CHAPTER XL.
So completely absorbed were all parties on board the Vengeance and the Etoile, during their fierce and sanguinary struggle, that no attention had been paid to the movements of the frigate, till the thunder of her guns awoke them from their forgetfulness. Looking round, our hero perceived that the Virginie had altered her course, and was at that moment engaged in a combat with the strange sail they had seen in the distance some time back. A look through his glass satisfied Lieutenant Thornton that the stranger engaging the Virginie frigate was the Onyx, Captain O’Loughlin. This startled him, for the Onyx carried only twenty-two guns, and her complement of men, unless recruited,was very short; besides, in tonnage she was scarcely more than half the size of the Virginie, a large and remarkably fine frigate.
At about a league’s distance the chasse-mare, the Ca-Ira, was seen lying to under her fore-lug and mizen, as if watching the sequel of events. In the meantime, by immense exertions, the fire on board the Etoile was entirely subdued, the wounded were all got together and placed in her cabin, under the care of a young surgeon belonging to the vessel, and the dead consigned to the resting-place of thousands. The Etoile, totally dismasted, was allowed to drift out from the land, whilst the Vengeance was got clear for action; Lieutenant Thornton being resolved to do all he could to assist the Onyx against her formidable antagonist. Our hero had now but two-and-twenty men left fit for service, but these were eager and enthusiastic. He had two eighteen-pound carronades, and with these he might do good service.
Leaving his late opponent perfectly helpless, except that two of her boats were still serviceable, in which her crew might escape if they liked, our hero, with his own wounded made as comfortable as circumstances would permit in the Vengeance, re-fitted his mizen-mast, and spliced as much of his rigging as had suffered damage, and then prepared to sail after the two combatants, which, at that moment, were running parallel with each other. It was very apparent that Captain O’Loughlin, knowing how inferior he was to his opponent, was extremely desirous of avoiding having his sails and rigging cut to pieces by the Virginie’s line of fire, which evidently wished to cripple the Onyx, that she might not, by any chance, escape. Just as the Vengeance was coming rapidly up, the Virginie wore, and came to again on the opposite tack, bringing a fresh broadside to bear upon the bows of the corvette. This manœuvre the Virginie repeated twice, greatly to the annoyance of the Onyx. Captain O’Loughlin was getting impatient at being so foiled, and unable, from inferior sailing—for the French frigate was remarkably fast—to pass ahead or astern of the Virginie, ran right at her to windward. Just then the Vengeance opened fire upon the French frigate, having hoisted English colours, and, with her long eighteen-pound carronades, her fire did considerable damage to the Virginie’s rigging and yards. She was too low in the water to injure her crew; but, using her heavy guns with great judgment, she completely cut away her braces and splintered her fore-yard so much that the frigate was forced to turn her attention to her minor antagonist, whose matchless sailing qualities enabled her, by skilful manœuvring, to avoid the broadside of the enraged crew of the Virginie. The Onyx, by this time, was able, both standing on the larboard tack, to bringher broadside to bear at pistol-shot distance; both vessels, at the same time, keeping up an animated fire of round, grape, and musketry. Owing to the press of sail under which the Onyx had approached, she ranged considerably ahead. The Virginie now bore up, and passing athwart the stern of the Onyx, raked her; but the Onyx’s men, throwing themselves flat upon the deck, suffered but little. The Vengeance passed across the bows of the Onyx, pouring the contents of her eighteen-pound carronades, crammed with grape and canister, into the quarter of the Virginie, shattering her quarter galley, and besides wounding several of her men, cut the sheets of her mainsail so that the sail blew out unrestrained. A loud cheer burst from the crew of the Onyx, and Captain O’Loughlin, springing into the mizen shrouds, waved his hat to our hero, who was standing, returning his greeting, on the carriage of a gun.
Enraged at the audacity of the Vengeance, the Virginie, by a masterly manœuvre, shot ahead, and, suddenly wearing, caught the Vengeance in stays, and, for the moment, not caring for the fire of the Onyx, poured a deadly broadside into the lugger, intending to sink her. The iron shower passed over the Vengeance like a thunder storm, leaving her totally dismasted; but, singular to say, killing only one man and wounding three, a splinter, unfortunately, knocking down Master Burdett, as he sprang out of the way of the falling wreck. The brave youth was carried down into the cabin, and then Lieutenant Thornton, seeing he could do nothing more with the Vengeance, ordered out the two boats left uninjured, saying—
“Now, my lads, as we can do nothing here, let us pull on board your old ship; they are short-handed, and we may be of some service yet.”
A loud cheer testified their eagerness to help their old commander; the boats were got out, and Captain O’Loughlin, seeing their intention, wore round, and, in five minutes, they were alongside, and up upon the deck, where they were gladly received.
Captain O’Loughlin’s left arm was in a sling, Lieutenant Pole was below, severely wounded, so that the arrival of their friends was most opportune, our hero taking the post of first lieutenant at once. Bill Saunders was received by his comrades with a hearty welcome. There were six or eight of the crew of the Fox schooner left on board the Vengeance. Our hero told on leaving, to get her before the wind, under any sail they could manage to hoist on the stumps of their masts; for he had no doubt, notwithstanding the superior force of the Virginie, the Onyx would yet gain the day. The French frigate, by this time, had a second time hauled up on her starboard tack, andthought to deliver her broadside with a raking effect; but the Onyx, with fresh spirit, having repaired her rigging sufficiently, was ready for her. Led by two as brave and skilful officers as any in the Royal Navy, noted for having one of the best disciplined crews in the service, Captain O’Loughlin promptly threw her sails aback, and prevented the Virginie taking the favourable position she intended.
