'We'll go about, Mr. Jackson. Lay her on the starboard tack.'
The wind was now steady from the south-southeast.
'Put the helm down if you please.'
'Helm alee, sir,' the new helmsman responded.
Jackson had the men working like demons on the sails.
'Man the braces. Heave… heave there you laggardly bugger,' Graf shouted.
Around came SeaWolf's bow, yards groaning as canvas flapped, and then the sails snapped loudly as the wind refilled them.
Gabe then shouted, 'Mr. Lavery, prepare to engage with the other battery, I want the guns firing no matter what. Fire as they bear.'
Then as SeaWolf's guns fired and the smoke began to clear Dagan was again at Gabe's side. 'They're quitting, look Barracuda has broken off.'
'She's sailing away! David has once again defeated Goliath,' Gunnells quipped. Relief was plain on his face.
'Do we give chase, sir?' Jackson asked.
'No,' a relieved Gabe replied. 'I don't know what we'd do if caught her. Unlike our master I don't believe we've defeated her. We've just wounded her and a wounded animal is frequently more dangerous.' As SeaWolf came about again Gabe peered at the once proud Neptune. Her stern had been blown open by Barracuda's heavy cannons. Her forward mast was gone, the mizzen mast was leaning. The deck gouged and splintered. To say she was badly mauled was an understatement.
Caleb had made his way on SeaWolf's deck, 'We have two dead and only a handful of wounded.'
'Good,' Gabe said, 'I'm thinking you'll be needed more on yonder hulk.'
It's not good if you're one of the dead ones, Caleb thought, but fate… er… Bart's lady luck was with them. Whoever heard of a brigantine attacking a large frigate anyway?As SeaWolf closed with Neptune a cheer went up. As Gabe, Dagan and Caleb went aboard Neptune the scene was horrifying. Men's faces were black with powder stains. Corpses littered the deck, great pools of drying blood was everywhere. One had to step over falling spars, rigging and ripped up planking. A few, under the supervision of the boson and the carpenter, were trying to set the ship back to rights.
'No holes below the water line,' the carpenter said,
'I'm not sure how long the mizzen will stand, not long if the wind gets up. The main mast appears untouched but we've no steerage. We'll have to be towed.' Looking about Gabe didn't see Knight or any of the officers. Dreading the answer he asked, 'Did any of the officers survive?'
'Aye,' the bosun answered, 'the cap'n is hurt bad but is in his cabin, Mr. Dey is gone and they were taking off Mr. Brooks arm. The rest 'sides what you see,' the bosun said, swinging his arm to emphasize the men on deck, 'is dead.'
'Caleb, would you be so kind as to check on Captain Knight?'
Without answering, Caleb made his way to the captain's cabin.
'Caleb has about had his fill of this sort of thing, I'm thinking,' Dagan whispered.
'Well, so am I,' Gabe responded, 'So am I.'
Chapter Twenty-One
It was a somber meeting when Gabe reported aboard the flagship. After he had finished his report Lord Anthony said, 'I see you were able to salvage the Indiaman.'
'Aye, sir, I sent Dagan and Lieutenant Lavery along with a boat crew over to search the vessel and Dagan returned saying that while the ship had been holed, very little damage was below the waterline. Lavery had already manned the pumps and was dumping debris over the side. Once we lightened her up a bit I felt she was seaworthy so we sailed her back.'
'Were there any survivors?' Lord Anthony asked.
This brought a smile to Gabe's tired face. 'I asked Lum that very question, sir. He had gone with the first boarding party and when I came aboard Lum was tossing bodies over the side. Any survivors I asked. He gave me a look of surprise and replied, 'You know Cap'n, Bart done told me you couldn't put no confidence in nuthin a Dago says, so I ain't ask if they's alive or not. I's jus' been dumping 'em over de side to help lighten da load like Mr. Lavery ordered.' This brought an appreciative smile to both Lord Anthony and Captain Buck.
'Gawd,' Buck exclaimed. 'I'm glad we don't have Bart and Lum together all the time.'
The mood returned somber again when Lord Anthony asked, 'Has Sir Raymond been taken to the hospital yet?'
'No sir,' Gabe answered. 'He's still aboard SeaWolf where we moved him before we towed Neptune back.
Caleb said he's afraid to move him just yet. He had multiple wounds… gunshots and splinters. I waited as long as I felt wise before we started back, giving Caleb time to work on Captain Knight as well as the other wounded. Neptune 's surgeon was lost at some point so Caleb had his hands full.'
'What are Sir Raymond's chances of recovery?' Lord Anthony asked. 'Did Caleb give you any hint?'
'No sir, he just said a lesser man would be dead.
Lieutenant Brooks said that Captain Knight continued to fight the ship even after he'd been wounded several times. All the survivors on Neptune said Knight's ship handling is what saved them. He outmaneuvered those two ships time and time again so that until the very end only one of the enemy ships was able to fire on him at a time.'
'And what of Neptune,' Buck asked. 'Is she seaworthy?'
Shaking his head, Gabe said, 'I don't think so.
Maybe if she was at some yard, but here… I think it unlikely.'
'So,' Lord Anthony said, 'We've lost a nimble frigate and gained an old tub of a merchantman.'
'Begging your pardon, sir, but the Indiaman is in overall good shape. The carpenters said she's well built… mostly of teak and she's sound. She's filthy and needs some repairs but I think she could be beached and put to rights here, sir. She's got forty guns, all new British pieces and she has lots of spare sails, ropes, cordage and Barracuda
even some spars in the hole. I put Lieutenant Jackson on board in charge of the prize crew and he said she handled well enough.'
'Well, we'll see how repairs go,' Lord Anthony said, not committing to any set course or plan. Then he spoke again, 'I didn't see a name on her.'
'No, sir,' Gabe replied. 'She had once been the Lord Cromwell but that's painted over. We were able to find some paper with the date of August 1775, so it appears the rebels took her about a year or so ago.'
'What about the troops she was carrying?' Anthony asked, almost as an afterthought.
'I believe most made it to shore. Lavery did a quick count when he went aboard and said at least one hundred were dead.'
'Damned, if Sir Raymond didn't make them pay dearly,' Buck interjected.
'Aye,' Gabe replied, 'and we still don't know what damage Barracuda suffered. Something caused her to break off the action,' he said. 'I am sure it wasn't SeaWolf's pop guns.'
'She may have believed the ruse with your flags,' Buck said.
'Or perhaps like Sir Raymond,' Lord Anthony added. 'Her captain may have been wounded. Keep me posted on Sir Raymond's condition and when he can be moved ashore, Gabe.'
'Aye sir.'
Gabe sensed the interview was over. He was almost out of the admiral's cabin when Lord Anthony called, 'If we salvage the Indiaman, what would you name her, Gabe?'
After a thoughtful second or so Gabe replied,
'Defiant.'
'Why Defiant?' Lord Anthony queried. 'Why that name?'
'Because the rebels took her, we took her back and now we defy them to try again.'
