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Updated: June 6, 2025
Buoy overboard," replied Bennington the quartermaster at the helm. "Clear away the third cutter!" added Kendall. The orders were rapidly given for backing the main-topsail, while the courses were clewed up; but the ship went on a considerable distance before her headway could be arrested.
As soon as sail was thus taken in the helm was put to port, the ship came up to the wind on the starboard tack, and the main-topsail was laid to the mast, bringing the yawl under her lee and close alongside of the ship. This manoeuvre was no sooner executed than a seaman ran lightly down the vessel's side and entered the yawl.
The captain had been anxiously watching all that took place. `I'll not lose Hardy, he exclaimed. `Back the main-topsail! No order was ever obeyed more readily, and soon we were dropping back towards our boat, and towards the enemy.
The boy was confident that this was the New England coasting vessel in which Ned Rackham and his pirates had appeared off Cherokee Inlet and had carried the marooned seamen from the sandy cay. "A brown patch in the big main-topsail, and the bowsprit steeved more'n ordinary," said Joe. "Tit for tat, Cap'n Wellsby. Your men can have the fun of jamming them in the fo'castle.
When within two cables' length of the Windsor Castle, who had, a little before, filled her main-topsail to be in command, the Frenchman hauled up his foresail, and discovered his lower rigging manned by the ship's company, who gave a loud but hasty cheer, and then disappeared. One cock crowing is a challenge, sure to be answered, if the antagonist is game.
Off Dungeness, which we reached about three in the afternoon, or "six bells," exactly twenty-four hours from the time of our leaving the docks, we hove-to, backing our main-topsail and hoisting a whiff at the peak as a signal that we wanted a boat from the shore to disembark our pilot.
We, however, did not get off scathless. The enemy still continued to annoy us with their foremost guns; while the shot from their muskets rattled thickly round our heads, our main royal-mast and main-topsail yard had been shot away, and the gaff was so severely wounded, that when the Frenchmen fell aboard us, it dropped over his deck.
Then he ordered a new main-topsail to be at once brought on deck and bent; having no fancy for leaving the brig all night under such low and ineffective canvas as the spanker a sail that, with the heavy sea then running, was half the time becalmed.
As the brig rounded-to, her main-topsail was thrown aback, bringing her to a standstill directly to windward of the "Vigilant," and within easy hailing distance.
"It will never do to let her get away. See what you can do, Crofton." Oliver went forward and trained the foremost gun. He fired, and down came the stranger's main-topsail yard. On this she hauled down her colours and hove-to. She proved to be, as the commander had supposed, a large English merchantman, a prize to the French frigate.
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