CHAPTER NINE.
BILL AND BEN SET THEIR BRAINS TO STEEP WITH UNCONQUERABLE PERSEVERANCE.
In its slow but steady revolution, the wheel of fortune had nowapparently brought Bill Bowls and Ben Bolter to the lowest possiblepoint; and the former of these worthies consoled himself with thereflection that, as things could scarcely get worse with them, it wasprobable they would get better. His friend disputed this point.
"It's all very well," said Ben, crossing his legs and clasping his handsover his knees, as he swayed himself to and fro, "to talk about havin'come to the wust; but we've not got to that p'int by a long way. Why,suppose that, instead o' bein' here, sound in wind and limb, thoughsummat unfort'nate in regard to the matter o' liberty,--suppose, I say,that we wos lyin' in hospital with our right legs an' mayhap our leftarms took off with a round shot."
"Oh, if you go for to _supposin'_," said Bill, "you may supposeanything. Why not suppose at once that we was lyin' in hospital withboth legs and arms took off by round shot, an' both eyes put out withcanister, an' our heads an' trunks carried away by grape-shot?"
"I didn't suppose that," said Ben quietly, "because that would be thebest instead o' the wust state we could come to, seein' that we'd knowan' care nothin' about it. Hows'ever, here we are, low enough, an'havin' made an assault on the turnkey, it's not likely we'll get muchfavour at the hands of the Mounseers; so it comes to this, that we mustset our brains to steep, an' see if we can't hit upon some dodge orother to escape."
"That's what we must do," assented Bill Bowls, knitting his brows, andgazing abstractedly at the blank wall opposite. "To git out o' thishere stone jug is what I've set my heart on, so the sooner we set aboutit the better."
"Just so," said Ben. "Well, then, let's begin. Wot d'ye propose fust?"
To this Bill replied that he must think over it. Accordingly, he didthink over it, and his comrade assisted him, for the space of threecalendar months, without any satisfactory result. But the curious thingabout it was that, while these men revolved in their minds everyconceivable plan with unflagging eagerness, and were compelled to giveup each, after brooding over it for a considerable time, finding that itwas unworkable, they were not dispirited, but rather became more intensein their meditations, and ingenious as well as hopeful in theirdevisings.
"If we could only git hold of a file to cut a bar o' the winder with,an' a rope to let ourselves down with, I think we could manage to gitover the walls somehow."
"If we was to tear our jackets, trousers, vests, and shirts into strips,an' make a rope of 'em, it might be long enough," suggested Bill.
"That's so, boy, but as we would be stark naked before we got itfinished, I fear the turnkey would suspec' there wos somethin' wrongsomehow."
Ben Bolter sighed deeply as he spoke, because at that moment a ray ofsunshine shot through the little window, and brought the free fresh airand the broad blue sea vividly to his remembrance. For the first timehe experienced a deep sinking of the heart, and he looked at his comradewith an expression of something like despair.
"Cheer up," said Bill, observing and thoroughly understanding the look."Never say die, as long as there's a--shot--in--"
He was too much depressed and listless to finish the sentence.
"I wonder," resumed Ben, "if the Mounseers treat all their prisoners ofwar as bad as they treat us."
"Don't think they do," replied Bill. "I've no doubt it's 'cause wesarved 'em as we did when they first put us in quod."
"Oh, if they would only give us summat to do!" exclaimed Ben, withsudden vehemence.
It seemed as if the poor fellow's prayer were directly answered, for atthat moment the door opened, and the governor, or some other official ofthe prison, entered the cell.
"You must vork," he said, going up to Bill.
"We'll be only too glad to work, yer honour, if you'll give us work todo."
"Ver' good; fat can you vork?"
"We can turn handy to a'most anything, yer honour," said Ben eagerly.
