FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249  
250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   >>  
have less pained his powerful muscles than they now grieved his excellent heart. A party of boarders from the enemy had taken possession of the ship. Willis reported himself to the officer in command, and at his request, Fritz and Jack, together with the cargo of the pinnace, were conveyed on board the victorious schooner. Shortly after the _Hoboken_ was despatched to Bermuda as a prize, with the prisoners, the wounded, and the dying. The old tub that had gained this victory was named the _Arzobispo_, having, as Willis supposed, been captured in the Spanish Main. It was under the command of Commodore Truncheon, better known in the fleet by the _soubriquet_ of Old Flyblow. The _Arzobispo_, though old and clumsy, was a stout-built craft; and so thick was its hide, that the broadsides of the Yankee had done the hull no damage to speak of. The superstructure, however, was completely shattered; the masts and rigging hung like sweeps over the sides; and, to the unpractised eye, the ship was a complete wreck. A few days, however, sufficed to put everything to rights again so far as regards external appearance; but how this impromptu carpentry would stand a storm was another question. The commodore was on his way to Europe when he fell in with the Yankee, and, notwithstanding the disabled condition of the ship, he resolved to continue his voyage. Some of the officers expostulated with him on the hazard of crossing the Atlantic in so shaky a trim. He only got red in the face, and said that he had crossed the herring-pond hundreds of times in crafts not half so seaworthy. He was like the Froggy who would a wooing go, Whether his mother would let him or no. The consequences of this defiance of advice were fatal to Old Flyblow; for, a week or two after his victory, he was pounced upon by the French corvette, _Boudeuse_, which was fresh, heavily armed, and well manned. The commodore's jury masts were knocked to pieces by the first broadside, his flag went by the board, and he was completely at the enemy's mercy. Willis lent a hand this time with a good will; but it was of no use, the wreck would not obey the helm, and the corvette hovered about, firing broadsides, and sending in discharges of musketry, when and where she liked. It was only when the commodore saw clearly that there was neither mast nor sail enough to yaw the ship, that he waved his cocked hat in token of surrender. Fritz and Jack were still con
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249  
250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   >>  



Top keywords:
Willis
 

commodore

 

Flyblow

 

corvette

 

broadsides

 

Arzobispo

 

completely

 

Yankee

 

victory

 
command

hazard

 

defiance

 

advice

 

consequences

 

crossing

 

hundreds

 

expostulated

 
continue
 
voyage
 
officers

Atlantic

 

herring

 

wooing

 

Froggy

 

seaworthy

 

Whether

 

mother

 

crossed

 
crafts
 

knocked


musketry
 
hovered
 

firing

 
sending
 
discharges
 
surrender
 

cocked

 

manned

 
resolved
 
heavily

pounced
 

French

 

Boudeuse

 
pieces
 
broadside
 

prisoners

 

wounded

 

Bermuda

 

despatched

 

victorious