CHAPTER XXVI--THE BATTLE WITH THE ELEMENTS
"Southward with fleet of ice Sailed the corsair Death; Wild and fast blew the blast And the east wind was his breath."
--Longfellow.
"There is but one explanation to the whole thing," growled Colonel Owenthe next morning. With the two girls for an audience he was voicing hisdisappointment at the failure of the alert, and incidentally nursing afrost-bitten foot. "And that is that the guide purposely led us astray."
"But why a guide at all, father?" questioned Harriet. "The highway iseasily followed."
"'Tis the snow," he explained irritably. "All roads are buried underfour or more feet of it. Landmarks are obliterated and the forest but atrackless waste. 'Tis no wonder the fellow lost his way, though,methinks. 'Twas as though he knew our errand, and kept us flounderingamong the drifts purposely."
"Belike he did," observed Harriet. "What with Peggy feeding all therabble that comes along 'tis small wonder that your plots and plansbecome known to the rebels. I bethought me the other day when she hadthat teamster in the kitchen that he was a spy. Now I make no doubt ofit."
"What's all this?" demanded her father sharply. "What teamster are youtalking about, Harriet?"
"'Twas the man who brought the wood, Cousin William," explained Peggy,trying to speak quietly. "Harriet objected at the time to his being fed,but 'twould have been unkind not to give him cheer when 'twas so cold."
"But that is no reason why you should talk with him," sneered Harriet."I saw that parley you held when he was throwing off the wood."
"Did you talk to him, Peggy?" Colonel Owen regarded her keenly.
"Why, yes," she answered. "I went out to scold him because he was pilingthe wood in such a way that it could not be measured."
"There was naught amiss about that," he remarked with a relievedexpression. "Nor about the food either, if that was all there was toit."
"But was it all?" queried Harriet. "The servants said that Peggy wasover-solicitous anent the fellow."
"Peggy!" Colonel Owen faced the maiden abruptly. "Let us have thismatter settled at once. You usually speak truth. Do so in this instance,I beg of you. Was the wood and feeding the man all there was to theaffair?"
Peggy did not reply.
"There is more then," he said. "Your silence speaks for you. I demandnow to know if this fellow was responsible for the failure of our planto captivate the rebel general?"
But Peggy was not going to betray Drayton's disguise if she could helpit, and neither would she speak an untruth. So she met her kinsman'sglance with one as direct as his own as she answered, "I am to blame forthy plan going amiss, Cousin William."
"You?" he exclaimed incredulously. "Why, you knew naught of it. I wascareful that even Harriet should not know it."
"I was in the drawing-room," she told him boldly, "when thee and thycommander were discussing the plan. I heard the whole plot. While thedinner was being served I slipped out and sent word to the general."
"By whom?" he asked controlling his anger with difficulty. "By whom didyou send word?"
"That, sir, I will not tell," responded she resolutely.
"And do you know what this action hath cost me?" he thundered, lividwith rage. "A knighthood and fortune. Was not the account long enoughbetwixt us that you must add this to it? To come here and play the spyin mine own house. 'Tis monstrous!"
"I did not come here of my own accord," she reminded him becoming verypale. "If I have played the spy 'tis no more than thy daughter did formany months in our house. I will gladly relieve thee of my presence atany time that thee will let me go."
"You shall not go--now or at any time," he stormed, his voice shaking inits fury. "Moreover I shall put it out of your power to work any furtherharm here. Sir Henry Clinton leaves for the South in a few days. I shallgo with him, and take you both with me."
"Oh, father!" wailed Harriet. "Not me?"
"You too," he answered. "You and this marplot of a girl, who hathspoiled a most feasible plan of ending the rebellion." He glared atPeggy for a moment with a look that made her tremble and then stalkedout of the room.
"Just see what you have done, Peggy Owen," cried Harriet, her eyesablaze with wrath. "Now we'll have to go I know not how far away, tosome old place where there is no fun. Just mind your own affairs afterthis, will you?"
"No," replied Peggy stoutly, though her heart swelled at the thought ofgoing upon a journey that would take her further away from home. Likemost girls of the period she was hazy about the geography of thecountry, and the South seemed an indefinite somewhere a long way off."No, Harriet, my affairs are those of the rebels, as thee calls them. Ifat any time I hear aught planned either against them or the general, and'tis in my power to warn them, I tell thee frankly that I shall do so."
"I shall go right to father with that," cried Harriet, and in turn sheflounced out of the room.
In spite of her brave words, however, Peggy's tears fell like rain asshe slipped down to the stable and flung her arms about Star's neck.
"Oh, Star, Star!" she sobbed. "I'll never see mother again, I fear me.Oh, what shall I do? What shall I do?"
