The Rock of the Lion

by Molly Elliot Seawell

  CHAPTER XIX

  The next morning, the 29th of August, 1782, broke clear, bright, andbeautiful. A magnificent fleet lay out in the roads, and, towering amongthem, Archy recognized the _Royal George_, with her three great decks,her huge, broad-beamed hull, and her lofty masts. No one who ever sailedon this ship but liked her. She had a record of good fortune which madeher a favorite with both officers and men. Her quarters werecomfortable, and she was commonly thought to be a weatherly ship,although the terrible fate which was impending over her on that Augustmorning made it a miracle that she had survived so long, for at thattime she was the oldest ship of the line in the British service.

  Afloat and ashore, all was the orderly bustle and despatch of getting afleet of more than thirty ships ready for sea in short order. Everymoment was precious, but Archy saw for himself that much remained to bedone, and it would be many days yet before the ships could be madeready to leave.

  About ten o'clock in the morning he hired a small boat and put out tothe _Royal George_. As he neared her, he saw her great hull slowly andalmost imperceptibly careen on the starboard side, by which he wasapproaching her, and, presently, a gang of men in slings were let downover her port side. Archy knew very well what that meant. Something wasto be done to her hull below the water-line, and as the day wasperfectly still, without a breath to ruffle the dead calm of the water,the ship had been heeled over to save time, instead of the more tediousprocess of being put in dry-dock to have the work done. Soon the soundof ripping planks off and the noise of hammers and chisels echoed overthe water. A swarm of little boats were gathered around the monster, andher decks were alive with people. Forward was a crowd of women andchildren, families of the men, who were allowed on board for an hour ortwo, as all work was suspended while the ship was being heeled over.

  The ladder was over the starboard side, and as Archy, on reaching theship, ran lightly up it he felt a strange joy at again touching thedeck of a ship; and, with the joyful expectation of youth, he fanciedthat in a little while the American navy would possess a whole fleet ofnoble ships like those he saw around him.

  As he stepped over the side the officer of the deck was standing closeby, and, on Archy's explaining that he knew Admiral Kempenfelt and had aletter for him, the lieutenant called the Admiral's orderly, and in afew moments Archy was shown into the great cabin.

  "Ah, my young friend, happy to see you!" cried Admiral Kempenfelt,rising from his table, where he was writing, and shaking Archy's handcordially. "So it seems, from Lord Bellingham's letter, which I haveglanced over, that you have had some adventures since I saw you last."

  "Yes, sir," replied Archy, smiling, and returning the Admiral's kindlygrasp. "But not the sort I want. The _Seahorse's_ people seem to haveended my fighting career when they picked me up at the Texel nearlythree years ago, and now that our countries are on the verge of peace,it looks as if I would never have another chance to do a little whackingon my own account."

  "Ah, that's the way with you youngsters; nothing but whack--whacking allthe time. Wait until you get my age and you will love peace, as I do. Iam heartily glad, though, that this quarrel with our late colonies isover. Not one-tenth of our people have been in favor of the war for twoyears past, and both sides have done enough now to come to an honorablepeace. I have heard something of you since you have been in England thistime. So you won't turn Englishman for Bellingham and all it carrieswith it?"

  "No, sir. Would you turn Frenchman for Versailles and St. Cloud, and theLouvre thrown in?"

  "No, hanged if I would!"

  Archy bowed and slapped himself on the breast, saying:

  "I perceive I am in good company, sir."

  "Well, now, Mr. Baskerville, let us see about getting you to Gibraltarbefore we get there. A vessel--the _Fox_--is now waiting for a wind tocarry some French officers across, to be exchanged off Ushant. You couldgo very well in her, and, once in France, you can take care of yourself.I apprehend no difficulty in your communicating with your cousin. TheDuc de Crillon is well known to be most courteous in conveying lettersto the garrison, and even sent some delicacies to General Eliot, who wasforced to decline them, and there is actually much polite communicationbetween the two commanders-in-chief. I will myself give you letters tothe Admiral, and to Captain Wilbur, of the _Fox_, which, I am sure, willsecure you a berth in her."

  Admiral Kempenfelt took up a pen and began writing rapidly; but thecabin floor, which had been at an angle, was tilted still more, and hischair slid down, while Archy caught the table as it was slipping afterthe chair.

