by Michael Aye
“I know you want to help, sir,” he said, “But if we run aground we’ll be no good to anyone.”
The master was right Gabe knew, but he couldn’t bring himself to reduce sail, not with Knight taking on two ships. From the sound of it, big ships. Dagan glancing at Gabe seemed to read his thoughts, “I’ll go aloft.”
As Dagan ascended to the mainmast, Gunnells approached Gabe, “We’re almost at the mouth of the river now.”
Nodding, Gabe then called to the first lieutenant, “Mr. Jackson, beat to quarters. I want the guns double shotted and a measure of grape. We have to make a statement with our first broadside before they know we are alone.”
“Aye, sir.”
After what seemed an eternity but were only a few minutes Dagan was back at Gabe’s side. “Neptune looks about done for. There’s an Indiaman that’s also in a bad way…” Dagan then paused before he continued, “The other ship looks like the Barracuda. She’s got damage, but not so’s she can’t fight.”
Jesus, Gabe thought, what can SeaWolf do against such odds.
“I’ll not see Knight perish without trying to help,” Gabe said.
“I never thought you would,” Dagan replied as he put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder, “but give a care, don’t put yourself at risk.” Then smiling he said, “Faith would never forgive me.”
The cannon fire continued but it was now more sporadic. The lookout called down, “Neptune be playing cat and mouse wid de ghost ship, mostly keeping ’at udder ship between ’em bes’ ’e can.”
“Knight’s a good captain,” Jackson volunteered.
“I just hope we can save him,” Gabe answered.
It was now less than two miles and Gabe could see the beating Neptune had taken. Even as he watched, Barracuda fired her cannons again and the proud Neptune gave a violent shudder.
“I can see boats in the water alongside the Indiaman,” Gunnells said. He had been looking at the privateer while Gabe’s attention was on Neptune.
“Well, maybe we won’t have to fight both ships,” Gabe said grimly. “Run up the flags if you will, Mr. Jackson. Mr. Lavery, I want every gun aimed and fired, I want every ball to hit home. Understand?”
“Aye, captain.”
They were now in range and either they hadn’t been seen or they were being ignored. Some would call it suicide, Gabe thought, but even so he’d not turn his back on Knight and Neptune. Not while he had breath.
The planks vibrated beneath Gabe’s feet as SeaWolf’s gun ports were opened and the guns rolled into firing position. Lord, for what we are about to receive, Gabe thought. Then as an afterthought, he prayed, please be with Neptune’s crew.
A bareback seaman running by broke Gabe’s reverie. Focus he said to himself, they were in such a position they’d face the Barracuda first, then….
The Indiaman was now obviously down in the water so unless her men boarded Neptune she should not be a factor.
“All ready, sir,” Jackson reported.
“Very well, Mr. Gunnells. “We’ll cross the Dago hawse and rake her as we go.”
The distance was falling fast. Should we take in another sail? Gabe thought. No, strike fast like Colonel Browne and his rangers are so apt to say. Even though he was expecting it, Gabe felt himself jump as SeaWolf’s guns went off, one after another her cannons fired. He was transfixed by the sight before him. The double shotted balls fired from SeaWolf crashed into the Barracuda, scoring hit after hit. He could see shrouds slashed, sails tore apart, and bright wood splinters flying through the air.
Lavery had the guns firing again as soon as they were loaded, reeking destruction with every ball. Smoke was now making it difficult to see but musket balls rained down from the larger ship and thudded into the deck. The whine of a ball made Gunnells wince as it flew past him striking the helmsman creating a third eye in the unlucky seaman’s head.
They’re not ignoring us now, Gabe thought.
Another man screamed as he was hurled to the deck by some unseen force, then blood gushed from his stomach spattering the man next to him.
“Keep moving,” Dagan encouraged Gabe. “Otherwise, some marksman will be a guinea richer.” In spite of the battle, the comment caused Gabe to grin.
The wind shifted and now the privateer was barely visible as it was engulfed in smoke. With visibility restricted on Barracuda, Gabe seized the opportunity.
“We’ll go about, Mr. Jackson. Lay her on the starboard tack.”
The wind was now steady from the south-southeast.
