CHAPTER III.
_THE RUSE OF THE CAPTAIN, MUTINY! A NEW COMMANDER. ATTEMPTEDASSASSINATION. A FATAL AND BLOODY SCENE. SAIL HO! AN ENEMY. THE PINETREE FLAG. THE SEA FIGHT AND THE VICTORY._
|All the crew of the brig Constance, save the captain, first mate andcook, were Americans, if we except Terrence Mooney who was one at heart,and the captain had managed to have this the case in order that he mighttake them home to England and receive the bounty money upon each one whowould be immediately pressed into the British Navy. He had arrived atBoston but a few weeks previous to his sailing upon the present voyagewith a crew of his own countrymen, upon whom he had also played the sametrick, by delivering them over to the King’s ship that floated in Bostonharbor, It was a hard fate to most of them who would as willinglyhave been immured in the walls of a prison. They told as a matter ofconsolation that they would not have to serve but about three years! Andthis, to men who had left families at home, to whom they had expected toreturn in a few weeks. It is a foul deed to impress a man into any duty,and foul must be the service that requires the exercise of such deeds.
The captain of the Constance was enabled to obtain a sufficient numberof Americans to man his craft, by offering very high wages, and underthe pretence of making a voyage to the West Indies only and back, forthey knew not of his treachery to his former crew. The plan of thecaptain in the present case was, after reaching his port in thoselatitudes, to pretend to have ascertained that which rendered itabsolutely necessary for him to proceed immediately to England,intending to pacify the crew by the promise of immediate return andincrease of pay. This piece of treachery the captain thought was knownonly to himself and his first mate, but he was mistaken for Channinghad announced to Jack Herbert as the reader will remember, thedestination of the brig, on the evening previous to their sailing fromBoston. Thus it was evident that Channing fully understood the proposedtreachery and that he designed to turn it to good advantage, or else hewould not have shipped on board knowing that which he did.
The North American Colonies were then at war with the mother country,the brig was a British brig, and Channing was an American. His heartbeat warmly for the cause of his country, he looked about him, therewere twenty men, all save one, his fellow countrymen, about to bebetrayed into the hands of their enemies. His mind was determined, andhe said within himself this shall not be! He had fortunately overheardthe captain and the first mate congratulating themselves on having sonearly obtained their full complement of men on the day previous to theenlistment of Herbert, and thus had he become master of their secretpurpose of treachery.
Already had the brig changed the chill northern blasts for the sunnybreezes of the South, and she was, according to the reckoning ofChanning, about a day’s sail from Cuba, when he determined that thegood brig Constance should change hands, and from a British, become anAmerican craft. It was a bold undertaking; the two greatest sins that asailor is taught to dread, Mutiny and piracy, were staring him full inthe face. He did not design to implicate a single member of the crew inthe transaction, but resolved to make the attempt to gain possession ofthe vessel, alone and unassisted. He had two reasons for this: first,he was too good a disciplinarian to tamper with those below him, and heforesaw that if he should once become familiar with them in a matter ofconspiracy, he could no longer command their respect. Then again he feltthat he had no right to draw them into the danger incurred, and that itwould be far more noble in him to accomplish that which was to be donewith his own hands--after that, if he proved successful, those couldjoin him who felt disposed. Early one morning, Channing went down intothe captain’s cabin, whom he found just rising from his bed. Stepping tothe table he possessed himself of the brace of pistols that lay uponit, and also the cutlass that hung from the wall; then turning to thecaptain who was hardly yet awake, he said: ‘Captain Brownless, you aremy prisoner!’
‘Sir?’ said the astonished commander. ‘You are my prisoner!’ repeatedChanning. ‘Mutiny?’ enquiringly put the captain, a dark scowl gatheringlike a cloud over his bloated, bacchanalian countenance. ‘Yes, mutiny ifyou please.’
‘By Heaven, but we will fight for it,’ said Captain Brownless, who wasa man of some bravery--brave as the animal or wild beast is brave indefending its own, not nobly so.
‘Stay, sir,’ said Channing, coolly cocking a pistol and presenting itat the captain’s breast. ‘If you attempt to leave this cabin, you are adead man!’
