DODGING THE ENEMY.
As I have said, Captain Hanaford shoved his tiller hard over, throwing
the pungy around until her nose struck the mud, and it was a question
of getting her off the bank in the shortest possible space of time,
unless we were minded to lay there when the action began, for none of
us doubted but that an engagement was close at hand.
"It's a case of runnin' back up the river," Bill Jepson said
nervously, "An' the sooner we get about it the better."
Darius was not of the same opinion, as was shown when he said, after
waiting a moment to learn if any other had an opinion to express:
"I'm willin' to agree that we're bound to put back a bit, so's to be
out of the way when the iron begins to fly; but I don't hold that we
should run very far off until findin' out how things are goin' to
turn."
"You might settle that question after the pungy is afloat," my father
said grimly. "Just at present we're in a bad place if there's to be
any firing done, and when we're off the mud you'll have plenty of time
in which to discuss the situation."
"That's about the size of it," Captain Hanaford added emphatically,
and then he ordered us lads into the small boat that we might pull the
pungy's bow around.
Any one who has ever run an oysterman such as we have in the
Chesapeake, knows that when a craft of that build takes ground ever so
lightly, it is not a simple matter to float her, especially when
there's no cargo that can be shifted to bring the stern down and the
bow up.
We lads worked our prettiest with the paddles after making fast to the
vessel's nose, and, finding that we were making no headway, the three
able-bodied men began pushing with poles which are kept aboard for
such purpose, until she slid slowly into deeper water.
Then it was a case of clawing away from the fort, which was not easy,
since the wind that had brought us down so finely, now blew directly
in our teeth, and the pungy was a master-hand for sliding off when you
tried to tack.
As a matter of course it was necessary to stand over toward the
opposite shore, which was not a pleasant piece of business since it
carried us within view of the enemy; but we had no choice in the
matter.
"If we get back as far as Alexandria by sunset we'll be doin' mighty
well, unless you bring her around an' try to slide up," Bill Jepson
said grumblingly; but she did not make any better headway because of
his being disgruntled.
"We'll have to take things as they are, matey," Darius said grimly.
"If the old hooker won't carry us out of harm's way, we can take to
the shore at any time, which is a bit of consolation you'd better keep
pasted in your hat."
"This breeze will fine down within an hour," Captain Hanaford said as
if speaking to himself, "an' then it'll be a case of anchorin', no
matter where we----"
He did not finish the remark, for at that moment it was as if the
earth and sky had come together with one deafening crash; then
followed three or four reports like unto peals of thunder near at
hand, and those of us who chanced to be looking astern, saw the fort
actually leap into the air, while from the mass of earth and stone
came a shower of fragments such as literally obscured the light of the
sun for an instant, after which it fell upon us with a crash that
caused the pungy to rock to and fro like an egg-shell.
While one might have counted fifty I stood dazed, unable to understand
what had happened, and bleeding from a dozen scratches caused by the
fall of fragments which absolutely covered the deck of the pungy to a
depth of two or three inches. Then I understood that the fort had been
blown up, Captain Dyson believing he could not hope, with the small
force under his command, to withstand an assault from the fleet.
As we afterward came to know, his instructions from the War Department
were to the effect that he should destroy the fortification rather
than take the chances of its being captured by the enemy; but what
seemed strange to me then, and does now, was the fact that he had not
fired a single gun in defiance. Surely he might have discharged his
pieces once, in the hope of doing a little damage, before setting a
match to the magazine.
Of all our party in the pungy, not one escaped more or less severe
bruises or scratches, and the wonder is that the vessel was not sent
to the bottom off hand.
However, we were yet afloat, and the river was open for the passage of
the Britishers, therefore it may be understood that we could not
afford to spend many minutes in speculations upon what might or might
not have been done.
Within three minutes from the time of the explosion, Darius and Bill
Jepson were in the small boat making fast to the bow of the pungy, and
when Captain Hanaford shouted to ask what they counted on doing, the
old sailor replied:
"There's a creek half a mile further up stream, an' if you can get
any headway on this apple-bowed lugger, we may be able to hide before
the Britishers come in sight."
It was absolutely certain that we could not hope to escape by sailing,
because any four-oared boat in the British fleet would have overtaken
us in a twinkling, therefore, unless it might be possible to hide, we
were in a bad scrape, from which I saw no relief save at the expense
of abandoning the pungy.
How we worked to push the vessel through the water! Darius and Bill
plied the paddles with every ounce of strength in their bodies, while
we on deck trimmed the sails to a nicety, shifted everything movable
to bring her into better trim for sailing, and even swung the two long
sweeps outboard.
