by G. A. Henty
Chapter 4: The Pirates Of The Pacific.
A regular watch was set, both on the plateau and on board ship.Towards morning, one of the watch on board hailed the officer above:
"I have fancied, sir, for some time, that I heard noises. It seems tome like the splash of a very large number of oars."
"I have heard nothing," the officer said; "but you might hear soundsdown there, coming along on the water, before I do. I will go down tothe water's edge, and listen."
He did so, and was at once convinced that the man's ears had notdeceived him. Although the night was perfectly still, and not a breathof wind was stirring, he heard a low rustling sound, like that of thewind passing through the dried leaves of a forest, in autumn.
"You are right, Johnson, there is something going on out at sea,beyond the mouth of the bay. I will call the captain, at once."
Captain Thompson, on being aroused, also went down to the waterside tolisten; and at once ordered the whole party to get under arms. Herequested Mr. Barlow, the young lieutenant in charge of the troops, toplace half his men across each end of the plateau. The back wasdefended by a cliff, which rose almost perpendicularly from it to aheight of some hundred feet; the plateau being some thirty yards, indepth, from the sea face to its foot. The male passengers wererequested to divide themselves into two parties, and to join thesoldiers in defending the position against flank attacks. The gunswere all loaded, and the sailors then set to work dragging up bales ofgoods from below, and placing them so as to form a sort of breastworkbefore the guns along the sea face.
The noise at sea had, by this time, greatly increased; and although itwas still too dark to see what was passing, Captain Thompson said thathe had no doubt, whatever, that the boats had one or more large shipsin tow.
"Had it not been for that," he said, "they would long ago have beenhere. I expect that they hoped to catch us napping, but the wind felland delayed them. They little dream how well we are prepared. Did theyknow of our fort here, I question whether they would have venturedupon attacking us at all, but would have waited till we were well atsea, and then our chance would have been a slight one.
"Well, gentlemen, you will allow that the two days were not wasted. Ithink, now, the pirates are well inside the bay. In half an hour weshall have light enough to see them.
"There, listen! There's the splash of their anchors. There, again! Ifancy there are two ships moored broadside on, stem and stern."
All this time, the work on shore had been conducted in absolutesilence, and the pirates could have had no intimation that theirpresence was discovered. Presently, against the faintly dawning lightin the east, the masts of two vessels could be seen. One was a largeship, the other a brig. Almost at the same time the rough sound ofboats' keels grounding on the shore could be heard.
"Just as I thought," the captain whispered. "They have guessed thatsome of us will be ashore, and will make a rush upon us here, when theships open fire."
The word was passed along the guns that every one was to be doubleshotted, and that their fire was at first to be directed at the brig.They were to aim between wind and water, and strive to sink her asspeedily as possible.
As the light gradually grew brighter, the party on the plateauanxiously watched for the moment when the hull of the Indiamanbecoming plain to the enemy. These would open fire upon it, and sogive the signal for the fight. At the first alarm the tents had allbeen levelled; and a thick barricade of bales erected, round a slightdepression of the plateau at the foot of the cliff in its rear. Herethe ladies were placed, for shelter.
As the light increased, it could be seen that in addition to the twoships were a large number of native dhows. Presently, from the blackside of the ship, a jet of fire shot out; and at the signal abroadside was poured into the Indiaman by the two vessels. At the samemoment, with a hideous yell, hundreds of black figures leaped to theirfeet on the beach, and rushed towards the, as yet, unseen position ofthe English.
The captain shouted "Fire!" and the twenty guns on the plateau pouredtheir fire simultaneously into the side of the brig. The captain thengave orders that two of the light guns should be run along theterrace, to take position on the flanks, and aid the soldiers againstthe attacks.
This time Charlie had lent his rifle to Peters, and was himself armedwith his double-barrel gun.
"Steady, boys," Mr. Hallam, the ensign who commanded the soldiers atthe side where Charlie was stationed, cried; "don't fire a shot till Igive the word, and then aim low."
