The Missing Ship Part 43

"Who are you?" shouted a man who just then appeared on the p.o.o.p of the merchant vessel. "Keep off, or we shall fire at you."

"We are British--the officers and men lately belonging to his Majesty's sloop of war _Champion_," answered Mr Foley. "If you are English we are your friends, and we intend to come on board."

"You may be, or you may be buccaneering rascals, and we don't intend to trust you; so stand off, or we shall fire and sink all your boats,"

shouted the man who had before spoken.

"I repeat that we are British, and you fire at your own risk," answered Mr Tarwig.

"There is no doubt that the pirates have possession of the vessel,"

observed Mr Foley to Gerald.

The first lieutenant seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion.

"Pull ahead, lads!" he cried out; and the men again gave way, the pinnace dashing up on the quarter, and the other two boats on either side.

As they approached the stranger opened her broadsides, and firelocks and swivels were discharged at them; but they were already so close that the shot flew over their heads, and the next instant the British seamen were scrambling up the sides of the stranger, in spite of the opposition offered them from pikes, firelocks, and pistols. As they threw themselves over the bulwarks, they encountered a savage-looking crew, of whose character there could be no doubt; but, savage as they appeared, the cutla.s.ses of the hardy tars quickly played havoc among them. Some were cut down; others fled to the waist, and leaped below; and several, in desperation, threw themselves overboard. Within a minute the greater part of the deck was in possession of the _Champion's_ crew, a small number of pirates alone standing at bay around the mainmast.

"We ask for quarter, and if you give it we will lay down our arms and save further bloodshed," exclaimed one of the party, who appeared to be an officer.

"We give you the quarter you ask, and your lives will be safe till you are brought to a fair trial," answered Mr Tarwig, "but I will not promise you any other terms."

The man consulted with his companions. It was evident that all further resistance would be hopeless, as already the _Champion's_ people were in possession of the forecastle and aftermost guns, and could in an instant turn them on the pirates, whom they, besides, considerably outnumbered.

"We trust to your honour and give in, sir," said the former speaker.

"I repeat what I have before said--your lives shall be spared," answered Mr Tarwig.

On which the pirates threw their arms on the deck. They were forthwith pinioned by the victors, and those who had escaped below were brought up and treated in the same manner.

Gerald had remarked the countenance of the man who acted as spokesman for the pirates, and was much struck by it. Could he be O'Harrall? The man, though he had at first stood forward, now tried to conceal himself among his companions. Gerald, on getting closer to him, felt sure that, if not O'Harrall, he was the very man whom he had before mistaken for him, who had been pressed on board the _Champion_ and afterwards made his escape from her. This, if he was right, would account for his wish to conceal himself as much as possible from the _Champion's_ officers and people, who could scarcely fail, however, to recognise him.

Gerald's attention and that of most of the party was, however, taken up with other matters. The appearance of the ship showed that she had been engaged in a hard-fought action. Her masts and rigging were considerably cut about, though none of her spars appeared to be severely damaged. Her bulwarks in two or three places were knocked in, and there were several shot-holes in her sides, which had been hastily plugged.

Splashes of blood here and there on the deck showed that several of the hapless crew had been killed or wounded while defending their ship. The pirates had already obliterated the name on her stern. Why they had done this it was difficult to say, except perhaps, for prudence' sake, it was their custom immediately on capturing a vessel.

While the first lieutenant and the master were superintending the operation of securing the prisoners, Gerald accompanied Mr Foley into the cabin. At the first glance they saw that it had been lately occupied by pa.s.sengers. In the side berth were hanging up two or three articles of female gear. A book lay open on the table.

In another cabin were a pair of men's shoes; and in a third, evidently that of the master of the ship, were several other articles. Gerald hurried into the latter, for his eye had fallen on a chart hanging against the bulkhead, the appearance of which struck him. The outside was marked in large letters, "Caribbean Sea." He had himself written them. With trembling hand he took it down. Yes! it was a chart belonging to his father. He hurriedly glanced at other articles, several of which he recognised. On a locker was a log-book. He opened it; all doubt was at an end. It was headed "Log of the _Research_, Captain Gerald Tracy." He hurried over the latter pages. There he saw that the ship had met with a long course of bad weather when no observations could be taken. The last entry was--"A strange sail in sight standing towards us. Lat.i.tude 23 degrees north, longitude 73 degrees 15 minutes west." Leaving the berth with bloodless lips and pale cheek, he turned to the first page of the book on the table. On it was written--"Norah Tracy."

