CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
MY ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS, WITH WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PORTUGUESECAPTAIN, MY COMPANION.
Having eaten some venison, and drunk out of the calabash, the captainpainted me black, with here and there a line of red and white on theface and shoulders. I performed the same duty towards him, and we thenresumed our paddles, and pushed in a slanting direction for the shore.The tide now ran down against us, and we could hardly stem it, andfinding ourselves opposite a beach clear of trees for a quarter of amile, we agreed to run on shore to look for a large stone. We soonfound one which answered our purpose, and, paddling off again to threeor four hundred yards, we made the stone fast to the bow-rope of ourboat, and anchored the canoe with it. Having succeeded in this, we gotout the fishing-lines, and, with a piece of raw meat as a bait, we soonhad several fish in the canoe; after which we put on no more baits, butpretended to fish till the tide slacked, when we lifted our anchor andrecommenced our paddling to the northward.
At night we landed on a rock, close to the beach, having wellreconnoitred before it was dark, to see if there were any canoes orIndians to be seen on the shore; and thus we continued for five days,during which we passed the mouths of one or two rivers, and had gained,as we supposed, more that 150 miles along the coast, but how much to thenorthward we could not tell, as we followed the windings of the shore.We were twice obliged to land to obtain water, but we always did so inthe daytime, having taken the precaution to black the whole of ourbodies and take off our trousers before we landed. Our deer's flesh wasall gone, and we continued to live on fish, cooking as much as we couldat one time. The collecting fire-wood was the great risk which we ran;for we were then obliged to land where there was wood. It was on thesixth day that we were first in danger. As we rounded a point, we fellin with another canoe with six or seven people in it. They were notmore than 800 yards off when we first saw them. The Indians stood up inthe canoe, looked at us very earnestly, and then, perceiving that wewere not of their tribe, I presume, pulled towards us. We immediatelyturned and pulled away. They had been fishing, and two of them werepulling up the lines, while the others paddled, which gave us a littleadvantage; but they had three paddles and we had only two. They shoutedand paddled with all their might, but they gained little, as they wereseven in the canoe, five men and two women, and deep in consequence. Asthey gained slowly upon us, notwithstanding all our exertions, thePortuguese said to me, "They have no weapons in the boat, I shouldthink; if they had, they would use them, for we are within bow-shot.Can you use a bow and arrow?"
"I could once," replied I, "use it very fairly;" for when I was captivewith Whyna, she would often practise the bow and arrow with me, and Ibecame somewhat expert before I left her.
"Well, then," said he, "let me paddle on, and do you put an arrow in thebow and threaten them, at all events."
I did so, and stood up, taking aim as if about to shoot, at which theyceased paddling, and after talking a little they turned the head oftheir canoe round, and made for the shore. We proceeded, as may beimagined, with all diligence. I laid down my bow and arrows and resumedmy paddle, and in an hour we could no longer see our late pursuers. Wecontinued our voyage, and for three days met with no further adventures,when about noon, on the fourth day, the sky became overcast, and therewas every prospect of rough weather. Before night the wind and searose, and it was no longer possible for us to keep along the coast,which already was covered with breakers.
We had therefore no remedy but to make for the shore and haul up thecanoe, for we could not perceive any inlet which might shelter us. Itwas quite dark when we dashed the canoe through the breakers and landed.We hauled her up some distance, as there was every appearance of worseweather, and sheltered ourselves under the lee of a high rock. The windnow blew fiercely, and rain descended in torrents. We tried to light afire to warm ourselves, but could not succeed, so we lay down on onebear-skin, and covered ourselves with the others, waiting impatientlyfor daylight. When the day dawned the weather was worse than ever. Wenow looked out for a better place of concealment for ourselves and ourcanoe, and found one at about fifty yards' distance: between two highrocks there was a narrow cleft or passage, which was large enough for usand for the canoe, and this hid us both from the storm and from the sea.Into this cleft we hauled our canoe and withdrew ourselves, making ameal off some fish we roasted on the embers. We remained there for twodays, when the weather moderated, but the sea was still too rough for usto launch the canoe; so we decided upon remaining one day more, althoughour provisions were all gone and our calabashes quite empty. On thethird day, to our great surprise and alarm, we heard the report of amusket not far from us. From this we knew that we could not be very farfrom the English settlements, for it was only the Indians near to thesettlements who had obtained muskets. But whether it was an Indian or awhite man who fired we could not, of course, tell. I recollected that,in the last advices we had had from James Town, our factors had statedthat there was a cruel war carried on between the Indians and thesettlers, and that the Indians had ravaged the plantations; but that wastwo years ago, and how it might be now it was impossible to tell. Asecond report of a musket still nearer induced me to creep along by theside of the rock, and look out to see if any one was near. To my greatalarm, I perceived five Indians with muskets not a hundred yards off. Idrew back, as I hoped, unperceived, but the eye of an Indian was tookeen. They had discovered me; and whilst I was relating to thePortuguese captain what I had seen, they were suddenly upon us. We hadno time to make resistance, even if we were inclined so to do; wetherefore sat still. They came up and looked at us. The wet had washedoff a great portion of the paint upon my back and shoulders. One of theIndians touched me on the shoulder, and said, "Ugh!--white man paintlike Indian." They then examined the canoe and its contents, and,having spoken a few words to each other, apparently relating to thecanoe, they put a thong of leather round each of our arms, and, making amotion for us to follow them, they led us away.
"We've done our best, and could do no more," said the Portuguese; "Ifeel that it's all over with me now, and I shall soon sleep in the bosomof Jesus."
My heart was too full to make any reply. The Indians led on, and Ifollowed in silence.
We passed through the woods, which appeared to be interminable, till thenight closed in, and then the Indians halted, and while one remained asguard over us the others collected wood for a fire. They had someprovisions, but offered none to us. After an hour they lay down tosleep round the fire, placing me and the Portuguese captain next to thefire, and lying outside of us. They were soon fast asleep, or appearedto be, when I said to the captain, "Have you your knife? For if theyremain asleep, let us wait an hour or so, and if you can cut the leatherthong which the Indian holds in his hand, and then watch youropportunity, I will do the same, and we may escape."
"I have my knife, but my Indian is not asleep," replied he; "I will waittill he is."
"What signal shall we make if we succeed?" said I.
"When you are ready, lift your arm up,--I shall understand,--and if I amready I will do the same. Agreed; and now let us be quiet, for dependupon it our conversation has roused them all."
We then composed ourselves, as if to sleep, and remained in that way formore than an hour, by which time we were convinced that our captors wereslumbering. I then drew out my knife, for the Indians had not attemptedto rifle us, and cut the thong which was round my arm, without awakingthe Indian who had the other end in his hand. I remained quiet for aquarter of an hour, when the Portuguese lifted up his arm as a signalthat he was free. I listened attentively, and, being certain that theIndians were asleep, I lifted up my arm also.
The Portuguese then rose up carefully, and without noise, stepping pastthe bodies of the Indians, till he was clear of the circle. I did thesame, and pointed to the muskets, which lay on the grass by the Indians.He took one up and I another and we retreated to a short distance.
"We must ha
ve the other muskets," said I; "stay where you are."
I advanced cautiously and took up the other three muskets, and wasretreating with them, when one of the Indians turned round as ifawaking. I ran past, the Portuguese, and making a sign for him tofollow me we retreated a few yards into the wood, where we could watchthe Indians without being seen ourselves. The Portuguese motioned to beoff but I detained him, and I was right. The Indian roused up and satupon his haunches; perceiving that we had escaped, he waked up theothers. They started on their feet, and looking round found that themuskets were all gone; and then they held a consultation. At last theyappeared to have made up their minds to follow, and, if possible,recapture us, for they went back in the direction of the sea.
"Now, then, we must hide three of the muskets," said I, in a whisper,"and keep the others to defend ourselves."
We examined and found that they were all loaded, and the Portuguese thensaid to me, "There are five of them. If they meet with us, and wedischarge two muskets and we do not kill, we shall be at their mercy.If we do kill, still there will be three against two; we had bettercarry all the muskets. Do you take two, and I will take three."
As I thought he was right, I consented, and we now went the same pathtowards the sea which the Indians had done before us in pursuit of us.We walked fast, as we knew the Indians would do the same, and they hadthe start of us, so that we were not likely to come up with them. Itwas severe work, but we did not slacken our pace, and before dawn thesea was quite visible through the branches of the trees, for we hadarrived at the outskirts of the wood.
As soon as we had gained the beach, which was 500 yards wide, we lookedround to see if we could perceive the Indians, but we could observenobody.
"Let us, while it is yet dark, go round so as to get on the oppositeside of the rocks where we were concealed," said the Portuguese. "Ifthey are there, we shall take them by surprise."
Keeping just within the wood, we walked half a mile to the southward,and then emerged just as the day was breaking, and made for the rocks.As soon as we arrived, we examined very cautiously before we entered thecleft, but there was nobody there, and the canoe was safe.
"They are not here," said I; "where can they be?"
"They cannot be far off," said the Portuguese; "I suspect they arehidden somewhere, and intend to surprise us while we are launching ourcanoe, and when our muskets will be out of our hands."
"I agree with you; let us now wait at some little distance from therocks till broad daylight,--we shall then be secure from surprise."
We did so, and when the sun rose we looked well round, but could seenobody. We entered the cleft, and were about to lay down the muskets,and lay hold of the canoe, when I perceived a small piece of rock todrop down. This caused me immediately to suspect the truth, and I criedto the Portuguese to come back with me. He did so, and I told him thatI was certain that the Indians had climbed the rock, and were lying downon the top of it, ready to pounce upon us.
"Depend upon it they must be there," said he, when I mentioned thefalling piece of rock; "let us walk round and see if we can discoverthem."
We did so, but they were too well concealed.
"But what must be done now?" said he. "It is useless our attempting toclamber to the top of the rock, for no one could do it with a musket inhis hand."
"No," replied I, "that is certain; and if we attempt to bring the canoeout of the cleft, they may drop down upon us."
"I think," said he, "that if we were to go in and take the tow-rope inour hands, which is several yards long, we might haul out the canoe byit, and when once it is clear of the cleft they cannot move without ourseeing them."
"We will try, at all events," replied I. "Do you stay on the watchwhile I get hold of the tow-rope and bring it out."
The Indians did not expect this manoeuvre, it was clear. Still keepingthe muskets in our possession, the butts on the sand, and the muzzlesresting on our shoulders, we laid hold of the tow-rope, and by greatexertion hauled the canoe several yards away from between the two rocks.We then paused for breath after a minute or two, with our eyes fixedupon the top of the rock to see if they moved, and then we hauled it atleast a hundred yards further on, when for the first time I perceivedthat the bow and arrows were not in the canoe, and that they must havebeen taken by the Indians.
"Then we must haul again," said the Portuguese, when I stated this tohim, "till we are out of bow-shot. Let us put the muskets into thecanoe, and drag it as fast as we can."
We did so, and gained another hundred yards before we stopped, when anarrow was discharged from the summit of the rock, and buried itself inthe sand close to my feet.
"Haul again," said the Portuguese, "we are not out of shot yet."
Again we exerted ourselves, and gained another hundred yards, duringwhich two more arrows were discharged, and one of them went through theleft arm of my comrade; but as it was through the fleshy part, and didnot touch the bone, it did not disable him. A third arrow was sentafter us, but did not reach us, and we knew that we were out ofdistance.
"Cut the shaft of the arrow, and draw it through the arm," said thePortuguese.
"Not now," said I; "they will perceive me doing so, and will think thatyou are disabled. That may induce them to rush upon us, thinking theyhave only one man to deal with."
"Well, it's no great matter," replied he; "we must now drag our canoedown to the water and launch her, if they will let us. We haveoutwitted them so far."
We now turned the head of the canoe towards the sea, and slowly draggedher down; our eyes, as may be supposed, constantly kept upon the rock,to see if the Indians would move, but they did not. They perhaps feltthat they had no chance with us, having all the fire-arms and an openbeach in our favour. We launched our canoe without further interruptionon their part, and in a few minutes, taking care to be out of arrowdistance, we passed the rock with our head to the northward. When abouttwo miles off, we perceived the Indians to descend from the rock andwalk away into the woods.
"Let us praise God for this miraculous escape," said I to thePortuguese.
"I do; and the holy patron saint who has preserved me," replied thePortuguese captain; "but I am still heavy at heart. I feel that we haveescaped only to come into more strange and fresh calamity. I shallnever get back to Lisbon,--that I feel convinced of."
I tried all I could to encourage him, but it was of no avail, he told methat the presentiment was too strong, and could not be overcome by anyargument. Indeed, he appeared to have allowed the idea so to have takenpossession of his mind, that his reason became enervated; and, havingheard how the Indians burnt their prisoners, he talked about martyrdomat the stake, and rising up to heaven in great glory, there to bereceived by the whole body of saints and legions of angels.
"What is the use of our thus labouring at the paddle?" said he; "why notat once let us go ashore and receive the crown of martyrdom? I amready; for I long for the hour, and shall rejoice."
I said all I could to keep him quiet, but it was useless; and such washis insanity, that he gradually neared the shore by steering against mewith his paddle, so that I could not prevent it. I had drawn the shaftof the arrow through his arm, and he appeared to feel no pain. Iexpostulated with him at his keeping the canoe so near the shore, but hesmiled and gave no reply.
We had the stream against us and made but little way, and it vexed mevery much to hear him talk so loud as he did, as the Indians must haveheard him, and I thought would follow us along the coast; but heransacked the whole book of martyrs, telling me how one had his bodysawn in two, another was pinched to death; this one burnt, thattortured; every variety of death he entered upon during the whole ofthat day without ceasing.
I ascribed much of this to the pain arising from the wounded arm,notwithstanding which he paddled with as much vigour as ever. As thenight came on I entreated him to hold his tongue, but it was in vain,and I felt assured that his reason was quite gone. He continued to talkloud and rave witho
ut intermission, and I now considered our fate assealed. We had no water in the boat or provisions of any kind, and Iproposed that we should heave-to and catch some fish, telling him thatif he talked we should scare them away.
This made him quiet for a time, but as soon as we had hooked four orfive fish, he again commenced his history of the glorious martyrs. Iprayed him to be silent, for a short time at least, and he was so forabout four or five minutes, when he would break out into someejaculation, which I immediately stopped. At last he could talk no morefor want of water; his lips were glued together, and so were mine.Nevertheless, I continued paddling for two hours more, when I found bythe canoe grounding that he had steered her on the beach. There was nohelp for it. We landed and went in search of water, which we foundabout half of a mile from where our canoe was beached.
We drank heartily, filled the calabash, and were returning to the canoe,when he again commenced talking as loud as ever. I was in great anger,but I put my hand before his mouth, beseeching him in a whisper to bequiet. As we were doing this, we were suddenly sprung upon and seizedby several Indians, and in a minute were bound hands and feet.
"I knew it," cried the Portuguese; "I knew it would be so. Well, I amprepared; are not you, my good friend?"
I made no reply. I felt that in his madness he had sacrificed his ownlife and mine also; but it was the will of Heaven. The Indians left twoto guard us, and went down to the canoe, returning with their muskets.I soon perceived that they were the same whom we had escaped from thenight before, and the one who had spoken a little English when we werefirst captured, now came to me and said, "White man paint like Indian,steal gun--ugh."
When the Indians had returned from the canoe, our feet were unbound, andwe were again led away by the leather thong which was fast to our arms.The Portuguese now began to find his tongue again, and talkedincessantly, the Indians not checking him; from which it was evidentthat they were on their own domains. After four hours' walking theykindled a fire, and went to repose as before: but this time they tookour knives from us, and bound our legs so tight that they gave us muchpain. I did not expostulate as I knew it was useless. My companion, asthe thong entered into his flesh, seemed pleased, saying, "Now mymartyrdom is commencing."
Alas! Poor man--but I will not anticipate. We travelled three days,during which we were supplied with a small portion of parched Indiancorn every day, just sufficient for our sustenance, and no more. On thefourth morning the Indians, after an hour's travelling, set up someshrill and barbarous cries which I afterwards discovered was theirwar-whoop. These cries were replied to by others at a distance, and inabout a quarter of an hour afterwards we found ourselves close to anumber of wigwams, as they are termed, (the Indian houses,) and soonsurrounded by a large party of men, women, and children, who greeted uswith taunts and menaces.
We were led into a larger wigwam than the others, where we found severalIndians of grave aspect assembled, and a man who could speak English wasordered in as interpreter, he asked us where we came from in the canoe.I replied, that we came from the south, but we had been wrecked in a bigship, and had taken the canoe, which we found on the beach. They askedno more questions. We were led out, and in about an hour afterwards theIndians who had spoken English to us when we were captured, came up withtwo others and painted us black, saying, "The white men like paint.Black paint good."
I did not know till afterwards that this painting black was a sign thatwe were condemned to death, but so it was. They took off our trousers,the only garment we had on, and left us naked. To my surprise, they didnot take the diamond which was sewed up in leather from off my neck;but, as I learnt subsequently, the Indians are much given to conjurorsand charms, wearing many round their own necks and about their persons,and they respect the charms that their enemies wear, indeed are afraidof them, lest they should be harmed by having them in their possession.We remained in a wigwam during that day, with guards over us. Thefollowing day we were led out and cast loose, and we found all theIndians, women and children, ranged in two lines, each holding in theirhands a club or stick, or rod of some description or another.
We were led to the end of the row, and looked about us in amazement.They made signs to us which we did not understand, and while we wereremaining in doubt as to what was to be our fate, an old woman, who hadbeen menacing and grinning at me for some time, and who was the mosthideous animal that I ever beheld in the shape of a woman, thrust astraw into my eye, giving me most excruciating agony. I was so carriedaway by rage and pain, that I saluted her with a kick in the stomach,which laid her doubled up on the ground, expecting to be scalped for sodoing the next moment. On the contrary, the Indians laughed, while someof the other women dragged her away.
