Attacked by Buccaneers
"Back to the ships!" was the cry, and with the utmost haste we
retraced our footsteps. Not having to cut our way back, our progress
was considerably quicker than on the outward journey, most of the
men casting aside their stock of provisions to enable them to
lighten their loads. Yet, owing to the marshy state of the ground
through which we floundered heavily, it was nearly two hours later
ere we emerged from the forest--if forest I may term it.
The cause of our sudden recall then became apparent, for standing in
under all plain sail were three large ships. They were still a
league or more from the mouth of our harbour, but already they were
in shoal water, so that 'twas plain they were no strangers to the
island, since they were following the intricate channel through
which we ourselves had come.
Our arrival had already been observed from our own ships, and boats
were putting off to take us on board. While we were awaiting them
Captain Jeremy ordered twelve men to reinforce the little garrison
within the stockade, and on numbering the remainder we were
astonished to find that only twenty-two remained. The outposts whom
we had left on the hillock had been recalled, and on the march not a
cry of alarm had been raised, so that the missing men must have
disappeared without a sound.
"Who are they? What are their names?" demanded Captain Jeremy
anxiously.
Several names were mentioned, although some of them, I knew, were
those of the men who had been sent to the stockade; but all were
agreed that Ned Slater was amongst the six missing seamen.
A stern look overspread Captain Jeremy's bronzed features. The loss
of the chart, and the unaccountable disappearance of a man of whom I
had expressed my distrust, had considerably shaken our Captain's
faith in his former shipmate; but, controlling himself, he ordered
the men to embark, for the boats had by this time gained the shore.
Although we hurried on board there was no unseemly haste or panic,
and as each man came up over the side he took his place in his
allotted position.
Captain 'Enery, having handed over the command to Captain Jeremy,
returned to the _Neptune_, where, as on board the _Golden Hope_, the
magazines had been opened, and powder and shot placed alongside the
guns, ere we came off.
The wind blew steadily straight on shore, so that we hoped the
strange vessels had not heard the guns fired as the return signal,
though, as most merchantmen carried small guns for this purpose, the
discharge, even had it been heard, would not have led the enemy to
suppose that our vessels were well armed.
Meanwhile we lost no time in improving our posture of defence.
Captain Jeremy sent away the long-boat with a kedge slung underneath
her, to which was attached a long hawser, leading over the ship's
stern. The kedge was then dropped, and by taking a strain on the
cable the _Golden Hope_ was brought to lie broadside on to the mouth
of the harbour. A similar manoeuvre was also carried out on board
the _Neptune_, so that all our available ordnance, or as many as
there were gun ports for, were trained on the approaching vessels,
though as yet the guns had not been run out.
In breathless silence we awaited the oncoming ships, for, by Captain
Jeremy's orders, not a shot was to be discharged, nor a shout
raised, from either brig till the word was given to open fire.
When just outside the inner reef the leading vessel rounded, and as
she did so her ensign became visible. It was the skull and
crossbones.
"She means to leave us no longer in doubt," exclaimed Captain
Jeremy. "I am right glad that she has shown yonder flag, for it
seems they take us for harmless traders, and would terrify us into
surrender."
Even as he spoke a cloud of smoke burst from the pirate's side
amidships, and a twelve-pound ball whizzed betwixt our masts,
striking our lee bulwarks and knocking up a shower of splinters;
then, rebounding, it plunged into the sea within a few yards of the
shore.
Another and another followed, while the remaining ships took up a
similar position and also opened fire. Though many of their shots
went high or passed wide, one penetrated the bulwarks, killing two
men and wounding three.
The master gunner, who had returned on board, besought our Captain
to open fire.
"No," he replied resolutely. "We must grin and bear it awhile."
Just then a shot was fired from the _Neptune_. Possibly the captain
of the gun had lost his nerve; but the shot was well aimed, for it
struck the fore mast of the nearest buccaneer.
"A pest take it!" muttered Captain Jeremy, "that will ruin all my
plans;" and springing on the poop he hailed the _Neptune_, to know
why the gun had been discharged.
Fortunately the premature shot was not followed by others, though we
expected it would be mistaken for the signal to commence firing; and
for ten minutes longer we lay under a heavy fire from all the
vessels.
Evidently the buccaneers did not wish to sink us, for they directed
their fire principally at our spars and cordage. Once we were
captured they would remove our stores and other valuable gear, and
scuttle the ships, so as to leave no trace of their fiendish
handiwork. Such has been the fate of many unfortunate merchantmen in
West Indian waters, with hardly a fragment left afloat to tell the
tale.
"Stand to it, my lads," shouted Captain Jeremy encouragingly. "Spars
can be replaced and cordage refitted. They'll get tired of that game
ere long. Lie down, all of you."
It was indeed a trying ordeal. We had already lost our foreyard,
which had tumbled down across the fo'c'sle, bringing with it a
litter of ropes, blocks, and torn canvas. Our spritsail yard, broken
in two places, dangled from the bowsprit; while our mainmast was
splintered from the futtock-shrouds to within ten feet of the deck.
Several shots had torn gaping holes in our sides, and as a result
four more dead men lay on our decks, while nearly a dozen badly
wounded were carried below.
Nor was our consort in a better plight. Her fore topmast had been
shot away early in the cannonade, her poop lanterns and part of the
taffrail had disappeared, and several ominous dark holes were
visible in her bulging yellow sides.
"How much longer are we to stand this?" asked Touchstone, as he
bound his wrist with a kerchief.
"Patience, man, patience!" was Captain Jeremy's only reply, as he
calmly surveyed the scene of destruction--the blood-stained deck
littered with the prone figures of seamen, whether they were dead,
or wounded, or unhurt; and the tangle of shattered spars and
cordage--and the smoke-enshrouded outlines of our ferocious
attackers.
Ever and anon a shrill cry of pain or an exclamation of rage would
be heard, as a mass of timber dislodged from aloft came hurtling
through the air and struck some unfortunate man crouching near the
guns; and another limp body would be borne below to add to the
steadily growing numbers of our wounded. Yet discipline, iron
discipline, prevailed, and were we to win the day we must receive
hard knocks with the traditional fortitude of Englishmen.
Ashore our stockade, its seaward face hidden by a mask of bushes,
also maintained a dignified silence, though in the case of its
defenders, they were not put to the same temptation as ourselves.
All at once two men emerged from our main hatchway, dragging with
them a great, hulking fellow, whose face was livid with terror.
"'Ere you are, Cap'n," said one of the men. "We found 'im skulking
in t'hold."
"And 'e hasn't a scratch on 'im," added the other. "Shall us pitch
'im over the side?"
For the space of a full minute Captain Jeremy intently regarded the
trembling man; then, as the cry arose, "Here they come!" he stepped
to the weather bulwarks and looked in the direction of the enemy.
"Pass the word for the crew to stand to their arms," he said in a
low tone to the master gunner; then, returning to where the abject
creature still stood cowering, "There's your chance," he remarked
quietly, pointing towards the buccaneering craft; "play the man!"