A Post-Chaise which had conveyed Harry and the general to Portsmouth
drove up to the "George," just as Captain Headland, who was living
there, returned from a visit to his ship.
The old general, thinking that Harry would benefit by his society, had
insisted on accompanying him, declaring that he had promised Lady
Castleton to see him safe on board his frigate.
Sir Ralph, suspecting perhaps that Harry might take it into his head to
run off with May, had encouraged the general in doing as he had offered,
little aware that there was no risk of such an occurrence happening,
while the general took good care to show that he had not come as a spy
on his actions. Harry, indeed, was too generous to suspect him of such
a proceeding.
The general having shaken hands with Headland, went into the hotel, as
he said, to order rooms, leaving the two friends alone. He guessed that
the captain would have enquiries to make about Julia. They joined him
before long in the sitting-room he had engaged, and Headland thanked him
heartily for the invitation which Harry had just delivered.
The general had ordered dinner, and insisted on the two young officers
being his guests for the day.
"You shall give me a return dinner on board the _Thisbe_," he observed.
The dinner was the best the hotel could supply, and the wines were good,
the general keeping his guests well amused.
"By-the-bye, I daresay you two young men would rather sail together than
cruise in different ships, and as I have a modicum of interest in high
quarters, though I do not boast of much, if you wish, Captain Headland,
to apply for Harry, it is possible that I may induce the Lords
Commissioners to grant your request, unless Harry would prefer remaining
as he is."
Both Headland and Harry begged the general would do as he proposed.
"Well, do you write the official letter, and I will support it," said
the general, "and if necessary I will run up to town and see my official
friends. Harry will get a longer spell on shore to recover from the
hurts he received from those rascally highwaymen. I cannot compliment
the police of your county for not catching them though. I always felt
when riding about, the unpleasant possibility of having a bullet sent
through my head."
Harry said the search for them was not over, however, and that Mr
Groocock especially was taking every means in his power to discover
them, though, for his part, as they had failed in their attempt, unless
to prevent their attacking anyone else, he had no wish to have them
brought to justice, as it might compel him to remain on shore as a
witness.
Little was the general aware when he made this offer that Sir Ralph had
expressly got the young men appointed to different ships, and had taken
care that Headland's should be destined for a foreign station. How far,
had he known this, he would have ventured to counteract the baronet's
arrangements it is difficult to say.
The next morning Harry joined the _Aurora_. The same day he paid
Headland a visit on board the _Thisbe_, which had just come out of dock
and been brought alongside the hulk. She was a remarkably fine corvette
of eighteen guns, just such a craft as a young officer would be proud to
command, and, from her build, both he and Headland thought she would
prove very fast.
Within a week Harry found himself superseded, and appointed first
lieutenant of the _Thisbe_.
Orders came down the next day to hurry on with her equipment, and
Portsmouth was again alive with preparations for war.
Lord Whitworth's final interview with Napoleon had taken place. The
First Consul had stormed, and threatened, and insulted the English
ambassador. All doubts as to his intentions vanished. The whole of
England was aroused, for her shores were threatened with invasion. The
militia were called out, and volunteers rapidly enrolled. A few months
later, the great minister of England, his tall, gaunt figure dressed in
regimental scarlet, might have been seen in his character of Lord Warden
of the Cinque Ports, at the head of 3000 volunteers, drilling them as he
best could. Not only he, however, but every Lord-lieutenant of England
and Scotland was endeavouring to prepare his countrymen to drive the
invaders from their sacred shores back into the Channel should they
audaciously venture to cross it. In a short time, nearly 400,000 men,
providing their own clothing, receiving no pay, and enjoying no
privileges, sprang up at a word--a noble congregation of citizens,
united as one individual soul, ready to fight to the death as long as a
Frenchman remained in arms on their native soil.
As soon as war was declared, the general bade his naval friends
farewell. "Though laid on the shelf so far as foreign service was
concerned," he observed, "it would be found, he hoped, that there was
still some life left in him for duty at home."
The _Thisbe_ was rapidly got ready for sea. Though any men who had
sailed with Captain Headland were willing to join her, there was great
difficulty in procuring hands, and he knew too well the importance of
having an efficient crew, to take any but the best men.
The _Thisbe_ at length sailed with sealed orders, though still short
handed. Unless she could obtain the remainder of her crew by taking
them out of any homeward-bound vessels or fishing-boats, she was to put
into Plymouth to make up her complement. She was to avoid, however,
touching anywhere, and to proceed, if possible, with all despatch on her
voyage southward. She lost sight of the Needles just as the sun sank
into the ocean. A light breeze to the northward filling her sails, she
made some progress during the night, but as morning approached, a thick
fog came on, and she lay almost becalmed on the glass like sea. It was
Harry's morning watch. Look-outs were stationed aloft to catch the
first glimpse of any sail which might be near, though their hulls and
lower rigging would be hidden by the mist. It was a time when vigilance
was doubly necessary, for it was possible that an enemy's cruiser might
have ventured thus far towards the English coast in the hopes of
capturing any homeward-bound merchantmen in ignorance of the war.
