"I am sorry to inconvenience you, but I have to request that you and
your companions will go below, and not return on deck till you receive
my permission."
The Don and his friends looked somewhat angry at hearing this, and
seemed inclined to disobey, but a dozen stout seamen coming aft showed
them that Jack was in earnest, and they, uttering maledictions on his
head, were hurried below.
The sun had now reached the horizon, when the stranger came within
gunshot, still without showing her colours. Jack had ordered the three
schooners to keep close together under his stern. He now fired a gun
ahead of the stranger of which she took no notice, but continued her
course, intending apparently to get to windward, so as to be able to
bear down at any time she might think fit on the captured slavers.
"She has guessed what has happened, sir," observed Needham, "and hopes
during the night to have a chance of cutting off one of the prizes or
all of them; but she can't quite make up her mind to attempt it in
daylight."
"We must keep a bright lookout and prevent her doing that same,"
answered Jack. "Give her another shot from Long Tom, and we will see if
that has a better effect than the first."
The stranger took no notice further than "hauling her wind," so as to
increase her distance from the brig-of-war. Jack guessed that her
intention was to draw him away, if possible, from his prizes, so that
she might have a better chance of taking off one of them during the
night; he had no fears of the result of a fight should she venture to
attack him; at the same time, under the circumstances, he doubted
whether it would be wise for him to become the assailant.
As the sun went down the stranger was still seen holding her former
position on the weatherbow of the _Supplejack_. It was very provoking
to be thus bearded, and he earnestly wished for daylight that he might
have a better chance of success in attacking the daring craft, for he
had at length made up his mind to bring her to action, and of course to
capture her. His greatest difficulty, however, would be, should he
succeed, in manning her, as she would require as many hands as the
_Supplejack_, and he could ill spare any of his own crew; he thought the
matter over, and called Needham aft to consult with him.
"Well, sir, I was thinking that it would be a good plan to send the
_Venus_ on to Jamaica, to get the assistance of the corvette. She
wouldn't be long in joining us, and we might keep the stranger in play
till then, or if any accident was to happen to us she might come up in
time to take her; not that I doubt, for a moment, that if we can get her
within range of our guns, we should soon make her our prize. It's
rather a tough job I'll allow, as the chase has forty hands or more on
board, and six or eight guns, though it's not likely they are very heavy
metal."
"I like your plan," said Jack; "I was considering that it might
otherwise be necessary to sink one or two of our prizes rather than run
the risk of losing the _Caterina_, for I make sure that that brig out
there is her."
Jack gave the matter a few more minutes' consideration, and, signalling
to the three schooners to heave to, he sent the purser on board the
_Venus_, with directions to Bevan at once to clap on all sail for Port
Royal, and to beg on his arrival there that the corvette, or some other
man-of-war, might be immediately despatched to his assistance. As the
night was dark he hoped that the stranger would not discover that the
_Venus_ had parted company till daylight, when she would have very
little chance of overtaking her.
To prevent the risk of her doing so he hauled up close to the wind,
believing that he should thus soon again get sight of the stranger. He
was not mistaken, for in little more than half an hour he sighted her,
standing the same course as before, but rather more abeam. Keeping away
again, he shortened sail, but she held the same course as before. Thus
the night passed, the stranger could be seen to the southward, while the
coast of Cuba lay broad on the lee-beam, though undistinguishable in the
darkness of night. At length, however, the stranger disappeared, but
Jack felt satisfied that she had not gone in chase of the _Venus_, and
he still hoped to see her again at daylight.
He and the two schooners kept on their course, under easy sail. The
officers in command of the latter were as eager as Jack to bring the
strange brig to action, hoping to take part in the light. Each vessel
had a couple of six-pounders on board, which though not very heavy guns,
might do good service, could they get near enough to the enemy to use
them.
Thus the night passed slowly away. Dawn at length returned and as the
first rays of the rising sun glanced across the ocean they fell on the
sails of the stranger, about three miles off, broad on the beam of the
_Supplejack_, whose commander at once resolved to bring her to action,
while she on her part showed no disinclination for the fight.
