I dreamed all night that I was in the hands of the Americans, with a
rope round my neck and about to be run up at the yardarm. I felt the
practical inconvenience of associating with bad company. As soon as I
awoke I went on deck, for Hawk no longer placed any restriction on my
movements. I fully expected to see the brig-of-war in chase of us. I
own I felt somewhat relieved when, on looking round, not a sail of any
description was to be seen, and the schooner was still bowling along
with a brisk breeze on a westerly course.
Towards evening we sighted land, towards which our course was altered.
We ran on, and by marks, which I could not distinguish, steered between
coral banks, till on a sudden I found that we were entering a lagoon,
with trees towering on either side high above our top mast heads. The
wind dropped completely as we got within the passage, and the boats were
sent ahead to tow. Hawk ordered me into one of them, and I saw no
reason to disobey; indeed, I felt that it would be very foolish not to
do my best to please him in matters unconnected with piracy.
The sky was clear overhead, and the stars shone down and were reflected,
as in a mirror, on the otherwise ink-black water of the lagoon. As we
pulled ahead, we appeared to be passing through a narrow canal, with
lofty impenetrable walls on either side, while in the centre rose before
our eyes the phantom-like outline of the schooner, her topmast heads and
rigging alone being seen against the sky above the dark shadows of the
trees. The splash of our oars was the only sound which broke the dead
silence which reigned in this sequestered spot; while the only light,
except from the glittering stars above us, was from the phosphorescent
flashes as the blades entered the water, and the golden drops again fell
into their parent element. On looking on that gloomy surface, it seemed
as improbable that anything so bright should come from it as that sparks
of real fire should be emitted from the hard flint-stone. Mat Hagan, an
Irishman, who pulled the bow oar in my boat, declared that our oars were
throwing up to the sky again the reflection of the stars, which had no
business to be there at all.
We pulled on for about half-an-hour, and then a sort of bay or bight
appearing on one side, we brought the vessel into it, and moored her
stem and stern fast to the trees. There she lay so completely
concealed, that any one passing up the canal could not by any
possibility have seen her, even in broad daylight.
Here we lay for several days, repairing damages and refitting the ship.
Where we were I could not learn from any one on board; but I suspected
that we were in one of the numberless keys among the Bahama or Lucaya
Islands; and I had afterward reason to know that I was right.
Some of the booty taken by the pirates was landed, as, on account of the
marks on the bales and other signs, it was likely to lead to their
detection should they attempt to dispose of it in its present form.
Some of the things were hid away; the others, after undergoing various
operations, were re-shipped with such perfectly different marks, that it
would have been impossible to detect them. Cunning and trickery seemed
to be now the means taken by the pirates to carry on their operations,
instead of the bold, daring way in which, as I had read, their
predecessors formerly plundered the honest trader.
Hawk ordered me to lend a hand in refitting the schooner, so I made
myself as useful as my knowledge would allow. I had begun, to entertain
a hope of escaping when the pirates were off their guard and fancied
that I had become reconciled to my lot. It was against my nature to be
in any way treacherous, and I most certainly would not have injured
Hawk, on account of the kindness with which he had treated me; but, at
the same time, I did not feel that I was acting wrongly in concealing
from him my wish to regain the liberty of which he had deprived me.
One morning, while the yards were still on deck and the sails unbent,
notice was given from our look-out at the mouth of the lagoon that a
sail was in sight, about two miles in the offing.
"What is she?" asked Hawk of the messenger.
"A barque, deeply laden, captain," replied the man, who was an old
pirate. "To my mind she looks as if she would not make a bad prize, if
we could get hold of her; and, as the wind is dropping, and it will be
some time before the sea-breeze sets in, I think there will not be much
difficulty in doing that."
The captain was pleased at his follower's suggestion; indeed, he would
have risked the loss of his authority had he refused to attend to it.
The men were ordered to knock off work, and to get the boats ready,
while, those who were away in the interior of the little island were
recalled to lend their assistance. Every one was instantly all life and
animation: with the prospect of making a prize, even the most sluggish
were aroused.
There were three boats, which were soon launched, and oars, arms, and
provisions were placed in them. To my surprise, Hawk gave the command
of them to Abraham Jones, he himself remaining to take charge of the
schooner. From what I heard, I found that the pirates expected no
difficulty or danger in making the capture.
I, of course, hoped that I should have nothing to do in the matter.
What was my horror, then, when Hawk ordered me into the boats, and my
old enemy--for I cannot call him my friend--Mark Anthony, was told to
keep me company! I do not know whether this was Hawk's wish, or the
desire of the men, who did not like to trust me till I had been guilty
of some piratical act. At first I hesitated about obeying; but I soon
saw, by the angry looks which were cast at me, that I was doing so at
the peril of my life; and at the same instant it struck me, that if I
went, I might by some means or other obtain my liberty.
