"Fire away, but high, my lads--take care, now."
Grampus had handed me the gla.s.s and hurried to a gun. Never was there a better marksman. His eye coolly glanced along the iron tube. He fired.
The schooner"s fore-yard was shot away in the slings, and directly afterwards her fore-top-mast went tumbling over her bows.
"Hurrah!" shouted Nol, "we"ve got her now, my lads."
I watched through my gla.s.s. The females did not return on deck. I only hoped that they were not frightened at the mischief we had committed.
The chase was now a complete wreck aloft. Still her ensign was kept flying at her peak. Just, however, as I was about to yaw once more, it was hauled down, and she was luffed up into the wind. We were very soon up with her. Heaving-to just to windward of her, I ordered a boat to be lowered, and, with Tom Rockets and two other hands, pulled aboard. I directed Grampus to keep a very sharp watch on the movements of the schooner, should I go below, for the rebels were up to so many tricks that it was necessary to be prepared for them.
As I stepped on the deck of the prize, I was met by a man whom I took to be the master. He was a tall, lank man, and one of the most melancholy-looking beings I ever beheld. I looked round for the females.
"If they belong to our thread-paper friend here, the chances are that their attractions are but small," I thought to myself. Still I was very curious to see them.
"Well, Mr Officer," said the master, without giving me time to speak, "if it"s any satisfaction to you, you"ll understand that you"ve ruined a hard-working man with a large family by this capture, and frightened nearly to death two females aboard here."
He spoke in a slow, drawling tone, but there was something in it which made me fully believe him.
"It cannot be helped. I do but my duty," I answered.
"Your duty, sir! Is it the duty of a man, a gentleman, to attack the weak and the oppressed?" said a deep voice close to my ear.
The melancholy skipper had not spoken, the tones were too feminine for him. I turned, and saw standing near me a lady who had evidently just ascended from the cabin. I started. She was something so unlike what I had expected to see. Her figure, though slight, was tall and commanding, and a black dress set off the brilliant whiteness of her complexion. Her dark eyes flashed with fire as she spoke. Her features also, I saw, were very handsome. I have not often been abashed, such a feeling does not usually run in the blood of the Hurrys, but I was on this occasion completely taken aback. I felt that I should have liked to have jumped into my boat and pulled back to my own craft without saying a word. However, I mustered courage to speak.
"Pardon me, madam," I stuttered out, "I obey the commands of my lawful sovereign, though those commands are, I own, often painful."
"The excuse all mercenaries make," said the lady, with bitter scorn in her voice. "And now, sir, that we are your captives, may I ask what you purpose doing with us?"
This question was rather a poser. I could not let the prize go free, and yet I had no wish to detain any women as prisoners.
"I cannot answer the question at once, madam," I replied; "but I will do my best to land you as soon as possible at the nearest point I am able to reach, to wherever you may wish to go."
I thought this would satisfy the lady, but not a bit of it.
"Oh, then, we are to be compelled to leave the vessel in which we have taken a pa.s.sage and to be delayed on an errand of importance because George of Brunswick chooses to try and force unjust laws down the throats of a free people!"
"The fortune of war, madam," I replied, my choler rising somewhat at her remarks; still I did not forget she was a lady, and that I was an officer and a gentleman.
"Such as brigands might be ashamed of," she replied. "Then, sir, we are to consider ourselves as your prisoners?"
"Not a moment longer than I can help it, I a.s.sure you, madam," I answered, rather inclined to be amused than angry, and hoping to pique her by my replies. "You are free to go in any direction you please directly you have an opportunity."
"You speak mockingly, sir," she said, apparently determined not to be on good terms with me.
I was anxious to bring the conversation to a conclusion without being rude to her; she was very evidently a lady, and probably accustomed to be treated with attention. My curiosity also was excited to know who her companion could be. We had seen two females on board, and she had used the word "we" several times as if her companion was her equal; whether older or younger was the question. She herself had the appearance and air of a matron who, though past the bloom of youth, still retained much of her beauty. Bowing to her again, I turned to the melancholy-faced master and inquired the particulars of his cargo, where he was from, and where bound to. He was from Boston, with a cargo of notions bound for Philadelphia.
"Well, then, captain, I"ll step below, just to have a look at your papers," said I, trying to appear as unconcerned as possible. "Then we"ll get the wreck of your masts cleared away and take you in tow. You and your mate with two hands will go on board my vessel, the rest will remain here to help work this craft."
He saw that my orders were not to be disputed, though he prepared to obey them with no very good grace. I had no fear of any trick being played me, for the Lady Parker was fast coming up to the scene of action, or I should not have trusted either the lank master or the lovely dame. I hailed Grampus to send another boat aboard, and while she was coming I dived below, disregarding the black looks both of the master and the lady. I certainly was not prepared for the vision of loveliness which broke on my sight when I opened the door of the cabin.
