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THE PIRATE, 
 
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 THE THREE CUTTERS. 
 
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 CAPTAIN MARRYAT, R.N. 
 
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 Mustratet) fotti) ^foentg gplenfcfo iEngrabina* 
 
 FROM DRAWINGS BY 
 
 CLARKSON STANFIELD, ESQ. R.A. 
 
 A. FULLARTON AND CO. 
 
 106, NEWGATE STREET, LONDON ; 07, ABBEY STREET, DUBLIN ; 
 
 STEAD'S PLACE, LEITH WALK, AND 5, NICHOLSON STREET, EDINBURGH. 
 
 MDCCCXLV. 
 
±±- 
 
 PRIMED BY «Iti.!AM WII.C0CK80S, ROLLS BOII.EISM KEXTE* LAKE. 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 %ty pirate. 
 
 I. THE BAY OF BISCAY 
 II. THE BACHELOR 
 
 III. THE GALE 
 
 IV. THE LEAK 
 V. THE OLD MAID 
 
 VI. THE MIDSHIPMAN 
 VII. SLEEPER'S BAY 
 VIII. THE ATTACK . 
 IX. THE CAPTURE 
 X. THE SAND-BANK 
 XL THE ESCAPE 
 XII. THE LIEUTENANT 
 
 XIII. THE LANDING 
 
 XIV. THE MEETING 
 XV. THE MISTAKE 
 
 XVI. THE CAICOS 
 XVII. THE TRIAL . 
 XVI1L CONCLUSION 
 
 TAKK 
 
 1 
 U 
 
 25 
 
 33 
 
 45 
 
 57 
 
 66 
 
 83 
 
 95 
 
 121 
 131 
 146 
 156 
 175 
 192 
 208 
 227 
 243 
 
 ®l)t Zfyxet ©titters. 
 
 I. CUTTER THE FIRST . 263 
 
 II. CUTTER THE SECOND 203 
 
 HI. CUTTER THE THIRD 294 
 
 IV. PORTLAND BILL 305 
 
 V. THE TRAVESTIE 320 
 
 VI. THE SMUGGLING YACHT 337 
 
 VII. CONCLUSION 348 
 
LIST OF PLATES, 
 
 FACE 
 
 THE MAST-HEADED MIDSHIPMAN (Title) . . . Vide 02 
 
 CAPTAIN MARRYAT, R. N. (Frontispiece) 
 
 THE BAY OF BISCAY 8 
 
 CUTTING AWAY THE MA§TS . . . . . . . 31 
 
 ABANDONING THE CIRCASSIAN ...... 43 
 
 SLEEPER'S BAY 67 
 
 THE DECK OF THE AVENGER 74 
 
 THE CAPTURE 94 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF THE 1NDIAMAN 106 
 
 THE SAND BANK 130 
 
 ESCAPE ON THE RAFT 139 
 
 THE SHIP ON FIRE 142 
 
 RESCUING THE CREW FROM THE BURNING VESSEL . . 144 
 
 THE RETREAT OF THE PIRATES 173 
 
 THE WRECK OF THE AVENGER 216 
 
 CAVE OF THE CAICOS 220 
 
 CAIN IN THE CAVERN . 250 
 
 /THE ARROW AT PLYMOUTH 263 
 
 THE ACTIVE AT PORTSMOUTH 2U3 
 
 THE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY AT ST. MALOES 297 
 
THE PIRATE 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 It was in the latter part of the month of June, 
 of the year 179-, that the angry waves of the Bay 
 of Biscay were gradually subsiding, after a gale of 
 wind as violent as it was unusual during that period 
 of the year. Still they rolled heavily ; and, at times, 
 the wind blew up in fitful, angry gusts, as if it would 
 fain renew the elemental combat; but each effort was 
 more feeble, and the dark clouds which had been 
 summoned to the storm, now fled in every quarter 
 before the powerful rays of the sun, who burst their 
 masses asunder with a glorious flood of light and 
 heat: and, as he poured down his resplendent beams, 
 piercing deep into the waters of that portion of the 
 Atlantic to which we now refer, with the exception 
 of one object, hardly visible, as at creation, there was 
 a vast circumference of water, bounded by the fancied 
 canopy of heaven. We have said, with the exception 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 of one object ; for in the centre of this picture, so 
 simple, yet so sublime, composed of the three great 
 elements, there was a remnant of the fourth. We say 
 a remnant, for it was but the hull of a vessel, dis- 
 masted, water-logged, its upper works only floating 
 occasionally above the waves, when a transient repose 
 from their still violent undulation permitted it to re- 
 assume its buoyancy. But this was seldom ; one 
 moment it was deluged by the seas, which broke as 
 they poured over its gunwale; and the next, it rose 
 from its submersion, as the water escaped from the 
 port-holes at its sides. 
 
 How many thousands of vessels — how many millions 
 of property — have been abandoned, and eventually 
 consigned to the all-receiving depths of the ocean, 
 through ignorance or through fear ! What a mine of 
 wealth must lie buried in its sands, what riches lie 
 entangled amongst its rocks, or remain suspended in 
 its unfathomable gulf, where the compressed fluid is 
 equal in gravity to that which it encircles, there to 
 remain secured in its embedment from corruption and 
 decay, until the destruction of the universe, and the 
 return of chaos. Yet, immense as the accumulated 
 loss must be, the major part of it has been occasioned 
 from an ignorance of one of the first laws of nature, 
 that of specific gravity. The vessel to which we have 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 referred, was, to all appearance, in a situation of as 
 extreme hazard as that of a drowning man clinging 
 to a single rope-yarn; yet, in reality, she was more 
 secure from descending to the abyss below than many 
 gallantly careering on the waters, their occupants dis- 
 missing all fear, and only calculating upon a quick 
 arrival into port. 
 
 The Circassian had sailed from New Orleans, a 
 gallant and well-appointed ship, with a cargo, the 
 major part of which consisted of cotton. The captain 
 was, in the usual acceptation of the term, a good 
 sailor; the crew were hardy and able seamen. As 
 they crossed the Atlantic, they had encountered the 
 gale to which we have referred, were driven down 
 into the Bay of Biscay, where, as we shall hereafter 
 explain, the vessel was dismasted, and sprang a leak, 
 which baffled all their exertions to keep under. It 
 was now five days since the frightened crew had 
 quitted the vessel in two of her boats, one of which 
 had swamped, and every soul that occupied it had 
 perished; the fate of the other was uncertain. 
 
 We said that the crew had deserted the vessel, but 
 we did not assert that every existing being had been 
 removed out of her. Had such been the case, we 
 should not have taken up the reader's time in de- 
 scribing inanimate matter. It is life that we pourtray, 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 and life there still was, in the shattered hull thus 
 abandoned to the mockery of the ocean. In the 
 caboose of the Circassian, that is, in the cooking-house, 
 secured on deck, and which fortunately had been so 
 well fixed as to resist the force of the breaking waves, 
 remained three beings — a man, a woman, and a child. 
 The two first mentioned were of that inferior race 
 which have, for so long a period, been procured from 
 the sultry Afric coast, to toil, but reap not for them- 
 selves ; the child which lay at the breast of the female 
 was of European blood, now, indeed, deadly pale, as 
 it attempted in vain to draw sustenance from its ex- 
 hausted nurse, down whose sable cheeks the tears 
 coursed, as she occasionally pressed the infant to her 
 breast, or turned it round to leeward to screen it from 
 the spray, which dashed over them at each returning 
 swell. Indifferent to all else, save her little charge, 
 she spoke not, although she shuddered with the cold, 
 as the water washed her knees each time that the 
 hull was careened into the wave. Cold and terror 
 had produced a change in her complexion, which now 
 wore a yellow, or sort of copper hue. 
 
 The male, who was her companion, sat opposite to 
 her upon the iron range, which once had been the 
 receptacle of light and heat, but was now but a weary 
 seat to a drenched and worn-out wretch. He, too, 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 had not spoken for many hours; with the muscles of 
 his face relaxed, his thick lips pouting far in advance 
 of his collapsed cheeks, his high cheek-bones, promi- 
 nent as budding horns, his eyes displaying little but 
 their whites, he appeared to be an object of greater 
 misery than the female, whose thoughts were directed 
 to the infant, and not unto herself. Yet his feelings 
 were still acute, although his faculties appeared to be 
 deadened by excess of suffering. 
 
 " Eh, me ! " cried the negro woman faintly, after a 
 long silence, her head falling back with extreme ex- 
 haustion. Her companion made no reply, but, roused 
 at the sound of her voice, bent forward, slided open 
 the door a little, and looked out to windward. The 
 heavy spray dashed into his glassy eyes, and obscured 
 his vision; he groaned, and fell back into his former 
 position. " What you tink, Coco ? " inquired the ne- 
 gress, covering up more carefully the child, as she 
 bent her head down upon it. A look of despair, and 
 a shudder from cold and hunger, were the only reply. 
 
 It was then about eight o'clock in the morning, and 
 the swell of the ocean was fast subsiding. At noon 
 the warmth of the sun was communicated to them 
 through the planks of the caboose, while its rays 
 poured a small stream of vivid light through the 
 chinks of the closed panels. The negro appeared 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 gradually to revive: at last he rose, and with some 
 difficulty contrived again to slide open the door. The 
 sea had gradually decreased its violence, and but oc- 
 casionally broke over the vessel; carefully holding on 
 by the door-jambs, Coco gained the outside, that he 
 might survey the horizon. 
 
 " What you see, Coco ? " said the female, observing 
 from the caboose that his eyes were fixed upon a cer- 
 tain quarter. 
 
 " So help me God, me tink me see something ; 
 but ab so much salt water in um eye, me no see 
 clear," replied Coco, rubbing away the salt, which 
 had crystallised on his face during the morning. 
 
 "What you tink um like, Coco?" 
 
 " Only one bit cloud," replied he, entering the 
 caboose, and resuming his seat upon the grate with a 
 heavy sigh. 
 
 " Eh, me ! " cried the negress, who had uncovered 
 the child to look at it, and whose powers were 
 sinking fast. "Poor lilly Massa Eddard, him look 
 very bad indeed — him die very soon, me fear. Look, 
 Coco, no ab breath." 
 
 The child's head fell back from the breast of its 
 nurse, and life appeared to be extinct. 
 
 " Judy, you no ab milk for piccaninny ; suppose 
 um no ab milk, how can live?. Eh! stop, Judy, me 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 put lilly finger in urn mouth; suppose Massa Eddard 
 no dead, him pull." 
 
 Coco inserted his ringer into the child's mouth, 
 and felt a slight drawing pressure. "Judy," cried 
 Coco, " Massa Eddard no dead yet. Try now, sup- 
 pose you ab lilly drop oder side." 
 
 Poor Judy shook her head mournfully, and a tear 
 rolled down her cheek; she was aware that nature 
 was exhausted. " Coco," said she, wiping her cheek 
 with the back of her hand, " me give me heart blood 
 for Massa Eddard; but no ab milk — all gone." 
 
 This forcible expression of love for the child, which 
 was used by Judy, gave an idea to Coco. He drew 
 his knife out of his pocket, and very cooly sawed 
 to the bone of his fore-finger. The blood flowed and 
 trickled down to the extremity, which he applied to 
 the mouth of the infant. 
 
 " See, Judy, Massa Eddard suck — him not dead," 
 cried Coco, chuckling at the fortunate result of the 
 experiment, and forgetting, at the moment, their almost 
 hopeless situation. 
 
 The child, revived by the strange sustenance, gra- 
 dually recovered its powers, and in a few minutes it 
 pulled at the finger with a certain degree of vigour. 
 
 " Look, Judy, how Massa Eddard take it," continued 
 Coco. " Pull away, Massa Eddard, pull away. Coco 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 ab ten finger, and take long while suck em all dry." 
 But the child was soon satisfied, and fell asleep in 
 the arms of Judy. 
 
 "Coco, suppose you go see again," observed Judy. 
 The negro again crawled out, and again he scanned 
 the horizon. 
 
 "So help me God, this time me tink, Judy — yes, 
 so help me God, me see a ship !" cried Coco, joyfully. 
 
 " Eh ! " screamed Judy, faintly, with delight ; " den 
 Massa Eddard no die." 
 
 " Yes, so help me God — he come dis way ! " and 
 Coco, who appeared to have recovered a portion of 
 his former strength and activity, clambered on the top 
 of the caboose, where he sat cross-legged, waving his 
 yellow handkerchief, with the hope of attracting the 
 attention of those on board; for he knew that it was 
 very possible that an object floating little more than 
 level with the water's surface might escape notice. 
 
 As it fortunately happened, the frigate, for such she 
 was, continued her course precisely for the wreck, 
 although it had not been perceived by the look-out 
 men at the mast-heads, whose eyes had been directed 
 to the line of the horizon. In less than an hour, our 
 little party were threatened with a new danger, that 
 of being run over by the frigate, which was now within 
 a cable's length of them, driving the seas before her 
 
THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 in one widely extended foam, as she pursued her rapid 
 and impetuous course. Coco shouted to his utmost, 
 and fortunately attracted the notice of the men who 
 were on the bowsprit, stowing away the foretopmast- 
 staysail, which had been hoisted up to dry after the 
 gale. 
 
 " Starboard, hard ! " was roared out. 
 
 " Starboard it is," was the reply from the quarter- 
 deck, and the helm was shifted without inquiry, as it 
 always is on board of a man-of-war, although, at the 
 same time, it behoves people to be rather careful how 
 they pass such an order, without being prepared with 
 a subsequent and most satisfactory explanation. 
 
 The topmast studding-sail napped and fluttered, the 
 foresail shivered, and the jib filled as the frigate rounded 
 to, narrowly missing the wreck, which was now under 
 the bows, rocking so violently in the white foam of the 
 agitated waters, that it was with difficulty that Coco 
 could, by clinging to the stump of the mainmast, retain 
 his elevated position. The frigate shortened sail, hove 
 to, and lowered down a quarter-boat, and in less than 
 five minutes, Coco, Judy, and the infant, were rescued 
 from their awful situation. Poor Judy, who had borne 
 up against all for the sake of the child, placed it in the 
 arms of the officer who relieved them, and then fell 
 back in a state of insensibility, in which condition she 
 
10 THE BAY OF BISCAY. 
 
 was carried on board. Coco, as he took his place in 
 the stern sheets of the boat, gazed wildly round him, 
 and then broke out into peals of extravagant laughter, 
 which continued without intermission, and were the 
 only replies which he could give to the interrogatories 
 of the quarter-deck, until he fell down in a swoon, and 
 was intrusted to the care of the surgeon. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 On the evening of the same day on which the child 
 and the two negroes had been saved from the wreck 
 by the fortunate appearance of the frigate, Mr. Wither- 
 ington, of Finsbury Square, was sitting alone in his 
 dining-room, wondering what could have become of 
 the Circassian, and why he had not received intelli- 
 gence of her arrival. Mr. Witherington, as we said 
 before, was alone ; he had his port and his sherry 
 before him; and although the weather was rather 
 warm, there was a small fire in the grate, because, as 
 Mr. Witherington asserted, it looked comfortable. Mr. 
 Witherington having watched the ceiling of the room 
 for some time, although there was certainly nothing 
 new to be discovered, filled another glass of wine, and 
 then proceeded to make himself more comfortable by 
 unbuttoning three more buttons of his waistcoat, push- 
 ing his wig farther off his head, and casting loose all 
 the buttons at the knees of his breeches ; he completed 
 his arrangements by dragging towards him two chairs 
 
12 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 within his reach, putting his legs upon one while he 
 rested his arm upon the other : and why was not Mr. 
 Witherington to make himself comfortable ? He had good 
 health, a good conscience, and eight thousand a-year. 
 
 Satisfied with all his little arrangements, Mr. Wither- 
 ington sipped his port wine, and putting down his 
 glass again, fell back in his chair, placed his hands on 
 his breast, interwove his fingers; and in this most 
 comfortable position recommenced his speculations as 
 to the non-arrival of the Circassian. 
 
 We will leave him to his cogitations while we in- 
 troduce him more particularly to our readers. 
 
 The father of Mr. Witherington was a younger son 
 of one of the oldest and proudest families in the West 
 Riding of Yorkshire : he had his choice of the four 
 professions allotted to younger sons whose veins are 
 filled with patrician blood — the army, the navy, the 
 law, and the church. The army did not suit him, he 
 said, as marching and counter-marching were not com- 
 fortable ; the navy did not suit him, as there was little 
 comfort in gales of wind and mouldy biscuit ; the law 
 did not suit him, as he was not sure that he would be 
 at ease with his conscience, which would not be com- 
 fortable; the church was also rejected, as it was, with 
 him, connected with the idea of a small stipend, hard 
 duty, a wife and eleven children, which were any thing 
 
THE BACHELOR. 13 
 
 but comfortable. Much to the horror of his family he 
 eschewed all the liberal professions., and embraced the 
 offer of an old backslider of an uncle, who proposed 
 to him a situation in his banking-house, and a part- 
 nership as soon as he deserved it : the consequence 
 was, that his relations bade him an indignant farewell, 
 and then made no further inquiries about him : he was 
 as decidedly cut as one of the female branches of the 
 family would have been had she committed a faux pus. 
 
 Nevertheless, Mr. Witherington senior stuck dili- 
 gently to his business, in a few years was a partner, 
 and, at the death of the old gentleman, his uncle, 
 found himself in possession of a good property, and 
 every year coming money at his bank. 
 
 Mr. Witherington senior then purchased a house 
 in Finsbury Square, and thought it advisable to look 
 out for a wife. 
 
 Having still much of the family pride in his com- 
 position, he resolved not to muddle the blood of the 
 Witheringtons by any cross from Cateaton Street or 
 Mincing Lane ; and, after a proper degree of research, 
 he selected the daughter of a Scotch earl, who went 
 to London with a bevy of nine in a Leith smack to 
 barter blood for wealth. Mr. Witherington being so 
 fortunate as to be the first-comer, had the pick of the 
 nine ladies by courtesy; his choice was light-haired, 
 
14 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 blue- eyed, a little freckled, and very tall, by no means 
 bad looking, and standing on the list in the family 
 Bible No. IV. From this union Mr. Witherington had 
 issue ; first, a daughter, christened Moggy, whom we 
 shall sood have to introduce to our readers as a 
 spinster of forty-seven ; and second, Anthony Alexander 
 Witherington, Esquire, whom we just now have left 
 in a very comfortable position, and in a very brown 
 study. 
 
 Mr. Witherington senior persuaded his son to enter 
 the banking-house ; and, as a dutiful son, he entered 
 it every day, but he did nothing more, having made 
 the fortunate discovery that " his father was born before 
 him ; " or, in other words, that his father had plenty of 
 money, and would be necessitated to leave it behind 
 him. 
 
 As Mr. Witherington senior had always studied 
 comfort, his son had early imbibed the same idea, and 
 carried his feelings, in that respect, to a much greater 
 excess : he divided things into comfortable and uncom- 
 fortable. One fine day, Lady Mary Witherington, after 
 paying all the household bills, paid the debt of Nature ; 
 that is, she died: her husband paid the undertaker's 
 bill, so it is to be presumed that she was buried. 
 
 Mr. Witherington senior shortly afterwards had a 
 stroke of apoplexy, which knocked him down. Death, 
 
THE BACHELOR. 15 
 
 who has no feelings of honour, struck him when down. 
 And Mr. Witherington, after having laid a few days in 
 bed, was by a second stroke laid in the same vault as 
 Lady Mary Witherington : and Mr. Witherington junior 
 (our Mr. Witherington), after deducting 40,000/. for 
 his sister's fortune, found himself in possession of a 
 clear 8,000Z. per annum, and an excellent house in 
 Finsbury Square. Mr. Witherington considered this a 
 comfortable income, and he therefore retired all together 
 from business. 
 
 During the lifetime of his parents he had been 
 witness to one or two matrimonial scenes, which had 
 induced him to put down matrimony as one of the 
 things not comfortable; therefore he remained a bachelor. 
 
 His sister Moggy also remained unmarried; but 
 whether it were from a very unprepossessing squint 
 which deterred suitors, or from the same dislike to 
 matrimony as her brother had imbibed, it is not in our 
 power to say. Mr. Witherington was three years 
 younger than his sister ; and, although he had for some 
 time worn a wig, it was only because he considered it 
 more comfortable. Mr. Witherington's whole character 
 might be summed up in two words — eccentricity and 
 benevolence : eccentric he certainly was, as most bache- 
 lors usually are. Man is but a rough pebble without 
 the attrition received from contact with the gentler sex : 
 
16 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 it is wonderful how the ladies pumice a man down into 
 a smoothness which occasions him to roll over and over 
 with the rest of his species, jostling but not wounding 
 his neighbours as the waves of circumstance bring him 
 into collision with them. 
 
 Mr. Witherington roused himself from his deep 
 reverie, and felt for the string connected with the bell- 
 pull, which it was the butler's duty invariably to attach 
 to the arm of his master's chair previous to his last 
 exit from the dining-room; for, as Mr. Witherington 
 very truly observed, it was very uncomfortable to be 
 obliged to get up and ring the bell ; indeed, more than 
 once Mr. Witherington had calculated the advantages 
 and disadvantages of having a daughter about eight 
 years old who could ring the bell, air the newspapers 
 and cut the leaves of a new novel. 
 
 When, however, he called to mind that she could 
 not always remain at that precise age, he decided that 
 the balance of comfort was against it, 
 
 Mr. Witherington having pulled the bell again, fell 
 into a brown study. 
 
 Mr. Jonathan, the butler, made his appearance ; but 
 observing that his master was occupied, he immediately 
 stopped at the door, erect, motionless, and with a face 
 as melancholy as if he was performing mute at the porch 
 of some departed peer of the realm ; for it is an under- 
 
THE BACHELOR. 17 
 
 stood thing that the greater the rank of the defunct, 
 the longer must be the face, and, of course, the better 
 must be the pay. 
 
 Now, as Mr. Witherington is still in profound 
 thought, and Mr. Jonathan will stand as long as a 
 hackney-coach horse, we will just leave them as they 
 are, while we introduce the brief history of the latter 
 to our readers. Jonathan Trapp had served as footboy, 
 which term, we believe, is derived from those who 
 are in that humble capacity receiving a quantum suff. 
 of the application of the feet of those above them to 
 increase the energy of their service; then as footman, 
 which implies that they have been promoted to the 
 more agreeable right of administering instead of re- 
 ceiving the above dishonourable applications ; and lastly, 
 for promotion could go no higher in the family, he 
 had been raised to the dignity of butler in the service 
 of Mr. Witherington senior. Jonathan then fell in 
 love, for butlers are guilty of indiscretions as well as 
 their masters: neither he nor his fair flame, who was 
 a lady's maid in another family, notwithstanding that 
 they had witnessed the consequences of this error in 
 others, would take warning: they gave warning, and 
 they married. 
 
 Like most butlers and ladies' maids who pair off, 
 they set up a public house ; and it is but justice to the 
 
18 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 lady's maid to say, that she would have preferred an 
 eating-house, but was overruled by Jonathan, who 
 argued, that although people would drink when they 
 were not dry, they never would eat unless they were 
 hungry. 
 
 Now, although there was truth in the observation, 
 this is certain, that business did not prosper; it has 
 been surmised that Jonathan's tall, lank, lean figure, 
 injured his custom, as people are but too much inclined 
 to judge of the goodness of the ale by the rubicund face 
 and rotundity of the landlord ; and therefore inferred 
 that there could be no good beer where mine host was 
 the picture of famine. There certainly is much in 
 appearances in this world ; and it appears, that in 
 consequence of Jonathan's cadaverous appearance, he 
 very soon appeared in the gazette : but what ruined 
 Jonathan in one profession procured him immediate 
 employment in another. An appraiser, upholsterer, and 
 undertaker, who was called in to value the fixtures, 
 fixed his eye upon Jonathan, and knowing the value 
 of his peculiarly lugubrious appearance, and having a 
 half-brother of equal height, offered him immediate 
 employment as a mute. Jonathan soon forgot to mourn 
 his own loss of a few hundreds in his new occupation 
 of mourning the loss of thousands ; and his erect, stiff, 
 statue-like carriage, and long melancholy face, as he 
 
THE BACHELOR. 19 
 
 stood at the portals of those who had entered the 
 portals of the next world, were but too often a sarcasm 
 upon the grief of the inheritors. Even grief is worth 
 nothing in this tramcing world unless it is paid for. 
 Jonathan buried many, and at last buried his wife. 
 So far all was well; but at last he buried his master, 
 the undertaker, which was not quite so desirable. 
 Although Jonathan wept not, yet did he express mute 
 sorrow as he marshalled him to his long home, and 
 drank to his memory in a pot of porter as he returned 
 from the funeral, perched, with many others, like car- 
 rion crows on the top of the hearse. 
 
 And not Jonathan was thrown out of employment 
 from a reason which most people would have thought 
 the highest recommendation. Every undertaker refused 
 to take him, because they could not match him. In 
 this unfortunate dilemma, Jonathan thought of Mr. 
 Witherington junior; he had served and he had buried 
 Mr. Witherington his father, and Lady Mary his 
 mother; he felt that he had strong claims for such 
 variety of services, and he applied to the bachelor. 
 Fortunately for Jonathan, Mr. Witherington's butler- 
 incumbent was just about to commit the same folly as 
 Jonathan had done before, and Jonathan was again 
 installed, resolving in his own mind to lead his former 
 life, and have nothing more to do with ladies' maids. 
 
20 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 But from habit Jonathan still carried himself as a 
 mute on all ordinary occasions — never indulging in an 
 approximation to mirth, except when he perceived that 
 his master was in high spirits, and then rather from a 
 sense of duty than from any real hilarity of heart. 
 
 Jonathan was no mean scholar for his station in 
 life, and, during his service with the undertaker, he 
 had acquired the English of all the Latin mottoes 
 which are placed upon the hatchments; and these 
 mottoes, when he considered them as apt, he was very 
 apt to quote. We left Jonathan standing at the door ; 
 he had closed it, and the handle still remained in his 
 hand. " Jonathan," said Mr. Witherington, after a 
 long pause — " I wish to look at the last letter from 
 New York, you will find it on my dressing-table." 
 
 Jonathan quitted the room without reply, and made 
 his reappearance with the letter. 
 
 " It is a long time that I have been expecting 
 this vessel, Jonathan," observed Mr. Witherington, 
 unfolding the letter. 
 
 " Yes sir, a long while ; tarn-pus fugit? replied the 
 butler in a low tone, half shutting his eyes. 
 
 " I hope to God no accident has happened," con- 
 tinued Mr. Witherington ; " my poor little cousin and 
 her twins, e'en now that I speak, they may be all at 
 the bottom of the sea." 
 
THE BACHELOR. 21 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied the butler ; " the sea defrauds 
 many an honest undertaker of his profits." 
 
 " By the blood of the Witheringtons ! I may be left 
 without an heir, and shall be obliged to marry, which 
 would be very uncomfortable. 
 
 " Very little comfort," echoed Jonathan — " my wife 
 is dead. In ccelo quies" 
 
 " Well, we must hope for the best : but this sus- 
 pense is any thing but comfortable," observed Mr. 
 Witherington, after looking over the contents of the 
 letter for at least the twentieth time. 
 
 " That will do, Jonathan ; I '11 ring for coffee pre- 
 sently : " and Mr. Witherington was again alone and 
 with his eyes fixed upon the ceiling. 
 
 A cousin of Mr. Witherington, and a very great 
 favourite (for Mr. Witherington, having a large fortune, 
 and not having anything to do with business, was 
 courted by his relations), had, to a certain degree, com- 
 mitted herself; that is to say, that, notwithstanding 
 the injunctions of her parents, she had fallen in love 
 with a young lieutenant in a marching regiment, 
 whose pedigree was but respectable, and whose fortune 
 was anything but respectable, consisting merely of a 
 subaltern's pay. Poor men, unfortunately, always make 
 love better than those who are rich, because, having 
 less to care about, and not being puffed up with their 
 
22 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 own consequence, they are not so selfish, and think 
 much more of the lady than of themselves, Young 
 ladies, also, who fall in love, never consider whether 
 there is sufficient to " make the pot boil " — probably 
 because young ladies in love lose their appetites, and, 
 not feeling inclined to eat at that time, they imagine 
 that love will always supply the want of food. Now, 
 we will appeal to the married ladies whether we are 
 not right in asserting, that, although the collation 
 spread for them and their friends on the day of the 
 marriage is looked upon with almost loathing, they 
 do not find their appetites return with interest soon 
 afterwards. This was precisely the case with Cecilia 
 Witherington, or rather Cecilia Templemore, for she 
 had changed her name the day before. It was also 
 the case with her husband, who always had a good 
 appetite, even during his days of courtship; and the 
 consequence was, that the messman's account, for they 
 lived in barracks, was, in a few weeks, rather alarm- 
 ing. Cecilia applied to her family, who very kindly 
 sent her word that she might starve; but, the advice 
 neither suiting her nor her husband, she then wrote 
 to her cousin Antony, who sent her word that he should 
 be most happy to receive them at his table, and that 
 they should take up their abode in Finsbury Square. 
 This was exactly what they wished; but still there was 
 
THE BACHELOR. 23 
 
 a certain difficulty : Lieutenant Templemore's regiment 
 was quartered in a town in Yorkshire, which was some 
 trifling distance from Finsbury Square; and to be at 
 Mr. Witherington's dinner-table at six p.m., with the 
 necessity of appearing at parade every morning at nine 
 a.m., was a dilemma not to be got out of. Several 
 letters were interchanged upon this knotty subject ; 
 and at last it was agreed that Mr. Templemore should 
 sell out, and come up to Mr. Witherington with his 
 pretty wife : he did so, and found that it was much 
 more comfortable to turn out at nine o'clock in the 
 morning to a good breakfast than to a martial parade. 
 But Mr. Templemore had an honest pride and inde- 
 pendence of character which would not permit him to 
 eat the bread of idleness, and, after a sojourn of two 
 months in most comfortable quarters, without a mess- 
 man's bill, he frankly stated his feelings to Mr. 
 Witherington, and requested his assistance to procure 
 for himself an honourable livelihood. Mr. Withering- 
 ton, who had become attached to them both, would 
 have remonstrated, observing that Cecilia was his own 
 cousin, and that he was a confirmed bachelor; but, in 
 this instance, Mr. Templemore was firm, and Mr. 
 Witherington very unwillingly consented. A mer- 
 cantile house of the highest respectability required a 
 partner who could superintend their consignments 
 
24 THE BACHELOR. 
 
 to America. Mr. Witherington advanced the sum 
 required; and, in a few weeks, Mr. and Mrs. Tem- 
 plemore sailed for New York. 
 
 Mr. Templemore was active and intelligent; their 
 affairs prospered ; and, in a few years, they anticipated 
 a return to their native soil with a competence. But 
 the autumn of the second year after their arrival proved 
 very sickly; the yellow fever raged; and, among the 
 thousands who were carried off, Mr. Templemore was 
 a victim, about three weeks after his wife had been 
 brought to bed of twins. Mrs. Templemore rose from 
 her couch a widow and the mother of two fine boys. 
 The loss of Mr. Templemore was replaced by the 
 establishment with which he was connected, and Mr. 
 Witherington offered to his cousin that asylum which? 
 in her mournful and unexpected bereavement, she so 
 much required. In three months her affairs were 
 arranged ; and, with her little boys hanging at the 
 breasts of two negro nurses, for no others could be 
 procured who would undertake the voyage, Mrs. 
 Templemore, with Coco, as male servant, embarked 
 on board of the good ship Circassian, A. 1., bound 
 to Liverpool. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE GALE. 
 
 Those who, standing on the pier, had witnessed the 
 proud bearing of the Circassian as she gave her canvass 
 to the winds, little contemplated her fate : still less 
 did those on board; for confidence is the characteristic 
 of seamen, and they have the happy talent of imparting 
 their confidence to whomever may be in their company. 
 We shall pass over the voyage, confining ourselves to 
 a description of the catastrophe. 
 
 It was during a gale from the north-west, which 
 had continued for three days, and by which the 
 Circassian had been driven into the Bay of Biscay, 
 that, at about twelve o'clock at night, a slight lull was 
 perceptible. The captain, who had remained on deck, 
 sent down for the chief mate. " Oswald," said Captain 
 Ingram, "the gale is breaking, and I think before 
 morning we shall have had the worst of it. I shall 
 lie down for an hour or two : call me if there be any 
 change." 
 
 Oswald Bareth, a tall, sinewy-built, and handsome 
 
26 THE GALE. 
 
 specimen of transatlantic growth, examined the whole 
 circumference of the horizon before he replied. At 
 last his eyes were steadily fixed to leeward: "I've a 
 notion not/ sir," said he ; "I see no signs of clearing 
 off, to leeward; only a lull for relief, and a fresh hand 
 at the bellows, depend upon it." 
 
 "We have now had it three days," replied Captain 
 Ingram, " and that 's the life of a summer's gale." 
 
 "Yes," rejoined the mate; "but always provided 
 that it don't blow back again. I don't like the look 
 of it, sir ; and have it back we shall, as sure as there 's 
 snakes in Virginny." 
 
 "Well, so be if so be," was the safe reply of the 
 captain. "You must keep a sharp look-out, Bareth, 
 and don't leave the deck to call me ; send a hand 
 down." 
 
 The captain descended to his cabin. Oswald looked 
 at the compass in the bittacle — spoke a few words 
 to the man at the helm — gave one or two terrible 
 kicks in the ribs to some of the men who were caulking 
 — sounded the pump-well — put a fresh quid of tobacco 
 into his cheek, and then proceeded to examine the 
 heavens above. A cloud, much darker and more 
 descending than the others which obscured the firma- 
 ment, spread over the zenith, and based itself upon 
 the horizon to leeward. Oswald's eye had been fixed 
 
THE GALE. 27 
 
 upon it but a few seconds, when he beheld a small 
 lambent gleam of lightning pierce through the most 
 opaque part; then another, and more vivid. Of a 
 sudden the wind lulled, and the Circassian righted 
 from her careen. Again the wind howled — and again 
 the vessel was pressed down to her bearings by its 
 force : again another flash of lightning, which was 
 followed by a distant peal of thunder. 
 
 "Had the worst of it, did you say, captain? I've 
 a notion that the worst is yet to come ; " muttered 
 Oswald, still watching the heavens. 
 
 "How does she carry her helm, Matthew?" inquired 
 Oswald, walking aft. 
 
 " Spoke a- weather." 
 
 "I'll have that trysail oif of her, at any rate," 
 continued the mate. " Aft, there, my lads ! and lower 
 down the trysail. Keep the sheet fast till it's down, 
 or the flogging will frighten the lady-passenger out 
 of her wits. Well, if ever I own a craft, I'll have no 
 women on board. Dollars shan't tempt me." 
 
 The hghtning now played in rapid forks; and the 
 loud thunder, which instantaneously followed each flash, 
 proved its near approach. A deluge of slanting rain 
 descended — the wind lulled — roared again — then lulled 
 — shifted a point or two, and the drenched and heavy 
 sails flapped. 
 
•28 THE GALE. 
 
 " Up with the helm, Mat ! " cried Oswald, as a 
 near flash of lightning for a moment blinded, and the 
 accompanying peal of thunder deafened, those on deck. 
 Again the wind blew strong — it ceased, and it was 
 a dead calm. The sails hung down from the yards, 
 and the rain descended in perpendicular torrents, 
 while the ship rocked to and fro in the trough of the 
 sea, and the darkness became suddenly intense. 
 
 "Down, there, one of you! and call the captain," 
 said Oswald. " By the Lord ! we shall have it. Main 
 braces there, men, and square the yards. Be smart \ 
 That topsail should have been in," muttered the mate; 
 "but I'm not captain. Square away the yards, my 
 lads ! " continued he ; " quick, quick ! — there 's no 
 child's play here ! " 
 
 Owing to the difficulty of finding and passing the 
 ropes to each other, from the intensity of the darkness, 
 and the deluge of rain which blinded them, the men 
 were not able to execute the order of the mate so soon 
 as it was necessary ; and, before they could accomplish 
 their task, or Captain Ingram could gain the deck, 
 the wind suddenly burst upon the devoted vessel 
 from the quarter directly opposite to that from which 
 the gale had blown, taking her all a-back, and 
 throwing her on her beam-ends. The man at the 
 helm was hurled over the wheel; while the rest, who 
 
TEIE GALE. 29 
 
 were with Oswald at the main bits, with the coils of 
 ropes, and every other article on deck not secured, 
 were rolled into the scuppers, struggling to extricate 
 themselves from the mass of confusion and the water 
 in which they floundered. The sudden revulsion 
 awoke all the men below, who imagined that the ship 
 was foundering ; and, from the only hatchway not 
 secured, they poured up in their shirts, with their 
 other garments in their hands, to put them on — if fate 
 permitted. 
 
 Oswald Bareth was the first who clambered up 
 from to leeward. He gained the helm, which he put 
 hard up. Captain Ingram and some of the seamen 
 also gained the helm. It is the rendezvous of all 
 good seamen in emergencies of this description: but 
 the howling of the gale — the blinding of the rain and 
 salt spray — the seas checked in their running by the 
 shift of wind, and breaking over the ship in vast masses 
 of water — the tremendous peals of thunder — and the 
 intense darkness which accompanied these horrors, 
 added to the inclined position of the vessel, which 
 obliged them to climb from one part of the deck to 
 another, for some time checked all profitable commu- 
 nication. Their only friend, in this conflict of the 
 elements, was the lightning (unhappy, indeed, the 
 situation in which lightning can be welcomed as a 
 
80 THE GALE. 
 
 , friend); but its vivid and forked flames, darting down 
 upon every quarter of the horizon, enabled them to 
 perceive their situation: and, awful as it was, when 
 momentarily presented to their sight, it was not so 
 awful as darkness and uncertainty. To those who 
 have been accustomed to the difficulties and dangers 
 of a sea-faring life, there are no lines which speak 
 more forcibly to the imagination, or prove the beauty 
 and power of the Greek poet, than those in the noble 
 prayer of Ajax : 
 
 " Lord of earth and air, 
 O king ! O father ! hear my humble prayer. 
 Dispel this cloud, the light of heaven restore ; 
 Give me to see — and Ajax asks no more. 
 If Greece must perish — we Thy will obey : 
 But let us perish in the face of day ! " 
 
 Oswald gave the helm to two of the seamen, and 
 with his knife cut adrift the axes, which were lashed 
 round the mizen-mast in painted canvass covers. One 
 he retained for himself, — the others he put into the 
 hands of the boatswain and the second mate. To 
 speak so as to be heard was almost impossible, from 
 the tremendous roaring of the wind; but the lamp 
 still burned in the bittacle, and, by its feeble light, 
 Captain Ingram could distinguish the signs made by 
 
THE GALE. 31 
 
 the mate, and could give his consent. It was necessary 
 that the ship should be put before the wind, and the 
 helm had no power over her. In a short time 
 the lanyards of the mizen rigging were severed, and 
 the mizen-mast went over the side, almost unperceived 
 by the crew on the other parts of the deck, or even 
 those near, had it not been from blows received by 
 those who were too close to it, from the falling of the 
 topsail-sheets and the rigging about the mast. 
 
 Oswald, with his companions, regained the bittacle, 
 and for some little while watched the compass. The 
 ship did not pay off, and appeared to settle down more 
 into the water. Again Oswald made his signs, and 
 again the captain gave his assent. Forward sprang 
 the undaunted mate, clinging to the bulwark and 
 belay ing-pins, and followed by his hardy companions, 
 until they had all three gained the main-channels. 
 Here, their exposure to the force of the breaking 
 waves, and the stoutness of the ropes yielding but 
 slowly to the blows of the axes, which were used 
 almost under water, rendered the service one of 
 extreme difficulty and danger. The boatswain was 
 washed over the bulwark and dashed to leeward, 
 where the lee-rigging only saved him from a watery 
 grave. Unsubdued, he again climbed up to wind- 
 ward, rejoined and assisted his companions. The 
 
32 THE GALE. 
 
 last blow was given by Oswald — the lanyards flew 
 through the dead-eyes — and the tall mast disappeared 
 in the foaming seas. Oswald and his companions 
 hastened from their dangerous position, and rejoined 
 the captain, who, with many of the crew, still remained 
 near the wheel. The ship now slowly paid off and 
 righted. In a few minutes she was flying before the 
 gale, rolling heavily, and occasionally striking upon 
 the wrecks of the masts, which she towed with her 
 by the lee-rigging. 
 
 Although the wind blew with as much violence as 
 before, still it was not with the same noise, now that 
 the ship was before the wind with her after-masts 
 gone. The next service was to clear the ship of the 
 wrecks of the masts; but, although all now assisted, 
 but little could be effected until the day had dawned, 
 and even then it was a service of danger, as the ship 
 rolled gunwale under. Those who performed the 
 duty were slung in ropes, that they might not be 
 washed away ; and hardly was it completed, when 
 a heavy roll, assisted by a jerking heave from a sea 
 which struck her on the chess-tree, sent the foremast 
 over the starboard cat-head. Thus was the Circassian 
 dismasted in the gale. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE LEAK. 
 
 The wreck of the foremast was cleared from the 
 ship; the gale continued; but the sun shone brightly 
 and warmly. The Circassian was again brought to 
 the wind. All danger was now considered to be over, 
 and the seamen joked and laughed as they were busied 
 in preparing jury-masts, to enable them to reach 
 their destined port. 
 
 "I wouldn't have cared so much about this spree," 
 said the boatswain, " if it warn't for the mainmast ; 
 it was such a beauty. There's not another stick to 
 be found equal to it in the whole length of the 
 Mississippi." 
 
 "Bah! man," replied Oswald, "there's as good fish 
 in the sea as ever came out of it, and as good sticks 
 growing as ever were felled; but I guess we'll pay 
 pretty dear for our spars when we get to Liverpool 
 — but that concerns the owners." 
 
 The wind, which, at the time of its sudden change 
 to the southward and eastward, had blown with the 
 
34 THE LEAK. 
 
 force of a hurricane, now settled into a regular strong 
 gale such as sailors are prepared to meet and laugh 
 at. The sky was also bright and clear, and they had 
 not the danger of a lee shore. It was a delightful 
 change after a night of darkness, danger, and confusion ; 
 and the men worked that they might get sufficient 
 sail on the ship to steady her, and enable them to 
 shape a course. 
 
 "I suppose, now that we have the trysail on her 
 forward, the captain will be for running for it," 
 observed one who was busy turning in a dead-eye. 
 
 "Yes," replied the boatswain; "and with this wind 
 on our quarter we shan't want much sail, I Ve a notion." 
 
 " Well, then, one advantage in losing your masts — 
 you havn't much trouble about the rigging." 
 
 "Trouble enough, though, Bill, when we get in," 
 replied another, gruffly: "new lower rigging to parcel 
 and sarve, and every block to turn in afresh." 
 
 "Never mind, longer in port — I'll get spliced." 
 
 "Why, how often do you mean to get spliced, Bill? 
 you 've a wife in every State, to my sartain knowledge." 
 
 "I arn't got one at Liverpool, Jack." 
 
 " Well, you may take one there, Bill ; for you 've been 
 sweet upon that nigger girl for these last three weeks." 
 
 "Any port in a storm, but she won't do for harbour 
 duty: but the fact is, you're all wrong there, Jack. 
 
THE LEAK. 35 
 
 It's the babbies I likes — I likes to see them both 
 together hanging at the nigger's breasts. I always 
 thinks of two spider monkeys nursing two kittens." 
 
 "I knows the women, but I never knows the 
 children. It 's just six of one and half-a-dozen of the 
 other, an't it, Bill?" 
 
 " Yes ; like two bright bullets out of the same mould : 
 I say, Bill, did any of your wives ever have twins ? " 
 
 "No; nor I don't intend, until the owners give 
 us double pay." 
 
 "By the by," interrupted Oswald, who had been 
 standing under the weather bulk-head, listening to 
 the conversation, and watching the work in progress, 
 "we may just as well see if she has made any water 
 with all this straining and buffeting. By the Lord ! 
 I never thought of that. Carpenter, lay down your 
 adze and sound the well." 
 
 The carpenter, who, notwithstanding the uneasiness 
 of the dismasted vessel, was performing his important 
 share of the work, immediately complied with the 
 order. He drew up the rope-yarn, to which an iron 
 rule had been suspended, and lowered down into the 
 pump-well, and perceived that the water was dripping 
 from it.. Imagining that it must have been wet from 
 the quantity of water shipped over all, the carpenter 
 disengaged the rope-yarn from the rule, drew another 
 
36 THE LEAK. 
 
 from the junk lying on the deck, which the seamen 
 were working up, and then carefully proceeded to 
 plumb the well. He hauled it up, and, looking at 
 it for some moments aghast, exclaimed "Seven feet 
 water in the hold, by G — d!" 
 
 If the crew of the Circassian, the whole of which 
 were on deck, had been struck with an electric shock, 
 the sudden change in their countenances could not 
 have been greater than was produced by this appalling 
 intelligence. 
 
 Heap upon sailors every disaster, every danger 
 which can be accumulated from the waves, the wind, 
 the elements, or the enemy, and they will bear up 
 against them with a courage amounting to heroism. 
 All they demand is, that the one plank "between 
 them and death" is sound, and they will trust to their 
 own energies, and will be confident in their own skill: 
 but spring a leak, and they are half paralysed; and 
 if it gain upon them they are subdued; for when 
 they find that their exertions are futile, they are 
 little better than children. 
 
 Oswald sprang to the pumps, when he heard the 
 carpenter's report. "Try again, Abel — it cannot be: 
 cut away that line ; hand us here a dry rope-yarn." 
 
 Once more the well was sounded by Oswald, and 
 the results were the same. "We must rig the pumps, 
 
THE LEAK. 37 
 
 my lads," said the mate, endeavouring to conceal his 
 own fears ; " half this water must have found its way 
 in her when she was on her beam- ends." 
 
 This idea, so judiciously thrown out, was caught at 
 by the seamen, who hastened to obey the order, while 
 Oswald went down to acquaint the captain, who, 
 worn out with watching and fatigue, had, now that 
 danger was considered to be over, thrown himself 
 into his cot to obtain a few hours' repose. 
 
 "Do you think, Bareth, that we have sprung a 
 leak?" said the captain, earnestly; "she never could 
 have taken in that quantity of water." 
 
 "Never, sir," replied the mate; "but she has been 
 so strained that she may have opened her top-sides. 
 I trust it is no worse." 
 
 "What is your opinion then?" 
 
 "I am afraid that the wreck of the masts have 
 injured her: you may recollect how often we struck 
 against them before we could clear ourselves of them; 
 once, particularly, the main-mast appeared to be right 
 under her , bottom, I recollect, and she struck very 
 heavy on it." 
 
 "Well, it is God's will: let us get on deck as 
 fast as we can." 
 
 When they arrived on deck, the carpenter walked 
 up to the captain, and quietly said to him, " Seven feet 
 
38 THE LEAK. 
 
 three, sir." The pumps were then in full action; the 
 men had divided, by the directions of the boatswain, 
 and, stripped naked to the waist, relieved each other 
 every two minutes. For half an hour they laboured 
 incessantly. 
 
 This was the half-hour of suspense : the great point 
 to be ascertained was, whether she leaked through 
 the top-sides, and had taken in the water during the 
 second gale; if so, there was every hope of keeping 
 it under. Captain Ingram and the mate remained 
 in silence near the capstern, the former with his 
 watch in his hand, during the time that the sailors 
 exerted themselves to the utmost. It was ten minutes 
 past seven when the half-hour had expired; the well 
 was sounded, and the line carefully measured — seven feet 
 six inches I So that the water had gained upon them, 
 notwithstanding they had plied the pumps to the 
 utmost of their strength. 
 
 A mute look of despair was exchanged among the 
 crew, but it was followed up by curses and execra- 
 tions. Captain Ingram remained silent, with his lips 
 compressed. 
 
 " It 's all over with us ! " exclaimed one of the men. 
 
 "Not yet, my lads; we have one more chance," 
 said Oswald ; " I Ve a notion that the ship's sides 
 have been opened by the infernal straining of last 
 
THE LEAK. 39 
 
 night, and that she is now taking it in at the top-sides 
 generally: if so, we have only to put her before the 
 wind again, and have another good spell at the pumps. 
 When '< no longer strained, as she is now with her 
 broadside to the sea, she will close all up again." 
 
 "I shouldn't wonder if Mr. Bareth is not right," 
 replied the carpenter ; " however, that 's my notion too." 
 
 " And mine," added Captain Ingram. " Come, 
 my men ! never say die while there 's a shot in the 
 locker. Let's try her again." And, to encourage the 
 men, Captain Ingram threw off his coat and assisted 
 at the first spell, while Oswald went to the helm and 
 put the ship before the wind. 
 
 As the Circassian rolled before the gale, the lazy 
 manner in which she righted proved how much water 
 there was in the hold. The seamen exerted themselves 
 for a whole hour without intermission, and the well 
 was again sounded — eight feet ! 
 
 The men did not assert that they would pump no 
 longer; but they too plainly shewed their intentions 
 by each resuming in silence his shirt and jacket, which 
 he had taken off at the commencement of his exertions. 
 
 "What's to be done, Oswald?" said Captain Ingram, 
 as they walked aft. "You see the men will pump no 
 longer; nor, indeed, would it be of any use. We are 
 doomed." 
 
40 THE LEAK. 
 
 "The Circassian is, sir, I am afraid," replied the 
 mate : " pumping is of no avail ; they could not keep 
 her afloat till day-break. We must, therefore, trust 
 to our boats, which I believe to be all sound, and 
 quit her before night." 
 
 " Crowded boats in such a sea as this ! " replied 
 Captain Ingram, shaking his head mournfully — 
 
 " Are bad enough, I grant ; but better than the sea 
 itself. All we can do now is to try and keep the men 
 sober, and if we can do so it will be better than to 
 fatigue them uselessly; they'll want all their strength 
 before they put foot again upon dry land — if ever 
 they are so fortunate. Shall I speak to them?" 
 
 "Do, Oswald," replied the captain; "for myself I 
 care little, God knows ; but my wife — my children ! " 
 
 "My lads," said Oswald, going forward to the men, 
 who had waited in moody silence the result of the 
 conference — " as for pumping any longer it would be 
 only wearing out your strength for no good. We must 
 now look to our boats ; and a good boat is better than 
 a bad ship. Still, this gale and cross-running sea are 
 rather too much for boats at present ; we had therefore 
 better stick to the ship as long as we can. Let us set 
 to with a will and get the boats ready, with provisions, 
 water, and what else may be needful, and then we must 
 trust to God's mercy and our own endeavours." 
 
THE LEAK. 41 
 
 "No boat can stand this sea," observed one of the 
 men ; " I 'm of opinion, as it 's to be a short life, it 
 may as well be a merry one. What d'ye say, my 
 lads?" continued he, appealing to the men. 
 
 Several of the crew were of the same opinion : but 
 Oswald, stepping forward, seized one of the axes which 
 lay at the main-bitts, and going up to the seaman who 
 had spoken, looked him steadfastly in the face ; — 
 
 "Williams," said the mate, "a short life it may 
 be to all of us, but not a merry one ; the meaning 
 of which I understand very well. Sorry I shall be to 
 have your blood, or that of others, on my hands ; but, 
 as sure as there's a heaven, I'll cleave to the shoulder 
 the first man who attempts to break into the spirit- 
 room. You know I never joke. Shame upon you ! 
 Do you call yourselves men, when, for the sake of a 
 little liquor now, you would lose your only chance 
 of getting drunk every day, as soon as we get on shore 
 again? There's a time for all things; and I've a 
 notion this is a time to be sober." 
 
 " As most of the crew sided with Oswald, the weaker 
 party were obliged to submit, and the preparations 
 were commenced. The two boats on the booms were 
 found to be in good condition. One party was 
 employed cutting away the bulwarks, that the boats 
 might be launched over the side, as there were no 
 
42 THE LEAK. 
 
 means of hoisting them out. The well was again 
 sounded. Nine feet water in the hold, and the ship 
 evidently settling fast. Two hours had now passed, 
 and the gale was not so violent; the sea, also, which, 
 at the change of wind, had been cross, appeared to have 
 recovered its regular run. All was ready ; the sailors, 
 once at work again, had, in some measure, recovered 
 their spirits, and were buoyed up with fresh hopes at 
 the slight change in their favour from the decrease 
 of the wind. The two boats were quite large enough 
 to contain the whole of the crew and passengers ; but, 
 as the sailors said among themselves (proving the 
 kindness of their hearts), "What was to become of 
 those two poor babbies, in an open boat for days and 
 nights, perhaps?" Captain Ingram had gone down 
 to Mrs. Templemore, to impart to her their melancholy 
 prospects ; and the mother's heart, as well as the 
 mother's voice, echoed the words of the seamen, 
 "What will become of my poor babes?" 
 
 It was not till nearly six o'clock in the evening 
 that all was ready: the ship was slowly brought to 
 the wind again, and the boats launched over the 
 side. By this time the gale was much abated; but 
 the vessel was full of water, and was expected soon 
 to go down. 
 
 There is no time in which coolness and determin- 
 
THE LEAK. 43 
 
 ation are more required than in a situation like the 
 one which we have attempted to describe. It is 
 impossible to know the precise moment at which a 
 water-logged vessel, in a heavy sea, may go down; 
 and its occupants are in a state of mental fever, with 
 the idea of their remaining in her so late that she 
 will suddenly submerge, and leave them to struggle 
 in the wave. This feeling actuated many of the crew 
 of the Circassian, and they had already retreated to 
 the boats. All was arranged; Oswald had charge of 
 one boat, and it was agreed that the larger should 
 receive Mrs. Templemore and her children, under the 
 protection of Captain Ingram. The number appointed 
 to Oswald's boat being completed, he shoved off, to 
 make room for the other, and laid to to leeward, 
 waiting to keep company. Mrs. Templemore came 
 up with Captain Ingram, and was assisted by him 
 into the boat. The nurse, with one child, was at last 
 placed by her side ; Coco was leading Judy, the other 
 nurse, with the remaining infant in her arms, and 
 Captain Ingram, who had been obliged to go into the 
 boat with the first child, was about to return to assist 
 Judy with the other, when the ship gave a heavy 
 pitch, and her forecastle was buried in the wave; 
 at the same time the gunwale of the boat was stove 
 by coming in contact with the side of the vessel. 
 
44 THE LEAK. 
 
 " She's down, by God !" exclaimed the alarmed seamen 
 in the boat ; shoving off to escape from the vortex. 
 
 Captain Ingram, who was standing on the boat's 
 thwarts to assist Judy, was thrown back into the 
 bottom of the boat ; and before he could extricate 
 himself, the boat was separated from the ship, and 
 had drifted to leeward. 
 