We five lads manned the enormous oars with which the pungy was
provided to help her around, or when she drifted too near inshore, and
I dare venture to say that we did quite as much toward forcing the
craft ahead as the two old shell-backs did by towing.
Fortunately for us, the Britishers did not appear to think it
necessary to move up the river swiftly, knowing full well that all the
towns above were at their mercy whenever they arrived; but the fleet
hove to off the ruins of the fortification while some of the officers
landed to ascertain the amount of damage done. It was this last which
gave us the opportunity of which we stood so sorely in need, otherwise
we were taken prisoners beyond a peradventure.
By dint of pulling and paddling we contrived to get the pungy into the
creek of which Darius had spoken, before the enemy came in sight
again, and then it was a case of hauling her so far inland that she
would be hidden from view by the foliage.
It can well be supposed that we did not waste any time at this last
work; the perspiration was running down our faces in tiny streams when
the craft was finally as far up the narrow water-way as she could be
taken, and then all hands were so exhausted that we threw ourselves on
the deck to regain breath and strength.
All the while that we had been in strenuous flight my father stood at
the helm, thus giving Captain Hanaford the chance to aid us, otherwise
the task would not have been accomplished so quickly.
But even when we were thus snug, unless, perchance, the Britishers
took it into their heads to search the river banks, our work was by no
means done.
It was now necessary that we should know if the enemy went up stream,
and after we had rested no more than five minutes, when a full hour
would have been hardly enough to put me in proper trim again, Darius
said:
"Come, Amos, you an' I will stand the first watch. Bill an' Jerry can
spell us in a couple of hours."
"What do you count on watching?" I asked curtly.
"The Britishers, of course. We'll paddle down to the river, an' lay
there till the fleet goes one way or the other."
It would have been a long watch had we remained on duty until the
entire fleet sailed in one direction; but as to that we were happily
ignorant, and I took my place in the canoe believing the enemy would
sail past our hiding place in a very short time.
We allowed the canoe to drift down the creek until we were come within
a few yards of the river, and then, well hidden by the undergrowth, we
made ourselves as comfortable as possible where we could command a
full view of the channel.
"It doesn't appear to be as easy to get back home as we counted on," I
said, by way of starting a conversation, and Darius replied
confidently:
"This 'ere stop won't put us back very much, though it'll make a power
of extra work, for I count to be slippin' down river within a couple
of hours at the longest."
Then the old man fell silent, and I was not disposed to wag my tongue,
because of looking ahead to the meeting with mother and the children,
which now seemed so near at hand.
We had been on watch an hour or more when the enemy appeared. The
schooner was leading the way slowly, being towed by boats, with the
men taking soundings every fifteen or twenty yards in order to show
the channel to the two frigates close astern, and another hour went by
before the three vessels had passed our hiding-place.
Then we watched eagerly, expecting to see the rocket-ships and
bomb-vessels appear; but they did not heave in sight, although it
seemed to me as if they should have been close behind the larger ships
in order to take advantage of the labor being performed by those on
board the schooner.
When half an hour had passed, and the river, so far as we could see in
either direction, was free from craft of any kind, Darius bestowed a
resounding slap upon his leg as he cried angrily:
"What an old fool I am, to be sure! In two years more, if I keep on
runnin' down hill, I won't be able to tell my own nose from somebody's
else, even when it's pulled."
"What's the matter now?" I asked in surprise.
"What's the matter, lad? Can't you see that only part of the fleet is
goin' up stream? If the other ships counted on leavin' anchorage
they'd been in the wake of the frigates. We're shut in here between
two ends of the British force, an' likely to stay quite a spell."
There could be no question but that he was right, and I sat staring at
him like a stupid, the dreams in which I had been indulging
disappearing like mist before the morning sun. Of a verity mother and
the children were further from me than when we had crouched in the
smoke-house at Washington with General Ross' army close at hand.
"What _can_ we do?" I asked at length.
"That's a question easier asked than answered," the old man replied as
if he had come to an end of his ideas. "While your father is wounded
beyond the power of walkin', we're anchored to the pungy, so to
speak."
"What would you do if he was in good shape?"
"It couldn't be such a terrible tough voyage to strike across the
country from here to Benedict, leavin' the pungy in the creek till the
Britishers get tired of foolin' around in the Potomac; but it's no use
to spend breath on what can't be done. Our crew will hang together,
whatever comes. Let's go an' report; it won't do us any good to stay
here."
