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No. 48.
shot. ’Il.li:1(l(50ll’l0 in through the hammocks of
the quarter-deck, kiiocluiig before it a large splin-
wr of iron stanchion. This had lilt llerbcrt on
one of the temples, and to all ap )e:ll‘I1l]cE, braliied
him. The shot itself hit Mustap ia just below the
left Hl10IllI1t’J', T-Or he had been standing talking
close tollcrbert; and linaily, as if not content
with ltsjirevious sxecuiioiuit struck the wheel
directly in the ceiiter-scatteriiig its fragments in
every direction, and killing ‘both the men who
were sti-eriiig, sides wouinlin,, some others;
had then made its exit ttirougii a port-hole to lee.
wani.
CirAi>'rEi: XXV.
:
Althnuvh Mustapha had been ‘thus severely
W0llll(ledFllllI]StZ‘lf-fol‘ he had lost his arni-he re-
mained so perfectly self-(possessed as to seize Her-
bert with his right hziii ‘and break the lath-,r’u
‘ fall. The corporal linniediatcly had his shipiniite
L lifted up with all care.
' “‘Tis :1 wile syrocky, Corporal, blows nobody
‘I good, as the dervisli said; so while I go below, and
,4 get my liippcr doctored,” looking round with the
. iitmostiioiiclialance at his blcediiig liinb,“you,
my boy, must take cliarge of the ship '.-and here,
I, ive me your eara niiiiiite.” The corporal bent
its head, while the other whis iered, “ Sink us if
but let us strike iiotlnng save the bottom;
' -no siin‘en<lcr.’’
’‘ “None,” said the corporal, in those (lee hollow
lftoiies of powerfully excited passion, wiich be-
spoke hini ready to seal the destruction of all on
,' boanl, niiher tiian be taken.’ Then, as he turned
‘.' away, he added, “But if I live, there is much to
F be done before we come ‘to that.” '
, “Right, iiiessniate,” said the otiier, departing '
land the deck having been cleared, the oorpo .
., turned his attention once more to the ship.
“ ’ The unlucky shot which had just effected so
lmuclidaniage, had, to all appearance, in a. fe
ll seconds done more for the cause of the Alcibiades
. than her last. half-hour's tiring put together. ()n
gths destruction of the wheel, there of course
siinultaiieoiisly followed the teinporary loss of
power over the snip’:-i rudder; and the frigate,
,l which had before been made to hug the wind as
“ closely as possible, no sooiierfclt herself at liberty
‘ than she iinniediately fell off fouror five points; and
l then, being a good weather ship, held straight on
‘ her course. But tliougli she thusgained in speed
,1 what she lost in her wniiiward position her enemy,
guessing that some such accident in happened,
‘made the most of her good fortune. She had, in
E the incredibly short space intervening, continued
to shift her niaintopsail-yard, and was atthat very
‘moment bending a now sail. When the corporal
“saw what had iiappened, he seized a glass, and
‘directing it for a second on the Alcibiades he be-
icr ' efed maintopsail in the very act of
being shccted home.
' " By the Lord Harry, Cresswcll,”’cried he, “ there
Iare some gallant hands aboard that ship; she‘s
‘<‘
lshiftedhcr inaintopsail-yzf)rd‘already. Those are to
ca .’ .
men, now, it’s a credit
I “Ay, but a confounded. sight. of labor to man-
l age, my dear fellow,” replied Cresswell, as the per-
l spinition rolled from his brow in large drops, de-
l spite fury of the gals blowing over him.
I “Labor, pshaw !-.man was born to it-wliatis
l at‘ Do you run down into the gun-room and
I lash the tiller half a turn a-lee, while I order the
I carpenter's to ship the spare wheel. We must get
I this set to rights at once. What’s that ?--what‘s
i the matter ?-where are these splinters falling
I from .
i “ Wiiy, the mizcntop-mast is nearly shot in two,
i just above the cag.”
t “Ay ?Htliat’s ad; the enemy’s tire‘s growing
worse iiistcad of better. Ahoy there, inizzcnto
i men, up three or four of you into your top, and
1 send a rope down for a couple of capstan bars.
