diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:11:04 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:11:04 -0700 |
| commit | d54bca83130ff958e425014b9bfe61efd4b9bdf0 (patch) | |
| tree | e7cab1ac79211fd0c05c6dde24cf14722bd41096 | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-8.txt | 14264 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-8.zip | bin | 0 -> 268774 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 5689603 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/38764-h.htm | 16098 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/heading.jpg | bin | 0 -> 89854 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i001.jpg | bin | 0 -> 378974 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i002.jpg | bin | 0 -> 31548 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i003.jpg | bin | 0 -> 393996 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i004.jpg | bin | 0 -> 420257 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i005.jpg | bin | 0 -> 409365 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i006.jpg | bin | 0 -> 442090 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i007.jpg | bin | 0 -> 448775 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i008.jpg | bin | 0 -> 375014 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i009.jpg | bin | 0 -> 415608 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i010.jpg | bin | 0 -> 440992 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i011.jpg | bin | 0 -> 325584 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i012.jpg | bin | 0 -> 405570 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i013.jpg | bin | 0 -> 440296 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764-h/images/i014.jpg | bin | 0 -> 429177 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764.txt | 14264 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 38764.zip | bin | 0 -> 268705 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
24 files changed, 44642 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/38764-8.txt b/38764-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8f872da --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,14264 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Roving Commission, by G. A. Henty + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Roving Commission + Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Illustrator: William Rainey + +Release Date: February 4, 2012 [EBook #38764] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A ROVING COMMISSION *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + A ROVING COMMISSION + + + + [Illustration: "I HAVE HEARD A GREAT DEAL OF YOU, MR. GLOVER," THE + ADMIRAL SAID.] + + + + A ROVING COMMISSION + + OR + + _THROUGH THE BLACK INSURRECTION AT HAYTI_ + + + BY + + G. A. HENTY + + Author of "With Frederick the Great," "The Dash for Khartoum" + "Both Sides the Border," etc. + + _WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS BY WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I._ + + + NEW YORK + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + 1904 + + + + _Copyright_, 1899, + BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS. + + + + +PREFACE + + +Horrible as were the atrocities of which the monsters of the French +Revolution were guilty, they paled before the fiendish outrages +committed by their black imitators in Hayti. Indeed, for some six +years the island presented a saturnalia of massacre, attended with +indescribable tortures. It may be admitted that the retaliation +inflicted by the maddened whites after the first massacre was as full of +horrors as were the outrages perpetrated by the blacks, and both were +rivalled by the mulattoes when they joined in the general madness for +blood. The result was ruin to all concerned. France lost one of her +fairest possessions, and a wealthy race of cultivators, many belonging +to the best blood of France, were annihilated or driven into poverty +among strangers. The mulattoes, many of whom were also wealthy, soon +found that the passions they had done so much to foment were too +powerful for them; their position under the blacks was far worse and +more precarious, than it had been under the whites. The negroes gained a +nominal liberty. Nowhere were the slaves so well treated as by the +French colonists, and they soon discovered that, so far from profiting +by the massacre of their masters and families, they were infinitely +worse off than before. They were still obliged to work to some extent to +save themselves from starvation; they had none to look to for aid in the +time of sickness and old age; hardships and fevers had swept them away +wholesale; the trade of the island dwindled almost to nothing; and at +last the condition of the negroes in Hayti has fallen to the level of +that of the savage African tribes. Unless some strong white power should +occupy the island and enforce law and order, sternly repress crime, and +demand a certain amount of labour from all able-bodied men, there seems +no hope that any amelioration can take place in the present situation. + + G. A. HENTY. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. A FIGHT WITH A BLOODHOUND 1 + + II. REJOINED 21 + + III. A SLAVE DEPOT 38 + + IV. A SHARP FIGHT 58 + + V. A PIRATE HOLD 76 + + VI. THE NEGRO RISING 93 + + VII. IN HIDING 112 + + VIII. A TIME OF WAITING 132 + + IX. AN ATTACK ON THE CAVE 152 + + X. AFLOAT AGAIN 172 + + XI. A FIRST COMMAND 191 + + XII. A RESCUE 211 + + XIII. TWO CAPTURES 232 + + XIV. THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE 253 + + XV. THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE 273 + + XVI. TOUSSAIT L'OUVERTURE 293 + + XVII. A FRENCH FRIGATE 311 + + XVIII. ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT 331 + + XIX. HOME 352 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + + "I HAVE HEARD A GREAT DEAL OF YOU, MR. GLOVER," THE ADMIRAL + SAID _Frontispiece_ + + "HEADED BY NAT, THE CREW OF THE GIG LEAPT DOWN ON TO THE DECK" 40 + + THE GUNS ON THE RAMPART SEND A SHOWER OF GRAPE INTO THE PIRATE 64 + + "IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE HE CAME ACROSS THE FIGURE OF A + PROSTRATE MAN" 122 + + "HE FELL LIKE A LOG OVER THE PRECIPICE" 164 + + THE JOURNEY TO THE COAST 178 + + THE RESCUE OF LOUISE PICKARD 212 + + "FOUR SHOTS WERE FIRED AND AS MANY NEGROES FELL" 226 + + "THE CAPTAIN OF THE PIRATES SHOOK HIS FIST IN DEFIANCE" 246 + + A MESSAGE FROM TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE 294 + + "DROP IT!" NAT REPEATED 308 + + "NAT SPRANG ON TO THE RAIL" 318 + + + + +A ROVING COMMISSION + + + + +CHAPTER I + +A FIGHT WITH A BLOODHOUND + + +"Now, look here, Nathaniel--" + +"Drop that, Curtis, you know very well that I won't have it. I can't +help having such a beast of a name, and why it was given me I have never +been able to make out, and if I had been consulted in the matter all the +godfathers and godmothers in the world wouldn't have persuaded me to +take such a name. Nat I don't mind. I don't say that it is a name that I +should choose; still, I can put up with that, but the other I won't +have. You have only just joined the ship, but if you ask the others they +will tell you that I have had at least half a dozen fights over the +name, and it is an understood thing here that if anyone wants a row with +me he has only got to call me Nathaniel, and there is no occasion for +any more words after that." + +The speaker was a pleasant-faced lad, between fifteen and sixteen, and +his words were half in jest half in earnest. He was a general favourite +among his mess-mates on board H. M. frigate _Orpheus_. He was full of +life and fun, exceptionally good-tempered, and able to stand any amount +of chaff and joking, and it was understood by his comrades that there +was but one point that it was unsafe to touch on, and that sore point +was his name. It had been the choice of his godmother, a maiden aunt, +who had in her earlier days had a disappointment. Nat had once closely +questioned his father as to how he came by his name, and the latter had +replied testily: + +"Well, my boy, your Aunt Eliza, who is, you know, a very good woman--no +one can doubt that--had a weakness. I never myself got at the rights of +the matter. Anyhow, his name was Nathaniel. I don't think there was ever +any formal engagement between them. Her own idea is that he loved her, +but that his parents forbade him to think of her; for that was at a time +before her Aunt Lydia left all her money to her. Anyhow, he went abroad, +and I don't think she ever heard of him again. I am inclined to think it +was an entire mistake on her part, and that the young fellow had never +had the slightest fancy for her. However, that was the one romance of +her life, and she has clung to it like a limpet to a rock. At any rate +when we asked her to be your godmother she said she would be so if we +would give you the name of Nathaniel. I own it is not a name that I like +myself; but when we raised an objection, she said that the name was very +dear to her, and that if you took it she would certainly make you her +heir, and more than hinted that if you had any other name she would +leave her money to charitable purposes. Well, you see, as she is worth +thirty thousand pounds if she is worth a penny, your mother and I both +thought it would be folly to allow the money to go out of the family for +the sake of a name, which after all is not such a bad name." + +"I think it beastly, father, in the first place because it is long." + +"Well, my boy, if you like we can shorten it to Nathan." + +"Oh, that would be a hundred times worse! Nathan indeed! Nat is not so +bad. If I had been christened Nat I should not have particularly minded +it. Why did you not propose that to aunt?" + +His father shook his head. "That would never have done. To her he was +always Nathaniel. Possibly if they had been married it might some day +have become Nat, but, you see, it never got to that." + +"Well, of course, father," the boy said with a sigh, "as the thing is +done it cannot be helped. And I don't say that aunt isn't a good +sort--first-rate in some things, for she has always tipped me well +whenever she came here, and she says she is going to allow me fifty +pounds a year directly I get my appointment as midshipman; but it is +certainly hard on me that she could not have fallen in love with some +man with a decent name. Nathaniel is always getting me into rows. Why, +the first two or three years I went to school I should say that I had a +fight over it once a month. Of course I have not had one lately, for +since I licked Smith major fellows are more careful. I expect it will be +just as bad in the navy." + +So when he first joined Nat had found it, but now that he was nearly +sixteen, and very strong and active, and with the experience of many +past combats, the name Nathaniel had been dropped. It was six months +since the obnoxious Christian name had been used, as it was now by a +young fellow of seventeen who had been transferred to the _Orpheus_ when +the frigate to which he belonged was ordered home. He was tall and +lanky, very particular about his dress, spoke in a drawling supercilious +way, and had the knack of saying unpleasant things with an air of +innocence. Supposing that Glover's name must be Nathaniel, he had +thought it smart so to address him, but although he guessed that it +might irritate him, he was unprepared for an explosion on the part of a +lad who was proverbially good-tempered. + +"Dear me," he said, in assumed surprise, "I had no idea that you +objected so much to be called by your proper name! However, I will, of +course, in future use the abbreviation." + +"You had better call me Glover," Nat replied sharply. "My friends can +call me Nat, but to other people I am Glover, and if you call me out of +that name there will be squalls; so I warn you." + +Curtis thought it was well not to pursue the subject further. He was no +coward, but he had the sense to see that as Nat was a favourite with the +others, while he was a new-comer, a fight, even if he were the victor, +would not conduce to his popularity among his mess-mates. The president +of the mess, a master's mate, a good-tempered fellow, who hated +quarrels, broke what would have been an awkward silence by saying: + +"We seem to be out of luck altogether this trip; we have been out three +weeks and not fired a shot. It is especially hard, for we caught sight +of that brigantine we have been in search of, and should have had her if +she hadn't run into that channel where there was not water enough for us +to follow her." + +"Yes, that was rough upon us, and one hates to go back to Port Royal +without a prize, after having taken so many that we have come to be +considered the luckiest ship on the station," another said. "Still, the +cruise is not over yet. I suppose by the way we are laying our course, +Marston, we are going into Cape François?" + +The mate nodded. "Yes; we want fresh meat, fruit, and water, and it is +about the pleasantest place among these islands. I have no doubt, too, +that the captain hopes to get some news that may help him to find out +where those piratical craft that are doing so much mischief have their +rendezvous. They are all so fast that unless in a strong breeze a +frigate has no chance whatever of overhauling them; there is no doubt +that they are all of Spanish build, and in a light breeze they sail +like witches. I believe our only chance of catching them is in finding +them at their head-quarters, wherever that may be, or by coming upon +them in a calm in a bay. In that case it would be a boat affair; and a +pretty sharp one I should think, for they all carry very strong crews +and are heavily armed, and as the scoundrels know that they fight with +ropes round their necks they would be awkward customers to tackle." + +"Yes, if we happened to find them all together, I don't think the +captain would risk sending in the boats. One at a time we could manage, +but with three of them mounting about fifty guns between them, and +carrying, I should say, from two hundred to two hundred and fifty men, +the odds would be very great, and the loss, even if we captured them, so +heavy that I hardly think the captain would be justified in attempting +it. I should say that he would be more likely to get out all the boats +and tow the frigate into easy range. She would give a good account of +the whole of them." + +"Yes, there is no doubt about that; but even then we should only succeed +if the bay was a very narrow one, for otherwise their boats would +certainly tow them faster than we could take the frigate along." + +It was Glover who spoke last. + +"I don't think myself that we shall ever catch them in the frigate. It +seems to me that the only chance will be to get hold of an old +merchantman, put a strong crew on board and a dozen of our guns, and +cruise about until one of them gets a sight of us and comes skimming +along to capture us." + +"Yes, that would be a good plan; but it has been tried several times +with success, and I fancy the pirates would not fall into the trap. +Besides, there is very little doubt that they have friends at all these +ports, and get early information of any movements of our ships, and +would hear of what we were doing long before the disguised ship came +near them. It can hardly be chance, that it matters not which way we +cruise these fellows begin their work in another direction altogether. +Now that we are here in this great bay, they are probably cruising off +the west of Cuba or down by Porto Rico or the Windward Islands. That is +the advantage that three or four craft working together have: they are +able to keep spies in every port that our ships of war are likely to go +into, while a single vessel cannot afford such expenses." + +"I don't think that the expenses, Low, would be heavy; the negroes would +do it for next to nothing, and so would the mulattoes, simply because +they hate the whites. I don't mean the best of the mulattoes, because +many of them are gentlemen and good fellows; but the lower class are +worse than the negroes, they are up to any devilment, and will do +anything they can to injure a white man." + +"Poor beggars, one can hardly blame them; they are neither one thing nor +the other! These old French planters are as aristocratic as their +noblesse at home, and indeed many of them belong to noble families. Even +the meanest white--and they are pretty mean some of them--looks down +upon a mulatto, although the latter may have been educated in France and +own great plantations. The negroes don't like them because of their +strain of white blood. They are treated as if they were pariahs. Their +children may not go to school with the whites, they themselves may not +sit down in a theatre or kneel at church next to them, they may not use +the same restaurants or hotels. No wonder they are discontented." + +"It is hard on them," Glover said, "but one can't be surprised that the +whites do fight shy of them. Great numbers of them are brutes and no +mistake, ready for any crime and up to any wickedness. There is lots of +good in the niggers; they are merry fellows; and I must say for these +old French planters they use their slaves a great deal better than they +are as a rule treated by our planters in Jamaica. Of course there are +bad masters everywhere, but if I were a slave I would certainly rather +be under a French master than an English one, or, from what I have +heard, than an American." + +"Very well, Glover, I will make a note of that, and if you ever +misbehave yourself and we have to sell you, I will drop a line to the +first luff how your preference lies." + +Early the next morning the frigate dropped anchor at Cape François, the +largest and most important town in the island, with the exception of the +capital of the Spanish portion of San Domingo. The _Orpheus_ carried six +midshipmen. Four of these had been ashore when on the previous occasion +the _Orpheus_ had entered the port. Nat Glover and Curtis were the +exceptions, Curtis having at that time belonged to the frigate for but a +very few weeks, and Nat having been in the first lieutenant's bad books, +owing to a scrape into which he had got at the last port they had +touched at. After breakfast they went up together to the first +lieutenant, whose name was Hill. + +"Please, sir, if we are not wanted, can we have leave for the day?" + +The lieutenant hesitated, and then said: + +"Yes, I think the other four will be enough for the boats. You did not +go ashore last time you were here, I think, Mr. Glover," he added with a +slight smile. + +"No, sir." + +"Very well, then, you can go, but don't get into any scrape." + +"I will try not to, sir," Nat said demurely. + +"Well, I hope your trial will be successful, Mr. Glover, for if not, I +can tell you that it will be a long time before you have leave again. +These people don't understand that sort of thing." + +"He is a nice lad," Mr. Hill said to the second lieutenant as the two +midshipmen walked away, "and when he has worked off those animal spirits +of his he will make a capital officer, but at present he is one of the +most mischievous young monkeys I ever came across." + +"He does not let them interfere with his duty," the other said. "He is +the smartest of our mids; he is well up in navigation, and has any +amount of pluck. You remember how he jumped overboard in Port Royal when +a marine fell into the water, although the harbour was swarming with +sharks. It was a near touch. Luckily we threw a bowline to him, and the +two were hauled up together. A few seconds more and it would have been +too late, for there was a shark within twenty feet of them." + +"Yes, there is no doubt about his pluck, Playford, and indeed I partly +owe my life to him. When we captured that piratical brigantine near +Santa Lucia I boarded by the stern, and she had such a strong crew that +we were being beaten back, and things looked very bad until he with the +gig's crew swarmed in over the bow. Even then it was a very tough +struggle till they cut their way through the pirates and joined us, and +we went at them together, and that youngster fought like a young fiend. +He was in the thick of it everywhere, and yet he was as cool as a +cucumber. Oh yes, he has the making of a very fine officer. Although I +am obliged to be sharp with him, there is not a shadow of harm in the +lad, but he certainly has a genius for getting into scrapes." + +The two midshipmen went ashore together. "I don't know what you are +going to do, Curtis, but after I have walked through the place and had a +look at it, I shall hire a horse and ride out into the country." + +"It is too hot for riding," the other said. "Of course I shall see what +there is to be seen, and then I shall look for a seat in some place in +the shade and eat fruit." + +"Well, we may as well walk through the town together," Nat said +cheerfully. "From the look of the place I should fancy there was not +much in it, and I know the fellows who went on shore before said that +the town contained nothing but native huts, a few churches, and two or +three dozen old French houses." + +Half an hour indeed sufficed to explore the place. When they separated +Nat had no difficulty in hiring a horse. He had been accustomed, when in +England, to ride a pony, and was therefore at home in the saddle; he +proceeded at a leisurely pace along the road across the flat plain that +surrounded Cape François. On either side were plantations,--sugar-cane +and tobacco,--and he occasionally passed the abode of some wealthy +planter, surrounded by shady trees and gardens gorgeous with tropical +plants and flowers. He was going by one of these, half a mile from the +town, when he heard a loud scream, raised evidently by a woman in +extreme pain or terror. He was just opposite the entrance, and, +springing from his horse, he ran in. + +On the ground, twenty yards from the gate, lay a girl. A huge hound had +hold of her shoulder, and was shaking her violently. Nat drew his dirk +and gave a loud shout as he rushed forward. The hound loosed his hold of +the girl and turned to meet him, and, springing upon him with a savage +growl, threw him to the ground. Nat drove his dirk into the animal as he +fell, and threw his left arm across his throat to prevent the dog +seizing him there. A moment later the hound had seized it with a grip +that extracted a shout of pain from the midshipman. As he again buried +his dirk in the hound's side, the dog shifted his hold from Nat's +forearm to his shoulder and shook him as if he had been a child. + +Nat made no effort to free himself, for he knew that were he to uncover +his throat for a moment the dog would seize him there. Though the pain +was terrible he continued to deal stroke after stroke to the dog. One of +these blows must have reached the heart, for suddenly its hold relaxed +and it rolled over, just as half a dozen negroes armed with sticks came +rushing out of the house. Nat tried to raise himself on his right arm, +but the pain of the left was so great that he leant back again +half-fainting. Presently he felt himself being lifted up and carried +along; he heard a lady's voice giving directions, and then for a time he +knew no more. When he came to himself he saw the ship's doctor leaning +over him. + +"What is the matter, doctor?" he asked. + +"You are badly hurt, lad, and must lie perfectly quiet. Luckily the +messenger who was sent to fetch a doctor, seeing Mr. Curtis and me +walking up the street, ran up to us and said that a young officer of our +ship was hurt, and that he was sent in to fetch a doctor. He had, in +fact, already seen one, and was in the act of returning with him when he +met us. Of course I introduced myself to the French doctor as we came +along together, for we fortunately got hold of a trap directly, so that +no time was lost. The black boy who brought the message told me that you +and a young lady had been bitten by a great hound belonging to his +master, and that you had killed it. Now, my lad, I am going to cut off +your coat and look at your wounds. The Frenchman is attending to the +young lady." + +"Mind how you touch my arm, doctor! it is broken somewhere between the +elbow and the wrist; I heard it snap when the brute seized me. It threw +me down, and I put my arm across over my throat, so as to prevent it +from getting at that. It would have been all up with me if it had +gripped me there." + +"That it would, Glover. I saw the dog lying on the grass as I came in. +It is a big bloodhound; and your presence of mind undoubtedly saved your +life." + +By this time he had cut the jacket and shirt up to the neck. Nat saw his +lips tighten as he caught sight of the wound on the shoulder. + +"It is a bad bite, eh, doctor?" + +"Yes, it has mangled the flesh badly. The dog seems to have shifted his +hold several times." + +"Yes, doctor, each time I stabbed him he gave a sort of start, and then +caught hold again and shook me furiously. After the first bite I did not +seem to feel any pain. I suppose the limb was numbed." + +"Very likely, lad. Now I must first of all see what damage was done to +the forearm. I am afraid I shall hurt you, but I will be as gentle as I +can." + +Nat clenched his teeth and pressed his lips tightly together. Not a +sound was heard as the examination was being made, although the sweat +that started out on his forehead showed how intense was the pain. + +"Both bones are broken," the surgeon said to his French colleague, who +had just entered the room and came up to the bedside. "The first thing +to do is to extemporize some splints, and of course we shall want some +stuff for bandages." + +"I will get them made at once," the doctor replied. "Madame Demaine said +that she put the whole house at my disposal." + +He went out, and in a few minutes returned with some thin slips of wood +eighteen inches long and a number of strips of sheeting sewn together. + +"It is very fortunate," the surgeon said, "that the ends of the bone +have kept pretty fairly in their places instead of working through the +flesh, which they might very well have done." + +Very carefully the two surgeons bandaged the arm from the elbow to the +finger-tips. + +"Now for the shoulder," the doctor said. + +They first sponged the wounds and then began feeling the bones again, +giving exquisite pain to Nat. Then they drew apart and consulted for two +or three minutes. + +"This is a much worse business than the other," Dr. Bemish said when he +returned to the bedside; "the arm is broken near the shoulder, the +collar-bone is broken too, and the flesh is almost in a pulp." + +"Don't say I must lose the arm, doctor," Nat said. + +"Well, I hope not, Glover, but I can't say for certain. You see I am +speaking frankly to you, for I know that you have pluck. The injury to +the collar-bone is not in itself serious, but the other is a comminuted +fracture." + +"What is comminuted, doctor?" + +"It means that the bone is splintered, lad. Still, there is no reason +why it should not heal again; you have a strong constitution, and Nature +works wonders." + +For the next half-hour the two surgeons were at work picking out the +fragments of bone, getting the ends together, and bandaging the arm and +shoulder. Nat fainted under the pain within the first few minutes, and +did not recover until the surgeons had completed their work. Then his +lips were wetted with brandy and a few drops of brandy and water were +poured down his throat. In a minute or two he opened his eyes. + +"It is all over now, lad." He lay for sometime without speaking, and +then whispered, "How is the girl?" + +"Her shoulder is broken," Dr. Bemish replied. "I have not seen her; but +the doctor says that it is a comparatively simple case." + +"How was it the dog came to bite her?" + +"She was a stranger to it. She is not the daughter of your hostess. It +seems her father's plantation is some twelve miles away; he drove her in +and left her here with Madame Demaine, who is his sister, while he went +into town on business. Madame's own daughter was away, and the girl +sauntered down into the garden, when the hound, not knowing her, sprang +upon her, and I have not the least doubt would have killed her had you +not arrived." + +"Are you going to take me on board, doctor?" + +"Not at present, Glover; you need absolute quiet, and if the frigate got +into a heavy sea it might undo all our work, and in that case there +would be little hope of saving your arm. Madame Demaine told the French +doctor that she would nurse you as if you were her own child, and that +everything was to be done to make you comfortable. The house is cool, +and your wound will have a much better chance of getting well here than +in our sick-bay. She wanted to come in to thank you, but I said that, +now we had dressed your arm, it was better that you should have nothing +to disturb or excite you. When the girl's father returns--and I have no +doubt he will do so soon, for as yet, though half-a-dozen boys have been +sent down to the town, they have not been able to find him--he must on +no account come in to see you at present. Here is a tumbler of fresh +lime-juice and water. Doctor Lepel will remain here all night and see +that you have everything that you require." + +The tumbler was held to Nat's lips, and he drained it to the bottom. The +drink was iced, and seemed to him the most delicious that he had ever +tasted. + +"I shall come ashore again to see you in the morning. Dr. Lepel will go +back with me now, and make up a soothing draught for you both. Remember +that above all things it is essential for you to lie quiet. He will put +bandages round your body, and fasten the ends to the bedstead so as to +prevent you from turning in your sleep." + +"All right, sir; I can assure you that I have no intention of moving. My +arm does not hurt me much now, and I would not set it off aching again +for any money." + +"It is a rum thing," Nat thought to himself, "that I should always be +getting into some scrape or other when I go ashore. This is the worst of +all by a long way." + +A negro girl presently came in noiselessly and placed a small table on +the right-hand side of the bed. She then brought in a large jug of the +same drink that Nat had before taken, and some oranges and limes both +peeled and cut up into small pieces. + +"It is lucky it was not the right arm," Nat said to himself. "I suppose +one can do without the left pretty well when one gets accustomed to it, +though it would be rather awkward going aloft." + +In an hour Dr. Lepel returned, and gave him the draught. + +"Now try and go to sleep," he said in broken English. "I shall lie down +on that sofa, and if you wake up be sure and call me. I am a light +sleeper." + +"Had you not better stay with the young lady?" + +"She will have her mother and her aunt with her, so she will do very +well. I hope that you will soon go to sleep." + +It was but a few minutes before Nat dozed off. Beyond a numbed feeling +his arm was not hurting him very much. Once or twice during the night he +woke and took a drink. A slight stir in the room aroused him, and to his +surprise he found that the sun was already up. The doctor was feeling +his pulse, a negro girl was fanning him, and a lady stood at the foot of +the bed looking at him pitifully. + +"Do you speak French, monsieur?" she asked. + +"A little," he replied, for he had learned French while at school, and +since the frigate had been among the West Indian islands he had studied +it for a couple of hours a day, as it was the language that was spoken +in all the French islands and might be useful to him if put in charge of +a prize. + +"Have you slept well?" she asked. + +"Very well." + +"Does your arm hurt you very much now?" + +"It hurts a bit, ma'am, but nothing to make any fuss about." + +"You must ask for anything that you want," she said. "I have told off +two of my negro girls to wait upon you. Of course they both speak +French." + +Half an hour later Dr. Bemish arrived. + +"You are going on very well, Glover," he said after feeling the lad's +pulse and putting his hand on his forehead. "At present you have no +fever. You cannot expect to get through without some, but I hardly +expected to find you so comfortable this morning. The captain told me to +say that he would come and see you to-day, and I can assure you that +there is not one among your mess-mates who is not deeply sorry at what +has happened, although they all feel proud of your pluck in fighting +that great hound with nothing but a dirk." + +"They are useless sort of things, doctor, and I cannot think why they +give them to us; but it was a far better weapon yesterday than a sword +would have been." + +"Yes, it was. The room is nice and cool, isn't it?" + +"Wonderfully cool, sir. I was wondering about it before you came in, for +it is a great deal cooler than it is on board." + +"There are four great pans full of ice in the room, and they have got up +matting before each of the windows, and are keeping it soaked with +water." + +"That is very good of them, doctor. Please thank Madame Demaine for me. +She was in here this morning--at least I suppose it was she--and she +did not bother me with thanks, which was a great comfort. You are not +going to take these bandages off and put them on again, I hope?" + +"Oh, no. We may loosen them a little when inflammation sets in, which it +is sure to do sooner or later." + +Captain Crosbie came to see Nat that afternoon. + +"Well, my lad," he said cheerfully, "I see that you have fallen into +good hands, and I am sure that everything that is possible will be done +for you. I was talking to the girl's mother and aunt before I came in. +Their gratitude to you is quite touching, and they are lamenting that +Dr. Bemish has given the strictest orders that they are not to say +anything more about it. And now I must not stay and talk; the doctor +gave me only two minutes to be in the room with you. I don't know +whether the frigate is likely to put in here again soon, but I will take +care to let you know from time to time what we are doing and where we +are likely to be, so that you can rejoin when the doctor here gives you +leave; but mind, you are not to dream of attempting it until he does so, +and you must be a discontented spirit indeed if you are not willing to +stay for a time in such surroundings. Good-bye, lad! I sincerely trust +that it will not be very long before you rejoin us, and I can assure you +of a hearty welcome from officers and men." + +Three days later, fever set in, but, thanks to the coolness of the room +and to the bandages being constantly moistened with iced water, it +passed away in the course of a week. For two or three days Nat was +light-headed, but he woke one morning feeling strangely weak. It was +some minutes before he could remember where he was or how he had got +there, but a sharp twinge in his arm brought the facts home to him. + +"Thank God that you are better, my brave boy," a voice said in French, +as a cool hand was placed on his forehead; and turning his head Nat saw +a lady standing by his bedside. She was not the one whom he had seen +before; tears were streaming down her cheeks, and, evidently unable to +speak, she hurried from the room, and a minute later Doctor Lepel +entered. + +"Madame Duchesne has given me the good news that you are better," he +said. "I had just driven up to the door when she ran down." + +"Have I been very bad, doctor?" + +"Well, you have been pretty bad, my lad, and have been light-headed for +the past three or four days, and I did not for a moment expect that you +would come round so soon. You must have a magnificent constitution, for +most men, even if they recovered at all from such terrible wounds as you +have had, would probably have been three or four times as long before +the fever had run its course." + +"And how is the young lady?" + +"She is going on well, and I intended to give permission for her to be +carried home in a hammock to-day, but when I spoke of it yesterday to +her mother, she said that nothing would induce her to go until you were +out of danger. She or Madame Demaine have not left your bedside for the +past week, and next to your own good constitution you owe your rapid +recovery to their care. I have no doubt that she will go home now, and +you are to be moved to Monsieur Duchesne's house as soon as you are +strong enough. It lies up among the hills, and the change and cooler air +will do you good." + +"I have not felt it hot here, doctor, thanks to the care that they have +taken in keeping the room cool. I hope now that there is no fear of my +losing my arm?" + +"No; I think that I can promise you that. In a day or two I shall +re-bandage it, and I shall then be able to see how the wounds are +getting on; but there can be no doubt that they are doing well, or you +would never have shaken off the fever so soon as you have done." + +"Of course the _Orpheus_ has sailed, doctor?" + +"Yes. She put to sea a week ago. I have a letter here that the captain +gave me to hand to you when you were fit to read it. I should not open +it now if I were you. You are very weak, and sleep is the best medicine +for you. Now, drink a little of this fresh lime-juice. I have no doubt +that you will doze off again." + +Almost before the door closed on the doctor Nat was asleep. A fortnight +later he was able to get up and sit in an easy-chair. + +"How long shall I have to keep these bandages on, doctor?" + +"I should say in another fortnight or so you might take them off the +forearm, for the bones seem to have knit there, but it would be better +that you should wear them for another month or six weeks. There would +indeed be no use in taking them off earlier, for the bandages on the +shoulder and the fracture below it cannot be removed for some time, and +you will have to carry your arm in a sling for another three months. I +do not mean that you may not move your arm before that, indeed it is +desirable that you should do so, but the action must be quiet and +simple, and done methodically, and the sling will be necessary at other +times to prevent sudden jerks." + +"But I shall be able to go away and join my ship before that, surely?" + +"Yes, if the arm goes on as well as at present you may be able to do so +in a month's time; only you will have to be very careful. You must +remember that a fall, or even a lurch against the rail, or a slip in +going down below, or anything of that kind, might very well undo our +work, for it must be some time before the newly-formed bone is as strong +as the old. As I told you the other day, your arm will be some two +inches shorter than it was." + +"That won't matter a rap," Nat said. + +That afternoon Nat had to submit to what he had dreaded. The doctor had +pronounced that he was now quite convalescent, and that there was no +fear whatever of a relapse, and Monsieur and Madame Duchesne therefore +came over to see him. He had seen the latter but once, and then only for +a minute, for she found herself unable to observe the condition on which +alone the doctor had allowed her to enter, namely, to repress all +emotion. Madame Demaine came in with them. Since her niece had been +taken away, she had spent much of her time in Nat's room, talking +quietly to him about his English home or his ship, and sometimes reading +aloud to him, but studiously avoiding any allusion to the accident. +Monsieur Duchesne was a man of some thirty-five years of age, his wife +was about five years younger, and they were an exceptionally handsome +couple of the best French type. Madame Duchesne pressed forward before +the others, and to Nat's embarrassment bent over him and kissed him. + +"You cannot tell how we have longed for this time to come," she said. +"It seemed so cold and ungrateful that for a whole month we should have +said no word of thanks to you for saving our darling's life, but the +doctor would not allow it. He said that the smallest excitement might +bring on the fever again, so we have been obliged to abstain. Now he has +given us leave to come, and now we have come, what can we say to you? +Ah, monsieur, it was our only child that you saved, the joy of our +lives! Think of the grief into which we should have been plunged by her +loss, and you can then imagine the depth of our gratitude to you." + +While she was speaking her husband had taken Nat's right hand and +pressed it silently. There were tears in his eyes, and his lips quivered +with emotion. + +"Pray do not say anything more about it, madam," Nat said. "Of course I +am very glad to have saved your daughter's life, but anyone else would +have done the same. You don't suppose that anyone could stand by and see +a girl mauled by a dog without rushing forward to save her, even if he +had had no arm of any kind, while I had my dirk, which was about as good +a weapon for that sort of thing as one could want. Why, Harpur, our +youngest middy, who is only fourteen, would have done it. Of course I +have had a good deal of pain, but I would have borne twice as much for +the sake of the pleasure I feel in having saved your daughter's life, +and I am sure that I have had a very nice time of it since I have begun +to get better. Madame Demaine has been awfully good to me. If she had +been my own mother she could not have been kinder. I felt quite ashamed +of being so much trouble to her, and of being fanned and petted as if I +had been a sick girl. And how is your daughter getting on? The doctor +gave me a very good account of her, but you know one can't always quite +believe doctors; they like to say pleasant things to you so as not to +upset you." + +"She is getting on very well indeed. Of course she has her arm in a +sling still, but she is going about the house, and is quite merry and +bright again. She wanted to come over with us to-day, but Dr. Lepel +would not have it. He said that a sudden jolt over a stone might do a +good deal of mischief. However, it will not be long before she sees you, +for we have got leave to have you carried over early next week." + + + + +CHAPTER II + +REJOINED + + +Four days later Monsieur Duchesne came down with six negroes and a cane +lounging chair, on each side of which a long pole had been securely +lashed. Nat's room was on the ground floor, and with wide windows +opening to the ground. The chair was brought in. Nat was still shaky on +his legs, but he was able to get from the bed into the chair without +assistance. + +"I shall come over to see you to-morrow," Madame Demaine said, as he +thanked her and her husband for their great kindness to him, "and I hope +I shall find that the journey has done you no harm." + +Four of the negroes took the ends of the poles and raised them onto +their shoulders, the other two walked behind to serve as a relay. +Monsieur Duchesne mounted his horse and took his place by Nat's side, +and the little procession started. The motion was very easy and gentle. +It was late in the afternoon when they started, the sun was near the +horizon, and a gentle breeze from the sea had sprung up. In half an hour +it was dusk, and the two spare negroes lighted torches they had brought +with them, and now walked ahead of the bearers. It was full moon, and +after having been so long confined in a semi-darkened room, Nat enjoyed +intensely the soft air, the dark sky spangled with stars, and the rich +tropical foliage showing its outlines clearly in the moonlight. + +Presently Monsieur Duchesne said: + +"I have a flask of brandy and water with me, Mr. Glover, in case you +should feel faint or exhausted." + +Nat laughed. + +"Thank you for thinking of it, monsieur, but there is no fatigue +whatever in sitting here, and I have enjoyed my ride intensely. It is +almost worth getting hurt in order to have such pleasure: we don't get +such nights as this in England." + +"But you have fine weather sometimes, surely?" Monsieur Duchesne said. + +"Oh yes, we often have fine weather, but there are not many nights in +the year when one can sit out-of-doors after dark! When it is a warm +night there are sure to be heavy dews; besides, the stars are not so +bright with us as they are here, nor is the air so soft. I don't mean to +say that I don't like our climate better; we never have it so +desperately hot as you do, and besides, we like the cold, because it +braces one up, and even the rain is welcome as a change, occasionally. +Still, I allow that as far as nights go you beat us hollow." + +The road presently began to rise, and before they reached the end of the +journey they were high above the plain. As they approached the house the +negroes broke into a song, and on their stopping before the wide +verandah that surrounded the house, Madame Duchesne and her daughter +were standing there to greet them as the bearers gently lowered the +chair to the ground. The girl was first beside it. + +"Ah, monsieur," she exclaimed as she took his hand, "how grateful I am +to you! how I have longed to see you! for I have never seen you yet; and +it has seemed hard to me that while aunt and the doctor should have seen +you so often, and even mamma should have seen you once, I should never +have seen you at all." + +"There is not much to see in me at the best of times, mademoiselle," Nat +said as he rose to his feet, "and I am almost a scarecrow now. I wanted +to see you, too, just to see what you were like, you know." + +He took the arm that Monsieur Duchesne offered him, for although he +could have walked that short distance unaided, he did not know the +ground, and might have stumbled over something. They went straight from +the verandah into a pretty room lighted by a dozen wax candles. He sat +down in a chair that was there in readiness for him. The girl placed +herself in front of him and looked earnestly at him. + +"Well," he said with a laugh, "am I at all like what you pictured me?" + +"You are not a scarecrow at all!" she said indignantly. "Why do you say +such things of yourself? Of course you are thin, very thin, but even now +you look nice. I think you are just what I thought you would be. Now, am +I like what you thought I should be?" + +"I don't know that I ever attempted to think exactly what you would be," +Nat said. "I did not notice your face; I don't even know whether it was +turned my way. I did take in that you were a girl somewhere about +thirteen years old, but as soon as the dog turned, my attention was +pretty fully occupied. Madame Demaine said your name was Myra. I thought +that with such a pretty name you ought to be pretty too. I suppose it is +rude to say so, but you certainly are, mademoiselle." + +The girl laughed. + +"It is not rude at all; and please you are to call me Myra and not +mademoiselle. Now, you must get strong as soon as you can. Mamma said I +might act as your guide, and show you about the plantation, and the +slave houses, and everywhere. I have never had a boy friend, and I +should think it was very nice." + +"My dear," her mother said with a smile, "it is not altogether discreet +for a young lady to talk in that way." + +"Ah! but I am not a young lady yet, mamma, and I think it is much nicer +to be a girl and to be able to say what one likes. And you are an +officer, Monsieur Glover!" + +"Well, if I am to call you Myra, you must call me Nat. Monsieur Glover +is ridiculous." + +"You are very young to be an officer," the girl said. + +"Oh, I have been an officer for more than two years," he said. "I was +only fourteen when I joined, and I am nearly sixteen now." + +"And have you been in battles?" + +"Not in a regular battle. You see England is not at war now with anyone, +but I have been in two or three fights with pirates and that sort of +thing." + +"And now, Myra, you must not talk any more," her father said. "You know +the doctor gave strict orders that he was to go to bed as soon as he +arrived here." + +At this moment the door opened and a slave girl brought in a basin of +strong broth. + +"Well, you may stop to take that." + +Nat spent a delightful month at Monsieur Duchesne's plantation. For the +first few days he lay in a hammock beneath a shady tree, then he began +to walk, at first only for a few minutes, but every day his strength +increased. At the end of a fortnight he could walk half a mile, and by +the time the month was up he was able to wander about with Myra all over +the plantation. Monsieur Duchesne, on his return one day from town, +brought a letter for him. It was from the captain himself: + + _Dear Mr. Glover,--I hope you are getting on well, and are by this + time on your legs again. As far as I can see, we are not likely to + be at Cape François again for some time, therefore, when you feel + quite strong enough, you had better take passage in a craft bound + for Jamaica, which is likely to be our head-quarters for some + time. Of course if we are away, you will wait till our return. I + have spoken to a friend of mine, Mr. Cummings--his plantation lies + high up among the hills--and he has kindly invited you to make his + place your home till we return, and it will be very much better for + you to be in the pure air up there than in this pestilential + place._ + +Nat would have started the next day, but his host insisted upon his +staying for another week. + +"You are getting on so well," M. Duchesne said, "that it would be folly +indeed to risk throwing yourself back. Every day is making an +improvement in you, and a week will make a great difference." + +At the end of that week the planter, seeing that Nat was really anxious +to rejoin his ship, brought back the news that a vessel in port would +sail for Port Royal in two days. + +"I have engaged a cabin for you," he said, "for although we shall be +sorry indeed to lose you, I know that you want to be off." + +"It is not that I want to be off, sir, for I was never happier in all my +life, but I feel that I ought to go. It is likely enough that the ship +may be short of middies, one or two may be away in prizes, and it will +be strange if no one falls sick while they are lying in Port Royal. It +would be ungrateful indeed if I wanted to leave you when you are all so +wonderfully kind to me." + +M. Duchesne drove Nat down to the port the next morning. The midshipman +as he left the house felt quite unmanned, for Myra had cried +undisguisedly, and Madame Duchesne was also much moved. They passed M. +Demaine's house without stopping, as he and his wife had spent the +previous evening at the Duchesnes', and had there said good-bye to him. + +"It is quite time that I was out of this," Nat said to himself as he +leaned on the rail and looked back at the port. "That sort of life is +awfully nice for a time, but it would soon make a fellow so lazy and +soft that he would be of no use on board ship. Of course it was all +right for a bit, but since I began to use my arm a little, I have wanted +to do something. Still, it would have been no good leaving before, for +my arm is of no real use yet, and the doctor said that I ought to carry +it in a sling for at least another month. But I am sure I ought to feel +very grateful to our doctor and Lepel, for I expect I should have lost +it altogether if they hadn't taken such pains with it at first. Well, it +will be very jolly getting back again. I only hope that the captain +won't be wanting to treat me as an invalid." + +To Nat's delight he saw, as he entered Port Royal, the _Orpheus_ lying +there, and without landing he hailed a boat and went on board. As soon +as he was made out there was quite a commotion on board the frigate +among the sailors on deck and at the side, while those below looked out +of the port-holes, and a burst of cheering rose from all as the boat +came alongside. As he came up on to the deck the midshipmen crowded +round, shaking him by the hand; and when he went to the quarter-deck to +report his return, the lieutenants greeted him as heartily. The captain +was on shore. Nat was confused and abashed at the warmth of their +greeting. + +"It is perfectly ridiculous!" he said almost angrily, as he rejoined the +midshipmen; "as if there was anything extraordinary in a fellow fighting +a dog!" + +"It depends upon the size of the dog and the size of the fellow," +Needham, the senior midshipman, said, "and also how he got into the +fight." + +"The fact is, Needham, if I had killed the dog with the first stroke of +my dirk nobody would have thought anything about the matter, and it is +just because I could not do so, and therefore got badly mauled before I +managed it, that all this fuss is made! It would have been much more to +the point if you had all grumbled, when I came on board, at my being +nursed and coddled, while you had to do my duty between you, just +because I was such a duffer that I was a couple of minutes in killing +the dog instead of managing it at once." + +"Well, we might have done so if we had thought of it, but, you see, we +did not look at it in that light, Nat," Needham laughed; "there is +certainly a good deal in what you say. However, I shall in future look +upon my dirk as being of more use than I have hitherto thought; I have +always considered it the most absurd weapon that was ever put into +anyone's hand to use in action. Not, of course, that one does use it, +for one always gets hold of a cutlass when there is fighting to be done. +How anyone can ever have had the idea of making a midshipman carry about +a thing little better than a pocket-knife, and how they have kept on +doing so for years and years, is most astonishing! For the lords of the +admiralty must all have been midshipmen themselves at one time, and must +have hated the beastly things just as much as we do. If they think a +full-sized sword too heavy for us--which it certainly isn't for the +seniors--they might give us rapiers, which are no weight to speak of, +and would be really useful weapons if we were taught to use them +properly. + +"Well, we won't say anything more about your affair, Nat, if you don't +like it; but we sha'n't think any the less, because we are all proud of +you, and whatever you may say, it was a very plucky action. I know that +I would rather stand up against the biggest Frenchman than face one of +those savage hounds. And how is the arm going on? I see you still have +the arm of your jacket snipped open and tied up with ribbons, and you +keep it in a sling." + +"Yes; the doctor made such a point of it that I was obliged to promise +to wear it until Bemish gives me permission to lay it aside." He took it +out of the sling and moved it about. "You see I have got the use of it, +though I own I have very little strength as yet; still, I manage to use +it at meals, which is a comfort. It was hateful being obliged to have my +grub cut up for me. How long have you been in harbour here?" + +"Three days; and you are in luck to find us here, for I hear that we are +off again to-morrow morning. You have missed nothing while you have been +away, for we haven't picked up a single prize beyond a little slaver +with a hundred niggers on board." + +When the captain came off two hours later with Dr. Bemish he sent for +Nat. + +"I am heartily glad to see you back again, Mr. Glover, and to see you +looking so vastly better than when I saw you last; in fact, you look +nearly as well as you did before that encounter." + +"I have had nothing to do but to eat, sir." + +"Well, the question is, how is your arm?" + +"It is not very strong yet, sir, but I could really do very well without +this sling." + +"Well, you see I have to decide whether you had better go up to the +hills until we return from our next cruise or take you with us." + +"Please, sir, I would much rather go with you." + +"Yes; it is not a question of what you like best, but what the doctor +thinks best for you. You had better go to him at once, he will examine +your arm and report to me, and of course we must act on his decision." + +Nat went straight to the doctor. + +"Well, you are looking better than I expected," the latter said, holding +the lad at arm's-length and looking him up and down; "flesh a good deal +more flabby than it used to be--want of exercise, of course, and the +result of being looked after by women. Now, lad, take off your shirt and +let me have a regular examination." + +He moved the arm in different directions, felt very carefully along each +bone, pressing rather hard at the points where these had been broken, +and asking Nat if it hurt him. He replied "No" without hesitation, as +long as the doctor was feeling the forearm, but when he came to the +upper-arm and shoulder he was obliged to acknowledge that the pressure +gave him a bit of a twinge. + +"Yes, it could hardly be otherwise," the doctor said; "however, there is +no doubt we made a pretty good job of it. Stretch both arms out in front +of you and bring the fingers together. Yes, that is just what I +expected, it is some two and a half inches shorter than the other; but +no one will be likely to notice it." + +"Don't you think, doctor, that I can go to sea now? The captain said +that you would have to decide." + +"I think a month up in the hills would be a very desirable thing, +Glover. The bones have knit very well, but it would not take much to +break them again." + +"I have had quite enough of plantations for the present, doctor, and I +do think that sea air would do me more good than anything. I am sure I +feel better already for the run from Cape François here." + +The doctor smiled. "Well, you see, if you did remain on board you would +be out of everything. You certainly would not be fit for boat service, +you must see that yourself." + +"I can't say that I do, sir; one fights with one's right arm and not +with one's left." + +"That is so, lad, but you might get hit on the left arm as well as the +right. Besides, even on board, you might get hurt while skylarking." + +"I would indeed be most careful, doctor." + +"Well, we will see about it, and talk it over with the captain." + +All that evening Nat was in a state of alarm whenever anyone came with a +message to any of his mess-mates; but when it was almost the hour for +lights out he turned into his hammock with great satisfaction, feeling +sure that if it had been decided that he must go ashore next morning a +message to that effect would have been sent to him. The sound of the +boatswain's whistle, followed by the call "All hands to make sail!" +settled the question. He had already dressed himself with Needham's +assistance, but had remained below lest, if the captain's eye fell on +him, he might be sent ashore. As soon, however, as he heard the order he +felt sure that all was right, and went up on deck. Here he took up his +usual station, passing orders forward and watching the men at work, +until the vessel was under sail. The want of success on the last cruise +made all hands even keener than usual to pick up something worth +capturing. + +"I suppose there is no clue as to the whereabouts of those three +pirates," he said to Needham as the latter, after the vessel was fairly +under weigh, joined him. + +"No; twice we had information from the captains of small craft that they +had seen suspicious sail in the distance, but there is no doubt that the +niggers had been either bribed or frightened into telling us the story, +for in each case, though we remained a fortnight cruising about, we have +never caught sight of a suspicious sail. When we returned here we found +to our disgust that they must have been at work hundreds of miles away, +as several ships were missing, and one that came in had been hotly +chased by them, but being a fast sailer escaped by the skin of her +teeth. That is the worst of these negroes, one can never believe them, +and I think the best way would be when anyone came and told a yarn, to +go and cruise exactly in the opposite direction to that in which he +tells us he has seen the pirates." + +"It is a pity we cannot punish some of these fellows who give false +news," Nat said. + +"Yes; but the difficulty is proving that it is false. In the first +place, one of these native craft is so much like another that one would +not recognize it again; besides, you may be sure that the rascals would +give Port Royal a wide berth for a time. On our last cruise we did take +with us the negro who brought the news, but that made the case no +better. He pretended, of course, to be as anxious as anyone that the +pirates should be caught, and as he stuck to his story that he had seen +a rakish schooner where he said he did, there was no proof that he was +lying, and he pretended to be terribly cut up at not getting the reward +promised him if he came across them. + +"I have no doubt that he was lying, but there was no way of proving it. +You see, the idea of getting hold of a trader and fitting her up with a +few guns and some men is all well enough when you have only got to deal +with a single schooner or brigantine, but it would be catching a tartar +if these three scoundrels were to come upon her at once. Of course they +are all heavily armed and carry any number of men, nothing short of the +frigate herself would be a match for them. And one thing is certain, we +can't disguise her to look like a merchantman. Do what we would, the +veriest landlubber would make her out to be what she is, and you may be +sure the pirates would know her to be a ship of war as soon as they got +a sight of her topsails." + +"You have not heard, I suppose, where our cruising ground is going to be +this time?" Nat asked. + +"No, and I don't suppose we shall know for a few hours. You may be sure +that whatever course we take now will not be our real course, for I bet +odds that after dark some fast little craft will sneak out of harbour to +take the pirates news as to the course we are following, and to tell +them that we have not taken a negro this time who would lead us a dance +in the wrong direction. I should not be surprised if we are going to +search the islands round Cuba for a change. We were among the bays and +islets up north on our last cruise, and the captain may be determined to +try fresh ground." + +Needham's guess turned out to be correct, for after darkness fell the +ship's course was changed, and her head laid towards Cuba. After +cruising for nearly three weeks without success, they were passing along +the coast of the mainland, when Nat, who had now given up his sling, +went aloft with his telescope. Every eye on deck was turned towards the +island, but their continued failures had lessened the eagerness with +which they scanned the shore, and, as there was no sign of any break in +its outline, it was more from habit than from any hope of seeing +anything that they looked at the rugged cliffs that rose forty or fifty +feet perpendicularly above the water's edge, and at the forest +stretching up the hillsides behind them. + +"You have seen nothing, I suppose, Tom?" he asked the sailor stationed +in the main-top. + +"Not a thing, Mr. Glover." + +Nat continued his way up, and took his seat on the yard of the topsail. +Leaning back against the mast, he brought his telescope to bear upon the +land, and for half an hour scanned every rock and tree. At last +something caught his eye. + +"Come up here, Tom," he called to the sailor below. "Look there, you see +that black streak on the face of the cliff?" + +"I see it, yer honour." + +"Well, look above the first line of trees exactly over it: isn't that a +pole with a truck on the top of it?" + +"You are right, sir! you are right!" the sailor said, as he got the +glass to bear upon the object Nat had indicated, "that is the upper spar +of a vessel of some sort, sure enough." + +"On deck there!" Nat shouted. + +"What is it, Mr. Glover?" the first lieutenant answered. + +"I can make out the upper spar of a craft in among the trees over there, +sir." + +"You are sure that you are not mistaken?" + +"Quite sure, sir. With the glass I can make out the truck quite +distinctly. It is certainly either the upper spar of a craft of some +kind or a flag-staff, of course I cannot say which." + +The first lieutenant himself ran up the ratlines and joined Nat. The +breeze was very light, and the _Orpheus_ was scarcely moving through the +water. Nat handed his telescope to Mr. Hill. + +"There, sir, it is about a yard to the west of that black streak on the +rock." + +"I see it," the lieutenant exclaimed after a long gaze at the shore. +"You are right, it must be, as you say, either the spar of a ship or a +flag-staff; though how a ship could get in there is more than I can say. +There, it has gone now!" + +"The trees were rather lower at the point where we saw it, and the +higher trees have shut it in." + +He descended to the deck followed by Nat. + +"Well, what do you make of it, Mr. Hill?" enquired the captain, who had +come out of his cabin on hearing Nat's hail. + +"There is no doubt that Mr. Glover is right, sir, and that it is the +upper spar of a craft of some kind, unless it is a flag-staff on shore, +and it is hardly the sort of place in which you would expect to find a +flag-staff. It is a marvel Mr. Glover made it out, for even with his +glass I had a great difficulty in finding it, though he gave me the +exact bearing." + +"Thank you, Mr. Glover," the captain said. "At last there seems a chance +of our picking up a prize this cruise. The question is, how did she get +there?" + +"I am pretty sure that we have passed no opening, sir. I have been aloft +for the past half-hour, and have made out no break in the rocks." + +"That is quite possible," the captain said, "and yet it may be there. We +are a good three-quarters of a mile off the shore, and some of these +inlets are so narrow, and the rocks so much the same colour, that unless +one knows the entrance is there, one would never suspect it. At any rate +we will hold on as we are for a bit." + +The hail had set everyone on deck on the _qui vive_, and a dozen +telescopes were turned upon the shore. + +"Unlikely as it seems, Mr. Hill," the captain said, after they had gone +on half a mile without discovering any break in the line of rock, "I am +afraid that it must have been a flag-staff that you saw. There may be +some plantation there, and the owner may have had one put up in the +front of his house. However, it will be worth while to lower a boat and +row back along the foot of the cliff for a mile or so, and then a mile +ahead of us; if there is an opening we shall be sure to find it. Tell +Mr. Playford to take the gig; Mr. Glover can go with him as he is the +discoverer." + +The boat was lowered at once, and as soon as the officers had taken +their place the six men who composed the crew bent their backs to the +oars, the coxswain making for a point on the shore about a mile astern +of the frigate, which was lying almost becalmed. The men had taken +muskets and cutlasses with them, for it was probable enough that a watch +might have been set on the cliff, and that, should there be an inlet, a +boat might be lying there ready to pounce out upon them as soon as they +reached it. + +Every eye was fixed upon the boat as she turned and rowed along within +fifty yards of the foot of the rocks. + +"I thought I could not have been so blind as to pass the entrance +without seeing it," one of the sailors who had been on watch aloft said, +in a tone of satisfaction. "Now, I don't mind how soon the boat finds a +gap." + +But when the boat had paddled on for another mile without a pause, a +look of doubt and dissatisfaction showed itself on every face. + +"You are quite sure, Mr. Hill," the captain asked, "that it was a staff +of some kind that you saw, and not, perhaps, the top of a dead tree +whose bark had peeled off?" + +"I am quite certain, sir. It was too straight and even for rough wood; +and I made out a truck distinctly: but it is certainly strange that no +entrance should be discovered. I am afraid that 'tis but a flag-staff +after all." + +"I can hardly imagine that," the captain said. "I have often seen +flag-staffs in front of plantation houses, but never one so high as this +must be to show over the trees. If it had been nearer to the edge of the +cliff it might have been a signal-post, but they would hardly put it a +mile back from the edge of the cliff and bury it among trees. At any +rate, if we find no entrance I will send a landing-party ashore to see +what it really is, that is to say if we can find any place where the +cliff can be scaled." + +"What is it, Mr. Needham?" as the midshipman came up and touched his +hat. + +"The boat is rowing in to shore, sir." + +The two officers went to the side. + +"They have either found an entrance or some point at which the rock can +be scaled--Ah, there they go!" he went on, as the boat disappeared from +sight, "though from here there is no appearance whatever of an +opening." + +It was some minutes before the boat again appeared. It was at once +headed for the frigate. + +"Mr. Playford has news for us of some sort," the captain said, "the men +are rowing hard." In a few minutes the boat came alongside. The second +officer ran up the accommodation ladder. + +"Well, Mr. Playford, what is your news?" + +"There is an inlet, sir, though if we had not been close in to those +rocks I should never have noticed it. It runs almost parallel with the +coast for a quarter of a mile. I thought at first that it ended there, +but it makes a sharp angle to the south-east, and continues for a mile +or so, and at the other end there is a large schooner, I have no doubt a +slaver. I fancy they are landing the slaves now. There is a barracoon on +the shore and some storehouses." + +"Did they see you?" + +"No, sir; at least I don't think so. Directly I saw that the passage was +going to make a turn, I went close in to the rocks on the other side, +and brought up at the corner where I could get a view without there +being much fear of our being seen, and indeed I don't think that it +would have been possible to make us out unless someone had been watching +with a glass." + +"We shall soon know whether they saw you, Mr. Playford. If they did they +will probably set all hands to work to tow the schooner out, for though +there is not wind enough to give us steerage-way, these slavers will +slip along under the slightest breath. They can hardly have made the +frigate out. They probably thought the hiding-place so secure that they +did not even put a watch on the cliffs. Of course if there was anyone up +there they could have seen the boat leave our side, and would have +watched her all along. + +"Did you see any place at which the cliff could be climbed?" + +"No, sir, and up to the turn the rocks are just as steep inside as they +are here, but beyond that the inlet widens out a good deal and the banks +slope gradually, and a landing could be effected anywhere there, I +should say." + +"We will send the boats in as soon as it gets dark, Mr. Hill. If they +saw us coming they would drive off the slaves into the woods before we +could get there, so the best plan will be to land a strong party at the +bend, so that they can get down to the barracoon at the same time that +the others board the schooner. No doubt this is a regular nest of +slave-traders. It has long been suspected that there was some depot on +this side of the island. It has often been observed that slavers when +first made out were heading in this direction, and more than once craft +that were chased, and, as it seemed, certain to be caught in the +morning, have mysteriously disappeared. This hiding-place accounts for +it. + +"You did not ascertain what depth of water there was at the mouth of the +creek, Mr. Playford?" + +"Yes, sir, I sounded right across with the boat's grapnel; there is +nowhere more than two and a half fathoms, but it is just about that +depth right across." + +"Then it is evident that we cannot take the frigate in. What is the +width at the mouth?" + +"About thirty yards." + +An hour later the _Orpheus_ anchored opposite the mouth of the inlet, +which, however, was still invisible. + +"I think that, as this may be an important capture, Mr. Hill, it would +be as well for you to go in charge of the boats. Mr. Playford will take +the command of the landing-party. I should say that twenty marines, +under Lieutenant Boldero, and as many blue-jackets, would be ample for +that. He had better take the long-boat and one of the gigs, while you +take the launch, the pinnace, and the other gig. If they have made us +out, we may expect a very tough resistance, and it may be that, although +Mr. Playford saw nothing of them, they may have a couple of batteries +higher up." + +"Likely enough, sir." + +"You had better let the landing-party have a start of you, so that if +they should unmask a battery on the side on which they are, they can +rush down at once and silence it." + +"Very good, sir." + +The sun was now approaching the horizon; as soon as it dipped behind it +the boats were lowered, and the sailors, who had already made all +preparations, at once took their places in them. Needham was in command +of the gig that carried a portion of the landing-party, Nat was in +charge of the other gig, and Low was in charge of the pinnace, Mr. Hill +going in the launch. Nat had first been told off to the gig now +commanded by Needham, but the captain said to the first lieutenant, "You +had better take Glover with you, Mr. Hill, and let Needham go with Mr. +Playford. Scrambling along on the shore in the dark, one might very well +get a heavy fall, and it is as well that Glover should not risk breaking +his arm again." + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A SLAVE DEPOT + + +Night fell rapidly as soon as the sun had set, and by the time the boats +reached the mouth of the inlet it was already dark. The two boats under +the second officer entered first, rowed up the inlet to the bend, and +landed the marines and sailors on the opposite side; the boarding-party +lay on their oars for five minutes and then followed. The oars were +muffled, and the men ordered to row as noiselessly as they could, +following each other closely, and keeping under the left bank. They were +about half-way up when the word "Fire!" was shouted in Spanish, and six +guns were simultaneously discharged. Had the Spaniards waited a few +seconds longer, the three boats would all have been in line with the +guns. As it was, a storm of grape sent the water splashing up ahead of +the pinnace, which, however, received the contents of the gun nearest to +them. It was aimed a little low, and fortunately for the crew the shot +had not yet begun to scatter, and the whole charge struck the boat just +at the water-level, knocking a great hole in her. + +"We are sinking, Mr. Hill," Low said. "Will you come alongside and pick +us up?" + +Although the launch was but a length behind, the gunwale of the pinnace +was nearly level with the water as she came alongside. Its occupants +were helped on board the launch, which at once held on her way. Half a +minute later six guns were fired from the opposite bank. The boats were +so close under the shore that their position could not be made out with +any certainty. Three men were hit by the grapeshot, but beyond this +there were no casualties. + +"Keep in as much as you dare," Mr. Hill said to the coxswain; "the +battery opposite will be loaded again in a couple of minutes, but as +long as we keep in the shadow of the shore their shooting will be wild." + +The battery, indeed, soon began to fire again, irregularly, as the guns +were loaded. The shot tore up the water ahead and astern of the boats, +but it was evident that those at the guns could not make out their +precise position. Another five minutes and the boats were headed for the +schooner. + +"You board at the bow, Mr. Glover, I will make for her quarter. Now, lay +out, lads, as hard as you can, the sooner you are there the less chance +you have of being hit." + +A moment later a great clamour arose behind them. First came a British +cheer; then rapid discharges of pistols and muskets, mingled with the +clash of cutlasses and swords; a minute or two later this ceased, and +the loud cheer of the marines and seamen told those in the boats that +they had carried the battery. The diversion was useful to the boats. +Until now the slavers had been ignorant that a party of foes had landed, +and the fact that a barracoon full of slaves, and the storehouses, were +already threatened, caused something like consternation among them. The +consequence was that they fired hastily and without taking time to aim. +Before they could load again the boats were alongside, unchecked for an +instant by the musketry fire which broke out from the deck of the +schooner as soon as cannon had been discharged. + +Boarding-nettings had been run up, but holes were soon chopped in these +by the sailors. Headed by Nat, the crew of the gig leapt down on to the +deck, for the greater part of the slaver's crew ran aft to oppose what +they considered the more dangerous attack made by the occupants of the +crowded launch. The defence was successfully maintained until the crew +of the gig, keeping close together and brushing aside the resistance of +the few men forward, flung themselves upon the main body of the slavers, +and with pistol and cutlass hewed their way through them till abreast of +the launch. The slavers attacked them furiously, and would speedily have +annihilated them, but the crew of the launch, led by Mr. Hill, came +swarming over the bulwarks, and, taking the offensive, drove the slavers +forward, where, seeing that all was lost, they sprang overboard, +striking out for the shore to the right. + +Severe fighting was now going on opposite the schooner, where the +landing-party were evidently attacking the barracoon and storehouses. + +[Illustration: "HEADED BY NAT, THE CREW OF THE GIG LEAPT DOWN ON TO THE +DECK."] + +"To the boats, men!" Mr. Hill shouted, "our fellows are being hard +pressed on shore; Mr. Glover, you with the gig's crew will remain in +charge here." + +Indeed, it was evident that the resistance on shore was much more +obstinate than had been expected. Nat stood watching the boat. Just as +it reached the shore one of the sailors shouted, "Look out, sir!" and he +saw a big mulatto rushing at him with uplifted sword. His cutlass was +still in his hand, and throwing himself on guard he caught the blow as +it fell upon it, and in return brought his cutlass down on his +opponent's cheek. With a howl of pain the man sprang at him, but Nat +leaped aside, and his cutlass fell on the right wrist of the mulatto, +whose sword dropped from his hand, and, rushing to the side, he threw +himself overboard. In the meantime a fierce struggle was going on +between the sailors and seven or eight of the slavers who, being unable +to swim, had thrown themselves down by the guns and shammed death, as +had Nat's antagonist, who was first mate of the schooner. The fight was +short but desperate, and one by one the slavers were run through or cut +down, but not before three or four of the sailors had received severe +wounds. + +"Get a lantern, mate," one of these growled, "and see that there are no +more of these skulking hounds alive." + +The sailors, furious at what they considered treachery, fetched a light +that was burning in the captain's cabin, and without mercy ran through +two or three unwounded men whom they found hiding among the fallen. It +was soon clear that the reinforcement that had landed had completely +turned the tables. Gradually the din rolled away from the neighbourhood +of the storehouses, there was some sharp firing as the enemy fled +towards the wood behind, and then all was quiet. Presently there was a +shout in Mr. Hill's voice from the shore: + +"Schooner ahoy!" + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +"Load with grape, Mr. Glover, and send a round or two occasionally into +that wood behind the houses; I am going to leave thirty men here under +Mr. Playford, and to take the rest over to the opposite side and carry +the battery there." + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +And as the guns pointing on that side had not been discharged, he at +once opened fire on the wood. A minute later the launch and gig rowed +past the schooner and soon reached the opposite side. Ten minutes passed +without any sound of conflict being heard, and Nat had no doubt that the +battery had been found deserted. It was not long before the boats were +seen returning. They rowed this time to the schooner. + +"Mr. Glover," the first lieutenant said as he reached the deck, "do you +lower the schooner's cutter, put all the wounded on board, take four of +your men and row out to the frigate and report to the captain what has +taken place. Tell him that Mr. Playford carried the battery on the right +in spite of the guns, and that I have spiked those in the battery on the +left, which I found deserted. Say that we have had a sharp fight on +shore with a large number of negroes led by two or three white men and +some mulattoes, and that I believe there must be some large plantations +close at hand whose owners are in league with the slavers. You can say +that we found a hundred and twenty slaves in the barracoon, evidently +newly landed from the schooner, and that I intend to find the +plantations and give them a lesson in the morning. How many wounded have +you here?" + +"There are fourteen altogether, sir; ten of them were wounded in the +first attack, and four have been wounded since by some of the slavers +who shammed death." + +"There are eight more in the launch, happily we have only two men +killed. You had better give all the wounded a drink of water; I have a +flask, and I dare say you have one: empty them both into the bucket." + +There was a barrel half full of water on deck; a bucketful of this was +drawn, and the two flasks of spirits emptied into it, and a mug of the +mixture given to each of the wounded men. They were then assisted down +into the schooner's boat; four of the gig's crew took their places in +it, and Nat, taking the tiller, told them to row on. + +Half an hour later they came alongside the frigate. A sailor ran down +the ladder with a lantern. Nat stepped out and mounted to the deck. The +captain was standing at the gangway. + +"We have been uneasy about you, Mr. Glover. We heard a number of reports +of heavier guns than they were likely to carry on board a slaver, and +feared that they came from shore batteries." + +"Yes, sir, there were two of them mounting six guns each. Mr. Playford, +with the landing-party, captured the one on the eastern side; Mr. Hill, +after the schooner was taken and the enemy on shore driven off, rowed +across and took the other, which he found unoccupied." + +"What is the loss?" + +"Only two killed, sir, but there are twenty-two wounded, two or three of +them by musket-shots, and the rest cutlass wounds. They are all in the +boat below, sir." + +A party was at once sent down to carry up such of the wounded as were +unable to walk. As soon as all were taken below, and the surgeon had +begun his work, the captain asked Nat to give him a full account of the +proceedings. + +"I cannot tell you much of what took place ashore, sir," he said, "as +Mr. Hill left me in charge of the schooner. After we had carried her, he +went ashore with the crews of the launch and pinnace to help Mr. +Playford." + +"Tell me all you know first." + +Nat related the opening of the two batteries, and how one had been +almost immediately captured by Mr. Playford. + +"So the pinnace was sunk?" + +"Yes, sir, the enemy's charge struck her between wind and water, and she +went down at once; her crew were picked up by the launch. I hear that +none of them were injured." Then he told how they had kept under the +shelter of the shore, and thus escaped injury from the other battery, +and how the schooner had been captured. + +"It was lucky that your men got a footing forward, Mr. Glover. You did +well to lead them aft at once, and thus assist Mr. Hill's party to +board." + +Nat then related the sudden attack by the slavers who had been feigning +death. + +"It was lucky that it was no worse," the captain said. "No doubt they +were fellows who couldn't swim, and if there had been a few more it +would have gone hard with you. And now about this fight on shore; it can +hardly have been the crew of the schooner, for, by the stout resistance +they offered, they must have been all on board." + +"Yes, sir." + +Nat then gave the message that Mr. Hill had sent. + +"No doubt, Mr. Glover; I dare say this place has been used by slavers +for years. Probably there are some large barracoons where the slaves are +generally housed, and planters who want them either come or send from +all parts of the island. I will go ashore myself early to-morrow +morning. There is no question that this is an important capture, and it +will be a great thing to break up this centre of the slave-trade +altogether. Now that their hiding-place has once been discovered, they +will know that our cruisers will keep a sharp look-out here, and a +vessel once bottled up in this inlet has no chance whatever of escape. +You can go with me, it is thanks to the sharpness of your eyes that we +made the discovery." + +The sun had not yet shown above the eastern horizon when the captain's +gig passed in through the mouth of the inlet, and ten minutes later +rowed alongside the wharf in front of the barracoon. + +"There is another wharf farther along," the captain said; "we may take +that as proof that there are often two of these slavers in here at the +same time. Ah, there is Mr. Hill! I congratulate you on your success," +he went on, as the first lieutenant joined him; "there is no doubt that +this has been a regular rendezvous for the scoundrels. It is well that +you attacked after dark, for the cross fire of those batteries, aided by +that of the schooner, would have knocked the boats into matchwood." + +"That they would have done, sir. I was very glad when I saw the boat +coming, as I thought it was probable that you were on board her, and we +are rather in a difficulty." + +"What is that, Mr. Hill?" + +"Well, sir, as soon as we had settled matters here we followed the +enemy, and found a road running up the valley; and as it was along this +that most of the fellows who opposed us had no doubt retreated, I +thought it as well to follow them up at once. We had evidently been +watched, for a musketry fire was opened upon us from the trees on both +sides. I sent Mr. Boldero with the marines to clear them out on the +left, and Mr. Playford with twenty seamen to do the same on the right, +and then I pressed forward with the rest. Presently a crowd of negroes +came rushing down from the front, shouting, and firing muskets. We gave +them a volley, and they bolted at once. We ran straight on, and a +hundred yards farther up came upon a large clearing. + +"In the middle stood a house, evidently that of a planter. A short +distance off were some houses, probably inhabited by the mulatto +overseers, and a few huts for his white overseers, and some distance +behind these were four large barracoons. We made straight for these, for +we could hear a shouting there, and had no doubt that the mulattoes were +trying to get the slaves out and to drive them away into the wood. +However, as soon as we came up the fellows bolted. There were about a +hundred slaves in each barracoon. No doubt the fellows who attacked us +were the regular plantation hands. I suppose the owner of the place made +sure that we should be contented with what we had done, and should not +go beyond the head of the inlet; and when the firing began again he sent +the plantation men down to stop us until he had removed the slaves. I +left Mr. Playford in command there, and brought twenty men back here; +and I was just going to send off a message to you saying what had taken +place, and asking for instructions. You see, with the slaves we found +here, we have over five hundred blacks in our hands. That is extremely +awkward." + +"Extremely," the captain said thoughtfully. "Well, I will go back with +you and see the place. As to the houses--the plantation house and the +barracoons--I shall have no hesitation in destroying them. This is +evidently a huge slaving establishment, and, as the blacks and their +overseers attacked us, we are perfectly justified in destroying this den +altogether. If I could catch their owner I should assuredly hang him. +The difficulty is what to do with all these unfortunate creatures; the +schooner would not hold more than two hundred if packed as close as +herrings. However, the other thing is first to be thought of." + +Nat followed his commander and the lieutenant to the plantation, or, it +should rather be said, to the depot; for the clearing in the valley was +but a quarter of a mile long and a few hundred yards wide. It was +evident that if the owner had a plantation it was at some distance +away, and that the men with whom they had fought were principally +mulattoes and negroes employed about the place, and in minding the +slaves as they were brought in. + +They passed straight on to the barracoons. The sailors had already +brought the slaves out and knocked off their irons. The poor creatures +sat on the ground, evidently bewildered at what had taken place, and +uncertain whether they were in the hands of friends or enemies. + +"Some of the men have found the cauldrons in which food is cooked," Mr. +Hill said, "and are now preparing a meal for them; and as we found some +hogsheads of molasses and stores of flour and rice they will get a +better meal than they are accustomed to. I have set some of the +strongest slaves to pump water into those big troughs there; the poor +beggars will feel all the better after a wash." + +"They will indeed. I don't suppose they have had one since they were +first captured in Africa." + +In half an hour a meal was served. As an effort of cooking it could +hardly be termed a success, but was a sort of porridge, composed of +flour and rice sweetened with molasses. There was some difficulty in +serving it out, for only a few mugs and plates were found at the +barracoons. These were supplemented by all the plates, dishes, and other +utensils in the houses of the owner and overseers. By this time the +negroes had been taken in parties of twenties to the troughs, where they +had a thorough wash. + +"This is all very well, Mr. Hill," the captain said, "but what are we to +do with all these people? Of course we must move them down to the water, +and burn these buildings, in the first place because the scoundrels who +are at the bottom of all this villainy should be punished, and in the +second place because in all probability they will collect a large number +of negroes and mulattoes and make an attack. We cannot leave a force +here that could defend itself; therefore, whatever we decide upon +afterwards, it is clear that all the slaves must be taken down to the +houses on the inlet. I should set the men to open all the stores, and +load the negroes with everything that can be useful. I expect you will +find a good deal of cotton cloth and so on, for no doubt the man here +dealt in other articles besides slaves, and he would, moreover, keep +cottons and that sort of thing for sending them up the country into +market. However, take everything that is worth taking in the way of food +or otherwise, and carry it down to the storehouses by the water, then +set all the houses and sheds here on fire. When you see them well alight +you can bring the men down to the shore; then we must settle as to our +course. It is a most awkward thing our coming upon all these slaves. If +there were only those who had been landed from the schooner there would +be no difficulty about it, as we should only have to put them on board +again, but with four hundred others on our hands I really don't know how +to manage. We might stow a hundred in the frigate, though I own I should +not like it." + +"No, indeed," Mr. Hill murmured; "and four hundred would be out of the +question." + +The captain returned to the inlet and made an examination of the +storehouses there. They were for the most part empty. They were six in +number, roughly constructed of timber, and some forty feet long by +twenty wide, and consisted only of the one floor. They stood ten feet +apart. The barracoon was some twenty yards away. In a short time the +slaves began to pour in, all--men, women, and children--carrying burdens +proportionate to their strength. They had now come to the conclusion +that their new captors were really friends, and with the +light-heartedness of their race laughed and chattered as if their past +sufferings were already forgotten. Mr. Playford saw to the storing of +their burdens. These filled one of the storehouses to the roof. There +was, as the captain had anticipated, a large quantity of cotton cloth +among the spoil. Some of these bales were placed outside the store, +twenty of the negroes were told off to cut the stuff up into lengths for +clothing, and by mid-day the whole of the slaves were, to their delight, +attired in their new wraps. Among the goods that had been brought down +were a number of implements and tools--axes, hoes, shovels, and long +knives. Captain Crosbie had, by this time, quite made up his mind as to +the plan to be pursued. + +"We must hold this place for a time, Mr. Hill," he said as the latter +came down with the last body of sailors, after having seen that all the +buildings in the valley were wrapped in flames. "I have been thinking +over the question of the slaves, and the only plan that I can see is to +go for a two or three day's cruise in the frigate, in hopes of falling +in with some native craft with which I can make an arrangement for them +to return here with me, and aid in carrying off all these poor +creatures. These five storehouses and the barracoon will hold them all +pretty comfortably. Two of the storehouses had better be given up to the +women and children. We will make a stockade round the buildings, with +the ends resting in the water, and get the guns from those batteries and +put them in position here. With the help of those on board the schooner, +a stout defence can be made to an attack, however formidable. I shall +leave Mr. Playford in command with forty men on shore; Mr. Glover will +be in charge of the schooner with five-and-twenty more. The frigate will +remain for a couple of days at her present anchorage, and I will send as +many men as we can spare ashore to help in finishing the work before she +sails. + +"In the first place there must be a barrack run up for the men on shore +between the barracoon and the storehouses. It must be made of stout +beams. I don't mean squared, but young trees placed side by side so as +to be perfectly musket-proof. The palisades should be made of strong +saplings, wattled together, say, ten feet high. A hundred and fifty +sailors, aided by three hundred and fifty able-bodied negroes, should +make quick work of it. The schooner's crew can see to the removal of the +guns from the batteries and their establishment upon platforms behind +the palisade. I should divide the twelve guns into four batteries, three +in each. The armourer shall come off in the morning to get out the +spikes, and the carpenters shall come with their tools." + +"There are a dozen cross-cut saws among the things that we have brought +down, sir." + +"That is good. How many axes are there?" + +"Four dozen, sir." + +"Good! I will send all the hatchets we have on board. I think, Mr. Hill, +that you had better take up your position on board the schooner until we +sail. How about water? That is a most important point." + +"The slaves have brought down a large number of staves, sir. They are +evidently intended for sugar hogsheads; they are done up in separate +packets. I should say there were a hundred of them." + +"That is satisfactory indeed. I will send the cooper ashore, and with a +gang of the black fellows he will soon get them all into shape. I see +that they have relied upon the stream that comes down from the hills for +their supply. One of the first moves of anyone attacking the place would +be to divert its course somewhere up in the hills. However, with such a +supply as these hogsheads would hold, we could do without the stream for +weeks. The twenty marines who came ashore with Lieutenant Boldero will +remain as part of the garrison." + +The work was at once begun. The sailors looked upon it as a pleasant +change from the ordinary routine of life on board ship, and threw +themselves into it vigorously, while the blacks, as soon as they +understood what was wanted, proved themselves most useful assistants. +Accustomed in their African homes to palisade their villages, they knew +exactly what was required. Some, with their hoes, dug a trench four feet +deep; others dragged down the poles as the sailors cut them, erected +them in their places, and trod the earth firmly round them. Others cut +creepers, or split up suitable wood, and wove them in and out between +the poles; and, by the time darkness fell, a surprising amount of work +had been accomplished. + +One of the storehouses was turned over to those who could not be berthed +on board the schooner, most of the slaves preferring to sleep in the +open air, which to them was a delightful change after being cooped up +for weeks in the crowded hold of a ship, or in the no less crowded +barracoons. Sentries were posted as soon as it became dark, but the +night passed off without an alarm, and at daybreak all were at work +again. The launch returned to the frigate when work was knocked off, and +came back with a fresh body of men in the morning, and with the +carpenters, coopers, and all the available tools on board. By the +evening of the third day the work was completed. Four banks of earth had +been thrown up by the negroes against the palisade, and on each of these +three guns were mounted. The hut for the garrison had been completed. +The hogsheads were put together and filled with water, and a couple of +hundred boarding-pikes were put ashore for the use of the negroes. + +Nat had been fully employed, with the schooner's crew, in removing the +guns from the batteries, and placing them on the platforms constructed +by the carpenters on the top of the earthworks. + +"It is quite possible," the captain said to Mr. Playford, "that this +creek is used by pirates as well as slavers. They may come in here to +sell goods they have captured suitable for use in the islands, such as +cotton cloths and tools, and which it would not pay them to carry to +their regular rendezvous. It will be great luck if one or two of them +should put in here while I am away. It would greatly diminish the +difficulty we have of getting the slaves away." + +"That would be fortunate indeed, sir. Even if two came in together we +could give a good account of them, for as the palisade is mostly on +higher ground than the huts, we should only have to slue the guns round +and give them such a warm welcome that they would probably haul down +their flags at once." + +"Yes. You had better tell Mr. Glover to run up the Spanish flag if any +doubtful-looking craft is seen to be making for the entrance, and I +should always keep a couple of signallers up on the cliff, so as to let +you know beforehand what you might have to expect, and to see that there +is nothing showing that could excite their suspicions, until it is too +late for them to turn back." + +Doubtless what was going on in the inlet had been closely watched from +the woods, for in the evening of the day on which the frigate sailed +away scattered shots were fired from the forest, and the sound of the +beating of tom-toms and the blowing of horns could be heard in the +direction of the plantation whose buildings they had destroyed. + +The lieutenant had gone off to dine with Nat, and they were sitting on +deck smoking their cigars when the firing began. + +"I almost expected it," he said. "No doubt they have been waiting for +the frigate to leave before they did anything, as they would know that +at least half of those who have been ashore would re-embark when she +left. I have no doubt the scoundrels whose place we burnt have sent to +all the planters in this part of the islands to assemble in force to +attack us. If they have seen us making the palisade and mounting the +guns, as no doubt they have done, they certainly will not venture to +assault the place unless they are in very strong force, but they can +make it very unpleasant for us. It is not more than eighty yards to the +other side of the creek, and from that hill they would completely +command us. You will scarcely be able to keep a man on deck, and we +shall have to stay in the shelter of the huts. Of course on this side +they would scarcely be able to annoy us, for they would have to come +down to the edge of the trees to fire, and as we could fire through the +palisade upon them they would get the worst of it." + +"We might row across in the boats, sir, and clear the wood of them if +they became too troublesome." + +"We should run the risk of losing a good many men in doing so, and a +good many more as we made our way up through the trees and drove them +out, and should gain nothing by it, for as soon as we retired they would +reoccupy the position. No; if they get very troublesome I will slue a +couple of guns round and occasionally send a round or two of grape among +the trees. That will be better than your doing so, because your men at +the guns would make an easy mark for them, while we are farther off, and +indeed almost out of range of their muskets." + +The firing soon died away, but in the morning it was reopened, and it +was evident that the number in the wood had largely increased. Bullet +after bullet struck the deck of the schooner, and Nat was obliged to +order the greater part of the crew to remain below, and to see that +those who remained on deck kept under the shelter of the bulwark. +Presently a sharp fire broke out from the trees facing the palisade, and +this was almost immediately replied to by the blue-jackets and marines. +The fire of the assailants soon slackened, and Nat thought that it had +only been begun with the object of finding out how strong a force had +been left behind. Presently two of the guns on shore spoke out, and sent +a volley of grape into the wood in which his own assailants were +lurking. It had the effect of temporarily silencing the fire from that +quarter. This, however, was but for a short time. When it began again it +was taken up on the other side also, the party which had made the +demonstration against the palisade evidently considering that the +schooner, which lay midway between the two shores, was a safer object of +attack than the stockade. As the bulwark now offered no shelter, all +went below. Two of the men were about to pull up the boat which was +lying at the stern, and Nat went to the ladder to take his place in it, +when he was hailed from shore. + +"You had better stay where you are, Mr. Glover, until it gets dusk. You +would only be a mark for every man with a musket, up in the trees above +us, and, so far as I can see, there is nothing we can do until they +begin work in earnest." + +"Very well, sir," Nat shouted back, "I will come off after it gets +dusk." + +Firing continued all day, but died away at sunset, and soon afterwards +Nat went ashore. + +"This is very awkward," the lieutenant said. "It is most unpleasant +being potted at all day by fellows who won't show themselves, but I +can't see that we can help it. By the noise and jabbering that breaks +out at times, I should think that there must be some hundreds of them on +this side alone, and we shall have to wait till they begin in earnest. +Their leaders must know that they can be doing us no harm by their +distant fire, and they must sooner or later make an attack on us. You +see they have a strong temptation. They must have seen that none of the +slaves have been taken away, and as there are five hundred of them, and +I suppose they are worth from twenty to forty pounds a head, it is a big +thing, to say nothing of the stores. Then I have no doubt they are +thirsting for revenge, and although they must see that they will have to +fight very hard to take the place, they must try without delay, for they +will know that the frigate will be back again before very long, and will +probably bring some craft with her to carry away the slaves. So I think +we must put up with their fire till they harden their hearts and attack +us in earnest. They will make the attack, I expect, about the centre of +the palisade, for your guns would cover both our flanks. If we are hard +pressed I will light a port fire, and you had better land with twenty of +your men, leaving five to take care of the ship and work a gun or two +should they try to take us in flank." + +"I should not be surprised if they tried to-night. Shall I bring ten of +the men on shore at once, sir?" + +"Well, perhaps it would be as well. Forty men are not a very large force +for this length of palisade and to work some of the guns at the point +where they may attack us, and I expect their first rush will be a +serious one, and we shall have all our work cut out for us. There is one +thing; we can rely, in case of their making a way in, on the slaves. By +this time they quite understand that we are friends and that the people +who had been firing on us are their enemies, and I believe they would +fight like demons rather than fall into their hands again. I have torn +up a bale of white calico and have given a strip of it to each man to +tie round his head, so that we can tell friend from foe and they can +recognize each other in the dark. The enemy won't reckon on that, and +will think that they have only a small body of whites to deal with. Do +you notice how silent the woods are now? I think we may take that as a +sign that they are preparing for mischief." + +"The sooner it comes the better. Have you plenty of port fires, Mr. +Playford?" + +"Yes, a large boxful came on shore with the last boat yesterday." + +Nat went off again, and picked out ten men to land with him. + +"Get the other boat down," he said to the petty officer. "You will +understand that if any attack is made on the flanks of the work you are +to open fire at once upon them with grape. If a blue light is burned at +the edge of the water ten men are to land instantly. You will remain in +charge of the other five. So far as we know they have no boats, but they +may have made a raft, and may intend to try and take the schooner, +thinking that the crew will probably be on shore. So you must keep a +sharp look-out on the other side as well as this. Light a blue light if +you see a strong party coming off, and we will rejoin you at once." + +He again landed with the ten men he had chosen. + +"I have six men on watch," the lieutenant said, "and have put one of the +blacks with each. I fancy their ears are sharper than ours are, and they +will hear them coming before our men do." + +Having nothing to do, Nat went into the barracoon and the other houses +in which the slaves were placed. The contrast between their condition +now and when he had seen them four days before, when they had first been +found, was striking indeed. Now they were clean, and looked picturesque +in their bright calico clothes. The look of dull and hopeless misery had +passed away, and it seemed to him that with the good and plentiful food +they had received they were already perceptibly plumper. They would have +risen as he entered, but he signed to them to keep their places. They +now had room to lie down in comfort, and while some sat chatting in +groups others moved about. They were evidently proud of their arms, and +some of them, seizing their pikes or hatchets, made signs how they would +fight their enemies. A ship's lantern was burning in each hut. + +In the women's huts the scene was still more interesting. The little +children ran up to Nat with a new-born confidence in white men. Some of +the women brought up babies to show him, and endeavoured to make him +understand that these would soon have died had it not been for the +sailors. The windows and doors stood open, and the evening breeze +cleared the huts of the effluvium always present where a number of +negroes congregate together. The sight of the poor creatures enraged Nat +still more against the slavers, and made him long for them to begin +their attack. + +"It is quite pleasant to see them," he said as he joined Mr. Playford. +"They are wonderfully changed in this short time. One would hardly have +thought it possible. What will become of them?" + +"I expect we shall take them to Jamaica, and that there they will be let +out as free labourers to the planters. You see there is no law against +the slave-trade, though public opinion is so strong on the subject at +home that I have no doubt such a law will be passed before long. So, of +course, we have not captured the slaves because of their being slaves, +but simply as we should capture or destroy other property belonging to +an enemy. Then, too, many of the slavers act as pirates if they get the +chance, and there can be little doubt that a considerable quantity of +the goods we found are the proceeds of piracy. Besides, you must +remember that they fired at us before we fired at them. So we have +plenty of good reasons for releasing these poor beggars. You see these +seas swarm with scoundrels of all kinds, and it is quite safe to assume +that all ships that cannot show that they are peaceful traders are +engaged in nefarious business of some kind or other." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +A SHARP FIGHT + + +Mr. Playford and Nat were still talking when a sailor came up to him +with one of the negroes. + +"What is it, Tomkins?" the lieutenant asked. + +"Well, sir, this 'ere black seems to hear something; he keeps pointing +up into the wood and whispering something in his own lingo and looking +very excited, so I thought I had better bring him here to you." + +"Quite right, Tomkins; no doubt he does hear something, their ears are a +good deal better than ours are. I will go up with you." + +Accompanied by Nat, Mr. Playford went up on to the bank of earth that +had been thrown up against the palisade, and found that the negroes +there were all in a state of excitement, pointing in various directions +and shaking their pikes angrily. + +"They are coming, there is no doubt of that," he said. "I should say, by +the motions of the blacks, that they are scattered through the wood. +Well, we are ready for them. You had better get your slow matches +alight, my lads; don't take the covers off the vents until the last +moment, the dew is heavy." + +They were joined now by Lieutenant Boldero. "I think I can hear them," +he said. + +"Yes. I should not have noticed if it had not been for the blacks, but +there is certainly a confused noise in the air." + +Listening attentively, they could hear a low rustling sound, with +sometimes a faint crack as of a breaking stick. + +"As soon as we think that they have got to the edge of the trees we +will throw a fireball out in that direction, and then let them have it. +We must keep them from getting closer if we can; when they once get near +the foot of the palisade we shall not be able to depress our guns enough +to fire upon them." + +In a short time there was no question that a large number of men were +making their way down through the wood. The blacks were now brought out +from the houses and ranged along at the foot of the bank, where they +were ordered to stay for the present, as were they to man the line they +would be exposed to the assailants' bullets, while powerless to do any +service until the latter began to attempt to scale the stockade. + +"They must be gathering at the edge of the trees now," the lieutenant +said at last. "Now, Tomkins, light that fireball and heave it over." + +The ball, which was formed of old junk, was about the size of a man's +head. The material had been smeared with tar mixed with sulphur, and +Tomkins held in his hand the lanyard attached to it. He applied a slow +match to it, and it broke into a blaze at once. Swinging it round his +head, he hurled it far in front of him. By its light as it fell a crowd +of figures could be seen gathered along the edge of the forest. A fierce +yell broke from them, and loud shouts were raised by the leaders +ordering them to charge, but before they could get into motion four guns +poured a storm of grape among them, followed directly afterwards by the +contents of four others. An appalling din of yells and shrieks was +heard, but without an instant's hesitation a score of figures in +European dress darted forward, followed by a mass of blacks, behind whom +came another thirty or forty Europeans or mulattoes driving the negroes +before them. + +"Pick off the whites!" Lieutenant Boldero shouted to the marines, and a +dropping fire of musketry was at once opened. + +The distance, however, from the edge of the trees to the palisades was +but some fifty yards; the light was dim and uncertain, and in a minute +from the first shot being fired the assailants were swarming along the +foot of the palisade. There was no hesitation, and it was evident that +the men who led the attack had made every preparation. A number of the +assailants carried ladders; these were placed against the wall, and the +whites and mulattoes swarmed up, closely followed by the negroes. So +sudden and unexpected was this assault that in several places they +obtained a footing inside the palisades, but with a wild yell the slaves +at once rushed up the bank and fell upon them. At the same moment the +boom of the schooner's guns told that they had made out parties of the +enemy advancing against the flanks of the works. + +The arrival of the slaves soon changed the position. The assailants were +cut down, run through, or forced to leap down over the stockade that +they had just crossed. In spite of the shouts of the lieutenant, the +slaves, thirsting for vengeance, leapt down after them, and fell with +such fury upon the assailants that these, seized with a panic, fled. At +the edge of the trees, however, the efforts of the whites checked the +flight. Guns and pistols were discharged for the first time, and a +fierce fight presently raged. + +"We must go down and lend them a hand," the lieutenant said. "Keep your +men here, Mr. Glover, to get the guns loaded again; I will take my +blue-jackets and the marines. Light a port fire or two, else, in spite +of their white head-gear, we shall be hurting our friends." + +The sailors and marines soon scrambled down the ladders, and, led by +their officers, rushed forward with loud cheers. Their arrival at once +decided the fortune of the fray. Rushing through their black allies, +they fell with sword and cutlass, musket and bayonet, upon the +Europeans, whose pistols had given them a decided advantage over the +slaves, but who could not stand the charge of the marines and seamen. +These pursued them for some little distance, but when beyond the range +of the lights of the stockade Lieutenant Playford halted them. The +slaves, however, continued the pursuit for some time, and then they, +too, returned, having overtaken and killed many of their flying enemies. + +"There is nothing more to be done till daylight," Mr. Playford said. +"Indeed, I do not think that we shall hear any more of these fellows, +who, to do them justice, fought well. Our guns must have done a good +deal of execution, though they would have done much more had they not +been so close; the bullets had hardly begun to scatter. However, we +shall see in the morning. It is lucky that we armed the slaves, or it +would have gone very hard with us. You see, we had half our men at the +guns, and the others were too thinly scattered along the line to be able +to defend it against so determined an attack. I expect they never +calculated on the slaves being armed, and thought that they had only +forty or fifty men to deal with. After the lesson that they have had I +don't think they will molest us again, unless there are any troops in +the neighbourhood that they can bring up." + +The palisades were recrossed and sentries set; grog was served out to +the seamen and marines; the slaves were mad with delight, and danced and +sang songs of triumph for some time. As soon, however, as the lieutenant +motioned them to return to their huts they did so at once. Many of them +were wounded more or less severely, but they seemed to think nothing of +this, being too much pleased with the vengeance they had taken to care +aught for the pain. Nat prepared to return to the schooner with his men, +none of whom were, however, seriously hurt, as they had been held in +reserve. Altogether, three sailors and a marine had been killed and six +severely wounded. + +"Are you going on board, Mr. Playford?" + +"No; I shall stay ashore till morning. I do not think that there is the +remotest chance of the attack being renewed; however, it is clearly my +duty to stay here." + +As soon as it was daylight Nat went on shore again, and with ten of his +own men, ten marines, and a hundred of the slaves, went over the ground +to collect the wounded, and learn the loss of the assailants. All the +wounded sailors had been carried into the fort when the fight ceased. +Six Spaniards and nine mulattoes lay dead either on the earthen rampart +or at the foot of the palisade. All of them were pierced in several +places by pikes, or mutilated with blows of axes. Round them lay some +twenty plantation negroes, and thirty others had fallen at the edge of +the wood, shattered by the discharges of the cannon or killed in the +hand-to-hand conflict; among them were twelve of the released slaves. +Not a single white or mulatto was found alive. + +The party pursued their way for a quarter of a mile into the wood. Here +and there were scattered the bodies of the assailants who had been +overtaken by their pursuers. The latter had done their work thoroughly, +for not a single man was found to be breathing. When they came to a +point beyond which the slaves by signs apprised them that they had not +gone, they returned, collecting and carrying down the bodies of the dead +as they went. They found on their return that two trenches, four feet +deep and thirty feet long, had already been dug, at the edge of the +forest and as far from the camp as possible. In one of these the bodies +of the Spaniards and mulattoes were laid, and in the other that of the +negroes. The earth was then filled in. + +"It has been an unpleasant job, but a necessary one," Lieutenant +Playford said, when he knew that the work was done, and the whole party +re-entered the fort. "In a climate like this the place would have been +uninhabitable in a couple of days if we had not buried them all." + +In the afternoon two fresh graves were made, and the fallen sailors were +reverently laid to rest in one, the dead slaves in the other. Water was +brought up in buckets by the negroes from the edge of the creek, and all +signs of the conflict on the rampart and at the foot of the palisade +either washed away or covered with earth. Then matters resumed their +former aspect. + +Early the next morning the look-out on the cliff ran down and reported +that a large brigantine was just entering the inlet. Mr. Playford +shouted the news to Nat. + +"I will send off the marines to you," he said. "I will remain here with +the blue-jackets." + +The Spanish flag was at once run up to the peak. In two or three minutes +the boat with the marines came alongside. They and the greater part of +the sailors at once lay down on the deck, while the few who remained on +foot took off their straw hats and white jumpers, tied handkerchiefs +round their heads, and gave themselves as unseamanlike an appearance as +possible. Ten minutes later the brigantine appeared round the point; +there was scarce a breath of wind, and she had two boats towing her. A +flag hung from her mast-head, and as Nat turned his glass upon it he +exclaimed to Boldero, who, having removed his coat and cap, was standing +by his side: + +"It is the black flag; the fellow must be pretty sure of his welcome or +he would never venture to haul it up." + +In the meantime the guns ashore had been slued round, and were now +pointed on a spot somewhat ahead of the schooner. She came slowly along +until within some four or five lengths of the latter, then there was a +sudden shout on board, followed by a tremendous hubbub. It was clear +that the line of palisades surrounding the huts had been noticed and +the guns seen. + +The brigantine was crowded with men. She carried twelve guns in her +ports, and a long swivel eighteen-pounder in her bow. There was now no +longer any motive for concealment, the marines and seamen leapt to their +feet with a cheer, and a moment later the schooner's two foremost guns, +which would alone bear on the boats, spoke out, while almost at the same +moment two of those on the rampart sent a shower of grape into them. +Both boats sank immediately, those of the crews who were uninjured +swimming to the brigantine. Contradictory orders were shouted on board +the pirate. One by one her guns on the port side answered those on the +ramparts. + +"Get ready, my lads!" Nat shouted, "she will be alongside directly." + +The impetus of the schooner's way was indeed sufficient to take her +slowly but surely forward, and the pirate slightly changed his course so +as to bring her outside the schooner. Playford saw what his object was, +and the remaining guns poured their charges of grape across the deck of +the brigantine, committing terrible havoc. Before they could be loaded +again she was alongside the schooner, and so covered by her from the +fire of the guns on shore. As the vessels came abreast of each other at +a distance of two or three feet only, Nat and the young marine officer +leapt on to the pirate's deck followed by their men. The resistance of +the pirates was desperate. Although they had suffered much loss from the +fire of the guns, they were still numerically stronger than their +assailants, and, fighting as they did with the desperation of despair, +they not only held their ground, but pushed their assailants back +towards the bulwark. + +[Illustration: THE GUNS ON THE RAMPART SEND A SHOWER OF GRAPE INTO THE +PIRATE.] + +For three or four minutes the fight continued without any marked +advantage to either party; the pistols of the seamen and pirates and the +muskets of the marines were empty, and they were fighting hand to hand. +Then slowly the advantage turned against the pirates, but the issue was +still undecided when there was a loud cheer, and Mr. Playford with +fifteen sailors leapt on the deck of the pirate from the other side, the +approach of the boat having been unnoticed in the heat of the fray. The +pirates now broke; their captain had fallen, and, outnumbered and +hopeless, some threw down their arms, while others jumped overboard. +Those who surrendered were at once bound and battened down in the hold +of the schooner, some eight or ten only gained the opposite shore and +took to the woods. The victory had not been a bloodless one. Five of the +frigate's crew had been killed, and there were few among Nat's command +who were not more or less severely wounded. + +"It was a sharp fight, Mr. Glover," Mr. Playford said. + +"It was indeed, sir. At one time they fairly drove us back, but I think +that we should have beaten them even if you had not brought help to us." + +"I am sure you would," the lieutenant said warmly. "I could see as I +boarded that although the men in front were fighting hard, those in the +rear were hanging back as if they had had enough of it. Still, you might +have lost more men than you did before you finished with them if we had +not turned up. You see, fighting with pirates is quite a different thing +from fighting with any other opponents. These fellows know well enough +that there is no mercy for them, and that they have nothing before them +but to fight until they die, or to be tried and hanged. The veriest +coward would fight till the last with such an alternative as that before +him. I would rather fight a hundred and fifty French or Spanish seamen +than a hundred pirates. She is a fine roomy craft that we have taken, +and I think we shall now be able to carry off all these blacks. No +doubt it will be a close pack for them, but for a short voyage that will +not matter. Now let us see to our wounded. After that is done we can get +off the hatches and have a look round below. Of course she may have come +in here for water, but it is likely that she has at least some booty in +her hold." + +This proved to be the case. She was half full of goods of a more or less +valuable kind, and these, by the marks on the bales and boxes, had +evidently formed part of the cargoes of three ships. Two days later the +_Orpheus_ was seen returning along the coast, and Nat was at once sent +off by the lieutenant with his written report of what had taken place +since she had sailed. The gig reached the side of the frigate just as +the anchor was let go. + +"I see your right arm is in a sling, Mr. Glover," the captain said as he +handed him the report, "so I suppose that you have had some fighting." + +"Yes, sir, we have had some pretty sharp fighting." + +"What is your wound?" + +"Only a chop with a cutlass, sir." + +"Oh, you came to hand-to-hand work, did you?" + +Nat gave no answer, for the captain had opened the report and was now +running his eye down it. + +"Very satisfactory," he said, as he handed it to the first lieutenant. +"An attacking force handsomely repulsed and a pirate captured. Very good +work indeed, very good. I see Mr. Boldero was wounded, Mr. Glover." + +"Yes, sir, he was hit on the head with a pistol-shot. Fortunately the +ball glanced off the skull. He was stunned for a time, but is now nearly +himself again." + +"Here is some work for you, Dr. Bemish," the captain said. "Mr. Playford +reports that ten of the cases are serious. I am going ashore in my gig +at once, and will take you with me. You had better send the cutter at +once, Mr. Hill, to bring off the wounded. You may as well return in your +own boat, Mr. Glover, Mr. Curtis can go in charge of the cutter. Mr. +Needham can go with me." + +Nat at once returned to his boat. He was overtaken by the captain's gig +when half-way up the inlet. He rowed to the schooner, while the gig made +straight for the landing-place where the lieutenant was standing. + +"I congratulate you, Mr. Playford," the captain said as he stepped +ashore. "You seem to have had a pretty busy time of it since we have +been away. I certainly did not think they would attempt to attack you +when you had those guns in position, and I did not reckon on the pirate. +She is a fine brigantine; the schooner looks quite small beside her." + +"Yes, sir, she is over three hundred tons. Her broadside guns are all +twelve-pounders, and she carries an eighteen-pounder as a swivel. She +had a crew of seventy men, of whom only eight or ten got ashore, the +rest were all accounted for except twelve, who are in irons below. The +credit of capturing her, sir, really belongs to Mr. Glover, for although +I went off to his assistance he would have taken her without my aid, +though the pirates were still fighting strongly." + +"Well, it has been a very successful business altogether, Mr. Playford. +The capture of the brigantine is specially fortunate, as I have failed +to come across any native craft as I had hoped to do, but with this +extra accommodation we shall be able to manage to carry off all the +slaves. I see by your account that Mr. Glover had the marines as well as +his own twenty men." + +"Yes, sir, I sent Lieutenant Boldero and fourteen marines on board; he +had lost six either killed or seriously wounded in the attack here. I +own that I had hardly calculated upon the brigantine getting alongside +the schooner. I thought that when we had smashed up her boats, which I +made certain we should do, she would be so completely at our mercy that, +being becalmed, she would haul down her flag; but she had sufficient way +on her to take her alongside the schooner, and her captain put her there +so cleverly that I could not fire at her except through the schooner. I +saw at once that the whole position was changed, for if he had captured +the schooner he might have put all his men into the boats and made a +dash for shore; and as I had so few men fit for work it would have been +awkward, though with the aid of the blacks I have no doubt I should have +driven them off." + +"Then I suppose your discharge of grape did not do him very much harm?" + +"Not so much as it ought to have done, sir. You see the first two guns +we fired destroyed his boats. The other guns were all too weakly handled +to be trained on the pirate as he forged ahead, and as far as I could +see not one of them did any serious execution among his crew. Yesterday +I told off four negroes to each gun, and kept them at work all day +learning how to train them under the direction of the sailors. If I had +thought of that before we should have swept his decks with such effect +that when she got alongside the schooner Mr. Glover's party would have +had easy work of it." + +"You could hardly think of everything, Mr. Playford, and you certainly +did right in sending the marines off to the schooner directly you had +news that this brigantine was entering the inlet. No doubt if you had +wished to sink her it would have been better to have kept them on shore +to help work the guns, but as she is a valuable prize, and we wanted her +badly to help carry away the slaves, you were quite right not to try to +damage her. You say she is half full of plunder?" + +"Yes, sir, and there were nearly eight hundred pounds in money and +thirty-four watches and some jewellery found in the captain's cabin." + +"She is a valuable capture, and I should think the admiral would buy her +into the service. She is just the sort of craft that we want. The +schooner would be too small to tackle one of these heavily-armed pirates +with their crowds of men. So your slaves fought well?" + +"That they did, sir. If it had been daylight I doubt whether any of the +whites who led the attack would have escaped. Of course they had no +particular animosity against the negroes, but I believe that they would +have followed the whites and mulattoes half across the island." + +"Well, do you think that the two craft will carry all the slaves?" + +"Hardly, sir; the schooner can stow a hundred and fifty. Of course it +will be close work, but there will be room for that number to lie down, +and with the hatches both open they will be all right. By rearranging +the cargo a bit, two hundred could sleep in the hold of the brigantine. +That would still leave rather over one hundred and fifty." + +"Well, we must give up part of the hold of the frigate to them," the +captain said, "there is no help for it. There are about that number of +women and children, are there not?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"They had better go off in the frigate, then. Of course, the prisoners +will be sent off too--I will pay a visit to the brigantine, and then go +off myself, and will send the boats in as soon as I get there. You may +as well be getting the men on board at once. As soon as they are all +off, you will, of course, set fire to all the sheds here, but you may as +well send off a boat-load of stores suitable for them to the frigate, +and will, of course, victual these two craft. I shall send you another +forty men to fill up the vacancies that have been caused, and to +furnish a crew for the brigantine, of which, of course, you will take +the command. You and the schooner will keep in close company. The +marines will return to the ship. Mr. Needham will be your second on the +brigantine." + +"How about the guns, sir? They are all old pieces, and scarcely worth +carrying away." + +"Yes, but I won't leave them here to be used for defending this place +again. You had better take them off their carriages, spike them, get +them into the boats, and heave them overboard, well out in deep water. +Do you think that you will be able to get everything done before dark, +Mr. Playford?" + +"Yes, sir, it is only nine o'clock now, and if you will send a strong +working party, in addition to those who will be taking the slaves on +board, to help with the stores and guns, I have no doubt that I shall be +able to get the work done well before sunset." + +"Very well. Mr. Hill will come on shore as soon as I return to the +frigate." + +The work went on without ceasing all day, and the pinnace, which had +been recovered and repaired before the frigate sailed, and the launch, +went backwards and forwards to the frigate with the women, children, and +stores, while the boats of the brigantine and schooner carried the men +to those craft, as soon as the stores for the voyage, and the bales of +cotton and other goods that would be useful, had been taken off. When +the two large boats had finished their work they were employed in +carrying out the guns, which had, before the slaves embarked, been +brought down by them to the edge of the water. By three o'clock all was +finished, and the last boat-load of the sailors rowed out to the prizes, +after having set fire to all the huts. These were soon in a blaze, to +the delight of the negroes, who danced and shouted for joy. Half of +these were sent below at once, as they crowded the decks to such an +extent as to render it impossible for the sailors to work. + +Those who remained were ranged in rows by the bulwarks from end to end +of the craft; then the anchors were got up, and the sails dropped and +sheeted home. The wind was very light, but was sufficient to give +steerage-way, and with the British ensign flying at the peak the two +vessels sailed out of the inlet and joined the frigate, which began to +make sail as soon as they were seen issuing from the narrow mouth. Glad +indeed were all on board the three vessels when, after a voyage unmarked +by any adventure, they entered Port Royal, for although the negroes, +feeling confident that they were in good hands, had been docile and +obedient, they were still terribly in the way. + +Though all had been made to take a bath every morning, the odour in the +crowded prizes was almost overpoweringly strong. On arrival, the negroes +were landed and lodged in some large government storehouses near the +fort. Each was presented with ten yards of cloth on leaving for the +shore, and they were, before being housed, permitted to sort themselves, +so that families and friends might be together. Interpreters explained +to them that it would be impossible to send them back to their friends +in Africa, but that they would be apportioned out among the plantations +of the island. The wages they were to receive were explained to them, +and they were told that a government official would visit each +plantation in turn, and would listen to any complaints that might be +made as to their food and treatment, and at the end of three years all +who wished it could either change masters or take up a piece of land, +build a hut, and cultivate it on their own account. + +The poor creatures were well satisfied with this. They were overjoyed at +being united to their relations and friends, and to know that they +would still be together; and were assured that they would be well cared +for, and in time be as much their own masters as if at their villages in +Africa. The schooner was sold; the brigantine was, as the captain had +expected, bought into the service; Mr. Playford was offered and accepted +the command of her. Mr. Normandy took his place as second lieutenant of +the _Orpheus_, and Mr. Marston received his promotion and the post of +third officer. As the _Cerf_--which was the name of the brigantine--was +to be considered as a tender of the frigate, those on board her were +still borne on her books. Curtis and Glover were appointed to her, with +a petty officer and forty men. + +The pirates were tried and executed, with the exception of one, who was +a mere lad. He had, he asserted, been forced to join the pirates--being +spared by them when the rest of his comrades had been murdered, as they +had lost their cook's mate, and required someone to fill his place. +This, however, would not have saved his life had he not promised to lead +his new captors to the chief rendezvous of the pirates, which had so +long eluded the search that had been made for it. He acknowledged, +however, that he was not acquainted with its exact position. He had +sailed in and out four or five times, and had only a general idea of its +position, but asserted that he should certainly know the island if he +saw it. A fortnight after reaching Port Royal, the frigate and +brigantine sailed in company. + +The indications given by the boy pointed to an island lying a short +distance off the northern coast of Venezuela. + +There were originally, he said, four vessels working together, three +brigantines and a large schooner, one of which had arrived from France +only a short time before the _Cerf_ sailed on her last voyage. The +entrance to the pirates' stronghold was on the south side of the island, +and was, he said, so well concealed that vessels might sail past the +place a thousand times without noticing it. There were two batteries at +the water's edge, inside the entrance, each mounting twelve +eighteen-pounder guns that had been taken from prizes. The channel here +was not more than fifty yards across. A very heavy boom was at all times +swung across it just above the batteries, and this was opened only when +one of the craft entered or left. + +There was, however, he said, a spot on the outer side of the island +where a landing could be effected, at a little ravine that ran down to +the shore. This was thickly wooded, and some large trees growing at its +mouth almost hid it from passing vessels. At other points the shore was +steep, but there was so much vegetation on every ledge where trees or +bushes could obtain a foothold, that from the sea it would seem that the +cliffs were not too steep to scale. + +The prisoner had been placed on board the _Cerf_, which, as soon as she +was fairly at sea, was altered as far as possible in appearance by a +white band with ports painted along her sides; a false stem of an +entirely different shape from her own was fastened to her, her light +upper spars sent down and replaced by stumpy ones, and other changes +made that would help to alter her appearance. + +Were she recognized by the pirates as she sailed past their island it +would at once be suspected that one of the men recently captured had +revealed the rendezvous, and that she was cruising near it to obtain an +exact idea of the best mode of attack before other craft came up to +assist her. They had no doubt that the pirates had already received news +of the surprise and capture of the brigantine. Some of the men who +escaped would doubtless have made for the nearest port, and hired a +negro craft to take them to their own island, which they would have +reached before the _Orpheus_ arrived at Port Royal with her prizes. The +pirates would therefore be on their guard, and would either have +deserted their head-quarters altogether or have added to their defences. +The sight of their late consort would confirm their fears that their +whereabouts had become known, and it was therefore of importance that +her identity should not be suspected. + +Changed as she now was, she might be taken for a man-of-war brigantine. +Her height out of water had been increased by four feet by painted +canvas fastened to battens. She had ten ports painted on each side, and +looked a very different craft from the smart brigantine that had sailed +away from the island. It had at first been suggested by Mr. Playford +that she should be disguised so as to look like a trader, but Captain +Crosbie had decided against this. + +"There are," he said, "three of these pirates, and even two of them +might together be more than a match for you. By all accounts they are +each of them as strong as you are in point of armament, and would carry +at least twice as many men as you have. Even if you beat them off it +could only be at a very great cost of life, and I certainly should not +like you to undertake such an enterprise unless you had at least double +the strength of men, which I could not spare you. By going in the guise +of a vessel of war they would not care to meddle with you. They would +know that there would be no chance of booty and a certainty of hard +fighting, and of getting their own craft badly knocked about, so that it +will be in all respects best to avoid a fight. They may in that case not +connect you with us at all, but take you to be some freshly-arrived +craft. You had best hoist the Stars and Stripes as you pass along the +coast." + +When the changes were all effected the ships parted company. The +brigantine was to sail east until within a short distance of Grenada, +then to cruise westward along the coast of the mainland; thus going, +there would be less suspicion on the part of those who saw her that she +was coming from Jamaica. A rendezvous was appointed at the island of +Oruba, lying off the mouth of the Gulf of Venezuela. + +Their prisoner was French, and he was very closely questioned by +Lieutenant Playford, who spoke that language well. He said that they +always sailed north to begin with, then sometimes they kept east, and +certainly he heard the names of Guadeloupe and St. Lucia. At other +times, after sailing north they steered north-west, and came to a great +island, which he had no doubt was San Domingo. It was not in this craft +that he sailed, he was only transferred to her with some of the others +for that cruise only. After they had once made either the western +islands or San Domingo, they cruised about in all directions. + +"The great point is," Mr. Playford said to the midshipmen after a long +talk with the prisoner, "that at starting they generally hung about +these islands, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, and so on, for some time, and it +was considered their best cruising ground, though also the most +dangerous one, as we have always some cruisers in those waters. That +would certainly place the island somewhere off the north coast of +Caracas. He declared that the first day out they generally passed the +western point of an island of considerable size with some high hills. +The only island that answers to that account is, as you see in the +chart, Margarita. Therefore I feel convinced that the pirate hold is in +one of these groups, off Caracas, either Chimana, Borrshcha, or these +two islets called Piritu Islands. Altogether, you see, there are over a +dozen of these islands scattered along near the mainland. + +"It is quite out of the general course of trade, as nothing would go +into that bay except a craft bound for San Diego, or this place marked +Barcelona, lying a short distance up the river. They would take care +not to molest any of the little traders frequenting these ports, and +might lie in an inlet in one of these islands for years without their +being ever suspected, unless perhaps by some of the native fishermen, +who probably supply them with fish and fruit from the mainland. Anyhow, +I don't suppose a British cruiser is seen along that coast once a year." + + + + +CHAPTER V + +A PIRATE HOLD + + +A fortnight later the _Cerf_ passed along under easy sail between the +island of Margarita and the mainland. She was now getting very close to +the spot where, if the prisoner was right, the pirates' hold lay. The +Stars and Stripes was hanging from the peak, and with her high bulwarks +and ten ports on each side no one would have suspected that she was not, +as she seemed, an American man-of-war, heavily armed. Passing close to +another island, they headed more south into the bay as they neared +Caracas. Every foot of the islands was closely scanned. Five miles +farther, they came abreast of the Chimana isles, and pointing to one of +these that lay nearer the shore than the others, the prisoner exclaimed +that he was certain that that was the island. + +"I am sure of it," he exclaimed, "both from the look of the island +itself, and from that high range of mountains on the mainland to the +south-east." + +"You are quite sure?" + +"Certain, captain; there are the large trees I spoke of growing down +close to the water. It is behind them that there is a little ravine by +which one can climb up." + +No alteration was made in the ship's course, but she continued her way +until sunset, when she dropped anchor off the mouth of the river La +Pasqua, some twenty miles west of the islands. + +As soon as it was dark Curtis was sent off in a gig manned by six +rowers. The oars were muffled; the orders were to row round the island +within an oar's length of the shore, and to find the entrance to the +channel, which, if the prisoner was right as to the place, should be on +the side facing the mainland. Pierre, the French lad, was taken with +them. It was a long row to the island, but the gig was a fast one, and, +at three o'clock in the morning, she returned with the news that +Pierre's information had been correct. They had found the opening but +had not entered it, as Mr. Playford had given strict orders on this +point, thinking it probable that there would be a sharp look-out kept in +the batteries, especially as the supposed cruiser would certainly have +been closely watched as she passed. + +An hour later the anchor was got up and the _Cerf_ sailed for Oruba, off +which she arrived three days later. There were no signs of the frigate, +and indeed the _Cerf_ had arrived at the rendezvous before the time +fixed. At daybreak on the third morning the topsails of the _Orpheus_ +were made out from the mast-head, and four hours later she and the +_Cerf_ met, and Mr. Playford went on board the frigate to report. + +"This is good news indeed," the captain said when he heard that the +haunt of the pirates had been discovered. "Of course you have taken the +exact position of the island, for we must, if possible, take them by +surprise?" + +"Yes, sir; it lies as nearly as possible in 64° 30' west longitude and +10° 22' north latitude." + +"We will lay our course east, Mr. Playford, for, of course, you will +keep company with us. The water is deep all along the coast, and there +seems to be from thirty to thirty-eight fathoms to within a mile or two +of the coast. I shall lay my course outside the Windward Islands as far +as Blanquilla, thence an almost due south course will take us clear of +the western point of Margarita and down to this island. We will discuss +our plan of attack later on." + +On the morning of the third day after leaving Oruba the island of +Blanquilla was sighted. The frigate made the signal for Mr. Playford to +go on board, and on entering the captain's cabin he found him and Mr. +Hill examining the chart. + +"You see, Mr. Playford, we are now as nearly as possible a hundred miles +north of the island; with this wind we should pass the point of +Margarita at about four o'clock in the afternoon; if it freshens we will +take in sail, I want to be off the island say three or four hours before +daybreak. You will send that French lad on board when you go back; as +soon as we anchor he will go in the gig with Mr. Hill to reconnoitre and +make sure that there is no mistake about the place. When he finds that +it is all right he will come back. The boats will be in the water, and +the men on board in readiness, and will at once start, so that the +landing may, if possible, be effected just at daybreak at this ravine on +the north of the island. At the same hour you will sail in and take up +your place opposite the mouth of the harbour, and fight anything that +tries to come out. + +"It is quite possible that as soon as our party attack the place on the +land side any craft there may be there will cut their cables and try to +make off. On no account try to enter; the batteries would blow you out +of the water. You will start as soon as the boats leave the ship, and +will therefore have light enough for you to go in and to avoid making +any mistake, for you see there are half a dozen islands lying close +together. There is no objection to their seeing you, and indeed I +should be rather glad if they do, for in that case they are the less +likely to discover the landing-party, and though they must see the +frigate they will think that she is only lying there to cut them off if +they try to escape. They will be manning their batteries and getting +everything ready to give you a warm reception, and I hope that we shall +drop upon them as if out of the clouds. + +"Mr. Hill will command the landing-party, which will consist of a +hundred and fifty seamen and the thirty marines, which, with the +advantage of surprise, ought to be sufficient. As you report that the +island is less than a mile long and not much more than half a mile +across, the landing-party will soon be at work. After they have landed, +Mr. Hill will divide them into two parties, and will endeavour to make +his way round the inlet, keeping up among the trees, and then rush down +upon the batteries. When he has captured these he will fire three guns +as a signal to you. You will have your boats in readiness, and will at +once tow the schooner in, and, on reaching the boom, bring her broadside +to bear upon any craft there, and generally aid the landing-party with +your guns. If, by good luck, the three craft we have been so long +looking for are all there you will have a strong force to tackle; you +may certainly take it that their crews will together mount up to three +hundred men, and it is likely that there may be a hundred others who +form what we may call the garrison of the place when they are away." + +"Very well, sir." + +The two vessels headed south under easy canvas, passed the point of +Margarita at the hour that had been arranged, and then taking in still +more sail proceeded slowly on until, about one o'clock in the morning, +the island could be made out with the night-glasses. Then both were laid +to, Captain Crosbie having forbidden anchoring, in the first place owing +to the great depth of water, and in the next because, although the +island was three miles away, the chain-cable running out might be heard +at night if the pirates had anyone on watch on the hill. Nat, whose +watch it was, saw the gig shoot away from the side of the frigate. An +hour later and there was a bustle and stir on board the _Orpheus_, and +all her boats were lowered. At five bells the crew began to take their +places in them, and soon afterwards the gig returned. The watch below +were called up and sail was made, and at half-past three the boats +started, and the _Cerf_ was headed towards the land. Dawn was just +breaking when they reached the island. All was still. It had been +arranged that, unless discovered, the attack on the batteries was not to +be made until five o'clock, and just at that hour the _Cerf_ arrived off +the narrow entrance to the port. Half an hour before, a musket had been +discharged on the hill above them, and it was clear that their coming +had been observed; but as no sound of conflict could be heard inland +there was every reason to suppose that the pirates had no suspicion of a +landing having been effected on the other side. + +"That is what I call being punctual," Nat said to Curtis as two bells +rang out just as they opened the passage. + +A light kedge anchor was dropped, and as this was done a patter of +musketry broke out from the hill above them. Their action showed that +the arrival of the brigantine was no matter of chance, but that she was +there expressly with the intention of attacking the pirates' stronghold, +and those who had been watching her, therefore, saw that any further +attempt at concealment was useless. In the night the canvas band had +been taken down, as there was no longer any reason for concealing the +identity of the brigantine. The musketry fire only lasted for a minute, +for suddenly a roar of battle broke out within a hundred yards of the +mouth of the entrance. The sailors burst into a loud cheer. It was +evident that the landing-party had met with complete success so far, and +had approached the batteries unobserved, and that a hand-to-hand fight +was going on. + +Above the cracking of pistols the cheers of the seamen could be plainly +heard, but in two or three minutes the uproar died away, and then three +guns were fired at short intervals. The boats were already in the water, +the kedge lifted, and the crews bending forward in readiness for the +signal. + +"Take her in, lads!" the lieutenant shouted, and the schooner's head at +once began to turn towards the inlet. + +A moment later two broadsides were fired. + +"There are two of their craft in there!" Curtis exclaimed. "Now our +fellows have carried the batteries they have opened fire on them." + +As he spoke there was another broadside, which was answered by a hurrah +from all on deck. It was clear that they had had the good luck to catch +all the pirates at once. Three minutes' rowing and the boom was in +sight. Mr. Playford called to one of the boats to take a rope from the +stern to the battery on the right-hand side, and ordered the others to +cease rowing. + +"We have way enough on her!" he shouted. "As soon as you get near the +boom take her head round to port, and carry the rope to shore. You can +fasten it to the chain at the end of the boom." + +As he gave the order a gun spoke out from the battery on the right, +followed almost immediately by one on the left. + +"They are slueing the guns round!" Nat exclaimed. "We shall be having +our share of the fun in another minute or two." + +They could now obtain a view into the piece of water inside the passage. +It was nearly circular, and some three hundred yards across. Two +brigantines and a schooner were lying in line, within fifty yards of the +opposite shore. A large range of storehouses stood by the water's edge, +while the hillsides were dotted with huts, and dwelling-places of larger +size. By the time that the brigantine was got into position by the side +of the boom the pirates had loaded again, and several shots struck her. + +Her guns were already loaded, and those on board poured a broadside into +the brigantine at the end of the line. The sailors in the battery were +working with might and main to slue all the guns round to bear upon the +pirates. On the hillsides above them a scattered fire of musketry was +being kept up, and Mr. Hill hailed the schooner. + +"Mr. Playford, will you land a party of fifteen men on each side to +clear the hills of those rascals? I don't think there are many of them, +but they are doing us a good deal of damage, for they can hardly miss us +closely packed as we are here." + +"Ay, ay, sir. You hear the orders, gentlemen. Mr. Curtis, you land with +fifteen men on the starboard side, and do you, Mr. Glover, take the +party that lands to port. Clear the scoundrels out--give no quarter!" + +The boats had just returned. The two midshipmen leapt into them, and a +few strokes took them ashore. + +"Up the hill, lads!" Nat shouted. "Don't fire until you are at close +quarters. Give them one volley if they are together, then sling your +guns, and go at them with the cutlass!" + +There was but little fighting, however, for there were only ten or +twelve pirates on either side, as their main force was distributed +between the batteries and the ships. They were therefore very easily +driven off, five or six of them being killed and the rest flying with +all speed towards their village, where those who had escaped from the +batteries were already going off in boats to the ships. The two +midshipmen therefore returned to the schooner. + +"Don't come on board!" Mr. Playford shouted. "See if you can free one +end of the boom. If so we will go in and engage one of those craft." + +It was found that the boom was fastened at Nat's side, and the chain was +soon unwound from the stump of a large tree. Then the two boats together +got hold of the end of the boom and swung it round so that the schooner +could pass. The enemy kept up a heavy fire upon them while they were +doing this, and just as the job was completed, Curtis's boat was smashed +to pieces by a round shot. The breeze was very light, but it was in the +right direction. + +"Shall we tow, sir?" Nat called to his commander. + +"Certainly not. Get your men on board at once." + +The sails, which had been loosely furled, were dropped again, and the +brigantine stole past the batteries, which saluted her with a rousing +cheer, while the guns were worked with redoubled energy to keep down the +fire of the pirates. The _Cerf_ was swept with round shot and grape by +the guns of the three piratical craft, but the distance to be traversed +was so small, and the fire from the battery to which the pirates working +their guns were exposed was so heavy, that the men fired wildly, and the +_Cerf_ suffered less than might have been expected while crossing the +intervening two hundred yards of water. She was steered straight for the +schooner, and as her bowsprit ran in between the pirate's masts the +crew, who had been crouching forward, leapt down on to her deck, headed +by their commander and the two midshipmen. + +The pirates, although they had suffered heavily, were still in +sufficient force to offer an efficient resistance, but their courage had +been shaken by the suddenness of the attack. They had lain down to sleep +with the assurance that the port was unknown and unsuspected, that the +batteries that guarded it could sink any hostile ship that attempted to +enter, and their dismay when these batteries were attacked and carried +by an enemy who seemed to spring out of the earth, and their only +retreat cut off, was overwhelming. + +Already the heavy guns of the battery had done terrible execution. Two +of the guns on that side had been dismounted, and a third of the crew +killed; consequently, although a small portion of the number led by +their captain fought desperately, and were killed to the last man, the +majority leapt overboard at once and swam ashore. Leaving ten men in +charge of the prize, the lieutenant called all the rest back on board +the _Cerf_, which remained in the position in which she had run head on +to the schooner, and she was now able to bring her broadsides into play +upon the brigantines, the pieces forward raking them from stem to stern, +while the batteries continued their terrible fire. In a few minutes the +pirates began to take to the boats, which were lying by their sides just +as they had come off from the shore. Once begun, the movement spread +rapidly. The boats were soon crowded, and those who could not find +places in them leapt overboard. + +"Take the boat and a dozen men, Mr. Curtis, and haul down the black flag +of the craft to starboard; and you, Mr. Glover, take one of the prize's +boats and do the same to the other brigantine." + +They turned to execute the order when all on board the _Cerf_ were +hurled to the deck--one of the brigantines had blown up with a +tremendous explosion, that brought most of the huts on the hillside to +the ground, carried away both masts of the _Cerf_, and drove fragments +of wreckage high into the air, whence they fell partly in the pool, +partly on shore. Fortunately for the _Cerf_ only a few fragments of any +size struck her deck, the pieces for the most part falling in a wider +circle. Numbers of the pirates who had just landed from their boats were +killed, and many more were injured by being hurled down on to the +rocks, dazed and half-stunned. Those on board the _Cerf_ who had escaped +severe injury rose to their feet. + +Not more than twenty-five did so. Lieutenant Playford lay dead, crushed +under a mast; Curtis had been hurled against one of the guns and his +brains dashed out; ten of the sailors had been killed either by the +falling masts or by being dashed against the bulwarks; twelve had fallen +under the enemy's fire as the _Cerf_ crossed the pool; twelve others +were hurt more or less either by the enemy's missiles or by the shock. +It was three or four minutes before the silence that followed was +broken. Then Mr. Hill hailed across the water: + +"_Cerf_ ahoy! have you suffered much?" + +"Terribly," Nat shouted back; "Lieutenant Playford and Mr. Curtis are +both killed. We have only twenty-five men in any way fit for service +left." + +"If you have got a boat that will swim send it ashore." + +Nat looked over the side, the boat had been stove by a falling fragment; +then he crossed to the prize, and found that one of the boats was +uninjured. Four men were just getting into it, when Mr. Hill hailed +again: + +"Let them bring a rope with them, Mr. Glover; we will tow you over +here." + +The end of a hawser was put into the boat, and the men rowed with it to +the battery. + +"Mr. Glover!" the lieutenant again hailed. + +"Yes, sir." + +"I am sending the boat back again. I think that had they put a slow +match in the magazine of the other brigantine it would have exploded +before this. However, you had better remain where you are for a quarter +of an hour, to be sure; then, before you move, board the brigantine and +flood the magazine. Otherwise, as soon as you have left, some of these +desperadoes might swim off to her and put a match there." + +"Very well, sir, I will go at once if you like." + +"No, there is no use running any unnecessary risk. You had better flood +the schooner's magazine first." + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +Taking half a dozen hands with buckets, Nat went on board the prize and +soon flooded the magazine; then he and those who were able to help did +all they could for the wounded, several of whom, who had only been +stunned, were presently on their legs again. When the quarter of an hour +had passed he asked for volunteers. All the survivors stepped forward. + +"Four men will be enough," he said. "Bring buckets with you." + +It was not without a feeling of awe that Nat and the four sailors +stepped on to the deck of the brigantine, for although he was convinced +that had a match been lighted the explosion would have taken place long +before, as it was now five-and-twenty minutes since the crew had +deserted her, neither he nor the men had entirely recovered from the +severe shock of the explosion. He led the way below; all was quiet; the +door of the magazine was open, but there was no smell of burning powder, +and they entered fearlessly. + +"All right, lads; now as quick as you like with your buckets." + +An abundance of water was thrown in; then, to make quite certain, Nat +locked the door of the magazine, and put the key in his pocket. A cheer +broke from the men in the battery as he and his companions again took +their places in the boat and rowed to the _Cerf_. He was hailed again by +Mr. Hill. + +"I have changed my mind, Mr. Glover; now that I know there is no risk of +another explosion, I think perhaps you had best remain where you are. We +will give you a pull to get you free of the schooner, then you had +better range the _Cerf_ alongside of her; keep your guns and those of +the brigantine both loaded with grape; send your boat ashore to fetch +off the wounded." + +"I have two boats now, sir; one of the brigantine's was left behind, and +is uninjured." + +"Then send them both ashore, the sooner we get the wounded off the +better. I am going to move forward with all my men; we have spiked the +guns here, and if they should come down into the batteries again you can +clear them out. You will, of course, help us, if we meet with strong +resistance, with your guns on the shore-side." + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +The two boats were sent ashore, and the wounded came off with Dr. +Bemish. As soon as they all came on board Nat said: + +"I will leave you with the wounded here, doctor, with four of my men to +help you. We are so littered up that we could hardly work the guns, and +as you see, three of them were dismounted by the explosion; besides, the +prize alongside would hamper us, therefore I will take the rest of the +men on board the brigantine." + +"I think that will be a very good plan, my lad," the doctor replied. "I +quite agree with you, that with the spars and wreckage on one side and +the prize on the other, you are practically helpless." + +The men were at once set to work bringing up powder cartridges from the +magazine; grape and round-shot they would find on board the brigantine. + +In ten minutes the guns of that craft were reloaded. The two bodies of +men from the batteries had by this time reached the storehouses. Not a +shot had been fired, but a minute later there was a loud word of +command, followed by a fierce yell, and in a moment both parties were +engaged, a heavy fire being opened upon them from every spot of vantage +on the hillside in front of them. + +"Now, my lads, give them a dose of grape!" Nat shouted. "I expect they +are two to one to our fellows still. Train them carefully." + +Gun after gun sent showers of grape among the hidden foe, who were for +the most part lying behind the cactus hedges of the gardens that +surrounded the huts. The three forward guns assisted Mr. Hill's party, +while the others aided that commanded by Needham. Although but four men +to a gun, the sailors worked so hard that the pieces were discharged as +rapidly as if they had been manned by a full complement, and their +effect was visible in the diminution of the enemy's fire, and by the +line of smoke gradually mounting the hill, showing that the pirates were +falling back, while the cheers of the sailors and marines as they +pressed steadily upwards, rapidly plying their muskets, rose louder and +louder. Near the upper edge of the cleared ground the pirates made a +stand, but the fire of the guns proved too much for them, and they took +to the forest. Presently a sailor ran down to the shore. + +"The first lieutenant says, sir, will you please continue your fire into +the forest. He is going to cut down all the hedges and fire the huts, so +that they will have to pass over open ground if they attack again." + +"Tell Mr. Hill I will do so," Nat shouted back. + +It was not long after the fire had been turned in that direction before +the puffs of smoke that darted out from the edge of the forest ceased +altogether. The sailors could now be seen slashing away with their +cutlasses at the lines of cactus hedge, while the huts that still stood +were speedily in flames. Numbers of women and children now came down to +the shore, where they were placed in charge of six of the marines and a +non-commissioned officer. A quarter of an hour later, while Nat was +watching what was going on on shore, one of the men touched him. + +"Look, sir, they are going down to the batteries!" + +The men were at once ordered across to the guns on the other side, and +these opened with grape upon two bodies of pirates, each some seventy or +eighty strong, who were rushing down to the batteries. The discharge of +the six guns did terrible execution, but the survivors without pausing +dashed down to the works. Cries of disappointment and rage broke out +from them on finding the guns spiked, and before they could be reloaded +they ran up the hill again, and were in shelter in the forest. + +"I fancy that is about the end of it," Nat said to the petty officer +standing by his side. "I don't think that above fifty of either party +got safely away." + +"Not more than that, sir. I expect it has taken the fight out of them." + +"It was a hopeless attempt, for although, if the guns had been loaded, +they might have sunk us, our fellows on shore would soon have been upon +them again, and it would have come to the same thing." + +"Yes, sir, the same thing to the pirates, but not the same thing to us." + +"No, you are right there; those twenty-four guns loaded with ball would +have sent us to the bottom in no time. You see, our men only used grape +before, and aimed at the decks." + +Mr. Hill now hailed from the shore again: + +"Mr. Glover!" + +"Ay, ay, sir!" + +"Have the goodness to send your boat ashore, I want to send a note off +to the captain. On their way the men must stop at the boats on the other +side of the island, and tell the boat keepers to bring them round here +at once." + +Four men were sent ashore in the boat, and one of the petty officers +took his place in the stern, with a hasty note which the first +lieutenant had written in pencil stating that the loss had been very +heavy, that the work of rooting out the pirates had not yet been +completed, and that he should be glad of some more men to occupy the +village while he searched the woods. The boat started at once, and +twenty minutes later the captain's gig shot into the cove. As soon as +the report of the first gun was heard on board the frigate, and there +was no longer any motive for remaining at a distance, her head had been +turned to the island, and the boat had met her but half a mile away from +the entrance. + +After reading the note, Captain Crosbie sent one of the gigs to order +the boats round to the inlet, and proceeded in his own boat to +investigate the state of affairs, ordering the _Cerf's_ boat to row +ahead of the frigate, which was to work in under very reduced sail, +sounding as she went, and was, if the water was deep enough, to anchor +off the mouth of the cove. + +"Then you found all the pirates here, Mr. Hill?" the captain said as he +landed. + +"Yes, sir, but they blew up one of their craft when they left her." + +"Yes, of course we heard the report; it shook the frigate as if she had +struck on a rock. It must have been tremendous here." + +"Yes, sir, she must have had an immense deal of powder in her magazine; +the shock was something terrible. Although we were over there in that +battery, every one of us was thrown to the ground and several were +killed. Two of the guns were dismounted." + +"It was a veritable battle for a time, Mr. Hill. It sounded like a naval +engagement on a large scale." + +"Yes, we had twenty-four guns in the batteries all at work, and the guns +of the _Cerf_, while the three pirates had the same number in their +broadsides, besides two heavy swivel-guns." + +"You say the loss is heavy. What does it amount to?" + +"I cannot tell you exactly, sir. There were twenty-five killed on board +the _Cerf_, in addition to Mr. Playford and Mr. Curtis. The two officers +and about half the men were, Mr. Glover reported, killed by the +explosion, which, as you see, dismasted her." + +"Dear me! That is heavy indeed, and I most deeply regret the death of +the two officers." + +"So do I indeed, sir. Mr. Playford was an excellent officer, and as good +a fellow as ever walked. Mr. Curtis would have made, I am sure, a good +officer in time. I hardly thought he would when he first joined, but he +was improving greatly, and he showed great courage in working to remove +the boom under a very heavy fire from the pirates, which sunk his boat +under him." + +"Your division, Mr. Hill--what are your casualties?" + +"We took the batteries almost without loss, sir, but in the duel with +the pirates we lost in the two batteries fourteen killed; nine more were +killed by the explosion; we sent eighteen off to the _Cerf_ all +seriously wounded; as to contusions and minor hurts, I should say that +there is not a man who escaped them." + +"Well, well, that is a heavy bill indeed; forty-eight men killed and two +officers--why, we should probably have lost less in an action against a +frigate of our own size! However, we have destroyed this nest of +pirates, and have captured three of their four ships, the other is blown +up. Now, what is the state of things here?" + +"There are, I believe, some hundred and fifty or two hundred of the +pirates still on the island. They are divided into two parties, and the +last firing you heard was when they rushed down into the batteries, +thinking, no doubt, to take revenge by sinking the brigantine and the +two prizes. Mr. Glover opened fire upon them with grape with great +effect. When they got into the battery they found that I had spiked the +guns, which I did when I left them, thinking they might make just such a +move. I sent off to you, sir, in order that the storehouses and +buildings might be held while we cleared the wood on one side down to +the mouth of the cove. When we have done that we can do the same on the +other side." + +"Did you have any casualties in taking the village?" + +"Several wounded, sir, none killed. Mr. Glover drove them out with +grape, and so rendered our work comparatively easy. I am sorry to say +that almost the last shot fired by them hit Mr. Needham high up in the +left arm. The doctor came ashore a few minutes ago, after attending to +the wounded sent on board the _Cerf_. He examined the arm, and tells me +that the bone is completely smashed, and that he must amputate it +half-way between the elbow and shoulder." + +"That is bad indeed. However, it is better than if it had been his right +arm. Mr. Harpur," said the captain to the midshipman who had come ashore +with him, "take the gig off and meet the boats. Tell the launch and +pinnace to go alongside the frigate, and request Mr. Normandy to send +Mr. Marston ashore with fifty more men. What on earth are we to do with +these poor creatures?" he went on to the first lieutenant as the gig +rowed away. "Of course we must take them to Jamaica. Theirs is a +terrible position. No doubt they have all been captured in the prizes +the villains have taken, and most of them must have seen their husbands +or fathers murdered before their eyes. Some of them may have been here +long enough to become accustomed to their lot, many of them may have +been captured lately. What is to become of them I don't know. + +"You have not opened any of the storehouses yet?" + +"No, sir, we have been pretty busy, you see. We cut down all the cactus +hedges round the huts high up on the hill, so as to keep the pirates +from working down and making a fresh attack upon us. As to the other +houses, I have given strict orders that no one is to enter them. The men +have piled arms and are lying down by them; many of them have not +completely recovered from the shock of the explosion, and all are +bruised more or less by being hurled on to the rocks or against the +guns. I fancy the doctor will have his hands full for many a day." + +"Well, you must pick out twenty or so from those most fit for duty. They +can join the men I sent for and finish the business. The rest can be on +guard here, in case the party on the other side take it into their heads +to make an attack." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE NEGRO RISING + + +While waiting for the arrival of the reinforcements, Captain Crosbie +went on board the _Cerf_. The wounded had all been carried below, where +cots had been slung for them. After their wounds were dressed, he went +round saying a few words to each, enquiring into the nature of their +injuries. No attempt had been made to remedy the confusion on deck, +except that the bodies of those that could be moved had been laid side +by side. That of Mr. Playford and the others who had been crushed by the +falling masts still lay beneath them, as the four men left on board were +unable to do anything to extricate them until help arrived. The captain +then went on board the prize. + +"Mr. Hill has spoken in the highest terms of the service that you have +rendered, Mr. Glover, though I have not yet heard the full details. As +the only surviving officer of the _Cerf_, you had better, when you have +time, draw out a full report for me of the work done by her. It will be +another half-hour before we again commence operations against the +pirates, and I shall be obliged if you will go on board the _Cerf_ with +your men and endeavour to get the body of Mr. Playford and the others +from underneath the masts. Nothing more can be done at present, but it +is painful that they should be lying there. I fancy that with +hand-spikes you will have no very great difficulty in raising the butt +of the mast high enough to draw the bodies from under it. As soon as you +have done that, bring the men back here. When the advance begins you +will shell the wood ahead of it." + +"We will put you ashore first, sir; this is the only boat we have that +will float." + +Captain Crosbie on landing went among the women, who were between +seventy and eighty in number. Some burst into tears when he spoke to +them, others seemed dazed and quite unconscious that they were being +addressed. Feeling almost unmanned by the moving spectacle, Captain +Crosbie was relieved when the two boats filled with men entered the +mouth of the cove. As soon as they came alongside, the men leapt out in +high spirits at the prospect of having a share in the fray. Mr. Hill had +already picked out twenty of his own party. + +"I will myself take the command here, Mr. Hill. I don't wish to +interfere with the credit that you will gain by this affair, therefore I +leave the arrangement of your party in your hands." + +Mr. Hill marched the seventy men straight up the hill. + +"You will march straight on, Mr. Marston, until you reach the edge of +the cliff, then you will return. See that the men are placed at regular +intervals. You will then face to the right and the line will advance. No +quarter will be given, except to men who throw down their arms and beg +for it. I do not suppose that many will do so, as they know what their +fate will be if they are taken to Port Royal. We have reason to believe +that there cannot be more than eighty or so on this side, but if they +keep in a body and make a rush at the line they will no doubt be able to +break through. However, that we must risk, and I hardly think that they +will attempt it, for they know that they must sooner or later fall into +our hands. They will only starve if they conceal themselves. Some may +prefer death in that way, or may think that after we have left they may +manage to get taken across to the mainland in native fishing-boats. +However, search the ground closely. These men are steeped in blood; they +have been the scourge of these seas for the past five or six years, and +have never yet shown mercy." + +Mr. Hill then placed himself in the centre of the line, while Mr. +Marston again took his place on the right. It was not until they had +worked round nearly to the entrance that opposition was met with; then +they came upon a spot where a mass of rock cropped up among the trees, +and as they approached this a sharp fire of musketry broke out. Mr. Hill +ordered the two ends of the line to advance so as to form a semicircle +round the rock. When they were in position he gave the word to charge, +and with a cheer the sailors dashed forward. Led by their officers, they +scrambled up the rocks like cats, discharged their muskets into the +pirates grouped on its summit, and then threw themselves upon them +cutlass in hand. In three minutes all was over; not a man asked for +mercy, but all died fighting desperately to the end. Four of the sailors +were killed, several severely wounded. These were carried or helped down +to the shore, and the rest of the party then scattered through the +woods; but the closest search failed to discover a single man in hiding, +although only some fifty of them had been accounted for. Returning to +the point from which they had started, the party then proceeded to +search the forest at the other side of the cove. + +Here, however, they met with no resistance. A few dead were found, but +the forest was deserted. After searching in vain for some time it was +concluded that the survivors had probably gone down the face of the +cliff and hidden there in caves or in thickets in places that could only +be reached by men well acquainted with the ground. + +After two hours' vain search, Mr. Hill led the party down to the shore +again. While he had been away the captain had had the storehouses +opened. These were filled with booty of all kinds, the plunder of at +least fifty ships, as they judged by the chronometers, the marks on +bales, and other articles. Here were thousands of cases of wine, ranges +of barrels of rum, hogsheads of sugar, coffee, and other colonial +produce, quantities of bales of cotton cloths used for the slaves, +furniture of all kinds, enormous numbers of trunks and boxes containing +wearing apparel, bales of silks and satins, and an immense amount of +table-linen. + +In the centre of one of the storehouses was a chamber constructed of +stone four feet thick with an arched roof. The entrance was closed by +two iron doors, one within the other, and these were so strong that it +was necessary to drag up a six-pounder cannon to batter them in. When at +last an entrance was forced, the strong-room was found to contain +upwards of seventy thousand pounds in coin, hundreds of watches, and a +large amount of jewellery, much of which was of Spanish manufacture, and +a great many church vessels and ornaments of silver. It was evident +that, although no doubt a certain proportion of the spoil had been +divided at the time of capture, the main bulk had been stored there for +division some day when the haunt should be finally abandoned. The +sailors now set about examining the bodies of the pirates who had been +killed on the shore by the explosion. It was found that in almost every +case they wore belts under their clothes, and that these contained from +ten to a hundred pieces of gold. A systematic search was then made, and, +in all, the money found upon the dead pirates amounted to six thousand +pounds, which was added to the store taken from the treasury. + +The work of emptying the storehouses, getting up jury-masts on board the +_Cerf_, and doing the absolutely necessary repairs to her and the prizes +occupied three days. The women had been placed in the brigantine after +the craft had been thoroughly washed down and scoured, and she had been +taken out and anchored near the frigate, to which the wounded had all +been conveyed as soon as the fight was over. On the evening of the third +day the storehouses and other buildings still standing were all burned, +the cannon were taken on board the frigate, and the next morning the +four vessels got up sail and started in company for Jamaica. Nat was +left in command of the _Cerf_ with fifteen men. Low was in command of +the schooner with twelve men. Mr. Marston had charge of the captured +brigantine with fifteen men, all that could be spared from the +diminished crew of the frigate. Nat had had time, when the long day's +work was over, to row off every evening to see Needham, whose arm had +been amputated an hour after the fight was ended. He was, the doctor +said, going on well, and was in very good spirits. + +"This is sure to give me my step," he said to Glover. "I shall have +served my time in six months, and Marston's rank will of course be +confirmed, now that poor Playford's death has made the vacancy +permanent. You have another year to serve, have you not, Glover?" + +"Yes, rather more. However, of course this affair will help me too, as +soon as I have passed." + +"It ought to, old fellow, considering you were the only officer left on +board the _Cerf_, and that you unfastened the boom under that tremendous +fire, to say nothing of carrying the schooner and running the risk of +being blown up when you went on board the brigantine. You will get your +swab as soon as you have passed. You see it has been a big thing; +fifty-eight men killed and a hundred and four put down as wounded; and +the breaking up of this pirate's nest makes it the most important affair +there has been out here for years. The other ships on the station will +all feel quite jealous of us. There will be a goodish bit of +prize-money, too, which is not to be despised. Over eighty thousand +pounds in gold and, I should say, over twenty thousand pounds in goods, +makes even a midshipman's share something considerable. How is your arm, +Glover?" + +"Well, it has been hurting me a bit. I am not conscious of having used +it particularly, but I suppose when I was thrown down by that explosion +it must have got wrenched somehow." + +"Well, if I were you I would ask Dr. Bemish to have a look at it." + +Glover did so. It was black and blue from the shoulder down to the +elbow, and very tender to the touch. + +"I don't think anything is broken," the doctor said, "but it has been a +very close shave. At any rate, it is just as well that I should put on +splints and bandage it, and you must take to your sling again and keep +to it for some time. It is not tender above the shoulder, is it?" + +"No, doctor; I think it is all right there." + +"That is lucky. You ought to go on the sick-list." + +"I cannot do that, sir. It would be giving up the command of the +brigantine, and I would put up with anything rather than that." + +They had fine weather and a leading wind to Jamaica, and their arrival +there with the two captured prizes and the news that the piratical haunt +had been completely destroyed, created quite a sensation, which was +heightened by the rescue of so many females from the hands of the +pirates. Some fifteen of these found friends in the island, and the +scene when they were handed over to them was painful in the extreme. A +third of the number were French, and there were also some eighteen +Spaniards. All were temporarily taken in and cared for by families at +Port Royal, and were sent off as soon as opportunity offered either to +the islands for which they had been bound when captured, or to their +friends in Europe. + +Mr. Hill, in his report, had done full justice to the work done by the +_Cerf_, and had mentioned Nat's going on board the brigantine to drown +her magazine, and the great service that he had rendered in covering the +advance of the sailors by the guns of that craft, and in inflicting such +heavy punishment upon the two parties that had attempted to possess +themselves of the batteries, and the admiral sent for him and personally +congratulated him on his work. + +"I will see that as soon as you have passed, Mr. Glover, you shall have +your commission as acting lieutenant. I have not forgotten what Captain +Crosbie told me of your gallant action at Cape François." + +Mr. Hill was at once appointed to the command of a frigate whose captain +had died of yellow fever, and received the rank of commander pending its +confirmation from home; and Mr. Philpot, second lieutenant of that +frigate, was appointed first lieutenant of the _Orpheus_ in his place. +The schooner and the _Cerf_ were sold, for the latter had suffered so +much damage forward by the fire concentrated upon her by the pirates' +ships that she was considered unfit for further service. The other +brigantine was bought into the service. The plunder taken was sold by +auction, and the proceeds, together with the sum fetched by the three +prizes, brought the total up to one hundred and five thousand pounds, a +larger sum than had ever been captured by any vessel on the station. + +The new brigantine was re-christened the _Falcon_, and Mr. Low was +placed in command, with two midshipmen from other ships on the station +under him. She was not, like the _Cerf_, a tender to the _Orpheus_, as +the frigate could no longer spare a crew for her, having, in addition to +the loss in action, been obliged to send thirty men to hospital on +shore. The brigantine was therefore manned by drafts from other ships of +war on the station. Needham was also left on shore, being promoted at +once to the rank of lieutenant, which left Nat for the time senior +midshipman of the _Orpheus_, which was now directed to cruise in the +neighbourhood of Hayti, where complaints had been received of vessels +being missing. + +Two months after leaving Jamaica the _Orpheus_ again put in to Cape +François. Nat was still wearing his arm in a sling. There had been a +good deal of swelling and inflammation, but this had now abated, and in +his opinion his arm was perfectly well again, but the doctor insisted +that he should as a precautionary measure still use the sling. The +frigate needed some repairs, having carried away some spars in a +hurricane a week previously, and on the day of their arrival the captain +sent for Nat, and said kindly: + +"We shall be here for a week, Mr. Glover, and the doctor thinks that +another run among the hills will do you good, therefore you can go and +stay with your friends there until we sail again. If you return this day +week that will do. You have stuck to your work well, for Doctor Bemish +said that for the first month at least you ought to have been on the +sick-list, and at any rate you deserve a holiday for your share in that +fight." + +On landing Nat went first to Monsieur Duchesne's office. The planter had +but just driven in, and his horse and trap were still standing at the +door. The negro driver gave a friendly grin as he saw him. + +"Glad to see you, sah, bery glad; eberyone will be glad. Hope you all +well, sah?" + +"Thank you, Cĉsar. All well at the plantation, I hope?" and he went into +the office, where he was most warmly received by Monsieur Duchesne. + +"I had been told that your ship came into port at daybreak, my dear +Monsieur Glover, and I should have come off to ask after you as soon as +I had answered my letters, and to carry you off if the captain would +give you leave. But I see your arm is still in a sling. You have not +hurt it, I hope?" + +"I hurt it in that fight we had with the pirates. I dare say you heard +of it." + +"Everyone has heard of it," the planter said. "It was splendid, and +there is not one here who does not feel grateful indeed to your ship for +having rid us of all those scoundrels, who have been doing us so much +harm for years. You have not hurt it much, I hope?" + +"It was bad for a bit, but it is all right again now. The doctor orders +me to keep to the sling for some time longer, though I am sure there is +not the least necessity for it." + +"And now about your leave, shall I go off to the ship, think you?" + +"The captain himself gave me leave this morning for a week without my +even asking for it." + +"That is good news indeed. My carriage is at the door; I fortunately +told Cĉsar to wait, as there are some things to take back. My wife and +Myra will be delighted to see you, they talk of you always, and will be +glad indeed to have you with them again. My boy has gone out to buy the +matters required by madame, he will be back in a few minutes." + +A quarter of an hour later Nat was on his way out to the plantation, +where he was received with a welcome of the warmest kind by Madame +Duchesne and her daughter. Both were greatly concerned at finding that +his arm had again been injured. + +"It is hard indeed," Myra said, "that I should be so well and strong +again, and that you should still be suffering for what you did for me." + +"I do not think," he said, "that that business has really anything to do +with the last one. A pirate ship blew up close to us; the shock was +tremendous. The masts of the brigantine I was in snapped off as if they +had been carrots, everyone on deck was thrown down, twelve were killed +outright, and the rest of us were all a great deal bruised and hurt. The +doctor said that he thought my arm might very well have been broken even +had it not been for that accident, and as I came off better than most of +the others, I certainly have no reason to complain. It is really quite +well again now, and I can use it for almost all purposes. I consider it +absurd that I should wear this sling, and would take it off at once, +only the doctor made me promise that I would generally wear it; indeed, +on board I always took my arm out when I wanted to use it, and he said +himself that a certain amount of exercise was good for me." + +Monsieur Duchesne came home as usual just at sunset. Nat noticed that at +dinner he was evidently preoccupied, though he endeavoured to join in +the conversation as cheerily as usual. After the ladies had left the +table he said: + +"You may have noticed that I am _distrait_, Monsieur Glover, but it is +an anxious time for all of us on the island, and has been so, indeed, +for some time. You see we are divided into three classes: there are the +pure whites, the mulattoes, and the negroes, and even these are +subdivided. There are the old settlers, men who, like myself, belong to +noble French families, and who, I hope, keep up the best traditions of +our country; there are the poor whites, landless men who are +discontented with their position, and hate those who are better off, +while they stand aloof from the mulattoes. These, again, are equally +divided. Many of them are rich men with plantations. They send their +sons and daughters over to France to be educated, and take it much amiss +that we, who are of pure blood, do not associate with them. Then, again, +there are the negroes, who number no fewer than five hundred thousand, +while we whites are but forty thousand. We went on well enough together +until the States General met in France. It was a bad affair that, for us +as well as for France. From that time there has been a ferment. We sent +over deputies, eighteen of them, but the Assembly only allowed six to +take their seats, and while they snubbed us, the young mulattoes were +treated with the greatest favour. + +"Then came the news that the Assembly had passed a declaration asserting +all men to be free and equal. You may imagine what a shock this was to +us. Some of the mulattoes, in their excitement, took up arms to show +that they were free, but they were easily put down. However, when the +National Assembly heard of the excitement and dissatisfaction caused +among the French in all their colonies, they made another decree +authorizing each colony to elect its own legislative assembly. Our +assembly here lost their heads on finding power in their hands, and +passed a constitution which practically renounced all allegiance to +France. Some riots broke out, and things would have been very serious +had not, on the eleventh of October last year (1790), a decree been +passed by the National Assembly modifying the former one. However, on +the fifteenth of May they passed another, declaring all people of colour +in the French colonies, born of free parents, entitled to vote for +members of the colonial assembly, and to be elected to seats themselves. + +"When the news came here six weeks ago, you can imagine the excitement. +Meetings were held, and it was even proposed to throw off allegiance to +France and to hoist the British flag instead of ours. Happily calmer +thoughts came, and matters cooled down, but there can be no doubt that +the state of affairs is critical. The mulattoes, who outnumber the +whites, do not know how to contain themselves with joy, and disputes +between them and the whites take place daily. Then there are the +negroes. You see, the decree does nothing for them. It is hard to know +what the negroes think, even whether they care that they are not to have +a vote is not known to us. It is clear that it would be of little +advantage to them, and, you see, no one who was not out of his mind +could think of giving a vote to them, for their vote would be five times +as large as that of the whites and mulattoes together. We should have an +assembly composed entirely of slaves, and these slaves would at once +vote that all the land and property in the island should be divided +among themselves. What think you of that, Monsieur Glover?" + +"It would be madness indeed," Nat agreed. + +"Then, you see, even if they did not do that they would declare +themselves free, and we should all be ruined. _Sapristi!_ it makes one's +blood cold to think of such a thing. But, nevertheless, the negroes are +like children, they can be led by a little talk, and among them there +are men of some intelligence who could work the rest up to a state of +madness. I do not say that this will come--Heaven defend us from such a +calamity!--still, monsieur, you will comprehend that we all feel as if +we were sitting on the edge of a volcano. Such strange things happen. +What may not occur next? You will understand that I do not talk of these +things before my wife and child. They, of course, know about the past, +but as for the future they do not trouble themselves at all. I have +spoken to some of my friends, and they laugh at the idea of the slaves +rising. They say, truly enough, that they are far better treated here +than in your British colonies. But then there has been no revolution in +England. People have not been stirred up to a state of excitement. The +nation has not lost its head, as in France. I say that it is possible +there may be trouble with the slaves." + +"Not here, surely, monsieur? Your negroes seem to me to be contented and +happy, and I am sure they are well treated." + +"That is undoubtedly so; but, as I told you, the negroes are like +children, they will laugh one minute and scream with rage the next. +There is never any saying what they may do. I can hardly bring myself to +think that such a thing could happen, but I have taken to carrying +pistols in my pockets, and I have stored some arms in that closet in the +hall; at least I should have them handy, and I doubt not that the house +servants will remain true, and I hope many of my slaves. It is for this +that I have gathered the arms together." + +"But surely you would have warning?" + +"At the first whisper I should, of course, drive my wife and child down +to the town, where we should be safe, for there the whites are strong, +and we have no fear of an attack. However, we must trust that such a +thing may never happen, or that if it does, it may be in the far +distance. But come when it will, everyone should receive warning in +plenty of time to make all preparations. It seems to me impossible that +a plot of any magnitude could be passed from end to end of this island, +and be known to so vast a number of negroes, without some of them +warning their masters of the danger, for there are tens of thousands who +are almost like members of their masters' families." + +"I should say it is quite impossible that any extensive plot could be +hatched without its being known in a very short time to everyone," Nat +agreed; "and in any case, although those who live far in the interior of +the island might have reason to fear, should the negroes break out, I +can hardly think that, within little more than an hour's drive from the +city, you need feel any uneasiness whatever." + +"No, I feel that there ought to be no trouble here, at any rate unless +there is a successful insurrection in other parts of the island; no +doubt that would be infectious elsewhere. But the negroes near the town +would be the last to join in such a movement, for they might be sure +that the whites there would take speedy vengeance on all within their +reach. However, let us think no more of it at present; my wife and Myra +will be wondering what we can find to talk about so long." + +Nat lay awake for some time that night thinking of what Monsieur +Duchesne had said. He had heard vaguely, while he was there before, of +the manner in which the revolution in France had affected the island, +but it was a subject that was little discussed at the planter's. Having +all the feelings and prejudices of the old _noblesse_ of France, he had +from the first been opposed to the popular movement in Paris, and had +held himself altogether aloof from the demonstration on the island. The +subject was painful to him, and he had seldom alluded to it in his +family circle. It seemed to Nat inconceivable that any general movement +could be planned among the blacks without warning being received by the +planters. When he went out next day he looked with more attention than +before at the slaves working on the plantations. It seemed to him that +their demeanour was quieter than usual; the mulatto overseers seemed to +pay less attention to them, and he was surprised to come upon three of +them talking earnestly together, whereas, hitherto, he had always seen +them on different parts of the estate. + +On the following morning, the 23rd of August, Monsieur Duchesne started +as usual soon after seven o'clock, for the heat was now intense, and it +was dangerous to be out after the sun had obtained its full power. An +hour later Nat was sitting in the verandah behind the house with Madame +Duchesne and Myra, when an old negress ran out; her eyes were wide open +with terror and excitement, and her face was almost pale. + +"Madame and mam'selle must fly and hide themselves!" she exclaimed. +"Nigger come in half an hour ago wid news dat slabes rise last night in +many places all ober de country and kill all de whites. Dinah hear dat +all people expect dat, only not for anober two days. Oberseers de +leaders now. Dey come here quick wid all de field hands. Not a moment to +be lost. Fly for your libes!" + +"Impossible!" Madame Duchesne exclaimed, as she and Myra sprang to their +feet alarmed, but incredulous. + +"It may be true, madame," Nat exclaimed. "For God's sake run with Myra +in among the shrubbery there; I will join you in a moment. If it is a +false alarm all the better; but it may be true, and there is not a +moment to lose. Do you hear those shouts?" + +A burst of yells and shouts rose in the air a short distance away. + +"Run! run!" Nat exclaimed as he dashed into the house, rushed to the +closet in the hall, seized two brace of pistols, a sword, and half a +dozen packets of cartridges for the pistols, and then ran out into the +verandah just in time to see the white dresses of the ladies disappear +into the shrubbery close to the entrance of the verandah. Some wraps +which they sometimes put on to keep off the evening dew when they were +sitting out of doors were hung up close by him. Hastily snatching these +off their hooks, he dashed off at full speed, for the tumult was now +approaching the front of the house. The ladies had stopped just within +the cover of the bushes. "Run!" he cried; "there is not a moment to +lose. They will be searching for us as soon as they find that we are not +in the house." + +The belt of foliage extended all round the garden, and, keeping inside, +they ran to the other end. Fortunately, adjoining the garden was a +plantation of sugar-cane which had not yet been cut, for although the +greater portion of the cane is cut in April, freshly made plantations +planted at that time are not fit to cut until the autumn of the +following year. The canes were ten feet high, and as the rows were three +feet apart, there was plenty of room to run between them. Scarcely a +word was spoken as they hurried along. The plantation was some four +hundred yards across; beyond it stretched another of equal size, +extending to the edge of the forest. The canes here, which had been cut +four months before, were three feet high; at other times many negroes +would have been at work hoeing the ground round the roots, but when Nat +looked out cautiously from the edge of the higher canes not a soul was +to be seen. + +"I think it is perfectly safe," he said; "but you had better put on the +dark wraps, your light dresses would be seen a long distance away. We +had better move a short distance farther to the right before we attempt +to go straight on. If you will walk one after the other, treading in +each other's steps, I will take off my shoes and follow you; that will +destroy your traces, and the marks of my bare feet might be taken for +those of a negro. Please do not lose a moment," he said, as he saw that +Madame Duchesne was about to speak; "there will be time to talk when we +get into the forest and settle what we had best do." + +They had gone but a few yards when Nat's eye caught sight of a hoe lying +on the ground a short distance along one of the rows of the young canes. +He ran and fetched it, the others stopping while he did so. Then as he +went along he carefully obliterated his footsteps, and continued to do +so until when, after walking thirty or forty yards farther, he turned +into the young plantation. The surface of the ground was almost +dust-dry, and between the rows of the growing canes a track had been +worn by the feet of the slaves, who every two or three days hoed round +the roots; here, therefore, there was no occasion to use the hoe, as the +ground was so hard that his feet left no marks upon it. In a few minutes +they entered the wood and went in some little distance; then they +stopped. They could still hear the yells of the negroes, who, Nat +doubted not, were engaged in plundering the house, after which he felt +sure that there would be an eager search for the fugitives. + +The ground had been rising all the way. + +"I see you need a few minutes' rest," he said to Madame Duchesne, who +was so much shaken that it was evident she could walk but little +farther. "I will go back to the edge of the wood and see if there are +any signs of their following us." + +Just as he reached the open ground there was a louder outburst than +usual of exulting cries; he saw a column of smoke rising from the trees, +and knew that the negroes had set the house on fire. He returned at once +to the ladies. Madame Duchesne had sunk on the ground. Myra was kneeling +beside her. + +"We must go on, madame," he said; "the scoundrels have fired the +house." + +She rose to her feet. + +"I am better now," she said with a calmness that greatly pleased Nat. +"It seemed a dream at first. What does it all mean, Nat?" for she as +well as her daughter had come to address him by that name. + +"I fear it is a general rising of the blacks throughout the island," he +replied. "Monsieur Duchesne told me last night that he thought such an +event might possibly take place, but he made sure that if it occurred we +should have ample warning. By what your old nurse said it must have been +an arranged thing, to take place on the twenty-fifth, but something must +have hurried it. I think, to begin with, we had better go half a mile +farther into the forest. We can talk as we go." + +"Had we not better make straight for the town?" + +"I think not, though of course I will do whatever you believe to be +best; but there are a score of plantations between us and the town, and +I have no doubt that the slaves will have risen everywhere. Besides, if +your own negroes fail to follow our track, they will make sure that we +have gone in that direction, and will be on the look-out for us; +therefore I think that for the present we had better remain in the +forest." + +"But how can we live here?" she asked. + +"There will be no difficulty about that," he replied; "there are plenty +of plantations of yams, and I can go down and dig them up at night. The +young canes will quench your thirst if we fail to hit upon a spring, but +we know that there are several of these among the hills, for we pass +over five or six little streamlets on our way to the town." + +"I am sure Nat will look well after us," Myra said confidently; +"besides, mamma, I am certain that you could not walk down there. You +know you never do walk, and I cannot recollect your walking so far as +you have done to-day." + +This indeed had been the chief reason why Nat had decided that they had +better stay in the forest at present, although he had not mentioned it. +Like all Creoles--as whites born in the islands were called in the +French West Indies--Madame Duchesne was altogether unaccustomed to +exercise, and beyond a stroll in the garden when the heat of the day was +over, had not walked since her childhood. The heat, indeed, rendered a +journey of any kind next to impossible during the greater part of the +day. They had slaves to do their bidding, to wait on them, fetch and +carry, and consequently even in the house they had no occasion for the +slightest personal exertion. Madame Duchesne, being of a naturally more +energetic temperament than are Creoles in general, was less indolent +than the majority of the ladies of the island, but was wholly incapable +of taking a walk of which English ladies would have thought nothing. She +was already greatly exhausted by the excitement and the fatigue of their +hasty flight, and to Nat it seemed at once that it was hopeless for her +to think of attempting the journey of fifteen miles across a rough +country. + +The forest grew thicker as they advanced, and after walking for half an +hour Madame Duchesne declared that it was impossible for her to go +farther. Nat was indeed surprised that she had held on for so long. She +had been leaning on his arm, and he felt the weight becoming heavier and +heavier every step. She was bathed in perspiration, her breath came in +gasps, and he himself proposed a halt, feeling that she was at the end +of her strength. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +IN HIDING + + +"The first thing to do," Nat said, after he had seen that Madame +Duchesne was as comfortably seated as possible, "is to find some sort of +hiding-place. We may be sure that the negroes will search everywhere for +you, and that, released from work and having nothing to do, they will +wander about the woods, and one of them might come upon us at any +moment. Therefore, unless we can find some sort of shelter, I dare not +leave you for a minute." + +"But why should you leave us?" Myra asked. + +"We must eat and drink," he said. "I must endeavour to discover what is +going on elsewhere; I must, if possible, obtain a disguise, and +endeavour to find out what are the intentions of the blacks, and +ascertain whether it will be possible to obtain help from the town; and +I can begin to do nothing until I feel that you are at least +comparatively safe. There is no doubt, Madame Duchesne, that our +position is a very painful one, but we have a great deal to be thankful +for. If the rising had taken place in the night, as no doubt it did at +the plantations where the negroes began their work, we should all have +been murdered without the chance of resistance. Now, we have escaped +with our lives, and have the satisfaction of knowing that Monsieur +Duchesne is safe in the town, and will assuredly do his best to rescue +us; but that can hardly be yet. Cape François is no doubt in a state of +wild panic, and will in the first place be thinking of how it can best +defend itself." + +"There are, of course, many other planters there in the same position as +your husband. Each will be thinking of his own people; nothing like a +general effort will be possible. At any rate, it seems to me that it +must be some time before any operations can take place to put down the +insurrection. If one could but get hold of some messenger one could +trust, and could let Monsieur Duchesne know that you are for the present +safe, it would be an immense relief to him; but so far as we know at +present that old nurse is the only one of your slaves who is faithful, +and even if I could find her and get her to carry a note or a message, +it is unlikely in the extreme that she would be permitted to pass on +into the town. However, as I say, the first thing is to discover a +hiding-place where you would be comparatively safe, and before I go to +find a messenger I will look round for some clump of undergrowth where +nothing but close search could find you. I think that those bushes we +see across there would do for the moment. You cannot remain here, for +you would be seen at once by anyone who came along within fifty yards of +you. I will go and see at once whether it would do." + +Without waiting for an answer he hurried away. On examination he found +that the place was more suitable than he had expected. A great tree had +once stood there, and had been sawn off close to the ground. Round this +a clump of bushes had sprung up, growing so thickly that it was +impossible to see into the centre save by pushing aside the bushes and +entering the little circle. He hastened back. + +"It will do excellently for our hiding-place for the present," he said, +"and the sooner we are inside the better." + +He assisted Madame Duchesne to her feet, led her to the bushes, and then +bent some of them very carefully aside. The ladies made their way in, +and he followed them, seeing that each of the saplings fell back in its +natural position. + +"There, madame," he said, "unless anyone took it into his head to push +in as we have done we are absolutely safe. But it will be better that +you should keep your dark cloaks on. I do not think that anyone could +see through this thick screen of leaves, but it is as well to be on the +safe side." + +"You won't leave us at present?" + +"Certainly not," he said. "After it gets dark I shall make my way down +to the house. I must get a disguise of some sort; it does not matter +much what it is, for I expect the slaves will be dressing up in the +clothes they have stolen, no matter what they are. With some charred +wood I can blacken my face and hands. No doubt anyone would see at once +on looking at me closely that I was not a negro, but at a distance I +should pass." + +"You would make a better mulatto than you would a negro," Myra said. + +"So I should; as they are all shades of colour, I should not have to be +very particular." + +"If we had Dinah here with us," Myra said, "she could make you some dye. +She knows all about berries and roots, and generally doctors any of the +women who may be ill; she would know for sure of some berries that would +stain your skin." + +"Well, I must see if I can find her, Myra. If not, I must use the +charcoal, but certainly the other would be much the safer; and, you see, +thanks to my long stay with you before, I have got to speak French very +fairly now." + +The day passed slowly. Occasionally they heard shouts lower down in the +forest, but these did not come near them, and after a time died away. + +"I thought they would hardly come up as far as this," Nat said; "negroes +are not given to work unless they are obliged to, and they will find it +so pleasant doing nothing that they are hardly likely to give themselves +the trouble to search very far for us. Besides, doubtless they have +other things to think about. They will know that their work has only +begun when they have burnt their masters' houses, and killed all the +white people they can lay their hands upon, and that until they have +taken possession of the towns they are not masters of the island. No +doubt, too, they carried out the wine before they burnt the house." + +"Besides," Myra said, "there is the rum store; there are at least a +hundred barrels there." + +"Yes, I did not think of that. Well, I expect that before this the +greater part of them are drunk, and I don't suppose there will be a +sober man left to-night. That will make it an easy business for me to +find out what they are doing, and to get hold of the things that will be +useful to you. I am more afraid of the mulattoes than of the negroes." + +"Do you think that they would join the blacks?" + +"I have no doubt at all about it--I feel sure they have done so. I saw +three of them talking together yesterday; they were paying no attention +to the slaves, and I thought then that it was rather peculiar. Besides, +we know that these lower class of mulattoes are as hostile to the whites +as the negroes are, if not more so, and I have no doubt they have had a +good deal to do with exciting the slaves to revolt. And now, Madame +Duchesne, I will go down through the woods and get you some sugar-cane, +and look for a stream." + +Madame Duchesne protested, but she was accustomed to have every want +supplied as soon as expressed, and she was suffering much from thirst +after the excitement and effort. + +"You really require something," Nat went on. "You see, if I go down +after dark I may be away for two or three hours, and were you to wait +till then you would be in a fever with thirst. It is evident that the +negroes have all left the wood, therefore there can be no risk in my +going down and cutting a dozen of the young canes." + +"If you go," she said firmly, sitting up as she spoke, "you must leave +me two of your pistols--they are double-barrelled, are they not?" + +"Yes, madame." + +"Well, leave two. If the negroes come and begin to search this place I +shall shoot Myra first and then myself, for death would be a thousand +times preferable to falling into the hands of these wretches." + +"I think you are right there," Nat said gravely, "and if I thought that +there would be the slightest fear of their coming I would not leave you. +I shall not be away a quarter of an hour. I will leave my jacket and cap +here, and tie a handkerchief round my head, so that should I by any +chance come across a searcher, he will not recognize me until I am close +enough to silence him. I shall take the sword as well as the other brace +of pistols; it will be useful for cutting down the canes." + +Taking off his jacket and waistcoat, and tying his handkerchief round +his head, he made his way through the bushes, and then started at a fast +run down the hill, keeping, however, a sharp look-out as he went. As he +expected, there were no signs of the blacks. As he reached the edge of +the wood, and cut the canes, he could hear the sound of distant yells in +the direction of the house. + +"The brutes have got at the rum," he said. "If I had but half a dozen +blue-jackets, I believe I could clear the lot out. I do hope," he went +on, as he started on his way back, "I shall be able to lay my hand on +something to eat, and get hold of a bottle or two of wine. Madame will +never be able to get on on yams and sugar-canes, accustomed as she has +been to every luxury. Myra will be all right, she is a regular young +brick." As he neared the clump of bushes he cried out cheerily: "All +right, madame, I have got the canes, and have not caught sight of a +negro." An exclamation of relief followed. Madame Duchesne and Myra were +both standing as he entered, each with a pistol in her hand. + +"I was not alarmed by your footstep," she said, "for anyone who was +searching for us would come along slowly and stealthily; but I thought +you might be pursued." + +"If I had been," Nat laughed, "you may be very sure I should not have +brought them this way, but would have given them a dance all over the +place, and then slipped away and come back here." + +"I know that," she said earnestly, "but I am nervous and shaken." + +"Very naturally, too," Nat said: "you felt very much as I did when, +after that explosion, I went on board the other pirate to drown the +magazine. I believe that if anyone had given a shout close to me I +should have tumbled headlong down on the deck. I think, now, we are +perfectly safe till to-morrow. By the noises I heard down by the house I +should say that most of the slaves are drunk already, and you may be +sure that they will not think of starting to look for us till to-morrow. +Now, if you will take my advice, you will try to sleep a bit." + +Accustomed to sleep for two or three hours during the heat of the day, +Madame Duchesne was indeed feeling so drowsy that she could with +difficulty keep her eyes open, and she now in the course of a few +minutes was breathing quietly and regularly. + +"Now, Myra, do you watch by your mother while I go and look for water. +That tiny stream that crosses the road a quarter of a mile above your +house must come down not far from here, and it is essential that we +should be near it." + +"But it is near water that they are most likely to look for us." + +"I did not think of that, Myra; of course it is. Well, then, we must +move over this hill and hide up in the next little valley we come to. +There is a road that turns off half a mile above your house. I never +went far along it, but it seems to go right up into the heart of the +hills." + +"I never went up it either, Nat, but I have heard my father say there +were a good many small clearings up among the hills, some with twenty +slaves, some with only two or three." + +"Then, when I come back from seeing how things are going on at the +house, we had better make for that road, keeping along down at the end +of the plantation until we come to it. It will be much better to keep +straight along there till we pass some little valley where there is a +stream, than to wander about in the wood; and we shall be farther away +from those who may be looking after us. If your mother sleeps for two or +three hours she will be able to go some little distance to-night." + +Myra shook her head doubtingly. + +"We must get her on," he added, "even if we have to carry her. It is all +very well for us, because I am as hard as nails, and you do a lot of +walking for a white girl here, but your mother is not strong. You saw +how terribly exhausted she was when she got here, and it is quite likely +that she may knock up altogether; therefore it is essential to get her +into shelter. We are safe for to-day, but to-morrow we may have the +negroes all over the hills, and it will have to be a wonderfully good +hiding-place to escape their search." + +"But do you feel sure that they have risen on all the other +plantations?" + +"I have not the least doubt that they have risen on every plantation in +this neighbourhood. Your slaves were wonderfully well treated, and would +not have joined unless they had known that it was a general rising. You +know the old nurse said that it was to have been on the twenty-fifth, +which means, of course, that it was a great plot all over the island. +Of course in some places they may not have got the news yet, and may not +rise for a day or two, but you may be sure that all around here it has +been general." + +"But why should they want to kill us?" + +"Because they are really nothing but savages. Though they have in many +cases been slaves for generations, still there are always fresh slaves +arriving; and the others know that their fathers, like these, were +captured and sold to the whites, that they had terrible times in the +slave-ships, and are on some plantations treated like dogs, and are +bought and sold just like cattle. I don't wonder at it that, now they +have got a chance, as they think, they should take vengeance for all the +ills they have suffered. When they are at war with each other in Africa +they kill or enslave all who fall into their hands--men, women, or +children--and you may be sure that they will show no mercy here. When I +was down at the edge of the wood to cut those canes I could see smoke +rising from a dozen points lower down. It is possible that some besides +ourselves got warning in time, but I am afraid very few can have +escaped; for you see, once beyond the line of wood, which does not go +more than a mile or two further, there will be no hiding-places for +them. There is only one comfort, and that is, the news must have got +down to the town in a very short time, and there is no fear of your +father driving out and being taken by surprise. My greatest hope lies in +that old nurse of yours. She could do more in the way of helping us than +we could do ourselves. She could go and get things, and hear what is +going on. She is old, but she is a strong woman still, and could help to +carry your mother, and attend to her if she is ill." + +"Do you think she is going to be ill?" Myra asked anxiously, looking at +her mother. + +"I sincerely trust not, Myra, but I own that I am afraid of it. She is +breathing faster than she did, and she has moved restlessly several +times while we have been talking, and has a patch of colour on each +cheek, which looks like fever. However, we must hope for the best. +Anyhow, I shall bring Dinah up here if possible." + +So they talked till the sun went down. Madame Duchesne still slept, but +her breathing was perceptibly faster. She occasionally muttered to +herself, and scarcely lay still for a moment. + +"I will be going now," Nat said at last; "it will be pitch dark by the +time I get down to the house; it is dark already here. You have the +pistols, Myra, but you may be quite sure that no one will be searching +now. I may have some difficulty in finding these bushes when I come +back, but I will whistle, and when I do, do you give a call. I hope I +shall bring Dinah back with me." + +"Oh, I do hope you will. She would be a comfort to us." + +Nat heard a quaver in her voice, which showed that she was on the point +of breaking down. + +"You must not give way, Myra," he said. "You have been very plucky up to +now, and for your mother's sake you must keep up a brave heart and hope +always for the best. I rely upon you greatly. We may have many dangers +to go through, but with God's help we may hope to rejoin your father. +But we must be calm and patient. We have been marvellously fortunate so +far, and shall, I hope, be so until the end. When I find out what the +negroes intend to do we shall be able to decide upon our course. It may +be that they will pour down from all the plantations within thirty or +forty miles round and attack the town, or it may be that they will march +away into the mountains in the interior of the island, in which case the +road to the town will be open to us. Now, good-bye; I will be back as +soon as I can." + +"Do not hurry," she said. "I will try to be brave, and I don't mind +waiting, because I shall know that you are trying to get nurse, and of +course it may be difficult for you to find her alone." + +"Good-bye, then," he said cheerfully, and passing through the bushes he +went rapidly down the hill. + +On reaching the cane-field he again took off his shoes. He did not hurry +now. It was a tremendous responsibility that he had upon his shoulders. +He thought nothing of the danger to himself, but of how Madame Duchesne +and her daughter were to be sheltered and cared for if, as he feared, +the former was on the edge of an attack of fever, which might last for +days, and so prostrate her that weeks might elapse before she would be +fit to travel. + +"I must get Dinah at all costs," he said to himself. "She knows what +will be wanted, and will be a companion to Myra when I have to be away." + +As he neared the place where the house had stood he heard sounds of +shouting and singing coming from a spot near the storehouses, where a +broad glow of light showed that a great bonfire was burning. He kept in +the shrubbery until near the house, and then stepped out on to the +grass. The house was gone, and a pile of still glowing embers alone +marked where it had stood. Nat approached this, found a piece of charred +timber that had fallen a short distance from it, and proceeded to +blacken his face and hands. Then he turned towards the fire. As he had +expected, it was not long before he came across the figure of a +prostrate man, who was snoring in a drunken sleep. The stars gave +sufficient light for him to see as he bent over him that he was a negro. +He had attired himself in what when he put them on were a clean nankeen +jacket and trousers, a part of the spoil he had taken in the sack of the +house. Without ceremony Nat turned him over, and with some trouble +removed the garments and put them on over his own. Then he took the red +handkerchief that the negro had bound round his head and tied it on, +putting his own bandana in his pocket. + +"Now," he said to himself, "I shall do, provided I keep away from the +light of that fire. The first point is to find where Dinah has gone. I +know she has a daughter and some grandchildren down at the slaves' huts. +I should think I have most chance of finding her there." + +Turning off, he went to the huts, which lay two or three hundred yards +away from the house. As he did so he passed near the houses in which the +mulatto overseers lived. There were lights here, and he could hear the +sound of voices through the open windows. + +"I will come back to them later on," he said, "I may hear something of +their plans; but Dinah is the most important at present." + +He was soon among the slave huts. No one was about, the women being +mostly up at the fire with the men. He looked in at the door of each hut +he passed. As he was still without shoes his movements were noiseless. +In a few of them women were cooking, or putting their children to bed. +At the last hut of the first row which he visited an old negro woman was +rocking herself in great grief, and two or three children were playing +on the floor. Nat knew that he had come to the end of his search, by the +blue cotton dress with large white spots that the woman wore. He went in +and touched her. + +"Dinah," he whispered, "come outside!" + +She gave a little start of surprise, and then said to the children: + +"Now, you stop here, like good childer, Aunt Dinah is agoing out. If you +keep quiet she tell you story when she comes in." + +[Illustration: "IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE HE CAME ACROSS THE FIGURE OF A +PROSTRATE MAN."] + +Then she went out with Nat without any appearance of haste. By long +connection with the family she spoke French fairly well, whereas the +negro patois, although mostly composed of French words, was almost +unintelligible to him. + +"Tank de Lord dat you hab come back, Marse Glober. Dinah fret terrible +all day. Am de ladies well? Whar you hide dem?" + +"They are up in the wood, Dinah. I am greatly afraid that Madame +Duchesne is going to have fever, and you are sorely wanted there. Myra +said she was sure that you would come when you knew where they were." + +"For suah me come, massa," she said. "What madame and Mam'selle Myra do +widout Dinah? So you black your face?" + +"Yes, but I want some juice to make my face yellow like a mulatto. +Anyone could see that I was not a negro in the daylight." + +"Dat so. Me bring 'tuff wid me. What you want beside?" + +"We shall want a bottle or two of wine if you can get them, and a jug of +fresh water, and anything you can get in the way of eatables, and I +should say a cooking pot. Those are the principal things." + +"Dere am plenty ob boxes of wine up near house. Dis black trash like rum +better, leave wine for de mulattoes; dey bery bad man dose. Where you go +now, Marse Glober? Me take some time to get de tings." + +"It would be a good thing, too, if you could get hold of enough cotton +cloth to make dresses for them." + +The old woman nodded. + +"Plenty ob dat, sah. Storehouses all broke open, eberyone take what him +like. Dis dreadful day, almost break Dinah's heart." + +"It has been a terrible day, Dinah, and I am afraid that the same bad +work is going on everywhere." + +"So dey say, marse, so dey say. Where you go now, sah?" + +"I am going to the overseers' huts to hear what their plans are. Where +shall I meet you, Dinah?" + +"Me take tings to bush just where you and de ladies ran in. Me make two +or tree journeys, but me be as quick as can." + +"Do; it is anxious work for Myra there, and I want to get back as soon +as I can. Her mother is asleep, and even if she wakes I do not think she +will be able to talk much." + +"Me hurry, sah, but can't get 'tuff to stain you skin to-night. Find +berries up in de wood to-morrow." + +"There is one other thing, Dinah. Can you tell me where to find a +hand-barrow? I expect we shall have to carry your mistress." + +"Me know de sort ob ting dat you want, sah, dey carry tobacco leabes on +dem. Dere are a dozen ob dem lying outside de end store." + +"All right, Dinah, I will take one as I go past. Now I will go." + +So saying, he turned and made his way to the overseers' house. He crept +softly along to a lighted window. When in a line with it he stood up for +a minute, knowing that those inside would not be able to see him, there +being a screen of trees just behind him. The three mulattoes whom he had +seen talking together in the field on the previous day were seated round +a table. On it were placed two or three wine-glasses. All were smoking. + +"To-morrow we must get those drunken black hogs to work," one said, "and +have a regular search through the woods. Everything has gone well except +the escape of madame and her gal. Someone must have warned them. The +house niggers all agree that they were in the verandah behind just +before we came up, talking with that English lad. Of course they will be +found sooner or later, there is nowhere for them to run to. The thing +is, we want to find them ourselves. If anyone else came upon them they +would kill them at once." + +"Yes, and you will have some trouble if you find them, Monti," one of +the other men said. "These blacks have been told that every white must +be killed. It is easy enough to work these fellows up into a frenzy, but +it is not so easy to calm them down afterwards." + +"No, I am quite aware of that, Christophe, and that is why I did not +press the search to-day, and why I was not sorry to find that they had +got away." + +"You see, we have arranged that when the whites are all killed I am to +marry madame, that Paul is to take the young one, and that we are to +divide the place equally between the three of us." + +"If the negroes will let us," the one called Monti said. "I expect they +will want to have a say in the business." + +"Yes, of course, that is understood. No doubt there will be trouble with +them, and there is no saying how things will turn out yet. At any rate +we will make sure of the women. I have gone into this more for the sake +of getting the girl than for anything else." + +"We have made a good beginning everywhere, as far as we have heard, but +you must remember that it is only a beginning. Even suppose the whites +of the town do nothing, and I fancy we shall hear of them presently, +they will send over troops from France." + +"They can do nothing against us up in the mountains," Christophe said +scornfully. + +"That may be," the other said quietly; "but at any rate there are the +blacks to deal with. They have risen against the whites, but when they +have done with them we need not suppose for a moment that they are going +to work for us. Luckily, here it has been the order that no slave is to +be flogged without Duchesne's approving of it, and the result is that we +are for the present masters of this plantation, but we have heard that +at some of the other places the overseers as well as the whites have +been killed. The order has gone through the island that all the whites, +including women and children, are to be killed, and if we were to come +across the women when we have forty or fifty of the blacks with us I +don't think there would be a chance of our saving them. These negroes +are demons when their blood is up. They know, too, that they have gone +too far to be forgiven, and will believe that their safety depends upon +carrying out the orders faithfully. It seems to me that we are in a +rather awkward fix. If we don't take the blacks out to-morrow we sha'n't +find them, if we do take them out they will be killed." + +"We ourselves may find them," Paul said. + +"Yes; and if you do, they will have that English lad with them." + +"We can soon settle him," Christophe growled. + +"Well, I don't say we couldn't; but you know how he fought that hound, +and there was a report two days ago, from the town, that they have +attacked the Red Pirate's stronghold, taken it, and destroyed his four +ships. I grant that as we are three to one we shall kill him, but one or +two of us may go down before we do so. Now, I tell you frankly that as I +have no personal interest in finding those two women, I have no idea of +running the risk of getting myself shot in what is your affair +altogether. Any reasonable help I am willing to give you, but when it +comes to risking my life in the matter I say, 'No, thank you.'" + +The others broke into a torrent of savage oaths. + +"Well," he went on calmly, "I am by no means certain that the English +boy would not be a match for the three of us. We should not know where +he was, but he would see us, and he might shoot a couple of us down +before we had time to draw our pistols. Then it will be man against man; +and I know that girl has practised shooting, so that the odds would be +the other way. Now, I ask you calmly, is it worth it?" + +"What do you propose, then?" Paul asked sulkily, after a long silence. + +"I say that we had better wait till we can get hold of some of these +blacks; a little money and a little flattery will go a long way with +them. We can tell them that we have private orders that, although most +of the whites have to be put to death, a few are to be kept, among them +these two. We shall elect a president and generals, and it is right that +they should have white women to wait on them, just as the whites have +been having blacks. That is just the sort of thing that will take with +these ignorant fools. Then with, say, ten men we might search the woods +thoroughly, find the women, and hide them up somewhere under your +charge; but we must go quietly to work. A few days will make no +difference. We know that they can't get away. The men of the plantations +lower down have undertaken to see that no whites make their way into the +town. But it will not do to hurry the negroes, they are sure to be +either sullen or arrogant to-morrow. Some of them, when they get over +their drink, will begin to fear the consequences, others will be so +triumphant that for a time our influence will be gone." + +"That is the best plan," Christophe said. "You have the longest head of +us three, Monti. For a time it will be necessary to let the blacks have +their own way." + +Nat, while this conversation went on, had been fingering his pistol +indecisively. His blood was so fired by the events of the day, and the +certainty that hundreds of women and children must have been murdered, +that he would have had no hesitation in shooting the three mulattoes +down. Indeed he had quite intended to do so, in the case at any rate of +Paul and Christophe, when he learned their plans; the advice, however, +of the other, who was evidently the leading spirit, decided him against +this course. It was unlikely that he would be able to shoot the three, +for at the first shot they would doubtless knock the candle over; +besides, it was better that they should live. Evidently they would in +some way persuade the great mass of the negroes not to trouble +themselves to search the wood, and some days must elapse before they +could get a party together on whom they could rely to spare the women +and take them as prisoners. + +If they did so, and, as they proposed, put them in some hut in charge of +Paul and Christophe, he would have a fair chance of rescuing them, if he +succeeded in getting away at the time they were captured. At any rate, +if they carried out their plans they would have some days' respite, and +he could either take Madame Duchesne and Myra a good deal further into +the hills, or might even be able to get them into the town. + +The mulattoes now began to talk of other matters--how quickly the +insurrection would spread, the towns that were to be attacked, and the +steps to be taken--and he therefore quietly made off, and waited for +Dinah at the place agreed on. It was not long before she arrived with +her first load. + +"I am here," he said as she came up. "Now, what can I do? I had better +come and help you back with the other things. We can carry them in the +hand-barrow." + +"Yes, sah. I'se got dem all together, de tings we talked of, and tree or +four blankets, and a few tings for de ladies, and I'se taken two ob de +best frocks I could find in de huts. I'se got de wine and de food in a +big basket." + +"All right, Dinah; let us start at once, I am anxious to be back again +as soon as possible." + +In ten minutes they returned with all the things. The basket of wine and +provisions was the heaviest item. The clothes and blankets had been made +up into a bundle. + +"Me will carry dat on my head," Dinah said, "and de barrow." + +"No, I can take that, Dinah, that will balance the basket; besides, you +have that great jug of water to take. Now let us be off." + +After twenty minutes' walking they approached the spot where the ladies +were in hiding, but it was so dark under the trees that Nat could not +determine its exact position; he therefore whistled, at first softly and +then more loudly. Then he heard a call some little distance away. He +went on until he judged that he must be close, and then whistled again. +The reply came at once some thirty yards away. + +"Here we are, Myra," he said; "nurse is with me." + +An exclamation of delight was heard, and a minute later he made his way +through the bushes. + +"Mamma is awake," the girl said, "but she does not always understand +what I say; sometimes I cannot understand her, and her hands are as hot +as fire. I am glad Dinah is here." + +"You can't be gladder'n me, mam'selle. I hab brought some feber medicine +wid me, and a lantern and some candles." + +"Would it be safe to light the lantern?" Myra asked. + +"Quite safe," Nat said; "there is no chance whatever of anyone coming +along here; besides, we can put something round the lantern so as to +prevent it from being seen from outside. You have brought steel and +tinder, I hope, Dinah?" + +"Of course, marse, lamp no good widout; and I hab got sulphur matches, +no fear me forget them." + +"Give them to me, Dinah, I will strike a light while you attend to your +mistress." + +Dinah poured some water into a cup and then knelt down by Madame +Duchesne. + +"Here, dearie," she said, "Dinah brought you water and wine and tings to +eat. Here is a cup of water, I am sure you want it. Let me lift you up +to drink it." + +She lifted her and placed the cup in her hands, and she drank it off +eagerly. + +"Is that your voice, Dinah?" she said after a pause. + +"Yes, madame; I'se come up to help to take care ob you. Marse Glober +come and tell me whar you were, so you may be suah that me lose no time, +just wait to get a few tings dat you might want and den start up." + +"I think I am not very well, Dinah." + +"Jess a little poorly you be. Bery funny if you not poorly abter sich +wicked doings. Now de best ting dat you can do is to go to sleep and not +worry." + +"Give me another drink, Dinah." + +"Here it is, dis time a little wine wid de water and a little 'tuff to +make you sleep quiet. Den me double up a blanket for you to lie on and +put anober over you, and a bundle under your head, and den you go to +sleep firm. No trouble to-night; to-morrow morning we go on." + +Madame Duchesne drank off the contents of the cup. She was made as +comfortable as circumstances would permit, and it was not long before +her regular breathing showed that the medicine that Dinah had +administered had had the desired effect. + +"Now, Myra," Nat said, "we will investigate the contents of the basket. +I am beginning to get as hungry as a hunter, and I am sure that you must +be so too." + +"I am thirsty," the girl said, "but I do not feel hungry." + +"You will, directly you begin. Now, Dinah, what have you brought us?" + +"Dere am one roast chicken dar, Marse Glober. Dat was all I could get +cooked. Dere are six dead ones. I caught dem and wrung their necks jest +before I started. Dey no good now. Dere is bread baked fresh dis morning +before de troubles began, and dere is two pine-apples and a big melon." + +"Bravo, Dinah! You have got knives?" + +"Yes, sah, four knibes and forks." + +"We could manage without the forks, Dinah, but it is more comfortable +having them. Now we will cut the chicken up into three. It looks a fine +bird." + +"I'se had my dinner, sah; no want more." + +"That is all nonsense, Dinah," he said. "I am quite sure that you did +not eat much dinner to-day, and you will want your strength to-morrow." + +Dinah could not affirm that she had eaten much, and indeed she had +scarcely been able to swallow a mouthful in the middle of the day. The +meal was heartily enjoyed, and they made up with bread and fruit for the +shortness of the meat ration. + +"Now you two lie down," Nat said after they had chatted for an hour. "I +am accustomed to night watches and can sleep with one ear open, but I am +convinced that there is not the slightest need for any of us keeping +awake. When the lantern is out, which it will be as soon as you lie +down, if all the negroes came up into the woods to search for us I +should have no fear of their finding us." + +Dinah, however, insisted upon taking a share in watching, saying that +she was constantly sitting up at night with sick people. + +Finding that she was quite determined, Nat said: "Very well, Dinah. It +is ten o'clock now. I will watch till one o'clock, and then you can +watch till four. We shall be able to start then." + +"It won't be like light till five. No good start troo wood before that. +I'se sure to wake at one o'clock. I'se accustomed to wake any hour so as +to give medicines." + +"Very well, Dinah; I suppose you must have your way." + +Myra and the nurse therefore lay down, while Nat sat thinking over the +events of the day and the prospects of the future. He had said nothing +to the negress of the conversation that he had overheard, as on the way +from the house they had walked one behind the other and there had been +no opportunity for conversation, and he would not on any account have +Myra or her mother know the fate that these villains had proposed for +them. He wondered now whether he had done rightly in abstaining from +shooting one of them, but after thinking it over in every way he came to +the conclusion that it was best to have acted as he did, for they +clearly intended to do all in their power to save mother and daughter +from being massacred at once by the negroes. + +"Even if the worst comes to the worst," he said to himself, "they have +pistols, and I know will, as a last resource, use them against +themselves." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A TIME OF WAITING + + +Dinah woke two minutes before one o'clock, and Nat at once lay down and, +resolutely refusing to allow himself to think any more of the situation, +was soon fast asleep. + +"It am jess beginning to get light, Marse Glober," the negress said +when, as it seemed to him, he had not been five minutes asleep. However, +he jumped up at once. + +"It is very dark, still, Dinah." + +"It am dark, sah, but not so dark as it was. Bes' be off at once. Must +get well away before dem black fellows wake up." + +"How is Madame Duchesne?" + +"She sleep, sah; she no wake for another tree or four hours. Dinah give +pretty strong dose. Bes' dat she should know noting about it till we get +to a safe place." + +"But is there any safe place, Dinah?" + +"Yes, massa; me take you where dey neber tink of searching, but good way +off in hills." + +Myra by this time was on her feet also. + +"Have you slept well, Myra?" + +"Yes, I have slept pretty well, but in spite of the two blankets under +us it was awfully hard, and I feel stiff all over now." + +"How shall we divide the things, Dinah?" + +"Well, sah, do you tink you can take de head of de barrow? Dat pretty +heaby weight." + +"Oh, nonsense!" Nat said. "Madame Duchesne is a light weight, and if I +could get her comfortably on my back I could carry her any distance." + +"Dat bery well before starting, Marse Glober, you tell anoder story +before we gone very far." + +"Well, at any rate, I can carry a good deal more than one end of the +barrow." + +"Well, sah, we put all de blankets on de barrow before we put madame on +it, and put de bundle of clothes under her head. Den by her feet we put +de basket and oder tings. Dat divide de weight pretty fair." + +"But what am I to carry, nurse, may I ask?" + +"You just carry yourself, dearie; dat quite enough for you. It am a good +long way we hab to go, and some part of it am bery rough. You do bery +well if you walk dat distance." + +"That is right, Myra," Nat agreed. "We don't want to have to carry both +you and your mother, and though you have walked a good deal more than +most of the girls of your own class you have never done anything like +this." + +In a few minutes the preparations were completed. Madame Duchesne was +laid on the barrow, and the basket and other things packed near her +feet. Dinah took up the two front handles, Nat those behind, and, with +Myra walking by the side, they started. + +"Which way are we going, Dinah?" + +"Me show you, sah. We go up for some way, den we come on path; two miles +farder we cross a road, and den strike into forest again by a little +valley wiv a tiny stream running down him. After walk for an hour we +cross ober anoder hill all cohered wiv trees and find soon anoder +stream, quite little dere; hab a mile we follow him, den we find a place +where we 'top. We long way den from any plantation, dat quite wild +country." + +"Then how do you know the place, Dinah?" + +"Me'se not been dere for thirty years, Marse Glober, me active wench +den, twenty year old, me jest marry my husband, he dead and gone long +ago. He hab a broder on anoder plantation; dere bery bad oberseer, he +beat de slabes bery much. Jake he knock him down with hoe, and den take +to de hills; my husband know de place where he hide, and took me to it +one night, so dat I could find it again and carry food to him, cause he +not able to get away, hab to work on plantation. Me had a little +pickanniny and could 'teal away widout being noticed, and me went dere +seberal times; den oberseer killed by anoder slabe, and de master, who +was good man, he come out to enquire about it. When he heard how de +slabe had been treated, he bery angry and say it sarbe oberseer right. +When I heard dat I spoke to de ole marse, de grandfather ob dis chile +you know, he bery good man, like his son, and he went to de plantation +and got de marster to promise dat if Jake came back to work again he +should not be punished. And he kept his word. Dat is how me came to know +ob dis place. Since dat time me know dat many slabes hab hidden dere. +Now dat de slabes are masters, for suah dey not want to go near dat +place, and neber dream dat Madame and Mam'selle Myra know of dat place +and go and hide dere." + +By the time that they reached the path daylight had fairly broken. + +"We are not likely to meet anyone here, I hope, Dinah?" + +"No, sah, de blacks in de plantations dey go down by the road we shall +cross--suah to do dat to get quick the news ob what am going on in oder +places. If one come along here, dey see you black, and tink you nigger +like demselves. Mam'selle must slip into de bush, now she got dat gown +on, no one s'pect her being white a little way off. Den if dere is only +one or two, you shoot dem as soon as dey come up, if dar many of +them--but dere no chance ob dat--must make up some story." + +"I am afraid that no story would be any good, Dinah; if they came close +they would see at once that I am not a negro. However, we must hope that +we sha'n't meet anyone." + +Nat felt his arms ache a good deal before they arrived at the road they +had to cross, and he would have proposed a halt, but he was ashamed to +do so while Dinah was going on so steadily and uncomplainingly, though +he was sure that her share of the weight was at least as much as his. He +was pleased when, as the path approached the road, she said: + +"Put de barrow down now, Marse Glober. You go down on de road and see +dat no one is in sight, but me not tink dere am any danger. I know dat +dey rose at all dese little plantations up here yesterday; dere is suah +to be rum at some ob dem, and dey will all drink like hogs, just as dey +did at our place, and won't be stirring till de sun a long way up." + +In a minute he returned. + +"There is no one in sight, Dinah." + +"Dat is all right, sah, now we hurry across; once into de wood on de +ober side we safe, den we can sit down and rest for a bit." + +"I sha'n't be sorry, Dinah. You were quite right, my arms have begun to +ache pretty badly." + +The negress laughed. + +"Me begin to feel him too; dese arms not so young as dey were. De time +was I could hab carried de weight twice as far widout feeling it." + +When a few hundred yards in the wood they stopped for a quarter of an +hour, had a drink of wine and water, and ate a slice of melon and a +piece of bread. + +"Now we manage better," Dinah said as they stood up to continue the +journey. "We hab plenty of blankets," and taking one she tore off a +strip some six inches wide and gave it to Nat, and then a similar strip +for herself. "Now, sah, you lay dat flat across your shoulders, den take +de ends and twist dem tree or four times round de handle, just de right +length, so dat you can hold dem comfor'ble. I'se going to do de same. +Den you not feel de weight on your arm, it all on your shoulders; you +find it quite easy den." + +Nat found, indeed, that the weight so disposed was as nothing to what it +had been when it came entirely upon his arms. They soon descended into +the little valley Dinah had spoken of, and she at once emptied the rest +of the water out of the jug. + +"No use carry dat," she said, "can get plenty now wheneber we want it." + +"How are you feeling, Myra?" Nat asked presently. + +"I am beginning to feel tired, but I can hold on for a bit. Don't mind +about me, please, I shall do very well." + +She was, however, limping badly. After going to the end of the little +dip they crossed the dividing spur, and presently struck the other +depression of which Dinah had spoken. + +"There is no water here, Dinah; I hope it has not dried up." + +"No fear ob dat, sah. In de wet season water run here, but not now; we +find him farder down." + +The little valley deepened rapidly, the sides became rocky and broken, +and to Nat's satisfaction they presently came to a spot where a little +rill of water flowed out from a fissure in the rock. + +"How much farther, Dinah?" + +"A lillie quarter ob a mile." + +The sides of the valley closed in rapidly, and in a few minutes they +entered a ravine where the rocks rose perpendicularly on each side, the +passage between being but seven or eight feet wide. + +"We jest dere now, dearie," Dinah said to Myra, who was now so exhausted +that she could scarce drag her feet along. Another three or four minutes +and she stopped. + +"Here we are," she said. Nat looked round in surprise; there was no sign +of any opening in the rock. "It up dere," Dinah went on, pointing to a +clump of bushes growing on a ledge. + +"Up there, Dinah?" + +"Yes, sah; easy for us to climb up. You see where dere are little steps +made?" + +A casual observer would not have noticed them. They were not cut but +hammered out of the rock, and appeared like accidental indentations. + +"I see that we can climb up," he said, "but how we are to get the litter +up I have no idea." + +"No, sah, dat difficult. I'se been tinking it ober. Only possible way +is to take madame off de barrow and carry her up. You go up once or +twice, and you see dat it am not so hard as it seems. Dese lower holes +not deep, but dose higher up much deeper, can get foot well into dem." + +"I had better go up and have a look, Dinah," and Nat started to ascend. +He found that, as she had said, it was much easier than it looked. The +first four or five steps, indeed, were so shallow that he could not get +much foothold, but above there were holes for the feet some six or eight +inches deep, and three or four feet apart, these being hidden from the +sight of anyone passing below by a projecting ledge beneath. The holes +were much wider than necessary, the corners had been filled with earth +and tufts of coarse grass planted there, and these completely hid the +openings from sight. He soon reached the clump of bushes. Behind them +was a fissure some three feet wide and four feet high. He crawled into +this, and found that it widened into a cave. He was here able to stand +up, remaining motionless for a minute or two until his eyes became +accustomed to the dim light. Then he saw that it was of considerable +height, some twelve feet wide and about twenty feet deep. This was +indeed an admirable place of refuge, and he felt sure that no one, +unless previously acquainted with its existence, would be likely to +discover it. He went to the entrance and looked out. Myra was sitting +down by the side of a little pool. She had taken her shoes and stockings +off, and was bathing her blistered feet. + +"This is a splendid place, Myra," he said; "certainly nobody is ever +likely to find us here. The only difficulty is to get your mother up." +He at once rejoined them below. "The difficulty, Dinah, is that the face +of the rock is so steep that one cannot stoop forward enough to keep +one's balance with the weight on one's back. The only possible way that +I can conceive is to fasten Madame Duchesne firmly to the barrow by +these strips of blanket that we have been using. We can tear several +more from the same blanket. It will want at least half a dozen lashings +to keep her firmly down, then we must knot the other blankets to make a +strong rope. I will go up with the end and pull when I get to the top. +You can take the lower handles, and by holding them on a level with your +shoulders you can steady the thing as it comes up. You won't want to +lift, I can pull her weight up easily enough, all that you have to do is +to steady it." + +"Dat will do bery well, sah." + +Six strips of blanket were wound round Madame Duchesne as she lay on the +hand-barrow; one was across her forehead so as to prevent her head from +dropping forward, one was under the arms, and two more round the body, +the other two were over her legs. The baskets and other things had been +taken from the barrow. It was now lifted on to one end to see if there +was any sign of the body slipping. However, it remained firm in its +upright position. The blankets had already been knotted by Nat, whose +training enabled him to fasten them so securely that there was no risk +of their slipping. Then he ascended to the top of the steps and took his +place on the little platform on which the bushes were growing. + +"Now," he said, "I will raise it a few inches to see that it is properly +balanced." He had already seen that the proposal that Dinah should +steady it from below was not feasible. Although the first step was +immediately below the bushes, the others varied considerably, some being +almost in the same line as those next to them, so that two-thirds of the +way up the holes were six feet to the right of the spot from which they +had started, having evidently been so constructed that from below, had +anyone noticed them, they appeared to go away from the bushes, to which, +from the last hole that could be seen from below, there was no +communication whatever. The ledge, however, although scarce noticeable +from the bottom of the ravine, was really some eight inches wide, and +from this but one step was necessary to gain a footing on the platform. +Dinah, standing below, steadied the barrow as high as she could reach +the ends of the handles, and Nat then, leaning over, managed to raise it +to his level without doing more than scraping the face of the rock as it +rose. Dinah was on the ledge to receive it and pass it up to him, and +Nat had soon the satisfaction of seeing it laid safely down in the cave. +Myra was then got up without any difficulty. She clapped her hands as +she entered the cave. + +"This is splendid, Nat! I never dreamt that there could be such a safe +hiding-place." + +"It had to be, mam'selle," Dinah said, "for dey hunt runaway slabes with +blood-hounds. Slabes dat escape here keep all de way in de water. De bit +between de pools is all bare rock, not nice to walk on, but bery good +for scent, dat pass off in very short time, den walk down here in dis +water dat you see below us. Eben blood-hounds cannot smell track in +water. If dey came down here might smell de steps, but neber come here." + +"Could they come up the other way, Dinah?" + +"You go and look for yourself, sah, but mind you be careful." + +The wrappings had now been taken off Madame Duchesne, and the blankets +replaced beneath her. She was still apparently sound asleep. Dinah took +up the jug and went to the entrance, Nat followed her. + +"You have not given her too strong a dose I hope, Dinah?" + +"No, sah, no fear ob dat, she soon wake now. I shall sprinkle water in +her face, and pour a lillie wine down her troat, you see she wake den." + +"Will she be sensible, Dinah?" + +"Not at first, sah. She 'tupid for a bit, abter dat it depend on feber. +If feber strong, she no sensible, talk to herself just as if dreaming; +if feber not very strong she know us, but more likely not know us for +some time. Me got feber medicine, neber fear. Feber come on too quick to +be bery strong. When feber come on slow, den it seem to poison all ober, +take long time to get well; when it come on sudden like this, not like +to be bery bad." + +"Well, we must have patience, Dinah, and hope for the best. Now I will +go down with you and fetch all the things up." + +As soon as these were all housed in the cave, Nat said to Myra, "I will +explore down the stream and see what chance there is of anyone coming up +that way. Dinah evidently thinks that there is no fear of it, but I +should like to see for myself." + +Fifty yards farther on there was a sharp widening of the ravine, and +here some trees and thick undergrowth had taken root, and so overhung +the little stream that Nat had difficulty in making his way through +them. He remembered Dinah's warning, and advanced cautiously. Suddenly +he stopped. The stream fell away abruptly in front of him, and, +advancing cautiously to that point, he stood at the edge of an abrupt +fall. A wall of almost perpendicular rock rose on each side, and the +streamlet leaped sheer down fifty feet into a pool; as far as he could +see the chasm remained unbroken. + +"Splendid," he said to himself; "no one coming up here would be likely +to try farther. The bushes regularly interlace over the water, and there +seems no possible way of climbing up, at any rate, within a quarter of a +mile of this place, and for aught I know this ravine may go on for +another mile. Any party coming up would certainly conclude that no slave +could approach this way, and they would have to make a tremendous detour +over the hills and get to the point where the valley comes down to the +cave. It is certainly a grand hiding-place. I suppose when it was first +discovered those bushes did not grow in front of it; likely enough they +were planted on purpose to hide the entrance, and the place may have +been used by escaped slaves ever since the Spaniards first landed on the +island and began to persecute the unfortunate natives. Unless some of +the negroes who know of it put the mulattoes up to the secret, they may +search as much as they like but will never find us. I must ask Dinah +whether there are many who know of it." + +On returning to the cave he found that Madame Duchesne had wakened from +her long sleep. She was, however, quite unconscious; her eyes were +opened, and she was muttering rapidly to herself. Myra was sitting +beside her with the tears streaming down her cheeks. + +"You must not be alarmed," he said. "Dinah told me she would be so when +she woke up, but she thinks that though the attack of fever will be a +sharp one, it will not last very long. It is not, as is the case with +new-comers on the island, the result of malaria, or anything of that +sort, but of agitation and fatigue." + +"Hab you been down de stream, Marse Glober?" Dinah asked. + +"Yes, and you were quite right. There is no fear whatever of any one +coming to look for us from that direction. Are there many negroes who +know the secret of this place?" + +"Bery few," she said. "It am tole only to men who are going to take to +de hills, and who can't go farder, 'cause perhaps dey been flogged till +dey too weak to travel many miles. Each man who is tole has to take a +great oath dat he suah tell no one except anober slabe running away, or +someone who hab to go to take food to him; dat is how I came to know. +Jake had been tole when dey knew he going to run away. He tole his +broder, my husband, cause he had been flogged so bad he could not go to +de mountains. Den my husband tole me, 'cause he could not get away wid +de food. I neber tell anyone till now, cause dere no occasion for it; +slabes treated too well at our plantation to want to run away. But dere +am no doubt dat dere am slabes in oder plantations dat know of him, but +me no tink dey tell. In de first place dey take big oath, and dey suah +to die ef dey break dat; in de next place, because dey no tell dem +mulattoes, because some day perhaps dese will be oberseers again, and +den de secret of de cave be no longer ob use." + +"That is good, Dinah; those scoundrels I overheard talking the other +night will no doubt ask if any of the negroes know of any place where we +should be likely to hide, and if no one knows it but yourself they would +be able to get no information, and it is hardly likely that they would +ask the negroes of another plantation. Now, what is the first thing to +be done, Dinah?" + +"De first ting, sah, is to gader sticks to make fire." + +"All right. I will go up the ravine and bring down a bundle of dry +sticks from the forest. I will get them as dry as possible, so as not to +make a smoke." + +"No fear of anyone see smoke, massa. We no want great fire, and smoke +all scatter before it get to top of de trees up above." + +"Well, I will get them at once," he said. + +"I will pluck two of the fowls while you are away," Myra said. "I want +to be doing something." + +"When you come back, sah, I will go out and gader berries to make colour +for your face. When you hab got dat done, not much fear of your being +known." + +"You will have to get something to colour my hair, too," Nat said. "I +never could pass as a mulatto with this yellowish-brown hair." + +"Dat for true," Dinah assented. "I'se brought 'tuff to make dat, but had +no time to look for berries for skin. When you come back we make fire +first; me want boiling water for de med'cine me make for madame." + +"Yes, of course, that is the first thing," Nat said. "And when you go +anywhere to get provisions, Dinah, it would be a good thing if you could +get us a few yards of cord; it would be very handy for tying up faggots, +and would be useful in all sorts of ways." + +"Me will see about dat, sah. Me forgot 'im altogeder when me came away, +else would have brought a length; but you will find plenty ob creepers +dat will do bery well to tie up faggots." + +"So I shall, Dinah; I forgot that," and Nat started at once. + +In an hour he was back again with a huge bundle of dry wood. + +"Where would you light it?" he asked. + +"Jest inside entrance, sah. Dis good wood dat you hab brought, make bery +lillie smoke." + +After a little water had been boiled and Dinah had stewed some herbs and +chips of wood she had brought up with her, the two fowls were cut up and +the joints spitted on the ramrod of a pistol and grilled over the fire, +as in this way they would cook much more rapidly than if whole. As soon +as they were ready the party made a hearty meal. The medicine was by +this time cool, and Madame Duchesne was lifted up and the cup held to +her lips. She drank the draught without difficulty. Her face was now +flushed, and her hands burning hot. + +"What will that do, Dinah?" + +"Dat most de bark of a tree dat will get de feber down, sah. I'se going +to gib her dat ebery two hours; den when we see dat de feber abate, we +give her oder stuff to trow her into great sweat; abter dat she get +better. Now, while I am away, mam'selle, you boil water, cut up half ob +one of dem pine-apples, and when de water boil take 'im off de fire and +put de pine-apple in; and let 'im cool, dat make bery nice drink for +her. Now me go and find dem berries." + +Dinah was away two hours, and returned with an apronful of brown +berries; and with these, after Nat had washed all the black from his +face and hands, he was again stained, as was Myra also. She had rather a +darker tinge given to her than that which was considered sufficient for +Nat. + +"It make you too dark, sah; yo' light eyes show too much. Mam'selle hab +brown eyes and dark hair, and me make her regular little mulatto girl. +When get handkerchief round her head, and wid dat spot gown on, no one +'spect her ob being white." + +"You have brought in a great supply of berries, Dinah?" + +"Yes, sah; put on stain fresh ebery two or tree days." + +When it became dusk the candle was taken out of the lantern, lighted, +and stuck against the side of the cave. Dinah opened a bag and took out +a handful of coffee berries, which she roasted over the fire in a small +frying-pan which she had brought in addition to the pot. When they were +pounded up between two stones, some sugar was produced, and had it not +been for Madame Duchesne's state Myra and Nat would have really enjoyed +their meal. Then Dinah took from the basket a bundle of dried tobacco +leaves, rolled a cigar for Nat and one for herself. + +"Dat is what me call comfort," she said, as she puffed the weed with +intense enjoyment. "Bacca am de greatest pleasure dat de slabes hab +after their work be done." + +"It is a nasty habit, Dinah. I have told you so a great many times." + +"Yes, mam'selle, you tink so. You got a great many oder nice tings a +slabe not got, many nice tings; but when dey got bacca dey got +eberyting dey want. You no call it nasty, Marse Glober?" + +"No; I like it. I never smoked till after I got that hurt from the dog, +but not being able to do things like other fellows, I took to smoking. I +like it, and the doctor told me that it was a capital preventive against +fever." + +"Do they allow smoking on board ship, Nat?" + +"Well, of course it is not allowed on duty, and it is not allowed for +midshipmen at all; but of an evening, if we go forward, the officers on +watch never take any notice. And now about to-morrow, Dinah. Of course I +am most anxious to know what the news is, and whether this rising has +extended over the whole of the island, and if it is true that everywhere +they have murdered the whites." + +"Yes, sah, me understand dat." + +"Then I want, if it is possible, to send a line down to Monsieur +Duchesne to let him know that his wife and daughter have escaped and are +in a place of safety. He must be in a terrible state. The question is, +how would it be possible to send such a note?" + +"Me tink dat me could manage it, sah. My grandson Pete bery sharp boy. +Me tink he might manage to get down to de town, but de letter must be a +bery lillie one, so dat he can hide it in him woolly head. He might be +searched, and dey kill 'im for suah if dey find he take letter to white +man. He sharp as a needle, and often take messages from one of our +slabes to anoder on plantation eber so far away. Me quite suah dat he +bery glad to carry letter for mam'selle--make him as proud as peacock. +When dey in der senses all de slabes lobe her because she allus speaks +kindly to dem. He go suah enough, and bring message back." + +"It is lucky that I have a pencil with me," Nat said, and drawing out a +pocket-book he tore out a leaf. "Now, if you will tell me what to say, +Myra, I will write in your name." He went over to the candle. "You must +cut it very short, you know. I will write it as small as I can, but you +must not send more than one leaf." + + _Dearest Papa_, Myra dictated, _we have got away. Dinah warned us + in time, and mamma, Nat, and I ran up through the shrubbery and the + cane-fields to the forest. When it got dark--"After dark_" Nat put + in, "you must not use more words than is necessary "--_Nat went + down, found Dinah, and brought her up, and they brought lots of + things for us, and next morning carried mamma to this place, which + is in the mountains and very safe. Mamma has got fever from the + fright we had, but Dinah says she will not be ill long. We are both + dressed up in Dinah's clothes, and Nat and I have been stained + brown, and we look like mulattoes. Do not be anxious about us; the + negroes may search everywhere without finding us. Nat has a brace + of pistols, and mamma and I have one each, and he will take care of + us and bring us down safe as soon as Dinah thinks it can be done. + I hope to see you again soon._ + _Your most loving_ + _MYRA._ + +"That just fills it," Nat said as he rolled it up into a little ball. + +Dinah looked at it doubtfully. + +"I'se feared dat too big to hide in him wool," she said; "it bery +kinky." + +"Never mind that. He must manage to straighten it out and sew it +somewhere in his clothes. What time will you start, Dinah?" + +"Me start so as to get down to de plantation before it get light. Me can +find de way troo de wood easy 'nuff. It bery different ting to walk by +oneself, instead ob having to carry madame and to take 'tickler care +dat she goes along smoove and dat de barrow doesn't knock against +anyting. Best for me to be back before anyone wake up. Me don't suppose +anyone tink of me yesterday. Me told my darter Chloe dat she say noting +about me. If anyone ask her, den she say: 'Mover bery sad at house being +burnt down and madame and mam'selle run away. I tink she hab gone away +to be alone and hab a cry to herself, cause as she nurse both ob dem she +bery fond of dem, and no like to tink dat perhaps dey be caught and +killed.' But me no 'spect dat anyone tink about me; dey hab oder tings +to tink of. If I had run into wood when you run dere, dey know dat I +give you warning and perhaps show you some place to hide, but abter you +had gone I ran in again and met dem outside wid de oder house servants. +I top dere and see dem burn de house, and den walk down to Chloe's house +and talk to oder women; so no one tink dat I know more 'bout you dan +anyone else." + +"That was very wise, Dinah. Now mind, what we particularly want to know +is not only what the negroes have done, but what they are going to do. +Are they going to march away to the hills, or are they going to attack +the town?" + +Dinah nodded. + +"Me see all about dat, sah. Now, mam'selle, don't you forget to gib your +mamma de medicine ebery two hours!" + +"I sha'n't forget, Dinah." + +Dinah took up the basket. + +"Me bring up bread and more chicken, and more wine if dey hab not drunk +it all. Now keep up your heart, dearie; eberyting come right in de end," +and with a cheerful nod she started on her errand. + +"Your nurse is a trump, Myra," Nat said. "We should feel very helpless +without her, though of course I should do what I could. When she comes +back to-morrow I will go out myself. I hate to sit here doing nothing +when all the island is in a blaze." + +"I wish I knew what has become of the family of Madame Bayou. Her +daughter Julie is my greatest friend. You know them well, Nat, for we +drove over there several times when you were with us, and Madame Bayou +and Julie often spent the day with us. Of course they were not quite of +our class, as Monsieur Bayou is only superintendent to the Count de Noe, +who has been in France for some years; but he is a gentleman by birth, +and, I believe, a distant relation of the count's, and as they were our +nearest neighbours and Julie is just my age we were very intimate." + +"Yes, of course I remember them well, and that coachman of theirs. I +generally had a talk with him when they were over at your place. He was +a wonderfully intelligent fellow for a negro. He told me that he had +been taught by another black, who had been educated by some +missionaries. He could read and write well, and even knew a little +Latin." + +"Yes, I have heard papa say that he was the most intelligent negro he +had ever met, and that he was very much respected by all the negroes +round. I know M. Bayou had the greatest confidence in him, and I can't +help thinking that even if all the others broke out he would have saved +the lives of the family." + +"If you like I will go down and see to-morrow evening. I agree with you +that it is likely he would be faithful, but he may not have been able to +be so. However much he may be respected by the other blacks, one man can +do very little when a crowd of others half mad with excitement are +against him; and I suppose after all that it would be only natural that +his sympathies should be with men of his own colour, and being so +exceptionally well educated and intelligent he would naturally be chosen +as one of their leaders. However, he may have warned the family, and +possibly they may be hiding somewhere in the woods just as we are. I +should hope that a great many families have been saved that way." + +"Will it be necessary to keep watch to-night, Nat?" + +"No, I do not think there is any risk. Even the negroes who know of this +cave will not think of looking for us here, as they would not imagine we +could be acquainted with its existence. I think we can safely take a +good night's rest, and we shall be all the better for it." + +It was not till nearly daylight on the second day after starting that +Dinah returned. + +"Me not able to get away before," she said. "In de first place me hab to +wait till boy come back wid answer. Here 'tis," and she pulled a small +pellet of paper from her hair. + +Myra seized it and flattened it out. + + _Thank God for the good news. I have been nearly mad. At present + can do nothing. We expect to be attacked every hour. God protect + you both._ + +There was no signature. Monsieur Duchesne was evidently afraid that, +were the note to fall into the hands of the revolting leaders, a fresh +search would be instituted by them. + +"Dat boy bery nearly killed," Dinah said. "He creep and crawl troo de +blacks widout being seen, and get close to de white men out guarding de +place. Dey seize him and say he spy, and bery near hang him; den he took +out de paper just in time, and said it for Massa Duchesne; den dey march +him to town, woke up massa, and den, ob course, it was all right. It too +late to come back dat night, but he crawl out and lie close to where +dose black rascals were watching. Directly it get dark he get up, he +crawl troo dem, and run bery hard back, and directly he gib me paper I +start back here." + +"That was very good of him," Myra said; "when these troubles are over, +Dinah, you may be sure that my father will reward him handsomely." + +"Me suah of dat, mam'selle. He offer him ten louis, but Jake say no, if +he be searched and dat gold found on 'im dey hang 'm up for suah. Marse +say bery good, do much more dan dat for him when dese troubles ober. And +now, dearie, how is madame going on?" and she went to the side of Madame +Duchesne, put her hand on her forehead, and listened to her breathing. +She turned round with a satisfied nod. "Feber nearly gone," she said; +"two or tree days she open eyes and know us." + +"And how did you get on, Dinah?" + +"Me hab no trouble, sah; most ob de black fellows drunk all de day long. +Nobody noticed dat Dinah was not dere. Some of de women dey say, 'What +you do all day yesterday, Dinah?' and me say, 'Me ill, me no like dese +doings.' Dey talk and say, 'Grand ting eberyone be free, eberyone hab +plenty ob land, no work any more.' I say, 'Dat so, but what de use ob +land if no work? where dey get cloth for dress? where dey get meal and +rice? Dey tink all dese things grow widout work. What dey do when dey +old, or when dey ill? Who look after dem?' Some ob dem want to quarrel; +oders say, 'Dinah old woman, she hab plenty sense, what she say she say +for true.' Me tell dem dat me no able to 'tand sight ob house burnt, +no one at work in fields, madame and darter gone, no one know +where--perhaps killed. Dinah go and live by herself in de wood, only +come down sometimes when she want food. She say dat to 'splain why she +go away and come back sometimes." + +"A very good idea, very good," Nat said warmly; "the women were not +wrong when they said you had plenty of good sense. And now, Dinah, what +is the news from other parts of the island?" + +The old nurse was at the moment standing partly behind Myra, and she +shook her head over the girl's shoulder to show that she did not wish to +say anything before her, then she replied: + +"Plenty ob talk, some say one ting some anoder; not worf listen to such +foolishness." + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +AN ATTACK ON THE CAVE + + +Dinah lay down for a short sleep. It was far too late for Nat to start +for Count de Noe's plantation, and when it was broad daylight, he went +down to the pool for a bathe. When he returned, Dinah was standing at +the entrance. She held up her hand to signal to him to stay below. She +came down the steps, and sat down with him on a stone twenty or thirty +yards up the stream. + +"Mam'selle hab gone to sleep again," she said; "now we can talk quiet." + +"And what is your news, Dinah?" he asked. + +"Marse Glober, it am jest awful. It seem to Dinah dat all de black +folk in dis island am turned into debils--from eberywhar de same +story--eberywhar de white massas and de ladies and de childer all +killed. Dat not de worst, sah, dey not content wid killing dem, dey put +dem to horrible tortures. Me can't tell you all de terrible tings dat +I'se heard; me jest tell you one, dat enough for you to guess what de +oders are. Dey caught one white man, a carpenter, dey tied 'im between +two planks and dey carry 'im to his saw-pit and dey saw 'im asunder. In +one place de niggers march to attack town, and what you tink dey take +for dere flag? A lilly white baby wid a spear run troo him. As to de +ladies, me can no speak of de awful tings me hab heard. You quite right +to gib pistol to madame and mam'selle, dey do well shoot demselves +before dese yellow and black debils get hold of dem. Me neber tink dat +me hab shame for my colour, now I hab shame; if me could lift my hands +and ebery mulatto and black man in dis island all fall dead, me lift dem +now, and me glad me fall dead wid de rest." + +"This is awful, indeed, Dinah; as you say the negroes seem to have +become fiends. I could understand it in plantations where they are badly +treated, but it is certain that this was quite the exception, and that, +on the whole, they were comfortable and happy before this trouble began. +I know they were on Monsieur Duchesne's estate, and on all those I +visited when I was here before. I do not say they might not have +preferred to be free." + +"What good dat do dem, sah? If free, not work; dey worse off dan when +slabes. Where dey get close? where dey get food? what dey do when dey +get old? Look at Dinah, she allus comfor'ble and happy. She could work +now tho' she old, but she hab no work to do 'cept when she like to dust +room; she get plenty ob good food, she know well dat howeber old she +live, massa and madame make her comfor'ble. Suppose she like de oders, +and stop down at de huts, what den? who gib de ole woman food? who gib +her close? who gib her wine and medicine? No, sah, dis am bad business +all troo--terrible bad for white men, terrible bad for black men, +terrible bad for eberyone. + +"Next you see come de turn of de white man. Dey come out from de towns, +plenty guns and powder, dey attack de blacks, dey shoot dem down like +dogs, dey hunt dem troo de hills; dey show dem no mercy, and dey don't +deserve none, massa. It would hab been better had big wave come swallow +dis island up, better for eberyone; white man go to white man's heaben, +good black man go to heaben, either de same heaben, or de black man's +heaben. Now, suah enough, dere no heaben for dese black men who hab done +dese tings, dey all shut out; dey no let dem in 'cause dey hab blood on +dere hands, me heard priest say dat St. Peter he sit at de gate. Well, +sah, you bery suah dat St. Peter him shake him head when black fellow +from dis island come up and ask to go in. All dis dreadful, massa;" and +the tears ran plentifully down the old nurse's cheeks. + +"It won't be as bad as that, Dinah," Nat said soothingly. "There must be +a great many who have taken no part in this horrible affair, and who +have only risen because they were afraid to hang back." + +"Don't you whisper word to Mam'selle Myra 'bout dese tings, Marse +Glober." + +"You may be sure that I shall not do so, Dinah; but certainly I shall, +whenever I leave her, tell her not to hesitate to use her pistol against +herself." + +"If de negroes find dis cave, you trust to me," the negress said firmly. +"I'se heard dat it bery wicked ting to kill oneself. Bery well, sah, me +won't let madame and mam'selle do wicked ting. Dinah got long knife +hidden, if dey come Dinah kill bofe ob dem, den dey no do wicked deed. +As to Dinah, she poor ole negro woman. Better dat St. Peter say to her, +'You no come in, dere blood on hands,' dan dat he should say dat to de +two white ladies she hab nursed." + +Nat's eyes were moist, and his voice shook at this proof of the old +woman's devotion, and he said unsteadily: + +"St. Peter would not blame you, Dinah. He would know why there was blood +on your hands, and he would say, 'Come in, you have rendered to your +mistresses the last and greatest services possible.'" + +After breakfast Dinah washed his shirt, his white nankeen trousers, and +jacket, and, as he had not a red sash to wind round his waist, he took +the ornaments and slings from his sword-belt and put this on. + +"You pass bery well, sah, for mulatto man; de only ting am de hat. Dat +red handkerchief bery well when you pretend to be negro, but not suit +mulatto, and Dinah will go see what she find at dose plantation on de +hills." + +"No, Dinah, you must not run risks." + +"No risk in dat, sah. Dinah known bery well at most of de plantations +round. I'se got a name for hab good medicines for febers, and ointments +for sores, and women dat hab childer ill bring dem down to me from all +parts. Bery simple for me to go round and say dat now de house gone and +de ladies and all, me not like to stay down dere and be trouble to my +darters. Plenty for 'em to do to keep demselves and der childer. Me +going to trabel round de country and nurse de sick and sell my +medicines. Suah to meet some woman whose child me hab cured; ask her if +she know anyone who hab got straw-hat--dere suah to be straw-hats in +planters' houses--me say dat a mulatto hab lost his, and not able to go +down to town to buy one, and told me would gib me dollar if I could get +him good one. Me try to get someting for sash too." + +"That would be almost as difficult as the hat, Dinah." + +Dinah shook her head. + +"Plenty ob women got red shawl, sah; most all got red handkerchief. Buy +one shawl or six handkerchief, bring dem home, cut dem up, and sew dem +together; dat make bery good sash. You no trouble, massa; you keep quiet +here all day and look abter madame. I'se sure to be back before it time +for you to start." + +Dinah indeed returned just as the sun was sinking. She carried a small +bundle in one hand, and a broad-brimmed straw-hat in the other. + +"Well done, Dinah!" Nat exclaimed as he returned after sitting for a +couple of hours on the rocks near the fall, and found her in the cave. +"How did you get the hat?" + +"Jess as I said, sah; me found one woman who allus bery grateful to +me-for sabing her chile. I tell her I want straw-hat. She said she could +get me one, two, or tree hats in de house ob mulatto oberseer. She 'teal +one for me. Most of de men down in de plain, so she take basket and go +up to de house garden--ebery one take what dey want now. She get some +green 'tuff, as if for her dinner; den she go round by mulatto man's +house, she look in at window and see hats; she take one, put 'im in +basket and cober 'im ober, den bring um back to me. She had red shawl; +she gib it me, but I make her take dollar for it. Me hide de hat under +my dress till me get away into de woods again, den me carry um. Now, +sah, put um on. Dat suit you bery well, sah; you pass for young mulatto +man when I got dis shawl cut up and sewn togeder. You please to know dat +madame open her eyes lillie time ago, and know mam'selle and Dinah. Me +gib her drink ob pine-apple juice wid water in which me boil poppy +seeds; she drink and go off in quiet sleep; when she wake to-morrow I +'spect she able to talk." + +"I don't like your going, Nat," Myra said when, the shawl having been +converted into a sash, he put his pistols into it. "We have heard, you +see, that the Bayous were not killed in the first attack, and I do not +see that you can learn more." + +"I should not run the risk, such as it may be, merely to ask that +question. But I think that their coachman, Toussaint, must have saved +them. I want to see him; possibly he may have made some arrangements for +getting them down to the coast, and he might be willing to allow you +and your mother to go down with them. Of course she would have to be +carried, but that might not add much to the difficulty." + +Receiving general instructions from Dinah as to the shortest route, he +started, without giving time for Myra to remonstrate further. After two +hours' walking he approached the plantation of Count Noe. The house was, +of course, gone. Seeing a negro girl, he went up to her. + +"Which is the house of Toussaint?" he asked. + +She pointed to a path. + +"It am de first house you come to," she said; "he used to live at de +stables, but now he hab de house ob one of de oberseers who was killed +because he did not join us." + +On reaching the house indicated he looked in at the window, and saw the +person he was looking for sitting at a table reading. He was now a man +of forty-eight years old, tall in stature, with a face unusually +intelligent for one of his race. His manners were quiet and simple, and +there was a certain dignity in his bearing that bespoke a feeling that +he was superior to the race to which he belonged and the position he +occupied. Nat went round to the door and knocked. Toussaint opened it. + +"Have you a letter for me?" he asked quietly, supposing that his visitor +had come with a message to him from one of the leaders of the rebellion. + +Nat entered and closed the door behind him. + +"Then you do not remember me, Toussaint?" + +The negro recognized the voice, and the doubtful accent with which his +visitor spoke French. + +"You are the young English officer," he exclaimed, "though I should not +have known you but for the voice. I heard that you were at Monsieur +Duchesne's, and it was believed that you had fled to the woods with his +wife and daughter. I am glad that they escaped." + +"I have come from them, Toussaint--at least from the daughter, for the +mother has had an attack of fever. She heard that the family here had +also escaped, and she said at once that she felt sure you had aided +them." + +"I did so," the negro said quietly; "they were the family I served, and +it was my duty to save them; moreover, they had always been kind to me. +They are safe--I saw them down to the coast last night. I risked my +life, for although the slaves round here respect me and look upon me as +their leader, even that would not have saved me had they suspected that +I had saved white people from death." + +"But you are not with them, Toussaint, surely?" + +The negro drew himself up. + +"I am with my countrymen," he said; "I have always felt their position +greatly. Why should we be treated as cattle because we differ in colour +from others? I did my duty to my employers, and now that that is done I +am free, and to-morrow I shall join the bands under François and +Biassou. I regret most deeply that my people should have disgraced their +cause by murders. Of the two thousand whites who have fallen fully one +half are women and children, therefore there could have been but one +thousand men who, if they had been allowed to go free down to the town, +could have fought against us; and what are a thousand men, when we are +half a million? It has been a mistake that may well ruin our cause; +among the whites everywhere it will confirm their opinion of our race +that we are but savages, brutal and bloodthirsty, when we have the +opportunity. In France it will excite those against us who were before +our friends, and French troops will pour into the islands, whereas, had +the revolution been a peaceful one, it would have been approved by the +friends of liberty there. It is terrible, nevertheless it makes it all +the more necessary that those who have some influence should use it for +good. Now that the first fury has passed, better thoughts may prevail, +and we may conduct the war without such horrors; but even of that I have +no great hope. We may be sure that the whites will take a terrible +vengeance, the blacks will retaliate; it will be blood for blood on both +sides. However, in a case like this the lives of individuals are as +nothing, the cause is everything. I have myself no animosity against the +whites, but many of my countrymen have just cause for hatred against +them, and were any to try to interfere to prevent them from taking the +vengeance they consider their right, it would cause dissension and so +prejudice our chances of success. You can understand, then, that I shall +hold myself aloof altogether from any interference. I am sorry for the +ladies, but now that I have done my duty to my late employers, I have a +paramount duty to discharge to my countrymen, and decline to interfere +in any way." + +"Then all I can say is," Nat said sternly, "that I trust that some day, +when you are in the power of your enemies, there will be none to give +you the aid you now deny to women in distress." + +So saying, he turned and went out through the door, and before morning +broke arrived again at the cave. Not wishing to disturb the others, he +lay down outside until the sun was up, then he went along the stream for +some distance and bathed. As he returned, Myra was standing on the ledge +outside the entrance. + +"Welcome back!" she called out. "What news have you brought?" + +"Good news as far as your friends are concerned. Toussaint has got them +down to the coast, and sent them to Cape François in a boat." + +"That is good news indeed," she cried. "Oh, I am glad! Now, what is the +bad news?" + +"The only bad news is that the negro declined to help you in the same +way. He is starting this morning to join some bands of slaves up in the +hills." + +"That is hardly bad news," she said, "for I never supposed that he would +help us. There was no reason why he should run any risks for our sake." + +"I hoped that he would have done so, Myra; but at the same time, as he +evidently regards the success of the blacks as certain, and expects to +become one of their leaders, one can understand that he does not care to +run any risk of compromising himself." + +"Mamma is better this morning," Myra said; "she has asked after you, and +remembers what happened before her fever began." + +"That is good indeed. As soon as she gets strong enough to travel we +will begin to think how we can best make our way down to the town." + +Four days later, Dinah, on her return from a visit to the plantations, +said that there had just been some fighting between the whites coming +out from Cape François and the slaves. They said that a ship had arrived +with some French troops, and that all the white men in the town were +coming out, and that they were killing every negro they found. The women +and children from the plantations in the plains were all flying into the +woods. + +"Then it strikes me, Dinah, that our position here is a very dangerous +one. You may be sure that the slaves will not be able to stand against +the whites and the soldiers, and that numbers of them will go into +hiding, and it is very likely that some who know the secret of this +place will come here." + +"Yes, sah, I'se not thought ob dat; but, sure enough, it am bery likely +dat some ob dem may do so. What you tink had best be done? If de slabes +all running into de wood de danger of passing troo would be much +greater dan it hab been. And eben if madame could walk, it would be bery +great risk to go down--great risk to 'top here too. What you tink?" + +"I don't know what to think, Dinah; there is one thing, it is not likely +that many of them would come here." + +"No, sah; dose who know about de cave would know dat not more dan eight +or ten could hide here--no use to bring a lot ob people wid dem." + +"That is what I think, Dinah; they will keep the secret to themselves. +Now against eight or ten of them, I am sure that I could hold this +place, but some of them, when they found they could not get in, would go +back again and might lead a strong party here, or might keep watch +higher up, and starve us out. And even if the whites beat them out of +all the plantations, they would not know where to look for us, and would +have too much on their hands to scatter all over the hills. If we are to +join them it must be by going down." + +"Dinah might go and tell dem, sah." + +Nat shook his head. + +"I am afraid, Dinah, that their passions will be so much aroused at the +wholesale murder of the whites that they will shoot every black they +come across, man or woman, and you would be shot long before you could +get close enough to explain why you had come. No, I think the only thing +to be done, as far as I can see, is that you should go down from time to +time to let us know how things are going. I do not think that the whites +are likely to get very far along the road. You may be sure that when the +troops started from the town news was sent at once to the leaders, and +it is likely that they will move a great number of men down to oppose +them, and will likely enough drive them back. However, the great thing +for us is to know where they are and what they are doing. It is likely +that now the whites have advanced there will no longer be any watch +kept to prevent people, in hiding like ourselves, from going down to the +town; if you find out that that is so, we will put madame on her barrow +again, and carry her down. Of course we should have to chance being met +when going through the forest, but we must risk that." + +"Yes, I tink dat de only plan, sah." + +Accordingly, Dinah started again the next morning. Nat felt very +anxious, and took up his place near the entrance to the cave. Myra was +busy seeing to the cooking and in attending upon her mother. About four +o'clock he thought he heard voices, and, crawling cautiously to the +mouth of the cave, he looked out through the bushes. Eight men were +coming along; six of them were negroes, and the other two were the +mulatto overseers whose conversation he had overheard. He called softly +to Myra: + +"Don't be alarmed, Myra, we are going to have a fight, but I have no +fear whatever of their taking us. Only one can attack at once, and he +can only come slowly. There are eight of them; you may as well bring me +the two other pistols. I would not take them if I thought there was the +smallest chance of these fellows getting up here. Go and tell your +mother not to be frightened, and then do you come and sit down behind +me. I will hand the pistols to you to load. There are only eight of +these fellows, and if there were eighty, we could hold the cave; even if +they got up to the platform they could only enter, stooping, one at a +time. Go at once to your mother, they will be here directly." + +"How much farther is this place?" the mulatto Christophe asked. + +"Right dar behind dat bush," the negro said; "you go up by dem steps." + +"It is a splendid hiding-place, Paul." + +"Yes. No one who did not know of it would have a chance of finding it. +There is someone there now; don't you see a light smoke rising behind +the bush?" + +"So there is! I should not be surprised if the woman Duchesne and her +daughter are there. It is certain that someone must have helped them +off, or we should have found them long ago." + +"Well, it will be a rare piece of luck if they are there." + +The negroes had already noticed the smoke, and were talking excitedly +together. It had not occurred to them that any fugitives could have +discovered the place, and they were only concerned at the thought that +the cave might be already fully occupied. + +"Hullo, dar!" one of them shouted. "How many ob you up dar?" + +No answer was returned. He shouted again, but there was still silence. + +"I s'pect dar only one man," he said to his comrades. "Most likely him +gone out to look for food. Bery foolish leab fire burning;" and he at +once proceeded to climb the steps, followed by two others. + +Nat grasped the handle of his pistol. He determined that in the first +place he would make sure of the two mulattoes. They were by far the most +dangerous of his foes, and if they escaped they would, he had no doubt, +keep watch higher up, capture Dinah on her return, and cut off all +retreat from the cave. It was time to act at once, and, taking a steady +aim at Paul, he fired. + +With a shriek the mulatto fell backwards. Before the others could +recover from their surprise Nat fired again, and Christophe fell forward +on his face in the water. He passed the pistol back to Myra, and grasped +another. He had expected that the negroes would at once fly, and two of +them had turned to do so, when the highest climber shouted down: + +"Come on, all ob you! what you want run away for? Perhaps only one man +here, he want to keep de cabe all to himself; we soon settle with him. +Dis cabe de only safe place." + +Nat could easily have shot the man, but he determined to direct his fire +against those below. If he shot those climbing the others would escape, +and it was of the greatest importance that no one should do so. The +negroes had snatched the pistols from the belts of the fallen mulattoes, +and several shots were fired at the bush. Nat drew back for a moment as +the negroes raised their arms, and then discharged the two barrels of +his pistol with as deadly an effect as before, and seized the third +weapon. The remaining negro below dropped behind a fallen rock. At the +same moment the man who was evidently the leader of them sprang on to +the ledge. Nat's pistol was ready, and as the negro bounded forward he +fired. The ball struck him in the chest, and he fell like a log over the +precipice. + +In his fall he struck one of his comrades, and carried him down on to +the rocks below. The other seemed paralysed with fear, and uttered a +shriek for mercy as Nat, who from his position could not see him, sprang +to his feet; but the tales that he had heard from Dinah of the +atrocities perpetrated had steeled his heart to all thoughts of mercy, +and taking a deliberate aim Nat shot him through the head. He had still +a pistol left charged. Myra had not yet loaded the first he had handed +to her, for it was but some twenty seconds from the time that the first +shot had been fired. Nat caught up the sword, and at once made his way +down the steps. He ran towards the rock behind which the last of the +negroes had thrown himself. As he did so the man leapt to his feet, and +the two pistols cracked at the same moment. Nat felt a sharp pain in his +side. His own shot had missed, and a moment later the negro was rushing +at him with uplifted knife. + +[Illustration: "HE FELL LIKE A LOG OVER THE PRECIPICE."] + +For the moment Nat forgot that he had another shot left, and, +dropping the pistol, shifted his sword to the right hand, and before the +negro's knife could fall he ran him through the body. There was now but +one foe left. He lay stunned below his fallen comrade, and Nat saw from +the manner in which one of his legs was doubled under him that it was +broken. He could do no harm, but he would assuredly die if left there +alone. Nat pressed his lips together, and having picked up his pistol, +he put it close to the man's head and fired. Looking up, he saw Myra run +out with a pistol in her hand. + +"It is all right, Myra. Thank God none of them have got away." + +"Are you hurt?" she asked, breathlessly. + +"I will come up," he said; "I am hit in the side, but I don't think that +it is at all serious." + +He found, however, as he ascended the steps, that it gave him acute pain +every time he moved. The girl was white and trembling when he joined +her. + +"Don't be frightened, Myra," he said, "I am sure that it is nothing +serious. It struck a rib and glanced off, I think, and at the worst it +has only broken the bone. You go in and attend to your mother." + +"I shall not do anything of the sort," she said. "You come in, and I +will look at it; it must want bandaging, anyhow." + +Nat felt that this was true, and, following her into the cave, he let +her take off his jacket. The wound was a few inches below the arm. + +"It is lucky that it was not a little more to the right," he said; "it +would have done for me. Don't look so white, Myra, a miss is as good as +a mile. It is as I thought, is it not?