The weather had turned cloudy and cold; there was a decided7 touch of winter in the air. The men were muffled8 up in their pea-jackets, and the little squad9 of prisoners, tramping up and down, taking exercise and air under a strong guard, looked decidedly uncomfortable, not to say disgusted, with the situation.
It had been a matter of some difficulty to disarm10 the prisoners, especially the soldiers, and to feed and properly exercise them; but the end had been successfully arrived at through the prudence11 and ability of Seymour, who was well aided by Talbot and Wilton, and who profited much by many valuable suggestions born of the long experience of the old boatswain.
On this particular afternoon, about ten days before Christmas, the young captain, now confident of carrying his prize into the harbor, felt very much relieved and elated by his apparent command of the situation. He knew what a godsend the ship's cargo13, which he and Talbot had ascertained14 to be even more valuable than had been represented, would be to the American army. It might be said without exaggeration, that the success of the great cause depended upon the fortune of that one little ship under his command. Talbot had properly classified and inventoried15 the cargo according to orders, and was prepared to make immediate16 distribution of it upon their arrival in port. Both of the young men were as happy as larks17, and even the thought of their captured friends did not disquiet18 them as it might under less fortunate circumstances, for among the captives on the Mellish was a Colonel Seaton of the Highlanders, whom they trusted to be able to exchange for Colonel Wilton, and they did not doubt in that case that Katharine would return with her father.
While indulging themselves in these rosy19 dreams, natural to young men in the elation20 of spirit consequent upon the events of their short and exciting cruise,—the capture and successful escape of the transport, the apparent assurance of bringing her in, and the daring and brilliant night-action which they had witnessed,—they had neither of them ventured to touch upon the subject uppermost in each heart,—the love each bore for Katharine,—and the subject still remained a sealed book between them. The cruise was not yet over, however, and fate had in store for them several more exciting occurrences to be faced. Seymour, often accompanied by Talbot, and Wilton, always accompanied by Bentley, kept watch and watch on the brief cruise of the transport. On the afternoon of the third day, about three bells in the afternoon watch, or half after one o'clock, Seymour, whose watch below it was, was called from the cabin by old Bentley, who informed him that a suspicious sail had been seen hull21 down to the northeast, and Wilton had desired that his commanding officer be informed of it. Seizing a glass and springing to his feet, he hastened on deck.
"Well, Mr. Wilton," he said to that young officer, proud of his responsibilities, "you keep a good lookout22. Where away is the sail reported?"
"Broad off the weather bow, sir, due north of us. You can't see her from the deck yet," replied Wilton, flushing with pride at the compliment.
Seymour sprang into the main rigging, and rapidly ascended23 to the crosstrees, glass in hand. There he speedily made out the topgallantsails of a large ship, having the wind on the quarter apparently24, and slowly coming into view. He subjected her to a long and careful scrutiny25, during which the heads of her topsails rose, confirming his first idea that she was a ship-of-war, and if so, without doubt, one of the enemy. She was coming down steadily26; and if the two vessels28 continued on their present courses they would pass each other within gun-shot distance in a few hours, a thing not to be permitted under any circumstances, if it could be avoided. He continued his inspection29 a moment longer, and then closing the glass, descended30 to the deck with all speed by sliding down the back-stay.
"Forward, there!" he shouted. "Call the other watch, and be quick about it! Philip, step below and ask Mr. Talbot to come on deck at once. Bentley, that seems to be a frigate31 or a heavy sloop3 going free; she will be down on us in a few hours if we don't change our course. Take a look at her, man," he said, handing him the glass, "and let me know what you think of her."
While the men were coming on deck, Bentley leaped into the mizzen rigging and ran up the shrouds32 with an agility33 surprising in one of his gigantic figure and advanced age. After a rapid survey he came down swiftly. "It's an English frigate, and not a doubt of it, sir, and rising very fast."
"I thought so. Man the weather braces34! Up with the helm! Bear a hand now, my hearties36! Now, then, all together! Brace35 in!" He himself set a good example to the short crew, who hastened to obey his rapid commands, by assisting the two seamen37 stationed aft to brail in the spanker, in which labor38 he was speedily joined by Talbot, who had come on deck. Young Wilton and Bentley lent the same assistance forward, and in an astonishingly brief time, considering her small crew, the Mellish, like the stranger, was going free with the wind on her quarter, her best point of sailing, her course now making a wide obtuse39 angle with that of the approaching ship.
"Now, then, men, lay aloft, and shake the reefs out of the topsails.
Stand by to loose the fore12 and main topgallantsails as well."
"Why, what's wrong, Seymour?" said Talbot, in surprise. "I rather expected we should be in Massachusetts Bay this evening, and here we are, heading south again. Isn't that Cape1 Cod40,—that blue haze41 yonder? Why are we leaving it? What's the matter?"
"Take the glass, man; there, aft on the starboard quarter, a sail! You should be able to see her from the deck now. Can you make her out?"
"Yes, by heaven, it's a ship, and a large ship too! What is it, think you, Seymour?"
"An English ship, of course, a frigate; we have no ships like that in these waters, or in our navy, either—more's the pity."