1 Fra that topmost of yours I-quick, now, before
i it‘s giown over the side."
“Ay ay,” responded the mizzentop men, and
aloft they flew to execute the order. Cresswell
had already gained the ward-room, and lashing
the tiller at such a point to leeward as kept the
ship’s head retty close to the wind, in some de-
r rree rcpairc the injury sustzuncd by the loss of
er steerage-wlisel.
- “Carpent r’s crew!-where are the carpenters
crew ?” next demanded the corporal.
“Her'u’s one,” answered one of them.
“What's the matter sir ?” demanded the mate,
, coming up, and touching his hat with as much
deference asif the captaiifs undress, which the
. corporal had not yet had time to change, was in
reahty worn by an owner of the rank it represent-
ed. Whether this result was brought about by the
remembrance that his old. superior in the depart-
ment still swung, too terribly cold and real at the
> yardarm, or whether he was anxious for the dead
man‘s slices, it is needless to speculate.
“Quick, for your life, mate ; take two or three
of your crew below, and get the spare steerage-
whcel ready for ship mg on deck, in the room of
the one that's been s ivered to s linters.”
“ d, ay, sir ;” said the mate eparting on his
erian .
“Now, forecastlemen,” continued the corporal
“one of you run up to the maiu- ard with the end
i of this coil of half-inch. rope, and pay it down
over the hunt of the main coursebefore the yard
on eck; as soon as that is done, another must.
take it up the Jveather-foreshrouds, and pass it
Tris FLYING DU"l‘Cl-IMAN.
through the aftermost catharpln-shroud and pay
it down on deck again. some of you then take
and overhaul the bight of it, and inake fast wltli
a few repeyarns four or five of the lanterns, which
the afterguard are going to bring up from the
lmiii-deck. Another hand take the other end of
the rope, pass it iitshie ilie lllilllllLltl.(>(:k-8lll'0ll(lS,
and so on through the slings of the cross ack-
Yurd down upon duck. We shailtlien have bot ithe
ends to pull and haul on. Cla i on upon the some
ond hi vlit, ’twixt the main an llilHellvll.I.’l.Sl., four.
more items, and report to me when you are
ready. Ali,liere come the aftcrguard with the
lights. set them down carefully ’twixt two of
the weather-guiis ; leave one hand to watch them,
and the rest come with me to the gaiigway to get
the new steemge-wlieel on deck."
The wheel, after, a little difficulty, was hoisted
up, and by the aid of a few hands to steady '
amid the motion of the ship, it was rolled a
Here it was found that the force with which the
former had been dashed from ltsplace, had spli
the supports on which it rested. A few nails and
some lashing so far repaired this injury, that the
new wheel was shipped, and the tiller-ropes having
been re-spliced, were instantly bent, the tiller
itself cast oil from its lashings, and the frigate
once more coiisignedto more manageable means
of guidance. lly this time the lights were all
strung along the temporary rantliiie formed by
the corporal‘s direction, amidsliips of the frigate ;
an a few hands being clapped on, they were
hoisted with the least erceptible motion inrisliig,
until the line itsclf, eing as taut as possible,
presented to the View of those on the unner-
deck of the Alcibiades a row of distinct though
dim spots‘ of light, which toss to and fro
by the storm and the itching motion of the ship,
led them very natura ly to believe that these were
the lights of the iiiutineers’ rnaln-deck. '
this erroneous impression, they as naturally ele-
vated their gpns to what they could not but sup-
pose was the iiecessaryheiglit. Even before from
their long distance their shot had been allowed
very considerable c evation; now, when these ad-
ditional points were added, the success of the
corps -'S.Stl‘aUl$,'8ln was lziinly demonstrated in
the whining of the Alcibiades’ shot at such a dis-
tanco over the frigate, that, if it boded more
damage to the spars, most effectually lesseiied the
number of her uisualtles in killed and wounded.
