CHAPTER V.
_A FAITHFUL GUARD. A PROPOSITION. A RUSE. A DENOUEMENT. SAIL HO! THELONG TOM HOLDS ANOTHER CONVERSATION. A VALUABLE PRIZE. MORE PRISONERSTHAN VICTORS. CHAGRIN OF THE ENEMY._
|Channing, furnished every comfort the brig would afford to the twoliberated Americans, showing a kind and friendly consideration for them,and that he had their interests near at heart. The day passed on in theusual routine of the vessel as she stood on her Northern course. YoungLovell and his companion in prison, after being shaved and furnishedwith comfortable clothing and enjoying a few days of plenty andcomparative rest, looked like different beings. Captain Channing havinglearned of the martial skill and experience of Lovell, had as we haveseen, placed him as his second in command, immediately after his arrivalon board the Constance; since which time he had trusted almost entirelyher management and sailing to him, while he passed the greater portionof his time in his cabin below, apparently in study, reading, &c.;appearing upon deck but seldom and then only for a short period at atime.
The fourth day out from Havana, Captain Channing sent word from thecabin that he wished to see Mr. Lovell. The mate came forthwith,saluting the young commander with due respect, for Channing was strictin exacting every degree of the usual forms on ship-board. Lovellhad learned of the captain’s noble conduct during the voyage; of thesuppression of the mutiny, and various other matters that had ledhim earnestly to desire an opportunity to express his admiration andrespect.
But since his arrival on board, the captain had remained almost entirelybelow, as above said, leaving the charge of matters to his first mate,in whom he appeared to place all confidence as well as all trust. He hadseldom appeared upon deck and when he did so, it was in such a manneras to preclude all attempt at gaining his ear in conversation even for amoment.
‘The captain’s very handsome, don’t you think so?’ said Herbert one dayto Lovell, when during a clear calm he had left the barque and come onboard the brig. ‘He’s evidently commissioned by your girl down there atLynn, at the High Rock Hamlet. I should not like to have such a younghero for a _rival_, Lovell, that’s all!’ said Herbert playfully.
‘I’ve been trying to get his ear for a few minutes ever since we sailedfrom Cuba,’ said Lovell, ‘but he keeps down below there so snugly thatone don’t see much of him, though it’s all a compliment to me, Herbert,don’t you think so?’
‘Of course, sir, for he trusts you far enough.’
‘That’s the way I look at it, Herbert. But he’s a stern sour sort of aman, I think, and must have met with some cross--he never laughs.’
‘He’s a gentleman, though, every inch of him,’ said Jack Herbert warmly,‘rival or no rival, and clear grit when he’s up. Why, bless you, BillLovell, he didn’t make any more of blowing that mutinous Englishman intoeternity than I would have done despatching a dog.’
‘I’m his debtor at any rate,’ said Lovell, thoughtfully. ‘To be sure youare, you may give him all the thanks that you are not rotting in thatcursed prison yonder at Havana, this very hour. What could I have donealone? Just nothing at all; it took him to plan, and as to that matter,to execute the business too.’
‘How odd that this Irishman insists upon sleeping at his cabin door_every_ night when off watch; can you account for it?’
‘Why--you see Terrence loves the captain for having done some kindnessto his poor old mother when she was about to die; well you see theseIrishmen can remember a kindness as well as the best of us. Ever sincethe attempt of Captain Brownless and the English cook upon Channing’slife, this man Terrence won’t leave the spot where he thinks the captainsleeps. He says he must have a hand in the next fight and so he guardsthe door.’
‘Faithful fellow,’ said Lovell.
It was the subsequent day to this conversation, that Lovell wassummoned, as we have said, to the captain’s cabin. ‘Mr. Lovell,’ saidthe captain, ‘take a seat, sir.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘Do you know who commissioned me to do you the service I have rendered,in releasing yourself and comrade from prison?’ asked the captain.
