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Updated: May 27, 2025
Had the Prince of Wales been going on that voyage, he could not have been better provided. Where, sirrah, is the Tompion watch your grandmother gave you? and how did you survive the boxes of cakes which the good lady stowed away in your cabin? The ship which took out my poor Theo's children, returned with the Reverend Mr. Hagan.
"Well, sir, it might ha' been a boat or a raft or it might only ha' been the trunk of a tree struck adrift; but if it had been a tree I don't think as it would ha' wanished quite so quick." "How long ago was this, Mr Tompion?" "Just a minute or two afore you came on deck, sir."
There is my silver-hilted rapier, my rings, my gold snuff-box, and my watch by Tompion at the sign of the Three Crowns. It was never bought under a hundred, I'll warrant. Then there are such relics of grandeur as you see upon my person, though they begin to look as frail and worn as a waiting-woman's virtue.
The firing now became more rapid on both sides; but though the spars on each side had several narrow escapes, none had, so far, fallen, and the damage done seemed in each case to be but of the most trifling description. At length Mr Sennitt walked aft and said, "Let me try my hand, Tompion; I used to be considered rather a crack shot on board the old `Dido."
"Hulled him! by all that's clever," exclaimed the first luff, while the gratified Tompion looked slowly round upon his messmates, with modest pride beaming from every feature.
Perhaps the authorities felt the big stone took up too much room; or perhaps they felt it heaped undue honor on two men who in their estimation were really nothing but tradesmen; or, worse yet, perhaps they had forgotten all Tompion and Graham did for the rest of us.
Knowing that the British cruiser was already aware of the presence of a number of prisoners on board the raider counted on the Tompion withholding her fire. The Ponto would then "crack on speed," for in spite of her alleged maximum of eleven knots she was capable of working up to twenty-eight, or a knot more than the speed of the cruiser under forced draught.
This to the gunners, who obeyed eagerly. They had been chafing throughout the running of the gantlet as they stood beside their beloved but idle piece. The tompion was drawn from the gun, the polished brass of which gleamed through the night and the rain. It was a splendid piece, and the chief gunner, as well as Adam Colfax, looked at it with pride.
The gun, after being carefully loaded, was trained with the most scrupulous nicety, and then Tompion, trigger-line in hand, stood squinting along the sights until a favourable moment arrived, when there was a concussion; the smoke cleared away, and a shot-hole was seen in the frigate's foresail, very nearly in a line with the mast. "Very prettily shot, Tompion," said the skipper; "try again.
Still, if so be as you thinks fit to give the order, we " "Look out! hold on everybody fore and aft! here it comes!" I shouted, interrupting Tompion; for at that moment I caught sight of an enormous wave rushing after us with its gleaming white phosphorescent crest towering a dozen feet above our taffrail, and curling over in such a manner that I saw it must inevitably break on board.
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