CHAPTER XI.
SHIPWRECK--ESCAPE AND RETURN TO OHIO.
Ship's rules, stringent as they were on the war frigate, and officerssevere as were those of the _Macedonian_ could not wholly curb therollicking spirit of Terrence. His exuberance of spirits constantly gotthe better of any good intentions he might have formed. Any wholesomedread he may have entertained of that famous feline of nine tails, knownto sailors of that day, was overcome by his love of pranks.
What guardian spirit protects the bold and mischievous has never yetbeen discovered; but it is a well authenticated fact that wild, harumscarum fellows like Terrence Malone seldom come to grief or disaster.
He was always the innocent lamb of the ship, whom no one would suspectof mischief. The chaplain of the ship was not more grave andsanctimonious than he. If the hammock netting were left so as to trip upthe dignified captain and throw him on the deck in a very undignifiedmanner, no one could possibly have suspected that the harmless Terrencehad any thing to do with it.
The quarter-master was one day snoring in his hammock. Terrence, whowas on duty scrubbing the gun deck, had a large tub filled with water,which was unconsciously left just under the head of the hammock of thequarter-master. No one could tell how it happened; but the supports wereall cut save two or three, which the swaying of the hammock graduallyloosened until, just as the officer went to "change sides," down he camewith a frightful splash head first into the tub.
Terrence, who was near, ran to his rescue and quickly pulled him out.
"It's bastely carelessness to lave the water there," cried Terrence."Faith, I hope the captain will give the shpalpeen two dozen as did it."
"Who cut my hammock down?" roared the quarter-master.
"Cut yer hammock, indade?"
The quarter-master was in a rage and swore like a trooper. Wiping thewater from his face, he roared:
"Yes, cut down my hammock! Don't you see the netting has been cut?"
"The truth ye tell, quarter-master; some haythin has surely beencutting yer netting. Now who could have done that? I hope the culpritmay be found, that's all."
And the face of the quarter-master himself did not evince more savagefury than the Irishman. He was the first to report it to the lieutenant,and in his zeal actually burst in on the captain himself and told of thedisaster, volunteering his services to hunt down the culprit.
"Find him!" thundered the captain, his face white with rage. "Find him,and, by the trident of Neptune, I swear I'll see his backbone!"
No one in the whole ship was as zealous as the Irishman in searching forthe culprit; but he took care never to find him.
Captains of men-of-war are fond of delicacies, and the captain had afine fat pig, which he intended for a special feast to be given for hisofficers. Terrence, through his zeal, became such a favorite, that hewas even permitted to superintend the cooking.
The quarter-master's favorite dog, which was as fat as the pig, suddenlydisappeared the day before the feast, and Terrence had a searchinstituted for him without avail, and gave it out as his opinion thatthe dog had fallen overboard. On the same day the officers feasted onroast pig, Terrence's mess had roast pig. The officers declared thattheir roast pig was very tender, but that the flavor was strong andpeculiar! The ship's surgeon afterward said he never saw the bones of apig so resemble the bones of a dog. There had been but one pig aboard,and had it been known that Terrence dined on roast pig also, there mighthave been some grave suspicions.
Shortly after this event, there were some changes in the British navy.Captain Snipes was supplanted in command of the _Macedonian_ by CaptainCarden. Fernando, Terrence and the negro were shortly after transferredto the war-sloop _Sea Shell_, Captain Bones, while poor Sukey was stillleft aboard the _Macedonian_. Shortly after these changes Captain Snipesand Mr. Hugh St. Mark, the silent gunner, were transferred to theman-of-war _Xenophon_. Thus we see, by those interminable andinexplicable changes constantly going on in the royal navy the friendswere separated. There may be some reason for those constant changes inthe navy; but they are not apparent to the sagest landsman living.
Captain Conkerall had made himself so ridiculous in Baltimore, that hehad been forced to quit the service in order to escape he ridicule ofhis fellow officers. This left Lieutenant Matson in command of the_Xenophon_ until Captain Snipes was assigned to that duty.
Fernando Stevens felt some regrets in leaving the _Macedonian_. One'svery sufferings may endear them to a place. But Fernando's chief regretwas in leaving the friend of his childhood. Sukey and he shed manlytears as each saw the face of his friend fade from view.
