IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 lit Km 12.2 ^ Ui llllio 1.8 U 11.6 I vQ "3 PhotDgraptric Sciences Corporation ^\^ ^:^ ^•v V <> «b \ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ■<^ ) til. L^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notas/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The c to th4 The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of ihis copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D n D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur r~n Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag^e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture resta^rie et/ou pelliculde r~n Cover title missing/ D Le titre de couvrrture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relii avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion !• long de la marge intdrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une rentauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsqLd cela itait possible, ces pages n'ont pas iti film^es. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplimentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'll lui a iti possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite. ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaur^es et/ou pelliculdes • D Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolorees, tacheties ou piquees |~n Pages detached/ Pages d^tachees Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Quality inigale de I'impression Includes supplementary materij Comprend du materiel suppiementaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible rT] Showthrough/ r~n Quality of print varies/ r~n Includes supplementary material/ nn Only edition available/ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. une pelure, etc.. cnt it6 filmies A nouveau de facon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. Theii possi of th( filmir Origii begin the li sion. other first I sion, or illi The I shall TINU whici Maps differ entire begin right requi meth This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. IdX 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X / 12X 16X 20X MX 28X 32X The copy filmed here hes been reproduced thanks to the generosity off: Harriet Irving Library University of New Bruntwieic L'exemplaire ffllmA ffut reproduit grice k la ginArositi de: Harriet Irving Library University of New Brunswick The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility off the original copy and in keeping with the ffilming contract speclffications. Las images suivantes ont 6t4 reprodultes avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at de la netteti de rexemplaire ffiimA, et en confformlti avec les conditions du contrat du fllmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are ffilmed beginning on the ffirst page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprlmte sont ffllmte en commen^ant par le premier plat et en termlnant soit par la dernldre page qui comporte une emprelnte d'impression ou d'illustratlon, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont ffilm6s en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustratlon et en termlnant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle emprelnte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^- (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfflche, selon le cas: le symbols —► signlffle "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre ffilmte A des taux de reduction difffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cliche, 11 est ffllmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Good Ship Gryphon. Page 0. '»»'fW»»i'i?>.M,.*<*v \ , w I I M».MV*'*1' i * { - CHAPTER L Dick Holland Joins His Ship CHAPTER II. Learning the Ropes. . ' CHAPTER III. The Baptism of Fire, PAGI . 6 . 19 CHAPTER IV. A Pleasant Experience. . ' • • CHAPTER V. A Trip Inland, . . . ' CHAPTER VI. Work After Plat, CHAPTER VII. In Active Service, . . ' CHAPTER VIII. Overcoming and Being Overcome,. . 8 88 . 47 . 61 . 74 . 87 100 Ll.l!44«i t*.ii;ihM-H»?S;iiI I'tt'i \ 1 'I 4 -- CONTENTS. * TAOK CHAPTER IX. ' Tbs Tablks Turned, 110 CHAPTER X. In thx Hands of thk Enbmt, 122 . CHAPTER XI. Under the British Flag Again, 186 CHAPTER XII. Scenes on Shore, 148 CHAPTER XIII. Hunting Priyj^teers, 161 CHAPTER XIV. Good for Etil, 174 CHAPTER XV. Diamond Rock, 189 CHAPTER XVI. A Gallant Defense, 203 CHAPTER XVII. An Honorable Surrender, 218 CHAPTER XVIII. Trafalgar and Home Again, 283 tvsiin'' •♦•«>v«ni THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. CHAPTER I. DICK HOLLAND JOINS HIS SHIP. IT was the day of her departure for a three years' cruise upon the West Indian Station, and His Gracious Majesty's staunch frigate "Grjrphon" pre- sented a scene of confusion weU calculated to bewilder anybody but a veteran bo'sun, accustomed to see order brought out of chaos on shipboard with wonderful expe- dition. The deck was crowded with sheep, swine, and fowls for the officers' table, with barrels of beef, pork, and biscuits for the sailors' mess, with trunks, portmanteaus, bags, and boxes, containing the kits of the crew, not to mention a miscellaneous crowd of friends and relatives come to bid a reluctant, tearful " good-bye," of tradesmen and duns anxiously endeavoring to get payment of unsettled scores, and of dealers in all sorts of small wares making most of their opportunities ere the command would issue to clear the ship. NOTR. — ^The author desires to express his obligations to those brUliant sen stories, *' Tom Cringle's Log" and "The Cruise of the Midge," which were found especially helpful in the preparation of this volume. 6 6 THE GOOD SHIP ORYPHON. In a corner, apnrt from all this bustle, stood a little group that seemed to have thought only for itself, and to be quite oblivious of the turmoil around. It was com- posed of three persons — a slight, sweet-faced lady, dressed in black, whose pale cheeks showed signs of much weep- ing, a stout, grizzled, honest-mugged man-servant, holding tightly to a bag that looked as if it might contain a goodly store of traveler's comforts, and finally, a boy of about fourteen years of age, who, as befits the hero of our story, must have a more minute description. There was not very much of him to begin with. He stood not more than four feet ten in his stockings, and his weight could not have greatly exceeded one hun- dred pounds, aW told. Yet one did not need to look at him twice in order to feel convinced that light and small as he seemed, he might prove himself an antago- nist by no means to be despised in a fair fight. His frame was well knit and symmetrical ; his breast full and deep, so much so, indeed, that at school he bore the nick- name of " Dickey-bird," in allusion to his swelling chest ; his features were regular and clear-cut; his naturally fair complexion was tanned to a light olive by constant exposure to the sun ; his blonde hair curled crisply back from a broad forehead ; and there was stamped upon his countenance, and expressed in every movement of his body, energy, resolution, and sanguine courage, to a degree that gave good augury for his fiiture career. He now, poor little chap, found himself to be in a sore strait betwixt contending emotions. He felt as keenly as DICK HOLLAND JOINS HIS SHIP. any fond son could the parting from his mother, and her own unrestrained grief made it all the harder for him to keep back the tears that ever threatened to flood his smooth cheeks. Yet at the same time he fully recog- nized the dignities and responsibilities of his new position, and it seemed to him that no place had been left upon the programme for crying. So it was a hard struggle be- tween pride and tenderness of heart, and neither side had it altogether its own way. Mrs. Holland's grief was not without good excuse. The boy before her was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Her husband had been one of the most gallant and faithful captains in His Majesty's navy, and after a brief but brilliant career, had come home invalided to linger out a year or two in growing weakness until the end came while he was still comparatively a young man. It was Mrs. Holland's hope and prayer that the boy, who was the joy and solace of her life, would be content to choose some shore-going occupation when the time came for him to begin life for himself. But destiny had decided otherwise. The love of the sea was born in little Dick, as surely as it had been in his father before him. To have bound him down to anything else would simply have been to miserably mar his life ; and so it came about that, sacrificing her own desire to her son's, Mrs. Holland sought and obtained for him the appointment to the " Gryphon," which rejoiced his heart while it almost broke hers. \ 8 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. ; The command came to " clear the ship " as they were still talking earnestly, Mrs. Holland mingling prayers with motherly injunctions, and Dick promising loyally to do everything she wished. Again and again did the weeping woman press her son to her bosom, ana cover his face with kisses, and then at last, not daring to linger any longer, she drew the veil over her face, and taking the arm of the man-servant, hastened off the ship, and was soon lost in the crowd that thronged the pier. With a tremendous sigh Dick dashed away the tears that glistened on his cheeks, drew himself up to his full height, and followed his mother with his eyes as long as she was in sight, saying softly : " Dear, darling mother, how hard it goes with her to say good-bye to me I But I'll write her big, long letters that will comfort her heart." To Master Dick's credit, be it said, that although at school he would much rather at any time have taken a good whipping than write a composition, he faithfully carried out this pledge of letter-writing, never letting a week pass without some sort of a scrawl ; and the packets of rather illegible but unmistakably affectionate epistles, that at irregular intervals reached "Briar Cottage," in sunny Kent, brought with them comfort beyond expres- sion to the expectant woman, in whose eyes they were of surpassingly more importance than an admiral's despatches. Dick now proceeded to look about him. Although the shore folk had by this time all landed, the confusion on •■»ni^utntu't''iif'tit«iUi'»<»'>-'♦'!"■»' ''»'1tT*llH'»'».IJi«'"' DICK HOLLAND JOINS HIS SHIP. 13 It was only by a tremendous effort that he could control himself sufficiently to answer in a tone scarcely audible : "My mother has just bidden me good-bye." There was something in this answer, and the effect it produced upon many of the listeners, that went against the grain of the big fellow who had appointed himself Dick's inquisitor, and with a sneering laugh he filled a tumbler from a bottle that stood near him, and holding it out to the boy, said in a tone of rough command : " Here, then ; drink her health like a man." Instead of accepting the proffered glass, Dick retreated a step, and put his hands behind his back. He would not comply with this order for two reasons : In the first place, he had been brought up to believe that strong drink in any form was better let alone than trifled with, and he had pledged himself to his mother to have nothing to do with it under any circumstances. In the second place, even if he had been wont to take his wine, like many boys of his age, the thought of drinking his mother's health under such circumstances would have filled him with re- pugnance. He felt as though it would be nothing short of desecration. Nettled by his hesitation to obey, the other, whose name was Bulstrode, and who was the bully of the gun room, roared out fiercely : " Do you hear me ? Drink the old woman's health, I say, and no heel taps, mind you I " This disrespectful allusion to his mother stung Dick to the quick. His face flushed again, but this time it was 14 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. 51 with anger. His fists closed tightly. He straightened himself up, and looking his tormentor full in the face, said as quietly as he could : " I hear you perfectly well, but I have not the slightest intention of obeying you." A murmur of mingled admiration and apprehension went around the little company at this plucky reply. Bulstrode was accustomed to have pretty much his own way among the middies, and this frank defiance delighted them while it enraged him. "You haven't the slightest intention of obeying me, hey ? " he shouted, furiously. " Then by I'll make you." And with that he threw himself across the table and grasped Dick by the shoulders. Now Dick had no lack of courage, but he also possessed a good share of common sense. Had he obeyed his first impulse, he would have clinched with Bulstrode and fought him as best he might. This, however, would have been a very foolish thing to do, for not only was Bulstrode more than a match for him in every way, but in all probability some of the others would give him assistance, if necessary. Dick thought of this, and although his fists were shut tightly, he kept them at his side, and looked steadily into his assailant's angry countenance. His composed bearing rather disconcerted the bully, who had expected some show of resistance which would justify further violence. He therefore did no more than give Dick a shake, saying : ** Are you going to drink that health ? " m!t,>Vtiii«' V - LEARNING THE ROPES. 29 down, and drew upon him the attention of the Negro, whose anger seemed to be instantly aroused by the sight of the uniform. He was a hideous-looking fellow, broad of shoulder and deep of chest, but puny and misshapen from the waist downward, the shrunken shanks being absurdly out of pro- portion to the huge trunk ; close tufts of black wool did duty for moustache and beard, and his hair — if hair it could be called — was twisted into a hundred short plaits that bristled out like thick porcupine quills. The livid scar of a terrible sabre cut adorned his nose and cheek, and two big gold rings his ears. A dirty linen shirt, a short pair of cotton drawers, and a huge Panama hat constituted his dress. A more repulsive specimen of humanity Dick had never seen, and he recoiled from him in disgust. This seemed to still further incense the Negro, and with a horrid oath he aimed a blow at the boy's head that would have knocked the senses out of him had it reached its mark ; but Dick was too quick for him, and deftly dodged it, at the same time drawing his dirk, and assuming an attitude of defense, for he could not bring himself to fly even before so over-matching an opponent. He would rather play David to his Goliath, and take his chances. A crowd had gathered at once, forming a sort of ring about the two, around which they gyrated for a moment, the Negro happily being too drunk to turn quickly, ajid Dick finding it easy to dodge him. Now Dick had been one of the best players in his school at the good old Eng- .30 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. lisli game of football, and was an adept at " hacking." The manifest weakness of the negro's lower limbs suggested to him the i«lea of giving the brute a "hack over" that would teach him a lesson. Sheathing his dirk he drew himself together and watched for his opportunity. It came very soon. Straightening himself up after an un- successful charge, the ruffian again bore down upon the midshipman. Instead of fleeing, Dick darted forward to meet him, and before the Negro could divine his purpose administered a kick with all his force upon the bare black shin, a few inches above the ankle. It was tt grand success. With a roar like that of a wounded lion, the big brute pitched forward upon his nose, striking the stony street with a force that even his thick skull could not withstand unhurt, amid exclama- tions of — " Hurrah for buccra gentleman ? " " Him mighty good little man I " " Coromantee crack him skull sure — serve him right too," and so forth, from the admiring and ap- proving crowd. The next moment Dick felt himself picked up and placed upon the shoulders of a stalwart mulatto. " Hullo, my good fellow 1 " he cried, considerably sur- prised at this proceeding. "Where away now? What port are you making for? " " All right, massa," was the reassuring response. " Me take you all safe to landing, just same as horse ; you stay stUl." ''Nothing loth. Master Dick did stay still, and thus LEARNING THE ROPES. 31 and perched upou his new friend's broad shoulder, and es- corted by the crowd tliat witnessed his overthrow of the Negro, he arrived at the landing just as Lieutenant McKiustry came down in earnest conversation with another naval otHcer. The noise of the crowd attracted his attention, and catching sight of Dick in his elevated position, a smile broke over his face, and he hailed him with a pleasant : " Hullo, Holland ! This looks like a triumphal pro- cession. What have you been up to now ? " Dick touched his cap, slid down from his human steed, and approaching the lieutenant, made a brief and modest report of the circumstances, whereupon Mr. McKiustry clapped him on the back, saying heartily : " Well done, Dick ! You sustained the credit of the service nobly. Come, now, let us hurry on board ; I have important news for Captain Fitewell. As they were rowing back to the ship, the lieutenant, his face radisint at the prospect of active service, told Dick what the important news was : "Boney [Bonaparte] has broken out again," he ex- plained. " The truce of Amiens is over, and we can go at Johnny Crapaud to our heart's content. There'll be lots of fighting, Dick, and that means quick promotion, you know, for the chaps that keep the number of their mess. >» Dick felt a strange sense of mingled elation and trepidation at these words. He had a warrior's heart, and the idea of fighting with his country's hereditary enemies, '• I 32 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. the French, pleased him mightily. At the same time the thought naturally came to him : "Shall I be one of those who'll keep the number of their mess, or how will it be ? " The future was full of opportunity, and also of peril. God alone knew what it had in store for him. Brought up, as he had been, to believe implicitly in a Divine Providence ever careful of those who put their faith in him, Dick held views of the future different from those of any of his companions. They put their trust in what they called " luck," and were willing to take their chances. He placed his trust in God, to whom he daily prayed, and thought nothing of luck or chance. CHAPTER IIL THE BAPTISM OP FIRE. IN order to get the bearings of this story correctly, it will be necessary, for a moment, to take a leap from the New World to tlie Old. That marvellous man, — demi-god or devil, according to your point of view, — the first Napoleon, had been keeping not only Europe, but Asia, Africa, and America alike in constant turmoil. The splendid victories of the English at Alexandria and Copenhagen having taught him that his pace was rather too fast at last, and that he must have a little breathing space to restore the navy which Nelson had shattered and replenish his other resources, the Treaty of Amiens was entered into in the year 1802 between England, France, Spain, and Holland ; and the same year saw Bonaparte declared Consul for life with the emperor's crown coming clearly into view. This treaty was understood by all parties to be the hollowest kind of a truce — merely the interval between the rounds in a fight that was far from finished, and accordingly nobody was surprised when a year and a half later the sword once more sprang from its scabbard, and the struggle began which this time was to know no treaty nor truce until the cause of all the trouble, C 88 34 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. I ! 1^ i' I defeated and discrowned, went to banishment and death upon the rock of St. Helena. The West India Islands, that necklace of precious pearls strung across the ocean from Florida to Venezuela, were very dear to Napoleon. He considered them to be among his choicest possessions. But the English held a similar opinion, and as they could not agree upon any satisfactory division of the jewels there was no other alternative than to fight for them. The orders Captain FitcwcU received at Barbadoes accordingly were to get ready without delay for active service, it having been determined that the first blow should be struck at the neighboring island of St. Lucia. The following week was one of intense activity on board the " Gryphon." The frigate had to be put into fighting trim, and this meant plenty of work for every- body. Dick watched the preparations with intense interest, and was ever ready to fly about with orders, so that he seemed to have quite as much business on hand as the first lieutenant himself. Every inch of the rigging was carefully inspected and all weak spots replaced or strengthened ; the guns with their powder and shot were made ready for immediate use; the decks and cabins were cleared of everything that could be spared; the cock-pit was fitted up for hospital use; cutlasses and boarding-pikes were made keen as razors, and nothing was left undone by Captain Fitewell to get his good ship ready for serious work. It was a beautiful day in June when the expedition ► t THE BAPTISM OP FIRE. 1 death precious nezuela, jm to be h held a pon any 10 other Captain •e to get ing been k at the Bailed. Its fleet comprised three ships-of-the-line, and three frigates of the same type as the " Gryphon," be- sides some smaller crafl. In addition to their full crews, each vessel carried a large number of soldiers. One day's easy sail brought them to their destination. Much to the disappointment of the naval part of the expedition no ships were found to oppose them, and the soldiers hav- ing easily disembarked at Choque Bay the sailors were reduced to the position of passive spectators. Dick was greatly disappointed at this. He wanted to get his first smell of powder with as little delay aa possi- ble. He therefore determined to try to obtain permission to accompany the land forces in their attack. Naturally he made known his mind to his friend the lieutenant first. When Mr. McKinstry heard his request he burst out laughing, and taking him by the shoulders turned him around as thoug'a he wanted to inspect him thoroughly. "Bless me, you young fire-eater, are you in such a hurry to get your first taste of blood aa that ? Can't you wait until the 'Gryphon's' turn comes? It won't be long, I can tell you." Dick blushed, and looked as though he rather regretted speaking. He did not want to be thought in a hurry to " taste blood." Noticing his confusion, Mr. McKinstry, still smiling, asked : "And what do you propose to do. Master Holland? Join General Grinfield's staff and give him an occasional bit of advice?" « Hardly that, sir," answered Dick, " but as there won't « I I M. i i t 36 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. be any work for our ships, and we've got to lie here until the soldiers come back, I thought perhaps I might be allowed to accompany them and have a look at the fight- ing." " Not a bad idea, my boy. I had the very same thing in mind myself. I'll speak to the captain about it. Per- haps he'll let you go with me." Dick's face beamed with delight. To go under the lieutenant's wing — what better could he wish ? " I'd mighty sight rather be on Mr. McKinstry's staff than General Grinfield's," he chuckled to him- self. An hour later, Mr. McKinstry sent for him and told him that the necessary leave had been granted, and to hurry up and make ready to go on shore. It need hardly bo said that Master Dick wasted no time over toilet. Yet a neater-looking middy never trod the quarter-deck than he as he stood at the gangway awaiting the coming of the first lieutenant. He was dressed in full uniform and armed with a dirk, a cutlass, and a pistol, which equipment to tell the truth, he found rather heavy at his waist, although he would have died rather than confess it. Bulstrode, lounging by with a very glum expression of countenance, for he had applied to go on shore but nad been refused, gave Dick a glance of mingled jealousy and hate, muttering so that he could hear it : " Who wouldn't be the lieutenant's poodle? Keep to heel now, doggie, and don't get lost." But Dick was in too radiant a humor to mind even so THE BAPTISM OF FIRE. 37 e until ght l)e e fight- e thing . Per- der the linstry's to him- ind told , and to ^ hardly sr toilet, ter-deck coming uniform »1, which at his confess ipression ore but Ijealousy I Keep to even so coarse a taunt, and tui'ning to Tenderly, who also stood near, said gayly, with a meaning glance at Bulstrode : " I'd rather be a poodle than a bulldog, wouldn't you, Arthur?" Bulstrode heard the words and his face grew still darker, but before he could say anything further he was called to another part of the ship, and a few minutes later, Dick was in the cutter beside the lieutenant, gliding swiftly shoreward. It was late in the afternoon when they landed, but they were in time to see from a distance the first brush with the enemy. This took place before the town of Castries, and was of short duration ; the French outposts soon gave way and, the Governor-General Nogues retiring with his whole force to the strong post of Morne Fortune, left Castries in the hands of the invaders. A summons to surrender was sent him, which he politely refiised, his calculation being that he could stand a siege until the rains came on, and then the English would have to retreat, as nothing could be done during the rains. General Grinfield understood this, and notwithstanding the difficulty of the enterprise, resolved to attempt an immediate assault. Orders were accordingly issued that Morne Fortune should be stormed at daybreak. When Dick heard the orders, he fairly danced for joy. The storming of a strong fortress was an ideal kind of fight, and it would give everybody a chance. So soon i\s it was determined upon, the aid of the sailors was called in, and all that night they were busy making rope ladders 'V It ; ■ hi 38 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. and preparing grappling lines, while the best men on board each ship were picked out to join the soldiers in their difficult venture. At four o'clock in the morning, Dick was roused from a sound sleep by the lieutenant, and the dawn of a West Indian midsummer day was breaking in all its meffable beauty as the two friends made their way to the front. In perfect silence the united forces encircled the fortress, and then suddenly hurled upon it a storm of lead and iron that swept its walls clear, and compelled its defenders to seek shelter behind the embrasures, from which ihey replied with a persistent though almost harmless fire. So soon as the walls were cleared, the order was given to fix bayonets and charge upon the fort. With a true British cheer that was heard out at the fleet, and made the poor people in Castries tremble, the soldiers, headed by gangs of Jack tars bearing scaling ladders, rushed to the attack in admirable order. "Now, then, Dick," cried Lieutenant McKinstry, " come along ; keep close by me, and we won't miss any of the fun." "All right, sir," chirruped Dick. "I'll keep along- side, if I can." Like a human avalanche the British forces fell upon Morne Fortune. With wonderful skill and speed the scaling ladders were fixed at a score of points simultane* ously. With admirable courage the garrison sought to repel their assailants. But as fast as one ladder was thrown down, another took its place, and every man they THE BAPTISM OF FIJRE, 89 disposed of was replaced by two no less in earnest about getting inside the citadeL The lieutenant and Dick were among the first to efiTect a foothold upon the walls, happily without receiving a scratch, and drawing their cutlasses, they plunged into the thickest of the fight. It was familiar enough work to the man, for storming a fortress and boarding a ship are very much alike, but entirely new fco the boy, and yet he went at it as though he had long served his appren- ticeship. "Well done, Dick! Well done, my boy!" shouted Mr. McKinstry, as with a clever blow Dick knocked the pistol out of the hand of a French officer who was aiming at the lieutenant. The very next moment, the lieutenant returned the service by cutting down a soldier who pro- posed to spit Dick on his bayonet. " Turn about's fair play, Dick, eh, my lad," he cried. "Come along; keep close; they're giving way. We'll soon clear the rascals out." The lieutenant was right. The garrison had made a gallant stand. But there was no resisting the British bayonet One by one the defenses were driven in, and at the end of half an hour Morne Fortune was taken, with the loss of hardly a hundred men. Exhausted by his exertions, Dick threw himself down in a casemate to get breath. It was the first moment for thought he had had since the attack began, and he felt like one awaking out of a dream. He looked round about him at the tokens of the dreadful conflict. Here i I 40 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. ,.l' I [V.\ 11'' a man was lying, his life blood fast ebbing out from a terrible gash in the neck ; there was another, already growing cold in death. Swords, bayonets, muskets, and pistols strewed the place. The air was foul with the reek of powder and the sickening smell of blood, while the sun, now high in the heavens, poured a flood of scorching heat upon the pitiful scene. The reaction that naturally follows strong emotion did not escape Dick. A wave of intense repugnance and a wild desire to flee from so dreadful a place came over him. He repented of ever having put himself in the way of such an experience. He covered his face with his hands, and his feelings were near unmanning him, when Lieutenant McKinstry came up, and observing his atti- tude, exclaimed in much concern : " Hullo, Dick ! What's the matter ? Are you hurt ? " Dick lifted his burning face and looked at the lieuten- ant through misty eyes. Then, with a great effort, he regained control of himself, and springing to his feet, replied, steadily enough : " No, sir, not a bit, thank God. But it's that," pointing expressively to the harrowing sight before him. "I'm not used to it yet, sir." The lieutenant did not laugh at him. He remembered well how his first fight affected him, and shrewdly guess- ing the best way of diverting the boy who had just received his baptism of fire, he said, sympathetically : " I understand you, Dick, and you needn't feel ashamed of it. But look here, since you and I are sound, don't THE BAPTISM OF FIRE. 41 ibered guess- d just amed don't jou think we could do something for tlie poor beggars who haven't been so lucky ? " " Oh, yes, sir," cried Dick, forgetting all his own troubles in the thought of rendering assistance to others. " What can we do, sir ? " " Well, if we can only find where the frog-eaters keep their water, we can give the poor fellows a drink, any- way." After some searching around they discovered a cistern of water, and filling a couple of jars they went about among the wounded, assuaging their thirst, bathing their wounds, and binding on cool bandages, receiving in re- turn many a grateful " God bless you I That's better, sir." In his sympathy for the sufferers and eagerness to help them, Dick entirely forgot his feeling of nausea at the sickening sights before him. The worse the wound, the stronger his desire to alleviate the agony of the patient, and the ships' surgeons paid him more than one compliment for his prompt, intelligent assistance. Within an hour after the surrender, the British had all their wounded carefully removed to the ships, while the unfortunate dead were buried during the afternoon with appropriate ceremonies. Although not a blow had been struck by them after the French surrendered, their loss was much heavier thaa that of the English, and over six hundred prisoners were taken in addition. The capture of Morne Fortune decided the fate of the island, all the other ports being given up without a strug- gle. From St. Lucia the British fleet proceeded to -r-v I A2 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. Tobago where the governor, haviug a feeble garrison of only a couple of hundred sailors, wisely surrendered with- out making any attempt at resistance. Deraerara, Essequibo, and Berbice, followed in rapid succession. Indeed they were only too glad to come once more under British control, as the colonists were more in sympathy with John Bull than with Johnny Crapaud. The "Gryphon" continued to form part of the con- quering fleet, and Dick was in a chronic state of admira- tion and delight. The smooth sailing over those azure summer seas; the stately advances upon island after island glittering like emeralds in a setting of lapis lazuli and turquoise ; thii delightful uncertainity as to whether the colony would fight or surrender ; the sweet satisfaction at another surrender which went far to compensate for the missing of the excitement of another fight ; and then besides all this, the fun there was to be had in exploring the captured territory, the interesting things there were to be seen, delicious fruits there were to be tasted — verily, it was the j oiliest kind of a holiday. Everybody, from the admiral down, was in the best of good humor, and as much liberty was allowed as was consistent with a due maintenance of discipline. In the very midst of this triumphal progress, orders came to the "Gryphon" from the admiral that made everybody on board look glum. It was to the effect that he wished to send certain important dispatches to Antigua, and the frigate being the best sailer in the fleet, he had selected her for the purpose. THE BAPTISM OF FIRE. 43 ders nade that I to eet, Accordingly, that afternoon she turned her bow north- ward and bowled merrily along before a favoring breeze, Captain Fitewell and his merry men grumbling vigor- ously at having to leave so pleasant a picnic simply to carry dispatches. They had no idea what a lively time was just ahead of them, and what an important service they were shortly to render. The month of September had come, and with it some slight mitigation of the intense heat, which Dick had found the only cloud upon his enjoyment of t^ ^ island paradise. It was his custom to spend much of his time while off duty up in the main-top with Tenderly as his companion, and to sweep the seas witb a fine spy-glass given him by an uncle previous to his leaving England. There was plenty of breeze up there, and a grand view of the watery world around. One morning, while thus engaged, his keen eyes made out something far away on the weather bow that caused him to shout down to the deck at the top of his voice : " Sail ho I on the weather bow I " Captain Fitewell happened to havo just come up on the quarter-deck, and hearing Dick's hail, called eagerly back to him : " Can you make her out ? What is she ? " " Yes, sir, answered Dick. " A schooner, sir." Then as the speedy frigate continued onward, he called out again : "One — two — three! Why, there's a whole fleet of them, sir, making right across our bows." . .t^j^ I; -' ;■->" .■SWf Iff^ 44 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. li I i i^li ■! 