CHAPTER TEN.
There is a strong similarity between the aspects of physical nature andthose exhibited by man, as an individual, and in the aggregate.
Before any outbreak or great commotion, from the disorganised conditionof the moral body, there are observed signs of discontent, murmurings,and complaints, fierce looks and threats--these, at length, disappear,and people seem to be seized with a sudden apathy and indifference,which is as quickly cast aside, and all is rage, havoc, and confusion.So, likewise, before the coming of a storm, clouds are seen gathering inthe horizon, murmurs and growls are heard, then the wind dies away, anda perfect calm, for a short time, succeeds the fury of the tempest, and,in both instances, the more perfect the calm, the more is the subsequentoutbreak to be feared.
The wind had gradually died away, till the sea became smooth as glass,and rose and fell in gentle undulations, which made the vessel roll fromside to side, and caused every timber and bulkhead to groan and creak.
It appeared not to have been absolutely necessary to shorten sail sosoon; but as there was a dead calm, this was of no consequence, and themost prudent seamanship; as it is, at times, difficult to judge theperiod a squall my take to travel up to a ship.
The brig still lay with her head a little to the northward of east, andher yards were now braced up on the starboard tack to meet the windwhich gave signs of coming from the southward and east. Everypreparation was made, and all hands were at their stations, ready toexecute any of their commander's orders which the emergency mightrequire, when Ada, wearied of remaining in the hot cabin, came on deck,followed by her little maid; and before Bowse, who was looking to thesouthward, perceived them, they had gained the poop.
"This is no place for you, miss, I am sure," he exclaimed, on seeingher. "You do not know what risk you run. Oh, go below again--gobelow."
"Why, what is the matter, Captain Bowse?" she replied, laughing, andlooking at the calm sea. "My uncle told me that we were to have atremendous storm, and I do not feel a breath of wind."
"And so we shall, miss," he exclaimed. "You have no time to go belownow without assistance. Hold on by these cleats, and tell your maid todo so too. Here it comes!"
As he spoke, the mass of clouds which had been collecting to theeastward, and gradually approaching, now came driving up bodily acrossthe sky at a rapid rate--the dark waters below it, hitherto so smoothand calm, presented a sheet of snow-white foam, hissing and bubbling asif it were turned up and impelled onward by some gigantic besom. Ada,as she gazed with feelings of mingled terror and admiration, saw it inone long line near the brig--it reached her side--the white foam flewupwards, curling over them, and the wind, at the same instant, strikingher canvas, her tall masts seemed to bend to its fury, and then presseddownwards, the hull heeled over till the lee bulwarks were nearlysubmerged.
Two strong hands were at the helm, ready to turn it a-weather, should itbe necessary to scud; but, in an instant, the gallant ship rose again--and then, like a courser starting for the race, she shot forward throughthe boiling cauldron, heeling over till her guns were in the water, butstill bravely carrying her canvas. Not a rope nor a lanyard hadstarted--not a seam in her topsails had given, and away she flew on herproper course. The veteran master stood on the poop watching for anychange or increase of wind. The safety of the ship depended on hispromptitude. The sea was rapidly rising; and this was soon perceptibleby her uneasy motion, as she rose and fell to each receding wave, thelast always appearing of greater height than its predecessors. Anymoment it might be necessary either to keep her away, and, furlingeverything, to let her drive before the gale under bare poles, or to puther helm down and heave her to, thus to let her lie forging slowlya-head, till the gale had abated. A few minutes only had passed sincethe brig first felt the force of the gale, and the whole sky was now amass of dark clouds, and the sea a sheet of white driving foam--out ofwhich lofty waves seemed to lift their angry heads, and to urge eachother into increased violence. The wind howled and whistled through therigging; the spars creaked and bent; and the whole hull groaned with theexertion as she tore onwards. Ada, who had, when the ship heeled over,held firmly on to the weather bulwarks, gazed at the scene, to her, sonovel and grand, with intense pleasure, from which fear was soonbanished; and little Marianna, having followed the example of hermistress in securing herself, imitated her also in her courage. Indeed,as yet, except that they were rather wetted by the foam which came onboard, when the squall first struck the brig, there was no object ofterror to alarm them. The moment Bowse could withdraw his attentionfrom the care of the ship, he hurried to assist Ada and her attendant,and to place them on the seat which surrounded the cabin skylight, whereshe might enjoy the magnificent spectacle of the tumultuous ocean,without the fatigue of standing, and having to hold on by the bulwarks.A cloak was thrown round her feet, and as she reclined back in the seat,she declared she felt like an ocean queen in her barge of state,reviewing her watery realms. The colonel's appearance on deck,supported by his man Mitchell, whose usual cadaverous countenance lookedstill more ghastly, drove away the romance in which she was beginning toindulge. He scolded her roundly for venturing on deck without hisescort, and insisted on her promising never to do so again, on pain ofbeing compelled instantly to go below.