--just a glancing wound." + +"Yes," the girl said. + +He felt along the rib. + +"Yes," he said, "there is no doubt that it is broken; I can feel the +ends grate, and it hurts me every time I breathe. This is where it is, +just where the cut begins; the wound itself is nothing." + +"What shall I do?" she asked quietly. + +"Tear a strip or two off the bottom of your petticoat, then sew the ends +together to make a long bandage, and roll a little piece, so as to make +a wad about an inch wide. Is the wound bleeding?" + +"Yes, very much." + +"Fold a piece four or five thick, and lay over that the other wad so as +to go up and down across the rib. Now, if you will give me a little warm +water and a piece of rag, I will bathe the wound while you are making +the bandage." + +"I will bathe it," the girl said. "I am sure it would hurt you to get +your hand round." + +In ten minutes the operation was completed. + +"I am so sorry that I cannot help," Madame Duchesne murmured, as Myra +sat down to sew the strips together. + +"There is nothing that you could do, thank you," Nat said cheerfully. +"Myra is getting on capitally. I shall soon be all right again." + +When everything was done, he said, "You are a trump, Myra, you have done +it first-rate." Then the girl, who had gone on as quietly as if she had +been accustomed to such work all her life, broke down, and, bursting +into a fit of crying, threw herself down by the side of her mother. Nat +would have attempted to soothe her, but her mother said, "Leave her to +me, she will be all the better for a good cry." Nat went down again to +the stream, picked up the four pistols the Creoles had carried and +unwound their sashes, thinking that these would be better than the +make-shift that he wore. As he did so two small bags dropped out. He +opened them; both contained jewels, some of which he had seen Madame +Duchesne wearing. + +"That is a bit of luck," he said to himself. "No doubt directly they +entered the house these scoundrels made one of the women show them where +madame's jewel-case was, and divided the contents between them. When +Dinah comes we must get these bodies down the stream. I could do it +myself were it not for this rib, but it would not be safe to try +experiments. What a plucky girl Myra is! Most girls would have been +ready to faint at the sight of blood. I will wait a few minutes before I +go up so as to give her time to pull herself together." + +In ten minutes he went up again. "Madame," he said, "I have something +that I am sure you will be very glad to get back again. I took off the +sashes of those rascally mulattoes, and these two bags fell out of them. +What do you think they contain? Some of your jewels." + +Madame Duchesne and Myra both uttered exclamations of pleasure. "They +are family jewels," Myra said, "and my father and mother both prize them +very much. How strange they should have been on these men!" + +"The two mulattoes were two of your overseers, and no doubt ran straight +up and seized them directly they entered the house." + +She saw that her mother wished to speak, and leaned down over her, for +Madame Duchesne could not as yet raise her voice above a whisper. + +"Turn them out," she said, "and see how many are missing." + +Although Nat had seen Madame Duchesne in full evening dress two or three +times when parties of friends had assembled at the house, and had +noticed the beauty of her jewels, he was surprised at the number of +bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and rings that poured out from the bags. +Some of the larger articles, which he supposed were ornaments for the +hair, were bent and crumpled up so as to take up as little space as +possible. Myra held them up one by one before her mother's eyes. + +"They are all there, every one of them," the latter whispered. "Your +father will be pleased." + +"The greater part of these," Myra said to Nat, "were brought over when +the Baron Duchesne, our ancestor, came over here first, but a great many +have been bought since. I have heard mamma say that each successor of +the name and estate has made it a point of honour to add to the +collection, of which they were very proud, as it was certainly the +finest in the island; and besides, it was thought that if at any time +Hayti should be captured, either by the Spanish or your people, or if +there should be trouble with the blacks, it would be a great thing to +have valuables that could be so easily hidden or carried away." + +"Then they have thought all along that there might be a rising here some +day?" + +"Yes. I have heard my father say that when he was a boy he has heard his +grandfather talk the matter over with others, and they thought that the +number of slaves in the island was so great that possibly there might +some day be a revolt. They all agreed that it would be put down, but +they believed that the negroes might do terrible damage before enough +troops could be brought from France to suppress it." + +"They thought rightly," Nat said, "though it has been a long time +coming; and the worst of it is that even if it is put down it may break +out again at any time. It is hardly reasonable that, when they are at +least ten to one against the whites and mulattoes together, men should +submit to be kept in slavery." + +"But they were very well off," Myra said. "I am sure they were much +better off than the poorer whites." + +"From what I have seen of them I think they were," Nat replied, "but you +see people do not know when they are well off. I have no doubt that if +the last white man left the island, and slavery were abolished for ever, +the negroes would be very much worse off than they were before, and I +should think they would most likely go back to the same idle, savage +sort of life that they live in Africa. Still, of course, at present they +have no idea of that. They think they will be no longer obliged to work, +and suppose that somehow they will be fed and clothed and have +everything they want without any trouble to themselves. You see it is +just the same thing that is going on in France." + +"Well, now, what are you going to do next, Nat?" + +"I shall load the pistols. I have got four more now. Then I shall take +my place at the mouth of the cave again. I hope that when Dinah comes +she will bring us news that will enable us to move away. The fact that +this party was coming here for refuge shows that the blacks are growing +alarmed, and perhaps have already suffered a defeat, in which case the +way will be clear for us. If not, I must get her to help me clear the +place down below, it will not be difficult. What have you got on the +fire?" + +"There is a fowl that I have been stewing down to make the broth for +mother. I have another cut up ready for grilling." + +Two hours later Nat, to his surprise, saw Dinah hurrying down the +ravine, for he had not expected her until evening. He stood up at once. +She paused when she caught sight of the bodies lying below the cave. + +"It is all right, Dinah," he shouted. "We have had a bit of a fight, but +it only lasted for a minute or two, and except that I got a graze from a +pistol-ball, we are unhurt." + +"De Lord be blest, sah!" she said as she came up. "Eight ob dem, and you +kill dem all, sah?" + +"Yes; one could hardly miss them at that distance. I am glad to say that +none of them got away. You are back earlier than I expected." + +"Yes, sah; me found out all de news in good time, and den, as eberyone +say hurricane come on, I hurry all de way to get here before he come." + +"Well, come up, Dinah. Madame is going on very well. You know those two +mulattoes?" + +"Me know dem, sah; dey bery bad men, dey lead de black fellows to de +attack." + +"Well, it is well that they came up here, for they had, hidden in their +sashes, all madame's jewels." + +"Dat am good news, sah," the old woman said as she joined him, "dat +powerful good news. Madame didn't say anyting about jewels, but Dinah +tought of dem, and what a terrible ting it would be if she had lost dem! +Dat good affair." + +"So you think that we are going to have a storm, Dinah?" + +"Sartin suah, sah; bery hot las' night, bery hot dis morning, and jest +as me got to top of hill me saw de clouds coming up bery fast." + +"I didn't notice the heat particularly. Of course it is very shady in +this deep gorge, and one does not see much of the sky." + +"Dis bery good place, sah--better dan house, much better dan forest. Me +was despate frighted dat storm would come before me got here." + +"I was wanting you to help me put the bodies into the stream, Dinah." + +"No need for dat, sah; when storm come wash dem all down--no fear ob +dat." + +She went into the cave, and Nat followed her. + +"Me hab good news for you, ma'am. De whites come out strong from de town +wid regiment of troops and de sailors from English ship; de blacks hab +a fight down in de plain, but dey beat dem easy. Den yesterday de bands +of François come down from de mountains, get to our plantation in de +evening; dey bery strong, dey say dar am ten thousand ob dem. Dey s'pect +de whites to come and attack to-morrow. To-day dey clearing out all de +plantations on de plain. De black fellows say dey cut dem all to +pieces." + +"There is no fear of that," Nat broke in. "So you think that they will +fight in the morning?" + +"No, sah, me no tink dat; me suah dat as soon as de whites see de +hurricane coming dey march back fast to de town; no can stand hurricane +widout shelter. You had better light de lantern, it am getting as dark +as night." + +Nat went to the entrance. Looking up, he saw a canopy of black cloud +passing overhead with extraordinary rapidity. Almost instantaneously +there came a flash of lightning, nearly blinding him, accompanied by a +tremendous clap of thunder. He turned hastily back into the cave. + +"It is lucky that you arrived in time, Dinah; if you had been ten +minutes longer you would have been caught." + +He stopped speaking, for his voice was drowned in a tremendous roar. He +was about to go to the mouth of the cave again, but Dinah caught hold of +his jacket. + +"No, sah, you mustn't go; if you show your head out beyond de cabe, de +wind catch you and whirl you away like leaf, nobody neber see you no +more. We safe and comfor'ble in here. We just got to wait till it all +over. Dat wind strong enough to trow down de strongest trees, blow down +all de huts, take de roof off de strongest house. We not often hab +hurricanes in dis island, but when dey come, dey come bery bad. Dose ten +tousand black fellows down at de plantation dey hab a bery bad time ob +it to-night, dey wish demselves dead afore morning." + +"It is very bad for the women and children too, Dinah." + +"Yes, sah, me hab not forgotten dat; but most ob dem will hab gone, dey +run away when dey hear dat de whites coming out of town. Dey know bery +well dat de whites hab good cause to be bery angry, and dat dey shoot +eberyone dey catch." + +"But they will be just as badly off in the woods as they would be in +their huts, Dinah. Have your daughter and her children got away?" + +"No, sah, dey wur going jest as I started, but I told dem dat hurricane +coming, and dat dey better stay in de clearing; and dey agreed to hide +up in de little stone hut at end of garden where dey keep de tools and +oder tings. De roof blow off, no doubt, but de walls am low and strong. +Dey hab bad time dere, but dey safe." + +With Dinah's assistance, Nat fixed a blanket at the point where the +narrow entrance widened out, to keep out the swirls of wind which from +time to time rushed in, propping it in its place by the hand-barrow on +which Madame Duchesne had been brought up. Myra had finished cooking the +fowls just as her nurse arrived, and they sat down to their meal +heedless of the terrific tempest that was raging outside. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +AFLOAT AGAIN + + +"There will be no occasion to keep watch to-night, Dinah." + +"Not in de least, sah; de water six feet deep, no one could get in." + +As talking was out of the question, the party lay down to sleep soon +after they had finished their meal. It was some time, however, before +Nat closed his eyes. It seemed to him that as soon as the storm was +over, and the water low enough for them to pass up the ravine, no time +should be lost in attempting to make their way down into the town. The +troops would no doubt set out again as soon as possible, and a battle +might be fought before nightfall. That the negroes would be beaten he +had no doubt, and in that case other parties of fugitives might make for +the cave. It was likely that, until the battle was fought, there would +be but few negroes in the forest; those who had remained there during +the storm would go down into the full glare of the sun to dry and warm +themselves. + +Doubtless, too, François, the negro leader, would have sent messengers +off as soon as he arrived, ordering all able-bodied men in the +plantations for miles round to come in to take part in the battle, and +their chances of meeting with any foes as they descended to the plain +would be slight. It would undoubtedly be a serious matter to carry +Madame Duchesne for so long a distance; for they had ever since leaving +the plantation been going farther away from the town, and he calculated +that it must be at least twenty-five miles distant. He did not think +that it would be possible to do the journey in a day; but once down on +the plains they might find some building intact, in which they could +obtain shelter for the night. At last he fell off to sleep. + +When he awoke the din outside had ceased, and the silence seemed almost +oppressive. He got up, pushed aside the blanket, and looked out. The +stars were shining, and the wind had entirely lulled. The bottom of the +ravine was still full of water, but he felt sure that this would +speedily drop; for the depression above the gorge was not an extensive +one, and the water that fell there would speedily find its way down. He +lit a fresh candle and placed it in the lantern, as the last, which had +been renewed by Dinah early in the night, was burning low. He pulled +down the blanket, for although the air was fresh and cool at the +entrance, the cave was oppressively warm. It was two hours before day +began to break; by this time the torrent had subsided and the stream ran +in its former course, and it was clear that in another hour it would be +possible to make their way along by the side. As he was turning to go +in, Dinah joined him. + +"I tink, Marse Glober, de sooner we go de better." + +"That is just what I have been thinking. There are not likely to be many +of the slaves about in the wood to-day; you see a number of trees have +blown down from above, and just below, the ravine is almost choked with +them." + +"No, sah, many will be killed in the forest, and de rest frighted 'most +out of der lives. If de whites come out and fight to-day, and de black +fellows are beaten, all dose who know of dis place suah to come to hide +here." + +"That was just my idea." + +"How your side, sah?" + +"It seems rather stiff and sore, Dinah. However, that can't be helped. +That sash you made me will come in very handy for carrying madame, and +we sha'n't have the weight of the other things we brought up. I am +afraid it will be impossible to do the journey in one day, but I dare +say we shall light upon a shelter down on the plains." + +"Yes, sah. Me put de pot on de fire at once, and as soon as we hab +breakfast we make a start; but before we go me must stain you all +again--got glenty ob berries left." + +Madame Duchesne had already been consulted. She would much rather have +remained until strong enough to walk, but on her old nurse's showing her +that it would be at least a fortnight before she could walk even a mile, +and pointing out the danger there was in delay, she agreed to start +whenever they thought fit. The jewels were placed in Dinah's capacious +pocket, as, if they fell in with any strong party of negroes, she would +be less likely to be searched than the others. In an hour all the +preparations were completed; one pistol was given to Madame Duchesne and +another to her daughter. Dinah took charge of a brace, and Nat wore the +other two brace in his sash. He still wore his uniform under his nankeen +suit, and his naval cap was in the bundle that formed Madame Duchesne's +pillow. She lay down on the hand-barrow, all the blankets being placed +under her, with the exception of one which was thrown over her, and she +was let down the precipice in the same way as she had been brought up. + +Dinah this time followed Nat's example, and used one of the mulattoes' +sashes as a yoke to take the weight off her arms. Madame Duchesne was +placed as far forward on the barrow as possible, so as to divide the +weight more equally between her bearers. On raising her, Nat found to +his satisfaction that it hurt him but little. In the week that had +elapsed since she was seized with the fever, Madame Duchesne had lost a +good deal of weight, the store of provisions had, too, greatly +diminished, and the sash took so much of the weight off his arms, that +as he walked in a perfectly erect position there was little strain +thrown upon the broken bone. It was only when he came to a rough place +and had to step very carefully that he really felt his wounds. Myra +looked anxiously at him from time to time. + +"I am getting on capitally," he said. "Do not worry about me; at present +I scarcely feel that unfortunate rib." + +"Mind, if you do feel it, Nat, you must give up. Dinah will take your +place, and I will take hers. I am sure that I can carry that end very +well for a time." + +"I will let you know when I want a change," Nat said. "Now, you go on +ahead, and as soon as we get out of this hollow use your eyes sharply." + +They saw no one going up the valley or crossing the open ground. When, +however, they entered the forest on the other slope, they saw for the +first time how terrible had been the force of the hurricane. In some +places over acres of ground every tree had fallen, in others the taller +trees only had been levelled or snapped off, while others again had +boughs wrenched off, and the ground was thickly strewn with fallen +branches. All this added greatly to the fatigue of travelling. Detours +had to be constantly made, and the journey down took them double the +time that had been occupied in the ascent. When approaching the road +they had to cross, they sat down and rested for half an hour. + +"You are looking very white, Nat," Myra said; "I am afraid that your +side is hurting you terribly." + +"It certainly hurts a bit, Myra, but it is of no consequence. It was +going on very well until I stumbled over a fallen branch that gave it +rather a twist." + +"You let me bandage 'im again, Marse Glober. We will go off and set dis +matter right." + +When a short distance away Nat stripped to the waist. Myra had done her +best, but the old nurse possessed considerable skill in such matters, +and strength enough to draw the bandage much tighter than she had done. + +"Better make it a bit longer," she said, and taking a pair of scissors +from her pocket cut off a strip some fifteen inches wide from her ample +petticoat, and wound this tightly round the other bandage. "Dere, sah, +dat make you 'tiff and comf'able." + +"It does make me stiff," Nat said with a smile; "I almost feel as if I +had got a band of iron round me. Thank you; I shall do very well now." + +The old nurse dressed him carefully again, and they rejoined the others. + +"That is ever so much better," Nat said to Myra; "the bandage had +shifted a little, and Dinah has put it on fresh again, and added a strip +of her own petticoat." + +The journey was then resumed, and, with an occasional halt, continued +until late in the afternoon, by which time they were well down on the +plain. During the latter part of the day they had heard at first +scattered shots and then a roar of musketry about a couple of miles on +their right. It continued for half an hour, and then the heavy firing +ceased; but musket shots could be heard occasionally, and higher up on +the hill than before. + +"The negroes have been beaten," Nat said, "and our men are pursuing +them. Perhaps they will make another stand at the point where the road +runs between two steep banks." + +This indeed seemed to be the case, for half an hour later a heavy fire +broke out again. It was but for a short time--in ten minutes it died +away, and no further sound was heard. Darkness was now falling, and they +presently arrived at some buildings that had been left standing. They +were storehouses, and had not been fired at the time when the planter's +house was burned, but had probably been used by the negroes as a +barrack, until the advance of the troops on the previous day had +compelled them to take a hasty flight. The litter was now laid on the +ground. Madame Duchesne had dozed off many times during the day, and was +now wide awake. + +"Are you going to light a fire, Dinah?" + +"No, madame; Marse Glober and me tink it too dangerous. Not likely any +ob dese black fellows 'bout, but dere might be some hiding, best to be +careful. We hab a cold chicken to eat, and dere is some chicken jelly in +de lillie pot for you, and we hab bread, so no need for fire to cook, +and sartin no need for him afterward, we all sleep first-rate. Madame +not heaby, but road bery rough, and little weight tell up by end ob de +day. Dinah getting ole woman, Marse Glober got rib broken--both bery +glad when journey done. Mamzelle she tired too; twelve mile ober rough +ground a long journey for her." + +"My feet ache a little," Myra said, "but otherwise I do not feel tired. +I felt quite ashamed of myself walking along all day carrying nothing, +instead of taking turns with you." + +There was but little talking as they ate their meal in the darkness. +Neither Nat nor the old nurse had said a word as to their feelings as +they walked, but both felt completely exhausted, and it was not many +minutes after they had finished their supper before they were sound +asleep. At daybreak they were on their feet again, feeling better after +the long night's rest, and happy at the thought that this day's walk +would take them to home and safety. Nat now threw off his disguise, +placed his cap upon his head, and appeared as a British officer, though +certainly one of considerably darker complexion than was common; but he +thought there was less danger now from slaves than from parties of +maddened whites, who had been out to their former homes and might shoot +any negroes they came upon without waiting to ask questions. Myra also +discarded the negro gown. + +"I think that I looked more respectable in that," she said with a laugh, +"than in this draggled white frock." + +"It has not been improved, certainly, by its week's wear, Myra; but just +at the present moment no one will be thinking of dresses. Now let us be +off. We shall be on the road soon, and in an hour or two will be in the +town." + +[Illustration: THE JOURNEY TO THE COAST.] + +It seemed easy work after the toil of the previous day. They bore to the +right until they fell into the main road, both because it would be +safer, and because Nat hoped that he might meet someone who could inform +Monsieur Duchesne--who he had no doubt would have gone out with the +column--that his wife and daughter were in safety, and that he would +find them at his house in the town. They had, indeed, gone but a +short distance along the road when four men on horseback galloped up. +They drew rein suddenly as they met the little party, astonished to see, +as they thought, a mulatto girl in front, a negro woman carrying a +litter on which was another mulatto woman, and which was carried behind +by a young mulatto in the uniform of a British naval officer. Had they +met them out in the country they would probably not have troubled to ask +questions, but, travelling as they were along the road towards the town, +and from the direction where the column had been fighting, it was +evident that there must be some mystery about it. + +"Who are you?" one of them asked Nat in a rough tone. + +"I am an officer of his Britannic Majesty's frigate _Orpheus_, at +present, I believe, in the port; this lady on the stretcher is Madame +Duchesne; this young lady is her daughter, Mademoiselle Myra Duchesne; +this negress, the faithful nurse of the two ladies, has saved their +lives at the risk of her own." + +One of the horsemen leapt from his saddle. + +"Pardon me for not recognizing you, mademoiselle," he said to Myra, +lifting his straw-hat; "but the change that you have made in your +complexion must be my excuse for my not having done so. I trust that +madame, your mother, is not seriously ill." + +"She has been very ill, Monsieur Ponson," she replied. "She has just +recovered from an attack of fever, but is very weak indeed." + +"I saw your father three days ago. He had then just received your +message saying that you were in safe hiding. He was, of course, in a +state of the greatest delight. He went out with the troops yesterday." + +"If you see him, sir, will you be kind enough to tell him that you have +met us, and that he will find us at his house in town?" + +"I will certainly find him out as soon as I reach the troops. Is there +anything else that I can do?" + +"Nothing, thank you, sir. Is there, Nat?" + +"No, unless one of the gentlemen would ride back with us, so as to +prevent us from being stopped by every party we meet and having to +explain who we are." + +"I will do so, sir," the youngest of the horsemen said. "I dare say I +shall be able to join our friends at the front before there is any more +fighting, for the messenger who came in yesterday evening brought the +news that the blacks had been so completely defeated, that it was +thought likely they would make straight off into the mountains in the +interior." + +"Thank you very much, sir; it will be a great comfort to us to go +straight on. We are anxious to get Madame Duchesne into shelter before +the sun gets to its full power. My name is Glover. May I ask yours?" + +"It is Laurent." + +The other three horsemen, after raising their hats in salute, had now +ridden on. + +"How did you get on through the hurricane, Monsieur Glover?" + +"We scarce felt it. We were in a cave with a very small entrance, and +after the first outburst slept through it in comfort." + +"It is more than any of us did in the town," the other said with a +laugh. "It was tremendous. I should say that half the houses were +unroofed, and in the poor quarters many of the huts were blown down, and +upwards of twenty negroes were killed." + +"Do you think, Monsieur Laurent," Myra said, moving across to him, "that +we are likely to meet any people on foot whom we could hire?" + +"No, I hardly think so, mademoiselle. All the gentlemen in the town who +could get away rode out with the troops, and the rest of the whites are +patrolling the streets armed, lest the negroes employed in the work of +the port should rise during the absence of the troops. Why do you ask, +mademoiselle?" + +"Because Monsieur Glover had a rib broken by a pistol-ball the day +before yesterday, and I am sure it hurts him very much to carry my +mother." + +The young man leapt from his horse. + +"Monsieur," he exclaimed, "pray take my horse. I will assist in carrying +Madame Duchesne." + +"I do not like"--Nat began, but his remonstrance was unheeded. + +"But I insist, monsieur. Please take the reins. You can walk by the side +of the horse or mount him, whichever you think will be the more easy for +you." + +So saying, he gently possessed himself of the handles of the litter, +placed the sash over his shoulders, and started. It was indeed an +immense relief to Nat. The rough work of the preceding day had caused +the ends of the bone to grate, and had set up a great deal of +inflammation. He had been suffering acutely since he started, in spite +of the support of the bandage, and he had more than once thought that he +would be obliged to ask Myra to take his place. He did not attempt to +mount in the young Frenchman's saddle, for he thought that the motion of +the horse would be worse for him than walking; he therefore took the +reins in his hand, and walked at the horse's head behind the litter. The +pain was less now that he was relieved of the load, but he still +suffered a great deal, and he kept in the rear behind the others, while +Myra chatted with Monsieur Laurent, learning from him what had happened +in the town, and giving him a sketch of their adventures. As they passed +the house of Madame Duchesne's sister, the invalid said that she would +be taken in there, as she had heard from Monsieur Laurent that their +own house was partially unroofed. Myra ran in to see her aunt, who came +out with her at once. + +"Ah, my dear sister," she cried, "how we have suffered! We had no hope +that you had escaped until your husband brought us the joyful news three +days ago that you were still in safety. Come in, come in! I am more glad +than ever that our house escaped without much damage from the storm." + +Although the house was intact, the garden was a wreck. The drive up to +the house was blocked by fallen trees, most of the plants seemed to have +been torn up by the roots and blown away, the lawn was strewn with huge +branches. + +Two of the house servants had now come out and relieved those carrying +the litter. + +"Ah, Monsieur Glover," continued Madame Duchesne's sister, "once again +you have saved my niece; my sister also this time! Of course you will +come in too." + +"Thanks, madame, but if you will allow me I will go straight on board my +ship. I am wounded, though in no way seriously. Still, I shall require +some medical care, for I have a rib broken, and the journey down has not +improved it." + +"In that case I will not press you, monsieur. Dr. Lepel has gone out +with the column, and may not be back for some days." + +"Good-bye, Madame Duchesne!" Nat said, shaking the thin hand she held +out to him. "I will come and see you soon, and hope to find you up by +that time. Now that your anxiety is at an end you ought to gain strength +rapidly." + +"May Heaven bless you," she said, "for your goodness to us!" + +"That is all right," he said cheerfully. "You see, I was saving my own +life as well as yours; and it is to you, Dinah," he said, turning and +shaking her hand, "it is to you that we really all owe our lives. First +you warned us in time, then you took us to a place of safety, and have +since got us food and news, and risked your own life in doing so. + +"Good-bye, Myra; I hope that when I see you again you will have got that +dye off your face, and that you will be none the worse for what you have +gone through." + +The girl's lip quivered. + +"Good-bye, Nat. I do so hope your wound will soon heal." + +"You are fortunate, indeed, in having escaped," Monsieur Laurent said as +they turned away. "From all we hear, I fear that very few of the whites, +except in plantations quite near the towns, have escaped. It is strange +that the house servants, who in most cases have been all their lives +with their masters and mistresses, and who have almost always been +treated as kindly as if they were members of the family, should not have +warned them of what was coming." + +"I should think that very few of them knew," Nat replied. "They were +known to be attached to their masters and mistresses, and would hardly +have been trusted by the others. I cannot think so badly of human nature +as to believe that a people who have been so long in close connection +with their masters should, in almost every case, have kept silent when +they knew that there was a plot to massacre them." + +"Well, I will say good-morning," Monsieur Laurent said. "I want to be +back with the troops. I was detained yesterday, to my great disgust, to +see to the getting-off of a freight, and I should not like to miss +another chance of paying some of the scoundrels off." + +Nat made his way slowly and carefully--for the slightest movement gave +him great pain--to the wharf. One of the frigate's boats was ashore. The +coxswain looked at him with surprise as he went down the steps to it. + +"Well, I'm jiggered," the man muttered, "if it ain't Mr. Glover!" Then +he said aloud: "Glad to see you back, sir. The ship's crew were all glad +when they heard the other day that the news had come as how you were +safe, for we had all been afraid you had been murdered by them niggers. +You are looking mighty queer, sir, if I may say so." + +"My face is stained to make me look like a mulatto. Whom are you waiting +for?" + +"For Mr. Normandy." + +"Well, how long do you expect he will be?" + +"I can't say, sir. It is about a quarter of an hour since he landed, and +he said he would be back in half an hour; but officers are generally +longer than they expect." + +"Well it won't take you above ten minutes to row off to the ship and +back. I will take the blame if he comes down before that. I have been +wounded, not badly, but it is very painful. I want to get it properly +dressed." + +"All right, sir, we will get you on board in no time." + +"Give me your arm. I must get in carefully." + +The men stretched to their oars, and in five minutes Nat was alongside +the _Orpheus_. He had heard, as he expected, that Dr. Bemish had gone +with the party that had been landed, but his assistant was on board. The +first lieutenant was on deck. He saw by Nat's walk as he went up to +report his return that something was the matter. + +"Are you ill or wounded, Mr Glover?" + +"I am wounded, sir. I had a rib broken by a pistol-ball, and I have had +a long journey, which has inflamed it a good deal." + +"Go down at once and have it seen to; you can tell me your story +afterwards. Have the ladies who were with you got safely down also?" + +"Yes, sir." + +The lieutenant nodded, and Nat then went below and placed himself in the +hands of the assistant surgeon. + +"My word, Glover, you have got your wound into a state!" the latter said +after he had examined him. "What on earth have you been doing to it? It +seems to have been a pretty clean break at first, and it wouldn't have +bothered you above three weeks or so, but the ends have evidently been +sawing away into the flesh. Why, man alive, what have you been doing?" + +"I have been helping to carry a sick woman down from the hills," Nat +said quietly. "If it had been level ground it would not have hurt so +much, but on rough ground strewn with branches one could not avoid +stumbling occasionally, and although it had been bandaged before I +started the wad slipped and the thing got loose, and after that it was +like walking with a red-hot needle sticking into me." + +"So I should say. Well, I will put you into a berth in the sick-bay at +once. Fortunately we have some ice on board and I will put some of it on +the wound and try to get the inflammation down." + +In a short time he returned with a basin of ice and a jugful of iced +lime-juice. Nat took a long drink, and then turned so that the ice could +be applied to the wound. + +"You must keep yourself as still as you can. I sha'n't attempt to +bandage you at present, there is really nothing to be done till we have +got the inflammation down." + +"I will lie quiet as long as I am awake, but I cannot answer for myself +if I go off to sleep, which will not be long, for I am as tired as a +dog. To-day's walk would have been nothing if I had been all right, it +was the pain that wore me out." + +"I don't suppose you will move. You may be sure that that rib will act +like an alarm, and give you warning at once if you stir in the +slightest." + +Having seen Nat comfortable, the young surgeon went up on deck. + +"How do you find Mr. Glover?" the first lieutenant asked. "He says that +it is only a broken rib." + +"Well, sir, it was only a broken rib at first, now it is a broken rib +with acute inflammation round it. There is a flesh wound about four +inches long where the bullet struck, broke the rib, ran along it, and +went out behind. That would not have been anything if he had kept quiet; +as it is, it is as angry as you could want to see a wound. But that is +not the worst, the two ends of the bone have been rubbing against each +other with enough movement to lacerate the flesh, with the natural +result that a wonderful amount of inflammation has been set up round +it." + +"But how did he manage it?" + +"It seems, sir, that he has been carrying, or helping to carry, a sick +woman down from the mountains, and he says the ground was very rough and +strewn with boughs, so that one can understand that he got some terrible +shakes and jolts, which would quite account for the state of his +wounds." + +"I should think so. When Monsieur Duchesne came off with the news that +his wife was safely hidden, and that Glover was with her, he said that +his daughter, who had written the note, reported that her mother was +ill. No wonder he has got his wound in such a state if he has, as you +say, aided to carry her down all that distance. He must have had a brush +with the negroes." + +"That must have been before he started, sir; for he said that the +bandage shifted, so his wound must have been bound up before he set +out." + +"It was a gallant thing for a lad to undertake--a most gallant action! +Why, it must have been torture to him." + +"It must indeed, sir." + +"He is not in any danger, I hope?" + +"Not unless fever intervenes, sir. No doubt with rest and quiet and the +use of ice we shall succeed in reducing the inflammation; but it is +likely enough that fever may set in, and if so there is no saying how it +may go. I shall be glad to have Doctor Bemish back again to take the +responsibility off my hands." + +Late that afternoon Monsieur Duchesne came on board to thank Nat. He was +not allowed to see him, as the doctor said that absolute quiet was +indispensable. He had had a full account from Myra of the adventures +through which the little party had gone, and he retailed this to the +lieutenant and doctor in the ward-room. + +"A most gallant business altogether," the first lieutenant said when he +had finished, "and certainly the most gallant part of it was undertaking +to carry Madame Duchesne when practically disabled. But I can +understand, as you say, that directly the negroes were defeated by the +force that went out against them, some of them would have made for that +cave, and it was therefore absolutely necessary to get away before they +came. However, I hope that we need not be anxious about him; he has gone +through three or four scrapes, any of which might have been fatal. There +was that fight with the dog; then he was in the thick of that business +with the pirates, and was blown up by the explosion, and half his crew +killed. He has had some marvellous escapes, and I think we may feel very +hopeful that he will get over this without serious trouble. It was lucky +indeed his finding your family jewels on two of those scoundrels that he +shot." + +"It would have been a great loss, but it is such a little thing in +comparison to the saving of my wife and daughter, that I have scarcely +given it a thought. I shall do myself the pleasure of calling again +to-morrow morning to know how he is." + +"Do so, monsieur; you will probably find Captain Crosbie here. I had a +note from him an hour ago, saying that he was returning, and would be +here by eight o'clock. The negroes having been defeated, and the safety +of the town being ensured for a while, he does not consider that he +would be justified in joining in the pursuit of the blacks among the +hills." + +Nat was not aware of the return of the landing-party until the next +morning, when on opening his eyes he saw Dr. Bemish by his side. + +"You young scamp," the latter said, shaking his finger at him, "you seem +determined to be a permanent patient. As soon as you recover from one +injury you are laid up with another. So here you are again." + +"It is only a trifle this time, doctor." + +"Umph, I am not so sure about that. Macfarlane tells me that, not +content with getting a rib broken, you go about carrying one end of a +stretcher with a woman on it across ground where it was difficult, if +not impossible, to move without ricking and hurting yourself. So that +not only have you set up a tremendous amount of inflammation round the +wound, but you have so worn the ends of the bone that they will take +three times as long knitting together as they would have done had they +been left alone." + +"I am afraid that is all true, doctor," Nat replied with a smile; "but, +you see, I thought it better to run the risk of inflammation, and even +this terrible rubbing of the end of the bones you speak of, than of +being caught by these fiendish negroes, and put to death by the hideous +tortures with which they have in many cases slowly murdered those who +fell into their hands." + +"It must have hurt you badly," Dr. Bemish said, as, after removing the +dressing that had, late the evening before, been substituted for the +ice, he examined the wound. + +"It did hurt a bit, doctor, but as four lives depended upon my being +able to hold on, there was nothing for it but to set one's teeth hard +and keep at it. How does it look this morning?" + +"What do you think, Macfarlane? you can form a better opinion than I +can, as I have not seen it before." + +"The inflammation seems to have abated a good deal." + +"In any case we will syringe the wound thoroughly with warm water. There +are doubtless some particles of bone in it, and until these are got rid +of we can't hope that it will heal properly. I will get that large +magnifying-glass from my cabin." + +For half an hour the wound was fomented and washed. + +"As far as I can see it is perfectly clean now," Dr. Bemish said, after +carefully examining it with the glass. "We will put a compress on, with +a wet cloth over it, which must be damped with iced water every +half-hour. When we quite get the inflammation down, Glover, which will, +I hope, be in two or three days, we will bandage it tightly, and I will +buy you a pair of stays on shore, and lace you up so that there shall be +no chance of your performing any more pranks with it, and then I fancy +you will be able to come up on deck, if you will promise to keep +yourself quiet there." + +"Well, that is better than I expected, doctor." + +"Have you any message to send to your friends? because I am going ashore +now to see them. Monsieur Duchesne was off yesterday afternoon, but +Macfarlane very properly refused to let him see you." + +"Tell him he can't see me for some days, doctor. I do so hate being made +a fuss over." + +"I will keep him away for a day or two anyhow," the doctor laughed. "He +gave the ward-room a full history of your affair, so you won't have the +trouble of going over it again." + +"That is a comfort," Nat growled. "How long is the _Orpheus_ likely to +stop here, doctor?" + +"Ah, that is more than I can say! At any rate the captain will not leave +until he gets orders from Jamaica. The _Ĉolus_ has just come into port, +and the captain will send her off at once with despatches to the +admiral, saying what has taken place, and how he landed a force to +protect the town, and went out with a party to attack the insurgent +blacks. He will ask for instructions, as they have no French vessel of +war here, and the land force is insufficient to defend the place if +attacked in earnest, especially as there is a considerable negro +population who would probably rise and join the insurgents if these made +an assault upon the town. The general hope on board is that we shall get +orders to stay here, or at least to cruise on the coast. Now that we +have broken up that nest of pirates, things are likely to be dull here +for some time, though I have little doubt that ere very long we shall be +at war with the French. According to the last news, which arrived since +you left us, that National Assembly of theirs is going farther and +farther, and its proceedings are causing serious alarm throughout +Europe, for they are altogether subversive of the existing state of +things. It is to its measures that this terrible insurrection here is +due, and the first consequence of what is really a revolution in France +will be the loss of her most valuable colony. I suppose you have heard +that something like two thousand whites have been murdered. I have no +doubt that now they have recovered from the first shock, the French here +will take a terrible vengeance; but though they may kill a great number +of the negroes, I doubt if it will be possible to reduce half a million +blacks to submission, especially in an island like this, with mountain +ranges running through it where cannon would be absolutely useless, and +the negroes could shelter in the almost impenetrable forests that cover +a large portion of it." + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +A FIRST COMMAND + + +For another couple of days no one was permitted to see Nat, but at the +end of that time the wound assumed a healthy aspect, and he was allowed +to receive visits. Captain Crosbie himself was the first to come down. + +"I am very glad to hear so good an account of you, Mr. Glover," he said +cordially; "you have done us credit again, lad, and have rendered an +inestimable service to Monsieur Duchesne and his family. Although it can +hardly be considered as in your regular course of duty, I shall +certainly forward a narrative of your adventures to the admiral. The +next time we go to Port Royal you had better go in for your examination, +and if you pass I have very little doubt that acting rank will be given +to you at once. Your aiding to carry down that lady, when yourself +wounded, was really a very fine action, for Doctor Bemish tells me that +you must have suffered intensely. Monsieur Duchesne is most anxious to +see you, but the doctor has told him that it will be better for him to +wait until you are well enough to go ashore, when you can go and see +them all together." + +"Thank you, sir, I would much rather do that. But really the person to +be thanked is the old negress who gave us warning in time to escape, +went down and fetched food, despatched a message to Monsieur Duchesne, +and got an answer back, and who did as much as I did in carrying her +mistress down." + +"Doubtless she behaved very well, Mr. Glover, but that does not alter +the fact that you did so also. And, as even you will admit, she had no +hand in the fight in which you killed eight of these scoundrels." + +"It was not much of a fight, sir. I had such an advantage in position +that I really did not like shooting them, in spite of what I had heard +of their doings; but it was our lives or theirs, and I knew that if one +of them got away he would bring down a score of others, and they would +speedily have starved us out." + +"At the present time," the captain said sternly, "mercy to these +villains would be misapplied; the lesson must be a terrible one, or +there will speedily be an end to white rule in the island. Another thing +is, that were this revolution to succeed, we might expect similar +outbreaks in our own islands. Now I will leave you. Your comrades will +come in to see you, but their visits must, for the present, be short." + +Nat progressed rapidly. In three days the water-dressings were given up +and he was tightly bandaged, and over this, rather to his disgust, the +doctor insisted upon his wearing a pair of stays. + +"It is all very well, Glover," Doctor Bemish said in answer to his +remonstrances, "but we know what you are. You are as active as a cat, +and would be constantly forgetting yourself, and springing to do +something; but these things laced tightly on will act as a reminder, and +will also bind you so closely together that, while you will have the +free use of your limbs, your ribs will be held as if in a vice. You will +have to keep them on until the bone has fairly knit, and you have every +reason to be thankful that this is the only inconvenience you have to +suffer from an expedition which might have cost you your life." + +Four days later Doctor Bemish said: + +"I think you can go ashore to-day. Of course you must be careful, +especially, getting in and out of the boat, but if you do that and walk +slowly, I do not think it will do you any harm. Madame Duchesne is up +and going on nicely, and they are most anxiously expecting you, and +indeed Duchesne said yesterday, that if I did not let you go on shore +to-day, he would come on board to see you." + +"But I feel like a hog in armour in these stays, doctor." + +"Never mind that, lad, you would be almost as bad if you took them off, +for I should have to put on twice as many bandages, and to pull them +ever so much tighter. I have told the captain that I am letting you go +ashore, and have also told Mr. Philpot, so that is all settled. I shall +be going off myself in an hour, and will take you with me, and keep an +eye over you until you get to their gate." + +"One would think that I was a small boy going to be taken to school," +Nat laughed, stopping, however, abruptly. + +"There! you see," the doctor said, "that gave you a twinge, I know; you +must be careful, lad, you must, indeed. There is no objection to your +smiling as much as you like, but there is nothing that shakes one up +more than a hearty laugh. That is why at other times laughing is a +healthy exercise, but with a rib in the process of healing, it is better +not to indulge in it." + +"Well, I shall be ready when you are." + +Nat accomplished the journey without pain. + +"Won't you come in, doctor?" he asked when they arrived at the gate. + +"No, Glover; this will be a sort of family party. I have warned Duchesne +not to throw himself on your neck, and have told him that you are to be +looked at and not touched." + +With an uneasy smile Nat left him at the gate and walked up the drive. +They were evidently on the watch for him, for the door opened almost +immediately, and Monsieur Duchesne ran down. "Mon cher!" he exclaimed, +"the doctor has said that I must not touch you, but I can scarce +refrain from embracing you. How can I thank you for all that you have +done?" + +"But, monsieur, I have done next to nothing. I shot some negroes who had +not a chance of getting at me, and I helped Dinah to carry madame down. +We owe our safety to Dinah, who was splendid in her devotion, making +journeys backwards and forwards, to say nothing of giving us the warning +that enabled us all to escape in time." + +"Dinah was splendid!" Monsieur Duchesne admitted. "But I can do nothing +for her. I have told her that she shall have a house and plenty to live +on all her days, but she will not leave us. I have made out her papers +of freedom, but she says, 'What use are these? I have been your servant +all my life, and should be no different whether I was what you call a +free woman or not.' What pleased her most was that I have given freedom +to her grandson who brought the message down here, and am going to +employ him in my stable, and that she has received a new black silk +gown. She has got it on in honour of your visit, and if it had been a +royal robe she could not be more proud of it." + +They had by this time arrived at the door, and Monsieur Duchesne led Nat +to the drawing-room, where his wife was lying on a sofa, and Myra +standing beside her. The yellow dye had now nearly worn off their faces. +Madame Duchesne was still pale, but she looked bright and happy. Nat +went up to her and took her hand. + +"I am truly glad to see you up again," he said. + +"It has all ended well," she replied with tears in her eyes. "It seems +like a bad dream to me, especially that journey. How good and kind you +were! and I know now how terribly you must have suffered." + +"It hurt a bit at the time, madame, but one gets accustomed to being +hurt, and it all went on so well that it was not worth grumbling about." + +"Ah, you look more yourself now, Myra!" and he held out his hand to her. + +"Embrace him, my dear, for me and for yourself. Twice has he saved your +life, and has been more than a brother to you." + +Myra threw her arms round Nat's neck and kissed him heartily twice, +while her eyes were full of tears. "I have not hurt you, I hope," she +said as he drew back. + +"Not a bit, and I should not have minded if you had," Nat said. Then he +sat down, and they talked quietly for some time. "I am going out +to-morrow again," Monsieur Duchesne said, "it is the duty of every white +to join in punishing these ungrateful fiends. I hear that they have been +beaten badly near Port-au-Prince. Some of the negroes are, we find, +remaining quietly on the plantations, and these, unless they have +murdered their masters, will be spared. No quarter will be given to +those taken in arms. At any rate we shall clear all of them out of the +plains near the bay, and drive them into the mountains, where we cannot +hope to subdue them till a large number of troops arrive from home." + +So vigorously, indeed, did the whites pursue the negroes, that in a +fortnight after the outbreak it was calculated that no fewer than ten +thousand blacks had fallen, many of them being put to death by methods +almost as cruel and ferocious as those they had themselves adopted. They +were still in such vast numbers that it was evident that it would be +impossible to overpower them until troops arrived from France; and, +indeed, the farther the French columns penetrated into the mountains, +the more severe was the resistance they met with, and on several +occasions the whites were repulsed with heavy loss. A truce was +therefore agreed upon, it being arranged that neither party should +attack the other until its expiration. There being, therefore, no +occasion for the _Orpheus_ to remain longer at Cape François, she sailed +for Jamaica. + +Nat's wounds continued to go on well. He was still stiff, and felt the +advantages of the encircling stays so much that he no longer objected to +wear them. As it was likely that, until matters were finally settled, +the _Orpheus_ would be constantly cruising on the coast of Hayti, and +that he would ere long see his French friends again, the parting was not +a sad one; and, indeed, Nat was by no means sorry to get under way again +to escape the expressions of gratitude of Monsieur Duchesne and his +wife. Two days after arriving at Port Royal, Nat received notice that a +court, composed of three captains of vessels then in port, would, on the +following day, sit to examine midshipmen who had either served their +time or were within a year of completing it. He at once sent in his +name. As he had read hard during the time he had been unfit for service, +he had no fear of not passing the ordeal, and at the conclusion of his +examination he was told by the president of the court that he had passed +with great credit. + +On returning to the frigate, he found a note from the admiral requesting +him to call upon him on his return from the court, and he at once +proceeded to the flag-ship. "I have heard a great deal of you, Mr. +Glover," the admiral said when he was ushered into his cabin. "First of +all I heard the story from your captain of the gallant manner in which +you, at the risk of your own, saved a young lady's life at Cape +François, when attacked by a savage hound, and were seriously injured +thereby. Then I received Captain Crosbie's official report of the share +you took in the attack upon that formidable nest of pirates, the report +being supplemented by his subsequent relation to me of the whole facts +of the affair. Your conduct there also did you very great credit, and, +had you passed, I should at once have given you acting rank. Now you +have again distinguished yourself, though scarcely in a manner which +comes under my official knowledge. I should be glad to hear from you a +detailed account of the affair." + +When Nat had finished his narration, he said, "You have scarcely done +justice to yourself. Your captain and Dr. Bemish were dining with me +last night, and the latter said that, wounded as you were, the work of +carrying that French lady down to the coast must have been an intensely +painful one, as was shown by the state of your wound when he examined +it. In all these matters you have shown courage and conduct, and as I +hear that you have now passed, I shall take the first opportunity of +giving you acting rank. You speak French fluently?" + +"I speak it quite fluently, sir, but as I have only picked it up by ear, +I cannot say that I speak it well." + +"However, the fact that you speak it well enough to converse freely may +be useful. Hayti is likely to be in a very disturbed state for some +time. There can be little doubt that the negroes in the other islands +are all watching what takes place there with close attention, and that +there is a possibility of the revolt spreading. At present there is no +saying what the course of events may be. Already the governor here has +received letters from several French residents expressing their desire +that we should take the island, as they believe that the French +revolutionary government will make no serious effort to put down the +rising. Of course, at present, as we are at peace with France, nothing +whatever can be done. At the same time, it is important that we should +obtain accurate information as to what is going on there, and what is +the feeling of the negroes and of the mulatto population, and we shall +probably have several small vessels cruising in those waters. The +_Falcon_, under the command of Lieutenant Low, who also belonged to the +_Orpheus_, has been for some weeks on the southern coast of the island. +I intend to have three or four other craft at the same work soon, and on +the first opportunity I shall appoint you to one of them." + +Nat expressed his warm thanks, and retired. Three or four days later he +received an intimation that the prize _Arrow_, a schooner of a hundred +and fifty tons, would at once be put into commission, and that the +admiral had selected him for her command. This was far more than Nat had +even hoped for. From the manner in which the admiral had spoken, he +thought that he would be appointed to a craft of this description, but +he had no expectation whatever of being given the command. With the +intimation was an order for him to again call upon the admiral. + +"It is a small command," the admiral said when Nat expressed his thanks +for the appointment. "We cannot spare you more than twenty-five hands, a +quarter-master, and two midshipmen. You will have Mr. Turnbull of the +_Leander_ as your first officer, and Mr. Lippincott of the _Pallas_. She +has carried six guns hitherto, but you will only take four. These, +however, will be twelve-pounders; before, she had only nines. Naturally, +it is not intended that she shall do any fighting. Of course, if you are +attacked you will defend yourself, but you are hardly a match for any of +these piratical craft except quite the smaller class--native boats +manned by bands of desperadoes. Your mission will be to cruise on the +coast of Hayti, to take off white fugitives should any show themselves, +and to communicate if possible with the negroes, find out the object +they propose to themselves, and report on their forces, organization, +and methods of fighting. In all this great care will be necessary, for +they have shown themselves so faithless and treacherous that it is +impossible to place any confidence in their promises of safe-conduct. In +such matters it is impossible to give any advice as to your conduct, you +must be guided by circumstances; be prudent and careful, and at the +same time enterprising. The schooner is a very fast one. She has been a +slaver, and has more than once shown her heels to some of our fastest +cruisers. Therefore, if you come across any piratical craft too big to +fight, you will at least have a fair chance of outsailing her." + +Greatly delighted, Nat returned to the _Orpheus_. + +"So, you are going to leave us, Mr. Glover," the captain said when he +came on board. "I congratulate you, but at the same time we shall be +very sorry to lose you, and I hope that when there is a vacancy we shall +have you back again. You fully deserve your promotion, and have been a +credit to the ship." + +The next day Nat moved his effects ashore. There was but little +leave-taking between him and his comrades, for it was certain that they +would often meet at Port Royal. He spent his time for the next fortnight +in the dockyard seeing to the refitting of the schooner. The +superintendent there had heard of the affair with the dog, and of the +manner in which he had saved the lives of the French lady and her +daughter, Dr. Bemish being an old friend of his. He was, therefore, much +more complaisant than dockyard officials generally are to the demands +made upon them by young lieutenants in command of small craft. Indeed, +when the schooner was ready for sea Nat had every reason to be proud of +her. She had been provided with a complete suit of new canvas, all her +woodwork had been scraped and varnished, the running rigging was new, +and the standing rigging had also been renewed wherever it showed signs +of wear. Her ballast, which had before been almost entirely of iron ore, +was now of pig-iron, and in view of the extra stability so given she had +had new topmasts ten feet higher than those she had before carried. + +"I should advise you to keep your weather eye lifting, Mr. Glover," +Captain Crosbie said when Nat paid his farewell visit to the frigate; +"that craft of yours looks very much over-sparred. If you were caught in +a squall with your topsails up the chances are you would turn turtle." + +"I will be very careful, sir," Nat said; "although, now she has iron +ballast, I think that even with the slight addition in the height of the +spars she will be as stiff as she was before in moderate breezes, while +she will certainly be faster in light winds." + +"That is so," the captain agreed; "and of course it is in light winds +that speed is of the most importance. There can be no doubt that in the +hands of a careful commander a large spread of canvas is a great +advantage, while in the hands of a rash one a craft can hardly be too +much under-sparred." + +Turnbull, Nat's first officer, was a quiet young fellow, a few months +junior to Nat. He was square in build, with a resolute but good-humoured +face, and Nat had no doubt that the admiral had selected him as being +likely to pull better with him than a more lively and vivacious young +fellow would be. From the first day they met on board he was sure that +he and Turnbull would get on extremely well together. The latter carried +out his suggestions and orders as punctually as he would have done those +of a post-captain, going about his work in as steady and business-like a +way as if he had been accustomed for years to perform the duties of a +first officer. One evening Nat had asked him and Lippincott to dine with +him at an hotel, and ordered a private room. + +"I think," he said when the meal was over and the waiter had placed the +dessert and wine on the table and had retired, "that we are going to +have a very pleasant cruise. I am afraid we sha'n't have much chance of +distinguishing ourselves in the fighting way, though we may pick up some +of those rascally little craft that prey on the native commerce and +capture a small European merchantman occasionally. With our small crew +we certainly cannot regard ourselves as a match for any of the regular +pirates, who would carry vastly heavier metal, and crews of at least +four times our strength. The admiral expressly warned me that it was not +intended that the _Arrow_ should undertake that sort of business. Our +mission is rather to gain news of what passes in the interior, pick up +fugitives who may be hiding in the woods, and act in fact as a sort of +floating observatory. Any fighting, therefore, that we may get will be +if we are attacked. In that case, of course, we shall do our best. I am +sure we shall be a pleasant party on board. Of course in a small craft +like this we shall mess together. It is necessary, for the sake of +discipline, that when we are on deck we should follow the usual +observances, but when we are below together we shall be three mess-mates +without any formality or nonsense." + +The two juniors remained on their ships until the schooner was out of +the hands of the dockyard men. According to custom, Nat did not join +until they and the crew had gone on board and spent a day in scrubbing +the decks and making everything tidy and ship-shape; then the gig went +ashore to fetch him off. As he rowed alongside he could not help smiling +at seeing the sentries at the gangway and the two young officers +standing there to receive him. However, with an effort he recovered his +gravity, mounted the short accommodation ladder, saluted the flag, and +returned the salutes of his officers and men. On board the frigate he +had been an inconsiderable member of the crowd, now he was monarch of +all he surveyed. Then the crew were formed up, and according to custom +he read his commission appointing him to the command, and the articles +of war. + +"Now, my men," he said when he had brought the meeting to an end, "I +have, according to rule, read the articles of war, a very necessary +step when taking command of a vessel of war with hands collected from +all parts, and many of them coming on board one of his majesty's ships +for the first time; but it is a mere formality to a crew composed of men +like yourselves, who will, I am perfectly sure, do your duty in storm +and calm, and who will, should there be any occasion for fighting, show +that, small as our number is, we are capable of taking our own part +against a considerably larger force. I and my officers, will do all in +our power to make the ship a comfortable and pleasant one, and I rely +upon you to show your zeal and heartiness in the service." + +The men replied with a hearty cheer. Most of them belonged to the +_Orpheus_. These had already told the others of their captain's doings +in Hayti and in the attack on the pirate island, and said how popular he +was on board. + +"I think we are going to have a good time," one of the others said as +they went forward. "We ain't likely to capture anything very big in this +cockle-shell, and I look upon it as a sort of pleasure ship." + +"You will see, if he gets a chance he will take it," one of the men from +the _Orpheus_ said. "I was with him in that fight against the pirates, +and I tell you I have never been in anything hotter. I was one of those +who volunteered to go with him to drown the magazine of the brigantine +next to us, and I tell you I never felt so scared in my life. He was +just as cool as a cucumber, though he had been knocked silly by that +explosion a quarter of an hour before. He is the right sort, he is; and +though I expect he has got orders not to tackle anything too big for +us--he is not the sort of chap to run away if he can find the smallest +excuse for fighting." + +In the meantime Nat had gone below with the two midshipmen. The +accommodation for officers was excellent. There was a large cabin aft +which had been handsomely fitted up by the late captain. Off this on +one side was his state-room, on the other those for the two officers; +beyond these were the steward's cabin and pantry on one side, and a +spare cabin which had been given to the quarter-master on the other. Nat +had engaged a negro as cook, and his son, a lad of seventeen or +eighteen, as cabin steward, and had sent on board a small stock of +wines. He ordered the boy to open a bottle and to put glasses on the +table, and they drank together to the success of the cruise. They had +just finished when the quarter-master came down. + +"The admiral is signalling for us to send a boat to him, sir." + +"Lower the gig at once!" and he and the officers followed the +quarter-master on deck. "Mr. Lippincott, you had better go with it." + +In half an hour the midshipman returned with a despatch. Nat broke the +seal. It had evidently been dictated by the admiral to his clerk, his +signature being at the foot. + + _News has just arrived that the French Assembly has cancelled the + act placing the mulattoes on the same footing as the whites, and + the former have in consequence risen and have joined the blacks. + The situation must be most precarious for whites in the island. + Get up sail at once and make for Cape François. Cruise between + that port and the south-eastern limit of Hayti. Do what you can + to aid fugitives._ + +"We are to be off at once," he said to Mr. Turnbull. "Please get up the +anchor and make sail. There is fresh trouble in Hayti; the mulattoes +have joined the blacks." + +The quarter-master's whistle sounded, and the crew sprang into activity. +The capstan was manned, and the men ran to loosen the sails, and in ten +minutes the _Falcon_ was on her way. + +"Matters were bad enough before," Nat said when, having seen that the +sails were all set and everything in good order, his two officers came +aft. "A few mulattoes, overseers and that class, rose with the negroes, +but the great bulk of them, having got what they wanted, joined the +whites or stood neutral; but now that they have thrown in their lot with +the blacks the prospect seems almost desperate. However it turns out, +there is no doubt that the island is ruined, and the whites who were +lucky enough to escape with their lives will find that instead of being +rich men they are penniless. It is a horrible business altogether. I +shall be glad when we get to Cape François and can get news of what is +really going on." + +Nat was delighted at the speed shown by the schooner. The breeze was +light, and she felt the full advantage of her added spread of canvas. +She was a very beamy craft of light draught, and scarcely showed a +perceptible heel under the pressure of the wind, fully justifying his +opinion as to the improvement to be effected by the substitution of iron +ballast for that which she had before carried. Turnbull and Lippincott +were no less pleased, and the whole crew felt proud of their little +craft. + +"She can go, sir, and no mistake!" Turnbull said, as they stood aft +looking upwards at the sails and down into the water glancing past her +sides. "It would take a fast craft indeed to overhaul her; her sails are +splendidly cut!" + +"Yes, I tipped the man who is at the head of the sail-making gang a +five-pound note to take special pains with them, and the money would +have been well laid out if it had been fifty times as much; for it will +make the difference of a point at least when she is close-hauled, and +that means getting away from a fellow too big for us, instead of being +overhauled by him." + +"Yes," Turnbull said with a smile, "and might enable us to keep out of +reach of his bow-guns, while we hammered him with our stern-chaser." + +"Yes, it might have that effect," Nat replied with an answering smile. +"What is she going through the water now, quarter-master?" + +"A good seven knots, sir." + +"That is fast enough. The _Orpheus_ would not be making more than six in +such a light breeze as this." + +Towards sunset the wind fell until it scarcely seemed that there was a +breath on the water, but the schooner still crept along at two and a +half knots an hour, although her sails scarcely lifted. The crew had +already been divided in watches. Turnbull took the starboard, and +Lippincott the larboard watch. + +"I hardly know myself," Nat laughed, as they sat together in the cabin +after dinner. "Except when I was on the sick list, this is my first +experience of not having a night watch to keep. However, I expect I +shall be up and down, and at any rate call me if there is the slightest +change in the weather. We know what she can do in a light wind now, but +we won't risk anything until we have seen how she carries her sails in a +sharp blow." + +Somewhat restless under the extent of his responsibility, Nat was on +deck several times during the night. There was, however, no sign of +change. The _Arrow_ was still stealing through the water with the wind +abeam. The two midshipmen, equally impressed with the responsibility of +being in command of a watch, were on the alert, and the look-out was +vigilant. The wind freshened again when the sun rose. At noon there were +white-heads on the water, and the schooner, heeling over a bit now, was +doing nearly nine knots. The three officers all took an observation, and +to their satisfaction found that they were within half a mile of each +other. At the present moment, however, there was no doubt as to their +situation, for the high land near Cape Dame Marie lay clearly in sight +over the bowsprit, while behind them the hills over Morant Point lay +like a dim haze. + +"If we had had this wind the whole way," Nat said regretfully, "we +should have been well in the bay by this time. Still, we must not +grumble; we have made a hundred knots. The mid-day gun fired just as we +got under way, and, considering that for twelve hours we had no wind +worth speaking of, I think we have done very well. Indeed, if the wind +will hold like this, we shall be near port by noon to-morrow; but we +can't reckon on that, it is sure to fall before sunset, and besides, the +winds are generally baffling and shifty when we once get into the bay." + +By three o'clock the wind had already begun to fall, and by five they +were lying almost becalmed off the westerly point of the island. For the +next two days the wind was very light, and it was late in the afternoon +of the second when they dropped anchor off Cape François. Nat at once +went ashore, and as usual received a warm welcome from the Duchesnes. +Madame had now quite recovered from the effect of her adventure, as also +had Myra. + +"I did not know that the _Orpheus_ was in port, or else we should have +been expecting you." + +"She is not in port, madame. I arrived in his majesty's schooner +_Arrow_, which I have the honour to command." + +"Then you are Captain Glover now? I must be very respectful," and Myra +made a deep curtsy. + +"It will be a good many years before I shall have the right to be +addressed by that title. I have passed my examination as lieutenant, and +have now acting rank, which will no doubt be confirmed by the +authorities at home, and I may be addressed as lieutenant without any +breach of etiquette. Still, of course, it is a grand thing to get a +command, and so much greater chance of distinguishing oneself. However, +as she is but a small craft, and carries only twenty-five men, we are +not in a position to do any great thing in the way of fighting, though +of course we may overhaul and capture some of these native craft that +are nominally traders, but are ready to capture any small vessel they +may come across. My mission really is to obtain news of what is passing +in the island. We have received word at Kingston that the mulattoes have +risen and joined the blacks, and I have been sent off at once to learn +the real state of things." + +"Unhappily the news is true," Monsieur Duchesne said. "There have +already been several fights, in some of which we have got the best of +it, in others we have been driven back to the towns. It is impossible +for the look-out to be darker than it is. It seems to us that our only +hope is that England will consent to take over the sovereignty of the +island, and send a force large enough to put down the insurrection. Some +of the planters here have already lost heart, and have sailed for +Jamaica, Bermuda, and other British ports. I have no intention of +following their example at present. I am, as you know, a merchant as +well as a planter, and although, of course, all trade is at an end now, +it must spring up again in time. Fortunately, we feel confident that +this town can resist any assault. The French man-of-war that came in +after you sailed landed a dozen of her guns, and we have erected four +batteries. There were, too, a good many old guns in the town, which have +also been put into position; and as we have half a French regiment here, +and fully five hundred whites who can be relied on, we have small fear +of being overpowered. I am glad to say that before the man-of-war left, +the great majority of the negroes were expelled from the town and their +quarter burnt down, so that we have no fear of being attacked from +within as well as from without. That was really our greatest danger, and +has been hanging over us night and day ever since the beginning of the +rising." + +"Are the mulattoes and negroes acting together?" + +"In some cases, but as a rule they keep apart. There is no love lost +between them, and the only bond of union is hatred of us. The blacks, +curiously enough, have declared against the republic, and call +themselves the royalist army. They consider, and very naturally, that +the republic, while giving rights to the mulattoes, has done nothing for +them, and therefore, as the republic has declared against the king, they +have declared for him. Do you think that the English government will +accept our offer to transfer ourselves to British rule?" + +"I do not see that they could do so, sir. At present we are nominally at +peace with France, although everyone sees that war must come before +long, but until it is declared we could scarcely take over a French +possession; nor do I think there are anything like troops enough in our +islands to undertake such a serious operation as this would be. Your +people could not give us much help. The negroes, though calling +themselves royalists, are fighting only for liberty, and would gain +nothing by a mere change of masters, knowing as they do that the slaves +are certainly no better treated in our islands than in those of France." + +"That is what I thought," Monsieur Duchesne said. "Certainly nothing +short of an army of thirty thousand strong could hope for success, and I +doubt, indeed, whether in so large and mountainous an island even that +number could do much. Of course fully half of it is Spanish, which +complicates matters a great deal; but we may be sure that if the negroes +of this end are successful, those under the Spaniards will very soon +follow their example. If the worst comes to the worst, I shall of course +leave the island. Whether I should settle in one of your islands or +make England my residence I cannot say. Some of my countrymen have gone +to America, but I should put that out of my mind. I think I should +prefer England to remaining out here, for there might be similar risings +in Jamaica and elsewhere; as to France, it is out of the question. + +"France has gone mad. I know that many of our good families have sought +refuge in England, and we should at least find society congenial to us. +Happily, we are in a condition to choose for ourselves; my ancestors +have been wise men, and have long foreseen that what has actually +occurred might possibly take place. Each in succession has impressed his +views upon his son, and it has become almost a family tradition among +us, and one upon which we have often been rallied. For with few +exceptions all here seem to have regarded the state of things as being +as unchangeable as Scripture says were the laws of the Medes and +Persians. If this had been only a tradition, and had not been acted +upon, it would not have benefited us now, but for six generations each +of my ancestors has regarded it as a sacred duty to set aside nearly a +tenth of his revenues as a provision when the troubles should come. This +money has been chiefly invested in England and Holland, and the interest +on the accumulations of all these years has been reinvested. I believe +that, although I regard such investments as were made in France as lost, +we shall, when we reckon up matters, find that our income will be fully +as large as that which I have drawn from my property and trade here." + +"I am very glad to hear it, Monsieur Duchesne. I have indeed, while I +have been away, thought very often of what would happen to you and your +family if you were forced to finally abandon your estate and leave the +island." + +"I have reason to be grateful indeed, Nat, to the forethought of those +who have gone before me; it is strange that the same idea did not occur +to others. One can see now that our people here have been living in a +fool's paradise, totally oblivious of the fact that a volcano might at +any moment open under their feet. Are you going to remain here?" + +"Oh, no! I am only making this a starting-place. My orders are to cruise +along the southern coast, to render any assistance I can to the +refugees, and if possible, to open communications with some of the +chiefs of the insurgents and endeavour to find out what their plans are, +and, should it be decided to accept the cession of the island when war +with France breaks out, what the attitude of the blacks and mulattoes +would be." + +"You will not be likely to pick up any refugees, for the whites are +exterminated except in the towns; but should any of the smaller places +be attacked you might render good service by receiving at least the +women and children on board." + +That evening Monsieur Duchesne asked his brother-in-law, the doctor, and +several other leading inhabitants, to his house, in order that Nat might +gather their views. He found that these in the main agreed with those of +his host, except that they were hopeful that France would, as soon as +the news arrived, despatch an army of sufficient force to put down the +insurrection. After the last of the guests had departed, Monsieur +Duchesne shook his head. + +"France will ere long require every soldier to defend her own frontiers; +the saturnalia of blood in which she is indulging will cause her to be +regarded as the common enemy of Europe. I hear that already the emigrant +nobles are pressing the various European courts to march armies into +France to free the king and royal family from their imprisonment by the +mob of Paris, and ere long there will assuredly be a coalition which +France will need all her strength to resist. England is certain to join +it; and even had France troops to spare, she would find a difficulty in +sending them here. So you will not change your mind and stay with us +for the night?" + +"It is already nearly eleven, and I ordered the gig to be alongside at +that hour. I certainly should not like to sleep out of the ship, though +I have no doubt that my two young officers would see that everything +went on right." + +On reaching the schooner, Nat found that both Turnbull and Lippincott +were still up. + +"It was such a lovely night that we have been smoking on deck until a +few minutes ago; we were, of course, anxious to hear the news." + +At Nat's order the steward brought hot water and glasses; three tumblers +of grog were filled, and they sat for a couple of hours discussing the +strange situation in the island. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +A RESCUE + + +The _Arrow_ was one morning lying at anchor in a small bay on the south +coast, when one of the sailors called Nat's attention to a boy who had +run down and was wildly waving his arms. Nat caught up his telescope. + +"It may be a white boy," he said. "Lower the gig! I will go myself in +her. Quick! he may be pursued." + +It took but a very short time to cross the quarter of a mile of water. +The lad rushed in up to his chin to meet them, and was quickly hauled +into the boat. His hands and face had been blackened, but this had so +worn off that he merely presented the appearance of a sooty-faced white +boy. He burst into a fit of convulsive sobbing as he found himself among +friends. Nat saw that it was useless to question him at the moment, so +he told the men to row back at once to the schooner; then he +half-carried him down to his own cabin, brought out a glass of wine, and +gave it to him. + +"Drink that up, lad," he said, "then you can tell me something about +yourself." The boy put the glass with shaking hands to his lips and +drank it down. + +"That is right, lad; now tell me something about yourself. What is your +name?" + +"I am a girl, monsieur; my name is Louise Pickard. We have been hiding +in the forest for six weeks--my father and mother, my sister, and ten +Frenchmen, who worked for us. We lived on fruit and what provisions the +men could obtain by going down to the plantations at night. Two days ago +the negroes found us; they killed one of the men at once, and the rest +of us they took. My sister and I were dressed as boys. They were going +to kill us one by one; they burnt one of the men to death yesterday, and +tied us to trees round and made us look on. This morning they killed +another; they cut off his arms at the elbows and his legs at the knees, +and then cut him about with knives till he died. Then they shut us up +together again. There was a little window, and my father pushed me +through it. He had heard the negroes say that there was a vessel in the +bay with white men in it. The hole was in the back of the house, and +there were trees there, so that I managed to get off without being seen +by the negroes. My father tried to get Valerie through the same window, +but she was too big. She is two years older than I am, and I could not +have squeezed through had not my father pushed me. He told me to come +down to the shore and take refuge with you." + +"How many of these black scoundrels are there?" Nat asked. + +[Illustration: THE RESCUE OF LOUISE PICKARD.] + +"Two or three hundred. The negroes are going to attack you +to-night--there are some fishermen's boats at a village a mile or two +along the shore. Father told me to warn you. I did not like coming +away, I would have liked to have died with the others; but it was so +awful to look on at the tortures. If they would but have killed us at +once, I would not have minded; but oh, monsieur, it was too terrible! +Can you not do something for them?" And she again burst into tears. + +"I will see what can be done," Nat said, putting his hand kindly on her +shoulder. "I am going up on deck now. This is my cabin," and he opened +the door of his berth. "The steward will bring you some hot water, then +you had better have a wash and get rid of that charcoal, for I suppose +it is charcoal on your face. We can do nothing for you in the way of +dress at present. But if you will take off your things and put them +outside the door, I will get them washed at once, and you can lie down +in my berth until they are dry. They won't take very long in this hot +climate." + +The steward by his orders brought in a can of hot water. The girl +retired with it to the cabin, and Nat went on deck and told Turnbull and +Lippincott what he had heard from her. + +"It is awful," the latter said. "Can we do nothing, sir?" + +"That is the point, Mr. Lippincott. I feel that it is impossible for us +to remain quiet while such devilry is being carried on among those +woods. But you see the matter is rendered all the more difficult by the +fact that we ourselves are going to be attacked to-night. Our crew is +weak enough already. If three or four boat-loads full of blacks were to +fall upon us, we could not spare a man; while if we were to land, we +should need every man for the job, and even then should be terribly +weak. Something has to be done, that is evident, and we have to hit upon +a plan. Now, let us all set our wits to work." At this moment the black +steward came up from the cabin with a bundle. + +"The boy am put dese things outside him door, sah. Wat am me to do wid +dem?" + +"Bring them along to the galley, Sam. I must get your father to wash +them. Pomp," he went on to the cook, "have you got plenty of hot water?" + +"Yes, sah; allus hab hot water." + +"Well, look here, I want you and Sam to set to work and wash these +clothes at once. The boy I brought on board turns out to be a French +girl, the daughter of a planter who is in the hands of the negroes up +there. We must see to-morrow what we can do in the way of rigging her +out properly, but for to-day we must manage with these things. Get them +as white as you can, and then hang them up to dry. I want her on deck +again as soon as possible to give us information as to where her friends +are confined." + +"All right, sah, we soon gets dese clean." + +"And you may as well heat up a basin of that turtle-soup we had +yesterday. I expect she has had little enough to eat of late." + +Then he went back to the quarter-deck. + +"It seems to me, sir," Turnbull said, "that if the girl would go ashore +with us as a guide, we might succeed. After it gets dark, put me and one +of the hands on shore, with a saw and a bottle of oil to make it work +noiselessly. Then we could crawl up to this little window by which she +got out, and cut away the wood--for no doubt it is a wooden hut--till +the hole is large enough for all of them to get out." + +"That seems a good plan, Turnbull, certainly; the only drawback is that +probably before it gets dark the negroes will have discovered that the +boy, as they consider her, has escaped, and will keep a sharp look-out +on the others. Then, too, although one or two might get out noiselessly +and make their escape, the chances of ten people doing so would be much +smaller, and if the attempt were detected you might only share their +fate. If we had all the crew close at hand to cover their retreat it +might be managed, great as would be the odds against us, but you see +there is this boat attack to be guarded against. I don't think that I +could allow you to run such a risk, Turnbull." + +"Still, something must be done, sir." + +"Yes, we are agreed as to that," Nat said, and going to the rail he +stood there gazing at the shore for some minutes. + +"I have an idea," he said, suddenly turning round. "You see that point +near the mouth of the bay, where the rock rises eight or ten feet +straight out from the water's edge; there are trees behind it. It will +be a dark night, and if we could get the schooner over there without +their noticing it, as I think we could, we could probably lay her pretty +close alongside, and when the boats came, the betting is that they would +never find her. They would row about for a bit looking for us where we +are anchored, and, not finding us, would come to the conclusion that we +had got up sail and gone away after dark. In that way we could land our +whole party." + +"I think that would do first-rate, sir." + +"Of course there is a certain amount of risk of their discovering her," +Nat went on, "but we must chance that. We will send her topmasts down as +soon as it is dark, so that they won't show against the sky-line, and +boats might then row within twenty yards of her without noticing her, +especially if we can get her in pretty close. It is just possible that +we may be able to lay her right against the rock. The water is deep +pretty close in, even opposite to us, for the girl was not more than +four or five yards from the shore when she was up to her neck in water, +and no doubt it is a good deal deeper than that, at the foot of those +rocks. As soon as it is dark, Mr. Lippincott, you had better take the +boat and sound along there. Of course you will muffle your oars. It +would be a great thing if we could get alongside. In the first place, +the nearer she gets in the less likely that she would be to be seen, +and in the next place it would be very important, if we are hotly +pursued, to be able to get on board without having to use boats." + +"Certainly," Turnbull agreed. + +"When we have got her in her place," Nat went on, "we will take a light +anchor out fifty fathom or so, and put the hawser round the windlass, so +that the instant we are on board, four men, told off beforehand, can run +forward and set to work. Once we are three yards out we should be safe +from boarding, however strong their force may be. We will have the guns +on that side loaded with a double charge of grape before we land, and +once out we will give them a dose they will remember for a long time. +Now, we may as well tell the crew; they will be delighted at the +prospect of a fight." + +The men were clustered together forward discussing whether anything was +likely to take place, for the arrival of the boy, the fact that he had +been taken down to the cabin aft and had not reappeared, and the evident +anxiety of their officers, sufficed to show them that something unusual +was on hand. When they came aft Nat said, "My men, we are about to +undertake an enterprise that will, I am sure, be after your own heart. +The apparent boy we brought on board is a young French lady. Her +parents, sister, and seven white men are in the hands of the negroes, +who each day murder one with horrible torture. Now we are going to +rescue them." + +A cheer broke from the men. + +"The job will be a pretty tough one, men, but you won't like it any the +worse for that. There are, I hear, two or three hundred of those +murderous brutes up there. Of course, if we can get the prisoners out +without a fight we shall do so, but I hardly think we shall be able to +manage that. The matter is somewhat complicated by the fact that I hear +that a boat attack is going to be made upon us to-night. Now, we are +certainly not strong enough to carry off this party and at the same time +to leave enough men on board to defend the schooner. After it is dark, +therefore, I intend to take her across to that rock over there, moor her +as close to it as I can, and strike the topmasts. In that way we may +hope that on a moonless night, as this will be, the boats will not find +her, but will suppose that we have sailed away. However, of that we must +run the risk. I shall take every man with me. Of course, we shall batten +the hatches down, and fasten them so that if they do find her it will +give them as much trouble as possible, and we may possibly catch them at +work as we return. + +"You will, of course, take muskets and a brace of pistols each, and your +cutlasses. I have no doubt that we are being watched from the shore, +therefore go about your work as usual. Do not gather together talking, +or give them any cause to suppose that we are intending to do anything. +It is not likely that the escape of the girl has yet been discovered, +for if they were watching among the trees up there they would hardly +have noticed that the boat took an extra person from the shore. Grease +the falls of the gig, so that she can be lowered noiselessly, and muffle +the oars. As soon as it is quite dark Mr. Lippincott will take +soundings, in order to see how close into the rock it will be safe to +take her." + +With another low but hearty cheer, expressing the satisfaction they felt +at the prospect of a fight with the negroes, the crew went forward +again. One of them set to work to grease the falls not only of the gig +but of the other boats, in case these should also be required, two +others cut up some old guernseys and lashed them round the gig's oars at +the point where they would touch the thole-pins, others resumed their +occupation of polishing the brass-work, while the rest sat down under +the shelter of the bulwark and talked over the adventure on which they +were about to engage. In an hour the girl's clothes were washed and +dried. One of the crew who had served as an assistant sail-maker had at +once, under Nat's instructions, set to work to sew half a dozen flags +together, and with these he had constructed a garment which, if +primitive in design, was at least somewhat feminine in appearance. + +Round the top was a deep hem through which was run a thin cord. By the +aid of this it could be drawn together and gathered in at the neck. Six +inches from the top, two of the seams between the flags were left open, +these were for the arm-holes. This primitive pinafore was to be drawn in +at the waist by a belt. The man had chosen from among the signal flags +those whose colours went best together, and though the result was +extremely motley, it was yet a very fair substitute for a dress. The +three officers could not help laughing as he brought it aft to show +them. + +"That is very well contrived, Jenkins," Nat said. "I have no doubt the +young lady will greatly prefer it to going about dressed as a boy." + +As the clothes were by this time dry, Nat told Sam to take them below +with the new garment, to lay them down outside his state-room door, and +then to knock and tell the young lady that they were there in readiness +for her, and that as soon as she was dressed lunch would be ready. When +he had done this he was to come up on deck again. A quarter of an hour +later Nat himself went down. The clothes had disappeared, and the girl, +who was about thirteen years of age, came out. She had, with the +exception of the coat, donned her former garments, and over these had +put the flag pinafore. Her arms were covered by those of the light +flannel shirt, and the dress hung straight down all round. + +"It is a queer-looking thing," he said with a smile, "but it is the best +we can manage in the emergency. Here is a belt, if you strap that round +your waist it will make the thing look more comfortable." + +The girl smiled wanly. Now that her face and hands were clean, Nat saw +that she was a pretty little thing, and would have been prettier had not +her hair been cut quite short. + +"We are going this evening," Nat went on, "to try to rescue your parents +and sister from those black fiends." + +She clasped her hands before her. + +"Oh, sir, that is good of you!" + +"Not at all. You don't suppose that we are going to remain here quietly, +knowing that close by there are white people in the hands of those +scoundrels. We shall want you to act as our guide. We are going to take +a saw with us and cut away the wood round that hole you escaped by, and +hope to get your friends out without the negroes seeing us. If they do, +so much the worse for them. Now, will you sit down while the steward +lays the cloth for lunch?--it will be ready in two or three minutes; +then I will bring the other two officers down to introduce them to you." +He raised his voice: "Sam! luncheon as soon as possible." + +The young negro was expecting the order, and ran in at once with a +table-cloth and a plate-basket, and in two or three minutes the table +was laid; then he went out and returned with the plates. + +"Eberyting ready, sah; me bring down de soup when you gib de word." + +"Give my compliments to Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott, and ask them to +come down to lunch." + +The girl looked anxious and shy as she heard the footsteps coming down +the companion, but an expression of relief came over her face as she saw +that they were even younger than the officer she had already seen. + +"These are my officers, mademoiselle--Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott. +Their French is not of the best, but you must make allowance for them." + +The girl smiled and held out her hand to the two middies. The news that +her parents and sister might yet be rescued had already greatly raised +her spirits. + +"I do look funny, do I not?" she said. + +"I am sure you look very nice," Turnbull replied. "It is quite a novelty +for us to have a lady on board." + +"And are you both going to help bring my friends down?" + +"Yes, we are all going. We will get them down, and I hope we shall have +a chance of punishing some of the murderous niggers." + +"You mean you hope that there will be a fight?" she asked in a tone of +surprise, as she took her seat on Nat's right hand. + +"That I do," Turnbull said heartily. "There is not a man on board who +would not be sorry if we were to get down again without an opportunity +of having a slap at the beggars." + +"Mr. Turnbull is a very bloodthirsty character," Nat said gravely. "I +don't know whether you have in French a history of Jack the Giant +Killer?" + +"I never saw such a book," she said, looking a little puzzled. "Did he +really kill giants?" + +"Yes, Jack did; he was wonderful that way. Mr. Turnbull has never been +able to find any giants, but he means to take it out of the blacks." + +"I am sorry to say, mademoiselle," Turnbull said, "that although when on +the quarter-deck our captain's word may be received as gospel, he +permits himself a very wide latitude of speech in his own cabin. The +fact is, that whatever my disposition may be, I have never yet had any +opportunity for performing any very desperate actions, whereas +Lieutenant Glover has been killing his enemies by scores, fighting with +wild beasts, attacking pirates in their holds, has been blown up into +the air, and rescued ladies from slaughter by the negroes." + +The French girl turned her eyes wonderingly towards Nat. + +"You need not believe more than you like, mademoiselle," he said with a +laugh. "I am afraid that we are all given to exaggerate very much, but +Mr. Turnbull is the champion fabricator." + +"But is it quite true that you are going to try to get my father and +mother and sister away from the negroes?" + +"That is quite true," Nat said earnestly. "We are certainly going to try +to get them, and I think that we have a good chance of doing so. Much +will depend, of course, upon whether we can reach the hut where they are +confined before being discovered. You see, we have only twenty-five men, +or, counting us all, including the quarter-master, steward, and cook, +thirty-one. It is a small force, and though we might bring all the +prisoners off in safety if we once got them into our hands, it would be +a serious thing if the negroes had time to rally round the hut before we +got there. How does it stand, is it surrounded by trees?" + +"No, it is at the edge of the forest. There is a large indigo field in +front, and it is there most of the negroes are. There may be some in the +forest, but I did not see any as I came down here." + +"That is good. How many do you say there are?" + +"Seven men, without counting my father." + +"We will tell eight of the sailors to carry up boarding-pikes, Turnbull. +Unfortunately we have no spare firearms. However, boarding-pikes are not +bad weapons, and as no doubt only a small portion of the negroes have +guns, it will add a good deal to our strength if it comes to a +hand-to-hand fight." + +"That it will," Turnbull agreed. "That will bring us up to thirty-nine, +and thirty-nine whites ought to be able to fight their way easily +enough through this black mob, especially as we shall take them by +surprise, and they won't know how many of us there are." + +As soon as it became dark, Lippincott went off in the gig, and returned +in half an hour with the news that there were six feet of water at the +foot of the rock, and twelve feet ten yards away. + +"I think, sir," he said, "that we could get her in within three or four +yards of the rock." + +"That would do excellently," Nat said. "The carpenter had better set to +work at once and nail three planks--we have got some down below fifteen +feet long--side by side. Let two of the hands help him. Tell him, if he +does not think that it will be stiff enough, to nail one of the spare +oars on each plank." + +He had learned from the girl that many of the negroes sat up by their +fires nearly all night, and that therefore there was no advantage in +delaying the landing, and he was anxious to move the schooner as soon as +possible, as the boats might appear at any time. Everything was in +readiness--the arms had been brought on deck, the muskets and pistols +loaded, and as soon as the gangway was knocked together, which did not +take many minutes, Lippincott went off in the gig with a long hawser. As +soon as he returned and reported that he had fastened it to a tree above +the rock, the crew tailed on, and the schooner was noiselessly towed to +her place. Another hawser was taken on shore, and she was hauled +broadside on until she lay, with only a few inches of water under her +keel, within ten feet of the line of rock. + +The hatchways had all been securely fastened down, and an old chain was +taken round the trunk of a large tree, and its ends shackled round the +mainmast. This could be loosed almost instantaneously by the crew when +they returned, but would much increase the difficulty that the negroes +would encounter in getting the vessel away if they discovered her. The +edge of the rock was but some three feet higher than the rail, and there +was therefore no difficulty in ascending the gangway. When all had +crossed, this was pulled up and pushed in among the bushes. They +followed the shore till they reached the spot at which the girl had come +down, as she would more easily find her way from there than from the +place where they had landed. Telling the others to follow in single +file, Nat took his place with the girl, at their head. + +"How far is it?" he said to her in low tones. + +"It is just at the top of the hill. We shall be there in less than a +quarter of an hour." The sailors had been warned to walk with the +greatest caution, and especially to avoid striking any of their weapons +against the trees. + +They went slowly, for it was very dark in the forest. Beyond the fact +that she had come straight down the hill when she escaped, she could +give no information about the way. + +"I did not look," she said; "I ran straight down. But I am sure that if +we go as straight as we can up from the water, we shall come upon the +plantation, and then I shall be able to tell you exactly where the hut +is." + +Keeping therefore upward, they went on until they reached level ground, +and saw by the faint light ahead that they were nearing the edge of the +forest. They stepped even more cautiously then until they arrived at the +open ground. A dozen great fires blazed in various places in front of +them, and they could hear the laughing and talking of the negroes. + +"It is more to the right," the girl said. "It is nearly in the corner of +the field where you see that fire; that is close to the hut. They always +keep a big fire there, and the leaders sleep round it. There are always +two negroes on guard in front of the hut." + +"I expect they have got one behind now. Of course they have found out by +this time that you have escaped, and they must have known that it could +only have been by that window." + +Keeping well inside the line of trees, they crept along to the corner of +the clearing. The two negroes had been instructed in the part they were +to play, and as soon as they got well round behind the house the others +halted, and knife in hand they crept through the trees, and then upon +their hands and knees crawled forward. The others listened intently. The +gabble of voices continued on the other side of the hut, and when a +louder yell of laughter than usual broke out they saw a figure appear at +one corner and look round, as if anxious to hear what was going on. +Suddenly two arms appeared from the darkness behind him. He was grasped +by the throat and disappeared suddenly from sight. Two minutes later Sam +came through the trees. + +"Dat chile no gib de alarm, sah. Can go on now and cut him window." + +The carpenter and the man told off to assist him at once ran forward, +accompanied by the girl and Nat, who went straight to the little window. +He had told her that she must not speak, for her mother or sister might +utter a sudden exclamation which would alarm the sentries on the other +side. Putting his face to the window, he said in a low voice, "I pray +you be silent, the slightest sound might cost you your lives. We are +here to rescue you; your daughter is safe and sound with us. Now we are +going to enlarge the window." Low exclamations of delight told him that +he was heard. + +The carpenter at once set to work, the man with him oiling his saw very +frequently; nevertheless it seemed to Nat to make even more noise than +usual. Suddenly, however, one of the prisoners began to utter a prayer +in a loud voice. + +"That is papa," the girl whispered; "he used to say prayers every +night." + +"It was a very good idea to begin now," Nat said. "What with the row by +the fires, and his voice inside, the guard are not likely to hear the +saw." + +In ten minutes the window had been enlarged to a point sufficient for a +full-sized person to get through. + +"Now, madam, will you come first," Nat said. "We will pull you through +all right." + +One by one the captives were got out. There were still two men left when +the door opened, and three or four negroes appeared with blazing brands. + +"We have come to fetch one of you out to give us a lillie fun. Bake 'im +some ober de fire." + +Then he broke off with a shout of astonishment as he saw that the hut +was almost untenanted, and he and the others were about to rush forward +at the two men still there when Nat thrust his arm through the opening. +Two shots cracked out, one after the other. The two leading negroes +fell, and the others with a yell of terror rushed out of the hut. + +"Quick, for your lives!" he said to the two men, one of whom was already +half through the window. "We shall have them all on us in a few +minutes." + +In a few seconds the men were out, and Nat and the two seamen ran with +them to the edge of the wood, to which the other captives had been +passed on as soon as they were freed. By this time the air was ringing +with yells and shouts. + +"Now, men, move along a little farther so as to get a view of the fire, +and then we will give them a volley." + +The negroes were rushing forward, yelling and shouting, when twenty-five +muskets rang out with deadly aim, for the blacks were not more than +thirty yards away. + +"Load again, lads! that will sicken them for a bit," he shouted; and +indeed the negroes with yells of astonishment and fear had run back, +leaving some fourteen or fifteen of their number on the ground. + +"Are you all loaded?" + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +"Then down the hill you go. Have the three ladies gone on?" + +"Yes, sir; the two blacks went down with them." + +"Have the Frenchmen got their pikes? That is good; now keep as close as +you can together. They are coming up by scores, and will make a rush in +a minute or so." + +As fast as they could the sailors and the rescued men made their way +down the hill, but owing to the thickness of the trees it was impossible +to run. They had gone but a short distance when there was an outburst of +yells round them, and, looking back, Nat saw a number of blazing brands. + +"You had better have kept in the dark," he muttered. "You would not have +come so fast, but more of you would go back alive. Don't hurry, men," he +said; "take it coolly. Take care of the trees. They are sure to come up +to us, for they can see their way; but they won't be in such a hurry +when we open fire again." + +They were half-way down the hill when he gave the order: "You four men +next to me turn round and pick off some of those fellows with torches. +The rest halt in case they make a rush." + +The four shots were fired one after the other. As many negroes fell. + +"Are you ready, lads? Four more fire!" + +The shots had an equal success. Many of the negroes at once took refuge +behind trees. + +"That will do, men; on you go again! Don't make more noise than you can +help. With all that yelling they won't be sure that we have moved." + +[Illustration: "FOUR SHOTS WERE FIRED AND AS MANY NEGROES FELL."] + +It was not, indeed, until they were down on the shore that the negroes +again came up with them. Then they burst out at several points from the +trees, being uncertain of the exact course the retreating party had +taken. + +"Now, keep together in a body, men!" Nat shouted in English, and +repeated the same order in French. "March steadily forward. We have got +to fight our way through them." + +Now that the negroes saw how comparatively small was the number of their +foes, they rushed upon them. + +"Don't throw away a shot!" Nat shouted. "Now, let them have it!" + +The men who had already fired had loaded again, and as the negroes came +up, a crackling fire broke out from the little party. + +"Now, lads, at them with pistol, cutlass, and pike! We must get through +these fellows ahead before others come up." + +With a loud cheer the sailors rushed upon the blacks, cutting and +thrusting, the men who had been released fighting with desperate fury +with their pikes, mad with the thirst for revenge for the horrible +atrocities that they witnessed and the thought of the fate they had +escaped. Pistols cracked out continually, and it was not long before the +negroes lost heart; and the sailors, at Nat's order, flung themselves +upon them and cut a way through. + +"Straight on now, men! Show them that you can run as well as fight. We +shall have a hundred more of them down on us directly." + +There was no doubt of this; the yells that rose from the forest and the +light of many brands showed that the whole of the negroes were hastening +to join their comrades. Nat had previously begged the two officers and +the quarter-master not to use their pistols, and he, with them, ran in +the rear line. A few only of the negroes pressed closely behind them; +the rest, dismayed by the slaughter that had taken place, awaited the +arrival of their comrades. + +"Now, turn and let them have both barrels!" Nat said; and the four men, +facing round, levelled their pistols, and six of the leading negroes +fell, while the others halted at once. "Keep your other pistols," Nat +said; "we shall want them at the gangway." + +There was a shout of satisfaction as the men in advance caught sight of +the schooner. The two negroes had already placed the gangway in +position, and had crossed it with the three ladies and Monsieur Pickard, +who had accompanied them. + +"Over you go, men!" Nat shouted; "they are close behind us." + +Most of the men were across when a crowd of blacks came rushing along. +Sam and Pomp had taken their station at the taffrail, and as the head of +the mob came on their muskets flashed out, and the two leading men fell. +Then they opened fire with their pistols, and at the same moment Nat and +his three companions discharged their remaining pistols and then ran +down the gangway, the sailors having by this time all passed over. The +planks were at once pulled on board. + +"Now, unshackle the chain and round with the capstan!" Nat shouted. "The +rest of you lie down behind the bulwarks." + +A moment later the chain was unshackled, and as the capstan rapidly +revolved, the schooner's head receded from the shore. Yells of rage +broke from the negroes, and a scattered fire of musketry was opened. + +"Now, Turnbull, do you and Lippincott each go to a gun, and when we are +far enough off for them to bear on those rascals let them have it." + +A minute later the bow-gun was fired. It was too near for the shot to +spread properly, but it cut a lane through the crowd, and half a minute +later the second gun crashed out. By this time the sailors had all +loaded their muskets again. + +"Now for a volley!" Nat shouted; "that will finish them; or I am +mistaken." + +It was indeed decisive, and with yells of rage and pain the negroes +darted into the forest behind them. As fast as the guns could be loaded, +round after round of grape was fired among the trees. By this time the +schooner was close to the kedge; this was hauled up and sail set, but +the breeze was so light that the vessel scarcely moved through the +water. The guns were again loaded with grape, and a keen watch was kept, +as it was possible that the boats might not yet have arrived, having +delayed putting off until it was thought that all on board would be +asleep. In the meantime the wounds were examined. None of these was +serious. Only a small proportion of the negroes were armed with muskets, +and these being among the crowd had for the most part been unable to +fire; consequently only one man had been hit in the arm by a ball, while +six or eight had received gashes more or less deep from the knives and +other weapons of the negroes. + +"Even if the boats have not been here," Nat said to Lippincott, "I don't +think we shall have any trouble with them; they will have heard our +guns, and, I dare say, the musketry firing, and will know that, now we +are awake and on our guard, we should probably sink them before they +reached us." + +Half an hour passed, and then, as they got beyond the shelter of the +island, they caught a little breeze, and the schooner began to slip +through the water. + +Nat called the men from the guns. "I don't think that we shall have any +more fighting to-night," he said. "You have all done very well. We have +certainly killed three times our own number, and we have successfully +carried out the main object of our adventure. I have ordered the steward +to serve out a good ration of rum all round, but I should advise you +who have got wounds to keep your share for a few days." + +"It won't hurt us, sir," one old sailor said, and three or four other +voices were raised in assent. + +"I did not suppose that my advice would be taken," Nat said with a laugh +to Turnbull, "still, it was as well to give it; and I don't suppose that +an extra allowance of grog will go far towards heating their blood." + +"Not it," the middy replied; "rum is cheap out here, and I don't suppose +that half a bottle would be considered by them as an excessive drink. +How are you going to stow our passengers away? Of course we will give up +our cabins to the ladies." + +"I think the best plan will be for us to turn out altogether, Turnbull; +there will be our three state-rooms for the ladies, and the father can +sleep on the sofa of the main cabin. We will have a screen put up +forward of the steward's cabin, and have cots slung for ourselves there. +Of course we will take our meals with them aft. I don't think there are +any spare hammocks, and the eight white men must make a shift to sleep +on some old sails--it won't be for many days. Well, Sam, what is it?" + +"Supper am ready, sah." + +Leaving the quarter-master to take charge of the watch, they went below. +They had not expected to see the ladies up, but they were all there. + +"Monsieur Pickard, I must introduce myself and my officers." + +"It needs no introductions, sir," the Frenchman, a tall, thin man some +fifty years of age, said in a broken voice; "my daughter Louise has told +me your names, and how good you have been to her. Ah, monsieur, no words +can express our obligations to you all! It was not death we feared, but +such a death. Even now we can scarce believe that this is all true, and +that we have escaped from those fiends. In the name of my wife and my +daughters and myself, I thank you with all my heart for what you have +done for us. Little, indeed, did we think, when we helped Louise through +that narrow window in order that she might warn you that you were going +to be attacked, and with the hope that she might escape from the awful +fate that awaited us there, that it would be the means of saving us all. +We heard the negroes saying that the schooner was flying the British +flag, but we had no idea that she was a vessel of war, thinking it was a +small trader they were about to attack. But even had we known it, it +would not have raised any hopes in our minds, for we should not have +thought that, with so small a force as such a vessel could carry, her +commander would think of attacking so great a number of men as, Louise +would have told you, had us in their power." + +"We are only too glad to have an opportunity of being of service to you +and your family, Monsieur Pickard. Indeed, had there been only these two +officers and myself on board, I am sure that we should have made an +attempt to release you; and should, I have no doubt, have succeeded in +doing so without being discovered, as would have been the case to-night, +had not they taken it into their heads to come into the hut just at that +moment. And now, monsieur, for the sleeping arrangements. My cabin is at +the service of madame, those of Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott, of the +young ladies. We shall have cots slung for ourselves elsewhere; that +sofa must serve for you, Monsieur Pickard. To-morrow, madame, we will +place at your disposal whatever there is on board the ship for +fabricating dresses for your daughters that will be less striking than +that now worn by Mademoiselle Louise. We have a roll of white duck, from +which, I have no doubt, they will be able to contrive a couple of white +dresses." For the eldest girl, as well as Louise, was in boy's clothes, +as the Pickards had fortunately had warning before the outbreak took +place on their plantation, one of the men with them having overheard +what was said at a meeting of the negroes, and in consequence they, the +overseers, two white superintendents of the indigo works, a carpenter +and mechanic, had during the night taken to the woods, Madame Pickard +dressing her daughters in some clothes that they had in store, and which +were cut down to fit them. + +"And now, ladies," Nat went on, "I know that you will above all things +be longing for bed, but I hope that you will each take a basin of soup +and a glass of wine before you turn in, you must need them sorely. The +steward will get your cabins ready for you. I am sure that Mademoiselle +Louise will set you a good example; she recovered her appetite as soon +as she learned that we intended to get you out." + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +TWO CAPTURES + + +The meal was a very short one, but the ladies, to please their rescuers, +took a few spoonfuls of soup and a glass of wine. Madame Pickard and her +elder daughter were too much worn out by anxiety and emotion to talk, +Monsieur Pickard was no less moved, and the conversation was supported +entirely by the three officers and Louise. The young men hurried through +their meal, and then, saying good-night to the others, went up on deck. + +"Well, never did a thing turn out better," Nat said as he lit his pipe; +"it is a tremendous satisfaction that we have not lost a single man in +the affair." + +"And it is no less a satisfaction," Turnbull said, "that we have given a +good many of those black brutes their deserts. It was a good fight for a +bit." + +As they were smoking, the seven white men came up in a body. + +"We could not lie down, monsieur," one of them said, "till we had come +to thank you for saving us from the most frightful deaths. We had given +up all hopes even of obtaining a weapon and putting an end to ourselves, +which we should certainly have done could we have got hold of a knife, +after having been obliged to witness the tortures of two of our +comrades. Had you been but ten minutes later another of us would have +been their victim. Ah, monsieur! your voice, when you spoke at the +window, seemed like that of an angel who had come to our relief." + +"How long had you been in the woods?" Nat asked. + +"Six weeks, monsieur, before the negroes found us. We had carried off +some provisions with us, but these were all consumed, and we were +obliged to go down to the plantation to search for food. We suppose that +we were seen and followed, and the next night we were surrounded by the +band you saw." + +"Well, we are all very glad to have got you out of their hands, and you +rendered good service when the blacks came down on us." + +"We had our revenge to take," the man said, "and not one of us but would +have fought until he was killed." + +"You have had something to eat, I hope?" + +"Yes, thank you, sir." + +"You had better turn in now. I don't suppose you have had much sleep of +late." + +"Poor beggars," Turnbull said as the men walked away, "I wonder myself +that they did not strangle each other, or hang themselves, or something. +I am sure I should have done so rather than wait day after day till my +turn came to be burnt alive, or to be cut to pieces gradually, or put to +death by any other means of slow torture." + +"Yes, Turnbull, if one were quite sure that there was no possible hope +of rescue or escape; but I suppose a man never does quite give up hope. +This was an example, you see, of the unlikely happening." + +"What are you going to do next, Glover?" + +"I don't know, I have hardly thought it out yet. You see, we can manage +with this lot we have on board without much difficulty, and I don't know +that I should be justified in going round to Cape François on purpose to +land them. So far we have not been able to bring any news of value, and +at any rate I think we might as well cruise about here a little longer. +There is one thing, if we should fall in with anyone bigger than +ourselves and have to fight for it, those fellows who have just gone +below will be a valuable addition to our strength. When it comes to a +hand-to-hand fight seven stout fellows might turn the scale." + +"Yes, there is something in that, and I am glad you mean to keep them on +board for a bit. I think the girls will be very good fun when they have +a little got over what they have gone through. The young one is a jolly +little thing, and her sister is very pretty, in spite of her short hair +and boy's dress, though one had not much opportunity of forming an idea +as to whether she had any fun in her." + +"I fancy it will be some time before she will feel inclined for a +flirtation, Turnbull," Nat laughed. "What she has gone through, and what +she has seen in the way of horrors, is enough to damp a girl's spirits +for a very long time." + +In the morning the ladies did not appear at breakfast. + +"My wife is completely prostrated," Monsieur Pickard said, "and the two +girls are shy and do not like showing themselves until they have made +up a couple of dresses. Your steward gave them the roll of white cotton +early this morning and needles and thread, and both are very hard at +work. I hope you will excuse them, they will come out and have breakfast +here after we have done. May I ask where we are sailing now?" + +"We are sailing east, monsieur. I hope that it will not inconvenience +you to be a few days on board. My orders are to cruise up and down the +coast, and I wish therefore to go east as far as the boundary between +the French and Spanish portions of the island; after that I can go round +into the bay of Hayti and land you at Port-au-Prince or Cape François, +whichever you would prefer." + +"It will make no difference whatever to us, and indeed I am sure that a +cruise on your beautiful little ship will be the very best thing for my +wife and daughters. They will have perfect rest and sea air, and it will +not be necessary for them to tell over and over again the stories of +their sufferings; but I lament that we should be putting you to such +personal inconvenience." + +"I can assure you, monsieur, that you are putting us to no inconvenience +whatever. We sleep just as well in our cots as in our berths, and the +society of the ladies and yourself will be a very great pleasure to us, +for as a rule we have very small opportunity in that way." + +"You speak our language very fluently, Monsieur Glover." + +"I am afraid that I speak it more fluently than grammatically. I had the +opportunity of picking it up by ear last year, when I was staying for +six weeks at the house of Monsieur Duchesne at Cape François." + +"We know him well, and his charming wife and daughter," Monsieur Pickard +said, "for we have a house there, and generally go there for three +months every winter. Can it be that you are the officer who saved their +daughter's life, when she was attacked by a fierce hound?" + +"Yes, I had that good fortune." + +"I fear that they have fallen in this terrible insurrection. We have had +no direct news from Cape François, but we heard that in their district +all the plantations have been destroyed and the owners murdered." + +"I am happy to be able to tell you that they were saved. I was staying +there at the time when the revolt broke out We were warned just in time +by an old nurse, Dinah." + +"I remember her," Monsieur Pickard broke in, "a tall old woman." + +"Yes, Monsieur Duchesne himself was in town, and madame, Myra, and I had +just time to gain the forest. There we were joined by Dinah, who did +everything for us. Madame was attacked by fever, but fortunately Dinah +knew of a very safe place of refuge. She did everything for us, fetched +up provisions, concocted medicine, and after being ten days in hiding, +we were able to get them down to the town." + +Both the midshipmen had a fair knowledge of French, though they were not +able to speak it with Nat's ease and fluency. When the latter had +finished, Turnbull broke in: + +"Mr. Glover does not tell you, monsieur, that the cave they were in was +attacked by six negroes, led by two mulattoes, and he shot them all, nor +that he and the nurse carried Madame Duchesne down in a litter some +twenty miles to the town, although he had one of his ribs broken by a +pistol shot." + +"What is the use of talking about that?" Nat said angrily. "The thing +was done and there was an end of it. There has been a lot too much said +about it as it is." + +Monsieur Pickard smiled. "Monsieur Glover is like my daughters at +present, he is shy. He should not be so. It is right that we, his +friends,--for we are his friends, now and for the rest of our +lives,--should know what he is. Ah, my wife and the girls will be +pleased indeed to hear that their friends have escaped! They have often +said how sorry they were that they had not seen the young officer who +rescued their friend Myra from the dog. It is strange indeed that he +should afterwards have saved her and her mother from the negroes, and +should now have so rescued us." + +That evening the girls appeared on deck in snowy-white dresses, simply +made, but fitting admirably. "We have always been accustomed to cut out +our own dresses," Valerie said, laughing, when Nat complimented her on +the work. "The slaves did the sewing, but we fitted each other. Of +course at Cape François we had our dresses made for us, but on the +plantation we were obliged to trust to ourselves." + +One morning, three days later, as they were at breakfast, Nat stopped as +he was raising a cup to his lips. "That is a gun!" he exclaimed. "There +is another!" and with the two middies he ran up on deck. "There is a +fight going on somewhere," he said as the sound of firing was again +heard. "It must be six or seven miles away, somewhere beyond that +headland. At any rate we will hold on and have a look at them. With this +light wind it will take us from an hour and a half to two hours before +we are up with them, so we may as well finish our breakfast in comfort." + +"What is it, Monsieur Glover! Are those noises really the sound of +guns?" + +"There is no doubt about it. There is a fight going on seven or eight +miles away. We should hear the sound more plainly were it not that there +is a headland between us and the vessels engaged." + +"Who can they be?" Madame Pickard said. + +"A pirate and a merchantman, no doubt. None of the European nations are +at war, but the seas swarm with piratical craft of one kind or another. +The small ones content themselves with plundering native coasting +vessels, the larger ones attack ships from or to Europe. The _Orpheus_, +to which I belonged at that time, last year rooted out one of their +worst nests. They had no fewer than four ships. We were lucky enough to +catch one of them, and learned where the rendezvous was, and fortunately +found the other three at home, and destroyed them and their +storehouses." + +"Are you going on in that direction now?" Valerie asked. + +"Yes, we are going to have a look at them. If the trader is making a +good fight of it, our arrival may turn the scale; if we arrive too late +and find the enemy too big for us, we can run away; in a light wind like +this there are very few vessels that could catch us. It is probable that +we should not interfere were it not for the possibility that we may be +in time to save some of the passengers and crew of the merchantman. She +must be a vessel of some size, judging from the sound of her guns. Even +if she has surrendered before we get there, and we find that we are in +any way a match for the pirate, we might, after defeating her, save at +least some of the captives. As a rule, these scoundrels, when all +opposition has ceased, confine the prisoners in the hold, and after +emptying the prize of everything valuable, scuttle her, and of course +drown all on board. In that way all traces of their crime are lost, +whereas if they killed them some of the bodies might float inshore, or +if they burnt the ship the smoke might bring down any cruiser that +happened to be in the neighborhood. + +"I am sorry that you are on board, ladies." + +"Oh, do not think of us!" Madame Pickard exclaimed. "After the wonderful +deliverance that we have had, I am sure that none of us would mind any +risk if there is a chance of saving others in as dire peril as we +were." + +The two girls and Monsieur Pickard warmly agreed. "Please put us +altogether out of consideration," the latter said. "Even if we knew that +it was probable we should all lose our lives we should not hesitate. We +are not, I hope, any of us, afraid of death. It was the kind of death +that we were terrified at." + +"I thank you all," Nat said gravely. "I shall not fight unless I think +that there is at any rate a fair chance of victory." + +On going on deck when breakfast was finished, Nat ordered the magazine +to be opened and ammunition brought up. The wind had freshened a little, +and the schooner was going faster through the water; and in three +quarters of an hour after hearing the first gun they neared the +promontory. + +"I am afraid it is all over," Nat said to the ladies, who had also come +on deck; "there has not been a gun fired for the past two or three +minutes. However, we shall soon see." + +On rounding the point they saw two vessels lying side by side, a mile +and a half distant, and about a mile from shore. One was a barque, +evidently a large merchantman; the other a brigantine. There was no +question that the latter was a pirate, and the other her prize. The +sailors, after a glance at them, turned their eyes anxiously towards Nat +for orders. The latter stood quietly examining the ships through his +glass. + +"She mounts five guns a side, and I should say that they are about the +same weight as our own," he said to Turnbull; "and from the men swarming +on her deck and that of her prize she must have nearly, if not quite, +three times our strength, even counting the Frenchmen in." + +"She is too big to fight squarely, sir," Turnbull reluctantly agreed. "I +am afraid she is altogether too tough a customer for us; and yet one +hates the thought of leaving them to complete their devil's work on +their prize." + +"Yes, we can't think of doing that, Mr. Turnbull. The first thing to do +will be to draw them off from her." + +"But they would be sure to leave some of their men in possession of +her." + +"Well, if they do, there will be so many the fewer for us to fight. We +are within a mile now, I should say?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Then train the two forward guns on them, and let them see that we mean +fighting." + +A cheer broke from the sailors clustered round the guns as Turnbull gave +the order. + +"Now, ladies," Nat said, "you can stop to see the effect of our first +shot, and then I must ask you to go down on to the lower deck. Sam will +show you the way and take some cushions down for you; you will be out of +danger there." + +As he spoke, the two guns which were already loaded were fired, and the +men gave a cheer as two white patches appeared on the side of the +brigantine. + +"Please hurry down, ladies," Nat said, checking the entreaty which he +saw they were going to make. "It won't be long before they answer us." + +"Give them another round, lads!" he said, as they reluctantly obeyed his +orders. "Get them in if you can before he is ready." + +Busy as they were, the pirates had not observed the schooner until her +guns were fired. With shouts of alarm they ran back to their own ship, +but these were succeeded by exclamations of anger and surprise when they +saw how small was the craft that had thus intruded into the affair. By +the captain's orders twenty of the crew, under his first mate, returned +to the deck of the prize; a portion of the men ran to the guns, others +threw off the grapnels fastening them to the prize. Before they were +ready to fire, two more shots from the schooner crashed into the +brigantine, one passing through the bulwarks, killing three men and +wounding several others with the splinters. The other struck her within +a few inches of the water-line. + +The schooner at once bore up, discharging the guns on the starboard side +as she came round, and laying her course as close to the wind as she +could be jammed, showed her stern to the pirate. Two of his guns forward +were fired, others could not be brought to bear. The Arrow was now +almost retracing her course, for the wind was west-nor'-west, and she +could just follow the line of coast. + +"Here they come after us!" Turnbull said, rubbing his hands, "as savage +as bees whose hive has been disturbed." + +"Now, Mr. Turnbull, get the two guns right aft, so as to fire over the +taffrail. We must see if we cannot knock some of her spars away. As soon +as you have moved the guns let all hands, except those serving them, go +forward and lie down there. The weight of the guns will put her rather +by the stern, and I don't want to let that fellow come any nearer to us. +She is in her best trim now." + +As soon as the guns were ready they opened fire. The brigantine answered +with her bow-chaser, but, as she was obliged to yaw each time she +brought it to bear, she presently ceased firing. + +"We are gaining on her, sir," Lippincott said, as he watched the pirate +through his glass. + +"Yes, and sailing fully a point nearer to the wind than she does. Get a +stay-sail fastened to a rope, and drop it over close to the bow. I don't +want to run away from her. If she found that we were too fast for her +she would give up the chase, and go back to the prize. I want her to +gain just enough to encourage her to keep on. She is a fast craft, but +we are faster. We shall be able to manage her, providing she does not +knock away any of our spars." + +The start the schooner had made had at first widened the distance +between them, and there was now a mile and a quarter of water separating +them. The brigantine was hulled several times and her sails pierced, but +her spars were still intact. She was permitted to gain until she was +little more than half a mile astern, but the schooner had weathered on +her, and was now nearly half a mile to windward. + +"If we had an open sea on this side instead of the land," Turnbull said, +"and were to cut away that sail, they would not see us again." + +"No; they must have come to the same conclusion. As it is, they no doubt +think that our clawing out to windward is of no advantage to us. Now, +get another gun over to the larboard side. It is lucky that there is a +spare port there. We must make an effort to knock one of his spars out, +or he may cripple us." For by this time the brigantine had again opened +fire. "Let the three best shots we have got lay the guns on her +mainmast. Tell them to train them rather high, so that if they miss the +mark they may cut one of the halyards, which will give us all the start +we want." + +The guns were run into their position on the broadside. "Don't hurry +over it," Nat said; "let each fire as his gun comes to bear." There was +a crash and a cry as he spoke; a ball had gone through the Arrow from +side to side, tearing jagged holes through her bulwarks, one of the +sailors being struck to the deck by a splinter. No one spoke, every eye +being fixed on the guns. These were fired almost together. There was a +pause for a second or two, and then a burst of cheering as the gaff of +the great mainsail of the brigantine was seen to collapse. + +"It is hit close to the jaws," Turnbull, whose glass was levelled on the +pirates, exclaimed. + +"Cut away that sail in the water!" Nat shouted. "Up with your helm, +men, and bring her round. That is right," he went on as the schooner +came up into the wind and payed off on the other tack. "Now, slack away +her sheets!" + +Three guns were vengefully fired by the pirate, but the sudden change in +the schooner's position disconcerted their aim, and the shot flew wide. +Without waiting for orders, the seamen at two of the guns ran them over +to the starboard side, and, all working at the highest pressure, poured +shot after shot into the brigantine, which answered but slowly, as +numbers of the men had run aloft to get the sail down to repair damages. +Before she was under way again the schooner had left her a mile behind. +She was now on her best point of sailing, while the brigantine was to +some extent crippled by the mainsail setting badly, and by the time the +headland was again passed the schooner was fully two miles ahead. Her +crew had for some time been puzzled at the action being so abruptly +concluded, and Turnbull had even ventured to say: + +"I should think, sir, we should have a fair chance with her now." + +"Not a very good chance. We have been lucky, but with ten guns to our +four, and her strong crew of desperate men, she would be a very awkward +customer. We can think of her later on. My plan is to retake the prize +before she can come up. It is not likely that they have killed the crew +yet, and I expect the captain told those left behind to leave things as +they were until he returned. We may scarcely be a match for the +brigantine, but the prize and we together should be able to give a good +account of ourselves." + +"Splendid, sir!" Turnbull exclaimed joyously; "that is a grand idea." + +"Have the guns loaded with grape," Nat said quietly, "and run two of +them over to the other side. We will go outside the prize, bring our +craft up into the wind, and shoot her up inside her, and give them one +broadside and then board. Tell the men to have their pistols and +cutlasses ready, and distribute the boarding-pikes among the Frenchmen." + +As soon as they rounded the point they could see by their glasses that +there was a sudden commotion on the deck of the merchantman. + +"They did not expect to see us back first," Lippincott laughed. + +"Even now, I should think, they are expecting to see the brigantine +close behind us in chase, and don't suspect what we are up to. Don't +head straight for her," he said to the helmsman, "take us a couple of +lengths outside her." + +The pirates, indeed, were completely deceived, but when at last they saw +that the brigantine did not appear, they ran over to the guns. It was, +however, too late. Two or three of these were discharged as the schooner +passed, but beyond making holes in her sails no damage was done, and one +of the schooner's guns poured in a volley of grape. When she was two or +three lengths ahead her helm was put hard down. She flew round and just +caught the wind on the other tack, gliding up alongside the merchantman, +the three guns being discharged in succession as the two vessels +touched. + +The grapnels were thrown, and the sailors and Frenchmen leapt on to her +deck headed by the three officers. Nearly half the pirates had been +killed or wounded by the four discharges of grape. The remainder made +but a poor fight of it, and were cut down to a man. + +"Off with the hatches, men!" Nat shouted. "Run down and release the +crew." + +He himself ran aft into the saloon. Here six gentlemen and eight or ten +ladies were lying bound hand and foot. Several of the men were wounded. +Nat at once cut the cords. + +[Illustration: "THE CAPTAIN OF THE PIRATES SHOOK HIS FIST IN DEFIANCE."] + + +"You are safe," he said. "The ship has been retaken by his majesty's +schooner _Arrow_, but we have not done with the brigantine yet, and any +of you who have weapons and can use them may lend a hand." + +Without waiting to listen to the chorus of cries of gratitude, he ran +out again. A minute later a number of seamen poured up on deck. Many of +them were wounded. + +"How many are there of you?" he asked an officer among them. + +"There are thirty of us," he said; "we had lost nearly half our crew +before they boarded us. The captain was killed early in the fight, as +was the first officer." + +"Well, sir, set your men to load the guns at once. There is the +brigantine just coming round the point. Monsieur Pickard, will you +remain here with your party and help the sailors? Get your sails sheeted +home, sir!" he went on to the ship's officer. "Is your vessel a fast +one?" + +"Yes, but she is not so fast as that brigantine." + +"That is of no consequence," Nat said. "Get every sail you can on her. +Now get twenty of our men on board again, Mr. Lippincott, and on second +thoughts I will take five of the Frenchmen. Mr. Turnbull, you will +remain on board in command of this ship with the other five of our men. +My endeavour will be to knock away one of her masts. Do you keep as +close as you can to us, and we will board her together, one on each +side. If she knocks away one of our spars, I shall as far as possible +come back to meet you, and if she follows us we will fight her +together." + +"I understand, sir." + +"The moment we push off, get your head sails aback and put her on the +wind so as to get out of our way. I shall fill her off on the other tack +and then come round and join you. We will keep together until we see +whether she means to fight or run. Remember, the great thing is to +knock a spar out of her." + +So saying, he leapt on to the deck of the schooner, and Turnbull's voice +was at once heard shouting the order, "Haul aft the weather sheets of +the jibs;" and in a minute the two vessels were gliding away from each +other on opposite tacks. Then the _Arrow_ was brought round and followed +the _Thames_, which was the name of the merchantman. The brigantine was +now three quarters of a mile away. Suddenly she was seen to change her +course. As she wore round she presented her broadside to the two +vessels, and her five guns puffed out together. The reply, both from the +merchantman and the _Arrow_, followed almost simultaneously, and a cheer +rang out from both ships as the pirate's bowsprit was seen to snap off. + +"Place yourself two or three cables' length from his larboard quarter," +Nat shouted. + +Turnbull, who had leapt on to the rail to see the result of the +broadside, waved his hand. + +"Down topsails!" Nat shouted, "she will be handier without them." + +In a moment the two great sails came fluttering down. Turnbull followed +the example, and the men ran up the ratlines and furled some of the +upper sails. Deprived of her head sails, the pirate was unmanageable, +and the two vessels speedily ran up and laid themselves a couple of +hundred yards from his quarters and opened a steady fire. The pirates +endeavoured to drag two of their guns right aft, but the volleys of +grape poured into them were too much for them, and although their +captain was seen to shoot two of the men, the rest ran forward. The +helmsman deserted his now useless post. + +"Give her one more broadside," Nat shouted to Turnbull, "and then run in +and board." + +The captain of the pirates, mad with rage, leapt on to the taffrail and +shook his fist in defiance. At that moment two rifles cracked out from +the merchantman, and he fell forward into the sea. The effect of the +storm of grape from the three guns of the schooner, and the four from +the trader, among the men huddled up in the bow of the pirate was +terrible, but knowing that their lives were forfeited if they were taken +prisoners, none made a movement aft to haul down the black flag that +still floated from the peak. In two or three minutes their antagonists +were alongside; a volley of musketry was poured in, and then the crews +of both ships leapt on to the deck. The pirates, who were now reduced to +about thirty men, rushed to meet them, determining to sell their lives +dearly. But the odds were against them; they missed the voice of their +captain to encourage them, and when twenty of their number had fallen, +the remainder threw down their arms. + +"Let no man stir a foot to go below," Nat shouted, remembering the +explosion in the pirate's hold, and fearing that one of them might make +straight for the magazine. He had not used his pistols in the fight, and +now stood with one in each hand pointing threateningly to enforce the +order. + +"Mr. Lippincott, take four men below and close and securely fasten the +magazine." + +The middy ran down, and returned in two or three minutes to report that +he had executed the order. + +"Tie those fellows' feet and hands," Nat said, "and carry them down into +the hold." + +When this was done he was able to look round. The deck was a perfect +shambles. The brigantine, as he afterwards heard, carried originally +eighty hands. Ten of these had been either killed or seriously wounded +in the fight with the _Thames_, and twenty had been killed on board that +barque when she was retaken. Forty lay dead or dying on the deck. One of +the Frenchmen had fallen, six of the sailors and three Frenchmen had +been severely wounded, Turnbull somewhat seriously wounded, and +Lippincott slightly. Monsieur Pickard, and the male passengers on board +the _Thames_, had all joined the boarders. + +Two of them had previously done good service with their rifles. Had not +the pirate leader been killed, the fight would have been even more +desperate. One of the passengers was, fortunately, a surgeon. He at once +set to work attending to the sailors' wounds, and after he had bandaged +them he examined those of the pirates. These had for the most part been +killed outright, and of the wounded there were but four or five with any +prospect of recovery. These he first attended to, while the other +passengers carried water to the dying men. + +"Now, my lads," Nat said, "clear the decks of the dead, and get up an +awning and carry those who are alive into the shade." + +All the dead pirates were thrown over without ceremony, the body of the +Frenchman being laid down by his compatriots by one of the guns for +proper burial in the evening. As soon as the fight was over, Monsieur +Pickard--who, after the capture of the _Thames_, had gone below to +assure his wife and daughters that all was going on well, and that they +had saved nine ladies and six gentlemen from the hands of the +pirates--hurried down with the welcome news that the fight was over and +the brigantine captured. + +"You can go up to the cabin," he said, "but don't come on deck till I +come down and tell you that everything has been made clean and tidy. You +will be glad to hear that, although we have several wounded, François +Amond is the only man that has been killed." + +One of the passengers of the _Thames_ had carried similar news to the +ladies there. The crews of both were at once set to work to wash decks, +and in an hour the holy-stones had obliterated the worst signs of the +conflict, though it would require many more scrubbings before the stains +of blood entirely disappeared. All this time the vessels had remained +side by side, and the ladies now ventured on to the decks of the +_Thames_ and _Arrow_. + +"What do you intend to do, sir?" one of the passengers asked Nat. + +"I shall sail at once for Jamaica," he said. "We shall want some more +hands, and I must at present borrow a few from you, for my own men are +not sufficiently strong to navigate my own craft and the prize. The wind +is favourable, and if it holds as it is we shall be at Kingston in +forty-eight hours, so there will be no great loss of time." + +He then crossed to the _Arrow_. + +"I must congratulate you most heartily on your success," Madame Pickard +said. "It is wonderful indeed that you should have taken both these +vessels. The pirate ship is, I should think, three times as big as you +are, and the other looks a giant by her side." + +"Yes, she is six hundred tons, and the brigantine is about three +hundred. However, it has all gone very fortunately. In the first place, +we have rescued some fifteen gentlemen and ladies, and twice as many +seamen, from the death that they would certainly have met with; and in +the next place, we have thrashed this pirate; we shall get both credit +and prize-money, and a good sum for the recapture of the _Thames_, which +the chief officer has just told me carries a very valuable cargo. +Lastly, I am happy to say that, although several of the crew are +injured, I have not lost a single life among them. I am sorry that one +of your men fell in the fight." + +"But they have sadly spoiled the appearance of your ship," Valerie +Pickard said. "There are three or four great holes along the side, and a +ball has gone through your cabin, and the sails, which were so white and +pretty, have lots of holes in them." + +"Yes, we shall want a good many new cloths," he said; "but that is a +very minor matter." + +"Monsieur Turnbull is hurt, I hear!" + +"Yes, madame; happily it is not very serious--a blow which he only +partly parried struck him on the shoulder. It looks a very serious +wound, but the doctor says there is no need for any great uneasiness +about him; and being seriously wounded in action has its advantages, as +it always counts towards promotion. Mr. Lippincott has had one of his +ears nearly slashed off, and is not pretty to look at at present, with +his head done up in bandages, but the surgeon thinks that, as it was +attended to so soon, it is likely that it will heal up." + +"And you have escaped altogether, Monsieur Glover?" Louise said. + +"Yes, for once I have had good luck. Hitherto I have always come out of +a fight more or less damaged; this time I have escaped without a +scratch." + +"I should feel very proud if I were you," the girl said, "at having done +so much with such a small ship--and you so young, too! Why, you do not +look more than a year or two older than Valerie, and you have rescued us +and all the people on the other ship, and taken a pirate and the vessel +they had captured. It seems almost impossible. And you look so quiet and +nice, too." + +"Louise, you should not talk like that," her mother corrected. + +Nat said gravely: + +"Mademoiselle, do you know that you are talking to the commander of one +of his majesty's ships on his own quarter-deck, where he is, as it were, +the monarch of all he surveys, and might inflict all sorts of terrible +punishments upon you for your want of respect?" + +The girl laughed merrily. + +"I am not afraid," she said, "not one little bit, and I don't see why +you should mind being told that you are young and quiet-looking and +nice, when you are." + +"I do not mind in the least," he said, "and certainly I am young; but I +can assure you that my former captain would not tell you that I was +quiet, for I had the reputation of being the most troublesome middy on +board his frigate. But, you see, responsibility has sobered me, and I +can assure you that there is a great deal of responsibility in +commanding a small craft like this, which has nothing but her speed and +her luck to rely on if she happens to fall in with a strongly-armed +vessel." + +"How can you say that, monsieur," Valerie said indignantly, "when you +have taken this pirate, which is ever so much stronger than you are?" + +"There may be a little good management in it, but more luck, +mademoiselle. If one of his shot had damaged me instead of one of mine +damaging him, we should all have had our throats cut two hours ago." + +"I don't believe it," she said. "I believe that you would have beaten +him anyhow." + +"Ladies very often think what they wish," he said with a laugh, "and no +doubt we should have fought to the last; but I can assure you that we +should have had no chance with them, and the best I could have done for +you would have been to have fired the last shot of my pistol into the +magazine." + +"Please don't talk about it," Madame Pickard said with a shudder. "And +now I suppose that you have had fighting enough, and are going to carry +us quietly into port?" + +"Yes, madame, to Jamaica; but if you would prefer to be landed at Cape +François or Port-au-Prince I shall be happy to give you a passage back +again." + +"We do not want to go there at all, but my husband will go to wind up +his affairs, and sell his house there. We have been talking it over, and +agree that we should never like to go back to the estate again. Even if +things did quiet down the memories are too terrible; and, besides, +having once broken out, the blacks might do so again at any time." + +"I think you are perfectly right, madame; but I am afraid you will not +get much for your estate." + +"My husband thinks that, although no white man would buy it, there are +plenty of mulattoes who would give, not its real value, but a certain +amount, for it. Many of them are rich men who have already large +plantations. Ours was one of the most valuable on the island, and with +the title from us a purchaser would not be afraid of being disturbed +when the soldiers arrive and put down the insurrection; while, even if +this should never be done, the negroes, with whom the mulattoes are now +friends, would not interfere with him. My husband thinks that perhaps he +will get a third of its value, which would be sufficient to keep us all +comfortably in France, or wherever we may settle; but our best resource +is that we have the whole of last season's produce stored in our +magazines at Port-au-Prince." + +It was not until the next afternoon that the absolutely necessary +repairs to the three vessels were completed, the holes near the +water-line covered by planks over which pitched canvas was nailed, the +ropes shot away replaced by new ones, and the brigantine's gaff +repaired. Then sail was hoisted again, and the three vessels set sail +for Kingston, where they arrived on the evening of the third day after +starting. No little excitement was caused in the harbour when the +_Arrow_, with her sails and sides bearing marks of the engagement, +sailed in, followed by the brigantine flying the British ensign over the +black flag, and the _Thames_ with the same flags, but with the addition +of the merchant ensign under the black flag, following her. There were +two or three ships of war in the port, and the crews saluted the _Arrow_ +with hearty cheers. The flag-ship at once ran up the signal for her +commander to come on board, and, leaving Lippincott to see to the +operation of anchoring, Nat ordered the gig to be lowered, and, taking +his place in it, was rowed to the flag-ship. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE + + +On mounting to the deck Nat was at once taken to the admiral's cabin. + +"So you have been disobeying orders, Lieutenant Glover," he said +gravely. + +"I hope not, sir. I am not conscious of disobeying orders." + +"I fancy you were directed not to engage more heavily-armed craft than +your own." + +"I was, sir, but the circumstances were peculiar." + +"I never knew a midshipman or a young lieutenant, Mr. Glover, who did +not find the circumstances peculiar when he wanted to disobey orders. +However," he added with a smile, "let me hear the peculiar +circumstances, then I shall be able to judge how far you were justified. +Give them in full. Have you a written report?" + +"Yes, sir, I have brought it with me," Nat said, producing the document. + +"Well, lay it down on the table. I don't suppose it is very full, and I +am somewhat curious to hear how you brought in a pirate brigantine and a +recaptured merchantman--so I understood your flags." + +Nat related how he had heard the sound of guns on rounding a headland, +and had seen the brigantine lying by the side of the barque she had +evidently just captured; how he drew her off in pursuit of the +schooner, partially crippled her, returned and retook the _Thames_, +released her crew, placed Mr. Turnbull in command, and how, between +them, they had captured the brigantine. + +"A very smart action," the admiral said cordially when he had brought +the narrative to a conclusion. "It does you very great credit, and fully +justifies my appointing you to an independent command. What metal does +the brigantine carry?" + +"Five guns each side, all twelve-pounders like my own." + +"And you have only four?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Very good indeed, very good! By the way, do you know any of the +passengers on board the _Thames_ personally? I observed three ladies on +the deck as you came in. I should have thought that they would have had +very much better accommodation on the trader than on board your little +craft." + +"Yes, sir; but they were on board the _Arrow_ before our fight with the +brigantine, and although the first mate of the _Thames_ offered them a +state cabin they preferred to stay on board, as it was such a short run +here." + +"Who are they, then?" + +"They are refugees, sir. I got them out of the hands of the +negroes--three ladies, the husband of the elder one, and seven other +white men." + +"Is there any story attached to it, Mr. Glover? Let me see, what do you +say about it in your report?" and he opened it and read aloud: + + _I have the honour, sir, to report that, learning there was a + white family in the hands of the negroes, I landed with a party + and brought them off. They consisted of Monsieur and Madame + Pickard and their two daughters, and seven of their white + employees. Casualties--eight seamen wounded, none of them + seriously._ + +"Then comes the account of the other affair. Now, please give me the +details of this rescue business as minutely as possible." + +This Nat did. + +"A very risky business, Mr. Glover, though I don't see how you could +have acted in any other way. No British officer, I hope, could have been +deaf to such an appeal; but if those boats had found the schooner when +you all were away, your position would have been well-nigh desperate." + +"It would, sir, I quite felt that, but it seemed to me the only possible +thing to do. Of course, if I had known that the boats would have come +early in the evening, I should have remained on board and beat them off +before making a landing, although our chances of success would then have +been much smaller. The party who were to attack in the boats were to +have been composed of men from the plantation. Their comrades would +doubtless have come down to the shore to see us captured, and when they +saw their friends beaten off they would have been on the watch, and not +improbably, in their fury and disappointment, have massacred all the +captives in their hands at once. But I thought it likely that the boats +would not put off before they believed us to be asleep, and that I +should therefore have time to go up to the plantation and fetch the +captives down before they arrived. At any rate, by moving the schooner +close inshore I hoped that the boats might not find her. There was no +moon, and under the shadow of the rock it was next to impossible to see +her, unless a boat happened to pass within a few paces. Having struck +the topmasts, the forest behind on steep ground prevented the masts from +showing above the sky-line. It was, of course, the choice of two evils, +and I took the one that seemed to me to give the greater promise of +success." + +"You did excellently, the oldest officer in the service could not have +done better. I shall be obliged if you will write as full and detailed +an account of both affairs as you have given me. I shall send it home +with your official report, and with my own remarks upon them. And now +about the merchantman; she looks a fine barque. What is her tonnage?" + +"Six hundred tons, sir. She is a nearly new vessel, and sails fast for a +ship of that kind. Her first mate told me that she has a very valuable +cargo on board, principally, I think, tobacco, sugar, coffee, wax, +copper, mahogany, and cedar from Cuba. Her passengers are all Spanish." + +"She seems to be a valuable prize, and as recaptured from the pirates +there will be a handsome sum to be divided, and it is fortunate for you +and your officers that the little craft was commissioned independently, +not as a tender to one of the frigates. As it is, except the flag's +share, it will all fall to yourselves and your crew. How many men have +you lost?" + +"None at all, sir; though, as you will see by my report, in the two +affairs the greater part of them received more or less severe wounds. +Mr. Turnbull was somewhat severely wounded, Mr. Lippincott nearly lost +an ear, and I escaped altogether." + +"Well, it was your turn, Lieutenant Glover. You have come back three +times more or less severely hurt already. You say that the brigantine is +fast?" + +"Yes, sir. She is not so fast as the schooner in a light wind, nor so +weatherly, but in anything like strong winds I have no doubt that she +would overhaul us." + +"Was there anything in her hold?" + +"There are a good many bales and cases, sir. I have not opened them, but +by their marks they come from three different ships, which she had no +doubt captured and sunk before we fell in with her. I questioned one of +the prisoners, and he told me that it was only a month since she came +out, and he declared that they had not yet chosen any place as their +head-quarters. As others questioned separately told the same story, I +imagine that it was true." + +"Where did she hail from?" + +"She came from Bordeaux. They said that she had taken out letters of +marque to act as a privateer in case of war breaking out with us, but I +fancy that she was from the first intended for a pirate, for it seems +that she had only forty hands when she started, and picked up the others +at various French ports at which she touched before sailing west. I +should say, from the appearance of her crew, that they are composed of +the sweepings of the ports, for a more villainous set of rascals I never +saw." + +"Well, it is fortunate that you should have stopped their career so +soon. She might have given us a great deal of trouble before we laid +hands on her. We have had comparatively quiet times since the _Orpheus_ +destroyed that nest of them, and if she had confined her work to +homeward-bound ships it might have been months before we had complaints +from home, and found that there was another of these scourges among the +islands. I shall row around presently, Mr. Glover, and have a look at +your two prizes. When you see my gig coming I shall be obliged if you +will meet me on the deck of the brigantine." + +At four o'clock in the afternoon the watch on deck reported that the +admiral's gig was being lowered, and Nat immediately got into his own +boat and was rowed to the brigantine, whose name was the _Agile_. When +the admiral approached, instead of making straight for the accommodation +ladder, he rowed slowly round the vessel, making a very careful +examination of the hull. When he came on deck, he said: + +"Except for a few shot that hit her low down, and the general +destruction of her bulwarks, no damage has been done to her." + +"No, sir, we aimed high, our great object being to knock away some of +her spars. I don't think that her square sails will be of any use in the +future, they are riddled with balls from our stern-chasers." + +"A new gaff and bowsprit, a new suit of sails, new bulwarks, and a few +patches, and she would be as good as ever. What damage have you +suffered?" + +"The schooner has half a dozen holes in her bow, sir, and a dozen or so +in her sails, nothing that the dockyard could not set right in a +fortnight." + +He then went below. "Excellent accommodation," he said, after going +round, "that is for a fair crew, but she must have been crowded indeed +with eighty men. What should you consider to be a fair crew for her, Mr. +Glover?" + +"Twenty men, sir, if she were a simple trader; I should say from +thirty-five to forty would be none too much if she were going to fight +her guns." + +"Now we will have a look at your craft. You may as well take a seat in +my gig. Yes," he went on, as he rowed round her as he had done with the +brigantine, "now that the sails are furled she does not seem any the +worse for it, except in the bow and those two holes in the bulwarks." + +Monsieur Pickard and the ladies were seated on the deck, and rose as the +admiral came on board. + +"Please introduce me to your friends, Mr. Glover." + +Nat did so, and the admiral shook hands with them all. + +"I think I may congratulate you on your escape from a very terrible +position." + +"Yes, indeed," Madame Pickard said. "No words can express the gratitude +we feel to Monsieur Glover, his two officers, and the crew. Our position +seemed hopeless, the most terrible of deaths and the worst of atrocities +stared us in the face." + +"I have heard all about it, madame, and consider that Lieutenant Glover +managed the whole business with great discretion as well as bravery. He +has a bad habit of getting into scrapes, but an equally good one of +getting out of them with credit to himself. This is the third time he +has rendered signal services to ladies in distress, and I suppose I +should add that he has in addition saved the lives of the ladies on +board the barque lying astern. If there were a medal for that sort of +thing he would assuredly deserve it. He ought to have been born six or +seven hundred years ago, he would have made a delightful knight-errant. + +"What are the ladies like in the other ship, Mr. Glover?" + +"I have no idea, sir. I only saw them for a moment when I ran into the +cabin and cut their bonds. I have only seen the gentlemen for a minute +or two when they joined the boarders from the _Thames_ under Mr. +Turnbull, and I was much too busy to notice them." + +"Have you not gone on board since?" + +"No, sir, I had nothing to go on board for, and I don't speak any +Spanish." + +"We tried to persuade him, Monsieur l'Amiral," Valerie said, "but +monsieur is modest, he has never let us thank him yet; and although he +pretended that he only kept ahead of the other two because his ship was +a faster sailer, it was really because he did not wish to be thanked." + +"But other people are modest too," the admiral said with a smile. "I +have heard of two young ladies who came on board, and who would not stir +out of their cabins until they had made themselves new dresses." + +The two girls both coloured up at the allusion, and Monsieur Pickard +laughed. "Now I will go below, Mr. Glover. She is very small by the side +of the brigantine," he said, as he completed his visit of inspection. "I +am not surprised that the pirates chased you after your impudence in +firing at them, and that they thought they could eat you at a mouthful. +Now, we will pay a visit to the barque." + +To Nat's great relief, he found that the passengers had all gone ashore. +It was certain that they would be detained for some little time, as +there would be legal formalities to be gone through, and repairs to be +executed, and additional hands to be obtained; and, all feeling terribly +shaken by the events that had taken place on board, and the loss in some +cases of near relations, they had been glad to land until the ship was +again ready for sea. The mate in charge handed to the admiral the ship's +manifest and papers. + +"You have no seriously wounded on board?" the latter asked him. "Because +if so, I should advise you to send them ashore to the hospital at once." + +"No, sir. All who fell on the deck were thrown overboard by the pirates +as soon as they obtained possession of the ship. I believe that they +fastened shot to their feet to make them sink at once." + +The admiral nodded. "That is likely enough. Dead bodies drifting ashore +might cause inquiries to be made; their intention no doubt was to take +all the most valuable part of the cargo out of the ship, and then to +scuttle her with all on board." + +"Are we likely to be detained here long, sir?" + +"Not as far as we are concerned. We shall require you to sign in the +presence of a magistrate here a formal document acknowledging that the +vessel was absolutely captured, and in possession of the pirates, and +that she was recaptured by his majesty's schooner the _Arrow_, and to +sign a bond on behalf of the owners to pay the legal proportion of the +value of the ship and cargo to the admiralty prize court in London. You +will, of course, take her home yourself, but I shall send a naval +officer with you, as the ship and its contents remain the property of +government until the charges upon her are acquitted. If we were at war +with France we should retain her here until she could sail under convoy +of a vessel of war homeward-bound, but there is no occasion for doing +that now. I do not suppose that you will find much difficulty in +obtaining mates and enough sailors to make up your complement here. +Scarcely a ship sails from the port without some of her men being left +behind, either as deserters or through having been too drunk to rejoin. +At any rate you had better be careful whom you pick, and if you should +find a difficulty in obtaining men whose discharge-books show that they +have hitherto borne a good character, I should advise you to ship eight +or ten stout negroes. They are good hands at managing their own craft, +and although they might not be of much use aloft, they are as a rule +thoroughly trustworthy fellows, and quite as good for work on deck as +our own men. I will give you an order on the dockyard for any repairs +that you cannot get executed elsewhere. They will of course be charged +for, but need not be paid for here, as they will go down in the account +against the ship." + +Fortunately the dockyard was not busy, and the _Agile_ and the _Arrow_ +were the next morning taken into dock, and a strong gang of men at once +set to work upon them. Three days later a signal was made for Nat to go +on board the flagship. + +"I have received the report from the dockyard people, Mr. Glover," the +admiral said. "They confirm our opinion that the _Agile_ has not +suffered any serious damage; that she is a new and well-built vessel, +and well fitted for our service, and she will therefore be retained at +the valuation they set upon her. Here is your commission as her +commander. Having done so well in the little _Arrow_, I have no doubt as +to your ability and fitness for the post. She will carry forty hands. I +shall give you two petty officers, a boatswain's mate and a gunner's +mate. I had thought of giving you another midshipman, but I think it +would be better that you should take a surgeon. Three or four assistant +surgeons came out last week, and I can very well spare you one. + +"I shall not give you one of the new arrivals, for it is better that +these for a time should serve on larger ships, get accustomed to naval +work, and learn the ordinary routine of duty on board. I shall, +therefore, send you one from either the _Theseus_ or the _Limerick_, and +fill up his place with a new-comer. Your duties will be precisely the +same as those assigned to you in the _Arrow_, except that I shall not +impress upon you the necessity for giving a wide berth to suspicious +vessels. You will cruise on the coast of Hayti, take off refugees, +communicate, if possible, with chiefs of the insurgents, and see if +there is any strong feeling among them in favour of annexation to +England. You will be authorized, in case it is absolutely necessary in +order to save the inhabitants of any coast town from slaughter from the +blacks, either to help the garrison with your guns or to land a portion +not exceeding half your crew to aid in the defence." + +"I am indeed greatly obliged to you, admiral, and assure you that I will +do my best to merit your kindness and confidence." + +"It is to yourself rather than to me that you are indebted for what is +virtually a step towards promotion. Just at present I do not think that +you are likely to have any opportunity of taking advantage of your +increased force, as we have heard no complaints of pirates of late. We +may hope that these scoundrels, finding that the islands are growing too +hot for them, have moved away to safer quarters. At any rate, if there +are any of them in these waters, they are likely to be among the +northern Cays, and are probably confining their depredations for a time +to ships trading between Europe and Florida, or to vessels from here +which have passed beyond the general limit of the seas we patrol." + +On Nat's return to the dockyard, he delighted Lippincott with the news +of the exchange that they were to make. Turnbull was in hospital, but +the surgeons had reported that his wound was not so serious as it seemed +at first, and that a fortnight's rest and quiet would go far to render +him convalescent. The sailors, too, were glad to hear that they were +going to be transferred to a craft in which they would be able to meet +an enemy with confidence. They were also pleased to hear that there was +to be no change in their officers, for they had unbounded trust in their +young commander, and had from the first agreed that they had never +sailed in a more comfortable ship. After seeing Turnbull and acquainting +him with the news, Nat paid a visit to the Pickards. They had landed on +the evening of their arrival, and, after stopping a day in an hotel, had +established themselves in a pretty house outside the town, which +Monsieur Pickard had hired from a merchant who was on the point of +sailing for England, and would be absent several months. + +Monsieur Pickard had, on arriving, gone to a merchant with whom he had +business connections, and to whom he had frequently consigned produce +for shipment to England or France when there happened to be no vessel in +Port-au-Prince sailing for Europe. He had obtained from him a loan on +the security of the season's produce, which had, fortunately, been sent +down to be warehoused at Port-au-Prince two or three weeks before the +insurrection broke out. + +Nat's friends, too, heartily congratulated him on obtaining the command +of a larger vessel. + +"After the troubles and anxiety we have of late gone through, Monsieur +Glover, we feel the comfort of being under the protection of the +British flag, and shall enjoy it all the more now that we know that you +are not going to sea again in that pretty little vessel, for if you fell +in with another large corsair you might not be so fortunate as you were +last time. As you have said, if an unlucky shot had struck one of your +spars, you would have been at her mercy, and we know what that mercy +would mean. I intend to stay here for a short time, till madame and the +girls get quite accustomed to their new home, before sailing for +Port-au-Prince; but whether I am at home or away you know how welcome +you will be here whenever you happen to be in port. How long do you +think it is likely to be before you are off?" + +"I was speaking to the superintendent of the dockyard before I came out, +and he says that he will get the _Agile_ ready for sea in three weeks' +time. He cannot possibly manage it before; the hull could be ready in a +week, but the suit of sails will require three times as long, though he +has promised to take on some extra hands if he can get them. Orders +have, however, been given by the _Thames_ to the chief native sail-maker +of the place to patch some of the sails and to make several new ones, +and he has taken up some of the best hands in the town. Then, no doubt, +whoever gets the command of the _Arrow_ will be wanting her sails pushed +forward, though that is not certain, for it is not unlikely that, now +the _Agile_ has been bought into the service, the _Arrow_ will be sold. +Indeed, one of the principal merchants here would be glad to buy her as +a private yacht if he had the chance, as he often has business at the +other islands, and she is just the craft that would suit him. He said +that by putting up shorter topmasts twelve men would be enough to sail +her, and that he would exchange the guns for eight-pounders, as from +what he had heard she could outsail almost any craft she was likely to +meet with, and small guns would be quite sufficient to prevent any of +these little native piratical craft from meddling with her. However, I +think the superintendent will keep his word, and that in three weeks' +time I shall be off." + +"I may possibly be at Port-au-Prince before you, then," Monsieur Pickard +said. "I am thinking of chartering a small brig and going in her to +Port-au-Prince, and bringing my goods back from there. Now that the +mulattoes are up in arms, the place cannot be considered as absolutely +safe; and as I calculate they are worth from eight to ten thousand +pounds, I think it will be well to get them over as soon as possible." + +"I quite agree with you, Monsieur Pickard, and should certainly advise +you to lose no time. Unless I get instructions to the contrary, I shall, +in the first place, cruise round the shore of the bay of Hayti." + +Ten days later, indeed, Monsieur Pickard sailed in the brig that he had +chartered. Nat had called to say good-bye the evening before, and, to +his embarrassment, was presented by him with a very handsome gold watch +and chain, the former bearing the inscription that it was a small token +of the deepest gratitude of Eugene Pickard, his wife and daughters, for +having saved them from the most terrible fate. + +"It is only a little thing, Monsieur Glover," the planter said--"a +feeble token of our gratitude, but something which many years hence will +recall to your memory the inestimable service that you have rendered +us." + +The superintendent of the dockyard kept his word, and in three weeks the +_Agile_ was afloat again, and the next morning twenty men drafted from +the war-ships in the port were transferred to her. Those of the _Arrow_, +with the exception of five still in the hospital, had shifted their +quarters to her a fortnight previously. Turnbull had rejoined the +evening before. His arm was still in a sling, but otherwise he was quite +convalescent. Lippincott had that morning given up the bandage round +his head, which had kept him almost a prisoner until now, for he had +refused to go into the town until after nightfall with his head bound +up, although Nat had many times assured him that an honourable wound +would not be regarded as any disadvantage by the young ladies at +Kingston. The assistant surgeon, James Doyle, a cheery young Irishman, +also joined that morning. + +"It is glad I am to be out of all the ceremony and botheration on board +the frigate," he said as he shook hands with Nat, "and to be afloat on +my own account, as it were. Saunders, the surgeon, was enough to wear +one out with his preciseness and his regulations; faith, he was a man +who would rather take off a man's leg than listen to a joke, and it put +me on thorns to hear him speak to the men as if they were every one of +them shamming--as if anyone would pretend to be ill when he had to take +the bastely medicines Saunders used to make up for them." + +"I don't think you will find much shamming here, doctor, especially if +the new hands are as good as the others; and I hope that your services +will not often be required except in the matter of wounds." + +"No fighting means no wounds, and I am afraid that there is no hope of +fighting," the surgeon said, shaking his head mournfully; "you and the +_Orpheus_ have pretty well cleared out the pirates, and it was a case of +pure luck that you came across this craft the other day. But there is no +doubt that the _Orpheus'_ men have had all the luck, and the big ships' +turn won't come till we have war with France. However, it may be that +the luck will stick to you for a bit yet, for, by my faith, I shall +before long have forgotten how to take off a limb or to tie up an artery +for want of practice. We all envied you when you came in the other day +with the two prizes behind you, both big enough to have eaten you up, +and though we cheered, there was many a man who grumbled, 'Bad cess to +them, the _Orpheus_' men have got all the luck.'" + +"But the _Orpheus_ had nothing to do with it," Nat laughed. + +"No, I know that; but you had been one of their men, and had, as I have +heard, more than your share already of adventures." + +Nat had received no further orders, and sailed that afternoon; two days +later he was off the entrance of the great bay. He coasted along the +shore as near as he could venture, always keeping a man on watch for +signals made by anyone anxious to be taken off. When it became dark the +anchor was dropped, so that no part of the shore could be passed without +the ship being observed. It was on the seventh day after sailing that he +arrived at Port-au-Prince. Half an hour after he had anchored, Monsieur +Pickard came off in a boat. + +"It is lucky that I lost no time," he said after the first greetings +were over; "I got my last bale of goods on board the brig an hour ago, +and we are going to warp her out at once so as to be under shelter of +your guns." + +"Why, what is the matter?" + +"There is news that a large force of mulattoes and negroes are coming +down from the hills and will be here probably to-morrow morning. Luckily +a great part of the negroes were turned out of the town a fortnight ago. +There are only two hundred soldiers here, and about as many white +volunteers--little enough to defend the place if they attack us. No +doubt they chose the moment because there is not a French war-ship of +any kind in port. However, I think that all the white women and children +are on board the ships. They are all crowded. I have about twenty on +board the brig, and have rigged up a sail as an awning, and on such a +warm night as this they will sleep better there than they would in a +cabin. I can assure you that there was the greatest satisfaction when +you were seen coming in. Several of the captains had talked of towing +their vessels out three or four miles into the bay, but as soon as it +was certain that you were an armed ship, the idea was given up, as many +of them were only half-laden; and it was felt that, of whatever +nationality you were, you would prevent the negroes from coming off in +boats to murder the women and children. Of course I did not know that it +was you until I made out your figure from the shore, but as soon as I +did so, I told all I knew that they need not trouble about the safety of +those on board ship, for I could answer for it that you would not +hesitate to turn your guns on any boats that went out to attack them." + +"Well, Monsieur Pickard, I cannot believe that the town will be taken, +but at any rate I congratulate you on having got all your produce an +board." + +"Yes, it is a very important matter to us; we cannot calculate upon +finding a purchaser for our house at Cape François at anything +approaching its value at ordinary times. I have a couple of thousand +pounds lying at my banker's, and although six months ago I would not +have taken forty thousand for the estate and the slaves upon it, I +suppose I may consider myself fortunate if I get half that sum, or even +less, now. Anyhow, if I get my crop here safe to Jamaica, I need not +worry myself as to the future." + +"If the place is attacked in the morning, monsieur, I have the admiral's +authority to land half my men to aid in the defence; and though twenty +men is but a small number, they may render some assistance. I intend to +hold them in reserve, and to take them to any spot at which the +insurgents may be pressing back the defenders. I shall be obliged if you +will inform the officer in command of the troops and the civil +authorities that they can count on my assistance to that extent. Will +you give them my advice to get all the available boats ranged along by +the quay opposite to us, so that in case of the worst all can retreat +there. I will cover their embarkation with my guns. Lastly, I should +advise the captains of all the ships in port to tow their vessels out +and range them behind us, so that there may be nothing to interfere with +our line of fire." + +"I will inform the committee of defence directly I go ashore, and they +will doubtless send off at once to order the various ships to anchor at +the spot you indicate. It will be a relief, indeed, to them all to know +that you have undertaken their protection." + +"I will go ashore with you," Nat said; "though I have landed here more +than once I do not know the place well enough to be able to act quickly. +I should like to see exactly where your batteries are placed, and where +it is most likely that the negroes will make their chief attack." + +They went ashore and landed together, and walked to the house where the +principal men of the town were assembled. + +"Will you come in with me?" Monsieur Pickard asked. + +"No, I will leave you to explain what I propose to do and what I +recommend that they should do. There is sure to be a lot of talk and +discussion, and I do not wish to lose time. The sun will be setting in +another hour, so I will make my round at once." + +Passing through the town, Nat visited the various batteries that had +been erected, and decided that if the blacks were well led they would +work round and attack the remains of the native town. The batteries had +principally been erected round the European quarter, as if any enemy +coming from the hills would be certain to make a direct attack, while +the native quarter was almost entirely undefended, although with this +once in the possession of the enemy the whole town would lie open to +them. + +"It is clear that this is the real point of danger," he muttered. +"Fortunately, from where we are lying our guns can sweep the widest +street that runs down through this quarter. I shall mention my ideas to +Pickard. No doubt he is still talking away at the meeting." + +He went back to the house. M. Pickard and half a dozen other gentlemen +were standing at the door. M. Pickard at once introduced them to him. + +"My object in coming round here, gentlemen, is to tell you that in my +opinion your defences, which are quite strong enough to protect the town +against any body of negroes coming down on the easterly side, are wholly +insufficient to repel an attack if made on the native town. I trust, +therefore, that when the troops man the defences a considerable number +of them at least will be so placed as to be ready to meet an attack from +that side. There is practically nothing to prevent the negroes from +entering there, and, as many of the mulattoes with them must be +perfectly aware of the position of the batteries, they are scarcely +likely to propose to make an attack upon them, knowing that the negroes +would not be able to face an artillery fire, but would lead them round +to attack the almost defenceless native portion of the town." + +"We have always reckoned upon their coming upon us by one of the main +roads from the hills," one of the gentlemen said. + +"So I see, monsieur; but some of the mulattoes with them are men of +considerable intelligence, and would be hardly foolish enough to try to +break down the door that you have closed against them when they know +that there is an open entrance at the back. If there is a man with the +smallest spark of military genius about him he will commence the attack +by a feint in considerable force against the batteries, and then, under +cover of the smoke of your guns and his own--for I hear from Monsieur +Pickard that they are said to have fifteen or twenty guns which they +have taken at small places on the coast--will send round the main body +of his force to fall on the native town. That is my opinion, gentlemen. +I know very little of military matters, but it seems to me that is the +course that any man of moderate intelligence would pursue, and I +therefore should strongly advise that at least half your volunteer force +should take post to defend the native town, and so give time to the +remainder to come up and assist in the defence. I shall post my sailors +in a position where they can best aid in the defence in this direction, +and shall have the guns of my ship in readiness to open fire on the +native town if you are driven back." + +"Thank you, sir. We shall have another meeting late this evening, and I +shall do my best to urge the committee to act as you suggest." + +Nat returned on board the _Agile_. Already most of the ships in the port +had anchored a short distance outside the brigantine, and a few that had +kept on until the last moment taking their cargo on board were being +towed by their boats in the same direction. Turnbull and Lippincott were +anxiously awaiting Nat's return. Retiring into the cabin, he told them +the result of his investigation of the defences and the position on +shore. + +"I think we shall have hot work to-morrow," he went on. "If the negroes +are not absolute fools they will not knock their heads against the +batteries. There are twenty cannon in position, for the most part ships' +guns, and as I hear that they have plenty of ammunition, and especially +grape, they would simply mow the niggers down if they attacked them. +There is only one battery with three guns covering the native town, and +the blacks ought to have no difficulty in carrying this with a rush. We +have learnt by experience that, whatever their faults, they can fight +furiously, and are ready enough to risk their lives. Thus, this battery +may be taken in a few minutes. If a hundred of the volunteers held the +huts behind it they might check them for a time, but as the negroes are +several thousands strong the resistance cannot be long. The best point +of defence will be that street facing us here. Our guns will come into +play, and it is there that I shall join the French as they fall back. + +"I shall get you, Mr. Lippincott, to row round this evening to all these +craft near us, and to request the captains, in my name, to send all the +men provided with muskets they may have, on board us, as soon as firing +is heard. You will remain on board in charge, Turnbull; with your arm in +a sling, you are not fit for fighting on shore. With your twenty men you +ought to be able to work the guns pretty fast. Between their shots the +men with muskets would aid. Of course you would use grape. If their +attack lulls in the least send a few round-shot among the houses on +their side. Pomp and Sam had better go ashore with us and act as +boat-keepers. I will take the boat higher up than those of the +townspeople, for if a panic seizes them there would be a mad rush to get +on board. We will go a couple of hundred yards farther, and the boat +will lie a short distance out, and not come in close till they see us +running towards it. In that way we can make sure of being able to get on +board." + +"I should certainly have liked to land," Turnbull said, "but I know that +I am not fit yet for hard fighting." + +"I suppose you will be taking me along with you?" Doyle said. + +"By all means come if you like, but I was not thinking of doing so." + +"It is not often that we get a chance of taking a share in the fun. As a +rule, as soon as the guns are loaded and ready for action we have to go +below, and to stop there bandaging and dressing wounds, with not a +chance of seeing what is going on. This is just one chance in a hundred. +I should be no good here, for there is no one to look after. I will take +with me two or three tourniquets and some bandages, and perchance I may +be the means of saving some poor boy's life; and while not so engaged I +may have a slap at these murdering blacks. I am a pretty good shot, and +when a man can bring down ten snipe out of every dozen, as I have done +time after time in the ould country, he ought to be able to put a bullet +into a black man's carcass." + +"If you are bent upon going, by all means do so. As you say, a +tourniquet clapped on directly a man is wounded may save his life, and +every additional musket will be a valuable addition to our strength." + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE + + +It was just getting light on the following morning when the sound of a +cannon was heard, and it was followed by several other shots, mingled +with the rattle of distant musketry. The town woke up with a start. +Drums beat in the streets, and in a minute or two men armed with rifles +and muskets poured out from their houses, and hurried to the rendezvous +settled upon the night before. The firing came from the eastern side of +the town, and the three batteries in that direction were all engaged. +Mingled with the report of the guns came the sound of a more distant +cannonade, showing that the insurgents' artillery was also at work. +Among the shipping there was as great an excitement as in the town. On +board every ship men were running up the ratlines to see if a view of +the scene of action could be obtained from aloft. On the decks numbers +of women, who had hastily thrown on their upper clothing, or wrapped +themselves in shawls, listened anxiously to the sound of firing. Scarce +one but had a husband, brother, or son among the defenders of the place. + +There were ten vessels lying outside the _Agile_, and from each of these +boats presently put off to the brigantine, some with three or four men, +others with as many as ten, all armed with muskets. + +"You will soon see how matters go, Turnbull, and whether this is a real +or only a feigned attack." + +The landing-party were in a few minutes ready to embark. Each man +carried fifty rounds of ammunition for his musket, and a dozen +additional cartridges for his pistols. Their water-bottles were slung +over their shoulders, and each had a hunch of bread and of cold meat +that had been boiled in the galley the night before in readiness. They +took their places in the cutter and gig, and were soon rowed ashore to +the point which Nat had fixed on the previous evening. The various boats +and lighters used in loading the ships had all been gathered at the quay +facing the _Agile_, and Nat was pleased to see that his advice in this +respect had been followed. + +The orders to Sam and Pomp, who were to remain one in each boat, were +that they should push the boats out as far as the head-ropes--which had +been lengthened for the occasion--would allow them, drop a small grapnel +over the stern, and should then keep a sharp look-out. The moment the +party were seen returning they were to pull up the grapnels, and haul on +the head-ropes till the boats were alongside. Both were armed, and the +orders were that they were to shoot anyone who should try to force +himself into either boat before the sailors came up. + +Nat led his party to an empty house close to the street commanded by +the _Agile's_ guns. Six of the sailors were placed as sentinels at the +ends of streets running into this, the rest piled arms. + +"Now, Mr. Lippincott, I shall be obliged if you will go and ascertain +how the affair is proceeding, and whether the batteries are keeping the +insurgents well in check. I am about to start for the battery on this +side, where I shall get a fair view of the country round, and see how +matters stand. + +"You will remain here, Mr. Thompson," he went on to the boatswain, "in +charge of the party. I shall take Newman with me in case I have any +orders to send to you. Will you come with me also, Doyle?" + +The two officers, followed by an active young seaman, started. On +arriving near the end of the native town, Nat was glad to see a group of +the volunteers in front of him. They saluted as he came up. + +"What force have you here, gentlemen?" he asked. + +"Fifty men, captain." + +"It would have been better if it had been a hundred and fifty. If they +come here in force you will not be able to keep them at bay long. Where +is your main body?" + +"They are gathered in front of the municipal offices in readiness to +move wherever their services may be most required." + +"That is quite satisfactory. I was afraid that most of them might be at +the batteries at the other side of the town, where the troops ought to +be quite able to hold their own against the blacks." + +At this moment another gentleman, with a red sash over his shoulder, +came up. He was the commander of the company stationed there. + +"I am afraid that we are rather out of it, monsieur," he said, after +exchanging salutes with Nat. + +"I am still more afraid, sir, that you are by no means out of it. I +think that you will find that before many minutes are over you will be +hotly engaged. I have come forward to tell you that my men are placed +just on the other side of Royal Street, and to beg that if you are not +able to maintain yourselves here--and if you are attacked, I am +convinced that it will be in such force that you will be unable to do +so--you will not endanger your force by holding on here too long, but +will retreat to Royal Street, and there make a stand, occupying the +houses on the other side of the street. The guns of my vessel are loaded +and in readiness to sweep the street with grape as the negroes try to +cross it; and we shall have in addition some forty or fifty men from the +merchantmen outside her, who will aid in keeping them in check. If I +might advise you, I should say that it would be well for you to write a +note, now that you have time to do so, saying that you are attacked in +overwhelming force, and are about to fall back to Royal Street, which +you will, aided by my sailors and guns, hold to the last, and begging +your commander to send his whole force up to support you. This you will, +of course, keep until the attack comes, and will send off as soon as you +perceive that your position here is untenable." + +"I think that is a very good suggestion," the officer said, "and shall +carry it out at once." + +"I will go on to the battery," Nat said; "from there I shall get a +better idea of the situation." + +They had scarcely gone beyond the line of houses when a French soldier +came running in. + +"What is your news?" Nat asked him. + +"A great crowd of the enemy are coming, sir. The captain has sent me to +beg the commander of the volunteers here to bring up his force to +support him." + +"You will find him a hundred yards farther on. Now, doctor, you will go +forward and have a look." + +Arriving at the battery, which was manned by twenty French soldiers +under a young lieutenant, Nat and the doctor mounted the parapet. The +enemy were still half a mile away. They were in no sort of order, but +were coming on in a confused mass. + +"There must be three or four thousand of them, lieutenant," Nat said +quietly. "You may check them a little, but you will never keep them out +of the town if they come on with a rush. I suppose you are loaded with +grape?" + +"Yes, monsieur," the young Frenchman said. + +He felt relieved at the arrival of the commander of the British ship of +war, for he was feeling the responsibility of his position greatly. + +"I should let them get within four or five hundred yards," Nat said +quietly, "then fire your guns singly, loading as rapidly as possible. +Here come the volunteers; place five-and-twenty of them on each side of +your battery. Let them lie down, and open fire when the enemy are within +two hundred and fifty yards. If they come on in spite of the fire, I +should say that you had best all retire at the double. It will be of no +use trying to hold the houses; they would only outflank you and cut you +off. I have already arranged with the volunteers that they shall make a +stand at Royal Street. I have a party of my sailors there in readiness +to help them, and as the guns of my ship will sweep the street we should +certainly be able to hold it until help arrives." + +"Thank you, monsieur, I will do as you suggest." + +At this moment the volunteers came up at a run. + +"Where do you wish me to place my men?" the captain said to the French +lieutenant. + +"I shall be obliged if you will put half of them on each side of the +battery. Let them lie down there, and open fire when the enemy are +within two hundred and fifty yards. If when they get within a hundred +yards, your fire and ours does not stop them, we will then retreat +together at the double. If we were once surrounded we should have no +chance whatever. Give your guns an elevation of five hundred yards," he +said to his men. + +When this was done he looked inquiringly at Nat. The other nodded. + +"Yes, I think it is about five hundred yards." Then he turned to the +seaman: "Go back as quickly as you can, Newman, and tell Mr. Thompson +that the blacks are coming, and that we shall probably be with him five +minutes after you arrive. Tell him also to send a man down as we had +arranged to the wharf, to signal to the ship to be in readiness." + +As he spoke the first of the guns boomed out. A few seconds later the +second was fired, and this was followed by the third at a similar +interval. The cannon were old ship guns, and had been heavily charged +with grape, and the destruction wrought upon the crowded mass of negroes +was so great that they stopped suddenly. Several of their leaders were +seen to rush to the front waving and gesticulating, and with a wild yell +the negroes again advanced. They had gone but fifty yards when the gun +that was first fired spoke out again, followed quickly by the others. +This time there was no pause in the advance. Yelling furiously the +negroes, who were armed with guns, discharged them at random. Two more +rounds were fired, and then the crakle of the rifles and muskets of the +volunteers broke out. The centre of the negro line paused indecisively, +but the flanks continued on their way without a check. + +"It is just as I thought," Nat said to the doctor, who was loading and +firing his piece rapidly. "Do you see how their flanks are extending? +One more round, lieutenant, and then we had best be going, or we shall +be cut off from the town." + +Again the three guns were discharged. The execution was terrible in the +centre of the black line, but the flanks still kept on. + +"Now, captain, get your men together," Nat said to the civilian officer +who was standing beside him; "if you go to the right I will go to the +left. They won't hear our voices in this din." + +Another half-minute and the soldiers and volunteers were running at the +top of their speed, but keeping well together, towards the town. They +had a hundred and fifty yards' start, and also the advantage that the +blacks had been coming forward at a run for over half a mile. Therefore, +although the latter came on with yells of triumph and exultation, they +did not gain on the little party. Indeed, when they once entered the +native town the French considerably increased their distance, for the +negroes, fearing that they might fall into an ambush, came along more +carefully. + +"Post your men at the windows of the houses opposite to you," Nat said +to the French lieutenant. + +"Did you send your messenger on?" he asked, as he ran up to the +volunteer officer. + +The latter gave an exclamation of horror. + +"No, I forgot all about it." + +"So did I, or I should have reminded you of it. Give it to one of the +men now, and tell him to take it as hard as he can run. Tell your men +off in threes and fours to the houses opposite. I have no doubt we can +keep them in check till help comes." + +Thompson was waiting in the street as the party ran up. + +"Where have you posted your men?" Nat asked him. + +"I thought most likely that they would come down this street, so I put +four men in each of the two houses facing it, seven are in the two +houses facing the next street coming down, the rest are here." + +Nat hurried up to the French officer. + +"My men are in the two houses facing this and the next street, will you +occupy the houses next them, and tell the officer of the volunteers to +scatter his men in twos and threes in the other houses. Doctor, you had +better join the party in the house facing the next street; and do you, +Mr. Thompson, place yourself with five men in the house facing the +street beyond. We shall have the brunt of it, for they are more likely +to come by these streets than by those near the harbour, knowing, as +they do, that our ship is lying anchored off there." + +It was three or four minutes before Nat, from the window at which he had +posted himself, saw a great body of negroes and mulattoes coming along +the street facing him. + +"Open fire at once, lads," he said. "Take good aim; every shot ought to +tell in that crowd, and our fire will let them know on board that the +blacks are close at hand." + +Yelling, shouting, and brandishing their weapons, the insurgents poured +down. The fire from the next two parties had showed that the negroes +were also advancing by the streets above. + +A minute later three black columns poured into Royal Street, and as they +did so a fire broke out from every window facing them. Then came a deep +roar, and a storm of grape swept along the street; another and another +followed, and with yells of surprise and fear the rioters rushed back +into shelter, leaving the streets strewn with dead and dying. It was +some minutes before they could rally, and in the meantime three of the +guns of the _Agile_ sent ball after ball among the houses to the west of +the street. Three times did the negroes attempt to cross the fatal road, +but each time they fell back with heavy loss, which was specially severe +in their last attempt, as the main body of the volunteers had now come +up, entered by the backs of the houses and joined the defenders, and +the fire of two hundred and fifty muskets played terrible havoc among +the assailants. There was a pause in the fight now, and the ship's +broadside continued to sweep the native town with balls while an +occasional spurt of musketry fire broke out when the blacks showed +themselves in any of the streets. Suddenly from a score of houses in the +native town smoke, followed speedily by flames, mounted up. + +"The scoundrels have fired the town," exclaimed Doyle, who had now +joined Nat. "They see they have no chance of crossing here, and as they +cannot plunder the place they have made up their mind to destroy it." + +"Yes, and they are likely to succeed, doctor, the wind is blowing this +way. Half the native houses are roofed with palm leaves, and will burn +like tinder. Our only chance now is to drive the blacks out altogether +and then fight the fire." + +He at once sent a sailor down with a flag to signal to the ship to stop +firing, then he went out into the street. As soon as he was seen he was +joined by the French lieutenant and the commander, with several officers +of the volunteers, together with Monsieur Pickard. + +"I think, gentlemen," Nat said, "that unless we take the offensive and +drive the blacks out of the town there will be little hope of +extinguishing the fire. The wind is blowing strongly in this direction, +and there is not a moment to be lost if we are to save the town. The +negroes must be thoroughly demoralized, they must have lost over a +thousand men here and three or four hundred before they entered the +town. It is quite likely that they have retreated already, but in any +case I do not anticipate any serious resistance." + +The others at once agreed. The drums were beaten, and the volunteers, +soldiers, and sailors poured out from the houses, and then, dividing +into three columns, advanced down the streets through which the blacks +had retired. They met with no resistance. A few negroes who had entered +houses to gather plunder were shot down as they issued out, but with +these exceptions none of the enemy were seen until the columns issued +from the town, when the negroes could be seen retreating at a run across +the plain. The French officer at once ran forward with his men to the +little battery, and sent shot after shot among them, for they were still +less than half a mile away. The sailors and volunteers slung their +muskets behind them, and, running back, endeavoured to check the course +of the flames. This, however, was impossible. The fire spread from house +to house with extraordinary rapidity. The wind hurled the burning flakes +on ahead, dropping many upon the inflammable roofs, and in twenty +minutes the whole quarter west of Royal Street was in flames. Nat was +now joined by Turnbull and all the crew, the two negroes, who had been +sent off to the ship with the boats, alone remaining in charge of the +vessel. + +"We have beaten the negroes, Turnbull, but the fire will beat us. If +this wind continues it will sweep the whole town away. It is useless to +try and save any of these native houses. Look at the burning flakes +flying over our heads!" + +After a short consultation with the French officers they agreed that the +only chance was to arrest the fire at the edge of the European quarter, +and that the whole force should at once set to work to pull down the +native houses adjoining them. The sound of cannon on the other side of +the town had continued until now, but it gradually ceased, as the news +reached the negroes there that the main attack, of whose success they +had felt sure, had hopelessly failed, and it was not long before the +troops from the batteries came up to assist the workers. Their labours, +however, were in vain. A shout of dismay called the attention of the men +who, half-blinded with the dust and smoke, were working their utmost. +Looking round, they saw that the flames were mounting up from several +of the houses behind them. The wood-work was everywhere as dry as +tinder, and the burning flakes, which were falling thickly upon them, +had set the houses on fire in a dozen places. + +"We can do nothing more, sir," the officer in command of the troops +said. "The business part of the town is doomed. All that we could even +hope to save are the detached houses standing in gardens and +shrubberies." + +So it turned out. The flames swept onward until the business quarter, as +well as the native town, was completely burnt out, and it needed all the +efforts of the soldiers and inhabitants to prevent the private +residences of the merchants and planters from being ignited by the +burning fragments scattered far and wide by the wind. It was noon when +the officers and crew of the _Agile_, accompanied by M. Pickard--who +was, like all the rest blackened by the dust and smoke--returned on +board. + +"Well, that has been as hot a morning's work as I ever went through," +Turnbull said. "It is hard to believe that a battle has been fought and +a town destroyed in the course of about five hours." + +"Yes; I think on the whole we may be very well satisfied, Turnbull, +though I suppose the people who have lost their houses and stores will +hardly see it in the same light. Still, they saved their lives, and at +any rate, Monsieur Pickard, you can be congratulated on having got all +your goods on board just in time." + +"I am thankful indeed that it is so," the planter said. "I hope, of +course, to get something for my estate. As to the house, after what we +have seen here I cannot set much value on it. What has happened this +morning may happen at Cape François to-morrow. They might not be able to +take it, but a dozen negroes choosing their time when a strong wind is +blowing, and starting the fires in as many places, might level the town +to the ground. At any rate, I shall direct the captain of the brig to +sail at once for Kingston, and to deliver the cargo to my agent there, +and shall proceed myself to Cape François. I wish to learn whether the +bank there has sent off its funds and securities to some safer place, or +is retaining them. In the latter case I shall withdraw them at once, and +shall put up my estates for sale." + +"I will give you a passage, Monsieur Pickard. I have nothing more to +stay here for, and shall sail up the coast to-morrow morning." + +"Thank you very much; I accept your offer with gladness. I am anxious to +close all my connection with this unfortunate island as soon as +possible." + +In the afternoon the governor of the town, with the officer commanding +the troops, the maire, and a deputation of the leading citizens, came +off to thank Nat for the assistance that his crew and guns had rendered. +They brought with them an official document rehearsing these services, +and saying that had it not been for the assistance they had rendered, +the town would undoubtedly have been captured by the blacks, and +probably all the whites on shore massacred, together with their wives +and families, who had taken refuge on board the shipping. The commandant +stated that this document would be sent to the British admiral at +Kingston. Nat replied very modestly, saying that both the officers and +men on board had rejoiced at being able to render a service in the cause +of humanity, and that he was only acting in accordance with the orders +he had received from the admiral to afford every aid in his power to the +white population of the island. + +After this official visit many of the merchants, planters, and military +officers came off individually to thank him for having saved their wives +and families by the protection that he had afforded to the shipping, +and by the aid given by his guns and the landing-party, which had alone +saved the town from capture. At daybreak next morning the _Agile_ got up +her anchor and started for the north. The brig containing Monsieur +Pickard's property had sailed the previous afternoon, and the rest of +the shipping were preparing to start at the time the _Agile_ got up +anchor. All of them were crowded with fugitives, the women and children +being now joined by many of their male relatives, who had lost almost +all they possessed by the destruction of their homes and warehouses. + +The next morning the brigantine arrived at Cape François. The news she +brought of the destruction of Port-au-Prince caused great excitement, as +it was felt that the fate that had befallen one town might well happen +to another. Monsieur Pickard at once went to the bank, where he found +that the greater portion of the specie and all valuable documents had +already been sent for safety to Jamaica, and he received an order upon +the bank there for the payment to him of the money he had placed on +deposit in the bank, and of the various securities and documents that +had been held in safe-keeping for him. He then went to pay a visit to +Monsieur Duchesne, to whose house Nat, who had landed with him, had gone +direct. The family were delighted to see him. + +"You may expect another visitor shortly," he said. "Monsieur Pickard has +come on shore with me; he has gone to the bank now, but said that he +would come on here later." + +"Then he has escaped," Madame Duchesne exclaimed. "We had hardly even +hoped that he and his family had done so, for we knew that the blacks +had risen everywhere in that part of the island." + +"Yes, I am happy to say that he, Madame Pickard, and his two daughters, +all got safely away; in fact, they all came off to my craft--not the +_Agile_, you know, but to the _Arrow_; and I had the pleasure of taking +them as passengers to Jamaica, where the ladies still are." + +"That is good news indeed," Myra said. "Valerie is a great friend of +mine. Of course Louise is younger, but I was very fond of her too. The +year before last I spent a couple of months with them at their +plantation; and, as I daresay they told you, they are always here for +three or four months in the winter season." + +Nat then told them what had taken place at Port-au-Prince, and how he +and his men had taken part in the fight. + +"It is terrible news indeed," said M. Duchesne; "and one can scarcely +feel safe here. Port-au-Prince is the largest town in Hayti, with the +exception only of this, which is quite as open to the danger of fire. I +think this will decide us on leaving. Matters seem going from bad to +worse. I don't know whether you know that three commissioners have +arrived from France. So far from improving the state of things, they are +making them worse every day. As far as can be seen, they are occupied +solely in filling their own pockets; they have enormously increased the +taxation, and that at a time when everyone is on the verge of ruin. No +account is given of the sums they collect, and certainly the money has +not been spent in taking any measures either for the safety of the town +or for the suppression of the insurrection. I have wound up all my +affairs here, and have disposed of our plantations. There are many who +still believe that in time everything will come right again; I have +myself no hope. Even if we got peaceful possession of our estates, there +would be no hands to work them. The freedom of all the blacks has been +voted by that mad assembly in Paris; and if there is one thing more +certain than another, it is that the negroes will not work until they +are obliged to, so the estates will be practically worthless. Therefore +I have accepted an offer for a sum which is about a quarter of what the +estate was worth before, and consider that it is so much saved out of +the fire." + +"Monsieur Pickard is of exactly the same opinion as you are," Nat said, +"and has come here principally for the purpose of disposing of his +estate on any terms that he can obtain." + +"Well, I do not think he will find any difficulty in getting about the +same proportion of value as we have done. The rich mulattoes are buying +freely, and, as I say, some of the whites are doing the same. Ah, here +he is! + +"Ah, my dear Pickard, we are glad indeed to see you, and to learn from +our friend here that your wife and daughters are safe in Jamaica." + +"We have been very anxious about you," Madame Duchesne said; "and Myra +has been constantly talking of your family." + +"It was the same with us, I can assure you, madame; and it is strange +that we should first have obtained tidings of your safety from Monsieur +Glover, and that you should also have obtained news of ours from him. +Still more so that while he has, as he said to us, been of some little +service to you--but which, we learnt from one of his officers, seems to +have been considerable--it is to him that we also owe our lives." + +"Little service!" Madame Duchesne repeated indignantly. "However, we +know Monsieur Glover of old. First of all he saved Myra's life from that +dog, and certainly he saved both our lives from the negroes. And did he +save yours? He has just told us that you came on board with him, and +that he took you to Jamaica. Still, that is not like what he did for +us." + +"That is one way of putting it, madame," Monsieur Pickard said with a +smile; "but as you say you know him of old, you will not be surprised at +the little story that I have to tell you." + +"Not now, Monsieur Pickard," Nat said hastily, "or if you do I shall +say good-bye to Madame Duchesne at once, and go straight on board." + +"You must not do that," Madame Duchesne said as he rose to his feet; +"you have only just arrived, and we are not going to let you off so +easily." + +"We will compromise," her husband said. "Now, Monsieur Glover, you know +that my wife and daughter will be dying of curiosity until they hear +this story. Suppose you take a turn down the town with me. I will go and +enquire whether there is any ship likely to sail in the course of a few +days or so for Jamaica. Then Monsieur Pickard can tell his story, and my +wife can retail it to me later on. You see, Monsieur Pickard's wife and +daughters are great friends of ours, and madame and Myra naturally wish +to hear what has happened to them during this terrible time." + +"Very well," Nat said with a laugh, "I don't mind accepting that +compromise; but really I do hate hearing things talked over which were +just ordinary affairs. But remember that Monsieur Pickard naturally will +make a great deal more of them than they are worth, since, no doubt, the +outcome of them was that he and his family did get out of the hands of +the blacks in consequence. Now, Monsieur Duchesne, I will start with you +at once, so that madame and Myra's curiosity may be satisfied as soon as +possible." + +Monsieur Duchesne took Nat first to call upon the three commissioners, +who happened to be gathered in council. The commandant at Port-au-Prince +had asked him to convey the report he had hastily drawn up of the attack +on the town. This he had sent ashore as soon as he anchored; and the +commissioners were discussing the news when Nat and Monsieur Duchesne +were shown in. + +"I thought, gentlemen," Nat said, "that you might perhaps like to ask me +questions upon any point that was not explained in the commandant's +report, which was, as he told me, drawn up in great haste; for with +four-fifths of the town laid in ashes, and the population homeless and +unprovided with food, his hands were full indeed." + +"Thank you, Lieutenant Glover. The report does full justice to your +interposition in our favour, and indeed states that had it not been for +the assistance rendered by yourself and the ship of war you command, the +town would unquestionably have been carried by the insurgents, and that +the whole of the whites, including the troops, would probably have been +massacred. Had this been done, it would undoubtedly have so greatly +encouraged the rioters that we could hardly have hoped to maintain our +hold even of this city." + +"I was only carrying out the orders that I received in landing to +protect the white inhabitants from massacre, gentlemen." + +"In your opinion, is anyone to blame for the course events took?" + +"Even had I that opinion," Nat said, "I should certainly not consider +myself justified in criticising the action of the officers and +authorities of a foreign power. However, the circle of the town was too +large to be defended by the force available, of whom half were +volunteers, ready to fight most gallantly, as I can testify, but not +possessing the discipline of trained troops. I do not think, however, +that even had batteries been erected all round the town, the insurgents +could have been prevented from effecting an entrance at some points, and +setting fire to the houses. They advanced with great determination, in +spite of the destructive grape fire maintained by the three guns of the +battery. Undoubtedly had the batteries been placed together on that +side, as on the one at which it was thought probable that the attack +would be made, the insurgents might have been repulsed, but it would +have needed a much larger force than that in the town to man all those +batteries. And I think it is by no means improbable that even in that +case the town might have been burnt; for there were still a large number +of negroes employed on the wharves and in the warehouses, and you may +take it as certain that some of these were in close communication with +the insurgents, and probably agreed to fire the town should their +friends fail to effect an entrance. I can only say, sir, that the +citizens enrolled for defence fought most gallantly, as did the small +party of soldiers manning the battery on that side, and that when the +fighting was over all laboured nobly to check the progress of the +flames." + +Several questions were put to him concerning the details of the +fighting, and the measures that had been taken for the safety of the +women and children, the part his own men played, and the manner in which +the insurgents, after gaining a footing in the town, had been prevented +from obtaining entire possession of it. At the conclusion of the +interview, which had lasted for upwards of two hours, the commissioners +thanked Nat very cordially. + +"You see," Monsieur Duchesne said, when they left the governor's house, +"they asked no single question as to whether you thought there was any +danger of a similar catastrophe taking place here." + +"Yes, I noticed they did not. If they had, I could have told them very +plainly that, although the negroes suffered very heavily, yet the news +that the second town in Hayti had been almost destroyed would be sure to +raise their hopes, and that I consider it extremely probable that some +day or other this town will also be attacked, and no time should be lost +in putting it into a state of thorough defence. I can't say that they +impressed me at all favourably." + +"Short as is the time that they have been here, they have managed to +excite all parties against them. They have issued an amnesty, pardoning +even those who have committed the most frightful atrocities upon us. +They have infuriated a portion of the mulattoes by announcing the repeal +of the decree in their favour. Without a shadow of legal authority they +have extorted large sums of money from those mulattoes who have remained +quiet and are resident here, and seem bent upon extracting all that +remains of their late fortune from the whites. One of them is frequently +drunk and leads a scandalous life; another appears bent solely upon +enriching himself; the third seems to be a well-meaning man, but he is +wholly under the control of his drunken companion. If this is the sort +of aid we are to receive from France, our future is hopeless indeed. +And, indeed, no small portion of my friends begin to see that unless +England takes possession of the island the future is altogether +hopeless. The general opinion here is that it is impossible that peace +can much longer be maintained between England and France, and they hope +that one of the first steps England will take after war is declared will +be to land an army here." + +"If the English government were persuaded that the mulattoes and negroes +as well as the whites were favourable, I should think that the island +might be annexed without difficulty; but unless all parties are agreed I +cannot think that a force could be spared that could even hope for +success. It would have been an easy task before the mulattoes and the +slaves learned their own strength, but it is a very different thing now; +and I should say that it would need at least five-and-twenty thousand +men, and perhaps even twice that number, to reduce the island to +submission and to restore peace and order. I cannot think that, engaged +in a war with France, England would be able to spare anything like that +force for a difficult and almost certainly a long series of operations +here." + +By this time they had arrived at Monsieur Duchesne's house. + +"Our friend has only just finished his story," Madame Duchesne said, as +he entered. "What a story! what frightful sufferings! what horrors! +and," she added with a smile, though her eyes were full of tears--"what +'little' service rendered by you and your brave crew! He has told it +all, and of your fight afterwards with that terrible pirate, and how you +have added to the list of those you have saved from terrible deaths some +eighteen or twenty Spanish gentlemen and ladies, and twice as many +sailors." + +"Yes, I have had wonderful luck," Nat said; "and you see I have been +well rewarded. I am only just out of my time as a midshipman, and I am +in command of a fine ship, which, in the ordinary course of things, I +could not have hoped for for another eight or ten years. I have gained a +considerable amount of prize-money, and best of all, the friendship of +yourselves and the family of Monsieur Pickard. And the real author of +all this is Mademoiselle Myra, who was good enough to have that little +quarrel with her aunt's dog just at the time that I happened to be +passing." + +This raised a laugh, which in Myra's case became almost hysterical, and +her mother had to take her out of the room. + +"Now, Monsieur Duchesne, I will take this opportunity of returning on +board. I promised you that I would come ashore and dine with you this +evening, but I must really make its fulfilment conditional upon your +assuring me that there shall be no allusion to any of my adventures." + +[Illustration: A MESSAGE FROM TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE.] + +"At any rate, I will impress upon my wife and daughter that the subject +must be tabooed, and I have no doubt that they will do their best to +avoid it, if they can keep away from the topic that cannot but be +present in their minds. After hearing Monsieur Pickard's story--of +which, as you must remember, I am at present wholly ignorant--you see +that, intimate as the two families have been, it is not surprising +that they should have been greatly affected by it, especially as for the +last month they have been mourning for them as dead." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE + + +The _Agile_ only remained for two days at Cape François, but in that +time Nat had learned enough of the doings of the French commissioners to +see that the position was becoming hourly more and more hopeless, and +nought short of the arrival of a powerful army from France under a +capable commander, without political bias and with supreme authority, or +the taking over of the island by the English, could bring back peace and +prosperity. He was, however, rejoiced to know that Monsieur Duchesne had +already taken passages for himself, his wife and daughter, and the old +nurse, to Jamaica, and would leave in a few days; and that Monsieur +Pickard had received and accepted an offer for his estate, which was at +least as good as he had hoped for, and would also return to Kingston as +soon as the necessary documents could be prepared and signed. + +For some weeks the _Agile_ cruised backwards and forwards along the +coast of Hayti without adventure. Nat had endeavoured, but +unsuccessfully, to open communication with the blacks under Biassou and +François, the two chief negro leaders. It was seldom, indeed, that he +caught sight of a human being except when cruising in the bay. The +mountains along both the north and the south coast were thinly +populated. The white planters and employees had perished to a man, and +all the smaller villages had been deserted. St. Louis, Jacmel, Fesle, +and Sale Trou were occupied by small bodies of French troops, but most +of the settlers had left; and the whole of the negroes had from the +first taken to the mountains. The same was the case at Port Dauphin, +Port de Paix, Le Cap, and St. Nicholas on the north. It was at St. +Nicholas that he was for the first time able to open communication with +the negroes. He had anchored in the bay, and, among the native boats +that came off to sell fruit and fresh meat, was one in which a mulatto +of shabby appearance was seated in the stern. As the boat came alongside +he stood up, and said to Turnbull, who was leaning on the rail watching +the sailors bargaining with the negroes: + +"Can I speak with the captain, sir? I have a message for him." + +"Yes, I have no doubt that he will see you. Come on deck." + +The man climbed up the side, and followed Turnbull aft to where Nat was +sitting. + +"This man wants to speak to you, sir." + +"I am the bearer of a letter," he said, "to the English officer +commanding this ship," and he handed him a very small note. It was as +follows:-- + + _Sir,--As there are rumours that some of the people of this island + have opened negotiations with the governor of Jamaica, we, who + represent the coloured people of this country, will be glad to have + a conversation with you, and to learn from you what would probably + be the conditions on which your country would be likely to accept + the sovereignty of this island. What would be the condition of the + coloured people here if they did so? Should we be guaranteed our + freedom and rights as men, or would it mean merely a change of + masters? If you are willing to accede to this invitation, I will + personally guarantee your safety, and that, whatever the result of + our conversation might be, you shall be escorted in safety back to + your ship. We are willing that you should be accompanied by not + more than six of your sailors, for whose safety I would be equally + responsible. The bearer of this will arrange with you as to the + point and hour at which you would land._ + +This was signed "Toussaint." + +Nat remembered the name. + +"Is the writer of this the man who was the coachman of Monsieur Bayou, +the agent of the Count de Noé?" + +"The same, sir. He is now next in command to Biassou and François. He is +greatly respected among the negroes, and is their chief doctor." + +"I have met him, and know that he is worthy of confidence. This is just +what we have been wanting, Turnbull," he said, handing the letter to +him. + +"Then you know this man?" Turnbull said, after he had read it, and +stepped a few paces away from the messenger, so as to be able to +converse unheard by him. + +"Yes, he is one of the few who remained faithful at the rising, +concealed his master and family in the woods, and got them safely off. I +had an interview with him, and endeavoured to get him to do as much for +Madame Duchesne, but he refused, saying that he had done his duty to his +master and must now do it to his countrymen. I had frequently spoken +with him before. He bore a very high character, and was much respected +by all the negroes in the plantations round. As you see, he writes and +expresses himself well, and has, indeed, received a very fair education, +and is as intelligent as an ordinary white man. I am quite sure that I +can place confidence in him." + +"Perhaps so, but the question is not whether he would be willing, but +whether he would have the power, to ensure your safety. Biassou is, by +all accounts, a perfect monster of cruelty." + +"Yes, they say he is the most fiendish of all these savage brutes. Of +course I must risk that. My instructions, as you know, are to open +communication with the negroes, if possible, and ascertain their +intentions. This is the first opportunity that has offered, and I can +hardly expect a more favourable one." + +"You will take one of us with you, I hope." + +"No; if anything happens to me the _Agile_ must have a captain, and you +would want at least one officer." + +He returned to the mulatto. + +"Shall I give you a message in writing, or will you take it by word of +mouth?" + +"I do not want writing, sir; if I were searched, and it were found that +I was an agent of Toussaint, I should be hung at once. You give me a +message, and I will repeat it." + +"Tell Toussaint that the commander of this ship is Mr. Glover, whom he +will remember to have seen at Monsieur Duchesne's plantation and +elsewhere, and who knows him to be an honourable man, and will therefore +trust himself in the mountains relying upon his promise of protection. +You understand that?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Please repeat my words." + +The man did so. + +"How far is Toussaint from here?" + +"Six hours' journey among the hills." + +"Then tell him that I will land to-morrow night, or rather the next +morning, an hour before daybreak--that is to say, at about half-past +four. That time will be best, because the boat will return to the ship +before it is light enough for it to be seen. Where do you propose that I +shall go?" + +"You see that rock near the end of the point to the south?