The frigate was soon after this sent home with dispatches; but scarcely
was she clear of the Straits of Gibraltar than the wind fell, a thick
fog came on, and she lay becalmed some twenty leagues off the Spanish
coast. So dense was the fog, that no object could be seen a quarter of
a mile off.
At length a light breeze sprang up from the westward; but though strong
enough to fill her sails and send her slowly gliding over the
mirror-like surface of the water, it had not the power of blowing away
the mist which hung over it.
True Blue was walking the forecastle with Paul Pringle when his quick
ear caught the sound of a distant bell. He touched Paul's arm as a sign
not to speak, and stood listening; then almost simultaneously another
and another sounded, and the ship's bell directly after struck, as if
responding to them. The sounds, it was evident, came down with the
wind.
"Come aft and report them, in case the officer should not have heard
them."
Mr Brine was on deck and listened attentively to what True Blue had to
say. "How far off were the bells?" he asked.
"Half a mile, sir," was the prompt answer.
"Large or small, should you say?"
"Large, sir," said True Blue.
"English or French? I take it that there is a difference in the sound."
"And so there is, sir," quickly replied True Blue. "I marked it when we
were aboard the _Ralieuse_; and now, sir, you ask me, I should say they
were French."
"Very clear, indeed," remarked the first lieutenant. "Go into the
weather-rigging, Freeborn, and keep your eyes about you and your ears
open, and report anything more you may discover."
Mr Brine then went into the cabin to consult with the Captain. The
sentry was ordered, when his half-hour glass was run out, to turn it,
but not to sound the bell; and the word was passed along the decks to
keep the ship as quiet as possible.
It was possible that they were in the presence of a greatly superior
force of the enemy. The frigate's course, however, was not altered.
The breeze was freshening, and any moment the veil might be lifted from
the face of the waters, and the vessels floating on it disclosed to each
other. Everything on board the frigate was prepared for flight or
battle; and, in spite of the probability of having to contend with a
superior force, the crew showed by their remarks that they would
infinitely prefer the latter to the former alternative.
The only two, probably, on board who wished to avoid a fight were Sam
Smatch and Gregory Gipples, who still remained on board. Poor Gregory
would gladly have followed some more pacific calling, but his poverty,
and not his will, compelled him to be a sailor. Besides, he was now a
big, stout, well-fed fellow, and could pull and haul as well as many
seamen; and in those days the pressgang took care that once a sailor, a
man should remain always a sailor. Big as he was, and inclined to bully
all fresh hands, Tim Fid defied him, and never ceased playing him tricks
and quizzing him.
"Gipples, my boy, they say that there are three big Frenchmen coming
down upon us, and that we are to fight them all!" cried Fid, giving his
messmate a dig in the ribs. "One down, t'other come on, I hope it will
be; but whether we drub them or not, some of us will be losing the
number of our mess."
"Oh, don't talk so, Fid!" answered Gipples, looking very yellow.
"What's the use of it? We don't see the enemy."
"No, but we very soon shall," said Fid. "Just let the mist lift, and
there they'll be as big as life one on each quarter, so that every shot
they fire will rake us pretty nigh fore and aft. Our Captain's not a
man to give in, as you well know; so we shall soon have our sticks
a-rattling down about our heads, and the round-shot whizzing by us, and
splinters flying about, and arms and legs and heads tumbling off. How
does yours feel, Gipples? It's odd a shot has never come foul of it
yet. Howsomdever, you can't expect that always to be. But never mind,
old fellow. I'll tell the old people at home how you died like a true
British sailor; and if you have any message to your old chums, just tell
me what to say."
Thus, with an ingenious talent at tormenting, Tim Fid ran on, till, from
the vivid picture he drew, poor Gipples was fairly frightened out of his
senses. Tim was just then called off by the boatswain. When he came
back, Gipples was nowhere to be seen. The crew had been sent quietly to
their quarters without the usual beat of drum. Gipples ought to have
been seated on his powder tub, but he was not. He had been seen to go
forward. Fid looked anxiously for him. He did not return.
A considerable time passed. No Gipples appeared, and Fid felt sure that
he must have slipped purposely overboard.
Still Fid was not as happy as usual. True Blue asked him what was the
matter. He told him of his fears about Gipples. Indeed, the unguarded
powder tub was strong evidence that he was right in his surmises.
