CHAPTER XIX.
SAM SEEKS INFORMATION IN THE DARK.
"Why, Bob, old fellow, how are you?"
"You don't mean to say you've got back agin?"
"How'd you find it in the woods?"
These and a dozen other questions were asked while poor Bob's hand waswrung nearly off.
"Now, see here," said Bob, "I can't answer a dozen questions at once.Besides, I've got despatches for the Captain."
"Have you?" asked Sam. "Let me have them, then."
Bob handed Sam an official looking document, which was merely anacknowledgment of his service, a request that he should not abate hisdiligence, and an instruction to use his own discretion in the conductof his expedition. Then followed questions and answers innumerable,and the boys learned that General Jackson was in Mobile, without anarmy, and likely to be without one until the Tennessee volunteersshould arrive.
Supper over, Sam quietly informed the boys that he was going into thetown, and that he could not say when he should return.
"What're you a goin' to town this time o' night for?" asked SidRussell, who was strongly prejudiced against staying awake a momentlater than was necessary after the sun went down.
"I've laid some plans to get some information," replied Sam, "and I'mgoing after it," and with that he jumped into the boat, with only Tomfor company. In truth, Sam had been in search of the information thathe was going after for several days, and he had reason to hope that hemight get it on this particular night.
He had already learned that several of the British vessels, now lyingin the bay, had sailed away some little time before, and that they hadreturned on the night before Bob's arrival. He knew that their voyagemust have had some connection with the plans they had laid foroperations against the American coast, and he thought if he coulddiscover the nature and purpose of this recent expedition, it wouldgive him a clew to their projects for the future. To accomplish thishe had taken many risks while the ships were away, and he was nowgoing to try a new way of getting at facts.
He sailed his boat up to the town, and before landing, said to Tom:--
"When I'm ashore, you put off a little way from land and lie-to for anhour or so. When I want you, I'll come down here to the water's edgeand whistle like a Whip-Will's Widow. When you hear me, run ashore. IfI don't come by midnight, go back to camp, and march at once forMobile."
"Why can't I lie here by the shore till you come. You're going intodanger and may need me."
"First, because there are ruffians around here who might put youashore and steal the boat; but secondly, because I don't want toexcite suspicion by having our boat seen around here at night. It's sodark that nobody can recognize her if you lie-to a hundred yards fromshore. I'm going into danger, but you can't help me."
Avoiding further parley, Sam jumped ashore, and walked quietly up intothe town, through the main street, until he came to a house builtafter the Spanish model, with a rickety stair-way outside. Up thisstair-way he climbed, and when he had reached the top he pushed thedoor open and entered. He found himself in a dark passage, but byfeeling he presently discovered a door. As he opened it he said:--
"It's a dark night."
"Is it dark?" answered a voice from within.
"It is very dark."
All this appeared to be merely a pre-arranged signal, for it had nosooner been uttered than the owner of the voice within, who seemedsatisfied of Sam's identity, struck a light, with flint and steel, andcarefully closed the door.
The man was apparently a dark mulatto, and his hair was matted abouthis head as if with some glutinous substance.
"You sent me this note?" asked Sam.
"Yes, I gave it to the Injun. He said you'd help me."
There was a brogue in the man's voice, very slight,--too slight,indeed, to be represented in print,--and yet it was perceptible, andit attracted Sam's attention. Perhaps he would scarcely have noticedit but for the fact that all his senses were keenly on the alert. Hewas not at all sure that he was acting prudently in visiting this man.He had no knowledge whatever of the man, except that Thlucco hadsomehow found him and arranged a meeting. Thlucco had brought Sam ascrap of dirty paper, on which were traced in a scarcely legiblescrawl, these words:--
"Your man must say, 'It's a dark night!' I'll say, 'Is it dark.' Wewill know each other then."
In delivering this note, with directions as to the method of findingthe man, Thlucco had said:--
"Injun no fool. Injun know m'latter man. M'latter man tell Sam heap.Sam take m'latter man way."
By diligent questioning, Sam had made out that this man had knowledgeof affairs in the British camp which he was willing to sell for someservice that Sam could do him.
Sam was not sure of Thlucco. His knowledge of the Indian character didnot predispose him to trust Indian professions of friendship, and hestrongly suspected treachery of some sort here. He thought it possiblethat this was only a scheme to entrap his secret and himself, and hehad gone to the conference determined to be on his guard, and in theevent of trouble, to use the stout cudgel which he carried asvigorously as possible.
"If we are to talk," he said to the man, "you must come with me."
The man hesitated, afraid, apparently, of treachery.
"I do not know you," he said, "and the Indian may have lied."
"Listen to me," said Sam in reply, "I do not know you, and the Indianmay have lied to me. Yet I have trusted myself here in the dark. Youmust trust something to me. Go with me, and when we have talkedtogether for an hour, if you wish to return here, I pledge you my wordof honor, as a gentleman's son, to bring you back safely. If you willnot go with me, we may as well part at once. I positively will not sayanother word, I'm going. Follow me in silence, or stay here, as youplease."
With that Sam opened the door and walked out. The man quicklyextinguished the light and crept after Sam, in his bare feet.
