From Powder Monkey to Admiral | Page 9

the frigate kept
bearing down under plain sail towards them.
Our heroes, sitting on their tubs, could see but very little of what was
going forward, though now and then they got a glimpse of the enemy
through the ports; but they heard the remarks made by the men in their
neighbourhood, who were allowed to talk till the time for action had
arrived.
"Our skipper knows what he's about, but that chap ahead of the rest is a
monster, and looks big enough to tackle us without the help of the
others," observed one of the crew of the gun nearest to which Tom was

seated.
"What's the odds if she carries twice as many teeth as we have! we'll
work ours twice as fast, and beat her before the frigates can come up to
grin at us," answered Ned Green, the captain of the gun.
Tom did not quite like the remarks he heard. There was going to be a
sharp fight, of that there could be no doubt, and round shot would soon
be coming in through the sides, and taking off men's heads and legs and
arms. It struck him that he would have been safer at school. He thought
of his father and mother, and brothers and sisters, who, if he was killed,
would never know what had become of him; not that Tom was a
coward, but it was somewhat trying to the courage even of older hands,
thus standing on slowly towards the enemy. When the fighting had
once begun, Tom was likely to prove as brave as anybody else; at all
events, he would have no time for thinking, and it is that which tries
most people.
The captain and most of the officers were on the quarter-deck, keeping
their glasses on the enemy.
"The leading ship under French colours appears to me to carry
sixty-four guns," observed the first lieutenant to the captain; "and the
next, also a Frenchmen, looks like a thirty-six gun frigate. The brig is
American, and so is one of the sloops. The sternmost is French, and is a
biggish ship."
"Whatever they are, we'll fight them, and, I hope, take one or two at
least," answered the captain.
He looked at his watch. It was just ten o'clock. The next moment the
headmost ship opened her fire, and the shot came whizzing between the
ship's masts.
Captain Waring watched them as they flew through the air.
"I thought so," he observed. "There were not more than fifteen; she's a
store-ship, and will be our prize before the day is over. Fire, my lads!"

he shouted; and the eager crew poured a broadside into the enemy,
rapidly running in their guns, and reloading them to be ready for the
next opponent.
The Foxhound was standing along the enemy's line to windward, and as
she came abreast of each ship she fired with well-directed aim; and
though all the enemy's ships in succession discharged their guns at her,
not a shot struck her hull, though their object evidently was to cripple
her, so that they might surround her and have her at their mercy.
Tom, who had read about sea-fights, and had expected to have the shot
come rushing across the deck, felt much more comfortable on
discovering this, and began to look upon the Frenchmen as very bad
gunners.
The Foxhound's guns were all this time thundering away as fast as the
crews could run them in and load them, the men warming to their work
as they saw the damage they were inflicting on the enemy.
Having passed the enemy's line to windward, Captain Waring ordered
the ship to be put about, and bore down on the sternmost French ship,
which, with one of smaller size carrying the American pennant, was in
a short time so severely treated that they both bore up out of the line.
The Foxhound, however, followed, and the other French ships and the
American brig coming to the assistance of their consorts, the Foxhound
had them on both sides of her.
This was just what her now thoroughly excited crew desired most, as
they could discharge their two broadsides at the same time; and right
gallantly did she fight her way through her numerous foes till she got
up with the American ship, which had been endeavouring to escape
before the wind, and now, to avoid the broadside which the English
ship was about to pour into her, she hauled down her colours.
On seeing this, the frigate's crew gave three hearty cheers; and as soon
as they had ceased, the captain's voice was heard ordering two boats
away under the command of the third lieutenant, who was directed to
take charge of the prize, and to send her crew on board the