From Powder Monkey to Admiral Part 28

"Pull on! pull on!" cried Bill; "the fellows fired to vent their spite.

They are going to give up the chase."

He looked round as he spoke, and, sure enough, the stern of the boat was seen.

The Frenchmen were rowing back to the sh.o.r.e.

The boat of the stranger, instead of steering, as she had been, towards the raft, was now seen directing her course after the French boat, the crew of which were evidently straining every nerve to escape.

"Hurrah!" cried Jack, standing up and waving his cap, "that's an English frigate."

"No doubt about it," exclaimed Bill; "I can see her ensign blowing out;"

and he could scarcely refrain from throwing up his cap, but remembered that it might chance to fall overboard if he did.

Directly afterwards a gun was heard, fired by the frigate.

It was a signal to recall the boat.

She would have had a long pull before she could over take the Frenchmen.

The signal was not to be disobeyed, and she was seen to pull round and steer for the raft.

The boys eagerly watched her approach.

She was soon up to them.

"Hallo, my lads! where do you come from?" asked the officer, who was standing up in the stern-sheets.

"We are running away from the Frenchmen, sir," answered Bill.

"A curious craft you have chosen for the purpose," observed the officer.

"It was the best we could get, sir," said Bill. "We twice have managed to make our escape, and the first time were caught and carried back."

"Well, we'll hear all about it by-and-by. Come, jump on board. I should like to tow your raft to the frigate, but we must not delay for that purpose," exclaimed the officer.

Jack and Bill quickly tumbled into the boat, though, as soon as they were on board, they cast wistful glances at their raft.

The officer ordered the men to give way, and steered the boat towards the frigate. He now asked the lads how they came to be in France.

Bill briefly described how the _Foxhound_ had blown up, and the way in which they had been taken on board a French fishing-vessel, and their various adventures on sh.o.r.e.

"That's curious enough," observed the lieutenant, "for we have on board the frigate most of those who escaped."

The officer, who was the third lieutenant of the frigate, had learned the greater part of their history by the time the boat got up to her.

He and most of the crew quickly climbed on board, followed by the boys.

The falls were hooked on, and the boat hoisted up.

Whom should Jack and Bill see standing on the deck, and issuing his orders to the crew to "brace round the yards," but Mr Saltwell, the first lieutenant of their former ship.

They stood for some minutes by themselves, for everybody was too much engaged to attend to them. The frigate's head was now turned in the direction of the stranger they had seen to the eastward, towards which they observed that the gla.s.ses of several of the officers were directed.

"Though she has not shown her colours, I feel positive that she's French," observed the captain to Mr Saltwell.

"I hope that you are right, sir," was the answer; "but we shall scarcely get up to her before dark."

"We shall get near enough to make the private signal," said the captain, "and if she does not answer it we shall know how to treat her when we do get up to her."

All the sail the frigate could carry was set, and as the breeze had increased, she ran rapidly through the water.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE FRIGATE IN ACTION--BILL SHOWS THAT HE CAN BE OF USE.

The stranger, which had apparently been beating down Channel, now put up her helm, and setting studden sails stood to the eastward before the wind. She failed also to answer the private signal; no doubt, therefore, remained that she was French, and wished to avoid an action, though, as she appeared to be as large as the English frigate, if not larger, this was somewhat surprising.

"Perhaps she has some consorts to the eastward, and wishes to lead us into their midst during the night," observed Mr Saltwell.

"She will find that she's mistaken. We will keep too bright a look-out to be so caught," said the captain.

The first lieutenant, as he was walking forward, caught sight of Bill and Jack.

"Why, lads, where do you come from?" he asked.

As he spoke he recognised Bill.

"Are you not the lad who gave notice of the plot of the American captain to capture our ship?" he asked.

Bill acknowledged that such was the case.

"I am truly glad that you have escaped. I promised our late captain that I would keep an eye on you," he continued, "and I shall now have the opportunity. I thought you, with the rest of our poor fellows, had been lost when our ship blew up."

Bill briefly described their adventures, and the lieutenant seemed much interested. He said he would have them at once entered on the ship's books, for as they were likely soon to be engaged with the enemy, it might be of importance to them.

He accordingly sent for the purser, to whom he gave the proper directions. Bill and Jack then made their way below.

On pa.s.sing the galley they saw a boy busily employed, a.s.sisting the cook's mate in cleaning pots and pans. He looked up at them and started, letting drop the pot at which he was scrubbing.

"What! Bill! Jack! I thought you had gone to Davy Jones's locker," he exclaimed. "Are you really yourselves?"

"No doubt about it, Tom," answered Bill and in a few words they again told their adventures.

Tom soon recovered from his astonishment. He appeared somewhat ashamed of his present occupation. He had got into a sc.r.a.pe, he acknowledged, and had been ordered to a.s.sist the cook's mate.

"I wish you would tell him, Tom, that we are very hungry, as we have had a long pull, and that if he would give us something to eat we should be very much obliged to him. If he's a good-natured fellow, I daresay he will."