Under the Meteor Flag Part 37

I then paraded my small command, and, first repeating to them their instructions, led the way up the steep slope of the cliff. It was very dark, the moon--what there was of her--having set nearly an hour before; but, by dint of great caution and taking our time about it, we safely reached the top of the cliff in about ten minutes. Here all hands lay down upon the gra.s.s, while I went forward on hands and knees over the brow of the hill to reconnoitre. It was some little time before I could distinguish anything but the black shapeless bulk of the land before me; but at length I made out something which I thought was the battery, at a distance of about a quarter of a mile away, and at a somewhat lower level than the spot upon which I found myself. Returning to the surprise-party, we all moved cautiously forward toward the object which I had seen; and when within a hundred yards of it, I once more left the men, and crawled forward, as before, to reconnoitre. As we had drawn nearer to this object, I had seen that I was mistaken as to this being the battery; and I now made out that it was a block of two small stone buildings, evidently intended for use as a temporary barracks for the artillerymen belonging to the battery, and their officers.

I crept right up to the walls of these buildings, and finding everything perfectly dark and silent, pushed my investigations somewhat farther.

Pulling off my boots, I pa.s.sed right round both buildings; and then found that I had in the first instance come upon their rear. Rounding a corner of the block (which was built in the form of the letter L with the points facing inwards) I at once became aware of the presence of two doors, one in each wing, both of which were open, and from which as well as from the windows, a feeble stream of light was issuing. From the position which I occupied, I was able to see in through the door of the smaller building; and there, in a couple of hammocks, lay two figures partially undressed; that is to say, they had thrown off their jackets, waistcoats, and boots. The jackets and waistcoats lay upon two chairs; and from the quant.i.ty of gold lace upon these I rightly conjectured that they were the officers. I then ventured to take a look in through the window of the larger room, observing the precaution to stand far enough away in the first instance to prevent the light falling upon my face and so betraying my presence to any perchance wakeful artilleryman. All, however, was perfectly still and silent; the long row of pallets on each side of the room might have been tenanted by so many corpses for all the movement that they made. A loud nasal chorus, however, prevented any apprehension I might otherwise have felt upon this subject. So far, so good. I now withdrew until I considered myself quite beyond the influence of the lamps burning in the two apartments--and which, by-the- bye, I judged from the clearness with which they burned, must have been very recently trimmed--in order to ascertain the position of the battery. There it was, sure enough, within twenty yards of me; and the only reason why I had not seen it before was because the barrack- buildings were interposed between it and me. I sank hastily down upon the gra.s.s to examine the structure, and made out that it was a sort of redan, the two faces of which, forming a very obtuse angle, were composed of stone-work masked with sods. Five thirty-six-pounders grinned from the embrasures in each face, and alongside each gun was stacked up a goodly pile of shot. The merlons between the embrasures appeared to have been constructed in such a way as to form expense magazines, for I thought I could make out the doors leading thereto.

The magazine proper I could not make out in the darkness, nor did I trouble to look for it. The battery, I ought to mention, was not enclosed at all in the rear, being evidently intended strictly as a sea- defence. I had been so busy noting all this that I had almost forgotten to look for the sentries which were sure to be posted somewhere. When I did at last make them out, I found, to my very great satisfaction, that there were only two of them, one at each wing of the battery; and these, instead of pacing backward and forward as they ought to have done, were standing with their backs turned toward me, gazing out to seaward--if indeed they were not more than half-asleep. I saw at once that the moment was eminently propitious; so hurrying back to my men, who must have wondered what had become of me, I led them up to within ten yards of the barrack-buildings, when I made each man take off his shoes. We then crept up to the barrack-walls, and telling off nine men, each provided with a hammer carefully faced with leather to deaden the sound, and a few nails (being similarly provided myself), I placed the remainder of my party, five at each wing of the building, well within the shadow, with instructions to seize--without noise it possible--and detain any one who might emerge from the building. In the event of an alarm being given and the garrison aroused, two of the men were to rush in and overpower the officers, while the remainder were to rally round the door of the larger room and prevent a sally until a signal-whistle should inform them that the work of spiking was completed, when the whole were to give leg-bail and make for the beach. But I warned them to prevent a general alarm, if possible, at all hazards.

Having posted this division of my party, I rejoined the other. Each man was to spike a gun; but the two on each wing were, in addition, to creep up to and surprise the sentry on that wing; and no one was to attempt anything until the word should be pa.s.sed from each wing.

