The active little _Thisbe_ had been for some time at sea, and had
already performed her duty of giving notice of the recommencement of
hostilities at the different stations, and to the men-of-war and
merchantmen she met with.
Her captain, aided by Harry, had made all the enquiries he could
relating to the circumstance in which he was so deeply interested, but
without any satisfactory result.
Harry had heard in Calcutta of his uncle, Mr Ranald Castleton, who had
gone to Penang soon after its establishment as the seat of government of
the British possessions in the Straits of Malacca. He had, however,
sailed for England some years before, during the previous war, and the
ship had, it was supposed, either been lost or captured by the enemy, as
she had not afterwards been heard of. Those who had known him were
either dead or had returned home, and Harry could obtain no certain
information, except the fact that he had had a wife and children, but
that they were supposed to have perished with him.
Still neither Harry nor Headland gave up hopes of gaining the
information they wished for.
Harry had, as he promised, kept his eye on Jacob, who, greatly to his
satisfaction, had been made a petty officer. As he was becoming a
thorough seaman, and read and wrote better than most of the men in the
ship, the captain promised, should a vacancy occur, to give him an
acting warrant as boatswain or gunner.
The _Thisbe_ had been more than a year on the station. Harry had
received no letters from home. How he longed to hear from May and
Julia. He thought that both would certainly have written. His mother,
too, ought not to have forgotten him; but in those days, when no regular
post was established, letters were frequently a long time on their way.
He had written several times to Julia, and not less often, as may be
supposed, to May. He had enclosed his letters to her to the Miss
Pembertons. He suspected she would wish him to do so, and also that
they would have a better prospect of reaching her. He told her the
satisfaction he felt at discovering that she was not, as he had
supposed, Adam Halliburt's daughter, but in all probability his equal in
birth, and that thus the great obstacle in obtaining his father's
sanction to his marriage no longer existed.
He sent messages to Adam and the dame, assuring them that he would look
after Jacob's interests, and he enclosed at different times letters from
Jacob himself to his father and mother. Jacob's letters chiefly
contained praises of Lieutenant Castleton and his captain. Though for
his father's sake he regretted having been forced from his home, he was
well content with his life, and spoke with enthusiasm of the strange
countries and people he had visited, and of his prospects of advancement
in the service.
The _Thisbe_ had once more got free of the Straits of Malacca.
Having run down the coast of Sumatra, and touched at Bencoolen, was
standing across the Indian Ocean, when towards sunset a large ship was
descried from the mast-head, to the south-west. At the distance she was
away it was impossible to say whether she was an enemy or friend,
whether ship-of-war or merchantman. At all events the captain
determined to overhaul her, and made all sail in chase. The great point
was to get near enough to keep her in sight during the night, so as to
follow her should she alter her course. When the sun went down she was
still standing as at first seen, and had not apparently discovered that
she was chased.
The night was clear, the sea smooth, and the graceful corvette, with all
sail set below and aloft, made good way through the water, and was fast
coming up with the chase. The captain's intention, however, was not to
approach too near till daylight, for should she prove an enemy's
man-of-war of much superior force, the _Thisbe_ would have to trust to
her heels to keep out of her way, though should she be of a size which
he might without undue rashness attack, the captain's intention was to
bring her to action, well knowing that he would be ably supported by his
officers and crew.
But few of the watch below turned in, every spyglass on board being
turned towards the chase. There were various opinions as to her
character, some believing her to be a man-of-war, others a French or
Dutch merchantman, and from the course she was steering it was believed
she had come through the Straits of Sunda. The dawn of day which might
settle the question was anxiously looked for.
At length a ruddy glow appeared in the eastern horizon, gradually
extending over the sky, and suffusing a wide expanse of the calm ocean
with a bright pink hue, and tinging the loftier sails of the stranger,
while to the west the surface of the water still remained of a dark
purple tint.
"She has hoisted English colours," exclaimed Harry, who had his glass
fixed on the chase.
A general exclamation of disappointment escaped those who heard him.
"That is no proof that she is English," observed the captain. "The cut
of her sails is English, and though she is a large ship, she is no
man-of-war, of that I am certain. We will speak her at all events, and
settle the point."
The stranger was seen to be making all sail; royals were set, and
studding sails rigged out, but in a slow way, which confirmed Headland's
opinion of her being a merchantman. This showed that her commander had
no inclination to await the coming up of the corvette, of whose
nationality, however, he might have had doubts.
Although the chase had now every sail set she could carry, the corvette
still gained on her.
"Those heavy tea-chests require a strong breeze to drive them through
the water," observed the master to Harry. "I rather think, too, we
shall have one before long. I don't quite like the look of the sky, and
we are not far off the hurricane season."
The crew were piped for breakfast, and the officers who could be spared
from the deck went below. De Vere had been attacked by fever at
Bencoolen, and was in his cabin. The master remained in charge of the
deck.
Breakfast was hurried over.
When Harry and the captain returned on deck a marked change had taken
place in the weather. Dark clouds were gathering in the northern
horizon, and fitful gusts of wind came sweeping over the ocean, stirring
up its hitherto calm surface, and sending the spoon-drift flying rapidly
over it. Still the chase kept her canvas set, having altered her course
more to the southward.
"They hope that we shall get the wind first, and be compelled to shorten
sail, and that she will thus have a better chance of again getting ahead
of us," observed the master.
Still the corvette carried on. The captain had his eye to windward,
however, prepared to give the order to shorten sail. She had come up
fast with the chase, which she at length got within range of her guns.
A bow-chaser was run out, and a shot fired. The stranger paid no
attention to it. A few more minutes were allowed to elapse, when
another shot was fired with the same result as at first. On this
Headland ordered the English flag to be hauled down, and that of France
substituted. No sooner was this done than the stranger, hauling down
the red ensign, hoisted the tricoloured flag.
"I thought so," exclaimed Headland, "shorten sail."
The studding sails were rigged in, the royals handed. Again the British
flag was hoisted instead of that of France, and a shot fired. On this
the stranger took in her studding sails and loftier canvas, and, as the
_Thisbe_ ranged up alongside, fired a broadside.
The _Thisbe's_ crew returned it with interest, and before the enemy
could again fire they delivered a second broadside, which cut away some
of her standing and running rigging, and caused other damage. The
stranger again fired, but after receiving a few more broadsides,
evidently finding that she had no hope of escaping from her active
antagonist, she hauled down her colours.
The wind had during the action been increasing, and the sea getting up,
it was necessary to take possession of her without delay, as unless her
canvas was speedily reduced, in all probability her masts would be
carried over the side.
Harry volunteered to go on board, and a boat being lowered, accompanied
by Jacob and seven other men, he pulled alongside.
He had just gained her deck, and was receiving the sword of the officer
in command, when the gale which had long been threatening struck the two
ships. The _Thisbe's_ crew having secured their guns were swarming
aloft to take in her canvas.
The deck of the prize presented a scene of the greatest confusion.
Several of her men lay dead, some were endeavouring to secure the guns,
a few had gone aloft to take in sail, but the greater number were
running about not knowing what to do. Harry ordered his men to let go
everything. The topgallant-sails, which were still set, were in an
instant torn into ribbons, the foretopsail was blown out of the bolt
ropes, and the mizzen-mast, which had been wounded, was carried over the
side, and the prize lay a helpless wreck amid the raging seas which
threatened every instant her destruction.