As We Sweep Through The Deep Part 10

"Stay, Tom, stay. I care nothing for earldoms, and if I win enough to live on I'll be content. One thing I do mean to win for Flora's sake--honour and glory."

"Keep your mind easy about Flora," laughed Tom. "I'm going to win all the honour and glory she is likely to want."

"I'd quite forgotten, Tom--brother."

"That's better. And, Jack, I know you'll get more ambitious as we go on.

Now mind you, you're not so badly off. That wound was a lucky hit. Just look around and beneath you. Ever see a finer frigate? Look at her build, her spars, her rigging, everything taut and trim and ship-shape--the very ship seems proud of herself, considering the independent way she goes swinging over the waves on the wings of this delightful breeze; swinging over the waves, bobbing and bowing to them as if they were mere pa.s.sing acquaintances, and she proud mistress of the seas. Then, Jack, let me recall your attention to the fact that we have five-and-forty bonnie black guns and three hundred and twenty bold blue-jackets to man and to fight them; and that _you_--you lucky dog--are monarch of all you survey. Ah, brother mine, there is many a sailor mo'sieur afloat on the seas at this moment 'twixt here and America who well might tremble did he but know the fate that is in store for him when the _Tonneraire_ crosses his hawse."

"You bloodthirsty man!"

"No, no, no. I've got one of the softest hearts ever turned out of dock, but it is all for king and country, you know. Behold how our good ship goes sweeping through the deep! Look, my captain bold, we are coming up to the convoy hand-over-hand. It was a good idea giving them half a day's start, for some of them, I daresay, we'll find are lazy lubbers."

"Well," said Jack, as we shall still call him, "we must do our best to keep them together. I would not like, however, for my own part, to go out in protection of many convoys."

"Nor will we; this is only a kind of trial trip. But if you are afraid you won't have any fighting to do, you may be agreeably disappointed, as the Irishman said."

Jack Mackenzie laughed.

"What a fire-eater you are, Tom! I wasn't thinking of fighting. But if I have to fight, I'd rather these merchantmen were a hundred miles away.

Fighting in convoy must make one feel as does the father of a family, whom he has to defend against an aggressor while the children cling tightly to his legs."

From the above conversation it will be gathered that the _Tonneraire_ had sailed at last, and was in charge of a merchant fleet bound for America. This was considered a very responsible task in these warlike days, when the cruisers of the enemy were here, there, and everywhere in our ocean highways, watching a chance to seize our unprotected ships.

The _Tonneraire_ had been chosen for her strength and her fleetness, and there was no doubt that under so able a young and dashing commander she would fulfil her mission, and make it warm for any Frenchman who sought to attack the ships.

There they were now sailing as closely together as possible, because night would soon fall, and they could only be distinguished by their lights. A cruise of this sort was seldom, if ever, free from adventure, and it entailed much anxious care and forethought on the part of the captain of the war-vessel convoying them. A good thing this for Jack Mackenzie. No cure for sorrow in this world except honest work. He was really, too, in a manner of speaking, a probationer. To do his duty strictly, wisely, and well on this voyage would certainly ent.i.tle him to no step, not even perhaps to praise; but to neglect it, or even to be unfortunate, would cause him to incur the displeasure of the Admiralty and hinder his advancement.

But a whole week went on, and though no Frenchman appeared on the scene, Jack and his fleet had encountered a gale of wind that had driven them considerably out of their course; and when one morning, about eight bells, a cry of "Land" was raised, he knew he must be in the neighbourhood of the Azores or Western Islands.

He was not altogether sorry for this; it would give him a chance of taking in fresh water and of adding to the store of fresh provisions now almost exhausted. For ships in those days were vilely found, and the men called contractors were held in general detestation by every ship in the service.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_Sailing across the moon's bright wake was a French man-o'-war._" Page 93.]

The merchantmen under Jack numbered fourteen in all, and were of different cla.s.ses--brigs, barques, and full-rigged ships; but long before sundown they were all securely anch.o.r.ed in front of San Miguel, and Captain Mackenzie, in full uniform, accompanied by Commander Fairlie, had gone on sh.o.r.e to pay his respects to the Portuguese governor.

San Miguel was not so densely populated as it is now, but very quaint as to its town, and very romantic and beautiful as to its scenery all around. The governor dwelt in a villa on a garden-terraced hill in the outskirts. He was very pleased to see the officers, but deferred business till next day.

It was, however, while smoking in the veranda after dinner, and gazing dreamily away across the moonlit ocean, that Jack suddenly sprang up, and, clutching Tom's arm, pointed seawards.

Slowly sailing across the moon's bright wake was a French man-o'-war.

CHAPTER XI.

THE PHANTOM FRENCHMAN.

"If to engage we get the word, To quarters we'll repair, While splintered masts go by the board, And shots sing through the air."

DIBDIN.

Beautiful island of San Miguel! on whose sh.o.r.es, wherever they slope in sheets of sand towards the sea, the white waves play and sing; whose gigantic rocks, frowning black and beetling above the water, are fondly licked by mother ocean's tongue as dog salutes a master's hand.

Island, surrounded by seas that towards the far horizon seem unfathomably blue, yet near around are patched in the sunshine with opal, with green, and with azure, and tremble like mercury under the moon and the starlight.

