A COUNCIL OF WAR, IN WHICH JACK DECIDES THAT HE WILL HAVE ONE MORE
CRUISE.
As Captain Sawbridge did not return on board that evening, Easy went on
shore and called upon him at the Governor's, to whom he was introduced,
and received an invitation to dine with him. As Gascoigne could not
come on shore, our hero took this opportunity of making his request to
Captain Sawbridge, stating that the person he had with him was not such
as he wished and could confide everything to; that is, not one to whom
he could talk to about Agnes. Jack, as he found that Captain Sawbridge
did not immediately assent, pressed the matter hard; at last Captain
Sawbridge, who reflected that Gascoigne's interest hereafter would be
much greater through his friend Easy than any other quarter, and that
the more the friendship was cemented the more advantageous it might
prove to Gascoigne, gave his consent to our hero's wish, who called on
board the _Latona_ to acquaint Gascoigne and the first lieutenant of
Captain Sawbridge's intentions, and then went on board of _Rebiera_ and
ordered Mesty to come with his portmanteau on shore to the inn, that he
might dress for dinner. Gascoigne, now considered as not belonging to
the _Latona_, was permitted to accompany him; and Jack found himself
looking out of the window at which he had hung out his trousers upon the
memorable occasion when the boatswain had to follow his own precept, of
duty before decency.
"What scenes of adventure I have passed through since that," thought
Jack; "not much more than four years ago, then not three weeks in the
service." Whereupon Jack fell into a deep reverie, and thought of the
baboon and of Agnes.
The repairs of the _Latona_ were all made good by the next day, and
Gascoigne, having received his discharge-ticket, went on board the
_Rebiera_. The gun-boat was put into the hands of the agent, and
shortly afterwards purchased by Government. The _Rebiera's_ crew did
not, however, obtain their prize-money and share of the head-money, for
she had seventy men on board, until their return, but, as they did, they
had broken the ice, and that was everything. Moreover, it gave them
confidence in themselves, in their vessel, and in their commander. Our
hero weighed a short time after the _Latona_, having first taken leave
of Captain Sawbridge, and committed to his care a letter to Dr
Middleton.
Once more behold the trio together--the two midshipmen hanging over the
taffrail, and Mesty standing by them. They had rounded Europa Point,
and with a fine breeze off the land, were lying close-hauled along the
Spanish shore. Mr Oxbelly was also walking near them.
"When I was cruising here it was very different," observed Jack; "I had
a vessel which I did not know how to manage, a crew which I could not
command, and had it not been for Mesty, what would have become of me?"
"Massa Easy, you know very well how to get out of scrapes, anyhow."
"Yes, and how to get into them," continued Gascoigne.
"And how to get others out of them, too, Ned."
"`No more of that Hal, an thou lovest me,'" quoted Gascoigne. "I have
often wondered what has been the lot of poor Azar."
"The lot of most women, Ned, in every country--prized at first,
neglected afterwards--the lot she might have had with you."
"Perhaps so," replied Ned, with a sigh.
"Massa Easy, you get eberybody out of scrape; you get me out of scrape."
"I do not recollect how, Mesty."
"You get me out from boil kettle for young gentlemen--dat devil of
scrape."
"And I'm sure I've got you out of a scrape, Mr Oxbelly."
"How so, Mr Easy?"
"How so!--have I not prevented your quarrelling with your wife every
night?"
"Certainly, sir, you have been the means. But, do you know, when we
were engaging the other day, I could not help saying to myself, `I wish
my wife was here now, holding little Billy at the hatchway.'"
"But at night, Mr Oxbelly."
"At night!--why, then I'm afraid I should have wished her home again--
it's astonishing how comfortable I sleep now every night. Besides, in
this climate it would be intolerable. Mrs Oxbelly is a very large
woman--very large indeed."
"Well, but now we must hold a council of war. Are we to run up the
coast, or to shape our course direct for Palermo?"
"Course direct, and we shall take nothing, that is certain," said
Gascoigne.
"If we take nothing we shall make no prize-money," continued Oxbelly.
