Our prizes of course had not arrived, so, having seen little Fisher
comfortably bestowed, landed our silver at the dockyard, and handed over
our prisoners to the proper authorities, we weighed again that same
evening, and proceeded northward upon our cruise.
When off Martinique, which had fallen into our hands in the early part
of the preceding year, we spoke the British frigate "Blanche," steering
towards Barbadoes. Her skipper came on board the "Astarte," and, in
reply to Captain Annesley's inquiries, reported that they had done
nothing since the capture of the French frigate "Pique" in January, on
which occasion Captain Faulkner, the former skipper of the "Blanche" and
a most promising officer, was killed. Her present captain, (Watkins,
acting) expressed great disgust at the state of affairs, and, rather
cynically, ventured to hope we should have better luck than he had met
with.
Nothing worthy of mention occurred until we arrived off Guadaloupe. We
had made a thorough inspection of all the neighbouring islands,
beginning with Mariegalante, and had looked into Point-a-Pitre Harbour
on the Grand Terre without making any discovery, when, one evening,
while beating up under the south side of Desirade, we espied a schooner
at anchor near the shore and directly under the guns of a fort.
Preparations were immediately made for cutting her out; the frigate
tacking meanwhile, and reaching off the shore again in order to lull any
suspicions the Frenchmen may have had as to our intentions.
We worked up round the north-east end of the island, and it being by
that time as dark as it would be, the frigate hove-to, and the boats,
properly manned and armed, were despatched under sail. I took no part
in this expedition, as I had shared in the other, and the skipper was
anxious to give all his "young gentlemen" as far as possible equal
opportunities of distinguishing themselves. The boats sent away on this
occasion were the first cutter, under Mr Woods, the second lieutenant,
the second cutter, under Gimbals, the quarter-master, with little
Smellie to lend a hand, and the jollyboat, under the command of no less
a personage than Mr Robert Summers.
We allowed them an hour and a quarter to get down to the schooner, at
the expiration of which time we filled and stood after them.
As we rounded the end of the island I slipped up as far as the fore-
topmast crosstrees, to see if I could make out anything of what was
going on. All was perfectly dark and quiet to leeward, however, for the
first ten minutes of my stay, and then I saw a bright flash--another--a
third--then two more in quick succession, and presently the distant
_boom_ of heavy guns came rumbling up to windward.
"Ah!" thought I. "That is the battery playing upon our people, I
expect."
The fire was kept up pretty briskly for about ten minutes, and then it
ceased. Shortly afterwards a red light appeared inshore of us (the
preconcerted signal of success), and almost immediately after its
appearance I could make out the schooner, on board which it was
displayed, coming out from under the land. A quarter of an hour
afterwards she was hove-to on our lee quarter.
Mr Woods' report was to the effect that he had got on board without
much resistance and without any casualties, but that the schooner had
been anchored so close in under the battery that its garrison had heard
the sounds of the scuffle, and had, upon the schooner's weighing, opened
fire upon her with effect, hulling her several times, inflicting rather
severe injuries from splinters upon four of our people, breaking Master
Bob Summers' right leg below the knee, and cutting poor old Gimbals in
two.
The schooner was a French privateer mounting eight long-sixes, and a
long-nine upon her forecastle, with a crew of forty men.
Arrangements were being made for the transfer of the prisoners to the
frigate when the French skipper sent a message begging that, before
anything else were done, he might be favoured with an interview with
Captain Annesley. The request was granted; he was brought on board the
"Astarte" in the gig, and conducted below into the skipper's cabin.
He was there for about half an hour, and when he at length returned to
his own ship, orders were sent to Mr Woods to secure the schooner's
crew below and make sail in company with the frigate. We both
accordingly bore up, and running round the south-west end of the island,
hauled up for North-East Bay in the Grand Terre, which we reached by
daylight next morning.
Here a fine frigate was found snugly anchored in the south-east corner
of the bay, in a sheltered bight, and under the protection of a battery
mounting ten heavy guns.
It now came out that this frigate, a French craft of forty guns named
"L'Artemise," had arrived at the islands on the previous day, and,
hearing of our being in the neighbourhood, had immediately made her way
to the spot where we had found her; whether to be in wait for us, or to
hide from us, could not yet be said. The skipper of the schooner had
picked up this piece of news, and had bargained with our captain to
pilot him to the place where the French ship lay on condition that he,
with his ship and crew, should be allowed to go free. The bargain was
struck; our skipper insisting, however, upon the total disarming of the
schooner.
