The Privateersman Part 32

"Yes, father agreed that he would come round as he has done this day, and would contrive to chaffer and bargain with him and keep him so late in the bay that the king's s.h.i.+p should come upon him all of a sudden and take him, and this was father's intention, only you have pinned him.

The king's s.h.i.+p will be round that point in two hours or thereabouts, so if you are found here you will be taken and handed as sure as I ain't hanged yet. Now ain't this important news, and worth all I asked for it?"

"It certainly is, if it is true, boy."

"Oh, I'll prove it, for I always goes with father, and he trusts me with everything. I saw the paper signed. The king's s.h.i.+p is called the Vestal, and the captain who signed the paper signed it Philip Musgrave."

"Indeed," said I, turning away, for I did not wish the boy to perceive my emotion at this announcement. I recovered myself as soon as I could, and said to him, "Boy, I will keep my promise. Do you stay below, and I will go on deck and plead for your life."

"Mayn't I go on deck for a bit?" said he.

"What to wish your father good-bye? No, no, you had better spare yourself and him that painful meeting."

"No, I don't want to wish him good-bye,--I'll wait till it's over, only I never did see a man hanged, and I have a curiosity to have just a peep."

"Out, you little monster," cried I, running up on deck, for the information I had received was too important not to be immediately taken advantage of.

"Well, captain, has the boy saved his father's life?"

"No," replied I, in a loud voice.

"Then, up he goes," said the men, for the halter had been round his neck and run out to the yard-arm for some time, and the men had manned the rope, only awaiting my return on deck. In a second, the captain of the Transcendant was swinging in the air, and certainly if ever a scoundrel merited his fate it was that man. Shortly afterwards I turned round, and there was the young hopeful looking at his father's body swinging to and fro with the motion of the vessel.

I looked in vain for a tear in his eye; there was not a symptom of emotion. Seeing me look sternly at him, he hastened down below again.

"My lads," said I to the men, who were all on deck, "I have received intelligence of that importance that I recommend that we should cut that vessel adrift, and make sail without a moment's loss of time."

"What, not plunder?" cried the men, looking at the Transcendant.

"No, not think of it, if you are wise."

At this reply all of the men exclaimed that "that would not do"--"that plunder they would"--that "I was not the captain of the vessel,"--and many more expressions, showing how soon a man may lose popularity on board of a pirate vessel.

"I gave my opinion, my men, and if you will hear why I said so--"

"No, no, out boats," cried they all, and simultaneously ran to lower down the boats, for it was now calm, that they might tow the schooner alongside of the Transcendant.

"You might as well talk to the wind as talk to them when there is plunder to be obtained," said Toplift to me in a low tone.

"Come down with me," said I, "and I will tell you what I have heard."

"Ain't they going to plunder the brig?" said Master Peleg, when we came down; "I know where father's dollars are," and up he ran on deck.

I made a short remark upon the depravity of the boy, and then informed Captain Toplift of what he had told me.

"If you had told them, they would not have paid attention to you. The boat's crew who came with the captain have told them that there is money on board, and all authority is now at an end."

"Well," replied I, "I believe that the boy has told the truth."

"And what do you mean to do?"

"Remain below quietly, if I am allowed," replied I.

"But I cannot," said he; "they would throw me overboard."

"Make as bad a fight of it as you can," replied I.

"That I will," said Captain Toplift, "and with so superior a force opposed, we cannot stand long. But I must tell you where you must be."

"Where?" replied I.

"At the entrance of the magazine, for as sure as we stand here they will blow up the vessel rather than be taken. Not all of them, but two or three I know are determined so to do, and resolute enough to do it. My pistols are there. You have only to open this door, and you are in the magazine pa.s.sage. See," said he, opening the door, "there is the scuttle where they hand the powder up."

"I will be on the watch, depend upon it; and, Captain Toplift, if the schooner is taken, and I am alive, you may have no fear for yourself."

"Now let us go on deck again."

"I will follow you," replied I.

"I am alone at last, thank Heaven!" said I to myself. "What a position am I in, and how much will be in suspense before twenty-four hours are over! My own brother here, not ten miles perhaps from me, commanding the vessel which will attack this on which I am on board. That they will take us I have no doubt; but what risk do I run--of death by shot, or by their blowing up the vessel in spite of me, or of no quarter being given. Well, I wish it were decided. At all events, I am long supposed dead, and I shall not be recognised among the heaps of the bodies."

