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Cormorant Crag; A Tale of the Smuggling Days, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 37. The King's Cutter Speaks Out |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. THE KING'S CUTTER SPEAKS OUT "Ladle!" "Hullo!" "Wake up!" "What's the good? We can't go on deck. May as well lie here and rest." "Nonsense! Get up, or I'll pull you out by one leg!" "You touch me, and I'll send you flying against the bulkhead." "Go it!" cried Vince, who was standing on the rough floor, in his trousers; and, quick as thought, he seized Mike's leg and pulled him half out. "Now kick, and I'll let you down bang." "Oh! I say, Cinder, let go! Don't, there's a good fellow." "Then will you get up?" "Yes: all right. Does it rain?" "No--lovely morning; you can see it is through that bit of skylight." Mike slipped out and began to dress. "Wonder what they've been doing in the night?" "Don't know--don't care," said Vince, yawning. "Oh, how horrid it is to be boxed up here like a rabbit! Can hardly breathe, and perhaps he won't let us out for hours. Here, Jacques, come and unfasten this door," he said in a low, angry growl; and, seizing the handle, he was about to give the door a rough shake, when to the surprise of both it flew open. "Hurrah!" cried Vince; and they were not long finishing dressing and hurrying on deck, to find that, whatever might have been done, the hatches were in their places, while a good-sized schooner was lying close by with her sails flapping, as were those of the lugger; for the sea was very smooth, save where the currents showed, and during the night they had been carried by one of these well back towards the island, whose north-east point lay about a couple of miles on their port bow. "That's an English schooner, for certain," said Vince. "What is she?" "_The Shark_" read Mike from her stern. "Looks as if she could sail better than the _Belle-Marie_." "Not she," said Vince, with the tone of authority; "these long three-masted luggers can race through the water." "Aha! _mes enfans_--my good shildren," said the captain, in his irritating way of giving bad interpretations of his French which annoyed the boys, "I vant you vairy bad. You go and vistle for ze vind, eh? We shall go soon upon ze rock." "Wind's coming soon," said Vince; "it's on the other side of the island now. Look: you can see the ripple off the point. Looks dark. We don't get it because the Crag shelters us." "Good boy! I see you sall make a grand sailor some day, and be my first lieutenant; I give you command of a schooner like ze _Shark_." He waved his hand towards the vessel, and then looked eagerly in the direction of the rippled water, which indicated the coming wind. "Is that boat yours?" said Vince. "Yais! vy you ask? Ah-h-h-ah--ze wind--vill he nevaire com?" At that moment the schooner hoisted a small flag very rapidly, and, simple as the action was, it completely changed the aspect of affairs. Orders were given sharply; and, to the boys' wonder, they were startled by seeing the men begin rapidly to cast loose the four small long guns, while others were busy fetching up powder and shot from below, passing down the little hatchway which had led to the boys' first place of confinement. The captain walked sharply here and there, giving his instructions, and in an incredibly short space of time every stitch of sail possible was crowded upon the lugger, while a similar course was pursued by the captain of the schooner. A thrill of excitement ran through the boys as they saw an arm chest hoisted up from the cabin, placed amidships, and the lid thrown open; but nothing was taken out, and after watching their opportunity, so that the captain should not observe their action, the boys walked by where the chest had been placed, and saw that it was divided longitudinally, and on one side, neatly arranged, were brass-bound pistols, on the other, cutlasses. They had hardly seen this, when a glance forward showed them the captain superintending the loading of the two bow guns, and as soon as this was done he began to walk aft, while the boys discreetly walked forward along the other side, so as to be out of the fierce-looking fellow's way. "I say, Ladle," whispered Vince, "this is like what we have often read of. How do you feel? There's going to be a fight. Look! they're loading the guns aft." "Oh, I feel all right yet,--just a little shivery like. But what makes you say there's going to be a fight?" "Didn't you see the schooner hoist a flag?" "Of course I did, but I thought she was a friend. Why are they going to fight? Oh, I know: it's only a sham fight, for practice." "I don't believe it is sham; the skipper looked too serious. I saw him showing his teeth, and the men all look in earnest. They've been doing something old Jacques don't like, and he's going to bring them to their senses. Here, I say, you're not getting those ready for breakfast?" They were opposite the galley as Vince spoke, and he had suddenly caught sight of the cook, who was hurrying on his fire, and heating about half a dozen rods of iron between the bars of the stove. "Oh yes, I am," said the man, with a grin--"for somebody's breakfast. I say, youngsters, I'd go down below if I was you; it may mean warm work if the wind don't come soon." "What has the wind to do with it?" said Vince. "To do with it! Everything, my lad. If the wind comes, we shall run, of course. We don't want to fight." "But why are we going to fight the schooner?" "The schooner!" said the man, staring. "Nonsense! She belongs to Jarks, and trades to the south coast. Didn't you see her signal?" "Yes." "Well, that means one of King Billy's cutters is in sight from there, and she'll be nearing before long." "But what are those rods for?" said Mike eagerly. "Don't be such a blockhead, Ladle!" cried Vince excitedly. "Why did we make the poker red-hot when we wanted to fire the old ship