CHAPTER X.
BEARDSLEY IN TROUBLE.
The profound silence that reigned in the room for a minute or two afterMr. Watkins made his extraordinary announcement, was broken at last byMarcy Gray, who exclaimed eagerly:
"If that is the man who wants to see me, I hope you will take me to himat once. I have wanted to meet him ever since that miserable day when Istood by and saw him make his gallant attempt at escape, for I haveseventeen hundred dollars that belong to him--my share of the prizemoney his schooner sold for, you know, captain."
"Mister, if you please," said the officer, with a smile. "I used to becaptain in the merchant marine, but am now executive officer of CaptainBenton's vessel, and am simply Mr. Watkins."
"Mr. Watkins," interposed Mrs. Gray, "my son has saved all the moneythat came to him through the sale of the _Hollins_, and longed for anddreamed of the day when he could restore it to its lawful owner. WhenCaptain Beardsley turned his privateer into a blockade runner Marcyrefused to take out a venture, though by so doing he might have made hisseventeen hundred dollars of prize money bring him five thousand more.Captain Benton's money is safe, and he will receive it in the same shapein which it was paid to my son. But, sir," added Mrs. Gray, seeing thatthe officer did not occupy the chair that had been placed for him, "Itrust you will not find it necessary to take Marcy into battle."
"I really cannot see anyway in which it can be avoided, madam," said Mr.Watkins truthfully. "There is bound to be a fight if the enemy standshis ground, and my vessel will be one of the foremost in it. But I hopeyou understand that we do not mean to keep him with us unless he wantsto stay. He will be at liberty to return to you as soon as his servicescan be dispensed with."
"Yes, sir, I understand that," said the mother tearfully. "But a straybullet or a shell will be as likely to strike a non-combatant as any oneelse. I have given one son to the service of his country, and I can giveanother; but when you take Marcy you take all I have."
The officer drew his hand across his eyes, as if brushing away a mistthat was gathering there, and looked up at a painting over the mantel;while Marcy, knowing that the parting must come, and that it would bebetter to have it over as speedily as possible, began to bestirhimself.
"I will have the money dug up right now," said he. "And, mother, while Iam doing that, will you bring down my Union flag--not the weather-beatenone, but the other that I hoisted on the _Fairy Belle_ when I took Jackout to the fleet."
"I little expected to find a Union flag down here," said Mr. Watkins,who was very much surprised. "I should think you would find it dangerousto keep one."
"So we would if the people around here knew it was in the house,"replied Marcy. "But that is something we don't publish. Your men willnot bother me if I go into the garden, will they?"
"I will see that they don't," was the answer; and, while Marcy went outof the back door as if he had been thrown from a catapult, Mr. Watkinswent out at the front, and Mrs. Gray hastened to her son's room with apair of scissors in her hand. Marcy went to the coachman's cabin andfelt for the latch-string; but it had been pulled in, and that provedthat old Morris was inside. He pounded upon the door, and called theblack man's name impatiently.
"O Lawd! Who dat?" came in muffled tones from under the blankets.
Before Marcy could answer Julius glided around the corner of the cabin,looking like a small black ghost very scantily clad in white. He hadbeen brave enough when the robbers made their raid upon the house andthere was a strong force of Union men to back him up, but now that hethought the robbers had come again to finish their work, when AleckWebster and his friends were not at hand to lend assistance, he was verybadly frightened.
"I don't suppose Morris will get up and let me in, but you will do aswell as anybody," said Marcy. "Get a spade, quick, and come with me. No,they are not robbers. They are Yankees, and I am to go to the fleet withthem; and that is all I can tell you. Hurry up."
While Julius was digging in one of Mrs. Gray's flower-beds under Marcy'ssupervision, and the quilt on his bed was being ripped to pieces, Mr.Watkins was standing in the front yard, telling the master's mate whathe had seen and heard in the house. The young officer was astonished,and declared he had never dreamed that there was such Union sentimentanywhere in the South.
"I did not believe there was either, though I have often heard of it,"replied Mr. Watkins, "but I believe it now. It is easy enough for us whoare surrounded by loyal people to swear by the old flag, but I tell youit must take pluck and plenty of it to do it down here. I wish some oneelse had been ordered to do this work, for I have taken her last propaway from that poor woman in there. She is a heroine; and as for theboy, he is as true as steel, and as brave as they make them. One can'tlook in his face and think anything else of him. He has gone to dig upthe captain's money and will be along directly. I never thought to askhim how he got his hand hurt."
