TWO VESSELS APPEAR OFF THE ISLAND--ONE CHASING THE OTHER--THE STERNMOST
SUPPOSED TO BE THE OUZEL GALLEY--FIRING HEARD AT NIGHT--A CALM--THE
BOATS PUT OFF--A BREEZE--THE PIRATE ESCAPES--SOUND OF AN ENGAGEMENT
HEARD--BELIEF THAT THE MERCHANTMAN HAS BEEN CAPTURED--A BOAT PREPARED
FOR A VOYAGE TO JAMAICA--JUST AS SHE IS STARTING, A VESSEL IS SEEN AT
ANCHOR INSIDE THE REEFS--THE BOATS PUSH FOR HER--THE STRANGER FIRES AT
THEM--IS BOARDED AND CAPTURED--GERALD'S DISMAY ON DISCOVERING THE "LOG
OF THE RESEARCH, CAPTAIN GERALD TRACY"--DILLON FOUND ON BOARD AS LEADER
OF THE PIRATES--HE OFFERS TO PILOT THE RESEARCH INTO TIGER HARBOUR--
COMMANDER OLDING AND HIS WHOLE CREW EMBARK WITH GUNS, AMMUNITION, AND
STORES--THE RESEARCH SAILS FOR THE NORTHWARD--A CANOE, WITH FIVE PEOPLE
IN HER, SEEN.
One morning Gerald and his constant companion, Nat Kiddle, had gone down
just at daybreak to bathe in a pool on the beach, into which no hungry
sharks were likely to enter. It was the only place where the commander
would allow the men to go into the water, and they naturally preferred
getting their swim before the rest of the ship's company. They were
somewhat earlier than usual, and after swimming about for some time had
landed and were dressing, when Gerald, looking to the north-east, caught
sight of a sail just rising above the horizon.
"Hurrah! I do believe she is standing towards the island," he
exclaimed, pointing her out to Nat. "She will see our signal and
probably heave to, to know what we want. The chances are that she is a
friend. No Spanish vessel would be coming from that direction, at all
events, with the intention of attacking us. She is probably a
man-of-war, or, if a merchantman, she is bound to one of the islands to
the southward."
"But she is as likely to be a foreigner as an English vessel," observed
Nat; "at all events, she must be greatly out of her course. If bound to
Jamaica, she would have kept through the Windward Passage, or if bound
to one of the Leeward Islands, she would not have come near this."
The sun, now just rising above the horizon, cast a bright light on the
topsails of the stranger, which must have discovered her to the look-out
at the signal station, who immediately ran up the colours.
Gerald and Nat were soon after this joined by several other officers who
had come down to bathe. Mr Foley, being among the last, had brought
his telescope. The north-east trade-wind, which began blowing during
the night, was now carrying the stranger steadily along before it. Mr
Foley had lent Gerald his glass.
"Why, sir," he exclaimed, as he was looking through it--"`It never rains
but it pours'--there is another craft of the same rig as the first,
under all sail. It appears to me that she is chasing the headmost one."
Crowhurst took the glass, and having glanced through it, agreed that
Gerald was right. He then handed it to the master, who observed, "There
is no doubt about it. The headmost vessel is a merchantman; by the cut
of her canvas, I should say she was English. But the sternmost I can't
quite make out; she is probably a French or Spanish privateer. However,
as they are coming on at a good rate, we shall know before long. In the
mean time I intend to take my dip."
Gerald and Nat continued watching the strangers as they approached.
They had got considerably nearer by the time the master came out of the
water.
"They must have encountered dark and heavy weather, and got out of their
course, or they would not have been so close in to this dangerous
coast," he observed. "Lend me the glass again, Foley," he added,
turning to the second lieutenant. "Well, I can't make out what she is,"
he continued. "Her sails have an English cut about them, too. We shall
make out her colours before long, for if she is English she is sure to
hoist them when she sees ours flying from the flagstaff."
Mr Foley and the rest of the party were as much puzzled as the master.
No one felt inclined to leave the spot, even though breakfast-time was
approaching.
Gerald felt unusually interested; why, he could scarcely tell, except
that he had been the first to discover the strangers. Now he threw
himself down on the sand; then he got up and walked about, and again
borrowed Mr Foley's telescope.
The course the two vessels were steering would carry them within half a
mile of the outer reefs that surrounded the island. The hull of the
first could already be distinctly seen. She appeared to be either an
armed merchantman or a privateer; but if the latter, it was not likely
that she would run from a vessel not much, if at all, superior to her in
size.
Nearer and nearer drew the leading vessel. Those on board must have
been aware of the dangerous character of the coast. As it was, she was
standing closer than, under ordinary circumstances, prudence would have
allowed.
