Yr Ynys Unyg Part 22

Such a clapping of hands, and shouts of approbation arose on this speech that I was in mortal fear lest we should be heard.

Leaving the girls and children to argue the point with Madame, who had only Hargrave on her side, Schillie and I retired to talk over the matter, for it was really too grave a subject to be discussed with the same publicity that every other thing underwent in our community.

And it did require great deliberation, for, after all, it was a mad thing, a parcel of weak women and children thinking they could out-do thirty-two ruffian pirates. To be sure we had some great advantages, but, after all, what we should lose in the event of this act of philanthropy failing was everything, and for two strangers! who might turn out to be what Schillie called very uncomfortable people. And, besides, we had every prospect before us of out-witting the pirates, and finally getting rid of them. I own I began to be dubious, but my companion was firm, and wound-up by saying, "Mind I expect a solemn promise if we fail that you put a pistol to my head rather than let me fall into the hands of that fellow." I smiled maliciously, saying, "What the King of the Pirates?" "King of Horrors," said she, "don't forget now." "Then Jenny's story was true about his admiration of you,"

returned I. "Jenny's a goose, and you are another. If you mention him again I'll leave you, and go and settle in another part of the island."

In settling our plans for the release of the prisoners we were very much fettered by not being able to let them know what schemes we were making for their benefit. Also of what language and nation they were.

So it was agreed, greatly to the little boys' disgust, that we must try some experiments to make them know they had friends on the island. They declared that if we lost so much time they might both be eaten up before they could rescue them, and that it ought to be tried to-night. Not being so alarmed as the boys about the eating part of the business, the commander-in-chief merely ordered out a couple of scouts, who, from their practical knowledge of the country, knew the best places to drop little bits of paper, on which was written in English the following Notice:--

"If the prisoners would like to hear of something to their advantage, let them burn a light some night when communication can be uninterrupted and convenient, and to shew that they and only they have got this notice, let them tie something white round each arm."

We wrote in English, because we knew that the pirates understood French.

Gatty and Jenny were the two scouts, and we were very uneasy until they returned, which they did after two hours absence in the night. We diligently watched all that day, but saw no signs of the white mark on the prisoners' arms, though one was kept working hard in the very course where some of the billet doux were placed. The other we supposed was ill, as he did not appear until evening, when supported by the one we had seen all day. They retired together to a ledge of rocks by themselves, and seemed to hold earnest communion. One wrung his hands and seemed in the greatest grief, which made the children half-wild to get at them, to whisper comfort and release. Three days pa.s.sed and no white sign, though every day they sat in the evening by themselves in this spot, and always secured in the utmost sorrow. We agreed we must put a billet doux there, if another day pa.s.sed without the sign, though it was dangerously near Pirate Hall. In the meantime they were villainously used and ill-treated by the pirates, besides very hardly worked, so that they sometimes staggered and fell down from the weights they had to carry. Our indignation was great, and, like an impatient army as we were, we implored the commander in chief to give the word of march. We longed to hear him say "Up, guards, and at them." But that very evening surely we saw the white sign. It was true, indeed; how pleased we were. And then the delightful hope that they must be English was nearly confirmed, and showed how all our secret hopes and wishes had been in unison. This added to our zest in a wonderful manner. But now such a row, everybody wanted to go to the rescue, and it became a matter of difficulty to quell the military ardour of the army.

It was arranged that Schillie was to go first, with a rope in her hand, I was to follow holding the end of hers and the beginning of another, Oscar ditto, Jenny ditto, Gatty, Serena, Felix, Sybil, Zoe, Madame, Winny, Lilly, Hargrave the last. So that we were all linked together, and had a regular chain of communication. Any danger in front was indicated by pull of the ropes. And then it was to be "_Sauve qui pent_." Thus the whole army was employed, and we were not likely to lose our way home, as the line extended so far that Hargrave would be close at home. The only risk we ran was, that, to enable us to perform this manuvre, we had to go out at the Cartref Pellenig entrance, which we had in consequence to pull down and open for the first time in four months. However, we trusted to our good cause, and the fact that the entrance was at all times difficult to find, and would not take half an hour to put to rights again. But this notable plan was to depend in a great measure whereabouts the signal light would be placed.

