Peter Simple Part 44

I was irritated at any reflection upon O'Brien, and I replied, "Yes sir; they have been always accustomed to express their joy at the prospect of engaging the enemy."

"Very well, Mr Simple," replied he.

"How are we to put her head?" inquired the master, touching his hat; "for the chase?"

"Of course," replied the captain, who then descended into his cabin.

"Come, my lads," said Swinburne, as soon as the captain was below, "I have been going round, and I fine that your _pets_ are all in good fighting order. I promise ye, you sha'n't wait for powder. They'll find that the _Rattlesnake_ can bite devilish hard yet, I expect."

"Ay, and without its _head_, too," replied one of the men, who was the Joe Miller of the brig.

The chase, perceiving that she could not escape--for we were coming up with her, hand over hand, now shortened sail for action, hoisting Dutch colours.

Captain Hawkins again made his appearance on the quarter-deck, when we were within half a mile of her.

"Are we to run alongside of her, or how?" inquired I. "Mr Simple, I command her," replied he, "and want no interference whatever."

"Very well, sir," replied I, and I walked to the gangway.

"Mr Thompson," cried the captain, who appeared to have screwed up his courage to the right pitch, and had now taken his position for a moment on one of the carronades; "you will lay the brig right--"

Bang, bang--whiz, whiz--bang--whiz, came three shots from the enemy, cleaving the air between our masts. The captain jumped down from the carronade, and hastened to the capstan, without finis.h.i.+ng his sentence.

"Shall we fire when we are ready, sir?" said I; for I perceived that he was not capable of giving correct orders.

"Yes--yes, to be sure," replied he, remaining where he was.

"Thompson," said I to the master, "I think we can manage in our present commanding position, to get foul of him, so as to knock away his jib-boom and fore-topmast, and then she can't escape. We have good way on her."

"I'll manage it, Simple, or my name is not Thompson," replied the master, jumping into the quarter-boat, conning the vessel in that exposed situation, as we received the enemy's fire.

"Look out, my lads, and pour it into her now, just as you please," said I to the men.

The seamen were, however, too well disciplined to take immediate advantage of my permission; they waited until we pa.s.sed her, and just as the master put up his helm so as to catch her jib-boom between our masts, the whole broadside was poured into his bow and chess-tree. Her jib-boom and fore-topgallant went down, and she had so much way through the water, that we tore clear from her, and rounding to the wind shot a-head. The enemy, although in confusion from the effects of our broadside, put up his helm to rake us; we perceived his manoeuvre, and did the same, and then squaring our sail, we ran with him before the wind, engaging broadside to broadside.

This continued about half-an-hour, and we soon found that we had no fool to play with. The brig was well fought, and her guns well directed. We had several men taken down below, and I thought it would be better to engage her even closer. There was about a cable's length between both vessels, as we ran before the wind, at about six miles an hour with a slight rolling motion.

"Thompson," said I, "let us see if we cannot beat them from their guns.

Let's port the helm, and close her, till we can shy a biscuit on board."

"Just my opinion, Simple; we'll see if they won't make another sort of running fight of it."

In a few minutes we were so close on board of her that the men who loaded the guns could touch each other with their rammers and sponges.

The men cheered; it was gallantly returned by the enemy, and havoc was now commenced by the musketry on both sides. The French captain, who appeared as brave a fellow as ever stepped, stood for some minutes on the hammocks: I was also holding on by the swifter of the main rigging, when he took off his hat and politely saluted me. I returned the compliment; but the fire became too hot, and I wished to get under the shelter of the bulwark. Still I would not go down first, and the French captain appeared determined not to be the first either to quit the post of honour. At last one of our marines. .h.i.t him in the right arm: he clasped his hand to the part, as if to point it out to me, nodded, and was a.s.sisted down from the hammocks. I immediately quitted my post, for I thought it foolish to stand as a mark for forty or fifty soldiers. I had already received a bullet through the small of my leg. But the effects of such close fire now became apparent: our guns were only half manned, our sides terribly cut up, and our sails and rigging in tatters.

The enemy was even worse off, and two broadsides more brought her mainmast by the board. Our men cheered, and threw in another broadside.

The enemy dropped astern; we rounded to rake her; she also attempted to round-to, but could not until she had cleared away her wreck, and taken in her foresail, and lowered her topsail. She then continued the action with as much spirit as ever.

"He's a fine fellow, by G.o.d!" exclaimed Thompson; "I never saw a man fight his s.h.i.+p better: but we have him. Webster's down, poor fellow!"

"I'm sorry for it," replied I; "but I'm afraid that there are many poor fellows who have lost the number of their mess. I think it useless throwing away the advantage which we now have. He can't escape, and he'll fight this way for ever. We had better run a-head, repair damages, and then he must surrender, in his crippled state, when we attack him again."

"I agree with you," said Thompson; "the only point is, that it will soon be dark."

"I'll not lose sight of him, and he cannot get away. If he puts before the wind, then we'll be at him again."

We gave him the loaded guns as we forged a-head, and when we were about half a mile from him, hove to, to repair damages.

The reader may now ask, "But where was the captain all this time?" My answer, is, that he was at the capstan, where he stood in silence, not once interfering during the whole action, which was fought by Thompson the master and myself. How he looked, or how he behaved in other points during the engagement, I cannot pretend to say, for I had no time to observe him. Even now, I was busy knotting the rigging, rousing up new sails to bend, and getting everything in order, and I should not have observed him, had he not come up to me; for as soon as we had ceased firing he appeared to recover himself. He did not, however, first address me; he commenced speaking to the men.

"Come, be smart, my lads; send a hand here to swab up the blood. Here, youngster, run down to the surgeon, and let him know that I wish a report of the killed and wounded."

By degrees, he talked more, and at last came up to me. "This has been rather smartish, Mr Simple."

"Very smart indeed, sir," replied I; and then turned away to give directions.

"Maintop there, send down the hauling line on the starboard side."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"Now then, my lads, clap on, and run it up at once."

"Maintop, there," hailed the captain, "be a little smarter, or, by G.o.d, I'll call you down for something."

This did not come with a good grace from one, who had done nothing, to those who were working with all their energy.

"Mr Simple," said the captain, "I wish you would carry on duty with less noise."

"At all events, he set us the example during the action," muttered the Joe Miller; and the other men laughed heartily at the implication.

In two hours, during which we had carefully watched the enemy, who still lay where we left him, we were again ready for action.

"Shall I give the men their grog now, sir?" said I, to the captain; "they must want it."

"No, no," replied the captain; "no, no, Mr Simple, I don't like what you call _Dutch_ courage."

"I don't think he much does; and this fellow has shown plenty of it,"

said the Joe Miller, softly; and the men about him laughed heartily.

"I think, sir," observed I, "that it is an injustice to this fine s.h.i.+p's company, to hint at their requiring Dutch courage." (Dutch courage is a term for courage screwed up by drinking freely.) "And I most respectfully beg leave to observe, that the men have not had their afternoon's allowance; and, after the fatigues they have undergone, really require it."

"I command this s.h.i.+p, sir," replied he.

"Certainly, sir, I am aware of it," rejoined I. "She is now all ready for action again, and I wait your orders. The enemy is two miles on the lee quarter."

The surgeon here came up with his report.

"Good heavens!" said the captain, "forty-seven men killed and wounded; Mr Webster dangerously. Why, the brig is crippled. We can do no more--positively, we can do no more."

"_We can take that brig, anyhow_," cried one of the seamen, from a dozen of the men who were to leeward, expecting orders to renew the attack.