CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.
My recovery was rapid: in less than a fortnight I was on the sofa. Thefrigate was now rigged, and had taken in her water and stores, and wasreported ready for sea in a month, as we still required about forty mento make up our complement. I saw a great deal of Captain Green, whopaid me a visit almost every day; and once, when our conversation turnedupon the duel, I made the same remark as I did when Colonel Delmar usedsuch harsh language over the body of Major Stapleton. "Yes," repliedCaptain Green, "I thought it was my duty to tell him what Colonel Delmarhad said. He was very much excited, and replied, `The _greatest_scoundrel, did he say?--then is the devil better than those he tempts;however, we are both in each other's power. I must get well first, andthen I will act.' There certainly is some mystery, the attack was sounprovoked, the determination so positive. Have you any reason tosuppose that Colonel Delmar is your enemy, Captain Keene? for certainlyhe did appear to me to do all he could at the time of the duel to giveyour adversary the advantage."
"I really have no cause to suppose that he has grounds for being myenemy; but I cannot help suspecting that, for some reason or reasonsunknown, he is so."
When Captain Green had left me, I tried all I could to find out whyColonel Delmar should be inimical to me. That he was the supposed heirto Miss Delmar I knew; but surely her leaving me a few thousands was notsufficient cause for a man to seek my life. Lord de Versely had nothingto leave; I could come to no conclusion that was at all satisfactory. Ithen thought whether I would write to Lord de Versely, and tell him whathad happened; but I decided that I would not. The initials had been putin the papers at the announcement of the duel, and, had he seen them, hecertainly would have written down to inquire about the facts. My motherhad so done, and I resolved that I would answer her letter, which hadhitherto remained on the table. I sent for my desk, and when my servantbrought it me, the bunch of keys were hanging to the lock. I thoughtthis strange, as I had locked my desk before I went out to meet MajorStapleton, and had never sent for it since my return; my servant,however, could tell me nothing about it, except that he found it as hebrought it to me; but after a little time, he recollected that thedoctor had asked for a pen and ink to write a prescription, and that thecolonel had taken the keys to get him what he required. This accountedfor it, and nothing more was said upon the subject. Of course, althoughit was known, no notice was taken of what had passed by the Admiralty.I had not even put myself down in the sick report, but signed my dailypapers, and sent them into the admiral's office as if nothing hadhappened.
In six weeks I was able to limp about a little, and the Circe was atlast reported ready for sea. My orders came down, and I was to sailwith the first fair wind to join the squadron in the Texel and NorthSea. I had taken up my quarters on board, and was waiting two days,while the wind still blew hard from the eastward, when my promise towrite to Mr Warden occurred to me; and, as I had closed all mydespatches to Lord de Versely--the Honourable Miss Delmar, to whom Imade my excuse for not being able to pay my respects before mydeparture--my mother, and my aunt Bridgeman--I resolved that I wouldwrite him a long letter previous to my sailing. I did so, in which Ientered into the whole affair of the duel, the conduct of ColonelDelmar, and my suspicions relative to him; stating, at the same time,that I could not comprehend why he should have sought to injure me. Ifinished this letter late in the evening, and the next morning, the windhaving come round, we sailed for our destination.
Once more on the water, all my thoughts were given to the service. Wesoon fell in with the North Sea squadron, and the day afterwards theCirce was directed to go on shore in company with the Dryad, and watchthe flotillas of gun-boats which had been collecting in the variousrivers and ports; to sink, burn, and destroy to the utmost of our power.This was an active and dangerous service, as the enemy had everyadvantage in the sands and shoals, and hardly a day passed in which wewere not engaged with the flotillas and batteries. It was, however, nowfine weather, for the winter had set in early, and had passed away, andfor two months we continued in the service, during which my skip'scompany were well trained. One morning a cutter from the fleet wasreported from the mast-head, and we expected that we should soon haveour letters from England, when the Dryad threw out the signal for sixsail of praams in shore.