Sir Henry Clinton was to set sail for Savannah, Georgia, which hadfallen into the hands of the British in December of the preceding year.The province, after being overrun by the army in an incursion of savagewarfare, appeared to be restored to the crown, and now Charleston was tobe taken and South Carolina restored to its allegiance by the samemethod. North Carolina and Virginia were to follow in turn, and thecampaign in the South concluded by a triumphal march back throughDelaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, until Washington would bebetween the two British armies. Then, with an attack from New Yorksimultaneous with one from the rear, the Continentals would be swept outof existence. This, in brief, was the British plan of campaign for theensuing year, and the English commander-in-chief was setting forth forits accomplishment.
Colonel Owen's determination to go with his chief seemed to grow firmerthe more Harriet pleaded with him to stay, and the day after Christmasthey set sail in the schooner "Falcon." Reinforced by Admiral Arbuthnotwith new supplies of men and stores from England the British werejubilantly sure of success, and set forth with their transports underconvoy of five ships of the line.
"We shall have our horses with us, anyway," declared Harriet, whobrightened up wonderfully once they were under way, and addressing Peggywith the first gleam of good humor that she had shown since it had beendecided that they should accompany her father. "I saw to it that theywere sent aboard with the cavalry horses, on one of the transports. Idare say there will be a chance for rides. At any rate 'twill not be socold as it hath been in New York."
"I suppose not," agreed Peggy sadly. She was calling all her resolutionto aid her to bear this new trial.
The early part of the voyage was extremely fortunate. The sea wassmooth, the sky clear, the air sharp but kindly. To Peggy's surprise shewas not at all sick, and her spirits rose in spite of her sorrow at herseparation from her mother. With the closing in of the night of thefourth day out, however, they fell in with foul winds and heavy weather.The wind began to whirl, and the sea to lift itself and dash spray overthe schooner until the decks were as glassy as a skating pond. Thetemperature fell rapidly. All day Sunday the ships went on under thissort of weather which was not at all unusual for the time of year, butthe next day the weather began to quiet, and the waves sank gradually toa long swell through which the vessels went with ease.
The whole surface of the sea was like a great expanse of molten silverwhich shimmered and sparkled under the rays of the wintry sun. Theprospect was now for a smooth voyage, and the sailormen scraped the icefrom rail and deck, and the passengers who had been confined to thecabin now came on deck and raced about like children under the influenceof the pure air. The sky was very clear above, but all around thehorizon a low haze lay upon the water.
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"Isn't this glorious, Peggy?" cried Harriet dancing about the deck likea wind sprite. "After all, there is nothing like the sea."
"'Tis wonderful," answered Peggy with awe in her tone. The vast spreadof the waters, the immensity of the sky, the intense silence throughwhich the creaking of the boats as they swung at the davits, and thestraining of the shrouds as the ship rolled sounded loud and clear, allappealed to her sense of the sublime.
"I hope 'twill be as fine as this all the way to Georgia," said Harriet."And that seems to be the prospect."
The captain of the vessel, a bluff Englishman, was passing at the momentand caught the last remark. He paused beside the maidens.
"It won't be fine long," he declared gruffly. "With a ground swell and asinking temperature always look for squalls. Look there at the north!"The haze on the horizon to the north was rather thicker than elsewhere,and a few thin streaky clouds straggled across the clear, cold heavens.It told nothing to the girls, but the skipper's face grew grave, and hehurried forward to give some commands.
"Furl topsails!" he shouted to the mate, "and have the mainsails reefeddown!"
"Ay, ay, sir," came the response, and instantly the men began hauling atthe halliards, or sprang to the yards above to tuck away the great sailsmaking all snug for the coming storm.
Even Peggy, unused to the sea as she was, could see that a storm wasabout to burst upon them. The north was now one great rolling blackcloud with an angry ragged fringe which bespoke the violence of the windthat drove it. The whole great mass was sweeping onward with majesticrapidity, darkening the ocean beneath it.
"Get below there," shouted the captain as he suddenly caught sight ofthe two girls still standing on deck watching the approach of the stormwith fascinated eyes. "Get below, I say! D'ye want to be blowed away?Here she comes!"
As he spoke the wind broke in all its fury. The schooner heeled overuntil her lee rail touched the water, and lay so for a moment in asmother of foam. Gradually she rose a little, staggered and trembledlike a living thing, and then plunged away through the storm.
It was a wild and dreary night that followed. Shut in the dark of thecabin Peggy and Harriet clung to each other, or to lockers, to keep frombeing dashed across the floor of the tossing vessel. All night longthere was no chance for sleep. Every moment it seemed as though the shipmust go down at the next onslaught of the waves.
