The Three Commanders Part 34

A suppressed cheer from those on deck showed that Green was right, and the _Tornado_ stood away after the stranger. The latter was no laggard, and it was soon evident that the _Tornado_ must do her best if she was to come up with her. The chase, though a vessel of some size, showed no inclination to come to close quarters with her pursuer.

"If we can but keep her in sight, we shall catch her at last," said Jack; "and if she runs into any harbour, we must follow her, or send the boats in after her."

"We haven't had anything so exciting for a long time," said Tom; "I hope that we may have to cut her out with the boats."

"Her crew will blow her up sooner than let us do that," observed Archie; "the Russians seem to be fonder of that sort of thing than fighting."

The chase, however, kept well ahead, and there seemed a good prospect, should night come on, of her escaping altogether. Still the _Tornado_ was really going faster than the Russian vessel, though so slight was the difference of speed, that at first it was scarcely discernible. At length, however, Jack considered that he had got the Russian vessel within range of his long guns, and was on the point of issuing the order to fire, when a shot from her came flying across the intervening s.p.a.ce, but fell some twenty fathoms or so short of its mark.

"And now, let's see what we can do," cried Jack; "starboard the helm-- steady--now, fire!" The _Tornado's_ shot struck the Russian's counter, apparently committing a considerable amount of damage. This first specimen of the power of his pursuer's guns seemed to satisfy him that he had better not engage at close quarters. The dense volumes of smoke which issued from his funnel proved that he was endeavouring to get more steam, in the hopes of still keeping ahead. As the _Tornado_ could not be made to move faster than she was then going, Jack had to content himself with the prospect of the chase's getting on sh.o.r.e, running short of coal, or of some accident happening to her machinery. Another shot was tried, but it fell short, showing that she had again drawn ahead.

Some miles more had been run, when Green brought the chart on deck, and pointed out a fort situated on the sh.o.r.es of a bay a short distance off.

"The chase has evidently been making for that, and thinks that she will be secure under its guns," he observed.

"We'll stand on, and attack both s.h.i.+p and fort together," said Jack; "we'll sink the s.h.i.+p first, and then knock the fort to pieces."

In about ten minutes more the chase rounded a point, when a bay opened out, on the farther side of which appeared a strong-looking fort, guarding the mouth of a river which ran into the bay.

"She may escape us after all if she runs up that river," observed Higson, "unless we can first silence the guns of the fort, and then follow her."

"We must just do that same then; and if we can't knock the fort to pieces with our guns, we must land and storm it," said Jack.

His remark was received with universal satisfaction, as no one thought of the superior number of the garrison likely to oppose them. The chase was now more eagerly watched than ever, it being fully expected that she would run up the river to escape them; instead, however, of doing so, as she drew near the fort she let off her steam, and came to an anchor close under its guns.

"Now we've got her," cried Jack exultingly.

The _Tornado_ stood on to within half a mile of the fort, when she opened fire on it, and now on the s.h.i.+p, which fired with some spirit in return; but as the _Tornado_ kept moving about, their shot invariably missed her. She had been thus engaged for a quarter of an hour or more, her guns having told with considerable effect on the Russian vessel, when a column of smoke was seen ascending at some little distance behind the fort, apparently from the river.

"That must proceed from another steamer coming down to a.s.sist our friend," observed Higson; "and see, there is another rising just beyond it--we shall have no lack of enemies to fight."

"We must settle with the first, then, as soon as possible," cried Jack, in a cheery tone; "we'll then take the others in detail."

The crew cheered as they heard his remark, and worked away at the guns with redoubled zeal. Several shot had struck the vessel under the fort; first one of her guns ceased firing, then another and another; still she kept her colours flying, and in another minute the bows of a steamer were seen emerging from the mouth of the river. A shot was instantly fired at her; it struck her bulwarks, and evidently caused some damage.

