Captain Cochin--for so the commander of the _Arrow_ styled himself,
though I always had my doubts whether he had any right to one title or
the other--was too well aware of the value of his cargo to risk it in
pursuing his ordinary calling of a pirate on the present voyage. So he
stood well out to sea, ostentatiously flying the English flag, and
giving friendly salutes to any chance vessels that came in his course.
"_Parbleu_!" said he, "England owes me one debt for taking the guns away
from those who would have used them against her, and selling them to my
poor countrymen, who will use them against one another. But there is no
gratitude in England, and if I want payment I must help myself. But not
this voyage--by-and-by."
As for me, the joy I should have felt at finding myself free and at sea
was damped by the news of the loss of the _Cigale_, and with it, of my
father and Tim. The hope of seeing Tim again had kept me in heart
during many a trouble and danger, and now I felt more alone than ever.
In the whole world, except Con the dog, there was left me but one
friend; and she, if she ever thought of me, did so as of one below her,
and already dead. But that I was young and clung hard to life, I would
as soon have dropped over the side of the _Arrow_ as anywhere else, and
so ended the bad business of my little history.
In a day or two, however, as the wind freshened and the great Atlantic
waves pitched the _Arrow_ like a plaything from one to the other, my
spirits began to rise once more, and the cloud on my mind gave way
before the cheery influence of a seaman's life.
One of the first things I discovered was that I knew far less about
seamanship than I gave myself credit for. Sailing the _Arrow_ was a
very different business from sailing his honour's lumbering tubs across
Lough Swilly, and I had to own that I had a great deal to learn and very
little to teach before I could call myself a complete sailor. Still, I
was handy, and not afraid to lend a hand at anything, from holding the
helm to cooking the mate's dinner. And so, before many days were over,
I had taken my place without much ado as one of the crew.
For a ship of that size, engaged in such a trade, a crew of thirty men
was small enough. Most of them were foreigners, a few, like myself,
Irish, and the rest English. The one thing that kept them all from
quarrelling was the hope of plunder; and it was easy to guess that, in
the matter of the stolen guns, although the credit of that achievement
belonged to Captain Cochin alone, the men would not have agreed on this
peaceable journey to France if they had not been promised a share in the
fruits of the cargo when sold.
Captain Cochin found out that it is as hard to avoid the enemy's ships
when you do not want them as it is to fall in with them when you do.
We had been out nearly a week, beating about against fitful winds down
the west coast of Ireland, when one evening just before nightfall we
sighted land on our weather-bow, and between us and it a sail bearing
down our way.
As far as we could make out the stranger was a cruiser, in all
probability one of the government vessels at that time stationed off
Bantry Bay, on the look-out for some of the foreign smugglers and
privateers that made it their hunting-ground. The light fell too
suddenly to enable us to see more, but Captain Cochin flew the English
colours at his mast-head, and held on his course until night hid us
completely.
Then we put out into the wind and ran for the open sea, and waited for
the morning.
The short midsummer night left us little waiting; and as soon as day
broke, the first thing we saw, within a league of us, and bearing right
across our course, was the stranger in full chase. She was a brigantine
fully armed, and carrying a great spread of sail, but to our surprise
she flew not the English but the French colours.
On seeing this, Captain Cochin quickly hauled down the English flag, and
ran up that of his own country; but he disregarded the stranger's signal
to come to, and held on with every breath of wind he could get into his
canvas.
"Set a thief to catch a thief," they say. And so, the French privateer
suspecting the French pirate to have good reason for running away,
pressed on all sail, and gave full chase.
What surprised me most was to see that she was fast coming up on us. I
had never contemplated such a thing as the _Arrow_ being caught by
anything on water; but I had to admit now I was wrong. If the _Arrow_
was a hare, the Frenchman was a greyhound.
However, there was no time to speculate on questions of speed. The
question was, should we show fight, or lie-to and explain ourselves?
There was no hope of a ship like ours, so slenderly manned, being able
to capture or even disable our heavily-armed pursuer. On the other
hand, to surrender meant losing all our booty, and possibly our ship
into the bargain; for the French, when it suited their purpose, were
ready enough to take advantage of a chance of pressing a smart craft
like the _Arrow_ into their own service, especially as she bore an
English name, and was known to have preyed pretty impartially on friend
and foe alike.
An eager consultation took place on deck, some urging one course, some
another, while some proposed to throw the cargo overboard, and one or
two to scuttle the ship.
However, as good luck would have it, there was a fifth way out of the
difficulty which we had little dreamed of.
"A sail on the weather-quarter!" suddenly shouted our watch.
