IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET {MT-3)
1.0
I.I
"« 140
u
2.5
2.2
1.8
1.25
1.4 III 1.6
//
^/
V/
'/
Photographic
Sciences
Corpordtion
^
iV
4^
^
f
*
«
33 WIST MAIN STRUT
WIBSTIR.N.Y MSaO
(716) a73-4503
■^
^^
«i° m>^
6>
^
o
;\
^
CIHM/ICMH
Microfiche
Series.
CIHM/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.
Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques
-lOS^
Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques
The Institute has attempted to obtain the best
original copy available for filming. Features of this
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.
Coloured covers/
Couverture da couieur
I I Covers damaged/
D
Couverture endommagi*
Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaurie et/ou peliicul^e
I I Cover title missing/
Le titre de couverture manque
□ Coloured maps/
Cartes giographiques en coulour
□ Coloured ink {i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couieur (i.e. autre que blaue ou noirel
I I Coloured piates and/or illustrations/
D
n
D
Planches et/ou illustrations sn couieur
Bound with other material/
^•M avec d'autres documents
Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/
Lareliure iarria pei*t causer de I'ombre ou de la
distorsion le long <1« la marge intlir*euro
Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certamas pages blanches ajcruties
lors dune restauration apparaissont dans le texte,
male, lorsqu** cela itait possible, ces pages n ont
pas Ati filmAes.
Additional comments:/
Commentaires supplimentaires;
L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire
ciu'il lui a eti possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exem(,;aire qui 9ont peut-dtre uniquas du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image rsproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage
sont indiqu^s d-dessous.
r~~| Coloured pages/
Pagas de coulsur
Pages damaged/
Pages endommagdes
Pages restored and/oi
Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul^es
r~~] Pages damaged/
pn Pages restored and/or laminated/
nVj Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
iJlJ Pages dicolor^es, tacheties ou piqu^es
□ Pages detached/
Pagas ditachees
1/
Showthrough/
Transparence
r~] Quality of print varies/
Quality InAgale de I'impression
Includes supplementary material/
Comprend du matiriel suppl^mentaire
Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible
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.. ont itti film^es d nouveau de fa^on ^
obtenir la meilleure image possible.
This item is filmed at the rec action ratio checked beiow/
Ce document est film* au taux de r«duction indiqu* ci-dassous.
10X 14X 18X 22X
26X
30X
I I ^
12X
lex
20X
24X
28X
32X
Tfie copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks
to the generosity of:
National Library of Canada
L'exempiaire filmd fut reproduit grSce d la
g6n6ro8it6 de:
Bibliothdque nationale du Canada
The images appearing here are the best quality
possible considering the condition and legibility
of the original copy and in keeping with the
filming contract specifications.
Les images suivantes ont it6 reproduites avec le
plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et
de la nettet6 de l'exempiaire film6, et en
conformity avec les conditions du contrat de
filmage.
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 filmed beginning on the
first 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 couveriure en
papier est imprimee sont film6s en commenpant
par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires
originaux sont filmAs en commeng ant par la
premidre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par
la dernidre page qu: comporte une tello
empreinte.
The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain the symbol -°»> (meaning "CON-
TINUED"!, or the symbol V (meaning "END "),
whichever applies.
Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la
dernldre image de chaque microfiche, selon le
cas: le symbole — ^> signifie 'A SUIVRE", le
symboie V signifie 'FIN ".
Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reductian 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 6tre
filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre
reproduJt en un seul clich6, il est film6 A partir
de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d dreite,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le r.ombre
d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants
illustrent la m^thode.
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
I
Cqptt
a^m^tixxwTss wm w Urn
>^*>
if A:B ffir^Aii^i
VAL HAS i IN6S ,'
4Mtt fCM
VANKEE PRJVATfiER,
« Si«li»p{H«» i »»ni|j.
"*''^ '**MlffNXMIM
i!Oiipi.]^jB !i» mmimmiau
GABRITT & CO., P0BL
Ciipt^ mmihdMtdtMmmmtM.^
aMLm. Wtt^'jL^-.
'^smmm^mt
uS^^^^'i^f
■.".•^mvj-
£:^-A^O(p FOB Emm B0USEKEEPE8! f JJM »BT^ 25 c
cowTJUEKjaf© sEVBHAi. munimm txcm^umr xBcmrm.
NEW-TO K:
GAREETf & 00., FUBUSliEES, ^0 AH^ STREET.
J
THE
A D
G A II R E ■
NORVEL HASTINGS:
OB,
if
THE FEIGATE IN THE* Off ING.
^ Xmlltnl €fik
^P THK WAR OF 1812.
t
BY
A DISTINGUISHED NOVELIST.
COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME.
NEW -YORK
«AliRETT*C0., ,8 At.^ STREET
■n
Entered, according to the Act of CongreiB, i« the yn 7 1850, by
A. HART,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for tin
Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
NORVEL HASTINGS;
OR,
THE FRIGATE m THE OFFING.
CHAPTER L
The shades of T»i«i>* ~
Uaok, and reflected the 8,a„ L f ""r"'"" g-^" «%
belt of velvet. Tho willor, „" h fe f T* ^""^'-^ ■»■ «^
l»od over it and met the r Jlh" /?«"" "" ^^^iug ar«a,
f.ff-leaved pine and gnarlZh f T "'"'■"'y' '^''"o «.«
Innehes half-way aero^ in ih' ""^ .'*"^''°"''^'' «">-
the gloom. ™"«'' ^on-PMionship, inereaaing
«", when it received a „arrh>r "^ "^ "'"■'''* " "»» "»
» %,and would be termed aTiverVirfrf ^"^ '"«"
0.^ he emhonehnre or outlet Zl^'::""' "" '■"'^' "^
^oe iittio river,— which Im^i «
»'e^'hogreensava„nah,-rLn'v " J r '"' ""^'^ «'°"'y
" »"'« and a half bevond IT 7T^^ ^'" *'»°" <""(* "early
'»*°'ures in t„e coa^t ofZT^T-'""' '^ *''" ■""»"»«»
, ;"" »« on the ohart., for a htdred """ -" "'' «"^'''""'-'
! '»N -og^Iarit, oAi, ;i 7-f^ «««»*, the SCO,.
(9)
V
S
10
NORVEl HASTINGS; OP,
breadth was not more than four, and its length to the open
ocean, not more than five miles.
:
The entrance to it from the sea was not a quarter of a mile
wide, and was formed by two cliffs, of nearly equal height, on
one of which, — that whi^h made the western column of the
opening, — stood the ruins of an old i^eacon, which was a lofty
landmark for many a mariner seeking the dangerous coast.
From these two cliffs the shores of the bay swept inward in a
pear-shape form, partly bounded by rocks with precipitous
sides, partly belted with glittering sand, as spotlass as snow
in its whiteness. At the top of the bay, in a straight line,
four miles from the surge-washed cliffs, at its entrance, opened
the r.arrow inlet which led to the mouth of the little iiver,
whose windings we have compared to a snake.
If the reader has clearly impressed upon his imagination
■ ^hese features of the scene in which we shall open and carry
on the first parts of our tale, we will now take him up the
inlet, and into the creek, the dark curves of which we shall
follow, under the shadows of rocks rnd of trees, amid lawns
and meadow-land as green as emerald, until we reach, ur>ex-»j
pectedly, after a short turn in the river, a small pier, built
solidly of hewn timber and stones, that projects thirty feet
from the shore, and extends full one hundred along the land. I
Opposite this mole the creek expands a few yards into a natu-
ral basin — a feature of the place which doubtless suggested
the • construction of a landing at that point. Facing the
wharf, on the same side of the creek with it, which is the
west side, stood, at the time of our story, which is laid in the
first year of our last war with England (1812), a long row of
weather-worn, unpaintcd warehouses, curiously built, the
under story of stone, the upper of wood, while immense roofs
projected ten feet on all sides, affording large sueittr beneath
to protect merchandise outside from min or sun. In the mid-
dle of this long hipped-roof edifice of trade rose a square
tower, enclosed by open blinds; and upon its helmet-shaped
dome wai
middle, s
blue nava
Wcllingtc
The famo
spy-glass,
other dire
towards tl
if he look
west.
The ap]
houses ma
and kegs, i
pipes, rolls
up under i
paulins, be
pier was th
In the r
which a ro
of a ridge,
captain's he
of this emi
walk from )
high degree
and around
open and p
the rich hai
on which floi
ing peacefull
the scene. ]
mansion, risi
size and imp
terrace, and
wide lawn, w
^'■^y, and out
V
%,.
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFFINa.
the open I dome was fixed an iron rod, upon wLich
11
blue naval coat, vellow n-n^..un , '^apiam took, m a
WeUington boo'ts trblitC^ n Mw" "I/"""'' ■"«•
no fa„.o„s navigate in wo'od a d"; ; tr^P^f ?° «"-•
spj-glasa, with wliicli he was n.v.„,V " '"' "^^^ "
other di.e.io„ than the;:.d.s;:f soTw If •"'L 'l ■"■'
.n.e looked .0 the setting snn, that the winVrtiTho
..olt^Se^theMrt"'"' "''"' ""^ -'« »<"'-
andkeg„„arw;^^h l^eZS^ ''""^"t'- ^"'^^
Pipo, rolls of merchandise, fnV Itstf f^''' '"'"* ""*
«P under the projecting eaves Td l!, ^ '"^'' P"^
stttntitir^^^^^^^^^
:ll'h "!""'r--^ -S^'y feet aCfther '' l'
P tau s head, and nearly overhnng it. On ;,ai
of h>s eminence, which was not more than fl
-11 from the mole, the eye was strnck with the e.
hgh degree of cultivation of a wide domdn that . . ,
and around him, and stretched even to he ^k^d r "
open and nark-likr* in f».«- i. "' ''"^ sca-side. Groves,
«!^ rich ha'^est of llZ^^'^'^^""'^' "ff »« -"^
on which flocks and fe,^: aXUn " e^Ter'wer'^'
"ansion, visible through the trees fn triCrTf T *
»vme iawn, while its southern frn«f i«^i,.j j__.. •^.
l^iiy, and
out upon the illimitabl
c sea.
looked down upon the
' i
12
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
1
The whole of the promontory seemed one noble edtuto,
under the direction of one master; while a lowlj roof seeii
here and there, distant from the "great house," showed the
humbler abode of the hired labourer -r tenant. Of the latter,
there was one in particular which made a marked object in
the view, from the rmgularity of its position and its extremely
neat but yet rustic aspect.
It occupied the side, half-w?y down, of the rock on the bay
shore, on which the villa stood, and seemed to belong as much
to the domain of the ocean as that of the land. It was built
of stone und moss, and overrun with creeping plants, so that
Its chimney seemed tc rise rather from an irregular hillock
of leaves, thf»n from a roof—a sort of hanging nest midway
the cliff. Though fu.. a third of a mile distant from the
mansion, its situation along the curving line of the bay placed
It .obliquely in sight, westwardly, from the south fiont of the
turreted house. Directly beneath this hanging cottage was
the smooth beach, on which usually lay a skiff", or anchored
off agamst it swung a fishing xebec. There was a narrow and
perilous path from the hut to the beach, and one scarcely less
precipitous leading from it to the top of the cliff, connecting
It with the estate. When we add that it was not more than
three-quarters of a mile from the cottage, goini^ south, to the
extreme end of the promontory, on which the ruined Beacon
stood, we have terminated our description of localities, which,
being imperfectly comprehended by readers, render the details
of a story usually confuted and unsatisfactory ' -
We now return to the secret and scarcely illuminated inlet,
with a description of which we commenced our narrative. It
was the autumnal night of the first day of September on which
we introduce the reader to this dark and noiseless current,
flowing between its leafy banks. Not a sound was heard,
save at intervals the waili. ,, cry of the whip-poor-will, or the
ceaseless, shrilly song of the winged locust. Fur in the blue
skies shone a glittering host of stars, but only here and there
'niE reiOATE IN THK OFPINQ.
did one find its way,
13
^ :^«.'^aye already said, through the close
trees, to be reproduced in ir T '"'"' *^''"«^ '
Q., 1 7 1 f'^^^^^ in image in the waveless rivPi-
Suddenly the silenee is disturbed by the faint dTrnf
or padd e, and likp a Hini . u i^ ^^^ °^ "° oar
from the blaekL! „f Ti:'""^7' '"^'^ i'^^n^hUhU
in «.c bow. i^eo7lr^^^tCZt T u"^' '' ''"'^
'"»<Je out, nor whct>„.r !. • • . ^" *"'* """""o* ''O
a".i certainty with wMch it Zi '"iTn-' i 1 "^fT
Ihc person at the stem is nr.lT m" ^" ^ "'""«'' """
■'"S^ ..f the strraT^r • ''"'^'""'""- "■"' *''« d^viotts wind-
«.t^;-;i-::r:,r .—-»"- •■
Z"™ ^s™ qwet," grumbled the other, in a snrW ta„.
™d he vo,ce was evidently that of a young' In ^ '
W'ZiJ'J'J^ ««, weapon merely ejaculated a eonte^ptno™
eoto :"th tat S'' ^T' 1""^ "^'"'""S '"-Ward
wavwit^ tr ' «»»*">ncd its secret and myeterion,
~y WUI. the same certainty which had marked jt from the Zl
14
NORVEL HASTINQS; OR,
f
I
I
CHAPTER II.
Leaving the boat to pursue its way amid the dark wind-
ings of the river, we will take the reader back to the afternoon
of the day, at the close of which we opened our story, and to
the villa which we have already described.
Upon the portico, about four o' clock in the afternoon, stood
two persons looking seaward j for the main ocoan was in view
to the south-west, and to its shores it was not half an hour's
walk across the promontory, while the inner bay, enclosed by
the promontory of the Beacon, lay directly beneath and to the
left of the mansion like a map.
One of the persons was a gentleman with gray hair, and a
florid, handsome face, with a decidedly English cast of fea-
ture« while his frame was large and English built, not unlike
that we have of the pictures of the Dnke of Sussex, portly
and noble-looking. He was in high health, and yet as be
paced up and down the piazza, there was visible a contraction
of the brow and comprossure of the lip, that betokened thoughts
perplexing, or a mind temporarily ill at ease. He held a
letter in his hand, which contained a printed slip out from some
Gazette.
^ The second personage was a female of seventeen or perhaps
*ull eighteen summers, fresh, blooming, graceful and handsome
enough for a score of knights in the crusading times to do
battle for, vizor down and lance in jcst^ That she was tba
THE PEIGATI IN THE OFPINO. ^ 16
daughter of the fine-looking, silver-haired man, who marched
up and down the portico, was very evident from the shape of
the profile and the form of the eye. She was standing at the
western angle of the verandah, looking earnestly seaward, and
watching With animated interest a "white squall," as the sail-
or. term a peculiar kind of gale, remarkable for its violence
and brevity. From her position she commanded the sea and
sky in one complete view. Having .een the cloud create itself
out of nothing, as it were, in mid sky, and then darken and
ower over the sea, like a huge inverted balloon, she felt
thac she could not divert her eyes from the strange and sublime
.peetacle until she should see the issue-^the meeting of the
s orm and of the seal The latter, beneath it, grew suddenly
b ack as night, while sunshine and blue sky were everywhere
else around. The sudden darkness cast by the shadow of the
down-rushmg cloud of wind upon the waters, revealed all at
one. to her eyes, and at the very moment we introduce her to
the reader, a sail white as snow !
At tlie sight of it she turned pale, and her lips parted as
if with terror-that sort of humane terror which noble spirits
ieel in sympathy with fellow-mortals in peril
" Look dear father, look ! The storm will burst upon that
vessel, and all on board will perish I"
The gentleman paused in his walk, and following the direc
tion of her eye, glanced seaward.
" You are right I She will get the whole weight of tliat
squall. My glass here, Pedro," he called aloud.
The person addressed with this foreign name, though not
tlien on the portico, in a moment made his appearance with a
spy-glass, and placing it in the hands of his master, he bowed
very low, and stepped back with the profound deference of a
menial. Small in stature, slightly framed, with a dark com-
plexion, jet black hair curling in corkscrew rinirlets down hU
enoejcs, and a pair of eyes like those of a basilisk, small hands
f,
I i
IG
i
1
I
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
and small feet, and exceedingly white teeth, ho was a true
specimen of a West Indian half-blood Creole— the most faith-
ful of servants and most implacable in their hatred to those
Who injure them— kissing their master's feet in love and devo-
tion, but stabbing him to the heart if he tread but upon his
little finger. Pedro was about forty years of age, for a few
silver hairs were sprinkled over his polished hair; his dress
was a scarlet velvet cap, an embroidered jacket adorned with
rows of buttons, worn not with his arms in the sleeves, but
hung on the left shoulder like a Polish jacket. His shirt was
frilled and embroidered, and he was without a vest; but worked
suspenders lavishly displayed, were a handsome substitufe for
this vestment. His pantaloons were snow-white linen, and
his stockings were red, clocked on the instep, while a neat
morocco slipper, garnished with huge buckles, finished hia pic-
turesque costume.
"'it is a man-of-war!" exclaimed Mr. Canning Fielding,
with some emphasis, after he had fixed his glass for half a
minute steadily upon her.
"It may be an American frigate, and if so, may Heaven
protect her from the storm rushing towards her I" exclaimed
the maiden, with deep feeling. f
"If it is a Yankee, may she go to the bottom I" was the
decided response of Mr. Fielding.
" Father !" was the deprecatory ejaculation of Mary Fielding,
as she fixed her clear blue eyes upon hira with surprise and
pain.
" What has an American man-of-war to do on this coast at
this time ? She can be here for no good I" ho said, with ill-
humour.
" To protect the coast. Was not an English sloop-of-war
and her tender iu the offing throe weeks ago ? We certainly
have need of protection. If the English vessel had como
into the bay and landed, what would hava sftved u« fmm
pillage?'*
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFFINQ.
17
"The girl is thoroughly Yankee, br.ed in the bone !" mut-
tared the father, in a tone which savoured both of anger and
contempt. " I must keep my own councils, or she is patriotic
enough to betray even her own father !"
" The squall is nearly upon her !" cried Mary Fielding, with
excitemenl; "but she is rapidly shortening sail, and seems to
he fully aware of her danger. How the wind whitens the
surface of the sea, making a mile-broad path across it; and
the ship lies directly in its track. What a whirlwind of foam !'
Hark, the roar of the lifted and lashed waves reaches us even
here, dear father! The ship has got it now in all its fury!
See how she bends over, as if she would upset; and— see ! she
has disappeared from sight for ever! Mercy upon the poor
souls within her V
She covered her face with both hands, and seemed to be
putting up prayers . Mr. Fielding, who had the spy-glass con-
stantly at his eye, with more eager interest than mere humanity
and sympathy would dictate, vainly endeavouring to make out
her nation, for she had no colour set, merely remarked—
" No fears for her safety, They put her under close-reefed
topsails before it struck her. She must be a bad sea-boat, or
ignorantly officered, to shipwreck in a white squall, heavy as
this one is."
'• De frigat' no poseeblo to be see more, seflorita, coz de
thoek meest hide 'im away," observed the Creole, in a lisp and
pleasant tone, but with a strong Cuban accent, and he took off
his cap and made her a respectful congee.
" You are right, Pedro. She may bo safe. Foe or friend,
I have put u- my prayers for her safety," answered the gene-
rous girl.
The roar of the storm, which was not three miles off, was
now so loud and terrific that all eyes were directed to the
spectacle. It was a whirlwind in mid air, H& b/oie upon the
ocean and its diameter scarcely a mile, proceeding from a low
2*
^\11
18
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
■
black cloud, hanging ftot two thousand feet above the occin,
and rolling Along it like a chariot on wheels, so swift was its
course. The sea on all sides of it was smooth and shining,
and the skies serene, save in that black spot. In less than ten
minutes the whole fierce commotion had travelled far away to
leeward, and was seen ploughing its white track kagues away
on'the south-eastern horizon. The waves left in its path sank
from mountains with tops of snow to lesser and lesser billows,
and from the misty shroud that hung on its rear, out came,
but full eight miles off, the lioble vessel safe, and, save the
loss of her two after topgallant masts, which there was not
time to house, sound as before. Shaking the reefs out of her
topsails, and setting her spanker and jibs with her foretopgal-
lunt sail aloft, she laid her course back again to regain the
position from which she had been driven by the squall.
^'Safe, and well-earned, too,'* said Mr. Fielding. "She
must bo an Englishman; for no Yankee seaman could have
rode out thai blast without more harm done."
'* You scorn to fmcy, dear father, that the Americans are
no seamen. I thought' you were too much of one to think
ill of them. If this war, now but a few weeks old, continue
three years, England will find that we are as skilful on the
ocean as wc were cflScieut in our armies of the Revolution on
land."
. " By St. George ! The girl speaks as if she had been born
before the rebel war, and had fought in it under Washington.
I must take better heed of my speech; for if she is so deuced
patriotic as all this comes to, I may have a traitress in the
camp. I must feign, if I do not feel. Well, Moll, the Amc
ricans arc brave enough, and good sailors, I dare say. All
the same race, jou know — Anglo-Saxon blood all! One
o' these odd days, I dare say, wc shall together conquer the
world I" *
This was said in a cheery, badinaging sort of tone, meant to
appear gincsre ; and, as Mary Fielding was too fond of her
iM
father,
than he
his insi
ism, sh(
The£
aspect :
onward,
hour, 'j
from th
Weconn(
"He
"and no
and, by i
topsail y
And he I
"You
so near, \
Nothing <
whatever
such I ho]
. war. ship c
air. Fie
evidently ]
with his d
pliantic, fa
glittering,
"Me set
'"vmoso— -
bueno grar
see too mos
"Ishoul
"ity," said
Pedro HO |*j,
of Havana t
THE FRIGATE IN THK OPFIXO. ' jq
The surface of the ocean began to resume it- f„
»spcet: a gentle wind Wpplodlts bo/o: TnV ot"::: Z
from *he': • iTt \t"t'i:a w' t- f ^^ '"^'"■'
Wc^onnot ba, by the IndiarfishtTol '^' "'' "" ""•='
"He has come to, to repair damaffes " siiVl M, v . i-
".nnd now her broadside can be se^ Moll Sh! . ^"^'
-a, by bcr high poop and full Z', and the b^oL* Xe'
.op-l y«rfs I ,m wager fifty g-^^eas «he s a jln BuU "
And he brought his hand down with emphasis.
«> near, when I should suppose you would feel-most anxious
Not, .ng can prevent the vessel from coming in, rndtaZ
whatever yon have. An American would prftee y"„ Z
™ch I hope ,t ,.,, as I would rcjoieo once to place eyes on a
• '"Mh'P of my own country !" * ^ "" *
cmL^'T'"^ "' "'"'"' *" '■'"''" ^°»>" '•«""»* that would
n den ly have compromised his patriotism with Pedro Tf not
nhh,s daughter; when the former remarked, i hu °
P nt.e, fawnmg, bowing manner, his black eye dane n. and
ghttenng, and his teeth smiling ; "ancing and
"Me see Americano frigate in Habana, seiiorita; he berrv
t::r~T' 'r*^'""'' ^'^ e™ -"'» -*«> «nd o^ z
see iro:,^..' ''''"'' •""'"™' "■"• "-""• '"'"^ ^--'p i
;l!!'i?!rL^:^":"«' !''"'!S'"^""y; "»' "ot answering
of H»™nrs:^::te7to"hi'"'"' """"^'^ "'''^ "" •"^•'«""
I
20
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
1:!
" Oh, 81, seiiora, si," he said, rubbing his small yellow hands
together, and looking inexpressibly happy j ''yes, Habana, too
pretty — too bootefool — De handsomes seety in de voorl'. Sish
handsom hous', sich graate iglesias, schurches, noble gardin,
fine street, big castle, frigat of all n?,tion — speak sonoroso
Spanish language. I wish too mosh scnorita make go to
Habana \"
"Pedro!"
The Creole jumped at the startling sound of his master's
voice, and bent low before him.
" Has the master of the scudder had his dinner, and has
he drunk his bottle of wine ?"
" Si, seiior, me go see I"
" Father, who is that low-browed man who came to see you
just as we rose from the table ?"
' "He came on business. Brought me this letter I Girls
and wt)men know nothing about business matters. Don't be
inquisitive, child."
" I am not inquisitive, father. But it seemed tc please you
and yet to trouble you, at one and the same time, that I could
not but feel some curiosity to learn from whom it came. I
half hoped"—
" Half hoped what ?" he said, turning and looking her full
in the face. ,
" That it was some news from my brother."
" None from him. He is in England, and doing his duty
to his king and country."
« Poor George !" sighed the maiden. " My brother, and
yet my country's foe !"
" You need not make yourself unhappy rbout him. Ko is
as much of an Englishman as you arc an American. He was
born in London and you in Maine !"
"Yet Atnerica is his true country. I heartily yih\\
that — "
Here
about U
safe in
the sigl
salt-wat(
preposse
man," I
stranger
"Wei
"Ail
looking 1
the froni
meant fo]
nice — an(
well store
"We ]
your vessi
"Steeri
soundin's
a'ter dari
lead, and '.
Mr. Fie
looked vcji
'iiul thumt
"Come,
tliou turnei
lio spoke t(
" Yiss, s
"That is
^vith this Ic
"Safe as
tipsy confid
l>it first. 'I
^iere on the
i** like a pal
low hands
Eibana, too
rl'. Sish
le gardin,
sonoroso
ike go to
8 master's
r, and has
to see you
ir I Girls
Don't be
please you
at I could
came. I
ig her full
y his dufy
tther, and
n. lie is
, He was
tily wij^li
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFI-IXQ. 21
the Mffht nf T>«^-^ • i'^^percy, Dut discretion and
man," he descended the sL, otiCjir T " "^
stranger on the shelled ,rf^flf' '""""' "'«' ■»»' "'»
.-i;:a?ii: :r„eh^.ihei::;Ti:;fL'^^ rr
well stored, idmiral 1" ^^ "" ''''P J"" 1«^"
"AVe hav.; to in these wartimes M«»(^r a
your vessel now ?" ^ "mes. Master. Are j«u for
" Sleerin' straight for her. Admiral ' Mean i^h ■ ;,
«o«ndi„'s 'fore the first nighlwateh Don^L l' '° f"?
"Come, I will walk down to your craft with you " ir„
I'cn tnmed to Pedro and said privately • "n .
1.0 ^poke to no one while he was'all.^L ?^ ""' "' *'"'
Y.SS seilor! Me loek him in-find him lock in '■•
with thl LZ" ■ '"'' *'"''' '"^''""P' ' "" '-We you
vun tms letter. Can you carry it safely ?"
ki' first. They do s'; Admi™.'':!,,' ri.'". ""1' '"'°"' »
'-on the coast from St. Johns'to^pi.rUau'^rb;.' "l^r^;:::
'' "if e a palace any way ; and—"
'It. >
'.hi ■:
I
22
NORVEL HASTINQS; OR,
<^ Here is the path I Come, step carefully," said Mr. Field-
ing, thoroughly disgusted with his visiter, but whom he was,
nevertheless, afraid to leave a moment to himself; for to suf-
fer him to hold conversation with any person were a risk too
great for him to run ; he therefore had no intention of leav-
ing him till he should see him take the boat at the beach.
Here they soon arrived, and Westcap stumbling into a skiff
in which two men waited for him, was pulled oflf to a small,
sharp-bowed vessel, schooner-rigged aft and sloop-rigged for-
ward, with a foresail heavy enough for a vessel four times as
large, a kind of -"Taft now known in the Bay of Fundy as a
scudder, and then in use more or less along the eastern coast
of Maine by a certain class of fishing traders.
Mr. Fielding anxiously watched until he beheld the scud-
der make sail and lay her course down the bay ; and when he
' saw her disappear between the two cliifs that formed the out-
let to the ocean, he blessed his good fortune in having got
clear of a man who, as he expressed it to himself, as be
reclimbed the way to the villa, "might have done him an*
irreparable mischief with his tipsy tongue, had the humour
taken him."
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFPINO.
Mr. Field-
a he was,
For to suf-
a risk too
1 of leav-
beacb.
itoaskiff
a small,
igged for-
r times as
undy as a
tern coast
tho sciid-
1 when he
d the out-
Laving got
2lf, as be
e him an 'I
e humour
28
CHAPTER III.
I '^fT ^^T,T """""^"'^ * ^^^ ^^^^'^^^ standing where
hei. father had left h.r, upon the verandah, and gazing w th
mtcrest upon the ship-of-war, which, with her head s'ails bfcC
ay tc, stationary upon the sea. Taking the spy-glass, sh
t led to -guess ' lier nation; but as this was tho first frigate
she had ever seen there was but little chance of success in
this spec.es of nautical scrutiny. But her eye in ranging along
the honzon detected a second vessel some distance to leewardf
and which seemed to have met the squall also, for her fore!
topsail was close reefed.
Mary was sailor enough to know that the second vessel was
a large schooner with foretopgollantsail yard across; and she
new by the rakish slew of her masts, that she was' a differ!
nt affair from the clumsy, short, upright-masted coasters she
had been accustomed to see pass the Beacon Head, and anchor
111 the bay. ^
"Bears me, Miss Mary, 'ow can you lovo to look so much hon
he ornd sea, and 'old that 'cavy glass at arms' length, enough
to brcA both of your harms, to say nothing of jambing your
hoyes hout? I 'ato the sea-I'm so ti™d of seeing it Hit
, .Mho same thing from morning till night, blue and dull
Si tZtimor" '"™ ""'" '"" '"" ""' '""^ ''^' "'" ^''^
"And it is pleasant to look at tho sky, espeeially iu the
24
NORVEL HASTINGS J OB,
night when the stars are out. Don't }ou remeirber, Hetty,
how I showed you Orion, and the Pleiades, and the north star,
and Jupiter and his moons, and Saturn "
" T dare says I saw something — but they danced habout so
one couldn't tell j and, has for Satan, I didn't care about seeing
him, and so I shut my heyes when you pointed at the 'orrid
monster, as the cethens vorshipped !"
The speaker was a rosy-chGcked, buxonr little maiden about
sixteen years of aije, with hazel eyes, brown hair that curled
coquettishly about her little ears, and ripe, cherry-tinted lips,
that would have captivated a honey-bee, to say nothing of a
young man's heart. She was dressed in a white frock, short
enough to show a pretty ankle and foot, a black silk apron, a
blue ribbon tied in a love-knot about her neck, and a brooch
and ear-rings, the latter representing a heart hanging by a
gof leu hoop. Altogether, she was a nice, clever, blooming,
mischievous-looking little /emme-de-chamhre, which was the
oflBce she held near the person of the beautiful Mary Fielding.
