Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 277 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— ee = Oe ‘The Saucy Jane, Privateer. 19 the negroes to unload, so he turned his atten- tion to the horizon, knowing that the frigate, which had chased them so sharply that very morning, must be getting close again, and that the lookouts of the privateer were anything but exemplary, when the officers were not on deck to keep them to their work. Much to his uneasiness, he saw that the Pomona was now within three miles of the schooner, coming down with a fresh wind on her quarter. Blair, who was still absorbed in a low whis- pered conversation with Lord Gowrie, was not watching bis vessel at all, and there was every probability that they would be caught napping, when Eaton pulled his commander’s sleeve, and pointed to the distant frigate, with the re- mark: ‘*] fear, sir, that if his lordship does not get off pretty soon, we shall have no time to send him off with any sort of bonors.”’ Blair started, and looked round at the frigate, which he seemed to notice for the first time, He hurried té the side and shouted: “Here, you niggers, get out of the way, and let the Governor’s barge come alongside.” Then, turning to the Earl of Gowrie, he pur- sued: ‘‘Now, my lord, we bave no time to lose, or I would endeavor to persuade you that you are wrong, to feel as you do, on the subject. I must save my vessel, and my wife, from capture, be- fore it is too late. Allow me to see your lord- ship over the side into your own barge,” ns he spoke be went to the side to look for the barge, and discovered it, nearly a hundred fathoms away lying idly by the schooner's quarter, with the oars all inboard. 4 Hallo, you black villains,” roared the an- ry privateersman. ‘‘Come up with that rge, and be quick about it. Do you want to be left behind? The black oarsmen had been waiting, in true black style, almost all of them asleep, and it took some time for the waking ones to rouse the others, and get the boat alongside. When it wasin a position for the earl to board it was found to be in a condition that shocked the old man so that he flatly refused to go. Ferris had ordered the barge to follow them but bad not taken the precaution to see it cleaned before it was sent out. The consequence was, that there were no cushions in the séern- sheets, and the bottom of the long barge was full of water and mud, ‘‘Tran fer the baggage to the other boat,” said Ferris, who seemed to take the matter very coolly, ‘and lef us goin the baggage-boat, while that one brings back the trunks that are not wanted by Lady Jane.” ) Blair cast one glance at the frigate, now com- ing down like a race-horse, and rapped out an impatient oath. “Tt can’t be done, sir, and you know it. Any person that cannot go in that boat goes on board the Saucy Jane. Now, my lord, will you go or not?” “Tn that filthy boat?” cried Lord Gowrie with ashudder. ‘ Quite impossible, sir.” “Then I shall have to carry your lordship with me, as I carried off your daughter, and you can blame no one but yourself.” He made no more ado abort it; for he saw plainly that there was no time to lose, The frigate was coming down so fast that she would be in gunshot before be could get under way, if he was not quick. ‘*Haul your fore-sheet to windward!” he called to the men in the forecastle, who were watching the frigate with the over-confident air of men who have been spoiled by prosperity. ‘‘Right your helm, quartermaster. Look alive there, you fools! Do you want to end your days at Dartmoor prison? The schconer became a scene of bustle and confusion in a moment, and the Governor stood as if he did not understand what was going on atall. Notso Ferris. That gentleman, secing that there was a very good chance that the frigate would catch the privateer at last, was felicitating himself on the little trick by which he bad managed to detain the schooner, Now that he saw that the privateersman was about to set sail without respect fo the earl at all, the aide-de-camp bethougbt bimself that he might as well get ashore, as stay within the range of the Pomona’s guns; and be was about to skip into the boat, when Eaton, who had been watcbing him all the time, touched bim on the shoulder, and said in a sharp tone: ‘‘No, sir, if the earl does not go, you ought not to go either.” Ferris straightened up to answer, as haughti- ly as he could: “That is my business, sir, and I wil! not trou- a fe. to allow me to attend to it.” e sprung over the side, and the next mo- ment the sound of a gun in the distance was followed by a shot from the frigate, that knocked the spray all over the rowers, and frightened the negroes so much that they began to pull away as fast as they could, without heeding