Part 60 (1/2)
Some of the creever, appeared to side with Touns
Rayner and Oliver went a them and cheered them up
”Lads!” cried the coazed with looks of alarm at their powerful enemy, ”most of you have sailed in the _Lily_ with me since she was first commissioned You know that I have never exposed your lives unnecessarily, and that we have always succeeded in whatever we have undertaken You have gained a name for yourselves and our shi+p, and I hope you will not sully that nah yonder shi+p is twice as big as we are, still we must try to beat her off, and it will not be my fault if we don't”
The uns Every preparation for battle being made--to the surprise of her own crew, and much more so to that of the Frenchman--the commandant ordered her to be hove-to
”Don't fire a shot until I tell you, lads!” he cried out
Many looked at the stranger with anxious eyes; the flag of France was flying frorinned out from her ports on either side--twice the number of those carried by the _Lily_, and of a far heavier calibre As she got within range she opened fire, her shot flying through the _Lily's_ sails, cutting her rigging and injuring several of her spars, but her guns were so elevated that not a man was hit on deck
”Steady, lads! We h to uns tell!” cried the co into action a British seaes in jokes, but on this occasion every riive it them!”
At the short distance the enemy noas from them the broadside told with terrible effect, the shot crashi+ng through her ports and sides, while the shrieks and groans of the wounded were clearly distinguished fro with redoubled energy, hauled their guns in and out, and fired onderful rapidity, truly tossing thes The French also fired, but farhardly one shot to the _Lily's_ two The officers went about the deck encouraging thehold of the tackles to assist them in their labours At any ht leave the corvette a mere wreck on the ocean, or send her to the bottom Every man on board knew this; but while their officers kept their flag flying at the peak, they were ready to work their guns and struggle to the last
An hour and a half had passed since the French frigate had opened her fire, and still the little sloop held out Co run down or boarded This he h his glass, observed the crew of the frigate running about her deck as if in considerable confusion Once more the _Lily_ fired, but as the astonishment of the British seain toher head to the northward To folloas impossible, as the _Lily_ had every brace and bowline, all her after backstays, several of her lower shrouds, and other parts of her rigging, shot away
Her sails were also torn, her ood deal injured Yet though she had received these serious dae to say one htly injured
”We o and look after the ene run in and secured, every officer, man, and boy set to work, the com rigging was knotted or spliced, fresh running rigging rove, new sails bent, and the _Lily_ was standing in the direction in which her late antagonist had so after, however, the e shi+p on the lee beam in the direction of Guadaloupe The _Lily_ at once steered towards the stranger, when in the afternoon she came up with a vessel under French colours, which endeavoured to escape Several shots were fired The stranger sailed on
”She looks like an English shi+p,” observed the coet away See what you can do, Crofton”
Oliver went forward and trained the foreer's main-topsail yard On this she hauled down her colours and hove-to
She proved to be, as the colish ate The prisoners were at once removed, and the second lieutenant sent with a prize crew on board, when the _Lily_ took her in tow The as light, but a heavy swell sent the prize several tith co the look-out from the mast-head of the _Lily_ announced a sail on the lee bow In a short tiate, and no doubt her late antagonist Captain Saltwell at once bore down on her, nal to the prize to do so likewise, and at the sa another shi+p to ard
On this the frigate,all sail, stood away, and as she had the heels both of the _Lily_ and her prize, was soon out of sight
Captain Saltwell, satisfied, as he had every reason to be, with his achievement, ordered the course to be shared for Jamaica
On his arrival he found his co for him
He had won it by constant and hard service
”As I cannot reward you for the gallant way in which you beat off the French frigate and recaptured the merchant shi+p worth several thousand pounds, I must see what can be done for your first lieutenant,” said the admiral ”I will apply for his pro order to command the _Lily_, and to take her ho the ade in his old shi+p
The news quickly spread fore and aft that the _Lily_ was to be sent home Loud cheers rose from many a stout throat, the invalids, of which there were not a few, joining in the chorus from below One-third of those who had co in the ed, or, struck down by yellow fever, lay in the graveyard of Port Royal No ti fresh water and provisions on board
Never did creith ood-will than they did on this occasion