The "Astarte" and her prize now hove-to; and, being still in deep water,
orders were sent on board the schooner, to flood her magazine, and to
throw her guns and all the small-arms into the sea, leaving weapons only
in the hands of the master and his two subordinates, for the maintenance
of proper discipline. This done, and all our people being taken out of
the schooner, Captain Annesley wrote out a challenge to the captain of
the French frigate and sent it in by the schooner. We then hoisted our
colours and fired a gun. The French frigate and the battery on shore
hoisted the tricolour soon afterwards; but though we watched the
schooner into the anchorage, and saw a boat go from her to the frigate
presumably with our challenge, no farther notice was taken of our
presence; the frigate remaining all day obstinately at anchor in her
secure position.
Of course everybody on board the "Astarte" was on the _qui vive_ during
the whole of that day. Our three tops were permanently occupied by
relays of officers; and every telescope, good, bad, or indifferent, was
kept constantly levelled at the noble craft inshore.
As for Captain Annesley, he never left the deck a moment as long as
daylight lasted, except to snatch a hasty mouthful at meal times; and he
that day exhibited the nearest approach to ill-temper that I ever saw in
him.
At length night fell; and still no sign had been made by the Frenchmen.
Dinner had been postponed for an hour in the cabin, in hopes that the
frigate would yet come out; and when at last all hope had been given up,
the whole of the officers were invited to dine with the skipper.
At sunset we wore round and stood away to the southward.
The conversation round the captain's mahogany that night was naturally
upon one topic only, namely, how to get hold of the frigate.
Captain Annesley listened with exemplary patience to all that was said;
and, at last, when every possible suggestion, practicable and
impracticable, had been made, he said,--
"Thank you, gentlemen, one and all, for your very valuable suggestions,
none of which, however--if I may be excused for saying so--strike me as
being so simple as the one I have myself thought upon. It is this. I
propose returning during the night to a spot near where the French
frigate lies--I marked it particularly to-day, while we were lying off
and on--and sending a boat's crew ashore about an hour before daybreak
to-morrow morning, to see what can be done with that battery. They
will, of course, be kept upon the tiptoe of expectation all night to-
night, anticipating an attempt to cut the frigate out, or something of
that sort. Toward morning, however, hearing nothing of us, and being
fatigued moreover by their night's watch, they will relax their
vigilance; and then I think perhaps something may be achieved in the
nature of a surprise. I say a _surprise_, because, whatever is done, I
should like done without giving the frigate the alarm. The battery once
in our possession, be it only for five minutes, those heavy guns, of
which I so much dislike the look, may be spiked; and _then_ we shall
have nothing to do but run into the bay, lay the frigate alongside, and
help ourselves. Now, what do you think of my plan?"
"Capital! Excellent! The very thing!" was the verdict, and everybody
applauded to the echo, as of course in duty bound to do. But, apart
from that, it really was an excellent proposal, and far better than any
of the previous suggestions.
"Very well, then," resumed the skipper. "Now as to details. The
surprise and silencing of that battery is, as you must all see, a matter
of the last importance, and will need a cool and steady hand as leader
of the expedition. I cannot spare many men, as we are short of our
complement already; and I have an idea that the French craft, ill-
disposed as she seems to come out to us, will make a gallant defence
when we go in to her. For the same reason, I can ill spare any of my
officers. Under such circumstances, who, in your opinion, should be
sent to deal with the battery?"
There was a dead silence for a minute. Then up spake Paddy Flinn.
"Bedad thin," said he, his eyes sparkling with animation, "it's myself
would like to take the job in hand if it wos _shtorrrming_ the battery
that was wanted, captain, darlint; but since it's a surprise, for your
own sake and that of iverybody else, don't send me; for I _know_ I'd be
puttin' me fut in it and raising no end of a distorbance before I'd done
wid it."
There was a hearty laugh at this frank speech, in which the skipper
joined until the tears rolled down his cheeks.
"No, no, Flinn," said he. "You are the last man I should think of
sending upon such a business. Besides, I shall want you to lead one of
the boarding-parties, where I know you will be in your element. Mr
Woods, I shall also want _you_; and I really don't see how I can well do
without you, Mr Martin. So that we now come down to the midshipmen;
and to tell the candid truth, young gentlemen, I have great qualms about
entrusting so important a business to any of _you_. What do you say,
Ralph, do you think you could manage so delicate a business without
making a hash of it?"
