From Powder Monkey to Admiral: A Story of Naval Adventure

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

  NEW ADVENTURES AND SUCCESSES.

  As Oliver, who went first, had just got to the top, his attention wasattracted by loud shouts coming from the rear of the fort. Above themquickly rose a hearty British cheer. Showers of bullets came flyingthrough the air. The shouts and cries increased. Amid the clash ofsteel, and the sharp crack of pistols, the voices of the officersreached him calling the men to abandon the guns and defend the fort.But it was too late. Already a strong party of blue-jackets and marineswere inside.

  The gate in the rear, insufficiently protected, had evidently been takenby a rush. The Frenchmen, as they always do, fought bravely, buthurrying up without order, many of them without muskets, they weredriven back.

  Even had they been better disciplined, nothing could have withstood thefierce onslaught of the British. Numbers of the defenders were seen tofall, their officers being killed or made prisoners. Most of theremainder, taking to flight, crept through the embrasures or leapt overthe parapet.

  Directly Oliver announced what was going on, the rest of the party weremore eager than ever to get out. Jack was the last drawn up, and theyall, with Le Duc, dropped on the ground.

  "Hullo! here's a firelock, and a bayonet at the end of it," said Brown,picking up a musket which the sentry had probably thrown down whenmaking his escape. "Hurrah, boys! we'll charge the mounseers, and makethem wish they'd never set eyes on us."

  Brown, in his eagerness, would have set off without waiting for hiscompanions. Three muskets were found piled close outside of the prison,and a little way off lay the body of an officer who had been shot whilemaking his way to the rear.

  Rayner took possession of his sword. The victorious assailants were nowsweeping onwards towards the farther end of the fort, in which directionmost of the garrison had fled.

  At the other end Rayner observed a group of men, either undecided how toact or waiting an opportunity to attack the British in the rear, forthey could now see by the increasing daylight that it was but a smallparty which had surprised the fort.

  Brown had seen them also, and, excited at finding himself at liberty,rushed forward with his musket at the charge, without waiting for hiscompanions.

  They, however, coming out from behind the buildings, were following inthe rear.

  On seeing them approach, a French officer, stepping forward, shouted outthat they surrendered. Brown, not understanding his object, stillcharged on, and whisking his sword out of his hand, would have run himthrough had he not slipped and fallen, while the rest of the party,supposing he had been killed, retreated out of the way of the boldseaman.

  "Get up, old fellow, and defend yourself," cried Brown. "I'm not thechap to strike a man when he's down;" and as he spoke he picked up theofficer's sword, and, helping him to his feet, presented it to him. Allthis was done so rapidly that Rayner and his companions arrived onlyjust in time to prevent Brown, who had stepped back a few paces, frommaking a lunge with his bayonet at the astonished Frenchman, who, nowseeing an officer, though he did not recognise Rayner, again cried outthat he surrendered, and skipping out of Brown's way offered his sword.

  The rest of the garrison, seeing the storming party, who had now sweptround, coming towards them, threw down their arms, and cried forquarter, while the officers, amongst whom were Captain Dupuis andSergeant Gabot, presented their swords to Rayner and Oliver. They,turning round, had the satisfaction of greeting Lieutenant Horrocks andother officers of the _Lily_ and _Ariel_.

  "Glad to see you, Rayner and Crofton. We all thought you were dead. Notime to ask how you escaped. We've got to take those two other forts.If you like you can come with us. Crofton, you can take charge of theprisoners. I'll leave Sergeant Maloney and a dozen men with you. Therest follow me."

  Saying this, the first lieutenant of the _Lily_ led his men on to theattack of the other fort still engaged with the _Ariel_, Rushing on,they were up to the rear of it before the garrison were aware of thecapture of the larger fort. By a sudden dash it was taken as the formerhad been, the _British_ not losing a single man, though several of itsdefenders, attempting to stand their ground, were cut down. A rocketlet off the moment they were in was the signal to the _Ariel_ to ceasefiring.

  The third fort higher up, towards which she had hitherto onlyoccasionally fired a gun, now engaged her entire attention.

  The increasing light showed the garrison the _British_ flags flyingabove the ramparts of the two other forts, yet they showed no signs ofgiving in. Though the guns were well placed for defence on the westside, the rear offered a weak point.

  Without halting, Lieutenant Horrocks led his men towards it.

  "Lads, we must be over those ramparts in five minutes," he said,pointing to them with his sword.

  "In two, if you please, sir!" shouted the men.

  Rayner, who was among those leading, cheered, and springing forward,leapt into the ditch and began climbing up the bank on the oppositeside.

  The blue-jackets of his own ship eagerly pressed after him. He was thefirst at the top, and with a dozen others who had followed him closely,leapt down among a number of the garrison who, leaving their guns, hadhurriedly collected to oppose them. In vain the defenders attempted toresist the impetuous attack. Fresh assailants, among the first of whomwas Lieutenant Horrocks, came on, and inch by inch driven back; andseeing that all further resistance was useless, the Frenchmen threw downtheir arms and cried for quarter.

  It was now daylight, and there was still much to be done. The prisonershad to be collected, the forts blown up, and the men embarked.

  Lieutenant Horrocks gave Rayner the satisfactory intelligence that twoprivateers had been captured at the entrance of the harbour by the boatswithout firing a shot. The crews, however, had resisted when boarded,and two officers, one of whom was Lieutenant Lascelles, had been badlywounded.

