CHAPTER XV
Job Howland's long legs, clad as they were in nothing more cumbersomethan a pair of under-breeches, made light work of hills and ravines ashe held his way steadily up the Delaware shore. Like most of the sailorsof that day, he had gone barefoot aboard ship since the beginning of thewarm weather and his soles were so calloused that he hardly felt theneed of shoes.
At a shack on a little cove, just before midday, he found severalfishermen, to whom he applied for clothing. They had pity on his plight,fitted him out with a shirt, serviceable breeches and rough boots, andgave him, as well, as much biscuit and dried fish as he wished to carry.Thus reinforced he continued to put the leagues behind him till night,when he slept under a convenient jack-pine. Early next morning he pushedon and came without further adventure to the little port of New Castle,just as the sun was setting.
Job had been in the town before and now went straight to the Red HawkTavern, a small place on the water-front that catered chiefly toseafaring men. The tavern-keeper, a brawny Swede, to whose blue eyeshalf the seamen that plied along the coast were familiar, held out abig hand to him as he entered. He had known the tall mariner when he hadbeen on the Virginia bark before Hornygold had captured it and had hadno news of him since. Job told him his whole story over a hot meal inthe back room, and it is merely indicative of the public mind of thatday that the big Swede had not the slightest compunction in sympathizingwith him. Indeed, in most dockside resorts it was a common thing forpirates and honest seamen to fraternize with perfect goodwill. Theinnkeeper offered him a bed for the night, and next morning directed himto the governor's house.
Delaware, a far smaller and less developed colony than her neighbors,Pennsylvania and Maryland, had, nevertheless, her own government,located at New Castle. The brick house of the King's appointee was onthe High Street--the most imposing building in the town, excepting thetwo churches. Job knocked at the door and was admitted by a coloredservant in livery, who gave him a chair in the wide hall and asked himto wait there.
As the long Yankee fidgeted uncomfortably on the edge of his seat, heheard voices raised in a room opposite, the door of which was closed.Some one, apparently growing angry, was saying:
"Good Gad, man, are we to sit idle and let these ruffianly thieves makeoff with our money--children--wives! One good man-o'-war could teach thescamps such a lesson as would scare half of 'em off the seas! Why, ifI'd had even a good culverin aboard the _Indian Queen_ last night, I'dhave chased the beggars clear to Africa, an need were. Governor, you_must_ see this as we see it!"
There was a reply in a lower tone and a moment later the door opened fortwo gentlemen to come out. One was thin and pale and seemed a suave,cool fellow, Job thought. He was elegantly dressed in gray. Hiscompanion, larger and more strongly built, seemed to have become veryred in the face from suppressed emotion. His linen ruffles were awry andhis fists clenched as he emerged. Without looking at Job, he jammed hiscocked hat upon his head and strode out.
The man in gray turned to the waiting seaman and beckoned him into theroom just vacated. Job, as cool and self-possessed as if he were loadinghis six-pounder under fire, told the story of his experiences aboard thepirate sloop, finishing with an account of the attempted flight withJeremy, their recapture and his escape. The Governor listened gravely,starting once when the mariner named Captain Bonnet. At the end henodded. "You shall have the pardon as ruled by the Crown," he said. "Butthere is another side to this affair. You say you slept at the RedHawk. Was there no talk there of a boy stolen from the wharves late inthe evening?" Job replied that he had gone to bed early and hadbreakfasted and left without hearing any gossip.
"From what you say," went on the Governor, "I should be ready to swearthat the Captain Thomas, who proclaimed himself by that name in a tavernlast night and later made off with the son of Clark Curtis, was the sameman as your Stede Bonnet." Job hastened to relate the incident of thebuccaneer's crazed speech from the brig's deck. He asked how thekidnapper had been described. The features tallied almost exactly withthose of Stede Bonnet. In addition, the schooner, as half a dozen menwould swear, had been painted black.
Thus satisfied that Bob Curtis was aboard the _Royal James_, theGovernor wrote a formal pardon, stating that "Job Howland, late apirate, having duly sworn his allegiance to his Majesty the King, andrepented of all unlawful acts committed by him aforetime," washenceforward granted full release from the penalty of his crimes and wasto be held an honest man during his good behavior. Then he took theseaman with him and passed quickly down to one of the larger warehousesby the dockside.
Standing in the doorway were the red-faced gentleman whom Job had seenthat morning and a large man in sea boots, easily recognized as a ship'sofficer. To the rather cool greeting of the former the Governor returneda cheerful nod as they came up. "Look here now, Curtis," he said, "Ican't spare those cannon, and that's flat, but to show that I mean wellby you, I've brought a man whom you may find of some use. Tell himyour story, Howland."
