CHAPTER IV.
AMONG THE WHALERS.
This taking a prisoner in a friendly port was, as I considered thematter for the moment, a serious affair, and without waiting to reflectI advised Master Hackett to let the fellow go free.
"He can't do us any more harm, and we'll warn others as to his scheme.There's no knowing how much of a row may be kicked up by our deprivinghim of his liberty."
"That's no more'n he did to you, an' the chances are that many a poorfellow is eatin' his heart out aboard a British whaler because of him.We've got the scoundrel fast, an' I count on keepin' him so, at leastuntil after he's been brought face to face with Captain Porter."
Benson spoke no word; the pallor of his face told that he was afraid,and if we had not known it before, we understood then that at heart hewas a thorough coward.
I expected each instant that he would call for help, and there wereenough rough characters around Valparaiso to give us no end of troublein case they espoused his cause.
But Benson remained silent, therefore after a time I came to believe hedid not stand on very good terms with the inhabitants of the town, andhad good reason for thinking his summons would not be answered by aid.This last surmise of mine was soon found to be very nearly correct, aswill presently be seen.
After tying the Britisher's hands behind his back, Master Hackett seizedhim by the arm and led the way toward the shore, followed closely, asmay be supposed, by Phil and me.
It was near to midnight; the peace-loving inhabitants of the town wereasleep, and the rougher element must have had a rendezvous at somedistance from the water's edge, for we did not meet a single personuntil after having walked to and fro on the shore half an hour or moreshouting for a boatman.
Then a sleepy looking fellow lounged up to Master Hackett, professinghis willingness to do whatsoever might be required, providing asufficient amount of money was forthcoming.
He had no more than given us to understand this much when a moonbeamlighted up Benson's face, and in an instant the boatman was animated.
"Where did you get that fellow?" he asked of Master Hackett in Spanish,and the latter replied in the same language, repeating the conversationto Phil and me after we were on board the _Essex_; but for the time wewere completely in the dark so far as understanding the drift of thetalk was concerned.
"We picked him up a short distance from here," the old seaman replied."He had jugged two boys belongin' to our ship, countin' on sellin' 'emto British whalers after the _Essex_ left port."
"I know him for a villain, an' have had it in mind that he spent histime shanghaing sailors, but never could bring it home to him. His gamedoesn't stop at Yankees; for when there are none in port he'll pick upanybody, so it's said."
"Then you have no objections to carryin' him aboard the ship?"
"What will you do with him there?"
"Let the captain settle his hash. We've got good proof of what he's beenup to, an' I promise you he won't be treated any too gently."
"I'll carry you an' him out to the ship for nothing, if by so doing wecan rid ourselves of the villain."
"I can't say whether the captain will take him out of your way; but youmay be certain it'll go hard with him."
Until some time later Phil and I were surprised at seeing the boatmanscurrying around as if we had been commissioned officers who promised abig fee; and he it was who tossed Benson on board the small boat with nomore ceremony than he would have used in handling a bundle ofmerchandise.
In a twinkling we were hailed by the sentry on board the _Essex_, sorapidly did the boatman work his oars, and Master Hackett gave such anaccount of his party as gained us permission to come up the gangwayladder.
Not seeing the old seaman offer to pay the man for having pulled us outto the ship, I took one of the silver shillings from my pocket, offeringit to him; but he shook his head as he pointed with a grin to whereMaster Hackett stood arm in arm with Benson.
The remainder of the night was spent by the Britisher in the prison ofthe ship, or, as a sailor would put it, "in the brig"; and we two lads,after hearing from the old seaman a literal translation of theconversation he had had with the boatman, tumbled into our hammocks withthankful hearts.
A few hours previous it had seemed certain we would be sent on board awhaler, while our friends believed us deserters, and now we were in ourproper stations once more. Surely, Master Hackett had repaid whatsoeverof a debt he might have owed us for jumping over the rail to rescue him!
The reception we met with from our messmates next morning was wellcalculated to make lads feel proud. Every man jack came up with somepleasant word as if we were particular friends with all the crew; andmany were the hopes expressed that the Britisher, Benson, would get suchsauce as he deserved.
There was never a man on board who did not believe our captain woulddeal out the most severe punishment in his power, yet it was agreed bythe idlers on the gun-deck that if the villain was let off too easily,they would ask for permission to go on shore again and make it theirduty to trim him in proper fashion.
The yarn which had been told Phil and me regarding the sailing of the_Essex_ was a hoax. She was taking on board provisions for a longcruise, and it was hardly probable could be got under way for two orthree days at the earliest.