These arrangements made, we at once moved forward, noiseless as shadows, towards our respective points. I took the northern wing, while Bob Hawkins, a fine steady main-topman, took the other.

As soon as we began to move, I devoted my whole attention to the sentry on my own wing, knowing I could not attend to him and look after other matters also. There the man still stood, motionless as a statue; but from a slight movement or two which he made, I soon saw that he was not asleep, but, on the contrary, wide awake. On we crept, and presently we were within six feet of him. At this moment one of our people sneezed violently, and the man instantly turned. My right-hand man and I sprang upon him on the instant, and while I wrenched his firelock out of his hand, my a.s.sistant grasped the unhappy man so tenaciously by the throat that he was utterly unable to utter a sound, and by sheer strength at the same time forced him down upon his knees. I laid the firelock carefully down upon the ground, and whipping out of my pocket a handful of oak.u.m and some marline, stuffed it and a thowl-pin into the fellow's mouth, effectually gagging him, and, I fear, half-choking him at the same time. We next lashed him, neck and heels together, in such a way that he could not possibly move, and then set about spiking the guns, pa.s.sing the word along at the same time.

A distinct clinking, notwithstanding the leather facing to the hammers, on the right wing told me that all was going favourably in that quarter, and in another minute the work was effectually done. I was extremely anxious during that minute, for the sound of the hammers smote upon my excited ear like the sharp strokes of a bell. It soon ceased, however, and as everything remained quiet at the barrack-buildings, it seemed that the clinking had not been loud enough to reach the ears of the sleepers therein. Giving the sentry on the right wing an overhaul to see that he, like his comrade was all safe, I immediately withdrew the spikers, and picking up the other party in our retreat we silently made the best of our way to the beach, which we safely reached in about a quarter of an hour, and, jumping into our boat, pulled cheerily out to seaward.

It had by this time grown just sufficiently light to enable us to see the frigate looming like a seventy-four about a mile to windward. They were evidently on the lookout for us on board her, for we had scarcely shoved the boat's nose clear of the point before we saw the beautiful craft sweep gracefully round and run down toward us. She came as close in as the skipper dared bring her, and then hove-to. In ten minutes afterwards we were on board and the boat hoisted up.

"Well, Ralph," said Captain Annesley, as I went up the side and touched my hat, "what news?"

"We've carried out your orders to the letter, sir," I replied. "We have surprised the battery, and, without giving the slightest alarm to the French frigate, have spiked the ten thirty-six pounders which it mounts."

"Thirty-sixes, eh!" said he. "I thought they had the look of heavy metal when I saw them through the telescope yesterday. Why, at their elevation, and at so short a range, they would have sunk us before we could get out again, had we attempted to go in there without first silencing them. Thank you, Mr Chester; you have performed a difficult and most important service with equal skill and courage, and I shall have great pleasure in representing as much to the admiral."

Here was a feather in my cap. However, I had no time just then for self-gratulation, for as soon as our success had been made known, the frigate wore round--every preparation had been made long before--and we headed at once for North-east Bay; our skipper having taken the utmost care to keep the French frigate shut in all night by the projecting point of land which forms the southern extremity of the bay, in order that the "Astarte" herself might be equally hidden from the French frigate.

Ten minutes afterwards we shaved close in round the point, and there lay the "Artemise," within half-a-dozen cables' lengths of us, with boarding-nettings triced up, guns run out, and everything apparently in readiness to receive us.

For a moment or two our presence appeared to be unnoticed; then _crack_!

went the sentries' pieces, one after another, on board her, the quick, short roll of drums was heard beating to quarters, and the hitherto silent craft became in a moment all astir with bustle and animation.

In the meantime the "Astarte," conned by the skipper in person, with old Martin, the master, at the wheel, was put dead away before the wind until she had run in to within some five hundred yards of the beach and had barely eight feet of water between her keel and the bottom. The helm was then put gently over to port, and she swept round in a long graceful curve, during which the whole of her canvas was very smartly hauled down and clewed up, finally coming up head to wind, and gradually losing way, she ranged alongside her antagonist--the distance having been most accurately measured by the skipper--and the grapplings were instantly thrown and secured.

The "Artemise" reserved her fire until we were fairly alongside, when she delivered her entire broadside, the tremendous concussion of which caused the two frigates to sway heavily away from each other until the strength of the grapplings and lashings was taxed to its fullest extent.

