Matilda Montgomerie; Or, The Prophecy Fulfilled

by Major Richardson

  CHAPTER XVII.

  The following evening, an armed schooner was lying at anchor in the roadstead of Buffalo, at the southern extremity of Lake Erie, and within amile of the American shore. It was past midnight--and although the lakewas calm and unbroken as the face of a mirror, a dense fog had arisenwhich prevented objects at the head of the vessel from being seen fromthe stern. Two men only were visible upon the after-deck; the one layreclining upon an arm chest, muffled up in a dread-nought pea jacket,the other paced up and down hurriedly, and with an air ofpre-occupation. At intervals he would stop and lean over the gangway,apparently endeavoring to pierce through the fog and catch a glimpse ofthe adjacent shore, and, on these occasions, a profound sigh would burstfrom his chest.

  "Sambo," he at length exclaimed, addressing the man in the pea-jacketfor the first time. "I shall retire to my cabin, but fail not to call mean hour before daybreak. Our friends being all landed, there can benothing further to detain us here, we will therefore make the best ofour way back to Amherstburg in the morning."

  "Yes, Massa Geral," returned the negro, yawning and half raising hisbrawny form from his rude couch with one hand, while he rubbed his heavyeyes with the knuckles of the other.

  "How is your head to-night?" inquired the officer in a kind tone.

  "Berry well, Massa Geral--but berry sleepy."

  "Then sleep, Sambo; but do not fail to awaken me in time: we shall weighanchor the very first thing in the morning, provided the fog does notcontinue. By the bye, you superintended the landing of the baggage--waseverything sent ashore?"

  "All, Massa Geral, I see him all pack in he wagon, for he Bubbalotown--all, except dis here I find in Miss Mungummery cabin under hepillow."

  As he spoke, the negro quitted his half recumbent position, and drewfrom his breast a small clasped pocket book, on a steel entablatureadorning the cover of which, were the initials of the young lady justnamed.

  "How is it Sambo, that you had not spoken of this? The pocket bookcontains papers that may be of importance; and yet there is now no meansof forwarding it unless I delay the schooner."

  "I only find him hab an hour ago, Massa Geral, when I go to make he bedsand put he cabin to rights," said the old man, in a tone that showed hefelt and was pained by the reproof of his young master. "Dis here too,"producing a small ivory handled penknife, "I find same time in heGubbanor daters' bed."

  Gerald extended his hand to receive it, "A penknife in the bed of theGovernor's daughters!" he repeated with surprise. Ruminating a moment headded to himself, "By heavens, it must be so--it is then as I expected.Would that I had had this proof of their participation before theyquitted the schooner. Very well, Sambo, no blame can attach to you--goto sleep my good fellow, but not beyond the time I have given you."

  "Tankee, Massa Geral," and drawing the collar of his pea jacket closeunder his ears, the negro again extended himself at his full length uponthe arm chest.

  In the fulness of his indignation at the young ladies' duplicity, he nowcame to the resolution of staying the departure of the schooner yet afew hours, that he might have an opportunity of going ashore himself,presenting this undoubted evidence of their guilt, and taxing themboldly with the purpose to which it had been appropriated. Perhaps therewas another secret motive which induced this determination, and thatwas, the opportunity it would afford him of again seeing his belovedMatilda, and delivering her pocket book with his own hand.

  This resolution taken, without deeming it necessary to countermand hisorder to Sambo, he placed the knife in a pocket in the breast of hisuniform, where he had already deposited the souvenir; and having retiredto his own cabin, was about to undress himself, when he fancied he coulddistinguish through one of the stern windows of the schooner, soundssimilar to those of muffled oars. While he yet listened breathlessly tosatisfy himself whether he had not been deceived, a dark form camehurriedly, yet noiselessly, down the steps of the cabin. Gerald turned,and discovered Sambo, who now perfectly awake, indicated by his manner,he was the bearer of some alarming intelligence. His report confirmedthe suspicion already entertained by himself, and at that moment hefancied he heard the same subdued sounds but multiplied in severaldistinct points. A vague sense of danger came over the mind of theofficer, and although his crew consisted of a mere handful of men, he atonce resolved to defend himself to the last, against whatever forcemight be led to the attack. While Sambo hastened to arouse the men, hegirded his cutlass and pistols around his loins, and taking down twohuge blunderbusses from a beam in the ceiling of the cabin, loaded themheavily with musket balls. Thus armed he sprang once more upon deck.

  The alarm was soon given, and the preparation became general, butneither among the watch, who slumbered in the forecastle, nor those whohad turned into their hammocks, was there the slightest indication ofconfusion. These latter "tumbled up," with no other addition to theshirts in which they had left their cots, than their trousers, a lightstate of costume to which those who were "boxed up" in their pea jacketsand great coats on the forecastle, soon reduced themselves also--not butthat the fog admitted of much warmer raiment, but that their activitymight be unimpeded--handkerchiefed heads and tucked up sleeves, with thehabiliments which we have named, being the most approved fighting dressin the navy.