At last the interpreter came, and from him we learnt that we had to runthe gauntlet, and that, as soon as we gained the large lodge where wehad been examined by the old Indians on the day previous, we were safe,and that we must run for that as fast as we could. The Portuguese, whowas still as mad as ever, was then pushed on; he would not run, butwalked glorying in the blows, which showered down upon him like hail;and, moreover, he prevented me from running for some time, till I gotpast him. I had been cruelly punished, and was mad with pain, when Iperceived a tall, gaunt Indian waiting for me with a heavy club.Careless of life or consequences, I rushed past him, and as I passed Ithrew out my fist with such impetus, that, hitting him under the rightear, he fell senseless, and it appears that he never rose again, for theblow killed him; after which I at last gained the council-house, and wassoon afterwards followed by my companion, who was streaming with blood.We were then led away, and tied by our necks to two stakes about twentyyards apart, and there we remained for the night.
The Portuguese passed the night in singing; I passed it in silence andprayer. I felt convinced that we were to die, and I feared that itwould be by fire or torture, for I had heard something of the mannersand customs of these Indians. I made my peace with God as well as apoor sinner could, prayed for mercy through Jesus Christ, sighed myadieu to Amy, and made up my mind to die.
Early the next morning the Indians brought fire-wood, and placed it inbundles round the stakes, at a distance of about fourteen yards from thecentre. They then went to the Portuguese, tied his hands behind him,and exchanged the rope by which he had been fastened for a much strongerone, one end of which they fastened to his wrists behind him, and theother to the stake. As they left me as I was before, it was plain thatthe Portuguese was to suffer first. They then set fire to the piles ofwood which were round the stake, which were too far from him to burnhim, and I could not imagine what they intended to do, but you mayconceive that I was in a state of awful suspense and anxiety, as I waswell convinced that his fate, whatever it might be, would be my own.
During these appalling preparations, the Portuguese appeared as if hereally enjoyed the scene.
"Now, my good friend," said he to me, "you shall see how I can sufferfor the true faith. Even a heretic like you shall be converted by myexample, and I shall ascend to heaven with you in my arms. Come on, yefiends; come on, ye heathens, and see how a Christian can suffer."
Much as I felt for him and for myself, I could not lament that hisreason had left him, as I thought his sufferings would be less; but hisexclamations were soon drowned by a loud yell from the Indians, who allrushed upon my unfortunate companion.
For a moment or two they were crowded so thick round him that I couldnot perceive what they were doing, but after that they separated, and Ibeheld him bleeding profusely, his ears and nose having been cut off anda broken iron ramrod passed through both cheeks. And now a scene tookplace, at the remembrance of which, even now, my blood curdles. Somecaught up the burning sticks and applied them to his flesh, others stuckhim full of small splints, the ends of which they lighted. The Indianwarriors shot at him with muskets loaded with powder only, so as to burnhim terribly on every part of the body. The women took up handfuls oflighted ashes and showered them down on him,
so that the ground he trodupon was a mass of burning embers, and he walked upon fire.
Red-hot irons were now brought forward, and his body seared in allparts, his tormentors seeking out where they could give him the mostpain. At last one applied the hot iron to his eyes, and burnt them out.Imagine my feelings at this horrid scene--imagine the knowledge thatthis was to be also my fate in a short time, but what is more strange totell, imagine, Madam, my companion not only deriding his torturers, butnot flinching from the torture; on the contrary, praising God for hisgoodness in thus allowing him to be a martyr for the true faith,offering his body to their inflictions, and shouting manfully; but suchwas the behaviour of my insane friend, and this behaviour appeared togive great satisfaction to the Indians.
For nearly two hours did this torture continue, his body was black andbloody all over, and the smell of the burning flesh was horrible; but bythis time it appeared as if he was much exhausted, and, indeed, appearedto be almost insensible to pain. He walked round the stake as beforeupon the burning coals, but appeared not to know when further torturewas applied to him or not. He now sang hymns in Portuguese in a lowvoice, for he was much exhausted. Soon afterwards he staggered and felldown with his face upon the burning embers; but even the flesh of hisface grilling, as it were, appeared to have no effect upon him. AnIndian then went up to him, and with his knife cut a circle round hishead, and tore off the whole scalp, flesh and hair together, and when hehad done this the old woman whom I had saluted with a kick before I ranthe gauntlet, and who had his ears hanging on her neck to a string,lifted up a handful of burning coals, and put them upon his bleedinghead.
This seemed to rouse him. He lifted up his head, but his features wereno longer to be distinguished, as his face was burnt to a black coal,and he said, "Take me, ye holy saints,--Angels, receive me," and, to mygreat astonishment, he again rose on his legs, and tottered round andround for a few minutes. At last he sank down, with his back againstthe stake, and one of the Indians cleaved his brain with his tomahawk;and thus ended the life and the misery of my unfortunate companion--andit was now my turn.
"Well," thought I, "it is but two hours of suffering, and then I shallbe beyond their malice. May God have mercy upon my soul."
The same preparations were now made for me. I was fastened with thestout rope, and my arms tied behind me, the wood was fired, and one ofthe chiefs was haranguing the Indians. He finished, the low yell wasgiven, when the old woman whom I had before mentioned, ran up to me,and, saying something which I could not understand, put her hand uponme.
When she did this the other Indians, who were about to rush on me, drewback with signs of disappointment on many of their wild countenances.The chiefs then went into the council-house, leaving me tied where Iwas, and the wood burning around me, the mass of Indians standing aboutas if waiting the decision of the chiefs. After a time three Indians,one of whom was the interpreter, came up to me, and, kicking aside theburning poles, cast me loose.
I asked the interpreter what he was about to do. He replied, "You killIndian here, (pointing to his own ear,) you kill him dead. Squaw losehusband--want another--take you--stead of him."
They led me to the council-house before the chiefs. The old woman whomI had kicked was there. It was her husband that I had killed by theblow behind the ear, and she had claimed me in his stead, and, accordingto the custom of the country, her claim was allowed, and I was made overto her, and received into the tribe. Strange custom for a woman tomarry the murderer of her husband, but still such it was, and thus did Ifind myself freed from the stake when I least expected it. Theprincipal chief made me a speech, which was interpreted, in which hetold me that I was now the husband of Manou, and was one of their owntribe; that I must be strong in war, and must hunt and procure venisonfor my family.
They then washed off the black paint, and after a few more speeches andceremonies I was handed over to the hideous old hag, whose neck wasstill decorated with the two ears of my companion. To say that I wouldhave preferred the torture would be saying too much, but that I loathedthe creature to excess was certain. However, I said nothing, butallowed her to take me by the hand and lead me to her wigwam. As soonas we were in she brought me some venison, which I ate greedily, for Ihad had nothing for thirty-six hours. She then offered me the leggings,as they call them, which the Indians wear, and the other portions of theIndian dress, which probably belonged to her late husband. I put themon, as I was glad to cover my nakedness, and, worn out with walking andexertion, I first thanked God for my miraculous preservation, and thenlay down and fell into a deep sleep.
It was not until the next day that I awoke, and I then perceived the oldwoman rubbing oil upon the deep cuts made in my wrists and shoulders bythe leather thongs. She again set meat before me, and I ate heartily,but I looked upon her with abhorrence, and when she attempted to fondleme I turned away and spit with disgust, at which she retired, grumbling.I now had leisure to reflect. I passed over with a shudder the scenesthat had passed, and again returned thanks to God for my deliverance. Icalled to mind how often I had been preserved and delivered. From mybondage in Africa, from my imprisonment in the Tower, from my hopelessslavery in the mines, from our wreck on the island, and now, afterpassing through such dangers, from an almost certain cruel death bytorture! Truly did I feel how grateful I ought to be for thatProvidence which had often preserved me, and that my only reliance infuture must be in its gracious protection.
But here I was, married to a woman I detested, and living withbarbarians; and I said to myself, "That kind Heaven which has alreadydone so much for me will, in its own good time, also release me fromthis thraldom. In the mean while let me not murmur, but be thankful."My squaw, as they call their wives among the Indians, now came up to meand offered to paint me, and I thought it advisable that she should, asI felt that the sooner I conformed myself to their customs the morechance I had of making my escape, which I was resolved to do the firstopportunity.
As soon as she had completed my toilet I walked out of the wigwam, thatI might look about me and be seen. The Indians, who were saunteringabout, met me with a friendly "Ugh," which appeared a favouritemonosyllable with them. At last I met with the interpreter, and beganto converse with him. I asked what nation I was now belonging to, andhe said the Massowomicks. I asked how large their country was, and hetold me much which I could not understand, except that it appeared to mea very powerful nation.
I was very careful of mentioning the English, or anything about theirsettlement, although I was anxious to know where it was; but I asked himwhether they were at war with any other nation. He said, "No, they hadbeen at war with other tribes, but that they had all made peace thatthey might join against the white man, who had taken their land."
"I am an Indian now," said I.
"Yes, and you will forget the white man," said he. "You have now redblood in your veins. You marry Indian wife, you all the same as oneIndian."
I said, "War Indian beat his wife, suppose she talk too much?"
"Plenty talk, plenty beat," said he.
"Suppose my wife talk too much and I beat her, what Indian people say?"
"Say good. Suppose wife too old, you take two wife, one more young."
I was very much pleased with this conversation; not that I had theslightest idea of profiting by his information by taking another wife,but I felt such a disgust at my present one, and had already seen what afury she could be, that I was resolved, if necessary, to show her that Iwas master, for I felt certain that if I did not, she would soon attemptto master me and so it turned out.
On the third day she took down a bow and arrows and made a sign to me togo out, and, I presumed, bring back food; and as there was nothing inthe house I thought the request reasonable. I therefore went out of thewigwam and found that many of the young men were going out on ahunting-party, and that I was to join them. We set off and travelledfor six hours before we came to the hunting-ground, and as the deerpassed me I though
t of Whyna and my hunting excursions with her. I was,however, fortunate, and killed two deer, much to the surprise of theIndians, who thought a white man could not use a bow and arrows, and Irose very much in their estimation in consequence. The deer was cut up,and we hung upon branches what we could not carry.
We did not go home that night, but feasted over a large fire. The nextmorning we all carried home our loads, and mine was as large as any ofthe others, if not larger; neither did I flag on the way, for I wasnaturally very strong and active, and had lately been inured to fatigue.When we arrived, the squaws and men among the others were despatchedfor the remainder of the venison. I now went out every day by myselfand practised with my bow, till I had become more expert, for I wantedpractice. I had no musket, but I had a tomahawk and a long knife. Ibegan to pick up a few words of the language, and by means of theinterpreter I gained them very fast. Before I had been three monthswith the Indians I had acquired their confidence and respect. Theyfound that I was expert, and able to gain my own livelihood, and I mayadd that before I had been three months I had also mastered my wife.When she found that I would not submit to her caresses, she was veryindignant and very violent, but I immediately knocked her down, and beather unmercifully. This brought her to her senses, and after that Itreated her as my slave with great rigour, and as she was a notoriousscold the Indians liked me all the better for it.
You may think that this was not fair treatment towards a woman who hadsaved my life; but she only saved it for her own purposes, and wouldhave worn my ears, as well as my companion's, if I had not killed herhusband. The fact is, I had no alternative; I must have either treatedher kindly and submitted to her nauseous endearments, or have kept herat a respectful distance by severity, and I hardly need say that Ipreferred the latter. So far as her choice of a husband was concerned,she made a bad one, for she received nothing but blows and bad usage. Ihad one day driven my wife out of the wigwam in consequence of herpresuming to "talk too much," as the Indian said, when the interpretertold me that one of the chiefs was willing that I should marry hisdaughter, polygamy being one of their customs.
I was very much annoyed at this, for I knew the young girl very well:she was very graceful and very pretty; and I felt that my fidelity toAmy would be in great danger if the marriage was to take place; and ifproposed, I dared not refuse so great a distinction.
I replied that I was fortunate, but that I feared my present wife wouldmake her very unhappy, as she wanted to be the chief woman of thewigwam, and when I was away I could not tell what the old woman might doto her, and the conversation was dropped.
This little Indian had, before this, shown me as much favour as anIndian girl ever ventures to show, sufficient, at all events, to satisfyme that I was not disagreeable to her, and what the interpreter had saidmade me very uncomfortable. However, I consoled myself with therecollection that if I were compelled to marry this girl, it would be aninvoluntary infidelity on my part, and on that account might well beexcused; for the hope of again rejoining Amy never left me at any time.
One day I went out in search of deer, and was led away from mycompanions after a buck which I had wounded and attempted to overtake.They saw me in chase of my quarry, and left me in pursuit. I followedfor several hours, continually coming up with it and as continuallylosing it again. At last, I heard the report of a musket close to wherethe deer was last seen by me, and I thought that some Indian had shotit. I walked forward, however, very cautiously, and perceived a whiteman standing by the animal, which lay at his feet. I started back, forI did not know whether I had fallen in with a friend or a foe; but as Iknew that he had not had time to reload his musket, I hallooed to him,concealing myself at the same time behind a tree.
"Is that you, Evans?" said the man in reply.
"No," said I, "it is an Englishman."
"Well, show yourself, then," said he.
"I am dressed as an Indian," replied I; "I was taken by the Indians."
"Well, come along," said the man, who was attired as a seafaring man.
I came from behind the tree, and when he saw me he snatched up hismusket.
"Don't be afraid," said I.
"Afraid!" said he; "I should like to see what I am afraid of; but I'llbe on my guard."
"That's right," I replied.
I then told him that I had been taken by the Indians, and they saved mylife because one of their women chose me as her husband, and that I wasanxious to escape from them.
"Well," said he, "I am on board of a schooner at anchor down below inthe river. There are a few of us come on shore to get some venison, andI have lost my comrades; but I had no idea that the Indians were downhere so close to the English settlements."
"How close are we, then?" said I; "for I know not where I am. This iscertainly not our usual hunting-ground, for I have been led many milesfrom it, in pursuit of the animal you have just shot."
"Well, I thought so; for I have been on shore here more than once, and Ihave never met with an Indian. You ask how far you are from thesettlement; that I can hardly tell you, because the settlers have spreadout so far; but you are about forty or fifty miles from James Town."
"And what river, then, is your schooner at anchor in?"
"I don't know the name," replied the man; "I'm not sure that it has aname. We come here for wood and water, because it is quiet, notinhabited, and no questions asked."
"What are you, then?" inquired I.
"Why, to tell you the truth, we are what are called `Jolly Rovers;' andif you have a mind to come on board, we can find a berth for you, I daresay."
"Many thanks," replied I; "but I am not sufficiently fond of the sea,and I should be of no use," (for by this term of Jolly Rover I knew thatthey were pirates).
"That's as you please," replied he; "no harm's done."
"No," replied I; "and I thank you for your kind offer, but I cannot livelong on board of a vessel. Will you now tell me which is the righttrack to the English plantations?"
"Why," said he, "they bear right out in that direction; and I dare say,if you travel five or six leagues, you will fall aboard of someplantation or another--right in that quarter; follow your nose, oldfellow, and you can't go wrong."
"Many thanks," I replied; "am I likely to meet your companions?--theymay take me for an Indian."
"Not in that direction," replied he; "they were astern of me a longway."
"Farewell, then, and many thanks," I replied.
"Good-bye, old fellow; and the sooner you rub off that paint, the sooneryou'll look like a Christian," said the careless rover, as I walkedaway.
"No bad advice," I thought, for I was now determined to make for theEnglish settlements as fast as I could, "and I will do so when I oncesee an English habitation, but not before; I may fall in with Indiansyet."
I then set off as fast as I could, and being now inured to running for along time without stopping, I left the rover a long way behind me in avery short time. I continued my speed till it was dark, when I heardthe barking of a dog, which I knew was English, for the Indian dogs donot bark. I then proceeded cautiously and in the direction where Iheard the dog bark, and arrived in a quarter of an hour to a clearedground, with a rail fence round it.
"Thank God!" I cried, "that I am at last among my own countrymen."
I considered, however, that it would not be prudent to show myself,especially in my Indian paint, at such a time of night, and I thereforesat down under the lee-side of a large tree, and remained there tillmorning. I then looked about for water, and having found a runningstream I washed off my paint, and appeared what I really was, a whiteman in an Indian dress. I then went up again to the clearing, andlooked for the habitation, which I discovered on the top of a hill,about four hundred yards off. The trees were cleared away for aboutthree hundred yards all round it. It was built of heavy logs, let intoone another, with one window only, and that very small. The door wasstill shut. I walked up to it, and tapped at the door.
"Wh
o's there?" replied a hoarse voice.
"An Englishman, and a stranger," I replied. "I have just escaped fromthe Indians."
"We'll see what you are in a very short time," replied the voice."James, get me my gun."
In a minute the door opened, and I beheld a woman more than six feethigh, of gaunt appearance and large dimensions: I thought that I hadnever seen such a masculine creature before. It was her voice which Ihad heard. Two men were seated by the fire-place.
"Who are you?" said she, with the musket ready for the present.
I told her in a few words.
"Show me the palm of your hand--turn it up at once."
I did so, without the least idea of the reason for the demand; but Iafterwards discovered that it was to ascertain whether I was one ofthose who had been transported to the settlement, as they all had theletter R branded on them.
"Oh, you're not a gaol-bird, then, I see: you may come in; but you'llgive me that bow and arrows if you please."
"Certainly," replied I, "if you wish it."
"Why, there's nothing like making sure in this world; and although youlook a very peaceable, good-looking sort of personage, notwithstandingyour Indian set-out, still I've known just as amiable people as you, inappearance, very mischievous at times. Now come in, and let us hearwhat you have to say for yourself. Jeykell, get some more wood."
One man went out to obey her orders; the other sat by the fire with hismusket between his knees. I sat down by the fire, at the request of thewoman, who had seated herself by the side of the man, and then, on herrepeating her question, I gave her a narrative of my adventures, fromthe time that I left Rio.