Half an hour after inspection one of the marines brought the wordforward that Phil and I were to go aft for an interview with thecaptain; and while it was no more than we had been expecting, both of uswere considerably excited by the prospect.
We were rigged out in our best bibs and tuckers, Master Hackett himselfseeing to it that our hats were properly tilted on "three hairs," andhalf a dozen of the older men inspecting us gravely to make certain wewere togged in shipshape and Bristol fashion.
We found the captain with half a dozen of the officers, among whom wasmy cousin, Stephen McKnight, seated around a large table in the aftercabin, looking grave as owls; and certain it is that I was tremblinglike a leaf when I bowed and scraped in such fashion as Master Hacketthad said was proper.
"Well, lads," the captain said, speaking as if he believed we were asgood as himself, "I understand that you had quite an adventure ashoreyesterday, and were near coming to grief."
"Yes, sir," I replied, after waiting in vain for Phil to speak, and myvoice quivered till it was like a wheezy flute.
"Tell us the whole story from the time you left Hackett, and do not beafraid of making it too long."
Again I waited for Phil; but since he showed no signs of piping up I wasobliged to spin the yarn, for it would never have done to keep thecaptain waiting.
All hands were still as mice while I told of our meeting with Benson;and to make certain they'd believe me, I made Phil pipe up from time totime with his, "That's true, sir," or, "It's all as Ezra says, sir."
When I was at the end of the yarn,--and it was a long one, as you maybelieve, for I told every little detail from our meeting with Bensonuntil we were on board ship again,--the captain said, as polite as afiddler:--
"You may go, lads, and send Hackett aft."
Phil came very near tumbling over me as he tried to get out of the cabinin a hurry; and we were hardly more than amidships before we met MasterHackett, togged out within an inch of his life.
"The captain has sent for you, sir," I said with all due respect; andinstead of making any reply, the old fellow turned on his heel stiff asa ramrod, walking aft till his bowlegs cut a perfect circle.
Once on the gun-deck again we two lads were forced to tell the idlersall that had occurred; and we were no sooner done with our yarn thanMaster Hackett appeared, looking much as if he had just been made masterof a prize.
With all his fine looks and lordly manner, he could not tell the idlersmore than we had already done, and all hands of us were forced to waitin suspense until some long-eared marine should come forward with hisbudget of news gathered by eavesdropping.
Half an hour later the crew of the cutter was called away to carryLieutenant Down
es ashore; and when that officer came back No. 4 boat wasmanned, and the prisoner, Benson, put on board.
It was not until the next day that we learned the whole of the story,and then all hands were satisfied that justice would be done by theChilian authorities in such a fashion that the Britisher would for sometime be unable to continue his scheme of catching Yankees.
What we finally learned was much like this: Having inquired into thecase thoroughly, as I have already set down, Captain Porter wasconvinced that a flogging would be too slight punishment for such avillain as Benson, and Mr. Downes made an official report of the case tothe authorities of the port. Those officers promised that theenterprising Britisher should be imprisoned with hard labor for a yearat the very least; and that this was done, Master Hackett, Phil, and Iknew before the _Essex_ left port, for we three visited the jail and sawthe scoundrel picking oakum under charge of well-armed keepers.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at us for a single second, andthen looked steadily at his work, nor could we provoke him intospeaking. I thought at the time, however, and had good reason toremember it afterward, that if the opportunity should ever presentitself for him to get one or all three of us into his power, he wouldnot be likely to show us much mercy.
It was on the day we visited the jail that the brig _Jane_, an Americanwhaler, came into port, and from her master Captain Porter learned verymuch which it was necessary he should know. It was reported that nearlyall the British whalers were armed and provided with letters of marque,which really put them on a footing with ships of war; and, unless theirplans were speedily nipped in the bud, all the vessels hailing from theUnited States would be captured. In fact one of them had already beenseized, the Britisher having no difficulty in coming alongside becausethe Yankee craft had been so long at sea that her commander had no ideawar had been proclaimed.
Captain Porter did not linger after receiving such information. He hadproposed to put additional stores on board; but now decided that hecould not afford to spend any more time in port, and immediately signalswere hoisted recalling those who were in the town on shore leave.
Master Hackett, Phil, and I were no more than on board before the_Essex_ was under way, and I believe of a verity we would have been leftbehind had we loitered half an hour longer.
We had been at sea two days when we spoke the Yankee whaleship_Charles_, and ran so close alongside that it was possible to hail her,when the skipper was summoned on board to give information.
A more surprised set of men than those who rowed the Nantucket captainover to us, I never saw. They stared at the _Essex_ in open-mouthedamaze, and fired volleys of questions at us as we overhung the rail,knowing full well that we could get the same news from these men as wasbeing dealt out in the cabin to our commander.