  Meanwhile, although nothing could be distinguished through the fog, thesounds which had originally attracted the notice of the officer and histrusty servant, increased, despite of the caution evidently used, tosuch a degree as to be now audible to all on board. What most excitedthe astonishment of the crew, and the suspicion of Gerald, was theexactness of the course taken by the advancing hosts, in which not theslightest deviation was perceptible. It was evident that they wereguided by some one who had well studied the distance and bearing of theschooner from the shore, and as it was impossible to hope that even thefog would afford them concealment from the approaching enemy, all thatwas left them was to make the best defence they could. One otheralternative remained it is true, and this was to cut their cable andallow themselves to drop down silently out of the course by which theboats were advancing, but as this step involved the possibility ofrunning ashore on the American coast, when the same danger of captivitywould await them, Gerald, after an instant's consideration, rejectedthe idea, preferring the worthier and more chivalrous dependence on hisown and crew's exertions.

  From the moment of the general arming, the long gun, which we havealready shown to constitute the sole defence of the schooner, wasbrought nearer to the inshore gangway, and being mounted on anelevation, with its formidable muzzle overtopping and projecting abovethe low bulwarks, could in an instant be brought to bear on whateverpoint it might be found advisable to vomit forth its mass of wrath,consisting of grape, cannister and chain shot. On this gun, indeed, thegeneral expectation much depended; for the crew, composed of sixteen menonly, exclusive of petty officers, could hope to make but a poorresistance, despite all the resolution they might bring into thecontest, against a squadron of well-armed boats, unless some veryconsiderable diminution in the numbers and efforts of these lattershould be made by "Old Sally," before they actually came to closequarters. The weakness of the crew was in a great degree attributable tothe schooner having been employed as a cartel--a fact which mustmoreover explain the want of caution, on this occasion, on the part ofGerald, whose reputation for vigilance, in all matters of duty, wasuniversally acknowledged. It had not occurred to him that the instant helanded his prisoners, his vessel ceased to be a cartel, and therefore afit subject for the enterprise of his enemies, or the probability is,that in the hour in which he had landed them, he would again haveweighed anchor, and made the best of his way back to Amherstburg.

  "Stand by your gun, men--steady," whispered the officer, as the noise ofmany oars immediately abreast, and at a distance of not more than twentyyards, announced that the main effort of their enemies was about to bemade in that quarter. "Depress a little--there, you have her--now intothem--fire."

  Fiz-z-z-z, and a small pyramid
of light rose from the breech of the gun,which sufficed, during the moment it lasted, to discover three boatsfilled with armed men, advancing immediately opposite, while two otherscould be seen diverging, apparently one towards the quarter, the othertowards the bows of the devoted little vessel. The crew bent their gazeeagerly over her side to witness the havoc they expected to ensue amongtheir enemies. To their surprise and mortification there was no report.The advancing boats gave three deriding cheers.

  "D----n my eyes, if I didn't say she would miss fire, from having herbreech unkivered last night," shouted the man who held the match, andwho was no other than Tom Fluke. "Quick, here--give us a picker!"

  A picker was handed to him, by one who also held the powder-horn forpriming.

  "It's no use," he pursued, throwing away the wire and springing to thedock. "She's a spike in the touch-hole, and the devil himself wouldn'tget it out now."

  "A spike!--what mean you?" eagerly demanded Gerald.

  "It's too true, Mr. Grantham," said the boatswain, who had flown toexamine the touch-hole, "there is a great piece of steel in it, and forall the world like a woman's bodkin, or some such sort of thing."

  "Ah! it all comes o' that wench that was here on deck last night,"muttered the helmsman, who had succeeded Sambo on duty the precedingnight. "I thought I see her fiddlin' about the gun when the chase wasmade after the Yankee, although I didn't think to say nothin' about itwhen you axed Tom Fluke about Sal's apron."

  Whatever conjecture might have arisen with others, there was no time tothink of, much less to discuss it--the boats were already within a fewyards of the vessel.

  "Steady, men--silence!" commanded Gerald, in a low tone. "Since she hasfailed us, we must depend upon ourselves. Down beneath the bulwarks andmove not one of you until they begin to board; then let each man singlehis enemy and fire; the cutlass must do the rest."

  The order was obeyed. Each moment brought the crisis of action nearer:the rowers had discontinued their oars, but the bows of the severalboats could be heard obeying the impetus already given them, anddividing the water close to the vessel.

