CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
As soon as the captain of the _Amity_ was convinced of the character ofthe stranger, he set all the sail the ship would carry, yet hoping toescape from her. Looking to windward however, he saw that they had anenemy to contend with, as much to be dreaded, in their crippledcondition, as the pirate ship. His experienced eye told him thatanother hurricane was about to break. Part of the crew, and most of thepassengers also, were standing at the guns, the remainder of the crewbeing required to work the sails. The courage showed by all on boardgave the captain hopes of being able to beat off the enemy. On came thetall ship. As Wenlock watched her, he could not help perceiving thatshe was of overpowering force.
"Stand by to shorten sail," cried the captain. His eye had been fixedon a dark cloud, which came flying like some messenger of destructionacross the sky.
"You must be smart, lads," cried old Bill Rullock, "if you have no fancyfor being sent to Davy Jones's locker before you are many minutesolder." The old man set an example by his activity.
Nearer and nearer drew the pirate, for such, there was no doubt, was thecharacter of the stranger. A bright flash issued from her bows, and ashot came bounding over the water towards the _Amity_. On this CaptainDinan ordered the English flag to be hoisted. Scarcely had it flown outwhen another shot followed. Still, neither hit the ship. As the firstflash was seen, Jonas Ford was observed to dive below.
"Our friend is as good as his word," observed the captain, laughing."If any others wish to follow his example, let them go at once, for wemay have warm work ere long. To my mind, though I am a plain man, aperson should so live as not to fear the lightning's flash, nor thefoeman's shot, nor the raging ocean either; and then, whether in tempestor battle, he will be able to do his duty like a man, knowing that thereis One above who will look after him, and, if He thinks fit, carry himthrough all dangers."
Shot after shot followed. Now one went through the ship's sails; nowone passed on one side, now on the other; but none did any materialharm. Still, Captain Dinan gave no order to fire in return. Thus forsome time the ships continued to sail on, the pirate gradually drawingnearer. At length she yawed and let fly her whole broadside. Severalshots struck the _Amity_, two poor fellows being killed, and a thirdwounded. The faces of many of the passengers, on this grew pale, yetthey stood firmly at their quarters. And now, once more, the piratekept on her coarse. Still Captain Dinan would not fire.
"Christison," said the captain, "we have someone who knows better how tofight for us than we do ourselves. See! if the pirate attempts thatmanoeuvre again, he will pay dearly for it."
So eagerly, it seemed, were the pirates watching their expected prize,that they had not observed the rapid approach of the dark cloud. Oncemore the pirate yawed. At that instant a loud roar was heard, and thehurricane broke over the two ships. The flashes of the guns were seen,but none of the shots struck the _Amity_; all were buried in the ocean.Over went the tall ship, her masts level with the ocean. The crew ofthe _Amity_, at a signal from their captain, had lowered most of theirsails; and now away she flew, leaving the pirate ship apparently on thepoint of sinking beneath the waves. They were seen leaping and roaringround her; but even had those on board the _Amity_ desired to rendertheir fellow-creatures assistance, they would have had no power to doso. The hurricane increased in fury, and often it seemed as if the_Amity_ herself would go down. Tossed and buffeted by the seas, thewater poured in through many a leak. The pumps were manned, and all thepassengers were summoned to work them. Some, however, complained ofsickness, and retired to their berths. Among them was Jonas Ford.
"Nay, though our friend finds it against his conscience to fight, heshall, at all events, labour at the pumps," exclaimed the captain,ordering three of the seamen to fetch him up. "Will you go also, MasterChristison? Perchance you can persuade him more easily; but I can takeno refusal."
After searching for some time, Ford was found concealed in the hold,into which he had crawled. The water, however, coming in, had somewhatfrightened him, and he was just creeping out of his concealment. Notunwillingly, Wenlock brought him on deck, and assigned him a place atone of the pumps. There he was compelled to labour. Once he attemptedto escape below, but Bill Rullock caught sight of him, and quicklybrought him back; and he was kept labouring, uttering moans and groansat his hard fate. All night long the ship ran on. Another day andanother night followed, and yet the wind blew furiously as ever, andwith difficulty could she be kept afloat. While the gale continuedthere was no hope of getting at the leaks. Many of the seamen and someof the officers began to look grave.
"Depend upon it our time has come," said the second mate to Wenlock. "Ihave had enough of the world, and have been knocked about in it soroughly, that I care but little."
"Our times, we are told, are in God's hands," answered Wenlock, calmly.
Wenlock, who had been taking his spell at the pumps, walked aft.
"We are in the latitude of the West India Islands," observed thecaptain. "Any hour we may make land, and a bright look-out must be keptfor it."
Experienced seamen were aloft straining their eyes ahead and on eitherbow. At length a voice came from the foretopmast-head, "Land! land!"