Instead, however, of running under the guns of the fort, she stood away up the bay, evidently not wis.h.i.+ng to come to close quarters with the audacious stranger. A few minutes afterwards another vessel appeared, which, receiving one of the _Tornado's_ shot, followed the example of the first. After getting nearly two miles away, they brought their broadsides round, and opened a brisk fire. The _Tornado_, however, moving rapidly about as before, escaped every one of their shot; while she fired her guns as they came to bear on her antagonists, and seldom failed to hull one or other of them. Still, their guns were of heavier calibre than hers, and their shot frequently went far beyond her, and she had to stand towards them to make hers tell with effect.

At length a shot came cras.h.i.+ng on board just abaft the funnel, wounding one man severely, and another, Tim Nolan, slightly.

"Arrah, now, it's but a fleabite," he exclaimed, getting a s.h.i.+pmate to bind a handkerchief round his shoulder; "we've given them more than that already, and it's better than having the funnel shot away."

Still Jack had no intention of abandoning the attack, and, wis.h.i.+ng to settle the first vessel before he attended to the other two, he directed his guns at her and at the fort, although the shot from the former continually hulled him. One, at length, went through the s.h.i.+p's side between wind and water, and the sea came rus.h.i.+ng in like a mill-sluice.

The mids.h.i.+pmen, who up to this time were enjoying the fighting, thought that things were beginning to look serious.

d.i.c.ky Duff, especially, expressed his apprehensions to his chum Billy.

"If another shot comes in like that, we shall certainly go to the bottom; and I am not quite sure what will happen even now, for the commander has not told us to knock off firing. I wonder if he knows what has happened? He is such a plucky fellow, however, that I suppose he will go on fighting till the s.h.i.+p sinks below our feet."

The youngsters were somewhat relieved by seeing the carpenter and his crew going below with the means for stopping the shot-hole; while Ben s.n.a.t.c.hblock, with a rope round his waist, allowed himself to be slung overboard to reach the injury still more rapidly from the outside. He had just performed his task, when another shot went right through the forepart of the s.h.i.+p; happily, without hitting anyone, and the damage it had caused was as quickly repaired as the other had been. Jack had carried on the unequal contest for half an hour or more, when a third steamer was seen gliding out of the river, and as she opened her fire, it was soon discovered that her guns were heavier than those of either of her consorts. The first shot she fired came cras.h.i.+ng through the _Tornado's_ side.

"I suppose we shall have to run for it now," cried d.i.c.ky.

"Not a bit of it," exclaimed Tom, who overheard him; "the commander wouldn't be turned from his purpose, even if a dozen Russian steamers came out on us, and we shall soon settle with our old friend--she has not fired a shot for the last minute." As he was speaking, a thick smoke rose from the afterpart of their antagonist, followed quickly by bright flames, which darted upwards through the hatchway. Directly afterwards a fire burst out in the forepart of the s.h.i.+p, and raged with a fury which it was clear the crew were incapable of overcoming. Her boats were lowered, and her people were seen dropping down into them with a rapidity which showed that they had abandoned all hope of saving their s.h.i.+p. As they could no longer offer any resistance, Jack humanely ordered his crew to refrain from firing on them. He directed, however, all his guns at the fort, for the purpose of silencing them before the other vessels should come up to take a closer part in the action, which he fully expected that they would do.

Though the damage he had received was considerable, there was nothing as yet, he conceived, sufficiently serious to make him haul off. Still he could not help wis.h.i.+ng to see the flag of the fort come down, comparatively slight as was the damage he had received from its guns.

Having destroyed the vessel he had chased, he might without any discredit haul off, considering the immense superiority of the force opposed to him; but Jack Rogers was not a man to haul down his flag, or get out of a fight, as long as he had a stick standing; and his spirit animating his officers and crew, the _Tornado_ kept blazing away, throwing sh.e.l.ls into the fort, and firing shot, as he could bring his guns to bear at the three steamers. They had now, however, drawn considerably nearer than they had hitherto ventured to approach, and there seemed considerable likelihood of d.i.c.ky Duffs apprehensions being fulfilled.

Jack now looked at the three vessels, now at the fort. "It might be done," he said, turning to Higson, "if the fort were stormed, and its guns turned against the steamers."

"I would undertake it," said Higson; "but with its own garrison and the crew of the vessel which has just been burnt, it would be a hard job."