  "Deuced inconvenient, this heeling of the ship; but it saves time, andtime is everything to our brave fellows at Gibraltar," and the Admiralcalmly resumed his writing. But Archy was not so calm. He looked out ofthe cabin windows on the starboard side, and the nearness of therippling water gave him a kind of shock. He tried to calculate the angleof the floor, which perceptibly became more acute, and a suddenapprehension flashed over him that the ship was over too far to oneside--but he dared not speak.

  Meanwhile the Admiral went on calmly writing, threw sand on the twoletters he had written, and after reading them over handed them toArchy.

  "There," he said, "I hope these will serve your turn. It gives mepleasure to do you a kindness, even if you are an enemy," and he placedhis hand affectionately on Archy's shoulder. "May we meet again underhappier circumstances: in peace, all our quarrels forgot, and nothingbut good-will between us all--amen."

  Something in the Admiral's kind voice, the grasp of his manly hand,touched Archy's heart. The feeling of instant and dreadful apprehensionhad grown upon him in the few minutes that the Admiral continuedwriting. Every moment he hoped that the ship would be righted; insteadof that, the floor became a more sharply inclined plane. Against herstout wooden walls he could hear the ringing of the carpenters' blows,and it sounded like a knell of death to him. He looked closely intoAdmiral Kempenfelt's eyes to see if there was any premonition of danger;but the Admiral seemed strangely unconscious of what so powerfullyaffected Archy, and although barely able to keep his feet on rising,gave no sign of fear that the ship might go over.

  Archy longed to ask the Admiral to go on deck with him, and evenfaltered out:

  "Will you not come above, sir?"

  "No," replied the Admiral, surprised at the suggestion. "I have work todo. Remember me to my friends at Gibraltar. Good-bye, and all good gowith you."

  "If we do not meet again, Admiral," said Archy, in a voice whichtrembled a little, and then, all at once, the words he had meant toutter left him, and an overmastering impulse made him turn and walk outof the cabin as quickly as he could.

  Outside the door the orderly had braced himself against one of thequarter-deck guns. Something in the man's face arrested Archy'sattention at that instant. There were strange noises about the ship, adull reverberation like thunder, followed by a slight crash, and the menwere running to and fro.

  "What is the matter?" asked Archy of the man.

  "Nothing, sir, except that the ship is heeled over too far; the gunshave broken loose, and I believe in five minutes we shall all be undereighteen fathom of water," coolly replied the orderly.

  The appearance of the deck was far from reassuring. As Archy took offhis cap in passing the officer in charge of the deck he observed thecarpenter say a few words in a low tone to the officer, whose reply wasperfectly audible.

  "If you know more about this ship, sir, than I do, you had better takethe deck."

  Archy ran to the ladder. The platform was far under water, and onlooking for his boat he saw the boatman about twenty yards off, pullingaway for his life.

  "Come here!" shouted Archy.

  The man simply shook his head, pulled a little farther out, and then layon his oars. Archy put his hand in his pocket and held up his purse. Atthat the boatman quickly picked up his oars, and, rowing as if his lifedepended on it, in a few minutes was alongside.

  Archy's conduct had not escaped observation. Several officers werewa
lking about the deck, and, although they said nothing, their faceswere grave enough as they leaned over the rail and watched the boat,into which Archy sprang while it was yet several feet away from thehalf-submerged ladder.

  "It wasn't the money for myself, sir, that brought me back," gasped theboatman, as with tremendous strokes the boat shot away from the leaninghull of the ship; "but it was worth while to try for my wife and family.That there ship is in the most dangersome way I ever see a ship. Onepuff of wind now will send her over."

  "Lay on your oars," said Archy, watching with painful interest themighty hull on which the hammering and pounding sounded preternaturallyloud.

  The perilous position of the ship was plain to the whole fleet, andevery eye was turned towards her. On several of the ships near her theorder was quietly given to stand by to lower the boats. In the stillnessof the August morning every sound could be heard, and on board the_Royal George_ was much noise. The women and children forward werelaughing and chattering with the sailors, and every moment a burst ofloud laughter showed that the men were enjoying their little holidaytime. The noise of the workmen striking the hull was incessant, butabove all there would come the frequent ominous sound of a gun thatwould break loose from its fastenings and roll down the inclined planeto starboard. The officer of the deck continued to walk up and down inwhat seemed to every eye that watched him an almost insane ignorance ofthe danger of the ship. The boatman turned to Archy and said:

  "I see the carpenter go up to him once afore, but he didn't take noheed. I dare say the carpenter won't ax him no more."

  However, at this moment the officer turned and disappeared below.