 " My child ! " screamed the mother ; " my child ! " 
 " Pull to again, my lads ! " cried Captain Ingram, 
 seizing the tiller. 
 
 The men, who had been alarmed at the idea that 
 the ship was going down, now that they saw that she 
 was still afloat, got out the oars and attempted to 
 regain her, but in vain — they could not make head 
 against the sea and wind. Further and further did 
 they drift to leeward, notwithstanding their exertions; 
 while the frantic mother extended her arms, imploring 
 and entreating. Captain Ingram, who had stimulated 
 the sailors to the utmost, perceived that further attempts 
 were useless. 
 
 "My child! my child!" screamed Mrs. Temple- 
 more, standing up, and holding out her arms towards 
 the vessel. At a sign from the captain, the head of 
 the boat was veered round. The bereaved mother 
 knew that all hope was gone, and she fell down 
 in a state of insensibility. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE OLD MAID. 
 
 One morning, shortly after the disasters which 
 we have described, Mr. Witherington descended to 
 his breakfast-room somewhat earlier than usual, and 
 found his green morocco easy-chair already tenanted 
 by no less a personage than William, the footman, 
 who, with his feet on the fender, was so attentively 
 reading the newspaper that he did not hear his master's 
 entrance. "By my ancestor, who fought on his 
 stumps ! but I hope you are quite comfortable, Mr. 
 William; nay, I beg I may not disturb you, sir." 
 
 William, although as impudent as most of his 
 fraternity, was a little taken aback : " I beg your 
 pardon, sir, but Mr. Jonathan had not time to look 
 over the paper." 
 
 " Nor is it required that he should, that I know 
 of, sir." 
 
 " Mr. Jonathan says, sir, that it is always right to 
 look over the deaths, that news of that kind may not 
 shock you." 
 
46 THE OLD MAID. 
 
 " Very considerate, indeed ! " 
 
 " And there is a story there, sir, about a shipwreck." 
 " A shipwreck ! where, William ? God bless me ! 
 where is it ? " 
 
 " I am afraid it is the same ship you are so anxious 
 
 about, sir, — the ; I forget the name, sir." 
 
 Mr. Witherington took the newspaper, and his eye 
 soon caught the paragraph in which the rescue of 
 the two negroes and child from the wreck of the 
 Circassian was fully detailed. 
 
 "It is, indeed!" exclaimed Mr. Witherington; "my 
 poor Cecilia in an open boat ! one of the boats was 
 seen to go down, — perhaps she 's dead — merciful God ! 
 one boy saved. Mercy on me ! where 's Jonathan ? " 
 
 " Here, sir," replied Jonathan, very solemnly, who 
 had just brought in the eggs, and now stood erect as 
 a mute behind his master's chair, for it was a case of 
 danger, if not of death. 
 
 " I must go to Portsmouth immediately after break- 
 fast — shan't eat though — appetite all gone." 
 
 " People seldom do, sir, on these melancholy occa- 
 sions," replied Jonathan; "will you take your own 
 carriage, sir, or a mourning coach ?" 
 
 " A mourning coach at fourteen miles an hour, 
 with two pair of horses ! Jonathan, you 're crazy." 
 " Will you please to have black silk hatbands 
 
THE OLD MAID. 47 
 
 and gloves for the coachman and servants who attend 
 you, sir?" 
 
 " Confound your shop ! no ; this is a resurrection, 
 not a death : it appears that the negro thinks only 
 one of the boats went down." 
 
 " Mors omnia vincit" quoth Jonathan, casting up 
 his eyes. 
 
 " Never you mind that ; mind your own business. 
 That's the postman's knock — see if there are any letters." 
 
 There were several; and, amongst the others, there 
 was one from Captain Maxwell, of the Eurydice, 
 detailing the circumstances already known, and inform- 
 ing Mr. Witherington that he had despatched the two 
 negroes and the child to his address by that day's coach, 
 and that one of the officers, who was going to town by 
 the same conveyance, would see them safe to his house. 
 
 Captain Maxwell was an old acquaintance of Mr. 
 Witherington — had dined at his house in company 
 with the Templemores, and therefore had extracted 
 quite enough information from the negroes to know 
 where to direct them. 
 
 " By the blood of my ancestors ! they '11 be here 
 to-night," cried Mr. Witherington; "and I have saved 
 my journey. What is to be done ? better tell Mary 
 to get rooms ready: d'ye hear, William? beds for 
 one little boy and two niggers." 
 
48 THE OLD MAID. 
 
 "Yes, sir," replied William; "but where are the 
 black people to be put?" 
 
 " Put ! I do'nt care ; one may sleep with cook, 
 the other with Mary." 
 
 "Very well, sir, I'll tell them," replied William, 
 hastening away, delighted at the row which he antici- 
 pated in the kitchen. 
 
 " If you please, sir," observed Jonathan, " one of 
 the negroes is, I believe, a man." 
 
 "Well, what then?" 
 
 " Only, sir, the maids may object to sleep with 
 him." 
 
 " By all the plagues of the Witheringtons ! that is 
 true ; well, you may take him, Jonathan — you like 
 that colour." 
 
 " Not in the dark, sir," replied Jonathan with a 
 bow. 
 
 " Well, then, let them sleep together : so, that 
 affair is settled." 
 
 " Are they man and wife, sir ? " said the butler. 
 
 " The devil take them both ! how should I know ? 
 let me have my breakfast, and we'll talk over the 
 matter by and by." 
 
 Mr. Witherington applied to his eggs and muffin, 
 eating his breakfast as fast as he could, without know- 
 ing why ; but the reason was that he was puzzled 
 
THE OLD MAID. 49 
 
 and perplexed with the anticipated arrival, and longed 
 to think quietly over the dilemma, for it was a dilemma 
 to an old bachelor. As soon as he had swallowed his 
 second cup of tea he put himself into his easy-chair, 
 in an easy attitude, and was very soon soliloquising 
 as follows : — 
 
 " By the blood of the Witheringtons ! what am I, 
 an old bachelor, to do with a baby, and a wet-nurse 
 as black as the ace of spades, and another black fellow 
 in the bargain ? Send him back again ? yes, that 's 
 best: but the child — woke every morning at five 
 o'clock with its squalling — obliged to kiss it three 
 times a day — pleasant ! — and then that nigger of a 
 nurse — thick lips — kissing child all day, and then 
 holding it out to me — ignorant as a cow — if child has 
 the stomach-ache she '11 cram a pepper-pod down its 
 throat — West India fashion — children never without 
 the stomach-ache — my poor, poor cousin ! — what has 
 become of her and the other child, too ? — wish they 
 may pick her up, poor dear ! and then she will come 
 and take care of her own children — don't know what 
 to do — great mind to send for sister Moggy — but 
 she 's so fussy — wont be in a hurry. Think again." 
 
 Here Mr. Witherington was interrupted by two 
 taps at the door. 
 
 " Come in," said he ; and the cook, with her 
 
50 THE OLD MAID. 
 
 face as red as if she had been dressing a dinner 
 for eighteen, made her appearance without the usual 
 clean apron. 
 
 " If you please, sir," said she, curtseying, " I will 
 thank you to suit yourself with another cook." 
 
 " Oh, very well," replied Mr. Witherington, angry 
 at the interruption. 
 
 " And, if you please, sir, I should like to go this 
 very day — indeed, sir, I shall not stay." 
 
 " Go to the devil ! if you please," replied Mr. 
 Witherington, angrily ; " but first go out and shut 
 the door after you." 
 
 The cook retired, and Mr. Witherington was again 
 alone. 
 
 "Confound the old woman — what a huff she is 
 in ! won't cook for black people, I suppose — yes, 
 that's it." 
 
 Here Mr. Witherington was again interrupted by 
 a second double tap at the door. 
 
 w Oh ! thought better of it, I suppose. Come in." 
 
 It was not the cook, but Mary, the housemaid, 
 that entered. 
 
 " If you please, sir," said she, whimpering, " I 
 should wish to leave my situation." 
 
 " A conspiracy, by heavens ! Well, you may go." 
 
 " To-night, sir, if you please," answered the woman. 
 
THE OLD MAID. 51 
 
 " This moment, for all I care ! " exclaimed Mr. 
 Witherington in his wrath. 
 
 The housemaid retired ; and Mr. Witherington 
 took some time to compose himself. 
 
 " Servants all going to the devil, in this country," 
 said he at last; (( proud fools — won't clean rooms 
 after black people, I suppose — yes, that 's it — confound 
 them all, black and white ! here 's my whole establish- 
 ment upset by the arrival of a baby — well, it is very 
 uncomfortable — what shall I do? — send for sister 
 Moggy? — no, I'll send for Jonathan." 
 
 Mr. Witherington rang the bell, and Jonathan 
 made his appearance. 
 
 i( What is all this, Jonathan ? " said he ; " cook 
 angry — Mary crying — both going away — what's it 
 all about?" 
 
 " Why, sir, they were told by William that it was 
 your positive order that the two black people were 
 to sleep with them ; and I believe he told Mary 
 that the man was to sleep with her." 
 
 "Confound that fellow! he's always at mischief; 
 you know, Jonathan, I never meant that." 
 
 "I thought not sir, as it is quite contrary to 
 custom," replied Jonathan. 
 
 " Well, then, tell them so, and let 's hear no more 
 about it." 
 
52 THE OLD MAID. 
 
 Mr. Witherington then entered into a consultation 
 with his butler, and acceded to the arrangements 
 proposed by him. The parties arrived in due time, 
 and were properly accommodated. Master Edward was 
 not troubled with the stomach-ache, neither did he 
 wake Mr. Witherington at five o'clock in the morning; 
 and, after all, it was not so very uncomfortable. But, 
 although things were not quite so uncomfortable as 
 Mr. Witherington had anticipated, still they were not 
 comfortable ; and Mr. Witherington was so annoyed 
 by continual skirmishes between his servants, com- 
 plaints from Judy, in bad English, of the cook, who, 
 it must be owned, had taken a prejudice against 
 her and Coco, occasional illness of the child, et 
 cetera, that he found his house no longer quiet and 
 peaceable. Three months had now nearly passed, 
 and no tidings of the boats had been received ; and 
 Captain Maxwell, who came up to see Mr. Wither- 
 ington, gave it as his decided opinion that they must 
 have foundered in the gale. As, therefore, there 
 appeared to be no chance of Mrs. Templemore coming 
 to take care of her child, Mr. Witherington at last 
 resolved to write to Bath, where his sister resided, and 
 acquaint her with the whole story, requesting her to 
 come and superintend his domestic concerns. A few 
 days afterwards he received the following reply : — 
 
THE OLD MAID. 53 
 
 Bath, August. 
 
 " My dear Brother Antony, 
 
 " Your letter arrived safe to hand on Wednesday last, 
 and I must say that I was not a little surprised at its contents ; 
 indeed, I thought so much about it* that I revoked at Lady 
 Betty Blabkin's whist -party, and lost four shillings and sixpence. 
 You say that you have a child at your house belonging to your 
 cousin, who married in so indecorous a manner. I hope what 
 you say is true : but, at the same time, I know what bachelors 
 are guilty of ; although, as Lady Betty says, it is better never 
 to talk or even to hint about these improper things. I cannot 
 imagine why men should consider themselves, in an unmarried 
 state, as absolved from that purity which maidens are so careful 
 to preserve ; and so says Lady Betty, with whom I had a little 
 conversation on the subject. As, however, the thing is done, she 
 agrees with me that it is better to hush it up as well as we can. 
 " I presume that you do not intend to make the child yom- heir, 
 which 1 should consider as highly improper ; and, indeed, Lady 
 Betty tells me that the legacy- duty is ten per cent, and that it 
 cannot be avoided. However, I make it a rule never to talk 
 about these sort of things. As for yom- request that I will come 
 up and superintend your establishment, I have advised with 
 Lady Betty on the subject, and she agrees with me that, for the 
 honour of the family, it is better that I shoidd come, as it will 
 save appearances. You are in a peck of troubles, as most men 
 are who are free-livers, and are led astray by artful and alluring 
 
54 THE OLD MAID. 
 
 females. However, as Lady Betty says, ' the least said the 
 soonest mended.' 
 
 " I will, therefore, make the necessary arrangements for 
 letting my house, and hope to join you in about ten days ; 
 sooner I cannot, as I find that my engagements extend to that 
 period. Many questions »have already been put to me on this 
 unpleasant subject ; but I always give but one answer, which is, 
 that bachelors will be bachelors ; and that, at all events, it is not 
 so bad as if you were a married man ; for I make it a rule 
 never to talk about, or even to hint about these sort of things, 
 for, as Lady Betty says, ' Men will get into scrapes, and the 
 sooner things are hushed up the better.' So no more at present 
 from your affectionate sister, 
 
 " Margaret Witherington." 
 
 " P.S, — Lady Betty and I both agree that you are very right 
 
 in hiring two black people to bring the child into your house, 
 
 as it makes the thing look foreign to the neighbours, and we 
 
 can keep our own secrets. 
 
 "M.W." 
 
 " Now, by all the sins of the Witheringtons, if this 
 is not enough to drive a man out of his senses ! — 
 Confound the suspicious old maid! — I'll not let her 
 come into this house. Confound Lady Betty, and 
 all scandal-loving old tabbies like her ! Bless me ! " 
 continued Mr. Witherington, throwing the letter on 
 
THE OLD MAID. 55 
 
 the table, with a deep sigh, "this is any thing but 
 comfortable." 
 
 But if Mr. Witherington found it any thing but 
 comfortable at the commencement, he found it un- 
 bearable in the sequel. 
 
 His sister Moggy arrived, and installed herself in 
 the house with all the pomp and protecting air of 
 one who was the saviour of her brother's reputation 
 and character. When the child was first brought 
 down to her, instead of perceiving at once its likeness 
 to Mr. Templemore, which was very strong, she 
 looked at it and at her brother's face with her only 
 eye, and, shaking her finger, exclaimed — 
 
 " Oh, "^ Antony ! Antony! and did you expect to 
 deceive me? — the nose — the mouth exact — Antony, 
 for shame ! fie, for shame !" 
 
 But we must hurry over the misery that Mr. 
 Witherington's kindness and benevolence brought upon 
 him. Not a day passed — scarcely an hour, without 
 his ears being galled with his sister's insinuations. 
 Judy and Coco were sent back to America; the 
 servants, who had remained so long in his service, 
 gave warning one by one, and, afterwards, were 
 changed as often almost as there was a change in the 
 moon. She ruled the house and her brother des- 
 potically; and all poor Mr. Witherington's comfort 
 
56 THE OLD MAID. 
 
 was gone until the time arrived when Master Edward 
 was to be sent to school. Mr. Witherington then 
 plucked up courage ; and, after a few stormy months, 
 drove his sister back to Bath, and once more found 
 himself comfortable. 
 
 Edward came home during the holidays, and was 
 a great favourite ; but the idea had become current 
 that he was the son of the old gentleman, and the 
 remarks made were so unpleasant and grating to him, 
 that he was not sorry, much as he was attached to 
 the boy, when he declared his intention to choose 
 the profession of a sailor. 
 
 Captain Maxwell introduced him into the service ; 
 and afterwards, when, in consequence of ill health 
 and exhaustion, he was himself obliged to leave it 
 for a time, he procured for his protege other ships. 
 We must, therefore, allow some years to pass away, 
 during which time Edward Templemore pursues his 
 career — Mr. Witherington grows older and more 
 particular, and his sister Moggy amuses herself with 
 Lady Betty's remarks, and her darling game of whist. 
 
 During all this period, no tidings of the boats, or 
 of Mrs. Templemore and her infant, had been heard ; 
 it was, therefore, naturally conjectured that they had 
 all perished, and they were remembered but as things 
 that had been. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE MIDSHIPMAN. 
 
 The weather side of the quarter-deck of H. M. 
 frigate Unicorn was occupied by two very great per- 
 sonages : Captain Plumbton, commanding the ship ; 
 who was very great in width if not in height, taking 
 much more than his allowance of the deck, if it were 
 not that he was the proprietor thereof, and entitled to 
 the lion's share. Captain P. was not more than four 
 feet ten inches in height ; but then he was equal to 
 that in girt : there was quite enough of him, if he had 
 only been rolled out. He walked with his coat flying 
 open, his thumbs stuck into the arm-holes of his waist- 
 coat, so as to throw his shoulders back and increase his 
 horizontal dimensions. He also held his head well aft, 
 which threw his chest and stomach well forward. He 
 was the prototype of pomposity and good-nature, and 
 he strutted like an actor in a procession. 
 
 The other personage was the first-lieutenant, whom 
 nature had pleased to fashion in another mould. He 
 was as tall as the captain was short — as thin as his 
 
58 THE MIDSHIPMAN. 
 
 superior was corpulent. His long, lanky legs were 
 nearly up to the captain's shoulders ; and he bowed 
 down over the head of his superior, as if he were 
 the crane to hoist up, and the captain the bale 
 of goods to be hoisted. He carried his hands behind 
 his back, with two fingers twisted together ; and his 
 chief difficulty appeared to be to reduce his own stride 
 to the parrot march of the captain. His features were 
 sharp and lean as was his body, and wore every 
 appearance of a cross-grained temper. 
 
 He had been making divers complaints of divers 
 persons, and the captain had hitherto appeared im- 
 perturbable. Captain Plumbton was an even-tempered 
 man, who was satisfied with a good dinner. Lieutenant 
 Markitall was an odd-tempered man, who would quarrel 
 with his bread and butter. 
 
 " Quite impossible, sir," continued the first-lieu- 
 tenant, " to carry on the duty without support." 
 
 This oracular observation, which, from the relative 
 forms of the two parties, descended as it were from 
 above, was replied to by the captain with a "Very 
 true." 
 
 " Then, sir, I presume you will not object to my 
 putting that man in the report for punishment." 
 
 "I'll think about it, Mr. Markitall." This, with 
 Captain Plumbton, was as much as to say, no. 
 
THE MIDSHIPMAN. 59 
 
 " The young gentlemen, sir, I am sorry to say, 
 are very troublesome." 
 
 "Boys always are," replied the captain. 
 
 " Yes, sir ; but the duty must be carried on, and 
 I cannot do without them." 
 
 " Very true — midshipmen are very useful." 
 
 " But I 'm sorry to say, sir, that they are not. Now, 
 sir, there 's Mr. Templemore ; I can do nothing with 
 him — he does nothing but laugh." 
 
 " Laugh ! — Mr. Markitall, does he laugh at you?" 
 
 " Not exactly, sir ; but he laughs at every thing. 
 If I send him to the mast-head, he goes up laughing; 
 if I call him down, he comes down laughing ; if I find 
 fault with him, he laughs the next minute: in fact, 
 sir, he does nothing but laugh. I should particularly 
 wish, sir, that you would speak to him, and see if any 
 interference on your part " 
 
 "Would make him cry — eh? better to laugh 
 than cry in this world. Does he never cry, Mr. 
 Markitall?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, and very unseasonably. The other day, 
 you may recollect, when you punished Wilson the 
 marine, whom I appointed to take care of his chest 
 and hammock, he was crying the whole time ; almost 
 tantamount — at least an indirect species of mutiny on 
 his part, as it implied " 
 
60 THE MIDSHIPMAN. 
 
 " That the boy was sorry that his servant was 
 punished ; I never flog a man but I 'm sorry myself, 
 Mr. Markitall." 
 
 " Well, I do not press the question of his crying — 
 that I might look over; but his laughing, sir, I must 
 beg that you will take notice of that. Here he is, 
 sir, coming up the hatchway. Mr. Templemore, the 
 captain wishes to speak to you." 
 
 Now, the captain did not wish to speak to him, 
 but, forced upon him as it was by the first-lieutenant, 
 he could do no less. So Mr. Templemore touched 
 his hat, and stood before the captain, we regret 
 to say, with such a good-humoured, sly, confiding 
 smirk on his countenance, as at once established 
 the proof of the accusation, and the enormity of the 
 offence. 
 
 " So, sir," said Captain Plumbton, stopping in his 
 perambulation, and squaring his shoulders still more, 
 " I find that you laugh at the first-lieutenant." 
 
 "I, sir?" replied the boy, the smirk expanding 
 into a broad grin. 
 
 " Yes ; you, sir," said the first-lieutenant, now 
 drawing up to his full height ; " why, you 're laughing 
 now, sir." 
 
 " I can't help it, sir — it 's not my fault ; and I 'm 
 sure it 's not yours, sir," added the boy, demurely. 
 
THE MIDSHIPMAN. 61 
 
 " Are you aware, Edward — Mr. Templemore, I 
 mean — of the impropriety of disrespect to your superior 
 officer?" 
 
 "I never laughed at Mr. Markitall but once, sir, 
 that I can recollect, and that was when he tumbled 
 over the messenger." 
 
 "And why did you laugh at him then, sir?" 
 
 " I always do laugh when any one tumbles down," 
 replied the lad; "I can't help it, sir." 
 
 " Then, sir, I suppose you would laugh if you saw 
 me rolling in the lee scuppers ? " said the captain. 
 
 " Oh ! " replied the boy, no longer able to contain 
 himself, " I 'm sure I should burst myself with laughing 
 — I think I see you now, sir." 
 
 " Do you, indeed ! I 'm very glad that you do not ; 
 though I 'm afraid, young gentleman, you stand con- 
 victed by your own confession." 
 
 "Yes, sir, for laughing, if that is any crime; but 
 it 's not in the articles of war." 
 
 " No, sir ; but disrespect is. You laugh when you 
 go to the mast-head." 
 
 "But I obey the order, sir, immediately — do I 
 not, Mr. Markitall?" 
 
 " Yes, sir, you obey the order ; but, at the same 
 time, your laughing proves that you do not mind 
 the punishment." 
 
62 THE MIDSHIPMAN. 
 
 " No more I do, sir. I spend half my life at the 
 mast-head, and I'm used to it now." 
 
 " But, Mr. Templemore, ought you not to feel 
 the disgrace of the punishment," inquired the captain, 
 severely. 
 
 " Yes sir, if I felt that I deserved it I should. I 
 should not laugh, sir, if you sent me to the mast-head," 
 replied the boy, assuming a serious countenance. 
 
 "You see, Mr. Markitall, that he can be grave," 
 observed the captain. 
 
 " I 've tried all I can to make him so, sir," replied 
 the first-lieutenant; "but I wish to ask Mr. Temple- 
 more what he means to imply by saying, ' when he 
 deserves it.' Does he mean to say that I have ever 
 punished him unjustly?" 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied the boy, boldly ; " five times 
 out of six, I am mast-headed for nothing — and that's 
 the reason why I do not mind it." 
 
 " For nothing, sir ! Do you call laughing nothing ? " 
 
 " I pay every attention that I can to my duty, sir ; I 
 always obey your orders ; I try all I can to make you 
 pleased with me — but you are always punishing me." 
 
 " Yes, sir, for laughing, and, what is worse, making 
 the ship's company laugh. 
 
 " They 6 haul and hold ' just the same, sir — I think 
 they work all the better for being merry." 
 
THE MIDSHIPMAN. 63 
 
 " And pray, sir, what business have you to think," 
 replied the first-lieutenant, now very angry. " Captain 
 Plumbton, as this young gentleman thinks proper to 
 interfere with me and the discipline of the ship, I beg 
 you will see what effect your punishing may have upon 
 him," 
 
 " Mr. Templemore," said the captain, " you are, in 
 the first place, too free in your speech, and, in the next 
 place, too fond of laughing. There is, Mr. Templemore, 
 a time for all things — a time to be merry, and a time to 
 be serious. The quarter-deck is not the fit place for 
 mirth." 
 
 " I 'm sure the gangway is not," shrewdly interrupted 
 the boy. 
 
 " No — you are right, nor the gangway ; but you 
 may laugh on the forecastle, and when below with 
 your messmates." 
 
 " No, sir, we may not ; Mr. Markitall always sends 
 out if he hears us laughing." 
 
 " Because, Mr. Templemore, you're always laughing." 
 
 " I believe I am, sir ; and if it 's wrong I 'm sorry to 
 displease you, but I mean no disrespect. I laugh in 
 my sleep — I laugh when I awake — I laugh when the 
 sun shines — I always feel so happy ; but although you 
 do mast-head me, Mr. Markitall, I should not laugh, 
 but be very sorry, if any misfortune happened to you." 
 
64 THE MIDSHIPMAN. 
 
 "I believe you would, boy — I do, indeed, Mr. 
 Markitall," said the captain. 
 
 " Well, sir," replied the first-lieutenant, " as Mr. 
 Templemore appears to be aware of his error, I do not 
 wish to press my complaint — I have only to request 
 that he will never laugh again." 
 
 " You hear, boy, what the first-lieutenant says ; 
 it's very reasonable, and I beg I may hear no more 
 complaints. Mr. Markitall, let me know when the 
 foot of that foretopsail will be repaired — I should like 
 to shift it to-night." 
 
 Mr. Markitall went down under the half-deck to 
 make the inquiry. 
 
 " And, Edward, said Captain Plumb ton, as soon 
 as the lieutenant was out of ear-shot, " I have a good 
 deal more to say to you upon this subject, but I have 
 no time now. So come and dine with me — at my 
 table, you know, I allow laughing in moderation." 
 
 The boy touched his hat, and with a grateful, 
 happy countenance, walked away. 
 
 "We have introduced this little scene, that the 
 reader may form some idea of the character of Edward 
 Templemore. He was indeed the soul of mirth, good- 
 humour, and kindly feelings towards others; he even 
 felt kindly towards the first-lieutenant, who persecuted 
 him for his risible propensities. We do not say that 
 
THE MIDSHIPMAN. 65 
 
 the boy was right in laughing at all times, or that the 
 first-lieutenant was wrong in attempting to check it. 
 As the captain said, there is a time for all things, and 
 Edward's laugh was not always seasonable ; but it 
 was his nature, and he could not help it. He was 
 joyous as the May morning; and thus he continued 
 for years, laughing at every thing — pleased with 
 every body — almost universally liked — and his bold, 
 free, and happy spirit, unchecked by vicissitude or 
 hardship. 
 
 He served his time — was nearly turned back, when 
 he was passing his examination, for laughing, and 
 then went laughing to sea again — was in command 
 of a boat at the cutting-out of a French corvette, and, 
 when on board, was so much amused by the little 
 French captain skipping about with his rapier, which 
 proved fatal to many, that, at last, he received a pink 
 from the little gentleman himself, which laid him on 
 the deck. For this affair, and in consideration of his 
 wound, he obtained his promotion to the rank of 
 lieutenant — was appointed to a line-of-battle ship in 
 the West Indies — laughed at the yellow-fever — was 
 appointed to the tender of that ship, a fine schooner, 
 and was sent to cruise for prize-money for the admiral, 
 and promotion for himself, if he could, by any fortunate 
 encounter, be so luckv as to obtain it. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SLE EPE R'S BAY. 
 
 On the western coast of Africa there is a small bay 
 which has received more than one name from its 
 occasional visitors. That by which it was designated 
 by the adventurous Portuguese, who first dared to 
 cleave the waves of the southern Atlantic, has been 
 forgotten with their lost maratime pre-eminence ; the 
 name allotted to it by the woolly-headed natives of 
 the coast has never, perhaps, been ascertained : it is, 
 however, marked down in some of the old English 
 charts as Sleeper's Bay. 
 
 The main-land which, by its curvature, has formed 
 this little dent on a coast possessing, and certainly at 
 present requiring, few harbours, displays, perhaps, the 
 least inviting of all prospects ; offering to the view 
 nothing but a shelving beach of dazzling white sand, 
 backed with a few small hummocks beat up by the 
 occasional fury of the Atlantic gales — arid, bare, and 
 without the slightest appearance of vegetable life. 
 The inland prospect is shrouded over by a dense 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 67 
 
 mirage, through which here and there are to be dis- 
 covered the stems of a few distant palm-trees, so broken 
 and disjoined by refraction that they present to the 
 imagination anything but the idea of foliage or shade. 
 The water in the bay is calm and smooth as the 
 polished mirror ; not the smallest ripple is to be heard 
 on the beach, to break through the silence of nature; 
 not a breath of air sweeps over its glassy surface, 
 which is heated with the intense rays of a vertical 
 noon-day sun, pouring down a withering flood of light 
 and heat; not a sea-bird is to be discovered wheeling 
 on its flight, or balancing on its wing as it pierces the 
 deep with its searching eye, ready to dart upon its 
 prey. All is silence, solitude, and desolation, save 
 that occasionally may be seen the fin of some huge 
 shark, either sluggishly moving through the heated 
 element, or stationary in the torpor of the mid-day 
 heat. A site so sterile, so stagnant, so little adapted 
 to human life, cannot well be conceived, unless, by 
 flying to extremes, we were to portray the chilling 
 blast, the transfixing cold, and "close-ribbed ice," 
 at the frozen poles. 
 
 At the entrance of this bay, in about three fathoms 
 water, heedless of the spring cable, which hung down 
 as a rope which had fallen overboard, there floated, 
 motionless as death, a vessel whose proportions would 
 
68 SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 have challenged the unanimous admiration of those 
 who could appreciate the merits of her build, had 
 she been anchored in the most frequented and busy 
 harbour of the universe. So beautiful were her lines, 
 that you might almost have imagined her a created 
 being that the ocean had been ordered to receive, 
 as if fashioned by the Divine Architect, to add to 
 the beauty and variety of his works; for, from the 
 huge leviathan to the smallest of the finny tribe — 
 from the towering albatross to the boding peteral of 
 the storm — where could be found, among the winged 
 or finned frequenters of the ocean, a form more appro- 
 priate, more fitting, than this specimen of human 
 skill, whose beautiful model and elegant tapering 
 spars were now all that could be discovered to break 
 the meeting lines of the firmament and horizon of 
 the offing. 
 
 Alas ! she was fashioned, at the will of avarice, 
 for the aid of cruelty and injustice; and now was 
 even more nefariously employed. She had been a 
 slaver — she was now the far-famed, still more dreaded, 
 pirate-schooner, the " Avenger." 
 
 Not a man-of-war which scoured the deep but had 
 her instructions relative to this vessel, which had been 
 so successful in her career of crime — not a trader in 
 any portion of the navigable globe but whose crew 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 69 
 
 shuddered at the mention of her name, and the remem- 
 brance of the atrocities which had been practised by 
 her reckless crew. She had been every where — in 
 the east, the west, the north, and the south, leaving 
 a track behind her of rapine and of murder. There 
 she lay, in motionless beauty; her low sides were 
 painted black, with one small, narrow riband of red — 
 her raking masts were clean scraped — her topmasts, 
 her cross-trees, caps, and even running-blocks, were 
 painted in pure white. Awnings were spread fore 
 and aft to protect the crew from the powerful rays of 
 the sun ; her ropes were hauled taut ; and in every 
 point she wore the appearance of being under the 
 control of seamanship and strict discipline. Through 
 the clear smooth water her copper shone brightly; 
 and, as you looked over her tanrail down into the 
 calm blue sea, you could plainly discover the sandy 
 bottom beneath her, and the anchor which then lay 
 under her counter. A small boat floated astern, the 
 weight of the rope which attached her appearing, in 
 the perfect calm, to draw her towards the schooner. 
 
 We must now go on board, and our first cause of 
 surprise will be the deception relative to the tonnage 
 of the schooner, when viewed from a distance. Instead 
 of a small vessel of about ninety tons, we discover 
 that she is upwards of two hundred ; that her breadth 
 
70 SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 of beam is enormous ; and that those spars which 
 appeared so light and elegant, are of unexpected 
 dimensions. Her decks are of narrow fir planks, 
 without the least spring or rise; her ropes are of 
 Manilla hemp, neatly secured to copper belaying- 
 pins, and coiled down on the deck, whose whiteness 
 is well contrasted with the bright green paint of her 
 bulwarks; her capstern and binnacles are cased in 
 fluted mahogany, and ornamented with brass ; metal 
 stanchions protect the skylights, and the bright muskets 
 are arranged in front of the mainmast, while the board- 
 ing-spikes are lashed round the mainboon. 
 
 In the centre of the vessel, between the fore and 
 mainmasts, there is a long brass 52-pounder, fixed 
 upon a carriage, revolving in a circle, and so arranged 
 that in bad weather it can be lowered down and housed ; 
 while on each side of her decks are mounted eight 
 brass guns, of smaller calibre and of exquisite work- 
 manship. Her build proves the skill of the architect ; 
 her fitting-out, a judgment in which naught has been 
 sacrificed to, although every thing has been directed 
 by, taste; and her neatness and arrangement, that, 
 in the person of her commander, to the strictest disci- 
 pline there is united the practical knowledge of a 
 thorough seaman. How, indeed, otherwise could she 
 have so long continued her lawless yet successful 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 71 
 
 career? How could it have been possible to unite 
 a crew of miscreants, who feared nor God nor man, 
 most of whom had perpetrated foul murders, or had 
 been guilty of even blacker iniquities ? It was because 
 he who commanded the vessel was so superior as to 
 find in her no rivalry. Superior in talent, in know- 
 ledge of his profession, in courage, and, moreover, in 
 physical strength — which in him was almost Herculean. 
 Unfortunately, he was also superior to all in villany, 
 in cruelty, and contempt of all injunctions, moral and 
 Divine. 
 
 What had been the early life of this person was 
 but imperfectly known. It was undoubted that he 
 had received an excellent education, and it was said 
 that he was of an ancient border family, on the banks 
 of the Tweed : by what chances he had become a 
 pirate — by what errors he had fallen from his station 
 in society, until he became an outcast, had never been 
 revealed; it was only known that he had been some 
 years employed in the slave-trade, previous to his 
 seizing this vessel and commencing his reckless career. 
 The name by which he was known to the crew of the 
 pirate-vessel was " Cain," and well had he chosen this 
 appellation ; for, had not his hand for more than three 
 years been against every man's, and every man's 
 hand against his? In person, he was about six feet 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 high, with a breadth of shoulders and of chest denoting 
 the utmost of physical force which, perhaps, has ever 
 been allotted to man. His features would have been 
 handsome, had they not been scarred with wounds; 
 and, strange to say, his eye was mild, and of a soft blue. 
 His mouth was well formed, and his teeth of a pearly 
 white : the hair of his head was crisped and wavy, and 
 his beard, which he wore, as did every person com- 
 posing the crew of the pirate, covered the lower part 
 of his face, in strong, waving, and continued curls. 
 The proportions of his body were perfect ; but, from 
 their vastness, they became almost terrific. His cos- 
 tume was elegant, and well adapted to his form : linen 
 trousers, and untanned yellow leather boots, such as 
 are made at the Western Isles; a broad-striped cotton 
 shirt ; a red Cashmere shawl round his waist as a 
 sash ; a vest embroidered in gold tissue, with a jacket 
 of dark velvet, and pendant gold buttons, hanging 
 over his left shoulder, after the fashion of the Mediter- 
 ranean seamen ; a round Turkish skull-cap, handsomely 
 embroidered ; a pair of pistols, and a long knife in his 
 sash, completed his attire. 
 
 The crew consisted in all of 165 men, of almost 
 every nation; but it was to be remarked, that all 
 those in authority were either Englishmen or from the 
 northern countries : the others were chiefly Spaniards 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 73 
 
 and Maltese. Still there were Portuguese, Brazilians, 
 negroes, and others, who made up the complement, 
 which, at the time we now speak, was increased by 
 twenty-five additional hands. These were Kroumen, 
 a race of blacks well known at present, who inhabit 
 the coast near Cape Palmas, and are often employed 
 by our men-of-war stationed on the coast, to relieve 
 the English seamen from duties which would be too 
 severe to those who were not inured to the climate. 
 They are powerful, athletic men, good sailors, of a 
 happy, merry disposition, and, unlike other Africans, 
 will work hard. Fond of the English, they generally 
 speak the language sufficiently to be understood, and 
 are very glad to receive a baptism when they come 
 on board. The name first given them they usually 
 adhere to as long as they live ; and you will now on 
 the coast meet with a Blucher, a Wellington, a Nelson, 
 &c, who will wring swabs, or do any other of the 
 meanest description of work, without feeling that it 
 is discreditable to sponsorials so grand. 
 
 It is not to be supposed that these men had volun- 
 tarily come on board of the pirate; they had been 
 employed in some British vessels, trading on the coast, 
 and had been taken out of them when the vessels 
 were burnt, and the Europeans of the crews murdered. 
 They had received a promise of reward, if they did 
 
74 SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 their duty; but, not expecting it, they waited for the 
 earliest opportunity to make their escape. 
 
 The captain of the schooner is abaft, with his glass 
 in his hand, occasionally sweeping the offing in ex- 
 pectation of a vessel heaving in sight; the officers 
 and crew are lying down, or lounging listlessly about 
 the decks, panting with the extreme heat, and impa- 
 tiently waiting for the sea-breeze to fan their parched 
 foreheads. With their rough beards and exposed chests, 
 and their weather-beaten, fierce countenances, they 
 form a group which is terrible even in repose. 
 
 We must now descend into the cabin of the 
 schooner. The fittings-up of this apartment are 
 simple : on each side is a standing bed-place ; against 
 the after bulk-head is a large buffet, originally intended 
 for glass and china, but now loaded with silver and 
 gold vessels of every size and description, collected 
 by the pirate from the different ships which he had 
 plundered ; the lamps are also of silver, and evidently 
 had been intended to ornament the shrine of some 
 Catholic saint. 
 
 In this cabin there are two individuals to whom we 
 shall now direct the reader's attention. The one is 
 a pleasant-countenanced, good-humoured Krouman, 
 who had been christened " Pompey the Great ; " most 
 probably on account of his large proportions. He 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 75 
 
 wears a pair of duck trousers ; the rest of his body is 
 naked, and presents a sleek, glossy skin, covering 
 muscles which an anatomist or a sculptor would have 
 viewed with admiration. The other is a youth of 
 eighteen, or thereabouts, with an intelligent, handsome 
 countenance, evidently of European blood. There 
 is, however, an habitually mournful cast upon his 
 features: he is dressed much in the same way as 
 we have described the captain, but the costume hangs 
 more gracefully upon his slender, yet well-formed 
 limbs. He is seated on a sofa, fixed in the fore 
 part of the cabin, with a book in his hand, which 
 occasionally he refers to, and then lifts his eyes from, 
 to watch the motions of the Krouman, who is busy 
 in the office of steward, arranging and cleaning the 
 costly articles in the buffet. 
 
 " Massa Francisco, dis really fine ting ; " said 
 Pompey, holding up a splendidly embossed tankard, 
 which he had been rubbing. 
 
 " Yes," replied Francisco, gravely ; " it is, indeed, 
 Pompey.'' 
 
 "How Captain Cain came by dis?" 
 
 Francisco shook his head ; and Pompey put his 
 finger up to his mouth, his eyes, full of meaning, 
 fixed upon Francisco. 
 
 At this moment the personage referred to was heard 
 
76 SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 descending the companion-ladder. Pompey recom- 
 menced rubbing the silver, and Francisco dropped 
 his eyes upon the book. 
 
 What was the tie which appeared to bind the 
 captain to this lad was not known ; but, as the latter 
 had always accompanied, and lived altogether with 
 him, it was generally supposed that he was the captain's 
 son; and he was as often designated by the crew as 
 young Cain, as he was by his Christian name of 
 Francisco. Still it was observed, that latterly they 
 had frequently been heard in altercation, and that the 
 captain was very suspicious of Francisco's movements. 
 
 "I beg I may not interrupt your conversation," 
 said Cain, on entering the cabin ; " the information 
 you may obtain from a Krouman must be very im- 
 portant." 
 
 Francisco made no reply, but appeared to be reading 
 his book. Cain's eyes passed from one to the other, 
 as if to read their thoughts. 
 
 " Pray what were you saying, Mr. Pompey ? " 
 
 " Me say, Massa captain ? me only tell young 
 massa dis very fine ting; ask where you get him — 
 Massa Francisco no tell." 
 
 " And what might it be to you, you black scoun- 
 drel?" cried the captain, seizing the goblet, and 
 striking the man with it a blow on the head which 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 77 
 
 flattened the vessel, and at the same time felled the 
 Krouman, powerful as he was, to the deck. The 
 blood streamed, as the man slowly rose, stupified and 
 trembling from the violent concussion. Without saying 
 a word, he staggered out of the cabin, and Cain threw 
 himself on one of the lockers in front of the standing 
 bed-place, saying, with a bitter smile, " So much for 
 your intimates, Francisco ! " 
 
 " Rather, so much for your cruelty and injustice 
 towards an unoffending man," replied Francisco, laying 
 his book on the table. " His question was an innocent 
 one — for he knew not the particulars connected with 
 the obtaining of that flagon." 
 
 " And you, I presume, do not forget them ? Well, 
 be it so, young man ; but I warn you again — as I have 
 warned you often — nothing but the remembrance of 
 your mother has prevented me, long before this, from 
 throwing your body to the sharks." 
 
 "What influence my mother's memory may have 
 over you I know not ; I only regret that, in any way, 
 she had the misfortune to be connected with you." 
 
 " She had the influence," replied Cain, " which 
 a woman must have over a man when they have for 
 years swung in the same cot ; but that is wearing off 
 fast. I tell you so candidly: I will not allow even 
 her memory to check me, if I find you continue your 
 
78 SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 late course. You have shewn disaffection before the 
 crew — you have disputed my orders — and I have 
 every reason to believe that you are now plotting 
 against me." 
 
 " Can I do otherwise than shew my abhorrence," 
 replied Francisco, " when I witness such acts of horror, 
 of cruelty — cold-blooded cruelty, as lately have been 
 perpetrated? Why did you bring me here? and why 
 do you now detain me? All I ask is, that you will 
 allow me to leave the vessel. You are not my father ; 
 you have told me so." 
 
 "No, I am not your father; but — you are your 
 mother's son." 
 
 " That gives you no right to have power over 
 me, even if you had been married to my mother; 
 which " 
 
 " I was not." 
 
 " I thank God ; for marriage with you would have 
 been even greater disgrace." 
 
 "What!" cried Cain, starting up, seizing the young 
 man by the neck, and lifting him off his seat as if he 
 had been a puppet; "but no — I cannot forget your 
 mother." Cain released Francisco, and resumed his 
 seat on the locker. 
 
 " As you please," said Francisco, as soon as he 
 had recovered himself; " it matters little whether I 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 79 
 
 am brained by your own hand, or launched overboard 
 as a meal for the sharks ; it will be but one more 
 murder." 
 
 " Mad fool ! why do you tempt me thus ? " replied 
 Cain, again starting up and hastily quitting the cabin. 
 
 The altercation which we have just described was 
 not unheard on deck, as the doors of the cabin were 
 open, and the sky-light removed to admit the air. 
 The face of Cain was flushed as he ascended the 
 ladder. He perceived his chief mate standing by the 
 hatchway, and many of the men, who had been slum- 
 bering abaft, with their heads raised on their elbows, 
 as if they had been listening to the conversation 
 below. 
 
 " It will never do, sir," said Hawkhurst, the mate, 
 shaking his head. 
 
 " No," replied the Captain ; " not if he were my 
 own son. But what is to be done ? — he knows no 
 fear." 
 
 Hawkhurst pointed to the entering-port. 
 
 " When I ask your advice, you may give it," said 
 the captain, turning gloomily away. 
 
 In the mean time Francisco paced the cabin in deep 
 thought. Young as he was, he was indifferent to 
 death; for he had no tie to render life precious. He 
 remembered his mother, but not her demise ; that had 
 
80 SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 been concealed from him. At the age of seven he 
 had sailed with Cain in a slaver, and had ever since 
 continued with him. Until lately, he had been led 
 to suppose that the captain was his father. During 
 the years that he had been in the slave-trade, Cain 
 had devoted much time to his education : it so 
 happened that the only book which could be found 
 on board of the vessel, when Cain first commenced 
 teaching, was a Bible belonging to Francisco's mother. 
 Out of this book he learned to read ; and, as his 
 education advanced, other books were procured. It 
 may appear strange that the very traffic in which his 
 reputed father was engaged did not corrupt the boy's 
 mind; but, accustomed to it from his infancy, he 
 had considered these negroes as another species, — an 
 idea fully warranted by the cruelty of the Europeans 
 towards them. 
 
 There are some dispositions so naturally kind and 
 ingenuous that even example and evil contact cannot 
 debase them : such was the disposition of Francisco. 
 As he gained in years and knowledge, he thought 
 more and more for himself, and had already become 
 disgusted with the cruelties practised upon the unfor- 
 tunate negroes, when the slave-vessel was seized upon 
 by Cain and converted into a pirate. At first, the 
 enormities committed had not been so great; vessels 
 
SLEEPER'S BAY. 81 
 
 had been seized and plundered, but life had been 
 spared. In the course of crime, however, the descent 
 is rapid: and as, from information given by those 
 who had been released, the schooner was more than 
 once in danger of being captured, latterly no lives 
 had been spared : and but too often the murders had 
 been attended with deeds even more atrocious. 
 
 Francisco had witnessed scenes of horror until his 
 young blood curdled: he had expostulated to save, 
 but in vain. Disgusted with the captain and the 
 crew, and their deeds of cruelty, he had latterly ex- 
 pressed his opinions fearlessly, and defied the captain ; 
 for, in the heat of an altercation, Cain had acknow- 
 ledged that Francisco was not his son. 
 
 Had any of the crew or officers expressed but a 
 tithe of what had fallen from the bold lips of Francisco, 
 they would have long before paid the forfeit of their 
 temerity; but there was a feeling towards Francisco 
 which could not be stifled in the breast of Cain — it 
 was the feeling of association and habit. The boy 
 had been his companion for years ; and, from assue- 
 tude, had become, as it were, a part of himself. There 
 is a principle in our natures which, even when that 
 nature is most debased, will never leave us — that of 
 requiring something to love — something to protect and 
 watch over : it is shewn towards a dog, or any other 
 
82 SLEEPER'S BAY. 
 
 animal, if it cannot be lavished upon one of our own 
 species. Such was the feeling which so forcibly held 
 Cain towards Francisco ; such was the feeling which 
 had hitherto saved his life. 
 
 After having paced up and down for some time, 
 the youth took his seat on the locker which the 
 captain had quitted : his eye soon caught the head 
 of Pompey, who looked into the cabin and beckoned 
 with his finger. 
 
 Francisco rose, and, taking up a flagon from the 
 buffet which contained some spirits, walked to the door, 
 and, without saying a word, handed it to the Krouman. 
 
 " Massa Francisco," whispered Pompey, " Pompey 
 say — all Krouman say— suppose they run away, you 
 go too. Pompey say — all Krouman say— suppose 
 they try kill you ! Nebber kill you while one Krou- 
 man alive." 
 
 The negro then gently pushed Francisco back with 
 his hand, as if not wishing to hear his answer, and 
 hastened forward on the berth deck. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE ATTACK. 
 
 In the mean time the sea-breeze had risen in the 
 offing, and was sweeping along the surface to where 
 the schooner was at anchor. The captain ordered a 
 man to the cross-trees, directing him to keep a good 
 look-out, while he walked the deck in company with 
 his first mate. 
 
 " She may not have sailed until a day or two later," 
 said the captain, continuing the conversation ; " I 
 have made allowance for that, and depend upon it, 
 as she makes the eastern passage we must soon fall 
 in with her; if she does not heave in sight this 
 evening by daylight, I shall stretch out in the offing: 
 I know the Portuguese well. The sea-breeze has 
 caught our craft; let them run up the inner jib, and 
 see that she does not foul her anchor." 
 
 It was now late in the. afternoon, and dinner had 
 been sent into the cabin; the captain descended and 
 took his seat at the table with Francisco, who ate in 
 silence. Once or twice the captain, whose wrath had 
 
84 THE ATTACK. 
 
 subsided, and whose kindly feelings towards Francisco, 
 checked for a time, had returned with greater force, 
 tried, but in vain, to rally him into conversation, 
 when "sail ho!" was shouted from the mast-head. 
 
 " There she is, by G — d ! " cried the captain, jump- 
 ing from, and then, as if checking himself, immediately 
 resuming his seat. 
 
 Francisco put his hand to his forehead, covering 
 his eyes as his elbow leant upon the table. 
 
 (f A large ship, sir ; we can see down to the second 
 reef of her topsails," said Hawkhurst, looking down 
 the sky-light. 
 
 The captain hastily swallowed some wine from a 
 flagon, cast a look of scorn and anger upon Francisco, 
 and rushed on deck. 
 
 " Be smart, lads ! " cried the captain, after a few 
 seconds' survey of the vessel through his glass ; " that 's 
 her : furl the awnings, and run the anchor up to the 
 bows : there 's more silver in that vessel, my lads, 
 than your chests will hold ; and the good saints of 
 the churches at Goa will have to wait a little longer 
 for their gold candlesticks." 
 
 The crew were immediately on the alert ; the 
 awnings were furled, and all the men, stretching aft 
 the spring cable, walked the anchor up to the bows. 
 In two minutes more the Avenger was standing out 
 
THE ATTACK. 85 
 
 on the starboard tack, shaping her course so as to cut 
 off the ill-fated vessel. The breeze freshened, and 
 the schooner darted through the smooth water with 
 the impetuosity of a dolphin after its prey. In an hour 
 the hull of the ship was plainly to be distinguished; 
 but the sun was near to the horizon, and before they 
 could ascertain what her force might be, daylight had 
 disappeared. Whether the schooner had been per- 
 ceived or not it was impossible to say; at all events, 
 the course of the ship had not been altered, and if she 
 had seen the schooner, she evidently treated her with 
 contempt. On board the Avenger they were not idle ; 
 the long gun in the centre had been cleared from the 
 incumbrances which surrounded it, the other guns had 
 been cast loose, shot handed up, and every thing pre- 
 pared for action, with all the energy and discipline of 
 a man-of-war. The chase had not been lost sight of, 
 and the eyes of the pirate-captain were fixed upon her 
 through a night-glass. In about an hour more the 
 schooner was within a mile of the ship, and now 
 altered her course so as to range up within a cable's 
 length of her to leeward. Cain stood upon the gun- 
 wale and hailed. The answer was in Portuguese. 
 
 " Heave to, or I '11 sink you ! " replied he in the 
 same language. 
 
 A general discharge from a broadside of carronades, 
 
86 THE ATTACK. 
 
 and a heavy volley of muskets from the Portuguese, 
 was the decided answer ; the broadside, too much 
 elevated to hit the low hull of the schooner, was still 
 not without eftect — the fore top-mast fell, the jaws of 
 the main-gaff were severed, and a large proportion of 
 the standing, as well as the running-rigging, came 
 rattling down on her decks. The volley of musketry 
 was more fatal : thirteen of the pirates were wounded, 
 some of them severely. 
 
 " Well done ! John Portuguese," cried Hawkhurst ; 
 "by the holy poker! I never gave you credit for so 
 much pluck." 
 
 " Which they shall dearly pay for," was the cool 
 reply of Cain, as he still remained in his exposed 
 situation. 
 
 " Blood for blood ! if I drink it," observed the second 
 mate, as he looked at the crimson rivulet trickling 
 down the fingers of his left hand from a wound in his 
 arm — "just tie my handkerchief round this, Bill. 
 
 In the interim, Cain had desired his crew to elevate 
 their guns, and the broadside was returned. 
 
 " That will do, my lads : starboard ; ease off the 
 boom-sheet; let her go right round, Hawkhurst, — 
 we cannot afford to lose our men." 
 
 The schooner wore round, and ran astern of her 
 opponent. 
 
THE ATTACK; 87 
 
 The Portuguese on board the ship, imagining that 
 the schooner, finding she had met with unexpected 
 resistance, had sheered off, gave a loud cheer. 
 
 " The last you will ever give, my fine fellows ! " 
 observed Cain, with a sneer. 
 
 In a few moments the schooner had run a mile 
 astern of the ship. 
 
 " Now, then, Hawkhurst, let her come to and about ; 
 man the long gun, and see that every shot is pitched 
 into her, while the rest of them get up a new foretop- 
 mast, and knot and splice the rigging." 
 
 The schooner's head was again turned towards the 
 ship ; her position was right astern, about a mile 
 distant, or rather more; the long 32-pounder gun 
 a-mid-ships was now regularly served, every shot 
 passing through the cabin-windows, or some other 
 part of the ship's stern, raking her fore and aft. In 
 vain did the ship alter her course, and present her 
 broadside to the schooner ; the latter was immediately 
 checked in her speed, so as to keep the prescribed 
 distance at which the carronades of the ship were 
 useless, and the execution from the long gun decisive. 
 The ship was at the mercy of the pirate ; and, as may 
 be expected, no mercy was shewn. For three hours 
 did this murderous attack continue, when the gun, 
 which, as before observed, was of brass, became so 
 
88 THE ATTACK. 
 
 heated that the pirate-captain desired his men to dis- 
 continue. Whether the ship had surrendered or not 
 it was impossible to say, as it was too dark to distin- 
 guish : while the long gun was served, the foretop-mast 
 and main-gaff had been shifted, and all the standing 
 and running-rigging made good ; the schooner keeping 
 her distance, and following in the wake of the ship 
 until daylight. 
 
 We must now repair on board of the ship : she was 
 an Indiaman ; one of the very few that occasionally are 
 sent out by the Portuguese government to a country 
 which once owned their undivided sway, but in which, 
 at present, they hold but a few miles of territory. She 
 was bound to Goa, and had on board a small detach- 
 ment of troops, a new governor and his two sons, a 
 bishop and his niece, with her attendant. The sailing 
 of a vessel with such a freight was a circumstance of 
 rare occurrence ; and was, of course, generally bruited 
 about long before her departure. Cain had, for some 
 months, received all the necessary intelligence relative 
 to her cargo and destination; but, as usual with the 
 Portuguese of the present day, delay upon delay had 
 followed, and it was not until about three weeks 
 previous that he had been assured of her immediate 
 departure. He then ran down the coast to the bay 
 we have mentioned that he might intercept her ; and, 
 
THE ATTACK. 89 
 
 as the event has proved, shewed his usual judgment 
 and decision. The fire of the schooner had been 
 most destructive : many of the Indiaman's crew, as 
 well as of the troops, had been mowed down one 
 after another; until, at last, finding that all their 
 efforts to defend themselves were useless, most of those 
 who were still unhurt had consulted their safety, and 
 hastened down to the lowest recesses of the hold to 
 avoid the raking and destructive shot. At the time 
 that the schooner had discontinued her fire to allow 
 the " gun to cool, there was no one on deck but the 
 Portuguese captain and one old weather-beaten seaman 
 who stood at the helm. Below, in the orlop-deck, 
 the remainder of the crew and the passengers were 
 huddled together in a small space : some were attend- 
 ing to the wounded, who were numerous ; others were 
 invoking the saints to their assistance; the bishop, a 
 tall, dignified person, apparently nearly sixty years of 
 age, was kneeling in the centre of the group, which 
 was dimly lighted by two or three lanterns, at one 
 time in fervent prayer, at another, interrupted, that he 
 might give absolution to those wounded men whose 
 spirits were departing, and who were brought down 
 and laid before him by their comrades. On one side 
 of him knelt his orphan niece, a young girl of about 
 seventeen years of age, watching his countenance as 
 
90 THE ATTACK. 
 
 he prayed, or bending down with a look of pity and 
 tearful eyes on her expiring countrymen, whose last 
 moments were gladdened by his holy offices. On the 
 other side of the bishop stood the governor, Don Philip 
 de Ribiera, and his two sons, youths in their prime, 
 and holding commissions in the king's service. There 
 was melancholy on the brow of Don Ribiera; he was 
 prepared for, and he anticipated the worst. The eldest 
 son had his eyes fixed upon the sweet countenance of 
 Teresa de Silva — that very evening, as they walked 
 together on the deck, had they exchanged their vows — 
 that very evening they had luxuriated in the present, 
 and had dwelt with delightful anticipation on the future. 
 But we must leave them and return on deck. 
 