The captain sank down upon a chair in despair. ‘Be peaceable, sir,’said Channing, ‘and I will pledge myself that no harm shall befall youpersonally; but seek to make even a breath of noise, or resistance, andyou shall be sent into eternity with all your sins upon your head.’
Channing then proceeded to the cabin of the second officer, but notuntil he had locked the captain securely in his own apartment.
‘Banning, I regret to say you are my prisoner,’ said Channing to themate, after securing his arms as he had done the captain’s.
‘Hey? what, mutiny?’ ejaculated the terrified man. ‘Yes, Banning, andpiracy if you will.’
‘Oh! spare my life,’ said the trembling coward. ‘No danger, sir, if youremain quiet.’
‘Oh, I’ll do nothing,’ continued the mate. ‘Show your obedience by beingquiet now.’
Channing then locked Banning in his state-room, and ascended to thedeck. He had left Jack Herbert at the helm and in charge of the ship;he now sent him forward to order the crew aft to where he stood, as hewished to speak with them.
‘Well my boys,’ commenced Channing addressing the crew,
‘I have got some news for you. The captain is disarmed and locked in hiscabin as my prisoner; so is Mr. Banning, the mate.
I have done this because I’m determined to have possession of this brigmyself. She’s a British brig, you are all, or nearly so, Americans; Iam also an American, and this brig must belong to Americans. I am aloneresponsible for what has been done. You are now without a captain. Howmany of you will ship under me?’
‘All--all,’ was the response from every quarter.
‘Thanks to you, my men. I shall leave it to Mr. Herbert--mark me, it isMr. Herbert in future--to tell you of the treachery that it was proposedto play off upon you. He will also be my second in command, and you willobey him as you would do and have ever done me. I shall alter the courseof the brig and stand for St. Domingo, where I shall land the captainand mate, and those of you who do not feel inclined to join me. Then Iam bound on an expedition to free a couple of Americans from a Spanishprison. After that, why, we will see what next--perhaps a few prizes orsomething of that sort.’
Jack Herbert had already told the men of his confinement and escapefrom prison at Havana, and of the present confinement of Lovell andhis comrade there, and when they heard their new captain express hisdetermination to release them if the thing was possible, they joinedunanimously and heartily in the enterprise.
‘Hurrah, hurrah,’ said they altogether, it being the only way in whichthey could express their satisfaction.
‘Now mark me, men,’ said Channing, ‘I think you all know me withoutmy giving you such a speech as we had on leaving Boston harbor. I _am_captain, that you all acknowledge, and that I am one who _will_ beobeyed, I believe you all know, as well as that I have the comfort andgood of every man of you at heart. These I shall consider as long as wesail together, this I think you are satisfied of--’
‘Three cheers for Captain Channing,’ interrupted the crew at this point,and the brig trembled at the echo of the hearty voices of those oldsea-dogs who had now got a commander just to their minds.
‘Enough,’ said Channing raising his hand for silence; ‘now forwardto your duty, and let me see you all as zealous in its performance asheretofore.’
‘There’s a captain to live and die by,’ said Terrence Moony.
The brig held on her course, and was now just abreast of the fatalreef of rocks known as the ‘Silver keys’ Their dangerous proximity gavelittle alarm to those on board the Const
ance, for they knew nothingof their character, and by good fortune passed them in safety. Thiswell-known reef is now laid down in every chart, but it has proved sincethat time, the burial place of many a gallant ship and noble crew.
Channing had chosen his officers from the crew, making Jack Herbert hisfirst mate as we have seen; he was fortunate in having those on boardwho were good practical seamen, and such to as he need not fear totrust. It is now night, and Channing leaving the deck in charge ofHerbert, sought the cabin for the purpose of getting a few hours’ sleep.He was very weary, indeed almost tired out, for he allowed himself butlittle rest, being almost constantly on deck through the whole of theday and much of the night.
The cook, as we have before mentioned, was the only one of the crewbesides Terrence Moony, the mate and captain, who were not Americans bybirth, and as he had appeared to coincide with the rest in hailing thenew captain with demonstrations of joy, he had been permitted to remainin his former station and at liberty. Now although Banning the ex-matewas a coward himself, still he could intrigue and plan for others toexecute; and being allowed his liberty by Channing, who considered himas a weak, inoffensive person, he set himself to work to overthrow himif possible. He therefore conspired with the cook, whom he knew to be areckless, blood-thirsty man, to murder Channing on the first favorableopportunity. The man needed but little urging, and being promiseda handsome reward and promotion if he succeeded, he undertook toaccomplish the foul deed.
