"Irksome!" I exclaimed. "Oh, Miss Carlyon, how could you for a moment
think so? It has been the most delightful duty I ever performed. Duty
did I call it? It has been unspeakable joy and happiness to me, almost
from the time you came on board my vessel, to feel that I was of service
to you; that you were under my care and protection. Day after day that
feeling increased, till it has grown into a part of my being. It would
be my delight to feel that I could spend my life in the same way. Why
should I conceal it? You may not care for me--you will return to your
own people, and perhaps scarcely ever cast a thought on the rough sailor
who is tossing about on the wild ocean; but he never, never can forget
the days of intense happiness he has passed in your society, in watching
your every look, in serving you with a true and faithful love--in--"
The temper of the Hurrys was breaking forth with a vengeance.
"Oh no, no; do not say those words!" she exclaimed; "I do--I do regard
you with--with--deeper feeling than I ought. Can you ask me to say
more? But oh, Mr Hurry, this dreadful war!"
"Madeline, the war will end; the time will come when you may be mine!"
I exclaimed vehemently. "Will you--will you then consent?"
"Mr Hurry, I will," she answered calmly. "If you come and claim me,
you will find me true. Some women never love more than once. Yet I
will not bind you. You have your profession to occupy you. Your family
may disdain a rebel's child with her property confiscated. You may
wander to all parts of the world: you will see numberless women--many
very far superior to me--you may--"
I interrupted her with a vehement exclamation of denial as to the
possibility of anything she suggested occurring. I need not repeat all
I said--all the vows I uttered. I did not believe that mortal power
could make me break them.
We had remained somewhat behind the rest of the party while Mrs
Tarleton was speaking to the officer of the picket, and Lieutenant
Spinks was gaining information as to the road we were to take to reach
head-quarters. It was now time to move on. Anxious as I was not to
part from Madeline till the last moment, I felt that, as an officer of
the Royalist party, I ought to offer to remain in the outskirts of the
camp; but to my great satisfaction Mrs Tarleton at once overruled my
objections.
"Our friends will wish to thank you for the great service you have
rendered us, and you will require a few hours' rest at least before you
commence your return journey," she observed.
Madeline's look I thought said, "Do not go yet;" so I agreed to the
proposal. The marks of recent strife were sadly evident along the road
over which we passed, in the blackened remains of houses, woods cut
down, and fences destroyed.
We passed through several other pickets till we finally came to where a
considerable body of troops were encamped within intrenchments, and with
some rugged hills in front. Among the troops was a corps of fine, tall,
active-looking young men, whose uniforms and accoutrements were in the
most perfect order. Accustomed as I had been to see the ill-clothed,
various-sized, undisciplined militia, I was particularly struck by their
appearance.
"Those are General Washington's guards," observed Mrs Tarleton. "He
has much need of such men; for, though prizing the lives of those under
him, he is sadly careless of his own. He himself is, I do not doubt,
not far-off."
We had not ridden a hundred yards when we saw before us a group of
mounted officers in handsome uniforms, with plumes nodding and arms
glittering. I had somehow or other pictured to myself the rebel
generals as a dingy-looking set, like the Covenanters of old, or
Cromwell's Invincibles, and I could scarcely persuade myself that those
I saw were officers of the enemy's army. Among them rode one whom the
eye would not fail to single out from the rest--tall, handsome, and
graceful--the noble expression of his countenance showed that he had the
right to command. I was struck, too, with the way in which he managed
his horse, and sat on his saddle. He was an enemy and a rebel; but for
the life of me I could not help pulling off my hat and bowing low, when,
as he saw Mrs Tarleton, he rode forward to greet her. I guessed he
could be no other than the renowned chief General Washington. Among the
officers were Generals Sullivan, Wayne, and Woodford; Lord Stirling, a
gallant Scotchman, who in spite of his rank had joined the patriots; the
noble Frenchman, the Marquis Lafayette, and his veteran German friend
the Baron De Kalb; as also Generals Irvine, Reed, and other native
officers. Their appearance was very military, but I had no eye for
anyone but the commander-in-chief. He bowed to Madeline, and took Mrs
Tarleton's hand in a most kind and courteous manner, while his voice as
he spoke was gentle and melodious.
"I gladly welcome you to our camp, madam, deeply as I mourn the cause
which has brought you here. Your gallant brother is still with us. One
of my aides-de-camp will conduct you to his quarters. You will, I fear,
find Colonel Hallet much changed. He should long ago have retired from
active duty, but his patriotism overcame all suggestions of prudence. I
would that all who advocate the independence of our country were like
him!"
Mrs Tarleton made a brief answer. She was anxious to hurry to her
brother. A short conversation, however, first ensued between her and
the general, which I did not overhear; then, calling me up, she
introduced me formally and explained who I was. General Washington
received me in the frankest manner.
"I am happy to welcome one who has been of so much service to those I
highly esteem, and Mr Hurry may be assured that he will find none but
friends as long as he thinks fit to remain in this camp."
I made a suitable reply, regretting that duty must summon me so speedily
away.