"Well," says she, "we seldom hear stories like them; it's all the worldlike a book; and pray what's that thing (pointing to the diamond in itscase) you have hanging to your neck there? You have left that out inyour history."
"That's a charm given me by my Indian wife, to preserve me fromdisasters from wild animals; no panther, wolf, or bear will ever attackme."
"Well," said she, "if so be it has that power, all I can say is, it'snot a bad charm to wear in these parts, for there are animals enough inthe woods in summer, and round the house all night in winter; but Idon't believe a bit in the charm, and that's the truth; however, if itdoes no good, it can't do no harm, so you may keep it on, and welcome."
"May I ask how far it is to James Town?" said I. "What, going to JamesTown already? I suppose you expect to be there to-night?"
"Not exactly, my good woman," replied I. "I must trespass upon yourkindness to give me something to eat, for I am hungry."
"Good woman! Bah! And pray how dare you call me good woman? Call memistress, if you want anything."
"I beg your pardon," said I. "Well, then, mistress; will you give mesomething to eat?"
"Yes, I will. James, fetch the meal-cake and a bit of salt pork, andgive him to eat, while I call the cows from the bush."
The mistress, as I shall in future call her, then put down her musketand left the cabin. During her absence I entered into conversation withthe man called James, for the other had gone out. To my inquiry how farit was to James Town, he replied that he really did not know; that hewas sent out a convict, and sold for ten years to the husband of themistress, who had died two years ago; that this man had a small vessel,in which he went to James Town by water, and that he had returned withhim in his vessel; that the distance by water he considered about onehundred and fifty miles, but by land it was not half that distance; thathe did not know the way, nor did he believe that there was any road asyet made to James Town, as this plantation was quite by itself, and along way from any other. He understood that the nearest plantation wastwenty miles off, and he knew there was no road to it, as no one everwent or came except by water.
"But," said I, "are not the settlers at war with the Indian tribes thatsurround them?"
"Yes; and have been now for three or four years; and the Indians havedone great mischief to the plantations, and killed a great many people,but the settlers have punished them severely."
"Then how is it that this plantation, which is so solitary, has not beenattacked?"
"Because the mistress's husband was a great friend of the Indians, and,it is said, used to bring them cargoes of muskets and ammunition fromJames Town, contrary to all law and regulation. But if he was friendlywith them, the mistress is not; for she has quarrelled with theprincipal chief, and I should not be surprised if we were attacked someday, and all scalped."
"And what does the mistress say to that?"
"Oh, she don't care; she'd fight a hundred Indians, or white men either.I never saw such a creature--she's afraid of nothing."
"Who is the other man I saw here?"
"Oh, he's another like myself. There were three of us, but one wasdrowned by falling overboard from the sloop."
"Well, but my good fellow, how shall I get to James Town?"
"I'm sure I can't tell; but my idea is that you will never get thereunless mistress chooses."
"Why, surely she won't detain me by force?"
"Won't she?--you don't know her. Why she'd stop an army," replied theman. "I don't think that she will let you go--I don't know; but that'smy opinion. She wants another hand."
"What, do you mean to say that she'll make me work?"
"I mean to say that, according to the laws of the settlement, she has aright to detain you. Any person found roving here, who cannot give asatisfactory account of himself, may be detained till something is heardabout him; for he may be a runaway convict, or a runaway apprentice,which is much the same, after all. Now, she may say that your accountof yourself is not satisfactory, and therefore she detained you; and ifyou won't work, she won't give you to eat; so there you are."
"Well, we will see if she is able."
"Able! If you mean strong enough, why she'd take you up with one hand;and she is as resolute and severe as she is strong. I had rather haveto deal with three men, and that's the truth."
"What's the truth, James?" cried the mistress, coming in at the door."Let's hear the truth from your lips, it will be something new."
"I said that I was sent here for finding a pocket-book, mistress; that'sall."
"Yes; but you did not tell him where you found it--at the bottom of agentleman's coat-pocket, you know. You can only tell the truth byhalves yet, I see."
Wishing to ascertain how far the man's suspicions were correct, I saidto her:
"I have good friends in James Town: if I were once there I could procuremoney and anything else to any amount that I required."
"Well," says she, "you may have; but I'm afraid that the post don't goout to-day. One would think, after all your wanderings anddifficulties, that you'd be glad to be quiet a little, and remain here;so we'll talk about James Town some time about next spring."
"Indeed, mistress, I hope you will not detain me here. I can pay youhandsomely, on my arrival at James Town, for your kind treatment and anytrouble you may take for me."
"Pay me! What do I want with money?--there's no shops here withribbons, and calicoes, and muslims; and if there were, I'm not a finemadam. Money! Why I've no child to leave what I have to--no husband tospend it for me. I have bags and bags of dollars, young man, which myhusband heaped up, and they are of as much use to me as they are now tohim."
"I am glad that you are so rich, mistress, and more glad that your moneyis so little cared for and so little wanted; but if you do not wantmoney, I do very much want to get back to my friends, who think I amdead, and mourn for me."
"Well, if they have mourned, their sorrow is over by this time, andtherefore your staying here will not distress them more. I may as welltell you at once that you shall not go; so make up your mind to becontented, and you'll fare none the worse for it."
This was said in so decided a tone, that, bearing in mind what I hadheard from the convict servant, I thought it advisable to push thequestion no further for the present, making up my mind that I would waita short
time, and then make my escape, if she still persisted indetaining me by force; but this I could not venture upon until I was inpossession of fire-arms, and I could not obtain them while she had anysuspicion. I therefore replied--"Well, since you are determined I shallnot go, I have nothing more to say, except that I will wait yourpleasure, and, in the mean time, let me make myself as useful as I can,for I don't want to eat the bread of idleness."
"You're a very sensible young man," replied she; "and now you shall havea shirt to put on, which will improve your appearance a great deal."
She then went into the inner room, which I presumed was her bed-room, asthere were but two rooms in the cabin. As she went out, I could nothelp wondering at her. On examination, I felt assured that she was morethan six feet high, and her shoulders as broad and her arms as nervousas a man's of that stature. Her chest was very expanded, but bosom shehad none. In fact, she was a man in woman's clothing, and I began todoubt her sex. Her features were not bad, had they been of smallerdimensions, but her nose was too large, although it was straight; hereyes were grand, but they were surmounted with such coarse eyebrows; hermouth was well shaped, and her teeth were good and regular, but it wasthe mouth of an ogress; her walk was commanding and firm; every actiondenoted energy and muscle; and certainly, from the conversation I havealready made known, her mind was quite as masculine as her body--she wasa splendid monster. In a minute she returned, bringing me a good checkshirt and a pair of duck trousers, which I thankfully accepted.
"I've plenty more for those who please me," said she, carelessly; "whenyou've put them on, come out to me, and I'll show you the plantation."
In a minute or two I joined her, and she led me round thetobacco-fields, then to the maize or Indian corn grounds, pointing outand explaining everything. She also showed me the cows, store pigs, andpoultry. Wishing to please her, I asked many questions, and pretendedto take an interest in all I saw. This pleased her much, and once ortwice she smiled--but such a smile! After an hour's ramble we returned,and found the two servants very busy, one husking maize, and the otherin the shed where the tobacco was dried. I asked some questions of herabout the tobacco--how many casks or bales she made a year? She repliedthat she made it in bales, and sold it by weight.
"It must be heavy carriage from here to James Town?" said I.
"Yes, indeed, if it went that way it never would arrive, I imagine,"replied she; "but I have a sloop in the river below, which carries itround."
"When is the time it is harvested and fit to be carried round?" inquiredI.
"It is now turning fast," said she; "all that you see hanging in thedrying sheds has been already drawn; in three or four weeks it will behoused, and then we begin to pack: in about two months from this thesloop will take it round."
"But is it not expensive keeping a sloop on purpose, with men to haveher in charge?" inquired I, to hear what she would say.
"The sloop lies at anchor, without a soul on board," said she. "No oneever comes up this river. I believe Captain Smith, who made thesettlement, did so once. There is another river, about twenty milesfurther down, which is occasionally frequented by buccaneers, I amtold--indeed, I know it, for my husband had more to do with them thanperhaps was good for his soul, but this little river is never visited."
"Then your servants take her round?"
"Yes; I leave one in charge, and take two with me."
"But you have but two."
"Not till you came--one died; but now I have three," and she smiled atme again.
If I had not been so afraid of affronting her, I certainly would havesaid to her, "Do anything, I beg, but smile."
I said no more on that point. She called Jeykell, who was in thetobacco-shed, and desired him to kill a couple of chickens, and bringthem in. We then entered the cabin, and she observed--"I don't doubtbut you are tired with so much fatigue; you look so; go and sleep on oneof their beds; you shall have one for yourself by night."
I was not sorry to do as she proposed, for I was tired out. I lay down,and I did not wake till she called me and told me that dinner was ready.I was quite ready for that also, and I sat down with her, but the twoconvict servants did not. She ate in proportion to her size, and thatis saying enough. After dinner she left me, and went with her two menon her farming avocations, and I was for a long while cogitating on whathad passed. I perceived that I was completely in her power, and that itwas only by obtaining her good-will that I had any chance of gettingaway, and I made up my mind to act accordingly. I found a comfortablebed, of the husks of Indian corn, prepared for me at night, in anante-room where the two servant-men slept. It was a luxury that I hadnot enjoyed for a long while. For several days I remained very quiet,and apparently very contented. My mistress gave me no hard work,chiefly sending me on messages or taking me out with her. She made thedistinction between me and the convicts that I always took my meals withher and they did not. In short, I was treated as a friend and visitormore than anything else, and had I not been so anxious about going toEngland, I certainly had no reason to complain except of my detention,and this, it was evident, it was not in her power to prevent, as, untilthe sloop went away with the tobacco, she had no means of sending meaway. One day, however, as I was walking past the tobacco-shed, I heardmy name mentioned by the two convicts, and stopping I heard James say:
"Depend upon it, that's what she's after, Jeykell; and he is to be ourmaster, whether he likes it or not."
"Well, I shouldn't wonder," replied the other; "she does make pure loveto him, that's certain."
"Very true; everything's fierce with her--even love--and so he'll findit if he don't fancy her."
"Yes, indeed:--well, I'd rather serve another ten years than she shouldfall in love with me."
"And if I had my choice, whether to be her husband or to swing, I shouldtake the cord in preference."
"Well, I pity him from my heart; for he is a good youth and afair-spoken and a handsome, too; and I'm sure that he has no idea of hisunfortunate situation."
"No idea, indeed," said I to myself, as I walked away. "MercifulHeaven! Is it possible!" And when I thought over her conduct, and whathad passed between us, I perceived not only that the convicts were rightin their supposition, but that I had, by wishing to make myselfagreeable to her, even assisted in bringing affairs to this crisis.
That very day she had said to me: "I was very young when I married, onlyfourteen, and I lived with my husband nine years. He is dead more thana year now."
When she said that, which she did at dinner, while she was clawing theflesh off a wild turkey, there was something so ridiculous in thatfeminine confession, coming from such a masculine mouth, that I feltvery much inclined to laugh, but I replied:
"You are a young widow, and ought to think of another husband."
Again, when she said, "If ever I marry again, it shall not be a man whohas been burnt on the hand. No, no, my husband shall be able to openboth hands and show them."
I replied, "You are right there. I would never disgrace myself bymarrying a convict."
When I thought of these and many other conversations which had passedbetween us, I had no doubt, in my own mind, but that the convicts werecorrect in their suppositions, and I was disgusted at my own blindness.
"At all events," said I to myself, after a long cogitation, "if shewants to marry me, she must go to James Town for a parson, and if I onceget there, I will contrive, as soon as extra constables are sworn in, tobreak off the match." But, seriously, I was in an awkward plight.There was something in that woman that was awful, and I could imagineher revenge to be most deadly. I thought the old Indian squaw to be badenough, but this new mistress was a thousand times worse. What a hardfate, I thought, was mine, that I should be thus forced to marry againstmy will, and be separated from her whom I adored. I was a long whileturning over the matter in my mind, and at last I resolved that I wouldmake no alteration in my behaviour, but behave to her as before, andthat if the affair was precipita
ted by my mistress, that I would be offto the woods, and take my chance of wild beasts and wild Indians, ratherthan consent to her wishes. I then went into the cabin, where I foundher alone.
"Alexander," said she (she would know my Christian name, and called meby it), "they say widows court the men, and that they are privileged todo so," (I turned pale, for I little thought that there was to be anexplanation so soon;) "at all events, whether they are or not, I knowthat a woman in my position cannot well expect a young man in yours toventure without encouragement. Now, Alexander, I have long perceivedyour feelings and your wishes, and I have only to say that mine are suchas yours," (oh, I wish they were, thought I), "and therefore you havebut to ask and to have."
I was mute with fear and despair, and could not find a reply to make toher.
"Why do you not answer, Alexander? Do you think me too forward?"
"No," stammered I; "you are very kind, but this is so unexpected--sounlooked for--so unhoped for--I am so overcome."
Observe, Madam, how strangely the sexes were changed. I was the womanin this instance.
"I should like to consult my friends."
"Consult your fiddlesticks," replied she, quickly. "Who have you got toconsult? I hope, Alexander," said she, setting her broad teethtogether, "that you are not trifling with me?"
"Indeed, I never should think of trifling with your mistress," repliedI. "I feel much obliged to you for showing such a preference for me."
"I think, Alexander, that you ought; so now then, if you please, give meyour answer," replied she.
"Had I been prepared for your kindness, I would have done so at once,but I have many serious questions to put to myself, and, if you please,we will renew the subject to-morrow morning. I will then tell youcandidly how I am situated; and if after that you do not withdraw yourproposal, I shall be most happy to be yours as soon as we can go toJames Town to be married."
"If," replied she, "you mean to insinuate, Alexander, that you have awife in England, that is of no consequence in this settlement; for thosewho live here are free from all English marriages; and as for going toJames Town, that is quite unnecessary. If the people in the settlementwere to wait for a parson when they married, they would never be marriedat all. All that is necessary is, that we shall draw up an agreement ofmarriage on paper, sign it, and have it witnessed. However, as Iperceive that you are flurried, I will wait till to-morrow morning foryour decision."
My mistress then rose from her stool, and went into her chamber,shutting to the door with more emphasis than was at all agreeable to mynerves. I walked out into the open air to recover myself, and toreflect upon what course I should take in this awkward and dangerousdilemma. Marrying was out of the question--but how to avoid it? It wasalmost like being stopped by a highwayman. He says, "Your money or yourlife." My mistress's demand was, "Marriage or your life." There wasbut one hope, which was to escape that very night, and take my chance inthe woods, and so I resolved to do.
I did not go in till dark; my mistress was in her own room; the twoconvicts were sitting by the fire. I took my seat by them, but did notspeak, except in a whisper, telling them that their mistress was notwell, and that we had better go to bed, and not talk. They stared at meat the idea of the mistress being ill; they had never known her tocomplain of anything since they resided with her; but the hint wassufficient. They went to bed, and so did I with my clothes on, watchingthe crevices of the door of her room to see if her lamp was out. Inabout half an hour the little thin beams through the chinks of her doordisappeared, and then I knew that she had gone to bed. I watched twohours more before I ventured to stir. The convicts were both snoringloud, and effectually drowned any slight noise I might make in movingabout. I went to the locker, secured all the cold meat for provision,took down one of the muskets and ammunition-belts, and, having put thelatter over my shoulders, I then took the musket in my hand and creptsoftly to the door of the cabin. Here was the only difficulty; onceout, but five yards off, and I was clear. I removed the heavy woodenbar, without noise, and had now only to draw the bolt. I put my fingerto it, and was sliding it gently and successfully back, when my throatwas seized, and I was hurled back on the floor of the cabin. I was sostunned by the violence of the fall, that for a short time I wasinsensible. When I recovered, I felt a great weight upon my chest, andopening my eyes found my mistress sitting upon me, and giving orders tothe convicts, one of whom had already lighted the lamp.
"For mercy's sake, get off my chest," said I, in a faint voice.
"Yes, I will, but not yet," replied my mistress. "Now, James, hand themto me."
James handed some chains to his mistress, who, turning round as she saton my body, made the manacle at the end of the chain fast round myankle. This went with a snap-spring, which could not be opened withouta key belonging to it. At last she rose off my body, and I couldbreathe free. She then called to the convicts, saying:
"Go both of you into the tobacco-shed, and wait there till I call youout. If I find you one foot nearer to us, I'll flay you alive."
The servants ran off as fast as they could. When they were gone, mymistress said:
"So you were about to escape, were you? You would avoid the chances ofmatrimony, and now you have other chances which you little dreamt of."
"I thought it was the wisest thing that I could do," replied I. "SinceI must be plain, I am sacredly betrothed to another person, and I couldnot even for you break my faith. I meant to have told you so to-morrowmorning, but I was afraid it would annoy you, and therefore I wished togo away without giving you any answer."
"Well, Sir, I offered to be your wife, which would have made you my lordand master. You refuse it, and now I make you my slave. I give youyour option; you shall either consent to be my husband, or you shallremain as you are, and toil hard; but any time that you think better ofit, and are willing to embrace my offer, you will be free, and I will beas a wife in subjection."
"So you say," replied I; "but suppose I was to make you angry after Imarried you, you would do to me as you have done now. I may, perhaps,one day get free from this chain, but, once married to you, I am a slavefor ever."
"You may think otherwise before long," replied she; "in the mean time,you may walk out and cool yourself."
She then returned to her room, and I rose, having determined to walk outand cool myself, as she proposed; but when I was on my legs, I foundthat to the other end of the chain, which was very heavy and about twoyards long, was riveted an iron ball of about thirty pounds weight, sothat I could not walk without carrying this heavy weight in my hands,for it could not be dragged. I lifted up the iron ball, and went out ofthe house. I was no longer afraid of her. I was in too great a rage tofear anything. As I calmed, I considered my case, and found it to behopeless; as I thought of Amy, and the many months of hope deferred, Iwept bitterly; and I had no consolation, for the reader may recollectthat I lost my Bible when I was sent on shore, naked almost, by therascally captain of the Transcendant.