The boats were one long-boat, which pulled eight oars, and carried in
all sixteen men, and two large swift-rowing gigs. Jones took command of
the long-boat, and I was in one of the gigs. In silence we left the
vessel on our nefarious errand--in silence we pulled down the canal with
steady and slow strokes, for while the wind held there was no hurry.
When we got close to the mouth of the harbour, the boat I was in was
sent out to reconnoitre.
The stranger was apparently beating up along shore, towards which her
head was now pointed, those who directed her movements little aware of
the danger which threatened them. After waiting a short time, during
which she had drawn nearer to us, her sails began to flap against the
masts, and the ripple which had been playing on the water disappeared
altogether. With the last breath of wind she was put about, and
attempted to stand off shore; but she was very soon left in what is
called the "doldrums," namely, without steerage-way.
I had been watching her attentively. I thought from the first I knew
her; and I now felt certain that she was no other than the ship of which
I was in search, the _Mary_. With bitter grief I came to this
conclusion; for I could not but fear that my friends were on board her,
and that Captain Dean and his sweet child would be thrown into the hands
of the pirates. What, too, would they think of me? Would they believe
me innocent when they saw me in such company? A thought came cross my
mind at that instant; I would pretend not to recognise them. At all
risks, I would make the pirates suppose that I joined willingly in this
expedition, and perhaps I might be the means of preserving their lives,
at all events, if not their property. Perhaps, I thought, my steps
might have been led providentially through the various adventures in
which I had engaged for this very purpose. The very idea made my heart
beat quick with a sensation almost of joy. I did not see how it was to
be accomplished; but I felt assured that the Power which had hitherto
guided me would point out the way.
When the officer of the boat I was in saw the barque becalmed, he gave
the signal to our consort, and without further delay we three pulled out
together towards her.
For some time no one on board appeared to have observed us. At last
some one saw us, and two or three glasses were directed towards us; but
we did not seem to have created any alarm or even suspicion among them.
Thus we were enabled to approach without any preparation having been
made to prevent our getting on board. When it was too late, probably
from the eagerness with which they saw us dash alongside, they suspected
that all was not right, and a few of the hands ran to the arm-chest,
while others attempted to slue round one of the two guns the barque
carried, and to point it down at the boats. Before they could do so, we
were scrambling up her sides.
"Oh, oh, Massa Peter, you hurry enough now to turn pirate, when you tink
someting to be got!" shouted Mark Anthony, as he saw my eagerness to be
one of the first on deck.
The cutter boarded on one side, the two gigs on the other--one at the
fore-rigging, the other at the mizzen-chains; so that the crew had to
separate into three divisions to oppose us. The crew thus weakened, the
people from the long-boat gained easily a footing on deck. They drove
the crew aft, who were now attacked in the rear by the party from one of
the gigs. I was in the foremost gig, and we had no one to oppose us.
The only defence made was by the master, his mates, and two of the crew,
who had secured cutlasses. They stood together on the larboard side of
the poop, and boldly refused to yield up the ship, till they knew the
authority of those attacking her.
I saw at a glance that my fears were well founded. There stood my kind
friend, Captain Dean, and, in the centre of the group, his sweet little
daughter, Mary. Oh, how I wished to have the strength of a hundred men,
to drive all the pirates into their boats, and to release my friends!
No sooner had I appeared above the bulwarks than Mary saw me. She
uttered a cry of surprise, for she recognised me at once. It attracted
her father's attention. His cutlass was struck from his grasp by Jones,
the two mates were knocked down, and all further resistance was at an
end.
This easy victory prevented the pirates from being as bloodthirsty as
they might otherwise have proved; but, as a precautionary measure, Jones
ordered both the officers and crew to be bound to the masts and rigging
while the ship was being searched.
I had rushed aft, in the hopes of being of some assistance to Captain
Dean should he have required it--how, I scarcely knew. I thought I
would have interposed my body, should a sword have been raised to strike
him: When I saw him no longer making any defence and uninjured, I
stopped, and was endeavouring to turn away to consider what I should do;
but Mary's eye had followed me, and, as she saw me approaching, she
uttered my name in his ear. On losing his sword, he had thrown himself
on one of the hen-coops placed against the bulwarks, where he lay,
clasping his child in his arms; and even the pirates seemed to respect
him, for no one molested him.
Most of the pirates were engaged in dragging the prisoners to the masts
to bind them. Jones had gone into the cabin. I saw that no one was
observing me. I hurried past my old friends. "Hush," I whispered, in a
voice they could just hear; "I am honest still. Do not recognise me--I
will save you if I can!"