"Perhaps you will have reason to alter your intention," said Mrs
Tarleton with marked emphasis. "I will make you known to Lord Stirling
and other friends; they may have more success than I have had in proving
to you which is the right side of the question."
Madeline looked at me, and I thought she seemed to say, "Oh, I wish they
may succeed!"
General Washington simply remarked, "At all events, Mr Hurry is welcome
here as long as he stays with us. I hope to have the pleasure of his
company at dinner to-day."
Several of the other officers came forward and spoke to me very kindly,
and by the general's directions a junior aide-de-camp attached himself
to me, while another accompanied Mrs Tarleton and her niece to Colonel
Hallet's quarters.
As they rode away I could do no more than take a hurried and formal
farewell of them both--I dared scarcely hope that I should be able to
see them again. Lieutenant Spinks had several friends in the camp, with
one of whom he intended to take up his quarters. He promised to call
for me if I persisted in my resolution to commence our return journey on
the following day. I found Captain Douglas, the officer in whose charge
I was placed, a very pleasing, gentlemanly man. To avoid giving any
cause of suspicion, I refrained from moving about without first asking
him if I could walk in that direction, and I thus soon gained his good
opinion, as he fully appreciated the motive of my conduct.
As the dinner-hour approached he took me to his tent, where I might get
rid of the dust of my journey. It was pitched close to a farm-house
occupied by the general. A barn attached to the farm-house, and hastily
fitted up, served as a dining-hall and council-chamber. Here a number
of officers, mostly generals and colonels, were assembled. I, a
midshipman, felt very small among them; and certainly the attention
which was paid me by so many great people was well calculated to turn my
head. However, I was wide awake enough to know that all is not gold
that glitters. From what I had previously heard, and from what I saw
when passing through the camp, I could not help discovering that the
American forces were in many respects in a very bad condition, ill-fed
and worse clothed. Whole corps were in a very ragged state, and some
were almost shoeless, and entirely stockingless. This in the summer was
bad enough, but with winter coming on, it was enough to disorganise the
whole army.
The feast to which I had been invited was, considering the state of
affairs I have described, a very grand one. Everyone was in good
spirits, and laughed and talked with the greatest freedom. I could
scarcely believe that these were the men who had lately been engaged in
a deadly strife, and might any moment be called out to give battle to a
well-disciplined and fierce enemy. The provisions were somewhat coarse,
and probably not cooked by the most experienced of artists; but I had
been accustomed to meet with much worse at sea, so that I did not think
much about the matter. Toasts were drunk, healths were pledged, and I
was frequently invited to take wine by the officers present, although
some looked at me, I thought with eyes rather askance, as if they did
not quite approve of an officer of the opposite cause being at large in
the camp.
The party, however, did not sit long after dinner, and when it broke up,
Douglas took me with him to his tent. "Come, we will have a cup of
coffee together before you turn in," said he, as we sat down; "I have a
French servant who understands cooking it better than any man I ever
met. You shall have at the same time a pipe of the true Virginia weed.
No one produces better than does our general on his estate; and this he
gave to me as being some of the very best he ever saw."
I found my friend's encomiums were fully justified by the excellence of
the tobacco; nor was his coffee to be despised. Several officers looked
in occasionally, and we had a very pleasant evening. They were,
however, at last hurriedly summoned off, and I threw myself down on the
camp bedstead my host had prepared for my use.
Weary as I was I could not sleep. Something I was certain was going
forward. More than once my ear caught the not very distant rattle of
musketry and the roar of cannon, and I could not help fearing that the
camp itself might be the object of attack, and that Mrs Tarleton and
Madeline might be involved in the confusion which must ensue, and
perhaps exposed to greater danger than any they had yet escaped. I
considered how I could find means of being of service to them.
Unhappily I did not know my way to Colonel Hallet's quarters, and should
the necessity I apprehended arrive, I was not likely to find anybody to
guide me to them.
Douglas had gone out; I felt that I ought not to leave the tent till his
return as I might very naturally, by wandering about, have thereby
exposed myself to the suspicion of some sinister motive; so I lay still,
eagerly listening that I might make a guess at the way things were going
by the sounds which reached my ears. Now and then there was a roll of a
drum--now a bugle sounded--then the distant report of a field-piece, and
next, a whole volley of musketry. I sat up with my arm resting on my
pillow, ready to spring to my feet at a moment's notice. I felt very
sad. I could not bear the thought of not seeing Madeline again; and
even should I see her, I knew that I must be prepared to part from her
for an indefinite period--for many long years perhaps. How changed
might she and I be by that time!
"It will not do to indulge in these thoughts," I exclaimed, passing the
palm of my hand to my brow; "they will unman me, or make me turn
traitor. Traitor! ay, that's the word. I must throw no false gloss
over it. Deserter--a wretch, false to his flag! No, no; she herself
would despise me. These men now in arms around me have never sworn
allegiance to their sovereign; they have been forced into rebellion by
ill-treatment and injustice, by numberless insults. I should have no
such excuse. If I unite myself to them it will be for my own
gratification alone. No, no, I'll not do it."
I must confess that many such discussions as this I had in my own mind
at this period, but I resisted the tempter in whatever form he came.