Terrence soon ingratiated himself into the favor of Captain Bones, whohad a weakness for punch and whist. Terrence knew how to brew the punchto the taste of the captain, and could play whist so artistically, thatthe captain could, by the hardest sort of playing, just win.
Terrence boasted of excellent family connection, and gave as his reasonfor his not having a mid-shipman's commission, that his father objectedto the sea, and he had been impressed instead of entering the navy ofhis own accord. Bones was not as punctilious as most captains,especially when Terrence could brew such excellent punch, and Terrencesoon became a favorite and came and went at pleasure in the captain'scabin. When the captain imbibed quite freely, he often hinted at apromotion for Terrence.
Fernando paid little attention to the course of the vessel. He had beenin nearly all the parts of the world, and seldom asked which continentthey were on, or in what waters they sailed. He was sober, silent andmelancholy.
One bright August day in 1811, they were off some coast, he knew notwhat. All day the weather had been glorious. Toward sunset, the cloudsbegan to gather in heavy masses to the southeast, and a little later aheavy breeze sprang up from that direction. As darkness came on, thewind increased, blowing a strong gale, and it blew all night. As morningdawned a dense fog settled down over the vessel and completely obscuredeverything. Soundings were taken; but the captain, who had yielded tothe seductive punch of Terrence Malone, could not determine where theywere. When daylight came the sea had changed color, which proved thatthey were in shallow water. On heaving the lead it was ascertained thatthey were only in twelve fathoms water.
"Wear ship!" shouted Captain Bones in a tone of thunder. The vessel wasthen under such small sail that she had not headway enough to stay her.As she answered to her helm and payed off, bringing the wind aft, highland was seen astern. Suddenly the fog lifted. At the same instant, thewind changed to the southwest, blowing harder. A cloud of canvas flewinto the air, and, looking up, Fernando saw it was the jib. The vessellost what little headway she had and drifted heavily to leeward. As thefog cleared toward the land, they looked early in that direction and totheir dismay and horror, they saw heavy breakers beating so close tothem, that there was no room to wear the ship round. The captain at oncegave orders to clear away the anchors. A seaman went forward with an axeto cut the lashings of the one on the port side. As soon as the cablehad been cut, the starboard anchor was sent adrift and thirty fathoms ofcable ran out. The order was given to "hold on," and as it was obeyedthe port cable broke. The sloop immediately swung around, bringing allher weight on the starboard cable, which, being unable to stand thestrain, parted, and then they were left entirely to the mercy of thewind and sea.
The suspense was short. A tremendous sea came rolling toward the sloop,struck it with terrific force, lifted it high on its crest and carriedit forward toward the breakers. In another instant the vessel was drivenwith a crash on the sandy bottom. At the same moment down came theforemast, taking with it the jib-boom and bowsprit, all disappearinginto the sea. Wave after wave washed over them in quick succession. Themainmast was split, and the noise made by it, as it was beaten about bythe gale was deafening. All the poor wretches on board the _Sea Shell_could do was to hold on for dear life.
The captain ordered their only life-boat lowered, and, turning to thecrew, he shouted, for the roaring of the wind was terrible, that he withtwelve
men would set out for shore, and after landing eight with himselfand officers, would send the boat back for others. The captain had nonotion that so excellent a punch brewer as Terrence should be lost, andinsisted that he go with the first boatload. The others had noalternative. They were compelled to submit. The captain, hislieutenants, Terrence and a dozen sailors sprang over the side, tooktheir places and pushed off. As the little craft rose and fell in thatfrightful sea, it seemed doubtful if they would reach the shore.
Dumb with terror, Fernando had watched the whole proceeding. He couldonly hold on to a sail and, by the sheer strength of his hands and arms,save himself from being carried overboard, as sea after sea swept overthem. He strained his eyes until it seemed as though they would burst,to follow the movements of that boat on which their lives depended. Itseemed but a mere speck on the waves. Suddenly it rose to a surprisingheight, and then disappeared altogether. The next moment he saw the menstruggling in the water. The boat was broken into pieces and thefragments were brought out to them. Every man for himself was now thecry throughout the ship. How far they were from the shore no one couldtell. They had to take their chances. Although a strong swimmer,Fernando knew that in such a tremendous sea he would be powerless. Therewas, however, but the one thing to do.
