"In the name of fury, you scoundrel!" exclaimed Colonel Ashburnham,
addressing the captain of the cutter, as soon as they reached the
deck, "what made you strike and reef the sails?"
"Because I couldn't help it," replied the man. "They are to windward
of us, and will be alongside of us in no time. If you come to that,
what made that gentleman stay so long? and who the devil are you who
come to give orders here?"
He added a number of oaths, which are not necessary to be repeated.
But Colonel Ashburnham waved his hand, saying, "Silence, sir! I
thought I was known by everybody who even pretends to serve the king.
I am Colonel Ashburnham, an officer in his service, and I order you,
if there be a chance of getting away, to make sail instantly."
"There is no chance," answered the man.
"No, sir; not now," said a seaman, who stood near; "for nothing is
ready. If we had not reefed the sails indeed----"
"Well, well," said Colonel Ashburnham, "what must be must be. Where
are the Frenchmen?"
"There stands one," said the captain, sullenly, "and the other has
gone down below."
"If you have anything to destroy, sir," said the colonel, addressing
Barecolt in French, "you had better go and do it at once."
"I have nothing on earth, sir," replied Barecolt, "but a score or two
of crowns, a grey doublet, and two shirts--all of which I would sooner
destroy on shore than on the water at any time. I have a grand
objection to that element in every shape and in every quantity, from a
jugful to the Atlantic."
"Your nose vouches for your truth," replied Ashburnham, with a low
bow; for he was a man who, notwithstanding the sterner and more
devoted points of his character, could understand and appreciate a
joke.
"You are right, colonel," replied Barecolt, laying his hand upon his
proboscis. "An honest man never fears to bear a witness of his actions
about with him."
"Had you not better," said Ashburnham, in a lower tone, "go down and
see if you can help your companion?"
"With all my heart," answered Barecolt, "though I think what he is
about he can do without help; but I will go and tell him that the big
black monster there is coming up more like a swallow than a whale, and
that may hasten his proceedings."
Thus saying, he descended into the cabin, but speedily returned,
laughing, and saying in broken English, "He is mortally sea-sick, poor
miserable! I thought he would be so in the boat."
"Ay, it is the motion of the ship lying-to," replied Ashburnham,
aloud; "but on my life, this is a bad affair for me. You two
gentlemen, I dare say, they will let go as strangers, but I am
unfortunately too well known. Here they come, however, and we shall
soon know the worst."
A moment after the headmost ship of the enemy brought-to, and while
the others sailed on after the "Good Hope," a boat was immediately
despatched to take possession of the cutter, and the deck was crowded
in a few minutes with seamen from Hull.
The leader of the party recognised Colonel Ashburnham at once, and
laughed when he saw him, exclaiming, "Ha! ha! we have got something
for our chase, however. Who is there on board besides, colonel?"
"I really cannot tell, sir," answered Colonel Ashburnham, gravely; "I
have just got into this unfortunate vessel from the other ship, and
know nothing of anybody on board but that fellow," and he pointed to
the captain, "who is evidently one of three things."
"What, sir?" exclaimed the captain, looking at him fiercely.
"Fool, coward, or traitor," exclaimed Colonel Ashburnham, calmly.
The man sprang towards him; but the officer of the boat interposed,
exclaiming, "Peace, peace! No quarrelling amongst prisoners. Run down,
run down, some of you, and see who is below. Bring up all the papers,
too, and then put about the ship for Hull."
The men bustled about for a minute or two, executing these orders,
till at length one of them returned up the ladder, carrying some
papers in his hand; and another followed, bearing the portmanteau of
Lord Beverley, and a small leathern pouch or wallet, containing the
worldly goods and chattels of worthy Captain Barecolt. Colonel
Ashburnham's baggage was upon the deck; and with very summary haste
the crew of the parliamentary ship proceeded to examine the contents
of the whole, while Barecolt poured forth a multitude of French
lamentations over what he appeared to think was preliminary to the
plunder of his property.
"There, hold your howling!" cried the officer of the boat. "Nobody is
going to take anything, unless it be the papers."
