CHAPTER XII.
THE NOBLE VOLUNTEERS.
Captain Rhines was occupied with business the remainder of the day,and in the evening went aboard of the brigantine. The Arthur leftbefore the arrival of the Casco bringing tidings of the disappearanceof Peterson; consequently the ship's company had not heard of it tillinformed by the captain, on the evening of their arrival. It thereforeexcited no little astonishment and interest when they were informedthat he was sold for a slave in Martinique. After the affair hadbeen thoroughly discussed in all its bearings, the captain said, "Iam getting somewhat the worse for wear, and when I went to Cuba onthe raft, I took leave of the sea, as I thought, forever; but JamesPeterson saved my life once; and before a man like him (born a slave,now an American citizen, and as noble-hearted a creature as ever drewthe breath of life) shall live and die a slave, perhaps feel the lash,I'll risk these old bones once more, and spend the last dollar I've gotin the world."
"Captain Rhines," cried Walter, leaping to his feet, "you shan't go.You ought not to go. I'll go. I, too, loved Peterson dearly. He carriedme in his arms when a child. I have spent weeks at his house. He madeall my playthings, and would do anything for our folks. I'll go, andsomething tells me I shall succeed."
"Count me in, too," cried Ned. "I love everybody that Walter loves.James was just like a father to me when I was wounded--sat up nights,and did everything for me."
"It is a great undertaking for persons of your age, and without muchexperience; but, ever since you went from home, you have been put inplaces where boys ripen fast, and always shown yourselves capable ofaccomplishing whatever you undertook. You are going, too, upon a good,I may say holy, errand, and may certainly expect aid and wisdom fromaloft. Have you thought of any plan, Walter?"
"No, sir; we are only boys, and must leave the direction of affairswith you, who know everything."
"I am a great ways from knowing everything," said the captain, smiling."We have been talking this matter over amongst ourselves the betterpart of an hour and a half, and I don't think you made the offer youhave without some plan in your head upon which it was built."
The captain made these remarks, wishing to draw Walter out.
"As I sat listening to your account," said Walter, "it appeared to methat, as Ned and myself had quite a little pile of money for boys ofour age, we could not spend part of it in any better manner than byusing it to restore Peterson to his family; that we might ship in somevessel, before the mast, to Martinique, for low wages, to leave when wegot there. If we couldn't do that, work our passage; and, if no captainwould take us on that lay, pay our passage. As we both speak Frenchwell, we should have no difficulty in finding the place where he is, ifalive."
"How would you get him off, if you found him?"
"I suppose we must be governed by circumstances, when on the spot."
"But you have probably thought of some way, if you should succeed ingetting hold of him, to get him and yourselves home?"
"I have heard Uncle John say," said Walter, "that he has come out ofthe West Indies in yellow fever time, when there was only one manbesides himself and his first and second mates fit for duty, and allhe could do was to sit in a chair and steer, and the crews of otherAmerican vessels hove up the anchor and mast-headed the topsails forthem; and, as soon as they got to sea, they all began to come right up.So, as it will be right in the sickly time of year, if we don't dieourselves, there will be plenty of vessels short-handed that will beglad enough to ship us."
The captain, perceiving by the looks of Ned that he had some ideas inrespect to the matter in hand, but was too modest to speak, asked hiscompanion.
"Please, sir, I don't think my opinion would be of any value; but ifyou will plan for us, sir, it will all go right."
"I know you have some ideas, Ned, and I want to hear them. Speak up,like a man. If you are going to risk your life, and spend hard-earnedmoney, you certainly are entitled to your opinions."
Thus exhorted and encouraged, Ned, after some hesitation, said,--
"You know, sir, after you took us from the raft I was a long time atCharlie Bell's, very weak and miserable--could only sit in a chair, andwalk about the room."
"Yes."
"Well, Charlie, in order to amuse me and pass the time, told me aboutyour going to Havana in the Ark; of the ventures you carried for himand others. He told me what a lot of money was made on such simplethings as beets, onions, carrots, and potatoes, that are worth next tonothing at home; that you made a lot on some hens, butter, candles, andon beef--more, according to, than even on the lumber."
"That is all so."
"I hope you and Captain Brown will excuse me, sir, for presuming toplan for people who know all about it. I was thinking that perhapsby and by Walter and I might put our money together, build part of avessel, and go in her,--he master, and I mate; and that we ought, if itis right, to keep our money, and get all we can to put with it. Not butI am willing to spend the last dollar for James, if it is necessary;but it seems to me it would be better to make money than to spendmoney."