We paddled slowly back to our comrades, and when we had told them the
situation of affairs they were in as much of a muddle as had been
Darius and I.
"There's no tellin' how long the frigates will stay 'round
Washington," Captain Hanaford said, and then, as a sudden thought came
to him, he added, "I'm gettin' the best of this scrape, I reckon. If
the pungy was where you lads found her, she'd fare badly when the
bloomin' Englishmen get where they can make mischief."
"I'll stay here and keep ship, while the rest of you walk across lots
to Benedict," my father suggested; but Darius refused to hear any such
proposition, declaring as he had when we were in the canoe, that our
party should hang together to the last.
"So far as bodily harm is concerned, we're safe here till the cows
come home," the old man said thoughtfully, "an' that oughter make us
feel reasonably good, seein's how, one spell, it looked a deal like
bein' killed, or stayin' in a British prison-ship. We're a mighty poor
crowd if we can't manage to lay still a week or two."
It did really seem as if we had reason to be ashamed of grumbling when
matters had been so much worse, and I mentally resolved that I would
make the best of the situation, even though we were forced to remain
in hiding a full month.
My father did his best at cheering us by saying, and with a deal of
reason in his speech, that the enemy would not dare remain shut up in
the river very long, lest the American fleet come to the mouth of the
river and blockade him, or with a superior force, force him to
surrender.
"It's Captain Gordon of the Sea Horse, who is in command," Bill Jepson
said, "an' you can count that he won't be caught nappin'."
"Then we can reckon on bein' free to leave this creek within three or
four days at the outside, and after that it'll be a question of
dodging the Britishers into Chesapeake bay, which shouldn't be a hard
task."
Taking this view of the matter, and knowing we had provisions in
plenty, all hands began to look at affairs in a more cheerful light,
with the result that ours was soon a jolly party, with but one aim,
which was to make the time pass as pleasantly as possible.
During the remainder of that day we talked of all that had occurred
since Commodore Barney left Pig Point, and speculated upon the result
of an attack upon Baltimore.
That night we turned in without standing watch, and next morning came
a light, drizzling rain which forced us to keep under cover unless we
were willing to toddle around on the wet decks, which was not
particularly cheerful amusement.
By three o'clock in the afternoon we had talked until our tongues were
tired, and every topic of conversation was exhausted. Then we fell
silent, with none too pleasing thoughts for company, until Darius
sprang to his feet with an exclamation that aroused us all.
"What bloomin' idjuts we are to think we must needs wait here till the
Britishers come down the river!" he cried excitedly.
"I thought it was settled that we couldn't well do anything else,"
Captain Hanaford said in mild surprise.
"So it was; but the sun was shinin', with every prospect of a fair
night."
I looked at the old sailor in bewilderment. It seemed as if he had
suddenly taken leave of his senses, for there was nothing to be made
of his words.
"What's crawlin' over you, Darius?" Captain Hanaford asked. "Has
anythin' happened suddenly?"
"Yes, an' that's a fact! Here we are lyin' up here in a nasty storm as
if we was bound to stay, when it's only a case of haulin' the pungy
into the channel, an' lettin' her drift past the vessels below the
fort. I'll wager an apple against a doughnut that we'll go by slick as
fallin' down hill, 'cause it'll be darker 'n Sam Hill to-night; there
ain't any moon to break the blackness, an' unless we come plump on to
the enemy, they'll never be any the wiser."
I could see that the older members of the party believed as did
Darius; but to me it seemed like taking needless chances, when by
remaining in hiding a few days we might set sail without hindrance,
for if our pungy was seen, there could be little doubt but that she
would be sunk off hand.
However, it was not for me to start any argument with my elders who
understood such matters far better than did either of us lads, and I
held my peace, expecting that an argument would ensue.
To my great surprise no further word was spoken regarding the plan;
but Captain Hanaford pulled on his oiled-coat as he said curtly:
"It'll be a good two-hours' job to pull the pungy into the stream, an'
won't be handy work after dark."
Darius and Bill made ready to accompany him on deck, and, to my great
surprise, I found that these three, at least, believed the plan of
trying to drift past the British ships in the darkness one which
should be carried into effect.
I looked at my father; but he appeared to think all was as it should
be, and for the moment I was dumfounded at the idea of taking so many
and such great chances simply to save idling a few days.
When the men went on deck we lads followed, as a matter of course; but
never one of us was called upon to perform any part in the labor.