Captain Brownless had also been allowed his liberty in the vessel withcertain restrictions, by reason of the unanimous feeling of the crewagainst him, for his former course of treatment towards them. AlthoughBanning might have found a ready tool in the late captain, and a braveone too yet he disliked him so much at heart that he would not conspirewith him even in this extremity. For this reason, the proposed attackwhich was to be made on Channing on the night in which we have justspoken of him as returning to the cabin to sleep, was known only toBanning and the cook.
About the middle watch of the night, the cook left his hammock and stolequietly towards the captain’s cabin. In his hand he held a long, sharpknife prepared for the occasion, and with which he designed to take thelife of Channing. Satisfying himself that he was not watched, he reachedthe door of the cabin in safety, though he was somewhat surprised tofind it partially open and the light extinguished. All was as dark asnight itself, but the cook trusted to his knowledge of the apartment,and passed on groping his way in silence, when suddenly he felt that hishand touched the warm face of a man, and in the next moment the twowere engaged in mortal strife, each stabbing the other in the dark withfearful accuracy!--The noise thus caused in the cabin brought down apart of the watch from the deck with ship lanterns, when lo a horridsight met their eyes!
There lay upon the floor of the cabin weltering in their blood, the cookand Captain Brownless. Both had sought the spot for the same object,intent upon taking the life of Channing, and each had thought he had hisenemy in his grasp, until the lights were brought and discovered tothem their situation; Channing stood with a pistol cocked in either handready to defend himself if necessary, but now seeing the true state ofthe case, he cooly remembered that there were two the less of them, andordered the bodies removed.
‘The divil take um, and salvation to the captain,’ said Terrence Moony,‘aint he in holy keeping? and what’s the use of trying to kill a manthat has the saints on his side? Arrah murtheration how heavy ye’s is,’said he as he assisted to remove the bodies.
The late captain of the Constance and the cook lived but a few hoursafter the desperate conflict we have described, and their bodies weresoon consigned to the deep. Suspicion was laid at once to Banning as theinstigator of the cook, and it required the stern authority of Channingto keep the crew from falling upon him, and murdering him outright. In afew subsequent days with his effects he was landed at the island ofSt. Domingo; thus leaving the brig manned, and officered entirely byAmericans, and no mean antagonist was she now for an enemy to cope with.Channing felt himself now master when he looked about him and saw nonebut his own countrymen with whom he had a common interest. He did notpropose to run any unnecessary hazard, such as attempting to take aprize or otherwise, previous to his attempt to liberate the prisonersat Havana. But as the brig was blowing swiftly on her course towards theSpanish port just named, the voice of the look-out aloft was heard inthe cheering cry of:
‘Sail ho!’
‘Where away,’ demanded the captain.
‘Right ahead, sir.’
‘What do you make it out?’
‘I can only see her top-sails, sir, she looms up like a large ship.’
The course of the brig was altered to one or two points more Southerly,and ere long the strange sail creeping up inch by inch in-the horizonwas distinctly visible from the deck. She was evidently a barque ofabout five hundred tons burthen, and had the appearance of being anEnglish merchantman.
‘Mr. Herbert,’ said the captain, ‘what do you make out of the sailyonder?’
‘A British barque, sir,’
‘No doubt, but do you think her armed?’
‘She’s lower in the waist than we are, sir, and yet I can’t justly makeout the deck, sir,’ was the reply of the second officer.
‘Run up to the fore-top cross trees, sir, and take this glass with you.’
‘Ay ay, sir,’ said Herbert leaping up the rigging to get a better viewof the stranger, who was now nearing them fast.
‘Fore-cross trees there,’ hailed Channing after allowing Herbert time toget a good look at the stranger.
‘Ay, ay, sir.’
‘Can you make out her armament?’
‘She’s got five or six caronnades on her deck, sir, but nothing of veryheavy calibre that I can make out.’
‘That will do, sir.’
This was equivalent to saying, ‘you may come down, Mr. Herbert,’ and soJack came down to the quarter-deck.
‘Mr. Herbert, that is St. George’s flag floating from the main ofthat barque. Shall we show them the flag of the colonies? What thinkyou--would they stare at it?’