I had now been twenty months away from Liverpool, and I felt as if mychance of seeing her that I loved was indeed hopeless. I might remainchained in such a solitude for years, or I might expire under herbarbarous treatment, for I fully knew what I had to expect. However, Iwas resolved. I prayed fervently for support and succour in my time oftrouble, and became more composed. I remained out the whole of thenight, and watched the rising sun. The two convicts came out to theirwork, and shrugged their shoulders as they passed me, but they dared notspeak to me.
My mistress at last came out. She commenced with abuse, but I gave noanswer. She tried soothing, but I was mute. At last she became franticin her passion, hurled me away from her, and after being dreadfullybeaten I fell to the ground. She put her foot upon my neck, and shestood there, looking like a fury. She loaded me with epithets, and thenof a sudden went down on her knees by me, and begged my pardon, callingme her dear Alexander--her life--entreating me to accede to her wishes.Never was the
re such a tigress in love before, I really believe.
"Hear me," replied I; "as long as I am chained, I never will give anyanswer upon the present subject, that I swear."
She rose from my side, and walked away.
It is impossible, my dear Madam, for me to describe what I suffered fromthis woman for more than six weeks, during which she kept me chained inthis way--at one time entreating me, the next moment kicking me, andthrowing me down. I had no peace--my life became a burden to me, and Ioften entreated her, in mercy, to put an end to my sufferings. I alsohad my paroxysms of rage, and then would spurn her, spit at her, and doeverything I could, and say all that I could imagine, to show my hatredand contempt. At other times I was sullen, and that always annoyed her.She would bear my reproaches patiently--bear any thing, so long as Iwould talk; but if I remained obstinately silent, then, in a short time,her fury would break forth. I pitied her, notwithstanding herill-treatment, for the woman did love me (after her own fashion) mostintensely.
It was on the seventh week of my confinement on the chain, that onemorning very early, as I was lying in the tobacco-shed, for she hadturned me out of the cabin, I perceived among the trees, which wereabout three hundred yards from the cabin, two Indians, in what is calledtheir war-paint, which is a sign that they were on a hostile excursion.I remained perfectly quiet, and well concealed, that I might watch them.The convicts had more than once told me that the Indians would attackus, in consequence of an insult which my mistress had offered to theirchief, with whom her husband had been so friendly; and when they statedwhat had passed, I agreed with them that they would not fail to resentthe insult as soon as they could. I had therefore always been on thelook-out, but had never seen any Indians before. My mistress, to whom Ihad, in our days of sweet converse, spoken about them, always laughed atthe idea of their attacking her, and said that they might come if theyliked. She had made every preparation for them, as she had loop-holesstuffed up with moss just below the roof of the cabin, from which youcould fire down upon them till they were within four yards of the cabin,and other loop-holes, from which you might shoot them when close to; thewindow and door were impregnable, and, provided that we were once in thecabin, there was no doubt but that a serious, if not effectual,resistance might be made. That the Indians were reconnoitring the cabinwas evident, and that they did not do so for nothing was equallycertain. After a while, during which I made out six of them, they fellback in the wood, and disappeared. The dog at that moment came out tome, and it was probably the sight of the dog which made them retreat, asthey feared that he would have given notice of their being so close tous. I waited till the convicts came out, and then I went into thecabin, and said:
"You drove me out of the house last night, and I come to return good forevil. As I lay in the tobacco-shed, I saw six Indians in the wood, tothe east of the cabin, reconnoitring, and I have no doubt but that youwill be attacked this night, so I give you notice."
"And you hope that, by this fear of their attack, you will be set free,is it not?"
"It is perfectly indifferent to me whether I am or not. I have oftenasked you to put an end to my misery, and as you have not done it, Ishall bless those Indians for the friendly act; a blow of a tomahawkwill release me, if you will not."
"Well, then, let them come with their tomahawks," replied she, "and Iwill protect you from them, for no one shall release you but myself."
"As you please," replied I; "I have done my duty in telling you what Ihave seen, and you may take precautions or not; for myself I carenothing."
So saying, I lifted up my ball of iron and went away out of the door. Iremained out of doors the whole of the day, and therefore did not knowwhether my mistress took any precautions or not, but I told the twoconvicts what I had seen, and advised them not to go far from the cabin,as they would run great danger.
They inquired of me where I had seen the Indians and I pointed out thespot in the wood, after which they went away. I was certain that theattack would be on this night, as there was no moon till three hoursbefore daybreak; and as it was very dark it would probably take place inthe early part of the night. I had made up my mind what I would do,which was not in any way to defend the cabin while chained, but, when Iwas freed, I would fight to the last, so that I might be killed where Istood, and not be taken alive and tortured.
I did not go out from home all that day, and, to my surprise, I was notmolested by my mistress. At dark she called the convicts, but they didnot answer; she came out to look for them, and asked me whether I hadseen them.
I told her that I had not seen them for two hours, and I had thoughtthat they were in the house.
"Did you tell them about the Indians?"
"Yes, I did," I replied, "and stated my opinion that they would attackus this night, and I advised them not to go far from the cabin, or theymight be cut off."
"Then the cowardly sneaks have run off to the woods, and left us todefend ourselves how we can."
"I shall not defend myself," replied I. "I shall stay here where I am.I wait for death, and will not avoid it."
"Come into the house," said she, abruptly.
"No," replied I, "I will not."
"You will not," said she, and, catching up the chain and ball in onehand, with her other arm she caught me round the waist, and carried meinto the house.
"Well," replied I, "it is only deferring it a little longer; they willforce their way in it at last, and I will die here."
"Wait until they arrive," replied my mistress. "But do you mean to saythat you will not defend the house?"
"Certainly not, as long as I am chained as a slave," replied I.
My mistress made no reply, but busied herself with barring the door andwindow. She then placed the table and stools so that she might standupon them and fire out of the upper loop-holes; pulled the moss out ofthe loop-holes; took down the muskets--of which there were six--fromtheir rests; examined the priming of those which were loaded, and loadedthose which were not. She then got out a supply of powder and ball,which she put ready on the table, brought the axes out, that they mightbe at hand, examined the water-jars to ascertain whether the convictshad filled them as she had ordered, and then, when all was prepared fordefence, she removed the lamp into the inner room, leaving the one wewere in so dark, that the Indians could not, by looking through thechinks or loop-holes, discover where the occupants of the cabin mightbe. All these arrangements she made with the greatest coolness, and Icould not help admiring her courage and self-possession.
"Is there any more to be done, Alexander?" said she, in a mild voice.
"Where is the dog?" replied I.
"Tied up in the tobacco-shed," said she.
"Then there is no more to be done," replied I; "the dog will give younotice of their coming, as they will first occupy the tobacco-shed as anadvanced post."
"Alexander, will you promise not to escape if I set you free?"
"Certainly not," replied I. "You set me free for your own purposes,because you wish me to help to defend your property; and then, forsooth,when the Indians are beat off, you will chain me again."
"No, no; that was not my feeling, as I sit here alive," replied she;"but I was thinking that, if forced to retreat from the cabin, you wouldnever be able to escape, and I never could save you; but they shouldhack me to pieces first."
"Answer me one question," said I. "In a time of peril like this, wouldyou, as a conscientious person, think that you were justified inretaining in such fetters even a convict who had robbed you? And if youfeel that you would not, on what grounds do you act in this way to a manwhom you profess to love?--I leave it to your conscience."
She remained silent for some time: when the dog barked, and she startedup.
"I believe I am mad, or a fool," said she, sweeping back her hair fromher forehead.
She then took the key of the manacle out of her dress, and released me.
"Alexander--"
"Silence!" said I, putting my hand t
o her mouth, "this is no time to beheard speaking. Silence!" repeated I in a whisper, "I hear them, theyare round the house."
I stood upon one of the stools and looked through a loop-hole. It wasvery dark, but as the Indians stood on the hill, there was clear skybehind them as low down as their waists, and I could perceive theirmotions, as they appeared to be receiving orders from their chief; andthey advanced to the door of the cabin with axes and tomahawks. Mymistress had mounted on the table at the same time that I had got on thestool. We now got down again without speaking, and, each taking amusket, we kneeled down at the lower loop-holes which I have described.On second thoughts I mounted the stool, whispering to her, "Don't firetill I do."
The Indians came to the door and tapped, one asking in English to be letin. No reply was given, and they commenced their attack upon the doorwith their axes. As soon as this aggression took place, I took good aimat their chief, as I presumed him to be, who was now standing alone onthe hill. I fired. He fell immediately.
As I leaped from the stool my mistress discharged her musket, and weboth caught up others and returned to the loop-holes below. By thistime the blows of the axes were incessant, and made the cabin-doortremble and the dust to fly down in showers from the roof; but the doorwas of double oak with iron braces, and not easily to be cut through;and the bars which held it were of great size and strength.
It was some time before we could get another shot at an Indian, but atlast I succeeded, and as his comrades were taking the body away mymistress shot another. After this the blows of the axes ceased, andthey evidently had retreated. I then went into the inner room andextinguished the lamp, that they might not be able to see us--for thelamp gave a faint light. We returned to the table, and loaded themuskets in the dark.
As I put my musket on the table, my mistress said, "Will they comeagain?"
"Yes;" replied I, "I think they will; but if you wish to talk, we hadbetter retreat to the fire-place: there we shall be safe from any shot."
We retreated to the fire-place, and sat down on the ashes; it just heldus both, and my mistress took this opportunity of embracing me,saying--"Dear Alexander, if I had a thousand lives, I would sacrificethem for you."
"We have but one," replied I, "and that one I will devote for yourdefence; I can do no more."
"Who did you fire at?" said she.
"The chief, as I believe, who was on the hill giving orders. He fell;and I think that he fell dead."
"Then depend upon it they will retreat," said she.
"I think not; they will be revenged, if they possibly can; and we mustexpect a hard fight for it."
"Why, what can they do? They never can break through the door, and whendaylight comes we can shoot them by dozens."
"Depend upon it," said I, "they will try to burn us out. The wind ishigh, which is all in their favour, and I suspect they are now gone tocollect fire-wood."
"And if they do fire the cabin, what shall we do? I never thought ofthat."
"We must remain in it as long as we can, and then sally out and fight tothe last; but everything depends on circumstances. Be guided by me, andI will save you if I can."
"Be guided by you!"
"Yes! Recollect I am not in chains now, and that although you have thecourage of a man, still you have not been so accustomed to warfare as Ihave been. I have long been accustomed to command, to plan, and toexecute, in times of peril like this."
"You have great strength and courage; I little thought what a lion I hadchained up," replied she. "Well, I love you all the better for it, andI will be guided by you, for I perceive already that you have the besthead of the two. Hark! What is that?"
"It is what I said," replied I; "they are laying fire-wood against thelogs of the cabin on the windward side--(this was on the side oppositeto the door). Now we must try if we cannot pick off some more of them,"said I, rising and taking a musket. "Bring the stools over to thisside, for we must fire from the upper loop-holes."
We remained at our posts for some time without seeing an Indian. Theyhad gone back to the wood for more combustibles. At last we perceivedthem coming back with the wood. I should imagine there were at leasttwenty of them.
"Now, take good aim," said I.
We both fired almost at the same moment, and three Indians fell.
"Get down, and give me another musket," said I to my mistress.
She handed me one, and, taking another for herself, resumed her station.We fired several times; sometimes with and sometimes without success;for the Indians went away twice for fire-wood before they had collectedwhat they considered sufficient. By this time it was piled up to theeaves of the cabin, and our loop-holes were shut up; we therefore wentover to the other side, where the door was, to see if there were anyIndians there, but could not see one. We had been on the look-out forabout five minutes, when the crackling of the wood, and the smokeforcing itself though the crevices between the logs, told us that thefire had been applied, and the wind soon fanned it up so that the flamepoured through every chink and loop-hole, and lighted up the cabin.
"We must retreat to the fire-place," said I. "Come quickly, or we shallbe shot."
"Why so?" said she, as she did as I requested.
"They will peep through the loop-holes on the side of the cabin wherethe door is and see us plainly, until the cabin is filled with smoke,which it soon will be."
"But tell me what we are to do now, for I feel if this smoke increaseswe shall not be able to speak to one another."
This she said about five minutes after we had remained standing in thefire-place, with our heads up the chimney.
"Perhaps it will be as well," replied I, "that I do speak so. Thisfierce wind drives the smoke to leeward in volumes, but the great burstof smoke will be when the roof is well on fire. It is now burningfiercely on the windward side, but we must wait till the lee-side hascaught, and then the volume of smoke will be greater. The great pointis to hit the precise time of opening the door, and escaping shrouded ina volume of smoke. If too soon, they will perceive us, and we shall beshot down; if too late, the roof will fall upon us, and we shall besmothered or burnt. We had better now, I think, leave this, and be allready. Our best weapon, if we had to fight our way, will be an axe.Let us each take one; and, by now going near to the door, and puttingour mouths to one of the loop-holes, we shall breathe freer, and unbarthe door at the right time. Do you agree with me?"
"You are right," said she; "you are a _man_, and I am a _woman_."
We left the fire-place, and, having felt for and found the axes, we wentnear the door, and put our mouths to the loop-holes below; and the smokepassing above them enabled us to breathe freer. I looked out andperceived that, with the exception of about six yards to leeward of thecabin, there was a dense volume of smoke rolling along the ground for along distance; and that if we could only once gain it without beingperceived, we should probably be saved. I therefore unbarred the door,drew the bolt, and held it in my hand, all ready for a start. The cabinwas now in flames in every part as well as the roof. I touched mymistress, and then took her hand in mine, watching at the loop-hole. Atlast, when the heat was almost unbearable, an eddy of the wind droveback the smoke close to the lee-side of the cabin, and all was dark. Ijumped up, opened the door, and dragged my mistress after me; we walkedout into the black mass completely hid from our enemies, and thenrunning hand-in-hand as fast as we could to leeward in the centre of thesmoke, we found ourselves at least one hundred yards from the cabinwithout the Indians having any idea that we were not still inside. Aswe retreated, the density of the smoke became less, and I then told herto run for her life, as the Indians would discover that the door of thecabin was open and that we had escaped--and so it proved. We were stilla hundred yards from the wood when a yell was given which proved thatthey had discovered our escape and were in pursuit. We gained the wood;I turned round a moment to look behind me, and perceived at least fortyor fifty Indians in full pursuit of us--the fore
most about two hundredyards distant.
"Now we must run for it, mistress," said I, "and we must no longer takehands. We shall have to thread the wood. Away! We have no time tolose."
So saying, I snatched my hand from her and sprang forward; she followingme as fast as she could, more fearful, evidently, of my making my escapefrom her than of her own escape from the Indians. As soon as I was ahundred yards in the wood, I turned short to the right, and fled withall my speed in that direction, because I hoped by this means to deceivethe Indians, and it was easier to run where the wood was not so thick.My mistress followed me close; she would have hallooed to me, but shehad not breath after the first half-mile. I found out that I was morefleet than she was. Whether encumbered with her clothes, or perhaps notso much used to exercise, I heard her panting after me. I could easilyhave left her, but my fear was that she would have called to me, and ifshe had, the Indians would have heard her, and have known the directionI had taken, and, when once on my trail, they would, as soon as daylightcame, have followed me by it to any distance; I therefore slackened myspeed so as just to enable my mistress to keep up with me at about tenyards' distance; when we had run about three miles I felt certain thatshe could not proceed much further: speak she could not, and as I ranwithout once looking behind me, she could make no sign. I continued ata less rapid pace for about a mile further. I did this to enable her tokeep up with me, and to recover my own breath as much as possibleprevious to a start. The voices of the Indians had long been out ofhearing, and it was clear that they had not discovered the directionwhich we had taken. I knew, therefore, that they could not hear her nowif she did cry out as loud as she could, and I gradually increased myspeed, till I could no longer hear her panting behind me; I then wentoff at my full speed, and after a few minutes I heard her voice at somedistance faintly calling out my name. "Yes," thought I, "but I have notforgotten the ball and chain; and if you thought that you had let loosea lion while we were in the cabin, you shall find that you have loosed adeer in the woods." I then stopped for a few moments to recover mybreath; I did not, however, wait long; I was afraid that my mistressmight recover her breath as well as myself, and I again set off as fastas I could. The idea of torture from the Indians, or again being keptconfined by my mistress, gave me endurance which I thought myselfincapable of. Before morning I calculated that I had run at leasttwenty miles, if not more.
With the perspiration running down me in streams, and hardly able todrag one leg before the other, I at last, just about daybreak, gave itup, when I threw myself on the ground, and dropped out of my hand myaxe, which I had carried the whole way. I lay there for more than halfan hour, tormented with thirst, but quite unable to move. At last Irecovered; and, as I well knew that the Indians would divide in partiesof three or four, and hunt every part of the woods, and by daylightprobably discover my track, I rose and prepared to resume my toil, when,looking round me, I perceived that I was exactly on the spot where I hadfollowed the deer, and had fallen in with the Jolly Rover, as he termedhimself, who had pointed out the way to the plantations. I turned andsaw the river below, and as he had told me that the Indians never camethere, I resolved to go to the river, where, at least, I should findshell-fish and water. I did so; and in half an hour arrived at theskirts of the wood, and found that the river was about four hundredyards from me and clear of trees at the mouth for some distance. I wentdown to the river, which ran swiftly cut, and I drank till I was readyto burst. I then rose on my feet, and walked along its banks towardsthe mouth, thinking what I should do. To get to James Town appeared tome to be an impossibility, unless by water, and I was not likely to meetwith any other vessel here but a pirate. Should I, then, go aboard of apirate? It appeared to me to be my only resource, and that I should behappy if I could find one.