While the officer was adding to his subordinate's surprise by tellinghow completely Lon Beardsley had reduced Captain Benton to poverty bytaking the _Hollins_ from him, Mrs. Gray came down the steps withMarcy's flag in her hand and followed by three laughing darkies, whobrought with them large trays loaded with something good to eat anddrink--bread and butter, cold meat, and pitchers filled to the brim withthe richest of milk. While the hungry gunboat men were regalingthemselves and wondering at such treatment from Southerners, all of whomthey supposed to be the most implacable and violent of rebels, Mrs. Grayshook out the folds of the flag, and spread it upon the wall where theycould all see it. The unexpected sight thrilled them, and every cap waslifted.
"If things wasn't just as they are, missus," said one, "we'd give it acheer; asking your pardon and the deck's for speaking when I wasn'tspoke to."
"But our guns will cheer it in the morning, and they will make morenoise than we could," observed another. "Likewise asking pardon forspeaking."
At this moment Marcy appeared, bundled up ready for his trip to thecoast, and carrying in his hand a valise, which contained, among otherthings, the box that held Captain Benton's money. It was all in gold,too; for at that time gold was as plenty as scrip in the Confederacy,and Captain Beardsley, ignorant as he was on some points, was much tooshrewd a man of business to take paper money when he could have what hecalled the "hard stuff" for the asking. Had the _Hollins_ been capturedone short year later, Marcy would have been obliged to take his share ofthe prize money in scrip, and Captain Benton might have thought himselflucky if he had received twenty cents on the dollar.
When the blue-jackets had disposed of everything there was on the trays,either by eating it themselves or putting it into the bosom of theirshirts, to be divided with the guards who had been left in charge of theboats, and Marcy had stowed his Union flag in his valise, there wasnothing to detain them longer. The master's mate marched the squad awaywhile Mr. Watkins lingered a moment, cap in hand, to say good-by to thewoman whose quiet courage had excited his admiration.
"Take good care of my boy, sir," said Mrs. Gray, as if she thought theofficer could give Marcy a safe station in action, or protect him fromthe shot and shell that would soon be shrieking about his ears."Remember he is all I have to give you."
"I'll have an eye upon him, madam, and upon your other boy as well, whenI find out where he is," replied Mr. Watkins. "We are not pressing meninto our service, and I know I can safely say that Marcy will bepermitted to return to his home as soon as we can get along withouthim."
"I shall have that promise to console me during his absence," said Mrs.Gray. "Good-by, Marcy. When you come back to me I want you to be able tosay that you did your duty. Oh, is there no way in which this dreadfulstate of affairs can be brought to an end?" she cried, once more givingway to her tears when she felt Marcy's arm closing around her waist.
"Certainly there is," answered the officer. "The Richmond authoritiescan end this war in an hour by telling their soldiers to lay down theirarms and stop fighting the government. That would be an easy thing forthem to do, and it is all w
e ask of them. Good-by, Mrs. Gray. I trust wemay meet again under pleasanter circumstances."
The executive turned away as he spoke, leaving the young pilot alonewith his mother. He did not prolong the leave-taking, but brought it toan end as quickly as he could, shook hands with the three darkies, whoselaughter was now changed to weeping, looked around for Morris andJulius, neither of whom was in sight, and in two minutes more wasmarching by Mr. Watkins's side along the road that led past the ruins ofCaptain Beardsley's house. If Marcy remembered that his old captain wasone of the best pilots for those waters that could be found anywhere hedid not think to speak of it, nor did he take more than passing note ofthe fact that there was another squad of sailors standing in the road infront of Beardsley's gate. They seemed to be waiting for Mr. Watkins,for an officer walked up and exchanged a few low, hurried words withhim. Marcy afterward thought that the barking of Beardsley's dogs, andthe shrill frightened voices of the house servants and field-hands whichcame faintly from the direction of the quarter, ought to have told himthat something unusual had been going on there, but he did not pay verymuch attention to the sounds. He was thinking of his mother. "Very good,sir," said Mr. Watkins, in response to the officer's whisperedcommunication. "Make all haste to the boats and shove off; but preservesilence, and keep the line well closed up."
