ï~~


ï~~


ï~~K'IrLlUUAiI

The Pilot:
A
TALE OF THE SEA.

BY

JAMES FENIMORE COOPER.




ï~~


ï~~THE PILOT:
if(RaL  ftw    ru
'%.B Y   - F E N IM O R E  C O O P E R.
"Llat: ye Landsmen, all to me."~
(JO AfPLETE IN ONE VOL lIME.
NEW YORK:
JAME10S 0--. 0-RE G ORY,
{SUCCESSOR TO W. A. TOWNSEND & Co.,)
46 WALKER.STREET.
1862.




ï~~THE PILOT.
Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by
STRINGER & TOWNSEND,
In the Clerk's office of the District Court for the southern district of New York




ï~~TO

WILLIAM BRANFORD 8HUIBRICK, ESQUIRE,
MASTER COM. U. S. NAVY.
MY DEAR SHUBRICK,
Each year causes some new and melancholy chasm in what is now the brief'list of
my naval friends and former associates.War, disease, and the casualties of a hazardous profession, have made fearful inroads in the limited number; while the
places of the dead are supplied by names
that to me are strangers. With the consequences of these sad changes before me, 1
cherish the recollection of those with whom




ï~~4             DEDICATION.
I once hlived min close familiarity with peculiar interest, and feel a triumph in their
growing reputations, that is but little short
of their own honest pride.
But neither time nor separation have
shaken our intimacy: and I know that in
dedicating to you these volumes, I tell you
nothing new, when I add, that it is a tribute
paid to an enduring friendship, by
Your old messmate,
THE AUTHOR.




ï~~PREFACE.
The privileges of the Historian and of the wri.
ter of Romances are very different, and it behooves them equally to respect each other's rights.
The latter is permitted to garnish a probable fiction, while he is sternly prohibited from dwelling
on improbable truths; but it is the duty of the former to record facts as they have occurred, with
out a reference to consequences, resting his reputation on a firm foundation of realities, and vindicating his integrity by his authorities. How far
and how well the Author has adhered to this dis.
tinction between the prerogatives of truth and fic
tion, his readers must decide; but he cannot forbear desiring the curious inquirers into our annals
to persevere, until they shall find good poetical
authority for every material incident in this veritable legend.
As to the Critics, he has the advantage of in
eluding them all in that extensive class, which is
known by the sweeping appellation of" Lubbers."
If they have common discretion, they will beware
of exposing their ignorance.




ï~~PREFACE.

If, however, some old seaman should happen to
detect any trifling anachronisms in marine usages,
or mechanical improvements, the Author begs
leave to say to him, with a proper deference for
his experience, that it was not so much his intention to describe the customs of a particular age, as
to paint those scenes which belong only to the
ocean, and to exhibit, in his imperfect manner, a
few traits of a people, who, from the nature of
things, can,never be much known.
IHe will probably be told, that Smollet has
done all this before him, and in a much better manner. It will be seen, however, that, though he
has navigated the same sea as Smollet, he has
steered a different course; er, in other words,
that he has considered what Smollet has painted as a picture which is finished, and which is
not to be daubed over by every one who may
choose to handle a pencil on marine subjects.
The Author wishes to express his regret, that
the daring and useful services of a great portion
of our marine in the old war should be suffered to
remain in the obscurity under which it is now buried. Every one has heard of the victory of the
Bon-Homme Richard, but how little is known of
the rest of the life, and of the important services
of the remarkable man who commanded in our
behalf, in that memorable combat. How little is
known of his actions with the Milford and the
Solebay; of his captures of the Drake and Tri



ï~~PREFACE.

umph; and of his repeated and desperate projects
to carry the war into the ' island home' of our
powerful enemy. Very many of the officers who
served in that contest were to be found, afterwards, in the navy of the confederation; and it is
fair to presume that it owes no small part of its
present character to the spirit that descended fiom
the heroes of the revolution.
One of the last officers reared in that school
died, not long since, at the head of his profession;
and now, that nothing but the recollection of their
deeds remains, we should become more tenacious
of their glory.
If his book has the least tendency to excite
some attention to this interesting portion of our
history, one of the objects of the writer will be
accomplished.
The Author now takes his leave of his readers,
wishing them all happiness.




ï~~


ï~~THE PILOT.
CHAPTER I.
0 Sullen waves, incessant rolling
Rudely dash against her sides."
Song
A SINGLE glance at the map will make the reader acquainted with the position of the eastern coast
of the Island of Great f ritain, as connected with
the shores of the opposite continent. Together
they form the boundaries of the small sea that has
for ages been known to the world as the scene of
maritime exploits, and as the great avenue through
which commerce and war have conducted the
fleets of the northern nations of Europe. Over
this sea the islanders long asserted a jurisdiction,
exceeding that which reason concedes to any power on the highway of nations, and which frequent
ly led to conflicts that caused an expenditure of
blood and treasure, utterly disproportioned to the
advantages that can ever arise from the maintenance of a useless and abstract right. It is across
the waters of this disputed ocean that we shall attempt to conduct our readers, selecting a period
for our incidents that has peculiar interests for
every American, not only because it was the birth



ï~~10

THE PILOT.

day of his nation, but because it was also the era
when reason and common sense began to take
place of custom and feudal practices in the management of the affairs of nations.
Soon after the events of the revolution had in.
volved the kingdoms of France and Spain, and the
republics of Holland, in our quarrel, a group of labourers was collected in a field that lay exposed
to the winds of the ocean, on the north-eastern
coast of England. These men were lightening
their toil, and cheering the gloom of a day in December, by uttering their crude opinions on the
political aspects of the times. The fact that England was engaged in a war with some of her dependencies on the other side of the Atlantic, had
long been known to them, after the manner that
faint rumours of distant and uninteresting events
gain on the ear; but now that nations, with whom
she had been used to battle, were armed against
her in the quarrel, the din of war had disturbed
the quiet even of these secluded and illiterate rustics.  The principal speakers, on the occasion,
were a Scotch drover, who was waiting the leisure of the occupant of the fields, and an Irish labourer, who had found his way across the channel,
and thus far over the island, in quest of employment.
"The Nagurs would'nt have been a job at all
for ould England, letting alone Ireland," said the
latter, "if these French and Spanishers hadn't
been troubling themselves in the matter.  I'm
sure it's but little reason I have for thanking them,
if a man is to kape as sober as a praist at mass, for
fear he should find himself a souldier, and he knowing nothming about the same."
"Hoot! mon! ye ken but little of raising an
airmy in Ireland, if ye mak' a drum o' a whiskey




ï~~THE PILOT.

11

keg," said the drover, winking to the listeners.
" Noo, in the north, they ca' a gathering of the
folk, and follow the pipes as graciously as ye wad
journey kirkward o' a Sabbath morn.  I've seen
a' the names o' a Heeland raj'ment on a sma' bit
paper, that ye might cover wi' a leddy's hand.
They war' a' Camerons and M'Donalds, though
they paraded sax hundred men! But what ha' ye
gotten here! That chield has an ow'r liking to the
land for a seafaring body; an' if the bottom o' the
sea be ony thing like the top o't, he's in gr'at danger o' a shipwrack!"
This unexpected change in the discourse drew
all eyes on the object towards which the staff of
the observant drover was pointed. To the utter
amazement of every individual present, a small
vessel was seen moving slowly round a point of
land that formed one of the sides of the little bay,
to which the field the labourers were in composed
the other. There was something very peculiar in
the externals of this unusual visiter, which added
in no small degree to the surprise created by her
appearance in that retired place. None but the
smallest vessels, and those rarely, or, at long intervals, a desperate smuggler, were ever known to
venture so close to the land, amid the sand-bars
and sunken rocks with which that immediate coast
abounded. The adventurous mariners who now
attempted this dangerous navigation in so wanton,
and, apparently, so heedless a manner, were in a
low, black schooner, whose hull seemed utterly
disproportioned to the raking masts it upheld,
which, in their turn, supported a lighter set of
spars, that tapered away until their upper extremities appeared no larger than the lazy pennant, that
in vain endeavoured to display its length in the
light breeze.




ï~~12

THE PILOTr.

The short day of that high northern latitude
was already drawing to a close, and the sun was
throwing his parting rays obliquely across the
waters, touching the gloomy waves here and there
with streaks of pale light. The stormy winds of
the German ocean were apparently lulled to rest;
and, though the incessant rolling of the surge on
the shore, heightened the gloomy character of the
hour and the view, the light ripple that ruffled the
sleeping billows was produced by a gentle air, that
blew directly from the land.  Notwithstanding
this favourable circumstance, there was something
threatening in the aspect of the ocean, which was
speaking in hollow, but deep murmurs, like a volcano on the eve of an eruption, that greatly heightened the feelings of amazement and dread with
which the peasants beheld this extraordinary interruption to the quiet of their little bay. With
no other sails spread to the action of the air, than
her heavy mainsail, and one of those light jibs that
projected far beyond her bows, the vessel glided
over the water with a grace and facility that seemed magical to the beholders, who turned their
wondering looks from the schooner to each other,
in silent amazement. At length the drover spoke
in a low, solemn voice" He's a bold chield that steers her! and if
that bit craft has wood in her bottom, like the brigantines that ply between Lon'on and the Frith
at Leith, he's in muir danger than a prudent mon
could wish. Ay! he's by the big rock that shows
his head when the tide runs low, but it's no mortal man who can steer long in the road he's journeying, and not speedily find land wi' water a top
o't.''
The little schooner, however, still held her way
among the rocks and sand-pits, making such slight




ï~~THE PILOT.

13

deviations in her course, as proved her to be under the direction of one who knew his danger,
until she had entered as far into the bay as prudence could at all justify, when her canvass was
gathered into folds, seemingly without the agency
of hands, and the vessel, after rolling for a few
minutes on the long billows that hove in from the
ocean, swung round in the currents of the tide,
and was held by her anchor.
The peasants now began to make their conjectures more freely concerning the character and
object of their visiter; some intimating that she
was engaged in contraband trade, and others that
her views were hostile, and her business war. A
few dark hints were hazarded on the materiality
of her construction, for nothing of artificial formation, it was urged, would be ventured by men in
such a dangerous place, at a time when even the
most inexperienced landsman was enabled to foretell the certain gale. The Scotchman, who, to all
the sagacity of his countrymen, added no small portion of their superstition, leaned greatly to the latter conclusion, and had begun to express this sentiment warily and with reverence, when the child
of Erin, who appeared not to possess any very
definite ideas on the subject, interrupted him, by
exclaiming" Faith! there's two of them! a big and a little! sure the bogles of the saa likes good company
the same as any other Christians!'
" Twa!" echoed the drover; " twa! ill luck
bides o' some o' ye. Twa craft a saili.ng without
hand to guide them, in sic a place as this, whar'
eyesight is na guid enough to show the dangers,
bodes evil to a' that luik thereon. Hoot! she's
na yearling the tither! Luik, mon! luik! she's
a gallant boat, and a gr'at:" he paused, raised his
2




ï~~14

THE PI,OT.

pack from the ground, and first giving one searching look at the objects of his suspicions, he nodded with great sagacity to the listeners; and continued, as he moved slowly towards the interior of
the country, " I should na wonder if bhe carried
King George's commission aboot her; "weel, 'weel,
I wull journey upward to the town, and ha' a crack
wi' the good mon, for they craft have a suspeecious
aspect, and the sma' bit thing wu'ld nab a mon
quite easy, and the big ane wu'ld hold us a' and
no feel we war' in her."
This sagacious warning caused a general movement in the party, for the intelligence of a hot
press was among the rumours of the times. The
husbandmen collected their implements of labour,
and retired homewards; and though many a curious eye was bent on the movements 6f the vessels from the distant hills, but very few of those
not immediately interested in the mysterious visiters ventured to approach the little rocky cliffs
that lined the bay.
The vessel that occasioned these cautious movements was a gallant ship, whose huge hull, lofty
masts, and square yards, loomed in the evening's
haze, above the sea, like a distant mountain rising
from the deep. She carried but little sail, and
though she warily avoided the near approach to
the land that the schooner had attempted, the similarity of their movements was sufficiently apparent to warrant the conjecture that they were employed on the same duty. The frigate, for the
ship belonged to this class of vessels, floated across
the entrance of the little bay, majestically in the
tide, with barely enough motion through the water
to govern her movements, until she arrived oppo
site to the place where her consort lay, when she
hove up heavily into the wind, squared the enor



ï~~THE PILOT.

15

mous yards on her mainmast, and attempted, in
counteracting the power of her sails by each other,
to remain stationary; but the light air that had at
no time swelled her heavy canvass to the utmost,
began to fail, and the long waves that rolled in
from the ocean, ceased to be ruffled with the breeze
from the land.  The currents and the billows
were fast sweeping the frigate towards one of the
pomints of the estuary, where the black heads of the
rocks could be seen running far into the sea, and,
in their turn, the mariners of the ship dropped an
anchor to the bottom, and drew her sails in festoons to the yards. As the vessel swung round to
the tide, a heavy ensign was raised to her peak,
and a current of air opening, for a moment, its
folds, the white field and red cross, that distinguish
the flag of England, were displayed to view. So
much, even the wary drover had loitered at a distance to behold; but when a boat was launched
from either vessel, he quickened his steps, observing to his wondering and amused companions, that
" they craft were a' thegither mair bonny to luik
on than to abide wi'."
A numerous crew manned the barge that was
lowered from the frigate, which, after receiving an
officer, with an attendant youth, left the ship, and
moved with a measured stroke of its oars, directly
towards the head of the bay. As it passed at a
short distance from the schooner, a light whale
boat, pulled by four athletic men, shot from her
side, and rather dancing over than cutting through
the waves, crossed her course with a wonderful
velocity. As the boats approached each other,
the men, in obediei ce to signals from their officers,
suspended their efforts, and for a few minutes they
floated at rest, during which time there was the
following dialogue




ï~~16

THE PILOT.

" Is the old man mad!" exclaimed the young
officer in the whale-boat, when his men had ceased
rowing; " does he think that the bottom of the
Ariel is made of iron, and that a rock can't knock
a hole in it! or does he think she is manned with
alligators, who can't be drowned!"
A languid smile played for a moment round the
handsome features of the young man, who was rather reclining than sitting in the stern-sheets of
the barge, as he replied,
" He knows your prudence too well, Captain
Barnstable, tofear either the wreck of your vessel, or the drowning of her crew. How near the
bottom does your keel lie?"
"I am afraid to sound," returned Barnstable.
" I have never the heart to touch a lead-line when
I see the rocks coming up to breathe like so many
porpoises."
" You are afloat!" exclaimed the other, with a
vehemence that denoted an abundance of latent
fire.
" Afloat!" echoed his friend; " ay! the little
Ariel would float in air!" As he spoke, he rose
in the boat, and lifting his leathern sea-cap from
his head, stroked back the thick clusters of black
locks which shadowed his sun-burnt countenance,
while he viewed his little vessel with the complacency of a seaman who was proud of her qualities
"But it's close work, Mr. Griffith, when a man
rides to a single anchor in a place like this, and at
such a nightfall. What are the orders?"
" I shall pull into the surf and let go a grap
nel; you will take Mr. Merry into your whaleboat, and try to drive her through the breakers on
the beach."
" Beach!" retorted Barnstable; "do you call




ï~~THE PILOT.

17

a perpendicular rock of a hundred feet in height
a beach!"
" We shall not dispute about terms," said Griffith, smiling; "but you must manage to get on the
shore; we have seen the signal from the land, and
know that the pilot, whom we have so long expected, is ready to come off."
Barnstable shook his head with a grave air,
as he muttered to himself, " this is droll navigation; first we run into an unfrequented bay that
is full of rocks, and sand-pits, and shoals, and
then we get off our pilot. But how am I to know
him?"
" Merry will give you the pass-word, and tell
you where to look for him. I would land myself,
but my orders forbid it. If you meet with difficulties, show three oar-blades in a row, and I will
pull in to your assistance. Three oars on end, and
a pistol, will bring the fire of my muskets, and the
signal repeated from the barge will draw a shot
from the ship."
" I thank you, I thank you," said Barnstable,
carelessly; " I believe I can fight my own battles
against all the enemies we are likely to fall in with
on this coast. But the old man is surely mad. I
would     "
" You would obey his orders if he were here,
and you will now please to obey mine," said Griffith, in a tone that the friendly expression of his
eye contradicted. " Pull in, and keep a look out
for a small man in a drab pee-jacket; Merry will
give you the word; if he answer it, bring him off
to the barge."
The young men now     nodded familiarly and
kindly to each other, and the boy, who was called
Mr. Merry, having changed his place from the
barge to the whale-boat, Barnstable threw himself
2         2*




ï~~18

THJE PILOT.

into his seat, and making a signal with his hand,
his men again bent to their oars. The light vessel shot away from her companion, and dashed in
boldly towards the rocks; after skirting the shore
for some distance in quest of a favourable place,
she was suddenly turned, and, dashing over the
broken waves, was run upon a spot where a landing could be effected in safety.
In the mean time the barge followed these
movements, at some distance, with a more measured progress, and when the whale-boat was observed to be drawn up along side of a rock, the
promised grapnel was cast into the water, and her
crew deliberately proceeded to get their firearms
in a state for immniediate service. Every thing appeared to be done in obedience to strict orders
that must have been previously communicated;
for the young man, who has been introduced to
the reader by the name of Griffith, seldom spoke,
and then only in the pithy expressions that are
apt to fall from those who are sure of obedience.
When the boat had brought up to her grapnel, he
sunk back at his length on the cushioned seats of
the barge, and drawing his hat over his eyes in a
listless manner, he continued for many minutes apparently absorbed in thoughts altogether foreign
to his present situation. Occasionally he rose, and
would first bend his looks in quest of his companions on the shore, and then, turning his expressive eyes towards the ocean, the abstracted and
vacant air that so often usurped the place of animation and intelligence in his countenance, would
give place to the anxious and intelligent look of
a seaman gifted with an experience beyond his
years. His weather-beaten and hardy crew, having made their dispositions for offence, sat in profound silence, with their hands thrust into the bo



ï~~THE PILOT.               J9
soms of their jackets, but with their eyes earnestly
regarding every cloud that was gathering in the
threatening atmosphere, and exchanging looks of
deep care, whenever the boat rose higher than
usual on one of those long, heavy ground-swells,
that were heaving in from the ocean with increasing rapidity and magnitude.




ï~~CHAPTER 11.

-   " A horseman's coat shall hide
Thy taper shape and comeliness of side;
And with a bolder stride and looser air,
Mingled with men, a man thou must appear."
Prior
WHEN the whale-boat obtained the position we
have described, the young lieutenant, who, in
consequence of commanding a schooner, was
usually addressed by the title of captain, stepped
on the rocks, followed by the youthful midshipman, who had quitted the barge, to aid in the hazardous duty of their expedition.
" This is, at best, but a Jacob's ladder we have
to climb," said Barnstable, casting his eyes upwards at the difficult ascent, "and it's by no means
certain that we shall be well received, when we
get up, though we should even reach the top."
" We are under the guns of the frigate," returned the boy; "and you remember, sir, three
oar blades and a pistol, repeated from the barge,
will draw her fire."
" Yes, on our own heads.   Boy, never be so
foolish as to trust a long shot. It makes a great
smoke and some noise, but it's a terrible uncertain
manner of throwing old iron about. In such a business as this, I would sooner trust Tom Coffin
and his harpoon to back me, than the best broad



ï~~THE PILOT.

