Donalblane of Darien
Page 6
CHAPTER VI.
A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS.
There was no lack of arms on board the _Bonnie Scotland_, but they werecuriously assorted, and by no means all of the best quality. Musketsand pistols, claymores and short swords, battle-axes andboarding-pikes, they were all hurriedly got out on deck, and each manchose the weapon he thought he could handle to the best advantage.
Donalblane, whose Highland spirit rather rejoiced at the prospect of afight, snatched up a sword, which he hung at his belt in addition tohis own pair of pistols.
"Can we beat the buccaneers, do you think?" he asked, looking upeagerly into the grave face of Mr. Sutherland, whose one thought wasfor his wife and child.
Mr. Sutherland glanced over the confused crowd of agitated men, many ofwhom were evidently in a state of unmanly terror, and there was anundertone of contempt in his voice as he replied--
"We ought to, if we keep our heads. There are certainly enough of us."
Counting her crew the ship carried three hundred men, and if thesestood to their weapons they should prove a match for the enemy, whosenumbers would probably not exceed one hundred. But the utter lack ofdiscipline or order amongst the expedition filled both Mr. Paterson andMr. Sutherland with fears as to the result.
In addition to small-arms, the _Bonnie Scotland_ carried eightcarronades which had been neglected during the voyage, but were nowhastily got in order and double-shotted under the direction of Mr.Paterson, who seemed to know how everything should be done.
Meanwhile the buccaneer was steadily coming on, and evidentlymanoeuvring to approach astern so as to prevent the _Bonnie Scotland_using her broadside.
But the veteran captain saw through the trick, and at once changed hisvessel's course, saying with a sardonic smile--
"Red Angus is no sae simple as ye think. He kens your wicked wile, andjust how to fool ye."
Mr. Paterson, disgusted as he had been by the brutality of the captainduring the voyage, could not help now admiring the consummate skillwith which he handled his clumsy craft, for the _Bonnie Scotland_ wasfar from being what she ought to have been.
He seemed to be able to divine every movement of the buccaneer, and tomeet it by a counter-movement which prevented the latter obtaining theadvantage sought. Thus the two vessels dodged about among thewhite-caps, for a strong breeze was blowing, until at last thebuccaneer apparently gave up all strategy, and bore directly down uponthe _Bonnie Scotland_ at the risk of a broadside.
"Now then, gunners, be ready to fire when I give you the word," was Mr.Paterson's command, and, matches in hand, the men he had selected forthe duty stood beside the carronades, waiting his word. He did notspeak until the buccaneer was not more than a hundred yards distant,and then the captain, by a sudden turn of his wheel, throwing the_Bonnie Scotland_ around so that she presented her beam to theadvancing vessel, Mr. Paterson shouted--
"All together! Fire!"
The three carronades roared as one, and their iron missiles wenthurtling into the rigging of the buccaneer and along her crowded decks,bringing a lot of the rigging down by the run, injuring the foremast sothat it showed signs of tottering, and killing and wounding a number ofthe scoundrels, who were evidently not expecting so heavy a broadside.Certainly the immediate effect of the discharge was most encouraging,and Donalblane clapped his hands gleefully as the damaged vessel felloff, while the _Bonnie Scotland_ kept on her course.
"They got it then, didn't they?" he exclaimed. "That'll teach them toleave honest folk alone, eh?" and he waved his sword exultantly towardsthe enemy.
"It is wise not to hurrah until you are out of the wood, my boy," saidMr. Paterson, who just then chanced to be passing. "That is only firstblood for us. The buccaneers will soon return to the attack, and thenmay Heaven defend us!"
If the _Bonnie Scotland_ had been anything but the slow-going tub shewas she might have made her escape while the buccaneer was repairingdamages. But it was not in her to do this, and she wallowed cumbrouslyin the waves until the enemy once more ranged close.
Although her sides were pierced for many guns whose black muzzles werethrust threateningly out, the buccaneer, for some reason, reserved herfire. Perhaps, having no doubt as to the issue of the struggle, hercommander wished to save the other vessel as far as possible uninjured.
Approaching more warily this time, he so managed as to come up asternof the _Bonnie Scotland_, and, in spite of the latter's efforts toavoid the onset, bore down upon her, the two ships colliding with agrinding crash and the rattle of interlocking spars.
