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THE ROCK OF THE LION
BY
MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL
AUTHOR OF
"A VIRGINIA CAVALIER" "LITTLE JARVIS" "PAUL JONES""THE SPRIGHTLY ROMANCE OF MARSAC""CHILDREN OF DESTINY" ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
BY A. I. KELLER
Logo]
NEW YORK AND LONDON
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1897, by HARPER & BROTHERS.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BASKERVILLE'S EYES FOLLOWED THE COURSE OF THE _SEAHORSE_Page 5]
AT GIBRALTAR.
_England, I stand on thy imperial ground, Not all a stranger; as thy bugles blow, I feel within my blood old battles flow-- The blood whose ancient founts in thee are found. Still surging dark against the Christian bound Wide Islam presses; well its peoples know Thy heights that watch them wandering below; I think how Lucknow heard their gathering sound. I turn and meet the cruel, turbaned face. England, 'tis sweet to be so much thy son! I feel the conqueror in my blood and race; Last night Trafalgar awed me, and to-day Gibraltar wakened; hark, thy evening gun Startles the desert over Africa!_
--GEORGE E. WOODBERRY.
PREFACE
_The Rock of the Lion_ is not a history of the siege of Gibraltar,although the story of that immortal siege of 1779-83 has been closelystudied and followed in preparing this book for young readers. Thewriter has used the romancer's just and inalienable right to introducereal persons and events whenever it would be of service to the story.Only one liberty has been taken with chronology; it refers to PaulJones, and is unimportant in character.
MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL.
ILLUSTRATIONS
BASKERVILLE'S EYES FOLLOWED THE COURSE OFTHE "SEAHORSE" _Frontispiece_
"HE PUT THE CANDLE DOWN AND DROPPEDUPON THE SETTEE" _Facing p._ 38
THE LANDLADY STOOD BETWEEN ARCHY ANDTHE OFFICER " 78
"'PERHAPS YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT I AM ANAMERICAN'" " 106
"ARCHY MAKES AWAY WITH A BAG OF POTATOESFOR MRS. CURTIS" " 132
LANGTON WAS TAKEN DOWN THE HILL IN AWHEELBARROW " 166
HE SAW AN OFFICER LYING IN A DITCH " 200
"ISABEL AND MARY EXTENDED THEIR HANDSTO PAUL JONES" " 278
THE ROCK OF THE LION
CHAPTER I
The sun, a great orb of glory, hung low in the west, lighting up the seaand sky with a blaze of splendor. Long lances of rosy flame shot acrossthe blue Mediterranean, even to the horizon, which was the color ofpearls and opals. Afar off, in the dim distance, the Rock of Gibraltar,a huge, mysterious shadow, like a couchant lion, seemed to keep watchover sea and land. Vast and majestic, looming large in the clear obscureof evening, it dwarfed everything less great than itself intonothingness, except one--a magnificent ship of the line, the_Thunderer_, which swept along under a mountain of canvas. The ensign ofEngland, which flew from her peak, seemed to kiss the skies, while thelong pennant, signifying "homeward bound," that flew from the giantmain-mast, touched the sapphire sea. A hundred and twenty guns armedher mighty hull, and she carried a thousand men to fight them. The rushof the wind through her tremendous rigging was like the roar of acataract, and as she cleft the seas they bellowed under her bows with areverberation like thunder.
The crimson and gold rim of the sun still flamed angrily above thehorizon, but the pearl and opal and ruby sky changed suddenly to acoppery red, streaked with green, and the wind rose steadily.Approaching the mighty battleship, on the opposite tack, was seen asmall frigate, as perfect in her dainty way as the leviathan that wasbearing down upon her. She, too, wore the colors of England. As soon asshe got fairly within sight a signal-flag was broken out from herforetruck. In answer to it the ship of the line threw her maintop-sailaback and hove to. The frigate did likewise, and a cutter dropped intothe water from her side. A midshipman and twelve men were in the boat,and another person--a lad of about sixteen, wearing a naval uniform, butdifferent from the uniform of the midshipman. The boat was rapidlypulled across the blue water, now ruffled by the breeze, and soon layrocking and tumbling like a cork under the huge hull of the ship of theline. The two lads rose and grasped each other's hand. They saidnothing, being Anglo-Saxons, but their looks were eloquent, and in theeyes of both there were tears. The midshipman said a word to the men,and they brought the boat alongside, just under the main-chains. Theyounger one, taking off his cap, nodded to the men in the boat, and,without waiting for the Jacob's-ladder which was about to be thrown overthe side, made a spring like a cat and landed in the chain-plates. Themen, ever pleased with a show of daring and dexterity, raised a cheer,in which some of the sailors hanging over the _Thunderer's_ rail joined.The young fellow turned and waved his cap again, and then disappearedthrough the nearest porthole, a sailor throwing a small bundle afterhim. Almost before he had seized the chain-plates the maintop-sail yardhad swung round, and the great ship was again bounding over the sea.
