ELIAS MACOMBER.
Of a verity Elias Macomber did me a good turn when he started the
quarrel with Darius Thorpe, for up to this time I had been sadly
lacking in patriotism, as may have been learned from that which is
already set down in these pages.
Until this day it had been as if the war did not concern me or mine,
save as it affected the price of oysters, and when I saw this lad or
the other who had enlisted, I said to myself that another foolish one
had been found who willingly engaged to go where he might be killed.
Within a very few moments after the fight between Elias Macomber and
his crew of British-lovers had come to an end, I began to view the
situation of affairs as an honest lad should.
The country which protected me in my home--that territory which had
been bought, or redeemed, by the blood of brave men, and even of women
and children, from the savage Indians and a merciless king, was in
danger, and if I did not rush to its defense how might I expect my
heritage of a free land could be preserved to me and those who came
after me?
Like a picture I saw before me those brave men and women who had
battled against the forces of nature as they made homes in the
wilderness; then struggled against the bloodthirsty Indians to protect
their little all, and were finally called upon to fight a powerful
nation in order to hold themselves free in the land already redeemed
by sweat and blood.
Once that was presented to my mental vision I ceased to regret having
been forced to thus set off for the purpose of joining Commodore
Barney's fleet, and rejoiced that my comrades had prevented me from
showing the white feather when even my loving mother urged me forward.
I forgot all the fears which had assailed me, and thought only of what
it might be possible for me to do in order to show myself worthy the
land of my birth.
In a word, I had in a few seconds been transformed from a cowardly lad
who would shirk his duty lest, perchance, he receive some bodily hurt,
to a boy burning with the desire to do whatsoever lay in his power
toward checking the advance of an enemy who was bent upon carrying on
the war by destroying the property of peaceful settlers.
Unless my comrades read what I have here set down, they will never
know how near I was on that day at Benedict, to proving myself a
false-hearted American lad.
The afternoon was considerably more than half spent when we left home
for the eighteen-mile sail up the river, and I saw little chance of
our coming upon the fleet before morning, unless we kept the pungy
under sail far into the night, for the breeze, what little we had of
it, came from the westward, and we could not make more than two miles
an hour against the current.
Therefore it was that I said to Darius when we were half an hour or
more from port, after Jim Freeman and his friends had wearied
themselves by cutting monkey-shines on the deck in order to prove
their joy at thus having an opportunity to do whatsoever they might in
defense of their country:
"With so light a wind we are like to be forced aground when it is so
dark that we cannot give the shoals a wide berth, because of not
seeing them," and the old man replied, saying that which was in my own
mind:
"It'll be a case of comin' to anchor, lad, after the sun has set, for
we had best make haste slowly rather than jam the pungy up where a day
may be spent in tryin' to float her."
"But suppose the British are close at hand?" I asked, for now I was
hot with the desire to make certain of keeping so far ahead of the
enemy that I could take part in whatsoever might be done by way of
fighting.
"They will be more helpless than we, after night has come, for we know
the river fairly well, while they are strangers to it."
If it had not been that we lads were about to take part in the war I
might have refused to accept Darius' advice so readily, for, it must
be confessed, I am overly headstrong and apt to go contrary when one
makes the least show of driving me; but in the business we were about
to embark upon, I knew it was safe to follow the old man, since he had
had long experience in such matters, the telling of which would be
more entertaining than will be the account of our adventures.
It was destined, however, that the Avenger should come to anchor even
before the river was shrouded in darkness, for we were not more than
four miles above our own town of Benedict, when the wind, died away
completely, thus forcing us to make fast somewhere, unless we were
minded to drift back to our starting point.
In my ignorance, I would have anchored the pungy in the stream,
hoisting a riding light, and turned in feeling that everything was
safe and snug; but to this Darius made decided objection.
"Keep out of the channel," he said emphatically. "We know beyond a
peradventure that the enemy is astern of us, and there is no tellin'
when he may come--"
"He will wait for wind before goin' very far up the river," I
interrupted, and thus showed my ignorance of anything concerning
warfare, for the old man replied:
"It wouldn't be strange if he should send a boat in the night to make
certain of the water, and get such other information as might be
useful. This 'ere pungy would be captured by half a dozen men as
easily as if the whole British fleet was close by."
"Are you of the opinion that we should haul in to the bank?" I asked
very humbly, understanding that if we would run safely it might be
better to give Darius the command.
"Let her drop back beyond the point, an' then sneak in as far among
the trees as her spars will permit," he said, and this we did, pulling
her around by aid of the canoe until we were nicely hidden from all
save by closest scrutiny.
Right glad was I by this time that Jim Freeman and his two friends had
come aboard, for they were willing lads, who strove to do all they
might in the way of work, and we who belonged on the Avenger had an
easy time of it.