gun on your lawn?" "Look--look!" cried Mike. There was no need, for Vince had seen the white flying jib of a cutter coming into sight round the end of the Crag, with plenty of wind urging her on, while, by the time she was clear, a faint puff of light air made the schooner's sails shiver, but only for a few moments, then it was calm again, while the cutter, now quite clear of the point, was careening over and gliding rapidly along, with a pleasant breeze astern. Just then the captain came forward, looking black as thunder, taking no notice of the boys, but giving a few sharp orders to the men to stand by ready to take advantage of the first puff of wind. "We're not going below, are we?" whispered Mike. "No; I want to see what's done," said Vince. "Then you like fighting before breakfast better than I do," said the cook. "Look, there goes her colours, and she'll send a shot across the _Shark's_ bows directly. We shall get it next." He had hardly spoken before there was a white puff of smoke from the cutter, and before the report came echoing from the towering rocks of the Crag the boys saw the water splash up twice from somewhere near the schooner's bows, while within half a minute another shot was fired across the lugger's course, as she glided slowly along with the swift current, which was drawing them nearer the Crag. "Bad job for us as old Daygo arn't here," said the cook. "Why?" asked Vince. The man laughed. "Why, if he were aboard and the wind came up, he'd run the _Marie_ in among the rocks." "And into the pool?" said Vince eagerly. "Not likely, my lad. No, he'd manoeuvre her right in, and lead the revenoos after us, till the cutter was stuck on one of the fang rocks, and leave her there, perhaps for good. Bound to say the skipper wishes Master Daygo was here." Vince looked round, and thought of the fierce currents and sunken rocks, which a sailing boat might pass over in safety, but which would be fatal to a vessel of the cutter's size. Just then the cook laughed, and the boys looked at him inquiringly. "They think we are lying to on account o' their guns," said the man; "but only wait till we ketch the wind." "Do you think they know these vessels are--" "Smugglers?" said the cook, for Vince had not finished the sentence. "Ay, they know fast enough, and they think they're in luck, and have dropped upon a strong dose of prize money; but they don't know old Jarks." "Will he fight?" said Mike excitedly. "Is these pokers getting red-hot?" said the man, grinning. "Ay, he'll fight. He's a Frenchy, but he's got the fighting stuff in him. 'Course he'll run. He don't want to fight, but if that cutter makes him, he will. My! I wish the wind would come." But though the cutter came merrily along, hardly a puff reached the smugglers, and the cutter was now not more than a mile away. "Look! look!" cried Mike suddenly. "There's old Joe Daygo coming." "So it is," said Vince. "No mistaking the cut of that sail;" and he gazed excitedly at the little boat, which was coming rapidly on from the other end of the island. "Ay, that's he sure enough," said the cook. "He's seen the cutter and come to give us warning, but we can see her ourselves now." Still no wind, and the captain stamped up and down the deck, enraged beyond measure to see two vessels in totally opposite directions sailing merrily on, while the towering crag diverted the breeze and left him and his companion in a complete calm. Nearer and nearer came the cutter, and the boys' hearts beat hard with excitement as they saw the flash of arms beneath the white sails, and began to feel that before long they would be on board, and that meant freedom. Mike said something of the kind, but Vince made an allusion to the old proverb about not counting chickens until they were hatched. "Get out!" cried Mike: "you always make the worst of things. I say, look how beautifully she comes along." "Yes, and she'll be on one of they rocks if she don't mind," said the cook. "I say, my lads, there'll be no breakfast till all this business is over, but if you step in here I'll give you both some coffee and biscuit." "Oh, who could eat and drink now?" said Vince. "I can't." "I can," said the man; "and as my pokers are all hot, I mean to have a snack." The boys' great dread was that they would be sent below, and consequently they kept out of the captain's way, and saw all that was going on, till the cutter was within a few hundred yards; and then, all at once, the wind failed her, and she lay as motionless as the two smugglers. The same fate had befallen Daygo in his boat, he being a mile away; but they saw that he had put out his oars, and was rowing. "Going to board us," said the cook, with a sigh. "Now the fun's going to begin." For two boats dropped from the cutter's sides, and the boys saw an officer in uniform in each, with a couple of red-coated marines, whose pieces glistened in the morning sunshine, as did the arms of the sailors. But they saw something else as well. At a word from the captain, a dozen of the men went on hands and knees to the arm chest, each sailor in turn taking a cutlass, pistols, and cartridge pouch, and crawling back under the shelter of the bulwarks to load. Vince drew a deep sigh, and his face was flushed, while Mike looked of a sallow white. "Then there'll be a fight?" said the latter. "Ay, there'll be a fight," said the cook. "We're in for it now; but unless it's done with the big guns they won't take the _Marie_." "Why?" said Vince. "Jacques daren't resist the King's men." The cook chuckled. "You wait and see," he said. "Look at him." The boys did look, and saw Jacques standing by the steersman, with a drawn sword in one hand and pistols in his belt, hardly seeming to notice the boats, which had separated, one making for the schooner and the other for the _Belle-Marie_. "Pilot sees mischief," said the cook. "He's going back. So would I if I could. I say, young 'uns, you'd better go