 The captain of the Portuguese ship had walked aft, 
 and now went up to Antonio, the old seaman, who 
 was standing at the wheel. 
 
 "I still see her with the glass, Antonio, and yet 
 she has not fired for nearly two hours; do you think 
 any accident has happened to her long gun? if so, 
 we may have some chance." 
 
 Antonio shook his head. " We have but little 
 chance, I am afraid, my captain ; I knew by the ring 
 of the gun, when she first fired it, that it was brass; 
 indeed, no schooner could carry a long iron gun of 
 that calibre. Depend upon it, she only waits for the 
 
THE ATTACK. 91 
 
 metal to cool and daylight to return: a long gun or 
 two might have saved us, but now, as she has the 
 advantage of us in heels, we are at her mercy." 
 "What can she be — a French privateer?" 
 "I trust it may be so; and I have promised a 
 silver candlestick to St. Antonio that it may prove 
 no worse : we then may have some chance of seeing 
 our homes again ; but I fear not." 
 
 " What, then, do you imagine her to be, Antonio ? " 
 " The pirate which we have heard so much of." 
 " Jesu protect us ! we must then sell our lives as 
 dearly as we can." 
 
 " So I intend to do, my captain," replied Antonio, 
 shifting the helm a spoke. 
 
 The day broke, and shewed the schooner continuing 
 her pursuit at the same distance astern, without any 
 apparent movement on board. It was not until the sun 
 was some degrees above the horizon that the smoke 
 was again seen to envelope her bows, and the shot 
 crashed through the timbers of the Portuguese ship. 
 The reason for this delay was, that the pirate waited 
 till the sun was up to ascertain if there were any 
 other vessels to be seen, previous to his pouncing 
 on his quarry. The Portuguese captain went aft and 
 hoisted his ensign, but no flag was shewn by the 
 schooner. Again whistled the ball, and again did it 
 
92 THE ATTACK. 
 
 tear up the decks of the unfortunate ship : many 
 of those who had reascended to ascertain what was 
 going on, now hastily sought their former retreat. 
 
 " Mind the helm, Antonio," said the Portuguese 
 captain ; " I must go down and consult with the 
 governor." 
 
 " Never fear, my captain ; as long as these limbs 
 hold together I will do my duty," replied the old man, 
 exhausted as he was by long watching and fatigue. 
 
 The captain descended to the orlop-deck, where he 
 found the major part of the crew and passengers 
 assembled. 
 
 " My lords," said he, addressing the governor and 
 bishop, " the schooner has not shewn any colours, 
 although our own are hoisted. I am come down to 
 know your pleasure. Defence we can make none ; 
 and I fear that we are at the mercy of a pirate." 
 
 "A pirate!" ejaculated several, beating their breasts 
 and calling upon their saints. 
 
 " Silence, my good people, silence," quietly observed 
 the bishop ; " as to what it may be best to do," con- 
 tinued he, turning to the captain, " I cannot advise ; I 
 am a man of peace, and unfit to hold a place in a 
 council of war. Don Bibiera, I must refer the point 
 to you and your sons. Tremble not, my dear Teresa; 
 are we not under the protection of the Almighty?" 
 
THE ATTACK. 93 
 
 " Holy Virgin, pity us ! " exclaimed Teresa. 
 
 "Come, my sons," said Don Ribiera, "we will go 
 on deck and consult : let not any of the men follow us ; 
 it is useless risking lives which may yet be valuable." 
 
 Don Ribiera and his sons followed the captain to 
 the quarter-deck, and with him and Antonio they held 
 a consultation. 
 
 " We have but one chance," observed the old man, 
 after a time : " let us haul down our colours as if in 
 submission ; they will then range up alongside, and 
 either board us from the schooner, or from their boats ; 
 at all events, we shall find out what she is, and, if a 
 pirate, we must sell our lives as dearly as we can. If, 
 when we haul down the colours, she ranges up along- 
 side, as I expect she will, let all the men be prepared 
 for a desperate struggle." 
 
 " You are right, Antonio," replied the governor ; 
 " go aft; captain, and haul down the colours ; — let us 
 see what she does now. Down, my boys ! and pre- 
 pare the men to do their duty." 
 
 As Antonio had predicted, so soon as the colours 
 were hauled down, the schooner ceased firing and 
 made sail. She ranged up on the quarter of the ship, 
 and up to her main peak soared the terrific black flag ; 
 her broadside was poured into the Indiaman, and 
 before the smoke had cleared away there was a con- 
 
94 THE ATTACK. 
 
 cussion from the meeting sides, and the bearded pirates 
 poured upon her decks. 
 
 The crew of the Portuguese, with the detachment of 
 troops, still formed a considerable body of men. The 
 sight of the black flag had struck ice into every heart, 
 but the feeling was resolved into one of desperation. 
 
 "Knives, men! knives!" roared Antonio, rushing 
 on to the attack, followed by the most brave. 
 
 " Blood for blood ! " cried the second mate, aiming 
 a blow at the old man. 
 
 " You have it," replied Antonio, as his knife entered 
 the pirate's heart, while, at the same moment, he fell 
 and was himself a corpse. 
 
 The struggle was deadly, but the numbers and 
 ferocity of the pirates prevailed. Cain rushed forward 
 followed by Hawkhurst, bearing down all who opposed 
 them. With one blow from the pirate-captain the 
 head of Don Ribiera was severed to the shoulder ; 
 a second struck down the eldest son, while the sword 
 of Hawkhurst passed through the body of the other. 
 The Portuguese captain had already fallen, and the 
 men no longer stood their ground. A general massacre 
 ensued, and the bodies were thrown overboard as fast 
 as the men were slaughtered. In less than five minutes 
 there was not a living Portuguese on the bloody decks 
 of the ill-fated ship. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 " Pass the word for not* 1 a man to go below, Hawk- 
 hurst !" said the pirate-captain. 
 
 " I have, sir ; and sentries are stationed at the 
 hatchways. Shall we haul the schooner off?" 
 
 " No, let her remain ; the breeze is faint already : 
 we shall have a calm in half an hour. Have we lost 
 many men ? " 
 
 " Only seven, that I can reckon ; but we have lost 
 Wallace" (the second mate). 
 
 " A little promotion will do no harm," replied Cain ; 
 "take a dozen -of our best men and search the ship, 
 there are others alive yet. By the by, send a watch 
 on board of the schooner ; she is left to the mercy 
 of the Kroumen, and " 
 
 " One who is better out of her," replied Hawkhurst. 
 " And those we find below " continued the mate. 
 
 "Alive!" 
 
 " True ; we may else be puzzled where to find that 
 portion of her cargo which suits us," said Hawkhurst, 
 
96 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 going down the hatchway to collect the men who were 
 plundering on the main deck and in the captain's 
 cabin. 
 
 " Here, you Maltese ! up, there ! and look well 
 round if there is any thing in sight/' said the captain, 
 walking aft. 
 
 Before Hawkhurst had collected the men and ordered 
 them on board of the schooner, as usual in those 
 latitudes, it had fallen a perfect calm. 
 
 Where was Francisco during this scene of blood? 
 He had remained in the cabin of the schooner. Cain 
 had more than once gone down to him, to persuade 
 him to come on deck and assist at the boarding of 
 the Portuguese, but in vain — his sole reply to the 
 threats and solicitations of the pirate was, — 
 
 " Do with me as you please — I have made up my 
 mind — you know I do not fear death — so long as I 
 remain on board of this vessel I will take no part in 
 your atrocities. If you do respect my mother's memory, 
 suffer her son to seek an honest and honourable 
 livelihood." 
 
 These words of Francisco were ringing in the ears 
 of Cain as he walked up and down on the quarter- 
 deck of the Portuguese vessel, and, debased as he was, 
 he could not help feeling that the youth was his equal 
 in animal, and his superior in mental courage — he was 
 
THE CAPTURE. i)7 
 
 arguing in his own mind upon the course he should 
 pursue with respect to Francisco, when Hawkhurst 
 made his appearance on deck, followed by his men, 
 who dragged up six individuals who had escaped the 
 massacre. These were the bishop ; his niece ; a Portu- 
 guese girl, her attendant ; the supercargo of the vessel ; 
 a sacristan ; and a servant of the ecclesiastic : they were 
 hauled along the deck and placed in a row before the 
 captain, who cast his eyes upon them in severe scrutiny. 
 The bishop and his niece looked round, the one proudly 
 meeting the eye of Cain, although he felt that his hour 
 was come ; the other, carefully avoiding his gaze, and 
 glancing round to ascertain whether there were any 
 other prisoners, and, if so, if her betrothed was amongst 
 them ; but her eye discovered not what she sought — 
 it was met only by the bearded faces of the pirate-crew, 
 and the blood which bespattered the deck. 
 
 She covered her face with her hands. 
 
 " Bring that man forward," said Cain, pointing to 
 the servant. " Who are you. ? " 
 
 " A servant of my lord the bishop." 
 
 " And you ? " continued the captain. 
 
 " A poor sacristan attending upon my lord the 
 bishop." 
 
 "And you?" cried he to the third. 
 
 " The supercargo of this vessel." 
 
98 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 "Put him aside, Hawkhurst!" 
 
 "Do you want the others?" inquired Hawkhurst, 
 significantly. 
 
 " No." 
 
 Hawkhurst gave a signal to some of the pirates, 
 who led away the sacristan and the servant. A stifled 
 shriek and a heavy plunge in the water were heard 
 a few seconds after. During this time, the pirate had 
 been questioning the supercargo as to the contents of 
 the vessel, and her stowage, when he was suddenly 
 interrupted by one of the pirates, who, in a hurried 
 voice, stated that the ship had received several shot 
 between wind and water, and was sinking fast. Cain, 
 who was standing on the slide of the carronade with 
 his sword in his hand, raised his arm and struck the 
 pirate a blow on his head with the hilt, which, whether 
 intended or not, fractured his skull, and the man fell 
 upon the deck. 
 
 " Take that, babbler ! for your intelligence ; if these 
 men are obstinate, we may have worked for nothing." 
 
 The crew, who felt the truth of their captain's 
 remark, did not appear to object to the punishment 
 inflicted, and the body of the man was dragged away. 
 
 " What mercy can we expect from those who shew 
 no mercy even to each other?" observed the bishop, 
 lifting up his eyes to heaven. 
 
THE CAPTURE. 99 
 
 " Silence ! " cried Cain ; who now interrogated the 
 supercargo as to the contents of the hold — the poor 
 man answered as well as he could — " the plate ! the 
 money for the troops — were are they?" 
 
 " The money for the troops is in the spirit-room, 
 but of the plate I know nothing ; it is in some of the 
 cases belonging to my lord the bishop." 
 
 " Hawkhurst ! down at once into the spirit-room 
 and see to the money ; in the mean time I will ask 
 a few questions of this reverend father." 
 
 " And the supercargo — do you want him any more ?" 
 
 " No ; he may go." 
 
 The poor man fell down on his knees in thankfulness 
 at what he considered his escape : he was dragged 
 away by the pirates, and, it is scarcely necessary to 
 add, that in a minute his body was torn to pieces by 
 the sharks, who, scenting their prey from a distance, 
 were now playing in shoals around the two vessels. 
 
 The party on the quarter-deck, were now (unper- 
 ceived by the captain) joined by Francisco, who, 
 hearing from the Krouman, Pompey, that there were 
 prisoners still on board, and amongst them two females, 
 had come over to plead the cause of mercy. 
 
 " Most reverend father," observed Cain, after a 
 short pause; "you have many articles of value in 
 this vessel?" 
 
100 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 " None," replied the bishop, " except this poor 
 girl; she is, indeed, beyond price, and will, I trust, 
 be soon an angel in heaven." 
 
 "Yet is this world, if what you preach be true, a 
 purgatory which must be passed through previous to 
 arriving there, and that girl may think death a blessing 
 compared to what she may expect if you refuse to tell 
 me what I would know. You have good store of 
 gold and silver ornaments for your churches — where 
 are they?" 
 
 " They are among the packages intrusted to my 
 care." 
 
 " How many may you have in all ? " 
 
 " A hundred, if not more." 
 
 " Will you deign to inform me where I may find 
 what I require?" 
 
 "The gold and silver are not mine, but are the 
 property of that God to whom they have been dedi- 
 cated," replied the bishop. 
 
 "Answer quickly; no more subterfuge, good sir. 
 Where is it to be found?" 
 
 " I will not tell, thou blood-stained man ; at least, 
 in this instance, there shall be disappointment, and 
 the sea shall swallow up those earthly treasures to 
 obtain which thou hast so deeply imbrued thy hands. 
 Pirate ! I repeat it, I will not tell." 
 
THE CAPTURE. 101 
 
 "Seize that girl, my lads!" cried Cain; "she is 
 yours, do with her as you please." 
 
 " Save me ! oh, save me ! " shreiked Teresa, clinging 
 to the bishop's robe. 
 
 The pirates advanced and laid hold of Teresa. 
 Francisco bounded from where he stood behind the 
 captain, and dashed away the foremost. 
 
 " Are you men ? " cried he, as the pirates retreated. 
 " Holy sir, I honour you. Alas ! I cannot save you," 
 continued Francisco, mournfully. " Yet will I try. 
 On my knees — by the love you bore my mother — by 
 the affection you once bore me — do not commit this 
 horrid deed. My lads !" continued Francisco, appeal- 
 ing to the pirates, "join with me and entreat your 
 captain; ye are too brave, too manly, to injure the 
 helpless and the innocent — above all to shed the blood 
 of a holy man, and of this poor trembling maiden." 
 
 There was a pause — even the pirates appeared to 
 side with Francisco, though none of them dared to 
 speak. The muscles of the captain's face quivered 
 with emotion, but from what source could not be 
 ascertained. 
 
 At this moment the interest of the scene was height- 
 ened. The girl who attended upon Teresa, crouched 
 on her knees with terror, had been casting her fearful 
 eyes upon the men which composed the pirate-crew ; 
 
102 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 suddenly she uttered a scream of delight as she dis- 
 covered among them one that she well knew. He was 
 a young man, about twenty-five years of age, with little 
 or no beard. He had been her lover in his more 
 innocent days ; and she, for more than a year, had 
 mourned him as dead, for the vessel in which he sailed 
 had never been heard of. It had been^ taken by the 
 pirate, and, to save his life, he had joined the crew. 
 
 " Filippo ! Filippo ! " screamed the girl, rushing into 
 his arms. " Mistress ! it is Filippo ; and we are safe." 
 
 Filippo instantly recognized her : the sight of her 
 brought back to his memory his days of happiness 
 and of innocence ; and the lovers were clasped in 
 each other's arms. 
 
 " Save them ! spare them ! — by the spirit of my 
 mother ! I charge you," repeated Francisco, again 
 appealing to the captain. 
 
 " May God bless thee, thou good young man," 
 said the bishop, advancing and placing his hand upon 
 Francisco's head. 
 
 Cain answered not; but his broad expanded chest 
 heaved with emotion — when Hawkhurst burst into 
 the group. 
 
 " We are too late for the money, captain ; the 
 water is already six feet above it. We must now try 
 for the treasure." 
 
THE CAPTURE. 103 
 
 This intelligence appeared to check the current of 
 the captain's feelings. 
 
 " Now, in one word, sir," said he to the bishop, 
 " where is the treasure ? trifle not, or, by heaven ! " 
 
 " Name not heaven," replied the bishop : " you 
 have had my answer." 
 
 The captain turned away, and gave some directions 
 to Hawkhurst, who hastened below. 
 
 " Remove that boy," said Cain to the pirates, point- 
 ing to Francisco. " Separate those two fools," con- 
 tinued he, looking towards Filippo and the girl, who 
 were sobbing in each other's arms. 
 
 " Never ! " cried Filippo. 
 
 " Throw the girl to the sharks ! Do you hear ? 
 am I to be obeyed?" cried Cain raising his cutlass. 
 
 Filippo started up, disengaged himself from the girl, 
 and, drawing his knife, rushed towards the captain 
 to plunge it in his bosom. 
 
 With the quickness of lightning the captain caught 
 his uplifted hand, and, breaking his wrist, hurled him 
 to the deck. 
 
 " Indeed ! " cried he, with a sneer. 
 
 " You shall not separate us," said Filippo, attempt- 
 ing to rise. 
 
 "I do not intend it, my good lad," replied Cain; 
 "lash them both together and launch them overboard." 
 
104 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 This order was now obeyed; for the pirates not 
 only quailed before the captain's cool courage, but 
 were indignant that his life had been attempted. There 
 was little occasion to tie the unhappy pair together; 
 they were locked so fast in each other's arms that it 
 would have been impossible almost to separate them. 
 In this state they were carried to the entering-port, 
 and cast into the sea. 
 
 " Monster ! " cried the bishop, as he heard the splash, 
 " thou wilt have a heavy reckoning for this." 
 
 " Now bring these forward," said Cain, with a 
 savage voice. 
 
 The bishop and his niece were led to the gangway. 
 
 " What dost thou see, good bishop ? " said Cain, 
 pointing to the discoloured water, and the rapid 
 motion of the fins of the sharks — eager in the antici- 
 pation of a further supply. 
 
 "I see ravenous creatures after their kind," replied 
 the bishop, " who will, in all probability, soon tear 
 asunder these poor limbs; but I see no monster like 
 thyself. Teresa, dearest, fear not ; there is a God, 
 an avenging God, as well as a rewarding one. 
 
 But Teresa's eyes were closed — she could not look 
 upon the scene. 
 
 " You have your choice ; first torture, and then 
 your body to those sharks for your own portion: and, 
 
THE CAPTURE. 105 
 
 as for the girl, this moment I hand her over to my 
 crew." 
 
 ie Never ! " shrieked Teresa, springing from the deck 
 and plunging into the wave. 
 
 There was the splash of contention, the lashing of 
 tails, until the water was in a foam, and then the dark 
 colour gradually cleared away, and naught was to be 
 seen but the pure blue wave and the still unsatiated 
 monsters of the deep. 
 
 " The screws — the screws — quick ! we '11 have the 
 secret from him," cried the pirate-captain, turning to 
 his crew, who, villains as they were, had been shocked 
 at this last catastrophe — " seize him ! " 
 
 " Touch him not ! " cried Francisco, standing on 
 the hammock-nettings ; " touch him not ! if you are 
 men." 
 
 Boiling with rage, Cain let go the arm of the bishop, 
 drew his pistol and levelled it at Francisco. The 
 bishop threw up the arm of Cain as he fired ; saw 
 that he had missed his aim, and clasped his hands, 
 raising his eyes to heaven in thankfulness at Francisco's 
 escape. In this position he was collared by Hawkhurst, 
 whose anger overcame his discretion, and who hurled 
 him through the entering-port into the sea. 
 
 " Officious fool ! " muttered Cain, when he per- 
 ceived what the mate had done. Then, recollecting 
 
106 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 himself, he cried, — " Seize that boy and bring him 
 here." 
 
 One or two of the crew advanced to obey his orders ; 
 but Pompey and the Kroumen, who had been attentive 
 to what was going on, had collected round Francisco, 
 and a scuffle ensued. The pirates, not being very 
 determined, nor very anxious to take Francisco, allowed 
 him to be hurried away in the centre of the Kroumen, 
 who bore him safely to the schooner. 
 
 In the mean time Hawkhurst, and the major part 
 of the men on board of the ship, had been tearing up 
 the hold to obtain the valuables, but without success. 
 The water had now reached above the orlop-deck, 
 and all further attempts were unavailing. The ship 
 was settling fast, and it became necessary to quit her, 
 and haul off the schooner, that she might not be 
 endangered by the vortex of the sinking vessel. Cain 
 and Hawkhurst, with their disappointed crew, returned 
 on board the schooner, and, before they had succeeded 
 in detaching the two vessels a cable's length, the ship 
 went down with all the treasure so coveted. The 
 indignation and rage which were expressed by the 
 captain as he rapidly walked the deck in company 
 with his first mate — his violent gesticulations — proved 
 to the crew that there was mischief brewing. Francisco 
 did not return to the cabin ; he remained forward with 
 
THE CAPTURE. 107 
 
 the Kroumen, who, although but a small portion of the 
 ship's company, were known to be resolute and not 
 to be despised. It was also observed that all of them 
 had supplied themselves with arms, and were collected 
 forward, huddled together, watching every motion and 
 manoeuvre, and talking rapidly in their own language. 
 The schooner was now steered to the north-westward 
 under all press of sail. The sun again disappeared, 
 but Francisco returned not to the cabin — he went 
 below, surrounded by the Kroumen, who appeared to 
 have devoted themselves to his protection. Once 
 during the night Hawkhurst summoned them on deck, 
 but they obeyed not the order; and, to the expostu- 
 lation of the boatswain's mate who came down, they 
 made no reply. But there were many of the pirates 
 in the schooner who appeared to coincide with the 
 Kroumen in their regard for Francisco. There are 
 shades of villany in the most profligate of societies ; 
 and, among the pirate's crew, some were not yet wholly 
 debased. The foul murder of a holy man — the cruel 
 fate of the beautiful Teresa — and the barbarous conduct 
 of the captain towards Filippo and his mistress, were 
 deeds of an atrocity to which even the most hardened 
 were unaccustomed. Francisco's pleadings in behalf 
 of mercy were at least no crime; and yet they con- 
 sidered that Francisco was doomed. He was a general 
 
108 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 favourite; the worst disposed of the pirates, with the 
 exception of Hawkhurst, if they did not love, could not 
 forbear respecting him; although, at the same time, 
 they felt that if Francisco remained on board, the 
 power even of Cain himself would soon be destroyed. 
 For many months Hawkhurst, who detested the youth, 
 had been most earnest that he should be sent out of 
 the schooner. Now he pressed the captain for his 
 removal in any way, as necessary for their mutual 
 safety, pointing out to Cain the conduct of the Krou- 
 men, and his fears that a large proportion of the ship's 
 company were equally disaffected. Cain felt the truth 
 of Hawkhurst's representation ; and he went down to 
 his cabin to consider upon what should be done. 
 
 It was past midnight, when Cain, worn out with the 
 conflicting passions of the day, fell into an uneasy 
 slumber. His dreams were of Francisco's mother — 
 she appeared to him pleading for her son, and Cain 
 " babbled in his sleep." At this time Francisco, with 
 Pompey, had softly crawled aft, that they might obtain, 
 if they found the captain asleep, the pistols of Francisco, 
 with some ammunition. Pompey slipped in first, and 
 started back when he heard the captain's voice. They 
 remained at the cabin-door listening. " No — no," mut- 
 tered Cain, " he must die — useless — plead not, woman ! 
 — I know I murdered thee — plead not, he dies ! " 
 
THE CAPTURE. 109 
 
 In one of the sockets of the silver lamp there was a 
 lighted //ick, the rays of which were sufficient to afford 
 a dim view of the cabin. Francisco, overhearing the 
 words of Cain, stepped in, and walked up to the side 
 of the bed. " Boy ! plead not," continued Cain, 
 lying on his back and breathing heavily — "plead 
 not — woman! to-morrow he dies." A pause ensued, 
 as if the sleeping man was listening to a reply. " Yes, 
 as I murdered thee, so will I murder him." 
 
 " Wretch," said Francisco, in a low solemn voice, 
 "didst thou kill my mother?" 
 
 " I did — I did," responded Cain, still sleeping. 
 
 "And why?" continued Francisco, who, at this 
 acknowledgment on the part of the sleeping captain, 
 was careless of discovery. 
 
 " In my mood — she vexed me," answered Cain. 
 
 " Fiend ! thou hast then confessed it," cried Fran- 
 cisco in a loud voice, which awoke the captain, who 
 started up, but, before his senses were well recovered, 
 or his eyes open so as to distinguish their forms, 
 Pompey struck out the light, and all was darkness ; 
 he then put his hand to Francisco's mouth, and led 
 him out of the cabin. 
 
 " Who 's there ? — who 's there ? " cried Cain. 
 
 The officer in charge of the deck hastened down. 
 "Did you call, sir?" 
 
HO THE CAPTURE. 
 
 "Call," repeated the captain — "I thought there 
 was some one in the cabin. I want a light,— that 's 
 all," continued he, recovering himself, as he wiped 
 the cold perspiration from his forehead. 
 
 In the mean time Francisco, with Pompey, had 
 gained his former place of refuge with the Kroumen. 
 The feelings of the young man changed from agony 
 to revenge; his object in returning to the cabin to 
 recover his weapons had been frustrated, but his deter- 
 mination now was to take the life of the captain if he 
 possibly could. The following morning the Kroumen 
 again refused to work or go on deck ; and the state 
 of affairs was reported by Hawkhurst to his chief. 
 The mate now assumed another tone; for he had 
 sounded not the majority but the most steady and 
 influential men on board, who, like himself, were 
 veterans in crime. 
 
 " It must be, sir ; or you will no longer command 
 this vessel. I am desired to say so.'* 
 
 " Indeed," replied Cain, with a sneer ; " perhaps 
 you have already chosen my successor." 
 
 Hawkhurst perceived that he had lost ground, and 
 he changed his manner. " I speak but for yourself: 
 if you do not command this vessel I shall not remain 
 in her — if you quit her, I quit also ; and we must find 
 another." 
 
THE CAPTURE. Ill 
 
 Cain was pacified, and the subject was not renewed. 
 
 " Turn the hands up," at last said the captain. The 
 pirate-crew assembled aft. 
 
 " My lads, I am sorry that our laws oblige me to 
 make an example ; but mutiny and disaffection must 
 be punished. I am equally bound as yourselves by 
 the laws which we have laid down for our guidance 
 while we sail together; and you may believe that in 
 doing my duty in this instance, I am guided by a 
 sense of justice, and wish to prove to you that I am 
 worthy to command. Francisco has been with me 
 since he was a child ; he has lived with me, and it is 
 painful to part with him : but I am here to see that our 
 laws are put in force. He has been guilty of repeated 
 mutiny and contempt, and — he must die." 
 
 " Death ! death ! " cried several of the pirates in 
 advance — "death and justice!" 
 
 " No more murder ! " said several voices from 
 behind. 
 
 "Who's that—that speaks?" 
 
 "Too much murder yesterday — no more murder!" 
 shouted several voices at once. 
 
 " Let the men come forward who speak," cried Cain, 
 with a withering look. No one obeyed this order. 
 " Down, then, my men ! and bring up Francisco." 
 
 The whole of the pirate-crew hastened below, but 
 
112 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 with different intentions; some were determined to 
 seize Francisco, and hand him over to death — others 
 to protect him. A confused noise was heard — the 
 shouts of Down, and seize him! opposed to those of 
 No murder! No murder! 
 
 Both parties had snatched up their arms ; those 
 who sided with Francisco joined the Kroumen, whilst 
 the others also hastened below to bring him on deck. 
 A slight scuffle ensued before they separated, and 
 ascertained by the separation the strength of the con- 
 tending parties. Francisco, perceiving that he was 
 joined by a large body, desired his men to follow him, 
 went up the fore ladder, and took possession of the 
 forecastle. The pirates on his side supplied him with 
 arms, and Francisco stood forward in advance. Hawk- 
 hurst, and those of the crew who sided with him, had 
 retreated to the quarter-deck, and rallied round the 
 captain, who leaned against the capstern. They were 
 then able to estimate their comparative strength. The 
 number, on the whole, preponderated in favour of 
 Francisco; but on the captain's side were the older 
 and more athletic of the crew, and, we may add, the 
 more determined. Still, the captain and Hawkhurst 
 perceived the danger of their situation, and it was 
 thought advisable to parley for the present, and wreak 
 their vengeance hereafter. For a few minutes there 
 
THE CAPTURE. 113 
 
 was a low consultation between both parties ; at last 
 Cain advanced. 
 
 " My lads," said he, addressing those who had rallied 
 round Francisco, " I little thought that a firebrand 
 would have been cast in this vessel to set us all at vari- 
 ance. It was my duty, as your captain, to propose that 
 our laws should be enforced. Tell me, now, what it is 
 that you wish. I am only here as your captain, and to 
 take the sense of the whole crew. I have no animosity 
 against that lad ; I have loved him — I have cherished 
 him; but, like a viper, he has stung me in return. 
 Instead of being in arms against each other, ought we 
 not to be united? I have, therefore, one proposal to 
 make to you, which is this : let the sentence go by vote 
 or ballot, if you please ; and whatever the sentence may 
 be, I shall be guided by it. Can I say more ? " 
 
 " My lads," replied Francisco, when the captain had 
 done speaking, " I think it better that you should 
 accept this proposal, rather than that blood should be 
 shed. My life is of little consequence ; say, then, will 
 you agree to the vote, and submit to those laws, which, 
 as the captain says, have been laid down to regulate 
 the discipline of the vessel ? " 
 
 The pirates on Francisco's side looked round among 
 their party, and, perceiving that they were the most 
 numerous, consented to the proposal; but Hawkhurst 
 
114 
 
 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 stepped forward and observed : " Of course, the Krou- 
 men can have no votes, as they do not belong to the 
 vessel." 
 
 This objection was important, as they amounted to 
 twenty-five, and, after that number was deducted, in all 
 probability, Francisco's adherents would have been in 
 the minority. The pirates with Francisco objected, 
 and again assumed the attitude of defence. 
 
 " One moment," said Francisco, stepping in advance ; 
 " before this point is settled, I wish to take the sense 
 of all of you as to another of your laws. I ask you, 
 Hawkhurst, and all you who are now opposed to me, 
 whether you have not one law which is, Blood for blood" 
 
 "Yes — yes," shouted all the pirates. 
 
 " Then let your captain stand forward, and answer 
 to my charge, if he dares." 
 
 Cain curled his lip in derision, and walked within 
 two yards of Francisco. 
 
 "Well, boy, I'm here; and what is your charge?" 
 
 " First — I ask you, Captain Cain, who are so anxious 
 that the laws should be enforced, whether you acknow- 
 ledge that ' Blood for blood ' is a just law ?" 
 
 " Most just : and, when shed, the party who revenges 
 is not amenable." 
 
 "Tis well: then, villain that thou art, answer — 
 Didst thou not murder my mother?" 
 
THE CAPTURE. 115 
 
 Cain, at this accusation, started. 
 
 " Answer the truth, or lie like a recreant," repeated 
 Francisco; "Did you not murder my mother?" 
 
 The captain's lips and the muscles of his face 
 quivered, but he did not reply. 
 
 " Blood for blood ! " cried Francisco, as he fired his 
 pistol at Cain, who staggered, and fell on the deck. 
 
 Hawkhurst and several of the pirates hastened to 
 the captain, and raised him. 
 
 " She must have told him last night," said Cain, 
 speaking with difficulty, as the blood flowed from the 
 wound. 
 
 " He told me so himself," said Francisco, turning 
 round to those who stood by him. 
 
 Cain was taken down into the cabin. On examina- 
 tion, his wound was not mortal, although the loss of 
 blood had been rapid and very great. In a few minutes 
 Hawkhurst joined the party on the quarter-deck. He 
 found that the tide had turned more in Francisco's 
 favour than he had expected ; the law of " Blood for 
 blood " was held most sacred : indeed, it was but the 
 knowledge that it was solemnly recognised, and that, 
 if one pirate wounded another, that other was at liberty 
 to take his life, without punishment, which prevented 
 constant affrays between parties, whose knives would 
 otherwise have been the answer to every affront. It 
 
116 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 was a more debased law of duelling, which kept such 
 profligate associates on good terms. Finding, there- 
 fore, that this feeling predominated, even among those 
 who were opposed to Francisco on the other question, 
 Hawkhurst thought it advisable to parley. 
 
 " Hawkhurst," said Francisco, " I have but one 
 request to make, which, if complied with, will put 
 an end to this contention ; it is, that you will put 
 me on shore at the first land that we make. If you 
 and your party engage to do this, I will desire those 
 who support me to return to their obedience." 
 
 " I grant it," replied Hawkhurst ; " and so will the 
 others. Will you not, my men?" 
 
 " Agreed — agreed upon all sides," cried the pirates, 
 throwing away their weapons and mingling with each 
 other, as if they never had been opposed. 
 
 There is an old saying, that there is honour amongst 
 thieves ; and so it often proves. Every man in the 
 vessel knew that this agreement would be strictly 
 adhered to ; and Francisco now walked the deck with 
 as much composure as if nothing had occurred. 
 
 Hawkhurst, who was aware that he must fulfil his 
 promise, carefully examined the charts when he went 
 down below, came up and altered the course of the 
 schooner two points more to the northward. The 
 next morning he was up at the mast-head nearly half 
 
THE CAPTURE. 117 
 
 an hour, when he descended, and again altered the 
 course. By nine o'clock, a low sandy island appeared 
 on the lee bow; when within half a mile of it, he 
 ordered the schooner to be hove to, and lowered down 
 the small boat from the stern. He then turned the 
 hands up. " My lads, we must keep our promise, to 
 put Francisco on shore at the first land which we made. 
 There it is ; " and a malicious smile played on the 
 miscreant's features, as he pointed out to them the 
 barren sand-bank, which promised nothing but starva- 
 tion and a lingering death. Several of the crew 
 murmured ; but Hawkhurst was supported by his own 
 party, and had, moreover, taken the precaution quietly 
 to remove all the arms, with the exception of those 
 with which his adherents were provided. 
 
 " An agreement is an agreement ; it is what he 
 requested himself, and we promised to perform. Send 
 for Francisco." 
 
 " I am here, Hawkhurst ; and I tell you candidly, 
 that desolate as is that barren spot, I prefer it to 
 remaining in your company. I will bring my chest 
 up immediately." 
 
 " No — no ; that was not a part of the agreement," 
 cried Hawkhurst. 
 
 " Every man here has a right to his own property. 
 I appeal to the whole of the crew." 
 
118 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 " True — true," replied the pirates ; and Hawkhurst 
 found himself again in the minority. 
 
 "Be it so." 
 
 The chest of Francisco was handed into the boat. 
 
 " Is that all ? " cried Hawkhurst. 
 
 " My lads, am I to have no provisions or water ? " 
 inquired Francisco. 
 
 " No," replied Hawkhurst. 
 
 " Yes — yes," cried most of the pirates. 
 
 Hawkhurst did not dare put it to the vote ; he 
 turned sulkily away. The Kroumen brought up two 
 breakers of water, and some pieces of pork. 
 
 " Here, massa," said Pompey, putting into Fran- 
 cisco's hand a fishing-line with hooks. 
 
 "Thank you, Pompey; but I had forgot — that 
 book in the cabin — you know which I mean." 
 
 Pompey nodded his head, and went below; but it 
 was some time before he returned, during which Hawk- 
 hurst became impatient. It was a very small boat which 
 had been lowered down; it had a lug-sail and two 
 pair of sculls in it, and was quite full when Francisco's 
 
 chest and the other articles 
 
 had been 
 
 put 
 
 in. 
 
 
 " Come ! I have no time 
 
 to wait," said Hawkhurst; 
 
 "in the boat!" 
 
 
 
 
 
 Francisco shook hands wi 
 
 th many of the 
 
 crew, 
 
 and 
 
 wished all of them farewell 
 
 Indeed, 
 
 now 
 
 that 
 
 they 
 
THE CAPTURE. 119 
 
 beheld the poor lad about to be cast on a desolate 
 island, even those most opposed to him, felt some 
 emotions of pity. Although they acknowledged that 
 his absence was necessary, yet they knew his deter- 
 mined courage ; and with them that quality was 
 always a strong appeal. 
 
 " Who will row this lad ashore, and bring the boat 
 off?" 
 
 " Not I," replied one ; " it Would haunt me ever 
 afterwards." 
 
 So they all appeared to think, for no one volun- 
 teered. Francisco jumped into the boat. 
 
 " There is no room for any one but me ; and I will 
 row myself on shore," cried he. " Farewell, my lads ! 
 farewell !" 
 
 " Stop ! not so ; he must not have the boat — he 
 may escape from the island," cried Hawkhurst. 
 
 "And why should'nt he, poor fellow?" replied the 
 men; "let him have the boat." 
 
 "Yes — yes, let him have the boat;" and Hawk- 
 hurst was again overruled. 
 
 "Here, Massa Francisco — here de book." 
 
 "What's that, sir?" cried Hawkhurst, snatching 
 the book out of Pompey's hand. 
 
 " Him, massa, Bible." Francisco waited for the 
 book. 
 
120 THE CAPTURE. 
 
 "Shove off!" cried Hawkhurst. 
 
 "Give me my book, Mr. Hawkhurst?" 
 
 "No!" replied the malignant rascal, tossing the 
 Bible over the tanrail; "he shall not have that. 
 I 've heard say that there is consolation in it to the 
 afflicted." 
 
 Francisco shoved off his boat, and, seizing his sculls, 
 pushed astern, picked up the book, which still floated, 
 and laid it to dry on the after-thwart of the boat. He 
 then pulled in for the shore. In the meantime the 
 schooner had let draw her foresheet, and had already 
 left him a quarter of a mile astern. Before Francisco 
 had gained the sand-bank, she was hull-down to the 
 northward. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE S A ND-B A N K. 
 
 The first half hour that Francisco was on this 
 desolate spot he watched the receding schooner : his 
 thoughts were unconnected and vague. Wandering 
 through the various scenes which had passed on the 
 decks of that vessel, and recalling to his memory the 
 different characters of those on board of her, much as 
 he had longed to quit her — disgusted as he had been 
 with those with whom he had been forced to associate ; 
 still, as her sails grew fainter and fainter to his view, 
 as she increased her distance, he more than once felt 
 that even remaining on board of her would have been 
 preferable to his present deserted lot. "No, no!" 
 exclaimed he, after a little farther reflection, " I had 
 rather perish here, than continue to witness the scenes 
 which I have been forced to behold." 
 
 He once more fixed his eyes upon her white sails, 
 and then sat down on the loose sand, and remained in 
 deep and melancholy reverie until the scorching heat 
 reminded him of his situation ; he afterwards rose and 
 
122 THE SAND-BANK. 
 
 turned his thoughts upon his present situation, and to 
 what would be the measures most advisable to take. 
 He hauled his little boat still farther on the beach, 
 and attached the painter to one of the oars, which he 
 fixed deep in the sand; he then proceeded to survey 
 the bank, and found that but a small portion was 
 uncovered at high-water ; for, trifling as was the rise 
 of the tide, the bank was so low that the water flowed 
 almost over it. The most elevated part was not more 
 than fifteen feet above high-water mark, and that was 
 a small knoll of about fifty feet in circumference. 
 
 To this part he resolved to remove his effects : 
 he returned to the boat, and, having lifted out his 
 chest, the water, and provisions, with the other articles 
 which he had obtained, he dragged them up, one by 
 one, until they were all collected at the spot he had 
 chosen. He then took out of the boat the oars and 
 little sail, which, fortunately, had remained in her. 
 His last object, to haul the little boat up to the same 
 spot, was one which demanded all his exertion; but, 
 after considerable fatigue, he contrived, by first lifting 
 round her bow, and then her stern, to effect his 
 object. 
 
 Tired and exhausted, he then repaired to one of 
 the breakers of water and refreshed himself. The 
 heat, as the day advanced, had become intolerable ; 
 
THE SAND-BANK. 123 
 
 but it stimulated him to fresh exertion. He turned 
 over the boat, and contrived that the bow and stern 
 should rest upon two little hillocks, so as to raise it 
 above the level of the sand beneath it two or three 
 feet; he spread out the sail from the keel above, with 
 the thole-pins as pegs, so as to keep off the rays of 
 the sun. Dragging the breakers of water and the 
 provisions underneath the boat, he left his chest out- 
 side ; and, having thus formed for himself a sort of 
 covering which would protect him from the heat of 
 the day and the damp of the night, he crept in, to 
 shelter himself until the evening. 
 
 Although Francisco had not been on deck, he knew 
 pretty well whereabouts he then was. Taking out a 
 chart from his chest, he examined the coast to ascer- 
 tain the probable distance which he might be from 
 any prospect of succour. He calculated that he was 
 on one of a patch of sand-banks, off the coast of 
 Loango, and about seven hundred miles from the Isle 
 of St. Thomas — the nearest place where he might 
 expect to fall in with an European face. From the 
 coast he felt certain that he could not be more than 
 forty or fifty miles at the most ; but could he trust him- 
 self among the savage natives who inhabited it ? He 
 knew how ill they had been treated by Europeans ; for, 
 at that period, it was quite as common for the slave- 
 
124 THE SAND-BANK. 
 
 traders to land and take the inhabitants away as slaves 
 by force, as to purchase them in the more northern 
 territories; still, he might be fortunate enough to fall 
 in with some trader on the coast, as there were a few 
 who still carried on a barter for gold-dust and ivory. 
 
 We do not know-^we cannot conceive a situation 
 much more deplorable than the one we have just 
 described to have been that of Francisco. Alone — 
 without a chance of assistance — with only a sufficiency 
 of food for a few days, and cut off from the rest of 
 his fellow-creatures, with only so much terra firma as 
 would prevent his being swallowed up by the vast, 
 unfathomable ocean, into which the horizon fell on 
 every side around him, and his chance of escape how 
 small! Hundreds of miles from any from whom he 
 might expect assistance, and the only means of reaching 
 them a small boat — a mere cockle-shell, which the 
 first rough gale would inevitably destroy. 
 
 Such, indeed, were the first thoughts of Francisco; 
 but he soon recovered from his despondency. He 
 was young, courageous, and buoyant with hope; and 
 there is a feeling of pride — of trust in our own 
 resources and exertions, which increases and stimulates 
 us in proportion to our danger and difficulty: it is 
 the daring of the soul, proving its celestial origin and 
 eternal duration. 
 
THE SAND- BANK. 125 
 
 So intense was the heat that Francisco almost 
 panted for sufficient air to support life., as he lay 
 under the shade of the boat during the whole of that 
 day; not a breath of wind disturbed the glassy wave 
 — all nature appeared hushed into one horrible calm. 
 It was not until the shades of night were covering; 
 the solitude, that Francisco ventured forth from his 
 retreat; but he found little relief; there was an 
 unnatural closeness in the air — a suffocation unusual 
 even in those climes. Francisco cast his eyes up to 
 the vault of heaven, and was astonished to find that 
 there were no stars visible — a grey mist covered the 
 whole firmament. He directed his view downwards 
 to the horizon, and that, too, was not to be defined; 
 there was a dark bank all around it. He walked to 
 the edge of the sand-bank ; there was not even a 
 ripple — the wide ocean appeared to be in a trance, 
 in a state of lethargy or stupor. 
 
 He parted the hair from his feverish brow, and once 
 more surveying the horrible, lifeless, stagnant waste, 
 his soul sickened, and he cast himself upon the sand. 
 There he lay for many hours in a state bordering 
 upon wild despair. At last he recovered himself; 
 and, rising to his knees, he prayed for strength, and 
 submission to the will of Heaven. 
 
 When he was once more upon his feet, and had 
 
126 THE SAND-BANK. 
 
 again scanned the ocean, he perceived that there was 
 a change rapidly approaching. The dark bank on 
 the horizon had now risen higher up; the opaque- 
 ness was every where more dense; and low murmurs 
 were heard, as if there was wind stirring aloft, although 
 the sea was still glassy as a lake. Signs of some move- 
 ment about to take place were evident, and the 
 solitary youth watched and watched. And now the 
 sounds increased — and here and there a wild thread 
 of air — whence coming, who could tell ? and as rapidly 
 disappearing, would ruffle, for a second, a portion of 
 the stagnant sea. Then came whizzing sounds and 
 moans, and then the rumbling noise of distant thunder 
 — loud and louder yet — still louder — a broad black 
 line is seen sweeping along the expanse of water — 
 fearful in its rapidity — it comes! — it comes! — and 
 the hurricane burst, at once and with all its force, 
 and all its terrific sounds, upon the isolated Francisco. 
 The first blast was so powerful and so unexpected 
 that it threw him down; and prudence dictated to 
 him to remain in that position, for the loose sand 
 was swept off and whirled in such force as to blind 
 and prevent his seeing a foot from him; he would 
 have crawled to the boat for security, but he knew 
 not in which direction to proceed. But this did not 
 last; for now the water was borne up upon the strong 
 
THE SAND-BANK. 127 
 
 wings of the hurricane, and the sand was rendered 
 firm by its saturation with the element. 
 
 Francisco felt that he was drenched, and he raised 
 his head. All he could discover was, that the firma- 
 ment was mantled with a darkness, horrible from its 
 intensity, and that the sea was in one extended foam 
 — boiling every where, and white as milk — but still 
 smooth, as if the power of the wind had compelled 
 it to be so; but the water had encroached, and one 
 half the sand-bank was covered with it, while over 
 the other the foam whirled, each portion chasing the 
 other with wild rapidity. 
 
 And now the windows of heaven were opened ; 
 and the rain, mingled with the spray caught up by 
 the hurricane, was dashed and hurled upon the forlorn 
 youth, who still lay where he had been first thrown 
 down. But of a sudden, a wash of water told him 
 that he could there remain no longer: the sea was 
 rising — rising fast; and, before he could gain a few 
 paces on his hands and knees, another wave, as if 
 it chased him in its wrath, repeated the warning of 
 his extreme danger, and he was obliged to rise on 
 his feet and hasten to the high part of the sand-bank, 
 where he had drawn up his boat and his provisions. 
 
 Blinded as he was by the rain and spray, he could 
 distinguish nothing. Of a sudden, he fell violently; 
 
128 THE SAND-BANK. 
 
 he had stumbled over one of the breakers of water, 
 and his head struck against his sea-chest. Where, 
 then, was the boat ? it was gone ! — it must have been 
 swept away by the fury of the wind. Alas ! then, 
 all chance was over ! and, if not washed away by 
 the angry waters, he had but to prolong his existence 
 but a few days, and then to die. The effect of the 
 blow he had received on his forehead, with the shock 
 of mind occasioned by the disappearance of the boat, 
 overpowered him, and he remained for some time in 
 a state of insensibility. 
 
 When Francisco recovered, the scene was again 
 changed; the wide expanse was now in a state of 
 wild and fearful commotion, and the waters roared 
 as loud as did the hurricane. The whole sand- 
 bank, with the exception of that part on which he 
 stood, was now covered with tumultuous foam; and 
 his place of refuge was occasionally invaded, when 
 some vast mass o'erlording the other waves, expended 
 all its fury even to his feet. Francisco prepared 
 to die ! 
 
 But gradually the darkness of the heavens disap- 
 peared, and there was no longer a bank upon the 
 horizon; and Francisco hoped — alas! hoped what? 
 — that he might be saved from the present impending 
 death to be reserved for one still more horrible ; to 
 
THE SAND-BANK. 129 
 
 be saved from the fury of the waves, which would 
 swallow him up, and in a few seconds remove him 
 from all pain and suffering, to perish for want of sus- 
 tenance under a burning sun; to be withered — to be 
 parched to death — calling in his agony for water ; and, 
 as Francisco thought of this, he covered his face with 
 his hands, and prayed, " Oh, God ! thy will be done ! 
 but, in thy mercy, raise — still higher raise the waters ! " 
 But the waters did not rise higher. The howling 
 of the wind gradually decreased, and the foaming 
 seas had obeyed the Divine injunction — they had 
 gone so far, but no further ! And the day dawned, 
 and the sky cleared ; and the first red tints, an- 
 nouncing the return of light and heat, had appeared 
 on the broken horizon, when the eyes of the despairing 
 youth were directed to a black mass on the tumultuous 
 waters. It was a vessel, with but one mast standing; 
 rolling heavily, and running before the gale right on 
 for the sand-bank where he stood; her hull one 
 moment borne aloft, and the next disappearing from 
 his view in the hollow of the agitated waters. She 
 will be dashed to pieces, thought Francisco; she will 
 be lost — they cannot see the bank! and he would 
 have made a signal to her, if he had been able, to 
 warn her of her danger, forgetting, at the time, his 
 own desolate situation. 
 
130 THE SAND-BANK. 
 
 As Francisco watched, the sun rose, bright and 
 joyous, over this scene of anxiety and pain. On 
 came the vessel, flying before the gale ; while the 
 seas chased her as if they would fain overwhelm her. 
 It was fearful to see her scud — agonizing to know 
 that she was rushing to destruction. 
 
 At last he could distinguish those on board. He 
 waved his hand, but they perceived him not; he 
 shouted, but his voice was borne away by the gale. 
 On came the vessel, as if doomed. She was within 
 two cables' length of the bank, when those on board 
 perceived their danger. It was too late! — they 
 rounded her to — another and another wave hurled 
 her towards the sand. She struck ! — her only remain- 
 ing mast fell over the side — and the roaring waves 
 hastened to complete their work of destruction and 
 of death ! 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 Francisco's eyes were fixed upon the vessel, over 
 which the sea now broke with terrific violence. There 
 appeared to be about eight or nine men on her deck, 
 who sheltered themselves under the weather bulwarks. 
 Each wave, as it broke against her side and then 
 dashed in foam over her, threw her, with a convulsive 
 jerk, still further on the sand-bank. At last she was 
 so high up that their fury was partly spent before 
 they dashed against her frame. Had the vessel been 
 strong and well built; had she been a collier coasting 
 the English shores, there was a fair chance that she 
 might have withstood the fury of the storm until it 
 had subsided, and that by remaining on board, the 
 crew might have survived ; but she was of a very 
 different mould, and, as Francisco justly surmised, an 
 American brig, built for swift sailing, very sharp, and, 
 moreover, very slightly put together. 
 
 Francisco's eyes, as may easily be supposed, were 
 never removed from the only object which could now 
 
132 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 interest him — the unexpected appearance and immi- 
 nent danger of his fellow-creatures at this desolated 
 spot. He perceived that two of the men went to the 
 hatches, and slid them over to leeward: they then 
 descended, and, although the seas broke over the vessel, 
 and a large quantity of water must have poured into 
 her, the hatches were not put on again by those who 
 remained on deck. But in a few minutes this mystery 
 was solved; one after another at first, and then by 
 dozens, poured forth, out of the hold, the kidnapped 
 Africans who composed her cargo. In a short time 
 the decks were covered with them : the poor creatures 
 had been released by the humanity of two of the 
 English sailors, that they might have the same chance 
 with themselves of saving their lives. Still, no attempt 
 was made to quit the vessel. Huddled together, like 
 a flock of sheep, with the wild waves breaking over 
 them, there they all remained, both European and 
 African; and, as the heavy blows of the seas upon 
 the sides of the vessel careened and shook her, they 
 were seen to cling, in every direction, with no distinc- 
 tion between the captured and their oppressors. 
 
 But this scene was soon changed; the frame of the 
 vessel could no longer withstand the violence of the 
 waves ; and, as Francisco watched, of a sudden it 
 was seen to divide a-midships, and each portion to 
 
THE ESCAPE. 133 
 
 turn over. Then was the struggle for life ; hundreds 
 were floating on the raging element, and wrestling 
 for existence, and the white foam of the ocean was 
 dotted by the black heads of the negroes who 
 attempted to gain the bank. It was an awful, terrible 
 scene, to witness so many at one moment tossed and 
 dashed about by the waves — so many fellow-beings 
 threatened with eternity. At one moment, they were 
 close to the beach, forced on to it by some tremendous 
 wave ; at the next, the receding water and the under- 
 tow swept them all back ; and, of the many who 
 had been swimming, one half had disappeared to rise 
 no more. Francisco watched with agony as he per- 
 ceived that the number decreased, and that none had 
 yet gained the shore. At last he snatched up the 
 haulyards of his boat's sail which were near him, and 
 hastened down to the spot to afford such succour as 
 might be possible; nor were his efforts in vain. As 
 the seas washed the apparently inanimate bodies on 
 shore, and would then have again swept them away 
 to return them in mockery, he caught hold of them 
 and dragged them safe on the bank, and thus did he 
 continue his exertions until fifteen of the bodies of 
 the negroes were spread upon the beach. Although 
 exhausted and senseless, they were not dead, and 
 long before he had dragged up the last of the number, 
 
134 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 many of those previously saved had, without any other 
 assistance than the heat of the sun, recovered from 
 their insensibility. 
 
 Francisco would have continued his task of huma- 
 nity, but the parted vessel had now been riven into 
 fragments by the force of the waves, and the whole 
 beach was strewed with her timbers and her stores, 
 which were dashed on shore by the waters, and then 
 swept back again by the return. In a short time 
 the severe blows he received from these fragments 
 disabled him from further exertion, and he sank 
 exhausted on the sand ; indeed, all further attempts 
 were useless. All on board the vessel had been 
 launched into the sea at the same moment, and those 
 who were not now on shore were past all succour. 
 Francisco walked up to those who had been saved: 
 he found twelve of them were recovered and sitting 
 on their hams; the rest were still in a state of insen- 
 sibility. He then went up to the knoll, where his 
 chest and provisions had been placed; and, throwing 
 himself down by them, surveyed the scene. 
 
 The wind had lulled, the sun shone brightly, and 
 the sea was much less violent. The waves had sub- 
 sided, and, no longer hurried on by the force of the 
 hurricane, broke majestically and solemnly, but not 
 with the wildness and force which, but a few hours 
 
THE ESCAPE. 135 
 
 before, they had displayed. The whole of the beach 
 was strewed with the fragments of the vessel, with 
 spars and water-casks; and every moment was to be 
 observed the corpse of a negro turning round and 
 round in the froth of the wave, and then disappearing. 
 
 For an hour did he watch and reflect, and then 
 he walked again to where the men who had been 
 rescued were sitting, not more than thirty yards from 
 him; they were sickly emaciated forms, but belonging 
 to a tribe who inhabited the coast, and who having 
 been accustomed, from their infancy, to be all the 
 day in the water, had supported themselves better 
 than the other slaves, who had been procured from 
 the interior, or the European crew of the vessel, all 
 of whom had perished. 
 
