CHAPTER XIV.
THE NEUTRAL PORT.
A remarkable place, in the summer of the year 1777, was the old Frenchharbor of Brest. A not altogether pleasant fame had gathered upon it,like drifted seaweed, from historically ancient days. It was said tohave been a rendezvous for the old-time vikings of the northern seas,as it was at this day for the smugglers. All of the town that could beseen from the harbor wore a shambling, dingy, antiquated appearance.Its ill-paved, steep, and dirty streets swarmed with an exceedinglyvaried and not at all admirable population, although the better classeswere represented.
Vessels of all sorts were there, as usual, one pleasant afternoon,going out, coming in, at anchor, or moored to the more or lesstumbledown wharves and piers. The arrival or departure of one shipmore was not an affair to attract especial attention.
One important feature of the character of the ancient port was thatwhatever might be the existing treaties between the kings of France andGreat Britain, Brest was always more or less at war with England.English sailors were welcome enough, of course, particularly if theywere willing to desert, or had recently been paid off, or were supposedto be engaged in smuggling.
Among the vessels at anchor were three French war-ships, one Dutchcruiser, undergoing repairs, and a smart-looking British corvette thatwas lying well out from shore. All of these were under treaty bonds tokeep the peace with each other and with the world in general, but Brestwas also distinguished as a port into which all navies at peace withFrance might bring their prizes for condemnation and sale, according toexisting maritime law.
A little after the noon, the loungers on the piers might have takennotice, if they would, of a large schooner that was slipping in throughthe strongly fortified entrance channel under little more than herforesail. She either had a French pilot on board or was steered by aman who knew the harbor, for she went at once to the right spot to dropher anchor, and a boat shortly put out from her toward the shore.
"There's a French flag on a Yankee-built schooner," remarked an officerof the British corvette. "That's because we are here. I'd like to cuther out, but it wouldn't do. Our war with France hasn't quite begun.I'm going to see, though, if we can't manage to get some men out ofher."
He was a burly, bulldog-looking person, and he made other remarks notat all complimentary to Americans in general, and to one Mr. GeorgeWashington in particular.
"According to the latest advices," he asserted, "Howe and Cornwallisare crushing out the Virginia fox's ragamuffins. Burgoyne will takepossession of northern New York and all the New England colonies. Thenthe king will have his own again, and we shall see some rebels hung."
There was, indeed, an increasingly bitter feeling among loyalEnglishmen, caused by what they deemed the needless prolongation of thewar. According to their way of thinking, the rebels were unreasonableand should long since have given up their useless attempt to escapefrom under the rightful rule of the mother country.
On the deck of the schooner, whether she were French or American, onlya few men were making their appearance, and she seemed to have a greatdeal of deck-cargo. It was concerning that, perhaps, that conversationwas going on below, and here, at least, the population was evenexcessive.
"Their glasses'd tell 'em just what we are, Captain Avery," said onebefore the boat left, "if we swarmed up."
"They'll find out, anyhow," said the captain. "Our deck-load must getashore at once, before they know too much. It's in the way, too."
From other remarks that were made, it appeared that the cargo to bedisposed of had been taken from no less than four unfortunate Britishmerchantmen, and that the schooner had been a long time in gatheringit. Good reasons were also given why the ships themselves had not beenseized as well as the goods.
The captain was now in the boat, and his face wore a very thoughtfulexpression.
"Groot," he said, "you talk French better'n I do. Keep close andwatch."
"All the lingoes you ever heard of are talked in Brest," said theDutchman. "I've been here for months at a time. You'll have a visitorfrom that British corvette, first thing. They won't mind sea law much,either. They never do, and the French never try to follow 'em upsharp."
"Now they've let us run in, I don't care," said the captain. "We'vehad pretty narrow escapes gettin' here. It was touch and go, along thecoast."
Absolute disguise or secrecy was out of the question, perhaps, but whena boat from the _Syren_ shortly afterward pulled to the side of the_Noank_ there was no invitation given to come on board.
