CHAPTER V.
THE NEW FLEET.
It would please me greatly to be able to go into all the details of whatwas done by the officers and crew of the _Essex_ while a new fleet wasbeing gotten together, for we did actually collect a squadron of vesselswhile so far from the home port; but we met with so many startlingadventures, each of which would be of greater interest to a strangerthan the setting down exactly how that or the other vessel was captured,that I shall tell this portion of the yarn as briefly as possible.
First let me say, however, that Phil Robbins and I were treated by themen on the gun-deck more as shipmates and less like boys after ouradventure in Valparaiso, although why there should have been any changeI am wholly unable to say, for we did nothing of moment, save to show,by our willingness to accompany Benson when he baited the trap for us,that we were more simple than lads of our age ought to have been.
It is not to be supposed that the old shellbacks showed any very intensedesire to be with us, and sometimes plainly said that the room weoccupied was better than our company; but they spoke with us now andthen as if we were in fact shipmates, sometimes even going so far as totell us a particularly interesting yarn. It goes without saying that wewere forced to wait upon the whole boiling of them, and were seldomallowed an idle hour; but, to describe the situation in a word, therewas a decided and agreeable change so far as we two lads were concerned.
After the _Barclay_ had been recaptured and remanned, we stood acrossfrom the mainland toward the islands without meeting a craft of anykind. On the 17th of April we made Chatham Island, but were not rewardedby the sight of an enemy, and a few days later we hove to off Charles'sIsland, where was located the whalers' post-office.
This last consisted only of a stout box nailed to a tree, where thefishermen deposited letters for each other, or to be taken home by thecraft heading in that direction. Captain Porter did not hesitate torifle the "mail," and by so doing gained much valuable informationconcerning the different ships in the Pacific.
We cruised around among the islands, seeing nothing which interested usin the way of business, until the 29th of April, just at sunrise, whenall hands rushed on deck at the welcome cry of "Sail ho!" the first wehad heard since the day we came across the _Barclay_.
A large ship could be seen to the westward, and an hour after we beganthe chase two other craft were sighted a trifle farther south.
With three ships in sight, and the odds in favor of all being enemies,it can well be understood that we were in a fine state of excitement.
Until this time I had positively refused to do as Phil desired in theway of asking my cousin, Lieutenant McKnight, to use his influence withLieutenant Downes to the end that we might be considered as members ofhis fleet; but on this morning, when it seemed positive there would behot work in plenty before night, I plucked up sufficient courage, as mykinsman was standing on the break of the quarter, to approach him.
It was the first time since we left port that I had ventured so far asto speak to an officer without first being accosted, and Stephen--I meanLieutenant McKnight--looked surprised, as indeed he had good cause tobe, since it is not customary for boys aboard a man-of-war to addressfamiliarly those who are so far above them in station.
However, it so chanced that the lieutenant was in good humor, as heshould have been, with so many possible prizes in sight, and kindlyanswered my salute by asking what I would have.
Had he been ashore and had I never sailed under his command, I shouldhave accosted him by the name of Stephen, and made known my wantsboldly; but now I stuttered and stammered like a simple, thus showingwhat a difference a uniform and a commission can make.
After a time, however, I managed to say, he kindly encouraging me to"speak up man fashion":--
"There's like to be much work for all hands before night, sir, andPhilip Robbins and I are sore at heart because of never having a chanceto prove that we can do more than falls to the lot of boys aboard ship."
"So!" the lieutenant said with a laugh. "You are growing down-heartedbecause there isn't danger enough?"
"It's not exactly that, sir; but when danger does come, we want our fullshare of it."
"Then you have no cause for complaint, lad. A round shot is as likely totake you off as me; aboard ship we all run the same chances."
"But those who are under Lieutenant Downes when his fleet is called awayare likely to see more service and have better opportunities for earningadvancement," I stammered, whereat he laughed heartily, thus putting meconsiderably more at my ease.
"You are eager to try your hand at close work?" he said, rather thanasked; and I fancied he was not displeased because I had ventured toapproach him on such an errand.
"That is what we most desire, sir," I replied. "If you could onlypersuade Lieutenant Downes to take us with him when next the boats arecalled away, I would do anything I could to repay you when we getashore."
"But what would my uncle, your father, say when I saw him? Do you thinkhe is as eager that his son should be shot as you are?"
