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Won from the Waves, a novel by William H. G. Kingston |
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Chapter 35. In Chase Of The Lugger |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. IN CHASE OF THE LUGGER Harry galloped back to Texford, and found the groom, with Julia's horse and Captain Headland's, waiting in front of the house. Julia came downstairs in her habit as he arrived. "We were afraid you were not coming," she observed. "I long to see our cousin's young friend again." "I am ready to return at once," answered Harry. "Here comes Headland." At that moment old General Sampson came out. "What, my young friends, are you going to ride? I should have had the pleasure of accompanying you had I known it." Harry devoutedly hoped that the general would not ask them to stop till his horse was got ready. "We are merely going to call on some relations who live at a village in the neighbourhood," said Julia, who had as little wish for the general's company as did Harry. "Then let me have the honour of mounting you, Miss Julia," said the old officer, shuffling down the steps. At the same moment Mrs Appleton, who was passing across the hall, came to the door with most of the remaining guests. Headland had been prepared to assist Julia in mounting, but the old general so perseveringly offered his services that she could not refuse them. She placed her foot in his hand as he bent down, and sprang lightly into her saddle, but at the same moment the horse moving on, the general's head came in contact with the body of her habit, when his wig catching in one of the buttons, off it came, leaving him bald-headed. He bore the misfortune, however, with much less equanimity, especially as Julia, in spite of the effort she made, gave expression to her amusement in a hearty laugh which was echoed by the bystanders, even the grooms being unable to restrain their merriment. "I beg your pardon, general," said Julia. "I had no intention to return your courtesy in so cruel a manner; here is your wig, do put it on, and forgive me." "Of course, young lady, of course; though I do not see that the occurrence should produce so much merriment among our friends." "My dear general," cried Mrs Appleton from the steps above, "pray do not take the matter to heart. Come into the drawing-room and look at yourself in the mirror, and you may arrange your peruke in a more becoming way than it is at present." In fact, the general had in his hurry put on his wig hind part before, a mode which did not improve the appearance of his countenance, reddened with anger and annoyance. Harry, eager to be off, called to Julia, who, again apologising to the angry general, followed her brother, and Headland soon overtook them. Harry explained the cause of his being late, but he felt little inclined for conversation. Julia and Captain Headland were, however, perfectly ready to monopolise it, while Harry road on a little way ahead. At length Julia called to him, and as he slackened his speed she came up to his side. "Harry," she said, "you warned me some days ago not to allow myself to give my heart to your friend; but as he has assured me that I have his in spite of what you said, I could do nothing less than give him mine in return." "You don't mean to say so," cried Harry. "What, has he proposed?" "Yes, and I have accepted him, though he has told me his whole history. You won't be angry with me, will you? He has asked me to intercede for him." "No, indeed, I will not," exclaimed Harry. "I am heartily glad for his sake and yours. I congratulate both you and him." "Headland, my dear fellow, she has told me," and Harry grasped his friend's hand. "You offered to stand my friend, and I will stand yours, though really I consider your merits are sufficient to overcome all opposition. Still we may possibly have a hard battle to fight with Sir Ralph." "Julia and I are prepared for it," said Headland, "though I cannot tempt her to be disobedient. I am sure that perseverance will overcome all difficulties." "Spoken like yourself, Jack," said Harry. "In your case, I am sure it will. For myself, I am not quite so certain; even my good cousins began to lecture me," and Harry described how the Miss Pembertons had spoken to him in the morning. "I do not think that May will quite agree with them, however," he added. "No one will forbid her acting as she thinks right." "Then are you actually engaged to that beautiful girl?" asked Julia. "Yes; and I told our mother, and she acknowledges that it would have been surprising had I not fallen in love with her; and I am sure you will think the same." Harry felt in much better spirits as they rode on. He had determined, however, to say nothing of May's parentage till his sister had become better acquainted with her. As they were approaching Downside, and had reached a part of the road between their cousins' and the Halliburts' cottage, the tall figure of Mad Sal was seen approaching them, waving her staff and talking wildly to herself. As she drew near she stopped, and, gazing at them, exclaimed-- "Who gave the command to bear the poor lad away over the salt sea, salt sea? Stay! answer me, I charge you!" "What do you mean, my good dame?" asked Harry, as he at once recognised the occupant of the hut in which he and his brother had taken refuge from the storm. "Good dame, forsooth; you call me so now, for ye have learned to respect me. I ask, was it by your orders yon lad was forced away against his will over the wide, salt sea?
