CHAPTER XVII.
VERY SHARP SHOOTING.
"Anneke Ten Eyck," remarked Rachel Tarns, in the kitchen of the Averyhouse, "I am glad for thee. Thy brave son's share of the prize-moneytaketh thee out of thy distresses. Thou wilt have more, if hecontinueth to serve our good king after this fashion. Thee may beproud of him."
"Rachel!" exclaimed Mrs. Ten Eyck, "you know I'm glad to have the moneyand to pay my debts with it, but I wish it didn't come from plunder. Ican't help pitying all the people that have lost their ships and theirproperty."
"I also am sorry for them," said Rachel. "Doubtless, war is a sin andan evil. I pray much for the return of peace. Thee should bear inmind, though, that both sides have sinned, and that therefore both mustsuffer while the war lasteth."
"Our American people are suffering terribly," said Mrs. Ten Eyck. "Iwish I could send something to Washington's army. I have heard saythat the colonies are becoming exhausted, while England is as rich asever."
"She may be so," said Rachel, "but I have been at a Friends' meeting,and some of the elderly men are good accountants. They had somewhat tosay concerning the matter of exhaustion."
"Oh, what did they say?" asked Mrs. Avery, at the ironing-board."Nobody can beat a lot of old Quakers at arithmetic."
"I will tell thee," said Rachel. "This was their testimony concerningthis dark and dreadful year, and concerning last year also. Theycomputed that for every American who fell in battle or died in camp,fifteen more young men became of age, ready to take his place. Thearmy is not dying out. For every acre of land really laid waste by theBritish, one hundred fresh acres of newly opened farms were put undercultivation. For every ton of American shipping captured by theBritish, five tons of new shipping were built in American shipyards,and ten tons of English shipping were captured or destroyed by ourcruisers. Our commerce, therefore, dieth not rapidly. Thee should notforget, too, that our girls who are coming of age are worth somethingfor the future prosperity of the country. None of them are killed inbattles, and nearly all of them get married soon. The elderstestified, moreover, that while we have lost the right to send all ofour productions to England, we have gained the right to trade with allthe rest of the world. We wax richer and more numerous, they said, andthe timid and the unbelieving boweth his head, and weepeth, anddeclareth that this is our exhaustion."
"Hurrah for the Quakers!" exclaimed Mrs. Avery. "They are right! But,Rachel, it is getting into September, and it is ever so long since wehave had any news from the _Noank_."
"Two more prizes came," replied Rachel, "and thy son Vine came back tothee in safety."
"Yes," said his mother, "but it was only to go out with Sam Prentice inthat bark, for another privateering trip to the West Indies. I don'tcare: I'm almost glad Vine isn't with General Schuyler's army and justabout to have a battle with Burgoyne."
"It'll be a hard one," said Mrs. Ten Eyck. "They say the British haveall the Six Nations with them this time."
"Anneke," said Rachel, "does thee not know the red men? I do. Theywill dance and shout much, and they will take the king's presents.They will do many murders, for a time, but all the British generals cannever turn Indians into soldiers. They may not be depended upon."
Poor General Burgoyne, struggling desperately among the mountains andforests and swamps, was already beginning to understand the reallyworthless character of his vaunted Indian allies. They wereskirmishers and scouts, truly, but they were not trustworthy soldiers.At the same time, their presence in his camps did more than anythingelse to rally against him the full power of the New York and NewEngland patriots. Many a man whose patriotism had been lukewarm orwavering took down his rifle from its hooks and hurried away to do hisbest to prevent the threatened great inroad of the Iroquois.
The ports of the Southern states as well as of the Northern weresending out both public and private armed vessels, and the infant navyof the United States was growing rapidly. It was beginning, also, toestablish for itself a high character for efficiency and daring. Evenwhen its first adventurous captains could not obtain ships that suitedthem, they did wonders with old hulks and half-refitted merchantmen.American shipyards were largely increasing their capacities, whileAmerican sailors were proving that seamanship and courage were of moreimportance than mere wood and canvas.