"What schooner's this?" roughly demanded the officer of the boat.
"_Noank_, New London," responded Vine Avery, at the rail. "Assortedcargo. We ran right in through a fleet of your sleepyheads. Do youbelong to that clumsy corvette, yonder?"
"Shut your mouth!" snapped the officer. "We'll come for you, yet."
"Hurrah for the Continental Congress!" said Vine, maliciously. "Ifthis 'ere wasn't a neutral port we'd board that tub o' yours and takeher home with us. We want some more guns and powder anyhow!"
"You're a pirate!" roared the officer. "We've a right to take you outunder the French law. You've no protection."
"Keep your distance," said Vine. "We'll be ready for you when youcome."
Angry faces were beginning to show behind Vine. The British officersaw steel points like pikeheads, and he heard threatening exclamations,only half suppressed. As the representative of a man-of-war, he had anundoubted right to question the character of any merchant vesselwhatever, and to make her commander exhibit his papers, if the meetingtook place at sea. In harbor, however, under the guns of neutralforts, the case was different.
The Englishman had really obtained the information he came after, andhe had no orders to go any further. He knew exactly the character ofthis schooner. Even the pike-heads could be read like goodhandwriting. He replied to Vine with hardly more than an angry growland went back to report to his commander.
"Privateer, is she?" remarked that gentleman, after hearing him. "Isupposed so. I'd lay the _Syren_ alongside of her, if it wasn't forgetting into hot water with the French and with the admiral. We'll tryfor some of her men, on board or on shore, and I'll have that schooner!"
The younger officer grumbled his readiness to cut out the rebel piratethat very night, but his wiser superior only laughed at him.
"There she is," he said, "with her head in the lion's mouth. Weneedn't shut our jaws on her till the right minute. Then it will beone good bite and we'll have her, men, cargo, and all."
The boat from the _Noank_ reached a wharf, and it had not come thereupon any mere pleasure trip.
"Short work, now, Groot," said the captain. "If you can't find yourmen right away, I'll take a look after mine."
Away they went, along the water front, until they were halted by Grootin front of an immense, dingy old warehouse.
"Opdyke Freres," he read the faded sign over the entrance of it. "Theyare here, yet. Brest and Amsterdam. What goods they can't handle inFrance, they can in Holland. They'll do the fair thing by us,--sowe'll be sure to come to them again."
"That's our grip on their honesty, this time," said Captain Avery.
In two minutes more, the entire boat's crew of the _Noank_ was gatheredin a counting-room in the rear of the warehouse. It looked as if ahundred generations of spiders had made their webs in its corners,undisturbed.
A short, fat man turned upon a high stool at a desk to inquire, inDutch:--
"Oh! Mynheer Groot! Not hung yet? Is it some new business?"
Part of Groot's reply was a rapid introduction of his friends, while hestated their errand. There could be nothing but utter mutualconfidence in such a case, and the head of the house of Opdyke Brotherswas exceedingly outspoken.
"We take the deck-cargo to-night," he said. "Our lighters will come assoon as it is dark. You will pay the custom-house men ten thousandfrancs down, so they will not know anything about it. I will be thereand one of my brot
hers. We will take off as much more as we canto-morrow night. You will go to Amsterdam with your next cargo orprizes. The British are increasing their guard. Ha, ha! It is warwith them, too, and they take some prizes. We buy of them every nowand then."
Guert was listening eagerly to all that was said. He was obtaining newideas and information as to the manner in which plunder taken at sea byall sorts of war-ships may be marketed.
"It's the war law of buccaneering," he thought. "If England andAmerica were at peace, then our business would be piracy."
It was not easy to make it seem right, and he gave that up, trying tosettle his conscience with the assertion that it was one of thosethings which cannot be helped.
"It ought to be helped," he thought. "Ships of war ought to do thefighting and let the unarmed ships go free. I don't like it! But I'ma privateersman myself, just now."