"I knew he was true and good," said Mary, kissing her father, and trying
to turn her eyes from me.
What courage did her words give me! That sweet child's trusting
friendship was a reward for all I had suffered. I resolved to abstain
still from the evil courses to which my companions were endeavouring to
lead me. I gave a glance over the stern, as if I had been looking to
see what had become of the gig which had boarded at that end of the
ship, and I again passed my friends without noticing them. I guessed
that Mark Anthony would have been watching me, and I was right.
"What, you like pirating, Massa Peter! You run about like little dog,
quite frisky--not know what to do," he remarked, with a grin. He was
fond of giving things their proper names. Jones would have been
horrified at being called a pirate; and even Hawk did not like the term,
though in his bitter moments he used it.
"I have no help for it," I answered, with, I hope, excusable duplicity.
"The fact is, Mark, I had formed a wrong opinion of you gentlemen; and
in future I hope to make as bold a robber as the best of you."
"Berry good, berry good, my boy!" said the black, grasping my fist with
his huge rough hand. "Me tell Captain Hawk, Massa Peter now take oath."
I had not thought of that dreadful ceremony when I boasted of being
ready to turn pirate; and, as I had a true idea of the sacredness of an
oath, I knew that I must be betrayed if I was asked to take it, by
refusing, as I must, to do so.
Jones now came out of the cabin, and went up to the captain. "Captain
Dean," he said, "for such, I find, is your name, you must order your
people into the boats, to tow this vessel close in shore, where you must
anchor, to discharge some of your cargo."
"I have no longer command of this vessel," replied the captain; "if the
people choose to obey you, I have no power to prevent them."
"We have the means of making them do what we please, though," exclaimed
Abraham Jones. "Here, you, get your boats into the water, and tow us
ahead." He pointed to several of the Mary's crew, who were released,
and compelled by the pirates to do as he ordered. The pirates'
long-boat also went ahead, to assist in towing; while four men were
stationed at the bows with muskets in their hands, to fire on the boats
should they attempt to escape. The rest who remained, I zealously
assisting them, cleaved and brailed up the sails. When ordered by
Jones, I, without hesitation, seized a musket and pointed it at the
boats.
Captain Dean, still holding Mary in his arms, sat aft, without moving.
He seemed completely stunned with the blow which had fallen on him, for
the cruel robbery would prove his ruin.
It was an arduous operation, towing the vessel in; for a current set
along shore, it seemed, and drifted her to the southward of the entrance
to the lagoon. I have before described the heat of a tropical sun; and
very hot work indeed was this towing. But more particularly
disagreeable was it for the crew of the barque, who could not tell but,
at the end of it, their lives might be sacrificed by their captors;
while the pirates, on the contrary, had the satisfaction of having a
rich booty in store. At last, after five hours' incessant labour, we
got, as near as the depth of water would allow, to the mouth of the
harbour, and the anchor was dropped to the bottom.
Overcome by the heat, the pirates now came out of the boats, and,
rushing below, brought a spirit cask on deck, which they forthwith
broached. I trembled for the consequences. Jones did all he could to
prevent their becoming intoxicated; but they only laughed and jeered at
him, and asked who made him an officer over them.
I ought to have said that, as soon as the barque had anchored, those of
her crew who were in their boats were turned adrift without oars or
masts or sails, or anything to guide them, and allowed to float wherever
the current might carry them. As it happened, there was but little
current there, and consequently they remained but a short distance off,
afraid to attempt either to regain the ship or to reach the shore.
Louder and louder grew the mirth of the pirates, and wilder their looks
and gestures, as the powerful liquor they were swallowing took effect on
their brains. I saw Mary cling closer to her father in fear and
trembling, all the time watching me with furtive glances, lest she
should be observed by her captors. I kept my musket in my hand,
pretending to be watching the boats; and as they were now astern, I came
aft for that purpose. What might have been the result of the prolonged
orgies of the pirates it is impossible to say; but just as two or three
had begun to stagger on their feet, and, with their knives in their
hands, to cast their bloodshot eyes round as if looking for some victim
for their insane fury, a small boat shot out of the harbour and rapidly
approached the ship.
In a few minutes Captain Hawk stood on the deck of the prize, just in
time to prevent one of his men from killing the first mate of the
vessel, who remained all the time bound to the mast. He then turned
fiercely on Jones, and reprimanded him for not having restrained the
people more effectually. With a blow of his fist he knocked down the
three most drunken of his followers, and the rest appeared instantly
sobered. Without a murmur they threw the remainder of the spirits
over-board, and under his directions commenced hoisting out such part of
the cargo as he considered most valuable.