  Thousands of eyes were fixed upon the _Royal George_ in agonizingapprehension. Archy, in uncontrollable agitation, cried aloud:

  "Why don't they haul the guns back? The ports are all open, and if sheheels a foot more she is gone. Oh, God!"

  For the _Royal George_ was slowly, inch by inch, heeling over more; andat the same instant, afar off, the bright water grew dark with anadvancing wind--the wind of death--which stole towards the great shipsoftly and silently.

  Suddenly the people on board the doomed ship seemed to realize theirperil. The officer of the deck reappeared and ran quickly aft. The crowdforward stopped its shouting and singing and laughing; the sharp blareof the boatswain's pipe was heard, calling all hands on deck--but it wastoo late. The towering hull gave one lurch as the wind struck it, theawful shriek of a thousand voices smote the air, and in another moment,with a roar that was heard for miles, the _Royal George_ went down, headforemost, in a black vortex of her own making.

  For a few minutes Archy was dazed and paralyzed with the horror of thesight. He saw the black and seething whirlpool made by the monster,with her hundred and twenty guns, her giant masts and spars, her hugeanchors and cables, for one horrible moment upon the blue and sunlitwater. He heard the roar of the rushing air through her ports, thethunder of guns and anchors breaking through the decks, and a frightfulcrashing, as if every mast and spar and deck in the ship had beensplintered at once; and, worst of all, one wild shriek from twelvehundred souls, swallowed up with her; and never, to his dying hour,could Archy Baskerville forget that cry--a cry that haunted forever,night and day, all who heard it. It was only when it had ceased, wheninstead of the stately ship he saw a seething mass of waters where shelay a minute before, and where now a few human beings were tossed likeleaves upon the water--it was only then that he came a little to hissenses, and shouted to the boatman:

  "Give me an oar, and pull--pull!"

  In a little while they were among the floating bodies. The few minuteshad somewhat sobered Archy. He still felt as if he were in some terribledream, but almost without his own volition he began to act rationally.He threw down his oar, and, leaving the management of the boat to theboatman, stripped off his jacket, trousers, and shoes, and, plunginginto the water, swam vigorously towards the first man he saw. As he gotnear enough he recognized the orderly who had been on duty at theAdmiral's door. The man could not swim; but, although almost sinking inhis heavy clothes, quietly obeyed Archy, who called to him:

  "Don't catch me around the neck--put your hand on my shoulder."

  He would have been hard to save, as his clothes were heavy with water,but the boat came alongside at that moment and he was hauled in. Archycried to him:

  "The Admiral?"

  "Gone," briefly answered the marine. "He never left the cabin."

  Every ship in the fleet sent boats, and in half an hour all of thesurvivors were picked up, and then came a terrible reaction. The flagswere half-masted, the booming of minute-guns over the water was heard,and the people on the ships and crowds that ran to the shore gave way toparoxysms of grief and horror. Even those who had lost no friend orrelative, and they were few, were overcome with the dreadful shock ofthe disaster.

  Archy Baskerville's nerve lasted him until, with the boatman's help, hehad handed the orderly and three other men they had saved over to thelarge cutter which was collecting the survivors from the small boats,and then he gave way to a perfectly hysterical burst of grief. Within anhour from the time that he had shown the utmost coolness and courage insaving life, he could only throw himself down in the boat and weep andsob like a nervous woman over the horrors he had seen. The boatman, hisstolid face ashy pale, sat trembling, and presently said, in a thickvoice, to Archy:

  "'Tis lucky, sir, that both of us wasn't took this way when there wassomething to do. I swear to you, sir, my arms is so weak I can hardlypull the boat ashore, and I know my wife is near wild with fright,and--and--I don't seem to feel that, nor nothin', sir."

  "Pull me to the _Fox_, and then you can go ashore and fetch myportmanteau," said Archy. All he wanted then was to get away from thatdreadful spot.

  The _Fox_, a small gun-brig, was then getting up her anchor, as the windwas increasing, for which she had waited, and her orders admitted of nodelay.

  As Archy came over the side of the brig, the men, with white, setfaces, were walking around the capstan in silence, the creaking soundpainfully audible. The officers, mute, and, as Archy could see, many ofthem as shaken as he, were standing about the deck, and as Archy handedCaptain Wilbur--a stern, weather-beaten man--Admiral Kempenfelt'sletter, on which the ink was scarcely dry, he tried to speak, but hecould only say, "Admiral Kempenfelt," and burst into tears.

