CHAPTER X.
A COOL PROPOSITION.
Although the captain and Jack had not spoken to the first mate since thebrig was captured, except it was in the presence of some member of theprize-crew, they had scowled and winked at him as often as theopportunity was presented, and the mate knew well enough what they meantby it and what they intended to do. He determined to do his part. Hemanaged to exchange a few words with some of the brig's crew, whom heinstructed to stand by him and be ready to lend a hand when the timecame. He saw Jack make the first capture, with Smith's aid andStebbins's, and by adroitly engaging the other three members of theprize-crew in conversation, it is probable that he kept them from takingnote of what was going on in the waist. When he saw Jack make a rush forthe companion-ladder, he seized the nearest Confederate, his men quicklyoverpowered the other two, and then he marched aft to tell his captainthe good news. It was all done in less than two minutes, and CaptainSemmes was none the wiser for it. The surprise was complete. There wasnot a shot fired, and the movements of the Yankee sailors were so rapidthat resistance was useless.
"You've got the brig all to yourself again, Cap'n," said the mate. "Whatshall I do with these varmints?"
"Send them down here," was the reply. "And tell Stebbins to send his mandown also."
As the four prisoners filed into the cabin, Jack was rather surprised tosee that they did not appear to be at all cast down by the sudden andunexpected turn affairs had taken. Indeed, one of them, who spoke with arich Irish brogue, boldly declared:
"Sure it's not mesilf that cares at all, at all. I've had enough of thebloody hooker."
"Have a care," whispered Jack, nudging him in the ribs with his elbow."Your commanding officer is in that state-room. He can hear every wordyou say."
"Sorry a wan of me cares whether he can or not," replied the sailor. "Wewere promised big wages and prize-money by the bushel if we would helpcapture the Yankee ships on the high seas. We've took two prizes besidesthis wan, and the _Herndon_ but we put the torch to thim, and niver acint of prize-money is there forninst the name of Paddy Scanlan on thebooks."
"Well, Paddy," said the captain, with a laugh, "you may abuse the rebelsall you please, and no one aboard my vessel will say a thing to you.Now, will you give your word of honor that you will behave yourselves aslong as you stay aboard of me?"
"Sure I will," replied the sailor earnestly.
"I mean all of you rebels," said the captain. "You treated us verycivilly while we were your prisoners, and I want to treat you in thesame way if you will let me. Let's have your promise."
It was given without a moment's hesitation, and was to the effect thatas long as they remained on the _Sabine_ they would make no disturbance,but would in all respects conduct themselves with as much propriety asthough they had been regularly shipped as members of her crew.
"As long as you stand to that agreement I will allow you the liberty ofthe deck, beginning to-morrow morning," said the captain. "But I tellyou plainly that if you go back from your word, I will have you in ironsbefore you know what is the matter with you. Smith, stand at the foot ofthe ladder until you are relieved. On deck the rest of us!"
Never had the _Sabine's_ crew worked harder than they did on thisparticular night to bring their vessel about and get her on her courseagain; but this time the skipper did not intend to make for the port towhich his cargo was consigned. He told his mates that as soon as thebrig rounded the western end of the island of Cuba, he would fill awayfor Key West, which was the nearest Federal naval station.
"I won't trust myself and my ship in these waters an hour longer than Iam obliged to," he declared. "How do I know but that there may be adozen or more vessels like the _Sumter_ cruising about here, watchingtheir chance to make bonfires of the defenseless merchant vessels? Nowlet this be a standing order: While we are under way we'll not speak asingle ship, no matter what flag she floats. If you see a sail, run awayfrom it."
"And strict obedience to that order saved our bacon," said Jack, inconclusion. "We got up to Key West without any mishap, turned ourprisoners over to the commandant of the station, and then filled awayfor Boston, taking with us a cargo that ought to have gone another way.We were warned to look out for little privateers--sailing vessels withone or two guns aboard--and the navy fellows told us that the coasts ofNorth and South Carolina were particularly dangerous; but our brig was agrayhound, the captain had the fullest confidence in her, and so he heldhis course. But we kept a bright lookout night and day, and were almostworn out with watching by the time we reached our home port."
"You didn't see anything of those privateers, did you?" said Mrs. Gray.
"Yes; we sighted one somewhere in the latitude of Sandy Point," answeredJack. "She fired a couple of shells at us, and tried to lay herselfacross our course; but she couldn't make it. We ran away from her as ifshe had been anchored."
"What sort of a looking craft was she?" exclaimed Marcy, starting up inhis chair.