Not until after we had explained the meaning of our being in thePacific, however, could we get any information, and then we learned thatthere was work in plenty before us.
A Peruvian corsair, in company with an armed British brig, had alreadycaptured the ships _Walker_ and _Barclay_ while they were cruising offCoquimbo, and unless we took a hand the entire Yankee fleet would soonbe gobbled up.
The Nantucket skipper did not stay in the cabin more than half an hour;and immediately he was over the rail, our ship was being brought around"to take a hand in the fun," as Master Hackett announced, while the_Charles_ followed in the wake of the _Essex_.
It can readily be imagined that all hands were in a fine state ofexcitement by this time, knowing as we did that our work was cut out forus; but we counted on cruising two or three days at the very leastbefore coming up with an enemy.
Our surprise was quite as great as our pleasure, when, not more thanthree hours later, and while the _Charles_ was within two miles of us,we sighted the Peruvian vessel to the northward.
In a twinkling we ran up the British colors to coax her within strikingdistance; and the captain of the _Charles_ showed himself to be quite asshrewd as are Nantucket men in general, for no sooner was our falseensign straightened out than he hoisted the English flag over the starsand stripes, thus making it appear as if he had been captured by us.
The Peruvian fell into the trap at once, and came down upon us in finestyle, throwing a shot ahead of the _Essex_ when he was about a mileaway. It was carrying matters with a high hand; but I reckon CaptainPorter wasn't very greatly displeased, since it only made our work moresimple.
Orders were at once given to pitch three shots directly over thestranger as a token for him to come nearer, which the Peruvian did, atthe same time sending an armed boat to board us.
Every man jack of us, save those at the starboard guns, were on deckwhen the boat came alongside, a lieutenant in full rig standing in thestern-sheets, and thus it was Phil and I heard all that was said betweenthis fine fellow and our commander.
Captain Porter professed to be in a towering rage; he ordered thelieutenant to go back at once with an order for the Peruvian to rununder our lee, and then send an officer on board to apologize for havingdared to fire at an English man-of-war.
How that fellow scurried back! He never so much as suspected that wewere other than what had been represented, and in the shortest possiblespace of time another lieutenant, wearing so much gold lace that helooked like a brazen image, came up the gangway ladder grinning andbowing like an ape.
Captain Porter received him on the quarter, but never so much as invitedhim into the cabin, and Phil and I crowded well aft to hear what weallowed would be a mighty interesting conversation.
The lieutenant reported that his ship was the Peruvian privateer_Nereyda_, armed with fifteen guns, and carrying a full crew. They werecruising for Americans, he said, and had already captured two,--the_Walker_ and the _Barclay_; but the British letter of marque _Nimrod_, awhaler, had driven their prize crew from the _Walker_ and takenpossession of her. The Peruvian had mistaken us for the _Nimrod_, andfired for the purpose of showing that they did not count on having theirprizes taken from them in such an unceremonious fashion.
It puzzled me to make out how the Peruvians, who were under Spanishrule, dared to attack our vessels while Spain was not at war with theUnited States; but the old sea lawyers of the gun-deck explained mattersthat evening to their entire satisfaction, by saying the Peruvians musthave believed that Spain, who was so dependent upon England, would soondeclare war against us because the king of Great Britain had done so,and this would make the capture of the whalers legal.
Whether that was the right view of the case or not, I can't say; but itsatisfied our old shellbacks, and that was enough.
But to go back to the Peruvian lieutenant who stood on the quartershaking hands with himself because he had straightened out the matter ofhaving fired on us. I suppose he thought our captain would pat him onthe back for being engaged in the work of destroying Yankee whalers, andwas most likely counting on being invited into the cabin to a blow-outof the best from the officers' stores.
It was comical to see the fellow jump when Captain Porter gave a signalfor the British ensign to be hauled down and the stars and stripes runup! He stared first at the flag, and then at the men amidships who werewatching him, until our gun-deck crowd laughed aloud.
Captain Porter scowled, for it wasn't good manners to make sport of aprisoner, and then told the Peruvian who we were, although there waslittle need of that after he had seen our flag.
The next minute orders were given to pitch a couple of shots over the_Nereyda_, and down came her colors as if our balls had cut away thehalliards. They didn't care to dispute the question, but surrenderedoff-hand, as if afraid we might take it into our heads to sink theirpiratical craft.
After that, and until three hours were passed, our men had a lively timetaking the privateer's crew aboard the _Essex_ and stowing them in thecages on the lower deck. It was good practice for Lieutenant Downes'sfleet of boats, and he did all the work, us idlers overhanging the railas we watched the sport.
