 274 neale, george, 170 nelson, lord, 202, 212, 214, 221, 228, 230; trafalgar day, 231-270; death of, 270, 273-274, 278, 281, 285 'neptune, the' (see ships--british and french) 'neptuno,' the, 273 nevis, 54, 73 newbolt, henry, 50 ney, marshal, 227, 237 nicholson, capt. h.f., 310 nicolas, lieut. p. harris, 243 'nonsuch, the,' 106 northesk, lord, 247 nugent, capt., 188 oades, mr., 275 odessa, bombardment of, 302 (note) oléron, 223 order of malta, 64 'orion, the,' 247 osborn, admiral, 15-16, 23, 33, 36 paget, ----, 100 'pallas, the,' 206 paul, capt., 138 pavillon, du, 99 pearce, ----, 231 pellew, sir edward, 266 pellew, capt. israel, 265, 266, 267 'penelope, the' (see under ships) penny, capt. taylor, 103, 104 'pepys's diary,' quoted, 11 (and note) pérouse, la, 68, 97 'phaeton, the' (see under ships) 'phoenix, the,' 229 'pickle, the,' 278 (note 1) pigeon island, 74, 79, 80, 81 pigot, admiral, 165, 166, 167, 169 'pique,' the, 197 pitons, the, or 'sugar loaves,' 60-62 pitts, midshipman john, 275 'pluton,' the, 143 plymouth, 166, 167, 219, 227, 282 point du cap, 81 polignac, gabrielle yolande de, 67 porchester castle, 35 port royal, 162, 163 port said, 28 portsmouth, 202, 220, 280-281 'powerful, the,' 303 prigny, second capt., 266-268 'prince george, the,' 74, 107 prince rupert's bay, 84, 95 'princessa, the,' 106 'prince william, the,' 130, 141 'prothée, the,' 110 'quarterly review,' quoted, 167 'queen, the,' 278 quiberon bay, 50 ramatuelle, 236 'ramillies, the,' 19 (note), 149 ras-el-tin battery, alexandria, 290, 305 'redoutable,' the (see under ships--french) religious service at launches of men-of-war, 308 rennes, 280 'repulse, the,' 128 'resolution, the' (see under ships) 'revenge, 'the' (see under ships) reynolds, capt., 77 'richmond,' the, 135, 136 rions, comte d'albert de, 67, 143 riou, capt., 188 robinson, rear-admiral hercules, 231, 266 (note) rochambeau, gen., 174, 194 rochefort, 221, 223, 225 rochefoucauld, de, 68 rochester, bishop of, 308 rodney, admiral, statue of, in jamaica, 162; battle against the french in west indies, 41, 52-60, 76, 78-165, 171; treatment of, by whig government, 165-169 rodney, lady, 168 rooke, admiral sir george, 12, 202 rotherhithe, 214, 284 'royal george, the' (see under ships) royal naval club of 1765 and 1785, 203 'royal oak, the' (see under ships) 'royal sovereign, the' ('cornwallis's retreat') (see under ships) royal united service institution, 212 rüchel, gen., 237 rupert, prince, 12, 200 ruskin, quoted, 214, 216, 285-286 'russell, the' (see under ships) ruyter, admiral, 12, 200 sables d'olonne, 223 saffron walden, 218 'st. albans, the' (see under ships) saint césaire, de, 68 st. cloud, 261 st. eustatius, 73, 161 'st. george, the,' 16 st. helens, 280 'st. james's day fight,' 200 st. kitts (see under west indies) st. lucia, 52, 54, 56 st. paul's, french and spanish ensigns in, 196, 278; tombs of trafalgar heroes, 280 st. paul's, rotherhithe, 285 st. pierre, 81 saints, the (see under west indies) st. simon, ----, 68 st. vincent, earl (see jervis, sir john) san domingo, 55, 56, 162 sandwich, lord, 53 san lucar, 277 'sans pareil, the' (see under ships) 'santa ana,' the (see under ships--spanish) 'santisima trinidad,' the (see under ships--spanish) saumarez, capt. james, 107, 145 savage, capt. henry, 108 'sceptre,' the, 119-120, 144 schetky, john christian, 281 ségur, de, ----, 68 serpents, 62 servaux, capt. pierre, 258 (note 1) seven years' war, 202 sévigné, de, ----, 68 seymour, admiral sir beauchamp, 288-289, 291 'shannon, the,' 169, 170 sharks, 133-134, 155-156 sheerness, 214, 282 ships- british- africa, 277 agamemnon, 79, 81 ajax, 76, 128, 130, 238 alcide, 106, 140, 141 alert, 57 alexandra (superb), 289, 293, 306-308, 309 alfred, 