THE PIRATE AND THE MAN-OF-WAR--THE CHASE--A CALM--FATAL SECURITY--THE
PIRATE BLOWN UP--WE ARE CAPTURED--IN LIEUTENANT TREVOR OF THE SPITFIRE I
FIND A DEAR OLD FRIEND, AND A WAY OF SERVING MARCUS, WHO REGAINS HIS
LIBERTY--WE ARRIVE AT HAVANNAH.
Poor Peter was very unhappy when he found that we were to go to an
island, instead of to the mainland.
"Oh dear, oh dear, or, when shall we ever go to a country where we can
get along on our feet away from the sight of this ugly sea?" he
exclaimed, wringing his hands, and well-nigh blabbering outright.
My chief anxiety was to get away from the schooner as soon as possible,
as I feared that the pirates might be tempted to attack some other
vessel, and that Peter and I might be brought in as participators in the
crime. I had no doubt that our innocence would ultimately be
triumphantly established, but that might be only after we had been hung,
in which there would not be much satisfaction to ourselves.
A very unattractive recollection of the picture of a row of pirates
hanging in chains on the banks of the Thames, which I had seen in my
boyhood, would intrude itself on my memory, as I walked the deck in
solitude, thinking it wise to speak as little as possible to any one,
when the look-out man from aloft hailed to say that a sail was in sight
to windward. To my concern, I found that the schooner's course was
altered to meet her. We stood on, nearing her fast, when an officer who
had gone aloft hailed that she was a large vessel with a wide spread of
very white canvas. On this there was a consultation, glasses were
directed towards the stranger, the schooner's head once more put before
the wind, while all sail that could be packed on her was set, and away
we went, with the stranger, which was pronounced to be either a British
or American man-of-war, in full chase after us.
I must own that I felt very uncomfortable. My worst fears were about to
be realised. This termination to my career was one I had not
anticipated when I left home. Kind aunt Becky! how horrified she would
be to hear that her favourite nephew had been hung as a pirate by
mistake. It would be enough to break the good old creature's heart.
From what I had seen and heard of the miscreants with whom I was at
present associated, I felt that they would be a good riddance if
captured and hung, with the exception of Marcus, who was, I was sure,
fitted for a far different life to that into which circumstances had
plunged him. I watched the countenances of the pirates to judge what
they thought of the prospect of their escape. They had been so
accustomed, it seemed, however, to consider their craft the fastest in
those seas that they had no fears about the matter, but laughed and
joked as if there was not an enemy who could sink their craft with a
broadside close at their heels. The schooner sailed well, but so did
the man of war, and as it appeared in the course of time, even better.
As her courses rose gradually out of the water, the pirates became less
and less loquacious, and finally many of them began to make very long
faces. The officers held earnest consultations, they looked anxiously
round at the sky, they carefully examined the compass, and then trimmed
and re-trimmed the sails. Still the big ship was gaining on us. At
length there appeared to be little doubt that we should be overtaken if
the wind held as it then was. Marcus was as cool and undaunted as ever,
indeed from the unconcerned manner in which he paced the deck, it was
difficult to believe that he apprehended the slightest danger. I asked
him at last what he thought of the state of things.
"That we shall be taken, and if taken, unless we can effect our escape,
or die beforehand, we shall be hung," he answered calmly. "I had heard
that a very fast English man-of-war was expected out here expressly to
look after us. That must be her."
I did not like to ask more, still I had a strong wish to entreat him not
to blow up the vessel, as he had threatened to do, should her capture be
inevitable. He seemed to divine my thoughts.
"You know what I would do if we are hard pressed rather than be taken
and hung," he said to me. "Should the vessel in chase of us prove to be
an American, my fate is sealed if we are taken. Still, I will do
nothing to destroy your life if I can help it; but for my companions I
cannot be answerable."
"Should she be American my chance of escape will, I suspect, too, be
very small, especially if I am accused of having assisted at your
escape," said I. "However, we will hope for the best."
I must confess, that though I endeavoured to appear calm and
unconcerned, I began to feel most uncomfortable as the stranger drew
nearer and nearer, and wished more than once that I had remained on the
desert island, even with Snag as a companion. Still, a stern chase is a
long chase.