  Captain Wilbur lifted his cap as he took the letter, and then turnedaside, to conceal his agitation. Presently he spoke in a low voice:

  "Everything shall be attended to at once. I will send AdmiralKempenfelt's letter to the flag-ship immediately, and we will not bedetained more than an hour. Would that we had sailed before we saw thatawful sight!"

  The afternoon sun was declining when the _Fox_ passed out to sea. Archylooked resolutely seaward--he could not bear to turn his eyes towardsthe dreadful spot where the _Royal George_ had gone down.

  At eight bells, after relieving the watch, Captain Wilbur called allhands on deck, and, having no chaplain, he himself held a simplereligious service, in which all, both officers and men, joinedfervently. Captain Wilbur, although a dashing officer, was a stern man,a rigid moralist, and counted as puritanical--but all hearts weresubdued by the terrible calamity they had just witnessed. Archy feltthat he had special cause for gratitude, and he gave thanks with agreater devoutness of spirit than he had felt since the hour thatCommodore Jones--a man of deep though unobtrusive piety--had exhortedhim to thank God for the glorious success of their country.

  They had sailed on the 29th of August, and by extraordinary good-fortunefound themselves off Ushant within thirty-six hours. There, waiting forthem, was the French frigate _Alceste_, with the English officers to beexchanged for the French. To Archy's delight and surprise he found thatas soon as the French officers were landed at Ushant the _Alceste_ wasto take aboard the Comte d'Artois, the King's brother, and the Duc deBourbon, who were determined to see the last act in the tragedy and tosail for Gibraltar.

  The gallant Fr
ench officers expressed the utmost sympathy for theterrible disaster suffered by the British navy, and especially at theloss of Admiral Kempenfelt, who was admired and respected even by hisenemies. The Admiral's letter--the last he had ever penned--wasrecommendation enough to Archy, even without his prestige as havingserved under Paul Jones. He was at once offered a berth on the_Alceste_, which he gladly accepted, and on the 12th day of September hecame in sight, for the third time, of the Rock of the Lion.

  So celebrated had this siege become that persons from all parts ofEurope came, as the Comte d'Artois and the Duc de Bourbon, to see thelast mortal struggle between Spain and England for this mighty fortress.On that September day when they cast anchor in the harbor of Algeciras,the shore, as far as the eye could reach, was an armed camp. Thegigantic fortifications, armed with hundreds of the heaviest siege guns,were manned by forty thousand men. Fifty French and Spanishbattle-ships, nine of which wore admiral's flags, were drawn up inmenacing array, and beside them were a hundred gunboats, mortar vesselsand bomb-ketches, ten enormous floating batteries, and three hundredsmaller boats, to land men when a practicable breach in the defencesshould be made.

  From these enormous forces of attack, Archy turned his eyes on thegreat fortress. The golden light of morning bathed the summit of theRock in fire, and the ensign of St. George floated proudly above it.There were not six thousand men, and less than a hundred guns, to opposethe tremendous bombardment of the Spaniards and French; but these werethe seasoned sailors, soldiers, and marines who had held out stubbornlyagainst death and defeat in every form for more than three years.

  Precisely at seven o'clock in the morning a signal-gun boomed over thewater, and then began the unparalleled assault, which made all that hadgone before it mere child's-play.

  CHAPTER XX

  On that September morning, as the sun rose in unclouded glory, every manof the heroic garrison of Gibraltar was at his post; every soldier andsailor in the tremendous array of ships and batteries meant toannihilate the fortress was ready for the assault; and uncountedthousands of persons, both on sea and land, watched and waited to seethis terrible and unmatched bombardment.

  At seven o'clock three hundred heavy guns on the land side opened fireupon the Rock. Fifty ships of the line and the ten great floatingbatteries, protected by bomb-proof shields, moved up to within athousand yards and poured their broadsides upon the fortress.

  The garrison had less than a hundred guns to reply with, but these wereserved with a steadiness and vigor that made them doubly effective. Fromthese guns were thrown red-hot shot, which were frightfully destructiveto the ships, but rolled harmlessly off the shields of the formidablefloating batteries into the water, from which clouds of steam arose tomingle with the dense smoke that made the fair day dark. The thunder ofthe guns was indescribable. The solid Rock itself seemed to roar andtremble as it replied to the hurricane of shot and shell that rainedupon it. The huge ships fired broadside after broadside, while from theisthmus the batteries were worked by ten thousand men. Soon, all belowthe summit of the Rock became as black as midnight with the smoke, andit was lighted by the red flames from the guns and the explosion ofmagazines on land and sea. But high above all, serene in the light ofmorning, floated the proud standard of England. As Archy Baskerville,from the _Alceste's_ deck, watched the terrible and imposing sight ofwar in all its majesty, he felt a thrill of pride that those sixthousand indomitable men were of the same blood as himself.