"I like not to be mewed up like this," objected Harriet when there camea chance for speech. "I like the feel of the wind and the hail and thespray."
"Is thee not afraid, Harriet?" questioned Peggy.
"I am, down here," answered her cousin. "I can stand any danger bestthat I can face. But they will not let us up. We might be swept awayeven if we could stand. And listen to the shouts, Peggy. There must besomething amiss."
And so on all through the long night. The dawn broke at last and broughtwith it a slight abatement of the tempest, but with the lessening galecame a new form of assault. The air was colder. A heavy fog rolled upand through it came a blinding snow-storm, fairly choking the deck ofthe ship.
For three days the girls were confined to the cabin, with but biscuitsto nibble on. The fourth the wind fell at last, leaving the vesselrudderless and dismasted, and heaving on vast billows.
"There is but one hope for us," said Colonel Owen as he explained thedamage to the girls, "and that is to be picked up by another vessel."
"Is it so bad as that, father?" questioned his daughter.
"Yes," he answered gloomily.
But over the inky shroud of the ocean white capped and furious thereshone no sign of a sail. The snow had ceased falling, but it wasbitterly cold. The fifth and sixth days they tossed helplessly, but onthe seventh day Peggy turned to her cousin with a startled query.
"Harriet," she cried, "does thee hear that throbbing sound? What is it?"
Harriet Owen paled as she listened. "That, Peggy," she said after amoment, "is the noise of the pumps. The ship hath sprung a leak."
At this moment Colonel Owen came from the deck. He was visibly pale, andmuch troubled in manner. "Wrap yourselves as warmly as possible," headvised them. "'Tis but a question of time now ere we must take to theboats, and there is no telling to what ye may be subjected beforereaching land, if in truth we ever tread foot on solid ground again.Hasten!"
His warning was well timed; for, as he ceased speaking, there camehoarse shouts from above, a rush of hurrying feet, and the chugging ofthe pumps stopped. He ran up the hatchway, and was back almostinstantly. "The boats are being lowered," he informed them. "Throw whatyou can about you and come. If we dally we may be left behind. Menbecome beasts in a time like this."
The girls obeyed him with the utmost haste. They were both colorless,but composed. On deck a wild scene was being enacted. The ship no longerrose to the waves, and even to an inexperienced eye was settling. Thatit was time to lower the boats was plain to be seen. The captain wastrying to preserve something like order among the crew, but the hour fordiscipline had gone by.
"Women first," he was crying in trumpet tones. "Men, remember your wivesand daughters. Would ye have them left as ye are leaving these?"
But over the side of the vessel the men scrambled with fierce cries andimprecations, paying no heed either to his commands or pleadings. Theyswarmed into the boats, fighting for places like wild animals. The frailbarks went down to the water loaded until the gunwales were lapped bythe smallest waves. The skipper turned to Colonel Owen.
"The dingey is left, sir," he said. "If you will help me to defend itfrom the rest of these brutes, we may be able to get these girls intoit."
"I will do my utmost," rejoined the colonel. "Harriet, do you and Peggystand behind me. When the boat is lowered be ready to get into it assoon as the captain speaks."
Colonel Owen faced the few remaining men with drawn pistols as the boatwas let down. The first mate took his place, and stood ready to receivethe maidens.
"Go, Harriet," said her father. But to Peggy's amazement her cousinturned to her, crying, "You first, Peggy! You first!"
"But," cried Peggy her heart flooded with sudden warmth at thisunlooked-for solicitude, "I cannot leave thee, Harriet. I----"
"Stop that nonsense!" exclaimed Colonel Owen gruffly. "We have no timefor it. Get into the boat at once."
Without further comment Peggy permitted herself to be handed down intothe boat, and as she reached it in safety she looked expectantly up forHarriet to follow. At that moment came a hoarse cry from the skipper.
"Cast off, Mr. Davy! Cast off! You'll be swamped."
The mate pulled away just as half a dozen frantic seamen leaped from thedeck toward the boat. The swirl of the waters caught it, turning itround and round by the force. With a great effort he succeeded insending it out of the eddy just in time to avoid being drawn under bythe drowning seamen. Again making a strenuous effort to get beyond theirreach he sent the dingey scudding to westward, was caught by a current,and carried further away from the vessel.
"What is it?" asked Peggy as she caught a glimpse of his whitening face.
"God help them," broke from him. "We are caught in the current and can'tget back to the 'Falcon.'"
THE DINGEY WAS CAUGHT BY A CURRENT]
Peggy Owen, Patriot: A Story for Girls Page 28