below, hadn't you?" "No," said Vince sharply. "You won't, will you, Ladle?" "No: I want to see," replied Mike; and they stood and watched the rapidly approaching boat, with the smartly uniformed officer in the stern sheets, and the sailors making the water sparkle as they sent the trim craft rapidly nearer. "Ha, ha!" laughed the cook softly; and the boys were about to turn and ask him what he meant, when a movement on the part of the captain caught their attention, while a wave of his hand made his men spring to their feet. The cutter's boat was still fifty yards away, when a sudden puff of wind struck the lugger, her heavy canvas filled out, and she began instantly to yield to the pressure, gliding softly through the water, and putting fifty yards more between her and the boat. Then the wind dropped again, and the officer in the boat stood up and shouted to Jacques to lower sail, while his men pulled with all their might, getting nearer and nearer. "Do you hear?" yelled the officer: "let go everything, you scoundrel!" But Jacques gave no order, and when the boat was within twenty yards he was about to make a sign to his men to seize their arms, when the breeze struck the lugger, and away she went, showing her magnificent sailing qualities, for in a few minutes the boat was far behind, when there was a put from the cutter's side, but not to send a ball across their bows, for before the report reached the boys' ears a peculiar sound came overhead, and there was a hole through the mainsail. "Now we're in for it," said the cook; and another report rang out, but this shot was at the schooner, which was gliding rapidly away, taking a different course from that of the lugger, but paying no heed to the gun. Both boats gave up now, for the wind had caught the cutter once more, and she was gliding up to them. There was a short delay as she got both her boats on board, but she was paying attentions to lugger and schooner all the time, sending steadily shot after shot at each, till the schooner tacked out to get round the southern point of the island; and then, as the cutter crowded on all sail, her bow guns were both trimmed to bear upon the lugger, and shot after shot came whistling overhead. It was nervous work at first, but after the first few shots the excitement took away all sense of fear, and the two boys watched the effect of the balls, as now and then one tore through the rigging. The schooner was going at a tremendous rate, and her escape seemed certain; so the lieutenant in command of the cutter devoted all his attention to the lugger, which sailed rapidly on, first overtaking Joe Daygo's boat, which lay half a mile away, and rapidly leaving the cutter behind. Twice over the Frenchman had the after guns turned ready for a shot at his pursuer; but the lugger was going so swiftly that there was no need to use them to try and cripple the cutter's sails, and so make the offence deadly by firing upon His Majesty's ship. Hence the hot irons remained in the fire ready for an emergency, one which was not long in coming, but which proved too great, even for so reckless a man as Jacques. For, as they sailed steadily along, gliding rapidly by the island, and edging off so that they would soon be leaving it behind, the commander of the cutter, enraged at the apparently certain escape of the expected prize, and disappointed by the trifling damage done by the firing upon the lugger's rigging, suddenly changed his tactics, and a shot struck the starboard bulwark, splintering it for a dozen feet along, and sending the pieces flying. This roused the captain's wrath, and, giving a sharp order, he went to one of the guns, pointing it himself, while one of the men ran up to the galley where the boys were standing. "Now, cookie," he cried--"reg'lar hot 'un!" and he whisked a white-hot bar from the stove. "Here, youngsters, skipper says you're to go below." He ran aft with the bar, scintillating faintly in the sunlight, and handed it to the captain, who bent down once more to take aim, when--_crash_!--a shot struck the stern between wind and water, after ricocheting along the surface. The next instant they saw a brilliant flash, heard a roar as of thunder; and as a dense cloud of smoke arose there was a great gap in the deck on the starboard side close to the cabin-hatch, and the boys grasped the fact instantly that the lugger's little powder magazine had been blown up, while, as they stared aghast at the mischief, and the men making for the boats, the mizen-mast with its heavy sail slowly dropped over the side and lay upon the water, with the effect that it acted like a rudder, and drew the unfortunate vessel round, head to wind. The disorder among the crew only lasted a few minutes; their discipline was to the front again, Jacques giving his orders and the men obeying promptly. "She is not going down, my lads," he cried; "ze fire all come upvard. You need not take to ze boats, for ze cutter vould follow and take you. Zere: ze game is up. Ve could fight, but vat good? You see _La Belle-Marie_ can do no more. Vat you say? Shall ve fight?" "If you like, skipper," said the mate quietly; "but if we do the cutter will only stand off a bit and sink us. We couldn't get away." "_Non_" said Jacques: "luck is against us zis time. I sank you, my brave lads, and I like you too vell to go lose your life for nossing. Ve must strike." The men gave him a faint cheer, and crowded round to hold out their hands. "But we will fight if you like, skipper," cried one who made himself spokesman. "I know, my lad," said Jacques. "Good boys all. Ve nevaire had a coward on board ze _Belle-Marie_." Meanwhile the cutter was coming up fast, and a few minutes after two boats boarded them full of sailors and marines, when the first thing done was to send a boat-load of prisoners, which included the captain, Vince and Mike, on board the cutter. _ |
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