The Missing Ship Part 3

While the captain was speaking Owen had gone forward, and was now making his way up the fore-rigging. He quickly reached the mast-head; he had not been there many seconds before the breeze freshening blew away the mist, disclosing to view a large ship under all sail, her hull already rising above the horizon. Unslinging his gla.s.s, he directed it towards her.

"What does she look like?" asked the captain.

"She is flush-decked, and I make out ten ports on a side, sir," answered Owen from aloft. Saying this, he quickly came down on deck, from whence the movements of the stranger, which was standing directly across the course the _Ouzel Galley_ was steering, could be discerned as well as from the mast-head.

"If we hold on as we are now we shall be within range of her guns in less than an hour, and I much fear that she is an enemy, sir," said Owen, as he came up to the captain.

"We'll do our best, then, to keep out of her way," was the answer.

"Port the helm--man the larboard braces--ease off the starboard braces and bowlines! We'll stand away to the sou'-west till we run her out of sight; it will cause us some delay, but it will be better than running the risk of capture."

The two mates and Gerald, with all hands, went to the ropes, while the captain taking the helm, the ship was brought on a wind, the mizen, which had hitherto been furled, being also set, and the _Ouzel Galley_ stood away on a bowline under all sail to the south-east.

"She has the look of a fast craft, and is probably strong-handed,"

observed the second mate.

"We shall soon see which has, notwithstanding, the faster pair of heels--the _Ouzel Galley_ is no sluggard, Mr Carnegan, and we may still hope to run the stranger out of sight. Let her go along, my lad," said the captain to the man at the helm; "she sails best two points off the wind; we'll run on till dark, Owen, and if by that time the stranger isn't to be seen, we'll tack, and may chance to give her the go-by."

"I trust we may, sir," said Owen, in a tone of some doubt; "we have the advantage of being well to windward, though, as Mr Carnegan was observing, if she has a strong crew she can tack in half the time we can, and we couldn't do better than to stand on till nightfall, as you propose, and then try to give her the slip."

The eyes of all on board were naturally turned towards the stranger. As yet, however, it was difficult to say whether or not she was gaining on them. Norah saw that her father and his mates were anxious on the subject, but, being sure that they were acting for the best, restrained her own feelings--yet, as may be supposed, she could not help reflecting what might be her and her father's fate should the stranger prove to be an enemy and capture them. She had often heard of the cruelties to which the prisoners of privateers were exposed, and she was well aware of her father's hatred to the system, although privateering was generally allowed to be honourable and lawful. The stranger, though an enemy, might be a king's ship; and, if so, she might hope to receive courteous treatment from the French officers. Though she had resolved not to ask questions, she listened to her father's and Owen's opinions as to the character of the stranger. At noon, which soon arrived, the captain and his mates came on the p.o.o.p to take an observation in order to ascertain the ship's position. They had before this run some way to the northward of the lat.i.tude of Lisbon.

"Sure, it's enough to provoke a saint," exclaimed Gerald, who was accustomed to express himself somewhat vehemently; "if it hadn't been for that fellow out there we should have been half across the Bay of Biscay by this time or to-morrow. I only hope, if he comes up with us, that we'll be after giving him a good drubbing; it will serve him right if we send him to the bottom."

"What, do you think our father intends to fight the strange ship, should she prove to be an enemy?" asked Norah, with some natural trepidation in her voice.

"I'm sure we're not going to be taken, and lose the ship and our cargo, and be made prisoners and ruined without having a fight for it,"

answered Gerald, "especially as Owen says that he feels pretty sure she is a privateer. Why he thinks so, I can't quite make out, except that her masts rake more than those of most men-of-war and her sails are cut somewhat differently--it is impossible to be certain."

"Grant Heaven that, if there is a fight, our father and you and Owen may be preserved!" murmured Norah.

"They wouldn't fight without a good hope of success--but we must run our chance," said Gerald, laughing; "but, you know, we shall stow you down in the hold among the cargo safe enough."

"Oh no, no! I hope if there is a fight that I may be allowed to remain on deck, or at least in the cabin, where I may be ready to help any who are hurt," exclaimed Norah.

"That would never do," answered Gerald; "you might be hit as well as anybody else, and you wouldn't like to have a leg or an arm shot off."

