CHAPTER IV.
THE NEWS FROM TRENTON.
"What is it, Sam?"
"I guess, Lyme, we'd better hold on a bit. The fort lookout sends wordthat a British cruiser's in sight, off the harbor."
Sam Prentice was in a rowboat, just reaching the side of the _Noank_,and his commander was leaning over the rail.
"I'd like to send a shot at her," he said. "None o' those ten-gunbrigs, if it's one o' them, carry long guns or heavy ones."
"Can't say," replied Sam. "Maybe it's a bigger feller. He won't dareto run in under the battery guns, anyhow. He can't look into theharbor."
"I wish he would," laughed the captain. "If he's goin' to try a gameof tackin' off and on, and watchin', though, we must make out to runpast him in the night."
"We mustn't be stuck any longer here," said Sam. "Are all the crewaboard?"
"All but you," was the reply. "Send your boat ashore. We'll find outwhat she is. I won't let any single cruiser keep me cooped up in port,now my powder and shot's found for me. We'll up anchor, Sam."
The first mate of the _Noank_, for such he was to be, came over therail, and his boat was pulled shoreward.
"Isn't she fine!" he said, as he glanced admiringly around him. "We'rein good fightin' order, Lyme."
"Sam," said the captain, "just study those timbers, will ye. Onlyheavy shot'd do any great harm to our bulwarks. I had her built thevery strongest kind. Now! Some o' the new British craft are said tobe light timbered, even for rough weather. Their own sailors hate 'em,and we can take their judgment of 'em."
"It's likely to be good," said Sam. "What a British able seamandoesn't know 'bout his own ship, isn't worth knowin'."
Further talk indicated that they both held high opinions of themariners of England. Against them, as individuals, the war had notaroused any ill feeling. There was, indeed, among intelligentAmericans, a very general perception that King George's war against histransatlantic subjects was anything but popular with the great mass ofthe overtaxed English people. It was a pity, a great pity, thatstupid, bad management and recklessly tyrannical statesmanship, in asort of combination with needless military severities, had done so muchto foster hatred and provoke revenge. It was true, too, although allAmericans did not know or did not appreciate it, that their side of thecontroversy had been ably set forth in the Parliament of Great Britainby prominent and patriotic Englishmen, such as Chatham and ColonelBarre.
The old whaler _Noank_, of New London, however, had now become anAmerican war vessel. Her crew and her commander were compelled,henceforth, to regard as enemies the captains and the crews of allvessels, armed or unarmed, carrying the red-cross flag instead of thestars and stripes.
"I tell you what, Sam," remarked Captain Avery, at last, "I wish we hadnews from New York and from Washington's army. The latest we heard ofhim and the boys made things look awfully dark."
"Don't let yourself git too down in the mouth!" replied Sam. "I guessthe sun'll shine ag'in, Sunday. It's a long lane that has no turnin'.Washington's an old Indian fighter. He's likely to turn on 'em, suddenand unexpected, like a redskin on a trail that's been followed tooclosely."
"It won't do to go after a Mohawk too far into the woods, sometimes,"growled Avery. "Not onless you're willin' to risk a shot from a bush.Now, do you know, I wish I knew, too, what's been the dealin' of theBritish admirals with Luke Watts, for losin' the _Windsor_. We owethat man a good deal,--we do!"
"They won't hurt him," said Sam. "It wasn't any fault o' his'n."
In some such manner, all over the country, men and women werecomforting themselves, under the shadow of death which seemed to havesettled down over the cause of American independence. They knew thatthe Continental army was shattered. It was destitute, freezing,starving, and it was said to be dwindling away.
Somewhere, however, among the ragged tents and miserable huts of itswinter quarters, was a man who had shown himself so superior to othermen that in him there was still a hope. From him something unexpectedand startling might come at any hour.
As for Luke Watts, formerly the skipper of the British supply ship_Windsor_, now a prize in New London harbor, Captain Avery and his matespoke again of him and of the difficulties into which he might havefallen. Possibly it would have done them good to have been near enoughto see and hear him at that very hour of the day.