The autumn days that came were bright and beautiful, even along themisty coasts of the British islands. There had been, previously, asuccession of severe storms and a host of craft had lingered in harbor,awaiting the arrival of this fine weather. Now it was here, the seaswhich bordered Britain, France, the Netherlands, and, away northward,the Danish coast, the North Sea, and the Baltic, seemed to swarm withsails. These were all too numerous for one craft more to attractespecial attention.
There were war-ships of all sorts and sizes, and of severalnationalities. These were all supposed by each other to be in somewhatjealous and exclusive care of the welfare and conduct of their owntraders. One flag only was notably absent, as yet, and there were notmany seagoing Europeans, comparatively speaking, who had even so muchas seen the stars and stripes. This was the bright flag of the future,nor was anybody ready to foresee that it would thereafter become ofgreat importance in the commerce of the world.
A schooner, apparently a merchantman, going along under easy sail, wastaking a course from the northward into the British Channel. Therewere many two-masters in the North Sea carrying the Baltic andScandinavian trade, and this might be one of them. A sleepy Britishline-of-battle ship in the distance, easterly, did not care to meddlewith her, flying as she did the Norway flag. She might be alumber-boat, with her hold full of barrel heads and staves, and herdeck cluttered with spare spars for the Hull builders.
A closer look at that same deck would have dismissed the spars from thesupposition, and certainly no ordinary lumber business could havecalled for so numerous a crew.
One of these, a short and brawny man, was all the while busy with atelescope, uttering pretty loudly his readings of all he saw. No doubthe was a sailor familiar with these seas, and had been selected as alookout for that reason. "That line-o'-battle ship won't pay us anyattention, sir," he said. "We're getting well along past her. Thereisn't a speck o' danger in sight but one."
"What's that, Groot?" said Captain Avery, arising from his seat upon acoil of rope. "What do you see?"
"Revenue cutter, sir," replied Groot, "or I'm mistaken. She'sbrig-rigged. Almost dead ahead. She'll try to overhaul us, sir."
"I a'most hope she will," said the captain, testily. "We'll keep righton. We've sailed all the way 'round Scotland, and the best fun we'vehad was goin' ashore for fish and to scare the people. We haven'ttaken in a dollar's worth."
"Some o' the custom's cutters are likely craft," remarked a grizzledseaman near him. "They're apt to be pretty well armed. It wouldn'tpay very well to tackle one of 'em. She might turn and tackle us."
"Well, Taber," said the captain, "we'll sheer away from her, of course,but I won't run away very far, unless that there liner gets too nighus."
"She won't," said Groot. "She's taking in sail now. We're too smallgame for her to chase after."
"We'll let out every inch of our own canvas, then," suddenly shoutedthe captain. "I've an idea in my head. All hands prepare for action!My notion is that that feller's right there on the lookout for us. Bythis time every British captain has heard that we are cruisin' 'round.'Bout ship! Cast loose that pivot-gun. We may have to try a shot withit in less'n half an hour. Taber, go to the wheel. Men! I thinkwe're goin' to be waked up!"
His further orders went out fast, and every man on board seemed to feelas if a kind of relief had come. Day after day, most of the time inbad weather, they had beaten along the Irish coasts, and then theScotch. The only important ships they had seen had been French orBritish cruisers, or else merchantmen which were altogether too near anarmed protector. For fishing boats and mere coasters they had noappetite. It had, therefore, been onl
y dull business for overcrowded,uncomfortable men, eager for adventures and prize-money.
The sails went out, and as they caught the breeze the _Noank_ spranggayly forward.
"That's it, sir," said Groot, lowering his glass. "She was hove towhen I first sighted her. She'll cross our course next tack, and thereisn't another keel anywhere near us."
"That's our luck," said the captain. "I guess we can handle anycustom-house boat. I know what their armaments are, mostly. They'reall good runners, but they don't count on much resistance fromsmugglers, and their guns are short-nosed."
If he had been on board of the brig he was speaking of at that moment,he might have changed his opinion a little. A revenue protector shewas, assuredly, and she was more than a mere cutter. She was wellmanned, well armed. It looked, indeed, as if what might be herordinary ship's company had been reenforced, perhaps by a detail from aman-of-war. Her commander was a regular navy lieutenant, and he was aseamanlike old fellow. The four guns each broadside that she carriedwere the long six-pound chasers that were then going into the newrevenue service vessels, and they were good pieces for their caliber.She was a dangerous customer for the kind of antagonist she wasexpected to meet.