Raising his hands before him and pressing them firmly together,Fernando drew a long breath, then sprang from the sloop's rail into thewater beneath. When he rose to the surface he tried to swim. It wasimpossible, as he had foreseen. He was like a child in the grasp of amonster. The waves tossed him up like a plaything and carried him on--he could not tell how far or where. Suddenly a great black objectloomed up before him. It was a part of the wreckage. He tried to ward itoff; but he might as well have tried to ward off the sloop itself, forthe sea lifted him up and dashed him onward, and the great mass struckhim a heavy blow over the eye--a flash of lightning gleamed, then allwas darkness and a blank.
How long after he could not tell, a strange sensation came creepingslowly over him. A low murmur of voices reached his ears. He wasbewildered and benumbed; but soon the truth began to dawn, and he knewthat, wherever he might be, he was not dead. Powerless to move, heopened his eyes and fastened them on the objects about him. He nowdiscovered that he was lying on a bed of straw in a large barn. How hecould have gotten there was yet a mystery. To his great delight, herecognized the face of Terrence Malone bending over him.
"Well, me boy, ye're not dead yet, are ye?" "Where are we, Terrence?" hefaintly inquired.
"Whist, me lad, an' I'll tell ye!" said Terrence, in an undertone.Terrence first looked round to assure himself that there was no onewithin hearing and then said, "Safe on mother earth, me lad, and, what'sbest of all, American soil!" American soil!--the very announcement senta thrill of hope and joy through his heart. Terrence then informed himthat they had been wrecked on the coast of Maine, that most of the crewwere saved, and the captain intended to march, as soon as the men wereable, over the line into Canada. Terrence assured Fernando that, so faras he was concerned, he had no intention of leaving America; but thematter had to be handled carefully. They were on a thinly populatedcoast and Captain Bones had enough English marines to enforce hisauthority.
"Then how can we escape?" asked Fernando.
"Lave it all to me!" said the Irishman. As Fernando was incapable ofdoing anything himself, he very naturally left it all to his Irishfriend. "Now I want ye to be too sick to travel for a week. By thattime, I'll have the captain all right and snug enough."
Though badly bruised and stunned, Fernando had no bones broken. At anytime within three days after the shipwreck he could have left the barn,but, following the advice of Terrence, he assumed a stupid state andrefused to talk with any of the officers who called to see him.Terrence became nurse to the invalid as well as the brewer of punch forthe captain. Only one other person was taken into the secret plans ofthe Irishman, that was the negro Job.
Job was delighted.
"Gwine ter run away!" he chuckled, "yah, yah, yah, dat am glorious! Itell yer, dis chile ain't no Britisher. I tole yer dar ain't no AnglerSaxun blood in dese veins."
Job was installed assistant nurse over Fernando, and when the captainasked the negro about him, the black face became sober, and Job shookhis woolly head, saying:
"Dun no, massa, spect he am gwine ter die. He am awful bad."
Captain Bones gave utterance to a burst of profanity and seriously hopedthe wounded sailor would either get well or die, and be very quick aboutit. Fernando heard him as he lay in the barn loft and could not refrainfrom chuckling.
"We've got to move soon," growled the captain. "No ship will ever putinto this port for us. We must march to Halifax."
"Golly! guess dis chile see himself marchin' ter Halifax," the negromurmured, when the captain had left the barn.
Captain Bones was quartered at the best fisherman's cabin in theneighborhood. It was not much of a shelter, but it was the best he couldfind. Captain Bones was provoked at the delay in Fernando's recovery. Heknew he was an impressed American, and if he left him, he would be lostto the service, and yet he dared not much longer delay going to Halifax.
He was bargaining with a coasting schooner to take himself and crew toHalifax, when one evening Terrence came to him with a very serious face,as if the fortunes of Great Britain were in peril.