When it was quite dark, we looked out with beating hearts. No light. We watched and waited half an hour; suddenly a light shone for a minute or so, and then darkness again. "That must certainly be a signal," said we, "however, we will wait another half hour." In less than half an hour, again a light shone for only a few minutes, and, as far as we could judge, just in the usual spot where they went every evening to talk by themselves. In fact, the spot where the before-mentioned manuvre of our great army was to be executed. So we rushed up the caverns in a most disorderly manner, and were all ready to obey the word of command in less than ten minutes at the Cartref Pellenig entrance. To our honour be it spoken, as an army composed of so many females, not a word was spoken, and we emerged from the entrance as noiselessly as bats out of an old chimney.

Cautiously we proceeded, keeping close to the rock, so as to feel our way, but had to pa.s.s dangerously near Pirate Hall. We could hear them snoring in sleep; but there were watchers also, for they were talking noisily in one of the rooms. Now we must pause a moment, in hopes the light will again s.h.i.+ne, and also to still our hearts, if possible, they are beating so loud. Five minutes pa.s.sed, Schillie was then going slowly on, when her rope jumped with a start, so did mine, so I suppose did all the others, and I was sure I recognised the faintest little scream from Madame. The light shone out all of a sudden, not ten yards from us; it was that which made us start so. We noted the two men distinctly, and, waiting until the light was out again, we then advanced, and Schillie touching one and I the other, we took hold of some hard h.o.r.n.y hands, and made the signal by shaking the ropes to return.

Back we went, in rather a hurry-scurry I must allow. As everybody got into the cavern, the others came rus.h.i.+ng in quicker and quicker; Schillie and I alone kept a stately march, holding the hard h.o.r.n.y hands, not a word pa.s.sing between the delivered and the deliverers; but if grat.i.tude could be expressed by a grasp, it was done by the hand I held in mine. I had the lame prisoner, and while the hand trembled in mine like the hand of a timid woman, I felt his hairy mouth touching it, and the other hand trying in a gentle but earnest manner to feel the arm and as much of me as he could. He seemed to shake like an aspen leaf, and almost choked with suppressed emotion. But we are nearer, Gatty is in, Jenny, Oscar, the General slipped by me, and unhandsomely got in first.

Now we were all safe. Jenny, Hargrave, and the girls flew for the torches to do up the entrance again. We silently led the rescued prisoners to a little cavern, which was somewhat remote from the others.

Madame brought us a torch, and with acknowledged curiosity we proceeded to examine what were now our prisoners. Two great hairy men. Why did we start? A deep groan, and an English "G.o.d be thanked" burst from the lips of one as he fell senseless to the ground. The other rushed to the boys with vehement gesture, and catching both in his arms, uttered a shout that made the cavern ring again. "Oh, Smart, Smart," said they, "our dear, dear Tom Smart, is it really you? are you come back for us? are you alive?"

Could this be real? It was indeed too true. The prisoners about whom we had been so anxious, the poor fellows we had so intuitively been interested in, and determined to risk our lives to save, were no other than our dear lamented captain and equally beloved Smart. Surely we could now tell why, from the first, we had been so anxious about them.

There yet remained a trace in their sadly-altered appearance of something we had loved and lost. But the news spread like lightning, the entrance was left to its fate, every one flocked with their own eyes to behold that it was really true. The little ones flew into Smart's arms, and kissed his great face, and welcomed him as a father. The dear captain still remains insensible on the ground. We poured water over him, we chafed his hands, we called him by every tender name, but his insensibility remained deep and profound. It was necessary that something should check our joy, otherwise we should have been too elated for safety and prudence.

