CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
IN WHICH OUR HERO SEES A LITTLE MORE SERVICE, AND IS BETTER EMPLOYEDTHAN IN FIGHTING DON SILVIO.
But before they met the Governor at his table, a sloop-of-war arrivedfrom the fleet with despatches from the Commander-in-Chief. Those toCaptain Wilson required him to make all possible haste in fitting, andthen to proceed and cruise off Corsica, to fall in with a Russianfrigate which was on that coast; if not there, to obtain intelligence,and to follow her wherever she might be.
All was now bustle and activity on board of the _Aurora_. CaptainWilson, with our hero and Gascoigne, quitted the Governor's house andrepaired on board, where they remained day and night. On the third daythe _Aurora_ was complete and ready for sea, and about noon sailed outof Valette harbour.
In a week the _Aurora_ had gained the coast of Corsica, and there was noneed of sending look-out men to the mast-head, for one of the officersor midshipmen was there from daylight to dark. She ran up the coast tothe northward without seeing the object of her pursuit, or obtaining anyintelligence.
Calms and light airs detained them for a few days, when a northerlybreeze enabled them to run down the eastern side of the island. It wason the eighteenth day after they had quitted Malta that a large vesselwas seen ahead about eighteen miles off. The men were then atbreakfast.
"A frigate, Captain Wilson, I'm sure of it," said Mr Hawkins thechaplain, whose anxiety induced him to go to the mast-head.
"How is she steering?"
"The same way as we are."
The _Aurora_ was under all possible sail, and when the hands were pipedto dinner, it was thought that they had neared the chase about twomiles.
"This will be a long chase; a stern chase always is," observed Martin toGascoigne.
"Yes, I'm afraid so--but I'm more afraid of her escaping."
"That's not unlikely either," replied the mate.
"You are one of Job's Comforters, Martin," replied Gascoigne.
"Then I'm not so often disappointed," replied the mate. "There are twopoints to be ascertained; the first is, whether we shall come up withthe vessel or lose her--the next is, if we do come up with her, whethershe is the vessel we are looking for."
"You seem very indifferent about it."
"Indeed I am not: I am the oldest passed midshipman in the ship, and thetaking of the frigate will, if I live, give me my promotion, and if I'mkilled, I shan't want it. But I've been so often disappointed, that Inow make sure of nothing until I have it."
"Well, for your sake, Martin, I will still hope that the vessel is theone we seek, that we shall not be killed, and that you will gain yourpromotion."
"I thank you, Easy--I wish I was one that dared hope as you do."
Poor Martin! he had long felt how bitter it was to meet disappointmentupon disappointment. How true it is that hope deferred maketh the heartsick! and his anticipations of early days, the buoyant calculations ofyouth, had been one by one crushed, and now, having served his timenearly three times over, the reaction had become too painful, and, as hetruly said, he dared not hope: still his temper was not soured butchastened.
"She has hauled her wind, sir," hailed the second-lieutenant from thetopmast cross-trees.
"What think you of that, Martin?" observed Jack.
"Either that she is an English frigate, or that she is a vesselcommanded by a very brave fellow, and well manned."
It was sunset before the _Aurora_ had arrived within two miles of thevessel; the private signal had been thrown out, but had not beenanswered, either because it was too dark to make out the colours of theflags, or that these were unknown to an enemy. The stranger had hoistedthe English colours, but that was no satisfactory proof of her being afriend; and just before dark she had put her head towards the _Aurora_,who had now come stem down to her. The ship's company of the _Aurora_were all at their quarters, as a few minutes would now decide whetherthey had to deal with a friend or a foe.
There is no situation perhaps more difficult, and demanding so muchcaution, as the occasional meeting with a doubtful ship. On the onehand, it being necessary to be fully prepared and not allow the enemythe advantage which may be derived from your inaction; and on the other,the necessity of prudence, that you may not assault your friends andcountrymen. Captain Wilson had hoisted the private night-signal, buthere again it was difficult, from his sails intervening, for the othership to make it out. Before the two frigates were within three cableslength of each other, Captain Wilson, determined that there should be nomistake from any want of precaution on his part, hauled up his coursesand brailed up his driver that the night-signal might be clearly seen.