It turned out, however, after a considerable amount of talk, that,beyond steering a ship, reefing topsails, splicing ropes, tying everyspecies of complex knot, and other nautical matters, the two seamencould not claim to be professionally acquainted with any sort ofhandicraft. Somewhat discomfited, Ben at last said with a perplexedair--
"Well, yer honour, we'll try anything ye choose to put us at. I had abrother once who was a sort of tinker to trade, an' great at mendin'pots, pans, old umbrellas, and the like. I wos used to help him when aboy. P'r'aps if yer honour, now, has got a old umbrella as wantsrefittin', I might try my hand on that."
The governor smiled. "Vell, I do tink I have von old omberilla. Yousall try for to mend him."
Next day saw Bill and Ben surrounded by tools, scraps of wood andwhalebone, bits of brass and tin, etcetera, busy as bees, and as happyas any two children who have invented a new game.
Ben mended the umbrella admirably. At the same time, Bill fashioned andcarved two or three paper-knives of wood with great neatness. But whenit was discovered that they could sew sail-cloth expeditiously and well,a quantity of that material was given to them, and they were ordered tomake sacks. They set to work accordingly, and made sack after sackuntil they grew so wearied of the monotonous work that Ben said it madehim wish to sit down in sackcloth and ashes; whereupon Bill remarkedthat if the Mounseers would only give them the sack altogether, it wouldbe very much to their credit.
Soon the imprisoned mariners began again to plot and plan their escape.Of course they thought of making ropes of the sail-cloth and twine withwhich they wrought, but as the turnkey took the material away everynight, and brought it back every morning, they gave up this idea, asthey had given up many other ideas before.
At last, one afternoon, Bill looked up from his work, hit his thigh aslap which produced a pistol-shot crack that echoed up into the highceiling of the cell, as he exclaimed, "I've got it!"
"I hope you'll give us a bit of it, then," said Ben, "if it's worthhavin'."
"I'll give you the benefit of it, anyhow," said Bill, throwing down histools and eagerly beginning to expound the new plan which had struck himand caused him to strike his thigh. It was to this effect:--
That they should beg the turnkey to let them have another old umbrellato work at by way of recreation, as the sack-making was rathermonotonous; that, if they should be successful in prevailing on him togrant their request, they should work at the umbrella very slowly, so asto give them time to carry out their plan, which was to form a sort ofparachute by adding sail-cloth round the margin of the umbrella so as toextend it to twice its circumference. After it should be finished theywere to seize a fitting opportunity, cut the bars of their window, and,with the machine, leap down into the yard below.
"Wot!" exclaimed Ben, "jump together!"
"Ay, why not, Ben? Sink or swim, together, boy."
"Very true, but I've got my doubts about flyin' together. Better do itone at a time, and send the umbrella up by means of a piece of twine."
"Well, we might do it in that way," said Bill; "but what d'ye think o'the plan?"
"Fuss rate," said Ben, "we'll try it at once."
In accordance with this resolution, Ben made his petition that night,very humbly, to the turnkey, who at first turned a deaf ear to him, butwas finally prevailed on to fetch them one of his own umbrellas to berepaired. It happened to be a very large one of the good old stout andbulgy make, and in this respect was the better suited to their purpose.All the tools necessary for the work of repair were supplied except afile. This, however, was brought to them, when Ben pointed out, withmuch earnestness, that if he had such an implement he could clean up andbeautify the ivory handle to such an extent that its owner would notrecognise it.
This device of improving the ivory handle turned out to be a happy hit,for it enabled Ben to keep the umbrella much longer by him than wouldotherwise have been possible, for the purpose of covering it withelaborate and really beautif
ul carving, the progress of which waswatched by the turnkey with much interest from day to day.
Having gained their end the sailors wrought with indefatigable zeal, andresolutely overcame the difficulties that met them from time to time.Each day they dragged the bench under the window. Ben got upon it, andBill climbed on his shoulders, by which means he could just reach theiron grating of the window, and there, for half-an-hour at a time, hecautiously used the file. They thought this enough of time to bestow onthe work, because the bars could be easily filed through before theparachute was ready.