“Put the helm down if you please.”
“Helm alee, sir,” the new helmsman responded.
Jackson had the men working like demons on the sails.
“Man the braces. Heave…heave there you laggardly bugger,” Graf shouted.
Around came SeaWolf’s bow, yards groaning as canvas flapped, and then the sails snapped loudly as the wind refilled them.
Gabe then shouted, “Mr. Lavery, prepare to engage with the other battery, I want the guns firing no matter what. Fire as they bear.”
Then as SeaWolf’s guns fired and the smoke began to clear Dagan was again at Gabe’s side. “They’re quitting, look Barracuda has broken off.”
“She’s sailing away! David has once again defeated Goliath,” Gunnells quipped. Relief was plain on his face.
“Do we give chase, sir?” Jackson asked.
“No,” a relieved Gabe replied. “I don’t know what we’d do if caught her. Unlike our master I don’t believe we’ve defeated her. We’ve just wounded her and a wounded animal is frequently more dangerous.”
As SeaWolf came about again Gabe peered at the once proud Neptune. Her stern had been blown open by Barracuda’s heavy cannons. Her forward mast was gone, the mizzen mast was leaning. The deck gouged and splintered. To say she was badly mauled was an understatement.
Caleb had made his way on SeaWolf’s deck, “We have two dead and only a handful of wounded.”
“Good,” Gabe said, “I’m thinking you’ll be needed more on yonder hulk.”
It’s not good if you’re one of the dead ones, Caleb thought, but fate…er…Bart’s lady luck was with them. Whoever heard of a brigantine attacking a large frigate anyway?
As SeaWolf closed with Neptune a cheer went up. As Gabe, Dagan and Caleb went aboard Neptune the scene was horrifying. Men’s faces were black with powder stains. Corpses littered the deck, great pools of drying blood was everywhere. One had to step over falling spars, rigging and ripped up planking. A few, under the supervision of the boson and the carpenter, were trying to set the ship back to rights.
“No holes below the water line,” the carpenter said, “I’m not sure how long the mizzen will stand, not long if the wind gets up. The main mast appears untouched but we’ve no steerage. We’ll have to be towed.”
Looking about Gabe didn’t see Knight or any of the officers. Dreading the answer he asked, “Did any of the officers survive?”
“Aye,” the bosun answered, “the cap’n is hurt bad but is in his cabin, Mr. Dey is gone and they were taking off Mr. Brooks arm. The rest ’sides what you see,” the bosun said, swinging his arm to emphasize the men on deck, “is dead.”
“Caleb, would you be so kind as to check on Captain Knight?”
Without answering, Caleb made his way to the captain’s cabin.
“Caleb has about had his fill of this sort of thing, I’m thinking,” Dagan whispered.
“Well, so am I,” Gabe responded, “So am I.”
Chapter Twenty-One
It was a somber meeting when Gabe reported aboard the flagship. After he had finished his report Lord Anthony said, “I see you were able to salvage the Indiaman.”
“Aye, sir, I sent Dagan and Lieutenant Lavery along with a boat crew over to search the vessel and Dagan returned saying that while the ship had been holed, very little damage was below the waterline. Lavery had already manned the pumps and was dumping debris over the side. Once we lightened her up a bit I felt s
he was seaworthy so we sailed her back.”
“Were there any survivors?” Lord Anthony asked.
This brought a smile to Gabe’s tired face. “I asked Lum that very question, sir. He had gone with the first boarding party and when I came aboard Lum was tossing bodies over the side. Any survivors I asked. He gave me a look of surprise and replied, ‘You know Cap’n, Bart done told me you couldn’t put no confidence in nuthin a Dago says, so I ain’t ask if they’s alive or not. I’s jus’ been dumping ’em over de side to help lighten da load like Mr. Lavery ordered.”
This brought an appreciative smile to both Lord Anthony and Captain Buck.
“Gawd,” Buck exclaimed. “I’m glad we don’t have Bart and Lum together all the time.”
The mood returned somber again when Lord Anthony asked, “Has Sir Raymond been taken to the hospital yet?”