'it Instantly all was excitement and bustle on board the " Gryphon." Dick's announcement was most welcome, a lively chase being just the thing everybody hankered for. A cloud of canvas quickly spread along the yards ; the decks were cleared for action, the guns shotted, and boats made ready for boarding; while the good ship fairly snored through the whitecaps in her eagerness to overtake the schooners, Dick palpitating with joy in the main-top at the prospect of a brush with the enemy. It was soon evident that the approach of the frigate had been perceived and had created alarm among the schooners. They cracked on every stitch of canvas, and edging around to the eastward, did their best to show their pursuers a clean pair of heels. This manoeuvre cost them some loss of their lead, and the superior sailing qualities of the big square-rig vessel steadily reduced it still more. Meantime, Dick was making them out one by one until he had reported no less than a baker's dozen to the quarter-deck. " They've made out thirteen of them," said Captain Fitewell to the first lieutenant in a puzzled tone. " I am at a loss to understand what such a fleet of schoonera to- gether can mean. They can't be privateers, for birds of that feather don't usually flock together in that way, and it's equally certain they're not merchantmen." " Whatever they are, sir, they'll soon have a chance of explaining," answered the lieutenant, "for we're over- hauling them fast, you see." They were indeed overhauling tliem fast. K the wind THE BAPTISM OF FIRE. 45 only held for another half-hour they would be right in the midst of the covey. Much to their satisfaction the wind did hold, bringing the frigate down upon the schooners in fine style. " Now for some fun," cried Dick, as the crew beat to quarters, and the " Gryphon " ran between the two near- most schooners. Captain Fitewell hailed one, and Lieutenant McKins- try the other, but no response came from either, their crews crowding down behind the low bulwarks as though they expected a storm of shot to burst upon them. " Heave to instantly, or I'll sink you," roared the cap- tain, incensed at receiving no reply. Still no answer came, and the order rang out to give them each a broadside. The roar of twelve twenty-four pound guns stunned the air, followed close by the crash of splintering wood and the cries of wounded men. The schooners, damaged beyond all chance of escape, fell away from the wind and lay to in the trough of the sea, all their trim beauty vanished in a moment. " About ship, and send boats on board," shouted Cap- tain Fitewell. The order was obeyed with wonderful celerity, and no sooner were the boats safely lowered than the frigate stood on her course again in pursuit of the ether schooners. Dick was in the bow of one of the borts, and was the first to set foot on the schooner's deck ; but no attempt was made to repel the boarders, and he did not regret find ing that his tongue was the only weapon he needed to use. ^' V f' 46 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. % The secret of the fleet of schooners soon revealed itself. They had been sent out by the governor of Guadeloupe for the purpose of destroying the dock-yard at English Harbor, Antigua, and tis this important station was then insufliciently garrisoned, the Frenchman's clever scheme would no doul*; have been crowned with brilliant success but for the timely appearance of the " Gryphon," whereby three of the schooners were captured, and the rest sent flying back in dismay to Guadeloupe. Dick was warmly complimented by Captain Fitewell for having been the first to report the schooners, and Lieutenant McKinstry's interest in him deepened a*» he found him giving increasing promise of proving an ornament to the British navy. V ;i|i CHAPTER IV. A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. THE Antigua dispatches having been duly delivered, the frigate then sailed for Kingston, Jamaica, there to await further orders, which, in view of the activity shown by the French, were sure to be not long in coming. The island was at this time enjoying the very height of a prosperity that unhappily has long since departed from it, and the harbor of Kingston, where the whole navy of England could ride comnodiously, was a very forest of masts. Dick looked about him with intense interest, for he had heard much about this famous station from his shipmates, and felt eager to make its acquaintance. The harbor seemed to him the finest he had ever entered. It was an almost impregnable haven for com- merce, the mouth being guarded by a labyrinth of shoals and reefs, among which the channels were so narrow and intricate as to be easily blocked. The entrance at Port Royal was defended by very strong works, the guns ranging the whole way across, while a little farther on the attacking ships would be exposed to a cross fire from the Apostles Battery. }?.ut even if the enemy's ships should succeed iu overcoming these obstacles, before they could pass the Narrows and reach the anchorage they 47 r~" 48 TFIE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. 11 !! would inevitably be blown out of the water by the large cannon on Fort Augusta, so that the good people had reason to go unconcernedly about their business and sleep soundly in their beds, oven though the " Corsican Ogre" was known to entertain most disturbing designs upon them and their stronghold. They had no lack of business to look after too, for the whole of the trade of terra firma from Porto Cavello down to Chagres, the greater part of the commerce of Cuba and St. Domingo, und even that of Lima and San Bias and other ports of the Pacific carried on across the Isthmus of Darien, centred at Kingston, the result being that a stream of gold p,ud silver to the extent of millions of pounds sterling per annum flowed through the city into England in return for another of British manufactures, and the fortunate Kingstonians took toll from both to their great pecuniary advantage. At the first opportunity Dick obtained leave to go on shore for both himself and Tenderly, and so one fiue morning they set o& " to do the town." They found the hot sandy streets full of bustle. Long lines of drays were conveying goods from the wharf to the stores, and from the stores to the Spanish Posadas. The merchants of the place, active, sharp-looking men, were seen grouped under the piazzas dickering with their Spanish customers, or perched on top of the bales and boxes just landed await- ing the coming of the Dons with their trains of Negro servants and pockets full of gold coin. The town itself looked very attractive, with its low i A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. 49 spacious houses surrounded by broad piazzas, gayly painted white and green, and formed by the roofs pro- jecting beyond the brick walls. On the ground floor those piazzas were open, and when the houses adjoined each other they formed a continuous covered way that afforded a most grateful shelter from the sun. On the upper floor, however, the balconies were shut in by movable blinds, called "jalousies," like large-bladed Venetian blinds, fixed on frames with glazed sashes at intervals to admit light in bad weather when the blinds had to be closed. In the upper part of the city the houses stood back, each in its own piece of ground, having a garden filled with vines, fruit trees, palms, and cocoanut trees in front, and a court of Negroes' quarters and oflSces behind, with a draw-well in the centre generally overshadowed by a mag- nificent wild tamarind, the whole effect being very pic- turesque, and having an air of exceeding comfort. The two boys, undeterred by the blazing sun, strolled along through street after street, their eyes taking in the novel and entertaining panorama passing before them, and their tongues hard at work exchanging comments upon it. They were in the best of humor to enjoy everything, for they had not yet got entirely used to their uniform, and felt themselves to be young persons of con- siderable importance, and fairly entitled to the respectful interest of the people of the place. " I wish we knew some of the folks about here," said Dick. "Those gardens look so tempting. I wonder D 60 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. y '! iil ; I what they'd think of us if we were to ask permission to pick a little fruit. There seems to be a great deal more of it than they can use, for see, it's rotting on the ground." " That's so," responded Arthur, who had a keen appre- ciation of good things, and whose mouth had been water- ing for some of the delicious fruit which abounded on either hand. "Suppose we try. They can't do worse than say no, anyway." Screwing his courage to the asking point, Dick, fol- lowed closely by Arthur, marched up the path to the door of one of the houses where the fruit seemed to be in greater abundance, and gave a very uncertain sort of knock. There was no response, and, his resolution having sud- denly deserted him, he was about to turn tail and make for the street again, when around the corner of the piazza there appeared a young lady, looking very charming in a white muslin dress and broad leghorn hat, who quickly came up with a pleasant smile, and asked : " Were you knocking without getting any answer ? " "Well — er — ^yes, ma'am," murmured Dick, blushing furiously and looking as guilty as if he had been caught helping himself to the fruit without first asking permission. " And was it Mr. Wilson you wanted to see ? " inquired the young lady, ardently anxious to help him out of his embarrassment. " Er — er — no, ma'am," replied Dick ; and then realizing that the sooner their presence at the door was explained the better, he blurted out with sudden energy : " The fact iSf ma'am, we were passing by your garden, and seeing r * tissioD to sal more ground." n appre- n water- nded on lo worse ick, fol- the door 1 greater knock, ing sud- id make e piazza ling in a quickly rer?" blushing I caught •mission, inquired it of his 'ealizing ^plained The fact i seeing fr' r r i ! I If I ' 1^- i :] in hi ni The Good Ship Gryphon. Page 51. A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. 51 such a lot of firuit it made our mouths water, and we thought we'd just ask if we might have a taste." The smile upon the young lady's face had been growing broader as the true meaning of the boys' action dawned upon her, and entering heartily into the spirit of the affair, she said in a tone of unmistakable warmth : " Well, I'm very glad you honored us with this request, and if you'll just come with me now you may pick and eat to your hearts' content." Quite restored to his wonted self-possession by the courteous speech, Dick touched his cap, and with a hearty " Thank you, Tnn.'am ; I'm sure you're very kind," gave Tenderly a triuL I: look, as though to say : " See how well I've managed . xVow for a good blowout." " What we have in front of the house is only for show," said their smiling hostess, " but if you'll come with me, I'll take you to our back garden, of which I don't mind confessing we're rather proud, for we've tried with some success to have in it nearly every kind of fruit that grows on the island." Mentally felicitating themselves upon their wonderful good fortune, the two midshipmen took their places on either side of the young lady as she proceeded around the corner of the house, and along a flagged pathway between two hedges brilliant with convolvuli and passion flowers into a magnificent garden, the like of which they had never seen in their lives before. Here, mingled in apparent confiision, but really ac- cording to careful method, flourished in prodigal profusion r \ 52 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. , i| I I I sufficient tropical fruit to constitute a veritable garden of Eden. The orange trees were heavy with globes in all stages of progression, from dull green to dropping ripe, and side by side with them stood the citron, lemon, and lime trees, each bearing their own balls of juicy richnessi Then there were the stately, glossy-leaved star apple, the golden shaddock and grape fruit, with their slender branches bending under their ponderous yellow burden ; the cashew, with its apple like those of the city of the plain, fair to look at, but acrid to the taste, to which the far-famed nut was appended like a bud; the avocada, with its enormous pear ; the bread fruit, with a leaf big enough for an apron, and a fruit for all the world in size and shape like a blackamoor's head ; while lying closer to the ground were the green, fresh, dew-spangled plant- ain, always cool in the hottest of days ; the cocoa-root, the yam, and the granadilla, with their long vines twining up the neighboring trees and shrubs like hop tendrils ; the pineapple, growing into the hedgerows and forming part of them ; the custard apple, with its russet bags of cold pudding : and then, towering aloft over all, were the tall, graceful cocoa-nut, the majestic palm, and the splen- did wild cotton tree. Dick drew a deep breath of wonder and admiration aa his eyes took in the details of this glorious garden. "My goodness," he exclaimed, "I wish my mother could see this I " The young lady turned upon him a quick glanoe of sympathy. A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. 53 "Your mother?" she queried, in a tone of interest "She is in England, I suppose. You can't have gardens like this there, can you ? " "Yes, she is in Kent," answered Dick, with a half- smothered sigh. And then it suddenly occurred to him that it was full time he introduced himself to his fair entertainer. He went on in a somewhat bashful way: "I ought to tell our names, ma'am. This is Arthur Tenderly and I am Hichard Holland, midshipmen of H. M. a * Gryphon.' " " Mr. Holland and Mr. Tenderly, I am very glad to make your acquaintance in this informal way, and after you have put our garden to the proof, I am going to present you to my mother, who has a great liking for naval officers, and is always glad to welcome them to the house. But, first of all, I must tell you that n / name is Miss Wilson. And now won't you try which of the differ- ent trees has the nicest fruit on it ? " The boys promptly accepted the challenge, and during the next half-hour, amid much laughter and chatter, they managed to sample nearly every fruit-bearing tree and vine in the garden, not crying halt until the increasing tightness of their waistbands warned them that they had about reached the limit of their stowage capacity for the present. "It's really very kind of you, Miss Wilson," said Dick, "and I'm sure we're ever so much obliged to you, aren't we, Arthur?" turning to his companion, who bowed an emphatic assent. "But I think we've i hi* \ r^ 54 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. I i\ I i' stayed long enough now, and ought to be getting under way again." " Indeed, you're not going until mother has seen you," responded Miss Vilson. "She would give me a big scolding if I let you run away in that manner. You must come into the house with me now." Had he consulted his own inclinations, Dick would have begged to be excused, but after the very great kind- ness with which their intrusion had been treated, he felt that it would be showing an ill grace to refuse Miss Wilson's request, so he put himself in her hands to do as she wished- Conducting the. two boys into the drawing room, which they found most gratefully dim and cool after the glare and heat of the garden, she went off into another part of the house, promising to return in a few minutes. For the first time since the beginning of their adventure they had a chance to compare notes. " My eye I " exclaimed Dick, thrusting himself more deeply into the yielding cushions of a luxurious satin- covered lounge. " But we made a great shot this time, didn't we ? I hope the old lady will take the same view of our impertinence as her daughter." " I hope so too," answered Tenderly. " But she can't very well be anything but civil now that we're in her house by her daughter's invitation, can she ? " Tenderly was of a nervous, apprehensive temperament, and was always looking about for comfort and reassurance when in any situation of real or apparent difficulty. ^ti A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. 65 " Of course not," responded Dick, with prompt decision. "She'll be civil enough without a doubt. What I'm wondering is whether she'll take to us as kindly as the daughter did. It would be jolly to have some friends here, wouldn't it?" Further speculation on the subject was here brought to au end by the sound of footsteps coming along the hall, aud presently Miss Wilson re-entered the room with another lady at her side, to whom her resemblance was so striking that it did not take very keen eyes to decide their relationship. "Mother, this is Mr. Holland and this is Mr. Ten- derly," said she, as the midshipmen rose to their feet and made the best bow they could manage. " I am very glad indeed to see you both," said Mrs. Wilson, in a tone of great cordiality. " Pray be seated again and rest yourselves." Thoroughly reassured by her manner no less than her words, the boys resumed their seats, and soon found them- selves talking away to the ladies as freely as though they were friends of long standing. Mrs. Wilson was the very picture of comeliness and geniality, her buxom form, bright, fresh face, sparkling eyes, and snowy hair giving her a very attractive appear- ance, which was increased by an expression of sincere kindliness that was habitual with her. She was a woman whose happiness lay chiefly in making others happy, and as she smiled upon Dick, he thought her, next to his own mother, the most beautiful woman he had ever known. \ ( ! r I 66 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. ** May I ask, Mr. Holland," said she, after they had been talking together a little, " if you are any relation to Captain Holland who was on the station some years ago in the * Thetis ' ? " " I am his son," replied Dick, simply, coloring up at the thought of his father, whose memory was very dear to him, little as they had seen of one another until the latter retired from active service. " You are his son ? " exclaimed Mrs. Wilson. " Then you are doubly welcome to this house, for we knew your father well, and many an evening he spent with us. How glad I am that you found us out in this curious way I It seems quite providential. You must feel perfectly at home here, and come and see us as often as possible." The tears came into Dick's eyes at Mrs. Wilson's kind speech. She had known his father well, and he had often been in her house. How strange it all seemed, and how pleasant for the lad who often felt desperately home- sick still, in spite of his innate fondness for the sea and firm resolution to stick to it until he had risen to the rank of admiral or had given his life in fulfillment of duty I He found it difficult to say anything in reply to Mrs. Wilson who, with womanly instinct understanding his em- barrassment, made a diversion by asking him a number of questions about his ship, and how he liked the life on board, and so forth, until he felt perfectly at ease again. She was very cordial in her invitation for them both to remain to dinner, but this they were not able to do as their leave was up at one o'clock ; so, after promising to 4 A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. 67 call the very first time they were on shore again, they took their departure in high spirits at the surprising suc- cess of their bold invasion of 4ie tempting fruit garden. " We came out of that scrape a good deal better than I ever imagined we would, I tell you," said Dick, as they walked rapidly back to the landing where they would meet the boat to take them off to their ship ; " and what s more, I'm going to take Mrs. Wilson at her word, and pay her as many visits as I can while the * Gryphon's ' in port. She seems just like a mother to me already." "You'll take me with you sometimes, won't you, Dick?" asked Tenderly, with a pleading tone in his voice. " Of course I will, Arthur," responded Dick, in quite a patronizing tone, for to tell the truth he felt a bit puffed up concerning his new-found friends, and intended to boast somewhat about them when he got back to the gun room. They were just in time to catch the boat and report themselves to the first lieutenant as " Come aboard, sir," before all hands were piped to dinner, and then they were on duty for the rest of the day. At the first opportunity, Dick made inquiry about the Wilsons of those who were familiar with Kingston, and was delighted to learn that Mr. Wilson was one of the most important men in the place, and that he was esteemed very fortunate in having the entred to his house. When Bulstrode heard of his adventure and its pleas- f s '1 THE GOOb SHIP GRYPHON. ant termination, be evidently took it very much amids and had something to say in a sneering tone about " that young puppy, Dickey-bird, who was always keeping such a good lookout for number one, but would find himself on the wrong tack some fine day." The fact of the matter was, Bulstrode did his very best to make Dick's lot as hard as possible He envied the lad because of the manifest superiority he displayed in both mental and physical exercises, and hated him for his popularity with his senior oflicers, particularly the first lieutenant, who showed Dick as much favor as was consistent with good discipline. In point of age Ejulstrode was the senior midshipman but, owing in part to natural slowness of mind and in part to his sullen, slothful disposition, he was far behind others who were several years younger in regard to knowl- edge of duties and drill. Dull as he was he had soon recognized in Dick a shipmate whose rivalry would inev- itably become dangerous before long, and his one aim was to try and make the " Gryphon " so uncomfortable for him that he would take an early opportunity of get- ting changed into some other ship. Now of such a thing Dick had not the slightest notion. He thought the " Gryphon " a splendid ship — and in fact she was one of the finest frigates of the British navy at the time. He firmly believed Captain Fitewell to be one of the most distinguished officers afloat, and in Lieu- tenant McKinstry he saw the beau ideal of a sailor whose example he could not imitate too closely. A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. 59 It is true the atmosphere of the gun room could hardly be called congenial. Here Bulstrode held a kind of leadership by dint of sheer brute force more than any- thing else, for he certainly had neither friends nor admirers, although his plentiful supply of pocket-money always insured him a number of satellites. Coarse and profane as Bulstrode had been before Dick's appearance, he was much more so afterward. He could see that Dick detested oaths, and loathed lewd speeches and stories, so he inflicted as many upon him as he could, the result be ing that poor Dick was practically driven out of the room except at meal time, or when his tormentor was on watch, and but for the companionship of Arthur Tenderly would often have been desperately lonely. As it was, the two of them spent many hours together in the main-top studying their lessons or reading such books as the oflicers would lend them, and thus their friendship grew steadfastly stronger. Tenderly being greatly benefited by Dick's sturdy independence, the spirit of which he strove eagerly to catch and share. Of course by complaining to the first lieutenant Dick might have had the hardships of his lot materially miti- gated, but rather than turn " tattle-tale " he would have endured five times the persecution. It was wholly con- trary to his disposition tc do anything of the kind. But had he been so disposed, his experiences would have kept him from it. In the school in which he had been brought up, the bo} who " peached " put himself in <■ I J' 60 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. much the same categor}' as a spy in time of war. He became a pariah and was tabooed by all his play- mates, never again to be restored to their confidence. Trying as the situation was, Dick determined to bear it in silence, trusting that Providence would in due time make the rough places smooth. /" CHAPTER V. A TRIP INLAND. THE stay of the " Gryphon " at Kingston was a happy time with Dick. While in port the duties of a junior midshipman are not heavy, and he was able to obtain leave to go on shore nearly every day. When he did land it was not often that he did not steer straight for Mr. Wilson's where he was sure to be warmly welcomed, and made to share in any programme of pleasure the family had arranged. It was thus that he came to accompany them when, together with some friends, they paid a visit to one of Mr. Wilson's plantations in the interior, whose sugar product yielded a material portion of his income. For such an expedition Dick would have to obtain special leave, as he would be absent the greater part of a week, but this was managed easily enough through t^e kind offices of Lieutenant McKinstry, and on a beautiful Wednesday morning Dick presented himself at Mr. Wilson's door accompanied by a sailor boy bearing' a bag in which he had packed his necessary belongings. He was in high spirits at the prospect of the trip, and amused the older folk very much by his merry speeches and evident difficulty in restraining himself from cutting all sorts of capers as the party was assembling. 61 . -J^C«»' 62 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON, They were to ride to their destination, and fortunately Dick's early education had included a knowledge of the saddle ; for close by his home in Kent stood the Willows, the country seat of Sir William Maitland, and with the baronet's oldest son Dick had been on terms of the great- est intimacy. There were several ponies in the stables of the Willows, one of which was always at Dick's disposal, and in company with Harold Maitland he had explored every highway and bye-way for miles around, as weU as taken many a ride across country at the tail of the gal- loping regiment of fox-hunters. When the horses were brought around to the front, Dick was allotted a sturdy little gray that looked just fitted to his weight, ^nd without waiting for the others, he vaulted into the saddle and began caracoling about in fine style. " Why, Master Holland, what a horseman you are I " said Mr. Wilson, watching him with an expression of mingled amusement and admiration. " When did you learn to ride like that ? " "At home, sir," answered Dick, managing quite cleverly to touch his cap with one hand, while he reined in his steed with the other. " I used to ride a great deal there with Hal Maitland." ** Well, you've evidently made yourself a master of the noble art of horsemanship," said Mr. Wilson, " and I'm very glad now I've given you the little gray, for he is as full of spirit as yourself, and you ought to get along together finely." A TRIP INLAND. 63 As if the horse understood their speech it set up a pranciDg and curvetting that might have disconcerted a rider with less firm seat than Dick, but he was quite equal to the occasion and easily controlled his lively mount, while the others one by one got into their saddles and made ready to start. At last they got off amid a shower of " good-byes " and good wishes, the party being made up as follows : Mr. Wilson, mounted upon a sturdy black cob of dignified demeanor, befitting its rider ; Miss Wilson, controlling with light but firm hand, a beautiful white mare ; Dick, dancing along on his lively grey, and a couple of the younger members of the neighboring family, Alice and Frank Romayne, the one about the same age as Miss Wilson and the other a contemporary of Dick's, each mounted upon his own pony and ready for a good time. Mrs. Wilson remained at home as the long ride would be too severe a tax upon her strength. The day was all that could be desired, and the little cavalcade made good progress along the white, dusty road which wound its way through dense masses of tropical foliage that admirably served to shield the travelers from the glare of the sun. It was Dick's first ride in the West Indies, and his quick observant eyes found a thou- sand things that called forth his wonder and delight. Now it would be a beautiful bird flashing in a frightened way across the road, and again it would be a huge, hide- ous lizard basking luxuriously in the heat and too lazy to move as they trotted noisily by. 64 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. Then the wonders of foliage, fruit, and flower called forth his constapt admiration, and he was every minute asking Miss Wilson, at whose side he rode, to tell him the names of the different trees and plants. This was not out of mere curiosity, but from a genuine thirst for knowl- edge. No boy could be more eager to learn than Dick. Everything about him was so novel to him that he was full of eagerness to get rid of his ignorance as rapidly as possible, and be had no false pride as to asking questions. He was quite willing for his friends to know the extent of his unfamiliarity with what he saw just in order that they might instruct him. Mr. Wilson finding him so interested in his surround- ings, pointed out the various estates they passed, telling him something about the history of each and of their owners, for he was a man of large information, having spent more than a quarter of a century on the island, and had many striking stories to tell concerning his fellow- residents. The farther they left the city behind the fewer grew the residences, and when they reached the base of the Liguanea Mountains, which towered nearly five thousand feet into the air, they were practically in the wilderness. " How would you like to own a plantation here and go into sugar-raising, Dick ? " asked M r. Wilson, with a quizzical look, as they slowly ascended a steep slope. Dick hesitated a little before replying. To his mind there was nothing to be compared to a sailor's life, and he saw no attraction whatever in being bound down to \. A TRIP INLAND, 65 rew the sand 3SS. go L a lind land to any shore-going occupation. But ho shrank from saying this too bluntly lest it might offend his kind host, whose interests were altogether connected with terra firma. " I really don't know, sir," he said, slowly. " I never tried it, you know, and I've always thought of the sea because my father was a sailor, I suppose." "Answered like a diplomat," laughed Mr. Wilson. " It was hardly a fair question to ask you, but you've parried it most skillfully. Of course you prefer the sea, especially in these exciting times, and could not bear the thought of settling down to any such hum-drum business as sugar-planting." " That's about it, sir," answered Dick. " I like excite- ment, and the more I get of it the better I like it." " Well, my boy," returned Mr. Wilson, a serious ex- pression beclouding his face, " it's more than likely that you will have all the excitement you can wish for during the next few years. Napoleon is determined to make himself master of the West Indies. Nothing less than the undisputed possession of the whole chain^ not even excepting Cuba will satisfy his ambition, and I fear there will be much precious blood shed and many fine vessels destroyed before the issue is finally settled. Not that I have any doubt as to the result. Britain will win in the end as sure as there is a wise Providence overruling human aflTairs, but it may be at terrible cost. God grant that you, Dick, may pass safely through the perils you will inevitably have to face." He was silent for a moment as though thinking deeply, E ■M \ 66 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. lih «i Then glaucing up at the sky he exclaimed, suddenly: " Hullo 1 I don't like the look of that cloud. Tin afraid there's a rain storm coming on. We must look out for shelter." So saying he put spurs to his horse, and bidding the others whip up theirs he set off along the road at a hard canter, the whole party following closely behind. The road wound around a precipitous spur of the mountains, and on looking up along the ridge, a lowering mass of clouds could be seen which gradually spread out and began to roll downward upon the tree tops, while along its lower edge hung a fringe of dark vapor that shifted about, and shot out and shortened like streamers. "Ride! ridel" shouted Mr. Wilson, looking back over his shoulder, as he pressed his horse into a full gallop. " We've not a moment to lose." At top speed they dashed along the road, the dust rising in great clouds and whirling in their faces as the wind caught it and carried it upward. Already the sound of the rain falling in torrents higher up the mountain side could be heard. " Quicker I quicker ! " cried Mr. Wilson, the foam fall- ing from his hors<^,'s mouth as he urged it onward. Then with a glad shout of " Here we are," he reined up short before a break in the forest wall into which he turned, and another quick run of not more than a hundred yards brought him to a large building, the big doors of which happily stood wide open. Without waiting to dismount he headed straight for it. A TRIP INLAND. 67 dust the sound itain fall- iThen short |rned, ^ards rhich For it. the rest doing likewise, and just as the rain came down with true tropical violence, they all found themselves safely sheltered in a huge barn or storehouse, with the position of which Mr. Wilson was fortunately familiar. " Ah, ha I " he exclaimed, in a tone of great relief, as he dismounted from his panting steed. " That was a very close shave. Just see what we escaped ! " That moment the rain — if rain it might be called, for it was indeed more like a waterspout — began to fail from the lower edge of the black cloud with a strong, rushing noise, that increased as it approached to a loud roar, worthy of a first-class waterfall. As it came along, it seemed to devour the rocks and trees, for they disappeared behind the watery screen the instant it reached them. Down came the deluge in this fashion for the space of nearly fifteen minutes, the well-protected party watching it with bated breath and grateful hearts at having so fortunately escaped not merely the drenching, but the danger of a stroke of lightning, for a terrible thunder- storm accompanied the rain. " Do you often have such storms as this, Mr. Wilson ? '* asked Dick, bethinking himself that it would not be very pleasant to be out in an open boat off an exposed coast in the midst of so furious a turmoil of the elements. " Not very often, Dick, I am happy to say," replied Mr, Wilson, " and when they do come they don't last long. See, this one is clearing off already. We will soon be able to resume our journey." Sure enough, the rain was coming down less violently, m 1 \ 68 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. H i and the darkness was giving way. Almost as rapidly aa it had gathered^ the storm cleared off again, and after waiting awhile to allow the drippings from the trees to cease, Mr. Wilson gave orders to remount, and in a few minutes they were all in their saddles. " We shall have to ride more carefully now," said their leader, " for no doubt the road has suffered a good deal of damage." The road had been gullied badly wherever it dipped, and there were many pools still standing upon it, so that the pace of the riders was a much slower one than before the storm. But this did not matter very seriously, as ample time had been allowed for the trip, and the sun was still high in thte now cloudless sky, when Mr. Wilson said: " Ah, here we are, and I'm right glad of it, for I'm beginning to feel decidedly hungry, as I've no doubt you all are, eh?" " I think we're all quite ready to enjoy our dinners," responded Miss Romayne, with a laugh. " For my part, I never felt hungrier in my life." " Well, my dear, unless my orders miscarried, I believe I can promise you a fairly respectable repast, for old Nancy has by no means yet forgotten her culinary skill." And Mr. Wilson smacked his lips in a serio-comic way. They had turned off the main road and were proceed- ing along an avenue lined with lofty trees, beyond which the fields of sugar-cane stretched away in great billows of gold and green. Presently they came to an open space ; A TRIP INLAND. 