CHAPTER XIII
THE BATTLE OF LOWESTOFT
The Earl returned with his son and Cyril to town, and the latterspent the night in the City.
"I do not know, Cyril," Captain Dave said, as they talked over hisdeparture, "that you run much greater risk in going than do we instaying here. The Plague makes progress, and although it has notinvaded the City, we can hardly hope that it will be long before itappears here. There are many evil prophecies abroad, and it is thegeneral opinion that a great misfortune hangs over us, and they saythat many have prepared to leave London. I have talked the matterover with my wife. We have not as yet thought of going, but shouldthe Plague come heavily, it may be that we shall for a time go away.There will be no business to be done, for vessels will not come upthe Thames and risk infection, nor, indeed, would they be admittedinto ports, either in England or abroad, after coming from aninfected place. Therefore I could leave without any loss in the wayof trade. It will, of course, depend upon the heaviness of themalady, but if it becomes widespread we shall perhaps go for a visitto my wife's cousin, who lives near Gloucester, and who has manytimes written to us urging us to go down with Nellie for a visit toher. Hitherto, business has prevented my going, but if all tradeceases, it would be a good occasion for us, and such as may neveroccur again. Still, I earnestly desire that it may not arise, for itcannot do so without sore trouble and pain alighting on the City. Didthe Earl tell you, Cyril, what he has done with regard to John?"
"No; he did not speak to me on the subject."
"His steward came here three days since with a gold watch and chain,as a gift from the Earl. The watch has an inscription on the case,saying that it is presented to John Wilkes from the Earl of Wisbech,as a memorial of his gratitude for the great services rendered to hisdaughters. Moreover, he brought a letter from the Earl saying that ifJohn should at any time leave my service, owing to my death orretirement from business, or from John himself wishing, either fromage or other reason, to leave me, he would place at his service acottage and garden on his estate, and a pension of twenty pounds ayear, to enable him to live in comfort for the remainder of his days.John is, as you may suppose, mightily pleased, for though I wouldassuredly never part with him as long as I live, and have by my willmade provision that will keep him from want in case I die before him,it was mighty pleasant to receive so handsome a letter and offer ofservice from the Earl. Nellie wrote for him a letter in which hethanked the Earl for the kindness of his offer, for which, althoughhe hoped he should never be forced to benefit from it, he was nonethe less obliged and grateful, seeing that he had done nothing thatany other bystander would not have done, to deserve it."
Early the next morning Sydney Oliphant rode up to the door, followedby two grooms, one of whom had a led horse, and the other asumpter-mule, which was partly laden. Captain Dave went down withCyril to the door.
"I pray you to enter, my Lord," he said. "My wife will not be happyunless you take a cup of posset before you start. Moreover, she andmy daughter desire much to see you, as you are going to sail with SirCyril, whom we regard as a member of our family."
"I will come up right willingly," the young noble said, leapinglightly from his horse. "If your good dame's posset is as good as thewine the Earl, my father, tells me you gave him, it must be goodindeed; for he told me he believed he had none in his cellar equal toit."
He remained for a few minutes upstairs, chatting gaily, vowing thatthe posset was the best he had ever drank, and declaring to Nelliethat he regarded as a favourable omen for his expedition that heshould have seen so fair a face the last thing before starting. Heshook hands with John Wilkes heartily when he came up to say thatCyril's valises were all securely packed on the horses, and then wentoff, promising to send Captain Dave a runnet of the finest schiedamfrom the Dutch Admiral's ship.
"Truly, I am thankful you came up," Cyril said, as they mounted androde off. "Before you came we were all dull, and the Dame andMistress Nellie somewhat tearful; Now we have gone off amidst smiles,which is vastly more pleasant."
Crossing London Bridge, they rode through Southwark, and then outinto the open country. Each had a light valise strapped behind thesaddle, and the servants had saddle-bags containing the smallerarticles of luggage, while the sumpter-mule carried two trunks withtheir clothes and sea necessaries. It was late in the evening whenthey arrived at Chatham. Here they put up at an hotel which wascrowded with officers of the Fleet, and with Volunteers likethemselves.
