Through the haze of the night a bright flash now appearing,
"Oh, ho!" cried Will Watch, "the Philistines bear down;
Bear a hand, my tight lads, ere we think about sheering,
One broadside pour in, should we swim, boys, or drown."
SEA SONG.
"Now, Willy, what do you think of _La Belle Susanne_?" said McElvina, as
they stood on the pier, about a stone's throw from the vessel, which lay
with her broadside towards them. Not that McElvina had any opinion of
Willy's judgment, but, from the affectionate feeling which every sailor
imbibes for his own ship, he expected gratification even in the
admiration of a child. The lugger was certainly as beautiful a model of
that description of vessel as had ever been launched from a slip. At
the distance of a mile, with the sea running, it was but occasionally
that you could perceive her long black hull--so low was she in the
water, and so completely were her bulwarks pared down; yet her breadth
of beam was very great, and her tonnage considerable, as may be inferred
when it is stated that she mounted sixteen long brass nine-pounders, and
was manned with one hundred and thirty men. But now that she was lying
at anchor in smooth water, you had an opportunity of examining, with the
severest scrutiny, the beautiful run of the vessel, as she sat graceful
as a diver, and appeared, like that aquatic bird, ready to plunge in at
a moment, and disappear under the wave cleft by her sharp forefoot, and
rippling under her bows.
"When shall we sail?" inquired Willy, after bestowing more judicious
encomiums upon the vessel than might be expected.
"To-morrow night, if the wind holds to the southward. We took in our
powder this morning. Where were you stationed at quarters on board the
---?"
"Nowhere. I was not on the ship's books until a day or two before I
left her."
"Then you must be a powder-monkey with me; you can hand powder up, if
you can do nothing else."
"I can do more," replied Willy, proudly; "I can roll shells overboard."
"Ay, ay, so you can: I forgot that. I suppose I must put you on the
quarter-deck, and make an officer of you, as Captain M--- intended to
do."
"I mean to stand by you when we fight," said Willy, taking McElvina's
hand.
"Thank you--that may not be so lucky. I'm rather superstitious; and, if
I recollect right, your old friend Adams had that honour when he was
killed."
The name of old Adams being mentioned, made Willy silent and unhappy.
McElvina perceived it; the conversation was dropped, and they returned
home.
A few days afterwards, _La Belle Susanne_ sailed, amidst the shouts and
vivas of the multitude collected on the pier, and a thousand wishes for
"_succes_," and "_bon voyage_"--the builder clapping his hands, and
skipping with all the simial ecstasy of a Frenchman, at the encomiums
lavished upon his vessel, as she cleaved through the water with the
undeviating rapidity of a barracouta. But the _vivas_, and the shouts,
and the builder, and the pier that he capered on, were soon out of
sight; and our hero was once more confiding in the trackless and
treacherous ocean.
"Well, she _does_ walk," said Phillips, who had followed the fortunes of
his captain, and was now looking over the quarter of the vessel. "She
must be a clipper as catches us with the tacks on board! Right in the
wind's eye too; clean full. By the powers, I believe if you were to
lift her, she would lay a point on the other side of the wind."
"Get another pull of the fore-halyards, my lads," cried McElvina.
"These new ropes stretch most confoundedly. There, belay all that; take
a _severe_ turn, and don't come up an inch."
The breeze freshened, and the lugger flew through the water, dashing the
white spray from her bows into the air, where it formed little rainbows,
as it was pierced by the beams of the setting sun.
"We shall have a fine night, and light weather towards the morning, I
think," said the first mate, addressing McElvina.
"I think so too. Turn the hands up to muster by the quarter-bell.
We'll load the guns as soon as the lights are out; let the gunner fill
forty rounds, and desire the carpenter to nail up the hatchway-screens.
Let them be rolled up and stopped. We'll keep them up for a _full due_,
till we return to Havre."