The boy threaded, with amazing swiftness, the gangways and ladders ofthe _Thunderer_, and soon found himself on the quarter-deck. An officerin an admiral's uniform stood alone on the poop, watching the boat as itdisappeared rapidly in the distance, while the captain on the bridgelooked anxiously towards the northwest, where clouds were gatheringangrily.
The boy walked up to the Admiral, and, making a low bow, cap in hand,said, "This, I believe, is Admiral Kempenfelt."
"Yes, sir," answered the Admiral.
"I have the honor to report to you, sir. I am Midshipman Baskerville,late of the Continental ship _Bon Homme Richard_, and afterwards in the_Serapis_. I was captured at the Texel, and am on my parole. This letterfrom Captain Lockyer, of the _Seahorse_, explains everything."
Admiral Kempenfelt took the letter which the little midshipman handedhim, and read:
"DEAR SIR,--This will be handed you by Midshipman Baskerville, a young rebel lately in revolt against his Majesty, and lately acting midshipman with that traitor and pirate, Paul Jones. After Jones reached the Texel in the _Serapis_, we kept, you may be sure, a close watch upon him, and the _Seahorse_, with eleven other ships of the line and frigates, cruised outside waiting for him. But will you believe, my dear Admiral, that this little midshipman is all the game we have bagged so far; and he was caught by his own imprudence in going off on a fishing excursion, when a boat's crew of the _Seahorse_ nabbed him just as he got ashore? I received orders to the Mediterranean, and so hand this youngster over to you to take to England. He is the grandson and heir of your eccentric friend Lord Bellingham, of Bellingham Castle, Yorkshire. His father quarrelled with his grandfather, went to North America, and turned red-hot rebel. This boy, being left an orphan, was seduced by Jones to join him, although he swears he begged Jones to take him, and would follow Jones all over the world and beyond. You see, my dear sir, that it would be a very good thing if we could bring this youth to a sense of his duty to the King; and as he is a lad of parts and spirit, I would be glad to see him in his grandfather's good graces. I intended to send him to England on his parole at the first opportunity; but blast me if I have met a ship going home since I took him aboard in October until now. I ventu
re to hand him over to you, having given him orders to report at once to his grandfather when you land. This has been an infernal cruise, and if we have ten shillings apiece prize-money, it will be more than I expect. With best wishes, believe me, my dear sir,
"Your very sincere friend and obedient servant, "RALPH LOCKYER."
While the reading of this letter was going on, Archy Baskerville stoodin an easy but respectful attitude. There were a number of officers ondeck who looked at him curiously, but he seemed to see no one. His eyesfollowed the course of the _Seahorse_, now growing rapidly smaller andfainter in the fading light, and again they filled with tears. He hadbeen a prisoner, it is true, on board of her, but a prisoner kindlytreated; and he had one friend--Langton, the midshipman, who had broughtthe boat to the _Thunderer_--whom he dearly loved. Should they ever meetagain? He was roused from his reverie by Admiral Kempenfelt saying tohim:
"Do you know the contents of this letter, sir?"
"No, sir."
"I find you are the grandson of my old friend Lord Bellingham--his heir,so Captain Lockyer writes me."
Something like a grin appeared on Archy's handsome face.
"Hardly, sir. My father joined with my grandfather in cutting theentail, and I cannot get the estates; and I cannot use the title, as Iam an American citizen."
"A what?" snapped Admiral Kempenfelt.
Now, this young gentleman, Archy Baskerville, had a reprehensiblequality very common in youth. He liked to be as exasperating as hedared, and having devoted most of his time on the _Seahorse_ to findingout how far he could presume on his position as a prisoner of war, heonly smiled sweetly up into the Admiral's face and repeated, blandly:
"A citizen of the United States, sir."
The Admiral glared at him for a moment, and then, his countenancesoftening, he put his hand kindly on Archy's shoulder, saying, as if hewere addressing a ten-year-old boy:
"Come, come, my lad; let us have no more of that. You are young; you aremisguided; you have a splendid destiny before you in England, and thevagaries of a mere lad like you, exposed to the seductions of aplausible fellow like that pirate Jones, will be easily overlooked ifyou return to your allegiance to your King and country."