Another boy was ordered to take charge of the tub, and nobody but Tim
thought much more about the hapless Gregory.
The wind had gradually been increasing, and at length it gained
sufficient strength to sweep before it the banks of heavy mist, when the
loud sharp cry of the lookouts announced five sail right astern, and
some five or six miles distant. As they could be seen clearly from the
deck, numerous glasses were instantly pointed at them, when they were
pronounced without doubt to be enemy's ships.
They also saw the frigate, and instantly bore up in chase. Had they all
been line-of-battle ships, the swift-footed little _Ruby_ might easily
have escaped from them; but two looked very like frigates, and many of
that class in those days were superior in speed to the fleetest English
frigates.
All sail was made on the _Ruby_, and she was kept due north. "We may
fall in with one of our own squadrons, or we may manage to keep ahead of
the enemy till night, and then I shall have no fear of them," observed
the Captain as he walked the quarterdeck with his first lieutenant.
"We shall soon see how fast the Frenchmen can walk along after us,"
answered Mr Brine. "I hope the _Ruby_ won't prove a sluggard on this
occasion; she has shown that she can go along when in chase of an
enemy."
"Even should the two frigates come up with us, we must manage to keep
them at bay," said the Captain. "I know, Brine, that you will never
strike as long as a hope of escape remains."
"That I will not, sir!" exclaimed the first lieutenant warmly, and Mr
Brine was not the man to neglect such a pledge.
"Never fear, lads," said Paul Pringle; "the Captain carried us clear
with about as great odds against us once before, and he'll do it again
now if the breeze holds fair."
"But suppose it doesn't, and those thundering big Frenchmen manage to
get alongside of us, what are we to do then?" asked a young seaman who
had lately been impressed from a merchantman.
"What do, Dunnage?--why, fight them, man!" answered Paul briskly. "You
don't suppose, do you, that we should do anything else till we have done
that? We may knock away their spars, or maybe a shift of wind may come,
or a gale spring up, or we may give such hard knocks that the enemy may
think us a bad bargain. At all events, the first thing a man-of-war has
to do is to fight."
In a short time it was seen that the two frigates took the lead, and
that one of them was much ahead of the other. "All right," said Paul
when he perceived this, "we shall be able to settle with one before the
other comes on."
The officers, however, knew well enough, as in reality did Paul, that a
vessel much inferior in size might so far cripple them and impede their
progress as to allow the more powerful ships to come up. Still the
_Ruby_ was well ahead when the sun went down. As twilight rapidly
deepened into the gloom of night, the spirits of all on board increased.
A light was now shown at the cabin window. There was no moon, and the
night became very dark. Meantime, a cask had been prepared with a
bright light on the top of it. The loftier sails were handed, the cask
was lowered, and at the same instant the after-ports were closed. The
light was seen floating brightly and calmly astern. The helm was then
put down, the yards braced up, and the frigate stood away on a bowline
close-hauled to the westward.
For some hours she tore on with her hammock nettings almost in the
water; but it was a race for freedom, and what Briton would not undergo
any risk for that? No one, not even the idlers, thought of turning in.
Dawn came at length. Eager and sharp eyes were on the lookout at the
mastheads, but not a sign of the enemy was perceived. Once more the
helm was put up, and the frigate stood to the north-west.
Never did a ship's company turn to at their breakfast with more hearty
goodwill than did that of the _Ruby_. The only person missing at his
mess was Gregory Gipples; and this convinced Tim Fid that he must have
thrown himself overboard. True Blue and Harry Hartland, however,
differed with him, and argued the point. "If he was such a coward and
so afraid of shot, surely he would not deliberately go and destroy
himself," said they.
Fid insisted that his great fear of being shot made him dread less the
idea of drowning.
"He wasn't quite such a fool as all that," said Harry. "Here comes Sam
Smatch. Let's ask him what he thinks about it."
"What do I think about it?" exclaimed Sam, after they had laid the state
of the case before him. "I'll tell ye, boys. Big Gipples, him no fool.
He's stowed his fat carcase away somewhere down in de hold. Let's you
all and me go and look for him, and we soon rouse him up like one great
rat with rope's end."
"Set a thief to catch a thief!" whispered Harry to Fid. "I thought he
would know where Gipples was likely to be found."
