Roger Willoughby Part 11

"Oh dear, me tink we go to de bottom," he said. "Wish we had stayed on sh.o.r.e; all my doing too, for if I no say you knew how to manage de ship, Hamet not bring you."

"You acted for the best, Jumbo, and I do not blame you. We must hope to escape this danger and make our escape another time. Remember that we do intend to make our escape, if we can, on board the first vessel the pirate gets alongside. It will be somewhat hazardous, but it is our only chance. You must try and escape also, and I hope that Sam will, though it would be more difficult for him, as he has to fight with the rest of the crew."

Jumbo shook his head; he evidently thought Roger's plan impracticable.

All night long the tempest howled, the ship was tossed to and fro, the blocks and rigging rattled, the sea dashed over her, the voices of the seamen were heard amid the uproar shouting to one another, while occasionally the clanking sound of pumps was added to the noise.

Morning broke dark and gloomy. During the day the wind decreased, and Hamet told Roger to continue his course to the southward. He seemed to fancy that in those northerly regions he was likely to meet with more gales than were pleasant. The following day the weather had moderated greatly, and by degrees the sea went down, and the ship glided on as smoothly as before. A bright look-out was of course kept for strangers; and the _Tiger_ was about the lat.i.tude of the Straits of Gibraltar when a sail was seen to the eastward, which had apparently come out of the Mediterranean. Chase was at once made, for she appeared to be a merchant vessel, and, though of good size, not much larger than the rover. As they got nearer, she showed English colours. Roger and Stephen watched her anxiously, and they called Jumbo.

"Remember what I told you," said Roger. "Follow our movements whatever happens; you are not expected to fight, so probably will not be missed."

"What do you think of her?" asked Roger, who went in search of the old seaman.

"That she is a stout English craft, likely not to give in without tough fighting; but she probably carries not more than thirty men, if so many, and we muster a hundred, so that she has very little chance if we run her alongside."

"But you don't mean to say that you fight your countrymen, Sam?" said Roger.

"Cannot help myself," he answered. "I would rather not; but should have my head whipped off in a moment if I was to show the white feather, or try to hide away."

"Well, I tell you this much, Sam," said Roger. "I don't believe that craft will be taken, although she may have but thirty men on board; but they are thirty honest Englishmen against these hundred cut-throat Moors; and if you can manage to get on board and let them know that you are an Englishman wishing to escape, you will act wisely."

"Cannot do it, Mr Willoughby," said Sam with a sigh. "I should like to be free. The chances are the Englishmen cut me down before I can open my mouth, and the Moors will whip off my head if they see me making the attempt."

"Still you would have done the right thing, and I hope you will risk it," said Roger. He could not venture to say more, as the Moors always cast frowning glances at the Englishmen when they saw them talking together.

Roger went back to Stephen, who was standing aft, watching the stranger.

Suddenly he exclaimed, "She is wonderfully like the _Benbow_ frigate.

Though so long a time has pa.s.sed since we saw her, I remember her well.

I hope she may be, for Captain Benbow is not a man to yield to a pirate.

See, she has no intention of avoiding the fight."

As he spoke, the English ship brailed up her courses and hove-to, preparing for the combat. This seemed somewhat to cool the courage of the Moors, who looked at each other, for they were accustomed to see the merchant vessels they attacked run from them and do their utmost to escape. The English ship remained stationary. The Sallee rover stood on, and as she got nearer, shortened sail to be more under command.

Presently the former filled, not to escape, but to be ready for manoeuvring, and almost the next instant opened fire from ten long guns, run out from her sides, and the Moors began blazing away in return; but their shot fell short, whereas those of the English ship came rattling on board them.

"I say, Roger, there is no use remaining on deck to be a target for our friends," said Stephen. "Let us slip below before we receive damage; we shall judge when the time arrives for us to act, by the noise they will make should the rovers run their opponents on board. I see Jumbo watching us."