"Yes, sir," said I, "I believe I could. At all events, I'll _undertake_
to _silence_ the battery; and if care and patience will enable me to do
so without alarming the frigate, it shall be done."
"Very well, then," said the skipper; "you shall conduct the enterprise;
and remember that a surprise is eminently desirable, but that the
spiking of the guns is _an imperative necessity_."
We sat a little while longer, and then, rising and making our bows,
retired in a body.
We stood on until within an hour and a half of midnight, when we wore
ship and began to retrace our steps.
By three o'clock next morning we were off the spot which Captain
Annesley had selected for the landing (a small strip of sandy beach,
distant about a mile to the southward of the southernmost end of North-
East Bay); and the frigate was once more hove-to.
The first cutter, which was the boat selected for the service, was
lowered, and at four a.m. left the ship, having on board twenty picked
men, in addition to the coxswain and myself, all fully armed.
On approaching the shore, we found ourselves to all appearance with a
rock-bound coast under our lee, upon which the sea was breaking with
considerable violence. As we drew closer in, however, I made out the
point behind which the landing-place was situate, and in five minutes
afterwards we slid round the projection and found ourselves in smooth
water, with the beach close aboard. Giving the boat good way, we ran
her well up on the sand, and all hands jumped out except two, who were
to remain in her as boatkeepers. She was then shoved off again; the two
men in charge being instructed to keep a bright lookout, and to be
prepared to back in and receive us at a moment's notice, in the event of
anything going wrong.
I then paraded my small command, and, first repeating to them their
instructions, led the way up the steep slope of the cliff. It was very
dark, the moon--what there was of her--having set nearly an hour before;
but, by dint of great caution and taking our time about it, we safely
reached the top of the cliff in about ten minutes. Here all hands lay
down upon the grass, while I went forward on hands and knees over the
brow of the hill to reconnoitre. It was some little time before I could
distinguish anything but the black shapeless bulk of the land before me;
but at length I made out something which I thought was the battery, at a
distance of about a quarter of a mile away, and at a somewhat lower
level than the spot upon which I found myself. Returning to the
surprise-party, we all moved cautiously forward toward the object which
I had seen; and when within a hundred yards of it, I once more left the
men, and crawled forward, as before, to reconnoitre. As we had drawn
nearer to this object, I had seen that I was mistaken as to this being
the battery; and I now made out that it was a block of two small stone
buildings, evidently intended for use as a temporary barracks for the
artillerymen belonging to the battery, and their officers.
I crept right up to the walls of these buildings, and finding everything
perfectly dark and silent, pushed my investigations somewhat farther.
Pulling off my boots, I passed right round both buildings; and then
found that I had in the first instance come upon their rear. Rounding a
corner of the block (which was built in the form of the letter L with
the points facing inwards) I at once became aware of the presence of two
doors, one in each wing, both of which were open, and from which as well
as from the windows, a feeble stream of light was issuing. From the
position which I occupied, I was able to see in through the door of the
smaller building; and there, in a couple of hammocks, lay two figures
partially undressed; that is to say, they had thrown off their jackets,
waistcoats, and boots. The jackets and waistcoats lay upon two chairs;
and from the quantity of gold lace upon these I rightly conjectured that
they were the officers. I then ventured to take a look in through the
window of the larger room, observing the precaution to stand far enough
away in the first instance to prevent the light falling upon my face and
so betraying my presence to any perchance wakeful artilleryman. All,
however, was perfectly still and silent; the long row of pallets on each
side of the room might have been tenanted by so many corpses for all the
movement that they made. A loud nasal chorus, however, prevented any
apprehension I might otherwise have felt upon this subject. So far, so
good. I now withdrew until I considered myself quite beyond the
influence of the lamps burning in the two apartments--and which, by-the-
bye, I judged from the clearness with which they burned, must have been
very recently trimmed--in order to ascertain the position of the
battery. There it was, sure enough, within twenty yards of me; and the
only reason why I had not seen it before was because the barrack-
buildings were interposed between it and me. I sank hastily down upon
the grass to examine the structure, and made out that it was a sort of
redan, the two faces of which, forming a very obtuse angle, were
composed of stone-work masked with sods. Five thirty-six-pounders
grinned from the embrasures in each face, and alongside each gun was
stacked up a goodly pile of shot. The merlons between the embrasures
appeared to have been constructed in such a way as to form expense
magazines, for I thought I could make out the doors leading thereto.