 The Africans appeared to recover fast by the heat 
 of the sun, so oppressive to Francisco, and were now 
 exchanging a few words with each other. The whole 
 of them had revived, bat those who were most in 
 need of aid were neglected by the others. Francisco 
 made signs to them, but they understood him not. 
 He returned to the knoll, and, pouring out water in 
 a tin pan from the breaker, brought it down to them. 
 He offered it to one who seized it eagerly; water 
 was a luxury seldom obtained in the hold of a slave- 
 vessel. The man drank deeply, and would have 
 
136 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 drained the cup, but Francisco prevented him, and 
 held it to the lips of another. He was obliged to 
 refill it three times before they had all been supplied: 
 he then brought them a handful of biscuit, and left 
 them, for he reflected that, without some precautions, 
 the whole sustenance would be seized by them and 
 devoured. He buried half a foot deep, and covered 
 over with sand, the breakers of water and the pro- 
 visions, and, by the time he had finished this task, 
 unperceived by the negroes, who still squatted together, 
 the sun had again sunk below the horizon. Francisco 
 had already matured his plans, which were, to form 
 a raft out of the fragments of the vessel, and, with 
 the assistance of the negroes, attempt to gain the main 
 land. He lay down, for the second night, on this 
 eventful spot of desolation, and, commending himself 
 to the Almighty protection, was soon in a deep slumber. 
 It was not until the powerful rays of the sun blazed 
 on the eyes of the youth that he awoke, so tired had 
 he been with the anxiety and fatigue of the preceding 
 day, and the sleepless harrowing night which had 
 introduced it ; he rose and seated himself upon his 
 sea-chest : how different was the scene from that of 
 yesterday ! Again the ocean slept, the sky was serene, 
 and not a cloud to be distinguished throughout the 
 whole firmament; the horizontal line was clear, even, 
 
THE ESCAPE. 137 
 
 and well defined ; a soft breeze just rippled over the dark 
 blue sea, which now had retired to its former boundary, 
 and left the sand-bank as extended as when first Fran- 
 cisco had been put on shore. But here the beauty of 
 the landscape terminated: the foreground was horrible 
 to look upon ; the whole of the beach was covered 
 with the timbers of the wreck, with water-casks, and 
 other articles, in some parts heaped and thrown up 
 one upon another; and, among them, lay jammed 
 and mangled the bodies of the many who had perished. 
 In other parts there were corpses thrown up high and 
 dry, or still rolling and turning to the ripling wave : 
 it was a scene of desolation and of death. 
 
 The negroes who had been saved were all huddled 
 up together, apparently in deep sleep, and Francisco 
 quitted his elevated position and walked down to the 
 low beach, to survey the means which the disaster of 
 others afforded him for his own escape. To his great 
 joy he found not only plenty of casks, but many of 
 them full of fresh water, provisions also in sufficiency, 
 and, indeed, every thing that could be required to 
 form a raft, as well as the means of support for a 
 considerable time for himself and the negroes who had 
 survived. He then walked up to them and called to 
 them, but they answered not, nor even moved. He 
 pushed them, but in vain ; and bis heart beat quick, 
 
138 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 for he was fearful that they were dead from previous 
 exhaustion. He applied his foot to one of them, and 
 it was not until he had used force, which in any other 
 case he would have dispensed with, that the negro 
 awoke from his state of lethargy and looked vacantly 
 about him. Francisco had some little knowledge of 
 the language of the Kroumen, and he addressed the 
 negro in that tongue. To his great joy, he was 
 answered in a language which, if not the same, had 
 so great an affinity to it, that communication became 
 easy. With the assistance of the negro, who used 
 still less ceremony with his comrades, the remainder 
 of them were awakened, and a palaver ensued. 
 
 Francisco soon made them understand that they were 
 to make a raft and go back to their own country; 
 explaining to them that if they remained there, the 
 water and provisions would soon be exhausted, and 
 they would all perish, The poor creatures hardly 
 knew whether to consider him a supernatural being 
 or not; they talked among themselves; they remarked 
 at his having brought them fresh water the day 
 before; they knew that he did not belong to the 
 vessel in which they had been wrecked, and they 
 were puzzled. 
 
 Whatever might be their speculations, they had one 
 good effect, which was, that they looked upon the 
 

 * 
 
 \ 
 
 e 
 
 
THE ESCAPE. 139 
 
 youth as a superior and a friend, and most willingly 
 obeyed him. He led them up to the knoll, and, 
 desiring them to scrape away the sand, supplied them 
 again with fresh water and biscuit. Perhaps the very 
 supply, and the way in which it was given to them, 
 excited their astonishment as much as any thing. Fran- 
 cisco ate with them, and selecting from his sea-chest 
 the few tools in his possession, desired them to follow 
 him. The casks were collected and rolled up ; the 
 empty ones arranged for the raft; the spars were 
 hauled up, cleared of the rigging, which was carefully 
 separated for lashings ; the one or two sails which 
 had been found rolled up on the spars were spread 
 out to dry ; and the provisions and articles of clothing, 
 which might be useful, laid together on one side. 
 The negroes worked willingly, and shewed much 
 intelligence : before the evening closed, every thing 
 which might be available was secured, and the waves 
 now only tossed about lifeless forms, and the small 
 fragments of timber which could not be serviceable. 
 
 It would occupy too much time were we to detail 
 all the proceedings of Francisco and the negroes for 
 the space of four days, during which they laboured 
 hard. Necessity is truly the mother of invention, 
 and many were the ingenious resources of the party 
 before they could succeed in forming a raft large 
 
140 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 enough to carry them and their provisions, with a 
 mast and sail well secured. At length it was accom- 
 plished; and, on the fifth day, Francisco and his men 
 embarked, and having pushed clear of the bank with 
 poles, they were at last able to hoist their sail to a 
 fine breeze, and steer for the coast before the wind 
 at the rate of about three miles an hour. But it was 
 not until they had gained half a mile from the bank 
 that they were no longer annoyed by the dreadful 
 smell arising from the putrefaction of so many bodies^ 
 for to bury them all would have been a work of too 
 great time. The last two days of their remaining 
 on the island, the effluvia had become so powerful 
 as to be a source of the greatest horror and disgust 
 even to the negroes. 
 
 But before night, when the raft was about eight 
 leagues from the sand-bank, it fell calm, and con- 
 tinued so for the next day, when a breeze sprang up 
 from the south-east, to which they trimmed their sail 
 with their head to the northward. 
 
 This wind, and the course steered, sent them off 
 from the land, but there was no help for it ; and 
 Francisco felt grateful that they had such an ample 
 supply of provisions and water as to enable them to 
 yield to a few days' contrary wind without danger 
 of want. But the breeze continued steady and fresh, 
 
THE ESCAPE. 141 
 
 and they were now crossing the Bight of Benin; the 
 weather was fine and the sea smooth; the flying 
 fish rose in shoals, and dropped down into the raft, 
 which still forced its way through the water to the 
 northward. 
 
 Thus did Francisco and his negro crew remain for 
 a fortnight floating on the wide ocean, without any 
 object meeting their view. Day after day it was the 
 same dreary "sky and water," and, by the reckoning 
 of Francisco, they could not be far from the land, 
 when, on the fifteenth day, they perceived two sail 
 to the northward. 
 
 Francisco's heart bounded with joy and gratitude 
 to Heaven ; he had no telescope to examine them, 
 but he steered directly for them, and, about dark, he 
 made them out to be a ship and a schooner hove to. 
 
 As Francisco scanned them, surmising what they 
 might be, the sun set behind the two vessels, and, 
 after it had sunk below the horizon their forms were, 
 for a few minutes, delineated with remarkable precision 
 and clearness. There could be no mistake. Francisco 
 felt convinced that the schooner was the Avenger ! 
 and his first impulse was to run to the sweep with 
 which they were steered, and put the head of the 
 raft again to the northward. A moment's reflection 
 determined him to act otherwise ; he lowered down 
 
142 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 his sail that he might escape observation, and watched 
 the motions of the vessels during the few minutes 
 of light which remained. That the ship had been 
 captured, and that her capture had been attended 
 with the usual scene of outrage and violence, he had 
 no doubt. He was now about four miles from them, 
 and just as they were vanishing from his straining 
 eyes, he perceived that the schooner had made all 
 sail to the westward. Francisco feeling that he was 
 then secure from being picked up by her, again hoisted 
 his sail with the hope of reaching the ship, which, if 
 not scuttled, he intended to remove on board of, and 
 then make sail for the first port on the coast. But 
 hardly had the raft regained her way when the horizon 
 was lighted up, and he perceived that the pirates had 
 set fire to the vessel. Then it was useless to proceed 
 towards her ; and Francisco again thought of putting 
 the head of the raft to the northward, when the idea 
 struck him, knowing the character and cruelty of the 
 pirates, that there might be some unfortunate people 
 left on board to perish in the flames. He therefore 
 continued his course, watching the burning vessel ; 
 the flames increased in violence, mounting up to the 
 masts and catching the sails one after the other. The 
 wind blew fresh, and the vessel was kept before 
 the wind — a circumstance that assured Francisco that 
 
THE ESCAPE. 143 
 
 there were people on board. At first she appeared 
 to leave the raft, but, as her sails, one after another, 
 were consumed by the element, so did she decrease 
 her speed, and Francisco, in about an hour, was 
 close to her and under her counter. 
 
 The ship was now one mass of fire from her bows 
 to her mainmast; a volume of flame poured from her 
 main hold, rising higher than her lower masts, and 
 ending in a huge mass of smoke carried by the wind 
 a-head of her; the quarter-deck was still free from 
 fire, but the heat on it was so intense, that those on 
 board were all collected at the taffrail; and there 
 they remained, some violent, others in mute despair: 
 for the Avenger's people, in their barbarity, had cut 
 away and destroyed all the boats, to prevent their 
 escape. From the light thrown round the vessel, those 
 on board had perceived the approach of Francisco to 
 their rescue, and immediately that it was under the 
 counter, and the sail lowered, almost all of them had 
 descended by ropes, or the stern ladder, and gained 
 a place in her. In a few minutes, without scarcely 
 an exchange of a word, they were all out of the brig, 
 and Francisco pushed off just as the flames burst from 
 the cabin-windows, darting out in a horizontal line 
 like the tongues of fiery serpents. The raft, now en- 
 cumbered with twelve more persons, was then steered 
 
144 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 to the northward ; and as soon as those who had been 
 saved had been supplied with some water which they 
 so much needed, Francisco obtained the intelligence 
 which he desired. The ship was from Carthagena, 
 South America; had sailed from thence to Lisbon 
 with a Don Cumanos, who had large property up 
 the Magdalen river. He had wished to visit a part 
 of his family at Lisbon, and from thence had sailed 
 to the Canary isles, where he also had property, in 
 their way from Lisbon to South America. They had 
 been beaten by stress of weather to the southward, 
 and afterwards had been chased by the Avenger ; 
 being a very fast sailer she had run down several 
 degrees before she had been captured. When the 
 pirate took possession, and found that she had little 
 or no cargo of value to them, for her hold was chiefly 
 filled with furniture and other articles for the use of 
 Don Cumanos, angry at their disappointment, they 
 had first destroyed all their boats and then set fire 
 to the vessel, taking care not to leave her until all 
 chance of the fire being put out was hopeless. And 
 thus had these miscreants left innocent and unfortunate 
 people to perish. 
 
 Francisco heard the narrative of Don Cumanos, 
 and then informed him in what manner he had left 
 the schooner and his subsequent adventures. Francisco 
 
THE ESCAPE. 145 
 
 was now very anxious to make the land, or obtain 
 succour from some vessel. The many who were now 
 on board, and the time that he had already been at 
 sea, obliged him to reduce the allowance of water. 
 Fortune favoured him after all his trials ; on the 
 third day a vessel hove in sight, and they were seen 
 by her. She made sail for them, and took them 
 all on board. It was a schooner trafficking on the 
 coast for gold-dust and ivory; but the magnificent 
 offers of Don Cumanos induced them to give up 
 their voyage and run across the Atlantic to Car- 
 thagena. To Francisco it was of little moment where 
 he went, and in Don Cumanos he had found a 
 sincere friend. 
 
 " You have been my preserver," said the Spaniard ; 
 " allow me to return the obligation — come and live 
 with me." 
 
 As Francisco was equally pleased with Don Cu- 
 manos, he accepted the offer : they all arrived safely 
 at Carthagena, and from thence proceeded to his 
 estate on the Magdalen river. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE LIEUTENANT. 
 
 When we last mentioned Edward Templemore, 
 we stated that he was a lieutenant of the admiral's 
 ship on the West India station, commanding the 
 tender. Now the name of the tender was the Enter- 
 prise : and it was singular that she was one of two 
 schooners built at Baltimore, remarkable for their 
 beauty and good qualities : yet how different were 
 their employments ! Both had originally been built 
 for the slave-trade : now one hoisted the English 
 pennant, and cruised as the Enterprise ; the other 
 threw out the black flag, and scoured the seas as 
 the Avenger. 
 
 The Enterprise was fitted much in the same way as 
 we have already described her sister vessel, — that is, 
 with one long brass gun a-midships, and smaller ones 
 for her broadside. But in the numbers of their crew 
 there was a great disparity ; the Enterprise not being 
 manned with more than sixty-five English sailors, 
 belonging to the admiral's ship. She was employed, as 
 
THE LIEUTENANT. 147 
 
 most admirals' tenders usually ivere, sometimes carry- 
 ing a tender made for a supply of provisions, or a 
 tender of services, if required, from the admiral ; or, if 
 not particularly wanted, with the important charge of 
 a tender billet-doux to some fair friend. But this is a 
 tender subject to touch upon. In the mean time, it 
 must be understood that she had the same commission 
 to sink, burn, and destroy, as all other of his Majesty's 
 vessels, if any thing came in her way ; but, as she 
 usually carried despatches, the real importance of 
 which were, of course, unknown, she was not to go 
 out of her way upon such service. 
 
 Edward Templemore did, however, occasionally go 
 a little out of his way, and had lately captured a very 
 fine privateer, after a smart action, for which he 
 anticipated his promotion ; but the admiral thought 
 him too young, and therefore gave the next vacancy 
 to his own nephew, who, the admiral quite forgot, 
 was much younger. 
 
 Edward laughed when he heard of it, upon his 
 arrival at Port Royal; and the admiral, who expected 
 that he would make his appearance pouting with 
 disappointment, when he came up to the Penn to 
 report himself, was so pleased with his good-humour 
 that he made a vow that Templemore should have the 
 next vacancy ; but this he also quite forgot, because 
 
148 THE LIEUTENANT. 
 
 Edward happened to be, at the time it occurred, on 
 a long cruise, — and " out of sight out of mind " is 
 a proverb so well established, that it may be urged 
 as an excuse for a person who had so many other 
 things to think of as the admiral intrusted with the 
 command of the West India station. 
 
 Lieutenant Templemore had, in consequence, com- 
 manded the Enterprise for nearly two years, and 
 without grumbling ; for he was of a happy disposition, 
 and passed a very happy sort of life. Mr. Withering- 
 ton was very indulgent to him, and allowed him to 
 draw liberally ; he had plenty of money for himself 
 or for a friend who required it, and he had plenty of 
 amusement. Amongst other diversions, he had fallen 
 most desperately in love : for, in one of his trips to 
 the Leeward Isles (so called from their being to wind- 
 ward) he had succoured a Spanish vessel, which had on 
 board the new governor of Porto Rico, with his family, 
 and had taken upon himself to land them on that 
 island in safety; for which service the English admiral 
 received a handsome letter, concluding with the mo- 
 derate wish that his excellency might live a thousand 
 years, and Edward Templemore an invitation to go 
 and see them whenever he might pass that way; 
 which, like most general invitations, was as much a 
 compliment as the wish which wound up the letter 
 
THE LIEUTENANT. 149 
 
 to the admiral. It did, however, so happen that the 
 Spanish governor had a very beautiful and only 
 daughter, carefully guarded by a duenna, and a monk 
 who was the depository of all the sins of the governor's 
 establishment ; and it was with this daughter that 
 Edward Templemore fell into the heresy of love. 
 
 She was, indeed, very beautiful ; and, like all her 
 countrywomen, was ardent in her affections. The 
 few days that she was on board the schooner with her 
 father, during the time that the Enterprise convoyed 
 the Spanish vessel into port, were quite sufficient to 
 ignite two such inflammable beings as Clara d'Alfarez 
 and Edward Templemore. The monk had been left 
 on board of the leaky vessel ; there was no accommoda- 
 tion in the schooner for either him or the duenna, and 
 Don Felix de Maxos de Cobas de Manilla d'Alfarez was 
 too busy with his cigar to pay attention to his daughter. 
 
 When they were landed, Edward Templemore was 
 asked to their residence, which was not in the town, 
 but at a lovely bay on the south side of the island. 
 The town mansion was appropriated to business and 
 the ceremony of the court : it was too hot for a per- 
 manent abode, and the governor only went there for 
 a few hours each day. 
 
 Edward Templemore remained a short time at the 
 island, and, at his departure, received the aforemen- 
 
150 THE LIEUTENANT. 
 
 tioned letter from the father to the English admiral, 
 and an assurance of unalterable fidelity from the 
 daughter to the English lieutenant. On his return, 
 he presented the letter, and the admiral was satisfied 
 with his conduct. 
 
 When ordered out to cruise, which he always was 
 when there was nothing else to do, he submitted to the 
 admiral whether, if he should happen to near Porto 
 Rico, he could not leave an answer to the Spanish 
 governor's letter; and the admiral, who knew the 
 value of keeping up a good understanding with foreign 
 relations, took the hint, and gave him one to deliver, 
 if convenient. The second meeting was, as may be 
 supposed, more cordial than the first on the part of 
 the young lady ; not so, however, on the part of the 
 duenna and holy friar, who soon found out that their 
 charge was in danger from heretical opinions. 
 
 Caution became necessary; and, as secresy adds a 
 charm to an amour, Clara received a long letter and 
 a telescope from Edward. The letter informed her 
 that, whenever he could, he would make his appear- 
 ance in his schooner off the south of the island, and 
 await a signal made by her at a certain window, 
 acknowledging her recognition of his vessel. On the 
 night of that signal, he would land in his boat and 
 meet her at an appointed spot. This was all very 
 
THE LIEUTENANT. 151 
 
 delightful ; and it so happened that Edward had four 
 or five times contrived, during the last year, to meet 
 Clara without discovery, and again and again to 
 exchange his vows. It was agreed between them 
 that when he quitted the station, she would quit her 
 father and her home, and trust her future happiness 
 to an Englishman and a heretic. 
 
 It may be a matter of surprise to some of our 
 readers that the admiral should not have discovered 
 the frequent visits of the Enterprise to Porto Rico, as 
 Edward was obliged to bring his log for examination 
 every time that he returned ; but the admiral was 
 satisfied with Edward's conduct, and his anxiety to 
 cruise, when there was nothing else for him to do. 
 His logs were brought on shore to the admiral's secre- 
 tary, carefully rolled and sealed up. The admiral's 
 secretary threw the packages on one side, and thought 
 no more of the matter, and Edward had always a 
 ready story to tell when he took his seat at the 
 admiral's dinner-table ; besides, he is a very unfit 
 person to command a vessel who does not know how 
 to write a loo; that will bear an investigation. A 
 certain latitude is always allowed in every degree of 
 latitude as well as longitude. 
 
 The Enterprise had been dispatched to Antigua, 
 and Edward thought this an excellent opportunity to 
 
152 THE LIEUTENANT. 
 
 pay a visit to Clara d'Alfarez ; he therefore, upon his 
 return, hove to off the usual headland, and soon per- 
 ceived the white curtain thrown out of the window. 
 
 " There it is, sir," said one of the midshipmen, who 
 was near him — for he had been there so often that 
 the whole crew of the Enterprise were aware of his 
 attachment — "she has shewn her flag of truce." 
 
 " A truce to your nonsense, Mr. Warren," replied 
 Edward, laughing; "how came you to know any 
 thing about it?" 
 
 "I only judge by cause and effect, sir; and I 
 know that I shall have to go on shore and wait for 
 you to-night." 
 
 " That 's not unlikely ; but let draw the fore-sheet ; 
 we must now get behind the headland." 
 
 The youngster was right: that evening, a little 
 before dark, he attended his commander on shore, 
 the Enterprise lying to with a lantern at her peak. 
 
 " Once more, dearest Clara ! " said Edward, as he 
 threw off her long veil and pressed her in his arms. 
 
 " Yes, Edward, once more — but I am afraid only 
 once more ; for my maid, Inez, has been dangerously 
 ill, and has confessed to Friar Ricardo. I fear much 
 that, in her fright (for she thought that she was dying), 
 she has told all. She is better now," 
 
 "Why should you imagine so, Clara?" 
 
THE LIEUTENANT. 153 
 
 " Oh, you know not what a frightened fool that Inez 
 is when she is ill. Our religion is not like yours." 
 
 " No, dear, it is not ; but I will teach you a better." 
 
 " Hush, Edward, you must not say that. Holy 
 Virgin ! if Friar Ricardo should hear you ! I think 
 that Inez must have told him, for he fixes his dark 
 eyes upon me so earnestly. Yesterday he observed 
 to me that I had not confessed." 
 
 " Tell him to mind his own business." 
 
 " That is his business, and I was obliged to confess 
 to him last night. I told him a great many things, 
 and then he asked me if that was all. His eyes went 
 through me. I trembled as I uttered an untruth— 
 for I said it was." 
 
 " I confess my sins but to my Maker, Clara ; and I 
 confess my love but to you. Follow my plan, dearest ! " 
 
 " I will half obey you, Edward. I will not tell my 
 love." 
 
 " And sins you have none, Clara ; so you will obey 
 me in all." 
 
 " Hush, Edward, you must not say that. We all 
 have sins ; and, oh ! what a grievous sin they say it 
 is to love you, who are a heretic ! Holy Virgin, 
 pardon me ! but I could not help it." 
 
 " If that is your only sin, dearest, I can safely give 
 you absolution." 
 
154 THE LIEUTENANT. 
 
 " Nay, Edward, don't joke, but hear me. If Inez 
 has confessed, they will look for me here ; and we 
 must not meet again — at least not in this place. You 
 know the little bay behind the rock — it is not much 
 farther off, and there is a cave where I can wait : 
 another time it must be there." 
 
 "'It shall be there, dearest; but is it not too near 
 the beach ? will you not be afraid of the men in the 
 boat, who must see you ? " 
 
 " But we can leave the beach. It is Ricardo, 
 alone, that I am in dread of — and the Donna Maria. 
 Merciful heaven ! should my father know it all, we 
 should be lost ! be separated for ever !" and Clara 
 laid her forehead on Edward's shoulder, as her tears 
 fell fast. 
 
 " There is nought to fear, Clara. Hush ! I heard 
 a rustling in those orange-trees. Listen ! " 
 
 " Yes ! yes ! " whispered Clara, hastily ; " there is 
 some one ! Away ! dear Edward, away ! " 
 
 Clara sprang from his side, and hastened up the 
 grove. Edward made his retreat; and, flying down 
 the rocky and narrow path through the underwood, 
 was soon on the beach and into his boat. The 
 Enterprise arrived at head-quarters, and Edward 
 reported himself to the admiral. 
 
 " I have work for you, Mr. Templemore," said the 
 
THE LIEUTENANT. 155 
 
 admiral ; " you must be ready to proceed on service 
 immediately. We've found your match." 
 
 " I hope I may find her, sir," replied the lieutenant. 
 
 " I hope so, too ; for, if you give a good account of 
 her, it will put another swab on your shoulder. The 
 pirate schooner which has so long infested the Atlantic 
 has been seen and chased, off Barbadoes, by the 
 Amelia ; but it appears that there is not a vessel in 
 the squadron which can come near her unless it be 
 the Enterprise. She has since captured two West 
 Indiamen, and was seen steering with them towards 
 the coast of Guiana, Now, I am going to give you 
 thirty additional hands, and send you after her." 
 
 " Thank you, sir," replied Edward, his countenance 
 beaming with delight. 
 
 " How soon will you be ready ?" inquired the admiral. 
 
 "To-morrow morning, sir." 
 
 "Very good. Tell Mr. Hadley to bring me the 
 order for the men, and your sailing-orders, and I 
 will sign them; but recollect, Mr. Templemore, you 
 will have an awkward customer. Be prudent — brave 
 I know you to be." 
 
 Edward Templemore promised every thing, as most 
 people do in such cases ; and, before the next evening, 
 the Enterprise was well in the offing, under a heavy 
 press of sail. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE LANDING. 
 
 The property of Don Cumanos, to which he had 
 retired with his family, accompanied by Francisco, 
 extended from the mouth of, to many miles up, the 
 Magdalen river. It was a fine alluvial soil, forming 
 one vast strip of rich meadow, covered with numerous 
 herds of cattle. The house was not a hundred yards 
 from the banks of this magnificent stream, and a small 
 but deep creek ran up to the adjacent buildings, — for 
 Don Cumanos had property even more valuable, being 
 proprietor of a gold-mine near the town of Jambrano, 
 about eighty miles farther up, and which mine had 
 latterly become exceedingly productive. The ore 
 was brought down the river in boats, and smelted 
 in the out-houses near the creek to which we have 
 just referred. 
 
 It will be necessary to observe that the establish- 
 ment of the noble Spaniard was numerous, consisting 
 of nearly one hundred persons, employed in the 
 smelting-houses, or attached to the household. 
 
THE LANDING. 157 
 
 For some time Francisco remained here happy and 
 contented ; he had become the confidential supervisor 
 of Don Cumanos' household, proved himself worthy 
 of a trust so important, and was considered as one of 
 the family. 
 
 One morning, as Francisco was proceeding down 
 to the smel ting-house to open the hatches of the small 
 decked boats which had arrived from Jambrano with 
 ore, and which were invariably secured with a padlock 
 by the superintendent above, to which Don Cumanos 
 had a corresponding key, one of the chief men informed 
 him that a vessel had anchored off the mouth of 
 the river the day before, and weighed again early 
 that morning, and that she was now standing off 
 and on. 
 
 " From Carthagena, probably, beating up," replied 
 Francisco. 
 
 "Valga me dios, if I know that, sir," said Diego. 
 " I should have thought nothing about it; but Giacomo 
 and Pedro, who went out to fish last night, as usual, 
 instead of coming back before midnight, have not 
 been heard of since." 
 
 "Indeed! that is strange. Did they ever stay so 
 long before?" 
 
 " Never, sir ; and they have fished together now 
 for seven years." 
 
158 THE LANDING. 
 
 Francisco gave the key to the man, who opened 
 the locks of the hatches, and returned it. 
 
 " There she is ! " cried the man ; the head-sails 
 making their appearance as the vessel opened to their 
 view from the projecting point, — distant about four 
 miles. Francisco directed his eye towards her, and, 
 without further remark, hastened to the house. 
 
 "Well, Francisco!" said Don Cumanos, who was 
 stirring a small cup of chocolate, "what's the news 
 this morning ? " 
 
 " The Nostra Senora del Carmen and the Aguilla 
 have arrived, and I have just unlocked the hatches. 
 There is a vessel off the point which requires examina- 
 tion, and I have come for the telescope." 
 
 " Requires examination ! Why, Francisco ? " 
 
 " Because Giacomo and Pedro, who went fishing 
 last night, have not returned; and there are no tidings 
 of them." 
 
 " That is strange ! But how is this connected with 
 the vessel?" 
 
 " That I will explain as soon as I have had an 
 examination of her," replied Francisco, who had taken 
 up the telescope, and was drawing out the tube. 
 Francisco fixed the glass against the sill of the window, 
 and examined the vessel some time in silence. 
 
 " Yes ! by the living God ! it is the Avenger, and 
 
THE LANDING. 159 
 
 no other/' exclaimed he, as he removed the telescope 
 from his eye. 
 
 " Eh ? " cried Don Cumanos. 
 
 " It is the pirate-vessel ! — the Avenger ! — I '11 forfeit 
 my life upon it ! Don Cumanos, you must be pre- 
 pared. I know that they have long talked of a visit 
 to this quarter, and anticipate great booty; and they 
 have those on board who know the coast well. The 
 disappearance of your two men convinces me that 
 they sent up their boats last night to reconnoitre, and 
 have captured them. Torture will extract the infor- 
 mation which the pirates require ; and I have little 
 doubt but that an attack will be made, when they 
 learn how much bullion there is, at present, on your 
 premises." 
 
 " You may be right," replied Don Cumanos, 
 thoughtfully ; " that is, provided you are sure that 
 it is the pirate-vessel." 
 
 " Sure, Don Cumanos ! I know every timber and 
 plank in her ; there is not a rope or a block but I can 
 recognise. At the distance of four miles, with such 
 a glass as this, I can discover every little variety in her 
 rigging from other craft. I will swear to her," repeated 
 Francisco, once more looking through the telescope. 
 
 " And if they attack, Francisco ? " 
 
 " We must defend ourselves ; and, I trust, beat 
 
160 THE LANDING. 
 
 them off. They will come in their boats, and at night. 
 If they were to run in the schooner by daylight, and 
 anchor abreast of us, we should have but a poor chance. 
 But they little think that I am here, and that they are 
 recognised. They will attack this night, I rather think." 
 
 " And what do you then propose, Francisco ?" 
 
 " That we should send all the females away to 
 Don Teodoro's — it is but five miles — and call the men 
 together, as soon as possible. We are strong enough 
 to beat them off, if we barricade the house. They 
 cannot land more than from ninety to one hundred 
 men, as some must remain in charge of the schooner; 
 and we can muster quite as many. It may be as 
 well to promise our men a reward, if they do their 
 duty." 
 
 " That is all right enough ; and the bullion we have 
 here " 
 
 " Here we had better let it remain ; it will take too 
 much time to remove it, and, besides, will weaken our 
 force by the men who must be in charge of it. The 
 out-houses must be abandoned, and every thing which 
 is of consequence taken from them. Fire them they 
 will, in all probability. At all events we have plenty 
 of time before us, if we begin at once." 
 • " Well, Francisco, I shall make you commandant, 
 and leave the arrangements to you, while I go and 
 
THE LANDING. 161 
 
 speak to Donna Isidora. Send for the men and speak 
 to them ; promise them rewards ; and act as if you 
 were ordering upon your own responsibility." 
 
 " I trust I shall prove myself worthy of your con- 
 fidence, sir," replied Francisco. 
 
 " Carambo ! " exclaimed the old don, as he left the 
 room, "but it is fortunate you are here. We might 
 all have been murdered in our beds." 
 
 Francisco sent for the head men of the establish- 
 ment, and told them what he was convinced they 
 would have to expect ; and he then explained to 
 them his views. The rest were all summoned; and 
 Francisco pointed out to them the little mercy they 
 would receive if the pirates were not repulsed, and 
 the rewards which were promised by Don Cumanos 
 if they did their duty. 
 
 Spaniards are individually brave, and, encouraged 
 by Francisco, they agreed that they would defend 
 the property to the last. 
 
 The house of Don Cumanos was well suited to 
 resist an attack of this description, in which musketry 
 only was expected to be employed. It was a long 
 parrallelogram of stone walls, with a wooden veranda 
 on the first floor, — for it was only one story high. 
 The windows on the first story were more numerous, 
 but at the basement there were but two, and no other 
 
162 THE LANDING. 
 
 opening but the door in the whole line of building. 
 It was of a composite architecture, between the Morisco 
 and the Spanish. If the lower part of the house, 
 which was of stone, could be secured from entrance, 
 the assailants would, of course, fight under a great 
 disadvantage. The windows below were the first 
 secured by piling a heavy mass of stones in the interior 
 of the rooms against them, rising to the ceiling from 
 a base like the segment of a pyramid extending to 
 the opposite side of the chamber; and every prepa- 
 ration was made for effectually barricading the door 
 before night. Ladders were then fixed to ascend to 
 the veranda, which was rendered musket-proof nearly 
 as high as its railings, to protect the men. The Donna 
 Isidora, and the women of the establishment, were, 
 in the afternoon, despatched to Don Teodoro's ; and, 
 at the request of Francisco, joined to the entreaties 
 of Donna Isidora, Don Cumanos was persuaded to 
 accompany them. The don called his men, and tell- 
 ing them that he left Francisco in command, expected 
 them to do their duty ; and then shaking hands with 
 him, the cavalcade was soon lost in the woods behind 
 the narrow meadows which skirted the river. 
 
 There was no want of muskets and ammunition. 
 Some were employed casting bullets, and others in 
 examining the arms which had long been laid by. 
 
THE LANDING. 163 
 
 Before evening, all was ready ; every man had received 
 his arms and ammunition ; the flints had been inspected : 
 and Francisco had time to pay more attention to the 
 schooner, which had, during the day, increased her 
 distance from the land, but was now again standing 
 in for the shore. Half-an-hour before dusk, when 
 within three miles, she wore round, and put her head 
 to the offing. 
 
 " They '11 attack this night," said Francisco ; " I 
 feel almost positive : their yards and stay-tackles are 
 up ; all ready for hoisting out the long-boat." 
 
 " Let them come, senor ; we will give them a warm 
 reception," replied Diego, the second in authority. 
 
 It was soon too dark to perceive the vessel. Fran- 
 cisco and Diego ordered every man, but five, into the 
 house; the door was firmly barricaded, and some 
 large pieces of rock, which had been rolled into the 
 passage, piled against it. Francisco then posted the 
 five men down the banks of the river, at a hundred 
 yards distant from each other, to give notice of the 
 approach of the boats. It was about ten o'clock at 
 night when Francisco and Diego descended the ladder, 
 and went to examine their outposts. 
 
 "Senor," said Diego, as he and Francisco stood on 
 the bank of the river, " at what hour is it your idea 
 that these villains will make their attempt?" 
 
164 THE LANDING. 
 
 " That is difficult to say. If the same captain 
 commands them who did when I was on board of 
 her, it will not be until after the moon is down, 
 which will not be 'till midnight ; but should it be 
 any other who is in authority, they may not be so 
 prudent." 
 
 " Holy Virgin ! sefior, were you ever on board of 
 that vessel?" 
 
 " Yes, Diego, I was, and for a long while too ; 
 but not with my own good will. Had I not been 
 on board, I never should have recognised her." 
 
 « Very true, sefior ; then we may thank the saints 
 that you have once been a pirate." 
 
 "I hope that I never was that, Diego," replied 
 Francisco, smiling ; " but I have been a witness to 
 dreadful proceedings on board of that vessel, at the 
 remembrance of which, even now, my blood curdles." 
 
 To pass away the time, Francisco then detailed 
 many scenes of horror to Diego which he had witnessed 
 when on board of the Avenger ; and he was still in the 
 middle of a narrative when a musket was discharged 
 by the farthermost sentinel. 
 
 " Hark, Diego !" 
 
 Another, and another, nearer and nearer to them, 
 gave the signal that the boats were close at hand. In 
 a few minutes the men all came in, announcing that 
 
THE LANDING. 165 
 
 the pirates were pulling up the stream in three boats, 
 and were less than a quarter of a mile from the 
 landing-place. 
 
 "Diego, go to the house with these men, and see 
 that all is ready," said Francisco ; ee I will wait here 
 a little longer : but do not fire till I come to you." 
 
 Diego and the men departed, and Francisco was 
 left on the beach alone. 
 
 In another minute, the sound of the oars was plainly 
 distinguishable, and Francisco's ears were directed to 
 catch, if possible, the voices. " Yes," thought he, 
 " you come with the intentions of murder and robbery ; 
 but you will, through me, be disappointed," As the 
 boats approached, he heard the voice of Hawkhurst. 
 The signal muskets fired, had told the pirates that 
 they were discovered, and that, in all probability, they 
 would meet with resistance ; silence was, therefore, 
 no longer of any advantage. 
 
 " Oars ! my lads ! — oars ! " cried Hawkhurst. 
 
 One boat ceased rowing, and soon afterwards the 
 two others. The whole of them were now plainly 
 seen by Francisco, at the distance of about one cable's 
 length from where he stood ; and the clear still night 
 carried the sound of their voices along the water. 
 
 " Here is a creek, sir," said Hawkhurst, " leading 
 up to those buildings. Would it not be better to 
 
166 THE LANDING. 
 
 land there, as, if they are not occupied, they will prove 
 a protection to us if we have a hard fight for it ?" 
 
 "Very true, Hawkhurst," replied a voice, which 
 Francisco immediately recognised to be that of Cain. 
 
 " He is alive, then," thought Francisco, " and his 
 blood is not yet upon my hands." 
 
 " Give way, my lads ! " cried Hawkhurst. 
 
 The boats dashed up the creek, and Francisco 
 hastened back to the house. 
 
 " Now, my lads," said he, as he sprang up the 
 ladder, " you must be resolute ; we have to deal with 
 desperate men, I have heard the voices of the captain 
 and chief mate; so there is no doubt as to its being 
 the pirate. The boats are up the creek, and will land 
 behind the out-buildings. Haul up these ladders, 
 and lay them fore and aft on the veranda; and do 
 not fire without taking a good aim. Silence ! my 
 men — silence ! Here they come." 
 
 The pirates were now seen advancing from the out- 
 buildings in strong force. In the direction in which 
 they came, it was only from the side of the veranda, 
 at which not more than eight or ten men could be 
 placed, that the enemy could be repulsed. Francisco, 
 therefore, gave orders that as soon as some of the 
 men had fired they should retreat and load their 
 muskets, to make room for others. 
 
THE LANDING. 167 
 
 When the pirates had advanced half way to the 
 house, on the clear space between it and the out- 
 buildings, Francisco gave the word to fire. The 
 volley was answered by another, and a shout from the 
 pirates, who, with Hawkhurst and Cain at their head, 
 now pressed on, but not until they had received a 
 second discharge from the Spaniards, and the pirates 
 had fired in return. As the Spaniards could not at 
 first fire a volley of more than a dozen muskets at a 
 time, their opponents imagined their force to be much 
 less than it really was. They now made other arrange- 
 ments. They spread themselves in a semicircle in 
 front of the veranda, and kept up a continued galling 
 fire. This was returned by the party under Francisco 
 for nearly a quarter of an hour ; and, as all the 
 muskets were now called into action, the pirates found 
 out that they had a more formidable enemy to cope 
 with than they had anticipated. 
 
 It was now quite dark, and not a figure was to be 
 distinguished, except by the momentary flashing of 
 the fire-arms. Cain and Hawkhurst, leaving their 
 men to continue the attack, had gained the house, 
 and a position under the veranda. Examining the' 
 windows and door, there appeared but little chance 
 of forcing an entrance ; but it immediately occurred 
 to them, that under the veranda their men would not 
 
168 THE LANDING. 
 
 be exposed, and that they might fire through the 
 wooden floor of it upon those above. Hawkhurst 
 hastened away, and returned with about half the men, 
 leaving the others to continue their attack as before. 
 The advantage of this manoeuvre was soon evident. 
 The musket-balls of the pirates pierced the planks, 
 and wounded many of the Spaniards severely ; and 
 Francisco was at last obliged to order his men to 
 retreat into the house, and fire out of the windows. 
 
 But even this warfare did not continue ; for the 
 supporting-pillars of the veranda being of wood and 
 very dry, they were set fire to by the pirates. Gradually 
 the flames wound round them, and their forked tongues 
 licked the balustrade. At last, the whole of the veranda 
 was in flames. This was a great advantage to the attack- 
 ing party, who could now distinguish the Spaniards 
 without their being so clearly seen themselves. Many 
 were killed and wounded. The smoke and heat became 
 so intense in the upper story, that the men could no 
 longer remain there ; and, by the advice of Francisco, 
 they retreated to the basement of the house. 
 
 66 What shall we do now, senor ? " said Diego, with 
 a grave face. 
 
 "Do?" replied Francisco; "they have burnt the 
 veranda, that is all. The house will not take fire; it 
 is of solid stone ; the roof indeed may ; but still here 
 
THE LANDING. 169 
 
 we are. I do not see that they are more advanced 
 than they were before. As soon as the veranda has 
 burnt down, we must return above, and commence 
 firing again from the windows." 
 
 " Hark, sir ! they are trying the door." 
 
 " They may try a long while ; they should have 
 tried the door while the veranda protected them from 
 our sight. As soon as it is burnt we shall be able to 
 drive them away from it I will go up again and see 
 how things are." 
 
 " No, senor ; it is of no use. Why expose yourself 
 now that the flames are so bright?" 
 
 " I must go and see if that is the case, Diego. 
 Pat all the wounded men in the north chamber ; it 
 will be the safest, and more out of the way." 
 
 Francisco ascended the stone staircase, and gained 
 the upper story. The rooms were filled with smoke, 
 and he could distinguish nothing. An occasional bullet 
 whistled past him. He walked towards the windows, 
 and sheltered himself behind the wall between them. 
 
 The flames were not so violent, and the heat more 
 bearable. In a short time, a crash, and then another, 
 told him that the veranda had fallen in. He looked 
 through the window. The mass of lighted embers 
 had fallen down in front of the house, and had, for 
 a time, driven away the assailants. Nothing was left 
 
170 THE LANDING. 
 
 of the veranda but the burning ends of the joists 
 fixed in the wall above the windows, and the still 
 glowing remains of the posts which once supported it. 
 
 But the smoke from below now cleared away, and 
 the discharge of one or two muskets told Francisco 
 that he was perceived by the enemy. 
 
 " The roof is safe," thought he, as he withdrew 
 from the window ; " and now I do not know whether 
 the loss of the veranda may not prove a gain to us." 
 
 What were the intentions of the pirates it was 
 difficult to ascertain. For a time they had left off 
 firing, and Francisco returned to his comrades. The 
 smoke had gradually cleared away, and they were 
 able to resume their position above ; but, as the pirates 
 did not fire, they, of course, could do nothing, as it 
 was only by the flashing of the muskets that the 
 enemy was to be distinguished. No further attempts 
 were made at the door or windows below; and Fran- 
 cisco in vain puzzled himself as to the intended plans 
 of the assailants. 
 
 Nearly half an hour of suspense passed away. 
 Some of the Spaniards were of opinion that they had 
 retreated to their boats and gone away, but Francisco 
 knew them better. All he could do was to remain 
 above s and occasionally look out to discover their 
 motions. Diego, and one or two more, remained with 
 
THE LANDING. 171 
 
 him; the other men were kept below that they might 
 be out of danger. 
 
 " Holy Francis ! but this has been a dreadful night, 
 senor ; how many hours until daylight ?" said Diego. 
 
 " Two hours at least, I should think," replied 
 Francisco ; " but the affair will be decided before that." 
 
 " The saints protect us ! See, senor, are they not 
 coming?" 
 
 Francisco looked through the gloom, in the direction 
 of the out-buildings, and perceived a group of men 
 advancing. A few moments and he could clearly 
 make them out. 
 
 " Yes, truly, Diego ; and they have made ladders, 
 which they are carrying, They intend to storm the 
 windows. Call them all up ; and now we must fight 
 hard indeed." 
 
 The Spaniards hastened up and filled the room 
 above, which had three windows in the front, looking 
 towards the river, and which had been sheltered by 
 the veranda. 
 
 " Shall we fire now, senor ? " 
 
 " No — no ; do not fire till your muzzles are at their 
 hearts. They cannot mount more than two at a time 
 at each window. Recollect, my lads, that you must 
 now fight hard, for your lives will not be spared ; 
 they will shew no quarter and no mercy." 
 
172 THE LANDING. 
 
 The ends of the rude ladders now made their appear- 
 ance above the sill of each window. They had been 
 hastily, yet firmly, constructed; and where nearly 
 as wide as the windows. A loud cheer was followed 
 by a simultaneous mounting of the ladders. 
 
 Francisco was at the centre window, when Hawk- 
 hurst made his appearance, sabre in hand. He struck 
 aside a musket aimed at him, and the ball whizzed 
 harmless over the broad water of the river. Another 
 step, and he would have been in, when Francisco 
 fired his pistol : the ball entered the left shoulder of 
 Hawkhurst, and he dropped his hold. Before he 
 could regain it, a Spaniard charged at him with his 
 musket, and threw him back. He fell, bearing down 
 with him one or two of his comrades, who had been 
 following him up the ladder. 
 
 Francisco felt as if the attack at that window was 
 of little consequence after the fall of Hawkhurst, whose 
 voice he had recognised ; and he hastened to the one 
 on the left, as he had heard Cain encouraging his 
 men in that direction. He was not wrong in his con- 
 jecture ; Cain was at the window, attempting to force 
 an entrance, but was opposed by Diego and other 
 resolute men. But the belt of the pirate captain was 
 full of pistols, and he had already fired three with 
 effect. Diego and the two best men were wounded, 
 
THE LANDING. 173 
 
 and the others who opposed him were alarmed at his 
 giant proportions. Francisco rushed to attack him ; 
 but what was the force of so young a man against the 
 Herculean power of Cain? Still Francisco's left hand 
 was at the throat of the pirate, and the pistol was 
 pointed in his right, when the flash of another pistol, 
 fired by one who followed Cain, threw its momentary 
 vivid light upon the features of Francisco, as he cried 
 out " Blood for blood ! " It was enough : the pirate 
 captain uttered a yell of terror at the supposed super- 
 natural appearance ; and he fell from the ladder in 
 a fit amongst the still burning embers of the veranda. 
 
 The fall of their two chiefs, and the determined 
 resistance of the Spaniards, checked the impetuosity 
 of the assailants. They hesitated ; and they at last 
 retreated, bearing away with them their wounded. The 
 Spaniards cheered, and, led by Francisco, followed 
 them down the ladders, and, in their turn, became 
 the assailants. Still the pirates' retreat was orderly: 
 they fired, and retired rank behind rank successively. 
 They kept the Spaniards at bay, until they had arrived 
 at the boats ; when a charge was made, and a severe 
 conflict ensued. But the pirates had lost too many 
 men, and, without their commander, felt dispirited. 
 Hawkhurst was still on his legs and giving orders as 
 coolly as ever. He espied Francisco, and rushing at 
 
174 THE LANDING. 
 
 him, while the two parties were opposed muzzle to 
 muzzle, seized him by his collar and dragged him in 
 amongst the pirates. " Secure him, at all events," 
 cried Hawkhurst, as they slowly retreated and gained 
 the out-houses. Francisco was overpowered and hauled 
 into one of the boats, all of which in a few minutes 
 afterwards were pulling with all their might to escape 
 from the muskets of the Spaniards, who followed the 
 pirates by the banks of the river, annoying them in 
 their retreat. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE MEETING. 
 
 The pirates returned to their vessel discomfited. 
 Those on board, who were prepared to hoist in ingots 
 of precious metal, had to receive naught but wounded 
 men, and many of their comrades had remained dead 
 on the shore. Their captain was melancholy and 
 downcast. Hawkhurst was badly wounded, and obliged 
 to be carried below as soon as he came on board. The 
 only capture which they had made was their former 
 associate Francisco, who, by the last words spoken 
 by Hawkhurst as he was supported to his cabin, was 
 ordered to be put into irons. The boats were hoisted 
 in without noise, and a general gloom prevailed. All 
 sail was then made upon the schooner, and, when 
 the day dawned, she was seen by the Spaniards far 
 away to the northward. 
 
 The report was soon spread through the schooner 
 that Francisco had been the cause of their defeat ; 
 and, although this was only a surmise, still, as they 
 considered that, had he not recognised the vessel, the 
 
176 THE MEETING. 
 
 Spaniards would not have been prepared, they had 
 good grounds for what had swelled into an assertion. 
 He became, therefore, to many of them an object of 
 bitter enmity, and they looked forward with pleasure 
 to his destruction, which his present confinement they 
 considered but the precursor of. 
 
 " Hist ! Massa Francisco ! " said a low voice near to 
 where Francisco sat on the chest. Francisco turned 
 round and beheld the Krouman, his old friend. 
 
 " Ah ! Pompey, are you all still on board ? " said 
 Francisco. 
 
 " All ! no," replied the man, shaking his head ; 
 " some die — some get away — only four Kroumen left. 
 Massa Francisco, how you come back again ? Every 
 body tink you dead. I say no, not dead — ab charm 
 with him — ab book." 
 
 " If that was my charm, I have it still," replied 
 Francisco, taking the Bible out of his vest ; for, strange 
 to say, Francisco himself had a kind of superstition 
 relative to that Bible, and had put it into his bosom 
 previous to the attack made by the pirates. 
 
 " Dat very good, Massa Francisco ; den you quite 
 safe. Here come Johnson — he very bad man. I go 
 away." 
 
 In the mean time Cain had retired to his cabin 
 with feelings scarcely to be analysed. He was in a 
 
THE MEETING. 177 
 
 bewilderment. Notwithstanding the wound he had 
 received by the hand of Francisco, he would never 
 have sanctioned Hawkhurst putting him on shore on 
 a spot which promised nothing but a lingering and 
 miserable death. Irritated as he had been by the 
 young man's open defiance, he loved him, loved him 
 much more than he was aware of himself; and when 
 he had recovered sufficiently from his wound, and 
 had been informed where Francisco had been sent on 
 shore, he quarrelled with Hawkhurst, and reproached 
 him bitterly and sternly, in language which Hawkhurst 
 never forgot or forgave. The vision of the starving 
 lad haunted Cain, and rendered him miserable. His 
 aifection for him, now that he was, as he supposed, 
 lost for ever, increased with tenfold force ; and since 
 that period Cain had never been seen to smile. He 
 became more gloomy, more ferocious than ever, and 
 the men trembled when he appeared on deck. 
 
 The apparition of Francisco after so long an interval, 
 and in such an unexpected quarter of the globe, acted, 
 as we have before described, upon Cain. When he 
 was taken to the boat he was still confused in his ideas ; 
 and it was not until they were nearly on board, that 
 he perceived that this young man was indeed at his 
 side. He could have fallen on his neck and kissed 
 him ; for Francisco had become to him a capture 
 
178 THE MEETING. 
 
 more prized than all the wealth of the Indies. But 
 one pure, good feeling was unextinguished in the 
 bosom of Cain ; stained with every crime — with his 
 hands so deeply imbrued in blood — at enmity with 
 all the rest of the world; — that one feeling burnt 
 bright and clear, and was not to be quenched. It 
 might have proved a beacon-light to steer him back 
 to repentance and to good works. 
 
 But there were other feelings which also crowded 
 upon the mind of the pirate captain. He knew Fran- 
 cisco's firmness and decision. By some inscrutable 
 means, which Cain considered as supernatural, Fran- 
 cisco had obtained the knowledge, and had accused 
 him, of his mother's death. Would not the affection 
 which he felt for the young man be met with hatred 
 and defiance ? He was but too sure that it would : 
 and then his gloomy, cruel disposition would reassume 
 its influence, and he thought of revenging the attack 
 upon his life. His astonishment at the reappearance 
 of Francisco was equally great, and he trembled at 
 the sight of him as if he was his accusing and con- 
 demning spirit. Thus did he wander from one fearful 
 fancy to another, until he at last summoned up resolu- 
 tion to send for him. 
 
 A morose dark man, whom Francisco had not seen 
 when he was before in the schooner, obeyed the com- 
 
THE MEETING. 179 
 
 mands of the captain. The irons were unlocked, and 
 Francisco was brought down into the cabin. The 
 captain rose and shut the door. 
 
 " I little thought to see you here, Francisco," said 
 Cain. 
 
 "Probably not," replied Francisco, boldly; "but 
 you have me again in your power and may now 
 wreak your vengeance." 
 
 " I feel none, Francisco ; nor would I have suffered 
 you to have been put on shore as you were, had I 
 known of it. Even now that our expedition has failed 
 through your means, I feel no anger towards you, 
 although I shall have some difficulty in preserving 
 you from the enmity of others. Indeed, Francisco, I 
 am glad to find that you are alive, and I have bitterly 
 mourned your loss : " and Cain extended his hand. 
 
 But Francisco folded his arms, and was silent. 
 
 "Are you then so unforgiving?" said the captain; 
 "you know that I tell the truth." 
 
 "I believe that you state the truth, Captain Cain, 
 for you are too bold to lie ; and, as far as I am con- 
 cerned, you have all the forgiveness you may wish : 
 but I cannot take that hand — nor are our accounts 
 still settled." 
 
 "What would you more? Cannot we be friends 
 again ? I do not ask you to remain on board. You 
 
180 THE MEETING. 
 
 are free to go where you please. Come Francisco, 
 take my hand, and let us forget what is passed." 
 
 " The hand that is imbrued with my mother's blood, 
 perhaps ! " exclaimed Francisco — " Never ! " 
 
 "Not so, by God!" exclaimed Cain. "No, no; 
 not quite so bad as that. In my mood I struck your 
 mother, I grant it. I did not intend to injure her, but 
 I did, and she died. I will not lie — that is the fact ; 
 and it is also the fact that I wept over her, Francisco, 
 for I loved her as I do you. (It was a hasty, bitter 
 blow that," continued Cain, soliloquising, with his hand 
 to his forehead, and unconscious of Francisco's presence 
 at the moment. " It made me what I am, for it made 
 me reckless.) Francisco," said Cain, raising his head, 
 " I was bad, but I was no pirate when your mother 
 lived. There is a curse upon me; that which I love 
 most I treat the worst. Of all the world, I loved your 
 mother most — yet did she from me receive most injury, 
 and at last I caused her death. Next to your mother, 
 whose memory I at once revere and love, and tremble 
 when I think of — and each night does she appear to me 
 — I have loved you, Francisco — for you, like her, have 
 an angel's feelings ; yet have I treated you as ill. You 
 thwarted me, and you were right. Had you been wrong 
 I had not cared, but you were right, and it maddened 
 me — your appeals by day — your mother's in my dreams." 
 
THE MEETING. 181 
 
 Francisco's heart was softened; if not repentance, 
 there was at least contrition. " Indeed, I pity you," 
 replied Francisco. 
 
 " You must do more, Francisco ; you must be 
 friends with me," said Cain, again extending his 
 hand. 
 
 " I cannot take that hand — it is too deeply dyed in 
 blood," replied Francisco. 
 
 " Well, well, so would have said your mother. But 
 hear me, Francisco," said Cain, lowering his voice to 
 a whisper, lest he should be overheard — "I am tired 
 of this life — perhaps sorry for what I have done — I 
 wish to leave it — have wealth in plenty concealed 
 where others know it not. Tell me, Francisco, shall 
 we both quit this vessel, and live together happily 
 and without doing wrong? You shall share all, 
 Francisco. Say, now, does that please you?" 
 
 " Yes ; it pleases me to hear that you will abandon 
 your lawless life, Captain Cain : but share your wealth 
 I cannot, for how has it been gained ? " 
 
 " It cannot be returned, Francisco ; I will do good 
 with it. I will, indeed, Francisco. I — will — repent : " 
 and again the hand was extended. 
 
 Francisco hesitated. 
 
 " I do — so help me, God ! I do repent, Francisco," 
 exclaimed the pirate captain. 
 
182 THE MEETING. 
 
 " And I, as a Christian, do forgive you all," replied 
 Francisco, taking the still extended hand. " May God 
 forgive you, too !" 
 