"She must have plenty of hands on board, and pretty heavy metal, or she
would long ago have been off," observed Needham; "however, we will see
what Long Tom can do."
"We will give him every opportunity of showing his qualities," said
Jack, "and not let the slaver get too near us till we have knocked away
some of his spars."
The stranger now kept edging down towards the "brig-of-war," which stood
on under her topsails, mainsail, and headsails.
Jack calculated that he should have time to throw three or four shots
into her from Long Tom, and then by making more sail, give her a raking
fire from his carronades. He hailed the schooners, and ordered Norris
and the master not to expose themselves more than necessary, and only to
fire when they had a good opportunity, while by all means they were to
avoid allowing the slaver brig to run aboard them.
The stranger, which had again hauled her wind, was still far beyond the
range of Long Tom.
"I don't think, sir, that they have got much stomach for the fight,
after all," observed Needham.
"Perhaps not," answered Jack; "but I suspected from the fellow's
manoeuvres that he still hopes to cut off our prizes, and is only
waiting the opportunity for doing so. We must also look out, not to let
him run us aboard, for if he has plenty of men that is what he will try
to do, and it will be his best chance too, though I doubt not that we
shall beat them off, no matter how many there are."
"No doubt about that, sir, whether they are Americans, Spaniards, or
Negroes," answered Needham, in a confident tone.
Nearly half an hour passed, and the relative positions of the vessels
were not changed. At length the slaver's crew, mustering up courage,
more sail was made on her, and she came edging down boldly towards the
"brig-of-war."
"Now see what Long Tom can do," cried Jack.
He had not miscalculated the distance this time. Needham pulled the
trigger, and the shot was seen to strike the stranger's bulwarks. She
fired in return, but without effect. Long Tom was quickly loaded; two
shots crashed into the slaver, and three went over her. She replied
with a broadside of four guns, but one shot only struck the
_Supplejack_, knocking away one of the after-stanchions.
Jack now ordered more sail to be set, and shooting across the bows of
the enemy, his two carronades and Long Tom were fired simultaneously.
This raking fire threw the slaver's crew into considerable confusion,
and before they had recovered from it, he again kept away. In the
meantime the two schooners ranged up on the larboard quarter of the
enemy, had begun blazing away with their popguns. Thus far, Jack had
evidently the best of it, and he would have been wise had he kept at a
distance, and fired away with Long Tom.
The slaver's crew, encouraged by their officers, returned to their guns,
and began blazing away with far greater effect than at first, but as
they fired high, no one on deck was hurt. Their shot began to inflict
considerable damage on the rigging, and at length the slings of the
fore-topsail-yard being shot away, down came the topsail, while the
other headsails were completely riddled. In vain Needham did his best
to retaliate on the enemy. Jack saw him binding a handkerchief round
his arm, though still working his gun. Three other men were wounded by
shot or splinters, and one poor fellow sank on the deck to rise no more.
Matters were indeed looking somewhat serious. Just then the slaver put
up her helm; Jack saw what she was about, but was unable to avoid her.
"Repel boarders!" he sang out, and in another minute the bows of the
black brig crashed against the side of the _Supplejack_, the flukes of
the enemy's anchors catching in the fore-rigging of the latter. Her
crew, however, had just time to fire their carronades, sending several
of the enemy to their last account, when nearly thirty fierce-looking
ruffians, with cutlass in hand, came crowding to the bows of the brig,
ready to spring on board. Jack and most of his people ran forward to
repel them. The Spanish captain fought bravely, although driven back,
again leading on his men, he made another desperate effort to get on
board the _Supplejack_.