"I should grumble at these quarters, Cyril," Sydney said, as thelandlord, with many apologies, showed them into a tiny attic, whichwas the only place he had unoccupied, "were it not that we are goingto sea to-morrow, and I suppose that our quarters will be evenrougher there. However, we may have elbow-room for a time, for mostof the Volunteers will not join, I hear, until the last thing beforethe Fleet sails, and it may be a fortnight yet before all the shipsare collected. I begged my father to let me do the same, but he goesback again to-day to Sevenoaks, and he liked not the idea of mystaying in town, seeing that the Plague is spreading so rapidly. Iwould even have stayed in the country had he let me, but he was ofopinion that I was best on board--in the first place, because I maynot get news down there in time to join the Fleet before it sails,and in the second, that I might come to get over this sickness of thesea, and so be fit and able to do my part when we meet the Dutch.This was so reasonable that I could urge nothing against it; for, intruth, it would be a horrible business if I were lying like a sickdog, unable to lift my head, while our men were fighting the Dutch. Ihave never been to sea, and know not how I shall bear it. Are you agood sailor?"
"Yes; I used to go out very often in a fishing-boat at Dunkirk, andnever was ill from the first. Many people are not ill at all, and itwill certainly be of an advantage to you to be on board for a shorttime in quiet waters before setting out for sea."
On going downstairs, Lord Oliphant found several young men of hisacquaintance among those staying in the house. He introduced Cyril tothem. But the room was crowded and noisy; many of those present haddrunk more than was good for them, and it was not long before Cyriltold his friend that he should go up to bed.
"I am not accustomed to noisy parties, Sydney, and feel quiteconfused with all this talk."
"You will soon get accustomed to it, Cyril. Still, do as you like. Idare say I shall not be very long before I follow you."
The next morning after breakfast they went down to the quay, and tooka boat to the ship, which was lying abreast of the dockyard. Thecaptain, on their giving their names, consulted the list.
"That is right, gentlemen, though indeed I know not why you shouldhave come down until we are ready to sail, which may not be for aweek or more, though we shall go out from here to-morrow and jointhose lying in the Hope; for indeed you can be of no use while we arefitting, and would but do damage to your clothes and be in the way ofthe sailors. It is but little accommodation you will find on boardhere, though we will do the best we can for you."
"We do not come about accommodation, captain," Lord Oliphant laughed,"and we have brought down gear with us that will not soil, or rather,that cannot be the worse for soiling. There are three or four othersat the inn where we stopped last night who are coming on board, but Ihear that the rest of the Volunteers will probably join when theFleet assembles in Yarmouth roads."
"Then they must be fonder of journeying on horseback than I am," thecaptain said. "While we are in the Hope, where, indeed, for aught Iknow, we may tarry but a day or two, they could come down by boatconveniently without trouble, whereas to Yarmouth it is a very longride, with the risk of losing their purses to the gentlemen of theroad. Moreover, though the orders are at present that the Fleetgather at Yarmouth, and many are already there 'tis like that it maybe changed in a day for Harwich or the Downs. I pray you get yourmeals at your inn to-day, for we are, as you see, full of work takingon board stores. If it please you to stay and watch what is doinghere you are heartily welcome, but please tell the others that t
heyhad best not come off until late in the evening, by which time I willdo what I can to have a place ready for them to sleep. We shall sailat the turn of the tide, which will be at three o'clock in themorning."
Oliphant wrote a few lines to the gentlemen on shore, telling themthat the captain desired that none should come on board until theevening, and having sent it off by their boatmen, telling them toreturn in time to take them back to dinner, he and Cyril mounted tothe poop and surveyed the scene round them. The ship was surroundedwith lighters and boats from the dockyards, and from these casks andbarrels, boxes and cases, were being swung on board by blocks fromthe yards, or rolled in at the port-holes. A large number of men wereengaged at the work, and as fast as the stores came on board theywere seized by the sailors and carried down into the hold, theprovisions piled in tiers of barrels, the powder-kegs packed in themagazine.
"'Tis like an ant-hill," Cyril said. "'Tis just as I have seen when anest has been disturbed. Every ant seizes a white egg as big asitself, and rushes off with it to the passage below."