The mate had returned to his post. The brig behaved beautifully; thoughshe heeled over to the force of the wind, she rose buoyantly to eachmountain wave, which reared its crest before her, and though the lightspray which the short seas so quickly aroused would fly high above herbows, and come in showers down on her forecastle, little of it found itsway aft, and not a sea which struck her came over her bulwarks. Bowselooked delighted and proud at the behaviour of his brig, as he pointedout her good qualities to his passengers.
"There's many a craft, which is looked upon as a clipper, won't behaveas she does, that I'll answer for," he observed.
He was going on with his panegyrics when his voice became silent, andhis eye riveted ahead. The atmosphere, which, when the gale first cameon, had been somewhat thick, had now partially cleared, and revealed tohim, at the distance of little more than a mile, a large polacca brighove to on the starboard tack. He instantly summoned his first officerto his side, and pointed out the stranger to him.
"What think you of that fellow, Timmins?" he asked.
The mate took a look at the stranger through his glass.
"A fine polacca brig, sir, as one can see with half an eye," he answereddeliberately; "but more of her I cannot say, as she shows no colours.We must keep away a little though, sir, or we shall be right down uponher."
"We should--starboard the helm a point my lads," exclaimed the master."Steady, that will take us clear, and we shall be near enough to have alook at him. Ah! there goes some buntin' aloft. What colours are they,Timmins?"
"The Austrian ensign, sir," replied the mate. "A black eagle on a whiteground, and there flies a pennant at his mast head."
"That's extraordinary indeed," exclaimed the master. "Hoist the ensignthere," he shouted. "Austrian or devil, we'll show him that we are notashamed of our flag, and will not strike it either in a hurry. Comehere, Timmins, we mustn't frighten the young lady by what we say. Youknow the paper dropped on board here last night; now it's my opinionthat that's the very brig it speaks about, and the one the felucca's twomen tried to persuade us was an Austrian man-of-war. To my eye, shelooks fifty times more like a Greek than an Austrian, for all that hercolours say. Well, what's your opinion that we ought to do?"
"With respect to her being a Greek, I think she is," answered the mate."And if she's a pirate, we ought to do our best to stand clear of her,seeing that we were commissioned to carry merchandise, and not to lookafter such gentry; but if she comes after us, and we can't get clear ofher, that alters the case, sir, and we must stand to our guns and fighther."
"I am glad to hear you say so, Timmins," answered the master, laying hishand on the mate's arm.
"Turn the hands up, my good
fellow, and let them go to quarters." (Thepeople were at their breakfast.) "We will not fire the first shot; butif she attacks us, we will give it them as well as we can. Onesatisfaction is, that they cannot board us while the gale lasts." Whilethe mate flew forward to execute the orders, Bowse approached hispassengers, and, pointing out the stranger to them, to which they werenow rapidly drawing near, told them his suspicions as to her character,and advised them to go below.
"But do you think he will fire into us?" inquired the colonel.
"He would gain little by so doing, while the gale lasts," replied Bowse,"and he might get injured in return, as he probably knows that we haveguns on board."
"There you see, Ada, there is little chance of any of us being hurt, butthere is a possibility--so you must go below again."
This the colonel said in a positive tone, and his niece was obliged tocomply.
"Oh, how I wish Captain Fleetwood was here in the _Ione_," she thought,as she quitted the deck. "No pirate would dare to molest us."
The stranger was hove to, under her fore-topsail, and appeared to bemaking what seamen call very fine weather of it. The _Zodiac_ came downscarcely a cable's length from her quarter, but the stranger gave nosign of any intention of accompanying her. Very few seamen appeared onher deck, and two or three officers only, whose uniform, seen throughthe glass, was evidently that of Austria. One of them, who, from hiswearing an epaulette on either shoulder, Bowse thought must be thecaptain, leaped up on the taffrail, and waved his hat to them, whileanother, in the _lingua franca_, sung out through a speaking trumpet--
"Heave to, and we will keep your company."
