CHAPTER XVI
The _Royal James_ hurried down the Chesapeake for a day and a nightbefore Captain Bonnet gave orders to free the young prisoners below inthe bilboes. Jeremy and Bob came on deck stiff and weary from theircramped quarters and very far from happy in their minds. Rescue seemedfarther away than ever, and though they had laid many plans for anescape by swimming, the sight of the great stretch of water off eitherbeam--the shore was frequently a dozen miles away--quenched their hopesin this direction.
The crew seemed quite elated over something, and talked and jokedincessantly about the prospect of action in the near future. Bonnet wasmerrier than Jeremy had ever seen him, came often on deck and even mixeda little in the conversation of the foremast hands. On the night thatthey cleared the Capes he served out double noggins of rum to all themen aboard. There was a good deal of prodigality in the way it waspoured out and a fine scene of carousal ensued, lasting until after thewatch changed at midnight. It was the first time either of the boys hadheard the smashing chorus of "Fifteen Men" sung by the whole fo'c's'le.Of course, the words had often been hummed by one or two of the pirates,but it took the hot cheer of the grog to open most of their throats. Atthe final "Yo, ho, ho!" every cannikin crashed on the deal table and thelantern heaved to and fro overhead as if a gale were blowing outside.There followed the howling refrain that Jeremy had heard on the beach ofthe island a month before--"An' we'll walk the bloody beggars all below,all below--an' we'll walk the bloody beggars all below!"
The sentiment seemed too true to be picturesque after what had happenedaboard the brig. The fierce-faced buccaneers, with their red, drunkeneyes, strained forward, every man, and yelled like demons under theswaying lantern. Close behind and above were the smoky beams andplanking, black with dancing shadows. Yet wild and exciting as it allwas, Jeremy felt sickened. There was no illusion, no play-acting aboutit for him. He had seen the awful reality--the murder and themadness--and he had no admiration left for the jolly buccaneer of story.
On the following morning, and for two days thereafter, the schoonercruised slowly along a level sea under shortened sail. A double lookoutwas kept constantly on duty and as they bore up to the northward, Jeremysaw that they must be watching for south-bound shipping out of theDelaware. Bonnet was evidently gambling on the chance that Bob's friendshad given up the idea of pursuit.
Then one hot mid-afternoon the two boys were startled from their placesin the shade of the after-companion by a quick shout from the man at themasthead. They followed the direction of his pointing arm with theireyes and as the schooner heaved slowly on a gentle swell, they caught aglimpse of a low, broad sail on the port bow. The men were all on deckready to trim the sails for greater speed, but Herriot, after consultingwith the Captain, ordered the gunners and gun-servers below to prepareordnance. Bob and Jeremy were under a tremendous strain of excitement.The stranger ship might be one of the New Castle fleet which Bob firmlybelieved to be searching the seas to recapture him from Bonnet. Shouldit prove to be so, their lives were in worse danger than ever, forneither of the boys doubted that the erratic Captain would kill them atonce if the fight went against him.
However, their minds were soon set at rest on this score. As the piratedrew up closer and closer, the details of the other ship became visibleto those on deck. She also was schooner-rigged, a trifle larger than the_Royal James_, but without the latter's height of mast. Her lowfree-board indicated that she was heavily cargoed. No gunports could beseen along her sides.
Bonnet now ordered an extra jib to be broken out, and had the sloopbrought around on the port tack so that her course, instead of runningopposite to the stranger's, would obliquely cross it. The wind, whatlittle there was, came from the West.
As soon as the other ship perceived this change in direction, she veeredoff her course closer to the wind, and almost immediately the boys couldsee the white flutter of some extra canvas being spread at her bows. Asthis new piece filled out, it proved to be a great balloon jib, whichincreased her sail area by nearly half. Her head came off the wind againand she went bowing along over the swells to the southward faster thanone would have imagined possible. Bonnet had figured on crossing her atclose range, but as she swept onward he realized that he would go by toofar astern to hail her if he kept his present direction. Herriot himselftook the tiller. As quickly as he could, without loss of headway, heeased the _Royal James_ over till she was running nearly parallel withthe fleeing ship. His orders came quick and fast, while the men trimmedthe main and fore sheets to the last hair's breadth of perfection. Itwas to be a race, and a hard one.
For nearly half an hour the sloops ran along almost neck and neck andperhaps half a mile apart. The pirates dared not risk pointing closer tothe wind in order to get into cannon range. They would have lost so muchspeed that it would have developed into a stern chase--useless sincethey possessed only broadside batteries. The best they could do was tohold their position, hoping for luck in the wind.
Bonnet scowled awhile at the British Jack that still flew from the_James's_ top, then went below and brought up the black pirate flag. Thebuccaneers, now all assembled on deck, gave it a cheerful howl ofgreeting as it fluttered up to the main truck. "Now we'll catch 'em,lads!" roared Herriot, and they answered him with a second cheer.
For once, however, the Jolly Roger seemed to bring bad fortune insteadof good. The wind had hardly swept it easily to leeward once when itfell back against the shrouds, hardly stirring. The pirate sloop's deckrighted slowly and her limp sails drooped from the gaffs. A sudden flawin the breeze had settled about her, without interrupting her rival'sprogress in the least. A glum despair came over the crew. They lolled,for the most part silent or grumbling curses, against the rails, withhere and there one trying to whistle up a wind. The other sloop rapidlydrew away to the south.