"Well, she was a fore-and-after and had figures painted on her sails tomake us believe that she was a pilot boat," answered Jack, somewhatsurprised at his brother's earnestness. "But she was about four timestoo big for a pilot boat. She hoisted Union colors, and when she foundthat she could not decoy us within range that way, she ran up thesecession rag and cut loose with her bow-chaser; but she might as wellhave saved her ammunition, for she didn't come anywhere near us."
"And neither did the rifle-shots that you fired in return come anywherenear us," added Marcy.
"Anywhere near you?" exclaimed Jack, starting up in his turn. "What doyou mean? What do you know about it?"
"I know all about it, for I was there," replied Marcy. "It was I who ranup those flags, and although I didn't dream that you were on the brig,you can't imagine how delighted I was when I saw that she was bound togive us the slip. That privateer was Captain Beardsley's schooner, and Iwas aboard of her in the capacity of pilot."
Sailor Jack settled back in his chair as if to say that that was themost astounding thing he had ever heard in his life.
"_Pilot!_" he exclaimed, at length. "Lon Beardsley doesn't need a piloton this coast. He has smuggled more than one cargo of cigars throughthese inlets."
"I know that. But you are aware that Beardsley has been our enemy foryears. He couldn't find any way to take revenge until this war brokeout, and then he began troubling us. He knew, and he knows to-day, thatI am Union all over, and down on secession and all who favor it, andwhen he offered me the pilot's berth and promised to do the fair thingby me, he was in hopes that mother would refuse to let me go; then,don't you see, he would have had an excuse to set our rebel neighborsagainst us on the ground that we were traitors to our State."
"I always knew that Lon Beardsley was beneath contempt, but this rathergets ahead of me," said Jack hotly.
"But it so happened that we saw through his little game. Mother neversaid a word, and I shipped as pilot aboard the privateer _Osprey_"continued Marcy. "And, Jack (here he got up, moved his chair close tothe sofa on which his brother was sitting and lowered his voice to awhisper), I was on her when she made her first and only capture, andupstairs in my valise I have seventeen hundred dollars in gold, my shareof the money the _Mary Hollins_ brought when she was condemned and soldin the port of Newbern."
"That would be a nice little sum of money if it had been earned in anhonorable way," observed Jack.
"But it wasn't," said Marcy, "and consequently I don't intend to keepit. I'm going to give it back to the one to whom it belongs. Oh, youneedn't laugh. I mean it!"
"I know you do, and I hope that you will some day find the man; but I amafraid you won't. Where is Beardsley now?"
"I left him at Newbern. The presence of the cruisers on the coastfrightened him so that he gave up privateering--he didn't want to runthe risk of being captured with guns aboard of him for fear that hemight be treated as a pirate--and took to running the blockade. We madeone successful
trip, taking out cotton and bringing back an assortedcargo worth somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred thousand dollars,and it was while we were trying to make Crooked Inlet on our way homethat we came the nearest to being captured. We ran foul of a howitzerlaunch, which turned loose on us with shrapnel and canister, and gave methis broken arm and Beardsley a black and blue shoulder."
"I wish from the bottom of my heart that she had given him a brokenhead," said Jack. "Were you much hurt?"
"I don't mind it in the least," answered Marcy. "It has given me achance to visit with mother and you. But I don't quite understand whyyou came home as you did. What made you so sly about it? Go more intoparticulars, but don't talk too loud."
"Is it a fact that you are afraid to converse in ordinary tones in yourown house?" said Jack, looking inquiringly at his mother.
"Marcy and I have been very cautious, for we don't know whom to trust,"answered Mrs. Gray. "One of our principal sources of anxiety is themoney we have hidden in the cellar wall."
"Thirty thousand dollars!" whispered Marcy in his brother's ear. "Motherbrought it home herself and spent three nights in fixing a place forit."
"Holy Moses!" said Jack under his breath. "Do the neighbors know it?"
"They suspect it, and that is what troubles us."
"I don't wonder at it. Why, mother, there are plenty of white trash abouthere who would rob you in a minute if they thought they could do itwithout bringing harm to themselves. I declare, I am almost afraid toleave home again."
"Oh, Jack!" said his mother, the tears starting to her eyes; "you surelywill not leave me again."
"Not if you bid me stay, but I didn't think you would do it, knowing, asI did, that you are strong for the Union. That was the reason I camehome in the night and threw stones at Marcy's window. I intended, aftera short visit, to show my love for the old flag by making my way out tothe blockading fleet, and shipping with the first commander who wouldtake me. Consequently, I did not want to let any of the neighbors knowthat I came home at all. I was sure that there must be some Union peoplehere, but of course I don't know who they are any more than I know whothe rebels are; so I thought it best to keep my movements a secret.However, I might as well have saved myself the trouble," added Jack,while an expression of anxiety settled upon his bronzed features; "ofcourse I can't keep out of sight of the servants, and if there are anytreacherous ones among them, as you seem to think, they will blab on meto the first rebel they can find."
