"But if a happy shot were to knock either of our superiors on the head, I should obtain the rank I merit," replied the mate. "For that matter, I've seen service enough and done deeds sufficient to deserve being made a commander or post-captain."

"Long life to you, Captain Crowhurst!" exclaimed Gerald. "If I was a Lord of the Admiralty I'd promote you to-day and superannuate you to-morrow. I don't suppose the service would be greatly the loser."

"That youngster requires a cobbing," said Beater, who perceived what the other did not, that Gerald was laughing at him; and he pulled out his cob, prepared to inflict condign punishment.

"Now don't, till the action's over," said Gerald, getting ready to make his exit from the berth; "then, if the enemy's shot hasn't taken either of our heads off, you'll be welcome to do what you like--if you can catch me--and I don't intend that you should do that same just now;" and Gerald sprang through the doorway out of reach of the irate old mate.

The other members of the berth talked over the probabilities of the expected fight. One and all were ready enough for it, especially two or three who had never yet seen a shot fired in anger; they having but little conception of what the result of a hard-fought action would be, even should they prove victorious.

As soon as the _Champion_ got within signalling distance of the commodore, Captain Olding reported three sail of the enemy in sight.

On this the _Thisbe_ hoisted a signal to the _Druid_ to join her, while the merchant vessels were directed to keep together and to stand on as they were steering. The three men-of-war now hauled up a little, the sooner to meet the enemy, the _Champion_ being to windward of the frigates.

"Old Blowhard expects that the enemy will take us for the advanced frigates of a large fleet, and will probably think it wiser to keep out of our way than to come nearer," observed Captain Olding to his first lieutenant, "Though we should beat them, we should gain but little by an action."

"I agree with you, sir. I never fancied fighting for barren glory, I confess," said Mr Tarwig; "and as our first duty is to defend our convoy, I conclude that the commodore will be satisfied if we can beat off the enemy."

"We may hope to do that, even though the _Champion_ will be somewhat overmatched; but I can trust to the ship's company to do their duty,"

said the captain, in a firm tone. "Clear the ship for action, Mr Tarwig."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered the first lieutenant, giving the necessary orders. Lieutenant Foley and the other officers set about carrying them out with alacrity. He was glad to be actively employed, for many anxious thoughts oppressed his mind. He could not conceal from himself the fearful odds to which they were exposed, and what might possibly be the issue of the approaching conflict. One of the enemy was certainly greatly superior in force to the _Champion_, and the other two French ships might be much larger than the _Thisbe_ and _Druid_. Even should their own ships be disabled, though not captured, many of the merchant fleet might fall a prey to the Frenchmen, and the _Ouzel Galley_ might possibly be among the number. What then would be the fate of Ellen and her father? It was of the greatest importance to Mr Ferris to reach Jamaica without delay, and instead of that he might very likely be carried to France, or detained as a prisoner in one of the French West India islands; while Ellen must be exposed to much annoyance and suffering. He himself had no coward fears for his own life; but he knew full well, should he fall, the grief and anguish it would cause her.

All such thoughts were, however, put to flight as the two squadrons approached each other, the _Thisbe_ leading and the _Champion_, according to orders received from the commodore, bringing up the rear.

Old Blowhard's object was to disable one of the French frigates before he attacked the other two, so that she might become a more equal antagonist for the _Champion_. As the squadrons approached, it was seen that each of the French frigates carried more guns than the _Thisbe_ and _Druid_, and nearly twice as many as the _Champion_. Old Blowhard, however, nothing daunted, stood on, firm to his purpose of attacking the enemy and leaving the convoy time to escape. The leading French frigate was a considerable way ahead of her consorts; on seeing the determined bearing of the English, she shortened sail, while they spread all the canvas they could to come up with her--the _Thisbe_ carrying all she could set, in order to attack her before they could accomplish their object. Just as the _Thisbe_ brought the enemy on her lee bow, the commodore threw out a signal to the _Druid_ to keep away and to rake the French frigate, while he poured his whole broadside into her. He also ordered the _Champion_ to imitate his example, and then to come about and fire her larboard broadside. The French captain might, of course, defeat these various manoeuvres by either keeping away or hauling his wind.

Every person on board was watching anxiously to see what he would do.

No moments in a seaman's life are so intensely exciting as those when, before a shot is fired, his ship is standing into action. The wind was moderate, the sky of a cerulean hue, and the sea tolerably calm, the rays of the sun glittering on the snowy crests of the waves. The looked-for moment at length arrived. The _Thisbe's_ foremost gun broke the deep silence which had hitherto reigned over the ocean. It was rapidly followed by her broadside guns, to which the Frenchman replied with spirit. The _Druid_, suddenly putting up her helm, fired the whole of her larboard broadside into the Frenchman's bows, then again luffing up in time to fire her starboard guns, trained well aft, before the _Champion_ got into a position by which she might suffer from their shot. The corvette now stood in to action, running so close to her large antagonist that their respective yardarms almost touched, most of the shot from the French frigate's upper deck going harmlessly over her, though she suffered considerably from those of the main-deck. Her rigging, however, escaping much damage, she was able to haul her wind and come about. Notwithstanding the severe punishment she was receiving, the French frigate gave no signs of surrendering.