The firing ceased; still I listened, expecting it to recommence. At
length Douglas returned:--
"An affair of outpost!" he remarked carelessly. "You were disturbed by
the firing. Howe's army is somewhat near at hand. He wishes to draw us
into the lower ground, but General Washington knows the strength of our
position, and the advantage it gives us, too well to be tempted out of
it. The enemy has retired; you may rest in quiet for the remainder of
the night."
By daylight all the camp was astir. Lieutenant Spinks soon made his
appearance. He looked pale, but said that his wound did not hurt him,
and that he should be able to accompany me if I was ready to commence
our return journey. I had no excuse to offer to myself for delay, but
every reason for getting back to my vessel. I however frankly told
Captain Douglas that I wished to bid farewell to the ladies I had
escorted to the camp. I have an idea that he suspected how matters
stood.
"We will ride to Colonel Hallet's quarters directly after breakfast," he
answered promptly. "By that time they may be ready to receive you."
Spinks promised in the interval to get the horses and servants prepared
for the journey.
A frugal and somewhat hurried meal over, I set out with Captain Douglas.
A ride of upwards of a mile over exceedingly rugged ground brought us
to a hamlet of log huts. I remarked on the way the inaccessible nature
of the ground, and saw the wisdom of Washington in holding it. I made
no remark in reference to this, but we talked freely on various topics
not immediately connected with the war. My heart beat quick as my
companion pointed out a long low hut, and remarked--
"There lies poor Hallet, and I fear that he will never leave the place
alive."
The walls of the building consisted of long rough trunks of trees piled
one on the other, the ends fitting at the angles together, and a scoop
made in the lower log to admit the convex part of the upper one. Not
that I remarked this at the time; all my thoughts were occupied with
what was to occur. Douglas went to the door. It was opened by a
soldier. After a minute's delay he beckoned to me to follow him. In a
small roughly-boarded room sat Mrs Tarleton and her niece. They rose,
and the former took me cordially by the hand--
"Again I must thank you for enabling me to reach my poor brother in time
to find him alive," she said in a mournful voice.
I of course expressed my satisfaction of being of use, and looked to see
what Madeline would say. I had taken her hand. She forgot to withdraw
it.
"Indeed, indeed we are grateful," she uttered in a low voice.
She could not trust herself to say more. I would have given much to
have been alone with her, but I saw no chance of this. Perhaps it was
better as it was. What she herself wished I could not tell. Mrs
Tarleton showed no intention of leaving the room. I longed to say a
great deal, but I felt tongue-tied. Captain Douglas had but little time
to spare. He looked at his watch. I saw that I could no longer delay.
I bade farewell to Mrs Tarleton. Madeline came to the door of the hut.
I took her hand--it trembled in mine:--
"Oh! Mr Hurry," she said in a low, faltering voice, "I will never,
never forget you."
Douglas had thrown himself on his horse. I leaped on mine and had to
follow him at a gallop. Madeline was still standing at the door of the
hut when a rocky height hid it from my view. Spinks was in readiness
for a start with Caractacus and Sambo. We soon left the camp of the
American army far behind, and pushed on for the Delaware. We crossed it
some way up, for the British forces were now in possession of both banks
for a considerable distance above Philadelphia. That city remained
entirely in their hands. An attack had, however, I found from Spinks,
been planned by the American generals to re-take it, but had been
abandoned by Washington on account of the great loss of life it would
have entailed.
In spite, however, of the general want of success of the patriots in the
south, their spirits were raised, and their determination increased, to
hold out by news of the surrender of General Burgoyne and his entire
army to General Gates at Saratoga, as well as of the evacuation of
Ticonderoga, and several forts on the Hudson, and the abandonment of a
marauding expedition up that river from New York. We succeeded in
crossing the Delaware without impediment; but we had no little
difficulty, at times, to avoid falling in with the troops of the
contending parties. Once or twice we had to gallop very hard to get out
of their way. As Spinks observed, "It would be very disagreeable to be
hung up as spies before we had time to explain who we were." In spite
of his weakness, he, poor fellow, bore up manfully, and I was truly
sorry to part from him. At length we came in sight of Little Egg River,
and, to my very great satisfaction, I caught a glimpse of the tender,
directly opposite Mr Plowden's house. I rode up to the door to restore
him his horses, and to return him my thanks for their loan. He most
kindly pressed me to remain a day with him, but I was anxious to be on
board my vessel and once more at sea. Three cheers greeted me as I got
alongside. Not a man had deserted, and Grampus gave me a favourable
account of the behaviour of all hands. The tide and wind were fair for
us. The anchor was hove up and sail was made. It was fortunate that I
had not delayed. Scarcely were we under weigh when, through my glass, I
saw a considerable body of troops with some light artillery march down
to the beach. I doubted much whether Mr Plowden could have protected
me. One or two shots came flying after us to make us heave-to, but the
wind freshened. The little vessel glided swiftly on, till once more she
bounded freely over the blue ocean. As I inhaled the fresh sea air I
felt happier than I had done for many a day. I trimmed sails and stood
away to the northward to rejoin the admiral off Newport.