By birth a cockney, she still retained the freshness of her native
enunciation, and her London notions about nearly every idea
that her little round head held.
" I should think you would find amusement in watching the
vessels on the ocean. Hetty," said her mistress, who smiled
at her astronomical speech.
" Dears me ! One wcssel a day ! Hin Lonnon you can see
sights o' young lords and gentlemen, and fine hequipages, a
hundred going by in a minnit ! I honly want to see the wes-
sel that is going to take you to Lonnon, and me with you, dear
Miss Mary."
" Well, Hetty, one of these days ! You have not been
three years, no, not two from England, and yet you are sighing
to return, while I have never been there, and yet how quiet
I am."
*• You wouidu'i 'ardly be so, Misw, hif you'd seen Lonnon.
You'd
it once
"We
"Hal
going w
land. ]
"Ise
if you 8
we can ^
for you
much; 1
"No,i
English
away froi
wish we (
"Wei
if he hea
hurry ?" j
there was
to be infoi
little maic
patted the
visibly he]
the "Wil
pretty mot
he would I
existence.
Miss Fi
heart in he
glass over i
regard to ti
sea for her
expression i
in her eye,
3
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFFING. 26
1:^1 Z^' ''''' '""'- ^'" -»' »» «»' *» % %- on
" Well, Hetty, father says after this war "
land I w.sh I had ne«r left it, dears me !" ^'
1 see you are oat of patience about the war, Hettv But
we':. Z ,:„'"'-->^' y™ «-alI go in the ^fvl, .t
we eai. get you passage on. I should miss you very mueh
awc.y trom you ! I lore you too well to leave you • bat I hnX
wish we could hall go I" ^ ' ^ ^^^v
"We may soon Hetty. What would William say, Hetty
if he heard you wishinrr to go back tn Fn,,i a - .
hurrv ?" oot^^ *k . r .^ J^ngland m such a
JCwas^vrrtrh;::::!-,:!;:: ;.r '^t
pretty motions and plays of Icve, h3C ^ "0^0^
!:::". "^^ 't!^ *» -^ - »^ '-^ ""PP'- W il'
;;^:^5;y::::i:Sit:dr^:^-.-
- .r her own amusom^enn;t:r rir 2^^^^
oppression m her fine face, and » „lnc. „...!..• ".'"'
■» her eye, that indicated that . ^^^Z ZTZl
26
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
I
pastime guided her telescope. It was particularly (^I'r^cted to
the south-western board, and in that quarter was levelled long
and steadily, until the sight of the scudder hoisting her sails
in the bay below drew Hetty's attention, whereupon her excla-
mation caused her mistress to remove her eye from the glass,
and turn and look to the left upon the bay.
" This is a short and hodd visit to Master," said Hetty. "I
didn't like the looks o' that man in the tj^.rpaulin an' storm-
jacket, at hall. Miss Mary. I wonder what brought 'im 'ere !"
" He came on business, and you shonld not be too curious,
Hetty," answered Mary, who, nevertheless, had felt, from the
mysterious mode of the visit, and its effect upon her father,
the keenest curiosity to learn the object of it."
" Well, it is the huglicst-lookirig vessel, too, I hever laid
heyes hon ! Its sails i- a mile too big for hit; and I've no
do^bt it'll tip hover be.jre hit gets where hit's going to.
But here comes the clork. Master Cracklewood ; and his thin
face looks an hinch longer than hever. Something 's the mat-
ter down to the warehouses. Miss Mary, I '11 be bound. He 'd
never stir from his desk to walk up here, with his thin, spider-
legs, hif there wasn't."
'' Hetty^ you are too saucy, girl !"
''Well, MisB Mary, there's reasons;" and here she pureed
her rose-bud lips : " there 's reasons for being saucy, perhaps,
when some folks ia,»amed !"
"Pray, what has Mr. Cracklewood said to stir your ire,
Hetty ?" said her mistress, laughing at her manner.
"He on»i uiv covdpared my fingers to shapely goose quills,
and takinr.; hdd of my h-^nu, wanted to sharpen the nail of
the little finger, and write with it. And then he had the
'dacity to say ray mouth was prettier than a c^ "al hinkstand,
and was filled with the hink o' nectarine or son bather kind
o' preserve. He is an old grizzled bachelor, and must keep
his flirtatings to himself."
laid
THE JRIOATE IN THR OrriNO.
The personage thus compliracntorily alluded to by the spoiled
t.co hat ,n hand, w.th a low bow to Miss Fielding, ul wl
a tall, spare man, w th fierv red hmV ^.« u- i
-.With <A:it s.ts"::dX rirtatzt
::ra;tin::^-iS^^^^^^^^
n,ia,.f^. ^ , ^ stocKmgs, of dark mixed ffrav hiffh-
Iw ''^ '""""■ "" *■"' "='''^'' °' '-■«'«'-•■■ of Fielding
FilTZ whTV". '''""'' ''" ^'""owc^^/' accosted Mis.,
r.eld.ng, w.th that cou^sy whieh novo, forsakes right-minded
portant eentelligiuce to n.ake known to hi " "'■
iwn m the du-cct.on of the descent to the beach Km.
pouted, and looking after him, said, '
a .-.".""l-'"' ir"^ ■ ''" P''""""^^ »»* *» ««o me when you
"0 by, J ,ss Mary; bat whenever I am halone, he'raL a^
Tf X. /"^*^ "^"1 • 1* i should dare to te 1 Wil "
llerft the siid'lnn K :-- "
- ne pucaea buuimiig or a cannon from the sea startled
IT
I1i
28
I!
i
I
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
maid and mistress; and, looking in the direction of the sound,
they saw a wreath of smoke rolling swiftly along the surface
of the water, to leeward of the xrigatc, looking like a cloud
fallen fi-om the skies on the bosom of the blue ocean.
At this moment the head of Mr. Fielding appeared, as he
climbed over the edge of the bluff, closely followed by Pedro.
"My glass, bring the glass, Mary!" he shouted to his
daughter as soon as he regained his feet
She instantly obeyed him, hastening from the house to carry
it to him, notwithstanding the ejaculations of Hetty, that if
they went one step nearer the sea they would "hall be killed,
and ^/im who'll see Lonnon?" •
Mr. Fielding no sooner placed the glass to his eye, than he
said,
" She has fired to bring that schooner to, to leeward ; and
there is a flash ! that is another gun for the same purpose ; for
I kn distinctly see the spout of the water as the shot struck
it astern of the schooner. She is a large frigate, and carries
heavy metal, by the way her guns speak. The schooner must
be a Yankee I"
" Or perhaps one o' our own craft, sir," observed the Man-
ager, who was peering over Mr. Fielding's shoulder with his
eye run along the hjirrel of the telescope, as if he could thereby
bo assisted in seeing. " It was to report to ye, sir, the fact
that I had discoovcred the fragatc out in the offing from the
turret o' the warehoosc that I hastened hither to tell ye, sus-
picioning ye had na' seen it, an' fearin' it might be a deen-
gerous neighbour, and shoul be wcel looked to. Ken ye its
flag, sir?"
V No, but I '11 wager she is John Bull."
" Thin it's expeedient, sir, we get the people together to got
the wares and goods up the river farther, oot o' the reach o' their
booats, whilk'll bo speerin aboot seekin' what they may
devoor."
"Th
hour to
to take
five me
and the
"Iti
one hu]
and pip
the faru
and cos
'Petrel'
India fti
and ther
barque ^
vera cosi
war-ship
"Ikn
is quite
decide vi
you. T :
yet the si
and (*ven
" W^ar,
niay be a i
check th.i
louder th
"The?
the friga(
l>er coloiu
wise to u
for it. H
head yard
The see
bluiF. Ti]
THE FRIOATE IN THE OPFIXO.
"TI'ero'llbeplentj«me,iMastorCr«l<lc„ood;ifsnowan
to take care of our goods. I'ou know we have, all told, forty-
iv ».en ou employ i„ field and warehouse, boat and wharf
au these can take all to a .afe pl„.„ in four hours, or by dS"
It may be mr; but ye have noo, at the least ealculatiou
one hunder- thousand dollars o' wealth in packages and b„^
ad p,pe, and .f ye lose the,e ye 'll be a poor man, sir, aibl ns
he farm and mansion hoos. There 's the vessel load o' silk,
itreTt- .'', ""'"' ""'^ "'"'="™''' ««-' fr- 'ho
I If r^; u 'T " "'" ''"'f ''™«'" "f'V'^o' «"<! West
Ind>afru,s brought by the schooner 'Jeannette' last week
wque ' Wdham- before wc heard of this war, all these arc
^era costly, and are not in a safe place so near the sea, with a
war-ship on the coost. Then there is ''
is ll!"""/" ""''' r.'' *'"''" ^'''■'"^' »<■ »' "'y '■"«'-'
lele „ f •" r """■■•, «'f«'y <« y«"%yo« must let me
de which ,s best and follow my directions, a. becomes
yo. I have seen this fngate in »■.» offing,this last hour, and
jet the sight of her has not frightened me, as I see it has you,
and even Mary looks p.dc." ^ '
" "'»'■. -1«^>- father, is so terrible. The prospect that thcro
n ay be a battle between the two vessels is enough to pale a stouter
eek than mme. There is a third gun fired, and it seems
loiulcr than the others."
''The schooner is an armed vessel-and, see! nhe return.
I'e ft gate s fire ! That h bold, to say the least I 8he has
hor colours set too, but I can't make them out-they fly edce-
^.se to us. The sehooner now squares her yards and rl
to t. How she spreads her canvass I The frigate swings her
head yards and pursues; and hark I how she thunders I"
^ IJ.0 scene was now deeply excitinc to the Bi^a.inr. n« '.,
t'luii The schooner, which h
* Pi
a
been fired at to heave
to.
no
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
was full a league beyond the frigate when the first gun was
discharged from her, and had been edging up towards her as
if to make her out; which temerity was rewarded, as we have
seen, by a shot. The second and third shots led to a change
in tho movements of the schooner; and wearing so as to bring
a bow gun to bear on the frigate, she fired a parting salute,
and, as if satisfied of the quality of the huge stranger, steered
square off before the wind and went southward at a fleet speed.
The frigate followed for about four miles, when, finding that
the schooner steadily increased her distance, she gave up the
chase and came to again.
" That is because she finds herself too crippled to overtake
the fellow," said Mr. Fielding, who with the rest had watched
the chase with deep interest. " If she had her top-gj^llant
masts up again, I 'd answer for her she 'd have the runaway
schooner in her hands before midnight."
" I would like to ascertain vera particularly," said David
Craeklewood, "what flags these vessels sail under. These
are peerilous teems, sir !"
" There are tw« of out bay fishing boats outside; and one
of them is running close past the frigate's bow ; and they will
be able to tell us something of her, when they come in," said
i^Ir. Fielding, who stili held tt)« glass.
" There goes a craft creeping out down the shore o' the bay,
sir I If ye pleeze, shoot yer glass that awa' and see if ye ken
wha it may be !"
" That — that is a small Eastport trader, just been in here
to make a bargain about my wares, David."
" I did na' see the mon."
" No. He came to anchor in the bay below there, and
came straight to the house."
"It's vera odd; they should na do their becsness that
ftwa', but coom up to the warehouse, and not make yer hoos
tt countinff-room. Hir. lint y^^* «"!<> »/^ *^'^ ^,..,e^ t ».^.>nf
THE FRIGATE IN TIIK O-INQ. gj
makin' for the outeide." ° ^'""O" "'"^^ '"d
"I seo it, but can't make out who is in ;, . •. •
too dusky, for the mn you see fail H " S'"''"*
is a «bee, probably Dirk Hard.! ' ^"'PP^^'-g- But it
Bavid::rartL^2-;r>-^^^^^^^^
cious vessels are oot of swht - fn. v ' *^®'^ «"»Pi-
*. .caUh o-,oor:t^ll"X:rr^:^°l:^re't"
;-Jg..h,ye„orearui„ed„onaforerUXt^
Mr. Fielding did not hear or heed these remarks of rt,„
|..c.ous and eautious Seotsmau, for he was at the „I ), T
■"g, with an expression of intense IhI , T"*''-
locoguiso the "cross nf fif n„ , "^ "^h eyes, to
wi,i4 words uar::id his' ^i: i yf7f ^r^'" «•"
discretion cheeked their utteraucT^ fV he Lrri "'
; ere present would sy.pathi. :,-.: U^'Zll Tr!
" t; rastVr"^^' '"^ '"" """' "''" *»"" "' «■» -'
" Pleases me ! It ought not, child. The frigate is Buglish
moment that sunset gun was fired,"
'■•Aa JingUsh frig^it!" repeated David with the keenest
4 »U
f
82
NORVEL HASTINGS J OR,
alarm. "That bodes us na good! Wud no I better be
Btirrin' up the people to move the goods up the creek?"
" There can be no danger to-night. The frigate would not
come in the bay without a pilot j and she would hardly send
her boats in the night for what she could take by day."
David looked at the calm face of his employer with surprise
and perplexity. He beheld in him a ruined man, in his own
imagination, and he wondered at his quiet confidence in safety
with so much at stake, and a dangerous enemy so near. It did
not harmonize with his master's ordinarily sagacious and safe
mode of doing business, and he began to suspect that the
presence of the terrible war-ship had turned his head, and that
he had gone daft.
" It maun be, it maun be," he soliloquized. " The fear o'
losing all has made him clean daft. He smiled, I kenned,
whan he made oot the flag to be English, but I 'm jalousing
it was a uncannie smile — ^no a natural-like ane. He 's daft,
and it becooms me to tak the safety o' things in me own hands;
and I will do it without further woord of Maister Fielding
aboon the matter." .
With this resoluion, after having cast a gloaming and fear-
ful eye towards the dark-looking war-ship that lay about four
miles off, he said ho would " gang back to the warehoose, for
in his hurry to come away he had left the doors unfastened."
Mr. Fielding, who was a man of the closest observation and
keenest sagacity, otherwise he wpuld not have been the opu-
lent proprietor and merchant he was, seemed clearly to
read his factor's thoughts, for David's face was expressive
of the workings of his mind, and following him, he put bis
arm in his and walked by his side, leaving his daughter, her
maid and Pedro, upon the cliff, the former intently watching
the receding form of the schooner, interested in it becauso
nhe now knew it was American. Pedro, meanwhile, essayed
to engage the pert cockney girl in sentimental conversation,
but with various results.
"Da
have Ic
the hali
"Na,
wood, d
face; "
joostly (
the payi
"You
too low
years ag<
Sir Char]
under th(
wards, an
Mr. Char
—a mere]
"And
"ASci
catiite — in
Jiiy father
title: but
were my a
I resolved
pi'oud brol
iJiy father's
a lueuiul, a
HC6S. liut
it a noble d
^;i\v at a g]
solved to be
tlic land ai
ein])tying ir
place to ladt
'ii'cd not t(
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFEINQ. 33
the half ff 1;;:,^^"' "^^^^^^ '» -• ^ »- ^o- fuU
wnl'/'n ^°"^ ^'t"' ^'''''^'"«' "'^'" ^^''^•od Mr. Crackle
j-iy ci.„ „. ,, isW^:; rJ\i::;: rri::
llie payiu' quarterly." ' missed
"You aro too conscientious, worthy David -have auila
too low an opinion of yonr use to me When, twenty four
yours ago, I fe„ heir to this estate, by the death 'of "; t:!^^^^
i.. Charles, who was foolish enough, because he had liv"e
uudor the crown before the revolution, to remain h Je aft^r
™H and so saerifiee h=3 country and'title, to be called ^u"
.«.. Char es F.eldmg; when he willed '..is to mc, X was po»
-a merchant's clerk iu London." " '^
"And yet an Earl's son !"
"A Scotch Earl's, David-with a castle-in the air and an
c«We-.n the moon, where all poor men's homesteads lie B„°
w": my" creT VZZ'Tci T " T'" '"^ ""^
1. 1 1 X , ' ' ^^^ Charles made me his heir
Houd b.other, Eaa James-who, forsooth, because he bore
y a ther's tjtle, and inherited his estates, lUed upon m ^
."cna , and once insulted me beyond a brother's forgive
oble domain but rude and wild, and without tenants I
M V at a glance its capabilities for enriching me ; and I re
»Ivcd to become both fanner and merehant-^to p ough both
tto and and the sea for gold. The inlet, with the creek
zr?;'" ':• \r "^^ ■""^° "» --"ont Zdn;
piacc tG lade and un''»'^'» •"•- ^' .-^ .. . o
,„.,] , , vaigvrs suurcjij, ir i Wished : for r
--a not to unfold to all men's o,e. the ways by which I
lii
i I'
f
u
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
I
intended to grow rich. The annual visits of the caravans of
sleds of the Canadian habitans of the St. Lawrence in winter,
' to this and the neighbouring bays for fish to sell in Quebec
during lent, suggested the idea of my profitable Canadian
trade j by loading their return sleds half with frozen fish, and
the other half with bales of foreign goods stored beneath.
These, received by my agent in Quebec free from the heavy
duties paid on such as entered the St. Lawrence by ship, have
been the basis of my wealth."
"Ye ha' deserved it, sir !"
" Perhaps I have, David. I owe much to you, however.
When I sent for you to come from Scotland to me, I knew
well your qualities, and I was not deceived. You have not
only carried out my plans, but enlarged and extended them
for my benefit. It was at your suggestion I built my own
vessels and sent them to the West Indies and the Spanish
Main, to England and to France. But times are changing
about us, David !"
" I see it weel, sir V sighed the Manager. " This is a sad
war wi* EIn gland V
" You are very American, I think, David ?"
"Very nearly a born ane, sir. I love the country nixt
to Scotland. For England, na' true Scot can hold her in eesti-
mation. "
" As I said, David, the times arc changed. This war may
continue years. Our commerce must cease on the sea; and
our winter exports by the sleds, this coming winter, into
Canada, will be stopped by tlv^ war."
"True enough; I did na' think o' that, sir. It is vera
solemn times, uncannie times, sir."
" So I think, David. Therefore, I shall take the first oppor-
tunity to turn my bales into money, and leave for "
" For the ceetv o' Boston-, and live there like a nrince, sir?"
"Well, perhaps, perhaps," answered the merchant, eva-
sively.
David.'
"Nc
"So]
you saj
domain
value.
The^
his sudc
key to h
soul, am
"You
"Na,
sir!"
"Ian
opportun,
services.
is time in
war you c
at an end
Thoy h
Fielding ;
room, the
Josk with
the contrai
"It's re
I'iirdly supj
"That!
" The es
'Wilts' house
"All! ]
" Weel,
-^5^1 r, ;
Ht'lf for joy,
ivans of
I winter,
Quebec
Danadian
fish, and
beneath,
le heavy
hip, have
however.
, I knew
have not
led them
my own
Spanish
changing
s is a sad
ntry nixt
r in eesti-
war may
sea; and
[iter, into
[t is vera
rst oppor-
»
nee, sirr
lant, eva-
ME rsiaAiE M TM omNa. ' 35
^^^ei,._«BuashaUgo.„ewWe. N„„ ,ou We .one,
valuo. For tef thousand;! "t':, T, "" "^''"'^ '*«
The Scot's eyes sparkled hIi T. ' ^ '^'^'^ '""<> '■"
by to his ambitiou had been touched An t u '''• ^""^
-ul and seemed pleased at its ^ett Jf ' '""'<""« -<> i"-
You hesitate, David I"
"^'a, na! But there'll K« «„ ^ ,
r " "^ "'"'^^'J oyo" ganging away,
sir!"
"I am rich enough. I am now willing ,„ •
opportunity I have so long eniovedlr;^ , ^'™ ^^ ""«
services. I must go, and my land r, T" ' ^"" '^''^''^^
is time my daughti'was ^^/ Z so^tr^lr '.h '
m , , ^'"' agf<=o '0 purchase ?" '^
ilicy had now reached the door of tl,„
KcMing led him into the hall and th J "t ""'' *^'-
room, the door of which ho Ltd "S°V"'" ''" ''"™*''
<losk with me, David, and „c wU t ol ^ ^""""'^ "' ■">'
tl.c contract of sale !" " ^''™ "? "'«' ^ign
"It's robbing you, MaisterFieldinff"«ni.IT. -i ,
l'-''Iy oppress his nervous ea „ f,' « "f ' ''"' "'"''''
"Tl'at is ,ny own issue, nofy^rs- -^""""" "'""^bcry."
"..'""IrerrUll r"' "' ''"'"'"'--' »'' -'-rf, and ten-
JZ, X i;;Twtrir/:rL';r- ''rr
—gu. xviin aimuuuce, while ho Pm,M i" 31 ^
«'lf for joy. ' "^ ^°"^^ ^^^^Jy contain him-
36
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
"i .1
The necessary papers had already been drawn up in antici-
pation of this business arrangement by Mr. Fielding, who, as
the story will develope, had been conceiving certain plans of
his own since the war was declared. They were duly signed
in duplicates by both parties, and bills on Boston, where Mr.
Cracklewood's funds were at interest, to the amount of the
purchase-money, were placed by the happy purchaser in the
hands of Mr. Fielding. It is questionable, whether a bargain
was ever concluded on such mutually satisfactory terms as
this one.
<' And now, my good Maister Fielding, what '11 be done wi'
the bales o' your property in the warehoose ?"
" I '11 have them removed in good time. Leave that to me.
Let us now have some wine togetlier to seal our trade !"
, " Wi' the greatest pleasure, sir ! Do I buy all the foorniture
o' the mansion ?" asked David, as his eye glanced at the gilt-
tering plate upon the side-board, and then around upon the
rich tables, carpets, and hangings.
"All but the family plate, Master Cracklewood. Here is
Burgundy and here Port. Let me fill your glass ! But I will
first call for lights."
Leaving Mr. Fielding to accomplish the oblivious inebriation
of the Scot, a task to which he deliberately devoted himself,
we return to Mary Fielding.
It wil
when M]
conversa
in the pr
JMary
par'iure o
which wa
ing cveni
its surfac
orange an
the frigat(
in the sou
Jjird nesti
were in th
if desirous
>scudder ha
^as hidden
had drawn
stealing, as
sliorc in th^
"Itberr
^ho, seeing
'hniight he '
4
MK-'
THE FRIGATE IN THE Oi'nm.
37
CHAPTER IV.
convention "S^^^^^^^ 7™ ""^ ««ff' »» hold the
pa'^:rofS^^^^^^^^^^^^ »f- «.o ae.
wa liiddon bv them • I,„t «!,„ r... i , ^ "° ''"y *'"i
''»<! drawn the atrn'tion.f ^''^ "> "''i"'' the Manager
«1.«.- tn'r ^"'f ''="'/P% «"«, along the windings of the
"■o.o in the direction of the outlet of the bay. ■
who, LdnThtr" ""7' '""" ^"'y-" '"'-"''' P-xi-.
-"gBt.,ewo,,,p,„™bi„,eif.oiai,:;?trtr;iH;'':i:;
f
8$
NORVEL HASTINGS; OK,
Missee, if you see de sky in "West Indee I It all as pretty as
de back of dolphin — ten fousand color an' more ! Ah, Missee
, Heety, T vish you see Habana I"
" Havanna ?" repeated the pretty English lass , with an une-
quivocal expression of contempt. " If you 'ad seen Lon'nun,
Master Pedro, you'd never think o' talkin' of hcny bother
place boa this hearth ! Vhy there's the Park a hundred mile
round, band the Surrey Gardens, hand Boxhall, hand the me-
nagery, band the tower, hand the Cold Streamers, hand the,
hand the circuses, hand the King, hand the Queen, hand the
New River, hand Christmas olidays, band Guy Forks, band St.
Polls, band Newgate, band the two giants, ban' "
Hers Hetty stopped to take breath, and seeing tl.-.L poor
Pedro looked bewildered, she added, in a tone of pity,
" You talk of Havanna ! But I won't shame you ! 0, I
Uare say you haven't got bany thing to say of it, now !"
" Si, Missee Heety ! Me know Londres one grand, superbo
citee ! But Habana me home ! Me love me home, me warm
sky, me green trees, me pretty sing bird, me sweet fruit !
Ebery body lovee he home !"
"That's true. Master Pedro! I don't like you hany less
for loving your 'ome ! Hit shows your 'cart 's in the right
place !"
" My heart den is buried in your heart, Missee Heety ! All,
me lovee you berry too mUsh and great deal more ! I fall in
love wid you pretty eye — ^j'ou look so haandsome me nebber
help lovee you all me life !" Here Pedro with great gallantry
placed his small brown band on his heart, and cast his dark,
glittering eyes down meekly to the ground ; for be bad been
long nourishing this daring passion for the bewitching maid,
and bad only this hour found courage to confess his passion.
Hetty looked at her swarthy lover with amazement, and not
without a spice of fear, as he warmly poured out his passionatt?
and broken words of devotion. But as he presumed on her
siicncc
of la,u^
Hafricj
upon y
civil, r
descenc
hall th
meant,
because
these W(
pretty i
from he;
stood pe
she pou]
this act,
almost n
veiled la;
forget-mc
but rema
"Pedr
The wo
She felt t
grew pale
of one of
l^ut Ilettj
as beauty,
degraded 1
every worn
a shive, J
highest am
The Cre
across his €
ther look, j
poor
0,1
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPPTno 39
civil, .aster Pod.^ B,LTa^ ,; !,?r«st ^ f f ' ^'^
descend to be your wife ' If r M 1 '"'' ^ ^""^^
tall them bu/ehes 7 Jse and fortr"' " ' '" """' "'^'
meant, IM .tamped on ' L b„for?T """T'^ ^™ ^^'" »"
becausel'mMissMarlrid I ,*T '" ' ^™ ""'"■'
tl-e words, which ZT^;!i:\'l^''' "^ ^^ '" ^''^
pretty mouth from which 2Tf n ^ ''"''"™<"»^o 'itt the
fiom her hair, andfl™' u 1^/ "' 1 ^"^ " ''"'•^'' «™-
stood perfect]; quiet and ilTJ "K' ^'^ ^'"^"'' »'"'
she po'ured t/esT L^i ' .^ TnTu'' " " ^"'*"^' '"'"«
this act, than Lis eyes whwlTt "'"''' "" ™''°" «"''
almost murderous I Zr^, '" ^""'^""g "^^* »»<1
veiled lashes and ,7' *"''''*''''<' »"='°<"-« beneath their half.
for.It-me not' and f"""'^ "'''™' ''^ '""g'" "P '-bo flower, a
^^f::^:ti^^:^'"'' "^ "-^ "^ ^^id in w,
"Pedro will remember thee '"
grew pale, and she was conscious thit «!,„ i,.j ,
or one of whose ill-wiU it Z^, ^ '"'"'° '"'™<""y
But Hetty was wayw! d nd :^lfu T,""-.? '^ ""' *J°°'-
- beauty, felt that the confe! „ 'of IT T "r' '"''
Jogradcd her to his own leve 2 ,1 '^^ ,^'"'^'' ""^ """l
every woman i, f.„l , ' '^ """^ >'•"■ *° 'e"™ 'bat
a slave If . 1 ^ ''O'-Pl'mented by the admiration eyen of
i'"
■^
I
40
NORVEL HASTINGS J OR,
was already getting to bo indistinctly outlined in the advan-
cing twilight.
Mary Fielding had been some paces in advance of the ill-
matched pair, too bucily occupied in observing the movements
of the frigate, on board of which her eyes were attracted by
several lights moving to and fro. These were the battle-lau-
tcrns gleaming through the port-holes, and usually lighted at
sunset : but to her they seemed to precursor some new move-
ment. Ilcr fears had been excited from the moment sl;e
learned tho nation of the tstranger-sh ip ; and, like a true
American girl, she felt apprehensive of mischief to some of
her countrymen on the coast, or, perhaps, to her fatiior.
Hetty now approached her in ill-humour, and in some fear.
" Miss Mary, the presuming fool, Pedro "
"Well, what of Pedro?"
\ " He has dared to fall in love with me, he 'as !"
" Well, that is not anything to be so very angry about.
I should think he would ! Doubtless he has never seen such
rosy cheeks in his land !"
" But they are not for him to cull or wear; and I hup and
told him so ; hand-
>>
a
yVell, that was plain 'enough ! I hope he understood
you ?" said Mary, smiling.
" I 'm afraid of 'im now. Miss Mary ! You should 'ave
seen 'ow he looked hout o' 'is heyes, just for hall the vorld like
the Lonnon tiger, sixpenny a sight, in the Tower I It made
me shudder! I'm afraid of him; and he threatened to re-
member me !"
" You must have given him some encouragement. Pedro
is quiet, and docile, and faithful. You should not have an-
gered him !"
" I never hencouraged him hin the least bit ! It 's hall of
takin' roses from him, and a little red-bird he caught for mc :
and one dav ho sun^
ave
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPPINO.
^,.""°.^°" '■™°""^'=' ""y of fto words of tho song?" a»ked
M.S F,eld,.g witl. an arch smile; "f„, I overheard him
Chan >ng something for you one day that sounded very like a
true love song I" ^
"Oh dear me ! I Lopes not ! But 'ow should poor me tell
wha the dreadful man might say, when I don't know one
won. the furrin gibberish. I remembers some o' tho
words was —
' Yo te amard, yo te amare,
Mia cara, mia cara, criada.' "
On hearing these words repeated witli Hetty's strong cock-
ney accent, Miss Fielding laughed for a moment in the live-
host manner.
"Why, Hetty, you have made poor Pedro believe you aro
enamoured with him V
" Oh, dears mercy !"
" The words of that song are, put into round English—
' I love thee, I love thee,
My sweet pretty maid ;
Thy hand in nay hand,
To the plaintain'n shade.
Together we '11 fly
To the sunny south sky,
And dwell mid the flowers,
Of dark orange bowers,
Where —
-' })
" Oh, Miss Mary ! oh, mistress I you have frightened me to
death I" cried Hetty, interrupting her with a shriek. "'Ow
did I know ? 'Ow did I know vat vas in the 'orrid song?"
" It IS dangerous to ask a foreigner te sing to us a song iu
his own tongue unless we comprehend it, Hetty," said Miss
""" smui
^
ip^ff
Jiumg,
iiug.
