CHAPTER XX
FROM THE PATH OF DUTY
It was about ten of the clock when I reached Dieppe. Soon thereafter Iwas well aboard le Dauphin, Serigny himself meeting me at the vessel'sside.
"Hullo, Placide," he cried. "All goeth well, and the passing nightgives promise to us of a brighter day."
Later, in his own cabin, he told me of a brief meeting he had withLouis.
"For the time we are safe. The King is restless about the safety ofthe province, and he trusts Bienville as a soldier. The Spanishintrigue keeps our enemies so busy they have not time to disturb us.The King has no man who can take Bienville's place. Well, it's allhappily over, and I am as delighted as a child to be at sea again. Wewould sail at once, now that you are come, were it not for de la Mora;he, with his wife and another lady, are to bear us company. TheChevalier is a thorough soldier, and I welcome him, but like not thepresence of the ladies. We may have rough work betimes."
I knew my face grew pale, and thanked the half-light for concealment,or he must have noted. Who that "other lady" was, possessed for me nointerest, and I never asked.
De la Mora. This was terrible, and so unforeseen. Full well I knew Icould not spend five long weeks in daily contact with Agnes and give nobetraying sign. I must needs have time to think, and that rightspeedily.
"When do they come, sire?"
"Any moment; they left--or should have done so--the same time asyourself. His orders were the same."
Rapidly as a man could think, so thought I.
"How long will you wait for them?"
"Until dawn, no longer. Then we sail."
A glimmer of hope--de la Mora might be delayed. Without any clearlydefined purpose I went on and carefully gave Serigny every detail ofinformation which could be valuable touching the expected trouble inthe colonies. Of this my hands should, in any event, be clean. I evenhanded him the King's new commission directed to Bienville, whereof Iwas so proud to be the bearer. Whilst ridding my mind of thesematters, I could not have said what course I meditated. A boat gratingagainst the vessel's side set me all a tremble, but it was only aletter of instructions. Making some poor excuse to Serigny for themoment, I entered the yawl as it left the ship to go ashore. Awell-known voice hailed us ere we made the land.
"Ahoy there, the boat," and through the shadows I made out the form ofhim I dreaded most to see.
"Boatman, can you put three of us aboard yonder vessel?"
"Aye, sir, it is from her I have just come."
"Is thy craft a fit one to carry ladies?"
This dashed down the hope he had left his wife behind.
"Aye, sir, it is a safe craft, but not a fine ladies' barge. We can gowith care and run into no danger. The wind is low."
"'Twill serve."
I jumped ashore and would have slipped by without speaking had he notrecognized me.
"By my soul, de Mouret, it is you; and we are to be companions on thevoyage. Bravo."
He approached me frankly, with outstretched hand and hearty greeting.I would fain have avoided touching his honest palm, but there was noway for it.
"I see you are surprised. Yes? I was suddenly ordered to sail in leDauphin, and report to your good Governor, Bienville. A most sturdysoldier from all report. Heaven send us a sharp campaign, I am wearyof these puny quarrels. We will have brave days in the colonies."
This open-hearted way about him struck a new terror to my heart; Icould face his sword but not his confidence. His cheeks glowed withmartial enthusiasm and I almost caught again the hot lust of battle.
"And Agnes, with her little sister, is at the inn. Yes," he continued,noting me step back a pace in protest, "it is a rude life enough fortender women, but they come of stock that fears no danger, and it'sbetter there than at the Court of Louis."
I hardly heard the man. To meet his wife day after day, to associateon terms of cordial intimacy with this honorable gentleman, to enjoyhis confidence, my heart filled the while with guilt too strong toconquer--the thing was torture not to be endured.
"Come with me to the inn; let us get the ladies and their luggageaboard. Agnes will be glad to meet you; she says she has greatcuriosity to see what you are like."
I excused myself most lamely upon the plea of some duty to be performed.
"Ah well, on board then; she will have abundant time, aye, abundanttime."
From a dark place near the inn door, I watched their departure. Poorweakling that I was, I could not deny myself. The Chevalier, withAgnes and another lady, took their way toward the waiting boat, aflickering lanthorn being borne in their front. His words, "Agnes willbe glad to meet with you; she has great curiosity to see what you arelike," recurred again and again.
So she had deceived him, and he knew nothing of our meetings? Ah, welldo these women manage, and we are ever dupes. And I, who all my lifehad detested small deceptions, found myself heartily applaudingthis--was it not for my sake. This secret was _ours_--_mine_ and_hers_; the bond which we two held in common apart from all the world.A sweet reflection. The little weaknesses of women are very preciousto their object, and if the deluded one knows it not, why where's theharm? Small comfort came to me, however, for all the while conscience,like a burning nettle in the side, gave the lie to each excuse.
All that night I paced about, and up and down. At length came graydawn, but not decision. An early fisherman disposed his net upon thebeach. I watched him long in silence, then abruptly asked, so fiercelythat he dropped his work:
"Old man, do you know of any other vessel sailing soon for the AmericanColonies in the South?"
"Aye, sir, there's a brig fitting out at Boulogne-sur-Mer for theSpanish seas, to sail in a week or thereabout. But, sir," the oldfellow looked cautiously about to assure himself that no one else couldhear, "they say un-Christian things of that brigand crew. She bodes nogood."
"A freebooter?"