In the preparation of the umbrella, the first difficulty that met themwas how they were to conceal their private work when the turnkey came inthe evenings to take away their materials for sack-making. After someexamination they discovered a plank in the floor, in the corner wherethey were wont to sleep, which was loose and easily forced up with oneof Bill's unfinished paper-knives, which he made very strong for thisspecial purpose! Beneath there was sufficient room to stow away thecloth with which they fashioned the additional breadth to the umbrella.To have cabbaged at one time all the sail-cloth that was required wouldhave risked discovery; they therefore appropriated small scraps eachday, and sewed these neatly together until they had enough. Soon theyhad a ring of canvas formed, into the centre of which the umbrellafitted exactly, and this ring was so cut and sewn in gores that itformed a continuation of the umbrella, which was thus made to spread outand cover a space of about nine or ten feet in diameter. All round theextremity or margin of the ring, cords of twisted twine were fixed, atintervals of about six inches. There were about sixty of these cords orstays, all of which met and were fastened at the end of the handle. Astout line, made of four-ply twine, was fastened at the top of theumbrella, and passing through a small hole in it was tied round thewhalebones inside, and twisted down the stick to the handle, to which itwas firmly secured. By this means the whole machine was, as it were,bound together.
All these additionals and fixings had, however, to be so constructedthat they could be removed, or affixed with some rapidity, for there wasalways before the sailors the chance that the turnkey might look in toobserve how their work was progressing.
Indeed one afternoon they were almost discovered at work on theparachute. The turnkey was heard coming along the passage when Ben wasin the act of fitting on the new appendages, and the key was actually inthe door before the last shred of them was thrust into the hole in thefloor, and the loose plank shut down! Ben immediately flung several ofthe sacks over the place, and then turning suddenly round on his comradebegan to pommel him soundly by way of accounting for the flushedcondition of his countenance.
Thus taken by surprise, Bill returned the blows with interest, and thecombatants were separated by the turnkey when in a rather breathlesscondition!
"If you do so more agin, you sall go separate," said the turnkey.
The mere thought of separation at such a moment struck like a chill tothe hearts of the sailors, who forthwith shook hands, and vowedearnestly that they would "never do it again." In order to conciliatethe man, Ben took up the umbrella, and pointing to the beautifullycarved handle said--
"You see it's all but finished, and I'm very anxious to git it done, soif you'll let me keep it by me all to-night, I'll work as long as I cansee, and be at it the first thing in the morning."
The man, pleased at the unusual interest which Ben took in the worn-outpiece of goods, agreed to let him keep it by him. After carrying awayall the other materials, and looking round to see that all was right, helocked them up for the night.
Left to themselves, they at once began to prepare for action. They drewforth all the different parts of the parachute (for such it really was,although the machine so named had never been seen, but only heard of, bythe seamen), and disposed them in such a manner beside the hole in thefloor as to be ready at a moment's notice, either to be fitted on to theumbrella or thrust back into the place of concealment.
Their manacles had been taken off at the time they began to work, sothat these were no longer impediments in the way.
"Now, Bill, are the bars sure to give way, d'ye think?"
"Sartin sure," said Bill; "they're holdin' by nothin' thicker than apin."
"Very good, then, let's go to work. In an hour or so it will be darkenough to try our flyin' machine, and then good-bye to France--or to theworld. It's neck or nothin', d'ye see?"
"All right," answered Bill.
They sat down to work in good earnest. The spreading rim of canvas,instead of being tagged on as on former occasions, was now sewn securelyto the umbrella, and when the latter was expanded, the canvas hung downall round it, and the numerous stays hung quite loose. Ben expectedthat the rapidity of the descent would suddenly expand this appendage,and check the speed. The ends of the loose cords were gathered up andfastened to the handle, as was also the binding-cord before referredto--all of which was done with that thoroughness of workmanship forwhich sailors are celebrated.