"I have no papers," cried Barecolt, in broken English, "except that
brown paper round about my crowns; give me the silver, and take the
brown paper if you like."
"There, monsieur! take your crowns, paper, and all," cried the
officer, handing them to him. "We are no robbers in this country. Did
you find any one below?" he continued, addressing the man who brought
the portmanteau.
"Nobody but another poor French lubber, lying upon the floor as sick
as a cat," answered the sailor. "I shook him by the shoulder, and told
him to come up, but I believe he would let me throw him overboard
sooner than budge."
"Ay, let him stay, let him stay!" answered the officer. "I will go
down and see him in a minute. What's in that leather case?"
"Nothing but my clothes, writing materials, and a trifle of money,"
replied Colonel Ashburnham; "and if you wish to examine it, I will beg
you to use the key rather than that marlin-spike, for I don't know
whether the smiths are good in Hull. Here is the key."
While all these operations were going on, the boat's crew had been
busily engaged in navigating the ship towards Hull; and the vessel to
which she had struck, seeing the prize secure, made sail to assist in
the chase of the "Good Hope."
Although the wind was not very favourable, it was sufficiently so to
bring them into the port of Hull just as night was beginning to fall,
and in a few minutes the deck was crowded with officers of the
garrison, and a party of the train-bands of the city--the only force,
indeed, which the parliament had prepared for its defence, the cavalry
which had arrived a short time before having been marched out to other
quarters almost as soon as they entered. Colonel Ashburnham, whose
name was soon noised about, became an object of general attention, and
much lees notice was taken of good Captain Barecolt than that worthy
gentleman imagined he deserved. He consoled himself, however, with the
reflection that the rabble of Hull neither knew him nor the many
wonderful achievements which he had performed, and that it was as well
occasionally to divest one's self of a portion of one's glory, in
order to escape from too close observation.
Lord Beverley passed with as little attention; and an officer who was
sent to state the case to the governor reported, first, that the
famous Colonel Ashburnham was amongst the prisoners, but the other two
were Frenchmen, apparently of no great importance, and one of them so
sick that he could scarcely stand.
"Bring Colonel Ashburnham before me immediately," replied the
governor, "and the Frenchman who is well. He can give us tidings of
himself, and of his companion, too, most likely. Put the other one in
the block-house we strengthened yesterday, till he is well enough to
speak for himself. Let him have whatever is necessary for him, and
mind to keep a sure guard over him."
These orders were immediately obeyed; and while Lord Beverley,
pretending to be still very ill from the effects of his voyage, was
suffered to lie on the cabin-floor till he could be led to a
block-house which had been fortified, near the water-gate of the city,
Colonel Ashburnham and the magnanimous Captain Barecolt were marched
up to the residence of the governor, and speedily introduced to his
presence.
Of Sir John Hotham himself we cannot give a better account, and in all
probability should give a much worse one, than that which has been
furnished by the celebrated historian of the great rebellion:--
"Hotham," says Lord Clarendon, with those remarkable powers of
delineating human character which probably Theophrastus himself
possessed in a very inferior degree, "was by his nature and education
a rough and rude man, of great covetousness, of great pride, and great
ambition, without any bowels of good nature, or the least sense or
touch of generosity. His parts were not quick and sharp, but composed,
and he judged well. He was a man of craft, and more like to deceive
than to be cozened."
Such was the man, according to Lord Clarendon's account, before whom
Colonel Ashburnham was now brought; and there being, as he had said to
the Earl of Beverley, some enmity existing between the family of
Hotham and himself, he might well expect to be treated with very
scanty ceremony and kindness. Nevertheless, to his surprise, he was
received with a good-natured air, and a shake of the hand, Hotham
exclaiming--
"Welcome, colonel! welcome!--though, to say the truth, I wish to
heaven you had not put yourself in the way of our ships, or that the
people had let you go."
"The latter unfortunate case can soon be remedied, Sir John," said
Colonel Ashburnham, "by your doing what they left undone, and letting
me go yourself."