--it is about +three miles from there. To the left of that rock is a sandy beach, which +is a good place for landing. Your escort will be there waiting for you." + +The mulatto bowed, and at once went over the side and got into his boat, +while the two men who had rowed him out were still busy selling fruit to +the crew. Nat told Sambo to go and buy some fruit, not because they +really wanted it, for a supply had already been bought, but in order +that, should any of the negroes in the other boats have noticed the +mulatto coming on board, it would be supposed that he had done so in +order to persuade the steward to deal with him. The next day four picked +men were chosen to accompany Nat. They were to take no muskets with +them, but each was to carry, in addition to his cutlass, a pistol in his +belt, and another concealed in the bosom of his shirt. The absence of +muskets was intended to show the negroes that the party had no fear as +to their safety. Nat himself intended to carry only his sword, and a +double-barrelled pistol in his belt. At four o'clock on the following +morning, he and the four men took their places in the gig, and were +rowed ashore to the point agreed on. As they landed a negro came down to +meet them. + +"Toussaint charged me to tell you, sir, that he has sent twelve men +down, and that he has done so lest you should meet other parties of our +people who might not know of this safe-conduct that he has given you." + +And he handed a document to Nat. + +"He has done well," Nat said. "I know that I can rely upon Toussaint, +but I myself have thought it possible that we might fall in with men of +other bands, and I have therefore brought four of my sailors with me. I +am ready to start with you whenever you choose." + +"We will go on at once. The hills are very close here, but it is best +that we should be well among them before it is daylight, or we might be +noticed by someone in the town. They would not concern themselves much +with us, but your dress and that of the sailors would be sure to cause +talk and excite suspicion among the soldiers." + +He went up to some negroes standing a short distance away and gave them +an order. They at once started. He himself took his place by Nat, and +the sailors followed close behind. + +"You talk French very well," Nat said. + +"Yes, sir, thanks to Toussaint. You do not remember me, though I should +know you were it daylight, for I have seen you several times when you +have been over at our plantation with Mademoiselle Duchesne. I was chief +helper in Monsieur Bayou's stables. Of an evening Toussaint had a sort +of school, and four or five of us always went to him, and I learned to +read and write, and to talk French as the whites talk it and not as we +do. He is a good man, and we all love him. There are many who think he +will one day be king of the island; he knows much more than any of the +others. But it may be that he will be killed before that, for Biassou +hates him because he does not like his cruel ways and speaks boldly +against them, which no one else dare do, not even François, whom we all +regard as equal in rank to him. + +"There have been many quarrels, but Biassou knows well enough that if he +were to hurt Toussaint there would be a general outcry, and that he and +the men who carried out his orders would assuredly be killed. For all +that no one doubts that he would get Toussaint removed quietly if there +was a chance of doing so, but we do not mean to give him the chance. +There are twenty of us who keep guard over him. As for Toussaint, he is +not like the others, who, when there is nothing else to be done, spend +their time in feasting and drinking. He is always busy attending to the +wounded who are brought up to him, or the sick, of whom there are many, +for the cold air in the mountains has brought down great numbers with +the fever, especially those whose plantations lay on the plain, and who +were accustomed to sleep in huts. Very many have died, but Toussaint has +saved many, and were it needed he could have two hundred for his guard +instead of twenty. + +"But indeed he thinks not of danger, his whole thoughts are taken up +with his work; and he is often without regular sleep for nights +together, so great is the need for his services." + +The ground at once began to rise rapidly, and before the day fairly +broke they were high among the hills. When it became light Nat examined +the document Toussaint had sent to him. It ran as follows:-- + + _I, Toussaint, do give notice to all that I have given this + safe-conduct and my solemn promise for his safety to Monsieur + Glover, a British officer, with whom I desire to converse on + matters of importance._ + +Then followed his signature and a great seal in red wax. + +"It was the one Monsieur Bayou used," the negro said. "Toussaint brought +it and the wax from his office, and uses it often, so that we may all +recognize it when we see it--for, as you know, sir, there are scarcely +any of our people who can read." + +After three hours' walking the man pointed out a wood near the crest of +a high hill a mile distant. + +"Toussaint is there," he said. "He accompanied us to that point in order +that you should have less distance to travel." + +Nat was by no means sorry at the news. The way had been very steep and +difficult, and the sun had now gained great power. As they neared the +edge of the wood, Toussaint came out to meet him. + +"I am glad to see you, Monsieur Glover," he said quietly. "I learned +from our people at Cape François that you had returned there with Madame +Duchesne and her daughter, and I rejoiced indeed at your escape, which +seemed to me marvellous, for how you avoided the search made for you I +could not tell. They told me that Madame Duchesne was carried down on a +litter, which must have greatly added to your difficulties. I hardly +thought, monsieur, when I saw you last that we should thus meet again, I +as one of the leaders of my people, you as commander of an English +ship." + +"No; things change quickly, Toussaint." + +The negro led the way to a rough hut constructed of boughs and trees in +the centre of the clump. + +"You must need breakfast, and, as you see, it is ready for you. Your men +will be cared for." + +The breakfast was rough, but Nat enjoyed it greatly. Toussaint remarked +that he himself had breakfasted an hour before, and he talked while his +guest ate. + +"It is as well," he said, "that you should be down near the spot where +you landed before it is dark, for the track is far too rough to travel +after dark. I suppose you have ordered your boat to come to fetch you?" + +"Yes, I ordered it to be there as soon as it could leave the ship +without being seen from the shore; but I hardly thought that I should be +able to return this evening, as your messenger told me that your camp +was six hours' journey among the hills." + +"Yes, my camp is there, and I too would like to return before nightfall. +There are many who need my care, and I have already been too long away. +Now, Monsieur Glover, as to the subject on which I asked you to come to +converse with me. We have heard that some of the planters have sent a +deputation to Jamaica asking the governor to send troops to take this +island for England. We, as you doubtless know, are not for the republic. +We call ourselves the royal army, seeing that the National Assembly of +France refuse to do anything for us. It is true that their commissioners +at Cape François have issued a proclamation offering a free pardon to +all who have been concerned in the insurrection, and freedom and equal +rights to men of all colour. We do not believe them. The Assembly care +nothing for us. They passed a decree giving rights to the mulattoes, but +in no way affecting us; and then, directly they found that the mulattoes +were exercising their rights, they passed another decree reversing the +first. One cannot expect good faith in men like these; they would wait +till we had laid down our arms and returned to our plantations, and then +they would shoot us down like dogs, just as they are murdering all the +best men of their own country and keeping their king a prisoner. +Therefore we do not recognize the republic, but are for the king." + +"I fear there will soon be no king for you to recognize," Nat said; +"everything points to the fact that they are determined to murder him, +as they have murdered every noble and every good man in the country." + +"I see that," Toussaint said gravely, "but the number of those who know +what is passing in France is small. However, we who do know, and are +responsible for the mass who trust in us, must consider what is the best +thing to do. Do you think there will be a war between France and +England?" + +"I think that if the king is murdered the indignation in England, which +is already intense, will be so great that war is certain." + +"So much the better for us," Toussaint said. "The more they fight +against each other, the less will they be able to pay attention to +Hayti; but on the other hand the more likely will it be that the English +will endeavour to obtain possession of this island. Now, between the +French and the English we have no great choice. We regard ourselves as +French; we speak the French language, and have, ever since the colony +was first formed, lived under the French flag. Then, on the other hand, +the French have been our masters, and we are determined that they shall +never again be so. Now as to your people. In their own islands they have +slaves just as the French have here, and we have no intention of +changing slavery under one set of masters for slavery under another. +Now, sir, do you think that if the English were to come here they would +guarantee that slavery should never exist again in the island?" + +"That I cannot say," Nat said. "I cannot answer for what the British +parliament would do in that matter. The feeling against slavery is +growing very fast in England, and I feel convinced that before long a +law will be passed putting a stop altogether to the transportation of +negroes from Africa; but whether that feeling will, at any rate for a +long time, so gain in strength as to cause parliament to pass a law +abolishing slavery altogether in British dominions, is more than I can +say. It would be a tremendous step to take. It would mean absolute ruin +to our islands; for you know as well as I do that your people are not +disposed for work, and would never make steady labourers if allowed to +live in their own way. Then you see, were slavery abolished altogether +in this island, it would be difficult in the extreme to continue it in +others." + +"But they would not find us as slaves here," Toussaint said. "They would +find us a free people, without masters, unattached to any plantation or +to any regular toil; we should be like the Caribs in Jamaica. It would +be as if they came to a land which foreigners had never visited. They +would find a people with arms in their hands, and perfectly capable of +defending themselves, but ready to accept the sovereignty of England on +the condition that our personal liberty was in no way interfered with." + +"There is a great deal in what you say, Toussaint, and to-morrow I shall +sail for Jamaica and explain exactly the line you take to the admiral. I +may say that in coming to see you I do so in accordance with the orders +that I received, to ascertain if possible the views of the leaders of +this movement." + +"If these terms are refused," Toussaint went on, "and your people invade +the island, we shall leave you and the French to fight it out until we +perceive which is the stronger, and as soon as we do so, shall aid the +weaker. I do not say that we shall stand aloof up to that time, we shall +fight against both, they would be equally our enemies; but if one were +so far getting the better of it as to be likely to drive the other out, +then in self-defence we should unite our forces against it. I may say +that although we and the mulattoes are both fighting against the French, +the alliance is not likely to be a long one. We all know that if they +got the upper hand they would be far more cruel and more tyrannous than +the whites have been. They have ever looked down upon us, and have +treated us with far greater contempt than have the whites, who, to do +them justice, were kindly masters, and especially treated their house +servants well. There will therefore be four parties here all hostile to +each other. You and the French will be striving for mastery, we for +liberty, the mulattoes for the domination of the island and for their +personal interest. The way I have pointed out is, in my opinion, the +only one that can bring about peace. If your government and people will +give us a solemn undertaking that in no case shall slavery ever be +re-established, and that all men shall have equal rights, we will join +you heart and soul. When I say equal rights I do not mean that they +shall have votes. We are at present absolutely unfit to have votes or +to exercise political power. I only mean that the law shall be the same +for us as for the whites, that we shall be taxed on the same scale in +proportion to our means, that the assembly shall have no power to make +separate laws concerning us, and that, should they attempt to make such +laws, they should be at once dissolved by the white authorities of the +island." + +"I think your proposal a perfectly fair one, Toussaint, and I have no +doubt that any one who has, as I have, a knowledge of the situation +here, would not hesitate to accept it. But I doubt whether public +opinion at home is ripe for a change that would be denounced by all +having an interest in the West Indian Islands, and declared by them to +be absolutely destructive to their prosperity. However, you may be +assured that I shall represent your offer in the most favourable light. +I must ask, however, are you empowered by the other leaders to make it?" + +"I have talked the matter with François, who is wholly of my opinion," +Toussaint said. "It is useless to talk to Biassou; when he is not +murdering someone he is drinking; but his opposition would go for +little, except among the very worst of our people. He is already +regarded with horror and disgust, and you may be assured that his career +will ere long come to an end, in which case François and I will share +the power between us. At the same time I do not blind myself to the +possibility that other leaders may arise. The men of one district know +but little of the others, and may elect their own chiefs. Still, I think +that if I had the authority to say that the proposal I have made to you +had been accepted, I could count on the support of the great majority of +the men of my colour, for already they are beginning to find that a life +of lawless liberty has its drawbacks. Already we have been obliged to +order that a certain amount of work shall be done by every man among +the plantations beyond the reach of the towns, in order to ensure a +supply of food. + +"The order has been obeyed, but not very willingly, for there can be no +doubt that a portion of the men believed that when they had once got rid +of the masters there would be no occasion whatever for any further work, +but that they would somehow be supplied with an abundance of all that +they required. The sickness that has prevailed has also had its effect. +There are few, indeed, here who have any knowledge of medicine, and the +poor people have suffered accordingly. When in the plantations they were +always well tended in sickness, while here they have had neither shelter +nor care. It is all very well to tell them that liberty cannot be +obtained without sacrifices, and that it must be a long time before +things settle down and each man finds work to do, but the poor people, +ignorant as they are, are like children, and think very little of the +future. The effect of centuries of slavery will take many years to +remedy. For myself, although I believe that we shall finally obtain what +we desire, and shall become undisputed masters of the island, I foresee +that our troubles are only beginning. We have had no training for +self-government. We shall have destroyed the civilization that reigned +here, and shall have nothing to take its place, and I dread that instead +of progressing we may retrograde until we sink back into the condition +in which we lived in Africa." + +At this moment a negro ran up. + +"Doctor," he said, "there are a large number of our people close at +hand, and I think I can make out Biassou among them." + +"I fear that we may have some trouble, Monsieur Glover," Toussaint said +quietly, "but be assured that I and those with me will maintain my +safe-conduct with our lives. Biassou must have arrived at my camp after +I left, and he must have heard there that I was going to meet an English +officer, and has followed me. He was present when François and I +arranged to send a messenger to propose a meeting to you, and he then +assented, but as often as not he forgets in the morning what he has +agreed to overnight." + +He went apart and spoke to his men. Twenty of them had accompanied him +from his camp, and with the twelve who had formed the escort, and Nat +and the sailors, there were in all thirty-eight, and from the quiet way +in which they took up their arms Nat had little doubt that they would, +if necessary, make a stout fight against Biassou's savages. + +These arrived in two or three minutes. They had evidently travelled at +the top of their speed, for their breath came fast, and they were bathed +in sweat. Their aspect was savage in the extreme. Most of them wore some +garment or other the spoil of murdered victims, some of them broad +Panama-hats, others had women's shawls wrapped round their waists as +sashes, some had jackets that were once white, others were naked to the +waist. A few had guns, the rest either axes or pikes, and all carried +long knives. Conspicuous among them was Biassou himself, a negro of +almost gigantic stature and immense strength, to which he owed no small +part of his supremacy among his friends. He came on shouting "Treachery! +treachery!" words that were re-echoed in a hoarse chorus by his +followers, who numbered about a hundred and fifty. + +At the threatening aspect of the new-comers, Toussaint's men closed up +round him, but he signed them to stand back, and quietly awaited the +coming of Biassou. The calmness of Toussaint had its effect on Biassou. +Instead of rushing at him with his axe, as it had seemed was his +intention, he paused and again shouted "Treachery!" + +"What nonsense are you talking, Biassou?" Toussaint said. "I am +carrying out the arrangement to which you and François agreed the other +night, and am having an interview with this British officer." + +"When did I agree to such a thing?" the great negro roared. + +"Last Friday night we agreed that it was well that we should learn the +intentions of the English, and that we should ascertain the position in +which we should stand were they to come here." + +"I remember nothing about it, Toussaint." + +"That is possible enough," the latter replied. "You know that it is no +uncommon thing for you to forget in the morning what was arranged +overnight. This officer has come here on my invitation and under my +safe-conduct, and no man shall touch him while I live." + +"It is agreed," Biassou said, "and all have sworn to it, that no white +who falls into our hands shall be spared. Such is the case, is it not?" +he said to his followers; and they answered with a loud shout and began +to press forward. + +"These men have not fallen into our hands," Toussaint said, "they have +come here on our invitation, and, as I have told you, with our +safeguard." + +"It is all very well for you to talk, Toussaint; I know you. You pretend +to be with us, but your heart is with the whites, and you are here to +conspire with them against us," and he raised his axe as if about to +rush forward. + +"This is madness, Biassou," Toussaint said sternly. "Have we not enough +enemies now that we should quarrel among ourselves? You have done enough +harm to our cause already by your horrible cruelties, for which every +coloured man who falls into the hands of the whites has to suffer +severely. Beware how you commence a conflict; you may be more numerous +than we are, but we are better armed, and even if you overpowered us in +the end, you would suffer heavily before you did so." + +"I wish you no harm, Toussaint, but for the last time I demand that +these white men shall be given up to me." + +"And for the last time I refuse," Toussaint said; and his men without +orders moved up close to him. + +Biassou stood for a moment irresolute, and then, with a shout to his men +to follow him, sprang forward. In an instant Nat threw himself before +Toussaint, and when Biassou was within a couple of yards of him threw up +his arm and levelled his pistol between the negro's eyes. + +"Drop that axe," he shouted, "or you are a dead man!" + +The negro stood like a black statue for an instant. The pistol was but a +foot from his face, and he knew that before his uplifted axe could fall +he would be a dead man. + +"Drop it!" Nat repeated. "If you don't before I count three, I fire. +One--two--" and the negro's axe fell to the ground. "Stand where you +are!" Nat exclaimed, "the slightest movement and I fire! Come up here, +men!" + +The four sailors came up, cutlass in one hand and pistol in the other. + +"This man is your prisoner," he said. "Keep him between you, one on each +side and the other two behind. If he makes the slightest movement to +escape, or if the blacks behind approach any nearer, send your four +bullets into his brain." + +The men took up their stations as directed. + +"Now, Biassou," he went on, lowering his own pistol, "you can continue +your conference with Toussaint." + +[Illustration: "DROP IT!" NAT REPEATED.] + +"You see, Biassou," Toussaint said, "you have only rendered yourself +ridiculous. I repeat what I said before, this officer is here in answer +to my invitation sent to him after François and you had agreed that it +was advantageous to learn what the objects of the English were. If you +question him you will find that it is as I say. We have had our +conference, have expressed our views, and he will repeat what I have +said to the British governor of Jamaica; and I think that, whatever the +result may be, it is well that the English should understand that we +have resolved that, whether they or the French are the possessors of +this island, slavery is abolished for ever here. He will return at once +to the coast, and will then sail direct for Jamaica. Now, if you have +any observation to make, I shall be glad to hear it." + +"I do not doubt what you say," Biassou replied sullenly; "but it must be +settled by what François says when we rejoin him." + +"So be it," Toussaint said. "And now, I pray you, let there be no +quarrel between us. I have been forced to withstand you, because I was +bound by a sacred promise. Any divisions will be fatal to our cause. For +the moment you may be in superior force, but another time those who love +and follow me might be the more numerous. You well know that I am as +faithful to the cause as you are, and we must both set an example to our +followers, that while we may differ as to the methods by which success +is to be gained, we are at one in our main object." + +"I admit that I was wrong," the great negro said frankly. "I drank more +than was good for me before I started, and my blood has been heated by +the speed with which we followed you. I am sober now, for which I have +to thank," he added with a grim smile, "this young officer; though I own +that I do not like his method. Let us think no more of it;" and he held +out his hand to Toussaint, which the latter took. + +A shout of satisfaction rose from the negroes on both sides. The +determined attitude of Toussaint's men, the fact that they had four +whites among them, and that almost all of them had muskets, had cooled +the courage of Biassou's followers, who, as soon as their leader was +captured, saw that even if they gained the victory, it would be at the +cost of at least half their number. There was no prospect of plunder or +of any advantage, and they knew that, beloved and respected as Toussaint +was, it was very possible that those who did survive the fight would +fall victims to the indignation that would be aroused at the news of an +attack being made upon him. + +"Now that it is all settled we may as well be starting for the coast, +Toussaint," Nat said. "There is nothing more for us to arrange, and as +our presence here might possibly lead to further trouble, the sooner we +are off the better." + +"I will not ask you to stay," the negro said. "I do not think that we +shall have any more trouble, but there is no saying. Several of +Biassou's men have wine-skins with them, and a quarrel might arise when +they had drunk more. I will send you down under the same escort as +before." + +"I do not think that we shall need so many. I should not like to weaken +you so far." + +"There is no fear for me," Toussaint said decidedly. "Arriving in hot +blood they might have attacked me, but I am sure they will not do so +now. They know well enough that I should be terribly avenged were they +to do so. It is quite necessary that you should take as many men as +before, for it is possible that some of Biassou's men might steal away +and follow you." + +A few minutes afterwards Nat set out with his men and his guard of +twelve blacks. It was still some hours before the time at which he was +to be met by the boat. They therefore halted when within a mile of the +shore, and there waited until it was dark. Then he went on alone with +the four sailors to the beach, and in a few minutes after they arrived +there they heard the sound of the oars of the gig. + +"I am heartily glad to see you back again," Turnbull said as Nat stepped +on to the deck. "Lippincott and I have been horribly uneasy about you +all day. Did everything go off quietly?" + +"Yes, except for two or three minutes, when that bloodthirsty scoundrel +Biassou came upon the scene with a hundred and fifty of his followers. +There was very nearly a shindy then, but it passed off; for he did not +like looking down the muzzle of my pistol at a few inches from his head, +and my four men made him a prisoner until affairs had taken a friendly +turn, which was not long after. For when the leader of a party is a +prisoner, and his guards have orders to shoot him instantly if there is +any trouble, it is astonishing how quick people are in coming to an +understanding." + +"Yes, I should say so," Turnbull laughed. "However, as it has turned out +well, and you have fulfilled your mission, it doesn't matter to us; and +I hope that we have now done with this creeping alongshore work." + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +A FRENCH FRIGATE + + +On arriving at Kingston Nat went on board the flag-ship, and reported to +the admiral the particulars of his visit to Toussaint. + +"He is evidently a long-headed fellow," the admiral said, "and from his +point of view his proposal is a fair one; but I am afraid our people at +home would never give such an undertaking. It would be impossible for us +to have one island where the blacks were free, while in all others they +would remain slaves. It would be as much as saying to them, 'If you want +freedom you must fight for it;' and even if the people at home could +bring themselves to pay the immense amount of money that would be +required to emancipate the slaves by indemnifying their owners, it would +nevertheless be the ruin of the islands, and all connected with them. +However, I will take you ashore to the governor, after my clerk has made +a copy of your report." + +"I have made two copies, sir." + +"All the better. Then we will go at once." + +The governor heard Nat's story, and received his report. + +"It is at least satisfactory," he said, "to have learnt from one of +themselves what the views of the principal leaders are, and I consider +that you have performed your commission exceedingly well, Lieutenant +Glover, and, undoubtedly, at a great deal of risk to yourself. As to the +matter of the communication, it will of course receive serious +attention. It is far too important a business for anyone to give +off-hand an opinion upon it. I fancy, sir, that you are likely to have +more active work before long, for I think there is no doubt that war +will very shortly be declared with France, and her privateers will be +swarming about these seas." + +It was nearly six months before any special incident took place. No +vessel had been missing since the capture of the _Agile_, and it was +evident that any pirates there might have been among the islands had +moved to waters where they could carry on their trade with less +interruption. The _Agile_ cruised about among the islands, and although +she had a pleasant time, officers and men alike grew impatient at the +uneventful nature of their work. Things were but little changed in +Hayti. Biassou had been deprived of his command, and it was surmised +that he had been murdered, but at any rate he was never heard of again. +François and Toussaint commanded, but the former came to be so jealous +of Toussaint's popularity that the latter was obliged to retire, and to +cross the frontier into the Spanish part of the island. There he was +well received, and showed great ability in various actions against the +French, with whom Spain was then at war. He and many other negroes had +declared for Spain, upon the singular ground that they had always been +governed by a king, and preferred to be ruled by the king of Spain +rather than by a republic. + +With only six hundred men Toussaint drove fifteen hundred French out of +a strong post which they occupied in the Spanish town of Raphaelita, and +afterwards took several other posts and villages. It was for these +successes that he gained the name of L'Ouverture, or opener, and the +Marquis D'Hermona gave him the rank of lieutenant-general. The three +French commissioners had returned to France, and had been succeeded by +two others, Santhonax and Poveren, the former a ruffian of the same type +as those who were deluging the soil of France with its best blood, and +who made themselves odious to both parties by their brutality and greed. +At last, at the end of February, 1793, came the news of the execution of +the king of France, and the certainty that war was imminent. + +"Now we shall have more lively times," Turnbull said. "It has been dull +enough of late." + +"There has been nothing to grumble at," the surgeon said. "What would +you have? Haven't we been sailing about like gentlemen, with nothing to +do but to drink and sleep, and look at the islands, and take things easy +altogether?" + +"Don't you talk, Doyle," Turnbull said, laughing. "There is no one who +has grumbled more than yourself." + +"That is in the cause of science," the Irishman retorted. "How can I +ever become a distinguished man, and show what is in me, and make all +sorts of discoveries, if there is never a chance that comes in my way? +There are my instruments all ready for use, they might as well be at the +bottom of the sea. I hone them once a week, and well-nigh shed tears +because of the good work they ought to be doing. It is all very well +for you, Turnbull, you won't forget how to kill a man when the time +comes; but let me tell you that any fellow who doesn't know his A B C +can kill a man, whereas it takes a man of science to cure him." + +"There is a good deal in that, Doyle," Nat said, when the laugh had +subsided, "though I don't know that I considered it in that light +before; but that, perhaps, is because I have tried one and never tried +the other." + +"It's a fine thing," Doyle said, "to be a surgeon. There you see a man +with his legs shot off. If it was not for you he would die. You take him +in hand, you amputate a bit higher up, you make him tidy and +comfortable, and there he is walking about almost as well as if he had +two legs; and although he is not fit for ship service again, he would be +as good a man in a fight with a cudgel as ever he was. Now I ask you +fairly, what is there that you can do to compare with that?" + +"Nothing in that way, I must admit," Nat laughed, "Well, you may be +having an opportunity of showing your superiority before long. This is +just the ground the French privateers are likely to choose. There are +plenty of French ports for them to put into, hundreds of bays where they +could lie hidden, and lots of shipping to plunder. No doubt they will be +thick in the channel and down the straits, but our merchantmen will not +think of going there unless in large fleets or under convoy of ships of +war; while here, though they might be guarded on their way across the +Atlantic, they would have to scatter as soon as they were among the +islands. Well, we must look out that we are not caught napping. Of +course, until we get news that war is declared we can't fire upon a +Frenchman; while if one arrived with the news before we got it, he might +sail up close by us and pour in a broadside." + +"At any rate we are likely to take some prizes," Lippincott said, "for +the instant we get the news we can pounce upon any French merchantman." + +"Yes; those homeward-bound could hardly hear the news as soon as we do, +while of those coming out many slow sailers will have left before war is +declared, and may not be here for weeks after we hear of it. The great +thing will be for us to put ourselves on the main line of traffic. As we +have received no special orders we can cruise where we like. I should +say that coming from France, they would be likely to keep down the coast +of Spain and on to Madeira before they strike across, as in that way +they would be altogether out of the line of the Gulf Stream. Then, if +they were making for Hayti, they would probably be coming along west on +or about the 20th parallel north; while, if making for Guadeloupe or +Martinique, they would be some three or four degrees farther south. +Probably privateers would follow the same lines, as before commencing +operations they would want to take in provisions and water, to learn +where our cruisers are likely to be, to pick up pilots, and so on. So I +should say that we can cruise about these waters for another fortnight +safely, and then go through the Caribbean Islands and cruise some +seventy or eighty miles beyond them, carefully avoiding putting into any +of our own islands as we pass." + +"Why should you do that?" Turnbull asked. + +"Because the chances are that we should find, either at Barbados or St. +Lucia or Dominica--or, in fact, at any of the other islands, one of our +frigates, or at any rate, some officer senior to me; and in that case, +as we have no fixed orders from the admiral, we might be detained or +sent off in some direction that might not suit us at all." + +"Good!" Doyle said. "It is always a safe rule to keep out of the way of +a bigger man than yourself. I have always observed that a captain of a +man-of-war or of a frigate is sure to be down on small craft, if he gets +a chance. It is like a big boy at school fagging a little one; he could +do quite as well without him, but it is just a matter of devilment and +to show his authority. Heaven protect us against falling in with a +frigate. If she were a Frenchman she would sink us; if she were a +Britisher she would bully us." + +They reached the ground on which Nat had decided to cruise. Three days +later the look-out at the mast-head shouted "Sail ho!" the words acting +like an electric shock to those on deck. + +"How does it bear?" + +"About east by north, sir. There are three vessels; I can only see their +topsails at present. Two of them are a bit bigger than the third. They +look to me to be merchantmen. I should say the other, by the cut of his +sails, is a Frenchman." + +A low cheer broke from the men. "Now, if that fellow brings news that +war is declared, we are in luck," Nat said. "Either he is convoying two +French merchantmen he has overtaken, or he has two British prizes he has +picked up. If they are English, we shall not get so much prize-money; +but then we shall have less difficulty with the privateer, if privateer +she is, because she must have put a good many of her hands an board the +prizes. So we can in either case count upon doing well. At any rate they +are not likely to suspect that we are English, being French-built and +French-rigged. Even if they have a doubt, they will be satisfied as soon +as they see the name on our bows. We will not get up any more sail." + +"I will go up and have a look at her," Turnbull said; and slinging his +glass over his shoulder he went aloft. + +"I think," he called down, after a long look at them, "that the middle +ship is a good deal larger than she looks; and the others are carrying +every stitch of canvas, but she has neither royals nor topgallant-sails. +Her yards have a wide spread, and I am inclined to think that she is a +frigate or a large corvette--certainly a French one. As to the others, I +cannot say with certainty, but I rather fancy they are English; in which +case she has captured them on the way, and, being much faster than they +are, has to go under easy sail to keep with them." + +"Well, I hope she is not too big for us," Nat said, as Turnbull rejoined +him. + +"What should you call too big, sir?" Turnbull asked with a smile. + +"Well, I should say that a fifty was too big." + +"I should think so indeed. A twenty-gun sloop would be a pretty +formidable opponent." + +"Yes, a twenty would about suit us, especially as she may have fifty of +her men on board the other craft--that is, if they are her prizes. It is +the men that I am more afraid of than the guns. Two to one are no great +odds in guns, especially as we generally work ours faster than the +French do; but when it comes to a hundred and fifty men or so against +forty, it may be very unpleasant if we get a spar knocked away and they +come alongside of us. We may as well get the French flag up at once. +With a good glass they could make it out a long way off. Let the men +have their breakfast, it is a bad thing to fight fasting." + +The men were not long over their meal; by the time they came on deck +again the strangers were within five or six miles. The wind was in the +north-east, and the _Agile_ was almost close-hauled, while the others +had the wind broad on their quarters. There was now no longer any doubt +that the outside vessels were two large British West Indiamen, and the +fact that they were in company with what was undoubtedly a French +frigate was regarded as absolute proof that war had been declared, and +that the French ship of war on her way out to the colonies with the news +had overtaken and captured the two British ships, which were probably +sailing in company. As they approached, the _Agile_ was luffed up more +into the wind in order to pass between the Frenchman and the prize +within a few cables' length to starboard of him. + +"How many guns do you make her out to be, Mr. Lippincott?" + +"I think that she has eighteen guns on a broadside." + +"The odds are pretty strongly against us," Nat said; "but we shall have +the weather-gauge, that counts for a good deal. Anyhow, we shall be able +to annoy her, and possibly, if we hang on to her, the sound of firing +will bring up one of our cruisers from Barbuda or Antigua." + +An awning which was stretched over the quarter-deck had not been taken +down, and as the brigantine approached the French frigate, there was no +sign that her intentions were not of a peaceable nature. The French +ensign floated from the peak, the sailors on deck were lounging about, +some with their jackets on, others in their shirts, and only a few with +hats on seemed to be watching with idle curiosity the approaching +vessels. Nat and the officers retained their uniforms, for as only their +heads and shoulders showed over the rail, there was nothing to +distinguish them from those of a fine French privateer, for these +generally adopted a regular naval dress. The two vessels were but fifty +yards apart as they met. Nat sprang on to the rail, and in reply to the +hail from the Frenchman, "What ship is that?" raised his cap in salute +and shouted: + +"The _Agile_ of Bordeaux. Have you any news from France, sir?" + +"Yes, war has been declared with England." + +[Illustration: NAT SPRANG ON TO THE RAIL.] + +"Thank you, that is good news indeed," and he leapt down on to the deck. + +The vessels were both travelling at a speed of about eight knots an +hour, and were already passing one another fast, when, as Nat waved his +hand, the French flag was run down, an English ensign already fastened +to the halyards was simultaneously run up, and a moment later the five +guns, which had previously been trained to bear aft and double-shotted, +poured their broadside into the quarters of the French frigate. Shouts +of surprise and fury rose from her; no thought that the little craft so +fearlessly approaching her was an enemy had crossed the mind of any on +board, still less that if British she would venture to fire upon so +vastly superior a foe. + +"About ship!" Nat said, the instant the guns had been fired. The +sail-trimmers were at their places, the _Agile_ shot up into the wind, +her head paid off, and she swept round on the other tack, crossing the +stern of the Frenchman, her guns on the starboard side sending their +shot in through his stern windows, and raking his whole length as they +were brought to bear; then she wore round on her heel, the guns on the +larboard side were reloaded, and she again raked the Frenchman. So far +not a single shot had been fired in return. The din on board the frigate +was prodigious, as the guns had to be cast loose, magazines opened, +powder and shot carried up, and the sails trimmed to enable her to bear +up so as to show her broadside to her puny foe. + +Before she could do so the _Agile_, true to her name, was again round. +The Frenchmen, confused by the variety of orders issued, were slow at +their work, and as their opponent came up into the wind the brigantine +was again astern of them, and raked them this time with heavy charges of +grape. A chorus of shrieks and cries from the frigate told how terrible +was the effect. + +"By St. Patrick," the surgeon exclaimed to Lippincott, "it is grand! But +it looks as if the captain wasn't going to give me a chance, and all me +instruments laid out ready for action." + +"Never mind, doctor, you will be able to practise on the Frenchmen," +Lippincott laughed. + +But the French captain knew his business, and putting his helm over +again, ran off the wind, so that the two vessels were now on the same +tack, with the _Agile_ on her opponent's quarter. Several of the French +guns were now brought to bear, but their discharge was too hurried, and +owing to the brigantine lying so much lower in the water, the shot flew +between her masts or made holes in her mainsail. In a moment she was +round again, and crossed her opponent's stern at a distance of some +thirty yards, the word being passed along that the gunners were to aim +at the rudder-post and to double-shot the guns. A loud cheer rose as two +of the shots struck the mark. The Frenchman replied with a volley of +musketry from the marines gathered on her poop. Three of the sailors +fell, and several others were hit. + +The Frenchman was, when the _Agile_ delivered her last broadside, +running nearly before the wind, and it was speedily evident that the +injury to her rudder had been fatal, for although she attempted by +trimming her sails again to bear up, each time she fell off, though not +before some of her shot had hulled her active opponent. Seeing, however, +that he must now be easily outmanoeuvred, the Frenchman made no +further effort to change his course, but continued doggedly on his way, +the topmen swarming aloft and shaking out more canvas. The _Agile_ +followed the frigate's example, and placing herself on her stern +quarter, kept up a steady fire, yawing when necessary to bring all her +guns to bear, the French replying occasionally with one of their stern +guns. Owing to the accelerated speed at which both vessels were now +going, the Indiamen had been left behind. Half an hour later the +frigate's mizzen-mast, which had been severely wounded by the first +broadside, went over her side. Cheer after cheer rose from the _Agile_; +her opponent was now at her mercy. She had but to repeat the tactics +with which she had begun the fight. Just as Nat gave the order to do so, +musket shots were heard in the distance. The crew of one of the +merchantmen had been allowed to remain on deck, as, being under the guns +of the frigate, there was no possibility of their attempting to +overpower their captors. As soon, however, as it became evident that the +frigate was getting the worst of it, they had been hurried below, and +the hatches dropped over them. From the port-holes, however, they could +obtain a view of what was going on ahead of them, and as soon as they +saw the frigate's mast go by the board, they armed themselves with +anything that would serve as weapons, managed to push up the +after-hatch, and rushed on deck. The prize crew were all clustered +forward watching the fight; a shout from the helmsman apprised them of +their danger, and they rushed aft. They were, however, less numerous +than the British sailors, and no better armed, for, believing that the +frigate would easily crush her tiny assailant, they were unprepared to +take any part in the fight. + +The contest was a very short one. Knowing that the frigate was crippled, +and that the brigantine would soon be free to return to them, the +Frenchmen saw that they must eventually be taken, and the officer in +command being knocked senseless with a belaying-pin, they threw down +their knives and surrendered. The other Indiaman at once put down her +helm on seeing that the British flag was being run up on her consort. + +"We must not let that fellow get away," Nat said; "we can leave the +frigate alone for half an hour. We will give him two more broadsides +with grape through his stern windows, and then bear up after that +lumbering merchantman. We shall be alongside in half an hour." + +In less than that time they were within pistol-shot of the West +Indiaman, and the prize crew at once hauled down their flag. The _Agile_ +went alongside, released the prisoners, who had been securely fastened +in the hold, and replaced them by the French crew. The Indiaman's +officers had been allowed to remain on deck. + +"Now, captain," Nat said to the English master, "please keep every sail +full and follow us. It will not be long before we settle with the +frigate, and we shall then run down to Barbados." + +The master, who was greatly surprised at the youth of the officer who +had so ably handled his ship against an immensely superior foe, said: + +"Allow me to congratulate you on the splendid way in which you have +handled your vessel. I could scarcely believe my eyes when you opened +fire on the frigate. It seemed impossible that you should have thought +of really engaging such an opponent." + +"You see, we had the weather gauge of her, captain, and the brigantine +is both fast and handy. But I must be off now before they have time to +get into fighting trim again." + +In another half-hour he was in his old position under the frigate's +quarter, and was preparing to resume his former tactics, when the French +flag fluttered down amid the cheers of the _Agile's_ crew, which were +faintly repeated by the two merchantmen a mile astern. + +"I am heartily glad that they have surrendered," Nat said to Turnbull; +"it would have been a mere massacre if they had been obstinate. Now, +will you go on board and see what state she is in. Do not accept the +officers' swords. They have done all that they could, but they really +never had a chance after we had once got in the right position. Order +all unwounded men below. As soon as you return with your report as to +the state of things, I will send you off again with twenty men to take +command. You had better bring the officers back with you. Mr. +Lippincott, hoist a signal to the merchantmen to lie to as soon as they +get abreast of us." + +Mr. Turnbull returned in twenty minutes. + +"It is an awful sight," he said. "The captain and the two senior +lieutenants are killed, and it was the third lieutenant who ordered the +flag to be lowered. Her name is the _Spartane_. She carried a crew of +three hundred men, of whom fifty were on board her prizes. She has lost +ninety killed, and there are nearly as many more wounded, of whom at +least half are hit with grape, and I fancy few of them will recover; the +others are splinter wounds, some of them very bad. There are two +surgeons at work. I told them that ours would come to their assistance +as soon as he had done with our own wounded." + +The third lieutenant and three midshipmen, who were the sole survivors +of the officers of the _Spartane_, soon came on board. + +"Gentlemen," Nat said, "I am sorry for your misfortune, but assuredly +you have nothing to reproach yourselves with. You did all that brave men +could do, and did not lower your flag until further resistance would +have been a crime against humanity." + +The officers bowed; they were too much depressed to reply. Their +mortification was great at being overpowered by a vessel so much +inferior in strength to their own, and the feeling was increased now by +seeing that their conqueror was a lad no older than the senior of the +midshipmen. Turnbull's cabin was at once allotted to the lieutenant, and +a large spare cabin to the midshipmen. Leaving Lippincott in charge, +with ten men, Nat went with Turnbull and the doctor on board the +frigate, and the boat went back to fetch the rest of the crew. The +merchantmen had been signalled to send as many men as they could spare +on board the frigate, and not until these arrived did Nat feel +comfortable. Of his own crew three had been killed and ten wounded; +three of these were fit for duty, and formed part of Lippincott's party, +and the twenty he had with him seemed lost on board the frigate. +Although Turnbull had had hawsers coiled over the hatches, the thought +that there were nearly a hundred prisoners there, and that there were +enough comparatively slightly wounded to overpower the two men placed as +sentries over each hatchway, was a very unpleasant one. The arrival, +however, of thirty of the merchant sailors, armed to the teeth, altered +the position of affairs. + +The first duty was to clear the decks of the dead. These were hastily +sewn up in their own hammocks, with a couple of round shot at their +feet, and then launched overboard. Those of the wounded able to walk +were then mustered, and one of the French surgeons bandaged all the less +serious wounds. After being supplied with a drink of wine and water, +they were taken below, and placed with their companions in the hold. +Then the wreck of the mizzen was cut away, and the frigate was taken in +tow by the _Agile_, her own sails being left standing to relieve the +strain on the hawsers. The two merchantmen were signalled to reduce +sail, and to follow, and on no account to lose sight of the stern light +of the frigate after it became dusk. Nat returned, with four of his +crew, to the _Agile_, and four days later towed the _Spartane_ into the +anchorage off Bridgetown, the chief port of Barbados, the two West +Indiamen following. The _Isis_, a fine fifty-gun frigate, was lying +there. She had arrived on the previous day, having been despatched with +the news of the outbreak of war. As her captain was evidently the +senior officer on the station, Nat was rowed on board. + +"Are you the officer in command of that brigantine?" the captain asked +in surprise. + +"Yes, sir; my name is Glover." + +"Well, Lieutenant Glover, what part did your ship bear in the fight with +that Frenchman? I see by her sails that she was engaged. Whom had you +with you?" + +"We were alone, sir." + +"What!" the captain said, incredulously, "do you mean to say that, with +that little ten-gun craft, you captured a thirty-six-gun frigate +single-handed?" + +"That is so, sir." + +"Well, I congratulate you on it heartily," the captain exclaimed, +shaking Nat by the hand with great cordiality. "You must tell me all +about it. It is an extraordinary feat. How many men do you carry?" + +"We have forty seamen, sir, and two petty officers." + +"And what are your casualties?" + +"Three killed and ten wounded." + +"What were the casualties of the Frenchmen?" + +"Ninety killed, including the captain and the first and second +lieutenants and five midshipmen, and eighty-three wounded." + +"And how many prisoners?" + +"In all, a hundred and thirty, sir, of whom five-and-twenty are on board +each of those merchantmen, which had been captured by the frigate. The +crew of one rose and mastered their captors as soon as they saw the +frigate's mizzen-mast fall, and knew that we must take her. The prize +crew in the other struck their flag as soon as we came within +pistol-shot of her. I shall be glad to receive orders from you as to the +disposal of the prisoners. I have had thirty men from the merchantmen +on board the _Spartane_, for I could spare so few men that the prisoners +might, without their assistance, have retaken her." + +"I will go ashore with you presently and see the governor, and ask +whether he can take charge of them. If he cannot, you can hand over the +greater part of them to me. I shall sail for Jamaica this evening. As to +the prize, I should advise you to see if you cannot get some spars and +rig a jury-mast; there are sure to be some in the dockyard. While that +is being done you can go through the formalities of inspecting the +Indiamen, for whose salvage you will get a very handsome sum. At any +rate, if I were you I should keep them here until I was ready to sail, +and then go with them and your prize to Kingston. I should go in in +procession, as you did here. It is a thing that you have a right to be +proud of." + +"We need lose no time about the mast, sir. We stripped the gear off and +got it on board the _Spartane_, and towed her mast behind her, thinking +that perhaps we might not get a suitable spar here. Of course the lower +mast will be short, but that will matter comparatively little. What is +more serious is that her rudder is smashed." + +"I doubt whether you can get that remedied here. I should advise you to +rig out a temporary rudder. I'll tell you what I will do--I will send a +couple of hundred men on board at once under my second officer. That +will make short work of it, and I am sure that there is not a man on +board who would not be glad to lend a hand in fitting up a prize that +has been so gallantly won." + +He called his officers, who had been standing apart during this +conversation, and introduced Nat to them, saying: + +"Gentlemen, I never heard Lieutenant Glover's name until a few minutes +ago, but I can with confidence tell you that no more gallant officer is +to be found in the service; and when I say that, with that little +ten-gun brigantine and a crew of forty men, he engaged the French +frigate that you see behind her and forced her to strike, after a fight +in which she had a hundred and seventy men killed or wounded, that he +took a hundred and thirty prisoners, and recaptured those two West +Indiamen which were her prizes, I think you will all agree that I am not +exaggerating. He is naturally very anxious to be off. The frigate's +mizzen-mast is lying astern of her, and will make an excellent +jury-mast, as all the gear is on board, and only requires shortening. +Her rudder is smashed, and a temporary one must be rigged up; and, +knowing that all on board will be ready and glad to help when they hear +what I have told you, I am going to send two hundred men off at once to +lend a hand. Will you take command, Mr. Lowcock? You will take with you, +of course, the boatswain and his mates and the carpenters." + +"I should be glad to go too, sir," the first lieutenant said. + +"You and I will go together, Mr. Ferguson, after we have had a glass of +wine and heard from Mr. Glover the details of this singular action." + +The order was at once given to lower the boats. The story that the +French frigate and her two prizes had been captured single-handed by the +brigantine speedily circulated, and the men hastened into the boats with +alacrity. With them went the surgeon and his assistant to see if they +could be of any help on board, while the captain, his first lieutenant, +and Nat went into the cabin, and the latter related the details of the +action. + +"Skilfully managed indeed, Mr. Glover!" the captain said when he had +finished; "no one could have done better. It was fortunate indeed that +your little craft was so fast and handy, for if that frigate had brought +her guns to bear fully upon her she ought to have been able to fairly +blow you out of the water with a single broadside. May I ask if this is +your first action?" + +"No, sir; I was in a tender of the _Orpheus_ frigate when she captured a +very strong pirate's hold near the port of Barcela in Caracas, +destroying the place and capturing or blowing up three of their ships." + +"I remember the affair," the captain said, "and a very gallant one it +was; for, if I am right, the frigate could not get into the entrance, +but landed her men, captured two of the pirates' batteries, and turned +the guns on their ships, while a schooner she had captured a few days +before sailed right in and engaged them, and was nearly destroyed when +one of the pirates blew up. The officer in command of her was killed, +and a midshipman was very highly spoken of, for he succeeded to the +command, and gallantly went on board another pirate and drowned their +magazine." + +"Much more was said about it than necessary," Nat said. + +The captain looked surprised. + +"By the way," the lieutenant broke in, "I remember the name now. Are you +the Mr. Glover mentioned in the despatches?" + +"Yes, sir; but, as I said, the captain was good enough to make more of +the affair than it deserved." + +"I expect that he was the best judge of that," the captain said. "Well, +after that?" + +"After that, sir, I had the command of a little four-gun schooner which +was cruising along the coast of Hayti to pick up fugitives, when I came +across the brigantine I now command in the act of plundering a +merchantman she had just captured. She left her prize and followed me. I +was faster and more weatherly than she was, and having had the luck to +smash the jaws of her gaff after a running fight of seven or eight +miles, was able to get back to the prize and recapture her before the +pirate came up. The crew of the prize came up and manned their guns, +and between us we engaged the brigantine and carried her by boarding. On +taking her into Kingston the admiral gave me the command, and raised my +crew from twenty to forty. We have now been cruising for four or five +months, but not until we sighted the frigate and her prizes have we had +the luck to fall in with an enemy." + +"Well, sir," the captain said, "even admitting that you have had some +luck, there is no question that you have utilized your opportunities and +have an extraordinary record, and if you don't get shot I prophesy that +you will be an admiral before many officers old enough to be your +father. Now, I am sure you must be anxious to get on board your prize as +soon as possible, so we will take you to her at once." + +In a few minutes they were on the deck of the _Spartane_. It was a scene +of extraordinary activity. The lower mast had already been parbuckled on +to the deck, where sheer-legs had been erected by another party. The +mast was soon in its place, and the wedges driven in, the shrouds had +been shortened, and men were engaged in tightening the lanyards. The +topmast was on deck ready to be hoisted. The carpenters were busy +constructing a temporary rudder with a long spar, to one end of which +planks were being fixed, so that it looked like a gigantic paddle. As +soon as this was completed, the other end of the spar was lashed to the +taffrail. Strong hawsers were then to be fastened to the paddle, and +brought in one on each quarter and attached to the drum of the wheel. + +"Now, Mr. Glover," the captain said, after watching the work for some +little time, "I will go ashore with you to the governor; you ought to +pay your respects to him. Fortunately you will not require any +assistance from him, for unless I am greatly mistaken these jobs will be +finished this evening; the masts and rigging will certainly be fixed +before dusk, and the carpenters must stick to their job till it is done. +Like all make-shifts, it will not be so good as the original, but I +think it will serve your turn, for there is little likelihood of bad +weather at this time of year. I suppose you intend to keep the merchant +seamen on board? If not, I will spare you some hands." + +"I am much obliged, sir, but I think we shall do very well. It is a fine +reaching wind, and we shall scarcely have to handle a sail between this +and Jamaica." + +"Very well, I understand your feeling, you would like to finish your +business without help. That is very natural; I should do the same in +your place." + +"How about the merchantman's papers, sir?" + +"I shall tell the governor that I have ordered them to be taken to +Kingston, where there is a regular prize court, and therefore it will +not be necessary to trouble with their manifests here." + +"Then, if I have your permission, captain, I will row off to them at +once and tell them to get under sail now; we shall overhaul them long +before they get to Jamaica. They mount between them six-and-twenty guns, +and, keeping together, no French privateer, if any have arrived, would +venture to attack them, especially as they cannot have received news yet +that war is declared." + +"I think that would be a very good plan," the captain said, "for if you +were to start with them it is clear that you would only be able to go +under half sail. It is evident by your account that you are faster than +the frigate, but with a reaching wind I suppose there is not more than a +knot between you, and if the wind freshens you would find it hard to +keep up with her." + +The visit was paid. The governor agreed that it would be better that the +Indiamen should sail at once. Indeed, they had already started, and were +two or three miles away before Nat and the captain arrived at the +governor's house. When on shore Nat ordered two or three barrels of rum +to be sent off in another boat to the frigate, and on its arrival an +allowance was served out to all the workers. Before nightfall, save that +the mizzen-mast was some twenty feet lower than usual, and that her +stern and quarters were patched in numerous places with tarred canvas, +the _Spartane_ presented her former appearance. When the majority of the +crew had finished their work, the prisoners were transferred to the +_Isis_. Two hours later the carpenters and boatswain's party had +securely fixed the temporary rudder, and at daybreak the next morning +the two frigates and the brigantine started on their westward voyage. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT + + +The three vessels kept company until, on the third day after sailing, +they overtook the two merchantmen. Nat, supposing that the _Isis_ would +now leave them, went on board to thank the captain for the great +assistance that he had given him. + +"I shall stay with you now, Mr. Glover. The news of the outbreak of war +will be known at Jamaica by this time, for the despatches were sent off +on the day before we sailed from home, by the _Fleetwing_, which is the +fastest corvette in the service. She was to touch at Antigua and then go +straight on to Port Royal. I was to carry the news to Barbados, so that +it does not make any difference whether I reach Kingston two hours +earlier or later. There is a possibility that the French may have sent +ships off even before they declared war with us, and as it is certain +that there are several war-ships of theirs out here, one of these might +fall in with you before you reach Jamaica. Therefore as my orders are +simply to report myself to the admiral at Kingston, I think it is quite +in accordance with my duty that I should continue to sail in company +with you." + +"Thank you, sir. There certainly is at least one French frigate in the +bay of Hayti, and if she has received the news she is quite likely to +endeavour to pick up some prizes before it is generally known, just as +the _Spartane_ picked up those merchantmen, and though possibly we might +beat her off, I should very much prefer to be let alone." + +"Yes, you have done enough for one trip, and I should much regret were +you to be deprived of any of your captures." + +The _Agile_ was signalled to prepare to pick up her boat, and Nat was +soon on board his own craft again. He ran up to within speaking distance +of the _Spartane_, and shouted to Turnbull that the _Isis_ was going to +remain in company with them. Turnbull waved his hand, for although he +had not entertained any fear of their being attacked, he felt nervous at +his responsibility if a sudden gale should spring up and the temporary +rudder be carried away. It was a comfort to him to know that, should +this happen, the _Isis_ would doubtless take him in tow, for in anything +like a wind the _Agile_ would be of little use. However, the weather +continued fine, and in five days after leaving Barbados they entered +Kingston harbour. Three hours before, the _Isis_ had spread all sail, +and entered, dropping anchor half an hour before the _Agile_ sailed in +in charge of the three large ships. The brigantine was heartily cheered +by the crews of all the vessels in port, but it was naturally supposed +that it was the _Isis_ that had done the principal work in capturing the +_Spartane_. Her captain, however, had rowed to the flag-ship directly +they came in port, leaving Mr. Ferguson to see to the _Spartane_ being +anchored, and had given him a brief account of the nature of the +procession that was approaching three or four miles away. + +"He is a most extraordinary young officer," the admiral said. "He first +distinguished himself nearly three years ago by rescuing the daughter of +a planter in Hayti, who was attacked by a fierce hound, and who would +have been killed had he not run up. He was very seriously hurt, but +managed to despatch the animal with his dirk. Since that time he has +been constantly engaged in different adventures. He was in that +desperate fight when the _Orpheus_ broke up a notorious horde of pirates +on the mainland, and distinguished himself greatly. He was up country in +Hayti when the negroes rose, and he there saved from the blacks a lady +and her daughter, the same girl that he had rescued from the dog, and +shot eight of the villains, but had one of his ribs broken by a ball. In +spite of that, he carried the lady, who was ill with fever, some thirty +miles across a rough country down to Cape François in a litter. + +"Then I gave him the command of a little cockle-shell of a schooner +mounting four guns, carrying only twenty men. Hearing of a planter and +his family in the hands of the blacks, he landed the whole of his crew, +while expecting himself to be attacked by boats, and rescued the +planter, three ladies, and six white men, and got them down on board, +although opposed by three hundred negroes. Then he captured the +brigantine he now commands, and a valuable prize that she had taken, and +you say he has now captured a French thirty-six-gun frigate, after a +fight in which she lost in killed and wounded half her crew, and +recovered two Indiamen she had picked up on her way out." + +They went out on the quarter-deck, where the admiral repeated to his +officers the story that he had just heard, and from them it soon +circulated round the ship. Some of the crew had just cleaned the guns +with which they had returned the salute fired by the _Isis_ as she +entered the port on arriving for the first time on the station, but they +were scarcely surprised when, as the brigantine approached, the first +lieutenant gave the order for ten more blank cartridges to be brought +up, and for the crew to prepare to man the yards. But the surprise of +those on board the other ships of war and the merchantmen was great when +they saw the sailors swarming up the ratlines and running out on the +yards. + +"It is an unusual thing," the admiral remarked to the captains of the +_Isis_ and his own ship, "and possibly contrary to the rules of the +service, but I think the occasion excuses it." + +The brigantine did not salute as she came into the port, as she was +considered to be on the station. + +"What can they be doing on board the flag-ship?" Nat said to Lippincott. + +"I think they are going to man the yards. It is not the king's birthday, +or anything of that sort, that I know of; but as it is just eight bells +it must be something of the kind." + +As they came nearly abreast of the flag-ship, the signal, "Well done, +_Agile_!" was run up, and at the same moment there was a burst of white +smoke, and a thundering report, and a tremendous cheer rose from the +seamen on the yards. + +"They are saluting us, sir," Lippincott exclaimed. + +The ensign had been dipped in salute to the flag, and the salute had +been acknowledged by the admiral five minutes before. Lippincott now +sprang to the stern, and again lowered the ensign. The admiral and all +his officers were on their quarter-deck, and as he raised his cocked hat +the others stood bareheaded. Nat uncovered. He was so moved that he had +difficulty in keeping back his tears, and he felt a deep relief when the +last gun had fired, and the cheers given by his own handful of men and +by those on board the prizes had ceased. For the next quarter of an hour +he was occupied in seeing that the four vessels were anchored in safe +berths. Then, as the signal for him to go on board the flag-ship was +hoisted, he reluctantly took his place in the gig, and went to make his +report. The admiral saw by his pale face that he was completely +unnerved, and at once took him into his cabin. + +"I see, Mr. Glover," he began kindly, "that you would much rather that I +did not say anything to you at present. The welcome that has been given +to you speaks more than any words could do of our appreciation of your +gallant feat. I do not say that you have taken the first prize since war +was declared, for it is probable that other captures have been made +nearer home, but at any rate, it is the first that has been made in +these waters. I was surprised indeed when Captain Talbot told me that he +had a hundred French prisoners on board, and some fifty wounded. As he +had not the mark of a shot either in his sails or in his hull, I could +not understand, until he gave me an outline of what had taken place--of +how he had become possessed of them. Is your prize much injured?" + +"She has a good many shot-holes on each quarter, sir, and the stern +lights and fittings are all knocked away. She suffered no very serious +damage. She requires a new mizzen-mast; but there is not a hole in her +canvas, which is all new, for we fired only at the stern, and it was +just below the deck that her mast was damaged." + +"You have, I hope, written a full report of the engagement?" + +Nat handed in his report. It was very short, merely stating that, having +fallen in with the thirty-six-gun French frigate the _Spartane_, +convoying two prizes, he had engaged her, and after placing himself on +her quarter, had raked her until her mizzen-mast fell, and her rudder +was smashed; that, seeing that she could not get away, he had then +returned to the prizes, which turned out to be the _Jane_ of Liverpool, +of eight hundred tons burden, and the _Flora_ of London, of nine hundred +and thirty. The crew of the latter, on seeing that the _Spartane_ was +crippled, had risen and overpowered the prize crew. The other struck her +colours when he came up to her. He then returned to the _Spartane_, +which struck her flag without further resistance. + +"I desire to bring to your notice the great assistance I received from +Lieutenant Turnbull, whom I afterwards placed in charge of the prize, +and from Mr. Lippincott. It is also my duty to mention that +assistant-surgeon Doyle has been indefatigable in his attentions to my +own wounded and those of the _Spartane_." + +Then followed the list of his own casualties, and those of the +_Spartane_. + +"A very official report, Mr. Glover," the admiral said with a smile, +when he had glanced through it. "However, the admiralty will wish to +know the details of an action of so exceptional a character, and I must +therefore ask you to send me in as complete an account of the affair as +possible, both for my own information and theirs. Now, I think you had +better take a glass of wine. I can see that you really need one, and you +will have to receive the congratulations of my officers. By the way, do +you know anything of the cargoes of the two ships you retook?" + +"No, sir, I have really not had time to enquire. Till we left Barbados +I was constantly employed, and on my way out I have kept close to the +_Spartane_ in order to be able to assist at once if anything went wrong +with the steering-gear. I should wish to say, sir, that I feel under the +deepest obligations to Captain Talbot for the great assistance that he +and his crew have rendered me in getting up the jury-mast, and fitting +up the temporary rudder. Had it not been for that I might have been +detained for some time at Barbados." + +Having drunk a glass of wine, Nat went out with the admiral on to the +quarter-deck. The officers pressed round, shook hands, and congratulated +him. It did not last long, for the admiral said kindly: + +"The sound of our cannon, gentlemen, has had a much greater effect upon +Mr. Glover's nerves than had those of his prize, and I think we must let +him off without any further congratulations for to-day. Besides, he has +a long report to write for me, and a good many other things to see to." + +Nat was glad indeed to take his place in the gig, and to return to the +_Agile_. He spent two hours in writing his report in duplicate. When he +had done this he went ashore to the prize agent to enquire what +formalities were needed with regard to the recaptured merchantmen; and +having signed some official papers, he went up to Monsieur Duchesne's. +Monsieur Pickard and his family had sailed months before for England, +but the Duchesnes were still in possession of the house they had hired. +They enjoyed, they said, so much the feeling of rest and security that +they were by no means anxious for a sea voyage; and indeed Madame +Duchesne was still far from well, and her husband was reluctant to take +her to the cold climate of England until summer had well set in. + +"Ah, my dear Nat," Madame Duchesne said, "we were hoping that you would +be able to spare time to call to-day. My husband would have gone off to +see you, but he knew that you had a great deal to do. All the town is +talking of your capture of the French frigate, and the recapture of the +two prizes that she had taken. Several of our friends have come in to +tell us about it; but of course we were not surprised, for your +capturing the frigate with the _Agile_ was no more wonderful than your +taking the _Agile_ with the _Arrow_." + +"It was a lucky affair altogether, Madame Duchesne." + +"I knew that you would say so," Myra said indignantly. "Whatever you do +you always say it is luck, as if luck could do everything. I have no +patience with you." + +"I will endeavour not to use the word again in your presence, Myra," Nat +laughed. "But I have no time for an argument to-day, I have only just +run in for a flying visit to see how you are. I have no end of things to +see to, and I suppose it will be some days before all the business of +the prizes is finished, the frigate formally handed over, and the value +of the Indiamen and their cargo estimated. However, as soon as I am at +all free I will come in for a long talk. You know that there is nowhere +that I feel so happy and at home as I do here." + +It was indeed three days before he had time to pay another visit. + +"It is too bad of you, not coming to dinner," Myra said as he entered. +"We really did expect you." + +"I hoped that I should be able to get here in time, but ever since I saw +you I have been going backwards and forwards between the ships and the +shore, calling at the dockyard and prize court. To-day there has been a +regular survey of the Spartane. They were so long over it that I began +to think I should not be able to get away at all." + +"You will be becoming quite a millionaire," Monsieur Duchesne said, "if +you go on like this." + +"Well, you see, we were lucky--I beg your pardon, Myra--I mean we were +fortunate. We had a very small crew on board the _Arrow_, and as it was +an independent command, the whole of the prize-money for the capture of +the _Agile_ and her prize was divided among us, with the exception of +the flag share; and I found, to my surprise, that my share came to +£2500. Without knowing anything of the cargoes of the prizes that I +have recaptured now, and what will be paid for the _Spartane_, I should +think that my share would come to twice as much this time, so that I +shall be able before long to retire into private life--that is, if I +have any inclination to do so." + +"But I suppose," Madame Duchesne said, "that if you marry you will want +to settle down." + +"I am too young to think of such a matter, madame," Nat laughed. "Why, I +am only just nineteen, and it will be quite soon enough to think of that +in another eight or ten years. But there is no doubt that when the time +comes I shall give up the sea. I don't think it is fair to a wife to +leave her at home while you are running the risk of being shot. It is +bad enough for her in time of peace, but in war-time it must be terrible +for her, and it strikes me that this war is likely to be a long one. It +seems to me that it is a question for a man to ask himself, whether he +loves his profession or a woman better. If he cares more for the sea, he +should remain single; if he thinks more of the woman, let him settle +down with her." + +"That sounds very wise," Monsieur Duchesne said with a smile, "but when +the time comes for the choice I fancy that most men do not accept either +alternative, but marry and still go to sea." + +"That is all right when they have only their profession to depend upon," +Nat said. "Then, if a woman, with her eyes open to the fact that he must +be away from her for months, is ready to take a man for better or for +worse, I suppose the temptation is too strong to be withstood. Happily +it won't be put in my way, for even if I never take another ship I shall +have enough to live on quietly ashore." + +"Now, you must tell us the story of the fight," Myra said. + +"The story is told in twenty words," he replied. "She did not suspect +that we were an enemy until we had passed her, and our broadside told +her what we were. As the _Agile_ is faster and much more handy than the +frigate, we managed to keep astern of her, and, sailing backwards and +forwards, poured our broadsides in her stern, while she could scarce get +a gun to bear on us. We managed to cripple her rudder, and after this +the fight was virtually over. However, she kept her flag flying till we +shot away her mizzen, after which, seeing that she was at our mercy, and +that her captain, two lieutenants, and more than half her crew were +killed or wounded, she lowered her colours. Now, really that is the +whole account of the fight. If I were telling a sailor, who would +understand the nautical terms, I could explain the matter more clearly, +but if I were to talk for an hour you would understand no more about it +than you do now." + +An hour later, Nat went out with Monsieur Duchesne to smoke a cigar on +the verandah, Myra remaining indoors with her mother, who was afraid of +sitting out in the cool evening breeze. + +"Going back to our conversation about marriage, Nat," Monsieur Duchesne +said, "it is a question which my wife and I feel some little interest +in. You see, it is now more than three years since you saved Myra's +life, after which you rendered her and my wife inestimable service. Now, +I know that in your country marriages are for the most part arranged +between the young people themselves. With us such an arrangement would +be considered indecent. If your father and mother were out here, the +usual course would be for your mother to approach my wife and talk the +matter over with her. My wife would consult with me, and finally, when +we old people had quite come to an understanding, your father would +speak to you on the subject. All this is impossible here. Now, it seems +to my wife and myself that, having rendered such inestimable services to +us, and having been thrown with my daughter a good deal--who, I may +say, without any undue vanity, is a very attractive young lady--you +could scarcely be indifferent to her. + +"As you said, according to your British notions you are too young to +think of marrying; and, at any rate, my wife has sounded Myra, and the +girl has assured her that you have never said a word to her that would +lead her to believe you entertained other than what I may call a +brotherly affection for her. Now, I can tell you frankly, that one of +our reasons for remaining here for the past six months has been that we +desired that the matter should be arranged one way or the other. It has +struck us that it was not your youth only that prevented you from coming +to me and asking for Myra's hand, but a foolish idea that she is, as is +undoubtedly the case, a very rich heiress. Before I go farther, may I +ask if that is the case, and if you really entertain such an affection +for my daughter as would, putting aside all question of money and of +your youth, lead you to ask her hand?" + +"That I can answer at once, sir. Ever since I first met her, and +especially since I saw how bravely she supported that terrible time when +she might fall into the hands of the blacks, I have thought of your +daughter as the most charming girl that I have ever met. Of course, I +was but a lad and she a young girl--no thought of marriage at that time +even entered my mind. During the past three years that feeling has +grown, until I have found that my happiness depends entirely upon her. I +felt, monsieur, that my lips were sealed, not only by the fact that she +was an heiress and I only a penniless lieutenant, but because it would +be most unfair and ungenerous were I, on the strength of any services I +may have rendered, to ask you for her hand." + +"It is not on account of those services, much as we recognize them, that +I offer you her hand, but because both her mother and herself feel that +her happiness, which is the great object of our lives, is involved in +the matter. In most cases, a young lady well brought up does not give +her heart until her father presents to her an eligible suitor. This is +an exceptional case. I do think that any girl whose life had been saved, +as hers was, at the risk of that of her rescuer, and who, during a most +terrible time, came to look up to him as the protector of herself and +her mother, and who, moreover, was constantly hearing of his daring +actions, and to whom her dearest friends also owed their lives, could +not but make him her hero. I need not say that the subject has not been +mooted to her, and it was because I desired the matter to be settled +before we left for Europe that we have lingered here. I am glad indeed +that I now know your feeling in the matter. I am conscious that in +giving her to you we are securing her happiness. I have, of course, ever +since the day when you saved her from that dog, watched your character +very closely, and the result has been in all respects satisfactory. Now, +I will go in and tell her that I will take her place by her mother's +side, and that she may as well come out here and keep you company." + +In a minute Myra stepped out on to the verandah. + +"It is cool and nice here, Nat. I think it would do mother more good out +here than keeping in the house, where in the first place it is hot, +while in the second place it gives me the horrors to see the way the +moths and things fly into the lights and burn themselves to death." + +"No doubt it is pleasanter here," Nat said, wondering how he ought to +begin. + +"That was very soberly said, Nat," Myra laughed. "One would think that +it was a proposition that required a good deal of consideration." + +"It was a proposition that received no consideration. In point of fact, +just at present, dear, my head is a little turned with a conversation +that I have just had with your father." + +"What do you mean?" she asked. + +"I mean that I see before me a great and unlooked-for happiness, a +happiness that I had hardly ventured even to hope for, but at present it +is incomplete; it is for you to crown it if you can do so. Your father +has given his consent to my telling you that I love you. I do love you +truly and earnestly, Myra, but I should not be content with anything +less than your love. I don't want it to be gratitude. I don't want any +thought of that business with the dog, or of the other business with the +blacks, to have anything to do with it." + +"They must have something to do with it," she said softly, "for it was +owing to these that I first began to love you. It was at first, no +doubt, a girl's love for one who had done so much for her, but since +then it has become a woman's love for the one man that she should choose +out of all. I love you, Nat, I love you with all my heart." + +Ten minutes later they went hand in hand into the house. Monsieur +Duchesne had told his wife what had occurred in the verandah, and as +they came in she rose and threw her arms round Myra's neck and kissed +her tenderly. + +"You have chosen wisely, my child, and have made us both very happy. We +can give her to you, Monsieur Glover, without one misgiving; we know +that in your hands her life will be a happy one. And now," she went on +with a smile, "you will have to face that terrible problem you were +discussing an hour since. You will have to choose between a wife and the +sea." + +"The problem may be settled at once, madame," Nat said with a smile. + +"At any rate, there is no occasion to choose at present," Madame +Duchesne went on. "Myra is but just past sixteen, and her father and I +both think that it is as well that you should wait at least a couple of +years before there is any talk of marriage, both for her sake and yours. +After your brilliant services, especially in capturing the frigate, you +are sure of rapid promotion, and it would be a pity indeed for you to +give up your profession until you have obtained the rank of captain, +when you could honourably retire. We shall leave for England very +shortly, France is out of the question. As you said, you and my daughter +are both young, and can well afford to wait." + +"That is so, madame, we quite acquiesce in your decision. As to your +going to England, it is likely that I may be going there myself very +shortly. The admiral hinted to-day that, as the dockyard people say that +the _Spartane_ can be ready for sea in ten days or so, he will probably +send me home in her. He very kindly kept back my report of the action, +and merely stated that the French frigate _Spartane_ had been brought in +in tow by his majesty's brigantine _Agile_, together with two +merchantmen she had captured on her way out, which had also been retaken +by the _Agile_, and said that he thought it was only fair that I should +carry back my own report and his full despatch on the subject. Of course +I may be sent out again, or I may be employed on other service. At any +rate I shall be able to get a short leave before I go to sea again. I +have been out here now six years, and feel entitled to a little rest. I +would certainly rather be employed in the Mediterranean than here, for +there is more chance of seeing real service." + +The next day Nat received an order from the admiral to hand over the +command of the _Agile_ to Lieutenant Turnbull. Lippincott, who would +pass his examination and receive his step, was to act as first +lieutenant, and a midshipman from one of the ships on the station was to +be second officer. Nat himself was ordered to superintend the repairs +and fitting out for sea of the _Spartane._ + +"I am awfully sorry that you are going, Glover," Turnbull said. "Of +course it is a great pull for me being appointed to the command, but I +was very jolly and happy as I was. I don't think there ever was a +pleasanter party on board one of his majesty's ships. However, of course +it is a great lift for me. I shall try to keep things going as +comfortably as you did." + +"I have no doubt that you will do that, Turnbull, and you have an able +ally in Doyle." + +"Doyle was inconsolable when I came on board yesterday and told him that +you were going home in the _Spartane_, and that I was to have the +command." + +"It is the worst news that I have heard for many a day," Doyle had said. +"You are very well, Turnbull, and I have no sort of complaint to make of +you, but I am afraid that the luck will go with Glover. It is his luck +and not the ship's; whatever he has put his hand to has turned out well. +I don't say that he has not done his work as well as it could be done, +but there is no doubt that luck is everything. If one of the _Agile's_ +guns had knocked away a mast or spar from the _Arrow_ it would have been +all up with you; and again, had a shot from the frigate crippled us, she +would have been after taking the _Agile_ into a French port instead of +our bringing her in here." + +"Yes, but then you see that upon both occasions Glover put his craft +where it was difficult to get their guns to bear on her." + +"Yes, yes, I know that; but that does not alter it a bit. If there had +been only one shot fired, and had we been an unlucky boat, it would, +sure enough, have brought one of the spars about our ears." + +"Well, Doyle, it may be that it was my luck, and not Glover's, that +pulled us through. You see, I should have been shot or had my throat cut +by the pirates if we had been taken by them, so possibly I am the good +genius of the boat; or it may be Lippincott." + +"Botheration to you!" the Irishman said, as he saw by a twinkle in +Turnbull's eye that he was really chaffing him; "there is one thing +certain, if you get wounded and fall into my hands, you will not regard +that as a matter of luck." + +"Well, at any rate, doctor, Glover told me half an hour ago of a piece +of luck in which none of us here can share. He is engaged to that very +pretty French girl whom he is always calling on when we are in port." + +"I thought that was what would come of it, Turnbull," Lippincott said; +"it would be rum if she hadn't fallen in love with him after all that he +did for her." + +"I was greatly taken with her myself," the doctor said, "the first time +she came on board, but I saw with half an eye that the race was lost +before I had time to enter. Besides, I could not afford to marry without +money, and one of these poor devils of planters, who have had to run +away from Hayti with, for the most part, just the clothes they stood up +in, would hardly make the father-in-law yours faithfully would desire. I +wonder myself how they manage to keep up such a fine establishment here, +but I suppose they had a little put away in an old stocking, and are +just running through it. They are shiftless people, are these planters, +and, having been always used to luxuries, don't know the value of +money." + +Turnbull burst into a fit of laughter in which Lippincott joined, for in +the early days of the cruise on the _Arrow_ they had heard from Nat how +his friends had for generations laid by a portion of their revenues, and +allowed the interest to accumulate, so that, now that the time had come +for utilizing the reserve, they were really much richer people than +they had been when living on their fine plantation. Doyle looked +astonished at their laughter. + +"My dear Doyle," Turnbull went on, "it is too comical to hear you +talking of a shiftless planter--you, belonging as you do to the most +happy-go-lucky race on the face of the earth. Now, I will ask you, did +you ever hear of a family of Irish squires who for generations put aside +a tenth part of their income, and allowed the interest to accumulate +without touching it, so that, when bad times came, they found that they +were twice as well off as they were before?" + +"Begorra, you are right, Turnbull; never did I hear of such a thing, and +I don't believe it ever happened since the first Irish crossed the seas +from somewhere in the east." + +"Well, at any rate, Doyle, that is what the Duchesnes have done, and I +should think, from what Glover says--though he did not mention any +precise sum, for he did not know himself--but I should say that it must +come to at least a hundred thousand pounds." + +"Mother of Moses!" the doctor exclaimed; "it is a mighty bad turn you +have done me, Turnbull, that you never gave me as much as a hint of this +before. I should have been sorry for Glover, who is in all ways a good +fellow; still I should have deemed it my duty to my family, who once--as +you know, is the case of almost every other family in the ould +country--were Kings of Ireland. I should have restored the ancient +grandeur of my family, built a grand castle, and kept open house to all +comers--and to think that I never knew it!" + +"Then you think, doctor," Lippincott said, with a laugh, "that you only +had to enter the lists to cut Glover out?" + +"I don't go quite so far as that; but, of course, now the thing is +settled for good, it would be of no use trying to disturb it, and it +would hardly be fair on Glover. But, you see, as long as it was an open +matter, I might have well tried my luck. I should have had great +advantages. You see, I am a grown man, whereas Glover is still but a +lad. Then, though I say it myself, I could talk his head off, and am as +good as those who have kissed the Blarney stone at bewildering the dear +creatures." + +"Those are great advantages, no doubt, Doyle; but, you see, Glover had +one advantage which, I have no doubt, counted with the lady more than +all those you have enumerated. He had saved her life at the risk of his +own, he had carried her, and her mother, through terrible dangers." + +"Yes, yes, there is something in that," Doyle said, shaking his head; +"if the poor young fellow is satisfied with gratitude I have nothing +more to say. At any rate, I have lost my chance. Now, perhaps, as you +know all about this, you might put me up to some other lady in similar +circumstances, but with a heart free to bestow upon a deserving man." + +"I should not be justified in doing so, Doyle. After what you have been +saying about building a baronial castle, and keeping open house, it is +clear that you would soon bring a fortune to an end, however great it +might be; and, therefore, I should not feel justified in aiding you in +any way in your matrimonial adventures." + +"It's a poor heart that never rejoices," the doctor said. "The tumblers +are empty. Sam, you rascal, bring us another bottle of that old Jamaica, +fresh limes, and cold water. It is one of the drawbacks of this bastely +climate that there is no pleasure in taking your punch hot." + +One of the negroes brought in the materials. + +"Now, doctor," Turnbull said, "I know that in spite of this terrible +disappointment you will drink heartily the toast, 'Nat Glover and +Mademoiselle Duchesne, and may they live long and happily together!'" + +"That is good," Doyle said as he emptied his tumbler at a draught; +"nothing short of a bumper would do justice to it. Hand me the bottle +again, Lippincott, and cut me a couple of slices off that lime. Yes, I +will take two pieces of sugar, please, Turnbull. Now I am going to +propose a toast, 'The new commander of the _Agile_, and may she, in his +hands, do as well as she did in those of Nat Glover.'" + +Three days later the _Agile_ started on another cruise. Nat spent his +time in the dockyard, where he was so well known to all the officials +that they did everything in their power to aid him to push matters +forward, and a week after the brigantine had left the _Spartane_ was +ready for sea. Nat had seen the admiral several times, but had heard +nothing from him as to who were the officers who were to take the +_Spartane_ home, nor whether he was to sail as a passenger bearing +despatches or as one of the officers. When he went on board the +flag-ship to report that all was ready for sea, the admiral said: + +"Mr. Winton, first lieutenant of the _Onyx_, is invalided home. He is a +good officer, but the climate has never agreed with him, and, as his +father has lately died and he has come into some property, he will, I +have no doubt, go on half-pay for a time until he is thoroughly set up +again. I shall therefore appoint him as first lieutenant of the +_Spartane_; Mr. Plumber, second lieutenant of the _Tiger_, will go +second. + +"I have decided, Mr. Glover, to give you the rank of acting commander. +You captured the ship, and it is fair that you should take her to +England. Mind, I think it probable enough that the authorities at home +may not be willing to confirm your rank, as it is but little over two +years since you obtained your present grade. I feel that I am incurring +a certain responsibility in giving you the command of a thirty-six-gun +frigate, but you have had opportunities of showing that you are a +thorough seaman, and can fight as well as sail your ship." + +"I am immensely obliged, sir," Nat said hesitatingly, "but I have never +for a moment thought of this, and it does seem a tremendous +responsibility. Besides, I shall be over two officers both many years +senior to myself." + +"I have spoken to both of them," the admiral said, "and pointed out to +them that, after you had captured the frigate with the little brigantine +you commanded, I considered it almost your right to take her home. I put +it frankly to them that, if they had any objection to serving under one +so much their junior, I should by no means press the point, but that at +the same time I should naturally prefer having two experienced officers +with you instead of officering her entirely with young lieutenants +junior to yourself. I am glad to say that both of them agreed heartily, +and admitted the very great claim that you have to the command. Mr. +Winton is anxious to get home, and knows that he might have to wait some +time before a ship of war was going. Mr. Plumber is equally anxious for +a short run home, for, as he frankly stated to me, he has for three +years past been engaged to be married, and he has some ground for hope +that he may get appointed to a ship on the home station. So as these +gentlemen are perfectly willing to serve under you there need be no +difficulty on your part in the matter. We will therefore consider it as +settled. + +"I have made out your appointment as acting commander. I sincerely hope +that you will be confirmed in the rank. At any rate, it will count for +you a good deal that you should have acted in that capacity. Here are +your instructions. You will be short-handed; I cannot spare enough men +from the ships on this station to make up a full complement. A hundred +and fifty are all that I can possibly let you have, but I have told the +masters of these two Indiamen that they will have to furnish a +contingent. I have been on board both the ships to-day. I addressed the +crews, and said that you were going to take home the _Spartane_ and +were short of hands. I said that I did not wish to press any men against +their will, but that I hoped that five-and-twenty from each ship would +come forward voluntarily; that number had aided to bring the _Spartane_ +in here; they knew you, and might be sure that the ship would be a +comfortable one; and I told them that I would give them passes, saying +that they had voluntarily shipped for the voyage home on my guaranteeing +that they should, if they chose, be discharged from the service on their +arrival. More than the number required volunteered at once, but I asked +the captain to pick out for me the men who had before been on board the +_Spartane_, and of whose conduct you had spoken highly. Three +merchantmen will sail under your convoy." + +Nat went ashore after leaving the admiral, and naturally went straight +to the Duchesnes. + +"Who do you suppose is going to command the _Spartane_?" he asked as he +went in. + +"I know who ought to command her. You took her, and you ought to command +her." + +"Well, it seems absurd, but that is just what I am going to do." + +Myra clapped her hands in delight. + +"Have they made you a real captain, then?" + +"No," he said with a laugh, "I shall be acting commander. That gives one +the honorary rank of captain, but it may be a long time before I get +appointed to that rank. The admiral has been awfully kind, but the +people at home are not likely to regard my age and appearance as in any +way suitable for such a position." + +"I am happy to say, Nat, that we shall sail under your convoy. I have +been settling all my affairs and making my arrangements for leaving, and +have this morning definitely taken cabins in the _Myrtle_. As the +furniture is not ours, and we have not accumulated many belongings, +knowing that we might be sailing at any moment, we can get everything +packed by to-night and go on board to-morrow morning. The captain could +not tell me at what hour we should sail. He said that it would depend +upon the frigate." + +"I should like to start at eight if I could, but I cannot say whether +everything will be quite ready. However, you had better be on board at +that hour. It will be jolly indeed having you all so close to me." + +"Shall we be able to see each other sometimes?" Myra asked. + +"Many times, I hope; but of course it must depend partly on the weather. +If we are becalmed at any time you might come on board and spend a whole +day, but if we are bowling along rapidly it would scarcely be the thing +to stop two ships in order that the passengers might go visiting." + +It was twelve o'clock on the following day when the _Spartane_ fired a +gun, and at the signal the anchors, which had all been hove short, were +run up, the sails shaken out, and the _Spartane_ and the three vessels +under her charge started on their voyage. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +HOME + + +The voyage home was a pleasant but not an exciting one. No suspicious +sails were sighted until they neared the mouth of the Channel. Then two +or three craft, which bore the appearance of French privateers, had at +different times approached them, but only to draw off as soon as they +made out the line of ports of the _Spartane_. There had been sufficient +days of calm and light winds to enable the Duchesnes to frequently spend +a few hours on board the frigate. Nat had felt a little uncomfortable at +first, but it was not long before he became accustomed to the position. +Of course he could not be on the same familiar terms with his officers +as he had been on board the _Agile_, but he insisted upon the first and +second lieutenants dining with him regularly. + +"It will really be kind of you if you will," he said, "for I shall feel +like a fish out of water sitting here in solitary state." And as he had +drawn something on account of his prize-money and kept an excellent +table, the two officers willingly agreed to the suggestion. + +"I have always thought, Mr. Winton," he said, "that there is a good deal +more stiffness than is at all necessary or even desirable on board a +ship of war. It is not so in the army. I dined several times at +regimental messes at Kingston, and although the colonel was, of course, +treated with a certain respect, the conversation was as general and as +unrestrained as if all had been private gentlemen; yet, of course, on +the parade ground, the colonel was as supreme as a captain on his +quarter-deck. At sea, the captain really never gets to know anything +about his officers, except with regard to their duties on board a ship, +and I don't think it is good, either for him or the officers in general, +that he should be cut off from them as much as if he were an emperor of +China." + +"I agree with you so far," Mr. Winton said. "I do think the reins of +discipline are held too tautly, and that where the captain is a really +good fellow, life on board might be much more pleasant than it now is; +but with a bad-tempered, overbearing sort of man your suggestion would +act just the other way." + +"Well, we could easily put a stop to that," Nat said, "if the admiralty +would refuse to appoint bad-tempered and overbearing men to any +command." + +The other laughed. "That would help us out of the difficulty, certainly; +but I think that any change had better be deferred until they perceive, +as every junior officer in the service perceives, that such men are a +curse to themselves and everyone else, that they are hated by the whole +crew, from the ship's boys to the first lieutenant, and that a ship with +a contented and cheerful crew can be trusted at all times to do her duty +against any odds." + +Sailing south of the Isle of Wight, the _Spartane_ came in through the +Nab Channel. There she left her convoy, who anchored on the Mother Bank, +while she sailed into Portsmouth harbour, with the white ensign flying +over the tricolour. As she entered she was greeted with loud cheers by +the crews of the ships of war. As soon as she had picked up moorings Nat +landed at the dockyard, and, proceeding to the admiral's, reported +himself there. + +"The admiral is away inspecting the forts in the Needles passage," a +young officer said. "Captain Painton might be able to give you any +information that you require." + +"I only want formally to report myself before taking post-chaise to +London." + +"Perhaps you had better see him," the other said, a little puzzled as to +who this young officer could be who was in charge of despatches. + +"I think I had." + +"What name shall I say?" + +"Glover." + +The flag-captain was a short, square-built man, with keen eyes, and a +not unpleasant expression, but bluff and hasty in manner. + +"Now, Mr. Glover, what can I do for you?" he asked shortly. + +"Well, sir, I hardly know the course of procedure, but as I want to +start with despatches for London in a quarter of an hour I shall be glad +to be able to hand over the ship I command, or, if it cannot be taken +over in that summary way, to know whether my first officer is to retain +charge of her until I can return from town." + +"And what is the vessel that you have the honour to command, sir?" +Captain Painton said with a slight smile. + +"The _Spartane_ frigate, a prize mounting thirty-six guns, that entered +the harbour a quarter of an hour ago." + +The captain had an idea that this was an ill-timed joke on the part of +the young lieutenant. + +"Do you wish me to understand, sir," he said sternly, "that you are in +command of that prize?" + +"That certainly, sir, is what I wish you to understand. I have brought +her home from Jamaica, and have the honour to hold the appointment of +acting commander. There, you see, are the official despatches of which I +am the bearer, addressed to the Admiralty, and with the words 'In charge +of Acting Commander Glover.'" + +"And your officers, sir?" suppressing with difficulty an explosion of +wrath at what he considered a fresh sign that the service was going to +the dogs. + +"The first officer is Lieutenant Winton, the second Lieutenant Plumber." + +"Very well, sir, I will go off myself at once. I will detain you no +longer." + +Nat at once hurried off, while Captain Painton went into the office of +another of the officials of the dockyard. + +"The service is going to the dogs," he said. "Here is a young +lieutenant, who from his appearance can't have passed more than a year, +pitchforked over the head of heaven knows how many seniors, and placed +as acting commander of a thirtysix-gun frigate, French prize, sir. Just +look up the records of the lieutenants under him." + +"One is a lieutenant of fifteen years' service, the other of twelve." + +"It is monstrous, scandalous. This sort of thing is destructive of all +discipline, and proves that everything is to go by favouritism. Just at +the outbreak of the war it is enough to throw cold water on the spirits +of all who are hoping to distinguish themselves." + +Ignorant of the storm that had been excited in the mind of the +flag-captain, Nat was already on his way, having as soon as he landed +sent his coxswain to order a post-chaise to be got ready for starting in +a quarter of an hour. It was eight o'clock when he dropped anchor, by +nine he was on the road, and by handsomely tipping the post-boys he drew +up at the Admiralty at half-past four. + +"What name shall I say, sir?" the doorkeeper asked. + +"Acting Commander Glover, with despatches from Jamaica." + +The admiral looked up with amazement as Nat was announced. The latter +had not mounted the second epaulette to which as commander he was +entitled, and the admiral on his first glance thought that the attendant +must have made a mistake. + +"Did I understand, sir, that you are a commander?" + +"An acting one only, sir. I have come home in command of the _Spartane_, +a prize mounting thirty-six guns. The admiral was good enough to appoint +me to the acting rank in order that I might bring her home with +despatches, and the report respecting her capture by the brigantine +_Agile_, of ten guns, which I had the honour to command." + +"Yes, I saw a very brief notice of her capture in the _Gazette_ ten days +ago, but no particulars were given. I suppose the mail was just coming +out when she arrived." + +"That was partly the reason, no doubt, sir; but I think the admiral +could have written more, had he not in his kindness of heart left it to +me to hand in a full report. I may say that I had the good fortune to +recapture two valuable West Indiamen that the _Spartane_ had picked up +on her way out." + +The admiral rose from the table and took down a thick volume from the +book-case. At the back were the words, "Records of Service." It was +partly printed, a wide space being left under each name for further +records to be written in. + +"Glover, Nathaniel. Is that your Christian name, Captain Glover?" + +Nat bowed. + +"An exceptionally good record. 'Distinguished himself greatly in the +attack by the frigate _Orpheus_ on three piratical craft protected by +strong batteries. Passed as lieutenant shortly afterwards. Appointed to +the command of the schooner _Arrow_, four guns, charged to rescue white +inhabitants off Hayti, and if possible to enter into communications with +negro leaders and learn their views. In the course of the performance of +this duty he landed with all his crew of twenty men, took off a French +planter and family and eight other whites in the hands of a force +estimated at three hundred and fifty blacks, and fought his way on board +his ship again. Later on engaged a pirate brigantine, the _Agile_, of +ten guns, which had just captured a Spanish merchantman. After a sharp +fight, took possession of the prize, and with the aid of her crew +capture the _Agile_.' And now with the _Agile_ you have taken the +_Spartane_, a thirty-six gun frigate, to say nothing of recapturing two +valuable West Indiamen, prizes of hers. And I suppose, Commander Glover, +if we confirm you in your rank and command, you will go forth and appear +next time with a French three-decker in tow. From a tiny schooner to a +frigate is a greater distance than from a frigate to a line-of-battle +ship." + +"Yes, sir," Nat said with a smile; "but the advantage of quick +manoeuvring that one gets in a small craft, and which gives one a +chance against a larger adversary, becomes lost when it is a frigate +against a line-of-battle ship. The _Spartane_ is fairly handy, but she +could not hope to gain much advantage that way over a bigger vessel." + +"I wonder the admiral had men enough to spare to send her home." + +"He could hardly have done so, sir, but fifty of the merchant sailors +belonging to the recaptured prizes volunteered for the voyage, and were +furnished by the admiral with discharges on arrival at Portsmouth." + +"A very good plan, for it is hard work to get men now that we are +fitting out every ship at all the naval ports. Now, Commander Glover, I +will detain you no longer. I shall carefully read through these +despatches this evening, and shall discuss them with my colleagues +to-morrow. I shall be glad if you will dine with me to-morrow evening at +half-past six; here is my card and address." + +"I beg your pardon, sir, but I am altogether ignorant of such +matters--should I come in uniform or plain clothes?" + +"Whichever would suit you best," the admiral replied with a smile. "As +you have only just arrived to-day from the West Indies, and doubtless +have had little time for preparations before you sailed, it is more than +likely that you may not have had time to provide yourself with a +full-dress uniform." + +"I have not, sir; and indeed, had I had time I should not have thought +of buying one of my acting rank, which would naturally terminate as soon +as the object for which it was granted was attained." + +"Very well, then, come in plain dress. I may tell you for your +information, that when invited by an admiral to his official residence +you would be expected to appear in uniform, but when asked to dine at +his private residence it would not be considered as a naval function, +and although I do not at all say that it would be wrong to appear in +uniform, there would be no necessity for doing so." + +As everyone dressed for dinner in the West Indies for the sake of +coolness and comfort, Nat was well provided in this way. After his +dinner at the Golden Cross he went to a playhouse. He had posted a +letter to his father, which was written before he landed, directly he +reached town, saying that he was home; that of course he could not say +how long it would be before he would be able to leave his ship, but as +soon as he did so he would run down into Somersetshire and stay there +until he received orders either to join another vessel or to return to +the West Indies. The next afternoon the papers came out with the +official news, and news-boys were shouting themselves hoarse: + +"Capture of a French frigate by a ten-gun British brig! Thirty-six guns +against ten! Three hundred and fifty Frenchmen against fifty Englishmen! +Nearly half the monsieurs killed or wounded, the rest taken prisoners! +Glorious victory!" And Nat was greatly amused as he looked out of the +window of the hotel at the eager hustling that was going on to obtain +one of the broadsheets. + +"It sounds a big thing," he said to himself, "but there was nothing in +it, and the whole thing was over in less time than it takes to talk +about it. Well, I hope I shall either get off to Portsmouth again +to-morrow or go down to the dear old pater. I wish this dinner was over. +No doubt there will be some more of these old admirals there, and they +will be wanting to learn all the ins and outs, just as if twenty words +would not tell them how it was we thrashed them so easily. They know +well enough that if you have a quick handy craft, and get her under the +weather quarter of a slow-moving frigate the latter hasn't a shadow of a +chance." + +Although not an official dinner, all the twelve gentlemen who sat down +were, with the exception of Nat, connected with the admiralty. The first +lord and several other admirals were there, the others were heads of +departments and post-captains. + +"Before we begin dinner," the first lord said, "I have pleasure in +handing this to you, Commander Glover. There is but one opinion among my +colleagues and myself, which is that as you have captured the _Spartane_ +and have come home as her commander, we cannot do less than confirm you +in that rank and leave her in your charge. You are certainly unusually +young for such promotion, but your career has been for the past four +years so exceptional that we seem to have scarcely any option in the +matter. Such promotion is not only a reward you have gallantly won, but +that you should receive it will, we feel, animate other young officers +to wholesome emulation that will be advantageous both to themselves and +to the service in general." + +Nat could scarcely credit his ears. That he might be appointed second +lieutenant of the _Spartane_ or some other ship of war was, he thought, +probable; but the acme of his hopes was that a first lieutenancy in a +smart sloop might possibly be offered to him. His two officers on the +way home had talked the matter over with him, and they had been a little +amused at seeing that he never appeared to think it within the bounds of +possibility that his rank would be confirmed, although, as the admiral +before sailing told them, he had most strongly recommended that this +should be done, and he thought it certain that the authorities at home +would see the matter in the same light. He had asked them not to give +the slightest hint to Nat that such promotion might be awarded to him. +"You never can tell," the admiral said, "what the Admiralty will do, but +here is a chance that they don't often get of making a really popular +promotion, without a suspicion of favouritism being entertained. Beyond +the fact that he has been mentioned in despatches, I doubt if anyone at +Whitehall as much as knows the young fellow's name, and the service +generally will see that for once merit has been recognized on the part +of one who, so far as patronage goes, is friendless." + +Nat returned to Portsmouth the following morning, and spent some hours +in signing papers and going through other formalities. + +"The _Spartane_ will be paid off to-morrow, Captain Glover," the port +admiral said; "she will be recommissioned immediately. I hope you will +be able to get some of the men to re-enter, for there is a good deal of +difficulty about crews. So great a number of ships have been fitted out +during the past four or five months that we have pretty well exhausted +the seafaring population here, and even the press-gangs fail to bring +many in." + +Going on board, Nat sent for the boatswain and gunners, and informed +them that as he was to recommission the _Spartane_ he was anxious to get +as many of the hands to reship as possible. + +"I have no doubt that some of them will join, sir," the quarter-master +said. "I heard them talking among themselves, and saying that she has +been as pleasant a ship as they had ever sailed in, and if you was to +hoist your pennant a good many of them would sign on." + +"I would not mind giving a couple of pounds a head." + +"I don't think that it would be of any use, sir. If the men will join +they will join, if they won't they won't. Besides, they have all got +some pay, and most of them some prize-money coming to them, and it +would be only so much more to chuck away if they had it. And another +thing, sir, I think when men like an officer they like to show him that +it is so, and they would rather reship without any bounty, to show that +they liked him, than have it supposed that it was for the sake of the +money." + +After the men had been paid off the next morning, he told them in a +short speech that he had been appointed to recommission the _Spartane_, +and said that he would be glad to have a good many of them with him +again. He was much gratified when fully two-thirds of the men, including +the greater part of the merchantmen, stepped forward and entered their +names. + +"That speaks well indeed for our young commander," the port admiral, who +had been present, said to his flag-captain. "It is seldom indeed that +you find anything like so large a proportion of men ready to reship at +once. It proves that they have confidence in his skill as well as in his +courage, and that they feel that the ship will be a comfortable one." + +It was expected that the _Spartane_ would be at least a month in the +hands of the shipwrights, and the men on signing were given leave of +absence for that time. As soon as all this was arranged, Nat took a +post-chaise and drove to Southampton. There he found the Duchesnes at an +hotel. Their ship had gone into the port two days previously, but all +their belongings were not yet out of the hold, and indeed it had been +arranged that they would not go up to town till they saw him. They were +delighted to hear that his appointment had been confirmed, and that he +was to have the command of the _Spartane_. + +"Now, I suppose you will be running down to see your people at once?" +Myra said with a little pout. + +"I think that is only fair," he said, "considering that I have not seen +them for six years. I don't think that even you could grudge me a few +days." + +"Yeovil is a large place, isn't it?" she asked. + +"Yes; why do you ask?" + +She looked at her mother, who smiled. + +"The fact is, Nat, Myra has been endeavouring to persuade her father and +me that it would be a nice plan for us to go down there with you and to +form the acquaintance of your parents. Of course we should stay at an +hotel. We are in no particular hurry to go up to London; and as while +you are away we shall naturally wish to see as much as we can of your +people, this would make a very good beginning. And perhaps some of them +will come back to London with us when you join your ship." + +"I think it would be a first-rate plan, madame, the best thing possible. +Of course I want my father and mother and the girls to see Myra." + +"When will you start?" + +"To-morrow morning. Of course we shall go by post. It will be a very +cross-country journey by coach, and many of these country roads are +desperately bad. It is only about the same distance that it is to +London, but the roads are not so good, so I propose that we make a short +journey to-morrow to Salisbury, and then, starting early, go through to +Yeovil. We shall be there in good time in the afternoon. I shall only be +taking a very small amount of kit, so that we ought to be able to stow +three large trunks, which will, I suppose, be enough for you. Of course +we could send some on by a waggon, but there is no saying when they +would get there, and as likely as not they would not arrive until just +as we are leaving there; of course Dinah will go on the box." + +At four o'clock, two days later, the post-chaise drove up to the +principal hotel at Yeovil. Rooms were at once obtained for the +Duchesnes, and Nat hired a light trap to drive him out to his father's +rectory, some three miles out of the town. As he drove up to the house, +three girls, from sixteen to two-and three-and-twenty, ran out, followed +a moment later by his father and mother. For a few minutes there was but +little coherent talk. His sisters could scarcely believe that this tall +young officer was the lad they had last seen, and even his father and +mother agreed that they would scarce have recognized him. + +"I don't think the girls quite recognize me now," he laughed. "They +kissed me in a very feeble sort of way, as if they were not at all sure +that it was quite right. Indeed, I was not quite sure myself that it was +the proper thing for me to salute three strange young ladies." + +"What nonsense you talk, Nat," his eldest sister Mary said. "I thought +by this time, now you are a lieutenant, you would have become quite +stiff, and would expect a good deal of deference to be paid to you." + +"I can't say that you have been a good correspondent, Nat," his mother +said. "You wrote very seldom, and then said very little of what you had +been doing." + +"Well, mother, there are not many post-offices in Hayti, and I should +not have cared to trust any letters to them if there had been. There is +the advantage, you see, that there is much more to tell you now than if +I had written to you before. You don't get papers very regularly here, I +think?" + +"No, we seldom see a London paper, and the Bath papers don't tell much +about anything except the fashionable doings there." + +"Then I have several pieces of news to tell you. Here is a _Gazette_, in +which you will see that a certain Nathaniel Glover brought into +Portsmouth last week a French thirty-six-gun frigate which he had +captured, and in another part of the _Gazette_ you will observe that the +same officer has been confirmed in the acting rank of commander, and +has been appointed to the _Spartane_, which is to be recommissioned at +once. Therefore you see, sisters, you will in future address me as +captain." + +There was a general exclamation of surprise and delight. + +"That is what it was," the rector said, "that Dr. Miles was talking to +me about yesterday in Yeovil. He said that the London papers were full +of the news that a French frigate had been captured by a little ten-gun +brigantine, and had been brought home by the officer who had taken her, +who was, he said, of the same name as mine. He said that it was +considered an extraordinarily gallant action." + +"We shall be as proud as peacocks," Lucy, the youngest girl, said. + +"Now as to my news," he went on. "Doubtless that was important, but not +so important as that which I am now going to tell you. At the present +moment there is at Yeovil a gentleman and lady, together with their +daughter, the said daughter being, at the end of a reasonable time, +about to become my wife, and your sister, girls." + +The news was received with speechless surprise. + +"Really, Nat?" his mother said in a tone of doubt; "do you actually mean +that you have become engaged to a young lady who is now at Yeovil?" + +"That is the case, mother," he said cheerfully. "There is nothing very +surprising that a young lady should fall in love with me, is there? and +I think the announcement will look well in the papers--on such and such +a date, Myra, daughter of Monsieur Duchesne, late of the island of +Hayti, to Nathaniel, son of the Rev. Charles Glover of Arkton Rectory, +commander in his majesty's navy." + +"Duchesne!" Ada, the second girl, said, clapping her hands, "that is the +name of the young lady you rescued from a dog. I remember at the time +Mary and I quite agreed that the proper thing for you to do would be to +marry her some day. Yes, and you were staying at her father's place when +the blacks broke out; and you had all to hide in the woods for some +time." + +"Quite right, Ada. Well, she and her father and mother have posted down +with me from Southampton in order to make your acquaintance, and +to-morrow you will have to go over in a body." + +"Does she speak English?" Mrs. Glover asked. + +"Oh, yes, she speaks a good deal of English; her people have for the +past two years intended to settle in England, and have all been studying +the language to a certain extent. Besides that, they have had the +inestimable advantage of my conversation, and have read a great many +English books on their voyage home." + +"Is Miss Duchesne very dark?" Lucy asked in a tone of anxiety. + +Nat looked at her for a moment in surprise, and then burst into a fit of +laughter. + +"What, Lucy, do you think because Myra was born in Hayti that she is a +little negress with crinkley wool?" + +"No, no," the girl protested almost tearfully. "Of course I did not +think that, but I thought that she might be dark. I am sure when I was +at Bath last season and saw several old gentlemen, who, they said, were +rich West Indians, they were all as yellow as guineas." + +"Well, she won't be quite so dark as that, anyhow," Nat said; "in fact I +can tell you, you three will all have to look your best to make a good +show by the side of her." + +"But this talk is all nonsense, Nat," the rector said gravely. "Your +engagement is a very serious matter. Of course, now you have been so +wonderfully fortunate, and are commander of a ship, you will, I have no +doubt, have an income quite sufficient to marry upon, and, of course, +you are in a position to please yourself." + +"We are not going to be married just at present, father. She is three +years younger than I am, and I am not far advanced in years; so it has +been quite settled that we shall wait for some time yet. By then, if I +am lucky, my prize-money will have swelled to a handsome amount, and +indeed, although I don't know the exact particulars, I believe I am +entitled to from eight to ten thousand pounds. Moreover as the young +lady herself is an only child, and her father is a very wealthy man, I +fancy that we are not likely to have to send round the hat to make ends +meet." + +The visit was duly paid the next day, and was most satisfactory to all +parties, and, as the rectory was a large building, Mr. and Mrs. Glover +insisted upon the Duchesnes removing there at once. + +"We want to see as much of Nat as we can," his mother urged, "and if he +is to divide his time between Yeovil and the rectory, I am afraid we +should get but a very small share of him." + +"I suppose your brother has told you all his adventures," Myra said the +next morning, as she and all the party, with the exception of Mr. Glover +and Nat, were seated in the parlour after breakfast was over. + +"No, he is a very poor correspondent. He just told us what he had been +doing, but said very little about his adventures. I suppose he thought +that girls would not care to hear about midshipmen's doings. He did tell +us, though, that he had had a fight with a dog that had bitten you." + +Myra's eyes opened wider and wider as the eldest, Mary Glover, spoke. +Her face flushed, and she would have risen to her feet in her +indignation had not her mother laid her hand upon her arm. + +"I do not think, Miss Glover," Monsieur Duchesne said gravely, "that you +can at all understand the obligation that we are under to your brother. +The bite of a dog seems but a little thing. A huge hound had thrown Myra +down, and had rescue been delayed but half a minute her death was +certain. Your brother, riding past, heard her cries, and rushed in, and, +armed only with his dirk, attacked the hound. He saved my daughter's +life, but it was well-nigh at the cost of his own, for although he +killed it, it was not until it had inflicted terrible injuries upon +him--injuries so serious that for a time it was doubtful whether he +would live. This was the first service to us. On the next occasion he +was staying with us when the blacks rose. Thanks to our old nurse, there +was time for them to run out into the shrubbery before the negroes came +up, and then take refuge in the wood. My wife was seized with fever, and +was for days unconscious. + +"The woods were everywhere scoured for fugitives. Six blacks, led by two +mulattoes, discovered their hiding-place. Your son shot the whole of +them, but had one of his ribs broken by a pistol-ball. In spite of that, +he and Dinah carried my wife some thirty miles down to the town across +rough ground, where every step must have been torture to him, and +brought her and Myra safely to me. Equal services he performed another +time to a family, intimate friends of ours, composed of a gentleman and +his wife and two daughters, who, with six white men, were prisoners in +the hands of the blacks, and would assuredly have suffered deaths of +agonizing torture. Though he had but twenty men with him, he landed them +all, marched them up to the place, rescued the whole party, and made his +way down to his boat again through three hundred and fifty maddened +blacks. No less great was the service he rendered when he rescued some +fifteen ladies and gentlemen who had been captured by a pirate, and +whose fate, had he not arrived, would have been too horrible to think +of. As to his services at sea, the official reports have testified, and +his unheard-of promotion shows the appreciation of the authorities. +Never were more gallant deeds done by the most valiant naval captains +who have ever lived." + +Myra had held her father's hand while he was speaking; her breath had +come fast, and her eyes were full of tears. + +"Thank you, Monsieur Duchesne," Mrs. Glover said, gently; "please +remember that all this is quite new to us. Now that we know something of +the truth, we shall feel as proud of our boy as your daughter has a +right to be." + +"Excuse me, Mrs. Glover," Myra said, walking across to her, and kissing +her, "but when it seemed to me that these glorious deeds Nat has +achieved were regarded as the mere adventures of a midshipman, I felt +that I must speak." + +"It is quite natural that you should do so," Mrs. Glover said; "for, if +fault there is, it rests with Nat, who always spoke of his own +adventures in a jesting sort of way, and gave us no idea that they were +anything out of the common." + +"They were out of the common, madame," Myra said; "why, when he came +into Port Royal, with the great frigate in tow of his little brigantine, +and two huge merchantmen he had recaptured from her, the admiral's ship +and all the vessels of war in the harbour saluted him. I almost cried my +eyes out with pride and happiness." + +"Myra does not exaggerate," her mother said; "your son's exploits were +the talk of Jamaica, and even the capture of the French frigate was less +extraordinary than the way in which, with a little craft of four guns, +he captured a pirate which carried ten, and a crew four times as +numerous as his own." + +"I hope you will tell us in full about all these things, Madame +Duchesne," Mrs. Glover said, "for I fear that we shall never get a full +account from Nat himself." + +Myra went across to Mary. + +"You are not angry with me, I hope," she said; "we are hot-tempered, we +West Indians. When it seemed that you were speaking slightingly of the +action to which I owe my life, I don't know what I should have said if +my father had not stopped me." + +"I am not in the slightest degree angry," Mary said; "or, rather, if I +am angry at all it is with Nat. It is too bad of him keeping all this to +himself. You see, he was quite a boy when he left us, and he used to +tell us funny stories about the pranks that the midshipmen played. +Although we felt very proud of him when he told us that he had gained +the rank of commander, we did not really know anything about sea +matters, and could not appreciate the fact that he must have done +something altogether out of the way to obtain that rank. But, of course, +we like you all the better for standing up for him. I am sure that in +future we girls shall be just as angry as you were if anyone says +anything that sounds like running him down." + +The time passed rapidly, and, as the girls were never tired of listening +to the tales of Nat's exploits, and Myra was never tired of relating +them, Nat would have come in for any amount of hero-worship had he not +promptly suppressed the slightest exhibition in that direction. + +It was but a few days after his arrival in England that Monsieur +Duchesne learned by a letter from a friend, who was one of the few who +escaped from the terrible scene, that their fears had been justified, +and that Cape François, the beautiful capital of Hayti, had ceased to +exist. Santhonax and Poveren had established a reign of terror, plunder, +and oppression, until the white inhabitants were reduced to the most +terrible state of suffering. The misery caused by these white monsters +was as great as that which prevailed in France. At last General Galbaud +arrived, having been sent out to prepare for the defence of the colony +against an attack by the British. The two commissioners, however, +refused to recognize his authority. Not only this, but they imperatively +ordered him to re-embark, and return to France. Each party then prepared +for fighting. The commissioners had with them the regular troops, and a +large body of blacks. The governor had twelve hundred sailors, and the +white inhabitants of the city, who had formed themselves into a body of +volunteers. + +The fighting was hard; the volunteers showed the greatest bravery, and, +had they been well supported by the sailors, would have gained the day. +The seamen, however, speedily broke into the warehouses, intoxicated +themselves with rum, and it was with difficulty that their officers +could bring them back into the arsenal. The commissioners had, the night +before, sent to a negro chief, offering pardon for all past offences, +perfect freedom, and the plunder of the city. He arrived at noon on the +21st of June, and at once began the butchery of the white inhabitants. +This continued till the evening of the 23rd, by which time the whole of +the whites had been murdered, the city sacked, and then burned to the +ground. + +Before Nat sailed in the _Spartane_, the Duchesnes had taken a house at +Torquay. Here the climate would be better suited to madame, the summer +temperature being less exhausting and the winter so free from extremes +that she might reasonably hope not to feel the change. + +For five years Nat commanded the _Spartane_. If he did not meet with the +exceptional good fortune that he had found in the West Indies, he had, +at least, nothing to complain of. He picked up many prizes, took part in +several gallant cutting-out adventures, and captured the French frigate +_Euterpe_, of forty-six guns. For full details of these and other +actions a search must be made in the official records of the British +navy, where they are fully set forth. After a long and hard-fought +battle, for which action he received post rank, he retired from the +service, and settled down with Myra near Plymouth, where he was within +easy reach of his own relations. + +As soon as he was established there, her father and mother took a house +within a few minutes' walk of his home. He congratulated himself that he +had not remained in the West Indies, for had he done so he would, like +all the naval and military forces in the islands, have taken part in the +disastrous attempt to obtain possession of the island of San Domingo. +The Spaniards had ceded their portion to the French, and although the +whites, mulattoes, and blacks were at war with each other, they were all +ready to join forces against the British. The attempt to conquer an +island so populous and strongly defended, and abounding with mountains +in which the enemy could maintain themselves, was, if undertaken by a +force of anything less than a hundred thousand men, foredoomed to +failure. The force at first sent was ridiculously inadequate, and +although it received reinforcements from time to time, these were not +more than sufficient to fill the gaps caused by fever. Consequently, +after four or five years' fighting, and the loss of fully thirty +thousand men, by fatigue, hardship, and fever, the effort was abandoned, +after having cost some thirty millions of money. + +At the end of the war, Toussaint was virtually Dictator of Hayti. He +governed strongly and well, but as he was determined to admit no +interference on the part of the French, he was finally treacherously +seized by them, carried to France, and there died, it is said by +starvation, in prison. His forebodings as to the unfitness of the blacks +for self-government have been fulfilled to the letter. Civil wars, +insurrections, and massacres have been the rule rather than the +exception; the island has been gradually going down in the scale of +civilization, and the majority of the blacks are as savage, ignorant, +and superstitious as their forefathers in Africa. Fetish worship and +human sacrifices are carried on in secret, and the fairest island in the +western seas lies sunk in the lowest degradation--a proof of the utter +incapacity of the negro race to evolve, or even maintain, civilization, +without the example and the curb of a white population among them. + + + * * * * * + + + + "Wherever English is spoken one imagines that Mr. Henty's name is + known. One cannot enter a schoolroom or look at a boy's bookshelf + without seeing half-a-dozen of his familiar volumes. Mr. Henty is + no doubt the most successful writer for boys, and the one to whose + new volumes they look forward every Christmas with most pleasure." + --_Review of Reviews._ + + + A LIST OF BOOKS + FOR YOUNG PEOPLE + + By + G. A. HENTY, + KIRK MUNROE, JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY, + ERNEST THOMPSON SETON, and Others + + + Published by + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + 153 to 157 Fifth Avenue + New York + + + * * * * * + + + +Other Volumes of the + +Henty Books + +Uniform with This Popular Edition + + IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE + WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA + WITH WOLFE IN CANADA + THE LION OF ST. MARK + IN THE REIGN OF TERROR + NO SURRENDER + UNDER WELLINGTON'S COMMAND + WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT + AT ABOUKIR AND ACRE + BOTH SIDES THE BORDER + A MARCH ON LONDON + WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA + AT AGINCOURT + COCHRANE THE DAUNTLESS + ON THE IRRAWADDY + THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS + A KNIGHT OF THE WHITE CROSS + THE TIGER OF MYSORE + IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES + WHEN LONDON BURNED + WULF THE SAXON + ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S EVE + THROUGH THE SIKH WAR + A JACOBITE EXILE + CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST + BERIC THE BRITON + IN GREEK WATERS + THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM + REDSKIN AND COWBOY + HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Among writers of stories of adventures for boys Mr. Henty stands in the +very first rank."--_Academy_ (London). + + +THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS + +A Tale of Adventure in Peru. With 8 full-page Illustrations by WAL +PAGET, and Map. $1.20 net. + + Peru and the hidden treasures of her ancient kings offer Mr. Henty + a most fertile field for a stirring story of adventure in his most + engaging style. In an effort to win the girl of his heart, the hero + penetrates into the wilds of the land of the Incas. Boys who have + learned to look for Mr. Henty's books will follow his new hero in + his adventurous and romantic expedition with absorbing interest. It + is one of the most captivating tales Mr. Henty has yet written. + + +WITH KITCHENER IN THE SOUDAN + +A Story of Atbara and Omdurman. With 10 full-page Illustrations. +$1.20 net. + + Mr. Henty has never combined history and thrilling adventure more + skillfully than in this extremely interesting story. It is not in + boy nature to lay it aside unfinished, once begun; and finished, + the reader finds himself in possession, not only of the facts and + the true atmosphere of Kitchener's famous Soudan campaign, but of + the Gordon tragedy which preceded it by so many years and of which + it was the outcome. + + +WITH THE BRITISH LEGION + +A Story of the Carlist Uprising of 1836. Illustrated. $1.20 net. + + Arthur Hallet, a young English boy, finds himself in difficulty at + home, through certain harmless school escapades, and enlists in the + famous "British Legion," which was then embarking for Spain to take + part in the campaign to repress the Carlist uprising of 1836. + Arthur shows his mettle in the first fight, distinguishes himself + by daring work in carrying an important dispatch to Madrid, makes a + dashing and thrilling rescue of the sister of his patron, and is + rapidly promoted to the rank of captain. In following the + adventures of the hero the reader obtains, as is usual with Mr. + Henty's stories, a most accurate and interesting history of a + picturesque campaign. + + * * * * * + + +STORIES BY G. A. HENTY + +"His books have at once the solidity of history and the charm of +romance."--_Journal of Education._ + + +TO HERAT AND CABUL + +A Story of the First Afghan War. By G. A. HENTY. With Illustrations. +12mo, $1.20 net. + + The greatest defeat ever experienced by the British Army was that + in the Mountain Passes of Afghanistan. Angus Cameron, the hero of + this book, having been captured by the friendly Afghans, was + compelled to be a witness of the calamity. His whole story is an + intensely interesting one, from his boyhood in Persia; his + employment under the Government at Herat; through the defense of + that town against the Persians; to Cabul, where he shared in all + the events which ended in the awful march through the Passes from + which but one man escaped. Angus is always at the point of danger, + and whether in battle or in hazardous expeditions shows how much a + brave youth, full of resources, can do, even with so treacherous a + foe. His dangers and adventures are thrilling, and his escapes + marvellous. + + +WITH ROBERTS TO PRETORIA + +A Tale of the South African War. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 Illustrations. +$1.20 net. + + The Boer War gives Mr. Henty an unexcelled opportunity for a + thrilling story of present-day interest which the author could not + fail to take advantage of. Every boy reader will find this account + of the adventures of the young hero most exciting, and, at the same + time a wonderfully accurate description of Lord Roberts's campaign + to Pretoria. Boys have found history in the dress Mr. Henty gives + it anything but dull, and the present book is no exception to the + rule. + + +AT THE POINT OF THE BAYONET + +A Tale of the Mahratta War. By G. A. HENTY. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.20 +net. + + One hundred years ago the rule of the British in India was only + partly established. The powerful Mahrattas were unsubdued, and + with their skill in intrigue, and great military power, they were + exceedingly dangerous. The story of "At the Point of the Bayonet" + begins with the attempt to conquer this powerful people. Harry + Lindsay, an infant when his father and mother were killed, was + saved by his Mahratta ayah, who carried him to her own people and + brought him up as a native. She taught him as best she could, and, + having told him his parentage, sent him to Bombay to be educated. + At sixteen he obtained a commission in the English Army, and his + knowledge of the Mahratta tongue combined with his ability and + bravery enabled him to render great service in the Mahratta War, + and carried him, through many frightful perils by land and sea, + to high rank. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Mr. Henty might with entire propriety be called the boys' Sir Walter +Scott."--_Philadelphia Press._ + + +IN THE IRISH BRIGADE + +A Tale of War in Flanders and Spain. With 12 Illustrations by CHARLES +M. SHELDON. 12mo, $1.50. + + Desmond Kennedy is a young Irish lad who left Ireland to join the + Irish Brigade in the service of Louis XIV. of France. In Paris he + incurred the deadly hatred of a powerful courtier from whom he had + rescued a young girl who had been kidnapped, and his perils are of + absorbing interest. Captured in an attempted Jacobite invasion of + Scotland, he escaped in a most extraordinary manner. As aid-de-camp + to the Duke of Berwick he experienced thrilling adventures in + Flanders. Transferred to the Army in Spain, he was nearly + assassinated, but escaped to return, when peace was declared, to + his native land, having received pardon and having recovered his + estates. The story is filled with adventure, and the interest never + abates. + + +OUT WITH GARIBALDI + +A Story of the Liberation of Italy. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 Illustrations +by W. RAINEY, R.I. 12mo, $1.50. + + Garibaldi himself is the central figure of this brilliant story, + and the little-known history of the struggle for Italian freedom + is told here in the most thrilling way. From the time the hero, a + young lad, son of an English father and an Italian mother, joins + Garibaldi's band of 1,000 men in the first descent upon Sicily, + which was garrisoned by one of the large Neapolitan armies, until + the end, when all those armies are beaten, and the two Sicilys + are conquered, we follow with the keenest interest the exciting + adventures of the lad in scouting, in battle, and in freeing those + in prison for liberty's sake. + + +WITH BULLER IN NATAL + +Or, A Born Leader. By G. A. HENTY. With 10 Illustrations by W. RAINEY. +12mo, $1.50. + + The breaking out of the Boer War compelled Chris King, the hero of + the story, to flee with his mother from Johannesburg to the sea + coast. They were with many other Uitlanders, and all suffered much + from the Boers. Reaching a place of safety for their families, + Chris and twenty of his friends formed an independent company of + scouts. In this service they were with Gen. Yule at Glencoe, then + in Ladysmith, then with Buller. In each place they had many + thrilling adventures. They were in great battles and in lonely + fights on the Veldt; were taken prisoners and escaped; and they + rendered most valuable service to the English forces. The story + is a most interesting picture of the War in South Africa. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Surely Mr. Henty should understand boys' tastes better than any man +living."--_The Times._ + + +WON BY THE SWORD + +A Tale of the Thirty Years' War. With 12 Illustrations by CHARLES +M. SHELDON, and four Plans. 12mo, $1.50. + + The scene of this story is laid in France, during the time of + Richelieu, of Mazarin and Anne of Austria. The hero, Hector + Campbell, is the orphaned son of a Scotch officer in the French + Army. How he attracted the notice of Marshal Turenne and of the + Prince of Conde; how he rose to the rank of Colonel; how he finally + had to leave France, pursued by the deadly hatred of the Duc de + Beaufort--all these and much more the story tells with the most + absorbing interest. + + +A ROVING COMMISSION + +Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti. With 12 Illustrations by +WILLIAM RAINEY. 12mo, $1.50. + + This is one of the most brilliant of Mr. Henty's books. A story of + the sea, with all its life and action, it is also full of thrilling + adventures on land. So it holds the keenest interest until the end. + The scene is a new one to Mr. Henty's readers, being laid at the + time of the Great Revolt of the Blacks, by which Hayti became + independent. Toussaint l'Overture appears, and an admirable picture + is given of him and of his power. + + +NO SURRENDER + +The Story of the Revolt in La Vendée. With 8 Illustrations by STANLEY +L. WOOD. 12mo, $1.50. + + The revolt of La Vendée against the French Republic at the time of + the Revolution forms the groundwork of this absorbing story. Leigh + Stansfield, a young English lad, is drawn into the thickest of the + conflict. Forming a company of boys as scouts for the Vendéan Army, + he greatly aids the peasants. He rescues his sister from the + guillotine, and finally, after many thrilling experiences, when the + cause of La Vendée is lost, he escapes to England. + + +UNDER WELLINGTON'S COMMAND + +A Tale of the Peninsular War. With 12 Illustrations by WAL PAGET. +12mo, $1.50. + + The dashing hero of this book, Terence O'Connor, was the hero of + Mr. Henty's previous book, "With Moore at Corunna," to which this + is really a sequel. He is still at the head of the "Minho" + Portuguese regiment. Being detached on independent and guerilla + duty with his regiment, he renders invaluable service in gaining + information and in harassing the French. His command, being + constantly on the edge of the army, is engaged in frequent + skirmishes and some most important battles. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Mr. Henty is the king of story-tellers for boys."--_Sword and Trowel._ + + +AT ABOUKIR AND ACRE + +A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt. With 8 full-page Illustrations +by WILLIAM RAINEY, and 3 Plans. 12mo, $1.50. + + The hero, having saved the life of the son of an Arab chief, is + taken into the tribe, has a part in the battle of the Pyramids and + the revolt at Cairo. He is an eye-witness of the famous naval + battle of Aboukir, and later is in the hardest of the defense of + Acre. + + +BOTH SIDES THE BORDER + +A Tale of Hotspur and Glendower. With 12 full-page Illustrations by +RALPH PEACOCK. 12mo, $1.50. + + This is a brilliant story of the stirring times of the beginning of + the Wars of the Roses, when the Scotch, under Douglas, and the + Welsh, under Owen Glendower, were attacking the English. The hero + of the book lived near the Scotch border, and saw many a hard fight + there. Entering the service of Lord Percy, he was sent to Wales, + where he was knighted, and where he was captured. Being released, + he returned home, and shared in the fatal battle of Shrewsbury. + + +WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT + +A Tale of the Seven Years' War. With 12 full-page Illustrations. +12mo, $1.50. + + The hero of this story while still a youth entered the service of + Frederick the Great, and by a succession of fortunate circumstances + and perilous adventures, rose to the rank of colonel. Attached to + the staff of the king, he rendered distinguished services in many + battles, in one of which he saved the king's life. Twice captured + and imprisoned, he both times escaped from the Austrian fortresses. + + +A MARCH ON LONDON + +A Story of Wat Tyler's Rising. With 8 full-page Illustrations by W. H. +MARGETSON. 12mo, $1.50. + + The story of Wat Tyler's Rebellion is but little known, but the + hero of this story passes through that perilous time and takes part + in the civil war in Flanders which followed soon after. Although + young he is thrown into many exciting and dangerous adventures, + through which he passes with great coolness and much credit. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"No country nor epoch of history is there which Mr. Henty does not +know, and what is really remarkable is that he always writes well and +interestingly."--_New York Times._ + + +WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA + +A Story of the Peninsular War. With 12 full-page Illustrations by WAL +PAGET. 12mo, $1.50. + + Terence O'Connor is living with his widowed father, Captain + O'Connor of the Mayo Fusiliers, with the regiment at the time when + the Peninsular war began. Upon the regiment being ordered to Spain, + Terence gets appointed as aid to one of the generals of a division. + By his bravery and great usefulness throughout the war, he is + rewarded by a commission as colonel in the Portuguese army and + there rendered great service. + + +AT AGINCOURT + +A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris. With 12 full-page Illustrations by +WALTER PAGET. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The story begins in a grim feudal castle in Normandie. The times + were troublous, and soon the king compelled Lady Margaret de + Villeroy with her children to go to Paris as hostages. Guy Aylmer + went with her. Paris was turbulent. Soon the guild of the butchers, + adopting white hoods as their uniform, seized the city, and + besieged the house where our hero and his charges lived. After + desperate fighting, the white hoods were beaten and our hero and + his charges escaped from the city, and from France. + + +WITH COCHRANE THE DAUNTLESS + +A Tale of the Exploits of Lord Cochrane in South American Waters. With +12 full-page Illustrations by W. H. MARGETSON. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, +$1.50. + + The hero of this story accompanies Cochrane as midshipman, and + serves in the war between Chili and Peru. He has many exciting + adventures in battles by sea and land, is taken prisoner and + condemned to death by the Inquisition, but escapes by a long and + thrilling flight across South America and down the Amazon. + + +ON THE IRRAWADDY + +A Story of the First Burmese War. With 8 full page Illustrations by +W. H. OVEREND. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero, having an uncle, a trader on the Indian and Burmese + rivers, goes out to join him. Soon after, war is declared by Burmah + against England and he is drawn into it. He has many experiences + and narrow escapes in battles and in scouting. With half-a-dozen + men he rescues his cousin who had been taken prisoner, and in the + flight they are besieged in an old, ruined temple. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Boys like stirring adventures, and Mr. Henty is a master of this method +of composition."--_New York Times_. + + +THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS + +A Story of Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by W. H. OVEREND and 3 Maps. Crown 8vo, olivine +edges, $1.50. + + The hero, Julian Wyatt, after several adventures with smugglers, by + whom he is handed over a prisoner to the French, regains his + freedom and joins Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign. When the + terrible retreat begins, Julian finds himself in the rearguard of + the French army, fighting desperately. Ultimately he escapes out of + the general disaster, and returns to England. + + +A KNIGHT OF THE WHITE CROSS + +A Tale of the Siege of Rhodes. With 12 full-page Illustrations by RALPH +PEACOCK, and a Plan. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Gervaise Tresham, the hero of this story, joins the Order of the + Knights of St. John, and proceeds to the stronghold of Rhodes. + Subsequently he is appointed commander of a war-galley, and in his + first voyage destroys a fleet of Moorish corsairs. During one of + his cruises the young knight is attacked on shore, captured after a + desperate struggle, and sold into slavery in Tripoli. He succeeds + in escaping, and returns to Rhodes in time to take part in the + defense of that fortress. + + +THE TIGER OF MYSORE + +A Story of the War with Tippoo Saib. With 12 full-page Illustrations by +W. H. MARGETSON, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Dick Holland, whose father is supposed to be a captive of Tippoo + Saib, goes to India to help him to escape. He joins the army under + Lord Cornwallis, and takes part in the campaign against Tippoo. + Afterwards he assumes a disguise, enters Seringapatam, and at last + he discovers his father in the great stronghold of Savandroog. The + hazardous rescue is at length accomplished, and the young fellow's + dangerous mission is done. + + +IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES + +A Story of Adventure in Colorado. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by G. C. HINDLEY. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero, Tom Wade, goes to seek his uncle in Colorado, who is a + hunter and gold-digger, and he is discovered, after many dangers, + out on the Plains with some comrades. Going in quest of a gold + mine, the little band is spied by Indians, chased across the Bad + Lands, and overwhelmed by a snowstorm in the mountains. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Mr. Henty is one of the best story-tellers for young +people."--_Spectator_. + + +WHEN LONDON BURNED + +A Story of the Plague and the Fire. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero of this story was the son of a nobleman who had lost his + estates during the troublous times of the Commonwealth. During the + Great Plague and the Great Fire, Cyril was prominent among those + who brought help to the panic-stricken inhabitants. + + +WULF THE SAXON + +A Story of the Norman Conquest. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by RALPH PEACOCK. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero is a young thane who wins the favor of Earl Harold and + becomes one of his retinue. When Harold becomes King of England + Wulf assists in the Welsh wars, and takes part against the Norsemen + at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. When William of Normandy invades + England, Wulf is with the English host at Hastings, and stands by + his king to the last in the mighty struggle. + + +ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S EVE + +A Tale of the Huguenot Wars. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by H. J. DRAPER, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, +$1.50. + + The hero, Philip Fletcher, has a French connection on his + mother's side. This induces him to cross the Channel in order to + take a share in the Huguenot wars. Naturally he sides with the + Protestants, distinguishes himself in various battles, and receives + rapid promotion for the zeal and daring with which he carries out + several secret missions. + + +THROUGH THE SIKH WAR + +A Tale of the Conquest of the Punjaub. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +illustrations by HAL HURST, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Percy Groves, a spirited English lad, joins his uncle in the + Punjaub, where the natives are in a state of revolt. Percy joins + the British force as a volunteer, and takes a distinguished share + in the famous battles of the Punjaub. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"The brightest of the living writers whose office it is to enchant the +boys."--_Christian Leader_. + + +A JACOBITE EXILE + +Being the Adventures of a Young Englishman in the Service of Charles +XII. of Sweden. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page Illustrations by PAUL +HARDY, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Sir Marmaduke Carstairs, a Jacobite, is the victim of a conspiracy, + and he is denounced as a plotter against the life of King William. + He flies to Sweden, accompanied by his son Charlie. This youth + joins the foreign legion under Charles XII., and takes a + distinguished part in several famous campaigns against the Russians + and Poles. + + +CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST + +A Story of Escape from Siberia. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page +Illustrations. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero of this story is an English boy resident in St. + Petersburg. Through two student friends he becomes innocently + involved in various political plots, resulting in his seizure by + the Russian police and his exile to Siberia. He ultimately escapes, + and, after many exciting adventures, he reaches Norway, and thence + home, after a perilous journey which lasts nearly two years. + + +BERIC THE BRITON + +A Story of the Roman Invasion. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by W. PARKINSON. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + This story deals with the invasion of Britain by the Roman + legionaries. Beric, who is a boy-chief of a British tribe, takes a + prominent part in the insurrection under Boadicea; and after the + defeat of that heroic queen (in A. D. 62) he continues the struggle + in the fen-country. Ultimately Beric is defeated and carried + captive to Rome, where he is trained in the exercise of arms in a + school of gladiators. At length he returns to Britain, where he + becomes ruler of his own people. + + +IN GREEK WATERS + +A Story of the Grecian War of Independence (1821-1827). By G. A. HENTY. +With 12 full-page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY, and a Map. Crown 8vo, +olivine edges, $1.50. + + Deals with the revolt of the Greeks in 1821 against Turkish + oppression. Mr. Beveridge and his son Horace fit out a privateer, + load it with military stores, and set sail for Greece. They rescue + the Christians, relieve the captive Greeks, and fight the Turkish + war vessels. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"No living writer of books for boys writes to better purpose than Mr. +G. A. Henty."--_Philadelphia Press._ + + +THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM + +A Tale of the Nile Expedition. By G. A. HENTY. With 10 full-page +Illustrations by JOHN SCHÖNBERG and J. NASH. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, +$1.50. + + In the record of recent British history there is no more + captivating page for boys than the story of the Nile campaign, and + the attempt to rescue General Gordon. For, in the difficulties + which the expedition encountered, in the perils which it + overpassed, and in its final tragic disappointments, are found + all the excitements of romance, as well as the fascination which + belongs to real events. + + +REDSKIN AND COW-BOY + +A Tale of the Western Plains. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The central interest of this story is found in the many adventures + of an English lad, who seeks employment as a cow-boy on a cattle + ranch. His experiences during a "round-up" present in picturesque + form the toilsome, exciting, adventurous life of a cow-boy; while + the perils of a frontier settlement are vividly set forth in an + Indian raid. + + +HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND + +A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + This story deals with one of the most memorable sieges in + history--the siege of Gibraltar in 1779-83 by the united forces of + France and Spain. With land forces, fleets, and floating batteries, + the combined resources of two great nations, this grim fortress was + vainly besieged and bombarded. The hero of the tale, an English lad + resident in Gibraltar, takes a brave and worthy part in the long + defence, and it is through his varied experiences that we learn + with what bravery, resource, and tenacity the Rock was held for + England. + + * * * * * + + +A List of Books by + +Kirk Munroe + + +A SON OF SATSUMA + +Or, with Perry in Japan. By KIRK MUNROE. With 12 illustrations by HARRY +C. EDWARDS. $1.00 net. + + This absorbing story for boys deals with one of the most + interesting episodes in our National history. From the beginning + Japan has been a land of mystery. Foreigners were permitted to + land only at certain points on her shores, and nothing whatever + was known of her civilization and history, her romance and + magnificence, her wealth and art. It was Commodore Perry who opened + her gates to the world, thus solving the mystery of the ages, and, + in this thrilling story of an American boy in Japan at that period, + the spirit as well as the history of this great achievement is ably + set forth. + + +IN PIRATE WATERS + +A Tale of the American Navy. Illustrated by I. W. TABER. 12mo, $1.25. + + The hero of the story becomes a midshipman in the navy just at the + time of the war with Tripoli. His own wild adventures among the + Turks and his love romance are thoroughly interwoven with the + stirring history of that time. + + +WITH CROCKETT AND BOWIE + +Or, Fighting for the Lone Star Flag. A Tale of Texas. By KIRK MUNROE. +With 8 full-page Illustrations by VICTOR PÉRARD. Crown 8vo. $1.25. + + The story is of the Texas revolution in 1835, when American Texans + under Sam Houston, Bowie, Crockett, and Travis fought for relief + from the intolerable tyranny of the Mexican Santa Aña. The hero, + Rex Hardin, son of a Texan ranchman and graduate of an American + military school, takes a prominent part in the heroic defense of + the Alamo, and the final triumph at San Jacinto. + + +THROUGH SWAMP AND GLADE + +A Tale of the Seminole War. By KIRK MUNROE. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by V. PÉRARD. Crown 8vo, $1.25. + + Coacoochee, the hero of the story, is the son of Philip, the + chieftain of the Seminoles. He grows up to lead his tribe in the + long struggle which resulted in the Indians being driven from the + north of Florida down to the distant southern wilderness. + + +AT WAR WITH PONTIAC + +Or, the Totem of the Bear. A Tale Of redcoat and redskin. By KIRK +MUNROE. With 8 full-page illustrations by J. FINNEMORE. Crown 8vo, +$1.25. + + A story when the shores of Lake Erie were held by hostile Indians. + The hero, Donald Hester, goes in search of his sister Edith, who + has been captured by the Indians. Strange and terrible are his + experiences; for he is wounded, taken prisoner, condemned to be + burned, but contrives to escape. In the end all things terminate + happily. + + +THE WHITE CONQUERORS + +A Tale of Toltec and Aztec. By KIRK MUNROE. With 8 full-page +Illustrations. Crown 8vo, $1.25. + + This story deals with the conquest of Mexico by Cortez and his + Spaniards, the "White Conquerors," who, after many deeds of valor, + pushed their way into the great Aztec kingdom and established their + power in the wondrous city where Montezuma reigned in splendor. + + +MIDSHIPMAN STUART + +Or, the Last Cruise of the Essex. A Tale of the War of 1812. +Illustrated. 12mo, $1.25. + + This is an absorbing story of life in the American Navy during the + stirring times of our war of 1812. The very spirit of the period is + in its pages, and many of the adventures of the Essex are studied + from history. + + * * * * * + + +BY ERNEST THOMPSON SETON + +LIVES OF THE HUNTED + +Being a true account of the doings of four quadrupeds and three birds. +With 200 Illustrations. $1.75 net. (Postage, 15 cents.) + + "Should be put with Kipling and Hans Christian Andersen as a + classic."--THE ATHENĈUM (London). + +WILD ANIMALS I HAVE KNOWN + +With 200 Illustrations. $2.00. + + Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton's first and most famous book. More than + 100,000 have been sold so far. + + +BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY + +THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN + +Profusely Illustrated. + + The sweetness, the grace, the laughter, and the tenderness of Mr. + Riley's best verse are found to the full in this book of delightful + poems for and about children. The illustrations have been made + under the author's supervision, and portray the scenes and the + little heroes and heroines of the poems with artistic fidelity. + + +BY CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY + +IN THE WASP'S NET + +The Story of a Sea Waif. Illustrated. $1.50 net. (Postage, 16 cents.) + + A vigorous story of the war of 1812. The hero, a midshipman, serves + gallantly aboard two famous American ships, each bearing the name + of Wasp, having many adventures of storm, battle, and capture. + + +BY THOMAS NELSON PACE + +A CAPTURED SANTA CLAUS + +Illustrated in Colors. + + This exquisite story of childhood is one of the most delicate that + even Mr. Page has written. It is an episode of the Civil War in + which children are the little heroes. The period is the Christmas + time, and the scene is between the lines of the Union and + Confederate Armies. + + * * * * * + + +JEB HUTTON, A GEORGIA BOY + +By JAMES B. CONNOLLY. Illustrated. $1.20 net. (Postage, 13 cents.) + + A thoroughly interesting and breezy tale of boy-life along the + Savannah River by a writer who knows boys, and who has succeeded in + making of the adventures of Jeb and his friends a story that will + keep his young readers absorbed to the last page. + + +KING MOMBO + +By PAUL DU CHAILLU. Author of "The World of the Great Forest," etc. With +24 illustrations. $1.50 net. (Postage, 16 cents.) + + The scene is the great African forest. It is a book of interesting + experiences with native tribes, and thrilling and perilous + adventures in hunting elephants, crocodiles, gorillas and other + fierce creatures among which this famous explorer lived so long. + + +A NEW BOOK FOR GIRLS + +By LINA BEARD and ADELIA B. BEARD. Authors of "The American Girl's Handy +Book." Profusely Illustrated. + + An admirable collection of entirely new and original indoor and + outdoor pastimes for American girls, each fully and interestingly + described and explained, and all designed to stimulate the taste + and ingenuity at the same time that they entertain. + + +SEA FIGHTERS FROM DRAKE TO FARRAGUT + +By JESSIE PEABODY FROTHINGHAM. Illustrations by REUTERDAHL. $1.20 net. +(Postage, 14 cents.) + + Drake, Tromp, De Reuter, Tourville, Suffren, Paul Jones, Nelson and + Farragut are the naval heroes here pictured, and each is shown in + some great episode which illustrates his personality and heroism. + The book is full of the very spirit of daring and adventurous + achievement. + + +BOB AND HIS GUN + +By WILLIAM ALEXANDER LINN. With 8 Illustrations. + + The adventures of a boy with a gun under the instruction of his + cousin, an accomplished sportsman. The book's aim is to interest + boys in hunting in the spirit of true sport and to instruct in the + ways of game birds and animals. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Roving Commission, by G. A. Henty + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A ROVING COMMISSION *** + +***** This file should be named 38764-8.txt or 38764-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/7/6/38764/ + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/38764-8.zip b/38764-8.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1c6abc0 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-8.zip diff --git a/38764-h.zip b/38764-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d6a1159 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h.zip diff --git a/38764-h/38764-h.htm b/38764-h/38764-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f092d16 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/38764-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,16098 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Roving Commission, by G. A. Henty. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .btitle {margin-top: 2em; font-size: 110%; text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} + .blockquot { font-size: 85%;} + .pblockquot{margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;} + .nblockquot{margin-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + .dropcap {text-indent: -1em;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 0em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Roving Commission, by G. A. Henty + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Roving Commission + Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Illustrator: William Rainey + +Release Date: February 4, 2012 [EBook #38764] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A ROVING COMMISSION *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 512px;"> +<img src="images/i008.jpg" width="512" height="800" alt="Cover" title="" /> +</div> + + +<p> </p> +<h1>A ROVING COMMISSION</h1> +<p> </p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 513px;"> +<a name="Frontispiece" id="Frontispiece"></a> +<img src="images/i001.jpg" width="513" height="800" alt="Frontispiece" title="" /> +<span class="caption">“I HAVE HEARD A GREAT DEAL OF YOU, MR. GLOVER,” +THE ADMIRAL SAID.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<h1>A ROVING COMMISSION</h1> + +<h5><i>OR</i></h5> + +<h3><i>THROUGH THE BLACK INSURRECTION<br /> +AT HAYTI</i></h3> + +<p> </p> +<h5>BY</h5> + +<h2>G. A. HENTY</h2> +<p class="center">Author of "With Frederick the Great," "The Dash for Khartoum"<br /> +"Both Sides the Border," etc.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center"><i>WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS BY WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I.</i></p> +<p> </p> + +<h4> +NEW YORK<br /> +<big>CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS<br /> +1904</big> +</h4> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p class="center"> +<i>Copyright, 1899,</i><br /> +<span class="smcap">By Charles Scribner's Sons.</span><br /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>PREFACE</h2> + + +<p>Horrible as were the atrocities of which the monsters of +the French Revolution were guilty, they paled before the +fiendish outrages committed by their black imitators in Hayti. +Indeed, for some six years the island presented a saturnalia of +massacre, attended with indescribable tortures. It may be +admitted that the retaliation inflicted by the maddened whites +after the first massacre was as full of horrors as were the outrages +perpetrated by the blacks, and both were rivalled by the +mulattoes when they joined in the general madness for blood. +The result was ruin to all concerned. France lost one of her +fairest possessions, and a wealthy race of cultivators, many belonging +to the best blood of France, were annihilated or driven +into poverty among strangers. The mulattoes, many of whom +were also wealthy, soon found that the passions they had done +so much to foment were too powerful for them; their position +under the blacks was far worse and more precarious, than it +had been under the whites. The negroes gained a nominal +liberty. Nowhere were the slaves so well treated as by the +French colonists, and they soon discovered that, so far from +profiting by the massacre of their masters and families, they +were infinitely worse off than before. They were still obliged +to work to some extent to save themselves from starvation; +they had none to look to for aid in the time of sickness and +old age; hardships and fevers had swept them away wholesale; +the trade of the island dwindled almost to nothing; and at last +the condition of the negroes in Hayti has fallen to the level of +that of the savage African tribes. Unless some strong white +power should occupy the island and enforce law and order, +sternly repress crime, and demand a certain amount of labour +from all able-bodied men, there seems no hope that any amelioration +can take place in the present situation.</p> + +<p style='text-align: right'> +G. A. HENTY.<br /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td align='left' colspan='2'><span class="smcap">Chapter</span></td><td align='right'><span class="smcap">Page</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>I.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Fight with a Bloodhound</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>II.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Rejoined</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>III.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Slave Depot</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>IV.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Sharp Fight</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_58">58</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>V.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Pirate Hold</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_76">76</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>VI.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Negro Rising</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_93">93</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>VII.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">In Hiding</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>VIII.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Time of Waiting</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_132">132</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>IX.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">An Attack on the Cave</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_152">152</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>X.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Afloat Again</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_172">172</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XI.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A First Command</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_191">191</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XII.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Rescue</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_211">211</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XIII.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Two Captures</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_232">232</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XIV.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Attack on Port-au-Prince</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_253">253</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XV.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Attack on Port-au-Prince</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_273">273</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XVI.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Toussait L'Ouverture</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_293">293</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XVII.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A French Frigate</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_311">311</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XVIII.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Another Engagement</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_331">331</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XIX.</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Home</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_352">352</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td align='left'></td><td align='right'><span class="smcap">Page</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"I have heard a great deal of you, Mr. Glover," the Admiral said</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"Headed by Nat, the crew of the gig leapt down on to the deck"</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Guns on the Rampart send a Shower of Grape into the Pirate</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_64">64</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"It was not long before he came across the figure of a prostrate man"</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_122">122</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"He fell like a log over the precipice"</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_164">164</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Journey to the Coast</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_178">178</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Rescue of Louise Pickard</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_212">212</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"Four shots were fired and as many negroes fell"</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_226">226</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"The captain of the pirates shook his fist in defiance"</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_246">246</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Message from Toussaint L'Ouverture</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_294">294</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"Drop it!" Nat repeated</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_308">308</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">"Nat sprang on to the rail"</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_318">318</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 640px;"> +<img src="images/heading.jpg" width="640" height="175" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<h1>A ROVING COMMISSION</h1> + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<h4>A FIGHT WITH A BLOODHOUND</h4> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 160px;"> +<img src="images/i002.jpg" width="160" height="160" alt="N" title="N" /> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">ow, look here, Nathaniel—"</p> + +<p>"Drop that, Curtis, you know very well that I +won't have it. I can't help having such a beast of +a name, and why it was given me I have never been +able to make out, and if I had been consulted in the matter all +the godfathers and godmothers in the world wouldn't have +persuaded me to take such a name. Nat I don't mind. I +don't say that it is a name that I should choose; still, I can +put up with that, but the other I won't have. You have only +just joined the ship, but if you ask the others they will tell you +that I have had at least half a dozen fights over the name, +and it is an understood thing here that if anyone wants a +row with me he has only got to call me Nathaniel, and there is +no occasion for any more words after that."</p> + +<p>The speaker was a pleasant-faced lad, between fifteen and +sixteen, and his words were half in jest half in earnest. He +was a general favourite among his mess-mates on board +H. M. frigate <i>Orpheus</i>. He was full of life and fun, excep<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span>tionally +good-tempered, and able to stand any amount of chaff +and joking, and it was understood by his comrades that there +was but one point that it was unsafe to touch on, and that sore +point was his name. It had been the choice of his godmother, +a maiden aunt, who had in her earlier days had a disappointment. +Nat had once closely questioned his father as to how +he came by his name, and the latter had replied testily:</p> + +<p>"Well, my boy, your Aunt Eliza, who is, you know, a very +good woman—no one can doubt that—had a weakness. I +never myself got at the rights of the matter. Anyhow, his +name was Nathaniel. I don't think there was ever any formal +engagement between them. Her own idea is that he loved +her, but that his parents forbade him to think of her; for that +was at a time before her Aunt Lydia left all her money to +her. Anyhow, he went abroad, and I don't think she ever +heard of him again. I am inclined to think it was an entire +mistake on her part, and that the young fellow had never had +the slightest fancy for her. However, that was the one +romance of her life, and she has clung to it like a limpet to +a rock. At any rate when we asked her to be your godmother +she said she would be so if we would give you the name of +Nathaniel. I own it is not a name that I like myself; but +when we raised an objection, she said that the name was +very dear to her, and that if you took it she would certainly +make you her heir, and more than hinted that if you had any +other name she would leave her money to charitable purposes. +Well, you see, as she is worth thirty thousand pounds if she is +worth a penny, your mother and I both thought it would be +folly to allow the money to go out of the family for the sake +of a name, which after all is not such a bad name."</p> + +<p>"I think it beastly, father, in the first place because it is long."</p> + +<p>"Well, my boy, if you like we can shorten it to Nathan."</p> + +<p>"Oh, that would be a hundred times worse! Nathan<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> +indeed! Nat is not so bad. If I had been christened Nat I +should not have particularly minded it. Why did you not +propose that to aunt?"</p> + +<p>His father shook his head. "That would never have done. +To her he was always Nathaniel. Possibly if they had been +married it might some day have become Nat, but, you see, it +never got to that."</p> + +<p>"Well, of course, father," the boy said with a sigh, "as the +thing is done it cannot be helped. And I don't say that aunt +isn't a good sort—first-rate in some things, for she has always +tipped me well whenever she came here, and she says she is +going to allow me fifty pounds a year directly I get my appointment +as midshipman; but it is certainly hard on me that +she could not have fallen in love with some man with a decent +name. Nathaniel is always getting me into rows. Why, the +first two or three years I went to school I should say that I +had a fight over it once a month. Of course I have not had +one lately, for since I licked Smith major fellows are more +careful. I expect it will be just as bad in the navy."</p> + +<p>So when he first joined Nat had found it, but now that he +was nearly sixteen, and very strong and active, and with +the experience of many past combats, the name Nathaniel +had been dropped. It was six months since the obnoxious +Christian name had been used, as it was now by a young +fellow of seventeen who had been transferred to the <i>Orpheus</i> +when the frigate to which he belonged was ordered home. He +was tall and lanky, very particular about his dress, spoke in +a drawling supercilious way, and had the knack of saying +unpleasant things with an air of innocence. Supposing that +Glover's name must be Nathaniel, he had thought it smart +so to address him, but although he guessed that it might irritate +him, he was unprepared for an explosion on the part of a +lad who was proverbially good-tempered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Dear me," he said, in assumed surprise, "I had no idea +that you objected so much to be called by your proper name! +However, I will, of course, in future use the abbreviation."</p> + +<p>"You had better call me Glover," Nat replied sharply. "My +friends can call me Nat, but to other people I am Glover, and +if you call me out of that name there will be squalls; so I warn +you."</p> + +<p>Curtis thought it was well not to pursue the subject further. +He was no coward, but he had the sense to see that as Nat +was a favourite with the others, while he was a new-comer, a +fight, even if he were the victor, would not conduce to his +popularity among his mess-mates. The president of the mess, +a master's mate, a good-tempered fellow, who hated quarrels, +broke what would have been an awkward silence by saying:</p> + +<p>"We seem to be out of luck altogether this trip; we have +been out three weeks and not fired a shot. It is especially +hard, for we caught sight of that brigantine we have been in +search of, and should have had her if she hadn't run into that +channel where there was not water enough for us to follow her."</p> + +<p>"Yes, that was rough upon us, and one hates to go back to +Port Royal without a prize, after having taken so many that +we have come to be considered the luckiest ship on the station," +another said. "Still, the cruise is not over yet. I suppose by +the way we are laying our course, Marston, we are going into +Cape François?"</p> + +<p>The mate nodded. "Yes; we want fresh meat, fruit, and +water, and it is about the pleasantest place among these islands. +I have no doubt, too, that the captain hopes to get some news +that may help him to find out where those piratical craft that +are doing so much mischief have their rendezvous. They are +all so fast that unless in a strong breeze a frigate has no +chance whatever of overhauling them; there is no doubt that +they are all of Spanish build, and in a light breeze they sail<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> +like witches. I believe our only chance of catching them is +in finding them at their head-quarters, wherever that may be, +or by coming upon them in a calm in a bay. In that case it +would be a boat affair; and a pretty sharp one I should think, +for they all carry very strong crews and are heavily armed, +and as the scoundrels know that they fight with ropes round +their necks they would be awkward customers to tackle."</p> + +<p>"Yes, if we happened to find them all together, I don't +think the captain would risk sending in the boats. One at a +time we could manage, but with three of them mounting +about fifty guns between them, and carrying, I should say, +from two hundred to two hundred and fifty men, the odds +would be very great, and the loss, even if we captured them, +so heavy that I hardly think the captain would be justified in +attempting it. I should say that he would be more likely to +get out all the boats and tow the frigate into easy range. She +would give a good account of the whole of them."</p> + +<p>"Yes, there is no doubt about that; but even then we +should only succeed if the bay was a very narrow one, for +otherwise their boats would certainly tow them faster than +we could take the frigate along."</p> + +<p>It was Glover who spoke last.</p> + +<p>"I don't think myself that we shall ever catch them in the +frigate. It seems to me that the only chance will be to get +hold of an old merchantman, put a strong crew on board and +a dozen of our guns, and cruise about until one of them gets a +sight of us and comes skimming along to capture us."</p> + +<p>"Yes, that would be a good plan; but it has been tried +several times with success, and I fancy the pirates would not +fall into the trap. Besides, there is very little doubt that +they have friends at all these ports, and get early information +of any movements of our ships, and would hear of what we +were doing long before the disguised ship came near them. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +can hardly be chance, that it matters not which way we cruise +these fellows begin their work in another direction altogether. +Now that we are here in this great bay, they are probably +cruising off the west of Cuba or down by Porto Rico or the +Windward Islands. That is the advantage that three or four +craft working together have: they are able to keep spies in +every port that our ships of war are likely to go into, while a +single vessel cannot afford such expenses."</p> + +<p>"I don't think that the expenses, Low, would be heavy; +the negroes would do it for next to nothing, and so would +the mulattoes, simply because they hate the whites. I don't +mean the best of the mulattoes, because many of them are +gentlemen and good fellows; but the lower class are worse +than the negroes, they are up to any devilment, and will do +anything they can to injure a white man."</p> + +<p>"Poor beggars, one can hardly blame them; they are +neither one thing nor the other! These old French planters +are as aristocratic as their noblesse at home, and indeed many +of them belong to noble families. Even the meanest white—and +they are pretty mean some of them—looks down upon +a mulatto, although the latter may have been educated in +France and own great plantations. The negroes don't like +them because of their strain of white blood. They are treated +as if they were pariahs. Their children may not go to school +with the whites, they themselves may not sit down in a theatre +or kneel at church next to them, they may not use the same +restaurants or hotels. No wonder they are discontented."</p> + +<p>"It is hard on them," Glover said, "but one can't be +surprised that the whites do fight shy of them. Great numbers +of them are brutes and no mistake, ready for any crime +and up to any wickedness. There is lots of good in the +niggers; they are merry fellows; and I must say for these +old French planters they use their slaves a great deal better<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +than they are as a rule treated by our planters in Jamaica. +Of course there are bad masters everywhere, but if I were +a slave I would certainly rather be under a French master +than an English one, or, from what I have heard, than an +American."</p> + +<p>"Very well, Glover, I will make a note of that, and if you +ever misbehave yourself and we have to sell you, I will drop +a line to the first luff how your preference lies."</p> + +<p>Early the next morning the frigate dropped anchor at +Cape François, the largest and most important town in the +island, with the exception of the capital of the Spanish portion +of San Domingo. The <i>Orpheus</i> carried six midshipmen. Four +of these had been ashore when on the previous occasion the +<i>Orpheus</i> had entered the port. Nat Glover and Curtis were +the exceptions, Curtis having at that time belonged to the +frigate for but a very few weeks, and Nat having been in the +first lieutenant's bad books, owing to a scrape into which he +had got at the last port they had touched at. After breakfast +they went up together to the first lieutenant, whose name +was Hill.</p> + +<p>"Please, sir, if we are not wanted, can we have leave for +the day?"</p> + +<p>The lieutenant hesitated, and then said:</p> + +<p>"Yes, I think the other four will be enough for the boats. +You did not go ashore last time you were here, I think, Mr. +Glover," he added with a slight smile.</p> + +<p>"No, sir."</p> + +<p>"Very well, then, you can go, but don't get into any scrape."</p> + +<p>"I will try not to, sir," Nat said demurely.</p> + +<p>"Well, I hope your trial will be successful, Mr. Glover, for if +not, I can tell you that it will be a long time before you have +leave again. These people don't understand that sort of thing."</p> + +<p>"He is a nice lad," Mr. Hill said to the second lieutenant<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +as the two midshipmen walked away, "and when he has +worked off those animal spirits of his he will make a capital +officer, but at present he is one of the most mischievous young +monkeys I ever came across."</p> + +<p>"He does not let them interfere with his duty," the other +said. "He is the smartest of our mids; he is well up in navigation, +and has any amount of pluck. You remember how he +jumped overboard in Port Royal when a marine fell into the +water, although the harbour was swarming with sharks. It +was a near touch. Luckily we threw a bowline to him, and +the two were hauled up together. A few seconds more and it +would have been too late, for there was a shark within twenty +feet of them."</p> + +<p>"Yes, there is no doubt about his pluck, Playford, and +indeed I partly owe my life to him. When we captured that +piratical brigantine near Santa Lucia I boarded by the stern, +and she had such a strong crew that we were being beaten +back, and things looked very bad until he with the gig's crew +swarmed in over the bow. Even then it was a very tough +struggle till they cut their way through the pirates and joined +us, and we went at them together, and that youngster fought +like a young fiend. He was in the thick of it everywhere, +and yet he was as cool as a cucumber. Oh yes, he has the +making of a very fine officer. Although I am obliged to be +sharp with him, there is not a shadow of harm in the lad, +but he certainly has a genius for getting into scrapes."</p> + +<p>The two midshipmen went ashore together. "I don't know +what you are going to do, Curtis, but after I have walked +through the place and had a look at it, I shall hire a horse +and ride out into the country."</p> + +<p>"It is too hot for riding," the other said. "Of course I +shall see what there is to be seen, and then I shall look for +a seat in some place in the shade and eat fruit."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, we may as well walk through the town together," +Nat said cheerfully. "From the look of the place I should +fancy there was not much in it, and I know the fellows who +went on shore before said that the town contained nothing +but native huts, a few churches, and two or three dozen old +French houses."</p> + +<p>Half an hour indeed sufficed to explore the place. When +they separated Nat had no difficulty in hiring a horse. He +had been accustomed, when in England, to ride a pony, and +was therefore at home in the saddle; he proceeded at a +leisurely pace along the road across the flat plain that surrounded +Cape François. On either side were plantations,—sugar-cane +and tobacco,—and he occasionally passed the +abode of some wealthy planter, surrounded by shady trees +and gardens gorgeous with tropical plants and flowers. He +was going by one of these, half a mile from the town, when +he heard a loud scream, raised evidently by a woman in +extreme pain or terror. He was just opposite the entrance, +and, springing from his horse, he ran in.</p> + +<p>On the ground, twenty yards from the gate, lay a girl. A +huge hound had hold of her shoulder, and was shaking her +violently. Nat drew his dirk and gave a loud shout as he +rushed forward. The hound loosed his hold of the girl and +turned to meet him, and, springing upon him with a savage +growl, threw him to the ground. Nat drove his dirk into +the animal as he fell, and threw his left arm across his throat +to prevent the dog seizing him there. A moment later the +hound had seized it with a grip that extracted a shout of pain +from the midshipman. As he again buried his dirk in the +hound's side, the dog shifted his hold from Nat's forearm to +his shoulder and shook him as if he had been a child.</p> + +<p>Nat made no effort to free himself, for he knew that +were he to uncover his throat for a moment the dog would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +seize him there. Though the pain was terrible he continued +to deal stroke after stroke to the dog. One of these blows +must have reached the heart, for suddenly its hold relaxed +and it rolled over, just as half a dozen negroes armed with +sticks came rushing out of the house. Nat tried to raise +himself on his right arm, but the pain of the left was so great +that he leant back again half-fainting. Presently he felt +himself being lifted up and carried along; he heard a lady's +voice giving directions, and then for a time he knew no more. +When he came to himself he saw the ship's doctor leaning +over him.</p> + +<p>"What is the matter, doctor?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"You are badly hurt, lad, and must lie perfectly quiet. +Luckily the messenger who was sent to fetch a doctor, seeing +Mr. Curtis and me walking up the street, ran up to us and +said that a young officer of our ship was hurt, and that he +was sent in to fetch a doctor. He had, in fact, already seen +one, and was in the act of returning with him when he met +us. Of course I introduced myself to the French doctor as +we came along together, for we fortunately got hold of a +trap directly, so that no time was lost. The black boy who +brought the message told me that you and a young lady had +been bitten by a great hound belonging to his master, and +that you had killed it. Now, my lad, I am going to cut off +your coat and look at your wounds. The Frenchman is +attending to the young lady."</p> + +<p>"Mind how you touch my arm, doctor! it is broken somewhere +between the elbow and the wrist; I heard it snap when +the brute seized me. It threw me down, and I put my arm +across over my throat, so as to prevent it from getting at that. +It would have been all up with me if it had gripped me +there."</p> + +<p>"That it would, Glover. I saw the dog lying on the grass<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +as I came in. It is a big bloodhound; and your presence of +mind undoubtedly saved your life."</p> + +<p>By this time he had cut the jacket and shirt up to the neck. +Nat saw his lips tighten as he caught sight of the wound on +the shoulder.</p> + +<p>"It is a bad bite, eh, doctor?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, it has mangled the flesh badly. The dog seems to +have shifted his hold several times."</p> + +<p>"Yes, doctor, each time I stabbed him he gave a sort of +start, and then caught hold again and shook me furiously. +After the first bite I did not seem to feel any pain. I suppose +the limb was numbed."</p> + +<p>"Very likely, lad. Now I must first of all see what damage +was done to the forearm. I am afraid I shall hurt you, but I +will be as gentle as I can."</p> + +<p>Nat clenched his teeth and pressed his lips tightly together. +Not a sound was heard as the examination was being made, +although the sweat that started out on his forehead showed +how intense was the pain.</p> + +<p>"Both bones are broken," the surgeon said to his French +colleague, who had just entered the room and came up to the +bedside. "The first thing to do is to extemporize some +splints, and of course we shall want some stuff for bandages."</p> + +<p>"I will get them made at once," the doctor replied. +"Madame Demaine said that she put the whole house at +my disposal."</p> + +<p>He went out, and in a few minutes returned with some thin +slips of wood eighteen inches long and a number of strips of +sheeting sewn together.</p> + +<p>"It is very fortunate," the surgeon said, "that the ends of +the bone have kept pretty fairly in their places instead of +working through the flesh, which they might very well have +done.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>"</p> + +<p>Very carefully the two surgeons bandaged the arm from the +elbow to the finger-tips.</p> + +<p>"Now for the shoulder," the doctor said.</p> + +<p>They first sponged the wounds and then began feeling the +bones again, giving exquisite pain to Nat. Then they drew +apart and consulted for two or three minutes.</p> + +<p>"This is a much worse business than the other," Dr. Bemish +said when he returned to the bedside; "the arm is broken +near the shoulder, the collar-bone is broken too, and the flesh +is almost in a pulp."</p> + +<p>"Don't say I must lose the arm, doctor," Nat said.</p> + +<p>"Well, I hope not, Glover, but I can't say for certain. You +see I am speaking frankly to you, for I know that you have +pluck. The injury to the collar-bone is not in itself serious, +but the other is a comminuted fracture."</p> + +<p>"What is comminuted, doctor?"</p> + +<p>"It means that the bone is splintered, lad. Still, there is +no reason why it should not heal again; you have a strong +constitution, and Nature works wonders."</p> + +<p>For the next half-hour the two surgeons were at work picking +out the fragments of bone, getting the ends together, and +bandaging the arm and shoulder. Nat fainted under the pain +within the first few minutes, and did not recover until the +surgeons had completed their work. Then his lips were +wetted with brandy and a few drops of brandy and water +were poured down his throat. In a minute or two he opened +his eyes.</p> + +<p>"It is all over now, lad." He lay for sometime without +speaking, and then whispered, "How is the girl?"</p> + +<p>"Her shoulder is broken," Dr. Bemish replied. "I have +not seen her; but the doctor says that it is a comparatively +simple case."</p> + +<p>"How was it the dog came to bite her?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<p>"She was a stranger to it. She is not the daughter of your +hostess. It seems her father's plantation is some twelve miles +away; he drove her in and left her here with Madame +Demaine, who is his sister, while he went into town on business. +Madame's own daughter was away, and the girl sauntered +down into the garden, when the hound, not knowing her, +sprang upon her, and I have not the least doubt would have +killed her had you not arrived."</p> + +<p>"Are you going to take me on board, doctor?"</p> + +<p>"Not at present, Glover; you need absolute quiet, and if +the frigate got into a heavy sea it might undo all our work, +and in that case there would be little hope of saving your +arm. Madame Demaine told the French doctor that she +would nurse you as if you were her own child, and that everything +was to be done to make you comfortable. The house is +cool, and your wound will have a much better chance of getting +well here than in our sick-bay. She wanted to come in +to thank you, but I said that, now we had dressed your arm, +it was better that you should have nothing to disturb or excite +you. When the girl's father returns—and I have no doubt +he will do so soon, for as yet, though half-a-dozen boys have +been sent down to the town, they have not been able to find +him—he must on no account come in to see you at present. +Here is a tumbler of fresh lime-juice and water. Doctor Lepel +will remain here all night and see that you have everything that +you require."</p> + +<p>The tumbler was held to Nat's lips, and he drained it to the +bottom. The drink was iced, and seemed to him the most +delicious that he had ever tasted.</p> + +<p>"I shall come ashore again to see you in the morning. Dr. +Lepel will go back with me now, and make up a soothing +draught for you both. Remember that above all things it is +essential for you to lie quiet. He will put bandages round<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +your body, and fasten the ends to the bedstead so as to prevent +you from turning in your sleep."</p> + +<p>"All right, sir; I can assure you that I have no intention of +moving. My arm does not hurt me much now, and I would +not set it off aching again for any money."</p> + +<p>"It is a rum thing," Nat thought to himself, "that I should +always be getting into some scrape or other when I go ashore. +This is the worst of all by a long way."</p> + +<p>A negro girl presently came in noiselessly and placed a small +table on the right-hand side of the bed. She then brought +in a large jug of the same drink that Nat had before taken, +and some oranges and limes both peeled and cut up into small +pieces.</p> + +<p>"It is lucky it was not the right arm," Nat said to himself. +"I suppose one can do without the left pretty well when one +gets accustomed to it, though it would be rather awkward +going aloft."</p> + +<p>In an hour Dr. Lepel returned, and gave him the draught.</p> + +<p>"Now try and go to sleep," he said in broken English. "I +shall lie down on that sofa, and if you wake up be sure and call +me. I am a light sleeper."</p> + +<p>"Had you not better stay with the young lady?"</p> + +<p>"She will have her mother and her aunt with her, so she +will do very well. I hope that you will soon go to sleep."</p> + +<p>It was but a few minutes before Nat dozed off. Beyond a +numbed feeling his arm was not hurting him very much. Once +or twice during the night he woke and took a drink. A slight +stir in the room aroused him, and to his surprise he found that +the sun was already up. The doctor was feeling his pulse, a +negro girl was fanning him, and a lady stood at the foot of the +bed looking at him pitifully.</p> + +<p>"Do you speak French, monsieur?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"A little," he replied, for he had learned French while at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> +school, and since the frigate had been among the West Indian +islands he had studied it for a couple of hours a day, as it was +the language that was spoken in all the French islands and +might be useful to him if put in charge of a prize.</p> + +<p>"Have you slept well?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"Very well."</p> + +<p>"Does your arm hurt you very much now?"</p> + +<p>"It hurts a bit, ma'am, but nothing to make any fuss +about."</p> + +<p>"You must ask for anything that you want," she said. "I +have told off two of my negro girls to wait upon you. Of +course they both speak French."</p> + +<p>Half an hour later Dr. Bemish arrived.</p> + +<p>"You are going on very well, Glover," he said after feeling +the lad's pulse and putting his hand on his forehead. "At +present you have no fever. You cannot expect to get through +without some, but I hardly expected to find you so comfortable +this morning. The captain told me to say that he would come +and see you to-day, and I can assure you that there is not one +among your mess-mates who is not deeply sorry at what has +happened, although they all feel proud of your pluck in fighting +that great hound with nothing but a dirk."</p> + +<p>"They are useless sort of things, doctor, and I cannot think +why they give them to us; but it was a far better weapon +yesterday than a sword would have been."</p> + +<p>"Yes, it was. The room is nice and cool, isn't it?"</p> + +<p>"Wonderfully cool, sir. I was wondering about it before +you came in, for it is a great deal cooler than it is on board."</p> + +<p>"There are four great pans full of ice in the room, and they +have got up matting before each of the windows, and are keeping +it soaked with water."</p> + +<p>"That is very good of them, doctor. Please thank Madame +Demaine for me. She was in here this morning—at least I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +suppose it was she—and she did not bother me with thanks, +which was a great comfort. You are not going to take these +bandages off and put them on again, I hope?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, no. We may loosen them a little when inflammation +sets in, which it is sure to do sooner or later."</p> + +<p>Captain Crosbie came to see Nat that afternoon.</p> + +<p>"Well, my lad," he said cheerfully, "I see that you have +fallen into good hands, and I am sure that everything that is +possible will be done for you. I was talking to the girl's +mother and aunt before I came in. Their gratitude to you is +quite touching, and they are lamenting that Dr. Bemish has +given the strictest orders that they are not to say anything more +about it. And now I must not stay and talk; the doctor gave +me only two minutes to be in the room with you. I don't +know whether the frigate is likely to put in here again soon, but +I will take care to let you know from time to time what we are +doing and where we are likely to be, so that you can rejoin +when the doctor here gives you leave; but mind, you are not +to dream of attempting it until he does so, and you must be a +discontented spirit indeed if you are not willing to stay for a +time in such surroundings. Good-bye, lad! I sincerely trust +that it will not be very long before you rejoin us, and I can +assure you of a hearty welcome from officers and men."</p> + +<p>Three days later, fever set in, but, thanks to the coolness of +the room and to the bandages being constantly moistened with +iced water, it passed away in the course of a week. For two or +three days Nat was light-headed, but he woke one morning +feeling strangely weak. It was some minutes before he could +remember where he was or how he had got there, but a sharp +twinge in his arm brought the facts home to him.</p> + +<p>"Thank God that you are better, my brave boy," a voice said +in French, as a cool hand was placed on his forehead; and +turning his head Nat saw a lady standing by his bedside. She<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +was not the one whom he had seen before; tears were streaming +down her cheeks, and, evidently unable to speak, she hurried +from the room, and a minute later Doctor Lepel entered.</p> + +<p>"Madame Duchesne has given me the good news that you +are better," he said. "I had just driven up to the door when +she ran down."</p> + +<p>"Have I been very bad, doctor?"</p> + +<p>"Well, you have been pretty bad, my lad, and have been +light-headed for the past three or four days, and I did not for +a moment expect that you would come round so soon. You +must have a magnificent constitution, for most men, even if +they recovered at all from such terrible wounds as you have +had, would probably have been three or four times as long +before the fever had run its course."</p> + +<p>"And how is the young lady?"</p> + +<p>"She is going on well, and I intended to give permission for +her to be carried home in a hammock to-day, but when I spoke +of it yesterday to her mother, she said that nothing would induce +her to go until you were out of danger. She or Madame +Demaine have not left your bedside for the past week, and next +to your own good constitution you owe your rapid recovery to +their care. I have no doubt that she will go home now, and +you are to be moved to Monsieur Duchesne's house as soon as +you are strong enough. It lies up among the hills, and the +change and cooler air will do you good."</p> + +<p>"I have not felt it hot here, doctor, thanks to the care that +they have taken in keeping the room cool. I hope now that +there is no fear of my losing my arm?"</p> + +<p>"No; I think that I can promise you that. In a day or two +I shall re-bandage it, and I shall then be able to see how the +wounds are getting on; but there can be no doubt that they +are doing well, or you would never have shaken off the fever so +soon as you have done."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Of course the <i>Orpheus</i> has sailed, doctor?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. She put to sea a week ago. I have a letter here that +the captain gave me to hand to you when you were fit to read +it. I should not open it now if I were you. You are very +weak, and sleep is the best medicine for you. Now, drink a +little of this fresh lime-juice. I have no doubt that you will +doze off again."</p> + +<p>Almost before the door closed on the doctor Nat was asleep. +A fortnight later he was able to get up and sit in an easy-chair.</p> + +<p>"How long shall I have to keep these bandages on, +doctor?"</p> + +<p>"I should say in another fortnight or so you might take them +off the forearm, for the bones seem to have knit there, but it +would be better that you should wear them for another month +or six weeks. There would indeed be no use in taking them +off earlier, for the bandages on the shoulder and the fracture +below it cannot be removed for some time, and you will have to +carry your arm in a sling for another three months. I do not +mean that you may not move your arm before that, indeed it is +desirable that you should do so, but the action must be +quiet and simple, and done methodically, and the sling will be +necessary at other times to prevent sudden jerks."</p> + +<p>"But I shall be able to go away and join my ship before +that, surely?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, if the arm goes on as well as at present you may be +able to do so in a month's time; only you will have to be +very careful. You must remember that a fall, or even a lurch +against the rail, or a slip in going down below, or anything of +that kind, might very well undo our work, for it must be +some time before the newly-formed bone is as strong as the +old. As I told you the other day, your arm will be some two +inches shorter than it was."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That won't matter a rap," Nat said.</p> + +<p>That afternoon Nat had to submit to what he had dreaded. +The doctor had pronounced that he was now quite convalescent, +and that there was no fear whatever of a relapse, and Monsieur +and Madame Duchesne therefore came over to see him. He +had seen the latter but once, and then only for a minute, for +she found herself unable to observe the condition on which +alone the doctor had allowed her to enter, namely, to repress +all emotion. Madame Demaine came in with them. Since +her niece had been taken away, she had spent much of her +time in Nat's room, talking quietly to him about his English +home or his ship, and sometimes reading aloud to him, but +studiously avoiding any allusion to the accident. Monsieur +Duchesne was a man of some thirty-five years of age, his wife +was about five years younger, and they were an exceptionally +handsome couple of the best French type. Madame Duchesne +pressed forward before the others, and to Nat's embarrassment +bent over him and kissed him.</p> + +<p>"You cannot tell how we have longed for this time to come," +she said. "It seemed so cold and ungrateful that for a whole +month we should have said no word of thanks to you for saving +our darling's life, but the doctor would not allow it. He said +that the smallest excitement might bring on the fever again, +so we have been obliged to abstain. Now he has given us leave +to come, and now we have come, what can we say to you? Ah, +monsieur, it was our only child that you saved, the joy of our +lives! Think of the grief into which we should have been +plunged by her loss, and you can then imagine the depth of +our gratitude to you."</p> + +<p>While she was speaking her husband had taken Nat's right +hand and pressed it silently. There were tears in his eyes, and +his lips quivered with emotion.</p> + +<p>"Pray do not say anything more about it, madam," Nat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +said. "Of course I am very glad to have saved your daughter's +life, but anyone else would have done the same. You don't +suppose that anyone could stand by and see a girl mauled by +a dog without rushing forward to save her, even if he had had +no arm of any kind, while I had my dirk, which was about as +good a weapon for that sort of thing as one could want. Why, +Harpur, our youngest middy, who is only fourteen, would +have done it. Of course I have had a good deal of pain, but +I would have borne twice as much for the sake of the pleasure +I feel in having saved your daughter's life, and I am sure that I +have had a very nice time of it since I have begun to get +better. Madame Demaine has been awfully good to me. If +she had been my own mother she could not have been kinder. +I felt quite ashamed of being so much trouble to her, and of +being fanned and petted as if I had been a sick girl. And how +is your daughter getting on? The doctor gave me a very good +account of her, but you know one can't always quite believe +doctors; they like to say pleasant things to you so as not to +upset you."</p> + +<p>"She is getting on very well indeed. Of course she has her +arm in a sling still, but she is going about the house, and is +quite merry and bright again. She wanted to come over with +us to-day, but Dr. Lepel would not have it. He said that a +sudden jolt over a stone might do a good deal of mischief. +However, it will not be long before she sees you, for we have got +leave to have you carried over early next week."</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> + + + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<h4>REJOINED</h4> + + +<p>Four days later Monsieur Duchesne came down with six +negroes and a cane lounging chair, on each side of which +a long pole had been securely lashed. Nat's room was on the +ground floor, and with wide windows opening to the ground. +The chair was brought in. Nat was still shaky on his legs, +but he was able to get from the bed into the chair without +assistance.</p> + +<p>"I shall come over to see you to-morrow," Madame Demaine +said, as he thanked her and her husband for their great kindness +to him, "and I hope I shall find that the journey has done +you no harm."</p> + +<p>Four of the negroes took the ends of the poles and raised +them onto their shoulders, the other two walked behind to serve +as a relay. Monsieur Duchesne mounted his horse and took +his place by Nat's side, and the little procession started. The +motion was very easy and gentle. It was late in the afternoon +when they started, the sun was near the horizon, and a gentle +breeze from the sea had sprung up. In half an hour it was +dusk, and the two spare negroes lighted torches they had +brought with them, and now walked ahead of the bearers. It +was full moon, and after having been so long confined in a +semi-darkened room, Nat enjoyed intensely the soft air, the +dark sky spangled with stars, and the rich tropical foliage +showing its outlines clearly in the moonlight.</p> + +<p>Presently Monsieur Duchesne said:</p> + +<p>"I have a flask of brandy and water with me, Mr. Glover, +in case you should feel faint or exhausted."</p> + +<p>Nat laughed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Thank you for thinking of it, monsieur, but there is no +fatigue whatever in sitting here, and I have enjoyed my +ride intensely. It is almost worth getting hurt in order to +have such pleasure: we don't get such nights as this in +England."</p> + +<p>"But you have fine weather sometimes, surely?" Monsieur +Duchesne said.</p> + +<p>"Oh yes, we often have fine weather, but there are not many +nights in the year when one can sit out-of-doors after dark! +When it is a warm night there are sure to be heavy dews; +besides, the stars are not so bright with us as they are here, +nor is the air so soft. I don't mean to say that I don't like our +climate better; we never have it so desperately hot as you do, +and besides, we like the cold, because it braces one up, and +even the rain is welcome as a change, occasionally. Still, I +allow that as far as nights go you beat us hollow."</p> + +<p>The road presently began to rise, and before they reached +the end of the journey they were high above the plain. As +they approached the house the negroes broke into a song, and +on their stopping before the wide verandah that surrounded the +house, Madame Duchesne and her daughter were standing there +to greet them as the bearers gently lowered the chair to the +ground. The girl was first beside it.</p> + +<p>"Ah, monsieur," she exclaimed as she took his hand, "how +grateful I am to you! how I have longed to see you! for I have +never seen you yet; and it has seemed hard to me that while +aunt and the doctor should have seen you so often, and even +mamma should have seen you once, I should never have seen +you at all."</p> + +<p>"There is not much to see in me at the best of times, +mademoiselle," Nat said as he rose to his feet, "and I am +almost a scarecrow now. I wanted to see you, too, just to see +what you were like, you know."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + +<p>He took the arm that Monsieur Duchesne offered him, for +although he could have walked that short distance unaided, he +did not know the ground, and might have stumbled over +something. They went straight from the verandah into a +pretty room lighted by a dozen wax candles. He sat down +in a chair that was there in readiness for him. The girl placed +herself in front of him and looked earnestly at him.</p> + +<p>"Well," he said with a laugh, "am I at all like what you +pictured me?"</p> + +<p>"You are not a scarecrow at all!" she said indignantly. +"Why do you say such things of yourself? Of course you +are thin, very thin, but even now you look nice. I think you +are just what I thought you would be. Now, am I like what +you thought I should be?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know that I ever attempted to think exactly what +you would be," Nat said. "I did not notice your face; I +don't even know whether it was turned my way. I did take +in that you were a girl somewhere about thirteen years old, +but as soon as the dog turned, my attention was pretty fully +occupied. Madame Demaine said your name was Myra. I +thought that with such a pretty name you ought to be pretty +too. I suppose it is rude to say so, but you certainly are, +mademoiselle."</p> + +<p>The girl laughed.</p> + +<p>"It is not rude at all; and please you are to call me Myra +and not mademoiselle. Now, you must get strong as soon +as you can. Mamma said I might act as your guide, and +show you about the plantation, and the slave houses, and +everywhere. I have never had a boy friend, and I should +think it was very nice."</p> + +<p>"My dear," her mother said with a smile, "it is not altogether +discreet for a young lady to talk in that way."</p> + +<p>"Ah! but I am not a young lady yet, mamma, and I think<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +it is much nicer to be a girl and to be able to say what one +likes. And you are an officer, Monsieur Glover!"</p> + +<p>"Well, if I am to call you Myra, you must call me Nat. +Monsieur Glover is ridiculous."</p> + +<p>"You are very young to be an officer," the girl said.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I have been an officer for more than two years," he +said. "I was only fourteen when I joined, and I am nearly +sixteen now."</p> + +<p>"And have you been in battles?"</p> + +<p>"Not in a regular battle. You see England is not at war +now with anyone, but I have been in two or three fights with +pirates and that sort of thing."</p> + +<p>"And now, Myra, you must not talk any more," her father +said. "You know the doctor gave strict orders that he was to +go to bed as soon as he arrived here."</p> + +<p>At this moment the door opened and a slave girl brought in +a basin of strong broth.</p> + +<p>"Well, you may stop to take that."</p> + +<p>Nat spent a delightful month at Monsieur Duchesne's +plantation. For the first few days he lay in a hammock +beneath a shady tree, then he began to walk, at first only for +a few minutes, but every day his strength increased. At the +end of a fortnight he could walk half a mile, and by the time +the month was up he was able to wander about with Myra all +over the plantation. Monsieur Duchesne, on his return one +day from town, brought a letter for him. It was from the +captain himself:</p> + +<p class="pblockquot"><i>Dear Mr. Glover,—I hope you are getting on well, and are +by this time on your legs again. As far as I can see, we are not +likely to be at Cape François again for some time, therefore, when +you feel quite strong enough, you had better take passage in a craft +bound for Jamaica, which is likely to be our head-quarters for some</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +<i>time. Of course if we are away, you will wait till our return. +I have spoken to a friend of mine, Mr. Cummings—his plantation +lies high up among the hills—and he has kindly invited +you to make his place your home till we return, and it will be +very much better for you to be in the pure air up there than in +this pestilential place.</i></p> + +<p>Nat would have started the next day, but his host insisted +upon his staying for another week.</p> + +<p>"You are getting on so well," M. Duchesne said, "that it +would be folly indeed to risk throwing yourself back. Every +day is making an improvement in you, and a week will make +a great difference."</p> + +<p>At the end of that week the planter, seeing that Nat was +really anxious to rejoin his ship, brought back the news that a +vessel in port would sail for Port Royal in two days.</p> + +<p>"I have engaged a cabin for you," he said, "for although +we shall be sorry indeed to lose you, I know that you want to +be off."</p> + +<p>"It is not that I want to be off, sir, for I was never happier +in all my life, but I feel that I ought to go. It is likely enough +that the ship may be short of middies, one or two may be away +in prizes, and it will be strange if no one falls sick while they +are lying in Port Royal. It would be ungrateful indeed if I +wanted to leave you when you are all so wonderfully kind to +me."</p> + +<p>M. Duchesne drove Nat down to the port the next morning. +The midshipman as he left the house felt quite unmanned, for +Myra had cried undisguisedly, and Madame Duchesne was +also much moved. They passed M. Demaine's house without +stopping, as he and his wife had spent the previous evening at +the Duchesnes', and had there said good-bye to him.</p> + +<p>"It is quite time that I was out of this," Nat said to himself<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +as he leaned on the rail and looked back at the port. "That +sort of life is awfully nice for a time, but it would soon make +a fellow so lazy and soft that he would be of no use on board +ship. Of course it was all right for a bit, but since I began to +use my arm a little, I have wanted to do something. Still, it +would have been no good leaving before, for my arm is of no +real use yet, and the doctor said that I ought to carry it in a +sling for at least another month. But I am sure I ought to +feel very grateful to our doctor and Lepel, for I expect I +should have lost it altogether if they hadn't taken such pains +with it at first. Well, it will be very jolly getting back again. +I only hope that the captain won't be wanting to treat me as +an invalid."</p> + +<p>To Nat's delight he saw, as he entered Port Royal, the +<i>Orpheus</i> lying there, and without landing he hailed a boat +and went on board. As soon as he was made out there was +quite a commotion on board the frigate among the sailors on +deck and at the side, while those below looked out of the +port-holes, and a burst of cheering rose from all as the boat +came alongside. As he came up on to the deck the midshipmen +crowded round, shaking him by the hand; and when he +went to the quarter-deck to report his return, the lieutenants +greeted him as heartily. The captain was on shore. Nat +was confused and abashed at the warmth of their greeting.</p> + +<p>"It is perfectly ridiculous!" he said almost angrily, as he +rejoined the midshipmen; "as if there was anything extraordinary +in a fellow fighting a dog!"</p> + +<p>"It depends upon the size of the dog and the size of the +fellow," Needham, the senior midshipman, said, "and also +how he got into the fight."</p> + +<p>"The fact is, Needham, if I had killed the dog with the +first stroke of my dirk nobody would have thought anything +about the matter, and it is just because I could not do so, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +therefore got badly mauled before I managed it, that all this +fuss is made! It would have been much more to the point if +you had all grumbled, when I came on board, at my being +nursed and coddled, while you had to do my duty between +you, just because I was such a duffer that I was a couple of +minutes in killing the dog instead of managing it at once."</p> + +<p>"Well, we might have done so if we had thought of it, but, +you see, we did not look at it in that light, Nat," Needham +laughed; "there is certainly a good deal in what you say. +However, I shall in future look upon my dirk as being of more +use than I have hitherto thought; I have always considered it +the most absurd weapon that was ever put into anyone's hand +to use in action. Not, of course, that one does use it, for one +always gets hold of a cutlass when there is fighting to be +done. How anyone can ever have had the idea of making +a midshipman carry about a thing little better than a pocket-knife, +and how they have kept on doing so for years and +years, is most astonishing! For the lords of the admiralty +must all have been midshipmen themselves at one time, and +must have hated the beastly things just as much as we do. +If they think a full-sized sword too heavy for us—which it +certainly isn't for the seniors—they might give us rapiers, +which are no weight to speak of, and would be really useful +weapons if we were taught to use them properly.</p> + +<p>"Well, we won't say anything more about your affair, +Nat, if you don't like it; but we sha'n't think any the less, +because we are all proud of you, and whatever you may say, +it was a very plucky action. I know that I would rather +stand up against the biggest Frenchman than face one of +those savage hounds. And how is the arm going on? I see +you still have the arm of your jacket snipped open and tied +up with ribbons, and you keep it in a sling."</p> + +<p>"Yes; the doctor made such a point of it that I was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +obliged to promise to wear it until Bemish gives me permission +to lay it aside." He took it out of the sling and moved it +about. "You see I have got the use of it, though I own I +have very little strength as yet; still, I manage to use it at +meals, which is a comfort. It was hateful being obliged to +have my grub cut up for me. How long have you been in +harbour here?"</p> + +<p>"Three days; and you are in luck to find us here, for I hear +that we are off again to-morrow morning. You have missed +nothing while you have been away, for we haven't picked up +a single prize beyond a little slaver with a hundred niggers +on board."</p> + +<p>When the captain came off two hours later with Dr. Bemish +he sent for Nat.</p> + +<p>"I am heartily glad to see you back again, Mr. Glover, and to +see you looking so vastly better than when I saw you last; in +fact, you look nearly as well as you did before that encounter."</p> + +<p>"I have had nothing to do but to eat, sir."</p> + +<p>"Well, the question is, how is your arm?"</p> + +<p>"It is not very strong yet, sir, but I could really do very +well without this sling."</p> + +<p>"Well, you see I have to decide whether you had better +go up to the hills until we return from our next cruise or take +you with us."</p> + +<p>"Please, sir, I would much rather go with you."</p> + +<p>"Yes; it is not a question of what you like best, but what +the doctor thinks best for you. You had better go to him at +once, he will examine your arm and report to me, and of +course we must act on his decision."</p> + +<p>Nat went straight to the doctor.</p> + +<p>"Well, you are looking better than I expected," the latter +said, holding the lad at arm's-length and looking him up and +down; "flesh a good deal more flabby than it used to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span>—want +of exercise, of course, and the result of being looked after +by women. Now, lad, take off your shirt and let me have a +regular examination."</p> + +<p>He moved the arm in different directions, felt very carefully +along each bone, pressing rather hard at the points where +these had been broken, and asking Nat if it hurt him. He +replied "No" without hesitation, as long as the doctor was +feeling the forearm, but when he came to the upper-arm and +shoulder he was obliged to acknowledge that the pressure gave +him a bit of a twinge.</p> + +<p>"Yes, it could hardly be otherwise," the doctor said; "however, +there is no doubt we made a pretty good job of it. +Stretch both arms out in front of you and bring the fingers +together. Yes, that is just what I expected, it is some two +and a half inches shorter than the other; but no one will be +likely to notice it."</p> + +<p>"Don't you think, doctor, that I can go to sea now? The +captain said that you would have to decide."</p> + +<p>"I think a month up in the hills would be a very desirable +thing, Glover. The bones have knit very well, but it would +not take much to break them again."</p> + +<p>"I have had quite enough of plantations for the present, +doctor, and I do think that sea air would do me more good +than anything. I am sure I feel better already for the run +from Cape François here."</p> + +<p>The doctor smiled. "Well, you see, if you did remain on +board you would be out of everything. You certainly would +not be fit for boat service, you must see that yourself."</p> + +<p>"I can't say that I do, sir; one fights with one's right arm +and not with one's left."</p> + +<p>"That is so, lad, but you might get hit on the left arm as +well as the right. Besides, even on board, you might get hurt +while skylarking."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I would indeed be most careful, doctor."</p> + +<p>"Well, we will see about it, and talk it over with the +captain."</p> + +<p>All that evening Nat was in a state of alarm whenever +anyone came with a message to any of his mess-mates; but +when it was almost the hour for lights out he turned into his +hammock with great satisfaction, feeling sure that if it had +been decided that he must go ashore next morning a message +to that effect would have been sent to him. The sound of the +boatswain's whistle, followed by the call "All hands to make +sail!" settled the question. He had already dressed himself +with Needham's assistance, but had remained below lest, if the +captain's eye fell on him, he might be sent ashore. As soon, +however, as he heard the order he felt sure that all was right, +and went up on deck. Here he took up his usual station, +passing orders forward and watching the men at work, until +the vessel was under sail. The want of success on the last +cruise made all hands even keener than usual to pick up something +worth capturing.</p> + +<p>"I suppose there is no clue as to the whereabouts of those +three pirates," he said to Needham as the latter, after the +vessel was fairly under weigh, joined him.</p> + +<p>"No; twice we had information from the captains of small +craft that they had seen suspicious sail in the distance, but +there is no doubt that the niggers had been either bribed or +frightened into telling us the story, for in each case, though +we remained a fortnight cruising about, we have never caught +sight of a suspicious sail. When we returned here we found to +our disgust that they must have been at work hundreds of +miles away, as several ships were missing, and one that came +in had been hotly chased by them, but being a fast sailer +escaped by the skin of her teeth. That is the worst of these +negroes, one can never believe them, and I think the best way<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +would be when anyone came and told a yarn, to go and cruise +exactly in the opposite direction to that in which he tells us +he has seen the pirates."</p> + +<p>"It is a pity we cannot punish some of these fellows who +give false news," Nat said.</p> + +<p>"Yes; but the difficulty is proving that it is false. In the +first place, one of these native craft is so much like another +that one would not recognize it again; besides, you may be +sure that the rascals would give Port Royal a wide berth for +a time. On our last cruise we did take with us the negro who +brought the news, but that made the case no better. He pretended, +of course, to be as anxious as anyone that the pirates +should be caught, and as he stuck to his story that he had +seen a rakish schooner where he said he did, there was no +proof that he was lying, and he pretended to be terribly cut +up at not getting the reward promised him if he came across +them.</p> + +<p>"I have no doubt that he was lying, but there was no way +of proving it. You see, the idea of getting hold of a trader +and fitting her up with a few guns and some men is all well +enough when you have only got to deal with a single schooner +or brigantine, but it would be catching a tartar if these three +scoundrels were to come upon her at once. Of course they are +all heavily armed and carry any number of men, nothing short +of the frigate herself would be a match for them. And one +thing is certain, we can't disguise her to look like a merchantman. +Do what we would, the veriest landlubber would make +her out to be what she is, and you may be sure the pirates +would know her to be a ship of war as soon as they got a sight +of her topsails."</p> + +<p>"You have not heard, I suppose, where our cruising ground +is going to be this time?" Nat asked.</p> + +<p>"No, and I don't suppose we shall know for a few hours.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> +You may be sure that whatever course we take now will not +be our real course, for I bet odds that after dark some fast +little craft will sneak out of harbour to take the pirates news as +to the course we are following, and to tell them that we have +not taken a negro this time who would lead us a dance in the +wrong direction. I should not be surprised if we are going to +search the islands round Cuba for a change. We were among +the bays and islets up north on our last cruise, and the captain +may be determined to try fresh ground."</p> + +<p>Needham's guess turned out to be correct, for after darkness +fell the ship's course was changed, and her head laid towards +Cuba. After cruising for nearly three weeks without success, +they were passing along the coast of the mainland, when Nat, +who had now given up his sling, went aloft with his telescope. +Every eye on deck was turned towards the island, but their +continued failures had lessened the eagerness with which they +scanned the shore, and, as there was no sign of any break in its +outline, it was more from habit than from any hope of seeing +anything that they looked at the rugged cliffs that rose forty or +fifty feet perpendicularly above the water's edge, and at the +forest stretching up the hillsides behind them.</p> + +<p>"You have seen nothing, I suppose, Tom?" he asked the +sailor stationed in the main-top.</p> + +<p>"Not a thing, Mr. Glover."</p> + +<p>Nat continued his way up, and took his seat on the yard of +the topsail. Leaning back against the mast, he brought his +telescope to bear upon the land, and for half an hour scanned +every rock and tree. At last something caught his eye.</p> + +<p>"Come up here, Tom," he called to the sailor below. "Look +there, you see that black streak on the face of the cliff?"</p> + +<p>"I see it, yer honour."</p> + +<p>"Well, look above the first line of trees exactly over it: isn't +that a pole with a truck on the top of it?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You are right, sir! you are right!" the sailor said, as he +got the glass to bear upon the object Nat had indicated, "that +is the upper spar of a vessel of some sort, sure enough."</p> + +<p>"On deck there!" Nat shouted.</p> + +<p>"What is it, Mr. Glover?" the first lieutenant answered.</p> + +<p>"I can make out the upper spar of a craft in among the trees +over there, sir."</p> + +<p>"You are sure that you are not mistaken?"</p> + +<p>"Quite sure, sir. With the glass I can make out the +truck quite distinctly. It is certainly either the upper spar +of a craft of some kind or a flag-staff, of course I cannot say +which."</p> + +<p>The first lieutenant himself ran up the ratlines and joined +Nat. The breeze was very light, and the <i>Orpheus</i> was scarcely +moving through the water. Nat handed his telescope to Mr. +Hill.</p> + +<p>"There, sir, it is about a yard to the west of that black streak +on the rock."</p> + +<p>"I see it," the lieutenant exclaimed after a long gaze at the +shore. "You are right, it must be, as you say, either the spar +of a ship or a flag-staff; though how a ship could get in there +is more than I can say. There, it has gone now!"</p> + +<p>"The trees were rather lower at the point where we saw it, +and the higher trees have shut it in."</p> + +<p>He descended to the deck followed by Nat.</p> + +<p>"Well, what do you make of it, Mr. Hill?" enquired the +captain, who had come out of his cabin on hearing Nat's hail.</p> + +<p>"There is no doubt that Mr. Glover is right, sir, and that it is +the upper spar of a craft of some kind, unless it is a flag-staff +on shore, and it is hardly the sort of place in which you would +expect to find a flag-staff. It is a marvel Mr. Glover made it +out, for even with his glass I had a great difficulty in finding it, +though he gave me the exact bearing."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Thank you, Mr. Glover," the captain said. "At last there +seems a chance of our picking up a prize this cruise. The +question is, how did she get there?"</p> + +<p>"I am pretty sure that we have passed no opening, sir. I +have been aloft for the past half-hour, and have made out no +break in the rocks."</p> + +<p>"That is quite possible," the captain said, "and yet it may +be there. We are a good three-quarters of a mile off the shore, +and some of these inlets are so narrow, and the rocks so much +the same colour, that unless one knows the entrance is there, +one would never suspect it. At any rate we will hold on as +we are for a bit."</p> + +<p>The hail had set everyone on deck on the <i>qui vive</i>, and a +dozen telescopes were turned upon the shore.</p> + +<p>"Unlikely as it seems, Mr. Hill," the captain said, after +they had gone on half a mile without discovering any break +in the line of rock, "I am afraid that it must have been a +flag-staff that you saw. There may be some plantation there, +and the owner may have had one put up in the front of his +house. However, it will be worth while to lower a boat and +row back along the foot of the cliff for a mile or so, and +then a mile ahead of us; if there is an opening we shall be +sure to find it. Tell Mr. Playford to take the gig; Mr. Glover +can go with him as he is the discoverer."</p> + +<p>The boat was lowered at once, and as soon as the officers +had taken their place the six men who composed the crew +bent their backs to the oars, the coxswain making for a point +on the shore about a mile astern of the frigate, which was +lying almost becalmed. The men had taken muskets and +cutlasses with them, for it was probable enough that a watch +might have been set on the cliff, and that, should there be an +inlet, a boat might be lying there ready to pounce out upon +them as soon as they reached it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> + +<p>Every eye was fixed upon the boat as she turned and rowed +along within fifty yards of the foot of the rocks.</p> + +<p>"I thought I could not have been so blind as to pass the +entrance without seeing it," one of the sailors who had been +on watch aloft said, in a tone of satisfaction. "Now, I don't +mind how soon the boat finds a gap."</p> + +<p>But when the boat had paddled on for another mile without +a pause, a look of doubt and dissatisfaction showed itself on +every face.</p> + +<p>"You are quite sure, Mr. Hill," the captain asked, "that +it was a staff of some kind that you saw, and not, perhaps, the +top of a dead tree whose bark had peeled off?"</p> + +<p>"I am quite certain, sir. It was too straight and even for +rough wood; and I made out a truck distinctly: but it is +certainly strange that no entrance should be discovered. I +am afraid that 'tis but a flag-staff after all."</p> + +<p>"I can hardly imagine that," the captain said. "I have +often seen flag-staffs in front of plantation houses, but never +one so high as this must be to show over the trees. If it had +been nearer to the edge of the cliff it might have been a signal-post, +but they would hardly put it a mile back from the edge +of the cliff and bury it among trees. At any rate, if we find +no entrance I will send a landing-party ashore to see what it +really is, that is to say if we can find any place where the +cliff can be scaled."</p> + +<p>"What is it, Mr. Needham?" as the midshipman came up +and touched his hat.</p> + +<p>"The boat is rowing in to shore, sir."</p> + +<p>The two officers went to the side.</p> + +<p>"They have either found an entrance or some point at +which the rock can be scaled—Ah, there they go!" he +went on, as the boat disappeared from sight, "though from +here there is no appearance whatever of an opening."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p> + +<p>It was some minutes before the boat again appeared. It +was at once headed for the frigate.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Playford has news for us of some sort," the captain +said, "the men are rowing hard." In a few minutes the boat +came alongside. The second officer ran up the accommodation +ladder.</p> + +<p>"Well, Mr. Playford, what is your news?"</p> + +<p>"There is an inlet, sir, though if we had not been close in +to those rocks I should never have noticed it. It runs almost +parallel with the coast for a quarter of a mile. I thought at +first that it ended there, but it makes a sharp angle to the +south-east, and continues for a mile or so, and at the other +end there is a large schooner, I have no doubt a slaver. I +fancy they are landing the slaves now. There is a barracoon +on the shore and some storehouses."</p> + +<p>"Did they see you?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir; at least I don't think so. Directly I saw that the +passage was going to make a turn, I went close in to the rocks +on the other side, and brought up at the corner where I could +get a view without there being much fear of our being seen, +and indeed I don't think that it would have been possible +to make us out unless someone had been watching with a +glass."</p> + +<p>"We shall soon know whether they saw you, Mr. Playford. +If they did they will probably set all hands to work to tow the +schooner out, for though there is not wind enough to give us +steerage-way, these slavers will slip along under the slightest +breath. They can hardly have made the frigate out. They +probably thought the hiding-place so secure that they did not +even put a watch on the cliffs. Of course if there was anyone +up there they could have seen the boat leave our side, and +would have watched her all along.</p> + +<p>"Did you see any place at which the cliff could be climbed?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p> + +<p>"No, sir, and up to the turn the rocks are just as steep +inside as they are here, but beyond that the inlet widens out +a good deal and the banks slope gradually, and a landing +could be effected anywhere there, I should say."</p> + +<p>"We will send the boats in as soon as it gets dark, Mr. Hill. +If they saw us coming they would drive off the slaves into the +woods before we could get there, so the best plan will be to +land a strong party at the bend, so that they can get down +to the barracoon at the same time that the others board the +schooner. No doubt this is a regular nest of slave-traders. It +has long been suspected that there was some depot on this side +of the island. It has often been observed that slavers when +first made out were heading in this direction, and more than +once craft that were chased, and, as it seemed, certain to be +caught in the morning, have mysteriously disappeared. This +hiding-place accounts for it.</p> + +<p>"You did not ascertain what depth of water there was at the +mouth of the creek, Mr. Playford?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, I sounded right across with the boat's grapnel; +there is nowhere more than two and a half fathoms, but it is +just about that depth right across."</p> + +<p>"Then it is evident that we cannot take the frigate in. +What is the width at the mouth?"</p> + +<p>"About thirty yards."</p> + +<p>An hour later the <i>Orpheus</i> anchored opposite the mouth of +the inlet, which, however, was still invisible.</p> + +<p>"I think that, as this may be an important capture, Mr. +Hill, it would be as well for you to go in charge of the boats. +Mr. Playford will take the command of the landing-party. I +should say that twenty marines, under Lieutenant Boldero, and +as many blue-jackets, would be ample for that. He had better +take the long-boat and one of the gigs, while you take the +launch, the pinnace, and the other gig. If they have made us<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +out, we may expect a very tough resistance, and it may be that, +although Mr. Playford saw nothing of them, they may have a +couple of batteries higher up."</p> + +<p>"Likely enough, sir."</p> + +<p>"You had better let the landing-party have a start of you, +so that if they should unmask a battery on the side on which +they are, they can rush down at once and silence it."</p> + +<p>"Very good, sir."</p> + +<p>The sun was now approaching the horizon; as soon as it +dipped behind it the boats were lowered, and the sailors, +who had already made all preparations, at once took their +places in them. Needham was in command of the gig that +carried a portion of the landing-party, Nat was in charge of +the other gig, and Low was in charge of the pinnace, Mr. Hill +going in the launch. Nat had first been told off to the gig +now commanded by Needham, but the captain said to the first +lieutenant, "You had better take Glover with you, Mr. Hill, +and let Needham go with Mr. Playford. Scrambling along on +the shore in the dark, one might very well get a heavy fall, +and it is as well that Glover should not risk breaking his arm +again."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<h4>A SLAVE DEPOT</h4> + + +<p>Night fell rapidly as soon as the sun had set, and by the +time the boats reached the mouth of the inlet it was +already dark. The two boats under the second officer entered +first, rowed up the inlet to the bend, and landed the marines +and sailors on the opposite side; the boarding-party lay on +their oars for five minutes and then followed. The oars were +muffled, and the men ordered to row as noiselessly as they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +could, following each other closely, and keeping under the left +bank. They were about half-way up when the word "Fire!" +was shouted in Spanish, and six guns were simultaneously +discharged. Had the Spaniards waited a few seconds longer, +the three boats would all have been in line with the guns. +As it was, a storm of grape sent the water splashing up ahead +of the pinnace, which, however, received the contents of the +gun nearest to them. It was aimed a little low, and fortunately +for the crew the shot had not yet begun to scatter, and +the whole charge struck the boat just at the water-level, knocking +a great hole in her.</p> + +<p>"We are sinking, Mr. Hill," Low said. "Will you come +alongside and pick us up?"</p> + +<p>Although the launch was but a length behind, the gunwale +of the pinnace was nearly level with the water as she came +alongside. Its occupants were helped on board the launch, +which at once held on her way. Half a minute later six guns +were fired from the opposite bank. The boats were so close +under the shore that their position could not be made out with +any certainty. Three men were hit by the grapeshot, but +beyond this there were no casualties.</p> + +<p>"Keep in as much as you dare," Mr. Hill said to the coxswain; +"the battery opposite will be loaded again in a couple +of minutes, but as long as we keep in the shadow of the shore +their shooting will be wild."</p> + +<p>The battery, indeed, soon began to fire again, irregularly, +as the guns were loaded. The shot tore up the water ahead +and astern of the boats, but it was evident that those at the +guns could not make out their precise position. Another five +minutes and the boats were headed for the schooner.</p> + +<p>"You board at the bow, Mr. Glover, I will make for her +quarter. Now, lay out, lads, as hard as you can, the sooner +you are there the less chance you have of being hit."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> + +<p>A moment later a great clamour arose behind them. First +came a British cheer; then rapid discharges of pistols and +muskets, mingled with the clash of cutlasses and swords; a +minute or two later this ceased, and the loud cheer of the +marines and seamen told those in the boats that they had +carried the battery. The diversion was useful to the boats. +Until now the slavers had been ignorant that a party of +foes had landed, and the fact that a barracoon full of slaves, +and the storehouses, were already threatened, caused something +like consternation among them. The consequence was +that they fired hastily and without taking time to aim. Before +they could load again the boats were alongside, unchecked +for an instant by the musketry fire which broke out from the +deck of the schooner as soon as cannon had been discharged.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 503px;"> +<img src="images/i003.jpg" width="503" height="800" alt="Page 40" title="" /> +<span class="caption">“HEADED BY NAT, THE CREW OF THE GIG LEAPT DOWN +ON TO THE DECK.”</span> +</div> + + +<p>Boarding-nettings had been run up, but holes were soon +chopped in these by the sailors. Headed by Nat, the crew +of the gig leapt down on to the deck, for the greater part of +the slaver's crew ran aft to oppose what they considered the +more dangerous attack made by the occupants of the crowded +launch. The defence was successfully maintained until the +crew of the gig, keeping close together and brushing aside +the resistance of the few men forward, flung themselves upon +the main body of the slavers, and with pistol and cutlass hewed +their way through them till abreast of the launch. The slavers +attacked them furiously, and would speedily have annihilated +them, but the crew of the launch, led by Mr. Hill, came +swarming over the bulwarks, and, taking the offensive, drove +the slavers forward, where, seeing that all was lost, they +sprang overboard, striking out for the shore to the right.</p> + +<p>Severe fighting was now going on opposite the schooner, +where the landing-party were evidently attacking the barracoon +and storehouses.</p> + + +<p>"To the boats, men!" Mr. Hill shouted, "our fellows are +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>being hard pressed on shore; Mr. Glover, you with the gig's +crew will remain in charge here."</p> + +<p>Indeed, it was evident that the resistance on shore was +much more obstinate than had been expected. Nat stood +watching the boat. Just as it reached the shore one of the +sailors shouted, "Look out, sir!" and he saw a big mulatto +rushing at him with uplifted sword. His cutlass was still in his +hand, and throwing himself on guard he caught the blow as it +fell upon it, and in return brought his cutlass down on his +opponent's cheek. With a howl of pain the man sprang at +him, but Nat leaped aside, and his cutlass fell on the right +wrist of the mulatto, whose sword dropped from his hand, and, +rushing to the side, he threw himself overboard. In the meantime +a fierce struggle was going on between the sailors and +seven or eight of the slavers who, being unable to swim, had +thrown themselves down by the guns and shammed death, as +had Nat's antagonist, who was first mate of the schooner. +The fight was short but desperate, and one by one the slavers +were run through or cut down, but not before three or four of +the sailors had received severe wounds.</p> + +<p>"Get a lantern, mate," one of these growled, "and see that +there are no more of these skulking hounds alive."</p> + +<p>The sailors, furious at what they considered treachery, +fetched a light that was burning in the captain's cabin, and +without mercy ran through two or three unwounded men +whom they found hiding among the fallen. It was soon clear +that the reinforcement that had landed had completely turned +the tables. Gradually the din rolled away from the neighbourhood +of the storehouses, there was some sharp firing as the +enemy fled towards the wood behind, and then all was quiet. +Presently there was a shout in Mr. Hill's voice from the +shore:</p> + +<p>"Schooner ahoy!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Ay, ay, sir."</p> + +<p>"Load with grape, Mr. Glover, and send a round or two +occasionally into that wood behind the houses; I am going +to leave thirty men here under Mr. Playford, and to take the +rest over to the opposite side and carry the battery there."</p> + +<p>"Ay, ay, sir."</p> + +<p>And as the guns pointing on that side had not been discharged, +he at once opened fire on the wood. A minute later +the launch and gig rowed past the schooner and soon reached +the opposite side. Ten minutes passed without any sound of +conflict being heard, and Nat had no doubt that the battery +had been found deserted. It was not long before the boats +were seen returning. They rowed this time to the schooner.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Glover," the first lieutenant said as he reached the +deck, "do you lower the schooner's cutter, put all the wounded +on board, take four of your men and row out to the frigate +and report to the captain what has taken place. Tell him that +Mr. Playford carried the battery on the right in spite of the +guns, and that I have spiked those in the battery on the left, +which I found deserted. Say that we have had a sharp fight on +shore with a large number of negroes led by two or three +white men and some mulattoes, and that I believe there must +be some large plantations close at hand whose owners are +in league with the slavers. You can say that we found a +hundred and twenty slaves in the barracoon, evidently newly +landed from the schooner, and that I intend to find the plantations +and give them a lesson in the morning. How many +wounded have you here?"</p> + +<p>"There are fourteen altogether, sir; ten of them were +wounded in the first attack, and four have been wounded +since by some of the slavers who shammed death."</p> + +<p>"There are eight more in the launch, happily we have only +two men killed. You had better give all the wounded a drink<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +of water; I have a flask, and I dare say you have one: empty +them both into the bucket."</p> + +<p>There was a barrel half full of water on deck; a bucketful +of this was drawn, and the two flasks of spirits emptied into it, +and a mug of the mixture given to each of the wounded men. +They were then assisted down into the schooner's boat; four +of the gig's crew took their places in it, and Nat, taking the +tiller, told them to row on.</p> + +<p>Half an hour later they came alongside the frigate. A sailor +ran down the ladder with a lantern. Nat stepped out and +mounted to the deck. The captain was standing at the gangway.</p> + +<p>"We have been uneasy about you, Mr. Glover. We heard +a number of reports of heavier guns than they were likely to +carry on board a slaver, and feared that they came from shore +batteries."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, there were two of them mounting six guns each. +Mr. Playford, with the landing-party, captured the one on the +eastern side; Mr. Hill, after the schooner was taken and the +enemy on shore driven off, rowed across and took the other, +which he found unoccupied."</p> + +<p>"What is the loss?"</p> + +<p>"Only two killed, sir, but there are twenty-two wounded, +two or three of them by musket-shots, and the rest cutlass +wounds. They are all in the boat below, sir."</p> + +<p>A party was at once sent down to carry up such of the +wounded as were unable to walk. As soon as all were taken +below, and the surgeon had begun his work, the captain asked +Nat to give him a full account of the proceedings.</p> + +<p>"I cannot tell you much of what took place ashore, sir," he +said, "as Mr. Hill left me in charge of the schooner. After we +had carried her, he went ashore with the crews of the launch +and pinnace to help Mr. Playford."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Tell me all you know first."</p> + +<p>Nat related the opening of the two batteries, and how one +had been almost immediately captured by Mr. Playford.</p> + +<p>"So the pinnace was sunk?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, the enemy's charge struck her between wind and +water, and she went down at once; her crew were picked up +by the launch. I hear that none of them were injured." +Then he told how they had kept under the shelter of the shore, +and thus escaped injury from the other battery, and how the +schooner had been captured.</p> + +<p>"It was lucky that your men got a footing forward, Mr. +Glover. You did well to lead them aft at once, and thus assist +Mr. Hill's party to board."</p> + +<p>Nat then related the sudden attack by the slavers who had +been feigning death.</p> + +<p>"It was lucky that it was no worse," the captain said. "No +doubt they were fellows who couldn't swim, and if there had +been a few more it would have gone hard with you. And now +about this fight on shore; it can hardly have been the crew of +the schooner, for, by the stout resistance they offered, they +must have been all on board."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>Nat then gave the message that Mr. Hill had sent.</p> + +<p>"No doubt, Mr. Glover; I dare say this place has been used +by slavers for years. Probably there are some large barracoons +where the slaves are generally housed, and planters who +want them either come or send from all parts of the island. +I will go ashore myself early to-morrow morning. There is +no question that this is an important capture, and it will be a +great thing to break up this centre of the slave-trade altogether. +Now that their hiding-place has once been discovered, they +will know that our cruisers will keep a sharp look-out here, +and a vessel once bottled up in this inlet has no chance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +whatever of escape. You can go with me, it is thanks to the +sharpness of your eyes that we made the discovery."</p> + +<p>The sun had not yet shown above the eastern horizon when +the captain's gig passed in through the mouth of the inlet, and +ten minutes later rowed alongside the wharf in front of the +barracoon.</p> + +<p>"There is another wharf farther along," the captain said; +"we may take that as proof that there are often two of these +slavers in here at the same time. Ah, there is Mr. Hill! I +congratulate you on your success," he went on, as the first +lieutenant joined him; "there is no doubt that this has been +a regular rendezvous for the scoundrels. It is well that you +attacked after dark, for the cross fire of those batteries, aided +by that of the schooner, would have knocked the boats into +matchwood."</p> + +<p>"That they would have done, sir. I was very glad when +I saw the boat coming, as I thought it was probable that you +were on board her, and we are rather in a difficulty."</p> + +<p>"What is that, Mr. Hill?"</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, as soon as we had settled matters here we followed +the enemy, and found a road running up the valley; and as +it was along this that most of the fellows who opposed us +had no doubt retreated, I thought it as well to follow them up +at once. We had evidently been watched, for a musketry fire +was opened upon us from the trees on both sides. I sent Mr. +Boldero with the marines to clear them out on the left, and +Mr. Playford with twenty seamen to do the same on the right, +and then I pressed forward with the rest. Presently a crowd +of negroes came rushing down from the front, shouting, and +firing muskets. We gave them a volley, and they bolted at +once. We ran straight on, and a hundred yards farther up +came upon a large clearing.</p> + +<p>"In the middle stood a house, evidently that of a planter.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +A short distance off were some houses, probably inhabited by +the mulatto overseers, and a few huts for his white overseers, +and some distance behind these were four large barracoons. +We made straight for these, for we could hear a shouting there, +and had no doubt that the mulattoes were trying to get the +slaves out and to drive them away into the wood. However, +as soon as we came up the fellows bolted. There were about a +hundred slaves in each barracoon. No doubt the fellows who +attacked us were the regular plantation hands. I suppose the +owner of the place made sure that we should be contented with +what we had done, and should not go beyond the head of the +inlet; and when the firing began again he sent the plantation +men down to stop us until he had removed the slaves. I left +Mr. Playford in command there, and brought twenty men back +here; and I was just going to send off a message to you saying +what had taken place, and asking for instructions. You see, +with the slaves we found here, we have over five hundred +blacks in our hands. That is extremely awkward."</p> + +<p>"Extremely," the captain said thoughtfully. "Well, I will +go back with you and see the place. As to the houses—the +plantation house and the barracoons—I shall have no hesitation +in destroying them. This is evidently a huge slaving +establishment, and, as the blacks and their overseers attacked +us, we are perfectly justified in destroying this den altogether. +If I could catch their owner I should assuredly hang him. +The difficulty is what to do with all these unfortunate creatures; +the schooner would not hold more than two hundred if packed +as close as herrings. However, the other thing is first to be +thought of."</p> + +<p>Nat followed his commander and the lieutenant to the +plantation, or, it should rather be said, to the depot; for the +clearing in the valley was but a quarter of a mile long and +a few hundred yards wide. It was evident that if the owner<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> +had a plantation it was at some distance away, and that the +men with whom they had fought were principally mulattoes +and negroes employed about the place, and in minding the +slaves as they were brought in.</p> + +<p>They passed straight on to the barracoons. The sailors had +already brought the slaves out and knocked off their irons. +The poor creatures sat on the ground, evidently bewildered at +what had taken place, and uncertain whether they were in the +hands of friends or enemies.</p> + +<p>"Some of the men have found the cauldrons in which food +is cooked," Mr. Hill said, "and are now preparing a meal for +them; and as we found some hogsheads of molasses and stores +of flour and rice they will get a better meal than they are +accustomed to. I have set some of the strongest slaves to +pump water into those big troughs there; the poor beggars +will feel all the better after a wash."</p> + +<p>"They will indeed. I don't suppose they have had one +since they were first captured in Africa."</p> + +<p>In half an hour a meal was served. As an effort of cooking +it could hardly be termed a success, but was a sort of porridge, +composed of flour and rice sweetened with molasses. There +was some difficulty in serving it out, for only a few mugs +and plates were found at the barracoons. These were supplemented +by all the plates, dishes, and other utensils in the +houses of the owner and overseers. By this time the negroes +had been taken in parties of twenties to the troughs, where +they had a thorough wash.</p> + +<p>"This is all very well, Mr. Hill," the captain said, "but +what are we to do with all these people? Of course we must +move them down to the water, and burn these buildings, in +the first place because the scoundrels who are at the bottom +of all this villainy should be punished, and in the second place +because in all probability they will collect a large number of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +negroes and mulattoes and make an attack. We cannot leave +a force here that could defend itself; therefore, whatever we +decide upon afterwards, it is clear that all the slaves must +be taken down to the houses on the inlet. I should set the +men to open all the stores, and load the negroes with everything +that can be useful. I expect you will find a good deal +of cotton cloth and so on, for no doubt the man here dealt +in other articles besides slaves, and he would, moreover, keep +cottons and that sort of thing for sending them up the country +into market. However, take everything that is worth taking +in the way of food or otherwise, and carry it down to the +storehouses by the water, then set all the houses and sheds +here on fire. When you see them well alight you can bring +the men down to the shore; then we must settle as to our +course. It is a most awkward thing our coming upon all these +slaves. If there were only those who had been landed from +the schooner there would be no difficulty about it, as we should +only have to put them on board again, but with four hundred +others on our hands I really don't know how to manage. We +might stow a hundred in the frigate, though I own I should +not like it."</p> + +<p>"No, indeed," Mr. Hill murmured; "and four hundred +would be out of the question."</p> + +<p>The captain returned to the inlet and made an examination +of the storehouses there. They were for the most part empty. +They were six in number, roughly constructed of timber, and +some forty feet long by twenty wide, and consisted only of +the one floor. They stood ten feet apart. The barracoon was +some twenty yards away. In a short time the slaves began +to pour in, all—men, women, and children—carrying burdens +proportionate to their strength. They had now come to the +conclusion that their new captors were really friends, and with +the light-heartedness of their race laughed and chattered as if<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +their past sufferings were already forgotten. Mr. Playford saw +to the storing of their burdens. These filled one of the storehouses +to the roof. There was, as the captain had anticipated, +a large quantity of cotton cloth among the spoil. Some of these +bales were placed outside the store, twenty of the negroes +were told off to cut the stuff up into lengths for clothing, and +by mid-day the whole of the slaves were, to their delight, +attired in their new wraps. Among the goods that had been +brought down were a number of implements and tools—axes, +hoes, shovels, and long knives. Captain Crosbie had, by this +time, quite made up his mind as to the plan to be pursued.</p> + +<p>"We must hold this place for a time, Mr. Hill," he said as +the latter came down with the last body of sailors, after having +seen that all the buildings in the valley were wrapped in +flames. "I have been thinking over the question of the slaves, +and the only plan that I can see is to go for a two or three +day's cruise in the frigate, in hopes of falling in with some native +craft with which I can make an arrangement for them to return +here with me, and aid in carrying off all these poor creatures. +These five storehouses and the barracoon will hold them all +pretty comfortably. Two of the storehouses had better be +given up to the women and children. We will make a stockade +round the buildings, with the ends resting in the water, and +get the guns from those batteries and put them in position +here. With the help of those on board the schooner, a stout +defence can be made to an attack, however formidable. I +shall leave Mr. Playford in command with forty men on shore; +Mr. Glover will be in charge of the schooner with five-and-twenty +more. The frigate will remain for a couple of days at +her present anchorage, and I will send as many men as we +can spare ashore to help in finishing the work before she sails.</p> + +<p>"In the first place there must be a barrack run up for the +men on shore between the barracoon and the storehouses. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +must be made of stout beams. I don't mean squared, but +young trees placed side by side so as to be perfectly musket-proof. +The palisades should be made of strong saplings, +wattled together, say, ten feet high. A hundred and fifty +sailors, aided by three hundred and fifty able-bodied negroes, +should make quick work of it. The schooner's crew can see to +the removal of the guns from the batteries and their establishment +upon platforms behind the palisade. I should divide the +twelve guns into four batteries, three in each. The armourer +shall come off in the morning to get out the spikes, and the +carpenters shall come with their tools."</p> + +<p>"There are a dozen cross-cut saws among the things that we +have brought down, sir."</p> + +<p>"That is good. How many axes are there?"</p> + +<p>"Four dozen, sir."</p> + +<p>"Good! I will send all the hatchets we have on board. I +think, Mr. Hill, that you had better take up your position on +board the schooner until we sail. How about water? That +is a most important point."</p> + +<p>"The slaves have brought down a large number of staves, sir. +They are evidently intended for sugar hogsheads; they are +done up in separate packets. I should say there were a +hundred of them."</p> + +<p>"That is satisfactory indeed. I will send the cooper ashore, +and with a gang of the black fellows he will soon get them +all into shape. I see that they have relied upon the stream +that comes down from the hills for their supply. One of the +first moves of anyone attacking the place would be to divert +its course somewhere up in the hills. However, with such a +supply as these hogsheads would hold, we could do without +the stream for weeks. The twenty marines who came ashore +with Lieutenant Boldero will remain as part of the garrison."</p> + +<p>The work was at once begun. The sailors looked upon it as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> +a pleasant change from the ordinary routine of life on board +ship, and threw themselves into it vigorously, while the blacks, +as soon as they understood what was wanted, proved themselves +most useful assistants. Accustomed in their African homes +to palisade their villages, they knew exactly what was required. +Some, with their hoes, dug a trench four feet deep; others +dragged down the poles as the sailors cut them, erected them +in their places, and trod the earth firmly round them. Others +cut creepers, or split up suitable wood, and wove them in and +out between the poles; and, by the time darkness fell, a surprising +amount of work had been accomplished.</p> + +<p>One of the storehouses was turned over to those who could +not be berthed on board the schooner, most of the slaves +preferring to sleep in the open air, which to them was a +delightful change after being cooped up for weeks in the +crowded hold of a ship, or in the no less crowded barracoons. +Sentries were posted as soon as it became dark, but the night +passed off without an alarm, and at daybreak all were at work +again. The launch returned to the frigate when work was +knocked off, and came back with a fresh body of men in the +morning, and with the carpenters, coopers, and all the available +tools on board. By the evening of the third day the work was +completed. Four banks of earth had been thrown up by the +negroes against the palisade, and on each of these three guns +were mounted. The hut for the garrison had been completed. +The hogsheads were put together and filled with water, and a +couple of hundred boarding-pikes were put ashore for the use +of the negroes.</p> + +<p>Nat had been fully employed, with the schooner's crew, in +removing the guns from the batteries, and placing them on the +platforms constructed by the carpenters on the top of the earthworks.</p> + +<p>"It is quite possible," the captain said to Mr. Playford,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +"that this creek is used by pirates as well as slavers. They +may come in here to sell goods they have captured suitable +for use in the islands, such as cotton cloths and tools, and which +it would not pay them to carry to their regular rendezvous. It +will be great luck if one or two of them should put in here +while I am away. It would greatly diminish the difficulty we +have of getting the slaves away."</p> + +<p>"That would be fortunate indeed, sir. Even if two came in +together we could give a good account of them, for as the +palisade is mostly on higher ground than the huts, we should +only have to slue the guns round and give them such a warm +welcome that they would probably haul down their flags at +once."</p> + +<p>"Yes. You had better tell Mr. Glover to run up the Spanish +flag if any doubtful-looking craft is seen to be making for the +entrance, and I should always keep a couple of signallers up +on the cliff, so as to let you know beforehand what you might +have to expect, and to see that there is nothing showing that +could excite their suspicions, until it is too late for them to +turn back."</p> + +<p>Doubtless what was going on in the inlet had been closely +watched from the woods, for in the evening of the day on +which the frigate sailed away scattered shots were fired from +the forest, and the sound of the beating of tom-toms and +the blowing of horns could be heard in the direction of the +plantation whose buildings they had destroyed.</p> + +<p>The lieutenant had gone off to dine with Nat, and they +were sitting on deck smoking their cigars when the firing +began.</p> + +<p>"I almost expected it," he said. "No doubt they have +been waiting for the frigate to leave before they did anything, +as they would know that at least half of those who have been +ashore would re-embark when she left. I have no doubt the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +scoundrels whose place we burnt have sent to all the planters +in this part of the islands to assemble in force to attack us. +If they have seen us making the palisade and mounting the +guns, as no doubt they have done, they certainly will not +venture to assault the place unless they are in very strong +force, but they can make it very unpleasant for us. It is not +more than eighty yards to the other side of the creek, and from +that hill they would completely command us. You will scarcely +be able to keep a man on deck, and we shall have to stay in +the shelter of the huts. Of course on this side they would +scarcely be able to annoy us, for they would have to come +down to the edge of the trees to fire, and as we could fire +through the palisade upon them they would get the worst of it."</p> + +<p>"We might row across in the boats, sir, and clear the wood +of them if they became too troublesome."</p> + +<p>"We should run the risk of losing a good many men in doing +so, and a good many more as we made our way up through the +trees and drove them out, and should gain nothing by it, for +as soon as we retired they would reoccupy the position. No; +if they get very troublesome I will slue a couple of guns round +and occasionally send a round or two of grape among the +trees. That will be better than your doing so, because your +men at the guns would make an easy mark for them, while +we are farther off, and indeed almost out of range of their +muskets."