69 >» led- ich of 36 carpeted with thick grass, at the farther end of which Btood a comfortable-looking house. "There you are, Dick," said Mr. Wilson, pointing toward the house. " That's Mangrove Cottage, and this," giving a semi-circular sweep with his hand, " is the best yielding sugar plantation I have." Dick looked about him with deep interest, and as the thought of this lovely plaC/C being only one of several owned by his host came into his mind, a doubt as to whether, after all, it was not better to be a planter than even the captain of as fine a frigate as the " Gryphon " made its appearance, only, however, to be summarily dis- missed again. In response to Mr. Wilson's commanding call of " Boys ! boys I " half a dozen Negroes came running around the corner of the house with beaming faces of welcome, for their owner was one of the kindest masters on the island, and his slaves regarded him as a friend to be loved, and not as a tyrant to be feared. Dick had come to the West Indies with some precon- ceived ideas about slavery, based mainly upon the stories his father had brought home concerning atrocities wit- nessed by him, but what he witnessed here gave him an altogether new conception of the institution, although he could not bring himself to approve of it. There were in all nearly a hundred slaves upon the estate, and a heartier, healthier, happier lot of Negroes he had never seen anywhere. They had their quarters at the back of the house, with a space of a couple of hundred \. I 'li 70 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON, yards between, and their homes were low, broad, comfort- able huts, having walls of basket-work plastered over with claj, and thick roofs thatched with palm leaves, while the floors were of baked clay — firm, smooth, and dry. After a refreshing luncheon, which all enjoyed with great relish, Mr. Wilson carried off his guests to make a tour of the estate, and was very entertaining as he took them about from point to point of interest. It seemed as though every kind of fruit known to the tropics flourished within the boundaries of the property, and the young folks had a grand time trying the respective merits of avoca- das, granadillas, custard a2)ples, and a dozen other kinds of nature's delicious dainties. They concluded their tour with a visit to the Negro quarters, which they reached just as the blowing of a large conch-shell at the overseer's house called the field gangs into dinner. With a quickness that showed how eagerly they had been awaiting the summons, they came along the paths, dancing, shouting, and play- ing all sorts of practical jokes upon one another in their delighted anticipation of a good dinner, with a full hour and half in which to enjoy it. They looked the very picture of comfort and content, the men being well clad in osnaburg shirts and trousers, and the women in baize petticoats and osnaburg waists, with a neat, printed calico gown over all. So utterly different was the picture from what Dick had imagined it would be, that he could not restrain an S'egro of a field how they )lay- )aize Lico )ick an A TRIP INLAND. 71 exclamation of surprise, that aroused Mr. Wilson's curi- osityi and led to a number of questionsi in answering which, Dick frankly explained his state of mind. " And so you thought every slaveholder was a sort of ogre, did you, Dick?" asked Mr. Wilson, with a smile that showed he felt no resentment " Well, I don't won- der at it, either, in view of the things they say about us at home, and I'm very glad I've had the chance of proving to you that we planters are not quite so black as some people paint us. You see how contented my slaves look. Well, I never allow the whip to be used on any of my estates, and the consequence is that my slaves are so eager to stay with me that if any of them are shirking work, or behaving badly in any other way, I have only to threaten to sell them to a neighbor of mine, who is notorious for using his people with great severity, in order to bring them back to good conduct. At the same time, Dick," he went on, " I may tell you frankly, that I do not think slavery a blessing by any means, and wiU be very glad for one when it is found possible to do away with it altogether." "That will be a splendid thing, won't it, sir?" ex- claimed Dick, with glowing face. "I'm not quite so sure about it, Dick," replied Mr. Wilson. "Perhaps after the slaves get their freedom, they won't know how to make a good use of it. But of course that's not our business so long as it is right that they should be free." They had got back to the house by this time, and the i i I) i i ' f 72 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. heat of the sun being very great, they went in-doore for a siesta, for which everybody was quite ready, having made such an early start in the morning. Two hours later they gathered again on the shady side of the piazza, awaiting the summons to dinner, which presently came booming out from the big, cool dining room, as the cook proudly banged a gong upon the man- tel-piece. In high good-humor they took their places, and amid much talk and laughter showed a keen appre- ciation of the good things which had been abundantly provided. By the time the meal had been disposed of in a leisurely fashion, and Mr. Wilson had enjoyed his usual after-dinner smoke^ it was too dark to go about, so the lamps were lit, and Mr. Wilson sent for some of the best singers in the " quarters " to come up and entertain his guests with their quaint and sweet melodies. In response to the order, a dozen or more of both sexes presently made their appearance, all dressed in their holiday garments, and looking radiant at being honored by a command to appear before " Massa and his folks." Then followed a programme of songs and dances that hugely pleased Dick, to whom it was more novel than to any of the others. Although necessarily under consider- able restraint from the presence of so many "buccra folk,'' still there was enough wildness about both the music and the dancing to make them very striking to the English boy, to whom the whole scene seemed so wierd and strange, and he gave such close attention that the others ) A TRIP INLAND. 73 "You may laugh at me, if you like, but you know I've CHAPTER VI. / I ■' I WORK AFTER PLAY. THERE was abundant accommodation at the Man- groves for the whole party, and in good time they retired to their rooms as they would have to make au early start the next morning. It was Dick's first experi- ence of a night ashore in the tropics, and he had rather a disturbed time of it, for with the darkness came a chorus of noises the like of which he had never heard before. It was a combination of numberless reptiles and insects on the earth, in the air, and in the water, each variety seeming to be striving to surpass the others in the vigor and persistency of its peculiar utterance, while, as if to accentuate the performance, huge beetles with bodies as big as a walnut would every now and then come sailing in through the open window, and go cruising around the room with a noise like a humming-top, banging against the walls at intervals in apparent endeavors to dash out their brains. " Bless my heart, I wish the creatures would stop their row," groaned Dick, who sorely wanted to get to sleep. " I think I'll shut the window and see if that will be any better." So saying he sprang out of bed and started across the room, but hardly had he put his foot to the fiooi than it 74 WORK AFTER PLAY. 76 wafl seized Id what felt like the grip of red-hot pincers, and before he could restrain himself he let out a shout of alarm that brought young Romayne rushing into his room, followed closely by Mr. Wilson, bearing a light in his hand. They found Dick sitting on the edge of the bed, and struggling manfully to release the big toe of his right foot from the grasp of a big land-crab that had clapper-clawed it with vicious energy, and now hung on like grim death. "Oh I hoi my boy," exclaimed Mr. Wilson, as he laughed heartily, reassured at finding the matter was not more serious. " Is that what startled you. Well, we'll soon rid you of your new acquaintance who wants to be so unduly intimate." Seizing a stick Mr. Wilson thrust it into the crack of the crab's jaws and wrenched them open, releasing the captured toe, then deftly snatching up the crustacean he flung it out at the window. " There, Dick," said he, " that disposes of the intruder, and now let us see how severely you are wounded." Fortunately the bite was not a severe one, the first agony of it having been the worst and, having bound it up in a cooling bandage, Mr. Wilson bade Dick " Good- night" again, with the hope that he would have no additional disturbance. Thoroughly tired out by this time, Dick fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow, despite the grumblings of his big toe, and it was broad daylight before he awoke. After an early breakfast the horses were brought to the i 76 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. I" door and the party mounted for the homeward journey, which was accomplished without especial incident before midday. The same afternoon, Dick, with many expres- sions of gratitude for the pleasure he had been afforded, returned to the " GrypLon," where Tenderly greeted him as warmly as if he had been away for a whole month. The fact of the matter was the poor boy felt utterly alone without Dick. He had no other friend on board the frigate, and in Dick's absence mooned about in a de- pressed way that made the other midshipmen laugh at him all the more, but without any effect upon him. He greatly enjoyed Dice's lively account of his experi- ences ashore and said in such a longing tone, " Oh, Dick, how I wish I had been with you I " that Dick promised him he would certainly ask Mr. Wilson to take him if they ever went on such an expedition again. The next day, however, there came word aboard the "Gryphon" which meant that something more serious than pleasure trips ashore would have to be considered. All shore-going was stonped, messengers were sent to recall the officers already on leave, and the entire crew was kept busy getting the ship ready to sail at an hour's notice. The reason for this bustle was presently made known. One of the first acts of the French after war with Britain had again broken out, was to put into commission a num- ber of privatoers, swift-sailing schooners of comparatively small size, but capable of doing a vast deal of mischief to unprotected merchant vessels. These pests of the sea WORK AFTER PLAY. 77 y f la were in sore need of severe discipline, and the " Gryphon," as one of the fleetest frigates on the station, had been Stilected to administer it. Captaia Fitewell would have much preferred being sent after more important game, but he confided this to no one save his first lieutenant, and seemed as eager to get away as if he was realizing the desire of his heart. As the result of lively stirring around, the frigate was in readiness to sail the following morning, and when the final orders came from the admiral, she threaded her way out of the harbor, and by midday was bowling along be- fore a westerly breeze in the direction of Martinique. Although sorry at being so suddenly separated from his new-found friends, to \\hom he had already become warmly attached, Dick was pleased at the prospect of his ship having something to do, and he looked forward to the chasing of the privateers with lively expectation. He had a cordial antipathy to the French, in large part of courae inherited from his father, and he firmly believed that the crushing of the power of Bonaparte would be the greatest blessing that Britain could confer upon the civilized world. Hence he was full of eagerness to share in anything that would, however remotely, help toward that conclusion. He was far from being of a blood- thirsty disposition. He saw nothing attractive in war of itself. But he had a high sense of duty, and cherished an inspiring conviction that if he were only faithful and prompt to avail himself of the opportunities that pre- sented themselves he might contribute something to the 1 ii \ 78 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. i !' result, the ultimate certainty of which he never for a moment doubted. The first day out from Kingston was a glorious one, the wind being just right, the sky unclouded, the heat not oppressive, and the "Gryphon" showing to the best advantage as she raced through the white-caps that curled away from her foreports as if they were glad to make way for her. Dick and Tenderly, not being on duty, had climbed up to their favorite eyrie in the main-top and were snugly ensconced there enjoying a quiet talk to- gether. " I'm glad we're off again," said Dick, " even if it is only to chase privateers. It's not much fun staying in port, is it, Arthur ? " Arthur did not assent at all promptly or heartily. For his part he very much preferred being in port. There was nothing martial in his spirit, and the less he got of active service the better he would be pleased. "Why, Arthur," laughed Dick, looking at him curi- ously, " I really believe you'd rather stay in port." " Well, I would, Dick, and I don't mind saying so to you, although I wouldn't like any of the others to hear it," confessed Arthur, looking very shamefaced. "I'm not fond of fighting and it's no use pretending that I am. »> Dick felt a strong inclination to make a remark ex- pressive of his contempt for such a lack of spirit, but there was so pathetic an expression in Arthur's pale face that he kept it back, and in a moment was very glad that WORK AFTER PLAY. 79 to jar 'm I it 36 It I \ he did, for poor Tenderly, reading in his open counte- nance something of what was passing in his mind and dreading lest the words should come, put up his hands in a pleading way, saying : " Don't, Dick, please. I know you think me a con- temptible coward. That's what all the other fellows call me. But, please, don't you say it too. You're the only one that shows me any kindness, and it would break my heart if you were to turn against me." It gave Dick a curious feeling of superiority to have a companion older and taller than himself appeal to him in this way. " I wasn't going to call you a coward, Arthur," said he, putting his hand on the other's shoulder. " You can't help not liking the navy. You didn't choose it for your- self as I did, and it seems too bad that you have to stay in it. But, look here, Arthur, since you can't get out of it, you must try and make the best of it. So you ought to pray to God to give you strength and courage." *' I do, Dick," murmured Arthur, with a half-sob. " I pray like that every day, but somehow or other I don't seem to get any braver." " But you will, Arthur, you will," responded Dick, with a confidence that sent a thrill of hope through his com- panion. " Just keep on praying and do your best, and it'll all come right, see if it doesn't." Dick had an unfaltering faith in Providence. The privilege of divine protection and guidance was as real to him as the discipline of the ship. On the fly-leaf of his \ 80 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. iv ;.i . Bible, his mother had written in her clear, firm hand : " Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass " ; and this precious text might be said to furnish the keynote of his life, so that even though the problem Tenderly presented was by no means one easy of solution, Dick entertained not the slightest skepticism about its right solution in due time. As the day waned, the weather indicatio^as grew un- favorable and the sun set amid a turmoil of angry-look- ing clouds that betokened rough weather for the morrow. This promise was amply fulfilled, for with the morning came a wild northwester that tested the staunch frigate's sailing capacity to the utmost. When Dick turned out he found the cloud of canvas that had covered the yards the preceding day snugly stowed, while under a close- reefed main-topsail and reefed fore-sail, with top-gallant yards and royal masts and everything that could be struck with safety in war time, down on deck, the " Gry- phon " was rolling and pitching furiously as she tore her way through the boiling sea. What a splendid sight the noble ship presented as she drove onward before the gale with her clear, black bends and bright, white streak, the long tier of cannon on the main-deck and the carronades on the quarter-deck and forecastle grinning through the ports in the black bul- warks, while the white hammocks, carefully covered by the L.immock cloths, crowned the defenses fore and aft. Bravely she plunged through the green surge — one min- ute rolling and rising on the curling white crest of a be ry- ler ift. lin- a I WORK AFTER PLAY. 81 mountainous sea, amid a hissing storm of spray, with her bright copper glancing from stem to stern, and her scanty white canvas swelling aloft, and twenty feet of her keel forward occasionally hove into the air clear out of the water, as if she had been a sea-bird rushing to take wing, and the next, sinking almost out of sight into the trough between two gigantic billows. This was the sort of thing that Dick heartily delighted in, and as he stood his watch upon deck, he enjoyed the plunging motion of the vessel like a rider rejoicing in the springing of his steed beneath him as he galloped over an expanse of open common. The northwester blew steadily all that day, but moder- ated considerably during the night, so that the following morning more sail could be carried and a straight course set for Martinique. That afternoon a merchant vessel was sighted and boarded, from which the information was obtained that the famous French privateer schooner, " L'Harmonie," which had done more damage to British commerce than any other of her class, had just taken a prize into the harbor - i Mari'i in the Bay of St. Ann, Martinique. Captain Fitewell rubbed his hands with gLiu>ii geitmg this news. " Ah ! ha ! " said he, " if the information is corr^-ct, we've got the very rascal I'm most particularly iinxxous to capture snugly in a corner, out of which he won't get until we bring him." " Do you propose to enter the harbor, sir ? " inquired F i u ,• 82 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. hm IP 'si I Lieutenant McKinstry. "They say it is pretty well defended." "That's the very thing I do propose to do, lieutenant," replied the captain ; " but of course not with the frigate. I will send the launches in under your command, and you may have as many sailors and marines as you think necessary." Lieutenant McKinstry's face lit up at this. Such an undertaking was entirely to his mind and, thanking Cap- tain Fitewell for eiit* . ting it to him, he went off to begin the necessary rrepavutions. At dayligh ntXh mo^Ting the mountains of Martinique were seen loomLBg <';> on the weather-bow and drawing rapidly neare^ as the frigate bowled along before an eight-knot breeze. On board, all was bustle and earnest preparation. The sailors were getting the boats ready to launch and {he marines were seeing to it that their muskets and swords were in the right cordition. There was no lack of eager candidates for the attacking force among either the officers or the men. After consultation with the captain, Lieutenant McKinstry decided that he would take sixty seamen and the mme number of marines, and that the plan of attack v/ould be for the former in their boats to make for tha privateer, while the latter were to endeavor to surprise or, in any event, to storm Fort Dunkirk, a battery of nine guns on tlse starboard side of the harbor. Assisting Lieutenant McKinstry were Lieutenants Cole and Furber, the marines being under the command of Lieutenants Beatie and Boyd. I -5 WORK AFTER PLAY. 83 ■J: an rnest ly to heir here brce tion he nes, r in tter orm ard stry ing - Five of the largest launches were detailed for the ser- vice, twenty-five men to go in each, and as they were making ready, Dick found an opportunity to slip up to Lieutenant McKinstry and ask in his most pleading tone: " May I go with you, sir ? " The big officer looked down at the little chap beside him, and being very much taken up with the work of get- ting ready, his first impulse was to give a quick refusal. But there was something so eager and hopeful in the boy's face that he had not the heart to disappoint him, and with a brusque : " Oh, you may come along, I sup- pose, if you'll take good care of yourself," he hastened off to give some further orders. Shortly after this Bulstrode, who was no less eager to be allowed to go, went up to the lieutenant when he hap- pened to be a little put out at something that had gone amiss, and preferred the same request that Dick had made. But he had hardly spoken when Lieutenant McKinstry snapped him up short. "No," he said, with unmistakable emphasis. "I've enough midshipmen already." In high ill humor Bulstrode descended the gun room, and just as he entered he caught Dick's words: " Yes, I'm to go, Arthur. Mr. McKinstry gave me leave the moment I asked him." This was like adding a handful of gunpowder to the flame already burning in Bulstrode's bosom and, giving ii A I- Ml'' !> (: mi 84 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. Dick a look of jealousy and hate, he blurted out in a sneering tone ; " It pays to be a toady, doesn't it ? " False and unjust as the imputation was, it made Dick*s blood boil, and he was just about to retort in kind when there flashed across his mind a word of counsel his mother had given him : " Don't fight with your tongue, Dick, dear," she had said. " It's a two-edged sword without a hilt and is apt to cut both ways." With a heroic effort he closed his lips again, and as though he had not heard, went on talking to Tenderly, paying no heed to Bulstrode's grumbling, thickly strewn with profanity, which he kept up so long as Dick re- mained in the room. As it was intended to take the French by surprise, the attack was arranged to be made at midnight, and accord- ingly, about eleven o'clock the boats set off from the ship with muffled oars, the seamen in one group of four, and the marines in another. The night was admirably suited for the purpose in hand, being calm and clear but without moonlight. As the sailors who were to attempt the capture of the priva- teer had to go some three miles farther up the harbor than the marines, whose business it was to prevent the French soldiers from massing on Marin Point and thus cutting off the return of the seamen, they were allowed a good head-start in order that the assault upon the fort and the privateer might be as nearly as possible simultaneous. f ' If! WORK AFTER PLAY. 85 in As :iva- Irbor the Ithus )d a and tons. Dick was in the foremost boat, sitting in the stern sheets beside Lieutenant McKinstry, his heart beating like a trip-hammer, as with superb steadiness and in almost absolute silence the launch slid through the smooth, dark water, propelled by lilelve oarsmen. Not a word was spoken, the lieutenant holding the tiller tight and peering earnestly into the mysterioijs gloom ahead which, perhaps, might at any moment be lit up by the lightning flash of musketry, or its silence broken by the roar of cannon. There was no pilot on board the boats. They had to make their way as best they might in the darkness, rely- ing upon the skill of their commander who, happily, had some knowledge of the harbor, having been there on a previous occasion. He seemed as entirely at his ease as though their mission was a pleasant picnic, instead of a most daring and dangerous undertaking. Dick could just make out his face in the uncertain light, and its manifest composure filled his heart with admiration. " This is feeling one's way in the dark, isn't it, Dick ? " said he, as they ran into the deep shadow made by a pro- jecting point on the right hand of their course. " We're right into the harbor now, and will soon sight the priva- teer, if my calculations are correct." The oars rose and fell with unfaltering steadiness, although each stroke carried them into graver peril, and still the harbor was as silent as if no living being floated upon its placid bosom. A few scattered lights glimmered 'i ;•, . '» \ 'M 86 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. HI rs i m M pif :' about the town, but they revealed nothing to either friend or foe. ♦ " Ah I there she is 1 " exclaimed the lieutenant, under his breath, pointing to the right. "Can you see her, Dick ? " Looking eagerly in the direction indicated, Dick could just discern, dimly outlined against the star-lit sky, the two tall masts of the object of their expedition, their stout stays and heavy rigging looking as light as the fila- ments of a spider's web. He drew a deep breath at the sjght, and gathered him- self togetherj for he fully realized into what danger they were going. " I hope they won't see us, sir, until we're aboard," he whispered back. "I hope they won't, Dick," replied laeutenant Mc- Kinstry, " and I hope too, that the marines are at the fort by this time." That moment, as if the whispered words had been over- heard, there came a sharp challenge from the deck of the privateer, to which the boats vouchsafed no answer, save to quicken their pace. The next moment there was a flash, and the report of a musket rudely broke the stillness. " Give way, men ! " cried the lieutenant, springing to his feet and waving his cap like a baton. " Give way, my hearties, with all your might." CHAPTER VII. IN ACTIVE SEBVIOB. to rpHROWINQ off all further attempt at surprise, the J- seamen in the launches gave a thrilling cheer as the rowers sent the heavy boats surging through still water, in response to which there came a scattering volley of musketry from the privateer as the men, most of whom had been suddenly aroused from their bunks, tumbled up on deck and let fly without stopping to take aim. Not a bullet touched the boats, although some of those on board involuntarily ducked their heads when the leaden messengers whistled by, while the only notice Lieutenant McKinstry took was to call to his men : "Give way again! Hit her up! We'll be aboard them before they can reload." Dick had by this time lost all sense of nervousness, and in its place had come a burning desire to be one of the first to leap on the deck of the enemy. Standing up in the stern with his cutlass in his right hand and his pistol in his left, he felt equal to facing any foe. Almost in a line the three big boats swept on to the attack, their oars- men springing from their seats at every stroke, and mak- ing the stout ash blades bend like willow wands with the force of the stroke. They had got within twenty yards, and their commander was just about congratulating him- 87 m m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) .<.^ .P <; '^ i.^-l^j^^ <- ^A- %i ^ 1.0 I.I 121 125 ■ 50 m 2.2 us us. 12.0 L25 III U 11 16 V 7] ^%. ^^ 5 *?>** Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716)872-4503 fV .^\^ \\ rv V .^ ^^ V '^o^ i r I '\ I 88 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. self upon escaping a second hail of bullets, when the com- mand to fire was heard from the privateer, and the next moment the darkness was lit up by a flash of lightning, and a series of sharj) reports told that the French had been more prompt in reloading than was expected. Their aim this time was better also, for there came cries of pain from more than one boat, and the lieutenant felt constrained to cry out in a cheering tone : "Never mind that, my men. It's their last volley. Into them now with all your might.'* The boats fairly leaped through the remaining space, and at almost the same moment all three crashed against the side of the " Harmonic," the men in their bows spring- ing up and ov»r the bulwarks with the litheness of monkeys, in spite of the efforts of the crew to repel them. The others followed close upon their heels, and before the French could fairly realize it, they had all obtained a footing upon the deck. Then ensued a hand-to-hand struggle in the darkness that was full of thrilling inci- dents. Once the assailants were fairly on board they had the advantage over the assaulted, in that the latter had not fully recovered from their surprise at the attack when they had thought themselves so secure, and despite the gallant and determined efforts of their officers to organize them properly, they fell into hopeless confusion. Nevertheless, individually they fought with great bravery and resolution, so much so indeed that there were moments when the result of the attack seemed to be somewhat in doubt. Much to Dick's delight, in the thick i I IN ACTIVE SERVIOE. 89 of the struggle there came an opportunity to justify the lieutenant in allowing him to go. He had followed Mr. McKinstry about wherever he went, taking his part in the struggle to the best of his ability, and presently he found himself braced against the butt of the mainmast while the battle raged fiercely in front of him. The lieutenant had just knocked over a Frenchman with a blow from the handle of his pistol, when a gigantic Negro made for him, swinging a broadsword in his mighty grip. " Look out, sir," cried Dick, for the officer was uncon- scious of his danger, and at the same moment he sprang at his assailant with uplifted cutlass, striking him a sharp blow upon the arm just below the bicep. Up to this moment the Negro had not seen Dick, and the sudden attack so surprised him that he nearly dropped his sword, but quickly recovering himself he roared out a horrid oath, and disdaining the midshipman, made another furious stroke at the officer. By this time, however. Lieutenant McKinstry was on his guard, and tremendous as the blow was, he cleverly parried it and the next moment felled his opponent to the deck, where he lay stunned and powerless for further harm. " Well done, my lad," exclaimed Lieutenant McKins- try. " You saved my head that time and I won't forget^ I promise you. Come on, they're giving away. We'll soon have them beaten." And ofi* he dashed into the midst of the mel^, cheering on with his ringing cries of: ' i. 90 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. " Let them have it, my hearties. Hit hard and quick. They can't hold out much longer." Nor was he mistaken. Taken hy surprise as they had been, and allowed no time to recover their wits, the defense made by the crew of the privateer, while it did credit to their individual courage, could not long avail against the tremendous energy of the British, and within five minutes after the first seaman had reached the schooner's deck, she was in the complete possession of the daring assailants, at the cost on their part of only one man killed and five wounded. By the time the prisoners, two score in number, were duly secured, and the roll called to see what had been the casualties, the early dawn was already dissipating the darkness of night, warning the British that they had not a moment to lose if they would get their prize safely out of the harbor. Sharp and quick were the lieutenant's orders, in obedi- ence to which the rowers resumed their places in the boats, and towing ropes being attached to the schooner, she presently began to move at good speed down the harbor The danger was not yet over by any means, for even assuming that the marines had been as successful in storming Fort Dunkirk as the sailors had been in board- ing the privateer, there still remained Fort St. Ann on the port side of the harbor to be reckoned with, and as they would have to pass within musket shot of it, a well directed fire from its guns might compel them to retreat with empty hands and perhaps heavy losi.. IN ACTIVE SERVICE. 91 i 'I i ** I*d like mightily to know what they're up to hehind those walls," said the lieutenant to Dick, as once more they sat together on the stern of the leading launch. " They can blow us out of the water, if they know how to use their guns." As Dick looked up at the solid stone walls of Ihe fort, which the rays of the rising sun were already bathing in golden light, bringing out with impressive distinctness the dark embrasures where the cannon hid, he could not help a shudder of apprehension as the boats seemed to present so fair a mark for the unseen artillery, and they would be so helpless in event of a cannonade, encumbered aa they were with the heavy schooner. " I hope they're not good shots, sir," was his response. " They can do us a lot of harm if they are." As he spoke a flash leaped out from one of the embra- sures, followed by a report that made every one in the boats turn his head to watch anxiously for the missile. "With a shrill scream it flew high above them, plunging into the water fiiU quarter of a mile away. " Bah I " sneered Lieutenant McKinstry ; " if that's a sample of their skill in gunnery we need not feel alarmed. Give way, men, we'll soon be out of range." Beassured by the result of the first shot, the seamen bent to their oars again, while the fort blazed away at them without succeeding in hitting them once, the con- stant movement of the boats efiectually puzzling the gun- ners who indeed seemed to be in as great a stat€ of per- turbation, judging from their marksmanship, as if they 92 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. I themselves were being attacked. Finally, despairing of hitting the launches, they turned their guns upon the schooner, no doubt with the intention of rendering her a valueless prize if they could possibly do so. In this they were more successful. At all events they managed to hull her a couple of times, and to do some damage to her top hamper, before the boats could get around a point which offered complete protection from further injury. " The miserable beggars I " said the lieutenant, scorn- fully. " They haven't the grace to take their defeat like men." Just outside the harbor they were joined by the other boats which had been sent to storm the fort. The marines under command of Lieutenant Beatie had fulfilled their difficult commission admirably. Although challenged and fired upon by the sentinels, and perfectly ignorant of the nature and number of the troops they had to contend with, in the most soldier-like manner they had pushed straight on into the fort with fixed bayonets driving the garrison before them like a flock of sheep, and com- pelling them to cry for quarter, which was instantly granted. No time was lost in dismounting and spiking the guns, destroying the carriages and blowing up the magazine, all of which having been successfully accomplished the marines retired in good order with fifteen prisoners, and without the loss of a single man. Captain Fitewell was vastly pleased at the unqualified I IN ACTIVE SERVICE. 