Sam had been known on more than one occasion to stow himself snugly away
during action. When discovered, he had boldly avowed the wisdom of his
conduct. "For why?" he argued. "Suppose now my arm shot away, ship's
company lose fiddler; for how I fiddle without arm? And suppose no
fiddler, how anchor got up? how ship go to sea? and how take prize? and
how dance and be merry? No, no; you men no signify--go and be shot. I
berry important--take care of self."
Accordingly, Sam being the guide, the party set out with proper
authority to look for the missing Gipples. They searched in every
vacant space in the cable tier, and in every accessible spot in the
hold, among the water-casks and more bulky stores not under lock and
key; but no Gregory was forthcoming.
Fid began to fear that his forebodings would prove true. One spot,
however, had to be visited, commonly called the coal-hole. It was very
dark and close, and not a place that any one would willingly pass a day
in.
They thought that every corner had been explored, when, just as they
were retiring, Fid heard a suppressed groan. He started, and, had he
been alone, he felt that he should not have liked it; but he was a brave
little fellow, especially in company with others; so he stopped and
listened, and called Sam, who held the lantern, to examine the spot
whence the groan had proceeded.
There was a loose pile of firewood in one corner; and, on examining it,
there was no doubt that it had slipped over during the night. "He or
his ghost is under there," said Fid, pointing to it.
"Even if it's his ghost, it's not a pleasant place to be in!" exclaimed
True Blue, setting to work to remove the logs.
This was soon accomplished; and there, sure enough, black as a sweep
from the coal dust, and bruised with the logs, lay not the ghost of
Gipples, but Gipples himself, terribly frightened with the idea that he
was looked-for only that he might be drawn forth to be punished.
"Oh, lagged--lagged!" he exclaimed bitterly. "I'll not do it again--
indeed I won't, your worship. Just let me off this once. Oh do!"
"What's the fellow singing out about?" exclaimed Sam. "Just you come
out. No one's going to hurt you. Just wash yourself and come and have
some breakfast. You look pretty near dead already."
The truth was that the poor wretch was already out of his wits with
fright, starvation, and sleepiness, and had a very confused idea of
where he was or what had happened.
Sam Smatch now acted the part of a good Samaritan towards him. He got
him up on the lower-deck, and then went and called the doctor, and said
that he had found him bruised all over and apparently out of his wits.
The doctor ordered him to be put into a hammock in the sick-bay.
Sam, however, first got him washed and cleaned, and gave him some food,
which considerably revived him. After this, when Gipples came to
himself, Sam administered a severe lecture to him for his cowardice.
"But you, Sam--you're afraid, I'm sure, Sam," whimpered the culprit.
"No, I not afraid," he answered indignantly; "but why for I go lose my
head or arm, when I get noding for it? I am paid to play the fiddle and
help the cook. I do my duty and keep out of harm's way. You, Gipples,
are paid to be shot--you must stay where the shot comes, or you not do
your duty. There all de difference."
"Then I'll try and get a rating where I needn't stop and be shot!" cried
Gipples, as if a bright idea had seized him. "If I can't, I'll cut and
run. I can't stand it--that I can't."
Had not the doctor reported the boy Gipples as having met with an
accident, he would have been severely flogged for not having been at his
quarters. As it was, he escaped without further punishment; but he got
the name from his messmates of "Gregory Coal-hole."
The ship without further adventure reached Portsmouth. At this time, in
spite of the destruction of so many ships and magazines at Toulon, the
French Republic was preparing an armament so great that she hoped to be
able at once to crush with it the fleets of Old England. The British
Government, however, had not been idle; and a superb fleet of
thirty-four line-of-battle ships, and numerous frigates, under Lord
Howe, lay at Portsmouth ready to sail to meet the enemy.
Besides fighting, the Admiral had, however, two important objects in
view. One was to intercept a convoy of some three hundred and fifty
merchant vessels coming from the ports of the United States, laden with
provisions and the produce of the West India Islands for the supply of
the people of France, who were threatened with starvation for the want
of them; the other object was to see the British East and West India and
Newfoundland convoys clear of the Channel, where they might be
intercepted by French cruisers.
