Les forceurs de blocus. English, Page 3

  Chapter III

  THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM

  The _Dolphin_ had a good crew, not fighting men, or boarding sailors,but good working men, and that was all she wanted. These brave,determined fellows were all, more or less, merchants; they sought afortune rather than glory; they had no flag to display, no colours todefend with cannon; in fact, all the artillery on board consisted oftwo small swivel signal-guns.

  The _Dolphin_ shot bravely across the water, and fulfilled the utmostexpectations of both builder and captain. Soon she passed the limit ofBritish seas; there was not a ship in sight; the great ocean route wasfree; besides, no ship of the Federal marine would have a right toattack her beneath the English flag. Followed she might be, andprevented from forcing the blockade, and precisely for this reason hadJames Playfair sacrificed everything to the speed of his ship, in ordernot to be pursued.

  Howbeit a careful watch was kept on board, and, in spite of the extremecold, a man was always in the rigging ready to signal the smallest sailthat appeared on the horizon. When evening came, Captain James gave themost precise orders to Mr. Mathew.

  "Don't leave the man on watch too long in the rigging; the cold mayseize him, and in that case it is impossible to keep a good look-out;change your men often."

  "I understand, Captain," replied Mr. Mathew.

  "Try Crockston for that work; the fellow pretends to have excellentsight; it must be put to trial; put him on the morning watch, he willhave the morning mists to see through. If anything particular happenscall me."

  This said, James Playfair went to his cabin. Mr. Mathew calledCrockston, and told him the Captain's orders.

  "To-morrow, at six o'clock," said he, "you are to relieve watch of themain masthead."

  For reply, Crockston gave a decided grunt, but Mr. Mathew had hardlyturned his back when the sailor muttered some incomprehensible words,and then cried:

  "What on earth did he say about the mainmast?"

  At this moment his nephew, John Stiggs, joined him on the forecastle.

  "Well, my good Crockston," said he.

  "It's all right, all right," said the seaman, with a forced smile;"there is only one thing, this wretched boat shakes herself like a dogcoming out of the water, and it makes my head confused."

  "Dear Crockston, and it is for my sake."

  "For you and him," replied Crockston, "but not a word about that, John.Trust in God, and He will not forsake you."

  So saying, John Stiggs and Crockston went to the sailor's berth, butthe sailor did not lie down before he had seen the young novicecomfortably settled in the narrow cabin which he had got for him.

  The next day, at six o'clock in the morning, Crockston got up to go tohis place; he went on deck, where the first officer ordered him to goup into the rigging, and keep good watch.

  At these words the sailor seemed undecided what to do; then, making uphis mind, he went towards the bows of the _Dolphin_.

  "Well, where are you off to now?" cried Mr. Mathew.

  "Where you sent me," answered Crockston.

  "I told you to go to the mainmast."

  "And I am going there," replied the sailor, in an ununconcerned tone,continuing his way to the poop.

  "Are you a fool?" cried Mr. Mathew, impatiently; "you are looking forthe bars of the main on the foremast. You are like a cockney, whodoesn't know how to twist a cat-o'-nine-tails, or make a splice. Onboard what ship can you have been, man? The mainmast, stupid, themainmast!"

  The sailors who had run up to hear what was going on burst out laughingwhen they saw Crockston's disconcerted look, as he went back to theforecastle.

  "So," said he, looking up the mast, the top of which was quiteinvisible through the morning mists; "so, am I to climb up here?"

  "Yes," replied Mr. Mathew, "and hurry yourself! By St. Patrick, aFederal ship would have time to get her bowsprit fast in our riggingbefore that lazy fellow could get to his post. Will you go up?"

  Without a word, Crockston got on the bulwarks with some difficulty;then he began to climb the rigging with most visible awkwardness, likea man who did not know how to make use of his hands or feet. When hehad reached the topgallant, instead of springing lightly on to it, heremained motionless, clinging to the ropes, as if he had been seizedwith giddiness. Mr. Mathew, irritated by his stupidity, ordered him tocome down immediately.

  "That fellow there," said he to the boatswain, "has never been a sailorin his life. Johnston, just go and see what he has in his bundle."

  The boatswain made haste to the sailor's berth.

  In the meantime Crockston was with difficulty coming down again, but,his foot having slipped, he slid down the rope he had hold of, and fellheavily on the deck.

  "Clumsy blockhead! land-lubber!" cried Mr. Mathew, by way ofconsolation. "What did you come to do on board the _Dolphin!_ Ah! youentered as an able seaman, and you cannot even distinguish the mainfrom the foremast! I shall have a little talk with you."

  Crockston made no attempt to speak; he bent his back like a manresigned to anything he might have to bear; just then the boatswainreturned.

  "This," said he to the first officer, "is all that I have found; asuspicious portfolio with letters."

  "Give them here," said Mr. Mathew. "Letters with Federal stamps! Mr.Halliburtt, of Boston! An Abolitionist! a Federalist! Wretch! you arenothing but a traitor, and have sneaked on board to betray us! Nevermind, you will be paid for your trouble with the cat-o'-nine-tails!Boatswain, call the Captain, and you others just keep an eye on thatrogue there."