She passed her hand over her brow, as if to collect her thoughts. She then answered in a calmer tone than before-- "He is the son of old Halliburt, the fisherman. Two of his sons have been borne away already to feed the insatiate maws of the cruel salt sea; 'tis hard that the old man should lose a third." "I will do all I can to save the lad, and punish those who have attempted to treat him as you say," answered Harry, much interested. "If you can tell me where he has been carried to, I will do my utmost to get him set at liberty." "I stay for no one when on my destined course," she answered, moving forward. "Your help will avail him nothing, as he will soon be far away from the shore," and Mad Sal, flourishing her staff, as she generally did when walking, took the way towards Adam's cottage. Harry and his companions rode on to Downside. He intended, should May not have returned, to leave Julia there, and go in search of the mad woman. An undefined fear seized him that something might have happened to May. On reaching the house, Harry threw himself from his horse. Miss Jane, in a state of great agitation, was at the front door directing Susan to summon the gardener, that he might set off and ascertain what had become of Jacob. Harry fancied that she was speaking of May, and the dread seized him that she had been carried off. At that moment he caught sight of her as she came out of the drawing-room, and forgetting everything else, he sprang forward and pressed her to his heart, as he exclaimed-- "Thank heaven you are safe, May! what has happened?" "Jacob was attacked while defending me from some men on horseback, and I fear they have carried him off, as they failed to capture me," she answered, making no very great effort to release herself, though she saw that Julia's eyes were fixed on her. Harry, however, recollecting that others were present released her, and having learned more particulars, had no doubt, coupling them with what he heard from Mad Sal, that Jacob had really been carried on board some vessel off the coast. "We must do our best to recover him." "Oh yes, do," exclaimed May. "Had it not been for him, I should probably have been carried away." "Headland, will you accompany me?" asked Harry. "We will go to Adam Halliburt, who has a craft, in which we can pursue the vessel his son has been carried on board. When we get to the beach we shall probably ascertain what craft she is, as she cannot have got far." Headland at once agreed to do as Harry proposed, and leaving Julia with the Miss Pembertons, they rode down to the fisherman's cottage. They found Adam at the door, Mad Sal having just before left him; but the information she had given had been in such incoherent language, that not till Harry and his friend arrived did he comprehend what had happened. "It must be the doing of that scoundrel Miles Gaffin," he exclaimed, "as his lugger is the only vessel lying off the mill. Ah, there she stands under all sail away from the coast," looking through his glass. "I saw a boat go off to her just now, but I little thought my Jacob was aboard. The villains cannot have the heart to hurt him, yet it's hard to say what they won't do. Oh Jacob, my boy, my boy," and Adam lifted up his eyes to heaven, as if for protection for his son. Directly Harry spoke of the possibility of recovering him by going in pursuit, he exclaimed-- "Yes, to be sure, sir; the _Nancy_ is as fast a craft as any, and there will be plenty of lads to go off with us." Headland, meantime, was looking seaward. "What is that craft out there?" he asked, "she looks to me like a cutter." Adam lifted his glass. "Yes, sir; she is the _Scout_, revenue cutter. But they will not trouble themselves with the lugger, for they know she has no cargo on board." "But if we can get on board her," said Headland, "and send her in chase, she will have a better chance of overtaking the lugger than the fishing boat would have." "Thank you, sir," exclaimed Adam. "I will let my crew know they are wanted, and when I have spoken a few words of comfort to my poor missus, who is ill in bed, I'll be with you on board the _Nancy_." Adam, sending off a lad to summon his men, directed him at the same time to beg that Mrs Brown would come down and stay with his missus, while the two officers rode to the Texford Arms to leave their horses. They then hurried to the quay, where Adam and most of his crew were collected. As soon as the remainder arrived they went on board the _Nancy_. She was quickly under weigh, and the wind being off-shore ran out of the harbour. "Is your boat a fast one?" asked Captain Headland of Adam. "Yes, sir; not a faster out of the Tex, but I am afraid she has little chance of overhauling the lugger." "But if the wind falls light we may pull after her, and shall then have the advantage," observed Captain Headland. "She has got long sweeps too, sir. But we will try it, and my lads will give way with a will. I can trust them for that." "Ay, ay, no fear," answered the men, looking towards the smuggler as if they were eager to be alongside her and to rescue Jacob. "I believe that our best course would be to get on board the cutter, and for her to go in chase of the lugger," said Harry; "though I do not think the smugglers would dare to oppose us if we could get up with them." "Whether or not, we will try to get back our Jacob, and the lads would make good play with the boat's stretchers in spite of the cutlasses and pistols the villains have to fight with." "They would scarcely