As Harry and his friend reached the deck they caught sight of a strange
frigate standing towards the _Triton_, which was, as has already been
said, off the port of Carthagena, and as they looked towards the land
they observed a small vessel under all sail running in for it. That the
stranger was an enemy there was no doubt, and as she was evidently as
heavy a frigate as the Triton, there appeared, even should she be
captured, with the Spanish squadron close at hand, little prospect of
her being brought off. There was indeed a great chance that the
_Triton_ herself would not escape should she be crippled.
"The odds are against us," observed the captain to his first lieutenant.
"We must not, however, show our heels to a single frigate, and will do
our best to take her before the enemy can come out to her rescue."
"Ay, ay, sir; take her we shall, and I hope get off with her too," was
the answer.
The crew were at their quarters, stripped to the waist, waiting eagerly
to begin the action. The second lieutenant being left on shore and the
third being ill, Headland and Harry were doing duty in their places,
though the third lieutenant came on deck when he heard of the pending
action.
The stranger, which hoisted Spanish colours, and was seen to be of 34
guns, two more than the _Triton_, approaching within hail then hauled to
the wind, on the _Triton's_ weather beam.
"Give her a shot!" cried the captain, "to prove her."
Scarcely had the flash been seen than a whole broadside fired by the
enemy came rattling on board the _Triton_. It was returned by the
British crew. Broadside after broadside was given and received. In
vain Captain Fancourt endeavoured to haul either ahead or astern of the
enemy to rake her. She kept her advantageous position, and the
Spaniards, whatever may sometimes be said of them, fought their ship
gallantly. The action continued to be a regular broadside to broadside
one. The boatswain was seen examining the masts with anxious looks.
They and the bowsprit had been wounded pretty severely, while the
rigging hung in festoons, and her sails were shot through and torn.
Still the British seamen fought their guns as energetically as at first.
"Keep it up, my lads!" cried Headland, as he with Harry and other
officers moved from gun to gun. "We have given her as much as we have
received, and something more into the bargain."
As far as the canopy of smoke which hung round the ships could enable
the British crew to distinguish the condition of their antagonist, they
saw that every shroud had been cut away, and her boats and upper works
knocked to pieces, while hitherto but very few of their own crew had
been hit and not one killed. The action lasted an hour and twenty
minutes, when the Spaniards' fire sensibly slackened.
The _Triton_, giving her antagonist another broadside, now forged ahead.
The crew were ordered to leave their guns, and in an instant the
greater number swarming aloft began knotting and splicing the damaged
rigging, while fresh sails were got up and bent with a rapidity which
looked like magic. Meantime the Spaniard was similarly engaged, and her
helm being put up she endeavoured under such sail as she could set to
make off. The sight still further stimulated the British crew to
exertion, and in twenty minutes, with rigging refitted, she went about
and with every gun reloaded stood down once more towards the enemy.
Though the latter had hitherto fought with the greatest courage, yet no
sooner did the _Triton_ come within range than the proud flag of Spain
was hauled down. A cheer, such as British sailors alone can give, burst
from the victorious crew.
Headland and Harry were sent on board with the only boat that could
swim, to take possession.
The brave Spanish captain delivered up his sword with a dignified bow,
and Headland, complimenting him on his gallantry, requested him at once
to go on board the _Triton_. That he had not yielded till the last
moment was evident, for the booms having fallen down had disabled all
the waist guns of the frigate, and fully thirty men lay on the decks,
while an equal number were found wounded in the cockpit, many of them
mortally.
Not a moment was to be lost, and as soon as two other boats could be
patched up, more of the _Triton's_ crew were sent on board to repair the
damages the prize had received.
She proved to be the _Mahonesa_, and her brave captain, Don Tomas
Ayaldi.
"Well, we have done something now at all events," said Harry to
Headland, as the severed shrouds and running rigging of the prize having
been repaired and sail made she and her captor were steering for
Gibraltar.
The _Triton_ remained sometime at Gibraltar to refit.
After another cruise up the Mediterranean, where she did good service,
and fought an action not inferior to the first, when she captured her
antagonist, she was ordered home. On her way she looked into Lisbon,
and Headland, who received his commission as lieutenant, was put in
charge of their first prize, with Harry as his second in command, and
another midshipman and thirty men to carry her home.
They reached Plymouth in safety, and when the _Triton_ was paid off,
Captain Fancourt being soon afterwards appointed to a ship in commission
in which there were no vacancies, Harry and his friend were separated.
They were employed for nearly three years on different stations and saw
much service, both obtaining their promotion, while Headland, by several
gallant acts, gained the credit he so eagerly sought for.