Lights were seen abaft on the quarter-deck of the other vessel, as ifthey were about to answer, but she continued to keep the _Aurora_ toleeward at about half a cable's length, and as the foremost guns of eachvessel were abreast of each other, hailed in English--
"Ship ahoy; what ship's that?"
"His Majesty's ship _Aurora_," replied Captain Wilson, who stood on thehammocks. "What ship's that?"
By this time the other frigate had passed half her length clear of thebeam of the _Aurora_, and at the same time that a pretended reply of"His Majesty's ship--" was heard, a broadside from her guns, which hadbeen trained aft on purpose, was poured into the _Aurora_ and, at soshort a distance, doing considerable execution. The crew of the_Aurora_, hearing the hailing in English, and the vessel passing themapparently without firing, had imagined that she had been one of theirown cruisers. The captains of the guns had dropped their lanyards indisappointment, and the silence which had been maintained as the twovessels met was just breaking up in various ways of lamentation at theirbad luck, when the broadside was poured in, thundering in their ears,and the ripping and tearing of the beams and planks astonished theirsenses. Many were carried down below, but it was difficult to saywhether indignation at the enemy's ruse, or satisfaction at discoveringthat they were not called to quarters in vain, most predominated. Atall events it was answered by three voluntary cheers, which drowned thecries of those who were being assisted to the cockpit.
"Man the larboard-guns and about ship!" cried Captain Wilson, leapingoff the hammocks. "Look out, my lads, and rake her in stays! We'll payhim off for that foul play before we've done with him. Look out, mylads, and take good aim as she pays round."
The _Aurora_ was put about, and her broadside poured into the stern ofthe Russian frigate--for such she was. It was almost dark, but theenemy, who appeared as anxious as the _Aurora_ to come to action, hauledup her courses to await her coming up. In five minutes the two vesselswere alongside exchanging murderous broadsides at little more thanpistol-shot--running slowly in for the land, than not more than fivemiles distant. The skin-clad mountaineers of Corsica were aroused bythe furious cannonading, watching the incessant flashes of the guns, andlistening to their reverberating roar.
After half an hour's fierce combat, during which the fire of bothvessels was kept up with undiminished vigour, Captain Wilson went downon the main deck, and himself separately pointed each gun after it wasloaded; those amidships being direct for the main-channels of theenemy's ship, while those abaft the beam were gradually trained more andmore forward, and those before the beam more and more aft, so as tothrow all their shot nearly into one focus, giving directions that theywere all to be fired at once, at the word of command. The enemy, notaware of the cause of the delay, imagined that the fire of the _Aurora_had slackened, and loudly cheered. At the word given the broadside waspoured in, and, dark as it was, the effects from it were evident. Twoof the midship ports of the antagonist were blown into one, and hermain-mast was seen to totter, and then to fall over the side. The_Aurora_ then set her courses, which had been hauled up, and, shootingahead, took up a raking position while the Russian was still hamperedwith her wreck, and poured in grape and cannister from her upper deckcarronades to impede their labours on deck, while she continued herdestructive fire upon the hull of the enemy from the main-deck batter
y.
The moon now burst out from a low bank of clouds, and enabled them toaccomplish their work with more precision. In a quarter of an hour theRussian was totally dismasted, and Captain Wilson ordered half of hisremaining ship's company to repair the damages, which had been mostsevere, whilst the larboard men at quarters continued the fire from themain deck. The enemy continued to return the fire from four guns, twoon each of her decks, which she could still make bear upon the _Aurora_;but after some time even these ceased, either from the men havingdeserted them, or from their being dismounted. Observing that the firefrom her antagonist had ceased, the _Aurora_ also discontinued, and thejolly-boat astern being still uninjured, the second lieutenant wasdeputed to pull alongside of the frigate to ascertain if she had struck.