venture to use them when they see two king's officers in the boat," observed Headland. "I am not so sure of that," said Adam. "But they have a bad cause and we have a good one to fight for. We will get the oars out, lads," he added, addressing his crew. _The Nancy_ thus assisted made good way, for the wind being light and off-shore, as has been said, the water was perfectly smooth, and the oars helped her along. Still it became evident to Captain Headland that she was not likely to overhaul the lugger. He therefore agreed with Harry that it would be best to get on board the cutter if they could. The cutter was, however, sailing away from them, apparently watching the movements of the lugger. Their hope was that the _Nancy_ might be seen, and that she might stand back to speak her. The day was now drawing on, and Harry began to think of returning to Downside. Still they were unwilling to abandon all hopes of rescuing Jacob. They had no means of making a signal to draw the attention of the cutter, and if they could not get on board before dark, there was little prospect of their doing so at all. The old fisherman sat in the stern-sheets, calm and apparently unmoved, though more eager than any one to overtake the craft on board which his only remaining son had been so barbarously carried off. Often he said to himself with the patriarch of old, "If I am bereaved of my children I am bereaved;" for he could not help seeing the little prospect there was of recovering his boy. Already the sun had set behind the land, and the gloom of evening was stealing over the leaden ocean when the cutter was seen to haul her wind. Presently she came about and stood to the northward. "We may still have a chance of overhauling her, sir," exclaimed Adam, his hopes reviving. Headland and Harry thought so too, although both were unwilling to remain out longer than they could help. "Julia will probably ride back to Texford by herself when she finds that we have not returned; or will remain at our cousins and send over to say that we have been detained," observed Harry, divining his friend's thoughts. "I fear that we shall cause the ladies much anxiety, as they will not know what has become of us," observed Headland. "I am afraid so," said Harry; "but still I cannot bear that the young fisherman should be ill-treated without attempting to save him." "God bless you, Mr Harry, for saying that," exclaimed Adam. "I pray we may get back our Jacob, for I know the tricks of those villains; and the _Lively_ has a fast pair of heels; there are few cutters can come up with her, and the _Scout_ is not one of those that can. Still something may happen to help us, though it will not be man's doing. I can't deceive myself, and I don't want to deceive you." Headland feared that the old man was right. At the same time, as long as Harry had any hopes of overtaking the lugger he determined to accompany him. The cutter was now about a mile distant to the south-east, but it was a question whether the _Nancy_ could cut her off before she had run past to the north and darkness had come on. The _Nancy's_ flag was run up to the mast-head and hauled down again several times in the hopes of attracting her attention. As they approached, even though it was dark, their voices might be heard on board the cutter, and her commander would probably heave to to ascertain what they wanted. Some more anxious minutes went by. At length Adam thought they had got near enough to make themselves heard; for though the gloom of night had come on, the cutter's phantom-like form could now be seen as she glided onwards over the smooth sea. "Now, lads, I will give the word and we will shout together," cried Adam; and he and his crew, with Headland and Harry joining their voices, sent a loud shout across the ocean. Directly afterwards the cutter was seen to haul up towards them. "They have heard us! they have heard us!" he exclaimed. "Wait a bit, lads, we will give them another." After the second shout the cutter was hove to, and the _Nancy_ was soon alongside. "What is it you want, my men?" asked the commander, looking down into the boat. Harry explained what had happened. "I shall be glad to lay hands on the lugger, you may depend on that, for she has given me more trouble than any other craft on this coast," he answered. "We have two of our boats away, and are short handed, though we would tackle the fellow as we are. It would be better if some of your men would come on board, and if we can overtake the lugger, they will be able to identify the lad you are in search of." "I will willingly accompany you," said Harry, who, knowing how anxious May was about Jacob, wished to do what he thought she would desire. "If the captain will take charge of the _Nancy_, I will go also with two of my lads," said Adam. "I would take more, but must not leave the craft with fewer hands on board." Headland was well pleased with the arrangement, and undertook to escort Julia back to Texford, if she had not already gone, when he arrived at Downside. There was no time to consider the matter further, as not a moment was to be lost, or there would be no prospect of overtaking the lugger. "I hope that you will be back to-morrow, Harry, and I will ride over to Hurlston to meet you," said Headland, as he stepped into the boat. The cutter immediately kept away in the direction the lugger had last been seen, while the _Nancy_, hauling her wind, prepared to beat back to the shore. _ |
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