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In the King's Name: The Cruise of the "Kestrel", a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 39. Captain Charteris |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. CAPTAIN CHARTERIS Hilary felt the cold perspiration breaking out on his face, as he thought of the loneliness of the spot where he was, and of his helplessness here in the hands of these desperate men, who were ready to brave all for their cause. He saw now that he had been watched almost from the outset, and that he had been marked as one likely to carry out their designs. Perhaps, he thought, Sir Henry had had something to do with the seizure; but he gave up the idea directly, giving his old friend credit for too much honourable feeling towards him to have him trapped in so cowardly a manner. These thoughts came quickly as he stood watching the leader of the party by whom he was surrounded--men who were ready at the slightest movement to spring upon him, and secure him, should he attempt to escape. "I suppose," said Hilary's questioner, "you know what I am?" and he looked at the young officer sternly. "Personally, no," replied Hilary, boldly; "but your behaviour shows me that you are traitors to the king." "No, sir," cried the other fiercely; "we are faithful followers of the king, and enemies of the German hound." "How dare you speak like that of His Majesty!" cried Hilary quite as fiercely; and he took a couple of steps forward, but only to find himself seized and dragged back. "Hold the young rascal tightly," said the officer. "Yes, hold me tightly," cried Hilary, "you cowards!" "I am having you held tightly for your own sake," said the officer, taking up and playing with a large pistol he had laid on the table before him. "I should be sorry to have to shoot so distinguished a follower of Hanoverian George." Hilary bit his lip and remained silent. It was of no use to speak, of less account to struggle, and he stood facing his captors without flinching. "Now," continued the leader, "as you have got rid of your little burst of passion, perhaps you will be reasonable. Listen to me, young man. Your position as second officer on board that despatch cutter will bring you frequently to both sides of the Channel, so that you will have ample opportunities for carrying messages for us without risk, and,"--he paused here, watching the young man intently--"greatly to your own profit. Do you hear?" "Yes," said Hilary shortly. "We shall not have merely one despatch for you to take, to be paid for with so many guineas, my lad, but there will be a regular correspondence carried on, and you will make from it a handsome sum, for we recompense liberally; something different to your munificent pay as officer of the _Kestrel_." Hilary still remained silent, and his tempter pulled a bag of coin from his pocket and threw it heavily upon the table. "Of course the task is rather a risky one, and deserves to be paid for generously. That I am ready to do. In fact, you may name your own price, and anything in reason will be granted. At the same time I warn you that we shall put up with no trifling, and I may as well say that it is impossible to escape us. We have emissaries everywhere, whose duty it is to reward or punish as the case may require. Come, I see you are growing reasonable." "Oh, yes! I am quite reasonable," said Hilary smiling. "That's well," said the officer; "cast him loose, my lads, and stand more aside. Now, Mr Hilary Leigh," he said, as his orders were obeyed, "I am glad to find so dashing and brave a young fellow as you finds himself ready to join the good cause. I ask you to swear no oaths of fidelity. I shall merely give you this despatch and a handful of gold coin, and you will bring the answer here at your earliest opportunity." "And suppose I refuse?" said Hilary. "Refuse? Oh, you will not refuse," said the officer banteringly. "It would be a pity to rob Hanoverian George of so brave and promising a young officer." "What do you mean," said Hilary. "Oh nothing--nothing," said the other coolly. "We might, perhaps, think it necessary, as you know so much, to shoot you." "Shoot me!" cried Hilary. "Y-e-es; you see you know a good deal, my young friend, but we should bury you decently. You broke up the rendezvous at Rorley Place, and spoiled the smuggler's landing, did you not?" "I did," said Hilary boldly. "Yes. And you were kept a prisoner there, were you not?" "I was." "And escaped and made signals with the smuggler's lanterns to bring down the cutter's crew upon the party, did you not?" "I did. It was my duty." "Yes, you thought it was, my good lad. Let me see, you nearly captured Sir Henry Norland, too, did you not?" "I should have taken him if he had been there," replied Hilary; "but I was glad he was not." "Why?" "Because he was an old friend." "Let me see," continued the officer; "Sir Henry asked you to join us, did he not?" "Several times," said Hilary quietly. "Ah, yes! I suppose he would. Came to see you when you were a prisoner, I suppose?" "He did." "But he is not a good diplomat, Sir Henry Norland. By the way, what did he offer you?" "The captaincy of a man-of-war." "Young as you were?" "Young as I am." "But that was in prospective. Hard gold coin is much more satisfactory, Mr Hilary Leigh," said the officer, pouring out some bright golden guineas upon the table. "Of course you thought that Charles Edward might not come to the throne, and that you would never get your--get your--" "Traitor's pay," said Hilary sharply, finishing the sentence. "Don't call things by hard names, young man," said the officer sternly. "And let me tell you that I know for a certainty that your position in Hanoverian George's service is a very precarious one. Strange things have been told of you." "Very likely," said Hilary coldly. "I believe your officer has reported upon your conduct." "I can't help that," said Hilary coldly. "I have always served his majesty faithfully