The thought that she was about to meet Owen was uppermost in her mind.
She fancied that, once having found him, they should be able to devise a plan for their escape. Shortly after this, O"Harrall came into the cabin. "You expected the tables to be turned, and that the _Ouzel Galley_ would be captured by yonder man-of-war," he observed, as he stood with his arms folded, leaning carelessly against the bulkhead.
"It is as well for you, however, that we had not to engage her, for my fellows are not men who would consent to be taken alive. Had we not escaped from her, they would to a certainty have blown up the ship, when all hope had abandoned them."
"Then, sir, we may congratulate you and ourselves on having avoided a fight," said Captain O"Brien. "We may wish you a better fate, and it is certainly one we are thankful to have escaped."
"I hope to enjoy greater happiness for many years to come than has. .h.i.therto been my lot," said the pirate, gazing at Norah, who cast down her eyes to avoid his glance. "Circ.u.mstances have made me what I am, but I intend to abandon my present course, and to engage in some service where I may gain an honourable name and retrieve the years which have pa.s.sed. I already possess sufficient wealth to satisfy my utmost desires. My only wish is to share it with one whose affections I may hope to gain."
The pirate continued for some time speaking in this strain. Norah did her utmost to pretend that she did not understand him, while Captain O"Brien stood fuming with rage at what he mentally called the audacious impudence of the villain. Poor Captain Tracy"s heart sank, and though not less indignant than his friend, he endeavoured to conceal his feelings. Happily O"Harrall was again summoned on deck. No sooner was he gone than Norah gave way to hysterical sobs.
"Oh, father! father! kill me sooner than let him take me from you," she exclaimed. "I know too well what he means; but I would pray for death sooner than become his wife."
"If he really wishes to obtain an honourable name he will offer no violence, my child," said Captain Tracy, endeavouring to comfort her.
"Heaven will find some way for you to escape."
The cause of the pirate"s being summoned on deck was soon apparent. The wind had fallen, and the _Ouzel Galley_ lay becalmed, surrounded by the reefs amid which she had taken shelter. Though the pa.s.sage occupied her some time, she was still at no great distance from the open channel.
"Why, as I live, there is the frigate, not more than three or four miles off," exclaimed Captain O"Brien, who had been looking through the cabin window. "Depend on it, she has kept us in sight, and when she finds that we are still within reach, and not able to get away, she"ll be sending her boats in to take us during the night. I heartily hope that she may, and we shall run much less risk of injury than we should have done had she attacked the _Ouzel Galley_ with her heavy guns. I believe that the pirate"s threat of blowing up the ship was all bombast. These fellows, hardened villains as they are, are seldom in a hurry to go out of the world, if they can by any means prolong their miserable existence. Each man fancies that he may have a chance of escaping by turning king"s evidence or getting out of prison. I doubt whether even O"Harrall himself would have the nerve to set fire to the magazine, though his capture were certain."
The darkness was now settling down on the water, and at length shrouded the stranger from view.
The pirates had evidently not been idle, and the old captains surmised that they were engaged in tricing up boarding-nettings and making all the usual preparations in case of being attacked during the night by the boats of the frigate, which they must of course have expected.
The sound of a boat lowered into the water reached the cabin, and the next minute she was seen through the stern window pulling in the direction of the frigate, probably to row guard and to give due notice should the man-of-war"s boats be heard approaching: Although, during the last two nights, the inmates of the cabin had obtained but a few minutes of sleep at a time, their anxiety prevented them from closing their eyes. Even Norah, though her father urged her to try and obtain some rest, could scarcely bring herself to shut hers for a moment. They listened eagerly, expecting every minute to hear the pirate"s boat return, followed by those of the man-of-war.
Several hours pa.s.sed away, when Captain O"Brien, who had been watching at the stern window, exclaimed, "Here she comes!" and the next moment the boat dashed up alongside.
The ship had not been brought to an anchor, showing that the pirate entertained a hope of avoiding a fight and making his escape, should the breeze spring up before the boats could get alongside. The night was dark, and from the lighted cabin it was impossible to see objects at any distance. Captain O"Brien, however, listened, expecting to hear the boats approach. Presently he rejoined Captain Tracy and Norah.
"Here they come," he whispered. "It would be folly to be shot by our friends, and as the pirates have forgotten to close the dead-lights, the bullets may be making their way into the cabin. We shall do well to lie down under shelter. Here, Norah, your own cabin will afford you the safest place, and your father and I will sit on the deck by your side.
Should the attacking party succeed, at I have no doubt they will, we shall then avoid the risk of being shot by friends or foes."
The advice was too sensible not to be followed. Scarcely had they gained the shelter which Captain O"Brien advised, than both the broadsides of the _Ouzel Galley_ were discharged, succeeded by a rapid fire of musketry, and a loud cheer from the crews of the boats.
"They will be alongside in another minute," cried Captain O"Brien.
The fluttering of some curtains hung in front of Norah"s cabin showed that a strong breeze was blowing through the stern windows, and it soon became evident that the ship was moving rapidly through the water.
The crew of the pirate cheered, and several of her guns were fired.
They were replied to by musketry, but the reports came one after the other, apparently from different directions.
"The villains will escape after all," exclaimed Captain O"Brien, who was on the point of jumping up to take another look through the stern window, when his friend, holding him down, observed--
"A chance bullet may come through the port, or if your head were seen, a marine would be certain to aim at it, believing that he was firing at an enemy."