</p> + +<p>The firing soon died away, but in the morning it was reopened, +and it was evident that the number in the wood had +largely increased. Bullet after bullet struck the deck of the +schooner, and Nat was obliged to order the greater part of the +crew to remain below, and to see that those who remained on +deck kept under the shelter of the bulwark. Presently a sharp +fire broke out from the trees facing the palisade, and this was +almost immediately replied to by the blue-jackets and marines.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +The fire of the assailants soon slackened, and Nat thought that +it had only been begun with the object of finding out how +strong a force had been left behind. Presently two of the guns +on shore spoke out, and sent a volley of grape into the wood +in which his own assailants were lurking. It had the effect of +temporarily silencing the fire from that quarter. This, however, +was but for a short time. When it began again it was +taken up on the other side also, the party which had made the +demonstration against the palisade evidently considering that +the schooner, which lay midway between the two shores, was a +safer object of attack than the stockade. As the bulwark now +offered no shelter, all went below. Two of the men were +about to pull up the boat which was lying at the stern, and +Nat went to the ladder to take his place in it, when he was +hailed from shore.</p> + +<p>"You had better stay where you are, Mr. Glover, until it +gets dusk. You would only be a mark for every man with a +musket, up in the trees above us, and, so far as I can see, there +is nothing we can do until they begin work in earnest."</p> + +<p>"Very well, sir," Nat shouted back, "I will come off after +it gets dusk."</p> + +<p>Firing continued all day, but died away at sunset, and soon +afterwards Nat went ashore.</p> + +<p>"This is very awkward," the lieutenant said. "It is most +unpleasant being potted at all day by fellows who won't show +themselves, but I can't see that we can help it. By the noise +and jabbering that breaks out at times, I should think that +there must be some hundreds of them on this side alone, and +we shall have to wait till they begin in earnest. Their +leaders must know that they can be doing us no harm by +their distant fire, and they must sooner or later make an attack +on us. You see they have a strong temptation. They must +have seen that none of the slaves have been taken away,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +and as there are five hundred of them, and I suppose they +are worth from twenty to forty pounds a head, it is a big +thing, to say nothing of the stores. Then I have no doubt +they are thirsting for revenge, and although they must see +that they will have to fight very hard to take the place, they +must try without delay, for they will know that the frigate +will be back again before very long, and will probably bring +some craft with her to carry away the slaves. So I think we +must put up with their fire till they harden their hearts and +attack us in earnest. They will make the attack, I expect, +about the centre of the palisade, for your guns would cover both +our flanks. If we are hard pressed I will light a port fire, and +you had better land with twenty of your men, leaving five to +take care of the ship and work a gun or two should they try +to take us in flank."</p> + +<p>"I should not be surprised if they tried to-night. Shall I +bring ten of the men on shore at once, sir?"</p> + +<p>"Well, perhaps it would be as well. Forty men are not a +very large force for this length of palisade and to work some +of the guns at the point where they may attack us, and I expect +their first rush will be a serious one, and we shall have +all our work cut out for us. There is one thing; we can +rely, in case of their making a way in, on the slaves. By this +time they quite understand that we are friends and that the +people who had been firing on us are their enemies, and I +believe they would fight like demons rather than fall into their +hands again. I have torn up a bale of white calico and have +given a strip of it to each man to tie round his head, so that +we can tell friend from foe and they can recognize each other +in the dark. The enemy won't reckon on that, and will think +that they have only a small body of whites to deal with. Do +you notice how silent the woods are now? I think we may +take that as a sign that they are preparing for mischief."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The sooner it comes the better. Have you plenty of port +fires, Mr. Playford?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, a large boxful came on shore with the last boat +yesterday."</p> + +<p>Nat went off again, and picked out ten men to land with him.</p> + +<p>"Get the other boat down," he said to the petty officer. +"You will understand that if any attack is made on the flanks +of the work you are to open fire at once upon them with +grape. If a blue light is burned at the edge of the water ten +men are to land instantly. You will remain in charge of the +other five. So far as we know they have no boats, but they +may have made a raft, and may intend to try and take the +schooner, thinking that the crew will probably be on shore. +So you must keep a sharp look-out on the other side as well as +this. Light a blue light if you see a strong party coming off, +and we will rejoin you at once."</p> + +<p>He again landed with the ten men he had chosen.</p> + +<p>"I have six men on watch," the lieutenant said, "and have +put one of the blacks with each. I fancy their ears are +sharper than ours are, and they will hear them coming before +our men do."</p> + +<p>Having nothing to do, Nat went into the barracoon and +the other houses in which the slaves were placed. The contrast +between their condition now and when he had seen them +four days before, when they had first been found, was striking +indeed. Now they were clean, and looked picturesque in their +bright calico clothes. The look of dull and hopeless misery +had passed away, and it seemed to him that with the good +and plentiful food they had received they were already perceptibly +plumper. They would have risen as he entered, but +he signed to them to keep their places. They now had room +to lie down in comfort, and while some sat chatting in groups +others moved about. They were evidently proud of their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +arms, and some of them, seizing their pikes or hatchets, made +signs how they would fight their enemies. A ship's lantern +was burning in each hut.</p> + +<p>In the women's huts the scene was still more interesting. +The little children ran up to Nat with a new-born confidence +in white men. Some of the women brought up babies to show +him, and endeavoured to make him understand that these +would soon have died had it not been for the sailors. The +windows and doors stood open, and the evening breeze cleared +the huts of the effluvium always present where a number of +negroes congregate together. The sight of the poor creatures +enraged Nat still more against the slavers, and made him long +for them to begin their attack.</p> + +<p>"It is quite pleasant to see them," he said as he joined Mr. +Playford. "They are wonderfully changed in this short time. +One would hardly have thought it possible. What will become +of them?"</p> + +<p>"I expect we shall take them to Jamaica, and that there +they will be let out as free labourers to the planters. You +see there is no law against the slave-trade, though public +opinion is so strong on the subject at home that I have no +doubt such a law will be passed before long. So, of course, we +have not captured the slaves because of their being slaves, but +simply as we should capture or destroy other property belonging +to an enemy. Then, too, many of the slavers act as pirates +if they get the chance, and there can be little doubt that a +considerable quantity of the goods we found are the proceeds +of piracy. Besides, you must remember that they fired at us +before we fired at them. So we have plenty of good reasons +for releasing these poor beggars. You see these seas swarm +with scoundrels of all kinds, and it is quite safe to assume that +all ships that cannot show that they are peaceful traders are +engaged in nefarious business of some kind or other."</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<h4>A SHARP FIGHT</h4> + + +<p>Mr. Playford and Nat were still talking when a sailor +came up to him with one of the negroes.</p> + +<p>"What is it, Tomkins?" the lieutenant asked.</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, this 'ere black seems to hear something; he keeps +pointing up into the wood and whispering something in his +own lingo and looking very excited, so I thought I had better +bring him here to you."</p> + +<p>"Quite right, Tomkins; no doubt he does hear something, +their ears are a good deal better than ours are. I will go up +with you."</p> + +<p>Accompanied by Nat, Mr. Playford went up on to the bank +of earth that had been thrown up against the palisade, and +found that the negroes there were all in a state of excitement, +pointing in various directions and shaking their pikes +angrily.</p> + +<p>"They are coming, there is no doubt of that," he said. "I +should say, by the motions of the blacks, that they are +scattered through the wood. Well, we are ready for them. +You had better get your slow matches alight, my lads; don't +take the covers off the vents until the last moment, the dew +is heavy."</p> + +<p>They were joined now by Lieutenant Boldero. "I think +I can hear them," he said.</p> + +<p>"Yes. I should not have noticed if it had not been for the +blacks, but there is certainly a confused noise in the air."</p> + +<p>Listening attentively, they could hear a low rustling sound, +with sometimes a faint crack as of a breaking stick.</p> + +<p>"As soon as we think that they have got to the edge of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> +trees we will throw a fireball out in that direction, and then +let them have it. We must keep them from getting closer if +we can; when they once get near the foot of the palisade we +shall not be able to depress our guns enough to fire upon them."</p> + +<p>In a short time there was no question that a large number +of men were making their way down through the wood. The +blacks were now brought out from the houses and ranged +along at the foot of the bank, where they were ordered to stay +for the present, as were they to man the line they would be +exposed to the assailants' bullets, while powerless to do any +service until the latter began to attempt to scale the stockade.</p> + +<p>"They must be gathering at the edge of the trees now," the +lieutenant said at last. "Now, Tomkins, light that fireball +and heave it over."</p> + +<p>The ball, which was formed of old junk, was about the size +of a man's head. The material had been smeared with tar +mixed with sulphur, and Tomkins held in his hand the lanyard +attached to it. He applied a slow match to it, and it broke +into a blaze at once. Swinging it round his head, he hurled +it far in front of him. By its light as it fell a crowd of figures +could be seen gathered along the edge of the forest. A fierce +yell broke from them, and loud shouts were raised by the +leaders ordering them to charge, but before they could get +into motion four guns poured a storm of grape among them, +followed directly afterwards by the contents of four others. +An appalling din of yells and shrieks was heard, but without +an instant's hesitation a score of figures in European dress +darted forward, followed by a mass of blacks, behind whom +came another thirty or forty Europeans or mulattoes driving +the negroes before them.</p> + +<p>"Pick off the whites!" Lieutenant Boldero shouted to the +marines, and a dropping fire of musketry was at once opened.</p> + +<p>The distance, however, from the edge of the trees to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> +palisades was but some fifty yards; the light was dim and +uncertain, and in a minute from the first shot being fired the +assailants were swarming along the foot of the palisade. There +was no hesitation, and it was evident that the men who led the +attack had made every preparation. A number of the assailants +carried ladders; these were placed against the wall, and +the whites and mulattoes swarmed up, closely followed by the +negroes. So sudden and unexpected was this assault that +in several places they obtained a footing inside the palisades, +but with a wild yell the slaves at once rushed up the bank +and fell upon them. At the same moment the boom of the +schooner's guns told that they had made out parties of the +enemy advancing against the flanks of the works.</p> + +<p>The arrival of the slaves soon changed the position. The +assailants were cut down, run through, or forced to leap down +over the stockade that they had just crossed. In spite of the +shouts of the lieutenant, the slaves, thirsting for vengeance, +leapt down after them, and fell with such fury upon the +assailants that these, seized with a panic, fled. At the edge +of the trees, however, the efforts of the whites checked the +flight. Guns and pistols were discharged for the first time, +and a fierce fight presently raged.</p> + +<p>"We must go down and lend them a hand," the lieutenant +said. "Keep your men here, Mr. Glover, to get the guns +loaded again; I will take my blue-jackets and the marines. +Light a port fire or two, else, in spite of their white head-gear, +we shall be hurting our friends."</p> + +<p>The sailors and marines soon scrambled down the ladders, +and, led by their officers, rushed forward with loud cheers. +Their arrival at once decided the fortune of the fray. +Rushing through their black allies, they fell with sword and +cutlass, musket and bayonet, upon the Europeans, whose +pistols had given them a decided advantage over the slaves,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +but who could not stand the charge of the marines and +seamen. These pursued them for some little distance, but +when beyond the range of the lights of the stockade Lieutenant +Playford halted them. The slaves, however, continued the +pursuit for some time, and then they, too, returned, having +overtaken and killed many of their flying enemies.</p> + +<p>"There is nothing more to be done till daylight," Mr. Playford +said. "Indeed, I do not think that we shall hear any +more of these fellows, who, to do them justice, fought well. +Our guns must have done a good deal of execution, though +they would have done much more had they not been so close; +the bullets had hardly begun to scatter. However, we shall +see in the morning. It is lucky that we armed the slaves, or +it would have gone very hard with us. You see, we had half +our men at the guns, and the others were too thinly scattered +along the line to be able to defend it against so determined +an attack. I expect they never calculated on the slaves being +armed, and thought that they had only forty or fifty men to +deal with. After the lesson that they have had I don't think +they will molest us again, unless there are any troops in the +neighbourhood that they can bring up."</p> + +<p>The palisades were recrossed and sentries set; grog was +served out to the seamen and marines; the slaves were mad +with delight, and danced and sang songs of triumph for some +time. As soon, however, as the lieutenant motioned them to +return to their huts they did so at once. Many of them were +wounded more or less severely, but they seemed to think +nothing of this, being too much pleased with the vengeance +they had taken to care aught for the pain. Nat prepared +to return to the schooner with his men, none of whom were, +however, seriously hurt, as they had been held in reserve. +Altogether, three sailors and a marine had been killed and +six severely wounded.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Are you going on board, Mr. Playford?"</p> + +<p>"No; I shall stay ashore till morning. I do not think that +there is the remotest chance of the attack being renewed; +however, it is clearly my duty to stay here."</p> + +<p>As soon as it was daylight Nat went on shore again, and +with ten of his own men, ten marines, and a hundred of the +slaves, went over the ground to collect the wounded, and learn +the loss of the assailants. All the wounded sailors had been +carried into the fort when the fight ceased. Six Spaniards +and nine mulattoes lay dead either on the earthen rampart +or at the foot of the palisade. All of them were pierced +in several places by pikes, or mutilated with blows of axes. +Round them lay some twenty plantation negroes, and thirty +others had fallen at the edge of the wood, shattered by the +discharges of the cannon or killed in the hand-to-hand conflict; +among them were twelve of the released slaves. Not +a single white or mulatto was found alive.</p> + +<p>The party pursued their way for a quarter of a mile into +the wood. Here and there were scattered the bodies of the +assailants who had been overtaken by their pursuers. The +latter had done their work thoroughly, for not a single man +was found to be breathing. When they came to a point beyond +which the slaves by signs apprised them that they had not +gone, they returned, collecting and carrying down the bodies +of the dead as they went. They found on their return that +two trenches, four feet deep and thirty feet long, had already +been dug, at the edge of the forest and as far from the camp +as possible. In one of these the bodies of the Spaniards and +mulattoes were laid, and in the other that of the negroes. +The earth was then filled in.</p> + +<p>"It has been an unpleasant job, but a necessary one," Lieutenant +Playford said, when he knew that the work was done, +and the whole party re-entered the fort. "In a climate like<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> +this the place would have been uninhabitable in a couple of +days if we had not buried them all."</p> + +<p>In the afternoon two fresh graves were made, and the fallen +sailors were reverently laid to rest in one, the dead slaves in +the other. Water was brought up in buckets by the negroes +from the edge of the creek, and all signs of the conflict on the +rampart and at the foot of the palisade either washed away +or covered with earth. Then matters resumed their former +aspect.</p> + +<p>Early the next morning the look-out on the cliff ran down +and reported that a large brigantine was just entering the +inlet. Mr. Playford shouted the news to Nat.</p> + +<p>"I will send off the marines to you," he said. "I will +remain here with the blue-jackets."</p> + +<p>The Spanish flag was at once run up to the peak. In two +or three minutes the boat with the marines came alongside. +They and the greater part of the sailors at once lay down on +the deck, while the few who remained on foot took off their +straw hats and white jumpers, tied handkerchiefs round their +heads, and gave themselves as unseamanlike an appearance +as possible. Ten minutes later the brigantine appeared round +the point; there was scarce a breath of wind, and she had +two boats towing her. A flag hung from her mast-head, and +as Nat turned his glass upon it he exclaimed to Boldero, +who, having removed his coat and cap, was standing by his +side:</p> + +<p>"It is the black flag; the fellow must be pretty sure of his +welcome or he would never venture to haul it up."</p> + +<p>In the meantime the guns ashore had been slued round, +and were now pointed on a spot somewhat ahead of the +schooner. She came slowly along until within some four or +five lengths of the latter, then there was a sudden shout on +board, followed by a tremendous hubbub. It was clear that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +the line of palisades surrounding the huts had been noticed +and the guns seen.</p> + +<p>The brigantine was crowded with men. She carried twelve +guns in her ports, and a long swivel eighteen-pounder in her +bow. There was now no longer any motive for concealment, +the marines and seamen leapt to their feet with a +cheer, and a moment later the schooner's two foremost guns, +which would alone bear on the boats, spoke out, while almost +at the same moment two of those on the rampart sent a +shower of grape into them. Both boats sank immediately, +those of the crews who were uninjured swimming to the +brigantine. Contradictory orders were shouted on board the +pirate. One by one her guns on the port side answered those +on the ramparts.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 514px;"> +<img src="images/i004.jpg" width="514" height="800" alt="Page 64" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE GUNS ON THE RAMPART SEND A SHOWER OF GRAPE +INTO THE PIRATE.</span> +</div> + +<p>"Get ready, my lads!" Nat shouted, "she will be alongside +directly."</p> + +<p>The impetus of the schooner's way was indeed sufficient to +take her slowly but surely forward, and the pirate slightly +changed his course so as to bring her outside the schooner. +Playford saw what his object was, and the remaining guns +poured their charges of grape across the deck of the brigantine, +committing terrible havoc. Before they could be loaded +again she was alongside the schooner, and so covered by her +from the fire of the guns on shore. As the vessels came +abreast of each other at a distance of two or three feet only, +Nat and the young marine officer leapt on to the pirate's deck +followed by their men. The resistance of the pirates was +desperate. Although they had suffered much loss from the +fire of the guns, they were still numerically stronger than their +assailants, and, fighting as they did with the desperation of +despair, they not only held their ground, but pushed their +assailants back towards the bulwark.</p> + +<p>For three or four minutes the fight continued without any +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>marked advantage to either party; the pistols of the seamen +and pirates and the muskets of the marines were empty, and +they were fighting hand to hand. Then slowly the advantage +turned against the pirates, but the issue was still undecided +when there was a loud cheer, and Mr. Playford with fifteen +sailors leapt on the deck of the pirate from the other side, the +approach of the boat having been unnoticed in the heat of the +fray. The pirates now broke; their captain had fallen, and, +outnumbered and hopeless, some threw down their arms, while +others jumped overboard. Those who surrendered were at +once bound and battened down in the hold of the schooner, +some eight or ten only gained the opposite shore and took to +the woods. The victory had not been a bloodless one. Five +of the frigate's crew had been killed, and there were few among +Nat's command who were not more or less severely wounded.</p> + +<p>"It was a sharp fight, Mr. Glover," Mr. Playford said.</p> + +<p>"It was indeed, sir. At one time they fairly drove us +back, but I think that we should have beaten them even if you +had not brought help to us."</p> + +<p>"I am sure you would," the lieutenant said warmly. "I +could see as I boarded that although the men in front were +fighting hard, those in the rear were hanging back as if they +had had enough of it. Still, you might have lost more men +than you did before you finished with them if we had not +turned up. You see, fighting with pirates is quite a different +thing from fighting with any other opponents. These fellows +know well enough that there is no mercy for them, and that +they have nothing before them but to fight until they die, or +to be tried and hanged. The veriest coward would fight till +the last with such an alternative as that before him. I would +rather fight a hundred and fifty French or Spanish seamen +than a hundred pirates. She is a fine roomy craft that we +have taken, and I think we shall now be able to carry off<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +all these blacks. No doubt it will be a close pack for them, +but for a short voyage that will not matter. Now let us see +to our wounded. After that is done we can get off the +hatches and have a look round below. Of course she may +have come in here for water, but it is likely that she has at +least some booty in her hold."</p> + +<p>This proved to be the case. She was half full of goods of a +more or less valuable kind, and these, by the marks on the +bales and boxes, had evidently formed part of the cargoes of +three ships. Two days later the <i>Orpheus</i> was seen returning +along the coast, and Nat was at once sent off by the lieutenant +with his written report of what had taken place since she had +sailed. The gig reached the side of the frigate just as the +anchor was let go.</p> + +<p>"I see your right arm is in a sling, Mr. Glover," the captain +said as he handed him the report, "so I suppose that you have +had some fighting."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, we have had some pretty sharp fighting."</p> + +<p>"What is your wound?"</p> + +<p>"Only a chop with a cutlass, sir."</p> + +<p>"Oh, you came to hand-to-hand work, did you?"</p> + +<p>Nat gave no answer, for the captain had opened the report +and was now running his eye down it.</p> + +<p>"Very satisfactory," he said, as he handed it to the first +lieutenant. "An attacking force handsomely repulsed and a +pirate captured. Very good work indeed, very good. I see +Mr. Boldero was wounded, Mr. Glover."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, he was hit on the head with a pistol-shot. Fortunately +the ball glanced off the skull. He was stunned for a +time, but is now nearly himself again."</p> + +<p>"Here is some work for you, Dr. Bemish," the captain said. +"Mr. Playford reports that ten of the cases are serious. I am +going ashore in my gig at once, and will take you with me.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +You had better send the cutter at once, Mr. Hill, to bring off +the wounded. You may as well return in your own boat, +Mr. Glover, Mr. Curtis can go in charge of the cutter. Mr. +Needham can go with me."</p> + +<p>Nat at once returned to his boat. He was overtaken by the +captain's gig when half-way up the inlet. He rowed to the +schooner, while the gig made straight for the landing-place +where the lieutenant was standing.</p> + +<p>"I congratulate you, Mr. Playford," the captain said as he +stepped ashore. "You seem to have had a pretty busy time +of it since we have been away. I certainly did not think they +would attempt to attack you when you had those guns in +position, and I did not reckon on the pirate. She is a fine +brigantine; the schooner looks quite small beside her."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, she is over three hundred tons. Her broadside +guns are all twelve-pounders, and she carries an eighteen-pounder +as a swivel. She had a crew of seventy men, of +whom only eight or ten got ashore, the rest were all accounted +for except twelve, who are in irons below. The credit of +capturing her, sir, really belongs to Mr. Glover, for although +I went off to his assistance he would have taken her without +my aid, though the pirates were still fighting strongly."</p> + +<p>"Well, it has been a very successful business altogether, +Mr. Playford. The capture of the brigantine is specially fortunate, +as I have failed to come across any native craft as I +had hoped to do, but with this extra accommodation we shall +be able to manage to carry off all the slaves. I see by your +account that Mr. Glover had the marines as well as his own +twenty men."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, I sent Lieutenant Boldero and fourteen marines +on board; he had lost six either killed or seriously wounded +in the attack here. I own that I had hardly calculated upon +the brigantine getting alongside the schooner. I thought that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +when we had smashed up her boats, which I made certain +we should do, she would be so completely at our mercy that, +being becalmed, she would haul down her flag; but she had +sufficient way on her to take her alongside the schooner, and +her captain put her there so cleverly that I could not fire at +her except through the schooner. I saw at once that the +whole position was changed, for if he had captured the +schooner he might have put all his men into the boats and +made a dash for shore; and as I had so few men fit for work +it would have been awkward, though with the aid of the +blacks I have no doubt I should have driven them off."</p> + +<p>"Then I suppose your discharge of grape did not do him +very much harm?"</p> + +<p>"Not so much as it ought to have done, sir. You see the +first two guns we fired destroyed his boats. The other guns +were all too weakly handled to be trained on the pirate as he +forged ahead, and as far as I could see not one of them did +any serious execution among his crew. Yesterday I told off +four negroes to each gun, and kept them at work all day +learning how to train them under the direction of the sailors. +If I had thought of that before we should have swept his +decks with such effect that when she got alongside the schooner +Mr. Glover's party would have had easy work of it."</p> + +<p>"You could hardly think of everything, Mr. Playford, and +you certainly did right in sending the marines off to the +schooner directly you had news that this brigantine was entering +the inlet. No doubt if you had wished to sink her it +would have been better to have kept them on shore to help +work the guns, but as she is a valuable prize, and we wanted +her badly to help carry away the slaves, you were quite +right not to try to damage her. You say she is half full of +plunder?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, and there were nearly eight hundred pounds in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +money and thirty-four watches and some jewellery found in +the captain's cabin."</p> + +<p>"She is a valuable capture, and I should think the admiral +would buy her into the service. She is just the sort of craft +that we want. The schooner would be too small to tackle +one of these heavily-armed pirates with their crowds of men. +So your slaves fought well?"</p> + +<p>"That they did, sir. If it had been daylight I doubt +whether any of the whites who led the attack would have +escaped. Of course they had no particular animosity against +the negroes, but I believe that they would have followed the +whites and mulattoes half across the island."</p> + +<p>"Well, do you think that the two craft will carry all the +slaves?"</p> + +<p>"Hardly, sir; the schooner can stow a hundred and fifty. +Of course it will be close work, but there will be room for that +number to lie down, and with the hatches both open they will +be all right. By rearranging the cargo a bit, two hundred +could sleep in the hold of the brigantine. That would still +leave rather over one hundred and fifty."</p> + +<p>"Well, we must give up part of the hold of the frigate to +them," the captain said, "there is no help for it. There are +about that number of women and children, are there not?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>"They had better go off in the frigate, then. Of course, +the prisoners will be sent off too—I will pay a visit to the +brigantine, and then go off myself, and will send the boats in +as soon as I get there. You may as well be getting the men +on board at once. As soon as they are all off, you will, of +course, set fire to all the sheds here, but you may as well send +off a boat-load of stores suitable for them to the frigate, and +will, of course, victual these two craft. I shall send you +another forty men to fill up the vacancies that have been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +caused, and to furnish a crew for the brigantine, of which, of +course, you will take the command. You and the schooner +will keep in close company. The marines will return to the +ship. Mr. Needham will be your second on the brigantine."</p> + +<p>"How about the guns, sir? They are all old pieces, and +scarcely worth carrying away."</p> + +<p>"Yes, but I won't leave them here to be used for defending +this place again. You had better take them off their +carriages, spike them, get them into the boats, and heave +them overboard, well out in deep water. Do you think that +you will be able to get everything done before dark, Mr. +Playford?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, it is only nine o'clock now, and if you will send +a strong working party, in addition to those who will be taking +the slaves on board, to help with the stores and guns, I have +no doubt that I shall be able to get the work done well before +sunset."</p> + +<p>"Very well. Mr. Hill will come on shore as soon as I +return to the frigate."</p> + +<p>The work went on without ceasing all day, and the pinnace, +which had been recovered and repaired before the frigate sailed, +and the launch, went backwards and forwards to the frigate +with the women, children, and stores, while the boats of the +brigantine and schooner carried the men to those craft, as +soon as the stores for the voyage, and the bales of cotton and +other goods that would be useful, had been taken off. When +the two large boats had finished their work they were employed +in carrying out the guns, which had, before the slaves embarked, +been brought down by them to the edge of the water. By +three o'clock all was finished, and the last boat-load of the +sailors rowed out to the prizes, after having set fire to all the +huts. These were soon in a blaze, to the delight of the negroes, +who danced and shouted for joy. Half of these were sent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +below at once, as they crowded the decks to such an extent as +to render it impossible for the sailors to work.</p> + +<p>Those who remained were ranged in rows by the bulwarks +from end to end of the craft; then the anchors were got up, +and the sails dropped and sheeted home. The wind was very +light, but was sufficient to give steerage-way, and with the +British ensign flying at the peak the two vessels sailed out +of the inlet and joined the frigate, which began to make sail +as soon as they were seen issuing from the narrow mouth. +Glad indeed were all on board the three vessels when, after +a voyage unmarked by any adventure, they entered Port +Royal, for although the negroes, feeling confident that they +were in good hands, had been docile and obedient, they were +still terribly in the way.</p> + +<p>Though all had been made to take a bath every morning, +the odour in the crowded prizes was almost overpoweringly +strong. On arrival, the negroes were landed and lodged in +some large government storehouses near the fort. Each was +presented with ten yards of cloth on leaving for the shore, and +they were, before being housed, permitted to sort themselves, +so that families and friends might be together. Interpreters +explained to them that it would be impossible to send them +back to their friends in Africa, but that they would be apportioned +out among the plantations of the island. The wages +they were to receive were explained to them, and they were +told that a government official would visit each plantation in +turn, and would listen to any complaints that might be made +as to their food and treatment, and at the end of three years +all who wished it could either change masters or take up a +piece of land, build a hut, and cultivate it on their own +account.</p> + +<p>The poor creatures were well satisfied with this. They +were overjoyed at being united to their relations and friends,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +and to know that they would still be together; and were +assured that they would be well cared for, and in time be as +much their own masters as if at their villages in Africa. The +schooner was sold; the brigantine was, as the captain had expected, +bought into the service; Mr. Playford was offered and +accepted the command of her. Mr. Normandy took his place +as second lieutenant of the <i>Orpheus</i>, and Mr. Marston received +his promotion and the post of third officer. As the <i>Cerf</i>—which +was the name of the brigantine—was to be considered +as a tender of the frigate, those on board her were still borne on +her books. Curtis and Glover were appointed to her, with a +petty officer and forty men.</p> + +<p>The pirates were tried and executed, with the exception of +one, who was a mere lad. He had, he asserted, been forced +to join the pirates—being spared by them when the rest of +his comrades had been murdered, as they had lost their +cook's mate, and required someone to fill his place. This, +however, would not have saved his life had he not promised +to lead his new captors to the chief rendezvous of the pirates, +which had so long eluded the search that had been made for +it. He acknowledged, however, that he was not acquainted +with its exact position. He had sailed in and out four or +five times, and had only a general idea of its position, but +asserted that he should certainly know the island if he saw +it. A fortnight after reaching Port Royal, the frigate and +brigantine sailed in company.</p> + +<p>The indications given by the boy pointed to an island lying +a short distance off the northern coast of Venezuela.</p> + +<p>There were originally, he said, four vessels working together, +three brigantines and a large schooner, one of which +had arrived from France only a short time before the <i>Cerf</i> +sailed on her last voyage. The entrance to the pirates' stronghold +was on the south side of the island, and was, he said,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> +so well concealed that vessels might sail past the place a +thousand times without noticing it. There were two batteries +at the water's edge, inside the entrance, each mounting twelve +eighteen-pounder guns that had been taken from prizes. The +channel here was not more than fifty yards across. A very +heavy boom was at all times swung across it just above the +batteries, and this was opened only when one of the craft +entered or left.</p> + +<p>There was, however, he said, a spot on the outer side of the +island where a landing could be effected, at a little ravine that +ran down to the shore. This was thickly wooded, and some +large trees growing at its mouth almost hid it from passing +vessels. At other points the shore was steep, but there was +so much vegetation on every ledge where trees or bushes could +obtain a foothold, that from the sea it would seem that the +cliffs were not too steep to scale.</p> + +<p>The prisoner had been placed on board the <i>Cerf</i>, which, as +soon as she was fairly at sea, was altered as far as possible in +appearance by a white band with ports painted along her +sides; a false stem of an entirely different shape from her own +was fastened to her, her light upper spars sent down and +replaced by stumpy ones, and other changes made that would +help to alter her appearance.</p> + +<p>Were she recognized by the pirates as she sailed past their +island it would at once be suspected that one of the men +recently captured had revealed the rendezvous, and that +she was cruising near it to obtain an exact idea of the best +mode of attack before other craft came up to assist her. +They had no doubt that the pirates had already received +news of the surprise and capture of the brigantine. Some +of the men who escaped would doubtless have made for the +nearest port, and hired a negro craft to take them to their +own island, which they would have reached before the <i>Orpheus</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> +arrived at Port Royal with her prizes. The pirates would +therefore be on their guard, and would either have deserted +their head-quarters altogether or have added to their defences. +The sight of their late consort would confirm their +fears that their whereabouts had become known, and it was +therefore of importance that her identity should not be +suspected.</p> + +<p>Changed as she now was, she might be taken for a man-of-war +brigantine. Her height out of water had been increased +by four feet by painted canvas fastened to battens. She had +ten ports painted on each side, and looked a very different +craft from the smart brigantine that had sailed away from the +island. It had at first been suggested by Mr. Playford that +she should be disguised so as to look like a trader, but +Captain Crosbie had decided against this.</p> + +<p>"There are," he said, "three of these pirates, and even two +of them might together be more than a match for you. By all +accounts they are each of them as strong as you are in point of +armament, and would carry at least twice as many men as you +have. Even if you beat them off it could only be at a very great +cost of life, and I certainly should not like you to undertake +such an enterprise unless you had at least double the strength +of men, which I could not spare you. By going in the guise +of a vessel of war they would not care to meddle with you. +They would know that there would be no chance of booty and +a certainty of hard fighting, and of getting their own craft +badly knocked about, so that it will be in all respects best to +avoid a fight. They may in that case not connect you with us +at all, but take you to be some freshly-arrived craft. You had +best hoist the Stars and Stripes as you pass along the coast."</p> + +<p>When the changes were all effected the ships parted company. +The brigantine was to sail east until within a short +distance of Grenada, then to cruise westward along the coast<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> +of the mainland; thus going, there would be less suspicion +on the part of those who saw her that she was coming from +Jamaica. A rendezvous was appointed at the island of Oruba, +lying off the mouth of the Gulf of Venezuela.</p> + +<p>Their prisoner was French, and he was very closely questioned +by Lieutenant Playford, who spoke that language well. He +said that they always sailed north to begin with, then sometimes +they kept east, and certainly he heard the names of +Guadeloupe and St. Lucia. At other times, after sailing north +they steered north-west, and came to a great island, which he +had no doubt was San Domingo. It was not in this craft that +he sailed, he was only transferred to her with some of the +others for that cruise only. After they had once made either +the western islands or San Domingo, they cruised about in +all directions.</p> + +<p>"The great point is," Mr. Playford said to the midshipmen +after a long talk with the prisoner, "that at starting they +generally hung about these islands, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, +and so on, for some time, and it was considered their best +cruising ground, though also the most dangerous one, as we +have always some cruisers in those waters. That would certainly +place the island somewhere off the north coast of Caracas. +He declared that the first day out they generally passed the +western point of an island of considerable size with some high +hills. The only island that answers to that account is, as you +see in the chart, Margarita. Therefore I feel convinced that +the pirate hold is in one of these groups, off Caracas, either +Chimana, Borrshcha, or these two islets called Piritu Islands. +Altogether, you see, there are over a dozen of these islands +scattered along near the mainland.</p> + +<p>"It is quite out of the general course of trade, as nothing +would go into that bay except a craft bound for San Diego, +or this place marked Barcelona, lying a short distance up the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +river. They would take care not to molest any of the little +traders frequenting these ports, and might lie in an inlet in +one of these islands for years without their being ever suspected, +unless perhaps by some of the native fishermen, who +probably supply them with fish and fruit from the mainland. +Anyhow, I don't suppose a British cruiser is seen along that +coast once a year."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<h4>A PIRATE HOLD</h4> + + +<p>A fortnight later the <i>Cerf</i> passed along under easy +sail between the island of Margarita and the mainland. +She was now getting very close to the spot where, if the prisoner +was right, the pirates' hold lay. The Stars and Stripes +was hanging from the peak, and with her high bulwarks and +ten ports on each side no one would have suspected that +she was not, as she seemed, an American man-of-war, heavily +armed. Passing close to another island, they headed more +south into the bay as they neared Caracas. Every foot of +the islands was closely scanned. Five miles farther, they +came abreast of the Chimana isles, and pointing to one of +these that lay nearer the shore than the others, the prisoner +exclaimed that he was certain that that was the island.</p> + +<p>"I am sure of it," he exclaimed, "both from the look of +the island itself, and from that high range of mountains on the +mainland to the south-east."</p> + +<p>"You are quite sure?"</p> + +<p>"Certain, captain; there are the large trees I spoke of growing +down close to the water. It is behind them that there is +a little ravine by which one can climb up."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> + +<p>No alteration was made in the ship's course, but she continued +her way until sunset, when she dropped anchor off the +mouth of the river La Pasqua, some twenty miles west of the +islands.</p> + +<p>As soon as it was dark Curtis was sent off in a gig manned +by six rowers. The oars were muffled; the orders were to +row round the island within an oar's length of the shore, and +to find the entrance to the channel, which, if the prisoner was +right as to the place, should be on the side facing the mainland. +Pierre, the French lad, was taken with them. It was +a long row to the island, but the gig was a fast one, and, at +three o'clock in the morning, she returned with the news that +Pierre's information had been correct. They had found the +opening but had not entered it, as Mr. Playford had given +strict orders on this point, thinking it probable that there +would be a sharp look-out kept in the batteries, especially +as the supposed cruiser would certainly have been closely +watched as she passed.</p> + +<p>An hour later the anchor was got up and the <i>Cerf</i> sailed for +Oruba, off which she arrived three days later. There were no +signs of the frigate, and indeed the <i>Cerf</i> had arrived at the +rendezvous before the time fixed. At daybreak on the third +morning the topsails of the <i>Orpheus</i> were made out from the +mast-head, and four hours later she and the <i>Cerf</i> met, and +Mr. Playford went on board the frigate to report.</p> + +<p>"This is good news indeed," the captain said when he heard +that the haunt of the pirates had been discovered. "Of course +you have taken the exact position of the island, for we must, +if possible, take them by surprise?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir; it lies as nearly as possible in 64° 30' west longitude +and 10° 22' north latitude."</p> + +<p>"We will lay our course east, Mr. Playford, for, of course, +you will keep company with us. The water is deep all along<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +the coast, and there seems to be from thirty to thirty-eight +fathoms to within a mile or two of the coast. I shall lay my +course outside the Windward Islands as far as Blanquilla, +thence an almost due south course will take us clear of the +western point of Margarita and down to this island. We +will discuss our plan of attack later on."</p> + +<p>On the morning of the third day after leaving Oruba the +island of Blanquilla was sighted. The frigate made the signal +for Mr. Playford to go on board, and on entering the captain's +cabin he found him and Mr. Hill examining the chart.</p> + +<p>"You see, Mr. Playford, we are now as nearly as possible a +hundred miles north of the island; with this wind we should +pass the point of Margarita at about four o'clock in the afternoon; +if it freshens we will take in sail, I want to be off the +island say three or four hours before daybreak. You will send +that French lad on board when you go back; as soon as we +anchor he will go in the gig with Mr. Hill to reconnoitre and +make sure that there is no mistake about the place. When +he finds that it is all right he will come back. The boats will +be in the water, and the men on board in readiness, and will +at once start, so that the landing may, if possible, be effected +just at daybreak at this ravine on the north of the island. +At the same hour you will sail in and take up your place +opposite the mouth of the harbour, and fight anything that +tries to come out.</p> + +<p>"It is quite possible that as soon as our party attack the +place on the land side any craft there may be there will cut +their cables and try to make off. On no account try to enter; +the batteries would blow you out of the water. You will start +as soon as the boats leave the ship, and will therefore have +light enough for you to go in and to avoid making any mistake, +for you see there are half a dozen islands lying close together. +There is no objection to their seeing you, and indeed I should<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +be rather glad if they do, for in that case they are the less likely +to discover the landing-party, and though they must see the +frigate they will think that she is only lying there to cut them +off if they try to escape. They will be manning their batteries +and getting everything ready to give you a warm reception, and +I hope that we shall drop upon them as if out of the clouds.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Hill will command the landing-party, which will consist +of a hundred and fifty seamen and the thirty marines, +which, with the advantage of surprise, ought to be sufficient. +As you report that the island is less than a mile long and not +much more than half a mile across, the landing-party will soon +be at work. After they have landed, Mr. Hill will divide +them into two parties, and will endeavour to make his way +round the inlet, keeping up among the trees, and then rush +down upon the batteries. When he has captured these he +will fire three guns as a signal to you. You will have your +boats in readiness, and will at once tow the schooner in, +and, on reaching the boom, bring her broadside to bear upon +any craft there, and generally aid the landing-party with your +guns. If, by good luck, the three craft we have been so long +looking for are all there you will have a strong force to tackle; +you may certainly take it that their crews will together mount +up to three hundred men, and it is likely that there may be +a hundred others who form what we may call the garrison of +the place when they are away."</p> + +<p>"Very well, sir."</p> + +<p>The two vessels headed south under easy canvas, passed the +point of Margarita at the hour that had been arranged, and +then taking in still more sail proceeded slowly on until, about +one o'clock in the morning, the island could be made out with +the night-glasses. Then both were laid to, Captain Crosbie +having forbidden anchoring, in the first place owing to the +great depth of water, and in the next because, although the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +island was three miles away, the chain-cable running out might +be heard at night if the pirates had anyone on watch on the +hill. Nat, whose watch it was, saw the gig shoot away from +the side of the frigate. An hour later and there was a bustle +and stir on board the <i>Orpheus</i>, and all her boats were lowered. +At five bells the crew began to take their places in them, and +soon afterwards the gig returned. The watch below were +called up and sail was made, and at half-past three the boats +started, and the <i>Cerf</i> was headed towards the land. Dawn was +just breaking when they reached the island. All was still. It +had been arranged that, unless discovered, the attack on the +batteries was not to be made until five o'clock, and just at that +hour the <i>Cerf</i> arrived off the narrow entrance to the port. +Half an hour before, a musket had been discharged on the hill +above them, and it was clear that their coming had been observed; +but as no sound of conflict could be heard inland there +was every reason to suppose that the pirates had no suspicion +of a landing having been effected on the other side.</p> + +<p>"That is what I call being punctual," Nat said to Curtis as +two bells rang out just as they opened the passage.</p> + +<p>A light kedge anchor was dropped, and as this was done a +patter of musketry broke out from the hill above them. Their +action showed that the arrival of the brigantine was no +matter of chance, but that she was there expressly with the intention +of attacking the pirates' stronghold, and those who had +been watching her, therefore, saw that any further attempt at +concealment was useless. In the night the canvas band had +been taken down, as there was no longer any reason for concealing +the identity of the brigantine. The musketry fire only +lasted for a minute, for suddenly a roar of battle broke out +within a hundred yards of the mouth of the entrance. The +sailors burst into a loud cheer. It was evident that the landing-party +had met with complete success so far, and had approached<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> +the batteries unobserved, and that a hand-to-hand fight was +going on.</p> + +<p>Above the cracking of pistols the cheers of the seamen could +be plainly heard, but in two or three minutes the uproar died +away, and then three guns were fired at short intervals. The +boats were already in the water, the kedge lifted, and the +crews bending forward in readiness for the signal.</p> + +<p>"Take her in, lads!" the lieutenant shouted, and the +schooner's head at once began to turn towards the inlet.</p> + +<p>A moment later two broadsides were fired.</p> + +<p>"There are two of their craft in there!" Curtis exclaimed. +"Now our fellows have carried the batteries they have opened +fire on them."</p> + +<p>As he spoke there was another broadside, which was answered +by a hurrah from all on deck. It was clear that they had had +the good luck to catch all the pirates at once. Three minutes' +rowing and the boom was in sight. Mr. Playford called to +one of the boats to take a rope from the stern to the battery +on the right-hand side, and ordered the others to cease +rowing.</p> + +<p>"We have way enough on her!" he shouted. "As soon as +you get near the boom take her head round to port, and carry +the rope to shore. You can fasten it to the chain at the end +of the boom."</p> + +<p>As he gave the order a gun spoke out from the battery on +the right, followed almost immediately by one on the left.</p> + +<p>"They are slueing the guns round!" Nat exclaimed. "We +shall be having our share of the fun in another minute or +two."</p> + +<p>They could now obtain a view into the piece of water inside +the passage. It was nearly circular, and some three hundred +yards across. Two brigantines and a schooner were lying in +line, within fifty yards of the opposite shore. A large range<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +of storehouses stood by the water's edge, while the hillsides +were dotted with huts, and dwelling-places of larger size. By +the time that the brigantine was got into position by the side +of the boom the pirates had loaded again, and several shots +struck her.</p> + +<p>Her guns were already loaded, and those on board poured +a broadside into the brigantine at the end of the line. The +sailors in the battery were working with might and main to +slue all the guns round to bear upon the pirates. On the hillsides +above them a scattered fire of musketry was being kept +up, and Mr. Hill hailed the schooner.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Playford, will you land a party of fifteen men on +each side to clear the hills of those rascals? I don't think +there are many of them, but they are doing us a good deal of +damage, for they can hardly miss us closely packed as we are +here."</p> + +<p>"Ay, ay, sir. You hear the orders, gentlemen. Mr. Curtis, +you land with fifteen men on the starboard side, and do you, +Mr. Glover, take the party that lands to port. Clear the +scoundrels out—give no quarter!"</p> + +<p>The boats had just returned. The two midshipmen leapt +into them, and a few strokes took them ashore.</p> + +<p>"Up the hill, lads!" Nat shouted. "Don't fire until you +are at close quarters. Give them one volley if they are together, +then sling your guns, and go at them with the cutlass!"</p> + +<p>There was but little fighting, however, for there were only +ten or twelve pirates on either side, as their main force was +distributed between the batteries and the ships. They were +therefore very easily driven off, five or six of them being killed +and the rest flying with all speed towards their village, where +those who had escaped from the batteries were already going +off in boats to the ships. The two midshipmen therefore returned +to the schooner.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Don't come on board!" Mr. Playford shouted. "See if +you can free one end of the boom. If so we will go in and +engage one of those craft."</p> + +<p>It was found that the boom was fastened at Nat's side, and +the chain was soon unwound from the stump of a large tree. +Then the two boats together got hold of the end of the boom +and swung it round so that the schooner could pass. The +enemy kept up a heavy fire upon them while they were doing +this, and just as the job was completed, Curtis's boat was +smashed to pieces by a round shot. The breeze was very light, +but it was in the right direction.</p> + +<p>"Shall we tow, sir?" Nat called to his commander.</p> + +<p>"Certainly not. Get your men on board at once."</p> + +<p>The sails, which had been loosely furled, were dropped again, +and the brigantine stole past the batteries, which saluted her +with a rousing cheer, while the guns were worked with redoubled +energy to keep down the fire of the pirates. The +<i>Cerf</i> was swept with round shot and grape by the guns of the +three piratical craft, but the distance to be traversed was so +small, and the fire from the battery to which the pirates +working their guns were exposed was so heavy, that the men +fired wildly, and the <i>Cerf</i> suffered less than might have been +expected while crossing the intervening two hundred yards of +water. She was steered straight for the schooner, and as her +bowsprit ran in between the pirate's masts the crew, who had +been crouching forward, leapt down on to her deck, headed by +their commander and the two midshipmen.</p> + +<p>The pirates, although they had suffered heavily, were still +in sufficient force to offer an efficient resistance, but their +courage had been shaken by the suddenness of the attack. +They had lain down to sleep with the assurance that the port +was unknown and unsuspected, that the batteries that guarded +it could sink any hostile ship that attempted to enter, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +their dismay when these batteries were attacked and carried +by an enemy who seemed to spring out of the earth, and their +only retreat cut off, was overwhelming.</p> + +<p>Already the heavy guns of the battery had done terrible +execution. Two of the guns on that side had been dismounted, +and a third of the crew killed; consequently, although a small +portion of the number led by their captain fought desperately, +and were killed to the last man, the majority leapt overboard +at once and swam ashore. Leaving ten men in charge of the +prize, the lieutenant called all the rest back on board the <i>Cerf</i>, +which remained in the position in which she had run head +on to the schooner, and she was now able to bring her broadsides +into play upon the brigantines, the pieces forward raking +them from stem to stern, while the batteries continued their +terrible fire. In a few minutes the pirates began to take to +the boats, which were lying by their sides just as they had +come off from the shore. Once begun, the movement spread +rapidly. The boats were soon crowded, and those who could +not find places in them leapt overboard.</p> + +<p>"Take the boat and a dozen men, Mr. Curtis, and haul down +the black flag of the craft to starboard; and you, Mr. Glover, +take one of the prize's boats and do the same to the other +brigantine."</p> + +<p>They turned to execute the order when all on board the +<i>Cerf</i> were hurled to the deck—one of the brigantines had +blown up with a tremendous explosion, that brought most of +the huts on the hillside to the ground, carried away both masts +of the <i>Cerf</i>, and drove fragments of wreckage high into the +air, whence they fell partly in the pool, partly on shore. Fortunately +for the <i>Cerf</i> only a few fragments of any size struck +her deck, the pieces for the most part falling in a wider circle. +Numbers of the pirates who had just landed from their boats +were killed, and many more were injured by being hurled down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +on to the rocks, dazed and half-stunned. Those on board the +<i>Cerf</i> who had escaped severe injury rose to their feet.</p> + +<p>Not more than twenty-five did so. Lieutenant Playford lay +dead, crushed under a mast; Curtis had been hurled against +one of the guns and his brains dashed out; ten of the sailors +had been killed either by the falling masts or by being dashed +against the bulwarks; twelve had fallen under the enemy's +fire as the <i>Cerf</i> crossed the pool; twelve others were hurt more +or less either by the enemy's missiles or by the shock. It was +three or four minutes before the silence that followed was +broken. Then Mr. Hill hailed across the water:</p> + +<p>"<i>Cerf</i> ahoy! have you suffered much?"</p> + +<p>"Terribly," Nat shouted back; "Lieutenant Playford and +Mr. Curtis are both killed. We have only twenty-five men in +any way fit for service left."</p> + +<p>"If you have got a boat that will swim send it ashore."</p> + +<p>Nat looked over the side, the boat had been stove by a +falling fragment; then he crossed to the prize, and found that +one of the boats was uninjured. Four men were just getting +into it, when Mr. Hill hailed again:</p> + +<p>"Let them bring a rope with them, Mr. Glover; we will +tow you over here."</p> + +<p>The end of a hawser was put into the boat, and the men +rowed with it to the battery.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Glover!" the lieutenant again hailed.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>"I am sending the boat back again. I think that had they +put a slow match in the magazine of the other brigantine it +would have exploded before this. However, you had better +remain where you are for a quarter of an hour, to be sure; then, +before you move, board the brigantine and flood the magazine. +Otherwise, as soon as you have left, some of these desperadoes +might swim off to her and put a match there."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Very well, sir, I will go at once if you like."</p> + +<p>"No, there is no use running any unnecessary risk. You +had better flood the schooner's magazine first."</p> + +<p>"Ay, ay, sir."</p> + +<p>Taking half a dozen hands with buckets, Nat went on board +the prize and soon flooded the magazine; then he and those +who were able to help did all they could for the wounded, +several of whom, who had only been stunned, were presently +on their legs again. When the quarter of an hour had passed +he asked for volunteers. All the survivors stepped forward.</p> + +<p>"Four men will be enough," he said. "Bring buckets with +you."</p> + +<p>It was not without a feeling of awe that Nat and the four +sailors stepped on to the deck of the brigantine, for although +he was convinced that had a match been lighted the explosion +would have taken place long before, as it was now five-and-twenty +minutes since the crew had deserted her, neither he +nor the men had entirely recovered from the severe shock of +the explosion. He led the way below; all was quiet; the +door of the magazine was open, but there was no smell of +burning powder, and they entered fearlessly.</p> + +<p>"All right, lads; now as quick as you like with your +buckets."</p> + +<p>An abundance of water was thrown in; then, to make quite +certain, Nat locked the door of the magazine, and put the key +in his pocket. A cheer broke from the men in the battery as +he and his companions again took their places in the boat and +rowed to the <i>Cerf</i>. He was hailed again by Mr. Hill.</p> + +<p>"I have changed my mind, Mr. Glover; now that I know +there is no risk of another explosion, I think perhaps you +had best remain where you are. We will give you a pull to +get you free of the schooner, then you had better range the +<i>Cerf</i> alongside of her; keep your guns and those of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +brigantine both loaded with grape; send your boat ashore to +fetch off the wounded."</p> + +<p>"I have two boats now, sir; one of the brigantine's was left +behind, and is uninjured."</p> + +<p>"Then send them both ashore, the sooner we get the wounded +off the better. I am going to move forward with all my men; +we have spiked the guns here, and if they should come down +into the batteries again you can clear them out. You will, of +course, help us, if we meet with strong resistance, with your +guns on the shore-side."</p> + +<p>"Ay, ay, sir."</p> + +<p>The two boats were sent ashore, and the wounded came off +with Dr. Bemish. As soon as they all came on board Nat said:</p> + +<p>"I will leave you with the wounded here, doctor, with four +of my men to help you. We are so littered up that we +could hardly work the guns, and as you see, three of them +were dismounted by the explosion; besides, the prize alongside +would hamper us, therefore I will take the rest of the men on +board the brigantine."</p> + +<p>"I think that will be a very good plan, my lad," the doctor +replied. "I quite agree with you, that with the spars and +wreckage on one side and the prize on the other, you are +practically helpless."</p> + +<p>The men were at once set to work bringing up powder +cartridges from the magazine; grape and round-shot they +would find on board the brigantine.</p> + +<p>In ten minutes the guns of that craft were reloaded. The +two bodies of men from the batteries had by this time reached +the storehouses. Not a shot had been fired, but a minute +later there was a loud word of command, followed by a fierce +yell, and in a moment both parties were engaged, a heavy fire +being opened upon them from every spot of vantage on the +hillside in front of them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now, my lads, give them a dose of grape!" Nat shouted. +"I expect they are two to one to our fellows still. Train +them carefully."</p> + +<p>Gun after gun sent showers of grape among the hidden foe, +who were for the most part lying behind the cactus hedges of +the gardens that surrounded the huts. The three forward +guns assisted Mr. Hill's party, while the others aided that +commanded by Needham. Although but four men to a gun, +the sailors worked so hard that the pieces were discharged as +rapidly as if they had been manned by a full complement, and +their effect was visible in the diminution of the enemy's fire, +and by the line of smoke gradually mounting the hill, showing +that the pirates were falling back, while the cheers of the +sailors and marines as they pressed steadily upwards, rapidly +plying their muskets, rose louder and louder. Near the upper +edge of the cleared ground the pirates made a stand, but the +fire of the guns proved too much for them, and they took to +the forest. Presently a sailor ran down to the shore.</p> + +<p>"The first lieutenant says, sir, will you please continue your +fire into the forest. He is going to cut down all the hedges +and fire the huts, so that they will have to pass over open +ground if they attack again."</p> + +<p>"Tell Mr. Hill I will do so," Nat shouted back.</p> + +<p>It was not long after the fire had been turned in that direction +before the puffs of smoke that darted out from the edge of +the forest ceased altogether. The sailors could now be seen +slashing away with their cutlasses at the lines of cactus hedge, +while the huts that still stood were speedily in flames. Numbers +of women and children now came down to the shore, +where they were placed in charge of six of the marines and +a non-commissioned officer. A quarter of an hour later, +while Nat was watching what was going on on shore, one of +the men touched him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Look, sir, they are going down to the batteries!"</p> + +<p>The men were at once ordered across to the guns on the +other side, and these opened with grape upon two bodies of +pirates, each some seventy or eighty strong, who were rushing +down to the batteries. The discharge of the six guns did +terrible execution, but the survivors without pausing dashed +down to the works. Cries of disappointment and rage broke +out from them on finding the guns spiked, and before they +could be reloaded they ran up the hill again, and were in +shelter in the forest.</p> + +<p>"I fancy that is about the end of it," Nat said to the petty +officer standing by his side. "I don't think that above fifty of +either party got safely away."</p> + +<p>"Not more than that, sir. I expect it has taken the fight +out of them."</p> + +<p>"It was a hopeless attempt, for although, if the guns had +been loaded, they might have sunk us, our fellows on shore +would soon have been upon them again, and it would have +come to the same thing."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, the same thing to the pirates, but not the same +thing to us."</p> + +<p>"No, you are right there; those twenty-four guns loaded +with ball would have sent us to the bottom in no time. You +see, our men only used grape before, and aimed at the decks."</p> + +<p>Mr. Hill now hailed from the shore again:</p> + +<p>"Mr. Glover!"</p> + +<p>"Ay, ay, sir!"</p> + +<p>"Have the goodness to send your boat ashore, I want to +send a note off to the captain. On their way the men must +stop at the boats on the other side of the island, and tell the +boat keepers to bring them round here at once."</p> + +<p>Four men were sent ashore in the boat, and one of the +petty officers took his place in the stern, with a hasty note<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +which the first lieutenant had written in pencil stating that +the loss had been very heavy, that the work of rooting out +the pirates had not yet been completed, and that he should +be glad of some more men to occupy the village while he +searched the woods. The boat started at once, and twenty +minutes later the captain's gig shot into the cove. As soon as +the report of the first gun was heard on board the frigate, +and there was no longer any motive for remaining at a distance, +her head had been turned to the island, and the boat +had met her but half a mile away from the entrance.</p> + +<p>After reading the note, Captain Crosbie sent one of the +gigs to order the boats round to the inlet, and proceeded in his +own boat to investigate the state of affairs, ordering the <i>Cerf's</i> +boat to row ahead of the frigate, which was to work in under +very reduced sail, sounding as she went, and was, if the water +was deep enough, to anchor off the mouth of the cove.</p> + +<p>"Then you found all the pirates here, Mr. Hill?" the captain +said as he landed.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, but they blew up one of their craft when they left +her."</p> + +<p>"Yes, of course we heard the report; it shook the frigate +as if she had struck on a rock. It must have been tremendous +here."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, she must have had an immense deal of powder in +her magazine; the shock was something terrible. Although +we were over there in that battery, every one of us was thrown +to the ground and several were killed. Two of the guns were +dismounted."</p> + +<p>"It was a veritable battle for a time, Mr. Hill. It sounded +like a naval engagement on a large scale."</p> + +<p>"Yes, we had twenty-four guns in the batteries all at work, +and the guns of the <i>Cerf</i>, while the three pirates had the same +number in their broadsides, besides two heavy swivel-guns."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You say the loss is heavy. What does it amount to?"</p> + +<p>"I cannot tell you exactly, sir. There were twenty-five +killed on board the <i>Cerf</i>, in addition to Mr. Playford and +Mr. Curtis. The two officers and about half the men were, +Mr. Glover reported, killed by the explosion, which, as you +see, dismasted her."</p> + +<p>"Dear me! That is heavy indeed, and I most deeply regret +the death of the two officers."</p> + +<p>"So do I indeed, sir. Mr. Playford was an excellent officer, +and as good a fellow as ever walked. Mr. Curtis would have +made, I am sure, a good officer in time. I hardly thought he +would when he first joined, but he was improving greatly, and +he showed great courage in working to remove the boom +under a very heavy fire from the pirates, which sunk his boat +under him."</p> + +<p>"Your division, Mr. Hill—what are your casualties?"</p> + +<p>"We took the batteries almost without loss, sir, but in the +duel with the pirates we lost in the two batteries fourteen +killed; nine more were killed by the explosion; we sent +eighteen off to the <i>Cerf</i> all seriously wounded; as to contusions +and minor hurts, I should say that there is not a man +who escaped them."</p> + +<p>"Well, well, that is a heavy bill indeed; forty-eight men +killed and two officers—why, we should probably have lost +less in an action against a frigate of our own size! However, +we have destroyed this nest of pirates, and have captured +three of their four ships, the other is blown up. Now, what +is the state of things here?"</p> + +<p>"There are, I believe, some hundred and fifty or two hundred +of the pirates still on the island. They are divided into +two parties, and the last firing you heard was when they +rushed down into the batteries, thinking, no doubt, to take +revenge by sinking the brigantine and the two prizes. Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +Glover opened fire upon them with grape with great effect. +When they got into the battery they found that I had spiked +the guns, which I did when I left them, thinking they might +make just such a move. I sent off to you, sir, in order that +the storehouses and buildings might be held while we cleared +the wood on one side down to the mouth of the cove. When +we have done that we can do the same on the other side."</p> + +<p>"Did you have any casualties in taking the village?"</p> + +<p>"Several wounded, sir, none killed. Mr. Glover drove +them out with grape, and so rendered our work comparatively +easy. I am sorry to say that almost the last shot fired by +them hit Mr. Needham high up in the left arm. The doctor +came ashore a few minutes ago, after attending to the wounded +sent on board the <i>Cerf</i>. He examined the arm, and tells me +that the bone is completely smashed, and that he must +amputate it half-way between the elbow and shoulder."</p> + +<p>"That is bad indeed. However, it is better than if it had +been his right arm. Mr. Harpur," said the captain to the +midshipman who had come ashore with him, "take the gig +off and meet the boats. Tell the launch and pinnace to go +alongside the frigate, and request Mr. Normandy to send Mr. +Marston ashore with fifty more men. What on earth are we +to do with these poor creatures?" he went on to the first +lieutenant as the gig rowed away. "Of course we must take +them to Jamaica. Theirs is a terrible position. No doubt +they have all been captured in the prizes the villains have +taken, and most of them must have seen their husbands or +fathers murdered before their eyes. Some of them may have +been here long enough to become accustomed to their lot, +many of them may have been captured lately. What is to +become of them I don't know.</p> + +<p>"You have not opened any of the storehouses yet?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir, we have been pretty busy, you see. We cut<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +down all the cactus hedges round the huts high up on the hill, +so as to keep the pirates from working down and making a fresh +attack upon us. As to the other houses, I have given strict +orders that no one is to enter them. The men have piled +arms and are lying down by them; many of them have not +completely recovered from the shock of the explosion, and all +are bruised more or less by being hurled on to the rocks or +against the guns. I fancy the doctor will have his hands full +for many a day."</p> + +<p>"Well, you must pick out twenty or so from those most fit +for duty. They can join the men I sent for and finish the +business. The rest can be on guard here, in case the party on +the other side take it into their heads to make an attack."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<h4>THE NEGRO RISING</h4> + + +<p>While waiting for the arrival of the reinforcements, +Captain Crosbie went on board the <i>Cerf</i>. The wounded +had all been carried below, where cots had been slung for them. +After their wounds were dressed, he went round saying a few +words to each, enquiring into the nature of their injuries. +No attempt had been made to remedy the confusion on deck, +except that the bodies of those that could be moved had been +laid side by side. That of Mr. Playford and the others who +had been crushed by the falling masts still lay beneath them, +as the four men left on board were unable to do anything to +extricate them until help arrived. The captain then went on +board the prize.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Hill has spoken in the highest terms of the service<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +that you have rendered, Mr. Glover, though I have not yet +heard the full details. As the only surviving officer of the +<i>Cerf</i>, you had better, when you have time, draw out a full +report for me of the work done by her. It will be another +half-hour before we again commence operations against the +pirates, and I shall be obliged if you will go on board the +<i>Cerf</i> with your men and endeavour to get the body of Mr. +Playford and the others from underneath the masts. Nothing +more can be done at present, but it is painful that they should +be lying there. I fancy that with hand-spikes you will have +no very great difficulty in raising the butt of the mast high +enough to draw the bodies from under it. As soon as you +have done that, bring the men back here. When the advance +begins you will shell the wood ahead of it."</p> + +<p>"We will put you ashore first, sir; this is the only boat we +have that will float."</p> + +<p>Captain Crosbie on landing went among the women, who +were between seventy and eighty in number. Some burst +into tears when he spoke to them, others seemed dazed and +quite unconscious that they were being addressed. Feeling +almost unmanned by the moving spectacle, Captain Crosbie +was relieved when the two boats filled with men entered the +mouth of the cove. As soon as they came alongside, the men +leapt out in high spirits at the prospect of having a share in +the fray. Mr. Hill had already picked out twenty of his own +party.</p> + +<p>"I will myself take the command here, Mr. Hill. I don't +wish to interfere with the credit that you will gain by this +affair, therefore I leave the arrangement of your party in +your hands."</p> + +<p>Mr. Hill marched the seventy men straight up the hill.</p> + +<p>"You will march straight on, Mr. Marston, until you reach +the edge of the cliff, then you will return. See that the men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +are placed at regular intervals. You will then face to the right +and the line will advance. No quarter will be given, except +to men who throw down their arms and beg for it. I do not +suppose that many will do so, as they know what their fate +will be if they are taken to Port Royal. We have reason to +believe that there cannot be more than eighty or so on this +side, but if they keep in a body and make a rush at the line +they will no doubt be able to break through. However, that +we must risk, and I hardly think that they will attempt it, +for they know that they must sooner or later fall into our +hands. They will only starve if they conceal themselves. +Some may prefer death in that way, or may think that after +we have left they may manage to get taken across to the +mainland in native fishing-boats. However, search the ground +closely. These men are steeped in blood; they have been the +scourge of these seas for the past five or six years, and have +never yet shown mercy."</p> + +<p>Mr. Hill then placed himself in the centre of the line, while +Mr. Marston again took his place on the right. It was not until +they had worked round nearly to the entrance that opposition +was met with; then they came upon a spot where a mass of +rock cropped up among the trees, and as they approached this +a sharp fire of musketry broke out. Mr. Hill ordered the two +ends of the line to advance so as to form a semicircle round +the rock. When they were in position he gave the word to +charge, and with a cheer the sailors dashed forward. Led by +their officers, they scrambled up the rocks like cats, discharged +their muskets into the pirates grouped on its summit, and +then threw themselves upon them cutlass in hand. In three +minutes all was over; not a man asked for mercy, but all died +fighting desperately to the end. Four of the sailors were +killed, several severely wounded. These were carried or helped +down to the shore, and the rest of the party then scattered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> +through the woods; but the closest search failed to discover a +single man in hiding, although only some fifty of them had +been accounted for. Returning to the point from which they +had started, the party then proceeded to search the forest at +the other side of the cove.</p> + +<p>Here, however, they met with no resistance. A few dead +were found, but the forest was deserted. After searching in +vain for some time it was concluded that the survivors had +probably gone down the face of the cliff and hidden there +in caves or in thickets in places that could only be reached by +men well acquainted with the ground.</p> + +<p>After two hours' vain search, Mr. Hill led the party down +to the shore again. While he had been away the captain had +had the storehouses opened. These were filled with booty of +all kinds, the plunder of at least fifty ships, as they judged +by the chronometers, the marks on bales, and other articles. +Here were thousands of cases of wine, ranges of barrels of rum, +hogsheads of sugar, coffee, and other colonial produce, quantities +of bales of cotton cloths used for the slaves, furniture +of all kinds, enormous numbers of trunks and boxes containing +wearing apparel, bales of silks and satins, and an immense +amount of table-linen.</p> + +<p>In the centre of one of the storehouses was a chamber constructed +of stone four feet thick with an arched roof. The +entrance was closed by two iron doors, one within the other, +and these were so strong that it was necessary to drag up a +six-pounder cannon to batter them in. When at last an entrance +was forced, the strong-room was found to contain +upwards of seventy thousand pounds in coin, hundreds of +watches, and a large amount of jewellery, much of which was +of Spanish manufacture, and a great many church vessels and +ornaments of silver. It was evident that, although no doubt +a certain proportion of the spoil had been divided at the time<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +of capture, the main bulk had been stored there for division +some day when the haunt should be finally abandoned. The +sailors now set about examining the bodies of the pirates who +had been killed on the shore by the explosion. It was found +that in almost every case they wore belts under their clothes, +and that these contained from ten to a hundred pieces of gold. +A systematic search was then made, and, in all, the money +found upon the dead pirates amounted to six thousand pounds, +which was added to the store taken from the treasury.</p> + +<p>The work of emptying the storehouses, getting up jury-masts +on board the <i>Cerf</i>, and doing the absolutely necessary repairs to +her and the prizes occupied three days. The women had been +placed in the brigantine after the craft had been thoroughly +washed down and scoured, and she had been taken out and +anchored near the frigate, to which the wounded had all been +conveyed as soon as the fight was over. On the evening of +the third day the storehouses and other buildings still standing +were all burned, the cannon were taken on board the frigate, +and the next morning the four vessels got up sail and started +in company for Jamaica. Nat was left in command of the +<i>Cerf</i> with fifteen men. Low was in command of the schooner +with twelve men. Mr. Marston had charge of the captured +brigantine with fifteen men, all that could be spared from the +diminished crew of the frigate. Nat had had time, when +the long day's work was over, to row off every evening to +see Needham, whose arm had been amputated an hour after +the fight was ended. He was, the doctor said, going on well, +and was in very good spirits.</p> + +<p>"This is sure to give me my step," he said to Glover. "I +shall have served my time in six months, and Marston's rank +will of course be confirmed, now that poor Playford's death has +made the vacancy permanent. You have another year to serve, +have you not, Glover?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, rather more. However, of course this affair will help +me too, as soon as I have passed."</p> + +<p>"It ought to, old fellow, considering you were the only +officer left on board the <i>Cerf</i>, and that you unfastened the +boom under that tremendous fire, to say nothing of carrying +the schooner and running the risk of being blown up when +you went on board the brigantine. You will get your swab +as soon as you have passed. You see it has been a big thing; +fifty-eight men killed and a hundred and four put down as +wounded; and the breaking up of this pirate's nest makes it +the most important affair there has been out here for years. +The other ships on the station will all feel quite jealous of us. +There will be a goodish bit of prize-money, too, which is not +to be despised. Over eighty thousand pounds in gold and, I +should say, over twenty thousand pounds in goods, makes even +a midshipman's share something considerable. How is your +arm, Glover?"</p> + +<p>"Well, it has been hurting me a bit. I am not conscious +of having used it particularly, but I suppose when I was +thrown down by that explosion it must have got wrenched +somehow."</p> + +<p>"Well, if I were you I would ask Dr. Bemish to have a look +at it."</p> + +<p>Glover did so. It was black and blue from the shoulder +down to the elbow, and very tender to the touch.</p> + +<p>"I don't think anything is broken," the doctor said, "but it +has been a very close shave. At any rate, it is just as well +that I should put on splints and bandage it, and you must take +to your sling again and keep to it for some time. It is not +tender above the shoulder, is it?"</p> + +<p>"No, doctor; I think it is all right there."</p> + +<p>"That is lucky. You ought to go on the sick-list."</p> + +<p>"I cannot do that, sir. It would be giving up the command<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +of the brigantine, and I would put up with anything rather +than that."</p> + +<p>They had fine weather and a leading wind to Jamaica, and +their arrival there with the two captured prizes and the news +that the piratical haunt had been completely destroyed, created +quite a sensation, which was heightened by the rescue of so +many females from the hands of the pirates. Some fifteen of +these found friends in the island, and the scene when they +were handed over to them was painful in the extreme. A +third of the number were French, and there were also some +eighteen Spaniards. All were temporarily taken in and cared +for by families at Port Royal, and were sent off as soon as +opportunity offered either to the islands for which they had +been bound when captured, or to their friends in Europe.</p> + +<p>Mr. Hill, in his report, had done full justice to the work +done by the <i>Cerf</i>, and had mentioned Nat's going on board +the brigantine to drown her magazine, and the great service +that he had rendered in covering the advance of the sailors by +the guns of that craft, and in inflicting such heavy punishment +upon the two parties that had attempted to possess themselves +of the batteries, and the admiral sent for him and personally +congratulated him on his work.</p> + +<p>"I will see that as soon as you have passed, Mr. Glover, +you shall have your commission as acting lieutenant. I have +not forgotten what Captain Crosbie told me of your gallant +action at Cape François."</p> + +<p>Mr. Hill was at once appointed to the command of a frigate +whose captain had died of yellow fever, and received the rank +of commander pending its confirmation from home; and Mr. +Philpot, second lieutenant of that frigate, was appointed first +lieutenant of the <i>Orpheus</i> in his place. The schooner and the +<i>Cerf</i> were sold, for the latter had suffered so much damage +forward by the fire concentrated upon her by the pirates'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> +ships that she was considered unfit for further service. The +other brigantine was bought into the service. The plunder +taken was sold by auction, and the proceeds, together with the +sum fetched by the three prizes, brought the total up to one +hundred and five thousand pounds, a larger sum than had ever +been captured by any vessel on the station.</p> + +<p>The new brigantine was re-christened the <i>Falcon</i>, and Mr. +Low was placed in command, with two midshipmen from +other ships on the station under him. She was not, like the +<i>Cerf</i>, a tender to the <i>Orpheus</i>, as the frigate could no longer +spare a crew for her, having, in addition to the loss in action, +been obliged to send thirty men to hospital on shore. The +brigantine was therefore manned by drafts from other ships of +war on the station. Needham was also left on shore, being +promoted at once to the rank of lieutenant, which left Nat +for the time senior midshipman of the <i>Orpheus</i>, which was +now directed to cruise in the neighbourhood of Hayti, where +complaints had been received of vessels being missing.</p> + +<p>Two months after leaving Jamaica the <i>Orpheus</i> again put in +to Cape François. Nat was still wearing his arm in a sling. +There had been a good deal of swelling and inflammation, +but this had now abated, and in his opinion his arm was +perfectly well again, but the doctor insisted that he should as a +precautionary measure still use the sling. The frigate needed +some repairs, having carried away some spars in a hurricane +a week previously, and on the day of their arrival the captain +sent for Nat, and said kindly:</p> + +<p>"We shall be here for a week, Mr. Glover, and the doctor +thinks that another run among the hills will do you good, +therefore you can go and stay with your friends there until +we sail again. If you return this day week that will do. +You have stuck to your work well, for Doctor Bemish said +that for the first month at least you ought to have been on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> +the sick-list, and at any rate you deserve a holiday for your +share in that fight."</p> + +<p>On landing Nat went first to Monsieur Duchesne's office. +The planter had but just driven in, and his horse and trap were +still standing at the door. The negro driver gave a friendly +grin as he saw him.</p> + +<p>"Glad to see you, sah, bery glad; eberyone will be glad. +Hope you all well, sah?"</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Cæsar. All well at the plantation, I hope?" +and he went into the office, where he was most warmly +received by Monsieur Duchesne.</p> + +<p>"I had been told that your ship came into port at daybreak, +my dear Monsieur Glover, and I should have come off +to ask after you as soon as I had answered my letters, and to +carry you off if the captain would give you leave. But I see +your arm is still in a sling. You have not hurt it, I hope?"</p> + +<p>"I hurt it in that fight we had with the pirates. I dare say +you heard of it."</p> + +<p>"Everyone has heard of it," the planter said. "It was +splendid, and there is not one here who does not feel grateful +indeed to your ship for having rid us of all those scoundrels, +who have been doing us so much harm for years. You have +not hurt it much, I hope?"</p> + +<p>"It was bad for a bit, but it is all right again now. The +doctor orders me to keep to the sling for some time longer, +though I am sure there is not the least necessity for it."</p> + +<p>"And now about your leave, shall I go off to the ship, +think you?"</p> + +<p>"The captain himself gave me leave this morning for a week +without my even asking for it."</p> + +<p>"That is good news indeed. My carriage is at the door; +I fortunately told Cæsar to wait, as there are some things to +take back. My wife and Myra will be delighted to see you,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +they talk of you always, and will be glad indeed to have you +with them again. My boy has gone out to buy the matters +required by madame, he will be back in a few minutes."</p> + +<p>A quarter of an hour later Nat was on his way out to +the plantation, where he was received with a welcome of the +warmest kind by Madame Duchesne and her daughter. Both +were greatly concerned at finding that his arm had again been +injured.</p> + +<p>"It is hard indeed," Myra said, "that I should be so well +and strong again, and that you should still be suffering for +what you did for me."</p> + +<p>"I do not think," he said, "that that business has really anything +to do with the last one. A pirate ship blew up close to +us; the shock was tremendous. The masts of the brigantine +I was in snapped off as if they had been carrots, everyone +on deck was thrown down, twelve were killed outright, and +the rest of us were all a great deal bruised and hurt. The +doctor said that he thought my arm might very well have +been broken even had it not been for that accident, and as I +came off better than most of the others, I certainly have no +reason to complain. It is really quite well again now, and I +can use it for almost all purposes. I consider it absurd that +I should wear this sling, and would take it off at once, only +the doctor made me promise that I would generally wear it; +indeed, on board I always took my arm out when I wanted to +use it, and he said himself that a certain amount of exercise +was good for me."</p> + +<p>Monsieur Duchesne came home as usual just at sunset. +Nat noticed that at dinner he was evidently preoccupied, +though he endeavoured to join in the conversation as cheerily +as usual. After the ladies had left the table he said:</p> + +<p>"You may have noticed that I am <i>distrait</i>, Monsieur Glover, +but it is an anxious time for all of us on the island, and has<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +been so, indeed, for some time. You see we are divided into +three classes: there are the pure whites, the mulattoes, and the +negroes, and even these are subdivided. There are the old +settlers, men who, like myself, belong to noble French families, +and who, I hope, keep up the best traditions of our country; +there are the poor whites, landless men who are discontented +with their position, and hate those who are better off, while +they stand aloof from the mulattoes. These, again, are equally +divided. Many of them are rich men with plantations. They +send their sons and daughters over to France to be educated, +and take it much amiss that we, who are of pure blood, do +not associate with them. Then, again, there are the negroes, +who number no fewer than five hundred thousand, while we +whites are but forty thousand. We went on well enough +together until the States General met in France. It was a +bad affair that, for us as well as for France. From that time +there has been a ferment. We sent over deputies, eighteen of +them, but the Assembly only allowed six to take their seats, +and while they snubbed us, the young mulattoes were treated +with the greatest favour.</p> + +<p>"Then came the news that the Assembly had passed a declaration +asserting all men to be free and equal. You may +imagine what a shock this was to us. Some of the mulattoes, +in their excitement, took up arms to show that they were free, +but they were easily put down. However, when the National +Assembly heard of the excitement and dissatisfaction caused +among the French in all their colonies, they made another +decree authorizing each colony to elect its own legislative +assembly. Our assembly here lost their heads on finding power +in their hands, and passed a constitution which practically renounced +all allegiance to France. Some riots broke out, and +things would have been very serious had not, on the eleventh +of October last year (1790), a decree been passed by the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +National Assembly modifying the former one. However, on +the fifteenth of May they passed another, declaring all people +of colour in the French colonies, born of free parents, entitled +to vote for members of the colonial assembly, and to be elected +to seats themselves.</p> + +<p>"When the news came here six weeks ago, you can imagine +the excitement. Meetings were held, and it was even proposed +to throw off allegiance to France and to hoist the British flag +instead of ours. Happily calmer thoughts came, and matters +cooled down, but there can be no doubt that the state of affairs +is critical. The mulattoes, who outnumber the whites, do not +know how to contain themselves with joy, and disputes between +them and the whites take place daily. Then there are the +negroes. You see, the decree does nothing for them. It is +hard to know what the negroes think, even whether they care +that they are not to have a vote is not known to us. It is clear +that it would be of little advantage to them, and, you see, no +one who was not out of his mind could think of giving a vote +to them, for their vote would be five times as large as that of +the whites and mulattoes together. We should have an +assembly composed entirely of slaves, and these slaves would +at once vote that all the land and property in the island +should be divided among themselves. What think you of +that, Monsieur Glover?"</p> + +<p>"It would be madness indeed," Nat agreed.</p> + +<p>"Then, you see, even if they did not do that they would +declare themselves free, and we should all be ruined. <i>Sapristi!</i> +it makes one's blood cold to think of such a thing. But, nevertheless, +the negroes are like children, they can be led by a little +talk, and among them there are men of some intelligence who +could work the rest up to a state of madness. I do not say +that this will come—Heaven defend us from such a calamity!—still, +monsieur, you will comprehend that we all feel as if we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +were sitting on the edge of a volcano. Such strange things +happen. What may not occur next? You will understand +that I do not talk of these things before my wife and child. +They, of course, know about the past, but as for the future +they do not trouble themselves at all. I have spoken to some +of my friends, and they laugh at the idea of the slaves rising. +They say, truly enough, that they are far better treated here +than in your British colonies. But then there has been no +revolution in England. People have not been stirred up to a +state of excitement. The nation has not lost its head, as in +France. I say that it is possible there may be trouble with the +slaves."</p> + +<p>"Not here, surely, monsieur? Your negroes seem to me to +be contented and happy, and I am sure they are well treated."</p> + +<p>"That is undoubtedly so; but, as I told you, the negroes are +like children, they will laugh one minute and scream with +rage the next. There is never any saying what they may do. +I can hardly bring myself to think that such a thing could +happen, but I have taken to carrying pistols in my pockets, +and I have stored some arms in that closet in the hall; at least +I should have them handy, and I doubt not that the house +servants will remain true, and I hope many of my slaves. It +is for this that I have gathered the arms together."</p> + +<p>"But surely you would have warning?"</p> + +<p>"At the first whisper I should, of course, drive my wife and +child down to the town, where we should be safe, for there the +whites are strong, and we have no fear of an attack. However, +we must trust that such a thing may never happen, or that if it +does, it may be in the far distance. But come when it will, +everyone should receive warning in plenty of time to make all +preparations. It seems to me impossible that a plot of any +magnitude could be passed from end to end of this island, +and be known to so vast a number of negroes, without some of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +them warning their masters of the danger, for there are tens +of thousands who are almost like members of their masters' +families."</p> + +<p>"I should say it is quite impossible that any extensive +plot could be hatched without its being known in a very short +time to everyone," Nat agreed; "and in any case, although +those who live far in the interior of the island might have +reason to fear, should the negroes break out, I can hardly think +that, within little more than an hour's drive from the city, you +need feel any uneasiness whatever."</p> + +<p>"No, I feel that there ought to be no trouble here, at any +rate unless there is a successful insurrection in other parts of +the island; no doubt that would be infectious elsewhere. But +the negroes near the town would be the last to join in such +a movement, for they might be sure that the whites there +would take speedy vengeance on all within their reach. However, +let us think no more of it at present; my wife and +Myra will be wondering what we can find to talk about so +long."</p> + +<p>Nat lay awake for some time that night thinking of what +Monsieur Duchesne had said. He had heard vaguely, while +he was there before, of the manner in which the revolution in +France had affected the island, but it was a subject that was +little discussed at the planter's. Having all the feelings and +prejudices of the old <i>noblesse</i> of France, he had from the first +been opposed to the popular movement in Paris, and had held +himself altogether aloof from the demonstration on the island. +The subject was painful to him, and he had seldom alluded to +it in his family circle. It seemed to Nat inconceivable that +any general movement could be planned among the blacks +without warning being received by the planters. When he +went out next day he looked with more attention than before +at the slaves working on the plantations. It seemed to him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +that their demeanour was quieter than usual; the mulatto +overseers seemed to pay less attention to them, and he was +surprised to come upon three of them talking earnestly together, +whereas, hitherto, he had always seen them on different +parts of the estate.</p> + +<p>On the following morning, the 23rd of August, Monsieur +Duchesne started as usual soon after seven o'clock, for the heat +was now intense, and it was dangerous to be out after the sun +had obtained its full power. An hour later Nat was sitting in +the verandah behind the house with Madame Duchesne and +Myra, when an old negress ran out; her eyes were wide open +with terror and excitement, and her face was almost pale.</p> + +<p>"Madame and mam'selle must fly and hide themselves!" she +exclaimed. "Nigger come in half an hour ago wid news dat +slabes rise last night in many places all ober de country and +kill all de whites. Dinah hear dat all people expect dat, only +not for anober two days. Oberseers de leaders now. Dey +come here quick wid all de field hands. Not a moment to be +lost. Fly for your libes!"</p> + +<p>"Impossible!" Madame Duchesne exclaimed, as she and +Myra sprang to their feet alarmed, but incredulous.</p> + +<p>"It may be true, madame," Nat exclaimed. "For God's +sake run with Myra in among the shrubbery there; I will join +you in a moment. If it is a false alarm all the better; but it +may be true, and there is not a moment to lose. Do you hear +those shouts?"</p> + +<p>A burst of yells and shouts rose in the air a short distance +away.</p> + +<p>"Run! run!" Nat exclaimed as he dashed into the house, +rushed to the closet in the hall, seized two brace of pistols, a +sword, and half a dozen packets of cartridges for the pistols, and +then ran out into the verandah just in time to see the white +dresses of the ladies disappear into the shrubbery close to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +entrance of the verandah. Some wraps which they sometimes +put on to keep off the evening dew when they were sitting out +of doors were hung up close by him. Hastily snatching these +off their hooks, he dashed off at full speed, for the tumult was +now approaching the front of the house. The ladies had +stopped just within the cover of the bushes. "Run!" he cried; +"there is not a moment to lose. They will be searching for +us as soon as they find that we are not in the house."</p> + +<p>The belt of foliage extended all round the garden, and, +keeping inside, they ran to the other end. Fortunately, +adjoining the garden was a plantation of sugar-cane which +had not yet been cut, for although the greater portion of the +cane is cut in April, freshly made plantations planted at that +time are not fit to cut until the autumn of the following year. +The canes were ten feet high, and as the rows were three +feet apart, there was plenty of room to run between them. +Scarcely a word was spoken as they hurried along. The +plantation was some four hundred yards across; beyond it +stretched another of equal size, extending to the edge of the +forest. The canes here, which had been cut four months before, +were three feet high; at other times many negroes would have +been at work hoeing the ground round the roots, but when +Nat looked out cautiously from the edge of the higher canes +not a soul was to be seen.</p> + +<p>"I think it is perfectly safe," he said; "but you had better +put on the dark wraps, your light dresses would be seen a long +distance away. We had better move a short distance farther +to the right before we attempt to go straight on. If you will +walk one after the other, treading in each other's steps, I +will take off my shoes and follow you; that will destroy your +traces, and the marks of my bare feet might be taken for +those of a negro. Please do not lose a moment," he said, as +he saw that Madame Duchesne was about to speak; "there<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +will be time to talk when we get into the forest and settle +what we had best do."</p> + +<p>They had gone but a few yards when Nat's eye caught +sight of a hoe lying on the ground a short distance along +one of the rows of the young canes. He ran and fetched +it, the others stopping while he did so. Then as he went +along he carefully obliterated his footsteps, and continued to +do so until when, after walking thirty or forty yards farther, +he turned into the young plantation. The surface of the +ground was almost dust-dry, and between the rows of the +growing canes a track had been worn by the feet of the slaves, +who every two or three days hoed round the roots; here, +therefore, there was no occasion to use the hoe, as the ground +was so hard that his feet left no marks upon it. In a few +minutes they entered the wood and went in some little +distance; then they stopped. They could still hear the yells +of the negroes, who, Nat doubted not, were engaged in plundering +the house, after which he felt sure that there would be +an eager search for the fugitives.</p> + +<p>The ground had been rising all the way.</p> + +<p>"I see you need a few minutes' rest," he said to Madame +Duchesne, who was so much shaken that it was evident she +could walk but little farther. "I will go back to the edge +of the wood and see if there are any signs of their following +us."</p> + +<p>Just as he reached the open ground there was a louder +outburst than usual of exulting cries; he saw a column of +smoke rising from the trees, and knew that the negroes had +set the house on fire. He returned at once to the ladies. +Madame Duchesne had sunk on the ground. Myra was +kneeling beside her.</p> + +<p>"We must go on, madame," he said; "the scoundrels have +fired the house."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> + +<p>She rose to her feet.</p> + +<p>"I am better now," she said with a calmness that greatly +pleased Nat. "It seemed a dream at first. What does it all +mean, Nat?" for she as well as her daughter had come to +address him by that name.</p> + +<p>"I fear it is a general rising of the blacks throughout the +island," he replied. "Monsieur Duchesne told me last night +that he thought such an event might possibly take place, but +he made sure that if it occurred we should have ample +warning. By what your old nurse said it must have been an +arranged thing, to take place on the twenty-fifth, but something +must have hurried it. I think, to begin with, we had better +go half a mile farther into the forest. We can talk as we go."</p> + +<p>"Had we not better make straight for the town?"</p> + +<p>"I think not, though of course I will do whatever you +believe to be best; but there are a score of plantations between +us and the town, and I have no doubt that the slaves +will have risen everywhere. Besides, if your own negroes +fail to follow our track, they will make sure that we have +gone in that direction, and will be on the look-out for us; +therefore I think that for the present we had better remain +in the forest."</p> + +<p>"But how can we live here?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"There will be no difficulty about that," he replied; "there +are plenty of plantations of yams, and I can go down and dig +them up at night. The young canes will quench your thirst +if we fail to hit upon a spring, but we know that there are +several of these among the hills, for we pass over five or six +little streamlets on our way to the town."</p> + +<p>"I am sure Nat will look well after us," Myra said confidently; +"besides, mamma, I am certain that you could not +walk down there. You know you never do walk, and I cannot +recollect your walking so far as you have done to-day."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> + +<p>This indeed had been the chief reason why Nat had decided +that they had better stay in the forest at present, although he +had not mentioned it. Like all Creoles—as whites born in the +islands were called in the French West Indies—Madame +Duchesne was altogether unaccustomed to exercise, and +beyond a stroll in the garden when the heat of the day +was over, had not walked since her childhood. The heat, +indeed, rendered a journey of any kind next to impossible +during the greater part of the day. They had slaves to do +their bidding, to wait on them, fetch and carry, and consequently +even in the house they had no occasion for the +slightest personal exertion. Madame Duchesne, being of a +naturally more energetic temperament than are Creoles in +general, was less indolent than the majority of the ladies of +the island, but was wholly incapable of taking a walk of which +English ladies would have thought nothing. She was already +greatly exhausted by the excitement and the fatigue of their +hasty flight, and to Nat it seemed at once that it was hopeless +for her to think of attempting the journey of fifteen miles +across a rough country.</p> + +<p>The forest grew thicker as they advanced, and after walking +for half an hour Madame Duchesne declared that it was impossible +for her to go farther. Nat was indeed surprised that +she had held on for so long. She had been leaning on his +arm, and he felt the weight becoming heavier and heavier +every step. She was bathed in perspiration, her breath came +in gasps, and he himself proposed a halt, feeling that she was +at the end of her strength.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<h4>IN HIDING</h4> + + +<p>"The first thing to do," Nat said, after he had seen that +Madame Duchesne was as comfortably seated as possible, +"is to find some sort of hiding-place. We may be sure that +the negroes will search everywhere for you, and that, released +from work and having nothing to do, they will wander about +the woods, and one of them might come upon us at any +moment. Therefore, unless we can find some sort of shelter, +I dare not leave you for a minute."</p> + +<p>"But why should you leave us?" Myra asked.</p> + +<p>"We must eat and drink," he said. "I must endeavour to +discover what is going on elsewhere; I must, if possible, obtain +a disguise, and endeavour to find out what are the intentions +of the blacks, and ascertain whether it will be possible to +obtain help from the town; and I can begin to do nothing +until I feel that you are at least comparatively safe. There is +no doubt, Madame Duchesne, that our position is a very +painful one, but we have a great deal to be thankful for. If +the rising had taken place in the night, as no doubt it did +at the plantations where the negroes began their work, we +should all have been murdered without the chance of resistance. +Now, we have escaped with our lives, and have the +satisfaction of knowing that Monsieur Duchesne is safe in the +town, and will assuredly do his best to rescue us; but that can +hardly be yet. Cape François is no doubt in a state of wild +panic, and will in the first place be thinking of how it can best +defend itself."</p> + +<p>"There are, of course, many other planters there in the same +position as your husband. Each will be thinking of his own<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> +people; nothing like a general effort will be possible. At any +rate, it seems to me that it must be some time before any +operations can take place to put down the insurrection. If +one could but get hold of some messenger one could trust, +and could let Monsieur Duchesne know that you are for the +present safe, it would be an immense relief to him; but so far +as we know at present that old nurse is the only one of your +slaves who is faithful, and even if I could find her and get +her to carry a note or a message, it is unlikely in the extreme +that she would be permitted to pass on into the town. However, +as I say, the first thing is to discover a hiding-place +where you would be comparatively safe, and before I go to +find a messenger I will look round for some clump of undergrowth +where nothing but close search could find you. I +think that those bushes we see across there would do for the +moment. You cannot remain here, for you would be seen at +once by anyone who came along within fifty yards of you. I +will go and see at once whether it would do."</p> + +<p>Without waiting for an answer he hurried away. On examination +he found that the place was more suitable than he had +expected. A great tree had once stood there, and had been +sawn off close to the ground. Round this a clump of bushes +had sprung up, growing so thickly that it was impossible to see +into the centre save by pushing aside the bushes and entering +the little circle. He hastened back.</p> + +<p>"It will do excellently for our hiding-place for the present," +he said, "and the sooner we are inside the better."</p> + +<p>He assisted Madame Duchesne to her feet, led her to the +bushes, and then bent some of them very carefully aside. The +ladies made their way in, and he followed them, seeing that +each of the saplings fell back in its natural position.</p> + +<p>"There, madame," he said, "unless anyone took it into his +head to push in as we have done we are absolutely safe. But<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +it will be better that you should keep your dark cloaks on. I +do not think that anyone could see through this thick screen of +leaves, but it is as well to be on the safe side."</p> + +<p>"You won't leave us at present?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly not," he said. "After it gets dark I shall make +my way down to the house. I must get a disguise of some +sort; it does not matter much what it is, for I expect the +slaves will be dressing up in the clothes they have stolen, no +matter what they are. With some charred wood I can blacken +my face and hands. No doubt anyone would see at once on +looking at me closely that I was not a negro, but at a distance +I should pass."</p> + +<p>"You would make a better mulatto than you would a +negro," Myra said.</p> + +<p>"So I should; as they are all shades of colour, I should not +have to be very particular."</p> + +<p>"If we had Dinah here with us," Myra said, "she could +make you some dye. She knows all about berries and roots, +and generally doctors any of the women who may be ill; she +would know for sure of some berries that would stain your +skin."</p> + +<p>"Well, I must see if I can find her, Myra. If not, I must +use the charcoal, but certainly the other would be much the +safer; and, you see, thanks to my long stay with you before, +I have got to speak French very fairly now."</p> + +<p>The day passed slowly. Occasionally they heard shouts +lower down in the forest, but these did not come near them, +and after a time died away.</p> + +<p>"I thought they would hardly come up as far as this," Nat +said; "negroes are not given to work unless they are obliged +to, and they will find it so pleasant doing nothing that they are +hardly likely to give themselves the trouble to search very far +for us. Besides, doubtless they have other things to think about.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> +They will know that their work has only begun when they have +burnt their masters' houses, and killed all the white people +they can lay their hands upon, and that until they have taken +possession of the towns they are not masters of the island. No +doubt, too, they carried out the wine before they burnt the +house."</p> + +<p>"Besides," Myra said, "there is the rum store; there are at +least a hundred barrels there."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I did not think of that. Well, I expect that before +this the greater part of them are drunk, and I don't suppose +there will be a sober man left to-night. That will make it an +easy business for me to find out what they are doing, and to +get hold of the things that will be useful to you. I am more +afraid of the mulattoes than of the negroes."</p> + +<p>"Do you think that they would join the blacks?"</p> + +<p>"I have no doubt at all about it—I feel sure they have done +so. I saw three of them talking together yesterday; they were +paying no attention to the slaves, and I thought then that it +was rather peculiar. Besides, we know that these lower class +of mulattoes are as hostile to the whites as the negroes are, if +not more so, and I have no doubt they have had a good deal +to do with exciting the slaves to revolt. And now, Madame +Duchesne, I will go down through the woods and get you some +sugar-cane, and look for a stream."</p> + +<p>Madame Duchesne protested, but she was accustomed to +have every want supplied as soon as expressed, and she was +suffering much from thirst after the excitement and effort.</p> + +<p>"You really require something," Nat went on. "You see, if +I go down after dark I may be away for two or three hours, and +were you to wait till then you would be in a fever with thirst. +It is evident that the negroes have all left the wood, therefore +there can be no risk in my going down and cutting a dozen of +the young canes."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> + +<p>"If you go," she said firmly, sitting up as she spoke, "you +must leave me two of your pistols—they are double-barrelled, +are they not?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, madame."</p> + +<p>"Well, leave two. If the negroes come and begin to search +this place I shall shoot Myra first and then myself, for death +would be a thousand times preferable to falling into the hands +of these wretches."</p> + +<p>"I think you are right there," Nat said gravely, "and if I +thought that there would be the slightest fear of their coming +I would not leave you. I shall not be away a quarter of an +hour. I will leave my jacket and cap here, and tie a handkerchief +round my head, so that should I by any chance come +across a searcher, he will not recognize me until I am close +enough to silence him. I shall take the sword as well as the +other brace of pistols; it will be useful for cutting down the +canes."</p> + +<p>Taking off his jacket and waistcoat, and tying his handkerchief +round his head, he made his way through the bushes, and +then started at a fast run down the hill, keeping, however, a +sharp look-out as he went. As he expected, there were no +signs of the blacks. As he reached the edge of the wood, and +cut the canes, he could hear the sound of distant yells in the +direction of the house.</p> + +<p>"The brutes have got at the rum," he said. "If I had +but half a dozen blue-jackets, I believe I could clear the lot +out. I do hope," he went on, as he started on his way back, +"I shall be able to lay my hand on something to eat, and get +hold of a bottle or two of wine. Madame will never be able +to get on on yams and sugar-canes, accustomed as she has +been to every luxury. Myra will be all right, she is a regular +young brick." As he neared the clump of bushes he cried out +cheerily: "All right, madame, I have got the canes, and have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +not caught sight of a negro." An exclamation of relief followed. +Madame Duchesne and Myra were both standing as +he entered, each with a pistol in her hand.</p> + +<p>"I was not alarmed by your footstep," she said, "for anyone +who was searching for us would come along slowly and +stealthily; but I thought you might be pursued."</p> + +<p>"If I had been," Nat laughed, "you may be very sure I +should not have brought them this way, but would have given +them a dance all over the place, and then slipped away and +come back here."</p> + +<p>"I know that," she said earnestly, "but I am nervous and +shaken."</p> + +<p>"Very naturally, too," Nat said: "you felt very much as I +did when, after that explosion, I went on board the other pirate +to drown the magazine. I believe that if anyone had given +a shout close to me I should have tumbled headlong down on +the deck. I think, now, we are perfectly safe till to-morrow. +By the noises I heard down by the house I should say that +most of the slaves are drunk already, and you may be sure that +they will not think of starting to look for us till to-morrow. +Now, if you will take my advice, you will try to sleep a bit."</p> + +<p>Accustomed to sleep for two or three hours during the heat +of the day, Madame Duchesne was indeed feeling so drowsy +that she could with difficulty keep her eyes open, and she now +in the course of a few minutes was breathing quietly and +regularly.</p> + +<p>"Now, Myra, do you watch by your mother while I go and +look for water. That tiny stream that crosses the road a quarter +of a mile above your house must come down not far from here, +and it is essential that we should be near it."</p> + +<p>"But it is near water that they are most likely to look for +us."</p> + +<p>"I did not think of that, Myra; of course it is. Well, then,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> +we must move over this hill and hide up in the next little valley +we come to. There is a road that turns off half a mile above +your house. I never went far along it, but it seems to go right +up into the heart of the hills."</p> + +<p>"I never went up it either, Nat, but I have heard my father +say there were a good many small clearings up among the hills, +some with twenty slaves, some with only two or three."</p> + +<p>"Then, when I come back from seeing how things are going +on at the house, we had better make for that road, keeping +along down at the end of the plantation until we come to it. +It will be much better to keep straight along there till we +pass some little valley where there is a stream, than to wander +about in the wood; and we shall be farther away from those +who may be looking after us. If your mother sleeps for two +or three hours she will be able to go some little distance +to-night."</p> + +<p>Myra shook her head doubtingly.</p> + +<p>"We must get her on," he added, "even if we have to carry +her. It is all very well for us, because I am as hard as nails, +and you do a lot of walking for a white girl here, but your +mother is not strong. You saw how terribly exhausted she +was when she got here, and it is quite likely that she may +knock up altogether; therefore it is essential to get her into +shelter. We are safe for to-day, but to-morrow we may have +the negroes all over the hills, and it will have to be a wonderfully +good hiding-place to escape their search."</p> + +<p>"But do you feel sure that they have risen on all the other +plantations?"</p> + +<p>"I have not the least doubt that they have risen on every +plantation in this neighbourhood. Your slaves were wonderfully +well treated, and would not have joined unless they had +known that it was a general rising. You know the old nurse +said that it was to have been on the twenty-fifth, which means,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +of course, that it was a great plot all over the island. Of course +in some places they may not have got the news yet, and may +not rise for a day or two, but you may be sure that all around +here it has been general."</p> + +<p>"But why should they want to kill us?"</p> + +<p>"Because they are really nothing but savages. Though they +have in many cases been slaves for generations, still there are +always fresh slaves arriving; and the others know that their +fathers, like these, were captured and sold to the whites, that +they had terrible times in the slave-ships, and are on some +plantations treated like dogs, and are bought and sold just like +cattle. I don't wonder at it that, now they have got a chance, +as they think, they should take vengeance for all the ills they +have suffered. When they are at war with each other in Africa +they kill or enslave all who fall into their hands—men, women, +or children—and you may be sure that they will show no +mercy here. When I was down at the edge of the wood to cut +those canes I could see smoke rising from a dozen points lower +down. It is possible that some besides ourselves got warning +in time, but I am afraid very few can have escaped; for you +see, once beyond the line of wood, which does not go more +than a mile or two further, there will be no hiding-places for +them. There is only one comfort, and that is, the news must +have got down to the town in a very short time, and there is +no fear of your father driving out and being taken by surprise. +My greatest hope lies in that old nurse of yours. She could +do more in the way of helping us than we could do ourselves. +She could go and get things, and hear what is going on. She +is old, but she is a strong woman still, and could help to carry +your mother, and attend to her if she is ill."</p> + +<p>"Do you think she is going to be ill?" Myra asked anxiously, +looking at her mother.</p> + +<p>"I sincerely trust not, Myra, but I own that I am afraid of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +it. She is breathing faster than she did, and she has moved +restlessly several times while we have been talking, and has a +patch of colour on each cheek, which looks like fever. However, +we must hope for the best. Anyhow, I shall bring Dinah +up here if possible."</p> + +<p>So they talked till the sun went down. Madame Duchesne +still slept, but her breathing was perceptibly faster. She +occasionally muttered to herself, and scarcely lay still for a +moment.</p> + +<p>"I will be going now," Nat said at last; "it will be pitch +dark by the time I get down to the house; it is dark already +here. You have the pistols, Myra, but you may be quite sure +that no one will be searching now. I may have some difficulty +in finding these bushes when I come back, but I will whistle, +and when I do, do you give a call. I hope I shall bring Dinah +back with me."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I do hope you will. She would be a comfort to us."</p> + +<p>Nat heard a quaver in her voice, which showed that she was +on the point of breaking down.</p> + +<p>"You must not give way, Myra," he said. "You have +been very plucky up to now, and for your mother's sake you +must keep up a brave heart and hope always for the best. I +rely upon you greatly. We may have many dangers to go +through, but with God's help we may hope to rejoin your +father. But we must be calm and patient. We have been +marvellously fortunate so far, and shall, I hope, be so until +the end. When I find out what the negroes intend to do we +shall be able to decide upon our course. It may be that they +will pour down from all the plantations within thirty or forty +miles round and attack the town, or it may be that they will +march away into the mountains in the interior of the island, +in which case the road to the town will be open to us. Now, +good-bye; I will be back as soon as I can."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Do not hurry," she said. "I will try to be brave, and I +don't mind waiting, because I shall know that you are trying +to get nurse, and of course it may be difficult for you to find +her alone."</p> + +<p>"Good-bye, then," he said cheerfully, and passing through +the bushes he went rapidly down the hill.</p> + +<p>On reaching the cane-field he again took off his shoes. He +did not hurry now. It was a tremendous responsibility that +he had upon his shoulders. He thought nothing of the danger +to himself, but of how Madame Duchesne and her daughter +were to be sheltered and cared for if, as he feared, the former +was on the edge of an attack of fever, which might last for +days, and so prostrate her that weeks might elapse before she +would be fit to travel.</p> + +<p>"I must get Dinah at all costs," he said to himself. "She +knows what will be wanted, and will be a companion to Myra +when I have to be away."</p> + +<p>As he neared the place where the house had stood he heard +sounds of shouting and singing coming from a spot near the +storehouses, where a broad glow of light showed that a great +bonfire was burning. He kept in the shrubbery until near +the house, and then stepped out on to the grass. The house +was gone, and a pile of still glowing embers alone marked +where it had stood. Nat approached this, found a piece of +charred timber that had fallen a short distance from it, and +proceeded to blacken his face and hands. Then he turned +towards the fire. As he had expected, it was not long before +he came across the figure of a prostrate man, who was snoring +in a drunken sleep. The stars gave sufficient light for him to +see as he bent over him that he was a negro. He had attired +himself in what when he put them on were a clean nankeen +jacket and trousers, a part of the spoil he had taken in the +sack of the house. Without ceremony Nat turned him over,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +and with some trouble removed the garments and put them on +over his own. Then he took the red handkerchief that the +negro had bound round his head and tied it on, putting his +own bandana in his pocket.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 508px;"> +<img src="images/i005.jpg" width="508" height="800" alt="Page 122" title="" /> +<span class="caption">“IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE HE CAME ACROSS THE FIGURE +OF A PROSTRATE MAN.”</span> +</div> + +<p>"Now," he said to himself, "I shall do, provided I keep +away from the light of that fire. The first point is to find +where Dinah has gone. I know she has a daughter and +some grandchildren down at the slaves' huts. I should think +I have most chance of finding her there."</p> + +<p>Turning off, he went to the huts, which lay two or three +hundred yards away from the house. As he did so he passed +near the houses in which the mulatto overseers lived. There +were lights here, and he could hear the sound of voices through +the open windows.</p> + +<p>"I will come back to them later on," he said, "I may hear +something of their plans; but Dinah is the most important at +present."</p> + +<p>He was soon among the slave huts. No one was about, +the women being mostly up at the fire with the men. He +looked in at the door of each hut he passed. As he was +still without shoes his movements were noiseless. In a few +of them women were cooking, or putting their children to bed. +At the last hut of the first row which he visited an old negro +woman was rocking herself in great grief, and two or three +children were playing on the floor. Nat knew that he had +come to the end of his search, by the blue cotton dress with +large white spots that the woman wore. He went in and +touched her.</p> + +<p>"Dinah," he whispered, "come outside!"</p> + +<p>She gave a little start of surprise, and then said to the +children:</p> + +<p>"Now, you stop here, like good childer, Aunt Dinah is agoing +out. If you keep quiet she tell you story when she comes in."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p> +<p>Then she went out with Nat without any appearance of +haste. By long connection with the family she spoke French +fairly well, whereas the negro patois, although mostly composed +of French words, was almost unintelligible to him.</p> + +<p>"Tank de Lord dat you hab come back, Marse Glober. +Dinah fret terrible all day. Am de ladies well? Whar you +hide dem?"</p> + +<p>"They are up in the wood, Dinah. I am greatly afraid that +Madame Duchesne is going to have fever, and you are sorely +wanted there. Myra said she was sure that you would come +when you knew where they were."</p> + +<p>"For suah me come, massa," she said. "What madame and +Mam'selle Myra do widout Dinah? So you black your face?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, but I want some juice to make my face yellow like a +mulatto. Anyone could see that I was not a negro in the +daylight."</p> + +<p>"Dat so. Me bring 'tuff wid me. What you want beside?"</p> + +<p>"We shall want a bottle or two of wine if you can get them, +and a jug of fresh water, and anything you can get in the way +of eatables, and I should say a cooking pot. Those are the +principal things."</p> + +<p>"Dere am plenty ob boxes of wine up near house. Dis +black trash like rum better, leave wine for de mulattoes; dey +bery bad man dose. Where you go now, Marse Glober? Me +take some time to get de tings."</p> + +<p>"It would be a good thing, too, if you could get hold of +enough cotton cloth to make dresses for them."</p> + +<p>The old woman nodded.</p> + +<p>"Plenty ob dat, sah. Storehouses all broke open, eberyone +take what him like. Dis dreadful day, almost break Dinah's +heart."</p> + +<p>"It has been a terrible day, Dinah, and I am afraid that the +same bad work is going on everywhere."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p> + +<p>"So dey say, marse, so dey say. Where you go now, sah?"</p> + +<p>"I am going to the overseers' huts to hear what their plans +are. Where shall I meet you, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Me take tings to bush just where you and de ladies ran in. +Me make two or tree journeys, but me be as quick as can."</p> + +<p>"Do; it is anxious work for Myra there, and I want to get +back as soon as I can. Her mother is asleep, and even if she +wakes I do not think she will be able to talk much."</p> + +<p>"Me hurry, sah, but can't get 'tuff to stain you skin to-night. +Find berries up in de wood to-morrow."</p> + +<p>"There is one other thing, Dinah. Can you tell me where +to find a hand-barrow? I expect we shall have to carry your +mistress."</p> + +<p>"Me know de sort ob ting dat you want, sah, dey carry +tobacco leabes on dem. Dere are a dozen ob dem lying outside +de end store."</p> + +<p>"All right, Dinah, I will take one as I go past. Now I will +go."</p> + +<p>So saying, he turned and made his way to the overseers' +house. He crept softly along to a lighted window. When in +a line with it he stood up for a minute, knowing that those +inside would not be able to see him, there being a screen of +trees just behind him. The three mulattoes whom he had seen +talking together in the field on the previous day were seated +round a table. On it were placed two or three wine-glasses. +All were smoking.</p> + +<p>"To-morrow we must get those drunken black hogs to +work," one said, "and have a regular search through the +woods. Everything has gone well except the escape of +madame and her gal. Someone must have warned them. +The house niggers all agree that they were in the verandah +behind just before we came up, talking with that English lad. +Of course they will be found sooner or later, there is nowhere<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +for them to run to. The thing is, we want to find them ourselves. +If anyone else came upon them they would kill them +at once."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and you will have some trouble if you find them, +Monti," one of the other men said. "These blacks have been +told that every white must be killed. It is easy enough to +work these fellows up into a frenzy, but it is not so easy to +calm them down afterwards."</p> + +<p>"No, I am quite aware of that, Christophe, and that is why +I did not press the search to-day, and why I was not sorry to +find that they had got away."</p> + +<p>"You see, we have arranged that when the whites are all +killed I am to marry madame, that Paul is to take the young +one, and that we are to divide the place equally between the +three of us."</p> + +<p>"If the negroes will let us," the one called Monti said. "I +expect they will want to have a say in the business."</p> + +<p>"Yes, of course, that is understood. No doubt there will be +trouble with them, and there is no saying how things will turn +out yet. At any rate we will make sure of the women. I +have gone into this more for the sake of getting the girl than +for anything else."</p> + +<p>"We have made a good beginning everywhere, as far as we +have heard, but you must remember that it is only a beginning. +Even suppose the whites of the town do nothing, and I fancy +we shall hear of them presently, they will send over troops +from France."</p> + +<p>"They can do nothing against us up in the mountains," +Christophe said scornfully.</p> + +<p>"That may be," the other said quietly; "but at any rate +there are the blacks to deal with. They have risen against +the whites, but when they have done with them we need +not suppose for a moment that they are going to work for us.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +Luckily, here it has been the order that no slave is to be +flogged without Duchesne's approving of it, and the result is +that we are for the present masters of this plantation, but +we have heard that at some of the other places the overseers +as well as the whites have been killed. The order has gone +through the island that all the whites, including women and +children, are to be killed, and if we were to come across the +women when we have forty or fifty of the blacks with us I +don't think there would be a chance of our saving them. +These negroes are demons when their blood is up. They +know, too, that they have gone too far to be forgiven, and +will believe that their safety depends upon carrying out the +orders faithfully. It seems to me that we are in a rather +awkward fix. If we don't take the blacks out to-morrow we +sha'n't find them, if we do take them out they will be killed."</p> + +<p>"We ourselves may find them," Paul said.</p> + +<p>"Yes; and if you do, they will have that English lad with +them."</p> + +<p>"We can soon settle him," Christophe growled.</p> + +<p>"Well, I don't say we couldn't; but you know how he +fought that hound, and there was a report two days ago, from +the town, that they have attacked the Red Pirate's stronghold, +taken it, and destroyed his four ships. I grant that as we are +three to one we shall kill him, but one or two of us may go +down before we do so. Now, I tell you frankly that as I have +no personal interest in finding those two women, I have no +idea of running the risk of getting myself shot in what is your +affair altogether. Any reasonable help I am willing to give +you, but when it comes to risking my life in the matter I say, +'No, thank you.'"</p> + +<p>The others broke into a torrent of savage oaths.</p> + +<p>"Well," he went on calmly, "I am by no means certain that +the English boy would not be a match for the three of us. We<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> +should not know where he was, but he would see us, and he +might shoot a couple of us down before we had time to draw +our pistols. Then it will be man against man; and I know +that girl has practised shooting, so that the odds would be +the other way. Now, I ask you calmly, is it worth it?"</p> + +<p>"What do you propose, then?" Paul asked sulkily, after a +long silence.</p> + +<p>"I say that we had better wait till we can get hold of some +of these blacks; a little money and a little flattery will go a +long way with them. We can tell them that we have private +orders that, although most of the whites have to be put to +death, a few are to be kept, among them these two. We shall +elect a president and generals, and it is right that they should +have white women to wait on them, just as the whites have +been having blacks. That is just the sort of thing that will +take with these ignorant fools. Then with, say, ten men we +might search the woods thoroughly, find the women, and hide +them up somewhere under your charge; but we must go +quietly to work. A few days will make no difference. We +know that they can't get away. The men of the plantations +lower down have undertaken to see that no whites make their +way into the town. But it will not do to hurry the negroes, +they are sure to be either sullen or arrogant to-morrow. Some +of them, when they get over their drink, will begin to fear the +consequences, others will be so triumphant that for a time our +influence will be gone."</p> + +<p>"That is the best plan," Christophe said. "You have the +longest head of us three, Monti. For a time it will be necessary +to let the blacks have their own way."</p> + +<p>Nat, while this conversation went on, had been fingering his +pistol indecisively. His blood was so fired by the events of the +day, and the certainty that hundreds of women and children +must have been murdered, that he would have had no hesita<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>tion +in shooting the three mulattoes down. Indeed he had +quite intended to do so, in the case at any rate of Paul and +Christophe, when he learned their plans; the advice, however, +of the other, who was evidently the leading spirit, decided him +against this course. It was unlikely that he would be able +to shoot the three, for at the first shot they would doubtless +knock the candle over; besides, it was better that they should +live. Evidently they would in some way persuade the great +mass of the negroes not to trouble themselves to search the +wood, and some days must elapse before they could get a +party together on whom they could rely to spare the women +and take them as prisoners.</p> + +<p>If they did so, and, as they proposed, put them in some hut +in charge of Paul and Christophe, he would have a fair chance +of rescuing them, if he succeeded in getting away at the time +they were captured. At any rate, if they carried out their +plans they would have some days' respite, and he could either +take Madame Duchesne and Myra a good deal further into +the hills, or might even be able to get them into the town.</p> + +<p>The mulattoes now began to talk of other matters—how +quickly the insurrection would spread, the towns that were +to be attacked, and the steps to be taken—and he therefore +quietly made off, and waited for Dinah at the place agreed on. +It was not long before she arrived with her first load.</p> + +<p>"I am here," he said as she came up. "Now, what can I +do? I had better come and help you back with the other +things. We can carry them in the hand-barrow."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah. I'se got dem all together, de tings we talked of, +and tree or four blankets, and a few tings for de ladies, and +I'se taken two ob de best frocks I could find in de huts. I'se +got de wine and de food in a big basket."</p> + +<p>"All right, Dinah; let us start at once, I am anxious to be +back again as soon as possible."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> + +<p>In ten minutes they returned with all the things. The basket +of wine and provisions was the heaviest item. The clothes and +blankets had been made up into a bundle.</p> + +<p>"Me will carry dat on my head," Dinah said, "and de +barrow."</p> + +<p>"No, I can take that, Dinah, that will balance the basket; +besides, you have that great jug of water to take. Now let +us be off."</p> + +<p>After twenty minutes' walking they approached the spot +where the ladies were in hiding, but it was so dark under the +trees that Nat could not determine its exact position; he therefore +whistled, at first softly and then more loudly. Then he +heard a call some little distance away. He went on until he +judged that he must be close, and then whistled again. The +reply came at once some thirty yards away.</p> + +<p>"Here we are, Myra," he said; "nurse is with me."</p> + +<p>An exclamation of delight was heard, and a minute later he +made his way through the bushes.</p> + +<p>"Mamma is awake," the girl said, "but she does not always +understand what I say; sometimes I cannot understand +her, and her hands are as hot as fire. I am glad Dinah is +here."</p> + +<p>"You can't be gladder'n me, mam'selle. I hab brought +some feber medicine wid me, and a lantern and some candles."</p> + +<p>"Would it be safe to light the lantern?" Myra asked.</p> + +<p>"Quite safe," Nat said; "there is no chance whatever of +anyone coming along here; besides, we can put something +round the lantern so as to prevent it from being seen from +outside. You have brought steel and tinder, I hope, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Of course, marse, lamp no good widout; and I hab got +sulphur matches, no fear me forget them."</p> + +<p>"Give them to me, Dinah, I will strike a light while you +attend to your mistress."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p> + +<p>Dinah poured some water into a cup and then knelt down +by Madame Duchesne.</p> + +<p>"Here, dearie," she said, "Dinah brought you water and +wine and tings to eat. Here is a cup of water, I am sure you +want it. Let me lift you up to drink it."</p> + +<p>She lifted her and placed the cup in her hands, and she +drank it off eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Is that your voice, Dinah?" she said after a pause.</p> + +<p>"Yes, madame; I'se come up to help to take care ob you. +Marse Glober come and tell me whar you were, so you may be +suah that me lose no time, just wait to get a few tings dat you +might want and den start up."</p> + +<p>"I think I am not very well, Dinah."</p> + +<p>"Jess a little poorly you be. Bery funny if you not poorly +abter sich wicked doings. Now de best ting dat you can do is +to go to sleep and not worry."</p> + +<p>"Give me another drink, Dinah."</p> + +<p>"Here it is, dis time a little wine wid de water and a little +'tuff to make you sleep quiet. Den me double up a blanket +for you to lie on and put anober over you, and a bundle under +your head, and den you go to sleep firm. No trouble to-night; +to-morrow morning we go on."</p> + +<p>Madame Duchesne drank off the contents of the cup. She +was made as comfortable as circumstances would permit, and +it was not long before her regular breathing showed that the +medicine that Dinah had administered had had the desired +effect.</p> + +<p>"Now, Myra," Nat said, "we will investigate the contents +of the basket. I am beginning to get as hungry as a hunter, +and I am sure that you must be so too."</p> + +<p>"I am thirsty," the girl said, "but I do not feel hungry."</p> + +<p>"You will, directly you begin. Now, Dinah, what have you +brought us?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Dere am one roast chicken dar, Marse Glober. Dat was +all I could get cooked. Dere are six dead ones. I caught +dem and wrung their necks jest before I started. Dey no +good now. Dere is bread baked fresh dis morning before de +troubles began, and dere is two pine-apples and a big melon."</p> + +<p>"Bravo, Dinah! You have got knives?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah, four knibes and forks."</p> + +<p>"We could manage without the forks, Dinah, but it is more +comfortable having them. Now we will cut the chicken up +into three. It looks a fine bird."</p> + +<p>"I'se had my dinner, sah; no want more."</p> + +<p>"That is all nonsense, Dinah," he said. "I am quite sure +that you did not eat much dinner to-day, and you will want +your strength to-morrow."</p> + +<p>Dinah could not affirm that she had eaten much, and indeed +she had scarcely been able to swallow a mouthful in the middle +of the day. The meal was heartily enjoyed, and they made +up with bread and fruit for the shortness of the meat ration.</p> + +<p>"Now you two lie down," Nat said after they had chatted +for an hour. "I am accustomed to night watches and can +sleep with one ear open, but I am convinced that there is not +the slightest need for any of us keeping awake. When the +lantern is out, which it will be as soon as you lie down, if all +the negroes came up into the woods to search for us I should +have no fear of their finding us."</p> + +<p>Dinah, however, insisted upon taking a share in watching, +saying that she was constantly sitting up at night with sick +people.</p> + +<p>Finding that she was quite determined, Nat said: "Very +well, Dinah. It is ten o'clock now. I will watch till one +o'clock, and then you can watch till four. We shall be able to +start then."</p> + +<p>"It won't be like light till five. No good start troo wood<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> +before that. I'se sure to wake at one o'clock. I'se accustomed +to wake any hour so as to give medicines."</p> + +<p>"Very well, Dinah; I suppose you must have your way."</p> + +<p>Myra and the nurse therefore lay down, while Nat sat +thinking over the events of the day and the prospects of the +future. He had said nothing to the negress of the conversation +that he had overheard, as on the way from the house +they had walked one behind the other and there had been no +opportunity for conversation, and he would not on any account +have Myra or her mother know the fate that these villains +had proposed for them. He wondered now whether he had +done rightly in abstaining from shooting one of them, but after +thinking it over in every way he came to the conclusion that +it was best to have acted as he did, for they clearly intended +to do all in their power to save mother and daughter from +being massacred at once by the negroes.</p> + +<p>"Even if the worst comes to the worst," he said to himself, +"they have pistols, and I know will, as a last resource, use +them against themselves."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<h4>A TIME OF WAITING</h4> + + +<p>Dinah woke two minutes before one o'clock, and Nat at +once lay down and, resolutely refusing to allow himself to +think any more of the situation, was soon fast asleep.</p> + +<p>"It am jess beginning to get light, Marse Glober," the +negress said when, as it seemed to him, he had not been five +minutes asleep. However, he jumped up at once.</p> + +<p>"It is very dark, still, Dinah."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It am dark, sah, but not so dark as it was. Bes' be off at +once. Must get well away before dem black fellows wake up."</p> + +<p>"How is Madame Duchesne?"</p> + +<p>"She sleep, sah; she no wake for another tree or four hours. +Dinah give pretty strong dose. Bes' dat she should know +noting about it till we get to a safe place."</p> + +<p>"But is there any safe place, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, massa; me take you where dey neber tink of searching, +but good way off in hills."</p> + +<p>Myra by this time was on her feet also.</p> + +<p>"Have you slept well, Myra?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I have slept pretty well, but in spite of the two +blankets under us it was awfully hard, and I feel stiff all over +now."</p> + +<p>"How shall we divide the things, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Well, sah, do you tink you can take de head of de barrow? +Dat pretty heaby weight."</p> + +<p>"Oh, nonsense!" Nat said. "Madame Duchesne is a light +weight, and if I could get her comfortably on my back I could +carry her any distance."</p> + +<p>"Dat bery well before starting, Marse Glober, you tell +anoder story before we gone very far."</p> + +<p>"Well, at any rate, I can carry a good deal more than one +end of the barrow."</p> + +<p>"Well, sah, we put all de blankets on de barrow before we +put madame on it, and put de bundle of clothes under her +head. Den by her feet we put de basket and oder tings. Dat +divide de weight pretty fair."</p> + +<p>"But what am I to carry, nurse, may I ask?"</p> + +<p>"You just carry yourself, dearie; dat quite enough for you. +It am a good long way we hab to go, and some part of it am +bery rough. You do bery well if you walk dat distance."</p> + +<p>"That is right, Myra," Nat agreed. "We don't want to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +have to carry both you and your mother, and though you +have walked a good deal more than most of the girls of your +own class you have never done anything like this."</p> + +<p>In a few minutes the preparations were completed. Madame +Duchesne was laid on the barrow, and the basket and other +things packed near her feet. Dinah took up the two front +handles, Nat those behind, and, with Myra walking by the side, +they started.</p> + +<p>"Which way are we going, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Me show you, sah. We go up for some way, den we come +on path; two miles farder we cross a road, and den strike into +forest again by a little valley wiv a tiny stream running down +him. After walk for an hour we cross ober anoder hill all +cohered wiv trees and find soon anoder stream, quite little dere; +hab a mile we follow him, den we find a place where we 'top. +We long way den from any plantation, dat quite wild country."</p> + +<p>"Then how do you know the place, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Me'se not been dere for thirty years, Marse Glober, me +active wench den, twenty year old, me jest marry my husband, +he dead and gone long ago. He hab a broder on anoder +plantation; dere bery bad oberseer, he beat de slabes bery +much. Jake he knock him down with hoe, and den take to +de hills; my husband know de place where he hide, and took +me to it one night, so dat I could find it again and carry food +to him, cause he not able to get away, hab to work on plantation. +Me had a little pickanniny and could 'teal away widout +being noticed, and me went dere seberal times; den oberseer +killed by anoder slabe, and de master, who was good man, he +come out to enquire about it. When he heard how de slabe +had been treated, he bery angry and say it sarbe oberseer +right. When I heard dat I spoke to de ole marse, de grandfather +ob dis chile you know, he bery good man, like his son, +and he went to de plantation and got de marster to promise<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +dat if Jake came back to work again he should not be punished. +And he kept his word. Dat is how me came to know ob dis +place. Since dat time me know dat many slabes hab hidden +dere. Now dat de slabes are masters, for suah dey not want to +go near dat place, and neber dream dat Madame and Mam'selle +Myra know of dat place and go and hide dere."</p> + +<p>By the time that they reached the path daylight had fairly +broken.</p> + +<p>"We are not likely to meet anyone here, I hope, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"No, sah, de blacks in de plantations dey go down by the +road we shall cross—suah to do dat to get quick the news ob +what am going on in oder places. If one come along here, dey +see you black, and tink you nigger like demselves. Mam'selle +must slip into de bush, now she got dat gown on, no one +s'pect her being white a little way off. Den if dere is only +one or two, you shoot dem as soon as dey come up, if dar +many of them—but dere no chance ob dat—must make up +some story."</p> + +<p>"I am afraid that no story would be any good, Dinah; if +they came close they would see at once that I am not a negro. +However, we must hope that we sha'n't meet anyone."</p> + +<p>Nat felt his arms ache a good deal before they arrived at +the road they had to cross, and he would have proposed a halt, +but he was ashamed to do so while Dinah was going on so +steadily and uncomplainingly, though he was sure that her +share of the weight was at least as much as his. He was +pleased when, as the path approached the road, she said:</p> + +<p>"Put de barrow down now, Marse Glober. You go down on +de road and see dat no one is in sight, but me not tink dere am +any danger. I know dat dey rose at all dese little plantations +up here yesterday; dere is suah to be rum at some ob dem, +and dey will all drink like hogs, just as dey did at our place, +and won't be stirring till de sun a long way up."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> + +<p>In a minute he returned.</p> + +<p>"There is no one in sight, Dinah."</p> + +<p>"Dat is all right, sah, now we hurry across; once into de +wood on de ober side we safe, den we can sit down and rest +for a bit."</p> + +<p>"I sha'n't be sorry, Dinah. You were quite right, my arms +have begun to ache pretty badly."</p> + +<p>The negress laughed.</p> + +<p>"Me begin to feel him too; dese arms not so young as dey +were. De time was I could hab carried de weight twice as far +widout feeling it."</p> + +<p>When a few hundred yards in the wood they stopped for a +quarter of an hour, had a drink of wine and water, and ate a +slice of melon and a piece of bread.</p> + +<p>"Now we manage better," Dinah said as they stood up to +continue the journey. "We hab plenty of blankets," and +taking one she tore off a strip some six inches wide and gave +it to Nat, and then a similar strip for herself. "Now, sah, you +lay dat flat across your shoulders, den take de ends and twist +dem tree or four times round de handle, just de right length, +so dat you can hold dem comfor'ble. I'se going to do de +same. Den you not feel de weight on your arm, it all on your +shoulders; you find it quite easy den."</p> + +<p>Nat found, indeed, that the weight so disposed was as +nothing to what it had been when it came entirely upon his +arms. They soon descended into the little valley Dinah had +spoken of, and she at once emptied the rest of the water out of +the jug.</p> + +<p>"No use carry dat," she said, "can get plenty now wheneber +we want it."</p> + +<p>"How are you feeling, Myra?" Nat asked presently.</p> + +<p>"I am beginning to feel tired, but I can hold on for a bit. +Don't mind about me, please, I shall do very well."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span></p> + +<p>She was, however, limping badly. After going to the end +of the little dip they crossed the dividing spur, and presently +struck the other depression of which Dinah had spoken.</p> + +<p>"There is no water here, Dinah; I hope it has not dried +up."</p> + +<p>"No fear ob dat, sah. In de wet season water run here, but +not now; we find him farder down."</p> + +<p>The little valley deepened rapidly, the sides became rocky +and broken, and to Nat's satisfaction they presently came to a +spot where a little rill of water flowed out from a fissure in the +rock.</p> + +<p>"How much farther, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"A lillie quarter ob a mile."</p> + +<p>The sides of the valley closed in rapidly, and in a few minutes +they entered a ravine where the rocks rose perpendicularly +on each side, the passage between being but seven or eight feet +wide.</p> + +<p>"We jest dere now, dearie," Dinah said to Myra, who was +now so exhausted that she could scarce drag her feet along. +Another three or four minutes and she stopped.</p> + +<p>"Here we are," she said. Nat looked round in surprise; +there was no sign of any opening in the rock. "It up dere," +Dinah went on, pointing to a clump of bushes growing on a +ledge.</p> + +<p>"Up there, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah; easy for us to climb up. You see where dere +are little steps made?"</p> + +<p>A casual observer would not have noticed them. They were +not cut but hammered out of the rock, and appeared like accidental +indentations.</p> + +<p>"I see that we can climb up," he said, "but how we are to +get the litter up I have no idea."</p> + +<p>"No, sah, dat difficult. I'se been tinking it ober. Only<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> +possible way is to take madame off de barrow and carry her up. +You go up once or twice, and you see dat it am not so hard as +it seems. Dese lower holes not deep, but dose higher up much +deeper, can get foot well into dem."</p> + +<p>"I had better go up and have a look, Dinah," and Nat +started to ascend. He found that, as she had said, it was +much easier than it looked. The first four or five steps, indeed, +were so shallow that he could not get much foothold, +but above there were holes for the feet some six or eight +inches deep, and three or four feet apart, these being hidden +from the sight of anyone passing below by a projecting ledge +beneath. The holes were much wider than necessary, the +corners had been filled with earth and tufts of coarse grass +planted there, and these completely hid the openings from +sight. He soon reached the clump of bushes. Behind them +was a fissure some three feet wide and four feet high. He +crawled into this, and found that it widened into a cave. He +was here able to stand up, remaining motionless for a minute +or two until his eyes became accustomed to the dim light. +Then he saw that it was of considerable height, some twelve +feet wide and about twenty feet deep. This was indeed an +admirable place of refuge, and he felt sure that no one, unless +previously acquainted with its existence, would be likely to +discover it. He went to the entrance and looked out. Myra +was sitting down by the side of a little pool. She had taken +her shoes and stockings off, and was bathing her blistered feet.</p> + +<p>"This is a splendid place, Myra," he said; "certainly nobody +is ever likely to find us here. The only difficulty is to get +your mother up." He at once rejoined them below. "The +difficulty, Dinah, is that the face of the rock is so steep that +one cannot stoop forward enough to keep one's balance with +the weight on one's back. The only possible way that I can +conceive is to fasten Madame Duchesne firmly to the barrow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +by these strips of blanket that we have been using. We can +tear several more from the same blanket. It will want at least +half a dozen lashings to keep her firmly down, then we must +knot the other blankets to make a strong rope. I will go up +with the end and pull when I get to the top. You can take +the lower handles, and by holding them on a level with your +shoulders you can steady the thing as it comes up. You won't +want to lift, I can pull her weight up easily enough, all that you +have to do is to steady it."</p> + +<p>"Dat will do bery well, sah."</p> + +<p>Six strips of blanket were wound round Madame Duchesne +as she lay on the hand-barrow; one was across her forehead +so as to prevent her head from dropping forward, one was +under the arms, and two more round the body, the other two +were over her legs. The baskets and other things had been +taken from the barrow. It was now lifted on to one end to +see if there was any sign of the body slipping. However, it +remained firm in its upright position. The blankets had +already been knotted by Nat, whose training enabled him to +fasten them so securely that there was no risk of their slipping. +Then he ascended to the top of the steps and took his place on +the little platform on which the bushes were growing.</p> + +<p>"Now," he said, "I will raise it a few inches to see that it +is properly balanced." He had already seen that the proposal +that Dinah should steady it from below was not feasible. +Although the first step was immediately below the bushes, the +others varied considerably, some being almost in the same line +as those next to them, so that two-thirds of the way up the +holes were six feet to the right of the spot from which they +had started, having evidently been so constructed that from +below, had anyone noticed them, they appeared to go away +from the bushes, to which, from the last hole that could be +seen from below, there was no communication whatever. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> +ledge, however, although scarce noticeable from the bottom of +the ravine, was really some eight inches wide, and from this +but one step was necessary to gain a footing on the platform. +Dinah, standing below, steadied the barrow as high as she +could reach the ends of the handles, and Nat then, leaning +over, managed to raise it to his level without doing more than +scraping the face of the rock as it rose. Dinah was on the +ledge to receive it and pass it up to him, and Nat had soon +the satisfaction of seeing it laid safely down in the cave. Myra +was then got up without any difficulty. She clapped her hands +as she entered the cave.</p> + +<p>"This is splendid, Nat! I never dreamt that there could be +such a safe hiding-place."</p> + +<p>"It had to be, mam'selle," Dinah said, "for dey hunt runaway +slabes with blood-hounds. Slabes dat escape here keep +all de way in de water. De bit between de pools is all bare +rock, not nice to walk on, but bery good for scent, dat pass +off in very short time, den walk down here in dis water dat +you see below us. Eben blood-hounds cannot smell track in +water. If dey came down here might smell de steps, but +neber come here."</p> + +<p>"Could they come up the other way, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"You go and look for yourself, sah, but mind you be +careful."</p> + +<p>The wrappings had now been taken off Madame Duchesne, +and the blankets replaced beneath her. She was still apparently +sound asleep. Dinah took up the jug and went to +the entrance, Nat followed her.</p> + +<p>"You have not given her too strong a dose I hope, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"No, sah, no fear ob dat, she soon wake now. I shall +sprinkle water in her face, and pour a lillie wine down her +troat, you see she wake den."</p> + +<p>"Will she be sensible, Dinah?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Not at first, sah. She 'tupid for a bit, abter dat it depend +on feber. If feber strong, she no sensible, talk to herself just +as if dreaming; if feber not very strong she know us, but more +likely not know us for some time. Me got feber medicine, +neber fear. Feber come on too quick to be bery strong. When +feber come on slow, den it seem to poison all ober, take long +time to get well; when it come on sudden like this, not like to +be bery bad."</p> + +<p>"Well, we must have patience, Dinah, and hope for the best. +Now I will go down with you and fetch all the things up."</p> + +<p>As soon as these were all housed in the cave, Nat said to +Myra, "I will explore down the stream and see what chance +there is of anyone coming up that way. Dinah evidently +thinks that there is no fear of it, but I should like to see for +myself."</p> + +<p>Fifty yards farther on there was a sharp widening of the +ravine, and here some trees and thick undergrowth had taken +root, and so overhung the little stream that Nat had difficulty +in making his way through them. He remembered Dinah's +warning, and advanced cautiously. Suddenly he stopped. +The stream fell away abruptly in front of him, and, advancing +cautiously to that point, he stood at the edge of an abrupt +fall. A wall of almost perpendicular rock rose on each side, +and the streamlet leaped sheer down fifty feet into a pool; as +far as he could see the chasm remained unbroken.</p> + +<p>"Splendid," he said to himself; "no one coming up here +would be likely to try farther. The bushes regularly interlace +over the water, and there seems no possible way of climbing +up, at any rate, within a quarter of a mile of this place, and +for aught I know this ravine may go on for another mile. +Any party coming up would certainly conclude that no slave +could approach this way, and they would have to make a +tremendous detour over the hills and get to the point where<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +the valley comes down to the cave. It is certainly a grand +hiding-place. I suppose when it was first discovered those +bushes did not grow in front of it; likely enough they were +planted on purpose to hide the entrance, and the place may +have been used by escaped slaves ever since the Spaniards +first landed on the island and began to persecute the unfortunate +natives. Unless some of the negroes who know of it +put the mulattoes up to the secret, they may search as much +as they like but will never find us. I must ask Dinah whether +there are many who know of it."</p> + +<p>On returning to the cave he found that Madame Duchesne +had wakened from her long sleep. She was, however, quite +unconscious; her eyes were opened, and she was muttering +rapidly to herself. Myra was sitting beside her with the tears +streaming down her cheeks.</p> + +<p>"You must not be alarmed," he said. "Dinah told me she +would be so when she woke up, but she thinks that though the +attack of fever will be a sharp one, it will not last very long. +It is not, as is the case with new-comers on the island, the +result of malaria, or anything of that sort, but of agitation and +fatigue."</p> + +<p>"Hab you been down de stream, Marse Glober?" Dinah +asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes, and you were quite right. There is no fear whatever +of any one coming to look for us from that direction. Are +there many negroes who know the secret of this place?"</p> + +<p>"Bery few," she said. "It am tole only to men who are +going to take to de hills, and who can't go farder, 'cause perhaps +dey been flogged till dey too weak to travel many miles. +Each man who is tole has to take a great oath dat he suah tell +no one except anober slabe running away, or someone who hab +to go to take food to him; dat is how I came to know. Jake +had been tole when dey knew he going to run away. He tole<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> +his broder, my husband, cause he had been flogged so bad he +could not go to de mountains. Den my husband tole me, +'cause he could not get away wid de food. I neber tell anyone +till now, cause dere no occasion for it; slabes treated too well +at our plantation to want to run away. But dere am no doubt +dat dere am slabes in oder plantations dat know of him, but +me no tink dey tell. In de first place dey take big oath, and +dey suah to die ef dey break dat; in de next place, because +dey no tell dem mulattoes, because some day perhaps dese will +be oberseers again, and den de secret of de cave be no longer +ob use."</p> + +<p>"That is good, Dinah; those scoundrels I overheard talking +the other night will no doubt ask if any of the negroes know +of any place where we should be likely to hide, and if no one +knows it but yourself they would be able to get no information, +and it is hardly likely that they would ask the negroes of +another plantation. Now, what is the first thing to be done, +Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"De first ting, sah, is to gader sticks to make fire."</p> + +<p>"All right. I will go up the ravine and bring down a bundle +of dry sticks from the forest. I will get them as dry as possible, +so as not to make a smoke."</p> + +<p>"No fear of anyone see smoke, massa. We no want great fire, +and smoke all scatter before it get to top of de trees up above."</p> + +<p>"Well, I will get them at once," he said.</p> + +<p>"I will pluck two of the fowls while you are away," Myra +said. "I want to be doing something."</p> + +<p>"When you come back, sah, I will go out and gader berries +to make colour for your face. When you hab got dat done, +not much fear of your being known."</p> + +<p>"You will have to get something to colour my hair, too," +Nat said. "I never could pass as a mulatto with this yellowish-brown +hair."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Dat for true," Dinah assented. "I'se brought 'tuff to +make dat, but had no time to look for berries for skin. When +you come back we make fire first; me want boiling water for +de med'cine me make for madame."</p> + +<p>"Yes, of course, that is the first thing," Nat said. "And +when you go anywhere to get provisions, Dinah, it would be a +good thing if you could get us a few yards of cord; it would be +very handy for tying up faggots, and would be useful in all sorts +of ways."</p> + +<p>"Me will see about dat, sah. Me forgot 'im altogeder when +me came away, else would have brought a length; but you +will find plenty ob creepers dat will do bery well to tie up +faggots."</p> + +<p>"So I shall, Dinah; I forgot that," and Nat started at once.</p> + +<p>In an hour he was back again with a huge bundle of dry +wood.</p> + +<p>"Where would you light it?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Jest inside entrance, sah. Dis good wood dat you hab +brought, make bery lillie smoke."</p> + +<p>After a little water had been boiled and Dinah had stewed +some herbs and chips of wood she had brought up with her, +the two fowls were cut up and the joints spitted on the ramrod +of a pistol and grilled over the fire, as in this way they would +cook much more rapidly than if whole. As soon as they were +ready the party made a hearty meal. The medicine was by +this time cool, and Madame Duchesne was lifted up and the +cup held to her lips. She drank the draught without difficulty. +Her face was now flushed, and her hands burning hot.</p> + +<p>"What will that do, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Dat most de bark of a tree dat will get de feber down, +sah. I'se going to gib her dat ebery two hours; den when we +see dat de feber abate, we give her oder stuff to trow her +into great sweat; abter dat she get better. Now, while I am<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +away, mam'selle, you boil water, cut up half ob one of dem +pine-apples, and when de water boil take 'im off de fire and +put de pine-apple in; and let 'im cool, dat make bery nice +drink for her. Now me go and find dem berries."</p> + +<p>Dinah was away two hours, and returned with an apronful +of brown berries; and with these, after Nat had washed all the +black from his face and hands, he was again stained, as was +Myra also. She had rather a darker tinge given to her than +that which was considered sufficient for Nat.</p> + +<p>"It make you too dark, sah; yo' light eyes show too much. +Mam'selle hab brown eyes and dark hair, and me make her +regular little mulatto girl. When get handkerchief round her +head, and wid dat spot gown on, no one 'spect her ob being +white."</p> + +<p>"You have brought in a great supply of berries, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah; put on stain fresh ebery two or tree days."</p> + +<p>When it became dusk the candle was taken out of the lantern, +lighted, and stuck against the side of the cave. Dinah opened +a bag and took out a handful of coffee berries, which she roasted +over the fire in a small frying-pan which she had brought in +addition to the pot. When they were pounded up between +two stones, some sugar was produced, and had it not been +for Madame Duchesne's state Myra and Nat would have really +enjoyed their meal. Then Dinah took from the basket a +bundle of dried tobacco leaves, rolled a cigar for Nat and one +for herself.</p> + +<p>"Dat is what me call comfort," she said, as she puffed the +weed with intense enjoyment. "Bacca am de greatest pleasure +dat de slabes hab after their work be done."</p> + +<p>"It is a nasty habit, Dinah. I have told you so a great +many times."</p> + +<p>"Yes, mam'selle, you tink so. You got a great many oder +nice tings a slabe not got, many nice tings; but when dey got<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +bacca dey got eberyting dey want. You no call it nasty, +Marse Glober?"</p> + +<p>"No; I like it. I never smoked till after I got that hurt +from the dog, but not being able to do things like other fellows, +I took to smoking. I like it, and the doctor told me that it +was a capital preventive against fever."</p> + +<p>"Do they allow smoking on board ship, Nat?"</p> + +<p>"Well, of course it is not allowed on duty, and it is not +allowed for midshipmen at all; but of an evening, if we go +forward, the officers on watch never take any notice. And +now about to-morrow, Dinah. Of course I am most anxious +to know what the news is, and whether this rising has extended +over the whole of the island, and if it is true that +everywhere they have murdered the whites."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah, me understand dat."</p> + +<p>"Then I want, if it is possible, to send a line down to +Monsieur Duchesne to let him know that his wife and daughter +have escaped and are in a place of safety. He must be in a +terrible state. The question is, how would it be possible to +send such a note?"</p> + +<p>"Me tink dat me could manage it, sah. My grandson Pete +bery sharp boy. Me tink he might manage to get down to de +town, but de letter must be a bery lillie one, so dat he can hide +it in him woolly head. He might be searched, and dey kill +'im for suah if dey find he take letter to white man. He +sharp as a needle, and often take messages from one of our +slabes to anoder on plantation eber so far away. Me quite +suah dat he bery glad to carry letter for mam'selle—make him +as proud as peacock. When dey in der senses all de slabes lobe +her because she allus speaks kindly to dem. He go suah +enough, and bring message back."</p> + +<p>"It is lucky that I have a pencil with me," Nat said, and +drawing out a pocket-book he tore out a leaf. "Now, if you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +will tell me what to say, Myra, I will write in your name." +He went over to the candle. "You must cut it very short, +you know. I will write it as small as I can, but you must not +send more than one leaf."</p> + +<div class="pblockquot"> +<p><i>Dearest Papa</i>, Myra dictated, <i>we have got away. Dinah +warned us in time, and mamma, Nat, and I ran up through the +shrubbery and the cane-fields to the forest. When it got dark—"After +dark</i>" Nat put in, "you must not use more words than +is necessary "—<i>Nat went down, found Dinah, and brought her +up, and they brought lots of things for us, and next morning carried +mamma to this place, which is in the mountains and very safe. +Mamma has got fever from the fright we had, but Dinah says she +will not be ill long. We are both dressed up in Dinah's clothes, and +Nat and I have been stained brown, and we look like mulattoes. Do +not be anxious about us; the negroes may search everywhere without +finding us. Nat has a brace of pistols, and mamma and I have one +each, and he will take care of us and bring us down safe as soon as +Dinah thinks it can be done. I hope to see you again soon.</i></p> + +<p class="center"><i>Your most loving</i></p> +<p style='text-align: right'><i>MYRA.</i></p> +</div> + +<p>"That just fills it," Nat said as he rolled it up into a little +ball.</p> + +<p>Dinah looked at it doubtfully.</p> + +<p>"I'se feared dat too big to hide in him wool," she said; "it +bery kinky."</p> + +<p>"Never mind that. He must manage to straighten it out +and sew it somewhere in his clothes. What time will you +start, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Me start so as to get down to de plantation before it get +light. Me can find de way troo de wood easy 'nuff. It +bery different ting to walk by oneself, instead ob having to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> +carry madame and to take 'tickler care dat she goes along +smoove and dat de barrow doesn't knock against anyting. +Best for me to be back before anyone wake up. Me don't suppose +anyone tink of me yesterday. Me told my darter Chloe +dat she say noting about me. If anyone ask her, den she +say: 'Mover bery sad at house being burnt down and madame +and mam'selle run away. I tink she hab gone away to be +alone and hab a cry to herself, cause as she nurse both ob dem +she bery fond of dem, and no like to tink dat perhaps dey be +caught and killed.' But me no 'spect dat anyone tink about +me; dey hab oder tings to tink of. If I had run into wood +when you run dere, dey know dat I give you warning and +perhaps show you some place to hide, but abter you had gone I +ran in again and met dem outside wid de oder house servants. +I top dere and see dem burn de house, and den walk down +to Chloe's house and talk to oder women; so no one tink dat +I know more 'bout you dan anyone else."</p> + +<p>"That was very wise, Dinah. Now mind, what we particularly +want to know is not only what the negroes have done, but +what they are going to do. Are they going to march away to +the hills, or are they going to attack the town?"</p> + +<p>Dinah nodded.</p> + +<p>"Me see all about dat, sah. Now, mam'selle, don't you forget +to gib your mamma de medicine ebery two hours!"</p> + +<p>"I sha'n't forget, Dinah."</p> + +<p>Dinah took up the basket.</p> + +<p>"Me bring up bread and more chicken, and more wine if +dey hab not drunk it all. Now keep up your heart, dearie; +eberyting come right in de end," and with a cheerful nod she +started on her errand.</p> + +<p>"Your nurse is a trump, Myra," Nat said. "We should feel +very helpless without her, though of course I should do what I +could. When she comes back to-morrow I will go out myself.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> +I hate to sit here doing nothing when all the island is in a +blaze."</p> + +<p>"I wish I knew what has become of the family of Madame +Bayou. Her daughter Julie is my greatest friend. You know +them well, Nat, for we drove over there several times when +you were with us, and Madame Bayou and Julie often spent +the day with us. Of course they were not quite of our class, as +Monsieur Bayou is only superintendent to the Count de Noe, +who has been in France for some years; but he is a gentleman +by birth, and, I believe, a distant relation of the count's, and +as they were our nearest neighbours and Julie is just my age we +were very intimate."</p> + +<p>"Yes, of course I remember them well, and that coachman +of theirs. I generally had a talk with him when they were +over at your place. He was a wonderfully intelligent fellow +for a negro. He told me that he had been taught by another +black, who had been educated by some missionaries. He could +read and write well, and even knew a little Latin."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I have heard papa say that he was the most intelligent +negro he had ever met, and that he was very much +respected by all the negroes round. I know M. Bayou had the +greatest confidence in him, and I can't help thinking that even +if all the others broke out he would have saved the lives of the +family."</p> + +<p>"If you like I will go down and see to-morrow evening. I +agree with you that it is likely he would be faithful, but he +may not have been able to be so. However much he may be +respected by the other blacks, one man can do very little when +a crowd of others half mad with excitement are against him; +and I suppose after all that it would be only natural that his +sympathies should be with men of his own colour, and being so +exceptionally well educated and intelligent he would naturally +be chosen as one of their leaders. However, he may have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> +warned the family, and possibly they may be hiding somewhere +in the woods just as we are. I should hope that a great many +families have been saved that way."</p> + +<p>"Will it be necessary to keep watch to-night, Nat?"</p> + +<p>"No, I do not think there is any risk. Even the negroes +who know of this cave will not think of looking for us here, +as they would not imagine we could be acquainted with its +existence. I think we can safely take a good night's rest, and +we shall be all the better for it."</p> + +<p>It was not till nearly daylight on the second day after starting +that Dinah returned.</p> + +<p>"Me not able to get away before," she said. "In de first +place me hab to wait till boy come back wid answer. Here +'tis," and she pulled a small pellet of paper from her hair.</p> + +<p>Myra seized it and flattened it out.</p> + +<p class="pblockquot"><i>Thank God for the good news. I have been nearly mad. At +present can do nothing. We expect to be attacked every hour. +God protect you both.</i></p> + +<p>There was no signature. Monsieur Duchesne was evidently +afraid that, were the note to fall into the hands of the revolting +leaders, a fresh search would be instituted by them.</p> + +<p>"Dat boy bery nearly killed," Dinah said. "He creep and +crawl troo de blacks widout being seen, and get close to de +white men out guarding de place. Dey seize him and say he +spy, and bery near hang him; den he took out de paper just +in time, and said it for Massa Duchesne; den dey march him +to town, woke up massa, and den, ob course, it was all right. +It too late to come back dat night, but he crawl out and lie +close to where dose black rascals were watching. Directly it +get dark he get up, he crawl troo dem, and run bery hard +back, and directly he gib me paper I start back here."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That was very good of him," Myra said; "when these +troubles are over, Dinah, you may be sure that my father will +reward him handsomely."</p> + +<p>"Me suah of dat, mam'selle. He offer him ten louis, but +Jake say no, if he be searched and dat gold found on 'im dey +hang 'm up for suah. Marse say bery good, do much more dan +dat for him when dese troubles ober. And now, dearie, how +is madame going on?" and she went to the side of Madame +Duchesne, put her hand on her forehead, and listened to her +breathing. She turned round with a satisfied nod. "Feber +nearly gone," she said; "two or tree days she open eyes and +know us."</p> + +<p>"And how did you get on, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Me hab no trouble, sah; most ob de black fellows drunk +all de day long. Nobody noticed dat Dinah was not dere. +Some of de women dey say, 'What you do all day yesterday, +Dinah?' and me say, 'Me ill, me no like dese doings.' Dey +talk and say, 'Grand ting eberyone be free, eberyone hab +plenty ob land, no work any more.' I say, 'Dat so, but what +de use ob land if no work? where dey get cloth for dress? +where dey get meal and rice? Dey tink all dese things grow +widout work. What dey do when dey old, or when dey ill? +Who look after dem?' Some ob dem want to quarrel; oders +say, 'Dinah old woman, she hab plenty sense, what she say she +say for true.' Me tell dem dat me no able to 'tand sight ob +house burnt, no one at work in fields, madame and darter gone, +no one know where—perhaps killed. Dinah go and live by +herself in de wood, only come down sometimes when she want +food. She say dat to 'splain why she go away and come back +sometimes."</p> + +<p>"A very good idea, very good," Nat said warmly; "the +women were not wrong when they said you had plenty of good +sense. And now, Dinah, what is the news from other parts of +the island?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> + +<p>The old nurse was at the moment standing partly behind +Myra, and she shook her head over the girl's shoulder to show +that she did not wish to say anything before her, then she +replied:</p> + +<p>"Plenty ob talk, some say one ting some anoder; not worf +listen to such foolishness."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX</h2> + +<h4>AN ATTACK ON THE CAVE</h4> + + +<p>Dinah lay down for a short sleep. It was far too late for +Nat to start for Count de Noe's plantation, and when it +was broad daylight, he went down to the pool for a bathe. +When he returned, Dinah was standing at the entrance. She +held up her hand to signal to him to stay below. She came +down the steps, and sat down with him on a stone twenty or +thirty yards up the stream.</p> + +<p>"Mam'selle hab gone to sleep again," she said; "now we +can talk quiet."</p> + +<p>"And what is your news, Dinah?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Marse Glober, it am jest awful. It seem to Dinah dat all +de black folk in dis island am turned into debils—from eberywhar +de same story—eberywhar de white massas and de +ladies and de childer all killed. Dat not de worst, sah, dey not +content wid killing dem, dey put dem to horrible tortures. Me +can't tell you all de terrible tings dat I'se heard; me jest tell +you one, dat enough for you to guess what de oders are. +Dey caught one white man, a carpenter, dey tied 'im between +two planks and dey carry 'im to his saw-pit and dey saw 'im +asunder. In one place de niggers march to attack town, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> +what you tink dey take for dere flag? A lilly white baby wid +a spear run troo him. As to de ladies, me can no speak +of de awful tings me hab heard. You quite right to gib pistol +to madame and mam'selle, dey do well shoot demselves +before dese yellow and black debils get hold of dem. Me +neber tink dat me hab shame for my colour, now I hab shame; +if me could lift my hands and ebery mulatto and black man in +dis island all fall dead, me lift dem now, and me glad me fall +dead wid de rest."</p> + +<p>"This is awful, indeed, Dinah; as you say the negroes seem +to have become fiends. I could understand it in plantations +where they are badly treated, but it is certain that this was +quite the exception, and that, on the whole, they were comfortable +and happy before this trouble began. I know they +were on Monsieur Duchesne's estate, and on all those I visited +when I was here before. I do not say they might not have +preferred to be free."</p> + +<p>"What good dat do dem, sah? If free, not work; dey +worse off dan when slabes. Where dey get close? where dey +get food? what dey do when dey get old? Look at Dinah, she +allus comfor'ble and happy. She could work now tho' she old, +but she hab no work to do 'cept when she like to dust room; +she get plenty ob good food, she know well dat howeber old +she live, massa and madame make her comfor'ble. Suppose she +like de oders, and stop down at de huts, what den? who gib de +ole woman food? who gib her close? who gib her wine and +medicine? No, sah, dis am bad business all troo—terrible +bad for white men, terrible bad for black men, terrible bad for +eberyone.</p> + +<p>"Next you see come de turn of de white man. Dey come +out from de towns, plenty guns and powder, dey attack de +blacks, dey shoot dem down like dogs, dey hunt dem troo +de hills; dey show dem no mercy, and dey don't deserve none,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> +massa. It would hab been better had big wave come swallow +dis island up, better for eberyone; white man go to white man's +heaben, good black man go to heaben, either de same heaben, +or de black man's heaben. Now, suah enough, dere no heaben +for dese black men who hab done dese tings, dey all shut out; +dey no let dem in 'cause dey hab blood on dere hands, me +heard priest say dat St. Peter he sit at de gate. Well, sah, +you bery suah dat St. Peter him shake him head when black +fellow from dis island come up and ask to go in. All dis +dreadful, massa;" and the tears ran plentifully down the old +nurse's cheeks.</p> + +<p>"It won't be as bad as that, Dinah," Nat said soothingly. +"There must be a great many who have taken no part in this +horrible affair, and who have only risen because they were +afraid to hang back."</p> + +<p>"Don't you whisper word to Mam'selle Myra 'bout dese +tings, Marse Glober."</p> + +<p>"You may be sure that I shall not do so, Dinah; but certainly +I shall, whenever I leave her, tell her not to hesitate to +use her pistol against herself."</p> + +<p>"If de negroes find dis cave, you trust to me," the +negress said firmly. "I'se heard dat it bery wicked ting +to kill oneself. Bery well, sah, me won't let madame and +mam'selle do wicked ting. Dinah got long knife hidden, if +dey come Dinah kill bofe ob dem, den dey no do wicked +deed. As to Dinah, she poor ole negro woman. Better dat +St. Peter say to her, 'You no come in, dere blood on hands,' +dan dat he should say dat to de two white ladies she hab +nursed."</p> + +<p>Nat's eyes were moist, and his voice shook at this proof of +the old woman's devotion, and he said unsteadily:</p> + +<p>"St. Peter would not blame you, Dinah. He would know +why there was blood on your hands, and he would say, 'Come<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> +in, you have rendered to your mistresses the last and greatest +services possible.'"</p> + +<p>After breakfast Dinah washed his shirt, his white nankeen +trousers, and jacket, and, as he had not a red sash to wind +round his waist, he took the ornaments and slings from his +sword-belt and put this on.</p> + +<p>"You pass bery well, sah, for mulatto man; de only ting +am de hat. Dat red handkerchief bery well when you pretend +to be negro, but not suit mulatto, and Dinah will go see what +she find at dose plantation on de hills."</p> + +<p>"No, Dinah, you must not run risks."</p> + +<p>"No risk in dat, sah. Dinah known bery well at most of +de plantations round. I'se got a name for hab good medicines +for febers, and ointments for sores, and women dat hab +childer ill bring dem down to me from all parts. Bery simple +for me to go round and say dat now de house gone and de +ladies and all, me not like to stay down dere and be trouble +to my darters. Plenty for 'em to do to keep demselves and +der childer. Me going to trabel round de country and nurse +de sick and sell my medicines. Suah to meet some woman +whose child me hab cured; ask her if she know anyone who +hab got straw-hat—dere suah to be straw-hats in planters' +houses—me say dat a mulatto hab lost his, and not able to go +down to town to buy one, and told me would gib me dollar if I +could get him good one. Me try to get someting for sash too."</p> + +<p>"That would be almost as difficult as the hat, Dinah."</p> + +<p>Dinah shook her head.</p> + +<p>"Plenty ob women got red shawl, sah; most all got red +handkerchief. Buy one shawl or six handkerchief, bring dem +home, cut dem up, and sew dem together; dat make bery +good sash. You no trouble, massa; you keep quiet here all +day and look abter madame. I'se sure to be back before it +time for you to start."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p> + +<p>Dinah indeed returned just as the sun was sinking. She +carried a small bundle in one hand, and a broad-brimmed +straw-hat in the other.</p> + +<p>"Well done, Dinah!" Nat exclaimed as he returned after +sitting for a couple of hours on the rocks near the fall, and +found her in the cave. "How did you get the hat?"</p> + +<p>"Jess as I said, sah; me found one woman who allus bery +grateful to me-for sabing her chile. I tell her I want straw-hat. +She said she could get me one, two, or tree hats in de +house ob mulatto oberseer. She 'teal one for me. Most of +de men down in de plain, so she take basket and go up to de +house garden—ebery one take what dey want now. She get +some green 'tuff, as if for her dinner; den she go round by +mulatto man's house, she look in at window and see hats; she +take one, put 'im in basket and cober 'im ober, den bring um +back to me. She had red shawl; she gib it me, but I make +her take dollar for it. Me hide de hat under my dress till me +get away into de woods again, den me carry um. Now, sah, +put um on. Dat suit you bery well, sah; you pass for young +mulatto man when I got dis shawl cut up and sewn togeder. +You please to know dat madame open her eyes lillie time ago, +and know mam'selle and Dinah. Me gib her drink ob pine-apple +juice wid water in which me boil poppy seeds; she +drink and go off in quiet sleep; when she wake to-morrow I +'spect she able to talk."</p> + +<p>"I don't like your going, Nat," Myra said when, the shawl +having been converted into a sash, he put his pistols into it. +"We have heard, you see, that the Bayous were not killed in +the first attack, and I do not see that you can learn more."</p> + +<p>"I should not run the risk, such as it may be, merely to +ask that question. But I think that their coachman, Toussaint, +must have saved them. I want to see him; possibly he may +have made some arrangements for getting them down to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> +coast, and he might be willing to allow you and your mother +to go down with them. Of course she would have to be carried, +but that might not add much to the difficulty."</p> + +<p>Receiving general instructions from Dinah as to the shortest +route, he started, without giving time for Myra to remonstrate +further. After two hours' walking he approached the plantation +of Count Noe. The house was, of course, gone. Seeing +a negro girl, he went up to her.</p> + +<p>"Which is the house of Toussaint?" he asked.</p> + +<p>She pointed to a path.</p> + +<p>"It am de first house you come to," she said; "he used to +live at de stables, but now he hab de house ob one of de oberseers +who was killed because he did not join us."</p> + +<p>On reaching the house indicated he looked in at the window, +and saw the person he was looking for sitting at a table reading. +He was now a man of forty-eight years old, tall in stature, with +a face unusually intelligent for one of his race. His manners +were quiet and simple, and there was a certain dignity in his +bearing that bespoke a feeling that he was superior to the +race to which he belonged and the position he occupied. Nat +went round to the door and knocked. Toussaint opened it.</p> + +<p>"Have you a letter for me?" he asked quietly, supposing +that his visitor had come with a message to him from one of +the leaders of the rebellion.</p> + +<p>Nat entered and closed the door behind him.</p> + +<p>"Then you do not remember me, Toussaint?"</p> + +<p>The negro recognized the voice, and the doubtful accent with +which his visitor spoke French.</p> + +<p>"You are the young English officer," he exclaimed, "though +I should not have known you but for the voice. I heard that +you were at Monsieur Duchesne's, and it was believed that you +had fled to the woods with his wife and daughter. I am glad +that they escaped."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I have come from them, Toussaint—at least from the +daughter, for the mother has had an attack of fever. She +heard that the family here had also escaped, and she said at +once that she felt sure you had aided them."</p> + +<p>"I did so," the negro said quietly; "they were the family +I served, and it was my duty to save them; moreover, they +had always been kind to me. They are safe—I saw them down +to the coast last night. I risked my life, for although the +slaves round here respect me and look upon me as their leader, +even that would not have saved me had they suspected that I +had saved white people from death."</p> + +<p>"But you are not with them, Toussaint, surely?"</p> + +<p>The negro drew himself up.</p> + +<p>"I am with my countrymen," he said; "I have always felt +their position greatly. Why should we be treated as cattle +because we differ in colour from others? I did my duty to +my employers, and now that that is done I am free, and to-morrow +I shall join the bands under François and Biassou. I +regret most deeply that my people should have disgraced their +cause by murders. Of the two thousand whites who have fallen +fully one half are women and children, therefore there could +have been but one thousand men who, if they had been allowed +to go free down to the town, could have fought against us; and +what are a thousand men, when we are half a million? It has +been a mistake that may well ruin our cause; among the whites +everywhere it will confirm their opinion of our race that we +are but savages, brutal and bloodthirsty, when we have the +opportunity. In France it will excite those against us who +were before our friends, and French troops will pour into +the islands, whereas, had the revolution been a peaceful one, +it would have been approved by the friends of liberty there. +It is terrible, nevertheless it makes it all the more necessary +that those who have some influence should use it for good.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +Now that the first fury has passed, better thoughts may prevail, +and we may conduct the war without such horrors; but +even of that I have no great hope. We may be sure that the +whites will take a terrible vengeance, the blacks will retaliate; +it will be blood for blood on both sides. However, in a case +like this the lives of individuals are as nothing, the cause is +everything. I have myself no animosity against the whites, +but many of my countrymen have just cause for hatred against +them, and were any to try to interfere to prevent them from +taking the vengeance they consider their right, it would cause +dissension and so prejudice our chances of success. You can +understand, then, that I shall hold myself aloof altogether from +any interference. I am sorry for the ladies, but now that I +have done my duty to my late employers, I have a paramount +duty to discharge to my countrymen, and decline to interfere +in any way."</p> + +<p>"Then all I can say is," Nat said sternly, "that I trust that +some day, when you are in the power of your enemies, there +will be none to give you the aid you now deny to women in +distress."</p> + +<p>So saying, he turned and went out through the door, and +before morning broke arrived again at the cave. Not wishing +to disturb the others, he lay down outside until the sun was up, +then he went along the stream for some distance and bathed. +As he returned, Myra was standing on the ledge outside the +entrance.</p> + +<p>"Welcome back!" she called out. "What news have you +brought?"</p> + +<p>"Good news as far as your friends are concerned. Toussaint +has got them down to the coast, and sent them to Cape François +in a boat."</p> + +<p>"That is good news indeed," she cried. "Oh, I am glad! +Now, what is the bad news?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The only bad news is that the negro declined to help you +in the same way. He is starting this morning to join some +bands of slaves up in the hills."</p> + +<p>"That is hardly bad news," she said, "for I never supposed +that he would help us. There was no reason why he should +run any risks for our sake."</p> + +<p>"I hoped that he would have done so, Myra; but at the +same time, as he evidently regards the success of the blacks as +certain, and expects to become one of their leaders, one can +understand that he does not care to run any risk of compromising +himself."</p> + +<p>"Mamma is better this morning," Myra said; "she has asked +after you, and remembers what happened before her fever +began."</p> + +<p>"That is good indeed. As soon as she gets strong enough +to travel we will begin to think how we can best make our way +down to the town."</p> + +<p>Four days later, Dinah, on her return from a visit to the +plantations, said that there had just been some fighting between +the whites coming out from Cape François and the +slaves. They said that a ship had arrived with some French +troops, and that all the white men in the town were coming +out, and that they were killing every negro they found. The +women and children from the plantations in the plains were all +flying into the woods.</p> + +<p>"Then it strikes me, Dinah, that our position here is a very +dangerous one. You may be sure that the slaves will not be +able to stand against the whites and the soldiers, and that +numbers of them will go into hiding, and it is very likely that +some who know the secret of this place will come here."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah, I'se not thought ob dat; but, sure enough, it am +bery likely dat some ob dem may do so. What you tink +had best be done? If de slabes all running into de wood de<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> +danger of passing troo would be much greater dan it hab been. +And eben if madame could walk, it would be bery great risk to +go down—great risk to 'top here too. What you tink?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know what to think, Dinah; there is one thing, it is +not likely that many of them would come here."</p> + +<p>"No, sah; dose who know about de cave would know dat +not more dan eight or ten could hide here—no use to bring a +lot ob people wid dem."</p> + +<p>"That is what I think, Dinah; they will keep the secret to +themselves. Now against eight or ten of them, I am sure that I +could hold this place, but some of them, when they found they +could not get in, would go back again and might lead a strong +party here, or might keep watch higher up, and starve us out. +And even if the whites beat them out of all the plantations, +they would not know where to look for us, and would have too +much on their hands to scatter all over the hills. If we are to +join them it must be by going down."</p> + +<p>"Dinah might go and tell dem, sah."</p> + +<p>Nat shook his head.</p> + +<p>"I am afraid, Dinah, that their passions will be so much +aroused at the wholesale murder of the whites that they will +shoot every black they come across, man or woman, and you +would be shot long before you could get close enough to explain +why you had come. No, I think the only thing to be +done, as far as I can see, is that you should go down from time +to time to let us know how things are going. I do not think +that the whites are likely to get very far along the road. You +may be sure that when the troops started from the town news +was sent at once to the leaders, and it is likely that they will +move a great number of men down to oppose them, and will +likely enough drive them back. However, the great thing for +us is to know where they are and what they are doing. It is +likely that now the whites have advanced there will no longer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> +be any watch kept to prevent people, in hiding like ourselves, +from going down to the town; if you find out that that is so, +we will put madame on her barrow again, and carry her down. +Of course we should have to chance being met when going +through the forest, but we must risk that."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I tink dat de only plan, sah."</p> + +<p>Accordingly, Dinah started again the next morning. Nat +felt very anxious, and took up his place near the entrance to +the cave. Myra was busy seeing to the cooking and in attending +upon her mother. About four o'clock he thought he heard +voices, and, crawling cautiously to the mouth of the cave, he +looked out through the bushes. Eight men were coming along; +six of them were negroes, and the other two were the mulatto +overseers whose conversation he had overheard. He called +softly to Myra:</p> + +<p>"Don't be alarmed, Myra, we are going to have a fight, but +I have no fear whatever of their taking us. Only one can +attack at once, and he can only come slowly. There are eight +of them; you may as well bring me the two other pistols. I +would not take them if I thought there was the smallest chance +of these fellows getting up here. Go and tell your mother not +to be frightened, and then do you come and sit down behind +me. I will hand the pistols to you to load. There are only +eight of these fellows, and if there were eighty, we could hold +the cave; even if they got up to the platform they could only +enter, stooping, one at a time. Go at once to your mother, +they will be here directly."</p> + +<p>"How much farther is this place?" the mulatto Christophe +asked.</p> + +<p>"Right dar behind dat bush," the negro said; "you go up +by dem steps."</p> + +<p>"It is a splendid hiding-place, Paul."</p> + +<p>"Yes. No one who did not know of it would have a chance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> +of finding it. There is someone there now; don't you see a +light smoke rising behind the bush?"</p> + +<p>"So there is! I should not be surprised if the woman +Duchesne and her daughter are there. It is certain that someone +must have helped them off, or we should have found them +long ago."</p> + +<p>"Well, it will be a rare piece of luck if they are there."</p> + +<p>The negroes had already noticed the smoke, and were talking +excitedly together. It had not occurred to them that any +fugitives could have discovered the place, and they were only +concerned at the thought that the cave might be already fully +occupied.</p> + +<p>"Hullo, dar!" one of them shouted. "How many ob you +up dar?"</p> + +<p>No answer was returned. He shouted again, but there was +still silence.</p> + +<p>"I s'pect dar only one man," he said to his comrades. +"Most likely him gone out to look for food. Bery foolish leab +fire burning;" and he at once proceeded to climb the steps, +followed by two others.</p> + +<p>Nat grasped the handle of his pistol. He determined that +in the first place he would make sure of the two mulattoes. +They were by far the most dangerous of his foes, and if they +escaped they would, he had no doubt, keep watch higher up, +capture Dinah on her return, and cut off all retreat from the +cave. It was time to act at once, and, taking a steady aim at +Paul, he fired.</p> + +<p>With a shriek the mulatto fell backwards. Before the +others could recover from their surprise Nat fired again, and +Christophe fell forward on his face in the water. He passed +the pistol back to Myra, and grasped another. He had expected +that the negroes would at once fly, and two of them +had turned to do so, when the highest climber shouted down:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Come on, all ob you! what you want run away for? Perhaps +only one man here, he want to keep de cabe all to himself; +we soon settle with him. Dis cabe de only safe place."</p> + +<p>Nat could easily have shot the man, but he determined to +direct his fire against those below. If he shot those climbing +the others would escape, and it was of the greatest importance +that no one should do so. The negroes had snatched the pistols +from the belts of the fallen mulattoes, and several shots were +fired at the bush. Nat drew back for a moment as the negroes +raised their arms, and then discharged the two barrels of his +pistol with as deadly an effect as before, and seized the third +weapon. The remaining negro below dropped behind a fallen +rock. At the same moment the man who was evidently the +leader of them sprang on to the ledge. Nat's pistol was ready, +and as the negro bounded forward he fired. The ball struck +him in the chest, and he fell like a log over the precipice.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 516px;"> +<img src="images/i006.jpg" width="516" height="800" alt="Page 164" title="" /> +<span class="caption">“HE FELL LIKE A LOG OVER THE PRECIPICE.”</span> +</div> + +<p>In his fall he struck one of his comrades, and carried him +down on to the rocks below. The other seemed paralysed with +fear, and uttered a shriek for mercy as Nat, who from his position +could not see him, sprang to his feet; but the tales that +he had heard from Dinah of the atrocities perpetrated had +steeled his heart to all thoughts of mercy, and taking a deliberate +aim Nat shot him through the head. He had still a pistol left +charged. Myra had not yet loaded the first he had handed to +her, for it was but some twenty seconds from the time that the +first shot had been fired. Nat caught up the sword, and at +once made his way down the steps. He ran towards the rock +behind which the last of the negroes had thrown himself. As +he did so the man leapt to his feet, and the two pistols cracked +at the same moment. Nat felt a sharp pain in his side. His +own shot had missed, and a moment later the negro was rushing +at him with uplifted knife.</p> + +<p>For the moment Nat forgot that he had another shot left, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span>and, dropping the pistol, shifted his sword to the right hand, +and before the negro's knife could fall he ran him through the +body. There was now but one foe left. He lay stunned below +his fallen comrade, and Nat saw from the manner in which one +of his legs was doubled under him that it was broken. He could +do no harm, but he would assuredly die if left there alone. +Nat pressed his lips together, and having picked up his pistol, +he put it close to the man's head and fired. Looking up, he +saw Myra run out with a pistol in her hand.</p> + +<p>"It is all right, Myra. Thank God none of them have got +away."</p> + +<p>"Are you hurt?" she asked, breathlessly.</p> + +<p>"I will come up," he said; "I am hit in the side, but I don't +think that it is at all serious."</p> + +<p>He found, however, as he ascended the steps, that it gave +him acute pain every time he moved. The girl was white and +trembling when he joined her.</p> + +<p>"Don't be frightened, Myra," he said, "I am sure that it is +nothing serious. It struck a rib and glanced off, I think, and +at the worst it has only broken the bone. You go in and attend +to your mother."</p> + +<p>"I shall not do anything of the sort," she said. "You come +in, and I will look at it; it must want bandaging, anyhow."</p> + +<p>Nat felt that this was true, and, following her into the cave, +he let her take off his jacket. The wound was a few inches +below the arm.</p> + +<p>"It is lucky that it was not a little more to the right," he +said; "it would have done for me. Don't look so white, Myra, +a miss is as good as a mile. It is as I thought, is it not?—just +a glancing wound."</p> + +<p>"Yes," the girl said.</p> + +<p>He felt along the rib.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes," he said, "there is no doubt that it is broken; I can +feel the ends grate, and it hurts me every time I breathe. This +is where it is, just where the cut begins; the wound itself is +nothing."</p> + +<p>"What shall I do?" she asked quietly.</p> + +<p>"Tear a strip or two off the bottom of your petticoat, then +sew the ends together to make a long bandage, and roll a +little piece, so as to make a wad about an inch wide. Is the +wound bleeding?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, very much."</p> + +<p>"Fold a piece four or five thick, and lay over that the other +wad so as to go up and down across the rib. Now, if you +will give me a little warm water and a piece of rag, I will +bathe the wound while you are making the bandage."</p> + +<p>"I will bathe it," the girl said. "I am sure it would hurt +you to get your hand round."</p> + +<p>In ten minutes the operation was completed.</p> + +<p>"I am so sorry that I cannot help," Madame Duchesne +murmured, as Myra sat down to sew the strips together.</p> + +<p>"There is nothing that you could do, thank you," Nat said +cheerfully. "Myra is getting on capitally. I shall soon be +all right again."</p> + +<p>When everything was done, he said, "You are a trump, +Myra, you have done it first-rate." Then the girl, who had +gone on as quietly as if she had been accustomed to such work +all her life, broke down, and, bursting into a fit of crying, +threw herself down by the side of her mother. Nat would +have attempted to soothe her, but her mother said, "Leave her +to me, she will be all the better for a good cry." Nat went +down again to the stream, picked up the four pistols the +Creoles had carried and unwound their sashes, thinking that +these would be better than the make-shift that he wore. As +he did so two small bags dropped out. He opened them; both<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> +contained jewels, some of which he had seen Madame +Duchesne wearing.</p> + +<p>"That is a bit of luck," he said to himself. "No doubt +directly they entered the house these scoundrels made one of +the women show them where madame's jewel-case was, and +divided the contents between them. When Dinah comes we +must get these bodies down the stream. I could do it myself +were it not for this rib, but it would not be safe to try +experiments. What a plucky girl Myra is! Most girls would +have been ready to faint at the sight of blood. I will wait a +few minutes before I go up so as to give her time to pull herself +together."</p> + +<p>In ten minutes he went up again. "Madame," he said, "I +have something that I am sure you will be very glad to get +back again. I took off the sashes of those rascally mulattoes, +and these two bags fell out of them. What do you think they +contain? Some of your jewels."</p> + +<p>Madame Duchesne and Myra both uttered exclamations of +pleasure. "They are family jewels," Myra said, "and my +father and mother both prize them very much. How strange +they should have been on these men!"</p> + +<p>"The two mulattoes were two of your overseers, and no +doubt ran straight up and seized them directly they entered the +house."</p> + +<p>She saw that her mother wished to speak, and leaned down +over her, for Madame Duchesne could not as yet raise her +voice above a whisper.</p> + +<p>"Turn them out," she said, "and see how many are missing."</p> + +<p>Although Nat had seen Madame Duchesne in full evening +dress two or three times when parties of friends had assembled +at the house, and had noticed the beauty of her jewels, he was +surprised at the number of bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and +rings that poured out from the bags. Some of the larger<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> +articles, which he supposed were ornaments for the hair, were +bent and crumpled up so as to take up as little space as possible. +Myra held them up one by one before her mother's eyes.</p> + +<p>"They are all there, every one of them," the latter whispered. +"Your father will be pleased."</p> + +<p>"The greater part of these," Myra said to Nat, "were +brought over when the Baron Duchesne, our ancestor, came +over here first, but a great many have been bought since. I +have heard mamma say that each successor of the name and +estate has made it a point of honour to add to the collection, +of which they were very proud, as it was certainly the finest +in the island; and besides, it was thought that if at any time +Hayti should be captured, either by the Spanish or your +people, or if there should be trouble with the blacks, it would +be a great thing to have valuables that could be so easily hidden +or carried away."</p> + +<p>"Then they have thought all along that there might be a +rising here some day?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. I have heard my father say that when he was a +boy he has heard his grandfather talk the matter over with +others, and they thought that the number of slaves in the island +was so great that possibly there might some day be a revolt. +They all agreed that it would be put down, but they believed +that the negroes might do terrible damage before enough troops +could be brought from France to suppress it."</p> + +<p>"They thought rightly," Nat said, "though it has been a +long time coming; and the worst of it is that even if it is put +down it may break out again at any time. It is hardly reasonable +that, when they are at least ten to one against the +whites and mulattoes together, men should submit to be kept +in slavery."</p> + +<p>"But they were very well off," Myra said. "I am sure they +were much better off than the poorer whites."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> + +<p>"From what I have seen of them I think they were," Nat +replied, "but you see people do not know when they are well +off. I have no doubt that if the last white man left the island, +and slavery were abolished for ever, the negroes would be very +much worse off than they were before, and I should think they +would most likely go back to the same idle, savage sort of life +that they live in Africa. Still, of course, at present they have +no idea of that. They think they will be no longer obliged to +work, and suppose that somehow they will be fed and clothed +and have everything they want without any trouble to themselves. +You see it is just the same thing that is going on in +France."</p> + +<p>"Well, now, what are you going to do next, Nat?"</p> + +<p>"I shall load the pistols. I have got four more now. Then +I shall take my place at the mouth of the cave again. I hope +that when Dinah comes she will bring us news that will enable +us to move away. The fact that this party was coming here +for refuge shows that the blacks are growing alarmed, and perhaps +have already suffered a defeat, in which case the way will +be clear for us. If not, I must get her to help me clear the +place down below, it will not be difficult. What have you got +on the fire?"</p> + +<p>"There is a fowl that I have been stewing down to make the +broth for mother. I have another cut up ready for grilling."</p> + +<p>Two hours later Nat, to his surprise, saw Dinah hurrying +down the ravine, for he had not expected her until evening. +He stood up at once. She paused when she caught sight of +the bodies lying below the cave.</p> + +<p>"It is all right, Dinah," he shouted. "We have had a bit +of a fight, but it only lasted for a minute or two, and except +that I got a graze from a pistol-ball, we are unhurt."</p> + +<p>"De Lord be blest, sah!" she said as she came up. "Eight +ob dem, and you kill dem all, sah?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes; one could hardly miss them at that distance. I am +glad to say that none of them got away. You are back earlier +than I expected."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah; me found out all de news in good time, and den, +as eberyone say hurricane come on, I hurry all de way to get +here before he come."</p> + +<p>"Well, come up, Dinah. Madame is going on very well. +You know those two mulattoes?"</p> + +<p>"Me know dem, sah; dey bery bad men, dey lead de black +fellows to de attack."</p> + +<p>"Well, it is well that they came up here, for they had, hidden +in their sashes, all madame's jewels."</p> + +<p>"Dat am good news, sah," the old woman said as she joined +him, "dat powerful good news. Madame didn't say anyting +about jewels, but Dinah tought of dem, and what a terrible ting +it would be if she had lost dem! Dat good affair."</p> + +<p>"So you think that we are going to have a storm, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"Sartin suah, sah; bery hot las' night, bery hot dis morning, +and jest as me got to top of hill me saw de clouds coming up +bery fast."</p> + +<p>"I didn't notice the heat particularly. Of course it is very +shady in this deep gorge, and one does not see much of the +sky."</p> + +<p>"Dis bery good place, sah—better dan house, much better +dan forest. Me was despate frighted dat storm would come +before me got here."</p> + +<p>"I was wanting you to help me put the bodies into the +stream, Dinah."</p> + +<p>"No need for dat, sah; when storm come wash dem all +down—no fear ob dat."</p> + +<p>She went into the cave, and Nat followed her.</p> + +<p>"Me hab good news for you, ma'am. De whites come out +strong from de town wid regiment of troops and de sailors<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +from English ship; de blacks hab a fight down in de plain, +but dey beat dem easy. Den yesterday de bands of François +come down from de mountains, get to our plantation in de +evening; dey bery strong, dey say dar am ten thousand ob dem. +Dey s'pect de whites to come and attack to-morrow. To-day +dey clearing out all de plantations on de plain. De black fellows +say dey cut dem all to pieces."</p> + +<p>"There is no fear of that," Nat broke in. "So you think +that they will fight in the morning?"</p> + +<p>"No, sah, me no tink dat; me suah dat as soon as de whites +see de hurricane coming dey march back fast to de town; no +can stand hurricane widout shelter. You had better light de +lantern, it am getting as dark as night."</p> + +<p>Nat went to the entrance. Looking up, he saw a canopy of +black cloud passing overhead with extraordinary rapidity. +Almost instantaneously there came a flash of lightning, nearly +blinding him, accompanied by a tremendous clap of thunder. +He turned hastily back into the cave.</p> + +<p>"It is lucky that you arrived in time, Dinah; if you had been +ten minutes longer you would have been caught."</p> + +<p>He stopped speaking, for his voice was drowned in a tremendous +roar. He was about to go to the mouth of the cave +again, but Dinah caught hold of his jacket.</p> + +<p>"No, sah, you mustn't go; if you show your head out +beyond de cabe, de wind catch you and whirl you away like +leaf, nobody neber see you no more. We safe and comfor'ble +in here. We just got to wait till it all over. Dat wind strong +enough to trow down de strongest trees, blow down all de +huts, take de roof off de strongest house. We not often hab +hurricanes in dis island, but when dey come, dey come bery +bad. Dose ten tousand black fellows down at de plantation +dey hab a bery bad time ob it to-night, dey wish demselves +dead afore morning."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It is very bad for the women and children too, Dinah."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah, me hab not forgotten dat; but most ob dem will +hab gone, dey run away when dey hear dat de whites coming +out of town. Dey know bery well dat de whites hab good cause +to be bery angry, and dat dey shoot eberyone dey catch."</p> + +<p>"But they will be just as badly off in the woods as they +would be in their huts, Dinah. Have your daughter and her +children got away?"</p> + +<p>"No, sah, dey wur going jest as I started, but I told dem +dat hurricane coming, and dat dey better stay in de clearing; +and dey agreed to hide up in de little stone hut at end of +garden where dey keep de tools and oder tings. De roof blow +off, no doubt, but de walls am low and strong. Dey hab bad +time dere, but dey safe."</p> + +<p>With Dinah's assistance, Nat fixed a blanket at the point +where the narrow entrance widened out, to keep out the swirls +of wind which from time to time rushed in, propping it in its +place by the hand-barrow on which Madame Duchesne had +been brought up. Myra had finished cooking the fowls just as +her nurse arrived, and they sat down to their meal heedless of +the terrific tempest that was raging outside.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X</h2> + +<h4>AFLOAT AGAIN</h4> + + +<p>"There will be no occasion to keep watch to-night, +Dinah."</p> + +<p>"Not in de least, sah; de water six feet deep, no one could +get in."</p> + +<p>As talking was out of the question, the party lay down to +sleep soon after they had finished their meal. It was some<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> +time, however, before Nat closed his eyes. It seemed to him +that as soon as the storm was over, and the water low enough for +them to pass up the ravine, no time should be lost in attempting +to make their way down into the town. The troops +would no doubt set out again as soon as possible, and a battle +might be fought before nightfall. That the negroes would be +beaten he had no doubt, and in that case other parties of +fugitives might make for the cave. It was likely that, until the +battle was fought, there would be but few negroes in the forest; +those who had remained there during the storm would go down +into the full glare of the sun to dry and warm themselves.</p> + +<p>Doubtless, too, François, the negro leader, would have sent +messengers off as soon as he arrived, ordering all able-bodied +men in the plantations for miles round to come in to take part +in the battle, and their chances of meeting with any foes as they +descended to the plain would be slight. It would undoubtedly +be a serious matter to carry Madame Duchesne for so long a +distance; for they had ever since leaving the plantation been +going farther away from the town, and he calculated that it +must be at least twenty-five miles distant. He did not think +that it would be possible to do the journey in a day; but once +down on the plains they might find some building intact, in +which they could obtain shelter for the night. At last he fell +off to sleep.</p> + +<p>When he awoke the din outside had ceased, and the silence +seemed almost oppressive. He got up, pushed aside the +blanket, and looked out. The stars were shining, and the +wind had entirely lulled. The bottom of the ravine was +still full of water, but he felt sure that this would speedily +drop; for the depression above the gorge was not an extensive +one, and the water that fell there would speedily find its way +down. He lit a fresh candle and placed it in the lantern, as +the last, which had been renewed by Dinah early in the night,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +was burning low. He pulled down the blanket, for although +the air was fresh and cool at the entrance, the cave was oppressively +warm. It was two hours before day began to break; by +this time the torrent had subsided and the stream ran in its +former course, and it was clear that in another hour it would +be possible to make their way along by the side. As he was +turning to go in, Dinah joined him.</p> + +<p>"I tink, Marse Glober, de sooner we go de better."</p> + +<p>"That is just what I have been thinking. There are not +likely to be many of the slaves about in the wood to-day; you +see a number of trees have blown down from above, and just +below, the ravine is almost choked with them."</p> + +<p>"No, sah, many will be killed in the forest, and de rest +frighted 'most out of der lives. If de whites come out and +fight to-day, and de black fellows are beaten, all dose who +know of dis place suah to come to hide here."</p> + +<p>"That was just my idea."</p> + +<p>"How your side, sah?"</p> + +<p>"It seems rather stiff and sore, Dinah. However, that can't +be helped. That sash you made me will come in very handy +for carrying madame, and we sha'n't have the weight of the +other things we brought up. I am afraid it will be impossible +to do the journey in one day, but I dare say we shall light +upon a shelter down on the plains."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah. Me put de pot on de fire at once, and as soon +as we hab breakfast we make a start; but before we go me must +stain you all again—got glenty ob berries left."</p> + +<p>Madame Duchesne had already been consulted. She would +much rather have remained until strong enough to walk, but +on her old nurse's showing her that it would be at least a fortnight +before she could walk even a mile, and pointing out +the danger there was in delay, she agreed to start whenever +they thought fit. The jewels were placed in Dinah's capacious<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> +pocket, as, if they fell in with any strong party of negroes, she +would be less likely to be searched than the others. In an +hour all the preparations were completed; one pistol was given +to Madame Duchesne and another to her daughter. Dinah +took charge of a brace, and Nat wore the other two brace in +his sash. He still wore his uniform under his nankeen suit, +and his naval cap was in the bundle that formed Madame +Duchesne's pillow. She lay down on the hand-barrow, all the +blankets being placed under her, with the exception of one +which was thrown over her, and she was let down the precipice +in the same way as she had been brought up.</p> + +<p>Dinah this time followed Nat's example, and used one of the +mulattoes' sashes as a yoke to take the weight off her arms. +Madame Duchesne was placed as far forward on the barrow as +possible, so as to divide the weight more equally between her +bearers. On raising her, Nat found to his satisfaction that it +hurt him but little. In the week that had elapsed since she +was seized with the fever, Madame Duchesne had lost a good +deal of weight, the store of provisions had, too, greatly diminished, +and the sash took so much of the weight off his arms, +that as he walked in a perfectly erect position there was little +strain thrown upon the broken bone. It was only when he +came to a rough place and had to step very carefully that he +really felt his wounds. Myra looked anxiously at him from +time to time.</p> + +<p>"I am getting on capitally," he said. "Do not worry about +me; at present I scarcely feel that unfortunate rib."</p> + +<p>"Mind, if you do feel it, Nat, you must give up. Dinah +will take your place, and I will take hers. I am sure that I +can carry that end very well for a time."</p> + +<p>"I will let you know when I want a change," Nat said. +"Now, you go on ahead, and as soon as we get out of this +hollow use your eyes sharply."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p> + +<p>They saw no one going up the valley or crossing the open +ground. When, however, they entered the forest on the other +slope, they saw for the first time how terrible had been the +force of the hurricane. In some places over acres of ground +every tree had fallen, in others the taller trees only had been +levelled or snapped off, while others again had boughs wrenched +off, and the ground was thickly strewn with fallen branches. +All this added greatly to the fatigue of travelling. Detours +had to be constantly made, and the journey down took them +double the time that had been occupied in the ascent. When +approaching the road they had to cross, they sat down and +rested for half an hour.</p> + +<p>"You are looking very white, Nat," Myra said; "I am afraid +that your side is hurting you terribly."</p> + +<p>"It certainly hurts a bit, Myra, but it is of no consequence. +It was going on very well until I stumbled over a fallen branch +that gave it rather a twist."</p> + +<p>"You let me bandage 'im again, Marse Glober. We will go +off and set dis matter right."</p> + +<p>When a short distance away Nat stripped to the waist. +Myra had done her best, but the old nurse possessed considerable +skill in such matters, and strength enough to draw the +bandage much tighter than she had done.</p> + +<p>"Better make it a bit longer," she said, and taking a pair of +scissors from her pocket cut off a strip some fifteen inches wide +from her ample petticoat, and wound this tightly round the +other bandage. "Dere, sah, dat make you 'tiff and comf'able."</p> + +<p>"It does make me stiff," Nat said with a smile; "I almost +feel as if I had got a band of iron round me. Thank you; I +shall do very well now."</p> + +<p>The old nurse dressed him carefully again, and they rejoined +the others.</p> + +<p>"That is ever so much better," Nat said to Myra; "the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> +bandage had shifted a little, and Dinah has put it on fresh again, +and added a strip of her own petticoat."</p> + +<p>The journey was then resumed, and, with an occasional halt, +continued until late in the afternoon, by which time they were +well down on the plain. During the latter part of the day +they had heard at first scattered shots and then a roar of musketry +about a couple of miles on their right. It continued for +half an hour, and then the heavy firing ceased; but musket +shots could be heard occasionally, and higher up on the hill +than before.</p> + +<p>"The negroes have been beaten," Nat said, "and our men +are pursuing them. Perhaps they will make another stand +at the point where the road runs between two steep banks."</p> + +<p>This indeed seemed to be the case, for half an hour later a +heavy fire broke out again. It was but for a short time—in ten +minutes it died away, and no further sound was heard. Darkness +was now falling, and they presently arrived at some +buildings that had been left standing. They were storehouses, +and had not been fired at the time when the planter's house +was burned, but had probably been used by the negroes as +a barrack, until the advance of the troops on the previous day +had compelled them to take a hasty flight. The litter was now +laid on the ground. Madame Duchesne had dozed off many +times during the day, and was now wide awake.</p> + +<p>"Are you going to light a fire, Dinah?"</p> + +<p>"No, madame; Marse Glober and me tink it too dangerous. +Not likely any ob dese black fellows 'bout, but dere might be +some hiding, best to be careful. We hab a cold chicken to +eat, and dere is some chicken jelly in de lillie pot for you, +and we hab bread, so no need for fire to cook, and sartin no +need for him afterward, we all sleep first-rate. Madame not +heaby, but road bery rough, and little weight tell up by end +ob de day. Dinah getting ole woman, Marse Glober got rib<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> +broken—both bery glad when journey done. Mamzelle she +tired too; twelve mile ober rough ground a long journey for +her."</p> + +<p>"My feet ache a little," Myra said, "but otherwise I do not +feel tired. I felt quite ashamed of myself walking along all +day carrying nothing, instead of taking turns with you."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 516px;"> +<img src="images/i007.jpg" width="516" height="800" alt="Page 178" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE JOURNEY TO THE COAST.</span> +</div> + +<p>There was but little talking as they ate their meal in the +darkness. Neither Nat nor the old nurse had said a word as +to their feelings as they walked, but both felt completely exhausted, +and it was not many minutes after they had finished +their supper before they were sound asleep. At daybreak they +were on their feet again, feeling better after the long night's +rest, and happy at the thought that this day's walk would take +them to home and safety. Nat now threw off his disguise, +placed his cap upon his head, and appeared as a British officer, +though certainly one of considerably darker complexion than +was common; but he thought there was less danger now from +slaves than from parties of maddened whites, who had been +out to their former homes and might shoot any negroes they +came upon without waiting to ask questions. Myra also discarded +the negro gown.</p> + +<p>"I think that I looked more respectable in that," she said +with a laugh, "than in this draggled white frock."</p> + +<p>"It has not been improved, certainly, by its week's wear, +Myra; but just at the present moment no one will be thinking +of dresses. Now let us be off. We shall be on the road soon, +and in an hour or two will be in the town."</p> + +<p>It seemed easy work after the toil of the previous day. +They bore to the right until they fell into the main road, both +because it would be safer, and because Nat hoped that he +might meet someone who could inform Monsieur Duchesne—who +he had no doubt would have gone out with the column—that +his wife and daughter were in safety, and that he would +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span>find them at his house in the town. They had, indeed, gone +but a short distance along the road when four men on horseback +galloped up. They drew rein suddenly as they met the +little party, astonished to see, as they thought, a mulatto girl +in front, a negro woman carrying a litter on which was another +mulatto woman, and which was carried behind by a +young mulatto in the uniform of a British naval officer. Had +they met them out in the country they would probably not have +troubled to ask questions, but, travelling as they were along +the road towards the town, and from the direction where the +column had been fighting, it was evident that there must be +some mystery about it.</p> + +<p>"Who are you?" one of them asked Nat in a rough tone.</p> + +<p>"I am an officer of his Britannic Majesty's frigate <i>Orpheus</i>, +at present, I believe, in the port; this lady on the stretcher is +Madame Duchesne; this young lady is her daughter, Mademoiselle +Myra Duchesne; this negress, the faithful nurse of the +two ladies, has saved their lives at the risk of her own."</p> + +<p>One of the horsemen leapt from his saddle.</p> + +<p>"Pardon me for not recognizing you, mademoiselle," he said +to Myra, lifting his straw-hat; "but the change that you have +made in your complexion must be my excuse for my not +having done so. I trust that madame, your mother, is not +seriously ill."</p> + +<p>"She has been very ill, Monsieur Ponson," she replied. +"She has just recovered from an attack of fever, but is very +weak indeed."</p> + +<p>"I saw your father three days ago. He had then just received +your message saying that you were in safe hiding. He +was, of course, in a state of the greatest delight. He went out +with the troops yesterday."</p> + +<p>"If you see him, sir, will you be kind enough to tell him that +you have met us, and that he will find us at his house in town?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I will certainly find him out as soon as I reach the troops. +Is there anything else that I can do?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing, thank you, sir. Is there, Nat?"</p> + +<p>"No, unless one of the gentlemen would ride back with us, +so as to prevent us from being stopped by every party we +meet and having to explain who we are."</p> + +<p>"I will do so, sir," the youngest of the horsemen said. "I +dare say I shall be able to join our friends at the front before +there is any more fighting, for the messenger who came in +yesterday evening brought the news that the blacks had been +so completely defeated, that it was thought likely they would +make straight off into the mountains in the interior."</p> + +<p>"Thank you very much, sir; it will be a great comfort to us +to go straight on. We are anxious to get Madame Duchesne +into shelter before the sun gets to its full power. My name is +Glover. May I ask yours?"</p> + +<p>"It is Laurent."</p> + +<p>The other three horsemen, after raising their hats in salute, +had now ridden on.</p> + +<p>"How did you get on through the hurricane, Monsieur +Glover?"</p> + +<p>"We scarce felt it. We were in a cave with a very +small entrance, and after the first outburst slept through it +in comfort."</p> + +<p>"It is more than any of us did in the town," the other said +with a laugh. "It was tremendous. I should say that half +the houses were unroofed, and in the poor quarters many of +the huts were blown down, and upwards of twenty negroes +were killed."</p> + +<p>"Do you think, Monsieur Laurent," Myra said, moving +across to him, "that we are likely to meet any people on foot +whom we could hire?"</p> + +<p>"No, I hardly think so, mademoiselle. All the gentlemen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> +in the town who could get away rode out with the troops, and +the rest of the whites are patrolling the streets armed, lest the +negroes employed in the work of the port should rise during +the absence of the troops. Why do you ask, mademoiselle?"</p> + +<p>"Because Monsieur Glover had a rib broken by a pistol-ball +the day before yesterday, and I am sure it hurts him very +much to carry my mother."</p> + +<p>The young man leapt from his horse.</p> + +<p>"Monsieur," he exclaimed, "pray take my horse. I will +assist in carrying Madame Duchesne."</p> + +<p>"I do not like"—Nat began, but his remonstrance was +unheeded.</p> + +<p>"But I insist, monsieur. Please take the reins. You can +walk by the side of the horse or mount him, whichever you +think will be the more easy for you."</p> + +<p>So saying, he gently possessed himself of the handles of the +litter, placed the sash over his shoulders, and started. It was +indeed an immense relief to Nat. The rough work of the preceding +day had caused the ends of the bone to grate, and had +set up a great deal of inflammation. He had been suffering +acutely since he started, in spite of the support of the bandage, +and he had more than once thought that he would be obliged +to ask Myra to take his place. He did not attempt to mount +in the young Frenchman's saddle, for he thought that the +motion of the horse would be worse for him than walking; he +therefore took the reins in his hand, and walked at the horse's +head behind the litter. The pain was less now that he was +relieved of the load, but he still suffered a great deal, and +he kept in the rear behind the others, while Myra chatted +with Monsieur Laurent, learning from him what had happened +in the town, and giving him a sketch of their adventures. +As they passed the house of Madame Duchesne's sister, the +invalid said that she would be taken in there, as she had heard<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> +from Monsieur Laurent that their own house was partially +unroofed. Myra ran in to see her aunt, who came out with her +at once.</p> + +<p>"Ah, my dear sister," she cried, "how we have suffered! +We had no hope that you had escaped until your husband +brought us the joyful news three days ago that you were +still in safety. Come in, come in! I am more glad than ever +that our house escaped without much damage from the storm."</p> + +<p>Although the house was intact, the garden was a wreck. +The drive up to the house was blocked by fallen trees, most +of the plants seemed to have been torn up by the roots and +blown away, the lawn was strewn with huge branches.</p> + +<p>Two of the house servants had now come out and relieved +those carrying the litter.</p> + +<p>"Ah, Monsieur Glover," continued Madame Duchesne's +sister, "once again you have saved my niece; my sister also +this time! Of course you will come in too."</p> + +<p>"Thanks, madame, but if you will allow me I will go +straight on board my ship. I am wounded, though in no way +seriously. Still, I shall require some medical care, for I have +a rib broken, and the journey down has not improved it."</p> + +<p>"In that case I will not press you, monsieur. Dr. Lepel +has gone out with the column, and may not be back for some +days."</p> + +<p>"Good-bye, Madame Duchesne!" Nat said, shaking the thin +hand she held out to him. "I will come and see you soon, +and hope to find you up by that time. Now that your +anxiety is at an end you ought to gain strength rapidly."</p> + +<p>"May Heaven bless you," she said, "for your goodness to +us!"</p> + +<p>"That is all right," he said cheerfully. "You see, I was +saving my own life as well as yours; and it is to you, +Dinah," he said, turning and shaking her hand, "it is to you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> +that we really all owe our lives. First you warned us in +time, then you took us to a place of safety, and have since +got us food and news, and risked your own life in doing so.</p> + +<p>"Good-bye, Myra; I hope that when I see you again you +will have got that dye off your face, and that you will be none +the worse for what you have gone through."</p> + +<p>The girl's lip quivered.</p> + +<p>"Good-bye, Nat. I do so hope your wound will soon heal."</p> + +<p>"You are fortunate, indeed, in having escaped," Monsieur +Laurent said as they turned away. "From all we hear, I +fear that very few of the whites, except in plantations quite +near the towns, have escaped. It is strange that the house +servants, who in most cases have been all their lives with their +masters and mistresses, and who have almost always been +treated as kindly as if they were members of the family, +should not have warned them of what was coming."</p> + +<p>"I should think that very few of them knew," Nat +replied. "They were known to be attached to their masters +and mistresses, and would hardly have been trusted by the +others. I cannot think so badly of human nature as to believe +that a people who have been so long in close connection with +their masters should, in almost every case, have kept silent +when they knew that there was a plot to massacre them."</p> + +<p>"Well, I will say good-morning," Monsieur Laurent said. +"I want to be back with the troops. I was detained yesterday, +to my great disgust, to see to the getting-off of a freight, +and I should not like to miss another chance of paying some +of the scoundrels off."</p> + +<p>Nat made his way slowly and carefully—for the slightest +movement gave him great pain—to the wharf. One of the +frigate's boats was ashore. The coxswain looked at him with +surprise as he went down the steps to it.</p> + +<p>"Well, I'm jiggered," the man muttered, "if it ain't Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> +Glover!" Then he said aloud: "Glad to see you back, sir. +The ship's crew were all glad when they heard the other day +that the news had come as how you were safe, for we had +all been afraid you had been murdered by them niggers. +You are looking mighty queer, sir, if I may say so."</p> + +<p>"My face is stained to make me look like a mulatto. Whom +are you waiting for?"</p> + +<p>"For Mr. Normandy."</p> + +<p>"Well, how long do you expect he will be?"</p> + +<p>"I can't say, sir. It is about a quarter of an hour since he +landed, and he said he would be back in half an hour; but +officers are generally longer than they expect."</p> + +<p>"Well it won't take you above ten minutes to row off to +the ship and back. I will take the blame if he comes down +before that. I have been wounded, not badly, but it is very +painful. I want to get it properly dressed."</p> + +<p>"All right, sir, we will get you on board in no time."</p> + +<p>"Give me your arm. I must get in carefully."</p> + +<p>The men stretched to their oars, and in five minutes Nat +was alongside the <i>Orpheus</i>. He had heard, as he expected, +that Dr. Bemish had gone with the party that had been +landed, but his assistant was on board. The first lieutenant +was on deck. He saw by Nat's walk as he went up to report +his return that something was the matter.</p> + +<p>"Are you ill or wounded, Mr Glover?"</p> + +<p>"I am wounded, sir. I had a rib broken by a pistol-ball, and +I have had a long journey, which has inflamed it a good deal."</p> + +<p>"Go down at once and have it seen to; you can tell me +your story afterwards. Have the ladies who were with you +got safely down also?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>The lieutenant nodded, and Nat then went below and placed +himself in the hands of the assistant surgeon.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p> + +<p>"My word, Glover, you have got your wound into a state!" +the latter said after he had examined him. "What on earth +have you been doing to it? It seems to have been a pretty +clean break at first, and it wouldn't have bothered you above +three weeks or so, but the ends have evidently been sawing away +into the flesh. Why, man alive, what have you been doing?"</p> + +<p>"I have been helping to carry a sick woman down from +the hills," Nat said quietly. "If it had been level ground it +would not have hurt so much, but on rough ground strewn +with branches one could not avoid stumbling occasionally, and +although it had been bandaged before I started the wad slipped +and the thing got loose, and after that it was like walking with +a red-hot needle sticking into me."</p> + +<p>"So I should say. Well, I will put you into a berth in the +sick-bay at once. Fortunately we have some ice on board +and I will put some of it on the wound and try to get the +inflammation down."</p> + +<p>In a short time he returned with a basin of ice and a jugful +of iced lime-juice. Nat took a long drink, and then turned +so that the ice could be applied to the wound.</p> + +<p>"You must keep yourself as still as you can. I sha'n't +attempt to bandage you at present, there is really nothing to +be done till we have got the inflammation down."</p> + +<p>"I will lie quiet as long as I am awake, but I cannot +answer for myself if I go off to sleep, which will not be long, +for I am as tired as a dog. To-day's walk would have been +nothing if I had been all right, it was the pain that wore me +out."</p> + +<p>"I don't suppose you will move. You may be sure that +that rib will act like an alarm, and give you warning at once +if you stir in the slightest."</p> + +<p>Having seen Nat comfortable, the young surgeon went up +on deck.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> + +<p>"How do you find Mr. Glover?" the first lieutenant asked. +"He says that it is only a broken rib."</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, it was only a broken rib at first, now it is a broken +rib with acute inflammation round it. There is a flesh wound +about four inches long where the bullet struck, broke the rib, +ran along it, and went out behind. That would not have been +anything if he had kept quiet; as it is, it is as angry as you +could want to see a wound. But that is not the worst, the +two ends of the bone have been rubbing against each other +with enough movement to lacerate the flesh, with the natural +result that a wonderful amount of inflammation has been set up +round it."</p> + +<p>"But how did he manage it?"</p> + +<p>"It seems, sir, that he has been carrying, or helping to carry, +a sick woman down from the mountains, and he says the +ground was very rough and strewn with boughs, so that one +can understand that he got some terrible shakes and jolts, which +would quite account for the state of his wounds."</p> + +<p>"I should think so. When Monsieur Duchesne came off +with the news that his wife was safely hidden, and that Glover +was with her, he said that his daughter, who had written the +note, reported that her mother was ill. No wonder he has +got his wound in such a state if he has, as you say, aided to +carry her down all that distance. He must have had a brush +with the negroes."</p> + +<p>"That must have been before he started, sir; for he said that +the bandage shifted, so his wound must have been bound up +before he set out."</p> + +<p>"It was a gallant thing for a lad to undertake—a most +gallant action! Why, it must have been torture to him."</p> + +<p>"It must indeed, sir."</p> + +<p>"He is not in any danger, I hope?"</p> + +<p>"Not unless fever intervenes, sir. No doubt with rest and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> +quiet and the use of ice we shall succeed in reducing the inflammation; +but it is likely enough that fever may set in, and +if so there is no saying how it may go. I shall be glad to have +Doctor Bemish back again to take the responsibility off my +hands."</p> + +<p>Late that afternoon Monsieur Duchesne came on board to +thank Nat. He was not allowed to see him, as the doctor said +that absolute quiet was indispensable. He had had a full +account from Myra of the adventures through which the little +party had gone, and he retailed this to the lieutenant and +doctor in the ward-room.</p> + +<p>"A most gallant business altogether," the first lieutenant +said when he had finished, "and certainly the most gallant +part of it was undertaking to carry Madame Duchesne when +practically disabled. But I can understand, as you say, that +directly the negroes were defeated by the force that went out +against them, some of them would have made for that +cave, and it was therefore absolutely necessary to get away +before they came. However, I hope that we need not be +anxious about him; he has gone through three or four scrapes, +any of which might have been fatal. There was that fight +with the dog; then he was in the thick of that business with +the pirates, and was blown up by the explosion, and half his +crew killed. He has had some marvellous escapes, and I think +we may feel very hopeful that he will get over this without +serious trouble. It was lucky indeed his finding your family +jewels on two of those scoundrels that he shot."</p> + +<p>"It would have been a great loss, but it is such a little thing +in comparison to the saving of my wife and daughter, that I +have scarcely given it a thought. I shall do myself the pleasure +of calling again to-morrow morning to know how he is."</p> + +<p>"Do so, monsieur; you will probably find Captain Crosbie +here. I had a note from him an hour ago, saying that he was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> +returning, and would be here by eight o'clock. The negroes +having been defeated, and the safety of the town being ensured +for a while, he does not consider that he would be justified in +joining in the pursuit of the blacks among the hills."</p> + +<p>Nat was not aware of the return of the landing-party until +the next morning, when on opening his eyes he saw Dr. Bemish +by his side.</p> + +<p>"You young scamp," the latter said, shaking his finger at +him, "you seem determined to be a permanent patient. As +soon as you recover from one injury you are laid up with +another. So here you are again."</p> + +<p>"It is only a trifle this time, doctor."</p> + +<p>"Umph, I am not so sure about that. Macfarlane tells me +that, not content with getting a rib broken, you go about carrying +one end of a stretcher with a woman on it across ground +where it was difficult, if not impossible, to move without ricking +and hurting yourself. So that not only have you set up a +tremendous amount of inflammation round the wound, but you +have so worn the ends of the bone that they will take three +times as long knitting together as they would have done had +they been left alone."</p> + +<p>"I am afraid that is all true, doctor," Nat replied with a +smile; "but, you see, I thought it better to run the risk of +inflammation, and even this terrible rubbing of the end of the +bones you speak of, than of being caught by these fiendish +negroes, and put to death by the hideous tortures with which +they have in many cases slowly murdered those who fell into +their hands."</p> + +<p>"It must have hurt you badly," Dr. Bemish said, as, after +removing the dressing that had, late the evening before, been +substituted for the ice, he examined the wound.</p> + +<p>"It did hurt a bit, doctor, but as four lives depended upon +my being able to hold on, there was nothing for it but to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> +set one's teeth hard and keep at it. How does it look this +morning?"</p> + +<p>"What do you think, Macfarlane? you can form a better +opinion than I can, as I have not seen it before."</p> + +<p>"The inflammation seems to have abated a good deal."</p> + +<p>"In any case we will syringe the wound thoroughly with +warm water. There are doubtless some particles of bone in it, +and until these are got rid of we can't hope that it will heal +properly. I will get that large magnifying-glass from my +cabin."</p> + +<p>For half an hour the wound was fomented and washed.</p> + +<p>"As far as I can see it is perfectly clean now," Dr. Bemish +said, after carefully examining it with the glass. "We will +put a compress on, with a wet cloth over it, which must be +damped with iced water every half-hour. When we quite get +the inflammation down, Glover, which will, I hope, be in two +or three days, we will bandage it tightly, and I will buy you a +pair of stays on shore, and lace you up so that there shall be +no chance of your performing any more pranks with it, and +then I fancy you will be able to come up on deck, if you will +promise to keep yourself quiet there."</p> + +<p>"Well, that is better than I expected, doctor."</p> + +<p>"Have you any message to send to your friends? because I +am going ashore now to see them. Monsieur Duchesne was +off yesterday afternoon, but Macfarlane very properly refused to +let him see you."</p> + +<p>"Tell him he can't see me for some days, doctor. I do so +hate being made a fuss over."</p> + +<p>"I will keep him away for a day or two anyhow," the doctor +laughed. "He gave the ward-room a full history of your affair, +so you won't have the trouble of going over it again."</p> + +<p>"That is a comfort," Nat growled. "How long is the +<i>Orpheus</i> likely to stop here, doctor?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Ah, that is more than I can say! At any rate the captain +will not leave until he gets orders from Jamaica. The <i>Æolus</i> +has just come into port, and the captain will send her off at +once with despatches to the admiral, saying what has taken +place, and how he landed a force to protect the town, and +went out with a party to attack the insurgent blacks. He will +ask for instructions, as they have no French vessel of war +here, and the land force is insufficient to defend the place if +attacked in earnest, especially as there is a considerable negro +population who would probably rise and join the insurgents if +these made an assault upon the town. The general hope on +board is that we shall get orders to stay here, or at least to +cruise on the coast. Now that we have broken up that nest of +pirates, things are likely to be dull here for some time, though +I have little doubt that ere very long we shall be at war with +the French. According to the last news, which arrived since +you left us, that National Assembly of theirs is going farther +and farther, and its proceedings are causing serious alarm +throughout Europe, for they are altogether subversive of the +existing state of things. It is to its measures that this terrible +insurrection here is due, and the first consequence of what is +really a revolution in France will be the loss of her most +valuable colony. I suppose you have heard that something +like two thousand whites have been murdered. I have no +doubt that now they have recovered from the first shock, the +French here will take a terrible vengeance; but though they +may kill a great number of the negroes, I doubt if it will be +possible to reduce half a million blacks to submission, especially +in an island like this, with mountain ranges running +through it where cannon would be absolutely useless, and the +negroes could shelter in the almost impenetrable forests that +cover a large portion of it."</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI</h2> + +<h4>A FIRST COMMAND</h4> + + +<p>For another couple of days no one was permitted to see +Nat, but at the end of that time the wound assumed a +healthy aspect, and he was allowed to receive visits. Captain +Crosbie himself was the first to come down.</p> + +<p>"I am very glad to hear so good an account of you, Mr. +Glover," he said cordially; "you have done us credit again, +lad, and have rendered an inestimable service to Monsieur +Duchesne and his family. Although it can hardly be considered +as in your regular course of duty, I shall certainly forward +a narrative of your adventures to the admiral. The next +time we go to Port Royal you had better go in for your +examination, and if you pass I have very little doubt that acting +rank will be given to you at once. Your aiding to carry +down that lady, when yourself wounded, was really a very +fine action, for Doctor Bemish tells me that you must have +suffered intensely. Monsieur Duchesne is most anxious to see +you, but the doctor has told him that it will be better for him +to wait until you are well enough to go ashore, when you can +go and see them all together."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, sir, I would much rather do that. But really +the person to be thanked is the old negress who gave us +warning in time to escape, went down and fetched food, despatched +a message to Monsieur Duchesne, and got an answer +back, and who did as much as I did in carrying her mistress +down."</p> + +<p>"Doubtless she behaved very well, Mr. Glover, but that +does not alter the fact that you did so also. And, as even you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> +will admit, she had no hand in the fight in which you killed +eight of these scoundrels."</p> + +<p>"It was not much of a fight, sir. I had such an advantage +in position that I really did not like shooting them, in spite of +what I had heard of their doings; but it was our lives or +theirs, and I knew that if one of them got away he would +bring down a score of others, and they would speedily have +starved us out."</p> + +<p>"At the present time," the captain said sternly, "mercy to +these villains would be misapplied; the lesson must be a terrible +one, or there will speedily be an end to white rule in the +island. Another thing is, that were this revolution to succeed, +we might expect similar outbreaks in our own islands. +Now I will leave you. Your comrades will come in to see you, +but their visits must, for the present, be short."</p> + +<p>Nat progressed rapidly. In three days the water-dressings +were given up and he was tightly bandaged, and over this, +rather to his disgust, the doctor insisted upon his wearing a +pair of stays.</p> + +<p>"It is all very well, Glover," Doctor Bemish said in answer +to his remonstrances, "but we know what you are. You are +as active as a cat, and would be constantly forgetting yourself, +and springing to do something; but these things laced tightly +on will act as a reminder, and will also bind you so closely +together that, while you will have the free use of your +limbs, your ribs will be held as if in a vice. You will +have to keep them on until the bone has fairly knit, and +you have every reason to be thankful that this is the only +inconvenience you have to suffer from an expedition which +might have cost you your life."</p> + +<p>Four days later Doctor Bemish said:</p> + +<p>"I think you can go ashore to-day. Of course you must be +careful, especially, getting in and out of the boat, but if you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> +do that and walk slowly, I do not think it will do you any +harm. Madame Duchesne is up and going on nicely, and they +are most anxiously expecting you, and indeed Duchesne said +yesterday, that if I did not let you go on shore to-day, he +would come on board to see you."</p> + +<p>"But I feel like a hog in armour in these stays, doctor."</p> + +<p>"Never mind that, lad, you would be almost as bad if you +took them off, for I should have to put on twice as many +bandages, and to pull them ever so much tighter. I have told +the captain that I am letting you go ashore, and have also told +Mr. Philpot, so that is all settled. I shall be going off myself +in an hour, and will take you with me, and keep an eye over +you until you get to their gate."</p> + +<p>"One would think that I was a small boy going to be taken +to school," Nat laughed, stopping, however, abruptly.</p> + +<p>"There! you see," the doctor said, "that gave you a twinge, +I know; you must be careful, lad, you must, indeed. There +is no objection to your smiling as much as you like, but there is +nothing that shakes one up more than a hearty laugh. That +is why at other times laughing is a healthy exercise, but with +a rib in the process of healing, it is better not to indulge +in it."</p> + +<p>"Well, I shall be ready when you are."</p> + +<p>Nat accomplished the journey without pain.</p> + +<p>"Won't you come in, doctor?" he asked when they arrived +at the gate.</p> + +<p>"No, Glover; this will be a sort of family party. I have +warned Duchesne not to throw himself on your neck, and have +told him that you are to be looked at and not touched."</p> + +<p>With an uneasy smile Nat left him at the gate and walked +up the drive. They were evidently on the watch for +him, for the door opened almost immediately, and Monsieur +Duchesne ran down. "Mon cher!" he exclaimed, "the doctor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> +has said that I must not touch you, but I can scarce refrain +from embracing you. How can I thank you for all that you +have done?"</p> + +<p>"But, monsieur, I have done next to nothing. I shot some +negroes who had not a chance of getting at me, and I helped +Dinah to carry madame down. We owe our safety to Dinah, +who was splendid in her devotion, making journeys backwards +and forwards, to say nothing of giving us the warning that +enabled us all to escape in time."</p> + +<p>"Dinah was splendid!" Monsieur Duchesne admitted. "But +I can do nothing for her. I have told her that she shall have +a house and plenty to live on all her days, but she will not +leave us. I have made out her papers of freedom, but she +says, 'What use are these? I have been your servant all my life, +and should be no different whether I was what you call a free +woman or not.' What pleased her most was that I have given +freedom to her grandson who brought the message down here, +and am going to employ him in my stable, and that she has +received a new black silk gown. She has got it on in honour +of your visit, and if it had been a royal robe she could not be +more proud of it."</p> + +<p>They had by this time arrived at the door, and Monsieur +Duchesne led Nat to the drawing-room, where his wife was +lying on a sofa, and Myra standing beside her. The yellow +dye had now nearly worn off their faces. Madame Duchesne +was still pale, but she looked bright and happy. Nat went up +to her and took her hand.</p> + +<p>"I am truly glad to see you up again," he said.</p> + +<p>"It has all ended well," she replied with tears in her eyes. +"It seems like a bad dream to me, especially that journey. +How good and kind you were! and I know now how terribly +you must have suffered."</p> + +<p>"It hurt a bit at the time, madame, but one gets accustomed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> +to being hurt, and it all went on so well that it was not worth +grumbling about."</p> + +<p>"Ah, you look more yourself now, Myra!" and he held out +his hand to her.</p> + +<p>"Embrace him, my dear, for me and for yourself. Twice has +he saved your life, and has been more than a brother to you."</p> + +<p>Myra threw her arms round Nat's neck and kissed him +heartily twice, while her eyes were full of tears. "I have not +hurt you, I hope," she said as he drew back.</p> + +<p>"Not a bit, and I should not have minded if you had," Nat +said. Then he sat down, and they talked quietly for some +time. "I am going out to-morrow again," Monsieur Duchesne +said, "it is the duty of every white to join in punishing these +ungrateful fiends. I hear that they have been beaten badly +near Port-au-Prince. Some of the negroes are, we find, remaining +quietly on the plantations, and these, unless they have +murdered their masters, will be spared. No quarter will be +given to those taken in arms. At any rate we shall clear all +of them out of the plains near the bay, and drive them into +the mountains, where we cannot hope to subdue them till a +large number of troops arrive from home."</p> + +<p>So vigorously, indeed, did the whites pursue the negroes, +that in a fortnight after the outbreak it was calculated that +no fewer than ten thousand blacks had fallen, many of them +being put to death by methods almost as cruel and ferocious +as those they had themselves adopted. They were still in such +vast numbers that it was evident that it would be impossible +to overpower them until troops arrived from France; and, +indeed, the farther the French columns penetrated into the +mountains, the more severe was the resistance they met with, +and on several occasions the whites were repulsed with heavy +loss. A truce was therefore agreed upon, it being arranged +that neither party should attack the other until its expiration.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> +There being, therefore, no occasion for the <i>Orpheus</i> to remain +longer at Cape François, she sailed for Jamaica.</p> + +<p>Nat's wounds continued to go on well. He was still stiff, +and felt the advantages of the encircling stays so much that +he no longer objected to wear them. As it was likely that, +until matters were finally settled, the <i>Orpheus</i> would be constantly +cruising on the coast of Hayti, and that he would ere +long see his French friends again, the parting was not a +sad one; and, indeed, Nat was by no means sorry to get +under way again to escape the expressions of gratitude of +Monsieur Duchesne and his wife. Two days after arriving at +Port Royal, Nat received notice that a court, composed of +three captains of vessels then in port, would, on the following +day, sit to examine midshipmen who had either served their +time or were within a year of completing it. He at once sent in +his name. As he had read hard during the time he had been +unfit for service, he had no fear of not passing the ordeal, +and at the conclusion of his examination he was told by the +president of the court that he had passed with great credit.</p> + +<p>On returning to the frigate, he found a note from the +admiral requesting him to call upon him on his return from +the court, and he at once proceeded to the flag-ship. "I +have heard a great deal of you, Mr. Glover," the admiral said +when he was ushered into his cabin. "First of all I heard the +story from your captain of the gallant manner in which you, +at the risk of your own, saved a young lady's life at Cape +François, when attacked by a savage hound, and were seriously +injured thereby. Then I received Captain Crosbie's official +report of the share you took in the attack upon that formidable +nest of pirates, the report being supplemented by his +subsequent relation to me of the whole facts of the affair. +Your conduct there also did you very great credit, and, had +you passed, I should at once have given you acting rank. Now<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> +you have again distinguished yourself, though scarcely in a +manner which comes under my official knowledge. I should +be glad to hear from you a detailed account of the affair."