CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
Captain Fleetwood once more trod the deck of the _Ione_; and though hischeek was pale, and his step had not regained its usual firmness, norhis voice its strength, his health was almost re-established, and grief,more than any other cause, prevented him from entirely recovering.Linton had also returned to his duty, and had produced several poeticaleffusions on the subject of the fate he had anticipated for himself,productions which he threatened to inflict on his brother-officers; but,as they earnestly entreated him to keep them fresh for those who couldbetter appreciate them, he locked the papers up again in his desk--thepurser, however, who did not intend to pay him a compliment at theexpense of the rest, assuring him that it would be like casting pearlsbefore swine.
The officers had just come up on deck from breakfast, and the captainwas pacing the poop with his first-lieutenant by his side, the sea wassmooth, with a light air from the westward, and the brig, under hertopsails, was standing to the northward--in which direction lay thepirates' island, appearing in the distant horizon like a blue hillockrising out of the water.
"Sail, ho!" was the welcome sound which reached the deck from themast-head.
The usual question of "Where away?" was put by Mr Saltwell, in return.
"On the larboard quarter, sir," was the answer.
"What does she look like?"
"A ship right before the wind, sir."
"I trust she is a friend come to our assistance," said CaptainFleetwood. "We'll stand down to meet her. Put the ship about, MrSaltwell."
The brig having tacked, now stood under the same easy sail as before, tothe southward, so as to cut off the stranger; a bright look-out beingstill kept astern, lest the _Sea Hawk_, or either of her tenders, shouldappear on the northern board.
It may easily be supposed how anxiously Captain Fleetwood had beenexpecting the arrival of some other cruiser to assist him in making theattack he contemplated on the island. Had he consulted his owninclinations, he would, as soon as he was able to grasp his sword, haveattempted the exploit with his own ship's company, whom he well knewwould be ready to follow him; but he was unwilling to risk the lives ofhis gallant fellows on so very hazardous an expedition--especially afterthe sad lesson he had lately experienced--and the suffering, if not thedestruction, to which he had subjected his brave companions.
Were he to make the attack and fail, he also thought the result would betoo dreadful to contemplate; so he curbed his impatience as he was bestable, till he could collect a sufficient force to enable him toundertake it with a certainty of success. He tried also to consolehimself with the hopes that the Signora Nina and her brother wouldprotect Ada to the utmost of their power. Raby, wisely, had not toldhim his suspicions of Paolo--and, of course, he was ignorant of theevents which had occurred in the island after he had been carried off,or he would certainly have been even less at his ease than heendeavoured to make himself.
"What do you make her out to be?" he inquired of Mr Saltwell, who hadjust descended from aloft, with his spy-glass over his shoulder.
"English, I think, sir. I could see to the head of her courses, and, Ishould not be surprised, from the look of her canvas, that she is the_Vesta_ frigate, which was to be cruising somewhere off the Gulf ofEgina."
"I trust she may be. Captain Grantham is an old friend of mine, and Iknow that if he received my letter he would come, if he possibly could;and welcome he will be; for, though the _Vesta_ is but aneight-and-twenty, we may do without further aid."
Sail after sail of the stranger rose out of the blue water, till atowering mass of snow-white canvas floated above it, shining brilliantlyin the rays of the forenoon sun, which fell directly on it. At last,the dark hull and bow ports, and even the thin line of glowing copperbelow the bends, could be perceived, and little doubt remained of theidentity of the ship in sight; though, from her position, her signalscould not be perceived. Had it been war time, the _Ione_ would not haveallowed a ship, so far her superior in size, to approach, withoutgreater caution in ascertaining her nation; but, as it was, there was nodanger of her proving an enemy, and, at the worst, she could be but aneutral.
While the matter was still in doubt, another sail was seen astern ofher, standing in the same direction; and, in a little time afterwards,the frigate took in her studden sails, clewed up her courses, andbracing up her yards, rounded to, when the _Vesta's_ number blew outclearly to view.
The brig, now close to her, also backed her main topsail, when thecaptain's gig was piped away, and Fleetwood, with a heart less depressedthan he had long felt, went on board the frigate.
He was warmly received by Captain Grantham, who exclaimed, "I amdelighted to see you, Fleetwood. From the accounts we received wethought it was all up with you; and I came more with the hope ofavenging you, than of seeing you alive; but now you shall have thatsatisfaction yourself. By Jove! we must blow up the hornet's nestwithout delay. When did you propose to make the attempt?"
"The very moment a sufficient force was collected," replied Fleetwood,highly gratified at his friend's zeal.
"Well, what do you say to this very night?" asked Grantham. "There isthe _Venus_ coming up after me, and your Greek friend cannot be far off.I am afraid she is not likely to meet any other ship of the squadron;but we are enough, as it is, to drive every one of the rascals into thesea."
"To-night, by all means," exclaimed Fleetwood. "I could not have hopedfor anything better. We shall have a sufficient force to ensuresuccess; and as there is no moon till a late hour, we shall have lessrisk of discovery before we are upon them."
"Then to-night let it be; and I suppose there's no use insisting on yourremaining on board, on account of your illness, and letting Rawson, ofthe _Venus_, lead the attack," said Captain Grantham. "He is a gallantfellow, and will do it well."