4*
m i I
42
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
M
[I I
ilil
11
I
" What shall I do ? And I hasked him to sing it hover
more than four times one day ! hand hall this while he vos
ha-making love to me, hand I vas hinnocent has the babe
hunborn ! Do, Miss Mary, tell him 'ow it vos !"
"I'll make it all up, Hetty. Don't be terrified !"
"But somebody, it vos Dirk Harder, said he'd just has
leves kill hanybody has heat a happle if he vos mad against
'em !"
" Do not fear, Hetty. Pedro is not so bad, I dare say, as
they would have you think he is. Do you see that boat ?"
" What one. Miss Mary ! I can't sec any for tears in my
eyes. Now I see it !"
" Isn't it running seaward, or is it coming in ?"
" It is steering from the Beacon 'cad straight for the frigate,
as veil as I can see !"
, " So I thought ! Did not father s&y that he saw Dirk Har-
der in the boat going down the bay shore ?"
"Yes!"
" And that is Dirk Harder's boat now got outside, and is
running for the frigate, I am convinced, while all other craft
are flying from her. There is mischief in this errand that
way; Hetty!"
"Mistress?"
" I have a message that will please you ! Forget all about
Pedro, and think and act for me ! Go to the rock cottage and
send William to me ! If he has not yet come in from fishing,
tell his mother to bid him hasten to me as soon as he comes
home I"
" I don't thi.nk he is 'ome, because "
" — Because ho would have been by your side, hey !"
" Ho did promise to see me this evening. Miss Mary," she
answered demurely.
"Then don't speak to him of cither '^f your lovers, David
or Pedro I"
THE PRIOATE IN THE OPPINa. 43
"Now you make merry bon me, Miss Marv B,,, t m
10 the eottege and soon be back- for i,\, u " «"
shortly for me to fed my way f llj!'.-" "" "^ '»» "-"
"AndifWiUiam is not there vouwnlh,
Hetty," said her beautiful m.^tress r 1 "^" °°' """""'
the direetion of the uott,«T ',,;'"'"* "PP"'''''''"'
already deseribed in be Snjfl'r"'""' " ^'^ ""^^^
rather bung mid-way the dW " , ■ '^' "'' ""■"'"''' "'•
from the verge abo™ or froll'h "^ ^ "' ""'^'^ ''"'-
Its distance L„ vll! was abouTr * ^f' ''^"""■•
ti.o top of the bluff, which ben rL:::::!! T ''r-
Jwdling, so as to place it in full v!w „f M °"'''"'"K "'«
opposite to it. "" "^ ""= ^'"^' ""d nearly
lletty moved along the cliff.path with the sten of , I
auJ soon reached the .tairdike%oeks thaUe e^ed toT'
::":r«frieeb^ "'-'r' -^ ^'- '■-''-«
tl.c beacon's ruins ft™ h! '^'''""'/"e'""' J™' '" be seen over
>lown the wen now: teps H; M -T T """' """""'"^
tbe door of the cot T "■"' "''° ""^ '•«»«l'ed
little c cfney nto a Ir-r'' ""^ " "«'" P^'' '«' "«-•
uLMjty into a neat sitting-room with wliJf^ i •
f""gcd, a dresser of shining crockerv anil , "'?.""'"'"'
111 such a dwellinir Th„ fl ''° "^P^'ed
souring, and the sniri, if T ""' "' "■■"" ^ "»<"' "'"'
Tlie winiows lookeT o ""^ "? """^ '"omefulness reigned.
W.UUOWS lookea down upon the calm bav .„A ;., „?. .<.
were
A I
t'f which welcom(Hl
iictiy with a merry burst
pair of Canary birdw, ono
of
song.
44
NORVEL HASTINGS J OR,
ij'i
!pl|
i
li t !■'
"It is Hetty, I knew, for Frank always sings for you and
liliss Mary, but your step is quicker than herS; and 1 was sure
it must be you, child. How do you do, and Miss Mary?"
These words, in a pleasant yoice, were spoken by some one
in an inner room, who now made her appearance, as neat and
lady-like in person as the inside of her cottage promised.
« We are hall well, Mrs. Gardner, but 'alf frightened to
death hat the frigate-o'-war and the 'orrid firin'. But master
scs it's ha Henglish ship, hand so you sees we needn't fear
nothin'. Hif hit 'ad been one hof the orful Yankees, I should
ha died with fright j forthey do say the 'Mericans heats their
prisoners ! Vot 'orrid wretches !"
"I am sorry, Hetty, you dislike us so ! But if the ship is
English, we arc in more danger than if she were American.
Oni of our country vessels would protect rather than harm
us. I heard the firing, and sent Pipa over the hill to see what
it was."
" Where is— is— I mean to say. Miss Mary wants to see
Villiam particularly, Mrs. Gardner." And Hetty smoothed
down her silk apron, and looked as if she, herself, did not
want to see William at all ; as if William was the most indif-
ferent person to her in the world. Mrs. Gardner smiled
quietly, for she knew that William and Hetty liked one ano-
the/, for the former had made his mother confidant of bis
attachment to the pretty English girlj and although Mrs,
Gardner did not oppose it, she advised her son to wait and not
bo too hasty, for he might seo other lassies in the world lie
would love better than ho did Hetty; but William's passion
was too profound and fixed to ' o swayed, and so she yielded
her discretion to his happiness. . As for Hetty, she was a great
favourite at all times with Mrs. Gardner, who liked her for her
mirthfulness, good-nature (always saving Pedro not dcclarini:
lovo to her), and her hundred little ways to please and mah
herself useful, and so lighten hor own labours.
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFFING. 4",
Mrs. Gardner was a widow of one of that class of hardy
men on the coast of Maine, who farm in winter and take to
the sea in summer. He was an honest, brave, Industrious
man, owned his own sloop, witn which he used to ran between
tne adjacent towns to Boston, taking as freight lumber, corn
and apples, and returning with goods. His son William a
bold, skilful sailor, was his second in command ere he was 'in
his eighteenth year; and there was another and elder one (an
adopted son, who is yet to come upon the stage), who, c-aincd
to the sea, had at twenty commanded a trading schooner in the
.■service of Mr. Fielding.
Three years before the time of our story, Captain Gardner
had been shipwrecked in sight of the beacon ; and, althougli
Wilham made almost superhuman efforts to save his fiither
yet he was unsuccessful, and only saved himself by the daring
and skill of his adopted brother, Norvel Hastings, who had
seen the wreck from the land, and perilled his life to rescue
those on board.
Since the death of his ftither, William had not left his
widowed mother save for a day or two at the time to go off
fishing, or to run to Wiscasset or Bath in the Kennebec with
and for small freights, in a little two-masted xebec which
lie by Norvcl's aid, with their united earnings, had pur-
chased. •
"William has not yet come in, Hetty. He went out this
morning after mackerel, and I saw his vessel at noon full eight
miles to the south. I dare say hv3 has lingered to see the ship-
(»f-war pass !"
"Boars mo, Mrs. Gardner, it didn't pass, b- i stops stock
still hout on the hocean, not more than four miles hoff from
the Cliff 'Ead ! I hope they wouldn't take him prisoner, oh.
if they should 1" '
Mrs. Gardner's cheek imlnd ni th\a ♦lin««T,* . i.,.i u j
sense returned to her comfort, and she replie.l, calmly,
m
fill
40
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
'1 ' j '
I
" Ships o'" war would hardly trouble themselves about a
fishing-boat, Hetty 1"
" But I heard master say the war was brought hon because
the Hcnglish King would 'avc sailors hout of JIamerican ves-
sels, hand the Ilamericans 'ave made this war bout it. Per-
haps the frigate might s^-^p Villiam and make him a sailor-
aud then, and then, oh " - ■
« Don't be distressed, dear child ! Heaven will protect him.
William is prudent, and would not go into danger. Let us go
up the cliff and try and see if be is in sight 1"
" Here's Pipa 1 Oh, Pipa ! good Pipa I did you see Mister
ViUiam's xebec ?" exclaimed Hetty, with the rapid questioning
her fears gave impulse to.
"Did you go to the Beacon, Pipa?" asked Mrs. Gardner,
more composedly.
The third person they thus addressed was a small, under-
grown negro lad, with a monstrously large head, a slender
neck, narrow shoulders, long, apish arms and hands, knoclc-
kneed lower limbs, and feet like an ourang outang's for length
and flatness. He was dressed in a boyish suit of bright red
flannel, for nothing else would he wear, but would tear in
pieces nny other colour with which his young master, Norvcl,
invested him. He was bare-headed and bare-footed, wore huge
circles of gold in his ears, and on each of his wrists were two
silver bracelets. His spine was slightly curved, which lowered
his height, and gave him a stoop forward. His head was the
most remarkable part of the little monster, as it ought to have
been. Twice too large for his body, it was a giant's in appear-
Rnce. The top was bald and glistening, but about the ears
the hair was long, and bushy, and coarse as wire. His earn
were diminutive and hairy, his brow high and smooth and
intellectual, but his eyebrows were arched and thick, and were
the base of a Jewish Roman nose largo and strong, and hi;'
eyes were oriental, Chinese more than African. His laouiu
■ i^'i^'-^^ii^i^^M^^'S^i^&^iMM.-ir-i.:
THE mraATE in the omso. 4-
wa. large and hideous, and soo,ued to be made like a brnteJ
Saer-"'^ tba. for U,.„«. Tbe co W^l^
qs.nd.ng before be. eroded bisbtnd on bir:;:^Lt::
"Pipa grad tlico prottle Ilcttle ! Prettle ITnffl. i • i
of l.i.«, though she know bifn to be „! 1 ; , ??'^\'
po.™,„ing with all kindne. and aff^ 'n lo 'cM
longed love m spite of his almost terrific deformkv 1 ?
»ul ,vill speak and declare its beauty even if it?" ■"
;-^ iu a brute, form; and tbr'^'enTl ef/ LdT:?:;"
J''l>a s mner spirit shone through his cell of 9o2 7< .
-■■ittcd from the most pestilent fens "''"' "^ ''«'" '^
"Ididn'tbringanyroscsforvouto-dav Pim u
J"st come from tho cliff?" ^' *^' ""^ J'""
••%. I'ipa'lieobiggathip— firobiifffair,,,,! Ti,- 1
'- bigga gun at little tbip Jittle tb^^/" ' ^'"'' """'"''
'•«ia;:uro:kt"viSnt;i!>"-'"'-«"^-
^-ttij^dtsr-^t::-"'""^^""''^--^"
"Sm '™,,^,"'""''^ •"""' ^'P>^" "»'■«'' Hetty,
■n tl ; '"' "^^ ^'^ '""'"^ -- f""" 1--C. Ho
:r-:^« ""''-."' ^'««V«---iP^ 1.0 den thin
way to it., dea he tl:
<'»«fer for to coraeo in de B
"toppeo J ,ifii ho put up him hen
1 <1« Tl..„ >;
leetl
o
uy
n, an'
mil
48
NORVEL HASTINGS; OB,
"Then ho will be hero soon. Stay to tea. Hetty and you
will be sure to see him. Pipa, make the fire for Master Wil-
liam's supper."
The dwarf, with his characteristic docility, went out, and
brought in a few pieces of kindling-wood, and laid them, with
great care, acrosB each other upon the hearth, struck a light
with a tinder-box apparatus, and proceeded to blow up the fire.
"I can't stay, Mrs. Gardner, indeed I can't. Miss Mary
is halone hon the cliff, and it is getting so late that I am
hafraid hif tliat wicked l^edro should meet me ; for, because
I won't let him fall in love with me, he shakes 'is 'ead, hand
mutters things ha gainst me !"
" Pedro won't harm you, Hetty."
" Pipa killec brackee Pedro— ^illee dead. He burtee
prettle Hettlel'^ exclaimed the dwarf, rising to his feet.
" Pipa lovee Hettlo much deal I"
''There's hanother!" cried out the pretty maid, in a tone
of absolute affright and loss of patience. " Hif Pipa goes to
fall in love with me, I'll take laudanum, hand die hat once.
Oh, you monster — you ugly, black bear !"
"Pipa thorry Hettle make angry. Goodeo Hettle, poor
Pipa I Pipa kissee you shoe !"
" Oh, Mrs. Gardner, keep him from me I"
" Hetty, you are foolish. Pipa is as harmles'? as a kitten.
He did not mean he loved you as Pedro does ; only he ex-
pressed, in his poor and few words, his devotion to you. He
would not cru.ih a spider. He seems to love, and cherisli,
and bo delighted with everything that has life. The very
sheep come up and lick his hand, and the cow will let him
hang about her neck, and rub her head against his. If bo
rpens the cage and whistles, the canaries will fly out and light
on his shoulders, and sing in his ear their prettiest songs. He
can't talk our langungo well, and uses but few words; but
Norvcl, who knows his native tongue, t
Spanish, say!
...v^.-fc,
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPPING. 49
spcalvs^ in that beautifully and fluently, and all he says i,s
rich with noble and excellent thoughts.
^' I know he is good; but I can't himagino what Master
Norvcl, such a 'andsome young gentleman lias 'c is too, if he
is^a poor coaster, could 'aye brought him from the Hinjees
"Grat'.ude and humanify were the motives, Hetty When
four years ago Norvel was in Cuba with his vessel, getting
Ireight to bring home, he was on shore and saw this poor Pipa
(wlio had now gone out for more wood) in the hands of the
people, who. were about to burn him at a stake for a wizard
Norvel learning that he had done no harm, and having three
of his sailors with him, he rescued him and took him on board
his vessel."
"Mister Norvel is so brave always."
'^JJrave and just. Now see the reward of his humanity
The dwarf informed him that, as he lay hid in a cave whcro
ho mostly dwelt, three days before, he had overheard some
buccaneers forming a plan to take and rob his richly laden
vessel, and that very night was set for it; and that "he had
boon seized by the populace on his way to convey intelligence
of it to Norvel"
" Then he *ad seen Mister Norvel before ?"
^ " x\o. His own goodness led him to wish to save the vessel.
So the people seeing him abroad raised a hue and cry, and
would have burned him if Norvel had not rescued him; and
sure enough, that very niglit, the robbers came off in three
boats ^to plunder Wva, but, taking advantage of the informa-
tion ]^ipa gave him, he set sail soon as it was dark; but with
biH glass, as 1- lay-to three miles off, he could see into the
nort and d.scovor the long black boats full of buccaneers row-
ing about as if in perplexity. Norvel brought Pipa home and
has never rp"^^'"^^'^ri {*■ Ti'A i i-_ .•_ ,^ « .
.1.1 !rf_..i,,.,j 1^.. Jiiaccu, m; i;s nO USeiUi— •"
Hero the dwarf re-entered, and Hetty rose to go.
r
III
r
50
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
"It is quite dark, Hetty r
" Then I must run the faster ! Tell William to come straight
to Miss Mary soou as he gets in I"
" I will; but he will regret he did not hco you hero himself.
It is late for him to stay."
" When Pipa thee heo Mather Villy heo tree mile off, it
takee niosty half hour moree to getee homee/' said the dwarf.
" De windy fair. Heo come by-bye I"
"Good night, Mrs. Gardner."
" Good night, dear Hetty. I will send him at once."
" When do you expect Master Norvel ?" she asked, linger-
ing a moment in the door.
" He should be here to-morrow or next day, as he has been
absent eight days, and he has sometimes been up to Boston
and back in nine 1 I feel anxious about him, with hostile war-
ships on the sea !"
" You may M-ell, Mrs. Gardner. I know one as is werry
perticular hanxi.js," added the little maid significantly.
Mrs. Gardner softly shook her head: "I understand you,
Hetty ; but there is no need for me to look in that quarter
with an eye of hope for my noble Norvel. We are humble,
William looks no higher than yourself (though you are very
good and suitable for him), how then should the lady Mary
look towards my adopted boy ?"
"Norvel loves her with all his 'eart, Mrs. Gardner, I know
that better than you do, perhaps ?"
" Yes ; the poor man may look upon the sun I but it will
ever be out of his reach. Miss Mary is my kind friend, aud
I love and honour her, and believe she is the best and noblest
of women. But she will mate with her own ! Norvel has
never spoken to me of his daring love, but I have seen it
sparkle in his eye, glow in his clieek, tremble on his lip, when
in her presence ; and I have pitied him, for I knew such high
love would end in disappointment. It is not possible she can
e straight
) himself.
die off, it
he dwarf.
CO.'*
d, linger-
has been
;o Boston
stiie war-
is werry
itly.
Land you,
t quarter
I humble,
are very
idy Mary
:, I know
THE FRIGATE IN THE OrFINU. 51
h^ve been aware of his passion, or she would not visit me as
.he does, so often and so frankly. If she knew it, I shZ
see her resentment expressed in her manner ani abs no
S e was here only this morning, and her visit was so swe *
She earnes sunshme wherever she goes. Poor Norvel !''
Master Nerval need not despair, Mistress. I think Miss
..ry knows he loves her, and is not hangry at it. P^
ovc, hand houghtn't I to know what lovefsf Veil I kZ
y her way« she's in love with Master Norvel, or somZ"
hclse ! And I guess toho it is \" ^
With these words Hetty hurried away, and disappeared
rapidly over the top of the elifF on her way'to rejoin 1 ^^
-ress, upon the saered seerets of whose hear she hJbe n
BO positively passmg her judgment: with what aecuracy ho
reader will know in duo time. '^^uracy, t/io
I
u
Jl
lit it will
iend, aud
d noblest
)rvcl has
\i secu it
lip, when
uch high
e she can
NORVEL HASTINGS; OB,
ClIArTER V.
Perhaps the reader is pretty well assured that this chapter
will briug him into the dark and star-lit inlet with a descrip-
tion of which our story opened, and that he is now about to
follow the adventures of the two mysterious personages in the
boat which was creeping so stealthily up the little river under
the blackness of the darkness of its over-arching branches.
But it is not a part of the arrangement of our story to briug in
the continuation of that scene at present; as we have first to
do with other persons and other scenes, whose adventures,
circumstances, and positions with relation to each other have a
direct bearing upon the movements of the two men in the boat.
We shall, therefore, now take our readers on board a small
vessel which since the sunset has been in sight from the Bea-
con, and which Pipa pronounced to be Master Willy's fishing-
boat. As the dwarf had said, the little lateen rigged craft had
been steadily making for the entrance of the bay, when it
suddenly luflFed d lay perfectly still upon the water. It
then filled away aj^cv.ii, and after running a quarter of a mile
nearer the frigate, came to the wind, and again remained sta-
tionary.
The boat we will now take the reader on board of. You
see that it is a small, but well built little craft, with two masts
u+/>«n »«io-<Tro<i • fnr WiUiaTn frardner had once made a vovage
to the West Indies, and had rigged his fishing vessel after the
fashion
huge leg
mainsail
The colo
has a ha]
in a rain
Twop
well-buili
about hi)
face good'
tarpaulin^
lanyard o
trowsers (
stuck a se
fastened i:
upon the
ring; Avhi
pretty Hei
his wrist ;
weeping o^
taste and
favour with
ner, for su
young skij
perha^.^ bi
and loveab
hopinion of
she showed
was without
I the snaggle-
tory swains
The other
I seventeen, i]
|sockets, and
6*
I'UE raiuATE IN THE omm. 53
Mion of tho luggers ho had seen in the south seas. The
huge log of anuttoa fore-sail is now brailed up, and the j.b and
mainsa.1 only s,t, the former filled abaek to keep her ste Jv
The eolour of the lugger i, blaek outside and red in ice [i
has aWf-doeked fore-cuddie large enough to hold tr^lon:
Two persons only arc on board. One of theso is a stout
well-b„. t young man of twenty, with long light locks bl wiu«
about h,s browned choek. His eye is a clear blue, and h"!
ace good-looking and has pleasing features. He weai a straw
trpauhn pamted red, and listened to his jacket button b^I
anyard of spun-yarn. His jacket is blue checked linen, L!
t owsers duek, and secured by a leathern belt m which s
stuck a scrvaecable knife in a sheath. His checked sh,>t L
™»1 '° ° ^™» "«' - "-W P-cing two hearts/and
upon the httle finger of his left hand is a thick, plain gold
...g; wh, le a bracelet of hair, that looked ezaetly liko^tho
retty Hetty's, was neatly tied with a true love knot aboul
1"3 wnst; on which were devices of a foul anchor, a iml
Hzzrzn -""f d-" T" "' '"""' -""^ " ^"P' ^»- ^^
taste .vnd sk.ll m India mk-a species of tatooing much in
favour w.th ecrtam sea-going folk. Altogether, William Gard-
uer, for such is the person wo are describing, was a dashing
Z! 'tf' T', 'r"' '" ''" ™^' »" -»«-5
Zr M "'"''•'' * '''''^' ^^"f"'' g^erons-hearted
nd loveable young sailor; at least such was the private
opinion of the 'andsomo little cockney maid; and certain J
J.C showed good taste m the selection of her lover; for William
I ws without question worth five hundred of David Cracklewood
to snaggle-toothed old manager, and a ship load of such ama!
t»>7 wains as the glittering-eyed, song-chanting Pedro
LlT, °"'",P<"'«™»g« io the lugger was a slim youngling cf
seventeen, ill nut toffether. »» if i.i. ;»:_. .. , ° k
io«»i. 1 , ' = ' — '" '"" j^'""' wore nea in thpir
«kots, »d suffered to swing ad mUum. He was m7^
f
'I •
'I J!«
m
i'i
i
mii
64
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
feet tall as lie leaned listlessly and in an ungainly attitude
against the fore-mast j and if he had stretched himself to his
full uprightness, he would have stood at least four inches
taller. Across the shoulders he measured a boy's breadth, and
his face was that of a beardless lad, as in fact he was. His
jacket was too short, and is jean trowsers left half his naked
and bony log and ankle visible. He had a hand like Goliath
of Gath, and his feet were encased in old shoes of an enor-
nious number. He was chewing spruce gum.
The bottom of the lugger was filled with mackerel, with a
few cod and halibut mixed with them, in all not less than a
hogshead full ; while cod-lines and various other fishing-lines
hung about, wound on their frames of wood.
" Wal, Master Gardner, I kind o' guess it is Dirk's craft
enny how ! It 's got the fore-sail full o' patches, snd the gaff
is jist a leetle bit shorter nor the mp'o, and that 's what makes
me know it's him."
" It is very odd he should be steering dead for the frigate,
'Siah, when the best thing to do is to give her a wide birth."
"Perhaps he's gc'n' to sell her fish I Them ar' British
officers have a powerful sight o' cash, and don't mind what
they buy or give ! I 'm sort o' thinkin' if we 'd run under
her lee, they 'd give us plaguy site more for our fish thau
they 're worth !"
"I don't want to sell 'em for more than they are wortli,
'Siah ! I am sure that is Harder' s boat ; and there is some-
thing strange in his coming out of the bay and steering for
the frigate. Let us keep away again, and see if he boards
her. It is getting so dark we shall lose sight of his course
here !"
« If there 's any mischief to be done, or enny body to be
harmed by his goin' out to her, you may be sartain he '11 be
quick on the heft to do it. I never seed sich a tarnal ugly
. - - . 1 t ill TV* 1_ Ti? i1 1 ^u_ Anvil
bad critter m nxy ooia aays ag inai x/ilsl. xi wii; vyjiu ^'■"
aint i
surf pnivk;,
fgm
I
THE
FKIOATE IN THE OPPINO.
.-»WS '^::Z'r - --"O^- HeCo.. „,e,o!
^^I't?::' tat-::::: i .tr-ir" s ? ^"'^-"^^^"^ ••
« bad fellow, and never fEl „ ' t'''" ''°''
harmed !.:» ! He took care toWror "^^ • ^ ""*'
; Ho 's a po.,.y ooward, a. enn'l?; "rb:"""'- "" ''"'•"
and swears so orful as he ^oe, T ' i *' " "' "*«'!
;^u.,d arter night to keep CgoL bfrf ""^ "" ^ ■»''"
them nine shipwrecked men was T* ^^ "'"' «'"'=^ 'hero
"He isn-t , ,h afrdd „7 ; n '*" ""^ ""^ B^^"""-"
W so reekle. ,ad d r ' f J '.' "^ ^f '' "^'''''*- ^ ""^^
"I guess there '= one pt^n hj' '" 'f^ "'"'' *» "l-'"
marked 'Siah, coiling up .[711*^1'^ *^'' °" ' ' "•
i"g the coil on a pin! """ '"''^*'<'«' ""d hang.
"Wlioisthat, Josiah?"
" Your brother Norvol t t «t
"P by the nape o' Zneck and'tb "!•' """ '»''« "» "'^
- he struck old Pipafor n^Mu! "" '"'" -- « »'» wall,
"Dirk deserved it. I j^re say he doe,„', vy xr
'""cb. But look sharp throud. iZ 7 . ''''' ^""'^l
up with the frigate!" ® *° gloom-his boat is close
'' ^es, and running nearer I"
He goes as straight to her as i W-^ i iirL
"« is, I hope they will Jl I , ^'"'"" ^^ fc""-
yeu see her now V' ^ ^""' "'"' "'' "^ "^ h™. Can
;;^ot a bit ! He 's run right under her guns !"
ihen ho means to board her Tl,o. •
o»t of that. Let «s stand in ^ / /' ""• «°'"^ ^ """^
Hetty I would see her nitht T \ """"^ ' ^ ?">»•««<•
Kt. Give a pull or two o'th ^*"',*»«'' the tack-more
% through tL wlrme", T'^''"'''- ^'^^' ^»" we
"tone „u tie Beacn r. ^' ^""^ S™"""? ""^ »" Pi'e of
surf .„„,:! """"^ ""'"' '»''«'•» «P against the skv ! .4.. ,".
'"■'""'' ^ ""^ ''^-'•' ^'■<1 '•ow fine it. musfe sound;-'
i
■i i
56
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
and here the expectant lover, from very joy, struck up the
chorus of a familiar song :
*« A sailor's life, a sailor's life,
A sailor's life for me, sirs ;
Without a care, blow foul or fair,
A sailor's life for me, sirs I"
His fine voice mingled pleasantly with the ripple of the wave
and the hoarse roar of the surge a-beach ; and in ten minutes
the fleet lugger passed between the two cliifs that led to the
inner bay, and, rounding the Beacon rock, ran half a mile
along the winding shore of the bay, and came to anchor a hun-
dred yards from the shore directly opposite the cottage, mid-
way the cliff. A light sparkled in its lattice, as if to guide
his bark in the evening shades, and to welcome him.
Leaving him to go on shore and to receive the message left
for him by Hetty, we shall now follow the bark which had
first attracted the notice of Mr. Fielding, stcaliiig out before
night the same way the lugger had just come in, and which
was discovered outside by Gardner, standing boldly for the
British frigate.
The Manager was not mistaken in fancying the xebco was
hugging the shore to escape notice. A few moments before
Mr. Fielding's eye foil on it, it had issued from behind a jut-
ting rock half way between the hanging cottage of Mrs. Gard-
ner and the Beacon Head. This juttiiig rock sheltered a
narrow scoop of deep water, about an acre in extent, whicli
formed a safe anchorage for two small craft, its usual occu-
pants, which were conceded from the villa by the slmuldcr
of the cliff, which also hid all but a corner of the roof of a
miserable hut built close to the water. When the frigate first
appeared in the offing, there were two persons in this hut, and
the two craft were at anchor within stone's-throw. The two
persons wore father and son. The fHrnici, » broad-cbcitcd
BPTii**-,'- ,.-#,.,««
rtss
"IE ™i«ArB « ,„, „„^^^
man, and onco Dowcrf.,1 r i . ^"
cbeeH .taring red „ye«, „iM 'jf f ,". »"">, with hollow
»»J » trembling frame. Hi. S^ ™''''' ^"■'>- i»°'i'
f °1 over the pont-hou^e ^ I if V;" "'"'""P'' «''*
I"' oyc3 glared lii„ ,„.„ „„I^""" 'f; ""f"' ^^adcv of „iil
K-veling Wute, the fcreo dovi] .nd' T " "!""«""« "^ ">"
'"">>, that rendered hin. an ob ect ! I '""'"« ™' '"" ""=
"""' »f diagust. He was ekd ' ""^ P"^' »">' <>f fear
'^....i-. and rag,. , „:,: ^ '; ^^^^^ ^''0 i.ut „„. .,„::'
»* one comfort. ' '' ""^^'I'^blc shed, destitute
One of the two nr-ift ;„ xi
»^ dilapidated arttte" 1?^ t^" '"" ^"' - - "Id
«'■"" *'«' barnacles and «ed tlT'T?"''"'^' "» '"'"»
«. s, .ts eordage dry and ,,eeIod it,' n "^ ""^'^ '''"■™'
«"d .t« upper works eut away t f f /""'"^ ""-^ ""^P"''.
'"■ock, but not by wind „„r Z.7 li ': . "T''' ^' '™« »
"';;'"' "»'l "">, lite her maste,' ^ "'"' ^'"''"''' I'"' '-y
i "ccablo appearanee. It T"', "V"' '"«' " ^'™ng and aer-
I l"™«...H.ed it, a gebaeea-boaVwih ' "V "'" »-'""
" '::»■"« l.igh above the hel.nl^J "' 1 " """""-'"ikd "tern
-'I-, and its ,nain,„il only half th. .f ''™; .'""-""^'"d. »ith u
,;";•." «i.^toen ton,, burden and L ,"" '''"■'^^''"- ^'^as
! I "like Gardner's lu«„e- i'T ""''"'"■'' ««■' «m-ieo
i " ---.;„ It i,!f ; 27, :;r:?" ""^ "'-"y ^-'itute
;•""" 3ail re„,art„bly well ' I eo™^'^; '""^ '"'"'«d as if it
H»ns, though on „ craft of her sz a ^ "'"""""'' ^^ '"»
H« to look afte. lael«a„d 11 ".''"^ "^ '""•eti,
'«-k.^ and sheets, and eook
thn airl^^
'''^'c second person in th
•*♦« J
hut
""'"' '' ^'^"^fi '"«" Of uupre.
