Hurricane Hurry Part 12

"Ah, Tom Ogle," said he. "Don't give way, my man. We were doing our duty, and there's One aloft who'll not forget us if we trust in Him."

"Bless you for those words, Mr Sumner," Tom Ogle gasped out between the paroxysms of his pain; "they do a poor fellow's heart good."

All this time we were running off the land, with a strong fair breeze, every moment the enemy's shot falling farther and farther astern. My great fear now was that some of my men would bleed to death before they could receive surgical help. However, they had bound up each other's wounds in the best way they could. From the enemy we at all events were safe. I did my utmost to keep up the spirits of my men. I was thereby performing, I knew, half the doctor's work. I had been eagerly looking out in the offing for our squadron. To my intense satisfaction I now made out a sail standing towards us from the northward. I pointed her out to Grampus.

"She's the 'Orpheus,' sir. I knows the look of them taw'sels too well to be deceived," he answered, after watching her for a few moments.

"You're right, Grampus. It's her without doubt," said I. "Hurrah, my lads! We'll soon be snug on board the old barkie."

We neared the s.h.i.+p rapidly. Many eager faces were looking out at us as we got alongside. Poor little Harry Sumner first claimed my attention.

I stooped down to lift him up, that he might be handed on deck. His cheeks were blanched, his eyes were closed.

"Oh, dear, oh dear! is the child dead?" exclaimed old Grampus, as he took him from me.

"I fear so," I answered with a sad heart. "Let the doctor look to him at once."

One after the other the wounded men were handed up.

"This is sad work, Mr Hurry," said Captain Hudson, as I went to report myself on the quarter-deck. I told him how it happened.

"We must send in again, though, and punish the rascals," said he.

Notice was forthwith given that another attempt was to be made to get off the brig. Plenty of volunteers came forward; indeed, they are never wanting when any hazardous work is in hand. The way we had been treated had excited great indignation against the enemy among our people. Job Samson, our old boatswain, volunteered to head the expedition. He had an idea that what others failed to do he could always find out some mode of accomplis.h.i.+ng, and, to do him justice, he was ever ready to attempt to carry out his plans in spite of every risk, though he did not invariably succeed. He soon had his expedition ready. We heartily wished him success as he pulled in towards the sh.o.r.e. The Amazon had in the meantime come up, and as she was in-sh.o.r.e of us and drew less water, she was ordered to stand in and cover the attack. We eagerly, with our gla.s.ses, watched the proceedings. We could see the enemy, in great numbers, mustering on sh.o.r.e. Probably they did not expect that the Amazon's guns were going to take part in the fray. She stood in as close as she could venture, and then opened her fire: but the enemy, nothing daunted, returned it manfully from an earth battery, which had been thrown up near the brig. In the meantime, in the face of this fire, old Samson advanced boldly to the attack; but round-shot and musket-b.a.l.l.s are stubborn things to contend against, and the boatswain seeing, however easy it might be theoretically to capture the brig, that practically, if he attempted it, he should lose the boat with himself and every man in her, very wisely resolved to return on board, and wait for another opportunity of signalising himself. We afterwards found that, in this instance, the grapes really were sour, as the sloop and schooner had taken in the most valuable part of the brig's cargo, and that she had remaining on board only ninety tons of salt. We made several attempts during the afternoon to cut out these vessels, but so well guarded were they from the sh.o.r.e by riflemen and flying artillery, that after all our exertions we were compelled to abandon the attempt.

Happily, however, no one was. .h.i.t except those who had been wounded in my boat. In the evening, before turning in, I went round to see how the poor fellows were getting on. They all received me cheerfully.

"We're better off, sir, than if we had been boxed up in a Yankee prison, even though as how we've got some eyelet holes through us, d'ye see?"

said Bob Nodder, who was the most severely wounded of any of the party.

He observed that I was grieved to see the sufferings they were enduring.