"They work bravely," his companion said. "Every man seems to knowthat it is important that the ship should be filled up by to-night.See! the other four vessels lying above us are all alike at work, andmay, perhaps, start with us in the morning. The other ships are busy,too, but not as we are. I suppose they will take them in hand whenthey have got rid of us."
"I am not surprised that the captain does not want idlers here, for,except ourselves, every man seems to have his appointed work."
"I feel half inclined to take off my doublet and to go and help toroll those big casks up the planks."
"I fancy, Sydney, we should be much more in the way there than here.There is certainly no lack of men, and your strength and minetogether would not equal that of one of those strong fellows;besides, we are learning something here. It is good to see howorderly the work is being carried on, for, in spite of the numberemployed, there is no confusion. You see there are three barges oneach side; the upper tiers of barrels and bales are being got onboard through the portholes, while the lower ones are fished up fromthe bottom by the ropes from the yards and swung into the waist, andso passed below; and as fast as one barge is unloaded another dropsalongside to take its place."
They returned to the inn to dinner, after which they paid a visit tothe victualling yard and dockyard, where work was everywhere goingon. After supper they, with the other gentlemen for Prince Rupert'sship, took boat and went off together. They had learned that, whilethey would be victualled on board, they must take with them wine andother matters they required over and above the ship's fare. They hadhad a consultation with the other gentlemen after dinner, andconcluded that it would be best to take but a small quantity ofthings, as they knew not how they would be able to stow them away,and would have opportunities of getting, at Gravesend or at Yarmouth,further stores, when they saw what things were required. Theytherefore took only a cheese, some butter, and a case of wine. Assoon as they got on board they were taken below. They found that acurtain of sail-cloth had been hung across the main deck, andhammocks slung between the guns. Three or four lanterns were hungalong the middle.
"This is all we can do for you, gentlemen," the officer who conductedthem down said. "Had we been going on a pleasure trip we could haveknocked up separate cabins, but as we must have room to work theguns, this cannot be done. In the morning the sailors will take downthese hammocks, and will erect a table along the middle, where youwill take your meals. At present, as you see, we have only slunghammocks for you, but when you all come on board there will betwenty. We have, so far, only a list of sixteen, but as the Princesaid that two or three more might come at the last moment we haverailed off space enough for ten hammocks on each side. We will getthe place cleaned for you to-morrow, but the last barge was emptiedbut a few minutes since, and we could do naught but just sweep thedeck down. To-morrow everything shall be scrubbed and put in order."
"It will do excellently well," one of the gentlemen said. "We havenot come on board ship to get luxuries, and had we to sleep on thebare boards you would hear no grumbling."
"Now, gentlemen, as I have shown you your quarters, will you come upwith me to the captain's cabin? He has bade me say that he will beglad if you will spend an hour with him there before you retire torest."
On their entering, the captain shook hands with Lord Oliphant andCyril.
"I must apologise, gentlemen, for being short with you when you cameon board this morning; but my hands were full, and I had no time tobe polite. They say you can never get a civil answer from a housewifeon her washing-day, and it is the same thing with an officer on boarda ship when she is taking in her stores. However, that business isover, and now I am glad to see you all, and will do my best to makeyou as comfortable as I can, which indeed will not be much; for as weshall, I hope, be going into action in the course of another tendays, the decks must all be kept clear, and as we have the Prince onboard, we have less cabin room than we should have were we not anadmiral's flagship."
Wine was placed on the table, and they had a pleasant chat. Theylearnt that the Fleet was now ready for sea.
"Four ships will sail with ours to-morrow," the captain said, "andthe other five will be off the next morning. They have all theirmunitions on board, and will take in the rest of their provisionsto-morrow. The Dutch had thought to take us by surprise, but fromwhat we hear they are not so forward as we, for things have beenpushed on with great zeal at all our ports, the war being generallypopular with the nation, and especially with the merchants, whosecommerce has been greatly injured by the pretensions and violence ofthe Dutch. The Portsmouth ships, and those from Plymouth, are alreadyon their way round to the mouth of the Thames, and in a week we maybe at sea. I only hope the Dutch will not be long before they comeout to fight us. However, we are likely to pick up a great manyprizes, and, next to fighting, you know, sailors like prize-money."
