CHAPTER XXXI.
THE END.
I should require to write to the length of this book over again to dofull justice by description to the difficulties and anxieties of thedays that now followed. If it had not been thick weather all the time, Ido not know how I should have fared, I am sure. I was between two fires,so to say; on the one side the French cruisers and privateers, and onthe other side the ships of my own country, and particularly the revenuecutters and the sloops and the like cruising after the smugglers. As Iknew that my relative could not be with me under four days, I steeredout of sight of land into the middle of the Channel, betwixt Beachy Headand the Seine coast, and there dodged about under very small canvas,heartily grateful for the haze that shrouded the sea to within a mile ofme. I scarcely closed my eyes in sleep, and though my worries were nowof a very different kind from those which had racked me on the ice, theywere, in their way, to the full as tormenting. Every sail that loomed inthe dinginess filled me with alarm. Several ships passed me close, and Icould scarce breathe till they were out of sight. Indeed, I lay skulkingout upon that sea as if I was some common thief broken loose from jail.However, it pleased heaven that I should manage to keep out of sight ofthose whom I most strenuously desired not to see; and the afternoon ofthe fourth day found the _Boca_ lying off Beachy Head, and I peeringover the rail, with a haggard face, at the dark shadow of the land.
It had been blowing and snowing all day. The seas ran short andspitefully. It was a dismal December afternoon, and the more sensiblydisgusting to us who were fresh from several weeks of the balm and gloryof the tropics. And yet I would not have exchanged it for a clear fineday for all that I was like to be worth.
It was the most reasonable thing in the world that a vessel should behove-to in such sombre weather, and so I was under no concern that ourposture in this respect would excite suspicion, should we be descried.The hours stole away one by one. Now and again a little coaster wouldpass, some hoy bound west, a sloop for the Thames, a lugger on someunguessable mission: all small ships, oozing dark and damp out of thesnow and mist and passing silently. I kept the land close aboard to beout of the way of the bigger craft, and held the vessel in the windtill it was necessary to reach to our station. The three of us weremighty pensive and eager, staring incessantly with all our eyes; but itlooked as if we were not to expect anything that day when the night putits darkness into the weather. Then, as I foresaw a serious danger ifthe wind shifted into the south, and as I could not obtain a glimpse ofa shore-light, I resolved to bring up and ride till dawn. Long ago wehad got the schooner's old anchors at the catheads and the cables bent,so, lowering the mainsail and hauling down the stay foresail, we letfall the starboard anchor, and the ship came to a stand. I put the leadover the side that we might know if she dragged, hung a lantern on theforestay and one on either quarter that our presence might be marked bymy relative should he be out in quest of us, and went below, leavingCromwell to keep the look-out.
I was extremely fretful and anxious and had no patience to talk withBilly Pitt. There were too many risks, too many vague chances in thisexploit to render contemplation of it tolerable. Suppose my relativeshould be dead? Suppose Wilkinson should be robbed of his money? fall tothe cutting of capers, as a sailor newly delivered to the pleasures ofthe land with ten guineas in his pocket? Get locked up for breaking thepeace? Blab of us in his cups and start the Customs on our trail? Therewas no end to such conjectures, and I made myself so melancholy that Iwas fool enough to think that the treasure was no better than a curse,and that on the whole I was better off on the ice than here with theanchor in English ground and my native soil within gunshot.
I was up and about till midnight, and then, being in the cabin andexhausted, I fell asleep across the table, and in that posture lay asone dead. Some one dragging at my arm, with very little tenderness,awoke me. I was in the midst of a dream of the schooner having beenboarded by a party of French privateersmen, with Tassard at their head,and the roughness with which I was aroused was exactly calculated toextend into my waking the horror and grief of my sleep.
I instantly sprang to my feet and saw Washington Cromwell.
"Massa Rodney," he bawled, "Massa Rodney, de gent's 'longside--him an'Wilkinson--yaas, by de good Lord--dey'se both dere! Dey hail me an' Ianswer and say who are you, and dey say are you de _Boca_? We am, I say,and dey say----"
I had stood stupidly staring at him, but my full understanding comingto me on a sudden, I jumped to the ladder and darted on deck. I heardvoices over the starboard side and ran there. It was not so darkbut that I could see the outline of a Deal lugger. Whilst I waspeering, the voice of my man Wilkinson cried out, "On deck, there!Cromwell--Billy--where's Mr. Rodney?"
"Here I am!" cried I.
"My God, Paul!" exclaimed the voice of Mr. Mason, "this encounter isfortunate indeed."
I shouted to the negroes to show a light, and in a few minutes Mr.Mason, Wilkinson, and a couple of Deal boatmen came over the side. Igrasped my relative by both hands. I had not seen him for four years.