The _Ruby_ was attached to Lord Howe's squadron. It was a magnificent
sight, when, on the morning of the 2nd of May 1794, a fleet of one
hundred and forty-eight sail collected at Saint Helen's, of which
forty-nine were ships of war, weighed by signal, and with the wind at
north-east, stood out from that well-known anchorage at the east end of
the Isle of Wight, from which they were clear by noon. The weather was
fine, the crews were in good discipline, the ships kept well together,
and the men doubted not that they were able to fight and to conquer any
foe they might encounter.
Never had Paul Pringle felt more proud of his country and his
profession, as, walking the deck of the frigate, with True Blue at his
side, he looked out at the numerous magnificent ships which glided
proudly over the blue ocean.
"Look there, Billy--look there, my boy! Isn't that a sight to make a
sailor's heart swell high with pride?" he exclaimed as he swept his arm
round the horizon.
"It does, godfather--it does!" answered True Blue warmly. "And if I
hadn't loved the sea and the life of a sailor better than anything else,
I should have loved it now, I think."
"Right, boy--right!" exclaimed Paul. "It's the calling for a man--
there's no doubt on't. Look there now at Earl Howe's ship, the _Queen
Charlotte_, called after our own good Queen, with her hundred guns; and
then the _Royal George_, with Admiral Sir Alexander Hood's flag, and the
_Royal Sovereign_, which carries that of Admiral Graves, each with their
hundred bulldogs; and the _Barfleur_, and the _Impregnable_. And the
_Queen_, and the _Glory_, each of them not much smaller; and the
_Gibraltar_, and the _Caesar_, of eighty guns each. And then look at
that hoop of seventy-fours. There's the _Billy Ruffian_, and the
_Tremendous_, and the _Ramillies_, and the _Audacious_, and the
_Leviathan_, and _Majestic_, and the _Orion_, and _Marlborough_, and
_Brunswick_, and _Culloden_--they'll make a noise in the world some day,
and perhaps before long too."
"That's it, Paul," said True Blue, looking up at his godfather's face.
"I like our ship, as you know right well, and every timber and plank in
her; but I should like to be aboard one of those seventy-fours when the
day of battle comes. We aboard the frigates shall see what is going on,
but the fine fellows belonging to them will have the real work."
Paul glanced down approvingly at True Blue. "Never mind that, boy," he
answered. "We have had our turn while the line-of-battle ships were in
harbour doing nothing, and we shall have it again, no fear of that.
Besides, d'ye see, the enemy have frigates, and we may pick out one of
them to lay aboard; or what do you say when the Frenchmen take to
flight, we may then go in chase of some of their ships, and, big as they
are, make them haul down their colours."
"Ay, that's some consolation," answered True Blue. "Still, it is not
like being in the middle of the fight--that you'll allow, godfather."
"No, True Blue, it is not, boy; but in the middle of the fight you see
nothing often--only your own gun and the side of the enemy at which you
are firing away," remarked Paul. "Now aboard a frigate we are outside
of all, and can see all the movements of our ships as well as those of
the enemy; and as to fighting, a frigate with a smart Captain gets twice
as much of that as any line-of-battle ship; except, perhaps, three or
four favourites of fortune, which somehow seem to be in at everything.
Look now, there's Lord Howe signalling away, and Admiral Montague
answering him."
The fleet was now off the Lizard. The signal was made for the different
convoys to part company, and for Admiral Montague, with six
seventy-fours and two frigates, to protect them as far as the latitude
of Cape Finisterre. Away sailed the rich argosies, many of the Indiamen
worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, and almost as large as the
line-of-battle ships themselves. Extending far as the eye could reach,
they covered the glittering ocean with their white canvas and shining
hulls, their flags streaming out gaily to the breeze.
Lord Howe, with the remainder of the men-of-war, steered for Ushant,
and, arriving there, sent some frigates to look into Brest, to ascertain
if the French fleet was there. The frigates returned with the report
that it was in the harbour, a large number of ships having been clearly
seen. Lord Howe calculating the time that the expected convoy from
America would probably arrive, steered straight on a course to intercept
them. The line-of-battle ships had of necessity to keep together, in
case of encountering an enemy's squadron; but the frigates were
scattered far and wide; and True Blue had no reason to complain of want
of employment, as night and day a sharp lookout was kept for a strange
sail.
