A Lad of Grit Part 5

On this particular day it was about noon when the lookout reported a sail hull down on our starboard bow. In less than an hour she had apparently sighted us, for she altered her course so as to make straight for us. Now this was an unusual occurrence, as the stranger must either be a hostile craft or else a ship in distress and wishing to communicate. Her speed was too great to justify the a.s.sumption that she was requiring a.s.sistance, so all hands were piped to quarters. After months of inaction the prospect of a fight acted like magic.

The officers held a consultation, and as it was well known that a Barbary corsair had been committing several acts of exceptional violence, hopes were entertained that the stranger would prove to be that particular vessel.

Our captain showed himself to be a tactician as well as a fighter. "If this be the Algerine," he said, "her speed will enable her to make off when she finds out who we are. It remains, therefore, to trick and entice her to us. See that all our ordnance is run in and the ports closed. Keep nearly all the men out of sight, and run the flag of Sicily up to the peak. And you, Master Bennet," he added, addressing our newly made master, "lay me the Gannet close alongside the stranger and your duty will be done. Now, gentlemen, to your stations, and G.o.d save His Majesty King Charles!"

The work of transforming the man-of-war into a seemingly peaceful merchantman was quickly performed, and long before the corsair (for such there was no doubt she was) came within range the Gannet was floundering along with yards badly squared, for all the world like a helpless trader, her course having been previously altered as if she were intent on running away.

But on board everything was different. At each of her guns on the starboard side were men lying p.r.o.ne on the deck, waiting for the signal to trice up the ports, run the guns out, and deliver a crushing broadside. Powder, shot, and buckets of water were placed close at hand, while boarding axes, pikes, cutla.s.ses, muskets, and pistols were lying about ready to be seized when required.

The men themselves were in a state of suppressed excitement, talking softly to one another, and with difficulty restraining themselves from taking a view of their enemy and thus exposing our strength.

The officers, hidden under the break of the p.o.o.p, had donned their buff coats, head- and back-plates, and plumed hats, and were as impatient as the men to get to quarters.

My station, with young Drake, was on the gundeck, yet I could not resist the inclination of creeping aft and looking at the Algerine through one of our stern ports.

She was now tearing along at a tremendous pace, barely a quarter of a mile astern. There was a stiff breeze blowing, and she was being propelled by oars as well as by sails; yet a stern chase is always a long one.

Thinking us an easy prey, she made no hesitation in showing her true colours, while groups of dark-skinned men, the sweepings of the Barbary ports, cl.u.s.tered on her high foc's'le, yelling and waving their arms in a truly terrifying manner. The sounds of the oars, the rattling of the chains of the miserable galley slaves, and the sharp crack of the whip of the merciless taskmaster could be distinctly heard, while ever and anon a gun would be fired, merely to impress upon us the fruitlessness of resistance.

At length she drew up about fifty yards from our starboard quarter, and even at that short distance they did not scent danger, their eagerness blinding them to the fact that twenty-five closed ports separated them from a death-dealing hail of iron.

I ran back to my station. The word was pa.s.sed round to fire high and spare the slaves. All along the main deck there were groups of men standing in almost total darkness, waiting at the gun tackles for the signal to run out the guns. The feeble glimmer of the fighting-lanterns shone on the glistening arms and bodies of half-naked seamen, who stood in almost deathlike silence listening to the shouts of their unseen foes.

Suddenly came the order to fire. The ports were triced up, and brilliant sunshine flooded the gundeck. With the creaking of the tackles and the rumbling of the gun-carriage wheels, the muzzles of the iron monsters were run through the ports. There was no need to take aim, for the vessels were almost side by side. The volley that followed shook the Gannet from keel to truck and filled the deck with clouds of smoke.

Back ran the guns with the recoil, sponges and rammers did their work, and again the guns roared--this time in an irregular broadside.

Four times was this repeated, the guns' crews working as calmly as if at practice. How it fared with the pirate we knew not. Occasionally, between the clouds of smoke, we could catch a glimpse of her black sides, crushed and torn by our broadsides. A musket ball came in through an open port and struck a seaman fairly between the eyes. He fell without a sound, and this was the only casualty on the main deck. Seeing he was dead, two seamen dragged him across to the other side and pushed his body through a port. A bucketful of sand was sprinkled on the spot where he fell, and the gun at which he was stationed was run out again.

Suddenly there was a crashing, grinding sound. The master had laid us alongside the corsair.

"Boarders, away!" was the order, and, hastily closing the ports, to prevent our being boarded in turn, the whole of the men below poured on deck, armed with whatever weapon came first to their hands.