The tale was repeated, to the intense interest of its two new hearers."By Gad," cried Mr. Curtis, slapping his thigh, as the seaman finished,"that's a clue worth having! We know who the scoundrel is, at least,and, of course, he'll be sure to head for Carolina. Bonnet couldn't keepaway from that coast for more than six months if his life depended uponit. Howland, if you care to ship again, I'll make you gun-pointer aboardthe _Indian Queen_ here. You say you want nothing better than to get acrack at the pirate. We'll make what preparations we can and get off atonce. This young friend of yours--about Bob's age he must be--well, I'mglad my boy's got company! Let's get to work aboard here now."
Job fell to with a good will helping the _Indian Queen's_ crew get herready for an encounter with the pirates. She carried only two lightserpentine cannon of an ancient make, far below the standard necessaryto combat a well-armed schooner like the _Royal James_. There were noother ships in the harbor carrying guns, however, and it was over thematter of procuring an armament that Curtis had had words with theGovernor. There were six good culverins mounted in the fort below thetown. The planter had wished to borrow them to fit out his vessel,urging that it was a matter of concern to the whole colony. To this theGovernor replied that with the port stripped of defences it would bepossible for a pirate fleet to enter and plunder without difficulty,while Curtis's ship was careering over the seven seas on a wild-goosechase. Naturally the personal element in the affair blinded Curtis tothe truth in this argument. However, with the advent of Job Howland andthe news he bore, all differences were forgotten. The planter andship-owner now needed thorough, rather than hurried, preparation. Hesent his overseer on horseback to Philadelphia to arrange for thepurchase of guns, and put all the available carpenters and shipwrightsto work on the _Queen_, strengthening the improvised gun decks andcutting the rows of ports.
The northeast gale that sprang up next day put a temporary stop to theseactivities and gave Job an opportunity to get himself some decentclothes and hobnob a while with his friend the Swede. The wholewaterfront was agog with the news of the kidnapping, and everywhere thetall New Englander went he was surrounded by a knot of questioningseamen. Several coasting-skippers, whose vessels lay ready-loaded at thewharves, decided to put off sailing until some news should indicate thatthe Bay was clear.
When the storm had blown itself out the artisans again set to work onthe big East Indiaman. Job, who had learned the science of gunnery undergood masters, supervised the placing of every porthole with reference toease and safety in firing as well as to the effectiveness of abroadside. He had a section of the deck forward of the capstanreinforced stoutly to bear the weight of a bow-chaser, on which heplaced some dependence in case of a running fight.
It was about six days later, in the first week of August, when two mencame into New Castle from different directions, one on horseback, theother on foot. The first of these was Curtis's overseer, returned fromthe larger colony up the Bay, and bringing the good news that a score ofcannon were lying on the dock at
the foot of Market Street, inPhiladelphia, ready to be shipped aboard the _Queen_ as soon as she wasput in shape.
The other was a sour-looking man of middle height, lean and darklysallow, dressed in good sea clothes somewhat worn. He slipped throughthe trees into a lane that led toward the wharves. Coming unobtrusivelyinto the Red Hawk Tavern at a little after 7 o'clock in the evening, heasked for a pint of rum, paid for it, and began to talk politely to theSwede. Job was eating his supper in one corner. He started when the manentered, but made no exclamation, and shading his face from the light,continued to watch him narrowly. It was his old shipmate, Bill Curley,the Jamaican. The pirate finished his rum and giving the barkeep a civil"Good-night," passed out into the ill-lighted street. When he was goneJob rose and stepped to the bar. "Quick, Nels," he whispered, "what didhe ask you? He's one of Bonnet's crew!" The Swede replied that he hadinquired the way to Clarke Curtis's house. Job was armed with a goodpistol. He made sure it was primed and then set out up the street,keeping a careful lookout.
Soon he detected the figure of the Jamaican in the gloom ahead, andfollowed it, keeping out of earshot. The man went straight up HighStreet to the town residence of the planter. There were tall shrubs inthe yard and he waited behind one of these, apparently reconnoitering.Then he stooped, took off his shoes, and carrying them in one hand,advanced and pinned a piece of paper to the door. Turning, he made hisway back to the gate and once on the soft earth of the road, started torun in the direction from which he had come. This brought him, in fiftyyards, face to face with a pistol muzzle, the butt of which was held byhis old friend, Job Howland. He stopped in his tracks and at the bigYankee's command held both arms above his head. Job jammed the nose ofhis weapon against Curley's breastbone and searched him without a word.Having removed a long dirk and a pistol from the Jamaican's waistband,he ordered him to face about and walk back to the planter's house. Whenthey arrived there, Job took down the paper from the door and knockedloudly. A negro boy, scared almost into fits at the sight of the drawnpistol, led the way into his master's room.
