“Ay, ay, sir; with all our hearts,” said a short, broad, hard-featured man, who said he was first mate of the schooner. “This was a devil of a surprise, sir, and a bold venture,” he added as he looked at the few men belonging to the Vengeance, actively engaged separating the vessels.
“What is the name of your schooner, my man?” demanded Lieutenant Thornton.
“The Fox privateer, sir; eight guns and sixty men, from Poole—Captain George Goodall.”
“How is that?” said our hero, surprised. “Did you strike to this craft?”
“No, sir,” said the mate, “that we did not; we’d seed him to the devil first. We struck to the Virginie frigate after beating this here chap, and a small lugger that came up with us off Ushant; but the Virginie coming up, threatened to sink us if we did not strike, so in course we did. And so the captain of the frigate, who was watching the motions of our ships off Brest and Isle Dieu, took our captain and first lieutenant and nineteen of the men on board the Virginie, and then this here chap put us fourteen down below, and sent a prize crew into the schooner with orders to take us into Havre, where the frigate was bound to. The schooner is a mortal fast boat, sir; if you don’t look out you’ll never catch her.”
“Do not be alarmed about that, mate,” replied our hero. “We shall have her before two hours are out. Now I must divide our prisoners, for I cannot spare more than half-a-dozen men to take charge of this craft. I will leave five or six of your own men to keep her in our wake, whilst I chase the schooner.”
“Ay, ay, sir,” returned the mate; “that we will do, and willingly lend a hand in any way you think fit.”
Having divided the prisoners and separated the vessels, the Vengeance made all sail after the captured Fox. There was a fine smooth-water breeze, and the schooner, with every sail drawing, was making her way for the land, seeking to enter a deep bay, on whose western point Lieutenant Thornton knew there was a battery of four heavy guns. The Vengeance sailed under her enormous lugs and topsails like a witch, and yet so evenly and smoothly, that she created but little foam under her bows. Fast as the schooner certainly sailed, the Vengeance went two feet for her one. The crew of the Fox were in admiration of her speed, for just as the schooner came within reach of the battery, the Vengeance was close up with her. Nevertheless, the prize crew in the Fox opened fire upon them from her six-pounders; but Lieutenant Thornton, who could have done her considerable damage long before, did not return her fire, not wishing to injure the schooner; therefore, he at once ran alongside, and his men, being prepared, with a loud cheer, leaped down upon her deck, cutlass in hand. There were six or seven-and-twenty fierce privateer’s men on board the Fox, who received them with a volley from firearms; but our hero, followed closely by Bill Saunders, dashed in amongst the enraged enemy, driving them aft with a spirit and energy that staggered them. In the midst of the contest the English prisoners broke loose from below to the number of twenty, and with a loud cheer seized every available weapon, and attacked the enemy with a vigour and resolution that soon settled the affair. And the captain, having lost two of his crew and a dozen wounded, surrendered, just as the fort on the point opened fire; her first shot knocked the jib-boom of the schooner to atoms. By this time daylight dawned, and our hero at once ordered the two vessels to make sail from the shore. As the schooner hove round, a second shot knocked away her figure-head and part of her stern; but, a fresh wind blowing, she soon got out of range of the battery. Thornton had one or two slight cuts himself, and several of his men also; but none were seriously hurt. Our hero had a consultation with the mate of the Fox privateer, who, marvellously elated at the recapture of the schooner, was perfectly willing to do whatever Lieutenant Thornton considered most expedient.
Our hero wished him to run the two vessels across Channel to Poole, from whence the Fox hailed, and surrender her to her owners, leaving the settlement of recapture to be arranged when he arrived in England. As to the prisoners, being more in number than the united crews, our hero had them all put into the boats of the Belle Poule, and, standing to the eastward of the battery, permitted them to pull for the shore—a proceeding that afterwards proved exceedingly injurious to our hero.
Making but short delay, the two crafts bore away across Channel, whilst the Vengeance worked back to the mouth of the Seine. During the day Lieutenant Thornton got up two more guns from the hold of the Vengeance, and mounted them, and repaired the damage done to the rigging and sails.