58
NORVEL IIASTtNGS; OR,
possessing appearance. He was short, compact, bull-headed,
Vfith. an ox neck, and was one of that class of beings occasion-
ally to be met with, who arc left-handed and are double-jointed,
both signs of immense strength. His hair was red, short, and
grew low on a narrow, square brow, which was more animal
than intellectual. His eyes were light gray, small, and lively
in their motions, but wanting in all other expression, save a
settled one of suspicion and dislike. His complexion was
very fair, his nose small, and turned up viciously, his mouth
narrow and thin-lipped, his chin square and broad, indicating
great resolution and obstinacy of will. He wore a red woollen
shirt open at the collar, displaying his girlish white neck,
and thick pilot-cloth sailors' long trowscrs, of a drab colour.
He -wore no belt, but carried his sheath-knife in his bosom like
a Spaniard.
When the report of the frigate's guns, as she fired at the
American schooner-of-war, reached his ears, he was walking
moodily up and down the earthen floor of the hut, his arms
folded and his eye bent to the earth, and engaged in medita-
tions that were of no pleasing nature, if the fierce contraction
of the eyebrows, the oft-bitten nether lip, and, from time to
time, the deeply enunciated execration, were any indications
by which an opinion could be formed.
" A gun I" he exclaimed, " A cannon ! There must be a
frigate in the offing !" ho added with surprise, as the deep
boom of the discharged piece reverberated above his head
among the cliffs.
" Yes, that 's a gun and no mistake, and a big gun too !" said
the father, his watery eyes brightening for a moment as he
lifted his ear to listen. Where are you going, Dirk ?"
The young man made no reply, but with rapid steps has-
tened from the hut, ran swiftly round the border of the pool,
and, coming to a break in the ntcep cliff, he ascended to a
jutting shelf about ten feet above the level of the water
•iiere wj
}">'iig man
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPPINO. 59
path alofg it Atlne „,1 .1"""'" '" ^ "^'™"'» - l-i^
water of 'th bay at aToI ,° T '""^'''S "" ""> ''-P
n™„ent aaee.^ l^.'^^lt: i:^ ^^ T' ^
proceed in this way for ah,„t . """"«• He continued to
half a .nile in ZrlZ wht " TuT '"""^ "'^ '"" f""
the form < . stel nMh , . I f ^'^'"' "> ''=^"'"« "o-'e
bill. FoUowinlit It T ""''"^ '""""^^ "«= '"P of 'ho
.ho Sat — ^onte't ::C"'Be?Tt-"™^-'^ """^
curving bight of the bay waXvil^ ^ '"'"' ""^^ the
a direct line, but two ,nl?hrf n ' " "['' ""■ """' '«^'"" ™
raontorv mTt. T ^ Allowing the eweop of the pro-
laontory. His hut was visible half a mile off and lv!„ i V
the water; while, appare„tlyporchedov"rithal?tvtf,f'°
c.p.tons rock, was the cottagfof the oZner, T .^'^ " ^"^
'h*.nco, as his eye took the dire L of I' >""°'"
inlet, a descrintion nf „i • i "'"'" "' ""' '""•"» and secret
.ho ;arel.„u e oouli r,''"''?™^^" ''"■■^' ""^ '""^' °f
hordored he hoTs of jT^f"' "'"^ "" '™^^ """
it stood. "" '""" "'"' Weconnett, on which
foa" r'e^ththtL'i' ''T\'' «"" "''"' " ^^^ --7
'^» top 0^ r:i;"i?iivtr„; f: "- r *-
^««-^'r. Ho hastfln^,! .n , /."""'^'^^^ *^«* ^^ ^I^" sea-beaten
™«d».cad Ci r Ln c L; ' .ll'" "T""" ""> »"-
lijht when he behri .1 '■ , ' '^^ '^""«"* '*'* ^e-
iWngso cLe to th. 1 ^ °f° , "■"■»-'»"» ^ .he war-ship
«hoLr to ewa,^ i\ "' "''" ■""""""<• the Amcricaa
1^^^ ^_^ or to leeward; and hoari the frigate again arc to bring
•■"11
;:i!^l^^^^«^-^^^ Visible on the face
I
3""»g nnu, as he saw this play of
of the
war; as if the darker and
60
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
most hostile cmoiions of bis being bad been called up, nii<l
moved deeply by the sight and sounds of battle. This feeling
lies deep in every human bosom ; and a battle-chord responds
in every human heart to the human war-cry or iion war-gun.
In some it is stronger than in others; but yet even in women
it is not wanting. But there are some corrupt and animal
natures in which it finds its full and fierce ^cho ; and such a
nature was that of the young man who now listened and gaz- .
on this novel and exciting scene. lie strained his f; , ..i
vain to make out the nation of the frigate; and >'i iu.*ji,ih, as
her colours flaunted out in view, he recognised the flag of
Enffland. With the keenest interest he watched the baffled
chase, and his heart leaped at every discharge of the naval
artillery, which was reflected from the wall of the beacon-
tower with startling distinctness. When he saw the frigato
abandon the pursuit, his small, vicious-looking features were
lighted up by a redeeming smile. He was evidently too
patriotic, too much of an American, to desire one of his own
country's vessels to become a prey to tho English.
"The schooner's heels have the best of it, and the lubberly
frigate may stop and fasten her shoes on before she catches
that clipper-looking chap. I 'd like to know what craft tlint
is that sails so like a gull."
While ho was thus soliloquizing, and wholly absorbed in
watching the frigate as she beat back to her former position,
a woman — if such an object could be called by so hallowed an
nppcllation— -clad in rags that scarcely served to cover ber,
crept frc.n an opening in the ruined Beacon, and shufflcJ
towards the young man with a sliding limp that produced a
gait that added, if possible, to tho hideousness of her aspect
and form. She came close up to him unseen, and suddenly
clapped her skinny hand upon his shoulder. Harder had too
imn a nsrvo to be surr»rised or startled^ and turuinsr round his
head, he no sooner saw wlio thus accosted him, than he nhoc''
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFPlNu.
lier off, and tr-^'. 1,; l ,
fi-W"g eyes upoirJJtr, "'""'' '"' ^'^'-^^ h-
ier shut k.na:^„,,Cy::u: """""'' """^ ^"^ ^--t
Harder!- "^ '""^^ *^^'- ^^" twist the rope, Dirk
"I'll not leep ,„ie ■ Z ? l^'f ' ''^~'^-
yo» shan't hit Tl l' t" 1 1 rr, '"r"™*!' «"•. «" that
- Waot ! Ha, ha ! y^Z tan' . ' """"'^ ^°" '"'"^
what makes it I If j » •„,? ' ■ , """""' """l ^ know
^"^ Hard., r k«o. 2:^ :i::"t ' """ ™^^ »« >•«,
J'^t the old One don't whispe "u Z '""'''° *'"''^' ""'I
»'f '0 hin,, and mean tcTet 'll J •'"'• ^ '"'''" «»'<' '"^ •
^oul to save as well „«,„„? f""" ''°"' i'' ^r I've got a
j;vegotason,tosa::i::^,tr;:-"7'" '^'"-"^^ -
How grand the guns sound ! Oh ' Ih ' t "*?'' '""-^'"P •
">y «iaj ! I 'm fifty.eigi,t ,„,„ „ld .?.""■'' "' ''^''"^'^ "^
»^! But I won't talf o'Con s''°« ™ '"■•■"' '" «■« °'<1
-^ «. too old and wretohcX"^ ^1^^^^ "" "^'
"ylife was onee so happv-so L "'""^''-o''.
joung and fair, and " '" '"'PPy-so happy! I „,,
r ' y iX';r::,d-'h!:: r'vr :, -'^ -«»'» -o-
f>«"t U, and the thunder roars.; """'' """• "' ■"g^ts
'■'-' Oh, some nightsT;:;^'',""' ""' "^ ^"'^ -"^
6 ^''^^ ^" '»y tongue, the old One
t -5*
!•; '•
62
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
' HIS
puts other words in place, and so I curse when I would pray !
It is dreadful ! It will be so till I die ; and then I expect
angels will take me to Heaven ! Do you believe in Heaven,
Dirk ? It is all gold, and green birds, and angels, music, and
love ! Love ! I used to love onee. But nobody loves now !
Don't strike me."
" Then go away. I want to see what this ship is doing.
There is tobacco. Go, now I"
" Ah, I knew you 'd have to pay me !" she mumbled,
"Tobacco is both bread and rum! How* black your heart
looks in your face. Dirk Harder ! And I know — I know !"
she chanted wildly, keeping at a safe distance from him,
*»■ I know — I know what makes your heart so black in your
face !"
" Will you leave me; or shall I pitch you into the sea?"
" Dirk, you must not have my blood on your soul ! I can
serve you if I li/e. Don't you want a thought I have ? Give
me more tobacco !"
"I have nothing to give for your thoughts!'' he said,
gloomily.
" Well, I '11 give it to you. Your heart, I 'm thinking, is
black in your face, because you love the proud Mary Fielding,
the rich Manager's daughter ; and she will none o* your love I
You hate her now ! I know all !"
" How do you know ? What do you know ?"
" I have ears ! Nan is where people dor/t think she is, and
when they think they are alone. Ha ! ha ! I would laugb
if I was not afraid vou 'd kill me ! I saw and heard !"
" What did you hear?" he demanded fiercely, yet with evi-
dent curiosity to leara what she had discovered.
" I heard you in the walk from Ma'am Gardner's cabin to
the big house, when you met her three nights agone I*
" You saw me 1"
" Yes. Do you think Nan can't sec ? I was roaming to
I'HE MIOATE IN THE OFTOO. gg
and fro the earth, and wilt;„„
at the mooo, and tllkil™ • « J'"^ ''°»" "' ""d looting
for I can never sloo^JZ^l',^^"''^^ '" '^^P "P -* "!
a«0 I l.;d in the whe'at, ZTXZj'r'l'C ' '^ ' ^"P'
mo would hurt „e ; for I have L friend L^ 7 "r"' ""
Mary.-I was onee pretty, too i ft!, v «''°''' P'''="J'
hid, and who should it be but il,. ° ''^•«°'"=^ •' ^o I
heart daneed to see her tl '*'" "'"'^ '""«'f- My
iiio silver dust o" h r Z^a^f. T" ""^ ""'"'"s'" '"^'4
%h'-I was oneo youthfln B f u ''^ " ^°'''''^"' -^
I would have rose, and snoto *o 1, . ^™ ''^■S™^' '-So
when I heard another step and onT' •'" ''^^ ^""^ ™'-.
a rock, and stood plumb X , ,:,""" ''""'"'"™'» ''^'"■"»
"You saw that, you hag!"
"Ay, did I! and she did not •„-
firm anddidn't seem afraid as l„r '^'' •"" «'»<"'
d-, to moot yon alone by i 1,17 7 f ^^' ^'* »"-
^.nd she asked you oalmlv Iff' T .^t^' '^"" "'••'* »"««'•,
".™ heartb-stone, ^' '''° ''"<' ''<"■" ■»' home by he;
" ' Dirtman Harder, what do yon desire v nu , .
»<1 sweet she spoke I It seemed ,! I ! ' '""' '"•"^
"..ghod to see Dirk Harde da htd t. Z'™ * ^"' »<' ^
f I had to kill yo„ with th h knife T, '""'"""'»<''
'«•; «o I kept quiet-looked on r- ' ^"^ "'"'"''' "»' '""»
_'' Take caro of my knife, witch!"
I voJ.::^;::,^:!:;-:; a^^-thL'sh^"- ^-r ^-^ --
I She then tnid /ou phinlvv™ . ' """' '"'^™' ^'^ '■
'hi»q; when y u swore InolM. "T '" '"'P''^ "' ^-o^ «
! "'hen she tried to pass a« Tf K . i ^T '""' ^" J™" •'
-.0" *on try to::;r /, : ; ,:- -'» you, oh, i
^an to feel th. .a^. .c^.MT ^''J'''^^ ^^r; and then I
' commanded
\ n
,1 - - -""" ('"c uomman
t her go, that you obeyed like a slave
I you
I saw
64
NORVEL HASTINGS; OB,
- \
it ! I saw the devil then leap up into your eyes and glare out
o' them ! You swore that you knew Norvel Hastings was your
rival, and that it was for love of him she rejected you ! You
then took an oath-
)>
" What oath did you hear, woman V
" I heard it all ! I ! My ears were sharp ! You swore to
her, like a coward, you would be the death of young Norvel for
thus crossing your loves. And I heard her words — ^weren't
they proud ones, and didn't they cut you. Dirk Harder ! She
answered that Norvel Hastings, like other brave men, could
defend himself from wild beasts, should they come in his
path ! Oh, how you gnashed your teeth, and would have killed
her for that speech, if at that instant Pipa, the good Pipa, had
not been heard coming up, and calling the maiden, saying he
had come after her to escort her home. Then you quit her
with a threat of a vengeance that you promised her should
make her repent that hour of scorn ! Hah, ha ! Didn't I hear
it all? Haven't I told the tale straight? I have your secret,
Dirk Harder ! If harm c^~ne to her or Norvel, I know where
to lay it, I ! I ! What '11 you give me not to tell it again ?"
"Give you ?" he muttered through his shut teeth, while tlie
horrible spirit of murder shone in his dark looks ; " I '11 give |
thee thy deserts ! Go and tell it to the fiends 1" And spring-
ing at her throat, he hurled her light, attenuated form out at I
arms' length, and then releasing her let her drop ! A hundriHl
feet below she struck the beach, and her mortal shriek echoed
in the ears of the murderer soma seconds after the body was j
dashed to pieces.
" She deserved it ! She was of no use to any body ! She I
deserved it ! She maddened me to it ! May the infernal Satan
take her ! It '11 be supposed she fell over. No one saw ni^ j
do it! She deserved it, and brought it upon herself! Cod[
found the wretch ! I wish I had not seen her ! But let her J
go!
„ »_ss.
THE PRIOAM IN THE OFPIXO, ^
more than once "ffre.! ^f, '™"' '""^ ^I""' '"^-S b-k
«a,.cely stopped to glauco at tho'fZ ^ ''^1 Tt' "'
was just coming-to in thp nffi„ f ^ ' '''"'^'^ ■"= siw
path that led to his huf t?!, "\ ^' '''^"^'P^"^'' <'»™ 'l-^
gate brought an mI "1 ht'htd whVf '^ 'V' ''" «"
moment forget his late v,V»ll , "'*'^'' ''''» ''''■• "le
satisfaction.^<ICil^hav tv' " '""""'"' »^'-°-
ha«ght,girf .mm^;z jr^zTi" """.'f ^- ^"o
ker above me, and I will beggi her Ho ^! "f " "■"* ""'"
will make her a beggar and fh 1 ' ' '"' ^"^ "'=''<'■' ! I
wni be Humbledrr;::1„t;; i-^^^^^^^ vaiu girl,
despised Dirk Harder ' I will of f , ^^ ^^^^ °^ ^^^
tki3 Korve, Hastint;: aLT^hthT^';--""" T''
thee, haste, good Dirk f Timp ^ •* f ^ ^''"'^' ^""^^^
ve^geancelh^U light nponXXrhlr;Ct^^^
.hat I an, not to be despised, if I am Zr coaSldT
I
J
fq
f/'J
oe
NORVEL HASTINGS J OH,
CHAPTER VI.
Dirk Harder was not long in regaining the hut which he
had left to ascertain the cause of the unusual firing he had
lieard.
He entered the cabin with a step and air that was so much
more than usually determined that his father noticed it, and
said in his tipsy tone,
" Wha-at's the mat-ter with yer. Dirk?"
The response was an oath so terrible that the drunkard
started and raised his eyes to look at him with a vacant stare:
"Don't swear at-at your fa-fa-thcr, Dirk, son-ny ! What
are you do-in' with the til-til-ler ? You aint going to fish out-
side to-night, hey r"'
The young man, win was busily engaged in making prepa-
rations that evidently had in view an excursion in his xebec,
here replied by an execration that brought the drunkard tn
his feet, and an echo of the execration from his lips moro
emphatic than the original one. It was fairly shrieked ! His
hands clenched and his eyes flashed fire, while the veins in
his forehead were convulsively knotted like a nest of snakes
writhing there. A demon looked out of his eyes ! Every
nerve in his body seemed converted to steel ! He caught up
a liroken oar, and brandished it with a giant's strength.
" Swear, will you ! I '11 swear too ! I hear them swear sonic-
times down uinr ' You can't beat them at it, bny I Don'*
THE PRIOATE IN THE OFFINO.
frenzy. "'"''' '?'"' *^« »'^''k<= and wild „itu
"Sit down, old man ! sit down, I say i D„„', k •
of your capers! I can't stay to ieen vm!f , ^^'" °"'
sdf- I 'm off. Sit down !" ^ ^ "" ''"""8 >"""-
But the drunkard did not heed him i H
something in the darlnA,, f .t ,. ^^ ^''""'"^ '» ««»
between him and Ms so/lm r '' "'"^"'■''« '» "-^ -'■
mortal vision to behold "' hT,'""" »-P^^''-Wy ^readfu! for
sockets ! His fae grew luck^Tf f "«"=' ^'^ ">-
fery nostrils dilated qutk^dsWr't '''''"°'"'" ""
>.im enchained to the spot m ^""."f ""-o™' tad
where the doomed suffer ^!1' ^^'''''' ^'^ « tie place
a" its dread Tel^ o^w f s?;!; f l'"'™ rr'^f"^'^"
. W out his hanlst i ^^ SttM^f H^t^^^^^^^
With supernatural terror. He imr>lnr.« i ^ i trembled
curses! ,^o frantically entJs\:Te';::ln':!''~^'-' "»
™ ! ^^y tX:^IJt "r' "^ '"'" "■^' «- •• S"«
.cd-iron! thL re nourr 7 ^T """"^ ^•^'='«'"' ""!'
™ 'earing mhZtr\:?t!f"\T^ «" "' '""^
"-cy- They have me— .'•^„]'^iff- '"'?' "'fy!
boar more, suddenly caught him in t , '""' """"" '"
I'im down and witM,i= t °"'™8 ""»'' *'"•««'
fee his cr esheTd ^ f^' ^r^' "P™ '"^ ««""'' '" «»■
*e wrS e^l XhS ;«, '^ "'' r''''""'
of life. "^^pioss, and with scarcely a sign
"I let -' '"' ''^'"'' ■"""""S 'f »» -*s well
A txpect. lie now xmnf r>»* f„u' „ ii ,.„
l.'^'
, i.wvii.g cne nllor, anoar, nnd
68
NORVEL HASTINas; OE;
some rigging, and closing the door, lie fastened it on tlic out-
side. Then springing into a small black skiff that was tied
to a stone near the doorway, he shot out from the shore to the
xebec, which was but a tew rods distant. Springing on board,
lie slipped the 1 awser which secured it to a buoy, and then
with a pole shod with iron, pushed tue xebec out from the
pool into the bay. Hero he hoisted the jib to catch the light
wind, and, taking the helm, he steered as closely under the
cliff as he could with safety. Every few minutes he would
cast his eye backwards and upwards, to see if he could be
seen from the villa ; but as he advanced farther down the bay
he g'-ew bolder, hoisted the main-sheet, and steered straight
for the opening that connected the bay with the ocean. lie
once thought he could see the form of Mary Fielding on the
cliff, and his countenance assumed a look of defiance and
triumph.
" Pretty beauty I we will see who conquers ! When I com-
plete my revenge on Norvel Hastings and thee, I shall forgive
you both for humbling me as you have! Norvel Hastings
! the man of all men I hate ! But his time shall come !
A plague on that witch ! that yell keeps ringing in my ears
and reminding me of her ! I rid the earth of a nuisance ! She
had lived long enough ! Confound her ! I wish I could forget
her ! How the old Beacon seems to look down and frow . !
Hark ! somebody said murder ! No, it was the cry of that
gull wheeling about the tower ! I am afraid I shall hear that
shriek, or see her walking on the water after my boat, if I am
ever at sea in the night I"
The boat was now rounding the Beacon point, and required
his whole attention to manage her ; for, though it was com-
paratively calm outside, the wind drew strongly through the
gorge. For a few moments the xebec dashed on her passage
through with spray under bows; but in five minutes she was
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPriNc. Qg
outside, the Beacon towerine astern -.n,? tu
upon the long shining J^lZf^^^^ Z °"!f ^™ "T'""'
and fell with graceful motics. mt~a ™' """
of hi..elf, a. if . 3P011 guided .t CC 5"™;: T
mass lying in a heap at the base of 1,. ,•» ? f ^
^ea ca^e. Ho shudLed, LdTatlin g^tt^ ! n.?
divert Ins mind by aivinf? hJ^ off.r,f 7 . ' ^^* *^
1 • "^ fo^^^"g "IS attention to the xebec imi fiv,-«
l"s gaze np#n the frigate, towards which llT ^^^ fi^mg
"i:i"sr ^: Slit r"™""
;-t to be anno,ed;\^SrroJ,^^ : -tt :
ascertain, as it seemed, if he were observed. Vhen t ,aw
e lugger twice eome to, and onee leep awayli? tZ
dihl'od ' "' "^'"'^ ""^ "'^"^^^ '» -<- »' -"e?s hi:
™ . 0. If they do, what is it to me ? I fear no man— „„t T r
much in a hurry to sun himself in the little English Jvl
c/es to look after my motions, if he suspec^c<^ !~ "f ^I'^ '
I'iii
70
NORVEL HASTINGS; OB,
what can he suspect ? The idea is in my own head, and no one
has shared with me. So, speed, good bark ! Speed my revenge,
and lower the topsails of those that sail too high alof., for their
ballast ! In ten minutes I shall know my fate. It is a risk to
run to put myself in the hands of John Bull ; but if I can
serve him he will use me. So, fly away with us, good boat !
May the fiend have that old woman I I thought I saw her
then standing on the bows V ^
Leaving the xebec, visibly haunted to the murderer's con-
science by the spirit of the murdered witch-woman^ to pursue
its course through the shadows of twilight to the frigate, we
will now take our readers to her warlike decks.
it T
Si*;^.. ..SJ^.i._^
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFFING.
71
CHAPTilK VII.
officers were grouped, and on the forcelle w ^ !„ Td
».d»h,pme„ as well a. iu tl.e top a„d „„ the var^s To
tmly pervaded the whole interior • from J . ,
»tH,l hoatswain. whistle, n.in;,:;\I°V'':l;':; tt
ZZ'Z "T ""'".f """"■ "''" '"» -P»'«»-bar3 n sending
of" r,'."Pf ""'--'• These sounds, witL the stem
^ice of the lieutenant of the dock giving orders «„,)• T
t^Z7V""" ,""'"' - f- ift-fdU.;:; hoo rs"
01 Uirk Harder with stunning effect.
Tlie approach of the xobcc wa. not unperoeived bv tha
aT». . f .' "" "''" "'° '"''S"- ^"'l everything else
tI • ."■ ''•"^' """ "'"™'' "P™ «•« "ccan within visioT
T e hentcnant of the deck, who was standing on the Trm
t r","^ a score of others the frigate had passed, tha
" "'"" •'"■'y "^'''''^ '""-out inolest^ition bv shin, of
-TtU. »- r~ —
"That chap is coming ab«.rd, sir," said the quarlor-nas-
: f ^i
Mil
h I
72
NORVEL HASTINGS J Ctt,
ter, removing his spy-glass from his eye. There is but one
person in her, and he means to board or hail us V
" Perhaps the Yankee -wants to sell us smoked herring
caught to-day;" said a forward midshipman.
" Or he may be coming off \rith proposals of peace from
Jonathan to his majesty/' observed another. ,
" The fellovr means to demand our business here on the
coast of his universal nation. We had better beat to quar-
ters !" This witticism proceeded from a youth of sixteen,
with flowing locks like a girl, a delicate hand, and handsome,
rosy face— a sprig of nobility, evidently from the laughter
with which the rest, aud eepecially the white-headed old
quarter-master received what he said,
" That is a handsome villa inland we have had in sight
these last five hours," said a lieutenant, with a ;r' iss at hia
eye. " I shouldn't wonder if there was beauty there I"
" Beauty and booty, both ;" responded a handsome young
officer, in undress uniform. " I fancied all would be wild
as Scotland on this coast; but the scenery about that bay
shows civilization ar-'l wealth."
"The Tankces u:q rich enough; aud as they wander all
over tho world, they know how to use it, from seeing -how
other people live. They are the greatest imitators of any
people on earth !" said an old lieutenant with a red nose.
"Ye may well ^ay that, dear," answered nn Irish marine
captain, gayly attired ; " show them a frigate and they '11 make
a better one jist like it, and carry more guns ! It is a botherin'
shame that spalpeen of a schooner got away from us so aisy!"
" That schooner plainly thought we were a friend," answered
the lieutenant before named. " She walked up to us so boldly,
and she scampered so quickly when she saw our metal, and
found out what we were I"
"The craft is coming abonrd, sir!" reported the quartti*
master.
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPriNQ. 73
"Ay, ay! I'll gee ^^at he wants-" onri fK« «« f> ,
deck, taking his trumnet w.n. Tl 1 ? ^''''" "^^ *^^
and hailed fhe xebe wLlw ".''"' ^"°^"^^ ^'''
"TTo f].. ""^""^'/^^ch was now within cable's length
Ho, the smack, ahoy ! Come alongside ' T uff nn M
your mainsail! St*and by there ontfT T. '''''
l^'I wish to speak with the captain."
"Ay, ay! come aboard. Three or four nf ,
deck among his ccrantrv'., fn^. . K, . i • . ^^ " ""'
ford,. .• »'■'»""•}'» tons; buthis patriotism was buried
or tl,e „™e beneath the vindietive emotions of revenue h:
Ihhl '"? ;r" "" ™''™"'« "»'' -""^ -i; ofTannon
With a sort of e ovation of s-^.inf T^\,ii • u , -^ "^ ^'*°"od,
-onnd, most of whom were t i' '" "":'"'' """ "^"
Ihcir sunn,>r. .1 • f T ? ^^ ' S™"?"' in messes at
le was bewildered irf ■^^'"P""'^-'^""-' ■""• f" " momout
rower whtT, ll I "■■" "^■•P°"'"-'='l "i"' "« idea of
rowei whieh all he saw oonvoyed to bis mind,
"I can tell it only to hin,, sir," answered Dirk, Irmly
-:s:ftc''"'''-''''^'''''"^-^-^--'''»««'
"Can you tell us where we ean ent out . V.nke. fri.,,*
'"}■ man r ■ do„,ando,l the red-nosed lieutenant^ ' ' '
f- "Lo n,e„„whil<., word ha,l be„„ p„™„, ,,y ,|,e officer to
: .'1
'r(l
•' s,
74
NOBVEL HASTINGS; OR^
the captain, who sent his orderly to escort Dirk to his cabin.
The young coaster, sneered at and twitted by the middies and
loblolly boys as he went aft, only replied by a look of defiano*,
and, following the messenger, he was ushered into the superb
cabin of Lord , captain of His Mf^esty's ship Helles-
pont. His lordship, a young and effeminate-looking person, was
reclining at length upon an oriental couch, when Harder was
announced. The state-room was throughout furnished like a
boudoir, rather than like the cabin of a fighting ship, very far
removed from the plain style in which some of the stout fight-
ing captains kept their cabins. But Lord had taste —
loved luxury, read, painted, drew, played the flute, and waltzed
with himself in a full-length mirror to admiration ! Yet with
all his effeminacy, his lordship had courage, and fought his
ship like a lion, indeed had the reputation of being a hard
fighter; though hi" officers complained that he would appear on
deck in the midst of an engagement in kids, and give orders
with a bouquet in his hand instead of a sword. The conser-
vatory from which he culled these floral luxuries, I)irk passed
through on his way to the inner cabin, and not without wonder
at seeing "a garden at sea."
" You have a — a — wish to a — a — see me, eh ?" and Captain
Lord levelled a lorgnette at the young man with delibe-
rate inspection. " Bad face— don't like his looks," he mut-
tered almost audibly. " What is your country ?"
" American."
** Your pursuit ?"
" Coasting and fishing."
" Your business with me ? Are you not afraid to — a — a
trust yourself on board this ship ?"
" No, sir. I came for your interests as well as my own."
" Let me hear how you can effect our interests, young man !"
said his lordship, with an indolent sneer on his fine lip.
" Fewer the words the better, T suppose, sir. I can inform
THE FRtGATE IN THE OFFINQ. 75
hundred thousand dollars!" '"■° ''""' """-^ «""■ »«
" Ah '.'■ with animation exclaimed Lord f u
not over-opulent for a nnWo »„ i j ■ , ' *'"' '"' '^"a
:P-.anonhisinr:1ri.^t"-X:
molestation, if the affair .s prudenH T ". "'' ""' "'""""
«nd with me are quiet " P'"""™"? «»■«>»<'«, and those you
" What value, say you ?"
"Twenty thousand pounds "
AuZ;'^:r;sSn;^^:: "•■'-■' ?- -y ^o-.
near him. ^ ° ""' '"Keon wh- was sea(».d
offi«rs:nlt:w1u;ro';:n"'*:rr^''''™''''y' -o "■<=
<•( last week." '^ "" '^'°"' '""""g possession
" Where s.ay you this treasure is hid ?" demanded rt
torn, whose iudiffcrcneo had given „av to iT. "'^^
acquisitiveness, when arousc,fwm nL, ? '" "^''^
lent minds-even in th!!! ' J i '^ ™ "■ "'" "»<«' i^do-
poreeiain ci;;;:rjrd IT:',:! " ™" ""'^ •"" "^ o™
^^eiddrwh?"" ^r "' "'"' '"^'"«-'°' -."
destitute oftfithrpeirifrr:"""""''"''"^
prised his lordship. •' But T wni . * " '''™'"«^' ""-
diticn " " "»' I ™» «!"''« yon to it only „n con-
" Condition us no condit'oas fellow i T.„ i
not used to be dictated to." " ^^ '''""' "" "«
, "U3 the audible remark of the surgeon, who was
76
NORVEL HASTINGS; OB,
fi
amusing himself with turning a wine goblet into a musical
glass, by revolving his finger wet with wine, rapidly round the
rm; for the dinner was just through. ♦
" Very well, my lord (for I hear you called so), I can keep
my own counsel I" answered Dirk almost savagely, as he
turned to go.
" Stay, fellow ! Do you think you are free to go ? You
have placed yourself in my power, and at my fingers' move-
ment you are in chains, a prisoner ; or if I will it, turned for-
ward among the men, a pressed seaman. You can t leave the
frigate without my will !"
''Nor you possess my secret without my will."
" Send him to make acquaintance wi*h the boats v\.an's mate,
my lord." said the surgeon.