"We can tackle her now, I think, by ourselves," observed Captain Olding to his first lieutenant. The commodore, however, had no intention of allowing his small consort to do that. His first broadside had cut away many of the braces of the French ship, and severely wounded her mainyard. He now, consequently, having come about, was able to range up on her starboard quarter directly after the _Champion_ had pa.s.sed on.

Again pouring in his broadside, he shot away the French frigate's mizen-mast, which came crashing down on deck. Shouts rose from the decks of the English ships as what had occurred was seen. Both the English frigates had now to engage the two Frenchmen--one following the other, they were quickly exchanging broadsides. The _Thisbe_ then addressed herself especially to the second French frigate, while the _Druid_ took the third in hand, the commodore ordering the _Champion_ to continue her attack on the first till he could come to her a.s.sistance.

All three of the English ships had by this time lost a number of men, though they had inflicted still greater damage on the French frigates.

Captain Olding fought the corvette bravely, manoeuvring to keep ahead of his antagonist. The great object had already been gained, the escape of the merchant fleet, the topgallantsails of the rearmost vessels of which had long since disappeared beneath the horizon. Though the _Champion's_ rigging remained uninjured, with the exception of a brace or two cut through, she had received some severe damages in her hull. Three men had been killed, and six, including her gunner, wounded.

"We are succeeding better than might have been expected, Tarwig,"

observed Captain Olding. "If we can't make this fellow strike, we can keep him from running away or joining his consorts. See, there goes the _Druid's_ mainmast, and there comes her foremast. Blowhard must take care not to have both the enemy on him at once, or he may fare no better."

For a few minutes it was difficult to see what the four ships were about, so close were they together, and enveloped in smoke; for the fall of the English frigate's masts had encouraged the Frenchmen (whose fire had somewhat slackened) to fresh exertions, and their fire was renewed with greater vigour than before. Lieutenant Foley turned his eye towards them, for it was very evident that the corvette, unless she could knock away another of her antagonist's masts, was not likely to gain the victory. He anxiously looked for the commodore's promised a.s.sistance. Presently, one of the combatants was seen issuing from the smoke, followed closely by the other, and standing towards the corvette.

Unless she could make good her escape, her capture or destruction was scarcely problematical. The _Thisbe_ was following, firing her guns as they could be brought to bear; but she could not arrive in time to save the corvette. Captain Olding had no intention of deserting his consorts; he hauled up, therefore, to the southward in order to tack and stand down towards the _Druid_. He now saw that the hulls of the French frigates were sorely battered. One of them threw out signals, when their leading frigate, coming round on the starboard tack, made all sail to the northward, as did both the others, apparently having had enough of fighting. The commodore now signalled to the _Champion_ to stand after the convoy, and he himself was soon afterwards seen following, having sent a party of his hand on board the _Druid_ to a.s.sist her in repairing damages.

CHAPTER TEN.

THE CHAMPION STEERS AFTER THE MERCHANTMEN--THE MERCHANTMEN SIGHTED-- SHOTS HEARD--TWO VESSELS SEEN ENGAGED--THE CHAMPION RUNS ALONGSIDE THE OUZEL GALLEY--HER CREW DRIVES BACK THE PIRATES--SHE GOES IN CHASE OF THE PIRATE--NORMAN AND GERALD LEFT ON BOARD THE OUZEL GALLEY--DAMAGES REPAIRED--PROCEED ON TO JAMAICA--TWO FRESH FOES SIGHTED--THE CHAMPION ENGAGES THEM--THE THISBE AND DRUID APPEAR--THE ENEMY FLIES--THE CONVOY ENTERS PORT ROYAL HARBOUR--GERALD RETURNS ON BOARD THE CHAMPION--HIS ANNOUNCEMENT DISAPPOINTS CROWHURST--LIEUTENANT FOLEY AT EAST MOUNT-- ELLEN AND HER FATHER GO TO BELLEVUE.

The _Champion_, under all sail, ran on to overtake the convoy and announce the satisfactory intelligence that the enemy, severely shattered, had been beaten off. A look-out was kept from the mast-head, but as yet no sail were in sight, and as the sun was sinking low, there was no hope of coming up with them before dark. Still, it was possible that the corvette might do so before the next morning. By that time they would be approaching the Bahama or Windward Channel, a short way to the southward of Saint Salvador, as the Spaniards called it, or Cat Island, as it was named by the English buccaneers--the first land belonging to America discovered by Columbus on his voyage in search of the Indies.

"They are not likely to attempt running through the pa.s.sage without waiting for our convoy," observed the first lieutenant to Norman Foley.

"Besides the French, the Bahamas still swarm with picarooning rascals, who are ever on the look-out for merchant craft, and would not scruple to lay aboard any they fancy they can overcome."

