A Consultation.
“What do you think of it, Fotheringay?” asked Captain Raggett.
“I think, sir, that Captain Mayo was right in saying the place is
dangerous for the frigate. We certainly cannot afford to run any risks
at present.”
Captain Raggett had great respect for the opinion of the young
lieutenant and had invited him to the cabin for a consultation on the
situation.
“This Mayo seems a shrewd fellow, Fotheringay, and I fancy he already
suspects what I want him for.”
“Yes, sir, he is shrewd, and I have no doubt whatever that he has
guessed your purpose. But I can assure you that he is a man highly
respected by his neighbors for his integrity and courage and you may
have great difficulty in bending him to your will.”
“You know the consequences of refusal on his part? Much as I dislike
to do it, I shall have to transfer him to another ship where he will
be obliged to take his chances in the forecastle and whatever rating
on the ship’s books his commander decides on. You are aware that
this is frequently done with American prisoners and when they show a
spirit of disobedience to their fate they are triced up and flogged.
The ‘Grampus’ has a rapscallion crew of jailbirds and pressed men, so
Barclay is having daily use for the lash.”
“Yes, sir, we are lucky in having a picked crew on the ‘Spencer’.”
“That’s so. Mostly all the best men are engaged in the fleets off the
French coast; but I had some influence with the admiral and used it to
get a good crew for my ship. Some of them had served under me before.
They are all right until they get foul of a cask of rum.”
“I’m afraid, sir, if Captain Mayo gets into Barclay’s hands there will
be hard times for a man of his sturdy Americanism.”
“Aye, Mayo is of the stiff-necked breed that inhabits this region. And
yet, he is of the purest English blood. I sometimes think these people
must have just cause for their resentment against the mother country,
but it wouldn’t do for me to say so openly. I admire the man’s pluck,
and it would please me to do him a favor under happier circumstances;
but, my dear Fotheringay, all such kindly thoughts have no place in our
present plans. I have got my orders to proceed vigorously against these
people and I’m going to do it.”
“And we all know that Captain Raggett has never shirked his duty no
matter how distasteful to his personal feelings that duty might be.
But it must be particularly obnoxious in the present case, when he has
to fight men of his own race. In no part of this continent, Captain
Raggett, are the inhabitants of such pure English stock as they are on
Cape Cod.”
“So I hear, Fotheringay. I am not very well posted in their history,
myself; but, of course, I know that Provincetown was the first harbor
made by the ‘Mayflower’ and that the population of Cape Cod is largely
descended from the first settlers.”
“The full story of the early settlers has yet to be written, sir. There
has been little time for such work during the nearly two centuries
that have elapsed since the ‘Mayflower’s’ voyage. Europe has been in a
state of almost constant warfare, and the American colonies of Britain
were engaged in the effort to establish a settled government and to
protect themselves from the savage aborigines. The mother country
was neglectful of her exiled children, her attention being entirely
directed to the protection of her own shores from the assaults of her
foes in Europe. Consequently, much ignorance of conditions in America
prevailed, and it was not until the colonists revolted and won their
independence that Britain realized how much she had lost.”
“Why, Fotheringay, you talk like a statesman! We never studied such
subjects when I was your age. We were sent to sea when we reached
fourteen and our learning was pretty limited. After that we had to do
the best we could. I regret to say that I neglected my opportunities
and you see the result--I have to depend on youngsters like you for
information on matters with which every officer should be familiar!”
“If you will permit me to say so, Captain Raggett, I don’t think this
lack of historical knowledge on your part has caused England to feel
less pride in the career of the gallant seaman who has kept her flag
flying through many a hard-fought fight.”
“Thank you, Fotheringay; thank you, my lad. Old Dick Raggett has done
his best for his king and country according to the measure of his
ability, even though some of the young bloods at the Admiralty don’t
seem to think he’s fit for this blockading service!”
“Now,” he continued, “I feel somewhat interested in these people of
Cape Cod, and you may help me to understand them better. I notice your
friends, Captains Knowles and Mayo, speak excellent English for men in
their station of life?”
