Not believing his ear, Anthony suddenly became serious. "Why Bart, I didn't know you had a steady woman. Is this more than just a fling with a trollop?"
"I ain't sure yet," Bart replied. "'Er daddy be Portuguese and 'er mother's Spanish, English and mulatto mixed. But even if it's just a touch, she still 'as a bit o' black in her. 'Eer daddy paid one hundred pounds for 'er mother. After seeing 'er I believes 'e got a bargain and Esmeralda is more beautiful than 'er mother."
"Is she for sale?" Anthony queried.
"I'm not sure," Bart replied, "I ain't got round to deciding iffen I wanta ask. It could be I could buy 'er, then it's possible 'er father would give 'er 'and in marriage. I just ain't decided if I's ready for a full time woman, 'specially with this war. She do make a good little bed warmer howsum ever."
The roar of the bowchaser sounded and broke up the conversation. The acrid smell of the smoke drifted aft as another shot was let loose from the bowchaser.
"Went through 'er mainsail," the lookout called down.
Taking his glass and resting it on a ratline Anthony looked at the distant ship. Gabe had ordered SeaWolf to let loose with her forward guns and now the chase was under fire from both ships.
"Captain Earl!"
"Yes, my lord."
"As soon as convenient I want you to load with grape. I'd like to board yonder ship if possible without having to face great odds."
"Aye, my lord," Earl replied, and then went about the admiral's order. He knew privateers tended to carry lots of extra men so his lordship was being prudent. It was not unheard of where a larger ship boarded a smaller vessel only to be swamped by all the extra men on board. Then it was the privateers who gained a prize and not the other way around.
The wind had veered somewhat and after three broadsides in less than two minutes Merlin was completely engulfed in smoke from her larboard cannons. However the chase was now firing back. A portion of the taffrail was hit and a sailor screamed as splinters flew through the air. Another ball hit amidships dismembering a man as it put a great gouge in Merlin's gun deck. A shout from forward caused Anthony to peer over the bulwark in time to see the chase's mainmast go tumbling over the side with a great crack not unlike a cannon firing.
However, the ship's captain was a stubborn if not wise man and he continued to fight for his ship. Only his forward guns could bear on Merlin; and SeaWolf had now crossed the ship's stern firing as she crossed.
Anthony could hear Bart saying, "That's me boy.
Gabe put a ball up 'er arse and blowed out 'er innards.
That'll slow ' em down I'm bettin'."
Barracuda 1
Slow the return fire it did, but still the captain of the chase showed no signs of surrendering.
Seeing Earl, Anthony ordered, "We'll grapple and board to starboard, signal SeaWolf to do the same to larboard."
"Aye, my lord," Earl replied then shouted out the orders.
Another broadside from Merlin sent grape buzzing through the chase like a wad of hornets.
Seeing SeaWolf close with the chase, Anthony then ordered Earl, "Have the gunners cease firing Captain.
We don't want grape cutting down on SeaWolf's crew as they board."
"Aye, my lord. Mr. Campbell," Earl called to his first lieutenant, "have the cannons cease fire then prepare to board yonder ship."
The ships were coming together now and as the hulls ground together a shudder went through Merlin causing Anthony to stumble.
Bart caught a hold of him smiling and said, "No lying back now; it be time for that exercise yews been talking bout."
Then, with a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other, off the two went to join the melee. The sound of muskets filled Anthony's ears. Shots rang out as marine sharpshooters fired down on the men in the chase while a hand full of privateers fired back at the marines. A sergeant fell next to Anthony then struggled to his feet, blood pouring from a useless left arm.
One of the rogues on the chase lunged at Bart with a bayonet he'd picked up from a dead marine. The attack was clumsy and Bart easily parried the blade then slashed down with his cutlass, splitting the man's chest.
The fight became very close as screams, curses and words of encouragement all filled the air. Anthony knew the fight couldn't last long as the enemy ship had been
boarded from both quarters and British sailors now had flooded the deck.
Another rascal had just attacked Anthony who deflected the blow but was thrown off balance in doing so. His attacker then thrust his blade forward, the tip of which stung as it pierced flesh entering Anthony's abdomen. Anthony twisted and avoided most of the man's attack, then raised his pistol and fired into the man's chest. Dropping the pistol to the deck, Anthony shifted his cutlass to his right hand and with his left pulled the blade from his flesh. Hot, warm blood flowed over his hand as he did so.
Seeing the admiral wounded, another foe attacked him only to have Bart step between the two. Surprise filled the man's face as an enraged Bart now in a killing mood smashed the hilt of his cutlass into the man's face; dazing his opponent who never saw the backward swing of Bart's blade that severed his head which toppled to the deck before the rest of the body slumped.
Standing over Anthony, Bart called, "Merlin's, to me, to the admiral."
The British sailors quickly gathered in a knot around their admiral to protect him, but the fight was over.
Gabe was quickly there. After seeing to his brother, Gabe sent Dagan to fetch Caleb while he tried to make him comfortable. Anthony was carried to Earl's quarters on Merlin protesting that he could walk. Caleb quickly removed Anthony's coat and shirt. He gently probed the wound with a cloth soaked in rum. Then taking a clean rag Caleb ran it through the wound leaving a wick of sorts.
"Twisting as you did," Caleb explained, "the man's blade penetrated the fleshy part of the abdomen but did not enter the viscera. Therefore, the internal organs were not disturbed. I have ordered an anodyne… a nostrum composed of extraction Thebaicum and wine. It will Barracuda
induce sleep and prevent pain. A dose of which I think will be most needed once the adrenalin of the battle has waned. The only concern would be if the evil humours create a putrid fistula in the wound. If necessary a balm of sulfur, glycerin and hogs lard can be impregnated into a dressing and applied."
As the group left, Anthony gave Earl instructions about the captured ship. His words slurred from Caleb's concoction before he could complete his orders. The last words he heard before sleep overtook him was Bart saying, "I's didn't mean for you to loose yews belly that way."
Damn him, Anthony thought, always has to have the last word.
Chapter Seventeen
Damme, but I don't know what's worse, Lord Anthony thought. This pain from the wound, nausea from Caleb's concoction or the headache from the hammering on deck.
Earl had just come down to visit along with Gabe and the masters from each ship as ordered by Anthony.
"Repairs on Merlin and SeaWolf are about finished so we can soon be underway," Earl had said.
"We were lucky," Gabe had said.
Neither Merlin nor SeaWolf had anything other than superficial damage. The captured ship had at one time been a merchant vessel that had been converted into a privateer. She had been armed much like a forty gun frigate. She was old but still seaworthy. At the time of battle she only carried a crew of some two hundred.
However, even from the poor attempt at recordkeeping by her captain, it appeared she had started her cruise with some three hundred and seventy five men. Some of these men were recorded D.D. or discharged dead while others were noted to have been used as prize crews on captured ships. From the initials D.D., Anthony could only assume whoever had tried their hand at recordkeeping had spent some time in the British Navy.
The remaining privateer's crew appeared to be a mixture of Colonials, French, Spanish and even a few blacks. The records also showed an alarmingly large list of ships and cargos taken.