"Mr. Tracy," said a young officer on her quarter-deck to the graylieutenant, "what do you think of her, sir?"
"My boy," replied his commander, "she's the chap we're here for. Shehas just the style o' foremast and tops'l that Syme told us of. That'sthe Yankee. I can't believe, though, that she's all he said she was.The fellow was badly scared, you know."
"We'll knock some splinters out of her, and take her in, then," laughedthe young man, jauntily. "You were right, sir, in coming this way.The others missed her."
"We won't do that," said Tracy. "All hands clear away for action! Weare going to take that American privateer!"
"Ay, ay, sir!" came cheerily back, and the crew sprang away in genuineBritish readiness for anything like a brush with an enemy.
An ugly antagonist the _Arran_ was likely to be, and she was sure ofgood handling. She was speedy, too, and the two vessels were all thewhile nearing each other. It was to be noted, nevertheless, as CaptainAvery had said, that at the same time they were getting away out ofreach of the overpowerful ship of the line.
"I'm going to strike first," he remarked, "and I mean to hit hard.Ready, Up-na-tan! Williams, pull down that Norway bunting, and run upthe stars and stripes! We'll fight under our own flag to-day. I'llcripple that fellow or take him. If I don't, we're bound for a Britishprison, instead of Amsterdam."
"That's so, sir," said Groot. "She's a pretty big bird for us, I'mthinking."
"Big or little, we'll fight her! Three cheers for the flag!" sang outthe captain.
The three cheers were rousers, and the _Noank_ gained a point by it.Lieutenant Tracy had been using his glass just then, and he angrilyroared out:--
"Fletcher, my boy! If they haven't challenged us! Give 'em abroadside! Hurrah! They mean to show fight!"
Good gunners were those mariners of the _Arran_. Well sent was thatbroadside; and in a moment more Captain Avery was leaning over his portbulwark, and was making a somewhat serious examination.
"Hurrah!" he shouted in his turn. "So much for ice-fender timbers andplanking. Two shot struck fair and didn't go through. Up-na-tan, letfly! Show 'em the difference!"
The Manhattan did not obey at once. He was sighting, sighting,sighting, for almost a minute, and the men at the broadside guns werefollowing his example.
"Fire!" shouted the captain, and even then there was an irritatingpause.
THE FIGHT WITH THE ARRAN. "'Fire!' shouted the captain,and even then there was an irritating pause."]
"Ugh!" grunted the red man, at last. "Ole chief wait and see brigbowsprit. Send shot behind it."
The long eighteen spoke out, and was instantly followed by the threesixes on that side of the _Noank_. It was at the very moment whenLieutenant Tracy remarked, inquiringly:--
"What? Don't they mean to answer us? You don't say they'll surrenderwithout firing a shot? That isn't like 'em, now--"
His next utterance was much louder.
"George!" he shouted. "There goes my bowsprit! The jolly-boat'sknocked into matchwood! I declare! There's a hole in the mains'l! Isanybody hurt?"
"Not a man, sir!" shouted back Fletcher, cheerfully. "We'll give it to'em!"
The brig had been already going about, and her other broadside was aswell directed as the first. It would have been bad for the _Noank_ butfor her heavy timbers and the lightness of Tracy's metal. She washulled in three places, and there was a ragged split in her foresail.It did not prevent her going about, however, and her next trio of ironmessengers were as well aimed as were the Englishman's.
"They hulled us, sir," reported the _Arran's_ sailing-master. "Nogreat harm. Three men hurt by splinters. The after rigging's cut abit. We must finish that chap, sir."
"That cursed long gun o' theirs!" growled Tracy, fiercely. "CaptainSyme told me, and I hardly believed him. That's what may play themischief with us. I wish we were at broadsides with her."
That was precisely the advantage which Captain Avery did not intend togive him, right away, and the _Arran_, losing her bowsprit, was not byany means so difficult to keep away from or to outmanoeuvre.
