CHAPTER 21 THE HUNTER OR THE HUNTED
CHAPTER 22 - RACE TO DARKNESS
Aaron Lewis took one final look at the French ships of the line, one to the north and one to the northwest, as they appeared off in the horizon, making good time and speeding towards the Essex . He stared to the east and then to the south, alone in the open seas the Essex with nowhere to hide. He looked to the Sun as it was setting in the west, another hour of daylight, another hour in the open seas with nowhere to hide.
The Essex and her crew were in a race to darkness. Briefly he spotted Kate on the aft deck nervously watching the French ships with Kevin by her side. He watched her hand draw Kevin closer to her side with the rare look of fear upon her face. Fear for Kevin, disgust at herself for ever agreeing to take Kevin to sea, to a death that would befall them should the French ships of the line ever catch the Essex. For the Essex would be no match for a single ship of the line let alone the two massive ships of war now descending upon them.
Captain Lewis drew a long breathe, gave a bit of a sigh and then bellowed out:
"Mr. Crossland, gather the men from the Concord to me. As for the rest of the crew, clear the decks and get them below."
"Aye, Captain. Men of the Concord report to the Captain! As to the rest, clear the decks and get below!"
The Essex briefly came alive as the men who had long served aboard the Concord with Captain Lewis gathered about their commander on the aft deck. The rest of the crew began to clear the decks and head below. Their movements were halted as each man looked to the north at the French warship before heading below decks.
"Mr. Marshall, a word if you please." Aaron called to one of his junior officers.
"Aye Captain." Mr. Marshall retorted as he stood before Captain Lewis, with his eyes fixed not upon his commander but upon the approaching French warships.
"Feed the men, make sure they each get a dram of rum for their nerves, but just a dram. I want you to stay below, keep them calm and focused, encourage them to bunk down where they can and get some rest. And Mr. Marshall, stay close to Mr. Hagney's select men while you are down below."
Mr. Marshall took his leave of Captain Lewis to fulfill his orders although a bit perplexed by the order of rum, food and rest for the crew given the impending battle that would soon be upon them.
Kate and Kevin remained huddled on the aft deck with their eyes fixed upon the French.
"Kate get Kevin below deck with the crew. And if you please help serve the crew their meal. And Kate, it would best if you could help keep them calm." Captain Lewis softly spoke.
Captain Lewis leaned in close and gave Kate a soft kiss upon her cheek and whispered in her ear:
"No worries, me dear, I will have us all safe in Bermuda, soon enough."
Kate gazed deeply in Aaron's eyes searching to see if there was any truth in his words. She smiled, for he had that countenance upon his face and that look in his eyes, the visage of a man in complete control of his destiny.
She leaned in ever closer and whispered:
"Aaron, of that I have no doubt. Prove yourself, prove yourself once again the man I married, and give those French dogs the slip."
She and Kevin made their way off the aft deck, she to the mess to serve the meal and he below deck to his bunk.
The men of the Concord and Mr. Crossland stood before their Captain. Now that the rest of the crew was below deck, Captain Lewis addressed his trusted crew.
"Gentleman, we are in a tight fix this day and shall be so for as long as this day shall last, for there shall be no relief, there shall be no hope til the setting of the Sun and the coming of darkness. My friends, we have sailed together these past seven years, and it is the opinion of your Captain that no finer sailors have ever sailed the seas. Today gentlemen you shall put your Captain's opinion to the test. Now man the sails, hold fast the lines and gather the wind for either we shall out run these Frenchmen or we must come about to face their guns. It would be for the best to outrun them!"
With one accord, the men gave a rousing "Aye Captain" before taking to their stations, manning the lines and watching the sails, slightly adjusting the lines to catch every gust of wind that carried the Essex across the waves towards the setting Sun towards the safety of the darkness.