The captain and mate went aloft to view her, and presently reported an
English frigate in full sail bearing down in our direction. She seemed
to be coming fast, across the wind, and by the look of her was a regular
line-of-battle ship, with a double row of guns snarling from her ports.
"That settles us," said Captain Cochin, rapidly recovering his spirits.
"While the lion and the tiger fight, Mister Fox slips off with the
booty. Way there; keep her as she goes, master; and good-day to you,
monsieur."
He spoke the truth. The Frenchman, as soon as she caught sight of the
English frigate, altered her course abruptly, and instead of being the
hunter became the hunted. So, for an hour or more, each of us held her
own way, the Englishman closing on the Frenchman, and the _Arrow_
sailing clear of both. Towards afternoon, the distant sound of a gun
behind us told us the battle had already begun, and before nightfall the
two were no doubt at it broadside to broadside.
After that, we gave the land a wide berth, and met nothing we need fear,
till at last, with the French flag flying, we sailed merrily into Brest
Harbour, safe and sound, without a scratch on our hull or a hole in our
canvas.
But here Captain Cochin's good luck suddenly deserted him; for no sooner
was he berthed, with sails stowed and anchors out, than he discovered
that the French merchantman next him was none other than a vessel which
on his last voyage out he had attempted to board in mid-channel, and,
but for a sudden squall, would have captured and plundered. The captain
of the merchantman had already reported his wrongs to the authorities;
and now, finding himself cheek by jowl with the offender, lost not a
moment in taking his revenge.
So, just as we were about to lower our boat for a jaunt on shore, to
refresh us after our voyage, the port-admiral sent off a galley to board
us, and summon us to attend on shore in irons, and show cause why we
should not, each one of us, be hanged by the neck.
It was a pretty end to our jaunt, and so suddenly done that there was
nothing for it but to surrender and follow where we were bidden. No
doubt a smart craft like the _Arrow_, with a cargo of guns, was a good
enough excuse for the French admiral, quite apart from our
delinquencies; and at a time like this, when France lived under a reign
of terror, the only excuse needed for any act, just or unjust, was the
force to perform it.
You may imagine, out of all the hang-dog prisoners who marched that day
through the streets of Brest, I felt myself the most ill-used; for I had
sailed in the _Arrow_ by no will of my own, and had taken part in no act
of violence against any Frenchman, dead or alive. And yet, because I
chanced to be among the crew, I was to be hung by the neck! I knew well
enough, from what I had heard of French justice, that any excuses would
be but breath wasted. Indeed, as one of the few English of the party, I
should probably be spared even the farce of a trial. My only hope was
that Captain Cochin, who had not been unkind to me so far, would speak a
word in my favour.
We were marched to a dismal, white-washed guard-house on the edge of the
town, and were there locked up by half-dozens till it suited the
admiral's convenience to consider our case, and that was not till next
day. The cell in which I and five of my shipmates were confined was a
small, underground cellar, reeking with damp and foul smells, and lit
only by a narrow grating in the ceiling, through which all night the
rain poured steadily, forming a huge puddle in the middle of the earth
floor.
There was one narrow bench on which we sat huddled together, to eat our
scanty portion of black bread, and pass the dismal night as best we
could. For my part, that night reconciled me to the prospect of a
French gallows as much as anything.
In the morning we were ordered to march once more, and were brought into
the presence of some official who acted as judge to try cases of
misdemeanour on the high seas. With the exception of Captain Cochin and
myself (I was able to speak the language a little) few of us understood
French, and the formality of having the proceedings interpreted to us
was not even allowed. The captain and certain of the crew of the
merchantman were present and told their grievance, and with a large
sweep of assumption swore that we were each as bad as the other. The
judge demanded what Captain Cochin had to say, and cut him short before
he had well opened his mouth.
I made a feeble effort to put myself right, not so much in any hope of
moving the tribunal as of reminding Captain Cochin of my claims on his
good offices. But he was too savage and perturbed to take the hint.
Then it came out that we were bringing arms into France, and were called
to prove that they were not for the use of the enemies of liberty. Whom
were they consigned to? They were not consigned.--Where did they come
from? Ireland.--Ireland was in sympathy with France in her war against
tyranny. To rob Ireland was to rob the friend of France. To whom were
the arms about to be sold? To any that would buy them.--None but the
enemies of France needed arms. Her sons were all armed already.
Therefore the traffic was not only wicked but treasonable, and for
treason there was but one punishment--death.
At this the audience, who had crowded into the court, cheered loudly.
Had we any defence? any witnesses? Of course we had none but ourselves.
