Springhaven: A Tale of the Great War

by R. D. Blackmore

  CHAPTER XXIV

  ACCORDING TO CONTRACT

  When the Blonde had been on the White Pig for a week, in spite of allthe science of Scudamore, ready money of the Admiral, and efforts of thenatives, there began to be signs of a change in the weather. The sea wasas smooth, and the sky as bright, and the land as brown as ever; but thefeel of the air was not the same, and the sounds that came through itwere different. "Rain afore Friday," said Captain Zeb, "and a blow fromsowwest afore Sunday. 'Twill break up the Blunder, I reckon, my lads."

  With various aspects they looked at him, all holding sweet converse atthe Darling Arms, after the manifold struggles of the day. The eyes ofthe younger men were filled with disappointment and anger, as at a sureseer of evil; the elder, to whom cash was more important, gazed withanxiety and dismay; while a pair, old enough to be sires of Zebedee,nodded approval, and looked at one another, expecting to receive, buttoo discreet to give, a wink. Then a lively discourse arose and throveamong the younger; and the elders let them hold it, while they talked ofsomething else.

  On the following morning two dialogues were held upon different partsof Springhaven shore, but each of great import to the beautiful captivestill fast aground in the offing. The first was between Captain ZebedeeTugwell and Lieutenant Scudamore. The gentle Scuddy, still hopingagainst hope, had stuck fast to his charge, upon whose fortunes so muchof his own depended. If he could only succeed in floating and carryingher into Portsmouth, his mark would be made, his position secured farquicker than by ten gallant actions; and that which he cared for ahundredfold, the comfort of his widowed mother, would be advanced andestablished. For, upon the valuation of the prizes, a considerable sumwould fall to him, and every farthing of it would be sent to her. Brightwith youthful hope, and trustful in the rising spring of tide, which hadall but released them yesterday, according to his firm belief, he ranfrom the Hall through the Admiral's grounds, to meet the boat whichwas waiting for him, while he was having breakfast and council with hischief. Between the Round-house and the old white gate he heard a lowwhistle from a clump of shrubs, and turning that way, met Tugwell. Withthat prince of fishermen he shook hands, according to the manner ofSpringhaven, for he had learned to admire the brave habit of the man,his strong mind, and frank taciturnity. And Tugwell on his part hadtaken a liking to the simple and cheerful young officer, who receivedhis suggestions, was kind to all hands, and so manfully bore the dailydisappointment.

  "Nobody in there?" asked Zeb, with one finger pointing to theRound-house; "then sit down on this bit of bank, sir, a minute. Lesschance to be shot at by any French ship."

  The bit of bank really was a bit of hollow, where no one could see themfrom the beach, or lane, or even from the Round-house. Scudamore, whounderstood his man, obeyed; and Tugwell came to his bearings on a clumpof fern before him.

  "How much will Government pay the chaps as fetches her out of that snuglittle berth? For division to self and partners, how much? For divisionto self and family, how much?"

  "I have thought about that," the lieutenant answered, with littlesurprise at the question, but much at the secrecy thrown around it; "andI think it would be very unsafe to count upon getting a penny beyond theAdmiral's terms--double pay for the day that we float her."

  Captain Zebedee shook his head, and the golden sheaf of his Olympianbeard ruffled and crisped, as to an adverse wind.

  "Can't a'most believe it," he replied, with his bright eyes steadilysettled on Scudamore's; "the English country, as I belongs to, can'tquite 'a coom to that yet!"

  "I fear that it has indeed," Blyth answered, very gravely; "at least Iam sure of this, Master Tugwell, that you must not look forward toany bounty, bonus, or premium, or whatever it is called, from theAuthorities who should provide it. But for myself, and the difference itwill make to me whether we succeed or fail, I shall be happy, and willgive my word, to send you 50 pounds, to be divided at your discretionamong the smacks. I mean, of course, as soon as I get paid."

  Scudamore was frightened by the size of his own promise; for he hadnever yet owned 50 pounds in the solid. And then he was scared at thewholesale loss of so large a sum to his mother.

  "Never fear, lad," honest Tugwell replied, for the young man's face wasfair to read; "we'll not take a farden of thy hard airnings, not a brassfarden, so help me Bob! Gentlefolks has so much call for money, as noneof us know nothing of. And thou hast helped to save all the lot of usfrom Frenchies, and been the most forwardest, as I hear tell. But if uscould 'a got 50 pounds out of Government, why so much more for us, andnone the less for they. But a Englishman must do his duty, in reason,and when 'a don't hurt his self by the same. There's a change inthe weather, as forbids more sport. You shall have the Blunder offto-morrow, lad. Wouldn't do to be too sudden like."

