The Engagement.
The fate of honest Martin hung in the balance; should I fail to strike up the captain’s arm, his death would be certain. Whether or no my action had been observed I could not tell, for the appearance of the stranger drew the captain’s attention off from his victim, and in a moment he seemed to have forgotten all about Martin.
The approaching ship fired a broadside which raked us fore and aft, sending many of the roystering crew to their dread account. Still undaunted, the captain ordered the starboard broadside to be fired in return, and the Constant Warwick, in consequence of the loss of her headsail, being unable to keep her position, we drew ahead of her; but our fresh antagonist, with her yards and rigging uninjured, quickly came up, and her guns, aimed at our masts, ere long brought down the fore and main-yards; but the flag still flew out at the peak of the corsair, and her guns on either side continued to belch forth their deadly missiles.
Though round shot and bullets from her antagonists came crashing on board the ship, tearing up the decks, piercing the sides, carrying away lanterns, boats, and spars, wounding her masts and plunging through her bulwarks, the scuppers running with blood, her gallant captain, standing still unharmed amid the dead and dying, refused to yield.
Malignant though he was, I could not help admiring his courage, regretting that he was not fighting in a better cause. I heartily wished that he would give in before more damage was done.
He seemed, however, in no way inclined to strike while there was a chance of escaping.
I feared, indeed, that after all he would get off, but the two Parliament ships plied him hard. Their commanders were as brave as he was, and had no intention of letting him escape.
Of this the corsair’s crew were at length convinced, and some, unwilling to encounter certain destruction, cried out to strike the flag.
“Who dares to say that?” shouted Captain Blackleach. Then he cried out to the boatswain, “Reeve a dozen ropes, and we’ll show our enemies how we treat traitors to our cause.”
The boatswain, seizing one of the men who desired to strike, was actually about to put the order into execution when Martin rushed to the poor fellow’s rescue.