The vessels lay side by side, locked in an unyielding embrace. Our ordnance had wrought havoc on the corsair, her huge lateen yards lying athwart her decks, while heaps of dead and dying men enc.u.mbered her slippery planks. But the remnant still resisted, and for us the completion of our victory was to be dearly bought. We had already suffered considerably, many men having been slain on our fo'c'sle and p.o.o.p, and now, headed by our gallant Captain Poynings, we threw ourselves upon the foemen's deck, where we met with a desperate resistance. The corsairs knew that surrender meant an ignominious death, and fought with the courage of despair, calling on Allah and Mohammed as they slew or were slain.

Inch by inch they were driven back, pistolled or cut down or thrust overboard, till there remained but one Moslem, a tall, wiry villain, armed with pistol and scimitar. Two of our men went down before him, one having his skull cloven by a lightning sweep of the corsair's razorlike blade, the other having his sword arm cut completely through at the wrist. Two more rushed at him; one he shot, the second received the discharged pistol full in the face. With that several men made ready to shoot him down; but our lieutenant called on them to desist, and he himself advanced on the redoubtable Moslem.

The combat was watched with breathless interest, for Geoffrey Weaver was a past master in the art of fencing, having acquired both the French and Italian methods, as well as having seen active service against Spaniards and Turks, and also in the Low Countries. In a measure he had an advantage, wearing his breastplate; yet as the scimitar is rarely used save for cutting, the armour did not serve him as readily as it would have done if he had been pitted against a man armed with a pointed sword.

Their blades met, and so quick was the swordplay that none could follow it. In a few seconds both were wounded, the blood trickling down the lieutenant's face from a nick on the forehead. Then, quicker than words, Weaver escaped a sweeping blow from the scimitar by jumping nimbly backwards, and the next moment his blade had pa.s.sed through the Moslem's shoulder.

With this, thinking the fight at an end, we began to cheer l.u.s.tily; but our triumph was shortlived, for, ere the lieutenant could disengage his weapon, the corsair seized him round the waist and sprang with him into the sea.

We rushed to the side, but only a few bubbles came to the surface. Carried down by the weight of his armour, Weaver sank like a stone, and his implacable foe, holding on with a relentless grip, shared his fate.

However, there was no time for vain regrets, and all hands were set to work to repair the damage done by the fight. Our losses were heavy: besides the lieutenant, two midshipmen, the bos'n, and sixteen men were killed, and the purser and thirty-three men wounded.

On the Algerine all her crew were accounted for, not one surviving; while, in spite of our care, the losses amongst the galley slaves were fearful. A few stray shots and a shower of splinters had wrought destruction on these helpless chained-up wretches, and the grat.i.tude of the survivors when we knocked their fetters off was touching to witness. There were Spaniards, Genoese, Venetians, French, and Dutch, negroes, and one Englishman, a man from Hull--twenty-three all told, most of whom were wounded.

The prize was badly shattered, but little damage was done near the waterline. The Gannet suffered hardly at all, the corsairs, being unprepared for resistance, having neglected to use their two pieces of bra.s.s ordnance.

The bodies of the dead were committed to the deep, the wounded attended to, and the decks cleaned of their ghastly stains, while a party of seamen were placed on board the prize to rig jury masts.

When I went down below, to clean the grime of the powder from my face and hands, I found that I had received a slight cut on the calf of my leg. How or when it was done I could not remember, but it was too trifling to be attended to by the surgeon, so I dressed it myself.

While thus engaged I was sent for by the captain, and on reporting myself he said: "Master Wentworth, I have been fully satisfied with your conduct in the fight, and although you are young in years you have a man's head on your shoulders. You will now have your first command, for I propose to put you in charge of the prize with seven men to work her. You must keep in company with the Gannet till off the Barbary coast, where you will have to shape a course for Tangier, which now belongs to His Majesty King Charles. Should we be compelled to part company, I will rely on you to work the ship into that port. You can, of course, use a s.e.xtant?"

I a.s.sented.

"Very well, here is a plan of the harbour of Tangier. This place," indicating the mole, "is where you must bring up. Now go to the master and get the necessary charts and instruments, and take charge of the prize as soon as possible."

I saluted and left his cabin, feeling inclined to dance for joy, yet having sufficient dignity left to walk sedately across the quarterdeck.

When I gained the gunroom I told the news with unrestrained enthusiasm, and my remaining companions, now reduced to two in number, Greville Drake and Alan Wood, though not slow in offering their congratulations, did not conceal the fact that my good fortune was their disappointment.

