Ronald Morton, or the Fire Ships Part 46

"A sail on the larboard beam!" sung out a man from the mast-head. Soon afterwards the cry was heard that there were three, four, five sail--a whole fleet of ships in sight. The captain went aloft, and so did several of the officers, to examine the strangers with their gla.s.ses.

On their return on deck, they p.r.o.nounced them to be English, but the greater number of the ships were well on the frigate's quarter.

"As soon as we are seen they will give chase, but we must do our utmost to get under the batteries of Aix before they reach us. We have a good excuse for running away."

More sail was set on the frigate. It was a question, however, whether she could reach the shelter which was sought for, in time. Several of the English ships were seen making sail in chase.

Edda Armytage looked out eagerly towards them. She at all events had no wish to remain a prisoner. Some wild hopes, too, rose in her heart as she understood that the pursuing ships were frigates.

"They will not overtake us, young lady," said the captain, who observed the nature of her thoughts. "I would rather, too, that you did not indulge in the wish, for I cannot bear to see you disappointed."

"Thank you for your kindness, but it is but natural that I should wish to be free," she answered, endeavouring to smile.

She fancied, by the countenances of some of the other officers, that they had not the same confidence as the captain. She observed the point for which the French frigate was steering, and it appeared to her that the English ships were just as near. This gave her hopes. Still she was afraid that the French would fight, and that there would be a desperate struggle before they allowed their ship to be captured. She was not aware that the French frigate was to windward of Roch.e.l.le, and that the English were some way to leeward, which gave the advantage to the former. The ships were, however, rapidly approaching each other.

She saw, indeed, that even the captain thought that there might possibly be a fight, for the guns were being cast loose, and powder and shot were brought up on deck.

So much engaged had everybody been in observing the movements of the English fleet on the larboard beam, that no one had been watching the proceedings of the little felucca which had been on the other side. A loud oath from the lips of Don Tacon gave them notice that something was wrong, and looking out over the starboard bulwarks she was seen close hauled under all sail, standing away to the southward. The old man walked up and down the deck, throwing furious glances at her, while he stamped and swore, and tore his hair.

"The rogues, the villains, the scoundrels, to desert me thus!" he exclaimed. "To take advantage of me when they saw that I could not pursue them. Who is one to trust in this world? My curses go with you, you knaves!" he shouted, shaking his fist at the far-distant vessel.

"Ha! it is some satisfaction to know that none of you know anything of navigation, and that you will cast yourselves away to a certainty. May every one of you be food for the fish before many days are over!"

No one pitied the old pirate, and he was allowed to rave on without interference.

The frigate tore through the water--the breeze was freshening. This was all in her favour. Still the British ships were coming up fast; the leading frigate began to fire her bow chasers, but the shot fell short.

She waited for some time. One fortunate shot, and the Frenchman would be her prize. The forts on the island of Oleron could now be seen clearly with the naked eye. The English frigate drew still nearer.

Captain Gerardin judged that she was nearly within gunshot. "Ladies, this quarter-deck is no longer a place for you," he said, addressing Edda and her mother, and the Spanish young lady. "I regret to drive you from it, but I must use the authority of a captain, and order you below."

Mrs Armytage and her daughter saw that he was in earnest, and prepared to obey. A shot which whistled close over the quarter showed the wisdom of his order.

"Oh, but my father--my father! will he not come?" exclaimed the daughter of the marquis in the most bitter anguish.

"Your father will do as he thinks fit, Donna Julia," said the captain.

"I only exert my influence where ladies are concerned. Spain is at present united to England. He cannot be called on to fight."

"And you, Captain Alvarez, you are a Spaniard. Why unite with the enemies of Spain?"

"Spain disinherited me," he answered, turning away. "But, ladies, hasten below, there is no time to be lost."

Another shot came whistling by, and cut short all further conversation.

The captain now ordered a couple of long bra.s.s guns to be run out aft to return the compliment the English were paying him. They were served well, and the nearer the enemy approached, the more effective they became. At length a shot struck the taffrail, and glancing along the bulwarks, sent the splinters flying about the deck. The marquis turned pale.

"It is my duty to go and look after the safety of my daughter," he observed, diving rapidly below.

"I am not a belligerent, and if I am wounded I cannot attend to the spiritual affaire of the dying," said Father Mendez, following his patron.

"It matters little what becomes of me, since all my worldly possessions are on board the craft those scoundrels are carrying off," remarked Don Tacon, as he sulkily walked the deck.

Colonel Armytage kept his post on the deck, eyeing the English ships.

"It would be wiser for you, sir, to go below," said the captain. "We shall be hotly engaged soon, and there is no reason why you should expose your life."

"I have never avoided danger in whatever form it has presented itself,"

answered the colonel, haughtily. "I do not feel disposed to show on the present occasion that I have a faint heart."

"As you like, colonel," said the captain, shrugging his shoulders. "It is an odd fancy some men have for making targets of their heads."

The shots now came with greater rapidity on board the frigate. Her sails had several holes in them, and some of her standing as well as of her running rigging had been cut away. Still, only one of the chasing ships was near enough to fire, but the other two were coming up fast.

The brave captain looked at his foes, and then at the friendly forts.

"We shall soon escape from them," he observed to his lieutenant. "But one of these shots may any moment cut short my career. Should I fall, fight the ship to the last. And, Alfonse, remember--Colonel Armytage and Father Mendez know all."

The French frigate was drawing in closer and closer to the fort.

Suddenly one of the guns from it sent a shot flying past her towards her enemy. Several followed. The French garrison had got the range.