A good longboat, with a strong crew anxious to make time and get into awarmer place, had had only a short run of it from New London to NewYork. Here was Luke, therefore, in the cabin of a Britishseventy-four, standing before a gloomy-faced party of naval officers.With him were his mate, Brackett, and several of the sailors of the_Windsor_. It was evident that her loss had been inquired into, andthat all the testimonies had been given. If this was to be consideredas a kind of naval court martial, it was as ready as it ever would beto declare its verdict.
"Gentlemen," said the burly post-captain who appeared to be the rankingofficer, "it's a bad affair! We needed that ammunition. Even the landforces are running so short that movements are hindered. If, however,we are to find fault with any man, we must censure the captain of the_Cleopatra_. This man Watts is proved to have gone into the Soundagainst his will and protest. I am glad that the rebels did not hanghim. His recorded judgment of the danger to be encountered wasentirely correct. Watts, I shall want you to pilot home one of ourempty troop-ships."
"I know her, sir," replied Luke, promptly. "I beg to say no, sir. Notunless she has twice the ballast that's in her now. I'd likepermission to say a word more, sir."
"Speak out! What is it?"
"A ten-gun brig in the Sound can't catch that New London pirate--"
"The _Boxer_ is cruising around that station," interrupted the captain."She's a clipper to go."
"No use," said Luke, shaking his head. "The old whaler'll get away."
"What would you do, then?" roughly demanded another officer.
"A strong corvette, or two of 'em, off Point Judith and Montauk, tocatch her as she runs out," said Luke. "She'll fight any small vessel.She carries a splendid pivot-gun, and she has six long sixes. She willbe handled by prime seamen."
"Gentlemen," remarked the captain, "I agree with him. We have foundthe advice of this man Watts to be correct in every case. I believe heis right, now. We must do as he says or that pirate, perhaps otherswith her, will escape us. I will put him in charge of the _Termagant_.I'll feel safer about her, if she is sailed home by a man with a rebelrope around his neck."
There was a general expression of assent, and then Watts spoke again.
"I want Brackett, if I can have him," he said. "I never had a bettermate. There's fight in him, too."
"You may have him," he was told, and several of the officers presentexpressed their great regret that so many impressed American seamen hadbeen ironed by Captain Avery and compelled to escape from a return toman-of-war duty. They ought never to have been detailed, it wasasserted.
"We can't hang 'em for desertion," they said, half jocularly. "All wecould do, if we caught them, would be to set them at work again."
Nevertheless, four of these escaped men were now voluntarily among thecrew of the _Noank_. The remaining five had preferred to make the bestof their ways to their several homes. Not one of them all had chosento seek the friendly shelter of the British navy, so near and so readyto receive them.
Luke Watts and his friends were dismissed and went on deck. Shortlyafterward, their own longboat carried them to the _Termagant_troop-ship, and the first words uttered by the Marblehead skipper afterreaching her, were duly reported to his superiors.
"Men!" he had exclaimed, as he glanced around him. "This thing isn'tfit to go to sea. She's been handled by lubbers. We've work beforeus, if we don't want to go to the bottom or be overhauled by the_Yankees_. Jest look at her spars and riggin'!"
All things were working together, therefore, to strengthen theconfidence reposed in him, in spite of the curious fact that he h
adskilfully delivered the _Windsor_ and her cargo in New London insteadof in New York.
"We had a narrer escape not many miles beyond Hell Gate," he hadreported. "One o' those Long Island buccaneer whaleboats chased usmore 'n an hour. They gave it up then, and we got through. 'Twas aclose shave. Half on 'em are Montauk and Shinnecock redskins. Reg'larscalpers."
He had told the truth, as he had appeared to do at every point of theaccount which he had given of himself, and now the very men who hadcaptured him and let him go, neglecting to hang him, were about tolearn why that Long Island whaleboat had not followed him any farther.There had been plenty of time for such a boat to get away, a longdistance.
The lookout on the rampart of Fort Griswold, the same keen-eyed watcherwho had sent warning to the _Noank_ of the danger in the offing, wasbusy with his telescope.
