The Red Rover Part 54

"You shall see your error. The experiment may cost us a broadside, but it shall succeed. Go, descend with our guests to a place of safety; and, by the time you return, the scene shall have undergone a change."

Wilder eagerly disappeared in the cabin, whither Mrs Wyllys had already withdrawn; and, after communicating the intentions of his Commander to avoid an action, he conducted them into the depths of the vessel, in order that no casualty might arrive to imbitter his recollections of the hour.

This grateful duty promptly and solicitously performed, our adventurer again sought the deck, with the velocity of thought.

Notwithstanding his absence had seemed but of a moment, the scene had indeed changed in all its hostile images. In place of the flag of France, he found the ensign of England floating at the peak of the "Dolphin," and a quick and intelligible exchange of lesser signals in active operation between the two vessels. Of all that cloud of canvas which had so lately borne down the vessel of the Rover, her top sails alone remained distended to the yards; the remainder was hanging in festoons, and fluttering loosely before a favourable breeze. The ship itself was running directly for the stranger, who, in turn, was sullenly securing his lofty sails, like one who was disappointed in a high-prized and expected object.

"Now is yon fellow sorry to believe him a friend whom he had lately supposed an enemy," said the Rover, directing the attention of his lieutenant to the confiding manner with which their neighbour suffered himself to be deceived by his surrept.i.tiously obtained signals. "It is a tempting offer; but I pa.s.s it, Wilder for your sake."

The gaze of the lieutenant seemed bewildered, but he made no reply.

Indeed, but little time was given for deliberation or discourse. The "Dolphin" rolled swiftly along her path, and each moment dissipated the mist in which distance had enveloped the lesser objects on board the stranger. Guns, blocks, ropes, bolts, men, and even features, became plainly visible, in rapid succession, as the water that divided them was parted by the bows of the lawless ship. In a few short minutes, the stranger, having secured most of his lighter canvas, came sweeping up to the wind; and then, as his after-sails, squared for the purpose, took the breeze on their outer surface, the ma.s.s of his hull became stationary.

The people of the "Dolphin" had so far imitated the confiding credulity of the deceived cruiser of the Crown, as to furl all their loftiest duck, each man employed in the service trusting implicitly to the discretion and daring of the singular being whose pleasure it was to bring their ship into so hazardous a proximity to a powerful enemy--qualities that had been known to avail them in circ.u.mstances of even greater delicacy than those in which they were now placed. With this air of audacious confidence, the dreaded Rover came gliding down upon her unsuspecting neighbour, until within a few hundred feet of her weather-beam, when she too, with a graceful curve in her course, bore up against the breeze, and came to a state of rest. But Wilder, who regarded all the movements of his superior in silent amazement, was not slow in observing that the head of the "Dolphin" was laid a different way from that of the other, and that her progress had been arrested by the counteracting position of her head-yards; a circ.u.mstance that afforded the advantage of a quicker command of the ship, should need require a sudden recourse to the guns.

The "Dolphin" was still drifting slowly under the last influence of her recent motion, when the customary hoa.r.s.e and nearly unintelligible summons came over the water, demanding her appellation and character. The Rover applied his trumpet to his lips, with a meaning glance that was directed towards his lieutenant, and returned the name of a ship, in the service of the King, that was known to be of the size and force of his own vessel.

"Ay, ay," returned a voice from out of the other ship, "'twas so I made out your signals."

The hail was then reciprocated, and the name of the royal cruiser given in return, followed by an invitation from her Commander, to his brother in authority to visit his superior.

Thus far, no more had occurred than was usual between seamen in the same service; but the affair was rapidly arriving at a point that most men would have found too embarra.s.sing for further deception. Still the observant eye of Wilder detected no hesitation or doubt in the manner of his chief. The beat of the drum was heard from the cruiser, announcing the "retreat from quarters;" and, with perfect composure, he directed the same signal to be given for his own people to retire from their guns. In short, five minutes established every appearance of entire confidence and amity between two vessels which would have soon been at deadly strife, had the true character of one been known to the other. In this state of the doubtful game he played, and with the invitation still ringing in the ears of Wilder, the Rover motioned his lieutenant to his side.