After an hour's talk the five gentlemen went below to their hammocks,and then to bed, with much laughter at the difficulty they had inmounting into their swinging cots.
It was scarce daylight when they were aroused by a great stir onboard the ship, and, hastily putting on their clothes, went on deck.Already a crowd of men were aloft loosening the sails. Others hadtaken their places in boats in readiness to tow the ship, for thewind was, as yet, so light that it was like she would scarce havesteerage way, and there were many sharp angles in the course down theriver to be rounded, and shallows to be avoided. A few minutes laterthe moorings were cast off, the sails sheeted home, and the crew gavea great cheer, which was answered from the dockyard, and from boatsalongside, full of the relations and friends of the sailors, whostood up and waved their hats and shouted good bye.
The sails still hung idly, but the tide swept the ship along, and themen in the boats ahead simply lay on their oars until the time shouldcome to pull her head round in one direction or another. They had notlong to wait, for, as they reached the sharp corner at the end of thereach, orders were shouted, the men bent to their oars, and thevessel was taken round the curve until her head pointed east.Scarcely had they got under way when they heard the cheer from theship astern of them, and by the time they had reached the next curve,off the village of Gillingham, the other four ships had rounded thepoint behind them, and were following at a distance of about ahundred yards apart. Soon afterwards the wind sprang up and the sailsbellied out, and the men in the boats had to row briskly to keepahead of the ship. The breeze continued until they passed Sheerness,and presently they dropped anchor inside the Nore sands. There theyremained until the tide turned, and then sailed up the Thames to theHope, where some forty men-of-war were already at anchor.
The next morning some barges arrived from Tilbury, laden withsoldiers, of whom a hundred and fifty came on board, their quartersbeing on the main deck on the other side of the canvas division. Acutter also brought down a number of impressed men, twenty of whomwere put on board the _Henrietta_ to complete her crew. Cyril wasstanding
on the poop watching them come on board, when he started ashis eye fell on two of their number. One was Robert Ashford; theother was Black Dick. They had doubtless returned from Holland whenwar was declared. Robert Ashford had assumed the dress of a sailorthe better to disguise himself, and the two had been carried offtogether from some haunt of sailors at Wapping. He pointed them outto his friend Sydney.
"So those are the two scamps? The big one looks a truculent ruffian.Well, they can do you no harm here, Cyril. I should let them stay anddo their share of the fighting, and then, when the voyage is over, ifthey have not met with a better death than they deserve at the handsof the Dutch, you can, if you like, denounce them, and have themhanded over to the City authorities."
"That I will do, as far as the big ruffian they call Black Dick isconcerned. He is a desperate villain, and for aught I know may havecommitted many a murder, and if allowed to go free might commit manymore. Besides, I shall never feel quite safe as long as he is atlarge. As to Robert Ashford, he is a knave, but I know no worse ofhim, and will therefore let him go his way."
In the evening the other ships from Chatham came up, and the captaintold them later that the Earl of Sandwich, who was in command, wouldweigh anchor in the morning, as the contingent from London, Chatham,and Sheerness was now complete. Cyril thought that he had never seena prettier sight, as the Fleet, consisting of fifty men-of-war, ofvarious sizes, and eight merchant vessels that had been bought andconverted into fire-ships, got under way and sailed down the river.That night they anchored off Felixstowe, and the next day proceeded,with a favourable wind, to Yarmouth, where already a great number ofships were at anchor. So far the five Volunteers had taken theirmeals with the captain, but as the others would be coming on board,they were now to mess below, getting fresh meat and vegetables fromthe shore as they required them. As to other stores, they resolved todo nothing till the whole party arrived.
