CHAPTER XXXI
MR. DELAPLAINE LEADS A BOARDING PARTY
Steadily southward sailed the brig Black Swan which bore upon its decksthe happy Mander family and our poor friend Dickory, carrying with himhis lifelong destiny in the shape of the blood-stained letter fromCaptain Vince.
The sackcloth draperies of Lucilla, with the red cord lightly tied aboutthem, had given place to a very ordinary gown fashioned by her motherand herself, which added so few charms to her young face and sparklingeyes that Dickory often thought that he wished there were some bushes ondeck so that she might stand behind them and let him see only her face,as he had seen it when first he met her. But he saw the pretty face agreat deal, for Lucilla was very anxious to know things, and asked manyquestions about Barbadoes, and also asked if there was any probabilitythat the brig would go straight on to that lovely island withoutbothering to stop at Jamaica. It was during such talks as this thatDickory forgot, when he did forget, the blood-stained letter that hecarried with him always.
Our young friend still wore the naval uniform, although in coming on thebrig he had changed it for some rough sailor's clothes. But Lucilla hadbesought him to be again a brave lieutenant.
They sailed and they sailed, and there was but little wind, and thatfrom the south and against them. But Lucilla did not complain at theirslow progress. The slowest vessel in the world was preferable just nowto a desert island which never moved.
Davids was at the wheel and Mander stood near him. These old friends hadnot yet finished talking about what had happened in the days since theyhad seen each other. Mrs. Mander sat, not far away, still makingclothes, and the little Lena was helping her in her childlike way.Lucilla and Dickory were still talking about Barbadoes. There never wasa girl who wanted to know so much about an island as that girl wanted toknow about Barbadoes.
Suddenly there was a shout from above.
"What's that?" asked Mander.
"A sail," said Davids, peering out over the sea but able to see nothing.Lucilla and Dickory did not cease talking. At that moment Lucilla didnot care greatly about sails, there was so much to be said aboutBarbadoes.
There was a good deal of talking forward, and after a while the captainwalked to the quarter-deck. He was a gruff man and his face wastroubled.
"I am sorry to say," he growled, "that the ship we have sighted is apirate; she flies the black flag."
Now there was no more talk about Barbadoes, or what had happened to oldfriends, and the sewing dropped on the deck. Those poor Manders werechilled to the soul. Were they again to be taken by pirates?
"Captain," cried Mander, "what can we do, can we run away from them?"
"We could not run away from their guns," growled the captain, "and thereis nothing to do. They intend to take this brig, and that's the reasonthey have run up their skull and bones. They are bearing directly downupon us with a fair wind; they will be firing a gun presently, and thenI shall lay to and wait for them."
Mander stepped towards Dickory and Lucilla; his voice was husky as hesaid: "We cannot expect, my dear, that we shall again be captured byforbearing pirates. I shall kill my wife and little daughter rather thanthey shall fall into the bloody hands of ordinary pirates, and to you,sir, I will commit the care of my Lucilla. If this vessel is deliveredover to a horde of savages, I pray you, plunge your dirk into herheart."
"Yes," said Lucilla, clinging to the arm of Dickory, "if those fiercepirates shall attack us, we will die together."
Dickory shook his head. In an awful moment such as this he could holdout no illusions. "No," said he, "I cannot die with you; I have a dutybefore me, and until it is accomplished I cannot willingly give up mylife. I must rather be even a pirate's slave than that. But I willaccept your father's charge; should there be need, I will kill you."
"Thank you very much," said Lucilla coolly.
To the surprise of the people on the Black Swan there came no shot fromthe approaching pirate; but as she still bore down upon them, runningbefore the wind, the captain of the brig lay to and lowered his flag.Submission now was all there was before them. No man on the brig took uparms, nor did the crew form themselves into any show of resistance; thatwould have but made matters worse.
As the pirate vessel came on, nearer and nearer, a great number of mencould be seen stretched along her deck, and some brass cannon werevisible trained upon the unfortunate brig.
But, to the surprise of the captain of the Black Swan, and of nearlyeverybody on board of her, the pirate did not run down upon her to makefast and board. Instead of that, she put about into the wind and lay toless than a quarter of a mile away. Then two boats were lowered andfilled with men, who rowed towards the brig.
"They have special reasons for our capture," said the captain to thosewho were crowding about him; "he may be well laden now with plunder, andcomes to us for our gold and silver. Or it may be that he merely wantsthe brig. If that be so, he can quickly rid himself of us."
That was a cruel speech when women had to hear it, but the captain was arough fellow.
The boats came on as quietly as if they were about to land at aneighbouring pier. Dickory and Lucilla cautiously peeped over the rail,Dickory without his hat, and Lucilla, hiding herself, all but a part ofher face, behind him; the Manders crouched together on the deck, thefather with glaring eyes and a knife in his hand. The crew stood, withtheir hats removed and their chins lowered, waiting for what mighthappen next.
Up to this time Dickory had shown no signs of fear, although his mindwas terribly tossed and disturbed; for, whatever might happen to him, itpossibly would be the end of that mission which was now the only objectof his life. But he grated his teeth together and awaited his fate.
But now, as the boats came nearer, he began to tremble, and graduallyhis knees shook under him.
"I would not have believed that he was such a coward as that," thoughtLucilla.
The boats neared the ship and were soon made fast; every help wasoffered by the crew of the brig, and not a sign of resistance was shown.The leader of the pirates mounted to the deck, followed by the greaterpart of his men.
For a moment Captain Ichabod glanced about him, and then, addressing thecaptain of the brig, he said: "This is all very well. I am glad to seethat you have sense enough to take things as you find them, and not tostir up a fracas and make trouble. I overhauled you that I might lay ina stock of provisions, and some wine and spirits besides, having nodesire, if you treat us rightly, to despoil you further. So, we shallhave no more words about it, bedad, and if you will set your men to workto get on deck such stores as my quarter-master here may demand of you,we shall get through this business quickly. In the meantime, lower twoor three boats, so that your men can row the goods over to my vessel."
