The Perils and Adventures of Harry Skipwith by Land and Sea

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER TWELVE.

  THE PIRATE AND THE MAN-OF-WAR--THE CHASE--A CALM--FATAL SECURITY--THEPIRATE BLOWN UP--WE ARE CAPTURED--IN LIEUTENANT TREVOR OF THE SPITFIRE IFIND A DEAR OLD FRIEND, AND A WAY OF SERVING MARCUS, WHO REGAINS HISLIBERTY--WE ARRIVE AT HAVANNAH.

  Poor Peter was very unhappy when he found that we were to go to anisland, instead of to the mainland.

  "Oh dear, oh dear, or, when shall we ever go to a country where we canget along on our feet away from the sight of this ugly sea?" heexclaimed, wringing his hands, and well-nigh blabbering outright.

  My chief anxiety was to get away from the schooner as soon as possible,as I feared that the pirates might be tempted to attack some othervessel, and that Peter and I might be brought in as participators in thecrime. I had no doubt that our innocence would ultimately betriumphantly established, but that might be only after we had been hung,in which there would not be much satisfaction to ourselves.

  A very unattractive recollection of the picture of a row of pirateshanging in chains on the banks of the Thames, which I had seen in myboyhood, would intrude itself on my memory, as I walked the deck insolitude, thinking it wise to speak as little as possible to any one,when the look-out man from aloft hailed to say that a sail was in sightto windward. To my concern, I found that the schooner's course wasaltered to meet her. We stood on, nearing her fast, when an officer whohad gone aloft hailed that she was a large vessel with a wide spread ofvery white canvas. On this there was a consultation, glasses weredirected towards the stranger, the schooner's head once more put beforethe wind, while all sail that could be packed on her was set, and awaywe went, with the stranger, which was pronounced to be either a Britishor American man-of-war, in full chase after us.

  I must own that I felt very uncomfortable. My worst fears were about tobe realised. This termination to my career was one I had notanticipated when I left home. Kind aunt Becky! how horrified she wouldbe to hear that her favourite nephew had been hung as a pirate bymistake. It would be enough to break the good old creature's heart.From what I had seen and heard of the miscreants with whom I was atpresent associated, I felt that they would be a good riddance ifcaptured and hung, with the exception of Marcus, who was, I was sure,fitted for a far different life to that into which circumstances hadplunged him. I watched the countenances of the pirates to judge whatthey thought of the prospect of their escape. They had been soaccustomed, it seemed, however, to consider their craft the fastest inthose seas that they had no fears about the matter, but laughed andjoked as if there was not an enemy who could sink their craft with abroadside close at their heels. The schooner sailed well, but so didthe man of war, and as it appeared in the course of time, even better.As her courses rose gradually out of the water, the pirates became lessand less loquacious, and finally many of them began to make very longfaces. The officers held earnest consultations, they looked anxiouslyround at the sky, they carefully examined the compass, and then trimmedand re-trimmed the sails. Still the big ship was gaining on us. Atlength there appeared to be little doubt that we should be overtaken ifthe wind held as it then was. Marcus was as cool and undaunted as ever,indeed from the unconcerned manner in which he paced the deck, it wasdifficult to believe that he apprehended the slightest danger. I askedhim at last what he thought of the state of things.

  "That we shall be taken, and if taken, unless we can effect our escape,or die beforehand, we shall be hung," he answered calmly. "I had heardthat a very fast English man-of-war was expected out here expressly tolook after us. That must be her."

  I did not like to ask more, still I had a strong wish to entreat him notto blow up the vessel, as he had threatened to do, should her capture beinevitable. He seemed to divine my thoughts.

  "You know what I would do if we are hard pressed rather than be takenand hung," he said to me. "Should the vessel in chase of us prove to bean American, my fate is sealed if we are taken. Still, I will donothing to destroy your life if I can help it; but for my companions Icannot be answerable."

  "Should she be American my chance of escape will, I suspect, too, bevery small, especially if I am accused of having assisted at yourescape," said I. "However, we will hope for the best."

  I must confess, that though I endeavoured to appear calm andunconcerned, I began to feel most uncomfortable as the stranger drewnearer and nearer, and wished more than once that I had remained on thedesert island, even with Snag as a companion. Still, a stern chase is along chase.

