The Pirate, and The Three Cutters Part 30

The captain rose, as did the mates and men, drank the toast, turned down the drinking vessels on the table, hastened to the wharf, and in half an hour the _Happy-go-lucky_ was clear of the port of St. Maloes.

CHAPTER IV

PORTLAND BILL

The _Happy-go-lucky_ sailed with a fresh breeze and a flowing sheet from St. Maloes the evening before the _Arrow_ sailed from Barn Pool. The _Active_ sailed from Portsmouth the morning after.

The yacht, as we before observed, was bound to Cowes, in the Isle of Wight. The _Active_ had orders to cruise wherever she pleased within the limits of the admiral's station; and she ran for West Bay, on the other side of the Bill of Portland. The _Happy-go-lucky_ was also bound for that bay to land her cargo.

The wind was light, and there was every appearance of fine weather, when the _Happy-go-lucky_, at ten o'clock on the Tuesday night, made the Portland lights; as it was impossible to run her cargo that night, she hove-to.

At eleven o'clock the Portland lights were made by the revenue cutter _Active_. Mr. Appleboy went up to have a look at them, ordered the cutter to be hove-to, and then went down to finish his allowance of gin-toddy. At twelve o'clock the yacht _Arrow_ made the Portland lights, and continued her course, hardly stemming the ebb tide.

Day broke, and the horizon was clear. The first on the look-out were, of course, the smugglers; they, and those on board the revenue cutter, were the only two interested parties--the yacht was neuter.

'There are two cutters in sight, sir,' said Corbett, who had the watch; for Pickersgill, having been up the whole night, had thrown himself down on the bed with his clothes on.

'What do they look like?' said Pickersgill, who was up in a moment.

'One is a yacht, and the other may be; but I rather think, as far as I can judge in the gray, that it is our old friend off here.'

'What! old Appleboy?'

'Yes, it looks like him; but the day has scarcely broke yet.'

'Well, he can do nothing in a light wind like this; and before the wind we can show him our heels; but are you sure the other is a yacht?' said Pickersgill, coming on deck.

'Yes; the king is more careful of his canvas.'

'You're right,' said Pickersgill, 'that is a yacht; and you're right there again in your guess--that is the stupid old _Active_ which creeps about creeping for tubs. Well, I see nothing to alarm us at present, provided it don't fall a dead calm, and then we must take to our boat as soon as he takes to his; we are four miles from him at least. Watch his motions, Corbett, and see if he lowers a boat. What does she go now?

Four knots?--that will soon tire their men.'

The positions of the three cutters were as follows:--

The _Happy-go-lucky_ was about four miles off Portland Head, and well into West Bay. The revenue cutter was close to the Head. The yacht was outside of the smuggler, about two miles to the westward, and about five or six miles from the revenue cutter.

'Two vessels in sight, sir,' said Mr. Smith, coming down into the cabin to Mr. Appleboy.

'Very well,' replied the lieutenant, who was _lying_ down in his _standing_ bed-place.

'The people say one is the _Happy-go-lucky_, sir,' drawled Smith.

'Heh? what! _Happy-go-lucky_? Yes, I recollect; I've boarded her twenty times--always empty. How's she standing?'

'She stands to the westward now, sir; but she was hove-to, they say, when they first saw her.'

'Then she has a cargo in her;' and Mr. Appleboy shaved himself, dressed, and went on deck.

'Yes,' said the lieutenant, rubbing his eyes again and again, and then looking through the gla.s.s, 'it is her, sure enough. Let draw the foresheet--hands make sail. What vessel's the other?'

'Don't know, sir--she's a cutter.'

'A cutter? yes; maybe a yacht, or maybe the new cutter ordered on the station. Make all sail, Mr. Tomkins; hoist our pendant, and fire a gun--they will understand what we mean then; they don't know the _Happy-go-lucky_ as well as we do.'

In a few minutes the _Active_ was under a press of sail; she hoisted her pendant, and fired a gun. The smuggler perceived that the _Active_ had recognised her, and she also threw out more canvas, and ran off more to the westward.

'There's a gun, sir,' reported one of the men to Mr. Stewart, on board of the yacht.

'Yes; give me the gla.s.s--a revenue cutter; then this vessel insh.o.r.e running towards us must be a smuggler.'

'She has just now made all sail, sir.'

'Yes, there's no doubt of it. I will go down to his lords.h.i.+p, keep her as she goes.'

Mr. Stewart then went down to inform Lord B. of the circ.u.mstance. Not only Lord B. but most of the gentlemen came on deck; as did soon afterwards the ladies, who had received the intelligence from Lord B., who spoke to them through the door of the cabin.

But the smuggler had more wind than the revenue cutter, and increased her distance.

'If we were to wear round, my lord,' observed Mr. Stewart, 'she is just abreast of us and insh.o.r.e, we could prevent her escape.'

'Round with her, Mr. Stewart,' said Lord B.; 'we must do our duty and protect the laws.'

'That will not be fair, papa,' said Cecilia Ossulton; 'we have no quarrel with the smugglers: I'm sure the ladies have not, for they bring us beautiful things.'

'Miss Ossulton,' observed her aunt, 'it is not proper for you to offer an opinion.'

The yacht wore round, and, sailing so fast, the smuggler had little chance of escaping her; but to chase is one thing--to capture another.

'Let us give her a gun,' said Lord B., 'that will frighten her; and he dare not cross our hawse.'

The gun was loaded, and not being more than a mile from the smuggler, actually threw the ball almost a quarter of the way.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _The gun was loaded, and not being more than a mile from the smuggler, actually threw the ball almost a quarter of the way._]

The gentlemen, as well as Lord B., were equally excited by the ardour of pursuit; but the wind died away, and at last it was nearly calm. The revenue cutter's boats were out, and coming up fast.

'Let us get our boat out, Stewart,' said his lords.h.i.+p, 'and help them; it is quite calm now.'

The boat was soon out: it was a very large one, usually stowed on, and occupied a large portion of, the deck. It pulled six oars; and when it was manned, Mr. Stewart jumped in, and Lord B. followed him.

'But you have no arms,' said Mr. Hautaine.

'The smugglers never resist now,' observed Stewart.

'Then you are going on a very gallant expedition indeed,' observed Cecilia Ossulton; 'I wish you joy.'