"We're not counting on that part of it, sir. All who come to closequarters with an enemy are not shot, else you would never be standing onthis quarter-deck, wearing the uniform of a lieutenant."
He smiled at this bold speech of mine, whereat I plucked up couragesufficient to continue by saying:--
"Unless you had been given an opportunity of showing what you could do,a commission would never have come your way."
"Now we are getting at the real reason for this request!" he exclaimedcheerily. "You and Robbins believe that by taking part in one sharpengagement rapid advancement is assured?"
"We never will advance, sir, until we have shown ourselves worthy, andthere is no great chance of doing good work while we loiter on boardwhen others are paving their way to a commission."
"You speak right sensibly, Cousin Ezra," he said, in a tone which wentstraight to my heart; for it proved that he had not forgotten the tiesof kinship which bound us, even though he was so much higher in station."I will do all I may properly to persuade Mr. Downes to take you underhis wing. If I succeed, remember that I would be equally shamed if youshowed the white feather."
"None of the McKnights have ever done anything of the kind, sir, andit's not likely your cousin would be the first to write himself down acoward."
"I begin to believe that you're of the right sort, Ezra; and if youdon't make your way in the navy, it won't be because I haven't done myshare toward it."
Surely, a lad could not ask for a fairer promise than that; and aftersaluting properly I went forward, feeling remarkably well pleased withmyself.
I found Phil on the forecastle-deck, and the lad was so overjoyed by thenews, having come to believe I would never dare ask such a favor of mycousin, that he would have kissed me then and there, but I sprang backin time to prevent an exhibition which must have made us thelaughing-stock of all our messmates.
From this time on it can well be imagined that we watched the chase witheven more of interest than would ordinarily have been displayed, andPhil said again and again that he hoped the wind would die away, so wemight be called to the boats.
If all his wishes could have been granted so quickly, he might havecounted himself the most fortunate lad in all the world.
We rapidly overhauled the ship first sighted, and it was no more thannine o'clock in the morning when we came within half a mile, pitching ashot across her bows which brought her to in short order.
The _Essex_ was run within hailing distance, and then we learned thatour prize was the British whaleship _Montezuma_, with fourteen hundredbarrels of oil on board.
We could not afford to spend very much time on her because the other twocraft were near at hand, and without further ceremony than that ofhailing to learn who she was, a prize crew was called away to board her.
We waited only long enough to make certain our men were not opposedwhen they went over the rail, and then the _Essex_ was headed for theother ships, both of whom
were clawing off at the best possible speed.
For two hours we cracked on every inch of canvas that could be spread,overhauling the strangers in fine style, and then, while we were yetfully eight miles distant, Phil's wish was granted. The wind died awayso suddenly that, save for the general excitement of taking prizes, allhands would have been on the lookout for a squall, and Phil cried in myear:--
"Now we shall see something of real business. Those craft won't submittamely to our small boats, and we shall know what a sea-fight is like!"
I believed he spoke only the truth, and once more the cold shiverschased themselves up and down my backbone; for despite all the finewords with which I had regaled my cousin, I was not really hankering toput myself in the way of the smallest shot that might be fired. Themischief had been done, however, and by no one but myself; therefore theleast I could do was to look pleasant, although I hoped most ferventlythat Mr. Downes would give no heed to my cousin's request.
In this last I was most wofully disappointed, for Phil had hardly morethan ceased speaking when a marine came to summon me aft.
I went, knowing full well why the order had been sent, and blamingmyself for a meddling fool, when by holding my tongue I might haveremained safe and sound on board the _Essex_ instead of pulling a heavyoar two or three hours simply that the Britishers could have anopportunity to kill me.
Lieutenant Downes was on the quarter talking with Captain Porter when Icame up, and not until his interview with the commander was come to anend did he turn toward me. Then it was to say:--
"So you and your comrade are eager for a taste of boat-work?"
I could do no less than agree with him after all the fine speeches I hadmade to my cousin; and he said, as if believing he was doing me awonderful favor:--
"When the boat crews are called away, you two lads will take your placesalongside me. I have promised Mr. McKnight to have an eye out on youbloodthirsty youngsters, and it won't be my fault if he doesn't hearexactly how you behaved under fire."
If I had not been on the quarter-deck I believe of a verity I shouldhave groaned; as it was I said to my miserable self that if we caught itvery hot, my cousin would wish I had never been born.
I thanked the lieutenant in a shaky voice, and, saluting, went forwardto wreak my vengeance on Phil for having persuaded me into such a scrapewhen there was no sense in it.