"Yes, she is English," exclaimed Gerald, who had been taking a long look
at her through the glass. "I can see the people on her deck. They are
looking, it seems to me, for some opening in the reefs, but they can
find none on this side, and must see the surf breaking over the outer
rocks. But what can the other craft be? If the first is English, I am
sure she must be so, by the look of her hull and the cut of her sails,
though I can't make out her flag." His hand began to tremble as he held
the glass to his eye--a very unusual thing for him. "Mr Foley, sir,"
he exclaimed at length, "will you take a look at yonder vessel, and say
if you have ever seen her before? It seems to me that I ought to know
her."
He handed the glass as he spoke to the lieutenant, who took a long look
through it.
"I can scarcely believe it possible; yet, Tracy, she appears to me
remarkably like the _Ouzel Galley_," observed Mr Foley.
"That is what I think she is, sir; but how she comes to be chasing
another English vessel is mere than I can make out."
While the lieutenant was speaking a flash was seen, and a shot flew from
the vessel they were looking at towards the one ahead. Another and
another followed from her bow-chasers, but the range was a long one, and
they fell harmlessly into the water, under the counter of the ship at
which they were fired.
"They were well aimed, and had they been fired from longer guns and with
better powder, they would have hit their mark," observed Lieutenant
Foley.
"It won't be long before the chase has some of those round shot aboard
her," observed the master. "The sternmost vessel is gaining on her
fast, and unless she can manage to knock away some of the spars of the
other, she must be overtaken in a few hours at most."
Gerald had again got hold of the telescope. "I cannot make it out," he
exclaimed again and again. "I have just caught sight of her flag. It
is black, with the death's head and cross-bones. There is no mistaking
her character; she is a pirate, but still I never saw a craft so like
the _Ouzel Galley_. She has the same new cloth in her fore-topsail
which she had when she last sailed from Port Royal, and a patch in the
starboard clew of her main-topgallantsail. Can anything have happened
to Owen Massey? He has not turned pirate; of that I am very certain."
"I am afraid, then, Tracy, if that vessel is really the _Ouzel Galley_,
she must have been captured by pirates," observed Lieutenant Foley.
"I am dreadfully afraid that such must have been the case, sir,"
answered Gerald, almost ready to burst into tears. "All I hope is that,
though she is wonderfully like the _Ouzel Galley_, she is not her, after
all. If she is, poor Owen, his officers and crew must have been
murdered. Dear, dear! what will become of Norah when she hears of it?"
The two ships were now passing almost directly in front of the island;
indeed, the chase had already got some way to the southward, the pirate
ship--for that a pirate she was there could be no doubt--continually
firing at her. Gerald walked up and down in a state of painful doubt
and anxiety. Nat Kiddle remained with him, though getting very hungry
and wishing to go back to the fort for breakfast. Mr Foley, who was
almost as much interested as Gerald, was the only officer who remained
with him.
Neither of the vessels appeared to have observed the flag flying from
the fort; at all events, they took no notice of it. Both were too far
off for the guns to reach them, or Commander Olding would not have
allowed the pirate to pass unquestioned.
The wind, which had been blowing fresh in the morning, as the day
advanced decreased, and by the time the two vessels were about three or
four miles to the southward of the island it fell almost to a dead calm.
They were still, however, at some distance from each other, but their
guns could be heard as they exchanged shots; the headmost vessel firing
her stern guns, and the other her bow-chasers, but, as far as could be
seen at that distance, without inflicting much damage on the other. No
sooner did the commander perceive the state of affairs than, calling his
two lieutenants and the master, he proposed attacking the pirate with
their three boats.
"If you will allow me, sir, I will gladly take the command," exclaimed
Mr Tarwig.
"I intended to have gone myself, but I will yield to your wishes,"
answered the commander.
Of course, all the other officers were ready to go. The commander
selected the master and boatswain to take command of the other two
boats. Gerald and Nat Kiddle were eager to accompany them, and greatly
to their satisfaction obtained leave, Gerald to accompany the first
lieutenant, and Nat the master. By keeping among the reefs, many of
which rose considerably above the water, they would be able to get near
the pirate without being perceived, and it was hoped, should the calm
continue until nightfall, that they might take her by surprise. This,
of course, was most desirable, as she might thus be captured without
much bloodshed. No time was to be lost, for the wind could not be
depended on, and it might soon again breeze up, when she would quickly
get beyond their reach.
The three boats carried altogether thirty hands, armed with firelocks,
cutlasses, and pistols. The pirate's crew was in all probability much
more numerous, but that was not likely to deter British seamen from
attacking them, either by night or day.
Mr Tarwig led his little squadron, threading his way among the rocks to
the southward.