Mr. Crossland stood upon the aft deck, with his eyes fixed upon the sails of the Essex, with each small fluttering he gave a small sigh but said nothing. Occasionally, he would take a subtle glance over his shoulder to mark the position of the French warships. He had vainly hoped that the French would change course and go to the aid of the crew of the sinking French brigantine, which remained still in the water and covered in thick black smoke from the devastating work that the Essex had done but a short while ago. But alas, the French ships of the line had not changed course rather both ships had bypassed the foundering brigantine speeding onward in pursuit of the Essex. He looked upon Captain Lewis and Mr. Hagney. Mr. Hagney had no sign of worry about him, as he manned the helm. And as to his Captain, he had never seen a man more in control with his only concern on making good speed with an occasional glance to the south, as if there would be some sign of rescue from the South. He took one more look back and could see that the French had gained upon the Essex. The French ships of the line had slightly altered course and were now directly behind the Essex, close enough that he could now see their colors flying without the aid of a spy glass. And still his Captain seemed not to even notice.
"Captain the French are directly behind us and gaining fast." Mr. Crossland nervously spoke.
"Are you nervous Mr. Crossland?" Aaron replied.
"A bit, sir, quite a bit actually, sir."
"Let me help you with that. When you take to the sea, Mr. Crossland, especially when you go to war, one day a ship will come along, with her cannons ablaze and you shall die. Is that helpful?"
"No sir, to be honest that is not helpful, not helpful at all?"
"Really, I found that fact very helpful the first time I ever faced certain death. I was very certain that I would die a horrible death, when my friend Lord Pembroke told me that one day I would die. Accept that fact Mr. Crossland, one day you shall die. But that day does not have to be today if we keep our wits about us. Today we shall surely die unless and only unless we can keep our distance. That is our first and best option."
"What is our second option, if I may ask, sir?"
"Ya keep looking over your shoulder at the French. I suppose that if ya had a keen eye that ya would have noticed at the top of her main mast she has hoisted a black flag, the flag of no quarter. The French shall give us no quarter this day, so surrender is not an option. Those French warships are armed with two long guns in the bow. Soon they shall roll them out and fire upon us. If ever we get in range, though the French be poor shots, eventually they shall hit their mark and the Essex shall shutter under the weight of the blow. I shall have no other option but to bring the Essex about, beat to quarters and make the French pay a heavy price for our lives. If ever I have to give those orders, then know this is the day that ya shall surely die but I shall not surrender my life without taking a heavy price from those who seek me dead."
Mr. Crossland's eyes grew wide at the prospect of exchanging broadsides with two French warships. Surely he was a dead man, and with that thought, Mr. Crossland found a sudden calm. The choice had been laid clear before him. One day he would die but it did not have to be this day and if it were to be this day, then by God he would make the French pay dearly for it.
In that moment, his countenance changed, his jaw tightened and his eyes became hard as steel, that day Mr. Crossland became an officer.
Below the decks, Kate stood over a barrel of biscuits handing each sailor two biscuits on a square wooden plate. Mr. Marshall struggled as he cut the salted pork to be added to each man's ration. Somehow it was Mr. Talbert who gained for himself the honor of pouring the dram of rum for the men. Nervously the crew of the Essex sat down beneath the decks of the Essex to consume what most had determined was their last meal.
Kevin quietly made is way to the bunk that he had shared with the O'Malley boys. He lay there alone and wished more than anything that he had gone with them on the prize ship instead of being left alone deep in the bowels of the Essex.
As he lay there he listened to the murmuring of the men. Mostly complaining of the hardness of the biscuits and the foul taste of the salted pork. Then he heard a hushed change in the conversation from complaints about the food to complaints about Captain Lewis. A single voice could be heard over all the others, it was Mr. Talbert.
"Lads, I tell ya this man has got us all killed. Instead of gold and silver, all we shall know is French lead and steal. He is a reckless man, a dangerous man. No Captain of any worth would have pursued that French brigantine. If ere we survive this day it might serve us all to have a change in command aboard the Essex."
