“Ha! by Jove!” said our hero, “if this should be the Onyx; and yet she would be no match whatever for this frigate. The situation is perilous,” continued our hero to Bill Saunders, who came to his side, knowing full well how deeply anxious his master must be, seeing the object he so ardently longed to behold coming towards him.
“We must cross between that lugger and the chasse-mare, Bill. Get your men to the guns; I will take the helm and pass as close to her as I can. We will prevent this privateer lugger closing with her; and if the chasse-mare with the red flag hauls her wind she may stand along shore, having the advantage of the breeze, and thus escape, for the frigate will not look to her.”
“Ay, ay, sir. As soon as that fellow comes in range of our long eighteen-pounder shall I give him a dose of round shot, and mayhap cripple him?”
“Yes, cripple him, by all means, Bill; bring down some of his spars, and we may get out of this scrape yet. Now, Master Burdett, look to the men and see they do not want for ammunition, for the lugger approaching us is a formidable opponent in men and metal.”
Whilst speaking, Lieutenant Thornton kept his eye fixed upon the movements of the frigate. She was close hauled, and standing with her head to the eastward. She would thus intercept any attempt of the Ca-Ira to gain the open sea. But his attention was more imperatively called to the Etoile privateer, on which, coming within range of his carronade, Bill Saunders opened fire, and with such exceeding good aim that at the second discharge he brought down the main-lug, knocking the yard to splinters. This gave our hero an opportunity of tacking, and though the Etoile fired a broadside at him with her eight-pounders, she merely cut some tacks and sheets, which were immediately replaced.
The Vengeance, on the starboard tack, could now run close under the stern of the chasse-mare, which had already hauled her wind, keeping along shore to the eastward. Our hero could see by the white dresses, on which the sun shone, that there were several females on the deck of the vessel; and his heart told him that Mabel was surely amongst them. In ten minutes he was nearly within hail, and with his glass could distinguish Mabel, Madame Coulancourt, and Julia, gazing towards the Vengeance. The Etoile had rapidly repaired her disaster, and was again steering towards them.
Lieutenant Thornton stood ready to hail the Ca-Ira, as the Vengeance came tearing through the water under her immense lugs, over which were hoisted a kind of gaff-topsail, shaped like the lugs themselves. She presented a very beautiful sight, for the breeze was fresh and the sails all filled to their fullest extent. The captain of the Ca-Ira stood close to the topsail, ready to answer our hero’s hail, whilst the females made anxious signals, showing their joy at seeing him. Waving his hat to them, Lieutenant Thornton, as the helm was put down a little, so that the Vengeance should range up partly alongside, addressed the captain of the Ca-Ira, telling him not to attempt to leave the coast, but to keep close in with the land, and, sooner than get within range of the frigate’s guns, to run the vessel into some bight, saying that he hoped to induce the frigate to chase him, and thus leave the Ca-Ira free, and not to care about the privateer in their wake.
Whilst speaking, Julian Arden, who longed to get on board the Vengeance, hailed Lieutenant Thornton to stand by and pick him up, and, notwithstanding the tears of Mabel, and the earnest entreaties of his mother and Julia, who in this moment of excitement betrayed the interest she felt in his safety, he threw himself overboard.
The Vengeance immediately backed her fore-sail, and ropes being thrown to the daring and gallant youth, he was safely hauled on board.
There was only time for an ardent pressure of the hand between the two friends, for the guns of the Etoile began to open upon them.