" Nay, Audley," responded his lordship sotto voce ; " I see the
fellow is game ! There is no use driving or intimidating, I see.
We must conciliate bull dogs, not bait them, or we shall get
worsted. He evidently has something to tell us wortb the
hearing. We will humour the bear. So, what then is thy
condition V
" That you keep secret the source from which you get your
information "
"That I am willing to do."
" And that you give me five hundred pounds in money when
you shall have the whole in your possession."
"So, then, it is avarice that hath made thee play traitor'/"
"It matters not what motive, my lord."
" Very well. If you guide my boats' crews to a treasure
of bales of merchandise worth twenty thousand pounds, your
conditions shall be agreed to. But what proof have I that you
will not lead my people into a trap V and Lord • fixed
hia usually quiet eye upon the eyes of Dirk Harder with the
searchinc gaze of the war-oaKle.
mE rRiOATE W THE orriNO. „
"I care „„j .^ '"''^'^ '« toeachory. Wiltcousent toth■«?"
Wot two hours' rowing "
o/:Su" ""' ''^ "' '" " ""^ '^" «"•» -■i undercover
Hethen^entt^Xto 1j ,rt""^' "■" "°"-»-
™l, and „,ade inowf to thl T, '"'''"'■'••""^ "^ "■» highest
He directed four boal two „fl " '=°'"»'»P'''W expedition.
-^«niyha.faboat.:r::;;iT:;:^:^-^^^^^^^^
- leave room for stowace /It, i ''^"'' '" ""^^r
«W to go in one of fhe btat anT:' " '" '"""^^ '«' '^'-
to'he first lientenant, to whot h '"='''" i»3tr„etiona
P^'dition, was, to gnard thl . ^T °"'"""*"'' "^ «'<= «-
<icath, 3ho„Id tho/j:n ,1 l^'^f ""f^' ""-^ P"' hi- to
""chandise. In al thirtV '°"'^'' '"'"""^ "^ Anding
•"^f ch the «ig witX:re^afrJ:^^"^''
wh.le the officer went on deck r J, n ?■ ^^''*'-'
P'ained fully the direction in whie^ hTl , T'^' """ «-
, "It iV he said, "three LTo to t. '" ''''' ""= ^oatB-
»"'J from the Beacon W m .""■''"""' "^ «■« %;
'""mall creek,amne " J"^ '".f '"'"" '""'' -"'J"«'
Iwould advise tlatTe «Ll l"" *'" T'"''^^ »" »ole.
" Is there deep wuerTt! I T' ""' '■°'^' "' P"''*''''-"
, ."Twenty fath™ IV :: X "'''"' '''' '"'^^^■
«■'" ''"e, sir, a long pnCrnd outr.^ " """ '^^' ^^
"That is true a '^°'' ""o boats."
ai 18 true. Are you a pilot?"
1 Jtuow every part of these w»t.„.» „,. ,_ . . .
*« iiigato in and out " "" ' ^ ' ^ "••»" *«l«
if "'
"■ "^
I
F
78
NORVEL HASTINGS ; OR,
" It is a risk to trust you I"
" My life shall answer for it, if I do not steer her safely."
" What is your life to the safety of this noble vessel ?"
"My life is all to me r
" True. I will trust you ; but we will trust the lead, also.
Mr. Bentley, how are the men getting on with repairing
damages ?"
" The top'gallant yard is across, sir, and all as complete as
before the squall ;" answered the second lieutenant, who that
moment came to the door of the state-room.
''Very well I Make sail on the frigate, and lay in for the
land. I will be on deck in a moment. This young man will
stand by the helmsman, and direct the course of the frigate;
but depend most on your leads, and keep two men in the
chains.''
In a fev7 minutes, the frigate was in motion, and slowly
ploughing her way over the star-sparkling seas, towards the
opening between the Beacon Head and the cliflf east of it. Tlio
night was now so far advanced, that the land looked like
masses of cloud ahead ; but a distant light trembled from the
midst of the heavy shadow, which Harder, as he directed tlie
course of the ship, knew, shone from one of the front rooms
of the villa. As the frigate came more under the land, this
light was hidden ; and soon afterwards, the noble ship passed
between the headlands with a "deep lead line," and came to
anchor within a mile of the inlet, just as nine o'clock was
struck by the bell in the warehouse turret, two miles farther
north of her anchorage. On ship-board, however, all was
silent, even to muffling the strokes of the half-hour bell.
"You have brought us in handsomely," said the captain to
Harder. "I have more confidence in you I You will now go
in the leading boat with me, for I have resolved to lead the
expedition. What mansion is that seen indistinctly on the
heicrht of lanrl a. m\](\ nr an In i\>a x^^^i 9>>
c; - _ — ..,, ^„j. ^.^^. •rrvav ;
"That is the Manager's."
THE FBIOAIE IN TM OFFINO. 79
^J- Poor u.a„ .- I fea. he wU. ^ M.3e,f a W b, thi. wa,,
frigate, no «b" !l)»;i':i ?''"«' ^''.-% ''ft *he
that the inlet was clear and ' ^* ' "■"" '" ^' *° ^^
threaten a diJverr/nTi TT ""^""'"S *•«" "igh*
...i.<. wena:::2.,t t^:^ :"^,t '-^
iu the first part of the precedin?!! ?^ " """^"'J *»
two marines to wateh fe S a'dtr' '"" "'''^'">"^-'
run in under her jib sIowW but^M T^""""- ^'"^ ^«'''''
.i.e -;.ht was, je thtm:: :r nr xif -'
vcrsat^on the officer had with Dirk a, they we e slilin? I
removed from his mind all susnicinn „f T i ^ *'™8'
only feared that somethil ST ''"'^^'"'^»' »d he ■
<;o.a bein, reached bytCI uTdllrr ^ W t'^
nil sure, he proposed, as they reached^! , '" "^^^
should embark with him Tn^^ 14 ' ""'"" "■'''' "»* •««
river to the w^hou e T ;'•'"' ""' ".»" "" ""» -■«'™g
™uldnotobjerand atthlVS- ^^ff «»«y ""urse Dirk
^l^iff leaking badiv .^7 "^^^-«^outh, and here, the
xtdKing badly, the two men were compelled to nn/f n^
«...a .ocrecy of the inlet began to awaken .'uspL tuZ
m. to resolve to see with his own eyes whethf he L."
an goods were a reality, or only a fiction invented by treZ!
"Wnod "" w" "^i;'!',' "' "T" '"" "'" *■'' "■'*?'« of on' story
iof e::t:ti;t;:r--' ^^"-^" - '^^ --■«
80
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
CHAPTER VIII.
The skiff wound its way in darkness along the windings of
the little river, and without further interchange oi words
between the two persons in it, the lieutenant and Dirk Harder,
until an abrupt bend of the river brought them in full sight
of the tower and dark walls of the huge warehouse. A light
gleamed in a lantern that always hung in the brick arch that
led from the mole into the yard of the building.
" There^ sir I" pointed Harder in the direction of the ware-
house and pier ; " I have deceived you, have I ? As it is for
no love for you that I have guided you here, I wouldn't take
the trouble to do you good or evil. I hope you are satisfied
now?"
" Yes, as well as I can see by the star-light, the buildings
are large ; and if they are full of bales, it will be a rich haul !"
" Don't speak so loud ! wc may be observed ; and as a ship
of war is known to be near, watch will be kept. Lie close and
keep quiet, and I will paddle in and look about, and see th t
all is safe for the barges to come up." This was said in an
under tone, and at the same moment he drove the skiff to the
stairs of the quay. It was much lighter here than it had
been in the river below, as the water was not shaded by trees.
Harder leaped ashore, but the officer was at his side with \m
pistol at his breast.
'• What now I" doiuandcd Dirk, suUcnly.
windings of
ge oi words
)irk Harder,
in full sight
36. A light
ck arch that
of the ware-
As it is for
ouldn't take
are satisfied
le buildings
rich haul !"
nd as a ship
Aq close and
and see th t
1 said in an
skiff to the
than it had
led by trees.
ide with his
THE FMOATE W THE OfFlNO. gj
How do I k„„„ but there ma vL fi ? f "^ "" "^'^ '"■'t
'ho boats ! It is a part a w*""' '" P"™"^ "P"'-
Pioious. So take no offence !" "'' '" '''" '» ^^ «"«-
" ^ "" W'"'ng you should ioen a, <•?„.„ ,
answered Harder, moodilv " Tf 1 ""' "' ^■™ P''^"*-"
i" this matter, I w„uM ^ _,,./; ^ »«;;^ "«' serving myself
"f any of the usual labourer! of h" f " '■'"S'"™e P-'^^-^'^co
walked quite around the walls and H^"' ''?'"'°'"- ^''°^
E..glish olfieer the bales Id L , f P"'"""" ™' '» "'o
of the Projeetingroof L :ilTb' 1 "" ""'"' "'' »"-
wliich was unlocked. ^ '^^^ ''''"■'« """"io" lattice,
"This is strange," said Harder.
iVhat 13 strange ?"
" To find this unlocked Mr n i ,
clerk, is usually very careful !L '"f, 7"'"'' "''" '" ""= ''oad
havelefttheplLto'n; It:,!'?: r'' '"' ''" '-"^ '»
"It .nay be a trap ..f"'°"'P''°''''="<»"'».-J'our benefit."
:^ei::tr^^^^^^^
"' this war without fightinc bJT 'f''™' '" «'^' "'""«
«c that the way is open "ai, ,„ T """'' ""' '"'' '"'"'■ I
>- boat. andLn rnd'taktlT r;!!"' "T ''"' 7 '
India goods n this end of fl,« i ^ "^^^^ ^^^'^ the
- the English andtre:?;ruttr^^^^^ ^^"^ ^^^^
^^ntre are spices, su^rars &; 1^ . ^^' ''^^'°^- ^'i the
Indies.- ' ^ '^ '^'•' ^^«r:^tfamg from the West
;; Enough! Now let us return.-
^^ot so noisily. Thnro ».,,, u. ..
.' Mr. Finl,^;n,: i.„ . VV,' '"'-^.^^ ^"^° ^^'^"t who w
VI
t\ j»]
UfJ
i^iclding has full one hund
hear
i-ed men in his employ^
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
who live scattered about his estate, and a tap of the bell would
rouse them to the rescue I"
" Fair and softly then, my lad ! "We will walk like '.r.tr :
Here is our boat. In, and let us hasten down to the bar; o "
In much less time than the skiff had taken to ascenu i\c
river, it descended to its embouchure into the inlet. Roxe t)\r
xebec and the five boats wer- all drawn up, the men lyir .
their oars. The lieutenant reported to the captain of the fri-
gate what he had seen; and orders were at once given to
advance up the river. The xebec was towed by one of the
boats, as her open deck would render her serviceable in stow-
ing the anticipated plunder. The captain took the lead in his
gig rowed by four men. In it was Harder acting as guide,
while the lieutenant who had been his companion, took com-
mand of the next boat immediately astern.
After a little more than half an hour's silent rowing, the
warehouse with its tower, the quay, and the cliff above, were
all in sight. One after another the boats came up and landed
at the mole, and the whole party disembaiked with arms in
their hands; for the English captain, who had fairly entered'
into the spirit of the expedition, omitted no healthy precau-
tions against surprise. Men were stationed on the cliff, at the
head of the road, and on four sides of the warehouse, to watch
against sudden surprise, and to give alarm, should any signs
of an ambush be discovered. These precautions were dis-
pleasing to Dirk Harder, whose vanity was not a little humbled
by such open suspicion of his integrity. But he swallowed
his resentments, and chewed the cud of his revenge, of which
like their master, he was making the English the instruments.
We will not delay the reader with a particular account of
the proceedings of the next four hours upon the quay and iu
the warehouse. Let it suffice to say, that Mr. David Crackle-
wood would have been greatly amazed had he witnessed the
celerity with which the plethoric warehouse was emptied, and
I
THE PHiflATE ly THE OFFINO gg
Wales, tho x.CZt^d CvTi'^tr f "^' '" ''^^ ^""-
noWo captain did „.t disdaLTo .ti '"tf i"',"™ ""^
g'g, sundry baskets of costly wines tUt T ,'','\™'''='-"-^<l
the festive board of the govern r„f cld .'''™ ^''^^
»d packages of Canton LpcsTnd" B^^ :Sik:'' ' ''" """^
•The videttes were now called in th u .
i»t" the strcan., and floated dot"; ^ 'Z1T7 'T"^' ""'
SO heavily crowded iUi ^^^' ^^^' *^ey were
wstije tClt rf:;;r::d"ii:-"^% ^^ »-
and a second expedition of four bo!,! i ^'f ""S<"' '"to it,
before day loaded with th laTtbll^l '"^ ""''^' "^'^ J"'^'
merchandise which had been so ctf n T'T'^ "'""' "''''
-t.. asportation by s^l^^^^^^^^^^
-!l: wl^tr ,r: :iSf h^'' r f '^^' '-^' ">"
hasten matters ^ " '''™'' """ '^d them to
''n:zarLzL^:;:^^ ''^'■'' ^^^ ^^^^^
4::f:t;;nttr-:^^^^^^^^
rang out .ts loud and quick notes of alarum - " "'™'
the oCr rtrand":" th"7"7 '"''' "^ '""^ '" "="--<•
;i'oady some TZZ^'XtZ- "^ ;rr """«
S: rBe^:;-:' ^oi; :: 71 '- ^ ^-' Vi::;^
-utjiiu 10 your oars like t gers ' Thnf Ja u f
move merrily ! What a clatter thaf bell make , We"^ ":
ha- tbe whole country about our ears!" ^' ^'f
ine barge. Dronollprl h.r „:„i.x ..
iskotshnf frn.;; "*\"' "^"' "''''^' "^^^ ^''''" '^^>^^»^ reach
shot from the quay, and in a few seconds disap.
of
Ml
,r •"
ii
84
NORVEL Hastings; or,
I
peared round a turn of tlie river. The fower bell still rung
out its hurried peals, ever and anon mingled with a terrible
cry, in a voice which sounded, to the ears of Harder, who
was in the last boat, like that ol David Cracklewuod. There
were no articulate words, only a wild terrific yell, as if the
utterer were under the influence of mortal terror and surprise.
It was the voice of David, and it was his hand that was
making such a clatter with the warehouse bell ; but all too
late to do any good. It will be remembered by the reader
that the evening before, he was in Mr. Fielding's little back
parlour, drinking a glass or so to the confirmation of the great
bargain and sale which had been mutually transacted between
them. For purposes of his own, Mr. Fielding plied him
closely with glass after glass, until the effect which he sought
to produce in the brain of hi,s chief clerk was realized. After
the seventh glass, David's wits grew muddled, and he made
himself \cry foolish, told his secrets, and professed to have
been a dangerous man in his youth. The eighth glass placed
him quie^^y on the carpet, with his head on the seat of his
chair, and his body in a state of profound tipsy repose.
" That is a>' Z would have him ! He is quiet for the night !"
remarked the scheming manager. "Now I am free to act,
without his prying nose into all my movements. If I am a
friend to England, and a foe to the Yankees, it is not safe
just now to blab it, A wise man will keep his own secret
when his head is in danger. I will trust nobody; not c\cn
my child ! So ! Lay there, Master Cracklewood, till morn-
ing !"
IT3 then left the room, locked the door, and walked into a
room opposite, with the candle in his hand. Here was a
liandHome Chinese secretary, at which he seated himself; and
then, taking from his pocket some papers (the same ho had
held in his hand when we first beheld him, pacing up and
down the gallery), and began lo re-read them carefully. We
'-»^^»ti-»»fc,rt»'
THE FRIGATE IN THi, oi^Fim. g^
ml] look over his shoulder- hnf f? *
reader's eye, a letter w "tte; bv h T ^^" '^^^^ ^^ ^h'^'
which the one he now ^1;, in h" ^ T'^ '^^^^'^^ '^
brought to him b. Master wLtl^^^^^^ "'"'. ^^^ ^--
paulin, who came and went !o ?' • ^^^''^ ^^ *^^ ^^r-
looking Halifax seudder boa w "^^^^^^^^^ ^" ^^^ ^'^--
thus :- ' ^'^*> ^^« ^ reply. The letter ran
To Sir George - _^ ^'^^^^^o's Bav, Maine, Aug. _, i8i2.
^f!"iral of the Red, Halifax.
My dear Sir George, -
It is years since we mef in T ^^a
i"ti.e state, h. not r„d:ed : II,'': ^ /»^ ^i-"
rton you knew me. and les, obliviourof " v f ^'"''" l"""'
war, which has just broken n„. I. , . ^ '^"™'''- ^'''x
Majesty, crown has pLeea , w ra",!' "^ ''''"''' ""'" •"•'
possesion, in a very unpiea J 't "p^i^ " ^^J^^^ - -y
wi* it a cu^ay and p t of o !"'"'" T "'™' ^ '=<«'°-'^-J
greatly enriched !Zjf T "' ^^ *'™'' ^ ''^ been
)«"i"g of; and as the VnW, ?f "" "PP"'"'"'^ "f ««»-
I may lo.^ it ail-that i' T' "'"P'^''' '"° "^ ""-yi^"'.
i- tete, and leave .t I ' I T"'^""' *" '^"™ "'« -™'r;
- «>. arc V rv „n 1 1' '"'""■ " ''""'^ I'" ''"rfe"™! ; or,
V » 4r:irsC:hr„r ^■™' "• 'r -" '^^
-Poil »u. Of „„ ,„y weatir'Thoc": ;":;■"•"'■ '■""'' """
''■•••lion, and Iwr you will in«t„„.i "■" ^'""' J"'"-
"«'' ;-ei, you had ..st let he:t:r Pniif:; ::::,;:
111
86
NORVEL HASTINGS: OR,
I
port to hold the goods. T will personally remunerate you for
any inconvenience or expense you may be at in executing my
wishes. As I may at any moment be visited by an English
crm'ser, some of which I hear it reported are in Massachusetts
Bay, I wish you would send me by the bearer, under safe seal,
an English Protection that may save me from spoliation from
aiiy of your ships; and before the Yankees make up their
minds to trouble me, I hope to be, with all my possessions, in
security on the deck of an English man-of-war.
I have the honour to 1 :;, &c. &c.
Your friend and countryman,
Canning Fielding.
This letter was sent to Halifax by a Newfoundland fisher-
man, who promised, for large pay, to place it in the hands of
the English admiral. The reply, however, was despatched by
a Halifax man, especially selected by the admiral. We have
seen this personage under the tarpaulin hat, and witnessed the
nervous solicitude of Mr. Fielding to get him off again before
he could have any communication with his dependents; for at
such a time, the story that the Manager was corresponding
with Halifa* would have flown with wings over the surround-
ing country ; and the suspicious at which he hinted in his
letter would have ripened into the certainty of his English
predilections ; in which case, he would, most certainly, have
become a victim to popular feeling ; we do not moan murdered,
but compelled to leave the country, in which case, the result lie
apprehended wouM have followed, the forfeiture of his j,<.>ods.
We will now look over Mr. Fielding's H^'ouldvi" and read
tho reply brought that day by Westcap. *
Hio Majesty's Phip, Behnnoth,)
Halifat, Aug. — , 1812. )
Canning Fielding, Esq. :
Sir — Your letter came safely. Tao j • . tectiot. you ilmrc
you will find enclosed. The frigate Euphro.syne, :>uioh is now
lELDING.
THE miGATE IN THE OFFIVa g;
congratulate you „„ yo„r adl„..l . ^ ^ '' "'^"'''^' "J
™»y yea„ abode iuT " t " A "';"^^="S'»<i "&.• so
whip the Yaukocs, and thov w 'l " *'' "'' ^"^ ^''"'l
and Portland, t;o key i ' "", ?'™ "^ ^^""- O''-'''"^
C«adas), to have poacj. ^ '"""^ ^^P""'""^ "> our
Your daughter has doubtless grown to b„ » f
so, commend an old sailor to 1.1^1 . """""'• ^''
-% in the course of two or Ite l!X^ ll ^"" "''
Yours, & ... &c.,
«r';. .-n the m ::;'--;- "'^ -.-es,, ships
» -ident some fe: „!„?': t,d'"""!Z'^"'"«' ^^'^•'
a loyal, leal, and faithfu s^ltrfll"! ^f^' """"''' "
''"cby eommanded to oxt.„ tf ,• . '^''•'"'"^' y™ «■■«
IWtish subject e„ an enemy" sjil t'r: .^ -'7'™"°" '"" '^ "
"■■ !"•» goods, or his i„te,«h I™ „ 7, "' "'•""■'"« •■"''
-' aiding him in an;:::^;:'::' ™ rc;:!r:.f ^^^
.your assistance. " "*''3^ rcfjuire
" '^ A V"lt .'"' 'T' •\"'' ^'■^'' '"^ - *'^ <" August,
""■'*^'-"^'*'''^^'AiiK,,,Ad,„iraUc,"
wb;hS:«jt^.X:i,,r"' '- "■» '"^^^ «--
-*d of their aee:rae;t;:r;UX':,r^^^^
N- <h.- '0 these ,«pers, land mine are „ife! AnJ
88
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
« i
the frigate is already in the ofl&ng ! It must be the Euphro-
syne, or why is she here ? I am as certain of it as if I had
been on hoard of her. And every moment I expect to hear
that a boat is landed. One would, no doubt, have come oif
before dark, but they have no doubt been cautioned by the
admiral not to compromise me. So they wait till night.
Hark ! I thought I heard a man's footfall in the hall. It is
Pedro. But I suppose they will wait till late, when they
can send a boat in without observation. I will be patient !
Cracklewood is too sound to be in the way if they should want
to begin to remove the goods from the warehouse for me to-
night. I will walk out and watch from the cliff, and see if
there is any sign of a boat coming to the land."
With this intention he placed the protection and other
papers carefully in the secretary locked it and put the key
secretly under a heavy vase on a marble table, and went out.
It was already night. The last glow of the western sky was
fivding into the deep blue-black of the rest of the heavens.
All -as still about iha house, and no one was seen even in
tl ving-if)oni, the open door of which he had passed in
g at of the villa. Ho gave a momentai-y thought to the
absence of Mary, of Hetty, and his own servant Pedro; and
then hurried onward, glad that he had no one of them to
observe him. He walked on until he reached the path which
conducted to the bay shore, and here he stood and gazed peer-
ingly into the darkness that veiled the sea. He could see no
object moving. He listened, there was no sound of oars
coming up to him from the water. lie descended the patli
and walked along the beach, carefully listening and watching
as he went ; for that the strange frigate waf uie one to be
sent to him by the admiral, hud fully taken poss .,ion of his
mind; and perhaps very naturally too, when the unusual coin-
cidence of the presence of the Hellespont in the oiling willi
the lookcd-for l'ki]>rosyne is taken into view.
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFriNG. 39
listened at the doo, arevrLott:r;;;?^:i"- ""^
awake, or his sou had returned But I " ™
Ho would have asked them ■fa.ytJZ" "?°""-
iu the offiuff for • L„t ,•»„„; • ! '" '^''K"*'^ ™s
of looking fo?: «k ff ud ?Mr '""'■' '" ''""'^S'" '"■»
tln-ough tie strait;i'':'e f1 '1^ uet" '"'f"' ['''
coming iu. But Krk had taken 1^1 '^P'i "™" ^'
then thought he would elimb the Zconff' „!'■■/"'"'"«
of the sea from there Thi, i,l T^ . ' "''" " ""'''
the top with some diffieuU Z hi" ^ ^'■"'' ""' ^"""'''
when he saw the dark foi-.u „f n " 'T ?' ™''™°''^''
hcneith hi,n ,„„ • "".J""" "' "«> fr'gate almost directly
^cneatl h„„ movmg w,th stately motion into the bay Hi,
joy at h,s s,ght was unbounded ! He rubbed his hands wTt
m-'.o„, and audibly pronounced encomiums on the f iln
^h.p and patriotism of his friend the admiral, in so promntlv
com.ng to h,s relief He felt thankful the ftisatc°had come
IU so secretly by night. ^
J'Tbis is as it should be!- he said; «this is as I would
h.'^ t! I wtll now hasten home to receive the captain for
doubtless he will come to anchor, and come to land to o „ fa ■
with me. Admirable Admiral Parks !"
With these words he walked as briskly homeward alnn„
the top of the cliff, as the darkness of the night ridp'ertu'
»nd fcquent y stopping to „b.,erve the obscure form of "^
»h.p-of-war which advanced as he advanced. By ,he tin el
reached the vilU, the frigate anchored a mile frit and
he led to ."" '■'",'"" '""'=' ""'""' "'"^ »"" "hilo
a h<F°f '"";,"' ""," •'^-'' ™J ^""' ""-c to receive
1 1 . f "'""' """^ '"'"'■ I "'» >>« t'-fo to meet
'1.™.; and .,e,.dc.,, it will be safer for me to hold my eonf
t li
i !■
1**1
ffj»»f^"
Miiiilllll
ill
90
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
I
!^i
ence there than here ; for I do not wish to trust any of my
household with the secret that I have held communication with
a frigate of the enemy."
He was once more pacing anxiously up and down the sands,
sometimes, in his impatience, stepping into the very waves
which flowed about his feet. At length, after waiting full two
hours without seeing or hearing any signs of a boat, he deter-
mined to take a small boat that belonged to William Gardner's
lugger, and board the frigate. He got into it with one oar,
and shoving off, sculled himselx out into the bay. Nearer and
nearer he came to it, and even could make out the masts and
spars, when an unfortunate misstep in looking round, caused
him to lose his balance, in endeavouring to recover which he
lost llis oar. It darted beyond his reach, and in the darkness
it could not be seen, even if he had any way to make progress
towards it. He saw at once the peril and helplessness of his
situation. The tide was at its ebb, and the boat began to drift
seaward with its alarmed occupant. He rose, and shouted and
waved his hat to the frigate, but darkness and distance ren-
dered both signs of distress alike undistiuguishablc. Steadily,
irreversibly, wave over wave the little boat swung oceanward.
Fainter grew the outlines of the frigate ; fainter became the
square form of the villa on the distant cliff-top ; nearer drew
the ruined height of Beacon tower, and louder sounded, and
louder still, the moan of the surge on the outside. Mr. Field-
ing wrung his hands with despair ! He believed he should ho.
borne for ever away from all his wealth, from his daughter,
from life. As the boat drifted past the Beacon point, he ele-
vated his voice hoarsely, and called, witli almost frenzied
emphasis,
" Nan — good witch— good mother Nan ! Help ! help ! It
is rae — Mr. Fielding — me ! the Manager ! Oh, send and give
the alarm ! Tell William Gardner ! Tell Dirk Harder ! Tell
anybody to come after me I I will give a hundred pounds! I
THE rniaATE ra rs^ o„,,.„
I shall die of thirst! Gtrth;" , '"'' ' ^ ^'"'" "'""el
Imndred pounds! Help! Noonri ' ^'»' ^''''" have two
- asleep! Help! > Joy ! Hdn ' T T ^''» "^ -^-f ' She
The ground-swell now lifteT f " ,? '' . '■"•" !'"'»'' •'"
hroad baeks and teed It ,£ ^ ! f'"" '™' »" "■«■>
ing it farther from the land • CtTT' '""^ '"°™"><=nt send-
laces, in despair gazed round on he W T' "''' """" '"" >''«
far, far off heaven, heard, appILd ,t t T"' '"'^'^ ™ *''^
-■gos, and beat his breas rlif" ^r'""^ ""'' "' ""^
"% child! n,y goods! mvehl^T m^" """""*"■
™e! Bj morning I shall be nfilet I " ""' ''^'=»""' of
tl>e boat ! there was no, e n t wh 7""""" ""^'^ '^ '^""^ in
I' leaks! I shall sink! Merov ! ' ^°' '"'» " '' I"«*-'
merchant fell on his knees and'ratd S "^ *''^ ™'- '"^
all he could utter was that ZTT>^ '"^' '° ^V; but
fatens on, "Give me this dav »v ^ , K"^'" "™""^ """^t
Wed his face in his hands a^d lit '"""•' "» "-
'Mil
92
NORVEL HASTINGS: OR
;
li
CHAPTER TX.
Leaving the tory Manager drifting ocean-ward in his frail
bark, more helpless, with all his wealth, than the poorest
fisher's lad would have been in like circumstances, we will now
return to the villa and to David Cracklewood, in order to
explain his sudden appearance at the warehouse just before
dawn.
David, all unused to tablo indulgences, slept long and
heavily, slept until he had thrown off the effects of his bibous
indulgences, when with a stretch and a sigh he awoke, feeling
very badly about the temples, a little feverish and dizzy. He
nevertheless got to his feet, and tried to ascertain where lie
was. At first he believed himself in his counting-room, but
a moment's reflection brought to his mind that his last con-
sciousness was experienced, wine-glass in hand, in the little
back parlour of the Manager.
"I'm here noo then and nao meestake," he said audibly.
" This is unco wrang doings, IMuister Deevid Cracklewood, for
sic a respectabeel mon as ye are. Here I 've made a dai't
bcastie o' myscl', an' i' the Manager's own hoose. He's gano
aff to bed and left me to sleep aff my wine. It 's weel ashame'
ye ought to be, Deevid ! I '11 een get aff as easy as I can and
slip doon to the warehouse ! Wha kens what o'clock it niiglit
be ? I ha' left my watch, an" if I had it it's too dark to specr
the hoor. It canua be late, though. Here 's the window;
THE FRIBATE IN THE OPFtiXa. 93
»>.J I '11 }H dip oot and walk to the counting-room • and in
the n,ornn, tell Maister Fielding hi. south win^'af^
«ny for a weak North eountrie head like mine ! Ah, Deevid "
he added sokmnly, as he erawlcd out of the wiudo; "ye ha
iiiak yoursol' a brute beastie !" > J>. aa
When he got out he took his way straisht to the warehouse
h,.s steps qujekened by seeing from the stars that it must be
r "".'•"'f V""-? «■""• A^ t^ -me near the warehouse
e fanced he heard voiees, and this led him to hurry on fo
.s conse,e.ee smote him for being absent, and the idea of
.eves was eonneeted in his mind with the sounds he heard
le soon reaehed the yard, and found the gates wide open, ami
h ugh ,t was but star-light, yet his eye, familiar with al t
dota. s, saw the gaping vacaneies where had been piled 1
«rchand.se; and running to the grated piazza, a'nd finding
that empty and the warehouse doors open, and men on the
quay, and a boat near it, the dreadful certainty that the ware-
louse had been plundered while he lay sleeping the sleep"f
•he drunkard, overwhelmed his soul. Lifting up his vo ce he
gave utterance to the startling cry we have aLd'ed s h
'toon. H^ next act was to fly to the bell-rope and L L
«r'' tr ; ''?''°2 ^"f ""'' '"6''' ™^ ■'»"<! ^ven a^ the
, r ; , T ?.'"'""^'"^ '" S^^'^-S °"' of 'he river, and
■d towards the sh,p after its con,pa„ions. They all reaehed
" " safety, transferred their freight to the decks of the fri.
with Dir'k iff Tf f '""^' ™' "'" ^'"P -'t''''»« "-'""■.
