CHAPTER XIII
_A Clever Stratagem_
Six days out from the Capes of Delaware Bay, and the Ranger wascruising between Halifax and Boston, about one hundred leagues east ofCape Sable. If there be truth in the maxim that a ship is never fitfor action until she has been a week at sea, the Ranger might beconsidered as ready for any emergency now. The crew had thoroughlylearned their stations; they and the officers had become acquaintedwith each other; the possibilities of the ship in different weather,and on various points of sailing, had been ascertained. The drill atquarters twice daily, and the regular target practice with great guns,and the exercises with small arms, had materially developed theoffensive and defensive possibilities of the ship.
The already warm friendship between Seymour and Talbot, now thrown intoclose association by the necessary confinement of a small ship, hadgrown into an intimacy, and they held many discussions concerning theirabsent friends in the long hours of the night watches. Talbot hadlearned through common rumor before they sailed, that Colonel Wiltonwould probably be sent to England with Lord Dunmore, whose retirement,under the vigorous policy pursued by the Virginians under theleadership of Patrick Henry, who had been elected governor, wasinevitable; and he did not doubt but that Katharine would accompany herfather. He had never told Seymour of the plans which had involved thedestinies of Katharine and himself, and something had restrained himfrom mentioning either his hopes or his affection for her, though timeand absence had but intensified his passion, until it was the consumingidea of his soul.
This reserve was matched by a similar reticence on the part of Seymour,who had said nothing of the note he had received, and had notcommunicated the news of his own successful suit to his unsuspectingrival. Seymour had a much clearer apprehension of the situation thanTalbot, and, intrenched in Katharine's confession, could endure itwithout disquiet, magnanimously saying nothing which could disturb hisless favored rival. The situation, however, was clearly an impossibleone, and that there would be a sudden break in the friendship, whenTalbot found out the true state of affairs, he did not doubt. This wasa grief to him, for he really liked the young man, and would gladlyhave spared his friend any pain, if it were possible; however, sincethere was only one Kate in the world, and she was his, he saw no wayout of the difficulty, and could only allow Talbot to drift alongblindly in his fool's paradise, until his eyes were opened. Both theyoung men were favorites with Captain Jones, and he treated them in avery different manner from that he usually assumed to his subordinates,for Jones was a man to be respected and feared rather than loved.
Late in the afternoon, the ship being under all plain sail, on the porttack, heading due west, the voice of the lookout on the mainroyal-yardfloated down to the deck in that hail which is always thrilling at sea,and was doubly so in this instance,--
"Sail ho!"
Motioning to the officer of the deck, Jones himself replied in hispowerful voice,--
"Where away?"
"Broad off the lee-beam, sir."
"Can you make her out?"
"No, sir, not yet."
"Well, keep your eye lifting, my man, and sing out when you do. Mr.Simpson," he said, turning to the officer of the deck, "let her go offa couple of points."
"Ay, ay, sir. Up with the helm, quartermaster, round in theweather-braces, rise tacks and sheets."
The speed of the ship going free was materially increased at once, andin a few moments the lookout once more hailed the deck,--
"I can make her out now, sir."
"What is it?"
"A ship, sir, ay, and there is another one with her, and a third. Ican't tell what she is, sir. The first one looks like a large ship."
"Mr. Wallingford, take the glass and go up the crosstrees and see whatyou make of them, sir," said the captain.
"Very good, sir," replied the lieutenant, springing into the mainrigging and rapidly ascending to the crosstrees, glass in hand.
"Gentlemen, we will have a nearer look at these gentry," continued thecaptain, glancing back at the officers, who had all come up from below,while the men, equally interested, were crowding on the forecastle, andgazing eagerly in the direction of the reported sails, which were notyet visible from the deck.
"On deck, there."
"Ay, ay, what is it?"
"I can make out five ships, and two brigs, and a schooner, and someother sails just rising, all close hauled on the port tack. I thinkthere are more of them, sir, but I can't say yet. We are rapidlydrawing down on them, and shall be able to make them out in a minute.I think it is a convoy or a fleet."
"That will do, Mr. Wallingford; lay down on deck, sir; give the glassto the man on the royal-yard, though, before you come. Who is he?"