Jim took it upon himself to get supper, and he had brought with him
such a tempting store of provisions, all of which he turned over to
the party, that our meal that night was a veritable feast. I had never
but once before had such an appetizing repast, and that one exception
was when oysters were scarce, and a Baltimore dealer gave us a dinner
at the hotel in addition to the regular price of the cargo.
When our hunger had been satisfied, and the cuddy put to rights, we
lads would have spent the time spinning yarns, or in some other such
amusement; but Darius put his foot down strongly against it.
"Remember that you are liable to be made prisoners of war at any
moment," he said gravely. "Wise men do not hide themselves and their
vessel, an' then talk and laugh that strangers may know where they are
hidden."
"Do you really expect to see Britishers on the river this night?" Jim
Freeman asked with a laugh, and, much to my surprise, the old man said
emphatically:
"I surely do, if all we heard at Benedict be true, an' I have little
doubt of it. The enemy count on destroyin' Commodore Barney's fleet,
an' know that it can be found up this stream. It will be strange,
'cordin' to what I know of such business, if the admiral does not send
out spies before shovin' any armed vessels up here."
It can well be supposed that such talk as this insured silence among
us; we had hardly begun to understand that we might be very near a
British prison unless every precaution was taken; but the old man's
words, and manner of speaking them, brought us to a better
realization of the situation.
We almost held our breath, fancying the enemy might be close aboard,
until Darius, talking in a whisper, said:
"I'm countin' on seein' or hearin' the Britishers 'twixt now an'
mornin', an' it strikes me that we might do a good stroke of work for
Joshua Barney, by lookin' after a prisoner or two. It wouldn't be no
ways strange if we could nab 'em, pervidin' they put themselves in a
fair position to be taken."
I was dumfounded by such a proposition, and it is not impossible that
my knees began to shake as I thought of attempting such a thing. Then
I suddenly remembered that we had no weapons aboard, except an old
musket which we used to shoot into a flock of ducks now and then, and
I said with a laugh:
"Do you expect that the Britishers will surrender if we simply invite
them? Our one musket wouldn't make much of a showin' against a
boat-load of men."
"All that has been in my mind, lad, an' I reckon it won't be hard to
put ourselves in right good shape. If any British spies count on
comin' up the river, it wouldn't be till after dark, an' we've got no
right to expect they'd be around this way much before midnight. Now
I'll paddle back to the village, an' see if I can't scare up two or
three muskets. It won't take me more'n an hour for the whole job."
Darius said this as if asking advice; but I could make no reply, and
my companions held their peace, therefore, after waiting a few moments
without hearing any comment, the old man set about carrying his plan
into execution.
Noiselessly he hauled the canoe alongside, went over the rail into
her, and took up the paddle, as I stood near the bow waiting for his
command to cast off the painter.
"Keep quiet, whatever happens, an' don't fuss if I'm kept quite a
spell, for if there's anythin' to be learned, I shall make mighty
little account of time. Cast off, lad, an' be certain that nothin'
goes up or down the river without your seeing it."
I obeyed the command, and in an instant the canoe glided into the
obscurity of the shadows cast by the overhanging trees.
With the disappearance of Darius there came upon me the full sense of
my responsibility, for I was the one to whom the others would look in
event of trouble, and I knew full well how poorly fitted I was by
experience to be in command of the pungy.
The knowledge of my own short-comings at least served one good turn,
since it made me more than usually cautious, and without delay I set
about preparations for obeying the command given by Darius.
All my companions were on deck, and calling them aft to the cuddy
companion-way, I said in a whisper:
"You heard the words of Darius. Now I propose the work shall be done
in this fashion: All hands will remain on duty, not in a group, but
stationed equal distances apart at the rail, each one to watch and
listen to the best of his ability. No fellow shall speak with his
neighbor, nor can he move about lest the sound of footsteps on the
deck give an alarm."
Then I took up my station near the stern, and in the gloom I could see
the forms of my companions while they ranged themselves as I had
suggested, neither of them making more noise than so many mice.
From that moment not a sound could be heard from the deck of the
Avenger. That which Darius said had aroused us all to the danger, and
even though we had only a crew of lads, I felt confident no blunder
would be charged against us.
It was dreary work waiting there in the darkness, listening intently
for the lightest unusual noise, and believing that an enemy was, or
soon would be, close at hand. The gurgling of the water in an eddy;
the leap of a fish, or a bit of drift-wood striking against the side
of the pungy, sounded in our ears loud as thunder, and we heard the
ordinary night rustlings of the forest as if it was something strange
to our ears.
Then came that which caused us to bend far out over the rail, trying
to pierce the gloom with our eyes, for the measured stroke of oars
could be heard, and it was a positive relief to me, even though it
betokened the coming of strangers.
