On the morning after the battle ended, Lord Oliphant and Cyril rowed
on board Prince Rupert's ship, where every unwounded man was hard at
work getting up a jury-mast or patching up the holes in the hull.
"Well, Sir Cyril, I see that you have been getting my yacht knocked
about," he said, as they came up to him.
"There is not much damage done, sir. She has but two shot-holes in
her hull."
"And my new mainsail spoiled. Do you know, sir, that I got a severe
rating from the Duke yesterday evening, on your account?"
Cyril looked surprised.
"I trust, sir, that I have not in any way disobeyed orders?"
"No, it was not that. He asked after the _Fan Fan_, and said that he
had seen nothing of her during the day's fighting, and I said I had
strictly ordered you not to come into the battle. He replied, 'Then
you did wrong, Prince, for that little yacht of yours did yeomen's
service during the first two days' fighting. I told Sir Cyril to keep
her near me, thinking that she would be useful in carrying orders,
and during those two days she kept close to us, save when we were
surrounded by the enemy. Five times in those three days did she avert
fire-ships from us. We were so damaged that we could sail but slowly,
and, thinking us altogether unmanageable, the Dutch launched their
fire-ships. The _Fan Fan_ rowed to meet them. Three of them were
diverted from their course by a rope being thrown over the bowsprit,
and the crew rowing so as to turn her head.
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