 "Amen!" replied the pirate, solemnly, covering 
 his face up in his hands. 
 
 In this position he remained some minutes, Fran- 
 cisco watching him in silence. At last the face was 
 uncovered, and, to the surprise of Francisco, a tear 
 was on the cheek of Cain, and his eyes suffused with 
 moisture. Francisco no longer waited for the hand 
 to be extended ; he walked up to the captain, and, 
 taking him by the hand, pressed it warmly. 
 
 " God bless you, boy ! God bless you ! " said Cain ; 
 " but leave me now." 
 
 Francisco returned on deck with a light and grateful 
 heart. His countenance at once told those who were 
 near him that he was not condemned, and many who 
 dared not before take notice of, now saluted him. 
 The man who had taken him out of irons looked 
 round ; he was a creature of Hawkhurst, and he knew 
 not how to act. Francisco observed him, and, with a 
 wave of his hand, ordered him to go below. That 
 Francisco was again in authority was instantly per- 
 ceived : and the first proof of it was, that the new 
 second mate reported to him that there was a sail on 
 the weather bow. 
 
THE MEETING. 183 
 
 Francisco took the glass to examine her. It was 
 a large schooner under all sail. Not wishing that any 
 one should enter the cabin but himself, he went down 
 to the cabin-door, and knocked before he entered, 
 and reported the vessel. 
 
 " Thank you, Francisco ; you must take Hawkhurst's 
 duty for the present — it shall not be for long; and 
 fear not that I shall make another capture. I swear 
 to you I will not, Francisco. But this schooner — I 
 know very well what she is : she has been looking 
 after us some time ; and a week ago, Francisco, I was 
 anxious to meet her that I might shed more blood. 
 Now I will do all I can to avoid her, and escape. I 
 can do no more, Francisco. I must not be taken." 
 
 " There I cannot blame you. To avoid her will 
 be easy, I should think ; the Avenger outsails every 
 thing." 
 
 " Except, I believe, the Enterprise, which is a sister 
 vessel. By heavens ! it 's a fair match," continued Cain, 
 his feelings of combativeness returning for a moment ; 
 " and it will look like a craven to refuse the fight : 
 but fear not, Francisco — I have promised you, and 
 I shall keep my word." 
 
 Cain went on deck, and surveyed the vessel through 
 the glass. 
 
 "Yes, it must be her," said he aloud, so as to be 
 
184 THE MEETING. 
 
 heard by the pirates ; " she has been sent out by the 
 admiral on purpose, full of his best men. What a 
 pity we are so shorthanded !" 
 
 "There's enough of us, sir," observed the boat- 
 swain. 
 
 "Yes," replied Cain, "if there was any thing but 
 hard blows to be got; but that is all, and I cannot 
 spare more men. Ready about !" continued he, 
 walking aft. 
 
 The Enterprise, for she was the vessel in pursuit, 
 was then about five miles distant, steering for the 
 Avenger, who was on a wind. As soon as the Avenger 
 tacked, the Enterprise took in her topmast studding- 
 sail, and hauled her wind. This brought the Enterprise 
 well on the weather-quarter of the Avenger, who now 
 made all sail. The pirates, who had had quite enough 
 of fighting, and were not stimulated by the presence 
 of Hawkhurst, or the wishes of their captain, now 
 shewed as much anxiety to avoid as they usually did 
 to seek a combat. 
 
 At the first trial of sailing between the two schooners 
 there was no perceptible difference ; for half an hour 
 they both continued on a wind, and, when Edward 
 Templemore examined his sextant a second time, he 
 could not perceive that he had gained upon the Avenger 
 one cable's length. 
 
THE MEETING. 185 
 
 " We will keep away half a point/' said Edward to 
 his second in command. " We can afford that, and 
 still hold the weather-gage." 
 
 " The Enterprise was kept away, and increased her 
 speed : they neared the Avenger more than a quarter 
 of a mile. 
 
 " They are nearing us," observed Francisco ; " we 
 must keep away a point" 
 
 Away went the Avenger, and would have recovered 
 her distance, but the Enterprise was again steered 
 more off the wind. 
 
 Thus did they continue altering their course until 
 the studding-sails below and aloft were set by both, 
 and the position of the schooners was changed; the 
 Enterprise now being on the starboard instead of 
 the larboard quarter of the Avenger. The relative 
 distance between the two schooners was, however, 
 nearly the same, that is, about three miles and a half 
 from each other; and there was every prospect of a 
 long and weary chase on the part of the Enterprise, 
 who again kept away a point to near the Avenger. 
 Both vessels were now running to the eastward. 
 
 It was about an hour before dark that another sail 
 hove in sight right a-head of the Avenger, and was 
 clearly made out to be a frigate. The pirates were 
 alarmed at this unfortunate circumstance, as there was 
 
186 THE MEETING. 
 
 little doubt but that she would prove a British cruiser ; 
 and, if not, they had equally reason to expect that 
 she would assist in their capture. She had evidently 
 perceived the two schooners, and had made all sail, 
 tacking every quarter of an hour so as to keep her 
 relative position. The Enterprise, who had also made 
 out the frigate, to attract her attention, although not 
 within range of the Avenger, commenced firing with 
 her long-gun. 
 
 " This is rather awkward," observed Cain. 
 
 "It will be dark in less than an hour," observed 
 Francisco ; " and that is our only chance." 
 
 Cain reflected a minute. 
 
 " Get the long-gun ready, my lads ! We will 
 return her fire, Francisco, and hoist American colours; 
 that will puzzle the frigate at all events, and the 
 night may do the rest." 
 
 The long-gun of the Avenger was ready. 
 
 " I would not fire the long-gun," observed Fran- 
 cisco ; " it will shew our force, and will give no 
 reason for our attempt to escape. Now, if we were 
 to fire our broadside guns, the difference of report 
 between them and the one of large calibre fired by 
 the other schooner, would induce them to think that 
 we are an American vessel." 
 
 " Very true," replied Cain ; " and, as America is 
 
THE MEETING. 187 
 
 at peace with all the world, that our antagonist is a 
 pirate. Hold last the long-gun. there ! and unship the 
 starboard ports. See that that ensign blows out clear." 
 
 The Avenger commenced firing an occasional gun 
 from her broadside, the reports of which were hardly 
 to be heard by those on board of the frigate : while 
 the long-gun of the Enterprise reverberated along the 
 water, and its Load resonance was swept by the wind 
 to the frigate to leeward. 
 
 Such was the state of affairs when the sun sank 
 down in the wave, and darkness obscured the vessels 
 from each other's sight, except with the assistance 
 of the night-telescopes. 
 
 ■■'What do you propose to do, Captain Cain?" said 
 Francisco. 
 
 " I have made up my mind to do a bold thing. 
 I will run down to the frigate as if for shelter: tell 
 him that the other vessel is a pirate, and claim his 
 protection. Leave me to escape afterwards ; the moon 
 will not rise till nearly one o'clock." 
 
 ••' That will be a bold ruse indeed : but suppose 
 you are once under her broadside, and she suspects 
 you '? " 
 
 •'•' Then I will shew her mv heels. I should care 
 nothing for her and her broadside if the schooner was 
 not here." 
 
188 THE MEETING. 
 
 In an hour after dark, the Avenger was close to 
 the frigate, having steered directly for her. She 
 shortened sail gradually, as if she had few hands on 
 board ; and, keeping his men out of sight, Cain ran 
 under the stern of the frigate, 
 
 "Schooner, ahoy! What schooner is that?" 
 
 " Eliza of Baltimore, from Carthagena," replied 
 Cain, rounding to under the lee of the man-of-war, 
 and then continuing : " That vessel in chase is a 
 pirate. Shall I send a boat on board?" 
 
 " No ; keep company with us." 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir," replied Cain. 
 
 " Hands about ship ! " now resounded with the 
 boatswain's whistles on board of the frigate, and in a 
 minute they were on the other tack. The Avenger 
 also tacked and kept close under the frigate's counter. 
 
 In the mean time, Edward Templemore and those 
 on board of the Enterprise, who, by the course steered, 
 had gradually neared them, perceiving the motions 
 of the two other vessels, were quite puzzled. At one 
 time they thought they had made a mistake, and that 
 it was not the pirate vessel; at another they surmised 
 that the crew had mutinied and surrendered to the 
 frigate. Edward hauled his wind, and steered directly 
 for them, to ascertain what the real facts were. The 
 captain of the frigate, who had never lost sight of 
 
THE MEETING. 189 
 
 either vessel, was equally astonished at the boldness 
 of the supposed pirate. 
 
 " Surely the rascal does not intend to board us," 
 said he to the first-lieutenant. 
 
 " There is no saying, sir ; you know what a character 
 he has: and some say there are three hundred men 
 on board, which is equal to our ship's company." 
 
 " Or, perhaps, sir, he will pass to windward of us, 
 and give us a broadside, and be off in the wind's-eye 
 again." 
 
 " At all events we will have a broadside ready for 
 him," replied the captain. " Clear away the starboard 
 guns, and take out the tompions. Pipe starboard-watch 
 to quarters." 
 
 The Enterprise closed with the frigate to windward, 
 intending to run round her stern and bring to on the 
 same tack. 
 
 " He does not shorten sail yet, sir," said the first- 
 lieutenant, as the schooner appeared skimming along 
 about a cable's length on their weather bow. 
 
 " And she is full of men, sir," said the master, 
 looking at her through the night-glass. 
 
 " Fire a gun at her ! " said the captain. 
 
 Bang ! The smoke cleared away, and the schooner's 
 foretopsail, which she was in act of clewing up, 
 lay over her side. The shot had struck the foremast 
 
190 THE MEETING. 
 
 of the Enterprise, and cut it in two below the cathar- 
 pings. The Enterprise was, for the time, completely 
 disabled. 
 
 "Schooner, ahoy! What schooner is that?" 
 
 " His Majesty's schooner Enterprise." 
 
 " Send a boat on board immediately." 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir." 
 
 " Turn the hands up ! Shorten sail ! " 
 
 The top-gallants and courses of the frigate were 
 taken in, and the mainsail hove to the mast. 
 
 " Signalman, whereabouts is that other schooner 
 now?" 
 
 " The schooner, sir ? On the quarter," replied the 
 signalman, who, with every body else on board, was 
 so anxious about the Enterprise, that they had neg- 
 lected to watch the motions of the supposed American. 
 The man had replied at random, and he now jumped 
 upon the signal-chests abaft to look for her. But she 
 was not to be seen. Cain, who had watched all that 
 passed between the other two vessels, and had been 
 prepared to slip off at a moment's warning, as soon 
 as the gun was fired at the other schooner, had wore 
 round and made all sail on a wind. The night-glass 
 discovered her half a mile astern; and the ruse was 
 immediately perceived. The frigate filled and made 
 sail, leaving Edward to return on board — for there 
 
THE MEETING. 191 
 
 was no time to stop for the boat — tacked, and gave 
 chase. But the Avenger was soon in the wind's-eye 
 of her ; and at daylight was no longer to be seen. 
 
 In the mean time, Edward Templemore had followed 
 the frigate as soon as he could set sail on his vessel, 
 indignant at his treatment, and vowing that he would 
 demand a court-martial. About noon the frigate 
 rejoined him, when matters were fully explained. 
 Annoyed as they all felt at not having captured the 
 pirate, it was unanimously agreed, that by his audacity 
 and coolness he deserved to escape. It was found 
 that the mast of the Enterprise could be fished and 
 scarfed, so as to enable her to continue her cruise. 
 The carpenters of the frigate were sent on board; 
 and in two days the injury was repaired, and Edward 
 Templemore once more went in pursuit of the Avenger. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 The Avenger stood under a press of sail to the north- 
 ward. She had left her pursuers far behind; and 
 there was not a speck on the horizon, when, on the 
 second morning, Francisco, who had resumed his berth 
 in the captain's cabin, went up on deck. Notwithstand- 
 ing the request of Cain, Francisco refused to take any 
 part in the command of the schooner, considering him- 
 self as a passenger, or prisoner on parole, He had not 
 been on deck but a few minutes, when he observed the 
 two Spanish fishermen belonging to the establishment 
 of Don Cumanos conversing together forward. Their 
 capture had quite escaped his memory, and he went 
 forward to speak to them. Their surprise at seeing him 
 was great, until Francisco informed them of what had 
 passed. They then recounted what had occurred to 
 them, and shewed their thumbs, which had been put into 
 screws to torture from them the truth. Francisco shud- 
 dered, but consoled them, promising that they should 
 soon be at liberty, and return to their former master. 
 
THE MISTAKE. 193 
 
 As Francisco returned from forward, he found 
 Hawkhurst on the deck. Their eyes met and flashed 
 in enmity. Hawkhurst was pale from loss of blood, 
 and evidently suffering; but he had been informed of 
 the apparent reconciliation between Francisco and the 
 captain, and he could no longer remain in his bed. 
 He knew, also, how the captain had avoided the 
 combat with the Enterprise ; and something told him 
 that there was a revolution of feeling in more than in 
 one point. Suffering as he was, he resolved to be a 
 spectator of what passed, and to watch narrowly. For 
 both Francisco and Cain he had imbibed a deadly 
 hatred, and was watching for an opportunity to wreak 
 his revenge. At present they were too powerful ; but 
 he felt that the time was coming when he might be 
 triumphant. 
 
 Francisco passed Hawkhurst without speaking. 
 
 "You are at liberty again, I see," observed Hawk- 
 hurst with a sneer. 
 
 " I am not, at all events, indebted to you for it," 
 replied Francisco haughtily ; " nor for my life either." 
 
 " No, indeed ; but I believe that I am indebted to 
 you for this bullet in my shoulder," replied the mate. 
 
 "You are," replied Francisco coolly. 
 
 " And depend upon it the debt shall be repaid 
 with usury." 
 
194 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 a I have no doubt of it, if ever it is in your power ; 
 but I fear you not." 
 
 As Francisco made this reply, the captain came 
 up the ladder. Hawkhurst turned away and walked 
 forward. 
 
 " There is mischief in that man, Francisco," said 
 the captain in an under tone ; " I hardly know whom 
 to trust; but he must be watched. He is tampering 
 with the men, and has been for some time; not that 
 it is of much consequence, if he does but remain quiet 
 for a little while. The command of this vessel he is 
 welcome to very soon ; but if he attempts too early — " 
 
 " I have those I can trust to," replied Francisco. 
 " Let us go below." 
 
 Francisco sent for Pompey the Krouman, and gave 
 him his directions in the presence of the captain. That 
 night, to the surprise of all, Hawkhurst kept his watch ; 
 and, notwithstanding the fatigue, appeared every day 
 to be rapidly recovering from his wound. 
 
 Nothing occurred for several days, during which 
 the Avenger still continued her course. What the 
 captain's intentions were did not transpire ; they were 
 known only to Francisco. 
 
 " We are very short of water, sir," reported Hawk- 
 hurst one morning : " shall we have enough to last 
 us to where we are going?" 
 
THE MISTAKE. 195 
 
 " How many days of full allowance have we on 
 board?" 
 
 " Not above twelve at the most." 
 
 " Then we must go on half allowance," replied 
 Cain. 
 
 " The ship's company wish to know where we are 
 going, sir." 
 
 (i Have they deputed you to ask the question?" 
 
 " Not exactly, sir ; but I wish to know myself," 
 replied Hawkhurst, with an insolent ah*. 
 
 " Turn the hands up," replied Cain: " as one of 
 the ship's company under my orders, you will, with 
 the others, receive the information you require." 
 
 The crew of the pirate collected aft. 
 
 " My lads !" said Cain, " I understand, from the 
 first mate, that you are anxious to know where you 
 are going? In reply, I acquaint you, that having so 
 many wounded men on board, and so much plunder 
 in the hold, I intend to repair to our rendezvous when 
 we were formerly in this part of the world — the 
 Caicos. Is there any other question you may wish 
 to ask of me ? " 
 
 "Yes," replied Hawkhurst; "we wish to know 
 what your intentions are relative to that young man, 
 Francisco. We have lost immense wealth ; we have 
 now thirty men wounded in the hammocks, and nine 
 
196 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 we left dead on the shore ; and I have a bullet through 
 my body: all which has been occasioned by him. 
 We demand justice !" 
 
 Here Hawkhurst was supported by several of the 
 pirates; and there were many voices which repeated 
 the cry of " Justice ! " 
 
 " My men! You demand justice, and you shall 
 have it," replied Cain. " This lad you all know well ; 
 I have brought him up as a child. He has always 
 disliked our mode of life, and has often requested to 
 leave it, and has been refused. He challenged me by 
 our own laws, 'Blood for blood!' He wounded me; 
 but he was right in his challenge, and, therefore, I bear 
 no malice. Had I been aware that he was to have 
 been sent on shore to die with hunger, I would not 
 have permitted it. What crime had he committed? 
 None; or, if any, it was against me. He was then 
 sentenced to death for no crime, and you yourselves 
 exclaimed against it. Is it not true?" 
 
 " Yes — yes," replied the majority of the pirates. 
 
 " By a miracle he escapes, and is put in charge of 
 another man's property. There was no crime in de- 
 fending that property. He is made a prisoner, and 
 now you demand justice. You shall have it. Allow- 
 ing that his life is forfeit for this offence, — you have 
 already sentenced him, and left him to death unjustly, 
 
THE MISTAKE. 197 
 
 and therefore are bound in justice to give his life in 
 this instance. I ask it, my men, not only as his right, 
 but as a favour to your captain." 
 
 "Agreed; it's all fair!" exclaimed the majority of 
 the pirate's crew. 
 
 " My men, I thank you," replied Cain ; " and, in 
 return, as soon as we arrive at the Caicos, my share 
 of the plunder on board shall be divided among you." 
 
 This last observation completely turned the tables 
 in favour of the captain ; and those who had joined 
 Hawkhurst, now sided with the captain. Hawkhurst 
 looked like a demon. 
 
 " Let those who choose to be bought off, take 
 your money," replied he ; " but / ivill not. Blood for 
 blood I will have; and so I give you warning. That 
 lad's life is mine, and have it I will ! Prevent me, if 
 you can ! " continued the mate ; holding up his clenched 
 hand, and shaking it almost in the pirate-captain's face. 
 
 The blood mantled even to the forehead of Cain. 
 One moment he raised himself to his utmost height, 
 then seizing a handspike, which lay near, he felled 
 Hawkhurst to the deck. 
 
 " Take that, for your mutiny ! " exclaimed Cain, 
 putting his foot on Hawkhurst's neck. " My lads, I 
 appeal to you. Is this man worthy to be in command, 
 as mate ? Is he to live ? " 
 
198 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 "No! no!" cried the pirates; "Death!" 
 
 Francisco stepped forward. " My men, you have 
 granted your captain one favour; grant me another — 
 which is the life of this man. Recollect how often he 
 has led you to conquest, and how brave and faithful 
 he has been until now ! Recollect that he is suffering 
 under his wound, which has made him irritable. Com- 
 mand you he cannot any longer, as he will never have 
 the confidence of your captain ; but let him live, and 
 quit the vessel." 
 
 " Be it so, if you agree," replied Cain, looking at 
 the men ; " I do not seek his life." 
 
 The pirates consented. Hawkhurst rose slowly from 
 the deck, and was assisted below to his cabin. The 
 second mate was then appointed as the first, and the 
 choice of the man to fill up the vacancy was left to 
 the pirate -crew. 
 
 For three days after this scene all was quiet and 
 orderly on board of the pirate. Cain, now that he 
 had more fully made up his mind how to act, imparted 
 to Francisco his plans; and his giving up to the men 
 his share of the booty still on board, was, to Fran- 
 cisco, an earnest of his good intentions. A cordiality, 
 even a kind of feeling which never existed before, 
 was created between them ; but of Francisco's mother, 
 and the former events of his own life, the pirate 
 
THE MISTAKE. 199 
 
 never spoke. Francisco more than once put questions 
 on the subject ; the answer was, — " You shall know 
 some of these days, Francisco, but not yet ; you would 
 hate me too much ! " 
 
 The Avenger was now clear of the English isles, 
 and with light winds, running down the shores of Porto 
 Rico. In the evening of the day on which they had 
 made the land, the schooner was becalmed about three 
 miles from the shore, and the new first mate proposed 
 that he should land in the boat and obtain a further 
 supply of water, from a fall which they had discovered 
 with the glasses. As this was necessary, Cain gave his 
 consent, and the boat quitted the vessel full of breakers. 
 
 Now it happened that the Avenger lay becalmed 
 abreast of the country-seat of Don d'Alfarez, the go- 
 vernor of the island. Clara had seen the schooner ; 
 and, as usual, had thrown out the white curtain as 
 a signal of recognition; for there was no perceptible 
 difference, even to a sailor, at that distance, between 
 the Avenger and the Enterprise. She had hastened 
 down to the beach, and hurried into the cave, awaiting 
 the arrival of Edward Templemore. The pirate-boat 
 landed at the very spot of rendezvous, and the mate 
 leaped out of the boat. Clara flew to receive her 
 Edward, and was instantly seized by the mate, before 
 she discovered her mistake. 
 
200 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 " Holy Virgin ! who and what are you ? " cried 
 she; struggling to disengage herself. 
 
 " One who is very fond of a pretty girl ! " replied 
 the pirate ; still detaining her. 
 
 " Unhand me, wretch ! " cried Clara ; " are you 
 aware whom you are addressing ? " 
 
 " Not I ! nor do I care ; " replied the pirate. 
 
 " You will, perhaps, sir, when you learn that I 
 am the daughter of the governor ! " exclaimed Clara, 
 pushing him away. 
 
 " Yes ! by heavens ! you are right, pretty lady, I 
 do care ; for a governor's daughter will fetch a good 
 ransom at all events. So come, my lads, a little help 
 here ; for she is as strong as a young mule. Never 
 mind the water, throw the breakers into the boat 
 again ! we have a prize worth taking ! " 
 
 Clara screamed ; but she was gagged with a hand- 
 kerchief, and lifted into the boat, which immediately 
 rowed back to the schooner. 
 
 When the mate came on board and reported his 
 capture, the pirates were delighted at the prospect of 
 addition to their prize-money. Cain could not, of 
 course, raise any objections ; it would have been so 
 different from his general practice, that it would have 
 strengthened suspicions already set afloat by Hawk- 
 hurst, which Cain was most anxious just then to 
 
THE MISTAKE. 201 
 
 remove. He ordered the girl to be taken down into 
 the cabin, hoisted in the boat, and the breeze springing 
 up again, made sail. 
 
 In the meantime Francisco was consoling the un- 
 fortunate Clara, and assuring her that she need be 
 under no alarm; promising her protection from him- 
 self and the captain. 
 
 The poor girl wept bitterly ; and it was not until 
 Cain came down into the cabin and corroborated the 
 assurances of Francisco, that she could assume any 
 degree of composure ; but to find friends when she had 
 expected every insult and degradation — for Francisco 
 had acknowledged that the vessel was a pirate — was 
 some consolation. The kindness and attention of 
 Francisco restored her to comparative tranquillity. 
 
 The next day, she confided to him the reason of 
 her coming to the beach, and her mistake with regard 
 to the two vessels; and Francisco and Cain promised 
 her that they would themselves pay her ransom, and 
 not wait until she heard from her father. To divert 
 her thoughts, Francisco talked much about Edward 
 Templemore ; and on that subject Clara could always 
 talk. Every circumstance attending the amour was 
 soon known to Francisco. 
 
 But the Avenger did not gain her rendezvous as 
 soon as she expected. When to the northward of 
 
202 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 Porto Rico, an English frigate bore down upon her, 
 and the Avenger was obliged to run for it. Before 
 the wind is always a schooner's worst point of sailing; 
 and the chase was continued for three days before a 
 fresh wind from the southward, until they had passed 
 the Bahama Isles. 
 
 The pirates suffered much from want of water, as 
 it was necessary still further to reduce their allowance. 
 The frigate was still in sight, although the Avenger 
 had dropped her astern when the wind became light, 
 and at last it subsided into a calm, which lasted two 
 days more. The boats of the frigate were hoisted out 
 on the eve of the second day to attack the schooner, 
 then distant five miles, when a breeze sprang up from 
 the northward, and the schooner being then to wind- 
 ward, left the enemy hull down. 
 
 It was not until the next day that Cain ventured 
 to run again to the southward, to procure at one of 
 the keys the water so much required. At last it was 
 obtained ; but with difficulty and much loss of time 
 from the scantiness of the supply, and they again 
 made sail for the Caicos. But they were so much 
 impeded by contrary winds and contrary currents, 
 that it was not until three weeks after they had been 
 chased from Porto Rico that they made out the low 
 land of their former rendezvous. 
 
THE MISTAKE. 203 
 
 We must now return to Edward Templemore in 
 the Enterprise, whom we left off the coast of South 
 America in search of the Avenger, which had so 
 strangely slipped through their fingers. Edward had 
 examined the whole coast, ran through the passage 
 and round Trinidad, and then started off to the Lee- 
 ward Isles in his pursuit. He had spoken every vessel 
 he met with, without gaining any information, and 
 had, at last, arrived off Porto Rico. 
 
 This was no time to think of Clara ; but, as it was 
 not out of his way, he had run down the island ; and 
 as it was just before dark before he arrived off that 
 part of the coast where the governor resided, he had 
 hove to for a little while, and had examined the 
 windows ; but the signal of recognition was not made ; 
 and, after waiting till dark, he again made sail, mad 
 with disappointment, and fearing that all had been 
 discovered by the governor ; whereas, the fact was, 
 that he had arrived only two days after the forcible 
 abduction of Clara. Once more he directed his atten- 
 tion to the discovery of the pirate ; and after a 
 fortnight's examination of the inlets and bays of the 
 Island of St. Domingo, without success, his provisions 
 and water being nearly expended, he returned, in no 
 very happy mood, to Port Royal. 
 
 In the meantime, the disappearance of Clara had 
 
204 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 created the greatest confusion in Porto Rico; and, 
 upon the examination of her attendant, who was con- 
 fronted by the friar and the duenna, the amour of her 
 mistress was confessed. The appearance of the Avenger 
 off the coast on that evening, confirmed their ideas that 
 the Donna Clara had been carried off by the English 
 lieutenant; and Don Alfarez immediately despatched 
 a vessel to Jamaica, complaining of the outrage, and 
 demanding the restoration of his daughter. 
 
 This vessel arrived at Port Royal a few days before 
 the Enterprise, and the admiral was very much asto- 
 nished. He returned a very polite answer to Don 
 Alfarez, promising an investigation immediately upon 
 the arrival of the schooner, and to send a vessel with 
 the result of the said investigation. 
 
 " This is a pretty business," said the admiral to his 
 secretary. " Young madcap ! I sent him to look after 
 a pirate, and he goes after the governor's daughter ! 
 By the lord Harry! Mr. Templemore, but you and 
 I shall have an account to settle." 
 
 " I can hardly believe it, sir," replied the secretary ; 
 "and yet it does look suspicious. But on so short 
 an acquaintance " 
 
 "Who knows that, Mr. Hadley? Send for his 
 logs, and let us examine them; he may have been 
 keeping up the acquaintance." 
 
THE MISTAKE. 205 
 
 The logs of the Enterprise were examined, — and 
 there were the fatal words — Porto Rico — Porto Rico, 
 bearing in every division of the compass ; and in 
 every separate cruise, nay, even when the schooner 
 was charged with despatches. 
 
 "Plain enough!" said the admiral. "Confounded 
 young scamp ! — to embroil me this way. Not that 
 his marrying the girl is any business of mine ; but I 
 will punish him for disobedience of orders, at all 
 events ! Try him by a court-martial, by heavens !" 
 
 The secretary made no reply: he knew very well 
 that the admiral would do no such thing. 
 
 " The Enterprise anchored at daylight, sir ; " re- 
 ported the secretary, as the admiral sat down to 
 breakfast. 
 
 " And where's Mr. Templemore ? " 
 
 " He is outside, in the verandah. They have told 
 him below of what he has been accused, and he swears 
 it is false. I believe him, sir ; for he appears half 
 mad at the intelligence." 
 
 " Stop a moment ! Have you looked over his 
 log?" 
 
 "Yes, sir. It appears that he was off Porto Rico 
 on the 19th ; but the Spanish governors letter says 
 that he was there on the 17 th, and again made his 
 appearance on the 19th. I mentioned it to him; and 
 
206 THE MISTAKE. 
 
 he declares, upon his honour, that he was only there 
 on the 19th, as stated in his log." 
 
 " Well ! let him come in and speak for himself." 
 
 Edward came in, in a state of great agitation. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Templemore ! — you have been playing 
 pretty tricks ! What is all this, sir ? — Where is the 
 girl, sir — the governor's daughter?" 
 
 " Where she is, sir, I cannot pretend to say ; but 
 I feel convinced that she has been carried off by the 
 pirates." 
 
 "Pirates! — Poor girl! I pity her — and — I pity 
 you, too, Edward. Come, sit down here, and tell me 
 all that has happened." 
 
 Edward knew the admiral's character so well, that 
 he immediately disclosed all that had passed between 
 him and Clara. He then stated how the Avenger had 
 escaped him by deceiving the frigate ; and the agree- 
 ment made with Clara to meet for the future on the 
 beach; with his conviction that the pirate schooner, 
 so exactly similar in appearance to the Enterprise, 
 must have preceded him at Porto Rico, and have 
 carried off the object of his attachment. 
 
 Although Edward might have been severely taken 
 to task, yet the admiral pitied him, and therefore said 
 nothing about his visits to Porto Rico. When break- 
 fast was over, he ordered the signal to be made for a 
 
THE MISTAKE. *207 
 
 sloop of war to prepare to weigh, and the Enterprise 
 to be re-victualled by the boats of the squadron. 
 
 " Now, Edward, you and the Comus shall sail in 
 company after this rascally pirate ; and I trust you 
 will give me a good account of her, and also of the 
 governor's daughter. Cheer up, my boy ! depend 
 upon it, they will try for ransom before they do her 
 any injury." 
 
 That evening the Enterprise and Comus sailed on 
 their expedition ; and, having run by Porto Rico, and 
 delivered a letter to the governor, they steered to the 
 northward, and early the next morning made the land 
 of the Caicos, just as the Avenger had skirted the 
 reefs, and bore up for the narrow entrance. 
 
 " There she is ! " exclaimed Edward ; " there she 
 is, by heavens!" making the signal for the enemy; 
 which was immediately answered by the Comus. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE CAICOS. 
 
 The small patch of islands called the Caicos or 
 Cayques, is situated about two degrees to the northward 
 of St. Domingo, and are nearly the southernmost of a 
 chain which extend up to the Bahamas. Most of the 
 islands of this chain are uninhabited, but were formerly 
 the resort of piratical vessels, as the reefs and shoals 
 with which they are all surrounded afforded them pro- 
 tection from their larger pursuers ; and the passages 
 through this dangerous navigation being known only 
 to the pirates who frequented them, proved an addi- 
 tional security. The largest of the Caicos islands forms 
 a curve like an opened horse-shoe to the southward, 
 with safe and protected anchorage when once in the bay 
 on the southern side; but, previous to arriving at the 
 anchorage, there are coral reefs extending upwards of 
 forty miles, through which it is necessary to conduct 
 a vessel. This passage is extremely intricate, but was 
 well known to Hawkhurst, who had hitherto been 
 pilot. Cain was not so well acquainted with it, and 
 
THE CAICOS. 209 
 
 it required the greatest care in taking in the vessel, 
 as, on the present occasion, Hawkhurst could not be 
 called upon for this service. The islands themselves, 
 for there were several of them, were composed of coral 
 rock: a few cocoa-trees raised their lofty heads where 
 there was sufficient earth for vegetation, and stunted 
 brushwood rose up between the interstices of the rocks. 
 But the chief peculiarity of the islands, and which 
 rendered them suitable to those who frequented them, 
 was the numerous caves with which the rocks were 
 perforated, some above high-water mark, but the ma- 
 jority with the sea-water flowing in and out of them, 
 in some cases merely rushing in, and, at high-water, 
 filling deep pools, which were detached from each other 
 when the tide receded; in others, with a sufficient 
 depth of water, at all times, to allow you to pull in 
 with a large boat. It is hardly necessary to observe how 
 convenient the higher and dry caves were as receptacles 
 for articles which were intended to be concealed until 
 an opportunity occurred for disposing of them. 
 
 In our last chapter we stated, that, just as the 
 Avenger had entered the passage, through the reefs, 
 the Comus and Enterprise hove in sight and discovered 
 her : but it will be necessary to explain the positions 
 of the vessels. The Avenger had entered the southern 
 channel, with the wind from the southward, and had 
 
 E E 
 
210 THE CAICOS. 
 
 carefully sounded her way for about four miles, under 
 little or no sail. 
 
 The Enterprise and Comus had been examining 
 Turk's Island, to the eastward of the Caicos, and had 
 passed to the northward of it on the larboard tack, 
 standing in for the northern point of the reef, which 
 joined on to the great Caicos Island. They were, there- 
 fore, in a situation to intercept the Avenger before she 
 arrived at her anchorage, had it not been for the reefs 
 which barred their passage. The only plan which 
 the English vessels could act upon, was to beat to 
 the southward, so as to arrive at the entrance of the 
 passage, when the Enterprise, would, of course, find 
 sufficient water to follow the Avenger ; for, as the 
 passage was too narrow to beat through, and the wind 
 was from the southward, the Avenger could not possibly 
 escape. She was- caught in a trap ; and all that she 
 had to trust to, was the defence which she might be 
 able to make in her stronghold against the force which 
 could be employed in the attack. The breeze was 
 fresh from the southward, and appeared inclined to 
 increase, when the Comus and Enterprise made all 
 sail, and worked, in short tacks, outside the reef. 
 
 On board the Avenger, the enemy and their motions 
 were clearly distinguished, and Cain perceived that he 
 was in an awkward dilemma. That they would be 
 
THE CAICOS. 211 
 
 attacked he had no doubt; and, although at any other 
 time he would almost have rejoiced in such an oppor- 
 tunity of discomfiting his assailants, yet now he thought 
 very differently and would have sacrificed almost every 
 thing to have been able to avoid the rencontre, and 
 be permitted quietly to withdraw himself from his 
 associates without the spilling of more blood. Fran- 
 cisco was equally annoyed at this unfortunate collision ; 
 but no words were exchanged between him and the 
 pirate-captain during the time that they were on deck. 
 
 It was about nine o'clock, when having safely 
 passed nearly half through the channel, that Cain 
 ordered the kedge-anchor to be dropped, and sent 
 down the people to their breakfast. Francisco went 
 down into the cabin, and was explaining their situa- 
 tion to Clara, when Cain entered. He threw himself 
 on the locker, and appeared lost in deep and sombre 
 meditation. 
 
 "What do you intend to do?" said Francisco. 
 
 " I do not know ; I will not decide myself, Fran- 
 cisco," replied Cain; "if I were to act upon my own 
 judgment, probably I should allow the schooner to 
 remain where she is. They can only attack in the 
 boats, and, in such a case, I do not fear; whereas, if 
 we run right through, we allow the other schooner to 
 follow us without defending the passage, and we may 
 
212 THE CAICOS. 
 
 then be attacked by her in the deep water inside, and 
 overpowered by the number of men the two vessels 
 will be able to bring against us. On the other hand, 
 we certainly may defend the schooner from the shore 
 as well as on board, but we are weak -handed. I shall, 
 however, call up the ship's company and let them 
 decide. God knows ! if left to me, I would not fight 
 at all." 
 
 "Is there no way of escape?" resumed Francisco. 
 
 "Yes, we might abandon the schooner; and this 
 night, when they would not expect it, run with the 
 boats through the channel between the great island 
 and the north Cayque, but that I dare not propose, 
 and the men would not listen to it; indeed, I very 
 much doubt if the enemy will allow us the time ; I knew 
 this morning, long before we saw those vessels, that 
 my fate would be decided before the sun went down." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " 
 
 " I mean this, Francisco," said Cain ; " that your 
 mother, who always has visited me in my dreams 
 whenever any thing, dreadful now to think of ! was 
 about to take place, appeared to me last night, and 
 there was sorrow and pity in her sweet face as she 
 mournfully waved her hand as if to summon me to 
 follow her. Yes, thank God ! she no longer looked 
 upon me as for many years she has done." 
 
THE CAICOS. 213 
 
 Francisco made no answer; and Cain again seemed 
 to be lost in meditation. 
 
 After a little while Cain rose, and taking a small 
 packet from one of the drawers, put it into the hands 
 of Francisco. 
 
 " Preserve that," said the pirate-captain ; " should 
 any accident happen to me, it will tell you who was 
 your mother : and it also contains directions for finding 
 treasure which I have buried. I leave every thing to 
 you, Francisco. It has been unfairly obtained ; but you 
 are not the guilty party, and there are none to claim it. 
 Do not answer me now. You may find friends, whom 
 you will make after I am gone, of the same opinion 
 as I am. I tell you again, be careful of that packet." 
 
 "I see little chance of it availing me," replied 
 Francisco ; " if I live shall I not be considered as a 
 pirate ? " 
 
 " No, no ; you can prove the contrary." 
 
 " I have my doubts ; but God's will be done." 
 
 "Yes, God's will be done!" said Cain, mournfully; 
 "I dared not have said that a month ago." And the 
 pirate-captain went on deck, followed by Francisco. 
 
 The crew of the Avenger were summoned aft, and 
 called upon to decide as to the measures they con- 
 sidered to be most advisable. They preferred weighing 
 the anchor and running into the bay, where they would 
 
2 14 THE CAICOS. 
 
 be able to defend the schooner, in their opinion, much 
 better than by remaining where they were. 
 
 The crew of the pirate schooner weighed the anchor^ 
 and continued their precarious course : the breeze had 
 freshened, and the water was in strong ripples, so that 
 they could no longer see the danger beneath her bottom. 
 In the meantime the sloop of war and Enterprise con- 
 tinued to turn to windward outside of the reef. 
 
 By noon the wind had considerably increased, and 
 the breakers now turned and broke in wild foam over 
 the coral reefs, in every direction. The sail was still 
 more reduced on board the Avenger, and her diffi- 
 culties increased from the rapidity of her motion. 
 
 A storm-jib was set, and the other hauled down ; yet 
 even under this small sail she flew before the wind. 
 
 Cain stood at the bowsprit, giving his directions to 
 the helmsman. More than once they had grazed the 
 rocks, and were clear again. Spars were towed a-stern, 
 and every means resorted to, to check her way. They 
 had no guide but the breaking of the wild water on 
 each side of them. 
 
 « Why should not Hawkhurst, who knows the 
 passage so well, be made to pilot us?" said the boat- 
 swain to those who were near him on the forecastle. 
 
 "To be sure, let's have him up," cried several of 
 the crew; and some of them went down below. 
 
THE CAICOS. 215 
 
 In a minute they reappeared with Hawkhurst, whom 
 they led forward : he did not make any resistance, and 
 the crew demanded that he should pilot the vessel. 
 
 " And suppose I will not," said Hawkhurst coolly. 
 
 " Then you lose your passage, that's all," replied 
 the boatswain ; " is it not so, my men ? " continued he, 
 appealing to the crew. 
 
 " Yes ; either take us safe in, or — overboard," replied 
 several. 
 
 " I do not mind that threat, my lads," replied Hawk- 
 hurst ; " you have all known me as a good man and 
 true, and it 's not likely that I shall desert you now. 
 Well, since your captain there cannot save you, I sup- 
 pose I must ; but," exclaimed he, looking about him — 
 " how 's this ? Why, we are out of the passage already. 
 Yes, and whether we can get into it again I cannot tell." 
 
 "We are not out of the passage," said Cain; "you 
 know we are not." 
 
 " Well, then, if the captain knows better than I, he 
 had better take you through," rejoined Hawkhurst. 
 
 But the crew thought differently, and insisted that 
 Hawkhurst, who well knew the channel, should take 
 charge. Cain retired aft, as Hawkhurst went out on 
 the bowsprit. 
 
 " I will do my best, my lads," said Hawkhurst ; 
 "but, recollect, if we strike in trying to get into the 
 
216 THE CAICOS. 
 
 right channel, do not blame me. Starboard a little — 
 starboard yet — steady so — there 's the true passage, 
 my lads ! " cried he, pointing to some smoother water 
 between the breakers — " port a little — steady." 
 
 But Hawkhurst, who knew that he was to be put 
 on shore as soon as convenient, had resolved to lose 
 the schooner, even if his own life was forfeited, and 
 he was now running her out of the passage on the 
 rocks. A minute after he had conned her, she struck 
 heavily again and again ; the third time she struck she 
 came broadside to the wind and heeled over: a sharp 
 coral rock found its way through her slight timbers 
 and planking, and the water poured in rapidly. 
 
 During this there was a dead silence on the part 
 of the marauders. 
 
 " My lads," said Hawkhurst, " I have done my 
 best, and now you may throw me overboard if you 
 please. It was not my fault, but his," continued he, 
 pointing to the captain. 
 
 " It is of little consequence whose fault it was, Mr. 
 Hawkhurst," replied Cain ; " we will settle that point 
 by and by ; at present we have too much on our hands. 
 Out boats, men ! as fast as you can, and let every man 
 provide himself with arms and ammunition. Be cool ! 
 the schooner is fixed hard enough, and will not go 
 down; we shall save every thing by and by." 
 
THE CAICOS. 217 
 
 The pirates obeyed the orders of the captain. The 
 three boats were hoisted out and lowered down. In 
 the first were placed all the wounded men and Clara 
 D'Alfarez, who was assisted up by Francisco. As 
 soon as the men had provided themselves with arms, 
 Francisco, to protect Clara, offered to take charge of 
 her, and the boat shoved off. 
 
 The men-of-war had seen the Avenger strike on 
 the rocks, and the preparations of the crew to take 
 to their boats. They immediately hove to, hoisted out 
 and manned their own boats with the hopes of cutting 
 them off before they could gain the island and prepare 
 for a vigorous defence ; for, although the vessels could 
 not approach the reefs, there was sufficient water in 
 many places for the boats to pass over them, Shortly 
 after Francisco, in the first boat, had shoved off from 
 the Avenger, the boats of the men-of-war were darting 
 through the surf to intercept them. The pirates per- 
 ceived this, and hastened their arrangements ; a second 
 boat soon left her, and into that Hawkhurst leaped as 
 it was shoving off. Cain remained on board, and 
 going round the lower decks to ascertain if any of the 
 wounded men were left, he then quitted the schooner 
 in the last boat and followed the others, being about 
 a quarter of a mile astern of the second, in which 
 Hawkhurst had secured his place. 
 
218 THE CAICOS. 
 
 At the time that Cain quitted the schooner, it was 
 difficult to say whether the men-of-war's boats would 
 succeed in intercepting any of the pirate's boats. Both 
 parties exerted themselves to their utmost; and, when 
 the first boat, with Francisco and Clara, landed, the 
 headmost of the assailants was not much more than 
 half a mile from them; but shallow water intervening, 
 there was a delay which was favourable to the pirate. 
 Hawkhurst landed in his boat as the launch of the 
 Comus fired her eighteen pound carronade. The last 
 boat was yet two hundred yards from the beach, when 
 another shot from the Comus's launch, which had been 
 unable hitherto to find a passage through the reef, 
 struck her on the counter, and she filled and went 
 down. 
 
 " He is gone !" exclaimed Francisco, who had led 
 Clara to a cave, and stood at the mouth of it to protect 
 her : " they have sunk his boat — no, he is swimming 
 to the shore, and will be here now, long before the 
 English seamen can land." 
 
 This was true. Cain was breasting the water man- 
 fully, making for a small cove nearer to where the 
 boat was sunk than the one in which Francisco had 
 landed with Clara and the wounded men, and divided 
 from the other by a ridge of rocks which separated 
 the sandy beach, and extended some way into the 
 
THE CAICOS. 219 
 
 water before they were submerged. Francisco could 
 easily distinguish the pirate-captain from the other 
 men, who also were swimming for the beach ; for 
 Cain was far a-head of them, and, as he gained nearer 
 to the shore, he was shut from Francisco's sight by 
 the ridge of rocks. Francisco, anxious for his safety, 
 climbed up the rocks and was watching. Cain was 
 within a few yards of the beach when there was the 
 report of a musket ; the pirate-captain was seen to 
 rise his body convulsively half out of the water — he 
 floundered — the clear blue wave was discoloured — 
 he sank, and was seen no more. 
 
 Francisco darted forward from the rocks, and per- 
 ceived Hawkhurst standing beneath them with the 
 musket in his hand, which he was recharging. 
 
 "Villain!" exclaimed Francisco, " you shall account 
 for this." 
 
 Hawkhurst had reprimed his musket and shut the 
 pan. 
 
 " Not to you," replied Hawkhurst, levelling his 
 piece, and taking aim at Francisco. 
 
 The ball struck Francisco on the breast ; he reeled 
 back from his position, staggered across the sand, 
 gained the cave, and fell at the feet of Clara. 
 
 "Oh, God!" exclaimed the poor girl, "are you 
 hurt; who is there, then, to protect me?" 
 
•220 THE CAICOS. 
 
 " I hardly know," replied Francisco faintly ; and, 
 at intervals, " I feel no wound. I feel stronger ; " 
 and Francisco put his hand to his heart. 
 
 Clara opened his vest, and found that the packet 
 given to Francisco by Cain, and which he had depo- 
 sited in his breast, had been struck by the bullet, which 
 had done him no injury further than the violent concus- 
 sion of the blow — notwithstanding he was faint from 
 the shock, and his head fell upon Clara's bosom. 
 
 But we must relate the proceedings of those who 
 were mixed up in this exciting scene. Edward Tem- 
 plemore had watched from his vessel with an eager 
 and painful curiosity, the motions of the schooner — her 
 running on the rocks, and the subsequent actions of the 
 intrepid marauders. The long telescope enabled him 
 to perceive distinctly all that passed, and his feelings 
 were increased into a paroxysm of agony when his 
 straining eyes beheld the white and fluttering habili- 
 ments of a female for a moment at the gunnel of the 
 stranded vessel — her descent, as it appeared to him, 
 nothing loath, into the boat — the arms held out to 
 receive, and the extension of hers to meet those offered 
 — could it be Clara ! where was the reluctance, the 
 unavailing attempts at resistance which should have 
 characterized her situation ? Excited by feelings which 
 he dared not analyse, he threw down his glass, and, 
 
THE CAICOS. 221 
 
 seizing his sword, sprang into his boat, which was 
 ready manned alongside, desiring the others to follow 
 him.. For once, and the only time in his existence 
 when approaching the enemy, did he feel his heart 
 sink within him — a cold tremor ran through his whole 
 frame, and, as he called to mind the loose morals and 
 desperate habits of the pirates, horrible thoughts entered 
 his imagination. iVs he neared the shore, he stood 
 up in the stern-sheets of the boat, pale, haggard, and 
 with trembling lips — and the intensity of his feelings 
 would have been intolerable but for a more violent 
 thirst for revenge. He clenched his sword, while the 
 quick throbs of his heart seemed, at every pulsation, 
 to repeat to him his thoughts of blood ! blood ! blood ! 
 He approached the small bay and perceived that there 
 was a female at the mouth of the cave — nearer and 
 nearer, and he was certain that it was his Clara — her 
 name was on his lips when he heard the two shots 
 fired one after another by Hawkhurst — he saw the 
 retreat and fall of Francisco— when, madness to be- 
 hold ! he perceived Clara rush forward, and there lay 
 the young man supported by her, and with his head 
 upon her bosom — could he believe what he saw — 
 could she really be his betrothed. Yes, there she 
 was, supporting the handsome figure of a young man, 
 and that man a pirate — she had even put her hand 
 
222 THE CAICOS. 
 
 into his vest, and was now watching over his reviving 
 form. Edward could bear no more ; he covered his 
 eyes, and now, maddened with jealousy, in a voice 
 of thunder, he called out — 
 
 " Give way, my lads ! for your lives, give way ! " 
 The gig was within half-a-dozen strokes of the 
 oar from the beach, and Clara, unconscious of wrong, 
 had just taken the packet of papers from Francisco's 
 vest, when Hawkhurst made his appearance from 
 behind the rocks which separated the two little sandy 
 coves. Francisco had recovered his breath, and, per- 
 ceiving the approach of Hawkhurst, he sprang upon 
 his feet to recover his musket; but, before he could 
 succeed, Hawkhurst had closed in with him, and a 
 short and dreadful struggle ensued. It would soon 
 have terminated fatally to Francisco, for the superior 
 strength of Hawkhurst had enabled him to bear down 
 the body of his opponent with his knee, and he was 
 fast strangling him by twisting his handkerchief round 
 his throat, while Clara shrieked, and attempted in 
 vain to tear the pirate from him. As the prostrate 
 Francisco was fast blackening into a corse, and the 
 maiden screamed for pity, and became frantic in her 
 efforts for his rescue, the boat dashed high up on the 
 sand ; and, with the bound of a maddened tiger, 
 Edward sprang upon Hawkhurst, tearing him down 
 
 tk 
 
THE CAICOS. 223 
 
 on his back, and severing his wrist with his sword- 
 blade until his hold of Francisco was relaxed, and 
 he wrestled in his own defence. 
 
 " Seize him, my lads ! " said Edward, pointing with 
 his left hand to Hawkhurst ; as with his sword directed 
 to the body of Francisco he bitterly continued, "this 
 victim is mine!''' But, whatever were his intentions, 
 thev were frustrated by Clara's recognition, who 
 shrieked out — Si My Edward ! w sprang into his arms, 
 and was immediately in a state of insensibility. 
 
 The seamen who had secured Hawkhurst looked 
 upon the scene with curious astonishment — while 
 Edward waited with mingled feelings of impatience 
 and doubt for Claras recovery — he wished to be 
 assured by her that he was mistaken, and he turned 
 again and again from her lace to that of Francisco, 
 who was fast recovering. During this painful suspense, 
 Hawkhurst was bound, and made to sit down. 
 
 " Edward ! dear Edward ! " said Clara, at last, in 
 a faint voice, clinging more closely to him ; " and am 
 I then rescued by thee, dearest?" 
 
 Edward felt the appeal ; but his jealousy had not 
 yet subsided. 
 
 "Who is that, Clara?" said he, sternly. 
 
 " It is Francisco. No pirate, Edward — but my 
 preserver." 
 
224 THE CAICOS. 
 
 " Ha, ha!" — laughed Hawkhurst, with a bitter 
 sneer, for he perceived how matters stood. 
 
 Edward Templemore turned towards him with an 
 inquiring look. 
 
 " Ha, ha ! " continued Hawkhurst ; " why, he is 
 the captain's son. No pirate, eh? Well, what will 
 women not swear to, to save those they dote upon." 
 
 "If the captain's son," said Edward, "why were 
 you contending?" 
 
 "Because just now I shot his scoundrel father." 
 
 "Edward!" said Clara, solemnly, "this is no time 
 for explanation, but, as I hope for mercy, what I 
 have said is true ; believe not that villain." 
 
 " Yes," said Francisco, who was now sitting up, 
 "believe him when he says that he shot the captain, 
 for that is true ; but, sir, if you value your own peace 
 of mind, believe nothing to the prejudice of that young 
 lady." 
 
 " I hardly know what to believe," muttered Edward 
 Templemore ; " but, as the lady says, this is no time 
 for explanation. With your permission, madam," said 
 he to Clara, "my coxswain will see you in safety on 
 board of the schooner, or the other vessel, if you prefer 
 it; my duty will not allow me to accompany you." 
 
 Clara darted a reproachful yet fond look on Edward, 
 as, with swimming eyes, she was led by the coxswain 
 
THE CAICOS. 225 
 
 to the boat which had been joined by the launch of 
 the Comus, the crew of which were, with their officers, 
 wading to the beach. The men of the gig remained 
 until they had given Hawkhurst and Francisco in 
 charge of the other seamen, and then shoved off with 
 Clara for the schooner. Edward Templemore gave 
 one look at the gig as it conveyed Clara on board, and, 
 ordering Hawkhurst and Francisco to be taken to the 
 launch, and a guard to be kept over them, went up, with 
 the remainder of the men, in pursuit of the pirates. 
 
 During the scene we have described, the other boats 
 of the men-of-war had landed on the island, and the 
 Avenger's crew, deprived of their leaders, and scattered 
 in every direction, were many of them slain or captured. 
 In about two hours it was supposed that the majority 
 of the pirates had been accounted for, and the prisoners 
 being now very numerous, it was decided that the 
 boats should return with them to the Comus, the captain 
 of which vessel, as commanding-officer, would then 
 issue orders as to their future proceedings. 
 
 The captured pirates, when mustered on the deck 
 of the Comus, amounted to nearly sixty, out of which 
 number one half were those who had been sent on 
 shore wounded, and had surrendered without resistance. 
 Of killed there were fifteen; and it was conjectured 
 that as many more had been drowned in the boat 
 
226 THE CAICOS. 
 
 when she was sunk by the shot from the carronade 
 of the launch. Although, by the account given by 
 the captured pirates, the majority were secured, yet 
 there was reason to suppose that some were still left 
 on the island concealed in the caves. 
 
 As the captain of the Comus had orders to return 
 as soon as possible, he decided to sail immediately for 
 Port Royal with the prisoners, leaving the Enterprise 
 to secure the remainder, if there were any, and recover 
 any thing of value which might be left in the wreck 
 of the Avenger, and then to destroy her. 
 
 With the usual celerity of the service these orders 
 were obeyed. The pirates, among whom Francisco 
 was included, were secured, the boats hoisted up, and, 
 in half an hour, the Comus displayed her ensign, and 
 made all sail on a wind, leaving Edward Templemore, 
 with the Enterprise, at the back of the reef, to perform 
 the duties entailed upon him; and Clara, who was on 
 board of the schooner, to remove the suspicion and 
 jealousy which had arisen in the bosom of her lover. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE TRIAL. 
 
 In a week, the Comus arrived at Port Royal, and 
 the captain went up to the Penn to inform the admiral 
 of the successful result of the expedition. 
 
 " Thank God," said the admiral, " we have caught 
 these villains at last: a little hanging will do them 
 no harm. The captain, you say, was drowned ? " 
 
 " So it is reported, sir," replied captain Manly ; 
 "he was in the last boat which left the schooner, and 
 she was sunk by a shot from the launch." 
 
 " I am sorry for that ; the death was too good for 
 him. However, we must make an example of the 
 rest : they must be tried by the Admiralty Court, 
 which has the jurisdiction of the high seas. Send 
 them on shore, Manly, and we wash our hands of 
 them." 
 
 "Very good, sir; but there are still some left on 
 the island, we have reason to believe; and the Enter- 
 prise is in search of them." 
 
 " By the by, did Templemore find his lady ?" 
 
228 THE TRIAL. 
 
 " Oh, yes, sir ; and — all 's right, I believe ; but I 
 had very little to say with him on the subject." 
 