Gerald naturally felt an intense interest in the expedition. He was
sure that the pirate was the _Ouzel Galley_, and he hoped from some of
the prisoners they might take to gain information about Owen Massey.
A considerable portion of the day had been spent before the boats,
rounding the island, again came in sight of the two ships. They were
still as before cannonading each other at a distance. The boats had met
with a strong current, which had considerably impeded their progress.
It wanted a little more than an hour to sunset, while they were upward
of two miles from the pirate.
"If we wait till dark we shall have a better chance of taking the pirate
by surprise, as she will not expect to be attacked by the boats,"
observed Mr Tarwig to Gerald; "but then, again, we run the risk of
losing her altogether, should a breeze spring up.--What do you say,
master?" he shouted to Mr Billhook, who was in the boat nearest to him.
"Shall we wait till darkness comes on, or pull away at once for the
pirates?"
"As you ask me, I venture to say that we had better wait till dark. If
the pirates catch sight of us before we are alongside, they may knock
one of our boats to pieces, or, for that matter, sink all of them,"
answered the master.
The boatswain, when asked, agreed with the master. Mr Tarwig therefore
decided to wait, under shelter of a high reef of black rocks, which
would effectually conceal the boats from the pirate.
Gerald felt greatly disappointed. He had hoped to pull on board at
once, and settle the doubts which had been agitating his mind all the
morning. On looking out to the northward, he observed the hitherto
glass-like sea rippled over in various directions.
"Do you observe those cat's-paws, sir?" he asked, pointing them out to
Mr Tarwig. "If the strangers feel the breeze before we get on board,
we shall lose the pirate, and too likely the other vessel will fall into
her hands."
"I believe you are right, Tracy. We must give up the idea of surprising
the pirate.--We must pull for her at once, master. You board on the
starboard bow, Mr Dobbs on the larboard, and I will get on board over
the starboard quarter. You will clear a road for yourself along the
starboard gangway, master. I will meet you there."
Scarcely had these arrangements been made, the boats still remaining
concealed behind the rocks, when the pirate's canvas blew out to the
increasing breeze, and she began to glide rapidly away over the smooth
water.
"I was afraid so," exclaimed Mr Tarwig. "I am the most unlucky fellow
in existence. We shall lose her, after all."
As he spoke the pirate was seen to be running rapidly through the water,
the chase at the same time getting the breeze, and, as before, keeping
ahead and doing her utmost to escape. On seeing this, Mr Tarwig gave
the order to the other boats to pull back.
"I can't make it out, sir," said Gerald, as they were returning to the
island; "I feel more certain than ever that the vessel with the black
flag is the _Ouzel Galley_. I wish that we could have got on board her,
to learn what has become of my friends."
"It is very disappointing, I allow, Tracy," answered the first
lieutenant, "but I doubt if we should have been much the wiser. Depend
on it, the pirates would not have acknowledged that their craft is the
_Ouzel Galley_, and still less how they had disposed of the officers and
crew."
"They must have murdered them all," cried Gerald, bending down his head
upon the palms of his hands. "I cannot bear to think of it, for I am
sure that Owen Massey would not have yielded without a desperate
struggle."
"Well, Tracy, we have all our trials to bear. Cheer up, cheer up,
matters may not be so bad as you suppose," said Mr Tarwig in a soothing
tone. Rough as was his exterior, he was a true kind-hearted man at
bottom.
The two vessels were soon lost to sight in the darkness, which rapidly
came on. Still the guns could be heard, showing that the chase had not
yet yielded, and was, as before, endeavouring to make her escape. First
they were fired only at intervals, as either one or the other could
bring her bow or stern-chasers to bear on her antagonist; just as the
boats reached the shore the booming sounds came with far greater
rapidity, as if both were firing their broadsides.
"The pirate has brought the chase to action," exclaimed Mr Tarwig.
"May Heaven protect the right! The merchantman has done her best to
escape, and small blame to her. She will now, I doubt not, fight to the
last, and may, I hope, beat off the enemy."
The whole party, on landing, stood listening to the sound of the guns,
trying to judge how the fight was going. Broadside after broadside was
exchanged for the space of nearly half an hour; then suddenly the firing
ceased.
"Can the merchantman have beaten off the pirate?" said Gerald to the
first lieutenant. "Do you think she has, sir?"
"I much doubt it," was the answer. "What do you say, master?"
"I believe that the pirate has taken the merchantman," replied Mr
Billhook. "Those buccaneering fellows will stick to their prey like
leeches. They had made up their mind that she would prove a rich prize,
and were determined to have her."
Most of the party agreed with the master, and few felt otherwise than
sad at the thought of the fate which had probably overtaken the crew of
the merchant vessel.
