And to this decree Rénee is said to have cried: “At last! Hurray!” for he longed for action.
In a very short time little Rénee had a taste of that war and adventure which he craved, for a historian writes that:
“During the first three months of this cruise his courage was tried by a violent tempest, an imminent shipwreck, the boarding of an English ship, and the threatened destruction of his own vessel by fire. The following year, still as a volunteer, he displayed the greatest personal courage and won much fame in an engagement which his ship had with five merchant vessels.”
“Ah ha,” said little Rénee, “this is indeed life. I am having a good time.”
So well did those higher in command feel towards the youthful sailor, that, at the age of eighteen, he was actually put in charge of the ship Danycan of fourteen guns,—for France was at war with England, Holland, and Spain, and to him who could strike a quick and well-aimed blow there were “nice pickings” to be had. And the reckless young sea-dog found some “nice pickings” in Ireland, for, he landed an armed party upon the coast of County Clare, where he pillaged a village, burned two ships at anchor, and escaped to his own vessel with considerable booty and family heirlooms of the peasants, who said, “Och, Begorra! We’ll be afther that wild bhoy before many suns, and spank him for his unseemly whork.”
But the French cried “Voilà! Here, indeed, is a brave young Bourgeois,” and promptly raised him to the command of the Coetquen of eighteen guns, in which he soon went cruising, accompanied by a sister-ship, the St. Aaron.
Prowling around the English channel, the skulking sea-hounds soon came across two small English men-of-war with five valuable merchantmen under their sheltering wings.
“All ready for the attack!” shouted Du Guay-Trouin. “We’ll make mince-meat of those foreign hulks, in spite of the fact that they are protected by two men-of-war.”
And, crowding on all sail, his own vessel and the St. Aaron quickly bore down upon the Englishmen, who, seeing them approach, hove-to for action.
The engagement was short. After a few broadsides had been delivered, the English struck, the prizes were taken over, and all started for the coast of France. But suddenly a cry went up,