I then went to the locker and took out my duck frock and trousers, determining that I would, if I were killed, be killed in those clothes, and be thrown overboard as a common seaman. I then went on deck, for I heard the grating of the sides of the two vessels, and knew that they were in contact.

All was uproar and confusion on board of the Transcendant, but there was n.o.body on board the schooner except Toplift and myself. I cannot say that I never saw such a scene, for I had seen quite as bad on board of a privateer. The common seamen, as well as the soldiers, when let loose to plunder, are like maniacs. In half an hour they had broken open everything, cut the crew to pieces, and found out the h.o.a.rd of dollars, which was shown them by young Peleg, who tried for his share, but for so doing received a chop with a cutla.s.s, which cut off his right ear, and wounded him severely on the shoulder; but his right arm was not disabled, and while the man that out him down was bending over a heap of dollars, which took both hands to lift them, the boy ran his knife deep into the man's side, who fell mortally wounded. The rush for the dollars thus at the mercy of the rest was so great, that Peleg was not minded, and he crept away and came on board the schooner. We saw that he was bleeding profusely, but we asked no questions, and he went down the ladder forward.

"What has that young villain been after?" said Toplift.

"I presume he has been quarrelling for plunder, and considered that he had a greater right to his father's money than anybody else."

Among other plunder the people had not forgotten to look for liquor, and an hour had not pa.s.sed before three-fourths of the men were more or less intoxicated. They had found plenty of good clothes, and were strutting about with gold-laced waistcoats and embroidered coats over their dirty frocks. The uproar increased every minute, when Toplift, who had been looking out with the gla.s.s, exclaimed, "There she is, by all that's sacred!"

I caught the gla.s.s out of his hand, and found it was the king's s.h.i.+p.

She was a large flush vessel, apparently of eighteen or twenty guns, just opening from the point, and not seven miles from us. We were still becalmed, and she was bringing the wind down with her, so that to escape appeared impossible.

"Now, what shall we do?" said Captain Toplift; "shall we allow her to come down upon us and say nothing to the men, or shall we point out the danger and persuade them to come on board and prepare?"

"You must do as you please," replied I, "I am indifferent which. It will be dark in another hour, and she will not be down by that time. I would rather avoid fighting, and get away from the schooner quietly if I could, but that I fear is impossible now."

"Well, I must go on board of the brig and let them know, for if they find it out themselves they will throw us overboard."

Captain Toplift then went on board of the brig, and railing to the men who were still sober, told them that there was a king's s.h.i.+p coming down upon them not seven miles off. This had the effect of putting an end to the confusion and noise of a great portion of the men, who hastened on board of the schooner, but others, who were intoxicated, were with difficulty persuaded to return.

At last they were all got on board, and the schooner, clear from the brig, was made ready for action; but Toplift was obliged to make some alteration in the stationing of the men, as those who were to hand up the powder were all of them tipsy. By the time that the schooner was ready, and the breeze had come down to her, the corvette was not more than three miles from us; but it was quite dark, for there is no twilight in those parts. We consulted what course we should take to avoid her, if possible, and agreed that we would stand in sh.o.r.e and pa.s.s her if we possibly could. We knew that, if seen, we were then certain to be obliged to fight; but if not seen, we might escape.

We then s.h.i.+fted the helm and bore up across her bows, but we had not steered in this direction more than a quarter of an hour, when the Transcendant was perceived to be on fire, having been fired by the drunken men before they left her, and soon afterwards she burst out into flames that threw a strong light to a great distance, discovering the corvette to us at two miles' distance, and of course exposing us to the corvette, who immediately altered her course for us. We had therefore only to fight, and the crew, being most of them in liquor, declared that they would fight till the schooner sunk under them. In a quarter of an hour, the corvette being close to us, and standing stem on, we opened our fire, raking her masts and yards, and then I went down below. I had changed my clothes for the duck trousers and s.h.i.+rt which I had swum on board in, and I now remained quietly in the cabin. A few minutes afterwards the corvette opened her fire, and the shot did great execution. The cries of the wounded and the shouts of the tipsy men were mingled together, but the crew of the schooner fired with great rapidity, and sustained the unequal conflict most gallantly.

After a time some men darted down into the cabin. I was then at the door which led to the magazine pa.s.sage, and busied myself handing up the powder, as it secured me from observation, and it was supposed that I was one of the crew sent down for that duty.

The men roared out, "Where is the captain? We want him to fight the s.h.i.+p. Toplift is an old fool, and don't know what he is about."