The First Capture; or, Hauling Down the Flag of England

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER VII

  THE BUCKET OF YEAST.

  "Say," whispered Caleb, as soon as they were out of hearing of thestore, "that Ledyard Barrow is a Tory."

  "That is just what I have been thinking myself," replied Enoch, who wasso surprised that he hardly knew what he said. "We have got to be awfulcareful about this thing or it will get out on us in spite of all we cando. I did not say anything wrong while I was talking to him, did I?"

  "No, indeed, you did not. The first thing you know we will have Toriesall around us, and the next thing will be for that vessel to trip heranchor and go farther off down the bay. Say, Enoch, I shall have toborrow a little of that powder of you until I can have--"

  "You may have it," interrupted Enoch. "There is more here than I want.But to think that we have unearthed another Tory. That is what gets tome."

  "It looks to me as though every neighbor was going to have to fight theman who lives next to him," said Caleb, taking off his hat andscratching his head furiously.

  "Well, I would rather they would make themselves known so that we mayknow just what we have to expect. I wish Zeke would happen along herejust now. I would like to know what he thinks about it."

  But Zeke had business to attend to where he was, and the boys did notget a chance to speak to him that night. When they came to Caleb'shouse, Enoch turned in with him to give him what he thought he shouldwant of the powder, and found Caleb's mother engaged in knitting withher Bible open on her knee before her. The boys looked for success inthe size of their crowd to enable them to overcome the schooner's crew,while Mrs. Young, like Enoch's mother, looked for it to a source fromwhich it was sure to come if she asked for it in the right spirit. Enochhastily took off his hat when he entered the house. The presence of thatopen Book upon her lap called for all the reverence he was capable of.

  "Well, Enoch, are you one of the few who have agreed to take theMargaretta?" said Mrs. Young, greeting him with a smile. "I hope youhave got your gun cleaned up, for Caleb thinks there is bound to be afight."

  "I don't _think_ so mother," answered Caleb. "I _know_ so. Machias isall right now, that is, there is not any mourning here, but you will seesome when we get that schooner."

  "When it does come we shall have the satisfying knowledge that we triedto do our duty," said Enoch.

  "You forget that there is a penalty for piracy," said Mrs. Young.

  "No, I don't," said Enoch, promptly. "They will have to capture everyprovincial in town before they can begin hanging us. When they try that,you will see a fuss here in Machias."

  "That is right, my boy," said the mother, reaching up with the endeavorto pat Enoch on the head. "If you undertake this thing, I hope you willcome out safely."

  Caleb had by this time produced his powder-horn, and Enoch proceeded togive him half the quantity he had purchased. When he had filled it halffull Caleb put in the stopper and slapped the horn into his open palm,giving Enoch a mysterious wink as he did so. Enoch had no trouble at allin interpreting that wink. By it Caleb said that when he was face toface with the schooner's crew he would get at least one shot, if he didnot get any more; and Enoch knew what he meant by that. He was almostsure of the redcoat he pulled on, and there would be one less for themto encounter when the order was given to board her and clear her deck.

  "But, Caleb, we don't know who our captain is," said Enoch, givingutterance to the thought that had been uppermost in his mind ever sincethe capture of the schooner was proposed.

  "I don't care for that," said Caleb. "When we get to work everybody willbe captain. We all want the schooner, and the one that does the most isthe best man."

  Enoch was obliged to be satisfied with this, and as there was nothingfurther to detain him he made his best bow and went out. The boys nowhad nothing to do but various little jobs around the house until thesun rose the next morning. Enoch did carpenter work, fitting somechinking into the walls where the winter's cold came in during severeweather, and Caleb cut some wood and brought it into the house for fearthat to-morrow night he might not be there to attend to it.

  "There is nobody except me that knows we are going to have a fightbefore we can claim that schooner," said he, as he paused with his axraised in the air and glanced toward the place where the Margaretta waslying at her anchorage. "Because we have always been friendly with thoseboys it is no reason why they will not fight us when they see us coming.I know what I should do if I was there."

  With this thought Caleb drove the ax into the log with all his force asif he felt that there was some enemy in there and he wanted to get ridof him, and then his mother called him to supper. He looked up and sawthat it was getting dark. He put his ax away in the woodshed and wentinto the house, and when he was through with his meal his mother said tohim--

  "Caleb, I wish you would take that little tin bucket from the third nailbehind the door in the buttery and go over to Mrs. Crosby's, and ask herif she can spare me some yeast for to-night. I want to bake some breadearly on Monday morning, and I should thank her for a little."

  Caleb at once put on his hat, took the bucket from the third nail in thepantry, bid his mother good-by, and went out. What a difference therewas between him and the boys who flourish in our time! Boys in our daywould say "yes, ma'am," and loaf around and wait until they got a goodready to start; but to Caleb, his mother's command had to be obeyedright away. He struck up a whistle when he went out, one of thoseold-fashioned songs that boys do not know in our day, telling himself inthe meantime that it was about as dark as he ever saw it. But Caleb knewthe way, and he went on his road without a misstep. He arrived at Mrs.Crosby's house, made known his errand and came away again, notforgetting to exchange ideas with his friend Enoch about the cheer thatwas to sound on the morrow.

  "I have not heard anything like a cheer since I have been out of thehouse," said Caleb. "If I had heard it, you would not have seen me here.The fun will begin to-morrow when we follow them into the church. I hopewe shall not do anything wrong by arresting them in their seats."

