A considerable time had passed after that celebrated 1st of June, and
the French had learned to suspect who were to be the masters at sea,
whatever they might have thought of their own powers on shore, when a
fine new corvette of eighteen guns, the _Gannet_, was standing across
the British Channel on a cruise. Her master and commander was Captain
Brine, long first lieutenant of the _Ruby_. Her first lieutenant was a
very gallant officer, Mr Digby; and her second was Sir Henry Elmore,
who was glad to go to sea again with his old friend Captain Brine. She
had a boatswain, who had not long received his warrant for that rank,
Paul Pringle by name; her gunner was Peter Ogle, and her carpenter Abel
Bush; while one of her youngest though most active A.B.s was Billy True
Blue Freeborn. She had a black cook too. He was not a very good one;
but he played the fiddle, and that was considered to make amends for his
want of skill.
"For why," he used to remark, "if my duff hard, I fiddle much; you dance
de more, and den de duff go down--what more you want?"
True Blue's three godfathers had resolved to become warrant-officers if
they could, and all had studied hard to pass their examinations, which
they did in a very satisfactory way.
Their example was not lost upon True Blue. "I have never been sorry
that I am not on the quarterdeck," said he one day to Paul. "But,
godfather, I shall be if I cannot become a boatswain. That's what I am
fitted for, and that's what my father would have wished me to be, I'm
sure."
"That he would, Billy," answered Paul. "You see a boatswain's an
officer and wears a uniform; and he's a seaman, too, so to speak, and
that's what your father wished you to be; and I'll tell you what,
godson, if some of these days, when you're old enough, you becomes a
boatswain, and when the war's over you goes on shore and marries Mary
Ogle, so that you'll have a home of your own when I am under hatches,
that's all I wishes for you. It's the happiest lot for any man--a good
wife, a snug little cottage, a garden to dig in, with a summer-house to
smoke your pipe in, and maybe a berth in the dockyard, just to keep you
employed and your legs going, is all a man like you or me can want for,
and that is what I hope you may get."
Some young men would have turned the matter off with a laugh, but True
Blue replied, "Ay, godfather, there isn't such a girl between the North
Foreland and the Land's End so good and so pretty to my mind as Mary
Ogle; and that I'll maintain, let others say what they will."
"True, boy, true!" cried Paul, slapping him affectionately on the
shoulder. "You are right about Mary; and when a lad does like a girl,
it's pleasant to see that he really does like her right heartily and
honestly, and isn't ashamed of saying so."
The _Gannet_ had altogether a picked crew, and Captain Brine was on the
lookout to give them every opportunity of distinguishing themselves.
There were, to be sure, some not quite equal to the rest. Tim Fid and
Harry Hartland had joined with True Blue, and poor Gregory Gipples had
managed still to hang on in the service, though, as his messmates
observed, he was more suited to sweep the decks than to set the Thames
on fire.
As yet the saucy little _Gannet_, as her crew delighted to call her, had
done nothing particularly to boast of, except capturing and burning a
few _chasse-marees_, looking into various holes and corners of the
French coast, exchanging shots with small batteries here and there, and
keeping the French coastguard in a very lively and active condition,
never knowing when they might receive a nine-pound round-shot in the
middle of one of their lookout towers, or be otherwise disturbed in
their nocturnal slumbers.
Captain Brine was up the coast and down the coast in every direction;
and if he could manage to appear at a point where the wind was least
likely to allow him to be, by dint of slashing at it in the offing
against a head wind, or by creeping in shore with short tacks, he was
always more pleased and satisfied, and so were his crew.
The wind was north-east, the ship's head was south; it was in the month
of March, and the weather not over balmy.
"A sail on the weather bow!" cried the lookout from the masthead.
"What is she like?" asked the second lieutenant, who had charge of the
deck.
"She looms large, sir," was the answer.
The information was notified to the Captain, who was on deck in an
instant.
Whether the stranger was friend or foe was the next question to be
ascertained. Doubts were expressed as to that point both fore and aft.
She was a frigate, that was very certain; still, without trying her with
the private signal, Captain Brine did not like to haul his wind and make
sail away from her. The nearer she drew, the more French she looked.
Eighteen guns to thirty-eight or forty, which probably the stranger
carried, was a greater disproportion than even the gallant Brine was
inclined to encounter. All hands stood ready to make sail at an
instant's notice.
At length the two ships drew almost near enough to exchange signals.
"That ship is French, depend on it, sir!" exclaimed the first lieutenant
to the Captain.
"I am not quite so certain of that, Digby," answered Captain Brine.
