Newton Forster; Or, The Merchant Service

by Frederick Marryat

  VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER TEN.

  "Britannia needs no bulwark, No towers along the steep, Her march is o'er the mountain waves, Her home is on the deep." CAMPBELL.

  The _Windsor Castle_ ploughed through the vast ocean of waters before apropitious gale, laden with treasure, in the safe arrival of which somany were interested. But what were all the valuables stowed away inher frame, in the opinion of Newton Forster, in comparison with thelovely being who had intrusted them with her safe conduct to her nativecountry! The extreme precautions adopted or suggested by Newton forsecurity during the night--his nervous anxiety during the day--became asource of laughter and ridicule to Captain Oughton; who once observed tohim,--"Newton, my boy, I see how the land lies, but depend upon it theold ship won't tumble overboard a bit sooner than before; so one reef inthe top-sails will be quite sufficient."

  Indeed, although they "never mentioned it," it was impossible for eitherof them to disguise their feelings. Their very attempts at concealmentonly rendered them more palpable to everyone on board. Captain Oughton,who was very partial to Newton, rejoiced in his good fortune. He had noobjection to young people falling or being in love on board of his ship,although he would not have sanctioned or permitted a marriage to takeplace during the period that a young lady was under his protection.Once landed on Deal beach, as he observed, they might "buckle to" assoon as they pleased.

  The _Windsor Castle_ was within two hundred miles of the Mauritius, whena strange vessel was discovered on the weather beam, bearing down tothem with all the canvas she could spread. Her appearance was warlike;but what her force might be, it was impossible to ascertain at thedistance she was off, and the position which she then offered, beingthen nearly "end on."

  "Can you make out her hull, Mr Forster?" cried Captain Oughton, hailingNewton, who was at the mast-head with a glass.

  "No, sir; her fore-yard is but now clear of the water, but she risesvery fast."

  "What do you think of her spars, Forster?" said Captain Oughton toNewton, who had just descended to the last rattling of the main-rigging.

  "She is very taut, sir, and her canvas appears to be foreign."

  "I'll bet you what you please it's that damned fellow Surcoeuf. This isjust his cruising-ground, if the report of that neutral vessel wascorrect."

  "Another hour will decide the point, sir," replied Newton; "but I mustsay I think your surmise likely to prove correct. We may as well beready for him: a cruiser she certainly is."

  "The sooner the better, Mr Forster. He's but a `rum customer,' and `ahard hitter' by all accounts. Clear up the decks, and beat toquarters."

  The strange vessel came down with such rapidity that, by the time thecaptain's orders were obeyed, she was not more than two miles distant.

  "There's `in studding-sails,'--and in devilish good style too!" observedCaptain Oughton. "Now we shall see what he's made of."

  The vessel rounded to the wind as soon as she had reduced her sails, onthe same tack as the _Windsor Castle_, displaying her broadside, as theFrench would say, _herisee des canons_.

  "A corvette, sir," said Newton, reconnoitring through his glass;"two-and-twenty guns besides her bridle ports. She is French rigged;--the rake of her stern is French;--in fact, she is French all over."

  "All Lombard Street to a China orange, 'tis Surcoeuf," replied CaptainOughton, who, with the rest of his officers, had his glass upon thevessel. "There goes the tricoloured flag to prove I've won my bet.Answer the challenge. Toss my hat up.--Pshaw! I mean hoist the coloursthere abaft. Mr Thomas," continued Captain Oughton, addressing theboatswain, "send the ship's company aft.--Forster, you had better seethe ladies down below."

  At the summons of the boatswain, the men came aft, and stood in a bodyon the leeside of the quarterdeck, with their hats off, and impatiencein their looks.

  "Now, my lads," said Captain Oughton, "if I am not mistaken, that vesselis commanded by the very best seaman that ever left a French port, andto do him justice, he's a damnation fine fellow!--a severe punisher, andcan take a mauling as well as give one."

  "Yes, sir, so can we," replied several of the men together.

  "I know you can, my lads; and give and take is fair play. All I say is,let it be a fair stand up fight, and `may the best man win.' So now, mylads, if you're ready to come to the scratch, why, the sooner we peelthe better--that's all."

  "Hurrah!" cried the seamen, as they separated to their quarters; and, incompliance with the injunctions of the captain, threw off their jackets,and many of them their shirts, to prepare for the conflict.

