Chapter XLVII
"Britannia needs no bulwark, No towers along the steep, Her march is o'er the mountain waves, Her home is on the deep."
CAMPBELL.
The _Windsor Castle_ ploughed through the vast ocean of waters before apropitious gale, laden with treasure, in the safe arrival of which so manywere interested. But what were all the valuables stowed away in her frame,in the opinion of Newton Forster, in comparison with the lovely being whohad entrusted them with her safe conduct to her native country! The extremeprecautions adopted or suggested by Newton for security during thenight--his nervous anxiety during the day--became a source of laughter andridicule to Captain Oughton; who once observed to him,--"Newton, my boy, Isee how the land lies, but depend upon it the old ship won't tumbleoverboard a bit sooner than before; so one reef in the top-sails will bequiet sufficient."
Indeed, although they "never mentioned it," it was impossible for either ofthem to disguise their feelings. Their very attempts at concealment onlyrendered them more palpable to everyone on board. Captain Oughton, who wasvery partial to Newton, rejoiced in his good fortune. He had no objectionto young people falling or being in love on board of his ship, although hewould not have sanctioned or permitted a marriage to take place during theperiod that a young lady was under his protection. Once landed on Dealbeach, as he observed, they might "buckle to" as soon as they pleased.
The _Windsor Castle_ was within two hundred miles of the Mauritius, when astrange vessel was discovered on the weather beam, bearing down to themwith all the canvas she could spread. Her appearance was warlike; but whather force might be, it was impossible to ascertain at the distance she wasoff, and the position which she then offered, being nearly "end on."
"Can you make out her hull, Mr Forster?" cried Captain Oughton, hailingNewton, who was at the mast-head with a glass.
"No, sir; her fore-yard is but now clear of the water, but she rises veryfast."
"What do you think of her spars, Forster?" said Captain Oughton to Newton,who had just descended to the last rattling of the main-rigging.
"She is very taut, sir, and her canvas appears to be foreign."
"I'll bet you what you please it's that d----d fellow Surcoeuf. This isjust his cruising ground, if the report of that neutral vessel wascorrect."
"Another hour will decide the point, sir," replied Newton; "but I must sayI think your surmise likely to prove correct. We may as well be ready forhim: a cruiser she certainly is."
"The sooner the better, Mr Forster. He's but a 'rum customer,' and 'a hardhitter' by all accounts. Clear up the decks, and beat to quarters."
The strange vessel came down with such rapidity that, by the time thecaptain's orders were obeyed, she was not more than two miles distant.
"There's 'instudding-sails;'--and in devilish good style too!" observedCaptain Oughton. "Now we shall see what he's made of."
The vessel rounded to the wind as soon as she had reduced her sails, on thesame tack as the _Windsor Castle_, displaying her broadside, as the Frenchwould say, _herissee de canons_.
"A corvette, sir," said Newton, reconnoitring through his glass;"two-and-twenty guns besides her bridle ports. She is French rigged;--therake of her stern is French;--in fact, she is French all over."
"All Lombard Street to a China orange, 'tis Surcoeuf," replied CaptainOughton, who, with the rest of his officers, had his glass upon the vessel."There goes the tricoloured flag to prove I've won my bet. Answer thechallenge. Toss my hat up.--Pshaw! I mean hoist the colours there abaft. MrThomas," continued Captain Oughton, addressing the boatswain, "send theship's company aft.--Forster, you had better see the ladies down below."
At the summons of the boatswain, the men came aft, and stood in a body onthe lee side of the quarter-deck, with their hats off, and impatience intheir looks.
"Now, my lads," said Captain Oughton, "if I am not mistaken, that vessel iscommanded by the very best seaman that ever left a French port, and to dohim justice, he's a damnation fine fellow!--a severe punisher, and can takea mauling as well as give one."
"Yes, sir, so can we," replied several of the men together.
"I know you can, my lads; and give and take is fair play. All I say is, letit be a fair stand up fight, and 'may the best man win.' So now, my lads,if you're ready to come to the scratch, why, the sooner we peel thebetter--that's all."
"Hurrah!" cried the seamen, as they separated to their quarters; and, incompliance with the injunctions of the captain, threw off their jackets,and many of them their shirts, to prepare for the conflict.
The corvette, after she had rounded to, and exchanged colours, reduced hersails to precisely the same canvas as that carried by the _Windsor Castle_.This was to try her rate of sailing. In a quarter of an hour, hersuperiority was manifest. She then hauled up her courses, and dropped toher former position on the _Windsor Castle's_ weather-beam.