HF
gs F’;-0
Ciuimm XX“. A‘ v
Although, from the temporary falling off of the
frigate from the w1'iid, owing to the destruction of
her wheel, she had fallen much to leeward, and
thus enabled the Alcibiades partly to gain her
lost way, she now wmmenced the task of regain-
ing it, and in this was succeeding rapidly. 3
In proportion as the shot of their enciny whiz
zed harmlessly over their heads between masts
and rigging, so did the mutineers exert themselves
ur their deathblows quick and fatally on
their pursuers. The cor oral. whose eye on that
tremendousnight scenic to be every where, mark-
cd well. the advantage he was gaining, and in
iroportioirurged. on his people to take the fullest
enetit of it. With unwearied limb, nerves that
knew no ilinclung, and an eye true in its aim to a
marvel, he continued to ect the fire of those
four guns which his suggestions had just caused
to be p d upon the quarter-deck, and his skill
was every moment rendering so eilective. Spar
after spar did he witness falling wounded and
crippled by his shot, and still his enemy's passed
over his frigate, rapidly decreasing, too, both in
their frcquencyas well asaim. lore and more
vividly arose to his mind the hope that his propo-
p sal of a running action would prove as successful
as he had expected, and enable him to at away
from his chaser altogether. The wind iad con-
tinued drawing more and more aft since the coin-
niencement of the action, soon after sundown,
and now it was near midnight. An hour, nay
even a few minutes, of the success he was at
resent reaping, and the Alcibiades must. drift to
eeward, a mere wreck, as far as spars were cori-
ccrned, a.ud he then be at liberty to bear up a few
points, and riiaps on the following morning
reach the is rid where Ramsay was set adrift.
While animated, however, with these very feelings,
and as yet intent on directing another gun on the
sadly distressed Alcibiades, he,
merit, beheld the lurid line of dotted li lits, which
had hitherto guided his endeavors, fall suddenly
off from the wind a few points, so as to bring her
whole broadside to bear on the frigato’s quarter.
A vast sheet of flame was bclched forth from her
side , aft. Quickaly, without an instant‘s delay,
ilashed one equ ly vivid from her how and in
these two discharges her whole tier of larboard
guns were discharged.
Now came the iron storm, hurtling and booming
along the torn surface of the deep, many of them
niaking but one plunge never to rise again, others
flying from wave to wave, dashing up the spray
in petty cataracts on their march of murder, an
still more whizzing, hissing through the troubled
air their dismal song, and ma 'ng up in terror all
they might want in the actual effect of their hum-
ble but more destructive fellows.
It was evident that, in the depth of her despair
the Alcibiades had determined. on one gran
stroke, and thus took the risk of its failure, even
if it should end in doing harmto none but her-
3-
to his astonisl -‘
783
self. With eagerly distended eye, and bosom that
scarcely drew its breath, the corporal watclied the
coming of this metcorlike and iron shower.
Swift as the bolts of heaven, and scarcely less
destructive in its ellcct, on it tame. Crash went
the woodwork, the spars, the roaiilng timber
lligh above all the tempest and t ie stonii, swelled
the shrill dcatli-scrcaui of the stricken and the
d‘);iiig;-whlzz went the errant horde, that, llyln r
a
ove the sad scene below, wounded no one bu .
the dark and stiffened comes of those who still
hung at thoyarilarm. For some seconds the show.
ers of the chips, the confusion, the cries for help,
eve thing that could distract the various Senses,
rcn cred it. m-ar(lly iinpossibls to asccrtniii what
was the precise ainage which had been done:
and then one repeated shout, or rather series of
cries, which followed so quickly one upon another
as to blend all in one alarming and unhannoiilous
whole, pealed on tho curpor:ii’s ear. “Tlic minen.
