The Pirate, and The Three Cutters Part 20

'Who knows that, Mr. Hadley? Send for his logs, and let us examine them; he may have been keeping up the acquaintance.'

The logs of the _Enterprise_ were examined, and there were the fatal words--Porto Rico, Porto Rico, bearing in every division of the compa.s.s, and in every separate cruise, nay, even when the schooner was charged with despatches.

'Plain enough,' said the admiral. 'Confounded young scamp, to embroil me in this way! Not that his marrying the girl is any business of mine; but I will punish him for disobedience of orders, at all events. Try him by a court-martial, by heavens!'

The secretary made no reply: he knew very well that the admiral would do no such thing.

'The _Enterprise_ anch.o.r.ed at daylight, sir,' reported the secretary as the admiral sat down to breakfast.

'And where's Mr. Templemore?'

'He is outside in the veranda. They have told him below of what he has been accused, and he swears it is false. I believe him, sir, for he appears half mad at the intelligence.'

'Stop a moment. Have you looked over his log?'

'Yes, sir. It appears that he was off Porto Rico on the 19th; but the Spanish governor's letter says that he was there on the 17th, and again made his appearance on the 19th. I mentioned it to him, and he declares upon his honour that he was only there on the 19th, as stated in his log.'

'Well, let him come in and speak for himself.'

Edward came in, in a state of great agitation.

'Well, Mr. Templemore, you have been playing pretty tricks! What is all this, sir? Where is the girl, sir--the governor's daughter?'

'Where she is, sir, I cannot pretend to say; but I feel convinced that she has been carried off by the pirates.'

'Pirates! Poor girl, I pity her!--and I pity you too, Edward. Come, sit down here, and tell me all that has happened.'

Edward knew the admiral's character so well, that he immediately disclosed all that had pa.s.sed between him and Clara. He then stated how the _Avenger_ had escaped him by deceiving the frigate, and the agreement made with Clara to meet for the future on the beach, with his conviction that the pirate schooner, so exactly similar in appearance to the _Enterprise_, must have preceded him at Porto Rico, and have carried off the object of his attachment.

Although Edward might have been severely taken to task, yet the admiral pitied him, and therefore said nothing about his visits to Porto Rico.

When breakfast was over he ordered the signal to be made for a sloop of war to prepare to weigh, and the _Enterprise_ to be revictualled by the boats of the squadron.

'Now, Edward, you and the _Comus_ shall sail in company after this rascally pirate, and I trust you will give me a good account of her, and also of the governor's daughter. Cheer up, my boy! depend upon it they will try for ransom before they do her any injury.'

That evening the _Enterprise_ and _Comus_ sailed on their expedition, and having run by Porto Rico and delivered a letter to the governor, they steered to the northward, and early the next morning made the land of the Caicos, just as the _Avenger_ had skirted the reefs and bore up for the narrow entrance.

'There she is!' exclaimed Edward; 'there she is, by heavens!' making the signal for the enemy, which was immediately answered by the _Comus_.

CHAPTER XVI

THE CAICOS

The small patch of islands called the Caicos, or Cayques, is situated about two degrees to the northward of St. Domingo, and is nearly the southernmost of a chain which extends up to the Bahamas. Most of the islands of this chain are uninhabited, but were formerly the resort of piratical vessels,--the reefs and shoals with which they are all surrounded afforded them protection from their larger pursuers, and the pa.s.sages through this dangerous navigation being known only to the pirates who frequented them, proved an additional security. The largest of the Caicos islands forms a curve, like an opened horse-shoe, to the southward, with safe and protected anchorage when once in the bay on the southern side; but, previous to arriving at the anchorage, there are coral reefs, extending upwards of forty miles, through which it is necessary to conduct a vessel. This pa.s.sage is extremely intricate, but was well known to Hawkhurst, who had hitherto been pilot. Cain was not so well acquainted with it, and it required the greatest care in taking in the vessel, as, on the present occasion, Hawkhurst could not be called upon for this service. The islands themselves--for there were several of them--were composed of coral rock; a few cocoa trees raised their lofty heads where there was sufficient earth for vegetation, and stunted brushwood rose up between the interstices of the rocks. But the chief peculiarity of the islands, and which rendered them suitable to those who frequented them, was the numerous caves with which the rocks were perforated, some above high-water mark, but the majority with the sea-water flowing in and out of them, in some cases merely rus.h.i.+ng in, and at high water filling deep pools, which were detached from each other when the tide receded, in others with a sufficient depth of water at all times to allow you to pull in with a large boat. It is hardly necessary to observe how convenient the higher and dry caves were as receptacles for articles which were intended to be concealed until an opportunity occurred for disposing of them.

In our last chapter we stated that, just as the _Avenger_ had entered the pa.s.sage through the reefs, the _Comus_ and _Enterprise_ hove in sight and discovered her; but it will be necessary to explain the positions of the vessels. The _Avenger_ had entered the southern channel, with the wind from the southward, and had carefully sounded her way for about four miles, under little or no sail.