  "Now then, Sambo," whispered the officer. At that moment a torch wasraised high over the head of the negro and his master. Its rays fellupon the first of the three boats, the crews of which were seen standingup with arms outstretched to grapple with the schooner. Another instant,and they would have touched. The negro dropped his light.

  Gerald pulled the trigger of his blunderbuss, aimed into the very centreof the boat. Shrieks, curses and plashings as of bodies falling in thewater, succeeded; and in the confusion occasioned by the murderous fire,the first boat evidently fell off.

  "Again, Sambo," whispered the officer. A second time the torch streamedsuddenly in air, and the contents of the yet undischarged blunderbussspread confusion, dismay and death, into the second boat.

  "Old Sal herself couldn't have done better: pity he hadn't a hundred ofthem," growled Tom Fluke, who, although concealed behind the bulwarks,had availed himself of a crevice near him, to watch the effect producedby the formidable weapons.

  There was a momentary indecision among the enemy, after the seconddestructive fire; it was but momentary. Again they advanced, and closingwith the vessel, evinced a determination of purpose, that, left littledoubt as to the result. A few sprang into the chains and rigging, whileothers sought to enter by her bows; but the main effort seemed to bemade at her gangway, at which Gerald had stationed himself with ten ofhis best men, the rest being detached to make the best defence theycould, against those who sought to enter in the manner above described.

  Notwithstanding the great disparity of numbers, the little crew of theschooner had for some time a considerable advantage over their enemies.At the first onset of these latter, their pistols had been discharged,but in so random a manner as to have done no injury--whereas theassailed, scrupulously obeying the order of their commander, fired not ashot until they found themselves face to face with an enemy; theconsequence of which was that every pistol-ball killed an American, orotherwise placed him _hors du combat_. Still, in spite of their loss,the latter was more than adequate to the capture, unless a miracleshould interpose to prevent it; and, exasperated as they were by thefall of their comrades, their efforts became at each moment moreresolute and successful. A deadly contest had been maintained in thegangway, from which, however, Gerald was compelled to retire, althoughbravely supported by his handful of followers. His force now consistedmerely of five men remaining of his own party, and three of those whohad been detached, who, all that were left alive, had been compelled tofall back on their commander. How long he would have continued thehopeless and desperate struggle in this manner is doubtful, had not afresh enemy appeared in his rear. These were the crews of two otherboats, who, having boarded without difficulty, now came up to theassistance of their comrades. So completely taken by surprise was Geraldin this quarter, that the first intimation he had of his danger was, inthe violent seizure of his sword arm from behind, and a general rushupon and disarming of the remainder of his followers. On turning tobehold his enemy, he saw with concern the triumphant face of Desborough.

  "Every dog has his day, I guess," huskily chuckled the settler, as bythe glare of several torches which had been suddenly lighted, he was nowseen casting looks of savage vengeance, and holding his formidable knifethreateningly over the head of the officer whom he had grappled. "Ireckon as how I told you it would be Jeremiah Desborough's turn next."

  "Silence, fellow--loose your hold," shouted one, whose authoritativevoice and manner announced him for an officer, apparently the leader ofthe boarding party.

  "I regret much, sir," pursued the American commander, seriously, andturning to Gerald, "that your obstinate defence should have been carriedto the length it has. We were given to understand that ours would not bean easy conquest, yet little deemed it would have been purchased withthe lives of so many of our force. Still, even while we deplore ourloss, have we hearts to estimate the valor of our foe. I cannot give youfreedom, since the gift is not at my disposal; but at least I may spareyou the pain of surrendering a blade you have so nobly wielded. Retainyour sword, sir."

  Gerald's was not a nature to remain untouched by such an act ofchivalrous courtesy, and he expressed, in brief but pointed terms, hissense of the compliment.

  Five minutes afterwards Gerald, who had exchanged his trusty cutlass forthe sword he had been so flatteringly permitted to retain, found himselfin the leading boat of the little return squadron, and seated at theside of his generous captor.

  "I think you said," he observed, "that you had been informed theconquest of the schooner would not be an easy one. Would it be seekingtoo much to know who was your informant."

  The American officer shook his head. "I fear I am not at liberty exactlyto name--but thus much I may venture to state, that the person who hasso rightly estimated your gallantry, is one not wholly unknown to you."

  "This is ambiguous. One question more--were you prepared to expect thefailure of the schooner's principal means of defence, her long gun?"

  "If you recollect the cheer that burst from my fellows at the momentwhen the harmless flash was seen ascending, you will require no furtherelucidation on that head," replied the American evasively.

  This was sufficient for Gerald. He folded his arms, sank his head uponhis chest, and continued to muse deeply. Soon afterwards the boattouched the beach, where many of the citizens were assembled to heartidings of the enterprize and congratulate the victors. Thence he wasconducted to the neat little inn, which was the only accommodation thesmall town, or rather village of Buffalo, at that time afforded.