The Missing Ship Part 29

Mr Twigg of course agreed to this, and, lantern in hand, led the way to a building at a little distance from the house.

"I advise you to have this pulled down at once; but if you are unwilling to do that, you can give directions to one of the young men, who will superintend the work should it become necessary," said the major.

Mr Twigg, having sent for Archie Sandys, told him what might be required, and he, of course, undertook to carry out his orders. Some time went by. The ladies having rested and partly recovered from their fatigue, a.s.sembled in the supper-room, in which a handsome repast was spread. Here they were joined by the gentlemen, who, having worked hard, had good appet.i.tes. No one would have supposed as they were seated round the table that they were apprehensive of the danger threatening them.

"It seems very ridiculous to be taking all this trouble and expending our strength on account of a vague report of which really n.o.body seems to know the origin," observed Lieutenant Belt to Ellen. "The major of course thinks there is something in it; but, for my part, I believe we shall find that we have all been frightened out of our wits for nothing."

"I wish that I could agree with you," answered Ellen. "There have been terrible outbreaks before in this island, and rumours have been for some time going about that the slaves are in a discontented state."

"I had expected, from the way our friends galloped after us this afternoon, that a body of savage rebels were at their heels," said the lieutenant, "and I confess that when we reached the house I fancied that we should have had to stand to our arms, and defend ourselves as best we could. I was very glad to see our hostess and Mr Ferris and the rest of the party arrive safely, and was somewhat surprised when no enemy followed them. We shall find, I suspect, that the foe did not come because no foe is in existence."

Ellen, however, could not agree with the young lieutenant.

Miss Pemberton's anxieties had been somewhat quieted. Mr Twigg a.s.sured her that he had sent a messenger to warn her father, who would of course make preparations to defend his house; she might soon therefore expect an answer saying that they were all safe. The party at length became more cheerful, and Mr Ferris expressed his belief that they might all go to sleep without fear of becoming dead men before the morning.

"Belt and I ought to be on our road at an early hour," remarked Major Malcolm; "but I wish before we go to see your fortifications in a forward state, and I shall then feel it my duty to ride round to Walton to render Mr Pemberton any a.s.sistance he may require."

f.a.n.n.y was on the point of asking him to escort her, but a very natural feeling made her hesitate, and she resolved to remain with her friends.

The conversation had become more lively than at first, and jokes and laughter were even being indulged in, when the sound of horses' hoofs was heard coming along the road from the east at a rapid rate. Mr Twigg hurried to the door, followed by Mr Ferris.

"Who is it?" asked the former.

"Hayward," answered a voice. "Thank Heaven I find you safe! I've had a narrow escape of my life, and I was afraid that you might be placed in equal danger; indeed, had it not been for my faithful fellow Tom Yam here, I should to a certainty have been killed."

"Come up, then, and tell us all about it," exclaimed Mr Twigg, who the next instant was shaking hands with the stranger, while Martin took charge of Tom Yam. Mr Twigg introduced the new arrival. Mr Hayward, sitting down, tossed off a gla.s.s or two of Madeira, for he required some stimulant before he could speak.

"I bring you dreadful news," he said. "I would thankfully not have to alarm you, ladies, but it may be better to know the worst at once. I had come over to Stillwater, having providentially left my family at Kingston, when, as I was resting after my journey, Tom Yam, who had been sent with a message to Fort Maria to ask Captain Torrens, commanding there, to come over and dine with me, rushed into my room panting for breath with the fearful news that the entire garrison and a number of white people from different places a.s.sembled there at dinner had suddenly been surprised by a whole host of blacks. The villains had been lying in ambush near at hand, and rushing upon them without warning, had put nearly every human being of the party to death. Among the few survivors was a black servant of one of the officers, who had given him the information. He himself had got near enough to see the blacks in possession of the fort, some engaged in burning down the buildings, and others carrying off the arms and ammunition. The boy told him that the white men were at the supper-table, and that all had there been butchered without being able to reach their arms or strike a blow for their defence. He hurried back, and as he came along he heard the negroes close at his heels, shouting and shrieking over their victory, and threatening to attack Stillwater House. Scarcely had he uttered the words than the cries of the barbarians reached my ears. Not a moment was to be lost; I hastily threw on my clothes and followed Tom, who entreated me to run for the stable, where we could get our horses and gallop off as the best prospect of saving our lives, for if we attempted to hide ourselves the rebels were nearly sure to find us-- many, indeed, of my own slaves having, as Tom a.s.sured me, joined them.