I somehow or other had taken it into my head that the lady on deck was the youngest of the two persons we had seen, and I expected accordingly to find a stout, elderly dame acting as her chaperone or attendant.
Instead, however, there, half-reclining on a sofa, and reading, or pretending to read, was a young and lovely girl. The lady on deck possessed somewhat of a stern beauty; hers was of the most perfect feminine softness. She was fair, with light-brown hair, and a rich colour on her cheeks, and eyes so full and l.u.s.trous that they pierced through and through me at once. I was very glad she did not ask me to do anything I ought not to have done, for as Adam was easily tempted by Eve, I fear me much that I should not have had the resolution to refuse any request she might have made. I stood for a minute at the door, looking, I daresay, very stupid, and silent as a post. At last I blundered out--
"I beg pardon, miss; I came to see the ship"s papers; I hope that I don"t inconvenience you."
"Oh, no, sir, as the ship is, I conclude, in your power, and the pa.s.sengers are your prisoners, we can only be grateful for any courtesy you show us," she answered; and oh! what a sweet, soft, musical voice she spoke in!
I was quickly followed below by the master, who proceeded to hand me out his papers from a well-battered tin case.
"You are, I conclude, Mr Saul Cobb, master of the "Crab" schooner--not much like a crab though, by the way she went through the water," said I, running my eyes over the papers. "All well and good, Mr Cobb. We will take the "Crab" in tow as far as Rhode Island, where Sir Peter Parker, the English admiral, will decide what is to be done with her. Your pa.s.sengers, I have no doubt, will be landed at Newport, and a safe conduct will be granted them in whatever direction they may wish to proceed."
I looked up as I spoke, and bowed to the young lady. I found her eyes fixed on me, though she very quickly withdrew them, and I could not help fancying, vain puppy that I was! that a slight blush tinged her cheeks.
"I trust, madam," said I, "that we shall be able to make arrangements satisfactory under the painful circ.u.mstances of the case to you and the lady who is with you."
"She is my aunt," she answered quickly. "But I fear that it will be difficult to make amends to her for the inconvenience to which she must be put and the bitter disappointment she feels. She was called to the bedside of a brother she believes to be dying from his wounds, and there being no one else whose a.s.sistance she could claim, I accompanied her.
We hoped to have landed to-morrow. Could you not still manage to put us on sh.o.r.e?"
She looked up with such a beautiful, earnest expression that I instantly began to consider whether I could not by some possibility do as she requested. As the result of my reflections I replied--
"I am sorry to say I cannot do so. I dare not so far depart from my very clear line of duty; still, any accommodation I can afford you and your aunt will, I am sure, be sanctioned by the admiral."
"You are very kind indeed, sir," said the young lady. "I would not ask any officer to neglect his duty to the king he serves; I should despise him if he did."
She had risen from her seat, and stood resting her left hand on the table, while her right was slightly raised to give expression to her sentiments.
"Ho, ho!" I thought, "your politics do not agree, then, with those of your aunt."
I looked up into her face. I could not help it. How beautiful and animated she looked! Her figure was not tall, though exquisitely proportioned and rounded as if she enjoyed excellent health, and had been subject to very few of the cares and disappointments of life. In a word, I thought her a perfect heroine, and so she was. I could not help congratulating myself at the idea of having her society on board the tender for at least the next two days, and perhaps longer, and I must own that I was in no hurry to finish looking over the papers of the Crab, though for the life of me I could not have told a word of their contents.
"Well, mister, are you satisfied now?"
The harsh, grating sounds of Captain Cobb"s voice, for he it was who spoke, recalled me to myself.
"Yes, yes," I answered. "Turn your hands up and get a hawser secured on board with plenty of scope."
I then once more addressed the young lady--
"I must beg you and your aunt to come on board my schooner. This vessel is not in a safe condition for you to remain in her. I will, believe me, endeavour to do everything to secure your comfort and to mitigate the annoyance you must of course feel. I will go on deck and endeavour to persuade your aunt to do what is necessary."
"I wish you would," she answered. "I am afraid that you will have no little difficulty, though."
I left the young lady preparing in a very methodical way to pack up her things to remove on board the tender, while I, with no little trepidation, went on deck to address the aunt. The Lady Parker was fast coming up, and I wanted to make all arrangements before O"Driscoll"s appearance.
The lady, as I expected, at first refused positively to leave the vessel she was on board of unless by force. I a.s.sured her that she would remain at very great risk to her own life and that of her niece, should bad weather come on, and I a.s.sured her that I would spare no pains to secure her comfort, and I pledged my honour that she would be as safe under my protection as she had been under that of Captain Cobb.
"Besides, Captain Cobb himself will be on board my vessel, madam."
"In that case, sir, I will act according to your commands," said the lady, with one of her bitter smiles.
As they had no attendant, she and her niece were some time in putting up their things, and though I offered my services they were stiffly declined by the elder lady. However, under the counteracting influences of her sweet niece I felt that I could bear a large amount of sourness from her.