Mr Foley was startled by the cry of grief and alarm which escaped from Gerald. Unable to speak, Gerald could merely point at the page. Mr Foley in an instant understood it all. Several articles belonging to Norah remained in the cabin. In the other were some books, and several things marked with the name of Dennis...o...b..ien.

"Then Captain O'Brien must also have been on board," said Mr Foley.

"He was my father's greatest friend; but oh, Mr Foley, what can have become of them? Can they have all been killed by those villainous pirates?" cried Gerald.

"I trust not," answered Norman Foley, though his heart misgave him as he spoke. "Bad as they are, they could not have been barbarous enough to put to death a young girl and two old men like your father and Captain O'Brien; beside which, I doubt whether the pirates would have yielded so quickly if they had been guilty of such a crime. I think we shall find that they were taken on board the pirate vessel, which stood on for their stronghold, leaving the prize to follow as soon as she had repaired damages."

Norman Foley, feeling sincere sympathy for Gerald, offered him all the consolation in his power; but still, knowing the savage character of the pirates, he could not help dreading what might have been the fate of Norah and the old captains. He guessed at once that they had come out in search of the _Ouzel Galley_, which, if she had been captured by the pirates, could not have returned home; and now they themselves had fallen into the power of the miscreant who had taken her. Mr Foley at length persuaded Gerald to return with him on deck, where they found the man whom Gerald had at first taken for O'Harrall, standing with his arms bound behind his back, while Mr Tarwig was questioning him as to how he came to be on board the merchantman. Several of the _Champion's_ crew had in the mean time, it appeared, recognised him as Michael Dillon, the man who had deserted from their ship in Port Royal harbour, just before she sailed from thence. Gerald had no longer any doubt about the man, and corroborated what the seamen had said.

"I will not deny that I am Michael Dillon, or that I deserted from your ship. I suppose that I must be prepared to meet the doom of a deserter," he answered boldly; "but you guaranteed my life, sir, till I have been fairly tried; and as I conclude that you intend to keep your word, I need not at present trouble myself about the matter. In the mean time, I can give you valuable information, and render essential service to that young gentleman I see there, Gerald Tracy, and to those he cares for. If you will undertake to let me go free after I have rendered the service I speak of, I will perform it faithfully. If you refuse to promise that my life shall be spared, my lips will be sealed, and you will find no one else to do what I can. You know me for a determined man, and you may tear me to pieces before you get the secret out of me."

"I do not understand you," answered Mr Tarwig. "I must know more about your offer before I make any promise."

"I believe that I can explain what the man means," said Mr Foley, drawing the first lieutenant aside, when he informed him of the discovery that he and Gerald had made in the cabin, and his belief that the pirates had either put Captain Tracy and his daughter to death, or carried them off on board their own ship.

This of course made Mr Tarwig much more ready to listen to Dillon's proposals; still, without Commander Olding's sanction, he could not promise the man his life. He determined, therefore, to send the gig under charge of the master, who would give an account to the commander of what had occurred, and receive his orders. It was necessary to keep the greater part of the _Champion's_ people on board to repair the damages the ship had received, and to watch over the prisoners.

"I will not be long absent, depend upon that," said Mr Billhook, as he jumped into the boat and pulled away for the sh.o.r.e.

It was a trying time for poor Gerald. He longed to ascertain from the pirate how his sister and father had been treated; but Dillon and his companions kept their mouths closed, and would not reply to a single question put to them. The men not engaged in watching the pirates were fully employed in more effectually stopping the shot-holes than had before been done, and in knotting and splicing the rigging; thus Gerald had but little time to talk on the the subject which engrossed his thoughts. He just got a few words with Mr Foley, who somewhat relieved his mind by expressing his belief that Norah and his father had been made prisoners and carried on board the pirate. "I think there is another reason for believing that they were not put to death; I suspect that had they been, Dillon would not have offered to give us any information, as he would have known that he could expect no mercy at our hands."

