"One such dose is just as good as two," remarked Captain Morgan. "I"m glad Taber has good sense. We don"t want to be crippled jest now. We can"t afford to risk a stick. We"ll get away out o" range, quickest kind!"
So he did, and so did Taber. But they would by no means have done so if it had not been for a reason that was getting an explanation in the furiously angry exclamations of the British sailor in command of that pugnacious troop-ship. He had rapidly grown red in the face, and now he seemed ready to burst.
"Lost "em! Missed "em!" he roared, as he stamped up and down the deck.
"I had "em both trapped! I let "em come near enough before I fired a gun. I"d ha" sunk "em or sent "em in. It"s the fault o" that rascally thief at the navy-yard. He supplied us with that worthless, condemned contract powder. It won"t pitch a shot worth tuppence. He ought to be hung! I"ll report him!"
The mystery of so many cannon-shot being practically spent at a fair practice distance was completely explained. No doubt he was wrong in declaring that his ammunition was no better than so much sea-sand, but it was not the stuff to send twelve-pound b.a.l.l.s of iron through oak or teak bulwarks, and his cunning trap to catch the two American privateers was a lamentable failure.
It was an hour of their best running before these were again within hail of each other. Then their two commanders held a brief speaking-trumpet conversation, congratulating each other upon having gotten out of so serious a sc.r.a.pe without injury.
"Morgan," said Taber, at last, "the far northerly course, if it suits you. I think we"d better shape it as if we were bound for Halifax, and keep well away from every sail we sight."
"That"ll do," replied Morgan. "That there Nova Scotia garrison needs supplies, you know. We"re jest the boats to bring "em all they want.
If we come up with another supply ship, though, and if she hasn"t quite so many guns, we may persuade her to go as far as Boston with us."
"No, sir! I"d say not!" called back Taber. "I feel uneasy "bout Boston jest now. I"d ruther not try any home port but New London, and we"d better make our run in there by night."
"All right!" said Captain Morgan. "Home it is! Heave ahead!"
Guert Ten Eyck, in his bunk, received from his friends a full account of that day"s curious adventure. The port of his cabin was quickly mended, and he could once more lie quiet and wait for his own mending.
On deck there was especial matter for general discussion arising from the fact that all had seen a troop-ship.
"More soldiers to conquer America," they said. "It looks bad for us.
The king is sending over British and Hessians, army after army. They are all well armed, well clothed, well fed, and there are more to follow. What can our own used up, half-armed, half-starved, badly beaten Continentals do against such awful odds? The truth is, we may not find a safe port to run into."
"They can"t have taken everything so soon as this," was the conclusion of Captain Morgan. "We"ll feel our way in, when we get there. If all things have gone wrong we can sail away somewhere, or we can beach the ships and burn "em, and take to the woods."
CHAPTER XX.
ANCh.o.r.eD IN THE HARBOR.
There came a very black night toward the beginning of winter in the year 1777. A light wind blew in from the sea, carrying an unpleasant, chilly feeling among the people of the town of New London. They had previously been somewhat uncomfortable, for, during several days, there had been British men-of-war hovering along the coast. None of these had ventured in far enough to exchange shots with the forts, but there was a rumor, n.o.body knew where from, that the British had determined to seize the port and put an end to its notable services to the cause of American independence. The harbor forts were believed by their commanders to be in good fighting condition, and their garrisons at once received small reinforcements. The thing most to be feared, it was said, was the landing of a strong body of troops, for in that case the town itself would be a.s.sailed, as well as the forts.
In short, military men foresaw and predicted precisely such an attack as was so destructively made at a later date by the king"s forces under Arnold.
Very dark was the night. Wakeful and watchful were the sentinels and guards at every battery. Moreover, boats were out, silently patrolling hither and thither, ready to run in and report whatever signs of danger they might discover. The sea-scouts could not be everywhere, however, nor could they see everything. Somehow or other, an exceedingly important arrival pa.s.sed by them all in the darkness.
A little before midnight a solitary musket shot rang out at the seaward bastion of Fort Griswold, and the officer of the guard, with a party of soldiers, hurried to the spot to ascertain its meaning.
