University of Virginia Library

7. CHAPTER VII.
The Proa.

The Captain of the brig and Hastings were, in the meanwhile, closely
watching the flying ship, and with looks of surprise at not seeing her
heave to after she had struck her flag.

`What does this mean, Hastings?' at length demanded Marshall,
turning to his lieutenant, who had the spy-glass.

`That I can't tell, sir! She lowered her flag, it is true, after our
thirty-two struck so near her; but she has not shown the least sign of
heaving to!'

`She has n't stirred tack nor sheet. I dont understand this. I shall
have to give them another gun; though I do n't care about damaging
her hull, as I want to take possession of her in as sound a condition as
possible!'

`There she keeps away a little, sir; she may be coming round!'

`Yes, it looks like it! I thought she would not stand on long, after
the specimen I had sent her of our quality. We shall be up with her
now shortly. Get ready to lower the boat for boarding her!'

`Aye, aye, sir,' answered the second lieutenant, a harsh-featured
young Englishman, with one eye, who had been a captain of the top in
an English liner at the battle of Navarino.

`She is not coming round, Captain!' suddenly exclaimed Hastings.
`She has squared her yards, and is standing dead for the island!'

`It is true, by the head of Cromwell!' exclaimed Marshall, after
watching her an instant. `She finds she can't escape, and means to
run ashore. But I'll show them a game worth two of that! Is the
long gun charged again?'

`All ready, sir!' cried the mate.

`Then I'll lame the ship's wing!' he cried, going forward and leveling
the piece. Hastings, with the glass, watched the effect of the shot.
The French ship was about two miles and a half distant, broad-side to,
and steering straight for the land with every sail set.

`Keep away a point!' called out Marshall to the helmsman.

`Aye, a point it is, sir!'

`Too much! Luff a little! So! Steady!'

With these words he caught up the lighted lint-stock, stepped back
from the gigantic piece of ordnance, and applied the fire to the powder.
At the instant of its discharge, and while the brig trembled
from the shock, he leaped upon the gun and holding by a stay watched
the shot.

An exclamation of disappointment escaped him. He saw nothing
fall on board, no signs that the iron missile had done its work.

`I will aim at her hull the next time!' he cried. `She shall not
escape by beaching, if there is any virtue in powder and iron
balls.'

The gun was again levelled, and he was just about to fire, when he
saw the fore-topmast of the ship fall over into the sea, carrying with it,
the main royal-mast and royal yard.

`That will make her ours!' exclaimed Hastings: `You hit the mast
fairly it seems, but the stays upheld it, till they could no longer sustain
the weight of spars and sails. She will not reach the beach now before
we can overtake her.'

`I will sink her, before her captain shall have the satisfaction of
running her ashore.'

`Yet she stands steadily on before the wind, as if nothing had happened.'

`Yes, she means to get ashore and cheat us of our prize money, if
she can! But I will stop that manœuvre before it is five minutes older.
Keep away after her, at the helm there!'

`Had n't we better heave the lead, sir?' said Marshall. `It looks
shoal ahead!'

`Yes, we can't be too safe. But where she goes we can go. Hand
me the match! I will see if I can't stop her way!'

A second gun was discharged, but without any visible effect. The
ship drove on, and was already within a mile of the land. The soundings
showed Marshall, that he could only advance with great caution,
as shoals might be between him and the ship, and he was too busy to
go below and examine the charts of the coast.

`I would square round and give her a broad-side, Hastings,' he said,
watching the ship drive shoreward; `but I should lose too much head

way, and besides, do damage to her; for I look upon her as my own
vessel already, and feel tender of her timbers!'

The ship the while, drew nearer and nearer the land. The boats
were all filled with such articles as the passengers and crew wished to
save, and ready to be lowered. A man in the chains was every
minute reporting the depth as they advanced nigher and nigher the
beach.

`It is just three fathoms, now, Monsieur Marquis,' said the Captain.
In five feet less water, we shall strike. At the rate we are going, it
will be in six minutes. You and your daughter get into the quarter
boat, and be lowered in it, and the other boats will also be dropped into
the water, and hauled along side for the men to get into them. We
shall have half a mile to pull to the shore after the ship strikes.'

The passengers and their servants got into the boat with a crew of
four men, and being lowered into the water, were towed astern of the
ship by a line. Two other boats were also lowered and hauled under
the gangways. The Captain made all the men get into them, and
ordered the two boats to cast off, and pull for the shore. He now remained
on board with only his two mates, one of whom held the rope by
which the boat containing the Marquis La Fontleroy, and his daughter
Josephine, was towed astern. In two minutes after the two boats left
the ship, she struck, and with such force, as to snap the main-mast even
with the deck. The three men were thrown down, but recovering his
feet, the Captain seized a torch, which he had previously ignited at
the caboose, and applied to the fore course, the mizzen shrouds, and the
back stays. In an instant three serpents of fire were winding fiercely
up the rigging, and fastening upon the sails, the ship was enveloped in
flames. The Captain and two officers escaped only by jumping from
the stern, and swimming to the boat which held the Marquis, where
they were taken on board, when the boat pulled for the land.

`Sacrement!' cried Marshall, who swore oaths in every language of
which he had a smattering; `they have not only wrecked her, but fired
her, and are escaping in their boats. We are cheated out of prize
and prisoners.'