None, however, was seen, and once more the fleet returned to the
neighbourhood of Brest. Two frigates, with two line-of-battle ships to
support them, were now ordered to look once more into Brest harbour. On
going in, they met with an American merchantman coming out, and, on a
boat from the _Leviathan_ boarding her, the master informed the officer
in command that the French fleet had sailed some days before. This
report was found to be correct, and the same evening the reconnoitring
detachment rejoined the fleet.
Without loss of time, Lord Howe sailed in search of the French fleet.
This consisted of some twenty-five ships of the line, and sixteen
frigates or corvettes under the command of Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse, in
the _Montague_, of 120 guns; besides this ship, considered so enormous
in those days, there were three of 110 guns, and four eighty-gun ships,
all the rest being seventy-fours. The first object of this fleet was to
protect the expected convoy of provision ships, while that of the
English was to capture it. The French Admiral steered, therefore, a
direct course to the point where he hoped to intercept the convoy. His
ships, indeed, passed so close to those of the British during a thick
fog that they heard the usual fog-signals of the latter, such as the
ringing of bells and beating of drums; but as their object was not then
to fight, they did their best not to be discovered, and on the following
morning, when the fog cleared, they were out of sight of each other.
Lord Howe had, however, determined to overtake and bring the Frenchmen
to action; and as the ocean at that time was covered with vessels of all
nations, playing somewhat a puss-in-the-corner game as they ran from
port to port, he had every reason to expect that he would obtain the
required information as to their movements.
On the evening of the 19th of May a frigate appeared, despatched by
Admiral Montague, saying that, while cruising in the latitude of Cape
Ortegal, he had captured a French twenty-gun ship and a corvette, with
ten British sail of the Newfoundland convoy which they had taken; that,
from the information he obtained from the prisoners, he found that the
squadron protecting the American merchant fleet now consisted of nine
line-of-battle ships and several frigates, and requesting, therefore,
reinforcements. He was then, he stated, about to proceed along the same
meridian of longitude to the latitude of 45 degrees 47 minutes north, in
which, according to the information of the prisoners, the Rochefort
squadron had been directed to cruise.
On learning this, Lord Howe, believing that Admiral Montague's squadron
was in danger of being overpowered by Villaret, made all sail to his
rescue.
On the 21st, however, the lookout gave notice of a strange fleet in
sight. Chase was made, and ten out of fifteen sail of merchantmen--part
of the Lisbon convoy captured by the Brest fleet--were retaken.
The vessels were burnt, as Lord Howe could not weaken his crews by
sending them into port. From the prize crews taken in them, he learned
that the French had prepared red-hot shot, and that the officers had
determined to engage at close quarters. At the first piece of
information the British seamen were inclined to laugh; and as to the
second, though inclined to doubt it, they only hoped it might be true.
No sooner was the information received that the French fleet was so
near, than Lord Howe abandoned his intention of joining Admiral
Montague, whom he considered in safety, and stretched away to the
northward and westward in daily expectation of coming up with the enemy.
All the information he gleaned confirmed Lord Howe in the opinion that
he was but a short distance from the enemy. The morning of the 28th of
May found the British fleet, with a strong wind at south by west and a
heavy sea, formed in order of sailing, with the lookout frigates
stationed around them. The _Ruby_ was to windward, about one hundred
and forty leagues west of Ushant, and True Blue was one of the lookouts.
Great was his delight when at 6:30 a.m., he discovered a sail to the
south-south-east, and scarcely had he hailed the deck with the
information than he made out a strange fleet directly to windward.
"Hurrah! there is the enemy!" was the general cry throughout the British
fleet.
Intense was the interest on board every English ship. In about two
hours the French were seen bearing down in somewhat loose order; but
when about ten miles off, they hauled their wind and began to form in
order of battle.
