Ronald Morton, or the Fire Ships Part 21

Mr Calder strode on ahead, Rawson brought up the rear, Ronald pushed on, and ranged up alongside his lieutenant. He had a fancy that if there was danger, it would be there, and he wished to be near him. The road lay chiefly over sand-hills, very heavy walking. Now and then they came to rocks, which still further impeded their progress, but there were bits also of hard ground, over which they pa.s.sed at a run. The wind being from the south, they kept at their backs, while the gentle ripple of the sea on the beach, a.s.sisted still further to guide them.

At last Mr Calder stopped.

"We ought to be up to the harbour by this time," he observed in a low voice. "I see no signs of it."

All the party had now pulled up. As they did so, the sound of voices from no great distance reached their ears. The speakers were to the north of them. It was not likely that they were pursuers. Still, if they pa.s.sed near, they might discover them. The seamen crouched down to the ground. The voices grew louder and louder. They seemed to be coming towards the very spot where the Englishmen were collected.

"Lads, we must master them, whether many or few," whispered Mr Calder.

"Take care none escape."

Morton had been attentively listening to the speakers. "They are fishermen just landed," he said, in a low tone. "They are on their way to their homes. I doubt, from what they say, if they have landed their fish."

"Be ready, lads," said Mr Calder, expecting that the next instant they would be grappling with the Frenchmen. "Each of you seize his man, bring him to the ground, and gag him. Take care none get away."

Suddenly the voices ceased. Morton thought that they had been overheard, but once more the fishermen went on talking; their footsteps were heard, but gradually the strength of the sound decreased, their voices became less and less distinct, till they were altogether lost in the distance. The lieutenant now led the way rapidly onward.

"If we had been a minute sooner we should have been discovered," thought Morton. "All is for the best."

They had now reached the little harbour. Several boats were drawn up, but all at a considerable distance from the water. It would be difficult to launch one of them without making a noise. A small boat was distinguished a short distance from the sh.o.r.e. Ronald offered to swim off to it, and bring it in. His clothes were off in an instant.

"Stay, I may have to cut the cable," he observed, putting his clasp knife between his teeth.

The water was somewhat cold, but he did not heed that. Excitement kept his blood in circulation. He soon reached the boat. His knife came into requisition, and though there were no oars, he found a loose bottom board, and managed to paddle in with it to the beach.

It was still necessary to be very cautious. Lights were seen in some huts not far off, and the inmates might hear them and suspect that something was wrong.

The boat would not hold the entire party, so Mr Calder and Glover, with some of the men, embarked first, to select the craft most likely to suit them.

It was an anxious time for those on sh.o.r.e. The crews might be on board some of the boats, and if one of those was selected, the alarm might be given.

"We shall have to knock some of the fellows on the head if they are, that will be all," observed Rawson, coolly.

The boat, however, returned without any disturbance, and the rest of the seamen got into her, bringing her gunwale almost flush with the water.

Scarcely had they got twenty yards from the sh.o.r.e, when a voice hailed in French, "Yes, you were before us; don't wait--_bon soir_," answered Ronald, promptly, in the same language.

They pulled out as fast as they could, and got on board a a large half-decked boat, with her sails on board, and pulling eight oars.

The question was now, how to get out of the harbour. Rawson in the punt went ahead, to pilot the way, while the anchor was noiselessly weighed.

The oars being got out, the little craft stood after the boat.

The mouth of the harbour was discovered, they were in the open sea. How joyously beats the hearts of all to find themselves free! As they drew off the land, the breeze freshened, the punt was cast adrift, and sail was made; just then there were lights seen on the beach; shouts were heard. There was a grating sound as of a boat being launched. They were about to be pursued, there could be no doubt about that. Still sharp eyes would be required to see them. Impelled by wind and oars the boat stood out to the westward.

The wind was fair, the sea was smooth. Of course in the darkness it was impossible to select the best boat, but they had happily hit upon one which at all events seemed a fine little craft, and they hoped she might prove the fastest. The seamen bent their backs to the oars with right good will; the water hissed and bubbled under the bows.

"The mounseers must be in a precious hurry to catch us, if they do catch us," exclaimed Job Truefitt. "Give way, mates: if we can't keep ahead of a crew of frog-eaters, we desarves to be caught and shut up in the darkest prison in the land, without e'er a quid o' baccy to chaw, or a gla.s.s o' grog to freshen our nip."