Bonnet had been talking to Herriot with quick gestures and pointings.Now he walked forward swiftly and the men got to their feet with a jump."We'll board the prize yet," said the Captain short and sharp. "Now lookalive--every one of you!" He ordered one squad of men to the hold forspars, another for rope, a third for a spare mainjib. Meanwhile he settwo men to making a sort of stirrup out of blocks of wood. This wasfastened to the deck far up in the bows. When the spars came up he hadone of them rigged with a tackle running to the foremast, and set itsfoot in the wooden contrivance just finished. It swung out forward likea great jibboom. The crew saw what was in the Captain's mind and gave aringing yell of joy. A score of willing hands made fast the stays towindward and others spread the spare sail from the upper end of thespar. As the last rope was bent, a strong draught of air came over thewater. The canvas shook, then filled, and as the fresh breeze steadiedin her sails the sloop heeled far to port. She moved faster and faster,while the white water surged away under her lee. This was sailing worthwhile! The returning wind had come in much stronger than before theflaw, and was now almost worthy of at least one reef under ordinaryconditions. With her extra canvas, the _James_ was canted overperilously. Her lee scuppers were often awash and a good deal of waterwas coming into the port gundeck.
But to the delight of all on board, including the boys, who could hardlybe blamed for relishing the excitement, Bonnet refused to take in aninch of sail. Instead, he ordered every available man to the weatherrail. The dead weight of thirty seamen all leaning half-way over theside served to keep the light craft ballasted for the time being. Boband Jeremy clung to the rail amidships and vied with each other instretching out over the boiling seas that raced below.
The fleeing ship, which had gained four or five miles during the lull,was now in plain view again, nearly straight ahead. Her deep lading wastelling against her now. The handicap of sail area being overcome, theblack pirate's shallow draft and long lines gave her the advantage.Every buccaneer in the crew was howling with excitement as the race wenton. The long main boom of the _Royal James_ skipped through the sprayand her mainsail was wet to the second line of reef points, but Herriotheld her square on the cours
e and Bonnet smiled grimly ahead, with alook that meant he would run her under before he would shorten sail.Hand over hand they overhauled their rival, until once more the tinyfigures of men were visible over her rail. A little knot of them weregathered aft, busy at something. Bonnet seized his glass and scrutinizedthem intently. Then he yelled to Herriot to ease the sloop off to port."They've got a gun astern there!" he shouted. "They'll try our range ina minute." Hardly had he spoken when a spout of foam went up from thesea far to starboard, followed almost instantly by the dull sound of anexplosion. By the time the gunners on the ship had loaded their pieceagain the _James_ had come over to their port quarter and they had toshift the cannon's position. The shot went close overhead, cutting acorner from the black flag of the pirate. Bonnet swore beneath hisbreath, then ordered the cannoneers below to their batteries. They wenton the run. Jeremy and Bob stayed above watching the operations on theenemy's deck. The two sloops were less than three hundred yards apartand the _James_ had drawn nearly abeam when a third shot came from herrival's deck gun. This time it crashed into the pirate's hull far up bythe bits. Bonnet was by the fore hatch, sword in hand, as was his customduring an action. Looking coolly at the splintered bulwark forward, thenback at the enemy, he gave the sharp "Ready a starboard broadside!" tothe waiting gunners. He allowed them time to have their matches alight,then "Fire!" rang his clear voice. The deck leaped under the boys' feet.The long, thunderous bellow of the battery jarred out over the sea. Evenas they looked the enemy's maingaff, shot away at the jaws, dangledloose from the peak halyards, and her broad sail crumpled, puffing outawkwardly in the breeze.
At the same time a wide rent in her side above the waterline gaped blackas she topped a wave. The gunners' cheer as they saw their handiworkrose to a deafening yell, taken up by all hands, when, a moment later,the British colors came fluttering down aboard the other ship.
Herriot ordered the improvised spinnaker and the flying-jib taken in,then brought the buccaneer sloop around and came up beside the newlycaptured prize. All the pirates were behind the bulwarks with musketsloaded, prepared for any treachery that might be intended. However, asthey ranged alongside, the hostile crew lined up on their deck, sullenbut unarmed, and the Captain, a big, gray-bearded man, held up a pieceof white cloth in token of surrender. Bonnet hailed him, asking hisname.
"Captain Peter Manewaring of the sloop _Francis,_ Philadelphia forCharles Town," answered the coasting skipper.
"And I am Captain Thomas, in command of the sloop _Royal James,_" Bonnetgave him in return. "You will set your men to carrying over into my shipall the powder you have aboard. As soon as we are fast alongside I shallbe pleased to entertain you in the cabin."
The sails were run down on both sloops and their hulls were quicklylashed together with ropes. Herriot superintended the operation oftransferring a half-dozen kegs of powder, some casks of wine and thebest food in the coaster's larder to the hold of the black schooner. Thecargo of the _Francis_ was a varied one, but not by any means a poorprize. She carried some grain in bags forward, a great number of boltsof cloth, chiefly woollens, and other things of divers sorts, includingsome fine mahogany chairs and tables newly brought from England. Thewine was merely incidental, but proved very acceptable to theever-thirsty buccaneers.
That night, with the nine men of the _Francis's_ crew lying in irons onthe ballast, they drank deep to their victory, and once more Jeremy andBob fell asleep to the rough half-harmony of their bellowings.