"It is me, sir, Jack Thompson."
"Keep a bright lookout then, Thompson, and if yon 's an enemy's fleetor convoy, it means a glass of grog and a guinea for you when yourwatch is over."
"Thankee, sir," cried the delighted seaman.
"Mr. Wallingford, could you make anything out of the size of the ships?"
"One of them I should say was a large ship, a frigate or ship of theline possibly, the others were too far off."
"It can't be a fleet," replied Captain Jones; "there are not so many ofthe enemy's ships together in these waters, if we are correctlyinformed. I suspect it must be a lot of merchantmen and transports,convoyed by two or three men of war. Now is our opportunity,gentlemen," he continued, his eyes sparkling with delight. "They areapparently beating in for Halifax, and probably the Mellish, ourtransport, will be among them. We will pay them a visit to-night inany event. I would n't let them pass by without a bow or two, if theywere a fleet of two deckers!"
Apparently this reckless bravado entirely suited the ship's company,for one of the men who had heard the doughty captain's speech calledfor three cheers, which were given with a will.
"Ay, that's a fine hearty crew, and full of fight. Call on all hands,Mr. Simpson."
This was more or less a perfunctory order, since every man from thejack-of-the-dust to the captain was already on deck.
"Mr. Seymour," said Jones to the first lieutenant, who had taken thetrumpet at the call of all hands, "we must dress for the ball, and ourbest disguise for the present will be that of a merchantman. I don'tsuppose that the English imagine that we have a ship afloat in thesewaters, and possibly they can't see us, against this cloud bank in thistwilight, as we can see them against the setting sun; but we will be onthe safe side for the few moments of daylight left us. They may belooking at us over there, so we will hoist the English flag at once;and as we are nearing them a little too rapidly, better brail up thefore and main sails, and take in the royals and the fore and mizzentopgallantsails for the present, and slack off the running gear. Thenbeat to quarters, and have the guns run in and double shotted, closethe ports, and have the arms distributed; clear the forecastle too,except of two or three men, and bid everybody observe the strictestquiet, especially when we get in among the convoy," he continuedrapidly.
"You can see them now from the deck, sir," said Lieutenant Simpson,handing the glass to the captain.
"Ay, so you can, but not well. Mainroyal there! Can you make them outany better?"
"Yes, sir. There's eighteen sail of them; one is a frigate and onelooks like a sloop of war, sir; the rest is merchantmen, some of 'emarmed."
"Very good. Have they seen us yet?"
"Don't appear to take no notice on us so far, sir."
"Come down from aloft then, and get your grog and guinea, Jack; wewon't need you up there any more; it is getting too dark to seeanything there, anyway. Beat to quarters, Mr. Seymour. Ah, there gothe lights in the convoy."
For the next few moments the decks presented a scene of wild confusion,which gradually settled down into an orderly quiet, the variousdirections of the captain were promptly carried out, and the ship wasspeedily prepared for the conflict, though outwardly she had lost herwarlike appearance, and now resembled a
peaceful trader.
While the Ranger had been slowly drawing nearer to the sluggish fleetof merchantmen and their convoy, the early twilight of the late seasonfaded away and soon gave place to darkness; the night was cloudy, thesky being much overcast, and there was no moon, all of which was wellfor their present purpose.
The men thoroughly appreciated the hazardous nature of this advanceupon the unsuspecting fleet, protected by two heavy vessels of war,either of which was probably much stronger than their own ship; but thevery audacity and boldness with which the affair was being carried outthoroughly suited the daring crew.
Most of them had stripped to the waist in anticipation of the comingconflict, for they felt confident that the fleet would not escapewithout a battle; and during the next hour they clustered about theguns, quietly whispering among themselves, and eagerly waiting theevents of the night. The nervous strain appeared to affect everybodyexcept the imperturbable captain, but the deep silence was unbrokensave by low-voiced commands from the first lieutenant. All sail hadbeen made as soon as it had become thoroughly dark, the yards properlybraced, and the guns run out again.
For Love of Country: A Story of Land and Sea in the Days of the Revolution Page 14