21

side that ever rattled out of the three decks of a
ninety gun ship. Come, gather your limbs together, and try if you can walk on terra firma,
Master Coffin."
The seaman who was addressed by this dire
appellation, arose slowly from the place where he
was stationed as cockswain of the boat, and seemed to ascend high in air by the gradual evolution
of numberless folds in his body. When erect, he
stood nearly six feet and as many inches in his
shoes, though, when elevated in his most perpendicular attitude, there was a forward inclination
about his head and shoulders, that appeared to be
the consequence of habitual confinement in limited
lodgings. His whole frame was destitute of the
rounded outlines of a well-formed man, though his
enormous hands furnished a display of bones and
sinews which gave indications of gigantic strength.
On his head he wore a little, low, brown hat of
wool, with an arched top, that threw an expression of peculiar solemnity and hardness over his
harsh visage, the sharp prominent features of which
were completely encircled by a set of black whiskers, that began to be grizzled a little with age.
One of his hands grasped, with a sort of instinct,
the staff of a bright harpoon, the lower end of
which he placed firmly on the rock, as, in obe
dience to the order of his commander, he left the
place, where, considering his vast dimensions, he
had been established in an incredibly small space.
As soon as Captain Barnstable received this
addition to his strength, he gave a few precautionary orders to the men in the boat, and
proceeded to the difficult task of ascending the
rocks.  Notwithstanding the great daring and
personal agility of Barnstable, he would have
been completely baffled in this attempt, but for the




ï~~22

THE PILO'T

assistance he occasionally received from his cock.
swain, whose prodigious strength, and great length
of limbs, enabled him to make exertions which it
would have been useless for most men to attempt.
When within a few feet of the summit, they availed
themselves of a projecting rock, to pause for consultation and breath; both of which seemed ne.ecessary for their further movements.
" This will be but a bad place for a retreat, if
we should happen to fall in with enemies," said
Barnstable. " Where are we to look for this pilot, Mr. Merry, or how are we to know him; and
what certainty have you that he will not betray
us?"
" The question you are to put to him is written
on this bit of paper," returned the boy, as he
handed the other the word of recognition; " we
made the signal on the point of the rock at yon
headland, but as he must have seen our boat, he
will follow us to this place. As to his betraying
us, he seems to have the confidence of Captain
Munson, who has kept a bright look-out for him
ever since we made the land."
" Ay," muttered the lieutenant, " and I shall
have a bright look-out kept on him, now we are
on the land. I like not this business of hugging
the shore so closely, nor have I much faith in any
traitor. What think you of it, Master Coffin?"
The hardy old seaman, thus addressed, turned
his grave visage on his commander, and replied
with a becoming gravity" Give me a plenty of sea-room, and good canvass, where there is no occasion for pilots at all,
sir. For my part, I was born on board a chebacco-man, and never could see the use of more land
than now and then a small island, to raise a few
vegetables, and to dry your fish-I'm sure the




ï~~THE PILOT

23

sight of it always makes me feel uncomfortable,
unless we have the wmind dead off shore."
" Ah! Tom, you are a sensible fellow," said
Barnstable, with an air half comic, half serious.
" But we must be moving; the sun is just touching those clouds to sea-ward, and God keep us
from riding out this night at anchor in such a place
as this,"
Laying his hand on a projection of the rock
above him, Barnstable swung himself forward, and
following this movement with a desperate leap or
two, he stood at once on the brow of the cliff. His
cockswain very deliberately raised the midshipman after his officer, and proceeding with more
caution, but less exertion, he soon placed himself
by his side.
When they reached the level land, that lay
above the cliffs, and began to inquire, with curious
and wary eyes, into the surrounding scenery, the
adventurers discovered a cultivated country, divided, in the usual manner, by hedges and walls.
Only one habitation for man, however, and that
a small dilapidated cottage, stood within a mile of
them, most of the dwellings being placed as far as
convenience would permit, from the fogs and damps
of the ocean.
"Here seems to be neither any thing to apprehend, nor the object of our search," said Barnstable, when he had taken the whole view in his survey; " I fear we have landed to no purpose, Mr.
Merry. What say you, long Tom; see you what
we want?"
" I see no pilot, sir," returned the cockswain;
"but it's an ill wind that blows luck to nobody;
there is a mouthful of fresh meat stowed away
under that row of bushes, that would make a
double ration to all hands in the Ariel."




ï~~24

THE PILOT.

The midshipman laughed, as he pointed out to
Barnstable the object of the cockswain's solicitude.
which proved to be a fat ox, quietly ruminating
under a hedge near them.
" There's many a hungry fellow aboard of us,"
said the boy merrily, " who would be glad to second long Tom's motion, if the time and business
would permit us to slay the animal."
" It is but a lubber's blow, Mr. Merry," returned the cockswain, without a muscle of his hard
face yielding, as he struck the end of his harpoon
violently against the earth, and then made a motion towards poising the weapon; " let Captain
Barnstable but say the word, and I'll drive the iron
through him to the quick; I've sent it to the
seizing in many a whale, that hadn't a jacket of
such blubber as that fellow wears."
" Pshaw! you are not on a whaling voyage,
where every thing that offers is game," said Barnstable, turning himself pettishly away from the
beast, as if he distrusted his own forbearance;
"but stand fast! I see some one approaching behind the hedge. Look to your arms, Mr. Merry
-the first thing we hear may be a shot."
" Not from that cruiser," cried the thoughtless
lad; "he is a younker, like myself, and would
hardly dare run down upon such a formidable force
as we muster."
" You say true, boy," returned Barnstable, relinquishing the grasp he held on his pistol. " ie
comes on with caution, as if afraid. He is small,
and is in drab, though I should hardly call it a peejacket-and yet he may be our man. Stand you
both here, while I go and hail him."
As Barnstable walked rapidly towards the hedge,
that in part concealed the stranger, the latter
stopped suddenly, and seemed to be in doubt




ï~~THE PI LOT.

whether to advance or to retreat. Before he had
decided on either, the active sailor was within a
few feet of him.
' Pray, sir," said Barnstable, "what water
have we in this bay?"
The slight form of the stranger started, with
an extraordinary emotion, at this question, and h
shrunk aside involuntarily, as if to conceal his features, before he answered, in a voice that was
barely audible" I should think it would be the water of the
German ocean."
" Indeed! you must have passed no small part
of your short life in the study of geography, to be:o well informed," returned the lieutenant; " perhaps, sir, your cunning is also equal to telling me
how long we shall sojourn together, if I make you
a prisoner, in order to enjoy the benefit of your
wit?"
To this alarming intimation, the youth who was
addressed made no reply; but, as he averted his
face, and concealed it with both his hands, the offended seaman, believing that a salutary impression had been made upon the fears of his auditor,
was about to proceed with his interrogatories
The singular agitation of the stranger's frame
however, caused the lieutenant to continue silent
a few moments longer, when, to his utter amazement, he discovered that what he had mistaken
for alarm, was produced by an endeavour, on the
part of the youth, to suppress a violent fit of laughter.
"Now, by all the whales in the sea," cried Barnstable, " but you are merry out of season, young
gentlemen. It's quite bad enough to be ordered
to anchor in such a bay as this with a storm brew



ï~~26

THE PILOT.

ing before my eyes, without landing to be laughed
at, by a stripling who has not strength to carry a
beard if he had one, when I ought to be getting
an offing for the safety of both body and soul. But
I'll know more of you and your jokes, if I take
you into my own mess, and am giggled out of my
sleep for the rest of the cruise."
As the commander of the schooner concluded,
he approached the stranger, with an air of offering
some violence, but the other shrunk back from his
extended arm, and exclaimed, with a voice in
which real terror had gotten the better of mirth" Barnstable! dear Barnstable! would you
harm me!"
The sailor recoiled several feet, at this unexpected appeal, and rubbing his eyes, he threw the
cap from his head, before he cried" What do I hear! and what do I see! There
lies the Ariel- and yonder is the frigate. Can
this be Katherine Plowden!"
His doubts, if any doubts remained, were soon
removed, for the stranger sunk on the bank at her
side, in an attitude in which female bashfulness
was beautifully contrasted to her attire, and gave
vent to her mirth in an uncontrollable burst of merriment.
From that moment, all thoughts of his duty, and
the pilot, or even of the Ariel, appeared to be banished from the mind of the seaman, who sprang to
her side, and joined in her mirth, though he hard
ly knew why or wherefore.
When the diverted girl had in some degree recovered her composure, she turned to her companion, who had sat good-naturedly by her side, conent to be laughed at, and said"' But this is not only silly, but cruel to others.




ï~~THE PILOT.

27

I owe you an explanation of my unexpected appearance, and perhaps, also, of my extraordinary
attire."
" I can anticipate every thing," cried Barnstable; " you heard that we were on the coast, and
have flown to redeem the promises you made me
m America. But I ask no more; the chaplain of
te frigate-"
" May preach as usual, and to as little purpose,"
interrupted the disguised female; " but no nuptial
benediction shall be pronounced over me, until I
have effected the object of this hazardous experiment. You are not usually selfish, Barnstable;
would you have me forgetful of the happiness of
others?"
"Of whom do you speak?"
"My poor, my devoted cousin. I heard that
two vessels answering the description of the frigate nd the Ariel, were seen hovering on the
coast, and I determined at once to have a communication with you. I have followed your movements for a week, in this dress, but have been unsuccessful till now. To-day I observed you to
approach nearer to the shore than usual, and happily, by being adventurous, I have been successful."
" Ay, God knows we are near enough to the
land! But does Captain Munson know of your
wish to get on board his ship?"
" Certainly not-none know of it but yourself
I thought that if Griffith and you could learn our
situation, you might be tempted to hazard a little
to redeem us from our thraldom. In this paper I
have prepared such an account as will, I trust, ex^ite all your chivalry, and by which you may govern your movements."




ï~~THE PILOT

" Our movements!" interrupted Barnstable,
Syou will pilot us in person."
" Then there's two of them!" said a hoarse
voice near them.
The alarmed female shrieked as she recovered
her feet, but she still adhered, with instinctive dependence, to the side of her lover. Barnstable,
who recognised the tones of his cockswain, bent an
angry brow on the sober visage that was peering
at them above the hedge, and demanded the meaning of the interruption.
1 Seeing you were hull-down, sir, and not
knowing but the chase might lead you ashore, Mr.
Merry thought it best to have a look-out kept. I
told him that you were overhauling the mail bags
of the messenger for the news, but as he was an
officer, sir, and I nothing but a common hand, I
did as he ordered."
1 Return, sir, where I commanded you to remain," said Barnstable,' " and desire Mr. Merry to
wait my pleasure."
The cockswain gave the usual reply of an obedient seaman, but before he left the hedge, he
stretched out one of his brawny arms towards the
ocean, and said, in tones of solemnity suited to his
apprehensions and character" I showed you how to knot a reef-point, and
pass a gasket, Captain Barnstable, nor do I believe
you could even take two half-hitches when you
first came aboard of the Spalmacitty. These be
things that a man is soon expart in, but it takes the
time of his nat'ral life to larn to know the weather.
There be streaked wind-galls in the offing, that
speak as plainly, to all that see them, and know
God's language in the clouds, as ever you spoke
through a trumpet, to shorten sail; besides, sir,




ï~~THE PILOT.

29

don't you hear the sea moaning, as if it knew the
hour was at hand when it was to wake up from its
sleep!"
" Ay, Tom,"  returned his officer, walking to
the edge of the cliffs, and throwing a seaman's
glance at the gloomy ocean, " 'tis a threatening
night indeed; but this pilot must be had-and-"
" Is that the man?" interrupted the cockswain,
pointing towards a man who was standing not far
from them, an attentive observer of their proceedings, at the same time that he was narrowly watched himself by the young midshipman. " God send
that he knows his trade well, for the bottom of a
ship will need eyes to find its road out of this wild
anchorage."
" That must indeed be the man!" exclaimed
Barnstable, at once recalled to his duty. He then
held a short dialogue with his female companion,
whom he left concealed by the hedge, and proceeded to address the stranger. When near enough
to be heard, the commander of the schooner demanded" What water have you in this bay?"
The stranger, who seemed to expect this question, answered without the least hesitation" Enough to take all out in safety, who have
entered with confidence."
" You are the man I seek," cried Barnstable;
" are you ready to go off?"
" Both ready and willing," returned the pilot,
" and there is need of haste. I would give the
best hundred guineas, that ever were coined, for
two hours more use of that sun which has left us,
or for even half the time of this fading twilight"
" Think you our situation so bad!" said the
lieutenant. " Follow this gentleman to the boat
then; I will join you by the time you can descend
3:*




ï~~30

THE PILOT

the cliffs. I believe I can prevail on another hand
to go off with us."
" Time is more precious now than any number
of hands," said the pilot, throwing a glance of impatience from under his lowering brows. " and the
consequences of delay must be visited on those
who occasion it."
" And, sir, I will meet the consequences with
those who have a right to inquire into my conduct,"
said Barnstable, haughtily.
With this warning and retort, they separated;
the young officer retracing his steps impatiently
towards his mistress, muttering his indignation in
suppressed execrations, and the pilot, drawing the
leathern belt of his pee-jacket mechanically around
his body, as he followed the midshipman and cockswain to their boat, in moody silence.
Barnstable found the disguised female who had
announced herself as Katherine Plowden, awaiting
his return, with intense anxiety depicted on every
feature of her intelligent countenance. As he felt
all the responsibility of his situation, notwithstanding his cool reply to the pilot, the young man hastily drew an arm of the apparent boy, forgetful of
her disguise, through his own, and led her for.
ward.
" Come, Katherine," he said, "the time urges
to beprompt."
" What pressing necessity is there for immediate departure?" she inquired, checking his movements by withdrawing herself from his side.
" You heard the ominous prognostic of my
cockswain on the weather, and I am forced to add
my own testimony to his opinion. 'Tis a crazy
night that threatens us, though I cannot repent of
coming into the bay, since it has led to this interview."




ï~~THE P LOT.

31

" God forbid that we should either of us have
cause to repent of it," said Katherine, the paleness
of anxiety chasing away the rich bloom that had
mantled the animated face of the brunette. " But
you have the paper-follow its directions, and
come to our rescue; you will find us willing captives, if Griffith and yourself are our conquerors."
" What mean you, Katherine!". exclaimed he!
lover; "you at least are now in safety-'twould
be madness to tempt your fate again. My vessel
can and shall protect you, until your cousin is redeemed   and then,'"remember, I have a claim on
you for life.", And how would you dispose of me in the interval," said the young maiden, retreating slowly
from his advances.
1 In the Ariel-by heaven, you shall be her
commander; I will bear that rank only in name."
" I thank you, thank you, Barnstable, but distrust my abilities to fill such a station," she said,
laughing, though the colour that again crossed
her youthful features was like the glow of a summer's sunset, and even her mirthful eyes seemed
to reflect their tints. " Do not mistake me, saucy
one. If I have done more than my sex will warrant, remember it was through a holy motive, and
if I have more than a woman's enterprise, it must
be-"
" To lift you above the weakness of your sex,"
he cried, " and to enable you to show your noble
confidence in me."
" To fit me for, and to keep me worthy of being one day your wife."  As she uttered these
words, she turned, and disappeared, with a rapidity that eluded his attempt to detain her, behind
an angle of the hedge, that was near them. For
a moment, Barnstable remained motionless through




ï~~32               THE PILOT.
surprise, and when he sprang forward in pursuit,
he was able only to catch a glimspe of her light
form, in the gloom of the evening, as she again
vanished in a little thicket at some distance.
Barnstable was about to pursue, when the air
lighted with a sudden flash, and the bellowing report of a cannon rolled along the cliffs, and was
echoed among the hills far inland.
" Ay, grumble away, old dotard!" the disappointed young sailor muttered to himself, while
he reluctantly obeyed the signal; "you are in as
great a hurry to get out of your danger as you were
to run into it."
The quick reports of three muskets from the
barge beneath where he stood, urged him to quicken his pace, and as he threw himself carelessly
down the rugged and dangerous passes of the cliffs,
nis experienced eye beheld the well known lights
displayed from the frigate, which commanded" the
ecall of all her boats."




ï~~CHAPTER II.

In such a time as this it is not meet,
That every nice offence should bear its comment.
Shakspearc.
THE cliffs threw their dark shadows wide on the
waters, and the gloom of the evening had so fai
advanced, as to conceal the discontent that brooded over the ordinarily open brow of Barnstable, as
he sprang from the rocks into the boat, and took
his seat by the side of the silent pilot.
" Shove off," cried the lieutenant, in tones that
his men knew must be obeyed. " A seaman's
curse light on the folly that exposes planks and
lives to such navigation; and all to burn some old
timber-man, or catch a Norway trader asleep! give
way, men, give way."
Notwithstanding the heavy and dangerous surf
that was beginning to tumble in upon the rocks, in
an alarming manner, the startled seamen succeeded in urging their light boat over the waves, and
in a few seconds were without the point where
danger was most to be apprehended. Barnstable
had seemingly disregarded the breakers as they
passed, but sat sternly eyeing the foam that rolled
by them in successive surges, until the boat rose
regular y on the long seas, when he turned his
looks around the bay in quest of the barge.




ï~~34

THE PILOT.

" Ay, Griffttith has tired of rocking in his pillowed cradle," he muttered, "and will give us a pull
to the frigate, when we ought to be getting the
schooner out of this hard-featured landscape. This
is just such a place as one of your sighing lovers
would doat on; a little land, a little water, and a
good deal of rock. Damme, long Tom, but I am
more than half of your mind; that' an island now
and then is all the terra firma that a seaman
needs."
" It's reason and philosophy, sir," returned the
sedate cockswain; " and what land there is, should
always be a soft mud, or a sandy ooze, in order
that an anchor might hold, and to make soundings
sartin. I have lost many a deep-sea, besides handleads, by the dozens, on rocky bottoms; but give
me the roadstead where a lead comes up light, and
an anchor heavy. There's a boat pulling athwart
our fore-foot, Captain Barnstable; shall I run her
aboard, or give her a birth, sir?"
" 'Tis the barge!" cried the officer; " Ned has
not deserted me after all!"
A loud hail from the approaching boat confirmed this opinion, and, in a few seconds, the barge
and whale-boat were again rolling by each other's
side. Griffith was no longer reclining on the cushions of his seats, but spoke earnestly, and with a
slight tone of reproach in his manner.
" Why have you wasted so many precious moments, when every minute threatens us with new
dangers? I was obeying the signal, but I heard
your oars, and pulled back to take out the pilot.
Have you been successful?"
" There he is; and if he finds his way out,
through the shoals, he will earn a right to his
name. This bids fair to be a night when a man
will need a spy-glass to find the moon. But when




ï~~THE PILOT.