"This is good of you, indeed!" I cried. "But you must be perished withthe cold of that open boat. Come below at once--come Wilkinson, and youmen--there's a fire in the cook-room and drink to warm us;" and down Ibundled in the wildest condition of excitement, followed by Mason andthe others.
My relative was warmly clad and did not seem to suffer from the cold. Hetook me by the hand and brought me to the lanthorn-light, and stoodviewing me.
"Ay," said he, "you are your old self: a bit worried looking, butthat'll pass. Stout and burnt. Odd's heart! Paul, if you have passedthrough the experiences Wilkinson has given me a sketch of, we must haveyour life, man, we must have your life--for the booksellers."
Well, I need not detain you by reciting all the civilities andcongratulations which he and I exchanged. He and Wilkinson had arrivedat Deal at three o'clock that afternoon, and, after a hurried meal, hadhired a lugger and started at once for Beachy Head. It was now threeo'clock in the morning; and what I may consider a truly extraordinarycircumstance is, that they had sailed as true a course for the schooneras if she had lain plain to the gaze at the very start; that since thenight had drawn down they had met no vessel of any kind or description,until they came up to us; that in all probability they would have runstem on into us if they had not seen our lights, and that their seeingour lights had caused them to hail us, their "ship ahoy!" beinginstantly answered by Cromwell.
"Well," said I, "there are stranger things to tell of than this, even.Now, Wilkinson, and you Billy, and Cromwell, get us a good supper andmix a proper bowl. How many more of you are in the lugger?"
"Four, sir," says one of the boatmen.
"Then fetch as many as may safely leave the boat," said I. "Billy, getcandles and make a good light here. Throw on coal, boys; there's enoughto carry us home."
I saw Mason gazing curiously about him.
"'Tis like a tale out of the Arabian Nights, Paul," he exclaimed.
"Ay," said I, "but written in bitter prose, and no hint of enchantmentanywhere. But, thank God, you are come! I have passed a dismal time ofexpectation, I promise you." I added softly, "I have somethingsecret--we will sup first, man--I shall amaze you! We must talk apartpresently."
He bowed his head.
Three more boatmen arrived, giving us the company of five of them. Soonthere was a hearty sound of frying and a smell of good things upon theair. Pitt put plates and glasses upon the cabin table, two great bowlsof punch were brewed, and in a little time we had all fallen to. Iwhispered Wilkinson, who sat next me, "These boatmen know nothing of ourbusiness; I shall have to take Mr. Mason apart and arrange with him.These fellows may not be fit for our service. Let no hint escape you."
"Right, sir," said he.
This I said to disarm his suspicions should he see me talking alone withMr. Mason. He entertained us with an account of his excursion to London;and then, partly to appease the profound curiosity of the boatmen andpartly to save time when I should c
ome to confer with my relative, Igave them the story of my shipwreck, and told how I had met with theschooner and how I had managed to escape with her.
"And now, Mason," said I, "whilst our friends here empty these bowls,come you with me to the cook-room." And with that we quitted the cabin.
"D'ye mean to tell me, Paul," was the first question my relative asked,"that this vessel was on the ice eight-and-forty years?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Surely you dream?"
"I think not."
"What we have been eating and drinking--is that forty-eight years old,too?"
"Ay, and older."
"Well, such a thing shall make me credulous enough to duck old women forwitches. But what brandy--what brandy! Never had spirit such a bouquet.Every pint is worth its weight in guineas to a rich man. To think ofDeal boatmen and niggers swilling such nectar!"
"Mason," said I, speaking low, "give me now your attention. In the runof this schooner are ten chests loaded with money, bars of silver andgold, and jewellery. This vessel was a pirate, and her people valuedtheir booty at ninety to a hundred thousand pounds."
His jaw fell; he stared as if he knew not whether it was he or I thatwas mad.
"Here is evidence that I speak the truth," said I. "A little sampleonly--but look at it!" And I put the pirate captain's watch into hishand.
He eyed it as though he discredited the intelligence of his sight,turned it about, and returned it to me with a faint "Heaven preserveme!" Then said he, still faintly, "You found some of the pirates alive?"
"No."
"Who told you that the people of the vessel valued their plunder at thatamount?"
I answered by giving him the story of the recovery of the Frenchman.
He listened with a gaze of consternation: I saw how it was; he believedmy sufferings had affected my reason. There was only one way to settlehis mind; I took a lanthorn, and asked him to follow me. As we passedthrough the cabin I whispered Wilkinson that I meant to show my relativethe lading below, and bade him keep the Deal men about him. I had thekeys of the chests in my pocket: lifting the after-hatch, we entered thelazarette, and Mason gazed about him with astonishment. But I was in toogreat a hurry to return to suffer him to idly stand and stare. I openedthe second hatch and descended into the run, and crawling to the jewelchest opened it, removed a few of the small-arms, and bade him look forhimself.