"But if she is not an enemy, she is the _Diamond_ frigate, commanded by
Sir Sydney Smith. He has a wonderful knack of disguising his ship. I
have known him to deceive the French themselves, and quietly to sail
under a battery, look into a port, and be out again before he was
suspected. He delights in such sort of work, and is not over bashful in
describing afterwards what he has done. We shall soon, however,
ascertain the truth. Try the stranger now with our private signals."
The flags were run up, and in a short time Sir Henry exclaimed, "You are
right, sir! She replies, and makes the _Diamond's_ number. There is
another signal now. Sir Sydney orders us to close with him."
"I felt almost certain that it was the _Diamond_," said the Captain.
"Well, gentlemen, I have no doubt that we shall soon have some work to
do."
As soon as the corvette got within a short distance of the frigate, she
hove to; and a boat being lowered, Captain Brine went on board to pay
his respects to his superior officer. He, however, speedily returned.
"Sir Sydney proposes a cruise round the French coast together, which
accords with our instructions," he said, addressing his two lieutenants,
and the news soon spread through the ship.
Away the frigate and corvette sailed together, and soon fell in with a
large lugger, to which they gave chase; but she turned out to be the
_Aristocrat_, a hired vessel, fitted out by Government, and commanded by
Lieutenant Gossett. Sir Sydney rubbed his hands.
"We could not be better off!" he exclaimed. "The _Lion_, _Wolf_, and
_Jackal_ all hunting in company."
Not many days had passed before a fleet of vessels was espied under the
land, and evidently French. One was made out to be a corvette, and the
others brigs, schooners, and luggers, which she was apparently
convoying. Chase was instantly given, and the strangers made all sail
to escape.
Away they went, close in with the shore, just as a herd of oxen run
along a hedge looking for an opening into which to escape. At length
the water shoaled so much that the frigate had to haul off. The
corvette stood on a little longer, and had to do the same; while the
lugger, running on still farther, signalled that all the enemy had run
into a harbour under some high land which appeared to be surmounted with
batteries.
Sir Sydney on this called the other two vessels near to him, and
informed their commanders that he knew the place, and that he intended
surveying the entrance, which he believed was deep enough for the
frigate herself. The frigate and her consorts then stood off till the
approach of evening, as if giving up the pursuit. As soon, however as
it was dark, they once more approached the land.
All the night Sir Sydney and his lieutenants, and Captain Brine and his,
were busily sounding the channel; but before daybreak the little
squadron was too far from the land to seen from it. A favourable breeze
carried them back, and without hesitating, they stood boldly on towards
the mouth of the port. The entrance to it was guarded by two batteries
one beyond the other, on the left hand, and by several guns posted on a
commanding point which it was necessary to round before the harbour
could be entered. For the forts Sir Sydney was prepared, as he knew of
their existence; and he had directed four of his own boats, with three
from the corvette and one from the lugger, to attack and carry them in
succession.
Mr Digby, from a wound in his right arm, which prevented him from using
it, was unable to go; and so Sir Henry Elmore had command of the
_Gannet's_ boats, and True Blue went in his boat as his coxswain, Mr
Nott, now a mate, accompanying him. Paul Pringle, the boatswain, had
command of another boat, and a mate and midshipman of the _Gannet_ had
charge of the other two. The whole expedition was under the command of
the first lieutenant of the frigate, who was accompanied by a lieutenant
and the marines of the two ships. As soon as the frigate and corvette
got within range of the guns on the point, the latter opened a hot fire
on them; but so well did the ships ply theirs in return as they passed
that the gunners were speedily driven from them.
On rounding the point, however, the vessels became exposed to a severe
fire from the two batteries. A considerable tide was running out, and
Sir Sydney saw, as he expected, that the ships might suffer a severe
loss before they could be passed, unless the batteries could be
silenced. The order was therefore given for the boats to be lowered,
and instantly to shove off. Away they dashed with loud cheers. The
French troops, not expecting such a mode of attack, hurried down from
their batteries to oppose them on the beach. This was just what Sir
Sydney wished, as it enabled the ships to creep up without being fired
at.
The boats, as they advanced, were so warmly received by the troops on
the beach that they could not effect a landing at the spot proposed.
True Blue's quick eye, however, observed what he thought looked like a
landing-place, close under the nearest fort. He pointed it out to Sir
Henry, who, calling the boats nearest to him to follow, dashed on
towards it. The first lieutenant of the _Diamond_ meantime so entirely
kept the troops on the beach employed, that no one saw what was
occurring.
In another minute Sir Henry and his followers were on shore. True Blue
was next to him, carrying the flag. A rocky height, almost a precipice,
had to be climbed to reach the fort. Up they all went at once, like
goats, making violent springs, or climbing up with hands and knees.
True Blue was one of the first, helping up Sir Henry, whose strength was
often not equal to his spirit.