"The fellow has the heels of us, at all events," observed Captain Oughton;"but, Forster, the ladies are not yet below. Mrs Enderby, I am sorry to beobliged to put you in confinement for a short time. Miss Revel, you must dome the favour to accept of Mr Forster's convoy below the water-line."
Newton offered his arm to Isabel, and followed Captain Oughton, whoescorted Mrs Enderby. His heart was swelling with such variety of feelingthat he could not at first trust himself to speak. When they had descendedthe ladder, and were picking their way, stepping over the rammers, sponges,and tackles, stretched across the main-deck, Newton observed--"This is notthe first time I have been commissioned to place you in security. I trust Ishall again have the pleasure of relieving you from your bondage."
Isabel's lips quivered as she replied, "I trust in God that you may, MrForster!--but--I feel more anxious now than I did on the former occasion.I--"
"I have a foreboding," interrupted Newton, "that this day's work is to makeor mar me! Why, I cannot tell, but I feel more confident than the chanceswould warrant; but farewell, Isabel--God bless you!"--and Newton, pressingher hand, sprang up the ladder to his station on the quarter-deck.
I have before observed that a man's courage much depends upon his worldlymeans or prospects. A man who has much to lose, whatever the property mayconsist of, will be less inclined to fight than another whose whole capitalconsists of a "light heart and a thin pair of breeches." Upon the samereasoning, a man in love will not be inclined to fight as another. Deaththen cuts off the sweetest prospects in existence. Lord St Vincent used tosay that a married man was d----d for the service. Now (bating thehoneymoon), I do not agree with his lordship. A man in love may be inclinedto play the Mark Antony; but a married man, "come what will, he has beenblessed." Once fairly into action, it then is of little consequence whethera man is a bachelor, or married, or in love; the all-absorbing occupationof killing your fellow-creatures makes you for the time forget whether youare a beggar or a prince.
When Newton returned on deck, he found that the corvette had graduallyedged down until nearly within point-blank range.
"Shall we lay the main-topsail to the mast, sir?" observed Newton. "Weshall see his manoeuvres."
"Why, he hardly would be fool enough to bear down to us," replied CaptainOughton; "he is a determined fellow, I know; but I believe not a rash one.However, we can but try. Square the main-yard."
As soon as the _Windsor Castle_ was hove-to, the courses of the enemy wereseen to flutter a few moments in the breeze, and then the canvas wasexpanded. When the vessel had gathered sufficient way, she hove in stays,and crossed the _Windsor Castle_ on the opposite tack.
"I thought so," observed Captain Oughton. "The fellow knows what he isabout. He'll not 'put his head in chancery,' that's clear. How cautious therascal is! It's very like the first round of a fight--much manoeuvring andwary sparring before they begin to make play."
The corvette stood on the opposite tack until well abaft the beam. She thenwore round, and ranged up on the weather quarter of the Indiaman. Whenwithin two cables' length of the _Windsor Castle_, w
ho had, a littlebefore, filled her main-topsail to be in command, the Frenchman hauled uphis foresail, and discovered his lower rigging manned by the ship'scompany, who gave a loud but hasty cheer, and then disappeared.
One cock crowing is a challenge, sure to be answered, if the antagonist isgame. The English seamen sprang up to return the compliment, when CaptainOughton roared out, "To your guns, you fools! Hard down with the helm--flythe jib-sheet--check headbraces--look out now, my lads."
The corvette had already put her helm up and paid off to pass under thestern of the _Windsor Castle_, with the intention of raking her. Thepromptitude of Captain Oughton foiled the manoeuvre of the Frenchman; whichwould have been more fatal had the English seamen been in the rigging tohave been swept off by his grape-shot. As the _Windsor Castle_ was thrownup on the wind, an exchange of broadsides took place, which, according tothe usual custom of all well regulated broadsides in close conflict, cutaway a certain proportion of the spars and rigging, and cut up a proportionof the ships' companies. The _Windsor Castle_, worked by Newton, bracinground on the other tack, and the corvette rounding to on the same, the twovessels separated for a few minutes.
"Devilish well stopped, Newton, wasn't it?" said Captain Oughton, showinghis white teeth. "Look out again--here she comes."
