The Three Lieutenants Part 37

These arrangements being completed, he made sail for Port Royal. Should the weather continue fine, the task might be an easy one; but should it come on to blow, shorthanded as he was, he would have no little difficulty in working the brig and looking after his numerous prisoners, many of whom were desperate ruffians, and might possibly try to capture the brig, and cut the throats of every one on board. His only alternative, therefore, to avoid the risk of this would be to treat them as they intended to treat the slaves--clap them in irons, and shut them down under hatches, or to place a sentry with orders to shoot the first who might attempt to regain his liberty.

Needham highly approved of this plan. "It would serve them right, sir, if we were to do it at once, it would save us a great deal of trouble in looking after the beggars," he observed.

"But Don Lopez considers himself a perfect gentleman, and will complain that he was barbarously treated if we were to do so without sufficient cause," remarked Jack.

"I'd let him complain then, sir," answered Needham. "He may consider himself fortunate that we don't heave him and his villainous crew overboard."

Jack only hoped that the necessity would not arise, and as neither the officers nor men had arms of any sort--for the knives even of the latter had been taken from them--he had no fears about the matter.

He resolved to keep a bright look out for the _Caterina_, which he thought would probably slip out of the harbour soon after him, her captain not suspecting the fate of her consorts. The wind was however, light and contrary, and he was much longer in making Cape Saint Antonio than he had hoped. The necessity for treating the prisoners as Needham had suggested came, however, sooner than Jack expected. He had allowed Don Lopez and his companions to enjoy as much fresh air and exercise as they wished for every day, though he took the precaution to have a sentry on the quarterdeck, who had received instructions to keep a watchful eye on the prisoners. Evening was coming on, a fresh breeze was blowing, and the little squadron, under easy sail, was standing to the westward. Just at that time a sail was sighted on the weather-bow; she was soon made out to be a large brig standing towards the little fleet. Jack observed that the prisoners were talking eagerly together, and were evidently much interested in the appearance of the stranger.

On she came, and though she was near enough for her colours to be seen she showed none.

"What do you make her out to be?" asked Jack of Needham.

"I should have taken her to be a Spanish man-of-war; but if she is she ought to have showed her bunting by this time," he answered. "You'll pardon me, sir," he continued, "but I don't like the looks of the Dons, and I shouldn't be surprised if that craft is the _Caterina_ herself; if so, she will be trying to take some of our prizes; and may be have a slap at us, and I think it will be best to get these gentlemen out of the way, as quickly as possible."

Jack agreed with Needham, and going up to Don Lopez he observed--

"I am sorry to inconvenience you, but I have to request that you and your companions will go below, and not return on deck till you receive my permission."

The Don and his friends looked somewhat angry at hearing this, and seemed inclined to disobey, but a dozen stout seamen coming aft showed them that Jack was in earnest, and they, uttering maledictions on his head, were hurried below.

The sun had now reached the horizon, when the stranger came within gunshot, still without showing her colours. Jack had ordered the three schooners to keep close together under his stern. He now fired a gun ahead of the stranger of which she took no notice, but continued her course, intending apparently to get to windward, so as to be able to bear down at any time she might think fit on the captured slavers.

"She has guessed what has happened, sir," observed Needham, "and hopes during the night to have a chance of cutting off one of the prizes or all of them; but she can't quite make up her mind to attempt it in daylight."

"We must keep a bright lookout and prevent her doing that same,"

answered Jack. "Give her another shot from Long Tom, and we will see if that has a better effect than the first."

The stranger took no notice further than "hauling her wind," so as to increase her distance from the brig-of-war. Jack guessed that her intention was to draw him away, if possible, from his prizes, so that she might have a better chance of taking off one of them during the night; he had no fears of the result of a fight should she venture to attack him; at the same time, under the circ.u.mstances, he doubted whether it would be wise for him to become the a.s.sailant.

As the sun went down the stranger was still seen holding her former position on the weatherbow of the _Supplejack_. It was very provoking to be thus bearded, and he earnestly wished for daylight that he might have a better chance of success in attacking the daring craft, for he had at length made up his mind to bring her to action, and of course to capture her. His greatest difficulty, however, would be, should he succeed, in manning her, as she would require as many hands as the _Supplejack_, and he could ill spare any of his own crew; he thought the matter over, and called Needham aft to consult with him.

"Well, sir, I was thinking that it would be a good plan to send the _Venus_ on to Jamaica, to get the a.s.sistance of the corvette. She wouldn't be long in joining us, and we might keep the stranger in play till then, or if any accident was to happen to us she might come up in time to take her; not that I doubt, for a moment, that if we can get her within range of our guns, we should soon make her our prize. It's rather a tough job I'll allow, as the chase has forty hands or more on board, and six or eight guns, though it's not likely they are very heavy metal."