  "I fear I am very stupid, Master Tugwell. But I don't see how you canmanage it so surely, after labouring nine days all in vain."

  Zebedee hesitated half a moment, betwixt discretion and the pride ofknowledge. Then the latter vanquished and relieved his mind.

  "I trust in your honour, sir, of course, to keep me clear. I might havebrought 'e off the Pig, first day, or second to the latest, if it weresound business. But with winter time coming, and the week's fishinglost, our duty to our families and this place was to pull 'e on harder,sir, to pull 'e aground firmer; and with the help of the Lord we havea-doed it well. We wasn't a-going to kill the goose as laid the goldeneggs. No offence to you, sir; it wasn't you as was the goose."

  Master Tugwell rubbed his pockets with a very pleasant smile, and thenput his elbows on his great square knees, and complacently studied thelieutenant's smaller mind.

  "I can understand how you could do such a thing," said Scudamore, afterhe had rubbed his eyes, and then looked away for fear of laughing, "butI cannot understand by what power on earth you are enabled to look at meand tell me this. For nine days you have been paid every night, and paidpretty well, as you yourself acknowledge, to haul a ship off a shoal;and all the time you have been hauling her harder upon it!"

  "Young man," replied Tugwell, with just indignation, "a hofficer shouldbe above such words. But I forgive 'e, and hope the Lord will do thesame, with allowance for youth and ill-convenience. I might 'a knowed nobetter, at your age and training."

  "But what were you paid for, just answer me that, unless it was to pullthe Blonde off the sand-bank? And how can you pretend that you have donean honest thing by pulling her further upon the bank?"

  "I won't ask 'e, sir, to beg my pardon for saying what never man saidto me, without reading the words of the contraction;" Zeb pulled outa paper from his hat, and spread it, and laid a stone at every corner;"this contraction was signed by yourself and Squire Darling, for and onbehalf of the kingdom; and the words are for us to give our services, topull, haul, tow, warp, or otherwise as directed, release, relieve, setfree, and rescue the aforesaid ship, or bark, or vessel, craft, or--"

  "Please not to read all that," cried Scuddy, "or a gale of wind may comebefore you are half-way through. It was Admiral Darling's lawyer, Mr.Furkettle, who prepared it, to prevent any chance of misunderstanding."

  "Provided always," continued Tugwell, slowly, "and the meaning,condition, purport, object, sense, and intention of this agreement is,that the aforesaid Zebedee Tugwell shall submit in everything to theorders, commands, instructions, counsel, directions, injunctions,authority, or discretion, whether in writing or otherwise, of theaforesaid--"

  "I would not interrupt you if I could help it"--Scudamore had a largestock of patience (enhanced by laborious practice at Stonnington), butwho might abide, when time was precious, to see Zebedee feeling his waywith his fingers along the bottom and to the end of every word, and thenstopping to congratulate himself at the conquest of every one over twosyllables? "But excuse me for saying that I know all these conditions;and the tide will be lost, if we stop here."

  "Very good, sir; then you see how it standeth. Who hath broken them?Not us! We was paid for to haul; and haul we did, accor
ding to superiororders. She grounded from the south, with the tide making upp'ard,somewhere about three-quarter flow; and the Squire, and you, and allthe rest of 'e, without no knowledge of the Pig whatsomever, fastens allyour pulley-haulies by the starn, and says, 'now pull!' And pull we did,to the tune of sixteen guineas a day for the good of Springhaven."

  "And you knew all the time that it was wrong! Well, I never came acrosssuch people. But surely some one of you would have had the honesty--Ibeg pardon, I mean the good-will--to tell us. I can scarcely imaginesome forty men and boys preserving such a secret for nine whole days,hauling for their lives in the wrong direction, and never even by a winkor smile--"

  "Springhaven is like that," said Master Tugwell, proudly; "we does athing one and all together, even if us reasons consarning it. And overand above that, sir, there is but two men in Springhaven as understandsthe White Pig, barring my own self. The young 'uns might 'a smelt a rat,but they knew better than to say so. Where the Blunder grounded--and shehath airned her name, for the good of the dwellers in this village--isthe chine of the Pig; and he hath a double back, with the outer sidehigher than the inner one. She came through a narrow nick in his outerback, and then plumped, stem on, upon the inner one. You may haul ather forever by the starn, and there she'll 'bide, or lay up again on theother back. But bring her weight forrard, and tackle her by the head,and off she comes, the very next fair tide; for she hath berthed herselfover the biggest of it, and there bain't but a basketful under herforefoot."