Roger unwillingly slipped down and followed Stephen, for he was anxious to see what was taking place. Their cabin was not altogether safe, for a shot might come through the rover's side and reach them; but, at the same time, they could from thence easily spring upon deck. They waited anxiously. Again and again the rover fired, while they heard the shot of the English ship come crashing on board, tearing up the planks, piercing the bulwarks, striking the masts and spars, occasionally knocking over one of the crew on the deck, while shrieks and cries arose as the Moors fell wounded to the deck. None were brought below, as there were no surgeons to attend to them, and they were left to lie as they fell. Hamet was anxious to put an end to this sort of work as soon as possible, and shouted orders to his men to prepare for boarding. The English ship had gained the weather-gauge, so he could not escape. Now, suddenly putting down his helm, he ran her aboard. A loud crash was heard as the two vessels struck together; grappling-irons were thrown aboard, the Moors swarmed into their rigging to drop down on the deck of the vessel they expected to capture.

"Now is our time," cried Roger. "Come along, Stephen! Come along, Jumbo! We must look out not to be stopped by the Moors, and make ourselves known to our friends before they cut us down."

They made for the after part of the ship; it was the only spot whence they could hope to escape. The vessels were surging against each other; now their bows almost meeting one instant, their quarters struck together.

"Now is our time," cried Roger, who had been waiting for the opportunity, and together they all three sprang from the quarter-rail of the _Tiger_ on to that of the English ship, and throwing themselves over it, were the next moment on her deck, where Jumbo narrowly escaped being crushed before those parts of the vessel.

"Look out, lads; we are being boarded aft," they heard a voice shout, and three or four seamen, with gleaming cutla.s.ses, came springing towards them.

"No, no, we are friends; we are Englishmen," shouted Roger and Stephen in chorus. "Save us! save us! We are escaping from the Moors." They could scarcely get the words out in time to prevent the sailors from making mince-meat of them.

"I do believe they are Englishmen," cried one of the men.

"All right," cried one of the seamen. "Lie quiet, or, if you like, you will find some spare cutla.s.ses in the companion-hatch; go and get them and help us."

"There is another Englishman on board who wants to escape," cried Roger, remembering poor Sam. "Try and save him if you can."

"Ay, ay," answered the sailor, who the next instant sprang back to hack and slash away at the Moors, who were endeavouring to gain a footing on board. As yet, fiercely as they were fighting, the Moors had gained no advantage. Some indeed had reached the deck, but it was only to pay the penalty of temerity with their lives, for not one had succeeded in gaining a footing. Roger, looking up, recognised the Captain of the English ship; there was no doubt about it, he was Captain Benbow. With a huge hanger in his hand he was slashing away furiously at the enemy, driving back some, cutting down others. Roger and Stephen made their way to the companion-hatch, where they procured a couple of hangers and joined the brave Captain. They were seen by the rovers, several of whom, uttering expressions of rage, attempted to get at them, and paid the penalty of their daring with their lives, being cut down by the British seamen the moment they reached the deck. The rovers fought with desperation, believing that they could quickly overcome the small crew opposed to them. Fresh gangs, summoned by their Captain, were attempting to leap on board, when suddenly the grapnels gave way. While some were still clinging to the sides of the _Benbow_ frigate, the vessels parted, and the _Tiger_ forged ahead. Ere many seconds were over not a boarder remained alive; some were hurled into the sea, others fell inside the bulwarks on to the deck.

"Now, ply them with the great guns," cried Captain Benbow.

His crew, reloading them and running them out, in spite of the bodies which c.u.mbered the deck, sent such showers of shot on board the rover that she did not again attempt to close, Hamet evidently considering her so tough a customer that he might pay too dear a price for victory, even should he gain at last. He was seen to haul his wind and to stand away on a bow-line, though he continued firing at the English vessel as long as he could bring his guns to bear. The shot, though they did no damage on deck, cut up the rigging and prevented the frigate from following, though Captain Benbow ordered his crew to knot and splice the ropes as rapidly as possible, in the hopes that she might be able to do so. The rover was soon out of range, and as she continued standing away the British crew gave her a l.u.s.ty cheer as a farewell. On and on she stood, making all the sail she could carry. It was soon evident that the _Benbow_ frigate had no chance of overtaking her, though the crew worked away with right good-will at the rigging. Strange as it may appear, not one of the British crew had been killed, although about a third of their number had received wounds more or less severe.

