When the Holker made the inlet at Little Egg Harbor, she came to an anchorage behind one of the low-lying islands. Her only chances for an escape were a high tide and darkness, or a fog that would let her slip out and pass the Roebuck. If a boarding party from the English frigate did not attack him, Captain Risk was preparing his ship for a chance to escape. There was much to keep his crew busy, for he had rigging to overhaul and spars to mend.

At the time Roderick Barclugh was boarding the Albatross, the Holker was waiting to escape, and little did he think that he was to run across the privateer. He gladly went to his bunk and indulged in much needed rest. All he knew was that he was to be put ashore on the New Jersey coast near Little Egg Harbor inlet, and then he must make his way to Philadelphia as best he could.

He felt that nothing ought to worry him when his mission to New York had been accomplished. Thus far no drawback had occurred. Arnold simply needed close watching and a small bait of gold now and then to keep him working. He had arranged to sell the Holker when she had delivered the flour, so that after the captain and crew were paid the prize money, they could find other adventures.

The Albatross was one of those small, armed cruisers used by General Clinton to execute raiding commissions up and down the coast. She was of light enough draft to enter small inlets, travel the sounds and bays, and assist in the guerilla warfare. She was a sloop armed with eight nine-pound carronades, and one twelve-pound swivel. The crew numbered forty men. As the orders given Captain Sutherland were to convey his passenger to a harbor on the Jersey coast, the Albatross was under way very soon, and started tacking into the sou’east gale for the Narrows and Sandy Hook.

The watch on deck was busy bringing the sloop into stays and the men off watch were sleeping soundly in their hammocks below decks. Barclugh slept well until the Narrows were passed, and the Albatross began to pound her nose into the sea-way, then he awoke and peered out of the cabin to see where this commotion came from.

Greatly refreshed, Barclugh’s mind was active and alert. Whether the change from the shore to the realm of Neptune had caused an undue influence upon his affairs, only time could tell; however, there seems to be a weak point in the affairs of all men; as though a farmer were to sell his land and buy a ship to go to sea; or as though each realm of nature had deities that rebelled upon the invasion of their particular sphere by the patrons of the others.

At all events, Barclugh felt a restlessness from the influence of the sea as he sat in the cabin and pondered upon the working of his plot. He now had time to think about Captain Risk and the Holker. He wondered where she could be and what would he do with Captain Risk, who was the sole Colonist acquainted with his dealings with Arnold. He reasoned thus:

“Captain Risk is devoted to the fickle fortunes of privateering.” (And so he was.) “After Risk’s present enterprise shall have been closed, he could take another ship and probably would be captured by a British cruiser. Thus I do not need to fear on that score.”

Neptune loves a true sailor. But when a land-lubber enters nautical enterprises to carry out plots, the old Sea-god sets his Nereides upon the novice to give him a taste of wind and wave. Only the true and tried presume to propitiate the nymphs of Father Neptune. Neither gold nor titles influences the Nereides of wind and wave. The hurricane in its mighty wrath levels the potentate to the same sphere as the peasant. When the ship sinks, both exclaim in anguish:

“Lord, have mercy upon us!”

The Albatross made but slow progress against the sou’east gale. The night of the second day she was abreast of Barnegat inlet. Before morning Little Egg Harbor inlet was reached, but since the moon did not rise clear after midnight, Captain Sutherland stood on and off until daylight. In the daytime he could make the channel and go over the bar.

Early that morning the lookout forward sang out:

“Sail, ho!”

“Where away?”

“Two points on the weather bow, sir.”

Captain Sutherland took his glass and made out a full-rigged frigate bearing down upon him. He had no fears, however, for he knew that the Roebuck was in these waters, and no cruiser of the enemy would likely be around. As the frigate bore down alongside, within close range, a voice from a trumpet out of the mizzen shrouds was heard to say:

“What ship is that and where away?”

Captain Sutherland trumpeted back:

“His Majesty’s sloop, the Albatross, bound for Little Egg Harbor inlet.”“All’s well,” returned the frigate. “This is His Majesty’s man-of-war, Roebuck. We shall send aboard important news.” The frigate came up into the wind and lowered a boat to come aboard.