"If we make no prize-money the men will be discontented," said Easy.
"If no ab noting to do--it will be damned 'tupid," continued Mesty.
"Now then the other side of the question. If we steer for Palermo, we
shall be sooner there and sooner home."
"To which I reply," said Gascoigne, "that the shorter the cruise is, the
less I shall have of your company."
"And I shall have to sleep with Mrs Oxbelly," continued Oxbelly.
"Hab fine ship, fine gun, fine men, and do noting," cried Mesty. "By de
power, I no like dat, Massa Easy."
"You want eight months of coming of age, Jack," observed Gascoigne.
"It won't make a difference of more than three or four weeks," said Mr
Oxbelly; "and the expenses have been very great."
"But--"
"But what, Jack?"
"Agnes."
"Agnes will be better defended going home by men who have been
accustomed to be in action. And, as for her waiting a little longer, it
will only make her love you a little more."
"Sleep single a little longer, Mr Easy, it's very pleasant," said Mr
Oxbelly.
"That's not very bad advice of yours," observed Gascoigne.
"_Stop a little_, Massa Easy," said Mesty, "you know dat very good
advice."
"Well, then," replied Jack, "I will, as I am quite in the minority. We
will work up the whole coast--up to Toulon. After all, there's
something very pleasant in commanding your own ship, and I'm not in a
hurry to resign it--so that point's decided."
The _Rebiera_ was steered in to the land, and at sunset they were not
four miles from the lofty blue mountains which overhang the town of
Malaga. There were many vessels lying at the bottom of the bay, close
in with the town; the wind now fell light, and the _Rebiera_, as she
could not fetch the town, tacked as if she were a merchant vessel
standing in, and showed American colours, a hint which they took from
perceiving three or four large vessels lying in the outer roads, with
the colours of that nation hoisted at the peak.
"What is your intention, Jack?" said Gascoigne.
"I'll be hanged if I know yet. I think of working up to the outer
roads, and anchoring at night--boarding the American vessels, and
gaining intelligence."
"Not a bad idea; we shall then learn if there is anything to be done,
and if not, we may be off at daylight."
"The pratique boat will not come off after sunset."
"And if they did, we could pass for an American, bound to Barcelona or
anywhere else--the outer roads where the vessels lie are hardly within
gun-shot."
Mesty, who had resumed his sailor's clothes, now observed, "What we do,
Massa Easy, we do quickly--time for all ting, time for show face and
fight--time for hide face, crawl, and steal."
"Very true, Mesty, we'll crawl this time, and steal if we can. It's not
the warfare I like best of the two."
"Both good, Massa Easy; suppose you no steal board of polacca ship, you
not see Missy Agnes."
"Very true, Mesty. 'Bout ship, Mr Oxbelly."
"Mr Oxbelly not good for boat sarvice," observed Mesty, showing his
teeth.
It was dark before the _Rebiera_ was anchored in the outer roads, a
cable's length astern of the outermost American vessel. One of her
quarter-boats was lowered down, and Gascoigne and our hero pulled
alongside, and, lying on their oars, hailed, and asked the name of the
vessel.
"So help me Gad, just now I forget her name," replied a negro, looking
over the gangway.
"Who's the captain?"
"So help me Gad, he gone on shore."
"Is the mate on board?"
"No, so help me Gad--he gone shore too."
"Who is aboard then?"
"So help me Gad, nobody on board but Pompey--and dat me."
"Good ship-keepers, at all events," said Jack. "A ship in the outer
roads with only a black fellow on board! I say, Pompey, do they always
leave you in charge of the vessel?"
"No, sar; but to-night great pleasure on shore. Eberybody dance and
sing, get drunk, kick up bobbery, and all dat."
"What, is it a festival?"
"So help me Gad, I no know, sar."
"Is there any one on board of the other vessels?"
"Eberybody gone on shore. Suppose they have black man, he stay on
board."
"Good-night, Pompey."
"Good-night, sar. Who I say call when captain come on board?"
"Captain Easy."