"Officer of the guard," responded the sentry to the formal hail, "two American lights, seaward. Flash, flash, and cover. There they are again."
One of the soldiers was an old sailor, and he exclaimed:--
"Captain Havens, jest let me watch that there signal a minute."
"Watch!" said the captain.
Again the seaward flashes came, as if they were asking questions.
"What is it--"
"Captain Havens!" shouted the old whaling man, excitedly. "That there was Lyme Avery"s private signal. The _Noank_ has come home! The other light was Joe Taber"s, I guess. I"ve whaled it with both of "em."
"Hurrah!" burst from the captain. "Signal back, if you know how."
"Shall we fire a gun, sir?" asked an artilleryman.
"No," said the captain; "we won"t stir up the town. And we won"t send any information to the British cruisers, either. See Hadden work his lantern."
The sailor was swinging the lantern given him,--this way, that way, up and down, and he was speedily replied to from the sea.
"Two craft comin" in together," he explained. "I guess it"s the _Noank_ and a prize."
"I"ll send word to Colonel Ledyard," said Captain Havens. "Hadden, you and four men come with me. I must go out and meet "em with a boat.
Lieutenant Brandagee, you may tell the colonel I will anchor the ships in the harbor mouth, so that their guns may support our batteries, if the British try to run in to-morrow."
Every gun would count in such a case, it was true, but half an hour later, on the deck of the _Noank_, he was told by Captain Morgan:--
"No, sir! Their boats would be too much for us, so far out as that.
We"ll run farther in and lie still till morning. After daylight our guns"ll be good for something, I can tell you. Ledyard"ll say I"m right."
"Take your own course," said the captain, "only be ready if they come.
Now, that"s settled.--Morgan! This is bad news about Lyme Avery. I don"t want to be the man to tell his wife."
"No more do I," said Morgan. "Taber says he"d a"most as soon be shot.
Don"t I wish, though, that Lyme was alive, to hear of the surrender of Burgoyne"s army. It makes me feel better"n I did. We hardly felt safe "bout comin" in at all. For all we knew, we might be sailin" into a British port and under the king"s guns."
"It hasn"t quite come to that yet," said Captain Havens. "I can tell you, though, the country"s wider awake than it ever was before. Have you heard about Sam Prentice and Vine Avery? They got in long ago. So did your other prizes. What did you say this one with you is?"
"It"s a long story," said Morgan. "Joe Taber"s captain of her. He knows more "bout her than I do. She was a British privateer. Lyme Avery was killed when we took her. Now!--My head"s in a kind of whirl.
Havens, I"m thinkin" of Lyme one minute, and the next I"m thinkin" of Burgoyne and the way he was defeated. Jest you hold on with any more questions till some time to-morrow. The first thing for Taber and me is to get farther in."
There might be little time to spare, indeed, if a British line-of-battle ship and three frigates were in the offing, drawing on toward cannon range of them. Therefore the _Noank_ and the _Lynx_ stood slowly in, feeling their way, and as yet their presence was known only to a few boatmen and the garrison of Fort Griswold. Colonel Ledyard himself had settled one question.
"No," he said, "we will wait. The good news and the bad news will keep till morning. Let Mrs. Avery sleep--don"t wake her. It"ll be hard enough for her.--I thought a great deal of Lyme Avery!"
So the little that was left of the night waned away, and all New London remained in ignorance of any important arrival. As the sun arose, however, a gun rang out from Fort Griswold, and all who were awake sprang up to listen.
A minute pa.s.sed, while hundreds were hastily dressing, and then another gun sounded. One full minute more, for there were those who counted, and the third gun began to make the firing understood.
"Minute-guns! The British are coming!" shouted more than one hasty listener. "Every man to the forts! Our time"s come!"
Many were the conjectures and exclamations, but the first men to reach the water front sent back word that not a British sail was in sight.
More than that was sent, however, for a hasty messenger ran on to the Avery house and knocked at the door. It was opened instantly by Vine Avery himself.