The _Foxhound_ appeared indeed to be in a perilous position. The water
washed higher and higher over the deck. "We are going down! we are
going down!" again cried Tom, wringing his hands.
"Not if we can help it," said Jack. "We must get the ports closed, and
stop the water from coming in."
"It's no use crying out till we are hurt. We can die but once," said
Bill. "Cheer up, Tom; if we do go to the bottom, it's where many have
gone before;" though Bill did not really think that the ship was
sinking. Perhaps, had he done so, he would not have been so cool as he
now appeared.
"That's a very poor consolation," answered Tom to his last remark. "Oh,
dear! oh, dear! I wish that I had stayed on shore."
Though there was some confusion among the landsmen, a few of whom began
to look very white, if they did not actually wring their hands and cry
out, the crews of the guns remained at their stations, and hauled away
lustily at the tackles to run them in. The captain, though on the
quarter-deck, was fully aware of the danger. There was no time to
shorten sail.
"Port the helm!" he shouted; "hard a-port, square away the yards;" and
in a few seconds the ship, put before the wind, rose to an even keel,
the water, in a wave, rushing across the deck, some escaping through the
opposite ports, though a considerable portion made its way below.
The starboard ports were now speedily closed, when once more the ship
hauled up in chase.
The _Foxhound_, sailing well, soon got up again with the _Menager_, and
once more opened her fire, receiving that of the enemy in return.
The port of Ferrol could now be distinguished about six miles off, and
it was thought probable that some Spanish men-of-war lying there might
come out to the assistance of their friends. It was important to make
the chase a prize before that should happen.
For some minutes Captain Waring reserved his fire, having set all the
sail the _Foxhound_ could carry.
"Don't fire a shot till I tell you," he shouted to his men.
The crews of the starboard guns stood ready for the order to discharge
the whole broadside into the enemy. Captain Waring was on the point of
issuing it, the word "Fire" was on his lips, when down came the
Frenchman's flag, and instead of the thunder of their guns the British
seamen uttered three joyful cheers.
The _Foxhound_ was hove-to to windward of the prize, while three of the
boats were lowered and pulled towards her. The third lieutenant of the
_Foxhound_ was sent in command, and the _Menager's_ boats being also
lowered, her officers and crew were transferred as fast as possible on
board their captor.
As the _Menager_ was a large ship, she required a good many people to
man her, thus leaving the _Foxhound_ with a greatly diminished crew.
It took upwards of an hour before the prisoners with their bags and
other personal property were removed to the _Foxhound_. Captain Waring
and Lieutenant Saltwell turned their eyes pretty often towards the
harbour. No ships were seen coming out of it. The English frigate and
her two prizes consequently steered in the direction the other vessels
had gone, the captain hoping to pick up one or more of them during the
following morning. Her diminished crew had enough to do in attending to
their proper duties, and in looking after the prisoners.
The commanders of the two ships were received by the captain in his
cabin, while the gun-room officers invited those of similar rank to mess
with them, the men taking care of the French and American crews. The
British seamen treated them rather as guests than prisoners, being ready
to attend to their wants and to do them any service in their power.
Their manner towards the Frenchmen showed the compassion they felt,
mixed perhaps with a certain amount of contempt. They seemed to
consider them indeed somewhat like big babes, and several might have
been seen feeding the wounded and nursing them with tender care.
During the night neither the watch below nor any of the officers turned
in, the greater number remaining on deck in the hopes that they might
catch sight of one of the ships which had hitherto escaped them.
Note: This action and the subsequent events are described exactly as
they occurred.
The American commander, Captain Gregory, sat in the cabin, looking
somewhat sulky, presenting a great contrast to the behaviour of the
Frenchman, Monsieur Saint Julien, who, being able to speak a little
English, allowed his tongue to wag without cessation, laughing and
joking, and trying to raise a smile on the countenance of his brother
captive, the American skipper.
"Why! my friend, it is de fortune of war. Why you so sad?" exclaimed
the volatile Frenchman. "Another day we take two English ship, and then
make all right. Have you never been in England? Fine country, but not
equal to `la belle France;' too much fog and rain dere."