When all this had been done and the
ship's brig was literally packedwith prisoners, Lieutenant McKnight, my cousin, was sent on board the_Nereyda_ with a prize crew, and all three vessels (for the Nantucketskipper hung close to us, as if eager to take part in a fight) stoodinshore to look into Coquimbo with the hope of finding there the_Nimrod_ and her prizes.
I had almost forgotten to say that when the _Nereyda_ was overhauled,our men found in the privateer's brig the master and crew of thecaptured ship _Barclay_. Of course they were brought on board the_Essex_, the officers being quartered aft, and the men messing with usof the gun-deck. A mighty happy crowd they were on finding themselves onan American man-of-war, after feeling certain they'd be sent to aSpanish prison.
From them we learned that there were no less than twenty-three Yankeewhalers in the Pacific, and fully twenty Britishers, all of thelast-named being heavily armed and on the lookout to capture our ships.The Englishmen were neglecting the fishery, so the newcomers told us, inorder to catch a Yankee, and the _Essex_ hadn't arrived an hour toosoon. Surely, it seemed as if our misfortune in not meeting CommodoreBainbridge was a blessing in disguise.
Well, we didn't find in the harbor of Coquimbo that for which we weresearching, and the captain of the _Charles_, disappointed in not gettingan opportunity to take part in a scrimmage, hauled off to attend to thewhales.
There was no reason why we should hold possession of the Peruvian, andgood cause why we ought to give her up, for we were not at war withSpain; therefore, after our unsuccessful visit to Coquimbo, the twoships were hove to within a mile of each other, that Lieutenant Downes'sfleet might gain more experience in handling their boats.
In the first place, all the privateer's ammunition, shot, small arms,and light sails were thrown overboard, which left that craft in suchshape that she couldn't do much harm to anything except herself, andthen her crew was sent on board once more. One of the marines told usthat Captain Porter had made the officers of the _Nereyda_ swear todeliver a letter to the viceroy of Peru as the price of their liberty,and in that letter our commander denounced the conduct of theprivateer's captain, insisting that he be punished for having acted as apirate.
Both Phil and I would like very much to know if that letter was everdelivered, and in case the officers kept their promise, what was donewith them for having made prizes of vessels belonging to a nation withwhich Spain was not at war.
There was no need for any one to ask what our course would be afterparting company with the Peruvian cruiser. Captain Porter would searchfor the captured Yankees, as a matter of fact; and the only question inthe minds of us on the gun-deck was as to where he would look for them.
It goes without saying that our old shellbacks wagged their tonguesfuriously over this, and finally it was settled among them that the_Essex_ must perforce cruise around the island of San Gallan. It wasexactly this which our commander did, and those who had predicted itplumed their feathers mightily at showing so much seamanship.
Well, we made good headway until the 28th day of March, with nothing ofinterest occurring save that half the crew were constantly on thelookout for the captured vessels, and then we were well up with SanGallan. On this day we hauled off to the northward and westward,counting to cross the track of inward-bound craft.
It appeared that again were we just in the nick of time, for in lessthan sixteen hours after changing the course we sighted three sailstanding for Callao.
It was a case of prize money and no mistake, for there wasn't one chancein an hundred that either of the strangers was a Yankee, and there wassome lively jumping and hauling as we put the _Essex_ in trim for astiff chase.
The crew of the _Barclay_ declared that the craft nearest was the onewhich had been taken from them by the Peruvian, and Captain Porter setabout cutting her out, regardless of others.
During four hours we had a most exciting time of it, and then it beganto look very much as if we would get the worst end of the bargain. Iwish I was able to set down here a picture of our ship and crew as westood with our eyes fixed on the chase, save at such times as it becamenecessary to perform some task; but it is beyond a thickheaded lad likeme. One must needs take part in such a race in order to understand allthe sensations which come to a fellow as he watches eagerly the progressof the craft, trembling with excitement lest the chase will escape, andthen feeling the cold shivers run down his spine as he realizes thatwhen he is once where he wants to be, he may, perhaps, be called uponto scrape an acquaintance with death; for if all the enemy in thosewaters were heavily armed, it was not probable every one would fall intoour hands as readily as had the Peruvian privateer.
It was the "luck of the _Essex_," so Master Hackett declared, whichenabled us to win that race; for when the chase doubled the point of SanLorenzo we were fully three miles astern, and the most sanguine among usbelieved that she'd gain harbor before we could run near enough to firea shot.