The two frigates made all sail in chase, leaving the cutter to follow ushow she could. Our masters were well acquainted with the shoals on thecoast, and we threaded our way through them towards the enemy. We werewithin gun-shot, and had exchanged broadsides with the batteries, whenthe flotillas gained a small harbour, which prevented our making anyfurther attempts. The Dryad made the signal to haul off; it was quitetime, as we had not more than four hours' daylight, and were entangledamong the shoals. The breeze, which had been fresh, now increased veryrapidly, and there was every appearance of a gale. We worked out asfast as we could, and by nine o'clock in the evening we were clear ofthe sands, and in the open sea; but the gale had sprung up so rapidlythat we were obliged to reduce our sail to close-reefed topsails. Withthe sands under our lee, it was necessary to draw off as fast as wecould, and we therefore carried a heavy press of sail all the night--atlast, the wind was so strong that we could only carry close-reefedmaintop-sail and reefed fore-sail; and with a heavy sea, which had risenup, we felt that we were in extreme danger.
Daylight once more made its appearance. Our first object was toascertain the position of the Dryad. For a long time we looked in vain;at last, a partial clearing up of the horizon on the lee bow discoveredher, looming through the heavy atmosphere, more like a phantom ship thanthe work of mortal hands. She was a deep grey mass upon a lighter greyground. Her top-masts were gone, and she was pitching and risingwithout appearing to advance under her courses and storm staysails.
"There she is, sir," said Mr Wilson; "and if the gale lasts, good-byeto her."
"If the gale lasts, Mr Wilson," said I in a low voice, "I suspect youmay sing our requiem as well; but we must trust to Heaven and our ownexertions. Pass along the lead-line, Mr Hawkins."
"Aye, aye, sir," replied the officer of the watch; "how much out sir?"
"Forty fathoms."
The men ranged themselves along the lee-bulwarks, chains, and gangwayand passed the deep sea-lines from aft to the anchor stock forward. Thedeep sea lead was taken forward, and as soon as it was bent and ready,the ship was thrown up to the wind so as to check her way. "Heave," andthe lead was thrown, and as it descended the line was dropped from thehands of the men, one after another, as the line drew aft; but when itcame to the hands of the master, who was on the quarter, instead offinding, as he expected, forty fathoms of water, he had to haul in theslack line for such a length of time, that the lead was astern and noproper soundings could be obtained.
One thing was, however, certain, which was, that we were in muchshallower water than we had any idea of; and the master, much alarmed,desired the quarter-master to go into the chains and see if he could getsoundings with the hand-lead while the men were hauling in the deepsea-line. The quarter-master was forestalled by Bob Cross who, droppinginto the chains, cleared the line, and swinging it but twice or thrice,for there was little or no way in the vessel, let it go.
The anxiety with which the descent of the line was watched by me, themaster, and other of the officers who were hanging over the hammockrails, it would be difficult to describe. When sixteen fathoms were outthe lead sounded. Cross gathered up the slack line, and fourteen and ahalf fathoms was announced.
"Mr Hillyer," said I, "oblige me by coming down into the cabin." Themaster followed me immediately. The chart was on the table in thefore-cabin.
"We must have gone to leeward dreadfully, sir."
"Yes," replied I; "but the sweep of the currents in heavy gales is sotremendous, and so uncertain on this coast, that I am not surprised. Wemust have had a South East current, and probably we are hereabouts,"continued I, putting the point of the compass upon the spot.
"It seems
hardly possible, sir," replied the master; "but still I fearit must be so; and if so," continued he, drawing a deep sigh, "I'mafraid it's all over with us, without a miracle in our favour."
"I am of your opinion, Mr Hillyer; but say nothing about it," repliedI; "the gale _may_ moderate, the wind _may_ shift, and if so we _may_ besaved. At all events, it's no use telling bad news too soon, andtherefore you'll oblige me by not saying anything on the subject. A fewhours will decide our fate."
"But the Dryad, she is good four miles to the leeward of us, and thesoundings decrease here so rapidly, that in an hour, with the sail sheis under, she must go on shore."
"She has no chance, that's certain," replied I. "I only hope it may beso thick that we may not see her."
"Not a soul will be saved, sir," replied the master, shuddering. "Ishould say it were impossible, Mr Hillyer; but we all owe Heaven adeath; and if they go first and we go after them, at all events, let usdo our duty until the time comes--but never despair. As long as thereis life, there is hope; so now let us go on deck, and put as good a faceon it as we can."