"I trust, Grantham, that you will give the command of the expedition tome. I shall, indeed esteem it a most especial favour if you will doso," pleaded Fleetwood. "I would, on no account, if I can help it, losethat post."
"Well, I suppose, under the circumstances of the case, we must persuadeRawson to keep the ship, though, indeed, Fleetwood, I do not think youare yet strong enough for the exertion you must go through."
"I have a Hercules of a coxswain, and I must make him carry me, if mylegs fail me," said Fleetwood, smiling sadly. "But you know, Grantham,I have motives enough to carry me through anything."
"Yes, indeed, I know, and feel for you. I suppose the fellows will showfight."
"Not a doubt of it, from the specimen we have had of them. They knowthat they have no mercy to expect at our hands, and that they fight withropes round their necks."
"We must give them enough of it, then; but I suppose, with the force wehave collected, we shall have no great difficulty in forcing our wayinto the harbour I understand they have got there, though it seems to bewell fortified."
"We should be blown to atoms if we attempted it in the boats," saidFleetwood. "You have no idea how strong the place is."
"How, in the name of goodness, are we to get at them, then?" exclaimedCaptain Grantham, who was more celebrated for his dash at an enemy, whenonce he saw him, than for originating any plan where stratagem wasrequired. "But let me hear what you propose to do."
"I have, as you may suppose, thought much on the subject, so I may claimfor it more attention than I might otherwise venture to do," saidFleetwood. "I would on no account attempt to enter the harbour; butthere is at the east end of the island a small cove, with an entrance sonarrow that one boat can alone pass at a time."
He spoke of the one into which the Greek captain had steered themistico, all the circumstances of which he explained.
"Now, I propose," he continued, "that the three English ships shouldstand towards the place, as soon as it is dark, and there is no chanceof our being seen from the shore, while the _Ypsilante_ I will employ inanother way. We will bring up close in shore, and have all the boatsready to drop into the water, at the same moment.
I will lead in the_Tone's_ cutter, and, with my men, will mount by the concealed passage,and secure the approach to the summit of the cliff. When this importantpoint is gained, the other boats can enter; and Raby, who knows thepassage, will lead the main body through it. We will then proceed, assilently as we can, to the causeway, across which we must make a dash,and, I hope, may take the pirates by surprise. I would send the_Ypsilante_, meantime, to approach the harbour; and when we reach thecauseway, we will throw up a rocket, and she must commence a feignedattack on the mouth of the harbour, blazing away as hard as she can.This will distract the attention of the pirates, and make them fancythat they have most to fear from their enemies on that side. As soon asshe opens her fire, we will rush on; and as the Greeks will have hurriedto the defences of the fort towards the harbour, I hope that we may havean easy victory."
"I like your plan very much, and it has my hearty concurrence, as I haveno doubt it will have Rawson's," said Captain Grantham. "We shall soonhave him up with us, and when he comes on board you can explain yourproposal. The _Venus_ should be near us by this time." He rang hisbell, and the steward appeared. "Mason, learn from the officer of thewatch how soon the _Venus_ will be up with us, and beg him to signaliseher captain to come on board."
"She's close to us now, sir," said Mason, as he went to fulfil the restof the order.
In about a quarter of an hour, Captain Rawson was ushered into thecabin. He was a short, fat man, with a large, round, red, good-naturedcountenance, and if he was a fire-eater, as he had the character ofbeing, he certainly did not look like one, except it might be supposedthat the ruddy hue on his cheeks could have arisen from that cause. Heshook the hands of his brother-captains, as if he would have wrung themoff, and then threw himself into a chair to recover from his exertions;but, when he began to speak, instead of the rough voice one might haveexpected, a soft, mellifluous tone was heard, which might better win awoman's ear than vie with the howling of the tempest. He at once waivedall the right he might claim to lead the attack on the island, andcordially agreed to the plan proposed by Captain Fleetwood.
"In fact," he said, laughing, "there is no great credit due to me,Fleetwood; for I would much rather fight a ship twice the size of my ownwith the deck under my feet, than have to scramble up such a place asyou describe, on a pitch-dark night, to thrash a few scoundrels ofpirates."
"If I don't mistake, you tried the first, and with no little success,"observed Grantham.
"Oh, yes! that was when I was first lieutenant of the _Pan_,eighteen-gun sloop, and the captain being ill below, we fell in with theFrench thirty-gun frigate, _Liberte_, and instead of her taking us, asshe expected, we not only beat her off, but gave her such a drubbing,that if we had carried as long guns as she did, we should have made herour prize. But I'm afraid, Grantham, neither you nor I will see anymore of that fun. Well, we've had a good deal of it in our day, andhave no right to complain."
The friends, in talking over the adventures of the past, would verylikely have forgotten what Fleetwood considered the much more importantpresent, when they were interrupted by the entrance of a midshipman, whobrought the agreeable intelligence that a sail, supposed to be the_Ypsilante_, was in sight to windward.