The magazine proper I could not make out in the darkness, nor did I
trouble to look for it. The battery, I ought to mention, was not
enclosed at all in the rear, being evidently intended strictly as a sea-
defence. I had been so busy noting all this that I had almost forgotten
to look for the sentries which were sure to be posted somewhere. When I
did at last make them out, I found, to my very great satisfaction, that
there were only two of them, one at each wing of the battery; and these,
instead of pacing backward and forward as they ought to have done, were
standing with their backs turned toward me, gazing out to seaward--if
indeed they were not more than half-asleep. I saw at once that the
moment was eminently propitious; so hurrying back to my men, who must
have wondered what had become of me, I led them up to within ten yards
of the barrack-buildings, when I made each man take off his shoes. We
then crept up to the barrack-walls, and telling off nine men, each
provided with a hammer carefully faced with leather to deaden the sound,
and a few nails (being similarly provided myself), I placed the
remainder of my party, five at each wing of the building, well within
the shadow, with instructions to seize--without noise it possible--and
detain any one who might emerge from the building. In the event of an
alarm being given and the garrison aroused, two of the men were to rush
in and overpower the officers, while the remainder were to rally round
the door of the larger room and prevent a sally until a signal-whistle
should inform them that the work of spiking was completed, when the
whole were to give leg-bail and make for the beach. But I warned them
to prevent a general alarm, if possible, at all hazards.
Having posted this division of my party, I rejoined the other. Each man
was to spike a gun; but the two on each wing were, in addition, to creep
up to and surprise the sentry on that wing; and no one was to attempt
anything until the word should be passed from each wing.
These arrangements made, we at once moved forward, noiseless as shadows,
towards our respective points. I took the northern wing, while Bob
Hawkins, a fine steady main-topman, took the other.
As soon as we began to move, I devoted my whole attention to the sentry
on my own wing, knowing I could not attend to him and look after other
matters also. There the man still stood, motionless as a statue; but
from a slight movement or two which he made, I soon saw that he was not
asleep, but, on the contrary, wide awake. On we crept, and presently we
were within six feet of him. At this moment one of our people sneezed
violently, and the man instantly turned. My right-hand man and I sprang
upon him on the instant, and while I wrenched his firelock out of his
hand, my assistant grasped the unhappy man so tenaciously by the throat
that he was utterly unable to utter a sound, and by sheer strength at
the same time forced him down upon his knees. I laid the firelock
carefully down upon the ground, and whipping out of my pocket a handful
of oakum and some marline, stuffed it and a thowl-pin into the fellow's
mouth, effectually gagging him, and, I fear, half-choking him at the
same time. We next lashed him, neck and heels together, in such a way
that he could not possibly move, and then set about spiking the guns,
passing the word along at the same time.
A distinct clinking, notwithstanding the leather facing to the hammers,
on the right wing told me that all was going favourably in that quarter,
and in another minute the work was effectually done. I was extremely
anxious during that minute, for the sound of the hammers smote upon my
excited ear like the sharp strokes of a bell. It soon ceased, however,
and as everything remained quiet at the barrack-buildings, it seemed
that the clinking had not been loud enough to reach the ears of the
sleepers therein. Giving the sentry on the right wing an overhaul to
see that he, like his comrade was all safe, I immediately withdrew the
spikers, and picking up the other party in our retreat we silently made
the best of our way to the beach, which we safely reached in about a
quarter of an hour, and, jumping into our boat, pulled cheerily out to
seaward.
It had by this time grown just sufficiently light to enable us to see
the frigate looming like a seventy-four about a mile to windward. They
were evidently on the lookout for us on board her, for we had scarcely
shoved the boat's nose clear of the point before we saw the beautiful
craft sweep gracefully round and run down toward us. She came as close
in as the skipper dared bring her, and then hove-to. In ten minutes
afterwards we were on board and the boat hoisted up.
"Well, Ralph," said Captain Annesley, as I went up the side and touched
my hat, "what news?"