No sooner had the first trumpet-sound reached the Albatross than Barclugh was up and on deck; if he were to be captured on board an English armed sloop, his plans would miscarry. When he saw His Majesty’s cruiser he was reassured. As he paced up and down the deck, he saw the lieutenant of the frigate come aboard and go into the cabin of the Albatross.

After customary formalities, Lieutenant Nelson of the Roebuck stated his business:

“Captain Sutherland, we are blockading a Yankee privateer inside the inlet; she had captured the General Monk; we have chased her into this harbor.

“If you will attack her, we will send you a full complement of men. We will send the boats and you can take her by boarding.

“She can not manoeuvre inside the harbor, and she is crippled. Her forward battery is gone, and she is short of crew.”

“It’s well, Lieutenant Nelson, I shall obey Captain Atherton’s orders,” replied Captain Sutherland, and then he remarked quizzically: “Shall we appease the sea-nymphs, Lieutenant?”“Certainly, certainly,” returned Nelson, when he observed Captain Sutherland go to the locker and take out a decanter of Madeira and two long glasses.

“Got your eye?” proposed Sutherland, as the two raised their glasses, and took a long pull at the “Milk of Venus” for the sake of good comradeship.

During the day not a word could Barclugh ask about the business of the two ships, for his security depended upon his own counsel being kept; but at daylight the next morning, there was no more question in his mind.

Lying at anchor behind the island was a crippled brig with main-topmast gone. The frigate was lying a mile on the weather bow, and all was activity on her decks. Three boats’ crews were boarding the small boats; he saw them strike out for the Albatross. The wind had now settled to a steady breeze from the south.

Lieutenant Nelson was in command of the boats’ crews from the frigate, and as they came alongside, sixty brawny men, armed to the teeth, mounted the deck of the sloop. With the boats in tow, the Albatross now made over the bar toward the Holker.

When the Holker escaped the Roebuck and weathered the bar, Captain Risk commenced at once to replace the injured topmast, and get his sails repaired so that he could slip out in the dark of night, and show his heels to the frigate. But when Risk saw the armed sloop make the inlet with the three boats in tow, he knew what was ahead for his crew; therefore, he called them all on deck and pointing to the sloop, said:

“Men, there come those lime-juicers to take this brig. They outnumber us two to one. Shall we make them pay for their pains?”

“Ay, ay,” came from every throat, and the boatswain stepped forward and said:

“Captain, wherever you lead us we will go.”

Captain Risk was now on his mettle. His ship was crippled; his main-topmast was gone, he had thrown overboard his six-pounders, and he was short his two lieutenants; his prize crew was on the General Monk, and the killed and wounded in the engagement depleted his numbers; however, he was determined that if he were compelled to strike to the enemy he would make them pay two for one.

Mounting the quarter-deck, he first ordered a spring-line on his kedge to windward, his bower anchor to leeward so that he could spring his stern in a semicircle and bring his battery of twelve-pounders to bear, no matter from what point the enemy approached.Next he ordered the boarding-nets in place, loaded all the muskets and pistols, and placed everything handy for fighting close aboard. Cutlasses and pikes were made ready and the deck was sanded. The battery was double-shotted with grape for close execution.

The Albatross came up with a fair breeze from the south’ard as though they were on a pleasure excursion. When the sloop drew up into the inlet, Barclugh got the glass from Captain Sutherland and critically examined the lines and rig of the Holker.

He then began to think. The whole matter came before his view. The Holker could be taken. The crew and Captain Risk could be confined until his plot was carried through. Yet he did not wish any harm to come to Risk during the fight.

When Barclugh returned the spying-glass to Captain Sutherland, he remarked earnestly:

“Captain Sutherland, I see that fellow is getting ready to give us a warm reception, and may I have the honor of leading one of your boats’ crews against him?”

“No, sir,” replied the captain imperatively. “I have strict orders to land you safely on the Jersey shore in Little Egg River, and I can not take any risks. You better repair at once to your cabin, and remain there during the engagement, sir,” continued the captain, as he turned to order his men. Barclugh could say nothing to these orders, and he went below to mingle with the crew of the frigate.

