CHAPTER XXI.
JAKE ELLIOTT MAKES ANOTHER EFFORT TO GET EVEN.
As it is impossible to tell at one time the story of the doings of twodifferent sets of persons in two different places, it follows that, ifboth are to be told, one must be told first and the other afterward.
For precisely this reason, I must leave Sam and his party for a timenow, while I tell where Jake Elliott had been, and what he had beenabout.
When Sam let him off as easily as he could at the time of the compassaffair, and even went out of his way to prevent the boys fromreferring to that transaction, he did so with the distinct purpose ofgiving Jake an opportunity and a motive to redeem his reputation; andhe sincerely hoped that Jake would avail himself of the chance.
It is not easy for a man or boy of right impulses to imagine thefeelings, or to comprehend the acts of a person whose impulses are allwrong, and so it was that Sam fell into the error of supposing thathis badly behaved follower would repent of his misconduct and dobetter in future. This was what all the boys thought that Jake oughtto do, and what Sam thought he would do; but in truth he was disposedto do nothing of the sort, and Sam was not very long in discoveringthe fact. Instead of feeling grateful to Sam for shielding him againstthe taunts of his companions, he hated Sam more cordially than ever,when he found how completely he had failed in his attempt to embarrassthe expedition. He nursed his malice and brooded over it, determinedto seize the first opportunity of "getting even," as he expressed it,and from that hour his thoughts were all of revenge, complete,successful, merciless. He was willing enough, too, to include theother boys in this wreaking of vengeance, as he included them now inhis malice.
His first attempt to accomplish his purpose, as we know already, wasan effort to wreck the boat in a drift pile, and that affair servedto open Sam's eyes to the true character of the boy with whom he hadto deal. He trusted him no more, and managed him thereafter only byappeals to his fears.
When the camp was formed near Pensacola, Sam carefully canvassed thepossibilities of Jake's misconduct, and concluded that the worst hecould do would be to injure the boat or her tackle, and hesufficiently guarded against that by always sleeping near the littlecraft.
Jake was more desperately bent upon revenge than Sam supposed, andfrom the hour of going into camp he diligently worked over his planfor accomplishing his purpose. He had learned by previous failures, todread Sam's quickness of perception, of which, indeed, he stood almostsuperstitiously in awe. He would not venture to take a single steptoward the accomplishment of the end he had set himself, until hisplans should be mature. For many days, therefore, he only meditatedrevenge not daring, as yet, to attempt it by any active measures. Atlast, however, he was satisfied that his plans were beyond Sam'spower to penetrate, and he was ready to put them into execution. Onthe night of Bob Sharp's return, which was the night last described inprevious chapters, Sam went to the town, as we know, accompanied byTom, who sailed the boat. As soon as he was fairly out of sight Jakewalked away toward Pensacola. The distance was considerable, and theway a very difficult one, as the tide was too high for walking on thebeach, so that it was nearly midnight when Jake knocked at a house ona side street.
"Who is there?" asked a night-capped personage from an upper window.
"A friend," answered Jake.
"What do you want?" said the night-capped head, rather gruffly.
"I want to see the Leftenant."
"What do you want with me?"
"I want to talk with you."
"Oh, go to the mischief! I'm in bed."
"But I must see you to-night," said Jake.
"On business?"
"Yes, sir."
"Important?"
"Yes."
"Won't it keep till morning?"
"No, sir; I'm afraid not."
"Very well. I suppose I must see you then. Push the door open and findyour way up the stairs."
Jake did as he was told to do, and presently found himself in the roomwhere Lieutenant Coxetter had been sleeping. That distinguishedservant of His Majesty, King George, had meantime drawn on histrowsers, and he now lighted a little oil lamp, which threw a wretchedapology for light a few feet into the surrounding darkness.
"Now then," said the officer, in no very pleasant tones, "What do youwant with me at this time o' night? Who are you, and where do you comefrom?"
Jake was so nervous that he found it impossible to find a place atwhich to begin his story, and the impatient Lieutenant spurred himwith direct questions.
"What's your name?" he asked. "You can tell that, can't you?"
"Yes, sir," faltered Jake.
"SPEAK, MAN! OR I CHOKE YOU."]
"Well, tell it then, and be quick about it."
"My name is Jacob Elliott," said that worthy, fairly gasping forbreath in his embarrassment.
"Oh! you do know your name, then," said the officer. "Now, then, wheredo you come from?"