The men, however, required no inducement to exert themselves to the utmost.

"Avast pulling!" exclaimed Mr Calder, after they had made good three miles or more from the harbour.

There was no sound of oars. The Frenchmen, it was supposed, had thought the pursuit useless, and had given it up. Still daylight must find them far away from the coast, and spell and spell throughout the night the undaunted seamen laboured at their oars.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

A SAIL IN SIGHT--A GALE COMES ON--REACH THE FRIGATE--RONALD REJOINS THE "THISBE"--MADE LIEUTENANT.

When morning dawned, and hunger reminded the escaped prisoners that it was time for breakfast, they looked about and discovered in the forepeak a supply of water and provisions, and what was of most consequence, a compa.s.s. She was evidently, then, the very craft the Gerardins had intended for their use.

"I hope they won't get into a sc.r.a.pe for what they have done for us,"

observed Ronald. "Though he is an odd fish in some respects, I liked that fellow, Alfonse Gerardin; and from the glimpse I got of his father, I should say he is first-rate."

The health of their friends was therefore drunk in some very fair claret, which was found among the stores, and never has a merrier party floated in an open boat out in the Atlantic.

Two days pa.s.sed, and Mr Calder calculated that they were well into the Chops of the Channel.

Several vessels had been seen, but none had been approached. Mr Calder did not care about this; he hoped to carry the boat into Falmouth or Plymouth harbour in safety.

The evening was drawing on. "A sail on the starboard bow!" was the cry.

She was a ship standing across channel; unless she or they altered their course, she could not help falling in with them. From the look of the vessel it was impossible to say whether she was a friend or an enemy.

"If them there tops'ls weren't cut by an English sail-maker, I'm ready to pa.s.s for a Schiedam drinking big-breeched Dutchman for the rest of my born days," observed Job Truefitt, in a decisive tone, as standing up on the forecastle deck, and holding on by the mast, he shaded his eyes with his hand, and took a severe scrutiny of the stranger.

"Maybe I've handed them more than once and again."

"What do you make her out to be, Truefitt?" asked Mr Calder from aft.

"Why, sir, maybe I'm wrong, and maybe I'm right; but if I'm right, then I take it she's no other than the thirty-two pounder frigate, 'Thetis.'

I served aboard her better nor twelve months, so I don't deserve to have eyes in my head if I shouldn't know her again," answered Job.

"I think that you are very likely to be right, Job, and I'll trust that you are," said Mr Calder. "Take a couple of reefs in the mainsail as you hoist it, lads. The sky gives promise of a blowing night, and we shall do well if we can have a stout ship under our feet."

As the lieutenant was speaking, a heavy squall pa.s.sed over the boat, which, had her sails been set, she would have felt severely. As it was, the spray which it carried drove over her in thick ma.s.ses, as she drifted before it. Dark clouds were breaking up heavily to the southward, while others drove across the sky, their outer edges glowing, like red-hot coals, with the beams of the setting sun. The squall, however, pa.s.sed away, sail was made, and the boat sprang briskly over the rising seas towards the frigate. All were now as anxious to be seen by those on board her, as they were before to escape observation. It was very evident that a storm was brewing, and a pretty heavy one--such a gale as the French fishing-boat they were in could scarcely weather.

Every instant the wind increased, and the seas rose higher and higher.

The frigate, it was very probable, was outward bound, for as the wind got round she trimmed sails and steered to the westward. The boat was now close hauled. If not seen by the frigate, it was scarcely to be hoped that she would cut her off on the other tack. The gloom of evening was coming on also, causing the small sails of the boat to be less discernible.

"They'll not see us," sighed Rawson. "And as to this wretched little craft living out such a night as we are going to have, that's a sheer impossibility."

"The craft has carried us thus far in safety, and may carry us into Penzance or Falmouth harbour, I hope, even if we do miss the frigate,"

observed Morton. "We shouldn't so mistrust Providence, I think."

"You think, you youngster!" said Rawson, contemptuously. "You haven't been tried as I have."

"But Rawson, suppose we are preserved. What will you Bay then?"

"That we have obtained more than we deserve," answered the old mate, as if involuntarily.

"The frigate sees us," shouted Job Truefitt, from forward, making use of a very common nautical figure of speech. "There's port the helm--square away the yards--she'll be down to us in a jiffy."