During this speech a deep red had overspread Archy's countenance, buthis quick wits had not deserted him.
"Sir," he said, straightening up his boyish figure, "a prisoner of waris subject to many temptations to betray his cause; but I did not thinkthat Admiral Kempenfelt would suggest that I should turn traitor, and,what is harder to bear, should insult my late commander, Commodore PaulJones, when I am not in a position to resent it."
If Archy had turned red the Admiral turned scarlet. His eyes and histeeth snapped at the same time, and, wheeling round, he abruptly walkedto the end of the poop and back again, his heels hitting the deck hardand his hands twitching behind his back. The officers standing withinhearing had difficulty in keeping their countenances, but Archy, smoothand unruffled, was like a May morning. The Admiral again turned and cameback towards him. The notion of that youngster giving himself the airsof a post-captain! thought the Admiral. The masthead was the only placefor him, and yet the brat was sharp enough to know all he was entitledto as a prisoner of war and to claim it.
The Admiral made two more turns; then he came up close to Archy, andwith the gleam of a smile said:
"May I have the pleasure of your company in my cabin at supper to-night,Mr. What's-your-name?"
"With pleasure, sir," replied Archy, promptly, "provided, of course,that you make no efforts to corrupt my loyalty, and say nothingdisrespectful of my late commander."
Had the great main-mast tumbled over the side at that moment, theAdmiral could not have been more amazed. He opened his mouth to speak,and was too astounded to shut it. He looked at Archy carefully from thecrown of his curly head to the soles of his well-shaped feet--for theboy was elegantly made and bright-faced and handsome beyond the common.Archy bore the scrutiny without flinching. As for the officers, who wereon-lookers, a universal grin went round, and one midshipman giggledoutright.
Suddenly there was a sharp order and a rush of feet along the deck. Thelight had died out as if by magic; sea and sky turned black, except acorner on the northwest horizon, where an ominous pale-green lightplayed upon fast-gathering clouds, and the wind rose with a shriek. Themen swarmed up the rigging to take in sail, and they were not a momenttoo soon. Every person on deck immediately found something to do exceptAdmiral Kempenfelt and Archy Baskerville. The Admiral walked up anddown, glancing coolly around, but making no suggestions. Archy leanedagainst the swifter of the mizzen-rigging, and his keen young eyescaught the last glimpse of the _Seahorse_ as she disappeared--a merespeck in the darkness. The inky clouds came down like a curtain upon thelion-like Rock, and the air itself seemed to turn black. And then camethe storm.
The _Thunderer_, under storm canvas, did battle with the tempest for twodays and nights. Driven by mighty blasts, she staggered upon her course,descending into gulfs and then rising mountain high until it seemed asif her tall masts would meet the low-hanging pall of clouds. Her gunsbroke loose, and on all three of her decks these huge masses of brassand iron were pitched about to the danger of life and limb. Her stoutmasts and spars bent like whips. Violent gusts of rain came with thescream of the tempest. Her men, drenched to the bone, nearly swept offtheir feet by the great hissing and roaring masses of water that fellupon the deck, knocked over, slipping up, falling down hatchways,sleepless and hungry, suffered all the dangers and miseries of one ofthe most frightful storms of the century; yet they never lost heart. Theofficers, from the captain down to the smallest midshipman, were cool,and apparently confident that the _Thunderer_ could weather the storm;and as in the beginning, so to the end, there were but two persons onthe ship who did nothing--Admiral Kempenfelt and the little Americanprisoner of war, Archy Baskerville; and in coolness and apparentindifference it is hard to tell which excelled--the seasoned Admiral orthe young midshipman.
Neither the boy's spirit, nor even his sly impertinence, had injured himin Admiral Kempenfelt's opinion, and Archy's courage during thoseterrible two days was not overlooked. The Admiral felt an interest inthe boy, from his long acquaintance with Lord Bellingham, and he thoughtit a pity that the heir to a great title and noble estates should throwthem away by what the Admiral considered rank rebellion; but it wasArchy's own fearless spirit that won him the Admiral's respect. On thatfirst dreadful night there was no pretence of serving supper; but, tothe Admiral's mingled disgust and amusement, at seven o'clock Archytumbled into the great cabin, where he found the Admiral seated with asoup-tureen between his knees, out of which he was ladling pea-soup intohis mouth with great good-will, but indifferent success.
