THE ENGAGEMENT--OUR DESPERATE CONDITION--A FRIEND IN SIGHT--OUR ENEMY
FLIES--MALTA.
By this time the first faint streaks of early dawn had appeared in the
sky; but in that latitude the sun does not take long to get above the
horizon, and daylight was on us almost as soon as the brig had again got
us within range of her guns. Two or three shots struck our hull, and at
the same time the enemy opened a fire of musketry on us; but the pirates
did not prove themselves better marksmen with their small-arms than they
had hitherto done with their heavier guns.
"Oh, I wish the rascals would but attempt to run us aboard!" exclaimed
Hearty. "To think of their impudence in daring to knock holes in the
side of my yacht!"
"There spoke a true Briton," observed Bubble as he once more ran out his
gun. "He does not think any thing of being shot at; but the idea of
having his property injured, or his home invaded, rouses all his anger.
Here goes though; I'll see if we can't pay them off in their own coin,
with some change in our favour."
Will was a capital marksman, and as cool as a cucumber, which was more
than most of our men were, though not one was wanting in pluck. He
pulled the trigger, and as I watched to see the effects of his fire, I
saw two men fall on the pirate's deck, while some white splinters flying
from the mainmast showed us that the shot had, as well, done some damage
to the vessel herself.
"Hurra! bravo, Bubble!" I shouted, and the crew echoed my cry, which,
rising in full chorus, must have reached the ears of our enemy, and
showed them that we were not likely to prove as easy a prey as they
might have fancied. "Another such a shot as that, and I believe they
will up helm and be off," I exclaimed.
"I'll do my best," answered Bubble, fanning himself with his
broad-brimmed hat, for the weather was very hot, and he had been making,
for him, somewhat unusual exertions.
Will now trained his gun with great care: a great deal depended on a
fortunate shot. "If we could but bring down one of his masts, or make a
hole through his sides, we should win the day even now," he exclaimed,
kneeling down to aim with more deliberation; "a ten-pound note to the
man who wounds a mast, or sends a shot between wind and water." As he
afterwards acknowledged, the ten pounds was truly a widow's mite with
him, for he hadn't another such sum in his locker to back it.
"I'll make it twenty," cried Hearty, who really seemed to enjoy the
excitement of the adventure; "come, let us see who will win it."
"I have," cried Bubble, jumping up and clapping his hands like a
schoolboy, as he watched with intense eagerness his shot strike the hull
of the brig just at the water-line, sending the white splinters flying
in every direction.
"Fairly won, Bubble, fairly won!" we all exclaimed; "if they don't plug
that hole pretty quickly, they will soon find their jackets wetter than
they like."
In return for the mischief we had done him, the pirate let fly his whole
broadside at us. He was every instant drawing nearer and nearer, either
to give his guns more effect, or to attempt carrying us by boarding. He
probably fancied that we were by this time weakened by loss of men, as
he very likely was not aware of the little effect produced by his own
guns. Dismasted as we were, and low in the water, we presented, indeed,
a somewhat difficult mark to hit. The pirate's approach gave us another
advantage, as we were now able to bring our own musketry into play,
which somewhat made up for the lightness of our guns. We had a great
advantage also in the rapid way we were able to load our guns, which
were of brass, while our opponents' were probably of iron. Our muskets,
too, were kept constantly at work; Ruggles, the steward, and Pepper, the
boy, being set to load them as fast as they were discharged, while
Carstairs had a first-rate rifle, with which he picked off every fellow
whose red cap appeared above the bulwarks with as much _sang froid_ as
he would have knocked over a partridge on the 1st of September.
As our yachtsmen had had no practice with their guns, they were not
particularly good shots, so that none of them surpassed Bubble in the
accuracy of their aim, greatly to his delight. The enemy's shot now
began to fall rather thicker around us, while two or three of our people
were hit with their musket-balls. None of them were hurt sufficiently
to make them leave the deck; we could not, however, expect that this
state of impunity would long continue. I every now and then turned an
eye on Bubble to watch his energetic proceedings, though I had enough to
do to load and fire away with my own musket. On a sudden, as he jumped
up to watch the effect of his shot, I saw him stagger back and fall on
the deck; I sprang forward to raise him up, "Oh, it's nothing, nothing,"
he exclaimed, turning, however, at the same time very pale; "only the
wind of a shot or a little more; but it's a new sensation; took me by
surprise; just set me on my legs again, and I shall be all to rights
soon."
This, however, was more than I could do, poor fellow. He had been hit,
and badly too, I was afraid; I sent Ruggles down for a glass of brandy
and water. "Just bring up a flask, and a jug of water also," said I,
"others may want it." Bubble was much revived by the draught, and
binding a handkerchief over his side, which was really wounded, though
not so badly as I feared, with the greatest pluck he again went to his
gun.