The corvette again attempted to rake as she ranged up after tacking, bythrowing herself up in the wind; but Captain Oughton, watching theslightest variation of his adversary's career, gradually edging away, andthen putting his helm up, manoeuvred that the broadsides should again beexchanged. This second exchange was more effectual than the first.
"A stomacher, and both down!" cried Captain Oughton, as he surveyed thedeck. "Be quick, Newton, hand the men below. Don't bring her to the windyet, he has lost his way by luffing up, and cannot make play again for afew minutes."
After the second broadside the vessels were much further apart, from the_Windsor Castle_ running off the wind, while the corvette was too muchcrippled to work with her usual rapidity. This was convenient to bothparties, as the last broadside had been very mischievous. The Frenchman,low in the water, had suffered less in her hull and ship's company, butmore in her spars and rigging. The foremast was nearly cut in half by thecarronade shot of her antagonist; her main-yard was badly wounded, and herwheel knocked to atoms, which obliged them to steer on the lower deck. The_Windsor Castle_ had received five shots in her hull, three men killed, andsix wounded; three of her main shrouds cut in two, and her mizen-mast badlywounded.
It was a quarter of an hour before the Frenchman returned to the attack.Captain Oughton had again hauled his wind, as if not wishing to decline thecombat; which, indeed, the superior sailing of his antagonist prevented.The corvette appeared to have given up manoeuvring; whether from thecrippled state of her spars and sails, or from perceiving that he hadhitherto gained nothing by his attempts. He now ranged up to within twocables' lengths of the _Windsor Castle_, and recommenced the action,broadside to broadside.
The breeze was lulled by the concussion of the air; and both vesselscontinued in the same position, and at the same distance for upwards of anhour, pouring in their broadsides, every shot of which was effectual.
"Now, this is what I call a reg'lar set-to. Fire away, my lads," criedCaptain Oughton, rubbing his hands. "A proper rally this. D--n it, but he'sgame!"
The wounded mizen-mast of the _Windsor Castle_ received another shot in theheart of it, which threw it over the side. Every part of her hull provedthe severe and well-directed fire of the enemy; her sails were as ragged asJeremy Didler's pocket-handkerchief; her remaining masts pitted with shot;the bulwarks torn away in several places; the boats on the booms inshivers; rigging cut away fore and aft, and the ends swinging to and frowith the motion of the vessel; her decks in confusion; and some of herguns, from necessity, deserted. Captain Oughton, Newton, and the rest ofthe officers continued to encourage the men, giving them assistance inworking the guns; and the ship's company appeared to have fully imbibed thebull-dog spirit of their commander.
The fire of the _Windsor Castle_ had been equally destructive. The vesselshad gradually neared each other in the calm; and the height of the _WindsorCastle_ out of the water, in comparison with the corvette, had given herthe advantage in sweeping the decks of the enemy. The contending vesselswere in this situation, when, for a minute or two, a cessation of firingtook place, in consequence of the accumulation of smoke, which had socompletely enshrouded them both that they knew not where to direct theirguns; and they waited until it should clear away, that the firing mightrecommence. A light air gradually swept the veil to leeward, and discoveredboth vessels to each other, at the distance of half a cable's length.Captain Oughton was with Newton on the poop, and the commander of theFrench corvette was standing on the hammock nettings of his own vessel. Thelatter took off his hat, and courteously saluted his adversary. CaptainOughton answered the salutation; and then waving his hat, pointed to theEnglish colours, which had been hoisted at the main; as much as to say,"They never shall come down!" The Frenchman (it was Surcoeuf) did the sameto the tricolour, and the action recommenced.
"Well done, my lads!" cried Captain Oughton; "well done! that broadside wasa staggerer--right into his ribs. Hurrah now, my hearts of oak! thisfellow's worth fighting. Aim at his foremast--another broadside will floorit. It's on the reel. Newton, jump forward, and--"
But the order was stopped by a grape-shot, which struck Captain Oughton onthe breast. He staggered and fell off from the poop to the quarter-deck.Newton leapt down, and went to him. The torrents of blood from his breastat once told the tale: and Newton called to some of the men, that hiscommander might be taken below.
"Wait a moment, my dear lad," said Captain Oughton faintly, and catchinghis breath at every word; "it's a finisher--can't come to time--I diegame." His head fell on his breast, and the blood poured out of his mouth.
