The Heir of Kilfinnan: A Tale of the Shore and Ocean

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

  We must for a time follow the fortunes of Charles Denham. Those weredays of rapid promotion, when an officer's name stood well at theAdmiralty. The young commander had not long served his time on boardthe corvette before he received his post rank. Scarcely twelve yearshad passed since he first stepped on board a man-of-war as a youngseaman before the mast, when he found himself in command of a finefrigate of thirty-six guns--the _Isabel_. Ned Davis, who had followedhim into every ship in which he served, now, by his advice, havingapplied for a warrant, was appointed boatswain to the _Isabel_.Although Denham had attained what might be considered the height of hisambition, he hoped, while in command of the frigate, to make a stillhigher name for himself. Opportunities of doing so were not likely tobe wanting. England had enemies in all directions, and there was everyprobability that a fine dashing frigate like the _Isabel_ would soonmeet with a foe well worthy of her. She was, however, much to thedisappointment of her commander and crew, sent to the Mediterranean,which, by that time, had been pretty well cleared of all England'senemies. There was work, however, to be done, and whatever Denham wasordered to do he performed it well. Having, at length, come home withdespatches, he was sent to the West Indies, where he had already seen agood deal of service.

  During this time he had few opportunities of hearing from the Earl ofKilfinnan, to whom, however, he occasionally wrote, and got a kindanswer in return. Again, after nearly four years' service, he was onhis way home. When about three parts across the Atlantic, the weatherfor some time before having been very bad, a ship was reported rightahead. As the frigate approached her, she was seen to have her ensigndownwards, as a signal of distress. She appeared to be a largemerchantman. Her topmasts were gone, and she had, in other ways,evidently suffered from the heavy weather. As soon as the frigate drewnear enough, she was hove to, and a boat being lowered, she was sent onboard the stranger. As the officer in command of the boat stepped onboard the ship, he was struck by the fearful appearance it presented. Afew of the crew, pale and emaciated, were dragging themselves about thedeck, scarcely able to stand upright, while on mattresses placed closeto the bulwarks were numerous human beings, some apparently dead, othersdying, moaning fearfully and in plaintive voices, petitioning for water.

  It was a long time before the lieutenant could get any one to explainwhat had happened. The captain, it appeared, had died, and so had mostof the officers and the passengers. Their bodies had been thrownoverboard. Great was his horror when he at length ascertained that theywere suffering from the yellow fever. The weather was very hot, and itwas but too likely even that this short visit to the pest-infested shipmight cause him to convey it to the crew of the frigate. What, however,was to be done? He could not leave the unfortunate people on board themerchantman to perish by themselves, without help; while, should heremain, he and those with him might catch the same complaint. He foundon inquiry that several persons were down below who had hitherto escapedthe pestilence. At length, uncertain how to act, he returned on boardthe _Isabel_, to receive instructions from his captain. The surgeon ofthe frigate was of opinion that the only safe plan was thoroughly tofumigate the vessel, and put a prize crew on board, to navigate her toan English port, as it would be unsafe to take any of the people out ofher. This plan was followed, and an officer with twelve men went onboard to carry the ship to Bristol.

  It was hoped that from the short time the lieutenant and his men were onboard no infection could have been conveyed from her to the frigate.Before two days, however, had passed these hopes were found to befallacious. Two of the men who had been on board the merchantman wereseized with the fearful complaint, and the following day were corpses.Several others in the course of a few hours were seized in the samemanner. Their illnesses in each case terminated fatally. As is oftenthe case, a panic seized the whole crew, and men who would have faced anenemy boldly, trembled at the thoughts of the attacks of this unseenfoe. The captain and officers had tried to encourage them and revivetheir spirits; but all seemed in vain. Not a day passed without severalof the men being committed to the deep, and no one knew who would be thenext victim. The surgeon declared his belief that the seeds of thedisease must have been contracted in the West Indies, as it wasimpossible it could have been communicated by the people of themerchantman.

