Chapter XLIX
In which is related much appertaining to the "pomp and gloriouscircumstance" of war.
The arrival of Ramsay and his party was so unexpected, that, at first,Lady Barclay imagined they had been betrayed, and that the boat wasfilled with armed men from the king's cutter, who had come on shore witha view of forcing an entrance into the cave. In a minute everypreparation was made for defence; for it had long been arranged, that,in case of an unexpected attack, the women should make all theresistance in their power, and which the nature of the place enabledthem to do.
But, as many observed, the party, although coming from the cutter, andnot badly armed, did not appear to advance in a hostile manner. Afterwaiting some time near the boat, they advanced, each with a box on hisshoulder; but what those boxes might be was a puzzle; they might behand-grenades for throwing into the cave. However, they were soon downto the rock at which the ladder was let down, and then Smallbones stoodup with a musket in his hands, with his straddling legs and shortpetticoat, and bawled out, "Who comes there?"
Ramsay, who was assisting Wilhelmina, looked up surprised at thissingular addition to the occupants of the cave. And Wilhelmina alsolooked at him, and said, "Can that be a woman, Ramsay?"
"At all events, I've not the honour of her acquaintance. But she ispointing her musket,--we are friends," cried Ramsay. "Tell MistressAlice it is Ramsay."
Smallbones turned round and reported the answer; and then, in obedienceto his orders from Mistress Alice, he cried out, in imitation of thesentinels, "Pass, Ramsay, and all's well!" presented his arms, and madea flying leap off the rock where he stood, down on the platform, that hemight lower the ladder as soon as Ramsay was up, who desired everybodymight be sent down to secure the boxes of specie as fast as they could,lest the cutter's people, releasing themselves, should attempt anattack. Now, there was no more concealment necessary, and the women aswell as the men went down the precipitous path and brought up thetreasure, while Ramsay introduced Wilhelmina to Lady Barclay, and, in abrief, but clear narrative, told her all that had passed, and what theyhad now to expect. There was not a moment for delay; the cutter's peoplemight send the despatches over land if they thought of it, and be thereas soon, if not sooner than themselves. Nancy Corbett was summonedimmediately, and her instructions given. The whole of the confederatesat Portsmouth were to come over to the cave with what they could collectand carry about their persons; and, in case of the cutter sending overland, with the precaution of being in disguise. Of arms and ammunitionthere was sufficient in the cave, which Ramsay now felt was to bedefended to the last, until they could make a retreat over to the otherside of the channel. In half an hour, Nancy was gone, and that verynight had arrived at Portsmouth, and given notice to the whole of theconfederates. Upon consultation, it was considered that the bestdisguise would be that of females; and, in consequence, they were all soattired, and before morning had all passed over, two or three in a boat,and landed at Ryde, where they were collected by Moggy Salisbury, whoalone, of the party, knew the way to the retreat. They walked across theisland by two and three, one party just keeping sight of the next aheadof them, and arrived without suspicion or interruption, conducted byMoggy Salisbury, Lazarus the Jew, and sixteen stout and desperate men,who had remained secreted in the Jew's house, ready to obey any order,however desperate the risk might be, of their employers.
When they were all assembled at the brow of the precipice, with theexception of Lazarus, who looked like a little old woman, a moregigantic race of females was never seen; for, determined upon adesperate resistance if discovered, they had their buff jerkins undertheir female garments. They were soon in the cave, and very busy, underRamsay's directions, preparing against the expected attack. Sir RobertBarclay, with his boat, had been over two days before, and it was notknown when he would return. That his presence was most anxiously lookedfor may be readily conceived, as his boat's crew would double theirforce if obliged to remain there; and his boat would enable them, withthe one brought by Ramsay, to make their escape without leaving onebehind, before the attack could be made.
Nancy Corbett, as the reader may have observed, did not return to thecave with the conspirators. As she was not suspected, she determined toremain at Portsmouth till the last, and watch the motions of theauthorities.
The cutter did not arrive till the evening of the second day, and thedespatches were not delivered to the admiral till the third morning,when all was bustle and preparation. Nancy Corbett was everywhere, shefound out what troops were ordered to embark on the expedition, and shewas acquainted with some of the officers, as well as the sergeants andcorporals; an idea struck her which she thought she could turn toadvantage. She slipped into the barrack-yard, and to where the men werebeing selected, and was soon close to a sergeant whom she wasacquainted with.
"So, you've an expedition on hand, Sergeant Tanner."
"Yes, Mistress Corbett, and I'm one of the party."
"I wish you joy," replied Nancy, sarcastically.
"Oh, it's nothing, Mistress Corbett, nothing at all, only some smugglersin a cave; we'll soon rout them out."
"I've heard a different account from the admiral's clerk."
"Why, what have you heard?"
"First, tell me how many men are ordered out."
"A hundred rank and file--eight non-commissioned officers--twolieutenants--one captain--and one major."
"Bravo, sergeant, you'll carry all before you."
"Why, I hope so, Mistress Corbett, especially as we are to have theassistance of the cutter's crew."
"Better and better still," replied Nancy, ironically. "I wish you joy ofyour laurels, sergeant, ha, ha, ha."
