The Rock of the Lion

by Molly Elliot Seawell

  CHAPTER VIII

  Archy ran on deck as fast as his legs could carry him, and the sightthat met his gaze was both splendid and terrible. They were off Cape St.Vincent, and the weather had been somewhat thick all the morning; but, alittle while before, the sun suddenly blazed out, showing them Admiralde Langara's fleet of nine ships of the line and two frigates, not morethan three miles off. A smart breeze was blowing, and the Spaniards, whoseemed to have known first of their own danger, were under press of sailtrying to weather the headland before they would be cut off by AdmiralRodney's fleet of nineteen sail of the line and four frigates. The windwas carrying the British fleet so fast towards the Spaniards that thesignal for the formation of the line of battle was already shown fromAdmiral Rodney's ship, while the convoy kept together in the rear.

  Admiral Rodney had no fool to play with in Admiral de Langara, who,although prepared to fight if compelled to, justly declined the unequalcombat as long as he could.

  In Archy's brief experience of naval warfare he had never seen themanoeuvres of a great fleet, and he watched with breathless interest thesteadiness and precision with which the British fleet spread out in agreat semicircle, with the fast frigates at either end of the line, andthe convoy secure behind them. The ships were already cleared foraction, and a single tap of the drum was all that was necessary to callthe men to quarters. There was no slowness in Prince William's responsethis time. He was at his station among the first, and if he had awholesome awe of Admiral Digby, he showed a manly indifference to theSpaniards.

  Admiral de Langara had the weather-gage at first, and was able to keepit for over two hours; and in that time the Spaniards were slowly butsteadily creeping away from their enemies. Admiral Rodney maintained hisline of battle, and showed a perfect willingness to fight, with anunknown and frightfully dangerous shore under his lee. But the windincreasing every moment, the line began to straggle, in the effort toclaw off shore.

  Archy Baskerville, a deeply interested observer, managed to establishhimself just aft the bridge, upon which stood Admiral Digby, withCaptain Fulke and the first lieutenant. Archy watched Admiral Digby,alert and sailor-like, as he paced up and down, keeping his eye onAdmiral Rodney's ship, from which the signal for the line of battle flewsteadily. Langton presently passed Archy and whispered to him:

  "Watch the old man. He is in a boiling rage. This is the fastest ship ofthe line in the fleet, and if the signal for chasing were given he'd bealongside one of those big three-deckers in half an hour. But here heis, under easy sail, to keep up with the slow coaches. No wonder he isin a stew."

  And the Admiral proved it by dashing his glass down angrily after aprolonged stare at Admiral Rodney's signal. The men seemed to understandthis well enough, and when the wind continued to rise, and they wereobliged to shorten sail as much as they dared, they gave a loud groanwhen the order was shouted out. The wind seemed to blow from all pointsof the compass at once, while the sky became black and lowering. TheSpanish flag-ship, the _Phoenix_, was falling behind a little, and asthe rocky promontory of the Cape loomed nearer, the chances of thisship weathering seemed less than that of the rest of the fleet. Hergreat draught forced her to keep well out from the rocky shore, and shelay almost in the path of the _Royal George_, not more than two miles towindward. Archy, watching Admiral Rodney's ship, saw by the dull andclouded light a change of signals, and above him, on the bridge, it wasgreeted by something like a shout of joy from Admiral Digby.

  "We can carry all hard sail now, captain; there is the signal forchasing!" cried the Admiral to his captain; and, as if by magic, thesailors sprang into the rigging, and, with a rousing cheer, everythingthat would draw was shaken out, and the _Royal George_, like a horseunder the spur, dashed forward, ahead of every ship in the fleet.

  Within half an hour she was near enough to the Spanish Admiral to fireher quarter-guns, to which the Spaniard replied promptly; but in bothcases the shot fell short.

  "Never mind, my lads!" called out the Admiral, jovially, "we mustexchange compliments before we get down to work. There's no realpleasure to be had until we are alongside!"

  The _Phoenix_, having a choice of dangers, and seeing the _Royal George_gaining upon her, then quickly changed her course and stood inshore,where the coast was fringed with mountains of rocks, as if some gianthand had strewed them there for the destruction of ships. The _RoyalGeorge_ did not hesitate to follow her, though, and tacked inshore too.From the manoeuvres of the Spaniard, it was plain that she had anexperienced pilot aboard; but on the _Royal George_ they had no betterassurance of water under the keel than could be found by continuallyheaving the lead.

  From the rest of the fleet a smart cannonade was now begun as the fasterships got within range of the Spaniards, who, caught and surrounded bysuperior force, yet prepared to defend themselves gallantly.