  "Let the cause be what it may, the best hope we have of getting free ofthe fever is to meet an enemy of equal size to ourselves; and, then,while we are fighting him, I have no doubt that `Yellow Jack' will taketo flight," observed the captain.

  At length a breeze sprang up, and although the disease had notaltogether ceased, it had considerably decreased. A sharp look-out waskept at all hours for any sail which might appear on the horizon. Atlength one was observed in the south-west, and all sail was made inchase. For some time probably the _Isabel_ was not seen by the vesselshe was chasing. The latter, however, was at length seen to make sail,and to stand away to the west. The _Isabel_ was a fast vessel, andevery effort was now made to increase her speed. The sails were wetted,every stitch of canvas she could carry was set, and every other deviceadopted to urge her through the water.

  In those days the engagements which had taken place between English andFrench ships had terminated in most instances so disastrously to thelatter, that Napoleon, it was said, had ordered all his cruisers toavoid fighting if they possibly could. This might have accounted forthe flight of the stranger; for as the _Isabel_ drew nearer, she wasdiscovered to be either a heavy frigate or a line-of-battle ship. On astill nearer approach the French ensign flew out from her peak, and itwas ascertained, without doubt, that she was a large frigate, a worthyantagonist for the _Isabel_. Superior as the enemy might be in guns andin number of men, Captain Denham resolved to attack her. The engagementhe knew would be a severe one; but he trusted for victory to the triedgallantry of his officers and crew, and the resolution with which theywould work the guns. He had the weather-gauge, and he hoped by skilfulmanoeuvring to retain it. The enemy finding she could not escape, nowhauled up her courses, and made every preparation for battle. The_Isabel_, when she drew near enough, at once opened fire to cripple herantagonist, and to retain the position she now enjoyed. This firstbroadside considerably cut up the Frenchman's rigging; but the fire the_Isabel_ received in return did her still greater damage, badly woundingthe fore-topmast. Davis went aloft to examine it, and reported on hisreturn that he feared it would not stand much longer. Both the frigatesnow standing on a wind, continued to exchange broadsides; the Englishfiring at the hull of their antagonist, while the Frenchman seemed toaim more particularly at cutting up the masts and rigging of the Englishship.

  "She seems to be full of men, and I suspect her object is to getalongside, and to take us by boarding," observed the captain to hisfirst lieutenant.

  "We will show them what British steel can do if they make the attempt,sir," was the answer.

  The Frenchman attempted to luff across the English ship's bow, in thehopes of raking her, but Denham was too much on the watch to allow herto execute this manoeuvre successfully. A considerable number of the_Isabel's_ men had been killed. Still, her crew fought on withundaunted courage. At length, her fore-topmast, which had before beenseverely injured by a chain shot, came down with a crash upon the deck.The Frenchmen shouted when they saw this, and another shout escaped themwhen they saw the main-topmast follow the fate of the other mast.

  "If they attempt to run us on board we will try to secure them, as wedid in the _Cynthia_," observed the captain. "If we let a few of theFrenchmen come on board, we can quickly dispose of them, and then returnthe compliment."

  "Ay, ay, sir," answered the lieutenant; "I will give the order to themen to prepare for boarding. They are ready enough for it."

  Scarcely had he spoken, when the French frigate, luffing up, ran herbows against the quarter of the _Isabel_. She was immediately securedthere by Davis and others; and now the Frenchmen came rushing over thebows, expec
ting to make her an easy prize.

  "Boarders, repel boarders," shouted the first lieutenant.

  "I will lead you, my men," cried the captain, springing to the side.

  A few Frenchmen who had gained the deck of the _Isabel_ were immediatelycut down; and now the English in turn swarmed over the enemy's bows. Inspite of all opposition, they worked their way aft. No power seemedcapable of resisting them. Although the Frenchmen for some time stoodtheir ground, they were driven back. Step by step the Britishblue-jackets fought their way, and numbers sank before the sturdy blowsof their cutlasses. Many of the Frenchmen were armed with pistols, bywhich several of the English were wounded. During this time Davis hadever kept close by the side of his commander. Captain Denham wasleading on his men, when suddenly his cutlass dropped from his hand, andhe would have fallen had not Davis supported him. At the same moment, atall Frenchman, with uplifted cutlass, was in the act of bringing itdown upon his head, when Davis, bringing his own weapon to the guard,saved his captain, and with a return cut sent the Frenchman reelingbackwards.