the shout from the schooner, pe “ Avast there! You bain’t got the old man. The American privateersmen were ignoraut of any such thing as rank, and called the Gov- ernor of Jamaica ‘‘ the old man” with refresh- ing. democracy. ut the negroes were too frightened to listen to anybody or anything but their own fears, They pulled away harder than before, and the Bart of Gowrie was left all alone, on the deck of the Saucy Jane, deserted by his aide de-camp and chaplain, with the shots of the Pomona whizzing over him, and the pleasant prospect of being kiiled by the very vessel that had been sent to be at bis orders. The old nobleman cast one glance around bim and realized his position. He disdained to show any fear, though he bad never been in action before; but his cheek turned rather pale, as the shot went singing over the schooner, with the peculiar vicious bum of a round-shot from a twelve-pounder. The Saucy Jane was in worse peril than she had been since she had left the port of New York, She had been caught napping with a ven- geance, and by an enemy who was yet smart- ing to avenge the humiliating defeat: he had suffered that very day, twice over, in his efforts to capture the audacious little privateer. Blair bad got all sail on bis schooner, as soon as he saw that he was under the lee of the fri- te. °"He was in a position where he had to run, without a chance to fire a shot. ‘The frigate was dead to windward, and the wind was strong enough to make.her sail like a witch, while the schooner was obliged to go wing-and- wing, at ber least successful point. So away went the two vessels, down the wind, as fast as it would carry them, and the frigate kept firing ber bow-chaser all the time, with no resu't but to dash the spray over the decks, till Blair observed, with an air of reli: f: “What a lucky thing it is that John Bull never will learn how to fire agun! Now, if you were on board that vessel, | am pretty sure that we should bave been hit more than once.” Eaton looked at the distant ship in a thought- ful manner, ‘*‘T am not sure that-we shall not be bit, as it is, before long,” he said slowly. ‘‘Our only chance is in edging off, as much as we can, without his noticing it, so as to get that which we never ought to have lost—the weather-gage. | —— — —E | | i ; | se Eaton; and if she is taken. it will be my oss. Eaton, somewhat offended at the sharp way in which he had been snubbed, withdrew to the lee-rail, and watched the frigate withan anx- lety that he could not conceal; while Blair looked at her as if he were watching forsome opportuvity, that the frigate was to give him, in a minute or more, ‘* Beat to oe eB be said presently to Eaton, ‘‘In five minutes we shall te able to send that fellow about bis businiss, Wait till he fires a shot.” The notes of the drum had not died away over the sea, when the frigate fired another trcaiu- side,and this time with better effect than the last. There was great splintering of timber, and the seamen turned pale as they heard its, for it came from the heel of the foremast. When they were able to see the English ship again, the Pomona was ‘‘ wearing ” to show her otber broadside, and Blair gave the order: ‘Now, Eaton, you are the best shot in the schconer, 1 want you to show these toys what a good shot can do, to save a vessel! like the ey Jane, when there is need of all his skill. Eaton heard bim and his only reply was: ‘* Where shall | bit him, sir? “In the heel of bis foremast,” was Blair’s re- ply. ashe looked at the enemy closely. ‘He tried to cripple us, and the least we can do is to return the compliment.” Eaton waited till the otber vessel bad nearly completed the movement she was making with a view to get her other broadside to bear, with- out losing time in loading. The Pomona was bows on to bim, when he at last gave the word: ‘“* Fire!” The gunner applied the old-fashioned match with which guns were sent off in those days, and the ball sped on its way, They could trace its course distinctly by the line of spray which it raised in its passage, till it entered the English sbip’s bow. Blair, who was watching through the glass, exclaimed: ‘You did the business, Eaton. I am pretty sure that be will lose his mast, with all that press of sail, inside of—” . Before he could finish his words, the foremast He is only in long gunshot now, but when he | of the English ship was observed to stagger, and gets a little closer, so as to use his carronades, we are going to have hard work to eszape being taken, captain.” Blair looked at the frigate, with disgust painted on his face. ‘*What the deuce had he to do, coming here on my wedding-day to disturb the service,” he observed, with an air of great indignation. ‘‘I tell you what it is, Eaton; [am not going