The marines on her p.o.o.p, at the same moment, opened upon us a heavy and galling musketry-fire; but by neither did we suffer much loss, for our main-deck ports were closed, the guns being run in, and the entire crew upon the upper-deck crouching behind the lofty bulwarks. The moment that the first volley of musketry had rung out, away went both parties of boarders, fore and aft, making a way for themselves somehow, in spite of the nettings, and driving the Frenchmen from both ends of the ship into her waist, where they were so huddled and crowded together that very few of them were able to use their weapons to any advantage. They fought well for the first two or three minutes; but when they found that the sh.o.r.e battery remained silent, they became confused and disheartened, as I easily gathered from their e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns and exclamations, and at length, after a really stubborn resistance of some ten minutes' duration, they threw down their arms and surrendered.

The prisoners were at once sent below and the hatches clapped on over them, after which immediate steps were taken to remove the two ships from their somewhat perilous position, which was that of embayment upon a lee sh.o.r.e.

A strong prize crew was placed on board the "Artemise," leaving only just sufficient hands on board the "Astarte" to work her sails, and then the latter set her canvas, cast off her fasts and grapplings, and canted to the southward. So close to the sh.o.r.e had the French frigate been moored, and so completely within the shelter of the bight, that there was very little room for manoeuvring, and the "Astarte," short-handed as she was, narrowly escaped leaving bones to bleach on the rocky point.

She managed, however, to sc.r.a.pe clear by the skin of her teeth, and once fairly outside and clear of danger she went about and hove-to on the starboard tack, to wait for her prize.

The "Artemise" had been placed in charge of Mr Flinn, who had selected me for his first and Smellie for his second lieutenant; Mr Woods acting as first on board the "Astarte." Mr Vining, the third lieutenant, and Carter, were, it will be remembered, both absent in the prizes we had taken at the Roccas.

As soon as we saw that our own n.o.ble frigate was safe, Paddy--who never liked to lose anything--gave the order to pa.s.s the messenger and get the anchor, instead of cutting the cable. The ship was riding by her best bower, and I was rather doubtful whether we should manage the job. The men, however, walked her manfully up to her anchor, until the cable was straight up and down, when they left the capstan-bars and flew aloft to loose the canvas, being as fully aware as their officers of the critical position of the ship, and of her liability to drive ash.o.r.e unless the work were smartly executed, they achieved their task in an incredibly short time, and by almost superhuman exertions on their part the sails were set almost as quickly as though we had been fully manned.

"Well done, lads!" shouted Paddy encouragingly. "Now man the capstan- bars once more, break the anchor out at once, and run it straight up to the bows! If you cannot get it smartly all your labour will be lost by the ship driving ash.o.r.e. Play up, piper, and walk away cheerily, men!"

The piper struck up some lively air--I forget what,--the seamen threw their whole weight upon the long capstan-bars, the cable strained and surged, the capstan jerked slowly round, pawl by pawl, and at length, as a heavier swell than usual rolled into the bay, there was a sudden and violent jerk, the capstan yielded somewhat unexpectedly to the violent exertions of the men, rolling two or three of them over on their noses, away went the rest at a run, laughing heartily at their comrades'

discomfiture, and the great anchor drew reluctantly out of the ground.

I was on the topgallant forecastle all the time, superintending the operations there, and as soon as I saw the cable swinging with the heave of the ship, "Anchor's aweigh, sir!" I sang out.

"Thank you, Mr Chester. Now put your helm hard-a-port, my man; over with it smartly. She has stern-way upon her and is driving in toward the sh.o.r.e. Now she pays off. Trim aft your lee headsheets, forward there. Man the lee forebraces. Now swing your fore-yard, board the fore and main-tacks, and haul aft the sheets. Any news of the anchor yet, Mr Chester?"

"The stock has just hove in sight, sir!"

"That's well, let us have it up, and get it catted at once, if you please."

The frigate was now under weigh on the starboard tack and looking up handsomely to windward of the northern extremity of the bay, having been extricated from an exceedingly awkward position mainly by the extraordinary exertions of the crew. The new skipper therefore deemed it an appropriate occasion upon which to raise the cry of "Grog ho!" and the men soon had an opportunity of comparing the quality of the Frenchmen's brandy with that of our own more unpretentious rum.

The French cook, meanwhile, had been summoned to the galley, and was soon busy preparing breakfast for the men, and concocting a ditto for the cabin, which was intended to show his own officers--who, by the way, had given their parole--that the love of his art rose triumphant above _la fortune de la guerre_, and to impress us with the conviction that it is a Frenchman only who can cook.