"But how are you going to get James?"
"I was thinking, sir, if we could get a fore-and-after, a sloop, orsome kind of a vessel that we could handle, load her with somethingthat wouldn't be so bulky as lumber,--like those things you carried forventures,--so that a small vessel could carry a good deal of value, wemight get Peterson clear, and make money for ourselves likewise."
"Bravo, my boy! That's a plan just as full of sense as it can be."
"Then, you know, sir, we should have the vessel to get home with andbring James in."
"To be sure you would, and make a lot on your return cargo. What do youthink of that plan, Walter?"
"I think it is a first-rate plan, sir."
"This little chap that you and all of us have been petting, and callinglittle Ned so long, is outgrowing his teachers. He'll be taking thewind out of your sails by and by."
"There's nothing lost that a good friend gets," said Walter, puttinghis arm round Ned.
"Well said. It's a principle I have always acted upon."
"It struck me, while Ned was speaking, that if we carried such kindof freight as he suggests, why not go and peddle it out at some of thesmall ports. What is to hinder going to the plantation of this veryLemaire, and swap our truck for his, get the right side of him, andthat would give us a first-rate opportunity to get at Peterson."
"So you could. Nobody but a Yankee would have thought of that; whereas,if you should go hanging round there without any business, you would besuspected in a moment, watched, and perhaps shot or stabbed."
"Allow me to make a suggestion," said Captain Brown.
"Certainly; the more heads the better."
"Does that Lemaire _own_ those drogers, or only go in them?"
"Owns them! Man alive, he owns three estates and four or five hundredniggers. I've sold him lumber, bought sugar and coffee of him, and theysay he treats his slaves well, and gives them a chance to earn moneyfor themselves, and buy their freedom."
"Then he must have to buy a great many spars for drogers' masts. Whynot take a deck-load of spars and the other stuff in the hold? Thenhe would be sure to trade with you, especially if you gave him a goodbargain. If he didn't want all the spars at once, he could pile themup."
"Those drogers are large, and require quite a large stick for masts. Itwould take a larger vessel than the boys could handle. You can't keepthem on hand in that climate. If you pile them up, they rot; if you putthem in the salt water, the worms will eat them up in sixty days."
"Captain," said Sewall Lancaster, "may I speak in meeting?"
"Free your mind, brother."
"Wal, what's the matter they couldn't take frames all ready to put upfor nigger quarters, small timbers not very bulky, sell 'em, not by thefoot, but for so much right out? I was out there three years ago in theJohn and Frederick, with old Cap'n Treadwell. No! How time runs away!'Twas four years ago this very month, because it was three days beforewe sailed,
that Lion Ben sarved Joe Bradish such a rinctum."
"What was that?" asked Captain Brown; "let us hear it, Lancaster."
"Wal, you see the Lion, besides being so all-fired strong, is a greatteamster; they say the greatest in town (now Uncle Isaac Murch isgone). He won't abuse an ox, neither, nor let anybody else; but Joe(he's no teamster at all, nor much else; when he gits stuck, he takesoff the forrard cattle), he can't make four oxen pull together; he'sreal cruel, too. I've seen him stand with one foot on the tongue, andthe other on an ox's back, and beat him with a stake. Wal, he got tothe foot of Merrithew's Hill with a heavy load and four oxen; thecattle wouldn't haul for him; he licked his goad up about 'em, andhollered, and screeched, and cursed. They wouldn't haul; he lookedround for a stake, but it was stone wall both sides of the road, andhe had to go a good ways down, over the first little rise, to get one.Lion Ben comes to the top of the hill; he'd heard the screeching; sawthe team standing there. Frank Chase told me this; he was picking rocksin their field, and saw the whole of it. He said the Lion came along,went to the cattle, patted 'em, lifted up the yokes, pulled up a lastyear's mullein stalk, flourished that over 'em a few times, put hispretty little shoulders to the wheel, and spoke to the cattle. Franksaid he didn't speak loud enough for him to hear; and they went rightup the hill with it; then Ben squats down behind the log fence. Joecame back with his stake to whale 'em, and there was no team there.Frank said it was comical enough to see him rub his eyes and stareround. Bime by he went up the hill. There was his team. Frank said helooked under the load, on the top of the load, and everywhere. Frankheld his tongue, and Joe allers thought that the cattle started forfear of the licking they would get when he come back."