By this time I had arrived at the mouth of the river, and, looking outto seaward, I saw a schooner at anchor. She was about three miles off.That she was a pirate vessel, I presumed. Should I go on board of heror not? And if so, how was I to get on board? All her boats were up;and I surmised that she had just left the river with the intention ofsailing as soon as there was any wind, for now it was calm. The riverran out swiftly, and I thought I should be able to swim the distancewith the assistance I should obtain from the current, which swept downright for her, and she was riding to its strength.
I was demurring. I had been perhaps two hours on the beach, waiting tosee if she might send a boat on shore, when, as I stood at theriver-side, still hesitating, I happened to turn round and perceivedthree Indians coming down upon me as fast as they could. I hesitated nolonger, but plunged into the stream, and was swept out two hundred yardsbefore they arrived at the beach. I made for the schooner; and thecurrent ran out so fast, that in half an hour I was close to her. Iswam for her cable, which I clung to, and then shouted loudly. Thisinduced some of the crew to look over the bows, and they handed me abowling knot, into which I fixed myself, and was hauled on board.
I was dragged aft to give an account of myself, and I stated in fewwords that I had been pursued by the Indians, and swam off to save mylife.
"Hav'n't we met before?" said a rough voice.
I looked, and saw the Jolly Rover whom I had fallen in with on shore. Isaid, "Yes; I was escaping from the Indians when I met you, and youshowed me the direction of the plantations."
"All's right," said he. "It's a true bill; and were those Indians afteryou that we saw on the beach just now?"
"Yes," I replied; and then I stated how it was that they had attackedour cabin, and how we had escaped.
"That was well done, and so you swam off three miles. Fire and waterwon't hurt you; that's clear. You're just the man for us. Whatthing-um-bob is this that you have hung round your neck?" said he,taking up the leathern bag with the diamond in it.
"That," replied I--a sudden thought having struck me--"is my caul; I wasborn with a caul, and I have always worn it, as it saves a man fromdrowning."
"No wonder that you swam three miles, then," replied the man.
You must know, Madam, that some people are born with a membrane over theface, which is termed a caul, and there has been a vulgar error thatsuch people can never be drowned, especially if they wear this caulabout their person in after-life. Sailors are superstitious in manythings, but particularly in this, and my caul was therefore asmuch-respected by them as it hung round my neck, as it was by theIndians when they thought it was what they call "magic" or "medicine."
"Well," said the Jolly Rover, "as you had so much fire, so much water,and so much running, I think you won't be sorry to have a biscuit andglass of grog, and then turn in; to-morrow we will talk to you."
I went down below, very glad to accept the offer, and as I was regalingmyself, who should come up to me but two of the Portuguese who had beenwrecked in the xebeque, and put on shore with me in the little boat bythe captain of the Transcendant. I was very glad to see them. Theytold me that, after great hardship and suffering, they had arrivedfamished at the banks of this river, and had been taken on board by thepirates, and had remained with them ever since; that they were veryanxious to get away, but never had an opportunity. I begged them not tosay who I was, but merely that I was once a shipmate of theirs. Theypromised, and being very tired, I then lay down and fell asleep. I wasso worn out, that I did not wake till the next morning, when I foundthat we were under all sail running down to the southward. I saw theJolly Rover, as I had termed him, on deck, (his real or assumed name, Idon't know which, I found out to be Toplift,) sitting on a gun abaft.He called me to him. I said:
"Are you the captain?"
"Yes," he replied, "for want of a better. I told you months ago what wewere, so it's no use repeating it. Do you intend to join us?"
"Then," replied I, "I will be very candid with you. I have been driven,as it were, on board of your vessel, but certainly without knowingexactly what she was. Now, captain, I have to ask you one question:--Would you, if you could go on sho
re in England, with plenty of money atyour command, and plenty of good friends,--would you be here?"
"No; certainly not," replied he.
"Well; I am in that position. If once in England, I have money enoughto live upon, and plenty of friends; I therefore naturally want to getback to England, and not to run the risk of my neck on board of thisvessel."
"That's very true," replied he, "but there are other considerations; mymen won't have a man on board who will not swear fidelity, and if youwill not, I cannot protect you,--they will throw you overboard. Wedon't carry passengers."
"That's very true, also; and I will swear fidelity so far as this, thatyou never shall be betrayed by me, and I never will appear as a witnessagainst one of you; it were most ungrateful if I did. While I am onboard, I will do any duty you please to put me to, for I cannot expectto eat my bread for nothing."
"And suppose we come to action?"
"There's the difficulty," replied I; "against an English ship I neverwill fight."
"But if we are opposed to any other nation, and there is a chance of ourbeing overpowered?"
"Why, then, if you are overpowered, as I shall be flung along with therest, I think I must do all I can to save my own life; but, overpoweredor not, I will not fire a shot or draw a cutlass against my owncountrymen."
"Well, I cannot deny but that's all very fair."
"I think," replied I, "it is as much as you can expect; especially as Inever will share any prize-money."
"Well; I will talk to the men, and hear what they say; but, now, answerme one question--Are you not a seaman?"
"I will answer the truth to everything; I am a seaman, and I havecommanded a privateer. I have served many years in privateers, and haveseen a great deal of hard fighting."
"So I thought," replied he; "and now answer me another question,--Was itnot you that played that trick to that French privateer captain atBordeaux?"
"Yes it was," replied I; "but how came you to know that?"
"Because I was the mate of a merchant vessel that had been captured, andI saw you three or four times as you passed the vessel I was on boardof; for, being put in quarantine, we were not sent to prison till thepratique was given. I thought that I knew you again."
"I have no concealment to make."
"No: but I will tell you candidly, my men, if they knew all this, wouldnot allow you to leave the vessel. Indeed, you might be captain if youpleased, for I do not suit them. Our captain--for I was his officer--was killed about six months ago; and I really am not fit for theoffice--I am too tender-hearted."
"Well; you don't look so," replied I, laughing.
"Can't judge of outsides," replied he; "but it's a fact. They say thatthey will be all condemned if taken, from my not destroying the crews ofthe vessels we take; that they will be so many witnesses against them;and I cannot make up my mind to cold-blooded murder. I am bad enough; Irob on the high seas; I kill on the high seas--for we must kill when wefight; but I cannot commit deliberate murder either at sea or on shore,and so I tell them. If any one else could navigate the vessel, I shouldbe superseded immediately."
"I am glad to hear you say what you have, captain; it makes me lessdissatisfied at finding myself here. Well; I have said all I can, and Imust trust to you to manage with your ship's company."
"It will be a difficult job," said he, musing.
"Tell them," replied I, "that I was once a captain of a vessel like this(after all, there is not so much difference between a pirate and aprivateer as you may think)--and that I will not be under the command ofany one."
"If they hear that, they will give you the command of this vessel."
"I will refuse to take it; and give my reasons."
"Well; I'll tell them that: I leave you to settle with them how you can;but," added he, in a low tone, "there are some desperate villains amongthem."
"That I take for granted," replied I; "so now I leave you to speak tothem."
Toplift did so. He told them that I was a pirate captain, who had losthis vessel and been thrown on shore, but I refused to join any shipexcept as captain of her; that I would not serve as first officer, andwould obey no one. He told them that he knew me before, and he narratedthe business at Bordeaux when I commanded a privateer, extolling me, asI afterwards found, beyond all measure.
The crew, having heard what he had to say, went forward, and, afterconsultation, came to Toplift and said that I must take the oath.
Toplift replied that he had desired me so to do, and that I had answeredthat I would not. "But," said he, "you had better speak to himyourselves. Call all hands aft and hear what he has to say."
This was done, and I was sent for.
"I have told them what you said, Sir. I don't know your name."
"I have no name," replied I, proudly, "except `Captain,'--that's myname."
The fact is, Madam, I was determined to carry it out bravely; knowingthat it is the best way to deal with such people as I now had in hand.
"Well, then, Captain, I have told the men that you will not take theoath."
"Take the oath!" replied I, with scorn; "no; I administer the oath toothers. I make them take it. I make them swear fidelity to me. Suchhas been my conduct, and I shall not depart from it."
"Well, but, Captain Toplift, you don't mean to say that he is to remainon board with us and not take the oath," said a surly-looking ruffian."In spite of you, he shall take the oath, Captain Toplift."
"Captain Toplift," said I, calmly, "do you allow one of your crew to usesuch language as this? Had I been captain of this ship, I would haveblown his brains out as he stood. You don't know how to deal with theserascals. I do."
Captain Toplift, who appeared much pleased at being supported in thisway by me--(strange that a single individual, whom they might havethrown overboard in a minute, should have gained such an ascendency, butso it was)--and who perceived that the men fell back, as if taken bysurprise, then said, "Captain, you have taught me a good lesson, which Iwill take advantage of. Seize that fellow and put him in irons."
"Hah!" cried the man, seeing that no man touched him; "who is to bellthe cat! Hah!" and drew his cutlass.
"I will, then," said I to Captain Toplift, "if you desire it;" andstepping forward I went up to the man, saying, "Come, come, my goodfellow, this won't do here; I am used to deal with such chaps as you,and I can manage worse than you, a good deal."
I advanced till I was within the stroke of his cutlass before he wasaware of it, and, seizing him by the waist, I threw him flat on his backand put my foot on his neck.
"Now," cried I, in an authoritative voice, "put this man in ironsimmediately--refuse who dares. Here, you Sirs, lay hold of thisfellow," continued I, looking to the Portuguese; who accordingly cameforward and led him away, assisted by others, who now joined them.
"Are there any more mutineers here?" inquired I; "if so let them stepforward."
No one stirred.
"My lads," said I, "it is very true that I have refused to take theoath, for the oath is not given to those who command, but to those whoobey; but at the same time I am not one to betray you. You know who Iam; and is it likely?"
"No, no," replied the men.
"Sir," asked one of them, who had been most forward and insolent, "willyou be our captain?--say but the word,--you are the sort of man wewant."
"You have a captain already," replied I, "and in a few weeks I shallcommand a vessel of my own; I cannot, therefore, accept your offer; butwhile I am on board I will do all in my power to assist Captain Topliftin any way, and you can desire no more. And now, my men, as an oldhand, I have but this advice to give you, which is--to return to yourduty; for everything in a vessel of this description depends uponobedience; and to you, Captain Toplift, I have also advice to give,which is--to shoot the first man who behaves as that scoundrel did whois now in irons. Boatswain! Pipe down."
I hardly knew whether this latter order would be obeyed by theboatswain, or, if obeyed by the boa
tswain, whether it would be obeyed bythe men; but, to my great satisfaction, it was; and the men retiredpeaceably.
"Well, Captain Toplift," said I, "I have done you no harm, and myselfsome good."
"You have indeed," replied he; "come down into the cabin." When we werein the cabin he said, "You have unarmed and subdued the most mutinousrascal in the vessel, and you have strengthened my authority. Theyfully believe you are what you assert from your behaviour, and I feel,with you at my side, I shall get on better with these fellows than Ihave done. But now, to keep up the idea, you must, of course, mess inthe cabin with me, and I can offer you clothes, not my own, but those ofthe former captain, which will suit your shape and make."
I readily agreed with him; and, having equipped myself in the clothes heoffered me, which were handsome, I soon afterwards went on deck withhim, and received the greatest respect from the men as I passed them. Acot was slung for me in the cabin, and I lived altogether with CaptainToplift, who was a good-hearted, rough sort of a man, certainly whollyunfit for the command of a vessel manned by such a set of miscreants,and employed on such a service. He told me that he had been taken threeyears before by a pirate vessel, and finding that he could navigate,they had detained him by force, and that at last he had becomeaccustomed to his position.
"We all must live," said he, "and I had no other means of livelihoodleft me; but it's sorely against my conscience, and that's the truth.However, I am used to it now, and that reconciles you to anything,except murder in cold blood, and that I never will consent to."
On my inquiring where they were about to cruise, he said, on the SpanishMain.
"But," said I, "it is peace with the Spaniards just now."
"I hardly knew," said he, "it was peace. Not that peace makes anydifference to us, for we take everything; but you refer to myself, Iknow, and I tell you frankly that I have preferred this cruise merelythat we may not fall in with English vessels, which we are not likely todo there. I wish I was out of her with all my heart and soul."
"No doubt of it, Captain Toplift, I think you are sincere. Suppose youput into one of the inlets of Jamaica, they won't know where we are; letus take a boat on shore and leave her. I will provide for you, and youshall gain your living in an honest way."
"God bless you, Sir," said he; "I will try what I can do. We must talkthe matter over, for they may suspect something, and then it would beall over with us."
We continued to run down till we were in the latitude of the VirginIsles, and then we altered her course for Jamaica. The first and secondmates generally received information of Captain Toplift as to hismovements and intentions, which they communicated to the crew. If thecrew disapproved of them, they said so, and they were considered to havesome voice in the matter.
Now, although no navigators, these men knew enough of a chart and acourse to find that there must be some reason for its being altered asit was, instead of running down by the Spanish Main, and they inquiredwhy the cruise was altered.
Captain Toplift replied that he had taken my advice, and that I hadassured him that at the back of the island of Jamaica we shouldcertainly fall in with some rich Spanish vessels, if we lay there quietin some nook or another for a short time, as this was their time forcoming up from the south to the Havannah, where they rendezvoused for aconvoy.
This reply appeared very satisfactory to the crew, for they were allcheerful and obedient, and we ran down to Jamaica, and when we wereclose in shore we shortened sail and hove-to. We remained three or fourdays in the offing, that we might not cause any suspicion by our leavingtoo soon. Captain Toplift then told the mates that I proposed anchoringin some secret bay or inlet, as we were certain to see the Spanish shipsif we could send any one ashore on the hills to look out for them. Thiswas agreed to, and we made sail and ran along the coast, looking out forsome convenient anchorage.
As we were so doing, a vessel hove in sight, and we immediately made allsail in chase. As she did not attempt to avoid us, we hauled off as shecame near, to see what she might be. She then hoisted a yellow flag ather peak (for she was an hermaphrodite brig); this puzzled us not alittle, and we edged down towards her, for she was very rakish-looking,except in her sails.
As we neared, finding, I suppose, that we did not answer her signals,and we were not the vessel she expected us to be, she suddenly alteredher course before the wind, setting all the sail that she possiblycould. We immediately crowded canvass in chase, and came up with herfast. As we ran, the mate and I looked at her through the glass, and Imade her out to be the Transcendant, the captain of which had treated usso cruelly when we were in the boat, and who had robbed us of our moneyand clothes. I called the Portuguese and desired them to look at thevessel through the glass, and give me their opinion. They directly saidthat it was the vessel I supposed.
"Let us only catch the rascal," said I, "and we will pay him in his owncoin;" and I immediately gave directions for the better trimming of thesails, so anxious was I to come up with him.
The men of the schooner were much pleased at the anxiety I displayed tocome up with the chase, and by the alacrity with which they obeyed me Isaw how anxious they were that I should be their captain. In two hourswe were within gun-shot, and sent one of our bow-chasers after him.Perceiving that it was useless to run, the fellow hove-to, and as wecame alongside he was all ready with his boat to come on board. He didso, and at first I kept out of sight to hear what he would say. He wasfollowed up the side by his amiable son. Captain Toplift received himon deck, and he looked around him, saying, "I believe I am right. I wasafraid I had made more mistakes than one. I believe you are in the freetrade?"
"Yes," replied Toplift, "we are."
"Yes, I thought so, captain, but I expected to meet another schoonerwhich is very like to yours, and is also in the trade. I made my signalto her, as, when she has anything to get rid of, why I take it off herhands. Perhaps you may have something of the kind which is not exactlysafe to show,--church-plate and the like. I pay ready money--that's myplan."
As it afterwards appeared, Madam, this scoundrel had been in the freetrade, or pirating, himself for many years, but he had taken anopportunity of walking off with a large sum of money belonging to thepirate crew, and with this money he had purchased his property inVirginia and the brig which he now commanded. Although he did notfollow up the free trade any more, he had made arrangements with apirate captain whom he met at Port Royal to meet them at the back of theisland and receive such articles as the pirate might want to turn intocash, by which he, of course, took care to secure large profits.
This he had done several times, and as he sold his cargo at Port Royalfor dollars, he had always cash to pay for what the pirate wished to getrid of. But he had now run into the lion's jaws, for not only were Iand the Portuguese on board to denounce him as a robber, but, what wasstill more unfortunate for him, three of the pirate's crew, whom had heswindled out of their property, were also on board of us, and recognisedhim immediately.
As Captain Toplift knew how I had been treated by him, he thought it wastime he should be confronted with me, and to his question as to whetherthere was anything to dispose of, he replied to him, "You must put thatquestion to the captain. There he is."
The fellow turned to me; he looked at me, stared, and was mute, when hiscub of a boy cried out, "As sure as a gun it's he, father, and nomistake."
"Oh, you imp of Satan, you know me, do you?" replied I. "Yes, it is he.Send all the men aft."
The men came fast enough. They were only waiting till I had spoken tothem to come and give information against him.
"Now, my lads," said I, "this is a scoundrel who fell in with some of uswhen we were in distress, after we had lost our vessel. Instead ofbehaving as one seaman does to another, he robbed us of all we had, andturned us adrift naked to be killed by the Indians. Of all, I and thetwo Portuguese you took on board about four months back are the onlythree left: the others perished. The one who was with me was burnt to
death by the Indians, and I narrowly escaped. I leave you to decidewhat this scoundrel merits."
"But there is more against him, captain," said the men, and then four ofthem stepped out and declared that he had run away with the moneybelonging to the crew of which they were a part, and that the sum he hadstolen amounted to 25,000 dollars.
"What have you to say for yourself?" said I to him.
"That I've been a cursed fool to be caught as I have been."
"What will they do, father?"
"Hang us, I suppose," replied he.
"Captain Toplift," said I, "I do not command this vessel, and I shalltherefore leave you to decide upon the fate of this miscreant;" and,having said that, I was going below to the cabin, when the captain ofthe Transcendant's son ran to me, and said, "I want to speak to you,Sir, when you are alone."