  "Then, Master Tugwell, let us lose no time, but have at her at once, andbe done with it." Scudamore jumped up, to give action to his words; butTugwell sate aground still, as firmly as the Blonde.

  "Begging of your pardon, sir, I would invite of you not to be in no sartof hurry hasting forwardly. Us must come off gradual, after holding onso long there, and better to have Squire Darling round the corner first,sir. Not that he knoweth much about it, but 'a might make believe todo so. And when 'a hath seen us pull wrong ways, a hundred and twentyguineas' worth, a' might grudge us the reward for pulling right ways.I've a-knowed 'un get into that state of mind, although it was his owntenants."

  The lieutenant was at length compelled to laugh, though for many reasonsloth to do so. But the quiet contempt for the Admiral's skill, and thebrief hint about his character, touched his sense of the ludicrous moresoftly than the explanation of his own mishaps. Then the Captain ofSpringhaven smiled almost imperceptibly; for he was a serious man, andhis smiles were accustomed to be interior.

  "I did hear tell," he said, stroking his beard, for fear of havingdiscomposed it, "that the Squire were under compulsion to go a bitwestward again to-morrow. And when he cometh back he would be glad tofind us had managed the job without him. No fear of the weather breakingup afore Friday, and her can't take no harm for a tide or two. If youthinks well, sir, let us heave at her to-day, as afore, by superiororders. Then it come into your mind to try t'other end a bit, and youshift all the guns and heavy lumber forrard to give weight to the bowsand lift the starn, and off her will glide at the first tug to-morrow,so sure as my name is Zebedee. But mind one thing, sir, that you keepher, when you've got her. She hath too many furriner natives aboard ofher, to be any way to my liking."

  "Oh, there need be no doubt about them," replied Blyth; "we treat themlike ourselves, and they are all upon their honour, which no Frenchmanever thinks of breaking. But my men will be tired of waiting for me. Ishall leave you to your plans, Tugwell."

  "Ah, I know the natur' of they young men," Captain Zebedee mused, as hesate in his hollow, till Scudamore's boat was far away; "they be fullof scruples for themselves and faith in other fellows. He'll never tellSquire, nor no one else here, what I laid him under, and the laugh wouldgo again' him, if he did. We shall get to-day's money, I reckon, as wellas double pay to-morrow, and airn it. Well, it might 'a been better, andit might be wuss."

  About two miles westward of the brook, some rocks marked the end of thefine Springhaven sands and the beginning of a far more rugged beach, theshingles and flint shelves of Pebbleridge. Here the chalk of the Sussexbackbone (which has been plumped over and sleeked by the flesh of thevalley) juts forth, like the scrags of a skeleton, and crumbles in lowbut rugged cliffs into the flat domain of sea. Here the landing is bad,and the anchorage worse, for a slippery shale rejects the fluke, and thewater is usually kept in a fidget between the orders of the west windand scurry of the tide.

  This very quiet morning, with the wind off shore, and scarcely enough ofit to comb the sea, four smart-looking Frenchmen, with red caps on theirheads, were barely holding way upon the light gig of the Blonde, whiletheir Captain was keeping an appointment with a stranger, not farfrom the weed-strewn line of waves. In a deep rocky channel where aland-spring rose (which was still-born except at low water), and laverand dilsk and claw-coral showed that the sea had more dominion therethan the sky, two men stood facing each other; and their words, thoughbelonging to the most polite of tongues, were not so courteous as mightbe. Each man stood with his back to a rock--not touching it, however,because it was too wet--one was as cold and as firm as the rock,the other like the sea, tumultuous. The passionate man was CaptainDesportes, and the cold one Caryl Carne.

  "Then you wish me to conclude, monsieur," Carne spoke as one offeringrepentance, "that you will not do your duty to your country, in thesubject set before you? I pray you to deliberate, because your positionhangs upon it."

  "Never! Never! Once more, Captain, with all thanks for yourconsideration, I refuse. My duty to my own honour has first place. Afterthat my duty to my country. Speak of it no more, sir; it quite is toinsult me."

  "No, Captain Desportes, it is nothing of that kind, or I should notbe here to propose it. Your parole is given only as long as your shipcontinues upon the sand. The moment she floats, you are liberated.Then is the time for a noble stroke of fortune. Is it not so, my dearfriend?"