`We can land too, and pursue them!'

`I have half a mind. But, I have no business to capture people on
a Spanish Island. I should get Mexico involved with the Don about it.
Yet, I am half a mind to pursue.'

`I make out a lady in the boat, that last left the ship,' said Hastings,
who had the spy glass at his eye.

`A lady! Then I wont do as I was about to do. I had just resolved
to wear round, and blow the boats all out of water with broadsides.
But I will stand on, and see if anything can be saved from the
wreck. Bishallah! confound that fellow who commanded her. He
is a brave fellow, and knows what he is about. She makes a brave
bonfire. Fifty thousand dollars, Hastings, are going up to heaven in
that cloud of smoke, that ought to have been in our pockets!'

The brig stood on for the burning ship without lessening sail, and had
got within half a mile of her, when Hastings uttered an exclamation
that drew the Captain's attention to him. The ship had been run into
a sort of inlet surrounded by woods; but no creek had been visible
penetrating the land. As the boats, however, drew near the shore,
they opened the mouth of a narrow river a few yards broad, extending
into the dark forest. Out of this suddenly shot a long proa filled with
men, and attempted to cut off their landing. The proa darted upon
them so suddenly and alarmingly, that the oarsmen in the first boat became
paralyzed, and ceased rowing. In an instant they were come up
with by the proa and taken prisoners. The other two boats turned
back and pulled again seaward with all their might. The proa was
full seventy feet long, was rowed by twenty men, and carried besides,
a heavy lateen sail on a stump mast amidships. Four or five men half-robed,
and armed, stood up near her stern, one of whom, with vehement
gestures and loud cries, that reached even the ears of Hastings,
was urging the proa on after the flying boats.

It was the appearance and conduct of this piratical centipede, which
had drawn the exclamation of surprise from Hastings. From the time
of her first coming in sight, until she captured the leading boat, was
three minutes. The men on board of the captured barge, had been
tumbled into the proa, and the boat in charge of two of the robbers
cast loose, to be pulled up the creek.

`This is a new turn in the game,' said Marshall. `We have our
humanity now called into action, to save the poor devils in the two
boats. That proa is manned by the infernal Lagoon pirates, and if
the French are taken by them, they will every soul be massacred! We
must to their rescue.

`They seem to dread their fate, and to fly to us, as the least

evil of the two. I should like to bring a gun to bear upon the
proa!'

`I'll let them have a broadside. Wait a bit! Helm hard up! Square
the yards!' shouted Marshall with animation. `To your guns men,
to your guns!'

The broadside of the brig was brought to bear upon the boats and
proa, and discharged so as to fire over the heads of the crew of the
ship. The whole broadside was fired, and the proa stopped full in
her course, and evidently in confusion. The boats pulled rapidly on
towards the brig, as if they were flying to the protection of friends, and
the brig approaching her at the same time more rapidly, they soon met.

`Come on board!' cried Marshall, through his trumpet. `Come
along side without delay, for I want to give those fellows a drubbing!'

The boats pulled on with good will, for the proa recovering from the
shock of the broadside, was once more dashing through the water after
them.

`Load quick, men! Load quick, villains!' cried Marshall, seeing
the pirates coming down upon the brig like the wind. The hell-hounds
mean to try to board us. Load and fire! Sink them!'

The Proa pulled on in a cloud of foam. Her captain stood upon the
bows with a sword in one hand, which he waved about his head, and
cheered his oarsmen on. The two boats, containing the crew of the
French ship, were each moment gained upon, though within musket shot
of the ship.

`By Allah!' exclaimed Marshall, `the fellows have no more fear than
devils. Fire away, and let them have it, or they will not only get the
boats but ourselves too, for they out-number us.'

Hastings had already seen that the lady in the leading boat, was both
beautiful and youthful, and he became deeply interested in her fate.
He saw her clasp her hands, as if in the anguish of despair, as the wild
shouts of the Captain of the proa reached her ears. Her beauty and
danger inspired him with the resolution, to save her at the peril of his
life from the horrible fate, that menaced her from the demoniacal crew
of the proa; while Marshall was only inspired with a hearty desire to
send to the bottom some fifty pirates.

The second broadside passed over them, as Hastings feared it would,
they were so near, and immediately he sprung to the helm, and called
to his men to arm for boarding.

Marshall at once saw his object, and echoed the cry. Hastings
turned the bows of the brig directly towards the proa, resolved to drive
right over her, as the only way of saving the boats and preventing
them from attempting to take the brig.

Before, however, the brig could reach the spot, the proa had rushed
along between the two boats, and Hastings saw the maiden shrieking
in the arms of the pirate, while a tall white-headed man was endeavoring
to rescue her from his grasp.

`Marshall, do you see that!' cried Hastings.

`I do, and it makes my blood boil. But the same fate is ours. In
a moment we will be over them.'

`And the pirates and their prisoners will all go to one fate. No!
That maiden must be saved. She is as beautiful as an angel. I have
sworn in my heart to save her. Instead of runing the proa under water,
I mean to lay the brig along side of her, jump on board with all who
will follow, drive the pirates into the sea, and rescue the prisoners.'