The sight of the buccaneers as they crowded the bulwarks, ready tospring on board their prey, was certainly enough to affright thestoutest heart. Every countenance seemed that of an incarnate fiend,rendered more hideous by the blood-red handkerchief which was theironly head-covering. They were seething with rage at the loss they hadalready suffered, and shook their cutlasses fiercely, while theyshouted like madmen.
Donalblane's eagerness for a fight was decidedly chilled by theappalling appearance of these assailants, but he did not lose controlof himself, and when Mr. Paterson gave the command, fired his pistolsone after the other into the yelling horde of scoundrels. With whateffect he never knew, for the next instant all was the wildestconfusion, the men of the _Bonnie Scotland_ opposing the buccaneerswith boarding-pike, battle-axe, sword, and claymore, and beating themback again and again with much shedding of blood on both sides.
Whatever other virtues they lacked, these adventurers were certainlynot deficient in brawn or bravery. They stood their ground splendidly,and Donalblane's heart thrilled with pride as he saw that thebuccaneers were gaining no advantage. He himself was no idlespectator. Throwing aside his pistols he seized a big boarding-pike,and taking his place near Mr. Paterson, made it his business to beready to protect him so far as might be in his power. Nor did he failof an opportunity. In spite of the determined defence, a few of thebuccaneers forced their way on board, and one of them, a powerfulfellow, with the face of a tiger, made a rush upon Mr. Paterson, whomhe no doubt recognised as the person in command. At the moment Mr.Paterson was looking in another direction, and the ruffian's cutlasswould infallibly have cloven his head had not Donalblane perceived theperil in time to swing his boarding-pike across the buccaneer's shins,bringing him headlong to the slippery deck, where Donalblane followedhim with another crack, this time on the skull, that rendered himsenseless and harmless for the time being.
Mr. Paterson knew nothing of his danger until the miscreant fellclattering at his feet, and then he realised how narrow had been hisescape.
"God bless you, my boy!" he exclaimed fervently, throwing his arm aboutDonalblane's neck. "I owe you my life. I shall never forget theservice you have done me."
Donalblane's face flushed with delight. He felt proud of himself andproud of his patron. He would rather have saved his life than that ofany one else on board.
"I'm verra, verra glad, sir," he replied. "Losh! but he was a fearsomecreature. He thought fine he wad cut ye in two."
"Well, you have done for him, Donald. May we all do as well. ThankHeaven we're still keeping the rascals off our decks!" and so sayingMr. Paterson rushed into the thick of the fight again.
The stubborn, sturdy defence of the Scotsmen began to tell. Only a fewof their assailants had broken through their ranks, and these werespeedily put _hors de combat_. The buccaneers, who had judged from theappearance of the _Bonnie Scotland_ that she would prove an easy prey,were amazed by the number of men on board, and the fierceness withwhich they fought. As one after another of their crew was killed orwounded, their fury slackened, and when after half-an-hour'shand-to-hand struggle they had gained no advantage, they were fain tosheer off to reconsider the situation.
Hearty cheers rose from the _Bonnie Scotland_ as the buccaneer shipsullenly slid astern. Donalblane, who had been so lucky as to escapeall injury, springing into the rigging, and waving one of thebuccaneer's blood-red kerchiefs as he shouted jeeringly--
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"Noo then, ye murdering villains, have ye got your fill? Ye'll kenbetter than to be attacking honest folk like us again."
A hearty laugh from below showed that the boy's taunts expressed thefeelings of his shipmates; but when the next instant a bullet whistledperilously near his head, he realised how he was exposing himself, andslid down the rigging much faster than he had climbed up. Consideringthe heat of the conflict it was remarkable how slightly the defendersof the _Bonnie Scotland_ had suffered. Three killed, and a dozenwounded, none of them mortally, made up the list of casualties, andwhen these had been given proper attention, and the decks cleaned andcleared up, the ministers, of whom there were several on board, calledupon all to join with them in giving thanks to Providence for theirdeliverance.
And so, with the baffled buccaneers still in sight, they sangtriumphant Psalms, and lifted up fervent praise to Almighty God who hadgiven them the victory. The women and children, who had been shut inthe cabins during the fight, came out to join in this service ofpraise, their pallid faces showing how they had suffered from fear andanxiety while thus cooped up.