93 \ euccess of the expedition, and distributed his hearty com* mendation with a free hand, not forgetting to especially mention both Lieutenant McKinstry and Lieutenant Beatie in his account of the afiair to the admiral. The result certainly had been highly satisfactory. By the capture of the " Harmonic," a fine schooner, mounting eight guns and carrying a crew of over sixty men, the seas had been rid of a dangerous enemy to British com- merce, and a welcome addition made to the fleet, for after some slight repairs, the swift privateer would be as ready for service as ever. Moreover, the blow struck at Mar- tinique would be felt throughout the island, and would greatly increase the respect felt for British arms. When Dick's timely service to the first lieutenant became known in the gun room, he was warmly congratu- lated by those whose admiration for a brave deed rose above their envy of a more fortunate companion ; but Bulstrode only scowled more fiercely at him, and swore more savagely at " that miserable little whipper-snapper of a toady," as he was pleased to call him. Dick, how- ever, took no notice, going blithely on his way as usual. This course of action, as may be easily imagined, did not by any means diminish the other's ill humor, but on the contrary served only to add fuel to its flame. Seeing how exceedingly unpopular Bulstrode was among his companions, it did seem somewhat strange that he should have been permitted to indulge his malignity to the extent that he was, and that the other midshipmen did not band together to suppress him I 41 94 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. |!| I I That this was not the case, simply illustrated the frailty of our poor human nature. In spite of their admiration for his duuiitless spirit and appreciation of his attractive nature, Dick's messmates could not resist a certain feeling of jealousy because of the manifest favor with which he was regarded by the senior officers ; and moreover, while in their hearts they approved of his staunch devotion to principle and frank confession of his religion, yet somehow or other they found a small kind of satisfaction in seeing him tormented. They thought he occasionally needed being "taken down a peg," lest he should become *' too high and mighty," and so they were not moved to take those measures to put an end to Bulstrode's malicious activity, which otherwise they might have done. They were good enough fellows, notwithstanding. They merely did not choose to undertake any responsibility in the matter. Master Dick could fight his own battles and would be all the better for doing so. Had Dick exercised the same reasoning in regard to Tenderly, that poor boy would have led the most misera- ble of existences. He had a hard enough time of it as it was, but his lot was greatly mitigated, no less by Dick's friendship than by his companionship. At every oppor- tunity he took Tenderly's part, even though this some- times entailed getting into hot water himself, and by his ever-ready sympathy instilled fresh courage into the poor lad's heart when he was so utterly cast down as to feel that his life was scarcely worth living. IN ACTIVE SERVICE. 96 i I The days that followed the capture of the " Harmonie " were full of activity and excitemeut for those on board the "Gryphon." The Caribbean Sea fairly swarmed with French privateers, the most of them swift-sailing pchooners, armed with from four to twelve long-range guns, and manned by crews comprised of the most des- perate characters afloat, — Negroes, Maroons, Spaniards, and Malays, — commanded by French oflScers as cruel and greedy for gain as themselves. These pests of the sea having their rendezvous at Martmique, Guadeloupe, San Domingo, and other islands, darted out from their lairs like beasts of prey and pounced upon unprotected merchant vessels passing by, treating their unfortunate crews with shocking barbarity and destroying such portions of their cargoes as they could not dispose of to advantage. The British fleet then in the West Indies, under the flag of Sir Samuel Hood, was not composed of many vessels, the majority of the ships being required in European waters to keep watch over Napoleon, wb^'jo capabilities for mischief could never be confidently esti- mated. Consequently, the vessels that were on the West Indian station had abundant work to do in guarding the islands, and at the same time protecting commerce. To the " Gryphon," as the best sailer in the fleet, the latter duty was particularly assigned, and a lively time she had of it, sailing hither and thither, principally in the neigh- borhood of Martinique, and overhauling every vessel that looked at all suspicious. fi hi III i It i i 96 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. Within a month after the capture of the " Harmonic ** three other privateers were similarly disposed of. The first was a small schooner that the look-out sighted about two o'clock in the afternoon, making slyly for Port Royal, having apparently just returned from a cruise. It being nearly calm, the big frigate could not get within gun shot ; so a pinnace and a barge well manned were dispatched to cut her off before she made the land. Dick and Tenderly climbed into the main-top to watch the chase, which was very exciting. The privateer had her sweeps out, and in spite of the calm made pretty good speed. But the boats impelled by brawny oarsmen, who put tlieir whole strength into every stroke, steadily gained upon her. ** Hurrah ! " cried Dick, quivering with excitement, as he grasped one of the stays and leaned perilously far out in his eagerness to miss nothing. " They're gaining fast, Tliey'll soon be up to her. I wonder will the privateer show fight?" The last words were hardly out of his mouth, when a series of flashes and a cloud of smoke springing from the schooner's stern showed that her crew had no idea of being taken without a struggle, and as, judging from the report which came across the water, not only musketry, but grape was being used, Dick's interest in the chase began to give way to concern for his shipmates. " The rascals are blazing away at them with grape,'* he cried, in an indignant tone, as if it was the greatest possible presumption on their part to thus defend them- IN ACTIVE SERVICE. 07 selves. " If they get the range of the boats they'll kill some of our fellows, sure." Neither grape nor musketry, however, caused any slackening of the speed with which the barge and pinnace ploughed through the water, and a few minutes later, with a thrilling cheer, they dashed alongside and their crews swarmed over the bulwarks. Once on board they had it all their own way. The privateersmen threw down their arms and begged for quarter, and the rather inac- curately named " Fortun^e," mounting two carriage guns and carrying thirty men, was in the possession of her foes, who had not even so much as one man wounded in the engagement. The second capture proved a more difficult piece of work, and in this affair sub-Lieutenant Henderson, the best friend Dick had in the gun room, particularly dis- tinguished himself, greatly to the gratification of Dick, who longed for the time when he would be old enough to be put in command of a boat and sent off to win glory on his own account. The " Gryphon " had run down as far south as Trini- dad, and was cruising about in the vicinity of that island, when a suspicious sail was sighted and immediately chased. As luck would have it, just as the frigate got within four miles of the schooner the wind dropped, and it was necessary to continue the chase in the boats. Three cutters were sent out, and the one which Lieuten- ant Henderson commanded reached the privateer while the others were still at some distance away. I 98 TUE GOOD SUIP GRYPHON. The lieutenant had only sixteen men in his boat, and a heavy fire of musketry and grape was coming from the schooner, but nothing daunted he laid the cutter along- side and boarded the enemy, carrying her with a rush that fairly bewildered her crew, receiving a slight wound himself in the mel6e. By the time the other two boats came up there was little left for them to do, and their men were much disappointed at being thus reduced to the position of spectators of what was certainly one of the most brilliant feats of the year, the prize being the stout schooner " Le Resource," mounting four guns and carry- ing fifty men, which had been a great annoyance to Brit- ish commerce. Dick was a good deal startled at seeing his friend come back with his head bound up, a stray bullet having just missed finding its way into his brain. But, happily, there was no cause for concern, the wound being comparatively slight ; so slight, indeed, that when the prize crew to be put on board the captured privateer was being made up, Lieutenant Henderson claimed the honor of commanding it, and was allowed to have his own way. As soon as Dick knew of this he got all in a flutter of eagerness to accompany him. " Le Resource " was to be taken to Kingston, there to be fitted up for service under her new ownei*s, and the idea of going in her was full of attraction to his adventurous spirit. He lost no time in making known his desire to Lieutenant McKinstry, who at first did not seem disposed to accede. " You'll run a very good chance of being taken your- 1 IN ACTIVE SERVICE. 99 'fj' of le in who our- Belf, my boy/' said he, in a tone of kindly persuasion. " How would you like the idea of being a prisoner in the hands of the French for a while ? " " Not a bit, sir," laughed Dick. " But you know some midshipman has to be sent with Lieutenant Henderson, and none of the others are particularly anxious ; and if you don't mind, sir, I'd like very much to be allowed." The first lieutenant looked down into the bright, eager face before him. This was the kind of spirit he delighted to meet with. It was the secret of England's supremacy of the seas, and so long as it failed not, so long would the sceptre remain in British hands. Only his reluctance to expose his favorite ** middy " to extra danger made him hesitate about granting Dick's request, and when the boy, bringing his hand to the salute, ventured to add in his most imploring tone : " Won't you please let me go, sir ? " it seemed to him that he would not be doing right to allow his personal feeling to decide the matter, so he said : "Well, Dick, I'll see what the captain says. If he has no objection, I'll not stand in yoiu: way." :« ^ 1 1 '1 i: I ^ v; It: h"?.' '.N !t;M,: t CHAPTER Vm. OVERCOMING AND BEING OVERCOME. ON Dick's request being laid before Captain Fitewell, that officer summoned him into his presence to ask him a few questions. Although he did not take the same interest in the young lad that the first lieutenant did, yet on account of his father, who had been kind to him when he was his junior on the same ship many years before, he felt well disposed toward Dick, and willing enough to allow him any opportunity of making his way. When Dick presented himself, the captain was enjoy- ing an after-dinner glass of sherry, and his first proceed- ing was to pour out another and invite the boy to take it. Dick reddened to the roots of his hair. It had been comparatively easy to refuse Bulstrode's coarse challenge the day he tried to make him drink his mother's health in the gun room, but to refuse the captain's invitation in his own cabin, and in the presence of several of the officers, was an entirely different matter. He was so con- fused that he stood there, cap in hand, perfectly silent, and the very picture of bewilderment. Captain Fitewell misunderstood his feeling, and sup- posing that it was simply bashful ness, held out the glass toward him, repeating the invitation. Dick took the glass from his hand, but instead of putting it to his lips, 100 OVERCOMING AND BEING OVERCOME. 101 I PS. replaced it on the table, murmuring in a scarcely audible voice : " If you please, sir, I*d rather not, sir." Considerably surprised, for in all his experience of midshipmen, he had never before known one to refuse a glass of wine in the captain's cabin, Captain Fitewell, with a glance around at the other officers as though to say, " Here's an odd fish for you ! "W hat do you think of this ? " looked hard into Dick's flushed face, as he ex- claimed : " Not have a glass of wine with me I Pray, how is that?" Never bad Dick felt himself to be in so tight a corner as now. To explain his refusal might expose him on the one hand to ridicule for being " tied to his mother's apron strings," and on the other, to giving the impression that he did not drink wine because he considered it wrong, and therefore, as a matter of course, condemned his superior officers for doing it. An awkward dilemma for a boy to be placed in, certainly, and it is no wonder that he stood there embarrassed and silent until the captain was stirred to say somewhat testily : "Well, my boy, what's the matter? Where's your tongue ? " Realizing that he must explain his action, Dick de- cided on the spur of the moment to tell the truth frankly, be the consequences what they might, so bringing his hand to the salute, he said in a clear tone, audible to all in the cabin : ■t'li liii 4: -11 ■Mi ■ 102 rilK (iOOD SHIP GRYPHON. " I promised my mother never to tiiste wine, sir. She was afraid I might get too fond of it." Captain Fitewell looked him over from head to heel, and then turning around to the others said, as ho brought bis right hand down upon the table : " Gentlemen, did you hear that ? Dear old England will never want for Nelsons so long as her sons have stuif in them like Midshipman Holland." There was a murmur of warm approval and assent from the men seated about the table, and tlie chaplain, who dearly loved his glass of wine, might have been observed to give it a peculiar look, as though the doubt had arisen in his mind as to whether he was doing just right in indulging his weakness. Turning back to Dick, Captain Fitewell went on : " Your conduct does you credit, sir, and your princi- ples shall be duly respected. And now as to accompany- ing Lieutenant Henderson on board the prize, are you very desirous of doing so ? " " With your permission, sir, I am," responded Dick. " Well, Master Holland, I see no objection, provided you promise to take good care of yourself." " Thank you, sir, I'll do my best, sir," answered Dick, bis countenance beaming with delight ; and giving another emphatic bob, be hurried away to tell the first lieutenant that the captain's permission was obtained. As be lefl the cabin, Captain Fitewell followed him with a look of unwonted tenderness and, then addressing the other officers, said : I OVEBCOMING AND BKINO OVERCOME. 103 " A noble little fellow that I If he does not become food for powder or the fishes, he'll be high up on the naval list by the time he's our age." As gleeful aa if he had been granted leave for a long holiday, Dick, having settled matters with Lieutenant McKinstry, hastened to fill a canvas bag with such things as he wanted to take on board the privateer, whistling merrily while he went about it. He was in the midst of his task when Bulstrode came down, having just finished his watch. He was in a particularly bad humor, one of the other midshipmen having brought to him an account of the scene in the cabin which he had pur- posely painted in the strongest possible colors, because he knew what gall and bitterness it would be to the bully. Catching sight of Dick, Bulstrode drew near and lean- ing against a bulkhead, said in the most aggravating tone he could command : " What a good little boy he is, to be sure 1 Wouldn't take a glass of wine because his mammy would rather not — the dear little prig. He ought to be a parson, he ought." In too happy a frame of mind to be easily angered, Dick affected to take no notice of the insolent fellow, not even lifting his head to look at him. Determined to stir him up to wrath, Bulstrode continued his monologue, growing coarser and coarser as his efibrts continued futile, until at last his evil temper completely carrying him away, he picked up a dirty swab cloth that happened to be near and flung it fiercely at Dick, snarling out as he did : Kil m II! It 1 1 104 THE GOOD SHIP (jIUYPUON. "You can't hear me, eh? Well, perhaps that will help you." Divining that some missile was on its way to him, Dick threw up his head to catch a sight of it and dodge it. But ho was not quick enough, and the slimy, ill-smt'lling thing struck him full in the face. Stung to fury by so abominable an insult, Dick, obliv- ious to all considerations of prudence, sprang at his tor- mentor like a young tiger, and before tlie latter could get on his guard, hit him with his whole strength sciusirely between the eyes, sending him staggering backward half a dozen paces. Uttering a horrid oath, the bully had gathered him- self together for a charge upon his plucky little assailant, while Dick threw himself into a posture of defense, when Lieutenant Henderson suddenly came out from the gun room and, seeing that there was something amiss, de- manded an explanation. By way of a reply, Dick picked up the swab and pointed to his face, upon which its filthy marks were easily visible. Bulstrode, not to be outdone, pointed to his face, in the centre of which a crimson contusion was already revealing itself. The lieutenant took in the situation at a glance. " Ah I I understand. Well, it would seem that honons are easy. Let that be an end of it. Mr. Bulstrode, you had better look after that bruise at once, or you'll have an ugly pair of black eyes. Mr. Holland, as soon as your packing is finished, come to me in the gun room." OVERCOMING AND BEING OVERCOME. 105 Muttering threats of dire vengeance, Bulstrode took himself off to the surgeon, while Dick, haying washed his face, hastily completed his packing and reported to Mr. Henderson, as he had been bidden. When the first flush of passion had passed away, he began to feel some- what ashamed of himself. To return blow for blow was not the highest kind of conduct, however great the prov- ocation. In giving way to the impulse to strike he had lowered himself to Bulstrode's own level, and even though he felt perfectly confident that there was no one on board the "Gryphon" who on learning the facts would not applaud his action, still in the depths of his own heart there was the conviction that he really deserved condemna- tion, not applause. So heavily did this feeling bear upon his mind, that at the first opportunity he made his way into the main-top, and there, with the darkness all about him, he looked up to God and pleaded for pardon. Returning to the deck much comforted and cheered, he met Lieutenant Henderson, who told him to get his things together, as they were going on board the prize that night. A quarter of an hour later the little prize crew, consisting of Lieutenant Henderson, Midshipman Holland, and sixteen stout sailors, bade " good-bye " to their shipmates, and took possession of the privateer with orders to lie by until morning, and then, if the outlook was favorable, to set sail for Kingston. Dick found it hard work to get to sleep that liight. The exciting events of the evening, the novelty of his present position, and the thrilling uncertainty of his im- ll ? r f i u 106 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. mediate future, combiucd to throw him into an unuHual state of restlessness, lie tossed and tumbled about in hi.s berth in the stutly little cabin until lon«^ after midnight, greatly envying Lieutenant Henderson, who was snoring away as regularly as if he was in iiis own place in the "Gryphon." The following day was fine and clear, and Lieutenant Henderson having by careful examination satisfied him- self that he had everything he would require on board his charge, set all sail, and firing a farewell gun slipped away before a favoring breeze, with Kingston as his des- tination. " Le Resource " carried a cloud of canvas and was a good sailer, her sharp bow cutting through the water at the rate of eight knots an hour all that day. A keen lookout was carefully kept up, with the object in the first place of sighting as soon as possible any French men-of- war that might be cruising around, in order to get out of their way with all practicable speed, and in the second place of getting hold of any other prizes that should not be too big to tackle. Nothing however of interest occurred during the first day. From dawn until dark the swift schooner sped steadily onward, and Dick had little else to do than to lounge about the deck and sweep the broad expanse of wave-tossed azure with the glass, hoping all tlie time that its monotony would be broken by a speck of white. During the night he took turns on wixU'h with Lieuten- ant Henderson, and as during his houi-s of duty be paced OVERCOMING AND BEING OVERCOME. 107 the deck aloue, or exchanged a few words with the man at the wheel, he had a novel sense of responsibility, and seemed to himself to have suddenly grown several years older. He felt an intense longing to see his mother once more, and to have a good long talk with her about the events which crowded the days. For although he kept faithfully his promise to write to her at least once a week, and she never failed to do the same, still letters, however long and loving, made but a poor substitute for speaking face to face, and there were many things that did not go into his letters which he would have told her, could he have done it by word of mouth. When Lieutenant Henderson relieved him, and he went below for his turn in the bunk, he fell asleep to dream about the cottage in sunny Kent, and to imagine himself back there again, relating to a deeply interestt d audience, composed of his mother and the two old servants, the story of his wanderings and of his many adventures afloat and ashore. The dream was so delightful, that on waking up to its unreality a severe qualm of homesickness seized him which brought the tears into his eyes and made him quite miserable for a few moments. But he soon recovered his composure, and hurrying into his uniform made his way to the deck, just in time to catch the exciting announce* ment from the look-out of: " Sail on the weather-bow, sir." At once every eye was eagerly turned in the direction indicated, and there, sure enough, just rising above the liil m I :Vi I ii ; V, i, 11 1: It ^1 i\ -H ! I t! ! 108 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. horizon, was a white speck, which presently the glasses made out to be the canvas of a schooner apparently of the same size as " Le Resource." " Another of the rascals, as sure as you're born," cried Lieutenant Henderson, his face lighting up at the pros- pect of an exciting chase and the chance of effecting a second capture. " We'll crack on all sail and overhaul them, unless his vessel can show us her heels." Although there v/as a brisk breeze blowing, every stitch of canvas the schooner could carry was spread to it, and she fairly staggered through the white-caps, with every shroud and stay and sheet strained as tight as a fiddle-string. " Ah, ha I " exclaimed the lieutenant, rubbing his hands gleefully. " Just hear her speak, Dick. Those Frenchies know something about getting hold of fast schooners, even if they don't know how to keep them." The little vessel certainly was " speaking " in a very audible way, as the sound made by the forefoot rushing through the water is called, while the wind sang like an seolian harp through the taut weather-rigging. "She does, indeed, sir," responded Dick, who was keenly enjoying the lively motion of the schooner. " We ought to soon overhaul that sail at this rate." " Unless they smell a rat on board her and make off without waiting to ask or answer any questions," returned Lieutenant Henderson. It soon became evident that this was precisely what those on board the other schooner proposed to do. When OVERCOMING AND BEING OVERCOME. 109 first sighted she had been carrying only her mainsail, foresail, and jib, but presently the two gafT topsails and the flying jib were spread, and thus heavily canvased, she too tore away through the seas at the very top of her speed. " We're going to have a long chase of it, Dick," said the lieutenant, " but I think we've got the better ship of the two and that we're bound to win in the end." Through that long, bright forenoon the chase continued, the French privateer resorting to every possible device to shake off her persistent pursuer, but all without avail. Neither the lieutenant nor Dick left the deck for a moment, the former managing his craft with wonderful skill, thanks to his somewhat extensive experience in yachting, begun in his boyhood and continued whenever being at home on leave allowed him opportunity. " We're gaining steadily, Dick," said he, with a trium- phant note in his voice. "By three o'clock we'll be within hail of her, and then we'll let Johnny Crapaud know our business." The estimate proved correct. By three o'clock "Le Resource " was within hail of the chase, and made the latter aware of that fact, in case she did not know already, by yawing sufficiently to bring one of the bow guns to bear upon her, whose iron missive went skipping past her stern in no very pleasant proximity. At the same moment the British ensign flaunted from the peak and Lieutenant Henderson, springing on to the poop with a big trumpet at his mouth, shouted in stentorian tones : ** Lie to there, immediately, or I'll give you a broadside." it it in CHAPTER IX. THE TABLES TURNED. 1 i INSTEAD of complying, the French vessel kept steadily on her way while the British one lost some ground by the manoeuvre. This angered Lieutenant Henderson, and although he was anxious to avoid blood- shed if possible, still he was even more determined to make the capture. "Those fools evidently don't consider discretion the better part of valor," said he, " and I'll have to give them a lesson." Keeping well to windward, he pushed ahead in silence until he was abreast of the privateer, in fact had her fairly blanketed. Then, without any challenge this time, he ordered a broadside from all four guns and the small arms likewise to be poured into the silent vessel, whose crew, with the exception of the man at the wheel, waa e^ddently crouching behind the low bulwarks, or hiding in the hold. The splintering crash of shattered wood and the cries of wounded men told how true had been the aim of the gunners and marksmen. The man at the wheel disap- peared, and the schooner which carried a weather-helm, being thus left to herself, came up into the wind so as to run right across the bows of " Le Resource." This was 110 '! THE TABTiES TURNED. Ill ^ precisely what Lieutenant Henderson wanted. Letting his vessel run off a few points in order to save his bow- sprit, lie brought her with admirable skill so close astern of the other that the grappling irons caught at the first throw, and in another minute the two schooners were side by side. " Now, ray hearties ! " shouted the lieutenant. ** After me I" His men did not need a second command. With a thrilling cheer they sprang over the bulwarks, and swing- ing their cutlasses on high, prepared to cut down any one who might dare to oppose their advance. But they found nobody on board in that frame of mind. Stretched upon the deck, groaning with pain, were some half-dozen more or less wounded sailors, while the steersman lay dead beside his wheel. Not another soul was visible. *• Look out for some beggarly trick I " cried the lieu- tenant, and directing four of the men to post themselves at the fore-hatch with pistols and cutlasses ready for instant action, he arranged the others around the cabin in a similar position. Then, pointing his own pistol down the open companion-way, he called out in most commanding tones : " Ahoy, below there I Come up on deck at once, or I'll fire into you." Whether the Frenchmen understood his words or not, they certainly did his attitude, for immediately there was a murmur of voices below and the sound of movements, i 112 THE GOOD 8!riP (IIIYPHON. in m i and then out of the obscurity thoro apptMircd the bead of an officer quickly followed by tbat of another, and that by a common Bailor's, until presently no less than ten men had extricated themselves from the tiny cabin, and stood upon the deck unarmed and lookint^ ridiculously sheep- ish. The same process was going on simultaneously at tho fore-hatch whence five more men had emerged. Count- ing the wounded the crew consisted of twenty-one men, or four more than tlieir captors. With the exception of the officer in command, and those immediately under him, they were such an ugly lot of cut-throats that Lieutenant Henderson, turning to Dick, said in an undertone : " What a villainous looking gang they are! It would be a good riddance to blow them all up. They're only fit for the gallows, anyway." One of their number, who evidently understood Eng- lish, overbearing the remark, gave the speaker such a look of mingled terror and hatred, at the same time laying his hand on his dirk, that Dick involuntarily shrank back and grasped the lieutenant's arm, whispering : " Take care, sir, they understand what you're saying." " All the better if they do, Dick," was the laughing reply. " They'll have the more respect for us if they know we tnke them to be what they really are." On examination, the prize proved to be the privateer •* La Mimi," carrying one long eighteen pound gun on a pivot, and a crew of twenty-one men. Her captain was evidently profoundly chagrined at being taken by a THE TAIJLES TURNED. 113 smaller force than he himself commanded. As he after- ward took the trouhlc to explain through an interpreter, he had supposed tliat the English crew would be not less than fifty strong, and had thought it better not to show figlit at all since he could not save himself by Hight. Once tiie excitement of the capture was over, and it became necessary to arrange for the disposition of the prize. Lieutenant Henderson found himself considerably nonplussed, lie did not want to destroy " La Mimi," for tliat meant a loss of prize money and, moreover, she would make an acceptable addition to the British fleet. Yet with the small prize crew he had, he did not feel like dividing it in two, as would be inevitable were the prize to be retained. Furthermore, who was to command the other schooner ? Into the midst of his deliberations broke Dick with a proposal that at first well-nigh took his breath away. The boy's quick wit had discerned his superior officer's dilemma, and fearful lest he should discover some solu- tion of it other than the one which had taken possession of his own mind, he hastened to suggest that a prize crew be placed upon " La Mimi," and that he, Master Richard Holland, be given the command of it. " You delightful little bantam-cock," cried the lieuten- ant, holding him off at arm's length, as though to exam- ine his fighting points. " For sublime self-confidence, you certainly are unique. Fifteen years of age, five feet liigh, one year at sea, and calmly proposing to take com- mand of a ship I Hi there ! Taffrail," raising his voice u I'll I ' i' : t 114 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. m: ■ TllK GOOD SHIP OUYPirON. II W' ' F 1 1 in it I in' i ii i- When the men saw their young commander evidently on sucli good terms witli the French captain, their coun- tenances, wliich imd been very dejected, brightened up considerably ; and when the latter made known in a short speech the condition upon which Dick had secured for them the privilege of immunity from the dreaded irons, they could not keep back a hearty cheer. Mar- shalled by Tafl'rail they jointly and severally gave their word to make no attempt to escape, and then were dis- missed with lightened hearts to make themselves at homo as best they could among the other sailors. Had Dick been a guest instead of a prisoner of war upon the French frigate he would have enjoyed himself exceedingly well. There were other officers besides the captain who could make a tolerable fist at the English language, and they showed a lively interest in the mid- shipman, asking him all sorts of questions about his life on shipboard, and what he had seen since he had been in the West Indies. These Dick answered readily enough, but when they tried to draw him out about the size and disposition of the British fleet then in those waters, he resolutely refused to commit himself They made no attempt to force him, but they exercised considerable ingenuity in trying to catch him unawares. But his quick wit proved a match for them every time, and the captain's admiration was greatly increased when he saw how shrewd and steadfast the young officer was. While all this was taking place, " Le Resource had IN TIIK HANDS OF THE ENEMY. 127 i n.\ been makini; irood lier escape, and the last Dick saw of her she wa« 1' ill down on the horizon beyond all chance of capture, iiiit tlie French captain did not seem to mind thra. lie was apparently well content at the recovery of " La Mimi," and having given orders for the frigate to be headed toward San Domingo, went below to dinner witli the air of a man who had done a good day's work, and carried a comfortable conscience in conse- quence. It was late the following afternoon when the frigate made her way into the port of San Domingo, where " La Mimi " was without delay put in readiness to resume her work of destruction, while the frigate joined the naval force then stationed there to protect the French interesid which were seriously imperilled through the successful operations of the blacks, who under their leaderf^ Dessa- lines and Christophe, were making the country decidedly too hot for European intruders upon their ancestral domains. Most alarming were the reports that came on board, and Dick heartily wished himself away from the ill-fated island, which was the theatre of such awful scenes of cruelty and bloodshed. The French had refused to treat with the Negroes, who after all were only fighting for their freedom as human beings, but hunted them with blood- hounds, and inflicted the most hideous tortures upon any who were taken prisoners. The consequence was that they on their part were turned into avenging furies, and did not fail when they had opportunity to retaliate in kind. '} I ■iH I M ! . :i, ii li 128 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. The arrival of " La Creole," that being the name of the frigate, with Dick on board, was particularly timely for news had been received that the Negro army was pre- paring for an attack upon the city, and General Rocham- beau, the French commander-in-chief, at once sent for Captain Bargeaud to ascertain how many marines and sailors he could place at his disposal. The following morning, one hundred men under com- mand of the captain himself landed from the frigate. Just before he was leaving. Captain Bargeaud sent for Dick and invited him to accompany him, not as a com- batant but simply as a spectator, promising to get him a place near the commander-in-chief, whence he could see all that took place. Now in his heart Dick thoroughly sympathized with the blacks in their struggle for freedom, and hoped that the French would be soundly beaten and driven out of the island. He was anxious therefore to get a glimpse of the black army, and form some idea as to whether they had any chance of success. So, having been assured that he would not be expected to fight except in self defense, he willingly accepted the captain's invitation, and in full uniform, with pistols and dirk at his side, he accompanied him on shore. The situation wivs this. By a series of small successes the blacks had driven the French back upon the city, and now a decisive battle was to be fought on the plain out- side. The blacks under Dessalines were in great force and in high spirits. The French under Rochambeau IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. 