Part 31 (2/2)
”She hasn't come up with us yet,” answered Bill ”We shall have time to beat off the others and stand away to the northward before she gets us within range of her guns Perhaps, too, the ill shi+ft to the eastward, and throw her to leeward We shall then be well in with Plye to beat up to us We are not going to give in while the tight little frigate keeps above water”
Bill expressed the sentiainst the _Thisbe_ and _Diana_ The latter had but forty hands on board to work the guns and e the sails, while the crew of the _Thisbe_ was thus far diminished, besides which they had to look after their prisoners
The two leading shi+ps of the eneht probable were their consorts astern; and even though they ht knock away her masts and spars, and so maul her that she would be co up fro he said, did the captain show the least apprehension of such a result The creere at their stations, ready to shorten sail should the breeze freshening render it necessary The hed as usual, as ready for action as if they were only expecting one opponent of equal size
Thewore on, the hands were piped down to dinner, the prospect of hot work not at all dah their ain hurried on deck to see how things were going on The two French frigates were approaching The headmost in a short time fired a bowchaser, but the shot fell short It served, however, as a signal to prepare for action Once uns were cast loose, and their crews stood ready to fire as soon as they received the looked-for word of command
A few of the French prisoners who had been allowed to reh, exhibiting in their countenances the satisfaction they felt at the expectation of being soon restored to liberty They were, of course, narroatched, and well knew that they would be pretty severely dealt with should they show any signs of insubordination
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE ”THISBE'S” NARROW ESCAPE--TOM HOPES TO BE MADE A MIDshi+PMAN
Half an hour or ate fired, the shot falling close to the counter of the _Diana_, which by this tiot up a fresh maintopmast, was able to make more sail
Captain Martin now ordered Lieutenant Sterling to cast off the tow rope and to stand on ahead of him, while, to allow the _Diana_ to do so, he clewed up the _Thisbe's_ topsails
”Make the best of your way to Plymouth,” he shouted, as the _Diana_ passed the _Thisbe_; ”we'll keep these two fellows in play, and shall, I hope, be soon after you”
As soon as the prize had got so the two frigates co up on the starboard quarter, ordered the _Thisbe's_ helm to be put to port; at the sa fired, the shot raked the two Frenchmen fore and aft The hel up on the other tack, her larboard broadside was poured into her antagonists The shot told with considerable effect The foretopate was shot away, and the o by the board This, however, did notaft, all the canvas they required continued set They also opened their fire, and their shot ca two or threeShe having shortened sail, her antagonists were compelled to do the same; and while they poured their broadsides into her, she returned theuns in and out
Captain Martin's great object was to keep theed, and, if possible, to knock away their h he et off himself, he could not expect to capture either of the enemy's shi+ps
The _Thisbe_ had been several times hulled, and her sails were already completely riddled, whilehard with us, I fear,” said Jack to Tom, as seated next hih a score of poor fellows killed or wounded within the last half-hour It ”
”Oh, dear! I hope not,” cried Tohting the Frenchainst us, and we shall have the two other shi+ps blazing away at our heads before long”
”We haven't much to fear from them,” said Jack ”I have just heard they're corvettes, and they won't be up to us until we've given the other two a drubbing, and have ain to the northward”
The two corvettes were, however, likely to prove no despicable opponents, and Captain Martin was only watching until he had knocked away the ates, to make sail and escape, for it would have been er than was necessary to accoht bravely, and evidently did not intend to let hiet off if they could help it Each had just fired another broadside into the _Thisbe_, when they were seen to haul their wind, the two shi+ps co the same The reason of this was evident: the line-of-battle shi+p to the ard, now approaching under a pressure of sail, had hoisted British colours, and any longer delay would have enabled her quickly to capture one or both of them The brave crew of the _Thisbe_ expressed their satisfaction by giving a loud cheer, which was joined in even by many of the wounded
Captain Martin had accomplished his object; he had secured the safety of his prize, and his crear which had been shot away
As soon as this had been accoht to the wind, stood after the flying ene her bow chasers as she did so; but it was soon seen that she had little chance of co up with them Still her captain persevered; but, with both masts and spars wounded, it was impossible to carry as much sail as would otherwise have been done Consequently, before long the line-of-battle shi+p, which nal _Terrible_, seventy-four, overtook her
A cheer rose fro slowly by Her captain hailed, ”Well done, Martin!”
The pursuit was continued for so, and the coast of France was not far off The seventy-four therefore threw out the signal to bear up and a course was shaped for Plyht for the _Diana_ Soon after sunrise she was seen steering for Plyallant crew had the satisfaction of conducting her the following day Although it was a day of triu to many who had lost relatives and friends The dead were carried on shore to be buried, the wounded conveyed to hospitals, the Frenchmen were landed and marched off under an escort of s were soon busy at work to obtain fresh hands to supply the places of those who had fallen, although ate which had already won a naot into harbour, ed to procure a pen and some ink and paper, and indited a letter to his father It was not over-ritten, but he contrived toon board HMS _Thisbe_, and that having already seen a great deal of service, he felt sure that if his father would apply to the Admiralty and make him an allowance of thirty or forty pounds a year, he should be placed on the quarter-deck, and in due course of time become an admiral
”We are sure to make lots of prize-money,” he added; ”and if I were aa hundred pounds or more, so that you may be sure, father, that I will pay it all back with interest”