CHAPTER XIII.
CAPTAIN SALT EFFECTS ONE SURPRISE AND PLANS TWO MORE.
On the sixth day after his departure Captain Salt returned to Dunkirkunexpectedly.
He arrived about four in the afternoon and was rowed at once to theCommodore's galley. He climbed on deck and looked about him. Thelieutenant stepped forward. Captain Salt shook hands and asked:
"Where is the Commodore?"
"In his cabin."
"Alone?"
"No; he is holding a council of war. All his captains are there."
Captain Salt whistled softly to himself.
"How long have they been sitting?" he asked.
"Less than ten minutes. In fact they have but just arrived."
"Thank you. I'll go down and look in."
"My friend," he said to himself, as he walked aft and descended theladder, "the chance has come sooner than you expected. You'll haveto play this game boldly."
He knocked at the cabin door and entered, with the dust of travelthick upon him. He had ridden thirty-six miles since breakfast alongdusty roads and under a broiling sun. Nevertheless his manner wascool enough as he bowed to all present.
"I must apologise, gentlemen, for the state of my clothes; but Iheard you were sitting and could not rest until I had saluted you."
They welcomed him heartily as he dropped into a vacant chair.M. de la Pailletine reached across the table and shook hands withhim.
"It is very thoughtful of you," said the Commodore. "We were aboutto draw up a plan of the cruises to be taken this week and shall beglad to have your advice."
"I'm afraid, gentlemen, I'm too weary to offer much advice. But thatneed not prevent my listening with attention to the wisdom ofothers."
There was the faintest shade of derision in his voice, if they hadany cause for suspecting it. As it was, however, not a man presenthad the slightest mistrust of him. He had conquered all theirprejudices.
The Commodore resumed the short speech he had been making; and whenhe had concluded, one captain followed another with criticism andfresh proposals--Captain Baudus, of _Le Paon_, the Chevalier deSainte-Croix, of _La Merveille_, Captain Denoyre, of the_Sanspareil_. During their speeches Captain Salt sat perfectlysilent, either resting his head on his hands and stifling his yawnsas though politely concealing his weariness, or drumming quietly withhis fingers on the table and staring up at the ceiling like one lostin thought.
But, all of a sudden, as M. de la Pailletine was in the act ofoffering some remarks upon a scheme of Captain Denoyre's for adescent upon the Isle of Thanet, the Englishman, still yawning, gotupon his legs and said very carelessly:
"I regret to interrupt _M. le Chef d'escadre_, but we waste time."
The Commodore paused, open-mouthed, in the middle of a sentence, andstared.
"Yes, yes," repeated Captain Salt, nodding at him with the coolestassurance; "we are really wasting time. Be so good as to lend meyour attention while I sketch out a little plan that I have drawn upfor a descent upon Harwich."
The officers round the board were fairly taken aback by this strokeof impudence. The Commodore was the first to recover his presence ofmind, and said, drawing himself up:
"Monsieur appears not to have observed that I was speaking."
"Pardon, sir, but I observed that you were speaking overmuch.But let me proceed. Harwich, as you know, is a port at the mouth ofthe River Stour, at the extreme north-east corner of Essex. I giveyou this information, gentlemen, as I am not sure if any of you havetravelled so far."
The captains looked at one another and the eldest among them,M. Baudus, of _Le Paon_, stood up.
"Monsieur will forgive the remark," he said, "but it appears to methat he forgets his place."
"Tut, tut," answered the Englishman, with an air of slightimpatience; "I must trouble you to sit down, sir, and attend.Really," he continued, looking around, "I must insist upon theattention of everyone, as I shall need your intelligent co-operation.My plan is this: I mean to make this a night attack. We should leavethe harbour here in four days' time--that is to say, on the 23rd, ifthe weather holds, and not later than six o'clock in the morning.It may possibly be earlier, but that will depend to some extent onthe wind."
M. de la Pailletine by this time was white with passion. He began tocomprehend that his guest would not dare to speak thus without somehigh authority to back him.
"Are we to understand, sir, that in this proposed expedition we sailunder your orders?"
"Certainly."
"May I ask to see your authority?"
"Of course you may."
Captain Salt put a hand into his breast and drew out a folded paper.Laying this on the table, he let his eyes travel round with a quietsmile.
It was signed in the handwriting and sealed with the seal of hisMajesty King Lewis.
M. de la Pailletine picked up the paper with a shaking hand and readit through. There was no room for demur. The King commanded him, aschief of the squadron of galleys lying in Dunkirk, to place hisships, officers, and crews at Captain Salt's disposal and to followhis instructions implicitly throughout the expedition. Moreover, theIntendant was ordered to furnish whatever stores, artillery, etc.,Captain Salt should find necessary to the success of his design.If he should require it, the fighting strength of the galleys shouldbe supplemented by drafts from the regiments stationed in thecitadel, the Rice-bank, and Forts Galliard, Rever and Bon Esperance.