129 were fewer in numbers and much discouraged ; in fact the question of capitulation was already being considered by them. On the other hand, they had an important advantage as regards equipment and discipline. Indeed, their opponents were seriously straitened for ammuni- tion, and would have to push in to close quaiters with as little delay as possible. In fulfillment of his promise, Captain Bargeaud intro- duced Dick to one of the general's aids-de-camp, and bespoke for him a position on the staif that would enable him to have a good view of the whole proceedings. It was in the midst of a very brilliantly uniformed party that Dick presently found himself, and having been provided with a horse he accompanied them out to the field of battle, marvelling to himself at the strange series of events which had brought him into so unusual a situation, and thinking what a lot he would have to tell his ship-mates, if he ever got safely back to the dear old "Gryphon," and what a long letter he would have to write to his mother, if he ever was within reach of a British post office again. Very unwisely, as the sequel showed, but with char- acteristic courage, General Rochambeau had decided to go out to meet the blacks in open field, relying upon the superior arms and discipline of his forces to effect an easy conquest over the ill-regulated and poorly equipped Negro army. Just beyond the city was a large level plain admirably suited for the purposes of a military review, and here the French general determined to deal n I I itSj ! 130 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. I'- i h a crushing blow to his opponents who, if not decisively checked, would soon be investing the city itself. Not far to the north of the city was an eminence easy of access, and upon this the general took his stand. A little to one side, yet so as to have an unbroken view of the whole action, Dick drew up his horse and with strangely divided feelings awaited the issue. The French had without exception treated him so kindly that he would have been a monster of ingratitude not to feel under deep obligations to wish them success, and moreover in a struggle between white and black, it seemed but natural to sympathize with those of one's own color. And yet there was more than one reason why he should prefer to see them defeated. They were undoubted intruders upon the island. The blacks were only fighting for liberty, and still more weighty reason, it was much against British interests that the French should retain their hold upon San Domingo. The great desire of the British was to drive them out of the "West Indies altogether, and to add Guadeloupe and Martinique to the superb chain of island jewels that stretched from Porto Rico to South America. But were the French to succeed in establishing themselves upon San Domingo, this enterprise would be rendered vastly more difficult, if not altogether impossible, for with such a coign of vantage they would surely be able to hold their own. Upon the whole, therefore, Dick felt that the balance of sympathy was rightfully with the blacks ; and, as he IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. 131 caught a glimpse of them moving down on to the plain from the hills beyond, he almost unconsciously breathed a prayer that they might have the victory. He took no thought of how this might affect himself. That matter he left without a question in the hands of the gracious Providence who had thus far brought him through so many perils unscathed. As the blacks took up their position upon the plain, it was seen that they far outnumbered the French; but thi3 fact did not give the latter any concern, as they took it for granted that their superiority in other respects would more than compensate for the deficiency. Fully realizing the advantage of prompt action. General Roch- ambeau sent his vanguard against the blacks before they had time to effect a proper formation of the plan. Amidst a whirlwind of cheers and cries, the soldiers and sailors dashed across the plain and flung themselves with tremendous force upon their opponent's front, which gave way before their impetuous onset like standing wheat before a stampede of cattle. "Bravo! bravo!" cried the general, clapping his hands as though he was watching some brilliant per- formance in an opera house. " Is not that magnificent ? Ah, those black scoundrels! they cannot stand before our brave fellows. See how they are scattered. The battle is already won. Is it not so. Monsieur Holland ? " turning excitedly to Dick who, in his eagerness to watch the charge had, without knowing it, moved close to the general's side. r !< 'I 132 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. II " It looks like it, general," replied Dick, bringing hia hand to the salute, and then withdrawing a little as he realized that he was in too prominent a position. The blacks certainly seemed put to rout, and the French, eagerly following up their advantage, pressed forward in pursuit at a rate of speed that soon had its effect upon their orderly array ; the men who were slower of foot finding it impossible to keep up with their fleeter comrades, and falling behind until the order of attack had changed from a solid body into a disorganized mob. Now, whether Dessalines, the black commander-in-chief, had anticipated something like this and, with a general- ship that did him infinite credit, laid his plans accord- ingly, or whether he simply took advantage of the oppor- tunity when it presented itself, is not known. This much, however, was clear : that the rash conduct of his opponents was not lost upon him. He had double the number of men, and he made use of this numerical su- periority to permit the French to pierce his centre, and then bringing up his wings, he fairly encircled them with his soldiers, by this time roused to the highest pitch of ferocity. Dick shuddered when he saw this, and turned his face away. It seemed as though not a single Frenchman could possibly get out of that awful circle of destruction alive. General Rochambeau, his exultant pride suddenly changed to keenest anxiety, stormed and swore, and is- sued order after order with almost frantic rapidity. One of his aids-de-camp, in carrying out an order, with superb IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. isn daring plunged right into the circle of bloodthirsty blacks and sabred his way through them to his imperiled countrymen. The struggle was terrific beyond description, and ap- palling might have been the result had not a strong re- inforcement of marines and sailors come up just in the nick of time. Hurling themselves upon the blacks like a thunderbolt, they shattered their lines and once more threw them into confusion, allowing the encircled regi- ments to break their bonds and retire in fairly good order with many prisoners, while the blacks sullenly withdrew to their position, not without a number of prisoners also. There was no more fighting that day, and both sides looked forward to the morrow for a more decisive re&iilt. During the night, General Rochambeau, regardless of the fact that many of his own officers and men were in the enemy's hands, vented his rage for the discomfiture of the day by executing all his prisoners under circum- stances of peculiar barbarity. Some were shockingly mutilated, and allowed to die lingering deaths; their awful shrieks and groans being heard away over in the camp of their countrymen. The consequence of this disgraceful and senseless pro- ceeding may be readily imagined. Infuriated by it, Dessalines directed a number of gibbets to be put up on the plain in full view of both armies ; and when the sun rose the following morning, his rays fell upon the swing- ing bodies of every French officer and private who had been taken prisoner. :i' i. It ? M V ' li i ■:. ■' '' %{ r' ill ! : r ■ T ! ■ (I li li 134 TlIK GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. Nor was this all. Dessalines' forces had been materi- ally strengthened during the night, and before the sun was well up he gathered them together, and came down like a whirlwind upon the French camp. So early an attack was entirely unexpected. Taken by surprise, the French fought manfully, but in vain. There was no resisting the impetuosity of their maddened assailants. A fearful slaughter ensued ; the blacks showing no quar- ter, except to those who made no resistance, and were taken prisoners for subsequent torture. Dick sought to effect his escape from the awful confusion, and had al- most succeeded when fa, huge Negro threw himself upon him and bore him to the ground. CHAPTER XL UNDEB THE BRITISH FLAG AGAIN. WISELY reasoning that to resist would be only to incense his captor, and cause him to strike a bluw that might perchance be fatal, Dick kept perfectly still ; and the Negro, surprised at thi , soon allowed him to rise, and holding him by his brawny right arm, hurried him to the rear, evidently vvell pleased with his prisoner, whom he judged by the bright uniform to be a person of some consequence. Dick tried on the way to make him understand that he was not a Frencli officer, but a British midshipman, and therefore not an enemy but a friend. He found that the big fellow knew nothing of the English language, however, and feeling a good deal perturbed as to his fate in the hands of the blacks in their present temper, he prayed fervently for tie protection of Providence in bis strange position. The Negro conducted him right back to his own camp, where he handed him over to a detachment of his fellows who were guarding the prisoners, and to the commander of whom he said something which was unintelligible to Dick, but which no doubt meant that the boy was his prisoner and to take good care of him and not let him escape. 186 I .^tj fc \\ m i 1 ; M I V. Ii: ill Ii ^ 136 TlIK tJ(K)l) HUH' OlCYrJION. Keenly rogroitin^jf that lie luul ever left " La Creole," where at least he would have been safe however the hattle fared, Diek IooIumI around about him. lie WiU) one of several hundred in a similar eondition. All were r himself with the hope that when I)(!HHalin(>H and hi» Btalf returned tluirc would bo some one among them to whom he could ocpluin his being with the French army. It was evident that his fellow-prisoners entertained no hope whatever of receiving any consideration at the hands of their captors. Their own general had set the example of remorHcUt^s cruelty ami the blacks had already shown their promptness in imitating it. The returning victors brought with them a fresh hutch of prisoners, who were added to those alreai I I 140 THE GOOD SHIP (iRYPHON. K . to guin time was to improve his chances of escape, made his way to the rear of the group of officers, where he had an opportunity to "pull himself together," so to speak, after the exciting events of the day, while the review of the prisoners was being completed. When it was all over, the officer who had questioned him directed him to follow in his wake as he made his way to the general's tent, where a fuller inquiry was to be held, and a few minutes later Dick found himself once more in the presence of the commander-in-chief of the blacks. Dessalines was a full-blooded Negro. In fact, he had been brought from Africa as a slave. But when his brothers in servitude rose in revolt against their French masters, he displayed such qualities of leadeiship as to quickly bring him to the front. Under his command the black army won a series of victories, of which the crown- ing one was that of the morning. He was now practically master of the situation, and his former rulers had nothing left but to make the best terms of capitulation they could with him. Renowned as he was for ferocity no less than he was for fearlessness, the prospects of anything like favorable terms were far from brilliant, and no one knew this better than General Rochambeau, now driven to take refuge behind the defenses of the city. Brought face to face with the famous Negro, Dick lifted up his eyes and met squarely, if not boldly, the gaze that was fixed upon him. The general was richly dressed, and really looked very imposing, supported as he was by UNDER THK BlUTISH FLAG AG A IN. 141 a numerous stuflf, who evidently stood in considerable awe of him. His countenance bore the stamp of energy and determination to a degree rarely seen in one of his race, and was not at all unpleasing when he smiled. Evidently he was in high good humor, and summoning the officer who had previously been his interpreter to his side, he proceeded to examine Dick with a vivacity and intelli- gence that gave evidence of no mean intellectual ca- pacity. Dick responded promptly and frankly to every inquiry, and had no difficulty in perceiving that he was making a favorable impression upon the man who held his life in his hands. Finally, his mind seeming to be quite satisfied, Dessalines informed him, through the interpreting officer, that he need no longer consider himself a prisoner, but would remain with the blacks until an opportunity offered of putting him on board one of the British vessels. What a bound of joy Dick's heart gave when he under- stood this, and how fervently he gave thanks in his heart to God for so graciously protecting him I Not only was he to suffer no harm at the hands of the blacks, but he was to be delivered from the French also, and returned to his own people as soon as possible. Overcome with gratitude he sprang forward, and seizing the general's hand shook it warmly, exclaiming : " God bless you, sir ! How can I thank you ? " Dessalines laughed as he released his hand, and having had Dick's words explained to him, said very graciously : ** The British are my friends. I wish nothing but good 11 M • i? 'i ) if" F K'i 142 THE GOOD SHIP GllYPHON. [if 'i : !li' to the Britisli. You will be treated like my own son so long as you are with us." It was true that the British were the friends of the bhicks in their struggle for freedom. They had supplied them with ammunition on more than one occasion, and njiglit have aH'onlod them more assistance had they not been so nuich occupied taking care of their own interests. That evening Dick dined with the general in state, and as with mind p(>rfectly at ease and a splendid appetite he gave an appreciative attention to the feast, he thought to himself : "Well, what a wonderful world this isl This time yesterday with the staff of the French general as a pris- oner of war, and now with the staff of the Negro general as an honored guest. Won't Tenderly open his eyes when he hears all about it, and won't old Bulstrode scowl at my having such a time. And mother — my dear, pre- cious mother — how will I ever get the time to tell her all about it ? Siie nmst be wondering now if I'm still alive, it s so long since I had a chance to send her a letter." The feeling of security, after his many vicissitudes, was most pleasant, and he would have been in a quite happy frame of mind but for thinking of the unfortunate French prisoners, and the dreadful fate that they were perhaps already suffering. Yet he was powerless to help in any way whatever, and could do no more than hope that more clemency might be shown them by the blacks than they had shown toward their prisoner. The following morning General Dessalines, now stronger UNDKIl TIIV: JJIIITISII FLAG AGAIN. 143 than ever, for nothing succeeds like success, gathered his forces for a combined uttiick on the city, and, notwith* standing tlic very gallant defense made by the French, passed through the outer fortifications and broke down the block houses, so tliat by nightfall the city itself was at his mercy. One more day's fighting, and the conquest of the former masters of the island would be complete. Realizing this, General Rochambeau opened negotia- tions without delay. Had he done this three days earlier he might have obtained some consideration from the black commander-in-chief. But his resistance, and the cruelty shown to his prisoners, had exasperated Dessaliues to such a pitch that he would allow only ten days for the French to completely evacuate the place, and get away in ships as best they could. No\/, including seamen and soldiers, there were nearly ten thousand people to be thus removed, a task that seemed quite impossible of accomplishment, and, as a matter of fact, the ten days passed without a single vessel having left the harbor. On the eleventh day Dessalines, who had all the forts in his possession, sent word to Rochambeau that if the vessels did not sail on the fol- lowing day, he would fire upon them with red-hot shot. This message thoroughly alarmed the French, who had indeed been delaying in hope of assistance arriving, and were putting forth every effort to get away when, on the morning of the twelfth day, the British man-of-war "Theseus" came into the harbor, having been dispatched Dv Commodore Loring, in command of the squadron I i !'i i:: •WH*(" 144 THE GOOD SHIP GEYPHON. u^ n I w ^ i i i ; - \i ■ n' Hi] i J cruising in those waters, to see how matters stood, and if necessary, intervene for the protection of the conquered. Dick was in one of the forts watching the frantic pre- paration of the French for departure, and when he saw the " Theseus " bearing in under a full press of sail, with the beloved British colore flying at her masthead, he sprang upon the parapet, and waving his cap hurrahed at the top of his voice. Never before had the flag of dear old England seemed so beautiful an object, and the noble ship herself, cleaving the blue bosom of the harbor, how surpassingly finer she looked than any of the French ves- sels whose decks were now the scene of such confusion ! He felt as if he must get on board mthout delay, and with the permission of the officer in charge of the fort, at once set off" in search of General Dessalines. Happily he found him just as he was preparing to send one of his chief oflicials off* to the "Theseus," and thinking it well to make a good impression at the start, he very willingly consented to Dick's accompanying the officer. Then it came about that in half an hour Dick once more stood upon the well holy-stoned oaken planks that to him stood in the place of his native soil, and was the centre of a group of sub-lieutenants and midshipmen who shook his hand, and clapped him warmly on the back, and deluged him with questions anent his experiences among the French and the blacks. Keenly did Master Richard enjoy being the centre of such lively interest, and in a merry fashion did his tongue wag while Dessalines' envoy was in close consultation UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG AGAIN. 145 mce Ithat the [who jack, ices of |gue ItioD with Captain Bligh in the cabin. He made h' j listeners laugh heartily as he detailed the different incidents of the past month in his own graphic fashion, and they were unanimous in envying him his adventures, now that he had come out of them unscathed. Presently Captain Bligh came on deck, and Dick was brought up and introduced to him. The veteran sailor, who thought there was nothing more admirable in the world than true British pluck, grasped his hand warmly, and retained it in his firm grip, while he said so that all around could hear : " Arrl "3 you are Midshipman Holland, of whom Gen- eral Di .3s' representative speaks so highly. Let me say to yo^ now heartily welcome on board my ship is any one who bears himself with so much credit to the flag he serves. You have done honor to the service, sir, and I shall take pleasure in reporting the facts to your own captain, so that they may be duly acknowledged." Dick blushed to the roots of his hair with pride and pleasure at this hearty praise, and took pains to prove his gratitude by speaking warmly of General Dessalines and his staff, and of the kindness with which they had treated him. He also let Captain Bligh understand how critical was the situation, and how timely his arrival had been in view of Dessalines' expressed determination to shower red-hot shot upon every French vessel remaining in the harbor at sundown. When Captain Bligh heard this, he at once determined to intervene in the interests of humanity ; and ordering '■I 1 I? ■■ Ml iA III !• IS 'i 4 ; I Jl I 146 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. his gig to be launched, took two of his chief officers with him, as he weut to return in person the call made upon him by the black commander's envoy. He found Dessalines hard to inove at first, but he was not to be gainsaid, and eventually succeeded in obtaining a three days' extension of time, which enabled the unfor- tunate French to pack themselves on board the vessels in some sort of fashion, and get away from the island, which would never again be subservient to their sway. This happily accomplished, the " Theseus " in her turn set sail, bound for Kingston, Jamaica, there to report how matters stood in San Domingo and to await further orders. Dick hailed with delight the idea of getting back to King- ston ; and eager as he was to see his shipmates again, and to learn how it had fared with " Le Resource," he also cherished the hope that the " Gryphon" would not put in an appearance for a while, as he wanted to see some more of the delightful friends who had treated him so kindly before. It is not a long sail &om San Domingo to Jamaica, and in spite of a strong sou'wester, the " Theseus " made good progress ; for she was a steady ship, and Captain Bligh knew how to get the utmost out of her. On the way a suspicious sail was sighted, and run down after a three hours' chase, with the result that still another was added to the rapidly lengthening list of captured privateers which had been fitted out at Guadeloupe to wage war upon British commerce. When the prize crew was being made up, Captain 1 :' ' UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG AGAIN. 147 Bligb sent for Dick and, more in joke than in earnest, asked him if he wanted to try another trip in a French privateer. But Dick politely declined. He had had quite enough of that sort of experience for a while, and was altog' ,iier too eager to get to Kingston, where a week or two on shore would be much more to his taste. So he stayed by the " Theseus," and on the evening of the fol- lowing day had the pleasure of watching from his favor- ite eyrie in the main-top the beautiful panorama of King- ston Harbor open up before him, as the big ship picked her way carefully through the intricacies of the channel, and finally came to anchor just as the shadows of night enfolded the city and shut it from his sight. il 1 1 ■ teers ipon lli m m t d \ t kain CHAPTER XII. SCENES OX SHORE. WHEN Dick came on deck the next morning, the first thing he did was to look around for " Le Re- source." At first he could find nothing of her ; but pres- ently, after diligent hunting with the aid of a glass, he made her out lying at the far end of the mooring station, and almost hidden by the bulk of a big man-of-war. Satisfied upon this point, and promising himself to pay her a visit as promptly as possible, he next gave his atten- tion to searching for the "Gryphon." He hoped as strongly that he would not find her as that he would find the captured privateer, and again was his hope ftilfiUed. The " Gryphon " evidently was not in port, and he could pretty confidently count upon obtaining shore-going leave until she turned up. As soon as breakfast was dispatched he applied to Cap- tain Bligh for permission to rejoin " Le Resource," which being readily granted, he bade " good-bye " to his friends on the " Theseus," hailed one of the boatmen crowding at the foot of the gangway, and had himself rowed over to the privateer, not forgetting to take worthy old Tom Taf- frail along also, whose release as a prisoner he had suc- ceeded in securing from the French. They reached the vessel just as the men were making 148 SCENES ON SHORE. 149 things ship-shape for the day, Lieutenant Henderson su- perintending matters from the poop. Without delaying to ask permission, Dick sprang over the low bulwark, with Taffrail close at his heels, and they stood in the midst of their shipmates before the latter realized their arrival. The sensation their sudden appearance created was certainly as profound as they could have desired. Ex- claiming : " Dick Holland ! How in the name of all the angels did you get here ? " Lieutenant Henderson, quite forgetting official dignity, threw himself upon Dick and gave him a hug that almost squeezed the breath out of him, while the seamen fairly mobbed Taffrail, wringing his hands and clapping him on the back, and dancing about him like so many school children. " Bless my eyes, Taffrail," cried the lieutenant, as he grasped the boatswain's hand, " but it's good to see you safe and sound again. We'd made up our minds that you and Master Dick would have a taste of the dungeons at Guadeloupe before you got back. Come into the cabin, and let us have the whole story." It took the best part of the morning for the story to be told, and then Dick got a chance to ask about the " Gry- phon." Much to his satisfaction he learned that she was not expected for a week yet, and that he would therefore continue a member of tho prize-crew of "Le Resource" until the frigate appeared. As his duties in this position would be practically nil, he had no hesitation in applying for leave to go on shore and to remain for a few days, if he so desired, which Lieutenant Henderson at once P ■'A 1.1 k ifl ill 1 I)!: t i 1^ I if ii ii J 50 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. granted; and he accordingly made preparations to go that same aflernoou. He was very eager to see the Wilsons again. Their hospitable mansion was like home to h'*m now, and since he could not reach his mother to pour into her ears the story of his achievements and ambitions, he longed for the sympathy and kindness of Mrs. Wilson, who had taken him into her heart as though her own blood ran in his veins. He took unusual pains with his toilet, and looked the Very model of a midshipman as he stepped into the boat in which he was rowed ashore. As it happened, the day was the first of the Christmas holidays, when the Negro carnival is celebrated ; and, as the boat neared the land- ing, there grew louder upon Dick s ears the bray of horns and the rolling of drums, mingled with strains of barbar- ous music, and accentuated by the yelling of excited Ne- groes. He had never heard anything of the kind before, and turned in wonder to the steersman for an explanation. The old sarlor shrugged his shoulders to imply that it was nothing new to him. "The blackies are beginning their high jinks," said he. " They'll keep it up like that for the best part of a week. Such a precious lot of fools you never saw in your life." His curiosity being aroused, Dick asked a lot of ques- tions ; and the more he heard, the more he was disposed to congratulate himself upon having chanced on shore in time to see such strange doings ; so that by the time the SCENES ON SHORE. 161 boat reached the landing, his mind waa fully made up to lose nothing of the proceedings that would be worth see- ing. The wharves were already crowded with Negroes of both sexes and all sizes, dressed in the best garments they possessed, and dancing, singing, and shouting with most contagious heartiness. At the one where Dick landed, he at once found himself in the midst of just such a group of the merry-makers as has been so graph- ically described by "Tom Cringle" in his fascinating " Log." It was the butchers' John Canoe party, and it certainly more than fulfilled the expectations Dick had been led trt form from the statements of the steersman. The leader of the gang was, of course, the John Canoe or Jack Pudding, who may be described as the Lord of Misrule in the West Indian Negro's Christmas festivities. He was, in this instance, a light, active, young Creole, whose absence of shoes and stockings was amply atoned for by a superabundance of trousers, and an amplitude of blue velvet waistcoat that would have done credit to a London alderman ; while on his back was an old blue artillery uniform coat bearing tarnished epaulets, and having at the wrists shining tin frills in lieu of lace that tinkled noisily with every movement of the hands. His head was adorned with an enormous cocked hat, to which was attached in front a white mask having a very sanctimonious expression ; while another false face, wear- ing a quizzical grin, hung on behind ; both being over- Ill ' '■ '■} I i 1 152 TUE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. : ( topped with a coarse wig made of the hair of bullocks' tails. This extraordinary creature bore in one hand a white wand, and in the other a dirty handkerchief; and after capering about in front of Dick, as though to do hira honor, he sprang upon the back of a nondescript animal that now advanced, capering about in the most grotesque manner possible. This was a huge Negro, clothed in an entire bullock's hide, the whole of the skull being re- tained, so that the effect of the deep bass voice growling through the jaws of the beast was most startling. His legs were enveloped in the skin of the hind legs, while the arms were cased in that of the fore, the hands pro- truding a little above the hoofs ; and as he walked, seem- ingly reared up on his hind legs, he used, in order to support the weight of John Canoe, who had perched him- self on his shoulders like a monkey or a dancing bear, a strong staff with a crotched top to it. Behind him followed a kind of chorus numbering fifty or more men, all gotten up in a hardly less outlandish fashion, and these capered about in a way that threatened to tumble them, or somebody else, over the edge of the wharf. The whole party then made a circle around Dick, singing a wild song, the refrain of which seemed to be: " Oh, Massa Buccra, one macarone, please ! " and the steersman having translated this into a request for a quarter of a dollar, Dick promptly handed over a coin, whereupon John Canoe and his supporters went career- SCENES ON SHORE. 153 3d le id id le a II, ir- ing up the street, leaving the way clear for Dick to pro- ceed. The streets were crowded with people all arrayed in their " best bib and tucker," and rapid progress through them was out of the question. But Dick was in no hurry. He had the whole day before him, and granted a day's leave and a pocket full of silver, which he pos- sessed, a healthy, hearty midshipman is one of the hap- piest and most leisurely mortals alive. So, just in the spii t to enter into the humor of the thing to the utmost, Dick sauntered slowly along, or halted at some coign of vantage, while the group of merry-makers passed him by, his sharp eyes missing nothing that was worth seeing. All the crafts and trades were represented in the car- nival, and had their own John Canoes, horn blowers, and nondescripts ; and the very children had theirs also. But the most attractive part of the extraordinary exhibition was the " Set Girls," as they were called. These were bands of girls, each containing from fifteen to thirty, that danced along the streets, singing in excellent time and tune. There were black sets and brown sets, and setl fv^ ■51 [I III II' 102 THE GOOD SUIl» GUYPHON. li ::r From Captain Fitewell down to the youngest galley hoy, everyhody on hoard shared in the feelings of antici- pation and excitement. There was no knowing what the near future had in stort. The sea swarmed with French vessels, the most of them an easy prey for the " Gryphon," with her heavy thirty-twos, it was true ; hut there were others of much greater size and weight of metal, and if one of these should be encountered, some stiff figliluig was certain to ensue. Now a hard-fought contest meant of course opportuni- ties for distinguishing one's self, and for being mentioned in the dispatches, but it also meant no less the possibility of being gashed by a splinter, or having a limb and per- chance a head carried away by a round shot, not to men- tion having one's body made a target for small arms. So that there were two asj)ects of the matter, both of which had to be considered by thoughtful, far-seeing folk. Yet no one, unless indeed it was poor Tenderly, who would always much prefer being in port to being out at sea, and to whom the piping times of peace were far more welcome than the " alarms and excursions " of war, no one felt any disposition to regret being sent on their perilous mission. Officers and men alike welcomed the prospect of lively times with the chance of a good bit of prize money at the end of them. The destination Cai)tain Fitewell had in view was the port of St. Jago de la Cuba, at the southeastern end of the island. Toward this he worked carefully, a sharp look-out being kept for suspicious craft coming from any If ! - HUNTING PRIVATEERS. 103 ' 'J quarter. Dick as usual spent tlie most of the time that he was not on watch during the day up in the main-top, where, with tlie aid of a glass loaned hiiu by the first lieutenant, he swept the horizon in search of strange sails. But his diligence went without reward until the frigate was ofl' St. Jago, and then he had the satisfaction of re- porting the presence of four French schooners, evidently armed and ready for mischief. Captain Fitewell was greatly pleased at this, and as he could not enter the port to make the capture, decided to watch it very narrowly in case the schooners should endeavor to make their escape therefrom. For several days the frigate knocked about the neigh- borhood, tacking to and fro, or lying to according as the wind served. But no schooners appeared, and the captain denouncing the law that denied him the privilege of sail- ing straight into the harbor and taking the schooners without more ado, was beginning to grow very impatient, and to consider the propriety of trying some other field, when Tenderly 's opportunity to find favor in his eyes came, and the boy did not fail to take advantage of it. It happened in this way. He was on watch just as daylight broke, and there being nothing particular for Jiim to do he climbed up into the main-top to look about him. He had hardly glanced around when his eyes fell upon three of the schooners creeping cautiously along the shore with the aid of their sweeps. At once he raised the cry of " Sail ho I " and scrambled I i 164 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. ill ill I i . III i \ I 1^ down to report what he had seen. All handa wei'e immediately called on deck, and the yards were crowded with canvas to make the most of the light morning breeze. At first it seemed as if the schooners would get away before the breeze grew strong enough to enable the frigate to catch up with them. But as the sun rose the wind freshened, and presently the big vessel was bowling along after the little ones at a rate that would soon bring her upon them. When they perceived this they parted company, one going about so as to sail due west, while the other two continued on their course due east. " Ah ! ha I " laughed Captain Fitewell, when he saw this. They flatter themselves they're going to play fox on me. But, perhaps, I'll disappoint them." Steering after the two which had kept together, he rapidly overhauled them, and the moment he came within range let fly at them with his bowchasers. The gunners* aim was good, the heavy shot reaching their marks, and without waiting to be knocked into kindling wood, one of the schooners went up into the wind and hauled down her flag in token of surrender, while the other tried the desperate tactic of doubling, with the result that she ran on shore in such a position that she must inevitably become a total wreck. Sending a prize crew on board the one which had sur- rendered. Captain Fitewell, without losing a minute, turned about and set ofl* in pursuit of the third schooner, i-i wij! ■ ■ 1+' I'i i. hi ii i^i«^' ; - ' !^ ; ill i ■■ : • " '. ■ !»