With terrific yells the throng of natives, waving curved swords,spears, and clubs, rushed forward. The steep ascent checked them, butthey rushed up until within ten yards of the line of soldiers on itsbrow. Then Mr. Hallam gave the word to fire, and the soldiers andpassengers poured a withering volley into them.
At so short a distance, the effect was tremendous. Completely sweptaway, the leading rank fell down among their comrades; and these, fora moment, recoiled. Then gathering themselves together they againrushed forward, while those in their rear discharged volleys of arrowsover their heads.
Among the defenders, every man now fought for himself, loading andfiring as rapidly as possible. Sometimes the natives nearly gained afooting on the crest; but each time the defenders, with clubbedmuskets, beat them back again.
The combat was, however, doubtful, for their assailants were manyhundred strong; when the defenders were gladdened with a shout of"Make way, my hearties. Let us come to the front, and give them adose." In a moment two ship's guns, loaded to the muzzle with bullets,were run forward, and poured their contents among the crowded massesbelow.
The effect was decisive. The natives, shaken by the resistance theyhad already experienced, and appalled by the destruction wrought bythe cannon, turned and fled along the shore, followed by the shots ofthe defenders, and by two more rounds of grape, which the sailorspoured into them before they could reach their boats.
Similar success had attended the defenders of the other flank of theposition, and all hands now aided in swinging round the guns, whichhad done such good service, to enable them to bear their share in thefight with the ships. In the middle of the fight, the party had hearda great cheer from those working the seaward guns, and they now sawits cause. The brig had disappeared below the water, and the sailorswere now engaged in a contest with the ship.
The pirates fought their guns well, but they were altogether overmatched by the twenty guns playing upon them from a commandingposition. Already the dhows were hoisting their sails, and one of thecables of the ship suddenly disappeared in the water, while a numberof men sprang upon the ratlines.
"Fire at the masts," Captain Thompson shouted. "Cripple her if youcan. Let all with muskets and rifles try to keep men out of therigging."
The ship was anchored within three hundred yards of the shore, andalthough the distance was too great for anything like accurate fire,several of the men dropped as they ran up the shroud. The sailorsworked their guns with redoubled vigour, and a great shout arose asthe mainmast, wounded in several places, fell over the side.
"Sweep her decks with grape," the captain shouted, "and she's ours.
"Mr. James, take all the men that can be spared from the guns, man theboats, and make a dash for the ship at once. I see the men are leavingher. They're crowding over the side into their boats. Most likelythey'll set fire to her. Set all your strength putting it out. We willattend to the other boats."
It was evident, now, that the pirates were deserting the ship. Theyhad fallen into a complete trap, and instead of the easy prey on whichthey calculated, found themselves crushed by the fire of a heavybattery in a commanding position. Captain Thompson, seeing that theguns of the ship were silent, and that all resistance had ceased, nowordered the sailors to turn their guns on the dhows and sink as manyas possible. These, crowded together in their efforts to escape,offered an easy mark for the gunners, whose shot tore through theirsides, smashing and sinking them in all directions.
In ten minutes the las
t of those that floated had gained the mouth ofthe bay and, accompanied by the boats, crowded with the crews of thetwo pirate vessels, made off; followed by the shot of the thirty-twopounders, until they had turned the low promontory which formed thehead of the bay. Long ere this Mr. James and the boats' crews hadgained the vessel, and were engaged in combating the fire, which hadbroken out in three places.
The boats were sent back to shore, and returned with Captain Thompsonand the rest of the sailors, and this reinforcement soon enabled themto get the mastery of the flames. The ship was found to be the DoverCastle, a new and very fast ship of the Company's service, of whichall traces had been lost since she left Bombay two years before. Shewas now painted entirely black, and a snake had been added for herfigurehead. The original name, however, still remained upon thebinnacle and ship's bell. Her former armament had been increased andshe now carried thirty guns, of which ten were thirty-two pounders.
A subsequent search showed that her hold was stored with valuablegoods; which had, by the marks upon the bales, evidently belonged toseveral ships; which she had, no doubt, taken and sunk after removingthe pick of their cargoes. The prize was a most valuable one, and thecaptain felt that the board of directors would be highly delighted atthe recovery of their ship, and still more by the destruction of thetwo bands of pirates.
