CHAPTER VI.
A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.
Our fears as to what fate might overtake the _Essex_ while we were awayand she had only four men to care for her, were forgotten in a greatmeasure as we neared the Britisher.
Probably the question in the minds of all was as to whether the strangerwould show fight. I know it fully occupied my thoughts; but, greatly tomy surprise, I was not very much afraid of what might happen. Perhapsbecause there were so many things to think about, I gave less heed tothe enemy than I would have done under other circumstances.
There is no good reason why I should spin out this portion of the yarnany longer than is absolutely necessary, more especially since there isso much of later happening and greater importance to be set down.
It is enough to say that we approached the enemy in proper fashion,ready for any kind of a scrimmage, and instead of firing a gun he hauleddown his colors as the others had done. Cowardly though I was, itdisappointed me because these Britishers submitted so tamely.
We now had, as the second prize of the day, the letter of marque ship_Greenwich_, three hundred and thirty-eight tons burden, carrying tenguns and a crew of twenty-five men.
Captain Porter had taken many chances in sending us all away at the sametime, yet by doing so he had gained another prize which, had she beenleft at liberty, might have worked serious mischief to our merchantmen.
It can readily be supposed that we did not lose any time in getting backto the frigate. Men enough to take care of the prisoners and work theprize were left on board, and the remainder of us pulled to the _Essex_at full speed, feeling, when we went on deck once more, as if the oldship had escaped some deadly peril.
By the time the remainder of our fleet came up, bringing with them thetwo boats we had sent out during the night, the _Essex_ was lyingalongside two fine prizes which had not cost us a single charge ofpowder.
We now had four prizes, in addition to the _Barclay_, and I was arguingwith Phil as to how it would be possible to care for them all, and atthe same time take any more, when Master Hackett joined us.
"I reckon you lads think the old _Essex_ has got about as much as shecan stagger under, eh?" he began; and I repeated to him what Phil and Ihad been saying.
"I allow we've got a good big job on our hands, lads," the old man said,speaking thoughtfully, as if weighing well every word, "an' now's comethe time when Captain Porter is bound to make port. We're feedin' acrowd of men, an' can't do any great amount of work with so many craftto look after."
"Will we go to Valparaiso?" Phil asked, thinking of Benson.
"It's beyond an old shellback like me to say, lad; but if I was thecaptain of this 'ere frigate, I'd think twice before I poked my noseinto that port the second time."
"Why? They treated us well before."
"Ay, an' that's why I'd keep my weather-eye liftin' while we're in thesewaters. England is a strong nation, an' these 'ere young republics won'tdare hold out against her commands very long. There'll be a big lot ofkickin' in Great Britain when word is sent there of what we've beendoin', an' you'll find that she'll shut every port on the Pacificagainst us."
I did not fully understand all Master Hackett said; but no particularharm was done because of my ignorance, since it matters little whether aboy aboard ship knows the whys and wherefores of everything.
However, there must have been good reasoning in the old man's words,since Captain Porter did exactly that which Master Hackett would haveadvised.
When prize crews were on board all our captured ships we were so shortof hands that Lieutenant Gamble of the marines was given charge of the_Greenwich_, because we had no naval officer to put in command, and theentire fleet was gotten under way without unnecessary delay.
None of us on the gun-deck knew for what port we were bound, until the19th of June, when we ran into the harbor of Tumbez, and came to anchor.
Why it was, none of our old sea lawyers could determine satisfactorily;but not one of the crew was given shore liberty. There was no unusualamount of work to be done on the ships, yet we were kept aboard as closeas if there was danger some of us might desert.
The captain went on shore every day to bargain for provisions to bepaid for with the money we captured from the _Nocton_, and boatloads ofstores were put aboard this ship or that; therefore it was certain theinhabitants were friendly, or would be so long as our cash lasted.
There was no little amount of grumbling because we were kept so snug;but as a matter of course none of the hard words were spoken where theymight be overheard by the officers, therefore nothing came of it.
Five days after we let go our ground tackle three sail were seenstanding into the bay, and we were summoned to get the frigate underway, but the order was countermanded when those on the foremost shiplowered a boat as if to come ashore.
Captain Porter waited to learn who the visitors were, and soon we hadthe great satisfaction of seeing Lieutenant Downes in the stern-sheetsof the boat, although it puzzled us not a little as to why he hadreturned thus soon.
Of course the lieutenant came on board the _Essex_, as did those who hadmanned his boat, and we of the gun-deck heard the whole story of the_Georgiana's_ adventures while Mr. Downes was having his confab in thecabin.