"Aye, sir, or a privateer, which, they say, is the milder term."
My resolution was formed.
"Await me here; I will pay your gains for the day if you will but do mea slight service."
"Aye, aye, sir," he responded, touching his surf-stained cap.
I returned briefly from the inn bearing a note for M. de Serigny.Therein I explained that a most important matter had transpired todetain me until another vessel sailed, some few days at most. I wouldtell him of it more at length when I joined him at Biloxi.
I gave it, with a broad gold piece, to the old fellow, and directedthat he give it to Serigny. There I remained until I saw the manclamber up le Dauphin's side, when I left at once, fearing furthercommunication from Serigny.
Entering Boulogne at daybreak, the undulating valley of the Lianeclaimed not one appreciative glance. The ancient city trembled in itsslumber at my feet. Already it became restless with the promise ofanother day which clad its gables in flame and burned the rough oldtowers with the shining gold of God. A little beyond, the watersglimmered in the sun's first rays, and writhing seaward tossedthemselves in anger against the dim white cliffs of our hereditary foes.
As a picture laid away in memory this all comes back to me pure andfresh, but on that morning I gave it no heed. From the heights Ipassed along through quiet streets into the lower town, thence to thebeach, where I was soon inquiring among the sailors for the privateer.These women looked askance at me, and regarded my unfamiliar uniformwith suspicion, but after great difficulty one of their number wasinduced to carry me alongside an ominous looking craft lying in theharbor--a black-hulled brig of probably six hundred and fifty tonsburden. Of the sentinel on deck I asked:
"Your captain--"
"Is here," and at the word a dark, wiry man, who had evidently beenwatching my approach, appeared at the companion way.
"A word with you, sir, if you are the captain of this craft. I am toldyou are refitting for a trip to west Florida. What your errand is Icare not; I want to go with you."
"We do not take pa
ssengers," he answered positively.
"Then take me as a marine, a seaman, what you will. I am a soldier,familiar with the handspike as with the sword, though knowing little ofwinds or currents."
Captain Levasseur eyed me closely, asked many questions concerning mylife and service, to which I replied, truthfully in part. He seemedsatisfied.
"Well, we do need a few more stout fellows who can handle a cutlass;when could you come aboard?"
"At once; I have no baggage but the weapons at my side."
"Good. Your name?"
"Gaspard Cambronne," I answered at random.
The freebooter laughed.
"We care nothing for your name so you will fight. We sail the dayafter to-morrow one week." And surveying my well knit frame, for I wasa sturdy youth, "If you know any more stout young fellows like yourselfwe can give them a berth apiece."
So I scrambled aboard without more ado, and became at once a member ofthe "Seamew's" crew. I hardly knew at first why I gave a false name.But the character of the vessel was doubtful, its destinationuncertain, and knowing not what mission she was on I shirked to give myreal name and station. The chance was desperate, yet not one whit moredesperate than I.
The Seamew sailed more than three weeks behind le Dauphin, armed withletters of marque from the King commissioning her to prey upon Spanishcommerce in southern seas, and especially to take part in anyexpedition against Havana or Pensacola.
Our voyage wore on drearily enough to me, almost without incident.After four weeks of sky and sea we rounded the southernmost cape ofFlorida and turned into the Mexican Gulf. I grew more and moreimpatient and full of dread. Le Dauphin had twenty-three days thestart of our faster vessel, and Biloxi was probably at that moment in afever of warlike preparation. It was just possible, too, that theSpaniards had not yet been informed of the war, and nothing had been sofar done by them.
Cruising by Pensacola harbor, just outside the Isle de Santa Rosa, apine-grown stretch of narrow sand which for twenty-five leaguesprotects that coast, Levasseur called me to him.
"Do you know, my lad, what vessels those are at anchor in the harbor?"
Two of them I recognized as I would my own tent, two French men-of-warwhich Bienville had long been expecting from France. The rest wereSpaniards, full-rigged, four ships, and six gunboats. Levasseur putthe Seamew boldly about and entered the harbor. He signaled theFrenchmen, lowered a boat, and sent his lieutenant aboard the flagshipwith credentials and a letter signifying his readiness to engage in anyenterprise.
From Admiral Champmeslin, in command of the squadron, he learned thatBienville and Serigny, combined with the Choctaws, had investedPensacola by land, and on the morrow a simultaneous attack by land andsea would be made. The Spanish forces consisted of four ships, sixgunboats, a strong fort on Santa Rosa Island, and the works atPensacola, the strength of whose garrison was unknown.
That night on board the Seamew was spent in busy preparation and inrest. I alone was unemployed, my awkwardness with ropes and sparsforbade it. I sat moodily upon a gun at the port, and fixing my eyeson shore vainly endeavored to make out what the French and Choctawswere doing there. To the left were the meager camp fires of theIndians; further up the hills a more generous blazing line marked theFrench position.
Gradually a low wavering sound separated itself from the other noisesof the night, coming faint but clear upon the light land breeze, thefirst quivering notes of a Choctaw war chant. How familiar it was.Was I mistaken? I listened more intently. No. It was in very truththe voice of Tuskahoma, my old friend on many marches.
I cared nothing for the Seamew or her crew, and determined to seek myold friends to fight out the day with them.
What little thought I gave it justified the deed. My position as anofficer of the King would palliate deserting the ship which had broughtme over.