"Huzza, then!" exclaimed Rawson. "We shall have all your plan complete,Fleetwood,--and you think those fellows will fight? Well, on my word, Ishould much like to bear you company if it was not for the hill--mind,only as a volunteer though--I will keep alongside your friend, ColonelGauntlett."
Seldom had an expedition been undertaken under better auspices than thatto rescue Ada Garden and her companions, and to punish the pirate. Thenight was very dark, and the breeze was just sufficient to enable theships of war to get up to their anchorage at the proper time, whilebeing from the west, or rather from the northward of it, the sea wasperfectly smooth, which would enable the boats to enter the little baywithout danger.
As the dusk came on the little squadron hauled up for the island, theGreek brig standing for the port, the others keeping more to theeastward; the former had, however, sent two of her boats to accompanythe _Ione_, and to assist in landing the men, thus rendering herselfrather short handed; but, as she had only to make a feint of attacking,this was not considered of any importance, nor was it supposed for amoment that the _Sea Hawk_ would, or even could, make an attempt to quitthe harbour in face of so superior a force.
It was so dark that it was scarcely possible to distinguish the shore;but Fleetwood, who led in the _Ione_, as she was the smallest vessel,kept the lead going, and, as he knew the coast, he had no fears. As hethought of the certain result of the expedition, and the unspeakable joyof releasing Ada, and bearing her off in triumph from the pirates'island, the depression of spirits, from which he had so long suffered,wore off entirely, and every moment which intervened seemed an age inhis sight.
"I am delighted to see you looking so well, my dear sir," said ColonelGauntlett, as, before getting close in with the land, they sat at tablewith some refreshment before them, of which, by the by, the captain tookbut little, though his guest did ample justice to it. "I must claim apost next to you, with Mitchell as my body-guard, and we must make itour business to find out my poor niece as soon as we get into the port.You will have to attend to the business of thrashing the pirates, andtaking possession of the place, you must remember, so it is fortunateyou have some one to assist you in rescuing the prisoners."
"I shall be glad, indeed, to have some one with whom to place MissGarden, as soon as she is released; but I expect that I shall be calledon to perform that grateful duty at the head of my men, for round hertower, probably, the greatest resistance will be made by the pirates."
"Well, then, my boy, we'll keep together--we'll keep together, andyou'll find, I hope, that an old soldier is no bad ally!" exclaimed thecolonel with animation. "And now, Mitchell," (he was standing behindhis master's chair, his head pressed against the deck above, and the tipof his nose just appearing from under a beam, which entirely concealedhis eyes), "let me have another look at my arms. There's nothing likehaving one's weapons in order on an expedition of this kind, depend uponit, Captain Fleetwood. A good general always takes care that his armyis well supplied with munitions of war."
While he was speaking, Mitchell brought forth from his cabin his swordand two brace of pistols, which he placed on the table. The old soldierdrew his sword from its scabbard, and regarded it with a look of thegreatest affection. He turned it round to the light, to see that norust had rested on it, and then pressed its point on the deck, and letit spring up again, to assure himself that it had not lost its pliancy.
"Ah!" he said, "this and my pistols were the only things I saved fromthe wreck of the _Zodiac_ and the Frenchman; for I hold that no soldiershould part with his sword till the last extremity. An old friend, too,and served with me right through the campaigns in the Peninsula, tillthe crowning fight of Waterloo. I have reason to be proud of it,Captain Fleetwood."
"Indeed you have, sir; and I have no doubt that it will do good serviceto-night," said the captain.
"I hope so; and, Mitchell, recollect the same orders as I have oftenbefore given you--never let this sword be left behind, should my armlose the power of using it."
"Yes, your honour," said Mitchell, with all the gravity of a mute,putting his hand to the beam, as he could not reach his forehead. "I'llnot forget."
The captain, followed by his guest, went on deck, and, in about half anhour, the brig he considered was near enough in to anchor. A lightshown over the taffrail was the signal of what he was about to do, andas he clewed up his sails, his consorts followed his example, and allthree dropped their anchors within a short distance of each other--thefrigate being on the outside. Not a light was allowed to be shown, lestit might be observed by any sleepless eye on shore--and as little noiseas possible was made, lest any ear might hear it.
The moment the anchors were let go, the boats were got out and manned,and rapidly collected round the _Ione_.
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Fleetwood then summoned the officers, commanding them, into his cabin,where, on the table, was spread out a rough sketch of the part of theisland across which they would have to proceed, and of the port andharbour; and he then repeated briefly the plan of the attack, andassigned to each his particular duties.
The frigate and corvette had each sent two lieutenants; and Lintoninsisted on being as well able to undergo the fatigue as his captain;the rest of the boats were commanded by the mates and midshipmen.Tompion had the jolly boat, and Jack Raby the gig, while the frigatesent also her lieutenant of marines to command those of the othermesses.
"Now, gentlemen, you clearly understand my wishes. I will go in first,and climb to the top of the cliffs, and five minutes afterwards, MrRaby, who knows the place well, will lead in the _Tone's_ gig, and showyou the way to follow me, unless I should be attacked; and even then, donot come to my assistance till I call you. I need scarcely caution youto preserve the strictest silence among your men to the last moment--indeed, till we are actually upon the enemy; and could we surround, andtake possession of the tower you see marked there, it would be of themost vital importance, though I fear the pirates will keep too brisk awatch to allow us to get thus far without discovery; and now, thequicker we set about the work the better."