35

you hear what I have seen on those rascally cliffs,
you will be more ready to excuse my delay, Mr.
Griffith."
" You have seen the true man, I trust, or we
incur this hazard to an evil purpose."
" Ay, I have seen him that is a true man, and
him that is not," replied Barnstable, bitterly;
"You have the boy with you, Griffith-ask him
what his young eyes have seen."
" Shall I!" cried the young midshipman, laughing; " then I have seen a little clipper, in disguise,
outsail an old man-of-w ar's-man in a hard chase,
and I have seen a straggling rover in long-togs as
much like my cousin-"
" Peace, gabbler!" exclaimed Barnstable, in a
voice of thunder; " would you detain the boats
with your silly nonsense, at a time like this?
Away into the barge, sir, and if you find him willing to hear, tell Mr. Griffith what your foolish
conjectures amount to, at your leisure."
The boy stepped lightly from the whale-boat to
the barge, whither the pilot had already preceded
him, and, as he sunk, with a mortified air, by the
side of Griffith, he said, in a low voice" And that won't be long, I know, if Mr. Griffith thinks and feels on the coast of England as he
thought and felt at home."
A silent pressure of his hand was the only reply
that the young lieutenant made, before he paid the
parting compliments to Barnstable, and directed
his men to pull for their ship.
The boats were separating, and the plash of the
oars was already heard, when the voice of the pilot was for the first time raised in earnest.
" Hold!" he cried; " hold water, I bid ye!"
The men ceased their efforts, at the command.




ï~~36

THE PILOT.

ing tones of his voice, and turning towards the
whale-boat, he continued" You will get your schooner' under-way immediately, Captain Barnstable, and sweep into the
offing, with as little delay as possible. Keep the
ship well open from the northern headland, and as
you pass us, come within hail."
' This is a clean chart and plain sailing, Mr. Pilot," returned Barnstable; "but who is to justify
my moving without orders, to Captain Munson?
I have it in black and white, to run the Ariel into this feather-bed sort of a place, and I must at least
have it by signal or word of mouth from my betters, before my cut-water curls another wave.
The road may be as hard to find going out as it was
coming in-and then I had daylight as well as your
written directions to steer by."
" Would you lie there to perish on such a night!"
said the pilot, sternly. " Two hours hence, this
heavy swell will break where your vessel now
rides so quietly."
" There we think exactly alike; but if I get
drowned now, I am drowned according to orders; whereas, if I knock a plank out of the
schooner's bottom, by following your directions.
'twill be a hole to let in mutiny, as well as sea-water. How do I know but the old man wants another pilot or two?"
" That's philosophy," muttered the cockswain
of the whale-boat, in a voice that was audible", but it's a hard strain on a man's conscience to
hold on in such an anchorage!"
" Then keep your anchor down, and follow it
to the bottom," said the pilot to himself; "it's
worse to contend with a fool than a gale of wind,
but if-"




ï~~THE PILOT.

37

" No, no, sir-no fool neither," interrupted
Griffith  " Barnstable does not deserve that epithet, though he certainly carries the point of duty
to the extreme. Heave up at once, Mr. Barnstable, and get out of this bay as fast as possible."
" Ah, you don't give the order with half the
pleasure with which I shall execute it; pull away
boys-the Ariel shall never lay her bones in such
a hard bed, if I can help it."
As the commander of the schooner uttered these
words with a cheering voice, his men spontaneously shouted, and the whale-boat darted away from
her companion, and was soon lost in the gloomy
shadows cast from the cliffs.
In the mean time, the oarsmen of the barge were
not idle, but by strenuous efforts they forced the
heavy boat rapidly through the water, and in a few
minutes she ran alongside of the frigate. During
this period the pilot, in a voice which had lost all
the startling fierceness and authority it had manifested in his short dialogue with Barnstable, requested Griffith to repeat to him, slowly, the names
of the officers that belonged to his ship. When
the young lieutenant had complied with this request, he observed to his companion" All good men and true, Mr. Pilot; and though
this business in which you are just now engaged
may be hazardous to an Englishman, there are
none with us who will betray you. We need your
services, and as we expect good faith from you, so
shall we offer it to you in exchange."
"And how know you that I need its exercise?"
asked the pilot, in a manner that denoted a cold
indifference to the subject.
" Why, though you talk pretty good English,
for a native," returned Griffith, " yet you have a
small bur-r-r in your mouth that would prick the




ï~~38

THE PILOT.

tongue of a man who was born on the other side
of the Atlantic."
" It is but of little moment where a man is born,
or how he speaks," returned the pilot, coldly, " so
that he does his duty bravely, and in good faith."
It was perhaps fortunate for the harmony of this
dialogue, that the gloom, which had now increased
to positive darkness, completely concealed the look
of scornful irony that crossed the handsome features
of the young sailor, as he replied" True, true, so that he does his duty, as you
say, in good faith. But, as Barnstable observed,
you must know your road well to travel among
these shoals on such a night as this. Know you
what water we draw?"
" 'Tis a frigate's draught, and I shall endeavour
to keep you in four fathoms; less than that would
be dangerous."
" She's a sweet boaf!" said Griffith; "and minds
her helm as a marine watches the eye of his sergeant at a drill; but you must give her room in
stays, for she fore-reaches, as if she would put out
the wind's eye."
The pilot attended, with a practised ear, to this
description of the qualities of the ship that he was
about to attempt extricating from an extremely
dangerous situation. Not a syllable was lost on
him; and when Griffith had ended, he remarked,
with the singular coldness that pervaded his manner" That is both a good and a bad quality in a narrow channel. I fear it will be the latter, to-night,
when we shall require to have the ship in leading
strings."
" I suppose we must feel our way with the
lead?" said Griffith.
"We shall need both eyes and leads," returned




ï~~THE PILOT.

39

the pilot, recurring insensibly to his soliloquizing
tone of voice. " I have been both in and out in
darker nights than this, though never with a heavier draught than a half-two."
" Then, by heaven, you are not fit to handle that
ship among these rocks and breakers!" exclaimed
Griffith; "your men of a light draught never know
their water; 'tis the deep keel only, that finds a
channel-pilot! pilot! beware how you trifle with
us ignorantly; for 'tis a dangerous experiment to
play at hazards with an enemy."
"Young man, you know not what you threaten,
nor whom," said the pilot, sternly, though his
quiet manner still remained undisturbed; "you
forget that you have a superior here, and that I
have none."
" That shall be as you discharge your duty,"
cried Griffith; " for if-"
" Peace!" interrupted the pilot, "we approach
the ship; let us enter in harmony."
He threw himself back on the cushions, when
he had said this; and Griffith, though filled with
the apprehensions of suffering, either by great ignorance, or treachery, on the part of his companion,
smothered his feelings so far as to be silent, and
they ascended the side of the vessel in apparent
cordiality.
The frigate was already riding on lengthened
seas, that rolled in from the ocean, at each successive moment, with increasing violence, though her
topsails still hung supinely from her yards; the
air, which continued to breathe, occasionally, from
the land, being unable to shake the heavy canvass
of which they were composed.
The only sounds that were audible, when Griffith and the pilot had ascended to the gangway




ï~~40

THE PILOT.

of the frigate, were produced by the sullen dashing of the sea against the massive bows of the
ship, and the shrill whistle of the boatswain's
mate, as he recalled the side-boys, who were
placed on either side, of the gangway, to do honour to the entrance of the first lieutenant and his
companion.
But though such a profound silence reigned
among the hundreds who inhabited the huge fabric, the light produced by a dozen battle lanterns,
that were arranged in different parts of the decks,
served not only to exhibit, fahi tly, the persons of
the craw, but the mingled feeling of curiosity and
care that dwelt on most of their countenances.
Large groups of men were collected in the gangways, around the mainmast, and on the booms of
the vessel, whose faces were distinctly visible,
while numerous figures, lying along the lower
yards, or bending out of the tops, might be dimly
traced in the back ground, all of whom expressed,
by their attitudes, the interest they took in the arrival of the boat.
Though such crowds were collected in other
parts of the vessel, the quarter-deck was occupied
only by the officers, who were disposed according
to their several ranks, and were equally silent and
attentive as the remainder of the crew. In front
stood a small collection of young men, who, by
their similarity of dress, were the equals and companions of Griffith, though his juniors in rank. On
the opposite side of the vessel was a larger assemblage of youths, who claimed Mr. Merry as their
fellow. Around the capstan, three or four figures
were standing, one of whom wore a coat of blue,
with the scarlet facings of a soldier, and another
the black vestments of the shin's chaplain  Be



ï~~THE PILOT.

41

bind these, and nearer the passage to the cabin,
from which he had just ascended, stood the tall,
erect form of the commander of the vessel.
After a brief salutation between Griffith and the
junior officers, the former advanced, followed slowly by the pilot, to the place where he was expected by his veteran commander. The young man removed his hat entirely, as he bowed with a little
more than his usual ceremony, and said" We have succeeded, sir, though not without
more difficulty and delay than were anticipated."
"But you have anot brought off the pilot," said
the captain, " and without him, all our risk and
trouble have been in vain."
" He is here," said Griffith, stepping aside, and
extending his arm towards the man that stood behind him, wrapped to the chin in his coarse peejacket, and his face shadowed by the falling rims
of a large hat, that had seen much and hard service.
" This!" exclaimed the captain; "then there
is a sad mistake-this is not the man I would have
seen, nor can another supply his place."
" I know not whom you expected, Captain Munson," said the stranger, in a low, quiet voice;" but'
if you have not forgotten the day when a very different flag from that emblem of tyranny that now
hangs over yon tafferel was first spread to the
wind, you may remember the hand that raised it."
"Bring here the light!" exclaimed the commander, hastily.
When the lantern was extended towards the pi.
lot, and the glare fell strong on his features, Captain Munson started, as he beheld the" calm blue
eye that met his gaze, and the composed but pallid countenance of the other. Involuntarily raising
4*




ï~~42

THE PILOT.

his hat, and baring his silver locks, the veteranm
cried" It is he! though so changed-"
" That his enemies did not know him," interrupted the pilot, quickly; then touching the other
by the arm as he led him aside, he continued, in a
lower tone, " neither must his friends, until the
proper hour shall arrive."
Griffith had fallen back, to answer the eager
questions of his messmates, and no part of this
short dialogue was overheard by the officers,
though it was soon perceived that their commander had discovered his error, and was satisfied that
the proper man had been brought on board his vessel. For many minutes the two continued to pace
a part of the quarter-deck, by themselves, engaged
in deep and earnest discourse.
As Griffith had but little to communicate, the
curiosity of his listeners was soon appeased, and
all eyes were directed towards that mysterious
guide, who was to conduct them from a situation
already surrounded by perils, which each moment
not only magnified in appearance, but increased
in reality.




ï~~CHAPTER IV.

-" Behold the threaden sails,
borrne with the invisible and creeping winds,
Draw the huge bottoms through the furrowed sea,
Breasting the lofty surge."
Shakspearc.
TT has been already explained to the reader,
that there were threatening symptoms in the apearance of the weather to create serious foreodings of evil in the breast of a seaman. When
removed from the shadows of the cliffs, the night
was not so dark but objects could be discerned at
some little distance, and in the eastern horizon
there was a streak of fearful light impending over
the gloomy waters, in which the swelling outline
formed by the rising waves was becoming each
moment more distinct, and, consequently, more
alarming. Several dark clouds overhung the vessel, whose towering masts apparently propped the
black vapour, while a few stars were seen twinkling, with a sickly flame, in the streak of clear
sky that skirted the ocean. Still, light currents
of air, occasionally, swept across the bay, bringing
with them the fresh odour from the shore, but
their flitting irregularity too surely foretold them
to be the expiring breath of the land breeze. The
roaring of the surf, as it rolled on the margin of
the bay, produced a dull, monotonous sound, that




ï~~44

THE PILOT.

was only interrupted, at times, by a hollow bellow.
ing, as a larger wave than usual broke violently
against some cavity in the rocks. Every thing, in
short, united to render the scene gloomy and portentous, without creating instant terror, for the
ship rose easily on the long billows, without even
straightcning the heavy cable that held her to her
anchor.
The higher officers were collected around the
capstan, engaged in earnest discourse about their
situation and prospects, while some of the oldest
and most favoured seamen would extend their
short walk to the hallowed precincts of the quarter-deck, to catch, with greedy ears, the opinions
that fell from their superiors. Numberless were
the uneasy glances that were thrown from both officers and men at their commander and the pilot,
who still continued their secret communion in a
distant part of the vessel. Once, an ungovernable
curiosity, or the heedlessness of his years, led one
of the youthful midshipmen near them, but a stern
rebuke from his captain sent the boy, abashed and
cowering, to hide his mortification among his fellows. This reprimand was received by the elder
officers as an intimation that the consultation which
they beheld was to be strictly inviolate; and,
though it by no means suppressed the repeated expressions of their impatience, it effectually prevented an interruption to the communications.
which all, however, thought were unreasonably
protracted for the occasion.
"This is no time to be talking over bearings
and distances," observed the officer next in rank
to Griffith; "but we should call the hands up, and
try to kedge her off while the sea will suffer a boat
to live."
" 'Twould be a tedious and bootless job to at



ï~~THE PILOT.

45

tempt warping a ship for miles against a head-beating sea," returned the first lieutenant; " but the
land-breeze yet flutters aloft, and if our light sails
w ould draw, with the aid of this ebb tide we might
be able to shove her from the shore."
" Hail the tops, Griffith," said the other, " and
ask if they feel the air above; 'twill be a hint at
least to set the old man and that lubberly pilot in
motion."
Griffith laughed, as he complied with the request, and when he received the customary reply
to his call, he demanded, in a loud voice" Which way have you the wind, aloft?"
" We feel a light cat's-paw, now and then, from
the land, sir," returned the sturdy captain of the
top; " but our topsail hangs in the clewlines, sir,
without winking."
Captain Munson and his companion suspended
their discourse, while this question and answer
were exchanged, and then resumed their dialogue
as earnestly as if it had received no interruption.
" If it did wink, the hint would be lost on our
betters," said the officer of the marines, whose ignorance of seamanship added greatly to his perception of the danger, but who, from pure idleness,
made more jokes than any other man in the ship.
" That pilot will not receive a delicate intimation
through his ears, Mr. Griffith; suppose you try
him by the nose."
"Faith, there was a flash of gunpowder between
us in the barge," returned the first lieutenant,
"and he does not seem a man to stomach such
hints as you advise. Although he looks so meek
and quiet, I doubt whether he has paid much attention to the book of Job."
" Why should he," exclaimed the chaplain,
whose apprehensions at least equalled those of the




ï~~46

THE PILOT.

marine, and with a much more disheartening effect,
"I'm sure it would have been a great waste ot
time; there are so many charts of the coast, and
books on the navigation of these seas, for him to
study, that I sincerely hope he has been much bettcr employed."
A loud laugh was created at this speech, among
the listeners, and it apparently produced the effect that was so long anxiously desired, by putting
an end to the mysterious conference between their
captain and the pilot. As the former came forward towards his expecting crew, he said, in the
composed, steady manner, that formed the principal trait in his character" Get the anchor, Mr. Griffith, and make sail on
the ship; the hour has arrived when we must be
moving."
The cheerful "ay! ay! sir!" of the young
lieutenant was hardly uttered, before the cries of
half a dozen midshipmen were heard summoning
the boatswain and his mates to their duty.
There was a general movement in the living
masses that clustered around the mainmast, on the
booms, and in the gangways, though their habits
o. discipline held the crew a moment longer in
suspense. The silence was first broken by the
sound of the boatswain's whistle, followed by the
hoarse cry of" all hands, up anchor, ahoy!"-the
former rising on the night air, from its first low,
mellow notes, tG a piercing shrillness, that gradually died away on the waters; and the latter bel.
lowing through every cranny of the ship, like the
hollow murmurs of distant thunder.
The change produced by the customary sum.
mons was magical. Human beings sprang out from
between the guns, rushed up the hatches, threw
themselves with careless activity from the booms,




ï~~THE PILOT.

47

and gathered from every quarter so rapidly, that,
in an instant, the deck of the frigate was alive with
men.   The profound silence, that had hitherto
been only interrupted by the low dialogue of the
officers, was now exchanged for the stern orders
of the lieutenants, mingled with the shriller cries
of the midshipmen, and the hoarse bawling of the
boatswain's crew, rising above the tumult of preparation and general bustle.
The captain and the pilot alone remained passive, in this scene of general exertion; for apprehension had even stimulated that class of officers
which is called "idlers," to unusual activity, though
frequently reminded by their more experienced
messmates, that instead of aiding, they retarded,
the duty of the vessel.  The bustle, however,
gradually ceased, and, in a few minutes, the same
silence pervaded the ship as before.
" We are brought-to, sir," said Griffith, who
stood overlooking the scene, holding in one hand
a short speaking trumpet, and grasping, with the
other, one of the shrouds of the ship, to steady
himself in the position he had taken on a gun.
" Heave round, sir," was the calm reply.
" Heave round!" repeated Griffith, aloud.
" Heave round!" echoed a dozen eager voices
at once, and the lively strains of a fife struck up a
brisk air, to enliven the labour. The capstan was
instantly set in motion, and the measured tread of
the seamen was heard, as they stamped the deck
in the circle of their march. For a few minutes,
no other sounds were heard, if we except the voice
of an officer, occasionally, cheering the sailors,
when it was announced, that they "were short;"
or, in other words, that the ship was nearly over
her anchor.
" Heave and pall," cried Griffith; when the




ï~~THE PILOT.

quivering notes of the whistle were again succeeded by a general stillness in the vessel.
" What is to be done now, sir?" continued the
lieutenant; "shall we trip the anchor? There
seems not a breath of air, and as the tide runs
slack, I doubt whether the sea do not heave the
ship ashore."
There was so much obvious truth in this con
jecture, that all eyes turned from the light and
animation afforded by the decks of the frigate, to
look abroad on the waters, in a vain desire to
pierce the darkness, as if to read the fate of their
apparently devoted ship, from the aspect of nature.
" I leave all to the pilot," said the captain, after
he had stood a short time by the side of Griffith,
anxiously studying the heavens and the ocean.
"What say you, Mr. Gray?"
The man who was, thus, first addressed by name,
was leaning over the bulwarks, with his eyes bent
in the same direction as the others; but as he answered, he turned his face towards the speaker
and the light from the deck fell full upon his quiet
features, which exhibited a calmness bordering on
the supernatural, considering his station and responsibility.
" There is much to fear from this heavy ground
swell," he said, in the same unmoved tones as before; " but there is certain destruction to us, if the
gale that is brewing in the east finds us waiting its
fury in this wild anchorage. All the hemp that
was ever spun into cordage would not hold a ship
an hour, chafing on these rocks, with a north-caster
pouring its fury on her. If the powers of man can
compass it, gentlemen, we must get an offing, and
that speedily."
" You say no more, sir, than the youngest boy




ï~~TIl E PILOT.