I changed my mind very quickly after joining the lad; he, like me, hadgrown faint-hearted now the opportunity for hot work was close at hand,and I knew by the expression on his face that he regretted, as did I,having made any such foolish request.
"I suppose we've got to go," he said in a faint tone; and the contrastbetween his manner now and when I first told him what my cousin hadpromised, was so comical that I could not keep my face straight. "It'sall very well for you who are really brave," he continued, believingfrom the smile on my face that there was no fear in my heart; "but Idon't think I want to go."
Since he had given me the credit of being brave when, as a matter offact, I was more cowardly even than he, I did not propose to undeceivehim, but said as stoutly as possible:--
"You can't back out now, Phil, else every man on board will set youdown for the veriest kind of a coward."
"That's just what I am," he whispered, and again I laughed, this timebecause I had earned the reputation of being stout-hearted when any lambwould have outclassed me in that respect.
We were not given much time to mourn over the situation. Ourconversation was hardly more than come to its sorrowful end when theword was given for the crews of the boats to stand ready, and we twolads ranged ourselves meekly beside Mr. Downes.
We embarked in proper fashion once the boats came alongside, and werestationed in the stern-sheets near the lieutenant, when it would havebeen more to my liking had we been forced to work the oars; for by sodoing we might keep our thoughts from what seemed surely to be beforeus.
As I have said, it was about eleven o'clock when the wind died out, andthe _Essex_ was fully eight miles from the nearest stranger.
I could see that the men were settling to the oars for a long pull, andthe knowledge that whatsoever danger awaited us was an hour or more inthe future enabled me to keep my cowardly fears in check. Phil alsorevived when he understood that some considerable time must elapsebefore we had come within range of the enemy's guns, and looked quitecheerful as we answered the cheers of those on board the _Essex_.
Not until two o'clock, and by that time I was terribly cramped withsitting so long in one position, did we come near the strangers. Then wewere about a mile distant when they hoisted the British colors andopened fire.
We were so far away, and their aim was so bad, that the shots failed tocome within an hundred yards of us, whereat my courage increased oncemore; my heart came out of my boots where it had gone at the sound ofthe first gun, and I began to think the danger was not so great as hadbeen represented.
Phil remained silent, clutching my belt, and I could feel his handtrembling violently.
"They can't send a shot anywhere near us," I whispered encouragingly.
"Ay, there's little danger while we're so far away; but we're goingnearer each moment, and then of a surety they must strike us."
This was a very unpleasant suggestion, and I ceased my efforts atbolstering up his courage as I tried to stiffen my own.
The Britishers were lying about a quarter of a mile apart, and becausethe men were at the guns ready for action, I fancied we were very near abloody engagement.
Lieutenant Downes gave a command for the boats to form in open order,and each craft shot out of line until she was heading a course of herown, the whole advancing after the fashion of the sticks of a fan.
It seemed strange to me that the enemy ceased firing at the moment webegan the advance in proper fashion. We could see that on board thenearest ship they were training their guns on us, and expected eachinstant one of our craft would be struck, yet not a piece wasdischarged.
Nearer and nearer we approached, until it was possible to see distinctlyevery person on deck; but still the guns remained silent.
I hardly dared to breathe, nor would I look at Phil lest he should readin my eyes the fear that was in my heart.
We were come within fifty yards; every gun on the port side was trainedupon us, and the officers on the quarter stood as if on the point ofgiving the order to open fire.
I shut my eyes, for it seemed certain that the battle could not longerbe delayed, and to my mind there was little chance any of our boatswould survive the first broadside.
The rousing cheers of the men startled me into opening my eyes again,and for an instant I could not understand the meaning of the shouts; butPhil soon enlightened me as he exclaimed in a tone of most intenserelief:--
"They've struck their colors! They've struck their colors!"
It was indeed a fact, and our boat's crew scrambled on board, we twolads following in silent amazement, hardly conscious of what we weredoing until Lieutenant Downes began calling off the names of those whowould remain on board as prize crew.
We had captured the _Georgiana_, a British whaler which had originallybeen built for the East India Company's service, and was credited withbeing a fast sailer. She was pierced for eighteen guns, but had only sixmounted when we took possession of her.
After the crew had been sent below, the hatches closed, and the officerswere imprisoned in the cabin, Lieutenant Downes called away such of ourmen as had been selected to man the prize, and off we went to tryconclusions with the second craft.