  "No, sir. This affair is impossible. My honour has been pledged, notuntil the ship is floating, but until I am myself set free in France. Iam sorry not to see things as you see them for me; but the question isfor my own consideration."

  Captain Desportes had resented, as an honest man must do, especiallywhen more advanced in years, the other's calm settlement, withoutinvitation, of matters which concerned his own conscience. And as mostmankind--if at all perceptive--like or dislike one another at a glance,Desportes, being very quick and warm of nature, had felt at first sighta strong repulsion from the cold and arrogant man who faced him. His agewas at least twice that of Carne, he had seen much service in the betterdays of France, and had risen slowly by his own skill and valour; heknew that his future in the service depended upon his decision inthis matter, and he had a large family to maintain. But his honour waspledged, and he held fast by it.

  "There is one consideration," Carne replied, with rancour slowlykindling in his great black eyes, "which precedes all others, eventhat of honour, in the mind of a trusted officer. It is not that ofpatriotism--which has not its usual weight with monsieur--but it is thatof obedience, discipline, loyalty, faith, towards those who have placedfaith in him. Captain Desportes, as commander of a ship, is entrustedwith property; and that confidence is the first debt upon his honour."

  To Desportes, as to most men of action, the right was plainer than thereason. He knew that this final plea was unsound, but he did not see howto contest it. So he came back to fact, which was easier for him.

  "How am I to know, monsieur, what would be the wishes of those who haveentrusted me with my position? You are placed in authority by some meanshere, in your own country, but against it. That much you have proved tome, by papers. But your credentials are general only. They do not applyto this especial case. If the Chief of the State knew my position, hewould wish me to act as I mean to act, for the honour and credit of ournation."

  "Are you then acquainted with his signature? If so, perhaps you willverify this, even if you are resolved to reject it."

  Carne drew a letter from an in
ner pocket, and carefully unfolded it.There were many words and minute directions upon various subjects,written by the hand of the most minute, and yet most comprehensive, ofmankind.

  "There is nothing in this that concerns you," he said, after showingthe date, only four days old, "except these few words at the end,which perhaps you may like to read, before you make final decision. Thesignature of the Chief is clear."

  Captain Desportes read aloud--"It is of the utmost importance to me,that the Blonde should not be captured by the enemy, as the Villed'Anvers has been. You tell me that it is ashore near you, and theCaptain and crew upon parole, to be liberated if they assist in theextrication of the vessel. This must not be. In the service of theState, I demand that they consider not at all their parole. Thewell-known speed and light draught of that vessel have rendered heralmost indispensable to me. When the vessel is free, they must rise uponthe enemy, and make for the nearest of our ports without delay. Uponthis I insist, and place confidence in your established courage andmanagement, to accomplish it to my satisfaction."

  "Your orders are clear enough," said Caryl Carne. "What reason can yougive, as an officer of the Republic, for disobeying them?"

  Desportes looked at his ship in the distance, and then at the sea andthe sky, with a groan, as if he were bidding farewell to them. Carnefelt sure that he had prevailed, and a smile shed light, but not a softlight, on his hard pale countenance.

  "Be in no rash haste," said the French sea-captain, and he could nothave found words more annoying to the cold proud man before him; "I donot recognise in this mandate the voice of my country, of the honourableFrance, which would never say, 'Let my sons break their word of honour!'This man speaks, not as Chief of a grand State, not as leader of noblegentlemen, but as Emperor of a society of serfs. France is no empire;she is a grand nation of spirit, of valour, above all, of honour. TheEnglish have treated me, as I would treat them, with kindness, withlargeness, with confidence. In the name of fair France, I will not dothis thing."

  Carne was naturally pale, but now he grew white with rage, and his blackeyes flashed.

  "France will be an empire within six months; and your honour will be putupon prison diet, while your family starve for the sake of it."

  "If I ever meet you under other circumstances," replied the braveFrenchman, now equally pale, "I shall demand reparation, sir."

  "With great pleasure," replied Carne, contemptuously; "meanwhilemonsieur will have enough to do to repair his broken fortunes."

  Captain Desportes turned his back, and gave a whistle for his crew,then stepped with much dignity into his boat. "To the Blonde, lads,"he cried, "to the unsullied Blonde!" Then he sate, looking at her, andstroked his grizzled beard, into which there came trickling a bittertear or two, as he thought of his wife and family. He had acted well;but, according to the measure of the present world, unwisely.