CHAPTER XIV.
THE LIVELY BEE'S PLUCK.
"'Now coil up y'r nonsense 'Bout England's great navy, And take in y'r slack About oak-hearted tars.'"
Sang the crew of the _Lively Bee_ as they worked hard getting ready toproceed to sea.
Mr. Scarron, who led the song, stopped suddenly, and with a Yankeeexclamation, more forcible than polite, declared that he hoped he mightgo to Davy Jones' locker if his eyes didn't see "Lieutenant Tempesta-coming aboard the _Lively Bee_."
"Shiver my timbers, but you are right, sir," answered Mr. Watson, "andit is a right good day for the _Lively Bee_."
It was true.
In the captain's boat, seated by the side of Vernon, was John Tempest,who had declined the offers made by Captain Hull, and had thrown in hisfate with that of the privateer.
A hearty ringing cheer from the crew welcomed the young man on board,and Scarron led off with the chorus, which was then so popular in thenavy:
"'Charge the can cheerily, Send it round merrily; Here's to our country and captains commanding.'"
"Thank you, boys! I am glad to be with you again," responded Tempest.
"But you've seen some good fighting, sir."
"Ay, ay, Scarron, and nearly got drowned," answered the young officer.
"So I heard, sir, so I heard! That was a brave Englishman, that samecaptain."
"Brave, yes; but do you know, Scarron, he is now saying that the_Guerriere_ was not in fighting trim."
"Ha, ha, ha! That is a good 'un. Why, when Rodgers' fleet was outsideNew York, didn't that same Dacres send word that the _Guerriere_ couldfight and sink the whole of Uncle Sam's navy?"
"So he did, Scarron, so he did. But the _Guerriere_ is at the bottom ofthe sea now."
"Now, boys!" shouted the captain, "bid good-by to your sweethearts, forwe're off to the Indies, and shall not return until we can tow someprizes into port, and then won't we make the dollars jingle? Let ushave a rousing good chorus, Mr. Scarron, before we settle down to duty."
"'Charge the can cheerily, Send it round merrily; Here's to our country and captains commanding.'"
Again and again did the crew of the _Lively Bee_ repeat the chorus,and as they sang the anchor was weighed, the sails all set, and theprivateer was skimming the water as proud and trim as ever.
"She is a taut little craft," said Vernon exultingly as he looked fromdeck to rigging.
"Indeed she is, captain, and she deserves to be successful."
"As she must be."
"Whither are you bound?" asked Tempest after a long pause.
"I was thinking of the Indies. What say you?"
"I think you are right. If we want prizes we must get away from thefleet. Any prize taken will be so much glory for the navy, so we mustwork alone. Now, if we can get to Jamaica, we shall be sure to findsome rich prizes."
"Yes, all the way from a seventy-four to a big merchantman with coffeeand sugar, worth----"
"Anywhere between thirty and a hundred thousand dollars."
"The risk is great."
"That is just what we like."
The two men were well agreed, and Tempest knew that the captain of theprivateer was as stanch as ever.
For many days the _Lively Bee_ sailed over the waters without meetingwith any hostile ship, and only taking a few small prizes.
One morning Lieutenant Tempest called out suddenly:
"All hands! make sail!"
Vernon was in his cabin, but heard the order and thought his watchfullieutenant saw a storm brewing. He hurried on deck and saw three warvessels in the distance, with their bows pointed in the direction ofthe _Lively Bee_.
"Who are they?"
"British, sir, without a doubt."
"Then we must run."
"I am afraid so, sir; we could not fight three frigates at once."
"No, no. Well, we are safe."
And he spoke rightly.
The _Lively Bee_ was in no danger. With her fine lines and great speedof canvas, she could take advantage of every change of the wind, andpursue it to the uttermost.
The _Lively Bee_ would fly with a puff of wind, while the big shipswould scarcely move.
Before noon the sharp eyes of the first officer had made out the_Frolic_ and the _Poietiers_, both heavily manned frigates.
"It is no good tackling them," said the captain.
"No, but they may attack us."
"We will keep out of range."
"They are getting ready to lower the boats, and will board us."
"That is what I was afraid of," answered Captain Vernon.
"Get out the sweeps, boys, and pull with all your might."
Slowly, but with a quicker motion than was possible for the war ships,the _Lively Bee_ got out of the range of the _Frolic_ and _Poietiers_.
But there was the third Britisher, a brig, which Tempest had not takenmuch notice of.
Suddenly the young officer shouted to the captain:
"A merchantman!"
"Where away?"
"Being convoyed by the war ships."
It was true. The third vessel was a rich merchantman, which had beentraveling under the protection of the men-of-war.
By some miscalculation she had drifted away from her escort, and waspractically defenseless.
"If we can't take her we can make her valueless," said Tempest.
"Do you think so?"
"Let me try."
"The _Lively Bee_ is at your service."
Lieutenant Tempest stepped forward.
"Clear away the long gun. We'll fire one shot, anyway."