"I fear not, colonel; I fear not," replied Hotham. "We have got some
great rogues here," he added in a lower tone, "who look after me more
sharply than I look after them, otherwise I would let you go at once,
upon my honour, and will do it yet if I can."
"Well, I thank you, Sir John, for the intention, at all events,"
answered Ashburnham; "and it is the more gratifying to me, as I always
had a regard for you, notwithstanding my quarrel with your son, which
you took up so warmly at one time."
"Ah, the knave!" said Hotham; "I have found him out since that time;
and now he has come down here to act as spy and controller against his
own father. But who have you got there? Is he one of your people?"
"Oh, no," answered Ashburnham; "some poor devil of a Frenchman,
seeking service, I believe. I found him and another in that cursed
cutter, when I was fool enough to go aboard. The other has been dead
sick all the way; but I know nothing of them, for we were taken almost
immediately after I got into her;" and he proceeded to explain that he
had been returning to England in the "Good Hope," but judging from
what he heard that the time was not yet quite propitious for his
reappearance, he had sought to make his way back to France or Holland
in the vessel in which he was taken.
"Well, well," said Hotham; "I will lodge you as well as I can, and get
you out of the scrape as soon as I can; but keep out of my son's way,
for he is a vast rogue, and very ill affected to the king. Now, I'll
see what this fellow has to say for himself. Come hither, sir!"
By a rapid and dexterous change of look, Barecolt contrived to make it
appear that he did not at first understand the governor's words, but
comprehended the sign to approach by which they were followed, and,
advancing with a low bow, laid his hand upon his heart, and then stood
upright before Hotham, in what he considered a graceful attitude.
"A tall fellow," said Hotham, turning to Colonel Ashburnham. "Pray,
who may you be, sir?"
"I be von Capitaine Jersval," replied Barecolt, with a low bow; "von
French gentleman who seek to distinguish herself by serving anybody."
"A laudable and elastic ambition," said Ashburnham, turning away.
"By serving anybody?" said Hotham; "pray, Captain Jersval, whom would
you like to serve best?"
"It be to me von matter of de grandest indifference," replied
Barecolt, "so dat de pay and de glory be de same on both sides."
"That's as it may be," answered Hotham; "but the truth is, I want some
good, serviceable officers to help in strengthening the
fortifications."
"I am de man dat can do it," was Barecolt's reply. "I have strengthen
many fortification in my time, amongst de rest Rochelle. But I must
know, monsieur, if dat de pay and de glory be equal; for I came here
to offer service to de king, and not finding her majesty where I
tought, and my money going very fast in dis sacre dear land of
England, where de vine and de meat is all sold at de weight of gold,
and vat you call d--n tough too, I tink to go back again, when your
black sheep catch me, and bring me here, pardieu!"
Ashburnham could not stand it any longer, but turned to a window and
laughed outright. Hotham, however, continued gravely to interrogate
Captain Barecolt in regard to the plans and purposes which brought him
to England; and having satisfied himself completely that he was one of
those adventurous soldiers of whom great numbers were at that time
wandering about Europe, taking service wherever they could find it, he
determined to put his skill to the test before he tried his honesty.
Sending for pen, ink, and paper, together with compasses and a ruler,
he directed Captain Barecolt to draw him out a plan of any little
fortification he thought fit; but Barecolt, who, to tell the truth,
had not altogether misused his advantages, and might have become
almost as great a man as he fancied himself, if it had not been for
his swaggering, drinking, drabbing, and lying propensities, instantly
exclaimed--
"Ah! ça vous verrez--you must see in von meenute;" and taking the
compasses dexterously in hand, he portioned off curtains, and
bastions, and half-moons, and horn-works, and redoubts, and glacis,
and ditches, and salient angles, and every sort of defence that could
be applied to the protection of a town, with a rapidity that somewhat
astounded the slow comprehension of Hotham who soon became convinced
that he had got one of the first engineers in Europe within the walls
of Hull. His exclamation of surprise called Ashburnham to the table,
who, looking over his shoulder, and very willing to do Barecolt a good
turn, exclaimed--
"Upon my soul, the Frenchman seems to understand what he's about!"