Still, the Englishman did not give up the pursuit. A fortunate shot might enable him to bring the enemy to closer action. At length, however, a shot from the fort carried away his foretop-gallant-mast, another might do still further damage; and as it would have been extreme rashness to continue the pursuit further, he hauled his wind and made the best of his way out of the range of the guns of the forts, while the French frigate came to an anchor safe under their shelter near several line-of-battle ships and frigates.

No sooner had the sails been furled than Captain Tacon came aft, and begged at once to be taken to the admiral.

"I told you that I was coming to give important information," he said coolly. "I prefer giving it to the admiral, who has the power to reward me as I deserve."

The captain had nothing whatever to say against this, and accordingly conducted him on board the flag-ship. The old pirate then gave the information that the English had resolved to attempt the destruction of the French fleet by fire-ships; and, as a proof, exhibited the plan which he had abstracted from Lord Claymore's cabin.

"I will consider the information you have brought me, and judge of the probability of its correctness," answered the admiral. "You shall, according as it is found to be correct, receive your reward. Take him on board again, Captain Gerardin, and see that he does not escape. He will probably be equally ready to inform the British government, if he has the opportunity, of what we are about."

Tacon looked not over well pleased; he well knew that expostulation would be useless.

"The fates are against me, and I am truly an unfortunate and much-to-be-pitied man," he muttered, as he was led away.

Captain Gerardin took him back on board the frigate, and, to prevent the possibility of his escaping, put him into irons. "A hard necessity, friend Tacon," he remarked; "but necessity often compels us to perform unpleasant acts."

"Ah, yes, it is my unfortunate fate! I am truly much to be commiserated," answered the old pirate. "Now there is the marquis, up there, in your cabin. He is a much greater scoundrel than I am, and yet rank and wealth are his lot."

"Oh, we have a bonne-bouche prepared for him, which he may not relish much more than you do those manacles on your legs," remarked the captain, as he left the worthy Tacon to his solitary reflections.

The French admiral, meantime, paid much more attention to the information he had received than he was willing to acknowledge he should do. It corroborated what he had received from other quarters, and he instantly issued orders to prepare for the expected attack. Lord Gambier's squadron had for some time been cruising off the coast, and it was considered a wonder that Captain Gerardin's frigate had got safe into harbour.

Meantime the prisoners, for so they were, though treated more as friends and pa.s.sengers, were detained on board. The preparations for the attack were concluded, and the French were convinced that it could not succeed.

It was now the common subject of conversation; and Edda heard that Lord Claymore was about to take an active part in the operation, and, of course, supposing that Ronald Morton was still with him, she felt sure that he would likewise be engaged, and would be foremost wherever danger was to be encountered. Never had she pa.s.sed a time of suspense so painful. It was shared, however, in a great degree, by her mother and by Donna Julia.

She was becoming much interested in the young Spanish girl, though she could not entirely make out her character. At all events she was warm-hearted and enthusiastic, but though gentle in her manners, she seemed more inclined to resent an injury than to forgive it. Still she was very different to her father, for whom Edda had conceived a great dislike. No one, indeed, liked him. Her father kept studiously aloof from his society, and even Father Mendez rarely or never spoke to him.

Edda's chief annoyance arose from the attentions paid her by Alfonse Gerardin; they had become more frequent, and he was far more confident in his manner than he had ever before been. How to treat him under the present circ.u.mstances she could not tell. The cabin was no sanctuary to her. He entered it at all times with perfect freedom, and evidently with the captain's sanction.

One day, believing that he was on duty on deck, where the rest of the party were a.s.sembled, she remained in the cabin to read. She was seated on a sofa, and had succeeded in fixing her attention on the book, when the door opened, and on looking up she saw Lieutenant Gerardin approaching her. She let her eyes again drop on the page before her, but not a word could she read. He sat down by her side, and before she was aware of it had grasped her hand.

"Hear me, Edda!" he exclaimed with vehemence. "I can exist no longer in the state of uncertainty I have endured for so many years. From the first moment I saw you, I loved you. You know it. My love was sincere, faithful, disinterested. I am not a mere adventurer, as you may suppose. My birth is equal, if not superior, to yours. Rank and wealth will be mine. All I offer to lay at your feet. You doubt my words.

The means of proving my claims have only lately, in the most wonderful way, been placed in the power of my guardian and protector, Pedro Alvarez, whom you know as Pierre Gerardin, the captain of the ship. Let me have the satisfaction of telling you, dear Edda, that I am your cousin, the long-lost son of Donna Hilda Escalante."

Edda looked incredulously in his face, and endeavoured to withdraw her hand; she suspected that he had by some means become acquainted with her family history, and having concocted a story, was practising on her simplicity.

"I tell you the solemn truth. Why do you doubt me," he exclaimed, almost fiercely. "You have surely often heard how a child was carried away by pirates from Lunnasting, and that no tidings had ever been gained of him. I was that child. The chief of the band, Tacon, is a prisoner on board this ship. For the sake of obtaining his liberty, he will be ready to acknowledge his part in the transaction. I was rescued from his power by my father's faithful lieutenant, and my constant friend and guardian, Pedro Alvarez. He had no means of getting to Shetland, nor could he return to Spain. After wandering about in many parts of the world, taking me with him, he repaired to France, then at war with England. He sent to Shetland, and from the answer he received, he believed that my mother was dead. He fancied that, even should he be able to get there, my claims would not be acknowledged, and he determined, therefore, till peace was restored, not to make the attempt.