The Three Commanders

by William Henry Giles Kingston

“We must just do that same then; and if we can’t knock the fort to pieces with our guns, we must land and storm it,” said Jack.

His remark was received with universal satisfaction, as no one thought of the superior number of the garrison likely to oppose them. The chase was now more eagerly watched than ever, it being fully expected that she would run up the river to escape them; instead, however, of doing so, as she drew near the fort she let off her steam, and came to an anchor close under its guns.

“Now we’ve got her,” cried Jack exultingly.

The Tornado stood on to within half a mile of the fort, when she opened fire on it, and now on the ship, which fired with some spirit in return; but as the Tornado kept moving about, their shot invariably missed her. She had been thus engaged for a quarter of an hour or more, her guns having told with considerable effect on the Russian vessel, when a column of smoke was seen ascending at some little distance behind the fort, apparently from the river.

“That must proceed from another steamer coming down to assist our friend,” observed Higson; “and see, there is another rising just beyond it—we shall have no lack of enemies to fight.”

“We must settle with the first, then, as soon as possible,” cried Jack, in a cheery tone; “we’ll then take the others in detail.”

The crew cheered as they heard his remark, and worked away at the guns with redoubled zeal. Several shot had struck the vessel under the fort; first one of her guns ceased firing, then another and another; still she kept her colours flying, and in another minute the bows of a steamer were seen emerging from the mouth of the river. A shot was instantly fired at her; it struck her bulwarks, and evidently caused some damage. Instead, however, of running under the guns of the fort, she stood away up the bay, evidently not wishing to come to close quarters with the audacious stranger. A few minutes afterwards another vessel appeared, which, receiving one of the Tornado’s shot, followed the example of the first. After getting nearly two miles away, they brought their broadsides round, and opened a brisk fire. The Tornado, however, moving rapidly about as before, escaped every one of their shot; while she fired her guns as they came to bear on her antagonists, and seldom failed to hull one or other of them. Still, their guns were of heavier calibre than hers, and their shot frequently went far beyond her, and she had to stand towards them to make hers tell with effect.

At length a shot came crashing on board just abaft the funnel, wounding one man severely, and another, Tim Nolan, slightly.

“Arrah, now, it’s but a fleabite,” he exclaimed, getting a shipmate to bind a handkerchief round his shoulder; “we’ve given them more than that already, and it’s better than having the funnel shot away.”

Still Jack had no intention of abandoning the attack, and, wishing to settle the first vessel before he attended to the other two, he directed his guns at her and at the fort, although the shot from the former continually hulled him. One, at length, went through the ship’s side between wind and water, and the sea came rushing in like a mill-sluice. The midshipmen, who up to this time were enjoying the fighting, thought that things were beginning to look serious.