So close were they by this time that I was afraid they would see us as we made our way to the stable. We reached it just as they broke into the grounds on the opposite side. Some time was lost in saddling the horses; as I led mine out, I saw several black faces peering out of the windows above us. I threw myself on the animal's back, Tom having mounted his horse inside the stable; a shower of bullets, happily ill aimed, came whizzing about our ears--two, indeed, pa.s.sed through my jacket. Away I galloped, followed by Tom; though several more shots were fired at us, we escaped them all. Fortunately, there were no other horses in the stable or we should probably have been followed. As I looked over my shoulder I saw smoke ascending from the roof of the house, and ere I had got much further flames burst out from every part.

At first I proposed pushing for Kingston, but Tom expressed his belief that we should find bands of rebels on the road, and I determined therefore to come on in this direction, and to warn any friends on the way. How our horses have done so much seems surprising, for you may be sure we took but a short time to rest. We pa.s.sed on the way, I should say, several parties of blacks, but as they had no firearms, we dashed by them uninjured, although some made an attempt to stop us."

"Did you say, sir, that all the officers and men were ma.s.sacred at Fort Maria?" asked Major Malcolm, in an agitated tone.

"I have too little doubt about it, sir," answered Mr Hayward. "I can trust Tom's word, and Captain Torrens's servant a.s.sured him that he saw his master and Ensign Duck murdered with the other white gentlemen."

"Only two days ago we dined with him, little thinking what was soon to occur!" said the major, with a sigh. "Poor fellow! poor fellow! how full of life and spirits he seemed! Such may be the fate of any one of us!"

Miss Pemberton looked sad as he spoke.

"You are now convinced, Mr Thompson, that there is something in the report we heard," observed Mr Ferris to the overseer, "and that we were not foolishly alarmed?"

"How soon do you think that the band of rebel blacks can reach Bellevue, should they come in this direction?" asked the major of Mr Hayward.

"They might be here in a day--and my belief is that there are several bands much nearer at hand, and that it would be wise to prepare for an attack without a moment's delay," answered Mr Hayward.

"Preparations have already been commenced," observed the major; "but I would urge our friend here to follow your advice."

"I am glad to hear it," replied Mr Hayward. "From the way the rebels made their attack on the fort, and the rapidity and order with which they retreated, it is evident that they are no contemptible foes, besides which, they have obtained a considerable store of arms. I will remain to a.s.sist you, for my horses could not proceed a mile further; and I should wish indeed, before I go on, to ascertain the state of the country to the westward. I fear from the report Tom gave that the slaves in the whole island are in a state of revolt."

"In that case our only wise course will be to barricade the house and throw up such other fortifications as time will allow," said Major Malcolm. "Mr Twigg, will you give the order to your people to bring in sufficient planking to close up all doors and windows, and we will then form a stockade round the house. Rouse up all the hands you can muster; they must work during the night, by the light of lanterns or torches or fires, if necessary. I will answer for your safety if the work is completed in time."

The worthy planter showed that he was a man of spirit--he immediately issued the necessary orders, and the overseer, now convinced that the report of the insurrection was founded on truth, ably seconded him.

Coats were thrown aside, and the carpenter's tools in the house being collected, each person took such as he could best use, and, as soon as the wood was brought in, began sawing and nailing away with might and main. Others went on with the _chevaux-de-frise_, while a third party dug a trench and began erecting a palisade between it and the house.

Major Malcolm and Lieutenant Belt were everywhere, showing the people how to put up the palisade and lending a hand to the work. Archie Sandys was especially active; the planter and Mr Ferris laboured away with hammer and nails in barricading the windows; while the three troopers who had accompanied the officers, having cast a sufficient store of bullets, came out and gave their valuable a.s.sistance. Major Malcolm was too good a soldier to forget the importance of having timely notice of the approach of a foe, and had directed the overseer to select four trustworthy negroes, who were sent out to do duty as scouts, with orders to make their way back the moment they discovered the enemy.

"Can you entirely trust those fellows?" asked the major, after the men had been despatched.

"As to that, sir, I can't be answerable for their not running away, though I believe that they'll not willingly join the rebels," answered the overseer.

"Then we must not depend implicitly on them," said the major. "I must ask some of the young gentlemen to undertake the duty; Lieutenant Belt and one of my men will accompany them."