</p> + +<p>When Nat had finished his narration, he said, "You have +scarcely done justice to yourself. Your captain and Dr. +Bemish were dining with me last night, and the latter said +that, wounded as you were, the work of carrying that French +lady down to the coast must have been an intensely painful +one, as was shown by the state of your wound when he +examined it. In all these matters you have shown courage +and conduct, and as I hear that you have now passed, I shall +take the first opportunity of giving you acting rank. You +speak French fluently?"</p> + +<p>"I speak it quite fluently, sir, but as I have only picked it +up by ear, I cannot say that I speak it well."</p> + +<p>"However, the fact that you speak it well enough to converse +freely may be useful. Hayti is likely to be in a +very disturbed state for some time. There can be little doubt +that the negroes in the other islands are all watching what +takes place there with close attention, and that there is a +possibility of the revolt spreading. At present there is no +saying what the course of events may be. Already the governor +here has received letters from several French residents +expressing their desire that we should take the island, as +they believe that the French revolutionary government will +make no serious effort to put down the rising. Of course, at +present, as we are at peace with France, nothing whatever can +be done. At the same time, it is important that we should +obtain accurate information as to what is going on there, and +what is the feeling of the negroes and of the mulatto population, +and we shall probably have several small vessels cruising +in those waters. The <i>Falcon</i>, under the command of Lieutenant +Low, who also belonged to the <i>Orpheus</i>, has been for some<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> +weeks on the southern coast of the island. I intend to have +three or four other craft at the same work soon, and on the +first opportunity I shall appoint you to one of them."</p> + +<p>Nat expressed his warm thanks, and retired. Three or four +days later he received an intimation that the prize <i>Arrow</i>, a +schooner of a hundred and fifty tons, would at once be put +into commission, and that the admiral had selected him for +her command. This was far more than Nat had even hoped +for. From the manner in which the admiral had spoken, he +thought that he would be appointed to a craft of this description, +but he had no expectation whatever of being given the +command. With the intimation was an order for him to again +call upon the admiral.</p> + +<p>"It is a small command," the admiral said when Nat expressed +his thanks for the appointment. "We cannot spare +you more than twenty-five hands, a quarter-master, and two +midshipmen. You will have Mr. Turnbull of the <i>Leander</i> as +your first officer, and Mr. Lippincott of the <i>Pallas</i>. She has +carried six guns hitherto, but you will only take four. These, +however, will be twelve-pounders; before, she had only nines. +Naturally, it is not intended that she shall do any fighting. Of +course, if you are attacked you will defend yourself, but you +are hardly a match for any of these piratical craft except quite +the smaller class—native boats manned by bands of desperadoes. +Your mission will be to cruise on the coast of Hayti, to take +off white fugitives should any show themselves, and to communicate +if possible with the negroes, find out the object they +propose to themselves, and report on their forces, organization, +and methods of fighting. In all this great care will be necessary, +for they have shown themselves so faithless and treacherous +that it is impossible to place any confidence in their +promises of safe-conduct. In such matters it is impossible to +give any advice as to your conduct, you must be guided by cir<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span>cumstances; +be prudent and careful, and at the same time enterprising. +The schooner is a very fast one. She has been a +slaver, and has more than once shown her heels to some of our +fastest cruisers. Therefore, if you come across any piratical +craft too big to fight, you will at least have a fair chance of +outsailing her."</p> + +<p>Greatly delighted, Nat returned to the <i>Orpheus</i>.</p> + +<p>"So, you are going to leave us, Mr. Glover," the captain +said when he came on board. "I congratulate you, but at +the same time we shall be very sorry to lose you, and I hope +that when there is a vacancy we shall have you back again. +You fully deserve your promotion, and have been a credit to +the ship."</p> + +<p>The next day Nat moved his effects ashore. There was but +little leave-taking between him and his comrades, for it was +certain that they would often meet at Port Royal. He spent +his time for the next fortnight in the dockyard seeing to the +refitting of the schooner. The superintendent there had heard +of the affair with the dog, and of the manner in which he had +saved the lives of the French lady and her daughter, Dr. +Bemish being an old friend of his. He was, therefore, much +more complaisant than dockyard officials generally are to the +demands made upon them by young lieutenants in command +of small craft. Indeed, when the schooner was ready for sea +Nat had every reason to be proud of her. She had been +provided with a complete suit of new canvas, all her woodwork +had been scraped and varnished, the running rigging was new, +and the standing rigging had also been renewed wherever +it showed signs of wear. Her ballast, which had before been +almost entirely of iron ore, was now of pig-iron, and in view +of the extra stability so given she had had new topmasts ten +feet higher than those she had before carried.</p> + +<p>"I should advise you to keep your weather eye lifting, Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> +Glover," Captain Crosbie said when Nat paid his farewell visit +to the frigate; "that craft of yours looks very much over-sparred. +If you were caught in a squall with your topsails +up the chances are you would turn turtle."</p> + +<p>"I will be very careful, sir," Nat said; "although, now she +has iron ballast, I think that even with the slight addition in +the height of the spars she will be as stiff as she was before +in moderate breezes, while she will certainly be faster in light +winds."</p> + +<p>"That is so," the captain agreed; "and of course it is in +light winds that speed is of the most importance. There can +be no doubt that in the hands of a careful commander a large +spread of canvas is a great advantage, while in the hands of a +rash one a craft can hardly be too much under-sparred."</p> + +<p>Turnbull, Nat's first officer, was a quiet young fellow, a few +months junior to Nat. He was square in build, with a resolute +but good-humoured face, and Nat had no doubt that the +admiral had selected him as being likely to pull better with +him than a more lively and vivacious young fellow would be. +From the first day they met on board he was sure that he and +Turnbull would get on extremely well together. The latter +carried out his suggestions and orders as punctually as he +would have done those of a post-captain, going about his work +in as steady and business-like a way as if he had been accustomed +for years to perform the duties of a first officer. One +evening Nat had asked him and Lippincott to dine with him +at an hotel, and ordered a private room.</p> + +<p>"I think," he said when the meal was over and the waiter +had placed the dessert and wine on the table and had retired, +"that we are going to have a very pleasant cruise. I am +afraid we sha'n't have much chance of distinguishing ourselves +in the fighting way, though we may pick up some of those +rascally little craft that prey on the native commerce and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> +capture a small European merchantman occasionally. With +our small crew we certainly cannot regard ourselves as a +match for any of the regular pirates, who would carry vastly +heavier metal, and crews of at least four times our strength. +The admiral expressly warned me that it was not intended +that the <i>Arrow</i> should undertake that sort of business. Our +mission is rather to gain news of what passes in the interior, +pick up fugitives who may be hiding in the woods, and act +in fact as a sort of floating observatory. Any fighting, therefore, +that we may get will be if we are attacked. In that case, +of course, we shall do our best. I am sure we shall be a +pleasant party on board. Of course in a small craft like this +we shall mess together. It is necessary, for the sake of discipline, +that when we are on deck we should follow the usual +observances, but when we are below together we shall be three +mess-mates without any formality or nonsense."</p> + +<p>The two juniors remained on their ships until the schooner +was out of the hands of the dockyard men. According to +custom, Nat did not join until they and the crew had gone +on board and spent a day in scrubbing the decks and making +everything tidy and ship-shape; then the gig went ashore to +fetch him off. As he rowed alongside he could not help +smiling at seeing the sentries at the gangway and the two +young officers standing there to receive him. However, with +an effort he recovered his gravity, mounted the short accommodation +ladder, saluted the flag, and returned the salutes of +his officers and men. On board the frigate he had been an +inconsiderable member of the crowd, now he was monarch of +all he surveyed. Then the crew were formed up, and according +to custom he read his commission appointing him to the +command, and the articles of war.</p> + +<p>"Now, my men," he said when he had brought the meeting +to an end, "I have, according to rule, read the articles of war,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> +a very necessary step when taking command of a vessel of +war with hands collected from all parts, and many of them +coming on board one of his majesty's ships for the first time; +but it is a mere formality to a crew composed of men like +yourselves, who will, I am perfectly sure, do your duty in +storm and calm, and who will, should there be any occasion +for fighting, show that, small as our number is, we are capable +of taking our own part against a considerably larger force. I +and my officers, will do all in our power to make the ship +a comfortable and pleasant one, and I rely upon you to show +your zeal and heartiness in the service."</p> + +<p>The men replied with a hearty cheer. Most of them belonged +to the <i>Orpheus</i>. These had already told the others of +their captain's doings in Hayti and in the attack on the pirate +island, and said how popular he was on board.</p> + +<p>"I think we are going to have a good time," one of the +others said as they went forward. "We ain't likely to capture +anything very big in this cockle-shell, and I look upon it as a +sort of pleasure ship."</p> + +<p>"You will see, if he gets a chance he will take it," one of +the men from the <i>Orpheus</i> said. "I was with him in that +fight against the pirates, and I tell you I have never been in +anything hotter. I was one of those who volunteered to go +with him to drown the magazine of the brigantine next to us, +and I tell you I never felt so scared in my life. He was just as +cool as a cucumber, though he had been knocked silly by that +explosion a quarter of an hour before. He is the right sort, +he is; and though I expect he has got orders not to tackle +anything too big for us—he is not the sort of chap to run away +if he can find the smallest excuse for fighting."</p> + +<p>In the meantime Nat had gone below with the two midshipmen. +The accommodation for officers was excellent. +There was a large cabin aft which had been handsomely fitted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> +up by the late captain. Off this on one side was his state-room, +on the other those for the two officers; beyond these +were the steward's cabin and pantry on one side, and a spare +cabin which had been given to the quarter-master on the other. +Nat had engaged a negro as cook, and his son, a lad of seventeen +or eighteen, as cabin steward, and had sent on board a +small stock of wines. He ordered the boy to open a bottle +and to put glasses on the table, and they drank together to +the success of the cruise. They had just finished when the +quarter-master came down.</p> + +<p>"The admiral is signalling for us to send a boat to him, +sir."</p> + +<p>"Lower the gig at once!" and he and the officers followed +the quarter-master on deck. "Mr. Lippincott, you had better +go with it."</p> + +<p>In half an hour the midshipman returned with a despatch. +Nat broke the seal. It had evidently been dictated by the +admiral to his clerk, his signature being at the foot.</p> + +<p class="pblockquot"><i>News has just arrived that the French Assembly has cancelled +the act placing the mulattoes on the same footing as the whites, +and the former have in consequence risen and have joined the +blacks. The situation must be most precarious for whites in the +island. Get up sail at once and make for Cape François. +Cruise between that port and the south-eastern limit of Hayti. +Do what you can to aid fugitives.</i></p> + +<p>"We are to be off at once," he said to Mr. Turnbull. +"Please get up the anchor and make sail. There is fresh +trouble in Hayti; the mulattoes have joined the blacks."</p> + +<p>The quarter-master's whistle sounded, and the crew sprang +into activity. The capstan was manned, and the men ran to +loosen the sails, and in ten minutes the <i>Falcon</i> was on her +way.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Matters were bad enough before," Nat said when, having +seen that the sails were all set and everything in good order, +his two officers came aft. "A few mulattoes, overseers and +that class, rose with the negroes, but the great bulk of them, +having got what they wanted, joined the whites or stood +neutral; but now that they have thrown in their lot with the +blacks the prospect seems almost desperate. However it +turns out, there is no doubt that the island is ruined, and +the whites who were lucky enough to escape with their lives +will find that instead of being rich men they are penniless. +It is a horrible business altogether. I shall be glad when +we get to Cape François and can get news of what is really +going on."</p> + +<p>Nat was delighted at the speed shown by the schooner. +The breeze was light, and she felt the full advantage of her +added spread of canvas. She was a very beamy craft of light +draught, and scarcely showed a perceptible heel under the +pressure of the wind, fully justifying his opinion as to the +improvement to be effected by the substitution of iron ballast +for that which she had before carried. Turnbull and Lippincott +were no less pleased, and the whole crew felt proud of their +little craft.</p> + +<p>"She can go, sir, and no mistake!" Turnbull said, as they +stood aft looking upwards at the sails and down into the water +glancing past her sides. "It would take a fast craft indeed to +overhaul her; her sails are splendidly cut!"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I tipped the man who is at the head of the sail-making +gang a five-pound note to take special pains with them, and the +money would have been well laid out if it had been fifty times +as much; for it will make the difference of a point at least when +she is close-hauled, and that means getting away from a fellow +too big for us, instead of being overhauled by him."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Turnbull said with a smile, "and might enable us<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> +to keep out of reach of his bow-guns, while we hammered him +with our stern-chaser."</p> + +<p>"Yes, it might have that effect," Nat replied with an answering +smile. "What is she going through the water now, +quarter-master?"</p> + +<p>"A good seven knots, sir."</p> + +<p>"That is fast enough. The <i>Orpheus</i> would not be making +more than six in such a light breeze as this."</p> + +<p>Towards sunset the wind fell until it scarcely seemed that +there was a breath on the water, but the schooner still crept +along at two and a half knots an hour, although her sails +scarcely lifted. The crew had already been divided in watches. +Turnbull took the starboard, and Lippincott the larboard +watch.</p> + +<p>"I hardly know myself," Nat laughed, as they sat together +in the cabin after dinner. "Except when I was on the sick +list, this is my first experience of not having a night watch +to keep. However, I expect I shall be up and down, and at +any rate call me if there is the slightest change in the weather. +We know what she can do in a light wind now, but we won't +risk anything until we have seen how she carries her sails in a +sharp blow."</p> + +<p>Somewhat restless under the extent of his responsibility, +Nat was on deck several times during the night. There was, +however, no sign of change. The <i>Arrow</i> was still stealing +through the water with the wind abeam. The two midshipmen, +equally impressed with the responsibility of being in command +of a watch, were on the alert, and the look-out was vigilant. +The wind freshened again when the sun rose. At noon there +were white-heads on the water, and the schooner, heeling over +a bit now, was doing nearly nine knots. The three officers +all took an observation, and to their satisfaction found that +they were within half a mile of each other. At the present<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> +moment, however, there was no doubt as to their situation, for +the high land near Cape Dame Marie lay clearly in sight over +the bowsprit, while behind them the hills over Morant Point +lay like a dim haze.</p> + +<p>"If we had had this wind the whole way," Nat said regretfully, +"we should have been well in the bay by this time. +Still, we must not grumble; we have made a hundred knots. +The mid-day gun fired just as we got under way, and, considering +that for twelve hours we had no wind worth speaking +of, I think we have done very well. Indeed, if the wind will +hold like this, we shall be near port by noon to-morrow; but +we can't reckon on that, it is sure to fall before sunset, and +besides, the winds are generally baffling and shifty when we +once get into the bay."</p> + +<p>By three o'clock the wind had already begun to fall, and by +five they were lying almost becalmed off the westerly point of +the island. For the next two days the wind was very light, and +it was late in the afternoon of the second when they dropped +anchor off Cape François. Nat at once went ashore, and as +usual received a warm welcome from the Duchesnes. Madame +had now quite recovered from the effect of her adventure, as +also had Myra.</p> + +<p>"I did not know that the <i>Orpheus</i> was in port, or else we +should have been expecting you."</p> + +<p>"She is not in port, madame. I arrived in his majesty's +schooner <i>Arrow</i>, which I have the honour to command."</p> + +<p>"Then you are Captain Glover now? I must be very +respectful," and Myra made a deep curtsy.</p> + +<p>"It will be a good many years before I shall have the right +to be addressed by that title. I have passed my examination +as lieutenant, and have now acting rank, which will no doubt be +confirmed by the authorities at home, and I may be addressed +as lieutenant without any breach of etiquette. Still, of course,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> +it is a grand thing to get a command, and so much greater +chance of distinguishing oneself. However, as she is but a +small craft, and carries only twenty-five men, we are not in a +position to do any great thing in the way of fighting, though +of course we may overhaul and capture some of these native +craft that are nominally traders, but are ready to capture any +small vessel they may come across. My mission really is +to obtain news of what is passing in the island. We have +received word at Kingston that the mulattoes have risen and +joined the blacks, and I have been sent off at once to learn the +real state of things."</p> + +<p>"Unhappily the news is true," Monsieur Duchesne said. +"There have already been several fights, in some of which we +have got the best of it, in others we have been driven back to +the towns. It is impossible for the look-out to be darker than +it is. It seems to us that our only hope is that England will +consent to take over the sovereignty of the island, and send +a force large enough to put down the insurrection. Some of +the planters here have already lost heart, and have sailed for +Jamaica, Bermuda, and other British ports. I have no intention +of following their example at present. I am, as you know, +a merchant as well as a planter, and although, of course, all +trade is at an end now, it must spring up again in time. +Fortunately, we feel confident that this town can resist any +assault. The French man-of-war that came in after you sailed +landed a dozen of her guns, and we have erected four batteries. +There were, too, a good many old guns in the town, +which have also been put into position; and as we have half +a French regiment here, and fully five hundred whites who can +be relied on, we have small fear of being overpowered. I am +glad to say that before the man-of-war left, the great majority +of the negroes were expelled from the town and their quarter +burnt down, so that we have no fear of being attacked from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> +within as well as from without. That was really our greatest +danger, and has been hanging over us night and day ever since +the beginning of the rising."</p> + +<p>"Are the mulattoes and negroes acting together?"</p> + +<p>"In some cases, but as a rule they keep apart. There is no +love lost between them, and the only bond of union is hatred +of us. The blacks, curiously enough, have declared against +the republic, and call themselves the royalist army. They +consider, and very naturally, that the republic, while giving +rights to the mulattoes, has done nothing for them, and therefore, +as the republic has declared against the king, they have +declared for him. Do you think that the English government +will accept our offer to transfer ourselves to British rule?"</p> + +<p>"I do not see that they could do so, sir. At present we are +nominally at peace with France, although everyone sees that +war must come before long, but until it is declared we could +scarcely take over a French possession; nor do I think there are +anything like troops enough in our islands to undertake such +a serious operation as this would be. Your people could not +give us much help. The negroes, though calling themselves +royalists, are fighting only for liberty, and would gain nothing +by a mere change of masters, knowing as they do that the +slaves are certainly no better treated in our islands than in +those of France."</p> + +<p>"That is what I thought," Monsieur Duchesne said. "Certainly +nothing short of an army of thirty thousand strong +could hope for success, and I doubt, indeed, whether in so +large and mountainous an island even that number could +do much. Of course fully half of it is Spanish, which complicates +matters a great deal; but we may be sure that if the +negroes of this end are successful, those under the Spaniards +will very soon follow their example. If the worst comes to +the worst, I shall of course leave the island. Whether I should<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> +settle in one of your islands or make England my residence +I cannot say. Some of my countrymen have gone to America, +but I should put that out of my mind. I think I should +prefer England to remaining out here, for there might be +similar risings in Jamaica and elsewhere; as to France, it is +out of the question.</p> + +<p>"France has gone mad. I know that many of our good +families have sought refuge in England, and we should at least +find society congenial to us. Happily, we are in a condition +to choose for ourselves; my ancestors have been wise men, and +have long foreseen that what has actually occurred might possibly +take place. Each in succession has impressed his views +upon his son, and it has become almost a family tradition +among us, and one upon which we have often been rallied. For +with few exceptions all here seem to have regarded the state +of things as being as unchangeable as Scripture says were the +laws of the Medes and Persians. If this had been only a +tradition, and had not been acted upon, it would not have +benefited us now, but for six generations each of my ancestors +has regarded it as a sacred duty to set aside nearly a tenth of +his revenues as a provision when the troubles should come. +This money has been chiefly invested in England and Holland, +and the interest on the accumulations of all these years has +been reinvested. I believe that, although I regard such investments +as were made in France as lost, we shall, when we +reckon up matters, find that our income will be fully as large +as that which I have drawn from my property and trade here."</p> + +<p>"I am very glad to hear it, Monsieur Duchesne. I have +indeed, while I have been away, thought very often of what +would happen to you and your family if you were forced to +finally abandon your estate and leave the island."</p> + +<p>"I have reason to be grateful indeed, Nat, to the forethought +of those who have gone before me; it is strange that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> +the same idea did not occur to others. One can see now that +our people here have been living in a fool's paradise, totally +oblivious of the fact that a volcano might at any moment open +under their feet. Are you going to remain here?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, no! I am only making this a starting-place. My orders +are to cruise along the southern coast, to render any assistance +I can to the refugees, and if possible, to open communications +with some of the chiefs of the insurgents and endeavour +to find out what their plans are, and, should it be decided to +accept the cession of the island when war with France breaks +out, what the attitude of the blacks and mulattoes would be."</p> + +<p>"You will not be likely to pick up any refugees, for the +whites are exterminated except in the towns; but should any +of the smaller places be attacked you might render good service +by receiving at least the women and children on board."</p> + +<p>That evening Monsieur Duchesne asked his brother-in-law, +the doctor, and several other leading inhabitants, to his house, +in order that Nat might gather their views. He found that +these in the main agreed with those of his host, except that +they were hopeful that France would, as soon as the news +arrived, despatch an army of sufficient force to put down +the insurrection. After the last of the guests had departed, +Monsieur Duchesne shook his head.</p> + +<p>"France will ere long require every soldier to defend her +own frontiers; the saturnalia of blood in which she is indulging +will cause her to be regarded as the common enemy +of Europe. I hear that already the emigrant nobles are +pressing the various European courts to march armies into +France to free the king and royal family from their imprisonment +by the mob of Paris, and ere long there will assuredly be +a coalition which France will need all her strength to resist. +England is certain to join it; and even had France troops to +spare, she would find a difficulty in sending them here.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> +So you will not change your mind and stay with us for the +night?"</p> + +<p>"It is already nearly eleven, and I ordered the gig to be +alongside at that hour. I certainly should not like to sleep +out of the ship, though I have no doubt that my two young +officers would see that everything went on right."</p> + +<p>On reaching the schooner, Nat found that both Turnbull and +Lippincott were still up.</p> + +<p>"It was such a lovely night that we have been smoking on +deck until a few minutes ago; we were, of course, anxious to +hear the news."</p> + +<p>At Nat's order the steward brought hot water and glasses; +three tumblers of grog were filled, and they sat for a couple of +hours discussing the strange situation in the island.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII</h2> + +<h4>A RESCUE</h4> + + +<p>The <i>Arrow</i> was one morning lying at anchor in a small bay +on the south coast, when one of the sailors called Nat's +attention to a boy who had run down and was wildly waving his +arms. Nat caught up his telescope.</p> + +<p>"It may be a white boy," he said. "Lower the gig! I will +go myself in her. Quick! he may be pursued."</p> + +<p>It took but a very short time to cross the quarter of a mile +of water. The lad rushed in up to his chin to meet them, and +was quickly hauled into the boat. His hands and face had +been blackened, but this had so worn off that he merely presented +the appearance of a sooty-faced white boy. He burst +into a fit of convulsive sobbing as he found himself among +friends. Nat saw that it was useless to question him at the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> +moment, so he told the men to row back at once to the +schooner; then he half-carried him down to his own cabin, +brought out a glass of wine, and gave it to him.</p> + +<p>"Drink that up, lad," he said, "then you can tell me something +about yourself." The boy put the glass with shaking +hands to his lips and drank it down.</p> + +<p>"That is right, lad; now tell me something about yourself. +What is your name?"</p> + +<p>"I am a girl, monsieur; my name is Louise Pickard. We +have been hiding in the forest for six weeks—my father and +mother, my sister, and ten Frenchmen, who worked for us. +We lived on fruit and what provisions the men could obtain +by going down to the plantations at night. Two days ago the +negroes found us; they killed one of the men at once, and +the rest of us they took. My sister and I were dressed as +boys. They were going to kill us one by one; they burnt one +of the men to death yesterday, and tied us to trees round and +made us look on. This morning they killed another; they cut +off his arms at the elbows and his legs at the knees, and then +cut him about with knives till he died. Then they shut us up +together again. There was a little window, and my father +pushed me through it. He had heard the negroes say that there +was a vessel in the bay with white men in it. The hole was +in the back of the house, and there were trees there, so that I +managed to get off without being seen by the negroes. My +father tried to get Valerie through the same window, but she +was too big. She is two years older than I am, and I could +not have squeezed through had not my father pushed me. He +told me to come down to the shore and take refuge with you."</p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 508px;"> +<img src="images/i009.jpg" width="508" height="800" alt="Page 212" title="" /> +<span class="caption">THE RESCUE OF LOUISE PICKARD.</span> +</div> + +<p>"How many of these black scoundrels are there?" Nat asked.</p> + +<p>"Two or three hundred. The negroes are going to attack +you to-night—there are some fishermen's boats at a village a +mile or two along the shore. Father told me to warn you. I +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>did not like coming away, I would have liked to have died +with the others; but it was so awful to look on at the tortures. +If they would but have killed us at once, I would not have +minded; but oh, monsieur, it was too terrible! Can you not +do something for them?" And she again burst into tears.</p> + +<p>"I will see what can be done," Nat said, putting his hand +kindly on her shoulder. "I am going up on deck now. This +is my cabin," and he opened the door of his berth. "The +steward will bring you some hot water, then you had better +have a wash and get rid of that charcoal, for I suppose it is +charcoal on your face. We can do nothing for you in the +way of dress at present. But if you will take off your things +and put them outside the door, I will get them washed at once, +and you can lie down in my berth until they are dry. They +won't take very long in this hot climate."</p> + +<p>The steward by his orders brought in a can of hot water. +The girl retired with it to the cabin, and Nat went on deck and +told Turnbull and Lippincott what he had heard from her.</p> + +<p>"It is awful," the latter said. "Can we do nothing, sir?"</p> + +<p>"That is the point, Mr. Lippincott. I feel that it is impossible +for us to remain quiet while such devilry is being carried +on among those woods. But you see the matter is rendered +all the more difficult by the fact that we ourselves are going to +be attacked to-night. Our crew is weak enough already. If +three or four boat-loads full of blacks were to fall upon us, we +could not spare a man; while if we were to land, we should +need every man for the job, and even then should be terribly +weak. Something has to be done, that is evident, and we have +to hit upon a plan. Now, let us all set our wits to work." +At this moment the black steward came up from the cabin +with a bundle.</p> + +<p>"The boy am put dese things outside him door, sah. Wat +am me to do wid dem?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Bring them along to the galley, Sam. I must get your +father to wash them. Pomp," he went on to the cook, "have +you got plenty of hot water?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sah; allus hab hot water."</p> + +<p>"Well, look here, I want you and Sam to set to work and +wash these clothes at once. The boy I brought on board +turns out to be a French girl, the daughter of a planter who +is in the hands of the negroes up there. We must see to-morrow +what we can do in the way of rigging her out properly, +but for to-day we must manage with these things. Get +them as white as you can, and then hang them up to dry. I +want her on deck again as soon as possible to give us information +as to where her friends are confined."</p> + +<p>"All right, sah, we soon gets dese clean."</p> + +<p>"And you may as well heat up a basin of that turtle-soup +we had yesterday. I expect she has had little enough to eat +of late."</p> + +<p>Then he went back to the quarter-deck.</p> + +<p>"It seems to me, sir," Turnbull said, "that if the girl would +go ashore with us as a guide, we might succeed. After it gets +dark, put me and one of the hands on shore, with a saw and a +bottle of oil to make it work noiselessly. Then we could +crawl up to this little window by which she got out, and cut +away the wood—for no doubt it is a wooden hut—till the hole +is large enough for all of them to get out."</p> + +<p>"That seems a good plan, Turnbull, certainly; the only +drawback is that probably before it gets dark the negroes will +have discovered that the boy, as they consider her, has escaped, +and will keep a sharp look-out on the others. Then, too, although +one or two might get out noiselessly and make their +escape, the chances of ten people doing so would be much +smaller, and if the attempt were detected you might only share +their fate. If we had all the crew close at hand to cover their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> +retreat it might be managed, great as would be the odds +against us, but you see there is this boat attack to be guarded +against. I don't think that I could allow you to run such a +risk, Turnbull."</p> + +<p>"Still, something must be done, sir."</p> + +<p>"Yes, we are agreed as to that," Nat said, and going to the +rail he stood there gazing at the shore for some minutes.</p> + +<p>"I have an idea," he said, suddenly turning round. "You +see that point near the mouth of the bay, where the rock rises +eight or ten feet straight out from the water's edge; there are +trees behind it. It will be a dark night, and if we could get +the schooner over there without their noticing it, as I think +we could, we could probably lay her pretty close alongside, +and when the boats came, the betting is that they would never +find her. They would row about for a bit looking for us +where we are anchored, and, not finding us, would come to +the conclusion that we had got up sail and gone away after +dark. In that way we could land our whole party."</p> + +<p>"I think that would do first-rate, sir."</p> + +<p>"Of course there is a certain amount of risk of their discovering +her," Nat went on, "but we must chance that. We +will send her topmasts down as soon as it is dark, so that +they won't show against the sky-line, and boats might then row +within twenty yards of her without noticing her, especially if +we can get her in pretty close. It is just possible that we +may be able to lay her right against the rock. The water is +deep pretty close in, even opposite to us, for the girl was not +more than four or five yards from the shore when she was up +to her neck in water, and no doubt it is a good deal deeper +than that, at the foot of those rocks. As soon as it is dark, +Mr. Lippincott, you had better take the boat and sound along +there. Of course you will muffle your oars. It would be a +great thing if we could get alongside. In the first place, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> +nearer she gets in the less likely that she would be to be +seen, and in the next place it would be very important, if we +are hotly pursued, to be able to get on board without having +to use boats."</p> + +<p>"Certainly," Turnbull agreed.</p> + +<p>"When we have got her in her place," Nat went on, "we +will take a light anchor out fifty fathom or so, and put the +hawser round the windlass, so that the instant we are on +board, four men, told off beforehand, can run forward and set +to work. Once we are three yards out we should be safe from +boarding, however strong their force may be. We will have +the guns on that side loaded with a double charge of grape +before we land, and once out we will give them a dose they +will remember for a long time. Now, we may as well tell the +crew; they will be delighted at the prospect of a fight."</p> + +<p>The men were clustered together forward discussing whether +anything was likely to take place, for the arrival of the boy, +the fact that he had been taken down to the cabin aft and +had not reappeared, and the evident anxiety of their officers, +sufficed to show them that something unusual was on hand. +When they came aft Nat said, "My men, we are about to +undertake an enterprise that will, I am sure, be after your own +heart. The apparent boy we brought on board is a young +French lady. Her parents, sister, and seven white men are +in the hands of the negroes, who each day murder one with +horrible torture. Now we are going to rescue them."</p> + +<p>A cheer broke from the men.</p> + +<p>"The job will be a pretty tough one, men, but you won't +like it any the worse for that. There are, I hear, two or +three hundred of those murderous brutes up there. Of course, +if we can get the prisoners out without a fight we shall do +so, but I hardly think we shall be able to manage that. The +matter is somewhat complicated by the fact that I hear that a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> +boat attack is going to be made upon us to-night. Now, we +are certainly not strong enough to carry off this party and at +the same time to leave enough men on board to defend the +schooner. After it is dark, therefore, I intend to take her +across to that rock over there, moor her as close to it as I can, +and strike the topmasts. In that way we may hope that on a +moonless night, as this will be, the boats will not find her, but +will suppose that we have sailed away. However, of that we +must run the risk. I shall take every man with me. Of course, +we shall batten the hatches down, and fasten them so that if +they do find her it will give them as much trouble as possible, +and we may possibly catch them at work as we return.</p> + +<p>"You will, of course, take muskets and a brace of pistols +each, and your cutlasses. I have no doubt that we are being +watched from the shore, therefore go about your work as +usual. Do not gather together talking, or give them any +cause to suppose that we are intending to do anything. It is +not likely that the escape of the girl has yet been discovered, +for if they were watching among the trees up there they would +hardly have noticed that the boat took an extra person from +the shore. Grease the falls of the gig, so that she can be +lowered noiselessly, and muffle the oars. As soon as it is quite +dark Mr. Lippincott will take soundings, in order to see how +close into the rock it will be safe to take her."</p> + +<p>With another low but hearty cheer, expressing the satisfaction +they felt at the prospect of a fight with the negroes, the +crew went forward again. One of them set to work to grease +the falls not only of the gig but of the other boats, in case these +should also be required, two others cut up some old guernseys +and lashed them round the gig's oars at the point where they +would touch the thole-pins, others resumed their occupation +of polishing the brass-work, while the rest sat down under the +shelter of the bulwark and talked over the adventure on which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> +they were about to engage. In an hour the girl's clothes were +washed and dried. One of the crew who had served as an +assistant sail-maker had at once, under Nat's instructions, set +to work to sew half a dozen flags together, and with these he +had constructed a garment which, if primitive in design, was +at least somewhat feminine in appearance.</p> + +<p>Round the top was a deep hem through which was run a +thin cord. By the aid of this it could be drawn together and +gathered in at the neck. Six inches from the top, two of +the seams between the flags were left open, these were for the +arm-holes. This primitive pinafore was to be drawn in at the +waist by a belt. The man had chosen from among the signal +flags those whose colours went best together, and though the +result was extremely motley, it was yet a very fair substitute +for a dress. The three officers could not help laughing as he +brought it aft to show them.</p> + +<p>"That is very well contrived, Jenkins," Nat said. "I have +no doubt the young lady will greatly prefer it to going about +dressed as a boy."</p> + +<p>As the clothes were by this time dry, Nat told Sam to take +them below with the new garment, to lay them down outside +his state-room door, and then to knock and tell the young lady +that they were there in readiness for her, and that as soon as +she was dressed lunch would be ready. When he had done +this he was to come up on deck again. A quarter of an hour +later Nat himself went down. The clothes had disappeared, +and the girl, who was about thirteen years of age, came out. +She had, with the exception of the coat, donned her former +garments, and over these had put the flag pinafore. Her +arms were covered by those of the light flannel shirt, and the +dress hung straight down all round.</p> + +<p>"It is a queer-looking thing," he said with a smile, "but it +is the best we can manage in the emergency. Here is a belt,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> +if you strap that round your waist it will make the thing look +more comfortable."</p> + +<p>The girl smiled wanly. Now that her face and hands were +clean, Nat saw that she was a pretty little thing, and would +have been prettier had not her hair been cut quite short.</p> + +<p>"We are going this evening," Nat went on, "to try to +rescue your parents and sister from those black fiends."</p> + +<p>She clasped her hands before her.</p> + +<p>"Oh, sir, that is good of you!"</p> + +<p>"Not at all. You don't suppose that we are going to +remain here quietly, knowing that close by there are white +people in the hands of those scoundrels. We shall want you to +act as our guide. We are going to take a saw with us and cut +away the wood round that hole you escaped by, and hope to +get your friends out without the negroes seeing us. If they +do, so much the worse for them. Now, will you sit down while +the steward lays the cloth for lunch?—it will be ready in +two or three minutes; then I will bring the other two officers +down to introduce them to you." He raised his voice: "Sam! +luncheon as soon as possible."</p> + +<p>The young negro was expecting the order, and ran in at +once with a table-cloth and a plate-basket, and in two or three +minutes the table was laid; then he went out and returned +with the plates.</p> + +<p>"Eberyting ready, sah; me bring down de soup when you +gib de word."</p> + +<p>"Give my compliments to Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott, +and ask them to come down to lunch."</p> + +<p>The girl looked anxious and shy as she heard the footsteps +coming down the companion, but an expression of relief came +over her face as she saw that they were even younger than the +officer she had already seen.</p> + +<p>"These are my officers, mademoiselle—Mr. Turnbull and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> +Mr. Lippincott. Their French is not of the best, but you +must make allowance for them."</p> + +<p>The girl smiled and held out her hand to the two middies. +The news that her parents and sister might yet be rescued had +already greatly raised her spirits.</p> + +<p>"I do look funny, do I not?" she said.</p> + +<p>"I am sure you look very nice," Turnbull replied. "It is +quite a novelty for us to have a lady on board."</p> + +<p>"And are you both going to help bring my friends down?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, we are all going. We will get them down, and I +hope we shall have a chance of punishing some of the murderous +niggers."</p> + +<p>"You mean you hope that there will be a fight?" she asked +in a tone of surprise, as she took her seat on Nat's right +hand.</p> + +<p>"That I do," Turnbull said heartily. "There is not a man +on board who would not be sorry if we were to get down again +without an opportunity of having a slap at the beggars."</p> + +<p>"Mr. Turnbull is a very bloodthirsty character," Nat said +gravely. "I don't know whether you have in French a +history of Jack the Giant Killer?"</p> + +<p>"I never saw such a book," she said, looking a little +puzzled. "Did he really kill giants?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, Jack did; he was wonderful that way. Mr. Turnbull +has never been able to find any giants, but he means to +take it out of the blacks."</p> + +<p>"I am sorry to say, mademoiselle," Turnbull said, "that +although when on the quarter-deck our captain's word may be +received as gospel, he permits himself a very wide latitude +of speech in his own cabin. The fact is, that whatever my +disposition may be, I have never yet had any opportunity for +performing any very desperate actions, whereas Lieutenant +Glover has been killing his enemies by scores, fighting with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> +wild beasts, attacking pirates in their holds, has been blown up +into the air, and rescued ladies from slaughter by the negroes."</p> + +<p>The French girl turned her eyes wonderingly towards Nat.</p> + +<p>"You need not believe more than you like, mademoiselle," +he said with a laugh. "I am afraid that we are all given to +exaggerate very much, but Mr. Turnbull is the champion +fabricator."</p> + +<p>"But is it quite true that you are going to try to get my +father and mother and sister away from the negroes?"</p> + +<p>"That is quite true," Nat said earnestly. "We are certainly +going to try to get them, and I think that we have a good +chance of doing so. Much will depend, of course, upon +whether we can reach the hut where they are confined +before being discovered. You see, we have only twenty-five +men, or, counting us all, including the quarter-master, steward, +and cook, thirty-one. It is a small force, and though we might +bring all the prisoners off in safety if we once got them into +our hands, it would be a serious thing if the negroes had time +to rally round the hut before we got there. How does it +stand, is it surrounded by trees?"</p> + +<p>"No, it is at the edge of the forest. There is a large indigo +field in front, and it is there most of the negroes are. There +may be some in the forest, but I did not see any as I came +down here."</p> + +<p>"That is good. How many do you say there are?"</p> + +<p>"Seven men, without counting my father."</p> + +<p>"We will tell eight of the sailors to carry up boarding-pikes, +Turnbull. Unfortunately we have no spare firearms. However, +boarding-pikes are not bad weapons, and as no doubt +only a small portion of the negroes have guns, it will add a +good deal to our strength if it comes to a hand-to-hand fight."</p> + +<p>"That it will," Turnbull agreed. "That will bring us up to +thirty-nine, and thirty-nine whites ought to be able to fight<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> +their way easily enough through this black mob, especially as +we shall take them by surprise, and they won't know how +many of us there are."</p> + +<p>As soon as it became dark, Lippincott went off in the gig, +and returned in half an hour with the news that there were +six feet of water at the foot of the rock, and twelve feet ten +yards away.</p> + +<p>"I think, sir," he said, "that we could get her in within +three or four yards of the rock."</p> + +<p>"That would do excellently," Nat said. "The carpenter +had better set to work at once and nail three planks—we +have got some down below fifteen feet long—side by side. Let +two of the hands help him. Tell him, if he does not think +that it will be stiff enough, to nail one of the spare oars on +each plank."</p> + +<p>He had learned from the girl that many of the negroes sat +up by their fires nearly all night, and that therefore there was +no advantage in delaying the landing, and he was anxious to +move the schooner as soon as possible, as the boats might +appear at any time. Everything was in readiness—the arms +had been brought on deck, the muskets and pistols loaded, +and as soon as the gangway was knocked together, which did +not take many minutes, Lippincott went off in the gig with a +long hawser. As soon as he returned and reported that he +had fastened it to a tree above the rock, the crew tailed on, +and the schooner was noiselessly towed to her place. Another +hawser was taken on shore, and she was hauled broadside on +until she lay, with only a few inches of water under her keel, +within ten feet of the line of rock.</p> + +<p>The hatchways had all been securely fastened down, and +an old chain was taken round the trunk of a large tree, and +its ends shackled round the mainmast. This could be loosed +almost instantaneously by the crew when they returned, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> +would much increase the difficulty that the negroes would +encounter in getting the vessel away if they discovered her. +The edge of the rock was but some three feet higher than the +rail, and there was therefore no difficulty in ascending the +gangway. When all had crossed, this was pulled up and +pushed in among the bushes. They followed the shore till +they reached the spot at which the girl had come down, as +she would more easily find her way from there than from the +place where they had landed. Telling the others to follow in +single file, Nat took his place with the girl, at their head.</p> + +<p>"How far is it?" he said to her in low tones.</p> + +<p>"It is just at the top of the hill. We shall be there in less +than a quarter of an hour." The sailors had been warned to +walk with the greatest caution, and especially to avoid striking +any of their weapons against the trees.</p> + +<p>They went slowly, for it was very dark in the forest. Beyond +the fact that she had come straight down the hill when +she escaped, she could give no information about the way.</p> + +<p>"I did not look," she said; "I ran straight down. But I +am sure that if we go as straight as we can up from the water, +we shall come upon the plantation, and then I shall be able +to tell you exactly where the hut is."</p> + +<p>Keeping therefore upward, they went on until they reached +level ground, and saw by the faint light ahead that they were +nearing the edge of the forest. They stepped even more +cautiously then until they arrived at the open ground. A +dozen great fires blazed in various places in front of them, and +they could hear the laughing and talking of the negroes.</p> + +<p>"It is more to the right," the girl said. "It is nearly in +the corner of the field where you see that fire; that is close to +the hut. They always keep a big fire there, and the leaders +sleep round it. There are always two negroes on guard in +front of the hut."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I expect they have got one behind now. Of course they +have found out by this time that you have escaped, and +they must have known that it could only have been by that +window."</p> + +<p>Keeping well inside the line of trees, they crept along to +the corner of the clearing. The two negroes had been instructed +in the part they were to play, and as soon as +they got well round behind the house the others halted, and +knife in hand they crept through the trees, and then upon +their hands and knees crawled forward. The others listened +intently. The gabble of voices continued on the other side of +the hut, and when a louder yell of laughter than usual broke +out they saw a figure appear at one corner and look round, as +if anxious to hear what was going on. Suddenly two arms +appeared from the darkness behind him. He was grasped by +the throat and disappeared suddenly from sight. Two minutes +later Sam came through the trees.</p> + +<p>"Dat chile no gib de alarm, sah. Can go on now and cut +him window."</p> + +<p>The carpenter and the man told off to assist him at once ran +forward, accompanied by the girl and Nat, who went straight +to the little window. He had told her that she must not +speak, for her mother or sister might utter a sudden exclamation +which would alarm the sentries on the other side. Putting +his face to the window, he said in a low voice, "I pray you +be silent, the slightest sound might cost you your lives. We +are here to rescue you; your daughter is safe and sound +with us. Now we are going to enlarge the window." Low +exclamations of delight told him that he was heard.</p> + +<p>The carpenter at once set to work, the man with him +oiling his saw very frequently; nevertheless it seemed to Nat +to make even more noise than usual. Suddenly, however, one +of the prisoners began to utter a prayer in a loud voice.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That is papa," the girl whispered; "he used to say prayers +every night."</p> + +<p>"It was a very good idea to begin now," Nat said. "What +with the row by the fires, and his voice inside, the guard are +not likely to hear the saw."</p> + +<p>In ten minutes the window had been enlarged to a point +sufficient for a full-sized person to get through.</p> + +<p>"Now, madam, will you come first," Nat said. "We will +pull you through all right."</p> + +<p>One by one the captives were got out. There were still +two men left when the door opened, and three or four negroes +appeared with blazing brands.</p> + +<p>"We have come to fetch one of you out to give us a lillie +fun. Bake 'im some ober de fire."</p> + +<p>Then he broke off with a shout of astonishment as he saw +that the hut was almost untenanted, and he and the others +were about to rush forward at the two men still there when +Nat thrust his arm through the opening. Two shots cracked +out, one after the other. The two leading negroes fell, and +the others with a yell of terror rushed out of the hut.</p> + +<p>"Quick, for your lives!" he said to the two men, one of +whom was already half through the window. "We shall have +them all on us in a few minutes."</p> + +<p>In a few seconds the men were out, and Nat and the two +seamen ran with them to the edge of the wood, to which the +other captives had been passed on as soon as they were freed. +By this time the air was ringing with yells and shouts.</p> + +<p>"Now, men, move along a little farther so as to get a view +of the fire, and then we will give them a volley."</p> + +<p>The negroes were rushing forward, yelling and shouting, +when twenty-five muskets rang out with deadly aim, for the +blacks were not more than thirty yards away.</p> + +<p>"Load again, lads! that will sicken them for a bit," he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> +shouted; and indeed the negroes with yells of astonishment +and fear had run back, leaving some fourteen or fifteen of their +number on the ground.</p> + +<p>"Are you all loaded?"</p> + +<p>"Ay, ay, sir."</p> + +<p>"Then down the hill you go. Have the three ladies gone on?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir; the two blacks went down with them."</p> + +<p>"Have the Frenchmen got their pikes? That is good; now +keep as close as you can together. They are coming up by +scores, and will make a rush in a minute or so."</p> + +<p>As fast as they could the sailors and the rescued men made +their way down the hill, but owing to the thickness of the +trees it was impossible to run. They had gone but a short +distance when there was an outburst of yells round them, and, +looking back, Nat saw a number of blazing brands.</p> + +<p>"You had better have kept in the dark," he muttered. +"You would not have come so fast, but more of you would +go back alive. Don't hurry, men," he said; "take it coolly. +Take care of the trees. They are sure to come up to us, for +they can see their way; but they won't be in such a hurry +when we open fire again."</p> + +<p>They were half-way down the hill when he gave the order: +"You four men next to me turn round and pick off some of +those fellows with torches. The rest halt in case they make a +rush."</p> + +<p>The four shots were fired one after the other. As many +negroes fell.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 508px;"> +<img src="images/i010.jpg" width="508" height="800" alt="Page 226" title="" /> +<span class="caption">“FOUR SHOTS WERE FIRED AND AS MANY NEGROES FELL.”</span> +</div> + +<p>"Are you ready, lads? Four more fire!"</p> + +<p>The shots had an equal success. Many of the negroes at +once took refuge behind trees.</p> + +<p>"That will do, men; on you go again! Don't make more +noise than you can help. With all that yelling they won't be +sure that we have moved."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> +<p>It was not, indeed, until they were down on the shore that +the negroes again came up with them. Then they burst out at +several points from the trees, being uncertain of the exact course +the retreating party had taken.</p> + +<p>"Now, keep together in a body, men!" Nat shouted in English, +and repeated the same order in French. "March steadily +forward. We have got to fight our way through them."</p> + +<p>Now that the negroes saw how comparatively small was the +number of their foes, they rushed upon them.</p> + +<p>"Don't throw away a shot!" Nat shouted. "Now, let them +have it!"</p> + +<p>The men who had already fired had loaded again, and as +the negroes came up, a crackling fire broke out from the little +party.</p> + +<p>"Now, lads, at them with pistol, cutlass, and pike! We +must get through these fellows ahead before others come up."</p> + +<p>With a loud cheer the sailors rushed upon the blacks, cutting +and thrusting, the men who had been released fighting with +desperate fury with their pikes, mad with the thirst for revenge +for the horrible atrocities that they witnessed and the thought +of the fate they had escaped. Pistols cracked out continually, +and it was not long before the negroes lost heart; and the +sailors, at Nat's order, flung themselves upon them and cut a +way through.</p> + +<p>"Straight on now, men! Show them that you can run as +well as fight. We shall have a hundred more of them down +on us directly."</p> + +<p>There was no doubt of this; the yells that rose from the +forest and the light of many brands showed that the whole of +the negroes were hastening to join their comrades. Nat had +previously begged the two officers and the quarter-master not +to use their pistols, and he, with them, ran in the rear line. A +few only of the negroes pressed closely behind them; the rest,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> +dismayed by the slaughter that had taken place, awaited the +arrival of their comrades.</p> + +<p>"Now, turn and let them have both barrels!" Nat said; and +the four men, facing round, levelled their pistols, and six of +the leading negroes fell, while the others halted at once. +"Keep your other pistols," Nat said; "we shall want them at +the gangway."</p> + +<p>There was a shout of satisfaction as the men in advance +caught sight of the schooner. The two negroes had already +placed the gangway in position, and had crossed it with the +three ladies and Monsieur Pickard, who had accompanied them.</p> + +<p>"Over you go, men!" Nat shouted; "they are close behind +us."</p> + +<p>Most of the men were across when a crowd of blacks came +rushing along. Sam and Pomp had taken their station at the +taffrail, and as the head of the mob came on their muskets +flashed out, and the two leading men fell. Then they opened +fire with their pistols, and at the same moment Nat and his +three companions discharged their remaining pistols and then +ran down the gangway, the sailors having by this time all passed +over. The planks were at once pulled on board.</p> + +<p>"Now, unshackle the chain and round with the capstan!" +Nat shouted. "The rest of you lie down behind the bulwarks."</p> + +<p>A moment later the chain was unshackled, and as the capstan +rapidly revolved, the schooner's head receded from the +shore. Yells of rage broke from the negroes, and a scattered +fire of musketry was opened.</p> + +<p>"Now, Turnbull, do you and Lippincott each go to a gun, +and when we are far enough off for them to bear on those +rascals let them have it."</p> + +<p>A minute later the bow-gun was fired. It was too near for +the shot to spread properly, but it cut a lane through the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> +crowd, and half a minute later the second gun crashed out. +By this time the sailors had all loaded their muskets again.</p> + +<p>"Now for a volley!" Nat shouted; "that will finish them; +or I am mistaken."</p> + +<p>It was indeed decisive, and with yells of rage and pain the +negroes darted into the forest behind them. As fast as the +guns could be loaded, round after round of grape was fired +among the trees. By this time the schooner was close to +the kedge; this was hauled up and sail set, but the breeze +was so light that the vessel scarcely moved through the water. +The guns were again loaded with grape, and a keen watch +was kept, as it was possible that the boats might not yet have +arrived, having delayed putting off until it was thought that +all on board would be asleep. In the meantime the wounds +were examined. None of these was serious. Only a small +proportion of the negroes were armed with muskets, and these +being among the crowd had for the most part been unable to +fire; consequently only one man had been hit in the arm by a +ball, while six or eight had received gashes more or less deep +from the knives and other weapons of the negroes.</p> + +<p>"Even if the boats have not been here," Nat said to Lippincott, +"I don't think we shall have any trouble with them; they +will have heard our guns, and, I dare say, the musketry firing, +and will know that, now we are awake and on our guard, we +should probably sink them before they reached us."</p> + +<p>Half an hour passed, and then, as they got beyond the shelter +of the island, they caught a little breeze, and the schooner began +to slip through the water.</p> + +<p>Nat called the men from the guns. "I don't think that we +shall have any more fighting to-night," he said. "You have +all done very well. We have certainly killed three times our +own number, and we have successfully carried out the main +object of our adventure. I have ordered the steward to serve<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> +out a good ration of rum all round, but I should advise you +who have got wounds to keep your share for a few days."</p> + +<p>"It won't hurt us, sir," one old sailor said, and three or four +other voices were raised in assent.</p> + +<p>"I did not suppose that my advice would be taken," Nat +said with a laugh to Turnbull, "still, it was as well to give it; +and I don't suppose that an extra allowance of grog will go +far towards heating their blood."</p> + +<p>"Not it," the middy replied; "rum is cheap out here, and +I don't suppose that half a bottle would be considered by +them as an excessive drink. How are you going to stow our +passengers away? Of course we will give up our cabins to +the ladies."</p> + +<p>"I think the best plan will be for us to turn out altogether, +Turnbull; there will be our three state-rooms for the +ladies, and the father can sleep on the sofa of the main cabin. +We will have a screen put up forward of the steward's cabin, +and have cots slung for ourselves there. Of course we will +take our meals with them aft. I don't think there are any +spare hammocks, and the eight white men must make a shift +to sleep on some old sails—it won't be for many days. Well, +Sam, what is it?"</p> + +<p>"Supper am ready, sah."</p> + +<p>Leaving the quarter-master to take charge of the watch, they +went below. They had not expected to see the ladies up, but +they were all there.</p> + +<p>"Monsieur Pickard, I must introduce myself and my officers."</p> + +<p>"It needs no introductions, sir," the Frenchman, a tall, thin +man some fifty years of age, said in a broken voice; "my +daughter Louise has told me your names, and how good you +have been to her. Ah, monsieur, no words can express our +obligations to you all! It was not death we feared, but such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> +a death. Even now we can scarce believe that this is all true, +and that we have escaped from those fiends. In the name of +my wife and my daughters and myself, I thank you with all +my heart for what you have done for us. Little, indeed, did +we think, when we helped Louise through that narrow window +in order that she might warn you that you were going to be +attacked, and with the hope that she might escape from the +awful fate that awaited us there, that it would be the means +of saving us all. We heard the negroes saying that the +schooner was flying the British flag, but we had no idea that +she was a vessel of war, thinking it was a small trader they +were about to attack. But even had we known it, it would not +have raised any hopes in our minds, for we should not have +thought that, with so small a force as such a vessel could carry, +her commander would think of attacking so great a number of +men as, Louise would have told you, had us in their power."</p> + +<p>"We are only too glad to have an opportunity of being of +service to you and your family, Monsieur Pickard. Indeed, +had there been only these two officers and myself on board, +I am sure that we should have made an attempt to release +you; and should, I have no doubt, have succeeded in doing so +without being discovered, as would have been the case to-night, +had not they taken it into their heads to come into the hut just +at that moment. And now, monsieur, for the sleeping arrangements. +My cabin is at the service of madame, those of Mr. +Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott, of the young ladies. We shall +have cots slung for ourselves elsewhere; that sofa must serve for +you, Monsieur Pickard. To-morrow, madame, we will place at +your disposal whatever there is on board the ship for fabricating +dresses for your daughters that will be less striking than that +now worn by Mademoiselle Louise. We have a roll of white +duck, from which, I have no doubt, they will be able to contrive +a couple of white dresses." For the eldest girl, as well as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> +Louise, was in boy's clothes, as the Pickards had fortunately +had warning before the outbreak took place on their plantation, +one of the men with them having overheard what was +said at a meeting of the negroes, and in consequence they, the +overseers, two white superintendents of the indigo works, a +carpenter and mechanic, had during the night taken to the +woods, Madame Pickard dressing her daughters in some +clothes that they had in store, and which were cut down to +fit them.</p> + +<p>"And now, ladies," Nat went on, "I know that you will +above all things be longing for bed, but I hope that you will +each take a basin of soup and a glass of wine before you turn in, +you must need them sorely. The steward will get your cabins +ready for you. I am sure that Mademoiselle Louise will set +you a good example; she recovered her appetite as soon as she +learned that we intended to get you out."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII</h2> + +<h4>TWO CAPTURES</h4> + + +<p>The meal was a very short one, but the ladies, to please +their rescuers, took a few spoonfuls of soup and a glass of +wine. Madame Pickard and her elder daughter were too much +worn out by anxiety and emotion to talk, Monsieur Pickard +was no less moved, and the conversation was supported entirely +by the three officers and Louise. The young men hurried +through their meal, and then, saying good-night to the others, +went up on deck.</p> + +<p>"Well, never did a thing turn out better," Nat said as he +lit his pipe; "it is a tremendous satisfaction that we have not +lost a single man in the affair."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And it is no less a satisfaction," Turnbull said, "that we +have given a good many of those black brutes their deserts. +It was a good fight for a bit."</p> + +<p>As they were smoking, the seven white men came up in a +body.</p> + +<p>"We could not lie down, monsieur," one of them said, "till +we had come to thank you for saving us from the most frightful +deaths. We had given up all hopes even of obtaining a +weapon and putting an end to ourselves, which we should +certainly have done could we have got hold of a knife, after +having been obliged to witness the tortures of two of our +comrades. Had you been but ten minutes later another of +us would have been their victim. Ah, monsieur! your voice, +when you spoke at the window, seemed like that of an angel +who had come to our relief."</p> + +<p>"How long had you been in the woods?" Nat asked.</p> + +<p>"Six weeks, monsieur, before the negroes found us. We +had carried off some provisions with us, but these were all consumed, +and we were obliged to go down to the plantation to +search for food. We suppose that we were seen and followed, +and the next night we were surrounded by the band you saw."</p> + +<p>"Well, we are all very glad to have got you out of their +hands, and you rendered good service when the blacks came +down on us."</p> + +<p>"We had our revenge to take," the man said, "and not one +of us but would have fought until he was killed."</p> + +<p>"You have had something to eat, I hope?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, thank you, sir."</p> + +<p>"You had better turn in now. I don't suppose you have had +much sleep of late."</p> + +<p>"Poor beggars," Turnbull said as the men walked away, "I +wonder myself that they did not strangle each other, or hang +themselves, or something. I am sure I should have done so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> +rather than wait day after day till my turn came to be burnt +alive, or to be cut to pieces gradually, or put to death by any +other means of slow torture."</p> + +<p>"Yes, Turnbull, if one were quite sure that there was no +possible hope of rescue or escape; but I suppose a man never +does quite give up hope. This was an example, you see, of +the unlikely happening."</p> + +<p>"What are you going to do next, Glover?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know, I have hardly thought it out yet. You see, +we can manage with this lot we have on board without much +difficulty, and I don't know that I should be justified in going +round to Cape François on purpose to land them. So far we +have not been able to bring any news of value, and at any +rate I think we might as well cruise about here a little longer. +There is one thing, if we should fall in with anyone bigger +than ourselves and have to fight for it, those fellows who have +just gone below will be a valuable addition to our strength. +When it comes to a hand-to-hand fight seven stout fellows +might turn the scale."</p> + +<p>"Yes, there is something in that, and I am glad you mean +to keep them on board for a bit. I think the girls will be +very good fun when they have a little got over what they +have gone through. The young one is a jolly little thing, and +her sister is very pretty, in spite of her short hair and boy's +dress, though one had not much opportunity of forming an idea +as to whether she had any fun in her."</p> + +<p>"I fancy it will be some time before she will feel inclined +for a flirtation, Turnbull," Nat laughed. "What she has +gone through, and what she has seen in the way of horrors, +is enough to damp a girl's spirits for a very long time."</p> + +<p>In the morning the ladies did not appear at breakfast.</p> + +<p>"My wife is completely prostrated," Monsieur Pickard said, +"and the two girls are shy and do not like showing themselves<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> +until they have made up a couple of dresses. Your steward +gave them the roll of white cotton early this morning and +needles and thread, and both are very hard at work. I hope +you will excuse them, they will come out and have breakfast +here after we have done. May I ask where we are sailing +now?"</p> + +<p>"We are sailing east, monsieur. I hope that it will not +inconvenience you to be a few days on board. My orders are +to cruise up and down the coast, and I wish therefore to go +east as far as the boundary between the French and Spanish +portions of the island; after that I can go round into the bay +of Hayti and land you at Port-au-Prince or Cape François, +whichever you would prefer."</p> + +<p>"It will make no difference whatever to us, and indeed I +am sure that a cruise on your beautiful little ship will be the +very best thing for my wife and daughters. They will have +perfect rest and sea air, and it will not be necessary for them +to tell over and over again the stories of their sufferings; but +I lament that we should be putting you to such personal +inconvenience."</p> + +<p>"I can assure you, monsieur, that you are putting us to no +inconvenience whatever. We sleep just as well in our cots +as in our berths, and the society of the ladies and yourself +will be a very great pleasure to us, for as a rule we have very +small opportunity in that way."</p> + +<p>"You speak our language very fluently, Monsieur Glover."</p> + +<p>"I am afraid that I speak it more fluently than grammatically. +I had the opportunity of picking it up by ear last year, +when I was staying for six weeks at the house of Monsieur +Duchesne at Cape François."</p> + +<p>"We know him well, and his charming wife and daughter," +Monsieur Pickard said, "for we have a house there, and generally +go there for three months every winter. Can it be that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> +you are the officer who saved their daughter's life, when she +was attacked by a fierce hound?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I had that good fortune."</p> + +<p>"I fear that they have fallen in this terrible insurrection. +We have had no direct news from Cape François, but we +heard that in their district all the plantations have been +destroyed and the owners murdered."</p> + +<p>"I am happy to be able to tell you that they were saved. +I was staying there at the time when the revolt broke out +We were warned just in time by an old nurse, Dinah."</p> + +<p>"I remember her," Monsieur Pickard broke in, "a tall old +woman."</p> + +<p>"Yes, Monsieur Duchesne himself was in town, and madame, +Myra, and I had just time to gain the forest. There we were +joined by Dinah, who did everything for us. Madame was +attacked by fever, but fortunately Dinah knew of a very safe +place of refuge. She did everything for us, fetched up provisions, +concocted medicine, and after being ten days in hiding, +we were able to get them down to the town."</p> + +<p>Both the midshipmen had a fair knowledge of French, +though they were not able to speak it with Nat's ease and +fluency. When the latter had finished, Turnbull broke in:</p> + +<p>"Mr. Glover does not tell you, monsieur, that the cave they +were in was attacked by six negroes, led by two mulattoes, +and he shot them all, nor that he and the nurse carried +Madame Duchesne down in a litter some twenty miles to +the town, although he had one of his ribs broken by a pistol +shot."</p> + +<p>"What is the use of talking about that?" Nat said angrily. +"The thing was done and there was an end of it. There has +been a lot too much said about it as it is."</p> + +<p>Monsieur Pickard smiled. "Monsieur Glover is like my +daughters at present, he is shy. He should not be so. It is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> +right that we, his friends,—for we are his friends, now and for +the rest of our lives,—should know what he is. Ah, my wife +and the girls will be pleased indeed to hear that their friends +have escaped! They have often said how sorry they were +that they had not seen the young officer who rescued their +friend Myra from the dog. It is strange indeed that he +should afterwards have saved her and her mother from the +negroes, and should now have so rescued us."</p> + +<p>That evening the girls appeared on deck in snowy-white +dresses, simply made, but fitting admirably. "We have always +been accustomed to cut out our own dresses," Valerie said, +laughing, when Nat complimented her on the work. "The +slaves did the sewing, but we fitted each other. Of course at +Cape François we had our dresses made for us, but on the +plantation we were obliged to trust to ourselves."</p> + +<p>One morning, three days later, as they were at breakfast, +Nat stopped as he was raising a cup to his lips. "That is a +gun!" he exclaimed. "There is another!" and with the two +middies he ran up on deck. "There is a fight going on somewhere," +he said as the sound of firing was again heard. "It must +be six or seven miles away, somewhere beyond that headland. +At any rate we will hold on and have a look at them. With +this light wind it will take us from an hour and a half to two +hours before we are up with them, so we may as well finish +our breakfast in comfort."</p> + +<p>"What is it, Monsieur Glover! Are those noises really +the sound of guns?"</p> + +<p>"There is no doubt about it. There is a fight going on +seven or eight miles away. We should hear the sound more +plainly were it not that there is a headland between us and +the vessels engaged."</p> + +<p>"Who can they be?" Madame Pickard said.</p> + +<p>"A pirate and a merchantman, no doubt. None of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> +European nations are at war, but the seas swarm with piratical +craft of one kind or another. The small ones content themselves +with plundering native coasting vessels, the larger ones +attack ships from or to Europe. The <i>Orpheus</i>, to which I +belonged at that time, last year rooted out one of their worst +nests. They had no fewer than four ships. We were lucky +enough to catch one of them, and learned where the rendezvous +was, and fortunately found the other three at home, and +destroyed them and their storehouses."</p> + +<p>"Are you going on in that direction now?" Valerie asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes, we are going to have a look at them. If the trader +is making a good fight of it, our arrival may turn the scale; if +we arrive too late and find the enemy too big for us, we can +run away; in a light wind like this there are very few vessels +that could catch us. It is probable that we should not interfere +were it not for the possibility that we may be in time +to save some of the passengers and crew of the merchantman. +She must be a vessel of some size, judging from the +sound of her guns. Even if she has surrendered before we get +there, and we find that we are in any way a match for the +pirate, we might, after defeating her, save at least some of +the captives. As a rule, these scoundrels, when all opposition +has ceased, confine the prisoners in the hold, and after emptying +the prize of everything valuable, scuttle her, and of course +drown all on board. In that way all traces of their crime are +lost, whereas if they killed them some of the bodies might +float inshore, or if they burnt the ship the smoke might bring +down any cruiser that happened to be in the neighborhood.</p> + +<p>"I am sorry that you are on board, ladies."</p> + +<p>"Oh, do not think of us!" Madame Pickard exclaimed. +"After the wonderful deliverance that we have had, I am sure +that none of us would mind any risk if there is a chance of saving +others in as dire peril as we were."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span></p> + +<p>The two girls and Monsieur Pickard warmly agreed. +"Please put us altogether out of consideration," the latter +said. "Even if we knew that it was probable we should all +lose our lives we should not hesitate. We are not, I hope, +any of us, afraid of death. It was the kind of death that we +were terrified at."</p> + +<p>"I thank you all," Nat said gravely. "I shall not fight +unless I think that there is at any rate a fair chance of +victory."</p> + +<p>On going on deck when breakfast was finished, Nat ordered +the magazine to be opened and ammunition brought up. The +wind had freshened a little, and the schooner was going faster +through the water; and in three quarters of an hour after hearing +the first gun they neared the promontory.</p> + +<p>"I am afraid it is all over," Nat said to the ladies, who had +also come on deck; "there has not been a gun fired for the +past two or three minutes. However, we shall soon see."</p> + +<p>On rounding the point they saw two vessels lying side by +side, a mile and a half distant, and about a mile from shore. +One was a barque, evidently a large merchantman; the other +a brigantine. There was no question that the latter was a +pirate, and the other her prize. The sailors, after a glance at +them, turned their eyes anxiously towards Nat for orders. The +latter stood quietly examining the ships through his glass.</p> + +<p>"She mounts five guns a side, and I should say that they +are about the same weight as our own," he said to Turnbull; +"and from the men swarming on her deck and that of her +prize she must have nearly, if not quite, three times our +strength, even counting the Frenchmen in."</p> + +<p>"She is too big to fight squarely, sir," Turnbull reluctantly +agreed. "I am afraid she is altogether too tough a customer +for us; and yet one hates the thought of leaving them to complete +their devil's work on their prize."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, we can't think of doing that, Mr. Turnbull. The first +thing to do will be to draw them off from her."</p> + +<p>"But they would be sure to leave some of their men in +possession of her."</p> + +<p>"Well, if they do, there will be so many the fewer for us to +fight. We are within a mile now, I should say?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>"Then train the two forward guns on them, and let them see +that we mean fighting."</p> + +<p>A cheer broke from the sailors clustered round the guns as +Turnbull gave the order.</p> + +<p>"Now, ladies," Nat said, "you can stop to see the effect of +our first shot, and then I must ask you to go down on to the +lower deck. Sam will show you the way and take some +cushions down for you; you will be out of danger there."</p> + +<p>As he spoke, the two guns which were already loaded were +fired, and the men gave a cheer as two white patches appeared +on the side of the brigantine.</p> + +<p>"Please hurry down, ladies," Nat said, checking the entreaty +which he saw they were going to make. "It won't be long +before they answer us."</p> + +<p>"Give them another round, lads!" he said, as they reluctantly +obeyed his orders. "Get them in if you can before he is +ready."</p> + +<p>Busy as they were, the pirates had not observed the schooner +until her guns were fired. With shouts of alarm they ran back +to their own ship, but these were succeeded by exclamations +of anger and surprise when they saw how small was the craft +that had thus intruded into the affair. By the captain's orders +twenty of the crew, under his first mate, returned to the deck of +the prize; a portion of the men ran to the guns, others threw +off the grapnels fastening them to the prize. Before they were +ready to fire, two more shots from the schooner crashed into<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> +the brigantine, one passing through the bulwarks, killing three +men and wounding several others with the splinters. The other +struck her within a few inches of the water-line.</p> + +<p>The schooner at once bore up, discharging the guns on the +starboard side as she came round, and laying her course as +close to the wind as she could be jammed, showed her stern to +the pirate. Two of his guns forward were fired, others could +not be brought to bear. The Arrow was now almost retracing +her course, for the wind was west-nor'-west, and she could just +follow the line of coast.</p> + +<p>"Here they come after us!" Turnbull said, rubbing his +hands, "as savage as bees whose hive has been disturbed."</p> + +<p>"Now, Mr. Turnbull, get the two guns right aft, so as to +fire over the taffrail. We must see if we cannot knock some +of her spars away. As soon as you have moved the guns let +all hands, except those serving them, go forward and lie down +there. The weight of the guns will put her rather by the +stern, and I don't want to let that fellow come any nearer to +us. She is in her best trim now."</p> + +<p>As soon as the guns were ready they opened fire. The +brigantine answered with her bow-chaser, but, as she was +obliged to yaw each time she brought it to bear, she presently +ceased firing.</p> + +<p>"We are gaining on her, sir," Lippincott said, as he watched +the pirate through his glass.</p> + +<p>"Yes, and sailing fully a point nearer to the wind than she +does. Get a stay-sail fastened to a rope, and drop it over close +to the bow. I don't want to run away from her. If she found +that we were too fast for her she would give up the chase, and +go back to the prize. I want her to gain just enough to +encourage her to keep on. She is a fast craft, but we are +faster. We shall be able to manage her, providing she does +not knock away any of our spars."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span></p> + +<p>The start the schooner had made had at first widened the +distance between them, and there was now a mile and a quarter +of water separating them. The brigantine was hulled several +times and her sails pierced, but her spars were still intact. +She was permitted to gain until she was little more than +half a mile astern, but the schooner had weathered on her, and +was now nearly half a mile to windward.</p> + +<p>"If we had an open sea on this side instead of the land," +Turnbull said, "and were to cut away that sail, they would not +see us again."</p> + +<p>"No; they must have come to the same conclusion. As +it is, they no doubt think that our clawing out to windward +is of no advantage to us. Now, get another gun over to the +larboard side. It is lucky that there is a spare port there. +We must make an effort to knock one of his spars out, or he +may cripple us." For by this time the brigantine had again +opened fire. "Let the three best shots we have got lay the +guns on her mainmast. Tell them to train them rather high, +so that if they miss the mark they may cut one of the halyards, +which will give us all the start we want."</p> + +<p>The guns were run into their position on the broadside. +"Don't hurry over it," Nat said; "let each fire as his gun +comes to bear." There was a crash and a cry as he spoke; +a ball had gone through the Arrow from side to side, tearing +jagged holes through her bulwarks, one of the sailors being +struck to the deck by a splinter. No one spoke, every eye +being fixed on the guns. These were fired almost together. +There was a pause for a second or two, and then a burst of +cheering as the gaff of the great mainsail of the brigantine was +seen to collapse.</p> + +<p>"It is hit close to the jaws," Turnbull, whose glass was +levelled on the pirates, exclaimed.</p> + +<p>"Cut away that sail in the water!" Nat shouted. "Up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> +with your helm, men, and bring her round. That is right," +he went on as the schooner came up into the wind and payed +off on the other tack. "Now, slack away her sheets!"</p> + +<p>Three guns were vengefully fired by the pirate, but the sudden +change in the schooner's position disconcerted their aim, and +the shot flew wide. Without waiting for orders, the seamen at +two of the guns ran them over to the starboard side, and, all +working at the highest pressure, poured shot after shot into +the brigantine, which answered but slowly, as numbers of the +men had run aloft to get the sail down to repair damages. +Before she was under way again the schooner had left her a +mile behind. She was now on her best point of sailing, while +the brigantine was to some extent crippled by the mainsail +setting badly, and by the time the headland was again passed +the schooner was fully two miles ahead. Her crew had for +some time been puzzled at the action being so abruptly +concluded, and Turnbull had even ventured to say:</p> + +<p>"I should think, sir, we should have a fair chance with her +now."</p> + +<p>"Not a very good chance. We have been lucky, but with +ten guns to our four, and her strong crew of desperate men, +she would be a very awkward customer. We can think of +her later on. My plan is to retake the prize before she can +come up. It is not likely that they have killed the crew yet, +and I expect the captain told those left behind to leave things +as they were until he returned. We may scarcely be a match +for the brigantine, but the prize and we together should be able +to give a good account of ourselves."</p> + +<p>"Splendid, sir!" Turnbull exclaimed joyously; "that is a +grand idea."</p> + +<p>"Have the guns loaded with grape," Nat said quietly, "and +run two of them over to the other side. We will go outside +the prize, bring our craft up into the wind, and shoot her up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> +inside her, and give them one broadside and then board. +Tell the men to have their pistols and cutlasses ready, and +distribute the boarding-pikes among the Frenchmen."</p> + +<p>As soon as they rounded the point they could see by their +glasses that there was a sudden commotion on the deck of the +merchantman.</p> + +<p>"They did not expect to see us back first," Lippincott +laughed.</p> + +<p>"Even now, I should think, they are expecting to see the +brigantine close behind us in chase, and don't suspect what +we are up to. Don't head straight for her," he said to the +helmsman, "take us a couple of lengths outside her."</p> + +<p>The pirates, indeed, were completely deceived, but when at +last they saw that the brigantine did not appear, they ran over +to the guns. It was, however, too late. Two or three of these +were discharged as the schooner passed, but beyond making +holes in her sails no damage was done, and one of the schooner's +guns poured in a volley of grape. When she was two or three +lengths ahead her helm was put hard down. She flew round +and just caught the wind on the other tack, gliding up alongside +the merchantman, the three guns being discharged in +succession as the two vessels touched.</p> + +<p>The grapnels were thrown, and the sailors and Frenchmen +leapt on to her deck headed by the three officers. Nearly half +the pirates had been killed or wounded by the four discharges of +grape. The remainder made but a poor fight of it, and were +cut down to a man.</p> + +<p>"Off with the hatches, men!" Nat shouted. "Run down +and release the crew."</p> + +<p>He himself ran aft into the saloon. Here six gentlemen +and eight or ten ladies were lying bound hand and foot. +Several of the men were wounded. Nat at once cut the +cords.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span></p> +<p>"You are safe," he said. "The ship has been retaken by +his majesty's schooner <i>Arrow</i>, but we have not done with the +brigantine yet, and any of you who have weapons and can use +them may lend a hand."</p> + +<p>Without waiting to listen to the chorus of cries of gratitude, +he ran out again. A minute later a number of seamen poured +up on deck. Many of them were wounded.</p> + +<p>"How many are there of you?" he asked an officer among +them.</p> + +<p>"There are thirty of us," he said; "we had lost nearly half +our crew before they boarded us. The captain was killed +early in the fight, as was the first officer."</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, set your men to load the guns at once. There is +the brigantine just coming round the point. Monsieur Pickard, +will you remain here with your party and help the sailors? +Get your sails sheeted home, sir!" he went on to the ship's +officer. "Is your vessel a fast one?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, but she is not so fast as that brigantine."</p> + +<p>"That is of no consequence," Nat said. "Get every sail you +can on her. Now get twenty of our men on board again, +Mr. Lippincott, and on second thoughts I will take five of the +Frenchmen. Mr. Turnbull, you will remain on board in command +of this ship with the other five of our men. My endeavour +will be to knock away one of her masts. Do you keep as close +as you can to us, and we will board her together, one on +each side. If she knocks away one of our spars, I shall as far +as possible come back to meet you, and if she follows us +we will fight her together."</p> + +<p>"I understand, sir."</p> + +<p>"The moment we push off, get your head sails aback and +put her on the wind so as to get out of our way. I shall +fill her off on the other tack and then come round and join +you. We will keep together until we see whether she means<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> +to fight or run. Remember, the great thing is to knock a spar +out of her."</p> + +<p>So saying, he leapt on to the deck of the schooner, and Turnbull's +voice was at once heard shouting the order, "Haul aft +the weather sheets of the jibs;" and in a minute the two vessels +were gliding away from each other on opposite tacks. Then +the <i>Arrow</i> was brought round and followed the <i>Thames</i>, which +was the name of the merchantman. The brigantine was now +three quarters of a mile away. Suddenly she was seen to +change her course. As she wore round she presented her +broadside to the two vessels, and her five guns puffed out +together. The reply, both from the merchantman and the +<i>Arrow</i>, followed almost simultaneously, and a cheer rang out +from both ships as the pirate's bowsprit was seen to snap off.</p> + +<p>"Place yourself two or three cables' length from his larboard +quarter," Nat shouted.</p> + +<p>Turnbull, who had leapt on to the rail to see the result of +the broadside, waved his hand.</p> + +<p>"Down topsails!" Nat shouted, "she will be handier without +them."</p> + +<p>In a moment the two great sails came fluttering down. +Turnbull followed the example, and the men ran up the ratlines +and furled some of the upper sails. Deprived of her head +sails, the pirate was unmanageable, and the two vessels speedily +ran up and laid themselves a couple of hundred yards from +his quarters and opened a steady fire. The pirates endeavoured +to drag two of their guns right aft, but the volleys of grape +poured into them were too much for them, and although their +captain was seen to shoot two of the men, the rest ran forward. +The helmsman deserted his now useless post.</p> + +<p>"Give her one more broadside," Nat shouted to Turnbull, +"and then run in and board."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 511px;"> +<img src="images/i011.jpg" width="511" height="800" alt="Page 246" title="" /> +<span class="caption">“THE CAPTAIN OF THE PIRATES SHOOK HIS FIST IN DEFIANCE.”</span> +</div> + +<p>The captain of the pirates, mad with rage, leapt on to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> +taffrail and shook his fist in defiance. At that moment two +rifles cracked out from the merchantman, and he fell forward +into the sea. The effect of the storm of grape from the three +guns of the schooner, and the four from the trader, among the +men huddled up in the bow of the pirate was terrible, but +knowing that their lives were forfeited if they were taken +prisoners, none made a movement aft to haul down the black +flag that still floated from the peak. In two or three minutes +their antagonists were alongside; a volley of musketry was +poured in, and then the crews of both ships leapt on to the +deck. The pirates, who were now reduced to about thirty +men, rushed to meet them, determining to sell their lives dearly. +But the odds were against them; they missed the voice of their +captain to encourage them, and when twenty of their number +had fallen, the remainder threw down their arms.</p> + +<p>"Let no man stir a foot to go below," Nat shouted, remembering +the explosion in the pirate's hold, and fearing that one +of them might make straight for the magazine. He had not +used his pistols in the fight, and now stood with one in each +hand pointing threateningly to enforce the order.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Lippincott, take four men below and close and securely +fasten the magazine."</p> + +<p>The middy ran down, and returned in two or three minutes +to report that he had executed the order.</p> + +<p>"Tie those fellows' feet and hands," Nat said, "and carry +them down into the hold."</p> + +<p>When this was done he was able to look round. The deck +was a perfect shambles. The brigantine, as he afterwards heard, +carried originally eighty hands. Ten of these had been either +killed or seriously wounded in the fight with the <i>Thames</i>, and +twenty had been killed on board that barque when she was retaken. +Forty lay dead or dying on the deck. One of the Frenchmen +had fallen, six of the sailors and three Frenchmen had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> +been severely wounded, Turnbull somewhat seriously wounded, +and Lippincott slightly. Monsieur Pickard, and the male passengers +on board the <i>Thames</i>, had all joined the boarders.</p> + +<p>Two of them had previously done good service with their +rifles. Had not the pirate leader been killed, the fight would +have been even more desperate. One of the passengers was, +fortunately, a surgeon. He at once set to work attending to +the sailors' wounds, and after he had bandaged them he examined +those of the pirates. These had for the most part been +killed outright, and of the wounded there were but four or five +with any prospect of recovery. These he first attended to, while +the other passengers carried water to the dying men.</p> + +<p>"Now, my lads," Nat said, "clear the decks of the dead, and +get up an awning and carry those who are alive into the shade."</p> + +<p>All the dead pirates were thrown over without ceremony, +the body of the Frenchman being laid down by his compatriots +by one of the guns for proper burial in the evening. As soon +as the fight was over, Monsieur Pickard—who, after the capture +of the <i>Thames</i>, had gone below to assure his wife and daughters +that all was going on well, and that they had saved nine ladies +and six gentlemen from the hands of the pirates—hurried down +with the welcome news that the fight was over and the brigantine +captured.</p> + +<p>"You can go up to the cabin," he said, "but don't come on +deck till I come down and tell you that everything has been +made clean and tidy. You will be glad to hear that, although +we have several wounded, François Amond is the only man that +has been killed."</p> + +<p>One of the passengers of the <i>Thames</i> had carried similar +news to the ladies there. The crews of both were at once +set to work to wash decks, and in an hour the holy-stones +had obliterated the worst signs of the conflict, though it would +require many more scrubbings before the stains of blood en<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span>tirely +disappeared. All this time the vessels had remained side +by side, and the ladies now ventured on to the decks of the +<i>Thames</i> and <i>Arrow</i>.</p> + +<p>"What do you intend to do, sir?" one of the passengers +asked Nat.</p> + +<p>"I shall sail at once for Jamaica," he said. "We shall want +some more hands, and I must at present borrow a few from +you, for my own men are not sufficiently strong to navigate my +own craft and the prize. The wind is favourable, and if it holds +as it is we shall be at Kingston in forty-eight hours, so there +will be no great loss of time."</p> + +<p>He then crossed to the <i>Arrow</i>.</p> + +<p>"I must congratulate you most heartily on your success," +Madame Pickard said. "It is wonderful indeed that you +should have taken both these vessels. The pirate ship is, I +should think, three times as big as you are, and the other looks +a giant by her side."</p> + +<p>"Yes, she is six hundred tons, and the brigantine is about +three hundred. However, it has all gone very fortunately. +In the first place, we have rescued some fifteen gentlemen and +ladies, and twice as many seamen, from the death that they +would certainly have met with; and in the next place, we have +thrashed this pirate; we shall get both credit and prize-money, +and a good sum for the recapture of the <i>Thames</i>, which the +chief officer has just told me carries a very valuable cargo. +Lastly, I am happy to say that, although several of the crew +are injured, I have not lost a single life among them. I am +sorry that one of your men fell in the fight."</p> + +<p>"But they have sadly spoiled the appearance of your ship," +Valerie Pickard said. "There are three or four great holes +along the side, and a ball has gone through your cabin, and the +sails, which were so white and pretty, have lots of holes in +them."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, we shall want a good many new cloths," he said; "but +that is a very minor matter."</p> + +<p>"Monsieur Turnbull is hurt, I hear!"</p> + +<p>"Yes, madame; happily it is not very serious—a blow which +he only partly parried struck him on the shoulder. It looks a +very serious wound, but the doctor says there is no need for +any great uneasiness about him; and being seriously wounded +in action has its advantages, as it always counts towards +promotion. Mr. Lippincott has had one of his ears nearly +slashed off, and is not pretty to look at at present, with his +head done up in bandages, but the surgeon thinks that, as it +was attended to so soon, it is likely that it will heal up."</p> + +<p>"And you have escaped altogether, Monsieur Glover?" +Louise said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, for once I have had good luck. Hitherto I have always +come out of a fight more or less damaged; this time I have +escaped without a scratch."</p> + +<p>"I should feel very proud if I were you," the girl said, "at +having done so much with such a small ship—and you so young, +too! Why, you do not look more than a year or two older +than Valerie, and you have rescued us and all the people on +the other ship, and taken a pirate and the vessel they had +captured. It seems almost impossible. And you look so quiet +and nice, too."</p> + +<p>"Louise, you should not talk like that," her mother corrected.</p> + +<p>Nat said gravely:</p> + +<p>"Mademoiselle, do you know that you are talking to the +commander of one of his majesty's ships on his own quarter-deck, +where he is, as it were, the monarch of all he surveys, +and might inflict all sorts of terrible punishments upon you for +your want of respect?"</p> + +<p>The girl laughed merrily.</p> + +<p>"I am not afraid," she said, "not one little bit, and I don't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> +see why you should mind being told that you are young and +quiet-looking and nice, when you are."</p> + +<p>"I do not mind in the least," he said, "and certainly I am +young; but I can assure you that my former captain would +not tell you that I was quiet, for I had the reputation of being +the most troublesome middy on board his frigate. But, you +see, responsibility has sobered me, and I can assure you that +there is a great deal of responsibility in commanding a small +craft like this, which has nothing but her speed and her luck to +rely on if she happens to fall in with a strongly-armed vessel."</p> + +<p>"How can you say that, monsieur," Valerie said indignantly, +"when you have taken this pirate, which is ever so much +stronger than you are?"</p> + +<p>"There may be a little good management in it, but more +luck, mademoiselle. If one of his shot had damaged me instead +of one of mine damaging him, we should all have had +our throats cut two hours ago."</p> + +<p>"I don't believe it," she said. "I believe that you would +have beaten him anyhow."</p> + +<p>"Ladies very often think what they wish," he said with a +laugh, "and no doubt we should have fought to the last; but +I can assure you that we should have had no chance with +them, and the best I could have done for you would have been +to have fired the last shot of my pistol into the magazine."</p> + +<p>"Please don't talk about it," Madame Pickard said with a +shudder. "And now I suppose that you have had fighting +enough, and are going to carry us quietly into port?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, madame, to Jamaica; but if you would prefer to be +landed at Cape François or Port-au-Prince I shall be happy +to give you a passage back again."</p> + +<p>"We do not want to go there at all, but my husband will +go to wind up his affairs, and sell his house there. We have +been talking it over, and agree that we should never like to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> +go back to the estate again. Even if things did quiet down +the memories are too terrible; and, besides, having once broken +out, the blacks might do so again at any time."</p> + +<p>"I think you are perfectly right, madame; but I am afraid +you will not get much for your estate."</p> + +<p>"My husband thinks that, although no white man would +buy it, there are plenty of mulattoes who would give, not its +real value, but a certain amount, for it. Many of them are +rich men who have already large plantations. Ours was one +of the most valuable on the island, and with the title from us +a purchaser would not be afraid of being disturbed when the +soldiers arrive and put down the insurrection; while, even if +this should never be done, the negroes, with whom the mulattoes +are now friends, would not interfere with him. My husband +thinks that perhaps he will get a third of its value, which +would be sufficient to keep us all comfortably in France, or +wherever we may settle; but our best resource is that we have +the whole of last season's produce stored in our magazines at +Port-au-Prince."</p> + +<p>It was not until the next afternoon that the absolutely +necessary repairs to the three vessels were completed, the +holes near the water-line covered by planks over which pitched +canvas was nailed, the ropes shot away replaced by new ones, +and the brigantine's gaff repaired. Then sail was hoisted +again, and the three vessels set sail for Kingston, where they +arrived on the evening of the third day after starting. No +little excitement was caused in the harbour when the <i>Arrow</i>, +with her sails and sides bearing marks of the engagement, +sailed in, followed by the brigantine flying the British ensign +over the black flag, and the <i>Thames</i> with the same flags, but +with the addition of the merchant ensign under the black flag, +following her. There were two or three ships of war in the +port, and the crews saluted the <i>Arrow</i> with hearty cheers.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> +The flag-ship at once ran up the signal for her commander +to come on board, and, leaving Lippincott to see to the operation +of anchoring, Nat ordered the gig to be lowered, and, +taking his place in it, was rowed to the flag-ship.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV</h2> + +<h4>THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE</h4> + + +<p>On mounting to the deck Nat was at once taken to the +admiral's cabin.</p> + +<p>"So you have been disobeying orders, Lieutenant Glover," +he said gravely.</p> + +<p>"I hope not, sir. I am not conscious of disobeying orders."</p> + +<p>"I fancy you were directed not to engage more heavily-armed +craft than your own."</p> + +<p>"I was, sir, but the circumstances were peculiar."</p> + +<p>"I never knew a midshipman or a young lieutenant, Mr. +Glover, who did not find the circumstances peculiar when he +wanted to disobey orders. However," he added with a smile, +"let me hear the peculiar circumstances, then I shall be able +to judge how far you were justified. Give them in full. +Have you a written report?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, I have brought it with me," Nat said, producing +the document.</p> + +<p>"Well, lay it down on the table. I don't suppose it is very +full, and I am somewhat curious to hear how you brought in +a pirate brigantine and a recaptured merchantman—so I +understood your flags."</p> + +<p>Nat related how he had heard the sound of guns on rounding +a headland, and had seen the brigantine lying by the side +of the barque she had evidently just captured; how he drew<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> +her off in pursuit of the schooner, partially crippled her, +returned and retook the <i>Thames</i>, released her crew, placed Mr. +Turnbull in command, and how, between them, they had +captured the brigantine.</p> + +<p>"A very smart action," the admiral said cordially when he +had brought the narrative to a conclusion. "It does you very +great credit, and fully justifies my appointing you to an independent +command. What metal does the brigantine carry?"</p> + +<p>"Five guns each side, all twelve-pounders like my own."</p> + +<p>"And you have only four?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>"Very good indeed, very good! By the way, do you know +any of the passengers on board the <i>Thames</i> personally? I +observed three ladies on the deck as you came in. I should +have thought that they would have had very much better +accommodation on the trader than on board your little craft."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir; but they were on board the <i>Arrow</i> before our +fight with the brigantine, and although the first mate of the +<i>Thames</i> offered them a state cabin they preferred to stay on +board, as it was such a short run here."</p> + +<p>"Who are they, then?"</p> + +<p>"They are refugees, sir. I got them out of the hands of +the negroes—three ladies, the husband of the elder one, and +seven other white men."</p> + +<p>"Is there any story attached to it, Mr. Glover? Let me +see, what do you say about it in your report?" and he opened +it and read aloud:</p> + + +<p class="pblockquot"><i>I have the honour, sir, to report that, learning there was a white +family in the hands of the negroes, I landed with a party and +brought them off. They consisted of Monsieur and Madame Pickard +and their two daughters, and seven of their white employees. +Casualties—eight seamen wounded, none of them seriously.</i></p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Then comes the account of the other affair. Now, please +give me the details of this rescue business as minutely as +possible."</p> + +<p>This Nat did.</p> + +<p>"A very risky business, Mr. Glover, though I don't see +how you could have acted in any other way. No British +officer, I hope, could have been deaf to such an appeal; but if +those boats had found the schooner when you all were away, +your position would have been well-nigh desperate."</p> + +<p>"It would, sir, I quite felt that, but it seemed to me the +only possible thing to do. Of course, if I had known that the +boats would have come early in the evening, I should have +remained on board and beat them off before making a landing, +although our chances of success would then have been much +smaller. The party who were to attack in the boats were to have +been composed of men from the plantation. Their comrades +would doubtless have come down to the shore to see us captured, +and when they saw their friends beaten off they would have +been on the watch, and not improbably, in their fury and +disappointment, have massacred all the captives in their hands +at once. But I thought it likely that the boats would not put +off before they believed us to be asleep, and that I should therefore +have time to go up to the plantation and fetch the captives +down before they arrived. At any rate, by moving the +schooner close inshore I hoped that the boats might not find +her. There was no moon, and under the shadow of the rock +it was next to impossible to see her, unless a boat happened +to pass within a few paces. Having struck the topmasts, the +forest behind on steep ground prevented the masts from +showing above the sky-line. It was, of course, the choice of +two evils, and I took the one that seemed to me to give the +greater promise of success."</p> + +<p>"You did excellently, the oldest officer in the service could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> +not have done better. I shall be obliged if you will write +as full and detailed an account of both affairs as you have +given me. I shall send it home with your official report, and +with my own remarks upon them. And now about the merchantman; +she looks a fine barque. What is her tonnage?"</p> + +<p>"Six hundred tons, sir. She is a nearly new vessel, and +sails fast for a ship of that kind. Her first mate told me that +she has a very valuable cargo on board, principally, I think, +tobacco, sugar, coffee, wax, copper, mahogany, and cedar from +Cuba. Her passengers are all Spanish."</p> + +<p>"She seems to be a valuable prize, and as recaptured from +the pirates there will be a handsome sum to be divided, and +it is fortunate for you and your officers that the little craft was +commissioned independently, not as a tender to one of the +frigates. As it is, except the flag's share, it will all fall to yourselves +and your crew. How many men have you lost?"</p> + +<p>"None at all, sir; though, as you will see by my report, in +the two affairs the greater part of them received more or less +severe wounds. Mr. Turnbull was somewhat severely wounded, +Mr. Lippincott nearly lost an ear, and I escaped altogether."</p> + +<p>"Well, it was your turn, Lieutenant Glover. You have come +back three times more or less severely hurt already. You say +that the brigantine is fast?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir. She is not so fast as the schooner in a light wind, +nor so weatherly, but in anything like strong winds I have no +doubt that she would overhaul us."</p> + +<p>"Was there anything in her hold?"</p> + +<p>"There are a good many bales and cases, sir. I have not +opened them, but by their marks they come from three different +ships, which she had no doubt captured and sunk before we +fell in with her. I questioned one of the prisoners, and he +told me that it was only a month since she came out, and he +declared that they had not yet chosen any place as their +head<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span>-quarters. As others questioned separately told the same story, I +imagine that it was true."</p> + +<p>"Where did she hail from?"</p> + +<p>"She came from Bordeaux. They said that she had taken +out letters of marque to act as a privateer in case of war breaking +out with us, but I fancy that she was from the first intended +for a pirate, for it seems that she had only forty hands when +she started, and picked up the others at various French ports +at which she touched before sailing west. I should say, from +the appearance of her crew, that they are composed of the +sweepings of the ports, for a more villainous set of rascals I +never saw."</p> + +<p>"Well, it is fortunate that you should have stopped their +career so soon. She might have given us a great deal of +trouble before we laid hands on her. We have had comparatively +quiet times since the <i>Orpheus</i> destroyed that nest +of them, and if she had confined her work to homeward-bound +ships it might have been months before we had +complaints from home, and found that there was another of +these scourges among the islands. I shall row around presently, +Mr. Glover, and have a look at your two prizes. When +you see my gig coming I shall be obliged if you will meet me +on the deck of the brigantine."</p> + +<p>At four o'clock in the afternoon the watch on deck reported +that the admiral's gig was being lowered, and Nat immediately +got into his own boat and was rowed to the brigantine, whose +name was the <i>Agile</i>. When the admiral approached, instead +of making straight for the accommodation ladder, he rowed +slowly round the vessel, making a very careful examination of +the hull. When he came on deck, he said:</p> + +<p>"Except for a few shot that hit her low down, and the +general destruction of her bulwarks, no damage has been done +to her."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span></p> + +<p>"No, sir, we aimed high, our great object being to knock +away some of her spars. I don't think that her square sails +will be of any use in the future, they are riddled with balls +from our stern-chasers."</p> + +<p>"A new gaff and bowsprit, a new suit of sails, new bulwarks, +and a few patches, and she would be as good as ever. What +damage have you suffered?"</p> + +<p>"The schooner has half a dozen holes in her bow, sir, and a +dozen or so in her sails, nothing that the dockyard could not +set right in a fortnight."</p> + +<p>He then went below. "Excellent accommodation," he said, +after going round, "that is for a fair crew, but she must have +been crowded indeed with eighty men. What should you consider +to be a fair crew for her, Mr. Glover?"</p> + +<p>"Twenty men, sir, if she were a simple trader; I should say +from thirty-five to forty would be none too much if she were +going to fight her guns."</p> + +<p>"Now we will have a look at your craft. You may as well +take a seat in my gig. Yes," he went on, as he rowed round +her as he had done with the brigantine, "now that the sails are +furled she does not seem any the worse for it, except in the +bow and those two holes in the bulwarks."</p> + +<p>Monsieur Pickard and the ladies were seated on the deck, +and rose as the admiral came on board.</p> + +<p>"Please introduce me to your friends, Mr. Glover."</p> + +<p>Nat did so, and the admiral shook hands with them all.</p> + +<p>"I think I may congratulate you on your escape from a very +terrible position."</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," Madame Pickard said. "No words can +express the gratitude we feel to Monsieur Glover, his two +officers, and the crew. Our position seemed hopeless, the +most terrible of deaths and the worst of atrocities stared us +in the face."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I have heard all about it, madame, and consider that +Lieutenant Glover managed the whole business with great +discretion as well as bravery. He has a bad habit of getting +into scrapes, but an equally good one of getting out of +them with credit to himself. This is the third time he has +rendered signal services to ladies in distress, and I suppose I +should add that he has in addition saved the lives of the +ladies on board the barque lying astern. If there were a +medal for that sort of thing he would assuredly deserve it. +He ought to have been born six or seven hundred years ago, +he would have made a delightful knight-errant.</p> + +<p>"What are the ladies like in the other ship, Mr. Glover?"</p> + +<p>"I have no idea, sir. I only saw them for a moment +when I ran into the cabin and cut their bonds. I have only +seen the gentlemen for a minute or two when they joined the +boarders from the <i>Thames</i> under Mr. Turnbull, and I was +much too busy to notice them."</p> + +<p>"Have you not gone on board since?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir, I had nothing to go on board for, and I don't +speak any Spanish."</p> + +<p>"We tried to persuade him, Monsieur l'Amiral," Valerie +said, "but monsieur is modest, he has never let us thank him +yet; and although he pretended that he only kept ahead of +the other two because his ship was a faster sailer, it was +really because he did not wish to be thanked."</p> + +<p>"But other people are modest too," the admiral said with +a smile. "I have heard of two young ladies who came on +board, and who would not stir out of their cabins until they +had made themselves new dresses."</p> + +<p>The two girls both coloured up at the allusion, and Monsieur +Pickard laughed. "Now I will go below, Mr. Glover. +She is very small by the side of the brigantine," he said, as +he completed his visit of inspection. "I am not surprised<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> +that the pirates chased you after your impudence in firing at +them, and that they thought they could eat you at a mouthful. +Now, we will pay a visit to the barque."</p> + +<p>To Nat's great relief, he found that the passengers had all +gone ashore. It was certain that they would be detained for +some little time, as there would be legal formalities to be gone +through, and repairs to be executed, and additional hands to +be obtained; and, all feeling terribly shaken by the events +that had taken place on board, and the loss in some cases of +near relations, they had been glad to land until the ship was +again ready for sea. The mate in charge handed to the admiral +the ship's manifest and papers.</p> + +<p>"You have no seriously wounded on board?" the latter +asked him. "Because if so, I should advise you to send them +ashore to the hospital at once."</p> + +<p>"No, sir. All who fell on the deck were thrown overboard +by the pirates as soon as they obtained possession of the ship. +I believe that they fastened shot to their feet to make them +sink at once."</p> + +<p>The admiral nodded. "That is likely enough. Dead +bodies drifting ashore might cause inquiries to be made; their +intention no doubt was to take all the most valuable part of +the cargo out of the ship, and then to scuttle her with all on +board."</p> + +<p>"Are we likely to be detained here long, sir?"</p> + +<p>"Not as far as we are concerned. We shall require you to +sign in the presence of a magistrate here a formal document +acknowledging that the vessel was absolutely captured, and in +possession of the pirates, and that she was recaptured by his +majesty's schooner the <i>Arrow</i>, and to sign a bond on behalf of +the owners to pay the legal proportion of the value of the ship +and cargo to the admiralty prize court in London. You will, +of course, take her home yourself, but I shall send a naval<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> +officer with you, as the ship and its contents remain the property +of government until the charges upon her are acquitted. +If we were at war with France we should retain her here until +she could sail under convoy of a vessel of war homeward-bound, +but there is no occasion for doing that now. I do +not suppose that you will find much difficulty in obtaining +mates and enough sailors to make up your complement here. +Scarcely a ship sails from the port without some of her men +being left behind, either as deserters or through having been +too drunk to rejoin. At any rate you had better be careful +whom you pick, and if you should find a difficulty in obtaining +men whose discharge-books show that they have hitherto +borne a good character, I should advise you to ship eight or +ten stout negroes. They are good hands at managing their +own craft, and although they might not be of much use aloft, +they are as a rule thoroughly trustworthy fellows, and quite +as good for work on deck as our own men. I will give you +an order on the dockyard for any repairs that you cannot get +executed elsewhere. They will of course be charged for, but +need not be paid for here, as they will go down in the account +against the ship."</p> + +<p>Fortunately the dockyard was not busy, and the <i>Agile</i> and +the <i>Arrow</i> were the next morning taken into dock, and a strong +gang of men at once set to work upon them. Three days +later a signal was made for Nat to go on board the flagship.</p> + +<p>"I have received the report from the dockyard people, Mr. +Glover," the admiral said. "They confirm our opinion that +the <i>Agile</i> has not suffered any serious damage; that she is a +new and well-built vessel, and well fitted for our service, and +she will therefore be retained at the valuation they set upon +her. Here is your commission as her commander. Having +done so well in the little <i>Arrow</i>, I have no doubt as to +your ability and fitness for the post. She will carry forty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> +hands. I shall give you two petty officers, a boatswain's mate +and a gunner's mate. I had thought of giving you another +midshipman, but I think it would be better that you should +take a surgeon. Three or four assistant surgeons came out +last week, and I can very well spare you one.</p> + +<p>"I shall not give you one of the new arrivals, for it is better +that these for a time should serve on larger ships, get accustomed +to naval work, and learn the ordinary routine of duty +on board. I shall, therefore, send you one from either the +<i>Theseus</i> or the <i>Limerick</i>, and fill up his place with a new-comer. +Your duties will be precisely the same as those assigned to +you in the <i>Arrow</i>, except that I shall not impress upon you +the necessity for giving a wide berth to suspicious vessels. +You will cruise on the coast of Hayti, take off refugees, +communicate, if possible, with chiefs of the insurgents, and +see if there is any strong feeling among them in favour of +annexation to England. You will be authorized, in case it is +absolutely necessary in order to save the inhabitants of any +coast town from slaughter from the blacks, either to help the +garrison with your guns or to land a portion not exceeding +half your crew to aid in the defence."</p> + +<p>"I am indeed greatly obliged to you, admiral, and assure +you that I will do my best to merit your kindness and confidence."</p> + +<p>"It is to yourself rather than to me that you are indebted +for what is virtually a step towards promotion. Just at present +I do not think that you are likely to have any opportunity +of taking advantage of your increased force, as we have heard +no complaints of pirates of late. We may hope that these +scoundrels, finding that the islands are growing too hot for +them, have moved away to safer quarters. At any rate, if +there are any of them in these waters, they are likely to be +among the northern Cays, and are probably confining their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> +depredations for a time to ships trading between Europe and +Florida, or to vessels from here which have passed beyond the +general limit of the seas we patrol."</p> + +<p>On Nat's return to the dockyard, he delighted Lippincott +with the news of the exchange that they were to make. +Turnbull was in hospital, but the surgeons had reported that +his wound was not so serious as it seemed at first, and that +a fortnight's rest and quiet would go far to render him convalescent. +The sailors, too, were glad to hear that they were +going to be transferred to a craft in which they would be able +to meet an enemy with confidence. They were also pleased to +hear that there was to be no change in their officers, for they +had unbounded trust in their young commander, and had from +the first agreed that they had never sailed in a more comfortable +ship. After seeing Turnbull and acquainting him with +the news, Nat paid a visit to the Pickards. They had landed +on the evening of their arrival, and, after stopping a day in an +hotel, had established themselves in a pretty house outside +the town, which Monsieur Pickard had hired from a merchant +who was on the point of sailing for England, and would be +absent several months.</p> + +<p>Monsieur Pickard had, on arriving, gone to a merchant +with whom he had business connections, and to whom he had +frequently consigned produce for shipment to England or +France when there happened to be no vessel in Port-au-Prince +sailing for Europe. He had obtained from him a loan on +the security of the season's produce, which had, fortunately, +been sent down to be warehoused at Port-au-Prince two or +three weeks before the insurrection broke out.</p> + +<p>Nat's friends, too, heartily congratulated him on obtaining +the command of a larger vessel.</p> + +<p>"After the troubles and anxiety we have of late gone +through, Monsieur Glover, we feel the comfort of being under<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> +the protection of the British flag, and shall enjoy it all the +more now that we know that you are not going to sea again +in that pretty little vessel, for if you fell in with another large +corsair you might not be so fortunate as you were last time. +As you have said, if an unlucky shot had struck one of your +spars, you would have been at her mercy, and we know what +that mercy would mean. I intend to stay here for a short time, +till madame and the girls get quite accustomed to their new +home, before sailing for Port-au-Prince; but whether I am at +home or away you know how welcome you will be here whenever +you happen to be in port. How long do you think it is +likely to be before you are off?"</p> + +<p>"I was speaking to the superintendent of the dockyard +before I came out, and he says that he will get the <i>Agile</i> ready +for sea in three weeks' time. He cannot possibly manage it +before; the hull could be ready in a week, but the suit of sails +will require three times as long, though he has promised to take +on some extra hands if he can get them. Orders have, however, +been given by the <i>Thames</i> to the chief native sail-maker +of the place to patch some of the sails and to make several new +ones, and he has taken up some of the best hands in the town. +Then, no doubt, whoever gets the command of the <i>Arrow</i> will +be wanting her sails pushed forward, though that is not +certain, for it is not unlikely that, now the <i>Agile</i> has been +bought into the service, the <i>Arrow</i> will be sold. Indeed, +one of the principal merchants here would be glad to buy +her as a private yacht if he had the chance, as he often has +business at the other islands, and she is just the craft that +would suit him. He said that by putting up shorter topmasts +twelve men would be enough to sail her, and that he +would exchange the guns for eight-pounders, as from what he +had heard she could outsail almost any craft she was likely to +meet with, and small guns would be quite sufficient to prevent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> +any of these little native piratical craft from meddling with +her. However, I think the superintendent will keep his word, +and that in three weeks' time I shall be off."</p> + +<p>"I may possibly be at Port-au-Prince before you, then," +Monsieur Pickard said. "I am thinking of chartering a small +brig and going in her to Port-au-Prince, and bringing my +goods back from there. Now that the mulattoes are up in +arms, the place cannot be considered as absolutely safe; and as +I calculate they are worth from eight to ten thousand pounds, +I think it will be well to get them over as soon as possible."</p> + +<p>"I quite agree with you, Monsieur Pickard, and should +certainly advise you to lose no time. Unless I get instructions +to the contrary, I shall, in the first place, cruise round the +shore of the bay of Hayti."</p> + +<p>Ten days later, indeed, Monsieur Pickard sailed in the brig +that he had chartered. Nat had called to say good-bye the +evening before, and, to his embarrassment, was presented by +him with a very handsome gold watch and chain, the former +bearing the inscription that it was a small token of the deepest +gratitude of Eugene Pickard, his wife and daughters, for having +saved them from the most terrible fate.</p> + +<p>"It is only a little thing, Monsieur Glover," the planter +said—"a feeble token of our gratitude, but something which +many years hence will recall to your memory the inestimable +service that you have rendered us."</p> + +<p>The superintendent of the dockyard kept his word, and in +three weeks the <i>Agile</i> was afloat again, and the next morning +twenty men drafted from the war-ships in the port were transferred +to her. Those of the <i>Arrow</i>, with the exception of five +still in the hospital, had shifted their quarters to her a fortnight +previously. Turnbull had rejoined the evening before. +His arm was still in a sling, but otherwise he was quite convalescent. +Lippincott had that morning given up the bandage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> +round his head, which had kept him almost a prisoner until +now, for he had refused to go into the town until after nightfall +with his head bound up, although Nat had many times +assured him that an honourable wound would not be regarded +as any disadvantage by the young ladies at Kingston. The +assistant surgeon, James Doyle, a cheery young Irishman, also +joined that morning.</p> + +<p>"It is glad I am to be out of all the ceremony and botheration +on board the frigate," he said as he shook hands with Nat, +"and to be afloat on my own account, as it were. Saunders, +the surgeon, was enough to wear one out with his preciseness +and his regulations; faith, he was a man who would rather take +off a man's leg than listen to a joke, and it put me on thorns +to hear him speak to the men as if they were every one of them +shamming—as if anyone would pretend to be ill when he had +to take the bastely medicines Saunders used to make up for +them."</p> + +<p>"I don't think you will find much shamming here, doctor, +especially if the new hands are as good as the others; and I +hope that your services will not often be required except in the +matter of wounds."</p> + +<p>"No fighting means no wounds, and I am afraid that there is +no hope of fighting," the surgeon said, shaking his head mournfully; +"you and the <i>Orpheus</i> have pretty well cleared out the +pirates, and it was a case of pure luck that you came across +this craft the other day. But there is no doubt that the <i>Orpheus</i>' +men have had all the luck, and the big ships' turn won't come +till we have war with France. However, it may be that the +luck will stick to you for a bit yet, for, by my faith, I shall +before long have forgotten how to take off a limb or to tie up +an artery for want of practice. We all envied you when you +came in the other day with the two prizes behind you, both +big enough to have eaten you up, and though we cheered,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> +there was many a man who grumbled, 'Bad cess to them, the +<i>Orpheus</i>' men have got all the luck.'"</p> + +<p>"But the <i>Orpheus</i> had nothing to do with it," Nat laughed.</p> + +<p>"No, I know that; but you had been one of their men, and +had, as I have heard, more than your share already of adventures."</p> + +<p>Nat had received no further orders, and sailed that afternoon; +two days later he was off the entrance of the great bay. He +coasted along the shore as near as he could venture, always +keeping a man on watch for signals made by anyone anxious +to be taken off. When it became dark the anchor was dropped, +so that no part of the shore could be passed without the +ship being observed. It was on the seventh day after sailing +that he arrived at Port-au-Prince. Half an hour after he had +anchored, Monsieur Pickard came off in a boat.</p> + +<p>"It is lucky that I lost no time," he said after the first +greetings were over; "I got my last bale of goods on board +the brig an hour ago, and we are going to warp her out at +once so as to be under shelter of your guns."</p> + +<p>"Why, what is the matter?"</p> + +<p>"There is news that a large force of mulattoes and negroes +are coming down from the hills and will be here probably +to-morrow morning. Luckily a great part of the negroes were +turned out of the town a fortnight ago. There are only two +hundred soldiers here, and about as many white volunteers—little +enough to defend the place if they attack us. No doubt +they chose the moment because there is not a French war-ship +of any kind in port. However, I think that all the white +women and children are on board the ships. They are all +crowded. I have about twenty on board the brig, and have +rigged up a sail as an awning, and on such a warm night as +this they will sleep better there than they would in a cabin. I +can assure you that there was the greatest satisfaction when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> +you were seen coming in. Several of the captains had talked +of towing their vessels out three or four miles into the bay, +but as soon as it was certain that you were an armed ship, +the idea was given up, as many of them were only half-laden; +and it was felt that, of whatever nationality you were, you +would prevent the negroes from coming off in boats to murder +the women and children. Of course I did not know that it +was you until I made out your figure from the shore, but as +soon as I did so, I told all I knew that they need not trouble +about the safety of those on board ship, for I could answer +for it that you would not hesitate to turn your guns on any +boats that went out to attack them."</p> + +<p>"Well, Monsieur Pickard, I cannot believe that the town +will be taken, but at any rate I congratulate you on having +got all your produce an board."</p> + +<p>"Yes, it is a very important matter to us; we cannot calculate +upon finding a purchaser for our house at Cape François +at anything approaching its value at ordinary times. I +have a couple of thousand pounds lying at my banker's, and +although six months ago I would not have taken forty thousand +for the estate and the slaves upon it, I suppose I may +consider myself fortunate if I get half that sum, or even less, +now. Anyhow, if I get my crop here safe to Jamaica, I need +not worry myself as to the future."</p> + +<p>"If the place is attacked in the morning, monsieur, I have +the admiral's authority to land half my men to aid in the +defence; and though twenty men is but a small number, they +may render some assistance. I intend to hold them in reserve, +and to take them to any spot at which the insurgents may be +pressing back the defenders. I shall be obliged if you will +inform the officer in command of the troops and the civil +authorities that they can count on my assistance to that +extent. Will you give them my advice to get all the avail<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span>able +boats ranged along by the quay opposite to us, so that in +case of the worst all can retreat there. I will cover their +embarkation with my guns. Lastly, I should advise the +captains of all the ships in port to tow their vessels out and +range them behind us, so that there may be nothing to interfere +with our line of fire."</p> + +<p>"I will inform the committee of defence directly I go +ashore, and they will doubtless send off at once to order the +various ships to anchor at the spot you indicate. It will be a +relief, indeed, to them all to know that you have undertaken +their protection."</p> + +<p>"I will go ashore with you," Nat said; "though I have +landed here more than once I do not know the place well +enough to be able to act quickly. I should like to see exactly +where your batteries are placed, and where it is most likely +that the negroes will make their chief attack."</p> + +<p>They went ashore and landed together, and walked to the +house where the principal men of the town were assembled.</p> + +<p>"Will you come in with me?" Monsieur Pickard asked.</p> + +<p>"No, I will leave you to explain what I propose to do and +what I recommend that they should do. There is sure to be +a lot of talk and discussion, and I do not wish to lose time. +The sun will be setting in another hour, so I will make my +round at once."</p> + +<p>Passing through the town, Nat visited the various batteries +that had been erected, and decided that if the blacks were +well led they would work round and attack the remains of the +native town. The batteries had principally been erected round +the European quarter, as if any enemy coming from the hills +would be certain to make a direct attack, while the native +quarter was almost entirely undefended, although with this +once in the possession of the enemy the whole town would lie +open to them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It is clear that this is the real point of danger," he muttered. +"Fortunately, from where we are lying our guns can +sweep the widest street that runs down through this quarter. +I shall mention my ideas to Pickard. No doubt he is still +talking away at the meeting."</p> + +<p>He went back to the house. M. Pickard and half a dozen +other gentlemen were standing at the door. M. Pickard at +once introduced them to him.</p> + +<p>"My object in coming round here, gentlemen, is to tell you +that in my opinion your defences, which are quite strong +enough to protect the town against any body of negroes coming +down on the easterly side, are wholly insufficient to repel +an attack if made on the native town. I trust, therefore, that +when the troops man the defences a considerable number of +them at least will be so placed as to be ready to meet an +attack from that side. There is practically nothing to prevent +the negroes from entering there, and, as many of the mulattoes +with them must be perfectly aware of the position of the +batteries, they are scarcely likely to propose to make an attack +upon them, knowing that the negroes would not be able to +face an artillery fire, but would lead them round to attack the +almost defenceless native portion of the town."</p> + +<p>"We have always reckoned upon their coming upon us by +one of the main roads from the hills," one of the gentlemen +said.</p> + +<p>"So I see, monsieur; but some of the mulattoes with them +are men of considerable intelligence, and would be hardly +foolish enough to try to break down the door that you have +closed against them when they know that there is an open +entrance at the back. If there is a man with the smallest spark +of military genius about him he will commence the attack by +a feint in considerable force against the batteries, and then, +under cover of the smoke of your guns and his own—for I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> +hear from Monsieur Pickard that they are said to have fifteen or +twenty guns which they have taken at small places on the coast—will +send round the main body of his force to fall on the +native town. That is my opinion, gentlemen. I know very +little of military matters, but it seems to me that is the course +that any man of moderate intelligence would pursue, and I +therefore should strongly advise that at least half your volunteer +force should take post to defend the native town, and +so give time to the remainder to come up and assist in the +defence. I shall post my sailors in a position where they can +best aid in the defence in this direction, and shall have the +guns of my ship in readiness to open fire on the native town if +you are driven back."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, sir. We shall have another meeting late this +evening, and I shall do my best to urge the committee to act +as you suggest."</p> + +<p>Nat returned on board the <i>Agile</i>. Already most of the +ships in the port had anchored a short distance outside the +brigantine, and a few that had kept on until the last moment +taking their cargo on board were being towed by their boats +in the same direction. Turnbull and Lippincott were anxiously +awaiting Nat's return. Retiring into the cabin, he told them +the result of his investigation of the defences and the position +on shore.</p> + +<p>"I think we shall have hot work to-morrow," he went on. +"If the negroes are not absolute fools they will not knock +their heads against the batteries. There are twenty cannon in +position, for the most part ships' guns, and as I hear that they +have plenty of ammunition, and especially grape, they would +simply mow the niggers down if they attacked them. There +is only one battery with three guns covering the native town, +and the blacks ought to have no difficulty in carrying this with +a rush. We have learnt by experience that, whatever their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> +faults, they can fight furiously, and are ready enough to risk +their lives. Thus, this battery may be taken in a few minutes. +If a hundred of the volunteers held the huts behind it they +might check them for a time, but as the negroes are several +thousands strong the resistance cannot be long. The best +point of defence will be that street facing us here. Our guns +will come into play, and it is there that I shall join the French +as they fall back.</p> + +<p>"I shall get you, Mr. Lippincott, to row round this evening +to all these craft near us, and to request the captains, in my +name, to send all the men provided with muskets they may +have, on board us, as soon as firing is heard. You will remain +on board in charge, Turnbull; with your arm in a sling, you +are not fit for fighting on shore. With your twenty men you +ought to be able to work the guns pretty fast. Between their +shots the men with muskets would aid. Of course you would +use grape. If their attack lulls in the least send a few round-shot +among the houses on their side. Pomp and Sam had +better go ashore with us and act as boat-keepers. I will take +the boat higher up than those of the townspeople, for if a panic +seizes them there would be a mad rush to get on board. We +will go a couple of hundred yards farther, and the boat will lie +a short distance out, and not come in close till they see us running +towards it. In that way we can make sure of being able to +get on board."</p> + +<p>"I should certainly have liked to land," Turnbull said, "but +I know that I am not fit yet for hard fighting."</p> + +<p>"I suppose you will be taking me along with you?" Doyle +said.</p> + +<p>"By all means come if you like, but I was not thinking of +doing so."</p> + +<p>"It is not often that we get a chance of taking a share in the +fun. As a rule, as soon as the guns are loaded and ready for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> +action we have to go below, and to stop there bandaging and +dressing wounds, with not a chance of seeing what is going on. +This is just one chance in a hundred. I should be no good +here, for there is no one to look after. I will take with me +two or three tourniquets and some bandages, and perchance +I may be the means of saving some poor boy's life; and while +not so engaged I may have a slap at these murdering blacks. +I am a pretty good shot, and when a man can bring down ten +snipe out of every dozen, as I have done time after time in the +ould country, he ought to be able to put a bullet into a black +man's carcass."</p> + +<p>"If you are bent upon going, by all means do so. As you +say, a tourniquet clapped on directly a man is wounded may +save his life, and every additional musket will be a valuable +addition to our strength."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV</h2> + +<h4>THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE</h4> + + +<p>It was just getting light on the following morning when the +sound of a cannon was heard, and it was followed by +several other shots, mingled with the rattle of distant musketry. +The town woke up with a start. Drums beat in the streets, +and in a minute or two men armed with rifles and muskets +poured out from their houses, and hurried to the rendezvous +settled upon the night before. The firing came from the +eastern side of the town, and the three batteries in that direction +were all engaged. Mingled with the report of the guns +came the sound of a more distant cannonade, showing that the +insurgents' artillery was also at work. Among the shipping +there was as great an excitement as in the town. On board<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> +every ship men were running up the ratlines to see if a view of +the scene of action could be obtained from aloft. On the decks +numbers of women, who had hastily thrown on their upper +clothing, or wrapped themselves in shawls, listened anxiously +to the sound of firing. Scarce one but had a husband, brother, +or son among the defenders of the place.</p> + +<p>There were ten vessels lying outside the <i>Agile</i>, and from +each of these boats presently put off to the brigantine, some with +three or four men, others with as many as ten, all armed with +muskets.</p> + +<p>"You will soon see how matters go, Turnbull, and whether +this is a real or only a feigned attack."</p> + +<p>The landing-party were in a few minutes ready to embark. +Each man carried fifty rounds of ammunition for his musket, +and a dozen additional cartridges for his pistols. Their water-bottles +were slung over their shoulders, and each had a hunch +of bread and of cold meat that had been boiled in the galley the +night before in readiness. They took their places in the cutter +and gig, and were soon rowed ashore to the point which Nat had +fixed on the previous evening. The various boats and lighters +used in loading the ships had all been gathered at the quay +facing the <i>Agile</i>, and Nat was pleased to see that his advice in +this respect had been followed.</p> + +<p>The orders to Sam and Pomp, who were to remain one in +each boat, were that they should push the boats out as far as +the head-ropes—which had been lengthened for the occasion—would +allow them, drop a small grapnel over the stern, and +should then keep a sharp look-out. The moment the party were +seen returning they were to pull up the grapnels, and haul on +the head-ropes till the boats were alongside. Both were armed, +and the orders were that they were to shoot anyone who should +try to force himself into either boat before the sailors came up.</p> + +<p>Nat led his party to an empty house close to the street com<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span>manded +by the <i>Agile's</i> guns. Six of the sailors were placed as +sentinels at the ends of streets running into this, the rest piled +arms.</p> + +<p>"Now, Mr. Lippincott, I shall be obliged if you will go and +ascertain how the affair is proceeding, and whether the batteries +are keeping the insurgents well in check. I am about to start +for the battery on this side, where I shall get a fair view of +the country round, and see how matters stand.</p> + +<p>"You will remain here, Mr. Thompson," he went on to the +boatswain, "in charge of the party. I shall take Newman +with me in case I have any orders to send to you. Will you +come with me also, Doyle?"</p> + +<p>The two officers, followed by an active young seaman, started. +On arriving near the end of the native town, Nat was glad to +see a group of the volunteers in front of him. They saluted +as he came up.</p> + +<p>"What force have you here, gentlemen?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Fifty men, captain."</p> + +<p>"It would have been better if it had been a hundred and +fifty. If they come here in force you will not be able to keep +them at bay long. Where is your main body?"</p> + +<p>"They are gathered in front of the municipal offices in readiness +to move wherever their services may be most required."</p> + +<p>"That is quite satisfactory. I was afraid that most of them +might be at the batteries at the other side of the town, where +the troops ought to be quite able to hold their own against the +blacks."</p> + +<p>At this moment another gentleman, with a red sash over his +shoulder, came up. He was the commander of the company +stationed there.</p> + +<p>"I am afraid that we are rather out of it, monsieur," he said, +after exchanging salutes with Nat.</p> + +<p>"I am still more afraid, sir, that you are by no means out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> +of it. I think that you will find that before many minutes are +over you will be hotly engaged. I have come forward to tell +you that my men are placed just on the other side of Royal +Street, and to beg that if you are not able to maintain yourselves +here—and if you are attacked, I am convinced that it +will be in such force that you will be unable to do so—you +will not endanger your force by holding on here too long, +but will retreat to Royal Street, and there make a stand, occupying +the houses on the other side of the street. The guns of +my vessel are loaded and in readiness to sweep the street with +grape as the negroes try to cross it; and we shall have in +addition some forty or fifty men from the merchantmen outside +her, who will aid in keeping them in check. If I might advise +you, I should say that it would be well for you to write a note, +now that you have time to do so, saying that you are attacked +in overwhelming force, and are about to fall back to Royal +Street, which you will, aided by my sailors and guns, hold to +the last, and begging your commander to send his whole force +up to support you. This you will, of course, keep until the +attack comes, and will send off as soon as you perceive that +your position here is untenable."</p> + +<p>"I think that is a very good suggestion," the officer said, +"and shall carry it out at once."</p> + +<p>"I will go on to the battery," Nat said; "from there I shall +get a better idea of the situation."</p> + +<p>They had scarcely gone beyond the line of houses when a +French soldier came running in.</p> + +<p>"What is your news?" Nat asked him.</p> + +<p>"A great crowd of the enemy are coming, sir. The captain +has sent me to beg the commander of the volunteers here to +bring up his force to support him."</p> + +<p>"You will find him a hundred yards farther on. Now, doctor, +you will go forward and have a look."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span></p> + +<p>Arriving at the battery, which was manned by twenty French +soldiers under a young lieutenant, Nat and the doctor mounted +the parapet. The enemy were still half a mile away. They +were in no sort of order, but were coming on in a confused +mass.</p> + +<p>"There must be three or four thousand of them, lieutenant," +Nat said quietly. "You may check them a little, but you will +never keep them out of the town if they come on with a rush. +I suppose you are loaded with grape?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, monsieur," the young Frenchman said.</p> + +<p>He felt relieved at the arrival of the commander of the +British ship of war, for he was feeling the responsibility of his +position greatly.</p> + +<p>"I should let them get within four or five hundred yards," +Nat said quietly, "then fire your guns singly, loading as rapidly +as possible. Here come the volunteers; place five-and-twenty +of them on each side of your battery. Let them lie down, and +open fire when the enemy are within two hundred and fifty +yards. If they come on in spite of the fire, I should say that +you had best all retire at the double. It will be of no use +trying to hold the houses; they would only outflank you and +cut you off. I have already arranged with the volunteers +that they shall make a stand at Royal Street. I have a party +of my sailors there in readiness to help them, and as the guns +of my ship will sweep the street we should certainly be able to +hold it until help arrives."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, monsieur, I will do as you suggest."</p> + +<p>At this moment the volunteers came up at a run.</p> + +<p>"Where do you wish me to place my men?" the captain said +to the French lieutenant.</p> + +<p>"I shall be obliged if you will put half of them on each +side of the battery. Let them lie down there, and open fire +when the enemy are within two hundred and fifty yards. If<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> +when they get within a hundred yards, your fire and ours +does not stop them, we will then retreat together at the +double. If we were once surrounded we should have no +chance whatever. Give your guns an elevation of five hundred +yards," he said to his men.</p> + +<p>When this was done he looked inquiringly at Nat. The +other nodded.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I think it is about five hundred yards." Then he +turned to the seaman: "Go back as quickly as you can, +Newman, and tell Mr. Thompson that the blacks are coming, +and that we shall probably be with him five minutes after you +arrive. Tell him also to send a man down as we had arranged +to the wharf, to signal to the ship to be in readiness."</p> + +<p>As he spoke the first of the guns boomed out. A few +seconds later the second was fired, and this was followed by +the third at a similar interval. The cannon were old ship guns, +and had been heavily charged with grape, and the destruction +wrought upon the crowded mass of negroes was so great that +they stopped suddenly. Several of their leaders were seen to +rush to the front waving and gesticulating, and with a wild +yell the negroes again advanced. They had gone but fifty yards +when the gun that was first fired spoke out again, followed +quickly by the others. This time there was no pause in the +advance. Yelling furiously the negroes, who were armed +with guns, discharged them at random. Two more rounds +were fired, and then the crakle of the rifles and muskets +of the volunteers broke out. The centre of the negro line +paused indecisively, but the flanks continued on their way +without a check.</p> + +<p>"It is just as I thought," Nat said to the doctor, who was +loading and firing his piece rapidly. "Do you see how their +flanks are extending? One more round, lieutenant, and then +we had best be going, or we shall be cut off from the town."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span></p> + +<p>Again the three guns were discharged. The execution was +terrible in the centre of the black line, but the flanks still kept +on.</p> + +<p>"Now, captain, get your men together," Nat said to the +civilian officer who was standing beside him; "if you go to the +right I will go to the left. They won't hear our voices in this din."</p> + +<p>Another half-minute and the soldiers and volunteers were +running at the top of their speed, but keeping well together, +towards the town. They had a hundred and fifty yards' start, +and also the advantage that the blacks had been coming +forward at a run for over half a mile. Therefore, although +the latter came on with yells of triumph and exultation, they +did not gain on the little party. Indeed, when they once +entered the native town the French considerably increased +their distance, for the negroes, fearing that they might fall +into an ambush, came along more carefully.</p> + +<p>"Post your men at the windows of the houses opposite to +you," Nat said to the French lieutenant.</p> + +<p>"Did you send your messenger on?" he asked, as he ran up +to the volunteer officer.</p> + +<p>The latter gave an exclamation of horror.</p> + +<p>"No, I forgot all about it."</p> + +<p>"So did I, or I should have reminded you of it. Give it to +one of the men now, and tell him to take it as hard as he +can run. Tell your men off in threes and fours to the houses +opposite. I have no doubt we can keep them in check till help +comes."</p> + +<p>Thompson was waiting in the street as the party ran up.</p> + +<p>"Where have you posted your men?" Nat asked him.</p> + +<p>"I thought most likely that they would come down this +street, so I put four men in each of the two houses facing it, +seven are in the two houses facing the next street coming +down, the rest are here."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span></p> + +<p>Nat hurried up to the French officer.</p> + +<p>"My men are in the two houses facing this and the next +street, will you occupy the houses next them, and tell the +officer of the volunteers to scatter his men in twos and threes +in the other houses. Doctor, you had better join the party +in the house facing the next street; and do you, Mr. Thompson, +place yourself with five men in the house facing the street +beyond. We shall have the brunt of it, for they are more +likely to come by these streets than by those near the harbour, +knowing, as they do, that our ship is lying anchored off there."</p> + +<p>It was three or four minutes before Nat, from the window +at which he had posted himself, saw a great body of negroes +and mulattoes coming along the street facing him.</p> + +<p>"Open fire at once, lads," he said. "Take good aim; +every shot ought to tell in that crowd, and our fire will let +them know on board that the blacks are close at hand."</p> + +<p>Yelling, shouting, and brandishing their weapons, the +insurgents poured down. The fire from the next two parties +had showed that the negroes were also advancing by the +streets above.</p> + +<p>A minute later three black columns poured into Royal +Street, and as they did so a fire broke out from every window +facing them. Then came a deep roar, and a storm of grape +swept along the street; another and another followed, and +with yells of surprise and fear the rioters rushed back into +shelter, leaving the streets strewn with dead and dying. It +was some minutes before they could rally, and in the meantime +three of the guns of the <i>Agile</i> sent ball after ball among +the houses to the west of the street. Three times did the +negroes attempt to cross the fatal road, but each time they +fell back with heavy loss, which was specially severe in their +last attempt, as the main body of the volunteers had now +come up, entered by the backs of the houses and joined the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> +defenders, and the fire of two hundred and fifty muskets +played terrible havoc among the assailants. There was a +pause in the fight now, and the ship's broadside continued to +sweep the native town with balls while an occasional spurt of +musketry fire broke out when the blacks showed themselves +in any of the streets. Suddenly from a score of houses in the +native town smoke, followed speedily by flames, mounted up.</p> + +<p>"The scoundrels have fired the town," exclaimed Doyle, +who had now joined Nat. "They see they have no chance of +crossing here, and as they cannot plunder the place they have +made up their mind to destroy it."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and they are likely to succeed, doctor, the wind is +blowing this way. Half the native houses are roofed with +palm leaves, and will burn like tinder. Our only chance now +is to drive the blacks out altogether and then fight the fire."</p> + +<p>He at once sent a sailor down with a flag to signal to the +ship to stop firing, then he went out into the street. As soon +as he was seen he was joined by the French lieutenant and the +commander, with several officers of the volunteers, together +with Monsieur Pickard.</p> + +<p>"I think, gentlemen," Nat said, "that unless we take the +offensive and drive the blacks out of the town there will be +little hope of extinguishing the fire. The wind is blowing +strongly in this direction, and there is not a moment to be +lost if we are to save the town. The negroes must be thoroughly +demoralized, they must have lost over a thousand men +here and three or four hundred before they entered the town. +It is quite likely that they have retreated already, but in any +case I do not anticipate any serious resistance."</p> + +<p>The others at once agreed. The drums were beaten, and +the volunteers, soldiers, and sailors poured out from the houses, +and then, dividing into three columns, advanced down the +streets through which the blacks had retired. They met with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> +no resistance. A few negroes who had entered houses to gather +plunder were shot down as they issued out, but with these +exceptions none of the enemy were seen until the columns +issued from the town, when the negroes could be seen retreating +at a run across the plain. The French officer at once ran +forward with his men to the little battery, and sent shot after +shot among them, for they were still less than half a mile +away. The sailors and volunteers slung their muskets behind +them, and, running back, endeavoured to check the course of +the flames. This, however, was impossible. The fire spread +from house to house with extraordinary rapidity. The wind +hurled the burning flakes on ahead, dropping many upon the +inflammable roofs, and in twenty minutes the whole quarter +west of Royal Street was in flames. Nat was now joined by +Turnbull and all the crew, the two negroes, who had been +sent off to the ship with the boats, alone remaining in charge +of the vessel.</p> + +<p>"We have beaten the negroes, Turnbull, but the fire will +beat us. If this wind continues it will sweep the whole town +away. It is useless to try and save any of these native houses. +Look at the burning flakes flying over our heads!"</p> + +<p>After a short consultation with the French officers they +agreed that the only chance was to arrest the fire at the edge of +the European quarter, and that the whole force should at once +set to work to pull down the native houses adjoining them. +The sound of cannon on the other side of the town had continued +until now, but it gradually ceased, as the news reached +the negroes there that the main attack, of whose success they +had felt sure, had hopelessly failed, and it was not long before +the troops from the batteries came up to assist the workers. +Their labours, however, were in vain. A shout of dismay +called the attention of the men who, half-blinded with the +dust and smoke, were working their utmost. Looking round,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> +they saw that the flames were mounting up from several of the +houses behind them. The wood-work was everywhere as dry +as tinder, and the burning flakes, which were falling thickly +upon them, had set the houses on fire in a dozen places.</p> + +<p>"We can do nothing more, sir," the officer in command of +the troops said. "The business part of the town is doomed. +All that we could even hope to save are the detached houses +standing in gardens and shrubberies."</p> + +<p>So it turned out. The flames swept onward until the +business quarter, as well as the native town, was completely +burnt out, and it needed all the efforts of the soldiers and +inhabitants to prevent the private residences of the merchants +and planters from being ignited by the burning fragments +scattered far and wide by the wind. It was noon when the +officers and crew of the <i>Agile</i>, accompanied by M. Pickard—who +was, like all the rest blackened by the dust and smoke—returned +on board.</p> + +<p>"Well, that has been as hot a morning's work as I ever +went through," Turnbull said. "It is hard to believe that a +battle has been fought and a town destroyed in the course of +about five hours."</p> + +<p>"Yes; I think on the whole we may be very well satisfied, +Turnbull, though I suppose the people who have lost their +houses and stores will hardly see it in the same light. Still, +they saved their lives, and at any rate, Monsieur Pickard, you +can be congratulated on having got all your goods on board +just in time."</p> + +<p>"I am thankful indeed that it is so," the planter said. "I +hope, of course, to get something for my estate. As to the +house, after what we have seen here I cannot set much value +on it. What has happened this morning may happen at Cape +François to-morrow. They might not be able to take it, but +a dozen negroes choosing their time when a strong wind is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> +blowing, and starting the fires in as many places, might level +the town to the ground. At any rate, I shall direct the captain +of the brig to sail at once for Kingston, and to deliver the +cargo to my agent there, and shall proceed myself to Cape +François. I wish to learn whether the bank there has sent off +its funds and securities to some safer place, or is retaining them. +In the latter case I shall withdraw them at once, and shall put +up my estates for sale."</p> + +<p>"I will give you a passage, Monsieur Pickard. I have +nothing more to stay here for, and shall sail up the coast to-morrow +morning."</p> + +<p>"Thank you very much; I accept your offer with gladness. +I am anxious to close all my connection with this unfortunate +island as soon as possible."</p> + +<p>In the afternoon the governor of the town, with the officer +commanding the troops, the maire, and a deputation of the +leading citizens, came off to thank Nat for the assistance that +his crew and guns had rendered. They brought with them +an official document rehearsing these services, and saying that +had it not been for the assistance they had rendered, the town +would undoubtedly have been captured by the blacks, and +probably all the whites on shore massacred, together with +their wives and families, who had taken refuge on board the +shipping. The commandant stated that this document would +be sent to the British admiral at Kingston. Nat replied +very modestly, saying that both the officers and men on board +had rejoiced at being able to render a service in the cause of +humanity, and that he was only acting in accordance with the +orders he had received from the admiral to afford every aid +in his power to the white population of the island.</p> + +<p>After this official visit many of the merchants, planters, and +military officers came off individually to thank him for having +saved their wives and families by the protection that he had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> +afforded to the shipping, and by the aid given by his guns +and the landing-party, which had alone saved the town from +capture. At daybreak next morning the <i>Agile</i> got up her +anchor and started for the north. The brig containing Monsieur +Pickard's property had sailed the previous afternoon, and +the rest of the shipping were preparing to start at the time +the <i>Agile</i> got up anchor. All of them were crowded with +fugitives, the women and children being now joined by many +of their male relatives, who had lost almost all they possessed +by the destruction of their homes and warehouses.</p> + +<p>The next morning the brigantine arrived at Cape François. +The news she brought of the destruction of Port-au-Prince +caused great excitement, as it was felt that the fate that had +befallen one town might well happen to another. Monsieur +Pickard at once went to the bank, where he found that the +greater portion of the specie and all valuable documents had +already been sent for safety to Jamaica, and he received an +order upon the bank there for the payment to him of the +money he had placed on deposit in the bank, and of the various +securities and documents that had been held in safe-keeping +for him. He then went to pay a visit to Monsieur +Duchesne, to whose house Nat, who had landed with him, +had gone direct. The family were delighted to see him.</p> + +<p>"You may expect another visitor shortly," he said. "Monsieur +Pickard has come on shore with me; he has gone to the +bank now, but said that he would come on here later."</p> + +<p>"Then he has escaped," Madame Duchesne exclaimed. +"We had hardly even hoped that he and his family had +done so, for we knew that the blacks had risen everywhere in +that part of the island."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I am happy to say that he, Madame Pickard, and his +two daughters, all got safely away; in fact, they all came off +to my craft—not the <i>Agile</i>, you know, but to the <i>Arrow</i>; and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> +I had the pleasure of taking them as passengers to Jamaica, +where the ladies still are."</p> + +<p>"That is good news indeed," Myra said. "Valerie is a +great friend of mine. Of course Louise is younger, but I was +very fond of her too. The year before last I spent a couple of +months with them at their plantation; and, as I daresay they +told you, they are always here for three or four months in the +winter season."</p> + +<p>Nat then told them what had taken place at Port-au-Prince, +and how he and his men had taken part in the fight.</p> + +<p>"It is terrible news indeed," said M. Duchesne; "and one +can scarcely feel safe here. Port-au-Prince is the largest town +in Hayti, with the exception only of this, which is quite as +open to the danger of fire. I think this will decide us on +leaving. Matters seem going from bad to worse. I don't know +whether you know that three commissioners have arrived from +France. So far from improving the state of things, they are +making them worse every day. As far as can be seen, they +are occupied solely in filling their own pockets; they have +enormously increased the taxation, and that at a time when +everyone is on the verge of ruin. No account is given of the +sums they collect, and certainly the money has not been spent +in taking any measures either for the safety of the town or for +the suppression of the insurrection. I have wound up all my +affairs here, and have disposed of our plantations. There are +many who still believe that in time everything will come right +again; I have myself no hope. Even if we got peaceful possession +of our estates, there would be no hands to work them. +The freedom of all the blacks has been voted by that mad +assembly in Paris; and if there is one thing more certain than +another, it is that the negroes will not work until they are +obliged to, so the estates will be practically worthless. Therefore +I have accepted an offer for a sum which is about a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> +quarter of what the estate was worth before, and consider that +it is so much saved out of the fire."</p> + +<p>"Monsieur Pickard is of exactly the same opinion as you +are," Nat said, "and has come here principally for the purpose +of disposing of his estate on any terms that he can obtain."</p> + +<p>"Well, I do not think he will find any difficulty in getting +about the same proportion of value as we have done. The +rich mulattoes are buying freely, and, as I say, some of the +whites are doing the same. Ah, here he is!</p> + +<p>"Ah, my dear Pickard, we are glad indeed to see you, and +to learn from our friend here that your wife and daughters are +safe in Jamaica."</p> + +<p>"We have been very anxious about you," Madame Duchesne +said; "and Myra has been constantly talking of your family."</p> + +<p>"It was the same with us, I can assure you, madame; and it +is strange that we should first have obtained tidings of your +safety from Monsieur Glover, and that you should also have +obtained news of ours from him. Still more so that while +he has, as he said to us, been of some little service to you—but +which, we learnt from one of his officers, seems to have +been considerable—it is to him that we also owe our lives."</p> + +<p>"Little service!" Madame Duchesne repeated indignantly. +"However, we know Monsieur Glover of old. First of all he +saved Myra's life from that dog, and certainly he saved both +our lives from the negroes. And did he save yours? He has +just told us that you came on board with him, and that he +took you to Jamaica. Still, that is not like what he did +for us."</p> + +<p>"That is one way of putting it, madame," Monsieur Pickard +said with a smile; "but as you say you know him of +old, you will not be surprised at the little story that I have to +tell you."</p> + +<p>"Not now, Monsieur Pickard," Nat said hastily, "or if you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> +do I shall say good-bye to Madame Duchesne at once, and +go straight on board."</p> + +<p>"You must not do that," Madame Duchesne said as he rose +to his feet; "you have only just arrived, and we are not +going to let you off so easily."</p> + +<p>"We will compromise," her husband said. "Now, Monsieur +Glover, you know that my wife and daughter will be +dying of curiosity until they hear this story. Suppose you +take a turn down the town with me. I will go and enquire +whether there is any ship likely to sail in the course of a few +days or so for Jamaica. Then Monsieur Pickard can tell +his story, and my wife can retail it to me later on. You see, +Monsieur Pickard's wife and daughters are great friends of +ours, and madame and Myra naturally wish to hear what has +happened to them during this terrible time."</p> + +<p>"Very well," Nat said with a laugh, "I don't mind accepting +that compromise; but really I do hate hearing things talked +over which were just ordinary affairs. But remember that +Monsieur Pickard naturally will make a great deal more of +them than they are worth, since, no doubt, the outcome +of them was that he and his family did get out of the hands of +the blacks in consequence. Now, Monsieur Duchesne, I will +start with you at once, so that madame and Myra's curiosity +may be satisfied as soon as possible."</p> + +<p>Monsieur Duchesne took Nat first to call upon the three +commissioners, who happened to be gathered in council. The +commandant at Port-au-Prince had asked him to convey the +report he had hastily drawn up of the attack on the town. +This he had sent ashore as soon as he anchored; and the +commissioners were discussing the news when Nat and Monsieur +Duchesne were shown in.</p> + +<p>"I thought, gentlemen," Nat said, "that you might perhaps +like to ask me questions upon any point that was not explained<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> +in the commandant's report, which was, as he told me, drawn +up in great haste; for with four-fifths of the town laid in +ashes, and the population homeless and unprovided with food, +his hands were full indeed."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Lieutenant Glover. The report does full justice +to your interposition in our favour, and indeed states that had +it not been for the assistance rendered by yourself and the +ship of war you command, the town would unquestionably +have been carried by the insurgents, and that the whole of the +whites, including the troops, would probably have been massacred. +Had this been done, it would undoubtedly have so +greatly encouraged the rioters that we could hardly have hoped +to maintain our hold even of this city."</p> + +<p>"I was only carrying out the orders that I received in +landing to protect the white inhabitants from massacre, gentlemen."</p> + +<p>"In your opinion, is anyone to blame for the course events +took?"</p> + +<p>"Even had I that opinion," Nat said, "I should certainly +not consider myself justified in criticising the action of the +officers and authorities of a foreign power. However, the +circle of the town was too large to be defended by the force +available, of whom half were volunteers, ready to fight most +gallantly, as I can testify, but not possessing the discipline of +trained troops. I do not think, however, that even had +batteries been erected all round the town, the insurgents could +have been prevented from effecting an entrance at some points, +and setting fire to the houses. They advanced with great +determination, in spite of the destructive grape fire maintained +by the three guns of the battery. Undoubtedly had the +batteries been placed together on that side, as on the one +at which it was thought probable that the attack would be +made, the insurgents might have been repulsed, but it would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> +have needed a much larger force than that in the town to +man all those batteries. And I think it is by no means +improbable that even in that case the town might have been +burnt; for there were still a large number of negroes employed +on the wharves and in the warehouses, and you may +take it as certain that some of these were in close communication +with the insurgents, and probably agreed to fire the town +should their friends fail to effect an entrance. I can only say, +sir, that the citizens enrolled for defence fought most gallantly, +as did the small party of soldiers manning the battery on that +side, and that when the fighting was over all laboured nobly +to check the progress of the flames."</p> + +<p>Several questions were put to him concerning the details +of the fighting, and the measures that had been taken for the +safety of the women and children, the part his own men +played, and the manner in which the insurgents, after gaining +a footing in the town, had been prevented from obtaining +entire possession of it. At the conclusion of the interview, +which had lasted for upwards of two hours, the commissioners +thanked Nat very cordially.</p> + +<p>"You see," Monsieur Duchesne said, when they left the +governor's house, "they asked no single question as to whether +you thought there was any danger of a similar catastrophe +taking place here."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I noticed they did not. If they had, I could have +told them very plainly that, although the negroes suffered +very heavily, yet the news that the second town in Hayti had +been almost destroyed would be sure to raise their hopes, and +that I consider it extremely probable that some day or other +this town will also be attacked, and no time should be lost in +putting it into a state of thorough defence. I can't say that +they impressed me at all favourably."</p> + +<p>"Short as is the time that they have been here, they have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> +managed to excite all parties against them. They have issued +an amnesty, pardoning even those who have committed the +most frightful atrocities upon us. They have infuriated a +portion of the mulattoes by announcing the repeal of the decree +in their favour. Without a shadow of legal authority they +have extorted large sums of money from those mulattoes who +have remained quiet and are resident here, and seem bent +upon extracting all that remains of their late fortune from the +whites. One of them is frequently drunk and leads a scandalous +life; another appears bent solely upon enriching himself; +the third seems to be a well-meaning man, but he is wholly +under the control of his drunken companion. If this is the +sort of aid we are to receive from France, our future is hopeless +indeed. And, indeed, no small portion of my friends begin to see +that unless England takes possession of the island the future is +altogether hopeless. The general opinion here is that it is +impossible that peace can much longer be maintained between +England and France, and they hope that one of the first steps +England will take after war is declared will be to land an army +here."</p> + +<p>"If the English government were persuaded that the +mulattoes and negroes as well as the whites were favourable, +I should think that the island might be annexed without +difficulty; but unless all parties are agreed I cannot think that +a force could be spared that could even hope for success. It +would have been an easy task before the mulattoes and the +slaves learned their own strength, but it is a very different +thing now; and I should say that it would need at least five-and-twenty +thousand men, and perhaps even twice that number, +to reduce the island to submission and to restore peace and +order. I cannot think that, engaged in a war with France, +England would be able to spare anything like that force for a +difficult and almost certainly a long series of operations here."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span></p> + +<p>By this time they had arrived at Monsieur Duchesne's house.</p> + +<p>"Our friend has only just finished his story," Madame +Duchesne said, as he entered. "What a story! what frightful +sufferings! what horrors! and," she added with a smile, though +her eyes were full of tears—"what 'little' service rendered by +you and your brave crew! He has told it all, and of your fight +afterwards with that terrible pirate, and how you have added +to the list of those you have saved from terrible deaths some +eighteen or twenty Spanish gentlemen and ladies, and twice as +many sailors."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I have had wonderful luck," Nat said; "and you see +I have been well rewarded. I am only just out of my time as +a midshipman, and I am in command of a fine ship, which, in +the ordinary course of things, I could not have hoped for for +another eight or ten years. I have gained a considerable +amount of prize-money, and best of all, the friendship of yourselves +and the family of Monsieur Pickard. And the real +author of all this is Mademoiselle Myra, who was good enough +to have that little quarrel with her aunt's dog just at the time +that I happened to be passing."</p> + +<p>This raised a laugh, which in Myra's case became almost +hysterical, and her mother had to take her out of the room.</p> + +<p>"Now, Monsieur Duchesne, I will take this opportunity of +returning on board. I promised you that I would come ashore +and dine with you this evening, but I must really make its +fulfilment conditional upon your assuring me that there shall +be no allusion to any of my adventures."</p> + +<p>"At any rate, I will impress upon my wife and daughter +that the subject must be tabooed, and I have no doubt that +they will do their best to avoid it, if they can keep away from +the topic that cannot but be present in their minds. After +hearing Monsieur Pickard's story—of which, as you must +remember, I am at present wholly ignorant—you see that, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span>intimate as the two families have been, it is not surprising +that they should have been greatly affected by it, especially +as for the last month they have been mourning for them as +dead."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI</h2> + +<h4>TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE</h4> + + +<p>The <i>Agile</i> only remained for two days at Cape François, but +in that time Nat had learned enough of the doings of the +French commissioners to see that the position was becoming +hourly more and more hopeless, and nought short of the arrival +of a powerful army from France under a capable commander, +without political bias and with supreme authority, or the taking +over of the island by the English, could bring back peace and +prosperity. He was, however, rejoiced to know that Monsieur +Duchesne had already taken passages for himself, his wife and +daughter, and the old nurse, to Jamaica, and would leave in a +few days; and that Monsieur Pickard had received and accepted +an offer for his estate, which was at least as good as he had +hoped for, and would also return to Kingston as soon as the +necessary documents could be prepared and signed.</p> + +<p>For some weeks the <i>Agile</i> cruised backwards and forwards +along the coast of Hayti without adventure. Nat had endeavoured, +but unsuccessfully, to open communication with the +blacks under Biassou and François, the two chief negro leaders. +It was seldom, indeed, that he caught sight of a human being +except when cruising in the bay. The mountains along both +the north and the south coast were thinly populated. The white +planters and employees had perished to a man, and all the +smaller villages had been deserted. St. Louis, Jacmel, Fesle,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> +and Sale Trou were occupied by small bodies of French troops, +but most of the settlers had left; and the whole of the negroes +had from the first taken to the mountains. The same was the +case at Port Dauphin, Port de Paix, Le Cap, and St. Nicholas +on the north. It was at St. Nicholas that he was for the first +time able to open communication with the negroes. He had +anchored in the bay, and, among the native boats that came off +to sell fruit and fresh meat, was one in which a mulatto of +shabby appearance was seated in the stern. As the boat came +alongside he stood up, and said to Turnbull, who was leaning +on the rail watching the sailors bargaining with the negroes:</p> + +<p>"Can I speak with the captain, sir? I have a message for +him."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I have no doubt that he will see you. Come on +deck."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 513px;"> +<img src="images/i012.jpg" width="513" height="800" alt="Page 294" title="" /> +<span class="caption">A MESSAGE FROM TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE.</span> +</div> + +<p>The man climbed up the side, and followed Turnbull aft to +where Nat was sitting.</p> + +<p>"This man wants to speak to you, sir."</p> + +<p>"I am the bearer of a letter," he said, "to the English +officer commanding this ship," and he handed him a very small +note. It was as follows:—</p> + +<p class="pblockquot"><i>Sir,—As there are rumours that some of the people of this +island have opened negotiations with the governor of Jamaica, we, +who represent the coloured people of this country, will be glad to +have a conversation with you, and to learn from you what would +probably be the conditions on which your country would be likely +to accept the sovereignty of this island. What would be the condition +of the coloured people here if they did so? Should we be +guaranteed our freedom and rights as men, or would it mean +merely a change of masters? If you are willing to accede to this +invitation, I will personally guarantee your safety, and that, +whatever the result of our conversation might be, you shall be +es</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span><i>corted in safety back to your ship. We are willing that you +should be accompanied by not more than six of your sailors, for +whose safety I would be equally responsible. The bearer of this +will arrange with you as to the point and hour at which you +would land.</i></p> + +<p>This was signed "Toussaint."</p> + +<p>Nat remembered the name.</p> + +<p>"Is the writer of this the man who was the coachman of +Monsieur Bayou, the agent of the Count de Noé?"</p> + +<p>"The same, sir. He is now next in command to Biassou and +François. He is greatly respected among the negroes, and is +their chief doctor."</p> + +<p>"I have met him, and know that he is worthy of confidence. +This is just what we have been wanting, Turnbull," he said, +handing the letter to him.</p> + +<p>"Then you know this man?" Turnbull said, after he had read +it, and stepped a few paces away from the messenger, so as to +be able to converse unheard by him.</p> + +<p>"Yes, he is one of the few who remained faithful at the +rising, concealed his master and family in the woods, and got +them safely off. I had an interview with him, and endeavoured +to get him to do as much for Madame Duchesne, but he refused, +saying that he had done his duty to his master and must now +do it to his countrymen. I had frequently spoken with him +before. He bore a very high character, and was much respected +by all the negroes in the plantations round. As you +see, he writes and expresses himself well, and has, indeed, +received a very fair education, and is as intelligent as an +ordinary white man. I am quite sure that I can place confidence +in him."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps so, but the question is not whether he would be +willing, but whether he would have the power, to ensure your<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> +safety. Biassou is, by all accounts, a perfect monster of +cruelty."</p> + +<p>"Yes, they say he is the most fiendish of all these savage +brutes. Of course I must risk that. My instructions, as you +know, are to open communication with the negroes, if possible, +and ascertain their intentions. This is the first opportunity +that has offered, and I can hardly expect a more favourable +one."</p> + +<p>"You will take one of us with you, I hope."</p> + +<p>"No; if anything happens to me the <i>Agile</i> must have a +captain, and you would want at least one officer."</p> + +<p>He returned to the mulatto.</p> + +<p>"Shall I give you a message in writing, or will you take it +by word of mouth?"</p> + +<p>"I do not want writing, sir; if I were searched, and it were +found that I was an agent of Toussaint, I should be hung at +once. You give me a message, and I will repeat it."</p> + +<p>"Tell Toussaint that the commander of this ship is Mr. +Glover, whom he will remember to have seen at Monsieur +Duchesne's plantation and elsewhere, and who knows him to +be an honourable man, and will therefore trust himself in the +mountains relying upon his promise of protection. You +understand that?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>"Please repeat my words."</p> + +<p>The man did so.</p> + +<p>"How far is Toussaint from here?"</p> + +<p>"Six hours' journey among the hills."</p> + +<p>"Then tell him that I will land to-morrow night, or rather +the next morning, an hour before daybreak—that is to say, at +about half-past four. That time will be best, because the boat +will return to the ship before it is light enough for it to be +seen. Where do you propose that I shall go?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You see that rock near the end of the point to the south?—it +is about three miles from there. To the left of that rock is a +sandy beach, which is a good place for landing. Your escort +will be there waiting for you."</p> + +<p>The mulatto bowed, and at once went over the side and got +into his boat, while the two men who had rowed him out were +still busy selling fruit to the crew. Nat told Sambo to go and +buy some fruit, not because they really wanted it, for a supply +had already been bought, but in order that, should any of the +negroes in the other boats have noticed the mulatto coming on +board, it would be supposed that he had done so in order to +persuade the steward to deal with him. The next day four +picked men were chosen to accompany Nat. They were to +take no muskets with them, but each was to carry, in addition +to his cutlass, a pistol in his belt, and another concealed in +the bosom of his shirt. The absence of muskets was intended +to show the negroes that the party had no fear as to their +safety. Nat himself intended to carry only his sword, and +a double-barrelled pistol in his belt. At four o'clock on the +following morning, he and the four men took their places in +the gig, and were rowed ashore to the point agreed on. As +they landed a negro came down to meet them.</p> + +<p>"Toussaint charged me to tell you, sir, that he has sent +twelve men down, and that he has done so lest you should +meet other parties of our people who might not know of this +safe-conduct that he has given you."</p> + +<p>And he handed a document to Nat.</p> + +<p>"He has done well," Nat said. "I know that I can rely +upon Toussaint, but I myself have thought it possible that we +might fall in with men of other bands, and I have therefore +brought four of my sailors with me. I am ready to start with +you whenever you choose."</p> + +<p>"We will go on at once. The hills are very close here, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> +it is best that we should be well among them before it is daylight, +or we might be noticed by someone in the town. They +would not concern themselves much with us, but your dress +and that of the sailors would be sure to cause talk and excite +suspicion among the soldiers."</p> + +<p>He went up to some negroes standing a short distance away +and gave them an order. They at once started. He himself +took his place by Nat, and the sailors followed close behind.</p> + +<p>"You talk French very well," Nat said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, thanks to Toussaint. You do not remember me, +though I should know you were it daylight, for I have seen +you several times when you have been over at our plantation +with Mademoiselle Duchesne. I was chief helper in Monsieur +Bayou's stables. Of an evening Toussaint had a sort of school, +and four or five of us always went to him, and I learned to read +and write, and to talk French as the whites talk it and not as +we do. He is a good man, and we all love him. There are +many who think he will one day be king of the island; he +knows much more than any of the others. But it may be +that he will be killed before that, for Biassou hates him because +he does not like his cruel ways and speaks boldly against +them, which no one else dare do, not even François, whom we +all regard as equal in rank to him.</p> + +<p>"There have been many quarrels, but Biassou knows well +enough that if he were to hurt Toussaint there would be a +general outcry, and that he and the men who carried out his +orders would assuredly be killed. For all that no one doubts +that he would get Toussaint removed quietly if there was +a chance of doing so, but we do not mean to give him the +chance. There are twenty of us who keep guard over him. +As for Toussaint, he is not like the others, who, when there is +nothing else to be done, spend their time in feasting and +drinking. He is always busy attending to the wounded who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> +are brought up to him, or the sick, of whom there are many, +for the cold air in the mountains has brought down great +numbers with the fever, especially those whose plantations lay +on the plain, and who were accustomed to sleep in huts. Very +many have died, but Toussaint has saved many, and were it +needed he could have two hundred for his guard instead of +twenty.</p> + +<p>"But indeed he thinks not of danger, his whole thoughts +are taken up with his work; and he is often without regular +sleep for nights together, so great is the need for his services."</p> + +<p>The ground at once began to rise rapidly, and before the +day fairly broke they were high among the hills. When it +became light Nat examined the document Toussaint had sent +to him. It ran as follows:—</p> + +<p class="pblockquot"><i>I, Toussaint, do give notice to all that I have given this safe-conduct +and my solemn promise for his safety to Monsieur Glover, +a British officer, with whom I desire to converse on matters of +importance.</i></p> + +<p>Then followed his signature and a great seal in red wax.</p> + +<p>"It was the one Monsieur Bayou used," the negro said. +"Toussaint brought it and the wax from his office, and uses +it often, so that we may all recognize it when we see it—for, +as you know, sir, there are scarcely any of our people who +can read."</p> + +<p>After three hours' walking the man pointed out a wood near +the crest of a high hill a mile distant.</p> + +<p>"Toussaint is there," he said. "He accompanied us to that +point in order that you should have less distance to travel."</p> + +<p>Nat was by no means sorry at the news. The way had been +very steep and difficult, and the sun had now gained great +power. As they neared the edge of the wood, Toussaint came +out to meet him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I am glad to see you, Monsieur Glover," he said quietly. +"I learned from our people at Cape François that you had +returned there with Madame Duchesne and her daughter, and +I rejoiced indeed at your escape, which seemed to me marvellous, +for how you avoided the search made for you I could +not tell. They told me that Madame Duchesne was carried +down on a litter, which must have greatly added to your difficulties. +I hardly thought, monsieur, when I saw you last that +we should thus meet again, I as one of the leaders of my +people, you as commander of an English ship."</p> + +<p>"No; things change quickly, Toussaint."</p> + +<p>The negro led the way to a rough hut constructed of boughs +and trees in the centre of the clump.</p> + +<p>"You must need breakfast, and, as you see, it is ready for +you. Your men will be cared for."</p> + +<p>The breakfast was rough, but Nat enjoyed it greatly. Toussaint +remarked that he himself had breakfasted an hour before, +and he talked while his guest ate.</p> + +<p>"It is as well," he said, "that you should be down near the +spot where you landed before it is dark, for the track is far +too rough to travel after dark. I suppose you have ordered +your boat to come to fetch you?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I ordered it to be there as soon as it could leave the +ship without being seen from the shore; but I hardly thought +that I should be able to return this evening, as your messenger +told me that your camp was six hours' journey among the +hills."</p> + +<p>"Yes, my camp is there, and I too would like to return +before nightfall. There are many who need my care, and I +have already been too long away. Now, Monsieur Glover, +as to the subject on which I asked you to come to converse +with me. We have heard that some of the planters have sent +a deputation to Jamaica asking the governor to send troops to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> +take this island for England. We, as you doubtless know, +are not for the republic. We call ourselves the royal army, +seeing that the National Assembly of France refuse to do anything +for us. It is true that their commissioners at Cape +François have issued a proclamation offering a free pardon to +all who have been concerned in the insurrection, and freedom +and equal rights to men of all colour. We do not believe +them. The Assembly care nothing for us. They passed a +decree giving rights to the mulattoes, but in no way affecting +us; and then, directly they found that the mulattoes were +exercising their rights, they passed another decree reversing +the first. One cannot expect good faith in men like these; +they would wait till we had laid down our arms and returned +to our plantations, and then they would shoot us down like +dogs, just as they are murdering all the best men of their own +country and keeping their king a prisoner. Therefore we do +not recognize the republic, but are for the king."</p> + +<p>"I fear there will soon be no king for you to recognize," +Nat said; "everything points to the fact that they are determined +to murder him, as they have murdered every noble and +every good man in the country."</p> + +<p>"I see that," Toussaint said gravely, "but the number of +those who know what is passing in France is small. However, +we who do know, and are responsible for the mass who trust +in us, must consider what is the best thing to do. Do you +think there will be a war between France and England?"</p> + +<p>"I think that if the king is murdered the indignation in +England, which is already intense, will be so great that war is +certain."</p> + +<p>"So much the better for us," Toussaint said. "The more +they fight against each other, the less will they be able to pay +attention to Hayti; but on the other hand the more likely will +it be that the English will endeavour to obtain possession of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> +this island. Now, between the French and the English we +have no great choice. We regard ourselves as French; we +speak the French language, and have, ever since the colony +was first formed, lived under the French flag. Then, on the +other hand, the French have been our masters, and we are +determined that they shall never again be so. Now as to +your people. In their own islands they have slaves just as +the French have here, and we have no intention of changing +slavery under one set of masters for slavery under another. +Now, sir, do you think that if the English were to come here +they would guarantee that slavery should never exist again in +the island?"</p> + +<p>"That I cannot say," Nat said. "I cannot answer for what +the British parliament would do in that matter. The feeling +against slavery is growing very fast in England, and I feel +convinced that before long a law will be passed putting a +stop altogether to the transportation of negroes from Africa; +but whether that feeling will, at any rate for a long time, so +gain in strength as to cause parliament to pass a law abolishing +slavery altogether in British dominions, is more than I can +say. It would be a tremendous step to take. It would mean +absolute ruin to our islands; for you know as well as I do that +your people are not disposed for work, and would never make +steady labourers if allowed to live in their own way. Then +you see, were slavery abolished altogether in this island, it +would be difficult in the extreme to continue it in others."</p> + +<p>"But they would not find us as slaves here," Toussaint said. +"They would find us a free people, without masters, unattached +to any plantation or to any regular toil; we should be like the +Caribs in Jamaica. It would be as if they came to a land +which foreigners had never visited. They would find a people +with arms in their hands, and perfectly capable of defending +themselves, but ready to accept the sovereignty of England<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> +on the condition that our personal liberty was in no way +interfered with."</p> + +<p>"There is a great deal in what you say, Toussaint, and to-morrow +I shall sail for Jamaica and explain exactly the line +you take to the admiral. I may say that in coming to see +you I do so in accordance with the orders that I received, to +ascertain if possible the views of the leaders of this movement."</p> + +<p>"If these terms are refused," Toussaint went on, "and your +people invade the island, we shall leave you and the French +to fight it out until we perceive which is the stronger, and as +soon as we do so, shall aid the weaker. I do not say that +we shall stand aloof up to that time, we shall fight against +both, they would be equally our enemies; but if one were +so far getting the better of it as to be likely to drive the other +out, then in self-defence we should unite our forces against it. +I may say that although we and the mulattoes are both fighting +against the French, the alliance is not likely to be a long +one. We all know that if they got the upper hand they +would be far more cruel and more tyrannous than the whites +have been. They have ever looked down upon us, and have +treated us with far greater contempt than have the whites, +who, to do them justice, were kindly masters, and especially +treated their house servants well. There will therefore be +four parties here all hostile to each other. You and the +French will be striving for mastery, we for liberty, the mulattoes +for the domination of the island and for their personal +interest. The way I have pointed out is, in my opinion, the +only one that can bring about peace. If your government +and people will give us a solemn undertaking that in no case +shall slavery ever be re-established, and that all men shall +have equal rights, we will join you heart and soul. When I +say equal rights I do not mean that they shall have votes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> +We are at present absolutely unfit to have votes or to exercise +political power. I only mean that the law shall be the same +for us as for the whites, that we shall be taxed on the same +scale in proportion to our means, that the assembly shall +have no power to make separate laws concerning us, and that, +should they attempt to make such laws, they should be at once +dissolved by the white authorities of the island."</p> + +<p>"I think your proposal a perfectly fair one, Toussaint, and +I have no doubt that any one who has, as I have, a knowledge +of the situation here, would not hesitate to accept it. But I +doubt whether public opinion at home is ripe for a change that +would be denounced by all having an interest in the West +Indian Islands, and declared by them to be absolutely destructive +to their prosperity. However, you may be assured that +I shall represent your offer in the most favourable light. I +must ask, however, are you empowered by the other leaders +to make it?"</p> + +<p>"I have talked the matter with François, who is wholly of +my opinion," Toussaint said. "It is useless to talk to Biassou; +when he is not murdering someone he is drinking; but his +opposition would go for little, except among the very worst of +our people. He is already regarded with horror and disgust, +and you may be assured that his career will ere long come to +an end, in which case François and I will share the power +between us. At the same time I do not blind myself to the +possibility that other leaders may arise. The men of one district +know but little of the others, and may elect their own +chiefs. Still, I think that if I had the authority to say that +the proposal I have made to you had been accepted, I could +count on the support of the great majority of the men of my +colour, for already they are beginning to find that a life of +lawless liberty has its drawbacks. Already we have been +obliged to order that a certain amount of work shall be done<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> +by every man among the plantations beyond the reach of the +towns, in order to ensure a supply of food.</p> + +<p>"The order has been obeyed, but not very willingly, for +there can be no doubt that a portion of the men believed that +when they had once got rid of the masters there would be no +occasion whatever for any further work, but that they would +somehow be supplied with an abundance of all that they +required. The sickness that has prevailed has also had its +effect. There are few, indeed, here who have any knowledge +of medicine, and the poor people have suffered accordingly. +When in the plantations they were always well tended in +sickness, while here they have had neither shelter nor care. +It is all very well to tell them that liberty cannot be obtained +without sacrifices, and that it must be a long time before +things settle down and each man finds work to do, but the +poor people, ignorant as they are, are like children, and think +very little of the future. The effect of centuries of slavery +will take many years to remedy. For myself, although I +believe that we shall finally obtain what we desire, and shall +become undisputed masters of the island, I foresee that our +troubles are only beginning. We have had no training for +self-government. We shall have destroyed the civilization +that reigned here, and shall have nothing to take its place, +and I dread that instead of progressing we may retrograde +until we sink back into the condition in which we lived in +Africa."</p> + +<p>At this moment a negro ran up.</p> + +<p>"Doctor," he said, "there are a large number of our people +close at hand, and I think I can make out Biassou among +them."</p> + +<p>"I fear that we may have some trouble, Monsieur Glover," +Toussaint said quietly, "but be assured that I and those with +me will maintain my safe-conduct with our lives. Biassou<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> +must have arrived at my camp after I left, and he must have +heard there that I was going to meet an English officer, and +has followed me. He was present when François and I +arranged to send a messenger to propose a meeting to you, +and he then assented, but as often as not he forgets in the +morning what he has agreed to overnight."</p> + +<p>He went apart and spoke to his men. Twenty of them had +accompanied him from his camp, and with the twelve who had +formed the escort, and Nat and the sailors, there were in all +thirty-eight, and from the quiet way in which they took up +their arms Nat had little doubt that they would, if necessary, +make a stout fight against Biassou's savages.</p> + +<p>These arrived in two or three minutes. They had evidently +travelled at the top of their speed, for their breath came fast, +and they were bathed in sweat. Their aspect was savage in +the extreme. Most of them wore some garment or other the +spoil of murdered victims, some of them broad Panama-hats, +others had women's shawls wrapped round their waists as sashes, +some had jackets that were once white, others were naked to +the waist. A few had guns, the rest either axes or pikes, and +all carried long knives. Conspicuous among them was Biassou +himself, a negro of almost gigantic stature and immense +strength, to which he owed no small part of his supremacy +among his friends. He came on shouting "Treachery! +treachery!" words that were re-echoed in a hoarse chorus +by his followers, who numbered about a hundred and fifty.</p> + +<p>At the threatening aspect of the new-comers, Toussaint's +men closed up round him, but he signed them to stand back, +and quietly awaited the coming of Biassou. The calmness of +Toussaint had its effect on Biassou. Instead of rushing at him +with his axe, as it had seemed was his intention, he paused and +again shouted "Treachery!"</p> + +<p>"What nonsense are you talking, Biassou?" Toussaint said.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> +"I am carrying out the arrangement to which you and +François agreed the other night, and am having an interview +with this British officer."</p> + +<p>"When did I agree to such a thing?" the great negro +roared.</p> + +<p>"Last Friday night we agreed that it was well that we +should learn the intentions of the English, and that we should +ascertain the position in which we should stand were they to +come here."</p> + +<p>"I remember nothing about it, Toussaint."</p> + +<p>"That is possible enough," the latter replied. "You know +that it is no uncommon thing for you to forget in the morning +what was arranged overnight. This officer has come here on +my invitation and under my safe-conduct, and no man shall +touch him while I live."</p> + +<p>"It is agreed," Biassou said, "and all have sworn to it, that +no white who falls into our hands shall be spared. Such is the +case, is it not?" he said to his followers; and they answered +with a loud shout and began to press forward.</p> + +<p>"These men have not fallen into our hands," Toussaint said, +"they have come here on our invitation, and, as I have told +you, with our safeguard."</p> + +<p>"It is all very well for you to talk, Toussaint; I know you. +You pretend to be with us, but your heart is with the whites, +and you are here to conspire with them against us," and he +raised his axe as if about to rush forward.</p> + +<p>"This is madness, Biassou," Toussaint said sternly. "Have +we not enough enemies now that we should quarrel among +ourselves? You have done enough harm to our cause already +by your horrible cruelties, for which every coloured man who +falls into the hands of the whites has to suffer severely. Beware +how you commence a conflict; you may be more numerous +than we are, but we are better armed, and even if you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> +overpowered us in the end, you would suffer heavily before +you did so."</p> + +<p>"I wish you no harm, Toussaint, but for the last time +I demand that these white men shall be given up to me."</p> + +<p>"And for the last time I refuse," Toussaint said; and his +men without orders moved up close to him.</p> + +<p>Biassou stood for a moment irresolute, and then, with a +shout to his men to follow him, sprang forward. In an +instant Nat threw himself before Toussaint, and when Biassou +was within a couple of yards of him threw up his arm and +levelled his pistol between the negro's eyes.</p> + +<p>"Drop that axe," he shouted, "or you are a dead man!"</p> + +<p>The negro stood like a black statue for an instant. The +pistol was but a foot from his face, and he knew that before +his uplifted axe could fall he would be a dead man.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/i013.jpg" width="510" height="800" alt="Page 308" title="" /> +<span class="caption">“DROP IT!” NAT REPEATED.</span> +</div> + + +<p>"Drop it!" Nat repeated. "If you don't before I count +three, I fire. One—two—" and the negro's axe fell to the +ground. "Stand where you are!" Nat exclaimed, "the +slightest movement and I fire! Come up here, men!"</p> + +<p>The four sailors came up, cutlass in one hand and pistol in +the other.</p> + +<p>"This man is your prisoner," he said. "Keep him between +you, one on each side and the other two behind. If he makes +the slightest movement to escape, or if the blacks behind +approach any nearer, send your four bullets into his brain."</p> + +<p>The men took up their stations as directed.</p> + +<p>"Now, Biassou," he went on, lowering his own pistol, "you +can continue your conference with Toussaint."</p> + +<p>"You see, Biassou," Toussaint said, "you have only +rendered yourself ridiculous. I repeat what I said before, +this officer is here in answer to my invitation sent to him +after François and you had agreed that it was advantageous +to learn what the objects of the English were. If you +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span>question him you will find that it is as I say. We have had +our conference, have expressed our views, and he will repeat +what I have said to the British governor of Jamaica; and +I think that, whatever the result may be, it is well that the +English should understand that we have resolved that, whether +they or the French are the possessors of this island, slavery +is abolished for ever here. He will return at once to the +coast, and will then sail direct for Jamaica. Now, if you +have any observation to make, I shall be glad to hear it."</p> + +<p>"I do not doubt what you say," Biassou replied sullenly; +"but it must be settled by what François says when we rejoin +him."</p> + +<p>"So be it," Toussaint said. "And now, I pray you, let there +be no quarrel between us. I have been forced to withstand +you, because I was bound by a sacred promise. Any divisions +will be fatal to our cause. For the moment you may be in +superior force, but another time those who love and follow +me might be the more numerous. You well know that I am +as faithful to the cause as you are, and we must both set +an example to our followers, that while we may differ as to +the methods by which success is to be gained, we are at one in +our main object."</p> + +<p>"I admit that I was wrong," the great negro said frankly. +"I drank more than was good for me before I started, and my +blood has been heated by the speed with which we followed +you. I am sober now, for which I have to thank," he added +with a grim smile, "this young officer; though I own that I +do not like his method. Let us think no more of it;" and he +held out his hand to Toussaint, which the latter took.</p> + +<p>A shout of satisfaction rose from the negroes on both sides. +The determined attitude of Toussaint's men, the fact that they +had four whites among them, and that almost all of them had +muskets, had cooled the courage of Biassou's followers, who, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> +soon as their leader was captured, saw that even if they gained +the victory, it would be at the cost of at least half their number. +There was no prospect of plunder or of any advantage, +and they knew that, beloved and respected as Toussaint was, it +was very possible that those who did survive the fight would +fall victims to the indignation that would be aroused at the +news of an attack being made upon him.</p> + +<p>"Now that it is all settled we may as well be starting for +the coast, Toussaint," Nat said. "There is nothing more for +us to arrange, and as our presence here might possibly lead to +further trouble, the sooner we are off the better."</p> + +<p>"I will not ask you to stay," the negro said. "I do not +think that we shall have any more trouble, but there is no +saying. Several of Biassou's men have wine-skins with them, +and a quarrel might arise when they had drunk more. I will +send you down under the same escort as before."</p> + +<p>"I do not think that we shall need so many. I should not +like to weaken you so far."</p> + +<p>"There is no fear for me," Toussaint said decidedly. "Arriving +in hot blood they might have attacked me, but I am sure +they will not do so now. They know well enough that I should +be terribly avenged were they to do so. It is quite necessary +that you should take as many men as before, for it is possible +that some of Biassou's men might steal away and follow you."</p> + +<p>A few minutes afterwards Nat set out with his men and his +guard of twelve blacks. It was still some hours before the +time at which he was to be met by the boat. They therefore +halted when within a mile of the shore, and there waited until +it was dark. Then he went on alone with the four sailors to +the beach, and in a few minutes after they arrived there they +heard the sound of the oars of the gig.</p> + +<p>"I am heartily glad to see you back again," Turnbull said +as Nat stepped on to the deck. "Lippincott and I have been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> +horribly uneasy about you all day. Did everything go off +quietly?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, except for two or three minutes, when that bloodthirsty +scoundrel Biassou came upon the scene with a hundred +and fifty of his followers. There was very nearly a shindy +then, but it passed off; for he did not like looking down the +muzzle of my pistol at a few inches from his head, and my +four men made him a prisoner until affairs had taken a +friendly turn, which was not long after. For when the leader +of a party is a prisoner, and his guards have orders to shoot +him instantly if there is any trouble, it is astonishing how +quick people are in coming to an understanding."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I should say so," Turnbull laughed. "However, as +it has turned out well, and you have fulfilled your mission, it +doesn't matter to us; and I hope that we have now done with +this creeping alongshore work."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII</h2> + +<h4>A FRENCH FRIGATE</h4> + + +<p>On arriving at Kingston Nat went on board the flag-ship, +and reported to the admiral the particulars of his visit to +Toussaint.</p> + +<p>"He is evidently a long-headed fellow," the admiral said, +"and from his point of view his proposal is a fair one; but I am +afraid our people at home would never give such an undertaking. +It would be impossible for us to have one island where +the blacks were free, while in all others they would remain +slaves. It would be as much as saying to them, 'If you want +freedom you must fight for it;' and even if the people at home<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> +could bring themselves to pay the immense amount of money +that would be required to emancipate the slaves by indemnifying +their owners, it would nevertheless be the ruin of the +islands, and all connected with them. However, I will take +you ashore to the governor, after my clerk has made a copy +of your report."</p> + +<p>"I have made two copies, sir."</p> + +<p>"All the better. Then we will go at once."</p> + +<p>The governor heard Nat's story, and received his report.</p> + +<p>"It is at least satisfactory," he said, "to have learnt from +one of themselves what the views of the principal leaders are, +and I consider that you have performed your commission exceedingly +well, Lieutenant Glover, and, undoubtedly, at a great +deal of risk to yourself. As to the matter of the communication, +it will of course receive serious attention. It is far too important +a business for anyone to give off-hand an opinion upon it. +I fancy, sir, that you are likely to have more active work before +long, for I think there is no doubt that war will very shortly +be declared with France, and her privateers will be swarming +about these seas."</p> + +<p>It was nearly six months before any special incident took +place. No vessel had been missing since the capture of the +<i>Agile</i>, and it was evident that any pirates there might have +been among the islands had moved to waters where they could +carry on their trade with less interruption. The <i>Agile</i> cruised +about among the islands, and although she had a pleasant time, +officers and men alike grew impatient at the uneventful nature +of their work. Things were but little changed in Hayti. +Biassou had been deprived of his command, and it was surmised +that he had been murdered, but at any rate he was never +heard of again. François and Toussaint commanded, but the +former came to be so jealous of Toussaint's popularity that +the latter was obliged to retire, and to cross the frontier into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> +Spanish part of the island. There he was well received, and +showed great ability in various actions against the French, with +whom Spain was then at war. He and many other negroes +had declared for Spain, upon the singular ground that they +had always been governed by a king, and preferred to be ruled +by the king of Spain rather than by a republic.</p> + +<p>With only six hundred men Toussaint drove fifteen hundred +French out of a strong post which they occupied in the Spanish +town of Raphaelita, and afterwards took several other posts +and villages. It was for these successes that he gained the +name of L'Ouverture, or opener, and the Marquis D'Hermona +gave him the rank of lieutenant-general. The three French +commissioners had returned to France, and had been succeeded +by two others, Santhonax and Poveren, the former a +ruffian of the same type as those who were deluging the soil +of France with its best blood, and who made themselves odious +to both parties by their brutality and greed. At last, at the +end of February, 1793, came the news of the execution of the +king of France, and the certainty that war was imminent.</p> + +<p>"Now we shall have more lively times," Turnbull said. "It +has been dull enough of late."</p> + +<p>"There has been nothing to grumble at," the surgeon said. +"What would you have? Haven't we been sailing about like +gentlemen, with nothing to do but to drink and sleep, and look +at the islands, and take things easy altogether?"</p> + +<p>"Don't you talk, Doyle," Turnbull said, laughing. "There +is no one who has grumbled more than yourself."</p> + +<p>"That is in the cause of science," the Irishman retorted. +"How can I ever become a distinguished man, and show what +is in me, and make all sorts of discoveries, if there is never a +chance that comes in my way? There are my instruments +all ready for use, they might as well be at the bottom of the +sea. I hone them once a week, and well-nigh shed tears be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span>cause +of the good work they ought to be doing. It is all very +well for you, Turnbull, you won't forget how to kill a man +when the time comes; but let me tell you that any fellow who +doesn't know his A B C can kill a man, whereas it takes a +man of science to cure him."</p> + +<p>"There is a good deal in that, Doyle," Nat said, when the +laugh had subsided, "though I don't know that I considered it +in that light before; but that, perhaps, is because I have tried +one and never tried the other."</p> + +<p>"It's a fine thing," Doyle said, "to be a surgeon. There +you see a man with his legs shot off. If it was not for you +he would die. You take him in hand, you amputate a bit +higher up, you make him tidy and comfortable, and there he +is walking about almost as well as if he had two legs; and +although he is not fit for ship service again, he would be as +good a man in a fight with a cudgel as ever he was. Now I +ask you fairly, what is there that you can do to compare with +that?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing in that way, I must admit," Nat laughed, +"Well, you may be having an opportunity of showing your +superiority before long. This is just the ground the French +privateers are likely to choose. There are plenty of French +ports for them to put into, hundreds of bays where they could +lie hidden, and lots of shipping to plunder. No doubt they +will be thick in the channel and down the straits, but our +merchantmen will not think of going there unless in large +fleets or under convoy of ships of war; while here, though they +might be guarded on their way across the Atlantic, they would +have to scatter as soon as they were among the islands. Well, +we must look out that we are not caught napping. Of course, +until we get news that war is declared we can't fire upon a +Frenchman; while if one arrived with the news before we got +it, he might sail up close by us and pour in a broadside."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span></p> + +<p>"At any rate we are likely to take some prizes," Lippincott +said, "for the instant we get the news we can pounce upon +any French merchantman."</p> + +<p>"Yes; those homeward-bound could hardly hear the news as +soon as we do, while of those coming out many slow sailers +will have left before war is declared, and may not be here for +weeks after we hear of it. The great thing will be for us +to put ourselves on the main line of traffic. As we have +received no special orders we can cruise where we like. I +should say that coming from France, they would be likely +to keep down the coast of Spain and on to Madeira before +they strike across, as in that way they would be altogether +out of the line of the Gulf Stream. Then, if they were +making for Hayti, they would probably be coming along west +on or about the 20th parallel north; while, if making for +Guadeloupe or Martinique, they would be some three or four +degrees farther south. Probably privateers would follow the +same lines, as before commencing operations they would want +to take in provisions and water, to learn where our cruisers are +likely to be, to pick up pilots, and so on. So I should say +that we can cruise about these waters for another fortnight +safely, and then go through the Caribbean Islands and cruise +some seventy or eighty miles beyond them, carefully avoiding +putting into any of our own islands as we pass."</p> + +<p>"Why should you do that?" Turnbull asked.</p> + +<p>"Because the chances are that we should find, either at +Barbados or St. Lucia or Dominica—or, in fact, at any of the +other islands, one of our frigates, or at any rate, some officer +senior to me; and in that case, as we have no fixed orders +from the admiral, we might be detained or sent off in some +direction that might not suit us at all."</p> + +<p>"Good!" Doyle said. "It is always a safe rule to keep out +of the way of a bigger man than yourself. I have always<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> +observed that a captain of a man-of-war or of a frigate is sure +to be down on small craft, if he gets a chance. It is like a big +boy at school fagging a little one; he could do quite as well +without him, but it is just a matter of devilment and to show +his authority. Heaven protect us against falling in with a +frigate. If she were a Frenchman she would sink us; if she +were a Britisher she would bully us."</p> + +<p>They reached the ground on which Nat had decided to +cruise. Three days later the look-out at the mast-head shouted +"Sail ho!" the words acting like an electric shock to those on +deck.</p> + +<p>"How does it bear?"</p> + +<p>"About east by north, sir. There are three vessels; I can +only see their topsails at present. Two of them are a bit +bigger than the third. They look to me to be merchantmen. +I should say the other, by the cut of his sails, is a Frenchman."</p> + +<p>A low cheer broke from the men. "Now, if that fellow +brings news that war is declared, we are in luck," Nat said. +"Either he is convoying two French merchantmen he has +overtaken, or he has two British prizes he has picked up. +If they are English, we shall not get so much prize-money; +but then we shall have less difficulty with the privateer, +if privateer she is, because she must have put a good many of +her hands an board the prizes. So we can in either case count +upon doing well. At any rate they are not likely to suspect +that we are English, being French-built and French-rigged. +Even if they have a doubt, they will be satisfied as soon as they +see the name on our bows. We will not get up any more +sail."</p> + +<p>"I will go up and have a look at her," Turnbull said; and +slinging his glass over his shoulder he went aloft.</p> + +<p>"I think," he called down, after a long look at them, "that +the middle ship is a good deal larger than she looks; and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> +others are carrying every stitch of canvas, but she has neither +royals nor topgallant-sails. Her yards have a wide spread, +and I am inclined to think that she is a frigate or a large +corvette—certainly a French one. As to the others, I cannot +say with certainty, but I rather fancy they are English; in +which case she has captured them on the way, and, being +much faster than they are, has to go under easy sail to keep +with them."</p> + +<p>"Well, I hope she is not too big for us," Nat said, as +Turnbull rejoined him.</p> + +<p>"What should you call too big, sir?" Turnbull asked with a +smile.</p> + +<p>"Well, I should say that a fifty was too big."</p> + +<p>"I should think so indeed. A twenty-gun sloop would be a +pretty formidable opponent."</p> + +<p>"Yes, a twenty would about suit us, especially as she may have +fifty of her men on board the other craft—that is, if they are +her prizes. It is the men that I am more afraid of than the +guns. Two to one are no great odds in guns, especially as +we generally work ours faster than the French do; but when +it comes to a hundred and fifty men or so against forty, it +may be very unpleasant if we get a spar knocked away and +they come alongside of us. We may as well get the French +flag up at once. With a good glass they could make it out a +long way off. Let the men have their breakfast, it is a bad +thing to fight fasting."</p> + +<p>The men were not long over their meal; by the time they +came on deck again the strangers were within five or six miles. +The wind was in the north-east, and the <i>Agile</i> was almost close-hauled, +while the others had the wind broad on their quarters. +There was now no longer any doubt that the outside vessels +were two large British West Indiamen, and the fact that they +were in company with what was undoubtedly a French frigate<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> +was regarded as absolute proof that war had been declared, +and that the French ship of war on her way out to the colonies +with the news had overtaken and captured the two British +ships, which were probably sailing in company. As they +approached, the <i>Agile</i> was luffed up more into the wind in +order to pass between the Frenchman and the prize within +a few cables' length to starboard of him.</p> + +<p>"How many guns do you make her out to be, Mr. Lippincott?"</p> + +<p>"I think that she has eighteen guns on a broadside."</p> + +<p>"The odds are pretty strongly against us," Nat said; "but +we shall have the weather-gauge, that counts for a good deal. +Anyhow, we shall be able to annoy her, and possibly, if we +hang on to her, the sound of firing will bring up one of our +cruisers from Barbuda or Antigua."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 485px;"> +<img src="images/i014.jpg" width="485" height="800" alt="Page 318" title="" /> +<span class="caption">NAT SPRANG ON TO THE RAIL.</span> +</div> + +<p>An awning which was stretched over the quarter-deck had +not been taken down, and as the brigantine approached the +French frigate, there was no sign that her intentions were not +of a peaceable nature. The French ensign floated from the +peak, the sailors on deck were lounging about, some with +their jackets on, others in their shirts, and only a few with +hats on seemed to be watching with idle curiosity the approaching +vessels. Nat and the officers retained their uniforms, +for as only their heads and shoulders showed over the rail, +there was nothing to distinguish them from those of a fine +French privateer, for these generally adopted a regular naval +dress. The two vessels were but fifty yards apart as they +met. Nat sprang on to the rail, and in reply to the hail from +the Frenchman, "What ship is that?" raised his cap in salute +and shouted:</p> + +<p>"The <i>Agile</i> of Bordeaux. Have you any news from France, +sir?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, war has been declared with England."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span></p> +<p>"Thank you, that is good news indeed," and he leapt down +on to the deck.</p> + +<p>The vessels were both travelling at a speed of about eight +knots an hour, and were already passing one another fast, when, +as Nat waved his hand, the French flag was run down, an +English ensign already fastened to the halyards was simultaneously +run up, and a moment later the five guns, which +had previously been trained to bear aft and double-shotted, +poured their broadside into the quarters of the French frigate. +Shouts of surprise and fury rose from her; no thought that +the little craft so fearlessly approaching her was an enemy +had crossed the mind of any on board, still less that if British +she would venture to fire upon so vastly superior a foe.</p> + +<p>"About ship!" Nat said, the instant the guns had been fired. +The sail-trimmers were at their places, the <i>Agile</i> shot up into +the wind, her head paid off, and she swept round on the other +tack, crossing the stern of the Frenchman, her guns on the +starboard side sending their shot in through his stern windows, +and raking his whole length as they were brought to bear; +then she wore round on her heel, the guns on the larboard +side were reloaded, and she again raked the Frenchman. So +far not a single shot had been fired in return. The din on +board the frigate was prodigious, as the guns had to be cast +loose, magazines opened, powder and shot carried up, and the +sails trimmed to enable her to bear up so as to show her broadside +to her puny foe.</p> + +<p>Before she could do so the <i>Agile</i>, true to her name, was +again round. The Frenchmen, confused by the variety of +orders issued, were slow at their work, and as their opponent +came up into the wind the brigantine was again astern of them, +and raked them this time with heavy charges of grape. A +chorus of shrieks and cries from the frigate told how terrible +was the effect.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span></p> + +<p>"By St. Patrick," the surgeon exclaimed to Lippincott, "it +is grand! But it looks as if the captain wasn't going to give +me a chance, and all me instruments laid out ready for action."</p> + +<p>"Never mind, doctor, you will be able to practise on the +Frenchmen," Lippincott laughed.</p> + +<p>But the French captain knew his business, and putting his +helm over again, ran off the wind, so that the two vessels +were now on the same tack, with the <i>Agile</i> on her opponent's +quarter. Several of the French guns were now brought to bear, +but their discharge was too hurried, and owing to the brigantine +lying so much lower in the water, the shot flew between +her masts or made holes in her mainsail. In a moment she +was round again, and crossed her opponent's stern at a distance +of some thirty yards, the word being passed along that the +gunners were to aim at the rudder-post and to double-shot the +guns. A loud cheer rose as two of the shots struck the mark. +The Frenchman replied with a volley of musketry from the +marines gathered on her poop. Three of the sailors fell, and +several others were hit.</p> + +<p>The Frenchman was, when the <i>Agile</i> delivered her last +broadside, running nearly before the wind, and it was speedily +evident that the injury to her rudder had been fatal, for +although she attempted by trimming her sails again to bear +up, each time she fell off, though not before some of her +shot had hulled her active opponent. Seeing, however, that +he must now be easily outmanœuvred, the Frenchman made +no further effort to change his course, but continued doggedly +on his way, the topmen swarming aloft and shaking out more +canvas. The <i>Agile</i> followed the frigate's example, and placing +herself on her stern quarter, kept up a steady fire, yawing +when necessary to bring all her guns to bear, the French +replying occasionally with one of their stern guns. Owing to +the accelerated speed at which both vessels were now going,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> +the Indiamen had been left behind. Half an hour later the +frigate's mizzen-mast, which had been severely wounded by +the first broadside, went over her side. Cheer after cheer +rose from the <i>Agile</i>; her opponent was now at her mercy. +She had but to repeat the tactics with which she had begun +the fight. Just as Nat gave the order to do so, musket shots +were heard in the distance. The crew of one of the merchantmen +had been allowed to remain on deck, as, being under the +guns of the frigate, there was no possibility of their attempting +to overpower their captors. As soon, however, as it became +evident that the frigate was getting the worst of it, they had +been hurried below, and the hatches dropped over them. +From the port-holes, however, they could obtain a view of +what was going on ahead of them, and as soon as they saw +the frigate's mast go by the board, they armed themselves +with anything that would serve as weapons, managed to push +up the after-hatch, and rushed on deck. The prize crew were +all clustered forward watching the fight; a shout from the +helmsman apprised them of their danger, and they rushed aft. +They were, however, less numerous than the British sailors, +and no better armed, for, believing that the frigate would +easily crush her tiny assailant, they were unprepared to take +any part in the fight.</p> + +<p>The contest was a very short one. Knowing that the frigate +was crippled, and that the brigantine would soon be free to +return to them, the Frenchmen saw that they must eventually +be taken, and the officer in command being knocked senseless +with a belaying-pin, they threw down their knives and surrendered. +The other Indiaman at once put down her helm +on seeing that the British flag was being run up on her +consort.</p> + +<p>"We must not let that fellow get away," Nat said; "we +can leave the frigate alone for half an hour. We will give him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> +two more broadsides with grape through his stern windows, +and then bear up after that lumbering merchantman. We +shall be alongside in half an hour."</p> + +<p>In less than that time they were within pistol-shot of the +West Indiaman, and the prize crew at once hauled down their +flag. The <i>Agile</i> went alongside, released the prisoners, who +had been securely fastened in the hold, and replaced them by +the French crew. The Indiaman's officers had been allowed to +remain on deck.</p> + +<p>"Now, captain," Nat said to the English master, "please +keep every sail full and follow us. It will not be long before +we settle with the frigate, and we shall then run down to Barbados."</p> + +<p>The master, who was greatly surprised at the youth of the +officer who had so ably handled his ship against an immensely +superior foe, said:</p> + +<p>"Allow me to congratulate you on the splendid way in which +you have handled your vessel. I could scarcely believe my +eyes when you opened fire on the frigate. It seemed impossible +that you should have thought of really engaging such an +opponent."</p> + +<p>"You see, we had the weather gauge of her, captain, and the +brigantine is both fast and handy. But I must be off now +before they have time to get into fighting trim again."</p> + +<p>In another half-hour he was in his old position under the +frigate's quarter, and was preparing to resume his former +tactics, when the French flag fluttered down amid the cheers +of the <i>Agile's</i> crew, which were faintly repeated by the two +merchantmen a mile astern.</p> + +<p>"I am heartily glad that they have surrendered," Nat said to +Turnbull; "it would have been a mere massacre if they had +been obstinate. Now, will you go on board and see what state +she is in. Do not accept the officers' swords. They have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> +done all that they could, but they really never had a chance +after we had once got in the right position. Order all unwounded +men below. As soon as you return with your report +as to the state of things, I will send you off again with twenty +men to take command. You had better bring the officers back +with you. Mr. Lippincott, hoist a signal to the merchantmen +to lie to as soon as they get abreast of us."</p> + +<p>Mr. Turnbull returned in twenty minutes.</p> + +<p>"It is an awful sight," he said. "The captain and the two +senior lieutenants are killed, and it was the third lieutenant +who ordered the flag to be lowered. Her name is the <i>Spartane</i>. +She carried a crew of three hundred men, of whom fifty were +on board her prizes. She has lost ninety killed, and there are +nearly as many more wounded, of whom at least half are hit +with grape, and I fancy few of them will recover; the others +are splinter wounds, some of them very bad. There are two +surgeons at work. I told them that ours would come to their +assistance as soon as he had done with our own wounded."</p> + +<p>The third lieutenant and three midshipmen, who were the +sole survivors of the officers of the <i>Spartane</i>, soon came on +board.</p> + +<p>"Gentlemen," Nat said, "I am sorry for your misfortune, +but assuredly you have nothing to reproach yourselves with. +You did all that brave men could do, and did not lower your +flag until further resistance would have been a crime against +humanity."</p> + +<p>The officers bowed; they were too much depressed to reply. +Their mortification was great at being overpowered by a +vessel so much inferior in strength to their own, and the +feeling was increased now by seeing that their conqueror was +a lad no older than the senior of the midshipmen. Turnbull's +cabin was at once allotted to the lieutenant, and a large spare +cabin to the midshipmen. Leaving Lippincott in charge, with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> +ten men, Nat went with Turnbull and the doctor on board the +frigate, and the boat went back to fetch the rest of the crew. +The merchantmen had been signalled to send as many men +as they could spare on board the frigate, and not until these +arrived did Nat feel comfortable. Of his own crew three had +been killed and ten wounded; three of these were fit for duty, +and formed part of Lippincott's party, and the twenty he had +with him seemed lost on board the frigate. Although Turnbull +had had hawsers coiled over the hatches, the thought that +there were nearly a hundred prisoners there, and that there +were enough comparatively slightly wounded to overpower +the two men placed as sentries over each hatchway, was a +very unpleasant one. The arrival, however, of thirty of the +merchant sailors, armed to the teeth, altered the position of +affairs.</p> + +<p>The first duty was to clear the decks of the dead. These +were hastily sewn up in their own hammocks, with a couple of +round shot at their feet, and then launched overboard. Those +of the wounded able to walk were then mustered, and one of +the French surgeons bandaged all the less serious wounds. +After being supplied with a drink of wine and water, they were +taken below, and placed with their companions in the hold. +Then the wreck of the mizzen was cut away, and the frigate +was taken in tow by the <i>Agile</i>, her own sails being left standing +to relieve the strain on the hawsers. The two merchantmen +were signalled to reduce sail, and to follow, and on no account +to lose sight of the stern light of the frigate after it became +dusk. Nat returned, with four of his crew, to the <i>Agile</i>, and +four days later towed the <i>Spartane</i> into the anchorage off +Bridgetown, the chief port of Barbados, the two West Indiamen +following. The <i>Isis</i>, a fine fifty-gun frigate, was lying +there. She had arrived on the previous day, having been +despatched with the news of the outbreak of war. As her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> +captain was evidently the senior officer on the station, Nat was +rowed on board.</p> + +<p>"Are you the officer in command of that brigantine?" the +captain asked in surprise.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir; my name is Glover."</p> + +<p>"Well, Lieutenant Glover, what part did your ship bear in +the fight with that Frenchman? I see by her sails that she +was engaged. Whom had you with you?"</p> + +<p>"We were alone, sir."</p> + +<p>"What!" the captain said, incredulously, "do you mean to +say that, with that little ten-gun craft, you captured a thirty-six-gun +frigate single-handed?"</p> + +<p>"That is so, sir."</p> + +<p>"Well, I congratulate you on it heartily," the captain +exclaimed, shaking Nat by the hand with great cordiality. +"You must tell me all about it. It is an extraordinary feat. +How many men do you carry?"</p> + +<p>"We have forty seamen, sir, and two petty officers."</p> + +<p>"And what are your casualties?"</p> + +<p>"Three killed and ten wounded."</p> + +<p>"What were the casualties of the Frenchmen?"</p> + +<p>"Ninety killed, including the captain and the first and +second lieutenants and five midshipmen, and eighty-three +wounded."</p> + +<p>"And how many prisoners?"</p> + +<p>"In all, a hundred and thirty, sir, of whom five-and-twenty +are on board each of those merchantmen, which had been +captured by the frigate. The crew of one rose and mastered +their captors as soon as they saw the frigate's mizzen-mast fall, +and knew that we must take her. The prize crew in the other +struck their flag as soon as we came within pistol-shot of her. +I shall be glad to receive orders from you as to the disposal +of the prisoners. I have had thirty men from the mer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span>chantmen +on board the <i>Spartane</i>, for I could spare so few men +that the prisoners might, without their assistance, have retaken +her."</p> + +<p>"I will go ashore with you presently and see the governor, +and ask whether he can take charge of them. If he cannot, +you can hand over the greater part of them to me. I shall +sail for Jamaica this evening. As to the prize, I should +advise you to see if you cannot get some spars and rig a jury-mast; +there are sure to be some in the dockyard. While that +is being done you can go through the formalities of inspecting +the Indiamen, for whose salvage you will get a very handsome +sum. At any rate, if I were you I should keep them here +until I was ready to sail, and then go with them and your +prize to Kingston. I should go in in procession, as you did +here. It is a thing that you have a right to be proud of."</p> + +<p>"We need lose no time about the mast, sir. We stripped the +gear off and got it on board the <i>Spartane</i>, and towed her mast +behind her, thinking that perhaps we might not get a suitable +spar here. Of course the lower mast will be short, but that +will matter comparatively little. What is more serious is that +her rudder is smashed."</p> + +<p>"I doubt whether you can get that remedied here. I should +advise you to rig out a temporary rudder. I'll tell you what I +will do—I will send a couple of hundred men on board at +once under my second officer. That will make short work of +it, and I am sure that there is not a man on board who would +not be glad to lend a hand in fitting up a prize that has been +so gallantly won."</p> + +<p>He called his officers, who had been standing apart during +this conversation, and introduced Nat to them, saying:</p> + +<p>"Gentlemen, I never heard Lieutenant Glover's name until +a few minutes ago, but I can with confidence tell you that no +more gallant officer is to be found in the service; and when I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> +say that, with that little ten-gun brigantine and a crew of +forty men, he engaged the French frigate that you see behind +her and forced her to strike, after a fight in which she had a +hundred and seventy men killed or wounded, that he took a +hundred and thirty prisoners, and recaptured those two West +Indiamen which were her prizes, I think you will all agree that +I am not exaggerating. He is naturally very anxious to be off. +The frigate's mizzen-mast is lying astern of her, and will make +an excellent jury-mast, as all the gear is on board, and only +requires shortening. Her rudder is smashed, and a temporary +one must be rigged up; and, knowing that all on board +will be ready and glad to help when they hear what I have +told you, I am going to send two hundred men off at once to +lend a hand. Will you take command, Mr. Lowcock? You +will take with you, of course, the boatswain and his mates and +the carpenters."</p> + +<p>"I should be glad to go too, sir," the first lieutenant said.</p> + +<p>"You and I will go together, Mr. Ferguson, after we have +had a glass of wine and heard from Mr. Glover the details of +this singular action."</p> + +<p>The order was at once given to lower the boats. The story +that the French frigate and her two prizes had been captured +single-handed by the brigantine speedily circulated, and the +men hastened into the boats with alacrity. With them went +the surgeon and his assistant to see if they could be of any +help on board, while the captain, his first lieutenant, and Nat +went into the cabin, and the latter related the details of the +action.</p> + +<p>"Skilfully managed indeed, Mr. Glover!" the captain said +when he had finished; "no one could have done better. It +was fortunate indeed that your little craft was so fast and +handy, for if that frigate had brought her guns to bear fully +upon her she ought to have been able to fairly blow you out of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> +the water with a single broadside. May I ask if this is your +first action?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir; I was in a tender of the <i>Orpheus</i> frigate when she +captured a very strong pirate's hold near the port of Barcela +in Caracas, destroying the place and capturing or blowing up +three of their ships."</p> + +<p>"I remember the affair," the captain said, "and a very gallant +one it was; for, if I am right, the frigate could not get +into the entrance, but landed her men, captured two of the +pirates' batteries, and turned the guns on their ships, while +a schooner she had captured a few days before sailed right in +and engaged them, and was nearly destroyed when one of the +pirates blew up. The officer in command of her was killed, +and a midshipman was very highly spoken of, for he succeeded +to the command, and gallantly went on board another pirate +and drowned their magazine."</p> + +<p>"Much more was said about it than necessary," Nat said.</p> + +<p>The captain looked surprised.</p> + +<p>"By the way," the lieutenant broke in, "I remember the name +now. Are you the Mr. Glover mentioned in the despatches?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir; but, as I said, the captain was good enough to +make more of the affair than it deserved."</p> + +<p>"I expect that he was the best judge of that," the captain +said. "Well, after that?"</p> + +<p>"After that, sir, I had the command of a little four-gun +schooner which was cruising along the coast of Hayti to pick +up fugitives, when I came across the brigantine I now command +in the act of plundering a merchantman she had just +captured. She left her prize and followed me. I was faster +and more weatherly than she was, and having had the luck +to smash the jaws of her gaff after a running fight of seven or +eight miles, was able to get back to the prize and recapture +her before the pirate came up. The crew of the prize came<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span> +up and manned their guns, and between us we engaged the +brigantine and carried her by boarding. On taking her into +Kingston the admiral gave me the command, and raised my +crew from twenty to forty. We have now been cruising for +four or five months, but not until we sighted the frigate and +her prizes have we had the luck to fall in with an enemy."</p> + +<p>"Well, sir," the captain said, "even admitting that you +have had some luck, there is no question that you have utilized +your opportunities and have an extraordinary record, and +if you don't get shot I prophesy that you will be an admiral +before many officers old enough to be your father. Now, I am +sure you must be anxious to get on board your prize as soon +as possible, so we will take you to her at once."</p> + +<p>In a few minutes they were on the deck of the <i>Spartane</i>. +It was a scene of extraordinary activity. The lower mast had +already been parbuckled on to the deck, where sheer-legs had +been erected by another party. The mast was soon in its +place, and the wedges driven in, the shrouds had been shortened, +and men were engaged in tightening the lanyards. The topmast +was on deck ready to be hoisted. The carpenters were +busy constructing a temporary rudder with a long spar, to one +end of which planks were being fixed, so that it looked like a +gigantic paddle. As soon as this was completed, the other +end of the spar was lashed to the taffrail. Strong hawsers +were then to be fastened to the paddle, and brought in one on +each quarter and attached to the drum of the wheel.</p> + +<p>"Now, Mr. Glover," the captain said, after watching the +work for some little time, "I will go ashore with you to the +governor; you ought to pay your respects to him. Fortunately +you will not require any assistance from him, for unless +I am greatly mistaken these jobs will be finished this evening; +the masts and rigging will certainly be fixed before dusk, and +the carpenters must stick to their job till it is done. Like all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> +make-shifts, it will not be so good as the original, but I think +it will serve your turn, for there is little likelihood of bad +weather at this time of year. I suppose you intend to keep +the merchant seamen on board? If not, I will spare you some +hands."</p> + +<p>"I am much obliged, sir, but I think we shall do very well. +It is a fine reaching wind, and we shall scarcely have to handle +a sail between this and Jamaica."</p> + +<p>"Very well, I understand your feeling, you would like to +finish your business without help. That is very natural; I +should do the same in your place."</p> + +<p>"How about the merchantman's papers, sir?"</p> + +<p>"I shall tell the governor that I have ordered them to be +taken to Kingston, where there is a regular prize court, and +therefore it will not be necessary to trouble with their +manifests here."</p> + +<p>"Then, if I have your permission, captain, I will row off +to them at once and tell them to get under sail now; we shall +overhaul them long before they get to Jamaica. They mount +between them six-and-twenty guns, and, keeping together, +no French privateer, if any have arrived, would venture to +attack them, especially as they cannot have received news yet +that war is declared."</p> + +<p>"I think that would be a very good plan," the captain said, +"for if you were to start with them it is clear that you would +only be able to go under half sail. It is evident by your +account that you are faster than the frigate, but with a +reaching wind I suppose there is not more than a knot +between you, and if the wind freshens you would find it hard +to keep up with her."</p> + +<p>The visit was paid. The governor agreed that it would be +better that the Indiamen should sail at once. Indeed, they +had already started, and were two or three miles away before<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span> +Nat and the captain arrived at the governor's house. When +on shore Nat ordered two or three barrels of rum to be sent +off in another boat to the frigate, and on its arrival an allowance +was served out to all the workers. Before nightfall, save +that the mizzen-mast was some twenty feet lower than usual, +and that her stern and quarters were patched in numerous +places with tarred canvas, the <i>Spartane</i> presented her former +appearance. When the majority of the crew had finished +their work, the prisoners were transferred to the <i>Isis</i>. Two +hours later the carpenters and boatswain's party had securely +fixed the temporary rudder, and at daybreak the next morning +the two frigates and the brigantine started on their westward +voyage.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII</h2> + +<h4>ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT</h4> + + +<p>The three vessels kept company until, on the third day +after sailing, they overtook the two merchantmen. Nat, +supposing that the <i>Isis</i> would now leave them, went on board +to thank the captain for the great assistance that he had given +him.</p> + +<p>"I shall stay with you now, Mr. Glover. The news of the +outbreak of war will be known at Jamaica by this time, for +the despatches were sent off on the day before we sailed from +home, by the <i>Fleetwing</i>, which is the fastest corvette in the +service. She was to touch at Antigua and then go straight +on to Port Royal. I was to carry the news to Barbados, so +that it does not make any difference whether I reach Kingston +two hours earlier or later. There is a possibility that the +French may have sent ships off even before they declared war<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> +with us, and as it is certain that there are several war-ships +of theirs out here, one of these might fall in with you before +you reach Jamaica. Therefore as my orders are simply to +report myself to the admiral at Kingston, I think it is quite +in accordance with my duty that I should continue to sail in +company with you."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, sir. There certainly is at least one French +frigate in the bay of Hayti, and if she has received the news +she is quite likely to endeavour to pick up some prizes before +it is generally known, just as the <i>Spartane</i> picked up those +merchantmen, and though possibly we might beat her off, I +should very much prefer to be let alone."</p> + +<p>"Yes, you have done enough for one trip, and I should +much regret were you to be deprived of any of your captures."</p> + +<p>The <i>Agile</i> was signalled to prepare to pick up her boat, and +Nat was soon on board his own craft again. He ran up to +within speaking distance of the <i>Spartane</i>, and shouted to +Turnbull that the <i>Isis</i> was going to remain in company with +them. Turnbull waved his hand, for although he had not +entertained any fear of their being attacked, he felt nervous +at his responsibility if a sudden gale should spring up and +the temporary rudder be carried away. It was a comfort to +him to know that, should this happen, the <i>Isis</i> would doubtless +take him in tow, for in anything like a wind the <i>Agile</i> +would be of little use. However, the weather continued fine, +and in five days after leaving Barbados they entered Kingston +harbour. Three hours before, the <i>Isis</i> had spread all sail, and +entered, dropping anchor half an hour before the <i>Agile</i> sailed +in in charge of the three large ships. The brigantine was +heartily cheered by the crews of all the vessels in port, but it +was naturally supposed that it was the <i>Isis</i> that had done the +principal work in capturing the <i>Spartane</i>. Her captain, however, +had rowed to the flag-ship directly they came in port,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span> +leaving Mr. Ferguson to see to the <i>Spartane</i> being anchored, +and had given him a brief account of the nature of the procession +that was approaching three or four miles away.</p> + +<p>"He is a most extraordinary young officer," the admiral +said. "He first distinguished himself nearly three years ago +by rescuing the daughter of a planter in Hayti, who was +attacked by a fierce hound, and who would have been killed +had he not run up. He was very seriously hurt, but managed +to despatch the animal with his dirk. Since that time he has +been constantly engaged in different adventures. He was in +that desperate fight when the <i>Orpheus</i> broke up a notorious +horde of pirates on the mainland, and distinguished himself +greatly. He was up country in Hayti when the negroes rose, +and he there saved from the blacks a lady and her daughter, +the same girl that he had rescued from the dog, and shot +eight of the villains, but had one of his ribs broken by a ball. +In spite of that, he carried the lady, who was ill with fever, +some thirty miles across a rough country down to Cape +François in a litter.</p> + +<p>"Then I gave him the command of a little cockle-shell of +a schooner mounting four guns, carrying only twenty men. +Hearing of a planter and his family in the hands of the blacks, +he landed the whole of his crew, while expecting himself to +be attacked by boats, and rescued the planter, three ladies, +and six white men, and got them down on board, although +opposed by three hundred negroes. Then he captured the +brigantine he now commands, and a valuable prize that she +had taken, and you say he has now captured a French thirty-six-gun +frigate, after a fight in which she lost in killed and +wounded half her crew, and recovered two Indiamen she had +picked up on her way out."</p> + +<p>They went out on the quarter-deck, where the admiral +repeated to his officers the story that he had just heard, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span> +from them it soon circulated round the ship. Some of the +crew had just cleaned the guns with which they had returned +the salute fired by the <i>Isis</i> as she entered the port on arriving +for the first time on the station, but they were scarcely surprised +when, as the brigantine approached, the first lieutenant +gave the order for ten more blank cartridges to be brought +up, and for the crew to prepare to man the yards. But the +surprise of those on board the other ships of war and the +merchantmen was great when they saw the sailors swarming +up the ratlines and running out on the yards.</p> + +<p>"It is an unusual thing," the admiral remarked to the captains +of the <i>Isis</i> and his own ship, "and possibly contrary to +the rules of the service, but I think the occasion excuses it."</p> + +<p>The brigantine did not salute as she came into the port, as +she was considered to be on the station.</p> + +<p>"What can they be doing on board the flag-ship?" Nat said +to Lippincott.</p> + +<p>"I think they are going to man the yards. It is not the +king's birthday, or anything of that sort, that I know of; but +as it is just eight bells it must be something of the kind."</p> + +<p>As they came nearly abreast of the flag-ship, the signal, +"Well done, <i>Agile</i>!" was run up, and at the same moment there +was a burst of white smoke, and a thundering report, and a +tremendous cheer rose from the seamen on the yards.</p> + +<p>"They are saluting us, sir," Lippincott exclaimed.</p> + +<p>The ensign had been dipped in salute to the flag, and the +salute had been acknowledged by the admiral five minutes +before. Lippincott now sprang to the stern, and again lowered +the ensign. The admiral and all his officers were on their +quarter-deck, and as he raised his cocked hat the others stood +bareheaded. Nat uncovered. He was so moved that he had +difficulty in keeping back his tears, and he felt a deep relief +when the last gun had fired, and the cheers given by his own<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span> +handful of men and by those on board the prizes had ceased. +For the next quarter of an hour he was occupied in seeing that +the four vessels were anchored in safe berths. Then, as the +signal for him to go on board the flag-ship was hoisted, he +reluctantly took his place in the gig, and went to make his +report. The admiral saw by his pale face that he was completely +unnerved, and at once took him into his cabin.</p> + +<p>"I see, Mr. Glover," he began kindly, "that you would much +rather that I did not say anything to you at present. The welcome +that has been given to you speaks more than any words +could do of our appreciation of your gallant feat. I do not say +that you have taken the first prize since war was declared, for +it is probable that other captures have been made nearer home, +but at any rate, it is the first that has been made in these +waters. I was surprised indeed when Captain Talbot told me +that he had a hundred French prisoners on board, and some +fifty wounded. As he had not the mark of a shot either +in his sails or in his hull, I could not understand, until he gave +me an outline of what had taken place—of how he had become +possessed of them. Is your prize much injured?"</p> + +<p>"She has a good many shot-holes on each quarter, sir, and +the stern lights and fittings are all knocked away. She suffered +no very serious damage. She requires a new mizzen-mast; but +there is not a hole in her canvas, which is all new, for we fired +only at the stern, and it was just below the deck that her mast +was damaged."</p> + +<p>"You have, I hope, written a full report of the engagement?"</p> + +<p>Nat handed in his report. It was very short, merely stating +that, having fallen in with the thirty-six-gun French frigate +the <i>Spartane</i>, convoying two prizes, he had engaged her, and +after placing himself on her quarter, had raked her until her +mizzen-mast fell, and her rudder was smashed; that, seeing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> +that she could not get away, he had then returned to the +prizes, which turned out to be the <i>Jane</i> of Liverpool, of eight +hundred tons burden, and the <i>Flora</i> of London, of nine hundred +and thirty. The crew of the latter, on seeing that the +<i>Spartane</i> was crippled, had risen and overpowered the prize +crew. The other struck her colours when he came up to her. +He then returned to the <i>Spartane</i>, which struck her flag without +further resistance.</p> + +<p>"I desire to bring to your notice the great assistance I received +from Lieutenant Turnbull, whom I afterwards placed +in charge of the prize, and from Mr. Lippincott. It is also my +duty to mention that assistant-surgeon Doyle has been indefatigable +in his attentions to my own wounded and those of the +<i>Spartane</i>."</p> + +<p>Then followed the list of his own casualties, and those of +the <i>Spartane</i>.</p> + +<p>"A very official report, Mr. Glover," the admiral said with +a smile, when he had glanced through it. "However, the +admiralty will wish to know the details of an action of so exceptional +a character, and I must therefore ask you to send +me in as complete an account of the affair as possible, both +for my own information and theirs. Now, I think you had +better take a glass of wine. I can see that you really need +one, and you will have to receive the congratulations of my +officers. By the way, do you know anything of the cargoes of +the two ships you retook?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir, I have really not had time to enquire. Till we +left Barbados I was constantly employed, and on my way +out I have kept close to the <i>Spartane</i> in order to be able to +assist at once if anything went wrong with the steering-gear. +I should wish to say, sir, that I feel under the deepest obligations +to Captain Talbot for the great assistance that he and his +crew have rendered me in getting up the jury-mast, and fitting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span> +up the temporary rudder. Had it not been for that I might +have been detained for some time at Barbados."</p> + +<p>Having drunk a glass of wine, Nat went out with the admiral +on to the quarter-deck. The officers pressed round, shook +hands, and congratulated him. It did not last long, for the +admiral said kindly:</p> + +<p>"The sound of our cannon, gentlemen, has had a much +greater effect upon Mr. Glover's nerves than had those of his +prize, and I think we must let him off without any further +congratulations for to-day. Besides, he has a long report to +write for me, and a good many other things to see to."</p> + +<p>Nat was glad indeed to take his place in the gig, and to +return to the <i>Agile</i>. He spent two hours in writing his report +in duplicate. When he had done this he went ashore to the +prize agent to enquire what formalities were needed with regard +to the recaptured merchantmen; and having signed some official +papers, he went up to Monsieur Duchesne's. Monsieur Pickard +and his family had sailed months before for England, but the +Duchesnes were still in possession of the house they had hired. +They enjoyed, they said, so much the feeling of rest and +security that they were by no means anxious for a sea voyage; +and indeed Madame Duchesne was still far from well, and her +husband was reluctant to take her to the cold climate of England +until summer had well set in.</p> + +<p>"Ah, my dear Nat," Madame Duchesne said, "we were +hoping that you would be able to spare time to call to-day. +My husband would have gone off to see you, but he knew that +you had a great deal to do. All the town is talking of your +capture of the French frigate, and the recapture of the two +prizes that she had taken. Several of our friends have come +in to tell us about it; but of course we were not surprised, for +your capturing the frigate with the <i>Agile</i> was no more wonderful +than your taking the <i>Agile</i> with the <i>Arrow</i>."