Commodore Barney's Young Spies Part 40

It was then near noon, and Jerry and I decided that if the captain of the boat before us looked like an honest seaman, we would take the chances of telling him so much of our story as might be necessary, rather than run the risk of not finding another craft of the kind.

There were no sign of life on deck; but as we went over the rail the companion-way hatch was opened a few inches, and some one cried:

"What's wanted? This vessel is hauled up for repairs, an' there's n.o.body here but me--the keeper."

"Will you let us come below for a short time?" I asked, and the hatch was closed very suddenly as the voice cried emphatically:

"No; my orders are to allow no company here."

"Let me have a try at the old idiot," Jerry said in a low tone as he went toward the companion-way, and the voice from below replied, thus showing that he could hear very well even though the hatch was closed:

"The 'old idiot' don't want any truck with boys, so keep off or I'll make it hot for you!"

"Listen to me, s.h.i.+pmate, and then perhaps you'll sing a different tune," I said, going close to the companion-way where it might not be necessary to raise my voice. "We are a couple of oystermen from Benedict, in trouble, and are looking for some one to lend a hand."

"Tell me your names?"

I gave the desired information, and added:

"We owned the pungy Avenger, which was burned at Pig Point when the enemy came up the river."

The hatch was opened in a twinkling, and when we descended to the cuddy I was both surprised and overjoyed by seeing Robert Hanaford, an oysterman from St. Leonard's bay.

"Shut that hatch," he said nervously, and Jerry did as he was bidden.

"I got caught in the river, like a fool, an' am now expectin' the bloomin' Britishers will burn the craft when they fall short of like amus.e.m.e.nt in the city. Tell me how you happened to be here?"

I told him so much of our story as seemed necessary, and when I was come to the retreat from Bladensburg, he said grumpily:

"I reckon you two lads an' Darius Thorpe are bigger fools than I am.

It was accident that brought me into this sc.r.a.pe, whereas you got into a muss with your eyes wide open. Where's Darius?"

"The Britishers are holding him prisoner, and count on sending him down to the fleet, I suppose."

"He'll rot there, unless he offers to serve the king, in which case, seein's how the enemy needs good sailors, they'll give him a show that a dog wouldn't welcome."

"Did you ever run across Bill Jepson from Baltimore?" I asked at random, not knowing exactly how to lead up to the request for a rope.

"Ay, that I have, lad. Bill an' me run on this same pungy more'n two years. I've heard it said that one of the king's press gangs gathered him in."

Then I told the captain how we had helped Bill to desert, and wound up the story by sayin:

"Bill is a prisoner with Darius, and will be hung when the Britishers learn who he is. There's a show to help both the sailors out of the sc.r.a.pe; but we're needing six or eight fathom of good manilla rope, an' haven't got the money with which to buy it."

"How do you count on usin' it?" and Captain Hanaford leaned forward in a manner which told that he was thoroughly excited.

Then I told him all we had accomplished that morning, and explained what Darius proposed we should do, whereupon he cried heartily:

"Take anything I've got, lads, an' if it so be I can lend a hand, count on me to the finish. I'll risk even the pungy to help a sailorman out of a hole, an' a good deal more'n that when it comes to bein' Bill Jepson who's in trouble!"

Now that we were a.s.sured of getting what was needed, there was no need of great haste, and I told the captain the remainder of our story, even to describing where father and the lads were hiding.

"Whether you get Bill an' Darius out of jail or not, you'll be wantin'

to go down the river, lad, so why don't you bring all hands aboard?

I've known your father this many a day, an' would like to do him a good turn. We'd be a little crowded, I reckon; but some of you youngsters can bunk in the hold, an' if the Britishers don't burn the pungy, she'll be a sight better than a smoke-house."

"What about provisions, captain?" Jerry asked.

"I've got enough an' to spare, unless we're held here a couple of weeks. I didn't count on doin' any fightin' in this 'ere war; but when it comes to lendin' s.h.i.+pmates an' neighbors a hand, you'll find that Bob Hanaford is willin' to go down to his last cent."

I realized what a blessing it would be if we could get father on board the pungy, where he would have a comfortable bunk to lie in, and such nursing as Captain Hanaford might give when we lads were absent; but how to get him down to the boat was a puzzle.

"Supposin' you free Darius an' Bill to-night, what'll you do with 'em?" the owner of the pungy asked, and I replied mournfully:

"We hadn't got as far as that in our plans. Of course they must be taken out of the city."

"An' the British fleet is loafin' down in the river somewhere 'twixt here an' the bay," the captain added.

"Ay, but if we can get hold of a boat, it shouldn't be such a hard job to slip by the vessels on a dark night."

"Would you leave your father behind?"

"Certainly not; he must go with us."

"Then you ought'er have him down here on the river before beginnin'

work. I'll tell you how it might be fixed, lad. Allowin' that there ain't any more burnin' of houses to-night, I could help him through the streets, if it so be he can make any fist at walkin'. The other lads would set out on their own hook, an' it should be we'd come together on this 'ere craft, unless the Britishers are overhaulin'

everybody that's aboard. I don't know how things may be runnin', for I haven't been outside this cuddy since the fires began."

I told him that Jerry and I had not been interfered with on the streets, and I believed he could go where he pleased, provided it was not too near the encampments.

"Then I'll try it, lads, an' start for your hidin' place within an hour. Can you give me the bearin's?"

The captain was reasonably familiar with that portion of the city, and there was no doubt in my mind but that he could find the smoke-house without any difficulty.

Then we overhauled his spare rope in the hold, selecting a length of half-inch manilla which had been used no more than enough to make it pliable, and carried it to the cuddy.

It would not be safe to lug the rope through the streets in the daytime, lest some over officious person should insist on knowing what we proposed to do with it. We would be forced to take a long walk in order to fetch it; but that was of little consequence compared with the additional security such a plan seemed to afford.

Then we separated, Captain Hanaford agreeing to be at the smoke-house within an hour, and when Jerry and I went over the side of the pungy it was with lighter hearts than when we came on board.

It is true that the most dangerous portion of the undertaking was yet to be performed; but everything had turned so favorably for us since we set out in search of Darius, that we could not but feel a wonderful degree of courage regarding the remainder of the task.

Jerry was so well pleased that he would have talked about what we were to do even on the street; but I insisted that we should hold our peace until it was impossible any one could overhear us, and in silence we made our way toward the place of refuge.

It is needless for me to attempt to describe the joy of our comrades when we told them of the friend we had met, and the plans which had been laid.

My father showed plainly by his face the relief of mind because of the possibility that he might have different quarters.

"I haven't grumbled, because I knew you lads had about all you could stagger under," he said when we told him that Captain Hanaford was bent on trying to get him aboard the pungy. "I can't stay in this place very much longer, without taking big chances of going under, for the wound needs careful attention; but if I can be with Bob Hanaford everything will come around s.h.i.+pshape, because he knows by experience what a gunshot hurt is like."