Captain Annesley, on seeing us fairly under weigh, filled and stood on upon the same tack as ourselves. At length we were far enough to windward to fetch clear of everything upon the other tack with ease, and we accordingly went about, the "Astarte" tacking at the same time. She edged down to within speaking distance of us shortly afterwards, and Captain Annesley hailed to say that--as we had fully expected--he intended to shape a course back to Barbadoes, and wished us to make every effort to keep together. After breakfast we had a little friendly trial of speed, when it was found that the "Astarte" could just spare us her fore and mizzen topgallant sails.

At two p.m. on the following day we both anch.o.r.ed in Carlisle Bay, and were very pleased to see that Vining and Carter were also safely there.

Our skipper got very great credit for this exploit of ours, as indeed we all did; and I may as well here state that the partic.i.p.ators in it eventually received the naval medal.

The "Artemise" was purchased into the British navy, under the same name, and the command of her given to Mr Flinn. Mr Woods was raised to the rank of first lieutenant, and Mr Vining also moved a step up the ratlines, leaving a vacancy for a third lieutenant, which our skipper most kindly filled up by giving me an acting order.

As the "Astarte" had received a considerable amount of damage to her hull from the double-shotted broadside of the "Artemise," fired at such exceedingly close range, she was placed alongside the dockyard jetty for repairs, and it was not until next day that I had an opportunity to take a run ash.o.r.e and make inquiries respecting little Fisher. The skipper and I went together, and, to our very great gratification, found that the poor boy, thanks to the a.s.siduous nursing he had received, was doing marvellously well. His wounds were healing in the most satisfactory manner, and he had so far recovered his strength that at the time of our visit he was daily expecting to receive the doctor's permission to sit up in bed for an hour or so. It was exceedingly doubtful, however, whether the poor lad would ever again have much use of his right arm, and in that case his prospects, as far as the navy was concerned at least, were at an end for ever.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

THE LOSS OF THE "JUANITA."

A fortnight was very pleasantly spent by us at the island, during the progress of the repairs, the good people of Bridgetown vieing with each other in their efforts for our amus.e.m.e.nt, a ball also upon a very grand scale being given in our honour by the officers of the garrison; and then all defects being made good, we once more put to sea.

We appeared by this time to have come to the end of our run of good luck, however; for, though we most a.s.siduously worked the entire archipelago, not a sign of an enemy could we find.

At length, the period of our cruise having expired, we bore up and returned to Port Royal, where Captain Annesley was received by the admiral with effusion.

The frigate remained at anchor in the harbour ten days, during which all hands indulged in a little welcome recreation, the officers attending quality b.a.l.l.s, shooting, and visiting at various estates belonging to new-made, but most hospitable Kingstonian friends.

I had accepted an invitation from a Mr Finnie--whose acquaintance I had made on my previous visit to Kingston--to spend a few days on his estate among the Blue Mountains and enjoy a little shooting on a small lake adjoining it; and in my indefatigable pursuit of this amus.e.m.e.nt I managed to contract a severe attack of yellow fever.

I was most kindly and carefully nursed through it by Mrs Finnie, and it was chiefly owing to her unceasing attention, under G.o.d, that I recovered at all. I was ill for weeks, what with the fever, a relapse, and the terrible prostration which followed; and when at length I was able once more to crawl about, the "Astarte" had been long gone to sea upon a sort of roving commission, from which it was quite uncertain when she would return.

Under such circ.u.mstances the time soon began to hang heavily on my hands, and I longed for a sniff of the pure salt sea-breeze, once more.

I was therefore greatly delighted when, on calling at the country house of the admiral--to whom I had been introduced by Captain Annesley--the following conversation occurred.

"Ah! Chester," said the admiral, "glad to see you on your pins once more; you have had a very narrow squeak of it, I hear."

"Indeed I have, sir," I replied. "So narrow was it that they had my coffin all ready built for me. I have managed to weather upon Yellow Jack this time, however, thank G.o.d; and now, if I could only get to sea again, I believe I should soon pull round and completely recover my strength."

"Ah! say you so? It is quite likely." The old gentleman was silent for a few minutes, and then, turning abruptly to me, he said,--

"Have you heard that the 'Juanita'--that pirate brigantine which the 'Astarte' took among the Roccas--has been brought to Port Royal, and that we are putting a new foremast in her and converting her into a topsail schooner?"