During this interval the enemy had ceased firing, having shot some way
ahead of us, but he now again tacked, and, looking well up to windward,
stood towards us on a line which would enable him to run us aboard, if
he pleased, or to strike us so directly amidships, that there was every
probability of his sinking us. This last proceeding was the one most to
be feared, and I felt sure that he would not scruple so to do. I could
not tell if my friends saw the terrific danger we were in; I thought
not, for they went on peppering away with their fire-arms, and laughing
and cheering, as if the whole affair was a very good joke. I confess
that my heart sank within me as I contemplated the fate which awaited
us. "How soon will those gay and gallant spirits be quenched in death,"
I thought. "How completely will our remorseless enemies triumph. They
have all this time been merely playing with us as a cat does with a
mouse." Five minutes more would, I calculated, consummate the
catastrophe. A minute had, however, scarcely passed, when I saw the
brig square away her yards; and putting up her helm, off she went before
the wind. Her courses were let fall; topgallant-sails were set,
studding-sails and royals soon followed. Every stitch of canvas she
could carry was got on her, while not the slightest further attention
did she pay to us. I rubbed my eyes, for I could scarcely believe my
senses. We, however, continued firing away as long as there was the
chance of a shot reaching her, and then our men set up such a jovial,
hearty cheer, which if it could have reached the ears of the pirates,
would have convinced them that we had still an abundance of fight left
in us.
What had caused the enemy so suddenly to haul off was now the wonder.
At all events, I trust that we were thankful for our unexpected
deliverance. When I pointed out to my companions the danger we had been
in, they at once saw it themselves. Porpoise had seen it, indeed, all
along, but had concealed his apprehension as I had done mine.
"The rascal found we were too tough a morsel to swallow, so thought he
had better let us alone at once," said Hearty.
"I cannot think that," I observed; "he had some other reason, depend on
it." I was right; the mystery was soon solved. All hands at once set
to work to fit and rig the jury-masts, when we were called from our
occupation by a cheer from Bubble, whose wound made it clearly dangerous
for him to exert himself in any way.
"A sail, a sail!" he exclaimed; "a big ship, too, I suspect."
I looked in the direction in which he pointed away to windward, where
the topsails of a ship appeared rising above the horizon; from their
squareness I judged her to be a man-of-war. The rising sun just tinged
the weather-side of her canvas, as she bore down on us with a streak of
light which made her stand out in bold relief against the deep blue sky.
The pirate crew had, of course, seen her from aloft long before we
could have done so. She was welcome in every way, as she would probably
enable us to get into port. The only provoking part of the business
was, that the pirate would in all probability get away with impunity.
Had she but come on the scene an hour earlier, she would, probably, have
been down upon us before either we or the pirate could have seen her,
and would most assuredly have nabbed our amigo.
"Never mind," said Porpoise, "the fellow can scarcely get out of the
Straits, even if he wishes it, and if I ever fall in with him within the
boundaries of the Mediterranean, I have no fear of not knowing him
again; we shall hear more of him by and by, depend on it."
Our fighting had given us an appetite, so we went to breakfast with no
little satisfaction, though we had not much time to spare for it.
Bubble would not acknowledge that his wound was of consequence, though
he let me look to it, as I did to the hurts of the other poor fellows
who were hit. From the appearance they presented, I was truly glad that
there was a good prospect of their having surgical aid without delay.
They did not know, as I did, that their wounds would be far more painful
in a few hours than they were at that time, so they made very light of
them. As the stranger drew nearer, we made her out to be a
sloop-of-war, and the ensign flying from her peak showed her to be
British; she had been standing so as to pass a little way to the
westward of us. When, however, she made us out, which she did not do
till she was quite close to us, she altered her course and was soon
hove-to, a few cables' length to leeward. A boat was lowered, and, with
an officer in the stern-sheets, came pulling towards us.
"What in the name of wonder is the matter?" exclaimed the officer,
standing up and surveying us with no little surprise.
"Why, Sprat, the matter is that we have been dismasted in a white
squall, which would have sent many a craft to the bottom," answered
Porpoise, who in the officer recognised an old shipmate; "we since then
have been made a target of by a rascally pirate, whose mastheads have
scarcely yet sunk beneath the horizon."
"If that is the case, we must see if we cannot catch her," answered
Lieutenant Sprat, who was second lieutenant of the corvette.
"What, sir! leave us rolling helplessly about here like an empty tub?"
exclaimed Hearty, in a dolorous tone. "But never mind, if you think you
can catch her, I dare say we can take care of ourselves."