"They will tell the overseer of it," said Marcy. "He's a sneak and a spyas well as a rebel."
"Why do you keep him, then?" demanded Jack. "Why didn't you kick him offthe place as soon as you found out that he could not be trusted?"
"I hired him for a year," answered Mrs. Gray. "And if I should dischargehim on account of his political opinions, can you not see that I wouldgive the rebels in the settlement the very opportunity that I believethey are waiting for--the opportunity to persecute me?"
"Perhaps there is something in that," said Jack thoughtfully. "I mustsay that this is a nice way to live. But the Confederates can't say aword against you now, because Marcy sails under their flag."
"If anybody tells you that story don't you believe a word of it," saidMarcy. "They know why I went aboard that privateer as well as if I hadtold them all about it. But, Jack, what did you mean when you told methat you were a homeless, friendless smuggler?"
"I am not exactly homeless and friendless," replied the sailor, with ahearty laugh, "but it is a fact that I am a smuggler in a small way.When I found myself safe in Boston, the first thing I thought of wasgetting home. I first decided I would go to Washington and try to get apass through the Union lines; but I soon found that that wouldn't do,for I saw by the papers that the Federals were straining every nerve toclose the Potomac against smugglers and mail-carriers, and thatsatisfied me that no passes were granted. My only hope then was to gethere by water. I met my captain every day or two, and he helped me outby securing me a berth on the schooner, _West Wind_. He never said aword to me about the character of the vessel, although he must haveknown all about it and given me a good recommend besides, for the dayafter I went aboard. Captain Frazier called me into his cabin, and tookme into his confidence.
"I thought the master of the _Sabine_ was a strong Union man," saidMarcy. "But this looks as though he was giving aid and comfort to therebels."
"Well, no; he didn't mean it that way. He was giving aid and comfort to_me_, don't you see? He wanted to help me get home, and I assure you Iwas glad of the chance he gave me. Captain Frazier was an old friend ofhis. He happened to find out that Frazier was about to turn an honestpenny by selling the Confederates medicine and other little things ofwhich they stood in need, and instead of betraying him, he recommendedme as a suitable man for second mate, for I was a tolerable sailor, andwell acquainted with the coasts of the Carolinas. I accepted theposition when it was offered me, and brought the _West Wind_ throughOregon Inlet as slick as you please, although the channel doesn't runwithin a hundred yards of where it did the last time I went throughthere."
"Did you take out a venture?"
"Of course. I risked about two-thirds of my hard-earned wages."
"What did you buy?"
"Quinine, calomel, and about half a dozen different kinds of quackmedicines in the shape of pills and tonics. But there was where I made amistake. I ought to have put all the money in quinine. If I had, I wouldhave made two or three hundred dollars more than I did. As it was Icleared about twelve hundred. And that reminds me that I left mygrip-sack on the gallery."
He and Marcy went out to bring it in, and when they returned, Jack wasslapping the side of the valise to make the gold pieces jingle.
"My son, I am very sorry you did it," said Mrs. Gray reproachfully."Very sorry indeed."
"Why, mother, just listen to this," replied Jack, hitting the valiseanother sounding whack.
"I hear it," said his mother. "But when you brought those things downhere and piloted that vessel through the blockade, didn't you violatethe laws of your country? Did you not render yourself liable to arrestand imprisonment?"
"Well, to be honest, I did; but you see I was looking into the future.When I reached Newbern I wasn't home by a long shot. There's a rightsmart stretch of country between that place and this. I walked nearlyevery step of the way from Boydtown, and every man I met was the hottestkind of a rebel, or professed to be. When questioned, as I often was, Icould tell a truthful story about being second mate of a schooner thathad slipped into Newbern with a lot of goods for the Confederacy, andfurthermore, I had the documents to prove it," said Jack, drawing anofficial envelope from an inside pocket. "This is a strong letter fromthe captain of the _West Wind_, recommending me to any blockade-runningshipmaster who may be in need of a coast pilot and second mate; but Inever expect to use it. Here are some documents of an entirely differentcharacter," and as he said this, the sailor thrust his hand into the legof his boot and pulled forth another large envelope. "This contains twoletters, one from the master of the _Sabine_, and the other from herowners; and they give a flattering history of the part I took inrecapturing the brig. These letters may be of use to me when the timecomes for me to ship on a blockader."