I felt certain an enemy's boat was approaching, because had any one
living on the river been coming up at that time of night, paddles
would have been used instead of oars. I knew of no one nearabout
Benedict who would have rowed a boat against the current when she
could have been handled so much more readily the other way.
Nearer and nearer came the splashing of water, as if more than one
oarsman was at work, and when it seemed as if the boat must be close
upon us, I heard a low voice, but could not distinguish the words.
Immediately the noise of the oars ceased, and then came the words, not
loud, but clear enough for us who were listening so intently to hear
with reasonable distinctness:
"On which side of the river were we to pick the man up?"
"The left, sir; the same side as the village."
The Avenger was lying near the right bank of the river, such position
having been taken because of the trees, and not through good judgment.
"One of you men get ashore, and see what can be found. If this is the
place agreed upon, and he said he would be about three miles above
the village, there should be a road running on a line with the river."
There was no question in my mind but that the speakers were Britishers
from one of the fleets, and that some of our people had agreed to play
the traitor by giving information, or piloting the boat. But, if such
was the case, where was Darius? He had not had time to reach Benedict
before this boat came past there, and might already be a prisoner on
his way to the nearest English vessel.
Even though he had gained the village while the strangers were yet
below it, then was his danger the greater, for he might unwittingly
come directly upon them when he returned. Whichever way I looked at
the matter I saw cause for grave fear, and the perspiration came out
in big drops on my forehead, for without him we would be in a bad
predicament.
While these thoughts were running through my mind I gave due attention
to what might be going on at the opposite side of the river, for I was
convinced that the boat was nearly in a straight line across from
where we lay.
I could hear such noises as told that one of the crew was scrambling
ashore amid the underbrush, and I heard a man cough; but after that
all was still until at least fifteen minutes were passed, when there
was a faint sound of voices from a distance, and then the rustling of
the foliage as if one or more was forcing a passage through the tangle
of vines.
"Hello!" came in a hoarse whisper from the boat, and some one ashore
replied:
"It's all right, sir."
From what could be heard I knew that a man, or men, were making their
way to the boat from the highway, and then, when it seemed as if he or
they were aboard, the voice which had given the command, said in
greeting:
"So you're come at last, Macomber. I had begun to believe we were
mistaken as to the rendezvous."
"I was delayed in the village, for your orders were that I must get
away without its being known, and there are many inquisitive ones in
Benedict."
My heart gave a great bound. So it was Elias Macomber who was playing
traitor, for even though he was born in England, the United States was
his home by adoption, and to our people he was bound in honor.
If Darius could only get weapons so that we might capture the boat's
crew, what joy would be mine to carry the base hound to Commodore
Barney as a prisoner!
Elias was speaking in a low tone and rapidly to some one--whom I had
no doubt was a British officer--, and I could only catch a word here
and there; but it was enough to let me know that he was reporting all
he had heard concerning the movements of the flotilla.
"At Nottingham yesterday," I heard. "Thirteen barges an' pungies, with
the schooner Scorpion. Five hundred men all told. Well armed, an'
knowin' how to use their weapons."
It was by such fragments of conversation as set down above that I knew
Elias Macomber was giving all the information in his power to the
enemy, and I resolved that some day he should pay the penalty of the
crime, even though I was forced to pursue him single-handed.
When all the story had been told the officer asked:
"Can you give us a place on the river where we may lay by during the
day? I am minded to have a look at the boats before going back to make
report."
I bent forward eagerly to hear the reply:
"At a mill, five miles above here, you will find a friend by name of
Essek Harland. He can give you all that may be needed."
"You shall go with us to make certain he takes us in."
"Very well, sir; but in that case I cannot get back home before
morning."
"You should be able to pull eight miles with a current in a few hours,
and I will pay for the hire of a boat."
"Very well, sir," Macomber replied in a tone of content, and I laughed
inwardly with joy, for he would be our prisoner to a certainty if he
came down the river alone.
Then the word was given for the oarsmen to resume their work, and we
heard the light splashing of water as the boat was pulled up-stream.
After that all was silent once more, and Jerry came tip-toeing aft to
whisper in my ear:
"Do you think Darius managed to give them the slip, or did they
capture him?"
"It seems to me that the officer would have told Elias if he had taken
a prisoner," I replied, and such fact gave me great satisfaction. "At
all events he must be here soon if nothing has happened to his
disadvantage."
Even as I spoke the canoe came out of the shadow, gliding lightly and
noiselessly as thistledown, and we knew that Darius was safe, for the
time being at least.
"Did you run across the boat when you went down?" I asked in a whisper
as he came over the rail, and he stood silent as if with surprise.