The day was drawing to a close, and, should the night prove dark, we
might have a chance of escaping. As the sun sunk towards the horizon
the wind fell, and by night there was a perfect calm. The stranger,
supposed to be a frigate, lay about eight or nine miles off, also, when
last seen, perfectly becalmed. Our escape depended on our getting the
breeze first. If the frigate got the wind before us, our capture was
inevitable. The pirates, I observed, as sailors often do when expecting
to be shipwrecked, went below and put on two suits of their best
clothes, and stowed away round their waists and in their pockets as much
money as they could carry. I have known instances of men being drowned
who might, had they not have been thus overloaded, have been able to
swim on shore. Had it not been for this circumstance I should not have
supposed that the men had any great apprehension of being captured.
Among the officers, however, there were earnest consultations, and it
was even suggested by some that they should take to the boats and desert
the vessel; but this proposal was overruled by the majority. The
opinion seemed to be that the calm would last for some time, and that,
as we were as likely as the frigate to get the breeze first, we had a
good chance of escaping. Most of the crew, indeed, were so satisfied
with the state of affairs, that they turned into their berths and went
to sleep, the usual watch only being left on deck.
Though Marcus had provided a berth for me, it was so hot below that I
preferred remaining on deck with Peter and Ready by my side, under a
boat's sail, between two guns. After walking the deck till I was weary,
admiring the bright constellations overhead, the calm, star-lit ocean,
and enjoying the air so cool and refreshing after the heat of the day, I
lay down, and was soon fast asleep, as was Peter too, and as Ready
appeared to be, but the faithful fellow always slept with one eye open.
I had slept for some time, when I heard him give a low warning bark
close to my ear. I jumped up and looked about me, though still only
half awake. A thick mist so closely surrounded the vessel that I could
not see beyond the heel of the bowsprit, and could only just distinguish
the calm silvery water alongside, though, at the same time, overhead I
could still make out a few stars shining down out of the heavens on this
ill-disposed world. Once more Ready gave a low bark, and stretched his
neck out through a port over the water, but the watch took no notice.
They were either asleep or drowsy and stupid. I felt sure from Ready's
behaviour that something was approaching. I listened very attentively.
The sound of a boat's keel gliding through the water and that of muffled
oars pulled rapidly reached my ears. It was not for me to warn the
pirates of the approach of danger, nor did I wish Ready to warn them, so
I patted him on the head and put my hand on his mouth, to show him that
I had understood his previous bark, and that I wished him to be quiet.
Meantime I was considering how I should act if the approaching boats,
for there were several I was sure, proved to be, as I suspected they
were, belonging to the man-of-war. I was not kept long in suspense. On
a sudden, the watch on deck, at length hearing the sound of the boats,
shouted out, "Keep off! keep off! or we'll fire." The pirates below
jumped out of their berths, but before they could get their heads above
the coamings several boats dashed alongside. Dark forms were seen
climbing over the bulwarks, and a loud voice shouted out, "Yield,
whoever you are, to her Britannic Majesty's frigate, _Spitfire_."
Before the words were well out of the mouth of the officer who uttered
them, the pirates had rushed to their guns or seized their arms, and,
instead of yielding, were desperately attempting to defend themselves
and their vessel, the character of which it was very clear the
assailants knew before they made the attack. On every side, instead of
the silence which had before reigned, pistols were flashing, cutlasses
were clashing, men were shouting and cursing, and thrusting
boarding-pikes at each other, and big guns and muskets were going off as
in the confusion they could be loaded. Though constitutionally
fearless, I had no fancy to have my travels stopped by a stray bullet,
or by a slash from a cutlass, so when the English seamen climbed up out
of one of the boats, calling to Peter and Ready, who followed me, I
tumbled into her, when without more ado we stowed ourselves away under
the thwarts, where bullets were not likely to reach us.
So completely had the _Spitfire's_ crew taken the pirates by surprise
that they gained an easy victory. Some were driven overboard, others
below, and many more were cut down even before I had made my escape out
of the schooner. I saw Marcus defending himself bravely, and would
gladly have gone to his assistance had I had the power. I had not long
taken up my quarters in the boat, when I heard a loud shout of, "Back!
back! all of you." And men came leaping into the boat--combatants of
both sides--tumbling over and almost suffocating me; and there was a
loud roar, then a bright glare, and shrieks and groans, and fearful
cries, and the boat rocked to and fro, and, I thought, was sinking.