“That is a characteristic of the people, Captain Raggett. The first
settlers were men of unusual intelligence and, when you consider the
age in which they lived, of some education. They were keen students
of the Bible; in fact, it was their only book and their language was
modeled on its style. Then, their ministers were men of great learning
and they exercised much influence in secular as well as in religious
affairs. Their word was law with their flocks and it is not improbable
that the people paid them the compliment of imitation in their habit of
conversing in good English.”
“Why did these first settlers leave England?”
“The primary reason was that their religious belief was antagonistic to
the established church. They did not believe in the establishment, and
they formed a society for the advancement of their own ideas. For this
they were persecuted and fled to Holland where, after a residence of
some years, they decided to cross the ocean in search of a new home.”
“Oh, they were for freedom of conscience, eh? Their descendants
don’t follow them in that respect, Fotheringay. Why, in this very
town of Provincetown there is at present open war between the
Congregationalists and the Methodists! The Methodists are newcomers,
and the adherents of the old order resent their presence. Are they not
practising here the tactics against which their forefathers rebelled in
England?”
The humor of the situation appealed to the lieutenant and he laughingly
answered:
“That, indeed, seems to be the case, sir. It must certainly be admitted
that the era of perfect religious toleration has not yet arrived.
However, we English are not in a position to throw stones at the Cape
Codders. Our own laws dealing with his majesty’s Catholic subjects are
no credit to our enlightenment.”
“I quite agree with you, Fotheringay, and I hope we may live to see the
day when every man can freely worship God as his conscience dictates.
Creeds should matter little when a common danger threatens a people. I
must say, however, that I am surprised to learn of intolerance in this
young land of America. In old Europe we are the slaves of tradition and
suspicion, and reform is slow, but the same thing does not apply to the
New World where there’s a chance for all to start on the same level.”
After some further conversation of this kind, they resumed the
discussion of the prospective operations.
“I shall have to ask tribute from all the towns, and I don’t mean to
be hard on them; but they must pay, if only as evidence to convince
London that we are doing something. I know they are in a bad state
financially but that’s their lookout.”
“In case they refuse, Captain Raggett, what are you going to do?”
Captain Raggett’s expression hardened. “They dare not refuse,
Fotheringay. The salt works along the shore can easily be destroyed
by our guns, and as salt-making is the principal industry the people
will think a long time before they invite its destruction. We can
throw shots into the villages, but I shall not resort to such extreme
measures until I am forced to do so.”
“Brewster has an artillery company, I understand, sir, and it may do
some damage to a landing party?”
“There will be no landing party, Fotheringay, unless we get
reinforcements. I have been considering that point and I have come to
the conclusion that these accursed flats are the greatest ally of the
Cape Codders. Now, I have made up my mind to send the schooner on a
surveying cruise in the bay and I purpose to have your friend Mayo act
as pilot. Dunton will be the officer in charge of the schooner.”
“I foresee trouble, Captain Raggett. Dunton heartily hates all
Americans and there is sure to be a clash. You know Dunton’s surly
disposition?”
“Yes; but he’s a good man in his place. He’s sour because so many
younger men have got ahead of him in the service. I don’t admire his
surliness, but he’s just the man I want for this surveying business.
The fact that he has got a Yankee pilot will make him suspicious, and
with such a shrewd antagonist as Mayo he will require to be on the
alert. I look for good results from the expedition.”
“It will take some time to survey so much shore line.”
“Oh, there’s no hurry about it. However, it should not take over a
week if the weather continues fine. I intend to take the frigate for
a practice cruise off Boston, but with a crew of about twenty Dunton
should be able to protect himself during my absence.”
“That should be an ample force, sir. By the way, have you informed
Captain Mayo of your purpose?”
“No, Fotheringay; but, as I said, I fancy he knows it. However, you
will be good enough to convey it to him officially.”
“Then you don’t expect to see Captain Knowles again, sir?”
“Unless he tries to run another cargo to Eastham; then I may have the
pleasure, Fotheringay. For the present, we will not bother ourselves
about his return.”
“Very well, sir; I shall now deliver your orders to Captain Mayo.”