» of 1 f' l>olmsn,an's side to direct ht eours
out ol the bay, moved seaward.
ar '.?""' ?'"r'''"S "■= »P'"i", who stood on
u bo distmguished from the dark masses of wood and eliff
'I mile distant.
113
94
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
"Yes. Our skipper has proved trustworthy! This will
make a noise among the Yankees, I guess. But what light
IS that V °
" It looks like a bonfire on the beach !" %
"No. It blazes up! It is a hut on fire! We can sec
the shape of it now ! The roof and door is in flames !" said
the quarter-master.
" Give me the glass, quarter-master."
The nobleman looked a few moments, and then exclaimed
with an expression of horror, — '
« There is a man in it burning up ! Call the first cutter'
Bring the ship to ! We will help him if we can."
Half-a-dozen glasses were levelled at the burn-ng cabin
the light of which shot up redly into the sky, and hashed fai^
over the water, reflecting its lurid ray upon the faces of all on
board; and showing, like a picture, every spar, rope, and
block m the ship, but with a wild, crimson flush.
" Let me see that spy-glass a minute !" said Dirk Harder
with a voice whose tones made them stare. He snatched'
rather than received, that which the officer of the deck held,'
and presented it for an instant to the blazing pyre. His fece
became pale, even in that red light; and, compressing his
lips, he muttered,
"It is the old man ! He has set the hut a-fire, and burns
himself up m it, like a madman as he is !"
"Why don't he run out?" asked an officer, whose heart
sickened as his glass revealed to him the horrible struggles
of the man in the flames.
" He is tied !" coldly responded Harder.
" Who is he ?" questioned half-a-dozen voices.
" Who is he ? My father I"
"Your father!"
"Drink has made him mad; so I chained him, to keep
him out of mischief. The old fool has got to the fire, perhaps,
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFTim. gg
audibly uttered, amazement; and the captain
»p:»:^i 1:;^ rtii::' r ''- '-''- "-^-^
heart made of ?- ° * "^^""^ mun, what is your
awaj from Jiim with disgust ^* ''^*'^" ^^^^^
Bhove him into hisLacI loluteV^^^^ T"'' "'
on board the ship 'H sink V' ^"^^~-^''' '"^''^ «"^''» a monster
The frigate had been brought to and ih. *. .
butthequarter-mi.tpr r^u , ' *^'^ ^"**^^ lowered;
- i<3 fey .as, the orde/fo ^irrTptroff ' "'' '""
tcrmanded, the yards hr,n„^ . ■ "f ,'" P"' off was coua-
Of the consumed Cttr^a^^nllntetro^/r =" '■"
dawn. Half a miln n»+ -^ r T ^^ °^ *^^ cominrr
".at his serl s w e : To::' .7°"' "'^^ «"'^- -«
Tte captain then calld M °! , "'' "' *" "^'^ ""^ «afe,
.HanV„eL":xt;: ^:t:icir:r'"
'Q the expedition. ^ fe «-" J^tep secret iiis agency
a«l'^":frri":aid" r/r^"' " ''™'«' ■™- ->-
state-roon,. ' '"' ^""^'^'f' »» ^^'^'^ ™s quitting the
"A¥hy?''
" To keep a hempen one froiu eluAing you !"
:l!.:l
^i!/|
IMAG£ EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT.3)
Ai
^ M^..
Aj^
fe^
Ui
&
1.0
I.I
1.25
^ 1^ 1 2 2
l^ lis llliio
1.4
1.8
1.6
Photographic
Sciences
Corporation
#/^
^>
iV
:\
v
\
lV
23 weST MAIN STRUT
WIBSTIRN.Y 1 4380
(716) S72-4}03
\
■' M
^
I
96
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
\-%
w
1
1 ^
vi
i li
ul
1
I^^H
|;
1^
*
^^^H
*■
H
1
1
Harder thre^ a glance of defiant rage at the speaker, and
if he had folloved the fierce impulse of his spirit, he would
have leaped upon him. But discretion tempered revenge at
such a time and in such a place. He left scowling and moody,
descended to his xebec, which was brought alongside, and
sailed away from the frigate, leaving behind him an impression
by no means flattering to his humanity, to his filial love, to
his patriotism, or to his moral excellencies.
The frigate filled away again, and laid her course with the
wind four points free on her larboard quarter for Halifax. The
xebec steered for the bay, the entrance to which it approached
just as the day broke, it Iiaving been yet quite dark when he
quitted the ship's side. Here the young man once more caught
a glimpse, through the obscurity of the morning, of the man-
gled body of the woman he had flung from the cliff". He shut
his eyes and shuddered. Then he thought of his father burn-
ing in the hut, whose writhing face he had clearly distinguished
tlirough the glass, but without being moved to pity or horror,
for hatred, not love, was the domestic element in which the
two had dwelt together ; and in his heart he was glad of h?s
father's death. The horrible manner of it made no impression
upon him.
" So, he '11 never trouble me no more ! He might as well
be dead as aHvc ! better too ! It was no hand o' mine ! He
must hhve dragged fire out as he has done before, and set him-
self a-fire ! He 's tried to do it before ! What is that ? The
old woman moves! She no! It is the wind blowing her
rags ! How my heart jumped ! Hark ! that is her ghosf I
hear behind mo !" ho chattered with fear, as a terrible cry— a
wail of despair — fell on his ears, and seemingly coming frmii
amid the dark, rolling waves astern. He looked furtively-
clasping the tiller nervously, could see nothing — yet he tliouglit
he couM ! He turned away his eyes, and again came borne on
the wind that fearful outcry ! It pierced to his inmo,«5t being!
THE raiOATE I.V THE omNa. 97
sts rr;';: tTi '"° ^ "°"-^-"'° -^-p.^ of
He stopped .rarrrlt;^^^^^^^ "''^^ -«<'^-
supernatural dread • and thn ° overcome with
the silent hour of tL darUi "' '"'""' ""''"' "'- "'
murdered eor,,o of the ' . ' ■"■^' ""'"^ ™ *''« ^o". «'<>
-■nd asif with life Uo st r .'" ''"'"' ""' ^"™'' ''^ «=„
wavc» in the hollow f tl t ti' "T^ ""' '"'"^ "'=""' "^ '''»
i'^ gloo,,^ tower, were noul t f "m '""^'"^ '"■» """
the hardiest and gniltLt ^1 ^2^ '""^ f^"'^''^'
»e..s to guide his boat, ho steered n to tft ^"^^^ ™"'"'''"^-
>"J>-of the witeh-wo„'an w^ o' ;'; to'Td"trrT "'''
"1!? up of the dnurn vn,r« 1 J i ■ ^ ' ""^ *^^ lighten-
v^A a„: tr e t:^^^^^ *•-•-%, '>is^ear.s
heod of expression. The sun dri """\^'''''™"=™'io ''«di-
i"t" the little pool InsteTof f, T "" '" '"" '"'^ ^'•■'»»
ofblackashesUy befo," hi . , , 'f n """"'""'"S '"ass
fi.e from the su^n-ks ll' ' ! "* '"'"'' ""''' '"'<' """gl't
oteso ti!^:t tC i„; Ht:-:i,:ir™™'r'' *- "'""
Jcca,ed eraft, had al 1 p^fs 'd T "^ ""^ ''''
l«*ga.ed from his .eb^H ' h ^ T;. ™'"'''«-«™-
i-tant a looh of sorrow pa s^'^er •,;:""«' T', "" ""
«ff, and pushiiiff ashnr,. ,„ i , , ^"' " P^^seJ
.1.0 rcma ns of hi h o'e o"f V","'," '"'" ""'' »^»'-'>
:;::^i-';t=;t= :f--
sf'cm iiff f,-» ,v,i; * ,1 ^xpussion ot hi.s eves
^"""g to mUieate rather reiri-or j.f fi.o t„ <• i . . "^
»-;.ed as it waMhan at tlXlti:''™ ■-""•'■'
-.^-ii^SnrxtiriV::;;:^^
-''-.. p. a..awin.he;,d"r,;:;::;i:!r;::;;r;x
ii
i.
98
NORVFX HAPTINOS; OR,
a better one ! I will lounge up to the villa, and see how mat.
ters stand after the night's business. But here come men
down the path ! They arc the farm workmen : I have no
fears of them ! Who knows my secret ! 1 will face them
boldly."
"Ah, Master Harder, this his been a strange night," said
the foremost, who yas habited like a farmer, and carried in
his hand a flail-handle. " Did they set your house a-fire too ?"
" Yes," answered Dirk, glad to grasp an idea that would be
opposed to any suspicion of his having participated in the
plunder of the warehouse. " They did not get enough, and
came for mine. They burned the old man up too I"
" The old man ! Burned ?" were the exclamations that were
uttered by the horror-struck farmers.
" There lie his white bones !"
The men gazed a moment, and then gave vent to their indig.
nant emotions.
." They have taken all the goods from the warehouse, and
Master Fielding is nowhere to be found ! Poor gentleman!
Master David thinks he hath gone mad rith his losses. We
are hunting him everywhere."
" Dirk," said William Gardner, now making his appearance,
" I am sorry for your loss. You mistake in thinking tlie
British burned it. I saw the fire break out, for I was up ad
looking out of the window, and at once came down; but it
was too late to do anything. Your father was already dead!"
"I saw you through my spy-glass " Dirk betrayed
himself before he was aware, and stopped short and coloured,
"What? Saw me? Spy-glass? I didn't know you ki
one ! Where were you ?"
" Where ? Well, if I must give an account of all my move-
ments, I will say I was out in the bay. I ran out to wakh
the motions of the frigate !"
nd see how mat-
here come men
len : I have no
. will face them
nge night," said
e, and carried in
ouse a-fire too ?"
3a that would be
ticipated in the |
^et enough, and
I too I"
lations that were
THE FRIGATE IN TI,e oFFim.
99
It IS of no consequence. T shlll
" You can Etaj at my moth.t ^'^ ««°iewheres «lse."
"William Jdner? r wt " r ^'"^ *"^— ^
, the hands of an^bod; ehe " an. T '* ^'^"^ ^^"^«> -or
I impatiently. ^ ^ ''''' ^"'^^^^^ ^^'t, coarsely and
William smiled and left hm, -.i
other, al« went away, sol L" ^ tl"' "'""''" "»'<'■ ^hc
'» «earch of the Manager, and otW. T^ "'""6 'ie b«aol.,
while othera went i.\ZdtZ.^'''''f«*^a,^to„er
eleven men who had boen aent out by Da vidr""'.!' '*'" "">''
•earch of Mr. Fielding. ^ "''™ Cracklewood, in
I'
II
« f 1
'■!l
his appearance,
n thinking (lie
>r I was up anil
3 down; but it
already dead !'
Dirt betrayed
t and coloured,
know you h\
•f all my move-
a out to wati'h I
100
.\0IIVEL HASTINGS; Oil,
CHAPTER X.
We will now take our readers back to the time on the
evening before, when Mr. Fielding left his daughter on the
cliff, and walked to the villa with Mr. Cracklewood, whom, as
we have seen, he afterwards made tipsy there.
Mary, having sent the pretty cockney after William, as we
have shown, remained for some minutes, thoughtfully gazing
m the direction which Hetty had taken. She sighed more
than once., and seemed sad at heart. Her eyes looked sea-
ward, and filled with tears.
"I fear that some danger has delayed him. He should
have been here, if successful in his mission, two days ago.
There are so many perils that this war throws in his patli,
He will sail hither at the risk of being taken ; for frigates arc
cruising about, and his vessel cannot cope with one of thciii.
But it is in vain for me to strain my eyes, to penetrate the
darkness that has settled on the sea I I must have patience!
Noble Norvel ! If thou knewcst how much I loved-Iiow
much I thought of thee— how like a woman I tremble for tli)
safety, thou wouldst feel flattered ! Yet thou knowcst it; I
have not hid my heart's secret from thee; nor thou thiuc
from me ! Wo are one ! In vain my pride would reason
...gainst my love for one so lowly ! Thou art lowly in nothing
but thy birth ; and that— who knows what that may be ! An
orphan— picked up at sea from a wreck, by the good-hoartcd
le time on the
lughtcr on the
food, whom, as
William, as wc
jhtfully gazing
e sighed more
cs looked sea-
niM PWGATE IN THE OWINO. ,0^
skipper, who adopted thee a<, I,;« =„„ . ,
birth k not equal to mFnt!. .'/""' ^'""" "»"' *hat thy
worthy widowVso IrruSr,' u ' "^'' """^ *«
calls thee, I should love 1 T 7 ™ ' '"" '""°*''^'' "« ^-^
what frankne., whalTe^j; 2 ;^'«'; S»o.o.ity,
courage, what humanity, what re ' Tf 1 «'"';"f'''''«'«. what
votioni And so noblXwl^Ttf/^r'r"^' '''''' ''"■
carnage ! Nay— nav ■ I am ^f • ^"""'^ '" "'"^ »■><!
'"^ fancy p,ay',„ J,{^] X„ ."^ «;7 into foUy, to let
Impatiently she waited forward and !d ^''^T""' '"
Bcacoa Head. But the •n^.^tfl '""'"'''' "'°
lersolf, and she returned !LT^ ?", "^'^ '•'""'"^'' her to
: rs n'-attr:" - r-^'^-'"^ wtf : !
in a true maiden's heart I.,,, V , """^ '" ^"^^ " P'^oe
- Hetty gained il, t: ht eCnalo M 'oT' f^""^"^'
, " Villiam is no't y„t eome^'i'-jl^^.t;^-;^! -"''6-
omd, ugly creature, that Pina i« i T k V ' ™' *
-«,f;ath, fearing he 'vasTuftTelld "^ ™' ^'^ ^^'^"'^^
ManC""at:!rTf1''f r^- "«'»^^''^-
«f fear or dislike in othl ^ .' "'^ ""^ indications
"Do you think such r^' . f" '''™" »"' »''°" «"ch."
lopiniou he don't fee no . ^"^'"'^ ""^ ^">^ ''' ^^ '» »y
V^here is William ?"
^^-^':^S;::^^^^ ^ooUherel
" They say Hettr 1 ^'' '''''' ^ ^^^^ it !"
%ue bLsf Y^ mun T ^'^^ "^^^^^ *^^ —
I you and William Cu ar TJd f" '' ^^ '^ '"'^^' '
''•^d self-willed." ^ ^''^' ^"^^ ^ ^it*i« ^vay ward
9*
'ii
i
102
NORVEL HASTfNOS; Oil,
** VilHam likes lue hall the better for it, Miss Mary. He
says it is vhat the salt is to the sea I That 's vot I call a werry
'andsome poetical himage. How nicely he sails his boat in !
He makes her turn round like a lady a valtzing, for hall the
world. If I can make him go to Lonnon vhen vib are married,
and set up a boat on the Thames, 'ow proud I should be o'
him I Don't you mean to go to Hcngland, Miss Mary ?"
"I don't know, Hetty. I should like to see my brother
George."
"He's been away from you so long you'd never know hira.
It's twenty years he has been in Hengland, isn't it, Miss
Mary?"
" He was born there twenty-two years ago, and has never
left it, unless he is now at sea; for my father had a letter
from him two years ago, that he was in the navy. I was born
here, you know, and have never seen him. I sometimes fancy
how he looks."
" He can't care for you much, or he would come to see you !"
" Father seldom hears from him. Kg is adopted by my
frihcr's brother the Earl of Fin Loch, and gives little heed to
liis American family. But there lands William. He will
soon be here. Let us wait for him — unless you choose to gu
and meet him !" '
" You say that to laugh at mo. Miss Mary I but I will go I"
And the light-footed maid bounded down to meet her sailor-
lover. In a few minutes she returned with him where Mary
stood.
" I am glad to see you back, safely, William. We feared
for you."
" You mean the British frigate !" said the sailor, smiliDg.
" They hardly notice such craft as mine."
" William, I want to speak wi^ '■. you ; come this way. Don't
be jealous, Hetty 1 Walk towards the house, I will follow."
Hetty obeyed, though casting many a glance backward at
her lover and mistress, as they talked in a low voice together
THE PBIOATE IN THE OfflWG.
108
. We feared
There is no danger, Miss Mary { he is too good a seaman
to be taken. Besides, do you know that I believe the Ameri-
can war-schooner that waa chased off by the frigate was Nor-
vel's vessel I"
"Do you think so V exclaimed Miss Fielding with delighted
surprise, which was instantly changed to an expression of
alarm. <'l could say I hope not; for the frigate may yet
capture her."
"No; the schooner has knowledge now of her presence,
and will act accordingly. I should not be surprised to see her
run in again during the night, and that you will see Norvel
before morning."
"Shouldn't youl But I hope he will not be rash. And
yet it may not be his schooner."
"I am confident it is. I was within four miles of it, and
it answers exactly the description he gave me of it: heavily
sparred, a very square mainsail, fore and main gaft topsails,
two jibs and foresail across, with her maintopmast full ten feet
higher than her fore."
" If I was only sure !"
" Well, we shall know by to-morrow. I wish he could have
got here a day sooner, and then we could have had the guns
mounted on the cliff in front of the old Beacon, and with the
six twelves he is to bring, we could keep a frigate from entering
the bay, as we could fire right down upon her decks with grape.
I don't much like the looks of this English frigate so near us."
" It is therefore I have sent for you to ask you to keep up
to-night, if you will, and watch. It is barely possible they
may come ashore to the villa, in which case I should depend
on you to give me timely warning, that I might take horse
for a safer place."
"I will keep watch; I promise you I will not sleep."
" And also look out for the schooner, should she run in
towards the land in the night.
1
If
I
104
NORV L HASTINGS; OR,
oJlVp!;f "n ^,7: ^^"^ '^^ I ^^» keep our four ejcs
Thanks, good William, thanks ! I will t.u v i r.
kind you are. Now good-night P ^ ^^" ^" ^^^vel how
"Let me spoak a word with Hetty "
danger, .l,omU Xl'^7^' "™ ™°' " ""''' »«»'-'
Miss Fielding soon overtook the lingering H„». j
«cord it, but let it pa^s into the ICLT^jJt "'" "°*
tender tSte-ik-fSles have been buried w'n ^°^ '" ""^"^
at the gate, and went to !„t J '"™ P"'"'*'' fr"" tw
Rpa. of the dutr erd ;ite":^7':,'' "I"" ''"'^' »"
Mary Fielding, trustin^tlwMr^ "'°'" *" '•"" '^'gi^t.
^ent <; her root T^ffts^"; «"<'■'"■« f-'i'W^Iwafch,
the night; but onlyln nartL J' "PP^""'"'-, retired fo
moment she might fi" S,' ZT' " "'•''^' """ "» »"?
W Through the X*:; t'a/r°?' T' ^"
the events that transDir»d T P' mdisturbed by
rising when they awXt leL ITr""'' ^ "-^ ™" J^'
piUagel by the frigate's boated »!. • ''"''"'""' •""* ^"^
Harder in the Uam'e s „ «; oChnf T^ IT ?" "^ H"*''
immediately sought by her bit ,1 '^"""' ' '■'""° ™
her that he m-t^ave'het^tLd ^^"'^.7;''°-^
wood was nearly beside himself at oL fl ^ f'"' *''^'''<'-
known to him what had happened ffi, j"^ . '"■' *" ■"'"'°
alarm, and seareh was n.ado Tfet abo! t^t'" t'* ""^
more extended ran?c Bv ^,V1,7 ' > ? . " """' *''™ «" »
with s„eh weapons' as Zytrnttf^T'"""''""^'
=tdts^-rrE^-i-s:h^e^
i>--owveLredt:rrrttrhXr.r:.t-
the frigate
THE PRIOATE IN THE OFilNO.
Hetty stoutly asscvcra
105
I prison (
hopinfon tl,o Creole, Pedro, had m„rdercd 'i,. and '« 'i, bod,- i'-
pre e" aL " ", '"'''°''"^" *" ""'^ ^^P'-^'""' »" ''»''■•'' '-
present, and was qa.te as much distressed at hk master's ravsto-
n „a d.sappearanee as anybody. William Gardner hadipt
£.Uhf„l wa.=h all n,ght, and had seen the frigate enter the bay
bu as at was too far and too dark to dis-eern the boats that lef fe;
and eame o her, he did not suspeet her „r ,et in anehoring
supposing that morn.ng would reveal it. Kpa, who had bee°
watehmg from .he Beaeou for the sehooner, which William
ad led h.m to believe contained his beloved master, had seen
he frigate go out just before day, and the xebec quit her in
he offing and stand in. It was too dark for him at first to
distinguish the xebec, but as she eamo nearer, and with the
growing dawn, be knew her to be Dirk's ves.,el. This faet he
r he :7" ' -Jn T' *"''«'' "»' '"' ""- ">» -'"View
of the latter with Harder over the ashes of his father.
rhat man then piloted her in and out, for I saw him
l::t \T 71'" ""'"'""■' ^^'"'-»«"ducrwith ind,>
iicitiou. "I will ha^'e my -^ i "
He knew from Hetty tha' ' „„.„ ^ ^
JI...S i lelding refused to lis u addresses, and ho
now strongly suspected that . ,„ ;„'j^„
I"ge of the warehouse. But, for tu„ .our, he kept his sus-
picions to himself. > f- "'s sus-
Leaving the dwellers at Ficldiog Manor to renew their
fruitkss search the country-folk for leagues around to arm
and hasten to the scene of the outrage, Mary to suffer at the
prolonged absence of her father, David Craeklewood to walk
rom the house to the warehouse and back again like a dement-
ed man, Duk Harder to putting his xebec in repair as if for
r-mc cruise in prospect, with Pipa, unseen, watching all his
movements, we shall leave the land, and once more place our
readers at sea, on the deck of an armed vessel.
i),,
I
#1
mmmm ^m
KOBVIL IIASTINOS; OH,
CHAPTKK XI.
It w<« about four o' clock in the aftomoou of the day «l.icl.
follovred the p.Uagc of the wareho-ase, that a schooner of about
one hundred and eighty tons burden might have been .een in
that v-,rt of Massachusetts Bay which is south of the ooast
of Mame. She was painted blaclj with a red stripe or ).ead
runnmg rou.d her waist, and pierced for eight guns; but -.he
and the tenth a long brass Spanish swivel which carried a
SK-ponnd ball, ngged upon a ^ivot on the taffrail. The form
of the schooner was very beautiful to a naufcal eye. and the
rake of her masts had the peculiar, bold inclinationa.t, tha.
pleases a man-of-war's man. Her yards were painted black
^nd very square, while her mainsail, as the tars say, "spread
an acre of canvass." ''' ^
She has the wind from the south-west, blowing an easy six-
knot breeze, and her course is dne north, the direction, twcntv
miles distant, of Ficldinff's Rav A Uk™ i, »i ■ , ™'""'y
a " «!t v„.,,1.. f'"^/. ^*y- Although the wmd was but
a SIX ^n ,eter for an ordinary craft, yet the schooner got full
«ven out of it by carrying everything alow and aloft.^ Her
Jib, .oresarl, squaresail, topgallant and royal, her mainsail,
^f'.^Hl'T •°''"""''""'^'''^'="'P'"^'«'"<''Ji"8-«-l,wero
set and all drawing. She was evidently doing her best to
make speed, and gallantjy she moved along^ashifg th set
! i!Ws fro^ her sharp bows in high crests of spray. The sky
'^^*iL«iiiM^«
^ss.a'.^.-^ ai'^i.wfcs'im
.• './
THE FRIOATB IN THE OPFINO. JOT
wts clear, the ae'K bluo an^ ♦^i^ vi
m 3ight save a smn'l ,,,« i , ^ "^^ vessels were
and t capo coJJ t' r.orh r'" '^ '""'' "' '^ ^"^^
Ti^e inside of *d ^zz\::u':: "tT" ^'''-'■
so thae wLen tie eight poH. I 0^0™ open t ' "™"'""''
a onlhant row of scarlnf c ^ ' t^iej presented
There were at Ct Z^TZ" K "r ''"'""' ^P"""-
wkom wore forward uf^ mil '^' ""^ ^^' P"^' «f
looking eve. the side , sle t^^i^""',"'"'', '"»«»« »d
'alining, others at work onThe riS' 1''"« """'^ '"»» '''«'
dressed as seamen, some as LS» fr "' ° 7 ' '"''"' "^^
a varied and not nninterest ngstht ' „' ' '"'' P"=^»""«
'0 behold the interior of a "it'lV T """"""''"'"'''
were four or five men mn=,i '^"'^ ^ ""ateer. Amidships
-her from th^ ^Z7tZZ%:l7:Z' '" "" "«-'''
from any outward badge, save on of th^ u'' ''^' """"
button on his cap and aVulrnlvL ^'et ^r " ""'"
were al! smoking, one of th.^m h.A . "'" P^"^"'
and one had a chart soL^!^ , ^ " T«^''' » '"'^ hand,
was examining ^ °'" "I""' '''^ '^P'ton, which ha
On the quarter-deck were h.if ik,
steersman. One of these wL« 1 ? '"'"'"'' ^'"''^'^ *^^
with anehor-buttons ^d an"^W I "'''"' '" " ""o ""a*.
was gray. He was pacin. u„ a.l'*''"''"' "" ""^ ''«=«'' "tieh
the deck, with a ta^K^a J ""^ '\ '"'""'^ ^'^^ "^
wMeh, from time to ti^t \ ruT^n '^^^^^^^ ''' ''™'
sweep the horizon .vith it. His connf ^ ^'^ ''^''' •""•
.'.»mo«^-was bluff and weafh rrat^r/rr,^^"^-
pearance was that of an "oM In ' *"' "'">'« ap-
th-t of second lieutenant the 7 '"""■ ^'" «""= ™^
eutenant. The next person to bo descnl«d,
BHOBH
108
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
1*1'
was a man much younger than this one ; tall and angular,
with a shrewd, business look, and the air more of a trader
than a sailor. His dress, too, was of the fashion of the shore,
rather than of the sea; consisting of a narrow-brimmed white
beaver hat, much worn, a ..fvallow-tailed blue coat, long in the
skirts, strait gray trowsers, yarn stockings, and shoes tied
with leather thongs. His hands were stuck in his capacious
pockets; and ho walked up and down the deck, whistling,
with his thoughts plunged deep in calculation. This pcrsou-
age, whose outer man so little harmonized with the deck of an
armed vessel, was the chief owner of the privateer; and sailed
in her as a sort of supercargo, and miscellaneous assistant to
the captain. This superior officer we have yet to describe.
He is standing on the weather-side of the quarter-deck,
near the main-stay; his elbow resting on a gun— his attitude
careless, yet firm. His age is not more than three or four
and twenty. His figure is tall and noble in its carriage, and
the expression of his fine face is that of united courage and
calm resolution. His dark, hazel eye beamed with a quiet
light, soft as the dark eye of woman. But the niunly eleva-
tion of his features, the firm and determined compressurc of
the well-cut mouth, took from the face all eflfeminacy. It
was altogether bold and manly, and strikingly handsome.
Ho was attired in a simple roundabout jacket of blue cloth,
with a gold strap upon the left shoulder, white sailor trowsers'
with a black silk scarf knotted loosely about his neck. Ills
foot ana hand were small, and remarkably elegant in form.
His eyes were fixed steadily upon the northern horizon, wilh
an expectant gaze.
"We must be pretty well up with the coast by this time,
" said the gray-hoaded lieutenant, touching his hat, as ho
addressed the youthful captain.
" Yes. We shall mn th(^ WnMoTmr-n Tinio iw.r^,.- *r-^
bells," answered the captain, sending a keen glance into (ho
Bir;"
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPFJNO. JQg
clear, we should see the land " " "^^
cap...s..„,„d,eic;:;tr^^^^^^^
great p.ty we couldn't have found the LIS\„, l'
a good lookout there Jlffl" *^ """""' "^ '"''• ^eep
yard ' ^^"""'^ " ^"™<' fr""" "- fore-topgallant
" Ay, ay !" came from the forecastle in a strong anH „».„
response, „s if every soul was alert to wateh Sd „r f^
The schooner now came up with the mackerel-catcher whth
^as dancng up and down, with her naked mast roekiStI and
fro «ith the motion given to it by the rolling sea It 2!.
a man and a boy. The captain' sprang ilX ri C™'
"Hiiiohr
" How long have you been out?"
"Throe days."
colt;^ Nor r'?*^1 '^'' "'"^ '" ' ^^'- ^^'^^ '"•g^^t have
come 1,0m Neptune's chest. « But I hhw v^«- ^ -
American
m
Boston.
frigate steering sou'-by-wost,' as if
going into
I'd
Sil
10
no
NORVEL HASTINGS t OR,
"Yos, yes! We met that same vessel-of-war yesterday,
and have been cruising in search of her, but without finding
her again. We saw yesterday a British frigate off Fielding's
Bay, and were fired into by her, for we stood close to her,
supposing her to be the same American ship we had seen in
the morning. We escaped, and have been after our own fri-
gate to let her know there is an enemy on the coast, but falling
in with a coaster, he has run for Boston with the news. If
you should see her, tell her the British frigate is a 44, and
was last seen at five yesterday, four miles south of Fielding's
Beacon."
" Ay, ay, sir ! Why bless me," added the old fisherman,
with a recognising smile, " isn't that Master Norvel ?"
" Yes, my good Denny."
<* Ib that a privateer ?
''Yes."
" If you aint full, let me and Josh go with you ? I am an
old man, but I can fight !"
" Well, we shall be in the bay a couple of days to make
up our crew, and if you run in, we '11 see." The schooner
had by this time passed beyond hearing, and the next moment
the cheering cry rung out from the main cross-trees,
" Land ho !"
" Where-away ?" demanded Norvel Hastings with a happy
lighting up of the eye.