and well." "Even to taking pay from the other side?" said the officer with a mocking smile. "It is a lie," cried Hilary angrily; "I never tampered with my duty to the king." "Till now," said the officer laughing. "There, there, there, my lad, I'm not going to quarrel with you, and we will not use high-sounding phrases about loyalty, and fealty, and duty, and the like. There, I am glad to welcome you to our side. There are a hundred guineas in that bag. Take them, but spend them sensibly, or you will be suspected. If I were you I would save them, and those that are to come. Here is your despatch, and you will see the address at Dunquerque. Be faithful and vigilant and careful. There, take them and go your way. No one will be a bit the wiser for what you have done, and when you return to port bring your answer here, and give it to anyone you see. One word more: do not trust your lieutenant. I don't think he means well by you." "I know that," said Hilary scornfully. "Never mind," said the officer; "some day, when we are in power, we will find you a brave ship to command for your good services to Charles Edward. But there, time presses; you must get back to your ship. Here!" He held out the bag of gold coin and the despatch, and he smiled meaningly as Hilary took them, one in each hand, and stood gazing full in the officer's face. There was a dead silence in the room, and the dancing flames lit up strangely the figures of the tall well-knit man and the slight boyish figure, while, half in shadow, the sailors stood with all the intentness of disciplined men, watching what was going on. "Look here, sir," said Hilary, speaking firmly, "if I did this thing, even if you came into power--which you never will--you would not find me a captain's commission, but would treat me as such a traitor deserved. There are your dirty guineas," he cried, dashing the bag upon the table, so that the coins flew jingling all over the room; "and there is your traitorous despatch," he continued, tearing it in half, and flinging it in the officer's face. "I am an officer of his majesty. God save the king!" he shouted. "Now, shoot me if you dare." He gave one sharp glance round for a way of escape, but there was none. A dozen men stood there like statues, evidently too well disciplined to move till the appointed time. Doors and windows were well guarded, and with such odds Hilary knew that it would be but a wretched struggle without avail. Better, he thought, maintain his dignity. And he did, as he saw the officer pick up the pistol from the table and point it at his head. A momentary sensation of horror appalled Hilary, and he felt the blood rush to his heart, but he did not flinch. "I am a king's officer," he thought, "and I have done my duty in the king's name. Heaven give me strength, lad as I am, to die like a man!" He looked then straight at the pistol barrel without flinching for a few moments. Then his eyes closed, and he who held the weapon saw the young man's lips move softly, as if in prayer, and he dashed the pistol down. "There, my lads!" he cried aloud to the men, "if ever you see a Frenchman stand fire like that you may tell me if you will. Hilary Leigh," he cried, laying his hands smartly on the young man's shoulders, "you make me proud to be an Englishman, and in a service that can show such stuff as you. Here, give me your hand." "No," cried Hilary hoarsely. "Stand off, sir; cajolery will not do your work any more than threats." "Hang the work, my lad," cried the other. "It was rather dirty work, but we want to know our men in times like these. Give me your hand, my boy, I am no traitor, I am Captain Charteris, of the _Ruby_, and I have had to try your faith and loyalty to the king. Here, my men, you did your work well. Pick up those guineas; there should be a hundred of them. You may keep back five guineas to drink his majesty's health. Bo'sun, you can bring the rest on to me." "Ay, ay, sir," said a thickset dark man, saluting, man-o'-war fashion. "Come, Mr Leigh, you and I will walk on, and you shall dine to-night with the admiral. I told him I should bring you to dinner, but Lieutenant Lipscombe has given you so bad a character that the admiral declared you would take the bribe, and have to go to prison and wait your court-martial. Here, you need not doubt me. Come along." Hilary felt giddy. The reaction was almost more than he could bear. He felt hurt and insulted that such a trick should have been played upon him, and he was ready to turn from the captain in an injured way. The latter saw it and smiled. "Yes," he said, taking the young man's arm, "it was a dirty trick, but it was a necessity. We have several black sheep in the navy, my lad, and we want to weed them out; but after all, I do not regret what I have done, since it has taught me what stuff we have got in it as well. Come, shake hands, my dear boy, you and I must be great friends from now." Hilary held out his hand as he drew it from the other's arm, and they stood there gripping each other for some seconds in a cordial grasp. "I don't think I could have stood fire like you did, Leigh," said the captain, as they were entering Portsmouth, the latter proving to be a man of a genial temperament that rapidly won upon his companion. "I hope you could, far better, sir," said Hilary frankly. "Why? How so, my lad?" "I felt horribly frightened, sir." "You felt afraid of death?" said the captain sharply. "Yes, sir, terribly. It seemed so hard to die when I was so young, but I would not show it." "Why, my dear boy," said the captain enthusiastically, as he clapped Hilary on the shoulder, "you are a braver fellow even than I thought. It takes a very brave man to confess that he was afraid; but don't you mind this. There was never a man yet in the full burst of health and strength who did not feel afraid to die. But come, we won't talk any more of that, for here is the admiral's dock." _ |
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