!,•» 1 11 ■ 1 ■: -., lit 1 ' 1'. '] ; M|i ?il i^rJJi "■' Im The Good Ship Gryphon. Page 1<)5 I HUNTING PRIVATEERS. 165 . 1 which by this time had so long a head-start that her cap- ture seemed almost out of the question. But he was not a man to be easily shaken off. The wind had now risen into a pretty stiff blow, and tlie " Gryphon " fairly snored through the water under the pressure of a cloud of canvas, the studding-sails swelling out as though they would burst their snowy bosoms, and the royals bending the tips of the masts like fishing rods. Slowly but surely the schooner was overhauled, although in his anxiety to escape, her captain carried so much canvas that she went ploughing througli ihc waves instead of lifting over them, and it seemed every minute as if the mainmast must go by the board, or the sails be blown from the booms. Perched in the main-top, Dick watched the chase with breathless interest. He felt toward these privateers as a hunter does toward wolves and panthers. They were the beasts of prey of the seas, and to be treated accordingly. No questioning as to the rightfulness of dri\ ing them from the face of the deep ever entered into his mind. He could not of course show any undue severity to those who manned them as individuals, but taken collectively, they were objects of his righteous indignation, and he was eager to give them hard knocks at every oppor- tunity. It was after midday before the frigate got within range of the schooner, and even then the latter kept on her course in sheer desperation. Somtwhat reluctantly, there- 1^ 166 TUE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. !'■'• ! !| i'tl.tt' fore, for be would have preferred capturing her uninjured, Captain Fitewcll gave orders for the gunners to aim at the masts and rigging. The first few shots did little damage, but presently old Taflrail sent one Avbistliiig through the air that by a happy chance smashed the main-boom and efiectually spoiled the schooner's sailing. A minute later she struck her colors, and a prize crew went on board to take possession. Entirely satisfied with his day's work, Captain Fitewell now retraced his course so as to pick up the other cap- tured schooner, ond then the damage to the one TafTrail hit having been repaired sufficiently to enable her to get along, he started back for Kingston to hand his prizes over, and to take back the men he had put on board of them. But as luck would have it, the work of that cruise was not yet completed. About one o'clock of the following day a brig was observed coming along shore, which soon after hauled her wind to speak a schooner which had been avoiding the frigate all the morning. The captain at once determined to look into the character of both vessels, and signalling to the schooners to keep on their course toward Jamaica, he turned his prow the other direction. There was a strong breeze blowing at the time, and about tliree o'clock the brig and schooner bore up together under all sail, evidently full of fight. " Hurrah ! " exclaimed Dick, whose watch it was, and who was studying their every movement with eager inter- HUNTING PRIVATEEKS. 167 est. " Thej 're not going to run away this time. They're going to try a tussle witn us." In order to meet them to the best advantage the "Gry- phon " stood off until certain of fetching them, and then made sail in shore, keeping within half a mile of the shore under a heavy press of her canvas. Rearing and dipping in the white caps the brig came gallantly up, her decks crowded with armed men, and her bulwarks pierced for eighteen gims. If well handled and properly supported by the schooner, she could hardly fail to prove a troublesome customer. A few minutes after four o'clock she had come within range and, as if impatient for the fray, veered from her course sufficiently to allow a broadside to be fired. The eighteen-pound balls whistled threateningly through the air, but the aim of the gunners was poor and, beyond the cutting of a few unimportant ropes in the upper rigging, the " Gryphon " suffered no damage. The brig then attempted to cross the "Gryphon's" hawse, a very clever manoeuvre, and one that would have given her a very great advantage. But Captain Fitewell was too old a sailor, and too experienced a fighter, to be caught napping. Although tearing along at the rate of fully eight knots, he ordered the helm to be put hard-a- port so as to board the brig, and at the same time let fly a broadside from his thirty-two pounders that brought his opponent's top hamper of studding sails^ top-sails, etc., tumbling upon df'ck in a perfect shower of yards and blocks and ropes. II i' I |! Vn 168 THE GOOD SHIP GUYPHON. " Hurrah I hurrah I " cried Dick again, delighted at the effect of the broadside. " We can teach Mister Frenchie how to aim straight. AVhat's he going to do now with Lis rigging all in such a mess?" The commander of the brig seemed at first completely bewildered as to what to do, and the " Gryphon's " boats were just about to be lowered when the other vessel, to the surprise of those on board the frigate, lufled up and ran straight for the rocks in a small bay, striking the reef and her colors at almost the same moment. The "Gryphon," following hard after her, narrowly es capcd a similar fate, and was only saved by heaving ii. stays. As it was, when after a few moments of breathlest suspense she wore round, and went off on the port tack, her stern was nearly in the breakers. " Bless my eyes ! But that was a close shave," said Lieut. Henderson to Dick, as the latter stood besidt; liim, trembling in every limb with the excitement of tlie mo- ment. '* T thought we wouhl strike that time for sure." Dick broke into a laugh to conceal his perturbation, as he answered : "So did I, sir, and I was just wondering what would happen to us if we did go ashore. Perhaps a whole crowd of these privateers would come along and make us sur- render while we were stuck here helpless." "It's probably just about what would happen, Dick," returned the sub-lieutenant. " For I believe the rascals fairly swarm around here, and they'd show us small mercy if they did catch us in such a fix." p UUiNTING PllIVATEEllS. 169 As the frigate came about slic fired a broadside into ^be brig, for Captain Fitewell felt bound to destroy her since he could not, taka her. To leave her as she was wculd simply mean that the French would float her oft' at their leisure, and after being repaired she would re- sume her mission of injury to British commerce. Presently she hoisted her ensign again in evident de- fiance of her assailant, and her boats carried her men ashore, where they lined the beach and were ready to pour volleys of musketry upon any boats that might ven- ture to board the brig. NeverthclesB. Captain Fitewell, piqued at this piece of bravado, determined to show the French that they could not play such pranks with impunity, and accordingly orders were given for the boats to be lowered at once. The command gave great delight on board the "Gry- phon," and, despite the manifest danger from the fire of musketry, both officers and men pressed forv/ard, eagerly seeking to be sent. Dick was among the volunteers, and his friend, the sub-lieutenant, being given command of one of the largest boats, he begged him for a place. Mr. Henderson was only too glad to have him. He already had experience of his courage and coolness, and promptly assented. As it happened, Dick had just gone off to get liis arms when Bulstrode proffered the same re- quest. Now Mr. Henderson had no liking for Bulstrode, and moreover, the complement for his boat was already made up, so he answered, somewhat curtly : I t! ' 170 THE GOOD SUIP GRYPHON, "No, Bulstrode ; I have nil the men I want. Try and get into some other boat," and he turned away to give his attention to getting ready. Boiling over with rage and envy, Bulstrode rushed down into the gun room, where he knew Dick was, and without the slightest apparent provocation proceeded to pour upon him a flood of the coarsest abuse. Dick was a "sneak," a "toady," a "spy," and many other things not less objectionable, each brutal epithet being garnished with oaths to make it still more aggravating. In the high state of excitement that Dick was in, this unexpected and unprovoked attack at first bewildered him. Then as he saw the other middies laughing in an amused way and evidently enjoying the scene, his anger suddenly rose to white heat. On the floor beside him lay a heavy boot that one of the officers had taken ofll Stooping down he picked this up, and let it fly with all his force straight at Bulstrode's face. His aim was perfect, and his action 80 quick, that the bully, taken unawares, had no time to ward off" the missile, and the heavy heel struck him full on the forehead. With a fearful oath he staggered back upon a bench behind him, while Dick fled to the upper* deck, and the boat being already lowered, he sprang in, knowing well that Bulstrode would not dare to follow him thither. The next minute the boat pulled off" for the brig, and Dick forgot everything in the excitement of the enter- prise. This was no mere pleasure trip, by any means. Although the brig herself appeared to be deserted, the HUNTING PRIVATEERS. 171 shore behiud her was lined with armed men, whose mus- kets began to speak even before the boat came into range ; and the splash of the bullets in the water around them warned the daring sailors that they could hardly expect to get off unscathed. Yet on they pressed, rowing as steadily as if practising for a race, and even when one of the men in the bow was hit and had to give up his oar, another took his place without a word, and the cutter never lost speed. The nearer they got to the stranded vessel the heavier grew the fire of musketry, and it was little short of a miracle that more of them were not hit. But the French happily were very poor marksmen; and with only two men slightly w^ounded, they dashed alongside the brig, where they were entirely protected f'^r the time. Dick was the first one to set foot on the slanting deck of the abandoned vessel, and as with some difficulty he made sure his balance, he took off his cap and waved it triumphantly, shouting : " Hurrah for old England ! One more prize for the ' Gryphon,' and a fine one too." Taking care not to expose themselves to the bullets from the shore. Lieutenant Henderson and his men pro- ceeded to make an examination of the vessel, in order to see if there was any chance of getting her off the reef and repairing her for service under the Union Jack. When this was completed, they gathered in a group by the main chains to discuss the situation, the marksmen on the beacli in the meantime keeping up a continuous fu- 172 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON, JH 1 i m rilladi although it was nothing better than a slieer waste of powder and bullets. The sub-lieutenant announced the result of the in- spection. " It's too bad, my hearties, but I'm afraid we've run the gauntlet for nothing. There'?} no chance of getting the brig off. She's badly hogged, and would sink the mo- ment she got back to deep water. The ))e8t thing we can do is to set her on fire, and get back to our ship as quickly as possible." There were many exclamations of regret, at this de- cision, but no one could question its soundness. If the brig were burnt there would of course be no prize money, and the men who had risked their lives to board her mu/?t fain be content with the satisfaction to be derived from the destruction of a dangerous enemy to British com- merce. It is an easy thing to set a ship on fire ; and in a few minutes the flames were leaping from the hold of the brig and greedily licking the foot of the mainmast. Mr. Henderson shrewdly ordered the boats to stay alongside until the volume of smoke was sufficient to materially mask their retreat ; and in this way, and by dint of vig- orous rowing, they got out of range without any further casualties. Just as they reached the " Gryphon," the masts of the brig went over the side with a startling crash, and by the time the frigate had got well under way there was noth- ing left but the smoking skeleton of what had only a few > If m HUNTING PRIVATEERS. 173 hours before been a saucy privateer, mounting eighteen long eighteen pounders, and carrying a crew of a hun- dred men. Shortly after Dick returned to the " Gryphon," he was sent for by Captain Fitewell. His thoughts being still engrossed with the privateer and her destruction, he took it for granted that he was to be asked something in refer- ence to that subject, and was completely taken aback when the captain, regarding him with a look of unwonted sternness, said : "Mr. Holland, I am informed that just previous to your going off in the cutter with Mr. Henderson, you threw a heavy boot at Mr. Bulstrode and injured him severely in the face. Is that iuformation correct ? " i Ml II ill m • - 1 J anj' ii '5i OOOD FOR EVIL. 179 A and that so far as the good opinion of their associates was concerned, Dick beyond alJ question had carried off the advantage. In a strange tumult of emotion, Dick made his way to hxs eyrie in the main-top where, secure from all observa- tion, he could give vent to the feelings that would no longer be controlled. He was cut to the heart by what he considered the huiuiliatiou he hud undergone, and not even the conviction that in ot''' 'w^ tlic apology he had done only what was his simple duty as a Christian, gave him much comfort. lie had not been there long before Tenderly came up, full of sympathy, and eager to put the whole business in a far more favorable light than Dick was disposed to do. They talked together until sundown, and by that time Dick had come to a much more composed state of mind, so that he looked and felt more like himself when he made his appearance at the dinner table. The affair had one good result, at all events. It put a complete scop to Bulstrode's tormenting tactics, for Cap- tain Fitewell gave him clearly to understand that he would be watched thenceforth, and at the slightest at- tempt to repeat any of them, would be dismissed from the ship immediately. Knowing the captain to be a man of his word, Bui strode took heed to the injunction, and contented himself with scowling fiercely at Dick and Ten- derly whenever they happened to meet face to face. Meantime the " Gryphon " continued her cruise in quest of privateers with varying success, and there was il ] IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) f/' m o 'f < <^ % .v'4 fA 1.0 [Sl^ I 1^ I.I 115 ■Uuu 11-25 i 1.4 m 6" ';' Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716) 872-4503 Z k \ \ 180 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON ii i' lif !!;! plenty of work for every officer and sailor on board. Her supply of fresh water giving out, she put into the port of Santiago de Cuba to refill the casks ; and it was while there that the occasion presented itself tor Dick to give a striking illustration of the spirit his Master, in the Sermon on the Mount, had demanded of those who en- tered his service. The harbor fairly swarmed with sharks, and Bulstrode one morning sought to gratify his propensity for inflict- ing suffering by fishing for them with a shark line. Presently he hooked a big fellow weighing several hun- dred pounds, and found himself in sore straits as to man- aging the monster. He was too proud, however, to call any one else to help him, and did his best to carry on the struggle alone. His position was on the little platform at the for&- chains, whence the lead is cast. Not a very secure place from which to angle for sharks ; but it was not Bulstrode's way to carefully consider consequences. The shark wal- loped about wildly, tugging for freedom with tremendous strength ; and, realizing that he had undertaken a task beyond his powers, Bulstrode endeavored to give the line a couple of twines around the iron hand-rail which pro- tected the platform. While so doing, the shark somehow or other, in the course of its frantic rushes, succeeded in getting the line across his chest, at the same moment giving a tug that no human strength could withstand. Taken completely un- awares, Bulstrode let go the line and made a desperate GOOD FOR EVIL 181 te grasp at the railing, but missed it with both hands ; and the next instant, uttering a wild shriek for help, was drawn over the railing into the midst of the ravenous monsters gliding about below I Now as it happened, Dick and Tenderly had been spectators of the whole affair from the main-top. With the disappearance of Bulstrode, Dick exclaimed : " He's overboard. And he can't swim a stroke I " Without a moment's hesitation he slid through the lubber-hole — ordinarily he despised this short cut and used the futtock-shrouds — and scrambled down the main shrouds at a rate that was nothing short of perilous. Beaching the deck, he picked up a coil of small rope, and rushing to the bulwarks, tossed one end of it to Tenderly, who had followed close upon his heels, wound the other end around his left wrist, and then saying: "Keep a good hold, Arthur, and help all you can," sprang feet first into the water where Bulstrode was sinking for the second time, with the sharks gathering closely about him, ready to rend him in pieces. Now Dick was a splendid swimmer ; and, aided by the rope, would have found little difficulty in rescuing even so bulky a fellow as Bulstrode under ordinary circum- stances ; but it was a very different matter with a number of man-eating sharks cavorting about, ready to devour whatever came within reach of their horrible jaws. By this time the bulwarks were lined with officers and men, some shouting directions to Dick, while others, with long boat-hooks, tried to harpoon the sharks, and others 4t "if I ■ f. m r \ 182 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. Btill lowered themselves down the side by ropes, so as to lend assistance at the earliest possible moment. The excitement was intense, yet in the midst of it all there was no one more self-possessed than Dick. So en- grossed was he in the business of rescue that he took no thought for anything else. He succeeded in grasping Bulstrode at the first dive, and rose to the surface with him firmly held by the collar. " Keep still now," he cried, aa the big fellow struggled and spluttered. " Here, take this rope." And he thrust the rope into his hands, which instantly closed upon it with the grip that only a drowning man can give. " Now, then, Arthur, pull away ! " he shouted, turning his face toward the ship. Half a dozen pairs of eager hands laid hold with Ar- thur, and in a few seconds Bulstrode was drawn along- side, where other hands grasped him and passed him up to the deck. The moment he was released of his burden, Dick struck out for the ship on his own account, and for the first time fully realized into what deadly peril he had sprung. The sharks were all about him, their dorsal fins cleaving the water to right and left, and their white forms gleaming through its translucent green. So bold were they, that they seemed disposed to dispute his right of way back, in spite of the shower of missiles that descended upon them from the excited sailors. Splashing as much as possible, Dick forged ahead until his hand clasped a rope cleverly thrown by Bo'sun TafiraiL GOOD FOB EVIL. 183 '' Heave-ho, my hearties I " he shouted, the moment his fingers closed upon it. The men obeyed with such a will that he was well- nigh lifted clear of the water, and it seemed as if he would escape unscathed, ailer all, when the largest of the sharks, as though determined he should not, made a desperate rush and caught his left foot in its cruel mouth, although fortunately, because of Dick's upward motion and his being almost beyond the shark's reach, he did not get a full hold. Poor Dick gave a scream of mingled fright and pain, at which old Tafirail, no longer able to restrain himself, slid down one of the ropes with his sheath-knife between his teeth, threw his left arm around the shark's head to steady himself, and then drove the knife clear up to the hilt into the monster's eye. It was magnificently done, and a thrilling cheer went up from the spectators; for, writhing in agony, the shark let go its hold, and sank back into the water already crimsoned with its blood. The moment Dick was released, those who held the rope drew him up to the deck, which he reached just in time to fall down in a faint. When he came to himself he was in his own hammock, with the surgeon bending anxiously over him. His foot hurt so terribly, that instinctively he put his hand down to feel if it had been torn off by the serrated teeth of the shark. Understanding the movement, the surgeon said, with a re-assuring smile : : 1 \4i il^ 184 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. i t II " Oh, it's there still 1 Pretty badly scraped, to be sure^ but we'll make it all right again." Much comforted, Dick sank back on his pillow, and, after a moment's quiet, asked : "How's Bulstrode?" " None the worse for his ducking," responded the sur- geon, in a tone of decided indifference. " You're the one we're concerned about. You had a close shave for it, I tell you, Dick. If that brute had caught you a little higher up, I wouldn't like to answer for the conse- quences." Dick closed his eyes, to hide the tears that filled them. What a horrible death it would have been I And his mother — surely it would have broken her heart. How thankful he should be to the Divine Providence who once more had so signally protected him I And he was thankful. He believed with all his heart that God had delivered him, and, while his eyes continued closed, his lips moved as he rendered praise to the Love Omnipo- tent. The surgeon, thinking he was falling asleep, slipped quietly away ; and when Dick opened his eyes. Tenderly stood in his place, his thin, sallow countenance so full of sympathy and concern that Dick could not forbear a smile, despite the pangs that shot up from his injured foot. At sight of the smile. Tenderly brightened up amaz- ingly. " Oh, I'm so glad I " he exclaimed. " You'll soon be .. > GOOD FOR EVIL. 185 all right, won't you, Dick ? And oh, Dick," — here his lipa trembled and his voice quivered, while the tears gath- ered in his pale blue eyes, — " I was so dreadfully fright- ened when the shark came at you. I wanted to jump right in too. But you know I can't swim ; and then dear, good Tafirail jumped, and I knew he'd pull you out." Dick could not forbear another smile. The idea of Tenderly jumping into the water to rescue him, had some- thing so absurd about it. The boy could not swim a stroke. He disliked the water too much to learn, and as for trying conclusions with a shark, why, the shark would probably bite him in two before he knew what had hap- pened to him. But, of course, Dick said nothing of all this to his friend. He took his hand and pressed it warmly, saying : " You're a good fellow, Arthur, and you'd stand by me anywhere, I know. You'll have a chance some day to distinguish yourself. You see if you don't." Tenderly's face grew radiant. " I do hope I will," he exclaimed, ecstatically. " I do so want to do something that other people will think fine. You know you're doing it all the time, Dick. Every- body on board, except Bulstrode, says you're a regular hero. And they're all right too," he added, raising his voice to give emphasis to the statement. Now hearty praise, even from a frankly biased friend, is ])y no means unwelcome ; and Dick almost forgot his pain as he listened to Tenderly's enthusiastic expressions. Yet even more gratifying than the praises of a friend J i ■- •1 ■I i 'il .■.•■a '• i 186 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. are those of an enemy who has been overcome, n jt by su- perior might, but by magnanimous service. It was not until Dick had been left alone that Bulstrode came up to express his gratitude in blundering, though unmistakably sincere phrases. The hard crust of selfishness had been broken by Dick's heroic conduct, and the best that was in him brought to the surface. Never before in his life had he felt so thoroughly ashamed of himself; and in the first flush of this righteous repentance, he did not hesitate to follow up his words of gratitude with a frank apology for his past misconduct, and a fervent request that it might be forgiven. Dick's response was of course as prompt and hearty as tone and words could make it, and the two had quite a pleasant chat together. Presently Lieutenant McKinstry came along with the good news that the " Gryphon " was to put back to Kingston, where Dick might go ashore, if he liked, until his foot was entirely healed, and he could resume duty. « Oh, that will be splendid ! " exclaimed Dick. « I'll send and ask Mr. Wilson if I may stay there. I know he'll be glad to have me." ** A capital plan, Dick," said Mr. McKinstry. " You'll get well again twice as quickly there as at the hospital or on board ship, and the little holiday will do you good in every way." Accordingly, as soon as the frigate made her moorings in Kingston harbor. Tenderly went off to call upon the GOOD FOR EVIL. 187 Wilsons and find out if it would be convenient for them to have Dick as a guest for a week. He came back with a smiling face that betokened suc- cess. The warmest possible welcome awaited Dick, and Mr. Wilson's carriage would be at the dock for him that very afternoon. So that night found Dick comfortably installed with his friends, who were highly pleased at the prospect of having him for a whole week ; for he was indeed a very entertaining guest. He loved to talk, and he had a bright graphic way of narrating his experience and adventures that made his company eminently agreeable. They all did their best to spoil him that week, and, as he wrote home to his mother, they seemed to be conspiring to cure him of his fondness for the sea by proving how much more pleasant it was ashore. Dick, however, was neither spoiled, nor cured of that fondness. He enjoyed the week's stay immensely, and was sorry when it came to a close. Yet no sooner had his foot healed sufficiently to allow of his putting on a boot and walking without pain, than he announced his inten- tion of reporting himself ready for duty, and all the en- treaties of the Wilsons could not persuade him to dally. " No — no — please," he answered, entreatingly. " I'm fit for duty now, and it's not fair for me to stay ashore any longer. You've treated me like a prince, and I can't begin to tell you how grateful I feel ; but you know Vm only a middy, and I mustn't do anything that looks like shirking." 188 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. So, with many promises to return at the first opportu* nity, Dick bade his kind friends good-bye and went back to the frigate. As he stepped on board he was met by Lieutenant Mc- Kinstry, whose face brightened at sight of him, and who immediately said : " Oh, Dick 1 I'm so glad youVe turned up. I waa hoping you would put in an appearance to-day. How would you like to go with me to Diamond Bock? " . ' II CHAPTER XV. DIAMOND BOCK. DICK was quite taken aback by this unexpected question. He knew no more of Diamond Rock than he did of Timbuctoo, and had not the remotest idea whether the lieutenant was going hunting, fishing, or fighting. But after all, what did it matter ? So long as his friend was going, that was enough for him. " Diamond Rock, sir ? " he answered, after a moment's hesitation. " I don't know anything about it. But if you want me to go with you, I'm ready." "Spoken like a man I " exclaimed the lieutenant, clap- ping him warmly on the back. " You know almost as much about Diamond Rock as I do, and we' 11 soon find out the rest. Sit down now, and I'll tell you what's in the wind. This Diamond Rock lies off* the south side of Martinique, about three-quarters of a mile from shore. I've often sailed by it, and would have taken a good squint at it if I'd ever thought they were going to ship me there. I never saw anybody on it, and they do say the sea-crabs and the birds are the only garrison it ever had before. It's the admiral's own notion — ^that of sending some men and guns to the Rock — and he's full of the idea. He says that if all goes well, he'll have the island rated on the king's books as a sloop of war, and treated as such. It's 189 ■m I : i m 190 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. no end of a bright scheme, I think myself; for with half a dozen good guns, a hundred men, and plenty of ammu* nition, H. M. S. '• Diamond Rock " ought to do a power of damage to Monsieur Farlez-vous' vessels, and make it a tough job for them to get in and out of Fort Boyal Bay." Dick listened with flashing eyes. Here wajs an adven- ture lit to stir the spirit of the dullest boy. '* Oh, how glad I am, sir, that you've asked me to go with you," he burst out, looking up gratefully into the lieutenant's face. " It's going to be splendid fun, I know. How soon shall we go there ? " " Just as soon as we can fit out. If there's anything you want on shore, Dick, you'd better lay it in. It may be months before you get off Diamond Rock, if Boney's ships don't drive you off." Three days sufficed for the necessary preparations. Sir Samuel Hood being impatient to carry out his design ; and about the middle of November the " Gryphon " sailed upon her curious mission. She had on board for Dia- mond Rock one hundred men, sixty being sailors and the rest marines, carefully picked from the crews of the dif- ferent vessels in port, the " Gryphon " contributing twenty- five as her share, besides her first lieutenant and one of her midshipmen. Half a dozen guns, a large quantity of ammunition, and abundance of provisions, and water in tanks, constituted the garrison's equipment. The slant across to Martinique was prosperously made, no sign of French vessels being seen, and in good time DIAMOND BOOK. 191 the " Grypboi " slipped past Point Yarin, and stood off the mouth of Cul de Sac Marin to reconnoitre. The coaflt waa clear. The secret had been well kept, and no preparation made to give the frigate a hostile recep- tion. " It looks as though we were going to have plain sail- ing, Dick," said Mr. McKinstry, rubbing his hands glee- fully together. " We ought to be able to get everything up on the Rock in a couple of days, if the weather holds fine." " Is that Diamond Rock, sir ? " asked Dick, in a sur- prised tone, pointing to a peak that rose sheer out of the sea right before them. "How under the skies are we ever to get guns up there, when I can't make out any way of our getting up ourselves ? " " It'll be a smart job, no doubt, my boy ; but we must manage it somehow. There's a bit of a beach on one side, I hear," answered the lieutenant. A smart job it proved, indeed. On the south, the island stood up from the water as straight as a wall ; on the east, the frowning cliffs, marked with gaping caves, dared any one to ap- proach them ; on the north, a steep slope, crowned with a grove of fig trees, offered no encouragement. On the west side alone could any hint of a landing place be discov- ered, and the narrow beach visible there had a fringe of foam that said plainly : " Beware of breakers.'* But breakers or no breakers, a landing had to be ef- fected; and Lieutenant McKinstry, accompanied by Dick, jumped into one of the lightest cutters, and with I \- ; I'll ii ■ ;■ Ifei^ In '! "^ f U i 1 1 1 ' g 1 ? ' '& ' ' 1 rt 1 i ' '■ i |: t C » ' ■ ji, 1 1 '• 1 1 ^ ' 1 i i ' 192 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. half a dozen of the best oarsmen, rowed for the shore. When they reached the outer edge of the breakers the lieutenant, taking a keen glance ahead, gave directions for the perilous passage. " Dick, run forward there, and stand by the moment she beaches, keeping tight grip on the painter. Now, my men, head her straight for the shore, and pull for all you're worth. Give way I " As one man the six brawny sailors buried their blades in the water, making the stout ash bend like willow wands in their grasp. The swift boat shot forward with the dart of a dolphin, and in a few moments the breakers were foaming and frothing all about her. " Steady, now I steady I " shouted the lieutenant, " all together. Hit her up — hit her up ! " The oarsmen put every ounce of strength they had into the work, looking neither to right or left, watching only their steersman. Flung from billow to billow like a feather, the cutter still kept on her way until a huge comber taking her upon its broad bosom, pitched her high up the weltering beach. " Jump now, Dick, quick I " cried Mr. McKinstry. But before the words reached Dick he had sprung from the boat, painter in hand, and running out its whole length dug his heels into the sand and held on, while the sailors leaping ashore after him, grasped the gunwale, and ere the next billow had time to charge, the cutter was beyond its reach. " Well done all I " exclaimed the lieutenant. " Kroo- DIAMOND ROCK. 193 men couldn't have done it better. Have you taken much water?" Dick was pretty well sprinkled, and the men had their feet wet ; but the hot sun would soon repair that mischief. And in high spirits they made the boat snug, and set off t.0 explore the island. They found that in order to climb its precipito'is back, they must crawl around to the northwest side through narrow crannies and over slippery boulders, at no small risk of broken necks, until they reached the slope with the fig trees a'top. Then the going became less difficult, and presently they reached the grove, and with vast sighs of relief threw themselves down to rest in its grateful shade. When they had got their breath they completed their survey of the place. It proved to be a mass of rock about a mile in circumference, and rising some six hundred feet above the sea. Caves and grottoes, large and small, pit- ted its face, tenanted by goats, bats, and birds without number ; serpents and lizards sunned themselves upon the rocks, or slid noiselessly through the rank herbage ; rab- bits hopped in and out of their burrows ; marine and tropical birds, in endless variety and uncountable num- bers, cawed and shrieked, and chattered their protests against intrusion upon their domain. It was wonderfully interesting to Dick. To live in a big cave, on an uninhabited island ; to hunt birds and goats for amusement, and cannonade French fleets for business; to hold this fortress against the attacks the mUM .k I « «.«! n<: illii n.! ; M ■ I 4 I 'I I 194 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON, French were bound to make so soon as they found out what had been done, — if there was not sufficient of both romance and adventure about this, — ^why, he didn't know what romance and adventure meant. " Oh, Mr. McKinstry ! " he exclaimed, out of the full- ness of his heart. " How glad I am that you brought me with you. I wouldn't wish anything better than to stay on Diamond Eock, and I do hope the Frenchmen will give us plenty to do." " Never you fear about that, my fierce little fire-eater," smiled the lieutenant. " Once Johnny Crapaud finds us out he'll do his best to make it warm for us. But, see here, we must look about for some way of getting up our guns, and other things. "VVe can never bring them through those breakers." A careful survey of the rock was accordingly made, but no practicable mode of effecting their object seemed to present itself, and the lieutenant felt somewhat discon- certed, when a happy thought flashed into Dick's bright brain, to which he gave instant expression. " I have a plan, sir," he said, modestly. " Perhaps it could be worked." " What is it, Dick ? Let us have it." " Why, sir, if the * Gryphon ' could lay alongside the cliff over there, a hoisting tackle might be fixed to the top of the rock, and the guns hove up by the men on board." Lieutenant McKinstry sprung to his feet with a regular whoop and, throwing his arms around Dick, gave him a hug worthy of a bear. d out both know 3 full- lit me 5 stay a will ater," ids us it, see p our them uade, semed iscon- >right aps it e the le top .ard." gular aim a Ili ,'^#5?f^.