Famous Privateersmen and Adventurers of the Sea Part 12

The other French vessel now threw her lead into the stern of the defender of the flag of the States General and her mizzen-mast was seen to rock like an unfastened May pole.

"Whow!"

The _Esperance_ was not slow in answering back and her twelve guns spat like leopards in the brush. She filled away and bore towards the land, but the French gun-boat saw this move and checkmated it.

Sailing across her bow, the Frenchman raked her fore and aft, while the rub-a-dub-dub of Jean Bart's guns went drumming against her starboard side. Cras.h.!.+ Cras.h.!.+ Cras.h.!.+ Her boards were split, her mizzen-mast was swaying, and her rigging was near cut in two. Men were falling fast and two of her guns had blown up and were rendered useless.

"Surrender!" came a sharp hail from the l.u.s.ty throat of Jean Bart, and, as he spoke, a perfect hail of grape came from his French ally, now creeping up to port for a chance to grapple and board.

"What can I do?" sighed the stout, Dutch commander, turning to one of his lieutenants. "Boy, haul down our flag!"

So down came the emblem of the States General amidst ringing cheers from the throats of the followers of Jean Bart. They had won a notable victory.

When the _Esperance_ was towed and half-sailed into Dunkirk harbor, old Antoine Sauret was there.

"Ah, my friends," said he, "I always told you that my boy, Jean Bart, would make a great name for himself. Three times three for the great privateer of Dunkirk!"

And all the bystanders joined in right willingly.

Not long after this event, our hero's s.h.i.+p was lying in the harbor of Bergen in Sweden. The captain of an English vessel met him on sh.o.r.e, and, after having a chat with him, remarked:

"I hear that you have quite a reputation for fighting your s.h.i.+p. I, too, am a sea warrior and would like to have a little affair with you.

My own vessel is of about the same tonnage as yours, so that we could meet upon even terms. Will you join me?"

"I would be delighted," answered the war-like Jean Bart. "If you wait two days I will be ready for you and will fight you three miles off the coast. Meanwhile I must lie here and take on some stores which are much needed by both men and guns."

The Englishman smiled.

"You are a man after my own heart," said he. "Good-by until we meet in battle."

Three days after this, Jean Bart sent a boy to the English vessel with a note for the captain. It ran:

"I am ready to fight you to-morrow. Meet me three miles beyond the breakwater and may the best man win. Until then--good luck.

"Yours for battle,

"JEAN BART."

The boy came back bearing a return missive from the Englishman, who wrote:

"MONSIEUR BART: I am delighted to learn that you want to fight me, and will do so. You are indeed a brave man.

But--before we go for each other's throats--pray let us breakfast together. Will you therefore take your morning meal with me, to-morrow, in my own cabin, aboard my s.h.i.+p? I shall expect you.

"Yours to count on,

"MIDDLETON."

"I do not want to accept, but I will," mused Captain Bart. "These English fellows are far too polite."

So, next morning, he was rowed to the British vessel and was soon breakfasting with his red-faced opponent.

After the meal the Frenchman lighted his pipe, took a few puffs, and said:

"Monsieur, I have greatly enjoyed this peaceful repast. But it is now time for me to go and sharpen my boarding-pike. I must bid you adieu."

The Englishman smiled.

"No," said he. "You cannot go. You are my prisoner!"

Jean Bart still smoked.

"You are too quick!" he answered, slowly. "There you are wrong. I am not your prisoner, for I see a barrel of gunpowder on the deck, and, if you do not release me immediately, I will blow up your s.h.i.+p!"

The Englishman turned pale.

"Watch me!" cried Jean Bart.

Leaping from his seat, he rushed to the deck, lighted a match from his pipe, and held it directly over the mouth of a barrel of gunpowder, from which someone had pried the head.

"Lay on! You cowards!" he yelled. "Lay on, and we'll all go to the Land of the Hereafter together."

His cry was heard upon his own vessel, which--with sails up--lay waiting for him.

In a moment her bow was turned towards the British s.h.i.+p which was still at anchor, with sails unhoisted. In a moment she dropped down alongside--and--in less time than it takes to tell--the Frenchmen had brought her upon the port quarter, and were swarming across the deck to rescue their bold captain.

Taken by surprise, the English put up a plucky fight, but they were no match for the infuriated men of Dunkirk. They were soon overpowered.

The captain was taken prisoner, and the vessel was considered a legitimate prize of war, because of the trick which Middleton had attempted to play upon Jean Bart. When--in a few days--the prize was sailed into Dunkirk harbor--the Englishman well wished that he had not attempted to capture the most able privateersman of all France.

The fame of this exploit spread over the land, and gave rise to a ditty, which ran:

"If you want to catch Jean Bart, sir, A slippery, slimy chap, Don't bait him with gunpowder, For he's sure to miss the trap.

You must splice him down with chains, sir; You must nail him to the deck.

Put a belt around his middle, And a collar 'round his neck.

Even then you cannot hold him, For he's certain to get through, While his sailors sing a song, sir, With a c.o.c.k- a- doodle- doo!"

In July, 1675, Jean Bart was married, but he did not remain long on sh.o.r.e. Three weeks after this auspicious event he once more put to sea and captured a number of Dutch fis.h.i.+ng boats, which he allowed the captains to ransom for large sums of money.

This was a very convenient arrangement, for it saved him the trouble of putting part of his own crew on board and sending the boats to port. But the owners of _La Royale_, upon which he sailed, did not care for his methods of procedure.

"You cannot do this in future!" said they. "And you must forfeit half of what you took to us!"

Jean Bart obeyed, but he was very angry. It is even said that he uttered "a round seaman's oath."

So successful was he, in fact, that he was given a much larger vessel in 1676. This was a frigate--the _Palme_--with twenty-four guns and a crew of one hundred and fifty men. Sailing into the North Sea with two small French gun-boats, he soon fell in with three Dutch privateers and eight armed whaling vessels. He attacked, and the battle raged for three long, b.l.o.o.d.y hours.

When the smoke and the fumes of sulphur burned away, Bart had boarded the largest privateer, while his two consorts had taken the eight whalers. The other Dutch privateers found it too hot for their liking and scudded for the coast, firing their stern-guns derisively as they disappeared. It was a great victory, and again the French coast rung with salvos for Jean Bart, while the old sea-dogs shrugged their shoulders, saying:

"Ah! Ha! Did we not tell you that Dunkirk bred men of bone and marrow.

Ah! Ha!"