THE FLEET OF BARGES
THE present visit was by no means the first which Little Peter had made
to Barnegat Bay and the vicinity of Tom's River. Before the outbreaking
of the war he had occasionally gone there with Webberly West, the most
noted hunter of deer and wolves in all the region. Great had been the
pride of Little Peter when he had returned home with his first deer,
some four or five years before this time; and, as he lay in his hammock
that night, again and again his thoughts wandered from his present
difficulties to the days when he had tramped through the region with the
venerable hunter Webberly.
The old man had died just before the war began, but many of his quaint
expressions and kindly acts remained in Little Peter's memory. He it was
who had taught him how to dig the pits and cover them over with brush,
and place the tempting pieces of meat as a decoy for the prowling
wolves. Little Peter could never forget the first time success had
crowned his efforts, and he had looked down upon the eyes of the wolf
which had fallen into the pit. He could feel the thrill of that
excitement even now.
And Webberly had taught him also how to catch the great snapping turtles
which abounded in the streams. Sometimes turtles were taken which
weighed fully thirty pounds each. What savage creatures they were! and
yet the old hunter had handled them as if he had known no fear. A
constant war was waged upon these creatures by the settlers for two
reasons, one of which was that they were highly valued as an article of
food. The captive would be thrown into a barrel and for a few days fed
upon the refuse from the tables, to which perhaps at times more
substantial food would be added, and then when the turtles had gained
the proper degree of plumpness, a feast would be made to which friends
and neighbors were not infrequently invited. The eggs of the turtles
also were highly valued; and so plentiful were they in the warm sand
along the shore that a bushel-basket was frequently filled with them
after a brief search. It was true the foxes were as eager as the men to
dig out and devour the turtles' eggs, but the supply appeared to be
almost inexhaustible and there were more than enough for all.
Another reason which prompted the settlers to prey upon the huge turtles
was the fact that their ducks suffered from the savage creatures. A
turtle would seize a duck in his claws and tear and devour the bird in
an incredibly short time. Naturally, the owners of the ducks objected to
the methods of the turtles, and a constant warfare was the result.
Peter had occasionally gone down to Barnegat with Indian John also. The
Indian always seemed to know just where the clams could be found in
greatest abundance, and he knew as well just how they ought to be
cooked. He would dig a hole in the sand and then fill it with wood, to
which he would set fire. Then the clams would be poured into the place
and covered over with seaweed and brush. When a sufficient time had
passed, the brush and seaweed would be raked out, and the cooked clams
were considered as a great luxury. This custom of the Indians was
bequeathed to the whites, and their method of cooking the clams remains
in some portions of the land until this day.
Between the thoughts of his own troubles and his recollections of former
visits to the place in which he then was, not much sleep came to Little
Peter that night. The knowledge that his father had been sent to New
York--for the troubled lad did not think of doubting Benzeor's
words--and the prospect of an attack upon the Washington on the
following morning were both sources of deep anxiety to the sadly
troubled boy. Only four men were on board when the whaleboat had
returned; and while the addition of the ten men she brought, or eleven
if Benzeor was to be included in the list of the Washington's defenders,
materially increased her strength, still, the prospect of a strong
defense was not very bright, and if the truth was known Little Peter was
not the only one on board who passed a sleepless night.
In addition to all this, the lad was sorely troubled as to his own
future movements. With his father a prisoner in New York and the
children quartered for the present at Benzeor's, Little Peter could not
determine what was best for him to do. To go to the city and seek to aid
his father there would be worse than useless now; nor was he able to
provide for his younger brothers and sisters. The problem had not been
solved when at last he fell into a troubled sleep, from which he was
awakened by the sound of men moving about on deck.
Hastily arising, and noting that Benzeor already was astir, he soon made
his way up to his companions. The sun was well up in the eastern sky,
and the men were preparing for such a defense as might be made against
any attempt to retake the boat.
Little Peter found that the most of the men did not believe that any
such attempt would be made; and the suspicion with which they regarded
Benzeor increased the feeling of sympathy which the lad felt for him,
for to him it seemed as if his neighbor had been most unjustly treated,
not only by the powerful Ted, but by the men of the whaleboat as well.
He thought he had abundant cause for believing in Benzeor's honesty, for
had he not received his own little brothers and sisters into his home?
Surely, a man who would do that could not be bad, and his indignation
against his recent companions increased as he noticed their
ill-concealed dislike for his neighbor.
The men all had breakfast on board; and while a constant watch was
maintained, nothing as yet had been seen to arouse their suspicion that
an attack was likely to be made. Even Little Peter was beginning to
think that either Benzeor had been mistaken or that the British had
changed their plans, and that nothing would be done that morning. He was
about to approach the leader and explain to him the necessity for his
own departure, when he was startled by a cry from the watch.
Looking out over the bay, Little Peter could see a number of barges
approaching. Startled by the sight, he counted the boats until he could
distinctly make out eight of them. Doubtless there were eight or ten men
in each boat, and altogether there must be at least seventy in the
approaching party.
The excitement on board the Washington at once became intense. The men
stood together on the deck watching the little fleet on the bay. The
only means by which they could defend themselves were their muskets, and
it was soon discovered that these would not avail much against the
enemy, for with the aid of a glass it was discovered that in the bow of
one of the approaching boats a small cannon had been mounted.
A hurried consultation was held by the men on board, to which neither
Little Peter nor Benzeor was invited; the former because he was
considered too young to be of much account, and the latter because no
one trusted him.
