Foxholme Hall Part 10

"I was not long in discovering that my unfeigned devotion had its due effect on the heart of Mdlle. Julie, the youngest of the three. Though respectful and tender in my manner, I was bolder than under other circ.u.mstances I should have been towards one so much my superior in rank and education. She either did not consider how much below her I was placed, or disregarded the circ.u.mstance, for in perfect innocence of heart she encouraged my advances; and her old father and mother being generally in their cabin below, had no opportunity of discovering what we were about. At last I ventured to offer my arm to a.s.sist her in walking the deck when the s.h.i.+p rolled much. She accepted it with but slight hesitation; and from that day forward I was her constant companion, her sisters being rather amused than otherwise by what they considered merely a sailor's gallantry towards the youngest and prettiest lady present; the captain, who, in his way, was a very respectable man, taking them under his especial care. They were, however, not so fond of the fresh air as Mdlle. Julie, and thus she was often on deck alone with me. Often would she stay by my side, watching the sun sink with a halo of ruddy flame into the ocean, till the twinkling stars came out, and the pale moon cast its tranquil light upon the sea. She used to recount to me, with artless simplicity, the events of her short life, and all her hopes and prospects for the future. She was not ambitious: she would like to see Paris and all its wonders; but after that, she would be content to settle down in a quiet little country village, with--

"`One you love,' I added, as she paused.

"`Yes,' she answered, blus.h.i.+ng. And I thereon spoke of my love and devotion, but confessed my poverty and the hopelessness of ever gaining sufficient to support her.

"She smiled at my scruples; told me that she had wealth enough for both, and that she valued a true and honest heart more than all the riches of the world.

"Poor girl! she little knew the accursed wretch to whom she was ready to link her fate. Once or twice I thought of telling her the truth; but I dared not: indeed, while I was by her side, I already felt better, and thought I might reform. Dreams--dreams, which were soon to fade away, and leave the frightful reality more glaring before my eyes. Some time had thus pa.s.sed; the winds were light and baffling, so we had not made much way, when one night, during my watch on deck, I found Brand Hallton standing close by me, just before the mainmast. Besides the man at the wheel, there was only one lookout man forward awake; the rest of the watch were fast asleep, stowed away under the p.o.o.p-deck.

"`How fares your love with the old Frenchman's pretty daughter?' said Hallton, touching my arm.

"I shuddered as he did so, and could scarcely answer.

"`What matters that to you?' I at length replied. `She is not likely to think of one so mean and poor as I am,' I added.

"`No, no,' he answered, in a low, jeering tone; `you can't deceive me, my man. She looks upon you as an officer and a gentleman. Ha, ha, ha!

With one like me, a poor man before the mast, the case would be different. I'll tell you what it is, Hawkins. The girl loves you, and would marry you to-morrow, if we had a priest to join your hands. She does not know that you are a murderer,' he hissed in my ear. `If any one told her, she would not believe it. I know what women are when they are in love, as that girl is with you; but the old father would not be so deaf; and, at all events, he would as soon see his daughter in the grave as married to one like you. Ha, ha, ha!'

"`I do not know what you are aiming at,' I exclaimed, turning round on my tormentor. `Do you wish to provoke me?'

"`Pardon me, Mr Officer,' he answered, laughing; `I forgot your rank.

No, I do not wish to provoke you; but I wish to tell you the truth, that you are following a wild-goose chase, which will only lead you among shoals at last. Take my advice: change your course, and give up this sentimental work. The girl shall be yours, if you follow my advice; but if not, you will lose her to a certainty, and do yourself no good into the bargain.'

"I told you, sir, how complete was the power that man exercised over me from my having partic.i.p.ated with him in the murder of Arnold, nor was he lenient in exercising it. Though my spirit was rising, he soon made me quail before him. He so worked upon me, that he at length brought me over to agree to a plan he had formed. This was to put under hatches the master and such of the crew as would not join us; then to alter the s.h.i.+p's course towards the coast of America, where he proposed to make off with as much of the gold as the boats would carry--with Mdlle.

Julie as my share--after cutting away the masts, so that we could not be pursued, should the master and his companions, by any chance, break loose from the hold. He sneered when I told him, that as there was to be no bloodshed, I did not object to join him in his plan. I was very wicked, I know it; but bad as I was, he was worse. I was tempted by the hopes of winning Julie, for he had convinced me that I could never gain her by fair means. He was deceiving me all the time.