At length dawn broke, and the mist assumed that silvery hue which showed
that the sun was about once more to rise above the horizon. All hands
were on deck, employed in the morning duties of a man-of-war's crew.
The sails which had hitherto hung down against the masts gave several
loud flaps, then gradually bulged out, and the ship obtaining steerage
way, once more glided slowly onwards.
Harry sent a midshipman forward to see that the look-outs had their eyes
open.
Suddenly the fog lifted.
"A sail on the lee-bow," shouted the midshipman. "A lugger close-hauled
standing across our course, sir."
At that moment the captain came on deck.
"She shows no colours," again shouted the midshipman.
"We will speak her whatever she is," observed the captain.
The order was given to trim sails, and the corvette was steered so as to
cut off the lugger should she continue on her present course.
Those on board the stranger only just then discovered the ship of war,
and instead of continuing on close-hauled as before, she stood away with
her sheets eased off to the southward.
"That looks suspicious," observed Headland. "If she were honest, she
would not try to avoid us."
It was soon evident that the lugger was a fast craft. Every sail the
_Thisbe_ could carry was set, while the lugger, spreading out her broad
canvas, did her best to escape.
"Perhaps the fellows think we may press some of them, and are simply
anxious to escape being overhauled," observed Harry.
Though the lugger made good way, the loftier sails of the _Thisbe_
carried her quickly through the water, and her commander and Harry hoped
that she would deserve the character they first formed of her.
At length they got near enough to the lugger to send a shot from a
bow-chaser as a signal to heave to. She, however, took no notice of it,
and stood on. Other shots were fired in the hopes of knocking away some
of her spars, and compelling her to obey. At length a shot had the
desired effect, and her main-halyards being shot away, her huge mainsail
came down on deck. To avoid the risk of the broadside which might
follow, the lugger came up into the wind.
A boat, under the second lieutenant De Vere, was lowered to ascertain
the character of the vessel. Some thought that she would prove to be a
smuggler, with possibly a cargo on board. She was so completely under
the lee of the corvette that everything going on on deck was seen.
"We may, at all events, get some of those fellows. Give them the option
of volunteering whatever they are, but if they refuse, pick out
half-a-dozen of the best hands, Mr De Vere," said the captain.
"Ay, ay, sir," was the answer, and the lieutenant proceeded on board.
He was seen to dive down below, and in a short time to return and muster
the men on deck. They seemed by their movements inclined to refuse
submission to his orders, but he pointed to the guns of the corvette as
his authority, and one after the other having gone below to get their
bags, they descended the side into the boat.
Six men had already been secured, whether they had volunteered or not it
was difficult to say, when a struggle was seen to be taking place
forward between some of the lugger's crew and a man who had made his way
up the fore hatch. He dashed those who tried to stop him aside, and
sprang aft to the lieutenant. A short discussion took place between De
Vere and the master of the lugger. While it was going forward, the man
took the opportunity of leaping over the side into the boat.
The second lieutenant, apparently considering that the lugger still had
more hands than she required, now selected four additional men, who,
evidently in a very sulky humour, obeyed his summons.
With the eleven men thus obtained he returned to the ship.
The breeze freshening, Headland was unwilling to delay longer, and
therefore hailing the lugger, gave her permission to continue on her
course, when the corvette's sails being filled, she once more stood down
channel.
The newly pressed men were summoned aft.
"I cannot say that they were volunteers except this man," said De Vere,
pointing to the one who had been seen to leap into the boat, a fine
strong young fellow, though he looked somewhat pale and ill, while his
jacket had been torn, and his head cut in the struggle. "He was willing
enough to join, though the others tried to prevent him."
The men gave in their names. They were hardy-looking, but of a somewhat
ruffianly appearance. They were not the less likely to prove useful
seamen, only it would be necessary to keep a sharp look-out on them
while the corvette was in Plymouth Sound.
When Harry asked the name of the man of whom De Vere had been speaking,
he replied--
"Jacob Halliburt."
Harry looked at him, wondering whether he could be old Adam's son, and,
as he supposed, May's brother.
He did not wish just then to ask the question in public. He had no
doubts, however, when the young man stated that he had been carried off
some time before from his home by the lugger's crew, and kept a prisoner
on board ever since, being compelled to do duty when at sea, but being
shut down in the hold whenever she was in port or might have an
opportunity of making his escape.
"This was my only chance, sir, so I made a dash for it, and knocked down
the fellows who tried to stop me, as I had a hundred times rather serve
aboard a man-of-war than remain with such rascally lawless fellows."
"You did very right," said De Vere, "and you will find it to your
advantage."
Before the day was over three large ships had been boarded, one of which
had picked up a ship's crew of twenty men at sea. It seemed hard for
the poor fellows after the dangers they had gone through not to return
to their friends on shore; but necessity has no law. The greater number
were sent on board the corvette, which, with several of the ship's crew,
fully made up her complement.
As Headland was eager to get to sea, he was glad thus to avoid the
necessity of having to touch at Plymouth, where it would have required
great vigilance to prevent some of the lately pressed men from escaping.