Part 13 (1/2)
The frigate very soon had made good the damages she received in the fight, and once more put to sea, all on board wis.h.i.+ng for nothing better than a similar encounter with another enemy, feeling full confidence that the result would be the same.
One morning at daybreak, when True Blue had been sent aloft to take a lookout and report any sail in sight, his keen eye detected a small speck floating in the calm, hazy ocean. He knew that the speck was a boat, and hailed to that effect. There was a light breeze from the eastward, and the frigate, under all plain sail, was standing on a bowline to the southward. She was hauled up a few more points, to fetch the boat, which it was soon seen, instead of attempting to escape, was approaching the frigate. Numerous were the conjectures as to what she was; for although an open boat out in mid-channel was not exactly a novelty, still any incident was of interest in those stirring times, when all knew that apparent trifles often led to something important.
The boat appeared to be that of a merchantman. Six men were in her; four were pulling, and two sat in the sternsheets. One of these was a wrinkled, wiry old man, with a big red nightcap on his head, and a huge green and yellow comforter round his throat, while a thick flus.h.i.+ng coat and trousers, and high boots, concealed the rest of his form. The other looked like the master of a merchantman. As soon as they got alongside, the latter begged that the boat might be hoisted up. This was done; and while the other men went forward among the crew, he and his strange-looking companion repaired aft to the Captain's cabin. The information they gave seemed to afford infinite satisfaction to Captain Garland. Several of his officers were breakfasting with him.
”I trust, gentlemen, that, before many days have pa.s.sed, we shall fall in with another enemy's frigate, a worthy antagonist for the _Ruby_,” he remarked as soon as they were seated. ”We have also on board, I am happy to say, one of the most experienced pilots for the Channel Islands and the French coast to the westward--a Guernsey man; and, what is more, I know that he is thoroughly to be trusted. He and his companions were on board a merchant vessel, captured by a French privateer; and as the enemy leaped on the deck on one side, they slipped over the bulwarks on the other, and, favoured by the darkness, effected their escape. I propose to run over to the French coast, and watch off Cherbourg for the return of two French frigates, which, I understand, robber-like, go out every night and return into harbour in the morning.”
At first the crew were very much inclined to laugh at the odd appearance of the old pilot; but Paul Pringle soon got into conversation with him, and gave it as his opinion that the little finger of the old Guernsey man knew more than a dozen of their heads put together, both as to seamans.h.i.+p and as to the navigation of the adjacent coasts. It quickly became known that there was something in the wind, and that the Captain hoped to fall in with another enemy before long.
Cape Barfleur, to the westward of Cherbourg, was made during the night.
The wind was off sh.o.r.e, and the _Ruby_ was close-hauled on the larboard tack, when, as day dawned, a s.h.i.+p and a cutter were seen from her deck coming in from seaward. All hands were called up, the frigate was cleared for action, and the men went to their quarters. Every gla.s.s was turned towards the approaching strangers.
”We shall have another scrimmage--that we shall!” exclaimed Tim Fid to True Blue. ”I wonder what Gipples will do this time?”
”It's a pity he ever came to sea again after the last cruise,” answered Billy. ”He'll never make a sailor, and only bring shame on the name of one.”
”He's just fit to sell cat's meat,” observed Harry. ”Maybe one of the shot he's so afraid of will take his head off, as it might that of a better fellow, and that will settle for him.”
With this philosophical remark the boys sat down on their powder tubs to await the commencement of the action; while poor Gipples, who had overheard what was said, sat quaking on his in a most pitiable manner.
The _Ruby_ was kept edging away towards the supposed enemy. As the daylight increased, there was little doubt of her character, and she was p.r.o.nounced to be a thirty-six-gun frigate.
”A fit opponent for us!” exclaimed the Captain. ”We can allow her the cutter's a.s.sistance, and we must see how quickly we can take them both.”
The cutter, however, seemed to have no inclination to a.s.sist her consort, from whom she kept hovering at some distance.
There was not much time for talking or speculation. The _Ruby_ soon ranged up on the weather and larboard side of the Frenchman, at whose peak flew the ensign of Republican France. It would have been throwing away words to have exchanged compliments or interrogations in this case.
The Frenchmen, indeed, maintained a surly silence, till it was broken by the rapid interchange of broadsides between the two well-matched combatants. The chances of war seemed, however, in this instance to be going against the _Ruby_. At the second broadside, down came her fore-topsail-yard, followed soon afterwards by the fore-topmast.
”This will never do!” exclaimed Paul Pringle, beckoning to Billy and sending a man to take charge of his tub. ”Come here, boy. You must try and see if you can't do as well as you did when we took the _Citoyenne_.
Give her as good at least as she has given us.”
True Blue, nothing loth, began to take a sight along the gun. Just then the Captain had ordered the _Ruby's_ helm to be put hard a-starboard, by which she came suddenly round on the opposite tack, and brought her larboard guns to bear on the enemy.
True Blue, finding the s.h.i.+p going about, knew that no time was to be lost. He fired, and the enemy's foreyard came instantly down. The effect was to throw her up into the wind, in which position she received a raking broadside from the _Ruby_.
”That's your doing, True Blue. All at the gun saw it--I know they did.”
”Yes, that was True Blue's shot, as sure as a gun!” cried Tom Marline.
”You shall have as many more as you like, Billy.”
Again True Blue fired, and the enemy's mizen-topmast came down. This enabled the _Ruby_ to sail round and round her, giving her numerous raking broadsides. Still the gallant Frenchman held out. All this time not a shot had been fired from the cutter, and, greatly to the annoyance of the British sailors, she was seen making off under all sail for Cherbourg.
At the same time, during a pause in the action, when the smoke cleared off, another sail was descried to the northward, three or four leagues off. The sound of the firing had undoubtedly brought her thus far, and there she lay becalmed, unable to get up and join in the fight. Her presence, however, was not welcomed by the _Ruby's_ crew. She was evidently a frigate. If an enemy, she might prevent the capture of the other Frenchman, and indeed endanger the safety of the _Ruby_ herself.
If a friend, they would rather have had the honour of taking their antagonist singlehanded, as they fully expected to do.
As to there being any danger of their being captured, that did not enter the heads of the British tars.
”Come, bear a hand, boys,” said Paul. ”We must take this here chap first, and then, if the calm holds for a little longer, we may get all ataunto and be ready for the others. One down, the other come on.