CHAPTER XII
A Brush with Algerines
The wind, which had veered in the night and was now nearly deadastern, had moderated in force considerably, and although 'twasraining I could just distinguish a range of cliffs on our starboardhand, ending in a lofty headland with a sheer fall into the sea.
But the cause of the commotion on board was the presence of a long,narrow craft that was bowling along barely two miles off ourlarboard quarter. She had a lofty fo'c'sle and poop, with a lowwaist, her rig consisting of two raking masts, from the slantingyards of which bellied closely reefed, loose-footed triangularsails. She flew no colours, but from the foremast head a longstreamer stood out as rigid as a spar.
"They mean mischief," said Captain Jeremy to the master gunner, who,having called the guns' crews to their stations, had come off toconfer with him.
"'Tis strange enow," replied Master Touchstone, "seeing that we areat peace with the French, the Hollanders, and the Spaniards. Whatthink you she is?"
"An Algerine,[1] judging from the cut of her rig," replied CaptainJeremy, "though I scarce thought to meet one of those rascallyrovers so close to the English shores. It seems as if Admiral RobertBlake--who upheld the honour of England on the high seas, eventhough he were a stout rebel--has taught them but half a lesson."
"Report says that last October two of their galleys captured the_Sea Dog_, of Padstow, within sight of the Lizard," observed themaster gunner. "Seven stout Cornish fishermen are even now slavingin their pirate dens, for aught I know to the contrary."
"They'll not carry the _Golden Hope_, Master Touchstone," repliedCaptain Jeremy resolutely. "Your preparations are complete, I takeit."
"Aye, aye. Four guns abroadside are loaded to the muzzle with musketbullets, four of the others with iron balls, and one with bar shot.'Twill make a fine present for yon craft, if she be in a mind totake it."
From where I stood at the head of the poop ladder I could command aclear view of the brig's deck. The guns, with powder and ball readyto hand, were as yet still run in, for with the heavy sea that wasraging 'twas unwise to trice up the ports until the actual time toopen fire, and we were thus also able to deceive the stranger, whodoubtless took us for a merchantman. Had our ports been open and ourline of gunning ordnance showing, the Algerine--for such she provedto be--might have shirked a conflict; but Captain Jeremy's blood wasup, and he swore that he'd give the rascally sea-rovers a lessonthat they would not be likely to forget.
Our crew--for most of them had smelt powder before, having served inthe Dutch wars--maintained perfect discipline, keeping well out ofsight; yet they stood grasping tackles and handspikes, ready at thesignal to run out their guns and deliver a crashing broadside.
"They do not fear to press her," observed the master gunner, "thoughthey do not seek to gain the weather gauge. Think you that they'lldare to board, sir?"
"With this sea running? Aye, they'll try to run under our lee andthrow a score of their ruffianly crew aboard us. And were we apeaceful trading craft they'd do it, though the sea were twice ashigh. Smart helmsmen most of those rascals are. I call to mind aSpanish captain I met in Cadiz nine years agone, who told me how hisvessel, a xebec, was carried by an Algerine ship in this fashion,and in a heavy Levanter, to boot. But now, Master Touchstone, toyour station!"
The Algerine was now but a few hundred yards astern, the foam flyingfrom her sharp bows as they cleft the water. She had put up her helmand was bearing down on our lee quarter, doubtless to board in themanner that Captain Jeremy had predicted.
Observing that those of the crew who were not at the guns had armedthemselves with musket or pistol, I took hold of a musket. Thanks tomy forest training, I was well accustomed to handle a gun, beingreckoned a tolerable shot, though on board the _Golden Hope_ themotion of the ship put me at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, lyingdown on the poop, where a score of musketeers had already taken up alike position, I awaited the opening of the engagement, though Imust confess the prospect of being under fire did not seem sowelcome as it had in the security of my own home, where I used tohear the tales of glorious sea fights.
The sight of Captain Jeremy helped to reassure me. He was standing ashort distance from the helmsman, his feet set widely apart and hisshoulders braced up, with the air of a man who knows how to keepcalm and resolute in the time of danger. Alternately glancing at thetightly drawing sails and the hostile ship astern, he directed thebrig's course by a gentle motion of his hand, a signal that thequick-witted quartermaster knew how to obey.
"Stand by the weather after braces," the Captain shouted, and inresponse to the order the men rushed to man the ropes that served totrim the sails.
"Are you ready, master gunner?"
"Aye, aye, sir."
