The Champion, under all sail, ran on to overtake the convoy and announce the satisfactory intelligence that the enemy, severely shattered, had been beaten off. A look-out was kept from the mast-head, but as yet no sail were in sight, and as the sun was sinking low, there was no hope of coming up with them before dark. Still, it was possible that the corvette might do so before the next morning. By that time they would be approaching the Bahama or Windward Channel, a short way to the southward of Saint Salvador, as the Spaniards called it, or Cat Island, as it was named by the English buccaneers—the first land belonging to America discovered by Columbus on his voyage in search of the Indies.
“They are not likely to attempt running through the passage without waiting for our convoy,” observed the first lieutenant to Norman Foley. “Besides the French, the Bahamas still swarm with picarooning rascals, who are ever on the look-out for merchant craft, and would not scruple to lay aboard any they fancy they can overcome.”
“Even the most daring would scarcely venture, I hope, to attack a fleet among which are so many armed vessels, well able either to defend themselves or to retaliate on an intruder,” answered Lieutenant Foley, whose thoughts immediately flew to the Ouzel Galley.
“They would run the chance of getting off scot free in the confusion their sudden appearance would make,” said Mr Tarwig. “There is no exploit, however hazardous, they would not undertake with the chance of obtaining a good booty. I took part in the capture of several notorious pirates a few years ago. One fellow blew up his ship rather than surrender, and all died hardened villains, as they had lived.”
“The greater need for us to overtake our friends without delay,” answered the second lieutenant, who shortly afterwards went forward to take a look through his night-glass, in the hope of distinguishing some of the lights which the merchant vessels had been directed to hang over the sterns. In vain, however, he swept the horizon with his telescope; had the lights been there, he must have seen them. The commander was almost as anxious as the second lieutenant to overtake the fleet of merchantmen, though he was influenced simply by the desire to do his duty. The watch below had turned in, but most of the officers kept the deck; even old Crowhurst was continually on the forecastle in the hope of seeing the looked-for lights.
“I fancied that they would have shortened sail and waited for our coming,” said Gerald. “What can have induced them to run on?”
“The fear that the Frenchmen would thrash us and overtake them,” answered old Beater; “they judge of us by themselves.”
“There are as brave fellows in the merchant service as in the Royal Navy,” said Gerald, who was piqued at the old mate’s remark. “When I was on board the Ouzel Galley, we held out as long as any ship of war of similar force would have done. Depend on it, had the merchant vessels been allowed, they would have come to our assistance if we had wanted them.”
“A pretty pass we should have come to, to require their aid,” exclaimed Crowhurst, in a scornful tone.
“We may require it some day, and you’d be the first to shout for help,” answered Gerald. “I took a fancy to the navy, but I’m not going to stand by and hear the merchant service abused.”