Bevan and the master, in the meantime, were not idle, but as they could
bring one of their guns to bear without running the risk of hitting the
_Supplejack_, they kept firing into the enemy. The effect of their fire
was to lessen the number of the boarders, several of the slaver's crew
being occupied in working their after-guns, with the object of keeping
the two schooners at bay. McTavish and the purser had, however, managed
to run out one of the carronades from the aftermost port of the
_Supplejack_, and having loaded it with grape, fired it directly at the
men working at the guns. Had it been at a greater distance it might
have done more damage; as it was it hit one of the Spaniards, blowing
him almost to atoms, and wounding two others.
"Well done!" cried McTavish, whose Highland blood was up, "we'll give
them another dose."
The gun was run in and loaded as before. The Spaniards, who had
deserted their gun at the first discharge of the carronade, now returned
to it, and brought it to bear on the _Supplejack_.
The boarding-party were, in the meantime, making desperate efforts to
gain her decks, but were met by that determined courage which British
seamen never fail to exhibit.
His brave crew well led by Jack and the boatswain, every time the
Spaniards attempted to gain a footing on the forecastle of the English
brig, those who succeeded were cut down, while the rest were driven
back.
"Now, my lads! follow me, and we'll board them," cried Jack.
His proposal was replied to with a loud cheer, and he and Needham were
on the point of leaping on to the brig's forecastle, when a shout from
aft made him turn his head, and he caught sight of Don Lopez and seven
or eight of his companions, who had just made their way on deck by the
companion-hatch. The Don had a musket in his hand with which he was
fiercely attacking the surgeon, who had, however, the moment before
seized one, and was warding off the blows aimed at him. Jack singing
out to Needham to defend the forecastle, sprang aft with several of his
men to the assistance of McTavish. Just then the bows of the slaver
separated from the _Supplejack_, and at the same moment one of the
officers of the former, who had been looking eagerly to windward,
shouted to the captain. He instantly ran aft to the helm, which had
been deserted; but instead of attempting to regain his former position,
put it up, and allowing his vessel to shoot ahead as soon as she had
gathered way, went about and stood off to the northward. Don Lopez and
his companions, seeing themselves deserted, threw down their arms and
hurried below again as fast as they had come up. Needham's first
impulse was to rush back to Long Tom, with which he began to pepper the
retreating slaver as rapidly as the gun could be loaded, while the two
carronades were worked with equal quickness.
Jack had been so busily employed in defending the brig, that he had had
no time to attend to anything else. He now, for a moment, turned his
glance to windward, when he immediately discovered the cause of the
slaver's flight.
Standing towards him and coming on at a rapid rate was a ship carrying a
press of sail, and a schooner which was quickly recognised as the
_Venus_, by the cut of her sails, as well as by their snowy whiteness.
He could scarcely doubt that the large vessel was the corvette, yet it
would have been impossible for the _Venus_ to have gone to Port Royal,
and to have returned in so short a time.
The slaver, without firing a shot, was doing her best to escape, by
setting all the sail she could carry; her crew being actively employed
in knotting and splicing the rigging, which Needham's shot had already
somewhat damaged.
"Try one more," exclaimed Jack, "and good luck go with it."
Needham took good aim: the shot, passing through the maintopsail, struck
the foretopmast, which fell over the side. A loud cheer burst from the
throats of the English crew, and all hands redoubled their efforts in
repairing their own damages. They were soon able to set the foretopsail
and jib, and get the brig about, and away they went in hot chase after
their antagonist. The latter had not hitherto shown her colours; she
now hoisted an American ensign, but that did not save her from another
iron missile, thrown from Long Tom. She, on this, quickly exchanged the
American colours for those of Spain, which, however, were treated in the
same way, and finding at length that she had no chance of escaping from
her active pursuer, she hauled them down and hove to.
Jack ordered a boat to be lowered, and directed Needham and the only
midshipman remaining with him to board the prize; his other officers,
the doctor and purser, being busily engaged with the wounded men.
Needham was quickly alongside, and stepping on board he found that out
of her crew of forty hands, six had been killed and eight or ten
severely wounded, while her bulwarks and the companion-hatch had been
considerably knocked about. Among the killed was her first officer,
whilst the captain and several others were wounded.