  All day this hell of fire and fury lasted, and as night came on itshorrors were increased by the ships and floating batteries catchingfire. By that time the fortress had proved its impregnable nature, andthe superiority of its cannonade became manifest. One after another ofthe ships caught fire from the red-hot shot, and by midnight, in spiteof the utmost efforts, the _Pastora_, Admiral Moreno's flagship, wasseen to be blazing from stem to stern. Other of the smaller vessels werein flames, and as the day had been made dark by the smoke, so now theblaze lighted up the whole bay with a frightful glare that was reflectedin the lurid heavens, while the Rock itself seemed a mountain on fire.

  The hot shot had told with terrible effect on the Spanish fortificationson the land side, and they were blazing in more than fifty places atonce. By midnight it had proved equally appalling upon the fleets andfloating batteries. Nearly every one of the smaller Spanish vessels wason fire, and distress signals were seen in all parts of the bay. Thewind was adverse, and, with the powerful currents, was driving the shipsof the line away from the Rock, so they could be of no assistance insaving these smaller vessels, which drifted about helplessly until thefire reached their magazines, and then would be exploded with aconcussion that seemed to shake Gibraltar to its base. About two o'clockin the morning the floating batteries, which were the chief hope of thebesiegers, were seen to be in disorder. It was then, by the fierce lightof battle, that Archy Baskerville, from the _Alceste's_ deck, recognizedCaptain Curtis, as, in command of a few light gunboats, he put off fromthe New Mole, and, rapidly forming a line upon the flank of the floatingbatteries, drove them directly under the guns of the fortress. This wastheir destruction, and the Spaniards abandoned them so quickly thatscores of wounded men were left aboard of them to perish in the flames.Then Archy saw Captain Curtis in a cutter make for the blazing andexploding boats, and with other officers and men drag forth the wounded,who would otherwise have perished in the flames. Archy's heart swelledalmost to bursting.

  "Oh, that I were there! that I were there!" he almost cried aloud, sooverpowering to the heart and the imagination is the sight of heroism.

  At one moment the cutter was alongside a gunboat just as the magazineblazed up. The whole vessel seemed to rise in the coppery sky and tobreak into a million pieces before it descended. No one ever expected tosee the cutter and its heroic company again, but when the first horribleshock and crash were over she was seen still afloat.

  The dreadful night wore away and the dawn came on. Archy, who thoughtthat he had seen the most terrible sight in the world at the sinking ofthe _Royal George_, now realized that there was something more dreadfulstill. The bay was covered with wreckage, to which drowning men clung.Dead bodies floated everywhere--the smell of powder and of blood was inthe murky air. On the land side it was, if anything, worse.Fortifications were destroyed, guns were dismounted, the trenches wereencumbered with the dead and dying. It was then, when the full scene ofdestruction was visible, that the hopelessness of the attack was seen.The preparations that had been months in making had been tried and hadfailed, and the flag of England still flew steadily over Gibraltar. Asif by common consent the tremendous cannonade ceased, and just as thelast gun was fired the first pale gleam of the sun shone upon theBritish ensign, and from the Rock came borne a cry of triumph as thesalute was played.

  Archy Baskerville, who had watched through the whole day and night, felta thrill of something strangely like joy at the success of theindomitable garrison. He would have liked to echo that cry of triumph,and it required all of his self-control not to do so; but he rememberedthat he was on a ship of his allies, and, whatever his heart might feel,he spoke no word that indicated the conflict of emotions within him.The French officers were equally on their guard, but Archy, looking intothe faces near him on the _Alceste's_ deck, when that shout was waftedtowards them from the invincible fortress, saw that they had no morehope. The fortress that could withstand the assault of the previoustwenty-four hours was impregnable.

  By common consent there was peace on the day after this frightfulbombardment, and on that day Archy was permitted to go ashore, in theeffort to communicate with Langton.