"Captain He-see, very well, sar."
Our hero pulled to another ship, and found it equally deserted; but at
the third he found the second mate, with his arm in a sling, and from
him they gained the information that it was a great festival, being the
last day of the carnival; and that every one was thinking of nothing but
amusement.
"I've a notion," said the mate, in reply, "that you're American."
"You've guessed right," replied Jack.
"What ship, and from what port?"
"Rhode Island, the _Susan and Mary_," replied Gascoigne.
"I thought you were north. We're of New York. What news do you bring?"
"Nothing," replied he, "we are from Liverpool last."
A succession of questions was now put by the American mate, and answered
very skilfully by Gascoigne, who then inquired how the market was?
It was necessary to make and reply to all these inquiries before they
could ask apparently indifferent questions of American traders; at last
Gascoigne inquired:
"Do you think they would allow us to go on shore? the pratique boat has
not been on board."
"They'll never find you out if you are off before daylight; I doubt if
they know that you are anchored. Besides, from Liverpool you would have
a clean bill of health, and if they found it out, they would not say
much; they're not over-particular, I've a notion."
"What are those vessels lying inshore?"
"I guess, they have olive oil on board, the chief on 'em. But there are
two double lateens come in from Valparaiso the day before yesterday,
with hides and copper. How they 'scaped the British, I can't tell, but
they did, that's sure enough."
"Good-night, then."
"You won't take a glass of sling this fine night, with a countryman?"
"To-morrow, my good fellow, to-morrow; we must go on shore now."
Our hero and Gascoigne returned on board the _Rebiera_, consulted with
Oxbelly and Mesty, and then manned and armed the two quarter and stern
boats. They thought it advisable not to hoist out their long-boat; no
fire-arms were permitted to be taken lest, going off by accident or
otherwise, an alarm should be given. Our hero and Mesty proceeded in
the first boat, and pulled in for the town; Gascoigne shortly after in
the second, and the boatswain, in the jolly-boat, followed at some
distance.
There was no notice taken of them; they pulled gently down to the
landing-place, which was deserted. There was a blaze of light, and the
sounds of revelry in every quarter on shore; but the vessels appeared
equally deserted as the American ones in the offing.
Finding themselves unobserved, for they had taken the precaution to pull
only two oars in each boat, they dropped gently alongside one of the
double-masted lateen vessels, and Mesty stepped on board. He peeped
down in the cabin, and perceived a man lying on the lockers; he came up
in his stealthy manner, closed the hatch softly, and said, "all right."
Jack left Gascoigne to take out this vessel, which he did very
successfully, for it was very dark; and although there were sentries
posted not far off, their eyes and ears were turned towards the town,
listening to the music.
A second vessel, her consort, was boarded in the same way, but here they
found a man on deck, whom they were obliged to seize and gag. They put
him down in the cabin, and Mesty, with another boat's crew, cut her
cables and swept her gently out towards the American vessels. One more
vessel was required, and Jack, pulling two oars as usual, saluted a
galliot heavily laden, but of what her cargo consisted was not known.
In this vessel they found two men in the cabin playing cards, whom they
seized and bound, and cutting her cables were obliged to make sail upon
her, as she was much too large to sweep out. As they were making sail
they, however, met with an interruption which they did not expect. The
crew belonging to the vessel, having had enough amusement for the
evening, and intending to sail the next morning, had thought it right to
come off sooner than the others: it was then about midnight or a little
later, and while some of Jack's men were aloft, for he had six with him,
Jack, to his annoyance, heard a boat coming off from the shore, the men
in her singing a chorus. The galliot was at that time just under
steerage way, her topsail had been loosed and her jib hoisted, but the
former had not been sheeted home, for the three men below could not, in
the dark, find the ropes. The other three men were on the foreyard
loosing the foresail, and Jack was undetermined whether to call them
down immediately or to allow them to loose the sail, and thus get good
way on the vessel, so as to prevent the boat, which was loaded with men,
from overtaking them. The boat was not more than twenty yards from the
galliot, when, not finding her where they left her, they pulled to the
right and lay on their oars. This gave a moment of time, but they very
soon spied her out. "Carambo!" was the exclamation--and the head of the
boat was pulled round.