"Ah, here you are, Mr. Baskerville," called out the Admiral, who knewwhat a midshipman's appetite was, and supposed that Archy had shrewdlycalculated on a good supper. "Sorry I can't order my steward to helpyou; but in that last lurch the ship gave he was pitched head-foremostover the table, and knocked out three teeth and blacked his eye--so heis now under the surgeon's care. But if you will kindly help yourself tothat bowl-- Oh, Jupiter!"
The _Thunderer_ nearly went on her beam-ends, and so did the tureen.Archy, showing a very good pair of sea-legs, secured the bowl from amass of broken crockery in the locker, and, presenting it, the Admiralfilled it with pea-soup, only spilling about half.
"Excuse me, sir," said Archy, and plumped down flat on the floor, where,with the greatest dexterity, he conveyed all the soup in the bowl tohis mouth.
"Any casualties on deck since I left?" asked the Admiral.
"No, sir. The fact is"--here the ship righted herself with a suddennessthat threw Archy's heels almost into the Admiral's face--"I don't thinkit much of a blow."
The Admiral stopped his ladling for a moment and looked the boy in theeye very hard.
Archy felt emboldened to indulge in a little more boyish braggadocio,and remarked, airily:
&nb
sp; "That is, there's nothing alarming in the blow, sir. It was blowingharder than this when we made the Texel in the _Serapis_."
"Young man," answered the Admiral, "you never saw it blow as hard asthis in your life, and you never may again."
Archy, somewhat abashed, said nothing, and had the grace to blush; butspying a loaf of bread rolling under the transom, he crawled after it,secured it, and handed it to the Admiral.
"Informal, but very welcome," was the Admiral's remark as he divided theloaf and gave Archy half. "As long as this keeps up, Mr. Baskerville,you may as well accept the hospitality of my cabin, such as it is. Ihardly suppose any one has thought of slinging you a hammock, and youcouldn't stay in it if you had it; but there is the floor, and here is apillow."
"Thank you, sir," said Archy.
"Have you ever seen your grandfather, Lord Bellingham?"
"No, sir."
The Admiral gave a short laugh.
"I should like to see your meeting."
Something in the Admiral's kind face gave encouragement to Archy, and hereplied, "I hope he will receive me kindly, but I ask no favors of him.As a prisoner of war, I am sure to be taken care of, since CommodoreJones has obtained for us sea-officers the rights of prisoners of war,such as the land officers have had all the time. Is my grandfathervery--very--dreadful?"
"He is a man of sense and honor, but he is very eccentric. I have knownhim for forty years. Excuse me now, Mr. Baskerville, I am going on deck.I need not ask you to make yourself at home." The Admiral smiled atthis--he thought Archy needed very slight invitation to do that.
All night the tempest raged. At midnight, when it was at its worst, theAdmiral came below for a moment. There were no lights, but by strikinghis flint he saw a lithe, boyish figure on the floor, cunningly lashedto the transom, as was the pillow, and Archy was sleeping like a baby.
"The little beggar is no coward," thought the Admiral, a smile lightingup his face.
Next day and next night it was the same. The Admiral noticed many thingsin that mortal struggle of the great ship with all the powers ofdestruction, and among them were the different kinds and degrees ofcourage displayed by the officers and men. Not one showed fear, althougheach was conscious of the immediate and awful danger, but some bore thestrain better than others. There was not one who stood it more calmly,more debonairly, than the little American midshipman.
At sunrise on the third day, when the storm passed off to the eastward,they found themselves near a rocky headland that jutted out into thesea. The sun shone brightly, but the sea was still angry, and as far asthe eye could reach was wreckage. One glance on the rocks showed themthe wreck of the _Seahorse_. Her masts and spars were gone, and the hulkrose and fell helplessly with the violence of the waves. Archy wasleaning sadly over the rail when he saw an object floating nearer thathe recognized, with a sickening dread, as that of a man's body. It wasswept shoreward under the very lee of the _Thunderer_. As it shot past,Archy uttered a cry. The morning light had revealed the pale face of hisbest friend Langton. Another cry went up from the men on the_Thunderer's_ deck as they watched the ghastly sight. But at that verymoment they had all they could do to claw off the land and save the_Thunderer_ from the fate of the _Seahorse_. It was some days before thewind permitted them to return to the scene of the wreck, and they foundnot a vestige of the gallant ship or her brave company.
The Rock of the Lion Page 1