"Didn't you see a boat?" Jerry asked impatiently, and the old man
replied:
"I met with nothing either goin' or comin' an' I've brought back two
muskets with a mighty small lot of powder an' ball; but it's better'n
nothin'. What do you mean by a boat?"
Then we told him what we had heard, and when I mentioned the name of
the traitor, he brought his hand down on his leg with a resounding
thwack that might have been heard some distance away, as he said
incautiously loud:
"We'll have that snake, lads, if we don't do anythin' more, an' he
shall have a chance to see how the commodore looks when the Britishers
come up the river!"
"Then it is for you to take command of the Avenger, Darius. The boat
has not been gone from here above ten minutes, therefore it is likely
to be some time before the traitor comes down stream."
"We won't wait here for him, lads. There's breeze enough stirrin' now
to send the pungy against the current, an' we'll push ahead."
Sheltered by the trees as the vessel had been, we were ignorant of the
fact that a night breeze was springing up, until the Avenger swung out
into the stream, and then we found it as Darius had said.
The little craft could make about two miles an hour against the
current, which, as I reckoned, was about what the boat could do with a
couple of men at the oars, and I suggested to the old man that there
was danger we might over-run our game.
He gave heed by sending all hands, save me, into the bow as lookouts,
and steered a zig-zag course, which reduced our speed a full third.
"I don't believe I've ever heard of this Essek Harland you tell
about," the old man said to me in a whisper, and, understanding that
he desired all the information I could give concerning the miller, I
replied:
"He's of much the same kidney as Elias Macomber, except that he was
born in this country. A mean native of North Carolina, who starves his
slaves, and makes them work twice as many hours as they should. He
runs the mill, and it is said that all those who carry grist to him
keep a sharp watch lest he take out too much toll. If he hides the
Britishers, or gives them any information, it will be because they pay
him, for he will do any mean thing for money."
"Have you ever heard it said whether he was for or against the war?"
"No, and I haven't heard his name spoken for a year or more. It would
make little difference with him which side he was on, if the opposite
party offered money they could buy him."
Then we fell silent again during half an hour or more, when Darius
said:
"You shall tell me when we are within a mile of the mill; it won't be
safe to run any nearer unless we have overhauled that snake of a
Macomber."
I was so well acquainted with the river as to know every crook and
turn for at least ten miles above Benedict, and when it seemed certain
the pungy had run three miles or more, I kept a sharp look-out on the
banks in order to comply with the old man's request.
It was just when I believed we were close upon the spot where the
Avenger should be stopped, that Jerry came tip-toeing aft, waving his
arms to attract our attention.
"Macomber has hove in sight!" Darius whispered. "Take the tiller, an'
head her for his canoe!"
As he spoke he darted into the cuddy, returning a few seconds later
with two muskets, and these he carried with him well forward.
I strained my eyes in vain for a view of the canoe, which should be
coming right fast, with a favoring current, and had not yet made her
out when Darius hailed:
"In the boat there! Whereabouts are our people?"
The old man had disguised his voice, and the traitor must have
believed that we were a party of British coming to join those whom he
had piloted, for he paddled alongside fearlessly, as he replied:
"Up the river half a mile or so."
"Can you show us the way?"
"Ay, that I can; but it will delay me in--"
He ceased speaking very suddenly, for at that moment Jerry
incautiously came toward the port rail, and even though the night was
dark, it was possible to see that he was neither a British soldier nor
sailor.
Quickly he seized the paddle to shove off; but Darius thrust the
muzzle of a musket in his very face, as he cried sharply:
"Pass up your painter, or I'll shoot! Quick, or your life is gone in
another second!"
Elias Macomber was a coward, as we knew full well, but I never
believed he would give in quite as readily as he did. He passed up the
painter as meekly as any cooing dove, and when Darius ordered him to
come over the rail, he made all haste to obey the command.
When we gathered around the cur, however, for all of us were so eager
that we could not keep out of sight any longer, and he saw who had
captured him, he let go a cry of anger that was like unto the whoof of
a bear, as he struck out with both fists savagely.
He would have showed better sense had he taken matters with a bit more
grace, for before he could land a blow on either of us, Darius floored
him with the butt-end of the musket, and during a minute or two he
laid like one dead.
"You struck too hard!" I cried in alarm, for even though the man was a
traitor, it seemed terrible to take a human life.
"Not a bit of it," the old sailor said quietly as he set about lashing
the fellow's arms and legs. "He ain't the kind that can be killed so
easily. Get off the hatch, for we must have him out of sight before
coming up to the mill."
[Illustration: "Pass up your painter, or I'll shoot!" Cried Darius.
Page 56.]
Five minutes later our prisoner was snugly stowed aft, near the cabin
bulkhead, and we had brought the pungy to anchor lest she over-run the
port we counted on making.