The Boy who sailed with Blake Part 17

"And very right, Master Ben, that you should take a holiday. You look as thin as a line, and I have been afraid that you'd wear yourself out before your time."

So I set off with my n.o.ble patron. Great was the contrast which his life in that quiet abode presented to the uproar of battle and tempest, in which so many of his days had of late been pa.s.sed. His board was frugal. His mornings were pa.s.sed among his books or in writing letters, in which I a.s.sisted him; a long walk when his strength was sufficiently restored through the green fields and woods; his evenings in the society of a few chosen friends, when his conversation was chiefly on religious matters or on the affairs of state. To me the change was beneficial in the extreme. I felt refreshed in mind and body, still my thoughts were often far away with my sister and friends, captives still, as I believed, in Barbary.

The tranquil existence the admiral was enjoying was greatly disturbed by the news of another complete victory gained over the Dutch by Admirals Monk, Penn, and Lawson. The battle had lasted, like the former, for well-nigh three days. It was the last Van Tromp was destined to fight.

On the third day, while still leading on his fleet, a musket ball entered his heart, and his captain hearing of his death took to flight, pursued by the victors, who, it is sad to say, had received orders from Monk to give no quarter, but to destroy every s.h.i.+p and their hapless crews as they were overtaken. The captains and their crews, however, disregarding the sanguinary order, picked up several hundred Dutchmen from their sinking s.h.i.+ps.

I was thankful to get a letter from Lancelot describing the fight, a.s.suring me of his and Martin's safety. Ere long we heard of the arrival of amba.s.sadors from the States General, sueing for peace, when among other matters they agreed to lower their flag to that of England whenever it should be seen flying. I must pa.s.s over several months, when once more Admiral Blake went afloat in command of a fleet of twenty-four sail, and hoisted his flag on board the _Saint George_, a new s.h.i.+p of sixty guns and three hundred and fifty men. Lancelot and Martin had joined her, and d.i.c.k soon after came on board, having obtained leave from his father once more to go afloat. We three were thus again united. Great was our satisfaction to learn that the Mediterranean was the ultimate destination of the fleet, though its other objects, for political reasons, were not made known.

At the same time that we sailed, another still larger fleet went down Channel under command of Admiral Penn, having General Venables and a body of troops on board. Its destination was the West Indies, where it was to attack the colonies of Spain, while we were to capture and destroy her fleets on her coasts. This work, however, was not to commence for the present. We having reached the roadstead of Cadiz, found there a Dutch fleet. No sooner was the red-cross seen flying from our mastheads, than the Dutch admiral lowered his flag.

"The Hollanders have learned a lesson they are not in a hurry to forget," observed the admiral, as he walked the deck, while we came to an anchor.

A French squadron paid our flag the same respect, while on sh.o.r.e the admiral was treated with every possible consideration by the Spanish authorities, as well as by the officials of all nations.

While here we received information that many more vessels had been captured by the Barbary States. The Pope and Grand Duke of Tuscany also had given offence to the Commonwealth, by allowing Prince Rupert to sell his prizes in their ports.

Those combative monks, the Knights of Malta, also sworn foes to those they chose to call heretics, had captured several English merchantmen, while the Duke of Guise was threatening Naples, which State, then in alliance with England, it was deemed important to protect.

We had work enough thus cut out for us, and as soon as provisions had been obtained we sailed, and pa.s.sing through the Straits of Gibraltar without molestation, we directed our course for Naples.

We there found that the Duke of Guise had taken his departure, but in what direction we could not discover. We therefore steered northward along the coast of Italy until we came off Leghorn. Dropping anchor, the admiral sent an envoy to the Duke of Tuscany, demanding redress to the owners of such vessels as had been sold by the corsair princes.

The Duke hesitated, declaring that he must refer the matter to the Pope of Rome, at which the admiral, smiling scornfully, observed that "it was not the Pope's business, and that he would presently have to look out for himself."

We had just before received intelligence of the alarm our appearance had caused in Rome. Monks had been walking in procession, many persons had been burying their treasures, and the wealthy had fled from the city, believing that ere long it would be pillaged by the English.

The Grand Duke, not wis.h.i.+ng to have Leghorn battered down, yielded to the demands of our admiral, who then despatched the envoy to the Pope.