"They'll get this craft now," said Benzeor, approaching the place where
the lad was standing. "Perhaps these fellows will believe me another
time."
There was a tone of exultation in Benzeor's voice that startled Little
Peter, and turning quickly about he said, "You did speak truly, Benzeor.
I wish I were out of this. We stand no chance at all."
"You needn't be alarmed. There won't be any fighting done. You took my
part yesterday, and I'll not see you suffer now. I'll fix you out all
right."
"You'll fix me out? I don't see what you can do. We ought to leave the
ship this minute. I don't see what we're waiting for." Little Peter
spoke anxiously and was at no pains to conceal the alarm he felt.
"I hope they won't run," said Benzeor quietly. His air of confidence was
confusing; but as yet Little Peter was not suspicious of his neighbor.
"They don't act as if they were going to," said the lad quickly, as the
assembly of the men broke up and all began to rush about the deck.
"Come, my lad! come!" said the leader. "Lend a hand here! And you, too,"
he added to Benzeor; "bestir yourself."
Benzeor's face fell, but he was in no position to refuse to obey. Such
defenses as the Washington possessed were rolled together behind the
rail, and it was at once evident that the men were not planning to give
up the ship without a struggle.
The long whaleboat was placed in readiness to receive them, in case
flight became necessary, and then the men waited for the approach of the
attacking party.
The boats came steadily on, keeping well together. Little Peter found
himself sharing in the excitement, but as the outlines of the men became
more distinct his fears increased. What could be done against so many,
for it was now seen that there were more men in the barges than at first
had been estimated. The boats were spread out in a semicircle, but they
were all converging toward the Washington, and plainly would begin the
attack together. There were more of those small cannon also than at
first had been seen; and as the boats came nearer and nearer, it was
discovered that a man was standing near each and ready to fire at the
word of command.
The faces of the men on board the Washington were all pale now, and not
a word had been spoken for several minutes. Each man was intent upon the
movements of the men in the barges, and did not turn away from the sight
before him. Benzeor was the sole exception, and Little Peter could not
understand the meaning of the half exultant smile upon his face. For
himself, he was too badly frightened to speak, and the evident fear
manifested by his companions did not tend to allay his own.
The waters in the mouth of the river spread out almost as smooth as
glass. The rays of the morning sun were reflected from the surface of
the water and made it sparkle like silver. The occasional call of some
seabird or the flight of the low flying gulls were all that broke in
upon the silence, but no one heeded them. It was that slow moving but
steadily approaching fleet of barges that held the attention of all.
Little Peter wondered why the command to shoot was not given, for the
boats were all within range now. His own hands were trembling in his
excitement, but he was eager to act. At one moment he longed to leap
overboard and try to swim to the shore, and then again he would feel as
if he must do something to check the approach of those men in the
barges.
Not a word had yet been spoken, however. The oars of the approaching men
could now be distinctly seen as they rose and fell together. Steadily on
and on came the little fleet, and now could not be more than two hundred
yards away. Why did not the men on board do something? He felt that the
time for action had come, but all were standing silent and motionless,
apparently fascinated by the sight before them. The smile on Benzeor's
face was almost mocking, and Little Peter saw him look from the fleet to
the men on board, almost as if he were exulting in their predicament.
What could it all mean? Why was not something done? Surely the time for
action had come, but still no one spoke.
A hail now came from the approaching fleet, and the man who evidently
was in command stood up in his place. He was still too far away for his
words to be heard, and again the barges, which had halted for a moment,
resumed their approach and with an increased speed.
"Men," suddenly called the leader of those on board the Washington, in a
low voice, "we must get out of this! We're outnumbered seven or eight to
one, and it would be just murder for us to stay here. Man the whaleboat,
and we'll put out for the shore."
The hopelessness of any defense was so apparent that the men instantly
responded and made a rush for the whaleboat, which had been made ready
for just such an emergency. In a moment the men were on board and had
grasped their oars preparatory to starting for the shore, when Little
Peter suddenly noticed that Benzeor was not with them.
"Hold on! Hold on a minute!" he called. "Benzeor isn't here!"
The leader, who had remained on deck to be the last to leave, turned
quickly at the words and discovered Benzeor striving to conceal himself
among the defenses which had been piled together against the rail.
"Here, you!" he shouted. "Come out of that and get aboard! Be quick
about it! I'll wing you if you don't," he added, raising his gun as he
spoke, noticing that his call was not likely to be heeded.
Benzeor quickly responded, and sullenly took his place on board the
whaleboat; but the men were all too intent upon their escape to bestow
much attention upon him.
In a moment the leader leaped on board and gave the order to give way.
The long whaleboat darted swiftly forward as the men began to pull
desperately at their oars. They needed no encouragement now, for, with
their departure from the Washington, their only hope of safety lay in a
quick passage to the shore, which lay about a hundred yards away.
A shout from the men in the barges greeted the appearance of the
whaleboat as it shot out into sight, but the hail was not heeded. One of
the small cannon was discharged, and from one of the barges came a
volley; but only one man was hit, and the whaleboat rapidly increased
its speed.
The shore was near now, and the desperate men were putting forth all
their strength. The barges did not pursue, for the sailors were intent
upon gaining the ship first of all. In a few moments the whaleboat
grounded, and the men leaped out and started quickly for the woods which
grew close to the shore.
Little Peter was in the rear, and as he turned back to see what would be
done by the other party, he was astonished to see Benzeor turn quickly
and start at full speed for the whaleboat again. In a moment he had
leaped on board, and, seizing one of the oars, with a strong push sent
the boat far out upon the river.