And what a story it was! We cheered and yelled as our old shipmatesspun it off, and nearly went wild with rejoicing.
Here is the yarn boiled down, and that it was true we knew full well,for yonder were the prizes coming to close under the _Georgiana_ stern.
It seems that after leaving us Lieutenant Downes cruised off James'sIsland, where he fell in with two Britishers. Hoisting the Englishcolors, he soon had the captains of the whalers sitting comfortably inhis cabin, and then he told them who he was. Well, the prizes were takenwithout resistance, as a matter of course, and the United States enteredinto possession, less what prize money would be coming to us, of theship _Catherine_ of two hundred and seventy tons burden, carrying eightguns and twenty-nine men, and the _Rose_, two hundred and twenty tons,eight guns and twenty-one men.
After manning these prizes, Lieutenant Downes had only twenty as a crewall told, and yet that fact did not prevent him from giving chase nextday to the whaler _Hector_, a ship of two hundred and seventy tons,twenty-five men, and carrying eleven guns, although she was pierced fortwenty.
This last craft was a Britisher who stood ready to fight, and when Mr.Downes understood that he had an action on his hands, with hardly menenough to work his ship, he put the prisoners in irons so that theymight not be able to lend a hand to their countrymen.
When the _Hector_ was ordered to surrender she refused, and Mr. Downeslet her have a broadside which brought down her main-topmast. The crewhad good pluck, however, and fought their ship until nearly all herstanding and running rigging was shot away, when they could do no lessthan haul down their colors. The Britishers had two men killed and sixwounded.
After putting a prize crew on board this last capture, Lieutenant Downeshad but ten men left in the _Georgiana_, and, including the wounded, heheld seventy-three prisoners. Now it seems that the _Rose_ was an oldtub of a ship which it wouldn't pay to bring into port under thecircumstances; therefore he threw her guns overboard, and filled herwith the prisoners, on condition that they head direct for St. Helena.
When that had been done he steered for Tumbez, for it appears that heand Captain Porter had agreed to go there when it was necessary to makea port.
Now our fleet consisted of nine sail, and it began to look as if wemight take possession of every port in the Pacific Ocean, if we were sominded. The beauty of it was that all our ships and ammunition had comefrom the Britishers, which was surely an economical way of carrying on awar.
Even Phil and I were puffed up with pride because of what had beenaccomplished, and we crowed as loud as any man on the gun-deck when wewent over and over again the "luck of the _Essex_."
We soon learned that the fleet was not yet to the captain's liking, andon the morning after the a
rrival of Mr. Downes our people set aboutmaking a change.
The _Atlantic_, which, as you will remember, we captured just beforerunning for Tumbez, was an hundred tons larger than the _Georgiana_, andhad shown herself to be a better sailer, as well as possessing superiorqualifications for a cruiser; therefore Mr. Downes and his crew weretransferred to her. Twenty guns were mounted in this new sloop of war,and she was manned by sixty men. Her name was changed to _Essex Junior_,and a right trim little ship she was, I can assure you.
The _Greenwich_ we made over into a store-ship, and all the spare storesof the other vessels were put into her. She was armed with twenty guns,but had no more of a crew than was absolutely necessary to work her;therefore we could not count that she would do much in the way of makingprizes.
The carpenters were yet busily at work on the _Essex Junior_ when weleft port; but we had become accustomed to fitting at sea, therefore alittle thing like that did not disturb the most nervous.
A brave show we made as we passed out of the harbor with the stars andstripes floating in the breeze, and I would have given half my share ofprize money if the people at home could have seen us, and known how thissquadron had been gotten together.
We were yet at sea on the Fourth of July, and then was held a Yankeecelebration which must have astonished the mermaids. Every ship fired asalute, and, what pleased us most, did it with powder we had taken fromthe Britishers. We had plum duff till we could eat no more, to saynothing of roast pig, vegetables, and other such cabin stores as ticklethe appetite.
Phil and I had by this time come to believe we were quite brave, andcounted on the moment when in action we should do that which would causeCaptain Porter to praise us from the quarter-deck in the presence of allthe ship's company.
On the 9th of July the _Essex Junior_ was in good sailing trim, and thefleet was hove to in order to part company with the new sloop of war.Our commander had decided to send the prizes, _Hector_, _Catherine_,_Policy_, and _Montezuma_, as well as the recaptured ship _Barclay_,into Valparaiso, and Commandant Downes was to take charge of the matter.
