Peter Simple; and, The Three Cutters Part 45

Chapter L

Peter Simple first takes a command, then three West Indiamen, and twenty prisoners--One good turn deserves another--The prisoners endeavour to take him, but are themselves taken in.

The next day I was very unhappy. The brig was in the offing waiting for me to come on h.o.a.rd. I pointed her out to Celeste as we were at the window, and her eyes met mine. An hour's conversation could not have said more. General O'Brien showed that he had perfect confidence in me for he left us together.

"Celeste," said I, "I have promised your father--"

"I know what has pa.s.sed," interrupted she; "he told me everything."

"How kind he is! But I did not say that I would not bind myself, Celeste."

"No! but my father made me promise that you should not--that if you attempted, I was immediately to prevent you--and so I shall."

"Then you shall keep your word, Celeste. Imagine everything that can be said in this--" and I kissed her.

"Don't think me forward, Peter, but I wish you to go away happy," said Celeste; "and therefore, in return, imagine all I could say in this" and she returned my salute.

After this we had a conversation of two hours; but what lovers say is very silly, except to themselves, and the reader need not be troubled with it. General O'Brien came in and told me the boat was ready. I rose up--I was satisfied with what had pa.s.sed, and with a firm voice I said, "Good-bye, Celeste; G.o.d bless you!" and followed the general, who, with some of his officers, walked down with me to the beach. I thanked the general, who embraced me, paid my adieus to the officers, and stepped into the boat. In half an hour I was on board of the brig, and in O'Brien's arms. We put the helm up, and in a short time the town of St Pierre was shut out from my longing sight, and we were on our way to Barbadoes. That day was pa.s.sed in the cabin with O'Brien, giving him a minute detail of all that had pa.s.sed.

When we anch.o.r.ed once more in Carlisle Bay, we found that the hurricane had been much more extensive in the Windward Islands than we had imagined. Several men of war were lying there, having lost one or more of their masts, and there was great difficulty in supplying the wants of so many. As we arrived the last, of course we were last served; and, there being no boats left in store, there was no chance of our being ready for sea under two or three months. The _Joan d' Arc_ schooner privateer was still lying there, but had not been fitted out for want of men; and the admiral proposed to O'Brien that he should man her with a part of his s.h.i.+p's company, and send one of his lieutenants out to cruise in her. This was gladly a.s.sented to by O'Brien, who came on board and asked me whether I should like to have her, which I agreed to, as I was quite tired of Barbadoes and fried flying fish.

I selected two mids.h.i.+pmen, Swinburne, and twenty men, and having taken on board provisions and water for three months, I received my written instructions from O'Brien, and made sail. We soon discovered that the masts which the American had sold to the schooner, were much too large for her; she was considerably overmasted, and we were obliged to be very careful. I stood for Trinidad, off which island was to be my cruising ground, and in three weeks had recaptured three West Indiamen, when I found myself so short of hands, that I was obliged to return to Barbadoes. I had put four hands into the first vessel, which, with the Englishmen, prisoners, were sufficient, and, three hands into the two others; but I was very much embarra.s.sed with my prisoners, who amounted to nearly double my s.h.i.+p's company remaining on board. Both the mids.h.i.+pmen I had sent away, and I consulted with Swinburne as to what was best to be done.

"Why, the fact is, Mr Simple, Captain O'Brien ought to have given us more hands; twenty men are little enough for a vessel with a boom mainsail like the one we have here; and now we have only ten left; but I suppose he did not expect us to be so lucky, and it's true enough that he has plenty of work for the s.h.i.+p's company, now that he has to turn everything in afresh. As for the prisoners, I think we had better run close in, and give them two of our boats to take them on sh.o.r.e. At all events, we must be rid of them, and not be obliged to have one eye aloft, and the other down the hatchway, as we must now."

This advice corresponded with my own ideas, and I ran in-sh.o.r.e, gave them the stern boat, and one of the larger ones, which held them all, and sent them away, leaving only one boat for the schooner, which we hoisted up in the star-board chess-tree. It fell a dead calm as we sent away the prisoners; we saw them land and disappear over the rocks, and thought ourselves well rid of them, as they were twenty-two in number, most of them Spaniards, and very stout ferocious-looking fellows. It continued calm during the whole day, much to our annoyance, as I was very anxious to get away as soon as I could; still I could not help admiring the beauty of the scenery--the lofty mountains rising abruptly from the ocean, and towering in the clouds, reflected on the smooth water, as clear as in a looking-gla.s.s, every colour, every tint, beautifully distinct. The schooner gradually drifted close in-sh.o.r.e, and we could perceive the rocks at the bottom, many fathoms deep. Not a breath of wind was to be seen on the surface of the water for several miles round, although the horizon in the offing showed that there was a smart breeze outside.

Night came on, and we still lay becalmed. I gave my orders to Swinburne, who had the first watch, and retired to my standing bed-place in the cabin. I was dreaming, and I hardly need say who was the object of my visions. I thought I was in Eagle Park, sitting down with her under one of the large chestnut trees, which formed the avenue, when I felt my shoulder roughly pushed. I started up--"What is the matter? Who's that-- Swinburne?"