‘No doubt of that, sir, being’s he’s never been in these latitudes yet,but where can we get one, sir?’
‘I have looked out for that.’
Thus saying Channing retired to the cabin, but soon returned to the deckwith a flag bearing the device of a pine tree.
‘Run that up, and fire a gun, sir.’
‘Ay, ay, sir,’ and up went the humble flag of the North Americancolonies.
This was scarcely done when the barque sent a shot towards the brig indefiance. The Constance did not have the appearance of an armed vesselwhen seen from a distance and her ports closed, and indeed she appearedmuch inferior to her true size by reason of her sitting low in thewater and the height of her waist hiding her armament. Even the longtom amidships was so covered over with ropes and other ship gear, thatunless a close observer, one would not have discovered it. The captainof the English barque evidently expected to make an easy prey of her,and therefore began to fire, by way of bravado, long before he had gotwithin gun shot with his own light metal.
‘Clear away the long tom,’ said Channing.’
The gear was cast from its fastenings, and the deck about it was clearedof the heaps of rubbish and all obstacles about it.
‘We’ll play him a game of long bowls, Mr. Herbert,’ said the captain ofthe brig, ‘and this we can do with safety if your surmise with regard tohis armament be true.’
‘I’m the more convinced of it, sir, from the fact of his throwing thosesmall shot at us from the distance he holds,’ said Herbert.
‘Just so, no doubt, step forward there and oversee that gun, don’t throwaway a single shot, we shall need them all.’
‘Ay, ay, sir,’ said the prompt and obedient Herbert.
Herbert pointed the gun, and though he was an excellent sailor, but inthe matter of gunnery, he had but very little if any experience. Hisfirst shot therefore sunk somewhere abo
ut half way between the twovessels. The next broke the water about a quarter of a mile ahead of thebarque, and the next half as far astern. While he was loading the fourthtime, Channing called to him cheerfully, saying: ‘You have got theelevation, Herbert, now put a shot right between those two last and youhave the aim.’
‘Ay, ay, sir,’ said the mortified mate, who could not but be a littlechagrined at his unfortunate luck, albeit it was new business to him.
Bang! went the long tom again, and Herbert leaping upon a gun carriage,raised himself above the waist of the Constance, to watch the effect ofthe shot. Scarcely had the heavy report of the gun died away to leeward,before the splinters were seen to fly from the deck of the barque ingreat abundance.
‘Well done, Mr. Herbert,’ said the captain, ‘you have got her bearingnow, don’t let the gun cool, sir.’
The long tom then commenced a conversation of the most convincingcharacter to the crew of the barque, who were compelled to receive shotafter shot from the brig without being able to return the compliment,the Constance being kept well out of the way of the small shot. The brighad the weather gage and she was much the best sailor, therefore shechose her own position. This was a game that could not last long, andthe barque at length after being severely cut up in her rigging andlosing several of her crew, was absolutely compelled to haul down herflag, or be sunk where she lay. Several of the shot from the Constancehad struck her about the water line and she had also suffered so muchin her rigging as to render an attempt at escape fool-hardy. It was adifficult matter for the captain of the barque to strike the Englishflag to one that he neither knew or had ever heard of before, but sternnecessity was imperative, and the proud flag of St. George was loweredto the pine tree of the American Colonies.
This was one of the earliest if not the very first capture upon the highseas so far from our own country by the humble but victorious flag ofthe Colonies. It was then a child, it is now grown to the full statureof a man, and floats proudly in every sea, and undaunted side by sidewith equal honor and equally respected with that of the mother country.Who could have foretold its future glory and power? Those who foughtunder that flag little dreamed of it, but Heaven was with the right andthey were victorious. The pride of the parent country was to receive afall, its arrogance was to be signally reproved and this was to be doneby her dependant Colonies of North America.
It _was done!_
The barque was the George of Bristol, and did we deem it of anyimportance to our tale we could easily prove to the reader here theauthenticity of this engagement between the brig Constance whichhad fallen into the hands of the Americans and the barque George,merchantman of Bristol, England. The pine tree flag had never beforefloated in the seas of the West Indias and Captain Channing’s hand wasthe first to give it to the breeze and fight under its folds in theseseas of perpetual summer.