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It was a lucky affair altogether, Madame Duchesne."</p> + +<p>"I knew that you would say so," Myra said indignantly. +"Whatever you do you always say it is luck, as if luck could +do everything. I have no patience with you."</p> + +<p>"I will endeavour not to use the word again in your presence, +Myra," Nat laughed. "But I have no time for an argument +to-day, I have only just run in for a flying visit to see how +you are. I have no end of things to see to, and I suppose +it will be some days before all the business of the prizes is +finished, the frigate formally handed over, and the value of +the Indiamen and their cargo estimated. However, as soon +as I am at all free I will come in for a long talk. You know +that there is nowhere that I feel so happy and at home as I +do here."</p> + +<p>It was indeed three days before he had time to pay another +visit.</p> + +<p>"It is too bad of you, not coming to dinner," Myra said as +he entered. "We really did expect you."</p> + +<p>"I hoped that I should be able to get here in time, but ever +since I saw you I have been going backwards and forwards +between the ships and the shore, calling at the dockyard and +prize court. To-day there has been a regular survey of the +Spartane. They were so long over it that I began to think I +should not be able to get away at all."</p> + +<p>"You will be becoming quite a millionaire," Monsieur +Duchesne said, "if you go on like this."</p> + +<p>"Well, you see, we were lucky—I beg your pardon, Myra—I +mean we were fortunate. We had a very small crew on +board the <i>Arrow</i>, and as it was an independent command, +the whole of the prize-money for the capture of the <i>Agile</i> and +her prize was divided among us, with the exception of the +flag share; and I found, to my surprise, that my share came to +£2500. Without knowing anything of the cargoes of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> +prizes that I have recaptured now, and what will be paid for +the <i>Spartane</i>, I should think that my share would come to +twice as much this time, so that I shall be able before long to +retire into private life—that is, if I have any inclination to do +so."</p> + +<p>"But I suppose," Madame Duchesne said, "that if you +marry you will want to settle down."</p> + +<p>"I am too young to think of such a matter, madame," Nat +laughed. "Why, I am only just nineteen, and it will be quite +soon enough to think of that in another eight or ten years. +But there is no doubt that when the time comes I shall give +up the sea. I don't think it is fair to a wife to leave her at +home while you are running the risk of being shot. It is bad +enough for her in time of peace, but in war-time it must be +terrible for her, and it strikes me that this war is likely to be +a long one. It seems to me that it is a question for a man +to ask himself, whether he loves his profession or a woman +better. If he cares more for the sea, he should remain single; +if he thinks more of the woman, let him settle down with her."</p> + +<p>"That sounds very wise," Monsieur Duchesne said with a +smile, "but when the time comes for the choice I fancy that +most men do not accept either alternative, but marry and still +go to sea."</p> + +<p>"That is all right when they have only their profession to +depend upon," Nat said. "Then, if a woman, with her eyes +open to the fact that he must be away from her for months, +is ready to take a man for better or for worse, I suppose the +temptation is too strong to be withstood. Happily it won't +be put in my way, for even if I never take another ship I shall +have enough to live on quietly ashore."</p> + +<p>"Now, you must tell us the story of the fight," Myra said.</p> + +<p>"The story is told in twenty words," he replied. "She did +not suspect that we were an enemy until we had passed her,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> +and our broadside told her what we were. As the <i>Agile</i> is +faster and much more handy than the frigate, we managed to +keep astern of her, and, sailing backwards and forwards, poured +our broadsides in her stern, while she could scarce get a gun to +bear on us. We managed to cripple her rudder, and after this +the fight was virtually over. However, she kept her flag +flying till we shot away her mizzen, after which, seeing that +she was at our mercy, and that her captain, two lieutenants, +and more than half her crew were killed or wounded, she +lowered her colours. Now, really that is the whole account +of the fight. If I were telling a sailor, who would understand +the nautical terms, I could explain the matter more clearly, +but if I were to talk for an hour you would understand no +more about it than you do now."</p> + +<p>An hour later, Nat went out with Monsieur Duchesne to +smoke a cigar on the verandah, Myra remaining indoors with +her mother, who was afraid of sitting out in the cool evening +breeze.</p> + +<p>"Going back to our conversation about marriage, Nat," +Monsieur Duchesne said, "it is a question which my wife and +I feel some little interest in. You see, it is now more than three +years since you saved Myra's life, after which you rendered +her and my wife inestimable service. Now, I know that in +your country marriages are for the most part arranged between +the young people themselves. With us such an arrangement +would be considered indecent. If your father and mother were +out here, the usual course would be for your mother to approach +my wife and talk the matter over with her. My wife would +consult with me, and finally, when we old people had quite +come to an understanding, your father would speak to you on +the subject. All this is impossible here. Now, it seems to my +wife and myself that, having rendered such inestimable services +to us, and having been thrown with my daughter a good<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span> +deal—who, I may say, without any undue vanity, is a very +attractive young lady—you could scarcely be indifferent to +her.</p> + +<p>"As you said, according to your British notions you are +too young to think of marrying; and, at any rate, my wife has +sounded Myra, and the girl has assured her that you have +never said a word to her that would lead her to believe you +entertained other than what I may call a brotherly affection +for her. Now, I can tell you frankly, that one of our reasons +for remaining here for the past six months has been that we +desired that the matter should be arranged one way or the +other. It has struck us that it was not your youth only that +prevented you from coming to me and asking for Myra's hand, +but a foolish idea that she is, as is undoubtedly the case, a +very rich heiress. Before I go farther, may I ask if that is +the case, and if you really entertain such an affection for my +daughter as would, putting aside all question of money and of +your youth, lead you to ask her hand?"</p> + +<p>"That I can answer at once, sir. Ever since I first met her, +and especially since I saw how bravely she supported that +terrible time when she might fall into the hands of the blacks, I +have thought of your daughter as the most charming girl that +I have ever met. Of course, I was but a lad and she a young +girl—no thought of marriage at that time even entered my +mind. During the past three years that feeling has grown, until +I have found that my happiness depends entirely upon her. I +felt, monsieur, that my lips were sealed, not only by the fact +that she was an heiress and I only a penniless lieutenant, but +because it would be most unfair and ungenerous were I, on the +strength of any services I may have rendered, to ask you for +her hand."</p> + +<p>"It is not on account of those services, much as we recognize +them, that I offer you her hand, but because both her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span> +mother and herself feel that her happiness, which is the great +object of our lives, is involved in the matter. In most cases, +a young lady well brought up does not give her heart until +her father presents to her an eligible suitor. This is an exceptional +case. I do think that any girl whose life had been +saved, as hers was, at the risk of that of her rescuer, and who, +during a most terrible time, came to look up to him as the +protector of herself and her mother, and who, moreover, was +constantly hearing of his daring actions, and to whom her +dearest friends also owed their lives, could not but make him +her hero. I need not say that the subject has not been +mooted to her, and it was because I desired the matter to be +settled before we left for Europe that we have lingered here. +I am glad indeed that I now know your feeling in the matter. +I am conscious that in giving her to you we are securing her +happiness. I have, of course, ever since the day when you +saved her from that dog, watched your character very closely, +and the result has been in all respects satisfactory. Now, I +will go in and tell her that I will take her place by her mother's +side, and that she may as well come out here and keep you +company."</p> + +<p>In a minute Myra stepped out on to the verandah.</p> + +<p>"It is cool and nice here, Nat. I think it would do mother +more good out here than keeping in the house, where in the +first place it is hot, while in the second place it gives me the +horrors to see the way the moths and things fly into the lights +and burn themselves to death."</p> + +<p>"No doubt it is pleasanter here," Nat said, wondering how +he ought to begin.</p> + +<p>"That was very soberly said, Nat," Myra laughed. "One +would think that it was a proposition that required a good deal +of consideration."</p> + +<p>"It was a proposition that received no consideration. In<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span> +point of fact, just at present, dear, my head is a little turned +with a conversation that I have just had with your father."</p> + +<p>"What do you mean?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"I mean that I see before me a great and unlooked-for +happiness, a happiness that I had hardly ventured even to +hope for, but at present it is incomplete; it is for you to crown +it if you can do so. Your father has given his consent to my +telling you that I love you. I do love you truly and earnestly, +Myra, but I should not be content with anything less than +your love. I don't want it to be gratitude. I don't want any +thought of that business with the dog, or of the other business +with the blacks, to have anything to do with it."</p> + +<p>"They must have something to do with it," she said softly, +"for it was owing to these that I first began to love you. It +was at first, no doubt, a girl's love for one who had done so +much for her, but since then it has become a woman's love for +the one man that she should choose out of all. I love you, Nat, +I love you with all my heart."</p> + +<p>Ten minutes later they went hand in hand into the house. +Monsieur Duchesne had told his wife what had occurred in +the verandah, and as they came in she rose and threw her arms +round Myra's neck and kissed her tenderly.</p> + +<p>"You have chosen wisely, my child, and have made us both +very happy. We can give her to you, Monsieur Glover, +without one misgiving; we know that in your hands her life +will be a happy one. And now," she went on with a smile, +"you will have to face that terrible problem you were discussing +an hour since. You will have to choose between a wife +and the sea."</p> + +<p>"The problem may be settled at once, madame," Nat said +with a smile.</p> + +<p>"At any rate, there is no occasion to choose at present," +Madame Duchesne went on. "Myra is but just past sixteen,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span> +and her father and I both think that it is as well that you should +wait at least a couple of years before there is any talk of marriage, +both for her sake and yours. After your brilliant services, +especially in capturing the frigate, you are sure of rapid +promotion, and it would be a pity indeed for you to give up +your profession until you have obtained the rank of captain, +when you could honourably retire. We shall leave for England +very shortly, France is out of the question. As you said, +you and my daughter are both young, and can well afford to +wait."</p> + +<p>"That is so, madame, we quite acquiesce in your decision. +As to your going to England, it is likely that I may be going +there myself very shortly. The admiral hinted to-day that, as +the dockyard people say that the <i>Spartane</i> can be ready for +sea in ten days or so, he will probably send me home in her. +He very kindly kept back my report of the action, and merely +stated that the French frigate <i>Spartane</i> had been brought in +in tow by his majesty's brigantine <i>Agile</i>, together with two +merchantmen she had captured on her way out, which had also +been retaken by the <i>Agile</i>, and said that he thought it was +only fair that I should carry back my own report and his +full despatch on the subject. Of course I may be sent out +again, or I may be employed on other service. At any rate +I shall be able to get a short leave before I go to sea again. +I have been out here now six years, and feel entitled to a +little rest. I would certainly rather be employed in the Mediterranean +than here, for there is more chance of seeing real +service."</p> + +<p>The next day Nat received an order from the admiral to +hand over the command of the <i>Agile</i> to Lieutenant Turnbull. +Lippincott, who would pass his examination and receive his step, +was to act as first lieutenant, and a midshipman from one of +the ships on the station was to be second officer. Nat himself<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> +was ordered to superintend the repairs and fitting out for sea +of the <i>Spartane.</i></p> + +<p>"I am awfully sorry that you are going, Glover," Turnbull +said. "Of course it is a great pull for me being appointed to +the command, but I was very jolly and happy as I was. I +don't think there ever was a pleasanter party on board one of +his majesty's ships. However, of course it is a great lift for +me. I shall try to keep things going as comfortably as you +did."</p> + +<p>"I have no doubt that you will do that, Turnbull, and you +have an able ally in Doyle."</p> + +<p>"Doyle was inconsolable when I came on board yesterday +and told him that you were going home in the <i>Spartane</i>, and +that I was to have the command."</p> + +<p>"It is the worst news that I have heard for many a day," +Doyle had said. "You are very well, Turnbull, and I have no +sort of complaint to make of you, but I am afraid that the +luck will go with Glover. It is his luck and not the ship's; +whatever he has put his hand to has turned out well. I don't +say that he has not done his work as well as it could be done, +but there is no doubt that luck is everything. If one of the +<i>Agile's</i> guns had knocked away a mast or spar from the +<i>Arrow</i> it would have been all up with you; and again, had a +shot from the frigate crippled us, she would have been after +taking the <i>Agile</i> into a French port instead of our bringing +her in here."</p> + +<p>"Yes, but then you see that upon both occasions Glover +put his craft where it was difficult to get their guns to bear on +her."</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes, I know that; but that does not alter it a bit. If +there had been only one shot fired, and had we been an +unlucky boat, it would, sure enough, have brought one of the +spars about our ears."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, Doyle, it may be that it was my luck, and not +Glover's, that pulled us through. You see, I should have been +shot or had my throat cut by the pirates if we had been +taken by them, so possibly I am the good genius of the boat; +or it may be Lippincott."</p> + +<p>"Botheration to you!" the Irishman said, as he saw by a +twinkle in Turnbull's eye that he was really chaffing him; +"there is one thing certain, if you get wounded and fall into +my hands, you will not regard that as a matter of luck."</p> + +<p>"Well, at any rate, doctor, Glover told me half an hour ago +of a piece of luck in which none of us here can share. He is +engaged to that very pretty French girl whom he is always +calling on when we are in port."</p> + +<p>"I thought that was what would come of it, Turnbull," +Lippincott said; "it would be rum if she hadn't fallen in love +with him after all that he did for her."</p> + +<p>"I was greatly taken with her myself," the doctor said, +"the first time she came on board, but I saw with half an eye +that the race was lost before I had time to enter. Besides, I +could not afford to marry without money, and one of these +poor devils of planters, who have had to run away from Hayti +with, for the most part, just the clothes they stood up in, would +hardly make the father-in-law yours faithfully would desire. +I wonder myself how they manage to keep up such a fine +establishment here, but I suppose they had a little put away +in an old stocking, and are just running through it. They are +shiftless people, are these planters, and, having been always +used to luxuries, don't know the value of money."</p> + +<p>Turnbull burst into a fit of laughter in which Lippincott +joined, for in the early days of the cruise on the <i>Arrow</i> they +had heard from Nat how his friends had for generations laid +by a portion of their revenues, and allowed the interest to +accumulate, so that, now that the time had come for utilizing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> +the reserve, they were really much richer people than they +had been when living on their fine plantation. Doyle looked +astonished at their laughter.</p> + +<p>"My dear Doyle," Turnbull went on, "it is too comical to +hear you talking of a shiftless planter—you, belonging as you +do to the most happy-go-lucky race on the face of the earth. +Now, I will ask you, did you ever hear of a family of Irish +squires who for generations put aside a tenth part of their +income, and allowed the interest to accumulate without touching +it, so that, when bad times came, they found that they +were twice as well off as they were before?"</p> + +<p>"Begorra, you are right, Turnbull; never did I hear of such +a thing, and I don't believe it ever happened since the first +Irish crossed the seas from somewhere in the east."</p> + +<p>"Well, at any rate, Doyle, that is what the Duchesnes have +done, and I should think, from what Glover says—though he +did not mention any precise sum, for he did not know himself—but +I should say that it must come to at least a hundred +thousand pounds."</p> + +<p>"Mother of Moses!" the doctor exclaimed; "it is a mighty +bad turn you have done me, Turnbull, that you never gave me +as much as a hint of this before. I should have been sorry for +Glover, who is in all ways a good fellow; still I should have +deemed it my duty to my family, who once—as you know, is +the case of almost every other family in the ould country—were +Kings of Ireland. I should have restored the ancient +grandeur of my family, built a grand castle, and kept open +house to all comers—and to think that I never knew it!"</p> + +<p>"Then you think, doctor," Lippincott said, with a laugh, +"that you only had to enter the lists to cut Glover out?"</p> + +<p>"I don't go quite so far as that; but, of course, now the thing +is settled for good, it would be of no use trying to disturb it, +and it would hardly be fair on Glover. But, you see, as long as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> +it was an open matter, I might have well tried my luck. I +should have had great advantages. You see, I am a grown +man, whereas Glover is still but a lad. Then, though I say +it myself, I could talk his head off, and am as good as those +who have kissed the Blarney stone at bewildering the dear +creatures."</p> + +<p>"Those are great advantages, no doubt, Doyle; but, you see, +Glover had one advantage which, I have no doubt, counted +with the lady more than all those you have enumerated. He +had saved her life at the risk of his own, he had carried her, +and her mother, through terrible dangers."</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes, there is something in that," Doyle said, shaking +his head; "if the poor young fellow is satisfied with gratitude +I have nothing more to say. At any rate, I have lost my +chance. Now, perhaps, as you know all about this, you might +put me up to some other lady in similar circumstances, but +with a heart free to bestow upon a deserving man."</p> + +<p>"I should not be justified in doing so, Doyle. After what you +have been saying about building a baronial castle, and keeping +open house, it is clear that you would soon bring a fortune to +an end, however great it might be; and, therefore, I should +not feel justified in aiding you in any way in your matrimonial +adventures."</p> + +<p>"It's a poor heart that never rejoices," the doctor said. +"The tumblers are empty. Sam, you rascal, bring us another +bottle of that old Jamaica, fresh limes, and cold water. It is +one of the drawbacks of this bastely climate that there is no +pleasure in taking your punch hot."</p> + +<p>One of the negroes brought in the materials.</p> + +<p>"Now, doctor," Turnbull said, "I know that in spite of this +terrible disappointment you will drink heartily the toast, 'Nat +Glover and Mademoiselle Duchesne, and may they live long +and happily together!'"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That is good," Doyle said as he emptied his tumbler at a +draught; "nothing short of a bumper would do justice to it. +Hand me the bottle again, Lippincott, and cut me a couple of +slices off that lime. Yes, I will take two pieces of sugar, please, +Turnbull. Now I am going to propose a toast, 'The new commander +of the <i>Agile</i>, and may she, in his hands, do as well as +she did in those of Nat Glover.'"</p> + +<p>Three days later the <i>Agile</i> started on another cruise. Nat +spent his time in the dockyard, where he was so well known +to all the officials that they did everything in their power to +aid him to push matters forward, and a week after the brigantine +had left the <i>Spartane</i> was ready for sea. Nat had seen the +admiral several times, but had heard nothing from him as to +who were the officers who were to take the <i>Spartane</i> home, nor +whether he was to sail as a passenger bearing despatches or as +one of the officers. When he went on board the flag-ship to +report that all was ready for sea, the admiral said:</p> + +<p>"Mr. Winton, first lieutenant of the <i>Onyx</i>, is invalided home. +He is a good officer, but the climate has never agreed with +him, and, as his father has lately died and he has come into +some property, he will, I have no doubt, go on half-pay for a +time until he is thoroughly set up again. I shall therefore +appoint him as first lieutenant of the <i>Spartane</i>; Mr. Plumber, +second lieutenant of the <i>Tiger</i>, will go second.</p> + +<p>"I have decided, Mr. Glover, to give you the rank of +acting commander. You captured the ship, and it is fair +that you should take her to England. Mind, I think it probable +enough that the authorities at home may not be willing +to confirm your rank, as it is but little over two years since +you obtained your present grade. I feel that I am incurring a +certain responsibility in giving you the command of a thirty-six-gun +frigate, but you have had opportunities of showing that you +are a thorough seaman, and can fight as well as sail your ship."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I am immensely obliged, sir," Nat said hesitatingly, "but +I have never for a moment thought of this, and it does seem a +tremendous responsibility. Besides, I shall be over two officers +both many years senior to myself."</p> + +<p>"I have spoken to both of them," the admiral said, "and +pointed out to them that, after you had captured the frigate +with the little brigantine you commanded, I considered it +almost your right to take her home. I put it frankly to them +that, if they had any objection to serving under one so much +their junior, I should by no means press the point, but that at +the same time I should naturally prefer having two experienced +officers with you instead of officering her entirely with +young lieutenants junior to yourself. I am glad to say that +both of them agreed heartily, and admitted the very great +claim that you have to the command. Mr. Winton is anxious +to get home, and knows that he might have to wait some time +before a ship of war was going. Mr. Plumber is equally +anxious for a short run home, for, as he frankly stated to me, +he has for three years past been engaged to be married, and +he has some ground for hope that he may get appointed to a +ship on the home station. So as these gentlemen are perfectly +willing to serve under you there need be no difficulty on your +part in the matter. We will therefore consider it as settled.</p> + +<p>"I have made out your appointment as acting commander. +I sincerely hope that you will be confirmed in the rank. At +any rate, it will count for you a good deal that you should +have acted in that capacity. Here are your instructions. You +will be short-handed; I cannot spare enough men from the +ships on this station to make up a full complement. A hundred +and fifty are all that I can possibly let you have, but I have +told the masters of these two Indiamen that they will have to +furnish a contingent. I have been on board both the ships +to-day. I addressed the crews, and said that you were going<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> +to take home the <i>Spartane</i> and were short of hands. I said +that I did not wish to press any men against their will, but +that I hoped that five-and-twenty from each ship would come +forward voluntarily; that number had aided to bring the +<i>Spartane</i> in here; they knew you, and might be sure that the +ship would be a comfortable one; and I told them that I would +give them passes, saying that they had voluntarily shipped +for the voyage home on my guaranteeing that they should, +if they chose, be discharged from the service on their arrival. +More than the number required volunteered at once, but I +asked the captain to pick out for me the men who had before +been on board the <i>Spartane</i>, and of whose conduct you had +spoken highly. Three merchantmen will sail under your +convoy."</p> + +<p>Nat went ashore after leaving the admiral, and naturally +went straight to the Duchesnes.</p> + +<p>"Who do you suppose is going to command the <i>Spartane</i>?" +he asked as he went in.</p> + +<p>"I know who ought to command her. You took her, and +you ought to command her."</p> + +<p>"Well, it seems absurd, but that is just what I am going to +do."</p> + +<p>Myra clapped her hands in delight.</p> + +<p>"Have they made you a real captain, then?"</p> + +<p>"No," he said with a laugh, "I shall be acting commander. +That gives one the honorary rank of captain, but it may be a +long time before I get appointed to that rank. The admiral +has been awfully kind, but the people at home are not likely +to regard my age and appearance as in any way suitable for +such a position."</p> + +<p>"I am happy to say, Nat, that we shall sail under your +convoy. I have been settling all my affairs and making my +arrangements for leaving, and have this morning definitely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> +taken cabins in the <i>Myrtle</i>. As the furniture is not ours, and +we have not accumulated many belongings, knowing that we +might be sailing at any moment, we can get everything +packed by to-night and go on board to-morrow morning. The +captain could not tell me at what hour we should sail. He +said that it would depend upon the frigate."</p> + +<p>"I should like to start at eight if I could, but I cannot say +whether everything will be quite ready. However, you had +better be on board at that hour. It will be jolly indeed having +you all so close to me."</p> + +<p>"Shall we be able to see each other sometimes?" Myra +asked.</p> + +<p>"Many times, I hope; but of course it must depend partly +on the weather. If we are becalmed at any time you might +come on board and spend a whole day, but if we are bowling +along rapidly it would scarcely be the thing to stop two ships +in order that the passengers might go visiting."</p> + +<p>It was twelve o'clock on the following day when the <i>Spartane</i> +fired a gun, and at the signal the anchors, which had all been +hove short, were run up, the sails shaken out, and the <i>Spartane</i> +and the three vessels under her charge started on their voyage.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX</h2> + +<h4>HOME</h4> + + +<p>The voyage home was a pleasant but not an exciting one. +No suspicious sails were sighted until they neared the +mouth of the Channel. Then two or three craft, which bore +the appearance of French privateers, had at different times +approached them, but only to draw off as soon as they made<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> +out the line of ports of the <i>Spartane</i>. There had been sufficient +days of calm and light winds to enable the Duchesnes to +frequently spend a few hours on board the frigate. Nat had +felt a little uncomfortable at first, but it was not long before +he became accustomed to the position. Of course he could not +be on the same familiar terms with his officers as he had been +on board the <i>Agile</i>, but he insisted upon the first and second +lieutenants dining with him regularly.</p> + +<p>"It will really be kind of you if you will," he said, "for I +shall feel like a fish out of water sitting here in solitary state." +And as he had drawn something on account of his prize-money +and kept an excellent table, the two officers willingly agreed +to the suggestion.</p> + +<p>"I have always thought, Mr. Winton," he said, "that there +is a good deal more stiffness than is at all necessary or even +desirable on board a ship of war. It is not so in the army. I +dined several times at regimental messes at Kingston, and +although the colonel was, of course, treated with a certain +respect, the conversation was as general and as unrestrained +as if all had been private gentlemen; yet, of course, on the +parade ground, the colonel was as supreme as a captain on +his quarter-deck. At sea, the captain really never gets to +know anything about his officers, except with regard to their +duties on board a ship, and I don't think it is good, either for +him or the officers in general, that he should be cut off from +them as much as if he were an emperor of China."</p> + +<p>"I agree with you so far," Mr. Winton said. "I do think +the reins of discipline are held too tautly, and that where the +captain is a really good fellow, life on board might be much +more pleasant than it now is; but with a bad-tempered, overbearing +sort of man your suggestion would act just the other +way."</p> + +<p>"Well, we could easily put a stop to that," Nat said, "if<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> +the admiralty would refuse to appoint bad-tempered and overbearing +men to any command."</p> + +<p>The other laughed. "That would help us out of the difficulty, +certainly; but I think that any change had better be deferred +until they perceive, as every junior officer in the service perceives, +that such men are a curse to themselves and everyone +else, that they are hated by the whole crew, from the ship's +boys to the first lieutenant, and that a ship with a contented +and cheerful crew can be trusted at all times to do her duty +against any odds."</p> + +<p>Sailing south of the Isle of Wight, the <i>Spartane</i> came in +through the Nab Channel. There she left her convoy, who +anchored on the Mother Bank, while she sailed into Portsmouth +harbour, with the white ensign flying over the tricolour. +As she entered she was greeted with loud cheers by the crews +of the ships of war. As soon as she had picked up moorings +Nat landed at the dockyard, and, proceeding to the admiral's, +reported himself there.</p> + +<p>"The admiral is away inspecting the forts in the Needles +passage," a young officer said. "Captain Painton might be +able to give you any information that you require."</p> + +<p>"I only want formally to report myself before taking post-chaise +to London."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps you had better see him," the other said, a little +puzzled as to who this young officer could be who was in +charge of despatches.</p> + +<p>"I think I had."</p> + +<p>"What name shall I say?"</p> + +<p>"Glover."</p> + +<p>The flag-captain was a short, square-built man, with keen +eyes, and a not unpleasant expression, but bluff and hasty in +manner.</p> + +<p>"Now, Mr. Glover, what can I do for you?" he asked shortly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, sir, I hardly know the course of procedure, but as I +want to start with despatches for London in a quarter of an +hour I shall be glad to be able to hand over the ship I command, +or, if it cannot be taken over in that summary way, to +know whether my first officer is to retain charge of her until +I can return from town."</p> + +<p>"And what is the vessel that you have the honour to command, +sir?" Captain Painton said with a slight smile.</p> + +<p>"The <i>Spartane</i> frigate, a prize mounting thirty-six guns, that +entered the harbour a quarter of an hour ago."</p> + +<p>The captain had an idea that this was an ill-timed joke on +the part of the young lieutenant.</p> + +<p>"Do you wish me to understand, sir," he said sternly, "that +you are in command of that prize?"</p> + +<p>"That certainly, sir, is what I wish you to understand. I +have brought her home from Jamaica, and have the honour to +hold the appointment of acting commander. There, you see, +are the official despatches of which I am the bearer, addressed +to the Admiralty, and with the words 'In charge of Acting +Commander Glover.'"</p> + +<p>"And your officers, sir?" suppressing with difficulty an +explosion of wrath at what he considered a fresh sign that the +service was going to the dogs.</p> + +<p>"The first officer is Lieutenant Winton, the second Lieutenant +Plumber."</p> + +<p>"Very well, sir, I will go off myself at once. I will detain +you no longer."</p> + +<p>Nat at once hurried off, while Captain Painton went into +the office of another of the officials of the dockyard.</p> + +<p>"The service is going to the dogs," he said. "Here is a +young lieutenant, who from his appearance can't have passed +more than a year, pitchforked over the head of heaven knows +how many seniors, and placed as acting commander of a thirty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span>six-gun +frigate, French prize, sir. Just look up the records of +the lieutenants under him."</p> + +<p>"One is a lieutenant of fifteen years' service, the other of +twelve."</p> + +<p>"It is monstrous, scandalous. This sort of thing is destructive +of all discipline, and proves that everything is to go by +favouritism. Just at the outbreak of the war it is enough to +throw cold water on the spirits of all who are hoping to distinguish +themselves."</p> + +<p>Ignorant of the storm that had been excited in the mind +of the flag-captain, Nat was already on his way, having as soon +as he landed sent his coxswain to order a post-chaise to be got +ready for starting in a quarter of an hour. It was eight o'clock +when he dropped anchor, by nine he was on the road, and by +handsomely tipping the post-boys he drew up at the Admiralty +at half-past four.</p> + +<p>"What name shall I say, sir?" the doorkeeper asked.</p> + +<p>"Acting Commander Glover, with despatches from Jamaica."</p> + +<p>The admiral looked up with amazement as Nat was announced. +The latter had not mounted the second epaulette +to which as commander he was entitled, and the admiral on +his first glance thought that the attendant must have made a +mistake.</p> + +<p>"Did I understand, sir, that you are a commander?"</p> + +<p>"An acting one only, sir. I have come home in command +of the <i>Spartane</i>, a prize mounting thirty-six guns. The +admiral was good enough to appoint me to the acting rank in +order that I might bring her home with despatches, and the +report respecting her capture by the brigantine <i>Agile</i>, of ten +guns, which I had the honour to command."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I saw a very brief notice of her capture in the +<i>Gazette</i> ten days ago, but no particulars were given. I suppose +the mail was just coming out when she arrived."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That was partly the reason, no doubt, sir; but I think the +admiral could have written more, had he not in his kindness +of heart left it to me to hand in a full report. I may say +that I had the good fortune to recapture two valuable West +Indiamen that the <i>Spartane</i> had picked up on her way out."</p> + +<p>The admiral rose from the table and took down a thick +volume from the book-case. At the back were the words, +"Records of Service." It was partly printed, a wide space +being left under each name for further records to be written +in.</p> + +<p>"Glover, Nathaniel. Is that your Christian name, Captain +Glover?"</p> + +<p>Nat bowed.</p> + +<p>"An exceptionally good record. 'Distinguished himself +greatly in the attack by the frigate <i>Orpheus</i> on three piratical +craft protected by strong batteries. Passed as lieutenant +shortly afterwards. Appointed to the command of the +schooner <i>Arrow</i>, four guns, charged to rescue white inhabitants +off Hayti, and if possible to enter into communications with +negro leaders and learn their views. In the course of the performance +of this duty he landed with all his crew of twenty men, +took off a French planter and family and eight other whites +in the hands of a force estimated at three hundred and fifty +blacks, and fought his way on board his ship again. Later on +engaged a pirate brigantine, the <i>Agile</i>, of ten guns, which had +just captured a Spanish merchantman. After a sharp fight, +took possession of the prize, and with the aid of her crew +capture the <i>Agile</i>.' And now with the <i>Agile</i> you have taken +the <i>Spartane</i>, a thirty-six gun frigate, to say nothing of recapturing +two valuable West Indiamen, prizes of hers. And +I suppose, Commander Glover, if we confirm you in your rank +and command, you will go forth and appear next time with +a French three-decker in tow. From a tiny schooner to a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> +frigate is a greater distance than from a frigate to a line-of-battle +ship."</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir," Nat said with a smile; "but the advantage of +quick manœuvring that one gets in a small craft, and which +gives one a chance against a larger adversary, becomes lost +when it is a frigate against a line-of-battle ship. The <i>Spartane</i> +is fairly handy, but she could not hope to gain much advantage +that way over a bigger vessel."</p> + +<p>"I wonder the admiral had men enough to spare to send her +home."</p> + +<p>"He could hardly have done so, sir, but fifty of the merchant +sailors belonging to the recaptured prizes volunteered +for the voyage, and were furnished by the admiral with discharges +on arrival at Portsmouth."</p> + +<p>"A very good plan, for it is hard work to get men now that +we are fitting out every ship at all the naval ports. Now, +Commander Glover, I will detain you no longer. I shall carefully +read through these despatches this evening, and shall +discuss them with my colleagues to-morrow. I shall be glad +if you will dine with me to-morrow evening at half-past six; +here is my card and address."</p> + +<p>"I beg your pardon, sir, but I am altogether ignorant of +such matters—should I come in uniform or plain clothes?"</p> + +<p>"Whichever would suit you best," the admiral replied with a +smile. "As you have only just arrived to-day from the West +Indies, and doubtless have had little time for preparations +before you sailed, it is more than likely that you may not +have had time to provide yourself with a full-dress uniform."</p> + +<p>"I have not, sir; and indeed, had I had time I should not +have thought of buying one of my acting rank, which would +naturally terminate as soon as the object for which it was +granted was attained."</p> + +<p>"Very well, then, come in plain dress. I may tell you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span> +for your information, that when invited by an admiral to +his official residence you would be expected to appear in +uniform, but when asked to dine at his private residence it +would not be considered as a naval function, and although I +do not at all say that it would be wrong to appear in uniform, +there would be no necessity for doing so."</p> + +<p>As everyone dressed for dinner in the West Indies for the +sake of coolness and comfort, Nat was well provided in this +way. After his dinner at the Golden Cross he went to a playhouse. +He had posted a letter to his father, which was written +before he landed, directly he reached town, saying that he +was home; that of course he could not say how long it would +be before he would be able to leave his ship, but as soon as he +did so he would run down into Somersetshire and stay there +until he received orders either to join another vessel or to +return to the West Indies. The next afternoon the papers +came out with the official news, and news-boys were shouting +themselves hoarse:</p> + +<p>"Capture of a French frigate by a ten-gun British brig! +Thirty-six guns against ten! Three hundred and fifty Frenchmen +against fifty Englishmen! Nearly half the monsieurs killed +or wounded, the rest taken prisoners! Glorious victory!" +And Nat was greatly amused as he looked out of the window +of the hotel at the eager hustling that was going on to obtain +one of the broadsheets.</p> + +<p>"It sounds a big thing," he said to himself, "but there was +nothing in it, and the whole thing was over in less time than +it takes to talk about it. Well, I hope I shall either get +off to Portsmouth again to-morrow or go down to the dear +old pater. I wish this dinner was over. No doubt there will +be some more of these old admirals there, and they will be +wanting to learn all the ins and outs, just as if twenty words +would not tell them how it was we thrashed them so easily.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> +They know well enough that if you have a quick handy craft, +and get her under the weather quarter of a slow-moving frigate +the latter hasn't a shadow of a chance."</p> + +<p>Although not an official dinner, all the twelve gentlemen who +sat down were, with the exception of Nat, connected with the +admiralty. The first lord and several other admirals were +there, the others were heads of departments and post-captains.</p> + +<p>"Before we begin dinner," the first lord said, "I have +pleasure in handing this to you, Commander Glover. There +is but one opinion among my colleagues and myself, which is +that as you have captured the <i>Spartane</i> and have come home +as her commander, we cannot do less than confirm you in +that rank and leave her in your charge. You are certainly +unusually young for such promotion, but your career has been +for the past four years so exceptional that we seem to have +scarcely any option in the matter. Such promotion is not +only a reward you have gallantly won, but that you should +receive it will, we feel, animate other young officers to wholesome +emulation that will be advantageous both to themselves +and to the service in general."</p> + +<p>Nat could scarcely credit his ears. That he might be +appointed second lieutenant of the <i>Spartane</i> or some other +ship of war was, he thought, probable; but the acme of his +hopes was that a first lieutenancy in a smart sloop might +possibly be offered to him. His two officers on the way +home had talked the matter over with him, and they had +been a little amused at seeing that he never appeared to think +it within the bounds of possibility that his rank would be +confirmed, although, as the admiral before sailing told them, +he had most strongly recommended that this should be done, +and he thought it certain that the authorities at home would +see the matter in the same light. He had asked them not +to give the slightest hint to Nat that such promotion might<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span> +be awarded to him. "You never can tell," the admiral +said, "what the Admiralty will do, but here is a chance that +they don't often get of making a really popular promotion, +without a suspicion of favouritism being entertained. Beyond +the fact that he has been mentioned in despatches, I doubt if +anyone at Whitehall as much as knows the young fellow's +name, and the service generally will see that for once merit +has been recognized on the part of one who, so far as patronage +goes, is friendless."</p> + +<p>Nat returned to Portsmouth the following morning, and +spent some hours in signing papers and going through other +formalities.</p> + +<p>"The <i>Spartane</i> will be paid off to-morrow, Captain Glover," +the port admiral said; "she will be recommissioned immediately. +I hope you will be able to get some of the men +to re-enter, for there is a good deal of difficulty about crews. +So great a number of ships have been fitted out during the +past four or five months that we have pretty well exhausted +the seafaring population here, and even the press-gangs fail +to bring many in."</p> + +<p>Going on board, Nat sent for the boatswain and gunners, +and informed them that as he was to recommission the <i>Spartane</i> +he was anxious to get as many of the hands to reship as +possible.</p> + +<p>"I have no doubt that some of them will join, sir," the +quarter-master said. "I heard them talking among themselves, +and saying that she has been as pleasant a ship as they +had ever sailed in, and if you was to hoist your pennant a good +many of them would sign on."</p> + +<p>"I would not mind giving a couple of pounds a head."</p> + +<p>"I don't think that it would be of any use, sir. If the men +will join they will join, if they won't they won't. Besides, +they have all got some pay, and most of them some +prize-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span>money coming to them, and it would be only so much more to +chuck away if they had it. And another thing, sir, I think +when men like an officer they like to show him that it is so, +and they would rather reship without any bounty, to show that +they liked him, than have it supposed that it was for the sake +of the money."</p> + +<p>After the men had been paid off the next morning, he told +them in a short speech that he had been appointed to recommission +the <i>Spartane</i>, and said that he would be glad to have +a good many of them with him again. He was much gratified +when fully two-thirds of the men, including the greater part +of the merchantmen, stepped forward and entered their names.</p> + +<p>"That speaks well indeed for our young commander," the +port admiral, who had been present, said to his flag-captain. +"It is seldom indeed that you find anything like so large a +proportion of men ready to reship at once. It proves that +they have confidence in his skill as well as in his courage, and +that they feel that the ship will be a comfortable one."</p> + +<p>It was expected that the <i>Spartane</i> would be at least a month +in the hands of the shipwrights, and the men on signing were +given leave of absence for that time. As soon as all this was +arranged, Nat took a post-chaise and drove to Southampton. +There he found the Duchesnes at an hotel. Their ship had +gone into the port two days previously, but all their belongings +were not yet out of the hold, and indeed it had been arranged +that they would not go up to town till they saw him. They +were delighted to hear that his appointment had been confirmed, +and that he was to have the command of the <i>Spartane</i>.</p> + +<p>"Now, I suppose you will be running down to see your +people at once?" Myra said with a little pout.</p> + +<p>"I think that is only fair," he said, "considering that +I have not seen them for six years. I don't think that even +you could grudge me a few days."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yeovil is a large place, isn't it?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes; why do you ask?"</p> + +<p>She looked at her mother, who smiled.</p> + +<p>"The fact is, Nat, Myra has been endeavouring to persuade +her father and me that it would be a nice plan for us to go +down there with you and to form the acquaintance of your +parents. Of course we should stay at an hotel. We are in +no particular hurry to go up to London; and as while you are +away we shall naturally wish to see as much as we can of your +people, this would make a very good beginning. And perhaps +some of them will come back to London with us when you +join your ship."</p> + +<p>"I think it would be a first-rate plan, madame, the best +thing possible. Of course I want my father and mother and +the girls to see Myra."</p> + +<p>"When will you start?"</p> + +<p>"To-morrow morning. Of course we shall go by post. It +will be a very cross-country journey by coach, and many of +these country roads are desperately bad. It is only about +the same distance that it is to London, but the roads are not +so good, so I propose that we make a short journey to-morrow +to Salisbury, and then, starting early, go through to Yeovil. +We shall be there in good time in the afternoon. I shall +only be taking a very small amount of kit, so that we ought +to be able to stow three large trunks, which will, I suppose, +be enough for you. Of course we could send some on by a +waggon, but there is no saying when they would get there, +and as likely as not they would not arrive until just as we +are leaving there; of course Dinah will go on the box."</p> + +<p>At four o'clock, two days later, the post-chaise drove up +to the principal hotel at Yeovil. Rooms were at once obtained +for the Duchesnes, and Nat hired a light trap to drive him out +to his father's rectory, some three miles out of the town. As<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span> +he drove up to the house, three girls, from sixteen to two-and +three-and-twenty, ran out, followed a moment later by his +father and mother. For a few minutes there was but little +coherent talk. His sisters could scarcely believe that this tall +young officer was the lad they had last seen, and even his +father and mother agreed that they would scarce have recognized +him.</p> + +<p>"I don't think the girls quite recognize me now," he +laughed. "They kissed me in a very feeble sort of way, as if +they were not at all sure that it was quite right. Indeed, I +was not quite sure myself that it was the proper thing for me +to salute three strange young ladies."</p> + +<p>"What nonsense you talk, Nat," his eldest sister Mary said. +"I thought by this time, now you are a lieutenant, you would +have become quite stiff, and would expect a good deal of +deference to be paid to you."</p> + +<p>"I can't say that you have been a good correspondent, Nat," +his mother said. "You wrote very seldom, and then said very +little of what you had been doing."</p> + +<p>"Well, mother, there are not many post-offices in Hayti, +and I should not have cared to trust any letters to them +if there had been. There is the advantage, you see, that +there is much more to tell you now than if I had written to +you before. You don't get papers very regularly here, I +think?"</p> + +<p>"No, we seldom see a London paper, and the Bath papers +don't tell much about anything except the fashionable doings +there."</p> + +<p>"Then I have several pieces of news to tell you. Here is a +<i>Gazette</i>, in which you will see that a certain Nathaniel Glover +brought into Portsmouth last week a French thirty-six-gun +frigate which he had captured, and in another part of the +<i>Gazette</i> you will observe that the same officer has been con<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span>firmed +in the acting rank of commander, and has been appointed +to the <i>Spartane</i>, which is to be recommissioned at once. Therefore +you see, sisters, you will in future address me as captain."</p> + +<p>There was a general exclamation of surprise and delight.</p> + +<p>"That is what it was," the rector said, "that Dr. Miles was +talking to me about yesterday in Yeovil. He said that the +London papers were full of the news that a French frigate +had been captured by a little ten-gun brigantine, and had been +brought home by the officer who had taken her, who was, he +said, of the same name as mine. He said that it was considered +an extraordinarily gallant action."</p> + +<p>"We shall be as proud as peacocks," Lucy, the youngest +girl, said.</p> + +<p>"Now as to my news," he went on. "Doubtless that was +important, but not so important as that which I am now +going to tell you. At the present moment there is at Yeovil +a gentleman and lady, together with their daughter, the said +daughter being, at the end of a reasonable time, about to +become my wife, and your sister, girls."</p> + +<p>The news was received with speechless surprise.</p> + +<p>"Really, Nat?" his mother said in a tone of doubt; "do you +actually mean that you have become engaged to a young lady +who is now at Yeovil?"</p> + +<p>"That is the case, mother," he said cheerfully. "There is +nothing very surprising that a young lady should fall in love +with me, is there? and I think the announcement will look +well in the papers—on such and such a date, Myra, daughter +of Monsieur Duchesne, late of the island of Hayti, to Nathaniel, +son of the Rev. Charles Glover of Arkton Rectory, commander +in his majesty's navy."</p> + +<p>"Duchesne!" Ada, the second girl, said, clapping her hands, +"that is the name of the young lady you rescued from a dog. +I remember at the time Mary and I quite agreed that the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> +proper thing for you to do would be to marry her some day. +Yes, and you were staying at her father's place when the blacks +broke out; and you had all to hide in the woods for some +time."</p> + +<p>"Quite right, Ada. Well, she and her father and mother +have posted down with me from Southampton in order to make +your acquaintance, and to-morrow you will have to go over in +a body."</p> + +<p>"Does she speak English?" Mrs. Glover asked.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, she speaks a good deal of English; her people have +for the past two years intended to settle in England, and have +all been studying the language to a certain extent. Besides +that, they have had the inestimable advantage of my conversation, +and have read a great many English books on their voyage +home."</p> + +<p>"Is Miss Duchesne very dark?" Lucy asked in a tone of +anxiety.</p> + +<p>Nat looked at her for a moment in surprise, and then burst +into a fit of laughter.</p> + +<p>"What, Lucy, do you think because Myra was born in Hayti +that she is a little negress with crinkley wool?"</p> + +<p>"No, no," the girl protested almost tearfully. "Of course +I did not think that, but I thought that she might be dark. +I am sure when I was at Bath last season and saw several old +gentlemen, who, they said, were rich West Indians, they were +all as yellow as guineas."</p> + +<p>"Well, she won't be quite so dark as that, anyhow," Nat +said; "in fact I can tell you, you three will all have to look +your best to make a good show by the side of her."</p> + +<p>"But this talk is all nonsense, Nat," the rector said gravely. +"Your engagement is a very serious matter. Of course, now +you have been so wonderfully fortunate, and are commander of +a ship, you will, I have no doubt, have an income quite sufficient<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> +to marry upon, and, of course, you are in a position to please +yourself."</p> + +<p>"We are not going to be married just at present, father. +She is three years younger than I am, and I am not far advanced +in years; so it has been quite settled that we shall +wait for some time yet. By then, if I am lucky, my prize-money +will have swelled to a handsome amount, and indeed, +although I don't know the exact particulars, I believe I am +entitled to from eight to ten thousand pounds. Moreover +as the young lady herself is an only child, and her father is +a very wealthy man, I fancy that we are not likely to have to +send round the hat to make ends meet."</p> + +<p>The visit was duly paid the next day, and was most satisfactory +to all parties, and, as the rectory was a large building, +Mr. and Mrs. Glover insisted upon the Duchesnes removing +there at once.</p> + +<p>"We want to see as much of Nat as we can," his mother +urged, "and if he is to divide his time between Yeovil and +the rectory, I am afraid we should get but a very small share +of him."</p> + +<p>"I suppose your brother has told you all his adventures," +Myra said the next morning, as she and all the party, with the +exception of Mr. Glover and Nat, were seated in the parlour +after breakfast was over.</p> + +<p>"No, he is a very poor correspondent. He just told us what +he had been doing, but said very little about his adventures. +I suppose he thought that girls would not care to hear about +midshipmen's doings. He did tell us, though, that he had had +a fight with a dog that had bitten you."</p> + +<p>Myra's eyes opened wider and wider as the eldest, Mary +Glover, spoke. Her face flushed, and she would have risen to +her feet in her indignation had not her mother laid her hand +upon her arm.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I do not think, Miss Glover," Monsieur Duchesne said +gravely, "that you can at all understand the obligation that +we are under to your brother. The bite of a dog seems but +a little thing. A huge hound had thrown Myra down, and +had rescue been delayed but half a minute her death was certain. +Your brother, riding past, heard her cries, and rushed in, and, +armed only with his dirk, attacked the hound. He saved my +daughter's life, but it was well-nigh at the cost of his own, for +although he killed it, it was not until it had inflicted terrible +injuries upon him—injuries so serious that for a time it was +doubtful whether he would live. This was the first service to +us. On the next occasion he was staying with us when the +blacks rose. Thanks to our old nurse, there was time for them +to run out into the shrubbery before the negroes came up, +and then take refuge in the wood. My wife was seized with +fever, and was for days unconscious.</p> + +<p>"The woods were everywhere scoured for fugitives. Six +blacks, led by two mulattoes, discovered their hiding-place. +Your son shot the whole of them, but had one of his ribs +broken by a pistol-ball. In spite of that, he and Dinah +carried my wife some thirty miles down to the town across +rough ground, where every step must have been torture to +him, and brought her and Myra safely to me. Equal services +he performed another time to a family, intimate friends of ours, +composed of a gentleman and his wife and two daughters, who, +with six white men, were prisoners in the hands of the blacks, +and would assuredly have suffered deaths of agonizing torture. +Though he had but twenty men with him, he landed them all, +marched them up to the place, rescued the whole party, and +made his way down to his boat again through three hundred +and fifty maddened blacks. No less great was the service he +rendered when he rescued some fifteen ladies and gentlemen +who had been captured by a pirate, and whose fate, had he not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span> +arrived, would have been too horrible to think of. As to his +services at sea, the official reports have testified, and his unheard-of +promotion shows the appreciation of the authorities. +Never were more gallant deeds done by the most valiant naval +captains who have ever lived."</p> + +<p>Myra had held her father's hand while he was speaking; +her breath had come fast, and her eyes were full of tears.</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Monsieur Duchesne," Mrs. Glover said, gently; +"please remember that all this is quite new to us. Now that +we know something of the truth, we shall feel as proud of our +boy as your daughter has a right to be."</p> + +<p>"Excuse me, Mrs. Glover," Myra said, walking across to her, +and kissing her, "but when it seemed to me that these glorious +deeds Nat has achieved were regarded as the mere adventures +of a midshipman, I felt that I must speak."</p> + +<p>"It is quite natural that you should do so," Mrs. Glover +said; "for, if fault there is, it rests with Nat, who always +spoke of his own adventures in a jesting sort of way, and gave +us no idea that they were anything out of the common."</p> + +<p>"They were out of the common, madame," Myra said; +"why, when he came into Port Royal, with the great frigate +in tow of his little brigantine, and two huge merchantmen he +had recaptured from her, the admiral's ship and all the vessels +of war in the harbour saluted him. I almost cried my eyes +out with pride and happiness."</p> + +<p>"Myra does not exaggerate," her mother said; "your son's +exploits were the talk of Jamaica, and even the capture of the +French frigate was less extraordinary than the way in which, +with a little craft of four guns, he captured a pirate which +carried ten, and a crew four times as numerous as his own."</p> + +<p>"I hope you will tell us in full about all these things, +Madame Duchesne," Mrs. Glover said, "for I fear that we shall +never get a full account from Nat himself."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span></p> + +<p>Myra went across to Mary.</p> + +<p>"You are not angry with me, I hope," she said; "we are +hot-tempered, we West Indians. When it seemed that you +were speaking slightingly of the action to which I owe my life, +I don't know what I should have said if my father had not +stopped me."</p> + +<p>"I am not in the slightest degree angry," Mary said; "or, +rather, if I am angry at all it is with Nat. It is too bad of +him keeping all this to himself. You see, he was quite a boy +when he left us, and he used to tell us funny stories about the +pranks that the midshipmen played. Although we felt very +proud of him when he told us that he had gained the rank +of commander, we did not really know anything about sea +matters, and could not appreciate the fact that he must have +done something altogether out of the way to obtain that rank. +But, of course, we like you all the better for standing up for +him. I am sure that in future we girls shall be just as angry +as you were if anyone says anything that sounds like running +him down."</p> + +<p>The time passed rapidly, and, as the girls were never tired +of listening to the tales of Nat's exploits, and Myra was never +tired of relating them, Nat would have come in for any amount +of hero-worship had he not promptly suppressed the slightest +exhibition in that direction.</p> + +<p>It was but a few days after his arrival in England that +Monsieur Duchesne learned by a letter from a friend, who was +one of the few who escaped from the terrible scene, that their +fears had been justified, and that Cape François, the beautiful +capital of Hayti, had ceased to exist. Santhonax and Poveren +had established a reign of terror, plunder, and oppression, until +the white inhabitants were reduced to the most terrible state +of suffering. The misery caused by these white monsters +was as great as that which prevailed in France. At last<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span> +General Galbaud arrived, having been sent out to prepare +for the defence of the colony against an attack by the British. +The two commissioners, however, refused to recognize his +authority. Not only this, but they imperatively ordered him +to re-embark, and return to France. Each party then prepared +for fighting. The commissioners had with them the regular +troops, and a large body of blacks. The governor had twelve +hundred sailors, and the white inhabitants of the city, who had +formed themselves into a body of volunteers.</p> + +<p>The fighting was hard; the volunteers showed the greatest +bravery, and, had they been well supported by the sailors, +would have gained the day. The seamen, however, speedily +broke into the warehouses, intoxicated themselves with rum, +and it was with difficulty that their officers could bring them +back into the arsenal. The commissioners had, the night +before, sent to a negro chief, offering pardon for all past +offences, perfect freedom, and the plunder of the city. He +arrived at noon on the 21st of June, and at once began the +butchery of the white inhabitants. This continued till the +evening of the 23rd, by which time the whole of the whites +had been murdered, the city sacked, and then burned to the +ground.</p> + +<p>Before Nat sailed in the <i>Spartane</i>, the Duchesnes had taken +a house at Torquay. Here the climate would be better suited +to madame, the summer temperature being less exhausting +and the winter so free from extremes that she might reasonably +hope not to feel the change.</p> + +<p>For five years Nat commanded the <i>Spartane</i>. If he did not +meet with the exceptional good fortune that he had found in +the West Indies, he had, at least, nothing to complain of. He +picked up many prizes, took part in several gallant cutting-out +adventures, and captured the French frigate <i>Euterpe</i>, of forty-six +guns. For full details of these and other actions a search<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> +must be made in the official records of the British navy, where +they are fully set forth. After a long and hard-fought battle, +for which action he received post rank, he retired from the +service, and settled down with Myra near Plymouth, where he +was within easy reach of his own relations.</p> + +<p>As soon as he was established there, her father and mother +took a house within a few minutes' walk of his home. He +congratulated himself that he had not remained in the West +Indies, for had he done so he would, like all the naval and +military forces in the islands, have taken part in the disastrous +attempt to obtain possession of the island of San Domingo. +The Spaniards had ceded their portion to the French, and +although the whites, mulattoes, and blacks were at war with +each other, they were all ready to join forces against the +British. The attempt to conquer an island so populous and +strongly defended, and abounding with mountains in which +the enemy could maintain themselves, was, if undertaken by a +force of anything less than a hundred thousand men, foredoomed +to failure. The force at first sent was ridiculously inadequate, +and although it received reinforcements from time to time, +these were not more than sufficient to fill the gaps caused +by fever. Consequently, after four or five years' fighting, and +the loss of fully thirty thousand men, by fatigue, hardship, and +fever, the effort was abandoned, after having cost some thirty +millions of money.</p> + +<p>At the end of the war, Toussaint was virtually Dictator of +Hayti. He governed strongly and well, but as he was determined +to admit no interference on the part of the French, he +was finally treacherously seized by them, carried to France, +and there died, it is said by starvation, in prison. His forebodings +as to the unfitness of the blacks for self-government +have been fulfilled to the letter. Civil wars, insurrections, and +massacres have been the rule rather than the exception; the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span> +island has been gradually going down in the scale of civilization, +and the majority of the blacks are as savage, ignorant, +and superstitious as their forefathers in Africa. Fetish worship +and human sacrifices are carried on in secret, and the fairest +island in the western seas lies sunk in the lowest degradation—a +proof of the utter incapacity of the negro race to evolve, +or even maintain, civilization, without the example and the +curb of a white population among them.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span></p> + +<hr style='width: 100%;' /> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p>"Wherever English is spoken one imagines that Mr. Henty's +name is known. One cannot enter a schoolroom or look at a +boy's bookshelf without seeing half-a-dozen of his familiar +volumes. Mr. Henty is no doubt the most successful writer +for boys, and the one to whose new volumes they look forward +every Christmas with most pleasure."—<i>Review of Reviews.</i></p> +</div> + + +<h2> +A LIST OF BOOKS<br /> +FOR YOUNG PEOPLE<br /> +</h2> + +<h4>By<br /> +<br /> +<big>G. A. HENTY,</big><br /> +<br /> +KIRK MUNROE, JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY,<br /> +ERNEST THOMPSON SETON, and Others<br /> +</h4> + +<h4> +<small>Published by</small><br /> +<big>CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS</big><br /> +153 to 157 Fifth Avenue<br /> +New York<br /> +</h4> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h3>Other Volumes of the<br /> +Henty Books</h3> + +<p class="btitle">Uniform with This Popular Edition</p> + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td align='left'> +IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE<br /> +<br /> +WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA<br /> +<br /> +WITH WOLFE IN CANADA<br /> +<br /> +THE LION OF ST. MARK<br /> +<br /> +IN THE REIGN OF TERROR<br /> +<br /> +NO SURRENDER<br /> +<br /> +UNDER WELLINGTON'S COMMAND <br /> +<br /> +WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT<br /> +<br /> +AT ABOUKIR AND ACRE<br /> +<br /> +BOTH SIDES THE BORDER<br /> +<br /> +A MARCH ON LONDON<br /> +<br /> +WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA<br /> +<br /> +AT AGINCOURT<br /> +<br /> +COCHRANE THE DAUNTLESS<br /> +<br /> +ON THE IRRAWADDY +</td><td align='left'> +THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS<br /> +<br /> +A KNIGHT OF THE WHITE CROSS<br /> +<br /> +THE TIGER OF MYSORE<br /> +<br /> +IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES<br /> +<br /> +WHEN LONDON BURNED<br /> +<br /> +WULF THE SAXON<br /> +<br /> +ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S EVE<br /> +<br /> +THROUGH THE SIKH WAR<br /> +<br /> +A JACOBITE EXILE<br /> +<br /> +CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST<br /> +<br /> +BERIC THE BRITON<br /> +<br /> +IN GREEK WATERS<br /> +<br /> +THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM<br /> +<br /> +REDSKIN AND COWBOY<br /> +<br /> +HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND +</td></tr> +</table></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Among writers of stories of adventures for boys Mr. Henty stands +in the very first rank."—<i>Academy</i> (London).</p></div> + +<p class="btitle">THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of Adventure in Peru. With 8 full-page Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">Wal Paget</span>, and Map. $1.20 net.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Peru and the hidden treasures of her ancient kings offer Mr. Henty a +most fertile field for a stirring story of adventure in his most engaging +style. In an effort to win the girl of his heart, the hero penetrates into +the wilds of the land of the Incas. Boys who have learned to look for +Mr. Henty's books will follow his new hero in his adventurous and +romantic expedition with absorbing interest. It is one of the most captivating +tales Mr. Henty has yet written.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH KITCHENER IN THE SOUDAN</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of Atbara and Omdurman. With 10 full-page Illustrations. +$1.20 net.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Mr. Henty has never combined history and thrilling adventure more +skillfully than in this extremely interesting story. It is not in boy nature +to lay it aside unfinished, once begun; and finished, the reader finds +himself in possession, not only of the facts and the true atmosphere of +Kitchener's famous Soudan campaign, but of the Gordon tragedy which +preceded it by so many years and of which it was the outcome.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH THE BRITISH LEGION</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the Carlist Uprising of 1836. Illustrated. $1.20 +net.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Arthur Hallet, a young English boy, finds himself in difficulty at +home, through certain harmless school escapades, and enlists in the +famous "British Legion," which was then embarking for Spain to take +part in the campaign to repress the Carlist uprising of 1836. Arthur +shows his mettle in the first fight, distinguishes himself by daring work +in carrying an important dispatch to Madrid, makes a dashing and +thrilling rescue of the sister of his patron, and is rapidly promoted to the +rank of captain. In following the adventures of the hero the reader obtains, +as is usual with Mr. Henty's stories, a most accurate and interesting +history of a picturesque campaign.</p></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"His books have at once the solidity of history and the charm of +romance."—<i>Journal of Education.</i></p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">TO HERAT AND CABUL</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the First Afghan War. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With +Illustrations. 12mo, $1.20 net.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The greatest defeat ever experienced by the British Army was that +in the Mountain Passes of Afghanistan. Angus Cameron, the hero of +this book, having been captured by the friendly Afghans, was compelled +to be a witness of the calamity. His whole story is an intensely +interesting one, from his boyhood in Persia; his employment under the +Government at Herat; through the defense of that town against the +Persians; to Cabul, where he shared in all the events which ended in +the awful march through the Passes from which but one man escaped. +Angus is always at the point of danger, and whether in battle or in +hazardous expeditions shows how much a brave youth, full of +resources, can do, even with so treacherous a foe. His dangers and +adventures are thrilling, and his escapes marvellous.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH ROBERTS TO PRETORIA</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the South African War. By <span class="smcap">G. A Henty</span>. With 12 +Illustrations. $1.20 net.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The Boer War gives Mr. Henty an unexcelled opportunity for a +thrilling story of present-day interest which the author could not fail to +take advantage of. Every boy reader will find this account of the adventures +of the young hero most exciting, and, at the same time a +wonderfully accurate description of Lord Roberts's campaign to Pretoria. +Boys have found history in the dress Mr. Henty gives it anything +but dull, and the present book is no exception to the rule.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">AT THE POINT OF THE BAYONET</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Mahratta War. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. Illustrated. +12mo, $1.20 net.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>One hundred years ago the rule of the British in India was only partly +established. The powerful Mahrattas were unsubdued, and with their +skill in intrigue, and great military power, they were exceedingly dangerous. +The story of "At the Point of the Bayonet" begins with +the attempt to conquer this powerful people. Harry Lindsay, an +infant when his father and mother were killed, was saved by his +Mahratta ayah, who carried him to her own people and brought him +up as a native. She taught him as best she could, and, having told him +his parentage, sent him to Bombay to be educated. At sixteen he obtained +a commission in the English Army, and his knowledge of the +Mahratta tongue combined with his ability and bravery enabled him to +render great service in the Mahratta War, and carried him, through +many frightful perils by land and sea, to high rank.</p></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Mr. Henty might with entire propriety be called the boys' Sir +Walter Scott."—<i>Philadelphia Press.</i></p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">IN THE IRISH BRIGADE</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of War in Flanders and Spain. With 12 Illustrations by +<span class="smcap">Charles M. Sheldon</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Desmond Kennedy is a young Irish lad who left Ireland to join the +Irish Brigade in the service of Louis XIV. of France. In Paris he incurred +the deadly hatred of a powerful courtier from whom he had +rescued a young girl who had been kidnapped, and his perils are of absorbing +interest. Captured in an attempted Jacobite invasion of Scotland, +he escaped in a most extraordinary manner. As aid-de-camp +to the Duke of Berwick he experienced thrilling adventures in Flanders. +Transferred to the Army in Spain, he was nearly assassinated, but +escaped to return, when peace was declared, to his native land, having +received pardon and having recovered his estates. The story is filled +with adventure, and the interest never abates.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">OUT WITH GARIBALDI</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the Liberation of Italy. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With +8 Illustrations by <span class="smcap">W. Rainey</span>, R.I. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Garibaldi himself is the central figure of this brilliant story, and the +little-known history of the struggle for Italian freedom is told here in +the most thrilling way. From the time the hero, a young lad, son of +an English father and an Italian mother, joins Garibaldi's band of +1,000 men in the first descent upon Sicily, which was garrisoned by one +of the large Neapolitan armies, until the end, when all those armies +are beaten, and the two Sicilys are conquered, we follow with the +keenest interest the exciting adventures of the lad in scouting, in +battle, and in freeing those in prison for liberty's sake.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH BULLER IN NATAL</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Or, A Born Leader. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With 10 Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">W. Rainey</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The breaking out of the Boer War compelled Chris King, the hero +of the story, to flee with his mother from Johannesburg to the sea +coast. They were with many other Uitlanders, and all suffered much +from the Boers. Reaching a place of safety for their families, Chris +and twenty of his friends formed an independent company of scouts. In +this service they were with Gen. Yule at Glencoe, then in Ladysmith, +then with Buller. In each place they had many thrilling adventures. +They were in great battles and in lonely fights on the Veldt; were +taken prisoners and escaped; and they rendered most valuable service +to the English forces. The story is a most interesting picture of the +War in South Africa.</p></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Surely Mr. Henty should understand boys' tastes better than any +man living."—<i>The Times.</i></p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WON BY THE SWORD</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Thirty Years' War. With 12 Illustrations by +<span class="smcap">Charles M. Sheldon</span>, and four Plans. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The scene of this story is laid in France, during the time of Richelieu, +of Mazarin and Anne of Austria. The hero, Hector Campbell, is the +orphaned son of a Scotch officer in the French Army. How he attracted +the notice of Marshal Turenne and of the Prince of Conde; +how he rose to the rank of Colonel; how he finally had to leave France, +pursued by the deadly hatred of the Duc de Beaufort—all these and +much more the story tells with the most absorbing interest.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">A ROVING COMMISSION</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti. With 12 Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">William Rainey</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This is one of the most brilliant of Mr. Henty's books. A story of +the sea, with all its life and action, it is also full of thrilling adventures +on land. So it holds the keenest interest until the end. The +scene is a new one to Mr. Henty's readers, being laid at the time of the +Great Revolt of the Blacks, by which Hayti became independent. +Toussaint l'Overture appears, and an admirable picture is given of him +and of his power.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">NO SURRENDER</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">The Story of the Revolt in La Vendée. With 8 Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">Stanley L. Wood</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The revolt of La Vendée against the French Republic at the time of +the Revolution forms the groundwork of this absorbing story. Leigh +Stansfield, a young English lad, is drawn into the thickest of the conflict. +Forming a company of boys as scouts for the Vendéan Army, +he greatly aids the peasants. He rescues his sister from the guillotine, +and finally, after many thrilling experiences, when the cause of La +Vendée is lost, he escapes to England.</p> + + +<p class="btitle">UNDER WELLINGTON'S COMMAND</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Peninsular War. With 12 Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Wal +Paget</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<p>The dashing hero of this book, Terence O'Connor, was the hero of +Mr. Henty's previous book, "With Moore at Corunna," to which this +is really a sequel. He is still at the head of the "Minho" Portuguese +regiment. Being detached on independent and guerilla duty with his +regiment, he renders invaluable service in gaining information and in +harassing the French. His command, being constantly on the edge of +the army, is engaged in frequent skirmishes and some most important +battles.</p></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Mr. Henty is the king of story-tellers for boys."—<i>Sword and Trowel.</i></p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">AT ABOUKIR AND ACRE</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by <span class="smcap">William Rainey</span>, and 3 Plans. 12mo, +$1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero, having saved the life of the son of an Arab chief, is taken +into the tribe, has a part in the battle of the Pyramids and the revolt +at Cairo. He is an eye-witness of the famous naval battle of Aboukir, +and later is in the hardest of the defense of Acre.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">BOTH SIDES THE BORDER</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of Hotspur and Glendower. With 12 full-page Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">Ralph Peacock</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This is a brilliant story of the stirring times of the beginning of the +Wars of the Roses, when the Scotch, under Douglas, and the Welsh, +under Owen Glendower, were attacking the English. The hero of the +book lived near the Scotch border, and saw many a hard fight there. +Entering the service of Lord Percy, he was sent to Wales, where he +was knighted, and where he was captured. Being released, he returned +home, and shared in the fatal battle of Shrewsbury.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Seven Years' War. With 12 full-page Illustrations. +12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero of this story while still a youth entered the service of +Frederick the Great, and by a succession of fortunate circumstances +and perilous adventures, rose to the rank of colonel. Attached to the +staff of the king, he rendered distinguished services in many battles, in +one of which he saved the king's life. Twice captured and imprisoned, +he both times escaped from the Austrian fortresses.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">A MARCH ON LONDON</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of Wat Tyler's Rising. With 8 full-page Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">W. H. Margetson</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The story of Wat Tyler's Rebellion is but little known, but the hero +of this story passes through that perilous time and takes part in the +civil war in Flanders which followed soon after. Although young he +is thrown into many exciting and dangerous adventures, through which +he passes with great coolness and much credit.</p></div> + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"No country nor epoch of history is there which Mr. Henty does not +know, and what is really remarkable is that he always writes well and +interestingly."—<i>New York Times.</i></p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the Peninsular War. With 12 full-page Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">Wal Paget</span>. 12mo, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Terence O'Connor is living with his widowed father, Captain O'Connor +of the Mayo Fusiliers, with the regiment at the time when the +Peninsular war began. Upon the regiment being ordered to Spain, +Terence gets appointed as aid to one of the generals of a division. By +his bravery and great usefulness throughout the war, he is rewarded +by a commission as colonel in the Portuguese army and there rendered +great service.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">AT AGINCOURT</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Walter Paget</span>. Crown 8vo, olivine +edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The story begins in a grim feudal castle in Normandie. The times +were troublous, and soon the king compelled Lady Margaret de Villeroy +with her children to go to Paris as hostages. Guy Aylmer went with +her. Paris was turbulent. Soon the guild of the butchers, adopting +white hoods as their uniform, seized the city, and besieged the house +where our hero and his charges lived. After desperate fighting, the +white hoods were beaten and our hero and his charges escaped from +the city, and from France.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH COCHRANE THE DAUNTLESS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Exploits of Lord Cochrane in South American +Waters. With 12 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">W. H. +Margetson</span>. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero of this story accompanies Cochrane as midshipman, and +serves in the war between Chili and Peru. He has many exciting +adventures in battles by sea and land, is taken prisoner and condemned +to death by the Inquisition, but escapes by a long and thrilling flight +across South America and down the Amazon.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">ON THE IRRAWADDY</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the First Burmese War. With 8 full page Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">W. H. Overend</span>. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, +$1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero, having an uncle, a trader on the Indian and Burmese +rivers, goes out to join him. Soon after, war is declared by Burmah +against England and he is drawn into it. He has many experiences +and narrow escapes in battles and in scouting. With half-a-dozen +men he rescues his cousin who had been taken prisoner, and in the +flight they are besieged in an old, ruined temple.</p></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Boys like stirring adventures, and Mr. Henty is a master of this +method of composition."—<i>New York Times</i>.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by <span class="smcap">W. H. Overend</span> and 3 Maps. Crown +8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero, Julian Wyatt, after several adventures with smugglers, by +whom he is handed over a prisoner to the French, regains his freedom +and joins Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign. When the terrible +retreat begins, Julian finds himself in the rearguard of the French army, +fighting desperately. Ultimately he escapes out of the general disaster, +and returns to England.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">A KNIGHT OF THE WHITE CROSS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Siege of Rhodes. With 12 full-page Illustrations +by <span class="smcap">Ralph Peacock</span>, and a Plan. Crown 8vo, olivine +edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Gervaise Tresham, the hero of this story, joins the Order of the +Knights of St. John, and proceeds to the stronghold of Rhodes. Subsequently +he is appointed commander of a war-galley, and in his first +voyage destroys a fleet of Moorish corsairs. During one of his cruises +the young knight is attacked on shore, captured after a desperate +struggle, and sold into slavery in Tripoli. He succeeds in escaping, and +returns to Rhodes in time to take part in the defense of that fortress.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">THE TIGER OF MYSORE</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the War with Tippoo Saib. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by <span class="smcap">W. H. Margetson</span>, and a Map. Crown +8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Dick Holland, whose father is supposed to be a captive of Tippoo +Saib, goes to India to help him to escape. He joins the army under +Lord Cornwallis, and takes part in the campaign against Tippoo. +Afterwards he assumes a disguise, enters Seringapatam, and at last +he discovers his father in the great stronghold of Savandroog. The +hazardous rescue is at length accomplished, and the young fellow's +dangerous mission is done.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of Adventure in Colorado. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With +8 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">G. C. Hindley</span>. Crown 8vo, +olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero, Tom Wade, goes to seek his uncle in Colorado, who is a +hunter and gold-digger, and he is discovered, after many dangers, out +on the Plains with some comrades. Going in quest of a gold mine, the +little band is spied by Indians, chased across the Bad Lands, and +overwhelmed by a snowstorm in the mountains.</p></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Mr. Henty is one of the best story-tellers for young people."—<i>Spectator</i>.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WHEN LONDON BURNED</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the Plague and the Fire. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With +12 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">J. Finnemore</span>. Crown 8vo, +olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero of this story was the son of a nobleman who had lost his +estates during the troublous times of the Commonwealth. During the +Great Plague and the Great Fire, Cyril was prominent among those +who brought help to the panic-stricken inhabitants.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WULF THE SAXON</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the Norman Conquest. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With +12 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Ralph Peacock</span>. Crown +8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero is a young thane who wins the favor of Earl Harold and +becomes one of his retinue. When Harold becomes King of England +Wulf assists in the Welsh wars, and takes part against the Norsemen +at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. When William of Normandy invades +England, Wulf is with the English host at Hastings, and stands +by his king to the last in the mighty struggle.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S EVE</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Huguenot Wars. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With 12 +full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">H. J. Draper</span>, and a Map. +Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero, Philip Fletcher, has a French connection on his mother's +side. This induces him to cross the Channel in order to take a share +in the Huguenot wars. Naturally he sides with the Protestants, distinguishes +himself in various battles, and receives rapid promotion for +the zeal and daring with which he carries out several secret missions.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">THROUGH THE SIKH WAR</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Conquest of the Punjaub. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. +With 12 full-page illustrations by <span class="smcap">Hal Hurst</span>, and a +Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Percy Groves, a spirited English lad, joins his uncle in the Punjaub, +where the natives are in a state of revolt. Percy joins the British +force as a volunteer, and takes a distinguished share in the famous +battles of the Punjaub.</p></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"The brightest of the living writers whose office it is to enchant the +boys."—<i>Christian Leader</i>.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">A JACOBITE EXILE</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Being the Adventures of a Young Englishman in the Service +of Charles XII. of Sweden. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With 8 +full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Paul Hardy</span>, and a Map. Crown +8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Sir Marmaduke Carstairs, a Jacobite, is the victim of a conspiracy, and +he is denounced as a plotter against the life of King William. He flies +to Sweden, accompanied by his son Charlie. This youth joins the +foreign legion under Charles XII., and takes a distinguished part in +several famous campaigns against the Russians and Poles.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of Escape from Siberia. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With 8 +full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero of this story is an English boy resident in St. Petersburg. +Through two student friends he becomes innocently involved in +various political plots, resulting in his seizure by the Russian police +and his exile to Siberia. He ultimately escapes, and, after many exciting +adventures, he reaches Norway, and thence home, after a +perilous journey which lasts nearly two years.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">BERIC THE BRITON</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the Roman Invasion. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With +12 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">W. Parkinson</span>. Crown 8vo, +olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This story deals with the invasion of Britain by the Roman legionaries. +Beric, who is a boy-chief of a British tribe, takes a prominent part in +the insurrection under Boadicea; and after the defeat of that heroic +queen (in A. D. 62) he continues the struggle in the fen-country. +Ultimately Beric is defeated and carried captive to Rome, where he is +trained in the exercise of arms in a school of gladiators. At length he +returns to Britain, where he becomes ruler of his own people.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">IN GREEK WATERS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Story of the Grecian War of Independence (1821-1827). By +<span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With 12 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">W. S. +Stacey</span>, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Deals with the revolt of the Greeks in 1821 against Turkish oppression. +Mr. Beveridge and his son Horace fit out a privateer, load it +with military stores, and set sail for Greece. They rescue the Christians, +relieve the captive Greeks, and fight the Turkish war vessels.</p></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b>BY G. A. HENTY</b></p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"No living writer of books for boys writes to better purpose than +Mr. G. A. Henty."—<i>Philadelphia Press.</i></p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Nile Expedition. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With 10 +full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">John Schönberg</span> and <span class="smcap">J. Nash</span>. +Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>In the record of recent British history there is no more captivating +page for boys than the story of the Nile campaign, and the attempt to +rescue General Gordon. For, in the difficulties which the expedition +encountered, in the perils which it overpassed, and in its final tragic +disappointments, are found all the excitements of romance, as well as +the fascination which belongs to real events.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">REDSKIN AND COW-BOY</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Western Plains. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With 12 +full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Alfred Pearse</span>. Crown 8vo, +olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The central interest of this story is found in the many adventures of +an English lad, who seeks employment as a cow-boy on a cattle ranch. +His experiences during a "round-up" present in picturesque form the +toilsome, exciting, adventurous life of a cow-boy; while the perils of a +frontier settlement are vividly set forth in an Indian raid.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar. By <span class="smcap">G. A. Henty</span>. With +8 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Gordon Browne</span>. Crown 8vo, +olivine edges, $1.50.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This story deals with one of the most memorable sieges in history—the +siege of Gibraltar in 1779-83 by the united forces of France and +Spain. With land forces, fleets, and floating batteries, the combined +resources of two great nations, this grim fortress was vainly besieged +and bombarded. The hero of the tale, an English lad resident in +Gibraltar, takes a brave and worthy part in the long defence, and it is +through his varied experiences that we learn with what bravery, resource, +and tenacity the Rock was held for England.</p></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<h3>A List of Books by<br /> +Kirk Munroe</h3> + + +<p class="btitle">A SON OF SATSUMA</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Or, with Perry in Japan. By <span class="smcap">Kirk Munroe</span>. With 12 illustrations +by <span class="smcap">Harry C. Edwards</span>. $1.00 net.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This absorbing story for boys deals with one of the most interesting +episodes in our National history. From the beginning Japan has been a +land of mystery. Foreigners were permitted to land only at certain +points on her shores, and nothing whatever was known of her civilization +and history, her romance and magnificence, her wealth and art. It was +Commodore Perry who opened her gates to the world, thus solving the +mystery of the ages, and, in this thrilling story of an American boy in +Japan at that period, the spirit as well as the history of this great +achievement is ably set forth.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">IN PIRATE WATERS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the American Navy. Illustrated by <span class="smcap">I. W. Taber</span>. +12mo, $1.25.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The hero of the story becomes a midshipman in the navy just at the +time of the war with Tripoli. His own wild adventures among the +Turks and his love romance are thoroughly interwoven with the stirring +history of that time.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WITH CROCKETT AND BOWIE</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Or, Fighting for the Lone Star Flag. A Tale of Texas. By +<span class="smcap">Kirk Munroe</span>. With 8 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Victor +Pérard</span>. Crown 8vo. $1.25.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The story is of the Texas revolution in 1835, when American Texans +under Sam Houston, Bowie, Crockett, and Travis fought for relief from +the intolerable tyranny of the Mexican Santa Aña. The hero, Rex +Hardin, son of a Texan ranchman and graduate of an American military +school, takes a prominent part in the heroic defense of the Alamo, and +the final triumph at San Jacinto.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">THROUGH SWAMP AND GLADE</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of the Seminole War. By <span class="smcap">Kirk Munroe</span>. With 8 +full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">V. Pérard</span>. Crown 8vo, $1.25.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Coacoochee, the hero of the story, is the son of Philip, the chieftain of +the Seminoles. He grows up to lead his tribe in the long struggle which +resulted in the Indians being driven from the north of Florida down to +the distant southern wilderness.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">AT WAR WITH PONTIAC</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Or, the Totem of the Bear. A Tale Of redcoat and redskin. +By <span class="smcap">Kirk Munroe</span>. With 8 full-page illustrations by <span class="smcap">J. +Finnemore</span>. Crown 8vo, $1.25.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>A story when the shores of Lake Erie were held by hostile Indians. +The hero, Donald Hester, goes in search of his sister Edith, who has +been captured by the Indians. Strange and terrible are his experiences; +for he is wounded, taken prisoner, condemned to be burned, but contrives +to escape. In the end all things terminate happily.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">THE WHITE CONQUERORS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">A Tale of Toltec and Aztec. By <span class="smcap">Kirk Munroe</span>. With 8 full-page +Illustrations. Crown 8vo, $1.25.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This story deals with the conquest of Mexico by Cortez and his Spaniards, +the "White Conquerors," who, after many deeds of valor, pushed +their way into the great Aztec kingdom and established their power in +the wondrous city where Montezuma reigned in splendor.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">MIDSHIPMAN STUART</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Or, the Last Cruise of the Essex. A Tale of the War of +1812. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.25.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This is an absorbing story of life in the American Navy during the +stirring times of our war of 1812. The very spirit of the period is in its +pages, and many of the adventures of the Essex are studied from history.</p></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p class="center"><br /><b><span class="smcap">By</span> ERNEST THOMPSON SETON</b></p> + + +<p class="btitle">LIVES OF THE HUNTED</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">Being a true account of the doings of four quadrupeds and +three birds. With 200 Illustrations. $1.75 net. (Postage, +15 cents.)</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Should be put with Kipling and Hans Christian Andersen as a +classic."—<span class="smcap">The Athenæum</span> (London).</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">WILD ANIMALS I HAVE KNOWN</p> + +<p class="center">With 200 Illustrations. $2.00.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton's first and most famous book. More than +100,000 have been sold so far.</p></div> + + +<p class="center"><br /><b><span class="smcap">By</span> JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY</b></p> + +<p class="btitle">THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN</p> + +<p class="center">Profusely Illustrated.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The sweetness, the grace, the laughter, and the tenderness of Mr. +Riley's best verse are found to the full in this book of delightful poems +for and about children. The illustrations have been made under the +author's supervision, and portray the scenes and the little heroes and +heroines of the poems with artistic fidelity.</p></div> + + +<p class="center"><br /><b><span class="smcap">By</span> CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY</b></p> + +<p class="btitle">IN THE WASP'S NET</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">The Story of a Sea Waif. Illustrated. $1.50 net. (Postage, +16 cents.)</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>A vigorous story of the war of 1812. The hero, a midshipman, serves +gallantly aboard two famous American ships, each bearing the name of +Wasp, having many adventures of storm, battle, and capture.</p></div> + + +<p class="center"><br /><b><span class="smcap">By</span> THOMAS NELSON PACE</b></p> + +<p class="btitle">A CAPTURED SANTA CLAUS</p> + +<p class="center">Illustrated in Colors.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>This exquisite story of childhood is one of the most delicate that even +Mr. Page has written. It is an episode of the Civil War in which children +are the little heroes. The period is the Christmas time, and the +scene is between the lines of the Union and Confederate Armies.</p></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 100%;" /> +<p class="btitle">JEB HUTTON, A GEORGIA BOY</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">By <span class="smcap">James B. Connolly</span>. Illustrated. $1.20 net. (Postage, +13 cents.)</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>A thoroughly interesting and breezy tale of boy-life along the +Savannah River by a writer who knows boys, and who has succeeded +in making of the adventures of Jeb and his friends a story that will +keep his young readers absorbed to the last page.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">KING MOMBO</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">By <span class="smcap">Paul Du Chaillu</span>. Author of "The World of the Great +Forest," etc. With 24 illustrations. $1.50 net. (Postage, +16 cents.)</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The scene is the great African forest. It is a book of interesting +experiences with native tribes, and thrilling and perilous adventures in +hunting elephants, crocodiles, gorillas and other fierce creatures +among which this famous explorer lived so long.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">A NEW BOOK FOR GIRLS</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">By <span class="smcap">Lina Beard</span> and <span class="smcap">Adelia B. Beard</span>. Authors of "The +American Girl's Handy Book." Profusely Illustrated.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>An admirable collection of entirely new and original indoor and outdoor +pastimes for American girls, each fully and interestingly described +and explained, and all designed to stimulate the taste and +ingenuity at the same time that they entertain.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">SEA FIGHTERS FROM DRAKE TO<br /> +FARRAGUT</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">By <span class="smcap">Jessie Peabody Frothingham</span>. Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Reuterdahl</span>. +$1.20 net. (Postage, 14 cents.)</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Drake, Tromp, De Reuter, Tourville, Suffren, Paul Jones, Nelson +and Farragut are the naval heroes here pictured, and each is shown in +some great episode which illustrates his personality and heroism. The +book is full of the very spirit of daring and adventurous achievement.</p></div> + + +<p class="btitle">BOB AND HIS GUN</p> + +<p class="nblockquot">By <span class="smcap">William Alexander Linn</span>. With 8 Illustrations.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The adventures of a boy with a gun under the instruction of his +cousin, an accomplished sportsman. The book's aim is to interest +boys in hunting in the spirit of true sport and to instruct in the ways +of game birds and animals.</p></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Roving Commission, by G. A. Henty + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A ROVING COMMISSION *** + +***** This file should be named 38764-h.htm or 38764-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/7/6/38764/ + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/38764-h/images/heading.jpg b/38764-h/images/heading.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..eab660f --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/heading.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i001.jpg b/38764-h/images/i001.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..68278bc --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i001.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i002.jpg b/38764-h/images/i002.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..027f5b6 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i002.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i003.jpg b/38764-h/images/i003.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8653f86 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i003.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i004.jpg b/38764-h/images/i004.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e0b12cb --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i004.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i005.jpg b/38764-h/images/i005.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2384ff1 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i005.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i006.jpg b/38764-h/images/i006.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2c52c3c --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i006.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i007.jpg b/38764-h/images/i007.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5b8f8de --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i007.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i008.jpg b/38764-h/images/i008.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5453647 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i008.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i009.jpg b/38764-h/images/i009.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..394eb35 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i009.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i010.jpg b/38764-h/images/i010.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee09e82 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i010.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i011.jpg b/38764-h/images/i011.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3893906 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i011.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i012.jpg b/38764-h/images/i012.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..19726f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i012.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i013.jpg b/38764-h/images/i013.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..57dab8d --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i013.jpg diff --git a/38764-h/images/i014.jpg b/38764-h/images/i014.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8f6ad51 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764-h/images/i014.jpg diff --git a/38764.txt b/38764.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..db3b522 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764.txt @@ -0,0 +1,14264 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Roving Commission, by G. A. Henty + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Roving Commission + Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Illustrator: William Rainey + +Release Date: February 4, 2012 [EBook #38764] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A ROVING COMMISSION *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + A ROVING COMMISSION + + + + [Illustration: "I HAVE HEARD A GREAT DEAL OF YOU, MR. GLOVER," THE + ADMIRAL SAID.] + + + + A ROVING COMMISSION + + OR + + _THROUGH THE BLACK INSURRECTION AT HAYTI_ + + + BY + + G. A. HENTY + + Author of "With Frederick the Great," "The Dash for Khartoum" + "Both Sides the Border," etc. + + _WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS BY WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I._ + + + NEW YORK + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + 1904 + + + + _Copyright_, 1899, + BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS. + + + + +PREFACE + + +Horrible as were the atrocities of which the monsters of the French +Revolution were guilty, they paled before the fiendish outrages +committed by their black imitators in Hayti. Indeed, for some six +years the island presented a saturnalia of massacre, attended with +indescribable tortures. It may be admitted that the retaliation +inflicted by the maddened whites after the first massacre was as full of +horrors as were the outrages perpetrated by the blacks, and both were +rivalled by the mulattoes when they joined in the general madness for +blood. The result was ruin to all concerned. France lost one of her +fairest possessions, and a wealthy race of cultivators, many belonging +to the best blood of France, were annihilated or driven into poverty +among strangers. The mulattoes, many of whom were also wealthy, soon +found that the passions they had done so much to foment were too +powerful for them; their position under the blacks was far worse and +more precarious, than it had been under the whites. The negroes gained a +nominal liberty. Nowhere were the slaves so well treated as by the +French colonists, and they soon discovered that, so far from profiting +by the massacre of their masters and families, they were infinitely +worse off than before. They were still obliged to work to some extent to +save themselves from starvation; they had none to look to for aid in the +time of sickness and old age; hardships and fevers had swept them away +wholesale; the trade of the island dwindled almost to nothing; and at +last the condition of the negroes in Hayti has fallen to the level of +that of the savage African tribes. Unless some strong white power should +occupy the island and enforce law and order, sternly repress crime, and +demand a certain amount of labour from all able-bodied men, there seems +no hope that any amelioration can take place in the present situation. + + G. A. HENTY. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. A FIGHT WITH A BLOODHOUND 1 + + II. REJOINED 21 + + III. A SLAVE DEPOT 38 + + IV. A SHARP FIGHT 58 + + V. A PIRATE HOLD 76 + + VI. THE NEGRO RISING 93 + + VII. IN HIDING 112 + + VIII. A TIME OF WAITING 132 + + IX. AN ATTACK ON THE CAVE 152 + + X. AFLOAT AGAIN 172 + + XI. A FIRST COMMAND 191 + + XII. A RESCUE 211 + + XIII. TWO CAPTURES 232 + + XIV. THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE 253 + + XV. THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE 273 + + XVI. TOUSSAIT L'OUVERTURE 293 + + XVII. A FRENCH FRIGATE 311 + + XVIII. ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT 331 + + XIX. HOME 352 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + + "I HAVE HEARD A GREAT DEAL OF YOU, MR. GLOVER," THE ADMIRAL + SAID _Frontispiece_ + + "HEADED BY NAT, THE CREW OF THE GIG LEAPT DOWN ON TO THE DECK" 40 + + THE GUNS ON THE RAMPART SEND A SHOWER OF GRAPE INTO THE PIRATE 64 + + "IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE HE CAME ACROSS THE FIGURE OF A + PROSTRATE MAN" 122 + + "HE FELL LIKE A LOG OVER THE PRECIPICE" 164 + + THE JOURNEY TO THE COAST 178 + + THE RESCUE OF LOUISE PICKARD 212 + + "FOUR SHOTS WERE FIRED AND AS MANY NEGROES FELL" 226 + + "THE CAPTAIN OF THE PIRATES SHOOK HIS FIST IN DEFIANCE" 246 + + A MESSAGE FROM TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE 294 + + "DROP IT!" NAT REPEATED 308 + + "NAT SPRANG ON TO THE RAIL" 318 + + + + +A ROVING COMMISSION + + + + +CHAPTER I + +A FIGHT WITH A BLOODHOUND + + +"Now, look here, Nathaniel--" + +"Drop that, Curtis, you know very well that I won't have it. I can't +help having such a beast of a name, and why it was given me I have never +been able to make out, and if I had been consulted in the matter all the +godfathers and godmothers in the world wouldn't have persuaded me to +take such a name. Nat I don't mind. I don't say that it is a name that I +should choose; still, I can put up with that, but the other I won't +have. You have only just joined the ship, but if you ask the others they +will tell you that I have had at least half a dozen fights over the +name, and it is an understood thing here that if anyone wants a row with +me he has only got to call me Nathaniel, and there is no occasion for +any more words after that." + +The speaker was a pleasant-faced lad, between fifteen and sixteen, and +his words were half in jest half in earnest. He was a general favourite +among his mess-mates on board H. M. frigate _Orpheus_. He was full of +life and fun, exceptionally good-tempered, and able to stand any amount +of chaff and joking, and it was understood by his comrades that there +was but one point that it was unsafe to touch on, and that sore point +was his name. It had been the choice of his godmother, a maiden aunt, +who had in her earlier days had a disappointment. Nat had once closely +questioned his father as to how he came by his name, and the latter had +replied testily: + +"Well, my boy, your Aunt Eliza, who is, you know, a very good woman--no +one can doubt that--had a weakness. I never myself got at the rights of +the matter. Anyhow, his name was Nathaniel. I don't think there was ever +any formal engagement between them. Her own idea is that he loved her, +but that his parents forbade him to think of her; for that was at a time +before her Aunt Lydia left all her money to her. Anyhow, he went abroad, +and I don't think she ever heard of him again. I am inclined to think it +was an entire mistake on her part, and that the young fellow had never +had the slightest fancy for her. However, that was the one romance of +her life, and she has clung to it like a limpet to a rock. At any rate +when we asked her to be your godmother she said she would be so if we +would give you the name of Nathaniel. I own it is not a name that I like +myself; but when we raised an objection, she said that the name was very +dear to her, and that if you took it she would certainly make you her +heir, and more than hinted that if you had any other name she would +leave her money to charitable purposes. Well, you see, as she is worth +thirty thousand pounds if she is worth a penny, your mother and I both +thought it would be folly to allow the money to go out of the family for +the sake of a name, which after all is not such a bad name." + +"I think it beastly, father, in the first place because it is long." + +"Well, my boy, if you like we can shorten it to Nathan." + +"Oh, that would be a hundred times worse! Nathan indeed! Nat is not so +bad. If I had been christened Nat I should not have particularly minded +it. Why did you not propose that to aunt?" + +His father shook his head. "That would never have done. To her he was +always Nathaniel. Possibly if they had been married it might some day +have become Nat, but, you see, it never got to that." + +"Well, of course, father," the boy said with a sigh, "as the thing is +done it cannot be helped. And I don't say that aunt isn't a good +sort--first-rate in some things, for she has always tipped me well +whenever she came here, and she says she is going to allow me fifty +pounds a year directly I get my appointment as midshipman; but it is +certainly hard on me that she could not have fallen in love with some +man with a decent name. Nathaniel is always getting me into rows. Why, +the first two or three years I went to school I should say that I had a +fight over it once a month. Of course I have not had one lately, for +since I licked Smith major fellows are more careful. I expect it will be +just as bad in the navy." + +So when he first joined Nat had found it, but now that he was nearly +sixteen, and very strong and active, and with the experience of many +past combats, the name Nathaniel had been dropped. It was six months +since the obnoxious Christian name had been used, as it was now by a +young fellow of seventeen who had been transferred to the _Orpheus_ when +the frigate to which he belonged was ordered home. He was tall and +lanky, very particular about his dress, spoke in a drawling supercilious +way, and had the knack of saying unpleasant things with an air of +innocence. Supposing that Glover's name must be Nathaniel, he had +thought it smart so to address him, but although he guessed that it +might irritate him, he was unprepared for an explosion on the part of a +lad who was proverbially good-tempered. + +"Dear me," he said, in assumed surprise, "I had no idea that you +objected so much to be called by your proper name! However, I will, of +course, in future use the abbreviation." + +"You had better call me Glover," Nat replied sharply. "My friends can +call me Nat, but to other people I am Glover, and if you call me out of +that name there will be squalls; so I warn you." + +Curtis thought it was well not to pursue the subject further. He was no +coward, but he had the sense to see that as Nat was a favourite with the +others, while he was a new-comer, a fight, even if he were the victor, +would not conduce to his popularity among his mess-mates. The president +of the mess, a master's mate, a good-tempered fellow, who hated +quarrels, broke what would have been an awkward silence by saying: + +"We seem to be out of luck altogether this trip; we have been out three +weeks and not fired a shot. It is especially hard, for we caught sight +of that brigantine we have been in search of, and should have had her if +she hadn't run into that channel where there was not water enough for us +to follow her." + +"Yes, that was rough upon us, and one hates to go back to Port Royal +without a prize, after having taken so many that we have come to be +considered the luckiest ship on the station," another said. "Still, the +cruise is not over yet. I suppose by the way we are laying our course, +Marston, we are going into Cape Francois?" + +The mate nodded. "Yes; we want fresh meat, fruit, and water, and it is +about the pleasantest place among these islands. I have no doubt, too, +that the captain hopes to get some news that may help him to find out +where those piratical craft that are doing so much mischief have their +rendezvous. They are all so fast that unless in a strong breeze a +frigate has no chance whatever of overhauling them; there is no doubt +that they are all of Spanish build, and in a light breeze they sail +like witches. I believe our only chance of catching them is in finding +them at their head-quarters, wherever that may be, or by coming upon +them in a calm in a bay. In that case it would be a boat affair; and a +pretty sharp one I should think, for they all carry very strong crews +and are heavily armed, and as the scoundrels know that they fight with +ropes round their necks they would be awkward customers to tackle." + +"Yes, if we happened to find them all together, I don't think the +captain would risk sending in the boats. One at a time we could manage, +but with three of them mounting about fifty guns between them, and +carrying, I should say, from two hundred to two hundred and fifty men, +the odds would be very great, and the loss, even if we captured them, so +heavy that I hardly think the captain would be justified in attempting +it. I should say that he would be more likely to get out all the boats +and tow the frigate into easy range. She would give a good account of +the whole of them." + +"Yes, there is no doubt about that; but even then we should only succeed +if the bay was a very narrow one, for otherwise their boats would +certainly tow them faster than we could take the frigate along." + +It was Glover who spoke last. + +"I don't think myself that we shall ever catch them in the frigate. It +seems to me that the only chance will be to get hold of an old +merchantman, put a strong crew on board and a dozen of our guns, and +cruise about until one of them gets a sight of us and comes skimming +along to capture us." + +"Yes, that would be a good plan; but it has been tried several times +with success, and I fancy the pirates would not fall into the trap. +Besides, there is very little doubt that they have friends at all these +ports, and get early information of any movements of our ships, and +would hear of what we were doing long before the disguised ship came +near them. It can hardly be chance, that it matters not which way we +cruise these fellows begin their work in another direction altogether. +Now that we are here in this great bay, they are probably cruising off +the west of Cuba or down by Porto Rico or the Windward Islands. That is +the advantage that three or four craft working together have: they are +able to keep spies in every port that our ships of war are likely to go +into, while a single vessel cannot afford such expenses." + +"I don't think that the expenses, Low, would be heavy; the negroes would +do it for next to nothing, and so would the mulattoes, simply because +they hate the whites. I don't mean the best of the mulattoes, because +many of them are gentlemen and good fellows; but the lower class are +worse than the negroes, they are up to any devilment, and will do +anything they can to injure a white man." + +"Poor beggars, one can hardly blame them; they are neither one thing nor +the other! These old French planters are as aristocratic as their +noblesse at home, and indeed many of them belong to noble families. Even +the meanest white--and they are pretty mean some of them--looks down +upon a mulatto, although the latter may have been educated in France and +own great plantations. The negroes don't like them because of their +strain of white blood. They are treated as if they were pariahs. Their +children may not go to school with the whites, they themselves may not +sit down in a theatre or kneel at church next to them, they may not use +the same restaurants or hotels. No wonder they are discontented." + +"It is hard on them," Glover said, "but one can't be surprised that the +whites do fight shy of them. Great numbers of them are brutes and no +mistake, ready for any crime and up to any wickedness. There is lots of +good in the niggers; they are merry fellows; and I must say for these +old French planters they use their slaves a great deal better than they +are as a rule treated by our planters in Jamaica. Of course there are +bad masters everywhere, but if I were a slave I would certainly rather +be under a French master than an English one, or, from what I have +heard, than an American." + +"Very well, Glover, I will make a note of that, and if you ever +misbehave yourself and we have to sell you, I will drop a line to the +first luff how your preference lies." + +Early the next morning the frigate dropped anchor at Cape Francois, the +largest and most important town in the island, with the exception of the +capital of the Spanish portion of San Domingo. The _Orpheus_ carried six +midshipmen. Four of these had been ashore when on the previous occasion +the _Orpheus_ had entered the port. Nat Glover and Curtis were the +exceptions, Curtis having at that time belonged to the frigate for but a +very few weeks, and Nat having been in the first lieutenant's bad books, +owing to a scrape into which he had got at the last port they had +touched at. After breakfast they went up together to the first +lieutenant, whose name was Hill. + +"Please, sir, if we are not wanted, can we have leave for the day?" + +The lieutenant hesitated, and then said: + +"Yes, I think the other four will be enough for the boats. You did not +go ashore last time you were here, I think, Mr. Glover," he added with a +slight smile. + +"No, sir." + +"Very well, then, you can go, but don't get into any scrape." + +"I will try not to, sir," Nat said demurely. + +"Well, I hope your trial will be successful, Mr. Glover, for if not, I +can tell you that it will be a long time before you have leave again. +These people don't understand that sort of thing." + +"He is a nice lad," Mr. Hill said to the second lieutenant as the two +midshipmen walked away, "and when he has worked off those animal spirits +of his he will make a capital officer, but at present he is one of the +most mischievous young monkeys I ever came across." + +"He does not let them interfere with his duty," the other said. "He is +the smartest of our mids; he is well up in navigation, and has any +amount of pluck. You remember how he jumped overboard in Port Royal when +a marine fell into the water, although the harbour was swarming with +sharks. It was a near touch. Luckily we threw a bowline to him, and the +two were hauled up together. A few seconds more and it would have been +too late, for there was a shark within twenty feet of them." + +"Yes, there is no doubt about his pluck, Playford, and indeed I partly +owe my life to him. When we captured that piratical brigantine near +Santa Lucia I boarded by the stern, and she had such a strong crew that +we were being beaten back, and things looked very bad until he with the +gig's crew swarmed in over the bow. Even then it was a very tough +struggle till they cut their way through the pirates and joined us, and +we went at them together, and that youngster fought like a young fiend. +He was in the thick of it everywhere, and yet he was as cool as a +cucumber. Oh yes, he has the making of a very fine officer. Although I +am obliged to be sharp with him, there is not a shadow of harm in the +lad, but he certainly has a genius for getting into scrapes." + +The two midshipmen went ashore together. "I don't know what you are +going to do, Curtis, but after I have walked through the place and had a +look at it, I shall hire a horse and ride out into the country." + +"It is too hot for riding," the other said. "Of course I shall see what +there is to be seen, and then I shall look for a seat in some place in +the shade and eat fruit." + +"Well, we may as well walk through the town together," Nat said +cheerfully. "From the look of the place I should fancy there was not +much in it, and I know the fellows who went on shore before said that +the town contained nothing but native huts, a few churches, and two or +three dozen old French houses." + +Half an hour indeed sufficed to explore the place. When they separated +Nat had no difficulty in hiring a horse. He had been accustomed, when in +England, to ride a pony, and was therefore at home in the saddle; he +proceeded at a leisurely pace along the road across the flat plain that +surrounded Cape Francois. On either side were plantations,--sugar-cane +and tobacco,--and he occasionally passed the abode of some wealthy +planter, surrounded by shady trees and gardens gorgeous with tropical +plants and flowers. He was going by one of these, half a mile from the +town, when he heard a loud scream, raised evidently by a woman in +extreme pain or terror. He was just opposite the entrance, and, +springing from his horse, he ran in. + +On the ground, twenty yards from the gate, lay a girl. A huge hound had +hold of her shoulder, and was shaking her violently. Nat drew his dirk +and gave a loud shout as he rushed forward. The hound loosed his hold of +the girl and turned to meet him, and, springing upon him with a savage +growl, threw him to the ground. Nat drove his dirk into the animal as he +fell, and threw his left arm across his throat to prevent the dog +seizing him there. A moment later the hound had seized it with a grip +that extracted a shout of pain from the midshipman. As he again buried +his dirk in the hound's side, the dog shifted his hold from Nat's +forearm to his shoulder and shook him as if he had been a child. + +Nat made no effort to free himself, for he knew that were he to uncover +his throat for a moment the dog would seize him there. Though the pain +was terrible he continued to deal stroke after stroke to the dog. One of +these blows must have reached the heart, for suddenly its hold relaxed +and it rolled over, just as half a dozen negroes armed with sticks came +rushing out of the house. Nat tried to raise himself on his right arm, +but the pain of the left was so great that he leant back again +half-fainting. Presently he felt himself being lifted up and carried +along; he heard a lady's voice giving directions, and then for a time he +knew no more. When he came to himself he saw the ship's doctor leaning +over him. + +"What is the matter, doctor?" he asked. + +"You are badly hurt, lad, and must lie perfectly quiet. Luckily the +messenger who was sent to fetch a doctor, seeing Mr. Curtis and me +walking up the street, ran up to us and said that a young officer of our +ship was hurt, and that he was sent in to fetch a doctor. He had, in +fact, already seen one, and was in the act of returning with him when he +met us. Of course I introduced myself to the French doctor as we came +along together, for we fortunately got hold of a trap directly, so that +no time was lost. The black boy who brought the message told me that you +and a young lady had been bitten by a great hound belonging to his +master, and that you had killed it. Now, my lad, I am going to cut off +your coat and look at your wounds. The Frenchman is attending to the +young lady." + +"Mind how you touch my arm, doctor! it is broken somewhere between the +elbow and the wrist; I heard it snap when the brute seized me. It threw +me down, and I put my arm across over my throat, so as to prevent it +from getting at that. It would have been all up with me if it had +gripped me there." + +"That it would, Glover. I saw the dog lying on the grass as I came in. +It is a big bloodhound; and your presence of mind undoubtedly saved your +life." + +By this time he had cut the jacket and shirt up to the neck. Nat saw his +lips tighten as he caught sight of the wound on the shoulder. + +"It is a bad bite, eh, doctor?" + +"Yes, it has mangled the flesh badly. The dog seems to have shifted his +hold several times." + +"Yes, doctor, each time I stabbed him he gave a sort of start, and then +caught hold again and shook me furiously. After the first bite I did not +seem to feel any pain. I suppose the limb was numbed." + +"Very likely, lad. Now I must first of all see what damage was done to +the forearm. I am afraid I shall hurt you, but I will be as gentle as I +can." + +Nat clenched his teeth and pressed his lips tightly together. Not a +sound was heard as the examination was being made, although the sweat +that started out on his forehead showed how intense was the pain. + +"Both bones are broken," the surgeon said to his French colleague, who +had just entered the room and came up to the bedside. "The first thing +to do is to extemporize some splints, and of course we shall want some +stuff for bandages." + +"I will get them made at once," the doctor replied. "Madame Demaine said +that she put the whole house at my disposal." + +He went out, and in a few minutes returned with some thin slips of wood +eighteen inches long and a number of strips of sheeting sewn together. + +"It is very fortunate," the surgeon said, "that the ends of the bone +have kept pretty fairly in their places instead of working through the +flesh, which they might very well have done." + +Very carefully the two surgeons bandaged the arm from the elbow to the +finger-tips. + +"Now for the shoulder," the doctor said. + +They first sponged the wounds and then began feeling the bones again, +giving exquisite pain to Nat. Then they drew apart and consulted for two +or three minutes. + +"This is a much worse business than the other," Dr. Bemish said when he +returned to the bedside; "the arm is broken near the shoulder, the +collar-bone is broken too, and the flesh is almost in a pulp." + +"Don't say I must lose the arm, doctor," Nat said. + +"Well, I hope not, Glover, but I can't say for certain. You see I am +speaking frankly to you, for I know that you have pluck. The injury to +the collar-bone is not in itself serious, but the other is a comminuted +fracture." + +"What is comminuted, doctor?" + +"It means that the bone is splintered, lad. Still, there is no reason +why it should not heal again; you have a strong constitution, and Nature +works wonders." + +For the next half-hour the two surgeons were at work picking out the +fragments of bone, getting the ends together, and bandaging the arm and +shoulder. Nat fainted under the pain within the first few minutes, and +did not recover until the surgeons had completed their work. Then his +lips were wetted with brandy and a few drops of brandy and water were +poured down his throat. In a minute or two he opened his eyes. + +"It is all over now, lad." He lay for sometime without speaking, and +then whispered, "How is the girl?" + +"Her shoulder is broken," Dr. Bemish replied. "I have not seen her; but +the doctor says that it is a comparatively simple case." + +"How was it the dog came to bite her?" + +"She was a stranger to it. She is not the daughter of your hostess. It +seems her father's plantation is some twelve miles away; he drove her in +and left her here with Madame Demaine, who is his sister, while he went +into town on business. Madame's own daughter was away, and the girl +sauntered down into the garden, when the hound, not knowing her, sprang +upon her, and I have not the least doubt would have killed her had you +not arrived." + +"Are you going to take me on board, doctor?" + +"Not at present, Glover; you need absolute quiet, and if the frigate got +into a heavy sea it might undo all our work, and in that case there +would be little hope of saving your arm. Madame Demaine told the French +doctor that she would nurse you as if you were her own child, and that +everything was to be done to make you comfortable. The house is cool, +and your wound will have a much better chance of getting well here than +in our sick-bay. She wanted to come in to thank you, but I said that, +now we had dressed your arm, it was better that you should have nothing +to disturb or excite you. When the girl's father returns--and I have no +doubt he will do so soon, for as yet, though half-a-dozen boys have been +sent down to the town, they have not been able to find him--he must on +no account come in to see you at present. Here is a tumbler of fresh +lime-juice and water. Doctor Lepel will remain here all night and see +that you have everything that you require." + +The tumbler was held to Nat's lips, and he drained it to the bottom. The +drink was iced, and seemed to him the most delicious that he had ever +tasted. + +"I shall come ashore again to see you in the morning. Dr. Lepel will go +back with me now, and make up a soothing draught for you both. Remember +that above all things it is essential for you to lie quiet. He will put +bandages round your body, and fasten the ends to the bedstead so as to +prevent you from turning in your sleep." + +"All right, sir; I can assure you that I have no intention of moving. My +arm does not hurt me much now, and I would not set it off aching again +for any money." + +"It is a rum thing," Nat thought to himself, "that I should always be +getting into some scrape or other when I go ashore. This is the worst of +all by a long way." + +A negro girl presently came in noiselessly and placed a small table on +the right-hand side of the bed. She then brought in a large jug of the +same drink that Nat had before taken, and some oranges and limes both +peeled and cut up into small pieces. + +"It is lucky it was not the right arm," Nat said to himself. "I suppose +one can do without the left pretty well when one gets accustomed to it, +though it would be rather awkward going aloft." + +In an hour Dr. Lepel returned, and gave him the draught. + +"Now try and go to sleep," he said in broken English. "I shall lie down +on that sofa, and if you wake up be sure and call me. I am a light +sleeper." + +"Had you not better stay with the young lady?" + +"She will have her mother and her aunt with her, so she will do very +well. I hope that you will soon go to sleep." + +It was but a few minutes before Nat dozed off. Beyond a numbed feeling +his arm was not hurting him very much. Once or twice during the night he +woke and took a drink. A slight stir in the room aroused him, and to his +surprise he found that the sun was already up. The doctor was feeling +his pulse, a negro girl was fanning him, and a lady stood at the foot of +the bed looking at him pitifully. + +"Do you speak French, monsieur?" she asked. + +"A little," he replied, for he had learned French while at school, and +since the frigate had been among the West Indian islands he had studied +it for a couple of hours a day, as it was the language that was spoken +in all the French islands and might be useful to him if put in charge of +a prize. + +"Have you slept well?" she asked. + +"Very well." + +"Does your arm hurt you very much now?" + +"It hurts a bit, ma'am, but nothing to make any fuss about." + +"You must ask for anything that you want," she said. "I have told off +two of my negro girls to wait upon you. Of course they both speak +French." + +Half an hour later Dr. Bemish arrived. + +"You are going on very well, Glover," he said after feeling the lad's +pulse and putting his hand on his forehead. "At present you have no +fever. You cannot expect to get through without some, but I hardly +expected to find you so comfortable this morning. The captain told me to +say that he would come and see you to-day, and I can assure you that +there is not one among your mess-mates who is not deeply sorry at what +has happened, although they all feel proud of your pluck in fighting +that great hound with nothing but a dirk." + +"They are useless sort of things, doctor, and I cannot think why they +give them to us; but it was a far better weapon yesterday than a sword +would have been." + +"Yes, it was. The room is nice and cool, isn't it?" + +"Wonderfully cool, sir. I was wondering about it before you came in, for +it is a great deal cooler than it is on board." + +"There are four great pans full of ice in the room, and they have got up +matting before each of the windows, and are keeping it soaked with +water." + +"That is very good of them, doctor. Please thank Madame Demaine for me. +She was in here this morning--at least I suppose it was she--and she +did not bother me with thanks, which was a great comfort. You are not +going to take these bandages off and put them on again, I hope?" + +"Oh, no. We may loosen them a little when inflammation sets in, which it +is sure to do sooner or later." + +Captain Crosbie came to see Nat that afternoon. + +"Well, my lad," he said cheerfully, "I see that you have fallen into +good hands, and I am sure that everything that is possible will be done +for you. I was talking to the girl's mother and aunt before I came in. +Their gratitude to you is quite touching, and they are lamenting that +Dr. Bemish has given the strictest orders that they are not to say +anything more about it. And now I must not stay and talk; the doctor +gave me only two minutes to be in the room with you. I don't know +whether the frigate is likely to put in here again soon, but I will take +care to let you know from time to time what we are doing and where we +are likely to be, so that you can rejoin when the doctor here gives you +leave; but mind, you are not to dream of attempting it until he does so, +and you must be a discontented spirit indeed if you are not willing to +stay for a time in such surroundings. Good-bye, lad! I sincerely trust +that it will not be very long before you rejoin us, and I can assure you +of a hearty welcome from officers and men." + +Three days later, fever set in, but, thanks to the coolness of the room +and to the bandages being constantly moistened with iced water, it +passed away in the course of a week. For two or three days Nat was +light-headed, but he woke one morning feeling strangely weak. It was +some minutes before he could remember where he was or how he had got +there, but a sharp twinge in his arm brought the facts home to him. + +"Thank God that you are better, my brave boy," a voice said in French, +as a cool hand was placed on his forehead; and turning his head Nat saw +a lady standing by his bedside. She was not the one whom he had seen +before; tears were streaming down her cheeks, and, evidently unable to +speak, she hurried from the room, and a minute later Doctor Lepel +entered. + +"Madame Duchesne has given me the good news that you are better," he +said. "I had just driven up to the door when she ran down." + +"Have I been very bad, doctor?" + +"Well, you have been pretty bad, my lad, and have been light-headed for +the past three or four days, and I did not for a moment expect that you +would come round so soon. You must have a magnificent constitution, for +most men, even if they recovered at all from such terrible wounds as you +have had, would probably have been three or four times as long before +the fever had run its course." + +"And how is the young lady?" + +"She is going on well, and I intended to give permission for her to be +carried home in a hammock to-day, but when I spoke of it yesterday to +her mother, she said that nothing would induce her to go until you were +out of danger. She or Madame Demaine have not left your bedside for the +past week, and next to your own good constitution you owe your rapid +recovery to their care. I have no doubt that she will go home now, and +you are to be moved to Monsieur Duchesne's house as soon as you are +strong enough. It lies up among the hills, and the change and cooler air +will do you good." + +"I have not felt it hot here, doctor, thanks to the care that they have +taken in keeping the room cool. I hope now that there is no fear of my +losing my arm?" + +"No; I think that I can promise you that. In a day or two I shall +re-bandage it, and I shall then be able to see how the wounds are +getting on; but there can be no doubt that they are doing well, or you +would never have shaken off the fever so soon as you have done." + +"Of course the _Orpheus_ has sailed, doctor?" + +"Yes. She put to sea a week ago. I have a letter here that the captain +gave me to hand to you when you were fit to read it. I should not open +it now if I were you. You are very weak, and sleep is the best medicine +for you. Now, drink a little of this fresh lime-juice. I have no doubt +that you will doze off again." + +Almost before the door closed on the doctor Nat was asleep. A fortnight +later he was able to get up and sit in an easy-chair. + +"How long shall I have to keep these bandages on, doctor?" + +"I should say in another fortnight or so you might take them off the +forearm, for the bones seem to have knit there, but it would be better +that you should wear them for another month or six weeks. There would +indeed be no use in taking them off earlier, for the bandages on the +shoulder and the fracture below it cannot be removed for some time, and +you will have to carry your arm in a sling for another three months. I +do not mean that you may not move your arm before that, indeed it is +desirable that you should do so, but the action must be quiet and +simple, and done methodically, and the sling will be necessary at other +times to prevent sudden jerks." + +"But I shall be able to go away and join my ship before that, surely?" + +"Yes, if the arm goes on as well as at present you may be able to do so +in a month's time; only you will have to be very careful. You must +remember that a fall, or even a lurch against the rail, or a slip in +going down below, or anything of that kind, might very well undo our +work, for it must be some time before the newly-formed bone is as strong +as the old. As I told you the other day, your arm will be some two +inches shorter than it was." + +"That won't matter a rap," Nat said. + +That afternoon Nat had to submit to what he had dreaded. The doctor had +pronounced that he was now quite convalescent, and that there was no +fear whatever of a relapse, and Monsieur and Madame Duchesne therefore +came over to see him. He had seen the latter but once, and then only for +a minute, for she found herself unable to observe the condition on which +alone the doctor had allowed her to enter, namely, to repress all +emotion. Madame Demaine came in with them. Since her niece had been +taken away, she had spent much of her time in Nat's room, talking +quietly to him about his English home or his ship, and sometimes reading +aloud to him, but studiously avoiding any allusion to the accident. +Monsieur Duchesne was a man of some thirty-five years of age, his wife +was about five years younger, and they were an exceptionally handsome +couple of the best French type. Madame Duchesne pressed forward before +the others, and to Nat's embarrassment bent over him and kissed him. + +"You cannot tell how we have longed for this time to come," she said. +"It seemed so cold and ungrateful that for a whole month we should have +said no word of thanks to you for saving our darling's life, but the +doctor would not allow it. He said that the smallest excitement might +bring on the fever again, so we have been obliged to abstain. Now he has +given us leave to come, and now we have come, what can we say to you? +Ah, monsieur, it was our only child that you saved, the joy of our +lives! Think of the grief into which we should have been plunged by her +loss, and you can then imagine the depth of our gratitude to you." + +While she was speaking her husband had taken Nat's right hand and +pressed it silently. There were tears in his eyes, and his lips quivered +with emotion. + +"Pray do not say anything more about it, madam," Nat said. "Of course I +am very glad to have saved your daughter's life, but anyone else would +have done the same. You don't suppose that anyone could stand by and see +a girl mauled by a dog without rushing forward to save her, even if he +had had no arm of any kind, while I had my dirk, which was about as good +a weapon for that sort of thing as one could want. Why, Harpur, our +youngest middy, who is only fourteen, would have done it. Of course I +have had a good deal of pain, but I would have borne twice as much for +the sake of the pleasure I feel in having saved your daughter's life, +and I am sure that I have had a very nice time of it since I have begun +to get better. Madame Demaine has been awfully good to me. If she had +been my own mother she could not have been kinder. I felt quite ashamed +of being so much trouble to her, and of being fanned and petted as if I +had been a sick girl. And how is your daughter getting on? The doctor +gave me a very good account of her, but you know one can't always quite +believe doctors; they like to say pleasant things to you so as not to +upset you." + +"She is getting on very well indeed. Of course she has her arm in a +sling still, but she is going about the house, and is quite merry and +bright again. She wanted to come over with us to-day, but Dr. Lepel +would not have it. He said that a sudden jolt over a stone might do a +good deal of mischief. However, it will not be long before she sees you, +for we have got leave to have you carried over early next week." + + + + +CHAPTER II + +REJOINED + + +Four days later Monsieur Duchesne came down with six negroes and a cane +lounging chair, on each side of which a long pole had been securely +lashed. Nat's room was on the ground floor, and with wide windows +opening to the ground. The chair was brought in. Nat was still shaky on +his legs, but he was able to get from the bed into the chair without +assistance. + +"I shall come over to see you to-morrow," Madame Demaine said, as he +thanked her and her husband for their great kindness to him, "and I hope +I shall find that the journey has done you no harm." + +Four of the negroes took the ends of the poles and raised them onto +their shoulders, the other two walked behind to serve as a relay. +Monsieur Duchesne mounted his horse and took his place by Nat's side, +and the little procession started. The motion was very easy and gentle. +It was late in the afternoon when they started, the sun was near the +horizon, and a gentle breeze from the sea had sprung up. In half an hour +it was dusk, and the two spare negroes lighted torches they had brought +with them, and now walked ahead of the bearers. It was full moon, and +after having been so long confined in a semi-darkened room, Nat enjoyed +intensely the soft air, the dark sky spangled with stars, and the rich +tropical foliage showing its outlines clearly in the moonlight. + +Presently Monsieur Duchesne said: + +"I have a flask of brandy and water with me, Mr. Glover, in case you +should feel faint or exhausted." + +Nat laughed. + +"Thank you for thinking of it, monsieur, but there is no fatigue +whatever in sitting here, and I have enjoyed my ride intensely. It is +almost worth getting hurt in order to have such pleasure: we don't get +such nights as this in England." + +"But you have fine weather sometimes, surely?" Monsieur Duchesne said. + +"Oh yes, we often have fine weather, but there are not many nights in +the year when one can sit out-of-doors after dark! When it is a warm +night there are sure to be heavy dews; besides, the stars are not so +bright with us as they are here, nor is the air so soft. I don't mean to +say that I don't like our climate better; we never have it so +desperately hot as you do, and besides, we like the cold, because it +braces one up, and even the rain is welcome as a change, occasionally. +Still, I allow that as far as nights go you beat us hollow." + +The road presently began to rise, and before they reached the end of the +journey they were high above the plain. As they approached the house the +negroes broke into a song, and on their stopping before the wide +verandah that surrounded the house, Madame Duchesne and her daughter +were standing there to greet them as the bearers gently lowered the +chair to the ground. The girl was first beside it. + +"Ah, monsieur," she exclaimed as she took his hand, "how grateful I am +to you! how I have longed to see you! for I have never seen you yet; and +it has seemed hard to me that while aunt and the doctor should have seen +you so often, and even mamma should have seen you once, I should never +have seen you at all." + +"There is not much to see in me at the best of times, mademoiselle," Nat +said as he rose to his feet, "and I am almost a scarecrow now. I wanted +to see you, too, just to see what you were like, you know." + +He took the arm that Monsieur Duchesne offered him, for although he +could have walked that short distance unaided, he did not know the +ground, and might have stumbled over something. They went straight from +the verandah into a pretty room lighted by a dozen wax candles. He sat +down in a chair that was there in readiness for him. The girl placed +herself in front of him and looked earnestly at him. + +"Well," he said with a laugh, "am I at all like what you pictured me?" + +"You are not a scarecrow at all!" she said indignantly. "Why do you say +such things of yourself? Of course you are thin, very thin, but even now +you look nice. I think you are just what I thought you would be. Now, am +I like what you thought I should be?" + +"I don't know that I ever attempted to think exactly what you would be," +Nat said. "I did not notice your face; I don't even know whether it was +turned my way. I did take in that you were a girl somewhere about +thirteen years old, but as soon as the dog turned, my attention was +pretty fully occupied. Madame Demaine said your name was Myra. I thought +that with such a pretty name you ought to be pretty too. I suppose it is +rude to say so, but you certainly are, mademoiselle." + +The girl laughed. + +"It is not rude at all; and please you are to call me Myra and not +mademoiselle. Now, you must get strong as soon as you can. Mamma said I +might act as your guide, and show you about the plantation, and the +slave houses, and everywhere. I have never had a boy friend, and I +should think it was very nice." + +"My dear," her mother said with a smile, "it is not altogether discreet +for a young lady to talk in that way." + +"Ah! but I am not a young lady yet, mamma, and I think it is much nicer +to be a girl and to be able to say what one likes. And you are an +officer, Monsieur Glover!" + +"Well, if I am to call you Myra, you must call me Nat. Monsieur Glover +is ridiculous." + +"You are very young to be an officer," the girl said. + +"Oh, I have been an officer for more than two years," he said. "I was +only fourteen when I joined, and I am nearly sixteen now." + +"And have you been in battles?" + +"Not in a regular battle. You see England is not at war now with anyone, +but I have been in two or three fights with pirates and that sort of +thing." + +"And now, Myra, you must not talk any more," her father said. "You know +the doctor gave strict orders that he was to go to bed as soon as he +arrived here." + +At this moment the door opened and a slave girl brought in a basin of +strong broth. + +"Well, you may stop to take that." + +Nat spent a delightful month at Monsieur Duchesne's plantation. For the +first few days he lay in a hammock beneath a shady tree, then he began +to walk, at first only for a few minutes, but every day his strength +increased. At the end of a fortnight he could walk half a mile, and by +the time the month was up he was able to wander about with Myra all over +the plantation. Monsieur Duchesne, on his return one day from town, +brought a letter for him. It was from the captain himself: + + _Dear Mr. Glover,--I hope you are getting on well, and are by this + time on your legs again. As far as I can see, we are not likely to + be at Cape Francois again for some time, therefore, when you feel + quite strong enough, you had better take passage in a craft bound + for Jamaica, which is likely to be our head-quarters for some + time. Of course if we are away, you will wait till our return. I + have spoken to a friend of mine, Mr. Cummings--his plantation lies + high up among the hills--and he has kindly invited you to make his + place your home till we return, and it will be very much better for + you to be in the pure air up there than in this pestilential + place._ + +Nat would have started the next day, but his host insisted upon his +staying for another week. + +"You are getting on so well," M. Duchesne said, "that it would be folly +indeed to risk throwing yourself back. Every day is making an +improvement in you, and a week will make a great difference." + +At the end of that week the planter, seeing that Nat was really anxious +to rejoin his ship, brought back the news that a vessel in port would +sail for Port Royal in two days. + +"I have engaged a cabin for you," he said, "for although we shall be +sorry indeed to lose you, I know that you want to be off." + +"It is not that I want to be off, sir, for I was never happier in all my +life, but I feel that I ought to go. It is likely enough that the ship +may be short of middies, one or two may be away in prizes, and it will +be strange if no one falls sick while they are lying in Port Royal. It +would be ungrateful indeed if I wanted to leave you when you are all so +wonderfully kind to me." + +M. Duchesne drove Nat down to the port the next morning. The midshipman +as he left the house felt quite unmanned, for Myra had cried +undisguisedly, and Madame Duchesne was also much moved. They passed M. +Demaine's house without stopping, as he and his wife had spent the +previous evening at the Duchesnes', and had there said good-bye to him. + +"It is quite time that I was out of this," Nat said to himself as he +leaned on the rail and looked back at the port. "That sort of life is +awfully nice for a time, but it would soon make a fellow so lazy and +soft that he would be of no use on board ship. Of course it was all +right for a bit, but since I began to use my arm a little, I have wanted +to do something. Still, it would have been no good leaving before, for +my arm is of no real use yet, and the doctor said that I ought to carry +it in a sling for at least another month. But I am sure I ought to feel +very grateful to our doctor and Lepel, for I expect I should have lost +it altogether if they hadn't taken such pains with it at first. Well, it +will be very jolly getting back again. I only hope that the captain +won't be wanting to treat me as an invalid." + +To Nat's delight he saw, as he entered Port Royal, the _Orpheus_ lying +there, and without landing he hailed a boat and went on board. As soon +as he was made out there was quite a commotion on board the frigate +among the sailors on deck and at the side, while those below looked out +of the port-holes, and a burst of cheering rose from all as the boat +came alongside. As he came up on to the deck the midshipmen crowded +round, shaking him by the hand; and when he went to the quarter-deck to +report his return, the lieutenants greeted him as heartily. The captain +was on shore. Nat was confused and abashed at the warmth of their +greeting. + +"It is perfectly ridiculous!" he said almost angrily, as he rejoined the +midshipmen; "as if there was anything extraordinary in a fellow fighting +a dog!" + +"It depends upon the size of the dog and the size of the fellow," +Needham, the senior midshipman, said, "and also how he got into the +fight." + +"The fact is, Needham, if I had killed the dog with the first stroke of +my dirk nobody would have thought anything about the matter, and it is +just because I could not do so, and therefore got badly mauled before I +managed it, that all this fuss is made! It would have been much more to +the point if you had all grumbled, when I came on board, at my being +nursed and coddled, while you had to do my duty between you, just +because I was such a duffer that I was a couple of minutes in killing +the dog instead of managing it at once." + +"Well, we might have done so if we had thought of it, but, you see, we +did not look at it in that light, Nat," Needham laughed; "there is +certainly a good deal in what you say. However, I shall in future look +upon my dirk as being of more use than I have hitherto thought; I have +always considered it the most absurd weapon that was ever put into +anyone's hand to use in action. Not, of course, that one does use it, +for one always gets hold of a cutlass when there is fighting to be done. +How anyone can ever have had the idea of making a midshipman carry about +a thing little better than a pocket-knife, and how they have kept on +doing so for years and years, is most astonishing! For the lords of the +admiralty must all have been midshipmen themselves at one time, and must +have hated the beastly things just as much as we do. If they think a +full-sized sword too heavy for us--which it certainly isn't for the +seniors--they might give us rapiers, which are no weight to speak of, +and would be really useful weapons if we were taught to use them +properly. + +"Well, we won't say anything more about your affair, Nat, if you don't +like it; but we sha'n't think any the less, because we are all proud of +you, and whatever you may say, it was a very plucky action. I know that +I would rather stand up against the biggest Frenchman than face one of +those savage hounds. And how is the arm going on? I see you still have +the arm of your jacket snipped open and tied up with ribbons, and you +keep it in a sling." + +"Yes; the doctor made such a point of it that I was obliged to promise +to wear it until Bemish gives me permission to lay it aside." He took it +out of the sling and moved it about. "You see I have got the use of it, +though I own I have very little strength as yet; still, I manage to use +it at meals, which is a comfort. It was hateful being obliged to have my +grub cut up for me. How long have you been in harbour here?" + +"Three days; and you are in luck to find us here, for I hear that we are +off again to-morrow morning. You have missed nothing while you have been +away, for we haven't picked up a single prize beyond a little slaver +with a hundred niggers on board." + +When the captain came off two hours later with Dr. Bemish he sent for +Nat. + +"I am heartily glad to see you back again, Mr. Glover, and to see you +looking so vastly better than when I saw you last; in fact, you look +nearly as well as you did before that encounter." + +"I have had nothing to do but to eat, sir." + +"Well, the question is, how is your arm?" + +"It is not very strong yet, sir, but I could really do very well without +this sling." + +"Well, you see I have to decide whether you had better go up to the +hills until we return from our next cruise or take you with us." + +"Please, sir, I would much rather go with you." + +"Yes; it is not a question of what you like best, but what the doctor +thinks best for you. You had better go to him at once, he will examine +your arm and report to me, and of course we must act on his decision." + +Nat went straight to the doctor. + +"Well, you are looking better than I expected," the latter said, holding +the lad at arm's-length and looking him up and down; "flesh a good deal +more flabby than it used to be--want of exercise, of course, and the +result of being looked after by women. Now, lad, take off your shirt and +let me have a regular examination." + +He moved the arm in different directions, felt very carefully along each +bone, pressing rather hard at the points where these had been broken, +and asking Nat if it hurt him. He replied "No" without hesitation, as +long as the doctor was feeling the forearm, but when he came to the +upper-arm and shoulder he was obliged to acknowledge that the pressure +gave him a bit of a twinge. + +"Yes, it could hardly be otherwise," the doctor said; "however, there is +no doubt we made a pretty good job of it. Stretch both arms out in front +of you and bring the fingers together. Yes, that is just what I +expected, it is some two and a half inches shorter than the other; but +no one will be likely to notice it." + +"Don't you think, doctor, that I can go to sea now? The captain said +that you would have to decide." + +"I think a month up in the hills would be a very desirable thing, +Glover. The bones have knit very well, but it would not take much to +break them again." + +"I have had quite enough of plantations for the present, doctor, and I +do think that sea air would do me more good than anything. I am sure I +feel better already for the run from Cape Francois here." + +The doctor smiled. "Well, you see, if you did remain on board you would +be out of everything. You certainly would not be fit for boat service, +you must see that yourself." + +"I can't say that I do, sir; one fights with one's right arm and not +with one's left." + +"That is so, lad, but you might get hit on the left arm as well as the +right. Besides, even on board, you might get hurt while skylarking." + +"I would indeed be most careful, doctor." + +"Well, we will see about it, and talk it over with the captain." + +All that evening Nat was in a state of alarm whenever anyone came with a +message to any of his mess-mates; but when it was almost the hour for +lights out he turned into his hammock with great satisfaction, feeling +sure that if it had been decided that he must go ashore next morning a +message to that effect would have been sent to him. The sound of the +boatswain's whistle, followed by the call "All hands to make sail!" +settled the question. He had already dressed himself with Needham's +assistance, but had remained below lest, if the captain's eye fell on +him, he might be sent ashore. As soon, however, as he heard the order he +felt sure that all was right, and went up on deck. Here he took up his +usual station, passing orders forward and watching the men at work, +until the vessel was under sail. The want of success on the last cruise +made all hands even keener than usual to pick up something worth +capturing. + +"I suppose there is no clue as to the whereabouts of those three +pirates," he said to Needham as the latter, after the vessel was fairly +under weigh, joined him. + +"No; twice we had information from the captains of small craft that they +had seen suspicious sail in the distance, but there is no doubt that the +niggers had been either bribed or frightened into telling us the story, +for in each case, though we remained a fortnight cruising about, we have +never caught sight of a suspicious sail. When we returned here we found +to our disgust that they must have been at work hundreds of miles away, +as several ships were missing, and one that came in had been hotly +chased by them, but being a fast sailer escaped by the skin of her +teeth. That is the worst of these negroes, one can never believe them, +and I think the best way would be when anyone came and told a yarn, to +go and cruise exactly in the opposite direction to that in which he +tells us he has seen the pirates." + +"It is a pity we cannot punish some of these fellows who give false +news," Nat said. + +"Yes; but the difficulty is proving that it is false. In the first +place, one of these native craft is so much like another that one would +not recognize it again; besides, you may be sure that the rascals would +give Port Royal a wide berth for a time. On our last cruise we did take +with us the negro who brought the news, but that made the case no +better. He pretended, of course, to be as anxious as anyone that the +pirates should be caught, and as he stuck to his story that he had seen +a rakish schooner where he said he did, there was no proof that he was +lying, and he pretended to be terribly cut up at not getting the reward +promised him if he came across them. + +"I have no doubt that he was lying, but there was no way of proving it. +You see, the idea of getting hold of a trader and fitting her up with a +few guns and some men is all well enough when you have only got to deal +with a single schooner or brigantine, but it would be catching a tartar +if these three scoundrels were to come upon her at once. Of course they +are all heavily armed and carry any number of men, nothing short of the +frigate herself would be a match for them. And one thing is certain, we +can't disguise her to look like a merchantman. Do what we would, the +veriest landlubber would make her out to be what she is, and you may be +sure the pirates would know her to be a ship of war as soon as they got +a sight of her topsails." + +"You have not heard, I suppose, where our cruising ground is going to be +this time?" Nat asked. + +"No, and I don't suppose we shall know for a few hours. You may be sure +that whatever course we take now will not be our real course, for I bet +odds that after dark some fast little craft will sneak out of harbour to +take the pirates news as to the course we are following, and to tell +them that we have not taken a negro this time who would lead us a dance +in the wrong direction. I should not be surprised if we are going to +search the islands round Cuba for a change. We were among the bays and +islets up north on our last cruise, and the captain may be determined to +try fresh ground." + +Needham's guess turned out to be correct, for after darkness fell the +ship's course was changed, and her head laid towards Cuba. After +cruising for nearly three weeks without success, they were passing along +the coast of the mainland, when Nat, who had now given up his sling, +went aloft with his telescope. Every eye on deck was turned towards the +island, but their continued failures had lessened the eagerness with +which they scanned the shore, and, as there was no sign of any break in +its outline, it was more from habit than from any hope of seeing +anything that they looked at the rugged cliffs that rose forty or fifty +feet perpendicularly above the water's edge, and at the forest +stretching up the hillsides behind them. + +"You have seen nothing, I suppose, Tom?" he asked the sailor stationed +in the main-top. + +"Not a thing, Mr. Glover." + +Nat continued his way up, and took his seat on the yard of the topsail. +Leaning back against the mast, he brought his telescope to bear upon the +land, and for half an hour scanned every rock and tree. At last +something caught his eye. + +"Come up here, Tom," he called to the sailor below. "Look there, you see +that black streak on the face of the cliff?" + +"I see it, yer honour." + +"Well, look above the first line of trees exactly over it: isn't that a +pole with a truck on the top of it?" + +"You are right, sir! you are right!" the sailor said, as he got the +glass to bear upon the object Nat had indicated, "that is the upper spar +of a vessel of some sort, sure enough." + +"On deck there!" Nat shouted. + +"What is it, Mr. Glover?" the first lieutenant answered. + +"I can make out the upper spar of a craft in among the trees over there, +sir." + +"You are sure that you are not mistaken?" + +"Quite sure, sir. With the glass I can make out the truck quite +distinctly. It is certainly either the upper spar of a craft of some +kind or a flag-staff, of course I cannot say which." + +The first lieutenant himself ran up the ratlines and joined Nat. The +breeze was very light, and the _Orpheus_ was scarcely moving through the +water. Nat handed his telescope to Mr. Hill. + +"There, sir, it is about a yard to the west of that black streak on the +rock." + +"I see it," the lieutenant exclaimed after a long gaze at the shore. +"You are right, it must be, as you say, either the spar of a ship or a +flag-staff; though how a ship could get in there is more than I can say. +There, it has gone now!" + +"The trees were rather lower at the point where we saw it, and the +higher trees have shut it in." + +He descended to the deck followed by Nat. + +"Well, what do you make of it, Mr. Hill?" enquired the captain, who had +come out of his cabin on hearing Nat's hail. + +"There is no doubt that Mr. Glover is right, sir, and that it is the +upper spar of a craft of some kind, unless it is a flag-staff on shore, +and it is hardly the sort of place in which you would expect to find a +flag-staff. It is a marvel Mr. Glover made it out, for even with his +glass I had a great difficulty in finding it, though he gave me the +exact bearing." + +"Thank you, Mr. Glover," the captain said. "At last there seems a chance +of our picking up a prize this cruise. The question is, how did she get +there?" + +"I am pretty sure that we have passed no opening, sir. I have been aloft +for the past half-hour, and have made out no break in the rocks." + +"That is quite possible," the captain said, "and yet it may be there. We +are a good three-quarters of a mile off the shore, and some of these +inlets are so narrow, and the rocks so much the same colour, that unless +one knows the entrance is there, one would never suspect it. At any rate +we will hold on as we are for a bit." + +The hail had set everyone on deck on the _qui vive_, and a dozen +telescopes were turned upon the shore. + +"Unlikely as it seems, Mr. Hill," the captain said, after they had gone +on half a mile without discovering any break in the line of rock, "I am +afraid that it must have been a flag-staff that you saw. There may be +some plantation there, and the owner may have had one put up in the +front of his house. However, it will be worth while to lower a boat and +row back along the foot of the cliff for a mile or so, and then a mile +ahead of us; if there is an opening we shall be sure to find it. Tell +Mr. Playford to take the gig; Mr. Glover can go with him as he is the +discoverer." + +The boat was lowered at once, and as soon as the officers had taken +their place the six men who composed the crew bent their backs to the +oars, the coxswain making for a point on the shore about a mile astern +of the frigate, which was lying almost becalmed. The men had taken +muskets and cutlasses with them, for it was probable enough that a watch +might have been set on the cliff, and that, should there be an inlet, a +boat might be lying there ready to pounce out upon them as soon as they +reached it. + +Every eye was fixed upon the boat as she turned and rowed along within +fifty yards of the foot of the rocks. + +"I thought I could not have been so blind as to pass the entrance +without seeing it," one of the sailors who had been on watch aloft said, +in a tone of satisfaction. "Now, I don't mind how soon the boat finds a +gap." + +But when the boat had paddled on for another mile without a pause, a +look of doubt and dissatisfaction showed itself on every face. + +"You are quite sure, Mr. Hill," the captain asked, "that it was a staff +of some kind that you saw, and not, perhaps, the top of a dead tree +whose bark had peeled off?" + +"I am quite certain, sir. It was too straight and even for rough wood; +and I made out a truck distinctly: but it is certainly strange that no +entrance should be discovered. I am afraid that 'tis but a flag-staff +after all." + +"I can hardly imagine that," the captain said. "I have often seen +flag-staffs in front of plantation houses, but never one so high as this +must be to show over the trees. If it had been nearer to the edge of the +cliff it might have been a signal-post, but they would hardly put it a +mile back from the edge of the cliff and bury it among trees. At any +rate, if we find no entrance I will send a landing-party ashore to see +what it really is, that is to say if we can find any place where the +cliff can be scaled." + +"What is it, Mr. Needham?" as the midshipman came up and touched his +hat. + +"The boat is rowing in to shore, sir." + +The two officers went to the side. + +"They have either found an entrance or some point at which the rock can +be scaled--Ah, there they go!" he went on, as the boat disappeared from +sight, "though from here there is no appearance whatever of an +opening." + +It was some minutes before the boat again appeared. It was at once +headed for the frigate. + +"Mr. Playford has news for us of some sort," the captain said, "the men +are rowing hard." In a few minutes the boat came alongside. The second +officer ran up the accommodation ladder. + +"Well, Mr. Playford, what is your news?" + +"There is an inlet, sir, though if we had not been close in to those +rocks I should never have noticed it. It runs almost parallel with the +coast for a quarter of a mile. I thought at first that it ended there, +but it makes a sharp angle to the south-east, and continues for a mile +or so, and at the other end there is a large schooner, I have no doubt a +slaver. I fancy they are landing the slaves now. There is a barracoon on +the shore and some storehouses." + +"Did they see you?" + +"No, sir; at least I don't think so. Directly I saw that the passage was +going to make a turn, I went close in to the rocks on the other side, +and brought up at the corner where I could get a view without there +being much fear of our being seen, and indeed I don't think that it +would have been possible to make us out unless someone had been watching +with a glass." + +"We shall soon know whether they saw you, Mr. Playford. If they did they +will probably set all hands to work to tow the schooner out, for though +there is not wind enough to give us steerage-way, these slavers will +slip along under the slightest breath. They can hardly have made the +frigate out. They probably thought the hiding-place so secure that they +did not even put a watch on the cliffs. Of course if there was anyone up +there they could have seen the boat leave our side, and would have +watched her all along. + +"Did you see any place at which the cliff could be climbed?" + +"No, sir, and up to the turn the rocks are just as steep inside as they +are here, but beyond that the inlet widens out a good deal and the banks +slope gradually, and a landing could be effected anywhere there, I +should say." + +"We will send the boats in as soon as it gets dark, Mr. Hill. If they +saw us coming they would drive off the slaves into the woods before we +could get there, so the best plan will be to land a strong party at the +bend, so that they can get down to the barracoon at the same time that +the others board the schooner. No doubt this is a regular nest of +slave-traders. It has long been suspected that there was some depot on +this side of the island. It has often been observed that slavers when +first made out were heading in this direction, and more than once craft +that were chased, and, as it seemed, certain to be caught in the +morning, have mysteriously disappeared. This hiding-place accounts for +it. + +"You did not ascertain what depth of water there was at the mouth of the +creek, Mr. Playford?" + +"Yes, sir, I sounded right across with the boat's grapnel; there is +nowhere more than two and a half fathoms, but it is just about that +depth right across." + +"Then it is evident that we cannot take the frigate in. What is the +width at the mouth?" + +"About thirty yards." + +An hour later the _Orpheus_ anchored opposite the mouth of the inlet, +which, however, was still invisible. + +"I think that, as this may be an important capture, Mr. Hill, it would +be as well for you to go in charge of the boats. Mr. Playford will take +the command of the landing-party. I should say that twenty marines, +under Lieutenant Boldero, and as many blue-jackets, would be ample for +that. He had better take the long-boat and one of the gigs, while you +take the launch, the pinnace, and the other gig. If they have made us +out, we may expect a very tough resistance, and it may be that, although +Mr. Playford saw nothing of them, they may have a couple of batteries +higher up." + +"Likely enough, sir." + +"You had better let the landing-party have a start of you, so that if +they should unmask a battery on the side on which they are, they can +rush down at once and silence it." + +"Very good, sir." + +The sun was now approaching the horizon; as soon as it dipped behind it +the boats were lowered, and the sailors, who had already made all +preparations, at once took their places in them. Needham was in command +of the gig that carried a portion of the landing-party, Nat was in +charge of the other gig, and Low was in charge of the pinnace, Mr. Hill +going in the launch. Nat had first been told off to the gig now +commanded by Needham, but the captain said to the first lieutenant, "You +had better take Glover with you, Mr. Hill, and let Needham go with Mr. +Playford. Scrambling along on the shore in the dark, one might very well +get a heavy fall, and it is as well that Glover should not risk breaking +his arm again." + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A SLAVE DEPOT + + +Night fell rapidly as soon as the sun had set, and by the time the boats +reached the mouth of the inlet it was already dark. The two boats under +the second officer entered first, rowed up the inlet to the bend, and +landed the marines and sailors on the opposite side; the boarding-party +lay on their oars for five minutes and then followed. The oars were +muffled, and the men ordered to row as noiselessly as they could, +following each other closely, and keeping under the left bank. They were +about half-way up when the word "Fire!" was shouted in Spanish, and six +guns were simultaneously discharged. Had the Spaniards waited a few +seconds longer, the three boats would all have been in line with the +guns. As it was, a storm of grape sent the water splashing up ahead of +the pinnace, which, however, received the contents of the gun nearest to +them. It was aimed a little low, and fortunately for the crew the shot +had not yet begun to scatter, and the whole charge struck the boat just +at the water-level, knocking a great hole in her. + +"We are sinking, Mr. Hill," Low said. "Will you come alongside and pick +us up?" + +Although the launch was but a length behind, the gunwale of the pinnace +was nearly level with the water as she came alongside. Its occupants +were helped on board the launch, which at once held on her way. Half a +minute later six guns were fired from the opposite bank. The boats were +so close under the shore that their position could not be made out with +any certainty. Three men were hit by the grapeshot, but beyond this +there were no casualties. + +"Keep in as much as you dare," Mr. Hill said to the coxswain; "the +battery opposite will be loaded again in a couple of minutes, but as +long as we keep in the shadow of the shore their shooting will be wild." + +The battery, indeed, soon began to fire again, irregularly, as the guns +were loaded. The shot tore up the water ahead and astern of the boats, +but it was evident that those at the guns could not make out their +precise position. Another five minutes and the boats were headed for the +schooner. + +"You board at the bow, Mr. Glover, I will make for her quarter. Now, lay +out, lads, as hard as you can, the sooner you are there the less chance +you have of being hit." + +A moment later a great clamour arose behind them. First came a British +cheer; then rapid discharges of pistols and muskets, mingled with the +clash of cutlasses and swords; a minute or two later this ceased, and +the loud cheer of the marines and seamen told those in the boats that +they had carried the battery. The diversion was useful to the boats. +Until now the slavers had been ignorant that a party of foes had landed, +and the fact that a barracoon full of slaves, and the storehouses, were +already threatened, caused something like consternation among them. The +consequence was that they fired hastily and without taking time to aim. +Before they could load again the boats were alongside, unchecked for an +instant by the musketry fire which broke out from the deck of the +schooner as soon as cannon had been discharged. + +Boarding-nettings had been run up, but holes were soon chopped in these +by the sailors. Headed by Nat, the crew of the gig leapt down on to the +deck, for the greater part of the slaver's crew ran aft to oppose what +they considered the more dangerous attack made by the occupants of the +crowded launch. The defence was successfully maintained until the crew +of the gig, keeping close together and brushing aside the resistance of +the few men forward, flung themselves upon the main body of the slavers, +and with pistol and cutlass hewed their way through them till abreast of +the launch. The slavers attacked them furiously, and would speedily have +annihilated them, but the crew of the launch, led by Mr. Hill, came +swarming over the bulwarks, and, taking the offensive, drove the slavers +forward, where, seeing that all was lost, they sprang overboard, +striking out for the shore to the right. + +Severe fighting was now going on opposite the schooner, where the +landing-party were evidently attacking the barracoon and storehouses. + +[Illustration: "HEADED BY NAT, THE CREW OF THE GIG LEAPT DOWN ON TO THE +DECK."] + +"To the boats, men!" Mr. Hill shouted, "our fellows are being hard +pressed on shore; Mr. Glover, you with the gig's crew will remain in +charge here." + +Indeed, it was evident that the resistance on shore was much more +obstinate than had been expected. Nat stood watching the boat. Just as +it reached the shore one of the sailors shouted, "Look out, sir!" and he +saw a big mulatto rushing at him with uplifted sword. His cutlass was +still in his hand, and throwing himself on guard he caught the blow as +it fell upon it, and in return brought his cutlass down on his +opponent's cheek. With a howl of pain the man sprang at him, but Nat +leaped aside, and his cutlass fell on the right wrist of the mulatto, +whose sword dropped from his hand, and, rushing to the side, he threw +himself overboard. In the meantime a fierce struggle was going on +between the sailors and seven or eight of the slavers who, being unable +to swim, had thrown themselves down by the guns and shammed death, as +had Nat's antagonist, who was first mate of the schooner. The fight was +short but desperate, and one by one the slavers were run through or cut +down, but not before three or four of the sailors had received severe +wounds. + +"Get a lantern, mate," one of these growled, "and see that there are no +more of these skulking hounds alive." + +The sailors, furious at what they considered treachery, fetched a light +that was burning in the captain's cabin, and without mercy ran through +two or three unwounded men whom they found hiding among the fallen. It +was soon clear that the reinforcement that had landed had completely +turned the tables. Gradually the din rolled away from the neighbourhood +of the storehouses, there was some sharp firing as the enemy fled +towards the wood behind, and then all was quiet. Presently there was a +shout in Mr. Hill's voice from the shore: + +"Schooner ahoy!" + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +"Load with grape, Mr. Glover, and send a round or two occasionally into +that wood behind the houses; I am going to leave thirty men here under +Mr. Playford, and to take the rest over to the opposite side and carry +the battery there." + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +And as the guns pointing on that side had not been discharged, he at +once opened fire on the wood. A minute later the launch and gig rowed +past the schooner and soon reached the opposite side. Ten minutes passed +without any sound of conflict being heard, and Nat had no doubt that the +battery had been found deserted. It was not long before the boats were +seen returning. They rowed this time to the schooner. + +"Mr. Glover," the first lieutenant said as he reached the deck, "do you +lower the schooner's cutter, put all the wounded on board, take four of +your men and row out to the frigate and report to the captain what has +taken place. Tell him that Mr. Playford carried the battery on the right +in spite of the guns, and that I have spiked those in the battery on the +left, which I found deserted. Say that we have had a sharp fight on +shore with a large number of negroes led by two or three white men and +some mulattoes, and that I believe there must be some large plantations +close at hand whose owners are in league with the slavers. You can say +that we found a hundred and twenty slaves in the barracoon, evidently +newly landed from the schooner, and that I intend to find the +plantations and give them a lesson in the morning. How many wounded have +you here?" + +"There are fourteen altogether, sir; ten of them were wounded in the +first attack, and four have been wounded since by some of the slavers +who shammed death." + +"There are eight more in the launch, happily we have only two men +killed. You had better give all the wounded a drink of water; I have a +flask, and I dare say you have one: empty them both into the bucket." + +There was a barrel half full of water on deck; a bucketful of this was +drawn, and the two flasks of spirits emptied into it, and a mug of the +mixture given to each of the wounded men. They were then assisted down +into the schooner's boat; four of the gig's crew took their places in +it, and Nat, taking the tiller, told them to row on. + +Half an hour later they came alongside the frigate. A sailor ran down +the ladder with a lantern. Nat stepped out and mounted to the deck. The +captain was standing at the gangway. + +"We have been uneasy about you, Mr. Glover. We heard a number of reports +of heavier guns than they were likely to carry on board a slaver, and +feared that they came from shore batteries." + +"Yes, sir, there were two of them mounting six guns each. Mr. Playford, +with the landing-party, captured the one on the eastern side; Mr. Hill, +after the schooner was taken and the enemy on shore driven off, rowed +across and took the other, which he found unoccupied." + +"What is the loss?" + +"Only two killed, sir, but there are twenty-two wounded, two or three of +them by musket-shots, and the rest cutlass wounds. They are all in the +boat below, sir." + +A party was at once sent down to carry up such of the wounded as were +unable to walk. As soon as all were taken below, and the surgeon had +begun his work, the captain asked Nat to give him a full account of the +proceedings. + +"I cannot tell you much of what took place ashore, sir," he said, "as +Mr. Hill left me in charge of the schooner. After we had carried her, he +went ashore with the crews of the launch and pinnace to help Mr. +Playford." + +"Tell me all you know first." + +Nat related the opening of the two batteries, and how one had been +almost immediately captured by Mr. Playford. + +"So the pinnace was sunk?" + +"Yes, sir, the enemy's charge struck her between wind and water, and she +went down at once; her crew were picked up by the launch. I hear that +none of them were injured." Then he told how they had kept under the +shelter of the shore, and thus escaped injury from the other battery, +and how the schooner had been captured. + +"It was lucky that your men got a footing forward, Mr. Glover. You did +well to lead them aft at once, and thus assist Mr. Hill's party to +board." + +Nat then related the sudden attack by the slavers who had been feigning +death. + +"It was lucky that it was no worse," the captain said. "No doubt they +were fellows who couldn't swim, and if there had been a few more it +would have gone hard with you. And now about this fight on shore; it can +hardly have been the crew of the schooner, for, by the stout resistance +they offered, they must have been all on board." + +"Yes, sir." + +Nat then gave the message that Mr. Hill had sent. + +"No doubt, Mr. Glover; I dare say this place has been used by slavers +for years. Probably there are some large barracoons where the slaves are +generally housed, and planters who want them either come or send from +all parts of the island. I will go ashore myself early to-morrow +morning. There is no question that this is an important capture, and it +will be a great thing to break up this centre of the slave-trade +altogether. Now that their hiding-place has once been discovered, they +will know that our cruisers will keep a sharp look-out here, and a +vessel once bottled up in this inlet has no chance whatever of escape. +You can go with me, it is thanks to the sharpness of your eyes that we +made the discovery." + +The sun had not yet shown above the eastern horizon when the captain's +gig passed in through the mouth of the inlet, and ten minutes later +rowed alongside the wharf in front of the barracoon. + +"There is another wharf farther along," the captain said; "we may take +that as proof that there are often two of these slavers in here at the +same time. Ah, there is Mr. Hill! I congratulate you on your success," +he went on, as the first lieutenant joined him; "there is no doubt that +this has been a regular rendezvous for the scoundrels. It is well that +you attacked after dark, for the cross fire of those batteries, aided by +that of the schooner, would have knocked the boats into matchwood." + +"That they would have done, sir. I was very glad when I saw the boat +coming, as I thought it was probable that you were on board her, and we +are rather in a difficulty." + +"What is that, Mr. Hill?" + +"Well, sir, as soon as we had settled matters here we followed the +enemy, and found a road running up the valley; and as it was along this +that most of the fellows who opposed us had no doubt retreated, I +thought it as well to follow them up at once. We had evidently been +watched, for a musketry fire was opened upon us from the trees on both +sides. I sent Mr. Boldero with the marines to clear them out on the +left, and Mr. Playford with twenty seamen to do the same on the right, +and then I pressed forward with the rest. Presently a crowd of negroes +came rushing down from the front, shouting, and firing muskets. We gave +them a volley, and they bolted at once. We ran straight on, and a +hundred yards farther up came upon a large clearing. + +"In the middle stood a house, evidently that of a planter. A short +distance off were some houses, probably inhabited by the mulatto +overseers, and a few huts for his white overseers, and some distance +behind these were four large barracoons. We made straight for these, for +we could hear a shouting there, and had no doubt that the mulattoes were +trying to get the slaves out and to drive them away into the wood. +However, as soon as we came up the fellows bolted. There were about a +hundred slaves in each barracoon. No doubt the fellows who attacked us +were the regular plantation hands. I suppose the owner of the place made +sure that we should be contented with what we had done, and should not +go beyond the head of the inlet; and when the firing began again he sent +the plantation men down to stop us until he had removed the slaves. I +left Mr. Playford in command there, and brought twenty men back here; +and I was just going to send off a message to you saying what had taken +place, and asking for instructions. You see, with the slaves we found +here, we have over five hundred blacks in our hands. That is extremely +awkward." + +"Extremely," the captain said thoughtfully. "Well, I will go back with +you and see the place. As to the houses--the plantation house and the +barracoons--I shall have no hesitation in destroying them. This is +evidently a huge slaving establishment, and, as the blacks and their +overseers attacked us, we are perfectly justified in destroying this den +altogether. If I could catch their owner I should assuredly hang him. +The difficulty is what to do with all these unfortunate creatures; the +schooner would not hold more than two hundred if packed as close as +herrings. However, the other thing is first to be thought of." + +Nat followed his commander and the lieutenant to the plantation, or, it +should rather be said, to the depot; for the clearing in the valley was +but a quarter of a mile long and a few hundred yards wide. It was +evident that if the owner had a plantation it was at some distance +away, and that the men with whom they had fought were principally +mulattoes and negroes employed about the place, and in minding the +slaves as they were brought in. + +They passed straight on to the barracoons. The sailors had already +brought the slaves out and knocked off their irons. The poor creatures +sat on the ground, evidently bewildered at what had taken place, and +uncertain whether they were in the hands of friends or enemies. + +"Some of the men have found the cauldrons in which food is cooked," Mr. +Hill said, "and are now preparing a meal for them; and as we found some +hogsheads of molasses and stores of flour and rice they will get a +better meal than they are accustomed to. I have set some of the +strongest slaves to pump water into those big troughs there; the poor +beggars will feel all the better after a wash." + +"They will indeed. I don't suppose they have had one since they were +first captured in Africa." + +In half an hour a meal was served. As an effort of cooking it could +hardly be termed a success, but was a sort of porridge, composed of +flour and rice sweetened with molasses. There was some difficulty in +serving it out, for only a few mugs and plates were found at the +barracoons. These were supplemented by all the plates, dishes, and other +utensils in the houses of the owner and overseers. By this time the +negroes had been taken in parties of twenties to the troughs, where they +had a thorough wash. + +"This is all very well, Mr. Hill," the captain said, "but what are we to +do with all these people? Of course we must move them down to the water, +and burn these buildings, in the first place because the scoundrels who +are at the bottom of all this villainy should be punished, and in the +second place because in all probability they will collect a large number +of negroes and mulattoes and make an attack. We cannot leave a force +here that could defend itself; therefore, whatever we decide upon +afterwards, it is clear that all the slaves must be taken down to the +houses on the inlet. I should set the men to open all the stores, and +load the negroes with everything that can be useful. I expect you will +find a good deal of cotton cloth and so on, for no doubt the man here +dealt in other articles besides slaves, and he would, moreover, keep +cottons and that sort of thing for sending them up the country into +market. However, take everything that is worth taking in the way of food +or otherwise, and carry it down to the storehouses by the water, then +set all the houses and sheds here on fire. When you see them well alight +you can bring the men down to the shore; then we must settle as to our +course. It is a most awkward thing our coming upon all these slaves. If +there were only those who had been landed from the schooner there would +be no difficulty about it, as we should only have to put them on board +again, but with four hundred others on our hands I really don't know how +to manage. We might stow a hundred in the frigate, though I own I should +not like it." + +"No, indeed," Mr. Hill murmured; "and four hundred would be out of the +question." + +The captain returned to the inlet and made an examination of the +storehouses there. They were for the most part empty. They were six in +number, roughly constructed of timber, and some forty feet long by +twenty wide, and consisted only of the one floor. They stood ten feet +apart. The barracoon was some twenty yards away. In a short time the +slaves began to pour in, all--men, women, and children--carrying burdens +proportionate to their strength. They had now come to the conclusion +that their new captors were really friends, and with the +light-heartedness of their race laughed and chattered as if their past +sufferings were already forgotten. Mr. Playford saw to the storing of +their burdens. These filled one of the storehouses to the roof. There +was, as the captain had anticipated, a large quantity of cotton cloth +among the spoil. Some of these bales were placed outside the store, +twenty of the negroes were told off to cut the stuff up into lengths for +clothing, and by mid-day the whole of the slaves were, to their delight, +attired in their new wraps. Among the goods that had been brought down +were a number of implements and tools--axes, hoes, shovels, and long +knives. Captain Crosbie had, by this time, quite made up his mind as to +the plan to be pursued. + +"We must hold this place for a time, Mr. Hill," he said as the latter +came down with the last body of sailors, after having seen that all the +buildings in the valley were wrapped in flames. "I have been thinking +over the question of the slaves, and the only plan that I can see is to +go for a two or three day's cruise in the frigate, in hopes of falling +in with some native craft with which I can make an arrangement for them +to return here with me, and aid in carrying off all these poor +creatures. These five storehouses and the barracoon will hold them all +pretty comfortably. Two of the storehouses had better be given up to the +women and children. We will make a stockade round the buildings, with +the ends resting in the water, and get the guns from those batteries and +put them in position here. With the help of those on board the schooner, +a stout defence can be made to an attack, however formidable. I shall +leave Mr. Playford in command with forty men on shore; Mr. Glover will +be in charge of the schooner with five-and-twenty more. The frigate will +remain for a couple of days at her present anchorage, and I will send as +many men as we can spare ashore to help in finishing the work before she +sails. + +"In the first place there must be a barrack run up for the men on shore +between the barracoon and the storehouses. It must be made of stout +beams. I don't mean squared, but young trees placed side by side so as +to be perfectly musket-proof. The palisades should be made of strong +saplings, wattled together, say, ten feet high. A hundred and fifty +sailors, aided by three hundred and fifty able-bodied negroes, should +make quick work of it. The schooner's crew can see to the removal of the +guns from the batteries and their establishment upon platforms behind +the palisade. I should divide the twelve guns into four batteries, three +in each. The armourer shall come off in the morning to get out the +spikes, and the carpenters shall come with their tools." + +"There are a dozen cross-cut saws among the things that we have brought +down, sir." + +"That is good. How many axes are there?" + +"Four dozen, sir." + +"Good! I will send all the hatchets we have on board. I think, Mr. Hill, +that you had better take up your position on board the schooner until we +sail. How about water? That is a most important point." + +"The slaves have brought down a large number of staves, sir. They are +evidently intended for sugar hogsheads; they are done up in separate +packets. I should say there were a hundred of them." + +"That is satisfactory indeed. I will send the cooper ashore, and with a +gang of the black fellows he will soon get them all into shape. I see +that they have relied upon the stream that comes down from the hills for +their supply. One of the first moves of anyone attacking the place would +be to divert its course somewhere up in the hills. However, with such a +supply as these hogsheads would hold, we could do without the stream for +weeks. The twenty marines who came ashore with Lieutenant Boldero will +remain as part of the garrison." + +The work was at once begun. The sailors looked upon it as a pleasant +change from the ordinary routine of life on board ship, and threw +themselves into it vigorously, while the blacks, as soon as they +understood what was wanted, proved themselves most useful assistants. +Accustomed in their African homes to palisade their villages, they knew +exactly what was required. Some, with their hoes, dug a trench four feet +deep; others dragged down the poles as the sailors cut them, erected +them in their places, and trod the earth firmly round them. Others cut +creepers, or split up suitable wood, and wove them in and out between +the poles; and, by the time darkness fell, a surprising amount of work +had been accomplished. + +One of the storehouses was turned over to those who could not be berthed +on board the schooner, most of the slaves preferring to sleep in the +open air, which to them was a delightful change after being cooped up +for weeks in the crowded hold of a ship, or in the no less crowded +barracoons. Sentries were posted as soon as it became dark, but the +night passed off without an alarm, and at daybreak all were at work +again. The launch returned to the frigate when work was knocked off, and +came back with a fresh body of men in the morning, and with the +carpenters, coopers, and all the available tools on board. By the +evening of the third day the work was completed. Four banks of earth had +been thrown up by the negroes against the palisade, and on each of these +three guns were mounted. The hut for the garrison had been completed. +The hogsheads were put together and filled with water, and a couple of +hundred boarding-pikes were put ashore for the use of the negroes. + +Nat had been fully employed, with the schooner's crew, in removing the +guns from the batteries, and placing them on the platforms constructed +by the carpenters on the top of the earthworks. + +"It is quite possible," the captain said to Mr. Playford, "that this +creek is used by pirates as well as slavers. They may come in here to +sell goods they have captured suitable for use in the islands, such as +cotton cloths and tools, and which it would not pay them to carry to +their regular rendezvous. It will be great luck if one or two of them +should put in here while I am away. It would greatly diminish the +difficulty we have of getting the slaves away." + +"That would be fortunate indeed, sir. Even if two came in together we +could give a good account of them, for as the palisade is mostly on +higher ground than the huts, we should only have to slue the guns round +and give them such a warm welcome that they would probably haul down +their flags at once." + +"Yes. You had better tell Mr. Glover to run up the Spanish flag if any +doubtful-looking craft is seen to be making for the entrance, and I +should always keep a couple of signallers up on the cliff, so as to let +you know beforehand what you might have to expect, and to see that there +is nothing showing that could excite their suspicions, until it is too +late for them to turn back." + +Doubtless what was going on in the inlet had been closely watched from +the woods, for in the evening of the day on which the frigate sailed +away scattered shots were fired from the forest, and the sound of the +beating of tom-toms and the blowing of horns could be heard in the +direction of the plantation whose buildings they had destroyed. + +The lieutenant had gone off to dine with Nat, and they were sitting on +deck smoking their cigars when the firing began. + +"I almost expected it," he said. "No doubt they have been waiting for +the frigate to leave before they did anything, as they would know that +at least half of those who have been ashore would re-embark when she +left. I have no doubt the scoundrels whose place we burnt have sent to +all the planters in this part of the islands to assemble in force to +attack us. If they have seen us making the palisade and mounting the +guns, as no doubt they have done, they certainly will not venture to +assault the place unless they are in very strong force, but they can +make it very unpleasant for us. It is not more than eighty yards to the +other side of the creek, and from that hill they would completely +command us. You will scarcely be able to keep a man on deck, and we +shall have to stay in the shelter of the huts. Of course on this side +they would scarcely be able to annoy us, for they would have to come +down to the edge of the trees to fire, and as we could fire through the +palisade upon them they would get the worst of it." + +"We might row across in the boats, sir, and clear the wood of them if +they became too troublesome." + +"We should run the risk of losing a good many men in doing so, and a +good many more as we made our way up through the trees and drove them +out, and should gain nothing by it, for as soon as we retired they would +reoccupy the position. No; if they get very troublesome I will slue a +couple of guns round and occasionally send a round or two of grape among +the trees. That will be better than your doing so, because your men at +the guns would make an easy mark for them, while we are farther off, and +indeed almost out of range of their muskets." + +The firing soon died away, but in the morning it was reopened, and it +was evident that the number in the wood had largely increased. Bullet +after bullet struck the deck of the schooner, and Nat was obliged to +order the greater part of the crew to remain below, and to see that +those who remained on deck kept under the shelter of the bulwark. +Presently a sharp fire broke out from the trees facing the palisade, and +this was almost immediately replied to by the blue-jackets and marines. +The fire of the assailants soon slackened, and Nat thought that it had +only been begun with the object of finding out how strong a force had +been left behind. Presently two of the guns on shore spoke out, and sent +a volley of grape into the wood in which his own assailants were +lurking. It had the effect of temporarily silencing the fire from that +quarter. This, however, was but for a short time. When it began again it +was taken up on the other side also, the party which had made the +demonstration against the palisade evidently considering that the +schooner, which lay midway between the two shores, was a safer object of +attack than the stockade. As the bulwark now offered no shelter, all +went below. Two of the men were about to pull up the boat which was +lying at the stern, and Nat went to the ladder to take his place in it, +when he was hailed from shore. + +"You had better stay where you are, Mr. Glover, until it gets dusk. You +would only be a mark for every man with a musket, up in the trees above +us, and, so far as I can see, there is nothing we can do until they +begin work in earnest." + +"Very well, sir," Nat shouted back, "I will come off after it gets +dusk." + +Firing continued all day, but died away at sunset, and soon afterwards +Nat went ashore. + +"This is very awkward," the lieutenant said. "It is most unpleasant +being potted at all day by fellows who won't show themselves, but I +can't see that we can help it. By the noise and jabbering that breaks +out at times, I should think that there must be some hundreds of them on +this side alone, and we shall have to wait till they begin in earnest. +Their leaders must know that they can be doing us no harm by their +distant fire, and they must sooner or later make an attack on us. You +see they have a strong temptation. They must have seen that none of the +slaves have been taken away, and as there are five hundred of them, and +I suppose they are worth from twenty to forty pounds a head, it is a big +thing, to say nothing of the stores. Then I have no doubt they are +thirsting for revenge, and although they must see that they will have to +fight very hard to take the place, they must try without delay, for they +will know that the frigate will be back again before very long, and will +probably bring some craft with her to carry away the slaves. So I think +we must put up with their fire till they harden their hearts and attack +us in earnest. They will make the attack, I expect, about the centre of +the palisade, for your guns would cover both our flanks. If we are hard +pressed I will light a port fire, and you had better land with twenty of +your men, leaving five to take care of the ship and work a gun or two +should they try to take us in flank." + +"I should not be surprised if they tried to-night. Shall I bring ten of +the men on shore at once, sir?" + +"Well, perhaps it would be as well. Forty men are not a very large force +for this length of palisade and to work some of the guns at the point +where they may attack us, and I expect their first rush will be a +serious one, and we shall have all our work cut out for us. There is one +thing; we can rely, in case of their making a way in, on the slaves. By +this time they quite understand that we are friends and that the people +who had been firing on us are their enemies, and I believe they would +fight like demons rather than fall into their hands again. I have torn +up a bale of white calico and have given a strip of it to each man to +tie round his head, so that we can tell friend from foe and they can +recognize each other in the dark. The enemy won't reckon on that, and +will think that they have only a small body of whites to deal with. Do +you notice how silent the woods are now? I think we may take that as a +sign that they are preparing for mischief." + +"The sooner it comes the better. Have you plenty of port fires, Mr. +Playford?" + +"Yes, a large boxful came on shore with the last boat yesterday." + +Nat went off again, and picked out ten men to land with him. + +"Get the other boat down," he said to the petty officer. "You will +understand that if any attack is made on the flanks of the work you are +to open fire at once upon them with grape. If a blue light is burned at +the edge of the water ten men are to land instantly. You will remain in +charge of the other five. So far as we know they have no boats, but they +may have made a raft, and may intend to try and take the schooner, +thinking that the crew will probably be on shore. So you must keep a +sharp look-out on the other side as well as this. Light a blue light if +you see a strong party coming off, and we will rejoin you at once." + +He again landed with the ten men he had chosen. + +"I have six men on watch," the lieutenant said, "and have put one of the +blacks with each. I fancy their ears are sharper than ours are, and they +will hear them coming before our men do." + +Having nothing to do, Nat went into the barracoon and the other houses +in which the slaves were placed. The contrast between their condition +now and when he had seen them four days before, when they had first been +found, was striking indeed. Now they were clean, and looked picturesque +in their bright calico clothes. The look of dull and hopeless misery had +passed away, and it seemed to him that with the good and plentiful food +they had received they were already perceptibly plumper. They would have +risen as he entered, but he signed to them to keep their places. They +now had room to lie down in comfort, and while some sat chatting in +groups others moved about. They were evidently proud of their arms, and +some of them, seizing their pikes or hatchets, made signs how they would +fight their enemies. A ship's lantern was burning in each hut. + +In the women's huts the scene was still more interesting. The little +children ran up to Nat with a new-born confidence in white men. Some of +the women brought up babies to show him, and endeavoured to make him +understand that these would soon have died had it not been for the +sailors. The windows and doors stood open, and the evening breeze +cleared the huts of the effluvium always present where a number of +negroes congregate together. The sight of the poor creatures enraged Nat +still more against the slavers, and made him long for them to begin +their attack. + +"It is quite pleasant to see them," he said as he joined Mr. Playford. +"They are wonderfully changed in this short time. One would hardly have +thought it possible. What will become of them?" + +"I expect we shall take them to Jamaica, and that there they will be let +out as free labourers to the planters. You see there is no law against +the slave-trade, though public opinion is so strong on the subject at +home that I have no doubt such a law will be passed before long. So, of +course, we have not captured the slaves because of their being slaves, +but simply as we should capture or destroy other property belonging to +an enemy. Then, too, many of the slavers act as pirates if they get the +chance, and there can be little doubt that a considerable quantity of +the goods we found are the proceeds of piracy. Besides, you must +remember that they fired at us before we fired at them. So we have +plenty of good reasons for releasing these poor beggars. You see these +seas swarm with scoundrels of all kinds, and it is quite safe to assume +that all ships that cannot show that they are peaceful traders are +engaged in nefarious business of some kind or other." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +A SHARP FIGHT + + +Mr. Playford and Nat were still talking when a sailor came up to him +with one of the negroes. + +"What is it, Tomkins?" the lieutenant asked. + +"Well, sir, this 'ere black seems to hear something; he keeps pointing +up into the wood and whispering something in his own lingo and looking +very excited, so I thought I had better bring him here to you." + +"Quite right, Tomkins; no doubt he does hear something, their ears are a +good deal better than ours are. I will go up with you." + +Accompanied by Nat, Mr. Playford went up on to the bank of earth that +had been thrown up against the palisade, and found that the negroes +there were all in a state of excitement, pointing in various directions +and shaking their pikes angrily. + +"They are coming, there is no doubt of that," he said. "I should say, by +the motions of the blacks, that they are scattered through the wood. +Well, we are ready for them. You had better get your slow matches +alight, my lads; don't take the covers off the vents until the last +moment, the dew is heavy." + +They were joined now by Lieutenant Boldero. "I think I can hear them," +he said. + +"Yes. I should not have noticed if it had not been for the blacks, but +there is certainly a confused noise in the air." + +Listening attentively, they could hear a low rustling sound, with +sometimes a faint crack as of a breaking stick. + +"As soon as we think that they have got to the edge of the trees we +will throw a fireball out in that direction, and then let them have it. +We must keep them from getting closer if we can; when they once get near +the foot of the palisade we shall not be able to depress our guns enough +to fire upon them." + +In a short time there was no question that a large number of men were +making their way down through the wood. The blacks were now brought out +from the houses and ranged along at the foot of the bank, where they +were ordered to stay for the present, as were they to man the line they +would be exposed to the assailants' bullets, while powerless to do any +service until the latter began to attempt to scale the stockade. + +"They must be gathering at the edge of the trees now," the lieutenant +said at last. "Now, Tomkins, light that fireball and heave it over." + +The ball, which was formed of old junk, was about the size of a man's +head. The material had been smeared with tar mixed with sulphur, and +Tomkins held in his hand the lanyard attached to it. He applied a slow +match to it, and it broke into a blaze at once. Swinging it round his +head, he hurled it far in front of him. By its light as it fell a crowd +of figures could be seen gathered along the edge of the forest. A fierce +yell broke from them, and loud shouts were raised by the leaders +ordering them to charge, but before they could get into motion four guns +poured a storm of grape among them, followed directly afterwards by the +contents of four others. An appalling din of yells and shrieks was +heard, but without an instant's hesitation a score of figures in +European dress darted forward, followed by a mass of blacks, behind whom +came another thirty or forty Europeans or mulattoes driving the negroes +before them. + +"Pick off the whites!" Lieutenant Boldero shouted to the marines, and a +dropping fire of musketry was at once opened. + +The distance, however, from the edge of the trees to the palisades was +but some fifty yards; the light was dim and uncertain, and in a minute +from the first shot being fired the assailants were swarming along the +foot of the palisade. There was no hesitation, and it was evident that +the men who led the attack had made every preparation. A number of the +assailants carried ladders; these were placed against the wall, and the +whites and mulattoes swarmed up, closely followed by the negroes. So +sudden and unexpected was this assault that in several places they +obtained a footing inside the palisades, but with a wild yell the slaves +at once rushed up the bank and fell upon them. At the same moment the +boom of the schooner's guns told that they had made out parties of the +enemy advancing against the flanks of the works. + +The arrival of the slaves soon changed the position. The assailants were +cut down, run through, or forced to leap down over the stockade that +they had just crossed. In spite of the shouts of the lieutenant, the +slaves, thirsting for vengeance, leapt down after them, and fell with +such fury upon the assailants that these, seized with a panic, fled. At +the edge of the trees, however, the efforts of the whites checked the +flight. Guns and pistols were discharged for the first time, and a +fierce fight presently raged. + +"We must go down and lend them a hand," the lieutenant said. "Keep your +men here, Mr. Glover, to get the guns loaded again; I will take my +blue-jackets and the marines. Light a port fire or two, else, in spite +of their white head-gear, we shall be hurting our friends." + +The sailors and marines soon scrambled down the ladders, and, led by +their officers, rushed forward with loud cheers. Their arrival at once +decided the fortune of the fray. Rushing through their black allies, +they fell with sword and cutlass, musket and bayonet, upon the +Europeans, whose pistols had given them a decided advantage over the +slaves, but who could not stand the charge of the marines and seamen. +These pursued them for some little distance, but when beyond the range +of the lights of the stockade Lieutenant Playford halted them. The +slaves, however, continued the pursuit for some time, and then they, +too, returned, having overtaken and killed many of their flying enemies. + +"There is nothing more to be done till daylight," Mr. Playford said. +"Indeed, I do not think that we shall hear any more of these fellows, +who, to do them justice, fought well. Our guns must have done a good +deal of execution, though they would have done much more had they not +been so close; the bullets had hardly begun to scatter. However, we +shall see in the morning. It is lucky that we armed the slaves, or it +would have gone very hard with us. You see, we had half our men at the +guns, and the others were too thinly scattered along the line to be able +to defend it against so determined an attack. I expect they never +calculated on the slaves being armed, and thought that they had only +forty or fifty men to deal with. After the lesson that they have had I +don't think they will molest us again, unless there are any troops in +the neighbourhood that they can bring up." + +The palisades were recrossed and sentries set; grog was served out to +the seamen and marines; the slaves were mad with delight, and danced and +sang songs of triumph for some time. As soon, however, as the lieutenant +motioned them to return to their huts they did so at once. Many of them +were wounded more or less severely, but they seemed to think nothing of +this, being too much pleased with the vengeance they had taken to care +aught for the pain. Nat prepared to return to the schooner with his men, +none of whom were, however, seriously hurt, as they had been held in +reserve. Altogether, three sailors and a marine had been killed and six +severely wounded. + +"Are you going on board, Mr. Playford?" + +"No; I shall stay ashore till morning. I do not think that there is the +remotest chance of the attack being renewed; however, it is clearly my +duty to stay here." + +As soon as it was daylight Nat went on shore again, and with ten of his +own men, ten marines, and a hundred of the slaves, went over the ground +to collect the wounded, and learn the loss of the assailants. All the +wounded sailors had been carried into the fort when the fight ceased. +Six Spaniards and nine mulattoes lay dead either on the earthen rampart +or at the foot of the palisade. All of them were pierced in several +places by pikes, or mutilated with blows of axes. Round them lay some +twenty plantation negroes, and thirty others had fallen at the edge of +the wood, shattered by the discharges of the cannon or killed in the +hand-to-hand conflict; among them were twelve of the released slaves. +Not a single white or mulatto was found alive. + +The party pursued their way for a quarter of a mile into the wood. Here +and there were scattered the bodies of the assailants who had been +overtaken by their pursuers. The latter had done their work thoroughly, +for not a single man was found to be breathing. When they came to a +point beyond which the slaves by signs apprised them that they had not +gone, they returned, collecting and carrying down the bodies of the dead +as they went. They found on their return that two trenches, four feet +deep and thirty feet long, had already been dug, at the edge of the +forest and as far from the camp as possible. In one of these the bodies +of the Spaniards and mulattoes were laid, and in the other that of the +negroes. The earth was then filled in. + +"It has been an unpleasant job, but a necessary one," Lieutenant +Playford said, when he knew that the work was done, and the whole party +re-entered the fort. "In a climate like this the place would have been +uninhabitable in a couple of days if we had not buried them all." + +In the afternoon two fresh graves were made, and the fallen sailors were +reverently laid to rest in one, the dead slaves in the other. Water was +brought up in buckets by the negroes from the edge of the creek, and all +signs of the conflict on the rampart and at the foot of the palisade +either washed away or covered with earth. Then matters resumed their +former aspect. + +Early the next morning the look-out on the cliff ran down and reported +that a large brigantine was just entering the inlet. Mr. Playford +shouted the news to Nat. + +"I will send off the marines to you," he said. "I will remain here with +the blue-jackets." + +The Spanish flag was at once run up to the peak. In two or three minutes +the boat with the marines came alongside. They and the greater part of +the sailors at once lay down on the deck, while the few who remained on +foot took off their straw hats and white jumpers, tied handkerchiefs +round their heads, and gave themselves as unseamanlike an appearance as +possible. Ten minutes later the brigantine appeared round the point; +there was scarce a breath of wind, and she had two boats towing her. A +flag hung from her mast-head, and as Nat turned his glass upon it he +exclaimed to Boldero, who, having removed his coat and cap, was standing +by his side: + +"It is the black flag; the fellow must be pretty sure of his welcome or +he would never venture to haul it up." + +In the meantime the guns ashore had been slued round, and were now +pointed on a spot somewhat ahead of the schooner. She came slowly along +until within some four or five lengths of the latter, then there was a +sudden shout on board, followed by a tremendous hubbub. It was clear +that the line of palisades surrounding the huts had been noticed and +the guns seen. + +The brigantine was crowded with men. She carried twelve guns in her +ports, and a long swivel eighteen-pounder in her bow. There was now no +longer any motive for concealment, the marines and seamen leapt to their +feet with a cheer, and a moment later the schooner's two foremost guns, +which would alone bear on the boats, spoke out, while almost at the same +moment two of those on the rampart sent a shower of grape into them. +Both boats sank immediately, those of the crews who were uninjured +swimming to the brigantine. Contradictory orders were shouted on board +the pirate. One by one her guns on the port side answered those on the +ramparts. + +"Get ready, my lads!" Nat shouted, "she will be alongside directly." + +The impetus of the schooner's way was indeed sufficient to take her +slowly but surely forward, and the pirate slightly changed his course so +as to bring her outside the schooner. Playford saw what his object was, +and the remaining guns poured their charges of grape across the deck of +the brigantine, committing terrible havoc. Before they could be loaded +again she was alongside the schooner, and so covered by her from the +fire of the guns on shore. As the vessels came abreast of each other at +a distance of two or three feet only, Nat and the young marine officer +leapt on to the pirate's deck followed by their men. The resistance of +the pirates was desperate. Although they had suffered much loss from the +fire of the guns, they were still numerically stronger than their +assailants, and, fighting as they did with the desperation of despair, +they not only held their ground, but pushed their assailants back +towards the bulwark. + +[Illustration: THE GUNS ON THE RAMPART SEND A SHOWER OF GRAPE INTO THE +PIRATE.] + +For three or four minutes the fight continued without any marked +advantage to either party; the pistols of the seamen and pirates and the +muskets of the marines were empty, and they were fighting hand to hand. +Then slowly the advantage turned against the pirates, but the issue was +still undecided when there was a loud cheer, and Mr. Playford with +fifteen sailors leapt on the deck of the pirate from the other side, the +approach of the boat having been unnoticed in the heat of the fray. The +pirates now broke; their captain had fallen, and, outnumbered and +hopeless, some threw down their arms, while others jumped overboard. +Those who surrendered were at once bound and battened down in the hold +of the schooner, some eight or ten only gained the opposite shore and +took to the woods. The victory had not been a bloodless one. Five of the +frigate's crew had been killed, and there were few among Nat's command +who were not more or less severely wounded. + +"It was a sharp fight, Mr. Glover," Mr. Playford said. + +"It was indeed, sir. At one time they fairly drove us back, but I think +that we should have beaten them even if you had not brought help to us." + +"I am sure you would," the lieutenant said warmly. "I could see as I +boarded that although the men in front were fighting hard, those in the +rear were hanging back as if they had had enough of it. Still, you might +have lost more men than you did before you finished with them if we had +not turned up. You see, fighting with pirates is quite a different thing +from fighting with any other opponents. These fellows know well enough +that there is no mercy for them, and that they have nothing before them +but to fight until they die, or to be tried and hanged. The veriest +coward would fight till the last with such an alternative as that before +him. I would rather fight a hundred and fifty French or Spanish seamen +than a hundred pirates. She is a fine roomy craft that we have taken, +and I think we shall now be able to carry off all these blacks. No +doubt it will be a close pack for them, but for a short voyage that will +not matter. Now let us see to our wounded. After that is done we can get +off the hatches and have a look round below. Of course she may have come +in here for water, but it is likely that she has at least some booty in +her hold." + +This proved to be the case. She was half full of goods of a more or less +valuable kind, and these, by the marks on the bales and boxes, had +evidently formed part of the cargoes of three ships. Two days later the +_Orpheus_ was seen returning along the coast, and Nat was at once sent +off by the lieutenant with his written report of what had taken place +since she had sailed. The gig reached the side of the frigate just as +the anchor was let go. + +"I see your right arm is in a sling, Mr. Glover," the captain said as he +handed him the report, "so I suppose that you have had some fighting." + +"Yes, sir, we have had some pretty sharp fighting." + +"What is your wound?" + +"Only a chop with a cutlass, sir." + +"Oh, you came to hand-to-hand work, did you?" + +Nat gave no answer, for the captain had opened the report and was now +running his eye down it. + +"Very satisfactory," he said, as he handed it to the first lieutenant. +"An attacking force handsomely repulsed and a pirate captured. Very good +work indeed, very good. I see Mr. Boldero was wounded, Mr. Glover." + +"Yes, sir, he was hit on the head with a pistol-shot. Fortunately the +ball glanced off the skull. He was stunned for a time, but is now nearly +himself again." + +"Here is some work for you, Dr. Bemish," the captain said. "Mr. Playford +reports that ten of the cases are serious. I am going ashore in my gig +at once, and will take you with me. You had better send the cutter at +once, Mr. Hill, to bring off the wounded. You may as well return in your +own boat, Mr. Glover, Mr. Curtis can go in charge of the cutter. Mr. +Needham can go with me." + +Nat at once returned to his boat. He was overtaken by the captain's gig +when half-way up the inlet. He rowed to the schooner, while the gig made +straight for the landing-place where the lieutenant was standing. + +"I congratulate you, Mr. Playford," the captain said as he stepped +ashore. "You seem to have had a pretty busy time of it since we have +been away. I certainly did not think they would attempt to attack you +when you had those guns in position, and I did not reckon on the pirate. +She is a fine brigantine; the schooner looks quite small beside her." + +"Yes, sir, she is over three hundred tons. Her broadside guns are all +twelve-pounders, and she carries an eighteen-pounder as a swivel. She +had a crew of seventy men, of whom only eight or ten got ashore, the +rest were all accounted for except twelve, who are in irons below. The +credit of capturing her, sir, really belongs to Mr. Glover, for although +I went off to his assistance he would have taken her without my aid, +though the pirates were still fighting strongly." + +"Well, it has been a very successful business altogether, Mr. Playford. +The capture of the brigantine is specially fortunate, as I have failed +to come across any native craft as I had hoped to do, but with this +extra accommodation we shall be able to manage to carry off all the +slaves. I see by your account that Mr. Glover had the marines as well as +his own twenty men." + +"Yes, sir, I sent Lieutenant Boldero and fourteen marines on board; he +had lost six either killed or seriously wounded in the attack here. I +own that I had hardly calculated upon the brigantine getting alongside +the schooner. I thought that when we had smashed up her boats, which I +made certain we should do, she would be so completely at our mercy that, +being becalmed, she would haul down her flag; but she had sufficient way +on her to take her alongside the schooner, and her captain put her there +so cleverly that I could not fire at her except through the schooner. I +saw at once that the whole position was changed, for if he had captured +the schooner he might have put all his men into the boats and made a +dash for shore; and as I had so few men fit for work it would have been +awkward, though with the aid of the blacks I have no doubt I should have +driven them off." + +"Then I suppose your discharge of grape did not do him very much harm?" + +"Not so much as it ought to have done, sir. You see the first two guns +we fired destroyed his boats. The other guns were all too weakly handled +to be trained on the pirate as he forged ahead, and as far as I could +see not one of them did any serious execution among his crew. Yesterday +I told off four negroes to each gun, and kept them at work all day +learning how to train them under the direction of the sailors. If I had +thought of that before we should have swept his decks with such effect +that when she got alongside the schooner Mr. Glover's party would have +had easy work of it." + +"You could hardly think of everything, Mr. Playford, and you certainly +did right in sending the marines off to the schooner directly you had +news that this brigantine was entering the inlet. No doubt if you had +wished to sink her it would have been better to have kept them on shore +to help work the guns, but as she is a valuable prize, and we wanted her +badly to help carry away the slaves, you were quite right not to try to +damage her. You say she is half full of plunder?" + +"Yes, sir, and there were nearly eight hundred pounds in money and +thirty-four watches and some jewellery found in the captain's cabin." + +"She is a valuable capture, and I should think the admiral would buy her +into the service. She is just the sort of craft that we want. The +schooner would be too small to tackle one of these heavily-armed pirates +with their crowds of men. So your slaves fought well?" + +"That they did, sir. If it had been daylight I doubt whether any of the +whites who led the attack would have escaped. Of course they had no +particular animosity against the negroes, but I believe that they would +have followed the whites and mulattoes half across the island." + +"Well, do you think that the two craft will carry all the slaves?" + +"Hardly, sir; the schooner can stow a hundred and fifty. Of course it +will be close work, but there will be room for that number to lie down, +and with the hatches both open they will be all right. By rearranging +the cargo a bit, two hundred could sleep in the hold of the brigantine. +That would still leave rather over one hundred and fifty." + +"Well, we must give up part of the hold of the frigate to them," the +captain said, "there is no help for it. There are about that number of +women and children, are there not?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"They had better go off in the frigate, then. Of course, the prisoners +will be sent off too--I will pay a visit to the brigantine, and then go +off myself, and will send the boats in as soon as I get there. You may +as well be getting the men on board at once. As soon as they are all +off, you will, of course, set fire to all the sheds here, but you may as +well send off a boat-load of stores suitable for them to the frigate, +and will, of course, victual these two craft. I shall send you another +forty men to fill up the vacancies that have been caused, and to +furnish a crew for the brigantine, of which, of course, you will take +the command. You and the schooner will keep in close company. The +marines will return to the ship. Mr. Needham will be your second on the +brigantine." + +"How about the guns, sir? They are all old pieces, and scarcely worth +carrying away." + +"Yes, but I won't leave them here to be used for defending this place +again. You had better take them off their carriages, spike them, get +them into the boats, and heave them overboard, well out in deep water. +Do you think that you will be able to get everything done before dark, +Mr. Playford?" + +"Yes, sir, it is only nine o'clock now, and if you will send a strong +working party, in addition to those who will be taking the slaves on +board, to help with the stores and guns, I have no doubt that I shall be +able to get the work done well before sunset." + +"Very well. Mr. Hill will come on shore as soon as I return to the +frigate." + +The work went on without ceasing all day, and the pinnace, which had +been recovered and repaired before the frigate sailed, and the launch, +went backwards and forwards to the frigate with the women, children, and +stores, while the boats of the brigantine and schooner carried the men +to those craft, as soon as the stores for the voyage, and the bales of +cotton and other goods that would be useful, had been taken off. When +the two large boats had finished their work they were employed in +carrying out the guns, which had, before the slaves embarked, been +brought down by them to the edge of the water. By three o'clock all was +finished, and the last boat-load of the sailors rowed out to the prizes, +after having set fire to all the huts. These were soon in a blaze, to +the delight of the negroes, who danced and shouted for joy. Half of +these were sent below at once, as they crowded the decks to such an +extent as to render it impossible for the sailors to work. + +Those who remained were ranged in rows by the bulwarks from end to end +of the craft; then the anchors were got up, and the sails dropped and +sheeted home. The wind was very light, but was sufficient to give +steerage-way, and with the British ensign flying at the peak the two +vessels sailed out of the inlet and joined the frigate, which began to +make sail as soon as they were seen issuing from the narrow mouth. Glad +indeed were all on board the three vessels when, after a voyage unmarked +by any adventure, they entered Port Royal, for although the negroes, +feeling confident that they were in good hands, had been docile and +obedient, they were still terribly in the way. + +Though all had been made to take a bath every morning, the odour in the +crowded prizes was almost overpoweringly strong. On arrival, the negroes +were landed and lodged in some large government storehouses near the +fort. Each was presented with ten yards of cloth on leaving for the +shore, and they were, before being housed, permitted to sort themselves, +so that families and friends might be together. Interpreters explained +to them that it would be impossible to send them back to their friends +in Africa, but that they would be apportioned out among the plantations +of the island. The wages they were to receive were explained to them, +and they were told that a government official would visit each +plantation in turn, and would listen to any complaints that might be +made as to their food and treatment, and at the end of three years all +who wished it could either change masters or take up a piece of land, +build a hut, and cultivate it on their own account. + +The poor creatures were well satisfied with this. They were overjoyed at +being united to their relations and friends, and to know that they +would still be together; and were assured that they would be well cared +for, and in time be as much their own masters as if at their villages in +Africa. The schooner was sold; the brigantine was, as the captain had +expected, bought into the service; Mr. Playford was offered and accepted +the command of her. Mr. Normandy took his place as second lieutenant of +the _Orpheus_, and Mr. Marston received his promotion and the post of +third officer. As the _Cerf_--which was the name of the brigantine--was +to be considered as a tender of the frigate, those on board her were +still borne on her books. Curtis and Glover were appointed to her, with +a petty officer and forty men. + +The pirates were tried and executed, with the exception of one, who was +a mere lad. He had, he asserted, been forced to join the pirates--being +spared by them when the rest of his comrades had been murdered, as they +had lost their cook's mate, and required someone to fill his place. +This, however, would not have saved his life had he not promised to lead +his new captors to the chief rendezvous of the pirates, which had so +long eluded the search that had been made for it. He acknowledged, +however, that he was not acquainted with its exact position. He had +sailed in and out four or five times, and had only a general idea of its +position, but asserted that he should certainly know the island if he +saw it. A fortnight after reaching Port Royal, the frigate and +brigantine sailed in company. + +The indications given by the boy pointed to an island lying a short +distance off the northern coast of Venezuela. + +There were originally, he said, four vessels working together, three +brigantines and a large schooner, one of which had arrived from France +only a short time before the _Cerf_ sailed on her last voyage. The +entrance to the pirates' stronghold was on the south side of the island, +and was, he said, so well concealed that vessels might sail past the +place a thousand times without noticing it. There were two batteries at +the water's edge, inside the entrance, each mounting twelve +eighteen-pounder guns that had been taken from prizes. The channel here +was not more than fifty yards across. A very heavy boom was at all times +swung across it just above the batteries, and this was opened only when +one of the craft entered or left. + +There was, however, he said, a spot on the outer side of the island +where a landing could be effected, at a little ravine that ran down to +the shore. This was thickly wooded, and some large trees growing at its +mouth almost hid it from passing vessels. At other points the shore was +steep, but there was so much vegetation on every ledge where trees or +bushes could obtain a foothold, that from the sea it would seem that the +cliffs were not too steep to scale. + +The prisoner had been placed on board the _Cerf_, which, as soon as she +was fairly at sea, was altered as far as possible in appearance by a +white band with ports painted along her sides; a false stem of an +entirely different shape from her own was fastened to her, her light +upper spars sent down and replaced by stumpy ones, and other changes +made that would help to alter her appearance. + +Were she recognized by the pirates as she sailed past their island it +would at once be suspected that one of the men recently captured had +revealed the rendezvous, and that she was cruising near it to obtain an +exact idea of the best mode of attack before other craft came up to +assist her. They had no doubt that the pirates had already received news +of the surprise and capture of the brigantine. Some of the men who +escaped would doubtless have made for the nearest port, and hired a +negro craft to take them to their own island, which they would have +reached before the _Orpheus_ arrived at Port Royal with her prizes. The +pirates would therefore be on their guard, and would either have +deserted their head-quarters altogether or have added to their defences. +The sight of their late consort would confirm their fears that their +whereabouts had become known, and it was therefore of importance that +her identity should not be suspected. + +Changed as she now was, she might be taken for a man-of-war brigantine. +Her height out of water had been increased by four feet by painted +canvas fastened to battens. She had ten ports painted on each side, and +looked a very different craft from the smart brigantine that had sailed +away from the island. It had at first been suggested by Mr. Playford +that she should be disguised so as to look like a trader, but Captain +Crosbie had decided against this. + +"There are," he said, "three of these pirates, and even two of them +might together be more than a match for you. By all accounts they are +each of them as strong as you are in point of armament, and would carry +at least twice as many men as you have. Even if you beat them off it +could only be at a very great cost of life, and I certainly should not +like you to undertake such an enterprise unless you had at least double +the strength of men, which I could not spare you. By going in the guise +of a vessel of war they would not care to meddle with you. They would +know that there would be no chance of booty and a certainty of hard +fighting, and of getting their own craft badly knocked about, so that it +will be in all respects best to avoid a fight. They may in that case not +connect you with us at all, but take you to be some freshly-arrived +craft. You had best hoist the Stars and Stripes as you pass along the +coast." + +When the changes were all effected the ships parted company. The +brigantine was to sail east until within a short distance of Grenada, +then to cruise westward along the coast of the mainland; thus going, +there would be less suspicion on the part of those who saw her that she +was coming from Jamaica. A rendezvous was appointed at the island of +Oruba, lying off the mouth of the Gulf of Venezuela. + +Their prisoner was French, and he was very closely questioned by +Lieutenant Playford, who spoke that language well. He said that they +always sailed north to begin with, then sometimes they kept east, and +certainly he heard the names of Guadeloupe and St. Lucia. At other +times, after sailing north they steered north-west, and came to a great +island, which he had no doubt was San Domingo. It was not in this craft +that he sailed, he was only transferred to her with some of the others +for that cruise only. After they had once made either the western +islands or San Domingo, they cruised about in all directions. + +"The great point is," Mr. Playford said to the midshipmen after a long +talk with the prisoner, "that at starting they generally hung about +these islands, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, and so on, for some time, and it +was considered their best cruising ground, though also the most +dangerous one, as we have always some cruisers in those waters. That +would certainly place the island somewhere off the north coast of +Caracas. He declared that the first day out they generally passed the +western point of an island of considerable size with some high hills. +The only island that answers to that account is, as you see in the +chart, Margarita. Therefore I feel convinced that the pirate hold is in +one of these groups, off Caracas, either Chimana, Borrshcha, or these +two islets called Piritu Islands. Altogether, you see, there are over a +dozen of these islands scattered along near the mainland. + +"It is quite out of the general course of trade, as nothing would go +into that bay except a craft bound for San Diego, or this place marked +Barcelona, lying a short distance up the river. They would take care +not to molest any of the little traders frequenting these ports, and +might lie in an inlet in one of these islands for years without their +being ever suspected, unless perhaps by some of the native fishermen, +who probably supply them with fish and fruit from the mainland. Anyhow, +I don't suppose a British cruiser is seen along that coast once a year." + + + + +CHAPTER V + +A PIRATE HOLD + + +A fortnight later the _Cerf_ passed along under easy sail between the +island of Margarita and the mainland. She was now getting very close to +the spot where, if the prisoner was right, the pirates' hold lay. The +Stars and Stripes was hanging from the peak, and with her high bulwarks +and ten ports on each side no one would have suspected that she was not, +as she seemed, an American man-of-war, heavily armed. Passing close to +another island, they headed more south into the bay as they neared +Caracas. Every foot of the islands was closely scanned. Five miles +farther, they came abreast of the Chimana isles, and pointing to one of +these that lay nearer the shore than the others, the prisoner exclaimed +that he was certain that that was the island. + +"I am sure of it," he exclaimed, "both from the look of the island +itself, and from that high range of mountains on the mainland to the +south-east." + +"You are quite sure?" + +"Certain, captain; there are the large trees I spoke of growing down +close to the water. It is behind them that there is a little ravine by +which one can climb up." + +No alteration was made in the ship's course, but she continued her way +until sunset, when she dropped anchor off the mouth of the river La +Pasqua, some twenty miles west of the islands. + +As soon as it was dark Curtis was sent off in a gig manned by six +rowers. The oars were muffled; the orders were to row round the island +within an oar's length of the shore, and to find the entrance to the +channel, which, if the prisoner was right as to the place, should be on +the side facing the mainland. Pierre, the French lad, was taken with +them. It was a long row to the island, but the gig was a fast one, and, +at three o'clock in the morning, she returned with the news that +Pierre's information had been correct. They had found the opening but +had not entered it, as Mr. Playford had given strict orders on this +point, thinking it probable that there would be a sharp look-out kept in +the batteries, especially as the supposed cruiser would certainly have +been closely watched as she passed. + +An hour later the anchor was got up and the _Cerf_ sailed for Oruba, off +which she arrived three days later. There were no signs of the frigate, +and indeed the _Cerf_ had arrived at the rendezvous before the time +fixed. At daybreak on the third morning the topsails of the _Orpheus_ +were made out from the mast-head, and four hours later she and the +_Cerf_ met, and Mr. Playford went on board the frigate to report. + +"This is good news indeed," the captain said when he heard that the +haunt of the pirates had been discovered. "Of course you have taken the +exact position of the island, for we must, if possible, take them by +surprise?" + +"Yes, sir; it lies as nearly as possible in 64 deg. 30' west longitude and +10 deg. 22' north latitude." + +"We will lay our course east, Mr. Playford, for, of course, you will +keep company with us. The water is deep all along the coast, and there +seems to be from thirty to thirty-eight fathoms to within a mile or two +of the coast. I shall lay my course outside the Windward Islands as far +as Blanquilla, thence an almost due south course will take us clear of +the western point of Margarita and down to this island. We will discuss +our plan of attack later on." + +On the morning of the third day after leaving Oruba the island of +Blanquilla was sighted. The frigate made the signal for Mr. Playford to +go on board, and on entering the captain's cabin he found him and Mr. +Hill examining the chart. + +"You see, Mr. Playford, we are now as nearly as possible a hundred miles +north of the island; with this wind we should pass the point of +Margarita at about four o'clock in the afternoon; if it freshens we will +take in sail, I want to be off the island say three or four hours before +daybreak. You will send that French lad on board when you go back; as +soon as we anchor he will go in the gig with Mr. Hill to reconnoitre and +make sure that there is no mistake about the place. When he finds that +it is all right he will come back. The boats will be in the water, and +the men on board in readiness, and will at once start, so that the +landing may, if possible, be effected just at daybreak at this ravine on +the north of the island. At the same hour you will sail in and take up +your place opposite the mouth of the harbour, and fight anything that +tries to come out. + +"It is quite possible that as soon as our party attack the place on the +land side any craft there may be there will cut their cables and try to +make off. On no account try to enter; the batteries would blow you out +of the water. You will start as soon as the boats leave the ship, and +will therefore have light enough for you to go in and to avoid making +any mistake, for you see there are half a dozen islands lying close +together. There is no objection to their seeing you, and indeed I +should be rather glad if they do, for in that case they are the less +likely to discover the landing-party, and though they must see the +frigate they will think that she is only lying there to cut them off if +they try to escape. They will be manning their batteries and getting +everything ready to give you a warm reception, and I hope that we shall +drop upon them as if out of the clouds. + +"Mr. Hill will command the landing-party, which will consist of a +hundred and fifty seamen and the thirty marines, which, with the +advantage of surprise, ought to be sufficient. As you report that the +island is less than a mile long and not much more than half a mile +across, the landing-party will soon be at work. After they have landed, +Mr. Hill will divide them into two parties, and will endeavour to make +his way round the inlet, keeping up among the trees, and then rush down +upon the batteries. When he has captured these he will fire three guns +as a signal to you. You will have your boats in readiness, and will at +once tow the schooner in, and, on reaching the boom, bring her broadside +to bear upon any craft there, and generally aid the landing-party with +your guns. If, by good luck, the three craft we have been so long +looking for are all there you will have a strong force to tackle; you +may certainly take it that their crews will together mount up to three +hundred men, and it is likely that there may be a hundred others who +form what we may call the garrison of the place when they are away." + +"Very well, sir." + +The two vessels headed south under easy canvas, passed the point of +Margarita at the hour that had been arranged, and then taking in still +more sail proceeded slowly on until, about one o'clock in the morning, +the island could be made out with the night-glasses. Then both were laid +to, Captain Crosbie having forbidden anchoring, in the first place owing +to the great depth of water, and in the next because, although the +island was three miles away, the chain-cable running out might be heard +at night if the pirates had anyone on watch on the hill. Nat, whose +watch it was, saw the gig shoot away from the side of the frigate. An +hour later and there was a bustle and stir on board the _Orpheus_, and +all her boats were lowered. At five bells the crew began to take their +places in them, and soon afterwards the gig returned. The watch below +were called up and sail was made, and at half-past three the boats +started, and the _Cerf_ was headed towards the land. Dawn was just +breaking when they reached the island. All was still. It had been +arranged that, unless discovered, the attack on the batteries was not to +be made until five o'clock, and just at that hour the _Cerf_ arrived off +the narrow entrance to the port. Half an hour before, a musket had been +discharged on the hill above them, and it was clear that their coming +had been observed; but as no sound of conflict could be heard inland +there was every reason to suppose that the pirates had no suspicion of a +landing having been effected on the other side. + +"That is what I call being punctual," Nat said to Curtis as two bells +rang out just as they opened the passage. + +A light kedge anchor was dropped, and as this was done a patter of +musketry broke out from the hill above them. Their action showed that +the arrival of the brigantine was no matter of chance, but that she was +there expressly with the intention of attacking the pirates' stronghold, +and those who had been watching her, therefore, saw that any further +attempt at concealment was useless. In the night the canvas band had +been taken down, as there was no longer any reason for concealing the +identity of the brigantine. The musketry fire only lasted for a minute, +for suddenly a roar of battle broke out within a hundred yards of the +mouth of the entrance. The sailors burst into a loud cheer. It was +evident that the landing-party had met with complete success so far, and +had approached the batteries unobserved, and that a hand-to-hand fight +was going on. + +Above the cracking of pistols the cheers of the seamen could be plainly +heard, but in two or three minutes the uproar died away, and then three +guns were fired at short intervals. The boats were already in the water, +the kedge lifted, and the crews bending forward in readiness for the +signal. + +"Take her in, lads!" the lieutenant shouted, and the schooner's head at +once began to turn towards the inlet. + +A moment later two broadsides were fired. + +"There are two of their craft in there!" Curtis exclaimed. "Now our +fellows have carried the batteries they have opened fire on them." + +As he spoke there was another broadside, which was answered by a hurrah +from all on deck. It was clear that they had had the good luck to catch +all the pirates at once. Three minutes' rowing and the boom was in +sight. Mr. Playford called to one of the boats to take a rope from the +stern to the battery on the right-hand side, and ordered the others to +cease rowing. + +"We have way enough on her!" he shouted. "As soon as you get near the +boom take her head round to port, and carry the rope to shore. You can +fasten it to the chain at the end of the boom." + +As he gave the order a gun spoke out from the battery on the right, +followed almost immediately by one on the left. + +"They are slueing the guns round!" Nat exclaimed. "We shall be having +our share of the fun in another minute or two." + +They could now obtain a view into the piece of water inside the passage. +It was nearly circular, and some three hundred yards across. Two +brigantines and a schooner were lying in line, within fifty yards of the +opposite shore. A large range of storehouses stood by the water's edge, +while the hillsides were dotted with huts, and dwelling-places of larger +size. By the time that the brigantine was got into position by the side +of the boom the pirates had loaded again, and several shots struck her. + +Her guns were already loaded, and those on board poured a broadside into +the brigantine at the end of the line. The sailors in the battery were +working with might and main to slue all the guns round to bear upon the +pirates. On the hillsides above them a scattered fire of musketry was +being kept up, and Mr. Hill hailed the schooner. + +"Mr. Playford, will you land a party of fifteen men on each side to +clear the hills of those rascals? I don't think there are many of them, +but they are doing us a good deal of damage, for they can hardly miss us +closely packed as we are here." + +"Ay, ay, sir. You hear the orders, gentlemen. Mr. Curtis, you land with +fifteen men on the starboard side, and do you, Mr. Glover, take the +party that lands to port. Clear the scoundrels out--give no quarter!" + +The boats had just returned. The two midshipmen leapt into them, and a +few strokes took them ashore. + +"Up the hill, lads!" Nat shouted. "Don't fire until you are at close +quarters. Give them one volley if they are together, then sling your +guns, and go at them with the cutlass!" + +There was but little fighting, however, for there were only ten or +twelve pirates on either side, as their main force was distributed +between the batteries and the ships. They were therefore very easily +driven off, five or six of them being killed and the rest flying with +all speed towards their village, where those who had escaped from the +batteries were already going off in boats to the ships. The two +midshipmen therefore returned to the schooner. + +"Don't come on board!" Mr. Playford shouted. "See if you can free one +end of the boom. If so we will go in and engage one of those craft." + +It was found that the boom was fastened at Nat's side, and the chain was +soon unwound from the stump of a large tree. Then the two boats together +got hold of the end of the boom and swung it round so that the schooner +could pass. The enemy kept up a heavy fire upon them while they were +doing this, and just as the job was completed, Curtis's boat was smashed +to pieces by a round shot. The breeze was very light, but it was in the +right direction. + +"Shall we tow, sir?" Nat called to his commander. + +"Certainly not. Get your men on board at once." + +The sails, which had been loosely furled, were dropped again, and the +brigantine stole past the batteries, which saluted her with a rousing +cheer, while the guns were worked with redoubled energy to keep down the +fire of the pirates. The _Cerf_ was swept with round shot and grape by +the guns of the three piratical craft, but the distance to be traversed +was so small, and the fire from the battery to which the pirates working +their guns were exposed was so heavy, that the men fired wildly, and the +_Cerf_ suffered less than might have been expected while crossing the +intervening two hundred yards of water. She was steered straight for the +schooner, and as her bowsprit ran in between the pirate's masts the +crew, who had been crouching forward, leapt down on to her deck, headed +by their commander and the two midshipmen. + +The pirates, although they had suffered heavily, were still in +sufficient force to offer an efficient resistance, but their courage had +been shaken by the suddenness of the attack. They had lain down to sleep +with the assurance that the port was unknown and unsuspected, that the +batteries that guarded it could sink any hostile ship that attempted to +enter, and their dismay when these batteries were attacked and carried +by an enemy who seemed to spring out of the earth, and their only +retreat cut off, was overwhelming. + +Already the heavy guns of the battery had done terrible execution. Two +of the guns on that side had been dismounted, and a third of the crew +killed; consequently, although a small portion of the number led by +their captain fought desperately, and were killed to the last man, the +majority leapt overboard at once and swam ashore. Leaving ten men in +charge of the prize, the lieutenant called all the rest back on board +the _Cerf_, which remained in the position in which she had run head on +to the schooner, and she was now able to bring her broadsides into play +upon the brigantines, the pieces forward raking them from stem to stern, +while the batteries continued their terrible fire. In a few minutes the +pirates began to take to the boats, which were lying by their sides just +as they had come off from the shore. Once begun, the movement spread +rapidly. The boats were soon crowded, and those who could not find +places in them leapt overboard. + +"Take the boat and a dozen men, Mr. Curtis, and haul down the black flag +of the craft to starboard; and you, Mr. Glover, take one of the prize's +boats and do the same to the other brigantine." + +They turned to execute the order when all on board the _Cerf_ were +hurled to the deck--one of the brigantines had blown up with a +tremendous explosion, that brought most of the huts on the hillside to +the ground, carried away both masts of the _Cerf_, and drove fragments +of wreckage high into the air, whence they fell partly in the pool, +partly on shore. Fortunately for the _Cerf_ only a few fragments of any +size struck her deck, the pieces for the most part falling in a wider +circle. Numbers of the pirates who had just landed from their boats were +killed, and many more were injured by being hurled down on to the +rocks, dazed and half-stunned. Those on board the _Cerf_ who had escaped +severe injury rose to their feet. + +Not more than twenty-five did so. Lieutenant Playford lay dead, crushed +under a mast; Curtis had been hurled against one of the guns and his +brains dashed out; ten of the sailors had been killed either by the +falling masts or by being dashed against the bulwarks; twelve had fallen +under the enemy's fire as the _Cerf_ crossed the pool; twelve others +were hurt more or less either by the enemy's missiles or by the shock. +It was three or four minutes before the silence that followed was +broken. Then Mr. Hill hailed across the water: + +"_Cerf_ ahoy! have you suffered much?" + +"Terribly," Nat shouted back; "Lieutenant Playford and Mr. Curtis are +both killed. We have only twenty-five men in any way fit for service +left." + +"If you have got a boat that will swim send it ashore." + +Nat looked over the side, the boat had been stove by a falling fragment; +then he crossed to the prize, and found that one of the boats was +uninjured. Four men were just getting into it, when Mr. Hill hailed +again: + +"Let them bring a rope with them, Mr. Glover; we will tow you over +here." + +The end of a hawser was put into the boat, and the men rowed with it to +the battery. + +"Mr. Glover!" the lieutenant again hailed. + +"Yes, sir." + +"I am sending the boat back again. I think that had they put a slow +match in the magazine of the other brigantine it would have exploded +before this. However, you had better remain where you are for a quarter +of an hour, to be sure; then, before you move, board the brigantine and +flood the magazine. Otherwise, as soon as you have left, some of these +desperadoes might swim off to her and put a match there." + +"Very well, sir, I will go at once if you like." + +"No, there is no use running any unnecessary risk. You had better flood +the schooner's magazine first." + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +Taking half a dozen hands with buckets, Nat went on board the prize and +soon flooded the magazine; then he and those who were able to help did +all they could for the wounded, several of whom, who had only been +stunned, were presently on their legs again. When the quarter of an hour +had passed he asked for volunteers. All the survivors stepped forward. + +"Four men will be enough," he said. "Bring buckets with you." + +It was not without a feeling of awe that Nat and the four sailors +stepped on to the deck of the brigantine, for although he was convinced +that had a match been lighted the explosion would have taken place long +before, as it was now five-and-twenty minutes since the crew had +deserted her, neither he nor the men had entirely recovered from the +severe shock of the explosion. He led the way below; all was quiet; the +door of the magazine was open, but there was no smell of burning powder, +and they entered fearlessly. + +"All right, lads; now as quick as you like with your buckets." + +An abundance of water was thrown in; then, to make quite certain, Nat +locked the door of the magazine, and put the key in his pocket. A cheer +broke from the men in the battery as he and his companions again took +their places in the boat and rowed to the _Cerf_. He was hailed again by +Mr. Hill. + +"I have changed my mind, Mr. Glover; now that I know there is no risk of +another explosion, I think perhaps you had best remain where you are. We +will give you a pull to get you free of the schooner, then you had +better range the _Cerf_ alongside of her; keep your guns and those of +the brigantine both loaded with grape; send your boat ashore to fetch +off the wounded." + +"I have two boats now, sir; one of the brigantine's was left behind, and +is uninjured." + +"Then send them both ashore, the sooner we get the wounded off the +better. I am going to move forward with all my men; we have spiked the +guns here, and if they should come down into the batteries again you can +clear them out. You will, of course, help us, if we meet with strong +resistance, with your guns on the shore-side." + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +The two boats were sent ashore, and the wounded came off with Dr. +Bemish. As soon as they all came on board Nat said: + +"I will leave you with the wounded here, doctor, with four of my men to +help you. We are so littered up that we could hardly work the guns, and +as you see, three of them were dismounted by the explosion; besides, the +prize alongside would hamper us, therefore I will take the rest of the +men on board the brigantine." + +"I think that will be a very good plan, my lad," the doctor replied. "I +quite agree with you, that with the spars and wreckage on one side and +the prize on the other, you are practically helpless." + +The men were at once set to work bringing up powder cartridges from the +magazine; grape and round-shot they would find on board the brigantine. + +In ten minutes the guns of that craft were reloaded. The two bodies of +men from the batteries had by this time reached the storehouses. Not a +shot had been fired, but a minute later there was a loud word of +command, followed by a fierce yell, and in a moment both parties were +engaged, a heavy fire being opened upon them from every spot of vantage +on the hillside in front of them. + +"Now, my lads, give them a dose of grape!" Nat shouted. "I expect they +are two to one to our fellows still. Train them carefully." + +Gun after gun sent showers of grape among the hidden foe, who were for +the most part lying behind the cactus hedges of the gardens that +surrounded the huts. The three forward guns assisted Mr. Hill's party, +while the others aided that commanded by Needham. Although but four men +to a gun, the sailors worked so hard that the pieces were discharged as +rapidly as if they had been manned by a full complement, and their +effect was visible in the diminution of the enemy's fire, and by the +line of smoke gradually mounting the hill, showing that the pirates were +falling back, while the cheers of the sailors and marines as they +pressed steadily upwards, rapidly plying their muskets, rose louder and +louder. Near the upper edge of the cleared ground the pirates made a +stand, but the fire of the guns proved too much for them, and they took +to the forest. Presently a sailor ran down to the shore. + +"The first lieutenant says, sir, will you please continue your fire into +the forest. He is going to cut down all the hedges and fire the huts, so +that they will have to pass over open ground if they attack again." + +"Tell Mr. Hill I will do so," Nat shouted back. + +It was not long after the fire had been turned in that direction before +the puffs of smoke that darted out from the edge of the forest ceased +altogether. The sailors could now be seen slashing away with their +cutlasses at the lines of cactus hedge, while the huts that still stood +were speedily in flames. Numbers of women and children now came down to +the shore, where they were placed in charge of six of the marines and a +non-commissioned officer. A quarter of an hour later, while Nat was +watching what was going on on shore, one of the men touched him. + +"Look, sir, they are going down to the batteries!" + +The men were at once ordered across to the guns on the other side, and +these opened with grape upon two bodies of pirates, each some seventy or +eighty strong, who were rushing down to the batteries. The discharge of +the six guns did terrible execution, but the survivors without pausing +dashed down to the works. Cries of disappointment and rage broke out +from them on finding the guns spiked, and before they could be reloaded +they ran up the hill again, and were in shelter in the forest. + +"I fancy that is about the end of it," Nat said to the petty officer +standing by his side. "I don't think that above fifty of either party +got safely away." + +"Not more than that, sir. I expect it has taken the fight out of them." + +"It was a hopeless attempt, for although, if the guns had been loaded, +they might have sunk us, our fellows on shore would soon have been upon +them again, and it would have come to the same thing." + +"Yes, sir, the same thing to the pirates, but not the same thing to us." + +"No, you are right there; those twenty-four guns loaded with ball would +have sent us to the bottom in no time. You see, our men only used grape +before, and aimed at the decks." + +Mr. Hill now hailed from the shore again: + +"Mr. Glover!" + +"Ay, ay, sir!" + +"Have the goodness to send your boat ashore, I want to send a note off +to the captain. On their way the men must stop at the boats on the other +side of the island, and tell the boat keepers to bring them round here +at once." + +Four men were sent ashore in the boat, and one of the petty officers +took his place in the stern, with a hasty note which the first +lieutenant had written in pencil stating that the loss had been very +heavy, that the work of rooting out the pirates had not yet been +completed, and that he should be glad of some more men to occupy the +village while he searched the woods. The boat started at once, and +twenty minutes later the captain's gig shot into the cove. As soon as +the report of the first gun was heard on board the frigate, and there +was no longer any motive for remaining at a distance, her head had been +turned to the island, and the boat had met her but half a mile away from +the entrance. + +After reading the note, Captain Crosbie sent one of the gigs to order +the boats round to the inlet, and proceeded in his own boat to +investigate the state of affairs, ordering the _Cerf's_ boat to row +ahead of the frigate, which was to work in under very reduced sail, +sounding as she went, and was, if the water was deep enough, to anchor +off the mouth of the cove. + +"Then you found all the pirates here, Mr. Hill?" the captain said as he +landed. + +"Yes, sir, but they blew up one of their craft when they left her." + +"Yes, of course we heard the report; it shook the frigate as if she had +struck on a rock. It must have been tremendous here." + +"Yes, sir, she must have had an immense deal of powder in her magazine; +the shock was something terrible. Although we were over there in that +battery, every one of us was thrown to the ground and several were +killed. Two of the guns were dismounted." + +"It was a veritable battle for a time, Mr. Hill. It sounded like a naval +engagement on a large scale." + +"Yes, we had twenty-four guns in the batteries all at work, and the guns +of the _Cerf_, while the three pirates had the same number in their +broadsides, besides two heavy swivel-guns." + +"You say the loss is heavy. What does it amount to?" + +"I cannot tell you exactly, sir. There were twenty-five killed on board +the _Cerf_, in addition to Mr. Playford and Mr. Curtis. The two officers +and about half the men were, Mr. Glover reported, killed by the +explosion, which, as you see, dismasted her." + +"Dear me! That is heavy indeed, and I most deeply regret the death of +the two officers." + +"So do I indeed, sir. Mr. Playford was an excellent officer, and as good +a fellow as ever walked. Mr. Curtis would have made, I am sure, a good +officer in time. I hardly thought he would when he first joined, but he +was improving greatly, and he showed great courage in working to remove +the boom under a very heavy fire from the pirates, which sunk his boat +under him." + +"Your division, Mr. Hill--what are your casualties?" + +"We took the batteries almost without loss, sir, but in the duel with +the pirates we lost in the two batteries fourteen killed; nine more were +killed by the explosion; we sent eighteen off to the _Cerf_ all +seriously wounded; as to contusions and minor hurts, I should say that +there is not a man who escaped them." + +"Well, well, that is a heavy bill indeed; forty-eight men killed and two +officers--why, we should probably have lost less in an action against a +frigate of our own size! However, we have destroyed this nest of +pirates, and have captured three of their four ships, the other is blown +up. Now, what is the state of things here?" + +"There are, I believe, some hundred and fifty or two hundred of the +pirates still on the island. They are divided into two parties, and the +last firing you heard was when they rushed down into the batteries, +thinking, no doubt, to take revenge by sinking the brigantine and the +two prizes. Mr. Glover opened fire upon them with grape with great +effect. When they got into the battery they found that I had spiked the +guns, which I did when I left them, thinking they might make just such a +move. I sent off to you, sir, in order that the storehouses and +buildings might be held while we cleared the wood on one side down to +the mouth of the cove. When we have done that we can do the same on the +other side." + +"Did you have any casualties in taking the village?" + +"Several wounded, sir, none killed. Mr. Glover drove them out with +grape, and so rendered our work comparatively easy. I am sorry to say +that almost the last shot fired by them hit Mr. Needham high up in the +left arm. The doctor came ashore a few minutes ago, after attending to +the wounded sent on board the _Cerf_. He examined the arm, and tells me +that the bone is completely smashed, and that he must amputate it +half-way between the elbow and shoulder." + +"That is bad indeed. However, it is better than if it had been his right +arm. Mr. Harpur," said the captain to the midshipman who had come ashore +with him, "take the gig off and meet the boats. Tell the launch and +pinnace to go alongside the frigate, and request Mr. Normandy to send +Mr. Marston ashore with fifty more men. What on earth are we to do with +these poor creatures?" he went on to the first lieutenant as the gig +rowed away. "Of course we must take them to Jamaica. Theirs is a +terrible position. No doubt they have all been captured in the prizes +the villains have taken, and most of them must have seen their husbands +or fathers murdered before their eyes. Some of them may have been here +long enough to become accustomed to their lot, many of them may have +been captured lately. What is to become of them I don't know. + +"You have not opened any of the storehouses yet?" + +"No, sir, we have been pretty busy, you see. We cut down all the cactus +hedges round the huts high up on the hill, so as to keep the pirates +from working down and making a fresh attack upon us. As to the other +houses, I have given strict orders that no one is to enter them. The men +have piled arms and are lying down by them; many of them have not +completely recovered from the shock of the explosion, and all are +bruised more or less by being hurled on to the rocks or against the +guns. I fancy the doctor will have his hands full for many a day." + +"Well, you must pick out twenty or so from those most fit for duty. They +can join the men I sent for and finish the business. The rest can be on +guard here, in case the party on the other side take it into their heads +to make an attack." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE NEGRO RISING + + +While waiting for the arrival of the reinforcements, Captain Crosbie +went on board the _Cerf_. The wounded had all been carried below, where +cots had been slung for them. After their wounds were dressed, he went +round saying a few words to each, enquiring into the nature of their +injuries. No attempt had been made to remedy the confusion on deck, +except that the bodies of those that could be moved had been laid side +by side. That of Mr. Playford and the others who had been crushed by the +falling masts still lay beneath them, as the four men left on board were +unable to do anything to extricate them until help arrived. The captain +then went on board the prize. + +"Mr. Hill has spoken in the highest terms of the service that you have +rendered, Mr. Glover, though I have not yet heard the full details. As +the only surviving officer of the _Cerf_, you had better, when you have +time, draw out a full report for me of the work done by her. It will be +another half-hour before we again commence operations against the +pirates, and I shall be obliged if you will go on board the _Cerf_ with +your men and endeavour to get the body of Mr. Playford and the others +from underneath the masts. Nothing more can be done at present, but it +is painful that they should be lying there. I fancy that with +hand-spikes you will have no very great difficulty in raising the butt +of the mast high enough to draw the bodies from under it. As soon as you +have done that, bring the men back here. When the advance begins you +will shell the wood ahead of it." + +"We will put you ashore first, sir; this is the only boat we have that +will float." + +Captain Crosbie on landing went among the women, who were between +seventy and eighty in number. Some burst into tears when he spoke to +them, others seemed dazed and quite unconscious that they were being +addressed. Feeling almost unmanned by the moving spectacle, Captain +Crosbie was relieved when the two boats filled with men entered the +mouth of the cove. As soon as they came alongside, the men leapt out in +high spirits at the prospect of having a share in the fray. Mr. Hill had +already picked out twenty of his own party. + +"I will myself take the command here, Mr. Hill. I don't wish to +interfere with the credit that you will gain by this affair, therefore I +leave the arrangement of your party in your hands." + +Mr. Hill marched the seventy men straight up the hill. + +"You will march straight on, Mr. Marston, until you reach the edge of +the cliff, then you will return. See that the men are placed at regular +intervals. You will then face to the right and the line will advance. No +quarter will be given, except to men who throw down their arms and beg +for it. I do not suppose that many will do so, as they know what their +fate will be if they are taken to Port Royal. We have reason to believe +that there cannot be more than eighty or so on this side, but if they +keep in a body and make a rush at the line they will no doubt be able to +break through. However, that we must risk, and I hardly think that they +will attempt it, for they know that they must sooner or later fall into +our hands. They will only starve if they conceal themselves. Some may +prefer death in that way, or may think that after we have left they may +manage to get taken across to the mainland in native fishing-boats. +However, search the ground closely. These men are steeped in blood; they +have been the scourge of these seas for the past five or six years, and +have never yet shown mercy." + +Mr. Hill then placed himself in the centre of the line, while Mr. +Marston again took his place on the right. It was not until they had +worked round nearly to the entrance that opposition was met with; then +they came upon a spot where a mass of rock cropped up among the trees, +and as they approached this a sharp fire of musketry broke out. Mr. Hill +ordered the two ends of the line to advance so as to form a semicircle +round the rock. When they were in position he gave the word to charge, +and with a cheer the sailors dashed forward. Led by their officers, they +scrambled up the rocks like cats, discharged their muskets into the +pirates grouped on its summit, and then threw themselves upon them +cutlass in hand. In three minutes all was over; not a man asked for +mercy, but all died fighting desperately to the end. Four of the sailors +were killed, several severely wounded. These were carried or helped down +to the shore, and the rest of the party then scattered through the +woods; but the closest search failed to discover a single man in hiding, +although only some fifty of them had been accounted for. Returning to +the point from which they had started, the party then proceeded to +search the forest at the other side of the cove. + +Here, however, they met with no resistance. A few dead were found, but +the forest was deserted. After searching in vain for some time it was +concluded that the survivors had probably gone down the face of the +cliff and hidden there in caves or in thickets in places that could only +be reached by men well acquainted with the ground. + +After two hours' vain search, Mr. Hill led the party down to the shore +again. While he had been away the captain had had the storehouses +opened. These were filled with booty of all kinds, the plunder of at +least fifty ships, as they judged by the chronometers, the marks on +bales, and other articles. Here were thousands of cases of wine, ranges +of barrels of rum, hogsheads of sugar, coffee, and other colonial +produce, quantities of bales of cotton cloths used for the slaves, +furniture of all kinds, enormous numbers of trunks and boxes containing +wearing apparel, bales of silks and satins, and an immense amount of +table-linen. + +In the centre of one of the storehouses was a chamber constructed of +stone four feet thick with an arched roof. The entrance was closed by +two iron doors, one within the other, and these were so strong that it +was necessary to drag up a six-pounder cannon to batter them in. When at +last an entrance was forced, the strong-room was found to contain +upwards of seventy thousand pounds in coin, hundreds of watches, and a +large amount of jewellery, much of which was of Spanish manufacture, and +a great many church vessels and ornaments of silver. It was evident +that, although no doubt a certain proportion of the spoil had been +divided at the time of capture, the main bulk had been stored there for +division some day when the haunt should be finally abandoned. The +sailors now set about examining the bodies of the pirates who had been +killed on the shore by the explosion. It was found that in almost every +case they wore belts under their clothes, and that these contained from +ten to a hundred pieces of gold. A systematic search was then made, and, +in all, the money found upon the dead pirates amounted to six thousand +pounds, which was added to the store taken from the treasury. + +The work of emptying the storehouses, getting up jury-masts on board the +_Cerf_, and doing the absolutely necessary repairs to her and the prizes +occupied three days. The women had been placed in the brigantine after +the craft had been thoroughly washed down and scoured, and she had been +taken out and anchored near the frigate, to which the wounded had all +been conveyed as soon as the fight was over. On the evening of the third +day the storehouses and other buildings still standing were all burned, +the cannon were taken on board the frigate, and the next morning the +four vessels got up sail and started in company for Jamaica. Nat was +left in command of the _Cerf_ with fifteen men. Low was in command of +the schooner with twelve men. Mr. Marston had charge of the captured +brigantine with fifteen men, all that could be spared from the +diminished crew of the frigate. Nat had had time, when the long day's +work was over, to row off every evening to see Needham, whose arm had +been amputated an hour after the fight was ended. He was, the doctor +said, going on well, and was in very good spirits. + +"This is sure to give me my step," he said to Glover. "I shall have +served my time in six months, and Marston's rank will of course be +confirmed, now that poor Playford's death has made the vacancy +permanent. You have another year to serve, have you not, Glover?" + +"Yes, rather more. However, of course this affair will help me too, as +soon as I have passed." + +"It ought to, old fellow, considering you were the only officer left on +board the _Cerf_, and that you unfastened the boom under that tremendous +fire, to say nothing of carrying the schooner and running the risk of +being blown up when you went on board the brigantine. You will get your +swab as soon as you have passed. You see it has been a big thing; +fifty-eight men killed and a hundred and four put down as wounded; and +the breaking up of this pirate's nest makes it the most important affair +there has been out here for years. The other ships on the station will +all feel quite jealous of us. There will be a goodish bit of +prize-money, too, which is not to be despised. Over eighty thousand +pounds in gold and, I should say, over twenty thousand pounds in goods, +makes even a midshipman's share something considerable. How is your arm, +Glover?" + +"Well, it has been hurting me a bit. I am not conscious of having used +it particularly, but I suppose when I was thrown down by that explosion +it must have got wrenched somehow." + +"Well, if I were you I would ask Dr. Bemish to have a look at it." + +Glover did so. It was black and blue from the shoulder down to the +elbow, and very tender to the touch. + +"I don't think anything is broken," the doctor said, "but it has been a +very close shave. At any rate, it is just as well that I should put on +splints and bandage it, and you must take to your sling again and keep +to it for some time. It is not tender above the shoulder, is it?" + +"No, doctor; I think it is all right there." + +"That is lucky. You ought to go on the sick-list." + +"I cannot do that, sir. It would be giving up the command of the +brigantine, and I would put up with anything rather than that." + +They had fine weather and a leading wind to Jamaica, and their arrival +there with the two captured prizes and the news that the piratical haunt +had been completely destroyed, created quite a sensation, which was +heightened by the rescue of so many females from the hands of the +pirates. Some fifteen of these found friends in the island, and the +scene when they were handed over to them was painful in the extreme. A +third of the number were French, and there were also some eighteen +Spaniards. All were temporarily taken in and cared for by families at +Port Royal, and were sent off as soon as opportunity offered either to +the islands for which they had been bound when captured, or to their +friends in Europe. + +Mr. Hill, in his report, had done full justice to the work done by the +_Cerf_, and had mentioned Nat's going on board the brigantine to drown +her magazine, and the great service that he had rendered in covering the +advance of the sailors by the guns of that craft, and in inflicting such +heavy punishment upon the two parties that had attempted to possess +themselves of the batteries, and the admiral sent for him and personally +congratulated him on his work. + +"I will see that as soon as you have passed, Mr. Glover, you shall have +your commission as acting lieutenant. I have not forgotten what Captain +Crosbie told me of your gallant action at Cape Francois." + +Mr. Hill was at once appointed to the command of a frigate whose captain +had died of yellow fever, and received the rank of commander pending its +confirmation from home; and Mr. Philpot, second lieutenant of that +frigate, was appointed first lieutenant of the _Orpheus_ in his place. +The schooner and the _Cerf_ were sold, for the latter had suffered so +much damage forward by the fire concentrated upon her by the pirates' +ships that she was considered unfit for further service. The other +brigantine was bought into the service. The plunder taken was sold by +auction, and the proceeds, together with the sum fetched by the three +prizes, brought the total up to one hundred and five thousand pounds, a +larger sum than had ever been captured by any vessel on the station. + +The new brigantine was re-christened the _Falcon_, and Mr. Low was +placed in command, with two midshipmen from other ships on the station +under him. She was not, like the _Cerf_, a tender to the _Orpheus_, as +the frigate could no longer spare a crew for her, having, in addition to +the loss in action, been obliged to send thirty men to hospital on +shore. The brigantine was therefore manned by drafts from other ships of +war on the station. Needham was also left on shore, being promoted at +once to the rank of lieutenant, which left Nat for the time senior +midshipman of the _Orpheus_, which was now directed to cruise in the +neighbourhood of Hayti, where complaints had been received of vessels +being missing. + +Two months after leaving Jamaica the _Orpheus_ again put in to Cape +Francois. Nat was still wearing his arm in a sling. There had been a +good deal of swelling and inflammation, but this had now abated, and in +his opinion his arm was perfectly well again, but the doctor insisted +that he should as a precautionary measure still use the sling. The +frigate needed some repairs, having carried away some spars in a +hurricane a week previously, and on the day of their arrival the captain +sent for Nat, and said kindly: + +"We shall be here for a week, Mr. Glover, and the doctor thinks that +another run among the hills will do you good, therefore you can go and +stay with your friends there until we sail again. If you return this day +week that will do. You have stuck to your work well, for Doctor Bemish +said that for the first month at least you ought to have been on the +sick-list, and at any rate you deserve a holiday for your share in that +fight." + +On landing Nat went first to Monsieur Duchesne's office. The planter had +but just driven in, and his horse and trap were still standing at the +door. The negro driver gave a friendly grin as he saw him. + +"Glad to see you, sah, bery glad; eberyone will be glad. Hope you all +well, sah?" + +"Thank you, Caesar. All well at the plantation, I hope?" and he went into +the office, where he was most warmly received by Monsieur Duchesne. + +"I had been told that your ship came into port at daybreak, my dear +Monsieur Glover, and I should have come off to ask after you as soon as +I had answered my letters, and to carry you off if the captain would +give you leave. But I see your arm is still in a sling. You have not +hurt it, I hope?" + +"I hurt it in that fight we had with the pirates. I dare say you heard +of it." + +"Everyone has heard of it," the planter said. "It was splendid, and +there is not one here who does not feel grateful indeed to your ship for +having rid us of all those scoundrels, who have been doing us so much +harm for years. You have not hurt it much, I hope?" + +"It was bad for a bit, but it is all right again now. The doctor orders +me to keep to the sling for some time longer, though I am sure there is +not the least necessity for it." + +"And now about your leave, shall I go off to the ship, think you?" + +"The captain himself gave me leave this morning for a week without my +even asking for it." + +"That is good news indeed. My carriage is at the door; I fortunately +told Caesar to wait, as there are some things to take back. My wife and +Myra will be delighted to see you, they talk of you always, and will be +glad indeed to have you with them again. My boy has gone out to buy the +matters required by madame, he will be back in a few minutes." + +A quarter of an hour later Nat was on his way out to the plantation, +where he was received with a welcome of the warmest kind by Madame +Duchesne and her daughter. Both were greatly concerned at finding that +his arm had again been injured. + +"It is hard indeed," Myra said, "that I should be so well and strong +again, and that you should still be suffering for what you did for me." + +"I do not think," he said, "that that business has really anything to do +with the last one. A pirate ship blew up close to us; the shock was +tremendous. The masts of the brigantine I was in snapped off as if they +had been carrots, everyone on deck was thrown down, twelve were killed +outright, and the rest of us were all a great deal bruised and hurt. The +doctor said that he thought my arm might very well have been broken even +had it not been for that accident, and as I came off better than most of +the others, I certainly have no reason to complain. It is really quite +well again now, and I can use it for almost all purposes. I consider it +absurd that I should wear this sling, and would take it off at once, +only the doctor made me promise that I would generally wear it; indeed, +on board I always took my arm out when I wanted to use it, and he said +himself that a certain amount of exercise was good for me." + +Monsieur Duchesne came home as usual just at sunset. Nat noticed that at +dinner he was evidently preoccupied, though he endeavoured to join in +the conversation as cheerily as usual. After the ladies had left the +table he said: + +"You may have noticed that I am _distrait_, Monsieur Glover, but it is +an anxious time for all of us on the island, and has been so, indeed, +for some time. You see we are divided into three classes: there are the +pure whites, the mulattoes, and the negroes, and even these are +subdivided. There are the old settlers, men who, like myself, belong to +noble French families, and who, I hope, keep up the best traditions of +our country; there are the poor whites, landless men who are +discontented with their position, and hate those who are better off, +while they stand aloof from the mulattoes. These, again, are equally +divided. Many of them are rich men with plantations. They send their +sons and daughters over to France to be educated, and take it much amiss +that we, who are of pure blood, do not associate with them. Then, again, +there are the negroes, who number no fewer than five hundred thousand, +while we whites are but forty thousand. We went on well enough together +until the States General met in France. It was a bad affair that, for us +as well as for France. From that time there has been a ferment. We sent +over deputies, eighteen of them, but the Assembly only allowed six to +take their seats, and while they snubbed us, the young mulattoes were +treated with the greatest favour. + +"Then came the news that the Assembly had passed a declaration asserting +all men to be free and equal. You may imagine what a shock this was to +us. Some of the mulattoes, in their excitement, took up arms to show +that they were free, but they were easily put down. However, when the +National Assembly heard of the excitement and dissatisfaction caused +among the French in all their colonies, they made another decree +authorizing each colony to elect its own legislative assembly. Our +assembly here lost their heads on finding power in their hands, and +passed a constitution which practically renounced all allegiance to +France. Some riots broke out, and things would have been very serious +had not, on the eleventh of October last year (1790), a decree been +passed by the National Assembly modifying the former one. However, on +the fifteenth of May they passed another, declaring all people of colour +in the French colonies, born of free parents, entitled to vote for +members of the colonial assembly, and to be elected to seats themselves. + +"When the news came here six weeks ago, you can imagine the excitement. +Meetings were held, and it was even proposed to throw off allegiance to +France and to hoist the British flag instead of ours. Happily calmer +thoughts came, and matters cooled down, but there can be no doubt that +the state of affairs is critical. The mulattoes, who outnumber the +whites, do not know how to contain themselves with joy, and disputes +between them and the whites take place daily. Then there are the +negroes. You see, the decree does nothing for them. It is hard to know +what the negroes think, even whether they care that they are not to have +a vote is not known to us. It is clear that it would be of little +advantage to them, and, you see, no one who was not out of his mind +could think of giving a vote to them, for their vote would be five times +as large as that of the whites and mulattoes together. We should have an +assembly composed entirely of slaves, and these slaves would at once +vote that all the land and property in the island should be divided +among themselves. What think you of that, Monsieur Glover?" + +"It would be madness indeed," Nat agreed. + +"Then, you see, even if they did not do that they would declare +themselves free, and we should all be ruined. _Sapristi!_ it makes one's +blood cold to think of such a thing. But, nevertheless, the negroes are +like children, they can be led by a little talk, and among them there +are men of some intelligence who could work the rest up to a state of +madness. I do not say that this will come--Heaven defend us from such a +calamity!--still, monsieur, you will comprehend that we all feel as if +we were sitting on the edge of a volcano. Such strange things happen. +What may not occur next? You will understand that I do not talk of these +things before my wife and child. They, of course, know about the past, +but as for the future they do not trouble themselves at all. I have +spoken to some of my friends, and they laugh at the idea of the slaves +rising. They say, truly enough, that they are far better treated here +than in your British colonies. But then there has been no revolution in +England. People have not been stirred up to a state of excitement. The +nation has not lost its head, as in France. I say that it is possible +there may be trouble with the slaves." + +"Not here, surely, monsieur? Your negroes seem to me to be contented and +happy, and I am sure they are well treated." + +"That is undoubtedly so; but, as I told you, the negroes are like +children, they will laugh one minute and scream with rage the next. +There is never any saying what they may do. I can hardly bring myself to +think that such a thing could happen, but I have taken to carrying +pistols in my pockets, and I have stored some arms in that closet in the +hall; at least I should have them handy, and I doubt not that the house +servants will remain true, and I hope many of my slaves. It is for this +that I have gathered the arms together." + +"But surely you would have warning?" + +"At the first whisper I should, of course, drive my wife and child down +to the town, where we should be safe, for there the whites are strong, +and we have no fear of an attack. However, we must trust that such a +thing may never happen, or that if it does, it may be in the far +distance. But come when it will, everyone should receive warning in +plenty of time to make all preparations. It seems to me impossible that +a plot of any magnitude could be passed from end to end of this island, +and be known to so vast a number of negroes, without some of them +warning their masters of the danger, for there are tens of thousands who +are almost like members of their masters' families." + +"I should say it is quite impossible that any extensive plot could be +hatched without its being known in a very short time to everyone," Nat +agreed; "and in any case, although those who live far in the interior of +the island might have reason to fear, should the negroes break out, I +can hardly think that, within little more than an hour's drive from the +city, you need feel any uneasiness whatever." + +"No, I feel that there ought to be no trouble here, at any rate unless +there is a successful insurrection in other parts of the island; no +doubt that would be infectious elsewhere. But the negroes near the town +would be the last to join in such a movement, for they might be sure +that the whites there would take speedy vengeance on all within their +reach. However, let us think no more of it at present; my wife and Myra +will be wondering what we can find to talk about so long." + +Nat lay awake for some time that night thinking of what Monsieur +Duchesne had said. He had heard vaguely, while he was there before, of +the manner in which the revolution in France had affected the island, +but it was a subject that was little discussed at the planter's. Having +all the feelings and prejudices of the old _noblesse_ of France, he had +from the first been opposed to the popular movement in Paris, and had +held himself altogether aloof from the demonstration on the island. The +subject was painful to him, and he had seldom alluded to it in his +family circle. It seemed to Nat inconceivable that any general movement +could be planned among the blacks without warning being received by the +planters. When he went out next day he looked with more attention than +before at the slaves working on the plantations. It seemed to him that +their demeanour was quieter than usual; the mulatto overseers seemed to +pay less attention to them, and he was surprised to come upon three of +them talking earnestly together, whereas, hitherto, he had always seen +them on different parts of the estate. + +On the following morning, the 23rd of August, Monsieur Duchesne started +as usual soon after seven o'clock, for the heat was now intense, and it +was dangerous to be out after the sun had obtained its full power. An +hour later Nat was sitting in the verandah behind the house with Madame +Duchesne and Myra, when an old negress ran out; her eyes were wide open +with terror and excitement, and her face was almost pale. + +"Madame and mam'selle must fly and hide themselves!" she exclaimed. +"Nigger come in half an hour ago wid news dat slabes rise last night in +many places all ober de country and kill all de whites. Dinah hear dat +all people expect dat, only not for anober two days. Oberseers de +leaders now. Dey come here quick wid all de field hands. Not a moment to +be lost. Fly for your libes!" + +"Impossible!" Madame Duchesne exclaimed, as she and Myra sprang to their +feet alarmed, but incredulous. + +"It may be true, madame," Nat exclaimed. "For God's sake run with Myra +in among the shrubbery there; I will join you in a moment. If it is a +false alarm all the better; but it may be true, and there is not a +moment to lose. Do you hear those shouts?" + +A burst of yells and shouts rose in the air a short distance away. + +"Run! run!" Nat exclaimed as he dashed into the house, rushed to the +closet in the hall, seized two brace of pistols, a sword, and half a +dozen packets of cartridges for the pistols, and then ran out into the +verandah just in time to see the white dresses of the ladies disappear +into the shrubbery close to the entrance of the verandah. Some wraps +which they sometimes put on to keep off the evening dew when they were +sitting out of doors were hung up close by him. Hastily snatching these +off their hooks, he dashed off at full speed, for the tumult was now +approaching the front of the house. The ladies had stopped just within +the cover of the bushes. "Run!" he cried; "there is not a moment to +lose. They will be searching for us as soon as they find that we are not +in the house." + +The belt of foliage extended all round the garden, and, keeping inside, +they ran to the other end. Fortunately, adjoining the garden was a +plantation of sugar-cane which had not yet been cut, for although the +greater portion of the cane is cut in April, freshly made plantations +planted at that time are not fit to cut until the autumn of the +following year. The canes were ten feet high, and as the rows were three +feet apart, there was plenty of room to run between them. Scarcely a +word was spoken as they hurried along. The plantation was some four +hundred yards across; beyond it stretched another of equal size, +extending to the edge of the forest. The canes here, which had been cut +four months before, were three feet high; at other times many negroes +would have been at work hoeing the ground round the roots, but when Nat +looked out cautiously from the edge of the higher canes not a soul was +to be seen. + +"I think it is perfectly safe," he said; "but you had better put on the +dark wraps, your light dresses would be seen a long distance away. We +had better move a short distance farther to the right before we attempt +to go straight on. If you will walk one after the other, treading in +each other's steps, I will take off my shoes and follow you; that will +destroy your traces, and the marks of my bare feet might be taken for +those of a negro. Please do not lose a moment," he said, as he saw that +Madame Duchesne was about to speak; "there will be time to talk when we +get into the forest and settle what we had best do." + +They had gone but a few yards when Nat's eye caught sight of a hoe lying +on the ground a short distance along one of the rows of the young canes. +He ran and fetched it, the others stopping while he did so. Then as he +went along he carefully obliterated his footsteps, and continued to do +so until when, after walking thirty or forty yards farther, he turned +into the young plantation. The surface of the ground was almost +dust-dry, and between the rows of the growing canes a track had been +worn by the feet of the slaves, who every two or three days hoed round +the roots; here, therefore, there was no occasion to use the hoe, as the +ground was so hard that his feet left no marks upon it. In a few minutes +they entered the wood and went in some little distance; then they +stopped. They could still hear the yells of the negroes, who, Nat +doubted not, were engaged in plundering the house, after which he felt +sure that there would be an eager search for the fugitives. + +The ground had been rising all the way. + +"I see you need a few minutes' rest," he said to Madame Duchesne, who +was so much shaken that it was evident she could walk but little +farther. "I will go back to the edge of the wood and see if there are +any signs of their following us." + +Just as he reached the open ground there was a louder outburst than +usual of exulting cries; he saw a column of smoke rising from the trees, +and knew that the negroes had set the house on fire. He returned at once +to the ladies. Madame Duchesne had sunk on the ground. Myra was kneeling +beside her. + +"We must go on, madame," he said; "the scoundrels have fired the +house." + +She rose to her feet. + +"I am better now," she said with a calmness that greatly pleased Nat. +"It seemed a dream at first. What does it all mean, Nat?" for she as +well as her daughter had come to address him by that name. + +"I fear it is a general rising of the blacks throughout the island," he +replied. "Monsieur Duchesne told me last night that he thought such an +event might possibly take place, but he made sure that if it occurred we +should have ample warning. By what your old nurse said it must have been +an arranged thing, to take place on the twenty-fifth, but something must +have hurried it. I think, to begin with, we had better go half a mile +farther into the forest. We can talk as we go." + +"Had we not better make straight for the town?" + +"I think not, though of course I will do whatever you believe to be +best; but there are a score of plantations between us and the town, and +I have no doubt that the slaves will have risen everywhere. Besides, if +your own negroes fail to follow our track, they will make sure that we +have gone in that direction, and will be on the look-out for us; +therefore I think that for the present we had better remain in the +forest." + +"But how can we live here?" she asked. + +"There will be no difficulty about that," he replied; "there are plenty +of plantations of yams, and I can go down and dig them up at night. The +young canes will quench your thirst if we fail to hit upon a spring, but +we know that there are several of these among the hills, for we pass +over five or six little streamlets on our way to the town." + +"I am sure Nat will look well after us," Myra said confidently; +"besides, mamma, I am certain that you could not walk down there. You +know you never do walk, and I cannot recollect your walking so far as +you have done to-day." + +This indeed had been the chief reason why Nat had decided that they had +better stay in the forest at present, although he had not mentioned it. +Like all Creoles--as whites born in the islands were called in the +French West Indies--Madame Duchesne was altogether unaccustomed to +exercise, and beyond a stroll in the garden when the heat of the day was +over, had not walked since her childhood. The heat, indeed, rendered a +journey of any kind next to impossible during the greater part of the +day. They had slaves to do their bidding, to wait on them, fetch and +carry, and consequently even in the house they had no occasion for the +slightest personal exertion. Madame Duchesne, being of a naturally more +energetic temperament than are Creoles in general, was less indolent +than the majority of the ladies of the island, but was wholly incapable +of taking a walk of which English ladies would have thought nothing. She +was already greatly exhausted by the excitement and the fatigue of their +hasty flight, and to Nat it seemed at once that it was hopeless for her +to think of attempting the journey of fifteen miles across a rough +country. + +The forest grew thicker as they advanced, and after walking for half an +hour Madame Duchesne declared that it was impossible for her to go +farther. Nat was indeed surprised that she had held on for so long. She +had been leaning on his arm, and he felt the weight becoming heavier and +heavier every step. She was bathed in perspiration, her breath came in +gasps, and he himself proposed a halt, feeling that she was at the end +of her strength. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +IN HIDING + + +"The first thing to do," Nat said, after he had seen that Madame +Duchesne was as comfortably seated as possible, "is to find some sort of +hiding-place. We may be sure that the negroes will search everywhere for +you, and that, released from work and having nothing to do, they will +wander about the woods, and one of them might come upon us at any +moment. Therefore, unless we can find some sort of shelter, I dare not +leave you for a minute." + +"But why should you leave us?" Myra asked. + +"We must eat and drink," he said. "I must endeavour to discover what is +going on elsewhere; I must, if possible, obtain a disguise, and +endeavour to find out what are the intentions of the blacks, and +ascertain whether it will be possible to obtain help from the town; and +I can begin to do nothing until I feel that you are at least +comparatively safe. There is no doubt, Madame Duchesne, that our +position is a very painful one, but we have a great deal to be thankful +for. If the rising had taken place in the night, as no doubt it did at +the plantations where the negroes began their work, we should all have +been murdered without the chance of resistance. Now, we have escaped +with our lives, and have the satisfaction of knowing that Monsieur +Duchesne is safe in the town, and will assuredly do his best to rescue +us; but that can hardly be yet. Cape Francois is no doubt in a state of +wild panic, and will in the first place be thinking of how it can best +defend itself." + +"There are, of course, many other planters there in the same position as +your husband. Each will be thinking of his own people; nothing like a +general effort will be possible. At any rate, it seems to me that it +must be some time before any operations can take place to put down the +insurrection. If one could but get hold of some messenger one could +trust, and could let Monsieur Duchesne know that you are for the present +safe, it would be an immense relief to him; but so far as we know at +present that old nurse is the only one of your slaves who is faithful, +and even if I could find her and get her to carry a note or a message, +it is unlikely in the extreme that she would be permitted to pass on +into the town. However, as I say, the first thing is to discover a +hiding-place where you would be comparatively safe, and before I go to +find a messenger I will look round for some clump of undergrowth where +nothing but close search could find you. I think that those bushes we +see across there would do for the moment. You cannot remain here, for +you would be seen at once by anyone who came along within fifty yards of +you. I will go and see at once whether it would do." + +Without waiting for an answer he hurried away. On examination he found +that the place was more suitable than he had expected. A great tree had +once stood there, and had been sawn off close to the ground. Round this +a clump of bushes had sprung up, growing so thickly that it was +impossible to see into the centre save by pushing aside the bushes and +entering the little circle. He hastened back. + +"It will do excellently for our hiding-place for the present," he said, +"and the sooner we are inside the better." + +He assisted Madame Duchesne to her feet, led her to the bushes, and then +bent some of them very carefully aside. The ladies made their way in, +and he followed them, seeing that each of the saplings fell back in its +natural position. + +"There, madame," he said, "unless anyone took it into his head to push +in as we have done we are absolutely safe. But it will be better that +you should keep your dark cloaks on. I do not think that anyone could +see through this thick screen of leaves, but it is as well to be on the +safe side." + +"You won't leave us at present?" + +"Certainly not," he said. "After it gets dark I shall make my way down +to the house. I must get a disguise of some sort; it does not matter +much what it is, for I expect the slaves will be dressing up in the +clothes they have stolen, no matter what they are. With some charred +wood I can blacken my face and hands. No doubt anyone would see at once +on looking at me closely that I was not a negro, but at a distance I +should pass." + +"You would make a better mulatto than you would a negro," Myra said. + +"So I should; as they are all shades of colour, I should not have to be +very particular." + +"If we had Dinah here with us," Myra said, "she could make you some dye. +She knows all about berries and roots, and generally doctors any of the +women who may be ill; she would know for sure of some berries that would +stain your skin." + +"Well, I must see if I can find her, Myra. If not, I must use the +charcoal, but certainly the other would be much the safer; and, you see, +thanks to my long stay with you before, I have got to speak French very +fairly now." + +The day passed slowly. Occasionally they heard shouts lower down in the +forest, but these did not come near them, and after a time died away. + +"I thought they would hardly come up as far as this," Nat said; "negroes +are not given to work unless they are obliged to, and they will find it +so pleasant doing nothing that they are hardly likely to give themselves +the trouble to search very far for us. Besides, doubtless they have +other things to think about. They will know that their work has only +begun when they have burnt their masters' houses, and killed all the +white people they can lay their hands upon, and that until they have +taken possession of the towns they are not masters of the island. No +doubt, too, they carried out the wine before they burnt the house." + +"Besides," Myra said, "there is the rum store; there are at least a +hundred barrels there." + +"Yes, I did not think of that. Well, I expect that before this the +greater part of them are drunk, and I don't suppose there will be a +sober man left to-night. That will make it an easy business for me to +find out what they are doing, and to get hold of the things that will be +useful to you. I am more afraid of the mulattoes than of the negroes." + +"Do you think that they would join the blacks?" + +"I have no doubt at all about it--I feel sure they have done so. I saw +three of them talking together yesterday; they were paying no attention +to the slaves, and I thought then that it was rather peculiar. Besides, +we know that these lower class of mulattoes are as hostile to the whites +as the negroes are, if not more so, and I have no doubt they have had a +good deal to do with exciting the slaves to revolt. And now, Madame +Duchesne, I will go down through the woods and get you some sugar-cane, +and look for a stream." + +Madame Duchesne protested, but she was accustomed to have every want +supplied as soon as expressed, and she was suffering much from thirst +after the excitement and effort. + +"You really require something," Nat went on. "You see, if I go down +after dark I may be away for two or three hours, and were you to wait +till then you would be in a fever with thirst. It is evident that the +negroes have all left the wood, therefore there can be no risk in my +going down and cutting a dozen of the young canes." + +"If you go," she said firmly, sitting up as she spoke, "you must leave +me two of your pistols--they are double-barrelled, are they not?" + +"Yes, madame." + +"Well, leave two. If the negroes come and begin to search this place I +shall shoot Myra first and then myself, for death would be a thousand +times preferable to falling into the hands of these wretches." + +"I think you are right there," Nat said gravely, "and if I thought that +there would be the slightest fear of their coming I would not leave you. +I shall not be away a quarter of an hour. I will leave my jacket and cap +here, and tie a handkerchief round my head, so that should I by any +chance come across a searcher, he will not recognize me until I am close +enough to silence him. I shall take the sword as well as the other brace +of pistols; it will be useful for cutting down the canes." + +Taking off his jacket and waistcoat, and tying his handkerchief round +his head, he made his way through the bushes, and then started at a fast +run down the hill, keeping, however, a sharp look-out as he went. As he +expected, there were no signs of the blacks. As he reached the edge of +the wood, and cut the canes, he could hear the sound of distant yells in +the direction of the house. + +"The brutes have got at the rum," he said. "If I had but half a dozen +blue-jackets, I believe I could clear the lot out. I do hope," he went +on, as he started on his way back, "I shall be able to lay my hand on +something to eat, and get hold of a bottle or two of wine. Madame will +never be able to get on on yams and sugar-canes, accustomed as she has +been to every luxury. Myra will be all right, she is a regular young +brick." As he neared the clump of bushes he cried out cheerily: "All +right, madame, I have got the canes, and have not caught sight of a +negro." An exclamation of relief followed. Madame Duchesne and Myra were +both standing as he entered, each with a pistol in her hand. + +"I was not alarmed by your footstep," she said, "for anyone who was +searching for us would come along slowly and stealthily; but I thought +you might be pursued." + +"If I had been," Nat laughed, "you may be very sure I should not have +brought them this way, but would have given them a dance all over the +place, and then slipped away and come back here." + +"I know that," she said earnestly, "but I am nervous and shaken." + +"Very naturally, too," Nat said: "you felt very much as I did when, +after that explosion, I went on board the other pirate to drown the +magazine. I believe that if anyone had given a shout close to me I +should have tumbled headlong down on the deck. I think, now, we are +perfectly safe till to-morrow. By the noises I heard down by the house I +should say that most of the slaves are drunk already, and you may be +sure that they will not think of starting to look for us till to-morrow. +Now, if you will take my advice, you will try to sleep a bit." + +Accustomed to sleep for two or three hours during the heat of the day, +Madame Duchesne was indeed feeling so drowsy that she could with +difficulty keep her eyes open, and she now in the course of a few +minutes was breathing quietly and regularly. + +"Now, Myra, do you watch by your mother while I go and look for water. +That tiny stream that crosses the road a quarter of a mile above your +house must come down not far from here, and it is essential that we +should be near it." + +"But it is near water that they are most likely to look for us." + +"I did not think of that, Myra; of course it is. Well, then, we must +move over this hill and hide up in the next little valley we come to. +There is a road that turns off half a mile above your house. I never +went far along it, but it seems to go right up into the heart of the +hills." + +"I never went up it either, Nat, but I have heard my father say there +were a good many small clearings up among the hills, some with twenty +slaves, some with only two or three." + +"Then, when I come back from seeing how things are going on at the +house, we had better make for that road, keeping along down at the end +of the plantation until we come to it. It will be much better to keep +straight along there till we pass some little valley where there is a +stream, than to wander about in the wood; and we shall be farther away +from those who may be looking after us. If your mother sleeps for two or +three hours she will be able to go some little distance to-night." + +Myra shook her head doubtingly. + +"We must get her on," he added, "even if we have to carry her. It is all +very well for us, because I am as hard as nails, and you do a lot of +walking for a white girl here, but your mother is not strong. You saw +how terribly exhausted she was when she got here, and it is quite likely +that she may knock up altogether; therefore it is essential to get her +into shelter. We are safe for to-day, but to-morrow we may have the +negroes all over the hills, and it will have to be a wonderfully good +hiding-place to escape their search." + +"But do you feel sure that they have risen on all the other +plantations?" + +"I have not the least doubt that they have risen on every plantation in +this neighbourhood. Your slaves were wonderfully well treated, and would +not have joined unless they had known that it was a general rising. You +know the old nurse said that it was to have been on the twenty-fifth, +which means, of course, that it was a great plot all over the island. +Of course in some places they may not have got the news yet, and may not +rise for a day or two, but you may be sure that all around here it has +been general." + +"But why should they want to kill us?" + +"Because they are really nothing but savages. Though they have in many +cases been slaves for generations, still there are always fresh slaves +arriving; and the others know that their fathers, like these, were +captured and sold to the whites, that they had terrible times in the +slave-ships, and are on some plantations treated like dogs, and are +bought and sold just like cattle. I don't wonder at it that, now they +have got a chance, as they think, they should take vengeance for all the +ills they have suffered. When they are at war with each other in Africa +they kill or enslave all who fall into their hands--men, women, or +children--and you may be sure that they will show no mercy here. When I +was down at the edge of the wood to cut those canes I could see smoke +rising from a dozen points lower down. It is possible that some besides +ourselves got warning in time, but I am afraid very few can have +escaped; for you see, once beyond the line of wood, which does not go +more than a mile or two further, there will be no hiding-places for +them. There is only one comfort, and that is, the news must have got +down to the town in a very short time, and there is no fear of your +father driving out and being taken by surprise. My greatest hope lies in +that old nurse of yours. She could do more in the way of helping us than +we could do ourselves. She could go and get things, and hear what is +going on. She is old, but she is a strong woman still, and could help to +carry your mother, and attend to her if she is ill." + +"Do you think she is going to be ill?" Myra asked anxiously, looking at +her mother. + +"I sincerely trust not, Myra, but I own that I am afraid of it. She is +breathing faster than she did, and she has moved restlessly several +times while we have been talking, and has a patch of colour on each +cheek, which looks like fever. However, we must hope for the best. +Anyhow, I shall bring Dinah up here if possible." + +So they talked till the sun went down. Madame Duchesne still slept, but +her breathing was perceptibly faster. She occasionally muttered to +herself, and scarcely lay still for a moment. + +"I will be going now," Nat said at last; "it will be pitch dark by the +time I get down to the house; it is dark already here. You have the +pistols, Myra, but you may be quite sure that no one will be searching +now. I may have some difficulty in finding these bushes when I come +back, but I will whistle, and when I do, do you give a call. I hope I +shall bring Dinah back with me." + +"Oh, I do hope you will. She would be a comfort to us." + +Nat heard a quaver in her voice, which showed that she was on the point +of breaking down. + +"You must not give way, Myra," he said. "You have been very plucky up to +now, and for your mother's sake you must keep up a brave heart and hope +always for the best. I rely upon you greatly. We may have many dangers +to go through, but with God's help we may hope to rejoin your father. +But we must be calm and patient. We have been marvellously fortunate so +far, and shall, I hope, be so until the end. When I find out what the +negroes intend to do we shall be able to decide upon our course. It may +be that they will pour down from all the plantations within thirty or +forty miles round and attack the town, or it may be that they will march +away into the mountains in the interior of the island, in which case the +road to the town will be open to us. Now, good-bye; I will be back as +soon as I can." + +"Do not hurry," she said. "I will try to be brave, and I don't mind +waiting, because I shall know that you are trying to get nurse, and of +course it may be difficult for you to find her alone." + +"Good-bye, then," he said cheerfully, and passing through the bushes he +went rapidly down the hill. + +On reaching the cane-field he again took off his shoes. He did not hurry +now. It was a tremendous responsibility that he had upon his shoulders. +He thought nothing of the danger to himself, but of how Madame Duchesne +and her daughter were to be sheltered and cared for if, as he feared, +the former was on the edge of an attack of fever, which might last for +days, and so prostrate her that weeks might elapse before she would be +fit to travel. + +"I must get Dinah at all costs," he said to himself. "She knows what +will be wanted, and will be a companion to Myra when I have to be away." + +As he neared the place where the house had stood he heard sounds of +shouting and singing coming from a spot near the storehouses, where a +broad glow of light showed that a great bonfire was burning. He kept in +the shrubbery until near the house, and then stepped out on to the +grass. The house was gone, and a pile of still glowing embers alone +marked where it had stood. Nat approached this, found a piece of charred +timber that had fallen a short distance from it, and proceeded to +blacken his face and hands. Then he turned towards the fire. As he had +expected, it was not long before he came across the figure of a +prostrate man, who was snoring in a drunken sleep. The stars gave +sufficient light for him to see as he bent over him that he was a negro. +He had attired himself in what when he put them on were a clean nankeen +jacket and trousers, a part of the spoil he had taken in the sack of the +house. Without ceremony Nat turned him over, and with some trouble +removed the garments and put them on over his own. Then he took the red +handkerchief that the negro had bound round his head and tied it on, +putting his own bandana in his pocket. + +"Now," he said to himself, "I shall do, provided I keep away from the +light of that fire. The first point is to find where Dinah has gone. I +know she has a daughter and some grandchildren down at the slaves' huts. +I should think I have most chance of finding her there." + +Turning off, he went to the huts, which lay two or three hundred yards +away from the house. As he did so he passed near the houses in which the +mulatto overseers lived. There were lights here, and he could hear the +sound of voices through the open windows. + +"I will come back to them later on," he said, "I may hear something of +their plans; but Dinah is the most important at present." + +He was soon among the slave huts. No one was about, the women being +mostly up at the fire with the men. He looked in at the door of each hut +he passed. As he was still without shoes his movements were noiseless. +In a few of them women were cooking, or putting their children to bed. +At the last hut of the first row which he visited an old negro woman was +rocking herself in great grief, and two or three children were playing +on the floor. Nat knew that he had come to the end of his search, by the +blue cotton dress with large white spots that the woman wore. He went in +and touched her. + +"Dinah," he whispered, "come outside!" + +She gave a little start of surprise, and then said to the children: + +"Now, you stop here, like good childer, Aunt Dinah is agoing out. If you +keep quiet she tell you story when she comes in." + +[Illustration: "IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE HE CAME ACROSS THE FIGURE OF A +PROSTRATE MAN."] + +Then she went out with Nat without any appearance of haste. By long +connection with the family she spoke French fairly well, whereas the +negro patois, although mostly composed of French words, was almost +unintelligible to him. + +"Tank de Lord dat you hab come back, Marse Glober. Dinah fret terrible +all day. Am de ladies well? Whar you hide dem?" + +"They are up in the wood, Dinah. I am greatly afraid that Madame +Duchesne is going to have fever, and you are sorely wanted there. Myra +said she was sure that you would come when you knew where they were." + +"For suah me come, massa," she said. "What madame and Mam'selle Myra do +widout Dinah? So you black your face?" + +"Yes, but I want some juice to make my face yellow like a mulatto. +Anyone could see that I was not a negro in the daylight." + +"Dat so. Me bring 'tuff wid me. What you want beside?" + +"We shall want a bottle or two of wine if you can get them, and a jug of +fresh water, and anything you can get in the way of eatables, and I +should say a cooking pot. Those are the principal things." + +"Dere am plenty ob boxes of wine up near house. Dis black trash like rum +better, leave wine for de mulattoes; dey bery bad man dose. Where you go +now, Marse Glober? Me take some time to get de tings." + +"It would be a good thing, too, if you could get hold of enough cotton +cloth to make dresses for them." + +The old woman nodded. + +"Plenty ob dat, sah. Storehouses all broke open, eberyone take what him +like. Dis dreadful day, almost break Dinah's heart." + +"It has been a terrible day, Dinah, and I am afraid that the same bad +work is going on everywhere." + +"So dey say, marse, so dey say. Where you go now, sah?" + +"I am going to the overseers' huts to hear what their plans are. Where +shall I meet you, Dinah?" + +"Me take tings to bush just where you and de ladies ran in. Me make two +or tree journeys, but me be as quick as can." + +"Do; it is anxious work for Myra there, and I want to get back as soon +as I can. Her mother is asleep, and even if she wakes I do not think she +will be able to talk much." + +"Me hurry, sah, but can't get 'tuff to stain you skin to-night. Find +berries up in de wood to-morrow." + +"There is one other thing, Dinah. Can you tell me where to find a +hand-barrow? I expect we shall have to carry your mistress." + +"Me know de sort ob ting dat you want, sah, dey carry tobacco leabes on +dem. Dere are a dozen ob dem lying outside de end store." + +"All right, Dinah, I will take one as I go past. Now I will go." + +So saying, he turned and made his way to the overseers' house. He crept +softly along to a lighted window. When in a line with it he stood up for +a minute, knowing that those inside would not be able to see him, there +being a screen of trees just behind him. The three mulattoes whom he had +seen talking together in the field on the previous day were seated round +a table. On it were placed two or three wine-glasses. All were smoking. + +"To-morrow we must get those drunken black hogs to work," one said, "and +have a regular search through the woods. Everything has gone well except +the escape of madame and her gal. Someone must have warned them. The +house niggers all agree that they were in the verandah behind just +before we came up, talking with that English lad. Of course they will be +found sooner or later, there is nowhere for them to run to. The thing +is, we want to find them ourselves. If anyone else came upon them they +would kill them at once." + +"Yes, and you will have some trouble if you find them, Monti," one of +the other men said. "These blacks have been told that every white must +be killed. It is easy enough to work these fellows up into a frenzy, but +it is not so easy to calm them down afterwards." + +"No, I am quite aware of that, Christophe, and that is why I did not +press the search to-day, and why I was not sorry to find that they had +got away." + +"You see, we have arranged that when the whites are all killed I am to +marry madame, that Paul is to take the young one, and that we are to +divide the place equally between the three of us." + +"If the negroes will let us," the one called Monti said. "I expect they +will want to have a say in the business." + +"Yes, of course, that is understood. No doubt there will be trouble with +them, and there is no saying how things will turn out yet. At any rate +we will make sure of the women. I have gone into this more for the sake +of getting the girl than for anything else." + +"We have made a good beginning everywhere, as far as we have heard, but +you must remember that it is only a beginning. Even suppose the whites +of the town do nothing, and I fancy we shall hear of them presently, +they will send over troops from France." + +"They can do nothing against us up in the mountains," Christophe said +scornfully. + +"That may be," the other said quietly; "but at any rate there are the +blacks to deal with. They have risen against the whites, but when they +have done with them we need not suppose for a moment that they are going +to work for us. Luckily, here it has been the order that no slave is to +be flogged without Duchesne's approving of it, and the result is that we +are for the present masters of this plantation, but we have heard that +at some of the other places the overseers as well as the whites have +been killed. The order has gone through the island that all the whites, +including women and children, are to be killed, and if we were to come +across the women when we have forty or fifty of the blacks with us I +don't think there would be a chance of our saving them. These negroes +are demons when their blood is up. They know, too, that they have gone +too far to be forgiven, and will believe that their safety depends upon +carrying out the orders faithfully. It seems to me that we are in a +rather awkward fix. If we don't take the blacks out to-morrow we sha'n't +find them, if we do take them out they will be killed." + +"We ourselves may find them," Paul said. + +"Yes; and if you do, they will have that English lad with them." + +"We can soon settle him," Christophe growled. + +"Well, I don't say we couldn't; but you know how he fought that hound, +and there was a report two days ago, from the town, that they have +attacked the Red Pirate's stronghold, taken it, and destroyed his four +ships. I grant that as we are three to one we shall kill him, but one or +two of us may go down before we do so. Now, I tell you frankly that as I +have no personal interest in finding those two women, I have no idea of +running the risk of getting myself shot in what is your affair +altogether. Any reasonable help I am willing to give you, but when it +comes to risking my life in the matter I say, 'No, thank you.'" + +The others broke into a torrent of savage oaths. + +"Well," he went on calmly, "I am by no means certain that the English +boy would not be a match for the three of us. We should not know where +he was, but he would see us, and he might shoot a couple of us down +before we had time to draw our pistols. Then it will be man against man; +and I know that girl has practised shooting, so that the odds would be +the other way. Now, I ask you calmly, is it worth it?" + +"What do you propose, then?" Paul asked sulkily, after a long silence. + +"I say that we had better wait till we can get hold of some of these +blacks; a little money and a little flattery will go a long way with +them. We can tell them that we have private orders that, although most +of the whites have to be put to death, a few are to be kept, among them +these two. We shall elect a president and generals, and it is right that +they should have white women to wait on them, just as the whites have +been having blacks. That is just the sort of thing that will take with +these ignorant fools. Then with, say, ten men we might search the woods +thoroughly, find the women, and hide them up somewhere under your +charge; but we must go quietly to work. A few days will make no +difference. We know that they can't get away. The men of the plantations +lower down have undertaken to see that no whites make their way into the +town. But it will not do to hurry the negroes, they are sure to be +either sullen or arrogant to-morrow. Some of them, when they get over +their drink, will begin to fear the consequences, others will be so +triumphant that for a time our influence will be gone." + +"That is the best plan," Christophe said. "You have the longest head of +us three, Monti. For a time it will be necessary to let the blacks have +their own way." + +Nat, while this conversation went on, had been fingering his pistol +indecisively. His blood was so fired by the events of the day, and the +certainty that hundreds of women and children must have been murdered, +that he would have had no hesitation in shooting the three mulattoes +down. Indeed he had quite intended to do so, in the case at any rate of +Paul and Christophe, when he learned their plans; the advice, however, +of the other, who was evidently the leading spirit, decided him against +this course. It was unlikely that he would be able to shoot the three, +for at the first shot they would doubtless knock the candle over; +besides, it was better that they should live. Evidently they would in +some way persuade the great mass of the negroes not to trouble +themselves to search the wood, and some days must elapse before they +could get a party together on whom they could rely to spare the women +and take them as prisoners. + +If they did so, and, as they proposed, put them in some hut in charge of +Paul and Christophe, he would have a fair chance of rescuing them, if he +succeeded in getting away at the time they were captured. At any rate, +if they carried out their plans they would have some days' respite, and +he could either take Madame Duchesne and Myra a good deal further into +the hills, or might even be able to get them into the town. + +The mulattoes now began to talk of other matters--how quickly the +insurrection would spread, the towns that were to be attacked, and the +steps to be taken--and he therefore quietly made off, and waited for +Dinah at the place agreed on. It was not long before she arrived with +her first load. + +"I am here," he said as she came up. "Now, what can I do? I had better +come and help you back with the other things. We can carry them in the +hand-barrow." + +"Yes, sah. I'se got dem all together, de tings we talked of, and tree or +four blankets, and a few tings for de ladies, and I'se taken two ob de +best frocks I could find in de huts. I'se got de wine and de food in a +big basket." + +"All right, Dinah; let us start at once, I am anxious to be back again +as soon as possible." + +In ten minutes they returned with all the things. The basket of wine and +provisions was the heaviest item. The clothes and blankets had been made +up into a bundle. + +"Me will carry dat on my head," Dinah said, "and de barrow." + +"No, I can take that, Dinah, that will balance the basket; besides, you +have that great jug of water to take. Now let us be off." + +After twenty minutes' walking they approached the spot where the ladies +were in hiding, but it was so dark under the trees that Nat could not +determine its exact position; he therefore whistled, at first softly and +then more loudly. Then he heard a call some little distance away. He +went on until he judged that he must be close, and then whistled again. +The reply came at once some thirty yards away. + +"Here we are, Myra," he said; "nurse is with me." + +An exclamation of delight was heard, and a minute later he made his way +through the bushes. + +"Mamma is awake," the girl said, "but she does not always understand +what I say; sometimes I cannot understand her, and her hands are as hot +as fire. I am glad Dinah is here." + +"You can't be gladder'n me, mam'selle. I hab brought some feber medicine +wid me, and a lantern and some candles." + +"Would it be safe to light the lantern?" Myra asked. + +"Quite safe," Nat said; "there is no chance whatever of anyone coming +along here; besides, we can put something round the lantern so as to +prevent it from being seen from outside. You have brought steel and +tinder, I hope, Dinah?" + +"Of course, marse, lamp no good widout; and I hab got sulphur matches, +no fear me forget them." + +"Give them to me, Dinah, I will strike a light while you attend to your +mistress." + +Dinah poured some water into a cup and then knelt down by Madame +Duchesne. + +"Here, dearie," she said, "Dinah brought you water and wine and tings to +eat. Here is a cup of water, I am sure you want it. Let me lift you up +to drink it." + +She lifted her and placed the cup in her hands, and she drank it off +eagerly. + +"Is that your voice, Dinah?" she said after a pause. + +"Yes, madame; I'se come up to help to take care ob you. Marse Glober +come and tell me whar you were, so you may be suah that me lose no time, +just wait to get a few tings dat you might want and den start up." + +"I think I am not very well, Dinah." + +"Jess a little poorly you be. Bery funny if you not poorly abter sich +wicked doings. Now de best ting dat you can do is to go to sleep and not +worry." + +"Give me another drink, Dinah." + +"Here it is, dis time a little wine wid de water and a little 'tuff to +make you sleep quiet. Den me double up a blanket for you to lie on and +put anober over you, and a bundle under your head, and den you go to +sleep firm. No trouble to-night; to-morrow morning we go on." + +Madame Duchesne drank off the contents of the cup. She was made as +comfortable as circumstances would permit, and it was not long before +her regular breathing showed that the medicine that Dinah had +administered had had the desired effect. + +"Now, Myra," Nat said, "we will investigate the contents of the basket. +I am beginning to get as hungry as a hunter, and I am sure that you must +be so too." + +"I am thirsty," the girl said, "but I do not feel hungry." + +"You will, directly you begin. Now, Dinah, what have you brought us?" + +"Dere am one roast chicken dar, Marse Glober. Dat was all I could get +cooked. Dere are six dead ones. I caught dem and wrung their necks jest +before I started. Dey no good now. Dere is bread baked fresh dis morning +before de troubles began, and dere is two pine-apples and a big melon." + +"Bravo, Dinah! You have got knives?" + +"Yes, sah, four knibes and forks." + +"We could manage without the forks, Dinah, but it is more comfortable +having them. Now we will cut the chicken up into three. It looks a fine +bird." + +"I'se had my dinner, sah; no want more." + +"That is all nonsense, Dinah," he said. "I am quite sure that you did +not eat much dinner to-day, and you will want your strength to-morrow." + +Dinah could not affirm that she had eaten much, and indeed she had +scarcely been able to swallow a mouthful in the middle of the day. The +meal was heartily enjoyed, and they made up with bread and fruit for the +shortness of the meat ration. + +"Now you two lie down," Nat said after they had chatted for an hour. "I +am accustomed to night watches and can sleep with one ear open, but I am +convinced that there is not the slightest need for any of us keeping +awake. When the lantern is out, which it will be as soon as you lie +down, if all the negroes came up into the woods to search for us I +should have no fear of their finding us." + +Dinah, however, insisted upon taking a share in watching, saying that +she was constantly sitting up at night with sick people. + +Finding that she was quite determined, Nat said: "Very well, Dinah. It +is ten o'clock now. I will watch till one o'clock, and then you can +watch till four. We shall be able to start then." + +"It won't be like light till five. No good start troo wood before that. +I'se sure to wake at one o'clock. I'se accustomed to wake any hour so as +to give medicines." + +"Very well, Dinah; I suppose you must have your way." + +Myra and the nurse therefore lay down, while Nat sat thinking over the +events of the day and the prospects of the future. He had said nothing +to the negress of the conversation that he had overheard, as on the way +from the house they had walked one behind the other and there had been +no opportunity for conversation, and he would not on any account have +Myra or her mother know the fate that these villains had proposed for +them. He wondered now whether he had done rightly in abstaining from +shooting one of them, but after thinking it over in every way he came to +the conclusion that it was best to have acted as he did, for they +clearly intended to do all in their power to save mother and daughter +from being massacred at once by the negroes. + +"Even if the worst comes to the worst," he said to himself, "they have +pistols, and I know will, as a last resource, use them against +themselves." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A TIME OF WAITING + + +Dinah woke two minutes before one o'clock, and Nat at once lay down and, +resolutely refusing to allow himself to think any more of the situation, +was soon fast asleep. + +"It am jess beginning to get light, Marse Glober," the negress said +when, as it seemed to him, he had not been five minutes asleep. However, +he jumped up at once. + +"It is very dark, still, Dinah." + +"It am dark, sah, but not so dark as it was. Bes' be off at once. Must +get well away before dem black fellows wake up." + +"How is Madame Duchesne?" + +"She sleep, sah; she no wake for another tree or four hours. Dinah give +pretty strong dose. Bes' dat she should know noting about it till we get +to a safe place." + +"But is there any safe place, Dinah?" + +"Yes, massa; me take you where dey neber tink of searching, but good way +off in hills." + +Myra by this time was on her feet also. + +"Have you slept well, Myra?" + +"Yes, I have slept pretty well, but in spite of the two blankets under +us it was awfully hard, and I feel stiff all over now." + +"How shall we divide the things, Dinah?" + +"Well, sah, do you tink you can take de head of de barrow? Dat pretty +heaby weight." + +"Oh, nonsense!" Nat said. "Madame Duchesne is a light weight, and if I +could get her comfortably on my back I could carry her any distance." + +"Dat bery well before starting, Marse Glober, you tell anoder story +before we gone very far." + +"Well, at any rate, I can carry a good deal more than one end of the +barrow." + +"Well, sah, we put all de blankets on de barrow before we put madame on +it, and put de bundle of clothes under her head. Den by her feet we put +de basket and oder tings. Dat divide de weight pretty fair." + +"But what am I to carry, nurse, may I ask?" + +"You just carry yourself, dearie; dat quite enough for you. It am a good +long way we hab to go, and some part of it am bery rough. You do bery +well if you walk dat distance." + +"That is right, Myra," Nat agreed. "We don't want to have to carry both +you and your mother, and though you have walked a good deal more than +most of the girls of your own class you have never done anything like +this." + +In a few minutes the preparations were completed. Madame Duchesne was +laid on the barrow, and the basket and other things packed near her +feet. Dinah took up the two front handles, Nat those behind, and, with +Myra walking by the side, they started. + +"Which way are we going, Dinah?" + +"Me show you, sah. We go up for some way, den we come on path; two miles +farder we cross a road, and den strike into forest again by a little +valley wiv a tiny stream running down him. After walk for an hour we +cross ober anoder hill all cohered wiv trees and find soon anoder +stream, quite little dere; hab a mile we follow him, den we find a place +where we 'top. We long way den from any plantation, dat quite wild +country." + +"Then how do you know the place, Dinah?" + +"Me'se not been dere for thirty years, Marse Glober, me active wench +den, twenty year old, me jest marry my husband, he dead and gone long +ago. He hab a broder on anoder plantation; dere bery bad oberseer, he +beat de slabes bery much. Jake he knock him down with hoe, and den take +to de hills; my husband know de place where he hide, and took me to it +one night, so dat I could find it again and carry food to him, cause he +not able to get away, hab to work on plantation. Me had a little +pickanniny and could 'teal away widout being noticed, and me went dere +seberal times; den oberseer killed by anoder slabe, and de master, who +was good man, he come out to enquire about it. When he heard how de +slabe had been treated, he bery angry and say it sarbe oberseer right. +When I heard dat I spoke to de ole marse, de grandfather ob dis chile +you know, he bery good man, like his son, and he went to de plantation +and got de marster to promise dat if Jake came back to work again he +should not be punished. And he kept his word. Dat is how me came to know +ob dis place. Since dat time me know dat many slabes hab hidden dere. +Now dat de slabes are masters, for suah dey not want to go near dat +place, and neber dream dat Madame and Mam'selle Myra know of dat place +and go and hide dere." + +By the time that they reached the path daylight had fairly broken. + +"We are not likely to meet anyone here, I hope, Dinah?" + +"No, sah, de blacks in de plantations dey go down by the road we shall +cross--suah to do dat to get quick the news ob what am going on in oder +places. If one come along here, dey see you black, and tink you nigger +like demselves. Mam'selle must slip into de bush, now she got dat gown +on, no one s'pect her being white a little way off. Den if dere is only +one or two, you shoot dem as soon as dey come up, if dar many of +them--but dere no chance ob dat--must make up some story." + +"I am afraid that no story would be any good, Dinah; if they came close +they would see at once that I am not a negro. However, we must hope that +we sha'n't meet anyone." + +Nat felt his arms ache a good deal before they arrived at the road they +had to cross, and he would have proposed a halt, but he was ashamed to +do so while Dinah was going on so steadily and uncomplainingly, though +he was sure that her share of the weight was at least as much as his. He +was pleased when, as the path approached the road, she said: + +"Put de barrow down now, Marse Glober. You go down on de road and see +dat no one is in sight, but me not tink dere am any danger. I know dat +dey rose at all dese little plantations up here yesterday; dere is suah +to be rum at some ob dem, and dey will all drink like hogs, just as dey +did at our place, and won't be stirring till de sun a long way up." + +In a minute he returned. + +"There is no one in sight, Dinah." + +"Dat is all right, sah, now we hurry across; once into de wood on de +ober side we safe, den we can sit down and rest for a bit." + +"I sha'n't be sorry, Dinah. You were quite right, my arms have begun to +ache pretty badly." + +The negress laughed. + +"Me begin to feel him too; dese arms not so young as dey were. De time +was I could hab carried de weight twice as far widout feeling it." + +When a few hundred yards in the wood they stopped for a quarter of an +hour, had a drink of wine and water, and ate a slice of melon and a +piece of bread. + +"Now we manage better," Dinah said as they stood up to continue the +journey. "We hab plenty of blankets," and taking one she tore off a +strip some six inches wide and gave it to Nat, and then a similar strip +for herself. "Now, sah, you lay dat flat across your shoulders, den take +de ends and twist dem tree or four times round de handle, just de right +length, so dat you can hold dem comfor'ble. I'se going to do de same. +Den you not feel de weight on your arm, it all on your shoulders; you +find it quite easy den." + +Nat found, indeed, that the weight so disposed was as nothing to what it +had been when it came entirely upon his arms. They soon descended into +the little valley Dinah had spoken of, and she at once emptied the rest +of the water out of the jug. + +"No use carry dat," she said, "can get plenty now wheneber we want it." + +"How are you feeling, Myra?" Nat asked presently. + +"I am beginning to feel tired, but I can hold on for a bit. Don't mind +about me, please, I shall do very well." + +She was, however, limping badly. After going to the end of the little +dip they crossed the dividing spur, and presently struck the other +depression of which Dinah had spoken. + +"There is no water here, Dinah; I hope it has not dried up." + +"No fear ob dat, sah. In de wet season water run here, but not now; we +find him farder down." + +The little valley deepened rapidly, the sides became rocky and broken, +and to Nat's satisfaction they presently came to a spot where a little +rill of water flowed out from a fissure in the rock. + +"How much farther, Dinah?" + +"A lillie quarter ob a mile." + +The sides of the valley closed in rapidly, and in a few minutes they +entered a ravine where the rocks rose perpendicularly on each side, the +passage between being but seven or eight feet wide. + +"We jest dere now, dearie," Dinah said to Myra, who was now so exhausted +that she could scarce drag her feet along. Another three or four minutes +and she stopped. + +"Here we are," she said. Nat looked round in surprise; there was no sign +of any opening in the rock. "It up dere," Dinah went on, pointing to a +clump of bushes growing on a ledge. + +"Up there, Dinah?" + +"Yes, sah; easy for us to climb up. You see where dere are little steps +made?" + +A casual observer would not have noticed them. They were not cut but +hammered out of the rock, and appeared like accidental indentations. + +"I see that we can climb up," he said, "but how we are to get the litter +up I have no idea." + +"No, sah, dat difficult. I'se been tinking it ober. Only possible way +is to take madame off de barrow and carry her up. You go up once or +twice, and you see dat it am not so hard as it seems. Dese lower holes +not deep, but dose higher up much deeper, can get foot well into dem." + +"I had better go up and have a look, Dinah," and Nat started to ascend. +He found that, as she had said, it was much easier than it looked. The +first four or five steps, indeed, were so shallow that he could not get +much foothold, but above there were holes for the feet some six or eight +inches deep, and three or four feet apart, these being hidden from the +sight of anyone passing below by a projecting ledge beneath. The holes +were much wider than necessary, the corners had been filled with earth +and tufts of coarse grass planted there, and these completely hid the +openings from sight. He soon reached the clump of bushes. Behind them +was a fissure some three feet wide and four feet high. He crawled into +this, and found that it widened into a cave. He was here able to stand +up, remaining motionless for a minute or two until his eyes became +accustomed to the dim light. Then he saw that it was of considerable +height, some twelve feet wide and about twenty feet deep. This was +indeed an admirable place of refuge, and he felt sure that no one, +unless previously acquainted with its existence, would be likely to +discover it. He went to the entrance and looked out. Myra was sitting +down by the side of a little pool. She had taken her shoes and stockings +off, and was bathing her blistered feet. + +"This is a splendid place, Myra," he said; "certainly nobody is ever +likely to find us here. The only difficulty is to get your mother up." +He at once rejoined them below. "The difficulty, Dinah, is that the face +of the rock is so steep that one cannot stoop forward enough to keep +one's balance with the weight on one's back. The only possible way that +I can conceive is to fasten Madame Duchesne firmly to the barrow by +these strips of blanket that we have been using. We can tear several +more from the same blanket. It will want at least half a dozen lashings +to keep her firmly down, then we must knot the other blankets to make a +strong rope. I will go up with the end and pull when I get to the top. +You can take the lower handles, and by holding them on a level with your +shoulders you can steady the thing as it comes up. You won't want to +lift, I can pull her weight up easily enough, all that you have to do is +to steady it." + +"Dat will do bery well, sah." + +Six strips of blanket were wound round Madame Duchesne as she lay on the +hand-barrow; one was across her forehead so as to prevent her head from +dropping forward, one was under the arms, and two more round the body, +the other two were over her legs. The baskets and other things had been +taken from the barrow. It was now lifted on to one end to see if there +was any sign of the body slipping. However, it remained firm in its +upright position. The blankets had already been knotted by Nat, whose +training enabled him to fasten them so securely that there was no risk +of their slipping. Then he ascended to the top of the steps and took his +place on the little platform on which the bushes were growing. + +"Now," he said, "I will raise it a few inches to see that it is properly +balanced." He had already seen that the proposal that Dinah should +steady it from below was not feasible. Although the first step was +immediately below the bushes, the others varied considerably, some being +almost in the same line as those next to them, so that two-thirds of the +way up the holes were six feet to the right of the spot from which they +had started, having evidently been so constructed that from below, had +anyone noticed them, they appeared to go away from the bushes, to which, +from the last hole that could be seen from below, there was no +communication whatever. The ledge, however, although scarce noticeable +from the bottom of the ravine, was really some eight inches wide, and +from this but one step was necessary to gain a footing on the platform. +Dinah, standing below, steadied the barrow as high as she could reach +the ends of the handles, and Nat then, leaning over, managed to raise it +to his level without doing more than scraping the face of the rock as it +rose. Dinah was on the ledge to receive it and pass it up to him, and +Nat had soon the satisfaction of seeing it laid safely down in the cave. +Myra was then got up without any difficulty. She clapped her hands as +she entered the cave. + +"This is splendid, Nat! I never dreamt that there could be such a safe +hiding-place." + +"It had to be, mam'selle," Dinah said, "for dey hunt runaway slabes with +blood-hounds. Slabes dat escape here keep all de way in de water. De bit +between de pools is all bare rock, not nice to walk on, but bery good +for scent, dat pass off in very short time, den walk down here in dis +water dat you see below us. Eben blood-hounds cannot smell track in +water. If dey came down here might smell de steps, but neber come here." + +"Could they come up the other way, Dinah?" + +"You go and look for yourself, sah, but mind you be careful." + +The wrappings had now been taken off Madame Duchesne, and the blankets +replaced beneath her. She was still apparently sound asleep. Dinah took +up the jug and went to the entrance, Nat followed her. + +"You have not given her too strong a dose I hope, Dinah?" + +"No, sah, no fear ob dat, she soon wake now. I shall sprinkle water in +her face, and pour a lillie wine down her troat, you see she wake den." + +"Will she be sensible, Dinah?" + +"Not at first, sah. She 'tupid for a bit, abter dat it depend on feber. +If feber strong, she no sensible, talk to herself just as if dreaming; +if feber not very strong she know us, but more likely not know us for +some time. Me got feber medicine, neber fear. Feber come on too quick to +be bery strong. When feber come on slow, den it seem to poison all ober, +take long time to get well; when it come on sudden like this, not like +to be bery bad." + +"Well, we must have patience, Dinah, and hope for the best. Now I will +go down with you and fetch all the things up." + +As soon as these were all housed in the cave, Nat said to Myra, "I will +explore down the stream and see what chance there is of anyone coming up +that way. Dinah evidently thinks that there is no fear of it, but I +should like to see for myself." + +Fifty yards farther on there was a sharp widening of the ravine, and +here some trees and thick undergrowth had taken root, and so overhung +the little stream that Nat had difficulty in making his way through +them. He remembered Dinah's warning, and advanced cautiously. Suddenly +he stopped. The stream fell away abruptly in front of him, and, +advancing cautiously to that point, he stood at the edge of an abrupt +fall. A wall of almost perpendicular rock rose on each side, and the +streamlet leaped sheer down fifty feet into a pool; as far as he could +see the chasm remained unbroken. + +"Splendid," he said to himself; "no one coming up here would be likely +to try farther. The bushes regularly interlace over the water, and there +seems no possible way of climbing up, at any rate, within a quarter of a +mile of this place, and for aught I know this ravine may go on for +another mile. Any party coming up would certainly conclude that no slave +could approach this way, and they would have to make a tremendous detour +over the hills and get to the point where the valley comes down to the +cave. It is certainly a grand hiding-place. I suppose when it was first +discovered those bushes did not grow in front of it; likely enough they +were planted on purpose to hide the entrance, and the place may have +been used by escaped slaves ever since the Spaniards first landed on the +island and began to persecute the unfortunate natives. Unless some of +the negroes who know of it put the mulattoes up to the secret, they may +search as much as they like but will never find us. I must ask Dinah +whether there are many who know of it." + +On returning to the cave he found that Madame Duchesne had wakened from +her long sleep. She was, however, quite unconscious; her eyes were +opened, and she was muttering rapidly to herself. Myra was sitting +beside her with the tears streaming down her cheeks. + +"You must not be alarmed," he said. "Dinah told me she would be so when +she woke up, but she thinks that though the attack of fever will be a +sharp one, it will not last very long. It is not, as is the case with +new-comers on the island, the result of malaria, or anything of that +sort, but of agitation and fatigue." + +"Hab you been down de stream, Marse Glober?" Dinah asked. + +"Yes, and you were quite right. There is no fear whatever of any one +coming to look for us from that direction. Are there many negroes who +know the secret of this place?" + +"Bery few," she said. "It am tole only to men who are going to take to +de hills, and who can't go farder, 'cause perhaps dey been flogged till +dey too weak to travel many miles. Each man who is tole has to take a +great oath dat he suah tell no one except anober slabe running away, or +someone who hab to go to take food to him; dat is how I came to know. +Jake had been tole when dey knew he going to run away. He tole his +broder, my husband, cause he had been flogged so bad he could not go to +de mountains. Den my husband tole me, 'cause he could not get away wid +de food. I neber tell anyone till now, cause dere no occasion for it; +slabes treated too well at our plantation to want to run away. But dere +am no doubt dat dere am slabes in oder plantations dat know of him, but +me no tink dey tell. In de first place dey take big oath, and dey suah +to die ef dey break dat; in de next place, because dey no tell dem +mulattoes, because some day perhaps dese will be oberseers again, and +den de secret of de cave be no longer ob use." + +"That is good, Dinah; those scoundrels I overheard talking the other +night will no doubt ask if any of the negroes know of any place where we +should be likely to hide, and if no one knows it but yourself they would +be able to get no information, and it is hardly likely that they would +ask the negroes of another plantation. Now, what is the first thing to +be done, Dinah?" + +"De first ting, sah, is to gader sticks to make fire." + +"All right. I will go up the ravine and bring down a bundle of dry +sticks from the forest. I will get them as dry as possible, so as not to +make a smoke." + +"No fear of anyone see smoke, massa. We no want great fire, and smoke +all scatter before it get to top of de trees up above." + +"Well, I will get them at once," he said. + +"I will pluck two of the fowls while you are away," Myra said. "I want +to be doing something." + +"When you come back, sah, I will go out and gader berries to make colour +for your face. When you hab got dat done, not much fear of your being +known." + +"You will have to get something to colour my hair, too," Nat said. "I +never could pass as a mulatto with this yellowish-brown hair." + +"Dat for true," Dinah assented. "I'se brought 'tuff to make dat, but had +no time to look for berries for skin. When you come back we make fire +first; me want boiling water for de med'cine me make for madame." + +"Yes, of course, that is the first thing," Nat said. "And when you go +anywhere to get provisions, Dinah, it would be a good thing if you could +get us a few yards of cord; it would be very handy for tying up faggots, +and would be useful in all sorts of ways." + +"Me will see about dat, sah. Me forgot 'im altogeder when me came away, +else would have brought a length; but you will find plenty ob creepers +dat will do bery well to tie up faggots." + +"So I shall, Dinah; I forgot that," and Nat started at once. + +In an hour he was back again with a huge bundle of dry wood. + +"Where would you light it?" he asked. + +"Jest inside entrance, sah. Dis good wood dat you hab brought, make bery +lillie smoke." + +After a little water had been boiled and Dinah had stewed some herbs and +chips of wood she had brought up with her, the two fowls were cut up and +the joints spitted on the ramrod of a pistol and grilled over the fire, +as in this way they would cook much more rapidly than if whole. As soon +as they were ready the party made a hearty meal. The medicine was by +this time cool, and Madame Duchesne was lifted up and the cup held to +her lips. She drank the draught without difficulty. Her face was now +flushed, and her hands burning hot. + +"What will that do, Dinah?" + +"Dat most de bark of a tree dat will get de feber down, sah. I'se going +to gib her dat ebery two hours; den when we see dat de feber abate, we +give her oder stuff to trow her into great sweat; abter dat she get +better. Now, while I am away, mam'selle, you boil water, cut up half ob +one of dem pine-apples, and when de water boil take 'im off de fire and +put de pine-apple in; and let 'im cool, dat make bery nice drink for +her. Now me go and find dem berries." + +Dinah was away two hours, and returned with an apronful of brown +berries; and with these, after Nat had washed all the black from his +face and hands, he was again stained, as was Myra also. She had rather a +darker tinge given to her than that which was considered sufficient for +Nat. + +"It make you too dark, sah; yo' light eyes show too much. Mam'selle hab +brown eyes and dark hair, and me make her regular little mulatto girl. +When get handkerchief round her head, and wid dat spot gown on, no one +'spect her ob being white." + +"You have brought in a great supply of berries, Dinah?" + +"Yes, sah; put on stain fresh ebery two or tree days." + +When it became dusk the candle was taken out of the lantern, lighted, +and stuck against the side of the cave. Dinah opened a bag and took out +a handful of coffee berries, which she roasted over the fire in a small +frying-pan which she had brought in addition to the pot. When they were +pounded up between two stones, some sugar was produced, and had it not +been for Madame Duchesne's state Myra and Nat would have really enjoyed +their meal. Then Dinah took from the basket a bundle of dried tobacco +leaves, rolled a cigar for Nat and one for herself. + +"Dat is what me call comfort," she said, as she puffed the weed with +intense enjoyment. "Bacca am de greatest pleasure dat de slabes hab +after their work be done." + +"It is a nasty habit, Dinah. I have told you so a great many times." + +"Yes, mam'selle, you tink so. You got a great many oder nice tings a +slabe not got, many nice tings; but when dey got bacca dey got +eberyting dey want. You no call it nasty, Marse Glober?" + +"No; I like it. I never smoked till after I got that hurt from the dog, +but not being able to do things like other fellows, I took to smoking. I +like it, and the doctor told me that it was a capital preventive against +fever." + +"Do they allow smoking on board ship, Nat?" + +"Well, of course it is not allowed on duty, and it is not allowed for +midshipmen at all; but of an evening, if we go forward, the officers on +watch never take any notice. And now about to-morrow, Dinah. Of course I +am most anxious to know what the news is, and whether this rising has +extended over the whole of the island, and if it is true that everywhere +they have murdered the whites." + +"Yes, sah, me understand dat." + +"Then I want, if it is possible, to send a line down to Monsieur +Duchesne to let him know that his wife and daughter have escaped and are +in a place of safety. He must be in a terrible state. The question is, +how would it be possible to send such a note?" + +"Me tink dat me could manage it, sah. My grandson Pete bery sharp boy. +Me tink he might manage to get down to de town, but de letter must be a +bery lillie one, so dat he can hide it in him woolly head. He might be +searched, and dey kill 'im for suah if dey find he take letter to white +man. He sharp as a needle, and often take messages from one of our +slabes to anoder on plantation eber so far away. Me quite suah dat he +bery glad to carry letter for mam'selle--make him as proud as peacock. +When dey in der senses all de slabes lobe her because she allus speaks +kindly to dem. He go suah enough, and bring message back." + +"It is lucky that I have a pencil with me," Nat said, and drawing out a +pocket-book he tore out a leaf. "Now, if you will tell me what to say, +Myra, I will write in your name." He went over to the candle. "You must +cut it very short, you know. I will write it as small as I can, but you +must not send more than one leaf." + + _Dearest Papa_, Myra dictated, _we have got away. Dinah warned us + in time, and mamma, Nat, and I ran up through the shrubbery and the + cane-fields to the forest. When it got dark--"After dark_" Nat put + in, "you must not use more words than is necessary "--_Nat went + down, found Dinah, and brought her up, and they brought lots of + things for us, and next morning carried mamma to this place, which + is in the mountains and very safe. Mamma has got fever from the + fright we had, but Dinah says she will not be ill long. We are both + dressed up in Dinah's clothes, and Nat and I have been stained + brown, and we look like mulattoes. Do not be anxious about us; the + negroes may search everywhere without finding us. Nat has a brace + of pistols, and mamma and I have one each, and he will take care of + us and bring us down safe as soon as Dinah thinks it can be done. + I hope to see you again soon._ + _Your most loving_ + _MYRA._ + +"That just fills it," Nat said as he rolled it up into a little ball. + +Dinah looked at it doubtfully. + +"I'se feared dat too big to hide in him wool," she said; "it bery +kinky." + +"Never mind that. He must manage to straighten it out and sew it +somewhere in his clothes. What time will you start, Dinah?" + +"Me start so as to get down to de plantation before it get light. Me can +find de way troo de wood easy 'nuff. It bery different ting to walk by +oneself, instead ob having to carry madame and to take 'tickler care +dat she goes along smoove and dat de barrow doesn't knock against +anyting. Best for me to be back before anyone wake up. Me don't suppose +anyone tink of me yesterday. Me told my darter Chloe dat she say noting +about me. If anyone ask her, den she say: 'Mover bery sad at house being +burnt down and madame and mam'selle run away. I tink she hab gone away +to be alone and hab a cry to herself, cause as she nurse both ob dem she +bery fond of dem, and no like to tink dat perhaps dey be caught and +killed.' But me no 'spect dat anyone tink about me; dey hab oder tings +to tink of. If I had run into wood when you run dere, dey know dat I +give you warning and perhaps show you some place to hide, but abter you +had gone I ran in again and met dem outside wid de oder house servants. +I top dere and see dem burn de house, and den walk down to Chloe's house +and talk to oder women; so no one tink dat I know more 'bout you dan +anyone else." + +"That was very wise, Dinah. Now mind, what we particularly want to know +is not only what the negroes have done, but what they are going to do. +Are they going to march away to the hills, or are they going to attack +the town?" + +Dinah nodded. + +"Me see all about dat, sah. Now, mam'selle, don't you forget to gib your +mamma de medicine ebery two hours!" + +"I sha'n't forget, Dinah." + +Dinah took up the basket. + +"Me bring up bread and more chicken, and more wine if dey hab not drunk +it all. Now keep up your heart, dearie; eberyting come right in de end," +and with a cheerful nod she started on her errand. + +"Your nurse is a trump, Myra," Nat said. "We should feel very helpless +without her, though of course I should do what I could. When she comes +back to-morrow I will go out myself. I hate to sit here doing nothing +when all the island is in a blaze." + +"I wish I knew what has become of the family of Madame Bayou. Her +daughter Julie is my greatest friend. You know them well, Nat, for we +drove over there several times when you were with us, and Madame Bayou +and Julie often spent the day with us. Of course they were not quite of +our class, as Monsieur Bayou is only superintendent to the Count de Noe, +who has been in France for some years; but he is a gentleman by birth, +and, I believe, a distant relation of the count's, and as they were our +nearest neighbours and Julie is just my age we were very intimate." + +"Yes, of course I remember them well, and that coachman of theirs. I +generally had a talk with him when they were over at your place. He was +a wonderfully intelligent fellow for a negro. He told me that he had +been taught by another black, who had been educated by some +missionaries. He could read and write well, and even knew a little +Latin." + +"Yes, I have heard papa say that he was the most intelligent negro he +had ever met, and that he was very much respected by all the negroes +round. I know M. Bayou had the greatest confidence in him, and I can't +help thinking that even if all the others broke out he would have saved +the lives of the family." + +"If you like I will go down and see to-morrow evening. I agree with you +that it is likely he would be faithful, but he may not have been able to +be so. However much he may be respected by the other blacks, one man can +do very little when a crowd of others half mad with excitement are +against him; and I suppose after all that it would be only natural that +his sympathies should be with men of his own colour, and being so +exceptionally well educated and intelligent he would naturally be chosen +as one of their leaders. However, he may have warned the family, and +possibly they may be hiding somewhere in the woods just as we are. I +should hope that a great many families have been saved that way." + +"Will it be necessary to keep watch to-night, Nat?" + +"No, I do not think there is any risk. Even the negroes who know of this +cave will not think of looking for us here, as they would not imagine we +could be acquainted with its existence. I think we can safely take a +good night's rest, and we shall be all the better for it." + +It was not till nearly daylight on the second day after starting that +Dinah returned. + +"Me not able to get away before," she said. "In de first place me hab to +wait till boy come back wid answer. Here 'tis," and she pulled a small +pellet of paper from her hair. + +Myra seized it and flattened it out. + + _Thank God for the good news. I have been nearly mad. At present + can do nothing. We expect to be attacked every hour. God protect + you both._ + +There was no signature. Monsieur Duchesne was evidently afraid that, +were the note to fall into the hands of the revolting leaders, a fresh +search would be instituted by them. + +"Dat boy bery nearly killed," Dinah said. "He creep and crawl troo de +blacks widout being seen, and get close to de white men out guarding de +place. Dey seize him and say he spy, and bery near hang him; den he took +out de paper just in time, and said it for Massa Duchesne; den dey march +him to town, woke up massa, and den, ob course, it was all right. It too +late to come back dat night, but he crawl out and lie close to where +dose black rascals were watching. Directly it get dark he get up, he +crawl troo dem, and run bery hard back, and directly he gib me paper I +start back here." + +"That was very good of him," Myra said; "when these troubles are over, +Dinah, you may be sure that my father will reward him handsomely." + +"Me suah of dat, mam'selle. He offer him ten louis, but Jake say no, if +he be searched and dat gold found on 'im dey hang 'm up for suah. Marse +say bery good, do much more dan dat for him when dese troubles ober. And +now, dearie, how is madame going on?" and she went to the side of Madame +Duchesne, put her hand on her forehead, and listened to her breathing. +She turned round with a satisfied nod. "Feber nearly gone," she said; +"two or tree days she open eyes and know us." + +"And how did you get on, Dinah?" + +"Me hab no trouble, sah; most ob de black fellows drunk all de day long. +Nobody noticed dat Dinah was not dere. Some of de women dey say, 'What +you do all day yesterday, Dinah?' and me say, 'Me ill, me no like dese +doings.' Dey talk and say, 'Grand ting eberyone be free, eberyone hab +plenty ob land, no work any more.' I say, 'Dat so, but what de use ob +land if no work? where dey get cloth for dress? where dey get meal and +rice? Dey tink all dese things grow widout work. What dey do when dey +old, or when dey ill? Who look after dem?' Some ob dem want to quarrel; +oders say, 'Dinah old woman, she hab plenty sense, what she say she say +for true.' Me tell dem dat me no able to 'tand sight ob house burnt, +no one at work in fields, madame and darter gone, no one know +where--perhaps killed. Dinah go and live by herself in de wood, only +come down sometimes when she want food. She say dat to 'splain why she +go away and come back sometimes." + +"A very good idea, very good," Nat said warmly; "the women were not +wrong when they said you had plenty of good sense. And now, Dinah, what +is the news from other parts of the island?" + +The old nurse was at the moment standing partly behind Myra, and she +shook her head over the girl's shoulder to show that she did not wish to +say anything before her, then she replied: + +"Plenty ob talk, some say one ting some anoder; not worf listen to such +foolishness." + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +AN ATTACK ON THE CAVE + + +Dinah lay down for a short sleep. It was far too late for Nat to start +for Count de Noe's plantation, and when it was broad daylight, he went +down to the pool for a bathe. When he returned, Dinah was standing at +the entrance. She held up her hand to signal to him to stay below. She +came down the steps, and sat down with him on a stone twenty or thirty +yards up the stream. + +"Mam'selle hab gone to sleep again," she said; "now we can talk quiet." + +"And what is your news, Dinah?" he asked. + +"Marse Glober, it am jest awful. It seem to Dinah dat all de black +folk in dis island am turned into debils--from eberywhar de same +story--eberywhar de white massas and de ladies and de childer all +killed. Dat not de worst, sah, dey not content wid killing dem, dey put +dem to horrible tortures. Me can't tell you all de terrible tings dat +I'se heard; me jest tell you one, dat enough for you to guess what de +oders are. Dey caught one white man, a carpenter, dey tied 'im between +two planks and dey carry 'im to his saw-pit and dey saw 'im asunder. In +one place de niggers march to attack town, and what you tink dey take +for dere flag? A lilly white baby wid a spear run troo him. As to de +ladies, me can no speak of de awful tings me hab heard. You quite right +to gib pistol to madame and mam'selle, dey do well shoot demselves +before dese yellow and black debils get hold of dem. Me neber tink dat +me hab shame for my colour, now I hab shame; if me could lift my hands +and ebery mulatto and black man in dis island all fall dead, me lift dem +now, and me glad me fall dead wid de rest." + +"This is awful, indeed, Dinah; as you say the negroes seem to have +become fiends. I could understand it in plantations where they are badly +treated, but it is certain that this was quite the exception, and that, +on the whole, they were comfortable and happy before this trouble began. +I know they were on Monsieur Duchesne's estate, and on all those I +visited when I was here before. I do not say they might not have +preferred to be free." + +"What good dat do dem, sah? If free, not work; dey worse off dan when +slabes. Where dey get close? where dey get food? what dey do when dey +get old? Look at Dinah, she allus comfor'ble and happy. She could work +now tho' she old, but she hab no work to do 'cept when she like to dust +room; she get plenty ob good food, she know well dat howeber old she +live, massa and madame make her comfor'ble. Suppose she like de oders, +and stop down at de huts, what den? who gib de ole woman food? who gib +her close? who gib her wine and medicine? No, sah, dis am bad business +all troo--terrible bad for white men, terrible bad for black men, +terrible bad for eberyone. + +"Next you see come de turn of de white man. Dey come out from de towns, +plenty guns and powder, dey attack de blacks, dey shoot dem down like +dogs, dey hunt dem troo de hills; dey show dem no mercy, and dey don't +deserve none, massa. It would hab been better had big wave come swallow +dis island up, better for eberyone; white man go to white man's heaben, +good black man go to heaben, either de same heaben, or de black man's +heaben. Now, suah enough, dere no heaben for dese black men who hab done +dese tings, dey all shut out; dey no let dem in 'cause dey hab blood on +dere hands, me heard priest say dat St. Peter he sit at de gate. Well, +sah, you bery suah dat St. Peter him shake him head when black fellow +from dis island come up and ask to go in. All dis dreadful, massa;" and +the tears ran plentifully down the old nurse's cheeks. + +"It won't be as bad as that, Dinah," Nat said soothingly. "There must be +a great many who have taken no part in this horrible affair, and who +have only risen because they were afraid to hang back." + +"Don't you whisper word to Mam'selle Myra 'bout dese tings, Marse +Glober." + +"You may be sure that I shall not do so, Dinah; but certainly I shall, +whenever I leave her, tell her not to hesitate to use her pistol against +herself." + +"If de negroes find dis cave, you trust to me," the negress said firmly. +"I'se heard dat it bery wicked ting to kill oneself. Bery well, sah, me +won't let madame and mam'selle do wicked ting. Dinah got long knife +hidden, if dey come Dinah kill bofe ob dem, den dey no do wicked deed. +As to Dinah, she poor ole negro woman. Better dat St. Peter say to her, +'You no come in, dere blood on hands,' dan dat he should say dat to de +two white ladies she hab nursed." + +Nat's eyes were moist, and his voice shook at this proof of the old +woman's devotion, and he said unsteadily: + +"St. Peter would not blame you, Dinah. He would know why there was blood +on your hands, and he would say, 'Come in, you have rendered to your +mistresses the last and greatest services possible.'" + +After breakfast Dinah washed his shirt, his white nankeen trousers, and +jacket, and, as he had not a red sash to wind round his waist, he took +the ornaments and slings from his sword-belt and put this on. + +"You pass bery well, sah, for mulatto man; de only ting am de hat. Dat +red handkerchief bery well when you pretend to be negro, but not suit +mulatto, and Dinah will go see what she find at dose plantation on de +hills." + +"No, Dinah, you must not run risks." + +"No risk in dat, sah. Dinah known bery well at most of de plantations +round. I'se got a name for hab good medicines for febers, and ointments +for sores, and women dat hab childer ill bring dem down to me from all +parts. Bery simple for me to go round and say dat now de house gone and +de ladies and all, me not like to stay down dere and be trouble to my +darters. Plenty for 'em to do to keep demselves and der childer. Me +going to trabel round de country and nurse de sick and sell my +medicines. Suah to meet some woman whose child me hab cured; ask her if +she know anyone who hab got straw-hat--dere suah to be straw-hats in +planters' houses--me say dat a mulatto hab lost his, and not able to go +down to town to buy one, and told me would gib me dollar if I could get +him good one. Me try to get someting for sash too." + +"That would be almost as difficult as the hat, Dinah." + +Dinah shook her head. + +"Plenty ob women got red shawl, sah; most all got red handkerchief. Buy +one shawl or six handkerchief, bring dem home, cut dem up, and sew dem +together; dat make bery good sash. You no trouble, massa; you keep quiet +here all day and look abter madame. I'se sure to be back before it time +for you to start." + +Dinah indeed returned just as the sun was sinking. She carried a small +bundle in one hand, and a broad-brimmed straw-hat in the other. + +"Well done, Dinah!" Nat exclaimed as he returned after sitting for a +couple of hours on the rocks near the fall, and found her in the cave. +"How did you get the hat?" + +"Jess as I said, sah; me found one woman who allus bery grateful to +me-for sabing her chile. I tell her I want straw-hat. She said she could +get me one, two, or tree hats in de house ob mulatto oberseer. She 'teal +one for me. Most of de men down in de plain, so she take basket and go +up to de house garden--ebery one take what dey want now. She get some +green 'tuff, as if for her dinner; den she go round by mulatto man's +house, she look in at window and see hats; she take one, put 'im in +basket and cober 'im ober, den bring um back to me. She had red shawl; +she gib it me, but I make her take dollar for it. Me hide de hat under +my dress till me get away into de woods again, den me carry um. Now, +sah, put um on. Dat suit you bery well, sah; you pass for young mulatto +man when I got dis shawl cut up and sewn togeder. You please to know dat +madame open her eyes lillie time ago, and know mam'selle and Dinah. Me +gib her drink ob pine-apple juice wid water in which me boil poppy +seeds; she drink and go off in quiet sleep; when she wake to-morrow I +'spect she able to talk." + +"I don't like your going, Nat," Myra said when, the shawl having been +converted into a sash, he put his pistols into it. "We have heard, you +see, that the Bayous were not killed in the first attack, and I do not +see that you can learn more." + +"I should not run the risk, such as it may be, merely to ask that +question. But I think that their coachman, Toussaint, must have saved +them. I want to see him; possibly he may have made some arrangements for +getting them down to the coast, and he might be willing to allow you +and your mother to go down with them. Of course she would have to be +carried, but that might not add much to the difficulty." + +Receiving general instructions from Dinah as to the shortest route, he +started, without giving time for Myra to remonstrate further. After two +hours' walking he approached the plantation of Count Noe. The house was, +of course, gone. Seeing a negro girl, he went up to her. + +"Which is the house of Toussaint?" he asked. + +She pointed to a path. + +"It am de first house you come to," she said; "he used to live at de +stables, but now he hab de house ob one of de oberseers who was killed +because he did not join us." + +On reaching the house indicated he looked in at the window, and saw the +person he was looking for sitting at a table reading. He was now a man +of forty-eight years old, tall in stature, with a face unusually +intelligent for one of his race. His manners were quiet and simple, and +there was a certain dignity in his bearing that bespoke a feeling that +he was superior to the race to which he belonged and the position he +occupied. Nat went round to the door and knocked. Toussaint opened it. + +"Have you a letter for me?" he asked quietly, supposing that his visitor +had come with a message to him from one of the leaders of the rebellion. + +Nat entered and closed the door behind him. + +"Then you do not remember me, Toussaint?" + +The negro recognized the voice, and the doubtful accent with which his +visitor spoke French. + +"You are the young English officer," he exclaimed, "though I should not +have known you but for the voice. I heard that you were at Monsieur +Duchesne's, and it was believed that you had fled to the woods with his +wife and daughter. I am glad that they escaped." + +"I have come from them, Toussaint--at least from the daughter, for the +mother has had an attack of fever. She heard that the family here had +also escaped, and she said at once that she felt sure you had aided +them." + +"I did so," the negro said quietly; "they were the family I served, and +it was my duty to save them; moreover, they had always been kind to me. +They are safe--I saw them down to the coast last night. I risked my +life, for although the slaves round here respect me and look upon me as +their leader, even that would not have saved me had they suspected that +I had saved white people from death." + +"But you are not with them, Toussaint, surely?" + +The negro drew himself up. + +"I am with my countrymen," he said; "I have always felt their position +greatly. Why should we be treated as cattle because we differ in colour +from others? I did my duty to my employers, and now that that is done I +am free, and to-morrow I shall join the bands under Francois and +Biassou. I regret most deeply that my people should have disgraced their +cause by murders. Of the two thousand whites who have fallen fully one +half are women and children, therefore there could have been but one +thousand men who, if they had been allowed to go free down to the town, +could have fought against us; and what are a thousand men, when we are +half a million? It has been a mistake that may well ruin our cause; +among the whites everywhere it will confirm their opinion of our race +that we are but savages, brutal and bloodthirsty, when we have the +opportunity. In France it will excite those against us who were before +our friends, and French troops will pour into the islands, whereas, had +the revolution been a peaceful one, it would have been approved by the +friends of liberty there. It is terrible, nevertheless it makes it all +the more necessary that those who have some influence should use it for +good. Now that the first fury has passed, better thoughts may prevail, +and we may conduct the war without such horrors; but even of that I have +no great hope. We may be sure that the whites will take a terrible +vengeance, the blacks will retaliate; it will be blood for blood on both +sides. However, in a case like this the lives of individuals are as +nothing, the cause is everything. I have myself no animosity against the +whites, but many of my countrymen have just cause for hatred against +them, and were any to try to interfere to prevent them from taking the +vengeance they consider their right, it would cause dissension and so +prejudice our chances of success. You can understand, then, that I shall +hold myself aloof altogether from any interference. I am sorry for the +ladies, but now that I have done my duty to my late employers, I have a +paramount duty to discharge to my countrymen, and decline to interfere +in any way." + +"Then all I can say is," Nat said sternly, "that I trust that some day, +when you are in the power of your enemies, there will be none to give +you the aid you now deny to women in distress." + +So saying, he turned and went out through the door, and before morning +broke arrived again at the cave. Not wishing to disturb the others, he +lay down outside until the sun was up, then he went along the stream for +some distance and bathed. As he returned, Myra was standing on the ledge +outside the entrance. + +"Welcome back!" she called out. "What news have you brought?" + +"Good news as far as your friends are concerned. Toussaint has got them +down to the coast, and sent them to Cape Francois in a boat." + +"That is good news indeed," she cried. "Oh, I am glad! Now, what is the +bad news?" + +"The only bad news is that the negro declined to help you in the same +way. He is starting this morning to join some bands of slaves up in the +hills." + +"That is hardly bad news," she said, "for I never supposed that he would +help us. There was no reason why he should run any risks for our sake." + +"I hoped that he would have done so, Myra; but at the same time, as he +evidently regards the success of the blacks as certain, and expects to +become one of their leaders, one can understand that he does not care to +run any risk of compromising himself." + +"Mamma is better this morning," Myra said; "she has asked after you, and +remembers what happened before her fever began." + +"That is good indeed. As soon as she gets strong enough to travel we +will begin to think how we can best make our way down to the town." + +Four days later, Dinah, on her return from a visit to the plantations, +said that there had just been some fighting between the whites coming +out from Cape Francois and the slaves. They said that a ship had arrived +with some French troops, and that all the white men in the town were +coming out, and that they were killing every negro they found. The women +and children from the plantations in the plains were all flying into the +woods. + +"Then it strikes me, Dinah, that our position here is a very dangerous +one. You may be sure that the slaves will not be able to stand against +the whites and the soldiers, and that numbers of them will go into +hiding, and it is very likely that some who know the secret of this +place will come here." + +"Yes, sah, I'se not thought ob dat; but, sure enough, it am bery likely +dat some ob dem may do so. What you tink had best be done? If de slabes +all running into de wood de danger of passing troo would be much +greater dan it hab been. And eben if madame could walk, it would be bery +great risk to go down--great risk to 'top here too. What you tink?" + +"I don't know what to think, Dinah; there is one thing, it is not likely +that many of them would come here." + +"No, sah; dose who know about de cave would know dat not more dan eight +or ten could hide here--no use to bring a lot ob people wid dem." + +"That is what I think, Dinah; they will keep the secret to themselves. +Now against eight or ten of them, I am sure that I could hold this +place, but some of them, when they found they could not get in, would go +back again and might lead a strong party here, or might keep watch +higher up, and starve us out. And even if the whites beat them out of +all the plantations, they would not know where to look for us, and would +have too much on their hands to scatter all over the hills. If we are to +join them it must be by going down." + +"Dinah might go and tell dem, sah." + +Nat shook his head. + +"I am afraid, Dinah, that their passions will be so much aroused at the +wholesale murder of the whites that they will shoot every black they +come across, man or woman, and you would be shot long before you could +get close enough to explain why you had come. No, I think the only thing +to be done, as far as I can see, is that you should go down from time to +time to let us know how things are going. I do not think that the whites +are likely to get very far along the road. You may be sure that when the +troops started from the town news was sent at once to the leaders, and +it is likely that they will move a great number of men down to oppose +them, and will likely enough drive them back. However, the great thing +for us is to know where they are and what they are doing. It is likely +that now the whites have advanced there will no longer be any watch +kept to prevent people, in hiding like ourselves, from going down to the +town; if you find out that that is so, we will put madame on her barrow +again, and carry her down. Of course we should have to chance being met +when going through the forest, but we must risk that." + +"Yes, I tink dat de only plan, sah." + +Accordingly, Dinah started again the next morning. Nat felt very +anxious, and took up his place near the entrance to the cave. Myra was +busy seeing to the cooking and in attending upon her mother. About four +o'clock he thought he heard voices, and, crawling cautiously to the +mouth of the cave, he looked out through the bushes. Eight men were +coming along; six of them were negroes, and the other two were the +mulatto overseers whose conversation he had overheard. He called softly +to Myra: + +"Don't be alarmed, Myra, we are going to have a fight, but I have no +fear whatever of their taking us. Only one can attack at once, and he +can only come slowly. There are eight of them; you may as well bring me +the two other pistols. I would not take them if I thought there was the +smallest chance of these fellows getting up here. Go and tell your +mother not to be frightened, and then do you come and sit down behind +me. I will hand the pistols to you to load. There are only eight of +these fellows, and if there were eighty, we could hold the cave; even if +they got up to the platform they could only enter, stooping, one at a +time. Go at once to your mother, they will be here directly." + +"How much farther is this place?" the mulatto Christophe asked. + +"Right dar behind dat bush," the negro said; "you go up by dem steps." + +"It is a splendid hiding-place, Paul." + +"Yes. No one who did not know of it would have a chance of finding it. +There is someone there now; don't you see a light smoke rising behind +the bush?" + +"So there is! I should not be surprised if the woman Duchesne and her +daughter are there. It is certain that someone must have helped them +off, or we should have found them long ago." + +"Well, it will be a rare piece of luck if they are there." + +The negroes had already noticed the smoke, and were talking excitedly +together. It had not occurred to them that any fugitives could have +discovered the place, and they were only concerned at the thought that +the cave might be already fully occupied. + +"Hullo, dar!" one of them shouted. "How many ob you up dar?" + +No answer was returned. He shouted again, but there was still silence. + +"I s'pect dar only one man," he said to his comrades. "Most likely him +gone out to look for food. Bery foolish leab fire burning;" and he at +once proceeded to climb the steps, followed by two others. + +Nat grasped the handle of his pistol. He determined that in the first +place he would make sure of the two mulattoes. They were by far the most +dangerous of his foes, and if they escaped they would, he had no doubt, +keep watch higher up, capture Dinah on her return, and cut off all +retreat from the cave. It was time to act at once, and, taking a steady +aim at Paul, he fired. + +With a shriek the mulatto fell backwards. Before the others could +recover from their surprise Nat fired again, and Christophe fell forward +on his face in the water. He passed the pistol back to Myra, and grasped +another. He had expected that the negroes would at once fly, and two of +them had turned to do so, when the highest climber shouted down: + +"Come on, all ob you! what you want run away for? Perhaps only one man +here, he want to keep de cabe all to himself; we soon settle with him. +Dis cabe de only safe place." + +Nat could easily have shot the man, but he determined to direct his fire +against those below. If he shot those climbing the others would escape, +and it was of the greatest importance that no one should do so. The +negroes had snatched the pistols from the belts of the fallen mulattoes, +and several shots were fired at the bush. Nat drew back for a moment as +the negroes raised their arms, and then discharged the two barrels of +his pistol with as deadly an effect as before, and seized the third +weapon. The remaining negro below dropped behind a fallen rock. At the +same moment the man who was evidently the leader of them sprang on to +the ledge. Nat's pistol was ready, and as the negro bounded forward he +fired. The ball struck him in the chest, and he fell like a log over the +precipice. + +In his fall he struck one of his comrades, and carried him down on to +the rocks below. The other seemed paralysed with fear, and uttered a +shriek for mercy as Nat, who from his position could not see him, sprang +to his feet; but the tales that he had heard from Dinah of the +atrocities perpetrated had steeled his heart to all thoughts of mercy, +and taking a deliberate aim Nat shot him through the head. He had still +a pistol left charged. Myra had not yet loaded the first he had handed +to her, for it was but some twenty seconds from the time that the first +shot had been fired. Nat caught up the sword, and at once made his way +down the steps. He ran towards the rock behind which the last of the +negroes had thrown himself. As he did so the man leapt to his feet, and +the two pistols cracked at the same moment. Nat felt a sharp pain in his +side. His own shot had missed, and a moment later the negro was rushing +at him with uplifted knife. + +[Illustration: "HE FELL LIKE A LOG OVER THE PRECIPICE."] + +For the moment Nat forgot that he had another shot left, and, +dropping the pistol, shifted his sword to the right hand, and before the +negro's knife could fall he ran him through the body. There was now but +one foe left. He lay stunned below his fallen comrade, and Nat saw from +the manner in which one of his legs was doubled under him that it was +broken. He could do no harm, but he would assuredly die if left there +alone. Nat pressed his lips together, and having picked up his pistol, +he put it close to the man's head and fired. Looking up, he saw Myra run +out with a pistol in her hand. + +"It is all right, Myra. Thank God none of them have got away." + +"Are you hurt?" she asked, breathlessly. + +"I will come up," he said; "I am hit in the side, but I don't think that +it is at all serious." + +He found, however, as he ascended the steps, that it gave him acute pain +every time he moved. The girl was white and trembling when he joined +her. + +"Don't be frightened, Myra," he said, "I am sure that it is nothing +serious. It struck a rib and glanced off, I think, and at the worst it +has only broken the bone. You go in and attend to your mother." + +"I shall not do anything of the sort," she said. "You come in, and I +will look at it; it must want bandaging, anyhow." + +Nat felt that this was true, and, following her into the cave, he let +her take off his jacket. The wound was a few inches below the arm. + +"It is lucky that it was not a little more to the right," he said; "it +would have done for me. Don't look so white, Myra, a miss is as good as +a mile. It is as I thought, is it not?--just a glancing wound." + +"Yes," the girl said. + +He felt along the rib. + +"Yes," he said, "there is no doubt that it is broken; I can feel the +ends grate, and it hurts me every time I breathe. This is where it is, +just where the cut begins; the wound itself is nothing." + +"What shall I do?" she asked quietly. + +"Tear a strip or two off the bottom of your petticoat, then sew the ends +together to make a long bandage, and roll a little piece, so as to make +a wad about an inch wide. Is the wound bleeding?" + +"Yes, very much." + +"Fold a piece four or five thick, and lay over that the other wad so as +to go up and down across the rib. Now, if you will give me a little warm +water and a piece of rag, I will bathe the wound while you are making +the bandage." + +"I will bathe it," the girl said. "I am sure it would hurt you to get +your hand round." + +In ten minutes the operation was completed. + +"I am so sorry that I cannot help," Madame Duchesne murmured, as Myra +sat down to sew the strips together. + +"There is nothing that you could do, thank you," Nat said cheerfully. +"Myra is getting on capitally. I shall soon be all right again." + +When everything was done, he said, "You are a trump, Myra, you have done +it first-rate." Then the girl, who had gone on as quietly as if she had +been accustomed to such work all her life, broke down, and, bursting +into a fit of crying, threw herself down by the side of her mother. Nat +would have attempted to soothe her, but her mother said, "Leave her to +me, she will be all the better for a good cry." Nat went down again to +the stream, picked up the four pistols the Creoles had carried and +unwound their sashes, thinking that these would be better than the +make-shift that he wore. As he did so two small bags dropped out. He +opened them; both contained jewels, some of which he had seen Madame +Duchesne wearing. + +"That is a bit of luck," he said to himself. "No doubt directly they +entered the house these scoundrels made one of the women show them where +madame's jewel-case was, and divided the contents between them. When +Dinah comes we must get these bodies down the stream. I could do it +myself were it not for this rib, but it would not be safe to try +experiments. What a plucky girl Myra is! Most girls would have been +ready to faint at the sight of blood. I will wait a few minutes before I +go up so as to give her time to pull herself together." + +In ten minutes he went up again. "Madame," he said, "I have something +that I am sure you will be very glad to get back again. I took off the +sashes of those rascally mulattoes, and these two bags fell out of them. +What do you think they contain? Some of your jewels." + +Madame Duchesne and Myra both uttered exclamations of pleasure. "They +are family jewels," Myra said, "and my father and mother both prize them +very much. How strange they should have been on these men!" + +"The two mulattoes were two of your overseers, and no doubt ran straight +up and seized them directly they entered the house." + +She saw that her mother wished to speak, and leaned down over her, for +Madame Duchesne could not as yet raise her voice above a whisper. + +"Turn them out," she said, "and see how many are missing." + +Although Nat had seen Madame Duchesne in full evening dress two or three +times when parties of friends had assembled at the house, and had +noticed the beauty of her jewels, he was surprised at the number of +bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and rings that poured out from the bags. +Some of the larger articles, which he supposed were ornaments for the +hair, were bent and crumpled up so as to take up as little space as +possible. Myra held them up one by one before her mother's eyes. + +"They are all there, every one of them," the latter whispered. "Your +father will be pleased." + +"The greater part of these," Myra said to Nat, "were brought over when +the Baron Duchesne, our ancestor, came over here first, but a great many +have been bought since. I have heard mamma say that each successor of +the name and estate has made it a point of honour to add to the +collection, of which they were very proud, as it was certainly the +finest in the island; and besides, it was thought that if at any time +Hayti should be captured, either by the Spanish or your people, or if +there should be trouble with the blacks, it would be a great thing to +have valuables that could be so easily hidden or carried away." + +"Then they have thought all along that there might be a rising here some +day?" + +"Yes. I have heard my father say that when he was a boy he has heard his +grandfather talk the matter over with others, and they thought that the +number of slaves in the island was so great that possibly there might +some day be a revolt. They all agreed that it would be put down, but +they believed that the negroes might do terrible damage before enough +troops could be brought from France to suppress it." + +"They thought rightly," Nat said, "though it has been a long time +coming; and the worst of it is that even if it is put down it may break +out again at any time. It is hardly reasonable that, when they are at +least ten to one against the whites and mulattoes together, men should +submit to be kept in slavery." + +"But they were very well off," Myra said. "I am sure they were much +better off than the poorer whites." + +"From what I have seen of them I think they were," Nat replied, "but you +see people do not know when they are well off. I have no doubt that if +the last white man left the island, and slavery were abolished for ever, +the negroes would be very much worse off than they were before, and I +should think they would most likely go back to the same idle, savage +sort of life that they live in Africa. Still, of course, at present they +have no idea of that. They think they will be no longer obliged to work, +and suppose that somehow they will be fed and clothed and have +everything they want without any trouble to themselves. You see it is +just the same thing that is going on in France." + +"Well, now, what are you going to do next, Nat?" + +"I shall load the pistols. I have got four more now. Then I shall take +my place at the mouth of the cave again. I hope that when Dinah comes +she will bring us news that will enable us to move away. The fact that +this party was coming here for refuge shows that the blacks are growing +alarmed, and perhaps have already suffered a defeat, in which case the +way will be clear for us. If not, I must get her to help me clear the +place down below, it will not be difficult. What have you got on the +fire?" + +"There is a fowl that I have been stewing down to make the broth for +mother. I have another cut up ready for grilling." + +Two hours later Nat, to his surprise, saw Dinah hurrying down the +ravine, for he had not expected her until evening. He stood up at once. +She paused when she caught sight of the bodies lying below the cave. + +"It is all right, Dinah," he shouted. "We have had a bit of a fight, but +it only lasted for a minute or two, and except that I got a graze from a +pistol-ball, we are unhurt." + +"De Lord be blest, sah!" she said as she came up. "Eight ob dem, and you +kill dem all, sah?" + +"Yes; one could hardly miss them at that distance. I am glad to say that +none of them got away. You are back earlier than I expected." + +"Yes, sah; me found out all de news in good time, and den, as eberyone +say hurricane come on, I hurry all de way to get here before he come." + +"Well, come up, Dinah. Madame is going on very well. You know those two +mulattoes?" + +"Me know dem, sah; dey bery bad men, dey lead de black fellows to de +attack." + +"Well, it is well that they came up here, for they had, hidden in their +sashes, all madame's jewels." + +"Dat am good news, sah," the old woman said as she joined him, "dat +powerful good news. Madame didn't say anyting about jewels, but Dinah +tought of dem, and what a terrible ting it would be if she had lost dem! +Dat good affair." + +"So you think that we are going to have a storm, Dinah?" + +"Sartin suah, sah; bery hot las' night, bery hot dis morning, and jest +as me got to top of hill me saw de clouds coming up bery fast." + +"I didn't notice the heat particularly. Of course it is very shady in +this deep gorge, and one does not see much of the sky." + +"Dis bery good place, sah--better dan house, much better dan forest. Me +was despate frighted dat storm would come before me got here." + +"I was wanting you to help me put the bodies into the stream, Dinah." + +"No need for dat, sah; when storm come wash dem all down--no fear ob +dat." + +She went into the cave, and Nat followed her. + +"Me hab good news for you, ma'am. De whites come out strong from de town +wid regiment of troops and de sailors from English ship; de blacks hab +a fight down in de plain, but dey beat dem easy. Den yesterday de bands +of Francois come down from de mountains, get to our plantation in de +evening; dey bery strong, dey say dar am ten thousand ob dem. Dey s'pect +de whites to come and attack to-morrow. To-day dey clearing out all de +plantations on de plain. De black fellows say dey cut dem all to +pieces." + +"There is no fear of that," Nat broke in. "So you think that they will +fight in the morning?" + +"No, sah, me no tink dat; me suah dat as soon as de whites see de +hurricane coming dey march back fast to de town; no can stand hurricane +widout shelter. You had better light de lantern, it am getting as dark +as night." + +Nat went to the entrance. Looking up, he saw a canopy of black cloud +passing overhead with extraordinary rapidity. Almost instantaneously +there came a flash of lightning, nearly blinding him, accompanied by a +tremendous clap of thunder. He turned hastily back into the cave. + +"It is lucky that you arrived in time, Dinah; if you had been ten +minutes longer you would have been caught." + +He stopped speaking, for his voice was drowned in a tremendous roar. He +was about to go to the mouth of the cave again, but Dinah caught hold of +his jacket. + +"No, sah, you mustn't go; if you show your head out beyond de cabe, de +wind catch you and whirl you away like leaf, nobody neber see you no +more. We safe and comfor'ble in here. We just got to wait till it all +over. Dat wind strong enough to trow down de strongest trees, blow down +all de huts, take de roof off de strongest house. We not often hab +hurricanes in dis island, but when dey come, dey come bery bad. Dose ten +tousand black fellows down at de plantation dey hab a bery bad time ob +it to-night, dey wish demselves dead afore morning." + +"It is very bad for the women and children too, Dinah." + +"Yes, sah, me hab not forgotten dat; but most ob dem will hab gone, dey +run away when dey hear dat de whites coming out of town. Dey know bery +well dat de whites hab good cause to be bery angry, and dat dey shoot +eberyone dey catch." + +"But they will be just as badly off in the woods as they would be in +their huts, Dinah. Have your daughter and her children got away?" + +"No, sah, dey wur going jest as I started, but I told dem dat hurricane +coming, and dat dey better stay in de clearing; and dey agreed to hide +up in de little stone hut at end of garden where dey keep de tools and +oder tings. De roof blow off, no doubt, but de walls am low and strong. +Dey hab bad time dere, but dey safe." + +With Dinah's assistance, Nat fixed a blanket at the point where the +narrow entrance widened out, to keep out the swirls of wind which from +time to time rushed in, propping it in its place by the hand-barrow on +which Madame Duchesne had been brought up. Myra had finished cooking the +fowls just as her nurse arrived, and they sat down to their meal +heedless of the terrific tempest that was raging outside. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +AFLOAT AGAIN + + +"There will be no occasion to keep watch to-night, Dinah." + +"Not in de least, sah; de water six feet deep, no one could get in." + +As talking was out of the question, the party lay down to sleep soon +after they had finished their meal. It was some time, however, before +Nat closed his eyes. It seemed to him that as soon as the storm was +over, and the water low enough for them to pass up the ravine, no time +should be lost in attempting to make their way down into the town. The +troops would no doubt set out again as soon as possible, and a battle +might be fought before nightfall. That the negroes would be beaten he +had no doubt, and in that case other parties of fugitives might make for +the cave. It was likely that, until the battle was fought, there would +be but few negroes in the forest; those who had remained there during +the storm would go down into the full glare of the sun to dry and warm +themselves. + +Doubtless, too, Francois, the negro leader, would have sent messengers +off as soon as he arrived, ordering all able-bodied men in the +plantations for miles round to come in to take part in the battle, and +their chances of meeting with any foes as they descended to the plain +would be slight. It would undoubtedly be a serious matter to carry +Madame Duchesne for so long a distance; for they had ever since leaving +the plantation been going farther away from the town, and he calculated +that it must be at least twenty-five miles distant. He did not think +that it would be possible to do the journey in a day; but once down on +the plains they might find some building intact, in which they could +obtain shelter for the night. At last he fell off to sleep. + +When he awoke the din outside had ceased, and the silence seemed almost +oppressive. He got up, pushed aside the blanket, and looked out. The +stars were shining, and the wind had entirely lulled. The bottom of the +ravine was still full of water, but he felt sure that this would +speedily drop; for the depression above the gorge was not an extensive +one, and the water that fell there would speedily find its way down. He +lit a fresh candle and placed it in the lantern, as the last, which had +been renewed by Dinah early in the night, was burning low. He pulled +down the blanket, for although the air was fresh and cool at the +entrance, the cave was oppressively warm. It was two hours before day +began to break; by this time the torrent had subsided and the stream ran +in its former course, and it was clear that in another hour it would be +possible to make their way along by the side. As he was turning to go +in, Dinah joined him. + +"I tink, Marse Glober, de sooner we go de better." + +"That is just what I have been thinking. There are not likely to be many +of the slaves about in the wood to-day; you see a number of trees have +blown down from above, and just below, the ravine is almost choked with +them." + +"No, sah, many will be killed in the forest, and de rest frighted 'most +out of der lives. If de whites come out and fight to-day, and de black +fellows are beaten, all dose who know of dis place suah to come to hide +here." + +"That was just my idea." + +"How your side, sah?" + +"It seems rather stiff and sore, Dinah. However, that can't be helped. +That sash you made me will come in very handy for carrying madame, and +we sha'n't have the weight of the other things we brought up. I am +afraid it will be impossible to do the journey in one day, but I dare +say we shall light upon a shelter down on the plains." + +"Yes, sah. Me put de pot on de fire at once, and as soon as we hab +breakfast we make a start; but before we go me must stain you all +again--got glenty ob berries left." + +Madame Duchesne had already been consulted. She would much rather have +remained until strong enough to walk, but on her old nurse's showing her +that it would be at least a fortnight before she could walk even a mile, +and pointing out the danger there was in delay, she agreed to start +whenever they thought fit. The jewels were placed in Dinah's capacious +pocket, as, if they fell in with any strong party of negroes, she would +be less likely to be searched than the others. In an hour all the +preparations were completed; one pistol was given to Madame Duchesne and +another to her daughter. Dinah took charge of a brace, and Nat wore the +other two brace in his sash. He still wore his uniform under his nankeen +suit, and his naval cap was in the bundle that formed Madame Duchesne's +pillow. She lay down on the hand-barrow, all the blankets being placed +under her, with the exception of one which was thrown over her, and she +was let down the precipice in the same way as she had been brought up. + +Dinah this time followed Nat's example, and used one of the mulattoes' +sashes as a yoke to take the weight off her arms. Madame Duchesne was +placed as far forward on the barrow as possible, so as to divide the +weight more equally between her bearers. On raising her, Nat found to +his satisfaction that it hurt him but little. In the week that had +elapsed since she was seized with the fever, Madame Duchesne had lost a +good deal of weight, the store of provisions had, too, greatly +diminished, and the sash took so much of the weight off his arms, that +as he walked in a perfectly erect position there was little strain +thrown upon the broken bone. It was only when he came to a rough place +and had to step very carefully that he really felt his wounds. Myra +looked anxiously at him from time to time. + +"I am getting on capitally," he said. "Do not worry about me; at present +I scarcely feel that unfortunate rib." + +"Mind, if you do feel it, Nat, you must give up. Dinah will take your +place, and I will take hers. I am sure that I can carry that end very +well for a time." + +"I will let you know when I want a change," Nat said. "Now, you go on +ahead, and as soon as we get out of this hollow use your eyes sharply." + +They saw no one going up the valley or crossing the open ground. When, +however, they entered the forest on the other slope, they saw for the +first time how terrible had been the force of the hurricane. In some +places over acres of ground every tree had fallen, in others the taller +trees only had been levelled or snapped off, while others again had +boughs wrenched off, and the ground was thickly strewn with fallen +branches. All this added greatly to the fatigue of travelling. Detours +had to be constantly made, and the journey down took them double the +time that had been occupied in the ascent. When approaching the road +they had to cross, they sat down and rested for half an hour. + +"You are looking very white, Nat," Myra said; "I am afraid that your +side is hurting you terribly." + +"It certainly hurts a bit, Myra, but it is of no consequence. It was +going on very well until I stumbled over a fallen branch that gave it +rather a twist." + +"You let me bandage 'im again, Marse Glober. We will go off and set dis +matter right." + +When a short distance away Nat stripped to the waist. Myra had done her +best, but the old nurse possessed considerable skill in such matters, +and strength enough to draw the bandage much tighter than she had done. + +"Better make it a bit longer," she said, and taking a pair of scissors +from her pocket cut off a strip some fifteen inches wide from her ample +petticoat, and wound this tightly round the other bandage. "Dere, sah, +dat make you 'tiff and comf'able." + +"It does make me stiff," Nat said with a smile; "I almost feel as if I +had got a band of iron round me. Thank you; I shall do very well now." + +The old nurse dressed him carefully again, and they rejoined the others. + +"That is ever so much better," Nat said to Myra; "the bandage had +shifted a little, and Dinah has put it on fresh again, and added a strip +of her own petticoat." + +The journey was then resumed, and, with an occasional halt, continued +until late in the afternoon, by which time they were well down on the +plain. During the latter part of the day they had heard at first +scattered shots and then a roar of musketry about a couple of miles on +their right. It continued for half an hour, and then the heavy firing +ceased; but musket shots could be heard occasionally, and higher up on +the hill than before. + +"The negroes have been beaten," Nat said, "and our men are pursuing +them. Perhaps they will make another stand at the point where the road +runs between two steep banks." + +This indeed seemed to be the case, for half an hour later a heavy fire +broke out again. It was but for a short time--in ten minutes it died +away, and no further sound was heard. Darkness was now falling, and they +presently arrived at some buildings that had been left standing. They +were storehouses, and had not been fired at the time when the planter's +house was burned, but had probably been used by the negroes as a +barrack, until the advance of the troops on the previous day had +compelled them to take a hasty flight. The litter was now laid on the +ground. Madame Duchesne had dozed off many times during the day, and was +now wide awake. + +"Are you going to light a fire, Dinah?" + +"No, madame; Marse Glober and me tink it too dangerous. Not likely any +ob dese black fellows 'bout, but dere might be some hiding, best to be +careful. We hab a cold chicken to eat, and dere is some chicken jelly in +de lillie pot for you, and we hab bread, so no need for fire to cook, +and sartin no need for him afterward, we all sleep first-rate. Madame +not heaby, but road bery rough, and little weight tell up by end ob de +day. Dinah getting ole woman, Marse Glober got rib broken--both bery +glad when journey done. Mamzelle she tired too; twelve mile ober rough +ground a long journey for her." + +"My feet ache a little," Myra said, "but otherwise I do not feel tired. +I felt quite ashamed of myself walking along all day carrying nothing, +instead of taking turns with you." + +There was but little talking as they ate their meal in the darkness. +Neither Nat nor the old nurse had said a word as to their feelings as +they walked, but both felt completely exhausted, and it was not many +minutes after they had finished their supper before they were sound +asleep. At daybreak they were on their feet again, feeling better after +the long night's rest, and happy at the thought that this day's walk +would take them to home and safety. Nat now threw off his disguise, +placed his cap upon his head, and appeared as a British officer, though +certainly one of considerably darker complexion than was common; but he +thought there was less danger now from slaves than from parties of +maddened whites, who had been out to their former homes and might shoot +any negroes they came upon without waiting to ask questions. Myra also +discarded the negro gown. + +"I think that I looked more respectable in that," she said with a laugh, +"than in this draggled white frock." + +"It has not been improved, certainly, by its week's wear, Myra; but just +at the present moment no one will be thinking of dresses. Now let us be +off. We shall be on the road soon, and in an hour or two will be in the +town." + +[Illustration: THE JOURNEY TO THE COAST.] + +It seemed easy work after the toil of the previous day. They bore to the +right until they fell into the main road, both because it would be +safer, and because Nat hoped that he might meet someone who could inform +Monsieur Duchesne--who he had no doubt would have gone out with the +column--that his wife and daughter were in safety, and that he would +find them at his house in the town. They had, indeed, gone but a +short distance along the road when four men on horseback galloped up. +They drew rein suddenly as they met the little party, astonished to see, +as they thought, a mulatto girl in front, a negro woman carrying a +litter on which was another mulatto woman, and which was carried behind +by a young mulatto in the uniform of a British naval officer. Had they +met them out in the country they would probably not have troubled to ask +questions, but, travelling as they were along the road towards the town, +and from the direction where the column had been fighting, it was +evident that there must be some mystery about it. + +"Who are you?" one of them asked Nat in a rough tone. + +"I am an officer of his Britannic Majesty's frigate _Orpheus_, at +present, I believe, in the port; this lady on the stretcher is Madame +Duchesne; this young lady is her daughter, Mademoiselle Myra Duchesne; +this negress, the faithful nurse of the two ladies, has saved their +lives at the risk of her own." + +One of the horsemen leapt from his saddle. + +"Pardon me for not recognizing you, mademoiselle," he said to Myra, +lifting his straw-hat; "but the change that you have made in your +complexion must be my excuse for my not having done so. I trust that +madame, your mother, is not seriously ill." + +"She has been very ill, Monsieur Ponson," she replied. "She has just +recovered from an attack of fever, but is very weak indeed." + +"I saw your father three days ago. He had then just received your +message saying that you were in safe hiding. He was, of course, in a +state of the greatest delight. He went out with the troops yesterday." + +"If you see him, sir, will you be kind enough to tell him that you have +met us, and that he will find us at his house in town?" + +"I will certainly find him out as soon as I reach the troops. Is there +anything else that I can do?" + +"Nothing, thank you, sir. Is there, Nat?" + +"No, unless one of the gentlemen would ride back with us, so as to +prevent us from being stopped by every party we meet and having to +explain who we are." + +"I will do so, sir," the youngest of the horsemen said. "I dare say I +shall be able to join our friends at the front before there is any more +fighting, for the messenger who came in yesterday evening brought the +news that the blacks had been so completely defeated, that it was +thought likely they would make straight off into the mountains in the +interior." + +"Thank you very much, sir; it will be a great comfort to us to go +straight on. We are anxious to get Madame Duchesne into shelter before +the sun gets to its full power. My name is Glover. May I ask yours?" + +"It is Laurent." + +The other three horsemen, after raising their hats in salute, had now +ridden on. + +"How did you get on through the hurricane, Monsieur Glover?" + +"We scarce felt it. We were in a cave with a very small entrance, and +after the first outburst slept through it in comfort." + +"It is more than any of us did in the town," the other said with a +laugh. "It was tremendous. I should say that half the houses were +unroofed, and in the poor quarters many of the huts were blown down, and +upwards of twenty negroes were killed." + +"Do you think, Monsieur Laurent," Myra said, moving across to him, "that +we are likely to meet any people on foot whom we could hire?" + +"No, I hardly think so, mademoiselle. All the gentlemen in the town who +could get away rode out with the troops, and the rest of the whites are +patrolling the streets armed, lest the negroes employed in the work of +the port should rise during the absence of the troops. Why do you ask, +mademoiselle?" + +"Because Monsieur Glover had a rib broken by a pistol-ball the day +before yesterday, and I am sure it hurts him very much to carry my +mother." + +The young man leapt from his horse. + +"Monsieur," he exclaimed, "pray take my horse. I will assist in carrying +Madame Duchesne." + +"I do not like"--Nat began, but his remonstrance was unheeded. + +"But I insist, monsieur. Please take the reins. You can walk by the side +of the horse or mount him, whichever you think will be the more easy for +you." + +So saying, he gently possessed himself of the handles of the litter, +placed the sash over his shoulders, and started. It was indeed an +immense relief to Nat. The rough work of the preceding day had caused +the ends of the bone to grate, and had set up a great deal of +inflammation. He had been suffering acutely since he started, in spite +of the support of the bandage, and he had more than once thought that he +would be obliged to ask Myra to take his place. He did not attempt to +mount in the young Frenchman's saddle, for he thought that the motion of +the horse would be worse for him than walking; he therefore took the +reins in his hand, and walked at the horse's head behind the litter. The +pain was less now that he was relieved of the load, but he still +suffered a great deal, and he kept in the rear behind the others, while +Myra chatted with Monsieur Laurent, learning from him what had happened +in the town, and giving him a sketch of their adventures. As they passed +the house of Madame Duchesne's sister, the invalid said that she would +be taken in there, as she had heard from Monsieur Laurent that their +own house was partially unroofed. Myra ran in to see her aunt, who came +out with her at once. + +"Ah, my dear sister," she cried, "how we have suffered! We had no hope +that you had escaped until your husband brought us the joyful news three +days ago that you were still in safety. Come in, come in! I am more glad +than ever that our house escaped without much damage from the storm." + +Although the house was intact, the garden was a wreck. The drive up to +the house was blocked by fallen trees, most of the plants seemed to have +been torn up by the roots and blown away, the lawn was strewn with huge +branches. + +Two of the house servants had now come out and relieved those carrying +the litter. + +"Ah, Monsieur Glover," continued Madame Duchesne's sister, "once again +you have saved my niece; my sister also this time! Of course you will +come in too." + +"Thanks, madame, but if you will allow me I will go straight on board my +ship. I am wounded, though in no way seriously. Still, I shall require +some medical care, for I have a rib broken, and the journey down has not +improved it." + +"In that case I will not press you, monsieur. Dr. Lepel has gone out +with the column, and may not be back for some days." + +"Good-bye, Madame Duchesne!" Nat said, shaking the thin hand she held +out to him. "I will come and see you soon, and hope to find you up by +that time. Now that your anxiety is at an end you ought to gain strength +rapidly." + +"May Heaven bless you," she said, "for your goodness to us!" + +"That is all right," he said cheerfully. "You see, I was saving my own +life as well as yours; and it is to you, Dinah," he said, turning and +shaking her hand, "it is to you that we really all owe our lives. First +you warned us in time, then you took us to a place of safety, and have +since got us food and news, and risked your own life in doing so. + +"Good-bye, Myra; I hope that when I see you again you will have got that +dye off your face, and that you will be none the worse for what you have +gone through." + +The girl's lip quivered. + +"Good-bye, Nat. I do so hope your wound will soon heal." + +"You are fortunate, indeed, in having escaped," Monsieur Laurent said as +they turned away. "From all we hear, I fear that very few of the whites, +except in plantations quite near the towns, have escaped. It is strange +that the house servants, who in most cases have been all their lives +with their masters and mistresses, and who have almost always been +treated as kindly as if they were members of the family, should not have +warned them of what was coming." + +"I should think that very few of them knew," Nat replied. "They were +known to be attached to their masters and mistresses, and would hardly +have been trusted by the others. I cannot think so badly of human nature +as to believe that a people who have been so long in close connection +with their masters should, in almost every case, have kept silent when +they knew that there was a plot to massacre them." + +"Well, I will say good-morning," Monsieur Laurent said. "I want to be +back with the troops. I was detained yesterday, to my great disgust, to +see to the getting-off of a freight, and I should not like to miss +another chance of paying some of the scoundrels off." + +Nat made his way slowly and carefully--for the slightest movement gave +him great pain--to the wharf. One of the frigate's boats was ashore. The +coxswain looked at him with surprise as he went down the steps to it. + +"Well, I'm jiggered," the man muttered, "if it ain't Mr. Glover!" Then +he said aloud: "Glad to see you back, sir. The ship's crew were all glad +when they heard the other day that the news had come as how you were +safe, for we had all been afraid you had been murdered by them niggers. +You are looking mighty queer, sir, if I may say so." + +"My face is stained to make me look like a mulatto. Whom are you waiting +for?" + +"For Mr. Normandy." + +"Well, how long do you expect he will be?" + +"I can't say, sir. It is about a quarter of an hour since he landed, and +he said he would be back in half an hour; but officers are generally +longer than they expect." + +"Well it won't take you above ten minutes to row off to the ship and +back. I will take the blame if he comes down before that. I have been +wounded, not badly, but it is very painful. I want to get it properly +dressed." + +"All right, sir, we will get you on board in no time." + +"Give me your arm. I must get in carefully." + +The men stretched to their oars, and in five minutes Nat was alongside +the _Orpheus_. He had heard, as he expected, that Dr. Bemish had gone +with the party that had been landed, but his assistant was on board. The +first lieutenant was on deck. He saw by Nat's walk as he went up to +report his return that something was the matter. + +"Are you ill or wounded, Mr Glover?" + +"I am wounded, sir. I had a rib broken by a pistol-ball, and I have had +a long journey, which has inflamed it a good deal." + +"Go down at once and have it seen to; you can tell me your story +afterwards. Have the ladies who were with you got safely down also?" + +"Yes, sir." + +The lieutenant nodded, and Nat then went below and placed himself in the +hands of the assistant surgeon. + +"My word, Glover, you have got your wound into a state!" the latter said +after he had examined him. "What on earth have you been doing to it? It +seems to have been a pretty clean break at first, and it wouldn't have +bothered you above three weeks or so, but the ends have evidently been +sawing away into the flesh. Why, man alive, what have you been doing?" + +"I have been helping to carry a sick woman down from the hills," Nat +said quietly. "If it had been level ground it would not have hurt so +much, but on rough ground strewn with branches one could not avoid +stumbling occasionally, and although it had been bandaged before I +started the wad slipped and the thing got loose, and after that it was +like walking with a red-hot needle sticking into me." + +"So I should say. Well, I will put you into a berth in the sick-bay at +once. Fortunately we have some ice on board and I will put some of it on +the wound and try to get the inflammation down." + +In a short time he returned with a basin of ice and a jugful of iced +lime-juice. Nat took a long drink, and then turned so that the ice could +be applied to the wound. + +"You must keep yourself as still as you can. I sha'n't attempt to +bandage you at present, there is really nothing to be done till we have +got the inflammation down." + +"I will lie quiet as long as I am awake, but I cannot answer for myself +if I go off to sleep, which will not be long, for I am as tired as a +dog. To-day's walk would have been nothing if I had been all right, it +was the pain that wore me out." + +"I don't suppose you will move. You may be sure that that rib will act +like an alarm, and give you warning at once if you stir in the +slightest." + +Having seen Nat comfortable, the young surgeon went up on deck. + +"How do you find Mr. Glover?" the first lieutenant asked. "He says that +it is only a broken rib." + +"Well, sir, it was only a broken rib at first, now it is a broken rib +with acute inflammation round it. There is a flesh wound about four +inches long where the bullet struck, broke the rib, ran along it, and +went out behind. That would not have been anything if he had kept quiet; +as it is, it is as angry as you could want to see a wound. But that is +not the worst, the two ends of the bone have been rubbing against each +other with enough movement to lacerate the flesh, with the natural +result that a wonderful amount of inflammation has been set up round +it." + +"But how did he manage it?" + +"It seems, sir, that he has been carrying, or helping to carry, a sick +woman down from the mountains, and he says the ground was very rough and +strewn with boughs, so that one can understand that he got some terrible +shakes and jolts, which would quite account for the state of his +wounds." + +"I should think so. When Monsieur Duchesne came off with the news that +his wife was safely hidden, and that Glover was with her, he said that +his daughter, who had written the note, reported that her mother was +ill. No wonder he has got his wound in such a state if he has, as you +say, aided to carry her down all that distance. He must have had a brush +with the negroes." + +"That must have been before he started, sir; for he said that the +bandage shifted, so his wound must have been bound up before he set +out." + +"It was a gallant thing for a lad to undertake--a most gallant action! +Why, it must have been torture to him." + +"It must indeed, sir." + +"He is not in any danger, I hope?" + +"Not unless fever intervenes, sir. No doubt with rest and quiet and the +use of ice we shall succeed in reducing the inflammation; but it is +likely enough that fever may set in, and if so there is no saying how it +may go. I shall be glad to have Doctor Bemish back again to take the +responsibility off my hands." + +Late that afternoon Monsieur Duchesne came on board to thank Nat. He was +not allowed to see him, as the doctor said that absolute quiet was +indispensable. He had had a full account from Myra of the adventures +through which the little party had gone, and he retailed this to the +lieutenant and doctor in the ward-room. + +"A most gallant business altogether," the first lieutenant said when he +had finished, "and certainly the most gallant part of it was undertaking +to carry Madame Duchesne when practically disabled. But I can +understand, as you say, that directly the negroes were defeated by the +force that went out against them, some of them would have made for that +cave, and it was therefore absolutely necessary to get away before they +came. However, I hope that we need not be anxious about him; he has gone +through three or four scrapes, any of which might have been fatal. There +was that fight with the dog; then he was in the thick of that business +with the pirates, and was blown up by the explosion, and half his crew +killed. He has had some marvellous escapes, and I think we may feel very +hopeful that he will get over this without serious trouble. It was lucky +indeed his finding your family jewels on two of those scoundrels that he +shot." + +"It would have been a great loss, but it is such a little thing in +comparison to the saving of my wife and daughter, that I have scarcely +given it a thought. I shall do myself the pleasure of calling again +to-morrow morning to know how he is." + +"Do so, monsieur; you will probably find Captain Crosbie here. I had a +note from him an hour ago, saying that he was returning, and would be +here by eight o'clock. The negroes having been defeated, and the safety +of the town being ensured for a while, he does not consider that he +would be justified in joining in the pursuit of the blacks among the +hills." + +Nat was not aware of the return of the landing-party until the next +morning, when on opening his eyes he saw Dr. Bemish by his side. + +"You young scamp," the latter said, shaking his finger at him, "you seem +determined to be a permanent patient. As soon as you recover from one +injury you are laid up with another. So here you are again." + +"It is only a trifle this time, doctor." + +"Umph, I am not so sure about that. Macfarlane tells me that, not +content with getting a rib broken, you go about carrying one end of a +stretcher with a woman on it across ground where it was difficult, if +not impossible, to move without ricking and hurting yourself. So that +not only have you set up a tremendous amount of inflammation round the +wound, but you have so worn the ends of the bone that they will take +three times as long knitting together as they would have done had they +been left alone." + +"I am afraid that is all true, doctor," Nat replied with a smile; "but, +you see, I thought it better to run the risk of inflammation, and even +this terrible rubbing of the end of the bones you speak of, than of +being caught by these fiendish negroes, and put to death by the hideous +tortures with which they have in many cases slowly murdered those who +fell into their hands." + +"It must have hurt you badly," Dr. Bemish said, as, after removing the +dressing that had, late the evening before, been substituted for the +ice, he examined the wound. + +"It did hurt a bit, doctor, but as four lives depended upon my being +able to hold on, there was nothing for it but to set one's teeth hard +and keep at it. How does it look this morning?" + +"What do you think, Macfarlane? you can form a better opinion than I +can, as I have not seen it before." + +"The inflammation seems to have abated a good deal." + +"In any case we will syringe the wound thoroughly with warm water. There +are doubtless some particles of bone in it, and until these are got rid +of we can't hope that it will heal properly. I will get that large +magnifying-glass from my cabin." + +For half an hour the wound was fomented and washed. + +"As far as I can see it is perfectly clean now," Dr. Bemish said, after +carefully examining it with the glass. "We will put a compress on, with +a wet cloth over it, which must be damped with iced water every +half-hour. When we quite get the inflammation down, Glover, which will, +I hope, be in two or three days, we will bandage it tightly, and I will +buy you a pair of stays on shore, and lace you up so that there shall be +no chance of your performing any more pranks with it, and then I fancy +you will be able to come up on deck, if you will promise to keep +yourself quiet there." + +"Well, that is better than I expected, doctor." + +"Have you any message to send to your friends? because I am going ashore +now to see them. Monsieur Duchesne was off yesterday afternoon, but +Macfarlane very properly refused to let him see you." + +"Tell him he can't see me for some days, doctor. I do so hate being made +a fuss over." + +"I will keep him away for a day or two anyhow," the doctor laughed. "He +gave the ward-room a full history of your affair, so you won't have the +trouble of going over it again." + +"That is a comfort," Nat growled. "How long is the _Orpheus_ likely to +stop here, doctor?" + +"Ah, that is more than I can say! At any rate the captain will not leave +until he gets orders from Jamaica. The _AEolus_ has just come into port, +and the captain will send her off at once with despatches to the +admiral, saying what has taken place, and how he landed a force to +protect the town, and went out with a party to attack the insurgent +blacks. He will ask for instructions, as they have no French vessel of +war here, and the land force is insufficient to defend the place if +attacked in earnest, especially as there is a considerable negro +population who would probably rise and join the insurgents if these made +an assault upon the town. The general hope on board is that we shall get +orders to stay here, or at least to cruise on the coast. Now that we +have broken up that nest of pirates, things are likely to be dull here +for some time, though I have little doubt that ere very long we shall be +at war with the French. According to the last news, which arrived since +you left us, that National Assembly of theirs is going farther and +farther, and its proceedings are causing serious alarm throughout +Europe, for they are altogether subversive of the existing state of +things. It is to its measures that this terrible insurrection here is +due, and the first consequence of what is really a revolution in France +will be the loss of her most valuable colony. I suppose you have heard +that something like two thousand whites have been murdered. I have no +doubt that now they have recovered from the first shock, the French here +will take a terrible vengeance; but though they may kill a great number +of the negroes, I doubt if it will be possible to reduce half a million +blacks to submission, especially in an island like this, with mountain +ranges running through it where cannon would be absolutely useless, and +the negroes could shelter in the almost impenetrable forests that cover +a large portion of it." + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +A FIRST COMMAND + + +For another couple of days no one was permitted to see Nat, but at the +end of that time the wound assumed a healthy aspect, and he was allowed +to receive visits. Captain Crosbie himself was the first to come down. + +"I am very glad to hear so good an account of you, Mr. Glover," he said +cordially; "you have done us credit again, lad, and have rendered an +inestimable service to Monsieur Duchesne and his family. Although it can +hardly be considered as in your regular course of duty, I shall +certainly forward a narrative of your adventures to the admiral. The +next time we go to Port Royal you had better go in for your examination, +and if you pass I have very little doubt that acting rank will be given +to you at once. Your aiding to carry down that lady, when yourself +wounded, was really a very fine action, for Doctor Bemish tells me that +you must have suffered intensely. Monsieur Duchesne is most anxious to +see you, but the doctor has told him that it will be better for him to +wait until you are well enough to go ashore, when you can go and see +them all together." + +"Thank you, sir, I would much rather do that. But really the person to +be thanked is the old negress who gave us warning in time to escape, +went down and fetched food, despatched a message to Monsieur Duchesne, +and got an answer back, and who did as much as I did in carrying her +mistress down." + +"Doubtless she behaved very well, Mr. Glover, but that does not alter +the fact that you did so also. And, as even you will admit, she had no +hand in the fight in which you killed eight of these scoundrels." + +"It was not much of a fight, sir. I had such an advantage in position +that I really did not like shooting them, in spite of what I had heard +of their doings; but it was our lives or theirs, and I knew that if one +of them got away he would bring down a score of others, and they would +speedily have starved us out." + +"At the present time," the captain said sternly, "mercy to these +villains would be misapplied; the lesson must be a terrible one, or +there will speedily be an end to white rule in the island. Another thing +is, that were this revolution to succeed, we might expect similar +outbreaks in our own islands. Now I will leave you. Your comrades will +come in to see you, but their visits must, for the present, be short." + +Nat progressed rapidly. In three days the water-dressings were given up +and he was tightly bandaged, and over this, rather to his disgust, the +doctor insisted upon his wearing a pair of stays. + +"It is all very well, Glover," Doctor Bemish said in answer to his +remonstrances, "but we know what you are. You are as active as a cat, +and would be constantly forgetting yourself, and springing to do +something; but these things laced tightly on will act as a reminder, and +will also bind you so closely together that, while you will have the +free use of your limbs, your ribs will be held as if in a vice. You will +have to keep them on until the bone has fairly knit, and you have every +reason to be thankful that this is the only inconvenience you have to +suffer from an expedition which might have cost you your life." + +Four days later Doctor Bemish said: + +"I think you can go ashore to-day. Of course you must be careful, +especially, getting in and out of the boat, but if you do that and walk +slowly, I do not think it will do you any harm. Madame Duchesne is up +and going on nicely, and they are most anxiously expecting you, and +indeed Duchesne said yesterday, that if I did not let you go on shore +to-day, he would come on board to see you." + +"But I feel like a hog in armour in these stays, doctor." + +"Never mind that, lad, you would be almost as bad if you took them off, +for I should have to put on twice as many bandages, and to pull them +ever so much tighter. I have told the captain that I am letting you go +ashore, and have also told Mr. Philpot, so that is all settled. I shall +be going off myself in an hour, and will take you with me, and keep an +eye over you until you get to their gate." + +"One would think that I was a small boy going to be taken to school," +Nat laughed, stopping, however, abruptly. + +"There! you see," the doctor said, "that gave you a twinge, I know; you +must be careful, lad, you must, indeed. There is no objection to your +smiling as much as you like, but there is nothing that shakes one up +more than a hearty laugh. That is why at other times laughing is a +healthy exercise, but with a rib in the process of healing, it is better +not to indulge in it." + +"Well, I shall be ready when you are." + +Nat accomplished the journey without pain. + +"Won't you come in, doctor?" he asked when they arrived at the gate. + +"No, Glover; this will be a sort of family party. I have warned Duchesne +not to throw himself on your neck, and have told him that you are to be +looked at and not touched." + +With an uneasy smile Nat left him at the gate and walked up the drive. +They were evidently on the watch for him, for the door opened almost +immediately, and Monsieur Duchesne ran down. "Mon cher!" he exclaimed, +"the doctor has said that I must not touch you, but I can scarce +refrain from embracing you. How can I thank you for all that you have +done?" + +"But, monsieur, I have done next to nothing. I shot some negroes who had +not a chance of getting at me, and I helped Dinah to carry madame down. +We owe our safety to Dinah, who was splendid in her devotion, making +journeys backwards and forwards, to say nothing of giving us the warning +that enabled us all to escape in time." + +"Dinah was splendid!" Monsieur Duchesne admitted. "But I can do nothing +for her. I have told her that she shall have a house and plenty to live +on all her days, but she will not leave us. I have made out her papers +of freedom, but she says, 'What use are these? I have been your servant +all my life, and should be no different whether I was what you call a +free woman or not.' What pleased her most was that I have given freedom +to her grandson who brought the message down here, and am going to +employ him in my stable, and that she has received a new black silk +gown. She has got it on in honour of your visit, and if it had been a +royal robe she could not be more proud of it." + +They had by this time arrived at the door, and Monsieur Duchesne led Nat +to the drawing-room, where his wife was lying on a sofa, and Myra +standing beside her. The yellow dye had now nearly worn off their faces. +Madame Duchesne was still pale, but she looked bright and happy. Nat +went up to her and took her hand. + +"I am truly glad to see you up again," he said. + +"It has all ended well," she replied with tears in her eyes. "It seems +like a bad dream to me, especially that journey. How good and kind you +were! and I know now how terribly you must have suffered." + +"It hurt a bit at the time, madame, but one gets accustomed to being +hurt, and it all went on so well that it was not worth grumbling about." + +"Ah, you look more yourself now, Myra!" and he held out his hand to her. + +"Embrace him, my dear, for me and for yourself. Twice has he saved your +life, and has been more than a brother to you." + +Myra threw her arms round Nat's neck and kissed him heartily twice, +while her eyes were full of tears. "I have not hurt you, I hope," she +said as he drew back. + +"Not a bit, and I should not have minded if you had," Nat said. Then he +sat down, and they talked quietly for some time. "I am going out +to-morrow again," Monsieur Duchesne said, "it is the duty of every white +to join in punishing these ungrateful fiends. I hear that they have been +beaten badly near Port-au-Prince. Some of the negroes are, we find, +remaining quietly on the plantations, and these, unless they have +murdered their masters, will be spared. No quarter will be given to +those taken in arms. At any rate we shall clear all of them out of the +plains near the bay, and drive them into the mountains, where we cannot +hope to subdue them till a large number of troops arrive from home." + +So vigorously, indeed, did the whites pursue the negroes, that in a +fortnight after the outbreak it was calculated that no fewer than ten +thousand blacks had fallen, many of them being put to death by methods +almost as cruel and ferocious as those they had themselves adopted. They +were still in such vast numbers that it was evident that it would be +impossible to overpower them until troops arrived from France; and, +indeed, the farther the French columns penetrated into the mountains, +the more severe was the resistance they met with, and on several +occasions the whites were repulsed with heavy loss. A truce was +therefore agreed upon, it being arranged that neither party should +attack the other until its expiration. There being, therefore, no +occasion for the _Orpheus_ to remain longer at Cape Francois, she sailed +for Jamaica. + +Nat's wounds continued to go on well. He was still stiff, and felt the +advantages of the encircling stays so much that he no longer objected to +wear them. As it was likely that, until matters were finally settled, +the _Orpheus_ would be constantly cruising on the coast of Hayti, and +that he would ere long see his French friends again, the parting was not +a sad one; and, indeed, Nat was by no means sorry to get under way again +to escape the expressions of gratitude of Monsieur Duchesne and his +wife. Two days after arriving at Port Royal, Nat received notice that a +court, composed of three captains of vessels then in port, would, on the +following day, sit to examine midshipmen who had either served their +time or were within a year of completing it. He at once sent in his +name. As he had read hard during the time he had been unfit for service, +he had no fear of not passing the ordeal, and at the conclusion of his +examination he was told by the president of the court that he had passed +with great credit. + +On returning to the frigate, he found a note from the admiral requesting +him to call upon him on his return from the court, and he at once +proceeded to the flag-ship. "I have heard a great deal of you, Mr. +Glover," the admiral said when he was ushered into his cabin. "First of +all I heard the story from your captain of the gallant manner in which +you, at the risk of your own, saved a young lady's life at Cape +Francois, when attacked by a savage hound, and were seriously injured +thereby. Then I received Captain Crosbie's official report of the share +you took in the attack upon that formidable nest of pirates, the report +being supplemented by his subsequent relation to me of the whole facts +of the affair. Your conduct there also did you very great credit, and, +had you passed, I should at once have given you acting rank. Now you +have again distinguished yourself, though scarcely in a manner which +comes under my official knowledge. I should be glad to hear from you a +detailed account of the affair." + +When Nat had finished his narration, he said, "You have scarcely done +justice to yourself. Your captain and Dr. Bemish were dining with me +last night, and the latter said that, wounded as you were, the work of +carrying that French lady down to the coast must have been an intensely +painful one, as was shown by the state of your wound when he examined +it. In all these matters you have shown courage and conduct, and as I +hear that you have now passed, I shall take the first opportunity of +giving you acting rank. You speak French fluently?" + +"I speak it quite fluently, sir, but as I have only picked it up by ear, +I cannot say that I speak it well." + +"However, the fact that you speak it well enough to converse freely may +be useful. Hayti is likely to be in a very disturbed state for some +time. There can be little doubt that the negroes in the other islands +are all watching what takes place there with close attention, and that +there is a possibility of the revolt spreading. At present there is no +saying what the course of events may be. Already the governor here has +received letters from several French residents expressing their desire +that we should take the island, as they believe that the French +revolutionary government will make no serious effort to put down the +rising. Of course, at present, as we are at peace with France, nothing +whatever can be done. At the same time, it is important that we should +obtain accurate information as to what is going on there, and what is +the feeling of the negroes and of the mulatto population, and we shall +probably have several small vessels cruising in those waters. The +_Falcon_, under the command of Lieutenant Low, who also belonged to the +_Orpheus_, has been for some weeks on the southern coast of the island. +I intend to have three or four other craft at the same work soon, and on +the first opportunity I shall appoint you to one of them." + +Nat expressed his warm thanks, and retired. Three or four days later he +received an intimation that the prize _Arrow_, a schooner of a hundred +and fifty tons, would at once be put into commission, and that the +admiral had selected him for her command. This was far more than Nat had +even hoped for. From the manner in which the admiral had spoken, he +thought that he would be appointed to a craft of this description, but +he had no expectation whatever of being given the command. With the +intimation was an order for him to again call upon the admiral. + +"It is a small command," the admiral said when Nat expressed his thanks +for the appointment. "We cannot spare you more than twenty-five hands, a +quarter-master, and two midshipmen. You will have Mr. Turnbull of the +_Leander_ as your first officer, and Mr. Lippincott of the _Pallas_. She +has carried six guns hitherto, but you will only take four. These, +however, will be twelve-pounders; before, she had only nines. Naturally, +it is not intended that she shall do any fighting. Of course, if you are +attacked you will defend yourself, but you are hardly a match for any of +these piratical craft except quite the smaller class--native boats +manned by bands of desperadoes. Your mission will be to cruise on the +coast of Hayti, to take off white fugitives should any show themselves, +and to communicate if possible with the negroes, find out the object +they propose to themselves, and report on their forces, organization, +and methods of fighting. In all this great care will be necessary, for +they have shown themselves so faithless and treacherous that it is +impossible to place any confidence in their promises of safe-conduct. In +such matters it is impossible to give any advice as to your conduct, you +must be guided by circumstances; be prudent and careful, and at the +same time enterprising. The schooner is a very fast one. She has been a +slaver, and has more than once shown her heels to some of our fastest +cruisers. Therefore, if you come across any piratical craft too big to +fight, you will at least have a fair chance of outsailing her." + +Greatly delighted, Nat returned to the _Orpheus_. + +"So, you are going to leave us, Mr. Glover," the captain said when he +came on board. "I congratulate you, but at the same time we shall be +very sorry to lose you, and I hope that when there is a vacancy we shall +have you back again. You fully deserve your promotion, and have been a +credit to the ship." + +The next day Nat moved his effects ashore. There was but little +leave-taking between him and his comrades, for it was certain that they +would often meet at Port Royal. He spent his time for the next fortnight +in the dockyard seeing to the refitting of the schooner. The +superintendent there had heard of the affair with the dog, and of the +manner in which he had saved the lives of the French lady and her +daughter, Dr. Bemish being an old friend of his. He was, therefore, much +more complaisant than dockyard officials generally are to the demands +made upon them by young lieutenants in command of small craft. Indeed, +when the schooner was ready for sea Nat had every reason to be proud of +her. She had been provided with a complete suit of new canvas, all her +woodwork had been scraped and varnished, the running rigging was new, +and the standing rigging had also been renewed wherever it showed signs +of wear. Her ballast, which had before been almost entirely of iron ore, +was now of pig-iron, and in view of the extra stability so given she had +had new topmasts ten feet higher than those she had before carried. + +"I should advise you to keep your weather eye lifting, Mr. Glover," +Captain Crosbie said when Nat paid his farewell visit to the frigate; +"that craft of yours looks very much over-sparred. If you were caught in +a squall with your topsails up the chances are you would turn turtle." + +"I will be very careful, sir," Nat said; "although, now she has iron +ballast, I think that even with the slight addition in the height of the +spars she will be as stiff as she was before in moderate breezes, while +she will certainly be faster in light winds." + +"That is so," the captain agreed; "and of course it is in light winds +that speed is of the most importance. There can be no doubt that in the +hands of a careful commander a large spread of canvas is a great +advantage, while in the hands of a rash one a craft can hardly be too +much under-sparred." + +Turnbull, Nat's first officer, was a quiet young fellow, a few months +junior to Nat. He was square in build, with a resolute but good-humoured +face, and Nat had no doubt that the admiral had selected him as being +likely to pull better with him than a more lively and vivacious young +fellow would be. From the first day they met on board he was sure that +he and Turnbull would get on extremely well together. The latter carried +out his suggestions and orders as punctually as he would have done those +of a post-captain, going about his work in as steady and business-like a +way as if he had been accustomed for years to perform the duties of a +first officer. One evening Nat had asked him and Lippincott to dine with +him at an hotel, and ordered a private room. + +"I think," he said when the meal was over and the waiter had placed the +dessert and wine on the table and had retired, "that we are going to +have a very pleasant cruise. I am afraid we sha'n't have much chance of +distinguishing ourselves in the fighting way, though we may pick up some +of those rascally little craft that prey on the native commerce and +capture a small European merchantman occasionally. With our small crew +we certainly cannot regard ourselves as a match for any of the regular +pirates, who would carry vastly heavier metal, and crews of at least +four times our strength. The admiral expressly warned me that it was not +intended that the _Arrow_ should undertake that sort of business. Our +mission is rather to gain news of what passes in the interior, pick up +fugitives who may be hiding in the woods, and act in fact as a sort of +floating observatory. Any fighting, therefore, that we may get will be +if we are attacked. In that case, of course, we shall do our best. I am +sure we shall be a pleasant party on board. Of course in a small craft +like this we shall mess together. It is necessary, for the sake of +discipline, that when we are on deck we should follow the usual +observances, but when we are below together we shall be three mess-mates +without any formality or nonsense." + +The two juniors remained on their ships until the schooner was out of +the hands of the dockyard men. According to custom, Nat did not join +until they and the crew had gone on board and spent a day in scrubbing +the decks and making everything tidy and ship-shape; then the gig went +ashore to fetch him off. As he rowed alongside he could not help smiling +at seeing the sentries at the gangway and the two young officers +standing there to receive him. However, with an effort he recovered his +gravity, mounted the short accommodation ladder, saluted the flag, and +returned the salutes of his officers and men. On board the frigate he +had been an inconsiderable member of the crowd, now he was monarch of +all he surveyed. Then the crew were formed up, and according to custom +he read his commission appointing him to the command, and the articles +of war. + +"Now, my men," he said when he had brought the meeting to an end, "I +have, according to rule, read the articles of war, a very necessary +step when taking command of a vessel of war with hands collected from +all parts, and many of them coming on board one of his majesty's ships +for the first time; but it is a mere formality to a crew composed of men +like yourselves, who will, I am perfectly sure, do your duty in storm +and calm, and who will, should there be any occasion for fighting, show +that, small as our number is, we are capable of taking our own part +against a considerably larger force. I and my officers, will do all in +our power to make the ship a comfortable and pleasant one, and I rely +upon you to show your zeal and heartiness in the service." + +The men replied with a hearty cheer. Most of them belonged to the +_Orpheus_. These had already told the others of their captain's doings +in Hayti and in the attack on the pirate island, and said how popular he +was on board. + +"I think we are going to have a good time," one of the others said as +they went forward. "We ain't likely to capture anything very big in this +cockle-shell, and I look upon it as a sort of pleasure ship." + +"You will see, if he gets a chance he will take it," one of the men from +the _Orpheus_ said. "I was with him in that fight against the pirates, +and I tell you I have never been in anything hotter. I was one of those +who volunteered to go with him to drown the magazine of the brigantine +next to us, and I tell you I never felt so scared in my life. He was +just as cool as a cucumber, though he had been knocked silly by that +explosion a quarter of an hour before. He is the right sort, he is; and +though I expect he has got orders not to tackle anything too big for +us--he is not the sort of chap to run away if he can find the smallest +excuse for fighting." + +In the meantime Nat had gone below with the two midshipmen. The +accommodation for officers was excellent. There was a large cabin aft +which had been handsomely fitted up by the late captain. Off this on +one side was his state-room, on the other those for the two officers; +beyond these were the steward's cabin and pantry on one side, and a +spare cabin which had been given to the quarter-master on the other. Nat +had engaged a negro as cook, and his son, a lad of seventeen or +eighteen, as cabin steward, and had sent on board a small stock of +wines. He ordered the boy to open a bottle and to put glasses on the +table, and they drank together to the success of the cruise. They had +just finished when the quarter-master came down. + +"The admiral is signalling for us to send a boat to him, sir." + +"Lower the gig at once!" and he and the officers followed the +quarter-master on deck. "Mr. Lippincott, you had better go with it." + +In half an hour the midshipman returned with a despatch. Nat broke the +seal. It had evidently been dictated by the admiral to his clerk, his +signature being at the foot. + + _News has just arrived that the French Assembly has cancelled the + act placing the mulattoes on the same footing as the whites, and + the former have in consequence risen and have joined the blacks. + The situation must be most precarious for whites in the island. + Get up sail at once and make for Cape Francois. Cruise between + that port and the south-eastern limit of Hayti. Do what you can + to aid fugitives._ + +"We are to be off at once," he said to Mr. Turnbull. "Please get up the +anchor and make sail. There is fresh trouble in Hayti; the mulattoes +have joined the blacks." + +The quarter-master's whistle sounded, and the crew sprang into activity. +The capstan was manned, and the men ran to loosen the sails, and in ten +minutes the _Falcon_ was on her way. + +"Matters were bad enough before," Nat said when, having seen that the +sails were all set and everything in good order, his two officers came +aft. "A few mulattoes, overseers and that class, rose with the negroes, +but the great bulk of them, having got what they wanted, joined the +whites or stood neutral; but now that they have thrown in their lot with +the blacks the prospect seems almost desperate. However it turns out, +there is no doubt that the island is ruined, and the whites who were +lucky enough to escape with their lives will find that instead of being +rich men they are penniless. It is a horrible business altogether. I +shall be glad when we get to Cape Francois and can get news of what is +really going on." + +Nat was delighted at the speed shown by the schooner. The breeze was +light, and she felt the full advantage of her added spread of canvas. +She was a very beamy craft of light draught, and scarcely showed a +perceptible heel under the pressure of the wind, fully justifying his +opinion as to the improvement to be effected by the substitution of iron +ballast for that which she had before carried. Turnbull and Lippincott +were no less pleased, and the whole crew felt proud of their little +craft. + +"She can go, sir, and no mistake!" Turnbull said, as they stood aft +looking upwards at the sails and down into the water glancing past her +sides. "It would take a fast craft indeed to overhaul her; her sails are +splendidly cut!" + +"Yes, I tipped the man who is at the head of the sail-making gang a +five-pound note to take special pains with them, and the money would +have been well laid out if it had been fifty times as much; for it will +make the difference of a point at least when she is close-hauled, and +that means getting away from a fellow too big for us, instead of being +overhauled by him." + +"Yes," Turnbull said with a smile, "and might enable us to keep out of +reach of his bow-guns, while we hammered him with our stern-chaser." + +"Yes, it might have that effect," Nat replied with an answering smile. +"What is she going through the water now, quarter-master?" + +"A good seven knots, sir." + +"That is fast enough. The _Orpheus_ would not be making more than six in +such a light breeze as this." + +Towards sunset the wind fell until it scarcely seemed that there was a +breath on the water, but the schooner still crept along at two and a +half knots an hour, although her sails scarcely lifted. The crew had +already been divided in watches. Turnbull took the starboard, and +Lippincott the larboard watch. + +"I hardly know myself," Nat laughed, as they sat together in the cabin +after dinner. "Except when I was on the sick list, this is my first +experience of not having a night watch to keep. However, I expect I +shall be up and down, and at any rate call me if there is the slightest +change in the weather. We know what she can do in a light wind now, but +we won't risk anything until we have seen how she carries her sails in a +sharp blow." + +Somewhat restless under the extent of his responsibility, Nat was on +deck several times during the night. There was, however, no sign of +change. The _Arrow_ was still stealing through the water with the wind +abeam. The two midshipmen, equally impressed with the responsibility of +being in command of a watch, were on the alert, and the look-out was +vigilant. The wind freshened again when the sun rose. At noon there were +white-heads on the water, and the schooner, heeling over a bit now, was +doing nearly nine knots. The three officers all took an observation, and +to their satisfaction found that they were within half a mile of each +other. At the present moment, however, there was no doubt as to their +situation, for the high land near Cape Dame Marie lay clearly in sight +over the bowsprit, while behind them the hills over Morant Point lay +like a dim haze. + +"If we had had this wind the whole way," Nat said regretfully, "we +should have been well in the bay by this time. Still, we must not +grumble; we have made a hundred knots. The mid-day gun fired just as we +got under way, and, considering that for twelve hours we had no wind +worth speaking of, I think we have done very well. Indeed, if the wind +will hold like this, we shall be near port by noon to-morrow; but we +can't reckon on that, it is sure to fall before sunset, and besides, the +winds are generally baffling and shifty when we once get into the bay." + +By three o'clock the wind had already begun to fall, and by five they +were lying almost becalmed off the westerly point of the island. For the +next two days the wind was very light, and it was late in the afternoon +of the second when they dropped anchor off Cape Francois. Nat at once +went ashore, and as usual received a warm welcome from the Duchesnes. +Madame had now quite recovered from the effect of her adventure, as also +had Myra. + +"I did not know that the _Orpheus_ was in port, or else we should have +been expecting you." + +"She is not in port, madame. I arrived in his majesty's schooner +_Arrow_, which I have the honour to command." + +"Then you are Captain Glover now? I must be very respectful," and Myra +made a deep curtsy. + +"It will be a good many years before I shall have the right to be +addressed by that title. I have passed my examination as lieutenant, and +have now acting rank, which will no doubt be confirmed by the +authorities at home, and I may be addressed as lieutenant without any +breach of etiquette. Still, of course, it is a grand thing to get a +command, and so much greater chance of distinguishing oneself. However, +as she is but a small craft, and carries only twenty-five men, we are +not in a position to do any great thing in the way of fighting, though +of course we may overhaul and capture some of these native craft that +are nominally traders, but are ready to capture any small vessel they +may come across. My mission really is to obtain news of what is passing +in the island. We have received word at Kingston that the mulattoes have +risen and joined the blacks, and I have been sent off at once to learn +the real state of things." + +"Unhappily the news is true," Monsieur Duchesne said. "There have +already been several fights, in some of which we have got the best of +it, in others we have been driven back to the towns. It is impossible +for the look-out to be darker than it is. It seems to us that our only +hope is that England will consent to take over the sovereignty of the +island, and send a force large enough to put down the insurrection. Some +of the planters here have already lost heart, and have sailed for +Jamaica, Bermuda, and other British ports. I have no intention of +following their example at present. I am, as you know, a merchant as +well as a planter, and although, of course, all trade is at an end now, +it must spring up again in time. Fortunately, we feel confident that +this town can resist any assault. The French man-of-war that came in +after you sailed landed a dozen of her guns, and we have erected four +batteries. There were, too, a good many old guns in the town, which have +also been put into position; and as we have half a French regiment here, +and fully five hundred whites who can be relied on, we have small fear +of being overpowered. I am glad to say that before the man-of-war left, +the great majority of the negroes were expelled from the town and their +quarter burnt down, so that we have no fear of being attacked from +within as well as from without. That was really our greatest danger, and +has been hanging over us night and day ever since the beginning of the +rising." + +"Are the mulattoes and negroes acting together?" + +"In some cases, but as a rule they keep apart. There is no love lost +between them, and the only bond of union is hatred of us. The blacks, +curiously enough, have declared against the republic, and call +themselves the royalist army. They consider, and very naturally, that +the republic, while giving rights to the mulattoes, has done nothing for +them, and therefore, as the republic has declared against the king, they +have declared for him. Do you think that the English government will +accept our offer to transfer ourselves to British rule?" + +"I do not see that they could do so, sir. At present we are nominally at +peace with France, although everyone sees that war must come before +long, but until it is declared we could scarcely take over a French +possession; nor do I think there are anything like troops enough in our +islands to undertake such a serious operation as this would be. Your +people could not give us much help. The negroes, though calling +themselves royalists, are fighting only for liberty, and would gain +nothing by a mere change of masters, knowing as they do that the slaves +are certainly no better treated in our islands than in those of France." + +"That is what I thought," Monsieur Duchesne said. "Certainly nothing +short of an army of thirty thousand strong could hope for success, and I +doubt, indeed, whether in so large and mountainous an island even that +number could do much. Of course fully half of it is Spanish, which +complicates matters a great deal; but we may be sure that if the negroes +of this end are successful, those under the Spaniards will very soon +follow their example. If the worst comes to the worst, I shall of course +leave the island. Whether I should settle in one of your islands or +make England my residence I cannot say. Some of my countrymen have gone +to America, but I should put that out of my mind. I think I should +prefer England to remaining out here, for there might be similar risings +in Jamaica and elsewhere; as to France, it is out of the question. + +"France has gone mad. I know that many of our good families have sought +refuge in England, and we should at least find society congenial to us. +Happily, we are in a condition to choose for ourselves; my ancestors +have been wise men, and have long foreseen that what has actually +occurred might possibly take place. Each in succession has impressed his +views upon his son, and it has become almost a family tradition among +us, and one upon which we have often been rallied. For with few +exceptions all here seem to have regarded the state of things as being +as unchangeable as Scripture says were the laws of the Medes and +Persians. If this had been only a tradition, and had not been acted +upon, it would not have benefited us now, but for six generations each +of my ancestors has regarded it as a sacred duty to set aside nearly a +tenth of his revenues as a provision when the troubles should come. This +money has been chiefly invested in England and Holland, and the interest +on the accumulations of all these years has been reinvested. I believe +that, although I regard such investments as were made in France as lost, +we shall, when we reckon up matters, find that our income will be fully +as large as that which I have drawn from my property and trade here." + +"I am very glad to hear it, Monsieur Duchesne. I have indeed, while I +have been away, thought very often of what would happen to you and your +family if you were forced to finally abandon your estate and leave the +island." + +"I have reason to be grateful indeed, Nat, to the forethought of those +who have gone before me; it is strange that the same idea did not occur +to others. One can see now that our people here have been living in a +fool's paradise, totally oblivious of the fact that a volcano might at +any moment open under their feet. Are you going to remain here?" + +"Oh, no! I am only making this a starting-place. My orders are to cruise +along the southern coast, to render any assistance I can to the +refugees, and if possible, to open communications with some of the +chiefs of the insurgents and endeavour to find out what their plans are, +and, should it be decided to accept the cession of the island when war +with France breaks out, what the attitude of the blacks and mulattoes +would be." + +"You will not be likely to pick up any refugees, for the whites are +exterminated except in the towns; but should any of the smaller places +be attacked you might render good service by receiving at least the +women and children on board." + +That evening Monsieur Duchesne asked his brother-in-law, the doctor, and +several other leading inhabitants, to his house, in order that Nat might +gather their views. He found that these in the main agreed with those of +his host, except that they were hopeful that France would, as soon as +the news arrived, despatch an army of sufficient force to put down the +insurrection. After the last of the guests had departed, Monsieur +Duchesne shook his head. + +"France will ere long require every soldier to defend her own frontiers; +the saturnalia of blood in which she is indulging will cause her to be +regarded as the common enemy of Europe. I hear that already the emigrant +nobles are pressing the various European courts to march armies into +France to free the king and royal family from their imprisonment by the +mob of Paris, and ere long there will assuredly be a coalition which +France will need all her strength to resist. England is certain to join +it; and even had France troops to spare, she would find a difficulty in +sending them here. So you will not change your mind and stay with us +for the night?" + +"It is already nearly eleven, and I ordered the gig to be alongside at +that hour. I certainly should not like to sleep out of the ship, though +I have no doubt that my two young officers would see that everything +went on right." + +On reaching the schooner, Nat found that both Turnbull and Lippincott +were still up. + +"It was such a lovely night that we have been smoking on deck until a +few minutes ago; we were, of course, anxious to hear the news." + +At Nat's order the steward brought hot water and glasses; three tumblers +of grog were filled, and they sat for a couple of hours discussing the +strange situation in the island. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +A RESCUE + + +The _Arrow_ was one morning lying at anchor in a small bay on the south +coast, when one of the sailors called Nat's attention to a boy who had +run down and was wildly waving his arms. Nat caught up his telescope. + +"It may be a white boy," he said. "Lower the gig! I will go myself in +her. Quick! he may be pursued." + +It took but a very short time to cross the quarter of a mile of water. +The lad rushed in up to his chin to meet them, and was quickly hauled +into the boat. His hands and face had been blackened, but this had so +worn off that he merely presented the appearance of a sooty-faced white +boy. He burst into a fit of convulsive sobbing as he found himself among +friends. Nat saw that it was useless to question him at the moment, so +he told the men to row back at once to the schooner; then he +half-carried him down to his own cabin, brought out a glass of wine, and +gave it to him. + +"Drink that up, lad," he said, "then you can tell me something about +yourself." The boy put the glass with shaking hands to his lips and +drank it down. + +"That is right, lad; now tell me something about yourself. What is your +name?" + +"I am a girl, monsieur; my name is Louise Pickard. We have been hiding +in the forest for six weeks--my father and mother, my sister, and ten +Frenchmen, who worked for us. We lived on fruit and what provisions the +men could obtain by going down to the plantations at night. Two days ago +the negroes found us; they killed one of the men at once, and the rest +of us they took. My sister and I were dressed as boys. They were going +to kill us one by one; they burnt one of the men to death yesterday, and +tied us to trees round and made us look on. This morning they killed +another; they cut off his arms at the elbows and his legs at the knees, +and then cut him about with knives till he died. Then they shut us up +together again. There was a little window, and my father pushed me +through it. He had heard the negroes say that there was a vessel in the +bay with white men in it. The hole was in the back of the house, and +there were trees there, so that I managed to get off without being seen +by the negroes. My father tried to get Valerie through the same window, +but she was too big. She is two years older than I am, and I could not +have squeezed through had not my father pushed me. He told me to come +down to the shore and take refuge with you." + +"How many of these black scoundrels are there?" Nat asked. + +[Illustration: THE RESCUE OF LOUISE PICKARD.] + +"Two or three hundred. The negroes are going to attack you +to-night--there are some fishermen's boats at a village a mile or two +along the shore. Father told me to warn you. I did not like coming +away, I would have liked to have died with the others; but it was so +awful to look on at the tortures. If they would but have killed us at +once, I would not have minded; but oh, monsieur, it was too terrible! +Can you not do something for them?" And she again burst into tears. + +"I will see what can be done," Nat said, putting his hand kindly on her +shoulder. "I am going up on deck now. This is my cabin," and he opened +the door of his berth. "The steward will bring you some hot water, then +you had better have a wash and get rid of that charcoal, for I suppose +it is charcoal on your face. We can do nothing for you in the way of +dress at present. But if you will take off your things and put them +outside the door, I will get them washed at once, and you can lie down +in my berth until they are dry. They won't take very long in this hot +climate." + +The steward by his orders brought in a can of hot water. The girl +retired with it to the cabin, and Nat went on deck and told Turnbull and +Lippincott what he had heard from her. + +"It is awful," the latter said. "Can we do nothing, sir?" + +"That is the point, Mr. Lippincott. I feel that it is impossible for us +to remain quiet while such devilry is being carried on among those +woods. But you see the matter is rendered all the more difficult by the +fact that we ourselves are going to be attacked to-night. Our crew is +weak enough already. If three or four boat-loads full of blacks were to +fall upon us, we could not spare a man; while if we were to land, we +should need every man for the job, and even then should be terribly +weak. Something has to be done, that is evident, and we have to hit upon +a plan. Now, let us all set our wits to work." At this moment the black +steward came up from the cabin with a bundle. + +"The boy am put dese things outside him door, sah. Wat am me to do wid +dem?" + +"Bring them along to the galley, Sam. I must get your father to wash +them. Pomp," he went on to the cook, "have you got plenty of hot water?" + +"Yes, sah; allus hab hot water." + +"Well, look here, I want you and Sam to set to work and wash these +clothes at once. The boy I brought on board turns out to be a French +girl, the daughter of a planter who is in the hands of the negroes up +there. We must see to-morrow what we can do in the way of rigging her +out properly, but for to-day we must manage with these things. Get them +as white as you can, and then hang them up to dry. I want her on deck +again as soon as possible to give us information as to where her friends +are confined." + +"All right, sah, we soon gets dese clean." + +"And you may as well heat up a basin of that turtle-soup we had +yesterday. I expect she has had little enough to eat of late." + +Then he went back to the quarter-deck. + +"It seems to me, sir," Turnbull said, "that if the girl would go ashore +with us as a guide, we might succeed. After it gets dark, put me and one +of the hands on shore, with a saw and a bottle of oil to make it work +noiselessly. Then we could crawl up to this little window by which she +got out, and cut away the wood--for no doubt it is a wooden hut--till +the hole is large enough for all of them to get out." + +"That seems a good plan, Turnbull, certainly; the only drawback is that +probably before it gets dark the negroes will have discovered that the +boy, as they consider her, has escaped, and will keep a sharp look-out +on the others. Then, too, although one or two might get out noiselessly +and make their escape, the chances of ten people doing so would be much +smaller, and if the attempt were detected you might only share their +fate. If we had all the crew close at hand to cover their retreat it +might be managed, great as would be the odds against us, but you see +there is this boat attack to be guarded against. I don't think that I +could allow you to run such a risk, Turnbull." + +"Still, something must be done, sir." + +"Yes, we are agreed as to that," Nat said, and going to the rail he +stood there gazing at the shore for some minutes. + +"I have an idea," he said, suddenly turning round. "You see that point +near the mouth of the bay, where the rock rises eight or ten feet +straight out from the water's edge; there are trees behind it. It will +be a dark night, and if we could get the schooner over there without +their noticing it, as I think we could, we could probably lay her pretty +close alongside, and when the boats came, the betting is that they would +never find her. They would row about for a bit looking for us where we +are anchored, and, not finding us, would come to the conclusion that we +had got up sail and gone away after dark. In that way we could land our +whole party." + +"I think that would do first-rate, sir." + +"Of course there is a certain amount of risk of their discovering her," +Nat went on, "but we must chance that. We will send her topmasts down as +soon as it is dark, so that they won't show against the sky-line, and +boats might then row within twenty yards of her without noticing her, +especially if we can get her in pretty close. It is just possible that +we may be able to lay her right against the rock. The water is deep +pretty close in, even opposite to us, for the girl was not more than +four or five yards from the shore when she was up to her neck in water, +and no doubt it is a good deal deeper than that, at the foot of those +rocks. As soon as it is dark, Mr. Lippincott, you had better take the +boat and sound along there. Of course you will muffle your oars. It +would be a great thing if we could get alongside. In the first place, +the nearer she gets in the less likely that she would be to be seen, +and in the next place it would be very important, if we are hotly +pursued, to be able to get on board without having to use boats." + +"Certainly," Turnbull agreed. + +"When we have got her in her place," Nat went on, "we will take a light +anchor out fifty fathom or so, and put the hawser round the windlass, so +that the instant we are on board, four men, told off beforehand, can run +forward and set to work. Once we are three yards out we should be safe +from boarding, however strong their force may be. We will have the guns +on that side loaded with a double charge of grape before we land, and +once out we will give them a dose they will remember for a long time. +Now, we may as well tell the crew; they will be delighted at the +prospect of a fight." + +The men were clustered together forward discussing whether anything was +likely to take place, for the arrival of the boy, the fact that he had +been taken down to the cabin aft and had not reappeared, and the evident +anxiety of their officers, sufficed to show them that something unusual +was on hand. When they came aft Nat said, "My men, we are about to +undertake an enterprise that will, I am sure, be after your own heart. +The apparent boy we brought on board is a young French lady. Her +parents, sister, and seven white men are in the hands of the negroes, +who each day murder one with horrible torture. Now we are going to +rescue them." + +A cheer broke from the men. + +"The job will be a pretty tough one, men, but you won't like it any the +worse for that. There are, I hear, two or three hundred of those +murderous brutes up there. Of course, if we can get the prisoners out +without a fight we shall do so, but I hardly think we shall be able to +manage that. The matter is somewhat complicated by the fact that I hear +that a boat attack is going to be made upon us to-night. Now, we are +certainly not strong enough to carry off this party and at the same time +to leave enough men on board to defend the schooner. After it is dark, +therefore, I intend to take her across to that rock over there, moor her +as close to it as I can, and strike the topmasts. In that way we may +hope that on a moonless night, as this will be, the boats will not find +her, but will suppose that we have sailed away. However, of that we must +run the risk. I shall take every man with me. Of course, we shall batten +the hatches down, and fasten them so that if they do find her it will +give them as much trouble as possible, and we may possibly catch them at +work as we return. + +"You will, of course, take muskets and a brace of pistols each, and your +cutlasses. I have no doubt that we are being watched from the shore, +therefore go about your work as usual. Do not gather together talking, +or give them any cause to suppose that we are intending to do anything. +It is not likely that the escape of the girl has yet been discovered, +for if they were watching among the trees up there they would hardly +have noticed that the boat took an extra person from the shore. Grease +the falls of the gig, so that she can be lowered noiselessly, and muffle +the oars. As soon as it is quite dark Mr. Lippincott will take +soundings, in order to see how close into the rock it will be safe to +take her." + +With another low but hearty cheer, expressing the satisfaction they felt +at the prospect of a fight with the negroes, the crew went forward +again. One of them set to work to grease the falls not only of the gig +but of the other boats, in case these should also be required, two +others cut up some old guernseys and lashed them round the gig's oars at +the point where they would touch the thole-pins, others resumed their +occupation of polishing the brass-work, while the rest sat down under +the shelter of the bulwark and talked over the adventure on which they +were about to engage. In an hour the girl's clothes were washed and +dried. One of the crew who had served as an assistant sail-maker had at +once, under Nat's instructions, set to work to sew half a dozen flags +together, and with these he had constructed a garment which, if +primitive in design, was at least somewhat feminine in appearance. + +Round the top was a deep hem through which was run a thin cord. By the +aid of this it could be drawn together and gathered in at the neck. Six +inches from the top, two of the seams between the flags were left open, +these were for the arm-holes. This primitive pinafore was to be drawn in +at the waist by a belt. The man had chosen from among the signal flags +those whose colours went best together, and though the result was +extremely motley, it was yet a very fair substitute for a dress. The +three officers could not help laughing as he brought it aft to show +them. + +"That is very well contrived, Jenkins," Nat said. "I have no doubt the +young lady will greatly prefer it to going about dressed as a boy." + +As the clothes were by this time dry, Nat told Sam to take them below +with the new garment, to lay them down outside his state-room door, and +then to knock and tell the young lady that they were there in readiness +for her, and that as soon as she was dressed lunch would be ready. When +he had done this he was to come up on deck again. A quarter of an hour +later Nat himself went down. The clothes had disappeared, and the girl, +who was about thirteen years of age, came out. She had, with the +exception of the coat, donned her former garments, and over these had +put the flag pinafore. Her arms were covered by those of the light +flannel shirt, and the dress hung straight down all round. + +"It is a queer-looking thing," he said with a smile, "but it is the best +we can manage in the emergency. Here is a belt, if you strap that round +your waist it will make the thing look more comfortable." + +The girl smiled wanly. Now that her face and hands were clean, Nat saw +that she was a pretty little thing, and would have been prettier had not +her hair been cut quite short. + +"We are going this evening," Nat went on, "to try to rescue your parents +and sister from those black fiends." + +She clasped her hands before her. + +"Oh, sir, that is good of you!" + +"Not at all. You don't suppose that we are going to remain here quietly, +knowing that close by there are white people in the hands of those +scoundrels. We shall want you to act as our guide. We are going to take +a saw with us and cut away the wood round that hole you escaped by, and +hope to get your friends out without the negroes seeing us. If they do, +so much the worse for them. Now, will you sit down while the steward +lays the cloth for lunch?--it will be ready in two or three minutes; +then I will bring the other two officers down to introduce them to you." +He raised his voice: "Sam! luncheon as soon as possible." + +The young negro was expecting the order, and ran in at once with a +table-cloth and a plate-basket, and in two or three minutes the table +was laid; then he went out and returned with the plates. + +"Eberyting ready, sah; me bring down de soup when you gib de word." + +"Give my compliments to Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott, and ask them to +come down to lunch." + +The girl looked anxious and shy as she heard the footsteps coming down +the companion, but an expression of relief came over her face as she saw +that they were even younger than the officer she had already seen. + +"These are my officers, mademoiselle--Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott. +Their French is not of the best, but you must make allowance for them." + +The girl smiled and held out her hand to the two middies. The news that +her parents and sister might yet be rescued had already greatly raised +her spirits. + +"I do look funny, do I not?" she said. + +"I am sure you look very nice," Turnbull replied. "It is quite a novelty +for us to have a lady on board." + +"And are you both going to help bring my friends down?" + +"Yes, we are all going. We will get them down, and I hope we shall have +a chance of punishing some of the murderous niggers." + +"You mean you hope that there will be a fight?" she asked in a tone of +surprise, as she took her seat on Nat's right hand. + +"That I do," Turnbull said heartily. "There is not a man on board who +would not be sorry if we were to get down again without an opportunity +of having a slap at the beggars." + +"Mr. Turnbull is a very bloodthirsty character," Nat said gravely. "I +don't know whether you have in French a history of Jack the Giant +Killer?" + +"I never saw such a book," she said, looking a little puzzled. "Did he +really kill giants?" + +"Yes, Jack did; he was wonderful that way. Mr. Turnbull has never been +able to find any giants, but he means to take it out of the blacks." + +"I am sorry to say, mademoiselle," Turnbull said, "that although when on +the quarter-deck our captain's word may be received as gospel, he +permits himself a very wide latitude of speech in his own cabin. The +fact is, that whatever my disposition may be, I have never yet had any +opportunity for performing any very desperate actions, whereas +Lieutenant Glover has been killing his enemies by scores, fighting with +wild beasts, attacking pirates in their holds, has been blown up into +the air, and rescued ladies from slaughter by the negroes." + +The French girl turned her eyes wonderingly towards Nat. + +"You need not believe more than you like, mademoiselle," he said with a +laugh. "I am afraid that we are all given to exaggerate very much, but +Mr. Turnbull is the champion fabricator." + +"But is it quite true that you are going to try to get my father and +mother and sister away from the negroes?" + +"That is quite true," Nat said earnestly. "We are certainly going to try +to get them, and I think that we have a good chance of doing so. Much +will depend, of course, upon whether we can reach the hut where they are +confined before being discovered. You see, we have only twenty-five men, +or, counting us all, including the quarter-master, steward, and cook, +thirty-one. It is a small force, and though we might bring all the +prisoners off in safety if we once got them into our hands, it would be +a serious thing if the negroes had time to rally round the hut before we +got there. How does it stand, is it surrounded by trees?" + +"No, it is at the edge of the forest. There is a large indigo field in +front, and it is there most of the negroes are. There may be some in the +forest, but I did not see any as I came down here." + +"That is good. How many do you say there are?" + +"Seven men, without counting my father." + +"We will tell eight of the sailors to carry up boarding-pikes, Turnbull. +Unfortunately we have no spare firearms. However, boarding-pikes are not +bad weapons, and as no doubt only a small portion of the negroes have +guns, it will add a good deal to our strength if it comes to a +hand-to-hand fight." + +"That it will," Turnbull agreed. "That will bring us up to thirty-nine, +and thirty-nine whites ought to be able to fight their way easily +enough through this black mob, especially as we shall take them by +surprise, and they won't know how many of us there are." + +As soon as it became dark, Lippincott went off in the gig, and returned +in half an hour with the news that there were six feet of water at the +foot of the rock, and twelve feet ten yards away. + +"I think, sir," he said, "that we could get her in within three or four +yards of the rock." + +"That would do excellently," Nat said. "The carpenter had better set to +work at once and nail three planks--we have got some down below fifteen +feet long--side by side. Let two of the hands help him. Tell him, if he +does not think that it will be stiff enough, to nail one of the spare +oars on each plank." + +He had learned from the girl that many of the negroes sat up by their +fires nearly all night, and that therefore there was no advantage in +delaying the landing, and he was anxious to move the schooner as soon as +possible, as the boats might appear at any time. Everything was in +readiness--the arms had been brought on deck, the muskets and pistols +loaded, and as soon as the gangway was knocked together, which did not +take many minutes, Lippincott went off in the gig with a long hawser. As +soon as he returned and reported that he had fastened it to a tree above +the rock, the crew tailed on, and the schooner was noiselessly towed to +her place. Another hawser was taken on shore, and she was hauled +broadside on until she lay, with only a few inches of water under her +keel, within ten feet of the line of rock. + +The hatchways had all been securely fastened down, and an old chain was +taken round the trunk of a large tree, and its ends shackled round the +mainmast. This could be loosed almost instantaneously by the crew when +they returned, but would much increase the difficulty that the negroes +would encounter in getting the vessel away if they discovered her. The +edge of the rock was but some three feet higher than the rail, and there +was therefore no difficulty in ascending the gangway. When all had +crossed, this was pulled up and pushed in among the bushes. They +followed the shore till they reached the spot at which the girl had come +down, as she would more easily find her way from there than from the +place where they had landed. Telling the others to follow in single +file, Nat took his place with the girl, at their head. + +"How far is it?" he said to her in low tones. + +"It is just at the top of the hill. We shall be there in less than a +quarter of an hour." The sailors had been warned to walk with the +greatest caution, and especially to avoid striking any of their weapons +against the trees. + +They went slowly, for it was very dark in the forest. Beyond the fact +that she had come straight down the hill when she escaped, she could +give no information about the way. + +"I did not look," she said; "I ran straight down. But I am sure that if +we go as straight as we can up from the water, we shall come upon the +plantation, and then I shall be able to tell you exactly where the hut +is." + +Keeping therefore upward, they went on until they reached level ground, +and saw by the faint light ahead that they were nearing the edge of the +forest. They stepped even more cautiously then until they arrived at the +open ground. A dozen great fires blazed in various places in front of +them, and they could hear the laughing and talking of the negroes. + +"It is more to the right," the girl said. "It is nearly in the corner of +the field where you see that fire; that is close to the hut. They always +keep a big fire there, and the leaders sleep round it. There are always +two negroes on guard in front of the hut." + +"I expect they have got one behind now. Of course they have found out by +this time that you have escaped, and they must have known that it could +only have been by that window." + +Keeping well inside the line of trees, they crept along to the corner of +the clearing. The two negroes had been instructed in the part they were +to play, and as soon as they got well round behind the house the others +halted, and knife in hand they crept through the trees, and then upon +their hands and knees crawled forward. The others listened intently. The +gabble of voices continued on the other side of the hut, and when a +louder yell of laughter than usual broke out they saw a figure appear at +one corner and look round, as if anxious to hear what was going on. +Suddenly two arms appeared from the darkness behind him. He was grasped +by the throat and disappeared suddenly from sight. Two minutes later Sam +came through the trees. + +"Dat chile no gib de alarm, sah. Can go on now and cut him window." + +The carpenter and the man told off to assist him at once ran forward, +accompanied by the girl and Nat, who went straight to the little window. +He had told her that she must not speak, for her mother or sister might +utter a sudden exclamation which would alarm the sentries on the other +side. Putting his face to the window, he said in a low voice, "I pray +you be silent, the slightest sound might cost you your lives. We are +here to rescue you; your daughter is safe and sound with us. Now we are +going to enlarge the window." Low exclamations of delight told him that +he was heard. + +The carpenter at once set to work, the man with him oiling his saw very +frequently; nevertheless it seemed to Nat to make even more noise than +usual. Suddenly, however, one of the prisoners began to utter a prayer +in a loud voice. + +"That is papa," the girl whispered; "he used to say prayers every +night." + +"It was a very good idea to begin now," Nat said. "What with the row by +the fires, and his voice inside, the guard are not likely to hear the +saw." + +In ten minutes the window had been enlarged to a point sufficient for a +full-sized person to get through. + +"Now, madam, will you come first," Nat said. "We will pull you through +all right." + +One by one the captives were got out. There were still two men left when +the door opened, and three or four negroes appeared with blazing brands. + +"We have come to fetch one of you out to give us a lillie fun. Bake 'im +some ober de fire." + +Then he broke off with a shout of astonishment as he saw that the hut +was almost untenanted, and he and the others were about to rush forward +at the two men still there when Nat thrust his arm through the opening. +Two shots cracked out, one after the other. The two leading negroes +fell, and the others with a yell of terror rushed out of the hut. + +"Quick, for your lives!" he said to the two men, one of whom was already +half through the window. "We shall have them all on us in a few +minutes." + +In a few seconds the men were out, and Nat and the two seamen ran with +them to the edge of the wood, to which the other captives had been +passed on as soon as they were freed. By this time the air was ringing +with yells and shouts. + +"Now, men, move along a little farther so as to get a view of the fire, +and then we will give them a volley." + +The negroes were rushing forward, yelling and shouting, when twenty-five +muskets rang out with deadly aim, for the blacks were not more than +thirty yards away. + +"Load again, lads! that will sicken them for a bit," he shouted; and +indeed the negroes with yells of astonishment and fear had run back, +leaving some fourteen or fifteen of their number on the ground. + +"Are you all loaded?" + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +"Then down the hill you go. Have the three ladies gone on?" + +"Yes, sir; the two blacks went down with them." + +"Have the Frenchmen got their pikes? That is good; now keep as close as +you can together. They are coming up by scores, and will make a rush in +a minute or so." + +As fast as they could the sailors and the rescued men made their way +down the hill, but owing to the thickness of the trees it was impossible +to run. They had gone but a short distance when there was an outburst of +yells round them, and, looking back, Nat saw a number of blazing brands. + +"You had better have kept in the dark," he muttered. "You would not have +come so fast, but more of you would go back alive. Don't hurry, men," he +said; "take it coolly. Take care of the trees. They are sure to come up +to us, for they can see their way; but they won't be in such a hurry +when we open fire again." + +They were half-way down the hill when he gave the order: "You four men +next to me turn round and pick off some of those fellows with torches. +The rest halt in case they make a rush." + +The four shots were fired one after the other. As many negroes fell. + +"Are you ready, lads? Four more fire!" + +The shots had an equal success. Many of the negroes at once took refuge +behind trees. + +"That will do, men; on you go again! Don't make more noise than you can +help. With all that yelling they won't be sure that we have moved." + +[Illustration: "FOUR SHOTS WERE FIRED AND AS MANY NEGROES FELL."] + +It was not, indeed, until they were down on the shore that the negroes +again came up with them. Then they burst out at several points from the +trees, being uncertain of the exact course the retreating party had +taken. + +"Now, keep together in a body, men!" Nat shouted in English, and +repeated the same order in French. "March steadily forward. We have got +to fight our way through them." + +Now that the negroes saw how comparatively small was the number of their +foes, they rushed upon them. + +"Don't throw away a shot!" Nat shouted. "Now, let them have it!" + +The men who had already fired had loaded again, and as the negroes came +up, a crackling fire broke out from the little party. + +"Now, lads, at them with pistol, cutlass, and pike! We must get through +these fellows ahead before others come up." + +With a loud cheer the sailors rushed upon the blacks, cutting and +thrusting, the men who had been released fighting with desperate fury +with their pikes, mad with the thirst for revenge for the horrible +atrocities that they witnessed and the thought of the fate they had +escaped. Pistols cracked out continually, and it was not long before the +negroes lost heart; and the sailors, at Nat's order, flung themselves +upon them and cut a way through. + +"Straight on now, men! Show them that you can run as well as fight. We +shall have a hundred more of them down on us directly." + +There was no doubt of this; the yells that rose from the forest and the +light of many brands showed that the whole of the negroes were hastening +to join their comrades. Nat had previously begged the two officers and +the quarter-master not to use their pistols, and he, with them, ran in +the rear line. A few only of the negroes pressed closely behind them; +the rest, dismayed by the slaughter that had taken place, awaited the +arrival of their comrades. + +"Now, turn and let them have both barrels!" Nat said; and the four men, +facing round, levelled their pistols, and six of the leading negroes +fell, while the others halted at once. "Keep your other pistols," Nat +said; "we shall want them at the gangway." + +There was a shout of satisfaction as the men in advance caught sight of +the schooner. The two negroes had already placed the gangway in +position, and had crossed it with the three ladies and Monsieur Pickard, +who had accompanied them. + +"Over you go, men!" Nat shouted; "they are close behind us." + +Most of the men were across when a crowd of blacks came rushing along. +Sam and Pomp had taken their station at the taffrail, and as the head of +the mob came on their muskets flashed out, and the two leading men fell. +Then they opened fire with their pistols, and at the same moment Nat and +his three companions discharged their remaining pistols and then ran +down the gangway, the sailors having by this time all passed over. The +planks were at once pulled on board. + +"Now, unshackle the chain and round with the capstan!" Nat shouted. "The +rest of you lie down behind the bulwarks." + +A moment later the chain was unshackled, and as the capstan rapidly +revolved, the schooner's head receded from the shore. Yells of rage +broke from the negroes, and a scattered fire of musketry was opened. + +"Now, Turnbull, do you and Lippincott each go to a gun, and when we are +far enough off for them to bear on those rascals let them have it." + +A minute later the bow-gun was fired. It was too near for the shot to +spread properly, but it cut a lane through the crowd, and half a minute +later the second gun crashed out. By this time the sailors had all +loaded their muskets again. + +"Now for a volley!" Nat shouted; "that will finish them; or I am +mistaken." + +It was indeed decisive, and with yells of rage and pain the negroes +darted into the forest behind them. As fast as the guns could be loaded, +round after round of grape was fired among the trees. By this time the +schooner was close to the kedge; this was hauled up and sail set, but +the breeze was so light that the vessel scarcely moved through the +water. The guns were again loaded with grape, and a keen watch was kept, +as it was possible that the boats might not yet have arrived, having +delayed putting off until it was thought that all on board would be +asleep. In the meantime the wounds were examined. None of these was +serious. Only a small proportion of the negroes were armed with muskets, +and these being among the crowd had for the most part been unable to +fire; consequently only one man had been hit in the arm by a ball, while +six or eight had received gashes more or less deep from the knives and +other weapons of the negroes. + +"Even if the boats have not been here," Nat said to Lippincott, "I don't +think we shall have any trouble with them; they will have heard our +guns, and, I dare say, the musketry firing, and will know that, now we +are awake and on our guard, we should probably sink them before they +reached us." + +Half an hour passed, and then, as they got beyond the shelter of the +island, they caught a little breeze, and the schooner began to slip +through the water. + +Nat called the men from the guns. "I don't think that we shall have any +more fighting to-night," he said. "You have all done very well. We have +certainly killed three times our own number, and we have successfully +carried out the main object of our adventure. I have ordered the steward +to serve out a good ration of rum all round, but I should advise you +who have got wounds to keep your share for a few days." + +"It won't hurt us, sir," one old sailor said, and three or four other +voices were raised in assent. + +"I did not suppose that my advice would be taken," Nat said with a laugh +to Turnbull, "still, it was as well to give it; and I don't suppose that +an extra allowance of grog will go far towards heating their blood." + +"Not it," the middy replied; "rum is cheap out here, and I don't suppose +that half a bottle would be considered by them as an excessive drink. +How are you going to stow our passengers away? Of course we will give up +our cabins to the ladies." + +"I think the best plan will be for us to turn out altogether, Turnbull; +there will be our three state-rooms for the ladies, and the father can +sleep on the sofa of the main cabin. We will have a screen put up +forward of the steward's cabin, and have cots slung for ourselves there. +Of course we will take our meals with them aft. I don't think there are +any spare hammocks, and the eight white men must make a shift to sleep +on some old sails--it won't be for many days. Well, Sam, what is it?" + +"Supper am ready, sah." + +Leaving the quarter-master to take charge of the watch, they went below. +They had not expected to see the ladies up, but they were all there. + +"Monsieur Pickard, I must introduce myself and my officers." + +"It needs no introductions, sir," the Frenchman, a tall, thin man some +fifty years of age, said in a broken voice; "my daughter Louise has told +me your names, and how good you have been to her. Ah, monsieur, no words +can express our obligations to you all! It was not death we feared, but +such a death. Even now we can scarce believe that this is all true, and +that we have escaped from those fiends. In the name of my wife and my +daughters and myself, I thank you with all my heart for what you have +done for us. Little, indeed, did we think, when we helped Louise through +that narrow window in order that she might warn you that you were going +to be attacked, and with the hope that she might escape from the awful +fate that awaited us there, that it would be the means of saving us all. +We heard the negroes saying that the schooner was flying the British +flag, but we had no idea that she was a vessel of war, thinking it was a +small trader they were about to attack. But even had we known it, it +would not have raised any hopes in our minds, for we should not have +thought that, with so small a force as such a vessel could carry, her +commander would think of attacking so great a number of men as, Louise +would have told you, had us in their power." + +"We are only too glad to have an opportunity of being of service to you +and your family, Monsieur Pickard. Indeed, had there been only these two +officers and myself on board, I am sure that we should have made an +attempt to release you; and should, I have no doubt, have succeeded in +doing so without being discovered, as would have been the case to-night, +had not they taken it into their heads to come into the hut just at that +moment. And now, monsieur, for the sleeping arrangements. My cabin is at +the service of madame, those of Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Lippincott, of the +young ladies. We shall have cots slung for ourselves elsewhere; that +sofa must serve for you, Monsieur Pickard. To-morrow, madame, we will +place at your disposal whatever there is on board the ship for +fabricating dresses for your daughters that will be less striking than +that now worn by Mademoiselle Louise. We have a roll of white duck, from +which, I have no doubt, they will be able to contrive a couple of white +dresses." For the eldest girl, as well as Louise, was in boy's clothes, +as the Pickards had fortunately had warning before the outbreak took +place on their plantation, one of the men with them having overheard +what was said at a meeting of the negroes, and in consequence they, the +overseers, two white superintendents of the indigo works, a carpenter +and mechanic, had during the night taken to the woods, Madame Pickard +dressing her daughters in some clothes that they had in store, and which +were cut down to fit them. + +"And now, ladies," Nat went on, "I know that you will above all things +be longing for bed, but I hope that you will each take a basin of soup +and a glass of wine before you turn in, you must need them sorely. The +steward will get your cabins ready for you. I am sure that Mademoiselle +Louise will set you a good example; she recovered her appetite as soon +as she learned that we intended to get you out." + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +TWO CAPTURES + + +The meal was a very short one, but the ladies, to please their rescuers, +took a few spoonfuls of soup and a glass of wine. Madame Pickard and her +elder daughter were too much worn out by anxiety and emotion to talk, +Monsieur Pickard was no less moved, and the conversation was supported +entirely by the three officers and Louise. The young men hurried through +their meal, and then, saying good-night to the others, went up on deck. + +"Well, never did a thing turn out better," Nat said as he lit his pipe; +"it is a tremendous satisfaction that we have not lost a single man in +the affair." + +"And it is no less a satisfaction," Turnbull said, "that we have given a +good many of those black brutes their deserts. It was a good fight for a +bit." + +As they were smoking, the seven white men came up in a body. + +"We could not lie down, monsieur," one of them said, "till we had come +to thank you for saving us from the most frightful deaths. We had given +up all hopes even of obtaining a weapon and putting an end to ourselves, +which we should certainly have done could we have got hold of a knife, +after having been obliged to witness the tortures of two of our +comrades. Had you been but ten minutes later another of us would have +been their victim. Ah, monsieur! your voice, when you spoke at the +window, seemed like that of an angel who had come to our relief." + +"How long had you been in the woods?" Nat asked. + +"Six weeks, monsieur, before the negroes found us. We had carried off +some provisions with us, but these were all consumed, and we were +obliged to go down to the plantation to search for food. We suppose that +we were seen and followed, and the next night we were surrounded by the +band you saw." + +"Well, we are all very glad to have got you out of their hands, and you +rendered good service when the blacks came down on us." + +"We had our revenge to take," the man said, "and not one of us but would +have fought until he was killed." + +"You have had something to eat, I hope?" + +"Yes, thank you, sir." + +"You had better turn in now. I don't suppose you have had much sleep of +late." + +"Poor beggars," Turnbull said as the men walked away, "I wonder myself +that they did not strangle each other, or hang themselves, or something. +I am sure I should have done so rather than wait day after day till my +turn came to be burnt alive, or to be cut to pieces gradually, or put to +death by any other means of slow torture." + +"Yes, Turnbull, if one were quite sure that there was no possible hope +of rescue or escape; but I suppose a man never does quite give up hope. +This was an example, you see, of the unlikely happening." + +"What are you going to do next, Glover?" + +"I don't know, I have hardly thought it out yet. You see, we can manage +with this lot we have on board without much difficulty, and I don't know +that I should be justified in going round to Cape Francois on purpose to +land them. So far we have not been able to bring any news of value, and +at any rate I think we might as well cruise about here a little longer. +There is one thing, if we should fall in with anyone bigger than +ourselves and have to fight for it, those fellows who have just gone +below will be a valuable addition to our strength. When it comes to a +hand-to-hand fight seven stout fellows might turn the scale." + +"Yes, there is something in that, and I am glad you mean to keep them on +board for a bit. I think the girls will be very good fun when they have +a little got over what they have gone through. The young one is a jolly +little thing, and her sister is very pretty, in spite of her short hair +and boy's dress, though one had not much opportunity of forming an idea +as to whether she had any fun in her." + +"I fancy it will be some time before she will feel inclined for a +flirtation, Turnbull," Nat laughed. "What she has gone through, and what +she has seen in the way of horrors, is enough to damp a girl's spirits +for a very long time." + +In the morning the ladies did not appear at breakfast. + +"My wife is completely prostrated," Monsieur Pickard said, "and the two +girls are shy and do not like showing themselves until they have made +up a couple of dresses. Your steward gave them the roll of white cotton +early this morning and needles and thread, and both are very hard at +work. I hope you will excuse them, they will come out and have breakfast +here after we have done. May I ask where we are sailing now?" + +"We are sailing east, monsieur. I hope that it will not inconvenience +you to be a few days on board. My orders are to cruise up and down the +coast, and I wish therefore to go east as far as the boundary between +the French and Spanish portions of the island; after that I can go round +into the bay of Hayti and land you at Port-au-Prince or Cape Francois, +whichever you would prefer." + +"It will make no difference whatever to us, and indeed I am sure that a +cruise on your beautiful little ship will be the very best thing for my +wife and daughters. They will have perfect rest and sea air, and it will +not be necessary for them to tell over and over again the stories of +their sufferings; but I lament that we should be putting you to such +personal inconvenience." + +"I can assure you, monsieur, that you are putting us to no inconvenience +whatever. We sleep just as well in our cots as in our berths, and the +society of the ladies and yourself will be a very great pleasure to us, +for as a rule we have very small opportunity in that way." + +"You speak our language very fluently, Monsieur Glover." + +"I am afraid that I speak it more fluently than grammatically. I had the +opportunity of picking it up by ear last year, when I was staying for +six weeks at the house of Monsieur Duchesne at Cape Francois." + +"We know him well, and his charming wife and daughter," Monsieur Pickard +said, "for we have a house there, and generally go there for three +months every winter. Can it be that you are the officer who saved their +daughter's life, when she was attacked by a fierce hound?" + +"Yes, I had that good fortune." + +"I fear that they have fallen in this terrible insurrection. We have had +no direct news from Cape Francois, but we heard that in their district +all the plantations have been destroyed and the owners murdered." + +"I am happy to be able to tell you that they were saved. I was staying +there at the time when the revolt broke out We were warned just in time +by an old nurse, Dinah." + +"I remember her," Monsieur Pickard broke in, "a tall old woman." + +"Yes, Monsieur Duchesne himself was in town, and madame, Myra, and I had +just time to gain the forest. There we were joined by Dinah, who did +everything for us. Madame was attacked by fever, but fortunately Dinah +knew of a very safe place of refuge. She did everything for us, fetched +up provisions, concocted medicine, and after being ten days in hiding, +we were able to get them down to the town." + +Both the midshipmen had a fair knowledge of French, though they were not +able to speak it with Nat's ease and fluency. When the latter had +finished, Turnbull broke in: + +"Mr. Glover does not tell you, monsieur, that the cave they were in was +attacked by six negroes, led by two mulattoes, and he shot them all, nor +that he and the nurse carried Madame Duchesne down in a litter some +twenty miles to the town, although he had one of his ribs broken by a +pistol shot." + +"What is the use of talking about that?" Nat said angrily. "The thing +was done and there was an end of it. There has been a lot too much said +about it as it is." + +Monsieur Pickard smiled. "Monsieur Glover is like my daughters at +present, he is shy. He should not be so. It is right that we, his +friends,--for we are his friends, now and for the rest of our +lives,--should know what he is. Ah, my wife and the girls will be +pleased indeed to hear that their friends have escaped! They have often +said how sorry they were that they had not seen the young officer who +rescued their friend Myra from the dog. It is strange indeed that he +should afterwards have saved her and her mother from the negroes, and +should now have so rescued us." + +That evening the girls appeared on deck in snowy-white dresses, simply +made, but fitting admirably. "We have always been accustomed to cut out +our own dresses," Valerie said, laughing, when Nat complimented her on +the work. "The slaves did the sewing, but we fitted each other. Of +course at Cape Francois we had our dresses made for us, but on the +plantation we were obliged to trust to ourselves." + +One morning, three days later, as they were at breakfast, Nat stopped as +he was raising a cup to his lips. "That is a gun!" he exclaimed. "There +is another!" and with the two middies he ran up on deck. "There is a +fight going on somewhere," he said as the sound of firing was again +heard. "It must be six or seven miles away, somewhere beyond that +headland. At any rate we will hold on and have a look at them. With this +light wind it will take us from an hour and a half to two hours before +we are up with them, so we may as well finish our breakfast in comfort." + +"What is it, Monsieur Glover! Are those noises really the sound of +guns?" + +"There is no doubt about it. There is a fight going on seven or eight +miles away. We should hear the sound more plainly were it not that there +is a headland between us and the vessels engaged." + +"Who can they be?" Madame Pickard said. + +"A pirate and a merchantman, no doubt. None of the European nations are +at war, but the seas swarm with piratical craft of one kind or another. +The small ones content themselves with plundering native coasting +vessels, the larger ones attack ships from or to Europe. The _Orpheus_, +to which I belonged at that time, last year rooted out one of their +worst nests. They had no fewer than four ships. We were lucky enough to +catch one of them, and learned where the rendezvous was, and fortunately +found the other three at home, and destroyed them and their +storehouses." + +"Are you going on in that direction now?" Valerie asked. + +"Yes, we are going to have a look at them. If the trader is making a +good fight of it, our arrival may turn the scale; if we arrive too late +and find the enemy too big for us, we can run away; in a light wind like +this there are very few vessels that could catch us. It is probable that +we should not interfere were it not for the possibility that we may be +in time to save some of the passengers and crew of the merchantman. She +must be a vessel of some size, judging from the sound of her guns. Even +if she has surrendered before we get there, and we find that we are in +any way a match for the pirate, we might, after defeating her, save at +least some of the captives. As a rule, these scoundrels, when all +opposition has ceased, confine the prisoners in the hold, and after +emptying the prize of everything valuable, scuttle her, and of course +drown all on board. In that way all traces of their crime are lost, +whereas if they killed them some of the bodies might float inshore, or +if they burnt the ship the smoke might bring down any cruiser that +happened to be in the neighborhood. + +"I am sorry that you are on board, ladies." + +"Oh, do not think of us!" Madame Pickard exclaimed. "After the wonderful +deliverance that we have had, I am sure that none of us would mind any +risk if there is a chance of saving others in as dire peril as we +were." + +The two girls and Monsieur Pickard warmly agreed. "Please put us +altogether out of consideration," the latter said. "Even if we knew that +it was probable we should all lose our lives we should not hesitate. We +are not, I hope, any of us, afraid of death. It was the kind of death +that we were terrified at." + +"I thank you all," Nat said gravely. "I shall not fight unless I think +that there is at any rate a fair chance of victory." + +On going on deck when breakfast was finished, Nat ordered the magazine +to be opened and ammunition brought up. The wind had freshened a little, +and the schooner was going faster through the water; and in three +quarters of an hour after hearing the first gun they neared the +promontory. + +"I am afraid it is all over," Nat said to the ladies, who had also come +on deck; "there has not been a gun fired for the past two or three +minutes. However, we shall soon see." + +On rounding the point they saw two vessels lying side by side, a mile +and a half distant, and about a mile from shore. One was a barque, +evidently a large merchantman; the other a brigantine. There was no +question that the latter was a pirate, and the other her prize. The +sailors, after a glance at them, turned their eyes anxiously towards Nat +for orders. The latter stood quietly examining the ships through his +glass. + +"She mounts five guns a side, and I should say that they are about the +same weight as our own," he said to Turnbull; "and from the men swarming +on her deck and that of her prize she must have nearly, if not quite, +three times our strength, even counting the Frenchmen in." + +"She is too big to fight squarely, sir," Turnbull reluctantly agreed. "I +am afraid she is altogether too tough a customer for us; and yet one +hates the thought of leaving them to complete their devil's work on +their prize." + +"Yes, we can't think of doing that, Mr. Turnbull. The first thing to do +will be to draw them off from her." + +"But they would be sure to leave some of their men in possession of +her." + +"Well, if they do, there will be so many the fewer for us to fight. We +are within a mile now, I should say?