CHAPTER VI.
THE INTRODUCTION TO A FIGHT.
Upon the fore-deck of the Dutch ship two sailors were chatting idlybeside a lantern's shaded light. They had tramped up and down,performing their duty in a listless fashion, until the general silencehad convinced them that the officer in charge was asleep below. Thedetermination to take their ease, which they thereupon arrived at,became strengthened by their belief that the vessel could not have beensafer had she been at anchor-hold in the Zuyder Zee.
"Yon French ship has no sentries, I warrant," said Jan Hoevenden, theyounger of the two. "What use, when a man may hardly see his hand when'tis held in front of him? Your Indian does not attack by water, asRoussilac well knows. Neither shall he attack in such a darkness,unless hard put to it."
"'Tis a scheme of the master to deprive us of our hard-earned sleep,"grumbled James Oog. "Come, comrade, let us rest here and smoke. Hereis a parcel of tobacco which I dried yesterday in the sun."
The two sailors filled their pipes, lighted the tobacco at the pooplantern, and settled themselves aft speedily to forget theirresponsibilities. There was not a sound, except the hum of flies andthe swirl of the river. There was nothing to be seen, beyond thegloomy masts and spectral rigging. The atmosphere remained still andclose.
"This is but a poor country, Jan," observed the older man, after a fewcontented puffs at his huge pipe. "There be no treasure of gold orsilver buried here."
"Nought but forest and rock, with a biting wind o' nights," repliedHoevenden. "'Tis a cold climate. The Indians say this river is thickwith ice for a full half of the year."
"I wish for none of that. Give me the south. Hast ever been inFlorida?"
"Nay. Is that land as fruitful as men say?"
"It knows no winter, and even in the midst of the year the heat isnever so great that a man may not endure to work. The soil is so richthat grain dropped upon the ground shall spring into harvest in amonth. Sugar and fruit grow there, and much timber for building.There is also game for the pot, and furs for a man's back."
"There are pestilent beasts, they tell me," Hoevenden grumbled.
"Well, man, there was never a paradise without serpents. True thereare mighty reptiles, twenty feet in length, within the rivers, andmonstrous scorpions upon land. But what of it? There are perils uponevery shore. A man may sit out at night under a big moon, beside treescovered with white or pink blooms, every bloom as great as his head andsmelling like wine, and he may listen to the Tritons singing as theysplash through the sea, and watch the mermaidens--passing fair they saywho have seen them--lying upon the rocks, wringing salt water fromtheir hair. 'Tis a wondrous shore. I would rather own an acre of itthan be master of all this country of cold forest where there isneither fruit nor flower."
"The fog arises yonder," said Hoevenden, pointing down the river.
The grey mass which he indicated ascended rapidly and drenched the deckwith dew. There was as yet no light, but a heavy shadow had taken theplace of the intense blackness, and the river was visible as it carriedits current to the gulf. The two men rose suddenly, and hid theirpipes when they heard the rattle of oars and splash of water.
"Shall be found at our duty," said Oog, with a husky laugh, and hisfellow-seaman chuckled with him.
A boat was making rapid progress against the stream, Penfold, with aneye upon the fog and his right hand on the tiller, encouraging therowers. The muscles sprang out from their arms, the sweat flowed fromtheir faces, despite the rawness of the air. Hough's mutilatedcountenance throbbed terribly beneath his efforts. The ship startedsuddenly out of the mist, and Penfold called softly, "Easy, lads.Spare yourselves now, for we have soon to fight." But immediately themen stopped rowing, the current dragged the boat down.
"The use of the sword will be as child's play after pulling againstthis stream," gasped Hough.
Again the men bent their backs, and the boat sullenly made way. Behindthem the morning was breaking rapidly, the fog gathered in whiterfolds, and some flickering bars of grey light crossed the track of theriver.
"They must not see our faces nor hear us speak," Penfold muttered.Then he whispered sharply, "Heaven be thanked! A ladder hangs at herstern."
He drew the borrowed plume over his eyes, and lowered his head becausehe was facing the ship. His comrades gave way, driving the heavy boatupward with great strokes of the clumsy oars, until Penfold mutteredsoftly, "Easy now."
The two sentries were looking down from above; but they perceivednothing of a suspicious nature, chiefly because they had no cause tofear the coming of the enemy.
Young Viner was the first to leave the boat, but Penfold was hard afterhim. They scrambled up the ladder, while the others secured the boatto the steps.
"Five men!" exclaimed Hoevenden, peering through the perplexing light."Where is the sixth? Masters, where is the commander?"
"Here!" muttered an English voice, and the sentry fell forward withPenfold's sword through him. Oog opened his mouth to cry "Treachery!"but all the sound that issued therefrom was a death gasp, as Vinerfinished his career with a pretty stroke which effectually deprived theDutchman of his hoped-for heritage in the south.
"A fair beginning," said Penfold, peering forward at the big cabinswhich gave the ship a curiously humped shape. "Now to smoke out thehornets. If we are mastered by numbers, we may yet save ourselves byswimming to the shore. All silent yet. But see--a gun!"
He rammed his sword up the muzzle-breach. "'Tis loaded. Fetch meyonder lantern."
Hough brought the lantern from the poop; but hardly had he done so whena head came out from one of the cabin windows, and a pair of frightenedeyes swept their faces. In a moment, as it seemed, the ship was in anuproar.
"Now may God deafen the Frenchmen," prayed Penfold, as he swung thebrass gun round and pointed its muzzle at the cabin door.
Viner and Woodfield were fastening down the hatches, while Hough ranforward, taking his life in his hands, and severed the cable. The shipquivered, shook herself like a dog aroused from sleep, and very slowlyanswered the downward pull of the stream.
But before the Puritan could return the cabin door burst open and theenemy swarmed forth. Hough dropped the first in his shirt, parried ablow from the second, turned and ran back, while old Penfold opened thelantern and brought the flame down to the portfire.
There was light now over the St. Lawrence under masses of wet cloud.An Indian canoe was flying over the water like a bird, urged by twopair of arms paddling furiously. She caught the floating ship, and asshe made fast to the side of the steps the gun roared overhead, andafter it an English cheer shook the mist.
"Keep to my side," said the man in the canoe. "Forget not that passunder the hilt I taught you."
Having thus spoken he bounded up the ladder.