" Right ahead ! Beacon point bears one point, one point
\>>
open
" Do you see any sail ? Look sharp, all eyes !"
"No, sir!"
Norvel, not satisfied, took a glans and mounted to the fore-
topgallant yard. From this elevated position, ho could sec
the blue land stretching along in an irregular line for many a
league. With his glass to his eye, he could^ make out the
Beacon and the white front of the villa, though so distant
*^44.
;h 80 distiuit
THE FRIGATE IN THE OPriNQ. ^
pictured the form of Marv FielZ ! , ' ! ' '"^agination
was impatient with the wind nnH K. ■'^'\^^^^<^d *or wings,
r u Lut wind, and he seemed to think his vr^a
Briti u 4/h' r ," *'"'^- ^ ''"'''' '''" "bout fighting »
liiitisu 44 the first cruise out in the < Bnvt f,,.j iir , ^
Bhort-handed at that !" -Daik-Eyed Mary,' and
•'That young captain of ours, Mister Longhead, is everv
inch a saijor, and knows Imw *^ «^ 1 ' ^
head l.ad tw^ot, y'ZZo'Zl PZ^ZX Td' r""
tenant in an „„de, tone to the aupoU;: " "" '""■
J hat ho does I I knew what I was about when I nut him
... eapta,„, though the other two owners ohjeeZd an! so d"
ome the men on board, beeauso he was young But 1'™
-eon .s .amanship before, when I went pLn^er w'rhi^
«-';"S::t::..^"''""'"''^^''-«''''^'--^°-
in rri" ""i^!^! '"■t'"'"- "■- «-. "( course, ftwai
-.. -.,..., „»,;wna, 1 took .ijh a liking to our captain
■.tre. We had a pesky storiny
time of it, and l
c was on deck
112
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
doing his dutj, storm or dark, at all hours. It seemed to me
he never got a wink o' sleep from the time we was off Cape
Cod till we run in past the Moro Castle; if he did, it was
on his feet. Then we were chased by pirates, and would have
been captured if he hadn't worked his vessel so skilful to
windward as to come the weather gage over 'em, and leave 'em
out o' sight to leeward. He saved me that time my goods,
worth ten thousand dollars, and perhaps my neck ! Look at
him, calm as he sits astride that to'gallant yard : he is a per-
fect lion for fighting. In Matanzas, one of his men — for you
know he commanded a trading schooner for the rich Squire
Fielding, and run regular to the 'St Indies— one of his men
was thrown into the calaboose. lie wouldn't go without him,
for ho knew he had done nothing wrong, and as the authorities
wouldn't give him up, why he took his crew and the crews of
four other Yankee vessels, and led them on, broke open the
calaboose, tied the guards, and released his man."
" A brave fellow !"
"Aint his equal nowhere. So you see when this war
broke out, I detarmined to fit out a privateer, as I was think-
ing who I should get as captain, I met him on Long Wharf
in Boston ; That's my man ! said I ; so offered it to him. Ho
said 1 c would give me an answer in a few weeks, in full tinit!
before I should have the schooner ready for sea. So four
weeks ago he sent me word he would accept, and ten days afro
he comes up and tells me he is ready to take command, liut
he said that I must let him take on board some of his young
friends in Fielding's Bay, who want to try their fortunes with
him ; for no doubt hundreds would fojlow where he would
lead !"
" I am willing to for one, for I liked him from the first,"
responded the honest old lieutenant, bringing his haid hand down
upon his knee with an emphatic slap. " But what arc iLcsc
guns stowed away in the hold for ?"
^^^^^^^^^A^iZZ^^^,
THE FRIGATE IN THE OFFING. Ug
bay Through my influence, government has loaned them to
hmi for the purpose.^' ^ '^
^' You have a good deal of influence, Mr. Longhead ! People
say you are a very rich man." •»"• -reopie
"Poor, sir ! poor ! If I were rich I should not be ri. W
my life out to sea in a privateer! Pogr sir "' ^
"Why, you own nearly all this vessel, pay nearly all the
... V for not twenty are regular prize-sharers) ; and this take
a goou ueal of money. If I owned the schooner I should fee
confounded rich I I hope I shall get prize-money enough in
fmtrw^ "" "'"'"^^'^^- ' ^'^"^ '^ ^- -^ '- on
"You sailors are always wishing for a farm ! J never had
a captain sail m my employ that didn't intend one day to quit
the sea and huy a farm." *
"I suppose the storms of the sea make us covet the repose
of tiie country. But here comes the captain to ihe deck. No
irigatc, sir ?"
"No. She has left p«»haps to watch for vessels running
into the Kennebec or Penobscot. The wind seems to lull
i oar a hand there forward, and taut haul the fore halyards
alow and aloft. Make every stitch of canvass do its work in
drawing ! Keep full !"
" Full.and-by," responded the helmsman ; for the wind
had hauled, and the schooner was having the wind less free
than at first; so that she had to oe braced full three points.
The land now loomed grandly in the northern board, and
began to show its details of hill and vale, cliff and beach
llie opening of Fielding's Bay was visible from the deck-
and with the glass, the villa could not only be seen, but it^
columas were revealed distinctly to the eye. Norvei's keen
■ ""^^ cuumtiu lo mane out, through the spy-glass, the
form he believed was upon it.
10*
-
114
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
^'That mackerel-boat astern, with the old man and boy,
seem resolved to catch us i But they lie to the wind a point
closer than we, and will make the land a couple of miles to
windward Ox the bay."
" The old man dwells in a cove that distance from the bay,
Lieutenant Breeze," said Norvel, casting an eye astern at the
boat, which was stretching more to windward than the
schooner, and about half-a-mile astern. While his eye was
upon her, he saw her sails flap in the wind, and then saw her
tack, stand a few minutes on the opposite course, then luff
and come to.
" They are picking up something," said Norvel, levelling
his glass.
*' It is a man, sir," cried one of the young officers that were
idling about the capstern, and who also had his glass levelled
at the mackerel-catcher.
"Yes J it is a man they are dragging out of the water,"
said Norvel. « He seems dead. They have got him in."
" Can we have lost any person overboard ?" inquired the
supercargo. ^
" No. They are not in our wake, but full a third of a mile
to windward of it," answered Norvel. "The man is not
dead; he raises his arms. I can see planks, or a raft Le
was floating upon, alongside the mackerel-boat. He must be
some shipwrecked sailor, who has kept himself afloat."
« Perhaps some man knocked overboard from the British
frigate, in the squall, yesterday," observed the quarter-
master.
"That is it," answered the lieutenant. " The frigate lost
her top-gallant yard, and no doubt, one of her people went
over with it. Poor fellow; ho has had a long float of it ! I
once was two days floating on a hatch, in the Bay o' Biscay,
before I was wached ashore 1"
man and boj,
he wind a point
iple of miles to
e from the bay,
ire astern at the
ward than the
ile his eye was
d then saw her
•urse, then lufF
orvel, levelling
BScers that were
s glass levelled
of the water,"
;ot him in."
" inquired the
third of a mile
10 man is not
I or a raft he
He must be
afloat."
Dm the British
the quarter-
16 frigate lost
r people went
float of it I I
Bay 0* Biscay,
THE rewATB m THt Omso. 1J6
<"•- Keep ,.. ; t.XS'™''"''' "" '""
The last words were addressed t/,1 .
gett.og his duty in ,i, euri„r„ look err""' """' '"'■
down Leaving her to n,ako herCvt i" V ° '"" ''™'
Aniencan flag aloft, we will r,,.^^! '" ','"' ^J' «"> the
ers onee more on the land "■' ""'' P'"™ <"" >^a<i-
wmsmmm
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
CHAPTER XII.
The day had passed at Fielding Manor in the greatest
excitement. The continued absence of Mr. Fielding was
unaccountable, save with the suspicion that he had either been
murdered, or fallen from the cliff, or been carried away by the
English frigate. The search, which was carried on under the
direction of William Gardner, resulted in tho discovery of the
" witch-woman Nan's" body, mangled at the base of the cliff.
This horrible event was not calculated to dispel the gloom that
settled on all minds ; though it was supposed her death had
been accidental. The mind of Miss Fielding was heavily
oppressed with the circumstances that involved her, and she
wished for the presence and counsel of Norvel. A hundred
times in the day did she search the horizon with her eyes for
a sign of his coming. At length, about an hour after we
introduced the reader on board of the schooner, she discovered
it coming in from sea. Doubtful whether it were the vessel
she was looking for, she sent for William and placed tho spy-
glass in his hand. His nautical eye at once recognised the
schooner he had seen the day before in the offing.
" And do you think it is his ?" she asked with thrilling
earnestness.
" I am sure of it now, or why should she come back again?
1?..!^/->«^^K. r.V.n -^ _X_ X^ 1._ Xl. - 1 11.1 1 .
^Mixxvu^ij cue wuuvB iKj iiiuiiu iuu uiijf ana waai scuooaer uuc
Norvcl's is looked for here V
he greatest
ielding was
either been
fiway by the
Q under the
3very of the
of the cliff.
! gloom that
• death had
vas heavily
er, and she
A hundred
ler eyes for
ir after we
i discovered
e the vessel
ed the spy-
)gnised the
ih thrilling
jack again?
iuooner but
THE FRTOATE IN THE OFFINO. H;
poor^Ir";; ^'' *''' ' "'^^ "^* ^ disappointed!" My
poor father! The mystery that hangs around him overwhelms
Die! borne one told me Willinm ti.,. • , "'•"°""'
" Yes but "I, ;j '""™' *•»' you uussod youi- skiff."
Mil M^Xl;:::!"""" '° ^"^ "■= '"'-- "^ '"0 *,-ff,
'' Spe^k out !"
" Why, then, as your father can't bo found rvn fl.n v.i
...y ...rjr disappeared laat night, it .^JZlT^r^^ZZf
some that he is safe on board the frigate "'
awakened for his hfe was darkened by the refleetion that sueh
saty would have been purchased with infamy to his name
"It cannot be! No, no!" "■» name.
"I told the people so; but they shake their heads. As f,.r
Master D„-,d, he is very angry at the thought, and win „„
hear it spoken of before him."
mZlftr""' V™""' ''"'"'"^ "-y '■''"'" f™"> «■«'''*"»-
p.mn as this you hint at. If he is on board the frigate it
■s by foree he has been taken ! Your skiff might hie drifted
away Master Gardner," she added with some severit;.
It IS true, though I fastened it well "
ance. His eool judgment, his eourase and l,l« ,.„el. i.....
than spoken. « Does not the vessel move very ..Iow>"
■an
118
NORVEL iiastinor; or,
"No. She walks in fast,'* answered William. "When I
first came here I could only see the lift of her foresail, now I
can see her hull. This breeze will bring her in an hour."
With the deepest interest they stood and watched the
seemingly slow advance of the now clearly defined vessel.
T)ie sun set, and she was yet four miles off; but the twilight
Avas bright and long, and they could see her as plain as before,
approaching nearer and nearer, with the American flag flying
at the peak. The men were at length visible on her decks.
Her guns could be counted. AVith a swift- and stately move-
ment she entered the strait of the bay, disappeared a few
moments to their eyes behind the Beacon, and then reappeared
within the bay. Nearer and nearer she drew to the anchorage
below the villa, and just as the twilight was deepening into
the starry night, she dropped anchor within a hundred fathoms
of the shore — so near the view of those on the cliff" uiat they
could look down upon her decks.
Mary's heart beats violently as she sees a boat leave the
schooner's side, and in the obscurity of the shadows upon the
water fly shoreward. She sees one person leap to the land,
and then flies to the villa — flies from meeting him whom she
had so long been yearning to behold.
* Bid him come to me ! I cannot meet him here, Hetty !"
she had said to her maid as she left the cliff.
JPardly had she reached the villa when a rapid and well-
known footstep was heard behind her. The next moment
Norvel Hastings had all ^e loved dearest on earth clasped to
his joy-beating heart.
*'0h, Norvel, Norvel ! Now that you are here I am strong
again ! But in what affliction have you found me !"
" I heard it briefly from William, who met mc as I landed
and came along with me to the gate. This is most extraordi-
nary news I"
" But my father — my dear father ?"
THE PRroATE IX THE OFPIXO. „q
It IS mysterious. Tell mo «ii i
i» preoioua when there tZZu f"? T"- ^'*'^ """»^»'
SCO l,im last ?" ""'°'' '" ^" ''™<' ' When did you
of ^he frigate Z Srnt^ZlT^V-:^' ""^ '^^P^^'"-
came in, and also Dav d 0"'^? ,W,llmm Gardnernow
wiat the, had witnessed '^™""="°'"J- ^''^«= bo't related
"There is nae doot he is t-,',>n „>•
mi David, shaking his heJ^ afo hfT" • ''^■""= ^"S-"*^'"
"Ech! Maister Norvel r It ,. , "^ S'™" ^''' "''<"»""•
hundred thonsan- dolls' allM"'^ ''"' '" "' »"= Ain
stark dead at the foot'o' tj- °"''^ ""<''' Namie foond
<.er hnrned Uke a ^ inli;!:: L^ ' ^d"""™ ""'■
™oann.e doings, ,ou„g Maister wZlasl!:; ^T^^' -»"
the grounds of his suspieions P'"°'='''''' *" fe'™
patching as if he e.peeted toXtt otg"^ '''''•" "^
Pipa ! How goes uXT^y'lm;^ "' ""-• ^^' - '"^
ve "feSf hSj a^dtC"; 1- 7^™^^ "^^
of dJight at seeing him again ^ "''""' """"""^
" ^''Pa; where have vou left HinTor 9" j
"Loftee going, wa.^ him tttk | M~ ,^f"«™-
- me eomee quiekee tellee Dirk him go - "'" ^"^
„.!'':'' IV!!"'' '' '« '«' '0^'! Mary. I wi„ h„ ,,„. ... . ,
her went
your
fua
((
If h:
board. If he is not 'there-
I'e hfi ifl t^nn.l I'*
e is not there he is dead !
120
NOUVEL IIARTINaS : OR,
"No— (lo not give way to despair, Mary! I will stop this
Dirk Harder, and learn of him what he knows."
He left her and hastened to tJic beach. The xebec was
viHibIc making her way out of the bay. In a few minutes
Norvel was on the deck of the schooner.
"Is the rigging clear of tho starboard guns?" he quickly
demanded of the gunner.
"All cIcHr, sir!" responded the gunner with a look of
surprise.
"Stand clear of the guns, men all!" he shouted through
his trumpet. "Now bring tho forward gun to bear on that
xebec you see scudding out of the bay !"
" All ready, sir I"
" Fire ! but over her !"
The gun spoke loudly, and eclioing among the cliffs,
sounded like prolonged thunder. Norvel kept his glass on the
xebec. She kept on, bearing away more, as if determined to
escape.
" Starboard, bear upon the boat !"
" Heady, sir !" responded the gunner.
" At her masts— //-c .'"
With his night-glass at his eye, Norvel watched the effect
of this shot. It carried away both masts low with the deck.
" Man the second cutter."
In less than a minute, it was ready to obey the will of its
master. "Pull for the xebec. Board her, and bring the pri-
soner on board. Pull in shore, to cut him off, should he be
swirari;:ng from her to make the laud. Cheerily, men !"
The lieutenant took command of the cutter, and was soon
far from the schooner with her. Norvel sav/ him board the
xebec, and then impatien v paced the dect until the boat's
return. It at length reached the schooner, bringing Dirk
Harder a prisoner, wounded and bound. He was laid on
deck, and Norvel approached him.
" Harder, you arc known to have boarded the frisrate tho
THE PRIOATE IN THE OPFINO. j^l
night before she camo intn fl.n k„ i
'lawn. The inftron „ "tW > ""'' T"^ '""'' *» '«"o «t
"I kno.v nothing about hhn Twt, o't"' °", '"'•" ■"
.uwto.„.ton,_,,„„,,r;:-^--2:
»l;all tun. ,ou over to ti.o -awt "■ ho . r'" /T'""- '
will bo c-oudcmncd oi- ac„mtl,.,l „ .1 ^ "'^'" y™
whether Mr. Fielding waT " "oar7 , , '' "'"' " ''"' ■"""'
the anxiety of-of hldlUht", " ' ^" ""'' "' '"■"' '" -'--
p"™:^^:;:i±::^:;,r'^~-»-
"Send him below 1. I, k ,i ^ ' ""^w™'' Non-el.
g"" crgalod 1" ,"rr'-'«^ "P™ ^^»rvcl that the
^ fc-'fetot-a iiun, Without orders to do so
i.avo t:,d iT.T:''' '' '" ,'"'.'' ■'-" » l"-^, na;dor would
for him ab ■ ""'■" ^"^Pi^'^^^- Wo mu.,t l„„l,
™r. tracUewood, ,n the greatest exeiteraont."
122
NOftVEL HASTINGS; OR,
" Some new evil I" exclaimed Mary, as she caught the ex-
prcssion of the Scot's countenance. It was eloquent with
amazement and indignation. He held open papers in his
hand, and came bu.-sting into the front room like a catapult.
" Sec ! sec these ! Wha would have believed it ! Treason
and treachery ! Edi, sirs ! ech. Miss Maree ! Wha would
ha' thought it; an' sich a douce gentleman, and sich a fair
daughter, to mak a traitor o' himsel !"
"AVhat have you discovered? Who do you speak of?"
demanded Norvcl.
''Speak of! ye may weel ask that, man! Ye '11 ne'er
believe it ! But here 's the pappers ! It 's all out, now. It's
easy tell'd where your father is now. Miss Marie, puir child !"
" Where is he ? Explain your words, Mr. Cracklewood !"
" Read these pappers I Read this letter, Master Norvel ! I
say nao mair ! Read baith o' ye ! Judge for yer ainsel' ! My
opinion I Im' speered at ye ! Oh, that I should ever live to
see sich a fall !"
Norvel had already taken the copy of the first letter which
Mr. Fielding had addressed to Admiral Parks, and was reading
it with looks that expressed his emotions at the facts it was
unfolding. He then read the reply of the Admiral, and .udccl
with the perusal of the "1 rotection." Until he had finished
the third paper he did not open his lips. He then thrust them
into Mary's hands with " Read, read ! know the worst !" and
.sitting down, covered his eyes with his hands to press back
the tears hat rose into them. David Cracklewood's face did
not soften from its severe and indignant expression. ;Mi.s.s
Fielding read, almost blindly, but still read through to the
last word the papers Norvel had placed in her hands, and tiioii
stood like a statue of marble, with a white cheek and fixed
eyes, stunned by the blow.
«' Oh, it— it cannot be !" she at length hoarsely whispered.
^< Yet these do not lie I"
caught the ex-
1 eloquent with
I papers in hia
ike a catapult.
5d it ! Treason
! Wha would
and sich a fair
ou speak of?"
! Yo'll ne'er
out, now. It's
ie, puir child !"
racklewood !"
ster Norvol ! I
3r ainscl' ! My
Id ever live to
st letter which
nd was reading
he facts it was
iral, and <'udcu
le had finished
in thrust them
3 worst !" and
to press back
rood's face did
ression. Jli.ss
irough to the
inds, and then
cek and fixed
dy whispered.
'"'" '^'""^ W THE omNO.
Thoj lell all the sad Wo, Marv " . v. «
Wr and endeavouring to coJonZ' Ty ^7?'' «"'"£ *-
been robbed I He hm himseltZt \- ^""^ ^^^" ^^ "ot
i" ".c frigate with them i" ^"^ ""^ 6°'«'» """^ and left
^02:1..'""''"'"'°' '''-'■''''•' T^itortwo-fold, Iti.i,
;;Do«btIes, he w„, ,„„, ,„
1 Will never obey him f"
" Henceforth, then, dear INr.rv •
your protector I" "'^^ «"'^ *« "»c the right to be
"I have no other, Norvol T ,u ■
'»vcd .no, he could uotZl'JZZ" T'^'l """"^^"''cr
" How did you come . ' ™""'.'»"'y have left ,„e r-
l'«via?- as JC-e! '""""'" "' '^-« '-="-, Master
M»' Ma.y, he „,ed often to Teat ?• '' S"""' *■"'• ^'-' >""'>
«■« like for ,„e there when In ^ ""'"' ""^ "'■^"'^ «ud
,j*rwou,dioou:t: ri^Ln'T-rz-r^^^^^
; I gave him for the pl„ee I bou7h t„ t ,e " ""''""K"
md pounds." ^ ' '" "'<= """"in' o' ton thou.
"Bought what place?"
"The Manor, Miss Marv T
''"■•«»d pounds for it, as he said "he T 1""' """""« '«''
h^ui by retire fron, Uincss 1 rT " "°" '''""''
'■;^eodal, proper and, e;:r4i.r«' ""^ "^^^
„j^°''» "-nor of Fielding Ma,L?"
J' IS true. Miss Mary "
h » H'gar . I give y „ ^r ir T".™ ' ''•'"•"'' ^™ «"^
"iVce, Mary ! Vour JefV '"'«°' ^°'' »'» f"" •'
^»' what you sL ! T ". f"!!. ''"! ''^"°'"'«' J •• ' You know
";■" possible, I ,„;, ;; : :z'zrir ' *"' *•'"' '^ "
'»"".cart-your,ove,'M„ry, tMs ral,'":^^ "^ -"•
itil
124
NORVEL HASTINGS J OR,
,1'
" These are thine, noble Norvel ; they arc all that is left
me to bestow ! I would have enriched thee, and I was happy
in the thought that I had it in my power to bestow wealth on
him on whom I had bestowed my heart — but that dream is
passed !"
" Till this moment, I knew not how to prize you, Mary !
Will you, for tho present, take my foster-mother's protection
till I can bestow on you mine ?"
a is^a — na — do ye thcnk Davy Crackle wood is a tatooed
Omadhoon, baith o' ye, that ye are treatin' him this gait, and
ganging to lave the hoose as if it were a-fire, as puir drunken
llardcr's was the morn' ? Tho' I bought the place (and it was
at yer father's sore urging), it 'a your ain. Miss Mary, as lang
as ye '11 live in it."
" Your goodness I deeply feel, but I will accept the shelter of
Mrs. Gardner's home, good David. I need her kind sympathy."
" Wal, I ne'er could ha' thocht yer father would ha' done
this. When 1 foon the key and opened the secretary, and lit
on these pappers, it almaist made the bluid turn to water in nij
body ! It 's all plain as my hand now, why he wanted to sell
yestereen, the frigate being at hand, to tak alt his goods."
"Master David," said Norvel impressively, "if you retyped
tho daughter, do not speak of the shame of the father !"
" I '11 ne'er do it— I '11 ne'er do it. Miss Mary !"
" Thanks, David ! This night T will remain your gue.st, bul|
to-morrow "
"To-morrow you shall be my wife — nr •, dear Mary?"
The maiden made no reply. David took his leave, Sii)iD?|
he was going to the warehouse to sleep as usual; Norvel soon
took leave of his affianced bride and sought his mother's c
tagc, where he sat long talking over the events of tlic (^\
with William on one side of him, and Pipa, crouching lovioflj
at his feet, looking up into his face with his eyes full of aff*|
tion and gratitude.
=r«- ^QATE
all that is left
nd I was happy
estow wealth on
t that dream is
rizc you, Mary !
hcr's protection
[>d is a tatoocd
ni this gait, and
as puir drunken
(lace (and it was
ss Mary, as lang
pt the shelter of
iind sympathy."
would ha' (lone
ccrctary, and lit
n to water in uij
e wanted to sell
his goods."
" if you retyped I
be father !"
iry r
. your guest, but I
car Mary ?"
lis leave, sup? I
alj Norvclsoosj
bis mother's C'l
ents of tlic tkl
juching loviofl'l
syes full of aff«'|
^^ THE OFFlNa.
125
. ^^' wilJ now return to .1 .
"^«g Fieldinrr j.,„ V^ *^'« iapless merchant 7
fr-n Will ^^'T^^^ '^ *'^e loaCkiZrJT'' ''^^' ^e
%ate. We loft h;,„ '""*'>& m order to 1 ^*™
kwed on hi,T "'"'""<' bordering' , ^ ""' '» "-o
''"* ". n^itr:'' '" '■""^^ «wf :':■'''''■■'''''''''-''
, l^iat availed L ,?' '"''™''- '' " """«"■'"
r»°f bales audbotr "'f"'"" "'-"'-seance, all, ■ -
puree of nn.. ^ ^'^"es are nnt ti ,^ ^ ^^ ^^iufr
i •'= iiat, uiid ever an.I "''^" ""^'^^^ to LaiJ H.« i
a* "'""'""""•'p«u.o«,d.Stt\t
126
NORVEL HASTINGS; OE,
terror to the darkness and the waves. He saw the frigate
when she came out — he saw the xebec in which Dirk left her
to run back into the bay j the latter passed near him, and his
screams were heard by the young man, but he thought them
<« The shriek of the murdered man
He had sunk in the deep, deep sea."
The water gained upon him, the boat drifted farther and
farther from the land, and day broke, and the sun rose and
smiled on sea and laud, but rose only to show him no help
near, and the wide waste around him a grave ever heaving its
blue billowy arms to embrace him.
"Oh, Lord! oh. Lord! this is dreadful!" he at length
groaned, sitting down in the stern of the boat, from very
exhaustion. " I must die, I see it plainly. I must drown in
sight of my house ! I can sec it even here. Oh, that they
could see me ! Mercy ! the water has nearly filled the boat,
I cai4 throw no more out ! When it fills, I shall sink with it I
Oh, my house ! my child !" he cried, stretching his hands in
the direction of the villa, from which he was full five miles
distant, being at least four miles from the Beacon. " When
shall I see you again ? Oh, my soul ! I have sins ! I have
sins ! The water rushes in faster ! It comes in at the row-locks j
now ! I have a good many sins ! I can't remember ! Ot,
mercy ! I shall perish in my sins ! From all conspiracy and i
heresy and schism — no, that is not it. From the flesh, tlic
world, and the devil! Yes! good Lord deliver us ! Oli, I
forget how to pray ! I have thought more of my ledger tliao
the Liturgy, and now I am drowning! Mercy ! Is there do [
boat — no ship — no rock ! She sinks — she is going down!
Oh, save — sa — mrr — " and the boat filled with water, sniij
denly sunk beneath him with his weight, and both disappcart
beneath the surface of the sea.
An instant, for an instant there was no sign on all the ww|
17 the frigate
Dirk left her
him, and his
thought them
1 farther and
sun roHe and
him 110 help
cr heaving its
he at length
it, from very
mst drown in
Oh, that they
lied the boat,
1 sink with it I
; his hands iu
full five niilos
;on. " Wi:cn
sins ! I have
; the row-locks
iiembcr ! Obi
lonspiracy and i
the flesh, tlic
;r.us! Oli, I
ly ledger tliat
1 Is there D« I
going dovn!
fch water, sad- 1
th disappeared I
ocean of a man Ko*
head ,,appea«d, d\:Cam\';'*';, ""' ''™' ""O "•« H^
ever Jre». Hi, hand struTa bT f ".""""""'"^ ""'" '"'"•»
™e of the thwart, of thT toa, ^ T^ ^^"^^ "' " "aa
«een floating af„.,„j ^j ^^ ^"'"'«"- "-d another wa,
placed then, together The. "^ ''•""' "^ "-em, and
'"•» cravat and Ind themi ^"'1 '"'"' "'«' ''^ '«'««=d
-Id bo b„o,ed „p witho" SX- ^» •■<= f«" 'hat he
m-ned the death.,t.re of hiZZ i , t "^ "' ^"^ '"-
« ialf at aea. There was aoICour in .T" 'J'^^" ""^
ie wa, released but temporarilv frZ A J'' ^^ '"" ">»*
"- 3till «,tting bin. o.e™^/'lV" i [" ""^ »''»' ««'
«■<» iato hi, soul I He thZh ot ?'' '"""•' "«'»S''t,
by charts, and he wished he fad d "'".'"""«' '''"^" ■■»"">
miserably pravinir af onnfK ^ ^*^®^' »' one moment
half-forgo" a'SCr'"'T"''^'"*'»""e*or;«
'^t^iiinea m the viro»f tt« ^ * » . •/ ■ -^"6 sun
"ho feels that it ,1„ ,!: ^?'f r ■' :; V^ 'he e,es of a „a„
looked around the horlon a^™l """ ^J.'"''^ ■'• «" 'hen
»«li°g »kj and sea f^Th L '»kj"« farewell of the
1>»»M and hi, spirit wa,M°„,r""f' "^ '"' ""K"'* had
»f foartbat had beenuZ i "tL" f""°' '^ "■» "-'"h
'he sentenced ori,ninal,t;,t s^oer^ Tr '""""^' "^»
ever, he meets the gallows with n I ""^ P'-<'»»->ced
-ii«o„s of mind'toIoZ^frL^r: ■-*■*--' -"""y;
nation, or oouraife So wJf I, Tv." ' "' "-' ^'■^•""enue, piety, resig-
'"ouMe.; he\«,'l::^\ ;»-^-- He "^ -»*
'^"a screechmgs around for
NORVEL HASTINGS; OH,
128
aro ; he had ceased to confess his wickednesses ) but with a
half-dead look, a face that scarcely expressed love of life, ho
hung upon his little raft, and in a mental stupor waited the
death to which he had resigned himself, from inability longer
to struggle or expect life. '
But this last, dull look which he slowly sent around him
as the sun went down, was suddenly transformed into an
expression of life, hope, joy ! Oh, what a change, so wonderful
and complete !
" A sail ! A vessel ! I shall be saved I" he cried ; and life
was re-born in him. He waved his almost palsied hand, but
feebly ; ho tried to shout, but his voice came back weakly to
his ears. He knew they could not hear him; he hoped they
would see him ! He threw water up high with his hand, ho
tried to raise himself from the surface to be seen. But 'the
schooner came, passed by within a third of a mile of him, and
when he saw her stern-posts, he fell over on his face with a
bitter, wailing, indescribable cry, and lay like a dead man, the
raft only upholding his head and keeping him afloat.
"Jake, what is that are? Look sharp, boy, it may be «
seal ! Put your helm up and keep away for it," said the old
mackerel-catcher, as he came in sight of tfie merchant's head
above the water.
"It's a man, dad, a dead man," answered the lad.
The old man sent a keen glance to leeward, saw the waves
lift and sway the gray hair over the collar of the dark coat
Ho caught the tiller, tacked and run the vessel directly up to
the spot, luffed and brought it under his bows. The next
moment he had a rope around it, and, by the aid of the boy.
drew Mr. Fielding on board.