Back went the boat to the _Noank_ and Mynheer Opdyke kept his word. Itwas a misty night, and before morning there was nothing worth noticingupon the deck, unless it might be something amidships that was coveredby a tarpaulin. That, however, had been read and understood by thelookouts in the tops of the British corvette.
"The privateer carries a pivot-gun," her captain had said. "Three gunseach broadside? Remarkably full crew? All right. She's a dangerouscustomer to leave afloat. We must make an end of her."
That next day was spent on shore by most of the _Noank's_ crew. Notone of them was willing to remain in Brest, however. The best chancethat the rescued prisoners, for instance, seemed to have for evergetting home was in the _Noank_.
"Besides," they said to each other, "some of us may get out in prizes,before long. We may win prize-money, too."
One day more went by, and it was near evening when Captain Avery saidto Guert Ten Eyck:--
"No, my boy, you won't go ashore again. Our water-casks and theprovisions are coming aboard. The Opdykes have done wonderfully wellby us. I never saw better lighter work. I can't say at what hour wemay be ready to put to sea."
The British watchers saw all the lighters coming and going. Theirpatrol boats now and then pulled very near the schooner, but they hadno right to board her. No doubt they had further plans of their own,but they were a little slow with them. The truth was, that the Opdykesdeserved the praise given them by Captain Avery. Nobody would haveexpected such a rapid discharge of a cargo as they effected. That is,nobody without visiting the schooner that night and seeing how ahundred strong men could handle goods.
"Captain," said Mynheer Opdyke, at last, "you have no time to lose.The ship for Belfast goes out with the morning tide, and her cargo is agood one. We put on part of it ourselves, but we insured it prettywell. I think the corvette is going to pretend to change heranchorage, and she will slip alongside of you while she's moving."
"That's what I'm ready for," replied the captain, laughing. "She mayanchor on this very spot as soon as she pleases after this lightergoes."
He took a small bag of money that was handed him by the merchant, andthe latter went over the side.
"Ho, ho!" he chuckled, as he did so. "I make one hundred per cent.Now I go and report to my British friends that they must take theAmerican pirate within three days, or she will get away from them. Ourhouse is on good terms with them."
That might be, but if it were expected that he would give up profitablebusiness for friendship's sake, that was expecting altogether too much.
Very still lay the _Noank_ during the hour that followed. Carefullymuffled were the oars of a small boat that came back to her from aswiftly rowed scouting expedition. Then it seemed as if her anchorcame up without a sound, and the booms swung away without creaking. Novoices were heard from stem to stern, and a swarm of dark figuresflitted around her deck as if they wore moccasons.
"Belfast ship gone out," Up-na-tan had reported to Captain Avery."Lobster corvette ready to lift anchor. Four lobster boat in water,now. British think they come and take _Noank_ while all crew ashore.Think schooner go sleep."
"Pretty good!" said the captain. "They'd run out to sea with us, then,and the French'd never do a thing about it. America isn't a power yet,and England is. Never mind, we're goin' to spile their luck this time."
The schooner slipped away as if the water had been oiled for her.There was wind enough and not a great deal more. Every sail she couldspread was in its place, and her breathless crew watched their canvasfeverishly as she sped toward the channel at the harbor mouth.
Not a great deal of noise had been made on board the _Syren_, as shelifted her anchor to change her ground. She had a right to do so andto get a little more out of the way of other ships. She was sending uponly a few sails, however, only just enough to carry her slowly along.It was as if she moved across the water cautiously, not caring for thetime expended.
Her commander was justifiably certain of the success of his plans. Hestood upon the quarter-deck, trumpet in hand. His gallant tars, withpikes and cutlasses ready, but no firearms, the report of which mightbe heard by the French on shore, were drawn up in line, waiting for theorder, so soon to come, to board the _Noank_. Splendid men they were,and the sleeping Americans were to be overcome in the twinkling of aneye. Four boats were at the sides of the corvette, and into these wentdown the expectant boarders, for the crisis was at hand. No orderswere required and the oars dipped rapidly, in perfect unison. Theaffair would soon be over. The commander on the corvette's deck waslistening for the shout of onset and of sudden victory.
