Percival Keene

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

  As neither my men nor I had any luggage to hamper us--for we had justthe clothes we stood in--we were not long getting ready. We startednext morning; and on entering the river, found that the French haddestroyed their flotilla, and soon afterwards we were invited by thepeople to come on shore and take possession of the batteries which theFrench had evacuated. I remained with Cross and my men on shore atCuxhaven, while the brigs went up the river, in pursuit of a privateer.

  After a day or two, tired of inactivity, and anxious to arrive atHamburg, I proposed to Cross that he should accompany me, which hecheerfully acceded to. I had drawn a bill at Heligoland, so that wewere in no want of money, and we set off on our expedition. We had not,however, proceeded far before we were informed that the road to Hamburgwas so full of French troops, scattered about, that it would beimpossible to gain the city without we made a _detour_. As we knew thatour throats would be cut by these disorganised parties, we followed theadvice given to us, walking from village to village, until we had putHamburg between us and the river. But when there, we found that wecould not approach the imperial city, but were obliged to direct oursteps more inland. At last, we heard that the inhabitants of the townof Lunenburg had risen, and driven out the French garrison, and Iresolved to proceed there, as it was more advisable than beingcontinually in danger of being picked up by the French stragglers, whowere committing every enormity that could be imagined.

  We arrived safe; stated who we were to the authorities, and were wellreceived; but we had not been there more than two days, when therejoicings and braggings of the town's-people, on account of the latevictory over the French garrison, were turned to consternation by theintelligence that General Moraud was advancing with a considerable forceto re-take the town. The panic was so great, that all idea of defencewas in vain; and at the very time that I was entreating them to make astand, the French troops poured in, and two cuirassiers galloped up, andseized upon Cross and me. A few minutes afterwards, General Moraud cameup, and inquired, in a rough tone, who we were. I replied in French,that we were English officers.

  "Take them away," said he, "and secure them well; I'll make an examplehere that shan't be forgotten."

  We were taken to the guard-room, where we remained shut up for thenight. The next morning one of the cuirassiers looked into our cell. Iasked him whether we could not have something to eat.

  "Cela ne vaut pas la peine. Mon ami, vous n'aurez pas le temps pour ladigestion; dans une demie-heure vous serez fusilles."

  "May I ask the English of that, Captain Keene?" replied Cross.

  "Yes, it is very pleasant. He says that it's not worth while eatinganything, as we shall be shot in half an hour."

  "Well, I suppose they'll shoot us first, and try us afterwards," repliedCross. "Won't they give us a reason?"

  "I suspect not, Cross. I am sorry that I have got you into this scrape;as for myself, I care little about it."

  "I am sorry for poor Jane, sir," replied Cross; "but we all owe Heaven adeath; and, after all, it's not worth making a fuss about."

  Our conversation was here interrupted by a party of French soldiers, whoopened the door and ordered us to follow them. We had not far to go,for we were led out to the Grand Place, before the prison, where wefound the French troops drawn up, and General Moraud, with his officersround him, standing in the centre. At twenty yards' distance, andsurrounded by the troops, which did not amount to more than threehundred, were thirty of the principal inhabitants of the town, pinioned,and handkerchiefs tied over their eyes, preparatory to their being shot;this being the terrible example that the governor had threatened.

  "Look, Cross," said I, "what a handful of men these Frenchmen haveretaken the town with. Why, if we had resisted, we might have laughedat them."

  "They won't laugh any more, I expect," replied Bob.

  "_Allons_," said the corporal to me.

  "Where?" replied I.

  "To your friends, there," replied he, pointing to the town's-people, whowere about to be shot.

  "I wish to speak to the general," replied I, resisting.

  "No, no: you must go."

  "I will speak to the general," replied I, pushing the corporal on oneside, and walking to where the general was standing.

  "Well," said the general, fiercely.

  "I wish to know, sir," replied I, "by what law you are guided inshooting us. We are English officers, here on duty to assist againstthe French, and at the most can only be prisoners of war. Upon whatgrounds do you order us to be shot?"