"I like your plan," said Jack; "I was considering that it might otherwise be necessary to sink one or two of our prizes rather than run the risk of losing the _Caterina_, for I make sure that that brig out there is her."

Jack gave the matter a few more minutes' consideration, and, signalling to the three schooners to heave to, he sent the purser on board the _Venus_, with directions to Bevan at once to clap on all sail for Port Royal, and to beg on his arrival there that the corvette, or some other man-of-war, might be immediately despatched to his a.s.sistance. As the night was dark he hoped that the stranger would not discover that the _Venus_ had parted company till daylight, when she would have very little chance of overtaking her.

To prevent the risk of her doing so he hauled up close to the wind, believing that he should thus soon again get sight of the stranger. He was not mistaken, for in little more than half an hour he sighted her, standing the same course as before, but rather more abeam. Keeping away again, he shortened sail, but she held the same course as before. Thus the night pa.s.sed, the stranger could be seen to the southward, while the coast of Cuba lay broad on the lee-beam, though undistinguishable in the darkness of night. At length, however, the stranger disappeared, but Jack felt satisfied that she had not gone in chase of the _Venus_, and he still hoped to see her again at daylight.

He and the two schooners kept on their course, under easy sail. The officers in command of the latter were as eager as Jack to bring the strange brig to action, hoping to take part in the light. Each vessel had a couple of six-pounders on board, which though not very heavy guns, might do good service, could they get near enough to the enemy to use them.

Thus the night pa.s.sed slowly away. Dawn at length returned and as the first rays of the rising sun glanced across the ocean they fell on the sails of the stranger, about three miles off, broad on the beam of the _Supplejack_, whose commander at once resolved to bring her to action, while she on her part showed no disinclination for the fight.

"She must have plenty of hands on board, and pretty heavy metal, or she would long ago have been off," observed Needham; "however, we will see what Long Tom can do."

"We will give him every opportunity of showing his qualities," said Jack, "and not let the slaver get too near us till we have knocked away some of his spars."

The stranger now kept edging down towards the "brig-of-war," which stood on under her topsails, mainsail, and headsails.

Jack calculated that he should have time to throw three or four shots into her from Long Tom, and then by making more sail, give her a raking fire from his carronades. He hailed the schooners, and ordered Norris and the master not to expose themselves more than necessary, and only to fire when they had a good opportunity, while by all means they were to avoid allowing the slaver brig to run aboard them.

The stranger, which had again hauled her wind, was still far beyond the range of Long Tom.

"I don't think, sir, that they have got much stomach for the fight, after all," observed Needham.

"Perhaps not," answered Jack; "but I suspected from the fellow's manoeuvres that he still hopes to cut off our prizes, and is only waiting the opportunity for doing so. We must also look out, not to let him run us aboard, for if he has plenty of men that is what he will try to do, and it will be his best chance too, though I doubt not that we shall beat them off, no matter how many there are."

"No doubt about that, sir, whether they are Americans, Spaniards, or Negroes," answered Needham, in a confident tone.

Nearly half an hour pa.s.sed, and the relative positions of the vessels were not changed. At length the slaver's crew, mustering up courage, more sail was made on her, and she came edging down boldly towards the "brig-of-war."

"Now see what Long Tom can do," cried Jack.

He had not miscalculated the distance this time. Needham pulled the trigger, and the shot was seen to strike the stranger's bulwarks. She fired in return, but without effect. Long Tom was quickly loaded; two shots crashed into the slaver, and three went over her. She replied with a broadside of four guns, but one shot only struck the _Supplejack_, knocking away one of the after-stanchions.

Jack now ordered more sail to be set, and shooting across the bows of the enemy, his two carronades and Long Tom were fired simultaneously.

This raking fire threw the slaver's crew into considerable confusion, and before they had recovered from it, he again kept away. In the meantime the two schooners ranged up on the larboard quarter of the enemy, had begun blazing away with their popguns. Thus far, Jack had evidently the best of it, and he would have been wise had he kept at a distance, and fired away with Long Tom.

The slaver's crew, encouraged by their officers, returned to their guns, and began blazing away with far greater effect than at first, but as they fired high, no one on deck was hurt. Their shot began to inflict considerable damage on the rigging, and at length the slings of the fore-topsail-yard being shot away, down came the topsail, while the other headsails were completely riddled. In vain Needham did his best to retaliate on the enemy. Jack saw him binding a handkerchief round his arm, though still working his gun. Three other men were wounded by shot or splinters, and one poor fellow sank on the deck to rise no more.

