hauled the sheets and braces, but this time the _Discovery _came about
easily, using the wind to advantage. As he turned to check the
whipstaff, Hawksworth heard a high-pitched ricochet off the steering
house and sensed a sudden dry numbness in his thigh. Only then did he
look up to see the line of Portuguese musketmen on the decks of the
_Bon Ventura_, firing sporadically at the English seamen on decks and
aloft.
Damn. A lucky shot by some Lisbon recruit. He seized a handful of
coarse salt from a bucket by the binnacle and pressed it against the
blood. A flash of pain passed briefly through his consciousness and
then was forgotten. The _Discovery's _stern had crossed the wind. There
was no time to lose. He moved down the companionway to again shout
orders to Malloyre on the gun deck. "Set for the fo'c'sle and rigging.
Fire as your guns bear."
The _Bon Ventura_ still lay immobile, so unexpected had been the
broadside. But a boarding party of Portuguese infantry was poised on
the galleon's forecastle superstructure, armed with swords and pikes,
ready to fling grapples and swing aboard the frigate. The Portuguese
had watched in helpless amazement as the _Discovery_ completely came
about and again was broadside. Suddenly the captain of the infantry
realized what was in store and yelled frantically at his men to take
cover. But his last command was lost in the roar of the _Discovery's
_guns.
This time flames and smoke erupted from the _Discovery's _portside
battery, but now it spewed knife-edged chunks of metal and twisting
crossbars. Again the screams came first, as the musketmen and infantry
on the fo'c'sle were swept across the decks in the deadly rain.
Crossbars chewed through the galleon's mainsail, parting it into two
flapping remnants, while the rigging on the foremast was blown by the
boards, tangling and taking with it a party of musketmen stationed in
the foretop. Now the galleon bobbed helpless in the water, as the last
seamen remaining on the shrouds plunged for the decks and safety.
"When you're ready, Mackintosh."