"Monsieur, you do flatter me," replied Barecolt, with another low bow.
"I be von poor insignificant man, who have certainly been employed in
de great enterprise, and have pick up some leetle vat you call
spattering of de science, but I cannot be compared to many man."
Hotham, however, was completely taken in; and although he puzzled his
head in vain to recal the name of Captain Jersval amongst the great
men of Europe, yet he thought that, at the least, it was worth his
while to engage him in strengthening the defences of Hull, and
withholding him from the service of the king, till such time as the
parliament should determine whether they would take him regularly into
their employment or not.
I must not be understood, however, to imply that Hotham was in any
degree sincerely attached to the parliamentary party, or wished, or
even expected, that it would be ultimately successful against
the king. But in all troublous times there are a multitude of
waverers--some from weakness, some from ambition--hanging on the
outskirts of a party, lending it inefficient help, and generally
falling in the end, as he did, by their own indecision. Those who are
moved by ambition, like Hotham, ordinarily hope to wring from the
party to which they wish success, that advancement which they could
not otherwise obtain, by giving some countenance to the enemy, and not
unfrequently meet with the just reward of such conduct by being
neglected or punished, when those whom they have aided against their
conscience, for their own purposes, have obtained, a preponderance by
the support of themselves and others like them. Hotham, however,
wishing to make himself of importance, and sell his services dear to
the king, was very much inclined to gather round him men that might
make him formidable; and consequently, after some little deliberation,
he turned to Barecolt, saying--
"Well, Captain Jersval, I think I can get you good service, if you
like; but before I can say anything positive, I must apply to the
higher powers. In the mean time, however, if you like it, I will
employ you upon the fortifications here, at fifteen shillings a day."
"And my victual?" said Barecolt.
"Well," replied Hotham, "I can't exactly give you a place at my own
table, but you shall have a billet upon any victualler in the town you
like, and an order for your supply, chargeable upon the government."
Barecolt again bowed low, saying--
"Monsieur, I am your most devoted. You vill inspect de vork every day,
and vat you say shall not bind you, unless you like vat be done. I am
quite sure of de great success. Den, if de higher power say, ye vill
not have Captain Jeraval, goot; you can pull off your hat and say, Mon
capitaine, goot morning; and I shall be free to go vere I like. Dat is
but all fair, I tink."
"Quite--quite," answered Hotham, "and so we will leave it, captain. I
will go into the ante-room for a moment, to direct the order to be
made out, and to-morrow morning, if you will be with me by six, we
will walk round the ramparts."
"Sir, you treat me very polished," answered Barecolt, with another
profound bow; and Hotham retired for an instant into the next room.
Ashburnham immediately advanced a step towards Barecolt, fixing his
eyes keenly upon him.
"And pray, sir," he demanded, "do you really intend to go over to the
parliament, after having, as I understand, served his majesty?"
"I have taken the king's money, colonel," answered Barecolt; "but
every one has a right to get out of a scrape as he can."
"I think I understand you," answered Ashburnham; "and if so, God speed
you: if not, one day you will repent it."
"There are laws amongst soldiers, colonel," answered Barecolt, "which
are never violated by men of honour; but there is no law against
cozening a captor. It be quite true," he continued, at once resuming
his jargon on the reappearance of Hotham at the door, "I know noting
about de parties here; it make no difference to me vich be right and
vich be wrong: all I know is, dat party pay me be right, and very
right too, as dey vill find ven dey see vat I vill do."
The conference did not last much longer: Hotham gave the billet and
the order to Barecolt, and then placed him in the hands of a captain
of the train-bands, to guide him about the town, as he said, and to
see that he had everything he needed, but as much to keep a certain
degree of watchfulness over his proceedings as anything else, and this
being done, he let him go. Colonel Ashburnham was placed under
stricter guard, but yet treated courteously and well; and orders were
given to let the governor know as soon as the other Frenchman should
be sufficiently recovered to be brought before him.