The Commodore read all this and laid the paper down on the table.The officers around him scanned his face and saw there was no hope ofresistance. Nevertheless, for a moment they looked mutinous.
Their superior officer, however, set the example of gracefulobedience. He stood up and looked the Englishman straight in theface. Then he spoke with a voice that trembled a little over theopening words, but after that proceeded smoothly and composedlyenough.
"Monsieur, it is my honour to serve his Majesty without reservation,even when he chooses to put a slight upon his tried servants.Unfold your scheme. We will listen and lend you our bestco-operation."
"I thank you, monsieur. Is that all?"
"No, sir; not quite all. You will permit me in addition to remarkthat you are a very dirty blackguard, and that if you choose toresent this criticism, I am your very obedient servant."
"Ah, yes! We will discuss that, if you please, as soon as thisbusiness is over. Meanwhile let me proceed with my remarks."
That same evening Captain Salt assumed the command and within half anhour it was patent to every slave in the squadron that somethingbeyond the ordinary was afoot. The new commander began to issueorders at once. Curiously enough, one of the first of these wasgiven to the fishing-smack with the green pennant, which had broughthim the Earl of Marlborough's letter five days before and had lain atanchor ever since in the Basin. It was pretty well known to everyonein Dunkirk that this little craft plied to and fro in the Jacobiteservice and was allowed to pass the forts without challenge.Indeed, she had a special permit. Therefore nobody wondered whenCaptain Salt paid her red-bearded skipper a visit that evening, onhis way to the citadel; nor was the skipper astonished to receive aletter for the Earl of Marlborough's secret agent at Ostend, and bebidden to leave the harbour that night.
Yet the red-bearded skipper would have been considerably astonishedhad he been able to read the cipher in which this letter was written,or had he the faintest idea that the small mark on the corner of thewrapper meant that it was to be translated at once and dispatchedpost-haste to King William.
For, indeed, the Captain was now playing not merely a double, but atriple and perhaps a quadruple game. He was not only playing forWilliam against James, and for James against William, but for theEarl against both, and for himself above all. For the moment hewished to get to Harwich with power over the two old men who (as heconceived it) were defrauding him of his privileges; and to obtainfull possession of those privileges he must stand well with William,who at present suspected him.
Unfortunately this accomplished schemer omitted to take account ofthree accidents, for the simple reason that he could not haveanticipated them: first, the two old men whom he meant to terrify atHarwich were at that moment in Holland; and, second, the son, inwhose name he meant to terrify them, slept every night within a footof his head, a galley-slave, disguised beyond recognition and filledwith a just resentment. Number three will be mentioned hereafter.
The little fishing-smack sailed out of Dunkirk that evening, an hourafter sunset.
During the next three days Captain Salt worked hard. Sufficientstores were laid in to last for a week's cruise. The slaves whoworked on shore were brought on board. The galleys' beaks weretested, the guns examined, oars and rigging carefully overhauled.A fresh supply of ammunition was drawn from the citadel and thefighting crew of each vessel increased by fifty men, with a few Swissartillerymen from the batteries of Bourgogne, Auguenois and Santerre.In all this M. de la Pailletine lent the readiest aid. He hadpostponed his animosity to the day when they should return toharbour; and to the casual eye he and the Englishman were excellentfriends.
By the night of August 22nd all was ready.
At nine o'clock next morning the six galleys started in solemnprocession past the forts and out into the open sea, which was smoothas glass. A light but steady breeze breathed across the sky from theNortheast. They could have hoped for nothing better. The broadlateen sails were spread, and the slaves sat quietly before theiroars, ready to row, though for hour after hour there was no need ofrowing. The six vessels kept within easy distance of each other, andCaptain Salt, on the deck of _L'Heureuse_, directed their movementswith a serenity that cheered even the poor men on the benches belowhim. As the awning shook and the masts creaked gently above them,they stretched their limbs, drew long breaths, and felt that afterall it was good to live.
So steady did the wind keep all day that about five in the eveningthey brought the English coast in sight. It was the opinion of allthe captains that they should run up for Harwich at once; but theEnglishman had other views.
"It is too early," he told M. de la Pailletine. "There are cruisersabout, and if we are seen the game will be spoiled."
He gave orders to lower the sails and stand off till nightfall.The captain, of course, obeyed.
They had not lain to above an hour when the man who had been sent tothe masthead of _L'Heureuse_ shouted out:
"A fleet to the north!"
"Whither bound?" called up Captain Salt.
"Steering west."
"What number?"
The man was silent for a moment, then answered:
"Thirty-six sail, all merchant-built, and an escort."
"What is she like?"
"A frigate, of about thirty guns."
The Blue Pavilions Page 13