Slowly, carefully, Up-na-tan had again sighted his gun and measured hisdistance. It was tantalizing to watch him as he doggedly refused tothrow away a shot.
"Ugh! Whoo-oop!" he yelled, as his lanyard touched the priming of hisgun. "Now see! Ole chief take 'em aft!"
"I wish he'd do as well for one end of her as he did for the other,"muttered the captain.
"He's done it, sir!" exclaimed Guert, for he had borrowed the captain'stelescope.
"That Indian's a gunner!" said Groot, with emphasis. "I never saw oneto beat him. I've seen pretty good marksmen, too."
The peculiar accuracy of eye born in or acquired by the old red man wasa disastrous gift for the British revenue brig. Almost too far aft didthe shot hit her, but in it went, and all her rudder gear was uselessin a second of time. She could no longer answer her wheel, and beganto lurch about at the mercy of wind and wave.
Fierce indeed were the execrations of her helpless officers and crew.All their courage and seamanship were of no use, now. Their guns mightas well have been made of wood, and their jaunty brig had become asclumsy and unmanageable as a raft. Moreover, the terrible American wasspeeding nearer, and only a few minutes went by before there came aloud-voiced demand for her surrender to the--
"United States armed cruiser _Noank_, Captain Lyme Avery."
"His Britannic Majesty's brig _Arran_, Lieutenant Tracy. We surrender,of course. You could sink us as we are now. All the luck's yours."
"We'll come alongside," said Avery.
"I wish I had a right to board him when he comes," growled Tracy, ashis flag came down. "There'd be some satisfaction in that."
A few minutes later he had changed that opinion, for an unexpectedtorrent of men poured over his bulwarks from the _Noank_.
"'Pon my soul!" he exclaimed. "What a crew she has! They outnumber ustwo to one. It's no disgrace at all!"
All the British tars felt relieved in their minds after a good look attheir victors. The result of the fight was not to be a discredit tothem, they said, and the American sailors hailed them merrily. Therehad been no killing on either side, and there was no cause for badtemper. The best shots had decided the fight, and all true seamencould accept the consequences.
"Lieutenant Tracy," said Captain Avery, "we don't want your brig.We'll take out of her all that suits us, and then you can drift aroundtill help gets to you. Or you can patch up and work your way into someport or other."
"I can manage it," said the Englishman, ruefully. "We captured aFrench smuggler yesterday, and now a deal o' that luck is yours insteadof ours. You rebels are holding out wonderfully."
"So is England," laughed Captain Av
ery. "You won't give up, and wewon't. I guess you'll have to, though, one o' these days."
"Never!" said Tracy, sturdily. "All the colonies'll have to come backunder the king, sooner or later."
"You wait and see," said the captain.
The loyal-hearted lieutenant, however, had expressed no more than thealmost undoubting faith of the great body of his countrymen. They weresimply unable to believe that the Americans could succeed.
Down into the hold of the _Arran_ had dashed the men of the _Noank_.Tackle had been quickly rigged at the hatches.
One of the commands given had related to a search for powder and shot,and the entire supply of the brig was now coming up, to be transferredto the schooner. It was a timely winning, for her stock had begun torun low.
"It's a good thing for us," said her captain and crew, as they securedit.
Anything and everything in the nature of arms and ammunition,furniture, cutlery, table goods, bales of woollens, and packages ofsilks taken from the French smuggler, more than a little tannedleather, lots of miscellaneous stuff not yet precisely known as to itscharacter, made up the unexpectedly valuable plunder of thesmuggler-capturing brig.
There was no time to transfer her cannon, and these were left behind,spiked. Her spare sails went, however, with a good yawl-boat and someextra light spars. Then the _Noank_ cast off, and her crew gave theircrestfallen British acquaintances three rounds of hearty cheers.
"Captain Avery," shouted Tracy, "you're a good fellow, but Fletcher andI hope we may meet you again, some day, with better luck to our guns."
"All right!" responded the captain. "May you command a forty-four andI another. Then the United States'll own one more prime ship that usedto be the king's. Hurrah!"