The officer, accompanied by Doctor Patten's boy Jonas, went back to hisown squad, which at once moved into the woods. That of Mr. Watkinsimmediately followed, led by the master's mate, the executive and Marcybringing up the rear as before; but it was not until the men were allembarked and the four boats were well on their way down the creek, thatthey had opportunity to exchange a word with each other. Mr. Watkins'scutter led the way, Jonas occupying his old place in the bow, andpassing his instructions to the coxswain in a whisper. The sailors bentto their work with a will, and the boats moved swiftly on their course;but the muffled oars were dipped so carefully, and feathered so neatly,that there was no sound heard save the slight swishing of the wateralongside. Feeling entirely satisfied with the way in which he hadcarried out the instructions of his superior, Mr. Watkins settled backon his elbow in the stern-sheets and addressed Marcy in low and guardedtones.
"I remarked to one of my officers a short time ago that it must takecourage, and plenty of it, to be loyal in this country; and I told thetruth, did I not?" he whispered.
"One has to be more than brave to be true to his colors in thissection," replied Marcy. "He has to be deceitful. I can satisfy you ofthat, if you think a few scraps of my personal history would be ofinterest to you."
Mr. Watkins answered that nothing would suit him better than to hear,from the lips of one who knew all about it, how the Union people, ifthere were any in that country besides his own family, managed to liveamong their rebel neighbors; and Marcy began and told his story, but notquite so fully as the reader knows it. He did not have time to do that,and besides he was too modest; but he easily brought his auditor tobelieve that the arm he carried in a sling had not been injured whileits owner was fighting on the Confederate side, and also showed him thathe had more reason to stand in fear of Captain Beardsley than of anyother man in the settlement.
"What worries me just now is the fear that Beardsley will in some wayfind out that you Yankees have taken me from my mother's house to helpyour vessels through Croatan Sound, said Marcy, who little dreamed thatCaptain Beardsley had been taken from his own bed for the same purpose,and was at that very moment a prisoner in one of the boats that followedastern. The night was so dark that Marcy could not have recognized theman if he had looked straight at him; and if Beardsley had seen andrecognized Marcy, when the two squads came together and got into theboats on the bank in front of his house, he had made no sign. And we mayadd here that the privateer captain had not been treated by his captorswith the same kindness and consideration that Marcy received at thehands of Mr. Watkins. The men who surrounded his house, who followed himto his hiding-place in the cellar and dragged him out by main strength,knew that he was a rebel who hadn't the manhood to treat his prisonerswith any degree of kindness, and when Beardsley frantically resistedthem and yelled to his darkies to put the dogs on to the Yankees, theboatswain's mate who held him said that, if he opened his mouth again inthat fashion, he would make what little light there was in the cellarshine straight through the captive's head. This threat kept Beardsleyquiet, and he would not have dared to say anything to Marcy if he hadhad the opportunity; but he had a good deal to say about him after hegot home.
"If you whip the rebels at Roanoke Island and let me go among my friendsagain, that man will make me no end of trouble," said Marcy, inconclusion. "He will declare that I went aboard of you of my own freewill, and did all I could to help you through the Sound. It will bepretty near the truth, but all the same I don't want the story to getwind in the settlement."
"He is about the meanest two-for-a-cent outfit that I ever heard of,"said Mr. Watkins, in a tone of disgust. "I am glad you told me all this,and will be sure to bear it in mind. But yours is not the only Unionfamily in this country, I hope?"
Oh, no, Marcy said in reply. There were many who professed to be Union,and as many more who had little or nothing to say about it one way orthe other. The latter were the real Union people. Some of them heldsecret meetings in the swamp, and had rid Marcy's mother of the presenceof one of her meanest and most dangerous enemies by coming to herplantation one night and carrying away the overseer. They also capturedthe four men who raided his mother's house with the intention of robbingit, and had given Marcy to understand that they were keeping a watchfuleye upon him and would punish any one who persecuted him or his mother.While he was telling this part of his story another faint call from afar-away sentry gave to Mr. Watkins the gratifying intelligence thatPlymouth had once more been passed in safety. Why these convenient rearwater-ways were not more closely guarded by the Plymouth garrison it ishard to tell. Perhaps it was because they thought the Yankees would notventure to penetrate so far inland in small boats. They learned betterwhen Cushing sunk the _Albemarle_.
