Free HMS Athena: A Charles Mullins novel (Sea Command Book 4) by Richard Testrake

of the shots had taken effect upon the enemy and she had lost much of her lead. He had to expect the enemy to open fire upon Reynard with her own forward guns shortly.
    This was not the worst of his problems though. The carpenter had run up from below, reporting the concussion of the big guns was tearing the brig apart. One of his gunner’s mates showed him the breaching cables had nearly pulled their eye-bolts through the timber on which they were mounted. An alarming sagging in the deck by the two after guns showed where support timbers below were giving way.
    If only he could get a few hits on the enemy ship before she closed, he knew he could still win this battle. He was aware however, this would be his last voyage as captain. His owners would be outraged at the repair costs for the brig, if she could indeed be brought back to port.
     
    Athena had closed the distance between them substantially, because of all the weaving the brig had done. Mullins decided it was now time for him to put fire upon this enemy. He regarded the captain of the brig a fool for loading her down with such massive weapons, but sooner or later, one of those balls was going to strike home.
    Midshipman Archer was standing by his captain. Mullins was using the lad as a messenger to relay orders to others. Taking a moment to brief the mid of his plans, he sent him running to relay that information to the gunners of the fore and after carronades. Mister Howard was sent to oversee the gunners of the long guns amidships. He was about to order the ship to come around to port, with her starboard broadside trained on the enemy. He judged his well-practiced gunners on the main guns would have little difficulty in hitting the target. The carronade gunners might have more difficulty. They were at almost extreme range for such weapons. Not wishing to waste a shot, Archer would tell the carronade gunners the command ‘Open Fire’ did not apply to them. If the gunner felt he had little chance to hit his target, he must not fire, saving the round for a closer shot later.
    However, if the gunner felt optimistic, he was free to fire on his own volition. The result was much as Mullins hoped. The long guns mostly hit the brig, peppering her stern with raking impacts which caused tremendous damage to ship and crew. One carronade gunner waited until the roll of the ship had his gun pointing over the target. The diminutive powder charge lofted the thirty-two-pound ball up and over the stern of Reynard, plunging into her deck about amidships. The ball, coming down with force, penetrated the upper deck and continued smashing its way through obstacles until being stopped by several casks of salt beef.
    This was the shot that decided the brig’s captain to strike. His vessel falling apart around him, he well knew he would likely never get another command. But, if he hauled down his flag, he would probably survive the war. There was nobody left on his quarterdeck to pull it down. The surviving members of his untrained crew had mostly fled below. He had to do the deed himself.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
     
    Not wishing to spend the time beating against the wind and current to return to Antigua, Mullins took Athena and her prize brig to nearby Anguilla. There were few facilities there, but the garrison commander was willing to take custody of the privateer’s crew. Some transports and their escort were expected shortly, and doubtless, the prisoners could be loaded on the empty ships and sent on to more secure facilities.
    The prize presented a problem. The island had no dockyard or professional staff, which could repair its extensive damage. After a careful examination, the ship’s carpenter gave his opinion that the brig could not be economically repaired.
    Aside from the damage caused by gunfire, which was extensive itself, her timbers had been severely stressed by the heavy load on her upper decks caused by the weight of the big guns. The extra stress caused by