We kept on, however, as if believing our chances were of the best,although knowing that in a short time we would be in the unfriendly portof Callao, and ten minutes later Master Hackett cried out the words Ihave just set down. It was the "luck of the _Essex_" that the windshould leave the chase as she rounded the point, and we brought a goodbreeze with us until we were less than half a mile off.
Then Lieutenant Downes's command was called to quarters; the small fleetof boats was lowered away, and the crew bent to the oars as if a fortuneof gold awaited every man jack of them.
We had no idea but that the chase would make some kind of a fight, andyet, much though I disliked running my head into the path of a roundshot, so great was my excitement that I would have given all my smallpossessions could I have been on board the foremost boat.
Nor was Phil Robbins behind me in enthusiasm. As the fleet got under wayhe flung his arms around my neck and bawled in my ears as if I hadsuddenly gone stone deaf:--
"Why couldn't it be our luck to be there! Why don't Lieutenant Downesgive us lads half a chance?"
I shook him off just as Master Hackett came near where we were standing,and was about to make some impatient reply, for it seemed as if we ladswere receiving shabby treatment by being thus left out of all the goodthings; but the old seaman interrupted me by saying:--
"You young cubs needn't howl because of not gettin' the thick end of allthat's goin' on. Unless our captain has changed from what he was as alieutenant when we licked the Turks, you'll get all the 'burnin' powder'that's needed before this cruise comes to an end."
Phil and I were not greatly consoled at being thus told that our turnwould come by and by; but in our chagrin we did not lose sight of whatwas taking place so near at hand.
We saw the boats as they approached the becalmed craft spread out likea fan, that the attack, in case one was needed, might come from allpoints at the same time; and to our great surprise the ship's colorswere struck before a gun had been fired.
She was the _Barclay_, as the blindest among us could see, for the namewas painted on her rail, and we had robbed the Peruvian privateer ofhalf her prizes!
Lieutenant Downes did not even take the trouble of sending the prizecrew off to us as prisoners. He put them beneath the hatches, hoistedthree of his boats inboard and sent the others back, signalling to knowwhat the next move was to be.
It was by long odds the tamest capture I ever saw, for not a singlegrain of powder was burned, and there was no noise save when our crewcheered the returning boats.
Captain Porter soon told, by means of the tiny signal flags, what heexpected of those who were in possession of the whaler. We hoisted theBritish colors, and the _Barclay_ sent up the English ensign over thestars and stripes, after which the wind breezed up with sufficient forceto carry us into Callao.
We were to enter the port as an Englishman with a prize, and there getsuch information as might be useful.
It was my cousin Stephen who went ashore with a boat's crew, neverheeding the fact that both Phil and I were eager to go with him; andwhen he came out, two hours later, signals were shown for both vesselsto
gain an offing.
As we on the gun-deck afterward learned, the fact that the _Essex_ wasso far from home had not yet been made known along the coast, and ourcommander was not the kind of a man to dawdle in port when he might beout attending to business.
Once we had gained a good offing, the officers and crew of the _Barclay_were given the opportunity to go on board their own craft; but nearlyall of them decided to remain with us, and some of our people weredrafted to man her.
It seems, as we soon came to know, that the captain of the _Barclay_proposed that his ship cruise with us, acting as pilot to point out theenemy, and this proposition was accepted.
Captain Porter now had a fleet of two ships, and with them he stretchedoff the coast to the northward and westward, hunting for whatsoevermight be picked up in the way of Britishers.
On that night, when our cruise was begun from a new point of departure,the sea lawyers began to argue as to what should be done now we were onprofitable grounds, and before it was time to turn in they had settledto their own satisfaction all that our commander should or should notdo.
I was tired with hearing their tongues wag, and had turned to go furtheraft where the chin music was not so loud, when Phil came up, theexpression on his face telling plainly that he had some important matterin mind.
"You're to go to your cousin to-morrow morning, Ezra, and beg of himthat we be given permission to join Lieutenant Downes's fleet. It is notfair that we should miss all the most exciting portion of the work bybeing forced to remain aboard the _Essex_ when there are prizes to becaptured."
"It may be exciting enough if we fall afoul of a Britisher who is intrim to fight," I said grimly, not minded to let him know how sore myheart was because we had not been selected by Lieutenant Downes when hedrafted his crew.
"Master Hackett says we won't see a real fight this side of Cape Horn,because there's nothing here with metal enough to stand us off, exceptthe British 64-gun _Standard_, and it's reported that she has alreadyleft Lima, bound for England."
"We may find some craft that will show her teeth, despite all MasterHackett says," I replied, little dreaming how nearly the truth I wasspeaking.