Human beings, and burning fragments of wood, and rope, and canvas rained
thickly down over us; and when I managed to scramble up and look around
me the schooner was not to be seen, and the British crew were throwing
the burning wood and the mangled bodies of the dead pirates overboard,
and securing the living ones.
"Light a lantern," I heard an officer sing out. "We shall better see
what we are about."
Peter and I were very soon afterwards seized on, when Ready set up a
true English bark of indignation, and had I not calmed him would have
bitten right and left at our captors, and probably have been knocked on
the head and thrown overboard for his pains.
"Halloo, who have we here?" exclaimed the officer, holding the lantern
to my face. "A renegade Englishman, a perfect villain by his
countenance."
"Thank you for the compliment, though concealed under a somewhat dubious
turn of expression," I answered ironically. "I am an Englishman, but
one who had no wish to be on board the vessel out of which I have just
escaped. I will explain matters when we get on board the frigate."
"Very likely, my fine fellow," observed the officer, an old salt who had
seen much service, and had been disappointed in not obtaining his
promotion. "And who are you, friend?" he asked next, coming to Peter.
"A true Englishman, like my master; and, sir, I'd just advise you to be
treating Mister Skipwith here civilly, for he's an Englishman, and a
gentleman born and bred into the bargain," he answered; boldly adding,
"And I'll tell you what, sir,--he's not the man to tell a lie to you,
nor to any man."
Peter's remarks had considerable effect on the officer, who immediately
addressed me in a more civil tone, and desired the men to let me come
aft and sit in the stern sheets, where I should be more comfortable. As
I was about to move I heard a groan, and just then the light of the
lantern fell on the countenance of poor Marcus, who lay near me badly
wounded. I entreated that I might be allowed to attend to him,
explaining that by his means my life, and that of my attendant, had been
preserved. The officer, who was naturally humane, not only permitted
this but gave every assistance in his power.
The other boats had been rowing about picking up the survivors of the
pirates, and looking for some of the English seamen who were missing. I
was glad to hear that the greater number of the latter had escaped in
time to the boats, a small warning explosion having taken place before
the magazine itself blew up. The order was now given to return to the
frigate, the commanding officer's boat leading the way. As he passed
the boat in which I was, he asked the old officer in ours how many
prisoners he had got. The reply was "Six; but one of them says he is a
gentleman, and the other is his servant, captured by the pirates, and
that their lives have been saved by a black man whom we have also on
board."
"A likely story indeed," observed the officer in command of the
expedition. "However, look to them, Mr Mudge, and `treat them as men
should men, and not as Rome treats Britain.'"
"That's my old friend, Dick Trevor, to the life," I exclaimed. "I am
right, am I not?"
"Yes," he said.
"I thought I must be!" said I. "Oh! Dick, Dick! Is that the way you
would treat your friends when you find them out all desolate and alone
on the wide ocean?"
"Who can that be?" I heard him exclaim. "`Speak, I charge thee,
speak!'"
"Still stage-struck as of yore," I answered. "Is my voice so strangely
changed then?"
"Yes! it must be Harry Skipwith, turned up out here in the Gulf of
Mexico," he exclaimed. "Come on board my boat, Harry, and tell me all
about it as we pull back to our ocean-home on the briny wave. That's
not the right quotation, but never mind."
The next instant I was shaking hands with my old school-fellow, the
eccentric but gallant second lieutenant of H.M.S. _Spitfire_. I need
hardly say that I was most hospitably and kindly received on board the
frigate, which was going to put into the Havanna to gain further
evidence for the conviction of the pirates; and, what was of no little
importance to me, the captain offered to endorse any bill I might wish
to draw at that city for the replenishment of my wardrobe.
I enjoyed the luxury of a wash and shave in Trevor's cabin, and a clean
shirt, which I had not obtained on board the pirate, and more than all,
the pleasant conversation of men of my own rank and education, of which
I had been deprived for many a long day. I got the surgeon of the ship
to look to Marcus, who rapidly recovered from his wounds, and when I
told the captain his history, he declared that it would be a shame to
let him be hung as a pirate, which it was plain that he was not of his
own free will.