"What are you after, Peleg?" cried his father.
"I'm going to save your life, father, if I can," replied he.
"You'll be clever if you do that, boy," said the man, sneeringly.
I allowed the boy to follow me down into the cabin, and then asked himwhat he had to say.
"I have that to tell you which is of more value than the lives of ahundred boys like me."
"Boys like you? Why I thought it was to save your father's life thatyou came down, Sir?"
"Pooh!" said he, "let him hang; he was born for a halter. I am come tosave my own life. I only said that to gammon him."
"You're a hopeful youth," said I; "and pray what is that you can tell methat will save your own neck from the halter?"
"That which will save your own, most likely," replied the boy, "andtit-for-tat's all fair."
"Well, let's hear it then," replied I.
"No, not unless you promise. I can swing, if need be, as well asfather, but I'd rather not, 'cause I know where all his money ishidden."
"I can't make any promise," replied I.
"Then I can't tell," replied he, "so I may e'en go on deck and tellfather that I cannot manage it;" and as he said the latter part of thisspeech, the undaunted little villain actually laughed at the idea ofgammoning his father, as he termed it.
Train up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart fromit, is mostly true; but it is more certain that if you train a child upin the way that he should not go, he will be a more true disciple.Could there be a more decided proof of the above than the behaviour ofthis young villain? But his father had made him so, and thus was herewarded.
"Stop," said I, for I had reflected whether, after all, there were anygrounds for hanging the boy, and come to a conclusion that a jury wouldhave probably acquitted him. "Stop," said I; "you say that what you cantell is of the greatest consequence."
"And becomes of more consequence every minute that passes," replied he."I will tell you everything, and let you into father's secrets. I peachupon father altogether."
"Well, then," replied I, "if what you have to disclose proves important,I will do all I can to save your life, and I have no doubt that I shallbe able so to do."
"No more have I," replied he, "or I would not have come to you. Nowthen, father came to the back of the island to do a little business witha pirate schooner, as he said just now; and he has very often done itbefore, as he said just now; but father did not tell you all. When wewere in Port Royal, father went to the captain of a king's vessel who isthere, having been sent to put down the pirates if possible, and heoffered this captain of the king's ship, for a certain sum, to put ourfriends that we exchange with into his hands."
"What, betray his friend the pirate?"
"Yes, father agreed that he would come round as he has done this day,and would contrive to chaffer and bargain with him and keep him so latein the bay that the king's ship should come upon him all of a sudden andtake him, and this was father's intention, only you have pinned him.The king's ship will be round that point in two hours or thereabouts, soif you are found here you will be taken and handed as sure as I ain'thanged yet. Now ain't this important news, and worth all I asked forit?"
"It certainly is, if it is true, boy."
"Oh, I'll prove it, for I always goes with father, and he trusts me witheverything. I saw the paper signed. The king's ship is called theVestal, and the captain who signed the paper signed it Philip Musgrave."
"Indeed," said I, turning away, for I did not wish the boy to perceivemy emotion at this announcement. I recovered myself as soon as I could,and said to him, "Boy, I will keep my promise. Do you stay below, and Iwill go on deck and plead for your life."
"Mayn't I go on deck for a bit?" said he.
"What to wish your father good-bye? No, no, you had better spareyourself and him that painful meeting."
"No, I don't want to wish him good-bye,--I'll wait till it's over, onlyI never did see a man hanged, and I have a curiosity to have just apeep."
"Out, you little monster," cried I, running up on deck, for theinformation I had received was too important not to be immediately takenadvantage of.
"Well, captain, has the boy saved his father's life?"
"No," replied I, in a loud voice.
"Then, up he goes," said the men, for the halter had been round his neckand run out to the yard-arm for some time, and the men had manned therope, only awaiting my return on deck. In a second, the captain of theTranscendant was swinging in the air, and certainly if ever a scoundrelmerited his fate it was that man. Shortly afterwards I turned round,and there was the young hopeful looking at his father's body swinging toand fro with the motion of the vessel.
I looked in vain for a tear in his eye; there was not a symptom ofemotion. Seeing me look sternly at him, he hastened down below again.
"My lads," said I to the men, who were all on deck, "I have receivedintelligence of that importance that I recommend that we should cut thatvessel adrift, and make sail without a moment's loss of time."
"What, not plunder?" cried the men, looking at the Transcendant.
"No, not think of it, if you are wise."
At this reply all of the men exclaimed that "that would not do"--"thatplunder they would"--that "I was not the captain of the vessel,"--andmany more expressions, showing how soon a man may lose popularity onboard of a pirate vessel.
"I gave my opinion, my men, and if you will hear why I said so--"
"No, no, out boats," cried they all, and simultaneously ran to lowerdown the boats, for it was now calm, that they might tow the schooneralongside of the Transcendant.
"You might as well talk to the wind as talk to them when there isplunder to be obtained," said Toplift to me in a low tone.
"Come down with me," said I, "and I will tell you what I have heard."
"Ain't they going to plunder the brig?" said Master Peleg, when we camedown; "I know where father's dollars are," and up he ran on deck.
I made a short remark upon the depravity of the boy, and then informedCaptain Toplift of what he had told me.
"If you had told them, they would not have paid attention to you. Theboat's crew who came with the captain have told them that there is moneyon board, and all authority is now at an end."
"Well," replied I, "I believe that the boy has told the truth."
"And what do you mean to do?"
"Remain below quietly, if I am allowed," replied I.
"But I cannot," said he; "they would throw me overboard."
"Make as bad a fight of it as you can," replied I.
"That I will," said Captain Toplift, "and with so superior a forceopposed, we cannot stand long. But I must tell you where you must be."
"Where?" replied I.
"At the entrance of the magazine, for as sure as we stand here they willblow up the vessel rather than be taken. Not all of them, but two orthree I know are determined so to do, and resolute enough to do it. Mypistols are there. You have only to open this door, and you are in themagazine passage. See," said he, opening the door, "there is thescuttle where they hand the powder up."
"I will be on the
watch, depend upon it; and, Captain Toplift, if theschooner is taken, and I am alive, you may have no fear for yourself."
"Now let us go on deck again."
"I will follow you," replied I.
"I am alone at last, thank Heaven!" said I to myself. "What a positionam I in, and how much will be in suspense before twenty-four hours areover! My own brother here, not ten miles perhaps from me, commandingthe vessel which will attack this on which I am on board. That theywill take us I have no doubt; but what risk do I run--of death by shot,or by their blowing up the vessel in spite of me, or of no quarter beinggiven. Well, I wish it were decided. At all events, I am long supposeddead, and I shall not be recognised among the heaps of the bodies."
I then went to the locker and took out my duck frock and trousers,determining that I would, if I were killed, be killed in those clothes,and be thrown overboard as a common seaman. I then went on deck, for Iheard the grating of the sides of the two vessels, and knew that theywere in contact.
All was uproar and confusion on board of the Transcendant, but there wasnobody on board the schooner except Toplift and myself. I cannot saythat I never saw such a scene, for I had seen quite as bad on board of aprivateer. The common seamen, as well as the soldiers, when let looseto plunder, are like maniacs. In half an hour they had broken openeverything, cut the crew to pieces, and found out the hoard of dollars,which was shown them by young Peleg, who tried for his share, but for sodoing received a chop with a cutlass, which cut off his right ear, andwounded him severely on the shoulder; but his right arm was notdisabled, and while the man that out him down was bending over a heap ofdollars, which took both hands to lift them, the boy ran his knife deepinto the man's side, who fell mortally wounded. The rush for thedollars thus at the mercy of the rest was so great, that Peleg was notminded, and he crept away and came on board the schooner. We saw thathe was bleeding profusely, but we asked no questions, and he went downthe ladder forward.
"What has that young villain been after?" said Toplift.
"I presume he has been quarrelling for plunder, and considered that hehad a greater right to his father's money than anybody else."
Among other plunder the people had not forgotten to look for liquor, andan hour had not passed before three-fourths of the men were more or lessintoxicated. They had found plenty of good clothes, and were struttingabout with gold-laced waistcoats and embroidered coats over their dirtyfrocks. The uproar increased every minute, when Toplift, who had beenlooking out with the glass, exclaimed, "There she is, by all that'ssacred!"
I caught the glass out of his hand, and found it was the king's ship.She was a large flush vessel, apparently of eighteen or twenty guns,just opening from the point, and not seven miles from us. We were stillbecalmed, and she was bringing the wind down with her, so that to escapeappeared impossible.
"Now, what shall we do?" said Captain Toplift; "shall we allow her tocome down upon us and say nothing to the men, or shall we point out thedanger and persuade them to come on board and prepare?"
"You must do as you please," replied I, "I am indifferent which. Itwill be dark in another hour, and she will not be down by that time. Iwould rather avoid fighting, and get away from the schooner quietly if Icould, but that I fear is impossible now."
"Well, I must go on board of the brig and let them know, for if theyfind it out themselves they will throw us overboard."
Captain Toplift then went on board of the brig, and railing to the menwho were still sober, told them that there was a king's ship coming downupon them not seven miles off. This had the effect of putting an end tothe confusion and noise of a great portion of the men, who hastened onboard of the schooner, but others, who were intoxicated, were withdifficulty persuaded to return.
At last they were all got on board, and the schooner, clear from thebrig, was made ready for action; but Toplift was obliged to make somealteration in the stationing of the men, as those who were to hand upthe powder were all of them tipsy. By the time that the schooner wasready, and the breeze had come down to her, the corvette was not morethan three miles from us; but it was quite dark, for there is notwilight in those parts. We consulted what course we should take toavoid her, if possible, and agreed that we would stand in shore and passher if we possibly could. We knew that, if seen, we were then certainto be obliged to fight; but if not seen, we might escape.
We then shifted the helm and bore up across her bows, but we had notsteered in this direction more than a quarter of an hour, when theTranscendant was perceived to be on fire, having been fired by thedrunken men before they left her, and soon afterwards she burst out intoflames that threw a strong light to a great distance, discovering thecorvette to us at two miles' distance, and of course exposing us to thecorvette, who immediately altered her course for us. We had thereforeonly to fight, and the crew, being most of them in liquor, declared thatthey would fight till the schooner sunk under them. In a quarter of anhour, the corvette being close to us, and standing stem on, we openedour fire, raking her masts and yards, and then I went down below. I hadchanged my clothes for the duck trousers and shirt which I had swum onboard in, and I now remained quietly in the cabin. A few minutesafterwards the corvette opened her fire, and the shot did greatexecution. The cries of the wounded and the shouts of the tipsy menwere mingled together, but the crew of the schooner fired with greatrapidity, and sustained the unequal conflict most gallantly.
After a time some men darted down into the cabin. I was then at thedoor which led to the magazine passage, and busied myself handing up thepowder, as it secured me from observation, and it was supposed that Iwas one of the crew sent down for that duty.
The men roared out, "Where is the captain? We want him to fight theship. Toplift is an old fool, and don't know what he is about."
I made no reply, but with my back towards them continued to hand up thepowder, and, having changed my dress, they did not recognise me, so theyrushed upon deck again.
The corvette was now alongside of the schooner, pouring in herbroadsides with fatal execution, the shot passing in every directionthrough her, so that there was as much danger below as on deck, and itwas evident that the schooner could not oppose them much longer. Stillthey continued to fire with great resolution, being now sobered intomore steadiness than at first. But by this time more than half the menwere killed and wounded, and our guns were encumbered with the wreck andbodies. I heard them, at the very time that a crashing broadside waspoured in by the corvette, cry out, "Avast firing for a moment and clearthe decks."
They did so, and, having thrown the bodies overboard and cut away thespars and rigging which had fallen, so as to enable them to work theirguns, during which time three broadsides were poured in, they remannedtheir guns, and fought with as much spirit as before. I could not helpadmiring the courage of the scoundrels, for nothing could exceed it; butresistance was useless, further than they preferred dying at their gunsto being hanged on the gibbet.
But the shouts of the pirates and the reports of the guns graduallydecreased. The men were swept away by the enemy's fire, and the gunswere one by one disabled. The schooner's sides were torn out, and thewater poured in so fast that it was rising to the magazine. I heard acry of boarders, and the striking of the two vessels together, and thenthere was a rush down below, when a man came aft to the magazinepassage. It was the fellow whom I had struck down on the quarter-deckand had put into irons.
"Come along," said he, to the others; "we'll send the corvette andourselves all to the devil together. Out of the way there."
"Stand back," said I.
"Stand back," replied he, pointing his pistol down to the magazine.
I threw up his arm, and the pistol went off, striking the beams above.
"Blast you," cried he, "whoever you are; but I've another," and heattempted to draw it out of his belt; but before he could effect it Iblew out his brains with the pistol which I had ready cocked in my hand.
His companions started ba
ck, and I pointed my second pistol at them,saying, "The man who comes forward this way dies."
As I said this the crew of the corvette, who had cleared the decks,charged down below, and the pirates ran away and secreted themselves.Perceiving them coming forward, I said to them, "Put a guard over themagazine; they have attempted to blow up the vessel already."
"Who are you?" said an officer.
"A prisoner," replied I.
"Well, then, lead him on deck, and stay here, two of you; shut down themagazine scuttle and keep guard."
"Thank Heaven," thought I, "that this affair is over," as a seaman ledme by the collar on deck, and handed me to others, who took me on boardof the corvette.
We were all put down below that remained out of the schooner's crew,about eighteen or nineteen, not more, and I was glad to find CaptainToplift, although badly wounded with a splinter, was among the number.We remained there huddled together with a guard of ten men over us formore than an hour, when we heard, from the conversation on deck, thatthe schooner had sunk. After that the guns of the corvette weresecured, and the men had an allowance of liquor served out to them, thewatch was called, and all was quiet during the remainder of the night.For some time I was in a state of excitement from the events of the lasttwenty-four hours crowding so rapidly, but by degrees I became calm. Iasked one of the guard who was the captain of the corvette.
"What's that to you, you gallows-bird?" replied he. "A civil questionmight receive a civil reply," answered I.
"So it might with any one else; but if you don't want the hilt of mycutlass down your throat, you will hold your tongue."
But I did not require to repeat the question, as I heard one of theofficers on deck say, "It's Captain Musgrave's orders."
This satisfied me, and I lay down with the rest of the prisoners,waiting for daybreak, when I trusted my troubles would soon be over.They were all sound asleep. Strange that men who knew that they wouldbe hanged in a few days, if not the next morning, should sleep sosound--but so it was--while I, who had every reason to believe that mysufferings were over, could not sleep one wink. I was, however, fullysatisfied with my own castle-buildings during the night, and moresatisfied when it was again broad daylight. After the men had had theirbreakfast, an order came down for all the prisoners to be brought ondeck. We were led up under guard, and made to stand all in a row. Ilooked round for my brother, but he was not on deck. It was thefirst-lieutenant who was there, with several other officers, and theclerk, with pen and ink, to take down the names of the prisoners.
"Who was the captain of this vessel?" said the first-lieutenant.
"I was, Sir," replied Toplift; "but much against my will."
"Oh, of course; every man was on board of her against his will. What isyour name? Put him down, Mr Pearson. Any other officers alive?"
"No, Sir," replied Toplift.
The name of every man was then asked and put down, and it so happenedthat I was the last; for, anxious to see my brother, I had walked up theforemost, and they had commenced their interrogation at the other end ofthe line.
"What is your name?"
"I do not belong to the schooner," replied I.
"Of course not: you dropped on board her from the clouds."
"No, Sir, I did not; I swam on board of her to save my life."
"Then you went out of the frying-pan into the fire, I reckon, my goodfellow, for your life is forfeited now."
"I rather think not, Sir," replied I. "On the contrary, I feel it isquite safe."
"Give us none of your jaw, my good fellow, but give us your name."
"Certainly, Sir, if you require it. My name is Alexander Musgrave,Sir," replied I; "I am the elder brother of your captain, PhilipMusgrave, and I will thank you to go into his cabin and inform him thatI am here."
The first-lieutenant and officers started back in astonishment, and sodid Captain Toplift and the pirates. The first-lieutenant hardly knewwhether to consider it as a pretence on my part or not, and wasundecided how to act, when Captain Toplift said, "I do not know whetherthe gentleman is as he says, but this is certain, and all the men canprove it as well as myself, that he did swim on board, as he said, toescape from the Indians, and that he has never joined the crew. Theyoffered to make him captain in my stead, and he positively refused it."
"Yes," said all the pirates; "that's true enough."
"Well, Sir," replied the first-lieutenant, "I will certainly carry yourmessage."
"To make all certain," replied I, "I will write my name on a slip ofpaper for you to take in to the captain. He knows my signature."
I did so, and the first-lieutenant took the paper, and went into thecabin. In a minute he returned, and requested me to follow him. I didso, and in another minute I was in the arms of my brother. For sometime we neither of us could speak. At last Philip said, "That you arealive and well let me thank Heaven. I have considered you as dead, andso have others; and to find you on board of a pirate--on board of avessel which I have been riddling with shot, any one of which might havecaused your death! Thank God I was ignorant that you were on board, orI never could have done my duty. I will not ask how you came on boardof this vessel, for that must be the end of your narrative, which I musthave from the time that you first left Rio, and afterwards in detail thewhole from the time that you left the Coast."
"Then they received my letters from Rio?"
"Yes, after imagining you were dead, they were rejoiced by thoseletters; but I will not anticipate my story, nor will I now ask foryours; it is sufficient at present that you are alive, my dearAlexander, and once more in my arms."
"Let me ask one question," replied I.
"I know what it will be. She was in good health, but suffering much inmind from having no account of you. Her father and others have reasonedwith her, and painted the impossibility of your being in existence, asthe xebeque you sailed in had never been heard of. She still adheres tothe opinion that you are alive, and will not abandon the hope of seeingyou again; but hope deferred has paled her cheek even more pale than itusually is, and she evidently suffers much, for her life is wrapped inyours. Now, having told you this, you must come into my state-room, andallow me to enable you to appear as my brother ought to do. I do notthink that there is any difference in our size now although there waswhen we last parted."