In vain that priestly potentate endeavoured to excuse himself, but his subjects had undoubtedly bought the illegal prizes, and at last, to avoid the threatened consequences of refusal, he sent the money demanded on board, twenty thousand pistoles, "which," as the admiral observed, "was probably the first cash which had ever been transferred from the Papal coffers to the treasury of England."

This was not the only satisfactory task performed by our admiral. He wrote to the Grand Duke, urging him in forcible terms to permit the English and other Protestants settled in his domains liberty to keep the Bible in their houses, and to follow their own form of wors.h.i.+p, a privilege which had hitherto been denied them.

While we lay off Leghorn two Algerine cruisers came in with a flag of truce, bringing a number of English captives liberated by the Dey in order to appease the wrath of the English.

"It is well," said our admiral, as he received the liberated persons; "but let the Dey understand while an Englishman remains in bonds I shall not be content."

Lancelot and I eagerly questioned the freed captives, in the hopes of possibly gaining information about our friends; but they replied that the distance between the two States was so great that they were aware only of the fact that many English were held captive in Tunis. The admiral had from the first promised that he would pay that pirate city a visit, and use every means to discover and liberate our friends. We now hoped that he would without delay carry out his intention. But another disappointment occurred. Just as we were about to sail, the plague brought from the Levant broke out on board, and the admiral himself was stricken down by the fell disease. Others suffered, and for many weeks, until the admiral recovered, we were unable to sail.

Although with the cold of winter the disease disappeared, a storm kept us still longer at anchor; but at length the wind proving favourable we sailed for Tunis, and ere long came in sight of its two powerful castles of Goletta and Porto Ferino. Bringing up beyond reach of their guns, the admiral despatched a messenger to the Dey, demanding the release of all prisoners and the restoration of the numerous prizes lately captured, or their value if destroyed.

The Dey in return sent an envoy on board the _Saint George_, who, though he professed to wish for peace, declared that his master would not give up the prizes.

While negotiations were going on, we sailed close up to the castle of Porto Ferino, piloted by Lieutenant Aylett, that the admiral might obtain an idea of its strength. He then (the envoy being sent on sh.o.r.e) sailed away with the larger s.h.i.+ps, leaving Captain Stayner with the smaller frigates to watch the entrance of the harbour.

Lancelot and I could not help expressing our disappointment to each other; we soon found, however, that the admiral had no intention of abandoning the undertaking, but that it was necessary to obtain provisions before we commenced operations, our stock having run short.

We now steered for Cagliari in Sardinia, where we lay while vessels were despatched in all directions to obtain bread, and the s.h.i.+ps in harbour were being refitted. Our hearts beat high when once more the tall minarets and domes of the pirate city appeared in sight, for we made no doubt that the Dey would yield, and that we should ere long recover our friends. Again the admiral sent an officer on sh.o.r.e, repeating his former demands and requesting water for his s.h.i.+ps.

The Dey insolently replied that "there stood his castles of Porto Ferino and Goletta, and until the English could carry them off in their s.h.i.+ps, nothing should they have from him."

"Let the Dey understand that such conduct shall not go unpunished,"

answered the admiral to the barbarian envoy, his anger rising, and his usually calm eye flas.h.i.+ng fire; "G.o.d has given water to all His creatures, and the sin which one commits who refuses it to another is great indeed."

No sooner had the envoy taken his departure than, to the surprise of all, the admiral ordered the fleet to sail away from the harbour, not leaving a s.h.i.+p behind.

"Can the admiral really intend thus to allow the pirates to escape with impunity?" said d.i.c.k to Lancelot and me, as we watched the Moorish city recede from our eyes. "I much fear that your relatives will be left to languish in hopeless captivity."

"Have you sailed so many years with our good commander, and yet can fancy such a thing?" exclaimed Martin, who overheard the remark.

"Depend upon it, he has his reasons, and I shrewdly guess wishes to throw the pirates off their guard. Rest a.s.sured before long we shall get a nearer sight of Tunis than we have hitherto had."

Notwithstanding what Martin said, we steered on until we once more entered the Bay of Cagliari. We had good reason, however, to believe that the admiral intended after all to attack Tunis. Orders were issued to all the s.h.i.+ps to prepare for some severe work.