"Even the most daring would scarcely venture, I hope, to attack a fleet among which are so many armed vessels, well able either to defend themselves or to retaliate on an intruder," answered Lieutenant Foley, whose thoughts immediately flew to the _Ouzel Galley_.

"They would run the chance of getting off scot free in the confusion their sudden appearance would make," said Mr Tarwig. "There is no exploit, however hazardous, they would not undertake with the chance of obtaining a good booty. I took part in the capture of several notorious pirates a few years ago. One fellow blew up his ship rather than surrender, and all died hardened villains, as they had lived."

"The greater need for us to overtake our friends without delay,"

answered the second lieutenant, who shortly afterwards went forward to take a look through his night-gla.s.s, in the hope of distinguishing some of the lights which the merchant vessels had been directed to hang over the sterns. In vain, however, he swept the horizon with his telescope; had the lights been there, he must have seen them. The commander was almost as anxious as the second lieutenant to overtake the fleet of merchantmen, though he was influenced simply by the desire to do his duty. The watch below had turned in, but most of the officers kept the deck; even old Crowhurst was continually on the forecastle in the hope of seeing the looked-for lights.

"I fancied that they would have shortened sail and waited for our coming," said Gerald. "What can have induced them to run on?"

"The fear that the Frenchmen would thrash us and overtake them,"

answered old Beater; "they judge of us by themselves."

"There are as brave fellows in the merchant service as in the Royal Navy," said Gerald, who was piqued at the old mate's remark. "When I was on board the _Ouzel Galley_, we held out as long as any ship of war of similar force would have done. Depend on it, had the merchant vessels been allowed, they would have come to our a.s.sistance if we had wanted them."

"A pretty pa.s.s we should have come to, to require their aid," exclaimed Crowhurst, in a scornful tone.

"We may require it some day, and you'd be the first to shout for help,"

answered Gerald. "I took a fancy to the navy, but I'm not going to stand by and hear the merchant service abused."

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo! What dunghill have you got to the top of, youngster?" cried the old mate.

"One from which I can crow as loud as you do," said Gerald--at which a chuckle was heard from several of the men standing within earshot.

Crowhurst's anger was rising; he was considering what punishment he should inflict on the audacious youngster, when the cry was heard of "A light ahead!" and presently afterwards several others were seen. There could be little doubt, from their position, that they were shown by merchant vessels, though the darkness prevented the vessels themselves from being distinguished. A sharp look-out was kept that the corvette might not run foul of any stragglers who were neglecting to show their lights. Presently the sound of a shot was heard, followed by several others coming up faintly against the wind.

"Those sounds come from the north-west," observed the master.

"One of the merchantmen on sh.o.r.e, I fear," said the commander.

"Those guns we hear are nearer to us than any land. The leading vessels are not up to Atwood Quay yet," answered the master. "Depend on it, some of the convoy are attacked and are defending themselves."

"Let us hope that they may do so successfully till we can get up to a.s.sist them, and turn the tables on the Frenchmen," answered the commander.

"Little doubt about our doing that," said the master. "Judging by the reports, the enemy's ship is not a heavy one--a brig or sloop at the most--or she may be one of those picarooning craft often found cruising in these seas."

The last remark was heard by Norman Foley, who had just then joined the speakers. An indefinite apprehension seized him that the _Ouzel Galley_ might be the vessel engaged, but from what Ellen had told him he felt sure that Captain Ma.s.sey, if attacked, would not yield as long as he could keep his ship afloat. The breeze, which had fallen light at sundown, now freshened up, and the corvette made good way through the water. At length the rearmost merchantman was overtaken. Commander Olding hailed, and her master, in reply, gave her name.

"What do those guns mean?" asked Captain Olding.

"Can't say, sir," was the answer.

"Whereabouts in the fleet is the _Ouzel Galley_?" inquired Norman Foley.

"She was among the leading vessels at sundown, and to the northward of most of them," answered the master. Before any other questions could be put or replies received, the _Champion_ glided by the slow-sailing merchant ship. Several other vessels were pa.s.sed, generally too far off for any exchange of words. Now even the flashes of the guns could be seen, and the exact position of the combatants observed. They were but a short distance from each other, one to the northward, hanging on the quarter of the other. The drum beat to quarters, and the watch below came tumbling up on deck, hurrying to the guns. It was impossible in the darkness to distinguish the nationality of the two vessels, which appeared to be about the same size. Captain Olding, addressing the crew, ordered them on no account to fire, lest they might injure a friend instead of a foe. As the _Champion_ stood on, he kept a sharp watch through his telescope on the combatants, neither of which seemed aware of his approach. Presently the sternmost was seen to put down her helm and lay the other aboard on the lee side.

"The sternmost fellow is an enemy, we may depend on that," observed the captain; "we can't use our guns without the risk of injuring our friends."

As the _Champion_ drew near, loud shouts and cries could be heard, and the flashes of muskets and pistols seen. It was evident that a fierce combat was taking place; the boarders were called away ready for action.