Then a stout cord was fastened to one of the stanchions of the window,which had been left uncut for the purpose.
When everything was ready the adventurous sailors began to experienceall the anxiety which is inseparable from an action involving muchdanger, liability to frustration, and requiring the utmost cautioncombined with energy.
They waited until they thought the night was at its darkest. When allsounds around them had ceased, they took off their shoes and carefullylifted the bench to the wall under the window. Ben went up first bymounting on Bill's shoulders. With one powerful wrench he pulled theiron framework of the window into the room, and handed it down to Bill,who stooped a little and placed it gently against the wall. His comradethen thrust his head and shoulders out at the window, and while in thatawkward position spread his jacket over the sill. This was intended toprotect the cord which was fastened to the top of the umbrella, and bywhich it was to be drawn up after his descent.
When this was done, Bill clambered up by the cord which hung from theuncut stanchion, and pushed the umbrella past Ben's body until he gothold of the end of it, and drew it out altogether. Bill then descendedinto the cell, having the small cord in his hand, and watched themotions of his comrade with intense anxiety.
The window was so small that Ben could barely get his head and shouldersthrough it. There was no possibility of his getting on his feet or hisknees to make a leap. The only course that remained for him, therefore,was to expand the umbrella, hold on tight, and then wriggle out until heshould lose his balance and fall head foremost! It was an awfulposition. Bold though the seaman was, and desperate the circumstances,his strong frame quivered when he gazed down and felt himself graduallytoppling. The height he knew to be little short of sixty feet, but inthe dark night it appeared an abyss of horrible profundity. A coldsweat broke out upon him, and for one moment he felt an almostirresistible tendency to let go the umbrella and clutch the window-sill,but he was too late. Like lightning he shot down for a couple of yards;then the parachute expanded and checked him with such violence, as heswung round, that he nearly lost his hold and was thrown into ahorizontal position--first on one side, then on the other. Finally, hereached the ground with a shock that almost took away his breath. Hesat still for a moment or two, then rose slowly and shook himself, toascertain whether he were still alive and sound! Immediately after heexamined the parachute, found it all right, and gave his comrade thesignal--a couple of tugs at the cord--to haul up.
Bill was scarcely less agitated than his friend. He had seen Ben's legsdisappear with a suddenness that told eloquently of his having takenflight, and stood in the cell above listening intently, while largedrops of perspiration coursed down his face. On feeling the tug at thestring, a mountain appeared to be lifted off his chest. Carefully hepulled up the umbrella. When it showed its point above the window-sillhe clambered up and went through the same terrible ordeal. He was not,however, so fortunate as his friend, for, when he jumped, three of thestays gave way,
which had the effect of slightly deranging the motion ofthe umbrella, and he came to the ground with such violence that he laystunned and motionless, leading his horrified comrade to fear that hewas killed. In a few minutes, however, he revived, and, on examination,found that no bones had been broken.
"Now, Ben, what next?" said Bill, getting up, and giving himself ashake.
"The wall," said Ben, "can't be far from where we stand. If there wosonly a bit of moonshine it would help us."
"Better as it is," whispered Bill, groping about, for the night was sointensely dark that it was scarcely possible to see a yard. "I knowsthe way to the harbour, if we only manage to get out.--Ah, here's thewall, but it's an oncommon high one!"