The deck of the ship was thickly strewn with dead. Among them was thebody of a man who, by his dress, was evidently the captain. From someof the pirates who still lived, Captain Thompson learned that the brigwas the original pirate, that she had captured the Dover Castle, thatfrom her and subsequent prizes they had obtained sufficient hands toman both ships, all who refused to join being compelled to walk theplank. These were the only two pirate ships in those seas, so far asthe men knew. Their rendezvous was at a large native town on themainland, at the mouth of a river three days' sail distant.
The news of the Indiaman being laid up, refitting at the island, wasbrought by the native craft they had seen on the day after theirarrival; and upon its being known, the natives had insisted in joiningin the attack. The pirate captain, whose interest it was to keep wellwith them, could not refuse to allow them to join, although he wouldgladly have dispensed with their aid, believing his own force to befar more than sufficient to capture the vessel, which he supposed tobe lying an easy prize at his hands.
Another ten days were spent in getting the cargo and guns on board theLizzie Anderson, and in fitting out both ships for sea. Then, Mr.James and a portion of the crew being placed on board the prize, theysailed together for India. The Dover Castle proved to be much thefaster sailer, but Captain Thompson ordered her to reduce sail, and tokeep about a mile in his wake, as she could at any time close up whennecessary; and the two, together, would be able to oppose a determinedfront, even to a French frigate, should they meet with one on theirway.
The voyage passed without incident save that, when rounding thesouthern point of Ceylon, a sudden squall from the land struck them.The vessel heeled over suddenly, and a young soldier, who was sittingon the bulwarks to leeward, was jerked backwards and fell into thewater.
Charlie Marryat was on the quarterdeck, leaning against the rail,watching a shoal of flying fish passing at a short distance. In thenoise and confusion, caused by the sudden squall, the creaking ofcordage, the flapping of sails, and the shouts of the officer to letgo the sheets, the fall of the soldier was unnoticed; and Charlie wasstartled by perceiving, in the water below him, the figure of astruggling man.
He saw, at once, that he was unable to swim. Without an instant'shesitation Charlie threw off his coat, and kicked off his shoes, andwith a loud shout of "Man overboard!" sprang from the taffrail and,with a few vigorous strokes, was alongside the drowning man. He seizedhim by the collar, and held him at a distance.
"Now," he said, "don't struggle, else I'll let you go. Keep quiet, andI can hold you up till we're picked up."
In spite of the injunction, the man strove to grasp him; but Charlieat once let go his hold, and swam a pace back as the man sunk. When hecame up he seized him again, and again shouted:
"Keep quite quiet, else I'll leave go."
This time the soldier obeyed him and, turning him on his back, andkeeping his face above water, Charlie looked around at the vessel hehad left.
The Indiaman was still in confusion. The squall had been sudden andstrong. The sheets had been let go, the canvas was flapping in thewind, and the hands were aloft reducing sail. She was already somedistance away from him. The sky was bright and clear, and Charlie, whowas surprised at seeing no attempt to lower a boat, saw a signal runup to the masthead.
Looking the other way, he saw at once why no boat had been lowered.The Dover Castle was but a quarter of a mile astern. Carrying lesssail than her consort, she had been better prepared for the squall,and was running down upon him at a great rate.
A moment later a boat was swung out on davits, and several men climbedinto it. The vessel kept on her course, until scarcely more than herown length away. Then she suddenly rounded up into the wind, and theboat was let fall, and rowed rapidly towards him.
All this time, Charlie had made no effort beyond what was necessary tokeep his own head, and his companion's face, above the water. He nowlifted the soldier's head up, and shouted to him that aid was at hand.In another minute they were dragged into the boat. This was soonalongside the ship, and three minutes later the Dover Castle waspursuing her course, in the track of the Lizzie Anderson, havingsignalled that the pair had been rescued.