 " Humph ! " replied the admiral, " I am glad to 
 hear it. Well, send them on shore, Manly, to the 
 proper authorities. If any more be found, they must 
 be hung afterwards when Templemore brings them 
 in. I am more pleased at having secured these 
 scoundrels than if we had taken a French frigate." 
 
 About three weeks after this conversation, the 
 secretary reported to the admiral that the Enterprise 
 had made her number outside ; but that she was 
 becalmed, and would not probably be in until the 
 evening. 
 
 " That -0 a pity," replied the admiral ; " for the 
 pirates are to be tried this morning. He may have 
 more of them on board." 
 
 "Very true, sir; but the trial will hardly be over 
 to-day: the judge will not be in court till one o'clock 
 at the soonest." 
 
 "It's of little consequence, certainly; as it is, they 
 are so many that they must be hanged by divisions. 
 However, as he is within signal distance, let them 
 telegraph ' Pirates now on trial.' He can pull on 
 shore in his gig, if he pleases." 
 
 It was about noon on the same day that the pirates, 
 and among them Francisco, escorted by a strong guard, 
 
THE TRIAL. 229 
 
 were conducted to the Court House, and placed at 
 the bar. The Court House was crowded to excess, 
 for the interest excited was intense. 
 
 Many of them who had been wounded in the attack 
 upon the property of Don Cumanos, and afterwards 
 captured, had died in their confinement. Still forty- 
 five were placed at the bar; and their picturesque 
 costume, their bearded faces, and the atrocities which 
 they had committed, created in those present a sen- 
 sation of anxiety mingled with horror and indignation. 
 
 Two of the youngest amongst them had been per- 
 mitted to turn king's evidence. They had been on 
 board of the Avenger but a few months; still their 
 testimony as to the murder of the crews of three 
 West India ships, and the attack upon the property 
 of Don Cumanos, was quite sufficient to condemn 
 the remainder. 
 
 Much time was necessarily expended in going through 
 the forms of the court; in the pirates answering to 
 their various names ; and, lastly, in taking down the 
 detailed evidence of the above men. It was late 
 when the evidence was read over to the pirates; and 
 they were asked if they had any thing to offer in 
 their defence. The question was repeated by the 
 judge; when Hawkhurst was the first to speak. To 
 save himself he could scarcely hope ; his only object 
 
230 THE TRIAL. 
 
 was to prevent Francisco pleading his cause success- 
 fully, and escaping the same disgraceful death. 
 
 Hawkhurst declared, that he had been some time 
 on board of the Avenger; — but that he had been 
 taken out of a vessel and forced to serve against his 
 will, as could be proved by the captain's son, who 
 stood there (pointing to Francisco), who had been 
 in the schooner since her first fitting out: — that he 
 had always opposed the captain, who would not part 
 with him, because he was the only one on board who 
 was competent to navigate the schooner : — that he 
 had intended to rise against him, and take the vessel, 
 having often stimulated the crew so to do ; and that, 
 as the other men, as well as the captain's son, could 
 prove, if they chose, he actually was in confinement 
 for that attempt when the schooner was entering the 
 passage to the Caicos ; and that he was only released 
 because he was acquainted with the passage, and 
 threatened to be thrown overboard if he did not take 
 her in : — that, at every risk, he had run her on the 
 rocks; and aware that the captain would murder him, 
 he had shot Cain as he was swimming to the shore, 
 as the captain's son could prove ; for he had taxed 
 him with it, and he was actually struggling with him 
 for life, when the officers and boats' crew separated 
 them and made them both prisoners: — that he hardly 
 
THE TRIAL. 231 
 
 expected that Francisco, the captain's son, would tell 
 the truth to save him, as he was his bitter enemy, 
 and, in the business at the Magdalen river, which 
 had been long planned (for Francisco had been sent 
 on shore under the pretence of being wrecked, but, 
 in fact, to ascertain where the booty was, and to 
 assist the pirates in their attack), Francisco had 
 taken that opportunity of putting a bullet through his 
 shoulder, which was well known to the other pirates, 
 and Francisco could not venture to deny. He trusted 
 that the court would order the torture to Francisco, 
 and then he would probably speak the truth ; at all 
 events let him speak now. 
 
 When Hawkhurst had ceased to address the court, 
 there was an anxious pause for some minutes. The 
 day was fast declining, and most parts of the spacious 
 Court House were already deeply immersed in gloom ; 
 while the light, sober, solemn, and almost sad, gleamed 
 upon the savage and reckless countenances of the 
 prisoners at the bar. The sun had sunk down behind 
 a mass of heavy, yet gorgeous clouds, fringing their 
 edges with molten gold. Hawkhurst had spoken 
 fluently and energetically, and there was an appear- 
 ance of almost honesty in his coarse and deep-toned 
 voice. Even the occasional oaths with which his 
 speech was garnished, but which we have omitted, 
 
23*2 THE TRIAL. 
 
 seemed to be pronounced more in sincerity than in 
 blasphemy, and gave a more forcible impression to his 
 narrative. 
 
 We have said, that when he concluded there was 
 a profound silence; and amid the fast-falling shadows 
 of the evening, those who were present began to feel, 
 for the first time, the awful importance of the drama 
 before them, the number of lives which were trembling 
 upon the verge of existence, depending upon the single 
 word of " Guilty." This painful silence, this harrow- 
 ing suspense, was at last broken by a restrained sob 
 from a female ; but, owing to the obscurity involving 
 the body of the court, her person could not be distin- 
 guished. The wail of woman so unexpected — for who 
 could there be of that sex interested in the fate of 
 these desperate men ? — touched the heart of its auditors, 
 and appeared to sow the first seeds of compassionate 
 and humane feeling among those, who had hitherto 
 expressed and felt nothing but indignation towards 
 the prisoners. 
 
 The judge upon the bench, the counsel at the bar, 
 and the jury impannelled in their box, felt the force 
 of the appeal; and it softened down the evil impres- 
 sion created by the address of Hawkhurst against the 
 youthful Francisco. The eyes of all were now directed 
 towards the one doubly accused — accused not only 
 
THE TRIAL. 233 
 
 by the public prosecutor, but even by his associate in 
 crime, — and the survey was favourable. They acknow- 
 ledged that he was one whose personal qualities might 
 indeed challenge the love of woman in his pride, and 
 her lament in his disgrace ; and, as their regard was 
 directed towards him, the sun, which had been obscured, 
 now pierced through a break in the mass of clouds, 
 and threw a portion of his glorious beams from a 
 window opposite, upon him, and him alone, while 
 all the other prisoners who surrounded him were 
 buried more or less in deep shadow. It was at once 
 evident that his associates were bold yet commonplace 
 villains — men who owed their courage, their only 
 virtue, perhaps to their habits, to their physical organ- 
 isation, or the influence of those around them. They 
 were mere human butchers, with the only adjunct, 
 that now that the trade was to be exercised upon 
 themselves, they could bear it with a sullen apathy — 
 a feeling how far removed from true fortitude ! Even 
 Hawkhurst, though more commanding than the rest, 
 with all his daring mien and scowl of defiance, looked 
 nothing more than a distinguished ruffian. With the 
 exception of Francisco, the prisoners had wholly neg- 
 lected their personal appearance ; and in them the 
 squalid and sordid look of the mendicant seemed 
 allied with the ferocity of the murderer. 
 
234 THE TRIAL 
 
 Francisco was not only an exception, but formed 
 a beautiful contrast to the others; and, as the evening 
 beams lighted up his figure, he stood at the bar, if 
 not with all the splendour of a hero of romance, 
 certainly a most picturesque and interesting personage, 
 elegantly, if not richly, attired. 
 
 The low sobs at intervals repeated, as if impossible 
 to be checked, seemed to rouse and call him to a sense 
 of the important part which he was called upon to act in 
 the tragedy there and then performing. His face was 
 pale, yet composed ; his mien at once proud and sorrow- 
 ful ; his eye was bright, yet his glance was not upon those 
 in court, but far away, fixed, like an eagle's, upon the 
 gorgeous beams of the setting sun, which glowed upon 
 him through the window that was in front of him. 
 
 At last the voice of Francisco was heard, and all 
 in that wide court started at the sound — deep, full, 
 and melodious as the evening chimes. The ears of 
 those present had, in the profound silence, but just 
 recovered from the harsh, deep-toned, and barbarous 
 idiom of Hawkhurst's address; when the clear, silvery, 
 yet manly, voice of Francisco riveted their attention. 
 The jury stretched forth their heads, the counsel 
 and all in court turned anxiously round towards the 
 prisoner, even the judge held up his forefinger, to 
 intimate his wish for perfect silence. 
 
THE TRIAL. 235 
 
 " My lord and gentlemen," commenced Francisco ; 
 " when I first found myself in this degrading situa- 
 tion, I had not thought to have spoken or to have 
 uttered one word in my defence. He that has just 
 now accused me has recommended the torture to be 
 applied ; he has already had his wish, for what torture 
 can be more agonizing than to find myself where I now 
 am ? So tortured, indeed, have I been through a short 
 yet wretched life, that I have often felt that any thing 
 short of self-destruction which would release me, would 
 be a blessing: but within these few minutes I have 
 been made to acknowledge that I have still feelings in 
 unison with my fellow-creatures; that I am not yet 
 fit for death, and all too young, too unprepared to 
 die; for who would unreluctant leave this world while 
 there is such a beauteous sky to love and look upon, 
 or while there is one female breast who holds him 
 innocent, and has evinced her pity for his misfortunes ? 
 Yes, my lord ; mercy and pity, and compassion, have 
 not yet fled from earth ; and, therefore, do I feel I 
 am too young to die. God forgive me! but I thought 
 they had — for never have they been shewn in those 
 with whom, by fate, I have been connected ; and it 
 has been from this conviction that I have so often 
 longed for death. And now, may that righteous God, 
 who judges us not here, but hereafter, enable me to 
 
236 THE TRIAL. 
 
 prove that I do not deserve an ignominious punish- 
 ment from my fellow-sinners — men ! 
 
 " My lord, I know not the subtleties of the laws, 
 nor the intricacy of pleadings. First, let me assert 
 that I have never robbed; but I have restored unto 
 the plundered : I have never murdered ; but I have 
 stood between the assassin's knife and his victim. 
 For this have I been hated and reviled by my asso- 
 ciates, and for this is my life now threatened by those 
 laws, against which I never have offended. The man 
 who last addressed you has told you that I am the 
 pirate-captain's son, It is the assertion of the only 
 irreclaimable and utterly remorseless villain among 
 those who now stand before you to be judged — the 
 assertion of one, whose glory, whose joy, whose solace, 
 has been blood-shedding. 
 
 " My lord, I had it from the mouth of the captain 
 himself, previous to his murder by that man, that I was 
 not his son. His son ! thank God, not so. Connected 
 with him and in his power I was most certainly and 
 most incomprehensibly. Before he died, he delivered 
 me a packet that would have told me who I am ; but 
 I have lost it, and deeply have I felt the loss. One 
 only fact I gained from him whom they would call 
 my father, which is, that with his own hand he slew, 
 yes, basely slew, my mother." 
 
THE TRIAL. 237 
 
 The address of Francisco was here interrupted by 
 a low deep groan of anguish, which startled the 
 whole audience. It was now quite dark, and the 
 judge ordered the court to be lighted previous to 
 the defence being continued. The impatience and 
 anxiety of those present were shewn in low murmurs 
 of communication, until the lights were brought in. 
 The word "Silence!" from the judge produced an 
 immediate obedience, and the prisoner was ordered 
 to proceed. 
 
 Francisco then continued his address, commencing 
 with the remembrances of his earliest childhood. As 
 he warmed with his subject, he became more eloquent ; 
 his action became energetical without violence ; and 
 the pallid and modest youth gradually grew into the 
 impassioned and inspired orator. He recapitulated 
 rapidly, yet distinctly and with terrible force, all the 
 startling events in his fearful life. There was truth 
 in the tones of his voice — there was conviction in 
 his animated countenance — there was innocence in his 
 open and expressive brow. 
 
 All who heard believed ; and scarcely had he con- 
 cluded his address, when the jury appeared impatient 
 to rise and give their verdict in his favour. But the 
 judge stood up, and addressing the jury, told them 
 that it was his most painful duty to remind them that 
 
2-38 THE TRIAL. 
 
 as yet they had heard but assertion, beautiful and 
 almost convincing assertion truly; but still it was not 
 proof. 
 
 " Alas ! " observed Francisco, " what evidence can 
 I bring forward, except the evidence of those around 
 me at the bar, which will not be admitted? Can I 
 recall the dead from the grave? can I expect those 
 who have been murdered to rise again to assert my 
 innocence ? can I expect that Don Cumanos will 
 appear from distant leagues to give evidence in my 
 behalf ? Alas ! he knows not how I am situated, or 
 he would have flown to my succour. No — no; not 
 even can I expect that the sweet Spanish maiden, 
 the last to whom I offered my protection, will appear 
 in such a place as this, to meet the bold gaze of 
 hundreds ! " 
 
 " She is here ! " replied a manly voice ; and a 
 passage was made through the crowd : and Clara, 
 supported by Edward Templemore, dressed in his 
 uniform, was ushered into the box for the witnesses. 
 The appearance of the fair girl, who looked round 
 her with alarm, created a great sensation. As soon 
 as she was sufficiently composed, she was sworn, and 
 gave her evidence as to Francisco's behaviour during 
 the time that she was a prisoner on board of the 
 Avenger. She produced the packet which had saved 
 
THE TRIAL. 239 
 
 the life of Francisco, and substantiated a great part 
 of his defence. She extolled his kindness and his 
 generosity ; and when she had concluded, every one 
 asked of himself, Can this young man be a pirate and 
 a murderer ? The reply was, " It is impossible." 
 
 " My lord," said Edward Templemore, " I request 
 permission to ask the prisoner a question. When I 
 was on board of the wreck of the Avenger, I found 
 this book floating in the cabin. I wish to ask the 
 prisoner, whether, as that young lady has informed 
 me, it is his ? " And Edward Templemore produced 
 the Bible. 
 
 "It is mine," replied Francisco. 
 
 " May I ask you by what means it came into your 
 possession ? " 
 
 " It is the only relic left of one who is now 
 no more. It was the consolation of my murdered 
 mother — it has since been mine. Give it to me, 
 sir ; I may probably need its support now more 
 than ever." 
 
 " Was your mother murdered, say you ? " cried 
 Edward Templemore, with much agitation. 
 
 " I have already said so : and I now repeat it." 
 
 The judge again rose, and recapitulated the evi- 
 dence to the jury. Evidently friendly to Francisco, 
 he was obliged to point out to them, that, although 
 
240 THE TRIAL. 
 
 the evidence of the young lady had produced much 
 which might be offered in extenuation, and induce 
 him to submit it to His Majesty, in hopes of his 
 gracious pardon after condemnation ; yet, that many 
 acts in which the prisoner had been involved had 
 endangered his life, and no testimony had been brought 
 forward to prove that he had not, at one time, acted 
 with the pirates, although he might since have repented* 
 They would, of course, remember that the evidence 
 of the mate, Hawkhurst, was not of any value, and 
 must dismiss any impression which it might have made 
 against Francisco. At the same time, he had the 
 unpleasant duty to point out, that the evidence of 
 the Spanish lady was so far prejudicial, that it pointed 
 out the good terms subsisting between the young man 
 and the pirate-captain. Much as he was interested 
 in his fate, he must reluctantly remind the jury, that 
 the evidence on the whole was not sufficient to clear 
 the prisoner ; and he considered it their duty to 
 return a verdict of guilty against all the prisoners at 
 the bar." 
 
 " My lord," said Edward Templemore, a few 
 seconds after the judge had resumed his seat; "may 
 not the contents of this packet, the seal of which I 
 have not ventured to break, afford some evidence in 
 favour of the prisoner? Have you any objection that 
 
THE TRIAL. 241 
 
 it should be opened previous to the jury delivering 
 their verdict. 
 
 " None," replied the judge ; " but what are its 
 supposed contents?" 
 
 " The contents, my lord," replied Francisco, " are 
 in the writing of the pirate-captain. He delivered 
 that packet into my hands, previous to our quitting 
 the schooner, stating that it would inform me who 
 were my parents. My lord, in my present situation 
 I claim that packet, and refuse that its contents shall 
 be read in court. If I am to die an ignominious death, 
 at least those who are connected with me shall not 
 have to blush at my disgrace, for the secret of my 
 parentage shall die with me." 
 
 " Nay — nay ; be ruled by me," replied Edward 
 Templemore, with much emotion : " in the narrative, 
 the hand-writing of which can be proved by the king's 
 evidence, there may be acknowledgement of all you 
 have stated, and it will be received as evidence ; will 
 it not, my lord?" 
 
 " If the hand- writing is proved, I should think it 
 may," replied the judge, "particularly as the lady 
 was present when the packet was delivered, and 
 heard the captain's assertion. Will you allow it to 
 be offered as evidence, young man ? " 
 
 " No, my lord," replied Francisco : " unless I have 
 
242 THE TRIAL. 
 
 permission first to peruse it myself, I will not have its 
 contents divulged, — unless I am sure of an honourable 
 acquittal : the jury must deliver their verdict." 
 
 The jury turned round to consult, during which 
 Edward Templemore walked to Francisco, accom- 
 panied by Clara, to entreat him to allow the packet 
 to be opened; but Francisco was firm against both 
 their entreaties. At last the foreman of the jury rose 
 to deliver the verdict. A solemn and awful silence 
 prevailed throughout the court; the suspense was 
 painful to a degree. 
 
 " My lord," said the foreman of the jury, " our 
 verdict is " 
 
 "Stop, sir!" said Edward Templemore, as he 
 clasped one arm round the astonished Francisco, and 
 extended the other towards the foreman. " Stop, sir ! 
 harm him not! for he is my brother!" 
 
 "And my preserver!" cried Clara, kneeling on the 
 other side of Francisco, and holding up her hands in 
 supplication. 
 
 " The announcement was electrical ; the foreman 
 dropped into his seat ; the judge and whole court 
 were in mute astonishment. The dead silence was 
 followed by confusion, which, after a time, the judge 
 in vain attempted to put a stop to. 
 
 Edward Templemore, Clara, and Francisco, con- 
 
TFIE TRIAL. 243 
 
 tinued to form the same group; and never was there 
 one more beautiful. And now that they were together, 
 every one in court perceived the strong resemblance 
 between the two young men. 
 
 Francisco's complexion was darker than Edward's, 
 from his constant exposure, from infancy, to a tropical 
 sun ; but the features of the two were the same. 
 
 It was some time before the judge could obtain 
 silence in the court ; and, when it had been obtained, 
 he was himself puzzled how to proceed. 
 
 Edward and Francisco, who had exchanged a few 
 words; were now standing side by side. 
 
 " My lord," said Edward Templemore, " the pri- 
 soner consents that the packet shall be opened." 
 
 " I do," said Francisco, mournfully ; although I 
 have but little hope from its contents. Alas ! now 
 that I have every thing to live for, — now that I cling 
 to life, I feel as if every chance was gone ! The days 
 of miracles have passed; and nothing but the miracle 
 of the reappearance of the pirate-captain from the 
 grave can prove my innocence." 
 
 " He reappears from the grave to prove thine 
 innocence, Francisco ! " said a deep hollow voice, 
 which startled the whole court, — and most of all 
 Hawkhurst and the prisoners at the bar. Still 
 more did fear and horror distort their countenances, 
 
244 THE TRIAL. 
 
 when into the witness-box stalked the giant form of 
 Cain. 
 
 But it was no longer the figure which we have 
 described in the commencement of this narrative : his 
 beard had been removed, and he was pale, wan, and 
 emaciated. His sunken eyes — his hollow cheek, and 
 a short cough, which interrupted his speech, proved 
 that his days were nearly at a close. 
 
 "My lord!" said Cain, addressing the judge, "I 
 am the pirate Cain, — and was the captain of the 
 Avenger ! Still am I free. I come here voluntarily, 
 that I may attest the innocence of that young man ! 
 As yet, my hand has not known the manacle, nor my 
 feet the gyves ! I am not a prisoner, nor included in 
 the indictment ; and at present my evidence is good ! 
 None know me in this court, except those whose 
 testimony, as prisoners, is unavailing; and therefore, 
 to save that boy, and only to save him, I demand 
 that I may be sworn." 
 
 The oath was administered, with more than usual 
 solemnity. 
 
 " My lord, and gentlemen of the jury, — I have 
 been in court since the commencement of the trial, 
 and I declare that every word which Francisco has 
 uttered in his own defence is true. He is totally 
 innocent of any act of piracy or murder, — the packet 
 
THE TRIAL. 245 
 
 would, indeed, have proved as much ; but in that 
 packet there are secrets which I wished to remain 
 unknown to all but Francisco; and, rather than it 
 should be opened, I have come forward myself. How 
 that young officer discovered that Francisco is his 
 brother I know not ; but if he also is the son of 
 Cecilia Templemore, it is true. But the packet will 
 explain all. 
 
 "And now, my lords, that my evidence is received, 
 I am content : I have done one good deed before I 
 die, and I surrender myself, as a pirate and a foul 
 murderer, to justice. True, my life is nearly closed 
 — thanks to that villain, there; but I prefer that I 
 should meet that death I merit, as an expiation of 
 my many deeds of guilt." 
 
 Cain then turned to Hawkhurst, who was close to 
 him, but the mate appeared to be in a state of stupor ; 
 he had not recovered from his first terror, and still 
 imagined the appearance of Cain to be supernatural. 
 
 "Villain!" exclaimed Cain, putting his mouth close 
 to Hawkhurst's ear, " double d — d villain ! thou 'It 
 die like a dog, and unrevenged ! the boy is safe, and 
 I'm alive!" 
 
 "Art thou really living?" said Hawkhurst, recover- 
 ing from his fear. 
 
 " Yes, living — yes, flesh and blood ; feel, wretch ! 
 
246 THE TRIAL. 
 
 feel this arm, and be convinced : thou hast felt the 
 power of it before now," continued Cain, sarcastically. 
 " x\nd now, my lord, I have done : Francisco, fare 
 thee well. I loved thee, and have proved my love. 
 Hate not then my memory, and forgive me — yes, 
 forgive me when I 'm no more," said Cain, who then 
 turned his eyes to the ceiling of the Court House. — 
 " Yes, there she is, Francisco ! — there she is ! and 
 see/' cried he, extending both arms above his head, 
 " she smiles upon — yes, Francisco, your sainted mother 
 smiles and pardons " 
 
 The sentence was not finished ; for Hawkhurst, 
 when Cain's arms were upheld, perceived his knife 
 in his girdle, and, with the rapidity of thought, he 
 drew it out, and passed it through the body of the 
 pirate-captain. 
 
 Cain fell heavily on the floor, while the court was 
 again in confusion. Hawkhurst was secured, and Cain 
 raised from the ground. 
 
 " I thank thee, Hawkhurst ! " said Cain, in an ex- 
 piring voice ; " another murder thou hast to answer 
 for: and you have saved me from the disgrace, not 
 of the gallows, but of the gallows in thy company. 
 Francisco, boy, farewell!" And Cain groaned deeply, 
 and expired. 
 
 Thus perished the renouned pirate-captain, who, 
 
THE TRIAL. 247 
 
 in his life, had shed so much blood, and whose death 
 produced another murder — Blood for Blood ! 
 
 The body was removed ; and it now remained but 
 for the jury to give their verdict. All the prisoners 
 were found guilty, with the exception of Francisco, 
 who left the dock, accompanied by his newly found 
 brother, and the congratulations of every individual 
 who could gain access to him. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Our first object will be to explain to the reader 
 by what means Edward Templemore was induced to 
 surmise that in Francisco, whom he had considered 
 as a rival, he had found a brother ; and also to account 
 for the reappearance of the pirate Cain. 
 
 In pursuance of his orders, Edward Templemore 
 had proceeded on board of the wreck of the Avenger ; 
 and while his men were employed in collecting articles 
 of great value which were on board of her, he had 
 descended into the cabin, which was partly under 
 water. Here he had picked up a book floating near the 
 lockers, and, on examination, found it to be a Bible. 
 
 Surprised at seeing such a book on board of a 
 pirate, he had taken it with him when he returned to 
 the Enterprise, and had shewn it to Clara, who imme- 
 diately recognized it as the property of Francisco. The 
 book was saturated with the salt water, and as Edward 
 mechanically turned over the pages, he referred to the 
 title-page to see if there was any name upon it. There 
 
CONCLUSION. 249 
 
 was not: but he observed that the blank or fly-leaf 
 next to the binding had been pasted down, and that 
 there was writing on the other side. In its present 
 state it was easily detached from the cover ; and then, 
 to his astonishment, he read the name of Cecilia 
 Templemore — his own mother. He knew well the 
 history ; how he had been saved, and his mother and 
 brother supposed to be lost; and it may readily be 
 imagined how great was his anxiety to ascertain by 
 what means her Bible had come into the possession 
 of Francisco. He dared not think Francisco was his 
 brother — that he was so closely connected with one 
 he still supposed to be a pirate : but the circumstance 
 was possible ; and, although he had intended to have 
 remained a few days longer, he now listened to the 
 entreaties of Clara, whose peculiar position on board 
 was only to be justified by the peculiar position from 
 which she had been rescued, and, returning that 
 evening to the wreck, he set fire to her, and then 
 made all sail for Port Royal. 
 
 Fortunately he arrived, as we have stated, on the 
 day of the trial; and, as soon as the signal was made 
 by the admiral, he immediately manned his gig, and, 
 taking Clara with him, in case her evidence might 
 be of use, arrived at the Court House when the trial 
 was about half over. 
 
250 CONCLUSION. 
 
 In our last chapter but one, we stated that Cain 
 had been wounded by Hawkhurst, when he was swim- 
 ming on shore, and had sunk : the ball had entered 
 his chest, and passed through his lungs. The contest 
 between Hawkhurst and Francisco, and their capture 
 by Edward, had taken place on the other side of the 
 ridge of rocks, in the adjacent cove; and, although 
 Francisco had seen Cain disappear, and concluded 
 that he was dead, it was not so ; he had again risen 
 above the water, and dropping his feet and finding 
 bottom, he contrived to crawl out, and wade into a 
 cave adjacent, where he laid down to die. 
 
 But in this cave there was one of the Avenger's 
 boats, two of the pirates, mortally wounded, and the 
 four Kroumen, who had concealed themselves there 
 with the intention of taking no part in the conflict, and, 
 as soon as it became dark, of making their escape in 
 the boat, which they had hauled up dry into the cave. 
 
 Cain staggered in, recovered the dry land, and fell. 
 Pompey, the Krouman, perceiving his condition, went 
 to his assistance, and bound up his wound, and the 
 staunching of the blood soon revived the pirate-captain. 
 The other pirates died unaided. 
 
 Although the island was searched in every direction, 
 this cave, from the water flowing into it, escaped the 
 vigilance of the British seamen; and when they re- 
 
CONCLUSION. 251 
 
 embarked, with the majority of the pirates captured, 
 Cain and the Kroumen were undiscovered. 
 
 As soon as it was dark, Cain informed them of 
 his intentions ; and, although the Kroumen would, 
 probably, have left him to his fate, yet, as they required 
 his services to know how to steer to some other island, 
 he was assisted into the stern-sheets, and the boat was 
 backed out of the cave. 
 
 By the directions of Cain, they passed through the 
 passage between the great island and the northern 
 Caique, and before daylight were far away from any 
 chance of capture. 
 
 Cain had now, to a certain degree, recovered; and, 
 knowing that they were in the channel of the small 
 traders, he pointed out to the Kroumen that, if sup- 
 posed to be pirates, they would inevitably be punished, 
 although not guilty, and that they must pass off as 
 the crew of a small coasting-vessel which had been 
 wrecked. He then, with the assistance of Pompey, 
 cut off his beard as close as he could, and arranged 
 his dress in a more European style. They had neither 
 water nor provisions, and were exposed to a vertical 
 sun. Fortunately for them, and still more fortunately 
 for Francisco, on the second day they were picked 
 up by an American brig bound to Antigua. 
 
 Cain narrated his fictitious disasters, and said 
 
252 CONCLUSION. 
 
 nothing about his wound; the neglect of which would 
 certainly have occasioned his death a very few days 
 after he appeared at the trial, had he not fallen by 
 the malignity of Hawkhurst. 
 
 Anxious to find his way to Port Royal — for he was 
 indifferent as to his own life, and only wished to save 
 Francisco — he was overjoyed to meet a small schooner, 
 trading between the islands, bound to Port Royal. In 
 that vessel he obtained a passage for himself and the 
 Kroumen, and had arrived three days previous to the 
 trial, and during that time had remained concealed 
 until the day that the Admiralty Court assembled. 
 
 It may be as well here to remark, that Cain's 
 reason for not wishing the packet to be opened, was, 
 that among the other papers relative to Francisco, 
 were directions for the recovery of tl)e treasure which 
 he had concealed, and which, of course, he wished 
 to be communicated to Francisco alone. 
 
 We will leave the reader to imagine what passed 
 between Francisco and Edward after the discovery of 
 their kindred, and proceed to state the contents of 
 the packet, which the twin brothers now opened in 
 the presence of Clara alone. 
 
 We must, however, condense the matter, which 
 was very voluminous. — It stated that Cain, whose 
 real name was Charles Osborne, had sailed, in a fine 
 
CONCLUSION. 253 
 
 schooner from Bilboa, for the coast of Africa, to pro- 
 cure a cargo of slaves ; and had been out about 
 twenty-four hours, when the crew perceived a boat, 
 apparently with no one in her, floating about a mile 
 a-head of them. The water was then smooth, and 
 the vessel had but little way. As soon as they came 
 up with the boat, they lowered down their skiff to 
 examine her. 
 
 The men sent in the skiff soon returned, towing 
 the boat alongside. Lying at the bottom of the boat 
 were found several men, almost dead, and reduced 
 to skeletons ; and in the stern-sheets a negro- woman, 
 with a child at her breast, and a white female, in 
 the last state of exhaustion. 
 
 Osborne was then a gay and unprincipled man, 
 but not a hardened villain and murderer, as he after- 
 wards became ; he had compassion and feeling — they 
 were all taken on board the schooner : some recovered 
 — others were too much exhausted. Among those 
 restored was Cecilia Templemore and the infant, who 
 at first had been considered quite dead ; but the negro- 
 woman, exhausted by the demands of her nursling 
 and her privations, expired as she was being removed 
 from the boat. A goat, that fortunately was on board, 
 proved a substitute for the negress ; and, before 
 Osborne had arrived off the coast, the child had 
 
254 CONCLUSION. 
 
 recovered its health and vigour, and the mother her 
 extreme beauty. 
 
 We must now pass over a considerable portion of 
 the narrative. Osborne was impetuous in his passions, 
 and Cecilia Templemore became his victim. He had, 
 indeed, afterwards quieted her qualms of conscience 
 by a pretended marriage, when he arrived at the 
 Brazils with his cargo of human flesh. But that was 
 little alleviation of her sufferings ; she, who had been 
 indulged in every luxury, who had been educated 
 with the greatest care, was now lost for ever — an 
 outcast from the society to which she could never 
 hope to return, and associating with those she both 
 dreaded and despised. She passed her days and her 
 nights in tears; and had soon more cause for sorrow 
 from the brutal treatment she received from Osborne, 
 who had been her destroyer. Her child was her only 
 solace ; but for him, and the fear of leaving him to 
 the demoralising influence of those about him, she 
 would have laid down and died; but she lived for 
 him — for him attempted to recal Osborne from his 
 career of increasing guilt — bore meekly with reproaches 
 and with blows. At last Osborne changed his nefarious 
 life for one of deeper guilt : he became a pirate, and 
 still carried with him Cecilia and her child. 
 
 This was the climax of her misery : she now wasted 
 
CONCLUSION. 255 
 
 from day to day, and grief would soon have terminated 
 her existence, had it not been hastened by the cruelty 
 of Cain, who, upon an expostulation on her part, fol- 
 lowed up with a denunciation of the consequences of 
 his guilty career, struck her with such violence that she 
 sank under the blow. She expired with a prayer that 
 her child might be rescued from a life of guilt ; and, 
 when the then repentant Cain promised what he never 
 did perform, she blessed him, too, before she died. 
 
 Such was the substance of the narrative, as far as it 
 related to the unfortunate mother of these two young 
 men, who, when they had concluded, sat, hand-in-hand, 
 in mournful silence. This, however, was soon broken 
 by the innumerable questions asked by Edward of his 
 brother, as to what he could remember of their ill-fated 
 parent, which were followed up by the history of 
 Francisco's eventful life. 
 
 " And the treasure, Edward," said Francisco — " I 
 cannot take possession of it." 
 
 " No, nor shall you either," replied Edward ; " it 
 belongs to the captors, and must be shared as prize- 
 money. You will never touch one penny of it; but 
 I shall, I trust, pocket a very fair proportion of it ! 
 However, keep this paper, as it is addressed to you." 
 
 The admiral had been made acquainted with all the 
 particulars of this eventful trial, and had sent a mes- 
 
256 CONCLUSION. 
 
 sage, to Edward requesting that, as soon as he and his 
 brother could make it convenient, he would be happy 
 to see them at the Penn, as well as the daughter of the 
 Spanish governor, whom he must consider as being 
 under his protection during the time that she remained 
 at Port Royal. This offer was gladly accepted by 
 Clara; and, on the second day after the trial, they 
 proceeded up to the Penn. Clara and Francisco were 
 introduced, and apartments and suitable attendance 
 provided for the former. 
 
 " Templemore," said the admiral, " I 'm afraid I 
 must send you away to Porto Rico, to assure the 
 governor of his daughter's safety." 
 
 " I would rather you would send some one else, 
 sir, and I '11 assure her happiness in the mean time." 
 
 " What ! by marrying her ? Humph ! you 've a 
 good opinion of yourself! Wait till you're a captain, 
 sir." 
 
 " I hope I shall not have to wait long, sir," replied 
 Edward, demurely. 
 
 " By the by," said the admiral, " did you not say 
 you have notice of treasure concealed in those islands ? " 
 
 " My brother has : I have not." 
 
 " We must send for it. I think we must send you, 
 Edward. Mr. Francisco, you must go with hirn." 
 
 " With pleasure, sir," replied Francisco, laughing ; 
 
CONCLUSION. 257 
 
 "but I think I 'd rather wait till Edward is a captain ! 
 His wife and his fortune ought to come together. I 
 think I shall not deliver up my papers until the day 
 of his marriage ?" 
 
 " Upon my word," said Captain Manly, " I wish, 
 Templemore, you had your commission, for there 
 seems to be so much depending on it — the young 
 lady's happiness, my share of the prize-money, and 
 the admiral's eighth. Really, admiral, it becomes a 
 common cause ; and I 'm sure he deserves it ! " 
 
 " So do I, Manly," replied the admiral ; " and to 
 prove that I have thought so, here comes Mr. Hadley 
 with it in his hand : it only wants one little thing to 
 complete it " 
 
 " Which is your signature, admiral, I presume ; " 
 replied Captain Manly, taking a pen full of ink, and 
 presenting it to his senior officer. 
 
 "Exactly!" replied the admiral, scribbling at the 
 bottom of the paper ; " and now — it does not want 
 that. Captain Templemore, I wish you joy!" 
 
 Edward made a very low obeisance, as his flushed 
 countenance indicated his satisfaction. 
 
 " I cannot give commissions, admiral," said Fran- 
 cisco, presenting a paper in return ; " but I can give 
 information — and you will find it not unimportant — 
 for the treasure appears of great value." 
 
258 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " God bless my soul ! Manly, you must start at 
 daylight!" exclaimed the admiral; "why, there is 
 enough to load your sloop! There! — read it! — and 
 then I will write your orders, and enclose a copy of 
 it, for fear of accident." 
 
 " That was to have been my fortune," said Fran- 
 cisco, with a grave smile; "but I would not touch it." 
 
 « Very right, bo} ! — a fine principle ! But we are 
 not quite so particular," said the admiral. "Now, 
 where 's the young lady? let her know that dinner's 
 on the table." 
 
 A fortnight after this conversation, Captain Manly 
 returned with the treasure ; and the Enterprise, com- 
 manded by another officer, returned from Porto Rico, 
 with a letter from the governor in reply to one from 
 the admiral, in which the rescue of his daughter by 
 Edward had been communicated. The letter was full 
 of thanks to the admiral, and compliments to Edward ; 
 and, what was of more importance, it sanctioned the 
 union of the young officer with his daughter, with a 
 dozen boxes of gold doubloons. 
 
 About six weeks after the above-mentioned impor- 
 tant conversation, Mr. Witherington, who had been 
 reading a voluminous packet of letters, in his breakfast- 
 room in Finsbury Square, pulled his bell so violently 
 that old Jonathan thought his master must be but 
 
CONCLUSION. 259 
 
 of his senses. This, however, did not induce him to 
 accelerate his solemn and measured pace ; and he made 
 his appearance at the door, as usual, without speaking. 
 
 " Why don't that fellow answer the bell ? " cried 
 Mr. Witherington. 
 
 " I am here, sir," said Jonathan, solemnly. 
 
 " Well, so you are ! but, confound you ! — you come 
 like the ghost of a butler ! Bu who do you think 
 is coming here, Jonathan?" 
 
 " I cannot tell, sir." 
 
 " But I can ! — you solemn old ! Edward 's 
 
 coming here ! — coming home directly ! " 
 
 "Is he to sleep in his old room, sir?" replied the 
 imperturbable butler. 
 
 " No ! the best bed-room ! Why, Jonathan he is 
 married — he is made a captain! — Captain Temple- 
 more ! " 
 
 « Yes— sir." 
 
 "And he has found his brother, Jonathan; his 
 twin-brother ! " 
 
 " Yes— sir." 
 
 "His brother Francis — that was supposed to be 
 lost! But it's a long story, Jonathan! — and a very 
 wonderful one !— his poor mother has long been 
 dead!" 
 
 " In calo quies" said Jonathan ; casting up his eyes. 
 
260 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " But his brother has turned up again." 
 
 M Resurgam, ! " said the butler. 
 
 "They will be here in ten days — so let every 
 thing be in readiness, Jonathan. God bless my soul!" 
 continued the old gentleman, " I hardly know what 
 I 'm about. It 's a Spanish girl, Jonathan ! " 
 
 "What is, sir?" 
 
 "What is, sir? — why, Captain Templemore's wife, 
 and he was tried as a pirate ! " 
 
 "Who, sir?" 
 
 "Who, sir?" — why, Francis, his brother! Jona- 
 than, you 're a stupid old fellow ! " 
 
 "Have you any further commands, sir?" 
 
 " No — no ! — there — that '11 do — go away." 
 
 And in three weeks after this conversation, Captain 
 and Mrs. Templemore, and his brother Frank, were 
 established in the house, to the great delight of 
 Mr. Witherington ; for he had long been tired of 
 solitude and old Jonathan. 
 
 The twin-brothers were a comfort to him in his 
 old age : they closed his eyes in peace — they divided 
 his blessing and his large fortune — and thus ends 
 our history of The Pirate ! 
 
THE THREE CUTTERS 
 
THE THREE CUTTERS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 Reader, have you ever been at Plymouth? If 
 you have, your eye must have dwelt with ecstasy 
 upon the beautiful property of the Earl of Mount 
 Edgcumbe : if you have not been at Plymouth, the 
 sooner that you go there, the better. At Mount 
 Edgcumbe you will behold the finest timber in exist- 
 ence, towering up to the summits of the hills, and 
 feathering down to the shingle on the beach. And 
 from this lovely spot you will witness one of the most 
 splendid panoramas in the world. You will see — I 
 hardly know what you will not see — you will see 
 Ram Head, and Cawsand Bay ; and then you will 
 see the Breakwater, and Drake's Island, and the 
 Devil's Bridge below you; and the town of Plymouth 
 and its fortifications, and the Hoe ; and then you will 
 come to the Devil's Point, round which the tide runs 
 devilish strong ; and then you will see the New Vic- 
 
264 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 tualling Office, — about which Sir James Gordon used 
 to stump all day, and take a pinch of snuff from every 
 man who carried a box, which all were delighted to 
 give, and he was delighted to receive, proving how 
 much pleasure may be communicated merely by a 
 pinch of snuff — and then you will see Mount Wise 
 and Mutton Cove; the town of Devonport, with its 
 magnificent dock-yard and arsenals, North Corner, 
 and the way which leads to Saltash. And you will 
 see ships building and ships in ordinary; and ships 
 repairing and ships fitting; and hulks and convict- 
 ships, and the guard-ship ; ships ready to sail and 
 ships under sail ; besides lighters, man-of-war's boats, 
 dock-yard boats, bum-boats, and shore-boats. In short, 
 there is a great deal to see at Plymouth besides the 
 sea itself: but what I particularly wish now, is, that 
 you will stand at the battery of Mount Edgcumbe and 
 look into Barn Pool below you, and there you will 
 see, lying at single anchor, a cutter; and you may 
 also see, by her pendant and ensign, that she is a yacht. 
 Of all the amusements entered into by the nobility 
 and gentry of our island, there is not one so manly, 
 so exciting, so patriotic, or so national, as yacht- 
 sailing. It is peculiar to England, not only from 
 our insular position and our fine harbours, but because 
 it requires a certain degree of energy and a certain 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 265 
 
 amount of income rarely to be found elsewhere. It 
 has been wisely fostered by our sovereigns, who have 
 felt that the security of the kingdom is increased by 
 every man being more or less a sailor, or connected 
 with the nautical profession, It is an amusement 
 of the greatest importance to the country ; as it has 
 much improved our ship building and our ship 
 fitting, while it affords employment to our seamen 
 and shipwrights. But if I were to say all that I could 
 say in praise of yachts, I should never advance with 
 my narrative. I shall therefore drink a bumper to 
 the health of Admiral Lord Yarborough and the 
 Yacht Club, and proceed. 
 
 You observe that this yacht is cutter-rigged, and 
 that she sits gracefully on the smooth water. She is 
 just heaving up her anchor ; her foresail is loose, all 
 ready to cast her — in a few minutes she will be under 
 weigh. You see that there are some ladies sitting at 
 the taffrail; and there are five haunches of venison 
 hanging over the stern. Of all amusements give me 
 yachting. But we must go on board. The deck, 
 you observe, is of narrow deal planks as white as snow ; 
 the guns are of polished brass ; the bitts and binnacles 
 of mahogany ; she is painted with taste ; and all the 
 mouldings are gilded. There is nothing wanting ; and 
 yet how clear and how unencumbered are her decks ! 
 
266 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 Let us go below. This is the ladies' cabin : can any 
 thing be more tasteful or elegant ? is it not luxurious ? 
 and, although so small, does not its very confined 
 space astonish you, when you view so many comforts 
 so beautifully arranged? This is the dining-room, 
 and where the gentlemen repair. What can be 
 more complete or recherche? and just peep into their 
 state-rooms and bed-places. Here is the steward's 
 room and the beaufet: the steward is squeezing 
 lemons for the punch, and there is the champagne 
 in ice ; and by the side of the pail, the long-corks 
 are ranged up, all ready. Now, let us go forwards ; 
 here are the men's berths, not confined as in a man- 
 of-war. No ! luxury starts from abaft, and is not 
 wholly lost, even at the fore-peak. This is the 
 kitchen : is it not admirably arranged ? What a 
 multum in parvo ! and how delightful are the fumes 
 of the turtle-soup ! At sea we do meet with rough 
 weather at times; but, for roughing it out, give me 
 a yacht. Now, that I have shewn you round the 
 vessel, I must introduce the parties on board. 
 
 You observe that florid, handsome man in white 
 trousers and blue jacket, who has a telescope in one 
 hand, and is sipping a glass of brandy and water which 
 he has just taken off the skylight. That is the owner 
 of the vessel, and a member of the Yacht Club. It is 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 267 
 
 Lord B : he looks like a sailor, and he does not 
 
 much belie his looks ; yet I have seen him in his robes 
 of state at the opening of the House of Lords. The 
 one near to him is Mr. Stewart, a lieutenant in the 
 navy. He holds on by the rigging with one hand, 
 because, having been actively employed all his life, 
 he does not know what to do with hands which have 
 nothing in them. He is a protege of Lord B. ; and 
 is now on board as sailing-master of the yacht. 
 
 That handsome, well-built man who is standing by 
 the binnacle, is a Mr. Hautaine. He served six years 
 as midshipman in the navy, and did not like it. He 
 then served six years in a cavalry regiment, and did 
 not like it. He then married, and, in a much shorter 
 probation, found that he did not like that. But he 
 is very fond of yachts and other men's wives, if he 
 does not like his own; and wherever he goes, he is 
 welcome. 
 
 That young man with an embroidered silk waistcoat 
 and white gloves, bending to talk to one of the ladies, 
 is a Mr. Vaughan. He is to be seen at Almack's, at 
 Crockford's, and everywhere else. Every body knows 
 him, and he knows every body. He is a little in 
 debt, and yachting is convenient. 
 
 The one who sits by the lady is a relation of 
 Lord B. ; you see at once what Jie is. He apes the 
 
268 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 sailor: he has not shaved, because sailors have no 
 time to shave every day; he has not changed his 
 linen, because sailors cannot change every day. He 
 has a cigar in his mouth, which makes him half sick 
 and annoys his company. He talks of the pleasure of 
 a rough sea, which will drive all the ladies below — and 
 then they will not perceive that he is more sick than 
 themselves. He has the misfortune to be born to a 
 large estate, and to be a fool. His name is Ossulton. 
 
 The last of the gentlemen on board whom I have 
 to introduce, is Mr. Seagrove. He is slightly made, 
 with marked features full of intelligence. He has been 
 brought up to the bar ; and has every qualification but 
 application. He has never had a brief, nor has he a 
 chance of one. He is the fiddler of the company, and 
 he has locked up his chambers, and come, by invitation 
 of his lordship, to play on board of his yacht. 
 
 I have yet to describe the ladies — perhaps I should 
 have commenced with them — I must excuse myself 
 upon the principle of reserving the best to the last. 
 All puppet-showmen do so ; and what is this but the 
 first scene in my puppet-show. 
 
 We will describe them according to seniority. That 
 tall, thin, cross-looking lady of forty-five is a spinster, 
 and sister to Lord B. She has been persuaded very 
 much against her will to come on board ; but her 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 269 
 
 notions of propriety would not permit her niece to 
 embark under the protection of only her father. She 
 is frightened at every thing; if a rope is thrown 
 down on the deck, up she starts, and cries, " Oh ! " 
 if on the deck, she thinks the water is rushing in 
 below ; if down below, and there is a noise, she is 
 convinced there is danger ; and, if it be perfectly still, 
 she is sure there is something wrong. She fidgets 
 herself and every body, and is quite a nuisance with 
 her pride and ill-humour ; but she has strict notions 
 of propriety, and sacrifices herself as a martyr. She 
 is the Hon. Miss Ossulton. 
 
 The lady who, when she smiles, shews so many 
 dimples in her pretty oval face, is a young widow 
 of the name of Lascelles. She married an old man 
 to please her father and mother, which was very 
 dutiful on her part. She was rewarded by finding 
 herself a widow with a large fortune. Having married 
 the first time to please her parents, she intends now 
 to marry to please herself; but she is very young, 
 and is in no hurry. 
 
 That young lady with such a sweet expression 
 of countenance, is the Hon. Miss Cecilia Ossulton. 
 She is lively, witty, and has no fear in her composition ; 
 but she is very young yet, not more than seventeen — 
 and nobody knows what she really is — she does not 
 
270 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 know herself. These are the parties who meet in the 
 cabin of the yacht. The crew consists of ten fine 
 seamen, the steward and the cook. There is also 
 Lord B.'s valet, Mr. Ossulton's gentleman, and the 
 lady's maid of Miss Ossulton. There not being 
 accommodation for them, the other servants have 
 been left on shore. 
 
 The yacht is now under weigh, and her sails are all 
 set. She is running between Drake's Island and the 
 main. Dinner has been announced. As the reader 
 has learnt something about the preparations, I leave 
 him to judge whether it be not very pleasant to sit 
 down to dinner in a yacht. The air had given every 
 body an appetite ; and it was not until the cloth 
 was removed that the conversation became general. 
 
 " Mr. Seagrove," said his lordship, " you very nearly 
 lost your passage ; I expected you last Thursday." 
 
 " I am sorry, my lord, that business prevented my 
 sooner attending to your lordship's kind summons." 
 
 "Come, Seagrove, don't be nonsensical," said Hau- 
 taine ; " you told me yourself, the other evening, 
 when you were talkative, that you had never had 
 a brief in your life." 
 
 " And a very fortunate circumstance," replied Sea- 
 grove ; " for if I had had a brief I should not have 
 known what to have done with it. It is not my 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 271 
 
 fault; I am fit for nothing but a commissioner; but 
 still I had business, and very important business, too ; 
 I was summoned by Ponsonby to go with him to 
 Tattersall's, to give my opinion about a horse hs 
 wishes to purchase, and then to attend him to Forest 
 Wild to plead his cause with his uncle." 
 
 "It appears, then, that you were retained," replied 
 Lord B. ; " may I ask you whether your friend gained 
 his cause ?" 
 
 " No, my lord, he lost his cause, but he gained 
 a suit." 
 
 " Expound your riddle, sir," said Cecilia Ossulton. 
 
 " The fact is, that old Ponsonby is very anxious 
 that William should marry Miss Percival, whose estates 
 join on to Forest Wild. Now, my friend William 
 is about as fond of marriage as I am of law, and 
 thereby issue was joined." 
 
 " But why were you to be called in ? " inquired 
 Mrs. Lascelles. 
 
 " Because, madam, as Ponsonby never buys a horse 
 without consulting me " 
 
 " I cannot see the analogy, sir," observed Miss 
 Ossulton, senior, bridling up. 
 
 " Pardon me, madam : the fact is," continued Sea- 
 grove, "that, as I always have to back Ponsonby 's 
 horses, he thought it right that, in this instance, I 
 
272 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 should back him; he required special pleading, but 
 his uncle tried him for the capital offence, and he 
 was not allowed counsel. As soon as we arrived, 
 and I had bowed myself into the room, Mr. Ponsonby 
 bowed me out again — which would have been infi- 
 nitely more jarring to my feelings, had not the door 
 been left a-jar." 
 
 " Do any thing but pun, Seagrove," interrupted 
 Hautaine. 
 
 " Well, then, I will take a glass of wine." 
 
 " Do so," said his lordship ; " but, recollect, the 
 whole company are impatient for your story." 
 
 " I can assure you, my lord, that it was equal to 
 any scene in a comedy." 
 
 Now, be it observed, that Mr. Seagrove had a great 
 deal of comic talent ; he was an excellent mimic, 
 and could alter his voice almost as he pleased. It 
 was a custom of his to act a scene as between other 
 people, and he performed it remarkably well. When- 
 ever he said that any thing he was going to narrate 
 was "as good as a comedy," it was generally under- 
 stood by those who were acquainted with him, that 
 he was to be asked so to do. Cecilia Ossulton there- 
 fore immediately said, " Pray act it, Mr. Seagrove." 
 
 Upon which Mr. Seagrove — premising that he had 
 not only heard, but also seen all that had passed — 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 273 
 
 changing his voice, and suiting the action to the word, 
 commenced. "It may," said he, "be called 
 
 We shall not describe Mr. Seagrove's motions ; they 
 must be inferred from his words. 
 
 " c It will, then, William,' observed Mr. Ponsonby, 
 stopping, and turning to his nephew, after a rapid 
 walk up and down the room with his hands behind 
 him under his coat, so as to allow the tails to drop 
 their perpendicular about three inches clear of his 
 body, ' I may say, without contradiction, be the finest 
 property in the county — five thousand acres in a 
 ring-fence.' 
 
 " e I dare say it will, uncle,' replied William, tap- 
 ping his foot as he lounged in a green morocco easy 
 chair ; ( and so, because you have set your fancy 
 upon having these two estates enclosed together in a 
 ring-fence, you wish that I should also be enclosed 
 in a rijig-fence.' 
 
 " e And a beautiful property it will be,' replied 
 Mr. Ponsonby. 
 
 " { Which, uncle ? — the estate or the wife ? ' 
 
 " ' Both, nephew, both ; and I expect your consent.' 
 
 " ' Uncle, I am not avaricious. Your present pro- 
 perty is sufficient for me. With your permission, 
 
274 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 instead of doubling the property, and doubling myself, 
 I will remain your sole heir, and single.' 
 
 " l Observe, William, such an opportunity may not 
 occur again for centuries. We shall restore Forest 
 Wild to its ancient boundaries. You know it has 
 been divided nearly two hundred years. We now 
 have a glorious, golden opportunity of re-uniting the 
 two properties; and when joined, the estate will be 
 exactly what it was when granted to our ancestors by 
 Henry the Eighth, at the period of the Reformation. 
 This house must be pulled down, and the monastery 
 left standing. Then we shall have our own again, 
 and the property without encumbrance.' 
 
 " ( Without encumbrance, uncle ! — You forget that 
 there will be a wife.' 
 
 " ( And you forget that there will be five thousand 
 acres in a ring-fence.' 
 
 " ' Indeed, uncle, you ring it too often in my 
 ears, that I should forget it; but much as I should 
 like to be the happy possessor of such a property, 
 I do not feel inclined to be the happy possessor of 
 Miss Percival ; and the more so, as I have never 
 seen the property.' 
 
 " e We will ride over it to-morrow, William.' 
 " ' Ride over Miss Percival, uncle ! that will not 
 be very gallant. I will, however, one of these days, 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 275 
 
 ride over the property with you, which, as well as 
 Miss Percival, I have not as yet seen.' 
 
 " c Then I can tell you, she is a very pretty property.' 
 
 " ( If she were not in a ring-fence." 
 
 " ( In good heart, William. — That is, I mean an 
 excellent disposition.' 
 
 ecc Valuable in matrimony.' 
 
 " l And well tilled — I should say well educated, by 
 her three maiden aunts, who are the patterns of pro- 
 priety.' 
 
 "'Does any one follow the fashion?' 
 
 " ( In a high state of cultivation ; that is, her mind 
 highly cultivated, and according to the last new 
 system — what is it?' 
 
 " e A four-course shift, I presume,' replied William, 
 laughing ; i that is, dancing, singing, music, and drawing.' 
 
 " ( And only seventeen ! — Capital soil, promising 
 good crops. — What would you have more ? ' 
 
 " c A very pretty estate, uncle, if it were not the 
 estate of matrimony. I am sorry, very sorry, to dis- 
 appoint you; but I must decline taking a lease of it 
 for life.' 
 
 " e Then, sir, allow me to hint to you, that, in my 
 testament, you are only tenant at will. I consider 
 it a duty that I owe to the family, that the estate 
 should be re-united. That can only be done by one 
 
276 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 of our family marrying Miss Percival ; and, as you 
 will not, I shall now write to your cousin James, and 
 if he accept my proposal, shall make him my heir. 
 Probably he will more fully appreciate the advantages 
 of five thousand acres in a ring-fence.' 
 