49

in the ship cit see for himself," said Griffith-" ha!
here comes the schooner!"
The dashing of the long sweeps in the water
was now plainly audible, and the little Ariel was
seen through the gloom, moving heavily under
their feeble impulse. As she passed t owly under
the stern of the frigate, the cheerful voice of Barn
stable was first heard, opening the communications
between them.
1 Here's a night for spectacles, Captain Munson!" he cried; " but I thought I heard your fife,
sir; I trust in God, you do not mean to ride it out
here till morning?"
" I like the birth as little as yourself, Mr. Barnstable," returned the veteran seaman, in his calm
manner, in which anxiety was, however, beginning to grow evident. " We are short; but are
afraid to let go our hold of the bottom, lest the sea
cast us ashore. How make you out the wind?"
" Wind!" echoed the other; " there is not
enough to blow a lady's cut I aside. If you wait,
sir, till the land breeze fills your sails, you will
wait another moon, I believe. I've got my eggshell out of that nest of gray-caps, but how it has
been done in the dark, a better man than myself
must explain."
" Take your directions from the pilot, Mr. Barnstable," returned his commanding officer, " and
follow them strictly and to the letter."
A death-like silence, in both vessels, succeeded
bthis order, for all seemed to listen eagerly to catch
the words that fell from the man, on whom, even
the boys now felt, depended their only hopes for
safety. A short time was suffered to elapse, be
fore his voice was heard, in the same low but dis
tinct tones as before" Your sweeps will soon be of no service to




ï~~50

THE PILOT.

you," he said, " against the sea that begins to
heave in; but your light sails will help them to
get you out. So long as you can head east-andby-north, you are doing well, and you can stand
on till you open the light from that northern
headland, when you can heave to, and fire a
gun; but if, as I dread, you are struck aback,
before you open the light, you may trust to your
lead on the larboard tack; but beware, with your
head to the southward, for no lead will serve you
there."
" I can walk over the same ground on one tack
as on the other," said Barnstable, " and make both
legs of a length."
" It will not do," returned the pilot. " If you
fall off a point to starboard firom east-and-by-north,
in going large, you will find both rocks and points
of shoals to bring you utip; and beware, as I tell
you, of the starboard tack."
" And how shall I find my way? you will let
me trust to neither time, lead, nor log."
" You must trust to a quick eye and a ready
hand. The breakers only will show you the dangers, when you are not able to make out the bearings of the land. Tack in season, sir, and don't
spare the lead, when you head to-port."
" Ay, ay," returned Barnstable, in a low muttering voice. " This is a sort of blind navigation
with a vengeance, and all for no purpose that I can
see-see! damme, eyesight is of about as much
use now, as a man's nose would be in reading the
Bible."
" Softly, softly, Mr. Barnstable," interrupted his
commander, for such was the anxious stillness in
both vessels, that even the rattling of the schooners rigging was heard, as she rolled in the trough
of the sea-" the duty on which Congress has




ï~~THE PILOT.

51

sent us must be performed at the hazard of osr
lives."
"I I don't mind my life, Captain Munson," said
Barnstable; " but there is a great want of conscience in trusting a vessel in such a place as this.
However, it is a time to do, and not to talk. But
if there be such danger to an easy draught of
water, what will become of the frigate? had I
not better play jackall, and try and feel the way
for you?"
" I thank you," said the pilot; " the offer is
generous, but would avail us nothing. I have the
advantage of knowing the ground well, and must
trust to my memory and God's good favour. Make
sail, make sail, sir, and if you succeed, we will yen
ture to break ground."
The order was promptly obeyed, and in a very
short time, the Ariel was covered with canvass.
Though no air was perceptible on the decks of
the frigate, the little schooner was so light, that
she succeeded in stemmning her way over the rising waves, aided a little by the tide, and in a few
minutes, her low hull was just discernible in the
streak of light along the horizon, with the dark
outline of her sails rising above the sea, until
their fanciful summits were lost in the shadows of
the clouds.
Griffith had listened to the foregoing dialogue,
like the rest of the junior officers, in profound silence; but when the Ariel began to grow indistinct to the eye, he jumped lightly from the gun
to the. deck, and cried" She slips off, like a vessel from the stocks!
shall I trip the anchor, sir, and follow?"
" We have no choice," replied his captain.
"You hear the question, Mr, Gray? shall we let
go the bottom?"




ï~~THE     IPL[LOT.

" It must be done, Captain Munson; we may
want more drift than the rest of this tide to get us
to a place of safety," said the pilot; " I would give
five years from a life, that I know will be short, if
the ship lay one mile further seaward."
This remark was unheard by all, excepting the
commander of the frigate, who again walked aside
with the pilot, where they resumed their mysterious communications. The words of assent were
no sooner uttered, however, than Griffith gave
forth from his trumpet the command to "heave
away!"   Againthe strainsof the fife were followed
oy the tread of the men at the capstan. At the
same time that the anchor was heaving up, the sails
were loosened from the yards, and opened to invite
the breeze. In effecting this duty, orders were
thundered through the trumpet of the first lieutenant, and executed with the rapidity of thought.
Men were to be seen, like spots in the dim light
from the heavens, lying on every yard, or hanging
as in air, while strange cries were heard issuing
from every part of the rigging, and each spar of
the vessel. " Ready the fore-royal," cried a shrill
voice, as if from the clouds; " ready the fore yard,"
uttered the hoarser tones of a seaman beneath him;
" all ready aft, sir," cried a third, from another
quarter; and in a few moments, the order was
given to "let fall."
The little light which fell from the sky was now
excluded by the falling canvass, and a deeper gloom
was cast athwart the decks of the ship, that served
io render the brilliancy of the lanterns even vivid,
while it gave to objects out-board a more appalling
and dreary appearance than before.
Every individual, excepting the commander and
his associate, was now earnestly engaged in getling the ship under way. The sounds of " we're




ï~~TH E PI ALOT.

away," were repeated by a burst from fifty voices,
and the rapid evolutions of the capstan announced
that nothing but the weight of the anchor was to be
lifted. The hauling of cordage, the rattling of
blocks, blended with the shrill calls of the boatswain and his mates, succeeded; and though to a
landsman all would have appeared confusion and
hurry, long practice and strict discipline enabled
the crew to exhibit their ship under a cloud of canvass, from her deck to the trucks, in less time than
we have consumed in relating it.
For a few minutes, the officers were not disappointed by the result, for though the heavy sails
flapped lazily against the masts, the light duck on
the loftier spars swelled outwardly, and the ship
began sensibly to yield to their influence.
" She travels! she travels!" exclaimed Griffith, joyously; "ah! the hussy! she has as much
antipathy to the land as any fish that swims: it blows
a little gale aloft, yet!"
" We feel its dying breath,'" said the pilot, in
low, soothing tones, but in a manner so sudden as
to startle Griffith, at whose elbow they were unexpectedly uttered. "Let us forget, young man,
every thing but the number of lives that depend,
this night, on your exertions and my knowledge."
" If you be but half as able to exhibit the one,
as I am willing to make the other, we shall do
well," returned the lieutenant, in the same tone.
Remember, whatever may be your feelings, that
we are on an enemy's coast, and love it not enough
to wish to lay our bones there."
With this brief explanation they separated, the
vessel requiring the constant and cl6se attention
of the officer to her movements.
The exultation produced in the crew by the
progress of their ship through the water was of
5




ï~~54

THE PILOT.

short duration; for the breeze that had seemed to
await thcir motions, after forcing the vessel for a
quarter of a mile, fluttered for a few minutes amid
their light canvass, and then left them entirely.
The quarter-master, whose duty it was to superintend the helm, soon announced that he was losing
the command of the vessel, as she was no longer
obedient to her rudder. This ungrateful intelligence was promptly communicated to his commander by Griffith, who suggested the propriety,f again dropping an anchor.
" I refer' you to Mr. Gray," returned the captain; "he is the pilot, sir, and with him rests the
safety of the vessel."
" Pilots sometimes lose ships, as well as save
them," said Griffith; "know you the man well,
Captain Munson, who holds all our lives in his
keeping, and so coolly as if he cared but little for
the venture?"
" Mr. Griffith, I do know him; he is, in my
opinion, both competent and faithful. Thus much
I tell you, to relieve your anxiety; more you must
not ask;-but is there not a shift of wind?"
" God forbid!" exclaimed his lieutenant; " if
that north-easter catches us within the shoals, our
case will be desperate indeed!"
The heavy rolling of the vessel caused an occasional expansion, and as sudden a re-action, in their
sails, which left the oldest seamen in the ship in
doubt which way the currents of air were passing,
or whether there existed any that were not created
by the flapping of their own canvass. The head of the
ship, however, began to fall off from the sea, and notwithstanding the darkness, it.soon became apparent
that she was driving in, bodily, towards the shore.
During these few minutes of gloomy doubt,
Griffith, by one of those sudden revulsions of the




ï~~THE PILOT.

55

mind,, that connect the opposite extremes of feel.
ing, lost his animated anxiety, and relapsed into
the listless apathy that so often, came over him,
even in the most critical moments of trial and danger. He was standing, with one elbow resting on
the capstan, shading his eyes from the light of the
battle-lantern that stood near him, with one hand.
when he felt a gentle pressure of the other, that
recalled his recollection. Looking affectionately,
though still recklessly, at the boy who stood at
his side, he said" Dull music, Mr. Merry."
" So dull, sir, that I can't dance to it," returned the midshipman. " Nor do I believe there is
a man in the ship who would not rather hear 'The
girl I left behind me,' than those execrable sounds."
"What sounds, boy! The ship is as quiet as
the quaker meeting in the Jerseys, before your
good old grandfather used to break the charm of
silence with his sonorous voice."
" Ah! laugh at my peaceable blood, if thou
wilt, Mr. Griffith," said the arch youngster; "but
remember, there is a mixture of it in all sorts of
veins. I wish I could hear one of the old gentleman's chants now, sir; I could always sleep to
them, like a gull in a surf. But he that sleeps to
night, with that lullaby, will make a nap of it."
" Sounds! I hear no sounds, boy, but the flapping aloft; even that pilot, who struts the quarterdeck like an admiral, has nothing to say."
"Is not that a sound to open a seaman's ear?"
" It is in truth a heavy roll of the surf, lad, but
the night air carries it heavily to our ears. Know
you not the sounds of the surf yet, younker?"
" I know it too well, Mr. Griffith, and do not
wish to know it better. How fast are we turn
bling in towards that surf, sir?"




ï~~56

THE PILOT.

" I think we hold our own," said Griffith, rousing again; "though we had better anchor. Luff,
fellow, luff, you are broadside to the sea!"
The man at the wheel repeated his former intelligence, adding a suggestion, that he thought the
ship "was gathering stern-way."
" Haul up your courses, Mr. Griffith," said Captain Munson, " and let us feel the wind."
The rattling of the blocks was soon heard, and
the enormous sheets of canvass that hung from
the lower yards were instantly suspended "in the
brails." When this change was effected, all on
board stood silent and breathless, as if expecting
to learn their fate by the result. Several contradictory opinions were, at length, hazarded among
the officers, when Griffith seized the candle from
the lantern, and, springing on one of the guns,
held it on high, exposed to the action of the air.
The little flame waved, with uncertain glimmering, for a moment, and then burned steadily, in a
line with the masts. Griffith was about to lower
his extended arm, when, feeling a slight sensation
of coolness on his hand, he paused, and the light
turned slowly towards the land, flared, flickered,
and finally deserted the wick.
" Lose not a moment, Mr. Griffith," cried the
pilot aloud; "clew up and furl every thing but
your three top-sails, and let them be double-reefed.
Now is the time to fulfil your promise."
The young man paused one moment, in astonishment, as the clear distinct tones of the stranger
struck his ears so unexpectedly; but turning his
eyes to seaward, he sprang on the deck, and pro.
ceeded to obey the order, as if life and death depended on his despatch.




ï~~CHAPTER V.

She rights, she rights, boys! wear offt shore!
so,i j
THE extraordinary activity of Griffith, which
communicated itself with promptitude to the crew,
was produced by a sudden alteration in the weather. In place of the well-defined streak along
the horizon, that has been already described, an
immense body of misty light appeared to be moving in, with rapidity, from the ocean, while a distinct but distant roaring announced the sure ap.
proach of the tempest, that had so long troubled
the waters. Even Griffith, while thundering his
orders through the trumpet, and urging the men,
by his cries, to expedition, would pause, for instants, to cast anxious glances in the direction of
the coming storm; and the faces of the sailors who
lay on the yards were turned, instinctively, towards the same quarter of the heavens, while they
knotted the reef-points, or passed the gaskets, that
were to confine the unruly canvass to the prescribed limits.
The pilot alone, in that confused and busy
throng, where voice rose above voice, and cry
echoed cry, in quick succession, appeared as if he




ï~~THE PILOT.

held no interest in the important stake. With his
eyes steadily fixed on the approaching mist, and
his arms folded together in composure, he stood
calmly waiting the i esult.
The ship had fallen off with her broadside to
the sea, and was become unmanageable, and the
sails were already brought into the folds necessary
to her security, when the quick and heavy fluttering of canvass was thrown across the water, with
all the gloomy and chilling sensations that such
sounds produce, where darkness and danger unite
to appal the seaman.
" The schooncr has it!" cried Griffith; "Barnstable has held on, like himself, to the last moment
-God send that the squall leave him cloth enough
to keep him from the shore!"
" His sails are easily handled," the commander
observed, " and she must be over the principal
danger. We are falling off before it, Mr. Gray;
shall we try a cast of the lead?"
The pilot turned from his contemplative posture, and moved slowly across the deck before he
returned any reply to this question-like a man
who not only felt that every thing depended on
himself, but that he was equal to the emergency..  'Tis unnecessary," he at length said; " 'twould
be certain destruction to be taken aback, and it is
difficult to say, within several points, how the wind
may strike us."
" 'Tis difficult no longer," cried Griffith; " for
here it comes, and in right earnest!"
The rushing sounds of the wind were now, indeed, heard at hand, and the words were hardly
past the lips of the young lieutenant, before the
vessel bowed down heavily to one side, and then,
as she began to move through the water, rose again
majestically to her upright position, as if saluting,




ï~~THE PILOT            5

59

tike a courteous champion, the powerful antagonist
with which she was about to contend. Not another minute elapsed, before the ship was throwing
the waters aside, with a lively progress, and, obedient to her helm. was brought as near to the desired course as the direction of the wind would allow. The hurry and bustle on the yards gradually subsided, and the men slowly descended to the
deck, all straining their eyes to pierce the gloom
min which they were enveloped, and some shaking
their heads, in melancholy doubt, afraid to express
the apprehensions they really entertained. All on
board anxiously waited for the fury of the gale;
for there were none so ignorant or inexperienced
in that gallant frigate, as not to know, that as yet,
they only felt the infant efforts of the wind. Each
moment, however, it increased in power, though
so gradual was the alteration, that the relieved
mariners began to believe that all their gloomy
forebodings were not to be realized. During this
short interval of uncertainty, no other sounds were
heard than the whistling of the breeze, as it passed quickly through the mass of rigging that belonged to the vessel, and the dashing of the spray,
that began to fly from her bows, like the foam of
a cataract.
"It blows fresh," cried Griffith, who was the
first to speak in that moment of doubt and anxiety; "but it is no more than a cap-full of wind,
after all. Give us elbow-room, and the right canvass, Mr. Pilot, and I'll handle the ship like a gentleman's yacht, in this breeze."
" Will she stay, think ye, under this sail?" said
the low voice of the stranger.
" She will do all that man, in reason, can ask
of wood and iron," returned the lieutenant; "but
the vessel don't float the ocean that will tack un



ï~~6U

THE PII()T'

der double-reefed topsails alone, against a heavy
sea. Help her with the courses, pilot, and you
shall see her come round like a dancing-master."
" Let us feel the strength of the gale first," returned the man who was called Mr. Gray, moving
from.the side of Griffith to the weather gangway
of the vessel, where he stood in silence, looking
ahead of the ship, with an air of singular coolness
and abstraction.
All the lanterns had been extinguished on the
deck of the frigate, when her anchor was secured,
and as the first mist of the gale had passed over,
it was succeeded by a faint light that was a good
deal aided by the glittering foam of the waters,
which now broke in white curls around the vessel,
m every direction. The land could be faintly discerned, rising like a heavy bank of black fog, above
the margin of the waters, and was only distinguishable from the heavens by its deeper gloom and obscurity. The last rope was coiled, and depositea
m its proper place, by the seamen, and for severai
minutes the stillness of death pervaded the crowded decks. it was evident to every one, that their
ship was dashing at a prodigious rate thiough the
waves; and as she was approaching, with such velocity, the quarter of the bay where the shoals and
dangers were known to be situated, nothing but
the hiabits of the most exact discipline could sup
press the uneasiness Of the officers and men with
in their own bosoms. At Ie igth the voice of Cap
tain Munson was heard, calling to the pilot.
" Shall I send a hand into the chains, Mr. Gray,"
he said," and tryr our water?"
Although this question was asked aloud, and
the interest it excited drew many of the officers
and men around him, in eager impatience for his
answer, it was unheeded by the man to whom it




ï~~THE PILOT

61

was addiressed.  His head rested on his hand, as
he leaned over the hammock-cloths of the vessel,
and his whole air was that of one whose thoughts
wandered from the pressing necessity of their situation. Griffith was among those who had approached the pilot, and after waiting a moment,
from respect, to hear the answer to his command
er's question, he presumed on his own rank, and
leaving the circle that stood at a little distance,
stepped to the side of the mysterious guardian of
their lives.
" Captain Munson desires to know whether you
wish a cast of the lead?" said the young officer,
with a little impatience of manner. No immediate answer was made to this repetition of the
question, and Griffith laid his hand unceremoniously on the shoulder of the other, with an intent
to rouse him, before he made another application
for a reply, but the convulsive start of the pilot
held him silent in amazement.
" Fall back there," said the lieutenant, sternly,
to the men, who were closing around them in a
compact circle; " away with you to your stations,
and see all clear for stays."  The dense mass of
heads dissolved, at this order, like the water of
one of the waves commingling with the ocean, and
the lieutenant and his companions were left by
themselves.
" This is not a time for musing, Mr. Gray,"
continued Griffith, " remember our compact, and
look to your charge-is it not time to put the vessel in stays? of what are you dreaming?"
The pilot laid his hand on the extended arm of
the lieutenant, and grasped it with a convulsive
pressure, as he answered-." 'Tis a dream of reality. You are young, Mr.
Griffith, nor am I past the noon of life; but should
6




ï~~62

THE PILOT

you live fifty years longer, you never can see and
experience what I have encountered in my little
period of three-and-thirty years!"
A good deal astonished at this burst of feehling,
so singular at such a moment, the young sailor was
at a loss for a reply; but as his duty was uppermost in his thoughts, he still dwelt on the theme
that most interested him.
" I hope much of your experience has been on
this coast, for the ship travels lively," he said,
"and the daylight showed us so much to dread that
we do not feel over-valiant in the dark. How much
longer shall we stand on, upon this tack?"
The pilot turned slowly from the side of the
vessel, and walked towards the commander of the
frigate, as he replied, in a tone that seemed deeply agitated by his melancholy reflections" You have your wish, then; much, very much
of my early life was passed on this dreaded coast.
What to you is all darkness and gloom, to me is
as light as if a noon-day sun shone upon it. But
tack your ship, sir, tack your ship; I would see
how she works before we reach the point where
she must behave well, or we perish."
Griffith gazed after him in wonder, while the pilot slowly paced the quarter-deck, and then, rousing from his trance, gave forth the cheering order
that called each man to his station, to perform the
desired evolution.  The confident assurances
which the young officer had given to the pilot respecting the qualities of his vessel, and his own
ability to manage her, were fully realized by the
result. The helm was no sooner put a-lee, than
the huge ship bore up gallantly against the wind,
and dashing directly through the waves, threw the
foam high into the air, as she looked boldly into
the very eye of the wind, and then, yielding grace.