Newton directed the body to be taken into the cuddy, that the men might notbe dispirited by the sight. He then hastened to the poop, that he mightreconnoitre the enemy. He perceived that the corvette had hauled on boardhis tattered courses, and was standing ahead of them.
"He's off, sir," cried one of the quarter-masters.
"I suspect not," replied Newton, who had his glass to his eye, looking uponthe decks of the French vessel. "They are preparing to board, and will beround again in five minutes. Cutlasses and pikes ready--forward, my lads,all of us! We must beat them off!"
"And will, too," cried the seamen, as in obedience to their orders, theycollected on the forecastle. But they mustered thin; nearly half of theship's company were either lying dead or under the hands of the surgeon;and, as Newton surveyed his little force, fatigued as they were with theirexertions, black with powder, stained with blood, and reeking withperspiration, he could not but acknowledge how heavy were the odds againstthe attack of a vessel so well manned as the corvette appeared to be.Newton said but a few words; but they were to the point; and he had thesatisfaction to perceive, as they grasped their cutlasses, that if theirnumbers were few and their frames exhausted, their spirit was as unsubduedas ever.
The corvette had in the meantime run ahead on a wind, about a mile, whenshe wore round, and was now standing right on to the _Windsor Castle_, andhad neared to within three cables' lengths. A few minutes were to decidethe point. Her courses were again hauled up, and discovered her leefore-rigging, bowsprit, cat-heads, and forecastle, crowded with men readyfor the dash on board, as soon as the vessels should come in contact.Newton stood on one of the forecastle guns, surrounded by his men; not aword was spoken on board of the _Windsor Castle_, as they watched theiradvancing enemy. They were within a cable's length of each other, andNewton could plainly distinguish the features of the gallant Surcoeuf, whowas in advance on the knight-heads, when a puff of wind, which at any othertime would not have occasioned the starting of a royal sheet, took thesails of the corvette; and her wounded foremast, laden with men in thelee-rigging, unable to bear the pressure, fell over the side, carry
ing withit the maintop-mast and most of the crew who had been standing in therigging, and leaving the corvette an encumbered wreck. A loud shout fromthe forecastle of the _Windsor Castle_ announced that the English seamenwere but too well aware of their desperate situation, and that they hailedthe misfortune of the Frenchmen as their deliverance.
"Now, my lads, be smart," cried Newton, as he sprang aft to the wheel, andput up the helm; "man the flying jib-halyards (the jib was under theforefoot); let go the maintop bowling; square the main-yard. That will do;she's paying off. Man your guns; half-a-dozen broadsides, and it's all ourown."
The sun had disappeared below the horizon, and the shades of evening hadset in, before this manoeuvre had been accomplished. Several broadsideswere poured into the corvette, which had the desired effect of cripplingher still more, and her encumbered condition prevented any return. At lastthe night hid both vessels from each other; and the breeze freshening fast,it was necessary that the remaining masts of the _Windsor Castle_ should beproperly secured. The guns were therefore abandoned; and during the timethe seamen were employed in knotting the rigging and bending the sparesails, Newton consulted with his brother officers, who were unanimous inagreeing that all had been done that could be expected, and that to waittill the ensuing day, when the corvette would have repaired her damages,would be attended with a risk of capture, which the valuable propertyentrusted to their charge would never authorise. It was not until pastmidnight that the _Windsor Castle_ was in a condition to make sail; butlong before this, Newton had contrived to leave the deck for a few minutesto communicate with Isabel. With most of the particulars, and with thedeath of Captain Oughton, she had already been made acquainted; and ifthere could be any reward to Newton for his gallantry and his prudence,more coveted than another, it was the affectionate greeting with which hewas welcomed and congratulated by Isabel, her eyes beaming with tears ofdelight as they glanced from his face, and were shrouded on the deck.
Love and murder make a pretty mixture, although as antithetical as thesweet and acid in punch,--a composition which meets the approbation of allsensible, discriminating people. But I shall leave the reader to imagineall he pleases, and finish the chapter by informing him that, when the sunagain made his appearance, the corvette was not to be discovered from themast-head. The guns were therefore properly secured; the decks washed; ajury mizen-mast stuck up abaft; Captain Oughton, and the gallant fellowswho had fallen in the combat, committed to the deep with the usualceremonies; the wounded made as comfortable as possible in their hammocks;the carpenters busied with the necessary repairs; and the _Windsor Castle_,commanded by Newton Forster, running before a spanking breeze, at the rateof eight knots per hour.