  "Mother has not said a word about it, so I guess it is all right," saidEnoch. "It will show them that we are in earnest."

  Caleb struck up another whistle and went on his way, and he had almostreached his home when something startling occurred to him. A mansuddenly appeared before him and barred his way. Caleb stopped andwaited for him to make known his object, but seeing that the man did notspeak, he turned out to go by him when the man suddenly reached out hisarm and brought him to another standstill.

  "Don't be in too big a hurry, my lad," said he, and it shot throughCaleb's mind on the instant that he must be a seafaring man, for thetone of his voice indicated it.

  "You don't know where Caleb Young lives about here, do you?"

  "Well, if I do, that is my own business," replied Caleb, once moremaking an effort to leave the man behind. "Why don't you go to somehouse and inquire?"

  "Because I think you are the man we want to see," was the reply. "Comeon, boys. Keep still now, or it will be worse for you."

  In an instant three other men appeared as if they had risen from theground, and Caleb became aware that he was in the hands of the Tories.It was too dark to see whether or not the men were armed, but somethingthat stuck out by their sides made him think that each of them had acutlass strapped to him.

  "Look here," said he, backing off a pace or two. "Do you mean to arrestme?"

  "We will tell you about that when we get you aboard the vessel," saidthe man who stood in front of him. "You rebels--Head him off, lads.Knock him down."

  The words "rebels" seemed to quicken Caleb's ideas. He saw it all now.He was to be arrested and taken on board the Margaretta and be taken offsomewhere so that the magistrate could collect the fine he had imposedupon him. To think with him was to go to work. As quick as thought heducked his head, not forgetting to throw his bucket loaded with yeastfull into the face of the officer, for such Caleb took him to be, anddodging the grasp the man made at him he ran furiously toward his owngate. But h
e had to deal with men who were as cunning as he was. Afourth man, who stood a little distance behind the officer, clasped himin his strong arms before he had made a dozen steps and threw him to theground.

  "Help!" shouted Caleb, with all the power of his lungs.

  "Stop that noise; quick!" exclaimed the officer. "Choke him down."

  Caleb did not have time to say all he meant to say when he lifted up hisvoice in shouting for help, for at that moment the man who had thrownhim down changed his grasp from his arms to his throat, and the boy wasrendered powerless. It was but the work of a few seconds to tie hishands, and scarcely more to jerk him to his feet and start him down theroad toward the harbor. Caleb went because he could not help himself.Two Tories followed close behind him. Each one had hold of his collar,which was drawn so tight that he could not utter a sound. A boat thatwas drawn up on the beach was ready waiting for them, and Caleb wasthrown into it and dragged aft until he was brought up by thestern-sheets. The man whom he took to be an officer turned out to be onesure enough, for he took his seat beside Caleb and went on brushing hiscoat with his handkerchief to wipe off the yeast.

  "I will get even with you, my lad, before we get to New York to pay youfor throwing that stuff at me," said he, with something that soundedlike an oath. "What was it, you rebel?"

  "It is something that won't hurt you any," replied the prisoner,striving to get his throat in order so that he could speak plainly.

  "What was it, I ask you!" said the officer, kicking Caleb with his foot."Do you hear?"

  "It is nothing but yeast," said Caleb. "I hope it will _raise_ you up sothat it will put a little sense into your head."

  It was evident that the rough treatment to which he had been subjectedhad not taken all the pluck out of Caleb Young. The officer wasastonished and gave him three or four kicks in the ribs to show that hedid not admire such talk; but the position in which he lay, togetherwith the narrow limits of the boat, rendered the kicks comparativelyharmless.

  "Shove off," commanded the officer. "Give-away strong and let us get ridof this rebel as soon as we can."

  In a few minutes the boat was alongside the schooner, where they foundCaptain Moore and the other officers waiting for them. A lantern heldover the side showed them that the officer had not come backempty-handed.

  "You got him, did you?" said the captain, and his voice sounded veryunlike the polite tones in which he was accustomed to greet thevillagers who came there to see him. He did not live in Machias, but hehad been there so often that he was pretty well known to all thetowns-people.

  "Yes, sir, I have got him," said the officer, touching his hat. "And therebel threw a bucket of yeast on me when I took him."

  "Well, you will pay him for that when we get him to New York," said thecaptain. "Hoist him up here."

  This was the worst part of the treatment to which Caleb had thus farbeen subjected since his capture. Two of the boat's crew seized him, oneat the head and the other at the feet, trying to take him by the clothesbut not being particular if they caught up flesh with them, and raisedhim over their heads, from which position he was received by two moreaboard the schooner, who hauled him over the rail and deposited him onthe deck as if he had been a log of wood.

  "You have got his hands tied, have you not?" said the captain. "Well,release them, and bo'son bring up a set of bracelets and put them onhim."

  "Do you treat all your prisoners this way, captain?" asked Caleb.

  "We treat all rebels this way," was the answer. "The next time you doanything to bring you a fine, be sure you can pay it."

  "But, captain--" began Caleb.

  "That's enough," said the captain, fiercely. "I know what you have doneand so do you. If you talk any more to me I will put a gag in yourmouth."

  Caleb did not know what a "gag" was, but he came to the conclusion thatit was something to add to his punishment, and so he did not sayanything more.