ï~~THE PILOT.

63

fully to its power, she fell off on the other tack,
with her head pointed from those dangerous shoals
that she had so recently approached with such terrifying velocity. The heavy yards swung round,
as if they had been vanes to indicate the currents
of the air, and in a few moments the frigate again
moved, with stately progress, through the water,
leaving the rocks and shoals behind her on one
side of the bay, but advancing towards those that
offered equal danger on the other.
D)uring this time the sea was becoming more
agitated, and the violence of the wind was gradually
increasing. The latter no longer whistled amid
the cordage of the vessel, but it seemed to howl,
surlily, as it passed the complicated machinery that
the frigate obtruded on its path. An endless succession of white surges rose above the heavy billows,
and the very air was glittering with the light that
was disengaged from the ocean. The ship yielded, each moment, more and more before the
storm, and in less than half an hour from the time
that she had lifted her anchor, she was driven
along with tremendous fury by the full power of a
gale of wind.  Still, the hardy and experienced
mariners who directed her movements, held her
to the course that was necessary to their preservation, and still Griffith gave forth, when directed by
their unknown pilot, those orders that turned her
in the narrow channel where safety was alone to
be found.
So far, the performance of his duty appeared
easy to the stranger, and he gave the required directions in those still, calm tones, that formed so
remarkable a contrast to the responsibility of his
situation. But when the land was becoming dim,
in distance as well as darkness, and the agitated
sea alone was to be discovered as it swept by them




ï~~64

THE PILOT.

in foam, he. broke in upon the monotonous roaring
of the tempest with the sounds of his voice, seeming to shake off his apathy, and rouse himself to
the occasion.
"Now is the time to watch her closely, Mr.
Griffith," he cried; " here we get the true tide
and the real danger. Place the best quartermaster
of your ship in those chains, and let an officer
stand by him and see that he gives us the right
water."
" I will take that office on myself," said the
captain; "pass a light into the weather mainchains."
" Stand by your braces!" exclaimed the pilot,
with startling quickness.  "Heave away that
lead!"
These preparations taught the crew to expect
the crisis, and every officer and man stood in fearful silence, at his assigned station, awaiting the issue of the trial. Even the quarter-master at the
cun gave out his orders to the men at the wheel,
in deeper and hoarser tones than usual, as if anxious not to disturb the quiet and order of the vessel.
While this deep expectation pervaded the fri
gate, the piercing cry of the leadsman, as he called " by the mark seven," rose above the tempest,
crossed over the decks, and appeared to pass away
to leeward, borne on the blast like the warnings
of some water spirit.
" 'Tis well," returned the pilot, calmly;" try
it again."
The short pause was succeeded by another cry,
and a half-five!"
' She shoals! she shoals!" exclaimed Griffith;
Skeep her a good full."
"Ay! you must hold the vessel in command,




ï~~THE PILO r.

now," said the pilot, with those cool tones that
are most appalling in critical moments, because
they seemn to denote most preparation and care.
The third call of" by the deep four!" was followed by a prompt direction from the stranger to
tack.
Griffith seemed to emulate the coolness of the
pilot, in issuing the necessary orders to execute this
manoeuvre.
The vessel rose slowly from the inclined position into which she had been forced by the tempest', and the sails were shaking violently, as if to
release themselves from their confinement, while
the ship stemmed the billows, when the well-known
voice of the sailing-master was heard shouting from
the forecastle" Breakers! breakers, dead ahead!"
This appalling sound seemed yet to be lingering
about the ship, when a second voice cried---
" Breakers on our lee-bow!"
" We are in a bite of the shoals, Mr. Gray,"
cried the commander. " She loses her way; perhaps an anchor might hold her."
" Clear away that best bower," shouted Griffith through his trumpet.
" Hold on!" cried the pilot, in a voice that
reached the very hearts of all who heard him;
"hold on every thing."
The young man turned fiercely to the daring
stranger, who thus defied the discipline of his vessel, and at once demanded"Who is it that dares to countermand my orders? is it not enough that you run the ship into
danger, but you must interfere to keep her there!
If another word-"
" Peace, Mr. Griffith," interrupted the captain,
bending firom the rigging, his gray locks blowing
5         6*




ï~~66

THE PILOT.

about in the wind, and adding a look of wildness
to the haggard care that he exhibited by the light
of his lantern; " yield the trumpet to Mr. Gray;
he alone can save us."
Griffith threw his speaking trumpet on the deck,
and as he walked proudly away, muttered, in bitterness of feeling" Then all is lost, indeed, and among the rest,
the foolish hopes with which I visited this coast."
There was, however, no time for reply; the
ship had been rapidly running into the wind, and
as the efforts of the crew were paralyzed by the
contradictory orders they had heard, she gradually
lost her way, and in a few seconds all her sails
were taken aback.
Before the crew understood their situation, the
pilot had applied the trumpet to his mouth, and
in a voice that rose above the tempest, he thundered forth his orders.  Each command was
given distinctly, and with a precision that showed
him to be master of his profession. The helm
was kept fast, the head yards swung up heavily
against the wind, and the vessel was soon whirling round on her heel, with a retrograde movement.
Griffith was too much of a seaman not to perceive that the pilot had seized, with a perception
almost intuitive, the only method that promised to
extricate the vessel from her situation. He was
young, impetuous, and proud-but he was also
generous. Forgetting his resefitment and his mortification, he rushed forward among the men, and,
by his presence and example, added certainty to
the experiment. The ship fell off slowly before
the gale, and bowed her yards nearly to the water, as she felt the blast pouring its fury on her
broadside, while the surly waves beat violently




ï~~THE PILOT.

67

against her stern, as if in reproach at departing
from her usual manner of moving.
The voice of the pilot, however, was still heard,
steady and calm, and yet so clear and high as to
reach every ear; and the obedient seamen whirled
the yards at his bidding, in despite of the tempest,
as if they handled the toys of their childhood.
When the ship had fallen off dead before the wind,
her head sails were shaken, her after yards trimined, and her helm shifted, before she had time to
run upon the danger that had threatened, as well
to leeward as to windward. The beautiful fabric,
obedient to her government, threw her bows up
gracefully towards the wind again, and as her sails
were trimmed, moved out from amongst the dangerous shoals, in which she had been embayed, as
steadily and swiftly as she had approached them.
A moment of breathless astonishment succeeded
the accomplishment of this nice manoeuvre, but
there was no time for the usual expressions of surprise. The stranger still held the trumpet, and
continued to lift his voice amid the howlings of the
blast, whenever prudence or skill directed any
change in the management of the ship. For an
hour longer, there was a fearful struggle for their
preservation, the channel becoming, at each step,
more complicated, and the shoals thickening around
the mariners on every side. The lead was cast
rapidly, and the quick eye of the pilot seemed to
pierce the darkness, with a keenness of vision that
exceeded human power. It was apparent to all in
the vessel, that they were under the guidance of
one who understood the navigation thoroughly, and
their exertions kept pace with their reviving confidence. Again and again, the frigate appeared to
be rushing blindly on shoals, where the sea was
covered with foam, and where destruction would




ï~~68

THE PILOT.

have been as sudden as it was certain, when the
clear voice of the stranger was heard warning them
of the danger, and inciting them to their duty. The
vessel was implicitly yielded to his government,
and during those anxious moments when she was
dashing the waters aside, throwing the spray over
her enormous yards, each ear would listen eagerly
for those sounds that had obtained a command over
the crew, that can only be acquired, under such
circumstances, by great steadiness and consummate
skill. The ship was recovering from the inaction
of changing her course, in one of those critical
tacks that she had made so often, when the pilot,
for the first time, addressed the commander of the
frigate, who still continued to superintend the allimportant duty of the leadsman.
" Now is the pinch," he said, " and if the ship
behaves well, we are safe-but if otherwise, all we
have yet done will be useless."
The veteran seaman whom he addressed left the
chains, at this portentous notice, and calling to his
first lieutenant, required of the stranger an explanation of his warning.
" See you you light on the southern headland?"
returned the pilot; "you may know it from the
star near it-by its sinking, at times, in the ocean.
Now observe the hom-moc, a little north of it,
looking like a shadow in the horizon-'tis a hill
far inland. If wc keep that light open from the
hill, we shall do well-but if not, we surely go to
pieces."
" Let us tack again!" exclaimed the lieutenant.
The pilot shook his head, as he replied" There is no more tacking or box-hauling to be
done to-night. We have barely room to pass out
of the shoals on this course, and if we can weather
the 'Devil's-Grip,' we clear their outermost point




ï~~THE PILOT.

69

-but if not, as I said before, there is but an alternative."
" If we had beaten out the way we entered!"
xclainmed Griffith, ' we should have done well."
" Say also, if the tide would have let us do so,"
returned the pilot, calmly.  1 Gentlemen, we must
be prompt; we have but a mile to go, and the
ship appears to fly. That topsail is not enough to
keep her up to the wind; we want both jib and
mainsail."
" 'Tis a perilous thing to loosen canvass in such
a tempest!" observed the doubtful captain.
SIt must be done," returned the collected
stranger; "we perish without it-see! the light
already touches the edge of the hom-moc; the sea
casts us to leeward!"
"It shall be done!" cried Griffith, seizing the
trumpet from the hand of the pilot.
The orders of the lieutenant were executed almost as soon as issued, and every thing being ready.
the enormous folds of the mainsail were trusted,
loose, to the blast. There was an instant when
the result was doubtful; the tremendous threshing of the heavy sail seeming to bid defiance to
all restraint, shaking the ship to her centre; but
art and strength prevailed, and gradually the canvass was distended, and bellying as it filled, was
drawn down to its usual place by the power of a
hundred men. The vessel yielded to this immense
addition of force, and bowed before it, like a reed
bending to a breeze. But the success of the measure was announced by a joyful cry from the
stranger, that seemed to burst from his inmost soul.
" She feels it! she springs her luff- observed,
he said, "the light opens from the hommoec already; if she will only bear her canvass, we shall
go clear.1"




ï~~7O

7  TUE PILOT.

A report, like that of a cannon, interrupted his
exclamation, and something resembling a white
cloud was seen drifting before the wind from the
head of the ship, till it was driven into the gloom
far to leeward.
" 'Tis the jib, blown front the bolt-ropes," said
the commander of the frigate. " This is no time
to spread light duck-but the mainsail may stand
it yet."
" The sail would laugh at a tornado," i eturned
the hlieutenant, "but the mast springs like a piece
of steel."
" Silence all!" cried the pilot. "Now, gentlemen, we shall soon know our fate. Let her luffluff you can!"
This warning effectually closed all discourse,
and the hardy mariners, knowing that they had
already done all in the power of man to ensure
their safety, stood in breathless anxiety, awaiting
the result. At a short distance ahead of them
the whole ocean was white with foam, and the
waves, instead of rolling on, in regular succession,
appeared to be tossing about in mad gambols. A
single streak of dark billows, not half a cable's
length in width, could be discerned running into
this chaos of water; but it was soon lost to the
eye amid the confusion of the disturbed element.
Along this narrow path the vessel moved more heavily than before, being brought so near the wind as
to keep her sails touching. The pilot silently proceeded to the wheel, and, with his own hands, he undertook the steerage of the ship. No noise proceeded from the frigate to interrupt the horrid tumuit
of the ocean, and she entered the channel among
the breakers, with the silence of a desperate calmness. Twenty times, as the foam rolled away to
leoward the crew were on the eve of uttering




ï~~THE PILOT.

71

their joy as hey supposed the vessel past the
danger; but breaker after breaker would still
heave up before them, following each other into
the general mass, to cheek their exultation. Occasionally, the fluttering of the sails would be
heard; and when the looks of the startled seamen
were turned to the wheel, they beheld the stranger grasping its spokes, with his quick eye glancing from the water to the canvass. At length the
ship reached a point, where she appeared to be
rushing directly into the jaws of destruction, when,
suddenly, her course was changed, and her head
receded rapidly from the wind. At the same instant the voice of the pilot was heard, shouting" Square away the yards!-in mainsail!"
A general burst from the crew echoed, " square
away the yards!" and, quick as thought, the frigate was seen gliding along the channel before the
wind. The eye had hardly time to dwell on the
foam, which seemed like clouds driving in the heavens, and directly the gallant vessel issued from
her perils, and rose and fell on the heavy waves
of the open sea.
The seamen were yet drawing long breaths, and
gazing about them like men recovered from a
trance, when Griffith approached the man who had
so successfully conducted them through their perils.
The young lieutenant grasped the hand of the other, as he said" You have this night proved yourself a faith
ful pilot, and such a seaman as the world cannot
equal."
The pressure of the hand was warmly returned
by the unknown mariner, who replied"I am no stranger to the seas, and I may yet
find my grave in them. But you, too, have de



ï~~72

THE PILOT.

ceived me; you have acted nobly, young man,
and Congress--"
"What of Congress?" asked Griffith, observing
him to pause.
"Why, Congress is fortunate if it has many
such ships as this," said the stranger, coldly, walking away toward the commander.
Griffith gazed after him, a moment, in surprise;
but as his duty required his attention, other
thouights soon engaged:his mind.
Tlihe vessel was pronounced to be in safety. The
gale was heivy, and increasing, but there was a
clear sea before then~, and; as she slowly stretched
out into tihe bosom of the oceani, preparations were
made for her  seiurity during its continuance. Before midriighe ery thing was in order. A gun
from th  Aid' s6on announced the safety of the
schbboner ah, whih had gone 6ut by another and
air easibr chiannel; that the frigate had not dared to
attemfpt; When the commander directed the usual
watch to be set, and the remainder of the crew to
seek their necessary repose.
The captain withdrew with the mysterious pilot
to his own cabin; Griffith gave his last order, arind
renewing his charge to the officer entrusted with
the care of the vessel, he wished him a pleasant
watch, ani sought the refreshment of his own cot.
For an hour, the young lieutenant lay musing on
the events of the day. The remark of Barnstable
would occur to him, in connexion with the singular comment of the boy; and then his thoughts
would recur to the pilot, who, taken from the hos:
tile shores of Britain, and with her accent on his
tongue, had served them so faithfully and: so well.
He remembered the anxiety of Captain Munson to
procure this stranger,' at the very. hazard fromn




ï~~'rTH  P ILOT.           73
which they had just been relieved, and puzzled
himself with conjecturing why a pilot was to be
sought at such a risk. His more private feelings
would then resume their sway, and the recollection
cf America, his mistress, and his home, mingled
with the confused images of the drowsy youth.
The dashing of the billows against the side of the
ship, the creaking of guns, and bulk-heads, with the
roaring of the tempest, however, became gradually
less and less distinct, until nature yielded to necessity, and the young man forgot even the romantio
images of his love, in the deep sleep of a seaman.
7




ï~~CHAPTER VI

"The letter! ay t the letter
'Tis there a woman loves to speak her wishes
It ipares the blushes of the love-sick maiden,
And every word's a smile, each line a tongue."
Duo
THE slumbers of Griffith continued till late on
the following morning, when he was awakened by
the report of a cannon, issuing from the deck above
him. He threw himself, listlessly, from his cot,
and perceiving the officer of marines near him,
as his servant opened the door of his state-room,
he inquired, with some little interest in his manner, if" the ship was in chase of any thing, that a
gun was fired?"
"'Tis no more than a hint to the Ariel," the
soldier replied, " that there is bunting abroad for
them to read. It seems as if all hands were asleep
on board her, for we have shown her signal, these
ten minutes, and she takes us for a collier, I believe,
by the respect she pays it."
" Say, rather, that she takes us for an enemy,
and is wary," returned Griflith. " Brown Dick
has played the English so many tricks himself,
that he is tender of his faith."
"Why, they have shown him a yellow flag over
a blue one, with a cornet, and that spells Ariel,




ï~~THE PILOT.

75

in every signal-book we have; surely he can't
suspect the English of knowing how to read Yankee."
" I have known Yankees read more difficult
English," said Griffith, smiling; " but, in truth,
I suppose that Barnstable has been, like myself,
keeping a dead reckoning of his time, and his men
have profited by the occasion. She is lying too, I
trust."
" Ay! like a cork in a mill-pond, and I dare say
you are right. Give Barnstable plenty of searoom, a heavy wind, and but little sail, and he will
send his men below, put that fellow he calls long
Tom at the tiller, and follow himself, and sleep as
quietly as I ever could at church."
" Ah! yours is a somniferous orthodoxy, Captain Manual," said the young sailor, laughing, while
he slipped his arms into the sleeves of a morning
round-about, covered with the gilded trappings of
his profession; "sleep appears to come most naturally to all you idlers. But give me a passage,
and I will go up, and call the schooner down to us
in the turning of an hourglass."
The indolent soldier raised himself from the
leaning posture he had taken against the door of
the state-room, and Griffith proceeded through the
dark ward-room, up the narrow stairs that led him
to the principal battery of the ship, and thence, by
another and broader flight of steps, to the open
deck.
The gale still blew strong, but steadily; the
blue water of the ocean was rising in mimic
mountains, that were crowned with white foam,
which the wind, at times, lifted from its kindred
element, to propel in mist, through the air, from
summit to summit. But the ship rode on these agitated billows with an easy and regular movement,




ï~~76

6rE PILOT.

that denoted the skill with which her mechanical
powers were directed. The day was bright and
clear, and the lazy sun, who seemed unwilling to
meet the toil of ascending to the meridian, was
crossing the heavens with a southern inclination,
that hardly allowed him to temper the moist air
of the ocean with his genial heat. At the distance
of a mile, directly in the wind's eye, the Ariel was
seen, obeying the signal which had caused the dialogue we have related. Her low, black hull was
barely discernible, at moments, when she rose to
the crest of a larger wave than common; but the
spot of canvass that she exposed to the wind, was
to be seen, seeming to touch the water on either
hand, as the little vessel rolled amid the seas. At
times she was entirely hid from view, when the
faint lines of her raking masts would be again discovered, issuing, as it were, from the ocean, and
continuing to ascend, until the hull itself would appear, thrusting its bows into the air, surrounded
by foam, and apparently eady to take its flight into
another element.
After dwelling a moment on the beautiful sight
we have attempted to describe, Griffith cast his
eyes upward, to examine, with the keenness of a
seaman, the disposition of things aloft, and then
turned his attention to those who were on the deck
of the frigate.
His commander stood, in his composed manner,
patiently awaiting the execution of his order by
the Ariel, and at his side was placed the stranger
who had so recently acted such a conspicuous part
in the management of the ship. Griffith availed
himself of daylight and his situation, to examine
the appearance of this singular being more closely
than the darkness and confusion of the preceding
night had allowed. He was a trifle below the




ï~~THE PILOT.

