"She poorly?" Lewrie enquired.
"A tad creaky, sir. Had a good place, when I left, but… never know when her people's position might change, or they take on someone younger t'do fer 'em."
"Better this than go for a soldier, if you couldn't find some house yourself, to do for," Lewrie told him. "Aye, I'll see what the Prize-Court's up to, if you're worried."
Aspinall was such a quiet fellow, always sidling about below on his chores, that he'd never given him much thought. "Creaky"… that could mean rheumatic and feeble, all but unemployable when he signed aboard, and that was two years ago and more! His old clerk, Mr. Mountjoy, had written the lad's letters for him, read the one or two he'd gotten in reply, which were surely penned for his mother by a literate neighbour, shopkeeper or fellow house-servant.
Just like a ship, Lewrie thought with a sigh, washing down a bite of… by God, it's a sandwich, damme'f it ain't, and no matter what Aspinall heard it called! with a swig of small-beer; right on the verge of a fight, and there's an hundred niggling things a captain has to give an ear to!
"Yea!" Midshipman Hyde exulted. "Think he hit her that time!"
Lewrie gnawed off a larger bite and set the plate down, to get to his feet and go forward for a better look. The frigate was lashing along, but still overpressed, within a half mile of her merchantmen. Myrmidon was up to Range-To-Random-Shot with her bow-chaser. And his own ship would be, in another ten minutes, should she stand on as she was. Time enough for a well-practiced ship to get herself ready.
"Ahem, Mister Knolles," he said, swallowing. "Kindly beat us to Quarters. I think we're close enough, at last."
"Aye aye, sir! Bosun, Sergeant Bootheby, turn out your drummers! Beat to Quarters!"
Gun crews closed up, starboard ports open and great-guns run out, Jester was up to within two miles of her foe, off her larboard quarters, after weathering her all day. Myrmidon was up to windward, pelting away upon her starboard quarters. The French frigate must turn and fight, Lewrie thought. Which of us, though? He sketched a tack to head Sou'east, should she turn on Myrmidon. But she'd have to tack herself to do that.
Might haul her wind, and let fly with her larboard batteries 'gainst Fillebrowne, he speculated. Point herself straight at us if he does, and…
"Haulin'!" Half a dozen throats spoke at once. She was hauling her wind, falling away from the wind to take it abeam, trying for almost due North! And the taut fullness of her main-course over the middle of her gun-decks was bagging, gone flaccid as it was brailed, buntlined and clewed up. So it wouldn't catch fire when she fought!
"Mister Knolles, haul us two points free, and ease the braces," Alan ordered. "But be ready to come back on the wind when I say so. Mister Crewe?" he called to the Master Gunner below.
"Aye, sir?"
"Ready with starboard broadsides. Load with chain, bar and star shot. Quoins out, and aim for his rigging!" Lewrie chortled. Being alee of their foe had one advantange: His windward guns would be elevated higher than the frigate's, which would be firing her larboard battery, the lee side… the canted-over, low side. Even with her quoins fully out from beneath the guns' breeches, they could not reach quite so far.
He looked astern. Pylades and Lionheart were only three miles back now and close-hauled as dammit, coursing along on the razor's edge of the wind with frothy moustaches of foam under their bows, intenton closing to pistol-shot range. He'd have help soon if they got into trouble. Though he didn't plan on letting this Frenchman best him.
"A point higher, sir. Sidle up and close the range." Lewrie fretted, pacing the starboard bulwarks, from the gangway ladder near the trunk of the main mast, to abeam the wheel-drum. "Wait for it, Mister Crewe! Pick your moment when we round up!"
The frigate was on Jesters starboard quarter now, as if she had become the pursuer, not the pursued. But she had Myrmidon alee on her larboard, abaft of abeam. Lewrie thought Fillebrowne a knacky fellow-he could have pressed on, crossed her stern, got off a quick raking broadside and rushed on to deal with the helpless merchantmen.
'Least he's stayin' to fight, Alan breathed in relief.
"Haulin'!" those half dozen commentators shouted once more. A change in aspect, as the frigate fell away even more off the wind, her gun-ports open and filled with black muzzles. She'd turn on Myrmidon first!
"For what they're 'bout to receive…" Spenser breathed from the helm, with Brauer and two mates now manning it.
"Better them than us'n," Mr. Tucker the Quartermaster's Mate completed.
Savage bellows, far deeper than the barks of a chase-gun, those Frog 18-pounders roared out, her whole side lit up and befogged by a well-timed broadside! Huge pillars and feathers of spray rose round Myrmidon, and her masts swayed drunkenly as she was struck, recoiling from the shock. Canted over, the frigate couldn't hope to dismast her with guns aimed high enough, except the 8-pounders on her quarterdeck; but the brutal shock might suit their purpose just as well.
"Close-haul, Mister Knolles! Get ready, Mister Crewe!" Alan screeched. "As she comes back on the wind!
"Ready… wait'll she steadies, lads! On the up-roll.. .fire!"
Jesters side turned orange for a moment, as nine 9-pounders went off as one, and a blinding torrent of spent sparks and powder-fumes burst into life, the gun-trucks growling like wounded swine as they lurched inboard 'cross the oak deck planking, to snub and groan at the full extent of the breeching-ropes spliced to the heavy iron ring-bolts in her sides.
"Stop yer vents! Swab out! Charge yer guns…!" Mr. Crewe was howling, at men who'd suddenly gone half deaf to the fierce but higher barking of the 9-pounders.
"Off the wind, Mr. Knolles. Two points free, again." "Aye, sir." Knolles coughed, turning his attention inboard after trying to see what damage they'd done.
As the smoke thinned and drifted off alee, Lewrie could espy some damage aloft aboard the frigate, which was rounding back up to lay closer to the wind. They'd caught her at a bad angle-for her, at any rate; almost forward larboard bows-on, their iron-mongery all aimed close together. She was missing her main and fore royal masts, high above the deck, and her fore t'gallant, and fore t'gallant stays'l were holed and flapping, ready to tear apart from the bolt-ropes! They'd crippled her!
More firing, as Myrmidon let loose with a broadside, at last. Terrier-like yips of anger, from those punier 6-pounders of hers on her gun-deck. Splashes and feathers of spray, close-aboard the enemy waterline, along her gunwales and chainwales.
"Ready, sir!" Crewe reported from the foot of the starboard ladder. "Disablin' shot, still, Cap'um."
"Very good, Mr. Crewe, we'll be rounding up shortly." He beamed back. Closer still, too; they were now well within Range-To-Random-Shot-less than a nautical mile! He watched the frigate go hard on the wind, to serve Jester a crushing broadside.
"Helm a'weather, Mr. Knolles! Haul our wind, and show them our stern!" Lewrie called. "Can't stern-rake us bad at that range!" "Aye aye, sir!"
Jester sagged down off the wind, showing the frigate her stern, making a slimmer target of herself, as a duelist would to expose less of himself to his opponent's pistol. The frigate's side lit up again, smothering her in a shoal of smoke.
"Steady, thus!" Knolles shouted, chopping his forearm to show the course, after a glance aft.