"I don't see how you got out of Boston with your contraband cargo," saidMarcy. "How did you clear at the custom house?"
"Why, bless you, our cargo was all right," replied Jack, "and so wereour papers. The cargo was brought aboard in broad daylight, andconsigned to a well-known American firm in Havana; but the littlearticles that were brought aboard after dark and scattered around amongthe barrels and boxes in the hold, would have sent the last one of us tojail if they had been discovered."
"Oh, Jack!" exclaimed Mrs. Gray, "how could you do it? I can't see howyou could bring yourself to take so much risk."
"I did it to keep up appearances; and hasn't Marcy done the same thingand with your consent? Didn't he join that privateer and run the risk ofbeing captured or killed by the Yankees b
ecause you and he thought itpolicy for him to do so? I am not a policy man, but in times like theseone can't always do as he wants to."
There were so many things to talk about, and such a multitude ofquestions to be asked and answered on both sides, that the little clockon the mantel struck four different hours before any one thought ofgoing to bed; and then Jack did not go to his own room, but passed therest of the night with Marcy, for the latter hinted very strongly thathe had some things to say to him that he did not care to mention in hismother's presence.
"She has enough to bother her already," said he, as he closed and lockedthe door of his room; "and although I have no secrets from her, I don'tlike to speak to her on disagreeable subjects. I wish she could forgetthat money in the cellar wall and the hints Wat Gifford gave her about'longshoremen coming up here from Plymouth some dark night to stealit."
Sailor Jack, who was standing in front of the bureau putting away hisletters of recommendation and the canvas bag that contained his money,turned quickly about and looked at his brother without speaking.
"Of course I don't know that such a thing will ever happen," continuedMarcy, "but I do know for a fact that Beardsley and a few others arevery anxious to find out whether or not there are any funds in thehouse. Beardsley tried his level best to pump me, and Colonel Shelbysent that trifling Kelsey up here for the same purpose. Now whatdifference does it make to them whether mother has money or not, unlessthey mean to try to take it from her?"
"Marcy," said Jack, who had backed into the nearest chair, "I wish thatmoney was a thousand miles from here. You haven't anything to fear fromthose wharf-rats at Plymouth; but if the Confederate authorities findout about it, and can scrape together evidence enough to satisfy themthat mother is Union, they'll come down on this house like a nighthawkon a June bug. And, worse than that, Beardsley may contrive to havemother put under arrest."
"No!" gasped Marcy. "What for?"
"Don't you know that the Richmond Government has instructed its loyalsubjects to repudiate the debts they owe to Northern men and to turn theamount of those debts into the Confederate treasury?"
"Well, what of it? We don't owe anybody a red cent."
"No odds. If Beardsley wants evidence to prove that we _do_ owe someNorthern house for the supplies we have been receiving, and that we areholding back the money instead of giving it to the Confederacy--ifBeardsley needs evidence to prove all that he can easily find it."
"Why, the--the villain!" exclaimed Marcy, who had never been moreastounded.
"He's worse than that, and he'll do worse than that if he sees half achance," said Jack, with a sigh. "I wish the Yankees might get hold ofhim, and that some one would tell them who and what he is, for I judgefrom what you have told me that he is at the bottom of all mother'stroubles. Now, let me tell you: you must stay at home and take care ofmother, and I will ship on a war vessel and do my share toward puttingdown this rebellion."
"But how can I stay at home?" interrupted Marcy. "My leave is for onlyninety days, and Beardsley looks for me to join the schooner as soon asmy arm gets well."
"All right. No doubt you will have to do it; but you'll not make manymore trips on that blockade-runner. It'll not be long before all ourports will be sealed up tight as a brick by swift steamers, and sailingvessels will stand no show of getting out or in. I know Lon Beardsley,and he will quit blockade running when he thinks it's time, the same ashe quit privateering. Why, Marcy, you can't imagine what an uproar thereis all over the North. They're getting ready to give the Southparticular fits."
"Then the result of the fight at Bull Run didn't frighten or discouragethem?"
"Man alive, if you had had as much to do with Northern people as I have,you would know that they don't understand the words. They've got theirblood up at last, and now they mean business. Recruits are coming infaster than they can equip and send them off. And I can't stay behind.Mother must let me go."
"Do you think of enlisting on one of the blockading fleet?"
"I do."
"But how are you going to get to it? It's off Hatteras."
"So I supposed. Where's the _Fairy Belle?_"
"Great Scott!" ejaculated Marcy "Do you expect me to take you out onher?"
"Well, yes; I had rather calculated on it." Marcy was profoundlyastonished. He threw himself upon the bed, propped his head up with hisuninjured hand, and looked at his brother without saying a word.