The triumphant moment was, however, when the two frigates neared each other, and the victors shouted out, “We have got her—we have got her, without the loss of a man, though we have some pretty severe scratches among us. Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!”
Loud and hearty were the cheers; but there was too little time for making speeches. Most of the prisoners were removed to the Cerberus. A prize-crew, under the command of the second lieutenant, was put on board the re-captured frigate, and a course was immediately shaped for Jamaica. When Paul at length was able to turn into his hammock he felt very low-spirited. Not a word had been said of anything that had been done. He felt that he had certainly saved the captain’s life, and had in all probability prevented the ship from being blown up. Yet he would not be his own trumpeter, and he thought that very likely no one had observed what he had done, and that it would be entirely overlooked. “Well, I should not care so much for myself,” he thought, “but dear mother—how she would rejoice to hear that I had made my own way up to the quarter-deck. It can’t be helped, I must wait for another opportunity.”
The fate Paul dreaded has been that of many who have struggled on year after year in the hopes of winning fame, and have after all missed the object at which they aimed.
It was reported that the captain was suffering severely from his wounds, and for some days he did not appear on deck. Devereux, however, had not forgotten Paul, and took the first occasion to tell him that he would mention him to the captain as having preserved the ship and all their lives from destruction. Paul, on this, felt very much inclined to say that he had been the means also of preserving the captain’s life. “No, I won’t, though,” he thought; “the captain will make inquiries as to what happened when he was struck down, and the men who saw me defending him will surely tell him the truth.”
He therefore simply thanked Devereux for his kind intentions.
“You know, sir, that what I did was to save my own life as well as that of others,” he added.
“Very true, but still I think that the captain will consider your conduct worthy of reward,” answered Devereux.
To Reuben, Paul was more communicative.
“But do you know which were the men who came when you called for help?” asked the former.
Paul could not be positive as to one of them, on account of the darkness and confusion.