By this time Phil and I were quite brave; we had come to understandthat danger cannot be lessened by fear, and were disposed to believethat the British whalers were not such fighters as had been supposed.
Our small fleet dashed on toward the second ship in the same order aswhen we came upon the _Georgiana_, and the same peaceful capture wasours. All the ship's crew were at the guns, yet they hauled down theircolors when we were close upon them, and the Essex had tak
en threeprizes in one day.
This last ship proved to be the _Policy_, a whaler, pierced for eighteenguns and having ten mounted.
How our men cheered when we were on board the third prize without somuch as a scratch! It was something to boast of, this taking three fineships in one day, and again did it appear as if the "luck of the_Essex_" was an established fact.
Lieutenant Downes did not think it necessary to pull back to the frigatenow that the work was finished and there did not appear to be anythingof importance on hand. The crews were set about this trifling duty orthat, and we waited until sunset for a wind, when the prizes were saileddown to where the flagship lay close alongside the _Barclay_ and the_Montezuma_.
It was a veritable fleet which Captain Porter now had under his command,and the only drawback was the number of prisoners we were forced tolook after; but that was a trifling matter when one considered it as theonly cost of four fine ships.
Master Hackett thought it proper to compliment Phil and me on ourmanliness in applying for permission to go with Lieutenant Downes at atime when it seemed positive there was hot work ahead, and I felt muchas though I was acting a lie when I remained silent while the old manwas bestowing so much praise upon us.
If he had known all that was in our hearts as we were pulling toward thewhalers, I question if he would so much as have spoken to us again.
Now we two, Phil and I, began to ask ourselves if we were regularlydrafted to Mr. Downes's fleet, or whether we had been taken for that onecruise only; and, ashamed though I should be to confess it, there was agreat hope in my heart that in the future we would be forced to remainon board the _Essex_ when there was any more cutting out to be done.
Before another day had come to an end we of the gun-deck learned,through one of the marines, as a matter of course, that Captain Porterhad decided to equip the _Georgiana_ as a cruiser, with LieutenantDownes as commander. By so doing he would have an able assistant insearching for the enemy, and also a consort on which the crew of the_Essex_ might find refuge in case of any serious injury to the frigate.
And now it was that, remaining at sea as if we were in dock, the work ofmaking the fleet ready for service was begun; and the old shellbacksinsisted that by so doing we were adding to the marvellous achievementsof our ship. She had sailed halfway around the world, depending upon theenemy for supplies, going where there could be no possibility ofreceiving assistance in case she was overtaken by disaster,--which wassomething that had never been attempted before,--and now we were toeclipse even that feat by remodelling the enemy's merchantmen into warvessels while in mid-ocean, using for the purpose supplies we had justcaptured.
If ever there was a case of living on the enemy, ours surely was thissituation.
From this day until the difficult task had been performed every man andboy was kept busy from early dawn until darkness rendered it difficultto see what we were about; and in this general furbishing our own shipwas not neglected. The rigging of the _Essex_ was overhauled and tarred;strained spars were replaced by new ones, and the frigate was given acomplete coat of paint.
The _Georgiana_ was transformed by the taking down of her try-work,which had been used for getting oil from the blubber of whales, and allthe small arms from the other prizes were sent on board. She was givenher full complement of guns, those from the _Policy_ being transshipped,and on the 18th day of May Lieutenant Commandant Downes hoisted theAmerican pennant on board the _Georgiana_, 16, firing a salute ofseventeen guns, all of which were answered by the _Essex_, while theremaining prizes made as much noise as was possible.
We had a great celebration that day when a new ship was added to theUnited States Navy, and the cooks did their share toward it by fillingour duff so full of plums that one could almost believe he was eating aregular, home-made pudding.
The manning of our prizes cost us so many of our crew that after all theships were in sailing trim we had on board the _Essex_ only two hundredand sixty-four, including officers, a small number, as Master Hackettdeclared, to handle the frigate in case we found ourselves inaction,--an event which seemed only too probable when it should be knownin England what mischief we were working among the whalers.
Our new man-of-war was given a fair trial to prove whether she was asgood a sailer as had been believed, and we soon learned that theBritishers were decidedly at fault regarding her. She could not hold herown with the _Essex_ even under the most favorable circumstances; butyet she was by no means a tub, and might be of great service beforefalling in with an enemy sufficiently heavy to send her to the bottom.