  The corvette, after she had rounded to, and exchanged colours, reducedher sails to precisely the same canvas as that carried by the _WindsorCastle_. This was to try her rate of sailing. In a quarter of an hour,her superiority was manifest. She then hauled up her courses, anddropped to her former position on the _Windsor Castle's_ weather-beam.

  "The fellow has the heels of us, at all events," observed CaptainOughton; "but, Forster, the ladies are not yet below. Mrs Enderby, Iam sorry to be obliged to put you in confinement for a short time. MissRevel, you must do me the favour to accept of Mr Forster's convoy belowthe water-line."

  Newton offered his arm to Isabel, and followed Captain Oughton, whoescorted Mrs Enderby. His heart was swelling with such variety offeeling that he could not at first trust himself to speak. When theyhad descended the ladder, and were picking their way, stepping over therammers, sponges, and tackles, stretched across the main-deck, Newtonobserved--"This is not the first time I have been commissioned to placeyou in security. I trust I shall again have the pleasure of relievingyou from your bondage."

  Isabel's lips quivered as she replied, "I trust in God that you may, MrForster!--but--I feel more anxious now than I did on the formeroccasion. I--"

  "I have a foreboding," interrupted Newton, "that this day's work is tomake or mar me! Why, I cannot tell, but I feel more confident than thechances would warrant; but farewell, Isabel--God bless you!"--andNewton, pressing her hand, sprang up the ladder to his station on thequarter-deck.

  I have before observed that a man's courage much depends upon hisworldly means or prospects. A man who has much to lose, whatever theproperty may consist of, will be less inclined to fight than anotherwhose whole capital consists of a "light heart and a thin pair ofbreeches." Upon the same reasoning, a man in love will not be inclinedto fight as another. Death then cuts off the sweetest prospects inexistence. Lord St. Vincent used to say that a married man was damnedfor the service. Now (bating the honeymoon), I do not agree with hislordship. A man in love may be inclined to play the Mark Antony; but amarried man, "come what will, he has been blessed." Once fairly intoaction, it then is of little consequence whether a man is a bachelor, ormarried, or in love; the all-absorbing occupation of killing yourfellow-creatures makes you for the time forget whether you are a beggaror a prince.

  When Newton returned on deck, he found that the corvette had graduallyedged down until nearly within point-blank range.

  "Shall we lay the main-topsail to the mast?" observed Newton. "We shallsee his manoeuvres."

  "Why, he hardly would be fool enough to bear down to us," repliedCaptain Oughton; "he is a determined fellow, I know; but I believe not arash one. However, we can but try. Square the main-yard."

  As soon as the _Windsor Castle_ was hove-to, the courses of the enemywere seen to flutter a few moments in the breeze, and then the canvaswas expanded. When the vessel had gathered sufficient way, she hove instays, and crossed the _Windsor Castle_ on the opposite tack.

  "I thought so," observed Captain Oughton. "The fellow knows what he isabout. He'll not `put his head in chancery,' that's clear. Howcautious the rascal is! It's very like the first round of a fight--muchmanoeuvring and wary sparring before they begin to make play."

  The corvette stood on the opposite tack until well abaft the beam. Shethen wore round, and ranged up on the weather quarter of the Indiaman.When within two cables' length of th
e _Windsor Castle_, who had, alittle before, filled her main-topsail to be in command, the Frenchmanhauled up his foresail, and discovered his lower rigging manned by theship's company, who gave a loud but hasty cheer, and then disappeared.

  One cock crowing is a challenge, sure to be answered, if the antagonistis game. The English seamen sprang up to return the compliment, whenCaptain Oughton roared out, "To your guns, you fools! Hard down withthe helm--fly the jib-sheet--check headbraces--look out now, my lads."

  The corvette had already put her helm up and paid off to pass under thestern of the _Windsor Castle_, with the intention, of raking her. Thepromptitude of Captain Oughton foiled the manoeuvre of the Frenchman;which would have been more fatal had the English seamen been in therigging to have been swept off by his grape-shot. As the _WindsorCastle_ was thrown upon the wind, an exchange of broadsides took place,which, according to the usual custom of all well regulated broadsides inclose conflict, cut away a certain proportion of the spars and rigging,and cut up a proportion of the ships' companies. The _Windsor castle_,worked by Newton, bracing round on the other tack, and the corvetterounding to on the same, the two vessels separated for a few minutes.

  "Devilish well stopped, Newton, wasn't it?" said Captain Oughton,showing his white teeth. "Look out again--here she comes."

