Percival Keene

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

  As it may be supposed, my men were completely worn out with the fatigueand excitement of the day; and Cross said, "There's no saying how thiswill end, Mr Keene; but, at all events, we have not the worst of it atpresent."

  "No, Bob," replied I. "I wish the men were not so knocked up."

  "Oh, as for that, sir, I'll answer for it, that if you serve out somemore grog, make them eat half a biscuit at the tub before they drink it,and make them a little bit of a speech, that they'll go on fortwenty-four hours more."

  "If that will have the effect, I'm sure I'll try it," replied I. "Whichshall they have first?"

  "Oh, biscuit first, grog next, and then a speech afterwards."

  "That fellow has not fired for this last five minutes; perhaps he wishesto put it off till to-morrow morning; but I'll not; so get up the grog--make it pretty strong: and I'll get something to eat myself, for I havehad nothing to eat all day."

  As soon as the ship's company had had their refreshment, I sent for themaft, and said, "My lads, you have behaved very well, and I am muchobliged to you. We have had hard work, and I dare say you are tiredenough; but I will tell you what my opinion is: I think that we havepeppered that Frenchman very well; and I am convinced that you have puta good many shots into him between wind and water. Now, that he isanxious to leave off fighting till to-morrow morning, that he may stophis leaks and repair his damages, I have no doubt; indeed, he proves itby his having ceased to fire. For the very reason that he wants toleave off, I wish to go on; for he is much heavier armed than we are,and sails as well; and if we permit him to get all right and all atauntby to-morrow morning, he may prove a very awkward customer yet. Nowwhat I propose is this, that we should first get up fresh sails, andbend them, and then renew the action through the night. There will beno occasion for all of you to be on deck; we will fight the schoonerwatch and watch till daylight."

  "That's my opinion, Mr Keene," said Bob Cross.

  "And mine," replied the carpenter.

  "And all of us, Mr Keene," replied the ship's company with one voice.

  "Then, my lads, let's work hard; and when we have settled that fellow,we shall have plenty of time to sleep."

  The men now set to with good-will; and the spare sails were got up, andthose which were shattered by the enemy unbent and replaced. The newsails, which we had bent, we furled--it was a dead calm--and then werecommenced our fire, for we were nearer to her than when we ceasedfiring, and could distinguish her very well. We fired the long gun fourtimes before she returned a shot; she then opened very briskly, but noneof her shots did us any damage; our sails being furled, prevented herdistinguishing us as well as we could her. After a time, we manned thesmall guns on our broadside, and worked them, for our large gun was sohot, that it was necessary to let it cool before we could reload it. Atlast one of their shots came in through the bulwarks; the splinterswounded me and the carpenter; but I was not so much hurt as to oblige meto leave the deck. I bound up my leg with my handkerchief; thecarpenter, however, was taken down below.

  "Are you much hurt, sir?" said Bob Cross.

  "Oh, no; the flesh is lacerated a good deal, but it is not very deep."

  "There's a little wind springing up, sir, from the right quarter," saidBob.

  "I'm glad to hear it," replied I, "for it will soon be daylight now."

  At this moment another shot struck the hammock rail and a piece of itabout two feet long was sent with great force against Bob Cross's head;he was stunned, if not worse, and fell immediately. This was a severeblow to me, as well as to poor Bob. I desired two of the men who wereabaft, to take him down into my cabin, and do all they could for him;and ordered the men to quit the broadside guns, and renew their firewith the long 32-pounder. In a quarter of an hour afterwards, thebreeze came down very strong, and I resolved to shoot ahead, farther offfrom my antagonist, as I should have a better chance by using my longgun at a greater distance. The sails were set, and the schooner wentfast through the water, leaving the brig, who had also the benefit ofthe breeze; and for a time the firing again ceased. On reflection, Idetermined that I would wait till daylight, which would appear in lessthan half an hour, before I renewed the action.

  I contrived with some difficulty--for my leg was so numbed that I couldscarcely feel that I had one--to go down into the cabin and see BobCross. He was recovering, but very wild and incoherent. As far as Icould judge, his skull was not injured, although the splinter had tornoff a large portion of the scalp, and he was drenched with his blood.At all events, he could be of no further assistance to me at present,nor could I be to him, so I regained the deck, and sat down abaft, formy leg had become so painful, that I could not stand but for a fewminutes.

  At last the day dawned, and I could distinctly make out both brig andschooner. I was about a mile and a half distant from the brig; she had,since the wind sprung up, driven a mile ahead of the schooner, who hadcontrived to get up a jury-mast during the night; but as she could notstir without reducing her after-sail, she had close-reefed hermain-sail, so that she could make but little progress. The brig wasvery much cut up in her sails and rigging, and I saw at once that I hadnow the advantage in sailing; I therefore wore round and stood towardsthem; the brig did the same, and went down to the schooner that shemight have her support. We immediately recommenced firing with our longgun, and as soon as we were within a mile, I hove to. The brig andschooner then both bore up and gave us their broadsides; they had justdone so, when the midshipman who was on deck with me cried out, "A largesail coming down before the wind, Mr Keene."

  I caught up my glass. It was a sloop of war; the cut of her sails andrigging evidently English. "It must be the Naiad," said I. "Well, I'mglad of it. We shall lose some prize-money; but at all events werequire her surgeon, and that is of more consequence."

  My men, who were quite tired out, were in great spirits at theappearance of a friend. The brig had set studding-sails; she hadevidently seen the vessel to windward, and was now trying to escape, andthe schooner was following her as well she could. I immediately keptaway in pursuit, and when I fired into the schooner she hauled down hercolours. I did not wait to take possession, but followed the brig, whoappeared to sail as well off the wind as she did when close hauled.Once or twice she rounded to return my fire, but afterwards shecontinued running before the wind, having got two of her guns aft, withwhich she attempted to cut away my rigging. In the meantime, thestrange vessel to windward had hoisted English colours, and was bringingdown with her a spanking breeze: fortunately it was so, for myfore-topmast was knocked away by the fire of the brig, and I now droppedfast astern.

  We had scarcely got up a new fore-topmast and set sail again, when theNaiad, who had exchanged numbers with me, passed the schooner withouttaking possession of her, and was very soon not a mile from us. In halfan hour she was alongside and hailing me to haul my wind and takepossession of the schooner, continued in chase of the brig. I obeyed myorders, and by the time I had put my men on board of the schooner, thebrig had hove to and hauled down her colours to the Naiad.

  We ran down to her in company with the prize, and then sent a boatrequesting immediate surgical attendance. The Naiad's surgeon and hisassistant were brought on board in one of the sloop-of-war's boats, anda lieutenant, to obtain from me the particulars of the action, which Igave to him. The lieutenant told me that they had heard the firingabout one o'clock in the morning, and had in consequence bore up; butthe brig had so many shot in her, and was making so much water, thatthey were almost afraid that they would not be able to get her intoport. But I was now quite faint with the pain of my wound andexhaustion, and was carried below to have it dressed. All our men hadbeen attended to, and I was glad to hear that Bob Cross was in nodanger, although his wound was very severe. The surgeon's assistant wasallowed to remain on board, and the captain of the Naiad sent all my menback and manned the prizes, giving me orders to keep company with him.As soon as my wound was dress
ed, and I was put into my bed, I felt muchrelieved, and soon afterwards fell fast asleep.