Kevin sunk lower in his bunk as if to hide his presence, for these men were openly speaking of mutiny. Much to his dismay, the more Mr. Talbert spoke more and more of the crew murmured a simple "aye". Kevin feigned being asleep, as he listened to the treachery of Mr. Talbert. In the distance he could hear Mr. Marshall leading some of the crew and the select men in a song. He felt caught trapped between the danger of mutiny and the safety of the company of Mr. Marshall and the select men. His heart raced, he began to tremble, if only he had never left the farm.
Silently he lay there in his bunk frozen with fear. His entire body stiffened when he heard Mr. Talbert's voice utter a single hushed word.
"Kevin"
He lay there still in his bunk with his eyes closed as the sound of footsteps came ever closer to his bunk.
"Kevin, are ya asleep lad?" Talbert whispered in his ears.
He lay there still as could be with his eyes shut tight until he felt the vice like grip of Mr. Talbert grab his arms.
"Wake up boy! What have ya been doing and what have ya be hearing, tell me lad!"
Kevin spoke not a word as he stared into Mr. Talbert's face with his eyes wide open in the shear terror of the moment. Mr. Talbert and the scornful man were now standing over him with a menacing look about them.
"What did ya hear lad!" Mr. Talbert scowled perhaps a little too loudly for the singing suddenly stopped and a hush came through the crews quarters. All heads turned to the dark corner where Kevin lay in his bunk. In the distance, Kevin heard Mr. Marshall cry out:
"What's going on down there?"
No man responded as Mr. Talbert refused loosen his grip on Kevin's arms. Undeterred Mr. Talbert whispered in Kevin's ear:
"Ya heard nothing lad, ya heard nothing at all."
The silence under the decks was broken by a mighty "boom", the sound of the French long guns, that echoed through the crew's quarters under the decks of the Essex. The thunder of the French cannons startled Mr. Talbert enough as he loosened his grip enough for Kevin to break free and run towards the safety of Mr. Marshall.
"Ahh, it is you Kevin! Come over here lad and join us in a good song." Mr. Marshall called out.
Kevin ran as fast as he could over to the safety of Mr. Marshall and the select men. To Mr. Marshall Kevin seemed a little out of sorts but fine enough.
"Are ya alright lad?"
"Aye, fine just fine." Kevin replied. He said nothing of the treachery, for what did it matter, the French would most surely settle all doubts and fears anyway. No need to start a fight aboard ship amongst themselves when soon enough there would be a fight with the French. If he lived through the day, Kevin would tell all that he had heard but only if he lived through the day.
The shot from the French long guns fell harmlessly astern of the Essex.
"Seventy-five yards astern" Mr. Crossland reported in his new found calm manner.
And still his Captain had not even bothered to turn and look upon the French warships. For the entire time his eyes had been searching the southern horizon. A horizon that had become dark with storm clouds that blocked the last of the light from the setting Sun.
Boom! The thundering sound of another round from the French long guns echoed across the waves.
"Seventy yards astern."
Captain Lewis smiled with delight as from the south a hard wind began to fill the sails of the Essex, winds from a squall line that came ever closer to the Essex.
"Mr. Hagney, ten degrees to port, take us into the storm!"
Boom!
"Fifty yards astern."
In the heavy winds of the impending storm the Essex began to speed ever closer towards the squall line. Heavy rains from the mighty clouds could now be seen but a mere hundred yards from the Essex. A sheet of rain, a curtain of water and darkness that would cloak the Essex.
Boom!
"Seventy yards astern. We are out running them sir!" Mr. Crossland reported with just a bit of relief in his voice.
The first drops of rain began to fall upon the decks of the Essex as she entered the storm. Then in an instance it seemed as if the heavens had opened up as a torrent of rain cascaded down upon the Essex.
Mr. Crossland turned seeking to find the French warships. The rain fell so hard that no longer were the French warships visible.
"I can't see them sir." reported Mr. Crossland.
Still Captain Lewis held his course as the last of the Sun's light vanished in the heavy rains of the storm. Finally Captain Lewis yelled out:
"Prepare to come about! Come about! Mr. Hagney south by southwest if you please!"
In the cover of the darkness the Essex gave the French dogs of war the slip and made her way to the safe harbor and her prize ship in Bermuda.