CHAPTER V.
THE CHASE.
A fresh breeze was blowing when the American fleet began the chaseafter the _Belvidera_.
In a few hours the _President_ had drawn away from the fleet, and wasforging ahead.
Then the little _Wasp_, as lively as the insect after which it wasnamed, came closely after.
The big _United States_ followed next, with the _Essex_ in goodposition.
Then commenced a contest of speed between the representative vessels ofthe two greatest nations on earth.
The English ship was trying to get away, the American endeavoring tocatch her.
The _Belvidera_ was a swift vessel, but it had to maneuverconsiderably, for the _Wasp_ was trying to get into the offing toprevent escape, and the _Lively Bee_ was keeping up the excitement bysending a shot at intervals, whenever the Britisher got within safedistance.
It was four o'clock in the afternoon when Commodore Rodgers leaped intothe rigging to take another view of his adversary.
He was well satisfied.
His heart beat with enthusiasm.
War had been declared, and he was to be the one to fire the first shotat the British power on the seas.
For although the privateer had done effectual work, the navy did notgive it credit.
Rodgers went to the bow of the _President_ and sighted the gun himself.
His shot was a good one, hulling the enemy.
Captain Vernon saw it through his glass and he cried out loudly:
"Bravo, Rodgers! Give him another!"
A second shot followed before the _Belvidera_ could reply.
The American was superior in gunning, and every shot told.
A third shot from the _President_ broke off the muzzle of one of the_Belvidera's_ stern-chasers, while another shot crashed into the sternof the chase, killing two men and wounding several others.
The men on the _Belvidera_ were now all excitement.
Captain Byron bit his lips in anger.
He had sighted the guns himself, but had done no damage to the American.
He ordered two long eighteen-pounders on the main deck to the stern,and two thirty-two-pound carronades on the quarter deck.
With these he kept up an incessant fire, many shots being effective.
The rigging of the _President_ was cut in many places, and onemidshipman was killed.
While the excitement was at its height a young midshipman on the_President_, a boy whose years could not have exceeded ten, performed amost daring feat.
A gun was sighted at the _Belvidera_, but the gunner was stricken downas he was in the act of firing.
The boy saw it and with patriotic fervor, shouted:
"I'll have one shot at the rascals anyway."
But he could find no match with which to fire the gun.
Not to be daunted, he rushed to the galley and picking up a live coalin his fingers, he hurried with it, regardless of the intense pain, andplaced it on the priming.
Instantly the report showed that he had fulfilled his threat, and hadfired one shot at the enemy.
His thumb and finger were burned to the bones, but he was happy.
And the shot was an effective one.
A lieutenant and two marines were killed by it as it tore its way alongthe deck.
The chase continued for another hour, the flagship leading all theothers, the _Lively Bee_ watching the chase, but taking no part justthen.
It was only a question of a few hours when the _President_ wouldovertake the English ship.
But just when victory was in sight a loud explosion startled everybody,and directed the attention of the whole fleet to the _President_.
Commodore Rodgers had again sighted his heavy gun, which was getting sohot that he almost deemed it unsafe to load it.
"One more shot," he cried, as he applied the match.
A cloud of smoke hung over the _President_ as the noise of the reportcleared away.
In firing that shot the gun had burst with a terrific report, theflying fragments killing or wounding sixteen men.
The commodore was thrown high into the air, and fell heavily on thedeck, suffering a severe fracture of his leg.
Panic set in.
Some of the sailors were for hauling down the flag, but they were onlyraw recruits, and were quickly overpowered by the older men.
The accident caused a cessation of the firing for a time, and the_Belvidera_ took advantage of it to show her heels.
"Follow her! Rake her with shot and shell!" shouted the woundedcommodore. "Don't let her escape!"
But the Britisher had lightened herself.
Her anchors and boats were cut away and fourteen tons of water werethrown overboard.
Thus lightened, she began to draw away from the _President_.
The latter yawed several times, and let fly full broadsides at theescaping cruiser.
The shot rattled among the spars of the _Belvidera_, but the nimbletopmen quickly repaired all damages; and the British ship increased thedistance between herself and the American fleet.
The _Lively Bee_ followed at a safe distance.
"What do you think now, Tempest?" asked Captain Vernon.
"I'd humble that proud Briton if I had my way," answered the younglieutenant.
"Can we do it?"
"I'd like to try."
"Do as you please; the _Lively Bee_ shall be under your orders,"answered Captain Vernon, and young Tempest raised his hand to heaven,while from his lips there arose a cry, which was like the registeringof a solemn oath.
"Before heaven I swear my hand shall know no rest, my life no pleasure,until the British acknowledge our right to liberty!"
"Amen!" responded Vernon.
And the _Lively Bee_ started in the darkness of night in the wake ofthe _Belvidera_.
But in the night a storm arose; the thunder shook the schooner, makingevery timber creak and groan like a living thing in anguish.
The lightning played about the rigging, and Captain Vernon wrung hishands in despair.
"Can she live through it?" he asked.
"Ay, ay, captain, for the _Lively Bee_ has a glorious work to do."
"Heaven grant you are right, Tempest, for she is the pride of my heart."
The waves dashed over her deck; the thunders roared like ten thousandparks of artillery; and men who had only used the name of the Creatorin blasphemy prayed to Him for succor and safety.