  The short afternoon was now closing in, and the increasing wind and thewraith of storm-clouds driving across the pale and wintry sky showed allthose brave men that they would be called upon to combat waves andtempest as well as shot and shell.

  The _Phoenix_, finding it impossible to weather the headland in the faceof her enemies, prepared to fight in a large bay, which, dangerousenough in all weathers, yet gave her enough sea-room to save her ifskilfully handled.

  The _Royal George_, undaunted by the hazardous circumstances in whichshe was forced to attack, followed her antagonist. At the same momenteach ship thundered out her broadside; but the wind and water rose sohigh that most of the shots were ineffective, although fired at shortrange. The howling of the wind and the dashing of the waves on the shorewere soon drowned in the roar of the batteries on thirty-four fightingships, for the engagement soon became general. As night came on neitherstorm nor battle abated. The clouds poured forth rain and wind as theywere swept across the wild night sky. The only light visible was theflash of the guns and the red glare of the battle lanterns. The Spanishwere outnumbered more than two to one; but they were favored by thestorm, and stood stubbornly to their guns.

  On board the _Royal George_ the slaughter began to be serious. The shiprequired the most constant manoeuvring to keep her off the rocks, andthere was enough to do, and more, even for the enormous crew of athousand men she carried. Archy was not one to sit idly by and watchwhen he could help, and when the bearers to carry the wounded belowbegan to be few, he ran forward, and, taking one end of a stretcher, didyeoman's service in helping. About midnight, having a few minutes tohimself, it occurred to him that he was hungry, and probably otherswere who could not leave their stations. He went below, and, gettingsome bread and cheese from one of the stewards, returned to the deck anddistributed his provisions liberally among the midshipmen, notforgetting Prince William.

  "Thank'ee," said Billy, gratefully. "I wish I was in your place--nothingto do but to watch how the Spaniards take a beating, instead of havingto fight this beastly battery. And I don't like fighting--that I don't."

  Archy passed on, laughing. There was no doubt that Billy possessed thecourage of all the Brunswickers, and was exactly the same Billy underfire as sitting around the mess-table.

  Langton was near by, and Archy was troubled to see how pale andexhausted he looked. His former terrible experience on the Spanish coasthad not been without its effects, and Archy saw that nothing butLangton's determined will and anxiety to do his duty kept him fromdropping at his station. Just as the last piece of cheese and last sliceof bread were about to be disposed of, Archy saw the Admiral crossingthe deck towards him. He held out the bread and cheese, and the Admiralseized it with enthusiasm.

  "Thank you, Mr. Baskerville. Those rascally stewards seem to haveforgotten us up here. We'll give them a keelhauling for it as soon asthe wind lulls! Hanged if I don't think it deuced unhandsome of Admiralde Langara to make us fight in this awkward cubby-hole of a place! Didyou ever see anything like this, sir?"

  "I was on the _Bon Homme Richard_, sir, when she took the _Serapis_. Wehad good enough weather, but we were locked together two hou
rs, and atit hammer and tongs all the while."

  "Um--ah--hum--I say, lieutenant, I think number four in the starboardbattery is doing remarkably fine work. Mr. Langton in command? I shallremember him when we are through with these persistent Spanishgentlemen."

  The fire from several of the Spanish ships slackened as the night woreon, and soon after midnight the _Monarca_, a seventy-gun ship, blew upwith a terrific crash that drowned both tempest and battle. Her topmastsand sails flew skyward, and the wreckage from her great masts and sparswas tossed like corks over the black waters. In the red illuminationfrom sea and sky the bodies of men, dead and living, were seen floating,and the cries of the unfortunates were responded to by several of theBritish ships lowering their boats in the teeth of the gale, and pullingabout in the line of fire, picking up the half-drowned sailors.

  One by one the Spanish ships were disabled and forced to strike theircolors, but the flag-ship still fought on. As a gray and pallid dawnbroke over the stormy ocean and the drenched and forbidding-lookingland, it was seen from the _Royal George_ that her antagonist was indesperate straits. Her main-mast had gone by the board, carrying themizzen-mast with it, and both cumbered the deck and hung over the side,entangled in a mass of canvas and rigging. Many of her guns had burst,and her decks were strewed with the dead and wounded. The SpanishAdmiral, however, was still on the bridge, but the two officers with himwere evidently juniors, showing that he had lost his captain and firstlieutenant. The fire of the _Phoenix_ was gradually lessening, and aboutdaybreak it entirely ceased, and the Spanish colors were hauled downamid loud cheering from the _Royal George_. The Spaniards had made agood fight, and the _Royal George_, although not so badly crippled asher opponent, was much cut up aloft, and had several shot-holes in herhull.