"Yes, sir. On with your clothes immediately, as we have work on hand, I expect." And Swinburne left the cabin, and I heard him calling the other men who were below. I knew that Swinburne would not give a false alarm.

In a minute I was on deck, and was looking at the stern of the schooner.

"What is that, Swinburne?" said I.

"Silence, sir. Hark! don't you hear them?"

"Yes," replied I; "the sound of oars."

"Exactly, sir; depend upon it, those Spaniards have got more help, and are coming back to take the vessel; they know we have only ten hands on board."

By this time the men were all on deck. I directed Swinburne to see all the muskets loaded, and ran down for my own sword and pistols. The water was so smooth, and the silence so profound, that Swinburne had heard the sound of the oars at a considerable distance. Fortunate it was, that I had such a trusty follower. Another might have slumbered, and the schooner have been boarded and captured without our being prepared. When I came on deck again, I spoke to the men, exhorted them to do their duty, and pointed out to them that these cut-throat villains would certainly murder us all if we were taken, which I firmly believe would have been the case. The men declared that they would sell their lives as dearly as they could. We had twenty muskets, and the same number of pistols, all of which were now loaded. Our guns were also ready, but of no use, now that the schooner had not steerage-way.

The boats were in sight, about a quarter of a mile astern, when Swinburne said, "There's a cat's-paw flying along the water, Mr Simple; if we could only have a little wind, how we would laugh at them; but I'm afraid there's no such luck. Shall we let them know that we are ready?"

"Let every one of us take two muskets," said I: "when the first boat is under the counter, take good aim, and discharge into one of the boats; then seize the other musket, and discharge it at the other boat. After that we must trust to our cutla.s.ses and pistols; for if they come on, there will be no time to load again. Keep silence, all of you."

The boats now came up full of men; but as we remained perfectly quiet, they pulled up gently, hoping to surprise us. Fortunately, one was a little in advance of the other; upon which I altered my directions, and desired my men to fire their second musket into the first boat, as, if we could disable her, we were an equal match for those in the other.

When the boat was within six yards of the schooner's counter, "Now!"

said I, and all the muskets were discharged at once, and my men cheered.

Several of the oars dropped, and I was sure we had done great execution; but they were laid hold of by the other men, who had not been pulling, and again the boat advanced to the counter.

"Good aim, my lads, this time," cried Swinburne; "the other boat will be alongside as soon as you have fired. Mr Simple, the schooner has headway, and there's a strong breeze coming up."

Again we discharged our ten muskets into the boat, but this time we waited until the bow-man had hooked on the planeshear with his boat-hook, and our fire was very effective. I was surprised to find that the other boat was not on board of us; but a light breeze had come up, and the schooner glided through the water. Still she was close under our counter, and would have been aboard in a minute. In the meantime, the Spaniards who were in the first boat were climbing up the side, and were repulsed by my men with great success. The breeze freshened, and Swinburne ran to the helm. I perceived the schooner was going fast through the water, and the second boat could hardly hold her course. I ran to where the boat-hook was fixed on the planeshear, and unhooked it; the boat fell astern, leaving two Spaniards clinging to the side, who were cut down, and they fell into the water. "Hurrah! all safe!" cried Swinburne; "and now to punish them."

The schooner was now darting along at the rate of five miles, with an increasing breeze. We stood in for two minutes, then tacked, and ran for the boats. Swinburne steered, and I continued standing in the bows, surrounded by the rest of the men. "Starboard a little, Swinburne."-- "Starboard it is."

"Steady--steady: I see the first boat, she is close under our bows.

Steady--port--port--port a little--port. Look out, my lads, and cut down all who climb up."

Crash went the schooner on to the boat, the men in her in vain endeavouring to escape us. For a second or two she appeared to right, until her further gunwale was borne down under the water; she turned up, and the schooner went over her, sending every soul in her to their account. One man clung on to a rope, and was towed for a few seconds, but a cutla.s.s divided the rope at the gunwale, and with a faint shriek he disappeared. The other boat was close to us, and perceived what had been done. They remained with their oars poised, all ready to pull so as to evade the schooner. We steered for her, and the schooner was now running at the rate of seven miles an hour. When close under our bows, by very dexterously pulling short round with their starboard oars, we only struck her with our bow; and before she went down many of the Spaniards had gained the deck, or were clinging to the side of the vessel. They fought with desperation, but we were too strong for them.

It was only those who had gained the deck which we had to contend with.

The others clung for a time, and, unable to get up the sides, one by one dropped into the water and went astern. In a minute, those on deck were lying at our feet, and in a minute more they were tossed overboard after their companions; not, however, until one of them struck me through the calf of the leg with his knife as we were lifting him over the gunwale.