"Incredible! incredible!" he cried. "Is it possible! is it possible!Well, to be sure!" And for some moments he could find no more to say, soamazed and confounded was he.
I quickly showed him the gold and silver ingots and then returned thefirearms and locked the chests.
"_These_," said I emphatically, pointing to the cases, "have been mydifficulty; not the lading, though there is value there too. My crewknow nothing of these chests: of their value, I mean; they believe themcases of small-arms. How am I to get them ashore? If I tell the truth,they will be seized as piratical plunder. If I equivocate, I may tumbleinto a pit of difficulties. I durst not carry them to the Thames, theriver swarms with thieves and Custom House people. I am terrified tolinger here, lest I be boarded and the booty discovered. There is butone plan, I think: we must hire some Deal smugglers to run these chestsand the cargo for us. The boat now alongside might serve, and I don'tdoubt the men are to be had at their own price."
My relative had regained his wits, which the sight of the treasure hadtemporarily scattered, and surveyed me thoughtfully whilst I spoke; andthen said, "Let us return to the fire; I think I have a better schemethan yours."
The men still sat around the table talking. Some liquor yet lay in oneof the bowls, and the fellows were happy enough. I smiled at Wilkinsonas I passed, that he might suppose our inspection below verysatisfactory, and I saw him look meaningly and pleasantly at WashingtonCromwell, who sat with a laced hat on his head.
"Paul," said Mason, sitting down and folding his arms, "your smugglingplan will not do. It would be the height of madness to trust thosechests to the risks of running and to the honesty of the rogues engagedin that business."
"What is to be done?"
"Tell me your lading," said he.
I gave it to him as accurately as I could.
"Why," he exclaimed, "a single boat would take a long time to dischargeye--observe the perils--several boats would mean a large number of men;they would eat you up; they would demand so much, you would have nothingleft. And suppose they opened the chests! No, your scheme is worthless."
"What's to do, then, in God's name?"
"I'll tell you!" he exclaimed, smiling with the complacency of a man whois master of a great fancy. "I shall sail to Dover at once. 'Tis now aquarter past four. Give me twelve hours to make Dover: I shall poststraight to London and be there by early morning. Now, Paul, attend youto this. To-day is Wednesday; by to-morrow night you must contrive tobring your ship to an anchor off Barking Level."
"The Thames!" I cried.
He nodded.
I looked at him anxiously. He leaned to me, putting his hand on my leg.
"I own a lighter," said he: "she will be alongside of you at dusk. Ihave people of my own whom I can trust. The lighter will empty your holdand convey the lading to a ship chartered by me, arrived from the BlackSea on Sunday and lying in the Pool. The stuff can be sold from thatship as it is--"
"But the chests--the chests, Mason!"
"They shall be lowered into another boat, and taken ashore and put intoa waggon that will be in waiting--I in it--and driven to my home."
I clapped him on the shoulder in a transport.
"Nobly schemed indeed!" I cried; "but have we nothing to fear from theCustoms people?"
"No, not low down the river and at dark. You bring up for convenience,d'ye see. Mind it is dark when you anchor. A lighter and boat shall beawaiting you. It is down the river, you know, that all the lumpers dropwith the lighters they go adrift in from ships' sides. There's moresafety in smuggling over Thames mud than on this coast shingle. Onethought more: you say that Wilkinson believes the chests holdsmall-arms?"
"Yes."
"Then account to him for sending the chests away separately by sayingthat I have found a purchaser, and that they are going to him direct.You have your cue--you see all!"
"All."
"Let me hurry, then, Paul; that brandy should fetch you half a guinea apint. You are in luck's way, Paul. See that you bring your ship alongsafely. Till to-morrow night!"
He clasped and wrung my hand and ran into the cabin.
"Now, lads, off with us!" he cried. "Off to Dover! Put me ashore theresmartly and you shall find your account. Off now--time presses."
Five minutes afterwards the boat was gone.
When fortune falls in love with a man she makes him a bounteousmistress. Everything fell out as I could have desired. We got our anchorat five, and by daybreak were off Hastings jogging quietly along towardsLondon river, the weather conveniently obscure, the wind south, andforty hours before us to do the run in. I exactly explained myrelative's scheme to Wilkinson and the others, who declared themselvesperfectly satisfied, Wilkinson adding that though he had not objected tothe Deal smuggling project he throughout considered the risk too heavyto adventure. I told them that Mr. Mason believed he could immediatelyfind a purchaser for the small-arms, in which case they would have to besent privately ashore; and to give a proper colour to this ruse I madethem pack away all the remaining weapons in the arms-room and carry themto the run, ready to be taken with the other chests.
