Arrah Neil; or, Times of Old

by G. P. R. James

  CHAPTER XVI.

  "In the name of fury, you scoundrel!" exclaimed Colonel Ashburnham,addressing the captain of the cutter, as soon as they reached thedeck, "what made you strike and reef the sails?"

  "Because I couldn't help it," replied the man. "They are to windwardof us, and will be alongside of us in no time. If you come to that,what made that gentleman stay so long? and who the devil are you whocome to give orders here?"

  He added a number of oaths, which are not necessary to be repeated.But Colonel Ashburnham waved his hand, saying, "Silence, sir! Ithought I was known by everybody who even pretends to serve the king.I am Colonel Ashburnham, an officer in his service, and I order you,if there be a chance of getting away, to make sail instantly."

  "There is no chance," answered the man.

  "No, sir; not now," said a seaman, who stood near; "for nothing isready. If we had not reefed the sails indeed----"

  "Well, well," said Colonel Ashburnham, "what must be must be. Whereare the Frenchmen?"

  "There stands one," said the captain, sullenly, "and the other hasgone down below."

  "If you have anything to destroy, sir," said the colonel, addressingBarecolt in French, "you had better go and do it at once."

  "I have nothing on earth, sir," replied Barecolt, "but a score or twoof crowns, a grey doublet, and two shirts--all of which I would soonerdestroy on shore than on the water at any time. I have a grandobjection to that element in every shape and in every quantity, from ajugful to the Atlantic."

  "Your nose vouches for your truth," replied Ashburnham, with a lowbow; for he was a man who, notwithstanding the sterner and moredevoted points of his character, could understand and appreciate ajoke.

  "You are right, colonel," replied Barecolt, laying his hand upon hisproboscis. "An honest man never fears to bear a witness of his actionsabout with him."

  "Had you not better," said Ashburnham, in a lower tone, "go down andsee if you can help your companion?"

  "With all my heart," answered Barecolt, "though I think what he isabout he can do without help; but I will go and tell him that the bigblack monster there is coming up more like a swallow than a whale, andthat may hasten his proceedings."

  Thus saying, he descended into the cabin, but speedily returned,laughing, and saying in broken English, "He is mortally sea-sick, poormiserable! I thought he would be so in the boat."

  "Ay, it is the motion of the ship lying-to," replied Ashburnham,aloud; "but on my life, this is a bad affair for me. You twogentlemen, I dare say, they will let go as strangers, but I amunfortunately too well known. Here they come, however, and we shallsoon know the worst."

  A moment after the headmost ship of the enemy brought-to, and whilethe others sailed on after the "Good Hope," a boat was immediatelydespatched to take possession of the cutter, and the deck was crowdedin a few minutes with seamen from Hull.

  The leader of the party recognised Colonel Ashburnham at once, andlaughed when he saw him, exclaiming, "Ha! ha! we have got somethingfor our chase, however. Who is there on board besides, colonel?"

  "I really cannot tell, sir," answered Colonel Ashburnham, gravely; "Ihave just got into this unfortunate vessel from the other ship, andknow nothing of anybody on board but that fellow," and he pointed tothe captain, "who is evidently one of three things."

  "What, sir?" exclaimed the captain, looking at him fiercely.

  "Fool, coward, or traitor," exclaimed Colonel Ashburnham, calmly.

  The man sprang towards him; but the officer of the boat interposed,exclaiming, "Peace, peace! No quarrelling amongst prisoners. Run down,run down, some of you, and see who is below. Bring up all the papers,too, and then put about the ship for Hull."

  The men bustled about for a minute or two, executing these orders,till at length one of them returned up the ladder, carrying somepapers in his hand; and another followed, bearing the portmanteau ofLord Beverley, and a small leathern pouch or wallet, containing theworldly goods and chattels of worthy Captain Barecolt. ColonelAshburnham's baggage was upon the deck; and with very summary hastethe crew of the parliamentary ship proceeded to examine the contentsof the whole, while Barecolt poured forth a multitude of Frenchlamentations over what he appeared to think was preliminary to theplunder of his property.