Sam led the way by a route just outside the town, without exchanging aword with his companion. Half an hour's walking brought them to thelonely strip of beach on which Sam had landed.
"Whip-Will's Widow," whistled Sam, shrilly.
His companion started back in affright, and was on the point ofrunning away, when Sam seized him by the arm, and, shaking himvigorously, said:--
"I'll not play you false. Trust me. I have a boat here."
"You come from the Fort?" said the man in abject terror.
"No, I do not. I am an American," said Sam, no longer hesitating toreveal his nationality, now that he saw how terrified the man was atthought of falling into British hands.
The words re-assured the man, and when Tom came ashore with the boathe embarked without further hesitation.
"Beat about, Tom," said Sam, "I may have to land again. I havepromised this man to return him safely to the place in which I foundhim, if we don't come to some agreement. Sail around here while wetalk."
Turning to the man, he said:--
"Let us talk in a low voice. Who are you, and what?"
"I'm a deserter from the marine corps."
"British?"
"Yes. I'm an Irishman. I've blacked my hair and skin, that's all."
"When did you desert?"
"Yesterday. I was to be flogged for insubordination, and I jist runaway."
"Were you with the late expedition?"
"Yes."
"Very well. I think we can come to an understanding. You want to getaway, out of reach of capture?"
"Sure I do. If I'm caught, I'll be shot without mercy."
"Very well. Now if you'll tell me everything you know, I'll help youto get away. More than that, I'll get you away, within our own lines.I have the means at my command."
"Faith an' I'll tell you everything I ever know'd in my life, ifyou'll only get me out of this."
The man was now in precisely the mood in which Sam wished to have him.He had already confessed his desertion, and had now every reason tospeak freely and truly, and it was evident that he meant to do so.
/> "Tom," said Sam.
"Well," replied Tom.
"You may beat up toward our camp, now."
"And you'll save me?" asked the man, seizing Sam's hand and wringingit.
"I will. Now let's come to business."
"I'm ready," answered the man.
"Where did the ships go?"
"To the Island of Barrataria."
"To treat with Jean Lafitte, the pirate?" exclaimed Sam.
"Yes, to enlist him and his cut-throats in the war against you."
"Did they succeed?"
"I don't know. The officers dined with Lafitte, and treated him like aprince. They came away in good spirits, and must have succeeded, elsethey'd a' been glum enough."
"What do they propose to do next?"
"They're a goin' to sail again in a few days, and the boys say it'sfor Mobile this time. The men had orders yesterday to get ready."
"What preparation are they making?"
"They're storing the ships and taking water aboard. The marines arekept in quarters on shore, and a lot o' them red savages is in camp atthe fort, with Captain Woodbine in command."
"Well, now," said Sam, "tell me why you think the next movement willbe against Mobile? May it not be New Orleans instead?"
"Well, you see them pirates is wanted for the New Orleans work. Theyknow all the channels, and have got the pilots. When the fleet startsfor New Orleans some o' them 'll be on board. Besides, the officerstalk over their rum, and the men hear 'em, an' all the talk is aboutMobile, and Mobile Point, whatever that is; so its pretty surethey're going to Mobile first."[2]
[Footnote 2: It is scarcely necessary to tell readers who are familiarwith American History, that Jean Lafitte was not properly a pirate,although he was called so in 1814; nor is it necessary to tell herehow the British attempt to use his lawless band against the Americansmiscarried. All that belongs to the domain of legitimate history.]
By this time the boat, which was running under a good stiff breeze,ran upon the beach by Sam's camp, and Sam led the way to the dyingcamp fire, which he replenished, for the sake of the light. Thengetting his writing materials he prepared a despatch to GeneralJackson. It ran as follows:--
CAMP NEAR PENSACOLA,
September 8th, 1814.
TO MAJOR-GENERAL JACKSON,
Commanding Department of the South-West.
GENERAL:--
I beg to report that several of the British vessels of war now lying at anchor in the harbor of Pensacola, have just returned from a brief voyage, the object and nature of which I have endeavored to discover. I have succeeded in finding a deserter from the British marine corps, from whom, under promise of protection, I have drawn such information as he possesses. He accompanied the late expedition, and tells me that it went to the Island of Barrataria, to seek the assistance of Jean Lafitte, the pirate, and his gang of outlaws, against the United States. Whether the negotiations to that end were successful or not, he does not know, but he supposes, from the temper in which the officers returned, that they were.
From this deserter I learn, also, that preparations are making for a hostile movement, which the British marines and soldiers believe, from the remarks made by officers in their presence, is to be directed against Mobile by way of Mobile Point, which I take to be the point of land which guards the entrance to Mobile bay, where Fort Bowyer stands.
I send the deserter with the messenger who takes this to you, partly because I have promised to secure him against recapture, and partly because you may desire to question him further.
There are no present appearances of the immediate sailing of this expedition, but from what the deserter tells me, I presume that it will sail within a few days. I shall remain here still, to get what information I can, and will report to you promptly whatever I learn. I cannot say how long I shall be able to stay, as a British officer visited my camp yesterday, and questioned my boys, as I thought, rather suspiciously. I shall be on the alert, and take no unnecessary risk of capture.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
SAMUEL HARDWICKE,
Commanding Scouting Party.