"I'll see you damned first, my fine fellow," answered the master, whohad been attentively surveying them through his glass. "I wish I was ascertain of heaven as I am that the fellow who waved to us is the samewho came on board when in Malta harbour. I know his face, spite of hischanged dress."
"I don't think he's unlike, except that he didn't look so tall quite asthe Greek you mean," observed the mate. "However, as they did not fireat us, and don't seem inclined to keep company with us either, I supposethey are after other and surer game."
The _Zodiac_ had by this time left the stranger far astern, andnumberless were the surmises of the crew as to what she was and what shewas about. All agreed in pronouncing her a Greek-built craft. She wasa large vessel, too, and well armed, if all the ports which showed on aside had guns to them; and she was, probably, as are most of the Greekvessels of that class, very fast. It is odd that they did not, however,regard her with half the suspicion that they did the little speronara,which could scarcely have harmed them, by mortal means, if she hadtried.
The _Zodiac_ had left the polacca brig about eight or ten miles astern,and her topsails could just be seen rising and falling above the boilingcauldron of waters which intervened, as she remounted the seas or sunkinto the trough between them.
The ship had also by this time assumed her usual peaceful appearance;the shot and powder had been returned below, the guns were run in andsecured, the small arms had been replaced in their racks, and thecolonel had withdrawn the charges of his pistols, and sent Mitchell withthem to his cabin.
"Well, I suppose as soon as this tornado blows over, we shall have atranquil time of it, and hear no more of your Flying Dutchman and bloodypirates," he observed to the master, as he held on the weather bulwarks."I did not bargain for all this sort of work, I can tell you, when Irefused a passage in a king's ship in order that I might avoid thesociety of those young jackanapes of naval officers, and save my littlegirl from being exposed to their interested assiduities."
"Can't say what may happen to us," returned Bowse, who was a greatstickler for the honour of the navy, and did not at all relish thecolonel's observations. "I've done my best to please you, and I'm surethe officers of any of his Majesty's ships would have done the same.I've belonged myself to the service, and have held the king's warrant,and I have had as good opportunities of judging of the character of avery large number of officers as any in the same station, and I mustsay, sir, in justice to them, though with all respect to you, ColonelGauntlett, that a less interested and less money-loving set of men thanthey are, are not to be found in any profession."
"Well, well, Mr Bowse," answered the colonel, seeing by the frown onthe master's good-natured countenance that he was in earnest, "I did notwant to hear a defence of the navy, but I should like to have youropinion as to when there is a probability of our enjoying a little quietagain, and whether we are likely to be molested by these reputed piratesafter all."
"I do not think, by the looks of it, that the gale will last as long asI at first supposed," said the master, at once appeased. "As for thematter of the pirates, no man can answer; I'm sure I can't."
"Well, but what do you think, Mr Timmins?" said the colonel, turning tothe mate.
Now, although the officer would not have ventured to give an opinion inopposition to his superior, yet, as Bowse had not expressed one, he felthimself at liberty to pronounce his judgment.
"Why, sir--looking at the state of the case on both sides--the long andshort of it is, in my opinion, that there has been a bit of free-tradinggoing on with some of the Liverpool merchantmen, which isn't at allunusual; and that those chaps who came about us mistook us for one oftheir friends; and then, when they found their mistake, wanted to bungup our eyes with a cock and a bull story about pirates. That's what Ithink about it. You see that brig, whether Austrian or not, was lookingout for some one else."
"Was she, though?" exclaimed the master, with sudden animation. "Ithink not; for, by Heavens, here she comes."
All those who heard the exclamation turned their eyes over the taffrail.
Just astern was the polacca brig--her head had paid off, and, with areef shaken out of each of her topsails, she was seen heeling over tothe gale, and tearing away through the foaming waves in chase of them.
