Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs Part 17

"A sail on the weather bow!"

One of the officers immediately went aloft. On his return the bearings of the stranger were taken. She was a large s.h.i.+p, standing in for the land.

The frigate was immediately put about. The squall having blown over, all sail was made in chase. Many surmises were expressed as to what she was, but it was a general opinion that she was a French frigate.

"If she is, we shall have a fight, and take her too," cried one of the men near whom Owen was standing.

"Little doubt about that, mates," observed another.

Such were the expressions uttered by the crew. Owen felt as eager as any one. He had not come to sea to fight, but he knew that even on board the "Druid" they might have fallen in with an enemy and have had to defend themselves.

"Is there any chance of her getting away, Mr Hartley?" asked Nat, who never forgot their relative positions, though Owen treated him as a friend.

"No," replied Owen; "for this frigate sails very fast, and from what I hear, Captain Stanhope is not likely to let an enemy escape him if he can help it."

"I feel somewhat strange at the thoughts of having round shot and bullets flying about our ears," said Nat.

"We must run our chance along with the rest," answered Owen.

Mr Sc.o.o.nes, who had only come on deck that day for the first time, on seeing that there was a prospect of a sharp engagement, seemed to wish that he had kept below. After pacing up and down several times, he spoke to the first lieutenant.

"As I have had some experience in dressing wounds, although, of course, I should wish to see the fight on deck, I may be of a.s.sistance to the doctor. With your leave I will go into the c.o.c.k-pit and offer to help him."

The first lieutenant looked at him hard, suspecting the reasons.

"You are a pa.s.senger, and we do not expect you to fight, so do as you please," he answered.

Mr Sc.o.o.nes immediately dived below. The doctor, who had been arranging the various instruments and dressings which he expected would be required, received Mr Sc.o.o.nes coldly.

"You have not thought of bringing the two boys and the seaman saved with you. They might like to escape the risk of being shot."

"They have entered as part of the s.h.i.+p's company, and must run their chance," answered Mr Sc.o.o.nes.

"I thought as much," remarked the doctor, and continued his preparations without further accepting the offer made him.

The "Sylvia" showed herself to be a fast craft as she rapidly gained on the chase. As yet, however, the colours of the latter had not been shown. It was possible, after all, that she might prove to be a friend.

All hands were on deck watching the chase. A loud cheer rose from the crew as the French flag flew out from the stranger's peak. She had tacked several times to keep the weather gauge, which it was Captain Stanhope's wish to obtain. She was seen to be a frigate of the same size as the "Sylvia," if not larger. The decks were now cleared for action, and the drum beat to quarters. Owen found that he and the other boys were to be employed in bringing up powder from the magazines in flannel bags placed in buckets. They had then to sit on them until the powder was wanted for loading the guns.

He would rather have been employed on some other duty, as he would thus have seen what was going forward. Still he did not for a moment think of trying to avoid what he was ordered to do. It was a satisfaction to find that Nat was near him.

"I don't half like it," said Nat; "but there is no one to care for me if I'm killed, except my old grandmother, and my brothers and sisters.

You'll tell them all about me, and take them my love, won't you, Mr Hartley?"

"Yes, I will not forget your message, and I a.s.sure you, Nat, that I should care very much indeed if you were to be killed," answered Owen.

"But do not be down-hearted; it will be a great thing to have been in a fight, although we may have taken no very active part in it."

Owen and Nat were stationed on the main deck, and had just brought up their powder from below.

"Hold your tongues, youngsters," said a mids.h.i.+pman, who just then pa.s.sed. Owen recognised Mr Ashurst; he looked pale, but whether this was from the thoughts of the coming fight, or from some other cause, Owen could not tell. He was stationed at the guns which it was Owen's duty to keep supplied.

The second lieutenant pa.s.sed along the deck, speaking an encouraging word to the men at each of the guns, while he gave the orders in regard to their mode of firing.

He then turned to the boys, and addressed a few kind remarks to them.

During this time the French frigate had shortened sail, showing that she had no intention of avoiding an action.

Owen could only get a glimpse of her through the port. The "Sylvia" had tacked several times. Again Mr Leigh came along the deck.

"In another minute we shall pa.s.s under the enemy's stern, and every gun from forward is to be fired in succession," he cried.

Just as he spoke, loud roars were heard, and several of the Frenchmen's shot struck the frigate's upper works, none penetrating to the main deck.

Owen peered out eagerly to try and get a glimpse of the enemy; then their own guns began firing, the crew cheering as their shot told with considerable effect. The French frigate, however, which had immediately luffed up, though too late to avoid being raked, returned the fire with her other broadside. The two frigates ran on together to the eastward, exchanging broadsides as fast as the guns could be run in and loaded.

"I wonder when she's going to give in?" said Nat to Owen as they returned from below with a fresh supply of powder.

"Before long, if we continue pounding her as we have hitherto done,"

said Owen, who after the first shots had been fired felt as cool as he had ever done in his life. Nat, too, recovered his self-possession, and seemed to have lost all his fears. Still, it was a trying time for youngsters who had never before been in battle. Round shot at times struck the s.h.i.+p in quick succession. Three or four men had been killed on the main deck, and others had been carried below badly wounded. Owen had observed Mr Ashurst constantly moving about, evidently in no very happy frame of mind.

"I say," observed Nat, "I rather think he doesn't half like it,"

pointing at the mids.h.i.+pman as he spoke.

"You have no right to think that," answered Owen. At that moment a shot struck the cill of the port nearest to the spot where Owen was seated, killing one man and wounding another, then flying across the deck close to Mr Ashurst, it committed further havoc on the other side, laying low another of the crew.

The mids.h.i.+pman gave a spring and fell over near Owen, who was at that moment supplying his gun with powder. As soon as he was at liberty, Owen endeavoured to help the mids.h.i.+pman.

"Are you hurt, sir?" he asked.

"I don't know--I thought I was," answered Mr Ashurst, getting on his feet.

His reply produced a laugh from several of the men who heard him. He walked away without uttering a word of thanks to Owen for his good intentions. Another broadside was fired, when a loud cheer burst forth from the crew on the upper deck, and was echoed by those on the main deck.

"She has struck! she has struck!"

The English frigate had been a good deal cut up. The Frenchman had lost her foremast and main topmast, while her hull was severely battered.

The "Sylvia" was hove to, and Mr Leigh, with a boat's crew, sent to take possession of the prize. She proved to be the "Venus," forty-four guns. Her captain having been killed, the first lieutenant presented his sword to Mr Leigh; as he did so he pointed to a number of dead and dying men about the decks, observing with a sigh--

"We did not yield until we had no hope of success. It is the fortune of war."

"You have fought bravely, monsieur, and you and your crew will be treated as brave men," answered Mr Leigh.

He then ordered that the dead should be hove overboard, and the wounded carried below, to be attended to by the surgeon. He also directed the French officers and most of the crew to prepare for going on board the English frigate, though a few were retained for attending to the sick.

The remainder of the "Sylvia's" boats which had escaped damage now came alongside with fresh hands to form the prize crew and to carry off the Frenchmen. Mr Leigh, leaving the prize in charge of the master's mate, who had accompanied him, returned on board the frigate to deliver the swords he had received, and report the state of the prize.

"I intend you to have charge of the prize, and you can take any hands you choose with you," said Captain Stanhope.

Mr Leigh having selected two or three more men, observed--