“Call all hands to board! Boatswain, cheer the men up with the pipe!”
And then the clear notes of the boatswain’s pipe floated out into the
darkness, and with a yell the men gathered at the bulwarks. On the
French ship they appeared to be dazed by the explosion, and we could
see only a few officers running about and trying to collect the men.
In another instant I saw Mr. Buxton leap upon the hammock-netting, and
about to spring, when a figure behind him seized him by the coattails,
and, dragging him backward, he measured his length on the deck. The
figure was Giles Vernon.
“After me,” he cried to the first lieutenant; and the next moment he
made his spring, and landed, the first man on the _Indomptable’s_ deck.
As soon as the ship was given up, we hauled up our courses and ran
off a little, rove new braces, and made ready to capture the frigate,
which, although badly cut up, showed no disposition to surrender, and
stood gallantly by her consort. In half an hour we were ready to go
into action again, if necessary, with another ship of the line.
We got within range,--the sea had gone down much,--and giving the
_Xantippe_ our broadside, brought down the tricolor which the Frenchmen
had nailed to the stump of the mizzenmast. She proved to have on board
near a million sterling, which, with the _Indomptable_, was the richest
prize taken in for years preceding.
The admiral and captain got eleven thousand pounds sterling each. The
senior officers received two thousand five hundred pounds sterling
each. The juniors got two thousand pounds sterling, the midshipmen
and petty officers one thousand five hundred pounds sterling, and
every seaman got seven hundred pounds sterling, and the landsmen and
boys four hundred pounds sterling in prize-money. And I say it with
diffidence, we got much more in glory; for the two French ships were
not only beaten, but beaten in the most seamanlike manner. Sir Peter
ever after kept the anniversary as his day of glory, putting on the
same uniform and cocked hat he had worn, and going to church, if on
shore, with Lady Hawkshaw on his arm, and giving thanks in a loud
voice.