  "As spies," replied the general.

  "I am no spy, sir; I am a post-captain in the English navy, who joinedwith the seamen saved from the wreck of my frigate in the attack uponCuxhaven, and there is my boatswain, who came up with me to go toHamburg. At all events, I am fully justified in siding against theFrench: and to shoot us will be a murder, which will not fail to berevenged."

  "You may pass yourself off as the captain of a frigate, but your dressdisproves it, and I have better information. You are two spies, andsmugglers, and therefore you will be shot."

  "I tell you before all your officers that I am Captain Keene, of theCirce frigate, belonging to His Britannic Majesty, and no spy; if youchoose to shoot me now, I leave my death to be revenged by my country."

  At this moment an officer in naval uniform stepped forward and looked mein the face.

  "General Moraud," said he, "what that officer says is true: he isCaptain Keene, and I was prisoner on board of his vessel; and I alsoknow the other man as well."

  "Captain Vangilt, I do not request your interference," replied thegeneral.

  "But general, as an officer in the marine of the emperor, it is my dutyto state to you, that you are deceived, and that this officer is theperson that he states himself to be. Messieurs," continued CaptainVangilt, addressing those about the general, "I assure you it is true,and I am under the greatest obligation to this officer for his kindnessand humanity when I was his prisoner."

  "I recognise you now, Mr Vangilt," replied I; "and I thank you for yourevidence."

  "You see, general, he knows me by name: I must demand the life of thisBritish officer."

  The other officers then spoke to the general, who heard all they had tosay, and then, with a sardonic grin, replied,--"Gentlemen, he may be anofficer, but still he is a spy." At that moment an orderly came up onhorseback, and, dismounting, gave a note to the general.

  "_Sacre bleu_!" cried he; "then we'll have our revenge first at allevents. Soldiers, take these two men, and put them in the centre, withthe others."

  Vangilt pleaded and entreated in vain: at last, in his rage, he calledthe general "a coward and a madman."

  "Captain Vangilt, you will answer that at some other time," replied thegeneral; "at present we will carry our will into execution. Lead themaway."

  Vangilt then covered his face with his hands, and all the other officersshowed signs of great disgust.

  "Farewell, Vangilt," said I in French; "I thank you for yourinterference, although you have not succeeded with the _scoundrel_."

  "Take them away!" roared the general.

  At that moment the report of musketry was heard in dropping shots.

  "Well, if ever I saw such a bloody villain," said Cross. "Take that, atall events;" continued Bob, shying his hat right into the general'sface. "I only wish it was a 32-pounder, you murdering thief."

  The rage of the general may easily be imagined. Once more he gave hisorders, drawing his sword in a menacing way at his own soldiers, who nowforced us towards the part of the square where the other victims werecollected. As soon as we were there, they wanted to blind our eyes, butthat both I and Bob positively refused, and a delay was created by ourresistance. The musketry was now approaching much nearer; and a fewseconds afterwards the general gave the order for the party to advancewho were to execute the sentence.

  The other prisoners kneeled down; but I and Cross would not; and whilewe
were resisting, the general repeated his order to fire; but the menwere confused with the advance of the enemy, and the impossibility tofire while Cross and I not only resisted the soldiers, but held them sofast, that had the party fired they must have shot them as well as us.A cry "To arms" was given, and the troops all wheeled round in front torepel the enemy. A loud hurrah was followed by an inpouring of somehundred Cossacks, with their long spears who, in a few seconds chargedand routed the French, who retreated in the greatest confusion by thedifferent streets which led into the Grand Place.

  "Hurrah! we are saved," cried Cross, snatching up a musket that had beendropped by a soldier. I did the same, and pursued the retreatingFrench, till a bullet through my leg put a stop to my progress. Icalled to Cross, who came to my assistance, and he helped me back to theGrand Place, which was now clear of troops.