Then the sentence of the court was pronounced. Captain Cochin was to be
guillotined next morning. The rest of us were to be hanged in chains
that afternoon, and our bodies left exposed to view for three days as a
warning to pirates and traitors.
So ended our trial; and had it not been so tragic in its ending, I could
have laughed at the farce of it.
We were marched back to our prison to spend the few hours that remained
of our lives; and on the way our attention was directed by a friendly
guard to a great gallows with accommodation on it for at least ten
persons side by side. I only hoped, if it came to that, I might be in
the first batch.
This time I was placed in a different cell from that I had occupied the
night before. It was above ground, and lit by a larger window. Indeed,
it was not intended to be used as a cell at all; but, as my jailer
explained in a jocular way, he had so many guests that day that he was
obliged to accommodate some of them in the soldiers' quarters, and
begged monsieur (that was I) would accept his excuses for not having
made more elaborate preparations for his reception. In half-an-hour or
so, he said, there would be more room. If monsieur could kindly wait
till then, he should have an apartment suited to his dignity.
"Monsieur is too good," said I in the politest French I could muster,
thinking it wise to humour him; "but I should take it as a favour to be
allowed to give up my apartment."
"By no means," said the other, slapping me on the back; "we cannot spare
your company a moment before the time.--Meanwhile, make yourself at
home, and receive the assurance of my profound esteem."
"There is one favour I would beg, if I might be so bold," said I. "In
the short time left me I would like to write a letter to a friend."
"If it is a lady friend," said the Frenchman with a wink, "it might be
allowed--provided she is fair, and I may have the honour of delivering
it."
"She is fair," said I, trying hard to keep up the jest; "and I will
gladly trust you with what I write to her."
The fellow was, after all, of the good-natured kind, and I think meant
no harm by his jests. At any rate, after some demur, he agreed to loose
my handcuffs for half-an-hour while I wrote; and having fetched me in
pen and paper, left me to myself, double locking the door after him.
This was what I wanted. I waited till his footsteps died down the
passage, and then crept silently to the window. It was above my reach,
but by jumping I could just catch the bars and haul myself up. Not
being intended as a dungeon, the bars were loosely fixed, and I found
that it would be possible to remove one, and so allow room through which
to squeeze. The casement itself was of the ordinary kind, and opened
outwards with a simple catch-fastener.
Outside was a courtyard at the back of the guard-house, in which were
scattered sundry brooms and buckets, and a pile of rubbish in one
corner. By mounting this I calculated I could get my hands to the top
of the outer wall; and once over that, my chance was come.
I returned to my table and pretended to be occupied with writing, while
really I was listening with all my ears for any sound that might show on
which side of the prison the guard was set.
The Frenchman, I believe, had been quite correct in saying that the
company at present being entertained in the place was inconveniently
large; and if so, the guard set over them was probably dangerously
small. And if the executions were to begin at once, it was conceivable
they might be still smaller as the afternoon wore on. So, though I knew
that my precious half-hour was slipping by, I waited patiently for a
good part of it, till presently I heard a word of command, and a
confused tramp of footsteps down the passage.
This was the first batch of my luckless comrades being marched to their
death, and I shuddered as I thought how near I stood to their fate.
But cost what it would I would make a dash for freedom first. I sprang
to the window and hauled myself up on to the ledge. The loose bar gave
way after a very little coaxing, and next minute I was out of the
casement and in the little courtyard. One or two windows overlooked it,
but either these were too high for any one to look from, or there was no
one to look, or if there was, the attraction of the ghastly scene going
on at the other side took them the other way. And to this same
attraction, no doubt, was due the fact that no sentry was patrolling the
back of the prison.
I succeeded by means of the rubbish heap in scaling the wall. But
before leaping down on the other side, the thought occurred to me that
if I could hide somewhere near till night, I should have a better chance
of escaping with my pursuers ahead of me than behind me.
By following the line of the wall I found I could reach a corner of the
prison where there was a blank wall, up which a gutter pipe ran to the
rambling, gabled roof, where, if I could only reach it, I should hardly
be looked for.
The clamber was a perilous one, especially as the heavy rain rendered
the iron pipe more than usually slippery. But I was sailor enough to
understand how to grip with hands and feet, and succeeded with no great
difficulty in reaching the top and hiding myself away in a deep angle of
the roof--not safe, indeed, but with time at least to breathe and
consider what next.
Nor was I too soon; for I had not lain there two minutes before I heard
a sudden shout and rush of feet in the yard below, and knew that my
escape had been discovered and that a price was upon my head.