The creek was too narrow to admit of turning the pungy, therefore it
became necessary to tow her out stern first, and this the three men
did quite handily, with Darius and Bill Jepson in the boat, and
Captain Hanaford on deck, to keep the branches of the trees from
fouling with the rigging.
Half an hour before sunset the little vessel was at the mouth of the
water-way where she could be put into the stream with but a small
amount of labor, and Captain Hanaford ordered Jim Freeman and Dody
Wardwell to turn to at getting supper.
While the meal was being prepared the captain and the two old sailors
talked about the probable location of the enemy's ships, and when the
conversation was come to an end I learned that they counted on letting
the pungy take her own course, after rounding the point on which the
fort had been located.
It was to be a piece of blind luck all the way through, and I made up
my mind that if the vessel was afloat after we passed the ships, it
would be a sure case of interposition of that divinity which watches
over fools.
I seemed to be the only one, however, who was borrowing any trouble on
account of the proposed venture, and it can well be fancied that I
held my peace, although I did a power of thinking.
When supper had been eaten, and the last spark of fire in the
cook-stove extinguished lest it should be seen by the enemy, all
hands went on deck.
Of a verity the night was black enough, if that was the only thing
wanted to insure success. Standing at the tiller I could not even make
out the loom of the mainmast, and as for saying whether the pungy was
in the stream or the river, it was impossible.
Darius and Bill Jepson went about their portion of the task, however,
as if it was broad day.
The pungy was pulled out into the current, the old sailors came over
the rail, and we were fully committed to the venture.
I had supposed that some portion of the sails would be spread to give
us steerage-way if nothing more; but in this I was mistaken. A square
of white canvas could be more readily seen in the darkness than the
entire hull of the pungy, which was painted black, therefore we would
go through with only the empty spars to give an alarm, if so be the
enemy caught a glimpse of us.
We had hardly more than started when the rain began to fall heavily,
and Bill Jepson said with a chuckle of satisfaction:
"Everythin' is workin' our way. There ain't a barnacle aboard the
ships that'll stand up an' take all this water when he can keep
himself dry by seekin' the shelter of the rail."
"But suppose we run plump on to them?" I asked in a whisper.
"Then it'll be a case of doin' some tall an' lively hustlin', lad, an'
no man can say what ought'er be done till we're in the scrape."
"Can you make out the shore on either side?" I asked.
"Yes, by stoopin' low so's to sight the sky over the tree-tops, you
can contrive to get an idee of whether we're in the middle of the
stream; but you can't do much more."
"I might stand on my head without being able to tell which was land
and which water."
"I reckon that's true," Bill said with a laugh; "but when you've
knocked around at sea as long as I have, you'll learn to see through
ink, bottle an' all."
"Stop that noise!" Darius whispered harshly. "You're not even to
breathe loud from this out, an' walkin' across the deck will make
trouble with me for the man or lad who does it."
Thus it was that each fellow felt obliged to remain wherever he stood
when the order had been given. We could well understand the reason for
such caution, and were not disposed to go contrary to the command.
I peered into the gloom intently, hoping I might distinguish the
shadows of the trees ashore; but it was impossible, and from that
moment I remained with my eyes shut, as one involuntarily does when
the blackness is intense.
How slowly the time passed! I tried to get some idea of the minutes by
counting up to sixty, allowing that number of seconds had gone by; but
failed in so doing because my anxiety was so great that I did not keep
the reckoning.
It seemed as if an hour had fled, although the current should have
carried us among the fleet in less than half that time, when I was
startled by hearing a voice close by my side, apparently.
"It's a bloomin' nasty night, matey."
"Right you are," was the reply. "It's jest my luck to be muckin'
'round here when the lads from the other ships are havin' high jinks
in one of the Yankee cities."
Then it was that I realized we were within a few yards of a ship, and
by some stroke of good fortune had missed fowling her.
It surely seemed as if they must see us, although I could not make out
even a shadow of her, strain my eyes as I might, and in case we were
discovered, the end would come very rapidly, as I then believed.
From that moment it was as if I did not breathe, so fearful was I of
giving some alarm which would betray our whereabouts.
The pattering of the rain on the water raised no slight noise, and
this was favorable to us. Our tiller had been lashed, so that there
might be no possibility the rudder-head would creak in its socket,
and every rope was brailed to guard against its flapping.
Had ours been the ghost of a ship and those on board a phantom crew,
we could not have glided down stream more silently; but the danger
which had been ever present in my thoughts was that of coming in
collision with one of the ships.
We had already passed the first in safety; but there were three
others, and in fear and trembling I admitted to myself that we could
not hope to slip by them all.