77

middle size in stature, but his form was muscular
and athletic, exhibiting the finest proportions of
manly beauty. His face appeared rather characterized by melancholy and thought, than by, that
determined decision which he had so powerfully
displayed in the moments of their most extreme
danger; but Griffith well knew, that it could also
exhibit looks of the fiercest impatience. At present, it appeared, to the curious youth, when compared to the glimpses he had caught by the lights
of their lanterns, like the ocean at rest, contrasted
with the waters around him. The eyes of the pilot rested on the deck, or when they did wander,
it was with uneasy and rapid glances. The large
pee-jacket, that concealed most of his other attire,
was as roughly made, and of materials as coarse,
as that worn by the meanest seaman in the vessel;
and yet, it did not escape the inquisitive gaze of
the young lieutenant, that it was worn with an air
of neatness and care that was altogether unusual in
men of his profession. The examination of Griffith ended here, for the near approach of the Ariel
attracted the attention of all on the deck of the
frigate, to the conversation that was about to pass
between their respective commanders.
As the little schooner rolled along under their
stern, Captain Munson directed his subordinate to
leave his vessel, and repair on board the ship. As
soon as the order was received, the Ariel roundedto, and drawing ahead into the smooth water occasioned by the huge fabric that protected her from
the gale, the whale-boat was again launched from
her decks, and manned by the same crew that had
landed on those shores which were now faintly
discerned far to leeward, looking like blue clouds
on the skirts of the ocean.
When Barnstable had entered his boat, a few
7*




ï~~78

THE PILO'T.

strokes of the oars sent it. dancing over the waves,
to the side of the ship. The little vessel was then
veered off, to a distance, where it rode in safety.
under the care of a boat-keeper, and the officer
and his men ascended the side of the lofty frigate.
The usual ceremonials of reception were rigidly
observed by Griffith and his juniors, when Barnstable touched the deck; and though every hand
was ready to be extended towards the reckless
seaman, none presumed to exceed the salutations
of official decorum, until a short and private dialogue had taken place between him and their captain.
In the mean time, the crew of the whale-boat
passed forward, and mingled with the seamen of
the frigate, with the exception of the cockswain,
who established himself in one of the gangways,
where he stood in the utmost composure, fixing
his eyes aloft, and shaking his head, in evident dissatisfaction, as he studied.the complicated mass of
rigging above him. This spectacle soon attracted
to his side some half-dozen youths, with Mr. Merry at their head, who endeavoured to entertain
their guest in a manner that should most conduce
to the indulgence of their own waggish propensities.
SThe conversation between Barnstable and his
superior soon ended; when the former, beckoning
to Griffith, passed the wondering group who had
collected around the capstern, awaiting his leisure
to greet him more cordially, and led the way to
the ward-room, with the freedom of one who felt
himself no stranger. As this unsocial manner
formed no part of the natural temper or ordinary
deportment of the man, the remainder of the officers suffered their first lieutenant to follow him
alone, believing that duty required that their in



ï~~THE PILOT.

79

terview should be private. Barnstable was determined that it should be so, at all events; for he
seized the lamp from the mess-table, and entered
the state-room of his friend, closing the door behind them, and turning the key. When they were
both within its narrow limits-pointing to the only
chair the little apartment contained, with a sort of
instinctive deference to his companion's rank-the
commander of the schooner threw himself carelessly on a sea-chest, and, placing the lamp on the table, he opened the discourse as follows:
" What a night we had of it! twenty times I
thought I could see the sea breaking over you, and
I had given you over as drowned men, or, what is
worse, as men driven ashore, to be led to the
prison-ships of these islander s, vwhen I saw your
lights in answer to my gun. Had you hoisted the
conscience out of a murderer, you wouldn't have
relieved, him more than you did me, by showing
that bit of tallow and cotton, tip'd Nvith flint and
steel. But, Griffith, I have a tale to tell of a dif
ferent kind-"
" Of how you slept, when you found yourself in
deep water, and how your crew strove to outdo
their commander, and how all succeeded so well,
that there was a gray-head on board here, that began to shake with displeasure," interrupted Griffith; " truly, Dick, you will get into lubberly habits on board that bubble in which you float about,
where all hands go to sleep as regularly as the inhabitants of a poultry ard go to roost."
"Not so bad, not half so bad, Ned," returned
the other laughing; "I keep as sharp a discipline
as if we wore a flag. To be sure, forty men can't
mnake as much parade as three or four hundred;
but as for making or taking in sail, I am your better any day."




ï~~80

THE PILOT.

" Ay, oecause a pocket handkerchief is sooner
opened and shut than a table-cloth. But I hold
it to be unseamanlike, to leave any vessel without
human eyes, and those open, to watch whether she
goes east or west, north or south."
" And who is guilty of such a dead-man's
watch?"
" Why, they say on board here, that when it
blows hard, you seat the man you call long Tom
by the side of the tiller, tell him to keep her headto-sea, and then pipe all hands to their night-caps,
where you all remain, comfortably stowed in your
hammocks, until you are awakened by the snoring
of your helmsman."
" 'Tis a damned scandalous insinuation," cried
Barnstable, with an indignation that he in vain attempted to conceal.  "Who gives currency to
such a libel, Mr. Griffith?"
" I had it of the marine," said his friend, losing
the archness that had instigated him to worry his
companion, in the vacant air of one who was careless of every thing; " but I don't believe half of
it myself--I have no doubt you all had your eyes
open last night, whatever you might have been
about this morning."
" Ah! this morning! there was an oversight,
indeed! But I was studying a new signal-book,
Griffith, that has a thousand times more interest
for me than all the bunting you can show, from the
head to the heel of your masts."
" What! have you found out the Englishman's
private talk?"
"No, no," said the other, stretching forth his
hand, and grasping the arm of his friend. "I met,
last night, one, on those cliffs, who has proved herself what I always believed her to be and loved her
for, a girl of quick thought and bold spirit."




ï~~THE PILOT

8I

" Of whom do you speak?"
" Of Katherine-"
Griffith started from his chair involuntarily, at
the sound of this name, and the blood passed quickly through the shades of his countenance, leaving
it now pale as death, and then burning as if oppressed by a torrent from his heart. Struggling to
overcome an emotion, which he appeared ashamed
to betray even to the friend he most loved, the
young man soon recovered himself so far as to resume his seat, when he asked, gloomily" Was she alone P"
" She was; but she left with me this paper, and
this invaluable book, which is worth a library of
all other works."
The eye of Griffith rested vacantly on the treasure that the other valued so highly, but his hand
seized, eagerly, the open letter which was laid on
the table for his perusal. The reader will at once
understand, that it was in the hand-writing of a female, and that it was the communication Barnstable had received from his betrothed, on the cliffs.
Its contents were as follows:
"Believing that Providence may conduct me
where we shall meet, or whence I may be able to
transmit to you this account, I have prepared a
short statement of the situation of Cecilia Howard
and myself; not, however, to urge you and Griffith to any rash or foolish hazards, but that you
may both sit down, and, after due consultation, determine on what is proper for our relief.
"By this time, you must understand the character of Colonel Howard too well to expect he
will ever consent to give his niece to a rebel. He
has already sacrificed to his loyalty, as he calls it,
(but I whisper to Cecilia, 'tis his treason,) not only his native country, but no small part of his for
6




ï~~89 W

THE PILOT.

tune also. In the frankness of my disposition, (you
know my frankness, Barnstable, but too well!) I
confessed to him, after the defeat of the mad attempt Griffith made to carry off Cecilia, in Carolina, that I had been foolish enough to enter into
some weak promise to the brother officer who had
accompanied the young sailor in his traitorous visits to the plantation. Heigho! I sometimes think
it would have been better for us all, if your ship had
never been chased into the river, or after she was
there, if Griffith had made no attempt to renew his
acquaintance with my cousin. The colonel received the intelligence as such a guardian would
hear that his ward was about to throw away thirty
thousand dollars and herself on a traitor to his king
and country. I defended you stoutly  said that
you had no king, as the tie was dissolved; that
America was your country, and that your profession was honourable; but it would not all do.
He called you rebel; that I was used to.  He
said you were a traitor; that, in his vocabulary, amounts to the same thing. He even hinted
that you were a coward; and that I knew to be
false, and did not hesitate to tell him so. lie used
fifty opprobrious terms that I cannot remember,
but among others were the beautiful epithets of
' disorganizer,' 'leveller,'' democrat,' ' and 'jacobite.' (I hope he did not mean a monk!) In short,
he acted Colonel Howard in a rage. But as his
dominion does not, like that of his favourite kings,
continue from generation to generation, and one
short year will release me from his power, and
leave me mistress of my own actions, that is, if
your fine promises are to be believed, I bore it
all very well, being resolved to suffer any thing
but martyrdom, rather than abandon Cecilia. She,
dear girl, has much more to distress her than I can




ï~~THE PILOT.

83

have; she is not only the ward of Colonel Howard, but his niece, and his sole heir. I am per.
suaded this latter circumstance makes no difference in either her conduct or her feelings, but he
appears to think it gives him a right to tyrannize
over her on all occasions. After all, Colonel Howard is a gentleman when you do not put him in a
passion, and, I believe, a thoroughly honest man,
and Cecilia even loves him. But a man who is
driven from his country, in his sixtieth year, with
the loss of near half his fortune, is not apt to canonize those who compel the change.
" It seems that when the Howards lived on this
island, a hundred years ago, they dwelt in the
county of Northumberland.   Hither, then, he
brought us, when political events, and his dread of
becoming the uncle to a rebel, induced him to
abandon America, as he says, for ever. We have
been here now three months, and for two thirds
of that time we lived in tolerable comfort; but lat
terly, the papers have announced the arrival of the
ship and your schooner in France, and from that
moment as strict a watch has been kept over us,
as if we had meditated a renewal of the Carolina
flight. The colonel, on his arrival here, hired an
old building, that is part house, part abbey, part
castle, and all prison, because it is said to have
once belonged to an ancestor of his. In this delightful dwelling there are many cages, that will
secure more uneasy birds than we are. About
a foi tnight ago an alarm was given in a neighbouring village which is situated on the shore, that two
American vessels, answering your description, had
been seen hovering along the coast; and, as the
people in this quarter dream of nothing but that
terrible fellow Paul Jones, it was said that he was
on board one of them. But I believe that Colonel




ï~~84

THE PILOT.

Howard suspects who you really are. He was very minute in his inquiries, I hear; and since then,
has established a sort of garrison in the house, under the pretence of defending it against marauders,
like those who are said to have laid my Lady Selkirk under contribution.
" Now, understand me, Barnstable; on no account would I have you risk yourself on shore;
neither must there be blood spilt, if you love me;
but that you may know what sort of a place we
are confined in, and by whom surrounded, I will
describe both our prison and the garrison. The
whole building is of stone, and not to be attempted with slight means. It has windings and turnings, both internally and externally, that would require more skill than I possess to make intelligible; but the rooms we inhabit are in the upper or
third floor of a wing, that you may call a tower, if
you are in a romantic mood, but which, in truth, is
nothing but a wing. Would to God I could fly
with it! If any accident should bring you in sight
of the dwelling, you will know our rooms by the
three smoky vanes that whiffle about its pointed
roof, and also, by the windows in that story being
occasionally open. Opposite to our windows, at
the distance of half a mile, is a retired, unfrequented ruin, concealed, in a great measure, from observation by a wood, and affording none of the best
accommodations, it is true, but shelter in some of
its vaults or apartments. I have prepared, according to the explanations you once gave me on this
subject, a set of small signals, of differently coloured silks, and a little dictionary of all the phrases
that I could imagine as useful to refer to, properly
numbered to correspond with the key and the
flags, all of which I shall send you with this letter.
You must prepare your own flags, and of course I




ï~~1 H E PI LO'r.

85

retain mine, as well as a copy of the key and book.
If opportunity should ever offer, we can have, at
least, a pleasant discourse together; you from the
top of the old tower in the ruins, and I from the
east window of my dressing-room! But now for
the garrison. In addition to the commandant, Colonel Howard, who retains all the fierceness of his
former military profession, there is, as his second
in authority, that bane of Cecilia's happiness, Kit
Dillon, with his long Savannah face, scornful eyes
of black, and skin of the same colour. This gentleman, you know, is a distant relative of the Howards, and wishes to be more nearly allied. He is
poor, it is true, but then, as the colonel daily remarks, he is a good and loyal subject, and no rebel. When I asked why he was not in arms in
these stirring times, contending for the prince he
loves so much, the colonel answers that it is not
his profession, that he has been educated for the
law, and was destined to fill one of the highest judicial stations in the colonies, and that he hoped
he should yet live to see him sentence certain
nameless gentlemen to condign punishment. This
was consoling, to be sure, but I bore it. However, he left Carolina with us, and here he is, and
here he is likely to continue, unless you can catch
him, and anticipate his judgment on himself. This
gentleman the colonel has long desired to see the
husband of Cecilia, and since the news of your being on the coast, the siege has nearly amounted to
a storm. The consequences are, that my cousin
at first kept her room, and then the colonel kept
her there, and even now she is precluded from
leaving the wing we inhabit. In addition to these
two principal gaolers, we have four men servants,
two black and two white; and an officer and twenty soldiers from the neighbouring town are billeted
8




ï~~86

THE PILOT.

on us, by particular desire, until the coast is declared fi'ee from pirates! yes, that is the musical
name they give you-and when their own people
land, and plunder, and rob, and murder the men
and insult the women, they are called heroes! It's
a fine thing to be able to invent names and make
dictionaries-and it must be your fault, if mine
has been framed for no purpose. I declare, when
I recollect all the insulting and cruel things I hear
in this country of my own and her people, it makes
me lose my temper, and forget my sex; but do not
let my ill humour urge you to any thing rash; remember your life, remember their prisons, remember your reputation, but do not, do not forget
your                 KATHERINE PLOWDEN."
" P. S. I had almost forgotten to tell you, that
in the signal-book you will find a more particular
description of our prison, where it stands, and a
drawing of the grounds, &c."
When Griffith concluded this epistle, he returned it to the man to whom it was addressed, and
fell back in his chair, in an attitude that denoted
deep reflection.
" I knew she was here, or I should have accepted the command offered to me by our commissioners in Paris," he at length uttered; " and
I thought that some lucky chance might throw her
in my way; but this is bringing us close, indeed!
This intelligence must be acted on, and that
promptly. Poor girl, what does she not suffer in
such a situation!"
" What a beautiful hand she writes!" exclaimed
Barnstable; "'tis as clear, and as pretty, and as
small, as her own delicate fingers. Grillff. what a
log-book she would keep!"
" Cecilia Howard touch the coarse leaves of a




ï~~THE PILOT.

log-book!" cried the other in amazement; but
perceiving Barnstable to be poring over the contents of his mistress's letter, he smiled at theii
mutual folly, and continued silent. After a short
time spent in cool reflection, Griffith required of
his friend the nature and circumstances of his interview with Katherine Plowden. Barnstable related it, briefly, as it occurred, in the manner already known to the reader.
" Then," said Griffith, " Merry is the only one,
besides ourselves, who knows of this meeting, and
he will be too chary of the reputaticn of his kinswoman to mention it."
" Her reputation needs no shield, Mr. Griffith,"
cried her lover; " 'tis as spotless as the canvass
above your head, and-"
" Peace, (lear Richard; I entreat your pardon;
my words may have conveyed more than I intended; but it is important that our measures
should be secret, as well as prudently concerted."
" We must get them both off," returned Barnstable, forgetting his displeasure the moment it
was exhibited, "and that too before the old man
takes it into his wise head to leave the coast. Did
you ever get a sight of his instructions, or does he
keep silent?"
" As the grave. This is the first time we have
left port, that he has not conversed freely with me
on the nature of the cruise; but not a syllable has
been exchanged between us on the subject, since
we sailed from Brest."
" Ah! that is your Jersey bashfulness," said
Barnstable; " wait till I come alongside him,
with my eastern curiosity, and I pledge myself to
get it out of him in an hour."
"'Twill be diamond cut diamond, I doubt," said
Griffith. laughing; " you will find him as acute at




ï~~THE PILOT.

evasion, as you can possibly be at a cross-examination."
" At any rate, he gives me a chance to-day,
you know, I suppose, that he sent for me to attend 'a consultation of his officers on important
matters."
" I did not," returned Griffith, fixing his eyes
intently on the speaker; "what has he to offer?"
"Nay, that you must ask your pilot; for while
talking to me, the old man would turn and look at
the stranger, every minute, as if watching for signals how to steer."
" There is a mystery about that man, and out
connexion with him, that I cannot fathom," said
Griffith. " But I hear the voice of Manual calling for me; we are wanted in the cabin. Remember, you do not leave the ship without seeing me
again."
"No, no, my dear fellow, from the public we
must retire to another private consultation."
The young men arose, and Griffith, throwing
off the round-about in which he had appeared or
deck, drew on a coat of more formal appearance,
and taking a sword carelessly in his hand, they
proceeded together along the passage already described, to the gun-deck, where they entered, with
the proper ceremonials, into the principal cabin of
the frigate.




ï~~CHAPTER VII.

"S empronius, speak."
Cato
THE arrangements for the consultation were
brief and simple. The veteran commander of the
frigate received his orders with punctilious respect,
and pointing to the chairs that were placed around
the table, which was a fixture in the centre of his
cabin, he silently seated himself, and his example
was followed by all, without further ceremony.
In taking their stations, however, a quiet, but rigid
observance was paid to the rights of seniority and
rank. On the right of the Captain was placed
Griffith, as next in authority; and opposite to him
was seated the commander of the schooner. The
officer of marines, who was included in the number, held the next situation in point of precedence,
the same order being observed to the bottom of
the table, which was occupied by a hard-featured,
square-built, athletic man, who held the office of
sailing-master. When order was restored, after
the short interruption of taking their places, the
officer who had required the advice of his inferiors
opened the business on which he demanded their
opinions.
"My instructions direct me, gentlemen," he
8*




ï~~90

THE PILOT.

said, "after making the coast of England, to rub
the land down-"
The hand of Griffith was elevated respectfully
for silence, and the veteran paused, with a look
that inquired the reason of his interruption.
"We are not alone," said the lieutenant, glancing his eye towards the part of the cabin where
the pilot stood, leaning on one of thre guns, in an
attitude of easy indulgence.
The stranger moved not at this direct hint; neither did his eye change from its close survey of a
chart that lay near him on the deck. The captain
dropped his voice to tones of cautious respect, as
he replied"'Tis only Mr. Gray. His services will be necessary on the occasion, and therefore nothing need
be concealed from him."
Glances of surprise were exchanged among the
young men, but Griffith bowing his silent acquiescence in the decision of his superior, the latter
proceeded" I was ordered to watch for certain signals from
the headlands that we made, and was furnished
with the best of charts, and such directions as enabled us to stand into the bay we entered last night.
We have now obtained a pilot, and one who has
proved himself a skilful man; such a one, gentlemen, as no officer need hesitate to rely on, in any
emergency, either on account of his integrity or his
knowledge."
The veteran paused, and turned his looks on the
countenances of the listeners, as if to collect their
sentiments on this important point. Receiving no
other reply than the one conveyed by the silent
inclinations of the heads of his hearers, the commander resumed his explanations, referring to an
open paper in his hand



ï~~THE PILOT.