By nightfall the fitting of the jury masts was completed, the shot holes were plugged, and the working party was recalled. Then, with my seven men, together with two of the liberated slaves, I took possession of the prize, having, with Captain Poyning's permission, named her the Little Gannet.

CHAPTER IX.

--I lose the Little Gannet.

Throughout the first part of the night we held on our course, the p.o.o.p lights of the Gannet acting as a guide. Watches were set, five men in each, I taking my turn in the first watch. Towards morning the wind veered round and blew freshly from the west'ard, and when the sun rose, a watery orb, the wind increased into half a gale.

We saw the Gannet shorten sail, bowling along on the starboard tack under easy canvas to enable us to keep up with her. I ordered additional preventers to be rove, had the hatches battened down, and took every possible precaution to ensure the safety of my vessel.

By midday it blew a furious gale, accompanied by showers of blinding rain, and before long the Gannet was nowhere to be seen. Even with her jury rig the Little Gannet gave a good account of herself, though it was necessary to take an occasional spell at the pumps to keep down the water that made its way through her hastily patched seams.

From her build and rig my craft would lay closer to the wind than the Gannet, so I ordered her to be kept on the starboard tack for two hours, then on the larboard tack for another two hours, and so on, hoping by these means to keep within sight of our escort when the gale moderated.

There were, as I have mentioned, five men in each watch--one of the two liberated slaves, a Genoese, who spoke no English, being in mine, while the other, a negro, was placed in the second.

This negro was of a gigantic stature, with powerful limbs, yet of a timorous disposition, so that directly the gale came on he could with difficulty be made to do any work at all, but lay in a heap in the weather scuppers, moaning and muttering in broken English, Spanish, and his native tongue.

All that day the gale continued, but on the morrow the wind moderated, leaving us rolling in the trough of a heavy swell, with no sign of the Gannet.

About nine in the morning we spied a sail on our starboard quarter. This we concluded was the Gannet, which we had evidently pa.s.sed during the night; but three hours afterwards we could see that it was not our parent ship, but a smaller and speedier craft.

She had already perceived us, and had altered her course slightly to come up with us, and, with every st.i.tch of canvas set, she ploughed her way rapidly towards us.

It was without doubt a hostile craft, but the knowledge that the Gannet was somewhere close to us, though where we knew not, spurred us to make every preparation for flight or fight.

By four in the afternoon the stranger was a mile astern, and with the aid of a gla.s.s I could see her colours--they were black, and bore the emblem of the Jolly Roger.

I gathered my slender crew aft and exhorted them to make a desperate resistance, telling them that a tame surrender would be as futile as capture after a determined fight. In either case the result would be death to us all, but the longer we held out the greater chance there was of a timely rescue by the Gannet.

They one and all expressed their willingness to resist to the last, and now commenced one of those despairing fights against overwhelming odds that were only of too frequent occurrence. Many a gallant English vessel has met her fate in a glorious but unrecorded effort in similar circ.u.mstances, her end unknown at home and her disappearance soon forgotten, save by those bloodthirsty scoundrels who have felt the fangs of an Englishman at bay.

We immediately manned one of the long bra.s.s guns, training it right aft on the advancing pirate. I directed the gunner to aim at the foeman's spars, endeavouring to cripple her aloft. With a flash and a roar the iron missile sped on its way, striking the pirate's topsail yard. There was a shower of splinters and the broken spar fell, till brought up by the strain on the topsail and t'gallant sail, and at the same time the halyards of the foresail parted, bringing that sail down to the deck with a run.

Notwithstanding our danger a cheer broke from us; but before we could reload our gun the pirate yawed and let fly with her larboard guns.

The result was disastrous to us. Two of our men were killed on the spot and two wounded, while both our jury masts went by the board, and the Little Gannet lay helpless on the waves.

The end was not long in coming. After another broadside the pirate backed her main topsail and hove to at less than a cable's length off. Two of her boats were lowered, and a swarm of bearded ruffians tumbled into them and pushed off towards us.

Resistance was hopeless, but the pirate appeared anxious to take us alive, and, partially stunned by a blow from a handspike, I was thrown into one of the boats and taken on board our captor, where, together with five survivors, I was placed under guard on her quarterdeck.

The pirate ship was called the Friend of the Sea, but she was the enemy of all who sailed upon it. She was heavily armed and manned, her crew comprising a ruffianly a.s.sortment of every nation of south-western Europe, and, judging by the gold ornaments that every man wore, their cruise had been highly successful for these rogues.