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Then train the two forward guns on them, and let them see that we mean +fighting." + +A cheer broke from the sailors clustered round the guns as Turnbull gave +the order. + +"Now, ladies," Nat said, "you can stop to see the effect of our first +shot, and then I must ask you to go down on to the lower deck. Sam will +show you the way and take some cushions down for you; you will be out of +danger there." + +As he spoke, the two guns which were already loaded were fired, and the +men gave a cheer as two white patches appeared on the side of the +brigantine. + +"Please hurry down, ladies," Nat said, checking the entreaty which he +saw they were going to make. "It won't be long before they answer us." + +"Give them another round, lads!" he said, as they reluctantly obeyed his +orders. "Get them in if you can before he is ready." + +Busy as they were, the pirates had not observed the schooner until her +guns were fired. With shouts of alarm they ran back to their own ship, +but these were succeeded by exclamations of anger and surprise when they +saw how small was the craft that had thus intruded into the affair. By +the captain's orders twenty of the crew, under his first mate, returned +to the deck of the prize; a portion of the men ran to the guns, others +threw off the grapnels fastening them to the prize. Before they were +ready to fire, two more shots from the schooner crashed into the +brigantine, one passing through the bulwarks, killing three men and +wounding several others with the splinters. The other struck her within +a few inches of the water-line. + +The schooner at once bore up, discharging the guns on the starboard side +as she came round, and laying her course as close to the wind as she +could be jammed, showed her stern to the pirate. Two of his guns forward +were fired, others could not be brought to bear. The Arrow was now +almost retracing her course, for the wind was west-nor'-west, and she +could just follow the line of coast. + +"Here they come after us!" Turnbull said, rubbing his hands, "as savage +as bees whose hive has been disturbed." + +"Now, Mr. Turnbull, get the two guns right aft, so as to fire over the +taffrail. We must see if we cannot knock some of her spars away. As soon +as you have moved the guns let all hands, except those serving them, go +forward and lie down there. The weight of the guns will put her rather +by the stern, and I don't want to let that fellow come any nearer to us. +She is in her best trim now." + +As soon as the guns were ready they opened fire. The brigantine answered +with her bow-chaser, but, as she was obliged to yaw each time she +brought it to bear, she presently ceased firing. + +"We are gaining on her, sir," Lippincott said, as he watched the pirate +through his glass. + +"Yes, and sailing fully a point nearer to the wind than she does. Get a +stay-sail fastened to a rope, and drop it over close to the bow. I don't +want to run away from her. If she found that we were too fast for her +she would give up the chase, and go back to the prize. I want her to +gain just enough to encourage her to keep on. She is a fast craft, but +we are faster. We shall be able to manage her, providing she does not +knock away any of our spars." + +The start the schooner had made had at first widened the distance +between them, and there was now a mile and a quarter of water separating +them. The brigantine was hulled several times and her sails pierced, but +her spars were still intact. She was permitted to gain until she was +little more than half a mile astern, but the schooner had weathered on +her, and was now nearly half a mile to windward. + +"If we had an open sea on this side instead of the land," Turnbull said, +"and were to cut away that sail, they would not see us again." + +"No; they must have come to the same conclusion. As it is, they no doubt +think that our clawing out to windward is of no advantage to us. Now, +get another gun over to the larboard side. It is lucky that there is a +spare port there. We must make an effort to knock one of his spars out, +or he may cripple us." For by this time the brigantine had again opened +fire. "Let the three best shots we have got lay the guns on her +mainmast. Tell them to train them rather high, so that if they miss the +mark they may cut one of the halyards, which will give us all the start +we want." + +The guns were run into their position on the broadside. "Don't hurry +over it," Nat said; "let each fire as his gun comes to bear." There was +a crash and a cry as he spoke; a ball had gone through the Arrow from +side to side, tearing jagged holes through her bulwarks, one of the +sailors being struck to the deck by a splinter. No one spoke, every eye +being fixed on the guns. These were fired almost together. There was a +pause for a second or two, and then a burst of cheering as the gaff of +the great mainsail of the brigantine was seen to collapse. + +"It is hit close to the jaws," Turnbull, whose glass was levelled on the +pirates, exclaimed. + +"Cut away that sail in the water!" Nat shouted. "Up with your helm, +men, and bring her round. That is right," he went on as the schooner +came up into the wind and payed off on the other tack. "Now, slack away +her sheets!" + +Three guns were vengefully fired by the pirate, but the sudden change in +the schooner's position disconcerted their aim, and the shot flew wide. +Without waiting for orders, the seamen at two of the guns ran them over +to the starboard side, and, all working at the highest pressure, poured +shot after shot into the brigantine, which answered but slowly, as +numbers of the men had run aloft to get the sail down to repair damages. +Before she was under way again the schooner had left her a mile behind. +She was now on her best point of sailing, while the brigantine was to +some extent crippled by the mainsail setting badly, and by the time the +headland was again passed the schooner was fully two miles ahead. Her +crew had for some time been puzzled at the action being so abruptly +concluded, and Turnbull had even ventured to say: + +"I should think, sir, we should have a fair chance with her now." + +"Not a very good chance. We have been lucky, but with ten guns to our +four, and her strong crew of desperate men, she would be a very awkward +customer. We can think of her later on. My plan is to retake the prize +before she can come up. It is not likely that they have killed the crew +yet, and I expect the captain told those left behind to leave things as +they were until he returned. We may scarcely be a match for the +brigantine, but the prize and we together should be able to give a good +account of ourselves." + +"Splendid, sir!" Turnbull exclaimed joyously; "that is a grand idea." + +"Have the guns loaded with grape," Nat said quietly, "and run two of +them over to the other side. We will go outside the prize, bring our +craft up into the wind, and shoot her up inside her, and give them one +broadside and then board. Tell the men to have their pistols and +cutlasses ready, and distribute the boarding-pikes among the Frenchmen." + +As soon as they rounded the point they could see by their glasses that +there was a sudden commotion on the deck of the merchantman. + +"They did not expect to see us back first," Lippincott laughed. + +"Even now, I should think, they are expecting to see the brigantine +close behind us in chase, and don't suspect what we are up to. Don't +head straight for her," he said to the helmsman, "take us a couple of +lengths outside her." + +The pirates, indeed, were completely deceived, but when at last they saw +that the brigantine did not appear, they ran over to the guns. It was, +however, too late. Two or three of these were discharged as the schooner +passed, but beyond making holes in her sails no damage was done, and one +of the schooner's guns poured in a volley of grape. When she was two or +three lengths ahead her helm was put hard down. She flew round and just +caught the wind on the other tack, gliding up alongside the merchantman, +the three guns being discharged in succession as the two vessels +touched. + +The grapnels were thrown, and the sailors and Frenchmen leapt on to her +deck headed by the three officers. Nearly half the pirates had been +killed or wounded by the four discharges of grape. The remainder made +but a poor fight of it, and were cut down to a man. + +"Off with the hatches, men!" Nat shouted. "Run down and release the +crew." + +He himself ran aft into the saloon. Here six gentlemen and eight or ten +ladies were lying bound hand and foot. Several of the men were wounded. +Nat at once cut the cords. + +[Illustration: "THE CAPTAIN OF THE PIRATES SHOOK HIS FIST IN DEFIANCE."] + + +"You are safe," he said. "The ship has been retaken by his majesty's +schooner _Arrow_, but we have not done with the brigantine yet, and any +of you who have weapons and can use them may lend a hand." + +Without waiting to listen to the chorus of cries of gratitude, he ran +out again. A minute later a number of seamen poured up on deck. Many of +them were wounded. + +"How many are there of you?" he asked an officer among them. + +"There are thirty of us," he said; "we had lost nearly half our crew +before they boarded us. The captain was killed early in the fight, as +was the first officer." + +"Well, sir, set your men to load the guns at once. There is the +brigantine just coming round the point. Monsieur Pickard, will you +remain here with your party and help the sailors? Get your sails sheeted +home, sir!" he went on to the ship's officer. "Is your vessel a fast +one?" + +"Yes, but she is not so fast as that brigantine." + +"That is of no consequence," Nat said. "Get every sail you can on her. +Now get twenty of our men on board again, Mr. Lippincott, and on second +thoughts I will take five of the Frenchmen. Mr. Turnbull, you will +remain on board in command of this ship with the other five of our men. +My endeavour will be to knock away one of her masts. Do you keep as +close as you can to us, and we will board her together, one on each +side. If she knocks away one of our spars, I shall as far as possible +come back to meet you, and if she follows us we will fight her +together." + +"I understand, sir." + +"The moment we push off, get your head sails aback and put her on the +wind so as to get out of our way. I shall fill her off on the other tack +and then come round and join you. We will keep together until we see +whether she means to fight or run. Remember, the great thing is to +knock a spar out of her." + +So saying, he leapt on to the deck of the schooner, and Turnbull's voice +was at once heard shouting the order, "Haul aft the weather sheets of +the jibs;" and in a minute the two vessels were gliding away from each +other on opposite tacks. Then the _Arrow_ was brought round and followed +the _Thames_, which was the name of the merchantman. The brigantine was +now three quarters of a mile away. Suddenly she was seen to change her +course. As she wore round she presented her broadside to the two +vessels, and her five guns puffed out together. The reply, both from the +merchantman and the _Arrow_, followed almost simultaneously, and a cheer +rang out from both ships as the pirate's bowsprit was seen to snap off. + +"Place yourself two or three cables' length from his larboard quarter," +Nat shouted. + +Turnbull, who had leapt on to the rail to see the result of the +broadside, waved his hand. + +"Down topsails!" Nat shouted, "she will be handier without them." + +In a moment the two great sails came fluttering down. Turnbull followed +the example, and the men ran up the ratlines and furled some of the +upper sails. Deprived of her head sails, the pirate was unmanageable, +and the two vessels speedily ran up and laid themselves a couple of +hundred yards from his quarters and opened a steady fire. The pirates +endeavoured to drag two of their guns right aft, but the volleys of +grape poured into them were too much for them, and although their +captain was seen to shoot two of the men, the rest ran forward. The +helmsman deserted his now useless post. + +"Give her one more broadside," Nat shouted to Turnbull, "and then run in +and board." + +The captain of the pirates, mad with rage, leapt on to the taffrail and +shook his fist in defiance. At that moment two rifles cracked out from +the merchantman, and he fell forward into the sea. The effect of the +storm of grape from the three guns of the schooner, and the four from +the trader, among the men huddled up in the bow of the pirate was +terrible, but knowing that their lives were forfeited if they were taken +prisoners, none made a movement aft to haul down the black flag that +still floated from the peak. In two or three minutes their antagonists +were alongside; a volley of musketry was poured in, and then the crews +of both ships leapt on to the deck. The pirates, who were now reduced to +about thirty men, rushed to meet them, determining to sell their lives +dearly. But the odds were against them; they missed the voice of their +captain to encourage them, and when twenty of their number had fallen, +the remainder threw down their arms. + +"Let no man stir a foot to go below," Nat shouted, remembering the +explosion in the pirate's hold, and fearing that one of them might make +straight for the magazine. He had not used his pistols in the fight, and +now stood with one in each hand pointing threateningly to enforce the +order. + +"Mr. Lippincott, take four men below and close and securely fasten the +magazine." + +The middy ran down, and returned in two or three minutes to report that +he had executed the order. + +"Tie those fellows' feet and hands," Nat said, "and carry them down into +the hold." + +When this was done he was able to look round. The deck was a perfect +shambles. The brigantine, as he afterwards heard, carried originally +eighty hands. Ten of these had been either killed or seriously wounded +in the fight with the _Thames_, and twenty had been killed on board that +barque when she was retaken. Forty lay dead or dying on the deck. One of +the Frenchmen had fallen, six of the sailors and three Frenchmen had +been severely wounded, Turnbull somewhat seriously wounded, and +Lippincott slightly. Monsieur Pickard, and the male passengers on board +the _Thames_, had all joined the boarders. + +Two of them had previously done good service with their rifles. Had not +the pirate leader been killed, the fight would have been even more +desperate. One of the passengers was, fortunately, a surgeon. He at once +set to work attending to the sailors' wounds, and after he had bandaged +them he examined those of the pirates. These had for the most part been +killed outright, and of the wounded there were but four or five with any +prospect of recovery. These he first attended to, while the other +passengers carried water to the dying men. + +"Now, my lads," Nat said, "clear the decks of the dead, and get up an +awning and carry those who are alive into the shade." + +All the dead pirates were thrown over without ceremony, the body of the +Frenchman being laid down by his compatriots by one of the guns for +proper burial in the evening. As soon as the fight was over, Monsieur +Pickard--who, after the capture of the _Thames_, had gone below to +assure his wife and daughters that all was going on well, and that they +had saved nine ladies and six gentlemen from the hands of the +pirates--hurried down with the welcome news that the fight was over and +the brigantine captured. + +"You can go up to the cabin," he said, "but don't come on deck till I +come down and tell you that everything has been made clean and tidy. You +will be glad to hear that, although we have several wounded, Francois +Amond is the only man that has been killed." + +One of the passengers of the _Thames_ had carried similar news to the +ladies there. The crews of both were at once set to work to wash decks, +and in an hour the holy-stones had obliterated the worst signs of the +conflict, though it would require many more scrubbings before the stains +of blood entirely disappeared. All this time the vessels had remained +side by side, and the ladies now ventured on to the decks of the +_Thames_ and _Arrow_. + +"What do you intend to do, sir?" one of the passengers asked Nat. + +"I shall sail at once for Jamaica," he said. "We shall want some more +hands, and I must at present borrow a few from you, for my own men are +not sufficiently strong to navigate my own craft and the prize. The wind +is favourable, and if it holds as it is we shall be at Kingston in +forty-eight hours, so there will be no great loss of time." + +He then crossed to the _Arrow_. + +"I must congratulate you most heartily on your success," Madame Pickard +said. "It is wonderful indeed that you should have taken both these +vessels. The pirate ship is, I should think, three times as big as you +are, and the other looks a giant by her side." + +"Yes, she is six hundred tons, and the brigantine is about three +hundred. However, it has all gone very fortunately. In the first place, +we have rescued some fifteen gentlemen and ladies, and twice as many +seamen, from the death that they would certainly have met with; and in +the next place, we have thrashed this pirate; we shall get both credit +and prize-money, and a good sum for the recapture of the _Thames_, which +the chief officer has just told me carries a very valuable cargo. +Lastly, I am happy to say that, although several of the crew are +injured, I have not lost a single life among them. I am sorry that one +of your men fell in the fight." + +"But they have sadly spoiled the appearance of your ship," Valerie +Pickard said. "There are three or four great holes along the side, and a +ball has gone through your cabin, and the sails, which were so white and +pretty, have lots of holes in them." + +"Yes, we shall want a good many new cloths," he said; "but that is a +very minor matter." + +"Monsieur Turnbull is hurt, I hear!" + +"Yes, madame; happily it is not very serious--a blow which he only +partly parried struck him on the shoulder. It looks a very serious +wound, but the doctor says there is no need for any great uneasiness +about him; and being seriously wounded in action has its advantages, as +it always counts towards promotion. Mr. Lippincott has had one of his +ears nearly slashed off, and is not pretty to look at at present, with +his head done up in bandages, but the surgeon thinks that, as it was +attended to so soon, it is likely that it will heal up." + +"And you have escaped altogether, Monsieur Glover?" Louise said. + +"Yes, for once I have had good luck. Hitherto I have always come out of +a fight more or less damaged; this time I have escaped without a +scratch." + +"I should feel very proud if I were you," the girl said, "at having done +so much with such a small ship--and you so young, too! Why, you do not +look more than a year or two older than Valerie, and you have rescued us +and all the people on the other ship, and taken a pirate and the vessel +they had captured. It seems almost impossible. And you look so quiet and +nice, too." + +"Louise, you should not talk like that," her mother corrected. + +Nat said gravely: + +"Mademoiselle, do you know that you are talking to the commander of one +of his majesty's ships on his own quarter-deck, where he is, as it were, +the monarch of all he surveys, and might inflict all sorts of terrible +punishments upon you for your want of respect?" + +The girl laughed merrily. + +"I am not afraid," she said, "not one little bit, and I don't see why +you should mind being told that you are young and quiet-looking and +nice, when you are." + +"I do not mind in the least," he said, "and certainly I am young; but I +can assure you that my former captain would not tell you that I was +quiet, for I had the reputation of being the most troublesome middy on +board his frigate. But, you see, responsibility has sobered me, and I +can assure you that there is a great deal of responsibility in +commanding a small craft like this, which has nothing but her speed and +her luck to rely on if she happens to fall in with a strongly-armed +vessel." + +"How can you say that, monsieur," Valerie said indignantly, "when you +have taken this pirate, which is ever so much stronger than you are?" + +"There may be a little good management in it, but more luck, +mademoiselle. If one of his shot had damaged me instead of one of mine +damaging him, we should all have had our throats cut two hours ago." + +"I don't believe it," she said. "I believe that you would have beaten +him anyhow." + +"Ladies very often think what they wish," he said with a laugh, "and no +doubt we should have fought to the last; but I can assure you that we +should have had no chance with them, and the best I could have done for +you would have been to have fired the last shot of my pistol into the +magazine." + +"Please don't talk about it," Madame Pickard said with a shudder. "And +now I suppose that you have had fighting enough, and are going to carry +us quietly into port?" + +"Yes, madame, to Jamaica; but if you would prefer to be landed at Cape +Francois or Port-au-Prince I shall be happy to give you a passage back +again." + +"We do not want to go there at all, but my husband will go to wind up +his affairs, and sell his house there. We have been talking it over, and +agree that we should never like to go back to the estate again. Even if +things did quiet down the memories are too terrible; and, besides, +having once broken out, the blacks might do so again at any time." + +"I think you are perfectly right, madame; but I am afraid you will not +get much for your estate." + +"My husband thinks that, although no white man would buy it, there are +plenty of mulattoes who would give, not its real value, but a certain +amount, for it. Many of them are rich men who have already large +plantations. Ours was one of the most valuable on the island, and with +the title from us a purchaser would not be afraid of being disturbed +when the soldiers arrive and put down the insurrection; while, even if +this should never be done, the negroes, with whom the mulattoes are now +friends, would not interfere with him. My husband thinks that perhaps he +will get a third of its value, which would be sufficient to keep us all +comfortably in France, or wherever we may settle; but our best resource +is that we have the whole of last season's produce stored in our +magazines at Port-au-Prince." + +It was not until the next afternoon that the absolutely necessary +repairs to the three vessels were completed, the holes near the +water-line covered by planks over which pitched canvas was nailed, the +ropes shot away replaced by new ones, and the brigantine's gaff +repaired. Then sail was hoisted again, and the three vessels set sail +for Kingston, where they arrived on the evening of the third day after +starting. No little excitement was caused in the harbour when the +_Arrow_, with her sails and sides bearing marks of the engagement, +sailed in, followed by the brigantine flying the British ensign over the +black flag, and the _Thames_ with the same flags, but with the addition +of the merchant ensign under the black flag, following her. There were +two or three ships of war in the port, and the crews saluted the _Arrow_ +with hearty cheers. The flag-ship at once ran up the signal for her +commander to come on board, and, leaving Lippincott to see to the +operation of anchoring, Nat ordered the gig to be lowered, and, taking +his place in it, was rowed to the flag-ship. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE + + +On mounting to the deck Nat was at once taken to the admiral's cabin. + +"So you have been disobeying orders, Lieutenant Glover," he said +gravely. + +"I hope not, sir. I am not conscious of disobeying orders." + +"I fancy you were directed not to engage more heavily-armed craft than +your own." + +"I was, sir, but the circumstances were peculiar." + +"I never knew a midshipman or a young lieutenant, Mr. Glover, who did +not find the circumstances peculiar when he wanted to disobey orders. +However," he added with a smile, "let me hear the peculiar +circumstances, then I shall be able to judge how far you were justified. +Give them in full. Have you a written report?" + +"Yes, sir, I have brought it with me," Nat said, producing the document. + +"Well, lay it down on the table. I don't suppose it is very full, and I +am somewhat curious to hear how you brought in a pirate brigantine and a +recaptured merchantman--so I understood your flags." + +Nat related how he had heard the sound of guns on rounding a headland, +and had seen the brigantine lying by the side of the barque she had +evidently just captured; how he drew her off in pursuit of the +schooner, partially crippled her, returned and retook the _Thames_, +released her crew, placed Mr. Turnbull in command, and how, between +them, they had captured the brigantine. + +"A very smart action," the admiral said cordially when he had brought +the narrative to a conclusion. "It does you very great credit, and fully +justifies my appointing you to an independent command. What metal does +the brigantine carry?" + +"Five guns each side, all twelve-pounders like my own." + +"And you have only four?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Very good indeed, very good! By the way, do you know any of the +passengers on board the _Thames_ personally? I observed three ladies on +the deck as you came in. I should have thought that they would have had +very much better accommodation on the trader than on board your little +craft." + +"Yes, sir; but they were on board the _Arrow_ before our fight with the +brigantine, and although the first mate of the _Thames_ offered them a +state cabin they preferred to stay on board, as it was such a short run +here." + +"Who are they, then?" + +"They are refugees, sir. I got them out of the hands of the +negroes--three ladies, the husband of the elder one, and seven other +white men." + +"Is there any story attached to it, Mr. Glover? Let me see, what do you +say about it in your report?" and he opened it and read aloud: + + _I have the honour, sir, to report that, learning there was a + white family in the hands of the negroes, I landed with a party + and brought them off. They consisted of Monsieur and Madame + Pickard and their two daughters, and seven of their white + employees. Casualties--eight seamen wounded, none of them + seriously._ + +"Then comes the account of the other affair. Now, please give me the +details of this rescue business as minutely as possible." + +This Nat did. + +"A very risky business, Mr. Glover, though I don't see how you could +have acted in any other way. No British officer, I hope, could have been +deaf to such an appeal; but if those boats had found the schooner when +you all were away, your position would have been well-nigh desperate." + +"It would, sir, I quite felt that, but it seemed to me the only possible +thing to do. Of course, if I had known that the boats would have come +early in the evening, I should have remained on board and beat them off +before making a landing, although our chances of success would then have +been much smaller. The party who were to attack in the boats were to +have been composed of men from the plantation. Their comrades would +doubtless have come down to the shore to see us captured, and when they +saw their friends beaten off they would have been on the watch, and not +improbably, in their fury and disappointment, have massacred all the +captives in their hands at once. But I thought it likely that the boats +would not put off before they believed us to be asleep, and that I +should therefore have time to go up to the plantation and fetch the +captives down before they arrived. At any rate, by moving the schooner +close inshore I hoped that the boats might not find her. There was no +moon, and under the shadow of the rock it was next to impossible to see +her, unless a boat happened to pass within a few paces. Having struck +the topmasts, the forest behind on steep ground prevented the masts from +showing above the sky-line. It was, of course, the choice of two evils, +and I took the one that seemed to me to give the greater promise of +success." + +"You did excellently, the oldest officer in the service could not have +done better. I shall be obliged if you will write as full and detailed +an account of both affairs as you have given me. I shall send it home +with your official report, and with my own remarks upon them. And now +about the merchantman; she looks a fine barque. What is her tonnage?" + +"Six hundred tons, sir. She is a nearly new vessel, and sails fast for a +ship of that kind. Her first mate told me that she has a very valuable +cargo on board, principally, I think, tobacco, sugar, coffee, wax, +copper, mahogany, and cedar from Cuba. Her passengers are all Spanish." + +"She seems to be a valuable prize, and as recaptured from the pirates +there will be a handsome sum to be divided, and it is fortunate for you +and your officers that the little craft was commissioned independently, +not as a tender to one of the frigates. As it is, except the flag's +share, it will all fall to yourselves and your crew. How many men have +you lost?" + +"None at all, sir; though, as you will see by my report, in the two +affairs the greater part of them received more or less severe wounds. +Mr. Turnbull was somewhat severely wounded, Mr. Lippincott nearly lost +an ear, and I escaped altogether." + +"Well, it was your turn, Lieutenant Glover. You have come back three +times more or less severely hurt already. You say that the brigantine is +fast?" + +"Yes, sir. She is not so fast as the schooner in a light wind, nor so +weatherly, but in anything like strong winds I have no doubt that she +would overhaul us." + +"Was there anything in her hold?" + +"There are a good many bales and cases, sir. I have not opened them, but +by their marks they come from three different ships, which she had no +doubt captured and sunk before we fell in with her. I questioned one of +the prisoners, and he told me that it was only a month since she came +out, and he declared that they had not yet chosen any place as their +head-quarters. As others questioned separately told the same story, I +imagine that it was true." + +"Where did she hail from?" + +"She came from Bordeaux. They said that she had taken out letters of +marque to act as a privateer in case of war breaking out with us, but I +fancy that she was from the first intended for a pirate, for it seems +that she had only forty hands when she started, and picked up the others +at various French ports at which she touched before sailing west. I +should say, from the appearance of her crew, that they are composed of +the sweepings of the ports, for a more villainous set of rascals I never +saw." + +"Well, it is fortunate that you should have stopped their career so +soon. She might have given us a great deal of trouble before we laid +hands on her. We have had comparatively quiet times since the _Orpheus_ +destroyed that nest of them, and if she had confined her work to +homeward-bound ships it might have been months before we had complaints +from home, and found that there was another of these scourges among the +islands. I shall row around presently, Mr. Glover, and have a look at +your two prizes. When you see my gig coming I shall be obliged if you +will meet me on the deck of the brigantine." + +At four o'clock in the afternoon the watch on deck reported that the +admiral's gig was being lowered, and Nat immediately got into his own +boat and was rowed to the brigantine, whose name was the _Agile_. When +the admiral approached, instead of making straight for the accommodation +ladder, he rowed slowly round the vessel, making a very careful +examination of the hull. When he came on deck, he said: + +"Except for a few shot that hit her low down, and the general +destruction of her bulwarks, no damage has been done to her." + +"No, sir, we aimed high, our great object being to knock away some of +her spars. I don't think that her square sails will be of any use in the +future, they are riddled with balls from our stern-chasers." + +"A new gaff and bowsprit, a new suit of sails, new bulwarks, and a few +patches, and she would be as good as ever. What damage have you +suffered?" + +"The schooner has half a dozen holes in her bow, sir, and a dozen or so +in her sails, nothing that the dockyard could not set right in a +fortnight." + +He then went below. "Excellent accommodation," he said, after going +round, "that is for a fair crew, but she must have been crowded indeed +with eighty men. What should you consider to be a fair crew for her, Mr. +Glover?" + +"Twenty men, sir, if she were a simple trader; I should say from +thirty-five to forty would be none too much if she were going to fight +her guns." + +"Now we will have a look at your craft. You may as well take a seat in +my gig. Yes," he went on, as he rowed round her as he had done with the +brigantine, "now that the sails are furled she does not seem any the +worse for it, except in the bow and those two holes in the bulwarks." + +Monsieur Pickard and the ladies were seated on the deck, and rose as the +admiral came on board. + +"Please introduce me to your friends, Mr. Glover." + +Nat did so, and the admiral shook hands with them all. + +"I think I may congratulate you on your escape from a very terrible +position." + +"Yes, indeed," Madame Pickard said. "No words can express the gratitude +we feel to Monsieur Glover, his two officers, and the crew. Our position +seemed hopeless, the most terrible of deaths and the worst of atrocities +stared us in the face." + +"I have heard all about it, madame, and consider that Lieutenant Glover +managed the whole business with great discretion as well as bravery. He +has a bad habit of getting into scrapes, but an equally good one of +getting out of them with credit to himself. This is the third time he +has rendered signal services to ladies in distress, and I suppose I +should add that he has in addition saved the lives of the ladies on +board the barque lying astern. If there were a medal for that sort of +thing he would assuredly deserve it. He ought to have been born six or +seven hundred years ago, he would have made a delightful knight-errant. + +"What are the ladies like in the other ship, Mr. Glover?" + +"I have no idea, sir. I only saw them for a moment when I ran into the +cabin and cut their bonds. I have only seen the gentlemen for a minute +or two when they joined the boarders from the _Thames_ under Mr. +Turnbull, and I was much too busy to notice them." + +"Have you not gone on board since?" + +"No, sir, I had nothing to go on board for, and I don't speak any +Spanish." + +"We tried to persuade him, Monsieur l'Amiral," Valerie said, "but +monsieur is modest, he has never let us thank him yet; and although he +pretended that he only kept ahead of the other two because his ship was +a faster sailer, it was really because he did not wish to be thanked." + +"But other people are modest too," the admiral said with a smile. "I +have heard of two young ladies who came on board, and who would not stir +out of their cabins until they had made themselves new dresses." + +The two girls both coloured up at the allusion, and Monsieur Pickard +laughed. "Now I will go below, Mr. Glover. She is very small by the side +of the brigantine," he said, as he completed his visit of inspection. "I +am not surprised that the pirates chased you after your impudence in +firing at them, and that they thought they could eat you at a mouthful. +Now, we will pay a visit to the barque." + +To Nat's great relief, he found that the passengers had all gone ashore. +It was certain that they would be detained for some little time, as +there would be legal formalities to be gone through, and repairs to be +executed, and additional hands to be obtained; and, all feeling terribly +shaken by the events that had taken place on board, and the loss in some +cases of near relations, they had been glad to land until the ship was +again ready for sea. The mate in charge handed to the admiral the ship's +manifest and papers. + +"You have no seriously wounded on board?" the latter asked him. "Because +if so, I should advise you to send them ashore to the hospital at once." + +"No, sir. All who fell on the deck were thrown overboard by the pirates +as soon as they obtained possession of the ship. I believe that they +fastened shot to their feet to make them sink at once." + +The admiral nodded. "That is likely enough. Dead bodies drifting ashore +might cause inquiries to be made; their intention no doubt was to take +all the most valuable part of the cargo out of the ship, and then to +scuttle her with all on board." + +"Are we likely to be detained here long, sir?" + +"Not as far as we are concerned. We shall require you to sign in the +presence of a magistrate here a formal document acknowledging that the +vessel was absolutely captured, and in possession of the pirates, and +that she was recaptured by his majesty's schooner the _Arrow_, and to +sign a bond on behalf of the owners to pay the legal proportion of the +value of the ship and cargo to the admiralty prize court in London. You +will, of course, take her home yourself, but I shall send a naval +officer with you, as the ship and its contents remain the property of +government until the charges upon her are acquitted. If we were at war +with France we should retain her here until she could sail under convoy +of a vessel of war homeward-bound, but there is no occasion for doing +that now. I do not suppose that you will find much difficulty in +obtaining mates and enough sailors to make up your complement here. +Scarcely a ship sails from the port without some of her men being left +behind, either as deserters or through having been too drunk to rejoin. +At any rate you had better be careful whom you pick, and if you should +find a difficulty in obtaining men whose discharge-books show that they +have hitherto borne a good character, I should advise you to ship eight +or ten stout negroes. They are good hands at managing their own craft, +and although they might not be of much use aloft, they are as a rule +thoroughly trustworthy fellows, and quite as good for work on deck as +our own men. I will give you an order on the dockyard for any repairs +that you cannot get executed elsewhere. They will of course be charged +for, but need not be paid for here, as they will go down in the account +against the ship." + +Fortunately the dockyard was not busy, and the _Agile_ and the _Arrow_ +were the next morning taken into dock, and a strong gang of men at once +set to work upon them. Three days later a signal was made for Nat to go +on board the flagship. + +"I have received the report from the dockyard people, Mr. Glover," the +admiral said. "They confirm our opinion that the _Agile_ has not +suffered any serious damage; that she is a new and well-built vessel, +and well fitted for our service, and she will therefore be retained at +the valuation they set upon her. Here is your commission as her +commander. Having done so well in the little _Arrow_, I have no doubt as +to your ability and fitness for the post. She will carry forty hands. I +shall give you two petty officers, a boatswain's mate and a gunner's +mate. I had thought of giving you another midshipman, but I think it +would be better that you should take a surgeon. Three or four assistant +surgeons came out last week, and I can very well spare you one. + +"I shall not give you one of the new arrivals, for it is better that +these for a time should serve on larger ships, get accustomed to naval +work, and learn the ordinary routine of duty on board. I shall, +therefore, send you one from either the _Theseus_ or the _Limerick_, and +fill up his place with a new-comer. Your duties will be precisely the +same as those assigned to you in the _Arrow_, except that I shall not +impress upon you the necessity for giving a wide berth to suspicious +vessels. You will cruise on the coast of Hayti, take off refugees, +communicate, if possible, with chiefs of the insurgents, and see if +there is any strong feeling among them in favour of annexation to +England. You will be authorized, in case it is absolutely necessary in +order to save the inhabitants of any coast town from slaughter from the +blacks, either to help the garrison with your guns or to land a portion +not exceeding half your crew to aid in the defence." + +"I am indeed greatly obliged to you, admiral, and assure you that I will +do my best to merit your kindness and confidence." + +"It is to yourself rather than to me that you are indebted for what is +virtually a step towards promotion. Just at present I do not think that +you are likely to have any opportunity of taking advantage of your +increased force, as we have heard no complaints of pirates of late. We +may hope that these scoundrels, finding that the islands are growing too +hot for them, have moved away to safer quarters. At any rate, if there +are any of them in these waters, they are likely to be among the +northern Cays, and are probably confining their depredations for a time +to ships trading between Europe and Florida, or to vessels from here +which have passed beyond the general limit of the seas we patrol." + +On Nat's return to the dockyard, he delighted Lippincott with the news +of the exchange that they were to make. Turnbull was in hospital, but +the surgeons had reported that his wound was not so serious as it seemed +at first, and that a fortnight's rest and quiet would go far to render +him convalescent. The sailors, too, were glad to hear that they were +going to be transferred to a craft in which they would be able to meet +an enemy with confidence. They were also pleased to hear that there was +to be no change in their officers, for they had unbounded trust in their +young commander, and had from the first agreed that they had never +sailed in a more comfortable ship. After seeing Turnbull and acquainting +him with the news, Nat paid a visit to the Pickards. They had landed on +the evening of their arrival, and, after stopping a day in an hotel, had +established themselves in a pretty house outside the town, which +Monsieur Pickard had hired from a merchant who was on the point of +sailing for England, and would be absent several months. + +Monsieur Pickard had, on arriving, gone to a merchant with whom he had +business connections, and to whom he had frequently consigned produce +for shipment to England or France when there happened to be no vessel in +Port-au-Prince sailing for Europe. He had obtained from him a loan on +the security of the season's produce, which had, fortunately, been sent +down to be warehoused at Port-au-Prince two or three weeks before the +insurrection broke out. + +Nat's friends, too, heartily congratulated him on obtaining the command +of a larger vessel. + +"After the troubles and anxiety we have of late gone through, Monsieur +Glover, we feel the comfort of being under the protection of the +British flag, and shall enjoy it all the more now that we know that you +are not going to sea again in that pretty little vessel, for if you fell +in with another large corsair you might not be so fortunate as you were +last time. As you have said, if an unlucky shot had struck one of your +spars, you would have been at her mercy, and we know what that mercy +would mean. I intend to stay here for a short time, till madame and the +girls get quite accustomed to their new home, before sailing for +Port-au-Prince; but whether I am at home or away you know how welcome +you will be here whenever you happen to be in port. How long do you +think it is likely to be before you are off?" + +"I was speaking to the superintendent of the dockyard before I came out, +and he says that he will get the _Agile_ ready for sea in three weeks' +time. He cannot possibly manage it before; the hull could be ready in a +week, but the suit of sails will require three times as long, though he +has promised to take on some extra hands if he can get them. Orders +have, however, been given by the _Thames_ to the chief native sail-maker +of the place to patch some of the sails and to make several new ones, +and he has taken up some of the best hands in the town. Then, no doubt, +whoever gets the command of the _Arrow_ will be wanting her sails pushed +forward, though that is not certain, for it is not unlikely that, now +the _Agile_ has been bought into the service, the _Arrow_ will be sold. +Indeed, one of the principal merchants here would be glad to buy her as +a private yacht if he had the chance, as he often has business at the +other islands, and she is just the craft that would suit him. He said +that by putting up shorter topmasts twelve men would be enough to sail +her, and that he would exchange the guns for eight-pounders, as from +what he had heard she could outsail almost any craft she was likely to +meet with, and small guns would be quite sufficient to prevent any of +these little native piratical craft from meddling with her. However, I +think the superintendent will keep his word, and that in three weeks' +time I shall be off." + +"I may possibly be at Port-au-Prince before you, then," Monsieur Pickard +said. "I am thinking of chartering a small brig and going in her to +Port-au-Prince, and bringing my goods back from there. Now that the +mulattoes are up in arms, the place cannot be considered as absolutely +safe; and as I calculate they are worth from eight to ten thousand +pounds, I think it will be well to get them over as soon as possible." + +"I quite agree with you, Monsieur Pickard, and should certainly advise +you to lose no time. Unless I get instructions to the contrary, I shall, +in the first place, cruise round the shore of the bay of Hayti." + +Ten days later, indeed, Monsieur Pickard sailed in the brig that he had +chartered. Nat had called to say good-bye the evening before, and, to +his embarrassment, was presented by him with a very handsome gold watch +and chain, the former bearing the inscription that it was a small token +of the deepest gratitude of Eugene Pickard, his wife and daughters, for +having saved them from the most terrible fate. + +"It is only a little thing, Monsieur Glover," the planter said--"a +feeble token of our gratitude, but something which many years hence will +recall to your memory the inestimable service that you have rendered +us." + +The superintendent of the dockyard kept his word, and in three weeks the +_Agile_ was afloat again, and the next morning twenty men drafted from +the war-ships in the port were transferred to her. Those of the _Arrow_, +with the exception of five still in the hospital, had shifted their +quarters to her a fortnight previously. Turnbull had rejoined the +evening before. His arm was still in a sling, but otherwise he was quite +convalescent. Lippincott had that morning given up the bandage round +his head, which had kept him almost a prisoner until now, for he had +refused to go into the town until after nightfall with his head bound +up, although Nat had many times assured him that an honourable wound +would not be regarded as any disadvantage by the young ladies at +Kingston. The assistant surgeon, James Doyle, a cheery young Irishman, +also joined that morning. + +"It is glad I am to be out of all the ceremony and botheration on board +the frigate," he said as he shook hands with Nat, "and to be afloat on +my own account, as it were. Saunders, the surgeon, was enough to wear +one out with his preciseness and his regulations; faith, he was a man +who would rather take off a man's leg than listen to a joke, and it put +me on thorns to hear him speak to the men as if they were every one of +them shamming--as if anyone would pretend to be ill when he had to take +the bastely medicines Saunders used to make up for them." + +"I don't think you will find much shamming here, doctor, especially if +the new hands are as good as the others; and I hope that your services +will not often be required except in the matter of wounds." + +"No fighting means no wounds, and I am afraid that there is no hope of +fighting," the surgeon said, shaking his head mournfully; "you and the +_Orpheus_ have pretty well cleared out the pirates, and it was a case of +pure luck that you came across this craft the other day. But there is no +doubt that the _Orpheus'_ men have had all the luck, and the big ships' +turn won't come till we have war with France. However, it may be that +the luck will stick to you for a bit yet, for, by my faith, I shall +before long have forgotten how to take off a limb or to tie up an artery +for want of practice. We all envied you when you came in the other day +with the two prizes behind you, both big enough to have eaten you up, +and though we cheered, there was many a man who grumbled, 'Bad cess to +them, the _Orpheus_' men have got all the luck.'" + +"But the _Orpheus_ had nothing to do with it," Nat laughed. + +"No, I know that; but you had been one of their men, and had, as I have +heard, more than your share already of adventures." + +Nat had received no further orders, and sailed that afternoon; two days +later he was off the entrance of the great bay. He coasted along the +shore as near as he could venture, always keeping a man on watch for +signals made by anyone anxious to be taken off. When it became dark the +anchor was dropped, so that no part of the shore could be passed without +the ship being observed. It was on the seventh day after sailing that he +arrived at Port-au-Prince. Half an hour after he had anchored, Monsieur +Pickard came off in a boat. + +"It is lucky that I lost no time," he said after the first greetings +were over; "I got my last bale of goods on board the brig an hour ago, +and we are going to warp her out at once so as to be under shelter of +your guns." + +"Why, what is the matter?" + +"There is news that a large force of mulattoes and negroes are coming +down from the hills and will be here probably to-morrow morning. Luckily +a great part of the negroes were turned out of the town a fortnight ago. +There are only two hundred soldiers here, and about as many white +volunteers--little enough to defend the place if they attack us. No +doubt they chose the moment because there is not a French war-ship of +any kind in port. However, I think that all the white women and children +are on board the ships. They are all crowded. I have about twenty on +board the brig, and have rigged up a sail as an awning, and on such a +warm night as this they will sleep better there than they would in a +cabin. I can assure you that there was the greatest satisfaction when +you were seen coming in. Several of the captains had talked of towing +their vessels out three or four miles into the bay, but as soon as it +was certain that you were an armed ship, the idea was given up, as many +of them were only half-laden; and it was felt that, of whatever +nationality you were, you would prevent the negroes from coming off in +boats to murder the women and children. Of course I did not know that it +was you until I made out your figure from the shore, but as soon as I +did so, I told all I knew that they need not trouble about the safety of +those on board ship, for I could answer for it that you would not +hesitate to turn your guns on any boats that went out to attack them." + +"Well, Monsieur Pickard, I cannot believe that the town will be taken, +but at any rate I congratulate you on having got all your produce an +board." + +"Yes, it is a very important matter to us; we cannot calculate upon +finding a purchaser for our house at Cape Francois at anything +approaching its value at ordinary times. I have a couple of thousand +pounds lying at my banker's, and although six months ago I would not +have taken forty thousand for the estate and the slaves upon it, I +suppose I may consider myself fortunate if I get half that sum, or even +less, now. Anyhow, if I get my crop here safe to Jamaica, I need not +worry myself as to the future." + +"If the place is attacked in the morning, monsieur, I have the admiral's +authority to land half my men to aid in the defence; and though twenty +men is but a small number, they may render some assistance. I intend to +hold them in reserve, and to take them to any spot at which the +insurgents may be pressing back the defenders. I shall be obliged if you +will inform the officer in command of the troops and the civil +authorities that they can count on my assistance to that extent. Will +you give them my advice to get all the available boats ranged along by +the quay opposite to us, so that in case of the worst all can retreat +there. I will cover their embarkation with my guns. Lastly, I should +advise the captains of all the ships in port to tow their vessels out +and range them behind us, so that there may be nothing to interfere with +our line of fire." + +"I will inform the committee of defence directly I go ashore, and they +will doubtless send off at once to order the various ships to anchor at +the spot you indicate. It will be a relief, indeed, to them all to know +that you have undertaken their protection." + +"I will go ashore with you," Nat said; "though I have landed here more +than once I do not know the place well enough to be able to act quickly. +I should like to see exactly where your batteries are placed, and where +it is most likely that the negroes will make their chief attack." + +They went ashore and landed together, and walked to the house where the +principal men of the town were assembled. + +"Will you come in with me?" Monsieur Pickard asked. + +"No, I will leave you to explain what I propose to do and what I +recommend that they should do. There is sure to be a lot of talk and +discussion, and I do not wish to lose time. The sun will be setting in +another hour, so I will make my round at once." + +Passing through the town, Nat visited the various batteries that had +been erected, and decided that if the blacks were well led they would +work round and attack the remains of the native town. The batteries had +principally been erected round the European quarter, as if any enemy +coming from the hills would be certain to make a direct attack, while +the native quarter was almost entirely undefended, although with this +once in the possession of the enemy the whole town would lie open to +them. + +"It is clear that this is the real point of danger," he muttered. +"Fortunately, from where we are lying our guns can sweep the widest +street that runs down through this quarter. I shall mention my ideas to +Pickard. No doubt he is still talking away at the meeting." + +He went back to the house. M. Pickard and half a dozen other gentlemen +were standing at the door. M. Pickard at once introduced them to him. + +"My object in coming round here, gentlemen, is to tell you that in my +opinion your defences, which are quite strong enough to protect the town +against any body of negroes coming down on the easterly side, are wholly +insufficient to repel an attack if made on the native town. I trust, +therefore, that when the troops man the defences a considerable number +of them at least will be so placed as to be ready to meet an attack from +that side. There is practically nothing to prevent the negroes from +entering there, and, as many of the mulattoes with them must be +perfectly aware of the position of the batteries, they are scarcely +likely to propose to make an attack upon them, knowing that the negroes +would not be able to face an artillery fire, but would lead them round +to attack the almost defenceless native portion of the town." + +"We have always reckoned upon their coming upon us by one of the main +roads from the hills," one of the gentlemen said. + +"So I see, monsieur; but some of the mulattoes with them are men of +considerable intelligence, and would be hardly foolish enough to try to +break down the door that you have closed against them when they know +that there is an open entrance at the back. If there is a man with the +smallest spark of military genius about him he will commence the attack +by a feint in considerable force against the batteries, and then, under +cover of the smoke of your guns and his own--for I hear from Monsieur +Pickard that they are said to have fifteen or twenty guns which they +have taken at small places on the coast--will send round the main body +of his force to fall on the native town. That is my opinion, gentlemen. +I know very little of military matters, but it seems to me that is the +course that any man of moderate intelligence would pursue, and I +therefore should strongly advise that at least half your volunteer force +should take post to defend the native town, and so give time to the +remainder to come up and assist in the defence. I shall post my sailors +in a position where they can best aid in the defence in this direction, +and shall have the guns of my ship in readiness to open fire on the +native town if you are driven back." + +"Thank you, sir. We shall have another meeting late this evening, and I +shall do my best to urge the committee to act as you suggest." + +Nat returned on board the _Agile_. Already most of the ships in the port +had anchored a short distance outside the brigantine, and a few that had +kept on until the last moment taking their cargo on board were being +towed by their boats in the same direction. Turnbull and Lippincott were +anxiously awaiting Nat's return. Retiring into the cabin, he told them +the result of his investigation of the defences and the position on +shore. + +"I think we shall have hot work to-morrow," he went on. "If the negroes +are not absolute fools they will not knock their heads against the +batteries. There are twenty cannon in position, for the most part ships' +guns, and as I hear that they have plenty of ammunition, and especially +grape, they would simply mow the niggers down if they attacked them. +There is only one battery with three guns covering the native town, and +the blacks ought to have no difficulty in carrying this with a rush. We +have learnt by experience that, whatever their faults, they can fight +furiously, and are ready enough to risk their lives. Thus, this battery +may be taken in a few minutes. If a hundred of the volunteers held the +huts behind it they might check them for a time, but as the negroes are +several thousands strong the resistance cannot be long. The best point +of defence will be that street facing us here. Our guns will come into +play, and it is there that I shall join the French as they fall back. + +"I shall get you, Mr. Lippincott, to row round this evening to all these +craft near us, and to request the captains, in my name, to send all the +men provided with muskets they may have, on board us, as soon as firing +is heard. You will remain on board in charge, Turnbull; with your arm in +a sling, you are not fit for fighting on shore. With your twenty men you +ought to be able to work the guns pretty fast. Between their shots the +men with muskets would aid. Of course you would use grape. If their +attack lulls in the least send a few round-shot among the houses on +their side. Pomp and Sam had better go ashore with us and act as +boat-keepers. I will take the boat higher up than those of the +townspeople, for if a panic seizes them there would be a mad rush to get +on board. We will go a couple of hundred yards farther, and the boat +will lie a short distance out, and not come in close till they see us +running towards it. In that way we can make sure of being able to get on +board." + +"I should certainly have liked to land," Turnbull said, "but I know that +I am not fit yet for hard fighting." + +"I suppose you will be taking me along with you?" Doyle said. + +"By all means come if you like, but I was not thinking of doing so." + +"It is not often that we get a chance of taking a share in the fun. As a +rule, as soon as the guns are loaded and ready for action we have to go +below, and to stop there bandaging and dressing wounds, with not a +chance of seeing what is going on. This is just one chance in a hundred. +I should be no good here, for there is no one to look after. I will take +with me two or three tourniquets and some bandages, and perchance I may +be the means of saving some poor boy's life; and while not so engaged I +may have a slap at these murdering blacks. I am a pretty good shot, and +when a man can bring down ten snipe out of every dozen, as I have done +time after time in the ould country, he ought to be able to put a bullet +into a black man's carcass." + +"If you are bent upon going, by all means do so. As you say, a +tourniquet clapped on directly a man is wounded may save his life, and +every additional musket will be a valuable addition to our strength." + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE ATTACK ON PORT-AU-PRINCE + + +It was just getting light on the following morning when the sound of a +cannon was heard, and it was followed by several other shots, mingled +with the rattle of distant musketry. The town woke up with a start. +Drums beat in the streets, and in a minute or two men armed with rifles +and muskets poured out from their houses, and hurried to the rendezvous +settled upon the night before. The firing came from the eastern side of +the town, and the three batteries in that direction were all engaged. +Mingled with the report of the guns came the sound of a more distant +cannonade, showing that the insurgents' artillery was also at work. +Among the shipping there was as great an excitement as in the town. On +board every ship men were running up the ratlines to see if a view of +the scene of action could be obtained from aloft. On the decks numbers +of women, who had hastily thrown on their upper clothing, or wrapped +themselves in shawls, listened anxiously to the sound of firing. Scarce +one but had a husband, brother, or son among the defenders of the place. + +There were ten vessels lying outside the _Agile_, and from each of these +boats presently put off to the brigantine, some with three or four men, +others with as many as ten, all armed with muskets. + +"You will soon see how matters go, Turnbull, and whether this is a real +or only a feigned attack." + +The landing-party were in a few minutes ready to embark. Each man +carried fifty rounds of ammunition for his musket, and a dozen +additional cartridges for his pistols. Their water-bottles were slung +over their shoulders, and each had a hunch of bread and of cold meat +that had been boiled in the galley the night before in readiness. They +took their places in the cutter and gig, and were soon rowed ashore to +the point which Nat had fixed on the previous evening. The various boats +and lighters used in loading the ships had all been gathered at the quay +facing the _Agile_, and Nat was pleased to see that his advice in this +respect had been followed. + +The orders to Sam and Pomp, who were to remain one in each boat, were +that they should push the boats out as far as the head-ropes--which had +been lengthened for the occasion--would allow them, drop a small grapnel +over the stern, and should then keep a sharp look-out. The moment the +party were seen returning they were to pull up the grapnels, and haul on +the head-ropes till the boats were alongside. Both were armed, and the +orders were that they were to shoot anyone who should try to force +himself into either boat before the sailors came up. + +Nat led his party to an empty house close to the street commanded by +the _Agile's_ guns. Six of the sailors were placed as sentinels at the +ends of streets running into this, the rest piled arms. + +"Now, Mr. Lippincott, I shall be obliged if you will go and ascertain +how the affair is proceeding, and whether the batteries are keeping the +insurgents well in check. I am about to start for the battery on this +side, where I shall get a fair view of the country round, and see how +matters stand. + +"You will remain here, Mr. Thompson," he went on to the boatswain, "in +charge of the party. I shall take Newman with me in case I have any +orders to send to you. Will you come with me also, Doyle?" + +The two officers, followed by an active young seaman, started. On +arriving near the end of the native town, Nat was glad to see a group of +the volunteers in front of him. They saluted as he came up. + +"What force have you here, gentlemen?" he asked. + +"Fifty men, captain." + +"It would have been better if it had been a hundred and fifty. If they +come here in force you will not be able to keep them at bay long. Where +is your main body?" + +"They are gathered in front of the municipal offices in readiness to +move wherever their services may be most required." + +"That is quite satisfactory. I was afraid that most of them might be at +the batteries at the other side of the town, where the troops ought to +be quite able to hold their own against the blacks." + +At this moment another gentleman, with a red sash over his shoulder, +came up. He was the commander of the company stationed there. + +"I am afraid that we are rather out of it, monsieur," he said, after +exchanging salutes with Nat. + +"I am still more afraid, sir, that you are by no means out of it. I +think that you will find that before many minutes are over you will be +hotly engaged. I have come forward to tell you that my men are placed +just on the other side of Royal Street, and to beg that if you are not +able to maintain yourselves here--and if you are attacked, I am +convinced that it will be in such force that you will be unable to do +so--you will not endanger your force by holding on here too long, but +will retreat to Royal Street, and there make a stand, occupying the +houses on the other side of the street. The guns of my vessel are loaded +and in readiness to sweep the street with grape as the negroes try to +cross it; and we shall have in addition some forty or fifty men from the +merchantmen outside her, who will aid in keeping them in check. If I +might advise you, I should say that it would be well for you to write a +note, now that you have time to do so, saying that you are attacked in +overwhelming force, and are about to fall back to Royal Street, which +you will, aided by my sailors and guns, hold to the last, and begging +your commander to send his whole force up to support you. This you will, +of course, keep until the attack comes, and will send off as soon as you +perceive that your position here is untenable." + +"I think that is a very good suggestion," the officer said, "and shall +carry it out at once." + +"I will go on to the battery," Nat said; "from there I shall get a +better idea of the situation." + +They had scarcely gone beyond the line of houses when a French soldier +came running in. + +"What is your news?" Nat asked him. + +"A great crowd of the enemy are coming, sir. The captain has sent me to +beg the commander of the volunteers here to bring up his force to +support him." + +"You will find him a hundred yards farther on. Now, doctor, you will go +forward and have a look." + +Arriving at the battery, which was manned by twenty French soldiers +under a young lieutenant, Nat and the doctor mounted the parapet. The +enemy were still half a mile away. They were in no sort of order, but +were coming on in a confused mass. + +"There must be three or four thousand of them, lieutenant," Nat said +quietly. "You may check them a little, but you will never keep them out +of the town if they come on with a rush. I suppose you are loaded with +grape?" + +"Yes, monsieur," the young Frenchman said. + +He felt relieved at the arrival of the commander of the British ship of +war, for he was feeling the responsibility of his position greatly. + +"I should let them get within four or five hundred yards," Nat said +quietly, "then fire your guns singly, loading as rapidly as possible. +Here come the volunteers; place five-and-twenty of them on each side of +your battery. Let them lie down, and open fire when the enemy are within +two hundred and fifty yards. If they come on in spite of the fire, I +should say that you had best all retire at the double. It will be of no +use trying to hold the houses; they would only outflank you and cut you +off. I have already arranged with the volunteers that they shall make a +stand at Royal Street. I have a party of my sailors there in readiness +to help them, and as the guns of my ship will sweep the street we should +certainly be able to hold it until help arrives." + +"Thank you, monsieur, I will do as you suggest." + +At this moment the volunteers came up at a run. + +"Where do you wish me to place my men?" the captain said to the French +lieutenant. + +"I shall be obliged if you will put half of them on each side of the +battery. Let them lie down there, and open fire when the enemy are +within two hundred and fifty yards. If when they get within a hundred +yards, your fire and ours does not stop them, we will then retreat +together at the double. If we were once surrounded we should have no +chance whatever. Give your guns an elevation of five hundred yards," he +said to his men. + +When this was done he looked inquiringly at Nat. The other nodded. + +"Yes, I think it is about five hundred yards." Then he turned to the +seaman: "Go back as quickly as you can, Newman, and tell Mr. Thompson +that the blacks are coming, and that we shall probably be with him five +minutes after you arrive. Tell him also to send a man down as we had +arranged to the wharf, to signal to the ship to be in readiness." + +As he spoke the first of the guns boomed out. A few seconds later the +second was fired, and this was followed by the third at a similar +interval. The cannon were old ship guns, and had been heavily charged +with grape, and the destruction wrought upon the crowded mass of negroes +was so great that they stopped suddenly. Several of their leaders were +seen to rush to the front waving and gesticulating, and with a wild yell +the negroes again advanced. They had gone but fifty yards when the gun +that was first fired spoke out again, followed quickly by the others. +This time there was no pause in the advance. Yelling furiously the +negroes, who were armed with guns, discharged them at random. Two more +rounds were fired, and then the crakle of the rifles and muskets of the +volunteers broke out. The centre of the negro line paused indecisively, +but the flanks continued on their way without a check. + +"It is just as I thought," Nat said to the doctor, who was loading and +firing his piece rapidly. "Do you see how their flanks are extending? +One more round, lieutenant, and then we had best be going, or we shall +be cut off from the town." + +Again the three guns were discharged. The execution was terrible in the +centre of the black line, but the flanks still kept on. + +"Now, captain, get your men together," Nat said to the civilian officer +who was standing beside him; "if you go to the right I will go to the +left. They won't hear our voices in this din." + +Another half-minute and the soldiers and volunteers were running at the +top of their speed, but keeping well together, towards the town. They +had a hundred and fifty yards' start, and also the advantage that the +blacks had been coming forward at a run for over half a mile. Therefore, +although the latter came on with yells of triumph and exultation, they +did not gain on the little party. Indeed, when they once entered the +native town the French considerably increased their distance, for the +negroes, fearing that they might fall into an ambush, came along more +carefully. + +"Post your men at the windows of the houses opposite to you," Nat said +to the French lieutenant. + +"Did you send your messenger on?" he asked, as he ran up to the +volunteer officer. + +The latter gave an exclamation of horror. + +"No, I forgot all about it." + +"So did I, or I should have reminded you of it. Give it to one of the +men now, and tell him to take it as hard as he can run. Tell your men +off in threes and fours to the houses opposite. I have no doubt we can +keep them in check till help comes." + +Thompson was waiting in the street as the party ran up. + +"Where have you posted your men?" Nat asked him. + +"I thought most likely that they would come down this street, so I put +four men in each of the two houses facing it, seven are in the two +houses facing the next street coming down, the rest are here." + +Nat hurried up to the French officer. + +"My men are in the two houses facing this and the next street, will you +occupy the houses next them, and tell the officer of the volunteers to +scatter his men in twos and threes in the other houses. Doctor, you had +better join the party in the house facing the next street; and do you, +Mr. Thompson, place yourself with five men in the house facing the +street beyond. We shall have the brunt of it, for they are more likely +to come by these streets than by those near the harbour, knowing, as +they do, that our ship is lying anchored off there." + +It was three or four minutes before Nat, from the window at which he had +posted himself, saw a great body of negroes and mulattoes coming along +the street facing him. + +"Open fire at once, lads," he said. "Take good aim; every shot ought to +tell in that crowd, and our fire will let them know on board that the +blacks are close at hand." + +Yelling, shouting, and brandishing their weapons, the insurgents poured +down. The fire from the next two parties had showed that the negroes +were also advancing by the streets above. + +A minute later three black columns poured into Royal Street, and as they +did so a fire broke out from every window facing them. Then came a deep +roar, and a storm of grape swept along the street; another and another +followed, and with yells of surprise and fear the rioters rushed back +into shelter, leaving the streets strewn with dead and dying. It was +some minutes before they could rally, and in the meantime three of the +guns of the _Agile_ sent ball after ball among the houses to the west of +the street. Three times did the negroes attempt to cross the fatal road, +but each time they fell back with heavy loss, which was specially severe +in their last attempt, as the main body of the volunteers had now come +up, entered by the backs of the houses and joined the defenders, and +the fire of two hundred and fifty muskets played terrible havoc among +the assailants. There was a pause in the fight now, and the ship's +broadside continued to sweep the native town with balls while an +occasional spurt of musketry fire broke out when the blacks showed +themselves in any of the streets. Suddenly from a score of houses in the +native town smoke, followed speedily by flames, mounted up. + +"The scoundrels have fired the town," exclaimed Doyle, who had now +joined Nat. "They see they have no chance of crossing here, and as they +cannot plunder the place they have made up their mind to destroy it." + +"Yes, and they are likely to succeed, doctor, the wind is blowing this +way. Half the native houses are roofed with palm leaves, and will burn +like tinder. Our only chance now is to drive the blacks out altogether +and then fight the fire." + +He at once sent a sailor down with a flag to signal to the ship to stop +firing, then he went out into the street. As soon as he was seen he was +joined by the French lieutenant and the commander, with several officers +of the volunteers, together with Monsieur Pickard. + +"I think, gentlemen," Nat said, "that unless we take the offensive and +drive the blacks out of the town there will be little hope of +extinguishing the fire. The wind is blowing strongly in this direction, +and there is not a moment to be lost if we are to save the town. The +negroes must be thoroughly demoralized, they must have lost over a +thousand men here and three or four hundred before they entered the +town. It is quite likely that they have retreated already, but in any +case I do not anticipate any serious resistance." + +The others at once agreed. The drums were beaten, and the volunteers, +soldiers, and sailors poured out from the houses, and then, dividing +into three columns, advanced down the streets through which the blacks +had retired. They met with no resistance. A few negroes who had entered +houses to gather plunder were shot down as they issued out, but with +these exceptions none of the enemy were seen until the columns issued +from the town, when the negroes could be seen retreating at a run across +the plain. The French officer at once ran forward with his men to the +little battery, and sent shot after shot among them, for they were still +less than half a mile away. The sailors and volunteers slung their +muskets behind them, and, running back, endeavoured to check the course +of the flames. This, however, was impossible. The fire spread from house +to house with extraordinary rapidity. The wind hurled the burning flakes +on ahead, dropping many upon the inflammable roofs, and in twenty +minutes the whole quarter west of Royal Street was in flames. Nat was +now joined by Turnbull and all the crew, the two negroes, who had been +sent off to the ship with the boats, alone remaining in charge of the +vessel. + +"We have beaten the negroes, Turnbull, but the fire will beat us. If +this wind continues it will sweep the whole town away. It is useless to +try and save any of these native houses. Look at the burning flakes +flying over our heads!" + +After a short consultation with the French officers they agreed that the +only chance was to arrest the fire at the edge of the European quarter, +and that the whole force should at once set to work to pull down the +native houses adjoining them. The sound of cannon on the other side of +the town had continued until now, but it gradually ceased, as the news +reached the negroes there that the main attack, of whose success they +had felt sure, had hopelessly failed, and it was not long before the +troops from the batteries came up to assist the workers. Their labours, +however, were in vain. A shout of dismay called the attention of the men +who, half-blinded with the dust and smoke, were working their utmost. +Looking round, they saw that the flames were mounting up from several +of the houses behind them. The wood-work was everywhere as dry as +tinder, and the burning flakes, which were falling thickly upon them, +had set the houses on fire in a dozen places. + +"We can do nothing more, sir," the officer in command of the troops +said. "The business part of the town is doomed. All that we could even +hope to save are the detached houses standing in gardens and +shrubberies." + +So it turned out. The flames swept onward until the business quarter, as +well as the native town, was completely burnt out, and it needed all the +efforts of the soldiers and inhabitants to prevent the private +residences of the merchants and planters from being ignited by the +burning fragments scattered far and wide by the wind. It was noon when +the officers and crew of the _Agile_, accompanied by M. Pickard--who +was, like all the rest blackened by the dust and smoke--returned on +board. + +"Well, that has been as hot a morning's work as I ever went through," +Turnbull said. "It is hard to believe that a battle has been fought and +a town destroyed in the course of about five hours." + +"Yes; I think on the whole we may be very well satisfied, Turnbull, +though I suppose the people who have lost their houses and stores will +hardly see it in the same light. Still, they saved their lives, and at +any rate, Monsieur Pickard, you can be congratulated on having got all +your goods on board just in time." + +"I am thankful indeed that it is so," the planter said. "I hope, of +course, to get something for my estate. As to the house, after what we +have seen here I cannot set much value on it. What has happened this +morning may happen at Cape Francois to-morrow. They might not be able to +take it, but a dozen negroes choosing their time when a strong wind is +blowing, and starting the fires in as many places, might level the town +to the ground. At any rate, I shall direct the captain of the brig to +sail at once for Kingston, and to deliver the cargo to my agent there, +and shall proceed myself to Cape Francois. I wish to learn whether the +bank there has sent off its funds and securities to some safer place, or +is retaining them. In the latter case I shall withdraw them at once, and +shall put up my estates for sale." + +"I will give you a passage, Monsieur Pickard. I have nothing more to +stay here for, and shall sail up the coast to-morrow morning." + +"Thank you very much; I accept your offer with gladness. I am anxious to +close all my connection with this unfortunate island as soon as +possible." + +In the afternoon the governor of the town, with the officer commanding +the troops, the maire, and a deputation of the leading citizens, came +off to thank Nat for the assistance that his crew and guns had rendered. +They brought with them an official document rehearsing these services, +and saying that had it not been for the assistance they had rendered, +the town would undoubtedly have been captured by the blacks, and +probably all the whites on shore massacred, together with their wives +and families, who had taken refuge on board the shipping. The commandant +stated that this document would be sent to the British admiral at +Kingston. Nat replied very modestly, saying that both the officers and +men on board had rejoiced at being able to render a service in the cause +of humanity, and that he was only acting in accordance with the orders +he had received from the admiral to afford every aid in his power to the +white population of the island. + +After this official visit many of the merchants, planters, and military +officers came off individually to thank him for having saved their wives +and families by the protection that he had afforded to the shipping, +and by the aid given by his guns and the landing-party, which had alone +saved the town from capture. At daybreak next morning the _Agile_ got up +her anchor and started for the north. The brig containing Monsieur +Pickard's property had sailed the previous afternoon, and the rest of +the shipping were preparing to start at the time the _Agile_ got up +anchor. All of them were crowded with fugitives, the women and children +being now joined by many of their male relatives, who had lost almost +all they possessed by the destruction of their homes and warehouses. + +The next morning the brigantine arrived at Cape Francois. The news she +brought of the destruction of Port-au-Prince caused great excitement, as +it was felt that the fate that had befallen one town might well happen +to another. Monsieur Pickard at once went to the bank, where he found +that the greater portion of the specie and all valuable documents had +already been sent for safety to Jamaica, and he received an order upon +the bank there for the payment to him of the money he had placed on +deposit in the bank, and of the various securities and documents that +had been held in safe-keeping for him. He then went to pay a visit to +Monsieur Duchesne, to whose house Nat, who had landed with him, had gone +direct. The family were delighted to see him. + +"You may expect another visitor shortly," he said. "Monsieur Pickard has +come on shore with me; he has gone to the bank now, but said that he +would come on here later." + +"Then he has escaped," Madame Duchesne exclaimed. "We had hardly even +hoped that he and his family had done so, for we knew that the blacks +had risen everywhere in that part of the island." + +"Yes, I am happy to say that he, Madame Pickard, and his two daughters, +all got safely away; in fact, they all came off to my craft--not the +_Agile_, you know, but to the _Arrow_; and I had the pleasure of taking +them as passengers to Jamaica, where the ladies still are." + +"That is good news indeed," Myra said. "Valerie is a great friend of +mine. Of course Louise is younger, but I was very fond of her too. The +year before last I spent a couple of months with them at their +plantation; and, as I daresay they told you, they are always here for +three or four months in the winter season." + +Nat then told them what had taken place at Port-au-Prince, and how he +and his men had taken part in the fight. + +"It is terrible news indeed," said M. Duchesne; "and one can scarcely +feel safe here. Port-au-Prince is the largest town in Hayti, with the +exception only of this, which is quite as open to the danger of fire. I +think this will decide us on leaving. Matters seem going from bad to +worse. I don't know whether you know that three commissioners have +arrived from France. So far from improving the state of things, they are +making them worse every day. As far as can be seen, they are occupied +solely in filling their own pockets; they have enormously increased the +taxation, and that at a time when everyone is on the verge of ruin. No +account is given of the sums they collect, and certainly the money has +not been spent in taking any measures either for the safety of the town +or for the suppression of the insurrection. I have wound up all my +affairs here, and have disposed of our plantations. There are many who +still believe that in time everything will come right again; I have +myself no hope. Even if we got peaceful possession of our estates, there +would be no hands to work them. The freedom of all the blacks has been +voted by that mad assembly in Paris; and if there is one thing more +certain than another, it is that the negroes will not work until they +are obliged to, so the estates will be practically worthless. Therefore +I have accepted an offer for a sum which is about a quarter of what the +estate was worth before, and consider that it is so much saved out of +the fire." + +"Monsieur Pickard is of exactly the same opinion as you are," Nat said, +"and has come here principally for the purpose of disposing of his +estate on any terms that he can obtain." + +"Well, I do not think he will find any difficulty in getting about the +same proportion of value as we have done. The rich mulattoes are buying +freely, and, as I say, some of the whites are doing the same. Ah, here +he is! + +"Ah, my dear Pickard, we are glad indeed to see you, and to learn from +our friend here that your wife and daughters are safe in Jamaica." + +"We have been very anxious about you," Madame Duchesne said; "and Myra +has been constantly talking of your family." + +"It was the same with us, I can assure you, madame; and it is strange +that we should first have obtained tidings of your safety from Monsieur +Glover, and that you should also have obtained news of ours from him. +Still more so that while he has, as he said to us, been of some little +service to you--but which, we learnt from one of his officers, seems to +have been considerable--it is to him that we also owe our lives." + +"Little service!" Madame Duchesne repeated indignantly. "However, we +know Monsieur Glover of old. First of all he saved Myra's life from that +dog, and certainly he saved both our lives from the negroes. And did he +save yours? He has just told us that you came on board with him, and +that he took you to Jamaica. Still, that is not like what he did for +us." + +"That is one way of putting it, madame," Monsieur Pickard said with a +smile; "but as you say you know him of old, you will not be surprised at +the little story that I have to tell you." + +"Not now, Monsieur Pickard," Nat said hastily, "or if you do I shall +say good-bye to Madame Duchesne at once, and go straight on board." + +"You must not do that," Madame Duchesne said as he rose to his feet; +"you have only just arrived, and we are not going to let you off so +easily." + +"We will compromise," her husband said. "Now, Monsieur Glover, you know +that my wife and daughter will be dying of curiosity until they hear +this story. Suppose you take a turn down the town with me. I will go and +enquire whether there is any ship likely to sail in the course of a few +days or so for Jamaica. Then Monsieur Pickard can tell his story, and my +wife can retail it to me later on. You see, Monsieur Pickard's wife and +daughters are great friends of ours, and madame and Myra naturally wish +to hear what has happened to them during this terrible time." + +"Very well," Nat said with a laugh, "I don't mind accepting that +compromise; but really I do hate hearing things talked over which were +just ordinary affairs. But remember that Monsieur Pickard naturally will +make a great deal more of them than they are worth, since, no doubt, the +outcome of them was that he and his family did get out of the hands of +the blacks in consequence. Now, Monsieur Duchesne, I will start with you +at once, so that madame and Myra's curiosity may be satisfied as soon as +possible." + +Monsieur Duchesne took Nat first to call upon the three commissioners, +who happened to be gathered in council. The commandant at Port-au-Prince +had asked him to convey the report he had hastily drawn up of the attack +on the town. This he had sent ashore as soon as he anchored; and the +commissioners were discussing the news when Nat and Monsieur Duchesne +were shown in. + +"I thought, gentlemen," Nat said, "that you might perhaps like to ask me +questions upon any point that was not explained in the commandant's +report, which was, as he told me, drawn up in great haste; for with +four-fifths of the town laid in ashes, and the population homeless and +unprovided with food, his hands were full indeed." + +"Thank you, Lieutenant Glover. The report does full justice to your +interposition in our favour, and indeed states that had it not been for +the assistance rendered by yourself and the ship of war you command, the +town would unquestionably have been carried by the insurgents, and that +the whole of the whites, including the troops, would probably have been +massacred. Had this been done, it would undoubtedly have so greatly +encouraged the rioters that we could hardly have hoped to maintain our +hold even of this city." + +"I was only carrying out the orders that I received in landing to +protect the white inhabitants from massacre, gentlemen." + +"In your opinion, is anyone to blame for the course events took?" + +"Even had I that opinion," Nat said, "I should certainly not consider +myself justified in criticising the action of the officers and +authorities of a foreign power. However, the circle of the town was too +large to be defended by the force available, of whom half were +volunteers, ready to fight most gallantly, as I can testify, but not +possessing the discipline of trained troops. I do not think, however, +that even had batteries been erected all round the town, the insurgents +could have been prevented from effecting an entrance at some points, and +setting fire to the houses. They advanced with great determination, in +spite of the destructive grape fire maintained by the three guns of the +battery. Undoubtedly had the batteries been placed together on that +side, as on the one at which it was thought probable that the attack +would be made, the insurgents might have been repulsed, but it would +have needed a much larger force than that in the town to man all those +batteries. And I think it is by no means improbable that even in that +case the town might have been burnt; for there were still a large number +of negroes employed on the wharves and in the warehouses, and you may +take it as certain that some of these were in close communication with +the insurgents, and probably agreed to fire the town should their +friends fail to effect an entrance. I can only say, sir, that the +citizens enrolled for defence fought most gallantly, as did the small +party of soldiers manning the battery on that side, and that when the +fighting was over all laboured nobly to check the progress of the +flames." + +Several questions were put to him concerning the details of the +fighting, and the measures that had been taken for the safety of the +women and children, the part his own men played, and the manner in which +the insurgents, after gaining a footing in the town, had been prevented +from obtaining entire possession of it. At the conclusion of the +interview, which had lasted for upwards of two hours, the commissioners +thanked Nat very cordially. + +"You see," Monsieur Duchesne said, when they left the governor's house, +"they asked no single question as to whether you thought there was any +danger of a similar catastrophe taking place here." + +"Yes, I noticed they did not. If they had, I could have told them very +plainly that, although the negroes suffered very heavily, yet the news +that the second town in Hayti had been almost destroyed would be sure to +raise their hopes, and that I consider it extremely probable that some +day or other this town will also be attacked, and no time should be lost +in putting it into a state of thorough defence. I can't say that they +impressed me at all favourably." + +"Short as is the time that they have been here, they have managed to +excite all parties against them. They have issued an amnesty, pardoning +even those who have committed the most frightful atrocities upon us. +They have infuriated a portion of the mulattoes by announcing the repeal +of the decree in their favour. Without a shadow of legal authority they +have extorted large sums of money from those mulattoes who have remained +quiet and are resident here, and seem bent upon extracting all that +remains of their late fortune from the whites. One of them is frequently +drunk and leads a scandalous life; another appears bent solely upon +enriching himself; the third seems to be a well-meaning man, but he is +wholly under the control of his drunken companion. If this is the sort +of aid we are to receive from France, our future is hopeless indeed. +And, indeed, no small portion of my friends begin to see that unless +England takes possession of the island the future is altogether +hopeless. The general opinion here is that it is impossible that peace +can much longer be maintained between England and France, and they hope +that one of the first steps England will take after war is declared will +be to land an army here." + +"If the English government were persuaded that the mulattoes and negroes +as well as the whites were favourable, I should think that the island +might be annexed without difficulty; but unless all parties are agreed I +cannot think that a force could be spared that could even hope for +success. It would have been an easy task before the mulattoes and the +slaves learned their own strength, but it is a very different thing now; +and I should say that it would need at least five-and-twenty thousand +men, and perhaps even twice that number, to reduce the island to +submission and to restore peace and order. I cannot think that, engaged +in a war with France, England would be able to spare anything like that +force for a difficult and almost certainly a long series of operations +here." + +By this time they had arrived at Monsieur Duchesne's house. + +"Our friend has only just finished his story," Madame Duchesne said, as +he entered. "What a story! what frightful sufferings! what horrors! +and," she added with a smile, though her eyes were full of tears--"what +'little' service rendered by you and your brave crew! He has told it +all, and of your fight afterwards with that terrible pirate, and how you +have added to the list of those you have saved from terrible deaths some +eighteen or twenty Spanish gentlemen and ladies, and twice as many +sailors." + +"Yes, I have had wonderful luck," Nat said; "and you see I have been +well rewarded. I am only just out of my time as a midshipman, and I am +in command of a fine ship, which, in the ordinary course of things, I +could not have hoped for for another eight or ten years. I have gained a +considerable amount of prize-money, and best of all, the friendship of +yourselves and the family of Monsieur Pickard. And the real author of +all this is Mademoiselle Myra, who was good enough to have that little +quarrel with her aunt's dog just at the time that I happened to be +passing." + +This raised a laugh, which in Myra's case became almost hysterical, and +her mother had to take her out of the room. + +"Now, Monsieur Duchesne, I will take this opportunity of returning on +board. I promised you that I would come ashore and dine with you this +evening, but I must really make its fulfilment conditional upon your +assuring me that there shall be no allusion to any of my adventures." + +[Illustration: A MESSAGE FROM TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE.] + +"At any rate, I will impress upon my wife and daughter that the subject +must be tabooed, and I have no doubt that they will do their best to +avoid it, if they can keep away from the topic that cannot but be +present in their minds. After hearing Monsieur Pickard's story--of +which, as you must remember, I am at present wholly ignorant--you see +that, intimate as the two families have been, it is not surprising +that they should have been greatly affected by it, especially as for the +last month they have been mourning for them as dead." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE + + +The _Agile_ only remained for two days at Cape Francois, but in that +time Nat had learned enough of the doings of the French commissioners to +see that the position was becoming hourly more and more hopeless, and +nought short of the arrival of a powerful army from France under a +capable commander, without political bias and with supreme authority, or +the taking over of the island by the English, could bring back peace and +prosperity. He was, however, rejoiced to know that Monsieur Duchesne had +already taken passages for himself, his wife and daughter, and the old +nurse, to Jamaica, and would leave in a few days; and that Monsieur +Pickard had received and accepted an offer for his estate, which was at +least as good as he had hoped for, and would also return to Kingston as +soon as the necessary documents could be prepared and signed. + +For some weeks the _Agile_ cruised backwards and forwards along the +coast of Hayti without adventure. Nat had endeavoured, but +unsuccessfully, to open communication with the blacks under Biassou and +Francois, the two chief negro leaders. It was seldom, indeed, that he +caught sight of a human being except when cruising in the bay. The +mountains along both the north and the south coast were thinly +populated. The white planters and employees had perished to a man, and +all the smaller villages had been deserted. St. Louis, Jacmel, Fesle, +and Sale Trou were occupied by small bodies of French troops, but most +of the settlers had left; and the whole of the negroes had from the +first taken to the mountains. The same was the case at Port Dauphin, +Port de Paix, Le Cap, and St. Nicholas on the north. It was at St. +Nicholas that he was for the first time able to open communication with +the negroes. He had anchored in the bay, and, among the native boats +that came off to sell fruit and fresh meat, was one in which a mulatto +of shabby appearance was seated in the stern. As the boat came alongside +he stood up, and said to Turnbull, who was leaning on the rail watching +the sailors bargaining with the negroes: + +"Can I speak with the captain, sir? I have a message for him." + +"Yes, I have no doubt that he will see you. Come on deck." + +The man climbed up the side, and followed Turnbull aft to where Nat was +sitting. + +"This man wants to speak to you, sir." + +"I am the bearer of a letter," he said, "to the English officer +commanding this ship," and he handed him a very small note. It was as +follows:-- + + _Sir,--As there are rumours that some of the people of this island + have opened negotiations with the governor of Jamaica, we, who + represent the coloured people of this country, will be glad to have + a conversation with you, and to learn from you what would probably + be the conditions on which your country would be likely to accept + the sovereignty of this island. What would be the condition of the + coloured people here if they did so? Should we be guaranteed our + freedom and rights as men, or would it mean merely a change of + masters? If you are willing to accede to this invitation, I will + personally guarantee your safety, and that, whatever the result of + our conversation might be, you shall be escorted in safety back to + your ship. We are willing that you should be accompanied by not + more than six of your sailors, for whose safety I would be equally + responsible. The bearer of this will arrange with you as to the + point and hour at which you would land._ + +This was signed "Toussaint." + +Nat remembered the name. + +"Is the writer of this the man who was the coachman of Monsieur Bayou, +the agent of the Count de Noe?" + +"The same, sir. He is now next in command to Biassou and Francois. He is +greatly respected among the negroes, and is their chief doctor." + +"I have met him, and know that he is worthy of confidence. This is just +what we have been wanting, Turnbull," he said, handing the letter to +him. + +"Then you know this man?" Turnbull said, after he had read it, and +stepped a few paces away from the messenger, so as to be able to +converse unheard by him. + +"Yes, he is one of the few who remained faithful at the rising, +concealed his master and family in the woods, and got them safely off. I +had an interview with him, and endeavoured to get him to do as much for +Madame Duchesne, but he refused, saying that he had done his duty to his +master and must now do it to his countrymen. I had frequently spoken +with him before. He bore a very high character, and was much respected +by all the negroes in the plantations round. As you see, he writes and +expresses himself well, and has, indeed, received a very fair education, +and is as intelligent as an ordinary white man. I am quite sure that I +can place confidence in him." + +"Perhaps so, but the question is not whether he would be willing, but +whether he would have the power, to ensure your safety. Biassou is, by +all accounts, a perfect monster of cruelty." + +"Yes, they say he is the most fiendish of all these savage brutes. Of +course I must risk that. My instructions, as you know, are to open +communication with the negroes, if possible, and ascertain their +intentions. This is the first opportunity that has offered, and I can +hardly expect a more favourable one." + +"You will take one of us with you, I hope." + +"No; if anything happens to me the _Agile_ must have a captain, and you +would want at least one officer." + +He returned to the mulatto. + +"Shall I give you a message in writing, or will you take it by word of +mouth?" + +"I do not want writing, sir; if I were searched, and it were found that +I was an agent of Toussaint, I should be hung at once. You give me a +message, and I will repeat it." + +"Tell Toussaint that the commander of this ship is Mr. Glover, whom he +will remember to have seen at Monsieur Duchesne's plantation and +elsewhere, and who knows him to be an honourable man, and will therefore +trust himself in the mountains relying upon his promise of protection. +You understand that?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Please repeat my words." + +The man did so. + +"How far is Toussaint from here?" + +"Six hours' journey among the hills." + +"Then tell him that I will land to-morrow night, or rather the next +morning, an hour before daybreak--that is to say, at about half-past +four. That time will be best, because the boat will return to the ship +before it is light enough for it to be seen. Where do you propose that I +shall go?" + +"You see that rock near the end of the point to the south?--it is about +three miles from there. To the left of that rock is a sandy beach, which +is a good place for landing. Your escort will be there waiting for you." + +The mulatto bowed, and at once went over the side and got into his boat, +while the two men who had rowed him out were still busy selling fruit to +the crew. Nat told Sambo to go and buy some fruit, not because they +really wanted it, for a supply had already been bought, but in order +that, should any of the negroes in the other boats have noticed the +mulatto coming on board, it would be supposed that he had done so in +order to persuade the steward to deal with him. The next day four picked +men were chosen to accompany Nat. They were to take no muskets with +them, but each was to carry, in addition to his cutlass, a pistol in his +belt, and another concealed in the bosom of his shirt. The absence of +muskets was intended to show the negroes that the party had no fear as +to their safety. Nat himself intended to carry only his sword, and a +double-barrelled pistol in his belt. At four o'clock on the following +morning, he and the four men took their places in the gig, and were +rowed ashore to the point agreed on. As they landed a negro came down to +meet them. + +"Toussaint charged me to tell you, sir, that he has sent twelve men +down, and that he has done so lest you should meet other parties of our +people who might not know of this safe-conduct that he has given you." + +And he handed a document to Nat. + +"He has done well," Nat said. "I know that I can rely upon Toussaint, +but I myself have thought it possible that we might fall in with men of +other bands, and I have therefore brought four of my sailors with me. I +am ready to start with you whenever you choose." + +"We will go on at once. The hills are very close here, but it is best +that we should be well among them before it is daylight, or we might be +noticed by someone in the town. They would not concern themselves much +with us, but your dress and that of the sailors would be sure to cause +talk and excite suspicion among the soldiers." + +He went up to some negroes standing a short distance away and gave them +an order. They at once started. He himself took his place by Nat, and +the sailors followed close behind. + +"You talk French very well," Nat said. + +"Yes, sir, thanks to Toussaint. You do not remember me, though I should +know you were it daylight, for I have seen you several times when you +have been over at our plantation with Mademoiselle Duchesne. I was chief +helper in Monsieur Bayou's stables. Of an evening Toussaint had a sort +of school, and four or five of us always went to him, and I learned to +read and write, and to talk French as the whites talk it and not as we +do. He is a good man, and we all love him. There are many who think he +will one day be king of the island; he knows much more than any of the +others. But it may be that he will be killed before that, for Biassou +hates him because he does not like his cruel ways and speaks boldly +against them, which no one else dare do, not even Francois, whom we all +regard as equal in rank to him. + +"There have been many quarrels, but Biassou knows well enough that if he +were to hurt Toussaint there would be a general outcry, and that he and +the men who carried out his orders would assuredly be killed. For all +that no one doubts that he would get Toussaint removed quietly if there +was a chance of doing so, but we do not mean to give him the chance. +There are twenty of us who keep guard over him. As for Toussaint, he is +not like the others, who, when there is nothing else to be done, spend +their time in feasting and drinking. He is always busy attending to the +wounded who are brought up to him, or the sick, of whom there are many, +for the cold air in the mountains has brought down great numbers with +the fever, especially those whose plantations lay on the plain, and who +were accustomed to sleep in huts. Very many have died, but Toussaint has +saved many, and were it needed he could have two hundred for his guard +instead of twenty. + +"But indeed he thinks not of danger, his whole thoughts are taken up +with his work; and he is often without regular sleep for nights +together, so great is the need for his services." + +The ground at once began to rise rapidly, and before the day fairly +broke they were high among the hills. When it became light Nat examined +the document Toussaint had sent to him. It ran as follows:-- + + _I, Toussaint, do give notice to all that I have given this + safe-conduct and my solemn promise for his safety to Monsieur + Glover, a British officer, with whom I desire to converse on + matters of importance._ + +Then followed his signature and a great seal in red wax. + +"It was the one Monsieur Bayou used," the negro said. "Toussaint brought +it and the wax from his office, and uses it often, so that we may all +recognize it when we see it--for, as you know, sir, there are scarcely +any of our people who can read." + +After three hours' walking the man pointed out a wood near the crest of +a high hill a mile distant. + +"Toussaint is there," he said. "He accompanied us to that point in order +that you should have less distance to travel." + +Nat was by no means sorry at the news. The way had been very steep and +difficult, and the sun had now gained great power. As they neared the +edge of the wood, Toussaint came out to meet him. + +"I am glad to see you, Monsieur Glover," he said quietly. "I learned +from our people at Cape Francois that you had returned there with Madame +Duchesne and her daughter, and I rejoiced indeed at your escape, which +seemed to me marvellous, for how you avoided the search made for you I +could not tell. They told me that Madame Duchesne was carried down on a +litter, which must have greatly added to your difficulties. I hardly +thought, monsieur, when I saw you last that we should thus meet again, I +as one of the leaders of my people, you as commander of an English +ship." + +"No; things change quickly, Toussaint." + +The negro led the way to a rough hut constructed of boughs and trees in +the centre of the clump. + +"You must need breakfast, and, as you see, it is ready for you. Your men +will be cared for." + +The breakfast was rough, but Nat enjoyed it greatly. Toussaint remarked +that he himself had breakfasted an hour before, and he talked while his +guest ate. + +"It is as well," he said, "that you should be down near the spot where +you landed before it is dark, for the track is far too rough to travel +after dark. I suppose you have ordered your boat to come to fetch you?" + +"Yes, I ordered it to be there as soon as it could leave the ship +without being seen from the shore; but I hardly thought that I should be +able to return this evening, as your messenger told me that your camp +was six hours' journey among the hills." + +"Yes, my camp is there, and I too would like to return before nightfall. +There are many who need my care, and I have already been too long away. +Now, Monsieur Glover, as to the subject on which I asked you to come to +converse with me. We have heard that some of the planters have sent a +deputation to Jamaica asking the governor to send troops to take this +island for England. We, as you doubtless know, are not for the republic. +We call ourselves the royal army, seeing that the National Assembly of +France refuse to do anything for us. It is true that their commissioners +at Cape Francois have issued a proclamation offering a free pardon to +all who have been concerned in the insurrection, and freedom and equal +rights to men of all colour. We do not believe them. The Assembly care +nothing for us. They passed a decree giving rights to the mulattoes, but +in no way affecting us; and then, directly they found that the mulattoes +were exercising their rights, they passed another decree reversing the +first. One cannot expect good faith in men like these; they would wait +till we had laid down our arms and returned to our plantations, and then +they would shoot us down like dogs, just as they are murdering all the +best men of their own country and keeping their king a prisoner. +Therefore we do not recognize the republic, but are for the king." + +"I fear there will soon be no king for you to recognize," Nat said; +"everything points to the fact that they are determined to murder him, +as they have murdered every noble and every good man in the country." + +"I see that," Toussaint said gravely, "but the number of those who know +what is passing in France is small. However, we who do know, and are +responsible for the mass who trust in us, must consider what is the best +thing to do. Do you think there will be a war between France and +England?" + +"I think that if the king is murdered the indignation in England, which +is already intense, will be so great that war is certain." + +"So much the better for us," Toussaint said. "The more they fight +against each other, the less will they be able to pay attention to +Hayti; but on the other hand the more likely will it be that the English +will endeavour to obtain possession of this island. Now, between the +French and the English we have no great choice. We regard ourselves as +French; we speak the French language, and have, ever since the colony +was first formed, lived under the French flag. Then, on the other hand, +the French have been our masters, and we are determined that they shall +never again be so. Now as to your people. In their own islands they have +slaves just as the French have here, and we have no intention of +changing slavery under one set of masters for slavery under another. +Now, sir, do you think that if the English were to come here they would +guarantee that slavery should never exist again in the island?" + +"That I cannot say," Nat said. "I cannot answer for what the British +parliament would do in that matter. The feeling against slavery is +growing very fast in England, and I feel convinced that before long a +law will be passed putting a stop altogether to the transportation of +negroes from Africa; but whether that feeling will, at any rate for a +long time, so gain in strength as to cause parliament to pass a law +abolishing slavery altogether in British dominions, is more than I can +say. It would be a tremendous step to take. It would mean absolute ruin +to our islands; for you know as well as I do that your people are not +disposed for work, and would never make steady labourers if allowed to +live in their own way. Then you see, were slavery abolished altogether +in this island, it would be difficult in the extreme to continue it in +others." + +"But they would not find us as slaves here," Toussaint said. "They would +find us a free people, without masters, unattached to any plantation or +to any regular toil; we should be like the Caribs in Jamaica. It would +be as if they came to a land which foreigners had never visited. They +would find a people with arms in their hands, and perfectly capable of +defending themselves, but ready to accept the sovereignty of England on +the condition that our personal liberty was in no way interfered with." + +"There is a great deal in what you say, Toussaint, and to-morrow I shall +sail for Jamaica and explain exactly the line you take to the admiral. I +may say that in coming to see you I do so in accordance with the orders +that I received, to ascertain if possible the views of the leaders of +this movement." + +"If these terms are refused," Toussaint went on, "and your people invade +the island, we shall leave you and the French to fight it out until we +perceive which is the stronger, and as soon as we do so, shall aid the +weaker. I do not say that we shall stand aloof up to that time, we shall +fight against both, they would be equally our enemies; but if one were +so far getting the better of it as to be likely to drive the other out, +then in self-defence we should unite our forces against it. I may say +that although we and the mulattoes are both fighting against the French, +the alliance is not likely to be a long one. We all know that if they +got the upper hand they would be far more cruel and more tyrannous than +the whites have been. They have ever looked down upon us, and have +treated us with far greater contempt than have the whites, who, to do +them justice, were kindly masters, and especially treated their house +servants well. There will therefore be four parties here all hostile to +each other. You and the French will be striving for mastery, we for +liberty, the mulattoes for the domination of the island and for their +personal interest. The way I have pointed out is, in my opinion, the +only one that can bring about peace. If your government and people will +give us a solemn undertaking that in no case shall slavery ever be +re-established, and that all men shall have equal rights, we will join +you heart and soul. When I say equal rights I do not mean that they +shall have votes. We are at present absolutely unfit to have votes or +to exercise political power. I only mean that the law shall be the same +for us as for the whites, that we shall be taxed on the same scale in +proportion to our means, that the assembly shall have no power to make +separate laws concerning us, and that, should they attempt to make such +laws, they should be at once dissolved by the white authorities of the +island." + +"I think your proposal a perfectly fair one, Toussaint, and I have no +doubt that any one who has, as I have, a knowledge of the situation +here, would not hesitate to accept it. But I doubt whether public +opinion at home is ripe for a change that would be denounced by all +having an interest in the West Indian Islands, and declared by them to +be absolutely destructive to their prosperity. However, you may be +assured that I shall represent your offer in the most favourable light. +I must ask, however, are you empowered by the other leaders to make it?" + +"I have talked the matter with Francois, who is wholly of my opinion," +Toussaint said. "It is useless to talk to Biassou; when he is not +murdering someone he is drinking; but his opposition would go for +little, except among the very worst of our people. He is already +regarded with horror and disgust, and you may be assured that his career +will ere long come to an end, in which case Francois and I will share +the power between us. At the same time I do not blind myself to the +possibility that other leaders may arise. The men of one district know +but little of the others, and may elect their own chiefs. Still, I think +that if I had the authority to say that the proposal I have made to you +had been accepted, I could count on the support of the great majority of +the men of my colour, for already they are beginning to find that a life +of lawless liberty has its drawbacks. Already we have been obliged to +order that a certain amount of work shall be done by every man among +the plantations beyond the reach of the towns, in order to ensure a +supply of food. + +"The order has been obeyed, but not very willingly, for there can be no +doubt that a portion of the men believed that when they had once got rid +of the masters there would be no occasion whatever for any further work, +but that they would somehow be supplied with an abundance of all that +they required. The sickness that has prevailed has also had its effect. +There are few, indeed, here who have any knowledge of medicine, and the +poor people have suffered accordingly. When in the plantations they were +always well tended in sickness, while here they have had neither shelter +nor care. It is all very well to tell them that liberty cannot be +obtained without sacrifices, and that it must be a long time before +things settle down and each man finds work to do, but the poor people, +ignorant as they are, are like children, and think very little of the +future. The effect of centuries of slavery will take many years to +remedy. For myself, although I believe that we shall finally obtain what +we desire, and shall become undisputed masters of the island, I foresee +that our troubles are only beginning. We have had no training for +self-government. We shall have destroyed the civilization that reigned +here, and shall have nothing to take its place, and I dread that instead +of progressing we may retrograde until we sink back into the condition +in which we lived in Africa." + +At this moment a negro ran up. + +"Doctor," he said, "there are a large number of our people close at +hand, and I think I can make out Biassou among them." + +"I fear that we may have some trouble, Monsieur Glover," Toussaint said +quietly, "but be assured that I and those with me will maintain my +safe-conduct with our lives. Biassou must have arrived at my camp after +I left, and he must have heard there that I was going to meet an English +officer, and has followed me. He was present when Francois and I +arranged to send a messenger to propose a meeting to you, and he then +assented, but as often as not he forgets in the morning what he has +agreed to overnight." + +He went apart and spoke to his men. Twenty of them had accompanied him +from his camp, and with the twelve who had formed the escort, and Nat +and the sailors, there were in all thirty-eight, and from the quiet way +in which they took up their arms Nat had little doubt that they would, +if necessary, make a stout fight against Biassou's savages. + +These arrived in two or three minutes. They had evidently travelled at +the top of their speed, for their breath came fast, and they were bathed +in sweat. Their aspect was savage in the extreme. Most of them wore some +garment or other the spoil of murdered victims, some of them broad +Panama-hats, others had women's shawls wrapped round their waists as +sashes, some had jackets that were once white, others were naked to the +waist. A few had guns, the rest either axes or pikes, and all carried +long knives. Conspicuous among them was Biassou himself, a negro of +almost gigantic stature and immense strength, to which he owed no small +part of his supremacy among his friends. He came on shouting "Treachery! +treachery!" words that were re-echoed in a hoarse chorus by his +followers, who numbered about a hundred and fifty. + +At the threatening aspect of the new-comers, Toussaint's men closed up +round him, but he signed them to stand back, and quietly awaited the +coming of Biassou. The calmness of Toussaint had its effect on Biassou. +Instead of rushing at him with his axe, as it had seemed was his +intention, he paused and again shouted "Treachery!" + +"What nonsense are you talking, Biassou?" Toussaint said. "I am +carrying out the arrangement to which you and Francois agreed the other +night, and am having an interview with this British officer." + +"When did I agree to such a thing?" the great negro roared. + +"Last Friday night we agreed that it was well that we should learn the +intentions of the English, and that we should ascertain the position in +which we should stand were they to come here." + +"I remember nothing about it, Toussaint." + +"That is possible enough," the latter replied. "You know that it is no +uncommon thing for you to forget in the morning what was arranged +overnight. This officer has come here on my invitation and under my +safe-conduct, and no man shall touch him while I live." + +"It is agreed," Biassou said, "and all have sworn to it, that no white +who falls into our hands shall be spared. Such is the case, is it not?" +he said to his followers; and they answered with a loud shout and began +to press forward. + +"These men have not fallen into our hands," Toussaint said, "they have +come here on our invitation, and, as I have told you, with our +safeguard." + +"It is all very well for you to talk, Toussaint; I know you. You pretend +to be with us, but your heart is with the whites, and you are here to +conspire with them against us," and he raised his axe as if about to +rush forward. + +"This is madness, Biassou," Toussaint said sternly. "Have we not enough +enemies now that we should quarrel among ourselves? You have done enough +harm to our cause already by your horrible cruelties, for which every +coloured man who falls into the hands of the whites has to suffer +severely. Beware how you commence a conflict; you may be more numerous +than we are, but we are better armed, and even if you overpowered us in +the end, you would suffer heavily before you did so." + +"I wish you no harm, Toussaint, but for the last time I demand that +these white men shall be given up to me." + +"And for the last time I refuse," Toussaint said; and his men without +orders moved up close to him. + +Biassou stood for a moment irresolute, and then, with a shout to his men +to follow him, sprang forward. In an instant Nat threw himself before +Toussaint, and when Biassou was within a couple of yards of him threw up +his arm and levelled his pistol between the negro's eyes. + +"Drop that axe," he shouted, "or you are a dead man!" + +The negro stood like a black statue for an instant. The pistol was but a +foot from his face, and he knew that before his uplifted axe could fall +he would be a dead man. + +"Drop it!" Nat repeated. "If you don't before I count three, I fire. +One--two--" and the negro's axe fell to the ground. "Stand where you +are!" Nat exclaimed, "the slightest movement and I fire! Come up here, +men!" + +The four sailors came up, cutlass in one hand and pistol in the other. + +"This man is your prisoner," he said. "Keep him between you, one on each +side and the other two behind. If he makes the slightest movement to +escape, or if the blacks behind approach any nearer, send your four +bullets into his brain." + +The men took up their stations as directed. + +"Now, Biassou," he went on, lowering his own pistol, "you can continue +your conference with Toussaint." + +[Illustration: "DROP IT!" NAT REPEATED.] + +"You see, Biassou," Toussaint said, "you have only rendered yourself +ridiculous. I repeat what I said before, this officer is here in answer +to my invitation sent to him after Francois and you had agreed that it +was advantageous to learn what the objects of the English were. If you +question him you will find that it is as I say. We have had our +conference, have expressed our views, and he will repeat what I have +said to the British governor of Jamaica; and I think that, whatever the +result may be, it is well that the English should understand that we +have resolved that, whether they or the French are the possessors of +this island, slavery is abolished for ever here. He will return at once +to the coast, and will then sail direct for Jamaica. Now, if you have +any observation to make, I shall be glad to hear it." + +"I do not doubt what you say," Biassou replied sullenly; "but it must be +settled by what Francois says when we rejoin him." + +"So be it," Toussaint said. "And now, I pray you, let there be no +quarrel between us. I have been forced to withstand you, because I was +bound by a sacred promise. Any divisions will be fatal to our cause. For +the moment you may be in superior force, but another time those who love +and follow me might be the more numerous. You well know that I am as +faithful to the cause as you are, and we must both set an example to our +followers, that while we may differ as to the methods by which success +is to be gained, we are at one in our main object." + +"I admit that I was wrong," the great negro said frankly. "I drank more +than was good for me before I started, and my blood has been heated by +the speed with which we followed you. I am sober now, for which I have +to thank," he added with a grim smile, "this young officer; though I own +that I do not like his method. Let us think no more of it;" and he held +out his hand to Toussaint, which the latter took. + +A shout of satisfaction rose from the negroes on both sides. The +determined attitude of Toussaint's men, the fact that they had four +whites among them, and that almost all of them had muskets, had cooled +the courage of Biassou's followers, who, as soon as their leader was +captured, saw that even if they gained the victory, it would be at the +cost of at least half their number. There was no prospect of plunder or +of any advantage, and they knew that, beloved and respected as Toussaint +was, it was very possible that those who did survive the fight would +fall victims to the indignation that would be aroused at the news of an +attack being made upon him. + +"Now that it is all settled we may as well be starting for the coast, +Toussaint," Nat said. "There is nothing more for us to arrange, and as +our presence here might possibly lead to further trouble, the sooner we +are off the better." + +"I will not ask you to stay," the negro said. "I do not think that we +shall have any more trouble, but there is no saying. Several of +Biassou's men have wine-skins with them, and a quarrel might arise when +they had drunk more. I will send you down under the same escort as +before." + +"I do not think that we shall need so many. I should not like to weaken +you so far." + +"There is no fear for me," Toussaint said decidedly. "Arriving in hot +blood they might have attacked me, but I am sure they will not do so +now. They know well enough that I should be terribly avenged were they +to do so. It is quite necessary that you should take as many men as +before, for it is possible that some of Biassou's men might steal away +and follow you." + +A few minutes afterwards Nat set out with his men and his guard of +twelve blacks. It was still some hours before the time at which he was +to be met by the boat. They therefore halted when within a mile of the +shore, and there waited until it was dark. Then he went on alone with +the four sailors to the beach, and in a few minutes after they arrived +there they heard the sound of the oars of the gig. + +"I am heartily glad to see you back again," Turnbull said as Nat stepped +on to the deck. "Lippincott and I have been horribly uneasy about you +all day. Did everything go off quietly?" + +"Yes, except for two or three minutes, when that bloodthirsty scoundrel +Biassou came upon the scene with a hundred and fifty of his followers. +There was very nearly a shindy then, but it passed off; for he did not +like looking down the muzzle of my pistol at a few inches from his head, +and my four men made him a prisoner until affairs had taken a friendly +turn, which was not long after. For when the leader of a party is a +prisoner, and his guards have orders to shoot him instantly if there is +any trouble, it is astonishing how quick people are in coming to an +understanding." + +"Yes, I should say so," Turnbull laughed. "However, as it has turned out +well, and you have fulfilled your mission, it doesn't matter to us; and +I hope that we have now done with this creeping alongshore work." + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +A FRENCH FRIGATE + + +On arriving at Kingston Nat went on board the flag-ship, and reported to +the admiral the particulars of his visit to Toussaint. + +"He is evidently a long-headed fellow," the admiral said, "and from his +point of view his proposal is a fair one; but I am afraid our people at +home would never give such an undertaking. It would be impossible for us +to have one island where the blacks were free, while in all others they +would remain slaves. It would be as much as saying to them, 'If you want +freedom you must fight for it;' and even if the people at home could +bring themselves to pay the immense amount of money that would be +required to emancipate the slaves by indemnifying their owners, it would +nevertheless be the ruin of the islands, and all connected with them. +However, I will take you ashore to the governor, after my clerk has made +a copy of your report." + +"I have made two copies, sir." + +"All the better. Then we will go at once." + +The governor heard Nat's story, and received his report. + +"It is at least satisfactory," he said, "to have learnt from one of +themselves what the views of the principal leaders are, and I consider +that you have performed your commission exceedingly well, Lieutenant +Glover, and, undoubtedly, at a great deal of risk to yourself. As to the +matter of the communication, it will of course receive serious +attention. It is far too important a business for anyone to give +off-hand an opinion upon it. I fancy, sir, that you are likely to have +more active work before long, for I think there is no doubt that war +will very shortly be declared with France, and her privateers will be +swarming about these seas." + +It was nearly six months before any special incident took place. No +vessel had been missing since the capture of the _Agile_, and it was +evident that any pirates there might have been among the islands had +moved to waters where they could carry on their trade with less +interruption. The _Agile_ cruised about among the islands, and although +she had a pleasant time, officers and men alike grew impatient at the +uneventful nature of their work. Things were but little changed in +Hayti. Biassou had been deprived of his command, and it was surmised +that he had been murdered, but at any rate he was never heard of again. +Francois and Toussaint commanded, but the former came to be so jealous +of Toussaint's popularity that the latter was obliged to retire, and to +cross the frontier into the Spanish part of the island. There he was +well received, and showed great ability in various actions against the +French, with whom Spain was then at war. He and many other negroes had +declared for Spain, upon the singular ground that they had always been +governed by a king, and preferred to be ruled by the king of Spain +rather than by a republic. + +With only six hundred men Toussaint drove fifteen hundred French out of +a strong post which they occupied in the Spanish town of Raphaelita, and +afterwards took several other posts and villages. It was for these +successes that he gained the name of L'Ouverture, or opener, and the +Marquis D'Hermona gave him the rank of lieutenant-general. The three +French commissioners had returned to France, and had been succeeded by +two others, Santhonax and Poveren, the former a ruffian of the same type +as those who were deluging the soil of France with its best blood, and +who made themselves odious to both parties by their brutality and greed. +At last, at the end of February, 1793, came the news of the execution of +the king of France, and the certainty that war was imminent. + +"Now we shall have more lively times," Turnbull said. "It has been dull +enough of late." + +"There has been nothing to grumble at," the surgeon said. "What would +you have? Haven't we been sailing about like gentlemen, with nothing to +do but to drink and sleep, and look at the islands, and take things easy +altogether?" + +"Don't you talk, Doyle," Turnbull said, laughing. "There is no one who +has grumbled more than yourself." + +"That is in the cause of science," the Irishman retorted. "How can I +ever become a distinguished man, and show what is in me, and make all +sorts of discoveries, if there is never a chance that comes in my way? +There are my instruments all ready for use, they might as well be at the +bottom of the sea. I hone them once a week, and well-nigh shed tears +because of the good work they ought to be doing. It is all very well +for you, Turnbull, you won't forget how to kill a man when the time +comes; but let me tell you that any fellow who doesn't know his A B C +can kill a man, whereas it takes a man of science to cure him." + +"There is a good deal in that, Doyle," Nat said, when the laugh had +subsided, "though I don't know that I considered it in that light +before; but that, perhaps, is because I have tried one and never tried +the other." + +"It's a fine thing," Doyle said, "to be a surgeon. There you see a man +with his legs shot off. If it was not for you he would die. You take him +in hand, you amputate a bit higher up, you make him tidy and +comfortable, and there he is walking about almost as well as if he had +two legs; and although he is not fit for ship service again, he would be +as good a man in a fight with a cudgel as ever he was. Now I ask you +fairly, what is there that you can do to compare with that?" + +"Nothing in that way, I must admit," Nat laughed, "Well, you may be +having an opportunity of showing your superiority before long. This is +just the ground the French privateers are likely to choose. There are +plenty of French ports for them to put into, hundreds of bays where they +could lie hidden, and lots of shipping to plunder. No doubt they will be +thick in the channel and down the straits, but our merchantmen will not +think of going there unless in large fleets or under convoy of ships of +war; while here, though they might be guarded on their way across the +Atlantic, they would have to scatter as soon as they were among the +islands. Well, we must look out that we are not caught napping. Of +course, until we get news that war is declared we can't fire upon a +Frenchman; while if one arrived with the news before we got it, he might +sail up close by us and pour in a broadside." + +"At any rate we are likely to take some prizes," Lippincott said, "for +the instant we get the news we can pounce upon any French merchantman." + +"Yes; those homeward-bound could hardly hear the news as soon as we do, +while of those coming out many slow sailers will have left before war is +declared, and may not be here for weeks after we hear of it. The great +thing will be for us to put ourselves on the main line of traffic. As we +have received no special orders we can cruise where we like. I should +say that coming from France, they would be likely to keep down the coast +of Spain and on to Madeira before they strike across, as in that way +they would be altogether out of the line of the Gulf Stream. Then, if +they were making for Hayti, they would probably be coming along west on +or about the 20th parallel north; while, if making for Guadeloupe or +Martinique, they would be some three or four degrees farther south. +Probably privateers would follow the same lines, as before commencing +operations they would want to take in provisions and water, to learn +where our cruisers are likely to be, to pick up pilots, and so on. So I +should say that we can cruise about these waters for another fortnight +safely, and then go through the Caribbean Islands and cruise some +seventy or eighty miles beyond them, carefully avoiding putting into any +of our own islands as we pass." + +"Why should you do that?" Turnbull asked. + +"Because the chances are that we should find, either at Barbados or St. +Lucia or Dominica--or, in fact, at any of the other islands, one of our +frigates, or at any rate, some officer senior to me; and in that case, +as we have no fixed orders from the admiral, we might be detained or +sent off in some direction that might not suit us at all." + +"Good!" Doyle said. "It is always a safe rule to keep out of the way of +a bigger man than yourself. I have always observed that a captain of a +man-of-war or of a frigate is sure to be down on small craft, if he gets +a chance. It is like a big boy at school fagging a little one; he could +do quite as well without him, but it is just a matter of devilment and +to show his authority. Heaven protect us against falling in with a +frigate. If she were a Frenchman she would sink us; if she were a +Britisher she would bully us." + +They reached the ground on which Nat had decided to cruise. Three days +later the look-out at the mast-head shouted "Sail ho!" the words acting +like an electric shock to those on deck. + +"How does it bear?" + +"About east by north, sir. There are three vessels; I can only see their +topsails at present. Two of them are a bit bigger than the third. They +look to me to be merchantmen. I should say the other, by the cut of his +sails, is a Frenchman." + +A low cheer broke from the men. "Now, if that fellow brings news that +war is declared, we are in luck," Nat said. "Either he is convoying two +French merchantmen he has overtaken, or he has two British prizes he has +picked up. If they are English, we shall not get so much prize-money; +but then we shall have less difficulty with the privateer, if privateer +she is, because she must have put a good many of her hands an board the +prizes. So we can in either case count upon doing well. At any rate they +are not likely to suspect that we are English, being French-built and +French-rigged. Even if they have a doubt, they will be satisfied as soon +as they see the name on our bows. We will not get up any more sail." + +"I will go up and have a look at her," Turnbull said; and slinging his +glass over his shoulder he went aloft. + +"I think," he called down, after a long look at them, "that the middle +ship is a good deal larger than she looks; and the others are carrying +every stitch of canvas, but she has neither royals nor topgallant-sails. +Her yards have a wide spread, and I am inclined to think that she is a +frigate or a large corvette--certainly a French one. As to the others, I +cannot say with certainty, but I rather fancy they are English; in which +case she has captured them on the way, and, being much faster than they +are, has to go under easy sail to keep with them." + +"Well, I hope she is not too big for us," Nat said, as Turnbull rejoined +him. + +"What should you call too big, sir?" Turnbull asked with a smile. + +"Well, I should say that a fifty was too big." + +"I should think so indeed. A twenty-gun sloop would be a pretty +formidable opponent." + +"Yes, a twenty would about suit us, especially as she may have fifty of +her men on board the other craft--that is, if they are her prizes. It is +the men that I am more afraid of than the guns. Two to one are no great +odds in guns, especially as we generally work ours faster than the +French do; but when it comes to a hundred and fifty men or so against +forty, it may be very unpleasant if we get a spar knocked away and they +come alongside of us. We may as well get the French flag up at once. +With a good glass they could make it out a long way off. Let the men +have their breakfast, it is a bad thing to fight fasting." + +The men were not long over their meal; by the time they came on deck +again the strangers were within five or six miles. The wind was in the +north-east, and the _Agile_ was almost close-hauled, while the others +had the wind broad on their quarters. There was now no longer any doubt +that the outside vessels were two large British West Indiamen, and the +fact that they were in company with what was undoubtedly a French +frigate was regarded as absolute proof that war had been declared, and +that the French ship of war on her way out to the colonies with the news +had overtaken and captured the two British ships, which were probably +sailing in company. As they approached, the _Agile_ was luffed up more +into the wind in order to pass between the Frenchman and the prize +within a few cables' length to starboard of him. + +"How many guns do you make her out to be, Mr. Lippincott?" + +"I think that she has eighteen guns on a broadside." + +"The odds are pretty strongly against us," Nat said; "but we shall have +the weather-gauge, that counts for a good deal. Anyhow, we shall be able +to annoy her, and possibly, if we hang on to her, the sound of firing +will bring up one of our cruisers from Barbuda or Antigua." + +An awning which was stretched over the quarter-deck had not been taken +down, and as the brigantine approached the French frigate, there was no +sign that her intentions were not of a peaceable nature. The French +ensign floated from the peak, the sailors on deck were lounging about, +some with their jackets on, others in their shirts, and only a few with +hats on seemed to be watching with idle curiosity the approaching +vessels. Nat and the officers retained their uniforms, for as only their +heads and shoulders showed over the rail, there was nothing to +distinguish them from those of a fine French privateer, for these +generally adopted a regular naval dress. The two vessels were but fifty +yards apart as they met. Nat sprang on to the rail, and in reply to the +hail from the Frenchman, "What ship is that?" raised his cap in salute +and shouted: + +"The _Agile_ of Bordeaux. Have you any news from France, sir?" + +"Yes, war has been declared with England." + +[Illustration: NAT SPRANG ON TO THE RAIL.] + +"Thank you, that is good news indeed," and he leapt down on to the deck. + +The vessels were both travelling at a speed of about eight knots an +hour, and were already passing one another fast, when, as Nat waved his +hand, the French flag was run down, an English ensign already fastened +to the halyards was simultaneously run up, and a moment later the five +guns, which had previously been trained to bear aft and double-shotted, +poured their broadside into the quarters of the French frigate. Shouts +of surprise and fury rose from her; no thought that the little craft so +fearlessly approaching her was an enemy had crossed the mind of any on +board, still less that if British she would venture to fire upon so +vastly superior a foe. + +"About ship!" Nat said, the instant the guns had been fired. The +sail-trimmers were at their places, the _Agile_ shot up into the wind, +her head paid off, and she swept round on the other tack, crossing the +stern of the Frenchman, her guns on the starboard side sending their +shot in through his stern windows, and raking his whole length as they +were brought to bear; then she wore round on her heel, the guns on the +larboard side were reloaded, and she again raked the Frenchman. So far +not a single shot had been fired in return. The din on board the frigate +was prodigious, as the guns had to be cast loose, magazines opened, +powder and shot carried up, and the sails trimmed to enable her to bear +up so as to show her broadside to her puny foe. + +Before she could do so the _Agile_, true to her name, was again round. +The Frenchmen, confused by the variety of orders issued, were slow at +their work, and as their opponent came up into the wind the brigantine +was again astern of them, and raked them this time with heavy charges of +grape. A chorus of shrieks and cries from the frigate told how terrible +was the effect. + +"By St. Patrick," the surgeon exclaimed to Lippincott, "it is grand! But +it looks as if the captain wasn't going to give me a chance, and all me +instruments laid out ready for action." + +"Never mind, doctor, you will be able to practise on the Frenchmen," +Lippincott laughed. + +But the French captain knew his business, and putting his helm over +again, ran off the wind, so that the two vessels were now on the same +tack, with the _Agile_ on her opponent's quarter. Several of the French +guns were now brought to bear, but their discharge was too hurried, and +owing to the brigantine lying so much lower in the water, the shot flew +between her masts or made holes in her mainsail. In a moment she was +round again, and crossed her opponent's stern at a distance of some +thirty yards, the word being passed along that the gunners were to aim +at the rudder-post and to double-shot the guns. A loud cheer rose as two +of the shots struck the mark. The Frenchman replied with a volley of +musketry from the marines gathered on her poop. Three of the sailors +fell, and several others were hit. + +The Frenchman was, when the _Agile_ delivered her last broadside, +running nearly before the wind, and it was speedily evident that the +injury to her rudder had been fatal, for although she attempted by +trimming her sails again to bear up, each time she fell off, though not +before some of her shot had hulled her active opponent. Seeing, however, +that he must now be easily outmanoeuvred, the Frenchman made no +further effort to change his course, but continued doggedly on his way, +the topmen swarming aloft and shaking out more canvas. The _Agile_ +followed the frigate's example, and placing herself on her stern +quarter, kept up a steady fire, yawing when necessary to bring all her +guns to bear, the French replying occasionally with one of their stern +guns. Owing to the accelerated speed at which both vessels were now +going, the Indiamen had been left behind. Half an hour later the +frigate's mizzen-mast, which had been severely wounded by the first +broadside, went over her side. Cheer after cheer rose from the _Agile_; +her opponent was now at her mercy. She had but to repeat the tactics +with which she had begun the fight. Just as Nat gave the order to do so, +musket shots were heard in the distance. The crew of one of the +merchantmen had been allowed to remain on deck, as, being under the guns +of the frigate, there was no possibility of their attempting to +overpower their captors. As soon, however, as it became evident that the +frigate was getting the worst of it, they had been hurried below, and +the hatches dropped over them. From the port-holes, however, they could +obtain a view of what was going on ahead of them, and as soon as they +saw the frigate's mast go by the board, they armed themselves with +anything that would serve as weapons, managed to push up the +after-hatch, and rushed on deck. The prize crew were all clustered +forward watching the fight; a shout from the helmsman apprised them of +their danger, and they rushed aft. They were, however, less numerous +than the British sailors, and no better armed, for, believing that the +frigate would easily crush her tiny assailant, they were unprepared to +take any part in the fight. + +The contest was a very short one. Knowing that the frigate was crippled, +and that the brigantine would soon be free to return to them, the +Frenchmen saw that they must eventually be taken, and the officer in +command being knocked senseless with a belaying-pin, they threw down +their knives and surrendered. The other Indiaman at once put down her +helm on seeing that the British flag was being run up on her consort. + +"We must not let that fellow get away," Nat said; "we can leave the +frigate alone for half an hour. We will give him two more broadsides +with grape through his stern windows, and then bear up after that +lumbering merchantman. We shall be alongside in half an hour." + +In less than that time they were within pistol-shot of the West +Indiaman, and the prize crew at once hauled down their flag. The _Agile_ +went alongside, released the prisoners, who had been securely fastened +in the hold, and replaced them by the French crew. The Indiaman's +officers had been allowed to remain on deck. + +"Now, captain," Nat said to the English master, "please keep every sail +full and follow us. It will not be long before we settle with the +frigate, and we shall then run down to Barbados." + +The master, who was greatly surprised at the youth of the officer who +had so ably handled his ship against an immensely superior foe, said: + +"Allow me to congratulate you on the splendid way in which you have +handled your vessel. I could scarcely believe my eyes when you opened +fire on the frigate. It seemed impossible that you should have thought +of really engaging such an opponent." + +"You see, we had the weather gauge of her, captain, and the brigantine +is both fast and handy. But I must be off now before they have time to +get into fighting trim again." + +In another half-hour he was in his old position under the frigate's +quarter, and was preparing to resume his former tactics, when the French +flag fluttered down amid the cheers of the _Agile's_ crew, which were +faintly repeated by the two merchantmen a mile astern. + +"I am heartily glad that they have surrendered," Nat said to Turnbull; +"it would have been a mere massacre if they had been obstinate. Now, +will you go on board and see what state she is in. Do not accept the +officers' swords. They have done all that they could, but they really +never had a chance after we had once got in the right position. Order +all unwounded men below. As soon as you return with your report as to +the state of things, I will send you off again with twenty men to take +command. You had better bring the officers back with you. Mr. +Lippincott, hoist a signal to the merchantmen to lie to as soon as they +get abreast of us." + +Mr. Turnbull returned in twenty minutes. + +"It is an awful sight," he said. "The captain and the two senior +lieutenants are killed, and it was the third lieutenant who ordered the +flag to be lowered. Her name is the _Spartane_. She carried a crew of +three hundred men, of whom fifty were on board her prizes. She has lost +ninety killed, and there are nearly as many more wounded, of whom at +least half are hit with grape, and I fancy few of them will recover; the +others are splinter wounds, some of them very bad. There are two +surgeons at work. I told them that ours would come to their assistance +as soon as he had done with our own wounded." + +The third lieutenant and three midshipmen, who were the sole survivors +of the officers of the _Spartane_, soon came on board. + +"Gentlemen," Nat said, "I am sorry for your misfortune, but assuredly +you have nothing to reproach yourselves with. You did all that brave men +could do, and did not lower your flag until further resistance would +have been a crime against humanity." + +The officers bowed; they were too much depressed to reply. Their +mortification was great at being overpowered by a vessel so much +inferior in strength to their own, and the feeling was increased now by +seeing that their conqueror was a lad no older than the senior of the +midshipmen. Turnbull's cabin was at once allotted to the lieutenant, and +a large spare cabin to the midshipmen. Leaving Lippincott in charge, +with ten men, Nat went with Turnbull and the doctor on board the +frigate, and the boat went back to fetch the rest of the crew. The +merchantmen had been signalled to send as many men as they could spare +on board the frigate, and not until these arrived did Nat feel +comfortable. Of his own crew three had been killed and ten wounded; +three of these were fit for duty, and formed part of Lippincott's party, +and the twenty he had with him seemed lost on board the frigate. +Although Turnbull had had hawsers coiled over the hatches, the thought +that there were nearly a hundred prisoners there, and that there were +enough comparatively slightly wounded to overpower the two men placed as +sentries over each hatchway, was a very unpleasant one. The arrival, +however, of thirty of the merchant sailors, armed to the teeth, altered +the position of affairs. + +The first duty was to clear the decks of the dead. These were hastily +sewn up in their own hammocks, with a couple of round shot at their +feet, and then launched overboard. Those of the wounded able to walk +were then mustered, and one of the French surgeons bandaged all the less +serious wounds. After being supplied with a drink of wine and water, +they were taken below, and placed with their companions in the hold. +Then the wreck of the mizzen was cut away, and the frigate was taken in +tow by the _Agile_, her own sails being left standing to relieve the +strain on the hawsers. The two merchantmen were signalled to reduce +sail, and to follow, and on no account to lose sight of the stern light +of the frigate after it became dusk. Nat returned, with four of his +crew, to the _Agile_, and four days later towed the _Spartane_ into the +anchorage off Bridgetown, the chief port of Barbados, the two West +Indiamen following. The _Isis_, a fine fifty-gun frigate, was lying +there. She had arrived on the previous day, having been despatched with +the news of the outbreak of war. As her captain was evidently the +senior officer on the station, Nat was rowed on board. + +"Are you the officer in command of that brigantine?" the captain asked +in surprise. + +"Yes, sir; my name is Glover." + +"Well, Lieutenant Glover, what part did your ship bear in the fight with +that Frenchman? I see by her sails that she was engaged. Whom had you +with you?" + +"We were alone, sir." + +"What!" the captain said, incredulously, "do you mean to say that, with +that little ten-gun craft, you captured a thirty-six-gun frigate +single-handed?" + +"That is so, sir." + +"Well, I congratulate you on it heartily," the captain exclaimed, +shaking Nat by the hand with great cordiality. "You must tell me all +about it. It is an extraordinary feat. How many men do you carry?" + +"We have forty seamen, sir, and two petty officers." + +"And what are your casualties?" + +"Three killed and ten wounded." + +"What were the casualties of the Frenchmen?" + +"Ninety killed, including the captain and the first and second +lieutenants and five midshipmen, and eighty-three wounded." + +"And how many prisoners?" + +"In all, a hundred and thirty, sir, of whom five-and-twenty are on board +each of those merchantmen, which had been captured by the frigate. The +crew of one rose and mastered their captors as soon as they saw the +frigate's mizzen-mast fall, and knew that we must take her. The prize +crew in the other struck their flag as soon as we came within +pistol-shot of her. I shall be glad to receive orders from you as to the +disposal of the prisoners. I have had thirty men from the merchantmen +on board the _Spartane_, for I could spare so few men that the prisoners +might, without their assistance, have retaken her." + +"I will go ashore with you presently and see the governor, and ask +whether he can take charge of them. If he cannot, you can hand over the +greater part of them to me. I shall sail for Jamaica this evening. As to +the prize, I should advise you to see if you cannot get some spars and +rig a jury-mast; there are sure to be some in the dockyard. While that +is being done you can go through the formalities of inspecting the +Indiamen, for whose salvage you will get a very handsome sum. At any +rate, if I were you I should keep them here until I was ready to sail, +and then go with them and your prize to Kingston. I should go in in +procession, as you did here. It is a thing that you have a right to be +proud of." + +"We need lose no time about the mast, sir. We stripped the gear off and +got it on board the _Spartane_, and towed her mast behind her, thinking +that perhaps we might not get a suitable spar here. Of course the lower +mast will be short, but that will matter comparatively little. What is +more serious is that her rudder is smashed." + +"I doubt whether you can get that remedied here. I should advise you to +rig out a temporary rudder. I'll tell you what I will do--I will send a +couple of hundred men on board at once under my second officer. That +will make short work of it, and I am sure that there is not a man on +board who would not be glad to lend a hand in fitting up a prize that +has been so gallantly won." + +He called his officers, who had been standing apart during this +conversation, and introduced Nat to them, saying: + +"Gentlemen, I never heard Lieutenant Glover's name until a few minutes +ago, but I can with confidence tell you that no more gallant officer is +to be found in the service; and when I say that, with that little +ten-gun brigantine and a crew of forty men, he engaged the French +frigate that you see behind her and forced her to strike, after a fight +in which she had a hundred and seventy men killed or wounded, that he +took a hundred and thirty prisoners, and recaptured those two West +Indiamen which were her prizes, I think you will all agree that I am not +exaggerating. He is naturally very anxious to be off. The frigate's +mizzen-mast is lying astern of her, and will make an excellent +jury-mast, as all the gear is on board, and only requires shortening. +Her rudder is smashed, and a temporary one must be rigged up; and, +knowing that all on board will be ready and glad to help when they hear +what I have told you, I am going to send two hundred men off at once to +lend a hand. Will you take command, Mr. Lowcock? You will take with you, +of course, the boatswain and his mates and the carpenters." + +"I should be glad to go too, sir," the first lieutenant said. + +"You and I will go together, Mr. Ferguson, after we have had a glass of +wine and heard from Mr. Glover the details of this singular action." + +The order was at once given to lower the boats. The story that the +French frigate and her two prizes had been captured single-handed by the +brigantine speedily circulated, and the men hastened into the boats with +alacrity. With them went the surgeon and his assistant to see if they +could be of any help on board, while the captain, his first lieutenant, +and Nat went into the cabin, and the latter related the details of the +action. + +"Skilfully managed indeed, Mr. Glover!" the captain said when he had +finished; "no one could have done better. It was fortunate indeed that +your little craft was so fast and handy, for if that frigate had brought +her guns to bear fully upon her she ought to have been able to fairly +blow you out of the water with a single broadside. May I ask if this is +your first action?" + +"No, sir; I was in a tender of the _Orpheus_ frigate when she captured a +very strong pirate's hold near the port of Barcela in Caracas, +destroying the place and capturing or blowing up three of their ships." + +"I remember the affair," the captain said, "and a very gallant one it +was; for, if I am right, the frigate could not get into the entrance, +but landed her men, captured two of the pirates' batteries, and turned +the guns on their ships, while a schooner she had captured a few days +before sailed right in and engaged them, and was nearly destroyed when +one of the pirates blew up. The officer in command of her was killed, +and a midshipman was very highly spoken of, for he succeeded to the +command, and gallantly went on board another pirate and drowned their +magazine." + +"Much more was said about it than necessary," Nat said. + +The captain looked surprised. + +"By the way," the lieutenant broke in, "I remember the name now. Are you +the Mr. Glover mentioned in the despatches?" + +"Yes, sir; but, as I said, the captain was good enough to make more of +the affair than it deserved." + +"I expect that he was the best judge of that," the captain said. "Well, +after that?" + +"After that, sir, I had the command of a little four-gun schooner which +was cruising along the coast of Hayti to pick up fugitives, when I came +across the brigantine I now command in the act of plundering a +merchantman she had just captured. She left her prize and followed me. I +was faster and more weatherly than she was, and having had the luck to +smash the jaws of her gaff after a running fight of seven or eight +miles, was able to get back to the prize and recapture her before the +pirate came up. The crew of the prize came up and manned their guns, +and between us we engaged the brigantine and carried her by boarding. On +taking her into Kingston the admiral gave me the command, and raised my +crew from twenty to forty. We have now been cruising for four or five +months, but not until we sighted the frigate and her prizes have we had +the luck to fall in with an enemy." + +"Well, sir," the captain said, "even admitting that you have had some +luck, there is no question that you have utilized your opportunities and +have an extraordinary record, and if you don't get shot I prophesy that +you will be an admiral before many officers old enough to be your +father. Now, I am sure you must be anxious to get on board your prize as +soon as possible, so we will take you to her at once." + +In a few minutes they were on the deck of the _Spartane_. It was a scene +of extraordinary activity. The lower mast had already been parbuckled on +to the deck, where sheer-legs had been erected by another party. The +mast was soon in its place, and the wedges driven in, the shrouds had +been shortened, and men were engaged in tightening the lanyards. The +topmast was on deck ready to be hoisted. The carpenters were busy +constructing a temporary rudder with a long spar, to one end of which +planks were being fixed, so that it looked like a gigantic paddle. As +soon as this was completed, the other end of the spar was lashed to the +taffrail. Strong hawsers were then to be fastened to the paddle, and +brought in one on each quarter and attached to the drum of the wheel. + +"Now, Mr. Glover," the captain said, after watching the work for some +little time, "I will go ashore with you to the governor; you ought to +pay your respects to him. Fortunately you will not require any +assistance from him, for unless I am greatly mistaken these jobs will be +finished this evening; the masts and rigging will certainly be fixed +before dusk, and the carpenters must stick to their job till it is done. +Like all make-shifts, it will not be so good as the original, but I +think it will serve your turn, for there is little likelihood of bad +weather at this time of year. I suppose you intend to keep the merchant +seamen on board? If not, I will spare you some hands." + +"I am much obliged, sir, but I think we shall do very well. It is a fine +reaching wind, and we shall scarcely have to handle a sail between this +and Jamaica." + +"Very well, I understand your feeling, you would like to finish your +business without help. That is very natural; I should do the same in +your place." + +"How about the merchantman's papers, sir?" + +"I shall tell the governor that I have ordered them to be taken to +Kingston, where there is a regular prize court, and therefore it will +not be necessary to trouble with their manifests here." + +"Then, if I have your permission, captain, I will row off to them at +once and tell them to get under sail now; we shall overhaul them long +before they get to Jamaica. They mount between them six-and-twenty guns, +and, keeping together, no French privateer, if any have arrived, would +venture to attack them, especially as they cannot have received news yet +that war is declared." + +"I think that would be a very good plan," the captain said, "for if you +were to start with them it is clear that you would only be able to go +under half sail. It is evident by your account that you are faster than +the frigate, but with a reaching wind I suppose there is not more than a +knot between you, and if the wind freshens you would find it hard to +keep up with her." + +The visit was paid. The governor agreed that it would be better that the +Indiamen should sail at once. Indeed, they had already started, and were +two or three miles away before Nat and the captain arrived at the +governor's house. When on shore Nat ordered two or three barrels of rum +to be sent off in another boat to the frigate, and on its arrival an +allowance was served out to all the workers. Before nightfall, save that +the mizzen-mast was some twenty feet lower than usual, and that her +stern and quarters were patched in numerous places with tarred canvas, +the _Spartane_ presented her former appearance. When the majority of the +crew had finished their work, the prisoners were transferred to the +_Isis_. Two hours later the carpenters and boatswain's party had +securely fixed the temporary rudder, and at daybreak the next morning +the two frigates and the brigantine started on their westward voyage. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT + + +The three vessels kept company until, on the third day after sailing, +they overtook the two merchantmen. Nat, supposing that the _Isis_ would +now leave them, went on board to thank the captain for the great +assistance that he had given him. + +"I shall stay with you now, Mr. Glover. The news of the outbreak of war +will be known at Jamaica by this time, for the despatches were sent off +on the day before we sailed from home, by the _Fleetwing_, which is the +fastest corvette in the service. She was to touch at Antigua and then go +straight on to Port Royal. I was to carry the news to Barbados, so that +it does not make any difference whether I reach Kingston two hours +earlier or later. There is a possibility that the French may have sent +ships off even before they declared war with us, and as it is certain +that there are several war-ships of theirs out here, one of these might +fall in with you before you reach Jamaica. Therefore as my orders are +simply to report myself to the admiral at Kingston, I think it is quite +in accordance with my duty that I should continue to sail in company +with you." + +"Thank you, sir. There certainly is at least one French frigate in the +bay of Hayti, and if she has received the news she is quite likely to +endeavour to pick up some prizes before it is generally known, just as +the _Spartane_ picked up those merchantmen, and though possibly we might +beat her off, I should very much prefer to be let alone." + +"Yes, you have done enough for one trip, and I should much regret were +you to be deprived of any of your captures." + +The _Agile_ was signalled to prepare to pick up her boat, and Nat was +soon on board his own craft again. He ran up to within speaking distance +of the _Spartane_, and shouted to Turnbull that the _Isis_ was going to +remain in company with them. Turnbull waved his hand, for although he +had not entertained any fear of their being attacked, he felt nervous at +his responsibility if a sudden gale should spring up and the temporary +rudder be carried away. It was a comfort to him to know that, should +this happen, the _Isis_ would doubtless take him in tow, for in anything +like a wind the _Agile_ would be of little use. However, the weather +continued fine, and in five days after leaving Barbados they entered +Kingston harbour. Three hours before, the _Isis_ had spread all sail, +and entered, dropping anchor half an hour before the _Agile_ sailed in +in charge of the three large ships. The brigantine was heartily cheered +by the crews of all the vessels in port, but it was naturally supposed +that it was the _Isis_ that had done the principal work in capturing the +_Spartane_. Her captain, however, had rowed to the flag-ship directly +they came in port, leaving Mr. Ferguson to see to the _Spartane_ being +anchored, and had given him a brief account of the nature of the +procession that was approaching three or four miles away. + +"He is a most extraordinary young officer," the admiral said. "He first +distinguished himself nearly three years ago by rescuing the daughter of +a planter in Hayti, who was attacked by a fierce hound, and who would +have been killed had he not run up. He was very seriously hurt, but +managed to despatch the animal with his dirk. Since that time he has +been constantly engaged in different adventures. He was in that +desperate fight when the _Orpheus_ broke up a notorious horde of pirates +on the mainland, and distinguished himself greatly. He was up country in +Hayti when the negroes rose, and he there saved from the blacks a lady +and her daughter, the same girl that he had rescued from the dog, and +shot eight of the villains, but had one of his ribs broken by a ball. In +spite of that, he carried the lady, who was ill with fever, some thirty +miles across a rough country down to Cape Francois in a litter. + +"Then I gave him the command of a little cockle-shell of a schooner +mounting four guns, carrying only twenty men. Hearing of a planter and +his family in the hands of the blacks, he landed the whole of his crew, +while expecting himself to be attacked by boats, and rescued the +planter, three ladies, and six white men, and got them down on board, +although opposed by three hundred negroes. Then he captured the +brigantine he now commands, and a valuable prize that she had taken, and +you say he has now captured a French thirty-six-gun frigate, after a +fight in which she lost in killed and wounded half her crew, and +recovered two Indiamen she had picked up on her way out." + +They went out on the quarter-deck, where the admiral repeated to his +officers the story that he had just heard, and from them it soon +circulated round the ship. Some of the crew had just cleaned the guns +with which they had returned the salute fired by the _Isis_ as she +entered the port on arriving for the first time on the station, but they +were scarcely surprised when, as the brigantine approached, the first +lieutenant gave the order for ten more blank cartridges to be brought +up, and for the crew to prepare to man the yards. But the surprise of +those on board the other ships of war and the merchantmen was great when +they saw the sailors swarming up the ratlines and running out on the +yards. + +"It is an unusual thing," the admiral remarked to the captains of the +_Isis_ and his own ship, "and possibly contrary to the rules of the +service, but I think the occasion excuses it." + +The brigantine did not salute as she came into the port, as she was +considered to be on the station. + +"What can they be doing on board the flag-ship?" Nat said to Lippincott. + +"I think they are going to man the yards. It is not the king's birthday, +or anything of that sort, that I know of; but as it is just eight bells +it must be something of the kind." + +As they came nearly abreast of the flag-ship, the signal, "Well done, +_Agile_!" was run up, and at the same moment there was a burst of white +smoke, and a thundering report, and a tremendous cheer rose from the +seamen on the yards. + +"They are saluting us, sir," Lippincott exclaimed. + +The ensign had been dipped in salute to the flag, and the salute had +been acknowledged by the admiral five minutes before. Lippincott now +sprang to the stern, and again lowered the ensign. The admiral and all +his officers were on their quarter-deck, and as he raised his cocked hat +the others stood bareheaded. Nat uncovered. He was so moved that he had +difficulty in keeping back his tears, and he felt a deep relief when the +last gun had fired, and the cheers given by his own handful of men and +by those on board the prizes had ceased. For the next quarter of an hour +he was occupied in seeing that the four vessels were anchored in safe +berths. Then, as the signal for him to go on board the flag-ship was +hoisted, he reluctantly took his place in the gig, and went to make his +report. The admiral saw by his pale face that he was completely +unnerved, and at once took him into his cabin. + +"I see, Mr. Glover," he began kindly, "that you would much rather that I +did not say anything to you at present. The welcome that has been given +to you speaks more than any words could do of our appreciation of your +gallant feat. I do not say that you have taken the first prize since war +was declared, for it is probable that other captures have been made +nearer home, but at any rate, it is the first that has been made in +these waters. I was surprised indeed when Captain Talbot told me that he +had a hundred French prisoners on board, and some fifty wounded. As he +had not the mark of a shot either in his sails or in his hull, I could +not understand, until he gave me an outline of what had taken place--of +how he had become possessed of them. Is your prize much injured?" + +"She has a good many shot-holes on each quarter, sir, and the stern +lights and fittings are all knocked away. She suffered no very serious +damage. She requires a new mizzen-mast; but there is not a hole in her +canvas, which is all new, for we fired only at the stern, and it was +just below the deck that her mast was damaged." + +"You have, I hope, written a full report of the engagement?" + +Nat handed in his report. It was very short, merely stating that, having +fallen in with the thirty-six-gun French frigate the _Spartane_, +convoying two prizes, he had engaged her, and after placing himself on +her quarter, had raked her until her mizzen-mast fell, and her rudder +was smashed; that, seeing that she could not get away, he had then +returned to the prizes, which turned out to be the _Jane_ of Liverpool, +of eight hundred tons burden, and the _Flora_ of London, of nine hundred +and thirty. The crew of the latter, on seeing that the _Spartane_ was +crippled, had risen and overpowered the prize crew. The other struck her +colours when he came up to her. He then returned to the _Spartane_, +which struck her flag without further resistance. + +"I desire to bring to your notice the great assistance I received from +Lieutenant Turnbull, whom I afterwards placed in charge of the prize, +and from Mr. Lippincott. It is also my duty to mention that +assistant-surgeon Doyle has been indefatigable in his attentions to my +own wounded and those of the _Spartane_." + +Then followed the list of his own casualties, and those of the +_Spartane_. + +"A very official report, Mr. Glover," the admiral said with a smile, +when he had glanced through it. "However, the admiralty will wish to +know the details of an action of so exceptional a character, and I must +therefore ask you to send me in as complete an account of the affair as +possible, both for my own information and theirs. Now, I think you had +better take a glass of wine. I can see that you really need one, and you +will have to receive the congratulations of my officers. By the way, do +you know anything of the cargoes of the two ships you retook?" + +"No, sir, I have really not had time to enquire. Till we left Barbados +I was constantly employed, and on my way out I have kept close to the +_Spartane_ in order to be able to assist at once if anything went wrong +with the steering-gear. I should wish to say, sir, that I feel under the +deepest obligations to Captain Talbot for the great assistance that he +and his crew have rendered me in getting up the jury-mast, and fitting +up the temporary rudder. Had it not been for that I might have been +detained for some time at Barbados." + +Having drunk a glass of wine, Nat went out with the admiral on to the +quarter-deck. The officers pressed round, shook hands, and congratulated +him. It did not last long, for the admiral said kindly: + +"The sound of our cannon, gentlemen, has had a much greater effect upon +Mr. Glover's nerves than had those of his prize, and I think we must let +him off without any further congratulations for to-day. Besides, he has +a long report to write for me, and a good many other things to see to." + +Nat was glad indeed to take his place in the gig, and to return to the +_Agile_. He spent two hours in writing his report in duplicate. When he +had done this he went ashore to the prize agent to enquire what +formalities were needed with regard to the recaptured merchantmen; and +having signed some official papers, he went up to Monsieur Duchesne's. +Monsieur Pickard and his family had sailed months before for England, +but the Duchesnes were still in possession of the house they had hired. +They enjoyed, they said, so much the feeling of rest and security that +they were by no means anxious for a sea voyage; and indeed Madame +Duchesne was still far from well, and her husband was reluctant to take +her to the cold climate of England until summer had well set in. + +"Ah, my dear Nat," Madame Duchesne said, "we were hoping that you would +be able to spare time to call to-day. My husband would have gone off to +see you, but he knew that you had a great deal to do. All the town is +talking of your capture of the French frigate, and the recapture of the +two prizes that she had taken. Several of our friends have come in to +tell us about it; but of course we were not surprised, for your +capturing the frigate with the _Agile_ was no more wonderful than your +taking the _Agile_ with the _Arrow_." + +"It was a lucky affair altogether, Madame Duchesne." + +"I knew that you would say so," Myra said indignantly. "Whatever you do +you always say it is luck, as if luck could do everything. I have no +patience with you." + +"I will endeavour not to use the word again in your presence, Myra," Nat +laughed. "But I have no time for an argument to-day, I have only just +run in for a flying visit to see how you are. I have no end of things to +see to, and I suppose it will be some days before all the business of +the prizes is finished, the frigate formally handed over, and the value +of the Indiamen and their cargo estimated. However, as soon as I am at +all free I will come in for a long talk. You know that there is nowhere +that I feel so happy and at home as I do here." + +It was indeed three days before he had time to pay another visit. + +"It is too bad of you, not coming to dinner," Myra said as he entered. +"We really did expect you." + +"I hoped that I should be able to get here in time, but ever since I saw +you I have been going backwards and forwards between the ships and the +shore, calling at the dockyard and prize court. To-day there has been a +regular survey of the Spartane. They were so long over it that I began +to think I should not be able to get away at all." + +"You will be becoming quite a millionaire," Monsieur Duchesne said, "if +you go on like this." + +"Well, you see, we were lucky--I beg your pardon, Myra--I mean we were +fortunate. We had a very small crew on board the _Arrow_, and as it was +an independent command, the whole of the prize-money for the capture of +the _Agile_ and her prize was divided among us, with the exception of +the flag share; and I found, to my surprise, that my share came to +L2500. Without knowing anything of the cargoes of the prizes that I +have recaptured now, and what will be paid for the _Spartane_, I should +think that my share would come to twice as much this time, so that I +shall be able before long to retire into private life--that is, if I +have any inclination to do so." + +"But I suppose," Madame Duchesne said, "that if you marry you will want +to settle down." + +"I am too young to think of such a matter, madame," Nat laughed. "Why, I +am only just nineteen, and it will be quite soon enough to think of that +in another eight or ten years. But there is no doubt that when the time +comes I shall give up the sea. I don't think it is fair to a wife to +leave her at home while you are running the risk of being shot. It is +bad enough for her in time of peace, but in war-time it must be terrible +for her, and it strikes me that this war is likely to be a long one. It +seems to me that it is a question for a man to ask himself, whether he +loves his profession or a woman better. If he cares more for the sea, he +should remain single; if he thinks more of the woman, let him settle +down with her." + +"That sounds very wise," Monsieur Duchesne said with a smile, "but when +the time comes for the choice I fancy that most men do not accept either +alternative, but marry and still go to sea." + +"That is all right when they have only their profession to depend upon," +Nat said. "Then, if a woman, with her eyes open to the fact that he must +be away from her for months, is ready to take a man for better or for +worse, I suppose the temptation is too strong to be withstood. Happily +it won't be put in my way, for even if I never take another ship I shall +have enough to live on quietly ashore." + +"Now, you must tell us the story of the fight," Myra said. + +"The story is told in twenty words," he replied. "She did not suspect +that we were an enemy until we had passed her, and our broadside told +her what we were. As the _Agile_ is faster and much more handy than the +frigate, we managed to keep astern of her, and, sailing backwards and +forwards, poured our broadsides in her stern, while she could scarce get +a gun to bear on us. We managed to cripple her rudder, and after this +the fight was virtually over. However, she kept her flag flying till we +shot away her mizzen, after which, seeing that she was at our mercy, and +that her captain, two lieutenants, and more than half her crew were +killed or wounded, she lowered her colours. Now, really that is the +whole account of the fight. If I were telling a sailor, who would +understand the nautical terms, I could explain the matter more clearly, +but if I were to talk for an hour you would understand no more about it +than you do now." + +An hour later, Nat went out with Monsieur Duchesne to smoke a cigar on +the verandah, Myra remaining indoors with her mother, who was afraid of +sitting out in the cool evening breeze. + +"Going back to our conversation about marriage, Nat," Monsieur Duchesne +said, "it is a question which my wife and I feel some little interest +in. You see, it is now more than three years since you saved Myra's +life, after which you rendered her and my wife inestimable service. Now, +I know that in your country marriages are for the most part arranged +between the young people themselves. With us such an arrangement would +be considered indecent. If your father and mother were out here, the +usual course would be for your mother to approach my wife and talk the +matter over with her. My wife would consult with me, and finally, when +we old people had quite come to an understanding, your father would +speak to you on the subject. All this is impossible here. Now, it seems +to my wife and myself that, having rendered such inestimable services to +us, and having been thrown with my daughter a good deal--who, I may +say, without any undue vanity, is a very attractive young lady--you +could scarcely be indifferent to her. + +"As you said, according to your British notions you are too young to +think of marrying; and, at any rate, my wife has sounded Myra, and the +girl has assured her that you have never said a word to her that would +lead her to believe you entertained other than what I may call a +brotherly affection for her. Now, I can tell you frankly, that one of +our reasons for remaining here for the past six months has been that we +desired that the matter should be arranged one way or the other. It has +struck us that it was not your youth only that prevented you from coming +to me and asking for Myra's hand, but a foolish idea that she is, as is +undoubtedly the case, a very rich heiress. Before I go farther, may I +ask if that is the case, and if you really entertain such an affection +for my daughter as would, putting aside all question of money and of +your youth, lead you to ask her hand?" + +"That I can answer at once, sir. Ever since I first met her, and +especially since I saw how bravely she supported that terrible time when +she might fall into the hands of the blacks, I have thought of your +daughter as the most charming girl that I have ever met. Of course, I +was but a lad and she a young girl--no thought of marriage at that time +even entered my mind. During the past three years that feeling has +grown, until I have found that my happiness depends entirely upon her. I +felt, monsieur, that my lips were sealed, not only by the fact that she +was an heiress and I only a penniless lieutenant, but because it would +be most unfair and ungenerous were I, on the strength of any services I +may have rendered, to ask you for her hand." + +"It is not on account of those services, much as we recognize them, that +I offer you her hand, but because both her mother and herself feel that +her happiness, which is the great object of our lives, is involved in +the matter. In most cases, a young lady well brought up does not give +her heart until her father presents to her an eligible suitor. This is +an exceptional case. I do think that any girl whose life had been saved, +as hers was, at the risk of that of her rescuer, and who, during a most +terrible time, came to look up to him as the protector of herself and +her mother, and who, moreover, was constantly hearing of his daring +actions, and to whom her dearest friends also owed their lives, could +not but make him her hero. I need not say that the subject has not been +mooted to her, and it was because I desired the matter to be settled +before we left for Europe that we have lingered here. I am glad indeed +that I now know your feeling in the matter. I am conscious that in +giving her to you we are securing her happiness. I have, of course, ever +since the day when you saved her from that dog, watched your character +very closely, and the result has been in all respects satisfactory. Now, +I will go in and tell her that I will take her place by her mother's +side, and that she may as well come out here and keep you company." + +In a minute Myra stepped out on to the verandah. + +"It is cool and nice here, Nat. I think it would do mother more good out +here than keeping in the house, where in the first place it is hot, +while in the second place it gives me the horrors to see the way the +moths and things fly into the lights and burn themselves to death." + +"No doubt it is pleasanter here," Nat said, wondering how he ought to +begin. + +"That was very soberly said, Nat," Myra laughed. "One would think that +it was a proposition that required a good deal of consideration." + +"It was a proposition that received no consideration. In point of fact, +just at present, dear, my head is a little turned with a conversation +that I have just had with your father." + +"What do you mean?" she asked. + +"I mean that I see before me a great and unlooked-for happiness, a +happiness that I had hardly ventured even to hope for, but at present it +is incomplete; it is for you to crown it if you can do so. Your father +has given his consent to my telling you that I love you. I do love you +truly and earnestly, Myra, but I should not be content with anything +less than your love. I don't want it to be gratitude. I don't want any +thought of that business with the dog, or of the other business with the +blacks, to have anything to do with it." + +"They must have something to do with it," she said softly, "for it was +owing to these that I first began to love you. It was at first, no +doubt, a girl's love for one who had done so much for her, but since +then it has become a woman's love for the one man that she should choose +out of all. I love you, Nat, I love you with all my heart." + +Ten minutes later they went hand in hand into the house. Monsieur +Duchesne had told his wife what had occurred in the verandah, and as +they came in she rose and threw her arms round Myra's neck and kissed +her tenderly. + +"You have chosen wisely, my child, and have made us both very happy. We +can give her to you, Monsieur Glover, without one misgiving; we know +that in your hands her life will be a happy one. And now," she went on +with a smile, "you will have to face that terrible problem you were +discussing an hour since. You will have to choose between a wife and the +sea." + +"The problem may be settled at once, madame," Nat said with a smile. + +"At any rate, there is no occasion to choose at present," Madame +Duchesne went on. "Myra is but just past sixteen, and her father and I +both think that it is as well that you should wait at least a couple of +years before there is any talk of marriage, both for her sake and yours. +After your brilliant services, especially in capturing the frigate, you +are sure of rapid promotion, and it would be a pity indeed for you to +give up your profession until you have obtained the rank of captain, +when you could honourably retire. We shall leave for England very +shortly, France is out of the question. As you said, you and my daughter +are both young, and can well afford to wait." + +"That is so, madame, we quite acquiesce in your decision. As to your +going to England, it is likely that I may be going there myself very +shortly. The admiral hinted to-day that, as the dockyard people say that +the _Spartane_ can be ready for sea in ten days or so, he will probably +send me home in her. He very kindly kept back my report of the action, +and merely stated that the French frigate _Spartane_ had been brought in +in tow by his majesty's brigantine _Agile_, together with two +merchantmen she had captured on her way out, which had also been retaken +by the _Agile_, and said that he thought it was only fair that I should +carry back my own report and his full despatch on the subject. Of course +I may be sent out again, or I may be employed on other service. At any +rate I shall be able to get a short leave before I go to sea again. I +have been out here now six years, and feel entitled to a little rest. I +would certainly rather be employed in the Mediterranean than here, for +there is more chance of seeing real service." + +The next day Nat received an order from the admiral to hand over the +command of the _Agile_ to Lieutenant Turnbull. Lippincott, who would +pass his examination and receive his step, was to act as first +lieutenant, and a midshipman from one of the ships on the station was to +be second officer. Nat himself was ordered to superintend the repairs +and fitting out for sea of the _Spartane._ + +"I am awfully sorry that you are going, Glover," Turnbull said. "Of +course it is a great pull for me being appointed to the command, but I +was very jolly and happy as I was. I don't think there ever was a +pleasanter party on board one of his majesty's ships. However, of course +it is a great lift for me. I shall try to keep things going as +comfortably as you did." + +"I have no doubt that you will do that, Turnbull, and you have an able +ally in Doyle." + +"Doyle was inconsolable when I came on board yesterday and told him that +you were going home in the _Spartane_, and that I was to have the +command." + +"It is the worst news that I have heard for many a day," Doyle had said. +"You are very well, Turnbull, and I have no sort of complaint to make of +you, but I am afraid that the luck will go with Glover. It is his luck +and not the ship's; whatever he has put his hand to has turned out well. +I don't say that he has not done his work as well as it could be done, +but there is no doubt that luck is everything. If one of the _Agile's_ +guns had knocked away a mast or spar from the _Arrow_ it would have been +all up with you; and again, had a shot from the frigate crippled us, she +would have been after taking the _Agile_ into a French port instead of +our bringing her in here." + +"Yes, but then you see that upon both occasions Glover put his craft +where it was difficult to get their guns to bear on her." + +"Yes, yes, I know that; but that does not alter it a bit. If there had +been only one shot fired, and had we been an unlucky boat, it would, +sure enough, have brought one of the spars about our ears." + +"Well, Doyle, it may be that it was my luck, and not Glover's, that +pulled us through. You see, I should have been shot or had my throat cut +by the pirates if we had been taken by them, so possibly I am the good +genius of the boat; or it may be Lippincott." + +"Botheration to you!" the Irishman said, as he saw by a twinkle in +Turnbull's eye that he was really chaffing him; "there is one thing +certain, if you get wounded and fall into my hands, you will not regard +that as a matter of luck." + +"Well, at any rate, doctor, Glover told me half an hour ago of a piece +of luck in which none of us here can share. He is engaged to that very +pretty French girl whom he is always calling on when we are in port." + +"I thought that was what would come of it, Turnbull," Lippincott said; +"it would be rum if she hadn't fallen in love with him after all that he +did for her." + +"I was greatly taken with her myself," the doctor said, "the first time +she came on board, but I saw with half an eye that the race was lost +before I had time to enter. Besides, I could not afford to marry without +money, and one of these poor devils of planters, who have had to run +away from Hayti with, for the most part, just the clothes they stood up +in, would hardly make the father-in-law yours faithfully would desire. I +wonder myself how they manage to keep up such a fine establishment here, +but I suppose they had a little put away in an old stocking, and are +just running through it. They are shiftless people, are these planters, +and, having been always used to luxuries, don't know the value of +money." + +Turnbull burst into a fit of laughter in which Lippincott joined, for in +the early days of the cruise on the _Arrow_ they had heard from Nat how +his friends had for generations laid by a portion of their revenues, and +allowed the interest to accumulate, so that, now that the time had come +for utilizing the reserve, they were really much richer people than +they had been when living on their fine plantation. Doyle looked +astonished at their laughter. + +"My dear Doyle," Turnbull went on, "it is too comical to hear you +talking of a shiftless planter--you, belonging as you do to the most +happy-go-lucky race on the face of the earth. Now, I will ask you, did +you ever hear of a family of Irish squires who for generations put aside +a tenth part of their income, and allowed the interest to accumulate +without touching it, so that, when bad times came, they found that they +were twice as well off as they were before?" + +"Begorra, you are right, Turnbull; never did I hear of such a thing, and +I don't believe it ever happened since the first Irish crossed the seas +from somewhere in the east." + +"Well, at any rate, Doyle, that is what the Duchesnes have done, and I +should think, from what Glover says--though he did not mention any +precise sum, for he did not know himself--but I should say that it must +come to at least a hundred thousand pounds." + +"Mother of Moses!" the doctor exclaimed; "it is a mighty bad turn you +have done me, Turnbull, that you never gave me as much as a hint of this +before. I should have been sorry for Glover, who is in all ways a good +fellow; still I should have deemed it my duty to my family, who once--as +you know, is the case of almost every other family in the ould +country--were Kings of Ireland. I should have restored the ancient +grandeur of my family, built a grand castle, and kept open house to all +comers--and to think that I never knew it!" + +"Then you think, doctor," Lippincott said, with a laugh, "that you only +had to enter the lists to cut Glover out?" + +"I don't go quite so far as that; but, of course, now the thing is +settled for good, it would be of no use trying to disturb it, and it +would hardly be fair on Glover. But, you see, as long as it was an open +matter, I might have well tried my luck. I should have had great +advantages. You see, I am a grown man, whereas Glover is still but a +lad. Then, though I say it myself, I could talk his head off, and am as +good as those who have kissed the Blarney stone at bewildering the dear +creatures." + +"Those are great advantages, no doubt, Doyle; but, you see, Glover had +one advantage which, I have no doubt, counted with the lady more than +all those you have enumerated. He had saved her life at the risk of his +own, he had carried her, and her mother, through terrible dangers." + +"Yes, yes, there is something in that," Doyle said, shaking his head; +"if the poor young fellow is satisfied with gratitude I have nothing +more to say. At any rate, I have lost my chance. Now, perhaps, as you +know all about this, you might put me up to some other lady in similar +circumstances, but with a heart free to bestow upon a deserving man." + +"I should not be justified in doing so, Doyle. After what you have been +saying about building a baronial castle, and keeping open house, it is +clear that you would soon bring a fortune to an end, however great it +might be; and, therefore, I should not feel justified in aiding you in +any way in your matrimonial adventures." + +"It's a poor heart that never rejoices," the doctor said. "The tumblers +are empty. Sam, you rascal, bring us another bottle of that old Jamaica, +fresh limes, and cold water. It is one of the drawbacks of this bastely +climate that there is no pleasure in taking your punch hot." + +One of the negroes brought in the materials. + +"Now, doctor," Turnbull said, "I know that in spite of this terrible +disappointment you will drink heartily the toast, 'Nat Glover and +Mademoiselle Duchesne, and may they live long and happily together!'" + +"That is good," Doyle said as he emptied his tumbler at a draught; +"nothing short of a bumper would do justice to it. Hand me the bottle +again, Lippincott, and cut me a couple of slices off that lime. Yes, I +will take two pieces of sugar, please, Turnbull. Now I am going to +propose a toast, 'The new commander of the _Agile_, and may she, in his +hands, do as well as she did in those of Nat Glover.'" + +Three days later the _Agile_ started on another cruise. Nat spent his +time in the dockyard, where he was so well known to all the officials +that they did everything in their power to aid him to push matters +forward, and a week after the brigantine had left the _Spartane_ was +ready for sea. Nat had seen the admiral several times, but had heard +nothing from him as to who were the officers who were to take the +_Spartane_ home, nor whether he was to sail as a passenger bearing +despatches or as one of the officers. When he went on board the +flag-ship to report that all was ready for sea, the admiral said: + +"Mr. Winton, first lieutenant of the _Onyx_, is invalided home. He is a +good officer, but the climate has never agreed with him, and, as his +father has lately died and he has come into some property, he will, I +have no doubt, go on half-pay for a time until he is thoroughly set up +again. I shall therefore appoint him as first lieutenant of the +_Spartane_; Mr. Plumber, second lieutenant of the _Tiger_, will go +second. + +"I have decided, Mr. Glover, to give you the rank of acting commander. +You captured the ship, and it is fair that you should take her to +England. Mind, I think it probable enough that the authorities at home +may not be willing to confirm your rank, as it is but little over two +years since you obtained your present grade. I feel that I am incurring +a certain responsibility in giving you the command of a thirty-six-gun +frigate, but you have had opportunities of showing that you are a +thorough seaman, and can fight as well as sail your ship." + +"I am immensely obliged, sir," Nat said hesitatingly, "but I have never +for a moment thought of this, and it does seem a tremendous +responsibility. Besides, I shall be over two officers both many years +senior to myself." + +"I have spoken to both of them," the admiral said, "and pointed out to +them that, after you had captured the frigate with the little brigantine +you commanded, I considered it almost your right to take her home. I put +it frankly to them that, if they had any objection to serving under one +so much their junior, I should by no means press the point, but that at +the same time I should naturally prefer having two experienced officers +with you instead of officering her entirely with young lieutenants +junior to yourself. I am glad to say that both of them agreed heartily, +and admitted the very great claim that you have to the command. Mr. +Winton is anxious to get home, and knows that he might have to wait some +time before a ship of war was going. Mr. Plumber is equally anxious for +a short run home, for, as he frankly stated to me, he has for three +years past been engaged to be married, and he has some ground for hope +that he may get appointed to a ship on the home station. So as these +gentlemen are perfectly willing to serve under you there need be no +difficulty on your part in the matter. We will therefore consider it as +settled. + +"I have made out your appointment as acting commander. I sincerely hope +that you will be confirmed in the rank. At any rate, it will count for +you a good deal that you should have acted in that capacity. Here are +your instructions. You will be short-handed; I cannot spare enough men +from the ships on this station to make up a full complement. A hundred +and fifty are all that I can possibly let you have, but I have told the +masters of these two Indiamen that they will have to furnish a +contingent. I have been on board both the ships to-day. I addressed the +crews, and said that you were going to take home the _Spartane_ and +were short of hands. I said that I did not wish to press any men against +their will, but that I hoped that five-and-twenty from each ship would +come forward voluntarily; that number had aided to bring the _Spartane_ +in here; they knew you, and might be sure that the ship would be a +comfortable one; and I told them that I would give them passes, saying +that they had voluntarily shipped for the voyage home on my guaranteeing +that they should, if they chose, be discharged from the service on their +arrival. More than the number required volunteered at once, but I asked +the captain to pick out for me the men who had before been on board the +_Spartane_, and of whose conduct you had spoken highly. Three +merchantmen will sail under your convoy." + +Nat went ashore after leaving the admiral, and naturally went straight +to the Duchesnes. + +"Who do you suppose is going to command the _Spartane_?" he asked as he +went in. + +"I know who ought to command her. You took her, and you ought to command +her." + +"Well, it seems absurd, but that is just what I am going to do." + +Myra clapped her hands in delight. + +"Have they made you a real captain, then?" + +"No," he said with a laugh, "I shall be acting commander. That gives one +the honorary rank of captain, but it may be a long time before I get +appointed to that rank. The admiral has been awfully kind, but the +people at home are not likely to regard my age and appearance as in any +way suitable for such a position." + +"I am happy to say, Nat, that we shall sail under your convoy. I have +been settling all my affairs and making my arrangements for leaving, and +have this morning definitely taken cabins in the _Myrtle_. As the +furniture is not ours, and we have not accumulated many belongings, +knowing that we might be sailing at any moment, we can get everything +packed by to-night and go on board to-morrow morning. The captain could +not tell me at what hour we should sail. He said that it would depend +upon the frigate." + +"I should like to start at eight if I could, but I cannot say whether +everything will be quite ready. However, you had better be on board at +that hour. It will be jolly indeed having you all so close to me." + +"Shall we be able to see each other sometimes?" Myra asked. + +"Many times, I hope; but of course it must depend partly on the weather. +If we are becalmed at any time you might come on board and spend a whole +day, but if we are bowling along rapidly it would scarcely be the thing +to stop two ships in order that the passengers might go visiting." + +It was twelve o'clock on the following day when the _Spartane_ fired a +gun, and at the signal the anchors, which had all been hove short, were +run up, the sails shaken out, and the _Spartane_ and the three vessels +under her charge started on their voyage. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +HOME + + +The voyage home was a pleasant but not an exciting one. No suspicious +sails were sighted until they neared the mouth of the Channel. Then two +or three craft, which bore the appearance of French privateers, had at +different times approached them, but only to draw off as soon as they +made out the line of ports of the _Spartane_. There had been sufficient +days of calm and light winds to enable the Duchesnes to frequently spend +a few hours on board the frigate. Nat had felt a little uncomfortable at +first, but it was not long before he became accustomed to the position. +Of course he could not be on the same familiar terms with his officers +as he had been on board the _Agile_, but he insisted upon the first and +second lieutenants dining with him regularly. + +"It will really be kind of you if you will," he said, "for I shall feel +like a fish out of water sitting here in solitary state." And as he had +drawn something on account of his prize-money and kept an excellent +table, the two officers willingly agreed to the suggestion. + +"I have always thought, Mr. Winton," he said, "that there is a good deal +more stiffness than is at all necessary or even desirable on board a +ship of war. It is not so in the army. I dined several times at +regimental messes at Kingston, and although the colonel was, of course, +treated with a certain respect, the conversation was as general and as +unrestrained as if all had been private gentlemen; yet, of course, on +the parade ground, the colonel was as supreme as a captain on his +quarter-deck. At sea, the captain really never gets to know anything +about his officers, except with regard to their duties on board a ship, +and I don't think it is good, either for him or the officers in general, +that he should be cut off from them as much as if he were an emperor of +China." + +"I agree with you so far," Mr. Winton said. "I do think the reins of +discipline are held too tautly, and that where the captain is a really +good fellow, life on board might be much more pleasant than it now is; +but with a bad-tempered, overbearing sort of man your suggestion would +act just the other way." + +"Well, we could easily put a stop to that," Nat said, "if the admiralty +would refuse to appoint bad-tempered and overbearing men to any +command." + +The other laughed. "That would help us out of the difficulty, certainly; +but I think that any change had better be deferred until they perceive, +as every junior officer in the service perceives, that such men are a +curse to themselves and everyone else, that they are hated by the whole +crew, from the ship's boys to the first lieutenant, and that a ship with +a contented and cheerful crew can be trusted at all times to do her duty +against any odds." + +Sailing south of the Isle of Wight, the _Spartane_ came in through the +Nab Channel. There she left her convoy, who anchored on the Mother Bank, +while she sailed into Portsmouth harbour, with the white ensign flying +over the tricolour. As she entered she was greeted with loud cheers by +the crews of the ships of war. As soon as she had picked up moorings Nat +landed at the dockyard, and, proceeding to the admiral's, reported +himself there. + +"The admiral is away inspecting the forts in the Needles passage," a +young officer said. "Captain Painton might be able to give you any +information that you require." + +"I only want formally to report myself before taking post-chaise to +London." + +"Perhaps you had better see him," the other said, a little puzzled as to +who this young officer could be who was in charge of despatches. + +"I think I had." + +"What name shall I say?" + +"Glover." + +The flag-captain was a short, square-built man, with keen eyes, and a +not unpleasant expression, but bluff and hasty in manner. + +"Now, Mr. Glover, what can I do for you?" he asked shortly. + +"Well, sir, I hardly know the course of procedure, but as I want to +start with despatches for London in a quarter of an hour I shall be glad +to be able to hand over the ship I command, or, if it cannot be taken +over in that summary way, to know whether my first officer is to retain +charge of her until I can return from town." + +"And what is the vessel that you have the honour to command, sir?" +Captain Painton said with a slight smile. + +"The _Spartane_ frigate, a prize mounting thirty-six guns, that entered +the harbour a quarter of an hour ago." + +The captain had an idea that this was an ill-timed joke on the part of +the young lieutenant. + +"Do you wish me to understand, sir," he said sternly, "that you are in +command of that prize?" + +"That certainly, sir, is what I wish you to understand. I have brought +her home from Jamaica, and have the honour to hold the appointment of +acting commander. There, you see, are the official despatches of which I +am the bearer, addressed to the Admiralty, and with the words 'In charge +of Acting Commander Glover.'" + +"And your officers, sir?" suppressing with difficulty an explosion of +wrath at what he considered a fresh sign that the service was going to +the dogs. + +"The first officer is Lieutenant Winton, the second Lieutenant Plumber." + +"Very well, sir, I will go off myself at once. I will detain you no +longer." + +Nat at once hurried off, while Captain Painton went into the office of +another of the officials of the dockyard. + +"The service is going to the dogs," he said. "Here is a young +lieutenant, who from his appearance can't have passed more than a year, +pitchforked over the head of heaven knows how many seniors, and placed +as acting commander of a thirtysix-gun frigate, French prize, sir. Just +look up the records of the lieutenants under him." + +"One is a lieutenant of fifteen years' service, the other of twelve." + +"It is monstrous, scandalous. This sort of thing is destructive of all +discipline, and proves that everything is to go by favouritism. Just at +the outbreak of the war it is enough to throw cold water on the spirits +of all who are hoping to distinguish themselves." + +Ignorant of the storm that had been excited in the mind of the +flag-captain, Nat was already on his way, having as soon as he landed +sent his coxswain to order a post-chaise to be got ready for starting in +a quarter of an hour. It was eight o'clock when he dropped anchor, by +nine he was on the road, and by handsomely tipping the post-boys he drew +up at the Admiralty at half-past four. + +"What name shall I say, sir?" the doorkeeper asked. + +"Acting Commander Glover, with despatches from Jamaica." + +The admiral looked up with amazement as Nat was announced. The latter +had not mounted the second epaulette to which as commander he was +entitled, and the admiral on his first glance thought that the attendant +must have made a mistake. + +"Did I understand, sir, that you are a commander?" + +"An acting one only, sir. I have come home in command of the _Spartane_, +a prize mounting thirty-six guns. The admiral was good enough to appoint +me to the acting rank in order that I might bring her home with +despatches, and the report respecting her capture by the brigantine +_Agile_, of ten guns, which I had the honour to command." + +"Yes, I saw a very brief notice of her capture in the _Gazette_ ten days +ago, but no particulars were given. I suppose the mail was just coming +out when she arrived." + +"That was partly the reason, no doubt, sir; but I think the admiral +could have written more, had he not in his kindness of heart left it to +me to hand in a full report. I may say that I had the good fortune to +recapture two valuable West Indiamen that the _Spartane_ had picked up +on her way out." + +The admiral rose from the table and took down a thick volume from the +book-case. At the back were the words, "Records of Service." It was +partly printed, a wide space being left under each name for further +records to be written in. + +"Glover, Nathaniel. Is that your Christian name, Captain Glover?" + +Nat bowed. + +"An exceptionally good record. 'Distinguished himself greatly in the +attack by the frigate _Orpheus_ on three piratical craft protected by +strong batteries. Passed as lieutenant shortly afterwards. Appointed to +the command of the schooner _Arrow_, four guns, charged to rescue white +inhabitants off Hayti, and if possible to enter into communications with +negro leaders and learn their views. In the course of the performance of +this duty he landed with all his crew of twenty men, took off a French +planter and family and eight other whites in the hands of a force +estimated at three hundred and fifty blacks, and fought his way on board +his ship again. Later on engaged a pirate brigantine, the _Agile_, of +ten guns, which had just captured a Spanish merchantman. After a sharp +fight, took possession of the prize, and with the aid of her crew +capture the _Agile_.' And now with the _Agile_ you have taken the +_Spartane_, a thirty-six gun frigate, to say nothing of recapturing two +valuable West Indiamen, prizes of hers. And I suppose, Commander Glover, +if we confirm you in your rank and command, you will go forth and appear +next time with a French three-decker in tow. From a tiny schooner to a +frigate is a greater distance than from a frigate to a line-of-battle +ship." + +"Yes, sir," Nat said with a smile; "but the advantage of quick +manoeuvring that one gets in a small craft, and which gives one a +chance against a larger adversary, becomes lost when it is a frigate +against a line-of-battle ship. The _Spartane_ is fairly handy, but she +could not hope to gain much advantage that way over a bigger vessel." + +"I wonder the admiral had men enough to spare to send her home." + +"He could hardly have done so, sir, but fifty of the merchant sailors +belonging to the recaptured prizes volunteered for the voyage, and were +furnished by the admiral with discharges on arrival at Portsmouth." + +"A very good plan, for it is hard work to get men now that we are +fitting out every ship at all the naval ports. Now, Commander Glover, I +will detain you no longer. I shall carefully read through these +despatches this evening, and shall discuss them with my colleagues +to-morrow. I shall be glad if you will dine with me to-morrow evening at +half-past six; here is my card and address." + +"I beg your pardon, sir, but I am altogether ignorant of such +matters--should I come in uniform or plain clothes?" + +"Whichever would suit you best," the admiral replied with a smile. "As +you have only just arrived to-day from the West Indies, and doubtless +have had little time for preparations before you sailed, it is more than +likely that you may not have had time to provide yourself with a +full-dress uniform." + +"I have not, sir; and indeed, had I had time I should not have thought +of buying one of my acting rank, which would naturally terminate as soon +as the object for which it was granted was attained." + +"Very well, then, come in plain dress. I may tell you for your +information, that when invited by an admiral to his official residence +you would be expected to appear in uniform, but when asked to dine at +his private residence it would not be considered as a naval function, +and although I do not at all say that it would be wrong to appear in +uniform, there would be no necessity for doing so." + +As everyone dressed for dinner in the West Indies for the sake of +coolness and comfort, Nat was well provided in this way. After his +dinner at the Golden Cross he went to a playhouse. He had posted a +letter to his father, which was written before he landed, directly he +reached town, saying that he was home; that of course he could not say +how long it would be before he would be able to leave his ship, but as +soon as he did so he would run down into Somersetshire and stay there +until he received orders either to join another vessel or to return to +the West Indies. The next afternoon the papers came out with the +official news, and news-boys were shouting themselves hoarse: + +"Capture of a French frigate by a ten-gun British brig! Thirty-six guns +against ten! Three hundred and fifty Frenchmen against fifty Englishmen! +Nearly half the monsieurs killed or wounded, the rest taken prisoners! +Glorious victory!" And Nat was greatly amused as he looked out of the +window of the hotel at the eager hustling that was going on to obtain +one of the broadsheets. + +"It sounds a big thing," he said to himself, "but there was nothing in +it, and the whole thing was over in less time than it takes to talk +about it. Well, I hope I shall either get off to Portsmouth again +to-morrow or go down to the dear old pater. I wish this dinner was over. +No doubt there will be some more of these old admirals there, and they +will be wanting to learn all the ins and outs, just as if twenty words +would not tell them how it was we thrashed them so easily. They know +well enough that if you have a quick handy craft, and get her under the +weather quarter of a slow-moving frigate the latter hasn't a shadow of a +chance." + +Although not an official dinner, all the twelve gentlemen who sat down +were, with the exception of Nat, connected with the admiralty. The first +lord and several other admirals were there, the others were heads of +departments and post-captains. + +"Before we begin dinner," the first lord said, "I have pleasure in +handing this to you, Commander Glover. There is but one opinion among my +colleagues and myself, which is that as you have captured the _Spartane_ +and have come home as her commander, we cannot do less than confirm you +in that rank and leave her in your charge. You are certainly unusually +young for such promotion, but your career has been for the past four +years so exceptional that we seem to have scarcely any option in the +matter. Such promotion is not only a reward you have gallantly won, but +that you should receive it will, we feel, animate other young officers +to wholesome emulation that will be advantageous both to themselves and +to the service in general." + +Nat could scarcely credit his ears. That he might be appointed second +lieutenant of the _Spartane_ or some other ship of war was, he thought, +probable; but the acme of his hopes was that a first lieutenancy in a +smart sloop might possibly be offered to him. His two officers on the +way home had talked the matter over with him, and they had been a little +amused at seeing that he never appeared to think it within the bounds of +possibility that his rank would be confirmed, although, as the admiral +before sailing told them, he had most strongly recommended that this +should be done, and he thought it certain that the authorities at home +would see the matter in the same light. He had asked them not to give +the slightest hint to Nat that such promotion might be awarded to him. +"You never can tell," the admiral said, "what the Admiralty will do, but +here is a chance that they don't often get of making a really popular +promotion, without a suspicion of favouritism being entertained. Beyond +the fact that he has been mentioned in despatches, I doubt if anyone at +Whitehall as much as knows the young fellow's name, and the service +generally will see that for once merit has been recognized on the part +of one who, so far as patronage goes, is friendless." + +Nat returned to Portsmouth the following morning, and spent some hours +in signing papers and going through other formalities. + +"The _Spartane_ will be paid off to-morrow, Captain Glover," the port +admiral said; "she will be recommissioned immediately. I hope you will +be able to get some of the men to re-enter, for there is a good deal of +difficulty about crews. So great a number of ships have been fitted out +during the past four or five months that we have pretty well exhausted +the seafaring population here, and even the press-gangs fail to bring +many in." + +Going on board, Nat sent for the boatswain and gunners, and informed +them that as he was to recommission the _Spartane_ he was anxious to get +as many of the hands to reship as possible. + +"I have no doubt that some of them will join, sir," the quarter-master +said. "I heard them talking among themselves, and saying that she has +been as pleasant a ship as they had ever sailed in, and if you was to +hoist your pennant a good many of them would sign on." + +"I would not mind giving a couple of pounds a head." + +"I don't think that it would be of any use, sir. If the men will join +they will join, if they won't they won't. Besides, they have all got +some pay, and most of them some prize-money coming to them, and it +would be only so much more to chuck away if they had it. And another +thing, sir, I think when men like an officer they like to show him that +it is so, and they would rather reship without any bounty, to show that +they liked him, than have it supposed that it was for the sake of the +money." + +After the men had been paid off the next morning, he told them in a +short speech that he had been appointed to recommission the _Spartane_, +and said that he would be glad to have a good many of them with him +again. He was much gratified when fully two-thirds of the men, including +the greater part of the merchantmen, stepped forward and entered their +names. + +"That speaks well indeed for our young commander," the port admiral, who +had been present, said to his flag-captain. "It is seldom indeed that +you find anything like so large a proportion of men ready to reship at +once. It proves that they have confidence in his skill as well as in his +courage, and that they feel that the ship will be a comfortable one." + +It was expected that the _Spartane_ would be at least a month in the +hands of the shipwrights, and the men on signing were given leave of +absence for that time. As soon as all this was arranged, Nat took a +post-chaise and drove to Southampton. There he found the Duchesnes at an +hotel. Their ship had gone into the port two days previously, but all +their belongings were not yet out of the hold, and indeed it had been +arranged that they would not go up to town till they saw him. They were +delighted to hear that his appointment had been confirmed, and that he +was to have the command of the _Spartane_. + +"Now, I suppose you will be running down to see your people at once?" +Myra said with a little pout. + +"I think that is only fair," he said, "considering that I have not seen +them for six years. I don't think that even you could grudge me a few +days." + +"Yeovil is a large place, isn't it?" she asked. + +"Yes; why do you ask?" + +She looked at her mother, who smiled. + +"The fact is, Nat, Myra has been endeavouring to persuade her father and +me that it would be a nice plan for us to go down there with you and to +form the acquaintance of your parents. Of course we should stay at an +hotel. We are in no particular hurry to go up to London; and as while +you are away we shall naturally wish to see as much as we can of your +people, this would make a very good beginning. And perhaps some of them +will come back to London with us when you join your ship." + +"I think it would be a first-rate plan, madame, the best thing possible. +Of course I want my father and mother and the girls to see Myra." + +"When will you start?" + +"To-morrow morning. Of course we shall go by post. It will be a very +cross-country journey by coach, and many of these country roads are +desperately bad. It is only about the same distance that it is to +London, but the roads are not so good, so I propose that we make a short +journey to-morrow to Salisbury, and then, starting early, go through to +Yeovil. We shall be there in good time in the afternoon. I shall only be +taking a very small amount of kit, so that we ought to be able to stow +three large trunks, which will, I suppose, be enough for you. Of course +we could send some on by a waggon, but there is no saying when they +would get there, and as likely as not they would not arrive until just +as we are leaving there; of course Dinah will go on the box." + +At four o'clock, two days later, the post-chaise drove up to the +principal hotel at Yeovil. Rooms were at once obtained for the +Duchesnes, and Nat hired a light trap to drive him out to his father's +rectory, some three miles out of the town. As he drove up to the house, +three girls, from sixteen to two-and three-and-twenty, ran out, followed +a moment later by his father and mother. For a few minutes there was but +little coherent talk. His sisters could scarcely believe that this tall +young officer was the lad they had last seen, and even his father and +mother agreed that they would scarce have recognized him. + +"I don't think the girls quite recognize me now," he laughed. "They +kissed me in a very feeble sort of way, as if they were not at all sure +that it was quite right. Indeed, I was not quite sure myself that it was +the proper thing for me to salute three strange young ladies." + +"What nonsense you talk, Nat," his eldest sister Mary said. "I thought +by this time, now you are a lieutenant, you would have become quite +stiff, and would expect a good deal of deference to be paid to you." + +"I can't say that you have been a good correspondent, Nat," his mother +said. "You wrote very seldom, and then said very little of what you had +been doing." + +"Well, mother, there are not many post-offices in Hayti, and I should +not have cared to trust any letters to them if there had been. There is +the advantage, you see, that there is much more to tell you now than if +I had written to you before. You don't get papers very regularly here, I +think?" + +"No, we seldom see a London paper, and the Bath papers don't tell much +about anything except the fashionable doings there." + +"Then I have several pieces of news to tell you. Here is a _Gazette_, in +which you will see that a certain Nathaniel Glover brought into +Portsmouth last week a French thirty-six-gun frigate which he had +captured, and in another part of the _Gazette_ you will observe that the +same officer has been confirmed in the acting rank of commander, and +has been appointed to the _Spartane_, which is to be recommissioned at +once. Therefore you see, sisters, you will in future address me as +captain." + +There was a general exclamation of surprise and delight. + +"That is what it was," the rector said, "that Dr. Miles was talking to +me about yesterday in Yeovil. He said that the London papers were full +of the news that a French frigate had been captured by a little ten-gun +brigantine, and had been brought home by the officer who had taken her, +who was, he said, of the same name as mine. He said that it was +considered an extraordinarily gallant action." + +"We shall be as proud as peacocks," Lucy, the youngest girl, said. + +"Now as to my news," he went on. "Doubtless that was important, but not +so important as that which I am now going to tell you. At the present +moment there is at Yeovil a gentleman and lady, together with their +daughter, the said daughter being, at the end of a reasonable time, +about to become my wife, and your sister, girls." + +The news was received with speechless surprise. + +"Really, Nat?" his mother said in a tone of doubt; "do you actually mean +that you have become engaged to a young lady who is now at Yeovil?" + +"That is the case, mother," he said cheerfully. "There is nothing very +surprising that a young lady should fall in love with me, is there? and +I think the announcement will look well in the papers--on such and such +a date, Myra, daughter of Monsieur Duchesne, late of the island of +Hayti, to Nathaniel, son of the Rev. Charles Glover of Arkton Rectory, +commander in his majesty's navy." + +"Duchesne!" Ada, the second girl, said, clapping her hands, "that is the +name of the young lady you rescued from a dog. I remember at the time +Mary and I quite agreed that the proper thing for you to do would be to +marry her some day. Yes, and you were staying at her father's place when +the blacks broke out; and you had all to hide in the woods for some +time." + +"Quite right, Ada. Well, she and her father and mother have posted down +with me from Southampton in order to make your acquaintance, and +to-morrow you will have to go over in a body." + +"Does she speak English?" Mrs. Glover asked. + +"Oh, yes, she speaks a good deal of English; her people have for the +past two years intended to settle in England, and have all been studying +the language to a certain extent. Besides that, they have had the +inestimable advantage of my conversation, and have read a great many +English books on their voyage home." + +"Is Miss Duchesne very dark?" Lucy asked in a tone of anxiety. + +Nat looked at her for a moment in surprise, and then burst into a fit of +laughter. + +"What, Lucy, do you think because Myra was born in Hayti that she is a +little negress with crinkley wool?" + +"No, no," the girl protested almost tearfully. "Of course I did not +think that, but I thought that she might be dark. I am sure when I was +at Bath last season and saw several old gentlemen, who, they said, were +rich West Indians, they were all as yellow as guineas." + +"Well, she won't be quite so dark as that, anyhow," Nat said; "in fact I +can tell you, you three will all have to look your best to make a good +show by the side of her." + +"But this talk is all nonsense, Nat," the rector said gravely. "Your +engagement is a very serious matter. Of course, now you have been so +wonderfully fortunate, and are commander of a ship, you will, I have no +doubt, have an income quite sufficient to marry upon, and, of course, +you are in a position to please yourself." + +"We are not going to be married just at present, father. She is three +years younger than I am, and I am not far advanced in years; so it has +been quite settled that we shall wait for some time yet. By then, if I +am lucky, my prize-money will have swelled to a handsome amount, and +indeed, although I don't know the exact particulars, I believe I am +entitled to from eight to ten thousand pounds. Moreover as the young +lady herself is an only child, and her father is a very wealthy man, I +fancy that we are not likely to have to send round the hat to make ends +meet." + +The visit was duly paid the next day, and was most satisfactory to all +parties, and, as the rectory was a large building, Mr. and Mrs. Glover +insisted upon the Duchesnes removing there at once. + +"We want to see as much of Nat as we can," his mother urged, "and if he +is to divide his time between Yeovil and the rectory, I am afraid we +should get but a very small share of him." + +"I suppose your brother has told you all his adventures," Myra said the +next morning, as she and all the party, with the exception of Mr. Glover +and Nat, were seated in the parlour after breakfast was over. + +"No, he is a very poor correspondent. He just told us what he had been +doing, but said very little about his adventures. I suppose he thought +that girls would not care to hear about midshipmen's doings. He did tell +us, though, that he had had a fight with a dog that had bitten you." + +Myra's eyes opened wider and wider as the eldest, Mary Glover, spoke. +Her face flushed, and she would have risen to her feet in her +indignation had not her mother laid her hand upon her arm. + +"I do not think, Miss Glover," Monsieur Duchesne said gravely, "that you +can at all understand the obligation that we are under to your brother. +The bite of a dog seems but a little thing. A huge hound had thrown Myra +down, and had rescue been delayed but half a minute her death was +certain. Your brother, riding past, heard her cries, and rushed in, and, +armed only with his dirk, attacked the hound. He saved my daughter's +life, but it was well-nigh at the cost of his own, for although he +killed it, it was not until it had inflicted terrible injuries upon +him--injuries so serious that for a time it was doubtful whether he +would live. This was the first service to us. On the next occasion he +was staying with us when the blacks rose. Thanks to our old nurse, there +was time for them to run out into the shrubbery before the negroes came +up, and then take refuge in the wood. My wife was seized with fever, and +was for days unconscious. + +"The woods were everywhere scoured for fugitives. Six blacks, led by two +mulattoes, discovered their hiding-place. Your son shot the whole of +them, but had one of his ribs broken by a pistol-ball. In spite of that, +he and Dinah carried my wife some thirty miles down to the town across +rough ground, where every step must have been torture to him, and +brought her and Myra safely to me. Equal services he performed another +time to a family, intimate friends of ours, composed of a gentleman and +his wife and two daughters, who, with six white men, were prisoners in +the hands of the blacks, and would assuredly have suffered deaths of +agonizing torture. Though he had but twenty men with him, he landed them +all, marched them up to the place, rescued the whole party, and made his +way down to his boat again through three hundred and fifty maddened +blacks. No less great was the service he rendered when he rescued some +fifteen ladies and gentlemen who had been captured by a pirate, and +whose fate, had he not arrived, would have been too horrible to think +of. As to his services at sea, the official reports have testified, and +his unheard-of promotion shows the appreciation of the authorities. +Never were more gallant deeds done by the most valiant naval captains +who have ever lived." + +Myra had held her father's hand while he was speaking; her breath had +come fast, and her eyes were full of tears. + +"Thank you, Monsieur Duchesne," Mrs. Glover said, gently; "please +remember that all this is quite new to us. Now that we know something of +the truth, we shall feel as proud of our boy as your daughter has a +right to be." + +"Excuse me, Mrs. Glover," Myra said, walking across to her, and kissing +her, "but when it seemed to me that these glorious deeds Nat has +achieved were regarded as the mere adventures of a midshipman, I felt +that I must speak." + +"It is quite natural that you should do so," Mrs. Glover said; "for, if +fault there is, it rests with Nat, who always spoke of his own +adventures in a jesting sort of way, and gave us no idea that they were +anything out of the common." + +"They were out of the common, madame," Myra said; "why, when he came +into Port Royal, with the great frigate in tow of his little brigantine, +and two huge merchantmen he had recaptured from her, the admiral's ship +and all the vessels of war in the harbour saluted him. I almost cried my +eyes out with pride and happiness." + +"Myra does not exaggerate," her mother said; "your son's exploits were +the talk of Jamaica, and even the capture of the French frigate was less +extraordinary than the way in which, with a little craft of four guns, +he captured a pirate which carried ten, and a crew four times as +numerous as his own." + +"I hope you will tell us in full about all these things, Madame +Duchesne," Mrs. Glover said, "for I fear that we shall never get a full +account from Nat himself." + +Myra went across to Mary. + +"You are not angry with me, I hope," she said; "we are hot-tempered, we +West Indians. When it seemed that you were speaking slightingly of the +action to which I owe my life, I don't know what I should have said if +my father had not stopped me." + +"I am not in the slightest degree angry," Mary said; "or, rather, if I +am angry at all it is with Nat. It is too bad of him keeping all this to +himself. You see, he was quite a boy when he left us, and he used to +tell us funny stories about the pranks that the midshipmen played. +Although we felt very proud of him when he told us that he had gained +the rank of commander, we did not really know anything about sea +matters, and could not appreciate the fact that he must have done +something altogether out of the way to obtain that rank. But, of course, +we like you all the better for standing up for him. I am sure that in +future we girls shall be just as angry as you were if anyone says +anything that sounds like running him down." + +The time passed rapidly, and, as the girls were never tired of listening +to the tales of Nat's exploits, and Myra was never tired of relating +them, Nat would have come in for any amount of hero-worship had he not +promptly suppressed the slightest exhibition in that direction. + +It was but a few days after his arrival in England that Monsieur +Duchesne learned by a letter from a friend, who was one of the few who +escaped from the terrible scene, that their fears had been justified, +and that Cape Francois, the beautiful capital of Hayti, had ceased to +exist. Santhonax and Poveren had established a reign of terror, plunder, +and oppression, until the white inhabitants were reduced to the most +terrible state of suffering. The misery caused by these white monsters +was as great as that which prevailed in France. At last General Galbaud +arrived, having been sent out to prepare for the defence of the colony +against an attack by the British. The two commissioners, however, +refused to recognize his authority. Not only this, but they imperatively +ordered him to re-embark, and return to France. Each party then prepared +for fighting. The commissioners had with them the regular troops, and a +large body of blacks. The governor had twelve hundred sailors, and the +white inhabitants of the city, who had formed themselves into a body of +volunteers. + +The fighting was hard; the volunteers showed the greatest bravery, and, +had they been well supported by the sailors, would have gained the day. +The seamen, however, speedily broke into the warehouses, intoxicated +themselves with rum, and it was with difficulty that their officers +could bring them back into the arsenal. The commissioners had, the night +before, sent to a negro chief, offering pardon for all past offences, +perfect freedom, and the plunder of the city. He arrived at noon on the +21st of June, and at once began the butchery of the white inhabitants. +This continued till the evening of the 23rd, by which time the whole of +the whites had been murdered, the city sacked, and then burned to the +ground. + +Before Nat sailed in the _Spartane_, the Duchesnes had taken a house at +Torquay. Here the climate would be better suited to madame, the summer +temperature being less exhausting and the winter so free from extremes +that she might reasonably hope not to feel the change. + +For five years Nat commanded the _Spartane_. If he did not meet with the +exceptional good fortune that he had found in the West Indies, he had, +at least, nothing to complain of. He picked up many prizes, took part in +several gallant cutting-out adventures, and captured the French frigate +_Euterpe_, of forty-six guns. For full details of these and other +actions a search must be made in the official records of the British +navy, where they are fully set forth. After a long and hard-fought +battle, for which action he received post rank, he retired from the +service, and settled down with Myra near Plymouth, where he was within +easy reach of his own relations. + +As soon as he was established there, her father and mother took a house +within a few minutes' walk of his home. He congratulated himself that he +had not remained in the West Indies, for had he done so he would, like +all the naval and military forces in the islands, have taken part in the +disastrous attempt to obtain possession of the island of San Domingo. +The Spaniards had ceded their portion to the French, and although the +whites, mulattoes, and blacks were at war with each other, they were all +ready to join forces against the British. The attempt to conquer an +island so populous and strongly defended, and abounding with mountains +in which the enemy could maintain themselves, was, if undertaken by a +force of anything less than a hundred thousand men, foredoomed to +failure. The force at first sent was ridiculously inadequate, and +although it received reinforcements from time to time, these were not +more than sufficient to fill the gaps caused by fever. Consequently, +after four or five years' fighting, and the loss of fully thirty +thousand men, by fatigue, hardship, and fever, the effort was abandoned, +after having cost some thirty millions of money. + +At the end of the war, Toussaint was virtually Dictator of Hayti. He +governed strongly and well, but as he was determined to admit no +interference on the part of the French, he was finally treacherously +seized by them, carried to France, and there died, it is said by +starvation, in prison. His forebodings as to the unfitness of the blacks +for self-government have been fulfilled to the letter. Civil wars, +insurrections, and massacres have been the rule rather than the +exception; the island has been gradually going down in the scale of +civilization, and the majority of the blacks are as savage, ignorant, +and superstitious as their forefathers in Africa. Fetish worship and +human sacrifices are carried on in secret, and the fairest island in the +western seas lies sunk in the lowest degradation--a proof of the utter +incapacity of the negro race to evolve, or even maintain, civilization, +without the example and the curb of a white population among them. + + + * * * * * + + + + "Wherever English is spoken one imagines that Mr. Henty's name is + known. One cannot enter a schoolroom or look at a boy's bookshelf + without seeing half-a-dozen of his familiar volumes. Mr. Henty is + no doubt the most successful writer for boys, and the one to whose + new volumes they look forward every Christmas with most pleasure." + --_Review of Reviews._ + + + A LIST OF BOOKS + FOR YOUNG PEOPLE + + By + G. A. HENTY, + KIRK MUNROE, JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY, + ERNEST THOMPSON SETON, and Others + + + Published by + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + 153 to 157 Fifth Avenue + New York + + + * * * * * + + + +Other Volumes of the + +Henty Books + +Uniform with This Popular Edition + + IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE + WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA + WITH WOLFE IN CANADA + THE LION OF ST. MARK + IN THE REIGN OF TERROR + NO SURRENDER + UNDER WELLINGTON'S COMMAND + WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT + AT ABOUKIR AND ACRE + BOTH SIDES THE BORDER + A MARCH ON LONDON + WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA + AT AGINCOURT + COCHRANE THE DAUNTLESS + ON THE IRRAWADDY + THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS + A KNIGHT OF THE WHITE CROSS + THE TIGER OF MYSORE + IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES + WHEN LONDON BURNED + WULF THE SAXON + ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S EVE + THROUGH THE SIKH WAR + A JACOBITE EXILE + CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST + BERIC THE BRITON + IN GREEK WATERS + THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM + REDSKIN AND COWBOY + HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Among writers of stories of adventures for boys Mr. Henty stands in the +very first rank."--_Academy_ (London). + + +THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS + +A Tale of Adventure in Peru. With 8 full-page Illustrations by WAL +PAGET, and Map. $1.20 net. + + Peru and the hidden treasures of her ancient kings offer Mr. Henty + a most fertile field for a stirring story of adventure in his most + engaging style. In an effort to win the girl of his heart, the hero + penetrates into the wilds of the land of the Incas. Boys who have + learned to look for Mr. Henty's books will follow his new hero in + his adventurous and romantic expedition with absorbing interest. It + is one of the most captivating tales Mr. Henty has yet written. + + +WITH KITCHENER IN THE SOUDAN + +A Story of Atbara and Omdurman. With 10 full-page Illustrations. +$1.20 net. + + Mr. Henty has never combined history and thrilling adventure more + skillfully than in this extremely interesting story. It is not in + boy nature to lay it aside unfinished, once begun; and finished, + the reader finds himself in possession, not only of the facts and + the true atmosphere of Kitchener's famous Soudan campaign, but of + the Gordon tragedy which preceded it by so many years and of which + it was the outcome. + + +WITH THE BRITISH LEGION + +A Story of the Carlist Uprising of 1836. Illustrated. $1.20 net. + + Arthur Hallet, a young English boy, finds himself in difficulty at + home, through certain harmless school escapades, and enlists in the + famous "British Legion," which was then embarking for Spain to take + part in the campaign to repress the Carlist uprising of 1836. + Arthur shows his mettle in the first fight, distinguishes himself + by daring work in carrying an important dispatch to Madrid, makes a + dashing and thrilling rescue of the sister of his patron, and is + rapidly promoted to the rank of captain. In following the + adventures of the hero the reader obtains, as is usual with Mr. + Henty's stories, a most accurate and interesting history of a + picturesque campaign. + + * * * * * + + +STORIES BY G. A. HENTY + +"His books have at once the solidity of history and the charm of +romance."--_Journal of Education._ + + +TO HERAT AND CABUL + +A Story of the First Afghan War. By G. A. HENTY. With Illustrations. +12mo, $1.20 net. + + The greatest defeat ever experienced by the British Army was that + in the Mountain Passes of Afghanistan. Angus Cameron, the hero of + this book, having been captured by the friendly Afghans, was + compelled to be a witness of the calamity. His whole story is an + intensely interesting one, from his boyhood in Persia; his + employment under the Government at Herat; through the defense of + that town against the Persians; to Cabul, where he shared in all + the events which ended in the awful march through the Passes from + which but one man escaped. Angus is always at the point of danger, + and whether in battle or in hazardous expeditions shows how much a + brave youth, full of resources, can do, even with so treacherous a + foe. His dangers and adventures are thrilling, and his escapes + marvellous. + + +WITH ROBERTS TO PRETORIA + +A Tale of the South African War. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 Illustrations. +$1.20 net. + + The Boer War gives Mr. Henty an unexcelled opportunity for a + thrilling story of present-day interest which the author could not + fail to take advantage of. Every boy reader will find this account + of the adventures of the young hero most exciting, and, at the same + time a wonderfully accurate description of Lord Roberts's campaign + to Pretoria. Boys have found history in the dress Mr. Henty gives + it anything but dull, and the present book is no exception to the + rule. + + +AT THE POINT OF THE BAYONET + +A Tale of the Mahratta War. By G. A. HENTY. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.20 +net. + + One hundred years ago the rule of the British in India was only + partly established. The powerful Mahrattas were unsubdued, and + with their skill in intrigue, and great military power, they were + exceedingly dangerous. The story of "At the Point of the Bayonet" + begins with the attempt to conquer this powerful people. Harry + Lindsay, an infant when his father and mother were killed, was + saved by his Mahratta ayah, who carried him to her own people and + brought him up as a native. She taught him as best she could, and, + having told him his parentage, sent him to Bombay to be educated. + At sixteen he obtained a commission in the English Army, and his + knowledge of the Mahratta tongue combined with his ability and + bravery enabled him to render great service in the Mahratta War, + and carried him, through many frightful perils by land and sea, + to high rank. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Mr. Henty might with entire propriety be called the boys' Sir Walter +Scott."--_Philadelphia Press._ + + +IN THE IRISH BRIGADE + +A Tale of War in Flanders and Spain. With 12 Illustrations by CHARLES +M. SHELDON. 12mo, $1.50. + + Desmond Kennedy is a young Irish lad who left Ireland to join the + Irish Brigade in the service of Louis XIV. of France. In Paris he + incurred the deadly hatred of a powerful courtier from whom he had + rescued a young girl who had been kidnapped, and his perils are of + absorbing interest. Captured in an attempted Jacobite invasion of + Scotland, he escaped in a most extraordinary manner. As aid-de-camp + to the Duke of Berwick he experienced thrilling adventures in + Flanders. Transferred to the Army in Spain, he was nearly + assassinated, but escaped to return, when peace was declared, to + his native land, having received pardon and having recovered his + estates. The story is filled with adventure, and the interest never + abates. + + +OUT WITH GARIBALDI + +A Story of the Liberation of Italy. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 Illustrations +by W. RAINEY, R.I. 12mo, $1.50. + + Garibaldi himself is the central figure of this brilliant story, + and the little-known history of the struggle for Italian freedom + is told here in the most thrilling way. From the time the hero, a + young lad, son of an English father and an Italian mother, joins + Garibaldi's band of 1,000 men in the first descent upon Sicily, + which was garrisoned by one of the large Neapolitan armies, until + the end, when all those armies are beaten, and the two Sicilys + are conquered, we follow with the keenest interest the exciting + adventures of the lad in scouting, in battle, and in freeing those + in prison for liberty's sake. + + +WITH BULLER IN NATAL + +Or, A Born Leader. By G. A. HENTY. With 10 Illustrations by W. RAINEY. +12mo, $1.50. + + The breaking out of the Boer War compelled Chris King, the hero of + the story, to flee with his mother from Johannesburg to the sea + coast. They were with many other Uitlanders, and all suffered much + from the Boers. Reaching a place of safety for their families, + Chris and twenty of his friends formed an independent company of + scouts. In this service they were with Gen. Yule at Glencoe, then + in Ladysmith, then with Buller. In each place they had many + thrilling adventures. They were in great battles and in lonely + fights on the Veldt; were taken prisoners and escaped; and they + rendered most valuable service to the English forces. The story + is a most interesting picture of the War in South Africa. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Surely Mr. Henty should understand boys' tastes better than any man +living."--_The Times._ + + +WON BY THE SWORD + +A Tale of the Thirty Years' War. With 12 Illustrations by CHARLES +M. SHELDON, and four Plans. 12mo, $1.50. + + The scene of this story is laid in France, during the time of + Richelieu, of Mazarin and Anne of Austria. The hero, Hector + Campbell, is the orphaned son of a Scotch officer in the French + Army. How he attracted the notice of Marshal Turenne and of the + Prince of Conde; how he rose to the rank of Colonel; how he finally + had to leave France, pursued by the deadly hatred of the Duc de + Beaufort--all these and much more the story tells with the most + absorbing interest. + + +A ROVING COMMISSION + +Or, Through the Black Insurrection at Hayti. With 12 Illustrations by +WILLIAM RAINEY. 12mo, $1.50. + + This is one of the most brilliant of Mr. Henty's books. A story of + the sea, with all its life and action, it is also full of thrilling + adventures on land. So it holds the keenest interest until the end. + The scene is a new one to Mr. Henty's readers, being laid at the + time of the Great Revolt of the Blacks, by which Hayti became + independent. Toussaint l'Overture appears, and an admirable picture + is given of him and of his power. + + +NO SURRENDER + +The Story of the Revolt in La Vendee. With 8 Illustrations by STANLEY +L. WOOD. 12mo, $1.50. + + The revolt of La Vendee against the French Republic at the time of + the Revolution forms the groundwork of this absorbing story. Leigh + Stansfield, a young English lad, is drawn into the thickest of the + conflict. Forming a company of boys as scouts for the Vendean Army, + he greatly aids the peasants. He rescues his sister from the + guillotine, and finally, after many thrilling experiences, when the + cause of La Vendee is lost, he escapes to England. + + +UNDER WELLINGTON'S COMMAND + +A Tale of the Peninsular War. With 12 Illustrations by WAL PAGET. +12mo, $1.50. + + The dashing hero of this book, Terence O'Connor, was the hero of + Mr. Henty's previous book, "With Moore at Corunna," to which this + is really a sequel. He is still at the head of the "Minho" + Portuguese regiment. Being detached on independent and guerilla + duty with his regiment, he renders invaluable service in gaining + information and in harassing the French. His command, being + constantly on the edge of the army, is engaged in frequent + skirmishes and some most important battles. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Mr. Henty is the king of story-tellers for boys."--_Sword and Trowel._ + + +AT ABOUKIR AND ACRE + +A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt. With 8 full-page Illustrations +by WILLIAM RAINEY, and 3 Plans. 12mo, $1.50. + + The hero, having saved the life of the son of an Arab chief, is + taken into the tribe, has a part in the battle of the Pyramids and + the revolt at Cairo. He is an eye-witness of the famous naval + battle of Aboukir, and later is in the hardest of the defense of + Acre. + + +BOTH SIDES THE BORDER + +A Tale of Hotspur and Glendower. With 12 full-page Illustrations by +RALPH PEACOCK. 12mo, $1.50. + + This is a brilliant story of the stirring times of the beginning of + the Wars of the Roses, when the Scotch, under Douglas, and the + Welsh, under Owen Glendower, were attacking the English. The hero + of the book lived near the Scotch border, and saw many a hard fight + there. Entering the service of Lord Percy, he was sent to Wales, + where he was knighted, and where he was captured. Being released, + he returned home, and shared in the fatal battle of Shrewsbury. + + +WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT + +A Tale of the Seven Years' War. With 12 full-page Illustrations. +12mo, $1.50. + + The hero of this story while still a youth entered the service of + Frederick the Great, and by a succession of fortunate circumstances + and perilous adventures, rose to the rank of colonel. Attached to + the staff of the king, he rendered distinguished services in many + battles, in one of which he saved the king's life. Twice captured + and imprisoned, he both times escaped from the Austrian fortresses. + + +A MARCH ON LONDON + +A Story of Wat Tyler's Rising. With 8 full-page Illustrations by W. H. +MARGETSON. 12mo, $1.50. + + The story of Wat Tyler's Rebellion is but little known, but the + hero of this story passes through that perilous time and takes part + in the civil war in Flanders which followed soon after. Although + young he is thrown into many exciting and dangerous adventures, + through which he passes with great coolness and much credit. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"No country nor epoch of history is there which Mr. Henty does not +know, and what is really remarkable is that he always writes well and +interestingly."--_New York Times._ + + +WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA + +A Story of the Peninsular War. With 12 full-page Illustrations by WAL +PAGET. 12mo, $1.50. + + Terence O'Connor is living with his widowed father, Captain + O'Connor of the Mayo Fusiliers, with the regiment at the time when + the Peninsular war began. Upon the regiment being ordered to Spain, + Terence gets appointed as aid to one of the generals of a division. + By his bravery and great usefulness throughout the war, he is + rewarded by a commission as colonel in the Portuguese army and + there rendered great service. + + +AT AGINCOURT + +A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris. With 12 full-page Illustrations by +WALTER PAGET. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The story begins in a grim feudal castle in Normandie. The times + were troublous, and soon the king compelled Lady Margaret de + Villeroy with her children to go to Paris as hostages. Guy Aylmer + went with her. Paris was turbulent. Soon the guild of the butchers, + adopting white hoods as their uniform, seized the city, and + besieged the house where our hero and his charges lived. After + desperate fighting, the white hoods were beaten and our hero and + his charges escaped from the city, and from France. + + +WITH COCHRANE THE DAUNTLESS + +A Tale of the Exploits of Lord Cochrane in South American Waters. With +12 full-page Illustrations by W. H. MARGETSON. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, +$1.50. + + The hero of this story accompanies Cochrane as midshipman, and + serves in the war between Chili and Peru. He has many exciting + adventures in battles by sea and land, is taken prisoner and + condemned to death by the Inquisition, but escapes by a long and + thrilling flight across South America and down the Amazon. + + +ON THE IRRAWADDY + +A Story of the First Burmese War. With 8 full page Illustrations by +W. H. OVEREND. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero, having an uncle, a trader on the Indian and Burmese + rivers, goes out to join him. Soon after, war is declared by Burmah + against England and he is drawn into it. He has many experiences + and narrow escapes in battles and in scouting. With half-a-dozen + men he rescues his cousin who had been taken prisoner, and in the + flight they are besieged in an old, ruined temple. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Boys like stirring adventures, and Mr. Henty is a master of this method +of composition."--_New York Times_. + + +THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS + +A Story of Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by W. H. OVEREND and 3 Maps. Crown 8vo, olivine +edges, $1.50. + + The hero, Julian Wyatt, after several adventures with smugglers, by + whom he is handed over a prisoner to the French, regains his + freedom and joins Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign. When the + terrible retreat begins, Julian finds himself in the rearguard of + the French army, fighting desperately. Ultimately he escapes out of + the general disaster, and returns to England. + + +A KNIGHT OF THE WHITE CROSS + +A Tale of the Siege of Rhodes. With 12 full-page Illustrations by RALPH +PEACOCK, and a Plan. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Gervaise Tresham, the hero of this story, joins the Order of the + Knights of St. John, and proceeds to the stronghold of Rhodes. + Subsequently he is appointed commander of a war-galley, and in his + first voyage destroys a fleet of Moorish corsairs. During one of + his cruises the young knight is attacked on shore, captured after a + desperate struggle, and sold into slavery in Tripoli. He succeeds + in escaping, and returns to Rhodes in time to take part in the + defense of that fortress. + + +THE TIGER OF MYSORE + +A Story of the War with Tippoo Saib. With 12 full-page Illustrations by +W. H. MARGETSON, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Dick Holland, whose father is supposed to be a captive of Tippoo + Saib, goes to India to help him to escape. He joins the army under + Lord Cornwallis, and takes part in the campaign against Tippoo. + Afterwards he assumes a disguise, enters Seringapatam, and at last + he discovers his father in the great stronghold of Savandroog. The + hazardous rescue is at length accomplished, and the young fellow's + dangerous mission is done. + + +IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES + +A Story of Adventure in Colorado. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by G. C. HINDLEY. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero, Tom Wade, goes to seek his uncle in Colorado, who is a + hunter and gold-digger, and he is discovered, after many dangers, + out on the Plains with some comrades. Going in quest of a gold + mine, the little band is spied by Indians, chased across the Bad + Lands, and overwhelmed by a snowstorm in the mountains. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"Mr. Henty is one of the best story-tellers for young +people."--_Spectator_. + + +WHEN LONDON BURNED + +A Story of the Plague and the Fire. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero of this story was the son of a nobleman who had lost his + estates during the troublous times of the Commonwealth. During the + Great Plague and the Great Fire, Cyril was prominent among those + who brought help to the panic-stricken inhabitants. + + +WULF THE SAXON + +A Story of the Norman Conquest. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by RALPH PEACOCK. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero is a young thane who wins the favor of Earl Harold and + becomes one of his retinue. When Harold becomes King of England + Wulf assists in the Welsh wars, and takes part against the Norsemen + at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. When William of Normandy invades + England, Wulf is with the English host at Hastings, and stands by + his king to the last in the mighty struggle. + + +ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S EVE + +A Tale of the Huguenot Wars. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by H. J. DRAPER, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, +$1.50. + + The hero, Philip Fletcher, has a French connection on his + mother's side. This induces him to cross the Channel in order to + take a share in the Huguenot wars. Naturally he sides with the + Protestants, distinguishes himself in various battles, and receives + rapid promotion for the zeal and daring with which he carries out + several secret missions. + + +THROUGH THE SIKH WAR + +A Tale of the Conquest of the Punjaub. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +illustrations by HAL HURST, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Percy Groves, a spirited English lad, joins his uncle in the + Punjaub, where the natives are in a state of revolt. Percy joins + the British force as a volunteer, and takes a distinguished share + in the famous battles of the Punjaub. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"The brightest of the living writers whose office it is to enchant the +boys."--_Christian Leader_. + + +A JACOBITE EXILE + +Being the Adventures of a Young Englishman in the Service of Charles +XII. of Sweden. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page Illustrations by PAUL +HARDY, and a Map. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + Sir Marmaduke Carstairs, a Jacobite, is the victim of a conspiracy, + and he is denounced as a plotter against the life of King William. + He flies to Sweden, accompanied by his son Charlie. This youth + joins the foreign legion under Charles XII., and takes a + distinguished part in several famous campaigns against the Russians + and Poles. + + +CONDEMNED AS A NIHILIST + +A Story of Escape from Siberia. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page +Illustrations. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The hero of this story is an English boy resident in St. + Petersburg. Through two student friends he becomes innocently + involved in various political plots, resulting in his seizure by + the Russian police and his exile to Siberia. He ultimately escapes, + and, after many exciting adventures, he reaches Norway, and thence + home, after a perilous journey which lasts nearly two years. + + +BERIC THE BRITON + +A Story of the Roman Invasion. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by W. PARKINSON. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + This story deals with the invasion of Britain by the Roman + legionaries. Beric, who is a boy-chief of a British tribe, takes a + prominent part in the insurrection under Boadicea; and after the + defeat of that heroic queen (in A. D. 62) he continues the struggle + in the fen-country. Ultimately Beric is defeated and carried + captive to Rome, where he is trained in the exercise of arms in a + school of gladiators. At length he returns to Britain, where he + becomes ruler of his own people. + + +IN GREEK WATERS + +A Story of the Grecian War of Independence (1821-1827). By G. A. HENTY. +With 12 full-page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY, and a Map. Crown 8vo, +olivine edges, $1.50. + + Deals with the revolt of the Greeks in 1821 against Turkish + oppression. Mr. Beveridge and his son Horace fit out a privateer, + load it with military stores, and set sail for Greece. They rescue + the Christians, relieve the captive Greeks, and fight the Turkish + war vessels. + + * * * * * + + +BY G. A. HENTY + +"No living writer of books for boys writes to better purpose than Mr. +G. A. Henty."--_Philadelphia Press._ + + +THE DASH FOR KHARTOUM + +A Tale of the Nile Expedition. By G. A. HENTY. With 10 full-page +Illustrations by JOHN SCHOeNBERG and J. NASH. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, +$1.50. + + In the record of recent British history there is no more + captivating page for boys than the story of the Nile campaign, and + the attempt to rescue General Gordon. For, in the difficulties + which the expedition encountered, in the perils which it + overpassed, and in its final tragic disappointments, are found + all the excitements of romance, as well as the fascination which + belongs to real events. + + +REDSKIN AND COW-BOY + +A Tale of the Western Plains. By G. A. HENTY. With 12 full-page +Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + The central interest of this story is found in the many adventures + of an English lad, who seeks employment as a cow-boy on a cattle + ranch. His experiences during a "round-up" present in picturesque + form the toilsome, exciting, adventurous life of a cow-boy; while + the perils of a frontier settlement are vividly set forth in an + Indian raid. + + +HELD FAST FOR ENGLAND + +A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar. By G. A. HENTY. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. Crown 8vo, olivine edges, $1.50. + + This story deals with one of the most memorable sieges in + history--the siege of Gibraltar in 1779-83 by the united forces of + France and Spain. With land forces, fleets, and floating batteries, + the combined resources of two great nations, this grim fortress was + vainly besieged and bombarded. The hero of the tale, an English lad + resident in Gibraltar, takes a brave and worthy part in the long + defence, and it is through his varied experiences that we learn + with what bravery, resource, and tenacity the Rock was held for + England. + + * * * * * + + +A List of Books by + +Kirk Munroe + + +A SON OF SATSUMA + +Or, with Perry in Japan. By KIRK MUNROE. With 12 illustrations by HARRY +C. EDWARDS. $1.00 net. + + This absorbing story for boys deals with one of the most + interesting episodes in our National history. From the beginning + Japan has been a land of mystery. Foreigners were permitted to + land only at certain points on her shores, and nothing whatever + was known of her civilization and history, her romance and + magnificence, her wealth and art. It was Commodore Perry who opened + her gates to the world, thus solving the mystery of the ages, and, + in this thrilling story of an American boy in Japan at that period, + the spirit as well as the history of this great achievement is ably + set forth. + + +IN PIRATE WATERS + +A Tale of the American Navy. Illustrated by I. W. TABER. 12mo, $1.25. + + The hero of the story becomes a midshipman in the navy just at the + time of the war with Tripoli. His own wild adventures among the + Turks and his love romance are thoroughly interwoven with the + stirring history of that time. + + +WITH CROCKETT AND BOWIE + +Or, Fighting for the Lone Star Flag. A Tale of Texas. By KIRK MUNROE. +With 8 full-page Illustrations by VICTOR PERARD. Crown 8vo. $1.25. + + The story is of the Texas revolution in 1835, when American Texans + under Sam Houston, Bowie, Crockett, and Travis fought for relief + from the intolerable tyranny of the Mexican Santa Ana. The hero, + Rex Hardin, son of a Texan ranchman and graduate of an American + military school, takes a prominent part in the heroic defense of + the Alamo, and the final triumph at San Jacinto. + + +THROUGH SWAMP AND GLADE + +A Tale of the Seminole War. By KIRK MUNROE. With 8 full-page +Illustrations by V. PERARD. Crown 8vo, $1.25. + + Coacoochee, the hero of the story, is the son of Philip, the + chieftain of the Seminoles. He grows up to lead his tribe in the + long struggle which resulted in the Indians being driven from the + north of Florida down to the distant southern wilderness. + + +AT WAR WITH PONTIAC + +Or, the Totem of the Bear. A Tale Of redcoat and redskin. By KIRK +MUNROE. With 8 full-page illustrations by J. FINNEMORE. Crown 8vo, +$1.25. + + A story when the shores of Lake Erie were held by hostile Indians. + The hero, Donald Hester, goes in search of his sister Edith, who + has been captured by the Indians. Strange and terrible are his + experiences; for he is wounded, taken prisoner, condemned to be + burned, but contrives to escape. In the end all things terminate + happily. + + +THE WHITE CONQUERORS + +A Tale of Toltec and Aztec. By KIRK MUNROE. With 8 full-page +Illustrations. Crown 8vo, $1.25. + + This story deals with the conquest of Mexico by Cortez and his + Spaniards, the "White Conquerors," who, after many deeds of valor, + pushed their way into the great Aztec kingdom and established their + power in the wondrous city where Montezuma reigned in splendor. + + +MIDSHIPMAN STUART + +Or, the Last Cruise of the Essex. A Tale of the War of 1812. +Illustrated. 12mo, $1.25. + + This is an absorbing story of life in the American Navy during the + stirring times of our war of 1812. The very spirit of the period is + in its pages, and many of the adventures of the Essex are studied + from history. + + * * * * * + + +BY ERNEST THOMPSON SETON + +LIVES OF THE HUNTED + +Being a true account of the doings of four quadrupeds and three birds. +With 200 Illustrations. $1.75 net. (Postage, 15 cents.) + + "Should be put with Kipling and Hans Christian Andersen as a + classic."--THE ATHENAEUM (London). + +WILD ANIMALS I HAVE KNOWN + +With 200 Illustrations. $2.00. + + Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton's first and most famous book. More than + 100,000 have been sold so far. + + +BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY + +THE BOOK OF JOYOUS CHILDREN + +Profusely Illustrated. + + The sweetness, the grace, the laughter, and the tenderness of Mr. + Riley's best verse are found to the full in this book of delightful + poems for and about children. The illustrations have been made + under the author's supervision, and portray the scenes and the + little heroes and heroines of the poems with artistic fidelity. + + +BY CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY + +IN THE WASP'S NET + +The Story of a Sea Waif. Illustrated. $1.50 net. (Postage, 16 cents.) + + A vigorous story of the war of 1812. The hero, a midshipman, serves + gallantly aboard two famous American ships, each bearing the name + of Wasp, having many adventures of storm, battle, and capture. + + +BY THOMAS NELSON PACE + +A CAPTURED SANTA CLAUS + +Illustrated in Colors. + + This exquisite story of childhood is one of the most delicate that + even Mr. Page has written. It is an episode of the Civil War in + which children are the little heroes. The period is the Christmas + time, and the scene is between the lines of the Union and + Confederate Armies. + + * * * * * + + +JEB HUTTON, A GEORGIA BOY + +By JAMES B. CONNOLLY. Illustrated. $1.20 net. (Postage, 13 cents.) + + A thoroughly interesting and breezy tale of boy-life along the + Savannah River by a writer who knows boys, and who has succeeded in + making of the adventures of Jeb and his friends a story that will + keep his young readers absorbed to the last page. + + +KING MOMBO + +By PAUL DU CHAILLU. Author of "The World of the Great Forest," etc. With +24 illustrations. $1.50 net. (Postage, 16 cents.) + + The scene is the great African forest. It is a book of interesting + experiences with native tribes, and thrilling and perilous + adventures in hunting elephants, crocodiles, gorillas and other + fierce creatures among which this famous explorer lived so long. + + +A NEW BOOK FOR GIRLS + +By LINA BEARD and ADELIA B. BEARD. Authors of "The American Girl's Handy +Book." Profusely Illustrated. + + An admirable collection of entirely new and original indoor and + outdoor pastimes for American girls, each fully and interestingly + described and explained, and all designed to stimulate the taste + and ingenuity at the same time that they entertain. + + +SEA FIGHTERS FROM DRAKE TO FARRAGUT + +By JESSIE PEABODY FROTHINGHAM. Illustrations by REUTERDAHL. $1.20 net. +(Postage, 14 cents.) + + Drake, Tromp, De Reuter, Tourville, Suffren, Paul Jones, Nelson and + Farragut are the naval heroes here pictured, and each is shown in + some great episode which illustrates his personality and heroism. + The book is full of the very spirit of daring and adventurous + achievement. + + +BOB AND HIS GUN + +By WILLIAM ALEXANDER LINN. With 8 Illustrations. + + The adventures of a boy with a gun under the instruction of his + cousin, an accomplished sportsman. The book's aim is to interest + boys in hunting in the spirit of true sport and to instruct in the + ways of game birds and animals. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Roving Commission, by G. A. Henty + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A ROVING COMMISSION *** + +***** This file should be named 38764.txt or 38764.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/7/6/38764/ + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/38764.zip b/38764.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d81e1e9 --- /dev/null +++ b/38764.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4dababa --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #38764 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38764) |