They had not long to wait, for, on the third day after their arrival,the Duke of York and Prince Rupert, with a great train of gentlemen,arrived in the town, and early the next morning embarked on boardtheir respective ships. A council was held by the Volunteers in theirquarters, three of their number were chosen as caterers, and, acontribution of three pounds a head being agreed upon, these wentashore in one of the ship's boats, and returned presently with abarrel or two of good biscuits, the carcasses of five sheep, two orthree score of ducks and chickens, and several casks of wine,together with a large quantity of vegetables. The following morningthe signal was hoisted on the mast-head of the _Royal Charles_, theDuke of York's flagship, for the Fleet to prepare to weigh anchor,and they presently got under way in three squadrons, the red underthe special orders of the Duke, the white under Prince Rupert, andthe blue under the Earl of Sandwich.
The Fleet consisted of one hundred and nine men-of-war and frigates,and twenty-eight fire-ships and ketches, manned by 21,006 seamen andsoldiers. They sailed across to the coast of Holland, and cruised,for a few days, off Texel, capturing ten or twelve merchant vesselsthat tried to run in. So far, the weather had been very fine, butthere were now signs of a change of weather. The sky became overcast,the wind rose rapidly, and the signal was made for the Fleet toscatter, so that each vessel should have more sea-room, and thechance of collision be avoided. By nightfall the wind had increasedto the force of a gale, and the vessels were soon labouring heavily.Cyril and two or three of his comrades who, like himself, did notsuffer from sickness, remained on deck; the rest were prostratebelow.
For forty-eight hours the gale continued, and when it abated and theships gradually closed up round the three admirals' flags, it wasfound that many had suffered sorely in the gale. Some had lost theirupper spars, others had had their sails blown away, some theirbulwarks smashed in, and two or three had lost their bowsprits. Therewas a consultation between the admirals and the principal captains,and it was agreed that it was best to sail back to England forrepairs, as many of the ships were unfitted to take their place inline of battle, and as the Dutch Fleet was known to be fully equal totheir own in strength, it would have been hazardous to risk anengagement. So the ketches and some of the light frigates were atonce sent off to find the ships that had not yet joined, and givethem orders to make for Yarmouth, Lowestoft, or Harwich. All vesselsuninjured were to gather off Lowestoft, while the others were to makefor the other ports, repair their damages as speedily as possible,and then rejoin at Lowestoft.
No sooner did the Dutch know that the English Fleet had sailed awaythan they put their fleet to sea. It consisted of one hundred andtwelve men-of-war, and thirty fire-ships, and small craft manned by22,365 soldiers and sailors. It was commanded by Admiral Obdam,having under him Tromp, Evertson, and other Dutch admirals. On theirnearing England they fell in with nine ships from Hamburg, with richcargoes, and a convoy of a thirty-four gun frigate. These theycaptured, to the great loss of the merchants of London.
The _Henrietta_ had suffered but little in the storm, and speedilyrepaired her damages without going into port. With so much haste andenergy did the crews of the injured ships set to work at refittingthem, that in four days after the main body had anchored offLowestoft, they were rejoined by all the ships that had made forHarwich and Yarmouth.
At midnight on June 2nd, a fast-sailing fishing-boat brought in thenews that the Dutch Fleet were but a few miles away, sailing in thatdirection, having apparently learnt the position of the English fromsome ship or fishing-boat they had captured.
The trumpets on the admiral's ship at once sounded, and Prince Rupertand the Earl of Sandwich immediately rowed to her. They remained buta few minutes, and on their return to their respective vessels madethe signals for their captains to come on board. The order, at suchan hour, was sufficient to notify all that news must have beenreceived of the whereabouts of the Dutch Fleet, and by the time thecaptains returned to their ships the crews were all up and ready toexecute any order. At two o'clock day had begun to break, and soonfrom the mastheads of several of the vessels the look-out shoutedthat they could perceive the Dutch Fleet but four miles away. Amighty cheer rose throughout the Fleet, and as it subsided a gun fromthe _Royal Charles_ gave the order to weigh anchor, and a fewminutes later the three squadrons, in excellent order, sailed out tomeet the enemy.
They did not, however, advance directly towards them, but bore upclosely into the wind until they had gained the weather gauge of theenemy. Having obtained this advantage, the Duke flew the signal toengage. The Volunteers were all in their places on the poop, beingposted near the rail forward, that they might be able either to rundown the ladder to the waist and aid to repel boarders, or to springon to a Dutch ship should one come alongside, and also that theafterpart of the poop, where Prince Rupert and the captain had takentheir places near the wheel, should be free. The Prince himself hadrequested them so to station themselves.