"Down, my lads, in a moment by the swifters," cried Jack. "Here's a
boat on board of us."
The men were in a few seconds on deck, and the others, who had now
sheeted home the topsails, hastened aft. The vessel soon gathered way,
but before that her way was sufficient, the boat had pulled under the
counter, and the Spaniards, letting their oars swing fore and aft, were
climbing up, their knives in their teeth. A scuffle ensued, and they
were thrown down again, but they renewed their attempt. Our hero,
perceiving a small water or wine cask lashed to the gunwale, cut it
loose with his cutlass, and, with one of the men who was by his side,
pushed it over, and dropped it into the boat. It struck the gunwale,
stove a plank, and the boat began to fill rapidly; in the meantime the
galliot had gained way--the boat could not longer be held on, from its
weight, and dropped astern with the men in it. Those who were half in
and half out were left clinging to the gunwale of the vessel, and as
they climbed up were secured and put down in the cabin. Fortunately, no
fire-arms having been used on either side, the alarm was not given
generally, but the sentry reported fighting on board one of the vessels,
and the people of the guard-boat were collected, and pulled out; but
they only arrived in time to see that the galliot was under way, and
that the two other vessels from Valparaiso were not in their berths.
They hastened on shore, gave the alarm; the gunboats, of which there
were three at the mole, were ordered out, but half the crew and all the
officers were on shore, some at balls, others drinking at taverns or
posadas; before they could be collected all three vessels were alongside
of the _Rebiera_; and not aware that anything had been discovered, our
hero and his crew were lulled in security. Jack had gone on board,
leaving fourteen of his men on board the galliot--Gascoigne had done the
same--Mesty still remained on board his vessel; and they were
congratulating themselves, and ordering the men on board to the
windlass, when they heard the sound of oars.
"Silence!--what is that?" exclaimed Oxbelly. "The gun-boats or
row-boats, as sure as I'm alive!"
At this moment Mesty jumped up the side.
"Massa Easy, I hear row-boat not far off."
"So do we, Mesty. Gascoigne, jump into the boat--tell the men in the
prizes to make all sail right out, and leave us to defend their
retreat--stay on board of one and divide your men."
"Dat all right, Massa Easy.--Mr Gascoigne, be smart--and now, sar, cut
cable and make sail; no time get up anchor."
This order was given, but although the men were aloft in a moment, and
very expeditious, as the _Rebiera_ payed her head round and the jib was
hoisted, they could perceive the boom of the three gun-boats pulling and
sailing not five cables' length from them. Although rather
short-handed, topsails, courses, and top-gallant sails were soon set,
the men down to their quarters, and the guns cast loose, before the
gun-boats were close under their stern. Then Jack rounded to, braced
up, and the _Rebiera_ stood across them to the westward.
"Why the devil don't they fire?" said Jack.
"I tink because they no ab powder," said Mesty.
Mesty was right--the ammunition chests of the gun-boats were always
landed when they were at the mole, in case of accidents, which might
arise from the crew being continually with cigars in their mouths, and
in the hurry they had quite forgotten to put them on board.
"At all events, we have powder," said Jack, "and now we'll prove it.
Grape and canister, my lads, and take good aim."
The commanders of the gun-boats had hailed each other, and agreed to
board the _Rebiera_, but she now had good way on her, and sailed faster
than they pulled. A well-directed broadside astonished them--they had
no idea of her force; and the execution done was so great, that they
first lay on their oars and then pulled back to the mole with all speed,
leaving the _Rebiera_ in quiet possession of her prizes, which had
already gained two miles in the offing.
The _Rebiera_, as soon as Jack perceived that the gun-boats had
retreated, was put before the wind, and soon closed with her captures,
when she was hove-to till daylight with the three vessels in company.
Gascoigne returned on board, prize-masters were selected, and Jack
determined to keep them all with him, and take them to Palermo.