They returned to the fort.
The commander was satisfied that Mr Tarwig had done his best to capture
the pirate. He had observed the breeze coming on, and fully expected
that she would escape.
The fine weather having now set in, and the stock of provisions running
short, the commander agreed to allow his second lieutenant, without
further delay, to try and make his way to Jamaica. It had become of
double importance that he should get there as soon as possible, both
that a man-of-war might be sent to the relief of the _Champion's_ crew,
and another despatched to search for the pirate, which was likely to be
committing serious depredations on British commerce.
Mr Foley begged that he might be allowed to start the very next
morning. He had already obtained from the purser the provisions he
expected to require for the voyage, and had selected eight trusty men
from among those who had volunteered to accompany him.
Greatly to Gerald's delight, the commander gave him leave to go, Mr
Foley having, according to his promise, applied for him.
The pinnace had been carefully overhauled, and such additions to her
fittings as the second lieutenant thought would be necessary had been
made. Nothing more, therefore, had now to be done than to put her
stores and water on board, and that would not take long, so that she
might set off at an early hour the next morning.
Nat Kiddle was greatly disappointed at finding that he was not to go.
He again applied, through Mr Foley, for leave, but the commander
considered that another officer was not necessary; he was unwilling to
risk the safety of more people than were absolutely required. There was
but little danger to be apprehended from the weather; the risk was far
greater of falling into the hands of the enemy, who would, of course, if
they were taken, prevent them from proceeding on their voyage. Should
this happen, matters would become serious on the island, though the
commander still hoped to be able to maintain the crew for many months to
come, with the help of such wild-fowl and fish as could be caught.
Next morning, before daybreak, all hands were roused up, it being
arranged that the pinnace was to start directly there was light enough
for her to see her way between the reefs. Those who were to go were
first to breakfast, while a party who had been told off for the purpose
carried the stores and water down to the pinnace. She was soon loaded;
and a ruddy glow had just appeared in the eastern sky as Mr Foley and
his companions stepped on board.
It had again become perfectly calm. Not a breath of air ruffled the
smooth surface of the ocean; scarcely a ripple broke on the beach.
"You will have a long pull of it among the reefs," observed the master;
"but you will get a breeze, I hope, from the north-east when the sun
rises."
The mists of night had begun to clear away, when Mr Foley, looking
towards the south-west, exclaimed, "There's a vessel at anchor."
The pinnace was on the point of shoving off.
"Wait till we see what she is," said the commander, who had come down,
as had all the officers and men, to bid farewell to their shipmates.
The sun now quickly rising, shed its rays on the stranger, towards which
several telescopes were turned.
"She is the very merchantman we saw yesterday, or I am much mistaken,"
observed the commander.
"No doubt about it, sir," said Mr Tarwig.
"Foley, you will be saved a voyage in the boat. We must board her
without delay, or she may be getting under way, although it seems
strange that she should not have noticed our flag," said Commander
Olding. "Can she have beaten off the pirate?"
"It looks like it, sir," answered the first lieutenant. "Either the
pirate must have escaped or been sent to the bottom."
"We shall soon hear all about it, I hope; and we must get her to take us
off," said the commander.
"As the pinnace is ready, I will pull on board at once, sir, if you will
allow me," said Mr Foley.
The commander hesitated for a moment. "We will run no unnecessary
risk," he observed. "She may have beaten off the pirate, or she may
have become her prize, and if so, it will be safer for all the boats to
proceed together well armed."
Some minutes were occupied in unloading the pinnace, that more men might
go in her; and in the mean time the crews of the other boats hurried
back to the fort to obtain their arms. Mr Tarwig and the master taking
charge of them, as soon as all were ready they shoved off, and pulled as
fast as the men could lay their backs to the oars towards the stranger.
As they got from under the shelter of some of the higher reefs, which
had at first concealed them, they must have been seen from her deck, as
the British ensign was run up at her peak.
"Hurrah! after all, she must have beaten off the pirate!" exclaimed
Gerald.
"I am not quite so sure of that," answered Mr Foley. "If she is a
prize to the pirates, they would hoist the flag to deceive us, and as
they see only three boats, they may hope to beat us off. Don't let us
be quite sure that yonder vessel is not in the hands of the pirates," he
shouted out to Mr Tarwig, whose boat was astern of the pinnace.
"I agree with you," was the answer. "We will be on our guard."
The first lieutenant, as the senior officer, now took the lead, and the
other two boats followed a little more than an oar's length apart. Mr
Tarwig's boat carried an ensign, and as he approached the stranger he
unshipped the flagstaff and waved it so that it might clearly be seen.
The boats had now got within hail of the merchant vessel. The British
colours were still hoisted at her peak.