There was little current in the river to help the cutters on theirjourney, but the ebb tide presently came to their assistance, and underits influence they went on their way with increased speed; still it wasalmost daylight when Mr. Watkins's cutter and the two immediately asternof it drew up to the gangway on the starboard quarter of CaptainBenton's vessel. The executive officer and Marcy stepped first upon thegrating, and Beardsley and the acting ensign who commanded the secondcutter followed them up the side to the deck, where Captain Benton waswaiting to receive them.
"I am aboard, sir," said Mr. Watkins, placing his hand to his cap, "andhave the honor to report that your orders have been carried out to theletter. These are the pilots I was instructed to bring."
"Very good, sir," replied the captain.
At the word "pilots" Marcy Gray turned his head to see where and who theother one was, and his amazement knew no bounds when he saw CaptainBeardsley's eyes looking into his own. His old commander was startledtoo; for up to this moment he supposed that the object of the expeditionwas to capture him alone. And if he was ill at ease to know that he waswholly in the power of men whose flag he had insulted, he was terriblyfrightened when he found himself confronted by Marcy Gray. The latterknew too much about him and his business, for hadn't he as good asconfessed in the boy's presence that he had been a smuggler? If Marcyremembered that fatal admission and felt in the humor to take advantageof it, there was likely to be trouble in store for him. The man saw thatvery clearly, even before the gunboat captain turned his steady gazeupon him. Then Beardsley wished that the deck might open under his feetand let him down into the hold. He cringed a moment, like the coward hewas, and then tried to call a smile to his face. He remembered his oldprisoner, the master of the _Mary Hollins_, and acting upon the firstthought that came into his mind, he took a step forward as if he wouldhave shaken hands with him; but Captain Benton turned on his heel andwalked away. This movement must ha
ve served as a signal to somebody, forthere was a slight but ominous jingling of chains close by, and themaster at arms clasped a pair of irons about Beardsley's wrists beforehe could raise a finger to prevent it. The touch of the cold metalaroused him almost to frenzy.
CAPTAIN BEARDSLEY "PERTESTS."]
"Take 'em off! In the name and by the authority of the ConfederateStates of Ameriky I pertest agin this outrage!" yelled Beardsley, hardlyknowing what he said in his excitement. "Marcy Gray, aint I always stoodyour friend and your mother's too, and are you going to keep as dumb asan oyster while this indignity is being put upon your old cap'n? Takethe dog-gone things off, I say! I aint in the service, and you aint gotno right to slap me in irons when I aint done the first thing agin youor your laws, either. No, I won't keep still!" roared the captain,struggling furiously in the grasp of the sailors, who were guiding himwith no very gentle hands toward the gangway that led down to the brig."I'll pertest and fight as long as I have breath or strength left in me;and when we have gained our independence, Cap'n Benton, I'll make it mybusiness to see that you suffer for this."
From the bottom of his heart Marcy Gray pitied the frightened,half-crazy man who was being hurried below, but he did not drawattention to himself by interceding in his behalf because he knew itwould do no good. Beardsley was being treated just as he had treatedCaptain Benton's men; but there was no mob on the Union gunboat to whoopand yell at him as the Newbern mob had whooped and yelled at hisprisoners when they were being taken to jail. Beardsley continued tostruggle and shout until his head disappeared below the combings of themain-hatch, and then the racket suddenly ceased. He had not been gagged,as Marcy feared, but he had been told that he would be if he didn't keepstill, and the threat silenced him.
Quiet having been restored Mr. Watkins said to his commander, waving hishand in Marcy's direction:
"This young man, sir, was also on board the _Osprey_, when she made aprize of your schooner. I think he has something to say that willinterest you. His name is Marcy Gray."
"Why, Gray was mentioned to me as a Union man," said the captain.
"And so I am," replied Marcy. "But when one is surrounded by enemies hecan't always do as he likes, and I sailed on that privateer because Icouldn't help it. If you will be kind enough to look into this valiseyou will see something that will prove my words."
"He has seventeen hundred dollars in that grip, which he says belongs toyou, sir," Mr. Watkins whispered in the ear of his superior. "It is themoney he received when the _Hollins_ was condemned and sold by theConfederate government."
Captain Benton was greatly astonished. He looked hard at Marcy for aminute or two, and then beckoned him to come into the cabin. Seatinghimself on one side of the little table that stood in the middle of thefloor he pointed to a chair on the other side, and the boy dropped intoit. The captain continued to look closely at him for another minute, andthen said:
"I don't know whether I saw you on board the _Osprey_ or not."