"It did once cross my mind that I would try to make amends for my former crimes by endeavouring to save the old merchant, and trust to his grat.i.tude to reward me by his daughter's hand; but my courage failed me when I thought of the difficulties I should have to encounter, besides the risk, even should I succeed in preserving the father, after all, of losing the young lady. You see, sir, I had no ballast to keep me steady; from the want of it the first breeze capsized me, as it will every man who attempts to sail without it. The next morning the young lady came on deck, looking fresh and fair as the flowers in May. I walked with her as usual before her sisters appeared, but there was that on my countenance which prevented me meeting her eye. She rallied me on my silence, and I tried to recover my spirits, but in vain. I was on the point of telling her of the danger she was in, and of vowing to protect her and her family with my life, when, as my lips were about to utter the words, I caught the dark eye of Brand Hallton watching me at a distance: pretending that the duty of the s.h.i.+p called me away, I quitted her side. I cannot tell you, sir, what my feelings were as I walked for'ard. I would gladly have cut the villain down as I pa.s.sed him, but I dared not, my eye quailed before his dark sneering glance. I dived below to my cabin, and buried my face in my hands; I thought my heart would have burst. Again and again I cursed the bitter fate which had delivered me into the power of that more than fiend. I was aroused from my stupor by a dreadful shriek. I rushed on deck. Near the companion lay the old merchant, life ebbing fast away from a deep gash on his head, which had rendered him all but senseless; one of his daughters was kneeling over him, her hands uplifted as if to protect him from further violence. Brand Hallton was furiously engaged with the captain, whom he had driven right aft, and, as I appeared, a blow from his cutla.s.s sent him reeling into the sea. Giving one cry for help, which Hallton answered with a laugh of derision, he cast a look of despair towards the s.h.i.+p, and the waters closed over him for ever. The murderer then turning upon me, exclaimed--

"`You would have betrayed us, would you? You shall suffer for it.'

"I was unarmed, and before I could seize anything to defend myself, a blow from his cutla.s.s stretched me on the deck, but not senseless; I wish that I had been so, I should have been spared the horrors I was witness to.

"Apparently satisfied with his vengeance, the miscreant turned to other acts of blood. Some of the men had overpowered the first mate, who had remained faithful to the master, and who, even now, while death was staring him in the face, refused to accept his life on the dreadful terms the mutineers proposed. Las.h.i.+ng his hands behind him, they placed him at the outer end of a plank, which they shoved over the stern of the vessel, some of them holding it down in-board.

"`Will you join us?' said Hallton.

"The mate was a brave fellow.

"`No!' he exclaimed with a firm voice; `never!'

"`Let go,' cried Hallton, with an oath, `he would have hung us if he could.'

"The man jumped off the plank. Not a cry escaped the mate, as, with a sullen splash, he fell into the sea, and sank immediately.

"The deeds of horror which followed I will not describe.

"The s.h.i.+p was now entirely in the power of a gang of the most murderous ruffians who ever dared the vengeance of Heaven.

"During all this time the eldest of the three young ladies lay senseless on the deck; but what had become of Julie and her sister I knew not. A minute afterwards I heard a shriek; I opened my eyes; Julie herself rushed on deck. She cast one terrified glance around--not a friendly eye met her sight.

"She saw me bleeding, and apparently dead; she would have thrown herself down near me"; but she encountered Hallton on the way. Darting from his grasp, before any one could stop her, she fled aft, and threw herself over the taffrail into the sea. Hallton immediately ordered a boat to be lowered, but the falls were unrove, and it was some time before it was in the water, and the brig hove up into the wind. Oh! what an agony I was in! I did not wish her to be saved.

"I could only hear Brand shouting to the men in the boat, and pointing out to them the direction they were to pull; I watched every movement anxiously; I conjectured that she was still struggling in the waves-- love of life triumphing over her fears--and probably kept up by her garments.

"`Pull away, and you'll have her yet,' shouted the chief mutineer.

There was another horrid pause. `No, she has sunk,' he cried. `A few strokes more, and watch for her if she rises. I see her hair below the water. Oh, you fools, you have missed her!'

"He still stood watching--an age it seemed to me. My feelings almost overpowered me. He stepped down on the deck. I heard the boat alongside: the men came on deck: they brought not Julie. She had escaped them; and, had I dared to pray, I would have thanked Heaven for it.

"After this, I know not what occurred for several days. I was in a raging fever; and, had I not lost so much blood, I should have died.

Hallton had spared my life, both because I was the only man, besides himself, on board, who understood how to navigate the s.h.i.+p, and because he knew my temper, and that I was completely in his power: he had only to threaten to deliver me up as the murderer of Arnold, and I was again his slave.

"Well, sir, when I was able to crawl on deck, we were running up the Gulf of Mexico; and, after changing our destination several times, we stood for Vera Cruz. Hallton never once referred to what had occurred: he spoke to me soothingly, telling me that, as he had been elected captain, I was to be his first mate, and that a Spaniard, called Domingos, was to be second. I told him that I was ready for anything; for, in truth, I had no longer any power of thought. All I wanted was excitement; and when he talked of the wealth we should gain by pirating, I only longed for the chase and the fierce fight. When we were within two days' sail of our port, the captain told me that he was convinced it would never do to take the brig into the harbour, where she might be recognised by the people on board some of the other vessels; that we must look out for some other craft; and then taking the two to one of the quays at the south of Cuba, where the old pirates used to resort, we must refit, and alter one of them, so that she could not possibly again be known. I had nothing to say against his plan, which, being agreed to by all the crew, we once more changed our course.

"We cruised for some days on the Spanish main, when we sighted a large schooner, which was at once p.r.o.nounced to be an American merchantman.

