“It surely seems as if we would be cut to pieces before going fifty yards from the brig’s side,” I replied, and certain am I that my voice trembled like a coward’s, although at the moment I was not conscious of what might rightly be called fear.
“That’s what I allow will happen,” the man said, as he stuffed his mouth full of tobacco. “It’s a likely spot in which to swamp a boat, yet I’m not so sure but that a decent man would choose to die there, rather than in yonder hole where Dr. Parsons hacks an’ hews to his heart’s content before the breath of life goes out.”
Perhaps it was some such reminder as this which I needed to give me the proper amount of spirit, for once he spoke of the cockpit I felt such a sense of relief at being free from it for the moment that there came to me a certain degree of calmness, enabling me to greet our commander properly when he came over the rail, followed by Alec.
It was as if my comrade shared in the glory which Commodore Perry had already won, and yet I did not envy him the honor. He was a brave lad, while I could be counted only as a timorous being whose courage was like to fail him at the supreme moment, and I felt more pride in his distinction of place than if our positions had been reversed.
Alec and his brother took their places in the stern-sheets, and the latter cried to Lieutenant Yarnall and the other bleeding, brave fellows who overhung the rail:—
“Do as you will with the Lawrence, Mr. Yarnall, and whatever may be the turn of affairs, count on our speedily coming to your assistance.”
“God bless you, commodore!” was the gallant officer’s reply, and then we left him on a sinking ship with only grievously wounded men as shipmates and crew.
It was the commodore himself who gave the order for us to push off, and, as if thinking we at the oars needed heartening lest we should falter in the task after reaching that spot where the iron hail was thickest, he wrapped the pennant around his shoulders, standing erect while we pulled out to what seemed certain death.
Once we were clear of the brig it was as if the enemy knew full well the precious cargo our boat carried, and understood that only by compassing the commodore’s death could they hope to win the day, for on the instant every gun was aimed at us, and every sharp-shooter on the Britishers’ decks used us as a target.
I may live to be a very old man, and take part in many another battle, but it is not possible I shall ever again find myself in such a deadly shower as was poured upon us from the moment we left the side of the shattered Lawrence.