The crew of the lugger were now summoned on deck by the call of the
boatswain, and having been addressed by Captain McElvina upon the
absolute necessity of activity and preparation, in a service of such
peculiar risk, they loaded the guns, and secured them for the night.
The crew consisted of about eighty or ninety Englishmen, out of the full
complement of one hundred and thirty men; the remainder was composed of
Frenchmen, and other continental adventurers. Although the respective
countries were at variance, the subjects of each had shaken hands, that
they might assist each other in violating the laws. The quiet and
subordination of a king's ship were not to be expected here,--loud and
obstreperous mirth, occasional quarrelling, as one party, by accident or
intention, wounded the national pride of the other. French, English,
and Irish, spoken alternately, or at the same moment--created a degree
of confusion which proved that the reins of government were held lightly
by the captain in matters of small importance; but, although there was a
general freedom of manner, and independence of address, still his
authority was acknowledged, and his orders implicitly obeyed. It was a
ship's company which _pulled every way_, as the saying is, when there
was nothing to demand union; but, let difficulty or danger appear, and
all their squabbling was forgotten, or reserved for a more seasonable
opportunity: then they all _pulled together_, those of each nation vying
in taking the lead and setting an example to the other.
Such was the crew of the lugger which McElvina commanded, all of whom
were picked men, remarkable for their strength and activity.
As the first mate had predicted, the wind fell light after midnight, and
at dawn of day the lugger was gliding through the smooth water, at the
rate of three or four miles an hour, shrouded in a thick fog. The sun
rose, and had gained about twenty degrees of altitude, when McElvina
beat to quarters, that he might accustom his men to the exercise of the
guns. The rays of the sun had not power to pierce through the fog; and,
shorn of his beams, he had more the appearance of an overgrown moon, or
was, as Phillips quaintly observed, "like a man disguised in woman's
attire."
The exercise of the guns had not long continued, when the breeze
freshened up, and the fog began partially to disperse. Willy, who was
perched on the round-house abaft, observed a dark mass looming through
the mist on the weather beam. "Is that a vessel?" said Willy, pointing
it out to the first mate, who was standing near McElvina.
"Indeed it is, my boy," replied the mate; "you've a sharp eye of your
own."
McElvina's glass was already on the object. "A cutter, right before the
wind, coming down to us; a government vessel, of some sort or another,
I'll swear. I trust she's a revenue cruiser--I have an account to
settle with those gentlemen. Stay at your quarters, my lads--hand up
shot, and open the magazine!"
The powerful rays of the sun, assisted by the increasing wind, now
rolled away the fog from around the vessels, which had a perfect view of
each other. They were distant about two miles, and the blue water was
strongly rippled by the breeze which had sprung up. The lugger
continued her course on a wind, while the cutter bore down towards her,
with all the sail that she could throw out. The fog continued to clear
away, until there was an open space of about three or four miles in
diameter. But it still remained folded up in deep masses, forming a
wall on every side, which obscured the horizon from their sight. It
appeared as if nature had gratuitously cleared away a sufficient portion
of the mist, and had thus arranged a little amphitheatre for the
approaching combat between the two vessels.
"His colours are up, sir. Revenue stripes, by the Lord!" cried
Phillips.
"Then all's right," replied McElvina.
The cutter had now run down within half a mile of the lugger, who had
continued her course with the most perfect _nonchalance_--when she
rounded-to. The commander of the vessel, aware, at the first discovery
of the lugger, that she could be no other than an enemy, who would most
probably give him some trouble, had made every preparation for the
engagement.
"Shall we hoist any colours, sir?" said the first mate to McElvina.
"No--if we hoist English, he will not commence action until he has made
the private signal, and all manner of parleying which is quite
unnecessary. He knows what we are well enough."
"Shall we hoist a French ensign, sir?"
"No; I'll fight under no other colours than those of old England, even
when I resist her authority."
A long column of white smoke now rolled along the surface of the water,
as the cutter, who had waited in vain for the colours being hoisted,
fired the first gun at her antagonist. The shot whizzed between the
masts of the lugger, and plunged into the water a quarter of a mile to
leeward.
