Chapter LI
In which the Jacobite cause is triumphant by sea as well as by land.
The great difficulty which Sir Robert Barclay had to surmount, was tofind the means of transport over the channel for their numerous friends,male and female, then collected in the cave: now that their retreat wasknown, it was certain that some effective measures would be taken bygovernment, by which, if not otherwise reduced, they would be surroundedand starved into submission.
The two boats which they had were not sufficient for the transport of sonumerous a body, consisting now of nearly one hundred and fiftyindividuals, and their means of subsistence were limited to a few days.
The arrival of the cutter with the detachments was no source of regretto Sir Robert, who hoped, by the defeat of the troops, to obtain theirboats, and thus make his escape; but this would have been difficult, ifnot impossible, if the cutter had been under command, as she carriedfour guns, and could have prevented their escape, even if she did notdestroy the boats; but when Sir Robert observed that it had fallen calm,it at once struck him, that if, after defeating the troops, they couldboard and carry the cutter, that all their difficulties were over: thenthey could embark the whole of their people, and run her over toCherbourg.
This was the plan proposed by Sir Robert, and agreed to by Ramsay, andto accomplish this, now that the troops were put to the rout, they hadmade a rush for, and obtained the boats. As for the women left in thecave, they were perfectly secure for the time, as, withoutscaling-ladders, there was no possibility of the remaining troops, evenif they were rallied, being able to effect anything.
That part of the crew of the _Yungfrau_ who had perceived them rush downto the beach, reported it to Mr Vanslyperken, who had gone down to hiscabin, not choosing to take any further part in the affray, or to riskhis valuable life. Vanslyperken came on deck, where he witnessed themanning of the boats, and their pushing out of the cove.
"They are coming to attack us, sir," said Coble, who had been left incharge of the cutter when Mr Vanslyperken went on shore.
Mr Vanslyperken turned pale as a sheet; his eyes were fixed upon theform of Ramsay, standing up on the stern-sheets of the first boat, withhis sabre raised in the air--he immediately recognised him, panted forbreath, and could make no reply.
The crew of the cutter, weakened as they were by the loss of most oftheir best men, flew to their arms; Coble, Cornelius, and Jansen, andCorporal Van Spitter were to be seen in the advance, encouraging them.
"Gott for dam--let us have one slap for it," cried Jansen.
"Mein Gott, yes," shouted the corporal.
Vanslyperken started up. "It's no use, my men--it's madness--uselesssacrifice of life; they are two to one--we must surrender. Go downbelow, all of you--do you hear, obey my orders?"
"Yes, and report them, too, to the admiral," replied Coble; "I neverheard such an order given in my born days, and fifty odd years I haveserved in the king's fleet."
"Corporal Van Spitter, I order you below--all of you below," criedVanslyperken; "I command here--will you obey, sir?"
"Mein Gott, yes," replied the corporal, walking away, and coollydescending the ladder.
The boats were now within ten yards of the cutter, and the men stoodirresolute; the corporal obeying orders had disheartened them: some ofthem followed the corporal.
"It's no use," said Coble, "I sees now it's of no use; it's only beingcut to pieces for nothing, my men; but I won't leave the deck." Coblethrew away his cutlass, and walked aft; the other men did the same, allbut Jansen, who still hesitated. Coble caught the cutlass out of hishand, and threw it overboard, just as the boats dashed alongside.
"Gott for dam," muttered Jansen, folding his arms and facing the men whojumped on the cutter's decks. Ramsay, who was first on board when heperceived that the men were standing on the decks without making anyopposition, turned and threw up the points of the swords of some of hismen who were rushing blindly on, and, in a minute all was quiet on thedecks of the _Yungfrau_. Mr Vanslyperken was not to be seen. At the nearapproach of the boats he had hastened into his cabin and locked himselfin; his only feeling being, that Ramsay's wrath must cool, and his lifebe spared.
"My lads," said Sir Robert to the crew of the cutter, "I am very gladthat you made no resistance to a force which you could not resist, as Ishould have been sorry if one of you had lost his life; but you must nowgo down below and leave the cutter's deck in our possession. Perhaps itwould be better if some of you took one of your boats and went on shoreto pick up your messmates who are wounded."
"If you please, sir, we will," said Coble, coming forward, "and thecutter is yours, as far as we are concerned. We will make no attempts toretake her, at all events, for your kindness in thinking of our poorfellows lying there on the beach. I think you will promise that, mylads," continued Coble, turning to the men.