"You hear that I am desired to visit my senior in the service of his Majesty," he said, with a smile of irony playing about his scornful lip.

"Is it your pleasure to be of the party?"

The start with which Wilder received this hardy proposal was far too natural to proceed from any counterfeited emotion.

"You are not so mad as to run the risk!" he exclaimed when words were at command.

"If you fear for yourself, I can go alone."

"Fear!" echoed the youth, a bright flush giving an additional glow to the flashing of his kindling eye. "It is not fear, Captain Heidegger, but prudence, that tells me to keep concealed. My presence would betray the character of this ship. You forget that I am known to all in yonder cruiser."

"I had indeed forgotten that portion of the plot. Then remain, while I go to play upon the credulity of his Majesty's Captain."

Without waiting for an answer, the Rover led the way below, signing for his companion to follow. A few moments sufficed to arrange the fair golden locks that imparted such a look of youth and vivacity to the countenance of the former. The undress, fanciful frock he wore in common was exchanged for the attire of one of his a.s.sumed rank and service, which had been made to fit his person with the nicest care, and with perhaps a c.o.xcomical attention to the proportions of his really fine person; and in all other things was he speedily equipped for the disguise he chose to affect. No sooner were these alterations in his appearance completed, (and they were effected with a brevity and readiness that manifested much practice in similar artifices,) than he disposed himself to proceed on the intended experiment.

"Truer and quicker eyes have been deceived," he coolly observed, turning his glance from a mirror to the countenance of his lieutenant, as he spoke, "than those which embellish the countenance of Captain Bignall."

"You know him, then?"

"Mr Wilder, my business imposes the necessity of knowing much that other men overlook. Now is this adventure, which, by your features, I perceive you deem so forlorn in its hopes of success, one of easy achievement. I am convinced that not an officer or man on board the 'Dart' has ever seen the ship whose name I have chosen to usurp. She is too fresh from the stocks to incur that risk. Then is there little probability that I, in my other self, shall be compelled to acknowledge acquaintance with any of her officers; for you well know that years have pa.s.sed since your late ship has been in Europe; and, by running your eye over these books, you will perceive I am that favoured mortal, the son of a Lord, and have not only grown into command, but into manhood, since her departure from home."

"These are certainly favouring circ.u.mstances, and such as I had not the sagacity to detect.--But why incur the risk at all?"

"Why! Perhaps there is a deep-laid scheme to learn if the prize would repay the loss of her capture; perhaps----it is my humour. There is fearful excitement in the adventure."

"And there is fearful danger."

"I never count the price of these enjoyments.--Wilder," he added, turning to him with a look of frank and courteous confidence, "I place life and honour in your keeping; for to me it would be dishonour to desert the interests of my crew."

"The trust shall be respected," repeated our adventurer in a tone so deep and choaked as to be nearly unintelligible.

Regarding the still ingenuous countenance of his companion intently for an instant, the Rover smiled as if he approved of the pledge, waved his hand in adieu, and, turning, was about to leave the cabin but a third form, at that moment, caught his wandering glance. Laying a hand lightly on the shoulder of the boy, whose form was placed somewhat obtrusively in his way, he demanded, a little sternly.

"Roderick, what means this preparation?"

"To follow my master to the boat."

"Boy, thy service is not needed."

"It is rarely wanted of late."

"Why should I add unnecessarily to the risk of lives, where no good can attend the hazard?"

"In risking your own, you risk all to me," was the answer, given in a tone so resigned, and yet so faltering that the tremulous and nearly smothered sounds caught no ears but those for whom they were intended.

The Rover for a time replied not. His hand still kept its place on the shoulder of the boy, whose working features his riveted eye read, as the organ is sometimes wont to endeavour to penetrate the mystery of the human heart.

"Roderick," he at length said, in a milder and a a kinder voice, "your lot shall be mine; we go together."