The _Ouzel Galley_ glided rapidly over the smooth sea, the firing on both sides ceased, and though the boats were probably still continuing the chase, they were eventually left far astern.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
THE RESEARCH SAILS TOWARDS THE PIRATE"S ISLAND--OWEN"S CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL O"HARRALL--THE RESEARCH ENTERS THE PIRATE"S HARBOUR--GETS ALONGSIDE THE OUZEL GALLEY--BOARDS HER--DESPERATE FIGHT--O"HARRALL ESCAPES--LIEUTENANT FOLEY AND OWEN, WITH A PARTY, LAND TO SEARCH FOR NORAH AND HER FATHER--A JOYFUL MEETING--THE PIRATE VILLAGE SET ON FIRE-- BOOTY CARRIED OFF--THE SHIPS SAIL--REACH JAMAICA--WELCOMED BY OLD FRIENDS--THE VOYAGE HOME AND ITS RESULTS--FORMATION OF "THE OUZEL GALLEY SOCIETY"--HAPPY MARRIAGES--NORMAN AND GERALD AGAIN SENT TO SEA-- ENGAGEMENT WITH A FRENCH SQUADRON--DEATHS OF THUROT AND O"HARRALL--OWEN RECOVERS HIS PROPERTY--CONCLUSION.
Gerald and Norman Foley did their utmost to comfort Owen Ma.s.sey, who was almost in despair, as he thought of the fearful danger to which Norah and her father would be subjected in the power of O"Harrall. To what extremities might he not proceed? His rage, too, would be great on finding that Owen and his companions had escaped from the island, and he might vent it on the hapless prisoners in his power.
"Should he dare to ill-treat them, swift vengeance will overtake him,"
observed Norman.
"Yes; but the fear of that will not influence the man," exclaimed Owen, pressing his hand to his brow. "Would that I had remained on the island! I might in some way have afforded them protection--or the kind black woman would have done so."
"Bad as he is, he will not surely venture to injure my young sister and fine old father," said Gerald.
Owen, however, who had witnessed the fierce bursts of pa.s.sion to which O"Harrall was accustomed to give way, still feared the worst.
He, with the lieutenant and Gerald, was walking the deck, when his eye fell on Dillon, with the boatswain standing on the watch new him.
"Why, that is one of the fellows who betrayed the _Ouzel Galley_ into the hands of the enemy!" said Owen.
"He is a deserter from the _Champion_," observed Norman Foley, "and is the man who has now undertaken to pilot us into the pirate"s harbour.
When did he join the _Ouzel Galley_?"
"At Kingston, with some other fellows of the same stamp," answered Owen; "and I have good cause to regret having received them."
"They must have been with you, then, when I boarded the _Ouzel Galley_ as you went out of Port Royal," Gerald took the opportunity of observing, after Norman Foley had left them.
Owen confessed that such was the case. "If you had done your duty, you would have discovered them," he could not refrain from adding.
"You are right, Owen," said Gerald. "I now see that every neglect of duty must produce bad consequences, but I suppose, as it was your business to conceal them from me because you wanted a crew, so it was mine to have discovered them. However, the less we say about the matter the better just now."
Owen felt a strong inclination to speak to the man Routh, or Dillon, to learn how O"Harrall had behaved towards his prisoners before they were taken on board the _Ouzel Galley_.
With the greatest effrontery, Dillon nodded to him as he approached.
"So, Captain Ma.s.sey, you managed to get away, after all," he said, quite coolly. "It is more than any one else has done for a long time, and several have lost their lives in making the attempt, so you are fortunate."
"That is not the matter about which I wish to speak to you," said Owen.
"You were treated well while under my command, and in return I ask you to tell me how Captain O"Harrall behaved towards those he took from this ship?"
"As to that, I know very little," answered Dillon. "We killed most of the people, but the two old captains and the young lady were unhurt.
They did not look very happy at finding themselves prisoners, but in other respects they had nothing to complain of, and they were allowed to take their traps with them. And now, Captain Ma.s.sey, let me ask you, how do you happen to know that the real name of the pirate captain is O"Harrall? He is generally called Bermudez among us."
"I knew him long before he took to his present evil courses," said Owen.
"I then hoped better things of him, and I will now ask why you are ready to betray him."
"To save my own life, and to revenge myself for the way he has treated me," answered Dillon. "He chose to consider me as his inferior, when I am his equal in every respect. Has it never occurred to you, Owen Ma.s.sey, who I am? I will tell you, for I care not who knows it. I am Brian O"Harrall"s younger brother Michael, whom you also once knew. Our family ousted yours; and as I conclude that neither of us is very likely to return to Ireland, and we are the last of our race, you may possibly manage to recover the property. If Brian is killed, I may perhaps a.s.sist you, and if you will promise me a sufficient recompense I am ready to do so."
From what the pirate said, Owen had no doubt that he was the person he represented himself to be; still he hesitated about entering into any engagement with a villain of his stamp.
"I must consider the subject," he answered; "much must depend upon the success of our undertaking. Should Captain Tracy and his daughter be rescued by your means from your brother"s hands, whatever your motive, I shall be more deeply indebted to you than I should feel were you to a.s.sist in restoring the property of which your family deprived my father. Indeed, I cannot understand how you can be instrumental in doing that. In the mean time I can make no promise with regard to the matter."
The subject the man Dillon, or rather Michael O"Harrall, had mentioned had one beneficial effect in somewhat turning Owen"s thoughts, although only occasionally, from the contemplation of Norah"s and her father"s position.