"If young English boys are so brave and cool, no wonder that we should have been overpowered," he observed. "I only wish that we had had a French boy on board, and it is not impossible that he might have discovered your plot and counteracted it. The next time I have charge of a prize, I will place a French boy to watch the English boys, and then we shall see which is the sharpest."
"I don"t know which may prove the sharpest, but I am ready to fight any two French boys of my own age I have ever met in my life," answered Gerald, laughing; "first one come on, and then the other, or both together, provided they"ll keep in front, or let me have a wall at my back, when they"re welcome to do their worst."
"Ah, you are too boastful," said the lieutenant.
"Pardon me, monsieur, not at all. I am only sticking up for the honour of Old Ireland," answered Gerald.
The _Ouzel Galley_ was drawing nearer to her port, and the chances of recapture diminished; still there was another night"s run, and no one liked to boast till they were out of the fire. The crew of the _Ouzel Galley_ were pretty well worn out, and it was with the greatest difficulty many of them could keep their eyes open. Perhaps the Frenchmen counted on this, and the hope that they yet might regain their liberty prevented them from losing their spirits, and they amused themselves by singing s.n.a.t.c.hes of songs and every now and then shouting out to each other. They were also well supplied with food, and as much grog as they chose to drink.
"It"s shure to comfort their hearts," observed Dan, as he went round with a big can and a tin cup; "besides, they"ll be less likely to prove troublesome."
The night came on; the captain, Owen, and Gerald did their best to encourage the men and to urge them to keep awake, however sleepy they might feel, continually going among them and reminding them that in a few hours more they might turn in and sleep for as many hours as they might like at a stretch, without the fear of being knocked on the head and thrown overboard. "And, my lads," observed the captain, "if the Frenchmen retake us, depend upon it that"s the way we shall be treated-- they"ll not give us another chance."
The only person who slept that night was Norah, who, although she had not gone through any physical exertion, had felt more anxiety than any one, from knowing the risk those whom she loved were about to run. It would be difficult to describe her feelings as she saw her father and Owen steal upon dock to attack the man at the helm; and often during that night she started up, believing that the scene was again being enacted.
The wind continued fair; the _Ouzel Galley_ held on her course, and no suspicious sail came near her during the night.
CHAPTER FOUR.
LAND IN SIGHT--A SUSPICIOUS SAIL--THE COQUILLE AGAIN--MANY A SLIP BETWEEN THE CUP AND THE LIP--NORAH AND GERALD SENT OFF WITH OWEN--THE WIND CHANGES--RECALLED--THE COQUILLE CHASES THE OUZEL GALLEY INTO THE HARBOUR--SAFE AT LAST--CAPTAIN TRACY AND NORAH VISIT MR. AND MISS FERRIS--CAPTAIN TRACY"S ILLNESS--THE HOUSE DESCRIBED--OWEN Ma.s.sEY AND HIS MOTHER--VISIT OF NORAH AND ELLEN TO WIDOW Ma.s.sEY--THE WIDOW GIVES A HISTORY OF THE O"HARRALLS.
"Land! land!" shouted Gerald, who had gone aloft at daybreak to be ready the moment there was light enough to catch eight of the looked-for sh.o.r.es of Ireland. As the sun rose the coast could be distinguished, indented with numerous deep inlets; but at first it was difficult to see what part of it the ship was approaching. At length, however, Gerald, whose eyes were as sharp as those of any one on board, made out a tall tower standing at the end of a long, low point of land. "Hurrah! I see Hook Tower!" he shouted out; "we"re all right!"
"Never made a better land-fall in my life," exclaimed the captain, who had gone up the rigging, and had been examining the coast with his gla.s.s. As he spoke, Gerald shouted from the mast-head, "A sail on the larboard bow!"
"What does she look like?" asked the captain, who had returned on deck.
"A ship close-hauled under all sail," answered Gerald; "she"s standing this way, and seems to have come out of Dungarvon Bay, as I can see Helvick Head beyond her."
"Whatever she may prove, we shall be well in with Waterford harbour before she can reach us," observed the captain.
"An enemy is not likely to have ventured so close in to the Irish coast, with the risk of encountering a British man-of-war," said Owen.
"Not quite so certain of that," observed the captain; "she may have run in hoping to pick up a few merchant craft and coasters without much trouble, and may have ascertained from other prizes she has taken that there are no men-of-war on the coast. For my part, I would rather be safe up the harbour than have to speak her."