This was indeed too true. The top of the wall was faintly visible likea black line across the dark sky, and when Ben mounted on Bill'sshoulders, it was found that he could only reach to within three feet ofthe bristling iron spikes with which it was surmounted. Forhalf-an-hour they groped about, and made the discovery that they were ina small enclosure with bare walls of fifteen feet in height around them,and not a projection of any kind large enough for a mouse to lay holdof! In these circumstances many men would have given way to despair;but that was a condition of mind which neither of our tars ever thoughtof falling into. In the course of their explorations they came againsteach other, and immediately began an animated conversation in whispers,the result of which was that they groped for the umbrella, and, havingfound it, cut off all the cords about it, with which they proceeded toplait a rope strong enough to bear their weight. They sat down insilence to the work, leaning against the prison wall, and wrought for afull hour with the diligence of men whose freedom depends on theirefforts. When finished, the rope was found to be about a yard too shortfor their purpose; but this defect was remedied by means of the canvasof their parachute, which they tore up into strips, twisted into anadditional piece of rope, and spliced it to the other. A large loop wasmade on the end of it. Going once more to the wall, Ben mounted onBill's shoulders, and threw the loop over the top of the wall; itcaught, as had been expected, on one of the iron spikes. Ben theneasily hauled himself up, hand over hand, and, getting hold of twospikes, raised himself so that he could see over the wall. Immediatelyafter he descended.
"I sees nothin', Bill, so we must just go over and take our chance."
Bill agreed. Ben folded his coat, and ascending again, spread it overthe spikes, so that he could lean on them with his chest without beingpierced. Having re-ascended, Bill followed; the rope was then hauledup, and lowered on the other side. In another moment they slipped down,and stood on the ground.
"Now, the question is, where are we!" whispered Bill. "P'r'aps we'reonly in another yard after all."
The sound of footsteps pacing slowly towards them was heard at thatmoment.
"I do believe," whispered Bill, in an excited tone, "that we've got intothe street, an' that's the sentry. Let's bolt."
"We can't bolt," said Ben, "'cause, if I took my bearin's right, he'sbetween us an' the shore, an' it would be of no manner o' use boltin'into the country to be hunted down like a couple of foxes."
"Then we'll floor him to begin with," whispered Bill.
"That's so," said Ben.
The sentry approached, and the sailors drew up close against the wall.Presently his dark form became faintly visible. Bill rushed at him atonce, and delivered a blow that might have felled an ox at the spotwhere he supposed his chest was, sending the man back almost heels overhead, while his arms rattled on the pavement. Instantly there wereheard the sounds of opening locks, bolts, and bars. The two friendsfled, and shouts were heard behind them, while lights flashed in variousdirections.
"This way, Bill," cried Ben, turning down a narrow lane to avoid a lampwhich came in sight when they turned a corner. A couple of belated anddrunken French fishermen happened to observe them, and gave chase."Hold on, Ben, let's drop, and trip 'em up," said Bill.
"All right," replied Ben; "down with 'e."
They stopped suddenly, and squatted as low as possible. The lane wasvery narrow; the fishermen were close behind; they tumbled right overthem, and fell heavily on their faces. While they were rising, ourheroes knocked them both insensible, and hastily appropriating theircoats and red caps put them on as they ran. By this time a crowd offishermen, sailors, and others, among whom were a few soldiers andturnkeys with lanterns, were pursuing the fugitives as fast as waspossible in so dark a night. Bill suggested that they should turn intoa dark corner, and dodge them. The suggestion was acted on at once.They dashed round the first corner they came to, and then, instead ofcontinuing their flight, turned sharp to the left, and hid in a doorway.The pursuers came pouring round the corner, shouting wildly. When thethickest of the crowd was opposite their place of concealment, Bill andBen rushed into the midst of them with a shout, imitating the tones ofthe Frenchmen as nearly as possible, but taking care to avoid the use ofword, and thus they joined in the pursuit! Gradually they fell behind,as if out-run, and, when they found themselves in rear, turned about,and made off in the opposite direction, then, diverging to the left,they headed again towards the shore, ran down to the beach, and leapedinto the first boat they came to.
It happened to be a very small one,--a sort of dinghy. Ben thought itwas too small, and was about to leap out and search for a larger, whenlights suddenly appeared, and the shouts of the pursuers--who haddiscovered the _ruse_--were heard as they approached.
"Shove off, Ben!"