We parted company about noon, the frigate, with the _Greenwich_ and_Georgiana_, remaining hove to until the _Essex Junior_ and her convoywere hull down in the distance, after which we squared away for a cruiseamong the Gallipagos, so the marines who had stood guard in the cabinreported; but we knew that between where we then were and the islands inquestion was a good chance of taking more prizes, and, because of the"luck of the _Essex_," reckoned on adding to our list of captures beforearriving at this new cruising ground.
We counted on having our average good fortune; but never dreamed,confident though we were, of the success which was so soon to be ours.
Four days after we parted company with our prizes and the _EssexJunior_, that is to say, on the 13th day of July, the lookouts sightedthree sail off Banks's Bay, all on a wind, but a good deal separated.
Phil and I were no longer excited by such information. Both of us feltelated; but we had thus far captured everything which had been sighted,and when a sail was reported, we of the gun-deck at once reckoned heras a prize. Had we failed to take two or three craft during our cruise,then we would have been in suspense until the chase was ended; but sogood had been our fortune that the worst grumblers among the crew beganto find fault because the Britishers fell into our hands like over-ripeapples.
Our little fleet was in a bunch, hardly more than a quarter of a mileseparating each craft, when the word was given that more ships had comeup to be captured; and on this day we had an opportunity of learning howwell the squadron could manoeuvre.
Captain Porter signalled that he would give chase to the ship in themiddle of the line, which was farthest down to leeward, while the_Greenwich_ and the _Georgiana_ endeavored to cut off one of the others.
This race was different from others which had fallen to our lot,inasmuch as we were eager to know what was going on astern as well asahead; and every man jack of us off duty gathered on theforecastle-deck, confident that all three of the strangers would betaken, but curious as to how it might be done.
We of the frigate overhauled our portion of the chase rapidly; but thestranger was so far to leeward that we were forced to run a longdistance from our consorts, and when the _Essex_ was a couple ofleagues off, those who were watching astern could see that one of thestrangers which we had left for the _Georgiana_ and the _Greenwich_ tolook after, had tacked, and was evidently manoeuvring to cut the_Georgiana_ out.
Now had matters become interesting for a verity. Short-handed as ourconsorts were, there was a good chance that one would be captured whilewe were running to leeward, and I literally held my breath in suspense,expecting each moment to see the tiny wisp of red and white which weknew to be the stars and stripes, hauled down in response to thestranger's threats.
If any proof had been needed that Yankees were not inclined to surrenderwithout a fight, we had it then, when we saw the _Greenwich_ heave to,take a portion of the crew from the _Georgiana_, and bear boldly down onthe enemy.
What a cheer went up from our men when this had been done! I was proudof my countrymen then, and could have hugged every old shellback onboard the _Greenwich_ with a good zest, had it been possible to get atthem.
"I'll answer for it that our comrades hold those two Britishers in checkuntil we can get back," Master Hackett said in a tone of satisfaction,and again we cheered until those on the ship we were overhauling sorapidly must have heard and wondered why we were making such a fussabout the capture of a whaler.
Well, we bore down on the chase hand over hand, and when we were so nearthat a shot might have been pitched into any part of her, the ship hoveto without the slightest show of resistance.
Captain Porter hailed as the British colors were hauled down, and thenwe learned that this last prize was the English whaler _Charlton_, twohundred and seventy-four tons, with ten guns and twenty-one men.
Her officers were transferred to the _Essex_, a prize crew was thrown onboard in a twinkling, and the frigate hauled her wind to take care ofthe others.
Captain Porter was so eager for information that he questioned thecaptain of the _Charlton_ on the quarter-deck, and many of the gun-deckinquisitives heard the whole story.
By this means our commander learned that the largest of the ships we nowcounted on taking was the _Seringapatam_, three hundred and fifty-seventons, carrying fourteen guns and forty men. It was this craft which hadbeen manoeuvring to cut out the _Georgiana_, and unless we had beennear at hand to lend assistance the job might have been done.
The other Britisher was the _New Zealander_, of two hundred andfifty-nine tons, eight guns, and twenty-three men.
The _Seringapatam_ had been built for a cruiser, so our prisoners said,and was the most dangerous ship, so far as the American trade wasconcerned, of any craft west of Cape Horn.
There was not one of us who did not feel the most intense desire tocapture this craft, and particularly to do so before she could work anyserious damage to our consorts.
We could see that the _Greenwich_ had already gone into action with theBritisher, and we cheered ourselves hoarse by way of encouragement tothe brave fellows who had tackled a craft heavier than themselves,although there was not the slightest chance they would hear our cries.
