A Lad of Grit: A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea in Restoration Times

of a thick vegetable growth on her bottom, her sails had lost their pristine beauty, while her sides, though often repainted, bore signs of the effect of torrid heat and the buffeting of

victim to the dreaded "yellow jack", and two of the midshipmen. Thus, including myself, there w

ge--bronzed, hardy, and well-grown--a

urse so as to make straight for us. Now this was an unusual occurrence, as the stranger must either be a hostile craft or else a ship in distress and wishing to communicate. Her sp

corsair had been committing several acts of exceptional violence, hopes we

, to trick and entice her to us. See that all our ordnance is run in and the ports closed. Keep nearly all the men out of sight, and run the flag of Sicily up to the peak. And you, Master Bennet

orsair (for such there was no doubt she was) came within range the Gannet was floundering along with yards badly squared,

he signal to trice up the ports, run the guns out, and deliver a crushing broadside. Powder, shot, and buckets of water were pla

ng softly to one another, and with difficulty restraining themselv

ned their buff coats, head- and back-plates, and plumed h

I could not resist the inclination of creeping aft and

ile astern. There was a stiff breeze blowing, and she was being propell

foc's'le, yelling and waving their arms in a truly terrifying manner. The sounds of the oars, the rattling of the chains of the miserable galley slaves, and the sharp cra

at short distance they did not scent danger, their eagerness blinding them to the

ing in almost total darkness, waiting at the gun tackles for the signal to run out the guns. The feeble glimmer of the fighting-lanterns shon

the rumbling of the gun-carriage wheels, the muzzles of the iron monsters were run through the ports. There was no need to take aim, for t

nd rammers did their work, and again the gun

s, crushed and torn by our broadsides. A musket ball came in through an open port and struck a seaman fairly between the eyes. He fell without a sound, and this was the only casualty on the main deck. Seeing he

grinding sound. The master ha

o prevent our being boarded in turn, the whole of the men below po

nant still resisted, and for us the completion of our victory was to be dearly bought. We had already suffered considerably, many men having been slain on our fo'c'sle and poop, and now, headed by our gallant Captain Poynings, we thre

him, one having his skull cloven by a lightning sweep of the corsair's razorlike blade, the other having his sword arm cut completely through at the wrist. Two more rushed at him; one he shot, the se

well as having seen active service against Spaniards and Turks, and also in the Low Countries. In a measure he had an advantage, wearing his breastplate; yet as the s

trickling down the lieutenant's face from a nick on the forehead. Then, quicker than words, Weaver escaped a sweeping bl

r triumph was shortlived, for, ere the lieutenant could disengage his weap

ried down by the weight of his armour, Weaver sank like a stone, and h

he damage done by the fight. Our losses were heavy: besides the lieutenant, two midship

d a shower of splinters had wrought destruction on these helpless chained-up wretches, and the gratitude of the survivors when we knocked their fetters off was touching

ine. The Gannet suffered hardly at all, the corsairs, being unprepared fo

tended to, and the decks cleaned of their ghastly stains, while a

hat I had received a slight cut on the calf of my leg. How or when it was done I could not

nt for by the captain, and

mand, for I propose to put you in charge of the prize with seven men to work her. You must keep in company with the Gannet till off the Barbary coast, where you will have to shape a course

sse

the mole, "is where you must bring up. Now go to the master and get the necess

to dance for joy, yet having sufficient digni

nions, now reduced to two in number, Greville Drake and Alan Wood, though not slow in offering

king party was recalled. Then, with my seven men, together with two of the liberated slaves, I too