"Now, lads, let us count the bodies of these villainous Moors their friends have left behind," said the Captain. Thirteen were found stretched on the deck, presenting a ghastly appearance, and the crew were about to heave them overboard.

"No, no, lads," cried Captain Benbow; "we must carry some trophy on sh.o.r.e to show our friends at Cadiz what we have done, or they may chance not to believe our report. Bring up a cask of salt."

There were several on board that it was intended to fill with Spanish pork. The Moors' heads, as they were chopped off, were put into the cask with layers of salt between them, when, the whole being packed, and more salt added at the top, the head of the cask was then fastened down.

The crew then set to work with buckets of water to wash down the blood-stained deck. Roger and Stephen had in the meantime, with Jumbo, been standing aft, waiting to make themselves known to the Captain, but he had hitherto been too much engaged to notice them. They now, seeing that he was for a moment disengaged while considering what was next to be done, advanced to him.

"You probably do not recollect us, Captain Benbow, though we are old acquaintances of yours," said Stephen.

"I am the lad you promised to take to sea when you visited Eversden manor-house on the Dorsetshire coast," said Roger.

"Bless my heart alive, I remember the circ.u.mstance perfectly, though you have grown out of my recollection, young gentlemen; but how in the name of wonder did you happen to be aboard the rover, and how did you manage to gain the deck of this ship?" exclaimed the Captain, putting out his hand and shaking theirs warmly. "Very glad to see you, however it happened, and I can congratulate you on making your escape, for it must have been no easy matter."

Stephen and Roger between them briefly explained what had occurred.

They were again welcomed by the Captain. They also mentioned Sam Stokes, and his intention of attempting to escape.

"Poor fellow, I know that he must have lost his life if he tried to do so," said the Captain, but he inquired among his crew whether they had recognised an English face among the rover's crew.

On this two or three came aft and declared that they had observed an old man spring on to their forecastle, that he had warded off several blows aimed at him without attempting to strike in return, and had suddenly disappeared, they supposing that he had gone overboard, although, as they had been compelled to defend the forepart of the vessel from a party of rovers who were attempting to follow him, they had not time to take any special notice.

"Then perchance he is the very man we were inquiring about, and may have succeeded in getting below. Let search be made for him," cried the Captain.

Several of the crew on this leaped below, and one lighting a lantern, they began to search the fore peak. Before long the light from the lantern fell on an English-looking face in one of the bunks.

"Halloo! how did you come here?" exclaimed the seaman with the lantern.

"Don't cut my head off and I will tell you all about it," said the man in the bunk.

"You need have no fear; come out of that and we will hear what you have got to say for yourself," said the seaman; and drawing off the blanket, he exposed to view a seeming Moor, who was quickly dragged out.

"Why, you are the very man we are looking for," exclaimed the sailor.

"Come up, our Captain wants to have a word with you."

And Sam Stokes, willingly obeying, accompanied the men up on deck, where Stephen and Roger and Jumbo welcomed him.

"Glad to see you have escaped, my man," said Captain Benbow, "for if you had been caught you would have had a great chance of losing your head."

"Please you, sir, I do not feel it quite comfortable on my shoulders while I am dressed in this outlandish fashion among Christian men," said Sam; and he whispered to Roger, who was standing near him, "Do not say that I turned Moor, Mr Willoughby, an you love me. I will soon get whitewashed, I hope."

The Captain, taking the hint, ordered a suit of sailor's clothes to be got up, which Sam without delay put on, and then doing up his Moorish dress in a bundle, hove it overboard, exclaiming, "I hope that I may not wear such duds as those again; and now, Captain, just to show that I am turned into a Christian once more, I shall feel greatly obliged if you will give me a gla.s.s of honest liquor. To say the truth, I have not dared to touch a drop since I turned Moor."