"I'll report the state of things to Captain Arden, and learn what he
wishes," quoth Lieutenant Sprat, as he pulled back to his ship.
In another minute the corvette's jolly-boat was seen leaving her side,
while she, putting up her helm, stood away in the direction the pirate
had taken. The jolly-boat soon came alongside, with a midshipman and
six men.
"Captain Arden has sent me with the carpenter's mate and some of his
crew to help you in," quoth Master Middie, addressing Porpoise; "we'll
soon get a new mast into you, and carry you safely to old Gib, or
wherever you want to go."
Porpoise looked at him, and evidently felt very much inclined to laugh.
He was one of the shortest lads in a midshipman's uniform I ever saw;
but he was broad-shouldered, and had a countenance which showed clearly
that he very well knew what he was about.
"Thank you," answered Porpoise; "we shall be much beholden to you I
doubt not, though we should have been glad if your captain had sent us a
doctor as well. May I ask your name, young gentleman?"
"Mite, sir; Anthony Mite," answered the midshipman, a little taken aback
at Porpoise's manner.
The old lieutenant did not quite like his patronising airs.
"I thought so," observed our worthy skipper; "your father was a shipmate
of mine, youngster, and you are very like him."
"In knowing my father you knew a brave man, I hope, sir, you will
allow," replied Master Mite, with much spirit.
"But I did not know that you were in the service. A better or braver
fellow never stepped," answered Porpoise, warmly, putting out his hand.
"I've no doubt you are worthy of him, youngster. We'll have a yarn
about him by and by. However, just now, we must try to get the craft in
sailing trim again."
Small as the young midshipman was in stature, he soon made it evident
that he was of the true stuff which forms a hero. He was here, there,
and everywhere, pulling and hauling, directing and encouraging. So
rapid were his movements, that his body seemed ubiquitous, while the
tone of his voice showed that he was well accustomed to command and to
be obeyed. We had no reason to complain of either the officer or
labourers Captain Arden had sent us. Meantime I had been keeping my eye
on the proceedings of the corvette. She at first stood away steadily to
the northward and eastward, in the direction the brig had taken, and it
seemed evident that she had her in sight; then she altered her course to
the westward, but finally disappeared below the horizon, steering nearly
due north.
"If the man-of-war has still the brig in sight, the latter must be
making for some Spanish port, where the pirates hope to lie concealed
till the search for them is over," I thought to myself. "However,
Sandgate, if he really is the commander, is up to all sorts of dodges,
and will very likely, somehow or other, manage to make his escape."
As may be supposed, we watched very anxiously for the re-appearance of
the corvette, but the sun went down, and we saw nothing of her.
However, we had by this time got up apologies for three masts, and,
moreover, managed to make sail on them.
It was a great satisfaction to feel the poor little barkie once more
slipping through the water, though at a much slower pace than usual.
As I feared, both Bubble and the men who had been wounded began, towards
midnight, to complain somewhat of their hurts. While we were all
sitting round the table in the cabin at supper, before turning in,
Hearty, as Porpoise had done, expressed his regret that Captain Arden
had not sent us a surgeon.
"Oh, we didn't know that any one was hurt," observed Mr Mite. "But
never mind, I understand something of doctoring. I can bleed in
first-rate style, I can tell you. Don't you think I had better try my
hand?"
"Thank you, they have been bled enough already, I suspect," answered
Hearty. "I'm afraid no one on board can do much good to them. I only
pray the wind may hold, and that we may soon get into Gibraltar."
But Master Mite was not so easily turned aside from his purpose of
trying his hand as a surgeon. He begged hard that he might, at all
events, be allowed to examine the men's wounds.
We of course assured our young friend that we did not doubt his surgical
talents; but still declined allowing him to operate on any of the
yacht's crew. We were not sorry, however, to let him take the middle
watch, which he volunteered to do, for both Porpoise and I and old Snow
were regularly worn out. The wind held fair, and there was not much of
it. The night passed away quietly, and when morning broke we saw the
corvette standing after us. She had been, as I expected, unsuccessful
in her chase of the Greek brig. She had made all sail after a craft
which she took for her, but on coming up with the chase, discovered her
to be an honest trader laden with corn. She now took us in tow, and in
the afternoon we reached the Rock.
Hearty very soon heard that the "Zebra" had gone on to Malta, with Miss
Mizen on board, and from the way he received the information, I
suspected that his feelings towards her were of a warmer character than
I at first supposed. He was very anxious to be away again, and urged on
Porpoise to do his utmost to expedite the refitting of the yacht.
Fortunately, we were able to procure a spar intended for the mast of a
man-of-war schooner, and which was not refused to the application of an
MP. In a week the little craft was all to rights again, and once more
on her way to that little military hot-house--the far-famed island of
Malta.