When the English were half way up, the French caught sight of them, and
now the whole body hurried along the road to regain the fort. It was a
desperate race between the two parties. The English had a short but
rugged height to scale, the French a longer but smoother path to
traverse. The frigate's boats however, by a well-directed fire,
assisted to impede their progress, and to thin their numbers as they
went. On sprang the daring seamen. True Blue was the first over the
parapet and into the fort. Sir Henry followed close to him. The French
were almost at the gate, which was left open.
"Here, Freeborn!" he exclaimed; "this gun, slew it round and give it to
them. It is loaded and primed--see!"
The gun which Sir Henry touched was a field-piece, evidently brought for
the occasion into the fort. Several seamen assembling, the gun was
instantly got round, and as the leading body of French appeared, True
Blue pointing it, fired it directly in their faces; then with a loud
shout drawing his cutlass, he and Sir Henry rushed furiously at them,
followed by most of the men. So unexpected was the assault that the
leading files gave way, and, pressing on the others, hurried down the
narrow path. Sir Henry calling back his companions, they re-entered the
fort.
The gate was then shut, lest the enemy should return, and all the guns
were immediately spiked. The commander of the expedition, and the
lieutenant of marines and his men, had in the meantime come round and
gained the height, in spite of a heavy flank fire from the French.
Several of the guns were now, besides being spiked, tumbled down the
precipice, and a considerable amount of destruction effected in the
fort.
The French, however, were now collecting in stronger force, and the work
on which the party were sent being accomplished, a return to the ships
became necessary. The officer in command, seeing that, if they
attempted to return by the steep way they ascended, they might be shot
down in detail, resolved to make a bold dash and cut his way back to the
boats, which had been compelled to return under shelter of the ships.
The plan suited the spirits of the men. The gate was thrown open. Out
of the fort they dashed, and down the hill at a double quick march.
They had not got far before they encountered a large body of French, who
attempted to oppose them; but the enemy, though double their number,
could no more withstand their headlong charge than does the wooden
village the force of the avalanche. Down before them went the
Frenchmen, scattered right and left; but some got up, and others came
on, and the English found themselves nearly surrounded, while a
considerable body, remaining at a distance, kept up a hot and galling
fire, which brought down several of the bold invaders.
Pistols were flashing, cutlasses were clashing, and the marines were
charging here and there with their bayonets, keeping the French back
while they retired towards the water, when another large body of French
was seen coming over the hill. Their friends below saw them also, and
now all uniting made a furious onslaught on the French.
"Charge them, my lads, and drive them back, or they will not let us
embark quietly!" shouted the _Diamond's_ lieutenant.
Sir Henry Elmore with a number of followers, carried on by his ardour,
went farther than was necessary, when a shot from a distance brought him
to the ground.
At that moment the retreat was sounded, for the fresh body of French was
coming on. True Blue had two stout Frenchmen to attend to, and had just
disabled one and driven the other back when he saw what had occurred.
Sir Henry's followers were almost overpowered and retreating. True Blue
saw that he would be made prisoner or killed, and that not a moment
should be lost if he was to be rescued. "Back lads, and help our
officer!" he shouted, springing desperately onward.
Several of the corvette's crew, headed by Tom Marline, followed him, Tom
shouting, "Hurrah, lads, hurrah! We mustn't let our True Blue be made
prisoner."
The French, who had already had a sufficient taste of the English
seamen's quality, hurriedly retreated for a few yards, keeping up,
however, a galling fire. They then waited till the reinforcement came
up, and left Elmore unmolested. This gave time to True Blue to spring
forward and lift him in his arms, and to run back with him through
showers of bullets among his shipmates before the enemy could recover
their prisoner.
Sir Henry, though suffering great pain, was perfectly conscious.
"Thanks, my brave friend--thanks Freeborn!" he exclaimed; "you've again
saved me from worse than death. But now, my lads, back to our boats; we
shall do nothing now, I fear."
The boats only just then reached the beach, and True Blue had but bare
time to spring with his charge into the first, which proved to be their
own, when the French troops came charging down upon them. The last man
to leave the beach was the officer of marines, who, like a true soldier,
retreated with his face to the foe amidst thick showers of bullets. He
had just stepped into one of the boats, when he fell back into the arms
of the Captain with a cry, shot through the body. He was lifted up and
placed in the sternsheets.
"Shove off! shove off!" cried the officer.
The sailors shoved away with their oars, while the marines stood up with
their muskets, returning the fire of the enemy, desirous to punish them
for the loss of their officer. One marine and two seamen had fallen,
and several men were wounded. In another minute they would with
difficulty have got off, for, in the rear of the reinforcement, there
came rattling along two small field-pieces.