  A boat was immediately lowered, and Prince William was given thecommand of her, both as a compliment to himself and to the brave Admiralde Langara, who would be escorted on board the _Royal George_ by aking's son. It was uncertain whether the Spaniard would need boats tobring the prisoners aboard, or whether his own boats were in conditionto do so.

  Six of the Spanish ships of the line had struck, one had blown up, whilein the distance the remaining two were making off under a press of sail.In Admiral Rodney's fleet the losses in men were not very great, but theterrible disadvantage at which he had fought, and the bad weather, leftthem still battling for their lives on an unknown and dangerous coast,with six damaged ships to take care of, and thousands of prisoners. Noship had suffered more than the _Royal George_, and the periloussituation in which she was placed became more evident by daylight. Thewind was blowing directly on shore, and it became necessary to put onall the sail the ship could stand in order to keep her from going on therocks; but her masts and spars were so cut up that it seemed everymoment as if they would all come down at once.

  Archy watched with anxiety as an effort was made to set the main-sail.He said to himself, out aloud:

  "The mast can never stand it."

  But the mast did stand it, although bending and quivering under thestrain when the full force of the wind struck the sail, and the ship,gathering headway, moved a little farther off from the menacing shore,on which the roar of breakers could be distinctly heard.

  Prince William's boat was now approaching, and Archy could see the erectfigure of the Spanish Admiral sitting in the stern-sheets. The boat camealongside, but poor Billy gave the order "Oars" too soon, and shedrifted off just as the line was thrown to her. Instead of makinganother effort to bring her up to the lee gangway, Billy breasted alongthe side until he caught the stern-ladders, and was just about to passthe Spanish Admiral through the quarter-gallery when Admiral Digby, whowas waiting with the captain at the gangway, with marines and side-boysto receive the Spaniard, bawled out:

  "Avast, there! What are you doing, sir?" Billy needed nothing more toconvince him of his mistake, and he immediately made for the gangway. Ina little while Admiral de Langara came over the side.

  As soon as the Spaniard's foot touched the quarter-deck, Admiral Digbyadvanced with uncovered head. The Spaniard also uncovered, and, making alow bow, was about to offer his sword.

  "No," said Admiral Digby, with much dignity, "I cannot take the sword ofso brave a man. It will yet do great things for your country."

  De Langara's eyes filled with tears, as, in broken English, he saidsomething of which few comprehended the words, but all understood themeaning.

  Poor Billy then came over the side, and Admiral Digby, to make sure thatthe Spanish Admiral knew that no slight was intended by bringing him tothe forward gangway, said sternly to the unlucky scion of royalty:

  "How, sir! have you not yet learned to bring a boat alongside properly?I shall not forget this, and, when time serves, I will give you a lessonthat you will remember."

  Admiral de Langara looked in amazement from the angry Admiral to thetrembling midshipman.

  "No wonder," he remarked to Admiral Digby, "that the English rule theseas, when the son of the sovereign is made to submit to discipline asany other midshipman in the ship."

  Admiral Digby then escorted the Spanish Admiral to his cabin. There waswork for everybody to do, and Archy soon found himself pressed intoservice again. Powder was precious, and it was necessary to save whathad already been hoisted on deck, and to get the fuses and cartridgesand everything else in place.

  The wind increasing in violence prevented the transfer of the prisoners,and it was with great difficulty that a prize-crew was thrown aboard ofthe _Phoenix_. And then, in spite of the vast concussion of hundreds ofguns, which usually deadens the wind, it became a hurricane. For twodays and nights the _Royal George_ battled for her life, and every timethe _Phoenix_ disappeared from view it was thought she had gone to thebottom. If they made sail, everything was blown from the bolt-ropes,while if they stripped the ship of her canvas she would seem to berushing headlong to destruction. But at last they succeeded in bendingsails that stood the terrific strain. The officers and crew noblymaintained the name of British seamen. Cool, courageous, skilful, neverlosing heart, they struggled on, in mortal danger every moment, and fromthe Admiral down to poor Billy the Prince every officer did his wholeduty, as did every man. It was two days before they were in deep wateragain; but on the third day the morning broke in splendor, a golden sunshining down upon a sapphire sea. And the same afternoon the Britishfleet, with six great Spanish ships on which the Union Jack was hoistedover the Spanish colors, sailed past Europa Point, and the Rock of theLion, from all its hundred guns, thundered out a welcome worthy of suchmighty guests.