The sails over the guns had caught fire, owing to some desperate fellows beneath turning one of them loaded with grape towards the stern of the privateer, and applying a match, the iron shower actually slaughtering friend and foe. Captain Ovet was desperately wounded, and Captain Gaudet killed, with one or two of his men, whilst several of Lieutenant Thornton’s men were wounded, but none killed.
The onset of Julian Arden and Bill Saunders carried all before them, when suddenly the flames burst up in a sheet from the blazing lug-sail. Whilst this was taking place, and Lieutenant Thornton had pressed his antagonist, almost at the last gasp, against the bulwarks, a figure crept out from under the long boat, between the masts, with a cocked pistol in his band. It was Augustine Vadier. Stealing cautiously on, he gained the back of Lieutenant Thornton, and lifting the pistol, with a smothered curse, to within a few inches of his head, he was in the act of pulling the trigger, and our hero’s fate would have been sealed, had not Bill Saunders, who in the midst of the fiercest strife, kept his eye upon his master, perceived the movements of Augustine Vadier, and with a bound across the deck, despite blows of pikes and cutlasses aimed at him in passing, reached the spot. Just as the villain raised the pistol, Bill’s grasp was on his throat. Nevertheless, the trigger was pulled, but the aim was disturbed. Our hero had just disarmed Bertram Gramont, inflicting a severe wound on his sword arm, but the tool was destined to slay his master. The ball from Vadier’s pistol grazed the cheek of William Thornton, and passed through the brain of Bertram Gramont, who, falling back against the bulwarks, went over the side a corpse.
“Curse you, you sneaking lubber!” shouted Bill, as he raised the struggling form of Augustine Vadier in his arms; “the death of a brave man is too good for you. Die like a dog!”
And raising him in his powerful arms, he hurled him overboard.
Lieutenant Thornton saw the act, and would, if he could, have prevented it, but a rush of the enemy aft separated him and Bill; and, after another furious struggle, the men of the Etoile, without a commander, threw down their arms and surrendered. By great exertions the flames of the blazing lug were got under, and the efforts of the sailors were directed to separate the two vessels, and secure the prisoners. Julian Arden, who had fought most gallantly, and was unwounded, called our hero’s attention to the movements of the frigate Virginie.
CHAPTER XL.
So completely absorbed were all parties on board the Vengeance and the Etoile, during their fierce and sanguinary struggle, that no attention had been paid to the movements of the frigate, till the thunder of her guns awoke them from their forgetfulness. Looking round, our hero perceived that the Virginie had altered her course, and was at that moment engaged in a combat with the strange sail they had seen in the distance some time back. A look through his glass satisfied Lieutenant Thornton that the stranger engaging the Virginie frigate was the Onyx, Captain O’Loughlin. This startled him, for the Onyx carried only twenty-two guns, and her complement of men, unless recruited, was very short; besides, in tonnage she was scarcely more than half the size of the Virginie, a large and remarkably fine frigate.
At about a league’s distance the chasse-mare, the Ca-Ira, was seen lying to under her fore-lug and mizen, as if watching the sequel of events. In the meantime, by immense exertions, the fire on board the Etoile was entirely subdued, the wounded were all got together and placed in her cabin, under the care of a young surgeon belonging to the vessel, and the dead consigned to the resting-place of thousands. The Etoile, totally dismasted, was allowed to drift out from the land, whilst the Vengeance was got clear for action; Lieutenant Thornton being resolved to do all he could to assist the Onyx against her formidable antagonist. Our hero had now but two-and-twenty men left fit for service, but these were eager and enthusiastic. He had two eighteen-pound carronades, and with these he might do good service.
Leaving his late opponent perfectly helpless, except that two of her boats were still serviceable, in which her crew might escape if they liked, our hero, with his own wounded made as comfortable as circumstances would permit in the Vengeance, re-fitted his mizen-mast, and spliced as much of his rigging as had suffered damage, and then prepared to sail after the two combatants, which, at that moment, were running parallel with each other. It was very apparent that Captain O’Loughlin, knowing how inferior he was to his opponent, was extremely desirous of avoiding having his sails and rigging cut to pieces by the Virginie’s line of fire, which evidently wished to cripple the Onyx, that she might not, by any chance, escape. Just as the Vengeance was coming rapidly up, the Virginie wore, and came to again on the opposite tack, bringing a fresh broadside to bear upon the bows of the corvette. This manœuvre the Virginie repeated twice, greatly to the annoyance of the Onyx. Captain O’Loughlin was getting impatient at being so foiled, and unable, from inferior sailing—for the French frigate was remarkably fast—to pass ahead or astern of the Virginie, ran right at her to windward. Just then the Vengeance opened fire upon the French frigate, having hoisted English colours, and, with her long eighteen-pound carronades, her fire did considerable damage to the Virginie’s rigging and yards. She was too low in the water to injure her crew; but, using her heavy guns with great judgment, she completely cut away her braces and splintered her fore-yard so much that the frigate was forced to turn her attention to her minor antagonist, whose matchless sailing qualities enabled her, by skilful manœuvring, to avoid the broadside of the enraged crew of the Virginie. The Onyx, by this time, was able, both standing on the larboard tack, to bring her broadside to bear at pistol-shot distance; both vessels, at the same time, keeping up an animated fire of round, grape, and musketry. Owing to the press of sail under which the Onyx had approached, she ranged considerably ahead. The Virginie now bore up, and passing athwart the stern of the Onyx, raked her; but the Onyx’s men, throwing themselves flat upon the deck, suffered but little. The Vengeance passed across the bows of the Onyx, pouring the contents of her eighteen-pound carronades, crammed with grape and canister, into the quarter of the Virginie, shattering her quarter galley, and besides wounding several of her men, cut the sheets of her mainsail so that the sail blew out unrestrained. A loud cheer burst from the crew of the Onyx, and Captain O’Loughlin, springing into the mizen shrouds, waved his hat to our hero, who was standing, returning his greeting, on the carriage of a gun.