"Nettleship, ahoy! Pull in as hard as you can."
Though I could see lights on board the ships, close to the water as it
was, I could not distinguish the boat, and I was afraid that, not
expecting us so soon, Nettleship had pulled to a distance. Should he
not arrive our capture was certain. We had nearly gained the rocks on
which we had landed, when I made out a dark object on the water
approaching. That must be the boat, I thought, and again hailed.
Nettleship, recognising my voice, answered, and I guessed by the sound
of the oars that the men were bending to them with all their might.
Larry and I stood ready to spring in. We could hear the footsteps of
the Frenchmen approaching rapidly. By stooping down we managed to
conceal ourselves, and to avoid several more shots which were fired.
The moment the bowman touched the rock with his boat-hook, Larry and I
sprang on board. I scrambled aft, while Nettleship shouted out--
"Back oars all. Now, starboard oars, give way."
The boat was quickly got round, but we had pulled to no great distance
before the Frenchmen, reaching the beach, began to blaze away at us. We
returned the compliment by firing the only two muskets which had been
brought. The Frenchmen standing up on the rock presented a good target.
First one shot struck the stern, and another the blade of an oar, but
no one was hurt, and the Frenchmen, finding that they were the greatest
sufferers, prudently retired from the beach.
After a long pull we got back to the frigate. The captain, to whom I
delivered General Fraser's letter, complimented me on having performed
the duty.
"Your conduct will be noted, Finnahan, and you may depend upon obtaining
your promotion as soon as you are old enough."
I expected to be able to turn in, but he sent me with the letter at once
on board the flag-ship, and I delivered it in person to Sir Samuel Hood.
The admiral almost repeated what the captain had said; and I had good
reason to congratulate myself at the success of my adventure.
Next day, General Prescott's division was re-embarked, as it was not a
sufficient force to fight its way to General Fraser at Brimstone Hill.
Other attempts were made to communicate with him, and two officers were
captured; so that I had good cause to be thankful that I had escaped.
Dubois and La Touche confessed that they were very sorry to see me back.
"I felt sure that you would be made prisoner, and fully expected to have
had the satisfaction of being exchanged for you," said the latter. "But
we have to practise patience and laugh at our misfortunes, to get on in
this world."
"I'm very glad you were not caught, Paddy," said Tom Pim. "I envy you
your success, and only wish that I could talk French as you do, to be
employed on the same sort of service. La Touche is teaching me, and I'm
trying to teach him English, but we make rum work of it without a
grammar or dictionary, or any other book. I suspect he gets more out of
me than I do out of him, though I try very hard to pronounce the words
he says."
We could hear the French guns thundering away at the fort, and those of
the fort replying, hour after hour, without intermission, but the
signals made by General Fraser were not supposed to be satisfactory.
At last, one day, we saw the flag hauled down; the guns at the same time
ceased, and we knew that all was over, and the gallant garrison had been
compelled to capitulate. Information of this was sent on board to the
admiral, with a flag of truce, by the Marquis de Boullie.
That evening we sailed on a cruise to ascertain the movements of the
French fleet. We had not been to sea many hours when we saw them
standing in for Nevis Point, where they came to an anchor; and counting
them, we found that they numbered no less than twenty-four sail of the
line, several ships having lately joined them. We at once returned with
the information to Sir Samuel Hood. It was now discovered that the
French had been throwing up gun and mortar batteries on a hill, which
would completely command the fleet.
We were seated in the berth after we had brought up, discussing the
state of affairs.
"We're in a nice position," said Chaffey. "We shall be pounded at from
the shore, and shall have the French fleet, with half as many more ships
as we possess, down upon us before long, and it will be a tough job to
fight our way out from among them."
"Just trust our admiral," answered Tom; "he knows what he's about,
depend on that; he won't let us be caught like rats in a trap."
As he was speaking, Nettleship came into the berth.
"The captain was sent for on board the flag-ship, and he's just
returned," he said. "I hear that he met all the captains of the fleet
on board, and the admiral told them to set their watches by his
timepiece, and directed all the ships to slip or cut their cables at
eleven o'clock. The sternmost and leewardmost ships are to get under
weigh first, and so on in succession, and we're to stand on under easy
sail, in sight of each other, till we receive further orders from the
admiral."
No one turned in; the crews were at their stations; not a sign was shown
which might allow the French--who were of course watching us from the
shore--to discover that any movement was in contemplation. At the
appointed time, the _Alfred_, the most leeward of our ships, was seen to
get under weigh, followed in rapid succession by the _Canada_ the
_President_, and the rest of the line-of-battle ships, which stood out
of the bay, accompanied by the frigates, before probably the French were
aware what we were about.
It was a masterly movement, as it would have been madness to have
stopped to be attacked by so superior a force as the French possessed;
for though we might have driven them off, we must have suffered
severely, and have had to return into harbour to refit. At this time we
were outnumbered, and even out-manoeuvred, by the French, who took
possession of several of our islands, which we were unable to protect.
We were not to be idle, for there was plenty of work for the frigates in
watching the enemy, and occasionally in engaging their frigates.
We had not been long at sea when our captain received orders from Sir
Samuel Hood to stand in towards where the French fleet were supposed to
be, and ascertain what they were about.