The manœuvre brought the Virginie with her stern actually pressing against the quarter of the Onyx, both crafts lying nearly in a parallel direction. The instant the two ships came in contact, each prepared to board the other. Lieutenant Thornton, with a picked band, and with Julian Arden by his side, sprang to repel the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, who eagerly thought to overpower the boarders of the Onyx. A desperate contest ensued. Twice did our hero, who appeared to have a charmed life, plant his foot upon the Virginie’s deck, and twice was his gallant band driven back by the great superiority of numbers. Julian was felled by the butt of a musket, but Bill Saunders, with a cheer, dashed headlong amidst the press, and catching him in his arms bore him safely to the corvette. The Onyx’s marines kept up an incessant fire of musketry, which drove back the Virginie’s, though her marines, stationed along the whole length of the larboard gangway, kept up an incessant fire into the stern windows of the Onyx, strewing the cabin deck with killed and wounded.
“You must get a main-deck gun,” said Lieutenant Thornton to Captain O’Loughlin, “and put it into the port of the cabin window; I see it is cut down for that purpose.”
“Yes,” said O’Loughlin, “though contrary to the strict rules of the service, I cut down the sill of the cabin window on each side next the quarter. You will find the gunner has tackles and everything ready for transporting the gun to the new port, but it’s a perilous duty, dear friend.”
“Never mind that,” said our hero, and calling Bill, and selecting a crew, with the gunner and his tackle, the gun was run out and, with a hearty cheer, fired. The very first discharge proved the great value of this new port, for, as was afterwards ascertained, four-and-twenty of the Virginie’s crew were laid low; it actually swept the ship from her larboard bow to her larboard quarter, and was fearful in its effects. Meantime the musketry on both sides continued with terrible effect. A ball from the main-top of the French ship unfortunately struck O’Loughlin to the deck; it was a severe wound, but not mortal. He was just able to say—
“I give the command of the ship to Lieutenant Thornton, ofthe Diamond, as gallant an officer as ever breathed. Fight, my lads, as long as the old girl floats!”
A cheer and a “God bless you!” passed from all as their gallant captain was carried below.
Satisfied, from the surgeon’s report, that the wound was not mortal, the commander for the time threw all his energies and skill into action. The two vessels now remained on board each other for rather more than half-an-hour, when the Virginie began to forereach. In a moment Lieutenant Thornton brought the second aftermost gun to bear, and its discharge cut away the head rails of the French frigate, and, what was far more important, the gammoning of the bowsprit. The Virginie also, as she forged ahead, brought her guns to bear, and a desperate cannonade recommenced between the two—yard-arm to yard-arm. So well practised were the crew of the Onyx that they fired as quick again as the Virginie, whose hull was desperately shattered, her main topmast gone, and her fore-mast tottering, and in this condition she passed on out of gun-shot.
During this respite Lieutenant Thornton and the third lieutenant of the Onyx, a Mr. Barker, a high-spirited young officer, who felt no pique whatever at his ship being worked by a senior officer, though of another ship, set to to repair damages. The hull of the Onyx was but little damaged, but her rigging and sails were so cut to pieces, that for a time she remained unmanageable. She had also lost her main topsail yard, and her gaff was shot away, as well as her colours. She had, however, lashed a boat’s ensign to the larboard, and a Union Jack to the starboard arm of her cross-jack yard. Our hero anxiously glanced around to see what had become of the Vengeance and the Etoile. The chasse-mare, the Ca-Ira, was out of sight. The Vengeance, he perceived, was, with a jury-mast and a double-reefed lug, making way before the wind, shaping her course for England. The Etoile he could distinguish in shore, with two small luggers and boats towing her towards Havre to save her from capture. The Etoile troubled him but little, and the Ca-Ira he made no doubt would make the coast of England, and land her passengers. There was but little time for thought, for both ships were rapidly repairing damages to resume their deadly contest—the Virginians furious at being baffled, and so desperately riddled and cut up by so inferior an antagonist; whilst the crew of the Onyx were enthusiastic, having full confidence in their young commander, rejoicing at the same time that their captain was not so dangerously wounded as was at first thought.
Lieutenant Thornton, after visiting O’Loughlin and Charles Pole—the latter almost insisting in rising to help, but fallingback on making the attempt—returned to his post. Julian Arden was full of spirit and capable of filling an officer’s berth for the time. There was glory to be obtained in thus baffling a frigate of a thousand and nineteen tons; whereas the Onyx was scarcely eight hundred, and though a large class corvette, was but a very small frigate. Her crew, when complete, only mustered two hundred men, whereas the Virginie then amounted to three hundred. The Virginie, it appeared afterwards, carried only twenty-eight guns, the Onyx twenty-one, but her reduced crew amounted to only one hundred and sixty, which, with eighteen fresh hands that came on board with our hero, made her complement one hundred and seventy-eight.
Both ships, when they separated, presented a very shattered and woeful appearance; this was caused by the great quantity of sail under which they had engaged. Shattered spars, torn and riddled sails, ropes and ends were hanging in every direction.
Whilst refitting the breeze increased, and as the crew of the Onyx were regarding their opponents, they beheld, to their great satisfaction, their fore-mast fall over the side, from the increased motion of the sea. It was then two hours after noon, but such had been the diligence of the Onyx’s crew, that she was enabled, with the increasing breeze, to make sail on the larboard tack towards the Virginie. Just as she opened fire her antagonist hauled down her colours and surrendered; in fact, from the fall of her fore-mast she was in a perfectly defenceless state.
Whilst the Onyx’s officers and crew are rejoicing over their victory—dearly bought, it is true—we will follow the movements of the chasse-mare Ca-Ira, previous to, and after her escape out of, Havre.