  "There, hold your howling!" cried the officer of the boat. "Nobody isgoing to take anything, unless it be the papers."

  "I have no papers," cried Barecolt, in broken English, "except thatbrown paper round about my crowns; give me the silver, and take thebrown paper if you like."

  "There, monsieur! take your crowns, paper, and all," cried theofficer, handing them to him. "We are no robbers in this country. Didyou find any one below?" he continued, addressing the man who broughtthe portmanteau.

  "Nobody but another poor French lubber, lying upon the floor as sickas a cat," answered the sailor. "I shook him by the shoulder, and toldhim to come up, but I believe he would let me throw him overboardsooner than budge."

  "Ay, let him stay, let him stay!" answered the officer. "I will godown and see him in a minute. What's in that leather case?"

  "Nothing but my clothes, writing materials, and a trifle of money,"replied Colonel Ashburnham; "and if you wish to examine it, I will begyou to use the key rather than that marlin-spike, for I don't knowwhether the smiths are good in Hull. Here is the key."

  While all these operations were going on, the boat's crew had beenbusily engaged in navigating the ship towards Hull; and the vessel towhich she had struck, seeing the prize secure, made sail to assist inthe chase of the "Good Hope."

  Although the wind was not very favourable, it was sufficiently so tobring them into the port of Hull just as night was beginning to fall,and in a few minutes the deck was crowded with officers of thegarrison, and a party of the train-bands of the city--the only force,indeed, which the parliament had prepared for its defence, the cavalrywhich had arrived a short time before having been marched out to otherquarters almost as soon as they entered. Colonel Ashburnham, whosename was soon noised about, became an object of general attention, andmuch lees notice was taken of good Captain Barecolt than that worthygentleman imagined he deserved. He consoled himself, however, with thereflection that the rabble of Hull neither knew him nor the manywonderful achievements which he had performed, and that it was as welloccasionally to divest one's self of a portion of one's glory, inorder to escape from too close observation.

  Lord Beverley passed with as little attention; and an officer who wassent to state the case to the governor reported, first, that thefamous Colonel Ashburnham was amongst the prisoners, but the other twowere Frenchmen, apparently of no great importance, and one of them sosick that he could scarcely stand.

  "Bring Colonel Ashburnham before me immediately," replied thegovernor, "and the Frenchman who is well. He can give us tidings ofhimself, and of his companion, too, most likely. Put the other one inthe block-house we strengthened yesterday, till he is well enough tospeak for himself. Let him have whatever is necessary for him, andmind to keep a sure guard over him."

  These orders were immediately obeyed; and while Lord Beverley,pretending to be still very ill from the effects of his voyage, wassuffered to lie on the cabin-floor till he could be led to ablock-house which had been fortified, near the water-gate of the city,Colonel Ashburnham and the magnanimous Captain Barecolt were marchedup to the residence of the governor, and speedily introduced to hispresence.

  Of Sir John Hotham himself we cannot give a better account, and in allprobability should give a much worse one, than that which has beenfurnished by the celebrated historian of the great rebellion:--

  "Hotham," says Lord Clarendon, with those remarkable powers ofdelineating human character which probably Theophrastus himselfpossessed in a very inferior degree, "was by his nature and educationa rough and rude man, of great covetousness, of great pride, and greatambition, without any bowels of good nature, or the least sense ortouch of generosity. His parts were not quick and sharp, but c
omposed,and he judged well. He was a man of craft, and more like to deceivethan to be cozened."

  Such was the man, according to Lord Clarendon's account, before whomColonel Ashburnham was now brought; and there being, as he had said tothe Earl of Beverley, some enmity existing between the family ofHotham and himself, he might well expect to be treated with veryscanty ceremony and kindness. Nevertheless, to his surprise, he wasreceived with a good-natured air, and a shake of the hand, Hothamexclaiming--

  "Welcome, colonel! welcome!--though, to say the truth, I wish toheaven you had not put yourself in the way of our ships, or that thepeople had let you go."

  "The latter unfortunate case can soon be remedied, Sir John," saidColonel Ashburnham, "by your doing what they left undone, and lettingme go yourself."