"I don't wonder at it, sir," answered the young pilot. "You had so manybitter reflections to occupy your mind, about that time, that youprobably do not remember a single one of the crew with the exception ofCaptain Beardsley. But I remember you, sir; and when I saw you lookingover the _Osprey's_ stern at your own vessel which was following in ourwake, I felt sorry for you. I said then that I would never spend a centof your money, and I never have."
While he talked in this way, Marcy took the key from his pocket andopened his valise. The first thing he brought to light was his Unionflag, the one his Barrington girl gave him, and which, we said, in thefirst volume of this series, was destined to float in triumph over thewaters that he had once sailed through in Captain Beardsley's privateer.The glorious day we then prophesied had dawned at last! The captainlooked on in surprise when Marcy took the flag from his valise, andshook it out so that he could see it.
"I should think your rebel neighbors, if you have any, would destroythat banner," said he.
"We have plenty of that sort of neighbors, sir, but they never saw thisflag," answered Marcy. "I keep it hidden in one of my bedquilts, andsleep under it every night." And, being a boy of business, he came atonce to the subject that just then was nearest his heart. "Am I toremain on this ship when she goes into action, sir?" he inquired.
"For anything I know to the contrary, you are," the captain answeredwith a smile. "Of course, that will be just as the flag-officer says.Why do you ask?"
"Because, if I am, I wish you would do me the favor to run this flag ofmine up to your masthead," replied Marcy. "The young lady who made itfor me, and who worked upon it while her rebel relatives were asleep,would be very much gratified if she could hear that it had been carriedto victory by a Federal ship of war."
"Well, my young friend, whether you stay aboard of us or not, that flagof yours shall go up to our masthead. You think we are going to beatthem, do you?"
"I know it, sir," replied Marcy, so earnestly that the captain smiledagain. "If they beat you to-day, you will beat them to-morrow, or nextweek. You are bound to win in the long run, and in their heart of heartsthe rebels know it."
"It does me good to hear you talk," said the captain, getting upon hisfeet and pacing his cabin with his hands in his pockets. "I have beenpretty well discouraged since the fleet arrived off this coast, but youput new life into me. Is that my money?" he added, as Marcy placed agood-sized box upon his table. "Am I as rich as that? You handle it asthough it was heavy."
"If I haven't forgotten all my schooling, it ought to weigh close on toten pounds, troy," answered Marcy, throwing back the cover, so that thecaptain could see the glittering contents. "If you will run it over,sir, I think you will find it all there."
"Good gracious, my lad! Do you take me for a bank cashier? I could notcount a pile of money like that in an hour, and I have scarcely twominutes' time at my disposal now. Steward, give us a cup of coffee, andtell the officer of the deck to call away the gig. I shall want you togo to the flag-ship with me. How much did that pirate get for the_Hollins_ and her cargo, any way?"
"Fifty-six thousand dollars," answered Marcy.
"That is rather more than they would have brought in Boston," said thecaptain reflectively. "And the Confederate government got half, Isuppose?"
"Yes, sir; and half the remainder was divided between Captain Beardsleyand his two mates. The other fourteen thousand were equally dividedamong the sixteen members of the crew, petty officers and foremast handssharing alike, each one receiving eight hundred and seventy-fivedollars."
"Then how does it come that there are seventeen hundred dollars here?"said the captain, jerking his head toward the box on the table.
"There are seventeen hundred and fifty dollars in this box to beexact--two shares," replied Marcy. "Captain Beardsley promised to dowhat he called 'the fair thing' by me if I would ship as pilot on hisschooner, and he did it by giving me eight hundred and seventy-fivedollars of your money."
"That was pretty cool, I must say. But how do you know that he did notreward your fidelity by giving you some of his own money?"
"No, he didn't, sir!" exclaimed Marcy. "Captain Beardsley doesn't rewardanybody unless he thinks he sees a chance to make something by it, andneither does he pay out a cent of his own when he can take what he needsfrom the pockets of some one else. It is all yours, sir, and I am gladto have the opportunity to give it to you."
"And I am glad to receive it, and to have the opportunity to shake handswith such a young man as you are," said the captain; and suiting theaction to the word, he came around the table and gave Marcy's hand ahearty sailor's grip.