"Why do you laugh, Mistress Corbett, and what is that you have heard atthe admiral's office?"
"What you may hear yourself, and what I know to be true; there is not asingle smuggler in the cave."
"No!" exclaimed the sergeant. "What, nobody there?"
"Yes, there is somebody there, the cave has been chosen by the smugglersto land their goods in."
"But some of them must be there in charge of the goods."
"Yes, so there are, but they are all women, the smugglers' wives, wholive there; what an expedition! Let me see:--one gallant major, onegallant captain, two gallant lieutenants, eight gallant non-commissionedofficers, and a hundred gallant soldiers of the Buffs, all going toattack, and rout, and defeat a score of old women."
"But you're joking, Mistress Nancy."
"Upon my life I'm not, sergeant, you'll find it true; the admiral'sashamed of the whole affair, and the cutter's crew swear they won't firea single shot."
"By the god of war!" exclaimed the sergeant, "but this is cursed badnews you bring, Mistress Corbett."
"Not at all; your regiment will become quite the fancy, you'll go by thename of the lady-killers, ha, ha, ha. I wish you joy, sergeant, ha,ha, ha."
Nancy Corbett knew well the power of ridicule, she left the sergeant,and was accosted by one of the lieutenants; she rallied him in thesame way.
"But are you really in earnest, Nancy?" said Lieutenant Dillon, atlast.
"Upon my soul I am; but, at the same time I hear, that they will fighthard, for they are well-armed and desperate, like their husbands, andthey swear that they'll all die to a woman, before they yield; so now weshall see who fights best, the women or the men. I'll back my own sexfor a gold Jacobus, lieutenant: will you take the bet?"
"Good God, how very annoying! I can't, I won't order the men to fire atwomen; I could not do so if they were devils incarnate; a woman is awoman still."
"And never the worse for being brave, Lieutenant Dillon; as I said toSergeant Tanner, your regiment, after this, will always go by the nameof the lady-killers."
"D--n!" exclaimed the lieutenant; "but now I recollect there must bemore there; those who had possession of the cutter and who landed inher boat."
"Yes, with forty boxes of gold they say; but do you think they would besuch fools as to remain there
and allow you to take their money--thatboat started for France yesterday night with all the treasure, and arenow safe at Cherbourg. I know it for a fact, for one of the men's wiveswho lives here, showed me a letter to that effect, from her husband, inwhich he requests her to follow him. But I must go now, good-bye, MrLady-killer."
The lieutenant repeated what Nancy had told him to the officers, and themajor was so much annoyed, that he went up to the admiral and statedwhat the report was, and that there were only women to contend with.
"It is mentioned in the despatches, I believe," observed the admiral,"that there are only women supposed to be in the cave; but the smugglerswho were on board the cutter--"
"Have left with their specie yesternight, admiral; so that we shall gainneither honour nor profit."
"At all events, you will have the merit of obeying your orders, MajorLincoln."
The major made no reply, but went away very much dissatisfied. In themeantime, the sergeant had communicated with his non-commissionedofficers and the privates ordered on the duty, and the discontent wasuniversal. Most of the men swore that they would not pull a triggeragainst women, if they were shot for it, and the disaffection almostamounted to mutiny. Nancy, in the meantime, had not been idle, she hadfound means to speak with the boats' crews of the _Yungfrau_, stated thedeparture of the smugglers with their gold, and the fact that they wereto fight with nothing but women, that the soldiers had vowed that theywould not fire a shot, and that Moggy Salisbury, who was with them,swore that she would hoist up her smock as a flag, and fight to thelast. This was soon known on board of the _Yungfrau_, and gave greatdisgust to every one of the crew, who declared to a man, that they wouldnot act against petticoats, much less fire a shot at Moggy Salisbury.
What a mountain of mischief can be heaped up by the insidious tongue ofone woman!
After this explanation, it may be supposed that the zeal of the partydespatched was not very great. The fact is, they were all sulky, fromthe major downwards, among the military, and from Vanslyperkendownwards, among the naval portion of the detachment. Nancy Corbett,satisfied with having effected her object, had crossed over the nightbefore, and joined her companions in the cave, and what was extremelyfortunate, on the same night Sir Robert Barclay came over in the lugger,and finding how matters stood, immediately hoisted both the boats up onthe rocks, and taking up all the men, prepared with his followers for avigorous resistance, naturally to be expected from those whose livesdepended upon the issue of the conflict.
Next morning the cutter was seen coming down with the boats in tow,hardly stemming the flood, from the lightness of the breeze, when NancyCorbett requested to speak with Sir Robert Barclay. She stated to himwhat she had done, and the dissatisfaction among the troops and seamenin consequence, and submitted to him the propriety of all the smugglersbeing dressed as women, as it would operate more in their favour than ifthey had fifty more men to defend the cave. Sir Robert perceived thegood sense of this suggestion, and consulted with Ramsay, who stronglyurged the suggestion being acted upon. The men were summoned, and theaffair explained to them, and the consequence was, that there was ascene of mirth and laughter, which ended with every man being fittedwith woman's attire. The only one who remained in the dress of a man wasa woman, Wilhelmina Krause, but she was to remain in the cave with theother women, and take no part in the coming fray.