The boats were afloat, the men pulled away with all their might and were
soon on board the ships. True Blue would allow no one but himself to
carry the young lieutenant below to his cabin. Of course he had to
return to his duty on deck, for there was hot work going on; but he
stood anxiously waiting till he could hear the surgeon's report.
"Ah, mates!" he said to Fid and Hartland, and other friends stationed
near him, "if you had seen, as I have, young Sir Henry at home, and how
her ladyship, his mother, and sisters loved him and made much of him,
you would understand what a killing blow it would be to them if they
heard that he was dead or even hurt. I'd rather lose my own right arm
any day, and my life too, than have them hear such a tale."
As soon as the boats returned, the fire from the frigate and corvette
knocked over the two field-pieces and several of the men who served
them, and the ships then proceeded up the harbour. The French troops,
as they did so, followed them along the shore, keeping, however, as well
as they could, concealed behind the inequalities of the ground, and only
occasionally halting and firing rapid volleys at them.
The corvette, and several brigs and schooners, and three armed luggers,
were soon seen either at anchor close to the beach or on shore. The
frigate could not venture to close with them, but the gallant little
_Gannet_, with the lead going, stood on till she had scarcely a foot of
water under her keel, and then, dropping an anchor with a spring to the
cable, so as to keep her broadside to the corvette, opened her fire.
The Frenchmen replied briskly enough at first; but as they occasionally
got a dose from the frigate's long guns, they gradually slackened in
their efforts to defend their ships, and finally were seen taking to
their boats and escaping on shore. Mr Nott instantly volunteered to
board and set fire to the corvette. He beckoned to True Blue, who flew
to the boats, which had been kept ready on the side of the ship away
from the shore. Within a minute, two boats were pulling under a hot
fire towards the French ship. True Blue and his companions speedily
climbed through her ports both fore and aft. They had brought abundance
of combustibles. These were instantly carried below, and, the most
inflammable materials being thrown together in piles along her lower
deck, were set on fire. The thick wreaths of smoke which ascended
assisted to conceal the party in their rapid retreat, the more rapid as
they could not tell at what moment a spark might enter the magazine and
blow them all into the air.
Back they pulled, and were on board the _Gannet_ once more, within five
minutes after they had left her side, not a man having been hurt, and
the work so thoroughly accomplished that the corvette was in a furious
blaze fore and aft, the flames already licking the heels of her topmasts
in their upward ascent.
All this time, the frigate astern and the lugger ahead of the _Gannet_
were keeping up a warm fire on the shore, to hold the troops in check.
They wisely concealed themselves when no boats appeared; but as the
various merchantmen, one after the other, were attacked by the boats of
the squadron, they sallied bravely out, and endeavoured to drive back
their assailants. In vain, however, they made the attempt; the British
seamen persevered, and before the evening every vessel in the harbour
was destroyed.
Not a moment had honest True Blue been idle, from the time that the
boats had been first sent away till dark; nor had he had an opportunity
of inquiring after the second lieutenant. At length the surgeon came on
deck to take a breath of fresh air. True Blue stepped up to him, and,
touching his hat, inquired after Sir Henry.
"Hurt very badly, my lad," answered the surgeon, "and, I am very much
afraid, will slip through our fingers; but do not let that vex you. He
has told me of the gallant way in which you brought him off from the
enemy; and his great anxiety seems to be, that your interest should be
cared for--that you should be rewarded."
"Rewarded, sir!" exclaimed True Blue in a tone of indignation and
sorrow. "Oh, sir, I don't want any reward. Sir Henry knows that I
would go through fire and water to serve him, that I would sooner have
lost my own right arm or my life than that he should be hurt. Do tell
him, sir, that I am unhappy when I hear about a reward. I shall be
joyful, indeed, if he gets round again, and be able to go to his duty."
"All right, my lad, I will tell him; and I hope he may recover, and
settle the matter with you in your own way."
"I hope so, sir--I hope so," said True Blue; but he felt very sad about
what he had heard.
This conversation took place during a short cessation of firing, when,
for some reason not ascertained, the French troops retreated. They now
came back with more field-pieces, and opened on the ships. Happily the
ebb just then made, and a light breeze sprang up and blew down the
harbour. A fire was kept up from the ships, however, all the time,
while their anchors were weighed, and their topsails being sheeted home,
they stood out of the harbour. Still the shot followed them. They had
got some way when True Blue felt himself struck to the deck. He lay
some little time before being observed in the dark, and then he was
carried below. He knew no more, till he heard a voice in a tone of deep
grief saying, "Oh, doctor, is he killed?"
It was that of Paul Pringle.
"I hope not, boatswain," was the answer. "I have extracted the bullet,
which was pretty deep in; and I trust he may do well."