"Who are you?" shouted a man who just then appeared on the poop of the
merchant vessel. "Keep off, or we shall fire at you."
"We are British--the officers and men lately belonging to his Majesty's
sloop of war _Champion_," answered Mr Foley. "If you are English we
are your friends, and we intend to come on board."
"You may be, or you may be buccaneering rascals, and we don't intend to
trust you; so stand off, or we shall fire and sink all your boats,"
shouted the man who had before spoken.
"I repeat that we are British, and you fire at your own risk," answered
Mr Tarwig.
"There is no doubt that the pirates have possession of the vessel,"
observed Mr Foley to Gerald.
The first lieutenant seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion.
"Pull ahead, lads!" he cried out; and the men again gave way, the
pinnace dashing up on the quarter, and the other two boats on either
side.
As they approached the stranger opened her broadsides, and firelocks and
swivels were discharged at them; but they were already so close that the
shot flew over their heads, and the next instant the British seamen were
scrambling up the sides of the stranger, in spite of the opposition
offered them from pikes, firelocks, and pistols. As they threw
themselves over the bulwarks, they encountered a savage-looking crew, of
whose character there could be no doubt; but, savage as they appeared,
the cutlasses of the hardy tars quickly played havoc among them. Some
were cut down; others fled to the waist, and leaped below; and several,
in desperation, threw themselves overboard. Within a minute the greater
part of the deck was in possession of the _Champion's_ crew, a small
number of pirates alone standing at bay around the mainmast.
"We ask for quarter, and if you give it we will lay down our arms and
save further bloodshed," exclaimed one of the party, who appeared to be
an officer.
"We give you the quarter you ask, and your lives will be safe till you
are brought to a fair trial," answered Mr Tarwig, "but I will not
promise you any other terms."
The man consulted with his companions. It was evident that all further
resistance would be hopeless, as already the _Champion's_ people were in
possession of the forecastle and aftermost guns, and could in an instant
turn them on the pirates, whom they, besides, considerably outnumbered.
"We trust to your honour and give in, sir," said the former speaker.
"I repeat what I have before said--your lives shall be spared," answered
Mr Tarwig.
On which the pirates threw their arms on the deck. They were forthwith
pinioned by the victors, and those who had escaped below were brought up
and treated in the same manner.
Gerald had remarked the countenance of the man who acted as spokesman
for the pirates, and was much struck by it. Could he be O'Harrall? The
man, though he had at first stood forward, now tried to conceal himself
among his companions. Gerald, on getting closer to him, felt sure that,
if not O'Harrall, he was the very man whom he had before mistaken for
him, who had been pressed on board the _Champion_ and afterwards made
his escape from her. This, if he was right, would account for his wish
to conceal himself as much as possible from the _Champion's_ officers
and people, who could scarcely fail, however, to recognise him.
Gerald's attention and that of most of the party was, however, taken up
with other matters. The appearance of the ship showed that she had been
engaged in a hard-fought action. Her masts and rigging were
considerably cut about, though none of her spars appeared to be severely
damaged. Her bulwarks in two or three places were knocked in, and there
were several shot-holes in her sides, which had been hastily plugged.
Splashes of blood here and there on the deck showed that several of the
hapless crew had been killed or wounded while defending their ship. The
pirates had already obliterated the name on her stern. Why they had
done this it was difficult to say, except perhaps, for prudence' sake,
it was their custom immediately on capturing a vessel.
While the first lieutenant and the master were superintending the
operation of securing the prisoners, Gerald accompanied Mr Foley into
the cabin. At the first glance they saw that it had been lately
occupied by passengers. In the side berth were hanging up two or three
articles of female gear. A book lay open on the table.
In another cabin were a pair of men's shoes; and in a third, evidently
that of the master of the ship, were several other articles. Gerald
hurried into the latter, for his eye had fallen on a chart hanging
against the bulkhead, the appearance of which struck him. The outside
was marked in large letters, "Caribbean Sea." He had himself written
them. With trembling hand he took it down. Yes! it was a chart
belonging to his father. He hurriedly glanced at other articles,
several of which he recognised. On a locker was a log-book. He opened
it; all doubt was at an end. It was headed "Log of the _Research_,
Captain Gerald Tracy." He hurried over the latter pages. There he saw
that the ship had met with a long course of bad weather when no
observations could be taken. The last entry was--"A strange sail in
sight standing towards us. Latitude 23 degrees north, longitude 73
degrees 15 minutes west." Leaving the berth with bloodless lips and
pale cheek, he turned to the first page of the book on the table. On it
was written--"Norah Tracy."