The captain and Owen agreed that at all events it would be unnecessary to keep Lieutenant Vinoy shut up in his cabin. "As he has behaved like a gentleman," said the captain, "go and tell him, Owen, that if he will give his word of honour not to interfere with the other prisoners, I beg that he will come on deck, should he feel so disposed; and that I regret having been under the necessity of confining him to his cabin for so many hours--but, Owen, keep an eye on him, notwithstanding; it may be as well not to trust him too much, and if he were to release that desperate fellow Busson, the two together might play us some trick we shouldn"t like."
"No fear of that, sir," answered Owen, glad to show the French lieutenant an act of courtesy, "but I"ll keep my eyes about me."
He immediately went below and gave Monsieur Vinoy the captain"s message.
"Certainly," answered the lieutenant; "I willingly accept the conditions. I have nothing to complain of--it was the fortune of war; you acted towards me as, under the same circ.u.mstances, I should have behaved to you. I will gladly come on deck."
Saying this, he preceded Owen up the companion-ladder, making a polite bow to Norah, who had just before joined her father, and was looking out eagerly towards the land. In a short time the ship could be clearly discerned from the deck. The squareness of her yards and the cut of her canvas made it evident that she was not a merchant vessel; but whether an English or French man-of-war, or a privateer, it was difficult at that distance to determine. She was making good way with the tide, which was then about half flood, running to the eastward; as this was almost across the course of the _Ouzel Galley_, it was rather against than in favour of the latter, whereas it added greatly to the rapid progress of the stranger. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances probably neither the captain nor Owen could have had much doubt about the character of the vessel in sight; but having so narrowly escaped the loss of the ship, they both felt more than usually anxious. Every st.i.tch of canvas the _Ouzel Galley_ could carry was set on her, the sails being wetted that they might the better hold the wind. The captain kept his gla.s.s constantly turned towards the approaching ship. When first seen, she was about twelve miles off, while the _Ouzel Galley_ was supposed to be about eight miles from the Hook Tower. At the rate she was going it would take her upwards of an hour to get off it; whereas, should the wind hold, the stranger, with the advantage of the tide, would get her within range of her guns before that time. No flag had as yet been seen flying from her peak; but even should she show British colours it would be no proof that she was not an enemy, as she would be certain to hoist them for the sake of deceiving any merchant vessels she might meet with.
"I very much fear that she is a privateer," observed Owen, after carefully examining the stranger through his gla.s.s; "still the wind may fall light and prevent her reaching us--or, better still, shift to the eastward and throw her to leeward, and we may then soon run up the harbour, and got under shelter of Duncannon Fort before she can reach us."
Lieutenant Vinoy had been eagerly gazing at the stranger--a look of perplexity appeared in his face.
"What do you think of yonder ship?" asked Owen.
"I will not disguise my belief from you that she is the _Coquille_,"
answered the lieutenant. "I know her too well to be mistaken, even at this distance; but remain tranquil--should she recapture your vessel, of which I entertain, I confess, very little doubt, Captain Thurot will treat you with the same courtesy he did before, notwithstanding what has occurred. I am the person he will chiefly blame; and I must beg you to inform him how long I had been on watch and how fatigued I was when I retired to my cabin. Morbleu! to tell you the truth, I am as anxious as you can be to keep out of his way, but don"t tell him that I said so."
"You may rest a.s.sured that we will do our best to avoid an encounter,"
answered the captain, "and, should we be recaptured, that we will say all that we can in your favour; but I trust that we shall escape--it would be cruel to be caught after all."
The wind was becoming lighter and lighter, and thus their anxiety was prolonged. Still the _Coquille_--for that such she was very little doubt existed--kept creeping up. The sea became much calmer.
"I will send a boat away with Norah and Gerald; it were better to save her from the annoyance to which she would be exposed should we again fall into the Frenchmen"s hands," said Captain Tracy. "I should wish to let you go too, Owen; suffering from your wound, you are but ill able to stand the confinement of a French prison."
"I am grateful to you, captain; and thankfully would I escort your daughter, but she will be safe with her brother, and I cannot bring myself to desert the ship," answered Owen.
"That is like you, Owen," replied the captain; "perhaps I might have said the same were I in your place. It is my principle that every officer should stick to his ship as long as a plank holds together; but we shall have hands enough to take her in, should yonder stranger prove not to be the _Coquille_, but a friend--or should we be recaptured, the fewer people there are on board, the fewer will there be to suffer. I have therefore made up my mind that you shall go. I will send Dan Connor or Pompey, and Tim and Gerald can pull an oar and you can steer; you"ll not have more than ten or twelve miles to row before you can get fresh hands, either at Duncannon Fort or at Pa.s.sage, to take you up to Waterford. See, we are scarcely making three knots an hour; the boat can pull nearly twice as fast as that, and you will be able to keep well ahead of the enemy. Come, I wanted to see what you would say, but I have resolved you should go; so order the boat to be got ready, and the sooner you are off the better."