‘I was told, sir, by Mr. Herbert, that it was she who is dearest to meof all the world. I have desired, sir, several times already to speakwith you upon the subject, but I thought I discovered an unwillingnessto hold conversation on your part, sir, and I have contented myselfconsequently with what I could learn from Mr. Herbert.’
‘She is a good girl, sir, and I half envy you,’ said the captain.
‘Thank you, sir, I can hear her complimented all day with the utmostpatience.’
‘Egad, Mr. Lovell, couldn’t I do something in that quarter myself? Whatdo you think? ‘Sir?’
‘Don’t you think I might possibly succeed with the lady?’ Lovell stoodwondering for a moment, and then said half in doubt--
‘I beg pardon, sir.’
‘For what do you beg pardon, Mr. Lovell?’ asked the captain.
‘I don’t exactly understand you, sir.’
‘You are very dull.’
‘I fear I am, sir.’
‘Well, say for instance, then, if I should make you a present of thisbrig, all her equipments and armament, wouldn’t you be willing to giveup the lady and become the captain and owner of the fastest and bestprivateer that sails out of the colonies? What say you, Mr. Lovell?’
Lovell paused for a moment in thought, not to consider the propositionthat was made to him, but the idea struck him that the man before himwas the _late captain of the king’s cutter, Burnet_, whom he had neverseen and knew only by description. What could possibly have induced himto undertake his deliverance from prison?
‘I see it all,’ said Lovell to himself, ‘Fanny has made this service theprice of her hand, and the reward he will receive will be the death blowto my happiness.’
Lovell in his agitation rose and walked the cabin hurriedly; at lengthturning to the captain, he said--
‘Captain Channing, or whatever be your name, I beg pardon, sir, I meanno disrespect to you, far from it, I am already deeply your debtor; butif any other man had made me that proposition, I would have fought himto the last gasp. Death, sir,’ said Lovell warming himself with thethought, ‘is the girl of one’s heart to be made a marketable articleof?’
‘Excuse me, Mr. Lovell, said the captain, endeavoring to suppress someevident feelings in the matter, ‘but I designed to see if you wereworthy of so good a girl. For let me tell you, sir, it is solely by hersolicitations that I am here.’
‘I am gratified, sir, at this explanation,’ said Lovell, gratefully,‘but I fear that I can never repay the debt I owe you.’
‘The less said upon this point the better, Mr. Lovell. I am paid througha source that you will be made acquainted with.’
‘My gratitude is none the less, sir,’ said Lovell, half trembling at theimport of the captain’s last words.
‘I suppose you have heard of the state of affairs at Boston,Mr. Lovell,’ asked the captain, evidently bent upon changing theconversation.
‘The town is besieged by the Continentals I’m told.’
‘Yes, and in a starving condition.’
‘I’m impatient to have a hand in the drama,’ said Lovell.
‘Herbert has doubtless told you of the affairs of Lexington Concord andBreed’s. The Americans have taught the king’s troops at least that theyhave got no mean enemy to contend with in the colonists, and thatthe boasted dower of the royal army is not invincible. We left thecontinental army stretched from Roxbury to Cambridge, over an extent oftwelve miles, and under command of Washington, seconded by Putnam, Lee,and such of the most able men of the province as had come together.There will be sharp work there, ere long, if it has not already takenplace,’ said the captain.
‘And during all this time I have been lying idle and inactive in aSpanish prison,’ said Lovell. ‘I’m all impatience, sir, to join theglorious service of liberty.’
‘I have been thinking,’ continued Channing, ‘that the barque yonder willbe n
o poor acquisition to the force of the colonists, and then we havequite a large amount of powder and small arms on board which are muchneeded by the beseiging army.’
‘Very true, sir, no doubt,’ said Lovell in reply. ‘We shall be on thecoast in a few days according to my reckoning, and may perhaps hope tofall in with some English craft that we can make a prize of.’
