For Love of Country: A Story of Land and Sea in the Days of the Revolution
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CHAPTER XXXIV
_Captain Vincent Mystified_
While the big ship was rapidly and methodically being stripped for thepossible emergency, the captain was engaged in busy conversation withthe colonel. They had steadily drawn near the reported sail until thelookouts could plainly make out a small fleet of small ships. Neverdreaming that they could be American ships, Captain Vincent had hisship prepared for action, more through the habitual wariness of anexperienced sailor than from any premonition of an impending battle.But as the two forces drew near, the actions of the opposing fleetbecame suddenly suspicious; all but one of them tacked ship, and stoodoff to the northeast, in a compact group in close order, under allpossible sail, though one, the smallest and a brig, it was noticed,lagged behind the rest of the group in a way which bespoke either veryslow sailing qualities or deliberate purpose of delay. The remainingship, the largest of them all, stood boldly on its original course.This latter, it was plain to see, was a small frigate, possibly atwenty-eight or a thirty-two. Taking into account the respective ratesof speed, the frigate, whose course made a slight angle with that ofthe ship of the line, would probably cross the bows of the latterwithin range of her battery. None of the opposing vessels showed anyflags as yet, and their movements completely mystified Captain Vincent.
"Certainly a most extraordinary performance going on there!" he said,after a long look through his glass, which he then handed to thecolonel. "They show no flags, but I cannot conceive of their beinganything but a squadron or a convoy of ours. What do you make themout, Colonel Wilton?"
Now, the colonel was morally certain that they were Americans, or, atleast, that the first and nearest one was an American ship. He hadbeen one of the naval committee which had taken charge of the buildingof the men-of-war ordered by Congress in '75; he had seen the Randolphfrequently on the ways and after she was launched, and was entirelyfamiliar with her lines. Perhaps the wish also was father to thethought, for the old soldier was not sufficiently versed in nauticalaffairs to detect at that distance the great disparity in force betweenthe two ships, to which for the moment he gave no thought, or he wouldnot have entertained hopes for a release from confinement byrecapture,--a patent impossibility to a seaman. So he answered thecaptain evasively, returning the glass and pleading his ignorance ofnautical matters to excuse his indefinite opinion.
"It must be the Carrysford, with Hythe's squadron; she is a thirty-two.But why they should act this way, I cannot see. He must know what weare now, as there are no ships of our size in these waters, except ourown, and why should he send the rest of them off there? They areleaving us pretty fast, except that brig. Now, if it were a colonialconvoy, I should say that this frigate was going to engage us in thehope of so crippling us as to effect the escape of the rest; but Ihardly think that your men are up to that yet."
"Think not?" said the colonel indifferently, violently repressing aninclination to strike him. "It may be as you say, Captain Vincent;still, I think we are up to almost anything that you are."
"Oh, colonel," laughed the captain, good-naturedly, "you are not goingto compare the little colonial forces with his majesty's navy, are you!Now, I am morally certain that is a king's ship. See the beautiful setof her sails, the enormous spread of the yards; notice how trim andtaut her rigging and running gear stand out, and then, too, see howsmartly she is handled. Only English ships are thus. Hythe is asailor, every inch of him," he went on in genuine admiration for theapproaching vessel. "See! He has the weather gauge of us now, or willhave. Not that it matters anything. We could afford to let him haveit even if he were an enemy; but what he means by this sort ofperformance, I don't understand. However, we shall know in half anhour at least."
"Well, sir?" he said, turning toward Lieutenant Desborough, who at thatmoment stepped on the poop in fighting uniform, sword in hand.
"Ship's ready for action, sir!"
"Very good. Keep the people at their quarters, and stand on as we are.Ah, Mr. Montagu, will you step below and fetch me my sword out of mycabin. What do you think of her, Desborough?"
"We think she is an American, sir," said Desborough.
"Oh, you do, do you? Well, I think she is one of ours. No Americanwould dare to lead down on us in that way! We can blow him out of thewater with a broadside or two, you know, but we 'll give him a hint allthe same. Fire a gun there, to leeward, and hoist our colors."
As the smoke rolled away along the water, the stops were broken, andthere flew out from each masthead the splendid English flag. It wasanswered soon afterward by a small English flag at the gaff of theapproaching ship, which apparently mystified the captain more thanever, though it confirmed him in his previous opinion.
"Oh, father," whispered Katharine, clinging to the colonel, "what doyou think it is? See that English flag!"
"Kate, I 'm morally sure that it is an American ship; it is just theplan and size of those ordered by Congress in '75. One of those shipsshould be in commission by now. If I am right, this should be theRandolph. I saw her a dozen times in Philadelphia; and if that's notshe, I shall never pretend to know a ship again."
"But did you hear what Captain Vincent said?" continued Katharine; "howmany guns would the Randolph carry?"
"About forty, and most of them small ones at best," answered thecolonel, with a sigh.
The two ships were much nearer now, and their disparity in force wasapparent even to the most unskilful eye.
"The little ship can't fight this great one, father, can it?"
"No, my dear; that is, not with any chance of success. But I fear--orhope, rather--that they mean to engage us, and sacrifice themselves inorder not to allow us to capture the little fleet, probably prizes, offyonder. The man who commands her is a hero, certainly."
"Just what Mr. Seymour would do. Oh, if it were he!" she exclaimed,clasping her hands, her eyes filling with tears at the possibility.
"Well, it may be, of course. He was certain to be posted captain soon,and 'tis like him truly. But, Kate, the ships are drawing nearer everymoment. You must go below in case of action, my dear."
"Yes, Miss Wilton," said Desborough, who had at that moment approachedthem, looking very handsome, having heard the last words of thecolonel; "we have arranged a safe place for you and your maid, in thecable tiers, way below the water-line, and out of the way of shot,though I hardly expect much of it from that fellow. Will you allow meto conduct you there? Perhaps you too, colonel, would be safer if youwould--"
"Pardon me, sir, unless force is used, I shall remain on deck. Theidea of me, sir--skulking in the hold during an action! Why, sir,--"
"And the idea of me, either, doing the same thing!" said Katharinedefiantly, in a ringing voice in which there was a clear echo of herfather's determination.
Both men looked at her smiling.
"Oh, you are different, Miss Wilton," said Desborough.
"No use, Katharine: you must go," added her father.
"Oh, please!"
"My daughter--"
"Oh, father, let me stay just a little longer--there is no danger yet.Take Chloe down, if you will, Mr. Desborough, and have a place readyfor me. I 'll go down when the battle begins--indeed I will, father!"she continued entreatingly.
"Well," said the colonel, uncertainly, "let her stay a little longer,my lord."
"Very well, sir," replied Desborough, bowing and turning forward.
"Here, you Jack, take this girl below and stow her away in the cabletiers by the main hatch," he said, pointing to Chloe, who was ledunresistingly away, her teeth chattering with undefined but none theless overwhelming terror. The colonel stepped forward beside CaptainVincent, and Desborough descended to the main-deck to superintend thefighting of the batteries, while Katharine, grateful for the respite,and determined not to go below at all, stepped aft in the shelter ofthe rail, her heart already beating madly, as the two ships approachedeach other in silence.