Matters were indeed looking somewhat serious. Just then the slaver put up her helm; Jack saw what she was about, but was unable to avoid her.

"Repel boarders!" he sang out, and in another minute the bows of the black brig crashed against the side of the _Supplejack_, the flukes of the enemy's anchors catching in the fore-rigging of the latter. Her crew, however, had just time to fire their carronades, sending several of the enemy to their last account, when nearly thirty fierce-looking ruffians, with cutla.s.s in hand, came crowding to the bows of the brig, ready to spring on board. Jack and most of his people ran forward to repel them. The Spanish captain fought bravely, although driven back, again leading on his men, he made another desperate effort to get on board the _Supplejack_.

Bevan and the master, in the meantime, were not idle, but as they could bring one of their guns to bear without running the risk of hitting the _Supplejack_, they kept firing into the enemy. The effect of their fire was to lessen the number of the boarders, several of the slaver's crew being occupied in working their after-guns, with the object of keeping the two schooners at bay. McTavish and the purser had, however, managed to run out one of the carronades from the aftermost port of the _Supplejack_, and having loaded it with grape, fired it directly at the men working at the guns. Had it been at a greater distance it might have done more damage; as it was it hit one of the Spaniards, blowing him almost to atoms, and wounding two others.

"Well done!" cried McTavish, whose Highland blood was up, "we'll give them another dose."

The gun was run in and loaded as before. The Spaniards, who had deserted their gun at the first discharge of the carronade, now returned to it, and brought it to bear on the _Supplejack_.

The boarding-party were, in the meantime, making desperate efforts to gain her decks, but were met by that determined courage which British seamen never fail to exhibit.

His brave crew well led by Jack and the boatswain, every time the Spaniards attempted to gain a footing on the forecastle of the English brig, those who succeeded were cut down, while the rest were driven back.

"Now, my lads! follow me, and we'll board them," cried Jack.

His proposal was replied to with a loud cheer, and he and Needham were on the point of leaping on to the brig's forecastle, when a shout from aft made him turn his head, and he caught sight of Don Lopez and seven or eight of his companions, who had just made their way on deck by the companion-hatch. The Don had a musket in his hand with which he was fiercely attacking the surgeon, who had, however, the moment before seized one, and was warding off the blows aimed at him. Jack singing out to Needham to defend the forecastle, sprang aft with several of his men to the a.s.sistance of McTavish. Just then the bows of the slaver separated from the _Supplejack_, and at the same moment one of the officers of the former, who had been looking eagerly to windward, shouted to the captain. He instantly ran aft to the helm, which had been deserted; but instead of attempting to regain his former position, put it up, and allowing his vessel to shoot ahead as soon as she had gathered way, went about and stood off to the northward. Don Lopez and his companions, seeing themselves deserted, threw down their arms and hurried below again as fast as they had come up. Needham's first impulse was to rush back to Long Tom, with which he began to pepper the retreating slaver as rapidly as the gun could be loaded, while the two carronades were worked with equal quickness.

Jack had been so busily employed in defending the brig, that he had had no time to attend to anything else. He now, for a moment, turned his glance to windward, when he immediately discovered the cause of the slaver's flight.

Standing towards him and coming on at a rapid rate was a s.h.i.+p carrying a press of sail, and a schooner which was quickly recognised as the _Venus_, by the cut of her sails, as well as by their snowy whiteness.

He could scarcely doubt that the large vessel was the corvette, yet it would have been impossible for the _Venus_ to have gone to Port Royal, and to have returned in so short a time.

The slaver, without firing a shot, was doing her best to escape, by setting all the sail she could carry; her crew being actively employed in knotting and splicing the rigging, which Needham's shot had already somewhat damaged.

"Try one more," exclaimed Jack, "and good luck go with it."

Needham took good aim: the shot, pa.s.sing through the maintopsail, struck the foretopmast, which fell over the side. A loud cheer burst from the throats of the English crew, and all hands redoubled their efforts in repairing their own damages. They were soon able to set the foretopsail and jib, and get the brig about, and away they went in hot chase after their antagonist. The latter had not hitherto shown her colours; she now hoisted an American ensign, but that did not save her from another iron missile, thrown from Long Tom. She, on this, quickly exchanged the American colours for those of Spain, which, however, were treated in the same way, and finding at length that she had no chance of escaping from her active pursuer, she hauled them down and hove to.