At length, after well-nigh a week had pa.s.sed, we made the signal to weigh anchor, and the whole fleet before a light northerly breeze stood under full sail towards the Bay of Tunis.

Just as the evening of the 3rd of April, 1655, was approaching, we stood into the bay, where we brought up, the now well-known towers and minarets of Tunis in sight. The night which came on might be the last we knew for many a brave fellow. It was spent in preparation for the work we were destined to undertake the next day. Ere the sun rose a gun from the flag-s.h.i.+p was fired as a signal to the crews of the whole fleet to offer up prayer to Almighty G.o.d for protection and success in the struggle about to commence in our righteous cause.

It was a solemn time. Not a sound was heard except the yokes of the ministers until those of the congregations joined in prayer, or burst forth into a hymn of praise to the all-powerful One whose protection they sought. Then rising from our knees we weighed anchor, the sails were let fall, the guns run out, and, led by the _Newcastle_, which was quickly followed by other frigates, the big s.h.i.+ps stood into the harbour. Of these the _Saint Andrew_ was the first. Close astern came the _Plymouth_, and we in the _Saint George_ followed in her wake, not casting anchor until we had got within musket shot of the batteries, nor was a shot fired until we had furled sails.

So astonished were the barbarians that their artillery remained mute.

It was not for long; we setting the example, every s.h.i.+p opened with her broadside, to which the pirates speedily replied, their shot coming cras.h.i.+ng on board through our bulwarks, or tearing their way between our masts and rigging. And now commenced the most tremendous din and uproar our ears had ever heard, the echoes of the guns reverberating among the crumbling walls and falling houses.

For two hours the battle raged, the sky obscured, and the castles and batteries almost concealed by the dense ma.s.ses of smoke, on which a lurid glare was reflected by the flames belched forth from the guns.

The smoke blown in the faces of the pirates tended to conceal the s.h.i.+ps from their sight, and prevented them aiming their pieces with accuracy.

Not for an instant did our fire slacken, until the guns in the batteries were dismounted or burst, or the gunners killed or driven from their post.

Within us, higher up the harbour, lay a squadron of nine stout s.h.i.+ps.

While the bombardment was taking place the admiral called Captain Stokes to his side.

"Now is the time to carry out your plan," he said.

"You, Bracewell and Kerridge, may accompany Captain Stokes," he added.

Each s.h.i.+p had before received an order, at a certain time to send her long-boat with a picked crew, bringing torches, hand-grenades, and other combustibles.

They now arrived. We took our places in the long-boat of the _Saint George_, and Captain Stokes at once led the way towards the pirate squadron.

For some time we were concealed by the clouds of smoke from the sight of our enemies, and only such shot as pa.s.sed over the s.h.i.+ps came near us, but as we got farther up the harbour we were perceived and a.s.sailed by showers of bullets and round shot, fired at us from the corsairs. We pulled on, however, until we were alongside them. The torches were then lighted, and without a moment's delay we began to heave them into the ports of the pirate vessels.

So unexpected was the proceeding, that every s.h.i.+p was set on fire fore and aft, before the crew on deck had perceived what had occurred, and in a few moments the flames were bursting through the hatchways and ports, and encircling the masts and spars. In vain the pirates made the most frantic efforts to extinguish the fire, wherever they were seen labouring with buckets, the broadsides of the frigates which came up to our a.s.sistance drove them away and compelled them to leap overboard.

Now every one of the s.h.i.+ps was burning furiously, the flames forming huge pyramids of fire.

Leaving them to their fate, which all the efforts of the pirates could not avert, protected by the frigates, we pulled back to the _Saint George_ to report that the whole of the corsair squadron of nine large s.h.i.+ps was utterly destroyed; and as we rowed away, first one and then two or three together blew up with a tremendous explosion, scattering their fragments far and wide, while their keels sank to the bottom of the harbour.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

THE CAPTIVES RESCUED--BLAKE'S EXPLOITS AND DEATH.

Lancelot and I had formed a plan with Lieutenant Aylett, by which we deemed that it would be possible, though no more than possible, to recover our two sisters, Mr Kerridge, and Margaret. We had asked permission of the admiral to undertake it. He pointed out the the dangers we must encounter.