Archie Sandys, on hearing this, immediately volunteered, as did two other of the book-keepers. The party made their way for some distance in the direction it was expected that the rebels would appear; and, leaving Archie in a sheltered spot, the lieutenant conducted the others round, posting first one and then the other in positions in which they could command a view of the different approaches, so that on whatever side the enemy might come, time would be given to the garrison to prepare for their reception. All the men who had been collected continued diligently engaged in erecting the fortifications, and were thus employed when daylight returned. The works were by this time in a tolerably forward state, and were of a character well calculated to resist an attack by an undisciplined and ill-armed force, though they would have been useless against artillery or well-trained troops. No one proposed stopping for breakfast, for all saw the importance of getting the works completed before the arrival of the foe. The house standing high, and a good view over the country round being obtained from it, there was no necessity to keep the sentries at their posts during the daytime. The lieutenant accordingly went out to call them in. They had seen nothing of the black scouts--as the overseer had thought probable, they had run away and hidden themselves. They, however, came back during the morning, each one bringing the same account--"All right, ma.s.sa, no enemy come yet."

"You hid yourselves, you rascals," said Mr Twigg.

"Ki Ma.s.sa Twigg, de ossifer tell hide selves," answered one of the scouts.

"But you went to sleep, Quasho, into the bargain, I suspect," observed the planter.

"If ever shut eyes, hear all de same, ma.s.sa," replied Quasho, with perfect coolness.

It was not a time to inflict punishment if it could be avoided, and the negroes were ordered to a.s.sist at the work going forward.

It was past noon before the fortifications were completed. They were in such a form that the enemy attacking any portion would be exposed either to a flanking or a cross fire. The major surveyed them with evident satisfaction.

"Provided our ammunition does not run short, we shall be able to hold out for a siege of any length against such enemies as are likely to attack us," he observed to Mr Twigg; "although, as the rebels have not appeared, I think it possible they may not come at all."

"I trust not, major; but we shall be deeply indebted to you notwithstanding," answered the planter. "Now, after your labours, come in and have some breakfast."

The major willingly accepted the invitation, and found to his satisfaction the ladies ready to receive him. Miss Pemberton gave him a grateful smile, but he thought she still looked anxious. She confessed that she was so on account of her family. Would she wish to send a.s.sistance to them? he asked.

"Indeed, I would," she answered; "for, though our house can be more easily fortified and defended than this can, there are fewer trustworthy people to form its garrison."

"Would you wish me to go, Miss Pemberton?" asked the major. "I would,"

he added, speaking very low, "run every risk for your sake. I, of course, would not offer to quit Bellevue unless I considered that it already possessed a sufficiently strong garrison; indeed, I think it probable that it will not be attacked, or if it is, that the insurgents will very quickly retire when they see the preparations we have made for their reception."

"Oh, it will indeed greatly relieve my mind if a.s.sistance could be carried to Walton!" exclaimed f.a.n.n.y.

"Then I will go, and will leave Belt here with two of our men. Your brother will, I conclude, wish to accompany me," said the major.

"So will I," said Mr Hayward, "with my man Tom. We shall not too greatly weaken the garrison of this place, and we may render essential a.s.sistance to the Pembertons."

Mr Twigg, though he possibly might rather have kept his friends, could not object to this proposal, and Major Malcolm immediately desired that the horses might be got ready. Several white men and mulattoes had come in from two small plantations in the neighbourhood on hearing of the rebellion, knowing that it would be hopeless to attempt the defence of their homes; and three of these, who were well mounted and armed, volunteered to accompany Major Malcolm and Mr Hayward. f.a.n.n.y thanked the major more by her looks than in words, as she bade him farewell.

The party, throwing themselves into their saddles, rode off, setting the heat at defiance. They had been gone scarcely half an hour when Archie Sandys, who was doing duty as sentry, and had posted himself on a height from whence he could command a view of most of the approaches to the house on the and south, came hurrying in with the information that he had seen a large body of blacks moving along from the latter direction.

"They looked exactly like a swarm of ants as they came over the hill,"

he observed. "Hark! you can already hear the shrill notes of their horns."

"Then to arms, my friends!" cried the lieutenant. "We must man our lines, but don't let a shot be fired till I give the order."

All arrangements had previously been made; each gentleman having a certain number of men placed under him, while the two orderlies were to act as the lieutenant's aides-de-camp. To each party was a.s.signed the defence of a certain portion of the lines, so that the moment the order was issued the entire garrison knew where they were to go.