  "On, my lads, on," shouted the captain, again rising to his feet."Though I cannot use my sword, you can keep yours going instead."

  The energy with which he spoke was infused into his followers, andpushing onward they drove the Frenchmen before them. The Frenchmen,encouraged by their officers, attempted to rally; but no sooner had theydone so, than, led by their gallant captain, the English made anotherdash forward, and again drove them back. Meantime, the weather had beenchanging, and the moderate breeze which had hitherto been blowing, wasfollowed by a heavy gale. Although the _Isabel_ was well-nighdismantled, she was still more than a match for her opponent. In ashort time, numbers of the Frenchmen having fallen, an officer was seento run aft and haul down the French flag. The prize was won. Shemounted four more guns than did the _Isabel_, with a far more numerouscrew. The prospect of bad weather made it necessary at once to send aprize crew on board the captured frigate, and to remove the greater partof her own people, so that a few Frenchmen only were left on board.Great was the delight of the crew at finding, from the report of thesurgeon, that their captain's wound was not likely to prove serious,though his arm might be disabled for some time.

  The second lieutenant was ordered on board to carry the prize intoPlymouth, she having suffered but little damage in her rigging, whileher captor was in a far worse condition. Some time was occupied inclearing away the wreck of the topmasts, and once more getting the shipinto order. The gale, however, fearfully increased, and the frigate inan almost helpless condition, having lost sight of her prize, was driventowards the coast of Ireland. Happily, the yellow fever had completelydisappeared; but Captain Denham had another cause of anxiety, lest hisship might be driven on that rocky shore on which so many a fine vesselhas been lost. He anxiously looked out, therefore, for signs of thegale breaking, and that he might be able once more to make sail and beatoff shore. His hopes, however, seemed likely to prove vain. Themorning dawned, and far away to the east as the eye could stretch,appeared the high land of the Irish coast. He had hoped to have hauledup sufficiently to have weathered Cape Clear. The gale continued tillthe frigate was close in with the coast. Shipwreck now seemedinevitable, for no other sail could be set to enable her to beat offshore. There was a bay to the south, but that would now afford noshelter, and no other harbour was open to her. It seemed impossiblethat she could be saved. One only resource remained, to anchor and cutaway the masts. Orders were, therefore, given to prepare for this lastalternative. The cables were ranged along the deck, and spare anchorsgot up from below. The dark seas came rolling in with unabated forcefrom the west, while they broke with terrific force on the rocky shoreunder her lee. The spray dashed over her bows, flying fore and aft asshe forced her way gallantly through the seas. The gale still continuedwith unabated force. Masses of clouds came rushing by overhead, rapidlysucceeding each other, while under her lee-bow appeared a long reef ofrocks, the dangers of which were well-known to many on board. Still,hopes were entertained that she might be able to weather it. The eyesof the master and other officers, indeed of most on board, were turnednow seaward, now to the rocky shore, and now to the reef on the leebeam. There seemed to all but little prospect, unless by a suddenchange of wind, of being able to weather the latter.

  "She would not stay if we were to attempt to go about," observed thefirst lieutenant, "and there is no room to wear, or it might be betterif we were upon the other tack, so as to escape yonder threateningreef."

  "We may possibly weather the reef," observed the master; "but if we wereto attempt either to stay or to wear, we should inevitably be drivenupon the rocks."

  Several of the best hands were at the helm, watching for the directionsof the master. Sometimes, after a slight shift in the wind, hopes wereentertained that the reef might be escaped; but then, again, it wasfound she was making so much leeway that even this slight hope wasabandoned. Onward she rushed to her inevitable destruction, it seemed.Meantime, the wounded commander had been lying in his cot. Severaltimes he had desired to be carried on deck, but the surgeon, who sat byhis side, entreated him to stop where he was, fearing the excitementwould be too great, and that his wounds, which had hitherto been goingon favourably, might take a turn for the worse.