During the time, being then lieutenants, Harry belonging to the _Naiad_
frigate, and Headland to the _Alembic_, they had the good fortune to
capture two Spanish frigates, the _Thetis_ and _Santa Brigida_, laden
with specie to the value of upwards of 300,000 pounds sterling. Though
two other frigates joined in the chase, each of the lieutenants of the
four ships obtained 5000 as their share of prize money, while the four
captains received upwards of 40,000 pounds a-piece.
"If you ever have to establish your claims, you will now have the means
of doing so," observed Harry to his friend when they arrived at
Plymouth. "And remember my share shall be at your service."
"I am very sure you will help me to the last penny you possess if I
should require money," answered Headland. "But I have long given up all
hopes of success, and really now think very little about the matter. I
am not ambitious of wealth, and when the piping times of peace come
round, and I am sent on shore to shift for myself, I shall have saved
enough to live on in comfort and respectability."
"What, with a wife!" asked Harry. "She may not be satisfied with what
you consider a competency."
"I have not thought about marrying," answered Headland, laughing, "and I
do not suppose any lady I should like would accept an unknown adventurer
such as I should be considered," he added, and a shade came over his
countenance showing that he felt his position more than he was willing
to acknowledge.
"Adventurer! nonsense; no one has a right so to call a naval officer who
has already made a name for himself, and will make a greater some day or
other," answered Harry. "Don't let such an idea take possession of your
mind. There are dozens of girls who would accept you gladly for
yourself, and perhaps be better pleased to find that they had not
married a whole tribe of relations, sisters and aunt, who might
interfere with their domestic arrangements. Depend on it if every
lieutenant and ward-room officer of our four fortunate frigates were to
go on shore at once, we could each of us be married within a fortnight."
"Very likely," answered Headland. "But the ladies would take us for our
prize money not for ourselves, and I should not wish to have a wife on
those terms."
"Nor should I, indeed; when I was last on shore during the London
season, and went out with my mother and sister, I saw enough of
fashionable society to make me resolve whenever I might take it into my
head to look out for a wife, not to seek for her in such an atmosphere.
I saw numbers of pretty girls, I confess, and, I daresay, some of them
possessed sterling qualities. If I particularly admired any one fair
lady, on discovering that I was only a midshipman, she was sure to
freeze me up the next time I met her."
"Had she found that you were a lieutenant with a share of the _Santa
Brigida's_ treasure, she might have looked more affectionately on you,"
said Headland, laughing.
"Exactly; but I should not, as you were remarking, have been flattered
had I been aware of the motive which prompted her feelings."
"So it seems that we are perfectly agreed," said Headland, "and the less
we think about the matter till the time comes the better. At all events
I intend never to entertain any thoughts of marrying unless I find some
one who, rising above ordinary prejudices, is ready to link her fate
with mine, regardless of my unknown birth and name." See there are the
waggons to carry off our treasure.
As he spoke, he pointed to a large number of artillery waggons which had
driven into the dockyard, close to which the prizes had been hauled.
Two days were employed in landing the rich cargoes, which were escorted
by horse and foot soldiers, and armed seamen and marines, and
accompanied by bands of music and an immense concourse of people, to the
Citadel of Plymouth, in the vaults of which the treasure remained till
it was removed to London, and finally deposited in the Bank of England.
A similar scene occurred at different times when treasure ships were
taken.
On one occasion an English captain sailed into port with huge silver
candlesticks at his mastheads, and ordinary seamen found themselves
possessed of two or three hundred guineas prize money, frequently
squandered before many weeks were over; while the officers obtained a
proportionate share of wealth. Few, perhaps, thought of the suffering
and injustice endured by the owners when gold was captured which
belonged to private individuals, and though in some instances when such
was the case it was returned, yet in many others non-combatants lost
their lives and their property at the same time.
Harry and Headland were among the fortunate officers who, having many
opportunities of distinguishing themselves, gained wealth and honour
together.
At length the great victory of the Nile, in which Headland took a part
was won, Napoleon's armies had been defeated in Syria and Egypt,
Copenhagen had been bombarded, and the treaty of Amiens, speedily again
to be broken, had been signed.
The ships in which the two lieutenants served came to an anchor at
Spithead, within a few days of each other.
Harry went on board the frigate in which Headland was serving as first
lieutenant.
"You are sure of your promotion, Headland," he said after their greeting
was over. "I have just got a letter from my uncle telling me your name
is on the list. You deserve a spell on shore. We are to go into
harbour to be paid off to-morrow, and as soon as I am free you must
start with me for Texford, where my family are now residing. Captain
Fancourt has already spoken to them of you, and you will receive a
hearty welcome. No excuses, old fellow, you will be Captain Headland by
that time, and that alone will be sufficient introduction to any family
in the land."
Headland hesitated. He thought of making a tour round England, and
perhaps going over to France, to have a look at the country from which
Englishmen had so long been excluded, but Harry overcame all objections,
and Headland agreed should he not be appointed to a command, which was
not very likely, to accompany his friend to Texford.