STO'B 36

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The snow proved to be the Citoyen Pierre, one of the vessels named the Chasseur’s late captain’s orders. Under Philip, she gathered way again, setting for the English brigs, and Philip climbed onto her bowsprit, steadying himself with the forestay. The fort had continued to fire on the brigs, and had done considerable damage. Badger’s foreyard was missing, and her smoke funnel had several holes - smoke filled her waist and lower sails. The Chasseur was actually on fire - the fort must have switched to heated shot. Several men clung to her starboard bow with pikes and axes, chopping and prying at the still-glowing red ball at the center of the slowly spreading flames. Two of the men leaned back, back; the ball pulled free, splashing into the water and sending up a pillar of steam. The men retreated back over the rail and water began to splash down from the scuppers above - the pumps must be going, Philip reasoned, with the other scuppers blocked off to divert the water to the fire.

The Citoyen Pierre approached the English brigs on the starboard tack, and with her fire now all but out, the Chasseur’s guns began to speak. Philip frowned. The English guns could not hope to hit the fort, perched as it was high above the water; what was Lieutenant Grey thinking?

The disintegration of the Citoyen Pierre’s cathead and the subsequent splash as her anchor fell into the water answered his question: Citoyen Pierre still flew her French colors, and Lt Grey must have assumed that Philip’s boarding party had failed. Another ball smashed into the Citoyen Pierre’s foretopmast, cutting it almost in half.

Had there been a cable bent to that anchor? Philip leaned out over the Citoyen Pierre’s side. Yes - there was the cable, plunging from the hawse hole into the water below. The harbor could not be deep, and at any moment the anchor would hit the bottom. “Cut away the anchor cable!” he cried. “Needle, Pope, cut the cable,” but as he spoke the Citoyen Pierre’s jerked to a halt - not a terrible jerk, but enough to throw him off his balance. He grabbed at the bulwark, missed, and to his horror he fell over the side.

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GLOSSARY