The master, whose suspicions as to the honesty of her character hadnever been removed, now no longer hesitated to declare that he believedher to be the very pirate of whom he had been warned. He felt that hewas now called on to decide what course it would be wisest to pursue.To avoid her by outsailing her, he knew to be hopeless--except that, bycarrying on sail to the very last, he might induce her to do the same,till, perhaps, she might carry away her masts or spars, and the victorymight remain with the stoutest and best-found ship. His next resourcewas the hope of crippling her with his guns, as she drew near, and thuspreventing her from pursuing, while he escaped; and if both meansfailed, he trusted that Providence would give the victory to Britishcourage and seamanship, should she attempt to engage him alongside. Heexplained his intentions to his officers and Colonel Gauntlett, whofully agreed with him, and, acting on the first plan he proposed trying,he immediately ordered a reef to be shaken out of the topsails. The menflew aloft obedient to the order--the reefs were quickly shaken out, andthe yards again hoisted up.
Bowse watched with anxiety to see how the brig bore the additionalcanvas. A few minutes' trial convinced him that she might even carrymore without much risk. If any difference was perceptible, it was thatthe crests of the seas she met broke in thicker showers of spray overher bows; but she did not seem to heel over to it more than before.
The crew, called on deck to make sail, at once divined, by seeing thestranger in their wake, the reason of it, and flew with alacrity totheir duty. They were all ready to fight, if necessary; they wouldrather have been chasing a vessel which they might hope to make theirprize; but they were in no way indifferent to the excitement ofendeavouring to outsail another craft, even though they might have beenaccused of being employed in the inglorious business of running away.
"Bless the little beauty, she goes along nicely through it, don't she,old ship," said Jem Marlin to his chum. "Them outlandish mounseersastern there will be clever if they comes up to us."
All hands remained on the deck, for they had not been piped below again.
Bo
wse, every now and then, gave a scrutinising glance astern at thestranger; but it was impossible to determine whether there was anydifference in their relative distance.
The two brigs were now under the same canvas, for the stranger had notshaken out a second reef in the topsails, when the _Zodiac_ shook outthe first.
The crew stood at their station ready to obey the next order.
"She'll bear the fore-sail on her, Mr Timmins, if we close reef it,"said Bowse; "send some hands up and loose it, and hook on reef-burtonsready for reefing."
As soon as the sail was let fall it flew out in thundering claps, as ifit would fly away from the yard, and there was some danger of carryingit away or springing it, but steady hands were there, and the clewgarnets being eased down, the reef-burtons hauled out, the ear-ringswere soon secured, and the points tied; the lee clew garnet was theneased off, and the sheet steadied aft. The tack was roused down,another pull had of the sheet, and the bowline hauled taut, theweather-lift and brace being hauled taut, the sail stood like a board.
With this sail she carried too much lee helm, and it was difficult workfor the helmsman to lift her, so as to let her rise over the seas, whichnow came one after the other in quick succession, rushing up her bows,and threatening to curl bodily over her bulwarks.
"Now, my lads, aft here, and shake a reef out of the fore-and-aftmainsail."
Led by the mate, the men sprung aft, the points were soon cast off, andthe reef-pendant eased off. The throat and peak halyards were manned,the main-sheet was slightly eased off, and the sail, thus enlarged, washoisted to the mast. The instant effect was to make her carry aweather-helm, and great care was now required to prevent her flying upinto the wind, and being taken aback; a most perilous position to beplaced in under the present circumstances.
To prevent this, the fore-stay-sail was hoisted. As the master watchedthe effect of all the canvas he had packed on the brig, he saw clearlythat she would not bear another stitch; indeed, she had already verymuch more set than under any but the most extraordinary circumstances hewould have ventured to carry. He, however, felt that he could do morewith her than could any stranger. He knew that every timber and plankin her was sound, every spar had been well proved, and the canvas wasall new, and every inch of rigging about her he or his mate had seenfitted and turned in. He knew, indeed, that all was good, and it wasthis feeling, with a right confidence in his own knowledge and judgment,which gave him courage on this trying occasion.
Onward the brig tore through the foaming waves, her lee-scupperscompletely under water. Now a dark sea would appear right a-head,seemingly about to overwhelm her, but buoyantly her bow would rise toit, the foam on its summit alone sweeping over her; then another wouldcome of less height, and, as if disdaining to surmount it, she wouldcleave her way through it, while her decks were deluged as a punishmentfor her audacity. Nearly everything on deck had been properly secured,and such trifling articles as were not, were soon washed into thelee-scuppers or overboard. The crew, driven from forward, were huddledtogether close to the break of the poop, under shelter of theweather-bulwark, while Bowse and the first mate stood at their old post.
"It's as much as she'll carry," said Timmins.
He thought it was a great deal too much, but did not like to say so.