  The day was drawing to a close, and, should the night prove dark, wemight have a chance of escaping. As the sun sunk towards the horizonthe wind fell, and by night there was a perfect calm. The stranger,supposed to be a frigate, lay about eight or nine miles off, also, whenlast seen, perfectly becalmed. Our escape depended on our getting thebreeze first. If the frigate got the wind before us, our capture wasinevitable. The pirates, I observed, as sailors often do when expectingto be shipwrecked, went below and put on two suits of their bestclothes, and stowed away round their waists and in their pockets as muchmoney as they could carry. I have known instances of men being drownedwho might, had they not have been thus overloaded, have been able toswim on shore. Had it not been for this circumstance I should not havesupposed that the men had any great apprehension of being captured.Among the officers, however, there were earnest consultations, and itwas even suggested by some that they should take to the boats and desertthe vessel; but this proposal was overruled by the majority. Theopinion seemed to be that the calm would last for some time, and that,as we were as likely as the frigate to get the breeze first, we had agood chance of escaping. Most of the crew, indeed, were so satisfiedwith the state of affairs, that they turned into their berths and wentto sleep, the usual watch only being left on deck.

  Though Marcus had provided a berth for me, it was so hot below that Ipreferred remaining on deck with Peter and Ready by my side, under aboat's sail, between two guns. After walking the deck till I was weary,admiring the bright constellations overhead, the calm, star-lit ocean,and enjoying the air so cool and refreshing after the heat of the day, Ilay down, and was soon fast asleep, as was Peter too, and as Readyappeared to be, but the faithful fellow always slept with one eye open.I had slept for some time, when I heard him give a low warning barkclose to my ear. I jumped up and looked about me, though still onlyhalf awake. A thick mist so closely surrounded the vessel that I couldnot see beyond the heel of the bowsprit, and could only just distinguishthe calm silvery water alongside, though, at the same time, overhead Icould still make out a few stars shining down out of the heavens on thisill-disposed world. Once more Ready gave a low bark, and stretched hisneck out through a port over the water, but the watch took no notice.They were either asleep or drowsy and stupid. I felt sure from Ready'sbehaviour that something was approaching. I listened very attentively.The sound of a boat's keel gliding through the water and that of muffledoars pulled rapidly reached my ears. It was not for me to warn thepirates of the approach of danger, nor did I wish Ready to warn them, soI patted him on the head and put my hand on his mouth, to show him thatI had understood his previous bark, and that I wished him to be quiet.

  Meantime I was considering how I should act if the approaching boats,for there were several I was sure, proved to be, as I suspected theywere, belonging to the man-of-war. I was not kept long in suspense. Ona sudden, the watch on deck, at length hearing the sound of the boats,shouted out, "Keep off! keep off! or we'll fire." The pirates belowjumped out of their berths, but before they could get their heads abovethe coamings several boats dashed alongside. Dark forms were seenclimbing over the bulwarks, and a loud voice shouted out, "Yield,whoever you are, to her Britannic Majesty's frigate, _Spitfire_."

  Before the words were well out of the mouth of the officer who utteredthem, the pirates had rushed to their guns or seized their arms, and,instead of yielding, were desperately attempting to defend themselvesand their vessel, the character of which it was very clear theassailants knew befor
e they made the attack. On every side, instead ofthe silence which had before reigned, pistols were flashing, cutlasseswere clashing, men were shouting and cursing, and thrustingboarding-pikes at each other, and big guns and muskets were going off asin the confusion they could be loaded. Though constitutionallyfearless, I had no fancy to have my travels stopped by a stray bullet,or by a slash from a cutlass, so when the English seamen climbed up outof one of the boats, calling to Peter and Ready, who followed me, Itumbled into her, when without more ado we stowed ourselves away underthe thwarts, where bullets were not likely to reach us.