"Captain, it's bad news I have for ye," said Terrence. "The brandy isall gone, and divil a bit o' whiskey can be had for love or money." Thiswas alarming to Captain Bones; but Terrence suggested that three milesaway lived a farmer Condit, whose cellar abounded with kegs of applejack and cider. Condit was a rabid republican and would not give aBriton a drop if he were dying for it; but, if the captain would betaken into his confidence, he had a little scheme to propose which had atrifle of risk in it, just enough to give spice to it.
His plan was nothing more than to dress in citizen's clothes, enter thecellar after night and carry away some, if not all, of the kegs ofapple jack.
Captain Bones, who enjoyed a frolic, thought the plan an excellent one.
But he begged to allow the first lieutenant to become a party to thefrolic. This was just as Terrence wished, for he had intended to suggestthe first lieutenant himself. It was agreed that on Saturday night next,the three, dressed in citizen's clothes, were to go to the home of thefarmer, enter his cellar and secure enough apple jack and hard cider toalleviate the thirst of Captain Bones, during his stay in theneighborhood.
Farmer Condit, the day before the intended burglary, received a verymysterious letter in a very mysterious manner. It read as follows:
"Farmer Condit: Saturday night your house is to be robbed. I am one of aband of robbers who are to rob you. I was forced to join them or bekilled, and will have to go with them that night. Have a few constablesready to seize them. They will not fight; but let the man in tall,peaked, brown hat, white trousers and gray coat escape, for that is me.If you could let me escape and seize the others, you would set atliberty a poor fellow creature, who warns you at the risk of his life.
Your friend."
On the night in question, Terrence wore a tall, peaked brown hat, withblack band. He also wore white trousers and a gray coat. The three setoff in a cart which Terrence hired to bring back the treasure. It wasdark before they commenced their journey, for the officers did not wantthe men to know of the affair.
They reached the farm house of Mr. Condit and prepared to enter it andbegin operations. The cart and mule were left under some trees. It wasnow ten o'clock, and the house was quite dark. Slowly they crept up toit, Terrence asking himself if the farmer had heeded his warning. Likemany farm-house cellars, there was a trap door opening on the outside.To this cellar door they made their way. Terrence, who was accustomed tosuch affairs, had provided himself with a lantern, which he was to lightwhen they entered the cellar.
They descended the steps and had scarcely reached the floor, whenfootsteps were heard descending a flight of
steps from the inside ofthe house.
"Hide behind the barrels and boxes, ivery mother's son of ye!" whisperedthe Irishman. The officers were concealing themselves, when suddenly thedoor opened and a portly elderly gentleman in his shirt sleeves, kneebreeches and slippers, carrying a lighted candle in one hand and apistol in the other descended. He saw Captain Bones and his lieutenanttrying to hide behind a barrel. The captain, in his excitement, haddrawn a pistol and was cocking it. Terrence at this moment escaped.
With a yell, the old gentleman dropped the candle, which lay on thefloor, the thin blaze ascending upward and dimly lighting the scene. Athis yell, there suddenly rushed into the cellar half a dozen stout men,armed with guns and pistols, and the supposed burglars were arrested.Next morning, Captain Bones and his chief officer were snugly reposingin the county jail, while Terrence, Fernando and Job set out across thecountry for Augusta. From this point they took passage in a swiftcoaster for New York. At New York they separated, Terrence going toPhiladelphia, Job to Baltimore, and Fernando to his home in Ohio.
His journey was long and tedious. At the close of a hot day in autumn,1811, the old stage coach came in sight of the dear old home. The pastfour years seemed like a terrible dream. The old familiar spot, whereevery tree and flower was endeared by sacred remembrances, was neverhalf so precious as now. His gray-haired father and sorrowful mother,who had long given him up for dead, wept over him and thanked God thathe had returned to again bless their home. Friends, relatives andneighbors, hearing of the sudden return of Fernando, all gathered onthat evening, and the youth told the sad story of his impressment andslavery. He told all save his love affair. That secret was too sacred.When he had finished, good old Mrs. Winners was weeping bitterly, andthere was scarce a dry eye in the house; for all remembered that poorSukey was still a slave to the rapacity and cruelty of anambitious monarch.