"The cruiser's a brig!" he sang out. "I can make her out, now. She'sone o' the new patterns. She's chasin' a whaleboat. I wish she'droller it onto one o' them there ledges. She's firin'. It's longrange, but it looks kind o' bad for the Long Islanders. There ain'tany of our boats out, to-day. It's from t'other shore."
He was watching, now, with intense excitement. There is hardlyanything else so interesting as a chase at sea with cannonading in it.All this time, however, Captain Lyme Avery had been growing feverish.He knew nothing of Luke Watts, nothing at all of the Long Islandwhaleboat and her pursuer, but he shouted to the men at the capstan:--
"Heave away, boys! I'm goin' to have a look at that there Britisher.We won't run any fool risks but we'll find out what she is, anyhow."
Hearty cheers answered him and a loud war-whoop from Up-na-tan, forevery man on board had long since become sick of harbor inactivity.They were also all the more ready for a brush with the enemy afterhaving brought in so fine a prize on their first venture, and they nowhad plenty of powder and shot to fire away.
Only the mainsail swung out after the anchor was raised, but a fairwind was blowing and the _Noank_ went swiftly seaward with the tide inher favor.
"Hark!" said Sam Prentice; "guns again! Something's up, Up-na-tan!Oh, you and Coco are at your pivot-gun! Free her! Have her all ready.She's the only piece on board that's likely to be of any use."
"Let 'em alone!" called out Captain Avery. "They know what they'reabout. They're old gunners. I don't care so much, jest now, 'bout howthey got their trainin'. See 'em!"
They were not by any means a handsome pair at any time, and they wereseveral shades uglier than usual. The Ashantee was grinningfrightfully, and the teeth he showed must have been filed to obtain sosharklike a pointing. The red man was not grinning, but all thewrinkles in his face seemed to grow deeper and his complexion darker.He was charging his guns with solemnly scrupulous care.
"No miss!" he said. "Up-na-tan find out what big gun good for."
His first charge was going in, therefore, for a purpose of practicalinquiry into the character of the long eighteen. The foundries of thatday could not manufacture large weapons with mathematical precision.Hardly any two could be said to be exactly alike, except in appearance.It followed that each gun had good or bad features of its own. Fromship to ship, throughout the royal navy, the gunners published thequalities of their brazen or iron favorites, and there were cannon ofcelebrity which old salts would go far to see.
The sound of the British firing came up somewhat dulled against thewind. It was not until they were out of the harbor that the sailors ofthe _Noank_ discovered how really near were both friends and foes. Thelatter were still outside of the range of any of the fort guns. Hardlymore than a mile and a half nearer was the whaleboat from Long Island.It could be seen that it was full of men, and they were showingsplendid pluck, for they were rowing steadily, while every now and thena shot from the brig dropped dangerously near them. One iron bullet,hitting fairly, might knock their frail though swift craft all topieces. Up went sail after sail upon the _Noank_, as she speededalong, and an officer on the British cruiser's deck had good reason forthe astonishment with which he called out:--
"There she comes! You don't mean to say she's coming out to fight us?"
"It looks like it," responded another officer near him. "We can makematch-wood of her if we can get close enough. I wish I knew what herarmament is. These Yankees have more impudence!"
He did not have to wait many minutes before he learned something. The_Noank_ whirled away upon the starboard tack around the point, and,just as she steadied herself upon her new course, out roared herpivot-gun.
Up-na-tan stood erect as soon as he touched off his piece, and heanxiously watched for the results.
"Ugh! whoop!" he shouted triumphantly. "Gun good! Shoot straight!Hit 'em!"
"Right!" said Captain Avery, who had been watching through a glass."If the old pirate didn't land that shot on her! It's pretty longrange, too."
"Load quick, now!" said the Indian. "Ole chief hit her again!"
His assistants were already feverishly busy with their loading, whilehe stood and proudly patted his cannon, very much as if it deservedpraise and could appreciate his approval.
