Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 253: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

i ne JOSEPH WILMOT; OR,.THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. _—_oOoe ore OE a ee NT TI I” SITE TTA EAE ET SE, PIA ~~ ee ee ee Oe eee . 240 able the reader to comprehend that the Tyrol was thus at the very outset deprived of much of the advantage which her superior power and calibre gave her over the Athene. Theedamage done to her masts, her sails, and her rigging, prevented her from getting about in time to avoid being raked by the Athene the instant the artillery of the latter vessel was reloaded. Incredible was the swiftness with which the manceuvres of the pirate-schooner were executed: it seemed as if the slightest touch of the wheel sent her sweeping and curving and dashing round or onward in any direction, just as a man may cause the most tractable and clever steed to wheel in obedience to the rein. Running straight in towards the bows of the Tyrol, the Athene poured in another broadside: she veered again—Durazzo himself pointed the long piece of ordnance which swung upon its pivot—and the discharge was followed by the fall of the maintop- mast of the Tyrol. The stern-chasers did their work once more: round went the corsair-vessel— and the remaining broadside raked the Austrian, which lay well-nigh disabled and powerless, so far as manceuvring went, upon the bosom of the Mediterranean. I was stricken with perfect aston- ishment at the marvellous successes thus obtained by a vessel which was but as a skiff in comparison with the huge fabric that floated at a little distance. There was a triumph depicted on the counte- nance of Durazzo—but not a vain-glorious exul- tation. To do the young Greek adequate justice, it was the glow of a noble heroism. But still the day was far from being his own: for though the Tyrol was disabled in all that concerned the manceuvring requisite for acting on the offensive, —it floated there, a formidable battery for all defen- sive purposes. A sudden change in the wind filling its remaining sails, assisted the helm sufii- ciently to give such a movement to the huge fabric that its broadside was again poured forth upon the Athene—and this time with better effect : for the din of the cannon was instantaneously followed by the sound of crashing wood near to the spot where I remained standing on the deck. The splinters flew about my ears; and the smoke from the Tyrol’s side, rolling in a huge dense volume over the corsair-vessel, prevented me from im- mediately ascertaining the amount of damage done. The cloud cleared away: a glance thrown upward, showed me that the two tall tapering masts were uninjured—but a sail was fluttering and flapping violently—and several ropes, also cut by the Austrian shot, were streaming like pennants in the breeze. A look cast along the deck instan- taneously made me aware that more serious conse- quences had there resulted from the last Austrian broadside : two of the Greek sailors lay dead ; and another, dangerously wounded, was being car- ried away by his comrades. The shot too had pierced the hull in several places: but with incre- dible despatch Durazzo learnt the extent of these casualties, and gave his orders, still calm, clear, and firm, in accordance therewith. Half-a-dozen of the Greek seamen were speedily up in the rigging: the fluttering sail was caught and made fast again to its spar—some ropes were spliced—new ones were deftly rove where the neces- sity was urgent—and simultaneously with all these proceedings the reloading of the artillery went on. Incredibly exciting was the whole scene ! After a brief pause—during which the Athene stood rapidly away from the Tyrol—a mandate went forth from Durazzo’s lips; and an immense? brazier, or portable furnace, was brought upon tha deck. Into this a shot was placed: but scarcely was the proceeding thus far accomplished, when the thrilling interest of the scene presented a new phase—or rather a new episode. All in an in- stant some one rushed up the stairs from the cabins below; and brandishing a cutlass, he darted towards Durazzo. This was the Austrian officer, —who, as I subsequently learnt, had abruptly attacked and overpowered the sentinel mounting guard upon him at the door of his state-room. The young Greek captain might at the instant have discharged one of his pistols at his assailant ; but chivalrously disdaining to take such an advan- tage of his unequally armed foe, he drew his sword from its sheath. There was a rush of severa] men towards the Austrian to seize upon him; but quick and peremptory was the command issued from Du- razzo’s lips—and by its effect I comprehended its nature. The men all fell back in a moment: and his weapon clashed violently with that of the Aus- trian. But not a minute did the combat last: the young Greek was as skilful in wielding his sword as he was experienced and intrepid in commanding his gallant vessel: the Austrian could not touch him—and goaded with maddening rage, he sprang forward to close with his active enemy. At that instant there was another discharge of cannon from the Tyrol: the dense volume of smoke rolling to windward, enveloped the corsair-vessel; and when it cleared away, I beheld the Austrian officer stretched a corpse at the feet of Durazzo, who was calmly wiping his sword ere returning it to its sheath, The fight went on for another half-hour: but little damage was sustained by the Athene—while terrible havoc was committed on the remaining rigging of the Tyrol,—lying, as she was, unable to manceuvre,and therefore presenting a comparatively easy target for the gunners of the corsair. The shot in the brazier was now red-hot: Durazzo himself directed the discharge of the ordnance on the pivot: and great though the sentiment of curiosity naturally was amongst the crew, they were too well disciplined to pause in the midst of theirown proceedings. The shot was fired—the smoke en- veloped the Athene —the roar of the gun was quickly followed by so terrific a din that it seemed as if a huge volcano had burst forth in the very midst of the sea, or as if ten thousand pieces of the heaviest artillery had poured forth their thunder-voices all at the same instant. The very brain appeared to be riven with the sound—which likewise produced an effect so stunning, almost stupefying, that I staggered back and should have fallen were it not that I encountered the seat above the raised skylight of the cabin. Methought that through the smoke I beheld the quick glancing of flames in the direction of the Tyrol: and no doubt I did—for I subsequently learnt that the blaze was seen by others on board the Atheae. There was the falling of a shower of myriads of splinters; and when I looked in the place where [ had last seen the Austrian frigate, there was nothing but a quantity of blackened timbers floating on the sea, —but a terrific cloud of portentous blackness roll- ng away overhead ! GDoOaks (CO)