The Algerine was now barely one hundred yards astern, havingachieved her object of getting to lee'ard of us. I could see herlofty fo'c'sle crowded with men--brown, black, aye, and even whitefaces, for renegades were to be found in the service of theinfidels. Some of the crew wore turbans and flowing robes, others akind-of hooded garment that reached to the knees; but the majoritywere naked from the waist upwards. With scimitar, spear, pistol, andmusket they crowded ready for a spring upon our decks, while theyrent the air with shouts of defiance and rage, which were borne toour ears by the wind.
"Ready all! Ease the helm down!"
The _Golden Hope_ gave a swift, and graceful turn, so that sheexposed the whole of her larboard broadside to her enemy. Then, asthe Algerine likewise put her helm down to avoid a collision thatwould doubtless have proved fatal to both craft, nine of ourvessel's guns were run out, and a crashing volley was poured intoour entrapped foe.
When the smoke had cleared away I saw a sight that I shall neverforget. The fo'c'sle, swept by a hail of bullets, was covered by awrithing mass of dead and wounded men; her bows were beaten in bythe solid shot; while her foremast, cut off about six feet from thedeck, had fallen to lee'ard, bringing with it the heavy lateen yardand sail, and crushing in its descent several of the crew who werein the waist.
Owing to the high seas that were running, the Algerine had beenunable to use her oars; but the luckless slaves, chained to theirbenches, did not escape the hail of shot, much as we should havewished otherwise.
Amidst the clamour of shrieks, groans, and maledictions, for thehavoc our broadside had caused was immense, two white men sprangover the side of the Algerine and began to swim in our direction.
"There are some slaves escaping," shouted one of our seamen from thefo'c'sle.
"Where away?" asked Captain Jeremy.
"Dead astern, sir."
"Then 'bout ship. I'll do my best to pick them up. Yon rascals willgive us no more trouble."
'Twas no easy task, for by the time the _Golden Hope's_ bow waspointed towards the spot where two heads could be discerned as theyrose upon the crest of a wave, we were nearly a quarter of a mileaway, while the disabled Algerine, drifting bodily with the wind andfalling broadside on to the breakers, was doomed to a terrible fateon the rock-bound coast.
To get the two poor fugitives on board seemed impossible, for noboat could live in such a sea. Even our guns' crews were at timesworking up to the knees in water as they strove to secure theirguns, now that they were no longer required. But by means of a lineattached to a barrico and veered out to lee'ard, one of the men washauled up over the brig's side. The second slave was not sofortunate. He must have been wounded, for he was seen to be swimmingvery feebly; and ere the line came within his grasp he sank, inspite of a gallant effort on the part of his companion to save him.
Meanwhile the _Golden Hope_ was put on her former course, or nearlyso, for in the pursuit and action--though the latter lasted but aminute at the outside--we had drifted to within a dangerous distanceof the shore, where the surf was licking the face of the frowningcliff towards which the Algerine was rapidly being carried.
We could clearly discern the last of the villainous but unfortunatevessel. With her foremast shot away she was hel
pless, in spite offrantic efforts to row her seaward. As fast as the heavy sweeps wereshipped they were shattered by the irresistible force of the waves,till, midst a turmoil of foam, the doomed ship struck the cliff.
"The Deadman[2] has claimed another toll," shouted Captain Jeremy inmy ear. "Yon's one of the worst parts of the Cornish coast, andshould a single man of her crew reach the land, he'll meet withshort shrift at the hands of the wreckers and smugglers."
I had escaped my first experience of being under fire, somewhat tomy regret, now that the affair was over, for I had a presentimentthat 'twas but putting off the evil day. Yet I had gained someknowledge of how Englishmen behave in times of danger, and thatknowledge was of no mean value.
Four hours later the _Golden Hope_ rounded the Lizard, and in a nowrapidly subsiding sea entered the vast expanse of the AtlanticOcean.
Well before sunset I saw the lofty cliffs disappear beneath thehorizon, and that was my last sight of Old England for many a longday.
[1] During the seventeenth and even well into the eighteenth centuryoccasional raids by Algerine corsairs upon the shipping in theChannel were reported. In the _Naval Chronicle_ for 1807 a letterfrom one naval officer to another is given, under date of 1743. Hedescribes the wreck of a disabled Algerine off Land's End, pouringout a whole torrent of abusive sarcasm upon the authorities ofFalmouth for sending "pork to feed the Mussulmans, being contrary totheir religion".
[2] The Dodman, a precipitous headland on the South Cornish coast,between Fowey and Falmouth, is even now familiarly named "TheDeadman" by seamen. The most notable wrecks there in recent yearswere those of the _Thresher_ and the _Lynx_ in 1897.