86-87 america, 94, 108 andromache, 79, 138, 166 anson, 107 arethusa, 67; modern, 302 (note) arrogant, 105 asia, 177-181 barfleur, 74, 82, 89, 107, 131, 134, 143-148, 149, 150 beacon, 302 bedford, 130, 131, 138 belleisle, 242-243, 255, 272 bellerophon, 171, 206, 207, 210, 239, 244-245 belliqueux, 98, 141 bellona, 182, 183 benbow, 45 berwick, 17, 21, 33 bittern, 302 blanche, 197 boyne, 176, 179, 191, 192 britannia, 247 british fleet compared with french, 161 brunswick, 206 canada, 77, 128, 129, 140, 141,144-145, 212 (note) centaur, 98, 138, 155 collingwood, 10 colossus, 263 condor, 287, 289, 290, 294-304 conqueror, 106, 264, 265-267 cornwallis, 212 culloden, 16 cygnet, 302 decoy, 302 defiance, 274, 277 duke, 74, 111-112, 113, 120, 127, 146 euryalus, 231, 240, 274, 278 fame, 107 formidable, modern, 44-49, 51; rodney's, 52, 53, 54, 56, 74, 76, 78, 80, 81, 82, 84, 89, 90, 98, 99, 102, 104, 105, 106, 112-125, 126, 127, 128, 131, 143, 148, 149, 159, 160, 169-171 gibraltar, 16, 36 great harry, 199 hampton court, 17, 18, 22, 24, 26, 31, 33 helicon, 292 hercules, 108-110 implacable (duguay trouin), 269 (note 1) inflexible, 4, 45; modern, 285, 292, 304-306 invincible, 289, 293, 294, 296, 303, 309 jupiter, 165, 167 louisa, 20 (note) magnificent, 79, 81, 130 marlborough, 103-105, 131 mars, 206, 208, 255, 263 minotaur, 273 modern cruiser, details of construction, etc., 1-10 monarch, 17, 77, 98, 138, 160; modern, 289, 296, 310-311 monmouths, the, 1-41; 'gardiner's monmouth,' 12, 13-41 montague, 17, 169 naming of, 43-44, 49-50, 52, 171 namur, 54, 74, 116, 128, 160 neptune, 239-240, 247 nonsuch, 106 orion, 247 pallas, 206 penelope, 289, 296, 310 phaeton, 206, 209, 210 phoenix, 229 pickle, 278 (note 1) powerful, 303 prince george, 74, 107 prince william, 130, 141 princessa, 106 prothée, 110 queen, 278 ramillies, 19 (note), 149 repulse, 128 resolution, 77, 110, 111 revenge, 17, 21, 33 royal george, 10, 19, 24, 35, 72 royal oak, 131, 137, 160 royal sovereign, 199-202; 'cornwallis's retreat,' 203, 205-211, 243-244, 245, 247, 263, 268 (note 1), 272, 274 russell, 60, 107, 108, 145 st. albans, 84, 128, 129 st. george, 16 sans pareil, 45 shannon, 169, 170 sirius, 263, 269, 276, 277 spartiate, 244, 273 sultan, 289, 310 superb, 289, 310 swiftsure, 17, 18, 22, 24, 26, 29, 33, 276 téméraire, 217 (note 2); 'fighting téméraire,' 213, 217-220, 222, 223-224, 227, 232; trafalgar day, 233, 239-242, 243, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249-278, 280-286; turner's picture of, 214-217; modern téméraire, 289, 294, 301, 305, 310-311 tonnant, 242-243 torbay, 107 trident, 20 (note) triumph, 206, 208 undaunted (bien venu), 191-193; various, 198 valiant 84, 98 victoria, 45 victory, 183; nelson's 'victory,' 10, 48, 72, 183, 214; trafalgar day, 232, 239, 240-242, 243, 245, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 254, 256, 260, 262, 270, 273, 274, 278, 280 warrior, 6, 10 zebra, 177-198 french- achille, 272 ardent, 141-142, 144 astrée, 97, 98 auguste, 67 belle poule, 67 bien venu, afterwards undaunted, 191-193 bourgogne, 67, 143, 149 bucentaure, 246, 248, 249, 255, 263-268, 272 césar, 131, 135, 138, 142, 154-157, 158 courageux, 183 couronne, 119, 144-145 dauphin royal, 104 diadème, 122, 126-127 didon, 229 (note 1) duguay trouin (implacable), 269 (note 1) eveillé, 119 fleet, 71-72, 161; de grasse's fleet, 62-63 foudroyant, 12, 14-42 fougueux, 243, 255-260, 270, 275 glorieux, 67, 120-129, 135-138, 165 hector, 67, 131, 135, 139, 140, 144 hercule, 67 héros, 279 intrépide, 280 languedoc, 41, 144, 146 l'orphée, 21, 33 magnanime, 92 magnifique, 143 marseillais, 143 neptune, 249, 250, 251, 255, 256, 257, 261-262, 273 pique, 197 pluton, 143 redoutable, 246, 249, 250-261, 270, 275-276 