Poor Norah shuddered at the thoughtless remark of her brother. Gerald observed the expression of her countenance.

"I didn't intend to frighten you," he said; "I hope that none of us will be hurt--only of course there's a risk, and we must save you from being exposed to it. We shall only make a running fight of it, and try to knock away some of the enemy's spars and prevent her from following us.

If she were to come up with us, she is so much bigger than we are, and so much more heavily armed, with probably six times as many hands, that we should have no chance in a broadside fight."

"If we are captured what will happen?" asked Norah.

"I suppose we shall be carried into a French port, and be kept prisoners till the war is over, and you and I must learn to talk French. It won't be so very bad, after all, so you needn't look so grave, Norah,"

answered Gerald.

"It will break our poor father's heart, I fear," answered Norah, "and Owen will be miserable."

"Well, then, though wishing it won't exactly help us, we'll hope to escape, and that none of the dreadful things you expect will happen,"

said Gerald.

Though Gerald made light of the matter, others on board did not do so.

From the first Owen had had little doubt that the ship chasing them was French. The captain differed from him, but agreed that she was probably a privateer. Though her masts raked, so did those of many British ships, especially of those sailing from Jersey and Guernsey, while there was nothing that he could see remarkable about the cut of her sails.

The second mate expressed no opinion. After a time, however, a cloud was seen to gather on his brow.

"I thought you boasted of this craft being remarkably fast," he observed to Owen. "Now, as far as I can judge, that ship yonder is sailing nearly two feet to our one, and will be within hail of us before dark."

"She sails faster than we do, I acknowledge; but you over-estimate her speed," answered Owen. "I still expect that we shall keep well ahead of her till dark, and we may then alter our course and escape."

"I tell you your hopes are vain; yonder ship is as fast a craft as any out of a French port--we haven't a chance of escaping her," replied Mr Carnegan.

"You know her, then?" answered Owen.

"I have seen her more than once--before the war broke out, of course-- and, from her size and the weight of her metal, if we attempt to fight her we shall be sent to the bottom," was the answer.

"The captain intends to try and knock her spars away, and thus to enable us to escape," said Owen.

"She is more likely to send our masts over the side than to suffer any harm our popguns can do her," observed the second mate.

Captain Tracy, who had been watching the stranger for some time, now summoned them both and asked their opinion. They repeated what they had before said. "Owen, we can trust our crew?" he observed.

"Even the sick men would be ready to fight--we can depend on all of them," said Owen.

"Then we'll train two guns aft, and fight them as long as our own masts stand," exclaimed Captain Tracy. "Hoist our ensign, that there may be no mistake--though I own that I have now little doubt of that fellow being a Frenchman. We shall soon see--yes--there, up goes the white flag with the lilies of France; it won't be long before she is within range."

"I think not, sir," observed the second mate, "and if you take my advice you will not attempt to fight--even if we do knock away a spar or two, with her crew of not less than a hundred and twenty men, I'll warrant she'll speedily repair her damages; and as she carries heavy metal, if I mistake not, her first broadside will send us to the bottom."

The captain made no reply. "Gerald," he said, "take your sister down to the hold--Dan Connor and Tim will arrange a secure place for her, and I put her under your charge--remember, you're to remain with her, and not to return on deck till I send for you."

Gerald looked very much disappointed, but he well knew that it would be vain to expostulate. He had fully expected to engage in the fight, or to "take part in the fun," as he called it. Norah had before this gone into the cabin, to which Gerald repaired, and with no very good grace delivered their father's orders. Without a murmur Norah prepared to obey them. The second mate and some of the men were engaged in dragging one of the guns aft. As she came on deck, Norah found her father standing near the companion-hatch. Embracing her, he kissed her brow and said, "Don't be alarmed, my child; we shall manage to escape the Frenchman, I hope, and come off without damage. Go into your nest, now, with Gerald, and I hope before long I shall have a good report to give you."

As she went forwards towards the main hatchway she glanced at Owen; he sprang to her side and without stopping to ask leave a.s.sisted her below.

It was a dreary place which had been prepared for her among sugar-hogsheads, rum casks, and packages of other West India produce.

Dan Connor, who had been till that moment busy in arranging it, appeared with a lantern to light them the latter part of the way. Norah looked with no little dismay at the dark recess in which she and Gerald were to pa.s.s the period of the impending action.