Charlie found that the soldier was an Irish lad, of some nineteenyears old. His name, he said, was Tim Kelly, and as soon as he hadrecovered himself sufficiently to speak, he was profuse in hisprofessions of gratitude to his preserver. Tim, like the majority ofthe recruits in the Company's service, had been enlisted while in astate of drunkenness; had been hurried on board a guard ship, where,when he recovered, he found a number of other unfortunates likehimself. He had not been permitted to communicate with his friends onshore, but had been kept in close confinement, until he had been putin uniform and conveyed on board the Lizzie Anderson, half an hourbefore she sailed.
The Company's service was not a popular one. There was no fighting inIndia, and neither honor, glory, nor promotion to be won. The climatewas unsuited to Europeans, and few, indeed, of those who sailed fromEngland as soldiers in the Company's service ever returned. TheCompany, then, were driven to all sorts of straits to keep up even thesmall force which they then maintained in India, and their recruitingagents were, by no means, particular as to the means they employed tomake up the tale of recruits.
The vessels did not again communicate until they came to anchor inMadras roads, as the wind was fair and Captain Thompson anxious toarrive at his destination. During these few days, Tim Kelly hadfollowed Charlie about like a shadow. Having no duties to perform onboard, he asked leave to act as Charlie's servant; and Charlie wastouched by the efforts which the grateful fellow made to be of serviceto him.
Upon their arrival they saw, to their satisfaction, that the Britishflag was waving over the low line of earthworks, which constitute theBritish fort. Not far from this, near the water's edge, stood thewhite houses and stores of the Company's factors; and behind these,again, were the low hovels of the black town. The prospect was not aninviting one, and Charlie wondered how on earth a landing was to beeffected, through the tremendous surf which broke upon the shore.
He soon found that, until the wind went down and the surf moderatedsomewhat, no communication could be effected. The next morning,however, the wind lulled, and a crowd of curious native boats wereseen putting off from the shore.
Charlie had, after the vessel anchored, rejoined his ship with TimKelly, and he now bade goodbye to all on board; for only the doctor,two civilians, and the troops were destined for Madras; all the restgoing on in the ship to Calcutta, after she had discharged thatportion of her cargo intended for Madras. Charlie had, during the lasttwelve hours, been made a great deal of, on account of
the gallantryhe had displayed in risking his life for that of the soldier. Petersand one of the other young writers were also to land; and, taking hisseat with these in a native boat, paddled by twelve canoe men, hestarted for the shore.
As they approached the line of surf, Charlie fairly held his breath;for it seemed impossible that the boat could live through it. Theboatmen, however, ceased rowing outside the line of broken water, andlay on their paddles for three or four minutes.
At last a wave, larger than any of its predecessors, was seenapproaching. As it passed under them, the steersman gave a shout. Inan instant the rowers struck their paddles into the water, and theboat dashed along, with the speed of a racehorse, on the crest of thewave. There was a crash. For a moment the boat seemed, to the lads,engulfed in white foam; and then she ran high up upon the beach. Therowers seized the boys and, leaping out, carried them beyond the reachof the water, before the next wave broke upon them; and thentriumphantly demanded a present, for their skilful management. Thisthe lads were glad to give, for they considered that their escape hadbeen something miraculous.
For a while they stood on the shore, watching other boats, with thesoldiers and baggage, coming ashore; and then, being accosted by agentleman in the employment of the Company, followed him to theresidence of the chief factor. Here they were told that rooms would begiven them, in one of the houses erected by the Company for the use ofits employees; that they would mess with the other clerks residing inthe same house; and that, at nine o'clock in the morning, they wouldreport themselves as ready for work.
Charlie and his friends amused themselves by sauntering about in thenative town, greatly surprised by the sights and scenes which mettheir eyes; for in those days very little was known of India, inEngland. They were, however, greatly disappointed. Visions of orientalsplendour, of palaces and temples, of superbly dressed chiefs withbands of gorgeous retainers, had floated before their mind's eye.Instead of this they saw squalid huts, men dressed merely with a ragof cotton around them, everywhere signs of squalor and poverty.
Madras, however, they were told that evening, was not to be taken as asample of India. It was a mere collection of huts, which had sprung upround the English factories. But when they went to a real Indian city,they would see a very different state of things.