"It could not be helped, Mr Hurry. You did your best for us, and if you had not kept cool, sir, we might every one of us have been riddled with rifle-bullets."

I felt still greater pain when I went to the side of little Harry Sumner's cot. He was in the officers' sick-bay, and the doctor had done his best to make him comfortable. He was slumbering, so I did not speak. I stood for some minutes watching his youthful countenance. It was almost feminine in its beauty--so clear, so fair, so free from the effects of the evil pa.s.sions which distort and disfigure so often the features of those of older years. His long light-brown hair had fallen off his clear broad forehead, and his lips were parted, and moved slightly, as if he were speaking to himself. A sickly gleam of light from the s.h.i.+p's lanthorn, which hung from a beam above, fell on his countenance, and gave it a hue so pallid that I thought the shades of death were fast gathering over him. My heart sank within me. Were his antic.i.p.ations, then, of evil so soon to be realised? Of evil? Would it, indeed, be an evil to him, poor child, to be removed from all the temptations to vice, from the scenes of violence and wrong with which he was surrounded? I felt it would not, and still I could not bear the thought of losing him; and there was another, far, far away, who would mourn him still more--his mother. Who would have the courage to tell her that she would see her boy no more? I trusted that I might not have the painful task to perform. I prayed earnestly, for his widowed mother's sake, that he might recover; that he might go through his fiery trials in the world unscathed; that he might withstand the world, the flesh, and the devil, and, through the merits of our Master, attain eternal happiness in the end. The surgeon entered the sick-bay. I signed to him that the boy was sleeping.

"What do you think of his case, doctor?" said I with an anxious face.

"Will he recover?"

"If fever does not set in he'll do," answered the medico. "McCallum will keep a constant watch on him during the night. He'll call me if any change takes place. Ye need not fash yourself, Hurry; the boy is in no danger, I tell you."

These words consoled me. Still I was not perfectly satisfied. The heart of a sailor, far removed as he is from the social influences of the sh.o.r.e, looks out for something on which to set its more tender affections.

I felt for that lone boy as if he had been a young brother or sister.

My feelings were, I dare say, shared by many of my messmates. We most of us, if not cast originally in the same mould, had by circ.u.mstances become shaped very much alike as to the inner man; the same prejudices, the same affections, the same pa.s.sions, the same ideas of honour, and I will say the same tender feelings and generous impulses, were shared by most of us alike. But I was speaking of Harry Sumner. Several times during my watch below I turned out to see how he was getting on.

McCallum reported favourably of him; so, tolerably contented, I went back to my hammock and slept soundly.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

ORPHEUS IN CAPE COD HARBOUR.--SENT ON Sh.o.r.e WITH FLAG OF TRUCE.--POLITE RECEPTION.--CAMP ATTACKED.--A MAGISTRATE OFFERS HIMSELF AS A HOSTAGE.-- OUR CAPTAIN'S MAGNANIMITY.--MY DYING MESSMATE.--AT SEA.--THIRTY REBEL VESSELS CAPTURED.--DOUBT WHETHER THIS WILL INDUCE THE COLONISTS TO RETURN TO THEIR ALLEGIANCE.

Varied are the changes of a seaman's life--I found them so, at all events. An episode in my history was about to occur, of which I little dreamed.

After the brush I have described with the enemy's batteries, the squadron came to all anchor. On the evening, however, of the 15th of June, the Orpheus was ordered to get under weigh, and proceed to Cape Cod harbour.

When the sun arose in the morning, the inhabitants of the town, to their no small dismay, found us anch.o.r.ed within gun-shot of their houses. I was just dressed when Captain Hudson sent for me.

"Mr Hurry," said he, "you are to go on sh.o.r.e with a flag of truce.

Inquire for the mayor or chief magistrate, or authorities of some sort.

Tell them that we are in want of water and refreshments of various sorts, that we are perfectly ready to pay for everything we have, and then politely inform them that we are resolved, at all events, to have what we require; and that if they decline supplying us, or in any way molest us, we will knock their town about their ears and take what we want by force."