Everybody expressed their full comprehension of Captain Fleetwood'sdirections, and he led the way on deck, followed by Colonel Gauntlettand Mitchell, and descended to his boat. There his big coxswain, TommySmall, was waiting for him. Small had charge of the signal rocket,which the captain had, however, determined not to let off, unless theywere first discovered by the pirates.
One by one the other officers stepped silently into their boats as theydropped alongside, and, with muffled oars, shoved off after the gig; andno one, two cables' length off the ships, would have supposed thatnearly two hundred armed men were about to land on the coast.
Fleetwood's heart beat quick as he approached the shore, he felt surethat he could not have mistaken the spot; but still very great cautionwas necessary; and the entrance between the rocks was so narrow, that,even in the day time, it was difficult to find. Twice he pulled up tothe black towering rocks, and was obliged to back off again disappointedin finding the passage. High above their heads they rose, looking likesome impenetrable wall, the confines to a world.
"Give way again, my lads," he whispered. "Port the helm a little,Small. That will do; I see it on the starboard bow. Now, give waygently, my men. In with your oars."
And the boat was seen to disappear, as it were, into the very rocks.She glided, however, between them, and slid with a slight grating noiseon to the soft sand, close to where still lay the mistico, which itseemed the pirates had not got off. All hands jumped out, with theexception of the boat-keepers, and Captain Fleetwood lost not a momentin leading the way to the cavern, which he feared to find blocked up.With cautious steps he groped his way to it, and to his greatsatisfaction discovered that it was open, and feeling for the steps heascended them.
"Pass the word along for all hands to keep their left shoulders againstthe cliff, and there is no fear," he whispered to Small, who followedhim closely with his drawn cutlass, ready to guard him from any whomight attack him.
This was, perhaps, the most hazardous part of the undertaking, for twoor three resolute men stationed at the top might have kept the wholeparty at bay, or, indeed, have tumbled them all headlong down thecliffs. He well knew the cunning of the Greeks, and should they havediscovered the ship by any chance, this was the point they would defend,in the hopes of destroying all those engaged in the expedition together.Darkness was around them, the rugged cliff on one side, a precipice onthe other, and beneath their feet a steep path or rough steps, and yetno one hesitated to follow where he led. The most perfect silencereigned over the scene, except the sound of their tread, which couldjust be heard above the dash of the water on the rocks below, and thescream of some wild sea-bird as it winged its flight at a distancethrough the calm night-air. On he went--a few more steps would placehim on the summit of the cliff, in comparative safety. His hand touchedthe grass at the very edge of the upper step--he sprang upwards andgained a footing on the top--he breathed more freely, and his followers,one by one, ascended and took their place by him. He then advanced alittle distance to defend the position and to allow the rest of theparty space to assemble as they came up. The five minutes passed away,and Raby led on, followed in a line by the other boats, for there was noroom for two to pass abreast, and as they entered they all ran up sideby side on the beach. Raby led them with the same good success as hiscaptain, though the marines with their muskets had some difficulty ingetting up, and ran no little risk of falling over again; but nocasualty occurred. It was, however, a long business, thus getting up ina single file at so slow a pace, but at last the whole body were drawnup together. Captain Fleetwood, for greater convenience, separated theminto two divisions, he leading the first, and Jack Raby, who wasdelighted with his own importance, acting at; guide to the second. Itwanted just half an hour to midnight when they were put in motion. Hefound the greatest difficulty in passing over the rough ground, andkeeping the direct path near the cliff, without the risk of some of hisfollowers slipping from the precipice to their left. He had, it must beremembered, gone over the same path several times in the day, and onceon the night of his attempted escape, when he and his friends went toget the rope, and the arms, and provisions, or it would have been almostimpossible for him to find the way. On the party went, silent as thedead, and though the sound of the marines' heavy and regular tread mighthave been heard at a distance, had any one been on the watch for them,the footsteps of the blue-jackets, as they sprang from rock to rock,were light almost as those of Indian warriors on any similar exploit.The weather, which had hitherto been serene, with a gentle and balmybreeze blowing from the west, now gave symptoms of being about toundergo a change. A low moaning sound was heard as the night wind blewamong the pointed rocks, and it struck with the chilly feel of the northon the right cheeks of the adventurers. It served, however, rather toraise their spirits and strengthen their muscles; they knew that theirships were in safety, if the anchorage was tolerable on the lee side ofthe island, so they thought or cared little about the matter.
Two miles had thus to be travelled, every instant expecting discovery;for it was scarcely to be supposed that the pirates, after their latedeeds, would not be on their guard against an attack. Now Fleetwoodhalted and listened, now he had literally to feel his way with the pointof his sword, lest he should have inadvertently gone too close to theedge of the cliff, and in this manner upwards of an hour had passedaway, slowly, indeed, to those eager to know the result. At length,with a beating heart, he stood on the causeway, while a tower, the onein which he believed Ada was to be found, was faintly perceptible,rising, like some tall spectre, in the gloom before him. A light for aninstant glimmered through a casement of the story in which she resided--it was to him the beacon of his hopes, and served to confirm him in thebelief that he had reached the approach to the castle, of which,otherwise, he was somewhat uncertain.