"I don't care for the rain, or the fog, Monsieur; but I don't fancy
losing my ship, when we five ought to have taken the Englishman,"
replied the American.
"Ah! it was bad fortune, to be sure," observed Monsieur Saint Julien.
"Better luck next time, as you say; but what we cannot cure, dat we must
endure; is not dat your proverb? Cheer up! cheer up! my friend."
Nothing, however, the light-hearted Frenchman could say had the effect
of raising the American's spirits.
A handsome supper was placed on the table, to which Monsieur Saint
Julien did ample justice, but Captain Gregory touched scarcely anything.
At an early hour he excused himself, and retired to a berth which
Captain Waring had courteously appropriated to his use.
During the night the wind shifted more to the westward, and then round
to the south-west, blowing pretty strong. When morning broke, the
look-outs discovered two sail to the south-east, which it was evident
were some of the squadron that had escaped on the previous evening.
They were, however, standing in towards the land.
Captain Waring, after consultation with his first lieutenant and master,
determined to let them escape. He had already three hundred and forty
prisoners on board, while his own crew amounted to only one hundred and
ninety. Should he take another prize, he would have still further to
diminish the number of the ship's company, while that of the prisoners
would be greatly increased. The French and American captains had come
on deck, and were standing apart, watching the distant vessels.
"I hope these Englishmen will take one of those fellows," observed
Captain Gregory to Monsieur Saint Julien.
"Why so, my friend?" asked the latter.
"They deserve it, in the first place, and then it would be a question
who gets command of this ship. We are pretty strong already, and if
your people would prove staunch, we might turn the tables on our
captors," said the American.
"Comment!" exclaimed Captain Saint Julien, starting back. "You forget
dat we did pledge our honour to behave peaceably, and not to interfere
with the discipline of the ship. French officers are not accustomed to
break their parole. You insult me by making the proposal, and I hope
dat you are not in earnest."
"Oh, no, my friend, I was only joking," answered the American skipper,
perceiving that he had gone too far.
Officers of the U.S. Navy, we may here remark, have as high a sense of
honour as any English or French officer, but this ship was only a
privateer, with a scratch crew, some of them renegade Englishmen, and
the Captain was on a level with the lot.
The Frenchman looked at him sternly. "I will be no party to such a
proceeding," he observed.
"Oh, of course not, of course not, my friend," said Captain Gregory,
walking aside.
It being finally decided to allow the other French vessels to escape,
the _Foxhound's_ yards were squared away, and a course shaped for
Plymouth, with the two prizes in company.
Soon after noon the wind fell, and the ships made but little progress.
The British crew had but a short time to sleep or rest, it being
necessary to keep a number of men under arms to watch the prisoners.
The Frenchmen were placed on the lower deck, where they sat down by
themselves; but the Americans mixed more freely with the English. As
evening approached, however, they also drew off and congregated
together. Two or three of their officers came among them.
Just before dusk Captain Gregory made his appearance, and was seen
talking in low whispers to several of the men.
Among those who observed him was Bill Rayner. Bill's wits were always
sharp, and they had been still more sharpened since he came to sea by
the new life he was leading. He had his eyes always about him to take
in what he saw, and his ears open whenever there was anything worth
hearing. It had struck him as a strange thing that so many prisoners
should submit quietly to be kept in subjection by a mere handful of
Englishmen. On seeing the American skipper talking to his men, he crept
in unobserved among them. His ears being wide open, he overheard
several words which dropped from their lips.
"Oh, oh!" he thought. "Is that the trick you're after? You intend to
take our ship, do you? You'll not succeed if I have the power to
prevent you."
But how young Bill was to do that was the question. He had never even
spoken to the boatswain or the boatswain's mate. It seemed scarcely
possible for him to venture to tell the first lieutenant or the captain;
still, if the prisoners' plot was to be defeated, he must inform them of
what he had heard, and that without delay.
His first difficulty was how to get away from among the prisoners.