Our ship, meaning the _Greenwich_, was manoeuvred beautifully; shepoured in three broadsides before the enemy could get into position tofire one, and we were yet more than a league distant when the Britishershowed that she had had enough. As her colors came down we cheered andshouted like wild men, some of the old shellbacks dancing around thedeck like apes who have suddenly gone mad; but before many minutespassed we saw that we had begun our rejoicings a trifle too early.
After giving token of surrender the captain of the _Seringapatam_evidently thought he yet had an opportunity to escape, for he slippedoff to windward before a prize crew could be thrown on board.
We gazed in breathless suspense as the _Greenwich_, never stopping topick
up the crew in the two boats which had been lowered to takepossession of the prize, crept up on the enemy's quarter and poured insuch a fire as was most surprising, considering the number of men whichwere left on board.
The Britisher soon came to understand that we Yankees were too much forhim, even though he outclassed us both as to metal and men, for he worearound and came down to us as meekly as any lamb.
Captain Porter lost no time in throwing a prize crew on board, aftertransshipping the officers, and away we went for the _New Zealander_,who was doing her feeble best to crawl out of the way; but succeedingvery badly.
When we passed within half a mile of the _Greenwich_ our crew lined theyards and gave her the heartiest of salutes, while Captain Porterwinked at the performance when he should have reprimanded us severelyfor daring to do so without permission or orders.
The _New Zealander_ was taken without opposition, and again we foundourselves with more prizes and prisoners than could conveniently bemanaged.
Before nightfall Captain Porter learned that the commander of the_Seringapatam_ had taken one prize illegally, he having no letter ofmarque; and since this was neither more nor less than piracy, theventuresome Britisher was put in irons to be sent home for trial.
Next morning the _Charlton's_ guns, ammunition, small arms, and sparesails were taken out; all the prisoners were put on board, and she wasallowed to make sail for Rio de Janeiro, every man jack being underparole to go to that port and none other.
Hardly had she filled away on her course than we set to work putting the_Seringapatam_ into shape for our own use. The guns of the _NewZealander_ were mounted in her, which brought up the number totwenty-two, but we could leave on board no more than a sufficient crewto work her.
Then orders were given that the oil which we had taken, and which wasstored on the _Essex_, the _Greenwich_, and the _Georgiana_, should beput on board the latter ship, and she sent home.
Loading a ship in mid ocean with such heavy articles as casks of oil, isa slow and laborious task, as we soon learned. It was necessary to slingeach hogshead into a boat, pull to the craft which was being loaded, andthere hoist it inboard, working disadvantageously all the while becauseof the heavy swell.
It was not until the 24th day of July that the _Georgiana_ was ready forthe voyage to the United States, and then the captain of the_Seringapatam_ had been sent on board as a prisoner to be closelyguarded; but no crew selected to take charge of her.
On this evening our men, greasy and stained with their work of handlingoil, were called amidships while Captain Porter stood on the break ofthe quarter.
All hands knew that we were now to learn who would sail in the_Georgiana_, and each man looked at his neighbor to know how he feltabout going home while the most dangerous portion of the work yetremained to be done, which would be when the British men-of-war camearound the Horn to wind up our career.
The captain began by reminding us that our term of service had nearlyexpired, and that a certain number must be sent home to work the_Georgiana_.
"I will give you all the same show," he said; "and if too manyvolunteer to make up the crew, we will take those whose time ofenlistment is nearest at an end. You are to think it over this evening;try to settle the matter among yourselves; but if that can't be done, Iwill take a hand at it to-morrow morning."
With this we were dismissed, and once all hands were on the gun-deck,with the exception of those who remained above on watch, a mosttremendous jawing was begun. Every man tried to speak at the same time,and the uproar was so great that no single word could be distinguished.I could not make out whether the men were excited lest they should notbe able to go, or if there was a desire to remain.
Phil and I went into a corner by ourselves, where we could hear eachother speak, and there I asked him what he thought about volunteeringfor the _Georgiana_.
"I count on staying here, if Captain Porter don't drive me out," he saidemphatically, thus showing that his decision had been made before wecame below. "You know, Ezra, that I don't amount to much when it comesto a show of bravery; but I'm not such a coward as to turn now, when thegreatest danger is yet to be met."
I flung my arms around the dear fellow and kissed him on both cheeks.He had spoken that which was in my own heart, although I could not haveput it in such proper words; and then it was decided between us that wewould remain by the _Essex_ so long as should be permitted us.
By the time we two had settled the question, Master Hackett hadsucceeded in quieting the wranglers sufficiently to make himself heard,and the old man proved to be quite a dandy at handling a meeting.