"_A vous, monsieur_!" roared out a French quarter-master on board of the
lugger, in imitation of the compliments which take place previously to
an _assaut d'armes_, at the same time taking off his hat, and bowing to
the cutter.
"Too high, too high, good Mr Searcher," said McElvina, laughing;
"depress your guns to her waterline, my lads, and do not fire until I
order you."
The remainder of the cutter's broadside was now discharged at the
lugger, but the elevation being too great, the shot whizzed over,
without any injury to her crew; the main-halyards were, however, shot
away, and the yard and sail fell thundering down on the deck.
"Be smart, my lads, and bend on again; it's quite long enough. Up with
the sail, and we'll return the compliment."
In less than a minute the tie of the halyards, which had been divided
close to the yard, was hitched round it, and the sail again expanded to
the breeze. "Now my lads, remember, don't throw a shot away--fire when
you're ready."
The broadside of the lugger was poured into the cutter, with what effect
upon the crew could not be ascertained; but the main-boom was cut in
half, and the outer part of it fell over the cutter's quarter, and was
dragged astern by the clew of the sail.
"It's all over with her already," said the first-mate to McElvina; and,
as the cutter payed off before the wind, another broadside from her
well-manned antagonist raked her fore and aft. The cutter hauled down
her jib, eased off her fore-sheet, and succeeded in again bringing her
broadside to bear. The action was now maintained with spirit, but much
to the disadvantage of the cutter, who was not only inferior in force,
but completely disabled, from the loss of her main-boom.
After an exchange of a dozen broadsides, McElvina shot the lugger ahead,
and, tacking under his adversary's bows, raked him a second time. The
commander of the revenue vessel, to avoid a repetition of a similar
disaster, payed his vessel off before the wind, and returned the fire as
they came abreast of each other; but in these manoeuvres, the lugger
obtained the weather-gage. It was, however, a point of little
consequence as matters then stood. In a few more broadsides the cutter
was a complete wreck, and unable to return the fire of her opponent.
Her fore-stay and halyards had been cut away, her fore-sail was down on
deck, and her jib lying overboard, under her bows.
"I think that will do," said McElvina to the first-mate. "We had better
be off now, for our guns will be sure to bring down some of the
cruisers; and if she surrendered, I could not take possession of her.
Let's give her a parting broadside, and three cheers."
McElvina's orders were obeyed; but not one gun was returned by the
cutter--"Starboard a little; keep her away now, and we'll close and
stand ahead of her, that she may read our name on the stern. It's a
pity they should not know to whom they are indebted. They'll not forget
_La Belle Susanne_."
The cutter had not been left a mile astern before the breeze freshened,
and the fog began rapidly to disperse; and Phillips, who continued at
the conn, perceived, through the haze, a large vessel bearing down
towards them.
"High time that we were off; indeed, captain; for there's a cruiser, if
I mistake not. A gun here is the same to the cruiser, as a splash in
the water is to the ground sharks at Antigua; up they all come to see
what's to be had. We shall have a dozen of them above the horizon
before two hours are above our heads."
McElvina, who had his glass fixed upon the vessel, soon made her out to
be a frigate, coming down under a press of sail, attracted, as Phillips
had remarked, by the reports of the guns. What made the affair more
serious was, that she was evidently bringing down a strong breeze, which
the lugger, although steering large, had not yet obtained. Moreover,
the fog had dispersed in all directions, and the frigate neared them
fast.
"Blast the cutter!" said the first-mate: "we shall pay dearly for our
`lark'."
"This is confoundedly unlucky," replied McElvina; "she brings the wind
down with her, and won't part with a breath of it. However `faint heart
never won fair lady.' Keep her away two points more. Clap everything
on her. We'll _weather_ her yet."
