We left the _Ione_, at the dawn of a fine morning, beating up towards a
small boat, which had been observed running to the westward, while a
mistico was seen off the island, directly before the wind, apparently in
chase of her. The boat, it was judged, was about half way between the
two vessels; but then the _Ione_ was nearly dead to leeward, while the
mistico was directly to windward, though it was a question how far she
would venture to chase the boat, or whether she would attempt to carry
her off within range of the brig's guns.
As long as the mistico could keep well to windward, and out of gun-shot,
from the closeness with which she could lay to the wind, and her fast
sailing, she might carry off her prey, if such was her object, even
before the eyes of those on board the English ship, without their being
able to employ any means to prevent her so doing.
"Ah, the rascals know what they are about," said the master, as he
watched the Greek vessel through his glass. "She is one of those
piratical craft belonging to the nest of scoundrels on the island there,
depend upon it; and they were trying to get hold of the boat, or to run
her down, which they are just as likely to do as not, and then they'll
be off again in the wind's eye, like a shot, before we can get up to
them, and snug inside their rocks."
"I suspect you are right, master," said Saltwell. "And I cannot help
thinking, also, that the boat has some of our friends on board. Would
to Heaven the breeze would veer a few more points to the southward, and
enable us to lay up to her before the mistico reaches her."
"I don't see what more we can do to go along faster," said the master.
"Our canvas never stood better, nor did the brig ever make more way
through the water with the same wind."
"The mistico draws very fast on the boat, and, by Jove, the villains are
firing at her," exclaimed Saltwell, who had been again eagerly watching
the chase through his glass. "Still she bravely holds her own. Oh,
there's no doubt of her having our friends on board. See that the guns
are ready, and cover her as soon as we get near enough; but we must take
care not to hit the boat instead of the mistico."
The boat was now about two miles off, and the mistico threes. The
former had only a sort of lug set; and, as well as could be seen at that
distance, there was but the one person on board, who steered. If there
were any others, they had wisely stowed themselves away at the bottom of
the boat, to be more out of the reach of the enemy's shot. The breeze,
though fresh, was not too strong to permit of her carrying her whole
sail, and she flew rapidly before it; but the mistico went still faster,
and, as Bill Hawkins, the captain of the fore-top, observed--
"The little one looks for all the world like a small bird trying to
escape from a hawk just ready to pounce down on it, and I hope we shall
just come in to play the big eagle, and save her out of its claws."
"She's the very same craft as we chased into harbour this blessed night,
I shouldn't wonder," remarked Tom Derrick, who had been one of the
cutter's crew. "It would be a real pleasure to get hold of her, to
string up every one of the villains at the yard-arm, for wounding poor
Mr Linton; I should be sorry, indeed, if he was to lose the number of
his mess."
"So should I, old ship, and if ever we get an opportunity, won't we just
pay off the murdering rascals for what they have done," said Hawkins.
"My eyes, look there, how the big one is peppering the little chap; one
would think she hadn't a whole plank left in her, and yet she stands on
as bravely as if there warn't such a thing as a round-shot within a
hundred miles of her."
Such was truly the case; the shot from the long guns of the mistico must
have flown close over her, and on either side; and, probably, several
had gone through her sail, but seemingly none had touched her hull. The
_Ione_ had now opened the mistico free of the boat to the northward.
"Stand by with the foremost starboard gun," cried Mr Saltwell, as they
did so. This was a long nine of brass, while the other guns were
carronades. "Fire!"
The gunner, who considered himself a first-rate marksman, pointed the
gun, and the shot going well clear of the boat, struck the mistico on
the quarter, and those who were watching her with their glasses declared
that they could see the splinters flying from her. Still, so eager was
she in the pursuit, that she would not haul her wind, seemingly
determined not to do so till she had sunk the chase. This there
appeared every chance that she would do, for she had now got awfully
near her, and it was surprising that her small-arm men had not contrived
to pick off the helmsman, when the boat would, of course, have broached
to, and have been her own. Mr Saltwell again gave the order to fire as
fast as the gun could be loaded and run out, but the skill of Mr Black
did not shine so brilliantly as at the first attempt he made, though
they went near enough to show the pirates what they were to expect if
they persisted in their attempt.
"Have the larboard gun ready there. Hands about ship," cried the first
lieutenant.
Bound came the brig, and the gun was let fly. The shot struck the
mistico amidships, tearing away her gunnel, and creating the greatest
confusion on board, if not destruction of life. She found that, in her
eagerness, she had gone rather too far, and putting down her helm, she
gave a last revengeful broadside at her tiny chase, as she hauled her
wind, and away she stood on a bowline towards the island.
No sooner had she done so, than up sprung a figure in the stern sheets
of the boat; and waving a cap round in his hand, seemed to be giving a
cheer of derision. The incautious action was returned by the pirates
with a discharge of their swivel guns, and a shower of musketry, and he
dropped into the bottom of the boat.
"Poor fellow! the villains have killed him," exclaimed Mr Saltwell.