"Hold your jaw, you lubbers!" he shouted with such a volume of soundthat he must have been heard distinctly by those on the quarter-deck."The captain wants to know how many of us is achin' to get home beforethe Britishers send half a dozen frigates down here to blow us out ofthe water, an' he'll never get the information unless you settle downinto peaceable sailormen. There's no use waggin' your chins over thisthing; every man has a right to do what pleases him best, an' now he'sgot a fair chance. What I say is this: Let them as want to go aboard the_Georgiana_ toddle to the port side, and them who count on holdin' bythe old hooker, step over to starboard."
The men looked around curiously for an instant, and then every one ofthem moved to starboard, Phil and I among the rest.
There was a broad grin on Master Hackett's face when he cried with asemblance of anger:--
"This 'ere won't do at all. Some of us are bound to go, seein's how wecan't let that cargo of oil run to waste. Of course _I'll_ hold to thefrigate; but them as have got wives an' children ashore ought 'er getover to port, an' we'll feel no shame for 'em, knowin' as we do that acrew must be made up for the _Georgiana_."
"It's none of your business how many wives or children we've got, HiramHackett!" one of the throng shouted. "It's as much our right as yours tostick to the frigate, an' we count on doin' it. Why not send the boys?They can do the work of sailormen aboard the _Georgiana_! Then you'llhave two towards a crew."
"Come here, you skulkers!" Master Hackett roared, looking at Phil andme, and there was nothing for it but to step out from among the crew.
"Act as spokesman, Phil," I whispered. "You can go ahead of me when itcomes to jawing; but remember that they can't drive us off unless thecaptain gives the word, and I'm thinking that my cousin Stephen willstand up for our rights."
"Are you two infants ready to obey orders an' go aboard the_Georgiana_?" Master Hackett asked, looking as fierce as if he countedon eating us.
"No, sir!" Phil shouted at the full strength of his lungs. "We've gotas much right to stay as you have, an' we won't volunteer!"
"Three cheers for the infants!" some one shouted, and the men yelleduntil their throats were like to split.
Then the crew crowded around Master Hackett, each man trying to makehimself heard, and I understood that there was little chance of findinga crew for the _Georgiana_ if every one was to do as he pleased.
By this time the noise was so great that Lieutenant McKnight was sentbelow to learn whether or no a riot was in progress, and, luckily, Isucceeded in gaining speech with him before the men knew he was on thegun-deck.
"Surely you will stand our friend in this matter, Cousin Stephen," Isaid, clutching him by the coat-sleeve without regard to theproprieties; for it is looked upon as insubordination for a commonsailor to lay hold of an officer.
"In what way, Ezra? Are so many eager to see home again that you fearthere'll be no room for you?"
"It's just the other way, sir," Phil broke in. "Not a man willvolunteer, and some of them have said that we two lads must go whetherwe like it or not."
"It isn't right to force us because we are lads!" I cried. "We've doneour duty so far as we knew, and our age shouldn't give license forinjustice!"
"See here, my lads, you're not looking at this matter in the properlight. We shall soon be turning and twisting to get out of a Britishfrigate's way, and many of us will lose the number of
his mess beforethe _Essex_ doubles Cape Horn again. You can go now without being calleda coward, and it's far better to get out of the scrape while affairs areflourishing as they are at present."
"Are you going in the _Georgiana_, Cousin Stephen?" I asked.
"What? Me? Never, unless the captain gives a positive order to thateffect."
"If you are allowed to remain, why should we be forced to go?"
He turned from me quickly, and, without making any attempt to restoreorder, went on deck.
The men jawed and argued more violently than ever after my cousindisappeared, and very soon the master-at-arms came below with an orderfor every man jack of us to show himself abaft the mainmast.
We found the captain waiting for us as before; and although there wasvery good reason why he should read the riot act because of the uproar,I understood by the expression on his face that he was well pleased themen had not shown a willingness to leave the frigate.
When all hands had quieted down once more he made a little speech inwhich he thanked us for being so eager to stay by the _Essex_, anddeclared that he felt proud of every old barnacle there; but at the sametime it was absolutely necessary a crew be sent on board the_Georgiana_.
"Those men who have families must go," he said finally, after declaringthat it had become necessary for him to settle the matter, since thecrew themselves could not. "A list shall be made out of such as haveothers depending upon them, and it will then be posted on the gun-deck.Abide by my decision as you ever have, and I will make it my solemn dutyto let the people of the United States know that those who returned inthe _Georgiana_ did not do so of their own free will."
We were sent below once more, and Phil and I felt well content, for bythe captain's ruling we could not be sent home in the oil-laden craft.