Rachel stepped forward and took it, opening it as she did so. Only a small, leather case it was, containing a miniature.
"My boy," said Rachel, "is that like thy friend? Look well at it.
Tell me."
"It"s a real good picture," said Guert, wiping his eyes as he looked more closely. "It"s like him, but there isn"t the light and the smile that was on his face when he stood with the rope around his neck under that old apple tree."
"That is enough," said Rachel, turning away with the miniature. "I think not many eyes will ever see this thing again."
"Not any," came faintly from under the veil. "I mean to have it buried with me. n.o.body else has any right to it. I must go now."
The girl at the window had risen as she spoke. She came forward and took Guert"s hand for a moment. Then, in a voice that was tremulous with feeling, she said:--
"Let me thank you for all you have said. Thank you for your friendship for him. G.o.d bless you!"
In spite of its sadness, her voice had in it a half-triumphant tone.
Rachel gave her back the miniature, and she turned to go. No one spoke to her. Guert could not have said a word if he had tried, but Maud sprang to her side.
"Good-by, Guert," she said. "I"ll see you again, some day. I"m going with her, now."
"Good-by, Maud," said Guert. "I did so want a talk with you, but I s"pose I can"t this time. We are to sail right away. The _Noank"s_ all ready."
Both of the sleighs at the gate were quickly crowded. They were driven away, and hardly had the jingling of their bells died out up the road, before Rachel Tarns came and put an arm around Guert. She, too, was wiping her eyes.
"Thee was a brave, good boy," she said, "and I love thee very much.
Thee is too young, now, and thy picture hath never been painted. Some day thee may need one to give away, as Nathan did. If it shall please G.o.d to let thee die for thy country, somebody may will to keep it in memory of thee."
"Mother would," said Guert. "I"ll get one, as soon as I can. But Nathan Hale"ll be remembered well enough without any picture. All the men in America "ll remember him. He was a hero!"
The voice of Vine Avery was at the front door, shouting loudly for Guert, and out he darted, not even stopping to inquire who of all the friends or family of his hero had been listening in the dining room.
"What is it?" he eagerly asked, as he joined Vine at the doorstep.
"Powder and shot all stowed," said Vine. "Everything"s ready now. As soon as the rest of the _Windsor"s_ cargo"s out, they"re going to tow her up the river, out o" harm"s way. Father says we"re to be all on board, now. Come on!"
"Oh, Guert!" said his mother, for she had followed him, and her arms were around his neck. "I can"t say a word to keep you back! Be as brave as Nathan Hale was! G.o.d keep you from all harm! Do your duty!
Good-by!"
It was an awful struggle for poor Guert, but he would not let himself cry before Vine Avery and the sailors who were with him. All he could do, therefore, was to hug his mother and kiss her. His last good-by went into her ear and down into her heart in a low, hoa.r.s.e whisper.
Away marched the last squad of the crew of the _Noank_, and Mrs. Avery stood at the gate and watched them until they were hidden from her eyes beyond the turn of the road.
CHAPTER IV.
THE NEWS FROM TRENTON.
"What is it, Sam?"
"I guess, Lyme, we"d better hold on a bit. The fort lookout sends word that a British cruiser"s in sight, off the harbor."
Sam Prentice was in a rowboat, just reaching the side of the _Noank_, and his commander was leaning over the rail.
"I"d like to send a shot at her," he said. "None o" those ten-gun brigs, if it"s one o" them, carry long guns or heavy ones."
"Can"t say," replied Sam. "Maybe it"s a bigger feller. He won"t dare to run in under the battery guns, anyhow. He can"t look into the harbor."
"I wish he would," laughed the captain. "If he"s goin" to try a game of tackin" off and on, and watchin", though, we must make out to run past him in the night."
"We mustn"t be stuck any longer here," said Sam. "Are all the crew aboard?"
"All but you," was the reply. "Send your boat ash.o.r.e. We"ll find out what she is. I won"t let any single cruiser keep me cooped up in port, now my powder and shot"s found for me. We"ll up anchor, Sam."