The captain of the Black Swan simply bowed his head and turned away toobey orders, while Captain Ichabod stepped a little aft and began tosurvey the captured vessel. As soon as his back was turned, the captainof the brig was approached by a very respectable elderly gentleman,apparently not engaged either in the mercantile marine or in piraticalpursuits, who stopped him and said: "Sir, my name is Felix Delaplaine,merchant, of Spanish Town, Jamaica. I am, against my will, engaged inthis piratical attack upon your vessel, but I wish to assure youprivately that I will not consent to have you robbed of your property,and that, although some of your provisions may be taken by thesepirates, I here promise, as an honourable gentleman, to pay you the fullvalue of all that they seize upon."
The captain of the Black Swan had no opportunity to make an answer tothis most extraordinary statement, for at that moment a naval officer,shouting at the top of his voice, came rushing towards the respectablegentleman who had just been making such honourable proposals. Almost atthe same moment there was a great shout from Captain Ichabod, who,drawing his cutlass from its sheath, raised the glittering blade anddashed in pursuit of the naval gentleman.
"Hold there! Hold there!" cried the pirate. "Don't you touch him; don'tyou lay your hand upon hi
m!"
But Ichabod was not quick enough. Dickory, swift as a stag, stretchedout both his arms and threw them around the neck of the amazed Mr.Delaplaine.
Now the pirate Ichabod reached the two; his great sword went high inair, and was about to descend upon the naval person, whoever he was,who had made such an unprovoked attack upon his honoured passenger,when his arm was caught by some one from behind. Turning, with a greatcurse, his eyes fell upon the face of a young girl.
Lucilla rescues Dickory.]
"Oh, don't kill him! Don't kill him!" she cried, "he will hurt nobody;he is only hugging the old gentleman."
Captain Ichabod looked from the girl to the two men, who were actuallyembracing each other. Dickory's back was towards him, but the face ofMr. Delaplaine fairly glowed with delight.
"Oho!" said Ichabod, turning to Lucilla, "and what does this mean,bedad?"
"I don't know," she answered, "but the gentleman in the uniform is agood man. Perhaps the other one is his father."
"To my eyes," said Captain Ichabod, "this is a most fearsome mix."
The Mander family, and nearly everybody else on board, crowded about thelittle group, gazing with all their eyes but asking no questions.
"Captain Ichabod," exclaimed Mr. Delaplaine, holding Dickory by thehand, "this is one of the two persons you were taking us to find. Thisis Dickory Charter, the son of good Dame Charter, now on your vessel. Hewent away with Blackbeard, and we were in search of him."
"Oho!" cried Captain Ichabod, "by my life I believe it. That's theyoung fellow that Blackbeard dressed up in a cocked hat and took awaywith him."
"I am the same person, sir," said Dickory.
"So far so good," said Captain Ichabod. "I am very glad that I did notbring down my cutlass on you, which I should have done, bedad, had itnot been for this young woman."
Now up spoke Mr. Delaplaine. "We have found you, Dickory," he cried,"but what can you tell us of Major Bonnet?"
"Ay, ay," added Captain Ichabod, "there's another one we're after;where's the runaway Sir Nightcap?"
"Alas!" said Dickory, "I do not know. I escaped from Blackbeard, andsince that day have heard nothing. I had supposed that Captain Bonnetwas in your company, Mr. Delaplaine."
Now the captain of the Black Swan pushed himself forward. "Is it CaptainBonnet, lately of the pirate ship Revenge, that you're talking about?"he asked. "If so, I may tell you something of him. I am lately fromCharles Town, and the talk there was that Blackbeard was lying outsidethe harbour in Stede Bonnet's old vessel, and that Bonnet had latelyjoined him. I did not venture out of port until I had had certain newsthat these pirates had sailed northward. They had two or three ships,and the talk was that they were bound to the Virginias, and perhapsstill farther north. They were fitted out for a long cruise."
"Gone again!" exclaimed Mr. Delaplaine in a hoarse voice. "Gone again!"
Captain Ichabod's face grew clouded.
"Gone north of Charles Town," he exclaimed, "that's bad, bedad, that'svery bad. You are sure he did not sail southward?" he asked of thecaptain of the brig.
That gruff mariner was in a strange state of mind. He had just beencaptured by a pirate, and in the next moment had made, what might be avery profitable sale, to a respectable merchant, of the goods the piratewas about to take from him. Moreover, the said pirate seemed to be inthe employ of said merchant, and altogether, things seemed to him to bein as fearsome a mix as they had seemed to Captain Ichabod, but hebrought his mind down to the question he had been asked.
"No doubt about that," said he; "there were some of his men in thetown--for they are afraid of nobody--and they were not backward intalking."
"That upsets things badly," said Captain Ichabod, without unclouding hisbrow. "With my slow vessel and my empty purse, bedad, I don't see how Iam ever goin' to catch Blackbeard if he has gone north. FindingBlackbeard would have been a handful of trumps to me, but the game seemsto be up, bedad."
The captain of the brig and Ichabod's quarter-master went away toattend to the transfer of the needed goods to the Restless. Mander, withhis wife and little daughter, were standing together gazing withamazement at the strange pirates who had come aboard, while Lucillastepped up to Dickory, who stood silent, with his eyes on the deck.
"Can you tell me what this means?" said she.
For a moment he did not answer, and then he said: "I don't knoweverything myself, but I must presently go on board that vessel."
"What!" exclaimed Lucilla, stepping back. "Is she there?"
"Yes," said Dickory.