Charley Laurel: A Story of Adventure by Sea and Land
Page 12
CHAPTER TWELVE.
MR. NEWTON.
The frigates continued to gain on the _Dolphin_. Captain Podgers was ina great state of agitation, dreading the punishment which the Spaniardswould justly inflict on us for the injuries we had done them, especiallywhen they found on board the articles we had carried away from thechurch. "If there was only one of them, I would fight her gladly, and,big as she is, we would beat her, too," exclaimed the captain, as hepaced the deck, eyeing the enemy through his spy-glass; and, to do himjustice, he was a brave man and not a bad sailor, although he had fewother good qualities.
Miss Kitty looked very pale, not from fear of herself, but she dreadedthe danger to which those on deck would be exposed.
The wind increased and the sea got up: still we carried on, though ourmasts and spars bent and cracked. The sails were wetted--hammocks wereslung, and men with shot got into them--indeed, every device was used toincrease the speed of the ship. After a time, we appeared to be holdingour own, if not drawing a little ahead of the enemy.
As evening approached, the wind dropped, and we could see the sails ofthe frigates hanging against the masts. Ours soon afterwards collapsed,and we lay perfectly becalmed. Some of the men forward expressed theiropinion that the Spaniards would attack as with their boats.
"Little fear of that," said Dick; "they know us too well to wish to cometo close quarters. We should have a much better chance of taking them,if we were to try it. I don't know if the captain will think of doingthat."
Darkness now came down upon us and shut out the enemy from sight. Thecaptain might have expected an attack to be made on us by the frigates'boats, for he ordered a bright look-out to be kept. Boarding-nettingwas triced up; the men wore their cutlasses at their sides and pistolsin their belts, and pikes were placed ready for use.
Miss Kitty had come on deck, and, seeing me at a little distance, calledme to her.
"If there is to be more of that dreadful work, you must come and staywith me, Charley, as before," she said. "I cannot let you risk youryoung life; you must promise me now."
I did so, though unwillingly.
"When will this fearful fighting end?" she said, sighing. "Though menseem to delight in it, I am sure that it is against all Divine laws, andbrings misery and suffering to both parties."
"I hope that we shall escape fighting this time," I observed; "for Dicksays that he is sure the Spaniards will not attack us. Perhaps beforethe morning we shall be able to get away from them."
No one turned in that night, and the crew were kept at their quarters,to be ready for a sudden attack.
When the sun rose out of the ocean, his beams fell on the tails of ourfoes, throwing a ruddy glow on the calm waters, which shone like a plainof molten gold. Eager eyes were looking out for a breeze. Should itcome from the direction of our foes, they would have every chance ofcatching us; but if ahead, we should have the advantage of them, andthus be able to slip out of their way.
Several hours passed by. We were still the same distance as before fromthe enemy.
I was on the forecastle with Dick, when I caught sight of a slightripple which played over the surface. I pointed it out to my companion.
"All right, Charley," he said. "Those catspaws are a good sign.There's another and another."
Presently the sails gave a flap. In a moment every one was in activity:the yards were braced sharp up, the royals filled, then thetopgallantsails and topsails bulged out, and away we glided. Lookingastern, we saw that the Spaniards still remained becalmed. Thecaptain's ruddy countenance beamed with satisfaction at the hopes ofcarrying off his booty in safety.
"We shall give the Dons the `good-bye,'" he shouted out to his wifebelow.
Kitty quickly came on deck, and I saw how thankful she felt.
Gradually our enemies' sails sank beneath the horizon, and at length wehad the satisfaction of losing sight of them altogether. Still thecaptain observed, that as they would guess the course we had taken, theymight be after us; and until two days had passed by, he did not feelaltogether secure.
We now steered back to the whaling-ground, where we remained for acouple of months, half filling the ship with oil.
After this we touched at two of the Society Islands. At one of them wesaw, as we came to an anchor at some little distance from the beach,beneath a grove of cocoa-nut trees, a neat white cottage built in theEnglish style, with two larger edifices near it, and Dick remarked thatone of them looked very like a chapel. The numerous natives, who cameoff in their canoes, bringing fruits, and vegetables, and fish, weredressed in shirts and trousers, and all behaved in a quiet, orderly way.Two or three of those who came on board spoke English.
"Why, what has come over you people? You are very different sort offellows to what you were a few years ago, when I was here," observed thecaptain.
"We were then heathen savages; we are now Christian men," was theanswer. "There is our chapel, and there is our school-house; in yondercottage lives our good pastor, the missionary, Mr Newton, and he willbe very glad to receive any who like to visit him."
"I have no fancy for those sort of fellows," growled the captain; "theyspoil trade, and prevent our men enjoying their freedom on shore."
Kitty, however, on hearing the account given by the natives, expressedher wish to go and pay a visit to the missionary, and Mr Falconeroffered to convey her on shore. The captain could not refuse hisrequest for a boat, though he granted it with an ill grace. Dick wasordered to get one ready. Kitty desired to take me with her, and wewere soon walking up a neat pathway towards the cottage.
How beautiful and quiet it looked--everything seemed smiling around.
A gentleman, whom we at once guessed was Mr Newton, appeared at thegarden-gate, and cordially invited us into his house. Before entering,we were joined by his wife, a sweet-looking young woman. I thoughtthat, next to Kitty, she was the most perfect being in the world: foralmost since I could recollect, I had seen no other females, except thewild natives of the islands we had visited, besides Mrs Podgers. Toher she certainly was a very great contrast.
On entering, Kitty was placed on a sofa by our hostess, who removed herbonnet and shawl, and spoke in the sweetest and kindest manner to her.To my surprise, Kitty suddenly burst out crying.