Mr Foley was startled by the cry of grief and alarm which escaped from
Gerald. Unable to speak, Gerald could merely point at the page. Mr
Foley in an instant understood it all. Several articles belonging to
Norah remained in the cabin. In the other were some books, and several
things marked with the name of Dennis O'Brien.
"Then Captain O'Brien must also have been on board," said Mr Foley.
"He was my father's greatest friend; but oh, Mr Foley, what can have
become of them? Can they have all been killed by those villainous
pirates?" cried Gerald.
"I trust not," answered Norman Foley, though his heart misgave him as he
spoke. "Bad as they are, they could not have been barbarous enough to
put to death a young girl and two old men like your father and Captain
O'Brien; beside which, I doubt whether the pirates would have yielded so
quickly if they had been guilty of such a crime. I think we shall find
that they were taken on board the pirate vessel, which stood on for
their stronghold, leaving the prize to follow as soon as she had
repaired damages."
Norman Foley, feeling sincere sympathy for Gerald, offered him all the
consolation in his power; but still, knowing the savage character of the
pirates, he could not help dreading what might have been the fate of
Norah and the old captains. He guessed at once that they had come out
in search of the _Ouzel Galley_, which, if she had been captured by the
pirates, could not have returned home; and now they themselves had
fallen into the power of the miscreant who had taken her. Mr Foley at
length persuaded Gerald to return with him on deck, where they found the
man whom Gerald had at first taken for O'Harrall, standing with his arms
bound behind his back, while Mr Tarwig was questioning him as to how he
came to be on board the merchantman. Several of the _Champion's_ crew
had in the mean time, it appeared, recognised him as Michael Dillon, the
man who had deserted from their ship in Port Royal harbour, just before
she sailed from thence. Gerald had no longer any doubt about the man,
and corroborated what the seamen had said.
"I will not deny that I am Michael Dillon, or that I deserted from your
ship. I suppose that I must be prepared to meet the doom of a
deserter," he answered boldly; "but you guaranteed my life, sir, till I
have been fairly tried; and as I conclude that you intend to keep your
word, I need not at present trouble myself about the matter. In the
mean time, I can give you valuable information, and render essential
service to that young gentleman I see there, Gerald Tracy, and to those
he cares for. If you will undertake to let me go free after I have
rendered the service I speak of, I will perform it faithfully. If you
refuse to promise that my life shall be spared, my lips will be sealed,
and you will find no one else to do what I can. You know me for a
determined man, and you may tear me to pieces before you get the secret
out of me."
"I do not understand you," answered Mr Tarwig. "I must know more about
your offer before I make any promise."
"I believe that I can explain what the man means," said Mr Foley,
drawing the first lieutenant aside, when he informed him of the
discovery that he and Gerald had made in the cabin, and his belief that
the pirates had either put Captain Tracy and his daughter to death, or
carried them off on board their own ship.
This of course made Mr Tarwig much more ready to listen to Dillon's
proposals; still, without Commander Olding's sanction, he could not
promise the man his life. He determined, therefore, to send the gig
under charge of the master, who would give an account to the commander
of what had occurred, and receive his orders. It was necessary to keep
the greater part of the _Champion's_ people on board to repair the
damages the ship had received, and to watch over the prisoners.
"I will not be long absent, depend upon that," said Mr Billhook, as he
jumped into the boat and pulled away for the shore.
It was a trying time for poor Gerald. He longed to ascertain from the
pirate how his sister and father had been treated; but Dillon and his
companions kept their mouths closed, and would not reply to a single
question put to them. The men not engaged in watching the pirates were
fully employed in more effectually stopping the shot-holes than had
before been done, and in knotting and splicing the rigging; thus Gerald
had but little time to talk on the the subject which engrossed his
thoughts. He just got a few words with Mr Foley, who somewhat relieved
his mind by expressing his belief that Norah and his father had been
made prisoners and carried on board the pirate. "I think there is
another reason for believing that they were not put to death; I suspect
that had they been, Dillon would not have offered to give us any
information, as he would have known that he could expect no mercy at our
hands."
"I wish that the commander would come off," said Gerald. "I have been
thinking, sir, that if he would agree to man this ship and go in search
of the pirates at once, before returning to Jamaica, we might capture
them. They will not know that we have retaken her, and we might thus
approach them without being suspected. If you will press the matter on
the commander, I hope that he will agree to the plan."
"I feel nearly sure that he will do so," answered Mr Foley. "The idea
is a good one; he will probably think of it himself; if not, I will lead
him to it. If the plan occurs to him, so much the better, as of course
he will be the more ready to carry it out."
"Thank you, sir, thank you," answered Gerald, his sanguine temperament
making all difficulties vanish. He could not indeed bring himself to
believe it possible that any beings in the form of men could have had
the cruelty to injure his dear young sister and revered father; but
then, if Owen had been killed, how sad would be Norah's lot! It would
break her heart; of that he was sure.