‘We must look out sharp for ourselves first, Mr. Lovell,’ said thecaptain, ‘for the harbor of Boston literally swarms with men of war.’
‘I beg pardon, sir, but--’
‘But what, Mr. Lovell?’
‘I was about to ask you, sir, if we had ever met before.’
‘I believe you have seen me every day, Mr. Lovell, since you came onboard the Constance. I have certainly seen you.’
‘I mean, sir, some time since.’
‘We may have met in Boston.’
‘Perhaps it is so,’ said Lovell, but positively I never knew acountenance make such an impression upon me.’
‘I hope you are pleased with your captain, sir.’
‘Certainly, captain--excuse me--or rather my seeming impertinence, butreally I was a little lost in thought. Why, Heaven bless me, sir, youresemble the Campbell family at Lynn enough to be a member.’
‘I’m told that I am rather dark for an American. Are the family of whomyou speak peculiar in this respect?’
‘Not at all, sir.’
‘Where’s the resemblance, then?’
‘That is the very matter that has so puzzled me for the last fiveminutes, sir, for were you of lighter complexion--’
‘Well, sir?’
‘I--I--God of Heaven,’ said Lovell, ‘how like her?
‘What puzzles you now, Mr. Lovell?’
‘I was thinking of home, sir,’ said Lovell, thoughtfully.
‘Happy thoughts, I hope.’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Lovell abstractedly.
‘You appear surprised at something, Mr. Lovell’
‘Yes, sir, that is--’ said Lovell, gazing at the captain with his mouthabsolutely wide open with surprise.
‘William!’
‘Fanny!’
The two were instantly clasped in each other’s arms.
‘My own Fanny,’ said Lovell.
‘Ever thine own,’ was the response.
‘Brave girl, why this is almost a miracle!’
‘Without Heaven’s blessing it would all have failed, William; let usthank Heaven then for the happy issue.’
‘But I cannot believe that a female, a mere girl of but twenty years,could accomplish what thou hast done, Fanny; how can it be possible?Thou hast compassed that which would have done credit to a navalcaptain,’ and he strained her again to his breast. ‘And I have been herein this brig with you these four days and my heart did not tell me thatI was near you; how can this be true?’
‘No wonder, you thought me as dusky as a negro.’
‘I did not once suspect that you were colored.’
‘It is stain put on for a more perfect disguise.’
‘Most perfectly done.’
‘It has proved so, since it has deceived you,’ said Fanny, laughingthrough her tears of joy.
‘It was well conceived, my noble girl,’ said Lovell, ‘and these clothestoo--I never saw you look more interesting.’
Fanny managed to blush even through the deep tinge of brown that bronzedher handsome cheek. And when does a female look more interesting thanwhen betraying the modest color of virtue. It is a rainbow from theheart showing it to be unvitiated by the evil and bitterness of theworld.
‘Shall I wear these to the end of the voyage?’ asked Fanny.
‘Ask no privilege of me,’ said Lovell, you are still master andcommander here, and will, I hope, continue so.’
‘I, too, have thought it best--indeed absolutely necessary that I shouldcontinue my disguise until our arrival in port.’
‘It is, certainly,’ said Lovell. ‘But tell me, Fanny, how you possiblycould have attained the knowledge you have displayed in this emergency?for I am free to confess you have sailed this brig as well, andcommanded these turbulent fellows, as I could have done it with years ofexperience.’
‘I’ll tell thee, William. Soon after your departure from home, my heartbeing on the sea, I made almost every trip out with my father, for thewhole season, until I understood fully the management of the schooner,which, you remember, was half a brig in its rig. I read, too, everynautical work I could procure, from love alone of the sea, where I knewyou were, but never in my most romantic moments did I imagine that theseacquirements would be of the service to me which they have proved. Ofour kind friend Rev. Mr. Livingston, of Boston, I learned navigation,practically too, for you know he was for many years a seaman. Sincethen, experience and good fortune have done the rest.’
‘Thou hast been a most apt scholar.’
