to inspect her. The
next day he sent for Ripley, and put a paper into his hand. Pearce's
heart beat quick with proud satisfaction. The document was an order to
take the acting command of the corvette. "I have written home by this
post to ask for your commission, and to recommend that you should be
confirmed in the command of the `Vestal,'" added the admiral. "I am
sure that you will take care she does as good service as she performed
under Captain Gale." Bonham, who had received his commission a few
months before, became first lieutenant, and a young _protege_ of the
admiral's received an acting order as second; so that the united ages of
the three principal officers of the ship amounted to little more than
fifty-five years. Old heads were worn then on young shoulders. Many
prizes had been taken, and the time approached for their return to Port
Royal. The corvette lay becalmed. A French store-ship was expected,
which had been separated from her convoy. The "Vestal" lay disguised,
as was usual in those days, looking very unlike the smart sloop she was.
A blue line was seen in the horizon, the sign of an approaching breeze,
and in the midst of it a sail. The breeze brought up the stranger, a
fine brig, to within about a mile, when it died away. She was an armed
vessel, and showed by her colours that she was French. Before long, two
boats were seen to put off from her. Three boats were instantly lowered
from the opposite side of the "Vestal," and manned. The Frenchmen
pulled rapidly on, expecting to make an easy prize of the "Vestal."
Their look of consternation was very great when they first perceived the
painted canvas which concealed the corvette's guns. Pearce had
carefully watched for the first sign of their wavering, and now ordered
the three boats to make chase. The Frenchmen, taken by surprise, made
but a slight show of resistance, and in ten minutes the whole party
found themselves prisoners on the deck of the corvette. The "Vestal"
was now towed up towards the brig, which opened her fire at the boats,
but this did not deter them from placing the corvette on her quarter,
when a few rapidly delivered and almost raking broadsides compelled her
to haul down her colours, having had the chief officers left on board
and ten of her crew killed or wounded. The privateer, which mounted
fourteen guns, was on her way to France, having a large amount of specie
and valuable goods on board, the result of a suc