"Gig coming off, sir," cried the look-out to Mr Tarwig.
In a short time the commander stepped on board. The first lieutenant
reported all that had occurred. Commander Olding at once sent for
Dillon. Gerald stood by, almost trembling with anxiety as to what
course would be taken. The pirate boldly confronted his late commander,
and repeated the offer he had already made.
"How can I trust you?" asked Commander Olding.
"You can put a pistol to my head and shoot me, sir, if I do not fulfil
my promise," he answered, calmly.
"If you can enable us to recover the master of this ship, and his
daughter, and any other of the people who were on board her, I will
promise to set you at liberty; but, if you are retaken, you must stand
the consequences," said Commander Olding.
"That is the very proposal I was going to make, sir," answered Dillon.
"I will undertake to carry this ship alongside the _Ouzel Galley_, which
was captured by buccaneers, and is now used by them to go pirating. Her
former master and several of his people are alive, for I saw them
lately, and if you manage as I will advise you, you will recover them
likewise. I confess, sir, that I wish to save my life, and I desire
also to make what amends I can for the harm I have done. Will you
believe me?"
"I believe you to be a great villain, but I trust you to perform your
promise, because it will be to your interest to do so," answered the
commander. "Should you prove treacherous, you may depend upon being
instantly shot."
"I have not the slightest doubt about that, sir," said Dillon, with an
attempt at a laugh. "The sooner you can get this ship ready for sea the
better. I was left here to do so, not supposing that you had any boats
on shore to come off to us; and from the number of shot-holes in her
hull, it was feared that, unless we could get them securely stopped,
should a strong breeze get up she would go to the bottom."
Gerald felt greatly relieved when he heard the commander undertake to
carry out Dillon's proposal.
After a short consultation with his lieutenants, Commander Olding
despatched all his own boats, and two of the _Research's_ which had
escaped injury, to bring off the remainder of the officers and crew,
with provisions, ammunition, and stores, and four guns to increase the
armament of the _Research_. These would make her more than a match for
the _Ouzel Galley_. He also directed that the guns left in the fort
should be spiked, as too much time would be lost in bringing them down
to the beach and throwing them into deep water.
"It will matter little, however, if the Spaniards do take possession of
the island, as no one would wish to deprive them of it," he observed to
Mr Tarwig.
"I should think not, sir; and, for my part, I hope never to set eyes on
it again," was the answer.
The boats made several trips, the whole day being expended in bringing
off the stores. The carpenters had in the mean time plugged all the
shot-holes, while the boatswain and the men working under him rove fresh
braces, fished the damaged spars, and repaired all the standing rigging,
so that by the following morning the _Research_ was ready to proceed on
the expedition.
The commander had had another interview with Michael Dillon, who swore
solemnly that neither Captain Tracy nor his daughter, nor the other old
captain, had received the slightest injury. He had seen them, he
declared, taken on board the _Ouzel Galley_. The young lady's trunks
and their valises had also been removed with them.
"And what became of the rest of the officers and crew of the
merchantman?" asked the commander.
"They were mostly expended before we boarded," answered Dillon, coolly.
"They were knocked on the head by our shot; others who resisted were cut
down, and the remainder were taken on board our vessel."
"Are they still on board her?" asked Commander Olding.
"As to that, sir, I cannot say," answered Dillon; "but our captain was
in good humour, and may have spared their lives, though I will own it is
not always his custom to let his prisoners live. He ordered me, with
the hands you found on board, to take charge of the prize, and to follow
him as soon as I could get her into seaworthy trim."
Gerald was satisfied that one part of Dillon's statement was correct, as
on examining the cabin he could find none of his sister's trunks, nor
any in either his father's or Captain O'Brien's cabins, although nothing
else had apparently been removed from the ship. What the intention of
the pirate was with regard to them, it was impossible to say. Dillon
could throw no light on the subject. Mr Foley expressed his hope that
the pirate intended to treat them mercifully, and perhaps, he thought,
would land them at some place whence they could find their way to
Jamaica, or to put them on board any vessel they might fall in with
bound to that island.
This idea of Mr Foley's greatly relieved Gerald's mind, and he again
began to hope that he should have the happiness of once more seeing
them. The commander gave him permission to visit Dillon, so that he
might try to ascertain the fate of Owen Massey.
"Though you were among those who dragged me on board the king's ship, I
bear you no ill-will," answered Dillon. "I will therefore tell you that
I saw Owen Massey, alive and well, not ten days ago. He was then on
good terms with the pirate captain, but I cannot answer for what may
happen when the young lady appears on the scene. She may perchance
prove to be an `apple of discord.' The captain has an eye for beauty,
and from what I have heard, Owen Massey is engaged to marry your fair
sister."
