Arnold's Tempter

by Benjamin F. Comfort

Barclugh took his place among the armed men below, and kept in the dark corners until the command was passed to man cutter number one.

As the sloop boomed up with a spanking breeze, every available space was occupied by the one hundred armed men on her decks, so that they looked like black birds. Captain Risk did not intend to remain idle while this array was coming on. Instead, he trained his long eighteen-pound pivot, and opened the fracas by giving the Englishman a good shot between wind and water.

The sloop then manned the cutters and while they were advancing on the brig, the sloop luffed up and delivered a broadside at long range, but most of the shot fell short.

However, four boats’ crews, three from the frigate and one from the sloop, advanced on the Holker with loud cheers. Barclugh took his place unnoticed; the frigate’s men thought a man from the sloop had gotten into their crew by mistake. The spy was intent on gaining the deck of the Holker so that he might protect Risk if possible.

As the four boats’ crews came up to the Holker’s bow within close range, Captain Risk swung off on the kedge-spring line, and brought his broadside up to the boats and a sheet of flame burst out of the Holker’s side. A score of men lay prostrate on the bottom of the boats. Barclugh escaped.

The boats opened up a hot fire and took different courses,—one to the forward chains,—one on each quarter, and one astern.

The boat’s crew astern cut the spring-line on the kedge, but that only let the Holker drift with the wind.

Now commenced the fight with small arms, when the cannon could not bear. The crew of the Holker stationed themselves on the forecastle and on the quarter-deck.

A rush was made by the attacking party at the forward chains, but every time a head showed itself above the bulwarks, it was met with a cutlass or marlin-spike.

Two different rushes were made by the British at the stern, but each attack was repulsed, and after forty minutes of ineffectual work the English boats retired amidst loud cheers from the Holker’s crew.