"Shall I let off the rocket, sir?" whispered Tommy Small, who had keptclose to him all the time, ready to support him had he stumbled. Theywere the first words which had been spoken since the heights had beengained.
"Not till the enemy discovers us," answered his captain--"then fire."
He had been careful not to halt his men; for he had often observed, thatwhile the actual tread, from breaking gradually on the ear, might not benoticed, the stop and the fresh start were nearly always heard. On asudden, however, he met with an impediment he had not expected--a highembankment ran directly across the causeway, with a ditch before it. Toslip down the side of the ditch, and to climb the opposite bank, was, toseamen, the work of a moment, and, without being discovered, the firstfew stood on the summit. Some noise, however, scarcely to be heard, wasmade, and as Captain Fleetwood, with Small on one side, closely followedby the gallan
t old colonel, was on the point of leaping down into theramparts, they found themselves confronted by a number of the islanders,who started up from between the guns, where they had been sleeping.
To fire the pistols was the first impulse of the pirates, and the flasharoused their comrades, as well as showed them to their assailants, whodashed down among them before they had time to unsheath their swords,and cut them down without mercy.
"Now, Small, off with the rocket," exclaimed Captain Fleetwood, as theirfirst opponents were disposed of.
At the word, the coxswain, who had been expecting the order, let thebeautiful firework fly into the air. Up it soared, making a curvetowards the sea, into which it sent down a shower of glittering sparks,which had scarcely been extinguished before the _Ypsilante_, in gallantstyle, opened her fire on the harbour, making as much blaze and noise asshe could. The British seamen, believing that all necessity for furthersilence was at an end, gave three hearty, soul-stirring cheers, whichrung among the rocks, even above the roar of the artillery, and theythen rushed on into the fosse after their companions. The sound, thoughit struck a panic into the hearts of the more timid of the pirates, atthe same time showed them where the most imminent danger lay. The chainwas across the harbour, and they knew no vessel could enter, and thattheir guns on that side would sink her when she attempted it, so many ofthe bravest hurried to the causeway, to defend the approach to the fort,while others manned the guns above the harbour, and began to return withinterest the fire of the Greek brig.
All was now uproar, confusion, fire, smoke, shrieks, shouts, andcurses--the roar of the brig's guns, and the sharp reports of fire-arms.The latter, however, were but little used by the English, who trustedmore to their cutlasses and the points of their bayonets.
The defenders of the causeway fought with the greatest bravery, thevoice of their chief encouraging them to persevere, and none gave waytill they were cut down or slain. The British poured on in overwhelmingforce, but still the pirates struggled obstinately, strengthened by thearrival of their comrades from other parts.
Fleetwood and Colonel Gauntlett both knew the voice of Zappa.
"On, on," they exclaimed, trying to cut their way up to the spot, whereat intervals, as pistols were flashing near him, they could see himflying from spot to spot, and encouraging his men, "Seize that man,their chief--take him alive!"
The seamen did their best to come at him, but his followers, with adevotion worthy of a better object, rallying round him, kept them atbay. At last the voice which had been heard so loud was silent, andthough fire-arms flashed on each side, his figure was not to be seen.Yet the pirates did not give way, they even seemed to fight with moredesperation than before, as if to make amends for his absence, or torevenge his loss. Nothing, however, could withstand the determinedcourage of the English; though, had not the pirates incautiously lostthe post which Zappa had so judiciously formed, they might, perhaps,have been kept at bay till daylight, and, at all events, must havesuffered a severe loss.
Fleetwood and the other officers encouraged their men to freshexertions, and led the way. The pirates could no longer withstand theonset, and, within five minutes after they had leaped the ramparts, theBritish had gained the open space under the fort, and the enemy wereflying in all directions before them, some to conceal themselves amongthe ruins, others throwing themselves over the cliffs, to avoid, as theysupposed, another death; and the greater number, still facing round,retreating by the path down the ravine. A small, but more desperate,band, under old Vlacco, not active enough to run, and too brave toyield, had entrenched themselves among the ruins, on the point directlyabove the harbour; and while some of them were firing away on the_Ypsilante_, and thus defending to the last the entrance to their port,the rest had slewed round some of the smaller guns towards the interiorof the fort, prepared to fire the moment they could distinguish theirenemies from their friends.
Meantime, Charles Fleetwood, eager in pursuit of the great object whichhad at first brought him to the island, the rescue of Ada Garden, led onhis men to the tower. He heard the scream of a female,--the gate wasopen--he rushed up the steps, followed by the colonel and severalothers--he reached the chamber she had inhabited, a light burnt on thetable--it showed the confusion around; a slight form was on one of thecouches--Fleetwood flew to it. Could it be his Ada?