  The Duc de Crillon at once gave permission for him not only tocommunicate with Langton, but to go inside the Landport gate. The mostgenerous relations were maintained during the whole time that GeneralEliot and the Duc de Crillon were opposed to each other, and every favorconsistent with prudence was granted on each side.

  At nightfall, therefore, Archy was taken to the Landport gateblindfolded, and led in
side the fortress, when presently he foundhimself in a casemate, and there--oh, joy! were Langton and CaptainCurtis, both overjoyed to see him. But Langton was white and gasping forbreath, and as weak as a child.

  "He has not yet recovered from his fever, though he worked like a heroyesterday; but I think he will not be able to do any more during thesiege," said Captain Curtis.

  Langton could only smile feebly, and ask eagerly after his mother andsisters.

  "But you must get well now, to be our grandfather's heir, because, Iassure you, he means to make you so," cried Archy, trying to becheerful, but feeling a sinking at the heart as he looked at Langton.

  And then Archy declared he would not leave the fortress without aglimpse of Mrs. Curtis and Dolly and Judkins. They were all sent for,and there was a brief interview--too hurried for joy, but yet comfortingwhen Archy clasped their hands and felt Dolly's childish arms around hisneck. But, presently, like a dream, it was over, and he was once moreoutside the walls.

  Archy had formed a plan before he had seen Langton for five minutes, andthe very next day he carried it into effect. He got an audience with theDuc de Crillon, and told him briefly the story of his relations withLangton, and his forced imprisonment during a part of the siege, andthen, in a burst of frankness, he said:

  "Pardon, sir, but Mr. Langton can be of no more service at Gibraltar. Iam almost afraid if released now that he will not live to return toEngland; but if he could be released on parole--he seems almost dyingnow--his mother--"

  Archy stopped, and the Duc de Crillon, after a pause, turning to hismilitary secretary, said:

  "Make out a parole for Midshipman Langton, of the Royal navy, andaddress it to General Sir George Eliot, saying if, in his judgment, Mr.Langton is a non-combatant now, and likely to remain so, that thisparole is at his service."

  Archy tried to express his thanks, but his heart was too full for histongue to be glib. His very hesitation and embarrassment, however, werenot without their eloquence, and the Duc de Crillon did not for onemoment suspect him of a want of gratitude.

  It still took some days to arrange the preliminaries, and Archy waspermitted to enter the fortress several times. He could scarcely believehis eyes when he saw how little damage had been inflicted by thegreatest bombardment in history, and he could hardly believe his earswhen the slight loss sustained by the besieged was mentioned to him. Onething appeared settled, that Gibraltar could never be taken by assault,and that the Spanish and French commanders would make no furtherefforts.

  Archy, being plentifully supplied with money, through the assistance ofthe Spanish authorities was enabled to get a small neutral vessel, whichagreed to take to England himself and Langton and a few othernon-combatants who were permitted to leave the fortress.

  On the last day of September they embarked. At the Landport gate Archymet Langton, looking frightfully ill, and supported by Captain Curtisand Judkins, while Mrs. Curtis and Dolly walked behind. The kindestfarewells were exchanged.

  "We will meet soon in England," said Archy; "the siege is over, the warwith my country is over, and as soon as Parliament meets a general peacewill be proclaimed. But, American as I am, I can never think of what Isaw at Gibraltar without being proud to be of the same race as the menwho defended it, and the women too."

  At this, Dolly said, gravely:

  "I love you, Archy, even if you are a rebel," which made them all laughand relieved the sadness of the parting.

  Once on board the vessel and under a fair wind for home, Langton seemedto take a new lease of life. Their quarters were cramped and theirdiscomforts many, but he was homeward bound, and that was enough. Theyhad a quick voyage to Gravesend, and taking post-horses for London,arrived at Lord Bellingham's town house in Berkeley Square, and, thefirst thing, Archy almost ran into Colonel Baskerville's arms.

  "I have brought Langton himself back, instead of news concerning him,"cried Archy, as soon as they were inside the doors; and the next momenthe heard a faint cry beside him. Mrs. Langton, her arms wide open, hadentered the room, and there Langton was in his mother's arms; andColonel Baskerville and Archy turned their backs and pretended to bevery busy talking, while the mother and son were in the first rapture ofmeeting. And then Mary and Isabel rushed in, and laughed and cried asthey hugged Langton, and even condescended to be glad to see Archy; andpresently they were all marched off to Lord Bellingham's room, who wasto see, for the first time, the grandson for whom he destined a greatfortune and a brilliant future.