"Many thanks, Philip, but before I adonise my outward man I should wishto satisfy my inward cravings; and, to tell you the truth, I'm so hungryfrom not having broken my fast for nearly twenty-four hours, that if youcould order something to eat while you are looking out the clothes, Ishould feel in no small degree grateful."
Philip rang the bell and ordered the steward to bring something to eatand drink, and after eating I occupied a quarter of an hour more ingetting rid of the pirate smoke and dirt, and putting on one of hisuniforms, for he had no other clothes on board, when I came out lookingnot at all like a pirate.
"Now, then," said Philip, "before we have our _tete-a-tete_, come outwith me, and let me introduce you to the officers as my brother."
I went out with him, and was formally introduced. The first-lieutenantapologised for his rough speech, but I told him that there was nooccasion for any apology, as I had no doubt that I looked very much likea pirate at the time.
"More than you do now, Sir, at all events," replied he.
"By the bye, brother," said I, "there is one man among the prisonerswho, although compelled to act as captain by the men, is no pirate. Hisconduct I will explain to you. May I request him to be kindly treated?His name is Toplift--and also two Portuguese, my former companions."
"Certainly," replied Philip, "your word is sufficient. Let thosepersons be released and taken care of," said he to the first-lieutenant."We will wait for the particulars by-and-by."
I remained on deck about ten minutes, and then returned to the cabinwith my brother.
"What is this which you have left on my dressing-table?" said Philip,surveying the leather bag which co
ntained the diamond.
"That, Philip," said I, "is a portion of my narrative, and eventuallymay prove a very important one. I don't think that I can afford to makeyou a present of it, but I shall see."
"It does not look very valuable," replied he.
"At all events, do me the favour to lock it up carefully," replied I.
"Well, if you are in earnest I will," he said, and having put it in adrawer and locked it up, he said, "Now, Alexander, let me have yourhistory."
I commenced, and told him all that the reader is now acquainted with.Dinner broke off my narrative, and as soon as it was over I resumed it.When I had finished, he expressed his astonishment, and asked manyquestions. Among others he said, "And that little wretch Peleg, thecaptain of the Transcendant's son, is he on board?"
"I have not seen him," replied I, "and therefore presume that he was notable to move, and went down in the schooner." Which was the case.
"You have indeed told me a strange tale," said Philip, "and you have hadsome extraordinary escapes. You must have a charmed life, and youappear to have been preserved to prove that Amy's persuasion of yourbeing still alive was just and well-founded; and now it is my turn totalk, and yours to listen. When I left you as lieutenant of CaptainLevee's schooner, we very shortly afterwards had an action with aSpanish vessel of very superior force, for she mounted thirty guns.Having no chance with her, from her superior weight of metal, we threwourselves on her bow and boarded. The Spaniards did not relish thiskind of close fighting, and gave us immediate possession of their deck.Captain Levee, when he brought in his prize, was appointed to a frigateof thirty-six guns, and I followed him as his first-lieutenant. We hadanother combat with a vessel of equal force, in which we were thevictors, and I was sent in the prize. Captain Levee wrote very kindlyin my behalf and I was made a captain, and given the command of a smallbrig. But let me first finish with Captain Levee. He captured agalleon, which gave him a large fortune, and he then gave up the commandof his ship, and went on shore, telling me in a letter that he hadhitherto squandered away all his money, but now that he had got so much,he intended to keep it. He has done so, for he has purchased a largelanded property, is married, and, I believe, is very happy."
"He deserves it," replied I; "and long may he be so."
"Well, to continue. I was sent out on this station, and, havinginformation that the vessel which you are now on board of was at anchorin a bay close to the Havannah, I ran in and reconnoitred. She hoistedSpanish colours, and I did the same. It fell calm, and I lay about fourmiles outside. I was mistaken for another Spanish vessel, and thecaptain of this vessel, or, to speak correctly, the Spanish captain ofthe Spanish brig, came out to see me, and did not discover his mistaketill he was on board. I detained him and his boat's crew. It continuedcalm till the evening, when the breeze sprung up, and I put the head ofthe brig right for the bay, as if I were going to anchor. The breezebeing light, it was dark before I got in and alongside this vessel.They were completely surprised, for they imagined that their captain wasdining with his old friend, and, having no idea that we were anythingbut Spanish, had not the least preparation for resistance. We hadpossession of her decks before they could seize their arms, and Ibrought her out without any one knowing that she had been captured. Onmy arrival, the admiral gave me the command of her, which I have heldfor nine months; but she is very defective, and I was ordered home, andshould have sailed, had it not been that that scoundrel, the captain ofthe Transcendant, gave me the information which induced me to come roundto the back of the island. Little did I think what happiness awaitedme. So much for myself. Do not think me an egotist for speaking ofmyself, I am only clearing away the less important information to arriveat that which most interests you. The Amy arrived safe with hervaluable cargo. The captain reported that he had remained at therendezvous until blown off by a sort of hurricane, and that, findinghimself a long way off, he considered, when the gale had ceased, that hewas not justified in remaining with so valuable a cargo, but was boundto make the best of his way to Liverpool. He was right, and his conductwas approved of by Mr Trevannion, who looked for your arrival everyhour. At last a week passed away and you did not make your appearance,and great alarm was entertained for your safety. The weeks grew intomonths, and it was supposed that you had been upset in the samehurricane which had driven the Amy so far off from her rendezvous. Thepoor girl Whyna was, as you may suppose, kindly received by MrTrevannion and his daughter, and soon gained their affection; but shepined for your return, and when she was told that you were dead shenever recovered it. The climate certainly did not agree with her, andshe contracted a very bad cough during the winter, but I believe from myheart that it was your loss which affected her the most severely. Aftershe had been about eighteen months in England, she fell into aconsumption and died."
"Poor Whyna!" said I, with a sigh.
"Alexander," said Philip, "perhaps it was all for the best, for thatpoor girl loved you sincerely, and, supposing that she was now stillalive and living with Miss Trevannion, and on your return your marriageshould (which, of course, unless Heaven decrees otherwise, it will) takeplace, that poor creature would have been very unhappy; and although theidea of her being a rival to Miss Trevannion is something which mayappear absurd to us, yet she had the same feelings, and must haveendured the same pangs, as any other woman, let her colour be what itmay. I think, therefore, that her removal was a blessing and a happydispensation. I saw Mr Trevannion and his daughter but once previousto their receiving your letters from Rio, acquainting them with yourmisfortunes and happy deliverance from slavery. They were both verydejected, and Mr Trevannion talked of retiring from business, andliving upon his property near Liverpool. As I corresponded regularlywith Amy, I learnt that he had done so, and had just wound up hisaffairs when your letters arrived from Rio with an order on thePortuguese Exchequer for a considerable sum. I hardly need say that thejoy occasioned by this intelligence was great. Amy recovered her goodlooks, and her father bitterly lamented his having retired frombusiness, as he had wished to have made the whole over to you. Themoney you remitted from Rio he considered as your own, and he also setapart your share of the business from the time that you were admitted asa partner. He was not aware that you could carry a diamond of suchimmense value about your person, exposed to the view of every one; amongIndians, settlers, and pirates. That my delight was equal to theirs youwill, I am sure, give me credit to believe; and although I was obligedto sail for the West Indies, every day I anticipated receiving a letterinforming me of your arrival in England. Judge then my distress atfirst receiving letters stating that you had not been heard of for threemonths after your leaving Rio, and expressions of fear that someaccident had happened, and then month after month many more and moredesponding letters, in which Mr Trevannion plainly stated that thexebeque must have foundered; and only Amy clinging to the hope that youwere still alive. I acknowledge that I considered you dead, and you maytherefore imagine my surprise and delight when your signature on theslip of paper proved that you were not only in existence, but on boardof the same vessel with me."
Such was the narrative of my brother Philip in return for mine, and itwas late at night when we parted. Oh! How sincerely did I pray thatnight, thanking heaven for all its mercies, and entreating that the cupmight not be again dashed from my lips. When I arose next morning Ifound that Philip was on deck, and I followed him.
"We shall soon be in Port Royal with this wind," said he, "and I hope tofind the admiral still there."
I had some conversation with the officers, and then went below to seeToplift. He was in his hammock, for he had much fever and suffered fromhis wound, but the surgeon said that he would do well.
"Toplift," said I, "you must keep your mind at ease, for my brother haspromised me that you shall not be tried with the others, and has nodoubt that when he explains the whole to the admiral you will be thankedfor your service."
"Thanked!" said Toplift, "if I am not
hanged, I shall be fortunateenough."
"No fear of that," replied I, "so keep your mind easy and get well asfast as you can."
"Well then, Sir, you have saved my life, at all events, for had you notcome on board, no one would have ever spoken for me, or believed that Iwas not a pirate in heart like all the others, except the twoPortuguese."
"If necessary, they will be evidence in your favour, but I do not thinkany evidence will be required except mine, and that will be sufficientwith the admiral. I promised you that you should never want the meansof getting your livelihood, and I repeat that promise now."
"Thank you, Sir," replied he, and I then left him and went up to thecabin to breakfast.
The following day we were at anchor at Port Royal; my brother reportedwhat had occurred, and the admiral sent for all the pirate prisonersexcept Toplift, whose case was so fully represented by me and mybrother, that he was permitted to go at large, and to take a passagehome to England free of expense if he wished it. It is hardly necessaryto say that Toplift accepted this offer, and remained in the vessel withme. The two Portuguese were also liberated. Three days after ourarrival we sailed for England, and after a quick run of between five andsix weeks, we anchored at Spithead. My brother could not leave hisship, and I therefore requested him to write to Liverpool, stating thathe had intelligence of me, and that I was alive; that I had been wreckedand had fallen into the hands of the Indians near the Englishsettlements in Virginia, and that I had escaped and was, he believed, atJames Town.
I considered it wise to make a communication like this at first, as toosudden an announcement might be dangerous to one in so weak a state ofhealth as Philip stated my Amy to be from the letter he had receivedfrom her father. I remained with him at Portsmouth until the replycame. Mr Trevannion wrote and told Philip that his communication had,as it were, raised his daughter from the grave--as she had fallen into astate of profound melancholy, which nothing could remove--that he hadvery cautiously introduced the subject, and by degrees told her what wasreported, and eventually, when he found that she was more composed, thathe had put Philip's letter into her hand.
He concluded that he trusted that I would arrive, and soon, for if anyaccident was now to happen to me it would be the death of his daughter,who had not strength enough left to bear another reverse. At my requestPhilip then wrote that he had received a letter from a brother officerstating that I was well and safe on board, and that they would be inEngland a few days after the receipt of the letter.
Leaving directions to Philip how to proceed, I now went off to London,and, having fitted myself out with every requisite of dress and toilet,I called upon a celebrated Jew diamond merchant and showed him mydiamond, requesting that he would weigh it and then estimate its value.He was much astonished at the sight of such a stone, as well he mightbe, and after weighing it and examining it he pronounced it worth 47,000pounds, provided a purchaser could be found for an article of suchvalue.
I told him that I was not a merchant, and could not be travelling aboutto show the diamond to crowned heads; but if he would give me a liberalprice for it, I would abate a great deal, that he might dispose of it tohis own advantage, he requested that he might call upon me with two ofhis friends, that they might see the diamond and consult with him; andthen he would give me an answer. We fixed the time for twelve o'clockon the following day, and I took my leave.
The next day he called at the time appointed, accompanied by twogentlemen of his own persuasion. They weighed the stone again verycarefully, examined it in the light of a powerful lamp to ascertain itswater, and to see if there were any flaws in it, calculated thereduction of weight which would take place in cutting it, and, after aconsultation, I was offered 38,000 pounds. I considered this an offerthat I ought not to refuse, and I closed with them. The next day theaffair was settled. I received money and bills on government to theamount, and wrote to Philip telling him what had taken place. Strangethat from two slaves in the mines I should have received such valuablelegacies; from poor Ingram a diamond worth so much money, and from theother Englishman a tattered Bible which made me a sincere Christian--alegacy in comparison of which the diamond was as dross.
Philip replied to my letter congratulating me on the sale of thediamond, and informing me that to his letter he had received a replycontaining so satisfactory an account of Amy's restored health, that hehad written to tell them that I had arrived safe in England, and wouldbe very soon with them. He recommended my going immediately, as theanxiety and suspense would be very injurious to Amy's health. Itherefore made every arrangement for my departure, purchased horses, andprocured four stout serving-men, well armed, to accompany me, and wrotea letter, which I sent by an express courier, stating the exact daywhich I expected to arrive at Mr Trevannion's country-seat.
I waited in London two days to wind up all my affairs, and to give timefor the express to arrive before me, as I intended to travel very fast.My stay in London was the occasion of an important discovery. I was atthe coffee-house at Saint Paul's, and was talking with one of CaptainLevee's officers, with whom I had picked up an acquaintance, when, onhis calling me by the name of Musgrave, a pinched-up sort of lookingpersonage, in a black suit, who was standing at the bay-window, turnedround, and coming up to me said, "Sir, as a stranger I must apologise,but hearing your friend call you by the name of Musgrave, may I ventureto ask if you are any relative to Sir Richard Musgrave, Baronet, wholived in Cumberland?"
"Lived, did you say, Sir? Is he then dead?"
"Yes, Sir; he has been dead these last seven months, and we are lookingout for his heir and cannot find him."
"I knew the family very well," replied I, "for I am connected with it.His eldest son, Richard, of course, must be his heir, as all the estatesare entailed."
"His eldest son, Richard, Sir, is dead. We have authenticated documentsto prove that; and, moreover, his second son, Charles, is also dead. Hecame home very ill and died, not at his father's house, but at the houseof one of his tenants on the estate. It is his third son, AlexanderMusgrave, whom we seek, and seek in vain. He is now the heir to thebaronetcy and estates, but we have lost all clue to him. We understandthat a Captain Philip Musgrave is just arrived from the West Indies. Heis, we presume, the fourth son. But until we can find out what hasbecome of Alexander Musgrave, and whether he is dead or alive, we cannotact. I have written this day to Captain Musgrave, requesting anyinformation he can give, but have received no answer. I presume, Sir,it is useless to inquire of you?"
"Not exactly, Sir, for I am the Alexander Musgrave you seek."
"Indeed, Sir, but what proof have you of your identity to offer to us?"
"The evidence of my brother, Captain Philip Musgrave, in whose ship Ihave just arrived from the West Indies; that his answer to your letterwill be satisfactory enough, I have no doubt. Here is a letter from himto me, in which you see he addresses me `dear Alexander,' and concludeswith `your affectionate brother, Philip Musgrave.'"
"This is indeed satisfactory, Sir," replied the gentleman, "and I haveonly to receive an answer from your brother to make all right and clear.Allow me, Sir, to congratulate you upon your accession to the title andproperty. I presume you will have no objection, as soon as thenecessary proofs are obtained, to accompany me down to Cumberland, whereI doubt not, you will be recognised by many."
"Of that, Sir, I have not the slightest doubt," replied I, "but I cannotgo down with you to Cumberland at present. I leave London for Liverpoolthe day after to-morrow on important business, and cannot disappoint theparties."
"Well, Sir, it must indeed be an important business which will preventyou from taking possession of a title and 4000 pounds per annum,"replied he; "but here is my address, and I hope I shall hear from you assoon as possible, as I shall remain in town till I can bring the heirdown with me."
The man now looked as if he doubted me. He could not imagine that Icould neglect the taking possession of the estate for any otherbusiness, and it did app
ear singular, so I said to him, "Sir, I havebeen long out of England, and am affianced to a young lady who livesnear Liverpool. She has been waiting to hear from me for some time, andI have sent an express to say that I will be with her on such a day. Icannot disappoint her, and I tell you more, that, without I possess her,the possession of the title and estates will give me very littlepleasure."
"Sir," replied he, making a bow, "I honour your sentiments, and she mustbe a worthy lady who can inspire such feelings. I only hope that youwill not remain too long at Liverpool, as London is expensive, and I amanxious to return to Cumberland."
I then wished the gentleman farewell, and went home to my lodgings. Ihad given him my address in case he wanted to see me before mydeparture.
The next day I received a letter from Philip enclosing the one writtento him by this gentleman, whose name was Campbell, and who was a lawyer.Philip told me what reply he had made to him, and congratulated me onmy accession to the title and estates. Almost an hour afterwards MrCampbell called upon me with Philip's letter, which he declared to behighly satisfactory, and sufficient in any court of justice.
"But," said he, "I would wish to ask you a few particulars."
"And I also would wish to make a few inquiries, Mr Campbell. I haveheard your name in my youth, although I cannot recollect ever havingseen you."
"I was the confidential adviser of your father at one time, Sir,"replied he, "but latterly all intercourse had ceased; it was not untilhe was on his death-bed, and fully repented the foolish step which hehad taken, and the injustice he had been guilty of, that he sent forme,--much to the annoyance of Lady Musgrave, who would have prevented mefrom coming into the house even when I arrived, had it not been for theservants, who disobeyed her."
"And my sisters, Sir, Janet and Mabel?"
"Are both well, and have grown up very fine girls. Your fatherdestroyed the deed by which Lady Musgrave was to have had a largejointure upon the estate, and she is now entirely dependent upon you forwhat she may receive. When do you expect to be able to come up fromLiverpool?"
"I can hardly say, but of course as soon as I can."
"Well, Sir, my own affairs will require my presence in the metropolisfor a month. In the mean time, although I should have preferred to havegone down with you to Faristone Hall, and have at once put you inpossession, yet affairs may remain as they are (for everything is underseal, and Lady Musgrave has been compelled to remove) till it suits yourconvenience. I shall, however, write to let them know that you havebeen found and will soon come down and take possession."
Mr Campbell then asked me a few questions, to which I repliedsatisfactorily, and then for the first time he saluted me with my title,saying, "Sir Alexander, I will now take my leave."