Owen was, of course, willing enough to go for the sake of Norah; he had no choice but to obey his commander.
"Norah," said the captain, turning to his daughter, to whom the French officer was endeavouring to make himself agreeable, and who had not heard the conversation between her father and the mate, "go and get your traps together, my girl; I am going to send you and Gerald with the mate on sh.o.r.e, and I hope that we shall be soon after you."
Norah was too well accustomed to obey her father to question the command, and immediately went below.
"Gerald!" shouted the captain to his son, who had some time before come down from the mast-head, "go and help your sister; you must be smart about it--the boat will be in the water in less than five minutes."
In a short time Dan and Tim, who had been sent into the cabin, appeared with Norah"s trunks. She quickly followed. Having learned from Gerald the reason of her being sent on sh.o.r.e, she addressed her father. "Oh, father, I must not, I ought not to leave you," she exclaimed; "you think that the _Ouzel Galley_ will after all be recaptured, and you will be carried off to France, and perhaps ill-treated by those men from whom you have retaken the ship, while I shall be left."
"Far better that it should be so than that we should both be made prisoners and ill-treated," replied the captain; "so be, as you always have been, an obedient girl--and now, my child, may Heaven bless and protect you!" and the captain, giving his daughter an affectionate kiss, led her to the gangway. The boat was already alongside, and Owen in her ready to help Norah down. She was soon seated in the boat; Gerald followed her. Just then the captain took another glance at the stranger, which was about three miles off; as he did so, the French flag was seen to fly out at her peak. At the same moment the sails of the _Ouzel Galley_ gave a loud flap; the captain looked round.
"Praise Heaven! here comes the breeze from the eastward," he exclaimed.
"Hold fast with the boat; come on deck again, Norah--we"ll not part with you yet;" and, leaning down, he took her arm as she quickly climbed up the side. The rest of the party followed; and to save time the boat was dropped astern. All hands were busily engaged in bracing up the yards.
The _Ouzel Galley_ was now well to windward; the French ship tacked, but was still able to steer a course which would bring her within gunshot.
The two vessels stood on; the _Ouzel Galley_ was rapidly approaching the land, while the _Coquille_ was getting further from it. Another tack would, however, place her astern, and it would then be a question whether she could overtake the _Ouzel Galley_ before the latter could run up the harbour. Much would depend upon the way the wind blew when she got inside; it might come down the harbour, and in that case the Frenchman might overtake her before she could get up to Credda Head, within which it was not likely even Thurot himself would venture. The breeze held firm; the captain looked over the side.
"The good ship seems to know her danger, and is slipping along famously," he observed to Owen. "We shall be up to Waterford Quay before nightfall, I hope; we have still a good part of the flood, and when Captain Thurot finds that there is no chance of taking us, he"ll give up the chase."
"He"ll not do so till the last moment, captain," observed Lieutenant Vinoy. "There is no man like him; and should the wind fail us when we are inside the harbour, he will, or I am much mistaken, send in the boats to cut your vessel out."
"We"ll hope, then, that the wind will not fail us," answered the captain--and he much doubted whether the Frenchman would venture on so bold an act. "If your friends come, we"ll give them a warm reception, and we shall be under the necessity of shutting you up in your cabin again."
"I shall be ready to submit to your orders," said the lieutenant, shrugging his shoulders.
Poor Norah naturally felt very anxious, even though Owen endeavoured to rea.s.sure her by pointing out the position of the French ship, which could not tack with advantage till a considerable way astern. The breeze was every moment freshening, and the tall lighthouse on the east side of Waterford harbour became more and more distinct.
"No fear now," cried Gerald at length, as the very beach on it stood, with the water rippling on it, could be clearly discerned, and the harbour up to Duncannon Fort opened out to view. The _Ouzel Galley_ was just abreast of Hook Tower when the French ship was seen to tack and boldly to stand after her.
"That looks as if the lieutenant were right in his notion; and should we get becalmed inside, or find the wind drawing down the harbour, Thurot will send in his boats after us," observed Owen to the captain.
"I have no fear of being becalmed till we get inside of Credda Head, and still less of the wind, as it is outside, drawing down the harbour,"