They were busily engaged in transferring the cargo of the Little Gannet to their own vessel. Much of this consisted of valuable stores that the Algerine had on board when we took her, and the satisfaction of the lawless freebooters was unbounded.

The two bra.s.s guns were also taken on board, the work of slinging them from the Little Gannet to the boats, and thence to the pirate ship, being performed with a celerity and skill that would have drawn an expression of admiration from the lips of Captain Poynings himself.

When the whole of the valuable stores were safely on board, the pirates fired their prize, and an hour later, burned to the water's edge, my first command sank in a cloud of smoke and steam.

The pirates worked unceasingly. Their next task was to repair the splintered foreyard, which they did by fishing it with capstan bars and small spars. While this work was in progress there was a shout from the lookout, and from the hurrying scrambles of the crew I guessed that another sail was sighted.

Hastily sending the spliced spar aloft, the crew squared the yards once more, and the Friend of the Sea gathered way. From where I was I could not tell whether we were chasing or in chase; but in a few moments we had other things to think about, for the pirate captain and his lieutenant approached us.

The former was a short, broad-shouldered man, with a heavy, black beard. He was dressed in typical buccaneering rig, with a red sash round his waist, in which were stuck a whole armoury of pistols and a short Turkish dagger. Cruelty and viciousness were stamped upon every outline of his face, but at the same time there were signs of a courageous nature and resource. He was apparently a Genoese or a Tuscan, and did not, or would not, speak English, though he understood our replies in the subsequent discourse we had with him.

His lieutenant was a taller man, also heavily bearded, and bronzed with the sun. In spite of myself I gave an exclamation of surprise, for he was none other than the man with the scarred face who had tried to rob me on the Portsmouth road over three years ago, and who had escaped from Colonel Middleton's troopers in the Forest of Bere.

The recognition was mutual, and from the look of intense hatred on the man's features I knew that my fate was sealed. The two pirates conversed volubly in an unknown tongue, then the renegade Englishman turned towards us again.

"Listen, men," he said, addressing my companions in adversity. "Join us and you'll have a life that cannot be beaten. Light work, a fair share of fighting, and plenty of booty. In two years you'll be rich enough to buy the best inns in England, and can live like gentlemen to the end of your days. Refuse, and----" Here he jerked his thumb significantly in the direction of the entry port.

"And as for you, you white-livered young cub," he added, addressing me, "our captain here has given you to me, and, let me say, d.i.c.k Swyre will be avenged. I'll have a little way of my own that will make you wish that his end at the hands of the hangman were yours. Now, my lads, what do you say? Wilt join our merry crew?"

The men who were appealed to were not long in making up their minds. Tom Black and George Wilson firmly and emphatically refused, and their example was followed by the two remaining Gannets--d.i.c.k Blake and a man whose name I knew not, he being always called Old Sh.e.l.lback. The fifth was the blackamoor who had been a galley slave. He, miserable cur that he was, a.s.sented with alacrity, and was sent for'ard to join the rascally crew.

My four men were led away, and for a time I was left to myself. I was still dizzy from the effects of the blow I had received, and this probably accounted for the complete indifference that I felt with regard to my fate. My wrists and ankles were tied, making it impossible for me to move, save by crawling and worming along the deck.

The pirates were still busily engaged in making preparations for the coming fight, and from the general direction of the glances that they made I came to the conclusion that the Friend of the Sea was in this case the fugitive. So busy were they that I edged towards an arm-rack, and, placing my bound wrists against a sharp cutla.s.s, I succeeded in freeing them from the cords that bound them. This done, it was an easy matter to loose the ropes that fastened my ankles; then, lying in a position that hid my limbs from any pa.s.sing pirate, I tried to form a plan of escape.

I could, of course, leap through a port into the sea, taking my chance of being picked up by the pursuing craft, which I fondly hoped would be the avenging Gannet; but I did not know what distance separated us, and even then, in the eagerness of the chase, there was little likelihood of their noticing me, still less of heaving to and picking me up.

Suddenly I thought of the foretop. If only I could reach that I could defy the whole of the pirate crew, and at the same time render material a.s.sistance to their foes. Now that I was free, my lethargy vanished, and I was the personification of active revenge.

Taking advantage of the confusion I ran for'ard, and before I was recognized I had gained the nettings and was well on my way up the shrouds. A hoa.r.s.e shout announced that my escape was discovered, and a pistol bullet buzzed close to my head, quickly followed by another, that flattened itself against a chainplate.