"Yes, sir; and I'm sorry to say I think from the figure it is Jack Raby.
It is just the thing he would do, too," said Tompion, whose glass had
been fixed on the boat at the time. "No--hurrah! the boat is standing
on steadily with some one at the helm."
"Thank Heaven! so she is," exclaimed Saltwell. "Be ready there to heave
the ship to, to let the boat come alongside."
In five minutes more the brig was close up to the boat, and, to the
surprise of all, the person in the stern sheets, who had been so long
visible, was found to be a stuffed figure, covered with a _capote_, and
a Greek cap on the top of it, while the head of Jack Raby was seen
cautiously peering above the gunnel. He very soon brought the boat
alongside, when a couple of hands jumped in to assist him.
"What, Raby, my good fellow, who have you there?" exclaimed the master,
who was standing at the gangway with several of the midshipmen, eager to
welcome their messmate.
"I am sorry to say it is the captain, who is very badly hurt; but I was
glad to get him off at any rate, for we've had a narrow escape of our
lives," replied Raby, from the boat.
This announcement was received with an expression of grief from all on
board. Saltwell, on hearing it, sprang to the gangway, to superintend
the transfer of the captain to the deck, which was managed by lowering
his own cot into the boat, and hoisting him up in it. He was somewhat
revived, though he was scarcely sensible of what was occurring; and when
he was carried below, all waited anxiously to hear the surgeon's report.
In this anxiety about getting the captain on board, the mistico was for
the time entirely forgotten; and when at last Saltwell thought of her,
and ordered the foretop-sail to be again filled in chase, she had got so
far to windward as to be again almost out of gun-shot. A few guns were
fired after her, but the shot did not succeed in cutting away any of her
spars or rigging, and she drew so fast ahead, that it was seen to be
useless following her further.
The brig's helm was accordingly put up, and she stood away to the
southward, towing after her Raby's boat, which was kept in case she
should be required for a future occasion.
Everybody now crowded round Jack Raby, to learn from him all the events
which had taken place; but Mr Saltwell summoned him, and made him go
circumstantially over them to him, and he afterwards had to repeat them
to all his messmates, and to the surgeon and purser, who had not heard
them.
As the reader is already well acquainted with most of them, I need only
commence when he began his account of his successful escape from the
bay, in which it appeared that he was assisted by no other person than
Paolo Montifalcone.
"You must know," he said, "that while the young Italian doctor was
dressing the wounds, a fire broke out on the hill, above the bay, and
the whole population rushed off to see the fire. No sooner was the
coast clear, than Paolo, as they called him, said to me--
"`Now would be your time to escape, if you had anybody with you to
manage a boat.'
"Of course, I told him that I could do that perfectly well by myself.
"`Well then,' he replied, `Hasten down to the beach, you will there find
a small boat which we passed on our way here. She has a sail in her,
and oars, and if you are quick about it, you may get out of the harbour
and join your friends before you are missed; and if you remain, you will
be knocked on the head and thrown over the cliff, to a certainty.'
"`You don't mean to say that you expect me to run away and leave my
captain to die hereby himself,' I exclaimed, ready to knock him down,
for I saw that he was in earnest in his proposal, though the idea had
only just occurred to him. `A pretty blackguard I shall be, indeed.'
"`But I tell you he cannot live, and you will be sacrificed if you
remain,' he argued.
"`I tell you what it is, Signor Paolo,' I replied; `a midshipman's life
is not reckoned of much value at the best, and I am not going to do a
dirty action to save mine, I can tell you. I'm much obliged to you for
what you have done, and for your good intentions; but if the captain is
to die, why it will be a consolation to him to die under the British
flag, on board his own ship, and if you will lend me a hand to carry him
down to the boat, why I can just as easy escape with him on board as by
myself. I'll trouble you also for some of your physic, and some lint
and bandages, to doctor him with, and I hope he may yet do well.'
"The Italian was silent for a few moments, when a sudden thought seemed
to strike him, and he replied that he would do as I wished, though he
warned me of the risk to which I was exposing the captain's life by so
doing; but as he had just told me he would die on shore, I did not
listen to him--in fact, I had no great confidence in the honesty of
Signor Paolo. There was something in his eye, as he looked at the
captain, which I did not like, and besides, I should like to know how
any respectable man came to be herding with such a set of cut-throat
rascals. I accordingly went outside the hut, to see how the coast lay,
and I found that all was silent round us, for every man, woman, and
child had gone up to the fire; and had it not been for the glare of the
conflagration, the night would have been pitchy dark; so, lifting the
captain up in a cloak on which he had been laid, Paolo taking the head
and I the feet, we bore him, as well as we were able, down to the boat,
though I was afraid every moment of letting him fall, and hurting him;
indeed, nothing but the anxiety I felt would have enabled me to succeed.