 " And Mr. Ponsonby directed his steps towards 
 the door. 
 
 " ' Stop, my dear uncle,' cried William, rising up 
 from his easy chair; 'we do not quite understand 
 one another. It is very true that I would prefer half 
 the property and remaining single to the two estates 
 and the estate of marriage ; but, at the same time, 
 I did not tell you that I would prefer beggary to a 
 wife and five thousand acres in a ring-fence. I know 
 you to be a man of your word; — I accept your pro- 
 posal, and you need not put my cousin James to the 
 expense of postage.' 
 
 " e Very good, William ; I require no more : and 
 as I know you to be a man of your word, I shall 
 consider this match as settled. It was on this account 
 only that I sent for you, and now you may go back 
 again as soon as you please — I will let you know 
 when all is ready.' 
 
 " ( I must be at Tattersall's on Monday, uncle ; 
 there is a horse I must have for next season. Pray, 
 uncle, may I ask when you are likely to want me?' 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 277 
 
 " ( Let me see — this is May — about July, I should 
 think.' 
 
 " i July, uncle ! Spare me — I cannot marry in the 
 dog-days. — No, hang it, not July.' 
 
 e( ' Well, William, perhaps, as you must come down 
 once or twice to see the property — Miss Percival, I 
 should say — it may be too soon — suppose we put it 
 off till October.' 
 
 " e October — I shall be down at Melton.' 
 " e Pray, sir, may I then inquire what portion of 
 the year is not, with you, Mog-d&ys V 
 
 "'Why, uncle, next April, now — I think that 
 would do.' 
 
 i( ' Next April. — Eleven months, and a winter between. 
 Suppose Miss Percival was to take a cold, and die ! — ' 
 
 " ( I should be excessively obliged to her,' thought 
 William. 
 
 " < No ! no ! ' continued Mr. Ponsonby, e there is 
 nothing certain in this world, William.' 
 
 u ( Well then, uncle, suppose we arrange it for the 
 first hard frost.'' 
 
 " 6 We have had no hard frosts lately, William. — 
 We may wait for years. — The sooner it is over the 
 better. — Go back to town, buy your horse, and then 
 come down here — my dear William, to oblige your 
 uncle — never mind the dog-days.' 
 
278 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 " l Well, sir, if I am to make a sacrifice, it shall 
 not be done by halves; out of respect for you, I 
 will even marry in July, without any regard to the 
 thermometer.' 
 
 " ' You are a good boy, William. — Do you want 
 a cheque ?' 
 
 " ' I have had one to-day,' thought William, and 
 was almost at fault. e I shall be most thankful, sir — 
 they sell horse-flesh by the ounce nowadays.' 
 
 " ' And you pay in pounds. — There, William.' 
 
 " c Thank you, sir, I 'm, all obedience ; and I '11 
 keep my word, even if there should be a comet. 
 I '11 go and buy the horse, and then I shall be ready 
 to take the ring-fence as soon as you please.' 
 
 " e Yes, and you '11 get over it cleverly, I 've no 
 doubt. — Five thousand acres, William, and — a pretty 
 wife !' 
 
 "'Have you any further commands, uncle?' said 
 William, depositing the cheque in his pocket-book. 
 
 " ' Now, my dear boy, are you going ? ' 
 
 " ' Yes, sir ; I dine at the Clarendon." 
 
 " e Well, then, good-bye. — Make my compliments 
 and excuses to your friend Seagrove. — You will come 
 Tuesday or Wednesday.' 
 
 " Thus was concluded the marriage between William 
 Ponsonby and Emily Percival, and the junction of 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 279 
 
 the two estates, which formed together the great 
 desideratum,— -five thousand acres in a ring-fence" 
 
 Mr. Seagrove finished, and looked round for appro- 
 bation. 
 
 " Very good, indeed, Seagrove," said his lordship, 
 "you must take a glass of wine after that." 
 
 " I would not give much for Miss Percival's chance 
 of happiness," observed the elder Miss Ossulton. 
 
 " Of two evils choose the least, they say," observed 
 Mr. Hautaine. " Poor Ponsonby could not help 
 himself." 
 
 " That 's a very polite observation of yours, Mr. 
 Hautaine — I thank you in the name of the sex," 
 replied Cecilia Ossulton. 
 
 " Nay, Miss Ossulton ; would you like to marry 
 a person whom you never saw ? " 
 
 " Most certainly not ; but when you mentioned the 
 two evils, Mr. Hautaine, I appeal to your honour, 
 did you not refer to marriage or beggary?" 
 
 " I must confess it, Miss Ossulton ; but it is 
 hardly fair to call on my honour to get me into a 
 scrape." 
 
 " I only wish that the offer had been made to me," 
 observed Vaughan ; " I should not have hesitated as 
 Ponsonby did." 
 
 " Then I beg you will not think of proposing for 
 
280 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 me," said Mrs. Lascelles, laughing; for Mr. Vaughan 
 had been excessively attentive. 
 
 "It appears to me, Vaughan," observed Seagrove, 
 " that you have slightly committed yourself by that 
 remark." 
 
 Vaughan, who thought so too, replied : " Mrs. 
 Lascelles must be aware that I was only joking." 
 
 "Fie! Mr. Vaughan," cried Cecilia Ossulton; "you 
 know it came from your heart." 
 
 " My dear Cecilia," said the elder Miss Ossulton, 
 'you forget yourself — what can you possibly know 
 about gentlemen's hearts?" 
 
 " The Bible says, ' that they are deceitful and 
 desperately wicked,' aunt." 
 
 " And cannot we also quote the Bible against your 
 sex, Miss Ossulton?" replied Seagrove. 
 
 " Yes, you could, perhaps, if any of you had ever 
 read it," replied Miss Ossulton, carelessly. 
 
 " Upon my word, Cissy, you are throwing the 
 gauntlet down to the gentlemen," observed Lord B., 
 " but I shall throw my warder down, and not permit 
 this combat a Voutrance, — I perceive you drink no 
 more wine, gentlemen, — we will take our coffee on 
 deck." 
 
 " We were just about to retire, my lord/' observed 
 the elder Miss Ossulton, with great asperity : " I have 
 
CUTTER THE FIRST. 281 
 
 been trying to catch the eye of Mrs. Lascelles for 
 some time, but " 
 
 "I was looking another way, I presume," inter- 
 rupted Mrs. Lascelles, smiling. 
 
 "I am afraid that I am the unfortunate culprit," 
 said Mr. Seagrove ; " I was telling a little anecdote 
 to Mrs. Lascelles " 
 
 "Which, of course, from its being communicated 
 in an under tone, was not proper for all the company 
 to hear," replied the elder Miss Ossulton: "but if 
 Mrs. Lascelles is now ready — " continued she, bridling 
 up, as she rose from her chair. 
 
 " At all events, I can hear the remainder of it on 
 deck," replied Mrs. Lascelles. The ladies rose, and 
 went into the cabin: Cecilia and Mrs, Lascelles 
 exchanging very significant smiles, as they followed 
 the precise spinster, who did not choose that Mrs. 
 Lascelles should take the lead, merely because she 
 had once happened to have been married. The 
 gentlemen also broke up, and went on deck. 
 
 " We have a nice breeze now, my lord," observed 
 Mr. Stewart, who had remained on deck, "and we 
 lie right up Channel." 
 
 " So much the better," replied his lordship ; " we 
 ought to have been anchored at Cowes a week ago. 
 They will all be there before us." 
 
282 CUTTER THE FIRST. 
 
 " Tell Mr. Simpson to bring me a lightfor my 
 cigar," said Mr. Ossulton to one of the men. 
 
 Mr. Stewart went down to his dinner; the ladies 
 and the coffee came on deck; the breeze was fine, 
 the weather (it was April) almost warm ; and the 
 yacht, whose name was the Arrow, assisted by the 
 tide, soon left the Mewstone far astern. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 CUTTER THE SECOND. 
 
 Reader, have you ever been at Portsmouth ? If 
 you have, you must have been delighted with the 
 view from the saluting battery; and, if you have not, 
 you had better go there as soon as you can. From 
 the saluting battery you may look up the harbour, 
 and see much of what I have described at Plymouth : 
 the scenery is different ; but similar arsenals and 
 dock-yards, and an equal portion of our stupendous 
 navy, are to be found there. — And you will see Gos- 
 port on the other side of the harbour, and Sally Port 
 close to you; besides a great many other places, which, 
 from the saluting battery, you cannot see. And then 
 there is Southsea Beach to your left. Before you, 
 Spithead, with the men-of-war, and the Motherbank, 
 crowded with merchant vessels ; — and there is the 
 Buoy, where the Royal George was wrecked, and 
 where she still lies, the fish swimming in and out of 
 her cabin windows : but that is not all ; you can also 
 see the Isle of Wight, — Ryde, with its long wooden 
 
284 CUTTER THE SECOND. 
 
 pier, and Cowes, where the yachts lie. In fact, there 
 is a great deal to be seen at Portsmouth as well as at 
 Plymouth ; but what I wish you particularly to see, 
 just now, is a vessel holding fast to the buoy, just off 
 the saluting battery. She is a cutter; and you may 
 know that she belongs to the Preventive Service by the 
 number of gigs and galleys which she has hoisted up 
 all round her. She looks like a vessel that was about 
 to sail with a cargo of boats. Two on deck, one 
 astern, one on each side of her. You observe that 
 she is painted black, and all her boats are white. She 
 is not such an elegant vessel as the yacht, and she is 
 much more lumbered up. She has no haunches of 
 venison over the stern ; but I think there is a leg 
 of mutton, and some cabbages hanging by their stalks. 
 But revenue- cutters are not yachts. — You will find no 
 turtle or champagne ; but, nevertheless, you will, 
 perhaps, find a joint to carve at, a good glass of grog, 
 and a hearty welcome. 
 
 Let us go on board. — You observe the guns are 
 iron, and painted black, and her bulwarks are painted 
 red: it is not a very becoming colour; but then it 
 lasts a long while, and the dock-yard is not very gene- 
 rous on the score of paint — or lieutenants of the navy 
 troubled with much spare cash. She has plenty of 
 men, and fine men they are ; all dressed in red flannel 
 
CUTTER THE SECOND. 285 
 
 shirts, and blue trousers ; some of them have not taken 
 off their canvass or tarpauling petticoats, which are 
 very useful to them, as they are in the boats night 
 and day, and in all weathers. But we will at once go 
 down into the cabin, where we shall find the lieutenant 
 who commands her, a master's mate, and a midship- 
 man. — They have each their tumbler before them, 
 and are drinking gin -toddy, hot, with sugar — capital 
 gin, too, 'bove proof; it is from that small anker, 
 standing under the table. It was one that they forgot 
 to return to the custom-house when they made their 
 last seizure. We must introduce them. 
 
 The elderly personage, with grizzly hair and whiskers, 
 a round pale face, and a somewhat red nose (being 
 too much in the wind will make the nose red, and 
 this old officer is very often "in the wind," of course, 
 from the very nature of his profession), is a Lieutenant 
 Appleboy. He has served in every class of vessel in 
 the service, and done the duty of first-lieutenant for 
 twenty years; he is now on promotion — that is to 
 say, after he has taken a certain number of tubs of 
 gin, he will be rewarded with his rank as commander. 
 It is a pity that what he takes inside of him does not 
 count, for he takes it morning, noon, and night. — 
 He is just filling his fourteenth glass; he always 
 keeps a regular account, as he never exceeds his 
 
286 CUTTER THE SECOND. 
 
 limited number, which is seventeen : then he is exactly 
 down to his bearings. 
 
 The master's mate's name is Tomkins ; he has served 
 his six years three times over, and has now outgrown 
 his ambition, which is fortunate for him, as his chances 
 of promotion are small. He prefers a small vessel to 
 a large one, because he is not obliged to be so parti- 
 cular in his dress — and looks for his lieutenancy when- 
 ever there shall be another charity promotion. He is 
 fond of soft bread, for his teeth are all absent without 
 leave ■; he prefers porter to any other liquor, but he 
 can drink his glass of grog, whether it be based upon 
 rum, brandy, or the liquor now before him. 
 
 Mr. Smith is the name of that young gentleman, 
 whose jacket is so out at the elbows ; he has been intend- 
 ing to mend it these last two months, but is too lazy 
 to go to his chest for another. — He has been turned 
 out of half the ships in the service for laziness ; but 
 he was born so — and therefore it is not his fault. — A 
 revenue-cutter suits him, she is half her time hove 
 to ; and he has no objection to boat-service, as he sits 
 down always in the stern-sheets, which is not fatiguing. 
 Creeping for tubs is his delight, as he gets over so 
 little ground. He is fond of grog, but there is some 
 trouble in carrying the tumbler so often to his mouth ; 
 so he looks at it, and lets it stand. He says little, 
 
CUTTER THE SECOND. 287 
 
 because he is too lazy to speak. He has served more 
 than eight years ; but as for passing — it has never 
 come into his head. Such are the three persons who 
 are now sitting in the cabin of the revenue-cutter, 
 drinking hot gin-toddy. 
 
 " Let me see, it was, I think, in ninety-three, or 
 ninety-four. — Before you were in the service, Tom- 
 kins.—"' 
 
 "May-be, sir; it's so long ago since I entered, 
 that I can't recollect dates, — but this I know, that 
 my aunt died three days before." 
 
 " Then the question is, when did your aunt die ?" 
 
 " Oh ! she died about a year after my uncle." 
 
 " And when did your uncle die ? " 
 
 " I '11 be hanged if I know !" 
 
 " Then, d' ye see, you 've no departure to work 
 from. However, I think you cannot have been in 
 the service at that time. We were not quite so par- 
 ticular about uniform as we are now." 
 
 " Then I think the service was all the better for 
 it. Nowadays, in your crack ships, a mate has to go 
 down in the hold or spirit-room, and after whipping 
 up fifty empty casks, and breaking out twenty full 
 ones, he is expected to come on the quarter-deck as 
 clean as if he was just come out of a bandbox." 
 
 " Well, there 's plenty of water alongside, as far as 
 
288 CUTTER THE SECOND. 
 
 the outward man goes, and iron dust is soon brushed 
 off. However, as you say, perhaps, a little too much 
 is expected; at least, in five of the ships in which I 
 was first-lieutenant, the captain was always hauling 
 me over the coals about the midshipmen not dressing 
 properly, as if I was their dry nurse. I wonder what 
 Captain Prigg would have said, if he 'd seen such a 
 turn-out as you, Mr. Smith, on his quarter-deck." 
 
 " I should have had one turn-out more," drawled 
 Smith. 
 
 "With your out-at-elbows jacket, there, heh!" con- 
 tinued Mr. Appleboy. 
 
 Smith turned up his elbows, looked at one and 
 then at the other; after so fatiguing an operation, he 
 was silent. 
 
 Well, where was I? Oh! it was about ninety- 
 three or ninety-four, as I said, that it happened — 
 Tomkins, fill your glass, and hand me the sugar, — 
 how do I get on? — This is No. 15," said Appleboy, 
 counting some white lines on the table by him; and 
 taking up the piece of chalk, he marked one more line 
 on his tally. " I don 't think this so good a tub as the 
 last, Tomkins, there 's a twang about it — a want of 
 juniper — however, I hope we shall have better luck this 
 time. — Of course you know we sail to-morrow." 
 
 " I presume so, by the leg of mutton coming on board." 
 
CUTTER THE SECOND. 289 
 
 "True — true — I'm regular — as clock-work. — After 
 being twenty years a first-lieutenant, one gets a little 
 method — I like regularity. Now the admiral has 
 never omitted asking me to dinner once, every time 
 I have come into harbour, except this time. — I was^ 
 so certain of it, that I never expected to sail, and I 
 have but two shirts clean in consequence." 
 
 " That 's odd, isn' t it ? and the more so, because he 
 has had such great people down here, and has been 
 giving large parties every day." 
 
 " And yet I made three seizures, besides sweeping 
 up those thirty-seven tubs." 
 
 "I swept them up," observed Smith. 
 
 " That 's all the same thing, youriker. — When you've 
 been a little longer in the service, you'll find out that 
 the commanding officer has the merit of all that is 
 done — but you're green yet. — Let me see, where was I ? 
 Oh! — It was about ninety-three or ninety-four, as I 
 said. At that time I was in the Channel fleet — 
 Tomkins, I'll trouble you for the hot water — this 
 water's cold. — Mr. Smith, do me the favour to ring 
 the bell — Jem, some more hot water." 
 
 " Please, sir," said Jem, who was barefooted, as well 
 as bareheaded, touching the lock of hair on his fore- 
 head, 6i the cook has capsised the kettle — but he has 
 put more on." 
 
290 CUTTER THE SECOND. 
 
 " Capsised the kettle ! hah ! — very well — we '11 talk 
 about that to-morrow. — Mr. Tomkins do me the favour 
 to put him in the report, I may forget it. And pray 
 sir, how long is it since he has put more on ? " 
 
 " Just this moment, sir, as I came aft." 
 
 a Very well, we '11 see to that to-morrow : — you bring 
 the kettle aft as soon as it is ready. — I say, Mr. Jem, 
 is that fellow sober?" 
 
 " Yees, sir, he be sober as you be." 
 
 " It 's quite astonishing what a propensity the com- 
 mon sailors have to liquor. Forty odd years have I 
 been in the service, and I 've never found any differ- 
 ence : I only wish I had a guinea for every time that 
 I have given a fellow seven-water grog during my 
 servitude as first-lieutenant, I wouldn't call the king 
 my cousin. Well, if there 's no hot water we must 
 take lukewarm — it won't do to heave to. By the L — d 
 Harry! who would have thought it? — I'm at No. 16! 
 — Let me count — yes ! surely I must have made a 
 mistake. — A fact, by heaven !" continued Mr. Appleboy, 
 throwing the chalk down on the table. " Only one 
 more glass, after this — that is, if I have counted right 
 — I may have seen double." 
 
 "Yes," drawled Smith. 
 
 " Well, never mind — Let's go on with my story. — 
 It was either in the year ninety-three or ninety-four, 
 
CUTTER THE SECOND. 291 
 
 that I was in the Channel fleet — we were then a-breast 
 of Torbay." 
 
 " Here be the hot water, sir," cried Jem, putting 
 the kettle down on the deck. 
 
 "Very well, boy. — By-the-by, has the jar of butter 
 come on board?" 
 
 " Yes, but it be broke all down the middle ; I tied 
 him up with a ropeyarn." 
 
 "Who broke it, sir?" 
 
 " Coxswain says as how he didn't." 
 
 "But who did, sir?" 
 
 " Coxswain handed it up to Bill Jones, and he says 
 as how he didn't." 
 
 "But who did, sir?" 
 
 " Bill Jones gave it to me, and I 'm sure as how 
 I didn't." 
 
 "Then who did, sir, I ask you?" 
 
 "I think it be Bill Jones, sir, 'cause he's fond of 
 butter, I know, and there be very little left in the jar." 
 
 " Very well, we '11 see to that to-morrow morning. 
 Mr. Tomkins, you'll oblige me by putting the butter- 
 jar down in the report, in case it should slip my 
 memory. Bill Jones, indeed, looks as if butter wouldn't 
 melt in his mouth — never mind. Well, it was, as I 
 said before — it was in the year ninety-three or ninety- 
 four, when I was in the Channel fleet; we were then 
 
292 CUTTER THE SECOND. 
 
 off Torbay, and had just taken two reefs in the top- 
 sails. Stop, before I go on with my story, I'll take 
 my last glass — I think it's the last: let me count — 
 yes, by heavens I make out sixteen, well told ! Never 
 mind, it shall be a stiff one. Boy, bring the kettle, 
 and mind you don't pour the hot water into my shoes, 
 as you did the other night. There, that will do. Now, 
 Tomkins, fill up yours ; and you, Mr. Smith : let us all 
 start fair, and then you shall have my story — and a 
 very curious one it is, I can tell you ; I wouldn't have 
 believed it myself, if I hadn't seen it. Hilloa ! what's 
 this? Confound it ! what's the matter with the toddy? 
 Heh, Mr. Tomkins?" 
 
 Mr. Tomkins tasted, but, like the lieutenant, he 
 had made it very stiff; and, as he had also taken 
 largely before, he was, like him, not quite so clear in 
 his discrimination : " It has a queer twang > sir ; Smith, 
 what is it?" 
 
 Smith took up his glass, tasted the contents: 
 
 "Salt water" drawled the midshipman. 
 
 "Salt water! so it is, by heavens!" cried Mr. Ap- 
 pleboy. 
 
 " Salt as Lot's wife ! — by all that 's infamous ! " 
 cried the master's mate. 
 
 " Salt water, sir ! " cried Jem, in a fright — expect- 
 ing a salt eel for supper. 
 
CUTTER THE SECOND. 293 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Mr. Appleboy, tossing the con- 
 tents of the tumbler in the boy's face, — " salt water. 
 Very well, sir — very well ! " 
 
 " It warn't me, sir," replied the boy, making up 
 a piteous look. 
 
 " No, sir, but you said the cook was sober." 
 " He was not so very much disguised, sir," replied 
 Jem. 
 
 " Oh ! very well — never mind. Mr. Tomkins, in 
 case I should forget it, do me the favour to put the 
 kettle of salt water down in the report. The scoundrel ! 
 I 'm very sorry, gentlemen, but there 's no means of 
 having any more gin-toddy, — but never mind, we '11 see 
 to this to-morrow. Two can play at this; and if I 
 don't salt-water their grog, and make them drink it, too, 
 I have been twenty years a first-lieutenant for nothing 
 — that 's all. Good night, gentlemen ; and," continued 
 the lieutenant, in a severe tone, " you '11 keep a sharp 
 look-out, Mr. Smith — do you hear, sir?" 
 
 " Yes," drawled Smith, " but it 's not my watch ; it 
 was my first watch, and, just now, it struck one bell." 
 
 " You '11 keep the middle watch, then, Mr. Smith," 
 said Mr. Appleboy, who was not a little put out ; " and, 
 Mr. Tomkins, let me know as soon as it's daylight. 
 Boy, get my bed made. Salt water, by all that 's blue ! 
 However, we '11 see to that to-morrow morning." 
 
294 CUTTER THE SECOND. 
 
 Mr. Appleboy then turned in ; so did Mr. Tomkins ; 
 and so did Mr. Smith, who had no idea of keeping 
 the middle watch because the cook was drunk and 
 had filled up the kettle with salt water. As for what 
 happened in ninety-three or ninety-four, I really would 
 inform the reader if I knew, but I 'm afraid that that 
 most curious story is never to be handed down to 
 posterity. 
 
 The next morning, Mr. Tomkins, as usual, forgot 
 to report the cook, the jar of butter, and the kettle of 
 salt water ; and Mr. Appleboy's wrath had long been 
 appeased before he remembered them. At daylight, 
 the lieutenant came on deck, having only slept away 
 half of the sixteen, and a taste of the seventeenth salt 
 water glass of gin-toddy. He rubbed his gray eyes, 
 that he might peer through the gray of the morning; 
 the fresh breeze blew about his grizzly locks, and 
 cooled his rubicund nose. The revenue-cutter, whose 
 name was the " Active," cast off from the buoy ; and, 
 with a fresh breeze, steered her course for the Needles' 
 passage. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 CUTTER THE THIRD. 
 
 Reader ! have you been to St. Maloes ? If you 
 have, you were glad enough to leave the hole; and, 
 if you have not, take my advice, and do not give 
 yourself the trouble to go and see that, or any other 
 French port in the Channel. There is not one worth 
 looking at. They have made one or two artificial 
 ports, and they are no great things ; there is no 
 getting out, or getting in. In fact, they have no 
 harbours in the Channel, while we have the finest 
 in the world; a peculiar dispensation of Providence, 
 because it knew that we should want them, and France 
 would not. In France, what are called ports are all 
 alike, nasty narrow holes, only to be entered at certain 
 times of tide and certain winds ; made up of basins 
 and back-waters, custom-houses, and cabarets; just 
 fit for smugglers to run into, and nothing more : and, 
 therefore, they are used for very little else. 
 
 Now, in the dog-hole called St. Maloes there is 
 some pretty land, although a great deficiency of marine- 
 
296 CUTTER THE THIRD. 
 
 scenery. But never mind that: stay at home, and 
 don't go abroad to drink sour wine, because they call 
 it Bourdeaux, and eat villanous trash, so disguised by 
 cooking that you cannot possibly tell which of the 
 birds of the air, or beasts of the field, or fishes of the 
 sea, you are cramming down your throat. " If all is 
 right, there is no occasion for disguise," is an old 
 saying; so depend upon it, that there is something 
 wrong, and that you are eating offal, under a grand 
 French name. They eat every thing in France, and 
 would serve you up the head of a monkey who has 
 died of the small-pox, as Singe au petite verole — that 
 is, if you did not understand French ; if you did, they 
 would call it, Tete d'amour a V Ethiopique, and then 
 you would be even more puzzled. As for their wine, 
 there is no disguise in that — it's half vinegar. No, 
 no ! stay at home : you can live just as cheaply, if 
 you choose ; and then you will have good meat, good 
 vegetables, good ale, good beer, and a good glass of 
 grog — and what is of more importance, you will be 
 in good company. Live with your friends, and don't 
 make a fool of yourself. 
 
 I would not have condescended to have noticed this 
 place, had it not been that I wish you to observe a 
 vessel which is lying along the pier-wharf, with a 
 plank from the shore to her gunnel. It is low water, 
 
CUTTER THE THIRD, 297 
 
 and she is aground, and the plank dips down at such 
 an angle, that it is a work of danger to go either in or 
 out of her. You observe that there is nothing very 
 remarkable in her. She is a cutter, and a good sea- 
 boat, and sails well before the wind. She is short for 
 her breadth of beam, and is not armed. Smugglers do 
 not arm now — the service is too dangerous ; they effect 
 their purpose by cunning, not by force. Nevertheless, 
 it requires that smugglers should be good seamen, 
 smart, active fellows, and keen-witted, or they can do 
 nothing. This vessel has not a large cargo in her, but 
 it is valuable. She has some thousand yards of lace, 
 a few hundred pounds of tea, a few bales of silk, and 
 about forty ankers of brandy — -just as much as they can 
 land in one boat. All they ask is a heavy gale, or a 
 thick fog, and they trust to themselves for success. 
 
 There is nobody on board except a boy; the crew 
 are all up at the cabaret, settling their little accounts 
 of every description — for they smuggle both ways, and 
 every man has his own private venture. There they 
 are all, fifteen of them, and fine-looking fellows, too, 
 sitting at that long table. They are very merry, but 
 quite sober, as they are to sail to-night. 
 
 The captain of the vessel (whose name, by-the-by, 
 is the " Happy-go-lucky," — the captain christened her 
 himself) is that fine -looking young man, with dark 
 
 Q Q 
 
298 CUTTER THE THIRD. 
 
 whiskers, meeting under his throat. His name is Jack 
 Pickersgill. You perceive, at once, that he is much 
 above a common sailor in appearance. His. manners 
 are good, he is remarkably handsome, very clean, and 
 rather a dandy in his dress. Observe, how very politely 
 he takes off his hat to that Frenchman, with whom he 
 has just settled accounts; he beats Johnny Crapeau 
 at his own weapons. And then there is an air of com- 
 mand, a feeling of conscious superiority about Jack ; 
 see how he treats the landlord, de haut en has, at the 
 same time that he is very civil. The fact is, that Jack 
 is of a very good, old family, and received a very 
 excellent education : but he was an orphan, his friends 
 were poor, and could do but little for him ; he went out 
 to India as a cadet, ran away, and served in a schooner 
 which smuggled opium into China, and then came 
 home. He took a liking to the employment, and is 
 now laying up a very pretty little sum : not that he 
 intends to stop ; no, as soon as he has enough to fit 
 out a vessel for himself, he intends to start again for 
 India, and with two cargoes of opium, he will return, 
 he trusts, with a handsome fortune, and reassume his 
 family name. Such are Jack's intentions : and, as he 
 eventually means to reappear as a gentleman, he pre- 
 serves his gentlemanly habits; he neither drinks, nor 
 chews, nor smokes. He keeps his hands clean, wears 
 
CUTTER THE THIRD. 299 
 
 rings, and sports a gold snuff-box ; notwithstanding 
 which, Jack is one of the boldest and best of sailors, 
 and the men know it. He is full of fun, and as keen 
 as a razor. Jack has a very heavy venture this time 
 —all the lace is his own speculation, and, if he gets 
 it in safe, he will clear some thousands of pounds. A 
 certain fashionable shop in London has already agreed 
 to take the whole off his hands. 
 
 That short, neatly made young man, is the second 
 in command, and the companion of the captain. He 
 is clever, and always has a remedy to propose when 
 there is a difficulty, which is a great quality in a second 
 in command. His name is Corbett. He is always 
 merry — half sailor, half tradesman ; knows the markets, 
 runs up to London, and does business as well as a 
 chapman — lives for the day, and laughs at to-morrow. 
 
 That little punchy old man, with long gray hair 
 and fat face, with a nose like a note of interrogation, 
 is the next personage of importance. He ought to be 
 called the sailing master, for, although he goes on shore 
 in France, off the English coast he never quits the 
 vessel. When they leave her with the goods, he 
 remains on board; he is always to be found off any 
 part of the coast where he may be ordered ; holding his 
 position in defiance of gales, and tides, and fogs : as 
 for the revenue-vessels, they all know him well enough, 
 
300 CUTTER THE THIRD. 
 
 but they cannot touch a vessel in ballast, if she has no 
 more men on board than allowed by her tonnage. He 
 knows every creek, and hole, and corner, of the coast ; 
 how the tides run in — tide, half-tide, eddy, or current. 
 That is his value. His name is Morrison. 
 
 You observe that Jack Pickersgill has two excellent 
 supporters in Corbett and Morrison ; his other men 
 are good seamen, active, and obedient, which is all that 
 he requires. I shall not particularly introduce them. 
 
 " Now you may call for another litre, my lads, 
 and that must be the last ; the tide is flowing fast, and 
 we shall be afloat in half an hour, and we have just 
 the breeze we want. What d' ye think, Morrison, shall 
 we have dirt ? " 
 
 " I've been looking just now, and if it were any other 
 month in the year I should say, yes ; but there 's no 
 trusting April, captain. Howsomever, if it does blow 
 off, I'll promise you a fog in three hours afterwards." 
 
 " That will do as well. Corbett, have you settled 
 with Duval?" 
 
 "Yes, after more noise and charivari than a panic 
 in the stock-exchange would make in England. He 
 fought and squabbled for an hour, and I found that, 
 without some abatement, I never should have settled 
 the affair." 
 
 "What did you let him off?" 
 
CUTTER THE THIRD. 301 
 
 " Seventeen sous," replied Corbett, laughing. 
 " And that satisfied him ? " inquired Pickersgill. 
 " Yes — it was all he could prove to be a surfaire : 
 two of the knives were a little rusty. But he will 
 always have something off; he could not be happy 
 without it. I really think he would commit suicide, if 
 he had to pay a bill without a deduction." 
 
 " Let him live," replied Pickersgill. " Jeannette, 
 a bottle of Volnay, of 1811, and three glasses." 
 
 Jeannette, who was Xhefille de cabaret, soon appeared 
 with a bottle of a wine, seldom called for, except by 
 the captain of the Happy-go-lucky. 
 
 "You sail to-night?" said she, as she placed the 
 bottle before him. 
 
 Pickersgill nodded his head. 
 
 " I had a strange dream," said Jeannette ; " I 
 thought you were all taken by a revenue cutter, and 
 put into a cachot. I went to see you, and I did not 
 know one of you again — you were all changed." 
 
 "Very likely, Jeannette — you would not be the 
 first who did not know their friends again when in 
 misfortune. There was nothing strange in your dream." 
 " Mais, mon Dieu ! je ne suis pas comme ca, mo?" 
 "No, that you are not, Jeannette; you are a good 
 girl, and some of these fine days I '11 marry you," said 
 Corbett. 
 
302 CUTTER THE THIRD. 
 
 " Doit etre Men beau ce jour la, par exemple" re- 
 plied Jeannette laughing ; " you have promised to 
 marry me every time you have come in, these last 
 three years." 
 
 " Well, that proves I keep to my promise, any 
 how." 
 
 " Yes ; but you never go any farther." 
 
 " I can 't spare him, Jeannette, that is the real 
 truth," said the captain ; " but wait a little — in the 
 mean time, here is a flve-franc-piece to add to your 
 petite fortune." 
 
 " Merci Men, monsieur le capitaine ; ion voyage ! " 
 Jeannette held her finger up to Corbett, saying, with a 
 smile, " mediant ! " and then quitted the room. 
 
 i( Come, Morrison, help us to empty this bottle, 
 and then we will all go on board." 
 
 "I wish that girl wouldn't come here with her 
 nonsensical dreams," said Morrison, taking his seat; 
 " I don 't like it. When she said that we should be 
 taken by a revenue cutter, I was looking at a blue and 
 a white pigeon sitting on the wall opposite ; and I said 
 to myself, now, if that be a warning, I will see : if 
 the blue pigeon flies away first, I shall be in jail in a 
 week ; if the white, I shall be back here." 
 
 " Well ? " said Pickersgill, laughing. 
 
 " It wasn't well," answered Morrison, tossing off 
 
cuttf:r the third. 803 
 
 his wine, and putting the glass down with a deep sigh ; 
 " for the cursed blue pigeon flew away immediately." 
 
 " Why, Morrison, you must have a chicken-heart 
 to be frightened at a blue pigeon," said Corbett, 
 laughing, and looking out of the window; "at all 
 events, he has come back again, and there he is 
 sitting by the white one." 
 
 " It 's the first time that ever I was called chicken- 
 hearted," replied Morrison, in wrath. 
 
 " Nor do you deserve it, Morrison," replied Pick- 
 ersgill; "but Corbett is only joking." 
 
 " Well, at all events I '11 try my luck in the same 
 way, and see whether I am to be in jail : I shall take 
 the blue pigeon as my bad omen, as you did." 
 
 The sailors and Captain Pickersgill all rose and 
 went to the window, to ascertain Corbett's fortune by 
 this new species of augury. The blue pigeon flapped 
 his wings, and then he sidled up to the white one; 
 at last, the white pigeon flew off the wall and settled 
 on the roof of the adjacent house. " Bravo ! white 
 pigeon," said Corbett; "I shall be here again in a 
 week." The whole party, laughing, then resumed 
 their seats ; and Morrison's countenance brightened 
 up. As he took the glass of wine poured out by 
 Pickersgill, he said, " Here 's your health, Corbett ; 
 it was all nonsense, after all — for, d'ye see, I can't 
 
304 CUTTER THE THIRD. 
 
 be put in jail without you are. We all sail in the 
 same boat, and when you leave me, you take with 
 you every thing that can condemn the vessel — so 
 here's success to our trip." 
 
 "We will all drink that toast, my lads, and then 
 on board," said the captain ; " here 's success to our 
 trip." 
 
 The captain rose, as did the mates and men, drank 
 the toast, turned down the drinking vessels on the 
 table, hastened to the wharf, and, in half an hour, the 
 Happy-go-lucky was clear of the port of St. Maloes. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PORTLAND BILL. 
 
 The Happy-go-lucky sailed with a fresh breeze 
 and a flowing sheet from St. Maloes, the evening 
 before the Arrow sailed from Barn Pool. The Active 
 sailed from Portsmouth the morning after. 
 
 The yacht, as we before observed, was bound to 
 Cowes, in the isle of Wight. The Active had orders to 
 cruize wherever she pleased within the limits of the 
 admiral's station; and she ran for West Bay, on the 
 other side of the Bill of Portland. The happy-go- 
 lucky was also bound for that bay to land her cargo. 
 
 The wind was light, and there was every appear- 
 ance of fine weather, when the Happy-go-lucky, at 
 10 o'clock on the Tuesday night, made the Portland 
 lights ; as it was impossible to run her cargo that 
 night, she hove to. 
 
 At 11 o'clock, the Portland lights were made by 
 the revenue cutter, Active. Mr. Appleboy went up 
 to have a look at them, ordered the cutter to be hove 
 to, and then went down to finish his allowance of 
 
306 PORTLAND BILL. 
 
 gin-toddy. At 12 o'clock, the yacht Arrow made 
 the Portland lights, and continued her course, hardly 
 stemming the ebb tide. 
 
 Day broke, and the horizon was clear. The first 
 on the look-out were, of course, the smugglers ; they, 
 and those on board the revenue cutter, were the only 
 two interested parties — the yacht was neuter. 
 
 " There are two cutters in sight, sir," said Corbett, 
 who had the watch ; for Pickersgill, having been up 
 almost the whole night, had thrown himself down 
 on his bed with his clothes on. 
 
 "What do they look like?" said Pickersgill, who 
 was up in a moment. 
 
 " One is a yacht, and the other may be ; but I 
 rather think, as far as I can judge in the gray, that 
 it is our old friend off here." 
 
 "What! old Appleboy?" 
 
 " Yes, it looks like him ; but the day has scarcely 
 broke yet." 
 
 " Well, he can do nothing in a light wind like 
 this ; and, before the wind, we can shew him our 
 heels : but are you sure the other is a yacht ? " said 
 Pickersgill, coming on deck. 
 
 " Yes ; the king is more careful of his canvass." 
 
 " You 're right," said Pickersgill, " that is a yacht ; 
 and you 're right there again in your guess — that is 
 
PORTLAND^ILL. '307 
 
 the stupid old Active, which creeps about creeping 
 for tubs. Well, I see nothing to alarm us at present, 
 provided it don^t fall a dead calm, and then we must 
 take to our boat as soon as he takes to his; we 
 are four miles from him at least. Watch his mo- 
 tions, Corbett, and see if he lowers a boat. What 
 does she go now? four knots — that will soon tire 
 their men." 
 
 The positions of the three cutters were as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 The Happy-go-lucky was about four miles off Port- 
 land Head, and well into West Bay. The revenue 
 cutter was close to the Head. The yacht was outside 
 of the smuggler about two miles to the westward, and 
 about five or six miles from the revenue cutter. 
 
 " Two vessels in sight, sir," said Mr. Smith, coming 
 down into the cabin to Mr. Appleboy. 
 
 " Very well," replied the lieutenant, who was lifiny 
 down in his standing bed-place. 
 
 " The people say one is the Happy-go-lucky, sir," 
 drawled Smith. 
 
 "Heh? what! Happy-go-lucky? yes, I recollect; 
 I Ve boarded her twenty times — always empty. How 's 
 she standing?" 
 
 " She stands to the westward now, sir ; but she 
 was hove to, they say, when they first saw her." 
 
308 PORTLAND BILL, 
 
 " Then she has a cargo in her ; " and Mr. Appleboy 
 shaved himself, dressed, and went on deck. 
 
 "Yes," said the lieutenant, rubbing his eyes again 
 and again, and then looking through the glass, "it is 
 her sure enough. Let draw the fore-sheet — hands 
 make sail. What vessel's the other?" 
 
 " Don't know, sir, — she 's a cutter." 
 
 " A cutter ? yes ; may be a yacht, or may be the 
 new cutter ordered on the station. Make all sail, 
 Mr. Tomkins ; hoist our pendant, and fire a gun — 
 they will understand what we mean then; they don't 
 know the Happy-go-lucky as well as we do." 
 
 In a few minutes the Active was under a press of 
 sail; she hoisted her pendant, and fired a gun. The 
 smuggler perceived that the Active had recognised 
 her, and she also threw out more canvass, and ran 
 off more to the westward. 
 
 " There 's a gun, sir," reported one of the men to 
 Mr. Stewart, on board of the yacht. 
 
 " Y es ; give me the glass — a revenue-cutter ; then 
 this vessel in shore, running towards us, must be a 
 smuggler." 
 
 " She has just now made all sail, sir." 
 
 " Yes, there 's no doubt of it ; I will go down to 
 his lordship — keep her as she goes." 
 
 Mr. Stewart then went down to inform Lord B. 
 
PORTLAND BILL. 309 
 
 of the circumstance. Not only Lord B., but most of 
 the gentlemen came on deck ; as did soon afterwards 
 the ladies, who had received the intelligence from Lord 
 B., who spoke to them through the door of the cabin. 
 
 But the smuggler had more wind than the revenue 
 cutter and increased her distance. 
 
 " If we were to wear round now, my lord," observed 
 Mr. Stewart, " she is just abreast of us and in shore, 
 we could prevent her escape." 
 
 " Round with her, Mr. Stewart," said Lord B., 
 "we must do our duty and protect the laws." 
 
 "That will not be fair, papa," said Cecilia Ossul- 
 ton, "we have no quarrel with the smugglers; I'm 
 sure the ladies have not, for they bring us beautiful 
 things." 
 
 " Miss Ossulton," observed her aunt, " it is not 
 proper for you to offer an opinion." 
 
 The yacht wore round, and, sailing so fast, the 
 smuggler had little chance of escaping her ; but to 
 chase is one thing — to capture, another. 
 
 " Let us give her a gun," said Lord B., " that will 
 frighten her ; and he dare not cross our hawse." 
 
 The gun was loaded, and not being more than a 
 mile from the smuggler, actually threw the ball almost 
 a quarter of the way. 
 
 The gentlemen, as well as Lord B., were equally 
 
310 PORTLAND BILL. 
 
 excited by the ardour of pursuit; but the wind died 
 away, and at last it was nearly calm. The revenue 
 cutter's boats were out, and coming up fast. 
 
 " Let us get our boat out, Stewart," said his lord- 
 ship, " and help them, it is quite calm now." 
 
 The boat was soon out: it was a very large one, 
 usually stowed on, and occupied a large portion of, the 
 deck. It pulled six oars ; and when it was manned, 
 Mr. Stewart jumped in, and Lord B. followed him. 
 
 " But you have no arms," said Mr. Hautaine. 
 
 " The smugglers never resist now," observed Stewart. 
 
 " Then you are going on a very gallant expedition, 
 indeed," observed Cecilia Ossulton ; " I wish you joy." 
 
 But Lord B. was too much excited to pay attention. 
 They shoved off, and pulled towards the smuggler. 
 
 At this time, the revenue boats were about five 
 miles astern of the Happy-go-lucky, and the yacht 
 about three quartres of a mile from her in the offing. 
 Pickersgill had, of course, observed the motions of 
 the yacht ; had seen her wear on chase, hoist her 
 ensign and pendant, and fire her gun. 
 
 " Well," said he, " this is the blackest ingratitude ; 
 to be attacked by the very people whom we smuggle 
 for. I only wish she may come up with us ; and, 
 let her attempt to interfere, she shall rue the day : 
 I don't much like this, though." 
 
PORTLAND BILL. 31 1 
 
 As we before observed, it fell nearly calm, and the 
 revenue boats were in chase. Pickersgill watched 
 them as they came up. 
 
 " What shall we do," said Corbett, — " get the boat 
 out?" 
 
 " Yes," replied Pickersgill, " we will get the boat 
 out, and have the goods in her all ready : but we 
 can pull faster than they do, in the first place ; and, 
 in the next, they will be pretty well tired before 
 they come up to us. We are fresh, and shall soon 
 walk away from them; so I shall not leave the vessel 
 till they are within half a mile. We must sink the 
 ankers, that they may not seize the vessel, for it is 
 not worth while taking them with us. Pass them 
 along, ready to run them over the bows, that they 
 may not see us and swear to it. But we have a 
 good half hour and more." 
 
 " Ay, and you may hold all fast if you choose," 
 said Morrison, " although it 's better to be on the right 
 side and get ready ; otherwise, before half an hour, I '11 
 swear that we are out of their sight : look there," said 
 he, pointing to the eastward at a heavy bank, "it's 
 coming right down upon us, as I said it would." 
 
 " True enough, but still there is no saying which 
 will come first, Morrison ; the boats or the fog, so 
 we must be prepared." 
 
312 PORTLAND BILL. 
 
 " Hilloa ! what 's this ? why, there 's a boat coming 
 from the yacht." 
 
 Pickersgill took out his glass. 
 
 " Yes, and the yacht's own boat, with the name 
 painted on her bows. Well, let them come — we will 
 have no ceremony in resisting them ; they are not in 
 the act of Parliament, and must take the consequences. 
 We have naught to fear. Get stretchers, my lads, and 
 hand -spikes; they row six oars, and are three in the 
 stern-sheets — they must be good men if they take us." 
 
 In a few minutes Lord B. w T as close to the smuggler. 
 
 "Boat, ahoy! what do you want?" 
 
 " Surrender in the king's name." 
 
 " To what, and to whom, and what are we to sur- 
 render? We are an English vessel coasting along 
 shore." 
 
 "Pull on board, my lads," cried Stewart; "I am 
 a king's officer — we know her." 
 
 The boat darted alongside, and Stewart and Lord 
 B., followed by the men, jumped on the deck. 
 
 "Well, gentlemen, what do you want?" said Pick- 
 ersgill. 
 
 "We seize you — you are a smuggler; there's no 
 denying it — look at the casks of spirits stretched 
 along the deck." 
 
 " We never said that we were not smugglers," 
 
PORTLAND BILL. 313 
 
 replied Pickersgill; "but what is that to you? you 
 are not a king's ship, or employed by the revenue." 
 
 " No, but we carry a pendant, and it is our duty 
 to protect the laws." 
 
 " And who are you ? " said Pickersgill. 
 
 "I am Lord B." 
 
 " Then, my lord, allow me to say that you would 
 do much better to attend to the framing of laws, and 
 leave people of less consequence, like those astern of 
 me, to execute them. ( Mind your own business,' 
 is "au old adage. We shall not hurt you, my lord, 
 as you have only employed words, but we shall put 
 it out of your power to hurt us. Come aft, my lads. 
 Now, my lord, resistance is useless; we are double 
 your numbers, and you have caught a Tartar." 
 
 Lord B. and Mr. Stewart perceived that they were 
 in an awkward predicament. 
 
 " You may do what you please," observed Mr. Stewart, 
 " but the revenue boats are coming up, recollect." 
 
 "Look you, sir, do you see the revenue cutter?" 
 
 said Pickersgill. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Stewart looked in that direction, 
 
 and 
 
 saw 
 
 that she 
 
 was hidden in the fog. 
 
 
 
 
 
 " In five minutes, 
 
 sir, the boat 
 
 s w: 
 
 [11 be 
 
 out of 
 
 sight also, and so will 
 
 your vessel; 
 
 we 
 
 have 
 
 nothing 
 
 to fear from them. 
 
 
 
 
 
314 PORTLAND BILL. 
 
 " Indeed, my lord, we had better return," said 
 Mr. Stewart, who perceived that Pickersgill was right. 
 
 "I beg your pardon, you will not go on board of 
 your yacht so soon as you expect. Take the oars out 
 of the boat, my lads, two or three of you, and throw in 
 a couple of our paddles for them to reach the shore 
 with. The rest of you knock down the first man who 
 offers to resist. You are not aware, perhaps, my lord, 
 that you have attempted piracy on the high seas." 
 
 Stewart looked at Lord B. It was true enough. 
 The men of the yacht could offer no resistance; the oars 
 were taken out of the boat, and the men put in again. 
 
 " My lord," said Pickersgill, " your boat is manned 
 — do me the favour to step into it ; and you, sir, do the 
 same. I should be sorry to lay my hands upon a peer 
 of the realm, or a king's officer even on half pay." 
 
 Remonstrance was vain; Ms lordship was led to the 
 boat by two of the smugglers, and Stewart followed. 
 
 "I will leave your oars, my lord, at the Wey- 
 mouth custom-house ; and I trust this will be a 
 lesson to you in future to 'mind your own business.'" 
 
 The boat was shoved off from the sloop by the 
 smugglers, and was soon lost sight of in the fog, which 
 had now covered the revenue boats as well as the 
 yacht; at the same time, it brought down a breeze 
 from the eastward. 
 
PORTLAND BILL. 315 
 
 " Haul to the wind, Morrison, " said Pickersgill, 
 iC we will stand out to get rid of the boats ; if the y 
 pull on, they will take it for granted that we shall run 
 into the bay, as will the revenue cutter." 
 
 Pickersgill and Corbett were in conversation abaft 
 for a short time, when the former desired the course to 
 be altered two points. 
 
 " Keep silence all of you, mj lads, and let me 
 know if you hear a gun or a bell from the yacht," 
 said Pickersgill. 
 
 " There is a gun, sir, close to us," said one of the 
 men — " the sound was right ahead." 
 
 " That will do, keep her as she goes. Aft here, 
 my lads ; we cannot run our cargo in the bay, 
 for the cutter has been seen to chase us, and they 
 will all be on the look-out at the preventive stations 
 for us on shore. Now, my lads, I have made up 
 my mind that, as these yacht gentlemen have thought 
 proper to interfere, that I will take possession of 
 the yacht for a few days. We shall then outsail 
 every thing, go where we like unsuspected, and 
 land our cargo with ease. I shall run alongside 
 of her — she can have but few hands on board ; 
 and mind, do not hurt any body, but be civil and 
 obey my orders. Morrison, you and your four 
 men and the boy will remain on board as before, 
 
316 PORTLAND BILL. 
 
 and take the vessel to Cherbourg, where we will 
 join you." 
 
 In a short time, another gun was fired from the 
 yacht. Those on board, particularly the ladies, were 
 alarmed; the fog was very thick, and they could not 
 distinguish the length of the vessel. They had seen 
 the boat board, but had not seen her turned adrift 
 without oars, as the fog came on just at that time. 
 The yacht was left with only three seamen on board, 
 and, should it come on bad weather, they were in 
 an awkward predicament. Mr, Hautaine had taken 
 the command, and ordered the guns to be fired 
 that the boat might be enabled to find them. The 
 fourth gun was loading, when they perceived the 
 smugglers' cutter close to them, looming through 
 the fog. 
 
 " Here they are," cried the seamen ; " and they 
 have brought the prize along with them. Three cheers 
 for the Arrow ! " 
 
 " Hilloa ! you '11 be on board of us," cried Hau- 
 taine. 
 
 " That 's exactly what I intended to be, sir," replied 
 Pickersgill, jumping on the quarter-deck, followed by 
 his men. 
 
 " Who the devil are you ? " 
 
 " That 's exactly the same question that I asked 
 
PORTLAND BILL. 317 
 
 replied Pickersgill, 
 taking off his hat to the ladies. 
 
 " Well but what business have you here ? " 
 " Exactly the same question which I put to Lord B.," 
 replied Pickersgill. 
 
 " Where is Lord B., sir ? " said Cecilia Ossulton, 
 going up to the smuggler ; " is he safe ? " 
 
 " Yes, madam, he is safe ; at least he is in his boat 
 with all his men, and unhurt — but you must excuse 
 me, if I request you and the other ladies to go down 
 below, while I speak to these gentlemen. Be under no 
 alarm, miss; you will receive neither insult nor ill 
 treatment — I have only taken possession of this vessel 
 for the present." 
 
 (i Take possession," cried Hautaine, " of a yacht ! " 
 "Yes, sir, since the owner of the yacht thought 
 proper to attempt to take possession of me. I always 
 thought that yachts were pleasure-vessels, sailing about 
 for amusement, respected themselves, and not inter- 
 fering with others ; but it appears that such is not the 
 case. The owner of this yacht has thought proper to 
 break through the neutrality, and commence aggres- 
 sion ; and, under such circumstances, I have now, 
 in retaliation, taken possession of her." 
 
 "And, pray, what do you 'mean to do, sir?" 
 
 " Simply, for a few days to make an exchange. I 
 
318 PORTLAND BILL. 
 
 shall send you on board of my vessel as smugglers, 
 while I remain here with the ladies, and amuse myself 
 with yachting." 
 
 "Why, sir, you cannot mean " 
 
 " I have said, gentlemen, and that is enough ; I 
 should be sorry to resort to violence, but I must be 
 obeyed. You have, I perceive, three seamen only left : 
 they are not sufficient to take charge of the vessel, 
 and Lord B. and the others you will not meet for 
 several days. My regard for the ladies — even common 
 humanity, points out to me that I cannot leave the 
 vessel in this crippled condition. At the same time, 
 as I must have hands on board of my own, you will 
 oblige me by going on board, and taking her safely 
 into port. It is the least return you can make for my 
 kindness. In those dresses, gentlemen, you will not 
 be able to do your duty ; oblige me by shifting, and 
 putting on these." Corbett handed a flannel shirt, a 
 rough jacket and trousers, to Messrs. Hautaine, Ossul- 
 ton, Vaughan, and Seagrove. After some useless 
 resistance they were stripped, and, having put on the 
 smugglers' attire, they were handed on board of the 
 Happy-go-lucky. 
 
 The three English seamen were also sent on board, 
 and confined below, as well as Ossulton's servant, who 
 was also equipped like his master, and confined below 
 
 / 
 
PORTLAND BILL. 319 
 
 with the seamen. Corbett and the men then handed up 
 all the smuggled goods into the yacht, dropped the boat, 
 and made it fast astern ; and, Morrison having received 
 his directions, the vessels separated — Morrison running 
 for Cherbourg, and Pickersgill steering the yacht along 
 shore to the westward. About an hour after this 
 exchange had been effected, the fog cleared up, and 
 shewed the revenue cutter hove to for her boats, which 
 had pulled back, and were close on board of her; and 
 the Happy-go-lucky, about three miles in the offing, 
 Lord B. and his boat's crew were about four miles in 
 shore, paddling and drifting with the tide towards 
 Portland. As soon as the boats were on board, the 
 revenue cutter made all sail after the smuggler, paying 
 no attention to the yacht, and either not seeing or not 
 caring about the boat which was drifting about in 
 West Bay. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 " Here we are, Corbett, and now I only wish 
 my venture had been double," observed Pickersgill; 
 "but I shall not allow business to absorb me wholly 
 — we must add a little amusement. It appears to 
 me, Corbett, that the gentleman's clothes which lie 
 there will fit you, and those of the good-looking 
 fellow who was spokesman will, I am sure, suit me 
 well. Now, let us dress ourselves, and then for 
 breakfast." 
 
 Pickersgill then exchanged his clothes for those of 
 Mr. Hautaine, and Corbett fitted on those of Mr. 
 Ossulton. The steward was summoned up, and he 
 dared not disobey ; he appeared on deck, trembling. 
 