"At other times, gentlemen, you are my good friends and comrades," hesaid, "but, from the moment that the first gun fires, you aresoldiers under my orders; and I pray you take your station and remainthere until I call upon you for action, for my whole attention mustbe given to the manoeuvring of the ship, and any movement or talkingnear me might distract my thoughts. I shall strive to lay heralongside of the biggest Dutchman I can pick out, and as soon as thegrapnels are thrown, and their sides grind together, you will havethe post of honour, and will lead the soldiers aboard her. Once amongthe Dutchmen, you will know what to do without my telling you."
"'Tis a grand sight, truly, Cyril," Sydney said, in a low tone, asthe great fleets met each other.
"A grand sight, truly, Sydney, but a terrible one. I do not think Ishall mind when I am once at it, but at present I feel that, despitemy efforts, I am in a tremor, and that my knees shake as I never feltthem before."
"I am glad you feel like that, Cyril, for I feel much like it myself,and began to be afraid that I had, without knowing it, been born acoward. There goes the first gun."
As he spoke, a puff of white smoke spouted out from the bows of one
of the Dutch ships, and a moment later the whole of their leadingvessels opened fire. There was a rushing sound overhead, and a ballpassed through the main topsail of the _Henrietta_. No reply wasmade by the English ships until they passed in between the Dutchmen;then the _Henrietta_ poured her broadsides into the enemy on eitherside of her, receiving theirs in return. There was a rending of wood,and a quiver through the ship. One of the upper-deck-guns was knockedoff its carriage, crushing two of the men working it as it fell.Several others were hurt with splinters, and the sails pierced withholes. Again and again as she passed, did the _Henrietta_ exchangebroadsides with the Dutch vessels, until--the two fleets havingpassed through each other--she bore up, and prepared to repeat themanoeuvre.
"I feel all right now," Cyril said, "but I do wish I had something todo instead of standing here useless. I quite envy the men there,stripped to the waist, working the guns. There is that fellow BlackDick, by the gun forward; he is a scoundrel, no doubt, but whatstrength and power he has! I saw him put his shoulder under that gunjust now, and slew it across by sheer strength, so as to bear uponthe stern of the Dutchman. I noticed him and Robert looking up at mejust before the first gun was fired, and speaking together. I have nodoubt he would gladly have pointed the gun at me instead of at theenemy, for he knows that, if I denounce him, he will get the duereward of his crimes."
As soon as the ships were headed round they passed through the Dutchas before, and this manoeuvre was several times repeated. Up to oneo'clock in the day no great advantage had been gained on either side.Spars had been carried away; there were yawning gaps in the bulwarks;portholes had been knocked into one, guns dismounted, and manykilled; but as yet no vessel on either side had been damaged to anextent that obliged her to strike her flag, or to fall out of thefighting line. There had been a pause after each encounter, in whichboth fleets had occupied themselves in repairing damages, as far aspossible, reeving fresh ropes in place of those that had been shotaway, clearing the wreckage of fallen spars and yards, and carryingthe wounded below. Four of the Volunteers had been struck down--twoof them mortally wounded, but after the first passage through theenemy's fleet, Prince Rupert had ordered them to arm themselves withmuskets from the racks, and to keep up a fire at the Dutch ships asthey passed, aiming specially at the man at the wheel. The order hadbeen a very welcome one, for, like Cyril, they had all feltinactivity in such a scene to be a sore trial. They were now rangedalong on both sides of the poop.
At one o'clock Lord Sandwich signalled to the Blue Squadron to closeup together as they advanced, as before, against the enemy's line.His position at the time was in the centre, and his squadron, sailingclose together, burst into the Dutch line before their ships couldmake any similar disposition. Having thus broken it asunder, insteadof passing through it, the squadron separated, and the ships, turningto port and starboard, each engaged an enemy. The other two squadronssimilarly ranged up among the Dutch, and the battle now becamefurious all along the line. Fire-ships played an important part inthe battles of the time, and the thoughts of the captain of a shipwere not confined to struggles with a foe of equal size, but werestill more engrossed by the need for avoiding any fire-ship thatmight direct its course towards him.