The beams of the bright moon silvered the rippling water as the boatshoved off; and Captain Wilson and his officers who were still unhurt,leant over the shattered sides of the _Aurora_, waiting for a reply:suddenly the silence of the night was broken upon by a loud splash fromthe bows of the Russian frigate, then about three cables' lengthdistant.
"What could that be?" cried Captain Wilson. "Her anchor's down. MrJones, a lead over the side, and see what water we have."
Mr Jones had long been carried down below, severed in two with a roundshot--but a man leaped into the chains, and lowering down the lead,sounded in seven fathoms.
"Then I suspect he will give us more trouble yet," observed CaptainWilson; and so indeed it proved, for the Russian captain, in reply tothe second lieutenant, had told him in English, "that he would answerthat question with his broadside," and before the boat was droppedastern, he had warped round with the springs on his cable, and hadrecommenced his fire upon the _Aurora_.
Captain Wilson made sail upon his ship, and sailed round and round theanchored vessel, so as to give her two broadsides to her one, and fromthe slowness with which she worked at her springs upon her cables, itwas evident that she must be now very weak-handed. Still thepertinacity and decided courage of the Russian captain convinced CaptainWilson that, in all probability, he would sink at his anchor before hewould haul down his colours; and not only would he lose more of the_Aurora's_ men, but also the Russian vessel, without he took a moredecided step. Captain Wilson, therefore, resolved to try her by theboard. Having poured in a raking fire, he stood off for a few moments,during which he called the officers and men on deck, and stated hisintention. He then went about, and himself conning the _Aurora_, ranher on board the Russian, pouring in his reserved broadside as thevessels came into collision, and heading his men as they leaped on theenemy's decks.
Although, as Captain Wilson had imagined, the Russian frigate had notmany men to oppose to the _Aurora's_, the deck was obstinately defended,the voice and the arm of the Russian captain were to be heard and seeneverywhere, and his men, encouraged by him, were cut down by numberswhere they stood.
Our hero, who had the good fortune to be still unhurt, was for a littlewhile close to Captain Wilson when he boarded, and was about to opposehis unequal force against that of the Russian captain, when he waspulled back by the collar by Mr Hawkins, the chaplain, who rushed inadvance with a sabre in his hand. The opponents were well matched, andit may be said that, with little interruption, a hand-to-hand conflictensued, for the moon lighted up the scene of carnage, and they were wellable to distinguish each other's faces. At last, the chaplain's swordbroke; he rushed in, drove the hilt into his antagonist's face, closedwith him, and they both fell down the hatchway together. After this,the deck was gained, or rather cleared, by the crew of the _Aurora_, forfew could be said to have resisted, and in a minute or two the frigatewas in their possession. The chaplain and the Russian captain werehoisted up, still clinging to each other, both senseless from the fall,but neither of them dead; although bleeding from several wounds.
As soon as the main-deck had been cleared, Captain Wilson ordered thehatches to be put on, and left a party on board while he hastened toattend to the condition of his own ship and ship's company.
It was daylight before anything like order had been restored to thedecks of the _Aurora_; the water was still smooth, and instead ofletting go her own anchor, she had hung on with a hawser to the prize,but her sails had been furled, her decks cleared, guns secured, and thebuckets were dashing away the blood from her planks and the carriages ofthe guns, when the sun rose and shone upon them. The numerous woundedhad, by this time, been put into their hammocks, although there werestill one or two cases of amputation to be performed.