  Crockston received these compliments with a hideous grimace, but he didnot open his lips. They had fastened him to the capstan, and he couldmove neither hand nor foot.

  A few minutes later James Playfair came out of his cabin and went tothe forecastle, where Mr. Mathew immediately acquainted him with thedetails of the case.

  "What have you to say?" asked James Playfair, scarcely able to restrainhis anger.

  "Nothing," replied Crockston.

  "And what did you come on board my ship for?"

  "Nothing."

  "And what do you expect from me now?"

  "Nothing."

  "Who are you? An American, as letters seem to prove?" Crockston did notanswer.

  "Boatswain," said James Playfair, "fifty lashes with thecat-o'-nine-tails to loosen his tongue. Will that be enough, Crockston?"

  "It will remain to be seen," replied John Stiggs' uncle without movinga muscle.

  "Now then, come along, men," said the boatswain.

  At this order, two strong sailors stripped Crockston of his woollenjersey; they had already seized the formidable weapon, and laid itacross the prisoner's shoulders, when the novice, John Stiggs, pale andagitated, hurried on deck.

  "Captain!" exclaimed he.

  "Ah! the nephew!" remarked James Playfair.

  "Captain," repeated the novice, with a violent effort to steady hisvoice, "I will tell you what Crockston does not want to say. I willhide it no longer; yes, he is American, and so am I; we are bothenemies of the slave-holders, but not traitors come on board to betraythe _Dolphin_ into the hands of the Federalists."

  "What did you come to do, then?" asked the Captain, in a severe tone,examining the novice attentively. The latter hesitated a few secondsbefore replying, then he said, "Captain, I should like to speak to youin private."

  Whilst John Stiggs made this request, James Playfair did not cease tolook carefully at him; the sweet young face of the novice, hispeculiarly gentle voice, the delicacy and whiteness of his hands,hardly disguised by paint, the large eyes, the animation of which couldnot bide their tenderness--all this together gave rise to a certainsuspicion in the Captain's mind. When John Stiggs had made his request,Playfair glanced fixedly at Crockston, who shrugged his shoulders; thenhe fastened a questioning look on the novice, which the latter couldnot withstand, and said simply to him, "Come."

  John Stiggs followed the Captain on to the poop, and then JamesPlayfair, opening the door of his cabin, said
to the novice, whosecheeks were pale with emotion, "Be so kind as to walk in, miss."

  John, thus addressed, blushed violently, and two tears rolledinvoluntarily down his cheeks.

  "Don't be alarmed, miss," said James Playfair, in a gentle voice, "butbe so good as to tell me how I come to have the honour of having you onboard?"

  The young girl hesitated a moment, then, reassured by the Captain'slook, she made up her mind to speak.

  "Sir," said she, "I wanted to join my father at Charleston; the town isbesieged by land and blockaded by sea. I knew not how to get there,when I heard that the _Dolphin_ meant to force the blockade. I came onboard your ship, and I beg you to forgive me if I acted without yourconsent, which you would have refused me."

  "Certainly," said James Playfair.

  "I did well, then, not to ask you," resumed the young girl, with afirmer voice.

  The Captain crossed his arms, walked round his cabin, and then cameback.

  "What is your name?" said he.

  "Jenny Halliburtt."

  "Your father, if I remember rightly the address on the letters, is henot from Boston?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "And a Northerner is thus in a southern town in the thickest of thewar?"

  "My father is a prisoner; he was at Charleston when the first shot ofthe Civil War was fired, and the troops of the Union driven from FortSumter by the Confederates. My father's opinions exposed him to thehatred of the slavist part, and by the order of General Beauregard hewas imprisoned. I was then in England, living with a relation who hasjust died, and left alone, with no help but that of Crockston, ourfaithful servant, I wished to go to my father and share his prison withhim."

  "What was Mr. Halliburtt, then?" asked James Playfair.

  "A loyal and brave journalist," replied Jenny proudly, "one of thenoblest editors of the _Tribune_, and the one who was the boldest indefending the cause of the negroes."

  "An Abolitionist," cried the Captain angrily; "one of those men who,under the vain pretence of abolishing slavery, have deluged theircountry with blood and ruin."

  "Sir!" replied Jenny Halliburtt, growing pale, "you are insulting myfather; you must not forget that I stand alone to defend him."

  The young Captain blushed scarlet; anger mingled with shame struggledin his breast; perhaps he would have answered the young girl, but hesucceeded in restraining himself, and, opening the door of the cabin,he called "Boatswain!"

  The boatswain came to him directly.

  "This cabin will henceforward belong to Miss Jenny Halliburtt. Have acot made ready for me at the end of the poop; that's all I want."

  The boatswain looked with a stupefied stare at the young noviceaddressed in a feminine name, but on a sign from James Playfair he wentout.

  "And now, miss, you are at home," said the young Captain of the_Dolphin_. Then he retired.