"You must arrange some plan to allow him to escape, only take care that
he does not join any fresh band of pirates."
I thanked the captain for his kind feeling towards my brave preserver,
and promised that he should not be found on board another pirate vessel.
A week after the scenes I have described we entered the picturesque
harbour of Havanna. While the frigate remained there I lived on board
her, because I had many friends who pressed me to do so, and because the
sleeping accommodations in the hotels in that capital of Cuba are far
from satisfactory. At length the time arrived for the frigate to
proceed to Jamaica, where the pirates were to be tried. I was thankful
to find that all the evidence procured against them related to a period
anterior to the time that Marcus had joined them, when I could prove
that I had met him in the character of a slave in the United States. I
bade farewell to Trevor and my other friends, and took up my quarters at
one of the hotels. Though the best in the place it was far from
comfortable; for though the provisions and public rooms were tolerable,
the bed-rooms were much the contrary. In mine there were five beds; one
occupied by a man who walked in his sleep, and who if he had not
committed a murder, by his gestures looked as if he would. In another,
the sleeper snored like a rhinoceros; and in the third lay an Irishman,
who would talk, awake or asleep, generally to me and at the rest of the
party. Nothing could make him keep silent; a boot-jack flung at his
head had no effect; he seemed to know what was coming and bobbed under
the bed-clothes. The fourth was occupied by a Portuguese dying of
consumption, far away from his kindred and friends. Nothing could be
done for him.
I have but a word or two to say of Havanna as a city. The streets are
numerous, but narrow and dirty; there is a tolerably large palace for
the governor, a good opera-house for the people on the evenings of most
days in the week, and a very ugly big cathedral for the Sunday mornings,
and a _paseo_, or public drive, for the afternoons. On this paseo are
seen various antique vehicles, called _volantes_, each carrying two or
three dames in full dress. A volante is built like a cabriolet on two
wheels, with very long shafts, the points resting in a sort of saddle on
a horse's back,--which horse is ridden by a huge negro in vast leather
leg coverings reaching, as he sits, almost up to his ears, and no feet
to them, though with silver spurs, white breeches, a gold-laced red
jacket, and a broad-brimmed straw hat. Everybody knows that cigars are
manufactured in Havanna, that the slave trade is winked at, if not
encouraged, by the authorities, who find it not altogether unprofitable
to their own pockets, and that piracy, for the same reason, is not held
in absolute disrepute by the same respectable gentlemen.
I had gone down to see the last of the frigate as she sailed out of the
harbour, when, as I was about to return hotel-wards, I saw a black head
rise slowly out of the fore-peak of a Spanish brig lying near, and soon
the whole figure of Marcus appeared in view. He saw me, and as the
vessels in that harbour are moored stem on to the quays, side by side,
he came along over the bowsprit and swung himself down close to me. He
congratulated himself on being once more at liberty, though he thought
it best not to tell me how he had obtained his freedom. I told him that
I was very glad to see him at liberty, and offered to supply him with
funds, slender as mine were, to enable him to undertake some honest
calling. He replied that he had ample means for his support, a thick
roll of gold round his waist, besides a purse full of coin. "Indeed,"
he added, "I hope that I shall not offend you, sir, when I tell you that
I purposed offering you money, to enable you to proceed on your travels
till you could reach some place where you may replenish your purse." I
thanked Marcus for his generous offer, but I felt doubly obliged to my
friend the captain, who had enabled me to supply myself with funds, lest
I should have been tempted to accept it; for I could not help reflecting
how that money must have been obtained.
"We may, I hope," said Marcus, "meet again, though in what part of the
world I know not; but I have one favour to ask,--it is that you will
give me your address in England, and that should I ever again reach that
country of true freedom, I may be allowed to visit you."
I need scarcely say that I agreed to what Marcus proposed. There was
something about him which strangely attracted me, and with regret I bid
him farewell, scarcely expecting ever to see him again.
Havanna had no charms for me, and I was therefore glad once more to
embark on the fickle ocean in an attempt to reach New Orleans.