"We've carried out your orders to the letter, sir," I replied. "We have
surprised the battery, and, without giving the slightest alarm to the
French frigate, have spiked the ten thirty-six pounders which it
mounts."
"Thirty-sixes, eh!" said he. "I thought they had the look of heavy
metal when I saw them through the telescope yesterday. Why, at their
elevation, and at so short a range, they would have sunk us before we
could get out again, had we attempted to go in there without first
silencing them. Thank you, Mr Chester; you have performed a difficult
and most important service with equal skill and courage, and I shall
have great pleasure in representing as much to the admiral."
Here was a feather in my cap. However, I had no time just then for
self-gratulation, for as soon as our success had been made known, the
frigate wore round--every preparation had been made long before--and we
headed at once for North-east Bay; our skipper having taken the utmost
care to keep the French frigate shut in all night by the projecting
point of land which forms the southern extremity of the bay, in order
that the "Astarte" herself might be equally hidden from the French
frigate.
Ten minutes afterwards we shaved close in round the point, and there lay
the "Artemise," within half-a-dozen cables' lengths of us, with
boarding-nettings triced up, guns run out, and everything apparently in
readiness to receive us.
For a moment or two our presence appeared to be unnoticed; then _crack_!
went the sentries' pieces, one after another, on board her, the quick,
short roll of drums was heard beating to quarters, and the hitherto
silent craft became in a moment all astir with bustle and animation.
In the meantime the "Astarte," conned by the skipper in person, with old
Martin, the master, at the wheel, was put dead away before the wind
until she had run in to within some five hundred yards of the beach and
had barely eight feet of water between her keel and the bottom. The
helm was then put gently over to port, and she swept round in a long
graceful curve, during which the whole of her canvas was very smartly
hauled down and clewed up, finally coming up head to wind, and gradually
losing way, she ranged alongside her antagonist--the distance having
been most accurately measured by the skipper--and the grapplings were
instantly thrown and secured.
The "Artemise" reserved her fire until we were fairly alongside, when
she delivered her entire broadside, the tremendous concussion of which
caused the two frigates to sway heavily away from each other until the
strength of the grapplings and lashings was taxed to its fullest extent.
The marines on her poop, at the same moment, opened upon us a heavy and
galling musketry-fire; but by neither did we suffer much loss, for our
main-deck ports were closed, the guns being run in, and the entire crew
upon the upper-deck crouching behind the lofty bulwarks. The moment
that the first volley of musketry had rung out, away went both parties
of boarders, fore and aft, making a way for themselves somehow, in spite
of the nettings, and driving the Frenchmen from both ends of the ship
into her waist, where they were so huddled and crowded together that
very few of them were able to use their weapons to any advantage. They
fought well for the first two or three minutes; but when they found that
the shore battery remained silent, they became confused and
disheartened, as I easily gathered from their ejaculations and
exclamations, and at length, after a really stubborn resistance of some
ten minutes' duration, they threw down their arms and surrendered.
The prisoners were at once sent below and the hatches clapped on over
them, after which immediate steps were taken to remove the two ships
from their somewhat perilous position, which was that of embayment upon
a lee shore.
A strong prize crew was placed on board the "Artemise," leaving only
just sufficient hands on board the "Astarte" to work her sails, and then
the latter set her canvas, cast off her fasts and grapplings, and canted
to the southward. So close to the shore had the French frigate been
moored, and so completely within the shelter of the bight, that there
was very little room for manoeuvring, and the "Astarte," short-handed as
she was, narrowly escaped leaving bones to bleach on the rocky point.
She managed, however, to scrape clear by the skin of her teeth, and once
fairly outside and clear of danger she went about and hove-to on the
starboard tack, to wait for her prize.
The "Artemise" had been placed in charge of Mr Flinn, who had selected
me for his first and Smellie for his second lieutenant; Mr Woods acting
as first on board the "Astarte." Mr Vining, the third lieutenant, and
Carter, were, it will be remembered, both absent in the prizes we had
taken at the Roccas.
As soon as we saw that our own noble frigate was safe, Paddy--who never
liked to lose anything--gave the order to pass the messenger and get the
anchor, instead of cutting the cable. The ship was riding by her best
bower, and I was rather doubtful whether we should manage the job. The
men, however, walked her manfully up to her anchor, until the cable was
straight up and down, when they left the capstan-bars and flew aloft to
loose the canvas, being as fully aware as their officers of the critical
position of the ship, and of her liability to drive ashore unless the
work were smartly executed, they achieved their task in an incredibly
short time, and by almost superhuman exertions on their part the sails
were set almost as quickly as though we had been fully manned.
