A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS.
There was no lack of arms on board the _Bonnie Scotland_, but they were
curiously assorted, and by no means all of the best quality. Muskets
and pistols, claymores and short swords, battle-axes and
boarding-pikes, they were all hurriedly got out on deck, and each man
chose the weapon he thought he could handle to the best advantage.
Donalblane, whose Highland spirit rather rejoiced at the prospect of a
fight, snatched up a sword, which he hung at his belt in addition to
his own pair of pistols.
"Can we beat the buccaneers, do you think?" he asked, looking up
eagerly into the grave face of Mr. Sutherland, whose one thought was
for his wife and child.
Mr. Sutherland glanced over the confused crowd of agitated men, many of
whom were evidently in a state of unmanly terror, and there was an
undertone of contempt in his voice as he replied--
"We ought to, if we keep our heads. There are certainly enough of us."
Counting her crew the ship carried three hundred men, and if these
stood to their weapons they should prove a match for the enemy, whose
numbers would probably not exceed one hundred. But the utter lack of
discipline or order amongst the expedition filled both Mr. Paterson and
Mr. Sutherland with fears as to the result.
In addition to small-arms, the _Bonnie Scotland_ carried eight
carronades which had been neglected during the voyage, but were now
hastily got in order and double-shotted under the direction of Mr.
Paterson, who seemed to know how everything should be done.
Meanwhile the buccaneer was steadily coming on, and evidently
manoeuvring to approach astern so as to prevent the _Bonnie Scotland_
using her broadside.
But the veteran captain saw through the trick, and at once changed his
vessel's course, saying with a sardonic smile--
"Red Angus is no sae simple as ye think. He kens your wicked wile, and
just how to fool ye."
Mr. Paterson, disgusted as he had been by the brutality of the captain
during the voyage, could not help now admiring the consummate skill
with which he handled his clumsy craft, for the _Bonnie Scotland_ was
far from being what she ought to have been.
He seemed to be able to divine every movement of the buccaneer, and to
meet it by a counter-movement which prevented the latter obtaining the
advantage sought. Thus the two vessels dodged about among the
white-caps, for a strong breeze was blowing, until at last the
buccaneer apparently gave up all strategy, and bore directly down upon
the _Bonnie Scotland_ at the risk of a broadside.
"Now then, gunners, be ready to fire when I give you the word," was Mr.
Paterson's command, and, matches in hand, the men he had selected for
the duty stood beside the carronades, waiting his word. He did not
speak until the buccaneer was not more than a hundred yards distant,
and then the captain, by a sudden turn of his wheel, throwing the
_Bonnie Scotland_ around so that she presented her beam to the
advancing vessel, Mr. Paterson shouted--
"All together! Fire!"
The three carronades roared as one, and their iron missiles went
hurtling into the rigging of the buccaneer and along her crowded decks,
bringing a lot of the rigging down by the run, injuring the foremast so
that it showed signs of tottering, and killing and wounding a number of
the scoundrels, who were evidently not expecting so heavy a broadside.
Certainly the immediate effect of the discharge was most encouraging,
and Donalblane clapped his hands gleefully as the damaged vessel fell
off, while the _Bonnie Scotland_ kept on her course.
"They got it then, didn't they?" he exclaimed. "That'll teach them to
leave honest folk alone, eh?" and he waved his sword exultantly towards
the enemy.
"It is wise not to hurrah until you are out of the wood, my boy," said
Mr. Paterson, who just then chanced to be passing. "That is only first
blood for us. The buccaneers will soon return to the attack, and then
may Heaven defend us!"
If the _Bonnie Scotland_ had been anything but the slow-going tub she
was she might have made her escape while the buccaneer was repairing
damages. But it was not in her to do this, and she wallowed cumbrously
in the waves until the enemy once more ranged close.
Although her sides were pierced for many guns whose black muzzles were
thrust threateningly out, the buccaneer, for some reason, reserved her
fire. Perhaps, having no doubt as to the issue of the struggle, her
commander wished to save the other vessel as far as possible uninjured.
Approaching more warily this time, he so managed as to come up astern
of the _Bonnie Scotland_, and, in spite of the latter's efforts to
avoid the onset, bore down upon her, the two ships colliding with a
grinding crash and the rattle of interlocking spars.