  Langton was still pale and weak, but it only made his face moreinteresting, and his bearing was still military.

  Archy watched keenly the meeting between the old man and the young one.Lord Bellingham's piercing glance travelled all over Langton's person,and then wandered for a moment to Archy, who was, at all times, thehandsomer and the more spirited of the two. But Langton's calm dignityand manly self-possession were not without their power, and even LordBellingham had no reason to be dissatisfied with him. And now Archy,having, as he justly thought, a right to express himself, indulged hisnatural and incurable propensity for speaking his mind, and, lookingLord Bellingham squarely in the eye, said:

  "I hope, grandfather, you have now a grandson who will suit you in allrespects, and I only wish you could give Langton the title, as I don'twant it. By-the-way, sir, I hear that King George is preparing to backdown as gracefully as possible at the meeting of Parliament."

  To which Lord Bellingham's reply was to say, good-humoredly:

  "Grandson, you have earned the right to be impertinent."

  Langton was immediately established in the position of heir-apparent,and Lord Bellingham could scarcely allow him to recover from thefatigues of his journey before sending for the family solicitor to makehis will. But Archy's position was far from unpleasant. He was a hero toLangton and to Mrs. Langton, and in course of time actually subdued Maryand Isabel, while Colonel Baskerville, who had always felt a deepaffection for him, became every day more attached to him. As for LordBellingham, he seemed to find Archy a source of perpetual interest anddiversion, and although he gave no hint of intending to do more thangive him the promised two thousand pounds, it was plain that he was farfrom indifferent to his American grandson. Archy had always takenliberties, hitherto unheard of, with his grandfather, and so far fromproducing explosions of temper, they only provoked the silent laughterwhich was Lord Bellingham's way of showing amusement.

  But Archy himself had undoubtedly improved. He was learning, by degrees,to be frank without being disagreeable, to have his joke withouttrampling upon the sensibilities of others, and to be considerate of thefaults and foibles of old age. In fact, his self-love became enlisted onhis grandfather's side, for, as Colonel Baskerville sometimes remindedhim, dryly:

  "If you had been born a peer with a great rent-roll, I think you wouldhave been more domineering and dictatorial than Lord Bellingham."

  There was still no love lost between Archy and his two girl cousins, buttheir nimble tongues were silenced by Archy's generosity towardsLangton, who was the family darling. It must be admitted that Archy tookrather mean advantage of this, and when he received a long letter fromPaul Jones, the lives of Mary and Isabel were made miserable by hischaff and jeers. Langton had to hear the whole story of theirinfatuation for Paul Jones, which lost nothing in Archy's telling, andmade Langton laugh for a week; and when the letter by some untowardaccident was lost, Archy declined to be convinced that Mary and Isabelhad not cribbed it for a keepsake.

  So several weeks passed in the gloomy old mansion, which Archydisrespectfully called an old rattle-trap. But they were not gloomyweeks to any one in it. For the first time in his life Lord Bellinghamwas surrounded by those who should be nearest and dearest to him, and hefound life a very different and far pleasanter thing than when he hadbeen at war with his whole family. His daughter's kind attentions addedto his comfort, and his four handsome grandchildren were a source ofinfinite pride to him--and pride meant pleasure to Lord Bellingham.Parliament was to meet on the
5th of December, and Lord Bellinghamdetermined to attend in his peer's robes and coronet, according to thecustom of the times.

  The day was dull and gloomy outside, but Archy Baskerville thought itthe happiest and brightest day that had ever yet shone upon him, for theKing, in his speech from the throne, was to acknowledge the independenceof the American colonies.

  About ten o'clock on that morning the family coach was at the door, andColonel Baskerville, Archy, and Langton awaited Lord Bellingham to driveto the House of Lords. When he appeared in his scarlet robes, andcarrying his coronet in his hand, something very like a smile appearedupon the countenances of his brother and his two grandsons. Archymentally congratulated himself that he would never have to appear insuch a rig, and even whispered as much to Langton. Lord Bellingham wasin a very bad humor as the result of his trailing robes and troublesomecoronet, but nothing could damp Archy's enthusiasm.

  "We shall be mobbed," fretfully exclaimed Lord Bellingham. "This younggentleman here will probably begin huzzaing out of the coach window forthe colonies, and God knows what will befall us then!"

  "I'll take care of all of you, grandfather," magnanimously declaredArchy, which only increased the Earl's irritation, and Archy proceededto fan the flame by remarking that he supposed the King, too, was in avery bad humor that morning.