“No sir,” Gabe answered. “He’s still aboard SeaWolf where we moved him before we towed Neptune back. Caleb said he’s afraid to move him just yet. He had multiple wounds…gunshots and splinters. I waited as long as I felt wise before we started back, giving Caleb time to work on Captain Knight as well as the other wounded. Neptune’s surgeon was lost at some point so Caleb had his hands full.”
“What are Sir Raymond’s chances of recovery?” Lord Anthony asked. “Did Caleb give you any hint?”
“No sir, he just said a lesser man would be dead. Lieutenant Brooks said that Captain Knight continued to fight the ship even after he’d been wounded several times. All the survivors on Neptune said Knight’s ship handling is what saved them. He outmaneuvered those two ships time and time again so that until the very end only one of the enemy ships was able to fire on him at a time.”
“And what of Neptune,” Buck asked. “Is she seaworthy?”
Shaking his head, Gabe said, “I don’t think so. Maybe if she was at some yard, but here…I think it unlikely.”
“So,” Lord Anthony said, “We’ve lost a nimble frigate and gained an old tub of a merchantman.”
“Begging your pardon, sir, but the Indiaman is in overall good shape. The carpenters said she’s well built…mostly of teak and she’s sound. She’s filthy and needs some repairs but I think she could be beached and put to rights here, sir. She’s got forty guns, all new British pieces and she has lots of spare sails, ropes, cordage and even some spars in the hole. I put Lieutenant Jackson on board in charge of the prize crew and he said she handled well enough.”
“Well, we’ll see how repairs go,” Lord Anthony said, not committing to any set course or plan. Then he spoke again, “I didn’t see a name on her.”
“No, sir,” Gabe replied. “She had once been the Lord Cromwell but that’s painted over. We were able to find some paper with the date of August 1775, so it appears the rebels took her about a year or so ago.”
“What about the troops she was carrying?” Anthony asked, almost as an afterthought.
“I believe most made it to shore. Lavery did a quick count when he went aboard and said at least one hundred were dead.”
“Damned, if Sir Raymond didn’t make them pay dearly,” Buck interjected.
“Aye,” Gabe replied, “and we still don’t know what damage Barracuda suffered. Something caused her to break off the action,” he said. “I am sure it wasn’t SeaWolf’s pop guns.”
“She may have believed the ruse with your flags,” Buck said.
“Or perhaps like Sir Raymond,” Lord Anthony added. “Her captain may have been wounded. Keep me posted on Sir Raymond’s condition and when he can be moved ashore, Gabe.”
“Aye sir.”
Gabe sensed the interview was over. He was almost out of the admiral’s cabin when Lord Anthony called, “If we salvage the Indiaman, what would you name her, Gabe?”
After a thoughtful second or so Gabe replied, “Defiant.”
“Why Defiant?” Lord Anthony queried. “Why that name?”
“Because the rebels took her, we took her back and now we defy them to try again.”
“Good…very good. If you’ve no prior engagements sup with me tonight.”
“My pleasure,” Gabe replied. “I’ll bring Lum and let him play you a tune on his fiddle. He is becoming very good with it.”
“Good, see you then. Now, I must go fill in our Governor, else he’ll send a messenger requesting my presence. He’ll not be happy about those troops getting ashore.”
Well, I could give a tinker’s damn what he thinks, Gabe thought but kept his silence. Politicians were quick to make war and quick to criticize but rarely did they have to suffer the hardships the fighting men did, be they soldier or sailor. Damme, I’ll be glad when this war is over.
The days and weeks that followed the battle with Barracuda were filled with monotonous patrols. Anthony had stretched his patrol area as far north as Charlestown and south to Havana. A few smaller privateers were taken but nothing was heard of the ghost ship. The Florida weather held true with hot days, frequent afternoon showers and warm humid nights.
The social activities paled in comparison to those experienced on Antigua. Still the governor had been gracious with invitations to Anthony’s officers when an occasion did arise. Unlike the mostly British presence on Antigua, Saint Augustine was a very mixed bag culturally. Anthony had met a Minorcan priest, Father Pedro Camps, who was a very interesting man. He had started a book of records in which he kept births, deaths and marriages for the entire Minorcan community.
