“What hour is it Lieutenant? I have misplaced my pocket watch.” Grimes asked.
“Half past four I believe Sir, um, approximately.” William said. The two were now walking at a quick pace to the quarterdeck.
“Dawn will be nearing and before the sun breaks, we have to gain weather gauge on whatever ship was behind us.” Grimes stated with confidence and conviction, then turning toward the quartermaster, “Come about, hard a-larboard bring us close hauled to the wind and adjust sail and remember, silence man.”
“Aye Sir,” the quartermaster replied, immediately passing word to begin setting the conditions the Captain specified.
The bow of the H.M.S Valor nosed southward, swiftly at first and then more slowly as she came up into the wind close hauled as the Captain commanded. There were a few snaps at the canvas as sail filled and sheet tightened, each causing crew on deck to grimace and look toward their Captain. Johnathan Grimes stood on the quarterdeck, seemingly immune to the tensions running through every other man aboard ship. Above the deck, high in the rigging crewmen were making sail adjustments, coaxing every bit of speed they could while the quartermaster held course. Minutes dragged on and the faintest glow could be detected in the eastern sky. Grimes calculated in his mind, if the two ships were cohorts, they would keep relatively close proximity to provide each other mutual support and aid if necessary. Perhaps they would increase that distance slightly to avoid mishap at night, especially under the sliver of moon and overcast skies. But they could be only a few miles apart, it was difficult to determine how far away the ship had been off their bow but the ship that was upwind of them had to be within a few nautical miles. Smells travel with the wind, but William smelling cooking food caused Grimes to believe they were close, perhaps within a mile. The challenge would be slipping by them undetected into an advantage before dawn unveiled their position. The eastern sky was glowing more and more intensely by the minute it seemed, and Grimes silently thanked the overcast conditions for giving him an extra few minutes of precious darkness to cover his maneuver.
As the eastern skyline grew lighter and lighter, the seas immediately surrounding the Valor began to come into view. Captain Grimes had the Valor tack over larboard and bring the wind in close haul on her starboard side. As the ship settled into her new heading and all adjustments completed, Lieutenant Pike had stationed himself on the larboard edge of the quarterdeck, scouring the waning darkness for any sign of a ship. Through his glass William scanned, from in front of the bow to far astern pausing intermittently to look with his naked eye and listening intently all the while. His tiredness had faded away in the tension and excitement and he was set on finding both ships. William could hear voices in the shadowy stretches of the pre-dawn glow. Muffled and distant but definitely present, he slowed his breathing to try and hear better, desperately trying to hear something definite a word, a phrase, some kind of indicator of their nation of origin. The voices floated in again over the gently rolling sea, but no words were distinguishable. William alerted the Captain by tapping him slightly on the arm and cupping his left ear at the rail. Johnathan nodded in agreement, he heard voices as well. Steadily the pair monitored the sporadic incoming sounds from the ship they had yet to see. They tracked as near as they could reckon the source of the sounds until both were confident it was astern of them.
The increasing light of dawn finally began to illuminate enough horizon that a sail would not hide for long and neither would the Valor. Now it would be a question of speed of action for the crews and the skill of decision for officers. Word was passed that a sail sighting would end the order of silence as the officers on deck would need to react immediately. Tense moments dragged as every available hand searched the gathering light for sign of another ship. Sunlight finally emerged enough over the horizon that even through the dense cloud cover the seas were growing visible. As William and Johnathan could now see more farther than pistol range from the Valor, things began to unfold in a mad rush.
“Sail off the larboard stern, she’s about a mile out Sir!” called down one of the marines stationed up on the mizzen top.
“Colors?” The Captain shouted up in reply.
“She’s French!” the marine exclaimed.
“Quartermaster, hard a-larboard, make your heading west by northwest,” the Captain ordered, then immediately turning to Cobb, “Sheet the top gallants as we come about, and beat to quarters.” Captain Grimes then turned to his steward, “If you will, fetch my hat and sword. Lieutenant Pike’s as well, hurry man.” As soon as the Captain had finished speaking the same marine who had spotted the first sail called out again,
“Another sail Sir! She’s about three miles farther out than the first! No colors yet.” The marine’s voice was followed abruptly by the drums signaling the Valor to clear for action. Every man aboard who had not already been stationed by Lieutenant Pike earlier scrambled to their designated post. Both batteries opened their gun ports and ran out loaded guns, all while the Valor made a tight turn towards the stern of the nearest French Ship, her name still not distinguishable through the dim dawn and distance.
“Sail! Two points off the starboard bow Sir! Ship of the line, looks to be a third rate!” the sailor on watch up on the main topsail called down. This sent a chill through every hand, including Lieutenant Pike. They had expected the sighting of two ships and even though they still had weather gauge on all three, a three on one engagement could be disastrous for all but