Loud were the exclamations of surprise and wrath on board the _Boxer_.No one had been killed or wounded, but the brig's longboat had beenstove to bits, and all the pigs and chickens which had been cooped init for the time being, and there were many of them, were runningfrantically about the main deck. That is, all but one large, fat pig,for he had suddenly been made pork of, and he would run and squeal nomore.
The telescopes at the fort had also been taking observations, and loudcheers from the gathered garrison honored the crack shot of Up-na-tan.The crew of the _Noank_ cheered lustily, and so did the rowers of thewhaleboat. One of the fort batteries tried its guns a moment later,but all its shots fell short. Nevertheless, it was only a littleshort, and it warned the captain of the _Boxer_. He knew, now, abouthow much nearer it would be wise for him to run. Up-na-tan's next shotwas well enough aimed, but it did no mischief. It went over the brig,with an unpleasant suggestion of what damage that sort of thing mightdo to spars and rigging.
"Luff! luff!" sang out the captain. "'Tisn't worth while to chase thatboat any farther in. Let's see if we can't draw out the schooner. I'dlike to get her away from those land batteries. They're too heavymetal for us."
"She has the wind of us," remarked his sailing master, doubtfully."She can do as she pleases 'bout coming any too near."
"She's a clipper, anyhow," growled the captain. "Nothing can beatthese New Englanders in handling canvas. The king needs every man of'em."
His own sailors were just then more than a little busied with pig andpoultry gathering, and one badly scared bird rashly flew overboard.
Captain Avery was to disappoint Up-na-tan and Coco. They were to haveno more long-range practice with the eighteen-pounder.
One more shot that they sent was an unsatisfactory miss, and then thedistance began to increase instead of diminishing, as the schooner wentabout.
"Our fellows are safe now," said Sam Prentice. "Here they come. Lookat 'em! More Indians than white men."
None the less were they excellent oarsmen and daring freebooters, andbefore the end of the war the "whaleboat fleet," as it came to becalled, was to earn a not altogether pleasant reputation.
Not many more minutes passed before the boat was near enough for ahail. In it, forward, stood up a tall white man, balancing himself andswinging his hat while he enthusiastically sent to the _Noank_:--
"Schooner ahoy! Hurrah! News from the Continental army! GineralWashington smashed the redcoats! Beat 'em on Christmas day at Trenton!Then he follered 'em up and knocked Cornwallis all to flinders atPrinceton! We're a-beginnin' to flail 'em! Hurrah!"
Wild was the cheering which answered him from the schooner. Some ofthe men began to dance, and Sam Prentice yelled:--
"Shake hands, Lyme Avery! I jest knew it'd come! I said so! We'regoin' to flail 'em! Our turn's got here!"
Up-na-tan expres
sed his feelings in whoop after whoop, and Coco's yellwas terrific.
"Won't the shore people jump?" said Guert Ten Eyck. "Oh! How I wantto get in and tell mother!"
The news-bringer had described the Trenton victory fairly, but he hadsomewhat exaggerated the results of the severe fight at Princeton.Lord Cornwallis had not reported it in precisely that manner. The boatwas now running along with the _Noank_, however, and the story ofWashington's splendid work for liberty was fired into the schooner atshort range, wadding and all. A pretty interesting conclusion for itwas the account of the manner in which the news had been obtained inNew York and carried along the Long Island shore, all the way to NewLondon.
"We had to hug the land close," said the narrator, "but here we are."
"Home! Home!" shouted Captain Avery. "The folks must have this tocheer 'em up. It's the first bit of good news we've had in many a longday. Hurrah for George Washington! God bless him!"
It was an instantly arriving vexation, then, that the brisk breeze andthe tide, so favorable for coming out, were not so much so for runningin.
The _Boxer's_ captain had also his vexations, for he shortly remarked:--
"There she goes! The boat's with her. We're not to have a chance ather to-day. If I can get at her, I'll sink her! She'll come outagain."
That was precisely the purpose in the mind of Lyme Avery, and he didnot intend any long delay, either.
The Noank's Log: A Privateer of the Revolution Page 4