I signified that I clearly understood my orders, and, quaffing a cup of a villainous compound called tea, and putting a piece of biscuit into my pocket, I tumbled hurriedly into my boat and shoved off. It took me about twenty minutes to reach the landing-place before the town, whence the boat had been observed approaching, and the very people I was in search of were ready to receive me. The princ.i.p.al magistrate was a very dignified old gentleman, with silver buckles on his shoes, velvet small-clothes, a three-cornered hat on his head, and a silver-mounted sword by his side. I did not expect to encounter such a personage in so out-of-the-way and rough-and-ready sort of a place.

"May I ask, sir, to what cause we are indebted for the honour of a visit from the King of England's s.h.i.+ps?" said he, bowing low.

I thought that there was more of mock humility than of respect in his manner, though. I delivered the message the captain had given me.

"Certainly, sir, certainly," replied my friend, smiling: "the arguments you use are incontrovertible under our present circ.u.mstances. I doubt not that they will make all the inhabitants of this place true and faithful servants of King George."

I was rather amused than offended with his manner, and was pleased that I had to deal with a gentleman instead of a lout.

"Do not let us weigh the force of the arguments, sir," I replied. "I shall be perfectly satisfied if I have your word that you will not allow any attempt to be made to molest our watering party, and will collect for us any provisions we require."

I gave him a list the purser had supplied me with.

"All your demands shall be complied with. You have my word for it, sir," said he, bowing as before.

This matter being settled, I pulled back to the s.h.i.+p. The watering place was some little way from the town. The signal was made for the boats to take the watering party on sh.o.r.e. It was considered necessary at the same time, as a precautionary measure, to send a strong body of men on sh.o.r.e to protect the others, and, accordingly, a hundred marines and two hundred seamen from the three s.h.i.+ps were told off for that purpose. We certainly had rather a warlike than a peaceable aspect as the squadron of boats made for the sh.o.r.e.

We were met, as we landed, by our friend the mayor with a flag of truce.

He came to inquire why we approached in so warlike a guise. Mr Willis, who commanded the party, replied that, while we did not wish to injure others, we always liked to be in a position to take care of ourselves. Satisfied with this answer the mayor took his departure. A wood was before us. A succession of sandy hummocks were between it and the sh.o.r.e. Among them we made our bivouac. The spring from which we were to fill our casks was on the borders of the wood.

According to rule, as we were in an enemy's country, we placed the usual lines of sentries, while the seamen, as rapidly as they could, filled the casks and rolled them down to the boats. At night we were compelled to knock off work, so we lighted our camp-fires and made ourselves as comfortable as circ.u.mstances would allow. Delisle, Drew, Nicholas and some mids.h.i.+pmen of the other s.h.i.+ps were seated with me on the ground, in the neighbourhood of a fire, more that we might have its light than its warmth, and superintend the cooking of some steaks which we had resolved to have for supper. Tom Rockets was acting under our orders, and boiling the kettle to brew some punch. We were a very jolly party.

Several of us had not met since we used to a.s.semble on board my prize at New York in the winter, and we had had a good deal of knocking about since then. Many a tale was told, and many a jovial song and not a few sentimental ditties were sung, echoed by the seamen who sat grouped about. Thus hour after hour pa.s.sed by, and we felt no inclination to lie down. I dare say we looked very picturesque as the light of the fires fell on us: the seamen scattered about in every easy att.i.tude; the piled arms of the marines; the men themselves so different to the sailors; the bayonets of the sentries in the distance; the yellow sand-hills; the sea, calm and solemn, flas.h.i.+ng every now and then with phosph.o.r.escent light; and then overhead the dark mysterious vault of heaven, studded with stars innumerable, all speaking of the might, the majesty, the power unbounded of the Creator. One by one my messmates dropped off to sleep. I lay on my back for some time contemplating the magnificent spectacle. I had often gazed on the stars before. I had taken the alt.i.tudes of many; I had measured the distance of one from the other; I had steered my course by them over the ocean; but then I had looked on them only as useful appendages to our globe. Now, as I gazed, they seemed to float--beauteous globes in the pure ether, altogether independent of the puny world we call our own. How far more pure and brilliant did they appear than in the misty clime of old England! I began to envy the Americans the advantage they possess over us.