"Shure, Miss Norah, you'll find it more aisy and pleasant than you think for," said Dan, who observed the expression of her countenance, "when the lantern's hung up, as I'll be doing to give you light; and I'd make bold to say that if you'd brought a book to read, or just some work to amuse yourself, you'd be after finding the time pa.s.s pleasantly enough away."

Norah, as may be imagined, felt little disposed to read or work, or to fancy that the time could pa.s.s pleasantly. She almost smiled at the idea. It appeared to her that it would be the most dreadful period of her existence. On entering, however, she found that Dan had arranged a seat with some cushions and a grating to keep her feet off any moisture which might have oozed out of the casks, Dan secured the lantern, as he proposed, to a sugar cask, while Owen pressed Norah's hand.

"Hope for the best, dearest," he whispered. "I'd have given worlds to save you from this; but we can trust to One who rules all things for protection, and we may still escape the threatened danger. A calm may come on before the Frenchman gets up with us, or an English ship of superior force may heave in sight--hope for the best; I must stay no longer. Gerald, you heard the captain's orders--let nothing induce you to quit your sister. I know your spirit, and that you'd rather be on deck; but your duty is to remain below, and by doing your duty, however much against the grain it may be, you'll be showing truer courage than by going where round shot and bullets may be flying round your head like hail."

"You are right, Mr Ma.s.sey, and you may depend on my not quitting Norah, whatever happens;" and Gerald sat himself down on a tub which Dan had placed for him, and resolutely folded his arms as if he felt that in no other way could he keep his post. The next moment Owen sprang upon deck, followed by Dan. Never before had Owen Ma.s.sey been so anxious to avoid a fight--indeed, all on board were, for various reasons, much of the same mind. Captain Tracy was resolved to escape if he could, and to fight only if it would enable him to do so. The hope that a British ship of war might heave in sight had only just occurred to Owen when below with Norah, and as soon as he returned on deck he went up to the mast-head, almost expecting to see another ship standing towards the enemy; but though he swept the whole horizon with his gla.s.s, not a sail appeared in sight, and he had quickly to descend to attend to his duties. The crew, meantime, were bringing up powder and shot from below, and loading the guns. Two of the longest pieces had already been run out astern; they were of bra.s.s, and of small bore, but were able to send a shot as far as most guns in use in those days. The others were smaller pieces, carried for the purpose of defending the ship, should she be attacked by any of the picaroons, at that time the pest of the Caribbean Sea. When Owen again looked out, he saw that the enemy had considerably overhauled them since he went below. Had he before entertained any doubt about the character of the vessel chasing them, it completely vanished, and his experienced eye a.s.sured him that she must be a French privateer. The wind also continued as steady as at first, and with deep regret he was convinced that the stranger was superior to the _Ouzel Galley_ on any point of sailing, whether before the wind, going free, or close-hauled; while her numerous crew would give her every possible advantage in manoeuvring, or repairing damages should any of her spars or rigging be knocked away.

Meantime, poor Norah and her brother remained in their dark cell far down in the hold of the ship, listening anxiously for any sounds which might betoken the commencement of the action. The air was close and redolent of unsavoury odours, and would of itself have been sufficient to weigh down their young hearts; it might be a place of safety, but they would both of them infinitely rather have been on deck and able to see what was going forward. Norah sat with her hands clasped on the couch Dan had arranged for her; while Gerald, soon losing patience, got up, and, as there was no room to pace backwards and forwards, could only give vent to his feelings by an occasional stamp of the foot, as he doubled his fists and struck out at an imaginary Frenchman.

"Oh, I do hope we shall thrash that fellow," he exclaimed, "big as he looks. I am glad our father didn't determine to give in without fighting. It wouldn't have been like him if he had, though the second mate advised him to do so. I should have thought Mr Carnegan was full of pluck, but he appeared to me to show the white feather, and I'm not at all sure how he'll behave--not that it much matters, for I am very certain that Owen will make the men stand to their guns as long as there's a shot in the locker."

"I only hope that we may avoid fighting altogether," said Norah. "Owen thought it possible that an English man-of-war might appear in sight and put the enemy to flight, or that we may keep ahead till nightfall, and then manage to escape."