In spite of the peacefulness of the scene, however, all the men in the whaleboat fully realized the desperate nature of their undertaking, and the likelihood that in a moment everything might be changed. Still, there were no evidences of action on the gunboats, and the men on the grounded boat betrayed no signs of alarm.
"There are some men on the sh.o.r.e up yonder," said the leader, as he saw a group standing on the beach directly opposite the boat they were seeking. "They don"t seem to be able to help them," he added. "I don"t believe we"ve anything to fear from them. Give way, men! Give way!"
The band responded with a will, and the whaleboat darted forward with increasing speed. The other boat lay only a few yards away, and the end had almost come. The excitement on board was intense now, and, although no one spoke, the expression on every face betrayed the feelings of the men. They could see that the others were watching them, but still they manifested no alarm at the approach of the whaleboat.
As the latter ran in alongside, and the men quickly backed water, one of the sailors on the stranded boat--for such their uniforms disclosed them to be--called out, "You"re just in time, men! We thought we"d never get this tub off the bar. The tide"s coming in, but we"re stuck fast."
"That"s just what we came for," replied the leader, as he threw a rope to the other boat. "Now make fast and we"ll yank you off before you know it."
One of the sailors caught the rope and made it fast, but evidently a change came over his feelings then, for, glancing suspiciously at the men before him, the one who had acted as the leader said, "You"re from Refugee Town, aren"t you? You"re strangers to me, but I take it for granted you"re all right!"
"No, sir; we"re militia from Old Monmouth. We"ve come out here to get you and your boat, too. Here, none of that!" he quickly added, as he saw the men turn to grasp their guns. "We"ll send you to the bottom before you can tell your names if you try any of your games on us."
At his command the men in the whaleboat quickly covered the others with their guns. For a moment the silence was unbroken. The advantage for the present was very decidedly with the attacking party. Not only did they outnumber the others, but they were also in a condition to act, and act quickly. The situation, however, could not long remain as it was. The gunboats were not more than a half mile away, and, doubtless, a.s.sistance would be sent as soon as the predicament of the men should be discovered.
Then, too, there were the men on the sh.o.r.e to be reckoned with.
Apparently, they had no boat with which they could come to the rescue of the luckless sailors, but they might soon obtain one, for Refugee Town was not far away. Why they had not already gone there was not apparent. Perhaps they were trusting to the aid of the rising tide and the efforts of the men.
"Pa.s.s over your guns!" said the leader on the whaleboat.
The men obeyed, and silently picked up and handed their guns to the attacking party.
"Now we"ll see what can be done," said the leader, after he had deposited the weapons on the bottom of the whaleboat. "These fellows are harmless now, and we"ll take our oars and see if we can"t pull them off from the bar."
His men grasped their oars and began to row. The rope tightened, the boat started a little, but still stuck fast to the bottom. Again the men pulled desperately, but with all their efforts they could not move the grounded boat.
"I"m afraid we"ll have to cast overboard a part of the load," said the leader, when the third effort proved as futile as its predecessors.
He arose from his seat and grasped the rope to pull the whaleboat nearer, when the four men before him suddenly united in a loud shout, and, leaping from their seats, together grasped some other guns which had been concealed beneath the sailcloth, and, turning about before their captors could recover from their surprise, stood aiming their weapons directly at their faces.
"It"s our turn," laughed one of the men. "You"ll hand over your own guns now!"
No one in the whaleboat moved from his position. The leader still stood, leaning over the side and grasping the rope with his hands. Every one had been so startled by the unexpected summons that he seemed almost incapable of action.
"Come, be quick about it!" said the sailor, as the men still did not move.
A faint sound of a shout now could be heard from the sh.o.r.e, and the movements of the men there, as they ran about the beach, betrayed the fact that they were aware that something was wrong. In the distance, Little Peter could see that two barges filled with men were starting forth from the gunboats. The situation was becoming rapidly worse, critical as it then was.
"Their guns aren"t loaded, men!" called the leader suddenly. "They can"t harm us."
Still his men did not respond. For an instant no one moved, while their fear was plainly evident from the expressions upon their faces. No one knew whether the leader"s words were true or not, and in breathless suspense they waited, fearing every moment to hear the reports of the guns in the other boat.
As the men did not fire, the leader quickly shouted again, "They"re not loaded, I tell you! They can"t hurt us! Don"t pay any attention to them!"
His words instantly served to arouse his companions, for they now knew that if the guns had been loaded they would have been discharged before this.
The sight of the barges which had started forth from the gunboats, and the increasing confusion of the men on the sh.o.r.e, combined to render the attacking party desperate now. Whatever they were to do they must do quickly.
The leader called to his companions to cover the others with their guns, and, drawing the whaleboat close up, said: "The boat"s loaded with guns and powder! That"s just what we want. Now you take your oars and push while my men row," he added, speaking to the sailors. "The first one of you that draws back will get a dose of lead. Now! Quick! Do as I tell you!"
The men sullenly laid down the empty guns, and, picking up their oars, began to push against the sandy bottom. The men in the whaleboat were rowing desperately, and soon could feel that the other boat had started.