‘Say rather a willing one, William.’
‘I may say both, and say truly.’
‘Stubborn as ever,’ said Fanny, playfully.
‘But why have you kept concealed from me these four days?’
‘I have confined myself below so much of the time to enable you to findyourself fairly at liberty before you should know that it was your Fannywho had released you, backed by a generous and active crew. I believedit best for many reasons and thought I should be happier to do so. Ishall now appear as heretofore upon deck, and you shall see how willingand apt these fellows are. Would you believe it, William? they love me,I really believe, though I have put on a severity at times,’ and hereFanny scowled as fiercely as she might, by way of explanation.
‘How could they help loving thee, Fanny? said Lovell, pressing herfondly in his arms and impressing a kiss upon her lips.
‘There, that will do,’ said she, gently unclasping his embrace, ‘_you_must not abate one iota in your respect or distance, William, while ondeck, and before the people, or we may have another mutiny; be carefulyou address me as Captain Channing, don’t be forgetful.’
‘I’ll remember, trust me.’
The two then proceeded to the quarter-deck, Lovell paying the customaryrespect to his commanding officer.
‘Sail ho,’ shouted the look-out, with the long drawl peculiar to thehail.
‘Where away,’ promptly demanded the captain,
William Lovell could not disguise his nervousness lest Fanny shouldbetray herself; now that he knew the secret other disguise he fearedthat it might be disclosed at any moment. But there was nothing wanting;she was perfect even in all the minutiæ of sea parlance.
‘Two points on the starboard bow,’ answered the look out.
Fanny taking a glass, coolly surveyed the stranger for several-minutes.
‘English, I think,’ she observed to Lovell, referring to the stranger.
‘I make her out so,’ was the reply.
‘It remains to be seen whether we are to run or fight,’ said CaptainChanning, (for so we will continue to call Fanny, who was still the sameto the crew,) ‘It must be a fast vessel that the Constance cannot sparea topsail to.’
The two vessels neared each other fast, and it was soon evident thatthe stranger was an English vessel of some five hundred tons, andconsequently much larger than the Constance, That she was an armedvessel too, was soon quite evident, for suddenly a cloud of smoke burstfrom her bows, and anon the dull heavy report of a cannon came downacross the water to the brig.
‘Show them that pine tree, Mr. Lovell, that’s what they want.’
‘Ay, ay, sir,’ said the mate, promptly obeying the order.
But no sooner had the flag of the colonial Congress reached its stationaloft and expanded to the breeze, than the report of another gun camebooming heavily over the sea from the stranger, and this time also ashot; but the ball fell far short of the brig and her consort, throwing ajet of spray aloft as it struck the sea and sunk into its depths.
The captain and the first mate conversed together earnestly for a fewmoments, when the captain turni
ng towards the crew with a countenancebeaming with spirit, said: ‘Clear away the long-tom, and prepare foraction.’
A dozen willing hands promptly executed the order, and the mate soontook his station by the gun to superintend its management, but not untilhe had in an under tone urged Fanny to leave the deck and secure herselfbelow.
‘What! skulk below?’ said Fanny, ‘No no, I have seen this game before’
‘That’s the talk,’ said Terrence Moony, as the order was given to clearaway the gun. ‘Jist give me that crisscross flag of England to look atfor an enemy and I’ll fight all day, grub time and all. Arrah yes, yeblockheads,’ said he stripping himself to his shirt and trowsers towork at the gun. Terrence loved the English about as well as his satanicmajesty affects holy water, and no more, believe us.
‘Be quiet there, forward,’ said Lovell, hearing the loud talk ofTerrence as he held forth thus, rather boisterously to the crew, on theforecastle.
‘Ay ay, your honor,’ said Terrence submissively.
‘Moony, come here,’ said Lovell, half angry at the noise.
‘Ay ay, sir,’ continued the willing Irishman promptly and respectfullyobeying the call.
‘What are you grumbling about there, forward, eh?’