The next morning I set off on my journey, and travelled with as muchspeed as the horses would permit. I arrived on the fifth day at MrTrevannion's seat, about nine miles from Liverpool. As I rode up theavenue of chestnut trees, I perceived a female form looking out from anupper window, which soon afterwards made a precipitate retreat. Ialighted, and was received at the door in the embrace of Mr Trevannion,who welcomed me with tears, and taking me by the hand he led me into anapartment where I found my adored Amy, who threw herself into my armsand wept as if her heart would break; but her sobs were the sobs of joy,and when she did raise her head and look at me, it was with eyes beamingwith pleasure, and with smiles upon her beautiful lips. I clasped herto my bosom, and felt that I was more than repaid for all I hadsuffered, and my heart was throbbing with gratitude and love.
It was some time before we could sufficiently compose ourselves to enterinto lengthened conversation, and then Amy inquired what had occurred tome to occasion such lengthened absence. We sat down on a sofa, and withAmy on one side of me and her father on the other I entered into mynarrative.
"And so you have been married since we last heard from you?" said Amy,smiling, when I had finished my history.
"Yes," replied I, "I have been; but I hope I shall treat my second wifea little better than I did my first."
"I hope so too," replied Amy; "but I have great fear that your Virginianmistress may come over and claim you."
"I do not think that likely. From the Indians having followed me to thebeach, they must have fallen in with her."
"And what do you think became of her?"
"Of course I cannot exactly say; but I presume she died gallantly, andfought with her axe to the last."
That evening I had a long conversation with Mr Trevannion. He told mewhat he had done with the money, which he considered as mine, and I putinto his care the sum I had received for the diamond. I then spoke tohim about our marriage, and requested that it might not be postponed.
"My dear Musgrave," said he, "my daughter's happiness so depends uponher union with you, that I can only say I am willing that it should takeplace to-morrow. For yourself you know that I have the highest esteem,and that you must be convinced of when I have consented to the matchwithout even making inquiry as to your family and connexions. Now,however, is the time that I should wish to have some information aboutthem."
"My dear Sir, if you will only make inquiries, you will find that thefamily of Musgrave is one of the most highly connected in the north, andthat the head of it is, or was, a Sir Richard Musgrave, Baronet, ofFaristone Hall, in Cumberland. I am a near relative of his, as I cansatisfactorily prove."
"That is sufficient," replied Mr Trevannion. "I shall leave you toplead your cause with Amy to-morrow; so now, good night."
The following day I told Amy that, since my arrival in England, I hadheard of the death of my father, and that it was necessary that I shouldgo to the north, as family affairs required my presence.
"Are you serious?" replied she.
"Never more so in my life. My presence is absolutely necessary, and Imade arrangements with the legal adviser of our family that I would bethere in less than a month."
"It is a long journey," said Mr Trevannion, "and how long do you stay?"
"That I cannot possibly say," replied I; "but not longer than I canhelp."
"I do not think that I shall let you go," said Amy; "you are not to betrusted out of sight. You are so born for adventure that you will notbe heard of again for another two years."
"Such is my misfortune, I grant," replied I; "but, Amy, you look paleand thin; change of air would do you much service. Suppose you and yourfather were to come with me. Indeed, Mr Trevannion, I am in earnest.At this delightful time of the year nothing would prove so beneficial toher health; and, Amy, then, you know, that I shall not be out of yoursight."
"I should like the tour very much," replied she, "but--"
"I know what you would say. You do not like the idea of travelling withme as Amy Trevannion. You are right. Then let me propose that youtravel with me as Amy Musgrave."
"I second that proposal," said Mr Trevannion.
"Consent, Amy; let our marriage be quite private. I know you willprefer that it should be so, and so will your father. You will thentravel with me as my wife, and we never shall part again."
Amy did not reply till her father said, "Amy, it is my wish that itshould be so. Recollect it will be the last time that you have to obeyyour father, so do not annoy me by a refusal."
"I will not, my dear father," replied Amy, kissing him. "Your lastcommand I obey with pleasure. And oh! If I have sometimes been awilful girl, forgive me everything at this moment."
"My dear child, I have nothing to forgive. May God bless you; and, MrMusgrave," said he, putting her hand in mine, "if she proves as good awife as she has been a daughter, you now receive a treasure," and I feltthat the old man stated what was true.
It was arranged that the marriage should take place on that day week,and that it should be quite private. There was no parade of bridalclothes; in fact, no one was invited, and it was, at my request, quite asecret marriage. A clergyman had been engaged to perform the ceremony,and, on the day appointed, I received
the hand of my Amy in thedrawing-room, and in the presence only of Humphrey and two otherconfidential servants.
After the ceremony was over, the clergyman requested me to come with himinto the adjoining room, and said, "it was necessary that he should givea certificate of the marriage, which must be inserted in the parishregister." He had called me aside for that purpose, that I might givehim my exact name, profession, etcetera.
"My name is Alexander Musgrave, as you have heard when you married us."
"Yes, I know that, but I must be particular. Have you no other name?Is that the name that you have been and will be in future known by?"
"Not exactly," replied I; "I have been known by that name, but in futureshall not be."
"Then what am I to say?"
"You must say, Sir Alexander Musgrave, Baronet, of Faristone Hall,Cumberland."
"Good," said he, "that is what I required; and the lady your wife, hasshe any other name but Amy?"
"None, I believe."
The clergyman then wrote out the marriage certificate and signed it,taking a copy for registry, and we returned into the drawing-room.
"Here is the certificate of marriage, Madam," said he; "it ought to bein the care of the lady, and therefore, my lady, I hand it over to you."
"My lady is much obliged to you for your kindness," replied Amy, for shethought that the clergymen was only facetious.
She held the certificate in her hand folded as it had been given her forsome time. At last curiosity, or, perhaps, having nothing else to do,induced her to open it and read it. I was at this time talking with theclergyman, and presenting him with a handsome douceur for his trouble;but, perceiving her to open the certificate, I watched her countenance.She read and started. I turned away as if not observing her. She thenwent up to her father and desired him to read it.
The old gentleman took out his glasses, and it was amusing to see theway in which he looked at his daughter with his spectacles falling offhis nose. He then came up, and pointing to the certificate said, "Prayhow am I in future to address my daughter?"
"As Amy, I trust, Sir, unless you wish to scold her, and then you mustcall her Lady Musgrave. I am, my dear Sir, as the certificate states,Sir Alexander Musgrave, of Faristone, with a handsome property descendedto me. I did not know it till I arrived in London; and if I concealedit from you till now, it was only that; my Amy should have thesatisfaction of proving to me that she wedded me in puredisinterestedness of affection."
"It was very, very kind of you, Alexander, to do as you have done, and Ithank you sincerely for it."
"And now, my dear Amy, you understand why I wished you to come with meto Cumberland, that you may take possession of your future abode, andassume that position in society which you will so much grace. I trust,Sir," continued I, "that you will not part from us, and that one roofwill always cover us, as long as Heaven thinks fit to spare our lives."
"May God bless you both," replied Mr Trevannion, "I cannot part withyou, and must follow."
About half an hour after this, I requested Amy and Mr Trevannion to sitby me, as I had now another narrative to give them, which was anexplanation why and how it was that they found me in the position thatthey had done; in short, what were the causes that induced me, andafterwards my brother Philip, to quit our parental roof, and to come tothe resolution of fighting our own way in the world. It was as follows:
"Sir Richard Musgrave, my father, married a young lady of highconnexion, a Miss Arabella Johnson, and with her lived, I have everyreason to believe, a very happy life for nearly twenty-five years, whenit pleased God to summon her away. I have a good recollection of mymother; for although I lived with my brother at a private tutor's, aboutsix miles off, I was continually at home, and she did not die till I wasnearly sixteen; and I can only say that a more elegant, amiable, andtruly virtuous woman, as I believe, never existed. By this marriage myfather had four sons and two daughters; Richard, the eldest; Charles,the second; myself, the third; and Philip, the fourth; and my sisters,who came last, were named Janet and Mabel. At the time of my mother'sdeath, my eldest brother was serving with the army, which he had enteredfrom a love of the profession, although, as heir to the baronetcy andestates, which are a clear 4000 pounds per annum, he of course had nooccasion for a profession. My second brother, Charles, being of anadventurous turn, had gone out to the East Indies in a high position, asservant to the Company. I was still at home, as well as Philip, who isfour years my junior, and my sisters were of course at home. I passover my regrets at my mother's death, and will now speak more of myfather. He was a good-tempered, weak man, easily led, and although,during my mother's lifetime, he was so well led that it was of littleconsequence, the case proved very different at her death. For a year myfather remained quiet in the house, content with superintending hisimprovements on his property, and he had lately become infirm, and hadgiven up the hounds and rural sports in general. The dairy was one ofhis principal hobbies; and it so happened that a young girl, thedaughter of a labourer, was one of the females employed in that part ofthe establishment. She was certainly remarkably good-looking; herfeatures were very small, and she did not show that robust frame whichpeople in her class of life generally do. She was about seventeen yearsold, slight in figure, and certainly a person that you would not passwithout making some commendatory remark upon her good looks and modestappearance. She was not, however, what she appeared; she was beyondmeasure cunning and astute, and, as it proved, inordinately ambitious.My father, who was naturally of an amorous disposition, was attracted byher, and very soon was constantly in the dairy, and his attentions wereso marked, that the other servants used to call her `my lady.' A fewmonths after my father had shown a preference for this girl, he wasseized with his first attack of gout. It did not last him long, and insix weeks he was about again, and resumed his attentions to her. Philipand I, who were at our tutor's, when we came home, heard from otherswhat was going on, and very foolishly played the girl many tricks, andannoyed her as much as we could. After we returned, my father hadanother fit of gout, and when he was confined to his room, he desiredthis girl to be sent for to attend upon him. I cannot say what tookplace, but this is certain, that my father's unfortunate passion becameso great, and I presume the girl's ambition rose in proportion, thatabout six months afterwards this daughter of a menial was raised to thedignity of Lady Musgrave--she being at that time about eighteen, and myfather verging on seventy.
"When this ill-assorted and disgraceful connexion was known, the gentryand aristocracy of the country refused any longer to visit my father,and all communication was broken off. In a short time the ascendencywhich this artful girl gained over the old man was most wonderful. Helived but in her sight, and knew no will but hers. Her father andfamily were removed to a good house in the neighbourhood, and gavethemselves all the airs of gentlepeople. The good old steward wasdismissed, and her father established in his room, although the mancould not read or write, and was wholly unfit for the office. Theexpense which she launched out into, by his permission, was excessive.New liveries, new coaches, diamonds, and dresses fit for the court--indeed, every kind of luxury that could be conceived, and much greaterthan my father could afford. She now showed herself in her truecolours; vindictive and tyrannical to excess, she dismissed all the oldservants, and oppressed all those to whom she owed a grudge; yet my poorfather could see nothing but perfection in her. It was not till fourmonths after the marriage that Philip and I came home, and our newstep-mother had not forgotten our treatment of her. She treated us withgreat harshness, refused our taking meals at my father's table, andordered us the coarsest fare; and when we complained to my father,denied everything that we said. As we found that we could not induceour father to listen to us or to believe us, we tried all we could, andretaliated and annoyed her as much, if not more, than she annoyed us, bytalking of her mean origin and her former occupation; we defied her,and, in so doing, we ruined ourselves; for, after a useless struggle onmy father
's part, he gave way to her imperious commands, and sending forme told me that I had become such a reprobate that I was no longer a sonof his. He threw me a purse, telling me that it was all I might expectfrom him, and that I was instantly to leave the house, and never show myface in it any more. I replied, with more spirit than respect, that itwas high time that the son of a gentleman and lady should leave thehouse, when such low-born creatures were installed in it as themistress. My father, in a rage, flung his crutch at my head, and I leftthe room.
"As I went out I met her in the passage; she had evidently beenlistening to what had passed, and she was full of exultation.
"`It is your turn now, you she-devil,' said I, in my rage; `but waittill my father dies. You shall go a-milking again.'
"I do not mean to defend my conduct, but I was then not seventeen, andthat must be my excuse. I little thought, when I said so, that it wouldbe from my hands that she would have to receive bounty; but so it is, asMr Campbell informs me that my father destroyed, previous to his death,the papers which he had signed to secure her a large jointure on theestate. I set off with my wardrobe and the purse of twenty guineas,which my father had given me, and, having a desire to see the world, Iwent on board of a merchant vessel. Six months afterwards, when we wereat Liverpool, I went on board of a privateer. The remainder of myhistory you are already acquainted with.
"As soon as she had wreaked her vengeance upon me, my brother Philip wasthe next; but he was too young at that time to be turned adrift, so sheput it off till the time should come, irritating and weaning my fatherfrom him by every means in her power. Three years afterwards shesucceeded in having him dismissed, also, and you know how I found himout. All these circumstances were very well-known in the neighbourhoodand to our own relations; and one only, my aunt, called upon my father,and, after a long conversation, my father consented that my sistersshould go away, and remain under her charge. My step-mother's violenttemper, her exactions, her imperious conduct, which was now shown eventowards him, with what my aunt had advanced, had to a certain extentopened my father's eyes. He perceived that she had no other view buther own aggrandisement, and that she cared little for him. Her repeatedattempts, however, to make him sign in her favour, in case of his death,were successful, and it was not till after her conduct had alienated himfrom her, and he deplored the loss of his children, that he committedthe deed to the flames. About three years after I had quitted thehouse, my eldest brother, who had information of all that had passed,and who remained in the army because he declared that he never would gohome till after his father's death, was killed by a cannon-ball; and mysecond brother died of a fever about a year ago, when resident at thecourt of a native prince. I had heard nothing of these deaths, or of myfather's, until my arrival in London; of course, I was most anxious togo down to Cumberland, if it were only to undo the wickedness which thiswoman had done, and to make amends to those whom she had so cruellytreated. I do not feel any spirit of revenge, but I feel that justicedemands it of me."
"And I shall go with you with pleasure, to help you in your good work,"said Amy, "and also because I want to see how she will now behave to onewhom she has so persecuted, and who has become the arbiter of her fate."
"Well, Amy, I will not trust myself on this question. You shall be thearbitress of her fate, and what you decide shall be irrevocable."
"I fully appreciate the compliment you pay me," said she, "but I preferthat it should be decided in council, and we will call in my father toour assistance."
A fortnight after our marriage, we set off for London, in a coach withsix handsome black horses, and eight armed servants in liveries onhorseback. We arrived safely on the seventh day, and there we reposedfor a time previous to setting out for Cumberland. My aunt was inLondon and attending the court, which I was not aware of, and with herwere my two sisters, Janet and Mabel, whom I had not seen for years, andwho warmly embraced me, promising that they would soon come down andtake up their abode at the hall. They expressed their admiration ofAmy, but, in so doing, they only followed the general opinion, for itwas impossible to see and not admire her elegance and beauty. My auntshowed us every attention, and we were presented to his Majesty, who waspleased to compliment Lady Musgrave in very flattering terms. We werejoined in London by my brother Philip, who had paid off his ship, andthe day after he joined us I said:
"Philip, there are only you and I left. Do you recollect when youinquired about the diamond, the day we met on board of your ship, whatreply I made to you?"
"Yes; you said that you were afraid that you could not afford to make mea present of it."
"At that time I did not think so, Philip, but now I know that I can, andI have desired Mr Trevannion to put out to good security the 38,000pounds that the diamond was sold for, in your name, and for your use.You'll not hesitate to accept it, Philip, for you know that I can affordit."
"I do not hesitate, my dear Alexander, because I would do the same toyou, and you would not refuse me. At the same time, that is no reasonthat I should not thank you kindly for your generous behaviour."
Philip accompanied us on our journey to Cumberland. It was tedious, forthe roads were anything but good, but the beauty of the scenerycompensated for the ruggedness of the way. In six days we arrived atthe Hall, where Mr Campbell, who had called upon me on my arrival inLondon, had preceded me to make preparations for our reception, whichwas enthusiastic to the highest degree. We were called upon andcongratulated by all the county, who were delighted to find that such apersonage as Amy was to be the future mistress.
As soon as all this bustle and excitement was over, I sat down with MrCampbell to look over the state of affairs, and to set things to rights.
After having done justice to many claimants, engaged again the oldservants that had been discharged, promised farms to the tenants who hadbeen unfairly turned out, etcetera, we then proceeded to decide uponwhat was to be done to the Dowager Lady Musgrave. It appears that at myfather's death, when she found that the deed had been destroyed by hisown hands in presence of others, she became frantic with rage, andimmediately hastened to secure the family jewels, and every article ofvalue that she could lay her hands upon, but Mr Campbell, having duenotice of what she was about, came in time to prevent her taking themaway, and, putting seals upon everything and leaving careful guards inthe Hall, my lady had gone to her father's house, where she stillremained. She had, on my arrival, sent me a message, imploring mymercy, and reminding me that whatever might be her errors, she was stillthe lawful wife of my father, and she trusted that respect to his memorywould induce me to allow her sufficient to maintain her as Lady Musgraveshould be. We had the consultation that Amy proposed, and called in MrCampbell as a fourth, and it was at last decided, that, on considerationthat she removed with her family to a distance of fifty miles fromFaristone, she should have an income of 300 pounds per annum, as long asshe conducted herself with propriety and did not marry again. The lastclause was the only one which she complained of. Mr Campbell had, atthe request of my father, discharged Lady Musgrave's parent from theoffice of steward and called in the old steward to resume his situation,and before dismissal he had to refund certain sums of money notaccounted for.
I have now told my eventful tale; I have only to add, that after allthat I have passed through I have been rewarded by many years ofunalloyed happiness. My two sisters are well married, and my threechildren are all that a father could wish. Such, my dear Madam, havebeen the vicissitudes of a "Privateersman" and I now subscribe myself,
Your most obedient,
ALEXANDER MUSGRAVE.
THE END.
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