  "Poor fellow! if he recovers I don't think he will be fit for servicefor some time," said the first lieutenant. "I shall have to report thegallant way in which you assisted in the capture of the fort."

  The prisoners being collected from the three forts, and assembled on thebeach, Captain Saltwell came on shore and offered the officers theirliberty and permission to carry away any of their private property oncondition of their pledging their word of honour not to serve againstthe English again during the war. This they willingly gave.

  The men also were to be dismissed, though it was useless to make termswhich they would not have it in their power to keep. The wounded werecollected, and the garrison were allowed to carry off such materials ascould be easily removed for forming huts and tents to shelter them.

  On going through the fort, Rayner and Oliver looked into the prison.The two captives had made their escape. Le Duc had hitherto remainedwith the English. He naturally feared that he should be considered atraitor should he venture among his own countrymen.

  "But ah, messieurs, I love France as well as ever; and though I regardthe English as brothers after the treatment I have received from them, Iwould not injure her or her people."

  Rayner therefore proposed that he should come on board the _Lily_ andremain at Jamaica until he could return home.

  The last scene had now to be enacted.

  The marines and parties of seamen had been employed for some hours indigging holes under the fortifications, which were then filled withcasks of powder, the whole being connected by carefully laid trains.The men were next embarked. One boat alone remained under each fort,the gunner and boatswain of the _Lily_ and a warrant officer of the_Ariel_ being ordered to fire the trains.

  Rayner had taken command of one of the _Lily's_ boats. The men waitedwith their oars in their hands, ready to shove off at a moment's notice.Mr Coles, the gunnel, who was in Rayner's boat, ascended the bankmatch in hand. Presently he was seen rushing down again, fasterprobably than he had ever moved before.

  "No time to lose, sir," he shouted, as he leapt on board. "The fuse inthis hot country burns faster
than I calculated on."

  "Give way, lads!" cried Rayner.

  The men bent to their oars. The other boats were seen pulling away atthe same time. They had not got twenty fathoms from the shore, when athundering report was heard, and up rose a portion of the large fort,filling the air with masses of stone and earth, and dust and smoke.

  In another second or two the other forts followed suit. The wholeatmosphere was filled with a dense black cloud and masses of lurid flamebeneath, while thundering reports in rapid succession rent the air. Afew seconds afterwards down came showers of stone and earth and piecesof burning timber, just astern of the boats. Had there been any delaythey must have been overwhelmed. Fortunately they all escaped injury,and pulled away for their ships, which, with the prizes, had in themeantime got under way and were standing out of the harbour.

  After a quick run the _Ariel_ and _Lily_ reached Port Royal to repairdamages. Rayner was sent for on board the flagship.

  "I have great pleasure in handing you your commission as lieutenant,"said the admiral. "You have won it by your general meritorious conduct,as also by the gallantry you displayed in the capture of Fort Louis. Ihave appointed you as second lieutenant of the _Lily_, and shall be veryglad in another year or two to hear that you have obtained yourcommander's rank."

  These remarks of the admiral were indeed encouraging. Rayner, ofcourse, said what was proper in return, and pocketing his commission,bowed and took his departure for the shore, which he had to visit toobtain a new uniform and other articles.

  Lascelles had been removed to the hospital, where he was to remain untilhe was sufficiently recovered to go home. Rayner's only regret wasbeing parted from Oliver, the dangers they had gone through togetherhaving united them like brothers.

  While, however, their ships were refitting they were constantly in eachother's society.

  "I wish that I had the chance of getting appointed to your ship," saidOliver. "The _Ariel_ will soon be going home, but for the sake of beingwith you I should be glad to remain out another year or two. I am wellseasoned by this time, and have no fear of Yellow Jack."

  Not many days after this the senior mate of the _Lily_ was taken veryill while on shore. His shipmates declared that it was in consequenceof his chagrin at finding that Rayner had obtained his promotion beforehim. They were heartily sorry at having made so unkind a remark, whenin two days news were received on board that the poor fellow had fallena victim to yellow fever.

  Rayner at once advised Oliver to make application for the vacancy. Hedid so; the admiral appointed him to the _Lily_, and Captain Saltwellwas very glad to have him on board.

  Le Duc, who had been landed at Kingston, came on board one day while theship was fitting out and begged to speak to the second lieutenant,Monsieur Rayner.

  "Ah, monsieur, the first thing I did on landing was to purchase aviolin, and the next to play it, and I have fiddled with such goodeffect that I have played my way into the heart of a Creole young ladywhose father is wonderfully rich, and as I can turn my hand to otherthings besides fiddling, he has accepted me as his daughter's husband,and we are to be married soon. I propose settling at Kingston asprofessor of music and dancing, teacher of languages, and other politearts; besides which I can make fiddles, harpsichords, and otherinstruments; I am also a first-rate cook. Indeed, monsieur lieutenant,I should blush were I to speak more of my accomplishments."

  "I congratulate you heartily," said Rayner, "and I sincerely hope thatyou will be successful in your new condition. You will, I doubt not, befar happier living on shore with a charming young wife, than knockingabout at sea with the chance of being shot or drowned."

  Le Duc having communicated his good fortune to Jack and his otherfriends, and invited them to pay him a visit whenever they could get onshore, took his leave.