"Yes, we promise that," said the men.
Coble then took the crew with him and pulled on shore to the cove, onthe margin of which they found all their men lying either killed orwounded. Dick Short, Spurey, and nine others were taken on board: thosethat were quite dead were left upon the sand. Leaving only ten men onboard the cutter, which, however, was sufficient to cope with the few ofthe _Yungfrau_ remaining on board, had they been inclined to forfeittheir word, Sir Robert and Ramsay then returned with the rest of theparty to-the boats, and pulled on shore, for the rest of theirassailants were not subdued; about twenty of the soldiers still remainedunhurt and were sitting down on the rocks.
Ramsay, as soon as he landed, showed a white handkerchief on a bayonetfixed to the muzzle of a musket.
"Sergeant Tanner," said one of the men, "there's a flag of truce."
"Is there? I'm not sorry for it,--they are two to one even now. I'll goforward to meet it."
The sergeant advanced to meet Ramsay.
"We might, if we pleased, oblige you to surrender or cut you topieces--that you must own; but we have no wish to hurt you--there aretoo many good men dead already."
"That's true," replied the sergeant, "but it's one comfort you haveturned out at last to be men and not women."
"We have; but to the terms. You were sent to take possession of thecave,--you shall have possession as soon as we are gone, if you willdraw off your party higher up this cliff and allow us to embark withoutmolestation. If you do not immediately accept these terms, we shallcertainly attack you, or you may do better if you please--pile yourmuskets, collect your wounded men, bring them down to the beach allready to put into the boats, which, as soon as we are safe, we will giveyou possession of--now is it a truce or not?--you must be immediate."
"Yes, then, it is a truce, for I see no chance of better terms. I amcommanding officer, and you have the faith of Sergeant Tanner."
The sergeant then returned, and when half way, called to his men:
"Party fall in--pile arms." The soldiers, worn out by the long conflict,and aware that they had no chance against such superior numbers, gladlyobeyed, and were now divided in sections of three and four, collectingthe wounded and carrying them down to the cove.
Sir Robert and his men hastened to the rock--the ladder was lowered, andall was on the alert for embarkation--Lady Barclay and Lilly flew intohis arms, while Wilhelmina hung on Ramsay; but they allowed but a shorttime for endearment--time was too precious. The luggage had all beenprepared and the chests of specie were lowered, the bundles thrown down,and, in a quarter of an hour, the cave was cleared of all that theycould take away with them.
The women then descended, and all hands were employed carrying away thespecie and luggage down to the boats. As soon as one boat was loadedwith the boxes of money, Lady Ramsay, Lilly, and Wilhelmina were put init, and one half of the men went with them on board of the cutter whereCoble had already arrived with the wounded seamen. Ramsay remained withthe other boat to embark the women and luggage; when all was in, hecalled the sergeant, pointed out to him the ladder, and told him that hemight find something worth his trouble in the cave.
"Is there a drop of anything to drink, sir? for we who are whole aredying with thirst, and it's cruel to hear the poor wounded fellows begfor water."
"You will find both water and spirits in plenty there, sergeant, and youmay tell your own story when you arrive at Portsmouth, we shall nevercontradict you."
"The list of killed, wounded, and missing, will tell the story fastenough," replied the sergeant; "but run up there, my lads, and get somewater for these poor fellows. Good-bye, sir, and many thanks."
"Good-bye to you, Sergeant Tanner," said one of the women in the boat.
"Nancy Corbett, by all that's wonderful!" cried the sergeant.
"I told you so, sergeant--you'll never lose the name of lady-killer."
"Pretty lady killing," muttered the sergeant, turning away in a rage.Ramsay took the boats on board, and, as soon as they were cleared, theywere towed on shore to the cove by some of the _Yungfrau's_ men.
During this time the ladies, as well as the women, had remained aft ondeck, Vanslyperken having locked himself up in his cabin; but Sir Robertnow ordered his men to force the cabin door, and take Mr Vanslyperkenforward on the lower deck. When the door was opened, Vanslyperken wasfound in his bed more dead than alive: he was pulled out and draggedforward. The ladies were then handed below, and, as soon as the speciehad been put down, and the luggage cleared from the upper deck, thewomen were ordered to go down on the lower deck, and Mr Vanslyperkenordered to be brought up.
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