Once fairly round the Forelands half my anxieties fell from me. Therewas no longer the French cruiser or privateer to be feared, and howeverwonderingly the people of my own country's vessels might stare at theuncommon figure of my schooner, they could find no excuse to board us.Besides, as I have said, I was greatly helped by the weather, whichcontinuing hazy, though happily never so thick as to oblige me to stop,delivered me to the sight only of such vessels as passed close, andoffered me as a mere smudge to the shore.
&n
bsp; We arrived off Barking Level on the Thursday night, and dropped anchorclose to a lighter that lay there with a large boat hanging by her. Itwas then very dark. The first person to come on board was Mason. He wasfollowed by several men, one of whom he introduced to me as his headclerk, who would see to the unloading of the schooner and to thetranshipment of the goods to the ship in the Pool. He informed me thatthere was a covered van waiting on shore; and telling Wilkinson that thesmall-arms had been disposed of, and that Mr. Mason would hand over theproceeds on our calling at his office, I went with a party of myrelative's men into the run and presently had the whole of the chests inthe boat. Mason went with her.
Then, as she disappeared in the darkness, but not till then, did I drawthe first easy breath I had fetched since the hour of the collision ofthe _Laughing Mary_ with the iceberg. A sob shook me: I had gone throughmuch: many wonderful things had happened to me: I had been deliveredfrom such perils that the mere recollection of them will stir my hair,though it is years since; my duty I knew, and I discharged it bywithdrawing to my cabin and kneeling with humble and grateful heartbefore the throne of that Being to whom I owed everything.
POSTSCRIPT.
Here concludes the remarkable narrative of Mr. Paul Rodney. It is to bewished that he had found the patience to tell us a little more. Thecircumstance of his dying in 1823, worth 31,000_l._, leads me to suspectthat his associate Tassard greatly exaggerated the value of thetreasure. I am assured that he lived very quietly, and that the lady hemarried, who bore him two children, both of whom died young, was of anunlike simplicity of character and loved show and extravagance aslittle as her husband. Hence there is no reason to suppose that hesquandered any portion of the fortune that had in the most extraordinarymanner ever heard of fallen into his hands. I have ascertained that hevery substantially discharged the great obligation that his relativeMason laid him under, and that his three men received a thousand poundsapiece. It is possible, then, that the pirates were themselves deceived,that what they had taken to be gold or silver ingots were not all so; orit might be that the case of jewellery was less valuable than theadmiring and astonished eyes of a plain sailor, who admits that he hadnever before seen such a sight, figured it. Be this, however, as it may,it is nevertheless certain, as proved by Mr. Rodney's last will andtestament, that he did uncommonly well out of his adventure on the ice.
Whatever may be thought of his story of the Frenchman's restoration tolife, in other directions Mr. Rodney's accuracy seems unimpeachable. Itis quite conceivable that a stoutly-built vessel locked up in the iceand thickly glazed, should continue in an excellent state ofpreservation for years. The confession of his superstitious fearsexhibits honesty and candour. It is related that a Captain Warren,master of an English merchant-ship, found a derelict (in August, 1775)that had long been ice-bound, with her cabins filled with the bodies ofthe frozen crew. "His own sailors, however, would not suffer him tosearch the vessel thoroughly, through superstition, and wished to leaveher immediately." A pity they did not try their hands at thawing one ofthe poor fellows: the result might have kept Mr. Rodney's strangeexperience in countenance!
Accounts of vast bodies of ice, such as that which Mr. Rodney fell inwith, will be found in the South Atlantic Directory. For instance:--
"Sir James C. Ross crossed Weddel's track in Lat. 65 deg. S., and where hehad found an open sea, Ross found an ice-pack of an impassablecharacter, along which he sailed for 160 miles; and again, when only onedegree beyond the track of Cook, who had no occasion to enter the pack,Ross was navigating among it for fifty-six days.
"But these appear insignificant when compared with a body of icereputed to have been passed by twenty-one ships during the months ofDecember, 1854, and January, February, March, and April, 1855, floatingin the South Atlantic from Lat 44 deg. S., Long. 28 deg. W., to Lat. 40 deg. S.,Long. 20 deg. W. Its elevation in no case exceeded 300 feet. The firstaccount of it was received from the _Great Britain_, which in December,1854, was reported to have steamed 50 miles along the outer side of thelonger shank." One ship was lost upon it: others embayed.
THE END.
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