There he beheld a sight to sicken his heart--it was the body of poorlittle Mila: a ball had entered her forehead, and, as in too many cases,the innocent life had been taken. What might be the fate of her heloved best? His eye fell on Marianna, who was kneeling on the ground inan agony of terror. She lifted her head with alarm, expecting that someof the pirates had entered to wreak their vengeance on her; but when shesaw who it was, she gave a shriek of delight, exclaiming--
"Oh! save my mistress, signor captain,--save my poor mistress. Theyhave carried her away--the traitor, the false man, Signor Paolo--he andthe chief. You will never see her more."
"Where, where! which way, girl, speak?" cried Fleetwood, with feelingswhich no words can in any degree express.
"Oh! I don't know, signor," answered the Maltese girl, weeping withfright and agitation, increased by the tone of his voice. "Down throughthe door, signor, she and Signora Nina."
"But, my girl, did they neither speak nor say where they were going?"asked Fleetwood.
"Oh! yes, yes. They said the _Sea Hawk_,--the _Sea Hawk_. They willescape. Oh, Mother of Heaven! have mercy on us," replied Marianna,through her tears.
"Enough. Down the ravine, my men. Follow me," shouted Fleetwood, as herushed down the steps. "Colonel, do you remain at this tower, andprevent the pirates entering, if any rally."
At the bottom he fortunately met Dawson, the first lieutenant of the_Vesta_, and second in command.
"Dawson," he exclaimed, "take charge of the high ground with half ourmen, and clear the point there of those fellows firing down on theharbour. The first division follow me: on, my men!"
Uttering these words, he led the way to the path winding down theravine, followed eagerly by seventy or eighty of the blue jackets. Asmay be supposed, he flew rather than ran, and even Tommy Small couldscarcely keep up with him. He had too good a cause to know the path,every turning of which he had noted with the greatest care, so he had nofear of missing his way. As he went on, he found the wind blowingstrongly down the ravine; and this circumstance showed him, to hissorrow, that the _Sea Hawk_ would have no difficulty in running out ofthe harbour, if the _Ypsilante_ did not prevent her. Still the piratecould only have had a short start of him. All he could do was to shout,"On, on," and to wish, though in vain, that he could move faster.
He might yet reach the shore, even before the boats could shove off, andAda might be rescued. This thought supported him. The wind rapidlyincreased, and its howl was heard even above the shouts of hisfollowers. At length he reached the shores of the bay; he rushed to theedge; he could distinguish some boats floating on the surface of thewater, and further on, there was a sound as if men were engaged inshoving others into it; yet he dared not allow any one to fire, for hecould not tell what boat might contain his Ada. He led on his party inthat direction. The pirates had seen him, and defended themselvesbravely. Some sacrificed themselves while their comrades were escaping,and, by the time they were overpowered, only three boats remained on theshore. Into these, Fleetwood did not for a moment hesitate to throwhimself as soon as they were launched, with as many of his men as theycould contain, but the oars of two only could be found, and in vain werethose of the other hunted for. With a hearty cheer the gallant fellowsgave way after the enemy. The retreating pirates fired on them as theyadvanced out into the bay. He could just distinguish, by the flashes ofthe guns, the brig, and the two misticoes in the centre of it. As helooked, their sails were loosened and swelled to the gale; the pirateswaited not to secure their boats, as they leaped on board. The cableswere cut, and the two misticos darted out through the narrow passageinto the open sea. Old Vlacco mu
st have known what they were about, forthe fire from the fort towards the _Ypsilante_ seemed to be redoubled inwarmth, preventing her from aiming at them as well as she might havedone.
The _Sea Hawk_ had still several boats round her, and towards herFleetwood now steered. His men urged on the boat to their utmoststrength; he felt a hope that he might reach her, when her fore-topsailwas let fall, and sheeted home. A spring was on her cable, her headturned rapidly round, her yards were squared away, the cable cut, andshe darted out from among a crowd of boats, among which she left theEnglish entangled, just as they were on the point of running alongsideher, and following her tenders out to sea, discharging her broadsidefull at the _Ypsilante_, as she passed her. The Greek behavedgallantly, and instantly put up her helm, and bore away in chase.
Fleetwood, his heart almost broker with agony at his disappointment, sawthat it would be in vain for him to pursue, and he also remembered thatthe _Ypsilante_, with her reduced crew, and severely handled as she hadbeen by the fort, was in no way a match for the _Sea Hawk_, though hershot might injure her, who was, he feared, on board.
There was, however, a doubt, on board which of the vessels Ada had beencarried, if she really had again been torn, almost as it were, from hisarms, and he dared not entertain a hope to the contrary.
Quick in action as in thought, these ideas passed through his mind as hereturned to the shore, with the purpose of hastening back to the ships,and getting them to start in chase of the pirates.
At least, he thought, the _Ypsilante_ will know what direction the _SeaHawk_ has taken, and be able to direct us in the pursuit. Before,however, he could return to his ship, he had numerous important dutiesto perform as leader of the expedition, and, indeed, from the firingwhich still continued on the heights, he saw that even the fort was notyet entirely their own.