"Hurrah, my hearties!" cried the seaman with a stentorian shout as heseized an oar.
Next moment the little boat was flying over the smooth water of theport, the silence of which was now broken by exclamations and cries fromthe shipping in reply to those from the shore; while the splashing ofoars were heard in all directions as men leaped into boats and rowedabout at random. Darkness favoured the Englishmen, but it also provedthe cause of their being very nearly re-captured; for they were withintwo yards of the battery at the mouth of the harbour before theyobserved it, and swerved aside just in time to avoid a collision. Butthey had been seen, and a random discharge of musketry followed. Thiswas succeeded by the sudden blaze of a blue light, which revealed thewhole port swarming with boats and armed men,--a sight which acted sopowerfully on the warlike spirits of the sailors that they started upsimultaneously, flung their red caps into the air, and gave vent to ahearty British cheer, which Ben Bolter followed up as they resumed theoars, with "Old England for ever! farewell, Mounseers!"
The blue light went out and left everything in darkness thicker thanever, but not before a rapid though ineffective discharge of musketryhad been made from the battery. Another blue light, however, showedthat the fugitives were getting rapidly out to sea beyond the range ofmusketry, and that boats were leaving the port in chase. Before thelight expired a cloud of smoke burst from the battery, and the roar of aheavy gun rushed over the sea. An instant later and the water was tornup by grape-shot all round the little boat; but not a ball touched themsave one, which struck Bill Bowls on the left hand and cut off histhumb.
"I think there's a mast and sail in the bottom of the boat, and herecomes a breeze," said Ben; "give me your oar, and try to hoist it,Bill."
Without mentioning his wound, our hero did as he was bid; and not untilthe boat was leaping over the ruffled sea did he condescend to bind upthe wounded hand with his necktie. Soon they were beyond the range ofblue lights and artillery.
"Have 'e any notion what course we're steerin'?" inquired Bill.
"None wotsomediver," answered Ben.
Soon after that, however, the sky cleared a little, and Bill got sightof part of the constellation of the Great Bear. Although the pole-starwas not visible, he guessed pretty nearly its position, and thusascertained that the breeze came from the south-west. Trimming thelug-sail accordingly, the tars turned the prow of the little craft tothe northward, and steered for the shores of old England.
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About a year after this stirring incident, a remarkably noisy party wasassembled at tea in the prim little parlour of Mrs Blyth's cottage inFairway. Besides the meek old soul herself, there were present on thatoccasion our old friends Ben Bolter and Tom Riggles, the latter of whomflourished a wooden stump instead of a right leg, and wore the garb of aGreenwich pensioner. His change of circumstances did not appear to havedecreased his love for tobacco. Ben had obtained leave of absence fromhis ship for a day or two, and, after having delighted the heart of hisold mother by a visit, had called at the cottage to pay his respects tohis old messmate, little thinking that he would find Tom Riggles therebefore him. Miss Bessy Blunt was also present; and it was plain, fromthe expression of her speaking countenance, that she had not forgivenBen, but tolerated him under protest. Our hero and sweet Nelly Blythwere not of the party, however, because they happened just then toprefer a quiet chat in the summer-house in the back-garden. We will notpresume to detail much of the conversation that passed between them.One or two of the concluding sentences must suffice.
"Yes, Bill," said Nelly, in reply to something that her companion hadwhispered in her ear, "you know well enough that I am glad to-morrow isour wedding-day. I have told you so already, fifty times at least."
"Only thrice, Nell, if so often," said Bill. "Well, that _was_ theluckiest shot the Frenchmen ever fired at me; for if I hadn't had mythumb took off I couldn't have left the sarvice, d'ye see; and thatwould have delayed my marriage with you, Nell. But now, as the old songsays--
"`No more I'll roam Away from home, Across the stormy sea. I'll anchor here, My Nelly dear, And live for love and thee.'"
The Battle and the Breeze Page 9