Island of fountain-springs, that shoot their white and boiling spray farther skywards than ever spouted Nor'land whale.

Island of mountains, high and wild, whose summits seek to withdraw from earth away, and hide their proud heads above the clouds, when storms rage far beneath.

Island of green and lonesome glens, where bright-winged birds chant low their love-songs to their listening mates, and where many a strange, fantastic fern nods weeping o'er the hurrying streams.

Island of scented orange-groves, of waving palms, of dark dwarf pines--black shapes in many a cloud of green--of the rose, the camellia, the oleander, the pa.s.sion-flower. Island of wild flowers, that grow and wanton everywhere, that have their home in the woods, that carpet the earth with colour, that clothe the rocks, that hang head downwards in ma.s.ses over many a foaming cataract, that climb the trees and repose like living, sentient beings among the branches, wooing the bees, attracting the b.u.t.terflies, and tempting the gay, metallic-tinted moths to expand their cloaks in the sunshine, and fly clumsily to their embrace.

Island of seeming contentment, where even human beings live but to idle and to lounge and to love.

Beautiful, beautiful island!

Yes; but an island on which our heroes must not linger, for twice during the night a dark shape glided across the moon's bright wake, and those on watch on board the _Tonneraire_ knew it was the waiting, watching foe. But when day broke no foe was to be seen. Captain Mackenzie stayed therefore only long enough to take in extra stores, water, and fruit, and to permit his fleet to do likewise; then the signal was made, "Up anchor, and to sea!"

In silence the anchors were weighed on board the man-o'-war; but accompanied on the merchant-vessels by the never-failing song, with its frequent abrupt conclusion, without which merchantman Jack finds it impossible to carry on a bit of duty.

"Hee--hoy--ee! Hee hoy! Pull, and she comes! Hoy--ee--ee! Hoip!"

All that day the young captain of the _Tonneraire_ kept his fleet well together. Not an easy task, for although the wind was by no means high, and was moreover favourable, being north-east by east--the course steered about north-west, the convoy bearing up for Halifax and the Gulf of St. Lawrence--still the sailing powers of the vessels varied considerably. The strength of an iron chain equals the strength of its weakest link, and the speed of a fleet of merchantmen is measured by that of its slowest sailer. While at San Miguel, Jack had tried to impress this upon the minds of his various skippers. He held a meeting of these on board a large full-rigged ship, and told them their motto must be, "Keep together," as the danger of an attack was imminent. Slow sailers must carry stun'-sails when they found themselves getting behind, while the fast must take in sail.

They admitted this.

"It is as plain as the nose on my face," said one intelligent skipper, who had a huge red bulbous proboscis you could have almost seen in the dark. "We've got to play up to you, Captain Mackenzie, just as the small fry plays up to a great hactor on the stage."

This was all very well, but then they did not do it, so that the rate of speed was slow; ships and barques having to haul their fore or main yards aback at times to wait for the lazy brigs who either couldn't or wouldn't set stun'-sails. And at eventide, while the sun was going in a lacework of golden cloud, and looking so red that he appeared to be ashamed of the fleet, the vessels were scattered all over three square miles, and Jack Mackenzie, not now in the best of tempers, had to collect them as a collie pens his sheep.

It was dark enough after the somewhat brief twilight had given place to light--to light and to _lights_, for signal-lanterns hung aloft on every ship; so all appeared safe and snug enough.

But what had become of the Frenchman? He had not been seen all day. Was it indeed but a phantom that had been seen in the moon's bright wake?

A good watch was kept both 'low and aloft; and Jack went down to dinner at the sound of the bugle.

As he pa.s.sed near the midshipmen's berth, quite a buzz of happy voices issued therefrom. Jack paused for a few seconds to listen. It was not so very long since he himself had been a middy. No responsibility had he then, any more than rested on any of these bright young hearts at that moment. How they laughed and chaffed and talked, to be sure!

Interspersed in the hubbub were now and then s.n.a.t.c.hes of merry song, and now and then the notes of a somewhat squeaky and asthmatical violin, invariably followed by some one shouting, "Stop that awful fiddle!" "Hit 'im in the eye with a bit o' biscuit!" or "Grease his bow!" Then a deeper ba.s.s voice, evidently Scotch, and just as evidently a junior surgeon's, saying, "Let the laddie practise.--Fiddle away, my boy; I'll thrash all hands if they meddle with ye."

Jack went away laughing to himself. Little those boys--who not long since left home and Merrie England--know or care that ere another hour, perhaps, the decks of the _Tonneraire_ may be slippery with blood.

Ah! all the care was his--was the post-captain's. Uneasy lies the head that--hallo! He had just entered the ward-room, and found all the fellows there quite as happy as the middies. They were at dessert, for they dined earlier than their captain. M'Hearty was seated at the head of the table, and was spinning a short but funny yarn, to which his messmates' laugh was ready chorus. Tom was vice-president; the lieutenants, the purser, and officers of the marines were ranged along the tables, red jackets and blue, forming a pretty contrast; the table was laden with fruit and flowers from the island they had that morning left, while gla.s.ses and cruets sparkled on a tablecloth white as snow.

Jack took all this in at a glance as he entered with a preliminary tap, which was not heard in the delicious hubbub. He almost sighed to think that he had to go away and dine all by himself alone.