"I would ask no one to lead it but myself," said Jack; "I will leave you to fight the vessel in the meantime; should I be killed, I give you orders to retire, for with a diminished crew you would have little prospect of doing more than has already been accomplished."

"I do not advise you to command the expedition," said Higson; "you know me, and that I am not likely to be stopped by any ordinary hazard."

Jack, without answering, still kept eyeing the sh.o.r.e, looking out for a place where his boats might land.

"There's a steamer in the offing, sir, standing in for the bay," said Archie, coming up to him.

"Another enemy," exclaimed Higson; "we shall have enough of them."

"We'll tackle them, notwithstanding," answered Jack; "they show no inclination, however, to come to close quarters."

Another shot from the enemy struck the _Tornado_.

"The commander is just a little o'er brave," observed d.i.c.ky Duff to Billy Blueblazes; "we've got terrible odds against us."

"He knows what he is about, and he'll manage to lick them all, one after another, depend on that," said Billy.

"I don't exactly see how he's going to do that," said d.i.c.ky. "If we could but tackle one at a time it would be fairer, and we should have a better chance of licking them."

"That's just what they don't want to give us," said Billy.

"Another steamer coming in from the southward, sir," said Archie, who had been looking out.

"Friend or foe?" observed Jack to Higson; "if the latter, we must stand out and meet her, and leave the three vessels in the bay till we can come back and settle with them."

Still Jack showed no inclination to quit the neighbourhood of the fort, into which sh.e.l.l after sh.e.l.l was thrown, till most of its guns had been silenced. Many an eye, however, was turned towards the approaching strangers, till at length the first showed English colours. A cheer rose from those of the crew not engaged at the guns, the only sign they gave of their desire for a.s.sistance. In another minute the number of the approaching steamer was made out, "She's the _Giaour_" exclaimed Archie.

If Jack ever felt any inclination to be jealous of Murray it was now, as he was his superior officer; but the feeling which arose in his breast was speedily quelled. The _Giaour_ came rapidly on; Murray signalised to Jack, "Remain where you are, and I will attack the vessels in the bay." Jack ordered the signal to be made, "They will attempt to escape up the river."

"Stand on and stop them," was the answer from the _Giaour_.

The _Tornado_ accordingly steamed on towards her three antagonists, which now began to turn their heads, as Jack had expected they would, towards the mouth of the river. They were thus unable any longer to fire at him, while he was still able to reach them with two of his guns, one firing shot and the other sh.e.l.l. The _Giaour_ now signalised, "Steamer to the south, English."

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Tom; "we are now on equal terms, and can bag the whole of them."

The three Russian vessels were still half a mile away from the mouth of the river when Jack got off it, and by this time the _Giaour_ was near enough to take a part in the engagement, her shot beginning to tell with considerable effect on the nearest of the enemy. The Russian vessels now swept round, apparently with the intention of running across the bay, firing their broadsides at the _Tornado_, but with little effect; and she, in return, as they exposed their sterns in flight, kept up a brisk fire at them with shot and sh.e.l.l. One of them now burst into flames, and in half a minute blew up, destroying the greater number of her unhappy crew.

The other two, however, still continued on their course, hoping, apparently, to get out of the bay ahead of the _Giaour_, not being aware, it was evident, that another English s.h.i.+p was near at hand to cut them off. Jack, knowing that they must both be intercepted, made a signal asking leave of Murray to pick up any of the Russians still floating on the wreck of the steamer. This request was at once granted; and, lowering two of his boats, of one of which Tom took the command, and of the other Ben s.n.a.t.c.hblock, he again stood on in pursuit of the two steamers. They, however, had not got far when they made out a third vessel coming to attack them, and finding that all hope of escape was cut off, they both hauled down their colours.

Murray, who was nearest to them, at once sent a couple of boats to take possession of the two prizes; while Jack stood back to pick up his boats. Of the whole of the Russian crew they had saved but six men, two of whom were much burnt, and one died directly after he had been taken on board the _Tornado_. One of the survivors, a Finn, who, having served on board English merchantmen, spoke English perfectly, informed Jack that a considerable quant.i.ty of corn and other provisions were stored in warehouses on the banks of the river, some way from its mouth.