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| Fortune is grounded and under attack by Moroccan slavers |
Colin has been coming to terms with his role as Prince Rupert in our currently running Gambia 1652 campaign. I believe Colin is coming to know and love the prince and has now taken to making decisions as if he were the man himself. Those of you who know Colin (possibly by his nickname of CKC - Colin Kills Colonels0 will recognize him as a level headed and balanced individual who normally sees both sides of the argument.
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| Defiance and Fortune face the slavers |
His talent for getting officers killed is often happenstance and not a deliberate attempt at derring-do. In the most recent battles of the campaign however, he has played the prince to perfection He had Rupert scale the taffrail of a slaver whilst all of his accompanying men fell into the Gambia. Over perhaps 15 rounds of close combat the prince cleared the decks, duelled with two officers and captured a 26 ship almost unaccompanied. He helped Rupert fight off ten Dutch privateers whilst at anchor resulting in the taking of three prizes.
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| The Alhulandiu (The Dutchman) a captured vessel used by the Moroccans |
Last night, well.... He chose to swing the Princeon a rope from the deck of the sloop Defiance onto an Arab slaving dhow without support. He captured it by killing some crew and then holding a sword to the throat of the master in full view of two other slaving ships which promptly surrendered lest the suffer the same fate.
Colin IS becoming Rupert!!! Here is an extract from the camapign narrative
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| These laddies mean business - a salty looking selection of Moroccan slavers |
The English had the weather gauge whilst the Arab ships were being carried by the downstream current. As the distance shortened Rupert was able to determine them as a dhow, a bulkier merchant and a smaller European-style sloop. Almost from the moment they were within range musketry commenced from crowds of men in the bows of both groups of vessels. The southern channel was notoriously silted up and soon Brooks had run Fortune aground where she remained lodged for the entire engagement. No sooner had the central Arab ship gotten within range tan she ran aground quickly followed by the the smaller ship. On the dhow whose crew had shot two of Marshall’s men at the wharf remained mobile
The dhow Cubra is about to collide with Defiance
and it quickly closed with Defiance. For some time, the musketeers of both sides exchange a hot fire during which many fell. Attempts to re-float Fortune failed but both Arab vessels did sail free eventually only for the wind to change to west by north west forcing them to move into the wind and make almost no headway even in the current. The commander of the slaving flotilla was aboard the dhow Kubra. He recognized his opponents as English and having been behind the shootings at Albadar, he knew the only way out was to fight through. He set his vessel to cross the bow of Rupert’s ship but as the English sloop closed, they collided. Kubra fired off her light cannon to little effect and the crew poured musketry fire at each other with some effect as the vessels ground alongside. From nowhere,
It's THAT man again. Rupert is the only Royalist aboard the dhow and begins clearing it
Rupert grabbed a trailing line and swung across the gap between the ships. Eyewitnesses attested that he landed, on the prow, sword drawn and attacked the musketeers crowded there. He killed one man and began to fight the rest. On seeing their prince evince such fearlessness, the English crew grappled Cubra and others followed Rupert across. Soon, a furious fight was underway on the narrow and crowded deck of the dhow. The English appeared to have the upper hand although the enemy offered stout resistance and as losses mounted, they were encouraged to persevere by the barked orders of Mohammed Ait, their leader. English losses mounted but in a series of individual duels they began to gain the upper hand.
That's his kind of odds.
Fortune remained glued to the shoal and her losses mounted as both enemy vessels concentrated musketry fire upon her. Brooks feared that he must soon yield but was saved by the contrary winds which prevented the enemy vessels from coming close enough to board. Back aboard Cubra, Ait himself drew his sword and wove through the scrum of deadly contests to charge at Rupert. The prince parried a potentially fatal thrust but was matched by the seasoned slaving master.
They skilfully cut, thrust and blocked each other until only they continued to fight. The remaining six Arabs had begged quarter and stood weapon less amongst the bodies of their comrades. At that point Rupert moved like lightning, seized Ait and placed a sword to is throat in full view of the other two slaving ships. The intent was clear and both masters signalled that they would resist no further. Single handed, Rupert had won he battle repeating his heroics in besting Darbyshire and capturing Temperance some days previous.