  And so he was. When, amid a death-like stillness in the House of Lords,the King rose to read his speech to Parliament assembled, he gave everyindication of agitation and embarrassment. He proceeded falteringlyuntil he announced the cessation of the American war, and then,attempting to utter the sentence, "I offer to declare them free andindependent States," he broke down completely, and, after a painful andagitated silence, with a distressing effort read the fateful words.

  Archy was squeezed in a corner of the gallery close by ColonelBaskerville, who kept a keen watch upon him to check any characteristicoutbreak of enthusiasm, and was actually enabled to prevent it until thetedious but imposing proceedings were over. Outside the Houses ofParliament a vast crowd was assembled. There were a few cheers for theKing's speech, but most of the multitude accepted the tremendous eventin solemn silence. As Archy came out with the surging crowd he suddenlyshouted out a long and loud "Huzza!" but the next moment ColonelBaskerville had clapped his hand over Archy's mouth, had hustled himinto the coach, and they were driving off, Lord Bellingham scowling inthe corner seat. But Langton, shaking Archy's hand cordially, cried out:

  "Congratulations, Archy. We shall yet live to glory in our kin beyondthe sea."

  * * * * *

  Ten years after that, one Christmas Eve, a new and handsome equipagedashed into the village of Bellingham about dusk. As the coachman pulledup the horses, the footman jumped down, threw open the door, and letdown the steps. Forth stepped Langton, now a handsome man ofeight-and-twenty, and after him came Colonel Baskerville, not looking aday older than on that November afternoon, ten years before, when he hadtravelled from York with the young American midshipman, quiteunconscious of the close relationship between them.

  The coach from York was almost due, and they had not long to waitbefore it rolled in, the horses steaming in the wintry air. Withoutwaiting for it to come to a full stop, Archy Baskerville made a flyingleap from the box-seat, and Langton and himself, grasping each other,indulged in a bear-hug worthy of their midshipman days.

  Archy then turned his attention to Colonel Baskerville, and treated himto a similar embrace, which almost broke his ribs, but which the Colonelbore uncomplainingly for the quiet joy the meeting with Archy gave him.

  Langton promptly shoved Archy into the coach, the footman seized theportmanteaus from the boot of the York coach, and the four bloodedhorses took the road through the path towards Bellingham Castle.

  "Langton," cried Archy, as soon as they were in the coach, "you are athousand times welcome to the castle and the title, and even ourgrandfather's peer's robes and coronet, when they come to you, for Ihave now the prospect of having what my heart has yearned for during tenyears. Congress has authorized the building of six fine frigates, and Ihave the promise of one of them. I shall be Captain Baskerville atlast!"

  "Then I know you will be happy," replied Langton. "I remember youalways declared you would rather have a fine ship than the greatestcastle in England."

  "I do not think you have changed much," said Colonel Baskerville.

  "Oh, you are mistaken, uncle," answered Archy, quite confidently. "Ihave learned prudence, I assure you, and a great many of the otherbeggarly virtues," at which the Colonel smiled significantly.

  "And whom, think you, have we to meet you at Bellingham besides mymother and sisters? Dolly Curtis, now a lovely girl of twenty-two, andvery anxious to see her old playfellow," said Langton.

  "How jolly!" was Archy's reply. But when he tried to imagine Dolly asanything but a little girl, who played with him and scrambled all overhim, and rode upon his shoulders and sang songs with Judkins, he failedutterly.

  Presently they rattled up to the door and were in the great hall in amoment, and Mrs. Langton's arms were around Archy's neck, and she wasleading him to Lord Bellingham's chair by the fire, where the old mansat quite tremulous with joy to see him.

  And Archy burst out with the very thing that pleased Lord Bellinghammost:

  "I wished to see all my friends in England, grandfather, but especiallyyou; for after I went back to America and experienced your generosity inproviding for me, I recalled all your kindness while I was here, and Iwondered how you put up with such a presumptuous little beggar as Iwas."

  Isabel and Mary, two handsome and dignified young women, came forwardand greeted him with the utmost cordiality, and they all three burst outlaughing involuntarily at the same moment, remembering their ancientsquabbles.

  And then a charming, beautiful, modest girl advanced, who looked atArchy with strange but not unfriendly eyes--Dolly's eyes--and gave himher hand--over which he bowed--and said to him in a sweet and thrillingvoice one word which brought back the stirring past:

  "Gibraltar!"

  THE END