"I wish that the commander would come off," said Gerald. "I have been thinking, sir, that if he would agree to man this ship and go in search of the pirates at once, before returning to Jamaica, we might capture them. They will not know that we have retaken her, and we might thus approach them without being suspected. If you will press the matter on the commander, I hope that he will agree to the plan."

"I feel nearly sure that he will do so," answered Mr Foley. "The idea is a good one; he will probably think of it himself; if not, I will lead him to it. If the plan occurs to him, so much the better, as of course he will be the more ready to carry it out."

"Thank you, sir, thank you," answered Gerald, his sanguine temperament making all difficulties vanish. He could not indeed bring himself to believe it possible that any beings in the form of men could have had the cruelty to injure his dear young sister and revered father; but then, if Owen had been killed, how sad would be Norah's lot! It would break her heart; of that he was sure.

"Gig coming off, sir," cried the look-out to Mr Tarwig.

In a short time the commander stepped on board. The first lieutenant reported all that had occurred. Commander Olding at once sent for Dillon. Gerald stood by, almost trembling with anxiety as to what course would be taken. The pirate boldly confronted his late commander, and repeated the offer he had already made.

"How can I trust you?" asked Commander Olding.

"You can put a pistol to my head and shoot me, sir, if I do not fulfil my promise," he answered, calmly.

"If you can enable us to recover the master of this ship, and his daughter, and any other of the people who were on board her, I will promise to set you at liberty; but, if you are retaken, you must stand the consequences," said Commander Olding.

"That is the very proposal I was going to make, sir," answered Dillon.

"I will undertake to carry this ship alongside the _Ouzel Galley_, which was captured by buccaneers, and is now used by them to go pirating. Her former master and several of his people are alive, for I saw them lately, and if you manage as I will advise you, you will recover them likewise. I confess, sir, that I wish to save my life, and I desire also to make what amends I can for the harm I have done. Will you believe me?"

"I believe you to be a great villain, but I trust you to perform your promise, because it will be to your interest to do so," answered the commander. "Should you prove treacherous, you may depend upon being instantly shot."

"I have not the slightest doubt about that, sir," said Dillon, with an attempt at a laugh. "The sooner you can get this ship ready for sea the better. I was left here to do so, not supposing that you had any boats on sh.o.r.e to come off to us; and from the number of shot-holes in her hull, it was feared that, unless we could get them securely stopped, should a strong breeze get up she would go to the bottom."

Gerald felt greatly relieved when he heard the commander undertake to carry out Dillon's proposal.

After a short consultation with his lieutenants, Commander Olding despatched all his own boats, and two of the _Research's_ which had escaped injury, to bring off the remainder of the officers and crew, with provisions, ammunition, and stores, and four guns to increase the armament of the _Research_. These would make her more than a match for the _Ouzel Galley_. He also directed that the guns left in the fort should be spiked, as too much time would be lost in bringing them down to the beach and throwing them into deep water.

"It will matter little, however, if the Spaniards do take possession of the island, as no one would wish to deprive them of it," he observed to Mr Tarwig.

"I should think not, sir; and, for my part, I hope never to set eyes on it again," was the answer.

The boats made several trips, the whole day being expended in bringing off the stores. The carpenters had in the mean time plugged all the shot-holes, while the boatswain and the men working under him rove fresh braces, fished the damaged spars, and repaired all the standing rigging, so that by the following morning the _Research_ was ready to proceed on the expedition.

The commander had had another interview with Michael Dillon, who swore solemnly that neither Captain Tracy nor his daughter, nor the other old captain, had received the slightest injury. He had seen them, he declared, taken on board the _Ouzel Galley_. The young lady's trunks and their valises had also been removed with them.

"And what became of the rest of the officers and crew of the merchantman?" asked the commander.

"They were mostly expended before we boarded," answered Dillon, coolly.

"They were knocked on the head by our shot; others who resisted were cut down, and the remainder were taken on board our vessel."