I do not mean to say that the Spaniards were not justified in attempting to take the schooner; but still, as we had liberated them but a few hours before, we felt that it was unhandsome and treacherous on their part, and therefore showed them no quarter. There were two of my men wounded as well as myself, but not severely, which was fortunate, as we had no surgeon on board, and only about half a yard of a diachylum plaster in the vessel.

"Well out of that, sir," said Swinburne, as I limped aft. "By the Lord Harry! it might have been a _pretty go_."

Having shaped our course for Barbadoes, I dressed my leg and went down to sleep. This time I did not dream of Celeste, but fought the Spaniards over again, thought I was wounded, and awoke with the pain of my leg.

Chapter LI

Peter turned out of his command by his vessel turning bottom up--A cruise on a main-boom, with sharks _en attendant_--Self and crew, with several flying fish, taken on board a negro boat--Peter regenerates by putting on a new outward man.

We made Barbadoes without any further adventure, and were about ten miles off the bay, steering with a very light breeze, and I went down into the cabin, expecting to be at anchor before breakfast the next morning. It was just daylight, when I found myself thrown out of my bed-place on the deck, on the other side of the cabin, and heard the rus.h.i.+ng of water. I sprang up, I knew the schooner was on her beam ends, and gained the deck. I was correct in my supposition: she had been upset by what is called a white squall, and in two minutes would be down. All the men were up on deck, some dressed, others, like myself, in their s.h.i.+rts. Swinburne was aft; he had an axe in his hand, cutting away the rigging of the main-boom. I saw what he was about; I seized another, and disengaged the jaw-rope and small gear about the mast. We had no other chance; our boat was under the water, being hoisted up on the side to leeward. All this, however, was but the work of two minutes; and I could not help observing by what trifles lives are lost or saved. Had the axe not been fortunately at the capstern, I should not have been able to cut the jaw-rope, Swinburne would not have had time, and the main-boom would have gone down with the schooner. Fortunately we had cleared it; the schooner filled, righted a little, and then sank, dragging us and the main-boom for a few seconds down in its vortex, and then we rose to the surface.

The squall still continued, but the water was smooth. It soon pa.s.sed over, and again it was nearly calm. I counted the men clinging to the boom, and found that they were all there. Swinburne was next to me. He was holding with one hand, while with the other he felt in his pocket for a quid of tobacco, which he thrust into his cheek. "I wasn't on deck at the time, Mr Simple," said he, "or this wouldn't have happened. I had just been relieved, and I told Collins to look out sharp for squalls. I only mention it, that if you are saved, and I am not, you mayn't think I was neglectful of my duty. We arn't far from the land, but still we are more likely to fall in with a shark than a friend, I'm thinking."

These, indeed, had been my thoughts, but I had concealed them; but after Swinburne had mentioned the shark, I very often looked along the water for their fins, and down below to see if they were coming up to tear us to pieces. It was a dreadful feeling.

"It was not your fault, Swinburne, I am sure. I ought to have relieved you myself, but I kept the first watch, and was tired. We must put our trust in G.o.d; perhaps, we may yet be spared."

It was now almost calm, and the sun had mounted in the heavens: the scorching rays were intolerable upon our heads, for we had not the defence of hats. I felt my brain on fire, and was inclined to drop into the water, to screen myself from the intolerable heat. As the day advanced so did our sufferings increase. It was a dead calm, the sun perpendicular over us, actually burning that part of our bodies which rose clear of the water. I could have welcomed even a shark to relieve me of my torment; but I thought of Celeste, and I clung to life. Towards the afternoon I felt sick and dizzy; my resolution failed me; my vision was imperfect; but I was roused by Swinburne, who cried out, "A boat, by all that's gracious! Hang on a little longer, my men, and you are saved."

It was a boat full of negroes, who had come out to catch flying-fish.

They had perceived the spar on the water, and hastened to secure the prize. They dragged us all in, gave us water, which appeared like nectar, and restored us to our fleeting senses. They made fast the boom, and towed it in-sh.o.r.e. We had not been ten minutes on our way, when Swinburne pointed to the fin of a large shark above the water. "Look there, Mr Simple." I shuddered, and made no answer; but I thanked G.o.d in my heart.

In two hours we were landed, but were too ill to walk. We were carried up to the hospital, bled, and put into cots. I had a brain fever, which lasted six or seven days, during which O'Brien never left my bedside. My head was shaved, all the skin came off my face like a mask, as well as off my back and shoulders. We were put into baths of brandy and water, and in three weeks were all recovered.

"That was but an unlucky schooner from beginning to end," observed O'Brien, after I had narrated the events of my cruise. "We had a bad beginning with her, and we had a bad ending. She's gone to the bottom, and the devil go with her; however, all's well that ends well, and, Peter, you're worth a dozen dead men yet; but you occasion me a great deal of trouble and anxiety, that's the truth of it, and I doubt if I shall ever rear you, after all."

I returned to my duty on board of the brig, which was now nearly ready for sea. One morning O'Brien came on board and said, "Peter, I've a piece of news for you. Our gunner is appointed to the _Araxes_, and the admiral has given me a gunner's warrant for old Swinburne. Send for him on deck."