As it may be supposed, my men were completely worn out with the fatigue
and excitement of the day; and Cross said, "There's no saying how this
will end, Mr Keene; but, at all events, we have not the worst of it at
present."
"No, Bob," replied I. "I wish the men were not so knocked up."
"Oh, as for that, sir, I'll answer for it, that if you serve out some
more grog, make them eat half a biscuit at the tub before they drink it,
and make them a little bit of a speech, that they'll go on for
twenty-four hours more."
"If that will have the effect, I'm sure I'll try it," replied I. "Which
shall they have first?"
"Oh, biscuit first, grog next, and then a speech afterwards."
"That fellow has not fired for this last five minutes; perhaps he wishes
to put it off till to-morrow morning; but I'll not; so get up the grog--
make it pretty strong: and I'll get something to eat myself, for I have
had nothing to eat all day."
As soon as the ship's company had had their refreshment, I sent for them
aft, and said, "My lads, you have behaved very well, and I am much
obliged to you. We have had hard work, and I dare say you are tired
enough; but I will tell you what my opinion is: I think that we have
peppered that Frenchman very well; and I am convinced that you have put
a good many shots into him between wind and water. Now, that he is
anxious to leave off fighting till to-morrow morning, that he may stop
his leaks and repair his damages, I have no doubt; indeed, he proves it
by his having ceased to fire. For the very reason that he wants to
leave off, I wish to go on; for he is much heavier armed than we are,
and sails as well; and if we permit him to get all right and all ataunt
by to-morrow morning, he may prove a very awkward customer yet. Now
what I propose is this, that we should first get up fresh sails, and
bend them, and then renew the action through the night. There will be
no occasion for all of you to be on deck; we will fight the schooner
watch and watch till daylight."
"That's my opinion, Mr Keene," said Bob Cross.
"And mine," replied the carpenter.
"And all of us, Mr Keene," replied the ship's company with one voice.
"Then, my lads, let's work hard; and when we have settled that fellow,
we shall have plenty of time to sleep."
The men now set to with good-will; and the spare sails were got up, and
those which were shattered by the enemy unbent and replaced. The new
sails, which we had bent, we furled--it was a dead calm--and then we
recommenced our fire, for we were nearer to her than when we ceased
firing, and could distinguish her very well. We fired the long gun four
times before she returned a shot; she then opened very briskly, but none
of her shots did us any damage; our sails being furled, prevented her
distinguishing us as well as we could her. After a time, we manned the
small guns on our broadside, and worked them, for our large gun was so
hot, that it was necessary to let it cool before we could reload it. At
last one of their shots came in through the bulwarks; the splinters
wounded me and the carpenter; but I was not so much hurt as to oblige me
to leave the deck. I bound up my leg with my handkerchief; the
carpenter, however, was taken down below.
"Are you much hurt, sir?" said Bob Cross.
"Oh, no; the flesh is lacerated a good deal, but it is not very deep."
"There's a little wind springing up, sir, from the right quarter," said
Bob.
"I'm glad to hear it," replied I, "for it will soon be daylight now."
At this moment another shot struck the hammock rail and a piece of it
about two feet long was sent with great force against Bob Cross's head;
he was stunned, if not worse, and fell immediately. This was a severe
blow to me, as well as to poor Bob. I desired two of the men who were
abaft, to take him down into my cabin, and do all they could for him;
and ordered the men to quit the broadside guns, and renew their fire
with the long 32-pounder. In a quarter of an hour afterwards, the
breeze came down very strong, and I resolved to shoot ahead, farther off
from my antagonist, as I should have a better chance by using my long
gun at a greater distance. The sails were set, and the schooner went
fast through the water, leaving the brig, who had also the benefit of
the breeze; and for a time the firing again ceased. On reflection, I
determined that I would wait till daylight, which would appear in less
than half an hour, before I renewed the action.
I contrived with some difficulty--for my leg was so numbed that I could
scarcely feel that I had one--to go down into the cabin and see Bob
Cross. He was recovering, but very wild and incoherent. As far as I
could judge, his skull was not injured, although the splinter had torn
off a large portion of the scalp, and he was drenched with his blood.
At all events, he could be of no further assistance to me at present,
nor could I be to him, so I regained the deck, and sat down abaft, for
my leg had become so painful, that I could not stand but for a few
minutes.
At last the day dawned, and I could distinctly make out both brig and
schooner. I was about a mile and a half distant from the brig; she had,
since the wind sprung up, driven a mile ahead of the schooner, who had
contrived to get up a jury-mast during the night; but as she could not
stir without reducing her after-sail, she had close-reefed her
main-sail, so that she could make but little progress. The brig was
very much cut up in her sails and rigging, and I saw at once that I had
now the advantage in sailing; I therefore wore round and stood towards
them; the brig did the same, and went down to the schooner that she
might have her support. We immediately recommenced firing with our long
gun, and as soon as we were within a mile, I hove to. The brig and
schooner then both bore up and gave us their broadsides; they had just
done so, when the midshipman who was on deck with me cried out, "A large
sail coming down before the wind, Mr Keene."
I caught up my glass. It was a sloop of war; the cut of her sails and
rigging evidently English. "It must be the Naiad," said I. "Well, I'm
glad of it. We shall lose some prize-money; but at all events we
require her surgeon, and that is of more consequence."
My men, who were quite tired out, were in great spirits at the
appearance of a friend. The brig had set studding-sails; she had
evidently seen the vessel to windward, and was now trying to escape, and
the schooner was following her as well she could. I immediately kept
away in pursuit, and when I fired into the schooner she hauled down her
colours. I did not wait to take possession, but followed the brig, who
appeared to sail as well off the wind as she did when close hauled.
Once or twice she rounded to return my fire, but afterwards she
continued running before the wind, having got two of her guns aft, with
which she attempted to cut away my rigging. In the meantime, the
strange vessel to windward had hoisted English colours, and was bringing
down with her a spanking breeze: fortunately it was so, for my
fore-topmast was knocked away by the fire of the brig, and I now dropped
fast astern.
We had scarcely got up a new fore-topmast and set sail again, when the
Naiad, who had exchanged numbers with me, passed the schooner without
taking possession of her, and was very soon not a mile from us. In half
an hour she was alongside and hailing me to haul my wind and take
possession of the schooner, continued in chase of the brig. I obeyed my
orders, and by the time I had put my men on board of the schooner, the
brig had hove to and hauled down her colours to the Naiad.
We ran down to her in company with the prize, and then sent a boat
requesting immediate surgical attendance. The Naiad's surgeon and his
assistant were brought on board in one of the sloop-of-war's boats, and
a lieutenant, to obtain from me the particulars of the action, which I
gave to him. The lieutenant told me that they had heard the firing
about one o'clock in the morning, and had in consequence bore up; but
the brig had so many shot in her, and was making so much water, that
they were almost afraid that they would not be able to get her into
port. But I was now quite faint with the pain of my wound and
exhaustion, and was carried below to have it dressed. All our men had
been attended to, and I was glad to hear that Bob Cross was in no
danger, although his wound was very severe. The surgeon's assistant was
allowed to remain on board, and the captain of the Naiad sent all my men
back and manned the prizes, giving me orders to keep company with him.
As soon as my wound was dressed, and I was put into my bed, I felt much
relieved, and soon afterwards fell fast asleep.