Should they suspect him they would probably knock him on the head or
strangle him, and trust to the chance of shoving him through one of the
ports unobserved. This was possible in the crowded state of the ship,
desperate as the act might seem.
Bill therefore had to wait till he could make his way on deck without
being remarked. Pretending to drop asleep, he lay perfectly quiet for
some time; then sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he staggered away
forward, as if still drowsy, to make it be supposed that he was about to
turn into his hammock. Finding that he was unobserved, he crept up by
the fore-hatchway, where he found Dick, who was in the watch off deck.
At first he thought of consulting Dick, in whom he knew he could trust;
but second thoughts, which are generally the best, made him resolve not
to say anything to him, but to go at once to either the first lieutenant
or the captain.
"If I go to Mr Saltwell, perhaps he will think I was dreaming, and tell
me to `turn into my hammock and finish my dreams,'" he thought to
himself. "No! I'll go to the captain at once; perhaps the sentry will
let me pass, or if not, I'll get him to ask the captain to see me. He
cannot eat me, that's one comfort; if he thinks that I am bringing him a
cock-and-bull story, he won't punish me; and I shall at all events have
done my duty."
Bill thought this, and a good deal besides, as he made his way aft till
he arrived at the door of the captain's cabin, where the sentry was
posted.
"Where are you going, boy?" asked the sentry, as Bill in his eagerness
was trying to pass him.
"I want to see the captain," said Bill.
"But does the captain want to see you?" asked the sentry.
"He has not sent for me; but he will when he hears what I have got to
tell him," replied Bill.
"You must speak to one of the lieutenants, or get the midshipman of the
watch to take in your message, if he will do it," said the sentry.
"But they may laugh at me, and not believe what I have got to say,"
urged Bill. "Do let me pass,--the captain won't blame you, I am sure of
that."
The sentry declared that it was his duty not to allow any one to pass.
While Bill was still pleading with him, the door of the inner cabin was
opened, and the captain himself came out, prepared to go on deck.
"What do you want, boy?" he asked, seeing Bill.
"Please, sir, I have got something to tell you which you ought to know,"
said Bill, pulling off his hat.
"Let me hear it then," said the captain.
"Please, sir, it will take some time. You may have some questions to
ask," answered Bill.
On this the captain stepped back a few paces, out of earshot of the
sentry.
"What is it, boy?" he asked; "you seem to have some matter of importance
to communicate."
Bill then told him how he came to be among the prisoners, and had heard
the American captain and his men talking together, and proposing to get
the Frenchmen to rise with them to overpower the British crew.
Captain Waring's countenance showed that he felt very much disposed to
disbelieve what Bill had told him, or rather, to fancy that Bill was
mistaken.
"Stay there;" he said, and he went to the door of the cabin which he had
allowed the American skipper to occupy.
The berth was empty! He came back and cross-questioned Bill further.
Re-entering the inner cabin, he found the French captain seated at the
table.
"Monsieur Saint Julien," he said; "are you cognisant of the intention of
the American captain to try and overpower my crew?"
"The proposal was made to me, I confess, but I refused to accede to it
with indignation; and I did not suppose that Captain Gregory would make
the attempt, or I should have informed you at once," answered Saint
Julien.
"He does intend to make it, though," said Captain Waring, "and I depend
on you and your officers to prevent your men from joining him."
"I fear that we shall have lost our influence over our men, but we will
stand by you should there be any outbreak," said the French captain.
"I will trust you," observed Captain Waring. "Go and speak to your
officers while I take the steps necessary for our preservation."
Captain Waring on this left the cabin, and going on deck, spoke to the
first lieutenant and the midshipmen of the watch, who very speedily
communicated the orders they had received to the other officers.
The lieutenant of marines quickly turned out his men, while the
boatswain roused up the most trustworthy of the seamen. So quickly and
silently all was done, that a strong body of officers and men well armed
were collected on the quarter-deck before any of the prisoners were
aware of what was going forward. They were awaiting the captain's
orders, when a loud report was heard. A thick volume of smoke ascended
from below, and the next instant, with loud cries and shouts, a number
of the prisoners were seen springing up the hatchway ladders.