Curtis rose with an ejaculation of surprise and heard Job's briefaccount of the events leading to Curley's capture. Then he took thepaper and read it, alternately frowning and exclaiming. As he finished,he passed it to the New Englander. It was a letter neatly drawn up andwritten in Stede Bonnet's even, refined hand.
Aboard Sloop _Royal James,_ now in an Inlet near the Head of the Chesapeake Bay.
To Mr. Clarke Curtis. Esq. of New Castle, in the Delaware Colony.
Sir:
Having now aboard us and in safe custody your son Robert Curtis, we offer you the following terms for his release and safe return to you. Namely, to wit:
First, that you shall make no attempt to attack us in an armed vessel, or otherwise to employ force upon us.
Second, that you shall send a single man, carrying or otherwise bringing, provided he is alone, a sum in gold amounting to 5,000 pounds sterling.
Third, that this man shall be on the sandbars at the entrance to the Cape Fear River in Carolina at noon on the 10th day of September in this year of grace 1718, ready to deliver the sum before-mentioned and to take in charge the boy, also before-mentioned.
Failing the accomplishment of any or all of these terms the boy will be immediately put to death without stay or pity.
Expecting you to act with discretion and for the welfare of your son,
Ever your humble servant,
Captain Thomas. (Ship _Royal James_)
"Well," remarked Job as he finished, "we know where they'll be onSeptember the 10th, at all events. As for our friend here, we can safelyturn him over to the constable, I reckon. Here, Curley--march!" And heushered the Jamaican out as they had entered. The gaol was only a fewdoors down a cross street, and Job had soon delivered his prisoner intocapable hands. Then he returned to Curtis's house.
The shipowner was pacing up and down his library, where the paper layhalf-crumpled on the floor. He looked up as Job entered and his brow waswrinkled deep with lines of worry.
"Gad!" he exclaimed, "this is awful! Must we actually give up trying topunish the dog? Why, he has us at his mercy, it seems. The money I canraise, I believe, and it's not the thought of losing it that cuts me.It's letting that gallows-hound go unscathed. And if anything shouldslip in the plans--good God, it's too terrible to think of!"
He dropped into an armchair, his head resting in his hands. Jobunderstood something of the father's anguish and refrained from anycomment. Standing by the broad oak mantelpiece, he mused over thechances of the boy's escape alive. Knowing Bonnet's eccentricities, hewould have been the last to urge an armed attack in defiance of theterms in the letter. He had not the slightest doubt that the Captain,half-insane as he was, would be capable of even more dastardly crimesthan the one he now threatened. Gradually an idea took form in theex-pirate's brain. It was a bold one and needed to be executed boldly ifat all. When the grief-stricken gentleman raised his head, Job turnedand faced him. "Mr. Curtis," he said, "there's one thing to be done, asfar's I can see, and I believe it's for me to do it. I've told you aboutJeremy Swan, the boy we took aboard up north along. I think most as mucho' getting him out o' this scrape as you do o' savin' your lad. Nowhere's my scheme. I know that coast around Cape Fear like I know theblack schooner's deck. I'll get down there about the first o' September,an' I reckon they'll be there near the same time. I'll sneak up as closeas I can in a small boat, then crawl acrost the bars till I'm near theirmoorin', an' swim out after dark, so I can look over the lay o' thingsaboard. It's just possible that I can get a word to one o' the boys andmaybe take 'em off without bein' caught. You can be lyin' to, somewhereout o' sight, and' if we get clean away, we'll take the _Queen_ aroundan' blow Bonnet out o' water. That's the best I can offer, but if itworks it'll do the job up brown."
Curtis had listened earnestly, amazed at the daring of the man'ssuggestion. He reached out a broad hand and took Job's hairy fist in agrip that expressed the depth of his feelings. His eyes were blinkingand he could not trust his voice, but the long Yankee knew that the riskhe had offered to undertake was appreciated. They talked far into thenight, planning the details of the attempt and discussing measures to beemployed should it fail. They still had the best part of a month inwhich to work.
It was Job's suggestion that they should interest the governments ofNorth and South Carolina to help in destroying Bonnet's craft. Thepirate's port of departure had been Charles Town and he was to befought in waters adjacent to both the colonies. It seemed notunreasonable to hope that there was aid to be obtained there. Next daythey asked the Governor's sanction to this proposal, and were so farrewarded that in less than another twenty-four hours a messenger hadbeen dispatched to Wilmington and Charles Town bearing letters under thecolony seal.