Cyril had now no time to give a thought as to what was passingelsewhere. The _Henrietta_ had ranged up alongside a Dutch vessel ofequal size, and was exchanging broadsides with her. All round werevessels engaged in an equally furious encounter. The roar of the gunsand the shouts of the seamen on both sides were deafening. One momentthe vessel reeled from the recoil of her own guns, the next shequivered as the balls of the enemy crashed through her sides.
Suddenly, above the din, Cyril heard the voice of Prince Rupert soundlike a trumpet.
"Hatchets and pikes on the starboard quarter! Draw in the guns andkeep off this fire-ship."
Laying their muskets against the bulwarks, he and Sydney sprang tothe mizzen-mast, and each seized a hatchet from those ranged againstit. They then rushed to the starboard side, just as a small ship cameout through the cloud of smoke that hung thickly around them.
There was a shock as she struck the _Henrietta_, and then, as sheglided alongside, a dozen grapnels were thrown by men on her yards.The instant they had done so, the men disappeared, sliding down theropes and running aft to their boat. Before the last leaped in hestooped. A flash of fire ran along the deck, there was a series ofsharp explosions, and then a bright flame sprang up from thehatchways, ran up the shrouds and ropes, that had been soaked withoil and tar, and in a moment the sails were on fire. In spite of theflames, a score of men sprang on to the rigging of the _Henrietta_and cut the ropes of the grapnels, which, as yet--so quickly had theexplosion followed their throwing--had scarce begun to check the waythe fire-ship had on her as she came up.
Cyril, having cast over a grapnel that had fallen on the poop, lookeddown on the fire-ship as she drifted along. The deck, which, likeeverything else, had been smeared with tar, was in a blaze, but thecombustible had not been carried as far as the helm, where doubtlessthe captain had stood to direct her course. A sudden thought struckhim. He ran along the poop until opposite the stern of the fire-ship,climbed over the bulwark and leapt down on to the deck, some fifteenfeet below him. Then he seized the helm and jammed it hard down. Thefire-ship had still steerage way on her, and he saw her head at oncebegin to turn away from the _Henrietta_; the movement was aided bythe latter's crew, who, with poles and oars, pushed her off.
The heat was terrific, but Cyril's helmet and breast-piece shelteredhim somewhat; yet though he shielded his face with his arm, he feltthat it would speedily become unbearable. His eye fell upon a coil ofrope at his feet. Snatching it up, he fastened it to the tiller andthen round a belaying-pin in the bulwark, caught up a bucket with arope attached, threw it over the side and soused its contents overthe tiller-rope, then, unbuckling the straps of his breast- andback-pieces, he threw them off, cast his helmet on the deck,blistering his hands as he did so, and leapt overboard. It was with adelicious sense of coolness that he rose to the surface and lookedround. Hitherto he had been so scorched by the flame and smothered bythe smoke that it was with difficulty he had kept his attention uponwhat he was doing, and would doubtless, in another minute, havefallen senseless. The plunge into the sea seemed to restore hisfaculties, and as he came up he looked eagerly to see how far successhad attended his efforts.
He saw with delight that the bow of the fire-ship was thirty or fortyfeet distant from the side of the _Henrietta_ and her stern halfthat distance. Two or three of the sails of the man-of-war had caughtfire, but a crowd of seamen were beating the flames out of two ofthem while another, upon which the fire had got a better hold, wasbeing cut away from its yard. As he turned to swim to the side of the_Henrietta_, three or four ropes fell close to him. He twisted oneof these round his body, and, a minute later, was hauled up into thewaist. He was saluted with a tremendous cheer, and was caught up bythree or four strong fellows, who, in spite of his remonstrances,carried him up on to the poop. Prince Rupert was standing on the topof the ladder.
"Nobly done, Sir Cyril!" he exclaimed. "You have assuredly saved the_Henrietta_ and all our lives. A minute later, and we should havebeen on fire beyond remedy. But I will speak more to you when we havefinished with the Dutchman on the other side."