  The corvette again attempted to rake as she ranged up after tacking, bythrowing herself up in the wind; but Captain Oughton, watching theslightest variation of his adversary's career, gradually edging away,and then putting his helm up, manoeuvred that the broadsides shouldagain be exchanged. This second exchange was more effectual than thefirst.

  "A stomacher, and both down!" cried Captain Oughton, as he surveyed thedeck. "Be quick, Newton, hand the men below. Don't bring her to thewind yet, he has lost his way by luffing up, and cannot make play againfor a few minutes."

  After the second broadside, the vessels were much further apart, fromthe _Windsor Castle_ running off the wind, while the corvette was toomuch crippled to work with her usual rapidity. This was convenient toboth parties, as the last broadside had been very mischievous. TheFrenchman, low in the water, had suffered less in her hull and ship'scompany, but more in her spars and rigging. The foremast was nearly cutin half by the carronade shot of her antagonist; her mainyard was badlywounded, and her wheel knocked to atoms, which obliged them to steer onthe lower deck. The _Windsor Castle_ had received five shots in herhull, three men killed, and six wounded; three of her main shrouds cutin two, and her mizzenmast badly wounded.

  It was a quarter of an hour before the Frenchman returned to the attack.Captain Oughton had again hauled his wind, as if not wishing to declinethe combat; which, indeed, the superior sailing of his antagonistprevented. The corvette appeared to have given up manoeuvring; whetherfrom the crippled state of her spars and sails, or from perceiving thathe had hitherto gained nothing by his attempts. He now ranged up towithin two cables' lengths of the _Windsor Castle_, and recommenced theaction, broadside to broadside.

  The breeze was lulled by the concussion of the air; and both vesselscontinued in the same position, and at the same distance for upwards ofan hour, pouring in their broadsides, every shot of which was effectual.

  "Now, this is what I call a reg'lar set-to. Fire away, my lads," criedCaptain Oughton, rubbing his hands. "A proper rally this. Damn it, buthe's game!"

  The wounded mizzen-mast of the _Windsor Castle_ received another shot inthe heart of it, which threw it over the side. Every part of her hullproved the severe and well directed fire of the enemy; her sails were asragged as Jeremy Didler's pocket-handkerchief; her remaining mastspitted with shot; the bulwarks torn away in several places; the boats onthe booms in shivers; rigging cut away fore and aft, and the endsswinging to and fro with the motion of the vessel; her decks inconfusion; and some of her guns, from necessity, deserted. CaptainOughton, Newton, and the rest of the officers, continued to encouragethe men, giving them assistance in working the guns; and the ship'scompany appeared to have fully imbibed the bull-dog spirit of theircommander.

  The fire of the _Windsor Castle_ had been equally destructive. Thevessels had gradually neared each other in the calm; and the height ofthe _Windsor Castle_ out of the water, in comparison with the corvette,had given her the advantage in sweeping the decks of the enemy. Thecontending vessels were in this situation, when, for a minute or two, acessation of firing took place, in consequence of the accumulation ofsmoke, which had so completely enshrouded them both that they knew notwhere to direct their guns; and they waited until it should clear away,that the firing might recommence. A light air gradually swept the veilto leeward, and discovered both vessels to each other, at the distanceof half a cable's length. Captain Oughton was with Newton on the poop,and the commander of the French corvette was standing on the hammocknettings of his own vessel. The latter took off his hat, andcourteously saluted his adversary. Captain Oughton answered thesalutation; and then waving his hat, pointed to the English colours,which had been hoisted at the main; as much as to say, "They never shallcome down!" The Frenchman (it was Surcoeuf) did the same to thetricolour, and the action recommenced.

  "Well done, my lads!" cried Captain Oughton; "well done! that broadsidewas a staggerer--right into his ribs. Hurrah now, my hearts of oak!this fellow's worth fighting. Aim at his foremast--another broadsidewill floor it. It's on the reel. Newton, jump forward, and--"

  But the order was stopped by a grape-shot, which struck Captain Oughtonin the breast. He staggered and fell from the poop to the quarter-deck.Newton leapt down, and went to him. The torrents of blood from hisbreast at once told the tale: and Newton called to some of the men, thathis commander might be taken below.

  "Wait a moment, my dear lad," said Captain Oughton, faintly, andcatching his breath at every word; "it's a finisher--can't come totime--I die game." His head fell on his breast, and the blood pouredout of his mouth.