The carpenter had repaired all shot-holes under or too near to thewater-line, and then had proceeded to sound the well of the prize; butalthough her upper works had been dreadfully shattered, there was noreason to suppose that she had received any serious injury below, andtherefore the hatches still remained on, although a few hands were putto the pumps to try if she made any water. It was not until the_Aurora_ presented a more cheerful appearance that Captain Wilson wentover to the other ship, whose deck, now that the light of heaven enabledthem to witness all the horrors even to minuteness, presented a shockingspectacle of blood and carnage. Body after body was thrown over; thewounded were supplied with water and such assistance as could berendered until the surgeons could attend them; the hatches were thentaken off, and the remainder of her crew ordered on deck; about twohundred obeyed the summons, but the lower deck was as crowded withkilled and wounded as was the upper. For the present the prisoners werehanded over down into the forehold of the _Aurora_, which had beenprepared for their reception, and the work of separation of the deadfrom the living then underwent. After this such repairs as wereimmediately necessary were made, and a portion of the _Aurora's_ crew,under the orders of the second lieutenant, were sent on board to takecharge of her. It was not till the evening of the day after thisnight-conflict that the _Aurora_ was in a situation to make sail. Allhands were then sent on board of the _Trident_, for such was the name ofthe Russian frigate, to fit her out as soon as possible. Beforemorning--for there was no relaxation from their fatigue, nor was thereany wish for it--all was completed, and the two frigates, although in ashattered condition, were prepared to meet any common conflict with theelements. The _Aurora_ made sail with the _Trident_ in tow; thehammocks were allowed to be taken down, and the watch below permitted torepose.
In this murderous conflict the _Trident_ had more than two hundred menkilled and wounded. The _Aurora's_ loss had not been so great, butstill it was severe, having lost sixty-five men and officers. Among thefallen there were Mr Jones the master, the third lieutenant MrAwkwright, and two midshipmen killed. Mr Pottyfar, the firstlieutenant, severely wounded at the commencement of the action. Martin,the master's mate, and Gascoigne, the first mortally, and the secondbadly, wounded. Our hero had also received a slight cutlass wound,which obliged him to wear his arm, for a short time, in a sling.
Among the ship's company who were wounded was Mesty: he had been hurtwith a splinter before the _Trident_ was taken by the board, but hadremained on deck, and had followed our hero, watching over him andprotecting him as a father. He had done even more, for he had with Jackthrown himself before Captain Wilson, at a time that he had receivedsuch a blow with the flat of a sword as to stun him and bring him downon his knee. And Jack had taken good care that Captain Wilson shouldnot be ignorant, as he really would have been, of this timely service onthe part of Mesty, who certainly, although with a great deal of_sang-froid_ in his composition when in repose, was a fiend incarnatewhen his blood was up.
"But you must have been with Mesty," observed Captain Wilson, "when hedid me the service."
"I was with him, sir," replied Jack, with great modesty, "but was ofvery little service."
"How is your friend Gascoigne this evening?"
"Oh, not very bad, sir--he wants a glass of grog."
"And Mr Martin?"
Jack shook his head.
"Why, the surgeon thinks he will do well."
"Yes, sir, and so I told Martin; but he
said that it was very well togive him hope--but that he thought otherwise."
"You must manage him, Mr Easy; tell him that he is sure of hispromotion."
"I have, sir, but he won't believe it. He never will believe it till hehas his commission signed. I really think that an acting order would domore than the doctor can."
"Well, Mr Easy, he shall have one to-morrow morning. Have you seen MrPottyfar? He, I am afraid, is very bad."
"Very bad, sir; and, they say, is worse every day, and yet his wound ishealthy, and ought to be doing well."
Such was the conversation between Jack and his captain, as they sat atbreakfast on the third morning after the action.
The next day Easy took down an acting order for Martin, and put it intohis hands. The mate read it over as he lay bandaged in his hammock.
"It's only an acting order, Jack," said he; "it may not be confirmed."
Jack swore, by all the articles of war, that it would be; but Martinreplied that he was sure it never would.
"No, no," said the mate, "I knew very well that I never should be made.If it is not confirmed, I may live; but if it is, I am sure to die."
Every one that went to Martin's hammock wished him joy of his promotion;but six days after the action poor Martin's remains were consigned tothe deep.
The next person who followed him was Mr Pottyfar, the first lieutenant,who had contrived, wounded as he was, to reach a packet of the universalmedicine, and had taken so many bottles before he was found out, that hewas one morning found dead in his bed, with more than two dozen emptyphials under his pillow, and by the side of his mattress. He was notburied with his hands in his pockets, but when sewed up in his hammock,they were, at all events, laid in the right position.