‘Only saying my prayers, yer honor, before going into battle. That’sscripture, I belave, sir, ain’t it, Mr. Lovell?’
‘Are you afraid, Terrence?’
‘Afraid, is it, did you say, afraid that I was?’
‘That’s what I asked’
‘Your honor’s joking’
‘No, sir, you said you were at prayers, consequently I thought you mightbe suffering from fear, Terrence; a reasonable deduction certainly.’
‘Arrah, neither devil nor saint can scare Terrence Moony, your honor;just give me the best place at the gun, and you shall see how afraid Iam. Och, afraid is it?’
‘I see you are all right, Terrence, a brave soul at the bottom.’
‘Wouldn’t you get Captain Channing to step down here in the waist, yourhonor?’ said Terrence, emboldened by the kind manner in which Lovell hadspoken to him to be a little more familiar than was his custom to be.
‘And what for, prithee? why should he leave the quarter deck?’
‘Why, yer see, yer honor, he has such a way with him, it would encouragethe men to hear the music of his voice, down here. Why, saving yourhonor’s presence, dam me, if I ever heard so swate a voice. Do you thinkthe saints in Heaven will talk nater or more agreeable than him, Mr.Lovell?’ asked Terrence earnestly.
‘I don’t know,’ said Lovell interested in spite of himself, ‘you askqueer questions, Terrence,’ and he busied himself about the gun, as ifhe heeded not the words of the Irishman, when, in fact each one was atorch to his heart strings.
‘Yer see, yer honor,’ continued Terrence respectfully, ‘if he wouldjist step down here he would have the protection of the waist, ye see,instead of standing up there for them blackguards to shoot at.’
Lovell appreciated the kind thoughtful spirit that prompted thissuggestion, and began himself to feel quite uneasy at the exposedposition of Channing.
‘Forward there,’ said the captain at this instant, ‘all ready there withyour gun?’
‘Ay, ay,’ said Lovell.
‘Steady there--fire!’
The brig trembled to her very keel with the recoil of the gun. Lovellwas less inexperienced in matters of gunnery than Herbert, and hisfirst shot unlike that of honest Jack went plump into the deck of thestranger, filling the air all around with splinters and her crew withwounds.
‘Hurrah,’ said Terrence Moony in great glee, turning from swabbing outthe gun to see the effect of the iron messenger. ‘Perhaps ye’s will likea few more of them pills; it don’t take but a small number for a doseany how.’
‘Keep her away,’ said Channing, to the helmsman of the brig. ‘Well done,Mr. Lovell, that shot planted just right, could’nt have been betterdone, and another right to the same spot--it’s a vital place.
‘Keep her away, I say,’ continued Channing to the man at the helm.‘That’s it--hold her so,’ his object being still to pass at such adistance from the enemy as to prevent him from bringing his small gunsto bear upon the brig; it being evident at the outset that he had noguns equal to that amidships the brig.
Jack Herbert had ranged-close up in the barque under the lee of theConstantine and within easy hailing distance. His voice was soon heardon board the brig.
‘Brig-a-hoy!’
‘Ay, ay, what’s wanting,’ asked Channing through his trumpet.
‘Shall I range up and get a few shots at the stranger, sir, with myshort pieces?’ The guns will go off of themselves if we don’t use themsoon!’
‘No--no, Mr. Herbert, keep well away on your present course, we have notgot any men to lose by a close action.
If we were well manned, we might afford to run down there and make agallant show of it yard-arm to yardarm.’
‘Ay, ay,’ said the disappointed Herbert sheering off.
The long tom which the Constance carried amidships, proved now as onformer occasions to be her salvation; for while the enemy was wellequipped with arms, ammunition and also well manned, yet she had nometal of sufficient weight to cope with the brig while at a distance atwhich the fight began.