The first mate of the _Noank_, for such he was to be, came over the rail, and his boat was pulled sh.o.r.eward.
"Isn"t she fine!" he said, as he glanced admiringly around him. "We"re in good fightin" order, Lyme."
"Sam," said the captain, "just study those timbers, will ye. Only heavy shot"d do any great harm to our bulwarks. I had her built the very strongest kind. Now! Some o" the new British craft are said to be light timbered, even for rough weather. Their own sailors hate "em, and we can take their judgment of "em."
"It"s likely to be good," said Sam. "What a British able seaman doesn"t know "bout his own ship, isn"t worth knowin"."
Further talk indicated that they both held high opinions of the mariners of England. Against them, as individuals, the war had not aroused any ill feeling. There was, indeed, among intelligent Americans, a very general perception that King George"s war against his transatlantic subjects was anything but popular with the great ma.s.s of the overtaxed English people. It was a pity, a great pity, that stupid, bad management and recklessly tyrannical statesmanship, in a sort of combination with needless military severities, had done so much to foster hatred and provoke revenge. It was true, too, although all Americans did not know or did not appreciate it, that their side of the controversy had been ably set forth in the Parliament of Great Britain by prominent and patriotic Englishmen, such as Chatham and Colonel Barre.
The old whaler _Noank_, of New London, however, had now become an American war vessel. Her crew and her commander were compelled, henceforth, to regard as enemies the captains and the crews of all vessels, armed or unarmed, carrying the red-cross flag instead of the stars and stripes.
"I tell you what, Sam," remarked Captain Avery, at last, "I wish we had news from New York and from Washington"s army. The latest we heard of him and the boys made things look awfully dark."
"Don"t let yourself git too down in the mouth!" replied Sam. "I guess the sun"ll shine ag"in, Sunday. It"s a long lane that has no turnin".
Washington"s an old Indian fighter. He"s likely to turn on "em, sudden and unexpected, like a redskin on a trail that"s been followed too closely."
"It won"t do to go after a Mohawk too far into the woods, sometimes,"
growled Avery. "Not onless you"re willin" to risk a shot from a bush.
Now, do you know, I wish I knew, too, what"s been the dealin" of the British admirals with Luke Watts, for losin" the _Windsor_. We owe that man a good deal,--we do!"
"They won"t hurt him," said Sam. "It wasn"t any fault o" his"n."
In some such manner, all over the country, men and women were comforting themselves, under the shadow of death which seemed to have settled down over the cause of American independence. They knew that the Continental army was shattered. It was dest.i.tute, freezing, starving, and it was said to be dwindling away.
Somewhere, however, among the ragged tents and miserable huts of its winter quarters, was a man who had shown himself so superior to other men that in him there was still a hope. From him something unexpected and startling might come at any hour.
As for Luke Watts, formerly the skipper of the British supply ship _Windsor_, now a prize in New London harbor, Captain Avery and his mate spoke again of him and of the difficulties into which he might have fallen. Possibly it would have done them good to have been near enough to see and hear him at that very hour of the day.
A good longboat, with a strong crew anxious to make time and get into a warmer place, had had only a short run of it from New London to New York. Here was Luke, therefore, in the cabin of a British seventy-four, standing before a gloomy-faced party of naval officers.
With him were his mate, Brackett, and several of the sailors of the _Windsor_. It was evident that her loss had been inquired into, and that all the testimonies had been given. If this was to be considered as a kind of naval court martial, it was as ready as it ever would be to declare its verdict.
"Gentlemen," said the burly post-captain who appeared to be the ranking officer, "it"s a bad affair! We needed that ammunition. Even the land forces are running so short that movements are hindered. If, however, we are to find fault with any man, we must censure the captain of the _Cleopatra_. This man Watts is proved to have gone into the Sound against his will and protest. I am glad that the rebels did not hang him. His recorded judgment of the danger to be encountered was entirely correct. Watts, I shall want you to pilot home one of our empty troop-ships."
"I know her, sir," replied Luke, promptly. "I beg to say no, sir. Not unless she has twice the ballast that"s in her now. I"d like permission to say a word more, sir."