"Well done, lads!" shouted Paddy encouragingly. "Now man the capstan-
bars once more, break the anchor out at once, and run it straight up to
the bows! If you cannot get it smartly all your labour will be lost by
the ship driving ashore. Play up, piper, and walk away cheerily, men!"
The piper struck up some lively air--I forget what,--the seamen threw
their whole weight upon the long capstan-bars, the cable strained and
surged, the capstan jerked slowly round, pawl by pawl, and at length, as
a heavier swell than usual rolled into the bay, there was a sudden and
violent jerk, the capstan yielded somewhat unexpectedly to the violent
exertions of the men, rolling two or three of them over on their noses,
away went the rest at a run, laughing heartily at their comrades'
discomfiture, and the great anchor drew reluctantly out of the ground.
I was on the topgallant forecastle all the time, superintending the
operations there, and as soon as I saw the cable swinging with the heave
of the ship, "Anchor's aweigh, sir!" I sang out.
"Thank you, Mr Chester. Now put your helm hard-a-port, my man; over
with it smartly. She has stern-way upon her and is driving in toward
the shore. Now she pays off. Trim aft your lee headsheets, forward
there. Man the lee forebraces. Now swing your fore-yard, board the
fore and main-tacks, and haul aft the sheets. Any news of the anchor
yet, Mr Chester?"
"The stock has just hove in sight, sir!"
"That's well, let us have it up, and get it catted at once, if you
please."
The frigate was now under weigh on the starboard tack and looking up
handsomely to windward of the northern extremity of the bay, having been
extricated from an exceedingly awkward position mainly by the
extraordinary exertions of the crew. The new skipper therefore deemed
it an appropriate occasion upon which to raise the cry of "Grog ho!" and
the men soon had an opportunity of comparing the quality of the
Frenchmen's brandy with that of our own more unpretentious rum.
The French cook, meanwhile, had been summoned to the galley, and was
soon busy preparing breakfast for the men, and concocting a ditto for
the cabin, which was intended to show his own officers--who, by the way,
had given their parole--that the love of his art rose triumphant above
_la fortune de la guerre_, and to impress us with the conviction that it
is a Frenchman only who can cook.
Captain Annesley, on seeing us fairly under weigh, filled and stood on
upon the same tack as ourselves. At length we were far enough to
windward to fetch clear of everything upon the other tack with ease, and
we accordingly went about, the "Astarte" tacking at the same time. She
edged down to within speaking distance of us shortly afterwards, and
Captain Annesley hailed to say that--as we had fully expected--he
intended to shape a course back to Barbadoes, and wished us to make
every effort to keep together. After breakfast we had a little friendly
trial of speed, when it was found that the "Astarte" could just spare us
her fore and mizzen topgallant sails.
At two p.m. on the following day we both anchored in Carlisle Bay, and
were very pleased to see that Vining and Carter were also safely there.
Our skipper got very great credit for this exploit of ours, as indeed we
all did; and I may as well here state that the participators in it
eventually received the naval medal.
The "Artemise" was purchased into the British navy, under the same name,
and the command of her given to Mr Flinn. Mr Woods was raised to the
rank of first lieutenant, and Mr Vining also moved a step up the
ratlines, leaving a vacancy for a third lieutenant, which our skipper
most kindly filled up by giving me an acting order.
As the "Astarte" had received a considerable amount of damage to her
hull from the double-shotted broadside of the "Artemise," fired at such
exceedingly close range, she was placed alongside the dockyard jetty for
repairs, and it was not until next day that I had an opportunity to take
a run ashore and make inquiries respecting little Fisher. The skipper
and I went together, and, to our very great gratification, found that
the poor boy, thanks to the assiduous nursing he had received, was doing
marvellously well. His wounds were healing in the most satisfactory
manner, and he had so far recovered his strength that at the time of our
visit he was daily expecting to receive the doctor's permission to sit
up in bed for an hour or so. It was exceedingly doubtful, however,
whether the poor lad would ever again have much use of his right arm,
and in that case his prospects, as far as the navy was concerned at
least, were at an end for ever.