This distance the Constance by good management kept through theengagement. The shots from the brig were doing fearful execution onboard the stranger; splinters were flying from the hull at almost everydischarge of the long tom, while her own ineffectual shot fell far shortof the intended mark. The unequal battle continued thus but a short timebefore the ship--which had suffered severely both in hull and riggingas well as by the death of four of her crew and the wounding of ofothers--like the barque the Constance had taken in the West Indies,found it absolutely necessary to haul down her (colours) in submission.
The brig then veered up within hailing distance of the prize, andordered her to send a boat with the captain on board. This order beingpromptly complied with, Lovell with half a dozen men armed to the teethwere sent on board to take formal possession of the ship. Lovell, in theexecution of this order, found one man on board the prize, whom it gavehim much trouble to secure, and who wounded two of the Constance’s crewslightly before he was subdued. This man proved to be the mate of theprize, and he told Lovell although the captain had struck, he had not,and that they should have sunk the ship before he would have done so.But the man was soon bound securely by the seamen, and placed in safekeeping.
The prize proved to be a valuable one bound from Liverpool to Bostonwith stores and ammunition for the royal army. The home government werenot yet informed that the colonists had fitted out privateers, and thatthey should have them so soon to contend against on the sea as well asthe land; therefore they had trusted the transportation of the storesin question to a merchant craft of the large class and only protectedby the armament of vessels of her tonnage and trade. They necessarilycarried a few guns to protect them from the daring Hovers whom prizestempted to range abroad upon the ocean, and who were continually lyingin wait for vessels of this class.
Though the prize had a crew of fifteen men, besides her officers, yet wehave seen that this number could avail them nothing against an enemywho could fight them ‘out of harm’s reach,’ and thus had the ship falleninto the hands of Channing, rendering his command quite a little fleet.
From the small number of hands and the large number of the prisoners, heanticipated some trouble, and therefore endeavored by every precautionto avert it. In pursuance of this purpose, the prisoners were confinedin chains, a resort which went much against Channing’s feelings, buthe felt obliged to yield to the necessities of the case. All hands weresoon employed in repairing the new prize so as to enable them, to bringher into port. This having been accomplished in a few hours, Lovell tookcommand of the ship just added to the little fleet. He was exceedinglyloth to leave Channing alone as it were in the brig, but orders weregiven that each of the prizes
should be kept as nearly within hailingdistance of the Constance as possible, and as it was fortunatelymoderate weather although somewhat cold, this was easily accomplished.
The former crew of the Constance was now divided so as to be but eightmen in each vessel, while the prisoners actually doubled that number!This was short handed indeed, more, especially when we consider thepeculiar rig and mode of managing a vessel in those days. In these moremodern times the numerous conveniences that inventive genius had appliedin the building and finding of ships, have rendered the management ofthem comparatively an easy task, and by far less number of hands thanwas found necessary seventy years ago. What a wonderful change has halfa century even, made in the art of navigation. Already do the floatingcastles of every nation defy both wind and tide, and vessels thatformerly required twenty-five hands to sail them are now well servedwith fourteen or fifteen.
The captain and crew of the new prize were equally chagrined withthose in the barque when they found to what a weak force in numbersthey had surrounded. Their rage was unbounded and openly expressed, andthough they were closely confined, yet Channing was constantly preparedand on guard, lest they should attempt to rise and take the brig. It wasdoubtless his constant vigilance that saved him from this catastrophe,it being evident that the prisoners were continually on the watch for afavorable opportunity. The English captain of the last prize could notreconcile himself in the least degree to his situation, to think that heshould, to use his own words:
‘Have surrendered to a d--d boy of a rebel.’
But his anger was all to no purpose, for the vigilant guard kept uponhim and the prisoners, though by a small number, in connection withthe secure manner in which they were confined, rendered all attemptat resistance, or release of themselves to be useless. They chafedand foamed but that was all they could do, for they were like furiousanimals in a menagerie, completely caged.
Fanny Campbell, The Female Pirate Captain: A Tale of The Revolution Page 5