For him the great object of the enterprise had failed, totally,miserably failed. Not only was Ada Garden again lost, but she wouldcertainly be placed in a position infinitely worse than that in whichshe had hitherto been. He scarcely dared to think what act the piratemight commit, now that he was driven to desperation; she had no longerher attendant with her, and the Signora Nina might have lost the littleinfluence over him she had before possessed. He bitterly cursed themistake he had made in not dispatching one at least of the British shipsround to assist the _Ypsilante_ in blockading the entrance; but hechecked himself, as it occurred to him that, had he done so, Ada mighthave been placed in still greater peril, as Zappa might still haveattempted to carry her off, and, on finding himself completelyentrapped, without a hope of escape, might have blown up the _Sea Hawk_,with all on board her, and he remembered the principle which had oftensustained him through adversity and sorrow, though he could not accusehimself of having, through his own conduct, brought on the misfortune,or the cause of grief, that Heaven ordains everything for the best, andthat it is impious to repine at its decrees. With a far differentfeeling did he climb up the path than that with which he had rushed downit, and though his spirits, disappointed and agitated as he was, did notfail him, his bodily strength almost did, and, had it not been forSmall, he would scarcely have accomplished the undertaking against thefierce gale which was blowing down the ravine.
As they climbed up, the occasional roar of the big guns, and the rattleof musketry, was still heard, and on the summit a sight met his viewwhich he had scarcely expected, and which grieved him sorely. Some ofthe huts I mentioned as having been built to contain the pirates'provisions and other stores, had caught fire, and lighted up the wholescene. Hedged up on the outer promontory were the band of islanders,under old Vlacco, who, without the remotest prospect of victory orescape, yet refused to yield or ask for quarter. The old pirate hadsaved his chief; he had enabled him to escape by the gallant way he hadheld the post. He was now fighting on his own account for revenge, andto sell his life as dearly as he could. He was determined the victorythe British had obtained should not be bought cheaply; he and his menworked the guns with the greatest courage; while one party were engagedin loading them, the others would rush forward and defend them, and thenretire at the moment they were fired, and be at their posts again beforethe British could reach them.
Their numbers were being gradually thinned; but, in the meantime, theywere committing great havoc; and the ground in front of theirentrenchment was strewed with the dead and dying marines and seamen, whohad, with equal gallantry and true courage, ventured to attack them.The numbers of the British seemed, to Fleetwood, to be awfullydecreased; the marines and a few seamen only appearing to keep thepirates in check, when a loud shout proclaimed the cause of it; and hesaw Colonel Gauntlett at the head of a large party, dragging forward oneof the guns from another part of the fort. They halted, and, opening oneither side, the gun was fired directly at the centre of the gang ofpirates.
"Now, on, my friends!" shouted the colonel.
"On, on!" cried the lieutenant; and, at the same moment, Fleetwood ledon his party towards the devoted desperadoes. Not one cried forquarter; but they could not, for an instant, withstand such an attack;every one was cut down or driven towards the edge of the cliff, where,still inspired by their desire of revenge, they seized their opponents,and endeavoured to drag them over with themselves. Almost the lastsurvivor was old Vlacco; and exerting all the remaining strength whichage had left him, for he was still unwounded, he fixed his death graspon the arm of one of the foremost of his assailants; slowly he steppedback, as he was forced to retreat, enticing his antagonist on, till,feeling his left foot over the edge, he sprang forward to grasp him.
"In Heaven's name, hold me back!" shouted a voice, which CaptainFleetwood thought he recognised as Bowse's. The old pirate threwhimself back with all his might, in the hopes of overbalancing the manwhose arm he held, and dragging him with him. For himself he had nohope, no expectation but instant death, and the gratification of hisrevenge against one of those who had caused the destruction of himselfand many of his comrades. Bowse was a powerful man; but he had beenweakened by long confinement, and the pirate was large and heavy. Oncehe drew himself back, lifting the old man with him; but again Vlaccoforced him forward, pressed as he was by others behind, who did not seetheir nearness to the dreadful precipice, and he felt that thedespairing pirate was dragging him, with himself, to instantdestruction; his feet lost their hold of the ground, and he was fallingforward, when he, at length, sung out for help--though scarcelyexpecting it; but at that instant he felt himself dragged back by apowerful hand, and a sword descending, severed, with a blow, the arm ofthe old pirate, who, with a cry of rage, disappeared into the darkobscurity of the abyss below; and Bowse, turning round to thank hispreserver, found that he was his old shipmate, Tommy Small.
This was the last resistance the British had to encounter; and,unfortunately, it had cost them very dear. The second lieutenant of the_Vesta_, a mate of the _Venus_, and six seamen and marines, had beenkilled, and ten men wounded, as well as four officers. About fifteenpirates only were found dead, but a larger number had been seen to throwthemselves over the cliffs; and the wounded had probably destroyedthemselves in the same manner, for five only, who were unable to move,were discovered alive. About twenty, who had either wanted resolutionto destroy themselves, or thought they were less guilty, and, therefore,likely to escape punishment, were dragged out from the holes among theruins, where they had concealed themselves--these were the only remnantof the force who had made so stout a resistance; the rest had eitherescaped in the vessels, or their mangled corpses were to be found at thebottom of the cliffs. Although Captain Fleetwood was most anxious to beoff, he considered that it would not do to evacuate the place till ithad undergone a strict examination, he determined, therefore, to leavethe _Vesta's_ lieutenant of marines, with thirty marines and twentyseamen, in charge, while he led the rest back to embark on board theirships, where he knew, should the gale increase, their services would berequired.