They are very fast vessels in general; so that, if we alarmed her, we could not hope to come up with her in the chase. Sending down our topgallant-masts, we clewed up the topsails, and, slacking the braces, we let the yards swing every way, while, at the some time, we hoisted signals of distress. The schooner made us out before long, and stood towards us to see what was the matter. When she was about a mile from us, it fell a dead calm, and we were consulting whether we would get alongside her in boats or wait for a breeze to board her, when the captain ordered all the men to lie down; and, standing upon the taffrail, he made signs that we were in want of water. On this, a boat was lowered from the schooner, with six hands in her, and we saw a couple of kegs handed down the side.

"Oh! sir, it was a devilish trick we played those who were ready to relieve our distress--one that a seaman naturally looks on with peculiar abomination; but we seemed to delight in outraging all the laws both of G.o.d and man. With rapid strokes the boat pulled towards us; and as her crew eagerly jumped on the deck of the brig, they were knocked on the head and tumbled below. The last two who remained in the boat were stabbed, so as not to make any noise. We then stripped off their s.h.i.+rts and hats, and six of our best hands, including Hallton, dressing up in them, with three others concealed at the bottom of the boat, pulled towards the schooner. Another boat was got ready on the opposite side, to where the schooner lay, to support the first, if necessary.

"Our people were not suspected till they got almost alongside the schooner, when the Americans, seeing strange faces instead of their own friends, could not doubt what sort of customers they had to deal with.

They seized what arms they could lay their hands on to defend themselves; but it was too late for resistance. Hallton and his crew were on board before they had time to load a musket.

"The greater number were cut down on the instant: a few defended themselves on the fore port of the vessel, but the second boat following, boarded on the bow, when these too were quickly overpowered.

Not one of our party was hurt. The master of the schooner and his two mates were killed. Some of the crew, to whom we offered their lives on condition of joining us, accepted our terms; but several refused to do so. After taking possession of our prize, which was a remarkably fine schooner, just suited to our purpose, we set to work to dispose of our prisoners. Hallton, with his usual diabolical cunning, hit upon a plan to secure the obedience of those of the schooner's crew who had joined us, by making them murder the remainder of their s.h.i.+pmates.

"It was cold-blooded, dreadful work. The victims were compelled to stand at the gangway, while, one by one, their former friends advanced with a pistol, and, blowing out their brains, hove them into the sea.

Two men had thus been murdered, when it came to the turn of a youth of respectable appearance, the son of the owner, I think he was, to perform the part of executioner. He had at first consented to live, but I have my doubts whether he did not even then contemplate what he afterwards attempted.

"Seizing the pistol which was offered him, with a stern look he advanced towards the wretch he was ordered to kill; but, instead of drawing the trigger, he turned suddenly round, and taking a deliberate aim at our captain, fired. The ball grazed the captain's cheek. With a look of fury he rushed with his drawn cutla.s.s at the daring youth, who, standing firmly prepared for his fate, was cut down on the deck. Life ebbing fast away from several tremendous gashes, the young man lifted himself from the deck on one arm--

"`Wretch,' he said, `my pistol missed its aim, or I should have saved the lives of my companions, and your crew from further crime; but be a.s.sured that your career of wickedness will quickly be brought to a close, and that the fate to which you have consigned so many others will soon be your own. May Heaven pardon me for what I would have done!'

"`Heave the young villain overboard, some of you! and stop his prating,'

exclaimed the captain, stamping with fury.

"But none of us stirred--hardened as we were, we could not do it: even we were struck by his heroism; and at that moment, had he chosen to be our captain, we would gladly have deposed Hallton and followed the dying youth in his stead.

"`Am I to be disobeyed?' cried the captain as he gave another cut across the face of the unhappy man; and dragging the yet living body to a port, with his own hands hurled him overboard.

"That murder cost him his influence over us; and I think even the worst of us would have been sick of him had he been destined much longer to command us; but the words of the murdered youth were soon to prove true.

"You will scarcely believe it, sir, but not only were all the prisoners made to walk the plank, but Hallton--fearing that some of the others might attempt his life--murdered the rest of the schooner's crew who had entered with us, not excluding the two who had commenced their career by shooting their own s.h.i.+pmates. Well, sir, I shall soon have done with my history. After taking everything out of the brig, we scuttled her, nor did we leave her till we saw the waves close over her topgallant masts.

We then did all we could to alter the appearance of the schooner, and shaped our course for Cuba.

"We there pa.s.sed some weeks, spending our ill-gotten wealth in every kind of debauchery and folly. We then refitted our craft and again went to sea. After taking and sinking several merchantmen, with all their crews on board, we returned to our former rendezvous; and this work continued for some time, till we fell in with the s.h.i.+p of war which captured us.

"There, sir, I have given you a sketch of the greater part of my career, the rest you know; and I a.s.sure you, sir, that I have been far happier since I was taken than during any former time of my manhood. That one dreadful thought oppresses me, that I must meet Arnold and be carried in his cold embrace, down, down, down--

"Oh, save me from him--save me!" cried the pirate, hiding his face in his hands, and cowering down towards me, to escape from the vision which haunted his imagination.