 " Steward — you will take these clothes below," said 
 Pickersgill, " and, observe, I now command this yacht ; 
 and, during the time that I am on board, you will 
 pay me the same respect as you did Lord B. ; nay, 
 more, you will always address me as Lord B. You 
 will prepare dinner and breakfast, and do your duty 
 

 
 
 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 
 
 321 
 
 just 
 
 as 
 
 if his 
 
 lordship 
 
 was 
 
 on 
 
 board, 
 
 and 
 
 take 
 
 care 
 
 that you feed us well, for I will not allow the ladies 
 to be entertained in a less sumptuous manner than 
 before. — You will tell the cook what I say, — and now 
 that you have heard me, take care that you obey ; 
 if not, recollect that I have my own men here, and if 
 I but point with my finger, overboard you go. — Do 
 you perfectly comprehend me ? " 
 
 " Yes, — sir," stammered the steward, 
 
 u Yes, sir / — What did I tell you, sirrah ? — Yes, 
 my lord. — Do you understand me ? " 
 
 " Yes — my lord." 
 
 "Pray, steward, whose clothes has this gentleman 
 put on?" 
 
 " Mr. — Mr. Ossulton's, I think — sir — my lord — I 
 mean." 
 
 " Very well, steward ; then recollect, in future you 
 always address that gentleman as Mr. Ossulton." 
 
 i( Yes, my lord," and the steward went down below, 
 and was obliged to take a couple of glasses of brandy, 
 to keep himself from fainting. 
 
 " Who are they, and what are they ! Mr. Maddox ? " 
 cried the lady's-maid, who had been weeping. 
 
 "Pirates! — bloody, murderous, stick-at-nothing pirates!" 
 replied the steward. 
 
 " Oh ! " screamed the lady's-maid, " what will become 
 
322 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 of us, poor unprotected females ; and she hastened 
 into the cabin, to impart this dreadful intelligence. 
 
 The ladies in the cabin were not in a very enviable 
 situation. As for the elder Miss Ossulton, (but, per- 
 haps, it will be better in future, to distinguish the two 
 ladies, by calling the elder simply Miss Ossulton, and her 
 niece, Cecilia,) she was sitting with her salts to her nose, 
 agonised with a mixture of trepidation and wounded 
 pride. Mrs. Lascelles was weeping, but weeping gently. 
 Cecilia was sad, and her heart was beating with anxiety 
 and suspense — when the maid rushed in. 
 
 " Oh madam ! Oh miss ! Oh Mrs. Lascelles ! I 
 have found it all out ! — they are murderous, bloody, 
 do-eve ry-thing pirates ! ! ! " 
 
 " Mercy on us ! " exclaimed Miss Ossulton, " surely 
 they will never dare ?" 
 
 " Oh ma'am, they dare any thing ! — they just now 
 were throwing the steward overboard — and they have 
 rummaged all the portmanteaus, and dressed themselves 
 in the gentlemen's best clothes — the captain of them 
 told the steward that he was Lord B. — and that if he 
 dared to call him any thing else, he would cut his throat 
 from ear to ear — and if the cook don't give them a good 
 dinner, they swear that they '11 chop his right hand off, 
 and make him eat it, without pepper or salt ! " 
 
 Miss Ossulton screamed, and went off into hysterics. 
 
THE TRAVKSTIE. 323 
 
 — Mrs. Lascelles and Cecilia went to her assistance; 
 but the latter had not forgotten the very different 
 behaviour of Jack Pickersgill, and his polite manners, 
 when he boarded the vessel. She did not, therefore, 
 believe what the maid had reported, but still her 
 anxiety and suspense were great, especially about her 
 father. After having restored her aunt, she put on 
 her bonnet, which was lying on the sofa. 
 
 " Where are you going, dear ? " said Mrs. Lascelles. 
 
 " On deck," replied Cecilia ; " I must and will speak 
 to these men." 
 
 " Gracious heaven ! Miss Ossulton ; going on deck ! 
 have you heard what Phcebe says ? " 
 
 " Yes, aunt, I have — but I can wait here no longer." 
 
 "Stop her! stop her! — she will be murdered! — she 
 will be — she is mad ! " screamed Miss Ossulton ; but no 
 one attempted to stop Cecilia, and on deck she went. 
 On her arrival, she found Jack Pickersgill and Corbett 
 walking the deck; one of the smugglers at the helm, 
 and the rest forward, and as quiet as the crew of the 
 yacht. As soon as she made her appearance, Jack took 
 off his hat, and made her a bow. 
 
 " I do not know whom I have the honour of address- 
 ing, young lady! but I am nattered with this mark of 
 confidence. — You feel, and I assure you, you feel 
 correctly, that you are not exactly in lawless hands." 
 
324 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 Cecilia looked with more surprise than fear at 
 Pickersgill; Mr. Hautaine's dress became him, he was 
 a handsome, fine-looking man, and had nothing of the 
 ruffian in his appearance; unless, like Byron's Corsair, 
 he was half savage, half soft. She could not help 
 thinking that she had met many with less pretensions, 
 as far as appearance went, to the claims of a gentleman 
 at Almack's, and other fashionable circles. 
 
 " I have ventured on deck, sir," said Cecilia, with a 
 little tremulousness in her voice, " to request, as a 
 favour, that you will inform me what your intentions 
 may be, with regard to the vessel, and with regard to 
 the ladies ? " 
 
 " And I feel much obliged to you, for your so doing, 
 and I assure you, I will, as far as I have made up my 
 own mind, answer you candidly: but you tremble — 
 allow me to conduct you to a seat. In few words, then, 
 to remove your present alarm, I intend that the vessel 
 shall be returned to its owner, with every article in it, 
 as religiously respected as if they were church property. 
 With respect to you, and the other ladies on board, 
 I pledge you my honour, that you have nothing to 
 fear; that you shall be treated with every respect; 
 your privacy never invaded; and that, in a few days, 
 you will be restored to your friends. Young lady, I 
 pledge my hopes of future salvation to the truth of this ; 
 
THE TRAVESTIE. 325 
 
 but, at the same time, I must make a few conditions, 
 which, however, will not be very severe." 
 
 " But, sir," replied Cecilia, much relieved, for Pick- 
 ersgill had stood by her in the most respectful manner, 
 " you are, I presume, the captain of the smuggler ? — 
 Pray, answer me one question more — What became 
 of the boat, with Lord B., — he is my father ? " 
 
 " I left him in his boat, without a hair of his head 
 touched, young lady ; but I took away the oars." 
 
 il Then he will perish ! " cried Cecilia, putting her 
 handkerchief to her eyes. 
 
 " No, young lady, he is on shore probably by this 
 time ; although I took away his means of assisting to 
 capture us, I left him the means of gaining the land. 
 It is not every one who would have done that, after his 
 conduct to us." 
 
 " I begged him not to go," said Cecilia ; " I told him 
 that it was not fair, and that he had no quarrel with the 
 smugglers." 
 
 " I thank you even for that," replied Pickersgill ; 
 " and now, miss — I have not the pleasure of recollecting 
 his lordship's family name." 
 
 " Ossulton, sir," said Cecilia, looking at Pickersgill 
 with surprise. 
 
 " Then, with your permission, Miss Ossulton, I will 
 now make you my confidant ; excuse my using so free 
 
326 THE TR A VEST IE. 
 
 a term, but it is because I wish to relieve your fears ; at 
 the same time, I cannot permit you to divulge all my 
 intentions to the whole party on board ; I feel that I may 
 trust you, for you have courage, and where there is 
 courage, there generally is truth ; but you must first tell 
 me whether you will condescend to accept these terms?" 
 
 Cecilia demurred a moment — the idea of being the 
 confidant of a smuggler rather startled her ; but still, her 
 knowledge of what his intentions were, if she might not 
 reveal them, might be important ; as, perhaps, she might 
 dissuade him. She could be in no worse position than 
 she was now, and she might be in a much better. The 
 conduct of Pickersgill had been such, up to the present, 
 as to inspire confidence ; and, although he defied the 
 laws, he appeared to regard the courtesies of life. Cecilia 
 was a courageous girl, and at length she replied: — 
 
 " Provided what you desire me to keep secret will 
 not be injurious to any one, or compromise me, in my 
 peculiar situation, I consent." 
 
 " I would not hurt a fly, Miss Ossulton, but in self- 
 defence, and I have too much respect for you, from your 
 conduct during our short meeting, to compromise you. 
 Allow me now to be very candid; and then, perhaps, 
 you will acknowledge, that, in my situation, others would 
 do the same ; and, perhaps, not show half so much for- 
 bearance. Your father, without any right whatever, 
 
THE TRAVESTIE. 827 
 
 interferes with me, and my calling ; he attempts to make 
 me a prisoner, to have me thrown in jail, heavily fined, 
 and, perhaps, sent out of the country, I will not enter 
 into any defence of smuggling, it is sufficient to say that 
 there are pains and penalties attached to the infraction 
 of certain laws, and that I choose to risk them — but 
 Lord B. was not empowered by government to attack 
 me — it was a gratuitous act, and had I thrown him, and 
 all his crew into the sea, I should have been justified, 
 for it was in short, an act of piracy on their part. Now, 
 as your father has thought to turn a yacht into a revenue 
 cutter, you cannot be surprised at my retaliating, in 
 turning her into a smuggler; and as he has mixed up 
 looking after the revenue with yachting, he cannot be 
 surprised if I retaliate, by mixing up a little yachting 
 with smuggling. I have dressed your male companions 
 as smugglers, and have sent them in the smuggling vessel 
 to Cherbourg, where they will be safely landed ; and I 
 have dressed myself, and the only person whom I could 
 join with me in this frolic, as gentlemen, in their places. 
 My object is twofold; one is, to land my cargo, which 
 I have now on board, and which is very valuable ; the 
 other is, to retaliate upon your father and his com- 
 panions, for their attempt upon me, by stepping into 
 their shoes, and enjoying, for a day or two, their luxuries. 
 It is my intention to make free with nothing, but his 
 
328 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 lordship's wine and eatables, — that you may be assured 
 of; but I shall have no pleasure, if the ladies do not sit 
 down to the dinner-table with us, as they did before 
 with your father and his friends." 
 
 " You can hardly expect that, sir," said Cecilia. 
 
 " Yes, I do ; and that will be not only the price of the 
 early release of the yacht and themselves, but it will 
 also be the only means by which they will obtain any 
 thing to eat. You observe, Miss Ossulton, the sins of 
 the fathers are visited on the children. I have now 
 told you what I mean to do, and what I wish. I leave 
 you to think of it, and decide whether it will not be 
 best for all parties to consent. You have my permission 
 to tell the other ladies, that whatever may be their 
 conduct, they are as secure from ill treatment or rude- 
 ness, as if they were in Grosvenor Square ; but I cannot 
 answer that they will not be hungry, if, after such 
 forbearance in every point, they shew so little gratitude, 
 as not to honour me with their company." 
 
 " Then I am to understand, that we are to be starved 
 into submission." 
 
 "No, 
 
 not starved, Miss Ossulton 
 
 ; but 
 
 recollect, 
 
 that 
 
 you will be on 
 
 bread and water, 
 
 and 
 
 detained 
 
 until 
 
 you do 
 
 consent, 
 
 and your detention wi 
 
 1 increase 
 
 the 
 
 anxiety 
 
 of your 
 
 father." 
 
 
 
 
 " You 
 
 know 
 
 how to persuade, 
 
 sir," 
 
 said Cecilia. 
 
THE TRAVESTIE. 329 
 
 " As far as I am concerned, I trust I shall ever be 
 ready to sacrifice any feelings of pride, to spare my 
 father so much uneasiness. With your permission, I 
 will now go down into the cabin, and relieve my com- 
 panions from the worst of their fears. As for obtaining 
 what you wish, I can only say, that, as a young person, 
 I am not likely to have much influence with those 
 older than myself, and must inevitably be overruled, 
 as I have not permission to point out to them reasons 
 which might avail. Would you so far allow me to be 
 relieved from my promise, as to communicate all you 
 have said to me, to the only married woman on board? 
 I think I then might obtain your wishes, which, I must 
 candidly tell you, I shall attempt to effect, only because 
 I am most anxious to rejoin my friends." 
 
 " And be relieved of my company," replied Pick- 
 ersgill, smiling, ironically, — " of course you are ; but I 
 must and will have my petty revenge; and although 
 you may, and probably will detest me, at all events, 
 you shall not have any very formidable charge to make 
 against me. — Before you go below, Miss Ossulton, I 
 give you my permission to add the married lady to the 
 number of my confidants; and you must permit me 
 to introduce my friend, Mr. Ossulton," and Pickersgill 
 waved his hand in the direction of Corbett, who took 
 off his hat, and made a low obeisance. 
 
330 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 It was impossible for Cecilia Ossulton to help smiling. 
 
 " And," continued Pickersgill, " having taken the 
 command of this yacht, instead of his lordship, it is 
 absolutely necessary that I also take his lordship's 
 name. While on board I am Lord B. ; and allow me 
 to introduce myself under that name — I cannot be 
 addressed otherwise. Depend upon it, Miss Ossulton, 
 that I shall have a most paternal solicitude to make 
 you happy and comfortable." 
 
 Had Cecilia Ossulton dared to have given vent to 
 her real feelings at that time, she would have burst into 
 a fit of laughter, it was too ludicrous. At the same 
 time the very burlesque reassured her still more. She 
 went into the cabin with a heavy weight removed from 
 her heart. 
 
 In the meantime, Miss Ossulton and Mrs. Lascelles 
 remained below, in the greatest anxiety at Cecilia's pro- 
 longed stay ; they knew not what to think, and dared 
 not go on deck. Mrs. Lascelles had once determined 
 at all risks to go up; but Miss Ossulton and Phoebe 
 had screamed, and implored her so fervently not to 
 leave them, that she unwillingly consented to remain. 
 Cecilia's countenance, when she entered the cabin, 
 reassured Mrs. Lascelles, but not her aunt, who ran to 
 her, crying and sobbing, and clinging to her, saying, 
 " What have they done to you, my poor, poor Cecilia ?" 
 
THE TRAVESTIE. 331 
 
 " Nothing at all, aunt ; " replied Cecilia, " the cap- 
 tain speaks very fairly, and says that he shall respect 
 us in every possible way, provided that we obey his 
 orders, but if not " 
 
 "If not — what, Cecilia?" said Miss Ossulton, grasp- 
 ing her niece's arm. 
 
 " He will starve us, and not let us go ! " 
 
 " God have mercy on us ! " — cried Miss Ossulton, 
 renewing her sobs. 
 
 Cecilia then went to Mrs. Lascelles, and communi- 
 cated to her, apart, all that had passed. Mrs. Lascelles 
 agreed with Cecilia, that they were in no danger of 
 insult ; and as they talked over the matter, they at last 
 began to laugh; there was a novelty in it, and there 
 was something so ridiculous in all the gentlemen being 
 turned into smugglers. Cecilia was glad that she could 
 not tell her aunt, as she wished her to be so frightened, 
 as never to have her company on board of the yacht 
 again; and Mrs. Lascelles was too glad to annoy her 
 for many and various insults received. The matter 
 was, therefore, canvassed over very satisfactorily, and 
 Mrs. Lascelles felt a natural curiosity to see this new 
 Lord B. and the second Mr. Ossulton. But they had 
 had no breakfast, and were feeling very hungry, now 
 that their alarm was over. They desired Phoebe to 
 ask the steward for some tea or coffee. The reply was, 
 
332 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 that "Breakfast was laid in the cabin, and Lord B. 
 trusted that the ladies would come to partake of it." 
 
 " No, no," replied Mrs. Lascelles, " I never can, 
 without being introduced to them first." 
 
 " Nor will I go," replied Cecilia, " but I will write 
 a note, and we will have our breakfast here." Cecilia 
 wrote a note in pencil as follows. 
 
 " Miss Ossulton's compliments to Lord B., and, as 
 the ladies feel rather indisposed after the alarm of this 
 morning, they trust that his lordship will excuse their 
 coming to breakfast; but hope to meet his lordship at 
 dinner, if not before that time, on deck." 
 
 " The answer was propitious, and the steward soon 
 appeared with the breakfast in the ladies' cabin. 
 
 "Well Maddox," said Cecilia, "how do you get on 
 with your new master?" 
 
 The steward looked at the door to see if it was closed, 
 shook his head, and then said with a look of despair, 
 " He has ordered a haunch of venison for dinner, miss, 
 and he has twice threatened to toss me overboard." 
 
 " You must obey him, Maddox, or he certainly will. 
 These pirates are dreadful fellows; be attentive, and 
 serve him just as if he was my father." 
 
 " Yes, yes, ma'am, I will, but our time may come ; 
 it 's hurglary on the high seas, and I '11 go fifty miles to 
 see him hanged." 
 
THE TRAVESTIE. 333 
 
 " Steward ! " cried Pickersgill, from the cabin. 
 
 " O, lord ! he can't have heard me — d'ye think he 
 did, miss?" 
 
 " The partitions are very thin, and you spoke very 
 loud," said Mrs. Lascelles ; " at all events, go to him 
 quickly." 
 
 " Good bye, miss ; good bye, ma'am ; if I shouldn't 
 see you any more," said Maddox, trembling with fear, 
 as he obeyed the awful summons — which was to de- 
 mand a toothpick. 
 
 Miss Ossulton would not touch the breakfast; not 
 so Mrs. Lascelles and Cecilia, who ate very heartily. 
 
 " It 's very dull to be shut up in this cabin," said 
 Mrs. Lascelles ; " come, Cecilia, let 's go on deck." 
 
 " And leave me," cried Miss Ossulton. 
 
 " There is Phoebe here, aunt ; we are going up to 
 persuade the pirates to put us all on shore." 
 
 Mrs. Lascelles and Cecilia put on their bonnets and 
 went up. Lord B. took off his hat, and begged the 
 honour of being introduced to the pretty widow. He 
 handed the ladies to a seat, and then commenced con- 
 versing upon various subjects, which, at the same time 
 possessed great novelty. His lordship talked about 
 France, and described its ports; told now and then a 
 good anecdote ; pointed out the different headlands, 
 bays, towns, and villages, which they were passing 
 
334 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 rapidly, and always had some little story connected 
 with each. Before the ladies had been two hours on 
 deck, they found themselves, to their infinite surprise, 
 not only interested, but in conversation with the captain 
 of the smuggler, and more than once they laughed 
 outright. But the soi-disant Lord B. had inspired them 
 with confidence ; they fully believed that what he had 
 told them was true, and that he had taken possession 
 of the yacht to smuggle his goods, to be revenged, and 
 to have a laugh. Now none of these three offences are 
 capital in the eyes of the fair sex; and Jack was a 
 handsome, fine-looking fellow, of excellent manners, 
 and very agreeable conversation, at the same time, 
 neither he nor his friend were in their general deport- 
 ment or behaviour otherwise than most respectful. 
 
 "Ladies, as you are not afraid of me, which is a 
 greater happiness than I had reason to expect, I think 
 you may be amused to witness the fear of those who 
 accuse your sex of cowardice. With your permission, 
 I will send for the cook and steward, and inquire 
 about the dinner ? " 
 
 " I should like to know what there is for dinner," ob- 
 served Mrs. Lascelles demurely; "would n't you Cecilia?" 
 
 Cecilia put her handkerchief to her mouth. 
 
 " Tell the steward and the cook both to come aft 
 immediately," cried Pickersgill. 
 
THE TRAVESTIE. 335 
 
 In a few seconds they both made their appearance. 
 " Steward ! " cried Pickersgill, with a loud voice. 
 "Yes, my lord/' replied Maddox, with his hat in 
 his hand. 
 
 " What wines have you put out for dinner ? " 
 " Champagne, my lord ; and claret, my lord ; and 
 Madeira and sherry, my lord." 
 " No Burgundy, sir ? " 
 
 " No, my lord ; there is no Burgundy on board." 
 " No Burgundy, sir ! do you dare to tell me that ? " 
 " Upon my soul, my lord," cried Maddox, dropping 
 on his knees, "there is no Burgundy on board — ask 
 the ladies." 
 
 " Very well, sir ; you may go." 
 " Cook, what have you got for dinner ? " 
 " Sir, a haunch of mutt — of venison, my lord," 
 replied the cook, with his white night-cap in his hand. 
 " What else, sirrah ? " 
 " A boiled calf's head, my lord." 
 " A boiled calf's head ? Let it be roasted, or I '11 
 roast you, sir," cried Pickersgill in an angiy tone. 
 " Yes, my lord ; 1 11 roast it." 
 " And what else, sir ? " 
 " Maintenon cutlets, my lord." 
 
 " Maintenon cutlets ! I hate them — I won't have 
 them, sir. Let them be dressed a V ombre Chinoise" 
 
336 THE TRAVESTIE. 
 
 " I don 't know what that is, my lord." 
 
 " I don 't care for that, sirrah ; if you don 't find 
 out by dinner-time, you 're food for fishes — that 's all : 
 you may go." 
 
 The cook walked off wringing his hands and his 
 night-cap as well — for he still held it in his right hand 
 — and disappeared down the fore-hatchway. 
 
 " I have done this to pay you a deserved compliment, 
 ladies ; you have more courage than the other sex." 
 
 " Recollect that we have had confidence given to us 
 in consequence of your pledging your word, my lord." 
 
 " You do me, then, the honour of believing me." 
 
 " I did not until I saw you," replied Mrs. Lascelles ; 
 "but now I am convinced that you will perform your 
 promise." 
 
 " You do, indeed, encourage me, madam, to pursue 
 what is right," said Pickersgill, bowing; "for your 
 approbation I should be most sorry to lose, still more 
 sorry to prove myself unworthy of it." 
 
 As the reader will observe, every thing was going on 
 remarkably well. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 
 
 Cecilia returned to the cabin, to ascertain whether her 
 aunt was more composed ; but Mrs. Lascelles remained 
 on deck. She was much pleased with Pickersgill ; and 
 they continued their conversation. Pickersgill entered 
 into a defence of his conduct to Lord B. ; and Mrs. 
 Lascelles could not but admit the provocation. After a 
 long conversation, she hinted at his profession, and how 
 superior he appeared to be to such a lawless life. 
 
 " You maybe incredulous, madam," replied Pickersgill, 
 " if I tell you that I have as good a right to quarter my 
 arms as Lord B. himself; and that I am not under my 
 real name. Smuggling is, at all events, no crime ; and 
 I infinitely prefer the wild life I lead at the head of my 
 men, to being spurned by society because I am poor. 
 The greatest crime in this country is poverty. I may, 
 if I am fortunate, some day resume my name. You 
 may, perhaps, meet me, and, if you please, you may 
 expose me." 
 
 " That I should not be likely to do," replied the 
 
widow ; " but still I regret to see a person, evidently 
 intended for better things, employed in so disreputable 
 a profession." 
 
 " I hardly know, madam, what is and what is not 
 disreputable in this conventional world. It is not 
 considered disreputable to cringe to the vices of a court, 
 or to accept a pension, wrung from the industry of 
 the nation, in return for base servility. It is not 
 considered disreputable to take tithes, intended for 
 the service of God, and lavish them away at watering- 
 places or elsewhere, seeking pleasure instead of doing 
 God service. It is not considered disreputable to take 
 fee after fee to uphold injustice, to plead against 
 innocence, to pervert truth, and to aid the devil. It 
 is not considered disreputable to gamble on the stock 
 exchange, or to corrupt the honesty of electors by bribes, 
 to doing which the penalty attached is equal to that 
 decreed to the offence of which I am guilty. All these, 
 and much more, are not considered disreputable ; yet, 
 by all these are the moral bonds of society loosened, 
 while in mine we cause no guilt in others " 
 
 " But still it is a crime." 
 
 "A violation of the revenue laws, and no more. 
 Observe, madam, the English government encourage 
 the smuggling of our manufactures to the Continent, 
 at the same time that they take every step to prevent 
 
THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 339 
 
 articles being smuggled into this country. Now, 
 madam, can that be a crime, when the head of the 
 vessel is turned north, which becomes no crime when 
 she steers the opposite way?" 
 
 " There is a stigma attached to it, you must allow." 
 
 " That I grant you, madam ; and as soon as I can 
 quit the profession I shall. No captive ever sighed 
 more to be released from his chains; but I will not 
 leave it, till I find that I am in a situation not to be 
 spurned and neglected by those with whom I have a 
 right to associate." 
 
 At this moment, the steward was seen forward 
 making signs to Mrs. Lascelles, who excused herself, 
 and went to him. 
 
 " For the love of God, madam," said Maddox, " as 
 he appears to be friendly with you, do pray find out 
 how these cutlets are to be dressed ; the cook is 
 tearing his hair, and we shall never have any dinner; 
 and then it will all fall upon me, and I — shall be 
 tossed overboard." 
 
 Mrs. Lascelles desired poor Maddox to wait there 
 while she obtained the desired information. In a few 
 minutes she returned to him. 
 
 " I have found it out. They are first to be boiled 
 in vinegar; then fried in batter, and served up with 
 a sauce of anchovy and Malaga raisins." 
 
340 THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 
 
 " First fried in vinegar ; then boiled in batter, and 
 served up with the almonds and raisins," 
 
 " No — no ! " Mrs. Lascelles repeated the injunction 
 to the frightened steward; and then returned aft, and 
 re-entered into a conversation with Pickersgill, in which, 
 for the first time, Corbett now joined. Corbett had 
 sense enough to feel, that the less he came forward until 
 his superior had established himself in the good graces 
 of the ladies, the more favourable would be the result. 
 
 In the mean time Cecilia had gone down to her 
 aunt, who still continued to wail and lament. The 
 young lady tried all she could to console her, and to 
 persuade her that if they were civil and obedient they 
 had nothing to fear. 
 
 " Civil and obedient, indeed ! " cried Miss Ossulton, 
 " to a fellow who is a smuggler and a pirate. I, the sister 
 of Lord B. Never ! The presumption of the wretch ! " 
 
 " That is all very well, aunt ; but recollect, we must 
 submit to circumstances. These men insist upon our 
 dining with them ; and we must go, or we shall have 
 no dinner." 
 
 " I sit down with a pirate ! Never ! I '11 have no 
 dinner — I '11 starve — I '11 die ! " 
 
 " But, my dear aunt, it 's the only chance we have of 
 obtaining our release ; and if you do not do it, Mrs. 
 Lascelles will think that you wish to remain with them." 
 
THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 341 
 
 " Mrs. Lascelles judges of other people by herself." 
 
 " The captain is certainly a very well-behaved, 
 handsome man. He looks like a nobleman in dis- 
 guise. What an odd thing it would be, aunt, if this 
 should be all a hoax ? " 
 
 " A hoax, child ? " replied Miss Ossulton, sitting up 
 on the sofa. 
 
 Cecilia found that she had hit the right nail, as the 
 saying is ; and she brought forward so many arguments 
 to prove that she thought it was a hoax to frighten 
 them, and that the gentleman above was a man of con- 
 sequence, that her aunt began to listen to reason, and 
 at last consented to join the dinner-party. Mrs. Las- 
 celles now came down below; and when dinner was 
 announced, they repaired to the large cabin, where 
 they found Pickersgill and Corbett waiting for them. 
 
 Miss Ossulton did not venture to look up, until she 
 heard Pickersgill say to Mrs. Lascelles, "Perhaps, 
 madam, you will do me the favour to introduce me to that 
 lady, whom I have not had the honour of seeing before?" 
 
 " Certainly, my lord," replied Mrs. Lascelles ; " Miss 
 Ossulton, the aunt of this young lady." 
 
 Mrs. Lascelles purposely did not introduce his lord- 
 ship in return, that she might mystify the old spinster. 
 
 "I feel highly honoured in finding myself in the 
 company of Miss Ossulton," said Pickersgill. " Ladies, 
 
342 THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 
 
 we wait but for you to sit down. Ossulton, take the 
 head of the table, and serve the soup." 
 
 Miss Ossulton was astonished; she looked at the 
 smugglers, and perceived two well-dressed gentlemanly 
 men, one of whom was apparently a lord, and the other 
 having the same family name. 
 
 " It must be all a hoax," thought she ; and she 
 very quietly took to her soup. 
 
 The dinner passed off very pleasantly; Pickersgill 
 was agreeable, Corbett funny, and Miss Ossulton so far 
 recovered herself as to drink wine with his Lordship, 
 and to ask Corbett what branch of their family he 
 belonged to. 
 
 " I presume it 's the Irish branch," said Mrs. Las- 
 celles, prompting him. 
 
 "Exactly, madam," replied Corbett. 
 
 " Have you ever been to Torquay, ladies ? " inquired 
 Pickersgill. 
 
 " No, my lord," answered Mrs. Lascelles. 
 
 (i We shall anchor there in the course of an hour, 
 and probably remain there till to-morrow. Steward, 
 bring coffee. Tell the cook these cutlets were remark- 
 ably well dressed." 
 
 The ladies retired to their cabin. Miss Ossulton was 
 now convinced that it was all a hoax ; but said she, 
 " I shall tell Lord B. my opinion of their practical 
 
THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 343 
 
 jokes when he returns. What is his lordship's name 
 who is on board ? " 
 
 " He won 't tell us," replied Mrs. Lascelles ; " but 
 I think I know ; it is Lord Blarney." 
 
 " Lord Blaney you mean, I presume," said Miss 
 Ossulton ; " however, the thing is carried too far. 
 Cecilia, we will go on shore at Torquay, and wait till 
 the yacht returns with Lord B. I don't like these 
 jokes : they may do very well for widows, and people of 
 no rank." 
 
 Now, Mrs. Lascelles was sorry to find Miss Ossulton 
 so much at her ease. She owed her no little spite, and 
 wished for revenge. Ladies will go very far to obtain 
 this. How far Mrs. Lascelles would have gone, I will 
 not pretend to say; but this is certain, that the last 
 innuendo of Miss Ossulton very much added to her 
 determination. She took her bonnet and went on deck, 
 at once told Pickersgill that he could not please her or 
 Cecilia more than by frightening Miss Ossulton, who, 
 under the idea that it was all a hoax, had quite 
 recovered her spirits ; talked of her pride and ill-nature, 
 and wished her to receive a useful lesson. Thus, to 
 follow up her revenge, did Mrs. Lascelles commit herself 
 so far, as to be confidential with the smuggler in return. 
 "Mrs. Lascelles, I shall be able to obey you, and, 
 at the same time, to combine business with pleasure." 
 
344 THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 
 
 After a short conversation, the yacht dropped her 
 anchor at Torquay. It was then about two hours before 
 sunset. As soon as the sails were furled, one or two 
 gentlemen, who resided there, came on board to pay 
 their respects to Lord B. ; and, as Pickersgill had found 
 out from Cecilia that her father was acquainted with no 
 one there, he received them in person ; asked them 
 down in the cabin ; called for wine ; and desired them 
 to send their boat away, as his own was going on shore. 
 The smugglers took great care, that the steward, cook, 
 and lady's maid, should have no communication with 
 the guests ; one of them, by Corbett's direction, being a 
 sentinel over each individual. The gentlemen remained 
 about half-an-hour on board, during which Corbett and 
 the smugglers had filled the portmanteaus found in the 
 cabin with the lace, and they were put in the boat, 
 Corbett then landed the gentlemen in the same boat, 
 and went up to the hotel, the smugglers following him 
 with the portmanteaus, without any suspicion or 
 interruption. As soon as he was there, he ordered post- 
 horses, and set off for a town close by, where he had 
 correspondents; and thus the major part of the cargo 
 was secured. Corbett then returned in the night, 
 bringing with him people to receive the goods ; and the 
 smugglers landed the silks, teas, &c. with the same good 
 fortune. Every thing was out of the yacht except a 
 
THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 345 
 
 portion of the lace, which the portmanteaus would not 
 hold. Pickersgill might easily have sent this on shore ; 
 but, to please Mrs. Lascelles, he arranged otherwise. 
 
 The next morning, about an hour after breakfast 
 was finished, Mrs. Lascelles entered the cabin pre- 
 tending to be in the greatest consternation, and fell 
 on the sofa, as if she were going to faint. 
 
 " Good heavens ! what is the matter ? " exclaimed 
 Cecilia, who knew very well what was coming. 
 
 " Oh, the wretch ! he has made such proposals." 
 
 " Proposals ! what proposals ? what ! Lord Blaney ? " 
 cried Miss Ossulton. 
 
 " Oh, he 's no lord ; he 's a villain and a smuggler : 
 and he insists that we shall both fill our pockets full 
 of lace, and go on shore with him." 
 
 " Mercy on me ! then it is no hoax after all ; and 
 I 've been sitting down to dinner with a smuggler ! " 
 
 " Sitting down, madam ! — if it were to be no more 
 than that — but we are to take his arm up to the hotel. 
 Oh, dear ! Cecilia, I am ordered on deck, pray come 
 with me." 
 
 Miss Ossulton rolled on the sofa, and rang for 
 Phcebe ; she was in a state of great alarm. 
 
 A knock at the door. 
 
 " Come in," said Miss Ossulton, thinking it was 
 Phcebe ; when Pickersgill made his appearance. 
 
346 THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 
 
 " What do you want, sir ? go out, sir ! go out 
 directly, or I'll scream." 
 
 "It is no use screaming, madam; recollect that 
 all on board are at my service. You will oblige me by 
 listening to me, Miss Ossulton. I am, as you know, 
 a smuggler, and I must send this lace on shore. You 
 will oblige me by putting it into your pockets, or about 
 your person, and prepare to go on shore with me. 
 As soon as we arrive at the hotel, you will deliver it 
 to me, and I then shall reconduct you on board of the 
 yacht. You are not the first lady who has gone on 
 shore with contraband articles about her person." 
 
 "Me, sir, go on shore in that way? no, sir, 
 never ! what will the world say ? the Hon. Miss Ossul- 
 ton walking with a smuggler ! No, sir, never ! " 
 
 " Yes, madam, walking arm-and-arm with a smug- 
 gler : I shall have you on one arm, and Mrs. Lascelles 
 on the other ; and I would advise you to take it very 
 quietly, for, in the first place, it will be you who 
 smuggle, as the goods will be found on your person, and 
 you will certainly be put in prison, for, at the least 
 appearance of insubordination, we run and inform against 
 you; and, further, your niece will remain on board as 
 a hostage for your good behaviour, and if you have any 
 regard for her liberty, you will consent immediately." 
 
 Pickersgill left the cabin, and shortly afterwards 
 
THE SMUGGLING YACHT. 347 
 
 Cecilia and Mrs. Lascelles entered, apparently much 
 distressed. They had been informed of all, and Mrs. 
 Lascelles declared, that, for her part, sooner than leave 
 her poor Cecilia to the mercy of such people, she had 
 made up her mind to submit to the smuggler's de- 
 mands. Cecilia also begged so earnestly, that Miss 
 Ossulton, who had no idea that it was a trick, with 
 much sobbing and blubbering, consented. 
 
 When all was ready, Cecilia left the cabin ; Pick- 
 ersgill came down, handed up the two ladies, who had 
 not exchanged a word with each other during Cecilia's 
 absence; the boat was ready alongside, they went in, 
 and pulled on shore. Every thing succeeded to the 
 smuggler's satisfaction. Miss Ossulton, frightened out 
 of her wits, took his arm ; and, with Mrs. Lascelles on 
 the other, they went up to the hotel, followed by four 
 of his boat's crew. As soon as they were shewn into a 
 room, Corbett, who was already on shore, asked for 
 Lord B., and joined them. The ladies retired to 
 another apartment, divested themselves of their con- 
 traband goods, and, after calling for some sandwiches 
 and wine, Pickersgill waited an hour, and then 
 returned on board. Mrs. Lascelles was triumphant; 
 and she rewarded her new ally, the smuggler, with one 
 of her sweetest smiles. Community of interest will 
 sometimes make strange friendships. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 We must now return to the other parties who have 
 assisted in the acts of this little drama. Lord B., after 
 paddling and paddling, the men relieving each other in 
 order to make head against the wind which was off 
 shore, arrived about midnight at a small town in West 
 Bay, from whence he took a chaise on to Portsmouth, 
 taking it for granted that his yacht would arrive as soon 
 as, if not before himself, little imagining that it was in 
 possession of the smugglers. There he remained three 
 or four days, when, becoming impatient, he applied to 
 one of his friends who had a yacht at Cowes, and 
 sailed with him to look after his own. 
 
 We left the Happy-go-lucky chased by the revenue 
 cutter. At first the smuggler had the advantage before 
 the wind; but, by degrees, the wind went round with 
 the sun, and brought the revenue cutter to leeward ; it 
 was then a chase on a wind, and the revenue cutter 
 came fast up with her. 
 
 Morrison perceiving that he had no chance of escape, 
 
CONCLUSION. 349 
 
 let run the ankers of brandy that he might not be 
 condemned ; but still he was in an awkward situation, 
 as he had more men on board than allowed by act of 
 Parliament. He therefore stood on, notwithstanding 
 the shot of the cutter went over and over him, hoping 
 that a fog or night might enable him to escape ; but he 
 had no such good fortune, — one of the shot carried 
 away the head of his mast, and the Happy-go-lucky's 
 luck was all over. He was boarded and taken pos- 
 session of; he asserted that the extra men were only 
 passengers; but, in the first place, they were dressed 
 in seamen's clothes ; and, in the second, as soon as the 
 boat was aboard of her, Appleboy had gone down to his 
 gin toddy, and was not to be disturbed. The gentle- 
 men smugglers therefore passed an uncomfortable 
 night; and the cutter going to Portland by daylight 
 before Appleboy was out of bed, they were taken on 
 shore to the magistrate. Hautaine explained the 
 whole affair, and they were immediately released and 
 treated with respect; but they were not permitted to 
 depart until they were bound over to appear against 
 the smugglers, and prove the brandy having been on 
 board. They then set off for Portsmouth in the sea- 
 men's clothes, having had quite enough of yachting 
 for that season, Mr. Ossulton declaring that he only 
 wanted to get his luggage, and then he would take 
 
350 CONCLUSION. 
 
 care how he put himself again in the way of the shot 
 of a revenue cruiser, or of sleeping a night on her decks. 
 
 In the meantime, Morrison and his men were locked 
 up in the jail, the old man, as the key was turned 
 on him, exclaiming, as he raised his foot in vexation, 
 " That cursed blue pigeon ! " 
 
 We will now return to the yacht. 
 
 About an hour after Pickersgill had come on board, 
 Corbett had made all his arrangements and followed 
 him. It was not advisable to remain at Torquay any 
 longer, through fear of discovery ; he, therefore, 
 weighed the anchor before dinner, and made sail. 
 
 " What do you intend to do now, my lord," said 
 Mrs. Lascelles. 
 
 "I intend to run down to Cowes, anchor the yacht 
 in the night; and an hour before daylight have you in 
 my boat with all my men. I will take care that you 
 are in perfect safety, depend upon it, even if I run a 
 risk. I should, indeed, be miserable, if, through my 
 wild freaks, any accident should happen to Mrs. Las- 
 celles or Miss Ossulton." 
 
 " I am very anxious about my father," observed 
 Cecilia. "I trust that you will keep your promise." 
 
 " I always have hitherto, Miss Ossulton ; have I not ?" 
 
 " Ours is but a short and strange acquaintance." 
 
 " I grant it ; but it will serve for you to talk about long 
 
CONCLUSION. 351 
 
 after. I shall disappear as suddenly as I have come — you 
 will neither of you, in all probability, ever see me again." 
 The dinner was announced, and they sat down to 
 table as before ; but the elderly spinster refused to 
 make her appearance ; and Mrs. Lascelles and Cecilia, 
 who thought she had been frightened enough, did not 
 attempt to force her. Pickersgill immediately yielded to 
 these remonstrances, and, from that time, she remained 
 undisturbed in the ladies' cabin, meditating over the 
 indignity of having sat down to table, having drank wine, 
 and been obliged to walk on shore, taking the arm of a 
 smuggler, and appear in such a humiliating situation. 
 
 The wind was light, and they made but little pro- 
 gress, and were not abreast of Portland till the second 
 day, when another yacht appeared in sight, and the 
 two vessels slowly neared until in the afternoon they 
 were within four miles of each other. It then fell a 
 dead calm — signals were thrown out by the other 
 yacht, but could not be distinguished, and, for the last 
 time, they sat down to dinner. Three days' companion- 
 ship on board of a vessel, cooped up together, and 
 having no one else to converse with, will produce 
 intimacy ; and Pickersgill was a young man of so much 
 originality and information, that he was listened to with 
 pleasure. He never attempted to advance beyond the 
 line of strict decorum and politeness ; and his companion 
 
352 CONCLUSION. 
 
 was equally unpresuming. Situated as they were, and 
 feeling what must have been the case had they fallen 
 into other hands, both Cecilia and Mrs. Lascelles felt 
 some degree of gratitude towards him; and, although 
 anxious to be relieved from so strange a position, they 
 had gradually acquired a perfect confidence in him, and 
 this had produced a degree of familiarity, on their parts, 
 although never ventured upon by the smuggler. As 
 Corbett was at the table, one of the men came down 
 and made a sign. Corbett shortly after quitted the 
 table and went on deck. " I wish, my lord, you 
 would come up a moment, and see if you can make 
 this flag out," said Corbett, giving a significant nod to 
 Pickersgill. " Excuse me, ladies, one moment," said 
 Pickersgill, who went on deck. 
 
 " It is the boat of the yacht coming on board," said 
 Corbett; "and Lord B. is in the stern-sheets with the 
 gentleman who was with him." 
 
 " And how many men in the boat ? — let me see — 
 only four. Well, let his lordship and his friend come : 
 when they are on the deck, have the men ready in case 
 of accident ; but if you can manage to tell the boat's 
 crew that they are to go on board again, and get rid of 
 them that way, so much the better. Arrange this with 
 Adams, and then come down again — his lordship must 
 see us all at dinner." 
 
CONCLUSION. 353 
 
 Pickersgill then descended, and Corbett had hardly 
 time to give his directions and to resume his seat, 
 before his lordship and Mr. Stewart pulled up along- 
 side and jumped on deck. There was no one to receive 
 them but the seamen, and those whom they did not 
 know. They looked around in amazement; at last his 
 lordship said to Adams, who stood forward, 
 
 " What men are you ? " 
 
 " Belong to the yacht, ye'r honour." 
 
 Lord B. heard laughing in the cabin : he would 
 not wait to interrogate the men ; he walked aft, fol- 
 lowed by Mr. Stewart, looked down the skylight, and 
 perceived his daughter and Mrs. Lascelles with, as he 
 supposed, Hautaine and Ossulton. 
 
 Pickersgill had heard the boat rub the side, and 
 the sound of the feet on deck, and he talked the more 
 loudly that the ladies might be caught by Lord B. as 
 they were. He heard their feet at the skylight, and 
 knew that they could hear what passed; and at that 
 moment he proposed to the ladies that as this was their 
 last meeting at table they should all take a glass of cham- 
 pagne to drink to " their happy meeting with Lord B." 
 This was a toast which they did not refuse. Maddox 
 poured out the wine, and they were all bowing to each 
 other, when his lordship, who had come down the ladder, 
 walked into the cabin, followed by Mr. Stewart. Cecilia 
 
354 CONCLUSION. 
 
 perceived her father; the champagne -glass dropped from 
 her hand — she flew into his arms, and burst into tears. 
 
 "Who would not be a father, Mrs. Lascelles," said 
 Pickersgill, quietly seating himself, after having first 
 risen to receive Lord B. 
 
 " And pray, whom may I have the honour of find- 
 ing established here ? " said Lord B. in an angry tone, 
 speaking over his daughter's head, who still lay in his 
 arms. " By heavens, yes ! — Stewart, it is the smuggling 
 captain dressed out." 
 
 " Even so, my lord," replied Pickersgill. " You 
 abandoned your yacht to capture me; you left these 
 ladies in a vessel crippled for want of men : they might 
 have been lost. I have returned good for evil by 
 coming on board with my own people, and taking charge 
 of them. This night, I expected to have anchored 
 your vessel in Cowes, and have left them in safety." 
 
 "By the " cried Stewart. 
 
 "Stop, sir, if you please!" cried Pickersgill; "recollect 
 you have once already attacked one who never offended. 
 Oblige me by refraining from intemperate language ; 
 for I tell you I will not put up with it. Recollect, sir, 
 that I have refrained from that, and also from taking 
 advantage of you when you were in my power. Recol- 
 lect, sir, also, that the yacht is still in possession of the 
 smugglers, and that you are in no condition to insult 
 
CONCLUSION. 355 
 
 with impunity. My lord, allow me to observe, that we 
 men are too hot of temperament to argue, or listen 
 coolly. With your permission, your friend, and my 
 friend, and I, will repair on deck, leaving you to hear 
 from your daughter and that lady all that has passed. 
 After that, my lord, I shall be most happy to hear any 
 thing which your lordship may please to say." 
 
 " Upon my word " commenced Mr. Stewart. 
 
 "Mr. Stewart," interrupted Cecilia Ossulton, "I 
 request your silence; nay, more, if ever we are again 
 to sail in the same vessel together, I insist upon it." 
 
 "Your lordship will oblige me by enforcing Miss 
 Ossulton's request," said Mrs. Lascelles. 
 
 Mr. Stewart was dumbfounded, no wonder, to find 
 the ladies siding with the smuggler. 
 
 "I am obliged to you ladies for your interference," 
 said Pickersgill; "for, although I have the means of 
 enforcing conditions, I should be sorry to avail myself 
 of them. I wait for his lordship's reply." 
 
 Lord B. was very much surprised. He wished for 
 an explanation ;.. he bowed with hauteur. Every body 
 appeared to be in a false position; even he, Lord B., 
 somehow or another, had bowed to a smuggler. 
 
 Pickersgill and Stewart went on deck, walking up 
 and down, crossing each other without speaking, but 
 reminding you of two dogs who both are anxious to 
 
356 CONCLUSION. 
 
 fight, but have been restrained by the voice of their 
 masters. Corbett followed, and talked in a low tone to 
 Pickersgill ; Stewart went over to leeward to see if the 
 boat was still alongside, but it had long before returned 
 to the yacht. Miss Ossulton had heard her brother's 
 voice, but did not come out of the after-cabin ; she wished 
 to be magnificent ; and, at the same time, she was not 
 sure whether all was right, Phoebe having informed her 
 that there was nobody with her brother and Mr. Stewart, 
 and that the smugglers still had the command of the 
 vessel. After a while, Pickersgill and Corbett went 
 down forward, and returned dressed in the smugglers' 
 clothes, when they resumed their walk on the deck. 
 
 In the meantime, it was dark ; the cutter flew along 
 the coast; and the Needles' lights were on the larboard 
 bow. The conversation between Cecilia, Mrs. Lascelles, 
 and her father, was long. When all had been detailed, 
 and the conduct of Pickersgill duly represented, Lord 
 B. acknowledged that, by attacking the smuggler, he 
 had laid himself open to retaliation ; that Pickersgill had 
 shewn a great deal of forbearance in every instance ; and, 
 after all, had he not gone on board the yacht she might 
 have been lost, with only three seamen on board. He 
 was amused with the smuggling and the fright of his 
 sister; still more, with the gentlemen being sent* to 
 Cherbourg; and much consoled that he was not the 
 
CONCLUSION. 357 
 
 only one to be laughed at. He was also much pleased 
 with Pickersgill's intention of leaving the yacht safe 
 in Cowes harbour, his respect to the property on board, 
 and his conduct to the ladies. On the whole, he felt 
 grateful to Pickersgill; and where there is gratitude, 
 there is always good will. 
 
 "But who can he be?" said Mrs. Lascelles, "his 
 name he acknowledges not to be Pickersgill; and he 
 told me confidentially that he was of good family." 
 
 " Confidentially! my dear Mrs. Lascelles," said Lord B. 
 
 " Oh, yes ! we are both his confidants. Are we not, 
 Cecilia?" 
 
 " Upon my honour, Mrs. Lascelles, this smuggler 
 appears to have made an impression which many have 
 attempted in vain." 
 
 Mrs. Lascelles did not reply to that remark, but 
 said, " Now, my lord, you must decide ; and I trust 
 you will to oblige us — treat him as he has treated us, 
 with the greatest respect and kindness." 
 
 " Why should you suppose otherwise ? " replied Lord 
 B. ; "it is not only my wish, but my interest so to do. 
 He may take us over to France to-night, or any where 
 else. Has he not possession of the vessel ? " 
 
 " Yes," replied Cecilia ; " but we natter ourselves that 
 we have the command. Shall we call him down, papa? " 
 
 " Ring for Maddox. Maddox, tell Mr. Pickersgill, 
 
358 CONCLUSION. 
 
 who is on deck, that I wish to speak with him, and 
 shall be obliged by his stepping down into the cabin." 
 " Who, my lord ? What ! Him ? " 
 " Yes, him" replied Cecilia, laughing. 
 " Must I call him, my lord, now, miss?" 
 " You may do as you please, Maddox; but recollect, 
 he still is in possession of the vessel," replied Cecilia. 
 " Then, with your lordship's permission, I will ; it 's 
 the safest way." 
 
 The smuggler entered the cabin; the ladies started 
 as he appeared in his rough costume, with his throat 
 open, and his loose black handkerchief. He was the 
 beau-ideal of a handsome sailor. 
 
 li Your lordship wishes to communicate with me?" 
 " Mr. Pickersgill, I feel that you have had cause 
 of enmity against me, and that you have behaved with 
 forbearance. I thank you for your considerate treat- 
 ment of the ladies ; and I assure you, that I feel no 
 resentment for what has passed." 
 
 " My lord, I am quite satisfied with what you have 
 said; and I only hope that, in future, you will not 
 interfere with a poor smuggler, who may be striving, 
 by a life of danger and privation, to procure subsistence 
 for himself and, perhaps, his family. I stated to these 
 ladies my intention of anchoring the yacht this night 
 at Cowes, and leaving her as soon as she was in safety. 
 
CONCLUSION. 359 
 
 Your unexpected presence will only make this differ- 
 ence, which is, that I must previously obtain your 
 lordship's assurance that those with you, will allow me 
 and my men to quit her without molestation, after we 
 have performed this service." 
 
 " I pledge you my word, Mr. Pickersgill, and I 
 thank you into the bargain. I trust you will allow 
 me to offer some remuneration." 
 
 " Most certainly not, my lord." 
 
 " At all events, Mr. Pickersgill, if, at any other time, 
 I can be of service, you may command me." 
 
 Pickersgill made no reply, 
 
 "Surely, Mr. Pickersgill, " 
 
 " Pickersgill ! how I hate that name ! " said the 
 smuggler, musing. " I beg your lordship's pardon — 
 If I may require your assistance for any of my unfor- 
 tunate companions " 
 
 "Not for yourself, Mr. Pickersgill?" said Mrs. Lascelles. 
 
 " Madam, I smuggle no more." 
 
 " For the pleasure I feel in hearing that resolution, Mr. 
 Pickersgill," said Cecilia, " take my hand, and thanks." 
 
 " And mine," said Mrs. Lascelles, half crying. 
 
 " And mine, too," said Lord B., rising up. 
 
 Pickersgill passed the back of his hand across his 
 eyes, turned round, and left the cabin. 
 
 "I'm so happy !" said Mrs. Lascelles, bursting into tears. 
 
360 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " He's a magnificent fellow/' observed Lord B. 
 " Come, let us all go on deck." 
 
 "You have not seen my aunt, papa." 
 
 " True ; I '11 go in to her, and then follow you." 
 
 The ladies went upon deck. Cecilia entered into 
 conversation with Mr. Stewart, giving him a narrative 
 of what had happened. Mrs. Lascelles sat abaft at the 
 taffrail, with her pretty hand supporting her cheek, 
 looking very much a la Juliette, 
 
 " Mrs. Lascelles," said Pickersgill, " before we part, 
 allow me to observe, that it is you who have induced 
 me to give up my profession " 
 
 "Why me, Mr. Pickersgill?" 
 
 " You said that you did not like it." 
 
 Mrs. Lascelles felt the force of the compliment. 
 " You said, just now, that you hated the name of 
 Pickersgill : why do you call yourself so ?" 
 
 " It was my smuggling name, Mrs. Lascelles." 
 
 " And now, that you have left off smuggling, pray 
 what may be the name we are to call you by?" 
 
 " I cannot resume it, till I have not only left this 
 vessel, but shaken hands with, and bid farewell to, my 
 companions; and by that time, Mrs. Lascelles, I shall 
 
 be away 
 
 from you 
 
 55 
 
 
 
 
 
 " But 
 
 I Ve a 
 
 great 
 
 curiosity to 
 
 know 
 
 it, 
 
 and 
 
 a lady's 
 
 curiosity 
 
 must 
 
 be gratified. 
 
 You must 
 
 call 
 
CONCLUSION. 361 
 
 upon me some day and tell it me. Here is my 
 address." 
 
 Pickersgill received the card with a low bow ; and 
 Lord B. coming on deck, Mrs. Lascelles hastened to 
 meet him. 
 
 The vessel was now passing tli2 Bridge at the 
 Needles, and the smuggler piloted her on. As soon 
 as th.2j were clear and well inside, the whole party 
 went down into the cabin, Lord B. requesting Pickers- 
 gill and Corbett to join him in a parting glass. Mr. 
 Stewart, who had received the account of what had 
 passed from Cecilia, was very attentive to Pickersgill, 
 and took an opportunity of saying, that he was sorry 
 that he had said or done any thing to annoy him. 
 Every one recovered his spirits; and all was good 
 humour and mirth, because Miss Ossulton adhered to 
 her resolution of not quitting the cabin till she could 
 quit the yacht. At ten o'clock the yacht was anchored. 
 Pickersgill took his leave of the honourable company, 
 and went in his boat with his men; and Lord B. was 
 again in possession of his vessel, although he had not 
 a ship's company. Maddox recovered his usual tone ; 
 and the cook nourished his knife, swearing that he 
 should like to see the smuggler who would again 
 order him to dress cutlets a F ombre Chinoise. 
 
 The yacht had remained three days at Cowes, when 
 
 ;] a 
 
362 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Lord B. received a letter from Pickersgill, stating that 
 the men of his vessel had been captured, and would 
 be condemned, in consequence of their having the 
 gentlemen on board, who were bound to appear against 
 them, to prove that they had sunk the brandy. Lord 
 B. paid all the recognisances, and the men were 
 liberated for want of evidence. 
 
 It was about two years after this that Cecilia 
 Ossulton, who was sitting at her work-table in deep 
 mourning for her aunt, was presented with a letter 
 by the butler. It was from her friend Mrs. Lascelles, 
 informing her that she was married again to a Mr. 
 Davenant, and intended to pay her a short visit on 
 her way to the Continent. Mr. and Mrs. Davenant 
 arrived the next day ; and when the latter introduced her 
 husband, she said to Miss Ossulton, " Look, Cecilia dear, 
 and tell me if you have ever seen Davenant before." 
 
 Cecilia looked earnestly. " I have, indeed," cried 
 she at last, extending her hand with warmth ; - and 
 happy am I to meet with him again." 
 
 For in Mr. Davenant she recognised her old ac- 
 quaintance, the captain of the Happy-go-Lucky, Jack 
 Pickersgill, the smuggler. 
 
 rillNTRD I1V WILLIAM WIT.l'OC K SO N , TtOM.S BVll DINGS, V ETTI5K LANK.