It was not yet free, however, and the leader called again to the sailors, "Harder, men, harder! You aren"t half pushing. That"s right!
Harder yet! Harder, I say! We"ll be out of this in a minute. Give way, men! You aren"t asleep, are you? Pull! Pull!"
In his eagerness, the leader laid down his gun, and, hastily grasping an oar, began to pull with his companions. Slowly the grounded boat responded to their efforts. Inch by inch it slipped from the bar, but was not yet free.
Meanwhile, the confusion on the sh.o.r.e was increasing. The men were running up and down the beach, waving their arms and shouting. The two barges were coming swiftly from the gunboats, and if the loaded boat was not soon dragged from the bar, it would once more be in the possession of the enemy.
They were still working desperately. The perspiration stood out in great drops upon their faces. They braced their feet against the seats in front of them and put forth all their strength. The moments seemed like hours to the struggling men, but the loaded boat was slow to respond to their efforts. It was steadily yielding, however, and at last they saw the boat slide from the bar and rest easily upon the open water.
CHAPTER XVI
TED WILSON"S VICTIM
A SHOUT arose from the eager crew as they perceived the success which had crowned their desperate efforts, but an answering shout from the men in the two approaching barges quickly recalled them to the necessity for further and immediate action. Why it was that the guns of the gunboats had remained silent they could not understand, but there was no time now for investigations. It was sufficient that they had not been molested thus far; and as the leader at once gave the command for them to resume their labors with their oars, the men at once responded and gave way together, the supply boat still being towed.
The whaleboat had been built for speed, and was long, narrow, and light.
Had it not been for the laden supply boat, which as yet they were not willing to abandon, they would easily and speedily have drawn away from the pursuing barges. As it was, they swept forward swiftly, and apparently were almost holding their own in the race.
For several minutes the desperate efforts of the men continued. The heavy clouds had gathered in the sky, and the blaze of the sun had disappeared. The air was sultry and oppressive, and the unusual calm which rested over the waters indicated that the storm which had been threatening was fast approaching. No one glanced at the heavens, however, the set and streaming faces indicating that the immediate task in hand was sufficient of itself to occupy all their thoughts.
On and on rowed the men, and on and on swept the pursuing barges. Less than a quarter of a mile lay between them, and, heavily laden as the supply boat was, it materially decreased the speed which otherwise the whaleboat might have made. The moments pa.s.sed, but the efforts were not relaxed. Together, the long oars struck the water, and the bodies of the men swayed back and forth as if they were controlled by a common impulse. The distance between the boats was not materially changed, although if any change was to be seen it was in favor of the barges.
"This will never do," said the leader at last, letting his oar go, and rising in his seat as he spoke. "Here, you men," he added, grasping his gun and facing the prisoners in the other boat as he spoke, "it"s time for you to work your pa.s.sage. Take those oars and pull your prettiest!
Four oars are better than one, and I can do more with a gun than I can by pulling. Take your oars, every one of you, and the first one to drop will be fired on!"
The four men in the supply boat sullenly obeyed, and the increased impulse of their efforts at once became manifest. The leader stood in the stern of the whaleboat facing the prisoners, and watchful of their every movement. His words of encouragement served to inspire his companions, and for a time it appeared as if they were gaining upon their pursuers.
Still, the distance between them did not materially increase, and such efforts as the men were then making could not be long maintained.
Indeed, signs of distress were already becoming apparent, and Little Peter felt every time he drew in his oar as if he had not strength enough left to pull another stroke. His face betrayed the pain he was suffering, but his condition was not much worse than that of some of the other men with him in the boat.
The exciting contest could not be continued much longer, and as the leader glanced about the boat he almost decided to cut the rope which held the supply boat, and, leaving that behind, seek safety in flight.
He had drawn his knife from his pocket, and was standing ready to free them from their heavy load, when the rain began to fall. In a moment the wind swept down upon them, and the storm was at hand.
Prom the first of the pursuing barges came a shot, but no damage was done, and the leader muttered, "That"s all right. It"s a farewell salute you"re giving us. You might as well say good-by to us, for I take it you"ll never see us again."
The waves were now rising, and the rain was falling in torrents. Between them and the sh.o.r.e it almost seemed as if a cloud intervened, so heavy was the downpour. The voice of the leader could hardly be heard by his men. The deep-toned thunder sounded almost continuously, and the darting lightning appeared to be all about them. In escaping from one peril they had encountered another.
The barges could now no longer be seen, and, with the pa.s.sing of the fear of pursuit, the men gave all their attention to their efforts to keep the whaleboat out of the trough of the rolling waves. Still, the supply boat was not cut loose, for the determined men were resolved to hold to that so long as it lay within their power to do so.
For a half hour the shower continued, and although much water was shipped, and the men were compelled to bail the boats, they behaved well. When at last the storm had pa.s.sed and the low mutterings of the thunder sounded far out to sea, they all looked keenly behind them to discover the whereabouts of their pursuers.