  So completely had the _Spitfire's_ crew taken the pirates by surprisethat they gained an easy victory. Some were driven overboard, othersbelow, and many more were cut down even before I had made my escape outof the schooner. I saw Marcus defending himself bravely, and wouldgladly have gone to his assistance had I had the power. I had not longtaken up my quarters in the boat, when I heard a loud shout of, "Back!back! all of you." And men came leaping into the boat--combatants ofboth sides--tumbling over and almost suffocating me; and there was aloud roar, then a bright glare, and shrieks and groans, and fearfulcries, and the boat rocked to and fro, and, I thought, was sinking.Human beings, and burning fragments of wood, and rope, and canvas rainedthickly down over us; and when I managed to scramble up and look aroundme the schooner was not to be seen, and the British crew were throwingthe burning wood and the mangled bodies of the dead pirates overboard,and securing the living ones.

  "Light a lantern," I heard an officer sing out. "We shall better seewhat we are about."

  Peter and I were very soon afterwards seized on, when Ready set up atrue English bark of indignation, and had I not calmed him would havebitten right and left at our captors, and probably have been knocked onthe head and thrown overboard for his pains.

  "Halloo, who have we here?" exclaimed the officer, holding the lanternto my face. "A renegade Englishman, a perfect villain by hiscountenance."

  "Thank you for the compliment, though concealed under a somewhat dubiousturn of expression," I answered ironically. "I am an Englishman, butone who had no wish to be on board the vessel out of which I have justescaped. I will explain matters when we get on board the frigate."

  "Very likely, my fine fellow," observed the officer, an old salt who hadseen much service, and had been disappointed in not obtaining hispromotion. "And who are you, friend?" he asked next, coming to Peter.

  "A true Englishman, like my master; and, sir, I'd just advise you to betreating Mister Skipwith here civilly, for he's an Englishman, and agentleman born and bred into the bargain," he answered; boldly adding,"And I'll tell you what, sir,--he's not the man to tell a lie to you,nor to any man."

  Peter's remarks had considerable effect on the officer, who immediatelyaddressed me in a more civil tone, and desired the men to let me comeaft and sit in the stern sheets, where I should be more comfortable. AsI was about to move I heard a groan, and just then the light of thelantern fell on the countenance of poor Marcus, who lay near me badlywounded. I entreated that I might be allowed to attend to him,explaining that by his means my life, and that of my attendant, had beenpreserved. The officer, who was naturally humane, not only permittedthis but gave every assistance in his power.

  The other boats had been rowing about picking up the survivors of thepirates, and looking for some of the English seamen who were missing. Iwas glad to hear that the greater number of the latter had escaped intime to the boats, a small warning explosion having taken place beforethe magazine itself blew up. The order was now given to return to thefrigate, the commanding officer's boat leading the way. As he passedthe boat in which I was, he asked the old officer in ours how manyprisoners he had got. The reply was "Six; but one of them says he is agentleman, and the other is his servant, captured by the pirates, andthat their lives have been saved by a black man whom we have also onboard."

  "A likely story indeed," observed the officer in command of theexpedition. "However, look to them, Mr Mudge, and `treat them as menshould men, and not as Rome treats Britain.'"

  "That's my old friend, Dick Trevor, to the life," I exclaimed. "I amright, am I not?"

  "Yes," he said.

  "I thought I must be!" said I. "Oh! Dick, Dick! Is that the way youwould treat your friends when you find them out all desolate and aloneon the wide ocean?"

  "Who can that be?" I heard him exclaim. "`Speak, I charge thee,speak!'"

  "Still stage-struck as of yore," I answered. "Is my voice so strangelychanged then?"

  "Yes! it must be Harry Skipwith, turned up out here in the Gulf ofMexico," he exclaimed. "Come on board my boat, Harry, and tell me allabout it as we pull back to our ocean-home on the briny wave. That'snot the right quotation, but never mind."

  The next instant I was shaking hands with my old school-fellow, theeccentric but gallant second lieutenant of H.M.S. _Spitfire_. I needhardly say that I was most hospitably and kindly received on board thefrigate, which was going to put into the Havanna to gain furtherevidence for the conviction of the pirates; and, what was of no littleimportance to me, the captain offered to endorse any bill I might wishto draw at that city for the replenishment of my wardrobe.

  I enjoyed the luxury of a wash and shave in Trevor's cabin, and a cleanshirt, which I had not obtained on board the pirate, and more than all,the pleasant conversation of men of my own rank and education, of whichI had been deprived for many a long day. I got the surgeon of the shipto look to Marcus, who rapidly recovered from his wounds, and when Itold the captain his history, he declared that it would be a shame tolet him be hung as a pirate, which it was plain that he was not of hisown free will.

