Had they lost their nerve? Ramage decided not. They had simply realized that they were outnumbered and that they could do nothing against the guns that were firing at them, and very sensibly they were withdrawing.
Ramage waited until he was absolutely sure that all the Arabs had withdrawn and then he shouted an order for the men to start embarking. Three more boats had arrived alongside the quay and they were soon on their way back to the frigates with the majority of seamen and Marines.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Southwick handed him the slate on which was drawn the plan of the frigate and, scattered with soundings, the rough outline of the sandbank on which the Calypso had grounded. Ramage saw that the sandbank was halfmoon-shaped and stuck out from the quay so that both the Calypso and the Amalie had just caught the eastern edge of it, and there was deeper water to larboard.
"Very conveniently placed to stop us getting alongside," Ramage said bitterly. He looked at the soundings and took into consideration the Calypso's draft. "Another foot and we'd have gone over it."
"At least we're not hard on," Southwick said. "We must just be perched on it, like a starling on a fence."
Ramage nodded. "Backed forecourse, topsail and topgallant should swing the bow off. Main and mizentopsails set and shivering should keep us under control and see us heading for the entrance as soon as we're clear and can wear round."
He thought for a few moments. "Has Roper seen these soundings?"
"Yes, sir, a couple of the Amalie's boats helped with the soundings and made a copy."
"Well, if he's at all worried, he'll see what we're doing," Ramage said, trying not to show his doubts of Roper.
Ramage glanced along the quay and saw that the Saracens were still grouped at the end, obviously concerned that the guns would open fire on them again. Well, there was no point in wasting time.
"Are all the Italians below now?"
"Yes, sir," Aitken replied. "Orsini soon got them sorted out. They were excited at being on board a British frigate, apparently, and grateful that their womenfolk are in the sloops."
Aitken added: "They were anxious about how they were going to get home again, but Orsini reassured them. Told them how we had saved the men and women at Licata. I don't know what else he told them, but il Commandante is already their hero, sir!"
"I'm glad to hear it," Ramage said briskly. "Now, let's see about getting this ship afloat again."
He gave Southwick and Aitken detailed instructions. The risk was, he said, that the Calypso's bow would swing off all right under the thrust of the backed forecourse, topsail and topgallant, but unless the after sails - kept shivering and with no weight on them -were quickly brought into action there was nothing to stop the frigate blowing on to the big shoal in the middle of the harbour.
"We haven't much room to play around in," he said. "The moment we are off the sandbank, we must wear and then head for the entrance. Missing that shoal in the middle is going to be a close-run thing. If we go aground there, it'll be to leeward of us, and that'll mean laying out anchors to haul ourselves off."
Aitken grinned confidently and said: "It's like one of those imaginary situations that the Board set you when you're taking your examination for lieutenant!"
"The only difference," Ramage replied, "is that if you failed then you just carried on as a midshipman or master's mate. If you fail here, you might end your days in the galleys!"
Aitken turned and looked at the five galleys, riding at anchor between the outer breakwater and the shoal in the middle of the harbour. "They're bigger than I thought. The two we captured at Licata were smaller."
"These row another twenty or thirty oars," Southwick said. "But they look clumsier than the ones we captured. Much beamier, too."
"Let's get on with it," Ramage said impatiently. The manoeuvre was going to be difficult, and the consequence of failure did not bear thinking about.
Were the decks clear for the seamen? "What about the soldiers -are they below as well?"
"They're all below, sir: I wanted the ship clear when we start to get off the shoal."
"Very well. We'll start off with a backed topsaiclass="underline" that may be enough, with the topgallant. I'd just as soon not set the course."
He estimated that the wind, still from the north, was not blowing at more than ten knots. A backed topsail in a ten-knot wind was not going to apply much sideways thrust, but he wanted to get off with as little as possible: the other shoal in the middle was lurking like a trap.
Aitken picked up the speaking trumpet and shouted the order for topmen. Soon the men were running up the ratlines like spiders, and then out along the yards. Quickly they let go the gaskets and the sail flopped down like a tired curtain.
A quick order to the afterguard and men hauled down on the halyard and lifted the yard into position. Another order braced the yard and yet another saw the sheets trimmed. Now the sail was flat, pressing against the mast and trying to thrust the ship sideways, away from the quay and off the sandbank.
Ramage watched the bowsprit and jibboom outlined against the town but they did not move. The topsail was not enough.
"Topgallant, if you please Mr Aitken."
The first lieutenant gave a sequence of similar orders and the topgallant was let fall and sheeted a'back.
Ramage watched the jibboom against the houses beyond. There was a slight movement.
"Mr Aitken - let fall the main and mizentopsails: I want them shivering!"
More topmen raced up the other two masts and cast off the gaskets. Halyards were hauled and then the yards were carefully braced and the sails trimmed so that the wind blew down both sides of the canvas, without exerting any thrust. The sails flapped and shivered, like drying laundry.
As Ramage watched the bow moved agonizingly slowly away from the- quay with the two backed sails pressed hard against the mast. The pressure was just enough to lever the Calypso's bow off the sandbank. Ramage walked over to the starboard side of the quarterdeck and looked over the side. Yes, the sea forward was turning muddy as the keel slid across the sand and stirred up the water.
He looked across at Southwick and grinned. "Slow but sure!"
"Aye," said the old master, running his hand through his hair after carefully removing his hat, "at least we know where the shoal is if we have to come here again!"
"Once is enough," Ramage said. "Almost too much!"
Foot by foot the Calypso's bow swung clear, carrying the ship into deeper water; any minute now, Ramage realized, she would come clear of the shoal so that there would have to be fast work to get her under control again and heading for the entrance. He looked longingly at the galleys: a pity he could not give them a broadside, but the angle was wrong and anyway the frigate would be swinging too fast for the gunners to do any good.
Yet without slaves to row them, the galleys were no use to the Saracens. What did they use them for anyway - to raid to get more slaves? Or did they prey on passing ships? If so they must confine themselves to coastal traffic: Ramage could not remember any complaints that they were capturing passing British ships.
Now the bow was swinging faster and he had time to look astern at the Amalie. She was just letting fall a topsail; obviously Roper was waiting for the Calypso to get clear so that he could manoeuvre without risk of collision. How carefully Roper must be watching the Calypso, and how relieved he must have been when he saw her starting to swing - an indication that the Amalie would be able to get off without too much trouble, since she had hit the shoal astern of the Calypso and had driven that much less on to the sand.