L. Meyer - Bloody Jack - Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary Jacky Faber, Ship's Boy

The pox? Is that what's wrong?

Chapter 16

TWEEEEEEEWARBLEWARBLEWEEEEEE...

The Bo'sun's pipe cuts all cruel through our sleep at a little past two bells into the predawn of the morning watch. I lurch up out of the pile of us and grab my drum hanging on the carriage of the number-eight gun and sullenly start in to beating it, still half in my sleep, and head for the quarterdeck. I'm standing there yawning, thinking it's another bleedin' drill.

But it ain't. We've got a pirate!

TWEEEEEEWARBLEWARBLETWEEEEEEEEEE...

Amid all the running around and bellowin' of orders I see a ship off to our starboard, much smaller than us, with two masts and big swooping sails rigged fore and aft. It's a corsair and we've managed in the dark to get between him and the shore. The burning hulk of the ship the pirate's just plundered is glowing in the lessening dark. It glows for a while and then winks out. Poor sods, dead or drownded now.

I suspect the pirate was so caught up in the robbin' and the killin' that he didn't notice us sneaking up in the darkness, the Dolphin all dark and quiet. He tries furiously to get back towards the safety of the shore, but he can't, 'cause we've got a good stiff breeze from offshore behind us. He'd have to beat up against the wind to give us the slip, and while he was tryin it, we could fall right down upon him and blow him to pieces. In desperation the pirate tries to outrun us to seaward.

"It won't wash, Sinbad, my lad," says the Captain with grim satisfaction. "Let's have all she'll give us, Mr. Greenshaw."

"Aye, Sir," says the Master, who then bellows through his speaking trumpet, "All topmen aloft to make sail!" Some of the men, the really prime seamen, leave their Quarters stations and leap aloft. I see Liam and Snag among the gang racing up the mizzen rigging, Henderson and Saunders up the after mast. The topmen hurry out onto the booms and loose the furled sails from their lanyards, and the sails belly out in the wind and are pulled taut and hard by the men on the lines on deck. More orders from the Master, and the royals and the topgallants whip out and the Dolphin plows forward ever faster in hot pursuit. In spite of my peaceful nature I am excited. A prize!

It's coming to full dawn now, and the pirate has put on all sail in his attempt to shake us. The corsair with its masts raked back looks fast, but we are gaining on it. We can see the men on board scrambling about furiously. They have a line of loaded guns and are aiming them. There's a puff of smoke and then a boom rolls across the water, but their shot goes wide and the ball skips harmlessly across the water.

"Mr. Lawrence," calls out the Captain, "give him a shot from the starboard chaser, if you please." I don't have to drum for this order, only the times when the Captain says, "On my order."

The Second Mate is stationed forward and aims the long gun on the right side of the fo'c'sle. He puts his eye on the sight and looks down the length of the barrel, a smoking punk in his right hand. Suddenly he brings the ember down to the touch hole and the gun roars and slams backward. A miss.

"Let's have another, Mr. Lawrence," says the Captain, as if he's asking for another biscuit with his tea. Mr. Lawrence's crew reloads at full speed. It's Tink that brings up the bag of powder, which is thrown down the barrel and tamped. The ball is tipped in and then the wad is rammed home to hold the ball in. The Second Mate again aims and fires. This time it hits the pirate and the gun crew sets up a cheer, but the ball only smashes in a cabin wall.

We are getting closer. About fifty yards now. Closer. The pirate fires again and the cannonball whistles over the Captain's head and makes a neat round hole in the mizzen staysail. This is serious now and no longer fun. People are shooting at me. I tear me eyes from the pirate and keep them on the Captain. If a ball is gonna come kill me, I don't want to see it on its way to me own dear body. Me legs start in to shakin'.

"Well, enough playing with toys," says the Captain, strolling casually about, as if he were taking a turn round the park on a sunny day instead of being shot at with murderous intent. The Master, too, is standing all cool with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the set of his sails, awaiting the Captain's next move.

"Mr. Greenshaw, when I give the signal, bring the ship to port so that the starboard guns will bear. After the broadside, bring her back on this course."

"Aye, Sir," says the Master. Seeing the Captain and the Master so easy and all should help me quiet the shakin' in me knees, but it don't. Maybe it'll be all right. Maybe the pirates will give up. Please, God, don't let me disgrace myself.

"Starboard guns," shouts the Captain through his trumpet to the crews of the big guns below us, "hold steady. Aim your guns but hold steady. Fire on my order."

I lifts me quiverin' sticks and waits. The Captain looks at the Master and nods. Mr. Greenshaw speaks in a low voice to the man at the wheel and the ship begins to turn to the left. I waits, me legs all jelly.

The Dolphin turns some more. Then further she turns. The wind spills out of some of her sails. Still she turns.

" Fire! " bellows the Captain, and I hammer on me drum and there's that awful crash as the guns all roar out as one and the Dolphin herself heels over from the blast.

There's a cheer from the crew: The pirate has been hit hard! Some of her guns ports are shattered and her foremast is down! It's broken about a third of the way up and the huge sail is dragging in the water, slowing the corsair down to a crawl. Some of the pirates are swinging axes, desperate to cut the sail away. Some of the pirates are getting into small boats. That's it, I prays. Run away!

"Hold fire," orders the Captain. "Starboard guns, reload with grape. Aim to clear their decks. Fire only on my order."

With that order, I knows we means to take the corsair, not sink it. We are taking a chance in order to take a prize.

The Master has brought the ship back in direct pursuit of the pirate and we draw even closer. She can't run from us now, but some of the pirates are still puttin' up a fight. I can hear the grapeshot rattlin' down the barrels.

"Same again, Mr. Greenshaw," says the Captain, and again the Dolphin swings to port. I watches the Captain and wait.

" Fire! " says the Captain, and again I hit the drum and again the guns shout out their terrible bark. The powder smoke whips back across the deck, stingin' me eyes. I sees the pirate has downed men all over its decks. We're drawing closer and closer. I sees red comin' out of their scuppers. Dear God.

Then there's a splinterin' crash and I'm up in the air and flat on me back and knocked most out of me senses. The Dolphin shudders. Then there's another blast. There's smoke and screamin' and cryin' from down below. The pirate's guns have fired point-blank into our side.

In spite of her injuries the ship pulls up beside the corsair. There's another horrible crash as the pirate gets another broadside into us. Such awful screaming.

"Man the Boarding Party to starboard," yells the Captain. "Get the nets across! All hands to the Boarding Party!"

I gets to my feet and stumbles down the ladder, numb with terror. Got to find Jaimy.

The men are grabbing cutlasses from the rack. The nets and hooks are already across to the pirate. Our Marines are up in the rigging, firing down at the pirates below, keeping them away from the netting. I sees Jaimy up at the front of the mob by the rail, waiting for the order, cutlass in hand. The men are howling like demons. I grabs a cutlass and it's heavy in me hand and I knows I'll never use it but...