"From Alabama," answered Jake.
"From Alabama! the mischief you do! You're an American then? What themischief are you doing here?"
"Oh, sir, that's just what I want to tell you about, if you'll letme."
"If I'll _let_ you? Ain't I doing my very best to _make_ you? Havn't Ibeen worming your facts out of you with a corkscrew? But you'd betterbe quick about giving an account of yourself. If you don't give apretty satisfactory one, too, I'll arrest you as a _spy_,--a _spy_, mygood fellow, do you understand? _A spy_, and we hang that sort o'people. Come, be quick."
"Spies! that's just it, Lieutenant. I came here to-night to tell youabout spies."
"Then why the mischief don't you do it? You'll drive me mad with yourhalting tongue. Speak man, or I'll choke you!" and with that theofficer stood up and bent forward over Jake, to that young man'sserious discomfiture.
"They's some spies here--" Jake began. "Where?" asked the impatientofficer interrupting him.
"Down there, in a camp," said Jake, talking as rapidly as he could,lest the officer should interrupt him again; "Down there in a camp bythe bay, an' they've got a boat an' guns, an' they're boys, an' theypretend to be a fishin' party."
"Ah!" said the Lieutenant, "I thought I'd make you find your tongue.Now listen to me, and answer my questions, and mind you don't lie tome, sir; mind you don't lie."
"I won't. I pledge you my honor--," began Jake.
"Never mind pledging that; it isn't worth pledging. You see you're asneak, else you wouldn't be here telling tales on your fellowcountrymen. But never mind. It's my business to make use of you. I'mprovost-marshal."
This was not at all the sort of treatment Jake had expected to receiveat the hands of British officers. He had supposed that the value ofhis services in betraying his fellows, would be recognized andrewarded, and he had even dreamed of receiving marked attentions and agood, comfortable, safe place in the British service in recompense. Ithad never occurred to him that while all military men must get whatinformation they can from deserters, and traitors, they do not respectthe sneaking fellows in the least, but on the contrary hold them inprofoundest contempt, almost spurning them with their boots. Jake hadgone too far to retreat, however, and must now tell his whole story.He told where the boys were, and how they had come there, and for whatpurpose, lying only enough to make it appear that he himself had neverwillingly joined them, but had been deceived at first, and forcedafterward into the service.
The Lieutenant listened to the story and then asked:--
"Have you anything to show for all this?"
"How do you mean?" asked Jake.
"Why, you wretched coward, don't you understand? How am I to know howmuch of your story is true, and how much of it false? Of course itisn't all true. You couldn't talk so long without telling some lies.What I want to know is, what can you show for all this story? If Iarrest these boys, what can be proved on them?"
"Well, the Captain's got a despatch from General Jackson; that'llprove something."
"When did he get it?"
"To-
night."
"Very well. That's something. Now you just sit still till I tell youto do something else."
So saying the Lieutenant summoned a courier or two, and sent them offwith notes.
"These boys have a boat, you say?"
"Yes."
"Do they know how to sail it?"
"A little; the Captain handles it better'n the rest."
"Has he ever been to sea?"
"No, sir."
"What sort of a boat is it?"
"A dug-out; we made it ourselves."
"Oh, did you? Why didn't you tell me that first? Never mind, it's allright. They'll never try to put to sea in a dug-out, but they may tryto escape to some point lower down the bay in it, so my message tothe fort won't be amiss."
The Lieutenant had sent a message to the fort that at daylight heshould arrest the party, and that if they should take the alarm andtry to escape by water, a boat must be sent from the fort to overhaulthem.
He now dressed himself, first sending for a file of soldiers under asergeant, with instructions to parade at his door immediately.
When all was ready he said to Jake.
"Now then, young man, come with me, and guide me to the camp of theselads."
Jake led the way, and when a little after daylight they approached thecamp the Lieutenant said to him:--
"I don't want to make any mistake in this business. You go ahead tothe camp and see if the lads are there. That'll throw 'em off theirguard, and I'll come up in five minutes."
"But Lieu--" began Jake, remonstratingly.
"Hold your tongue, and do as I tell you, or I'll string you up to atree, you rascal."
Thus admonished, Jake walked on in fear and trembling to the camp. Ashe approached it he observed the unusual stir which was going on, andwondered what it meant, but he did not for a moment imagine that Samhad guessed the truth.
Captain Sam: The Boy Scouts of 1814 Page 21