Anthony also met Reverend John Kennedy who was the schoolmaster of east Florida. He was a very educated man who never seemed to tire when talking of arithmetic, Latin or Greek. Anthony had allowed the good reverend aboard Warrior so that he might add a rudimentary knowledge of a sailor’s life to his vast knowledge.
Of all of Saint Augustine’s inhabitants, Anthony found he enjoyed spending time with some of the paroled prisoners of war the most. A few had their slaves with them and once their parole had been obtained, roamed freely about the city. Most of these were from Virginia, a few of which knew Dagan’s Uncle Andre. Anthony spent many a night enjoying a good southern meal and listening to the talk of raising good Virginia tobacco and fine horses.
When not at sea Dagan spent considerable time with his uncle’s friends learning more about the country where Andre chose to settle down. One night when Dagan and Lord Anthony were walking back to the waterfront Dagan remarked, “Is it not ironic that the people we enjoy the most are the ones we are at war with?”
Anthony nodded in agreement but his mind was on his wife and child, as of yet an unseen child. Sitting at the dinner table with the Colonial family and listening to the chatter had caused him to be morose.
Damn this war, he thought, I wish it were over. Gabe could marry Faith and I could go be with my wife and daughter. But what of Dagan, he suddenly thought. What would become of him after the war was over? Would he want to move to Virginia to be close to his family or would he stay close to Gabe? What about Maria, Gabe’s mother and Dagan’s sister? Would she want to be with the family or stay in the house she’d shared with his and Gabe’s father? So much that needed deciding, he thought. So much.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Work had been started on the captured Indiaman to make her ready for sea and was now near being completed. Gabe had been right. Once cleaned up and repaired she proved to be a good ship. Without any official approval the men had taken to addressing the ship as Defiant, as Gabe had suggested.
Now that she was once again seaworthy Anthony faced another challenge. How to man her? Sir Raymond had improved enough to be moved from SeaWolf to the hospital at Saint Augustine but it would be a long time before he had recovered to the point he was fit for duty.
Anthony knew Stephen Earl was his only viable option to command her but whom would he put on Merlin: Earl’s first lieutenant or Gabe? Gabe was ready for the next step up the ladder of promotion but then what about SeaWolf. Well, for now it was a moot point, because he didn’t have enough crew to man the vessel, eve
n with Neptune’s crew available.
Thinking of this caused Anthony to think of the lieutenant’s exam. Mainly it made him think of Mr. Davy. It was rare Gabe would approach him or try to influence him in anyway. But lately there had been hints dropped that Davy was ready to be made lieutenant.
“He’s not yet eighteen,” Anthony had argued.
“Neither were we,” Gabe responded, “and he has twice the experience I had at that age.”
“What about the six years aboard ship rule?” Anthony had mentioned. “Davy’s only got four.”
“That’s just since Drakkar,” Bart interjected, obviously an ally to the scheme. “Seems to me yew be’s forgettin’ them two years wot he was on board Recourse.”
“He wasn’t aboard Recourse,” Anthony said somewhat sarcastically.
“See I tolds yew, yew be gettin’ forgetful.”
It was a common ploy to carry a name on the ship’s books when the person had never set foot aboard in order to accumulate sea time, but to claim to be on board and your name not be on the rolls! Anthony had however relented ever so slightly as he did agree with Gabe and Bart. If anyone was ready for lieutenant it was Davy. Besides we’re at war. Some consideration had to be allowed for this.
“Bring me his affidavits and if they look plausible I’ll allow him to sit for the examination.” Then looking at Gabe, Anthony said, “If anybody can round up a forged set of documents I guess Bart will know who he is.”
Then without thinking Gabe said, “Bart and Gunnells already have them.”
Seeing the look of disbelief on his brother’s face Gabe made a hasty departure but not before Anthony had commented, “We’ll all be on the beach if you two keep it up.”
“Don’t yew forget about Dagan,” Bart said.
“Dagan, aye Dagan.”
“See I told yew, yew be gettin’ forgetful. Yew know iffen we’s on the beach Dagan will be there with us.”
“Damn your hide,” Anthony bellowed but he was speaking to an empty doorway.