Captain Dean was not molested; nor was any notice taken of the boats
which were drifting in shore, and would, I hoped, reach it, and thus
enable the crews to find means by which to return to the ship, and
perhaps to escape. On a sudden it seemed to strike some of the pirates
that there was no use working while there were people they could compel
to work for them; and to my sorrow two armed boats were instantly sent
off to tow back the two which were drifting away. Resistance was vain,
so the poor fellows were compelled to work in hoisting the cargo out of
their own ship, and afterwards in pulling up the lagoon to the schooner.
When I saw that the pirates allowed the strangers to see their place of
concealment, I trembled for the fate of the latter, and feared greatly
that the result would be their destruction, to prevent their discovering
it to others.
The boats were all away, and six of the pirates, with Captain Hawk and
myself, were the only persons besides the prisoners who remained on
board. Hawk had observed my apparent zeal, I suspect, for he said to
me, "I am glad to see that you are overcoming your foolish scruples,
Peter; and to show the confidence I place in you, I will give you charge
of the old master and his daughter. Take care they do not communicate
with any of the other prisoners or assist, to release them."
My heart leaped within me at the chance thus offered of assisting my
friends; at the same time I considered whether I ought to betray the
confidence placed in me.
"I'll keep an eye on them, sir," I answered evasively, and at the same
time I took my post opposite to them, with my musket in my hand. I
observed that Mary turned her head away from me, lest Hawk should
observe the satisfaction she felt at this arrangement. Hawk afterwards,
with all his followers, went below to make a more minute examination of
the nature of the cargo.
As soon as they had disappeared, I ran up to Mary and her father. I
knelt down; I kissed their hands, and with tears in my eyes assured them
that I had been long looking for them, and was guiltless of willingly
joining the pirates. "I will risk my life to liberate you," I added.
"Be constantly on the watch for whatever may occur. Perhaps to-night
something may favour our projects; perhaps it may be weeks before I find
the means of aiding you."
"I knew you would, I knew you would," exclaimed Mary. "Father, Peter
will help us to escape." Captain Dean, by a strong effort, roused
himself from the state of stupor into which he was near falling. He
took my hand and grasped it tightly.
"Peter," he said, "I will trust you, though appearances are solely
against you. For the sake of humanity--for this sweet child's sake--I
pray that you will not deceive us."
I again assured him that I was true, and that, when I had time, I would
explain how it all had happened; and then, fearful of being seen, I
retired to my post to act sentinel as before.
On Hawk's returning on deck, he ordered Captain Dean and Mary into the
cabin below, and told them that they must remain there till he had
determined what should be done with the ship. My poor friend obeyed
without a murmur, and, taking Mary by the hand, conducted her to his
state-room, into which he entered and closed the door. I heard him say,
while I was still close to it, "Kneel, my child, kneel, and pray to God
to protect us."
The boats had made only two trips to the shore before it was dark, and
still very much of the property the pirates wished to appropriate
remained on board. When they returned for the last time, there were
various discussions as to what should be done with the vessel. Some
were for landing everything of value, and then burning her; others
proposed scuttling her, with her people on board; a few suggested that
they might be allowed to escape in their boats, as there was little
probability of their ever reaching land; while the most humane voted for
allowing the ship to depart when they had taken all they required out of
her.
Most of the pirates returned to the schooner for the night, leaving the
prisoners, with the third mate and a small guard, including me, in
charge of them. Just before he left the vessel, Hawk called me aside.
"I leave you on board of the prize, Peter," he said, "because, though
you are young and untried, yet you have more of humanity about you than
the rest of my followers, and I can place more confidence in you. I
must, however, have you take the oath of our band, to the effect that
you will not desert the ship, betray a comrade, or separate from the
rest till our compact is dissolved by mutual agreement."
I thought, as seriously and as rapidly as I could, whether such an oath
would not only preclude my own escape, but prevent me from assisting my
friends. "It must effectually bind me to the pirates, and probably
cause my death; but if I refuse to take it, I shall lose all chance of
aiding Captain Dean and Mary, so for their sakes I will do as I am
asked." I told Hawk I would no longer refuse to take the oath he
proposed.
"Then swear," he said, repeating it, while a number of the pirates
gathered round.
"I swear," I said, in a voice which must, I thought, betray my emotion.
The pirates cheered and welcomed me as a brother among them. At that
instant a peal of thunder echoed along the rocks of the shore, and vivid
lightning darted from the sky.
I presumptuously thought at the time that the anger of Heaven was thus
shown for the crime I had committed. I trembled violently; and had it
not been dark, my confusion would have been discovered. The pirates
were, however, in a hurry to depart, and, stepping into their boats,
which were again deeply laden, they pulled up the harbour, leaving me
and my companions in charge of the ship and twice as many prisoners as
we ourselves numbered.