I redoubled my efforts, and, racing over the futtock shrouds, I gained the top, where I threw myself down, panting and almost exhausted.

CHAPTER X.

--How I Defended the Foretop.

For full five minutes I lay motionless, listening to the zip of the bullets as the pirates kept up a hot fire on my perilous position. Then I raised myself and peered cautiously over the edge of the top.

The situation was a grave one, but I had a fighting chance. I was on a platform some ten feet square, but the lubber's holes reduced the standing room by nearly a quarter. The after side of the top was protected by a mantlet of stout wood, while the sides were fitted with a low breastwork.

Where I was lying was thus fairly secure. The only danger was that I might be picked off by musketeers in the maintop or crosstrees, the foremast itself protecting me from any shots from for'ard. The planking of the top also was stout enough to resist a musket ball, though the thud of shots as they struck the under side of the top at first filled me with misgiving.

After firing for some time the rascally crew apparently came to the conclusion that they were doing too much damage to their own sails and rigging, the fore-topsail being holed in many places; so I could look around in comparative security.

The tops were to be utilized by sharpshooters in the coming fight, for to my delight I found a whole armoury stowed away on the foretop--muskets, pistols, cutla.s.ses, and two sharp axes, with plenty of powder and ball. Had I delayed my desperate plan much longer the top would have been filled with men. I examined the muskets and the pistols and found them already loaded. I next turned my attention to the deck of the pirate ship. The guns' crews were at their stations, and were either looking astern or else regarding my position. The captain and his scarred-faced lieutenant were almost speechless with rage, for they knew that for the time being I held the trump card.

Not a sign could I see of my four men, but presently the wretched negro was hauled out, a knife was thrust into his hand, and by shouts and dumb-show he was ordered to go into the rigging and bring me down.

The recreant blackamoor was almost mad with terror, his skin turned a dusky-greyish hue, and his eyes rolled about in an agony of fright. Behind and below him were the knives and pistols of the pirates, above him was I, covering his trembling body with a pistol that I steadied against the edge of the lubber's hole.

Slowly he climbed till, urged on by the shouts of the fiendish crew, he reached the futtock shrouds. Here he stopped, and in a low, agonized voice he whispered: "No shoot, Ma.s.sa; only pretend to shoot! Me come to you; me help you! No shoot me!"

Seeing that this man would be useful in the defence of the top, I fired, the bullet pa.s.sing well over his head. He then climbed up hurriedly, till his head and shoulders were through the lubber's hole. Then with a yell of triumph the treacherous black seized my right wrist in his powerful grip, and his knife flashed in the air.

But he reckoned not on the other weapons that I had. Seizing another pistol in my left hand, I fired point-blank at his head.

Through the smoke I saw the gaping hole cut by the ball, his grip relaxed, and he fell. For a brief s.p.a.ce his body hung suspended on the inside of the futtock shrouds, then it slowly over-balanced and crashed with a heavy thud across a gun carriage on the deck below.

A loud yell came from the pirate crew, and once more a heavy fire was opened on the foretop, but, lying snugly under the shelter of the mantlet, I remained in perfect safety. The only chance they had of bringing me down was by training a piece of ordnance on the top; but either they did not possess a cannon capable of being elevated to that height, or else they feared that the damage done would be greater than the success of getting rid of me.

When the firing ceased I again looked over the edge of the breastwork, the deadeye lanyards making me practically invisible from the deck. Cautiously taking a musket, I thrust its muzzle over the edge and aimed at my particular enemy, the scarred-faced pirate and smuggler. I fired, and though I missed him, the bullet struck the pirate captain in the back, and he fell to the deck. Leaving him where he was lying, the lieutenant took refuge on the aft side of the mainmast, cursing at me in a l.u.s.ty voice.

Encouraged by my success, I opened a steady fire on the crew, and in a few moments the whole of the deck that was visible from the foretop was deserted.

But only for a time. Groups of men made their way towards the foremast shrouds, holding thick planks of wood over their heads. Under these rude mantlets they made preparations for storming the foretop, some making for the weather shrouds, others for the lee.

Seizing one of the axes, I attacked the lower rigging vigorously, cutting through shrouds, slings, braces, and halyards, everything that came within reach, thus making my position secure from escalade.

The Friend of the Sea was sailing close hauled on the starboard tack, and as I continued my work of destruction I could see the head sails coming down, while, deprived of its princ.i.p.al supports, the foremast swayed and creaked ominously.

In spite of the frantic efforts of the helmsman, the pirate ship flew up into the wind, her maintopsail was taken aback, and she was hove to in a helpless state.