^ :*?£;■?.-:■ i^.l' ■•" '^•.T'lSfc a;i fVi? I*H>' i< i4 ** f ■ i 1 Ir i"* The Good Sliip Gryphon. Page I9r>. DIAMOND ROCK. 195 l! " Zounds, youngster," be cried, " I believe you're in- spired. Tbat's tbe very tbing. And it never occurred to me. Come along, and let's take a good look at tbe place, and tben go back to the sbip and report." A closer examination sbowed that Dick's scbeme was quite feasible so long as tbe sea continued calm, and in bigb spirits tliey returned to tbe " Grypbon," getting a good drencbing in tbe process of launching tbe cutter. Captain Fitewell at once approved of tbe plan, and gave orders for it to be carried into effect without delay. Fifty men were sent off to tbe rock, with directions to make their way around to tbe cliff. The frigate care- fully edged in as close as was prudent, keeping her po- sition by anchors out fore and aft, and lines fastened to tbe shore by means of grapnels. A life line was tben shot to tbe top of tbe cliff, and by it a heavier rope was drawn up, and finally a great cable, which served as a stay. A secure purchase was fastened to the rock, trav- elers were cleverly arranged to pass upon tbe stay, tbe guns were lashed to these travelers, and tben, with many a " heave bo " and " all together," tbe heavy masses of metal were slowly, but successfully hoisted up to their airy embrasures ; Captain Fitewell looking on witb ap- proving smiles, and rubbing bis bands witb satistaction at tbe prosperous proceeding of so daring and difficult an enterprise. Good fortune attended every step of the undertaking. The weatber continued most propitious day after day. Not a mishap occurred, perilous though mucb of tbe t.- 'i^! I 196 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. i! 1 1' 1 ll |!i I work was; no French men-of-war appeared upon the Bcene to interfere with the progress of business, and by the end of the third day Fort Diamond was gunned, garrisoned, provisioned, and ready for operations, offen- sive and defensive. On the king's birthday the " Union Jack " flung out its scarlet folds gayly to the breeze from the topmost peak, the batteries roared out a royal salute, to which the frigate replied. Diamond Rock was formally put in commission as a sloop-of-war, to be henceforth rated as such upon the books of the admiralty ; and then, with a parting cheer, the " Gryphon " sailed away, leaving Lieutenant, now Captain McKinstry, and his little force to take care of themselves. The armament of the rock had been thus arranged. On the northwest side was the slope with the grove of fig trees, having* (it the back an immense, dry, airy grotto, which Captain McKinstry selected as quarters for him- self and his staff. Right in front of the slope, and pro- jecting into the sea was the King's battery, with a twenty-four pounder commanding the entrance to, and nearly the whole of Cul-de-Sac Marin. From this bat- tery a covered way led to the northeast side, where another twenty-four pounder stood ready for business; this being called " Gryphon " battery. Between the two batteries a rope ladder was fixed, by which the garrison passed to the middle of the rock, where a third twenty- four pounder constituted Hood's battery. Thence the as- cent to the top wound through shrubs and over crags, and DIAMOND ROCK. 197 upon the summit were two long eighteen^pounders, and a flag stafi* defiantly flaunting the " Union Jack." In a sheltered spot near where they had first landed, was moored one of the large boats of the frigate ready for use, if needed, in any future enterprises. In the caves, many of which were perfectly dry and clean, were stowed carefully away abundance of ammu- nition, provisions, and water; the water on the rock having a strong mineral quality, which prevented its being used for drinking purposes. All this was very delightful to Dick. It outstripped anything he had ever read in the way of adventure, and it added much to the enjoyment that he had a compan- ion to whom he could exclaim over and over again how delightful it was — for Tenderly was with him. When the poor little fellow heard of Dick's going to Diamond Hock, he made up his mind that by hook or by crook he would go too. He told Dick about it, and Dick made known his desire to Mr. McKinstry. " Tut I no," was the response at first. " I don't want him. He's not good for anything. He'd only be in the way." But when, after Dick's brilliant solution of the prob- lem of landing the guns, etc., he, at Tenderly's solicita- tion, renewed the request and pressed it earnestly, Mr. McKinstry relented enough to say : " Well, I don't mind particularly. Suppose you ask the captain about it yourself." Dick promptly took the hint, and preferred his peti ill ill! ii: 198 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. II '- p i: Ji 1 if |! ; *' ;i '\ tioD at headquarters. Captain Fitewell waB too well pleased with his ingenious young midshipman to refuse him any reasonable request and, as he could easily spare Tenderly, his answer was satisfactory. " Take him along with you, by all means, if you want him. He'll be company for you, and he'll be out of the way of his shipmates, who find so much pleasure in roughing him." So, to his unspeakable joy. Tenderly got permission to accompany his doughty champion, and lost no time in making the necessary preparations. In the course of a couple of days things got pretty well into shape at Diamond Rock, and they were ready to receive visitors. The garrison consisted of sixty sailors, all men in the prime of life, chosen especially for good conduct, and forty marines, equally good in their way ; the latter being under the command of Lieu- tenant Watson, a sociable, good-natured fellow, and ex- cellent officer, who made the fourth member of a quar- tette that promised to pull famously together. The ward room, as they called the cave in which thej took up their abode, made quite comfortable quarters ; being high in the roof, large in extent, and as free from dampness as a cave in the West Indies could be. They had a respectable outfit of tables and chairs and, instead of slinging their hammocks from the roof, they had stands for them constructed, which were very conveni- ent. Each man brought his entire kit, for there was no knowing how long their stay might be ; and, on the ad t ! i i 1 i DIAMOND ROCK. 199 Woe of Mr. McKinstry, Dick had provided himself at Barbadoes with a good shotgun and hunting knife. By the first of December they all felt thoroughly at home and, their duties being comparatively light, there was plenty of time for such amusement as the place af- forded. Dick, with Tenderly at his side, set himself first of all to explore every nook and cranny of the island, and many a narrow escape from a broken neck he had in doing it. He found a thousand things to inter- est him. Wherever it could gain a lodgment, there had gathered the black, tropical soil, out of which sprang a vegetation of marvelous richness and variety. Trees of small stature but immense vigor, wrestled with one another for elbow room and sunlight; palms, cedars, oaks, and iron-woods, interlacing and strangling each other with their wildly distorted limbs, while over and about them all ran the climbing lianas, like the cordage of a full-rigged ship, and the parasites that fattened upon the decay of the trunks they embraced, perfect types of pitiless ingratitude. Dick was a passionate lover of nature. He would have been an explorer, if he had not been a sailor, and his feelings were not different &om those of a Humbolt or Mungo Park, as he pushed his way through the wonders of the tropics. Captain McKinstry had served many years on the West Indies station, and the surroundings had no novelty for him. He was amused at Dick's boyish delight in his discoveries, and always ready to listen and to explain to the best of his ability. i I 200 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. f'\ ?l! i. " But you must be very careful, Dick, my boy," he told him. " There are trees that will poison you if you touch them, and creepers that "will blister your flesh like fire, and then the serpents — give them all a wide berth, for you don't know when you will come across a fer-dt- lance; and if he gives you the merest touch of his fang, no doctor on earth can help you." " The fer-de-lance 1 " exclaimed Dick. " What is it like?" " Well, there are different kinds of them ; the most common being the dark gray with black spots. But sometimes it is a bright yellow, or yellowish brown, or black with yellow belly, and so on. The safest way is to take it for granted that any snake you see may be one of these dreadful creatures, and bear off on the other track as sharp as you can." " 1 hate snakes so that whenever I see one I want to kill it right off," said Dick, looking a good deal awed. " But I'll leave them alone after this. I don't want one of them to kill me." One lovely day, toward the end of the month, Dick and Tenderly had been amusing themselves chasing the goats, of which one was occasionally killed for the ward- room mess, and scaring the rabbits into their warrens They were making their way back to the cave, hurrying somewhat because it was near sundown when, in passing by a banana tree, from which the fruit hung in golden clusters, Dick missed a footstep, and his head collided with one of the branches of fruit. Instantly a sharp DIAMOND BOCK. 201 hiss cut through the still air and, as he recoiled in alarnii f^om the midst of the bananas a supple shape of bright yellow was seen lo rise, to writhe, to stretch forward a hideous triangular head with blazing emerald eyes. " Dodge, Dick, quick 1 " cried Tenderly, immediately realizing the awful danger. For a moment Dick stood petrified with terror, and that moment almost cost him hb life. Coiling itself upon the top of the banana bunch, the terrible Jer-de- lance shot out its death-dealing head straight at his cheek. One inch farther, and the fatal fangs would have been buried in the smooth, soft flesh. Tenderly uttered a heart-rending cry. To him it appeared as if the serpent must have reached its mark. But, by the mercy of God, the vile creature failed. Although his feet seemed rooted to the spot, Dick instinctively threw back his head, and with a hiss of disappointment the viper fell short and reformed his coil for another stroke. Then came Tenderly*s opportunity. The boys always carried their cutlasses with them. They were very use- ful in cutting through the lianas that often blocked tlieir way. Tenderly 's was in his hand when the serpent re- vealed itself, and now Dick's imminent peril called forth all that was heroic in the gentle, timid lad. As the Jer- de-lance, with the quickness of thought gathered itself together upon the bananas. Tenderly sprang forward, shouting : ** Take that, you devil I " and slashed at it with all his might. i $1 202 THE aOf)D SHIP ailYPHON, ill! I! ^1 lii I \ It was a blow at random, but it could not have done better work had it been aimed with the utmost deliber- ation. The horrible head of the serpent was just rearing itself from the coil, and the keen cutlass, descending slantingly upon it, sheared clean through the narrowed neck, casting the hideous flat triangle right at Dick's feet. Dropping his cutlass. Tenderly threw his arms about his companion, crying anxiously : *' Dick, did he touch you ? " As if awakening from a dream, Dick shook himself, and felt his cheek carefully. " No, Arthur, he missed me, thank God 1 " he answered. " But oh, I thought I was done for 1 " When the story was told in the ward room, Tenderly went up many points in Captain McKinstry's estimation ; and, as between the boys themselves, it bound them still closer in their ever-strengthening friendship. The ex- perience, moreover, put a damper upon their ardor for exploration, and they were beginning to find the island rather dull when, on a bright morning in March, the lookout at the peak reported the approach of a number of vessels sailing in company. " A French convoy, ten chances to one," exclaimed Captain McKinstry. " Just what we've been waiting for. Now, then, let us get ready to give them a warm reception." i 1 CHAPTER XVI. A GALLANT DEFENSE. THE war between England and France waa now at its height, and both nations were straining every effort to crush the other. Spain too had taken a hand in the conflict, entering into alliance with France against Eng- land, and thereby greatly increasing the work of the British navy, which had thenceforth to be scattered over a wider space, and its strength divided. Counting upon this, Napoleon, who had hitherto attempted little in the line of naval operations, dispatched a powerful fleet to the West Indies, with the object of harassing the English possessions there, even though permanent conquest might not be accomplished. He hoped for this, for he well knew their maritime and commercial importance, and he felt that the stake to be won was amply worth the eflbrt he made to secure it. Being joined by a number of Spanish vessels, the squadron managed to elude the Brit- ish fleets, and at Dominica and St. Christopher did a good deal of damage, besides securing considerable plunder, with which it was returning in triumph to Martinique, when reported by the lookout on Diamond Rock. The spectacle presented was certainly an imposing one, as fifteen sail of the line, — eight being Spanish and seven French. — with a whole cloud of frigates, schooners, and 203 I i^; ■ ii' f^rv' 5 'ill ^^ 204 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. smaller craft in attendance, bore down in orderly array for Cul-de-Sac Marin, knowing nothing of the wasps' nest that had been established off its entrance. Intense was the excitement, but perfect the discipline, at the British stronghold. There would be work for all this morning, the manifest purpose of the squadron being to pass to both right and left of the little island that looked so innocent of harm. On they came before a steady breeze until they were well within range of the King's and Gryphon batteries. Then the Union Jack suddenly ran to the top of the signal mast, and as its red folds floated out upon the breeze, the twenty-four pound- ers spoke together, and their iron missiles with admirable aim went crashing into the sides of the two leading ships. The amazement and alarm of those on board the fleet would be difficult to picture. They could not have been more surprised had their own admiral turned his guns upon them. No hint had they received of their foes hav- ing found a foothold so close to one of their own posses- sions. Yet there was the British flag flaunting itself in their faces ; and that was British thunder and British iron, beyond a doubt. What did it mean ? How great wat.; the strength of the forces upon the island ? Did the Rock bristle with can- non and bayonets, like a gigantic hedgehog, or were there only a gun or two, and a handful of daring men, who would soon be made to pay dearly for their temerity ? In lively perturbation the French and Spanish admirals and A GALLAKT DEFENSE. 205 r ly array sps' nest scipline, : for all 311 being ind that before a ;e of the on Jack s its red p pound- Imirable leading the fleet ve been is guns )es hav- posses- tself in British 1 of the th can- re there n, who y? In ils and their captains scanned Diamond Rock with their tele scopes. But, peer as eagerly as they might, nothing could they make out save a glint of white as a sailor moved through the thick foliage, or the flasli of the cannon that meantime kept up a steady, well-directed fire. Dick and Tenderly, with ten good men, were at the summit, training the long eighteen pounders downward until they pointed straight at their mark, and then sent shot after shot tearing through the sails or into the decks of the approaching vessels. Bulwarks were splintered, guns were dismounted, rigging and spars were damaged, and many a poor fellow was disabled, so accurate was their aim and so advantageous was their position. " My eye I " Dick shouted. " But this is glorious. What would Boney think if he could only see us knock- ing the splinters out of his fine ships in this style ? Well done, Tom I " turning to big Tom Taffrail, the gunner, who had just sent a shot smash into the bulwarks of a Spanish ship of the line. " That was a beauty ! What a bewildered lot of ])lokes they must be, to be sure ? " The fire from the Rock was terribly destructive. The wind was such that the vessels could not bear away. Their only resource was to keep straight on until they could pass beyond range ; and as luck would have it, the breeze fell before they could all accomplish this, leaving a group of them right under the guns of the batteries. In the whole history of the British navy there prob- ably never was such an extraordinary target practice ; for although the ships replied to the best of their ability, '1:: m 206 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. I I they might just as well have saved their ammunitioiii Their tormentors were so high above them that only mor- tars could reach them, and the fleet had no mortars on board. So they were fain to content themselves with fierce and futile pounding at the foot of the cliffs, while Captain McKinstry and his merry men, safely ensconced above the line of fire, pegged away without the distrac- tion of having to dodge an iron hail. After the cannonade had been going on for some time, Dick's heart began to relent. It didn't seem a fair fight, hammering like this at vessels which could make no re- turn. So he scrambled down the rope-ladder, and, going up to the captain, asked : " Shall we soon cease firing, sir ? We've given them a pretty bad dose already." " Cease firing, Dick ! " exclaimed Mr. McKinstry, in surprise. " What for ? Is your powder giving out ? " "Oh, no, sir,'* Dick replied. "But it doesn't seem quite fair keeping it up when they can't hit back." " It's not our business to think of that, Dick," was the answer. " They are the king's enemies, all of them, and the more damage we can do them the better. So Ijack to your battery, and fire away until the last vessel's out of range." His mind relieved by these orders, Dick returned, and the long eighteens, which had grown cool during his ab- sence, soon got warm again, as they sent shot after shot into the vessels below. Presently the wind rose, the white sails of the ships and li.; '.' A GALLANT DEFENSE. 207 i.i'; " Qunitioa nly raor- >rtars on Vii9 with fs, while asconced distrac- ine time, lir fight, B no re- d, going them a istry, in ut ? " 't seem was the !m, and 5o ]jack el's out ed, and his ab- er shot ps and Br.hooners bellied out gladly before it, they began one by one to glide out of range, and within two hours from the time it began, the fight was over. With sails torn, rig- ging damaged, bulwarks splintered, decks pierced, and many men killed and wounded, the allied squadron sailed into Cul-de-Sac Marin. " We'll soon hear from them again," said Captain Mc- Kinstry, as they were talking over the events of the can- nonade in the ward-room grotto. " I wish to heaven some of our vessels would come along and re-stock us with water and ammunition ; for as sure as my name's Gordon we'll have a siege of it." The Union Jack was hoisted upside down in token of distress, and the sea was swept by the glasses day after day ; but no sign of a British vessel appeared to glad- den the eyes of the lookouts. In the meantime every preparation was made for a lengthened siege. Yet the weeks passed, and the enemy came not. Then one cloudy afternoon a solitary sail was observed beating up from the south against a northeast wind. With what intense eagerness every movement of the vessel was watched as she tacked to and fro, evidently making either for Diamond Rock, or Cul-de-sac Marin ! On she came, dipping and rising through the white caps until every sail could be distinguished. Captain McKinstry was scru- tinizing her with beating heart. Suddenly he dropped the telescope, and sung out, joyfully : " The blessed old * Gryphon,' and no mistake 1 Hurrah I We'll get everything we need now." 'Mo ii ' I: 20S THE GOOD SHIP (3KYPIION. 'i I The " Gryphon " it wiia — come to hoc what Tvas wantoci at Diamond Rock, and to renew snppliea. Up under the loc of the rock slie cleverly tacked, and tlien hove to with ♦he signal flying to come on hoard. "I will go off to the ship, Dick," said Captain McKin- stry, " and leave you in charge till I come hack. Don't let the Rock run away with you." Dick laughed nuirily. " No fear of the Rock running away with me, sir ; hut please don't let the ' Gryphon ' run away with you, or we'll all be in a pretty bad fix here," he answered. He did not know how much of a prophet he was, and he had no misgiving as his com- mander left them. There was a hearty welcome on board the frigate for the commander of Diamond Rock, and to a profoundly interested audience in the captain's cabin he told the story of the attack upon the allied fleet with great gusto, while the cabin rang with praises of himself and his men. In the meantime, a sudden and serious change took place in the weather. The sky darkened and lowered until it seemed as though the heavy clouds were resting upon the peak of the Rock ; the wind sank into an om- inous calm, and again burst forth into gusts of fitful vio- lence. The ail felt murky and oppressive. So threaten- ing were the appearances that the officer on watch took upon himself to send word to Mr. IMcKinstry that the weather was getting very ugly, and he had perhaps bet- ter run up on deck to have a look at it. Captain McKinstry appeared at once in response te m A (JAMiANT DKPENSE. 209 this summona, and as lie did, a Cwrcx) bliwt of wind rushed down from tlio mountains of Martinique, and whirUMl his cap from off \m hond. 'I'lie sails of the frig- ate wlueh iiad been left unfurled filled out and nt rained at their holt ro[)es as thou<;h they would tear themsolvefl away, the deep hlaek water hoilcMl up into foam and spray that swept across tluj deeks. IJeyond a douht, one of those sudden storms which are the banc of that beautiful region had burst upon the "(iryphon." Captain Fitcwell immcMliately gave command to slip the anchor, take in tlie sails, and run olf before the wind. To have attempted to remain beside Diamond Rock would have been to court destruction ; for the gale now came thundering down with such violence that all the canvas had to be clewcid up excuipt a closo-reefed main- topsail and reefed foresail, and then almost under bare poles the frigate scuddiMl away into the gathering dark- ness, carrying off the commander of Diamond Rock, very much indeed against his will, and with his mind filled with anxiety for tlie little garrison he was leaving beliind. lie felt sure that the allied squadron would make another attempt on his fortress, and he did not want it to take place during his absence. He was in for it, though, and he had to sul)mit with what grace he could. When his captain boarded the frigate, Dick ascended Summit battery, and there, spy-glass in hand, amused himself h)oking down on the "Gryphon," and trying to make out the different figures on her deck. From the lofly eyrie he had the first glimpse of the approaching H II <> ■ 'B* it ^-'. nii* n i :; . ; 210 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. storm, and as he saw the heavens darkening to the north- east, he exclaimed to Tenderly : " My gracious, Arthur, look at that I There's a hurri- cane coming, sure as life. What will the * Gryphon * do ? She'll have to get out of this, that's sure. It won't do for her to stay around here, or she'll find herself upon the rocks." With breathless concern the boys watched the storm sweep down on the vessel, and then, as she slipped her an- chor and bore away before it out into the seething ocean, Dick could not help saying, with a laugh : " Captain McKiustry told me not to let the Rock run away with me, and I told him not to let the ' Gryphon ' run away with him. And now he's gone and done it, after all." But Tenderly did not feel much like laughing. The sight of the vanishing vessel carrying off their commander made him feel more like crying. " Oh, Dick, what will we do ? " he broke out. " How will Captain McKinstry get back to us ? " " The best way he can, Arthur, as soon as the gale's over," replied Dick, cheerfully. " But come ; we'd better make for cover. It's going to be a wild night." A wild night it was, indeed. Such a night they had not yet experienced on the Rock. The storm raged furiously until dawn, bringing with it a tremendous fall of rain, and then disappeared as suddenly as it came, the sun rising in a cloudless sky, to flood with gloriouii rays the well-washed face of nature. pll iiii ii ^Hil 'j'i ^■11 j iin A GALLANT DEFENSE. 211 *How gale's better Ab soon as it was liglit, the boys mounted again to the summit, to look out for the " Gryphon." So closely were they occupied in this that they had no eyes for the other direction until Tom Taffrail, wlio was with them, happen- ing to take a glance slioreward, uttered one of bis most expressive exclanuitions, as he shouted : "Mister Holland — look there 1 What do you think of that ? " Dick whirled around, and turned his glass in the direc- tion indicated One look was sufficient to explain the gunner's interruption. The entrance to Port Royal was fairly white with canvas. A fleet as large as the one which had given the garrison such rare sport a few weeks before, was bearing down upon the rock in majestic array. " Good gracious ! " cried Dick. " They're going to attack us, and Captain McKinstry is away 1 " " That's about the meaning of it, sir," said Tom, grimly. " The Dons and Moosoos weren't going to leave this hor- nets' nest alone long." " And what shall we do without our captain ? " queried Dick, in no small consternation. " Do tlie same as if he was here, sir," replied Tom, firmly. " Fight the rascals till our powder's done." " But who'll take command, Tom ? '* asked the boy, still too bewildered to think clearly. " Beggin' your pardon, sir, for being so forward as to say, sir, but if Mr. Watson '11 look after his marines, we sailors '11 take our orders from you, sir, just the same of III 212 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. I ,r.< m'<\ f- if you was Captain McKinstry himself," was honest Tom's response. The greatness of the idea fairly staggered Dick ; and with a kind of gasp he protested : " But, Tom, hadn't Mr. Watson better take command of us all?" Tom's rugged face darkened. A lieutenant of marines take command of a company of blue jackets! Never, so long as there was a genuine naval officer at hand, how- ever small his stature, or junior his rank. Sailors are not wont to entertain much respect for the red-coated sea soldiers. " Beggin' your pardon again, sir, but that wouldn't work at all. You'll be our captain, if you please, sir," he persisted. Dick was now beginning to get his breath. The spirit stirred mightily within him. It was a glorious oppor- tunity. He would take command of the sailors, and figlit it out with the foreign fleet until the last pound of powder was spent. Springing to his feet, with a radiant, determined face, he held out his hand to the big gunner : " We'll do it, Tom," he cried, as the huge brown paw enfolded his. " You and I together ; and let us get to work right away." Lieutenant Watson was not overly well pleased when he heard of the arrangement. But he had sufficient pene- tration to perceive that any argument would be worse than useless and, like a royal servant of the king, he A GALLANT DEFENSE. 213 net himself to perform his part to the best of his ability. He posted his two score of marines in the shrubbery that faced the bit of beach, so that they could, without ex- posing themselves, pour a galling fire upon any boats that might attempt to effect a landing. A dozen sailors armed with boarding pikes and cutlasses took up posi- tions on either flank of his force, while the remaining blue jackets were divided among the batteries. Dick went up to Summit battery. Tenderly was assigned to Hood's battery, Tom Taffrail to the King's, and then Diamond Rock was ready for action. The hostile fleet presented an imposing appearance as it moved out of the bay and invested Diamond Rock. It consisted of the " Pluton " and " Berwick," stately seventy-fours, towering up like veritable castles; the " Sirene," a stout forty-gun frigate ; the " Argus," a trim brig mounting sixteen guns ; " Le Fien," a schooner showing eighteen swivels ; and eleven gunboats, each car- rying three guns of small calibre. On board the vessels were fifteen hundred troops, provided with scaling lad- ders and every appurtenance for a siege. Nearly three hundred guns, and full three thousand men come out to attack one hundred men and five guns. Well was it for the defenders of Diamond Rock that their position was as strong as nature could make it, while their assailants had no sort of cover. Completely encircling the island, so as to engage all its batteries at once, the French fleet approached within easy range. Then the big " Berwick " opened fire and, m 214 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. \M' ' f |:: m J.-it the other vessels rapidly followiDg her example, in a few minutes the action was in full swing. What a wonderful scene it made on that bright May morning I The little island thrusting its rocky peak high into air, and decked with draperies of vivid emer- ald, from amidst which leaped out frequent flashed of lightning, followed by the thunder of cannon and the rattle of musketry; the ring of ships belching forth flame and smoke like so many fabled dragons ; the cloud of gunboats dodging actively about in search of a land- ing place, and meantime keeping up a heavy fire from small arms ; the sound of splintering wood as the iron messengers from the rock crashed into the vessels' sides ; or of rending rocks as the French cannon-balls smote the cliffs and smashed them into fragments, while the dense smoke rolled up in great clouds that sometimes hid the ships from the lower batteries. High up in the peak, Dick's vision was unobscured, and with his eighteen-pounders trained down until they pointed straight now at the enemy's deck, and now at his rigging to disable him, he did a world of damage as he fired away as fast as the heating of the guns would allow him. He did not fail to keep a sharp lookout seaward for the " Gryphon," and shortly after midday he caught sight of her rising up on the horizon. "Thank God!" he ejaculated. "There's the 'Gry- phon.' She'll soon find out what's the matter and hurry off" to Barbadoes for assistance. If we can only hold out a few days, the French won't take as, after all." {: ft!* A GALLANT DEFENSE. 216 n a few ht May y peak emer- shed of ind the forth le cloud a land- re from he iron i' sides ; lote the le dense hid the jscured, til they w at his B as he d allow seaward caught 5 * Gry. I hurry lold out The frigate came on until she was almost within can- non shot. Evidently, Captain Fitewell wanted to see just how the matter stood, and the Frenchmen were too busy bombarding the rock to pay him any attention. So near did the " Gryphon " approach that Dick grew anx- ious. " My gracious I " he exclaimed. " She shouldn't come so near ; one of the seventy-fours might turn on her." But as he spoke the " Gryphon " veered ; round, pointed her bow in the direction of Barbadoes and went scudding off before the wind in fine style. " Now then I must go around and tell the others," said Dick. " It will cheer them up." So he made the rounds of the batteries, telling the good news that the " Gryphon " had gone off to bring them aid, and getting a hearty cheer from each section of the garrison in return. At the King's battery he found Tom Tafirail very much troubled. It seemed that the tremendous cannon- ade against the rock, while it did not directly injure any of the garrison, threatened to do so indirectly, for the iron hail was smashing the cliffs into smithereens, and sending down showers of fragments upon the men that made their position increasingly dangerous. "I'm afraid we'll have to clear out of here, Mr. Holland," said Tom, in very regretful tones. ** There's been three of the men hurt already, and it's getting worse all the time." As he spoke, a broadside from the " Berwick " flew over 216 THE (iOOD SHIP GIlYPnON. Mh , v.! ;; 11 their IioiuIh, making every man duck involuntarily as it whistled past, and plunging into tlic cliff, sent down a regular avahmche, that burst upon the battery, felling several of the men to tlic ground, dismantling one of the guns, and knocking Dick himself off his feet. So heavily did he come to the ground that for a moment he was stunned, and when he recovered his senses Tom was bathing his face with water. " Oh, Mr. Holland I are you much hurt, sir ? " cried the gunner, anxiously. Dick felt very dizzy, but not otherwise the worse for the shot, and on examining himself was rejoiced to find that a slight scalp wound, received when he fell, waa the extent of his injuries. But all had not got off so well, one man had been badly wounded in the head, another's leg was broken, a third groaned over a crushed foot. Dick's mind was at once made up. " We'll have to leave here, Tom, and let the beggars land if they can. I'll go and tell Mr. Watson to bring his men up to Hood's battery. We'll be all safe up there." Accordingly the men were withdrawn from the lower ranges of the rock, the guns were spiked, such of the powder as could not be carried up was thrown into the sea, and then every one having safely reached Hood's battery the ladders were drawn up, thus cutting off all means of communication with the portion of the rock below. A GALLANT DKFI:N>E. 217 I It would appear that the evacuation of the lower de- fenses did not pass unobf»»erved on board the fleet, for presently the gun-boats made a concerted movement directed at the beach below the now silent King's battery. In spite of a gallin;,' fire of musketry from above, and the rolling down of rocks and cannon balls upon them, they gallantly persisted, and at length, just before dusk, success crowned their efforts. " My gracious ; they've landed ! " exclaimed Dick, who had been peeping over the edge of the cliff. " They're on the rock. It'll be man to man now, and only ninety of us in fighting trim I " ! ::f \ I / J i ' 3| CHAPTER XVII. AN HONORABLE SURRENDER. N ' iii ;: I IN what force the French had landed, it was impossible to tell, for darkness swiftly followed the sunset, and there was nothing to do but wait for the morning. Not much sleep had any of the little garrison that night. Dick never closed his eyes. He was possessed with the idea that under cover of favoring darkness the enemy would manage to clamber up the crags somehow, and take them by surprise. So he kept watch until dawn, picking his way cautiously along the ledges, and listening intently for any sound that might betray the near ap- proach of any assailant. But the welcome day broke without any such attempt being made ; and, bidding Tom Taffrail pay particular attention to those who had landed, he went into one of the caves and took a short sleep, from which he awoke wonderfully refreshed. He was glad to find that a strong wind had sprung up, as this compelled the besieging fleet to change its tactics. The ships could no longer lie composedly at anchor and belch broadsides upon the rock. They were compelled to weigh anchor and spread their sails, for the anchorage was none of the best ; and to remain in the position they had occupied would be to risk collision with one another, 218 AN HONORABLE SUBRENDER. 