The men were delighted, although it looked like a piece of impudenceand folly.
"Load carefully. I will sight the gun myself," said Tempest.
The men in the sweeps watched the action and awaited commands.
"Avast pulling!"
The oars rested. The _Lively Bee_ drifted over the smooth water.
Tempest took very deliberate sights. Then, when satisfied, he steppedback from the breech.
"Fire!"
The shot went skimming through the air, and struck the merchantman inthe waist.
The British warships heard the report, and seemed astounded at thesauciness of the little _Lively Bee_.
Such impudence could not be allowed to go unpunished.
But Tempest had no intention of being caught just then.
"Give way, boys, in those sweeps! Make all you can."
The crew did pull with all their might, and the _Lively Bee_ seemed tofly over the water.
The _Frolic_ fired a broadside at the privateer, but all the ammunitionwas wasted, as the _Lively Bee_ was out of range.
Another shot was fired at the merchantman, and her mainmast went overwith an awful crash.
"Now we must run for it, but it does seem a pity," said Captain Vernon.
"Do not be in too great a hurry."
The long gun was loaded again, and a third shot went raking the deck ofthe unfortunate vessel.
"Look out; we are in for squalls now!" shouted Vernon.
And almost within a pistol shot was the _Frolic's_ long boat, with acrew of boarders.
"Beat to quarters!" shouted Vernon.
He was only just in time.
The daring Britishers clambered up the chains, they swung themselvesinto the rigging, and gained the deck of the _Lively Bee_ withastonishing alertness.
Headed by their officers, the crew of the privateer clutched theircutlasses with firm grip, and met the invaders.
It was a terrible fight.
Confined within the small space of the deck of the schooner, four dozenmen were cutting and slashing at each other with savage fury.
Lieutenant Smith of the _Frolic_ was wounded dangerously almost theminute he landed.
The deck was covered with blood.
So many men were killed that their bodies became a menace and a dangerto the living, who fell ove
r them and endangered their lives.
Tempest had struck terrifically at one of the British, but missedbecause the man stepped back, and the privateer's way was blocked by adead body.
With wonderful celerity Tempest picked up the corpse and threw itoverboard.
His example was instantly followed, and every dead body was given tothe waves, and alas! some of the wounded met the same watery grave.
The fight did not last long.
The British were beaten so thoroughly that the few survivors begged formercy.
It was only after the fight that Vernon discovered that the twomen-of-war had escaped.
The merchantman drifted about helplessly, and was soon boarded by thecrew of the privateer.
She proved to be a rich prize, and her captain could not help admiringthe courage of the privateer who had taken his vessel away from two ofthe most noted war ships of the British navy.
It was not cowardice which caused the two vessels to escape.
Just on the verge of the horizon they saw some American men-of-war, andthey determined to give chase, leaving the merchantman a prize in thehands of the privateer.
The boarding crew had been deserted only when it was found that theystood no chance of capturing the _Lively Bee_.
Although the captain of the merchantman admired the privateer'scourage, he was none the less grieved over the loss of his vessel andher rich cargo.
Five of the English boarders had been taken prisoners, and to these hewent.
He made them liberal offers if they would but break loose and aid himin retaking his ship.
They were not averse to the project, if they saw the slightest chanceof success.
Circumstances favored them.
Captain Vernon sent the prisoners on board the merchant prize, andplaced Tempest in command.
The prisoner-captain was permitted his freedom on parole.
He gave his sacred word that he would not try to escape, and yet hisheart was full of treachery, his brain occupied in hatching schemes ofmutiny.
That night a heavy fog sprang up, and the two vessels dare not stay tooclose together.
That was the opportunity.
With cat-like tread the captain descended to the cabin, where theEnglish sailors were imprisoned.
Lieutenant Tempest had grave suspicions about the man's honesty, andset himself to watch him.
From a point of vantage he heard every word, and formed his plans.
The prisoners were not placed in irons, and so only the slight barrierof a door stood between them and the freedom of the deck.
The night was dark and the fog more dense.
It was at three bells, or half-past one in the morning, that theattempt was to be made.
Tempest arranged his plans, and to all appearance everything went on asusual.
A few minutes before the striking of three bells, three of the crew ofthe _Lively Bee_ might have been seen creeping cautiously to the top ofthe companionway.
Had any one been there to watch most minutely, he would have seen thateach of the three was armed with pistol and marlin-spike.
The bells struck, and a man felt his way cautiously up the companionway.
He had only just slipped on the deck when a terrific blow from a marlinspike held by Tempest felled him to the deck.
Another man crept up just as quietly to meet the same fate, while athird, thinking something was wrong, saved his life by hesitating.
Tempest turned a flash from his lantern down the steps and saw themerchant captain handing a pistol to the hesitating sailor.
A quick shot pierced the traitor's heart, and the sailor fell on hisknees and begged for mercy.
Thus ended the attempt to recapture the prize.
In the morning the _Lively Bee_ towed the merchant prize into port andplaced her in the hands of a reliable agent for sale.