to let that fellow take me to-day, above all days in the year. Shift the helm, quartermaster, a point, and trim those sheets closer.” Obedient to her helm, the little schooner made a sweep to one side, that took her off at an angle to the course of the frigate. It was not much of a change; but it was instantly followed by the frigate, with a presicion and rapidity that caused Eaton to te!] Blair— ‘We are going to have some credit, if we get the best of that captain: he knows his business well.” Blair set bis teeth, as he Jooked at the British vessel. ** He shall find out that I know mine, before long. If he goes about every time we do, we shall get him under our lee at last.” ‘ He is not likely to do that, sir, while every turn we give to him, puts him a little closer. See there! he will give usa broadside in a moment,” As Eaton uttered these words, the frigate yawed in a way that allowed her to use her whole starboard broadside at once, and senta tempest of shot and shell whizzing over the waves at the little schooner, that seemed as if it must overwhelm her. But the chances of a sea-fight are so various that even here, when all seemed hopeless, a wave intercepted more than half of that tem- pest of iron, and when the last had passed, the schooner bad only received three shot through her rail, which had raked along her deck, killed several men—the first slain in battle on the privateer during that war—but had left her powers of propulsion unimpaired, while the trigute bad lost some way, from yawing to get a chanceto deliver her fire, and was al- ready trimming her sails to follow the Saucy Jane on ber new course, When the Pomona had first been sighted from the decks of the Saucy Jane she had been coming down with the wind on her starboard quarter, and the schooner had made her shift of sails to get the wind more on the beam, The consequence Was that, now that the large vessel was on the same tack as the small one, the frigate retained the power of firing more that her chase guns, 48 she sailed along, paral- lel with the schooner. aton pointed this out to his commander, but, to his rise, for the first time in his acqaint- ance with Blair, the privateersman answered him sharply, saying: 7. Salioes that J command this schooner, / in another moment it came down over the bows of the Pomona. in a mass of wreck, and the men of the Saucy Jane raised a hearty cheer. Blair, as soon as he saw it turned tothe men, and shouted: ‘*Hard up with your helm, Jet go your sheets, Weare safe frcm that fellow, and I fancy he won’t tackle us again; but there is no use in keeping under his guns. Three cheers for the Saucy Jane, and three more for the way she behaves, every time she tries to do the thing properly.” picichs oat CHAPTER XX. THE NEW CAPTAIN. THE chase was over, and the little schooner, by the aid of her one long gun, ard Yankee ingenuity in aiming it, had escaped from the greatest peril that bad mena her on her voyage. The old Earl of Gowrie, who had staid on deck all through the fight, was so much surprised at the result of the action, that he said ‘to Blair, in bis most lordly way: “ Sir, Iam fain to assure you that you have dove yourself great credit this day, and I can at least be proud of the courage and nautical skill of my son-in-law. But the question re- mains, what are you going to do with me, now that those scoundrels in the barge have deserted me in the base and cowardly manner that they didf TI cannot go to America with you, unless as a prisoner, and that would be a breach of faith on your part.” : Blair looked at the distant frigate, now wal- lowing in the trough of the sea, and observed: “ Your boats are not in sight, but if you are not afraid to trust yourself in one of my boats —_ I can send you to the frigate under a flag of truce.” ‘“1f you will be good enough to do so, sir, I shall be very much obliged to you,” was the stately reply of the Governcr. So Bleir ordered cut the boat, and the old Governor was about to get into it, when he hesitated; and, after a pause of several seconds, said to Blair, in a low voice: ‘* Be kind enough to tell your wife that I have changed my Meee of things a great deal within the Jast few minutes, and that, after this war is over, it mav be possible for us to meet again in amity. Tell her alsothat I am not so angry as I seem, but very much burt.” ; lair bowed. **T will tell ber all you say, my lord, unless you would like tosee ber before you go—” 9" — ‘* No, no,” cy Meapecdec the ear]. ‘* Not on any account. My nerve: could not stand the strain, sir. Say so, and bid her—” , His voice sunk to a lower key still, and he added, almost inaudibly: : * “My—my—my blessing. God bless you both, ati The privateersman bowed 1) as th Gomicyoeo eld earl (E (0) <S