  Newton directed the body to be taken into the cuddy, that the men mightnot be dispirited by the sight. He then hastened to the poop, that hemight reconnoitre the enemy. He perceived that the corvette had hauledon board his tattered courses, and was standing ahead of them.

  "He's off, sir," cried one of the quarter-masters.

  "I suspect not," replied Newton, who had his glass to his eye, lookingupon the decks of the French vessel. "They are preparing to board, andwill be round again in five minutes. Cutlasses and pikes ready--forward, my lads, all of us! We must beat them off!"

  "And will, too," cried the seamen, as in obedience to their orders, theycollected on the forecastle. But they mustered thin; nearly half of theship's company were either lying dead or under the hands of the surgeon;and, as Newton surveyed his little force, fatigued as they were withtheir exertions, black with powder, stained with blood, and reeking withperspiration, he could not but acknowledge how heavy were the oddsagainst the attack of a vessel so well manned as the corvette appearedto be. Newton said but a few words; but they were to the point; and hehad the satisfaction to perceive, as they grasped their cutlasses, thatif their numbers were few and their frames exhausted, their spirit wasas unsubdued as ever.

  The corvette had in the meantime run ahead on a wind, about a mile, whenshe wore round, and was now standing right on to the _Windsor Castle_,and had neared to within three cables' lengths. A few minutes were todecide the point. Her courses were again hauled up, and discovered herlee fore-rigging, bowsprit, cat-heads, and forecastle, crowded with menready for the dash on board, as soon as the vessels should come incontact Newton stood on one of the forecastle guns surrounded by hismen; not a word was spoken on board of the _Windsor Castle_, as theywatched their advancing enemy. They were within a cable's length ofeach other, and Newton could plainly distinguish the features of thegallant Surcoeuf, who was in advance on the knight-heads, when a puff ofwind, which at any other time would not have occasioned the starting ofa royal sheet, took the sails of the corvette; and her wounded foremast,laden with men in the lee-rigg
ing, unable to bear the pressure, fellover the side, carrying with it the maintop-mast, and most of the crew,who had been standing in the rigging, and leaving the corvette anencumbered wreck. A loud shout from the forecastle of the _WindsorCastle_ announced that the English seamen were but too well aware oftheir desperate situation, and that they hailed the misfortune of theFrenchmen as their deliverance.

  "Now, my lads, be smart," cried Newton, as he sprang aft to the wheel,and put up the helm; "man the flying jib-halyards (the jib was under theforefoot); let go the main-top bowling; square the main-yard. That willdo; she's paying off. Man your guns; half a dozen broadsides, and it'sall our own."

  The sun had disappeared below the horizon, and the shades of evening hadset in, before this manoeuvre had been accomplished. Several broadsideswere poured into the corvette, which had the desired effect of cripplingher still more, and her encumbered condition prevented any return. Atlast the night hid both vessels from each other; and the breezefreshening fast, it was necessary that the remaining masts of the_Windsor Castle_ should be properly secured. The guns were thereforeabandoned; and during the time the seamen were employed in knotting therigging and bending the spare sails, Newton consulted with his brotherofficers, who were unanimous in agreeing that all had been done thatcould be expected, and that to wait till the ensuing day, when thecorvette would have repaired her damages, would be attended with a riskof capture, which the valuable property entrusted to their charge wouldnever authorise. It was not until past midnight that the _WindsorCastle_ was in a condition to make sail; but long before this, Newtonhad contrived to leave the deck for a few minutes to communicate withIsabel. With most of the particulars, and with the death of CaptainOughton, she had already been made acquainted; and if there could be anyreward to Newton, for his gallantry and his prudence, more coveted thananother, it was the affectionate greeting with which he was welcomed andcongratulated by Isabel, her eyes beaming with tears of delight as theyglanced from his face, and were shrouded on the deck.

  Love and murder make a pretty mixture, although as antithetical as thesweet and acid in punch,--a composition which meets the approbation ofall sensible, discriminating people. But I shall leave the reader toimagine all he pleases, and finish the chapter by informing him that,when the sun again made his appearance, the corvette was not to bediscovered from the mast-head. The guns were therefore properlysecured; the decks washed; a jury mizzen-mast stuck up abaft; CaptainOughton, and the gallant fellows who had fallen in the combat, committedto the deep with the usual ceremonies; the wounded made as comfortableas possible in their hammocks; the carpenters busied with the necessaryrepairs; and the _Windsor Castle_, commanded by Newton Forster, runningbefore a spanking breeze, at the rate of eight knots per hour.