" He 's dead, dad !"
"No; turn him over! Why it is Squire Fielding. Bless
us and save us all ! Jump, boy-the rum I He's got life in
him, lor he -8 warm! Squire Fielding a drowniu'"out here!
n hat has been the matter ? Quick, boy !"
fi!p«nit
"Here it is, dad."
-H!itteX!r;av:t"rr™'^- ^'>--' ^^
■•3 one good thi„g. What in , r r** "" «"" ™'"i that
«™'Upe.t,et. lubM» b;,!! It^rd''""/^'^^ «»
m their officious humanity anrf I v. P''"'^^'"' rum-bath
-on revived, and «, * t I'l^S to';'"' '''"'■ «»
remarkable preservation Ho '7 ? ""f '""^'^'""'^ »'' W'
overwhelmed hi„i with ol, • '"""S'^'sod the old ,ua„, and
Jike Mr. Fielding fhink peo'e '" *f"''' *''»'" ""'^ "'on
in the artiele of'deatta'n dl I! T ' '" "" "'"■ --"'
Hche, whieh had been tlught l^l L r",' "'"'"' '"^""^ '»
aiatety examined his poekelbo H s nrif ^ '' '»-
::X:ilir"'""-'---™^-r^^^^^^^^
^i^ri^dt^oSr f "'' -" -' "-
»d prevent his familyZm bei ! If- '""' '" '"" '"= «"•'
"efore going round intVtheba\otT°"' "' ""^ ^''""»^'
Y "» °"J-'ion, as he needeT;, J; ' '^ "^r '"•,""""■«
«t once lie down to ffefc thpm /u ' ''°^ ^'« ^^^"1^1
,^-^ s.um,er in thfrr^Vte "^^TZ: 'T ''Y"-
wouM not disturb the t::;:^;; "o' ^rin?.":?? ""
t™ on board in charge of his o^ L T ' '' '""''"«
family, who, one after Ve o r^ent 7 1 "" '''"' '"'^ "
filfl«n,-« . . "''"^^^ went down to peon of. th^
It was ten o' clock at night before
130
NORVEL HASTINGS : OB,
Mr. Fielding awoke. Ho was much refreshed, and a good
supper cooked by the good wife made him himself again. He
was now anxious to reach home, to which it was a three miles'
sail round the coast. The old man embarked with him, and
the wind being fair, they soon wore running under the
Beacon and gliding into the bay. The conversation which he
had with the fisherman as they sailed, made known to him
who commanded the schooner ho had seen from his raft at sea,
and which he now beheld at anchor in the bay. His eyes
searched for the frigate, and not seeing her, and as the old
man could give him no account of her, he believed she had
left altogether, when he had seen her coming out of the bay
an hour before the dawn. But why had she gone without
seeing him ? Perhaps they had sent for hi;n, and not finding
him, had left I Such were the kind of inquiries that entered
his mind as they approached the beach where ho was to dis-
embark.
" Come to me to-morrow," he said to the fisherman, " and I
will give thee gold for thy service."
"Nay; I will never take pay for saving a man's life, and
taking him home to his family," answered the fisherman,
stoutly.
" Not money ?"
" I jiave better pay than money, sir— the recollection of
having saved the life of a fellow-being. Good-night, sir. If I
could ask any other reward, it would be to see your daughter
when she meets you 1 But I must home to my little ones.
Good-night, sir."
The boat put oflF from the shore on its return ; but, hailed
by the schooner, boarded her for a few minutes, and then
made sail again. Mr. Fieldinp' made his way up the cliff-
r»ath, but with some difficulty; as he was much weakened by
what he had undergone since, about the same hour, the night
before, he had descended the same path, tc embark in Gard-
I, and a good
(If again. He
a three miles'
vith him, and
ing Tinder the
ition which he
mown to him
bis raft at sea,
ly. His eyes
id as the old
eved she had
it of the bay
gone without
id not finding
that entered
he was to dis-
rman, "and I
an's life, and
le fisherman,
collection of
;ht, sir. If I
3ur daughter
y little ones.
; but, hailed
es, and then
up the cliff-
iveakened by
ir, the night
irk in Gard-
I-HE FRIGATE IN THE OFFING.
»« a privateer captain; now Lt "'"'' ' '''^ P™«peet,
he disappearance of Mr ^I^TT' ,"' -"'Jer at
«» bo on board the fri„ate „„„ '°'" ""^ '"'"^'If believed
-ion With Mar,; anfta'nylr 'v « "'''' -"^-P'a^d
event, natnraily brought up' wheVth''. ' "v"""' "■« «-"
;« bounded Pedro, the Creole witlh" """" "P™' "■«'
'"-PS with the splendour of 1 „ 'I '^'' "«'"«<' "ke
mcate. '^ »* 'be news he had to commu-
"Master Fielding comet Fl « «
-=1 bin, I Mc shake him I Me tellfT- T'" """"^ ' ««
todos! He up de house I" """""""»' Kun-vamos~
Pedro scarcely remain^ *»
wbon he disappeared, ltd f^ ^T""" '" ""^ --^^
"J be flew baei to the villa But t .T '""' "' '"■« «'* '
He had only seen El Sefior and !k ^^ ''" "«*'"'''« "Ofe.
the tidings. "' "'"' """> bastcned to make inown
'^'a'^SSetnT::\td°r""^^
paternal embrace. The ml Lt '^'^f'^^' '-^ed in his
Pnse and curiosity answered T^ ^"' q-estionsof sur-
« in a skiff to eLmin::^^l'^;'f """ "" ''«' «°-
hay aroused his suspicions and t «PP«a«nce in the
•iriven out to sea. Save in th! ' '•"« "" -""•' ^' bad been
f*e'y, that led him to 't ilt Tll^'t'"'' ''» '""^ ««ated
-eount of his sufferingsf l^^t f ' '"' ^"^ "'^■» " ^"'1
boat, (which Norvel then lid 1.^™' ^' '''^ '"^'=k"el-
the water.) "^"' '" bad seen taking him from
The news of the return <if n,„ \»
I>avid Cracklewood/^r;l'^^'?^°^«-^ its fligH, reached
recounted the piJWe ofX"''''\"" "'P^^^'^^''' ^« «ow
P «' '^ *^« warehouse, and watched Mr.
182
NORVEL HASTINGS; OB,
Fielding's face, which betrayed secret pleasure and satisfaction
rather than grief, and David knew why!
The Scot now sat gloomily and silent. The narrative of
Mr. Fielding's sufferings did not move him. Norvel now took
Mary's ha'^d to congratulate her upon her Tiher's return,
when Mr. Fielding with a frown of haughty surprise said'
"You forget your place, young man— this young lady is my
daughter 1 My late danger does not break down all barriers !
You should know your place, fisherman ! I have suspected
something of this before \"
Mary Fielding coloured, but it was an angry flush on her
beautiful features, at this open insult to Norvel. He stood
quietly and said nothing; for tL. insulter was her father.
But David Cracklewood did not keep silent. He rose up,
advanced a pace, and elevating his tall guant form before the'
merchant, he said in a stern voice
" Ye should know yoib- place, Maister Fielding ! Ye ha'
coom bock, and the Lord be thankit for your bonnio chield's
sake ; but ye ha' no cam bock to play this high game wid
this gallant ! Hech ! ye need na' froon an' look black in the
e'e at me—I ha' ceased to hoold ye in enny respec' or con-
sideration! I'm a plain mon, and ye '11 get a plain men's
mmd, an' ye listen weel.''
" What does this mean ? Do you insult me in my own
house ?" exclaimed the merchant with indignant demand.
" Ye ha' insulted a better mon than me an' that is Master
Norvel here; an' as for ain hoos, I ha' in my pocket the deed
o't that mak's it mine."
"Fool! Leave, sir!"
"Nay, ye sail stay in the hoose as lang as ye like to, but
It 's na' that I 'm speerin' aboot. Ye best keep patient, gude
sir ! Since you left we ha' discovered yer letters to the Ad-
miral, and I ha' your British Projection in my pocket ! Ye
'""' "~~ * i'"'- ' ^^ it wore na ror your sweet bonnie
id satisfaction
I narrative of
rvel now took
-her's return,
surprise said,
g lady is my
all barriers !
ive suspected
flush on her
1. He stood
s her father.
He rose up,
Qi before the
ig! Ye ha'
•nnio chield's
^h game wid
black in the
spec' or con-
plain men's
! in my own
demand,
lat is Master
ket the deed
like to, but
•atient, gude
s to the Ad-
)ocket ! Ye
weet bonnie
^^ '■"wa™ IN Tai om«o.
% and all .boot iU H „h " iT,l p '"^'' """»» '» i^"
ye lost yer oar, an' could" SZ T" " "" '"'' y»" «"■"
your goods !" «*" '"' *«>»Ki to sail awaj wid
;; you have broken open my desk, robber " *
^ankee„i,i::„r::;'^;- JWe's a "'"■''-d an' fifty
a" under arms. I i.- i^,"; """f " ""'" ^a' 'ho warehouse
put under arrest for what ^VhTd '° "l"'^ '"""»'■' 'o ''»' yo
'0' this b„.ve .oungS';, T' , ''"^ ''-P I"'"', an'd
a wedding end it a' » """^ ^"^ """""o daughter make
"I '11 die first I"
" Yera weoi ' I '11 ] f u *
^ "Nay, leave h nT ol' 7ra''" "r ™ "^ '^«--"'
^ Way do not foree my father!" ^
"B^y u^wLMht:' "'*;"'' *''^' »'-^' "-•"
juu wisu this union, Marv?''
Yes R\r" Til* -^-laijr J
"The;i;oJeXXra?t:\'"''^^^^^^^^^^^
"Then we'll foree a little n" " ^'';"'"'^'\''y ^"-•"
£o„ w,ll rob me at my throat." ^'
"- Wll to her, and the„y!l, '" ""^"^^ guard-honso. Gif
»"- your goods, or ^^^^ T^ '"^^ ^^ -"< *» Halifax
Mr F,oHi„g f„„^j ^^^^
•■^'"e jjavid, whose indignation 7 i^- P'"^^"^ the indomi-
indignation at h,s treaehery had ererted a
mm
i^m
ma
484
NOBVEL HASTINGS ; OR,
contempt for Lira that overmastered all former respect. He
felt the imminenoy of his danger. He knew that to fall into
the hands of the* Americans after what had happened, would
be perilous to his life. He was convinced that his daughter
loved the jpung privateer captain, and that he had no power
w prevent their union. He calculated, that, without the bill
of exchange, his fortune from the sales of his merchandise,
which he supposed was on its way in the frigate to Halifax, to
await him there, would be ample for his wants; and so, influ-
enced bj these seveyal considerations, he drew from his pocket-
book the bill for £:iO,000 and placed it in Norvel's hand.
"There, young man, take that, t^ad take my daughter!
But only on condition that you surrender to me that protec
tion and the letters, and promise to give ne passage to-morrow
early, in your schooner, to the first English territory — to
St. Johns, or Halifax
« I promise it, Mr. Fielding. Here are the papers you
ask," answered Norvel, placing the bill in Mary's passive
hands as he spoke; "but not for reward, but becau'se you
have consented to my union with Mary. I can now do any-
thing for you, sir; though my patriotism revolts at your trea-
son against your adopted country."
"I may be excused for this, perhaps," answered Mr.
Fielding, deprecatingly. « I am an Englishman by birth and
prejudices. It is natural that I should wish to remove my"
property and my person from the country at war with Eng.
land. But I see by your countenances that I ha- .j no sym-
pathy in wha* I have done. I will therefore depart; but I
protest against the force which has compelled me to act as I
have done. Only the fear of arrest has made me yield my
daughter to you, young man; though I had been told, long
since, of these love passages between you. Go, my daughter,
and be happy with this peasant. I am satisfied that your tastes
are low, by the choice you make. I therefore the more easilv
cast you from my bosom."
THE miQATE IN THJB OFFim.
mnro aaMlv
fo' J0„. M^ter David C,ttl'7ff"^ '^'^««'»' I had
life, 8ir." ^' ^° *"'' ">» «»f« will it be for your
ab^tS.' r4^Z ^ 7 ^-«'"«' ""J be Honour-
she should be we<S« ""■ ^"^ •"" " «>rffor her husband,
" Sir 1" cried Norvel- but iv,f i
»d D.,id both cheeked h"l th" T" ^^ ""»"' "a^r
the o^W ^ p.eiu« U.\^ ,^ :;^^^7W pieadin^
-i^rrsT^ittel^^-' "--»-
weel eneugh how the yoZ folk I '^^ T^' ""■ ^ ^""""^
tera stood; »d I bid t„a '"l! '''' '" ^' ''' '^»'«-
toon for the gude mon, Jm ItS ^""^ '" ""^ "^^t
" That is satisfactory J 7,1 ,."" """ *''" '"»™"
Heave." ^^ ^ '""=«« 'he unfilial child wed ere
'^'How have I been nnfilial, father ?"
i*y not following my fortunes."
A am an American mrl anrl T i
to leave her at such a tZlLl f' ""' °°™"-^ ""> "oU
foes. Wealth and rank"' ' T "'"" '" ""^ ^'^<' "^ her
but I would prefer an hlh,„ I T""" ""^ "'"'" ""> there,
aoe in ilnglan^d. I ZeZdt "° "^ "''"' ^°" '» " P-^-
of this night of you ll tors to t, "p "^""l "'' ""' ""» '''«'=»v-y
%lish Protectfon ha 'p"o ltd "^^^^^^ ^t"'-'. »d of you^
*cm to look upon vou a« ! ,- " '^""^ '" '"'=' that I
>»y father, who has hcM h '"^ ^ "'"""'' '"^""^^ 'hat
oath of allegiance^ thf .! "' '''''' '^^'^'^"'^''' ""=» the
^•^fget aii and side with ih^ 7"""" T " "^"^"g^^"; «iiouid
adoption!- ^ *^' ^'^ ^«*i"«* tj^e laad of his
136
U
ilsMli
■I v«^
.„i»
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
"Enough, child ! What I have done I have done without
consulting thee, and will abide by it. I hope, at least, in my
son to find that filial devotion which I seek for in vain in you.
Master Cracldewood, as this is your house," added the mer-
. chant with cold irony, " I must crave your hospitality till
morning."
"It is na my hoose, but your daughter's, sir; and here I
gic her the authority to be mistress of it, maid or wife." As
the generous and honest Scot spoke, he placed in Mary's hand
the deed of the estate. "This, my bonnie 3Iary, makes ye
the owner n' the land and all upon it. Na ane word ! not ane
syllable. I ha' eight thoosan' poonds mair, and bein' a lone
mon without a wit>y, it's eneugh for David Cracklewood, an'
ane o' these days I may be giving that to yer bairns—
wha kens ?"
With this speech the large hearted David strode, a full cloth-
yard at a stride, out of the room, and his tall, gaunt figure
was lost in the darkness without, before Mary could recover
from her confusion to protest against such munificent gene-
rosity. Norvel followed him, as he saw Mary wished to bo
alone with her father.
^ "I will go to my room. Lady Hastings, with your permis-
sion," said the merchant, into whose cold and unfatherly heart
Sathanas seemed bodily to have entered. Here may we ask—
would death, the mere passing out of life, when a few hours
ago he was exposed to it, would it have altered the soul of
that man ? would ho have had a better heart and a better
spirit in the other world, had he been there now instead
of 'in this? It seems a delusion, this noticn that the mere
transition of a man from this life to the one beyond death,
producrts also a transmutation. Doubtkss, most men go
•nto the other life with the same hearts, tempers, indomi-
table wills, that they hu/e here. In our merchant's case, wo
see nothing in death that would have made him a different
- — --^
THE FRIOATE IN THE OPriNO. 137
being in cliaracter than he i,, at this moment R„t „„ 1
j-^'t-ii^ht^;::--:^;;^^^^^^^^
J.nv attachment for this young man-by-_" ^ ■"'"
b»d; and 'yo. n.„:;pe!ro7L!: Z:^ t^^ T
at loa«t, spare vour harsh words " ^ "^ '"'"''
wiZwTornS""''"'''"""""-^"'^---'''
s,"'xr:iernrriT.\'-^^^'-
<looply grievod her and ^ u^'u '"""'^ ''""'■»»' •>«<
behold Lnalrna'ft". "''" """ ^""^ '"'s'" °»-»
'ourfulnoss tZT ""'"'"'• "*'''"'"' ''^' ^ """'ten*
■"•^ bie:;, a^rteSitrtr; 17 1 -'
or forth. From that moment, Nor;, h d , fh^tefr 't
An hour after sunrise, the minister arrived He wn«
aucted to tho vi'llo u,r Ti • i , "^"v^-u- He was con-
toi et, went out nnA ;.. . * mistress in her
,. J^Mly, that Mary, although sad in her joy, smi.
o»:;":rs:;::i;:r:-:-r----^
las
NOaVEL HASTINGS; OR,
The pretty little cockney maid smiled archly in her turn,
but was mute.
At ttjn o'clock, the parties were assembled in the hall ; so
that the large crowd of retainers of the farm, the fishermen,
and not least, the oflBcers and crew of the privateer, might all
witness the marriage of the handsome Norvel with the beau-
tiful heiress of Fielding Manor. The Manager was present,
with a dark and dissatisfied countenance, which he made an
effort to make express cheerful assent to what was going on.
Pipa was there ; his dwarfish face, lighted up as it jras by his
happy eyes, was fairly beaming with angelic beauty. Mrs.
Gardner was there — calm, and placid, and matronly; fully
sympathizing in the happiness of her adopted son. Pedro
was there, dressed in the height of Creole dandyism, with
laced wristbands, scarlet vest, bell-buttons on his embroidered
jacket, flowers in his breast, and a bouquet in his hand. He
looked pleased, smiled constantly, showing his white teeth,
and seemed to be everywhere at the same moment. Hetty
thorght he looked very handsome, to be so dark as he was;
and wondered he could be so happy after she had broken his
heart as she had done. She did not think he was so wicked
as she imagined ; and was disposed to forgive and forget his
threats; for Hetty was just then in the state of mind to for-
give everybody and to love everybody. William Gardner was
also there, in a handsome suit of marine blue, with small gilt
buttons thickly set on the front of the jacket, a white vest,
and a new tarpaulin hat, adorned with a wide black ribbon,
jauntily set on one side, showing the brown curls Hetty had
often wound lovij ly about her little finger; and as bold,
dashing a looking sailor-lad as a lassie of taste, like Hetty,
might look for all over the seas, and never meet the like
again.
David Cracklowood gave the bride away, and the ceremony
passed oflF without aught to mar its felicity, save the dissatisfied
look, of Mr. Fioldine, who tl.„
«men to hia l„„g p^.^! „„"; ""« foment the minister said
in his chamber ^ ' ^ '""^ ""^ '"'"' »<» 'tut himself „p
But the ceremony of iha
" The other eouple will BleTr.""* """ ""' ^^' ''™«'"<'o<i-
tie reverend ma. jookwSS '!?'""' ""^ """H" said
eye spectacles at iavid, wholadnotdr' ''""""<' »'"'-
»« two weddings, a sec et whth fh't ,.'""« """^ ''°"'''
through Mrs. Gardner. "'"^''^ ^""t was let into
To the surprise of the happy bride an I J, •.,
evident astonishment of Pedro ,„r* ?. *"*«"•«»», to the
ookers.„n from the doors nd'hall Win' ''n^"" "' "" «■"
binsii Hett, by the hatd lil't'Ih!''"'""; '^'''"«
ef the mmister, just vacated by the hi h'""^' '°-^™»t
« orj- The little cockney gi2 cal I '"'"''"' "^ »"
the floor, as if 'orridly frightS and l" T'' "''' "'"'" «»
■« a yount Wtten. Willf' ' °f '"P'^ "yes" as timidly
the, were married. ZZJSI ^'' »" -<'■'".; -d
=lap him this time in thlfaff " '"'' "'«' Hetty didn't
:ootS:^rr:sr:;:^r°-.-.o„ng
over him the triumph of th. ^' '° ^^^e'' *« enjoy
^"th. the course oCart\7arit' '' "^ ""''^^
'«ards her. She saw him and tried .0 ITt •"' """^ '''■"'
^^imo up to her, and with a smill! K , T"^ '"' "^o- He
."g expression in his eyes, h™ 'dTd t a'b *"" "" ""--
"I ean take this now, Pedro "!r^ '"'"'="'" l»^«ent.
"for it don't mean hanA^* Iw ''^ "" "'"• ' ''™ '-«"-
^^Jo,soi,ora. Pleas takeit-sme'lUweetlPedohab noting
"^i r : ir^t^St!**'^'' ^-< -<> --.
^0, no, ao I You no take it-Lr h •
ieepdat,SefioraHettieI reiltl "«'' ^'" °°«^ ^on
""^^^ it^yera good parfume I"
140
NORVEL HASTINGS; OR,
" It is very 'andsome, Pedro," answered the bride. " I am
so glad you have got hover your anger I"
Pedro .smiled like a gleam of lightning behind a cloud, and
stepped back, and went out with the stealthy, noiseless step
which characterized him.
"A r;.etty bouquet, Hetty," said Norvel, who approached
her. « You and brother William took us by surprise ! Well
you deserve each other I How pale you look, Hetty I You are
illl How wild your eyes! What is the matter, Pipa ?" demanded
Norvel of the dwarf, who, keeping constantly near him as if
his affection lived only in his close presence, fixing his eyes on
Hetty, suddenly caught the bouquet out of her hand, and tear-
mg it in pieces, exposed in the centre the flower of the JSoinbre
de Muerle, a West Indian plant, whose fragrance long inhaled
IS fatal. Norvel recognised the flower, which he had himself
brought from Havanna for Mary, on account of its remarkable
beauty, yet aware of its poisonous qualities, which were harm-
less, except when the flower was broken off and inhaled by
contact. ^
"Pedro! Pedro es vilano, seiior. Pedro wish kill !" cried
Pipa, with vehemence.
" Did Pedro give you the bouquet ?" asked Norvel of Hetty
who was supported by WiUiam-who believed his brii about
to be snatched from him by a fearful death ; while Mary
hastened for restoratives.
"Yes," faintly responded the poisoned girl.
" Bring camphor !" called Pipa. " Camphor save from dis
poison I
Tne camphor was applied to the nostrils, and forced into
the inouth~the teeth of which were being firmly set, as if
ppasmodically. In a few minutes, she revived - breathed
more freely ; the colour came back to her cheeks, and soft-
ness to her eyes. In a short time longer, she was quite well,
save a severe nervous agitation, that kept her shivering like
ide. " I am
a cloud, and
oiseless step
) approached
prise ! Well
•y ! You are
" demanded
ir him as if
I his eyos on
id, and tear-
the Somlre
long inhaled
bad himself
remarkable
were harm-
inhaled by
kill !" cried
el of Hetty,
brie about
vhile Mary
ve from dis
forced into
y set, as if
-- breathed
s, and soft-
quite well,
voring like
THE PRlGATB IN THE OmNO. 14^
an aspen-leaf, Norvol I.o^ . i •
Creole; ,„, ,, o„;,rLlrb:i::r'''^'^ -^^^ '- '-«
mouth of the Kennebec twpn. , ^'° ''^^^^'^ *h«
^•ouud a coaster that Sd^^^^^ ^^^- ^^
at Portland : from whi.h 1 ?' ^^^^ ^'"^ *^« ^^^^ quay
tection of his „otUo.- 1 b?/ ^''^', '"'' """^-^^ *" P''-"
«age, Di.k Ha.,H „Lo. hi' t^t 'ut W, , ^^ 'f? ''-
him up to tl.e law,, succeeded iu 0^1,.' K ."""''' «"'"
- the schoouer was passing n^l^'TT^^ "' »'«'"'
Wavily ironed, it was believed he sunk tl' .,"'' "' ""^ *"^
'->; -.a it was p..„n„„„,ed by ai on b„ f ^^ ^ '" "'° ''°'-
luan to swim or Hn-t „ '"'^ impossible for a
ho was. *"'' " ""'»"«' """■"eled and fettered as
i-^^dji;:. 'I'ldtr™ "", "r'-" "■- ■"- --'-d
Ho informed e that ho7. ,"f T' "^^ '» '"-' •■- ^"0
off St. Johns, wl ^^e a , En Y, '," ''"'"^ '" ^ P-'^'-^oat
f" «H»'"ing ..„M touch! rtt pi": :;; :"" 'T""« "'"'
'"■md lmn.self a begmr Th„ V ? ' ""■'ehousc. He
-fi f.i«Hto fofuscdT su r , rtatT'f: °'''7 "''""''■
'aincd; which, he said was not ,^!^ " '"" '"S""^ »''-
142
NORVEL HASTINas; OR,
against him. Beggared, and broken in spirit, he sought for
his son to ask relief^ but learned that, after running through
with an ostate by gaming, he had, two months before, fallen
in a duel in France. Without means— with a branded name
even among the English, who regarded him more as an Ame-
rican than an Englishman, he irresistibly turned his thought-
towards the land he had proved traitorous to; and gbdly
would have sought it, to throw himself upon his daughter's
protection in his old age, if he had dared. But while the war
lasted, the land where alone he could find shelter, and open
hearts to receive him, he knew was locked to him. Too
proud to write to Norvel or his child, he yielded to the
dark spirit of his soul, and miserably died by his own hand !
The war prevented the regular transmission of intelligence,'
and it was two years before Mary learned the fate of either her
father or brother; but all that her father suffered was never
revealed to her. She only knew that he died broken-hearted
at the disappointment caused by the loss of his property under
circumstances that seemed to insure its safety.
David Cracklewood became manager of the estate and of
the warehouse business after the war. Norvel distinguished
himself by several brilliant captures during the war, but was
glad, when peace was declared, to return to the society of his
lovely wife, and devote his time to overseeing the estate. In
the mean while, Mary had upon her mind one cherished wish,
which he promised ere long to gratify; and that was to go to
England, to visit the grave of her father and brother, and
honour them with suitalle monuments of marble, and to
endeavour to discover the parentage of her husband, whom
she secretly believed must be noble born; and by one or two
articles found with him when old Skipper Gardner picked him
up at sea, she hoped to bo able to traoe his linrnge to its source.
Should we learn that this voyage ever was taken by our
hero and heroine, we pledge ourselves to report the disooveries
lie sought for
ning through
before, fallen
randed name
e as an Ame-
his thought"
; and gladly
is daughter's
'^hile the war
er, and open
) him. Too
Ided to the
1 own hand !
intelligence,
of either her
i was never
)ken-hearted
)perty under
tate and of
istinguished
^ar^ but was
ciety of his
estate. In
rished wish,
vas to go to
>rother, and
ble, and to
)and, whom
one or two
picked him
) its source,
ken by our
disooreries
THE PBIO^,^ i^ ^g^ ^^^^^
Which transpired touching the orida of t^ f
he permitted to have access to Z \ *^°™"' ^'"»"W wa
B- in our „pi„ie„ trT: i^T ^^e '"' "'""""^^"'•
father; iu the soul, not in the serdT« " f""^"' "»' i- his
whether Norvel Hastings turn ouT 1 h f"""" *«' -""l
or a peasant's heir, we shall thinkn "vt""" '" " ^"^"'^ ^'^
. anwe have done fron, thf^Ct'oTh" ""'""''''"
of mmd and heart. ^^^^age of his own qualities
9^111 INO.
A GEEAT BOOK BY A GBEAT AUTHOR 1 1
ilgrims0f Hds.tng|am.
A ROMANCE 0^ THE MIDDLE AGES,
FROM THJ ACCOMPLISHED PBX OF
AONBE STRICKLAND.
LARGE 12mo
pp. 460. PRICE ONE DOLI R
.,,.„!?!» P«'»'-'8Hi!R8 invite the atlentioa of the public to thii, one of the
STir '?V,f "*'"^ iM.rformanoe8 of our time. Apart from its superior mer?t thl
work itse f ,, one of originalitj. No book in the broad range of mod wn Action
;;"«" wUh Tt ' From W •" ^"^ T "';' •t^''"'*" r^^'^'^ "-^«' ^" fn "Sg :« com"
pare with it. From beginning to end it i.s a volume of fascination
v..,.t -? .?®°,'F <*' "*» *'»''■ author may almost be said to have concentrated and m.
SbwIthtlwn'frL^ih-''*""^*' "^J- ^'\Vem.ivg it, text, the reader i«?n3e":
Swil^ t^ thl tr?^^'°? *^* **^^ '" ^'"^•i,'!^ lives and carried back by some weird
M^ven with f^^r^%/'^^T^'' f r'^''• *^« "P'"^ "'■ R^-nance appeared to bei^te^
ThaDter th« r«„7. -""^V *"'* *'* of mankind. Having once passed the opening
NOTICES OP THE PEESS.
DrobllwrlLtH';^*/"''"*^ *""'''•' .^"".«f *h« profou„de.st interest, yet not one im-
feaSs of th« .nvt"° rr^^r""^"*. '•^"*- "^"'^ ^"1 ^o^ns' fl«<i spots upon the
Sl^^ltcourii ^^ ^^ "'*° ""• ""P"" ^•'"'«"«'« '" '^ ^^"•^ by thia autC"-!
from .fL" ing ^U.'^'f &.'?'JU°[Lt,T»n,'3;^l*™d''„?'S'~'- '"
herself more credit than she has here^oithor in nfot or Seo.H 1 T T-'^T ^T
narrative or life-like dialogue.''-iV««. For^fc Ciy r/m*, ' '° l"'=^"'-«-'''^«
Of cor^'^Lra^g^Sal-AeXKitrtL't^tt^a"^^ '^'ow^e'^*^.'^ "S^ T
structs the reader with one of Uilmnit Tt '^'JP*'^'*^'?* interest, while it in-
Europe-thevSroTtt great ES^^err'^cSle'^ VK' J"^'^''^ "^
Henry. Quaint humor, and sly, 3e satire S^rk^io on al.n^n"^^ "^ '^^ ^""'^
iSX""'"" ""^ "'•'" ^^"^ ™'''-^^ ParV^crrudl'Thir'^^TgrSe^l!:
ii3^/'>-fc-$100,amt«7^6ooA,«r*/r^o/^toflr.. Smd yoiir caah order,io
GARRETT & CO., Publishers.
— , , , .1 . , ^o. 18 Ann Street, W. Y.