The sight of the buccaneers as they crowded the bulwarks, ready to
spring on board their prey, was certainly enough to affright the
stoutest heart. Every countenance seemed that of an incarnate fiend,
rendered more hideous by the blood-red handkerchief which was their
only head-covering. They were seething with rage at the loss they had
already suffered, and shook their cutlasses fiercely, while they
shouted like madmen.
Donalblane's eagerness for a fight was decidedly chilled by the
appalling appearance of these assailants, but he did not lose control
of himself, and when Mr. Paterson gave the command, fired his pistols
one after the other into the yelling horde of scoundrels. With what
effect he never knew, for the next instant all was the wildest
confusion, the men of the _Bonnie Scotland_ opposing the buccaneers
with boarding-pike, battle-axe, sword, and claymore, and beating them
back again and again with much shedding of blood on both sides.
Whatever other virtues they lacked, these adventurers were certainly
not deficient in brawn or bravery. They stood their ground splendidly,
and Donalblane's heart thrilled with pride as he saw that the
buccaneers were gaining no advantage. He himself was no idle
spectator. Throwing aside his pistols he seized a big boarding-pike,
and taking his place near Mr. Paterson, made it his business to be
ready to protect him so far as might be in his power. Nor did he fail
of an opportunity. In spite of the determined defence, a few of the
buccaneers forced their way on board, and one of them, a powerful
fellow, with the face of a tiger, made a rush upon Mr. Paterson, whom
he no doubt recognised as the person in command. At the moment Mr.
Paterson was looking in another direction, and the ruffian's cutlass
would infallibly have cloven his head had not Donalblane perceived the
peril in time to swing his boarding-pike across the buccaneer's shins,
bringing him headlong to the slippery deck, where Donalblane followed
him with another crack, this time on the skull, that rendered him
senseless and harmless for the time being.
Mr. Paterson knew nothing of his danger until the miscreant fell
clattering at his feet, and then he realised how narrow had been his
escape.
"God bless you, my boy!" he exclaimed fervently, throwing his arm about
Donalblane's neck. "I owe you my life. I shall never forget the
service you have done me."
Donalblane's face flushed with delight. He felt proud of himself and
proud of his patron. He would rather have saved his life than that of
any one else on board.
"I'm verra, verra glad, sir," he replied. "Losh! but he was a fearsome
creature. He thought fine he wad cut ye in two."
"Well, you have done for him, Donald. May we all do as well. Thank
Heaven we're still keeping the rascals off our decks!" and so saying
Mr. Paterson rushed into the thick of the fight again.
The stubborn, sturdy defence of the Scotsmen began to tell. Only a few
of their assailants had broken through their ranks, and these were
speedily put _hors de combat_. The buccaneers, who had judged from the
appearance of the _Bonnie Scotland_ that she would prove an easy prey,
were amazed by the number of men on board, and the fierceness with
which they fought. As one after another of their crew was killed or
wounded, their fury slackened, and when after half-an-hour's
hand-to-hand struggle they had gained no advantage, they were fain to
sheer off to reconsider the situation.
Hearty cheers rose from the _Bonnie Scotland_ as the buccaneer ship
sullenly slid astern. Donalblane, who had been so lucky as to escape
all injury, springing into the rigging, and waving one of the
buccaneer's blood-red kerchiefs as he shouted jeeringly--
"Noo then, ye murdering villains, have ye got your fill? Ye'll ken
better than to be attacking honest folk like us again."
A hearty laugh from below showed that the boy's taunts expressed the
feelings of his shipmates; but when the next instant a bullet whistled
perilously near his head, he realised how he was exposing himself, and
slid down the rigging much faster than he had climbed up. Considering
the heat of the conflict it was remarkable how slightly the defenders
of the _Bonnie Scotland_ had suffered. Three killed, and a dozen
wounded, none of them mortally, made up the list of casualties, and
when these had been given proper attention, and the decks cleaned and
cleared up, the ministers, of whom there were several on board, called
upon all to join with them in giving thanks to Providence for their
deliverance.
And so, with the baffled buccaneers still in sight, they sang
triumphant Psalms, and lifted up fervent praise to Almighty God who had
given them the victory. The women and children, who had been shut in
the cabins during the fight, came out to join in this service of
praise, their pallid faces showing how they had suffered from fear and
anxiety while thus cooped up.