Barracuda

'Aye, captain.'

'Get a bucket line formed.'

'Graf?'

'Aye, sir.'

'Get the hammocks and blankets soaked and ready if we need them.'

'Mr. Dover?'

'Here, sir,' the carpenter answered.

'Open the sea-cock and get some water in the bilges, then get the ship's pumps ready. Hopefully we won't need them, but let's get them ready.'

'Aye, cap'n.' As the carpenter turned to carry out his duties Gabe called after him again.

'Mr. Dover.'

'Sir.'

'Don't forget to close the sea-cocks. We want to put water in the bilge, not sink the ship.'

'Aye, sir, close them I will.'

Dagan then sidled up to Gabe, 'Here comes the other privateer.'

'Damme,' Gabe said, not liking the thought of having to surrender.

BOOM!… BOOM!… Gabe looked for the fall of the shot not seeing any damage to SeaWolf.

'Look sir,' one of the petty officers called out, 'It's Merlin. She's firing on the privateer.'

'Huzzah! Huzzah for the Merlin,' SeaWolf's crew cheered.

On board Merlin, Lord Anthony and Bart watched as SeaWolf's crew fought the flames. Meanwhile, Earl guided his ship into combat against the remaining schooner. LeFrelon and the privateering frigate were locked together and were in hand-to-hand combat.

'We's got to 'urry,' Bart volunteered, 'else Knight and his bunch'll be overrun.'

Lord Anthony was also concerned. He wanted to help Gabe but he also had to go to Knight's aid.

However, the damnable schooner came first.

'Captain Earl?'

'Aye, my Lord.'

'I'd be grateful if your next salvo was double-shotted with a measure of grape. Time is of the essence.'

Earl understood the urgency and had himself been torn between which ship to aid. In theory, Gabe should be able to handle the fire but…

The cannons had been loaded as ordered and after coming about Merlin unleashed its deadly broadside. The weight of its metal stopped the schooner dead in the water. The once proud schooner should have hauled her wind after the first exchange with Merlin's bigger twelve pounder cannons.

The ship was mastless, and pockmarked from the stern forward. Men were scurrying to abandon ship as the schooner was already down forward.

'Come about if you will, sir,' Lord Anthony was addressing Earl. 'Let's see if we can lie alongside the rogue,' he continued, using his sword as a pointer. 'Pray to God we're not too late.'

As Merlin approached the privateer frigate men started firing muskets and swivels in their direction. One of the men at the wheel involuntarily let up, as a ball hit the deck next to him.

'Steer small, blast you,' Merlin's master hissed at the man. Merlin yawed then was instantly corrected.

The frigate's transom was now level with Merlin's jib boom. A heavy thump, then the scraping and grinding of wood as the two ships came together.

'Boarders away, boarders away,' Earl was calling when he saw Bart and Lord Anthony, pistol in one hand and blade in the other.

'My Lord,' he cried, 'It's not for you to be boarding, sir.'

Touched, but not amazed at Earl's sincerity, Anthony answered, 'I must lead by example Stephen, you most of all should realize that.'

'Aye, my Lord,' Earl muttered as he stepped aside.

'Don't yew worry none, cap'n,' Bart spoke as he passed, 'I's protecting 'im.'

'Humph! You can't protect yourself so how are you to protect me?' Anthony asked.

'I's will, don't yews be worrying how, jus' knows I will.'

The flash of powder as muskets and pistols fired continued all around. Realizing they were now being assaulted on two fronts the privateers were now fighting like madmen. Cutlasses flashed amid cries of anguish and pain. Bart discharged his pistol into a man's rotund belly as the man jabbed at Lord Anthony with a boarding pike.

Earl aimed at what appeared to be an officer and squeezed the trigger. As the man went down he put the fired pistol in his waistband and shifted his other pistol to his right hand. When he spotted another target, he aimed, held his breath for a second then fired. When the second man collapsed he took his sword and joined into the fight.

The privateers were now tiring. They'd all but won the battle with LeFrelon when Merlin joined in. A small half-crazed man screaming profanities was skewered by Lord Anthony's blade. He dropped the axe he had been carrying and bolted toward a ladder, before dropping to the deck, letting out a final bloodcurdling profane scream.

Earl, who was by Lord Anthony looked at the admiral and declared, 'Blasphemy, by Gawd.'

'Damnation,' Bart cried. 'Look!'

Knight was in the midst of a melee. The man could be heard yelling encouragement to his men. His voice strong and commanding could be heard above the din of battle.

Dead and dying men lay sprawled about the deck.

Little knots of men were still fighting. Lord Anthony now was face to face with a man carrying a blade and a tomahawk. Desperation showed on the man's face and

eyes as he circled and prodded with his blade, feinting then swinging the tomahawk.

Circling with the man, Anthony became aware of how slick the deck had become from all the blood and gore. Feeling himself tire, Anthony knew he had to soon end it. Then just as he started to press the man, there was a loud crack to his left.

His opponent's face turned from that of a man to unrecognizable gore. As the man dropped to the deck Bart stepped up next to Lord Anthony, smoking pistol still in his hand.

'No need to bother with that bugger. Iffen he'd 'ad any sense he'd throwed down 'is weapons and surrendered proper like. 'Nother one o' them buggers wot shoulda learned 'scretion, I'm thinking. Now 'e'll never share another wet with 's mates.' The fighting was now over. Merlin's marine lieutenant was bellowing at his men to form up.

Wounded men were being carried below and the bodies of dead privateers were being dumped unceremoniously overboard. Cries from the orlop deck could be heard as Bart and Lord Anthony made their way back on board Merlin.

Turning to Lord Anthony, Bart spoke in a very solemn voice, 'I don't know wot's worse, dying on deck or at the 'ands o' the surgeon.'

Nursing a cut arm, Anthony replied, 'I don't know but I think it's quicker in battle.'

'Aye,' Bart agreed, 'Plus yew don't 'ave to lay there and think on it.'

Back on board SeaWolf, Gabe and his crew were able to get the burning sail cut away and overboard before the fire had spread. Most of the damage from the battle was to the rails and bulwark. One gun would have to have a new carriage. Two crewmembers were dead and several wounded, a few from fighting the fire and not the battle.

LeFrelon was not so lucky. She had twenty dead and twice that wounded. The ship had taken a beating and may sink.

'Several planks has been stove in,' the carpenter reported, 'Plus she be holed twice.'

As Knight reported to Admiral Anthony he felt distraught. 'I doubt she'll ever fight again, my Lord. The frigate's heavier guns pounded her badly, I'm afraid.'

'Think she'll make it to Saint Augustine?' Anthony inquired.

'I'm not sure, my Lord. If the wind doesn't get up she might.'

'Very well,' Lord Anthony said with a sigh. 'Leave your first lieutenant and a skeleton crew on board and you take command of the frigate. What was her name?' Anthony asked.

'The Neptune, sir.'