quill end into the flash hole of his weapon. Hopefully, this would prevent the flash of the powder in the pan from igniting the main charge and firing the pistol. After renewing the priming of the pistol’s pan, he placed a wad of tow into the branches of a convenient bush and sprinkled powder onto the material. With his pistol in one hand and the slow match in the other, he fired the pistol, holding it over the powder impregnated tow. Almost instantly after the powder in the pistol’s pan flared, that in the tow also caught and there was for a moment a hot fire blazing in the top of that bush. Igniting the match from that blaze, it was now time to make the final preparations for departure.
The party retreated to a distant part of the beach. In due course, the ember at the end of the slow match reached the quick match. Then, the flame flashed toward its target, the powder in the magazine. The results were spectacular, leaving nothing but a crater in the earth where the magazine had been.
Those prisoners left on shore, both lightly wounded and healthy, were liberated and told they were free to depart.
Their mission on shore ended, Mullins and the rest of the party boarded the launch and were pulled out to the ship, Colonel Howard being strangely silent for the trip. Mullins thought he might have learned a bit on this day.
HMS Valkyrie proceeded on course for Gibraltar. On the way, several small coasters were sighted close to shore but, because of the poor quality of their near-shore chart, it was decided that it would be dangerous to approach any of these shallow-draft vessels, so they were ignored. Colonel Howard, his blood now up, requested they locate more shore installations to attack, but for the same reason, Mullins declined, thinking they had done enough damage for now. It would be better to wait until reaching Gibraltar where they might find what the Navy wanted them to do.
By the time they arrived, the colonel had modified his views on the Royal Navy in general and HMS Valkyrie in particular. One of Mullin’s barge-men had retrieved the French tricolor from the battery’s flag pole and proudly displayed it to his mess-mates whenever he had a chance.
Captain Mullins purchased the flag from the seaman with a bottle of fine brandy and presented it to Colonel Howard.
Howard, upon reaching shore, submitted a most gratifying report on the professional abilities of the captain and officers on this King’s ship. Mullins and Lieutenant Danton were invited to the colonel’s regimental mess where they found the captured banner on prominent display, with the elegantly inscribed script on a silver plate describing how it had been captured in battle by forces under the command of Colonel Howard.
Amused by the incident, Mullins enjoyed himself, so much it took several seamen to hoist him aboard ship later in the evening.
The ship swung at anchor in harbor while loading incidental supplies. Mullins went ashore to the Government building in the ‘Convent’, where he was informed his ship was to escort a merchantman across to Algeria to take on a load of livestock. The animals would serve as provisions for the Gibraltar garrison as well as for ships calling at the port. It was hoped this would develop into a normal trade path between the two continents.
Although theoretically, the entire North African coast was ruled by Constantinople, actually many enclaves were more or less independent.
Captain Ben Warner of the merchant ship, ‘City of Glasgow, came aboard Valkyrie that evening and explained the situation over wine and cigars in Mullin’s quarters.
“Every local strongman in North Africa hopes to overthrow his overlord and become the supreme ruler in his area. If he succeeds, he can become very wealthy from his share of plunder and trade. We are sailing to a small village on the north coast of Africa. It would normally be insignificant, but it does have an ancient breakwater built by the Romans, which
The party retreated to a distant part of the beach. In due course, the ember at the end of the slow match reached the quick match. Then, the flame flashed toward its target, the powder in the magazine. The results were spectacular, leaving nothing but a crater in the earth where the magazine had been.
Those prisoners left on shore, both lightly wounded and healthy, were liberated and told they were free to depart.
Their mission on shore ended, Mullins and the rest of the party boarded the launch and were pulled out to the ship, Colonel Howard being strangely silent for the trip. Mullins thought he might have learned a bit on this day.
HMS Valkyrie proceeded on course for Gibraltar. On the way, several small coasters were sighted close to shore but, because of the poor quality of their near-shore chart, it was decided that it would be dangerous to approach any of these shallow-draft vessels, so they were ignored. Colonel Howard, his blood now up, requested they locate more shore installations to attack, but for the same reason, Mullins declined, thinking they had done enough damage for now. It would be better to wait until reaching Gibraltar where they might find what the Navy wanted them to do.
By the time they arrived, the colonel had modified his views on the Royal Navy in general and HMS Valkyrie in particular. One of Mullin’s barge-men had retrieved the French tricolor from the battery’s flag pole and proudly displayed it to his mess-mates whenever he had a chance.
Captain Mullins purchased the flag from the seaman with a bottle of fine brandy and presented it to Colonel Howard.
Howard, upon reaching shore, submitted a most gratifying report on the professional abilities of the captain and officers on this King’s ship. Mullins and Lieutenant Danton were invited to the colonel’s regimental mess where they found the captured banner on prominent display, with the elegantly inscribed script on a silver plate describing how it had been captured in battle by forces under the command of Colonel Howard.
Amused by the incident, Mullins enjoyed himself, so much it took several seamen to hoist him aboard ship later in the evening.
The ship swung at anchor in harbor while loading incidental supplies. Mullins went ashore to the Government building in the ‘Convent’, where he was informed his ship was to escort a merchantman across to Algeria to take on a load of livestock. The animals would serve as provisions for the Gibraltar garrison as well as for ships calling at the port. It was hoped this would develop into a normal trade path between the two continents.
Although theoretically, the entire North African coast was ruled by Constantinople, actually many enclaves were more or less independent.
Captain Ben Warner of the merchant ship, ‘City of Glasgow, came aboard Valkyrie that evening and explained the situation over wine and cigars in Mullin’s quarters.
“Every local strongman in North Africa hopes to overthrow his overlord and become the supreme ruler in his area. If he succeeds, he can become very wealthy from his share of plunder and trade. We are sailing to a small village on the north coast of Africa. It would normally be insignificant, but it does have an ancient breakwater built by the Romans, which
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