91

" It is known to you all, gentlemen, that the
unfortunate question of retaliation has been much
agitated between the two governments, our own
and that of the enemy. For this reason, and for
certain political purposes, it has become an abject
of solicitude with our commissioners in Paris, to
obtain a few individuals of character from the enemy, who may be held as a check on their proceedings, at the same time it brings the evils of war,
from our own shores, home to those who have
caused it. An opportunity now offers to put this
plan in execution, and I have collected you, in order to consult on the means."
A profound silence succeeded this unexpected
communication of the object of their cruise. After
a short pause, their captain added, addressing himself to the sailing-master" What course would you advise me to pursue,
Mr. Boltrope?"
The weather-beaten seaman who was thus called
on to break through the difficulties of a knotty
point, with his opinion, laid one of his short, bony
hands on the table, and began to twirl an inkstand
with great industry, while with the other he conveyed a pen to his mouth, which was apparently
masticated with all the relish that he could possibly have felt had it been a leaf from the famous
Virginian weed. But perceiving that he was expected to answer, after looking first to his right
hand, and then to his left, he spoke as follows, in a
hoarse, thick voice, in which the fogs of the ocean
seemed to have united with sea-damps and colds,
to destroy every thing like melody"If this matter is ordered, it is to be done, I
suppose," he said; "for the old rule runs, ' obey
orders, if you break owners;' though the maxim,
which says, ' one hand for the owner, and t'other




ï~~92

2   HE PI LO 1.

for yourself,' is quite as good, and has saved many
a hearty fellow from a fall that would have balanced the purser's books. Not that I mean a purser's books are not as good as any other man's,
but that when a man is dead, his account must be
closed, or there will be a false muster. Well, if
the thing is to be done, the next question is, how
is it to be done? There is many a man that knows
there is too much canvass on a ship, who can't tell
how to shorten sail. Well, then, if the thing is really to be done, we must either land a gang to seize
them, or we must show false lights, and sham colours, to lead them off to the ship. As for landing,- Captain Munson, I can only speak for one
man, and that is myself, which is to say, that if
you run the ship with her jib-boom into the king
of England's parlour windows, why, I'm consenting, nor do I care how much of his crockery is
cracked in so doing; but as to putting the print of
my foot on one of his sandy beaches, if I do, that
is always speaking for only one man, and saving
your presence, may I hope to be d  d."'
The young men smiled as the tough old seaman
uttered his sentiments so frankly, rising with his
subject, to that which with him was the climax of
all discussion; but his commander, who was but a
more improved scholar from the same rough school,
appeared to understand his arguments entirely, and
without altering a muscle of his rigid countenance,
he required the opinion of the junior lieutenant.
The young man spoke firmly, but modestly,
though the amount of what he said was not much
more distinct than that uttered by the master, and
was very much to the same purpose, with the exception, that he appeared to entertain no personal
reluctance to trusting himself on dry ground.
The opinions of the others grew gradually more




ï~~THE PILOT.

93

explicit and clear, as they ascended in the scale of
rank, until it came to the turn of the captain of
marines to speak. There was a trifling exhibition
of professional pride about the soldier, in delivering
his sentiments on a subject that embraced a good
deal more of his peculiar sort of duty than ordinarily occurred in the usual operations of the frigate.
" It appears to me, sir, that the success of this
expedition depends altogether upon the manner in
which it is conducted."  After this lucid opening,
the soldier hesitated a moment, as if to collect his
ideas for a charge that should look down all opposition, and proceeded. " The landing, of course,
will be effected on a fair beach, under cover of the
frigate's guns, and could it be possibly done, the
schooner should be anchored in such a manner as
to throw in a flanking fire on the point of debarkation. The arrangements for the order of march
must a good deal depend on the distance to go
over; though I should think, sir, an advanced party
of seamen, to act as pioneers for the column of
marines, should be pushed a short distance in front,
while the baggage and baggage-guard might rest
upon the frigate, until the enemy was driven into
the interior, when it could advance without danger. There should be flank-guards, under the orders of two of the oldest midshipmen; and a light
corps might be formed of the top-men, to co operate with the marines. Of course, sir, Mr. Griffith
will lead, in person, the musket-men and boarders,
armed with their long pikes, whom I presume he
will hold in reserve, as I trust my military claims
and experience entitle me to the command of the
main body."
" Well done, field marshal!" cried Barnstable,
with a glee that seldom regarded time or place;
" you should never let salt-water mould your but



ï~~94

THE PILOT.

tons, but in Washington's camp, ay! and in Washington's tent, you should swing your hammock in
future. Why, sir, do you think we are about to
invade England?"
" I know that every military movement should
be executed with precision, Captain Barnstable,"
returned the marine.  " I am too much accustomed to hear the sneers of the sea-officers, to regard what I know proceeds from ignorance.  If
Captain Munson is disposed to employ me and my
command in this expedition, I trust he will discover that marines are good for something more than
to mount guard or pay salutes."  Then, turning
haughtily from his antagonist, he continued to address himself to their common superior, as if disdaining further intercourse with one who, from the
nature of the case, must be unable to comprehend
the force of what he said. " It will be prudent,
Captain Munson, to send out a party to reconnoitre, before we march; and as it may be necessary to defend ourselves in ease of a repulse, I
would beg leave to recommend that a corps be provided with entrenching tools, to accompany the
expedition. They would be extremely useful, sir,
in assisting to throw up field-works; though, I
doubt not, tools might be found in abundance in
this country, and labourers impressed for the service, on an emergency. "
This was too much for the risibility of Barnstable, who broke forth in a burst of scornful laughter, which no one saw proper to interrupt; though
Griffith, on turning his head, to conceal the smile
that was gathering on his own face, perceived the
fierce glance which the pilot threw at the merry
seaman, and wondered at its significance and impatience. When Captain Munson thought that the
mirth of the lieutenant was concluded, he mildly




ï~~THE PILOT.

desired his reasons for amusing himself so exceedingly with the plans of the marine.
"'Tis a chart for a campaign!" cried Barnstable, " and should be sent off express to Congress,
before the Frenchmen are brought into the field!"
" Have you any better plan to propose, Mr.
Barnstable?" inquired the patient commander.
" Better! ay, one that will take no time, and
cause no trouble, to execute it," cried the other;
"'tis a seaman's job, sir, and must be done with a
seaman's means."
" Pardon me, Captain Barnstable," interrupted
the marine, whose jocular vein was entirely absorbed in his military pride; " if there be service
to be done on shore, I claim it as my right to be
employed."
" Claim what you will, soldier, but how will you
carry on the war with a parcel of fellows who
don't know one end of a boat from the other,"
returned the reckless sailor. " Do you think, that
a barge or a cutter is to be beached in the same
manner you ground firelock, by word of command?
No, no, Captain Manual-I honour your courage,
for 1 have seen it tried, but d  e if "
" You forget, we wait for your project, Mr.
Barnstable," said the veteran.
"I crave your patience, sir; but no project is
necessary. Point out the bearings and distance of
the place where the men you want are to be found,
and I will take the heel of the gale, and run into the
land, always speaking for good water and no rocks.
Mr. Pilot, you will accompany me, for you carry
as true a map of the bottom of these seas in your
head as ever was made of dry ground. I will look
out for good anchorage, or if the wind should blow
off shore, let the schooner stand off and on, till we
should be ready to take the broad sea again. I




ï~~96

THE PILOT.

would land, out of my whale-boat, with long Tom
and a boat's crew, and finding out the place you
will describe, we shall go up, and take the men
you want, and bring them aboard. It's all plainsailing; though, as it is a well-peopled country,
it may be necessary to do our shore work in the
dark."
"Mr. Griffith, we only wait for your sentiments," proceeded the captain, " when, by comparing opinions, we may decide on the most prudent course."
The first lieutenant had been much absorbed
in thought, during the discussion of the subject,
and might have been, on that account, better prepared to give his opinion with effect. Pointing
to the man who yet stood behind him, leaning on
a gun, he commenced by asking
" Is it your intention that man shall accompany
the party?"
"It is."
"And from him you expect the necessary information, sir, to guide our movements?"
" You are altogether right."
" If, sir, he has but a moiety of the skill on the
land that he possesses on the water, I will answer
for his success," returned the lieutenant, bowing
slightly to the stranger, who received the compliment by a cold inclination of his head. " I must
desire the indulgence of both Mr. Barnstable and
Captain Manual," he continued, " and claim the
command as of right belonging to my rank."
"It belongs naturally to the schooner," exclaimed the impatient Barnstable.
" There may be enough for us all to do," said
Griffith, elevating a finger to the other, in a manner, and with an impressive look, that was instantly comprehended. " I neither agree wholly




ï~~THE PILOT.

97

with the one nor the other of these gentlemen,
'Tis said, that since our appearance on the coast,
the dwellings of many of the gentry are guarded
by small detachments of soldiers from the neighbouring towns."
" Who says it?" asked the pilot, advancing
among them with a suddenness that caused a ge
neial silence., I say it, sir," returned the lieutenant, when
the momentary surprise had passed away.
" Can you vouch for it?"
" I can."
"Name a house, or an individual, that is thus
protected."
Griffith gazed at the man who thus forgot him-t
self in the midst of a consultation like the present,
and yielding to his native pride, hesitated to reply. But mindful of the declarations of his captain, and the recent services of the pilot, he at
length said, with a little embarrassment of mannerI know it to be the fact, in the dwelling of a
Colonel Howard, who resides but a few leagues to
the north of us."
The stranger started at the name, and then
raising his eye keenly to the face of the young
man, appeared to study his thoughts in his varying
countenance. But the action, and the pause that
followed, were of short continuance.  His lip
sightly curled, whether in scorn or with a concealed smile, would have been difficult to say, so
closely did it resemble both, and as he dropped
quietly back to his place at the gun, he said" 'Tis more than probable you are right, sir;
and if I might presume to advise Captain Munson, it would be to lay great weight on your
opinion."




ï~~98

THE PILOT

Griffith turned, to see if he could comprehend
more meaning in the manner of the stranger than
his words expressed, but his face was again shaded
by his hand, and his eyes were once more fixed
on the chart with the same vacant abstraction as
before.
" I have said, sir, that I agree wholly neither
with Mr. Barnstable nor Captain Manual," continued the lieutenant, after a short pause. " The
command of this party is mine, as the senior officer, and I must beg leave to claim it. I certainly
do not think the preparation that Captain Manual
advises necessary; neither would I undertake the
duty with as little caution as Mr. Barnstable proposes. If there are soldiers to be encountered,
we should have soldiers to oppose to them; but
as it must be sudden boat-work, and regular evolutions must give place to a seaman's bustle, a seaofficer should command. Is my request granted,
Captain Munson?"
The veteran replied, without hesitation' It is, sir; it was my intention to offer you
the service, and I rejoice to see you accept it so
cheerfully."
Griffith with difficulty concealed the satisfaction
with which he listened to his commander, and a
radiant smile illumined his pale features, when he
observed
" With me then, sir, let the responsibility rest.
I request that Captain Manual, with twenty men,
may be put under my orders, if that gentleman
does not dislike the duty."  The marine bowed
and cast a glance of triumph at Barnstable  " I
will take my own cutter, with her tried crew, go
on board the schooner, and when the wind lulls,
we will run min to the land, and then be governed
by circumstances."




ï~~THIE PILOT.

9J

The commander of the schooner threw back the
triumphant look of the marine, and exclaimed, in
his joyous manner
" 'Tis a good plan, and done like a seaman, Mr.
Griffith. Ay, ay, let the schooner be employed,
and if it be necessary, you shall see her anchored
in one of their duck-ponds, with her broadside to
bear on the parlour-windows of the best house in
the island! But twenty marines! they will cause
a jam in my little craft."
" Not a man less than twenty would be prudent," returned Griffith. " More service may offer than that we seek."
Barnstable well understood his allusion, but still
he replied
" Make it seamen, and I will give you room for
thirty. But these soldiers never.know how to
stow away their arms and legs, unless at a drill.
One will take the room of two sailors; they swing
their hammocks athwart-ships, heads to leeward,
and then turn-out wrong end uppermost at the call.
Why, damn it, sir, the chalk and rotten-stone of
twenty soldiers will chock my hatches!"
" Give me the launch, Captain Munson!" exclaimed the indignant marine, " and we will follow
Mr. Griffith in an open boat, rather than put Captain Barnstable to so much inconvenience."
" No, no, Manual," cried the other, extending
his muscular arm across the table, with an open
palm, to the soldier;" you would all become so
many Jonahs in uniform, and I doubt whether the
fish could digest your cartridge-boxes and bayonetbelts. You shall go with me, and learn, with your
own eyes, whether we keep the cat's-watch aboard
the Ariel that you joke about."
The laugh was general, at the expense of the
soldier, if we except the pilot and the commander




ï~~100

THE PILOT.

of the frigate. The former was a silent, and apparently an abstracted, but in reality a deeply interested listener to the discourse; and there were
moments when he bent his looks on the speakers,
as if he sought more in their characters than was
exhibited by the gay trifling of the moment. Captain Munson seldom allowed a muscle of his wrinkled features to disturb their repose; and if he
had not the real dignity to repress the untimely
mirth of his officers, he had too much good nature
to wish to disturb their harmless enjoyments. He
expressed himself satisfied with the proposed arrangements, and beckoned to his steward to place
before them the usual beverage, with which all
their consultations concluded.
The sailing-master appeared to think that the
same order was to be observed in their potations
as in council, and helping himself to an allowance which retained its hue even in its diluted
state, he first raised it to the light, and then ob
served" This ship's-water is nearly the colour of rum
of itself; if it only had its flavour, what a set of
hearty dogs we should be. Mr. Griffith, I find
you are willing to haul your land-tacks aboard.
Well, it's natural for youth to love the earth; but
there is one man, and he is sailing-master of this
ship, who saw land enough, last night, to last him
a twelvemonth. But if you will go, here's a good
land-fall, and a better offing to you.  Captain
Munson, my respects to you. I say, sir, if we
should keep the ship more to the south'ard, it's
my opinion, and that's but one man's, we should
fall in with some of the enemy's homeward-bound
West-Indiamen, and find wherewithal to keep the
life in us when we see fit to go ashore ourselves."
As the tough old sailor made firequent applica



ï~~TIN E PILOT.

101

tion of the glass to his mouth with the one hand,
and kept a firm hold of the decanter with the
other, during this speech, his companions were
compelled to listen to his eloquence, or depart with
their thirst unassuaged. Barnstable, however,
quite coolly dispossessed the tar of the bottle, and
mixing for himself a more equal potation, observed,
in the act" That is the most remarkable glass of grog you
have, Boltrope, that I ever sailed with; it draws
as little water as the Ariel, and is as hard to find
the bottom. If your spirit room enjoys the same
sort of engine to replenish it, as you pump out
your rum, Congress will sail this frigate cheaply."
The other officers helped themselves with still
greater moderation, Griffith barely moistening his
lips, and the pilot rejecting the offered glass altogether. Captain Munson continued standing, and
his officers, perceiving that their presence was no
longer necessary, bowed, and took their leave.
As Griffith was retiring last, he felt a hand laid
lightly on his shoulder, and turning, perceived that
he was detained by the pilot.
" Mr. Griffith," he said, when they were quite
alone with the commander of the frigate, " the
occurrences of the last night should teach us confidence in each other; without it, we go on a dangerous and fruitless errand."
" Is the hazard equal?" returned the youth.
"I am known to all to be the man I seem-am in
the service of my country-belong to a family, and
enjoy a name, that is a pledge for my loyalty to
the cause of America-and yet I trust myself on
hostile ground, in the midst of enemies, with a
weak arm, and under circumstances where treachery would prove my ruin. Who and what is
the man who thus enjoys your confidence, Captain
9*




ï~~102

THE PILOT.

Munson? I ask the question less for myself than
for the gallant men who will fearlessly follow
wherever I lead."
A shade of dark displeasure crossed the features
of the stranger, at one part of this speech, and at its
close he sunk into deep thought. The commander.
however, replied" There is a show of reason in your question,
Mr. Griffith-and yet you are not the man to be
told that implicit obedience is what I have a right
to expect. I have not your pretensions, sir, by
birth or education, and yet Congress have not seen
proper to overlook my years and services. I command this frigate-"
" Say no more," interrupted the pilot. " There
is reason in his doubts, and they shall be appeased.
I like the proud and fearless eye of the young man,
and while he dreads a gibbet from my hands, I
will show him how to repose a noble confidence.
Read this, sir, and tell me if you distrust me
now?"
While the stranger spoke, he thrust his hand
into the bosom of his dress, and drew forth a parchment, decorated with ribands, and bearing a massive seal, which he opened, and laid on the table
before the youth. As he pointed with his finger
impressively, to different parts of the writing, his
eye kindled with a look of unusual fire, and there
was a faint tinge discernible on his pallid features
when he spoke.
SSee!" he said, " royalty itself does not hesitate to bear witness in my favour, and that is not a
name to occasion dread to an American."
Griffith gazed with wonder at the fair signature
of the unfortunate Louis, which graced the bottom
of the parchment; but when his eye obeyed the
signal of the stranger, and rested on the body of




ï~~THE PILOT.             103
the instrument, he started back from the table, and
fixing his animated eyes on the pilot, he cried,
while a glow of fiery courage flitted across his
countenance" Lead on! I'll follow you to death!"
A smile of gratified exultation struggled around
the lips of the stranger, who took the arm of the
young man, and led him into a state-room, leaving
the commander of the frigate, standing in his unmoved and quiet manner, a spectator of, but hardly an actor in the scene.




ï~~CHAPTER VIII.

SFierce bounding, forward sprung the ship.
"Like grayhound starting from the slip,
"To seize his flying prey."
Lord of the Isles
ALTHOUH the subject of the consultation remained a secret with those whose opinions were required, yet enough of the result leaked out among
the subordinate officers, to throw the whole crew
into a state of eager excitement. The rumour
spread itself along the decks of the frigate, with
the rapidity of an alarm, that an expedition was to
attempt the shore on some hidden service, dictated
by the Congress itself; and conjectures were made
respecting its force and destination, with all that
interest which might be imagined would exist
among the men whose lives or liberties were to
abide the issue. A gallant and reckless daring,
mingled with the desire of novelty, however,'was
the prevailing sentiment among the crew, who
would have received with cheers the intelligence
that their vessel was commanded to force the passage of the united British fleet. A few of the older and more prudent of the sailors were exceptions to this thoughtless hardihood, and one or two,
among whom the cockswain of the whaleboat was
the most conspicuous, ventured to speak doubting,
ly of all sorts of land service, as being of a nature
never to be attempted by seamen.