Four days after being put into commission the _Georgiana_ set off on anindependent cruise, and we hung around Charles's Island until the 28thof May before sighting another sail.
Then one hove in sight dead ahead, and, success having made usconfident, we piled on the canvas, believing she was the same as oursalready.
Our three prizes, with good working crews, were close aboard us at themoment the stranger was sighted, and away we dashed in the finest style,ready to meet anything from a line-of-battle ship to a couple offrigates.
The chase was begun late in the afternoon, and we held on all night,keeping her well in sight, and heaving in view another sail of which wetook no notice, save to send a couple of boats after her, for the birdwhich we had almost in our hand was worth any two well down on thehorizon.
The stranger was a big ship, and sailed well; but she could not holdher own with the _Essex_, and by nine o'clock next morning we werealongside with the crew at quarters.
We believed of a verity that this fellow would fight, since he had tenports on a side, and once more did I feel too nervous for comfort; butno sooner were we in a position to open the battle than she surrendered,and we were in possession of the British whaler _Atlantic_, of threehundred and fifty-five tons burden, carrying twenty-four men. She hadeight eighteen-pounders mounted, and might have held us in check longenough to show that English sailors are the gluttons at fighting whichthey claim to be.
No sooner had we thrown a prize crew on board, and seen to it that theBritishers were secured where they couldn't make any trouble for ourmen, than the _Essex_ was put about in chase of the sail we had sightedduring the night, our consorts following a long distance in our wake,unable to keep the pace we were setting.
We came up with the chase about noon, and then were becalmed within twomiles of her.
She appeared to be heavily armed, and we were short-handed inconsequence of having distributed so many men among the prizes takenthus far, as well as sending out the two boats, which had probably beenpicked up by some of our fleet before this time.
To equip the fleet of small boats would require nearly every man and boyon board, leaving no one to handle the frigate in case the wind sprangup, and as we noted this fact--I mean as the old shellbacks discussedit--Master Hackett said to me with a long-drawn sigh of relief:--
"It's the luck of the _Essex_ to find Britishers so plentiful; but thistime she's got more'n a mouthful, an' that fellow yonder is like to giveus the slip unless our slow-movin' prizes work up this way before thewind rises."
"Do you mean, Master Hackett, that we can't make any effort at capturingher?" I asked in surprise.
"Look about an' see if that ain't the size of it. Do you reckon CaptainPorter would strip his own ship, leavin' her helpless in case this 'erecalm ended with a squall?"
It surely did not seem possible our commander would do anything of thekind, and my heart was heavy as I gazed at the Britisher lying so nearat hand and we unable to so much as come up with her.
Before our crew had much time for discussion we were startled, and someof the oldest hands almost frightened, by being called to man the boats;and our surprise may be imagined when we learned that every craft was tobe sent off.
I saw the old shellbacks looking at each other furtively, exchanging oddglances and shrugging their shoulders as much as to say that CaptainPorter must have taken leave of his senses; but into the boats theywent, an
d all hands followed until there were none left aboard thefrigate except the captain himself, the chaplain, the captain's clerk,and the boatswain.
Four men only to look after the _Essex_ in case of sudden danger, or inevent of our being forced to surrender! It surely seemed as if we weregazing upon the frigate for the last time, when the boats were pulledaway, and I heard Master Hackett mutter to the man nearest him:--
"Take your good-by squint at the old hooker, matey, for I'm reckonin'there's many a chance you'll never see her again. I'm willin' to admitthat a man-o'-warsman is bound to run many a risk; but this 'ere beatsanything I ever saw or heard of before."
And from the expression on the faces of all I understood that to a manthe crew believed we were going far beyond our duty,--which fact, as maywell be imagined, was not calculated to make me very comfortable inmind. There were an hundred things likely to happen that would leave uswithout a ship, and it was by no means even chances that we could gain afoothold on the deck of the stranger. Surely, the day must come when weshould find a Britisher who would fight, even though he was no more thana whaler, and this might be the day.
Looking back I could see Captain Porter pacing the quarter-deck, and Iwondered if he believed himself fully justified in thus leaving thefrigate to the mercy of the sea and weather when we might not succeed inour errand.
However, it was not for a lad like me to speculate as to whether thecaptain was going beyond duty and reason. I was a member of the boat'screw, and as such must do my utmost to make of the expedition a success,regardless of what threatened the _Essex_.