"Whew! This looks bad for us."
"Well, we 're not caught yet by a long sight, Talbot. A good many leagues will have to be sailed before we are overhauled42, and there 's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip, you know; that old stale maxim43 is truer on the sea than any place else, and truer in a chase, too; a thousand things may help us or hinder her. See, we are going better now that the reefs are out and the topgallantsails set. But it's a fearful strain on our spars. They look new—pray God they be good ones," he continued, gazing over the side at the masses of green water tossed aside from the bows and sweeping44 aft under the counter in great swirls45.
The spars and rigging of the Mellish were indeed fearfully tested, the masts buckling46 and bending like a strained bow. The wind was freshening every moment, and there was the promise of a gale47 in the lowering sky of the gray afternoon. The ship felt the increased pressure from the additional sail which had been made, and her speed had materially increased, though she rolled and pitched frightfully, wallowing through the water and smashing into the waves with her broad, fat bows, and making rather heavy weather of it. In spite of all this, however, the chase gained slowly upon them, until she was now visible to the naked eye from the decks of the Mellish. Seymour, full of anxiety, tried every expedient48 that his thorough seamanship and long experience could dictate49 to accelerate the speed of his ship,—rather a sluggish50 vessel27 at best, and now, heavily laden51, slower than ever. The stream anchors were cut away, and then one of the bowers52 also; all the boats, save one, the smallest, were scuttled53 and cast adrift; purchases were got on all the sheets and halliards, and the sails hauled flat as boards, and kept well wetted down; some of the water tanks were pumped out, to alter the trim and lighten her; the bulwarks54 and rails partly cut away, and, as a final resort, the maintopmast studdingsail was set, but the boom broke at the iron and the whole thing went adrift in a few moments. Talbot, anxious to do something, suggested the novel expedient of breaking out a field-piece from the fore hold and mounting it on the quarter-deck to use as a stern-chaser. This had been done, but the frigate was yet too far away for it to be of any service.
In spite of all these efforts, they were being overhauled slowly, but Seymour still held on and did not despair. There was one chance of escape. Right before them, not a half league away, lay a long shoal known as George's Shoal, extending several leagues across the path of the two ships; through the middle of this dangerous shoal there existed a channel, narrow and tortuous55, but still practicable for ships of a certain size. He was familiar with its windings56, as was Bentley, as they both had examined it carefully in the previous summer with a view to just such a contingency57 as now occurred. The Mellish was a large and clumsy ship, heavily laden, and drawing much water, but he felt confident that he could take her through the pass. At any rate the attempt was worth making, and if he did fail, it would be better to wreck58 her, he thought, than allow her to be recaptured. The English captain either knew or did not know of the shoal and the channel. If he knew it, he would have to make a long detour59, for in no case would the depth of water in the pass permit a heavy ship as was the pursuing vessel to follow them; and, aided by the darkness rapidly closing down, the Mellish would be enabled to escape.
If the English captain were a new man on the station, and unacquainted with the existence of the shoal, as was most likely—well, then he was apt to lose his ship and all on board of her, if he chased too far and too hard. The problem resolved itself into this: if the Mellish could maintain her distance from the pursuer until it was necessary to come by the wind for a short tack, and still have sufficient space and time left to enable her to run up to the mouth of the channel without being sunk, or forced to strike by the batteries of the frigate, they might escape; if not—God help them all! thought Seymour, desperately60, for in that event he resolved to run the vessel on the rocky edge of the shoal at the pass mouth and sink her.
They were rapidly drawing down upon the shoal at the point from which they must come by the wind, on the starboard tack. Some far-away lights on Cape Cod had just been lighted, which enabled Seymour to get his bearing exactly. He had talked the situation over quietly with Bentley, and they had not yet lost hope of escaping. The men had worked hard and faithfully, carrying out the various orders and lightening ship, and now, having done all, some few were lying about the deck resting, while the remainder hung over the rails gazing at their pursuer. One of the men, the sea philosopher Thompson, of the Ranger's crew, finally went aft to the quarter-deck to old Bentley, who was privileged to stand there under the circumstances, and asked if he might have a look through the glass for a moment at the frigate.
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1
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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sloops
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| n.单桅纵帆船( sloop的名词复数 ) | |
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sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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incur
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| vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇 | |
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7
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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14
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inventoried
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| vt.编制…的目录（inventory的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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16
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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larks
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| n.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的名词复数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了v.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的第三人称单数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了 | |
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disquiet
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| n.担心，焦虑 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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hearties
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| 亲切的( hearty的名词复数 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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obtuse
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| adj.钝的；愚钝的 | |
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cod
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| n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗 | |
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41
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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42
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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43
maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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45
swirls
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| n.旋转( swirl的名词复数 )；卷状物；漩涡；尘旋v.旋转，打旋( swirl的第三人称单数 ) | |
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46
buckling
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| 扣住 | |
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47
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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48
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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49
dictate
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| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
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50
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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51
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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52
bowers
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| n.（女子的）卧室( bower的名词复数 )；船首锚；阴凉处；鞠躬的人 | |
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53
scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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55
tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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56
windings
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| （道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手） | |
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57
contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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