“A mere scratch, sir, I thank you,” replied I. “Nothing worth speaking about.”
“So much the better,” answered the skipper. “Are you ready, there, with the guns? Then fire as we touch, and then follow me everybody but the sail-trimmers. Fire!”
The two vessels collided with considerably more violence than I had anticipated, so much so, indeed, that the shock sent me reeling to the deck, whereby I just escaped being shot through the head by the volley of musketry with which the Frenchmen greeted our arrival; at the same moment our broadside again crashed through and through the lugger’s bulwarks; and with a hearty cheer on our side, and a terrific hullabaloo on the part of the French, our lads leapt aboard the lugger, and, taking no denial, succeeded in clearing her decks after an obstinate fight of about a minute, during which several rather severe hurts were given and received on both sides.
Chapter Seven.
Our attack upon Abervrach Harbour.
The unwounded prisoners were quickly secured below;—the wounded on both sides being as quickly transferred to the Dolphin, in order that they might the more conveniently be attended to by our worthy surgeon; after which the prize was placed in charge of our second mate—a Portland man named John Comben—and we made sail in company.
The brig was at this time about a mile distant on our lee quarter, while the ship was about a mile and a half distant, just open of the brig’s stern. Captain Winter stood looking wistfully at the two vessels for a long time; but at length turned away and said regretfully:
“I am afraid we shall have to be content with what we have got, George. If there was only one of them, and I wouldn’t care very much which of them it was, I would tackle her unhesitatingly; but the two of them together are rather too big a mouthful for us. So make sail and let us get back to Weymouth as quickly as we can; if another Frenchman were to heave in sight while those two are so close to us we might find it a hard matter to take care of ourselves, to say nothing of the lugger.”