Bowse looked at the stranger before answering.
"I only hope she will try to carry a great deal more," he replied."See, they are beginning to follow our example."
The polacca brig had now not only set her foresail and mainsail, but hadalso shaken another reef out of her topsails. She thus already had moresail on her than the _Zodiac_.
"Now, then," said Bowse, "if we do but hold our own, she will begin tothink we shall escape her, and they will be shaking another of thosereefs out."
"If they do, they will just get the drop in the pitcher too much," saidthe mate.
"That's just what I wish they may do," replied the master. "But, ah!hold on for your lives, my lads."
A dark, circling wave appeared directly ahead of the vessel, as if ithad risen suddenly out of the water. She rose at it like a bold hunter,without hesitation, attempting to take a high fence beyond his powers.Its force was too great for her, she stopped, and trembled in everytimber, then again she tried, and dashing headlong into it, the wateryhill came thundering down on her decks, tearing away her long boat andspare spars, hencoops, caboose, and water casks, and, making a breachthrough the lee-bulwarks, washed them overboard. Had not the hatchesbeen well secured the _Zodiac_, with all in her, might never have risenagain. Cries of terror were heard, and many a bold seaman turned pale;but none of the crew were injured, and the ship again flew buoyantlyonward.
"That's what we may call our drop too much," said the mate. "Don't youthink we ought to take some of the canvas off her, sir?"
"Timmins, we've long known each other, and you know I'm no coward; but Itell you that my conviction is, that there will be no child's play withthat fellow astern if he comes alongside us. Heaven only knows who'llcome off the best if it comes to blows. He has twice as many guns as wehave, if not more, and longer pieces, depend on it, and, probably, fivetimes as many hands. These are fearful odds, and I don't think any mancan say it's cowardly to shrink from them. I know, too, the sort offellows those are on board yonder craft, and sooner than fall into theirpower, I would run the brig, and all in her, under water. Till she madesail in chase, I had my doubts about her; I now have none. You see Idon't risk the loss of our masts without good cause, and now see togetting life-lines along the lee-bulwarks, and secure them as you bestcan."
The mate made no answer, except a hurried acquiescence in his chief'sreasons; and then calling three seamen to him, he worked his way forwardto the forecastle, to search for the requisite cordage for passing foreand aft along the sides of the vessel.
Colonel Gauntlett had gone below to explain the state of affairs to poorAda, and to endeavour to tranquillise her alarms. Nothing daunted theold veteran himself; a soldier of the great duke's school, he wasaccustomed to hardships and vicissitudes of all sorts. Brave as hissword, and delighting in the excitement of danger, his spirits rose inproportion to its imminence, and all the sour testiness of his tempervanished; a temper which had grown on him since the return of peacecaused him to sheath his sword, and tempted him to commit the folly, asan old bachelor, of leading an idle life. Married, and with a family,he would have had them to interest him; but, as it was, he had only tothink of his own aches and ills, and, perhaps, past follies; and tobrood over what he called the neglects he had experienced from hisungrateful country. No man on board, perhaps, was so anxious as he wasto have a skirmish with the rover, but he was not aware of the dreadfulodds which would be opposed to him, and of the too probable fate whichwould await all hands, should victory side with the enemy. Hisarguments had some effect in calming his niece's fears; but not those ofpoor little Marianna, who, pale and weeping, sat at the feet of hermistress, imploring her to urge the captain and her uncle to return toMalta.
Ada, in her turn, had to act the part of comforter, and she promised heruncle that she would constantly remain below till they had escaped fromthe pirate, and the storm was over. Her uncle had not attempted todeceive her, nor did she shut her eyes to the greatness of thethreatening danger--yet hope rose triumphant in her bosom. Though thestorm had, at first, appeared very terrific, she got accustomed bydegrees to the noise and commotion, and she could not persuade herselfthat a British vessel, manned by so many brave men, would not prove thevictor against a pirate, of whatever nation she might be. By the faintlight which found its way into her cabin, she was able to read; and thatbook was in her hand from which the truest source of comfort can bedrawn, and which she, in her turn, imparted to her ignorant andtrembling companion. Thus, between reading herself and explaining thesubject to Marianna, and, at times, approaching the footstool of herMaker in prayer, Ada passed many hours, which would otherwise havebecome insupportable through anxiety and fear, and thus e
mployed, wemust leave her, to return on deck.