Again did the crew of the corvette cheer, though, unfortunately, one man was killed, and four wounded, by the broadside. The schooner, however, having her braces and principal rigging shot away, missed stays, and the next minute the Babet luffing up, the schooner fell on board her, on her starboard quarter.
“Now then,” exclaimed young Thornton, to his favourite top-man, Bill Saunders, who had been purposely selected to accompany the corvette to England; “now then, let us at them with cutlass and pistol!” and, with a wild hurrah, he sprang into the shrouds of the schooner, and then, cutlass in hand, sprung upon her deck.
Saunders followed, with a daring set of boarders, and, swinging his cutlass round his head, dashed headlong after his favourite. There were nearly fifty men on deck, and the boarders of the corvette were met at first with desperate obstinacy. But the midshipman was a daring youth, of great activity and strength for his years; he burst through the enemy and reached the Captain, who was furiously urging on his men, swearing he would sink the schooner before he would strike his flag. Seeing young Thornton driving his men forward, he aimed his pistol at his head, but missed him; whilst our hero, drawing one from his belt, fired in return, and the Captain fell dead upon the deck. The mate, uttering a terrible oath, clutched his musket, and, with a blow behind, felled William Thornton beside the Captain; but Bill Saunders drove his cutlass through the mate, and had lifted the midshipman in his arms, just as Captain O’Loughlin, with a dozen men, threw himself on board.
Dispirited and disheartened by the fall of their Captain, and seeing their mate desperately wounded, the crew of the schooner threw down their arms and surrendered.
During this contest on board the schooner, the Vengeance, in her crippled state, had kept up a constant fire upon the Babet, but a dense fog again setting in, accompanied by drizzling ruin, shut out all objects around.
“Are you much hurt, William?” demanded O’Loughlin, anxiously, of the midshipman, as he sat on the cabin hatch, letting Bill Saunders bind up his wound on the head with a handkerchief.
“No, nothing of any consequence,” replied our hero, rising up, and looking around; “but where is the lugger?”
“To the deuce with the lugger!” cried Captain O’Loughlin; “jump on board and pacify the women; they are frightened out of their wits, and have got it into their heads you are killed.”
The young man jumped on to the deck of the Babet, and in another minute was in the cabin. Mabel gave a cry of joy, and the girls, shaking him by the hand, expressed their joy at his safety—hoping that Captain O’Loughlin was unhurt, and, indeed, anxious for the safety of all on board.
“Our gallant Captain is quite safe,” replied our hero, petting his little favourite, who clung to him with sweet affection.