Two of us watched by the captain, and the others, accompanied by the not-to-be-lost-sight-of Smart, went to fill up the entrance. It was now daylight, and in this little instance we saw what it was to have our dear Smart back again. In ten minutes he secured the entrance far more safely than we could do in an hour; and all being now right, we adjourned to our breakfasts, though it was only to ask questions and give answers, for n.o.body could eat; but his important communications must be kept for another chapter.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

With a little girl on each knee, Felix hanging with arms round his neck, Oscar sitting into his pocket, and we all ranged in a circle before him, we forgot the pirates, we forgot everything but the present moment. We almost fancied ourselves once more at home; and thus we sat for hours, heedless of meals and dangers, listening to and retailing again all that had occurred since our sad and fatal parting.

The only interruptions were our occasional visits to the dear captain, whose insensibility had given place to an attack of fever and delirium, through which Madame had engaged to bring him, if we left her in peace and quiet to fulfil her own prescriptions. We could not avoid, however, spite our deep interest in all Smart said, running to enquire every ten minutes if he was better. And painful was it to hear his broken exclamations, his cries after us, the mournful repet.i.tion of each little pet name, his agonies for their fancied danger, his remorse and sorrow choking the prayers and pet.i.tions he mixed with all he said. Dear kind captain, if all you said in your delirium had been running through your brain once you had parted from us, no wonder that it had at last given way, and that you now lay before us a wreck of what you once were, a broken-down, miserable-looking, white-headed man. But now for Smart's story, which I think it best to give in his own words, as well as how we questioned it all out of him.

_Felix._--"Ah, Tommy, dear Tommy, how could you run away and leave us in that bad manner?"

_Oscar._--"Yes, Smart, I don't think we have ever been happy since, until to-day."

_Smart_ (blowing his nose and wiping his eyes).--"My dear young 'squire, my darling Mr. Felix, was it not the mistress's orders? But I will never leave you again, no, not if I am pounded to death by those sc.u.ms of the earth, and live to see them rewarded for their trouble."

_The three little girls_ (all in piteous voices).--"And could they hurt you, dear Smart, so good and kind as you are, and our darling captain?

Oh, make haste, make haste, and tell us all about it."

_Smart._--"I will make every haste, dear young ladies, but I don't rightly know where to begin. The sight of all your beautiful faces and my young gentlemen grown into men, and looking so proud and handsome, makes me in a manner beside myself; and me and the old captain was but a-saying last night no longer could we bear the trouble, but must do ourselves a mischief."

_Felix._--"You, a mischief! No, no, Smart, you were always a very good boy. It's only me was a mischief."

_Smart._--"You are a very fine young gentleman, and be growed; dear me, Sir, how you be growed. I would not a known you but for them eyes, and that bit of mischief they have in them. Give me leave, Ma'am, just to take one good look of you all. My heart, how the young ladies have sprung up, like lilies on a stalk. Miss Gatty no doubt as free as ever, only quite a woman; and you, Ma'am, be a sight stouter. Oh, what a sight this is. Little did we think, ould captain and I, when we seed this onlucky island agin, little did we think as you was still here. When they brought us up out of the hold, I knowed the spot in a minute. Says I to the cap'in, 'Not content with murdering us they mean to cut our hearts in two. Here's the very blessed place as I saw them all last time as ever I laid eyes on them.' With that he gave a great shout and has never rightly been himself since. And, truly, with my own heart nigh bursting, his'n was a mighty heavy one to bear up. Spite of all our hard work, we did our best to examine every spot to find traces of you, and we came to the notion, as you were all gone, through good whiles, maybees safe, unknowst of our fate, maybees dead; any way, we thought you had escaped our sad hap."

_Schillie._--"But, Smart, that's the end of your story, begin at the beginning."

_Smart._--"Where's that, Ma'am? I know neither beginning or end of anything since that unlucky morn we slipped away."

_Schillie._--"Where did you go to then?"