  "You must arrange some plan to allow him to escape, only take care thathe does not join any fresh band of pirates."

  I thanked the captain for his kind feeling towards my brave preserver,and promised that he should not be found on board another pirate vessel.

  A week after the scenes I have described we entered the picturesqueharbour of Havanna. While the frigate remained there I lived on boardher, because I had many friends who pressed me to do so, and because thesleeping accommodations in the hotels in that capital of Cuba are farfrom satisfactory. At length the time arrived for the frigate toproceed to Jamaica, where the pirates were to be tried. I was thankfulto find that all the evidence procured against them related to a periodanterior to the time that Marcus had joined them, when I could provethat I had met him in the character of a slave in the United States. Ibade farewell to Trevor and my other friends, and took up my quarters atone of the hotels. Though the best in the place it was far fromcomfortable; for though the provisions and public rooms were tolerable,the bed-rooms were much the contrary. In mine there were five beds; oneoccupied by a man who walked in his sleep, and who if he had notcommitted a murder, by his gestures looked as if he would. In another,the sleeper snored like a rhinoceros; and in the third lay an Irishman,who would talk, awake or asleep, generally to me and at the rest of theparty. Nothing could make him keep silent; a boot-jack flung at hishead had no effect; he seemed to know what was coming and bobbed underthe bed-clothes. The fourth was occupied by a Portuguese dying ofconsumption, far away from his kindred and friends. Nothing could bedone for him.

  I have but a word or two to say of Havanna as a city. The streets arenumerous, but narrow and dirty; there is a tolerably large palace forthe governor, a good opera-house for the people on the evenings of mostdays in the week, and a very ugly big cathedral for the Sunday mornings,and a _paseo_, or public drive, for the afternoons. On this paseo areseen various antique vehicles, called _volantes_, each carrying two orthree dames in full dress. A volante is built like a cabriolet on twowheels, with very long shafts, the points resting in a sort of saddle ona horse's back,--which horse is ridden by a huge negro in vast leatherleg coverings reaching, as he sits, almost up to his ears, and no feetto them, though with silver spurs, white breeches, a gold-laced redjacket, and a broad-brimmed straw hat. Everyb
ody knows that cigars aremanufactured in Havanna, that the slave trade is winked at, if notencouraged, by the authorities, who find it not altogether unprofitableto their own pockets, and that piracy, for the same reason, is not heldin absolute disrepute by the same respectable gentlemen.

  I had gone down to see the last of the frigate as she sailed out of theharbour, when, as I was about to return hotel-wards, I saw a black headrise slowly out of the fore-peak of a Spanish brig lying near, and soonthe whole figure of Marcus appeared in view. He saw me, and as thevessels in that harbour are moored stem on to the quays, side by side,he came along over the bowsprit and swung himself down close to me. Hecongratulated himself on being once more at liberty, though he thoughtit best not to tell me how he had obtained his freedom. I told him thatI was very glad to see him at liberty, and offered to supply him withfunds, slender as mine were, to enable him to undertake some honestcalling. He replied that he had ample means for his support, a thickroll of gold round his waist, besides a purse full of coin. "Indeed,"he added, "I hope that I shall not offend you, sir, when I tell you thatI purposed offering you money, to enable you to proceed on your travelstill you could reach some place where you may replenish your purse." Ithanked Marcus for his generous offer, but I felt doubly obliged to myfriend the captain, who had enabled me to supply myself with funds, lestI should have been tempted to accept it; for I could not help reflectinghow that money must have been obtained.

  "We may, I hope," said Marcus, "meet again, though in what part of theworld I know not; but I have one favour to ask,--it is that you willgive me your address in England, and that should I ever again reach thatcountry of true freedom, I may be allowed to visit you."

  I need scarcely say that I agreed to what Marcus proposed. There wassomething about him which strangely attracted me, and with regret I bidhim farewell, scarcely expecting ever to see him again.

  Havanna had no charms for me, and I was therefore glad once more toembark on the fickle ocean in an attempt to reach New Orleans.