Part 1 (1/2)
Charley Laurel
by W H G Kingston
CHAPTER ONE
VALUABLE BOOTY
A good o, before, indeed, I can rehteen guns and a hundred and thirty men, commanded by Captain Blunt, formed one of the West India squadron
She, with another corvette, and a brig in co off a beautiful island, then in possession of the French, although, as dick Driver, froland, at least, it once had Of course, therefore, it was their business to get it back again dick could not recollect its na, for, being no scholar, he was a very bad hand at recollecting dates; and as he could not write his own name, of course it was not to be expected that he would keep a journal, or remember very accurately all the places he had visited
The _Laurel_ and her consorts, having hoisted French colours, stood along the coast, which the captain and officers of the forlasses
At length the shades of evening drew on, and they came off a small town, situated on the shore of a bay, the entrance of which was guarded by a fort The _Laurel_ stood on, as if about to enter the bay, but the land-wind co off the shore, she and the other two vessels stood away till they had got such a distance fro seen by the sharpest eyes, with the best of night-glasses, looking out for the hove-to, the commanders of the other vessels came on board the _Laurel_, when Captain Blunt announced his intention of attacking the town, hoping to hold possession of it till another squadron, which had been destined for the purpose, had captured a more important place on the other side of the island The captain's plan was to send in the different boats of the squadron with a strong party of marines and blue-jackets, in three divisions, a couple of hours before daylight, as it was hoped at that ti less on the alert than at an earlier hour, the boats est division was instructed to take possession of the town; the second was to attack the fort; and the third to cut out any vessels found in the harbour, in case the other two should be coht be soht's work
The boats' crews, and all ere fortunate enough, as they considered it, to be selected for the expedition, were soon busily e fresh flints to their pistols, andother preparations for the possible bloody work in which they were to be engaged dick Driver, who belonged to the cutter's creas aly built, powerful felloith a broad, honest countenance, bright blue eyes, and fair bushy beard and whiskers,--a truer-hearted, braver seaman than dick Driver never stepped
”If this here cutlass of ain the King his own again,” exclairindstone, feeling that he was a host in himself; and so he was, provided no treacherous bullet found its way through his sturdy frae would have availed hith collected round the _Laurel_; the oars were muffled; the officers were ordered toin the rear of the fort it er party entered the town, and took by surprise any troops who ht was very dark, for clouds were in the sky, and the water was smooth
The first lieutenant of the _Laurel_, who co, away the boats pulled, keeping close together, and looking as they glided along like so on his prey The entrance to the bay was gained without the boats being discovered They dashed on more rapidly than before In a fewaith their cutlasses, and thewith their e that h he could not exactly say why
The officers did their duty admirably; theon shore before a shot was fired froed to the first division, pushed on in that direction with his party, while the other two attended to their destined duty
The gates of the fort, however, being closed, the intended rush could not be acco that so on there Instead also of at once entering the town, the first party found their progress impeded by a somewhat numerous body of troops, who, quartered near at hand, turned out in tiht well, dick acknowledged, though some had neither boots nor coats on, and arments They were, however, driven back inch by inch, till so the same, followed by the victors, who fired indiscriminately at every one they saw in front of them On such an occasion many of the unfortunate inhabitants were too likely to suffer, and many who had no arms in their hands, or had thrown them down and cried out for quarter, were shot before the officers could halt theirin different directions, some in the darkness had followed one and so in the rear from houses set on fire either intentionally or by accident; while shouts and shrieks and cries arose in all directions
Altogether, the little tohich a fewpeacefully, was now the scene of havoc, terror, and confusion
As dick, cutlass in hand, wasthe dark street, a piteous cry reached his ears, and looking down, he saw lying wounded on the ground a black wo up to him a little white child
”Oh, save him! save him! or he will be killed!” she exclai the child under his left arm; ”and I'll help you into a house, where you may be safe”
He was about to perform the humane act he proposed, when there was a cry, ”The French are co on in force--fall back, men! fall back!”
dick had only time to draw the poor woman on one side, when he was compelled, with his co where to deposit the child in safety, he kept it under his arh on most occasions he would have been in the rank nearest the foe, he now, according to orders, retreated as fast as he could Many of the other s they had picked up, but they were certainly not little children
The boats were reached at last, though not until a good allant jollies and several of the blue-jackets had been shot down by a large body of French troops, who had coain, however, driven back far enough to allow the marines and sailors to ee, still carrying his burden, for he had not the heart to throw it down, and could not find any safe place to put it in