  "I fear not, colonel; I fear not," replied Hotham. "We have got somegreat rogues here," he added in a lower tone, "who look after me moresharply than I look after them, otherwise I would let you go at once,upon my honour, and will do it yet if I can."

  "Well, I thank you, Sir John, for the intention, at all events,"answered Ashburnham; "and it is the more gratifying to me, as I alwayshad a regard for you, notwithstanding my quarrel with your son, whichyou took up so warmly at one time."

  "Ah, the knave!" said Hotham; "I have found him out since that time;and now he has come down here to act as spy and controller against hisown father. But who have you got there? Is he one of your people?"

  "Oh, no," answered Ashburnham; "some poor devil of a Frenchman,seeking service, I believe. I found him and another in that cursedcutter, when I was fool enough to go aboard. The other has been deadsick all the way; but I know nothing of them, for we were taken almostimmediately after I got into her;" and he proceeded to explain that hehad been returning to England in the "Good Hope," but judging fromwhat he heard that the time was not yet quite propitious for hisreappearance, he had sought to make his way back to France or Hollandin the vessel in which he was taken.

  "Well, well," said Hotham; "I will lodge you as well as I can, and getyou out of the scrape as soon as I can; but keep out of my son's way,for he is a vast rogue, and very ill affected to the king. Now, I'llsee what this fellow has to say for himself. Come hither, sir!"

  By a rapid and dexterous change of look, Barecolt contrived to make itappear that he did not at first understand the governor's words, butcomprehended the sign to approach by which they were followed, and,advancing with a low bow, laid his hand upon his heart, and then stoodupright before Hotham, in what he considered a graceful attitude.

  "A tall fellow," said Hotham, turning to Colonel Ashburnham. "Pray,who may you be, sir?"

  "I be von Capitaine Jersval," replied Barecolt, with a low bow; "vonFrench gentleman who seek to distinguish herself by serving anybody."

  "A laudable and elastic ambition," said Ashburnham, turning away.

  "By serving anybody?" said Hotham; "pray, Captain Jersval, whom wouldyou like to serve best?"

  "It be to me von matter of de grandest indifference," repliedBarecolt, "so dat de pay and de glory be de same on both sides."

  "That's as it may be," answered Hotham; "but the truth is, I want somegood, serviceable officers to help in strengthening thefortifications."

  "I am de man dat can do it," was Barecolt's reply. "I have strengthenmany fortification in my time, amongst de rest Rochelle. But I mustknow, monsieur, if dat de pay and de glory be equal; for I came hereto offer service to de king, and not finding her majesty where Itought, and my money going very fast in dis sacre dear land ofEngland, where de vine and de meat is all sold at de weight of gold,and vat you call d--n tough too, I tink to go back again, when yourblack sheep catch me, and bring me here, pardieu!"

  Ashburnham could not stand it any longer, but turned to a window andlaughed outright. Hotham, however, continued gravely to interrogateCaptain Barecolt in regard to the plans and purposes which brought himto England; and having satisfied himself completely that he was one ofthose adventurous soldiers of whom great numbers were at that timewandering about Europe, taking service wherever they could find it, hedetermined to put his skill to the test before he tried his honesty.Sending for pen, ink, and paper, together with compasses and a ruler,he directed Captain Barecolt to draw him out a plan of any littlefortification he thought fit; but Barecolt, who, to tell the truth,had not altogether misused his advantages, and might have becomealmost as great a man as he fancied himself, if it had not been forhis swaggering, drinking, drabbing, and lying propensities, instantlyexclaimed--

  "Ah! ?a vous verrez--you must see in von meenute;" and taking thecompasses dexterously in hand, he portioned off curtains, andbastions, and half-moons, and horn-works, and redoubts, and glacis,and ditches, and salient angles, and every sort of defence that couldbe applied to the protection of a town, with a rapidity that somewhatastounded the slow comprehension of Hotham who soon became convincedthat he had got one of the first engineers in Europe within the wallsof Hull. His exclamation of surprise called Ashburnham to the table,who, looking over his shoulder, and very willing to do Barecolt a goodturn, exclaimed--

  "Upon my soul, the Frenchman seems to understand what he's about!"