"How do you know that?" asked Gerald, surprised at the man's remark.
"We hear all sorts of things, and such an idea was current among our
fellows," answered Dillon in a careless tone, which somewhat excited
Gerald's anger.
"You have given your promise to try and rescue Owen Massey and any of
his companions, as well as my father and sister, and their friend
Captain O'Brien," he observed.
"I have promised to do my best to help them, and I intend to keep to
that promise," answered Dillon.
Villain as he knew the pirate to be, Gerald was now satisfied that the
lives of his father and Norah had been preserved.
Soon after dawn the next morning a light breeze sprang up, which enabled
the _Research_ to get under way. As soon as she was clear of the reefs,
Dillon was brought on deck, and desired to inform the master what course
to steer in order to reach the pirate's stronghold. Look-outs were
stationed aloft and at each fore-yardarm, that any dangers ahead might
be seen and avoided, the commander not trusting alone to Dillon's
pilotage.
"With this light wind it will take us three days at least to reach
`Tiger Key;' that is the name the buccaneers have given their
stronghold," said Dillon. "It is a place no one, even when looking for
it, would be likely to find, unless he knew the landmarks well, or came
upon it by chance, and they will not thank me for leading you to it. I
must trust, sir, to your not only sparing my life, but protecting me
afterwards, for if I fall into their hands they will murder me to a
certainty."
These remarks were addressed to Mr Tarwig, to whom the pirate seemed
more inclined to be communicative than to any one else.
"What makes you so ready to deliver your late companions into our
hands?" asked the first lieutenant. "I thought that buccaneers were
always faithful to each other, although at war with the rest of the
world."
"In the first place, sir, I wish to save my life--that would be
sufficient reason for what I have undertaken," answered the pirate;
"and, then," he added, a dark scowl coming over his countenance, "I have
sworn vengeance against those who have offended me. I had a quarrel
with the captain, whom, though I am his equal, I was ready to serve. He
treated me with contempt, and refused to trust me. However, it is a
long story, and I will not trouble you with it now. What I say will
convince you that I intend to be faithful, and that it will not be my
fault if you fail to capture the pirate and his followers."
"And who is this buccaneering captain of whom we have heard so much of
late years?" asked Mr Tarwig.
"He goes under different names, sir; and, although I may happen to know
his right one, you will excuse me if I decline to tell it," answered
Dillon, the dark frown still resting on his brow as he spoke.--"His
present followers know him as Manuel Bermudez; but he has not a drop of
Spanish blood in his veins, I can answer for that."
What Dillon said convinced Mr Tarwig that he could be trusted in
carrying out their project. It was arranged that on approaching Tiger
harbour he should appear to have the command of the ship, and that only
as many men as had been left on board by the pirates should be seen on
deck, all of them dressed as the pirate crew had been, and that the
remainder should lie down concealed under the bulwarks, or remain below
ready to spring up at a moment's notice. Commander Olding intended, on
entering the harbour, to run up alongside the _Ouzel Galley_ and capture
her, and then to turn his guns on the people on shore should any
resistance be offered. Dillon assured him that no forts existed on
shore for the defence of the harbour, the pirates trusting entirely to
the intricacy of its navigation.
The _Research_ stood on for a couple of days more, close-hauled,
frequently having to tack to avoid the rocks and reefs to the westward.
Without the greatest possible care she might easily have shared the fate
of the _Champion_. As she got to the northward the difficulties of the
navigation increased. Dillon, however, proved himself to be an able
pilot. He smiled as he saw the pistol which one of the warrant officers
held constantly at his head, as if he considered the precaution a very
unnecessary one.
"Nobody desires to see the _Research_ safe inside Tiger harbour more
eagerly than I do," he observed. "Should the ship strike on a reef, it
will not be my fault."
"A sail on the weather-bow!" shouted the look-out from aloft.
"What is she like?" asked Mr Foley, who had charge of the watch.
"A small boat or canoe under sail, sir," was the answer.
Gerald, who was on deck, was sent by Mr Foley with a spy-glass aloft to
take a look at the boat. "If she steers as she is now doing she will
pass, I take it, a couple of miles from us, sir," he cried out.
The commander, who just then came on deck, upon hearing this, ordered
the ship to be put about to cut off the boat. At the same time the
colours were hoisted, so that should the people in the boat be English,
they might know that the ship was a friend. A considerable amount of
curiosity was excited as to what a small boat could be about in these
little-frequented seas, and all the glasses on board were turned towards
her. As she had now altered her course and was standing towards the
ship, she was rapidly neared, and five people were counted on board her.