"Where away?" cried the captain.
"On the starboard bow," was the answer.
"What does it look like?"
"A low land with tall trees," replied the seaman from aloft.
Two of the mates went up to look at it. They gave the same description.The captain examined his chart.
"Bill Rullock says he has been there," observed the first mate.
Bill Rullock was sent for.
"Do you know anything of the land ahead?" asked the captain.
"I think I do, sir," was the answer; "and that craft which chased us theother day knew it too, I have an idea. To my mind, she also would havebeen looking in there before long; but if she has gone to the bottomthere is no fear of that, and we shall find shelter and wood and waterand plenty of turtle, and the means of repairing our ship."
"Is there a harbour there, then?" asked the captain.
"As good a one as you can desire, sir," said Bill; "and if it pleaseyou, I can take the ship in."
As the crew were nearly worn out with pumping, and the water,notwithstanding, still gained on the ship, the captain determined totake the _Amity_ into the harbour of which Bill Rullock spoke. The shipwas therefore kept away for the island, Bill Rullock taking charge ofher as pilot. He at once showed by his calm manner and the steadycourse he steered that he knew well what he was about. As the ship drewnearer the island, it appeared to be larger and higher than was at firstsupposed, and covered with cocoa-nut and other trees. Rounding a point,a narrow opening appeared. The ship's head was directed toward it, and,guided by the old seaman, she passed safely through it, though it seemedas if an active man could have leaped on shore from either side. Soclear, too, was the water, that the bottom could be seen below theship's keel. The order to "furl sails" was given, and the ship came toan anchor in a broad lagoon, where she could lie secure from thefiercest hurricanes of those regions. On one side was a sandy beach,where the old sailor assured the captain the ship could be placed onshore with safety, when her damages might be examined. The trees cameclose down to the water's edge, and among them were seen several huts,and ruins of huts, showing that the spot had at one time been inhabited,but no persons appeared. Hauled up on shore, too, were several boats,one or two in good repair, but the others considerably damaged. Brokenanchors, spars, pieces of cable, and other ship's gear lay scatteredabout, confirming the account given by old Rullock. As there was notime to be lost, the passengers immediately went on shore, and they andthe crew set to work to land their goods as well as the cargo, that theship, being lightened, might be hauled up for repair. The ruined hutswere repaired, and others were built, so as to afford shelter to thepassengers while this operation was going on. Every one worked with awill, with the exception of two
or three, Jonas Ford being one of them.He grumbled greatly at having the voyage thus prolonged, and not ceasingto blame the captain for the ship having failed to reach the Delaware atthe time expected. From a slight elevation near the harbour, a view ofthe whole sea on that side of the island could be obtained. Old Rullockhad not been quite easy since their arrival. He had found evidenttraces of a late visit of persons to the island, and he confided toWenlock his fears that should the vessel which had chased them haveescaped, she might possibly come into that harbour to repair damages.
One morning, soon after daybreak, and before the men were called totheir work, Rullock came hurrying into the village. Wenlock was thefirst person he met.
"It is as I feared," he said. "I have just made out a tall shipstanding towards the island. Come and see her, and then let us ask thecaptain to decide what he will do. I advise that we should bring theguns down to the mouth of the harbour and defend it to the last. Ifthose are the people I fear, they will give us no quarter; and if weyield, it will be only to have our throats cut, or to be thrown to thesharks."
On reaching the look-out place, Wenlock saw the ship of which the oldseaman spoke. She was yet a long way off, and, as far as he couldjudge, was very like the vessel that had chased them.
The whole party were quickly astir. The captain determined to followthe old sailor's advice, and even the Quakers among the passengersagreed that they had no resource but to defend themselves, should thestranger prove to be the pirate they dreaded. As she approached theisland, she must have discovered the English flag flying from the_Amity's_ masthead; for instantly her own dark symbol was run up, and ashot was fired from her side, as if in defiance.
Happily, the wind, which had been light, prevented her from entering theharbour. As she passed by, however, the number of guns seen from hersides showed that she would be a formidable antagonist, and that shecould scarcely be prevented, with a favourable breeze, from entering theharbour. The whole of the morning the party were kept in anxiousexpectation of what would occur, the pirate being seen to tack every nowand then to keep her position off the land. At length a breeze from thesea set in, and once more she was seen approaching the harbour. Nearerand nearer she drew. All eyes were kept turned towards the dreadedobject. In a brief time they might all be engaged in a deadly struggle,while the fate of the poor women and children was dreadful tocontemplate. The captain and several of his officers were collected onthe mound, watching the progress of the pirate.
"See, sir! see!" exclaimed Wenlock. "What say you to that?" and hepointed towards the sails of a lofty ship which at that instant appearedrounding a distant point of the island.