The breeze that ran along the water in advance of the frigate now began
to be felt by the lugger, who again dashed the foaming water from her
bows, as she darted through the wave; but it was a point of sailing at
which a frigate has always an advantage over a small vessel; and
McElvina having gradually edged away, so as to bring the three masts of
his pursuer apparently into one, perceived that the frigate was rapidly
closing with him.
The crew of the lugger, who had been all merriment at the successful
termination of the late combat (for not one man had been killed or
severely wounded), now paced the deck, or looked over the bulwark with
serious and foreboding aspects; the foreigners, particularly, began to
curse their fate, and considered their voyage and anticipated profits at
an end. McElvina, perceiving their discontent, ordered the men aft, and
addressed them:--
"My lads, I have often been in a worse scrape, and have weathered it;
nor do I know but what we may yet manage to get out of this, if you will
pay strict attention to my orders, and behave in that cool and brave
manner which I have reason to expect from you. Much, if not all,
depends upon whether the captain of that frigate is a `_new hand_' or
not: if he is an old channel groper, we shall have some difficulty; but,
however, we will try for it, and if we do not succeed, at least we shall
have the satisfaction of knowing, that we did our best both for
ourselves and our employers."
McElvina then proceeded to explain to his crew the manoeuvre that he
intended to practise, to obtain the weather-gage of the frigate, upon
which their only chance of escape would depend, and the men returned to
their stations, if not contented, at least with increased confidence in
their captain, and strong hopes of success.
As the day closed, the frigate was within a mile of the lugger, and
coming up with him hand over hand. The breeze was strong, and the water
was no longer in ripples, but curled over in short waves to the
influence of the blast. The frigate yawed a little--the smoke from her
bow-chaser was followed by an instantaneous report, and the shot dashed
into the water close under the stern of the lugger. "Sit down under the
bulwarks; sit down, my lads, and keep all fast," said McElvina. "He'll
soon be tired of that; he has lost more than a cable's length already."
McElvina was correct in his supposition; the commander of the frigate
perceived that he had lost too much ground by deviating from his course,
and the evening was closing in. He fired no more. Both vessels
continued their course--the smuggler particularly attentive in keeping
the three masts of her pursuer in one, to prevent her from firing into
her, or to oblige her to drop astern if she did.
Half an hour more, and as the sun's lower limb touched the horizon, the
frigate was within musket-shot of the lugger, and the marines, who had
been ordered forward, commenced a heavy fire upon her, to induce her to
lower her sails and surrender; but in vain. By the directions of their
captain, the men sheltered themselves under the bulwarks, and the vessel
continued her course, with all her sails expanded to the breeze.
A few minutes more and she was right under the bows of the frigate, who
now prepared to round-to, and pour a broadside into her for her
temerity. McElvina watched their motions attentively, and as the
frigate yawed-to with all her sails set, he gave the order to lower
away; and the sails of the lugger were in an instant down on the deck,
in token of submission.
"Helm hard a-lee, now--keep a little bit of the mizen up, Phillips--they
won't observe it."
"Marines, cease firing-hands, shorten sail, and clear away the first
cutter," were the orders given on board the frigate, and distinctly
heard by the smugglers; but the heavy press of sail that the frigate was
obliged to carry to come up with the chase, was not so soon to be
reduced as that of a small vessel--and, as she rounded-to with
studding-sails below and aloft, she shot past the lugger, and left her
on her quarter.
"Now's your time, my men. Hoist away the jib-sheet to windward." The
lugger payed off as the wind caught the sail. "All's right. Up with
the lugs."
The order was obeyed as an order generally is by men working for their
escape from what they most dreaded, poverty and imprisonment; and,
before the frigate could reduce her sails, which were more than she
could carry on a wind, the lugger had shot away on her weather quarter,
and was a quarter of a mile in advance. The frigate tacked after her,
firing gun after gun, but without success. Fortune favoured McElvina;
and the shades of night soon hid the lugger from the sight of her
irritated and disappointed pursuers. A long career was before _La Belle
Susanne_: she was not to be taken that time.