  "Then send the master to me," he said, "that I may learn the exactposition of the ship."

  The master made his appearance.

  "I wish she was in a better position than she is, sir," he observed;"but we are doing all that men can do to claw off shore, and if we hadhad our topmasts, there would have been no difficulty about the matter.She makes fearful leeway, and there is an ugly reef ahead, which I donot altogether like; but I have been in as bad a case before andescaped, and I pray Heaven we may get clear this time."

  "Doctor, you must let me go on deck, that I may see the worst. It istorture to lie here below," exclaimed the wounded captain.

  "But the master says, sir, that we have a prospect of hauling off shore,and I again repeat that you would only incur great danger by exposingyourself to the cold wind and spray that you would have to encounter.No, no, sir; stay where you are, and let us hope for the best."

  Many more anxious minutes passed. The master returned to his duty ondeck, and the captain, having full confidence in his judgment, would notagain send for him.

  "Come, doctor, there are many poor fellows want your aid besides me; goand look after them, I entreat you," he said at length. "They will giveme notice in time enough when all hope is gone, or, I trust, I may soonhear that the ship has weathered the reef, and has brought up in thebay."

  Scarcely had he spoken when a loud roar of breakers reached even towhere he lay. A cry arose on deck, and the next instant there came afearful crash. The frigate had struck on the reef. The captain wasendeavouring to rise from his cot, when Davis rushed into the cabin.

  "It is a bad case, captain!" he exclaimed; "but while I have life, youknow I will stay by you. We are not far from the shore, and maybe, ifthe ship goes to pieces, some plank or timber may carry us there insafety."

  Denham allowed himself to be carried on deck, where Davis secured him tothe only portion of the wreck over which the sea did not break. Thecaptain gazed around. The ship had struck upon the much-dreaded reef.Huge seas came rolling in, and, dashing against her with terrific force,had already begun to tear away her upper works, and it was evident shecould not long remain in that position without going speedily to pieces.Many of the crew had already been washed away; others were clinging todifferent parts of the wreck. Some, including the officers, wereendeavouring, not far from the captain, to form a raft, on which theyhoped to reach the shore. It appeared, however, very doubtful whetherthey would succeed.

  "Let us chance it, sir," said Davis; "I will haul a grating here, andput you on it. Maybe, we shall be safely washed on shore."

  "No, no, Davis," answered the captain faintly; "you remember how thebrave Dutchman behaved when his ship was
sinking. As long as two plankshold together I will stay by the frigate, or till every one has lefther. You go, my friend; you are strong and unhurt, and, God protectingyou, you may still save your own life."

  "What? leave you, sir? leave you, Captain Denham?" exclaimed Davis. "Ihave not sailed with you for so many years to act thus at last. We swimor sink together. I have never feared death, and he is not now going tomake me do a cowardly act."

  "Well, well, Davis, I fear there is no use urging you. Perhaps, too, werun as little risk here as we should struggling in those boiling seas,"said the captain.

  "Right, sir; the frigate is new and strong, and maybe, she will holdtogether until the gale somewhat abates," answered the boatswain. "Iwish those poor fellows would stay on board with us; it might be thebetter for them."

  "I would not order them to stay, Davis," answered the captain. "Theseseas, if they continue long, must break up the stoutest ship, and it isa fearful thing to have to struggle among floating timbers, washed aboutround such rocks as these."

  While they were speaking, many of the crew, clinging to spars andplanks, were seen drifting towards the shore. Few, however, appeared toreach it. Some, exhausted by their exertions, let go their hold andsank. Others were cast upon the reef, mangled fearfully by the timberswhich were thrown upon them. The rest, meantime, continued to work atthe raft. The surviving officers then came to the captain, and urgedhim to allow them to place him upon it, but he remained firm to hisresolution.

  "No, no," he answered; "do you leave the ship as you think best; but shewas placed under my command, and nothing shall induce me to desert heras long as she holds together."