richmond, 135, 136 sceptre, 119-120, 144 soleil royal, 201 souverain, 136 triomphante, 143, 161 ville de paris, 72, 97, 98, 99, 102, 108, 109, 116-119, 132, 133, 134, 139, 142-152, 154, 158, 160, 162, 164-165, 169 zélé, 92, 97, 98 spanish- neptuno, 273 santa ana, 245, 255, 263, 268 (note 1) santisima trinidad, 239, 248, 249, 250, 264, 272 shoeburyness, 45 shovel, sir cloudesley, 202 signals used by nelson on trafalgar day, 232 'sirius, the' (see under ships) solebay, battle of, 12, 200 'soleil royal,' the, 201 soper, ----, 231 soudan, the, 293 soult, marshal, 46, 227, 281 'souverain,' the, 136 spain and france in the west indies, 55-56 spanish fleet combined with french (see trafalgar day) 'spartiate, the,' 244, 273 spithead, 142, 280 'standard, the,' mr. cameron, correspondent of, 293 stanfield, clarkson, 214-215 stephens, ----, 169 stopford, capt., 210 strachan, sir richard, 269 (note 1) suez canal, 288 suffren, bailli de, 13, 58-59, 67, 279 sultan, the, 288 'sultan, the,' 289, 310 'swiftsure, the' (see under ships) symonds, capt., 99, 100 'superb, the,' 289, 310 table bay, 59 tait, dr., archbishop of canterbury, 308 talleyrand, ----, 68 'tars of the tyne,' 202 'téméraire, the' (see under ships) thompson, capt., 108 thomson, capt. charles, 106 'times, the,' correspondent of, 269 (note 1), 304, 307 tiverton, 269 (note 1) 'tonnant, the,' 242-243 torbay, 225, 227 'torbay, the,' 107 toulon, 14, 15, 221, 282 toohig, john, 254 tourelles, m. de, 178-179 tourville, de, 68, 236 trafalgar, 213, 229, 230; trafalgar day, 231-285; trafalgar relics, 284 'trident, the,' 20 (note) 'triomphante,' the, 143, 161 'triumph, the,' 206, 208 tromp, admiral, 200 troude, ----, 68 trou gascon, 74 truscott, capt., 106 tryon, sir george, 198 tulloch, major, 309 turner, j.m.w., picture of the 'téméraire,' 214-217, 283 tyler, capt., 242 'undaunted, the' (see under ships) upnor castle, 12 ushant island, 53, 221, 225 'valiant, the,' 84, 98 varennes, 73 vashon, capt., 57, 118 vaudreuil, comte de, 67, 144 vaudreuil, marquis de, 65-66, 85-90, 119, 132, 139, 143, 146, 149, 154, 161, 164 vaugiraud, comte de, 67 versailles, 73 vicomté, de la, 67, 140 victoria, queen, 202 'victoria, the,' 45 'victory, the' (see under ships) vigo galleons, 12, 202 'ville de paris,' the (see under ships--french) villeneuve, admiral, 227, 228, 229 (and note 1); trafalgar day, 234-237, 246, 249, 263-268; death of, 278-280 villiers, frederic, 289-292, 297-299, 300-301 wallace, sir james, 77 wallace, lieut. john, 260 wallis, sir provo, 170 walter, lucy, 11 warde, capt. t. le h., 310 'warrior, the,' 6, 10 'well done, condor!' 303 'well done, inflexible!' 305 'western squadron,' 219 west indies- antigua, 54, 56 antilles, the, 101 barbados, 54, 56 basse terre, guadeloupe, 97 british possessions, 53 cape haitien, 55, 165 cape solomon, 82 castries, 74 demerara, 54 diablotin, the, 101 diamond rock, 82 dominica, 73, 84, 85, 95, 101, 161 fort bourbon, 174-197 fort louis, 175-189, 193, 194 fort rodney, 80 fort royal bay, 53, 54, 56, 57, 72, 79, 80, 81, 82, 174-197 gros islet bay, 52, 53, 54, 60, 74, 78, 165 guadeloupe, 84, 85, 90, 95, 97 jamaica, 54, 55, 158, 162 martinique, 173-197 mona passage, 162 montserrat, 54 morne du diamant, 82 nevis, 54, 73 pigeon island, 74, 79, 80, 81 point du cap, 81 port royal, 162, 163 prince rupert's bay, 84, 95 st. eustatius, 73, 161 st. kitts, 54, 57, 73, 161 st. lucia, 52, 54, 56 st. pierre, 81 saints, the, 90, 91, 95, 96, 100, 174 san domingo, 55, 56, 162 trou gascon, 74 whitby, capt., 210 willaumez, ----, 68 william iii., 200 williams, capt., 107 wilson, admiral sir a.k., 302 winzar, david, 38 'woolwich infants,' 45 wraxall, sir nathaniel, 151; 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