Among the men he noticed a good-natured looking fellow; going up to him, he said in an undertone:

“I want to speak to you, my good man. Kindly come to my cabin.”

“Certainly, sir,” replied the man-o’-war’s man, as he ambled along with Barclugh.

When they reached his cabin, Barclugh said:

“For certain private reasons, I desire to go aboard that brig when she is taken. Here are five guineas, my man, if you exchange your uniform for my suit. You remain closely in my cabin and keep the door fastened until I return. Give me your name and station and I will take your place in the boarding party.”

“My name is William Atkinson, hand as hit’s to obleege a gentleman I’m willin’. We ’ave more’n this business than a poor man’s pay allows. Hi belongs to boat’s crew number one,” replied the sailor as he hitched up his trousers and put the guineas in a bag around his neck.

When Barclugh had changed his garb, Atkinson looked at him and remarked:“Keep in the dark and go along with the rest. Hin the hexcitement you will not be knownst. Howsomever, you better get a little grease to blacken ’em hup a little.”

Barclugh took his place among the armed men below, and kept in the dark corners until the command was passed to man cutter number one.

As the sloop boomed up with a spanking breeze, every available space was occupied by the one hundred armed men on her decks, so that they looked like black birds. Captain Risk did not intend to remain idle while this array was coming on. Instead, he trained his long eighteen-pound pivot, and opened the fracas by giving the Englishman a good shot between wind and water.

The sloop then manned the cutters and while they were advancing on the brig, the sloop luffed up and delivered a broadside at long range, but most of the shot fell short.

However, four boats’ crews, three from the frigate and one from the sloop, advanced on the Holker with loud cheers. Barclugh took his place unnoticed; the frigate’s men thought a man from the sloop had gotten into their crew by mistake. The spy was intent on gaining the deck of the Holker so that he might protect Risk if possible.As the four boats’ crews came up to the Holker’s bow within close range, Captain Risk swung off on the kedge-spring line, and brought his broadside up to the boats and a sheet of flame burst out of the Holker’s side. A score of men lay prostrate on the bottom of the boats. Barclugh escaped.

The boats opened up a hot fire and took different courses,—one to the forward chains,—one on each quarter, and one astern.

The boat’s crew astern cut the spring-line on the kedge, but that only let the Holker drift with the wind.

Now commenced the fight with small arms, when the cannon could not bear. The crew of the Holker stationed themselves on the forecastle and on the quarter-deck.

A rush was made by the attacking party at the forward chains, but every time a head showed itself above the bulwarks, it was met with a cutlass or marlin-spike.

Two different rushes were made by the British at the stern, but each attack was repulsed, and after forty minutes of ineffectual work the English boats retired amidst loud cheers from the Holker’s crew.

The English lost fifteen killed and twenty wounded. They went back to the sloop severely crippled,—so much so, in fact, that signals were at once made to the Roebuck, and two boat-loads of crippled and dead sent off to the frigate.

That evening Captain Risk saw four boat-loads come back from the frigate to the sloop. He knew that he was to have a night attack from more men than before, and he had lost six men in the fight that day. His force was now reduced to thirty-four men.

Risk prepared for an emergency by placing his long tom amidships so that if the enemy gained the deck forward or aft, he could turn them a point-blank charge of grape, and, with a rally of his men, drive them overboard.

As Captain Risk expected, however, at midnight he could see six boat-loads approaching in the moonlight. He stationed his men, and they knew that before Captain Risk would strike to the enemy he would apply a match to the magazine, so every man determined to die at his station.

As soon as the enemy’s boats were distinguishable in their dim outlines, a rapid discharge of the twelve-pounders and the muskets began. The English separated and dashed forward. The plan was well executed, since almost at once the six boats came alongside at different points.

Fighting like demons, the crews of the boats were determined to avenge the day’s repulse and gain the deck. The English were driven back amidships and astern where Captain Risk led his men; but in the forward chains the English were in such numbers that they clambered up so fast that the Yankees were driven back.