We had sighted the island of Antigua on our starboard bow, and were
standing in towards Nevis, when three sail appeared to the westward.
One of the lieutenants went aloft to examine them. On returning on
deck, he reported that one was a line-of-battle ship, and the other two
frigates. As there could be no doubt, from their position, that they
were enemies, the captain ordered our course to be altered, intending to
pass to the northward of Antigua. We had been seen by the enemy, who
were making all sail in chase. I saw Dubois and La Touche watching them
eagerly.
"You expect this time to gain your liberty, my friend?" I said to La
Touche. "Don't be too sure that your countrymen will come up with us,
or if they do, that they will make the _Liffy_ strike her flag."
"I would rather be set at liberty in any other way," he answered, in his
usual cordial tone; "but they appear to me to be gaining on us."
"Perhaps they are, and if so we must fight them, and drive them off," I
observed.
"It would be madness to do that," he remarked. "You cannot cope with a
line-of-battle ship alone, independent of two frigates, each of which is
a match for the _Liffy_."
It was soon seen that our captain had no intention of striking his flag
without striking very hard first at the enemy. The strangers appeared
to have a stronger breeze than filled our sails, and were coming up hand
over hand with us. Still we might get the wind, and run into an English
harbour. It was the first time the _Liffy_ ever had to run, and we
didn't like it. I asked Nettleship what he thought about the matter.
"We shall have a tough fight, at all events; but if we can save our
spars, I don't think, notwithstanding, the enemy will take us."
This was the general feeling of all on board.
We had sighted Nevis, when two other ships were made out to the
south-east. Presently several more appeared in that direction. It was
a question, however, whether they were friends or foes. Had we been
certain that they were friends, we should have stood towards them, but
our captain was unwilling to run the risk of finding that he had made a
mistake. A look-out was kept on them from aloft; and before long they
were pronounced to be enemies. I saw by the looks of our captain that
he didn't like it, though he tried to appear as confident as usual. The
rest of the officers kept up their spirits.
It was very evident that we were now in a difficult position. The
line-of-battle ship was the closest; the two frigates, one to the north
of us, the other some way to the south of her; while the new enemies we
had discovered prevented us escaping in the opposite direction. Our
only hope was to knock away some of the spars of the line-of-battle
ship, and then fight our way past the two frigates. The line-of-battle
ship was rapidly approaching. A single broadside, should we be exposed
to it, would almost sink us.
Every preparation had been made for fighting; and not a man flinched
from his gun. The officers were at their stations; the powder-monkeys
seated on their tubs; the surgeons below, preparing for the wounded; and
we, the younger midshipmen, ready for any duty we might be called on to
perform.
At length a puff of smoke was seen issuing from the line-of-battle ship.
The shot fell close to our counter.
"That was fired from her forecastle," observed Nettleship, "from a long
gun, too. It will play Old Harry with us if well served, before we can
return the compliment."
A second shot quickly followed, and struck the hammock-nettings on the
starboard side, knocking several overboard.
We at length luffed up; and the captain ordered the whole of our
starboard broadside to be fired. Our guns were well aimed, and
immediately we had fired we again kept away. Our shot did considerable
damage to our pursuer, but she still kept on, while we expected every
moment to have her broadside crashing into us.
Fortunately for us the wind fell, and our light frigate moved rapidly
through the water. The other frigates were, however, coming up.
"What does the captain intend to do?" I asked of Nettleship.
He pointed ahead where the island of Nevis rose green and smiling out of
the blue water.
"Depend on it he won't let the enemy have our tight little frigate if he
can help it," he answered. "My idea is that he'll try and get close in,
and stand round the island, to give a chance to our big enemy to run on
shore."
Shortly after this I heard Nettleship involuntarily exclaim, "See! see!
here it comes!" and as I looked aft I saw the line-of-battle ship
luffing up, and as she did so her whole broadside was discharged at us.
With a fearful uproar the shot came crashing on board. Cries and
shrieks arose from all sides. Well-nigh a dozen of our men were struck
down, and many more were wounded. The most severely hurt of the latter
were carried below. Comparatively little damage, however, had been done
to our spars and rigging, though the rents in our sails showed where the
shot had passed through; while blocks came rattling down on deck, and
several ropes hung in festoons from the yards. Still our stout-hearted
captain held on.
To return the enemy's fire would have been useless, and only the sooner
insure our destruction. We got nearer and nearer the island. The men
were ordered into the chains to heave the lead. The captain and master
examined the chart, which had been brought from the cabin. We had no
doubt of what their intentions were, but we couldn't hear a word they
said. We were gaining on our pursuer, but at the same time the two
frigates were not far astern, while the other ships, which had last been
seen, were coming up rapidly. The men in the chains were heaving the
lead. We were shoaling our water.
"By the mark, nine," was called, and immediately followed by "By the
mark, eight." Before the men in the chains could again cry out, a loud
crash was heard,--every timber in the ship trembled,--the tall masts
quivered.
"We're on shore," I cried out.
"No doubt about that," said Nettleship, "and likely to remain there
too."
The captain at once ordered the men aloft to furl sails.
Our pursuer, not wishing to meet with the same fate, hauled her wind,
and stood to a distance, which left us beyond the reach of her guns.
"Roll them up anyhow. Be smart about it," cried Mr Saunders.