Part 20 (1/2)
”So be it,” Harry said. ”There are two hundred of us, and though they might sink the s.h.i.+p, they will a.s.suredly never carry it by boarding.
There is not a man here who would not rather die fighting than spend his life in slavery on that island.”
The vessel had gone about six miles on her course, when from the topmast the captain announced that the galley had gained the port, now twelve miles distant. ”There is a gun,” he said, five minutes later.
”They have taken the alarm now.” He then descended to the deck, leaving a sailor in the tops. Two hours later the latter announced that the topsails of three s.h.i.+ps coming out from the harbor were visible.
”We have nigh thirty miles' start,” the captain said. ”They will not be up to us till to-morrow at midday.”
”Do you think it would be any use to try to lose them by altering our course in the night?” Harry asked.
”No,” the captain answered. ”It is but ten o'clock in the day now. They will be within ten or twelve miles by nightfall, for the wind is stronger near the land than it is here, and with their night gla.s.ses they could hardly miss us on a bright starlight night. I am ready to try if you like, for I do not wish to see the s.h.i.+p knocked into matchwood.”
After some deliberation it was determined to hold their course, and as night came on it was found that escape would have been out of the question, for the vessels behind had overhauled the La.s.s of Devon faster than had been antic.i.p.ated, and were little more than five miles astern.
They could be plainly seen after darkness set in, with the night gla.s.ses.
”What you must do, captain, is to lay her aboard the first which comes up,” Harry said; ”even if they have brought all the garrison we shall be far stronger than any one of them taken singly.”
During the night the pursuing vessels lessened sail and maintained a position about a mile astern of the chase, evidently intending to attack in the morning. The day spent in the open air, with plenty of the best eating and drinking which could be found in the s.h.i.+p, had greatly reinvigorated the released prisoners, and when at daybreak the vessels behind were seen to be closing up, all were ready for the fight. The enemy, sure that their prey could not escape them, did not fire a shot as they came up in her wake. The two immediately behind were but a cable's length asunder, and evidently meant to engage on either side.
Harry ordered the greater portion of men below, leaving only sufficient on deck to fight the guns, to whose use many were well accustomed. The wind was very light, and the s.h.i.+ps were scarcely stealing through the water.
”We had better fight them broadside to broadside,” Harry said; ”but keep on edging down toward the s.h.i.+p to leeward.”
The fight began with a heavy fire of musketry from the tops, where, in all three s.h.i.+ps, the best marksmen had been posted. Then, when they were abreast of each other, the guns opened fire. The vessels were little more than fifty yards apart. For half an hour the engagement continued without intermission. Both s.h.i.+ps of the enemy had brought all their guns over to the sides opposed to the Royalist vessel, and fought eighteen guns to his eight. Fearing to injure each other, both aimed entirely at the hull of their opponent, while Harry's guns were pointed at the masts and rigging. The sides of the La.s.s of Devon were splintered and broken in all directions, while those of his a.s.sailants showed scarcely a shot mark. The fire of his men in the tops--all old soldiers--had been so heavy and deadly that they had killed most of the marksmen in the enemy's tops, and had driven the rest below. All this time the La.s.s of Devon was raked by the fire of the third vessel which had come up behind her, and raked her fore and aft. At the end of the half-hour the mainmast of the vessel to windward, which had been several times struck, fell with a crash.
”Now, captain, lay her aboard the s.h.i.+p to leeward.”
They had already edged down within twenty yards of this s.h.i.+p, and slowly as they were moving through the water, in another three or four minutes the vessels grated together. At Harry's first order the whole of his men had swarmed on deck, pouring in such a fire of musketry that none could stand alive at the enemy's tiller to keep her head away as the La.s.s of Devon approached. As the vessels touched Harry leaped from the bulwark on to the deck of the enemy, followed by Jacob and his men. The Parliamentary troops had also rushed on deck, and, although inferior in numbers, for they counted but eighty men, they made a st.u.r.dy stand.
Gradually, however, they were driven back, when an exclamation from Mike, who, as usual, was close to Harry, caused him to look round.
The s.h.i.+p behind had, the moment she perceived the La.s.s of Devon bearing down upon her consort, crowded on more sail, and was now ranging up on the other side of her. Bidding Jacob press the enemy hard with half his force, Harry, with the remainder, leaped back on to the deck of his own s.h.i.+p, just as the enemy boarded from the other side. The fight was now a desperate one. The vessel which had last arrived bore a hundred of the troops of the garrison, and the numbers were thus nearly equal. The Royalists, however, fought with a greater desperation, for they knew the fate that awaited them if conquered. Gradually they cleared the deck of the La.s.s of Devon of the enemy, and in turn boarded their opponent.
William Long led thirty men into the tops of the La.s.s of Devon, and poured their fire into the crowded enemy. Every step of the deck was fiercely contested, but at last the Roundheads gave way. Some threw down their arms and called for quarter, others ran below. The Royalists, with shouts of ”Remember Drogheda!” fell upon them, and many of those who had surrendered were cut down before Harry could arrest the slaughter.
A loud cheer announced the victory, and the men in the other s.h.i.+p, who had hitherto, although with difficulty, made front against the attacks of Jacob and his men, now lost heart and ran below. The wind had by this time entirely dropped, but battening the prisoners below, Harry set his men to thrust the s.h.i.+ps past one another, until they were sufficiently in line for their guns to be brought to bear upon the third enemy.
Crippled as she was by the loss of her mast, she immediately hauled down her colors, and the victory was complete.
The prisoners were brought on deck and disarmed. Harry found that the boats of the four s.h.i.+ps would carry two hundred men closely packed, and but a hundred and eighty of the two hundred and fifty troops who had sailed in pursuit remained alive. These, with sufficient provisions and water to last for three days, were made to take their places in the boats, and told to row back to the island, which they should be able to regain in two days at the utmost. The crews of the captured s.h.i.+ps were willing enough to obey the orders of their captors, for the sailors had in general but little sympathy with the doings of Parliament. Harry had lost in killed and wounded forty-two men, and the rest he divided between the four s.h.i.+ps, giving about thirty-five men to each. He himself, with Jacob, William Long, and Mike, remained on board the La.s.s of Devon, officers being placed in command of the troops on board the other s.h.i.+ps, which were ordered to sail in company with her. Twenty-four hours were spent in getting a jury-mast set in place of that which had been shot away. When this was completed the four s.h.i.+ps hoisted their canvas and sailed together for Holland.
They met with no adventure until near the mouth of the English Channel, when one morning a fleet of eight s.h.i.+ps was perceived. The captain of the La.s.s of Devon at once p.r.o.nounced them to be s.h.i.+ps of war, and their rate of sailing speedily convinced Harry that there was no chance of escape. Against such odds resistance was useless, and the other s.h.i.+ps were signaled to lower their topsails in answer to the gun which the leading s.h.i.+p of the squadron fired. Antic.i.p.ating a return to captivity, if not instant death, all on board watched the approaching men-of-war.
Presently these, when close at hand, brought up into the wind, and a boat was lowered. It rowed rapidly to the La.s.s of Devon, which lay somewhat the nearest to them. Harry stood on the quarter-deck ready to surrender his sword. The boat came alongside, an officer leaped on deck and advanced toward him.
Harry could scarce believe his eyes; this gallant, in the gay dress of a cavalier officer, could be no follower of Cromwell. The officer paused and gazed in astonishment at Harry. The recognition was mutual, and the words ”Furness” and ”Elphinstone” broke from their lips.
”Why, Elphinstone, what squadron is that?”
”Prince Rupert's, to be sure,” the officer said.
”What! did you take us for the Roundhead fleet?”