Mr Newton asked her what was the matter.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, "how peaceful and happy all around appears! Oh,how I should like to remain here!"
Kitty then told her how she was situated. Mrs Newton replied that sheshould be very glad to receive her, and that she hoped she would assistin the work she was engaged in.
"Indeed, I would pray that I might be able to do so," said Kitty.
Mr Falconer looked agitated--a struggle was going on in his heart.
"I have engaged to serve on board yonder ship--my duty forbids me toquit her," he said, in a husky voice. "Yet you will be far, far betteroff here, and freer from danger, than on board."
"We must not deceive you," said Mr Newton. "Although the nativesaround us are Christians, there are still many savage heathens in theisland, and many more in the neighbouring islands, and we are liable tobe attacked by them. It is our duty to be here, but we are notaltogether free from danger."
"I should be thankful to leave Miss Kitty in a place of safety," saidMr Falconer, "but that information alters the advice I might havegiven."
"I will continue on board, and share the dangers the ship may have to gothrough," exclaimed Kitty, suddenly. "I am, however, deeply gratefulfor the kind offer you, my friends, have made to me; and do not supposethat it is because I fear to run the risk you speak of, but," and shelooked up at Mr Falconer, "I have another reason, which I must ask younot to press me to name."
I do not know whether the missionary and his wife suspected what thatreason was, but they did not again urge Miss Kitty to stay with them.
She and I, however, spent the three days the ship remained in theharbour at the missionary's house, and they were the happi
est I couldever remember.
How rough and profane appeared my shipmates when I returned on board.Kitty, too, evidently felt the difference between the quiet abode shehad left and the cabin of the _Dolphin_.
The _Dolphin_ had been several months at sea, and during the time fiveor six more whales had been caught, when we touched at the SandwichIslands, where we took on board ten natives, to assist in navigatingher. We had also put into the Gallipagos, to refit. They are the mostdreary group of islands I have ever visited, dark rocks rising upeverywhere round their coasts, with wild black beaches, and hugetortoises, with legs resembling those of elephants, and serpent-likeheads, and long lizard-like guanas crawling over them. As no water wasto be procured there, we sailed northward till we came in sight of abeautiful island, with hills rising here and there into the blue sky,covered with the richest tropical vegetation.
Directly after, we brought up in a sheltered bay. A number of largecanoes came off to us, filled with natives, the skins of the olderchiefs almost black, from the elaborate tattoo marks with which theywere covered. Those of the younger people were, however, of a lightbrown hue, the skins of some indeed being quite fair. The heads of thechiefs were decorated with crowns made of long feathers; they wore longloose cloaks of native cloth over their shoulders, and carried in theirhands elaborately carved clubs.
The captain, through one of the Sandwich Islanders who could talkEnglish, told them that his object in coming to this island was to get asupply of water, and to cut some spars to make yards for the ship. Theyreplied in a friendly way that he was welcome to do as he wished, andthat they would show him the trees likely to suit his purpose.
A number of them were parading the deck, examining everything they saw.When Kitty appeared, they gazed at her with astonishment, she being thefirst white woman they had probably ever seen. All the people appearedto be very friendly, and anxious to induce our men to go on shore inorder to trade, but there being plenty of work on board, the captainwould not allow this. At night the natives took their departure,promising to return the next day.
The following morning, several canoes came round the ship, and thecaptain proposed landing, to select the trees which he wished to haveout down. Mr Falconer asked Miss Kitty whether she would like to go onshore. She answered that she did not like the appearance of thenatives, and that, though they might profess to be very friendly, shedid not trust them, but that she should be very glad to take a sail inthe bay, and to make some sketches of the island from the water, andespecially of some picturesque rocks which we had passed when entering.The mate gladly undertook to do as she wished, and ordered a boat, withfour of the steadiest men in the ship, who were always ready to obeyhim, to be got ready.
As they expected to be away for some hours, he put some water andprovisions into the boat. The steward, not knowing this, had filled abasket, which he also lowered down to the crew. Mr Falconer hadintended that Dick should go, but the first mate had directed him to dosome work, which kept him occupied, and had told me to attend on him. Iknew that Miss Kitty would gladly have me with her, and feltdisappointed when I saw the boat sail away down the harbour. Thenatives seemed to take little notice of the boat's departure, probablythey thought she had gone for a short distance only, and would soonreturn.
The captain, with the carpenter and his mates, and a boat's crew, nowwent on shore. Dick and I were at work on the bowsprit, I sitting byhim, holding the rope-yarn and grease-pot. As soon as the captain wasgone, the natives began to invite our men on shore, and several of them,declaring that it was very hard that they should be kept on board,slipped into the canoes, and allowed the savages to carry them off.Others followed their example. The officers shouted to them to return,but their orders were not attended to. More canoes now came off, fullof savages, who, as they got alongside, clambered on board, till thedeck was crowded with them, so that the crew who remained at their dutycould scarcely move about. The first mate, seeing this, ordered thenatives back into their canoes. I had, while the mate was issuing hisorders, turned my glance aft, when, at that moment, he cried out toLieutenant Pyke, who was below, to get his men under arms, and thensigned to the natives crowding the deck to return to their canoes.Thinking, apparently, to make the savages understand him better, heincautiously gave a shove to one of the chiefs who was standing nearhim. The savage, uttering a fearful cry, whirled round his heavy cluband struck the poor mate dead on the deck. It was a signal to hisfollowers. In an instant every club was upraised and aimed at the headof the nearest seaman.
Dick, hearing the savages shout, looked up from his work, and seeingwhat was taking place, laid hold of me by the collar and dragged mealong to the jib-boom end, whence we witnessed the dreadful sceneenacted on deck.