"Hullo!" suddenly exclaimed the lieutenant in the bow of the foremostboat. "Here we are! Where's that schooner?"
"She's gone, sir!" came loudly from one of the sailors. "Goneentirely!"
All the silence was gone also, as the boats dashed on to row uselesslyover the patch of water where the _Noank_ had been seen at sunset.Orders and exclamations might be uttered noisily now.
The _Syren's_ captain could hear, and he could understand, but for somereason he did not seem inclined to make remarks. Most likely he wasthinking, for the first words from his lips were:--
"Lieutenant, recall the boats. All hands make sail! We must followthat privateer. I'm afraid he has two hours the start of us."
"I'm afraid he's away," growled the lieutenant. "I'd like to know whogave him his warning."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the captain. "He's after that Belfast liner. Wemust follow in her wake, or she'll go to America instead of to Ireland."
An old, experienced sea-campaigner can sometimes make shrewdcalculations. Not a great while after that and just as the day wasdawning, a bulky three-master, running along in a steady, businesslikemanner, appeared to be almost in danger of being run into by a muchsmaller craft which had been following her. The pursuer's flag wasEnglish, and she showed no guns.
"Schooner ahoy, there!" shouted a voice on the three-master. "Sheeraway, there, or you'll strike us. Port your helm! Port, I say!"
No direct answer came back, but he heard a hoarse-toned shout of:--
"All hands shorten sail! Throw that grappling! Throw the other! Haulin! Haul taut! Bring us alongside! Hurrah! We have her! Board!"
So skilfully was it done that there was no great or damaging shock whenthe two vessels came together. The grapplings held, the Americansailors pulled mightily, and before the liner's crew who were belowcould tumble up to join their comrades on deck there were fifty pikemenswarming over her bulwarks.
"We surrender!" was almost the first loud exclamation of the Britishskipper. "You're that rebel pirate! Why didn't the _Syren_ catch you!"
"We weren't there to be caught," called back Captain Avery. "The_Killarney_ is ours, Captain Syme!"
"We can't help ourselves! It's the hard fortune of war!" groaned theastounded Briton. "Do your worst!"
"No harm to any of you," replied his captor. "We'll put you and yourcrew and passengers ashore on the first land we come to. This 'ereship, though, is bound for New London."
It was a time for litt
le talk and for the swiftest kind of action,while the Belfast liner was made ready for her trip across the Atlantic.
"I'm glad you find she has water and provisions enough, Vine," said hisfather, a little later. "You may have twenty-five of the rescued men.They are prime fellows. I'd go under easy sail most o' the time. Wewon't take out a pound o' the cargo here. Make quick work of gettin'away, now! We're pretty nigh ready to cast loose."
Vine and his exceedingly well-pleased two dozen or more of escapedprisoners of war took possession of the _Killarney_, and about all therisk before them was that of getting under the guns of some Britishcruiser.
Captain Syme and his crew and passengers, transferred to the _Noank_with their baggage, were a very disconsolate company, even when theywere promised a quick trip to the Irish coast, as near Belfast as mightbe.
"Hard luck for us," remarked Syme. "It's that sleepy corvette that'sto blame. I believed I was getting away in good season."
"So you were," replied Captain Avery. "You couldn't ha' suited usbetter. I like the _Syren_, too. She's gone over to our old anchorageby this time."
He was mistaken there. The angry, disappointed British commander wasputting on all sail, and his cruiser was bowling along the sea-roadtoward Belfast. No sail was in sight ahead of her, and he was frettedsadly by a suspicion of the truth, that the _Killarney_, with a prizecrew on board, was already headed westward, while the dashing privateerhe had missed was taking a northerly course, favored much by the finetopsail breeze that was blowing.