219 ^ or stranding on the island itself. All that they could do now was to keep on iL^ move, tacking to and fro, and letting fly a broadside at the Rock whenever they could fetch in to windward of it. " They can't bother us very much in that way," said Dick, laughingly. " We can give our whole attention to the beggars below. Have you made out how many there are, Tom?" " No, sir ; they're hiding so close in the holes and bushes that there's no telling." " Well, look here, Tom, could we not creep down and get a shot at their boats. If we can smash them, we'll cut them off from the ships." " That's a fine notion, sir. If Mr. Watson will bring his redcoats along, we can try it." Creeping sihntly down the precipitous sides of the island, they got into range of their boats without meet- ing any of the invaders. There was a number of launches lying under the lee of the cliffs, each having three meu on board keeping it off" shore. They presented a perfect mark for the muskets, and th« marines poured into them so galling a fire that in a few minutes the crews were all shot dead ; and the boats thus being left to themselves went drifting off", some in the direction of Martinique, and others out to sea. So far as could be made out, not a single boat was left. The French were completely cut off until reinforcements should arrive. Great was the delight of the garrison at this succeasftil manoeuvre, and when their assailants, stung to fury by it. •; f I M If,'. ' ' t m ( bSt 1 l|ij ! 1 220 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. came boldly out from their hiding places and sent volleys up the heights, the English enjoyed a lieurty laugh at their futile firing, and returned the compliment in the shape of a cascade of rocks that soon sent the others into cover again. In desultory warfare of this kind the whole day passed ; the fleet being so constantly on the move that no addi- tional attempt was made to land on the Rock ; the French, who had already landed, hunting eagerly about for means to ascend the cliff's, and the brave little garrison keeping guard over every ledge and crevice, so that not a be- sieger could find a foothold in safety. As the afternoon wore on, their unremitting exertions, under a blazing tropical sun, began to tell on the gar- rison. The men grew fretful and despondent. Their vigor showed signs of slackening, and their courage of weakening. Among themselves they commenced discuss- ing the question of surrender. They could see no use in prolonging the defense. It would only enrage the French the more, and make it harder to exact lenient terms of capitulation. This came at once to Tom Taffrail's ears, but not a hint of it did he pass on to Dick. The old sailor was a splendid specimen of the British bulldog. He was ready at any time to die fighting, rather than surrender to any number of " frog-eaters " ; and this waa what he had pretty well made up his mind to do in the present case. " Now, avast there, shipmates," said he, in reply to the murmurings of the men. " Just stow that gammon n».J^ I i! ft AN HONOTIAHLE SJRTIKNDER. 221 of yours, will you ? We're a goin' to hold on here until the • Gryphon ' comes back with the squadron at her heels, and then we'll have a fine laugh at the Frenchies." So the day dragged on to its close, Dick keeping up his spirits wonderfully, in which he was supported, let it not be forgotten, by Tenderly, who, imitating his cheery courage to the best of his ability, ably seconded hira in directing and inspiring the men. But toward evening a discovery was made that sorely dashed even his buoyancy. Their water supply was well- nigh exhausted ! In the bustle and excitement of the struggle no care had been taken to husband it. The ex- treme heat, combined with incessant activity, had, of course, made everybody very thirsty, and the tanks were resorted to without stint. The consequence was, that when examined, they were found to contain a quantity that would allow only one pint to each man in the gar- rison. Nor was this the only cause of concern. Their stock of ammunition was running low also, there being but enough ball cartridges to give the marines a dozen rounds apiece, while of powder and shot for the big guns there remained hardly sufficient wherewith to maintain a day's active firing. When this became generally known, the men no longer felt bound to keep silence, and were outspoken in their request that a flag of truce should be sent to the enemy. But Dick, loyally supported by Lieutenant Watson, Tenderly, and Tom Tafirail, would not be persuaded. His determination was to hold out for one day longer, at fli i li: • it! llhr ?:?!:] n m m Will : ;* ;lr P Hi 1 I^P^E r Ki - ': ^V'; 1'-; u^nij'' -fi '' WMt' kl ^" 222 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. least. The "Gryphon," of course, could not possibly be back so soon, but the French might be driven to raise the siege in order to repair damages; and while they were doing this, there would be time for the succoring squadron to reach them. He argued with the men very patiently and, as if to strengthen his urgings, in the very midst of the confer- ence the heavens darkened with a thunder storm, and a heavy downpour of rain followed, which seemed like a message of cheer from the heavens. " Quick, now ! " cried Dick. " Catch every drop you can. "With their minds turned into a new channel, the men set themselves to save all they could of the precious fluid ; running about with pans and pails, dipping it up from the hollows in the rocks, and thus gathering enough to last them, with ecomony, for several days more. This brisk diversion quite heartened them up and, when the rain was over, they willingly agreed to hold out for one day more, at all events. Another night of anxious watching, yet undisturbed by any actual attempt on the part of the besiegers to ascend, and the sun rose on the third morning of this strange struggle. But the fates were not so kind to the beleaguered garrison as to this day, as they had been the day previous. On the contrary, they now smiled upon the French, giving them a breathless calm that perfectly suited their purposes, while it could not help delaying the British fleet if already on its way from Barbadoes. AN HONORABLE SUBRENDEB. 223 and, hold Dick's heart nank when he realized this. He went up to the peak to eagerly sweep the horizon with the glass iu the hope of catching some glimpse of approaching aid, but he saw no cheering glint of white rising on the glassy water. He saw something else, however, that filled him with grave apprehension. The French fleet had grown to nearly double its former size. Four more ships of the line, and many smaller vessels had been added to it during the night. And there it lay now upon the gleaming water encir- Cilng H. M. S. " Diamond " with its hundreds of gaping guns, and thousands of troops thirsting for battle. An ominous quiet prevailed so far as their cannons were concerned, but an intense activity in the matter of boats. Every launch and cutter in the fleet seemed to be afloat and buzzing around the ships like some huge kind of water-fly. "It's easy to guess what they're about now, Tom,'* said Dick, in a tone that for the first time had a note of despondency in it. "We'll soon have them upon us like a swarm of mosquitoes." " Let them come on," replied Tom, sturdily. " We'll give them the best we've got, and when we can't fight them any longer we'll surrender." " All right, Tom," said Dick, glad to find that the big sailor, upon whose influence with his comrades he had greatly to depend, was still full of fight. " That's what we'll do. So come along, let's get ready to receive our visitors." ^4 I 3" ■S m it K ^^li. 224 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. He had hardly spoken when a gun was fired from the admiral's ship, and in response to this signal the swarm of launches began to move out from among the fleel^ and make for the rock. They did this in perfect silence, for, although it would have been good strategy on the part of the ships to cover their approach with heavy cannonade, this could not be done without imperilling the lives of the besiegers who had already found a foothold upon the island. As soon as the launches came within range the garri- son of Diamond Rock opened fire upon them, and with such good aim that more than one was smashed and its occupants tumbled into the water, thus causing other boats to delay in picking them up. But despite these *i..3rruptions the enemy kept resolutely on until they got too close to the cliffs to be reached by the guns. Then Dick gave orders that reserving their ammunition his little force should greet their foes mth showers of rocks, and oppose their scaling the heights to the very last. "The more trouble we give them, the better terms we'll be able to make," said he, shrewdly, and everybody saw the soundness of his reasoning. So as the French landed they were met with successive avalanches of rocks which put many of their men hors de Gombat, and seriously damaged several more of the launches. Only for their overwhelming numbers they might not have gained the day even as it was. But they had brought with them scores of scaling ladders, and these were fixed in as many different places simulta- 1 1 l»h' '•"<"♦•»»« '''I'-t.H'-Mi ill''! 'Ilk AN HONOR VBLE SURRENDER. 226 hora the they they and ilta- neouely, so that the little garrison, unahle to protect every point attacked, was at last driven to retreat to Hood's battery, half-way up to the peak, and there make a final stand. In the final passages of their defense, as during the whole course of it, the little band was aided immensely by its position. It was, as we have indicated, a natural fortress. Very skillfully Captain McKinstry had supplemented its natural advantages by the planting of his guns. What they had left, with a lari^^er garrison and adequate supplies, would have been i .ii)regnable. As it was, they more than upheld the British fame. The courage displayed by all was beyond praise. They knew they were outnumbered ten to one, that their ammunition was giving out, and that their supplies of water and provisions would soon be exhausted, and yet they fought on undauntedly, causing their assailants to imagine that their strength must be far greater than it really was. Dick was indefatigable. He seemed to have been born for a leader. His courage rose as the emergency became more desperate. All thought of self was wliolly absent from the boy, and the duty of the hour wholly absorbed him. He was of the stuff of which heroes are made. From point to point ha made his way, cheering his men, searching for the enemy with his keen eyes, and letting loose boulders upon their heads whenever he caught a glimpse of them. Watson and Tenderly were hardly less active. The sailors and marinas vied with one an- other in prompt obedience and unflinching bravery, P '^f.-JiU'.' I I 226 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. J-;; Hour after hour went by in this unequal struggle. The sun passed its zenith, and still the garrison held out But it was terribly exhausting work in that pitiless heat. There was little or no shade for the lieroic handful, and duricg the afternoon several of them fainted at their posts^ Tenderly being one of the first to succumb. This new source of danger brought to a head the resolution that had already been forming in Dick's mind. Taking Mr. "Watson and Tom Taffrail aside he laid it before them : "It's just this way," said he: "Here we are, pretty well tuckered out. Not a man of us is fit to keep watch to-night. The French will have it all their own way. They'll swarm on us in the darkness, and likely as not kill us all before sunrise. It seems to me our best plan is to make what terms we can with them now before it's too late." Without any argument the others assented, and the scheme was forthwith put into operation. A sheet tied to the rammer of a gun made an excellent fle-g of truce. Standing upon a projecting point, where he would be easily seen by those below, Dick waved this vigorously. It was observed at once. The firing ceased and cheers of joy and exultation took its place. Never were besiegers gladder at the sign of victory. They had suffered very materially. Many of their boats had been smashed, and many of their comrades had been killed and wounded. The heat too, had been fearfully oppressive, and some of them had almost begun to have misgivings as to the [•1 iilitt' <*t4itlt' '><*•) -ti <■•«•••-• •'•'4*)^t !)«'•• I AN HONORABLE SURRENDER. 227 ■ili' result. Cheer after cheer then hailed this token of posei- ble submission. Ii,s language all could understand. Lieutenant Watson was fa miliar with the Frencli language, and to him was committed the task of negoti- ating the terms of capitulation. He hurriedly drew them out upon a sheet of paper. They were very brief, and in substance as follows : That the rock should be surrendered with all itn stores ; that the garrison should be allowed to march to the King's battery with drums beating and colors Hying, and there lay down their arms ; that all private property should be secured to officers and men ; that they should be sent to the Barbadoes at the expense of the French ; and finally, as a sort of a clincher, that the garrison be- ing capable of holding out for a few days longer, if the terms were not assented to within two hours hostilities would be renewed. For sublime " cheek," no other word can fitly express it, it would not be easy to parallel these conditions of capitulation in martial history. The dauntless spirit of Dick, and the dogged determination of Tom Tafirail spoke through every line of them. Lieutenant Watson thought them over-bold, but yielded to the others, and bearing a small flag of truce descended the cliff* to hold parley with the enemy. He was received with the utmost respect, and carried off" to the French admiral. The admiral could not suppress a smile as he read the list of conditions ; it was so magnificently audacious in tone. He tried hard to worm out of Mr. Watson some hint 11 li I . ■ 1 ) 228 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. f. -'• as to the strength of the garrison, but he might as well have endeavored to extract confi(U;ncc8 from a clam. Ho then held a consultation with his chief officers, and their unaniiiious advice was to agree to the proposals. They reasoned soundly enough that not knowing the strength or resources of the garrison, nor at what moment u British fleet might make its appearance, and considering how many men and boats had been lost already, and how much ammunition expended, it was better to run no further risks If the terms were accepted Diamond Kock would be theirs before sunset, and all their trouble would be rewarded. So the upshot of the matter was that the admiral as- sented to the conditions of capitulation without any mod- ification, and with a glad heart Lieutenant Watson bore the good news back to his expectant comrades. Great was the satisfaction of the little garrison at his report. Dick gave voice to the feelings of all when he cried, joyously : " Hurrah, shipmates I We've had to give in. But it's tin honorable surrender — nothing to be ashamed of, I vow. And if the 'Gryphon' had only got back in time — but, never mind. It's no use crying over spilt milk. Let's all put on our best duds now, and get ready to march to the King's battery as if we were going to in- spection." Half an hour sufficed to make the necessary prepara- tion, and tlien, not without some sharp qualms of regret mingling with their feelings of relief, the little band of ■muu^ iinii >•> ■>U>»-t<'.i^.l«SI-t )U AN lIONOUAltLi: KUUUENDER. 229 heroes, arrayed in their best unifurms and carrying tlieir arms, descended the cHIIh, funned into lino on the level below, and witli drums beatin*^ fe'>iyly oud colors 'lying, marched in good order to the King's battery. When the French saw the number of their opponents, and realiKcd that for tiiree days anMfiHt:»*iH!t!:u(if;»;au,jiiiiU: TRAFALGAR AND HOME AGAIN. 236 delayed. The world was awaiting it with anxious ex- pectation. If England failed of victory, the proud titlt of mistress of the seas would be no longer hers. But England had a Nelson to command her navy, and in him the king and people put their trust. When Dick arrived at Portsmouth, he was delighted to learn that, instead of rejoining the " Gryphon," he would go to the " Victory," Lord Nelson's own ship, a magnificent vessel carrying one hundred guns. This signal honor he owed to his services at Diamond Rock, the great admiral having particularly selected him to fill a vacancy in the number of sub-lieutenants. Now, the poi,t * s'\b-lieutenant on a flagship was in every way more c ,^ ra'jle than the same rank on a frig- ate, and sorry as Dick was to part cimpany with the " Gryphon," and with Captain Fitewell, and with First Lieutenant McKinstry, and dear old Taffrail, not to men- tion Tenderly, who looked as though he could hardly keep back a burst of tears when Dick bade him " good- bye," still there was more than sufficient compensation in the many advantages accruing to his new appointment. " You're a lucky chap, Dick," were Lieutenant Mc- Kinstry's farewell words. " But I don't grudge you your good fortune. You've deserved every bit of it, richly. Keep right on as you're doing, and you'll get to the top in good time." " Indeed I will, sir, if I can," was Dick's reply. " I shall miss the old * Gryphon.* I am thankful to you, lir, for your kindness. I'll do the best I can, sir." ^i'iiUu^. 236 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. ,i '. On boftrd the big " Victory," there seemed to be al- most as many officers as there had been seamen on the " Gryphon " ; and Dick felt himself to be of little ac- count in such a throng. But the fame of his defense of Diamond Kock went with him ; and, although he was much the youngest sub-lieutenant on board, he found his fellow-officers ready to admit him without question to an equal footing, and to treat him with due consideration from the start. All minds were engrossed with the great struggle so near at hand, and impatient for it to begin. Great, therefore, was the satisfaction of all when, on the 15th of September, the " Victory " sailed from Portsmouth^ bearing Lord Nelson to take the chief command of the Mediterranean fleet, then under the direction of Vice- Admiral Lord Collingwood. Being joined by the " Euryalus," " Ajax," and " Thun- derer," the flagship proceeded to meet the fleet then cruis- ing ofl* Cadiz, in which harbor the combined navies of Spain and France had rendezvoused. A lot of manoeu- vering for an advantage, and other delays ensued, so that it was the 21st of October before the two great fleets fairly faced one anotLor in line of battle off* Cape Trafalgar. Lord Nelson's command consisted of some thirty-three vessels, ranging in size from the mighty " Victory " and " Royal Sovereign," of one hundred guns each, down to the saucy schooner, "Pickle," carrying but a single swivel gun. Of the whole number, twenty-seven were ships of the line. The Franco-Spanish fleet comprised I >\0w. uim ib't't!Ui:iliti!iuloifiMi;tStt.H!Tlj?-U».M4itiiiJill«:it TRAPALQAR AND HOME AGAIN. 237 foJty vessels; the largest being the " Santissima-Trini- dad," of OOP hundred and thirty guns, and the command being in the hands of Vice- Admiral Villeneuve, a brave and skillful seaman. Dick's heart thrilled with elation as on that eventful morning, which was to decide his country's fate, the hos- tile fleets bore down upon each other like two flocks of gigantic sea-birds. The breeze, which came from the southwest, was very light, and studding sails were set on every ship. Lord Nelson had disposed his vessels in three columns, he himself taking the van of the centre column. Considering that the "Victory," both as being the front of a column and as bearing the flag of the com- mander-in-chief, would draw upon herself the whole weight of the enemy's fire, and thereby .oubly endanger the life of him to whom all looked up for the success of the day, the principal officers took counsel together and decided to try to persuade the admiral to allow the "Temeraire," then close astern, to take the lead, and thus bear the brunt of the fire. When the matter was broached to Lord Nelson, he re- plied, with a significant smile : " Oh, yes, let her go ahead ; " meaning, *• if she could." " The " Temeraire " was accordingly hailed to take her station ahead of the "Victory"; but when she ranged up on the " Victory's " quarter, in order to pass her and lead. Lord Nelson hailed her and, speaking as he always did, with a slight nasal intonation, said : 'i!jfit!i!ilt:r|iliitiiith!tMt:t:^iit!ti:Mi«Xaiiili)iIti:)ti- TRAPALCAU AND HOME AGAIN. 239 Hc'o look, The numbers were as follows : 263 269 863 261 471 958 220 370 4 21 19 24. And as their signification broke upon the fleet, there came, not only from the crowded decks of the flagship, but from all the other ships, round after round of true British cheers, that showed with what lively enthusiasm the magic message was received. It had come about in this way. As the two fleets drew near each .other slowly, the thought flashed into Lord Nelson's mind to give his own men something by way of a fillip. After musing awhile, he said : "Suppose we telegraph that * Nelson expects every man to do his duty.' " The officer he addressed, ventured to suggest that it inighi be better to have it, "England expects every man," etc. " Certainly, certainly," exclaimed the admiral, warmly adopting the emendation, and so, just a little before noon, there fluttered out on the breeze the first flag of the famous message that was thereupon to become one of the most renowned in the world's history. At the maintop-gallantmast-head of the " Victory," there floated two flags that formed Lord Nelson's cus- tomary signal in going into action. They meant : " En- gage the enemy more closely," a command those to whom it was addressed were only too eager to obey. Much to Dick's disappointment, the "Victory" waa not the first ship in action. Owing to the formation of 240 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. the line of attack, and the changing position of the Franco-Spanish fleet, the " Royal Sovereign," which led the right column, first got within range of the enemy, and having reached a position close astern of the " Santa Anna," a huge one hundred and twelve, and bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral Don Mara del Alava, fired into her with guns double shotted and with such precision as to kill and wound nearly four hundred of her crew. Dick was fairly dancing with impatience, as the " Victory " moved steadily and silently on. " Why don't we fire at them ? " he exclaimed to the officer nearest him. "We're near enough to hit them every time." " No doubt we are/' the other replied. " But the ad- miral is never in a hurry to open fire. He always waits until he has got into just the position he thinks best. He's looking for the French admiral now, and will keep the guns cool until he finds him." This was precisely what Lord Nelson was doing. In the centre of the enemy's line lay the " Bucentaure," having on board ^.dmiral Villeneuve, and to her he was determined to give his entire attention. Accordingly, he continued straight on, and although as soon as the " Victory " got within range the whole van of the French division opened fire upon her simultaneously and with destructive effect, no answer came from the British flag- ship, but she forged steadily and majestically on, as silent as a spectre. Seeing, by the direction of her course, that the " Vio- HIUI lifTiitili' •iti.i:i'ii. TRAFALGAR AND HOME AGAIN. 241 1 of the hich led } enemy, 3 "Santa iriog the into her on as to • as the d to the bit them the ad- lys waits Lks best, rill keep ing. In intaure," r he was •rdingly, a as the I French ind with ish flag- as silent le" Vic- tory " was about to follow the example of the " Royal Sovereign," the French and Spanish ships ahead of the British weather column closed like a forest, and toward this combination Lord Nelson proceeded. Just as the "Victory" got within about five hundred yards of the larboard beam of the "Bucentaure" her mizzentop-mast was shot away, about two-thirds up. Another shot knocked to pieces the wheel, a third killed eight mariners on the poop, and a fourth, that had come through a thickness of four hammocks near the port chesstree, and had carried away a part of the port-quarter of the launch as she lay on the booms, struck the fore- brace bits of the quarter-deck, and passed between Lord Nelson and Captain Hardy, a splinter from the bits bruising the left foot of the later, and tearing the buckle from his shoe. Both men stopped instantly and looked at each other inquiringly, each supposing the other to have been wounded. Then his lordship smiled : " This is too warm work to last long. In all the battles in which I have fought, I never witnessed such splendid courage and coolness as my men are showing to-day. I am confident of winning the victory of my life." No wonder his men were brave and cool, when they had so inspiring an example in their own commander, who so lightly valued personal risk that he would not suffer those barriers against the enemy's grape and musketry, the hammocks, to be arranged one inch higher than they were accustomed to be stowed. Q 242 THE GOOD SHIP GllYPHON. t., h So heavy and unremitting had been the fire concen- trated upon the " Victory," that she soon began to show serious effects from it. Every studding-sail boom had been shot off close to the yardarm, and every sail, espe- cially on the foremast, riddled like a sieve, while on her decks, some score of officers and men had been killed, and nearly twice as many wounded. Although exposed to the same risks as the others in the performance of his duty beside the guns on the quarterdeck, Dick had hitherto escaped injury, and was eagerly awaiting the moment when the "Victory," having come to close quarters with one of her huge antagonists, the command to board should be given. Not in any fierce lust for the blood of others, but in a noble spirit of determination to shed the last drop of his own in fighting the enemies of his country, Dick threw himself into the struggle with all the fervor of his ardent nature. He took no thought for his own safety, but again and again exposed himself to the full fire of the Spanish musketeers, while endeavoring to get a better view of th« battle than could be obtained from his posi- tion on the deck. As the " Victory " slowly moved ahead, her opportu- nity came to make some return for the merciless can- nonading she had endured. Ranging close to the " Bucentaure," the sixty-eight pounder carronade on the port side of the forecastle, containing its usual charge of one round shot, and a keg filled with five hundred musket balls, was fired right into the cabin windows of the mi4».itt;irtit|i:riiiiirwiitiii>n:t*ii»hist'ii»;»,ai:iit»m»:u>!.'»f TRAFALGAR AND HOME AGAIN. 243 concen- L to show 3om had ail, espe- e on her Q killed, others in 3 on the and was iTictory," ler huge ren. but in a [)p of his jk threw is ardent fety, but re of the a better his posi- opportu- less can- to the e on the harge of 1 musket of the French flagship, and then slowly moving ahead, every gun of the remaining fifty on her broadside all double, and some of them treble-shotted, was deliberately dis- charged in the same raking manner. So close were the ships that the port mainyard-arm of the British three decker as she rolled touched the vangs of her opponent's gaff; so close indeed were they, that had there been wind enough to blow it out, the large French ensign trailing at the " Bucentaure's " peak might have been a tropl v in the hands of the " Victory's " crew. A ringing cheer, in which Dick heartily joined, rose from the decks of the "Victory," as the tremendous destruction wrought by this broadside became manifest, for, although it was the work of scarcely two minutes, and although not a mast or yard of the " Bucentaure " was seen to come down, there had been nearly four hun- dred men killed and wounded on board of her, over a score of guns had been dismounted, and the fine flagship was reduced to a comparatively defenseless state. Shaking herself free from the "Bucentaure," the " Victory " now pushed on in quest of fresh antagonists. Right in her path stood the " Redoubtable,'' a stalwart seventy-four, and, keeping straight on, the two ships presently were side by side, the sheet anchor of the one striking the spare anchor of the other, and the " Vic- tory's" starboard foretop-mast studding-sail-boorn iron getting hooked into the leech of the " Redoubtable's '* ^oretopsaiL 'OThH'iih ' J 244 THE GOOD SHIP GRYrHON. 1' f 1 '■ n »!■ 8: K m :-Ti ;:i 'fry- I 5 ill '^' ■ !iUi . I. A IreDieudous haud-to-liand cuuflict immediately eiiBued between the crews of the two vessels, each trying to clear the other's decks, and board with intent to capture. Dick plunged into the thick of the fight, thrusting and slash- ing with his keen cutlass and bearing himself like a man of mature years. It was terrible work. The air was foul and heavy with the reek of gunpowder and dense with particles of crumbled wood. The decks were strewn with the dead and wounded, and slippery with their blood. The roar of cannon and the splintering crash of shattered bulwarks stunned the ear, while the shrieks of the suffering and the shouts of the frenzied combatants united in an awful chorus more suggestive of hell than of earth. Yet there was perfect discipline on board the British flagship. Each man fought in his own place, and accord- ing to the orders of his own oflicer, while through all the hideous turmoil the wonderful little admiral, dressed in the same thread-bare frock uniform coat, which was his con- stant wear, having for its only decorations four weather- tarnished and lack-lustre stars sewed upon the left breast, paced up and down the promenade, which he had caused to be made by removing the large skylight over his cabin, and planking in the space thus created. After several attempts, Dick in company with a score of others had just succeeded in gaining a foot-hold on the decks of the " Redoubtable," when a blow from a board- ing pike took him unawares. It caught him full in the forehead, and although happily the peak of his cap saved I TRAFALQAU AND HOME AGAIN. 245 his skull from being fractured, he was felled to the deck^ insensible, and to all appearances dead. Fortunately his fall had not been unnoticed. A brother officer observed it and at once rushed to pick him up. Seeing at a glance that he was only stunned he called to a big bo'suu : " Here, Bowline, carry Mr. Holland back to the {.hip and hand him over to the surgeon." Looking rather reluctant to leave the fight, which he was evidently enjoying heartily, the bo'sun picked Dick up with ease, and bearing him back to the " Victory " deposited him upon the quarter-deck close by the comb- ings of the cabin ladder-way, to await his turn at the hands of the over-worked surgeons. As Dick lay there senseless there befell a calamity which gloomed the gladness of that glorious victory. During the whole of the operations that have been outlined. Lord Nelson and Captain Hardy had been walk- ing up and down the promenade built over the sky-light. It was about half-past one o'clock, and the two had just arrived within one pace of the regular turning !pl at the cabin ladder-way when the admiral, who, regardless of quarter-deck etiquette, was walking on the poii side, suddenly faced left about. Captain Hardy, when he had taken tL<) other step, turned also, and as he did he saw Lord Nelso 1 in the act of falling. He was then on his knees trying to support himself by means of the one hand that was left him, but, this giving way, he fell over on his left side, exactly upon the spot 246 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. »jt i I'D ii i ii!i f ". m. where a little while before his secretary, Mr. Scott, had been killed by a round shot. Rushing to the chief's side, Captain Hardy said as he bent to lift him up : " I hope you are not badly wounded, sir." Lord Nelson shook his head sadly. " They have done for me at last. Hardy," he said. " Oh, no, I hope not," responded the captain. "Yes, they have," was the mournful response; "my backbone is shot through." And so, alas, it was. A musket-ball fired from the mizzen-top of the '* Redoubtable " had entered the left shoulder through the front of the epaulet, and descend- ing, had lodged in the spine. Calling up several of the men, Captain Hardy bade them bear their beloved commander-in-chief below, and while they were doing so. Lord Nelson, fearing lest his fall should dispirit the crew, took his handkerchief from his pocket and covered his face with it that he might not be recognized. The next one to be born to the cock-pit was Dick, still silent and motionless. While the great admiral's life was swiftly ebbing away, and consciousness was returning to the boyish sub-lieuten- ant, the eventful struge^le went on, until one by one the French and Spanish ships had either struck their colors, or fled in dire confusion, and the British vessels, though cruelly battered, and mourning the loss of many a gal- lant seaman, were left unquestioned conquerors. TRAFALGAR AND HOME AGAIN. 247 It had been indeed a notable victory. Nine French and nine Spanish sail of the line were captured, and the mari- time power of both nations was broken for many decades to come. Yet the British people felt that the cost had been all too great, since part of the price was paid by their best-beloved warrior, who breathed his last with the shouts of triumph beating upon his ears. my way, teu- the ors, >ugh gal- Although the effects of the blow were perceptible for some time afterward, Dick resumed duty the following morning, and, when the fleet went back to England, was able to take his part in the proceedings of mingled rejoic- ing and mourning that marked the return of the victors. Rewards and honors fell thick and fast upon all who had had a share in the historic struggle, and he was not overlooked. Despite his vouth he was promoted to a full lieutenantcy, and then was granted a three months' fur- lough, which of course he hastened to spend in his mother's society. Having thus brought him once more back to that sunny cottage in Kent, this record must bid him farewell. It would be pleasant to tell in detail of his future career, and of the many experiences he had. That as lieutenant, captain, etc., he was the same manly fellow, obedient to superiors; considerate of dependents, doing his best in each duty assigned him, and not forgetting the higher service of the higher Commander. But we must leave him, yet not without adding this, that ever keeping on the bfime right tack he sailed steadily forward across the ocean lA 248 THE GOOD SHIP GRYPHON. of life, fearing God and loving his fellows, respected and beloved by all with whom he came in contact, until in in due time, though not before he had reached the rank of vice-admiral, he was brought unto that desired haven whither the right tack surely leads. 'I'tus EHS. rii and 1 in :ank iven