The _Enterprise_ and _Comus_ had been examining Turk's Island, to the eastward of the Caicos, and had pa.s.sed to the northward of it on the larboard tack, standing in for the northern point of the reef, which joined on to the great Caicos Island. They were, therefore, in a situation to intercept the _Avenger_ before she arrived at her anchorage, had it not been for the reefs which barred their pa.s.sage. The only plan which the English vessels could act upon was to beat to the southward, so as to arrive at the entrance of the pa.s.sage, when the _Enterprise_ would, of course, find sufficient water to follow the _Avenger_; for, as the pa.s.sage was too narrow to beat through, and the wind was from the southward, the _Avenger_ could not possibly escape.

She was caught in a trap; and all that she had to trust to was the defence which she might be able to make in her stronghold against the force which could be employed in the attack. The breeze was fresh from the southward, and appeared inclined to increase, when the _Comus_ and _Enterprise_ made all sail, and worked, in short tacks, outside the reef.

On board the _Avenger_ the enemy and their motions were clearly distinguished, and Cain perceived that he was in an awkward dilemma.

That they would be attacked he had no doubt; and although, at any other time, he would almost have rejoiced in such an opportunity of discomfiting his a.s.sailants, yet now he thought very differently, and would have sacrificed almost everything to have been able to avoid the rencontre, and be permitted quietly to withdraw himself from his a.s.sociates, without the spilling of more blood. Francisco was equally annoyed at this unfortunate collision; but no words were exchanged between him and the pirate captain during the time that they were on deck.

It was about nine o'clock, when having safely pa.s.sed nearly half through the channel, that Cain ordered the kedge-anchor to be dropped, and sent down the people to their breakfast. Francisco went down into the cabin, and was explaining their situation to Clara, when Cain entered. He threw himself on the locker, and appeared lost in deep and sombre meditation.

'What do you intend to do?' said Francisco.

'I do not know; I will not decide myself, Francisco,' replied Cain. 'If I were to act upon my own judgment, probably I should allow the schooner to remain where she is. They can only attack in the boats, and, in such a case, I do not fear; whereas, if we run right through, we allow the other schooner to follow us, without defending the pa.s.sage; and we may be attacked by her in the deep water inside, and overpowered by the number of men the two vessels will be able to bring against us. On the other hand, we certainly may defend the schooner from the sh.o.r.e as well as on board; but we are weak-handed. I shall, however, call up the s.h.i.+p's company and let them decide. G.o.d knows, if left to me I would not fight at all.'

'Is there no way of escape?' resumed Francisco.

'Yes, we might abandon the schooner; and this night, when they would not expect it, run with the boats through the channel between the great island and the north Cayque: but that I dare not propose, and the men would not listen to it; indeed, I very much doubt if the enemy will allow us the time. I knew this morning, long before we saw those vessels, that my fate would be decided before the sun went down.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean this, Francisco,' said Cain; 'that your mother, who always has visited me in my dreams whenever anything (dreadful now to think of!) was about to take place, appeared to me last night; and there was sorrow and pity in her sweet face as she mournfully waved her hand, as if to summon me to follow her. Yes, thank G.o.d! she no longer looked upon me as for many years she has done.'

Francisco made no answer; and Cain again seemed to be lost in meditation.

After a little while Cain rose, and taking a small packet from one of the drawers, put it into the hands of Francisco.

'Preserve that,' said the pirate captain; 'should any accident happen to me it will tell you who was your mother; and it also contains directions for finding treasure which I have buried. I leave everything to you, Francisco. It has been unfairly obtained; but you are not the guilty party, and there are none to claim it. Do not answer me now. You may find friends, whom you will make after I am gone, of the same opinion as I am. I tell you again, be careful of that packet.'

'I see little chance of it availing me,' replied Francisco. 'If I live, shall I not be considered as a pirate?'

'No, no; you can prove the contrary.'

'I have my doubts. But G.o.d's will be done!'

'Yes, G.o.d's will be done!' said Cain mournfully. 'I dared not have said that a month ago.' And the pirate captain went on deck, followed by Francisco.

The crew of the _Avenger_ were summoned aft, and called upon to decide as to the measures they considered to be most advisable. They preferred weighing the anchor and running into the bay, where they would be able to defend the schooner, in their opinion, much better than by remaining where they were.

The crew of the pirate schooner weighed the anchor, and continued their precarious course; the breeze had freshened, and the water was in strong ripples, so that they could no longer see the danger beneath her bottom.

In the meantime, the sloop of war and _Enterprise_ continued to turn to windward outside the reef.

By noon the wind had considerably increased, and the breakers now turned and broke in wild foam over the coral reefs in every direction. The sail was still more reduced on board the _Avenger_, and her difficulties increased from the rapidity of her motion.

A storm-jib was set, and the others hauled down; yet even under this small sail she flew before the wind.

Cain stood at the bowsprit, giving his directions to the helmsman. More than once they had grazed the rocks and were clear again. Spars were towed astern, and every means resorted to, to check her way. They had no guide but the breaking of the wild water on each side of them.

'Why should not Hawkhurst, who knows the pa.s.sage so well, be made to pilot us?' said the boatswain to those who were near him on the forecastle.

'To be sure! let's have him up!' cried several of the crew; and some of them went down below.