_Smart._--"Why we sailed away some few days; the vessel was but a c.o.c.kle on the water, she was so light, so that we were noways comfortable in the matter of steadiness and good walking ground. Anyways, however, we had plenty to do spelling at the pumps, and so we went on, I won't say with hearts as light as the vessel, until a shot struck the big stick as stands in the middle of the s.h.i.+p. Well, we looked about, and saw an evil-disposed, black-looking, hang-dog of a vessel, that sent shot upon shot into us. Well, the smell of powder did me good, and we gave it them back right well with them two bra.s.s guns, Master. I beg your pardon, Sir, you being so growed, Mr. Oscar. And so we should ha' gone on peppering them to this minute, until they were all dead or gave in, had it not been for them same guns getting so hot, they were next to no use at all. Howsumdever, when they came aboord, we gave it them in a manner as some will carry to their dying day. And though that never mended the matter, it's a poor heart that does not rejoice over something, and that something was the settling of a round dozen of them rascally pirates by my own hand."

_The boys_ (together).--"Twelve pirates! Did you really kill twelve?"

_Smart._--"Kill or drown 'em, you may reckon on that, Sirs, and many more would I have served out in like manner, but four great brutes came behind me, and cracked my skull to that degree as neither sight to my eyes or sense to my tongue came for a length of weeks. And, maybe, but for the good old captain, it's in heaven only (if G.o.d in his goodness will grant me to go there) that I ever thought to see your sweet faces again."

_Lilly._--"Now, dear Smart, go on."

_Smart._--"Yes, Miss Lilly, but what a head o' hair you have, my pretty young lady; why here are curls enough to hang a score of pirates, but never a hair shall go near them, mark my words. They shall hew me into mince-meat ere they look on the sight that makes me strong as lions."

_Lilly._--"But go on, dear Smart."

_Smart._--"The breadth and length of them shall pa.s.s over my body ere they touch even Mrs. Hargrave. My heart sings with joy. I feel as a giant refreshed, now I know thee to be all safe and well, and growed so beautiful. I wants nothing, I cares for nothing. It's enough that I see you once more."

_All the little girls and boys._--"But, dear Smart, go on. What did the pirates do to you?"

_Smart._--"They did that to me as I never thought living man would do.

They marked my back with stripes, but I never felt them, for the wound in my heart. They worked me worse than any horse; yet I was glad to be druv from my thoughts. And when I would fall from weakness, want, and hard treatment, I would sink with pleasure, trusting my time was come, and that they would have nothing but senseless clay to kick.

Howsumdever, G.o.d has been good to me. May I never forget this hour. All things will prosper now. The good time is coming, and the worst is over.

Could we but build a bridge now to bonnie ould England, I would desire nothing else in this world, save one good fight with those d----. I humbly beg pardon, ladies, but excuse poor Smart, he has almost forgot his manners in the bad company he has been keeping."

_The boys._--"Never mind, Smart, we will help you to kill them. Mother and cousin Schillie were going to set about it as soon as ever the pirate vessel was gone, and we were to help."

_Felix._--"And I was going to have a right and left shot, Tommy."

_Smart._--"And you would ha' settled 'em, I'll be bound, Sir. What a stout fine fellow you be growed, Sir, and I hope as good too, and very sensible too; and I dare say, Sir, quite the gentleman to the little ladies."

_Felix_ (looking down).--"Yes, yes, I dare say, perhaps, Smart, but we are not able to be ladies and gentlemen here you know. We are obliged to be servants and everything, and Otty and I are the gamekeepers."

_Smart._--"Well, I do suppose, Sir, that does not prevent your behaving in a civil like way to the little ladies."

_Felix._--"Oh yes, we are very civil to them when they are kind to us.

But once we could not have any fish, because Lilly would not give us one of her curls to make lines."

_Smart._--"Oh, my heart alive, take one of these pretty curls to make fis.h.i.+ng lines? Indeed, Master Felix, I always thought you were very oudacious, Sir, begging your pardon."