At length we reached the boat, and placing the captain at the bottom, I
again thanked the Italian for the service he had rendered us; indeed,
after all, I was afraid I was wronging him by my suspicions. Then, with
a lighter heart than I had felt for some hours, I got him to assist me
in shoving the boat off the beach, and with the impetus he had given her
I let her drift out into the harbour. I then, as silently as I could,
paddled round by the west shore, keeping clear of the brig and the two
misticoes, for the one which chased us had just come in; but I had not
much fear of any of them, for I knew that the few hands left on board
them would be looking up at the fire, and would not observe me: though,
had any one turned, they might have done so, for the bright glare from
the flames fell on the boat, and would have showed her distinctly, even
right across the bay. Anxious as I was to get out of the harbour, I was
afraid of pulling hard, lest any one should hear the splash of the oars;
and so near was I to the vessels, that every instant I expected that the
alarm would be given, and that a shot would be sent right into the boat.
Fortunately, no one saw me, and it was indeed a pleasant moment to me,
when finding the chain lowered, I rounded the west side of the harbour,
and pulled fairly out to sea. I had not hitherto been perceived; but
still it was necessary to be very cautious, for, of course, I thought
the pirates would be keeping a lookout, lest any of our boats might
again attempt to approach the harbour, so I pulled on as hard as I
could, for I no longer feared making a noise, till my arms ached so much
that I could pull no longer. I then laid in my oars, and though I
fancied I could still hear the voice of the people on shore, I was so
far to westward that I did not think the light would be reflected on the
sail, even were I to set it. I therefore stepped the mast, not without
some difficulty--fortunately, the sea was smooth, or I could not have
done it at all--and got the sail ready for hoisting. Before doing so, I
stooped down to examine how the captain was going on, and tried to place
him in a somewhat more comfortable position. His heart seemed to beat
regularly, and though he was still unconscious, from the wound in his
head, he did not seem to have any fever about him. This raised my
spirits, and I began to hope for the best. I did not much like to give
him any of Signor Paolo's doctor stuff, for at the best I have not much
faith in it, and I have heard that those Italian chaps are much given to
poisonous practices, so I hove it overboard, to be out of the way, and
then hoisted my sail, and went aft to the helm. The breeze was still
from the eastward, and I thought by keeping dead before it, I should
make the island, where I expected to find you brought up. I considered
that the boat was going about three knots an hour through the water; and
when I had been out, as I calculated, about that time, I heard three
guns fired, somewhere from the island, or near it. This did not give me
any concern, and I steered steadily on, wishing for daylight, that I
might see the island or you, in case you were off here, till at last,
just as it came, and I was looking astern to see it, the first streaks
had appeared in the sky, I beheld, to my dismay, a sail, which I was
certain must be one of the pirate misticoes, running right down for me.
Well, thought I to myself, it's all up with the captain and me; but
never say die, while there's a shot in the locker, so I held on my
course. It was not long, however, before my eyes fell on your topsails,
rising out of the sea, and glad enough I was, you may be sure, when you
made sail and stood towards me, for then I knew that I was seen. The
rascally mistico was overhauling me fast, though, and as I feared she
would get me within range of her guns before you could reach me, I
thought I would give them something to shoot at instead of my head, so I
rigged up a figure with a _capote_ and cap, which I found in the boat,
and stuck it up in the stern, and there fitting some lines on to the
tiller, I made a berth for myself at the bottom of the boat to stow
myself away in, as soon as they began to fire. It's lucky I did so, for
if I had had nine lives, like a cat, I should have lost them all; and
what would have been worse, the captain would have been retaken. My
eyes, how the blackguards peppered at me; but you know all about that,
and now, to my mind, the sooner we set to work to pay them off, and to
get Miss Garden out of their hands, the better."
This account was given by Jack Raby in his berth to his messmates, that
narrated to the first lieutenant was more concise, without his own
remarks on the subjects; for instance, he left out how often he had
kissed Marianna--and how often he had tried to learn Romaic of little
Mila, and made love on the strength of it--though, to his messmates, he
enlarged much on these points, and hinted that he had completely won the
heart of the old pirate's granddaughter, whom he described as a perfect
angel in a red cap.
It was with almost a cheer of joy, and many a sincere thanksgiving to
Heaven, and a glistening of many a manly eye, that, some days
afterwards, the news flew along the decks that the surgeon had
positively declared that the captain was out of danger, and would soon
again be fit for duty.
Mr Linton had, notwithstanding his own prognostications, very much
improved; and, though still confined to his berth, there was every
probability of his soon recovering.
The _Ypsilante_ had in the mean time been dispatched to summon any
British ships she could meet, to the assistance of Captain Fleetwood;
who, to strengthen his claim for their cooperation--for, as a junior
officer, of course he could not order them to come to him--sent by her
an account of the atrocities committed by the _Sea Hawk_; and a
statement that an English lady and her attendant were held in durance
vile by the pirates, which he justly calculated would excite all the
chivalric feelings of his brother-captains, for which the British navy
are so justly celebrated.
He, meantime, cruised in the neighbourhood of the island, in the hope,
should she attempt to make her escape, of falling in with and capturing
the _Sea Hawk_.