Then, dashing his hand hastily across his brow the wayward chief ascended the ladder, attended by the lad, and followed by the individual in whose faith he reposed so great a trust. The step with which the Rover trod his deck was firm, and the bearing of his form as steady as though he felt no hazard in his undertaking. His look pa.s.sed, with a seaman's care, from sail to sail; and not a brace, yard, or bow-line escaped the quick understanding glances he cast about him, before he proceeded to the side, in order to enter a boat which he had already ordered to be in waiting. A glimmering of distrust and hesitation was now, for the first time, discoverable through the haughty and bold decision of his features. For a moment his foot lingered on the ladder. "Davis," he said sternly to the individual whom, by his own experience he knew to be so long practised in treachery "leave the boat. Send me the gruff captain of the forecastle in his place. So bold a talker, in common, should know how to be silent at need."

The exchange was instantly made; for no one, there, was ever known to dispute a mandate that was uttered with the air of authority he then wore.

A deeply intent att.i.tude of thought succeeded, and then every shadow of care vanished from that brow, on which a look of high and generous confidence was seated, as he added,--

"Wilder, adieu! I leave you Captain of my people and master of my fate: Certain I am that both trusts are reposed in worthy hands."

Without waiting for reply, as if he scorned the vain ceremony of idle a.s.surances, he descended swiftly to the boat, which at the next instant was pulling boldly towards the King's cruiser. The brief interval which succeeded, between the departure of the adventurers and their arrival at the hostile ship, was one of intense and absorbing suspense on the part of all whom they had left behind. The individual most interested in the event, however, betrayed neither in eye nor movement any of the anxiety which so intently beset the minds of his followers. He mounted the side of his enemy amid the honours due to his imaginary rank, with a self-possession and ease that might readily have been mistaken, by those who believe these fancied qualities have a real existence, for the grace and dignity of lofty recollections and high birth. His reception, by the honest veteran whose long and hard services had received but a meager reward in the vessel he commanded, was frank, manly, and seaman-like. No sooner had the usual greetings pa.s.sed, than the latter conducted his guest into his own apartments.

"Find such a birth, Captain Howard, as suits your inclination," said the unceremonious old seaman, seating himself as frankly as he invited his companion to imitate his example. "A gentleman of your extraordinary merit must be reluctant to lose time in useless words, though you are so young--young for the pretty command it is your good fortune to enjoy!"

"On the contrary, I do a.s.sure you I begin to feel myself quite an antediluvian," returned the Rover coolly placing himself at the opposite side of the table, where he might, from time to time, look his half-disgusted companion full in the eye: "Would you imagine it, sir? I shall have reached the age of three-and-twenty, if I live through the day."

"I had given you a few more years, young gentleman; but London can ripen the human face as speedily as the Equator."

"You never said truer words, sir. Of all cruising grounds, Heaven defend me from that of St. James's! I do a.s.sure you, Bignall, the service is quite sufficient to wear out the strongest const.i.tution. There were moments when I really thought I should have died that humble, disagreeable mortal--a lieutenant!"

"Your disease would then have been a galloping consumption!" muttered the indignant old seaman. "They have sent you out in a pretty boat at last, Captain Howard."

"She's bearable, Bignall, but frightfully small. I told my father, that, if the First Lord didn't speedily regenerate the service, by building more comfortable vessels, the navy would get altogether into vulgar hands.

Don't you find the motion excessively annoying in these single-deck'd ships, Bignall?"

"When a man has been tossing up and down for five-and-forty years, Captain Howard," returned his host, stroking his gray locks, for want of some other manner of suppressing his ire, "he gets to be indifferent whether his ship pitches a foot more or a foot less."

"Ah! that, I dare say, is what one calls philosophical equanimity, though little to my humour. But, after this cruise, I am to be posted; and then I shall make interest for a guard-ship in the Thames; every thing goes by interest now-a-days, you know, Big-nail."

The honest old tar swallowed his displeasure as well as he could; and, as the most effectual means of keeping himself in a condition to do credit to his own hospitality, he hastened to change the subject.

"I hope, among other new fashions, Captain Howard," he said, "the flag of Old England continues to fly over the Admiralty. You wore the colours of Louis so long this morning, that another half hour might have brought us to loggerheads."