mast's falling-out of the way to leeward-out of
the way-there falls the iulzzcn.” Too fatal not to
be too true, the heavy s ar was cut and wounded
in many pl.'1A'l‘B, fel '
bosom of the vexed sea. ,
“0l‘dtl' order, my boys--be cool, be calm, and
all is well
from one whom long and severe trial in alinost
every description of scene tliatcan most test iiian’s
coumgc, had taught to rise with the emergencies
of the hour, and proved the least appalled when
the peril was most lll.lllllll('lli. “Out with your
axes and liatchets, my boys, and cut away the
wreck. Be cool, now, and steady-cease firing
fore and aft-some hands attend to carrying be-
low the wounded. Cresswell 1”
“Here am 1’
“Take you the wheel, and I’ll coiiri. We must
come round to old Mustziplials view of matters
th after all, and lay the enemy aboard. Up with
your licliii-sail-trimuiers stand b your fore and
main topsail-braces. Ease oil to eeward-round
in the wcatlier-fore and main topsoil-braces: way
aloft, and stand by to mist loose the courses-man
the fore and main Licks-liands by the weather
fore and main clue-garnets. Blake haste, my izids,
on the fore and inain yariisvpass the word on the
inaiii-di-ck below, to load the starboard broadside
on the main-deck with two round shot and a
charge of grape and canister, and man only the
starboard guns-lct one li:iiid from cvcry gun be
sent on deck to trmi sails." v
By the time these rapid and fearless ordi-rs
had been given, the frigate had paid of before
the wind, and then been brought to somewhat
upon the opposite tack, luld dircctcd full at her
oe.
Going at the irresistible speed to which the
frigate was now urged, the Alcibiades had scarce.
ly either time or opportunity to meet, with the
necessary steps, this total change in the tactics of
her iidvcrsary. Scarcely hzid her hcliii been put
down and her sails set, when she appeared ahead.
Some cried, “She’s running us d0WD;” others
roared out, “Starboard-st.-irboard," and a few
“port your helm-port.” Surprise for 21 moment
had given birth to panic, aiiitwliere that pale
sinus of disorder gains adiiiittance, even the
ll:-,st discipline receives a inoincntary check, if not
8.(lf‘Kll.lll.ll0“n'. . .
The frigate had already gained within a few
yards of the Alcibiades’ bow, almost directly in
the line of her course, but, if any thing, still to
iviiidward. A thick mist, liuwever half rain half
fog, which had suddenly blown down from the
weatlier horizon, was rapidly eiivclopnig both the
conibatziiits, and rendering still more perilous it
nizuiosuvre not very easy in the clearestweatlicr
or the smoothest sea. With a view, then, of inst
crossing under her forefoot,'but clear of her bow-
sprit, and boarding to leeward, the co ml now
ave the nccessary orders to the sail-trimmers to
s iorten sail, and then advancing on the gaiigway.
he hailed the men at their Qll.'1l"lk'lSf“ Stand by on
the main-dec to pour your broadside in the mo.
iiient we get alongside-tire quick, and after the
first shot use plenty of C1ll1lSlt‘!‘.‘ l’ll give-" .
The words were arrested on his lips by 1]. terrific
shock that hurled him from his feet, but, on my
idly rising, forth flashed his broadside, and in its
terrific blaze he saw that he had run foul of the
Alcibiades on her lee-bow; and the frigatc’s spare
anchor catcliing in her lcc rigging, at the furious
rate at which the were still going on opposite
tacks, every shrou to leeward, except :1 few of
the niizzcn rigging, had l)(‘(‘ll torn away. Shrick
upon shriek rose fearfullyovcr the horrid yells
and noises of that night as broadside upon broad-
side was poured into the no longer resisting Alci-
biades: and, mingled with these licart-rentliiig
accompanirneiit. were long-coiitinu and agon-
ising shouts “ e’s sinkingl”-“we’re going
going down l"-“she's sprung a leak l ‘f Crowds
on crowds of her still surviving crew, in all the
unhcsitatin
ity, sw.iriiici unarmcd up the sides, channels, and
rigging of the frigate, or missing their hold, or
failin in the perilous leaps they readily took, fell
shortglietwcen the two vessels, and were engul pli-
ed in that devouring element that was in no mo
again to render up its prey.
“Cease firing on the iimiii-deck-cease firing!
-sho’s helpless-she’s siiiking;--cease tiring, I
say. Will no one run down and make them cease
their firing ?” But loudly-fiercely as the corporal
cahed forth these orders, the din the screams, the
l wit 1 a rushing sound into the ’
l" was heard in a deep powerful volcc,.
fearlcssness of iiaiigeris last extrcin- ,