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Updated: July 15, 2025
The latter put down her helm in a vain attempt to avoid being raked, but her bowsprit catching in the mizen rigging of the Lily, Oliver, calling to Jack and several other men, securely lashed it there, in spite of the fire which the marines from the enemy's forecastle opened on him and his companions. The bullets from the Frenchmen's muskets came rattling sharply on board.
"Cut the cable!" shouted the captain. The ship quickly gathering way, began to glide down the harbour. Our launch and cutter, and the Frenchmen's boat, were at once cut adrift, so as not to impede us, while a favourable flaw of wind gave the ship additional way.
Still the Coquille for that such she was very little doubt existed kept creeping up. The sea became much calmer. "I will send a boat away with Norah and Gerald; it were better to save her from the annoyance to which she would be exposed should we again fall into the Frenchmen's hands," said Captain Tracy.
As the Jolliet expedition paddled down the Mississippi ever so easily and swiftly a marvellous panorama unfolded itself before the Frenchmen's fascinated gaze. Immense herds of bison occasionally appeared on the river banks, flocks of turkeys flew up from the glades and roosted in the trees and on the river bank.
As quickly as possible we got lights and examined the gentry lying about on the deck. One of them was still unconscious, the rest were pretty badly mauled about in the tussle; and Manî suggested that we had better drop them overboard to save further trouble. Showing a light, we hailed the Frenchmen's boat, and told them to come alongside again.
"Then we'll avenge their scalps. That was the way with us, when my Lord Howe fell 'avenge his death! cried our colonel; and on we pushed, until near two thousand of us fell before the Frenchmen's trenches. Oh! that was a sight worth seeing, and a day to talk of!" "Yes, but you were threshed soundly, serjeant, as I've heard from many that were there." "What of that, sir! we obeyed orders.
I had a hope that, after all, there would be no bloodshed. We meantime had commenced firing, but either the Frenchmen's powder was better or their guns longer, for our shot mostly appeared to fall short, greatly to the vexation of our crew.
But, although helpless to intervene just then, I saw that there was a possibility of the Frenchmen's excesses bringing retribution in their train. For every man who had thus far come from the Spanish ship had been almost helplessly drunk; and I saw no especial reason why the rest should not be in the same condition.
Just then Harry, who had a sharp eye, exclaimed somewhat loudly to a messmate "Why, the fellows have the Republican cockades in their hats!" The captain overheard him; and, looking more earnestly at the Frenchmen's hats, he saw by the light of the moon, to his dismay, the three Republican colours.
The enemy saw them coming, but did not heave-to in order to meet them, endeavouring rather to escape. All day long the chase continued, and it was not until towards the evening that, from the British ships, it could be discovered that the Frenchmen's force consisted of no less than twenty-three sail of the line, a fifty-gun ship, three frigates, a lugger, and a cutter.
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