The frigates were now for safety recalled, and the main body continued
in the order of sailing, except the _Bellerophon_, _Leviathan_,
_Marlborough_, _Audacious_, _Russell_, and _Thunderer_, which were a
considerable distance in advance to windward, and were coming fast up
with the enemy's rear. The ever-exciting signal of the whole fleet to
chase and prepare for action was now thrown out from the _Queen
Charlotte_. Every sail the ships could carry was immediately set, and
away the whole fleet plunged through the rolling, tumbling sea in chase
of the flying enemy. It was not, however, till towards the evening that
Admiral Pasley, in the _Bellerophon_, closed with the rear ship of the
enemy's line, a three-decker, on which he commenced a firm and resolute
attack, supported occasionally by the ships in his division. The
_Bellerophon_ being soon disabled, fell to leeward; and just then the
_Audacious_ came up, and for two hours most gallantly engaged the
Frenchman, which proved to be the _Revolutionnaire_ of 110 guns. The
enemy's mizen-mast falling overboard, and her lower yards and
main-topsail-yard having been shot away, she fell athwart hawse of the
_Audacious_. Getting clear, however, she put before the wind; nor was
it in the power of the latter, from her own crippled condition, to
follow her.
Still the French, though having the weather-gage, and therefore having
it entirely in their power to engage, avoided an action. By the
persevering efforts of some of the weathermost ships of the British,
several of their ships most to leeward were compelled to fight. One of
them indeed struck; but, a consort coming up and pouring a broadside
into her as a gentle reminder of her duty she again hoisted her colours.
The frigates meantime were hovering about, ready to obey any orders
they might receive, their Captains and officers, as well as their crews,
naturally severely criticising the movements of the two fleets, and
jealous that they themselves were not permitted to take part in the now
active work going on.
"That's always like them, Abel, isn't it?" exclaimed Paul Pringle as he
watched the main body of the French fleet still keeping aloof. "It puts
me just in mind of what they used to do in the West Indies. When they
numbered twice as strong as we did, they would come down boldly enough;
but when we showed our teeth and barked, they'd be about again, thinking
that they would wait for a better opportunity."
"Ay, Paul, I mind it well. Even Billy here minds it, too, though he was
a little chap then," answered Abel, placing his hand on the lad's
shoulder. "And, True Blue, what's more, do you tell it to your
children's children. Never mind how big may be the ships of the enemy,
or how many guns they may carry, let British seamen when they meet them,
as we do nowadays, feel sure that they will conquer, and I am very sure
that conquer they will; ay, however the Frenchmen may bluster and boast
of their mountain ships, just as the French Admiral does now."
"That's it, mate," chimed in Peter Ogle. "That's the way. Go at them.
Show them that you know you are going to thrash them--stick to it.
Never mind if you are getting the worst; be sure you'll be getting the
better before long, and, as Abel was a-saying, so you will in the end."
"Right, right!" said Abel impressively. "Suppose now they were for to
go for to cover up their ships with padding, or thick coats of wood or
iron, just as men once had to do their bodies, I've heard tell, when
they went to battle,--not that in the matter of ships it could be done
on course, ha! ha! ha! but we never knows what vagaries the Monsieurs
may try. Well, what should we do? Stand and play at long bowls with
them? No, I should think not; but go at them, run them down, or lay
them alongside just as we do now, and give them the taste of our
cutlasses. They'll never stand them as long as there's muscle and bone
in an Englishman's arm."
"Never did you say a truer word, Abel!" exclaimed Paul. "And mind you
remember it, True Blue. But I say, mates, what's the _Caesar_ about
there? I've been watching her for some hours, and there she is still
under treble-reefed topsails; and, instead of boldly standing up along
the French line, she has been edging away, and now she's been and tacked
as if she was afraid of the enemy. What can she be about? He's making
the Frenchmen fancy that there is a British officer in this fleet who
fears them. Oh, boys, for my part I would sooner be the cook than the
Captain of that ship! But don't let's look at him; it makes my heart
turn sick. Look instead at our brave old Admiral! He is a fine fellow.
See, see! he has tacked. He doesn't care a rap for the Frenchman's
fire. The _Queen Charlotte_ must be getting it pretty warmly, though.
There, he's standing right down, and he's going to break the French
line. There's a broadside the old lady has poured into the quarter of
one of those rear French ships. Now he luffs up right under her stern,
and has repeated the dose. The Frenchman will not forget it in a hurry.
There go the _Billy Ruffian_ and the _Leviathan_. They'll cut off a
couple of Frenchmen if they manage well. Hurrah! That's the way to go
about the work. It cannot be long before our fine old chief makes the
Frenchmen fight, whether they will or not."
Several other ships, besides those observed by Paul Pringle and True
Blue, were hotly engaged during the course of that 29th of May, and lost
a considerable number of officers and men.