"Did he ever find out?" asked Walter.
"Yes; the Lion met him one night at the store, and told him, before allhands, that if ever he saw him beat cattle with a stake, or heard tellon't, he'd pay his respects to him. I reckon you kin guess what LionBen's respects would be."
"All the satisfaction," said the captain, "I wish of the villain thatsold and the villain that bought Peterson is, that Ben might get hismud-hooks on them both. If the blood and brains wouldn't fly when hesmashed their heads together, I'll never guess again. But about theframes, Sewall?"
"Wal, the upshot was, the planters almost quarrelled to see who shouldgit 'em, they were so taken with 'em, and gave him his own price. Theold man said he wished he'd loaded with 'em."
"Just the things for us, Sewall," said the captain. "I've heard peoplespeak in meeting, when I thought they had better have held theirtongues, but you have spoken to the purpose."
"The old cap'n," continued Lancaster, "said he might have made his jackif he had only brought bolts, locks, and cheap hinges for doors, causesometimes they want to lock the darkies up; and also if he had broughthandsome ones for the planters' houses, and nails, he might havethribbled his money; but that his wits allers come afterwards he seemedquite in a passion about it, cause he hadn't made more, when he'd madeenough a'ready to satisfy any reasonable person."
"Thank you, Sewall; we'll try and not have our wits come afterwards."
"The greatest difficulty with me at the outset," said Walter, "is,where to find a vessel."
"I'll settle that matter at once--charter the Perseverance of Ben. Ican rig her so that nothing of her size can catch her; and a bettersea-boat never swam. No matter how hard it blows; she'll lay to like aduck, go dry, and work to windward all the time."
"She may do well in the bays and along shore, bit she is old, and mustbe rotten."
"Last fall Ben took her over to Pleasant Cove. He, John, and Charlieoverhauled her thoroughly, made a winter's job of it, put in newceiling, drove a lot of fastening into her, laid a new deck, and putin a new mainmast and bowsprit. All the rot they found was under thebowsprit and two timbers in the counter. While I am here, I am goingto get new rigging and sails for her. Ben would have her name put onin gold leaf. I thought it was nonsense for a fisherman; but he setshis life by that craft because she belonged to his nearest friend, JohnStrout, who was drowned."
"But will Mr. Ben let us have her?"
"Tell him that James Peterson is a slave in Martinique, and that youwant the schooner to go out there and rescue him, and see whether hewon't let you have her."
"Don't it seem a pity, Captain Rhines," said Ned, "when such awfulthings are done as Aldrich did, that there couldn't be somebody likeLion Ben around, to give them just what they deserve?"
"There is somebody round."
"Yes, sir; but he don't interfere."
"Not all the time, perhaps. He has no occasion to be in haste, but canlay his hand on a villain next year, or a hundred years from now, aswell as to-day. Depend upon it, my boy, Aldrich will get his broth ashot as he can sup it, and, perhaps, a good deal of it as he goes along."
"O, I am so glad we are going to have the Perseverance, not onlybecause she is fast and a good sea-boat, but it was her that you tookus off the raft with."
"Yes, my brave sailor-boy," said the captain, taking Ned on his knee(for his jovial, sanguine temperament was stirred to its depths by thesafe arrival of the brigantine, the prospect of liberating Peterson,and the noble sentiments and practical ability manifested by the boys),"had not the schooner been just where I could lay my hand upon her,you must have perished; nor do I know of another vessel, that, insuch a sea and wind, would have towed the raft clear of the breakers;indeed, it was touch and go. Had the foremast gone overboard threeminutes before it did, you would not be sitting on my knee to-night. Iwas frightened myself, after I was safe on shore, and the pressure wastaken off."
"A penny for your thoughts, Mr. Griffin," observed Captain Brown,noticing that Walter was preoccupied.
"Out with it, my boy," said Captain Rhines.
"I was thinking over something Sewall's conversation put in my head,not clear to me. I have not got it shaped as yet. But if we can get toMartinique with the kind of cargo Sewall speaks of, and Peterson isalive, I feel sure that I know what to do when there."
"What is that?" asked Captain Rhines, pointing to the companion-way.
"It's daylight," said Ned; "we've talked all night; it is break ofday."