  "Monsieur, you do flatter me," replied Barecolt, with another low bow."I be von poor insignificant man, who have certainly been employed inde great enterprise, and have pick up some leetle vat you callspattering of de science, but I cannot be compared to many man."

  Hotham, however, was completely taken in; and although he puzzled hishead in vain to recal the name of Captain Jersval amongst the greatmen of Europe, yet he thought that, at the least, it was worth hiswhile to engage him in strengthening the defences of Hull, andwithholding him from the service of the king, till such time as theparliament should determine whether they would take him regularly intotheir employment or not.

  I must not be understood, however, to imply that Hotham was in anydegree sincerely attached to the parliamentary party, or wished, oreven expected, that it would be ultimately successful againstthe king. But in all troublous times there are a multitude ofwaverers--some from weakness, some from ambition--hanging on theoutskirts of a party, lending it inefficient help, and generallyfalling in the end, as he did, by their own indecision. Those who aremoved by ambition, like Hotham, ordinarily hope to wring from theparty to which they wish success, that advancement which they couldnot otherwise obtain, by giving some countenance to the enemy, and notunfrequently meet with the just reward of such conduct by beingneglected or punished, when those whom they have aided against theirconscience, for their own purposes, have obtained, a preponderance bythe support of themselves and others like them. Hotham, however,wishing to make himself of importance, and sell his services dear tothe king, was very much inclined to gather round him men that mightmake him formidable; and consequently, after some little deliberation,he turned to Barecolt, saying--

  "Well, Captain Jersval, I think I can get you good service, if youlike; but before I can say anything positive, I must apply to thehigher powers. In the mean time, however, if you like it, I willemploy you upon the fortifications here, at fifteen shillings a day."

  "And my victual?" said Barecolt.

  "Well," replied Hotham, "I can't exactly give you a place at my owntable, but you shall have a billet upon any victualler in the town youlike, and an order for your supply, chargeable upon the government."

  Barecolt again bowed low, saying--

  "Monsieur, I am your most devoted. You vill inspect de vork every day,and vat you say shall not bind you, unless you like vat be done. I amquite sure of de great success. Den, if de higher power say, ye villnot have Captain Jeraval, goot; you can pull off your hat and say, Moncapitaine, goot morning; and I shall be free to go vere I like. Dat isbut all fair, I tink."

  "Quite--quite," answered Hotham, "and so we will leave it, captain. Iwill go into the ante-room for a moment, to direct the order to bemade out, and to-morrow morning, if you will be with me by six, wewill walk round the ramparts."

  "Sir, you t
reat me very polished," answered Barecolt, with anotherprofound bow; and Hotham retired for an instant into the next room.

  Ashburnham immediately advanced a step towards Barecolt, fixing hiseyes keenly upon him.

  "And pray, sir," he demanded, "do you really intend to go over to theparliament, after having, as I understand, served his majesty?"

  "I have taken the king's money, colonel," answered Barecolt; "butevery one has a right to get out of a scrape as he can."

  "I think I understand you," answered Ashburnham; "and if so, God speedyou: if not, one day you will repent it."

  "There are laws amongst soldiers, colonel," answered Barecolt, "whichare never violated by men of honour; but there is no law againstcozening a captor. It be quite true," he continued, at once resuminghis jargon on the reappearance of Hotham at the door, "I know notingabout de parties here; it make no difference to me vich be right andvich be wrong: all I know is, dat party pay me be right, and veryright too, as dey vill find ven dey see vat I vill do."

  The conference did not last much longer: Hotham gave the billet andthe order to Barecolt, and then placed him in the hands of a captainof the train-bands, to guide him about the town, as he said, and tosee that he had everything he needed, but as much to keep a certaindegree of watchfulness over his proceedings as anything else, and thisbeing done, he let him go. Colonel Ashburnham was placed understricter guard, but yet treated courteously and well; and orders weregiven to let the governor know as soon as the other Frenchman shouldbe sufficiently recovered to be brought before him.