Adair bit his lip, but, though ready enough to retort, he wisely restrained his temper, and answered, “If you will let me have your boats, or will stand in and give us a tow while we keep the enemy at bay, we may get the Flash off before many hours are over; she has not a shot-hole in her to signify, as we plugged them all as soon as they were received.”
“Impossible, Commander Adair,” answered his superior officer; “the only thing we can do is to prevent the Flash from falling into the enemy’s hands. I cannot uselessly expose the lives of my crew in so hopeless an undertaking. Those who have the advantage of experience know that it is the duty of an officer to watch with a father’s care over his people. We’ll stand in closer, and then see what is to be done.”
Adair still urged the possibility of saving the Flash.
“I am your superior officer, and it is my duty to act as I think fit, without taking your opinion,” answered Commander Allport.
Adair turned away with no very affectionate feeling in his heart towards his “superior officer.”
The Anaconda stood on till, when still at a safe distance from the enemy’s shot, she brought her broadside to bear upon the unfortunate little Flash, and commenced practising with her heavy guns. A groan escaped from Adair’s bosom, echoed by many others from his crew, as he saw one huge missile after another strike his devoted craft, and in a short time commit more mischief than the enemy had inflicted on her during the gallant fight he had waged for so many hours.
“We must take care, should she fall into the hands of the Russians, that she is reduced to an utter wreck,” observed Commander Allport.
“You are certainly setting about the right way to make her so,” observed Adair.
He even now was strongly inclined to urge the old martinet to desist, as he saw shot after shot strike the hull of his vessel. The enemy, seeing that the English were engaged in destroying her, wisely saved their own powder by ceasing to fire, and allowed them to finish the work which they had commenced.
While the Anaconda was thus employed, another vessel hove in sight, steaming up from the westward.