by Brian Cain
CHAPTER NINE
Fial studied the sea’s horizon to the east; the Ghost had anchored just off the edge of the final small rock island to the south east of the Isle of Scilly. The sun had started to rise and would strike the sail of any ship on the horizon and it was not long before a big ship was spotted well to the south east. Fial studied the full sails as the monster man of war headed towards them, tacking into the wind from the west making slow progress on her journey westward. Fial anticipated she would change tack two miles from them and head north east so he had the crew weigh anchor and prepare to make sail. They would head directly east; he would adjust his speed to cross her stern mid way between the Isle of Scilly and Land’s End.
Cameron and McGee crossed themselves, muttering a prayer as they put to work trying to keep up with the African crew. The giant man of war turned as Fial had predicted and Fial got a clear look at her flags. The Cornish Queen, a second class man of war ship of the line. Over two thousand tons of pure oak; two decks of carronade cannon and over fifteen hundred crew. He had met her captain during the battle of Trafalgar and deducted immediately that captain Milton would not see any threat from the brigantine bearing down on him.
"Small ship off the port bow!" was the cry from the crow's nest of the Cornish Queen one hundred and fifty feet above her deck. Captain Milton studied the ship with his long glass. He had a second look as the sail configuration was irregular and she made noticeable speed. He handed the long glass to his Lieutenant.
"That's a fine little ship, what do you make of her?" His lieutenant studied the ship now bearing down on their stern. He steadied his long glass on the railing to get a clearer look.
"Can’t see much of her. She’s heading straight for us; correct regarding the rigging, very different. She's flying no flag on her mast. The only ship I know of rigged in such a way is that thing McGuire put together; wait; I see two of her crew; they’re black. She keeps coming like that she will barely miss our stern. She's no more than five hundred yards away. Ah she's raising a flag; sir she's raised the red flag." Milton grabbed the long glass and studied the little ship now bearing down on them from the port corner of the quarterdeck.
"If it’s McGuire he's just probably passing by to say hello. Yes he’ll pass right under our stern. I can just see her name, Ghost of McMurrin… She's opened her gun ports, she's attacking us! She's flying the Irish colours on her stern! Call to battle stations, brace for cannon fire." The sleeping giant became a flurry of activity as the Ghost passed under her stern and delivered a fatal blow on the waterline as the cannon balls ripped through her oak shell.
The Ghost swung her rear sail boom around in a flash and turned away from the stern of the Queen to avoid her starboard cannon. Fial waited until he had gone far enough then turned directly south, made enough ground then turned to the North West to pass the ailing ship and access her bow. When far enough west he planned to turn directly on her, bow to bow, decimating both ends of the ship’s waterline.
The Queen opened her gun ports and the railing cannon were manned; a line of marines with muskets prepared to engage along the bow railings. Milton received information from his first mate that the ship had been irreparably damaged and was sinking but they may be able to make land or shallow water before she sank. Milton watched the Ghost before he spoke. "We have been outwitted, outmanoeuvred and betrayed. Prepare a longboat just in case; if that is McGuire he’ll bear down on our bow and hit our waterline. We can turn port or starboard on his approach but we just cannot outrun or outmanoeuvre this little ship. Prepare to engage her at point blank range and hold course. I will let McGuire choose his tactic."
The Ghost turned and went to full sail from the North West, now a mile clear of the Queen, heading straight for her bow. Fial had no idea if Milton would turn his ship in an attempt to engage them in a broadside and felt it made no difference with the tactics he was about to apply. Both port and starboard cannon on the Ghost were readied, and the deck crew took cover under the steel roofing as she slipped under the bow of the Queen just slightly to port. She exited to the starboard and turned north to avoid her cannon after delivering a direct hit to the waterline of the bow on the Queen.
The Ghost sustained superficial damage from small foredeck cannon and musket fire but no casualties. The Queen began to wallow as she took on water. Fial circled the sinking ship until longboats were launched for the captain; in less than an hour the Cornish Queen slipped beneath the waves, leaving men drowning or clinging to anything that would float. Fial turned on the longboats with the bow of the Ghost, splitting them in two amid screams and wails of dying men, he only remembered his mother and father amid the merciless carnage.
He set course for the east coast of England following the coast, keeping it just in sight through the English Channel. They ambushed two more frigates, one in the channel off the coast of Portsmouth and the other when turning north past London on the entry to the Thames. It was too easy and he began to question his ethics; would his tactics work without the element of surprise, he had well and truly gone past the point of no return. Fial did not like how he was going about things; it did not sit with his character.
Seven days into the voyage on the 14th of July off the coast of Hull Fial found a line of six British men of war heading south, exiting the Humber estuary. Fial engaged the leading ship head on, causing much surprise, and it began to sink; the other five ships of the line dispersed and went in all directions. Amid the men of war was a schooner; she broke away and went to full sail, heading out to sea. She flew the King's colours and Fial made chase. The schooner headed south east with the wind to gain speed. Two warships of the line pursued but soon lost sight of the two little ships, with Fial gaining on the schooner by three knots. The schooner had only light defence. The Ghost drew alongside the schooner at two hundred metres and Fial could see she was called the City of Hull. He raised the black flag and prepared to cut across her bow but she began to draw sail and lose speed, raising a white flag. Fial gave them an hour at the most before the pursuing the frigates.