Among the wounded was Colonel Gauntlett. His grief on hearing that
hisniece had been carried off by the pirate was very great.
"It is a sad thing for that poor child; and though I have had muchsorrow in my time, never has anything pained me more," he said, as thecaptain told him what had occurred. "And for you, Fleetwood, I feelmost deeply. You loved the girl, and you deserve her for the exertionsyou have made to recover her. In Heaven's name, get back to your shipand pursue the scoundrel round the world, if he goes so far. Formyself, I will remain here, and have my old carcass doctored; and if, asyou think there is a possibility of her being concealed somewhere in theisland, I will discover her, and shall be here to take charge of her,while you, at all events, will have the satisfaction of punishing thepirate."
Thus it was arranged; indeed, the colonel was unfit to be moved, and waslikely to fare much better in the tower, under the care of Mitchell, anda surgeon, who was left to look after the wounded, than on board thebrig in a gale of wind.
Marianna, however, entreated that she might not be left behind on theisland. She urged that her mistress must have been carried away in the_Sea Hawk_, and that as the _Ione_ was going in search of that vessel,her services would certainly be required when she was recovered, whichshe felt positive she would be, as she would serve as a chaperone toAda, should he be blessed by finding her. Fleetwood was glad to takeher with him. The first person he inquired for, after the pirates hadbeen overcome, was his friend Captain Vassilato.
Bowse said that he had been released with him and the Maltese, Pietro,from the dungeon under the tower, by Colonel Gauntlett's party, and thathe had seen him charging the last band of pirates who had resisted. Itwas for some time feared that he was one of those who had gone over thecliffs, either dragged over by the pirates, or in the eagerness ofpursuit; but at length he was discovered under a wall, where he hadmanaged to crawl to be out of the way of the scuffle, after receiving asevere wound on the leg from the wind of a round shot.
His delight at seeing Fleetwood, whom he thought had been killed, hedeclared, restored him to health; and he insisted on being carried onboard the _Ione_, to get sooner on board his own vessel, that he mightgo in chase of the pirate. Bowse also begged to be allowed to accompanythe captain.
All their arrangements being made, Fleetwood set off at the head of hismen to return to the little bay, where the boats were left. The marchback was less difficult and more rapid than the advance, as they werenow able to light their lanterns, which had been brought, and to usesome torches which had been discovered in the fort. They reached theboats in safety; but although the bay was to leeward, as the gale wasblowing strong, there was a good deal of swell setting into the littlecove, and they experienced considerable difficulty in embarking, and nolittle danger in getting out to sea. The ships, however, showed plentyof lights to guide them on board; but the way the lights moved showedthat there was a heavy swell, and the loud roar of the surf warned themthat they would have breakers to pass through before they could get onboard.
"It must be done, Small," said the captain, as her crew were getting thecutter afloat. "We have gone through many a worse surf, but neverthrough so narrow a passage in so dark a night."
"I've always managed to see the way out of any place I've got into,sir," replied Small. "Please Heaven, sir, we'll get out of this too."
"Very well," said the captain. "Gentlemen, I will lead, and let theboats follow at a sufficient distance from each other not to run therisk of fouling."
Captain Vassilato was lifted into the cutter, she was shoved off throughthe surf, and the impetus almost sent her up to the entrance. A highblack mound appeared to rise before her, obscuring the view even of thelights on board the ships, and seeming to block up all exit. Small'seyes were keen, he exactly hit the passage, and the boat, rising on thesurge, her oars almost touching the rocks on either side, darted outinto the open sea. For an instant only, Fleetwood went alongside the_Ione_ to put his Greek friend on board, and to order Saltwell to geteverything ready for weighing the instant he returned, and he thenpulled off to the frigate to make a report of what had occurred, and toadvise the instant pursuit of the pirate.
Captain Grantham was very much grieved to hear of the loss of so manymen, and that the young lady had been again spirited away, and promised,as soon as it was daylight, to go in chase of her; but in the dark, heconsidered it worse than useless to move from his comparatively snugberth. He was glad a nest of such determined pirates had been routedout; but, independent of more humane motives, he regretted to have tosend up to the Admiralty so long a list of casualties. It showed,however, that it was no trifling affair, and he might truly state, thatit was impossible to count the number of the enemy killed.
"You, Fleetwood, do as you think best," said Captain Grantham. "If youwish to get under weigh, do so; but, tell me, what plan do you proposeto pursue?"
"I think, while the present gale lasts, of standing across to examinethe island to the westward of this; and when it moderates, or if thewind shifts, I shall stand to the northward, towards the Gulf ofSalonica, where there are numerous hordes of pirates, with whom Zappa iscertain to find friends."
"I am not quite so sure of that--remember, two of a trade can neveragree. However, it is as well to try in that direction. I will standto the southward and westward, and will send Rawson to the eastward, andwe will then rendezvous off this island, unless we happen to catch sightof our friend in the meantime, in a week or ten days--Heaven grant thatwe may have success!"