My meditations were rudely and suddenly interrupted by the sharp rattle of musketry, and a quick succession of reports in return. Every man in an instant was on his feet. All flew to their arms and hurried to the front. The rattle of musketry increased, and the bullets came flying about our ears, while our advanced sentries retreated rapidly in on the main body--I might have said they ran as fast as their heels could carry them--shouting out that the enemy in strong force were pressing hard upon us. Mr Willis formed the marines in the centre, with the blue-jackets as flanking parties in readiness to receive the enemy. We had not long to wait before their dark forms in dense ma.s.ses could be seen climbing over the sand-hills, threatening not only our front, but both our flanks.

"We are outmatched: I suspect we have been outwitted by the rascals,"

said Delisle, who stood near me; "I'll never trust these rebels again."

"I cannot make it out," I answered; "I thought we could have placed perfect confidence in the word of that old gentleman I met in the morning."

We had, however, no time to discuss the matter; for every moment the fire grew heavier, and we saw that we were far outnumbered by the enemy.

Now, under other circ.u.mstances, this might have been a matter of little moment, for, had we advanced, we might have gained an easy victory; but we at present had nothing to gain by fighting, and should we have found ourselves caught in a trap, and been compelled to lay down our arms, we knew that our loss would be very seriously felt by the remainder of our s.h.i.+ps' companies. We therefore, by as heavy fire as we could maintain, kept the enemy at bay, and retreated in good order to our boats, vowing vengeance against them for the treachery of which we supposed they had been guilty. Strange as it may seem, very few of our men were hurt, and none were killed. The rebels, as is generally the case with unpractised troops, had fired high, so that most of their shot had gone over our heads. We embarked with all our casks, and quickly got on board our s.h.i.+ps, expecting next morning to have the satisfaction of battering away at the town till not a brick should stand to afford shelter to the treacherous inhabitants.

My first inquiry on getting on board was for Harry Sumner. He had been going on well, but had frequently asked to see me. Thinking he might be awake, I went to the side of his cot. He, however, was sleeping. He looked very pale and thin. A few hours of suffering had altered him much. I was going away when I heard him whisper my own name. "See, mother dear, be kind to him; and you, Julia, will love him, for he was kind to brother Harry. You'll not turn him away when I am gone--gone on a long, long voyage, you know. You'll love him for my sake, both of you. He'll talk to you sometimes about Harry. There, there, mother dear, don't weep; we'll meet again, you know;--yes, yes, after my long voyage. Don't cry, Julia dear, don't now--don't?"

Thus he went on. I felt ready to cry myself, I know. I had not heard him speak of his little sister--I could easily guess the reason--he would run the risk of having her name profaned by careless lips. At length he was silent. I slipped away. Poor little fellow! in spite of what the doctor said, I guessed that he at all events thought himself dying. I trusted that he might be mistaken. With a heavy heart, though, I left him and turned into my hammock, where in a very few minutes I was sound asleep.

The word had already been pa.s.sed along the decks to prepare for action, and we fully expected that in a few minutes the fun would begin, when a boat was seen coming off from the sh.o.r.e with a flag of truce. It seemed a matter of doubt whether it should be received after the way we had been treated by the rebels; but Captain Hudson resolved that he would hear what they had to say for themselves before he proceeded to extremities. The old gentleman with whom I had spoken the day before, and several substantial-looking personages were in the boat. They evidently felt themselves in no trifling difficulty, and saw that it would require the management of the most important people in the place to save the town. Captain Hudson at first, wis.h.i.+ng to give them a fright, refused to listen to any of their explanations.