ï~~THE PILOT.

105

Captain Manual had his men paraded in the
weather-gangway, and after a short address, calculated to inflame their military ardour and patriotism, acquainted them that he required twenty
volunteers, which was in truth half their number,
for a dangerous service. After a short pause, the
company stepped forward, like one man, and announced themselves as ready to follow him to the
end of the world. The marine cast a look over
his shoulder, at this gratifying declaration, in quest
of Barnstable; but observing that the sailor was
occupied with some papers, on a distant part of the
quarter-deck, he proceeded to make a most impartial division among the candidates for glory;
taking care at the same time, to cull his company
in such a manner as to give himself the flower of
his men, and, consequently, to leave the ship the
refuse.
While this arrangement was taking place, and
the crew of the frigate was in this state of excitement, Griffith ascended to the deck, his countenance flushed with unusual enthusiasm, and his
eyes beaming with a look of animation and gayety,
that had long been strangers to the face of the
young man. He was giving forth the few necessary orders to the seamen he was to take with him
from the ship, when Barnstable again motioned
him to follow, and led the way once more to the
state-room.
" Let the wind blow its pipe out," said the
commander of the Ariel, when they were seated;
"thei e will be no landing on the eastern coast of
England till the sea goes down. But this Kate
was made for a sailor's wife! See Griffith, what
a set of signals she has formed, out of her own
cunning head."
" I hope your opinion may prove true, and that




ï~~106

THE PILOT

you may be the happy sailor who is to wed her,"
returned the other. " The girl has indeed discovered surprising art in this business! where could
she have learnt the method and system so well?"
" Where! why, where she learnt better things;
how to prize a whole-hearted seaman, for instance.
Do you think that my tongue was jammed in my
mouth, all the time we used to sit by the side of
the river in Carolina, and that we found nothing
to talk about!"
" Did you amuse your mistress with treatises
on the art of navigation, and the science of signals?" said Griffith, smiling.
" I answered her questions, Mr. Griffith, as any
civil man would to a woman he loved. The girl
has as much curiosity as one of my own townswomen who has weathered cape forty without a
husband, and her tongue goes like a dogvane in a
calm, first one way and then another. But here
is her dictionary. Now own, Griff., in spite of
your college learning and sentimentals, that a woman of ingenuity and cleverness is a very good sort
of a helpmate."
"I never doubted the merits of Miss Plowden,"
said the other, with a droll gravity that often mingled with his deeper feelings, the result of a sailor's habits, blended with native character. " But
this indeed surpasses all my expectations! Why,
she has, in truth, made a most judicious selection
of phrases. ' No. 168. **** indelible;' c 169. **#
end only with life;' ' 170. **** I fear yours mis
leads me;' ' 171.-' "
" Pshaw!" exclaimed Barnstable, snatching the
book from before the laughing eyes of Griffith;
"what folly, to throw away our time now on such
nonsense. What think you of this expedition to
the land P"




ï~~THE PILOT.

107

" That it may be the means of rescuing the ladies, though it fail in making the prisoners we anticipate."
"But this pilot! you remember tnat he holds
us by our necks, and can run us all up to the yardarm of some English ship, whenever he chooses to
open his throat at their threats or bribes."
" It would have been better that he should have
cast the ship ashore, when he had her entangled in
the shoals; it would have been our last thought to
suspect him of treachery then," returned Griffith.
"I follow him with confidence, and must believe
that we are safer with him than we should be without him."
" Let him lead to the dwelling of his fox-hunting ministers of state," cried Barnstable, thrusting
his book of signals into his bosom; "but here is a
chart that will show us the way to the port we
wish to find. Let my foot once more touch terra
firma, and you may write craven against my name,
if that laughing vixen slips her cable before my
eyes, and shoots into the wind's eye again like a
flying-fish chased by a dolphin. Mr. Griffith, we
must have the chaplain with us to the shore."
" The madness of love is driving you into the
errors of the soldier. Would you lie-by to hear
sermons, with a flying party like ours?"
" Nay, nay, we must lay-to for nothing that is
not unavoidable; but there are so many tacks in
such a chase, when one has time to breathe, that we
might as well spend our leisure in getting that fellow to splice us together. He has a handy way
with a prayer-book, and could do the job as well
as a bishop, and I should like to be able to say,
that this is the last time these two saucy names,
which are written at the bottom of this letter, should
ever be seen sailing in the company of each other.?'




ï~~108

THE PILOT.

" It will not do," said his friend, shaking his
head, and endeavouring to force a smile which his
feelings suppressed; " it will not do, Richard; we
must yield our own inclinations to the service of
our country; nor is this pilot a man who will consent to be led from his purpose."
" Then let him follow his purpose alone," cried
Barnstable. " There is no human power, always
saving my superior officer, that shall keep me from
throwing abroad these tiny signals, and having a
private talk with my dark-eyed Kate. But for a
paltry pilot! he may luff and bear away as he
pleases, while I shall steer as true as a magnet for
that old ruin, where I can bring my eyes to bear
on that romantic wing and three smoky vanes. Not
that I'll forget my duty * no, I'll help you catch
the Enghlishmen; but when that is done, hey! for
Katherine Plowden and my true love!"
" Hush, madcap! the ward-room holds long
ears, and our bulkheads grow thin by wear. I
must keep you and myself to our duty. This is
no children's game that we play; it seems the
commissioners at Paris have thought proper to employ a frigate in the sport."
Barnstable's gayety was a little repressed by the
grave manner of his companion; but after reflecting a moment, he started on his feet, and made the
usual movements for departure.
"1 Whither?" asked Griffith, gently detaining his
impatient friend.
" To old Moderate; I have a proposal to make
that may remove every difficulty."
" Name it to me, then; I am in his council, and
may save you the trouble and mortification of a
refusal."
" How many of those gentry does he wish to
line his cabin with?"




ï~~THII E  PILOT.

109

" The pilot has named no less than six, all men
of rank and consideration with the enemy. Two
of them are peers, two more belong to the commons' house of parliament, one is a general, and
the sixth, like ourselves, is a sailor, and holds the
rank of captain. They muster at a hunting seat
near the coast, and believe me the scheme is not
without its plausibility."
" Well, then, there are two a-piece for us. You
follow the pilot, if you will; but let me sheer off
for this dwelling of Colonel Howard, with my
cockswain and boat's-crew. I will surprise his
house, release the ladies, and on my way back,
lay my hands on two of the first lords I fall in with.
I suppose, for our business, one is as good as another."
Griffith could not repress a faint laugh, while he
replied"Though they are said to be each other's
peers, there is, I believe, some difference even in
the quality of lords. England might thank us for
ridding her of some among them. Neither are
they to be found, like beggars, under every hedge.
No, no, the men we seek, must have something
better than their nobility to recommend them to
our favour. But let us examine more closely into
this plan and map of Miss Plowden; something
may occur, that shall yet bring the p!ace within
our circuit, like a contingent duty of the cruise."
Barnstable reluctantly relinquished his own
wild plan, to the more sober judgment of his friend,
and they passed an hour together, inquiring into
the practicability, and consulting on the means, of
making their public duty subserve the purposes
of their private feelings.
The gale continued to blow heavily, during the
10




ï~~110

THE PILOT.

whole of that morning; but towards noon, the
usual indications of better weather became apparent. During these few hours of inaction in
the frigate, the marines, who were drafted for service on the land, moved through the vessel with a
busy and stirring air, as if they were about to participate in the glory and danger of the campaignl
their officer had planned, while the few seamen
who were to accompany the expedition steadily
paced the deck, with their hands thrust into the
bosoms of their neat blue jackets, or, occasionally,
stretched towards the horizon, as their fingers
traced, for their less experienced shipmates, the
signs of an abatement in the gale among the driving clouds. The last lagger among the soldiers had
appeared with his knapsack on his back in the leegangway, where his comrades were collected, armed and accoutred for the strife, when Captain
Munson ascended to the quarter-deck, accompanied by the stranger and his first lieutenant. A
word was spoken by the latter in a low voice to a
midshipman who skipped gayly along the deck,
and presently the shrill call of the boatswain was
heard, preceding the hoarse cry of
" Away there, you Tigers, away!"
A smart roll of the drum followed, and the marines paraded, while the six seamen who belonged
to the cutter that owned so fierce a name, made
their preparations for lowering their little bark
from the quarter of the frigate into the troubled
sea. Every thing was conducted in the most exact order, and with a coolness and skill that bid
defiance to the turbulence of the angry elements.
The marines were safely transported from the ship
to the schooner, under the favouring shelter of the
former, though the boat appeared, at times, to be




ï~~THE PILOT.

ill.

seeking the cavities of the ocean, and again, to be
riding in the clouds, as she passed from one vessel
to the other.
At length it was announced that the cutter was
ready to receive the officers of the party. The
pilot walked aside, and held private discourse, for
a few moments, with the commander, who listened to his sentences with marked and singular attention. When their conference was ended, the
veteran bared his grey head to the blasts, and offered his hand to the other, with a seaman's frankness, mingled with the deference of an inferior.
The compliment was courteously returned by the
stranger, who turned quickly on his heel, and directed the attention of those who awaited his
movements, by a significant gesture, to the gangway.
" Come, gentlemen, let us go," said Griffith,
starting from a reverie, and bowing his hasty compliments to his brethren in arms.
When it appeared that his superiors were ready
to enter the boat, the boy, who, by nautical courtesy, was styled Mr. Merry, and who had been
ordered to be in readiness, sprang over the side
of the frigate, and glided into the cutter, with the
activity of a squirrel. But the captain of marines
paused, and cast a meaning glance at the pilot,
whose place it was to precede him. The stranger,
as he lingered on the deck, was examining the
aspect of the heavens, and seemed unconscious of
the expectations of the soldier, who gave vent to
his impatience, after a moment's detention, by saying
" We wait for you, Mr. Gray."
Aroused by the sound of his name, the pilot
glanced his quick eye on the speaker, but instead
of advancing, he gently bent his body, as he again




ï~~112

THE PILOT.

signed towards the gangway with his hand. To
the astonishment not only of the soldier, but of all
who witnessed this breach of naval etiquette, Griffith bowed low, and entered the boat with the same
promptitude as if he were preceding an admiral.
Whether the stranger became conscious of his
want of courtesy, or was too indifferent to surrounding objects to note occurrences, he immediately followed himself, leaving to the marine the
post of honour. The latter, who was distinguished for his skill in all matters of naval or military
etiquette, thought proper to apologize, at a fitting
time, to the first lieutenant, for suffering his senior
officer to precede him into a boat, but never failed
to show a becoming exultation, when he recounted
the circumstance, by dwelling on the manner in
which he had brought down the pride of the
haughty pilot.
Barnstable had been several hours on board his
little vessel, which was every way prepared for
their reception; and as soon as the heavy cutter
of the frigate was hoisted on her deck, he announced that the schooner was ready to proceed.
It has been already, intimated, that the Ariel belonged to the smallest class of sea-vessels, and as
the symmetry of her construction reduced even
that size in appearance, she was peculiarly well
adapted to the sort of service in which she was
about to be employed. Notwithstanding her lightness rendered her nearly as buoyant as a cork, and
at times she actually seemed to ride on the foam,
her low decks were perpetually washed by the
heavy seas that dashed against her frail sides, and
she tossed and rolled in the hollows of the waves,
in a manner that compelled even the practised seamen who trod her decks to move with guarded
steps. Still she was trimmed and cleared with an




ï~~THE PILOT.

113

air of nautical neatness and attention that afforded
the utmost possible room for her dimensions; and
though in miniature, she wore the trappings of war
as proudly as if the metal she bore was of a more
fatal and dangerous character.  The murderous
gun, which, since the period of which we are writing, has been universally adopted in all vessels of
inferior size, was then in the infancy of its invention, and was known to the American mariner only
by reputation, under the appalling name of a
"smasher."  Of a vast caliber, though short, and
easily managed, its advantages were even in that
early day beginning to be appreciated, and the largest ships were thought to be unusually well provided with the means of offence, when they carried two or three cannon of this formidable invention among their armament. At a later day this
weapon has been improved and altered, until its
use has become general in vessels of a certain size,
taking its appellation from the Carron, on the banks
of which river it was first moulded. In place of
these carronades, six light brass cannon were firmly
lashed to the bulwarks of the Ariel, their brazen
throats blackened by the sea-water, which so often
broke harmlessly over these engines of destruction.
In the centre of the vessel, between her two masts,
a gun of the same metal, but of nearly twice the
length of the others, was mounted on a carriage of
a new and singular construction, which admitted
of its being turned in any direction, so as to be of
service in most of the emergencies that occur in
naval warfare.
The eye of the pilot examined this armament
closely, and then turned to the well-ordered decks,
the neat and compact rigging, and the hardy faces
of the fine young crew, with manifest satisfaction.
Contrary to what had been his practice during the
8          1*




ï~~114

THE PILOT.

short time he had been with them, he uttered his
gratification freely and aloud.
" You have a tight boat, Mr. Barnstable," he
said, " and a gallant looking crew. You promise
good service, sir, in time of need, and that hour
may not be far distant."
" The sooner the better," returned the reckless
sailor; " I have not had an opportunity of scaling
my guns since we quitted Brest, though we passed
several of the enemy's cutters coming up channel,
with whom our bull-dogs longed for a conversation. Mr. Griffith will tell you, pilot, that my little sixes can speak, on occasion, with a voice nearly
as loud as the frigate's eighteens."
" But not to as much purpose," observed Grif
fith; "'vox et preterea nihil,' as we said at the
school."
" I know nothing of your Greek or Latin, Mr.
Griffith," retorted the commander of the Ariel;
" but if you mean that those seven brass playthings won't throw a round shot as far as any gun
of their size and height above the water, or wont
scatter grape and canister with any blunderbuss
in your ship, you may possibly find an opportunity
that will convince you to the contrary, before we
part company."
" They promise well," said the pilot, who was
evidently ignorant of the good understanding that
existed between the two officers, and wished to
conciliate all under his directions, " and I doubt
not they will argue the leading points of a combat
with good discretion. I see that you have christened them-I suppose for their respective merits.
They are indeed expressive names!"
".'Tis the freak of an idle moment," said Barnstable, laughing, as he glanced his eyes to the cannon, above which were painted the several quaint




ï~~TH E PILOT.

115

names of " boxer," "plumper," " grinder," " scatterer," " exterminator," and " nail-driver."
" Why have you thrown the midship-gun without the pale of your baptism?" asked the pilot;
" or do you know it by the usual title of the ' old
woman?'"
' No, no, I have no such petticoat terms on
board me," cried the other; " but move more to
starboard, and you will see its style painted on the
cheeks of the carriage; it's a name that need not
cause them to blush either."
" Tis a singular epithet, though not without
some meaning!"
" It has more than you, perhaps, dream of, sir.
That worthy seaman, whom you see leaning
against the foremast, and who would serve, on occasion, for a spare spar himself, is the captain of
that gun, and more than once has decided some
warm disputes with John Bull, by the manner in
which he has wielded it. No marine can trail
his musket more easily than my cockswain can
train his nine-pounder on an object; and thus from
their connexion, and some resemblance there is between them in length, it has got the name which
you perceive it carries; that of 'long Tom.'
The pilot smiled as he listened, but turning
away from the speaker, the deep reflection that
crossed his brow but too plainly showed that he
trifled only from momentary indulgence; and Griffith intimated to Barnstable, that as the gale was
sensibly abating, they would pursue the object of
their destination.
Thus recalled to his duty, the commander of the
schooner forgot the delightful theme of expatiating
on the merits of his vessel, and issued the necessary orders to direct their movements. The little
schooner slowly obeyed the impulse of her helm




ï~~116

TII l  PI O T.

and fell off before the wind, when the folds of her
squaresail, though limited by a prudent reef, were
opened to the blasts, and she shot away from her
consort, like a meteor dancing across the waves.
The black mass of the frigate's hull soon sunk in
distance, and long before the sun had fallen below
the hills of England, her tall masts were barely
distinguishable by the small cloud of sail that held
the vessel to her station. As the ship disappeared, the land seemed to issue out of the bosom of
the deep, axd so rapid was their progress, that the
dwellings of the gentry, the humbler cottages, and
even the dim lines of the hedges, became gradually more distinct to the eyes of the bold mariners,
until they were beset with the gloom of evening,
when the whole scene faded from their view in
the darkness of the hour, leaving only the faint
outline of the land visible in the tract before them,
and the sullen billows of the ocean raging with appalling violence in their rear.
Still the little Ariel held on her way, skimming
the ocean like a water-fowl seeking its place of
nightly rest, and shooting in towards the land as
fearlessly as if the dangers of the preceding night
were already forgotten. No shoals or rocks appeared to arrest her course, and we must leave
her gliding into the dark streak that was thrown
from the high and rocky cliffs, that lined a basin of
bold entrance, where the mariners often sought
and found a refuge from the dangers of the German Ocean.




ï~~CHAPTER IX.

"Sirrah i! how dare you leave your barley broth,
1To come in armour thus, against your king?"
Drama.
THE large irregular building, inhabited by Col.
onel Howard, well deserved the description it had
received from  the pen of Katherine Plowden.
Notwithstanding the confusion in its orders, owing
to the different ages in which its several parts had
been erected, the interior was not wanting in that
appearance of comfort which forms the great characteristic of English domestic life. Its dark and
intricate mazes of halls, galleries, and apartments,
were all well provided with good and substantial
uIhrniture, and whatever might have been the purposes of their original construction, they were now
peacefully appropriated to the service of a quiet and
well ordered family.
There were divers portentous traditions, of cruel separations and blighted loves, which always
linger, like cobwebs, around the walls of old
houses, to be heard here also, and which doubtless, in abler hands, might easily  have been
wrought up into scenes of high interest and delectable pathos. But our humbler efforts must be
limited by an attempt to describe man as God has
made him, vulgar and unseemly as he may appear




ï~~118

rilE  PILOT.

to sublimated faculties, to the possessors of which
enviable qualifications we desire to say, at once,
that we are determined to eschew all things supernaturally refined, as we would the devil. 'o all
those, then, who are tired of the company of their
species, we would bluntly insinuate, that the sooner
they throw aside our pages, and seize upon those
of some more highly gifted bard, the sooner will
they be in the way of quitting earth, if not of attaining heaven. Our business is solely to treat of
man, and this fair scene on which he acts, and that
not in his subtleties and metaphysical contradictions, but in his palpable nature, that all may understand our meaning as well as ourselves-whereby we manifestly reject the prodigious advantage
of being thought a genius, by perhaps foolishly refusing the mighty aid of incomprehensibility to establish such a character.
Leaving the gloomy shadows of the cliffs, under
which the little Ariel has been seen to steer, and
the sullen roaring of the surf along the margin of
the ocean, we shall endeavour to transport the
reader to the dining-parlour of St. Ruth's Abbey,
taking the evening of the same day as the time for
introducing another collection of those personages,
whose acts and characters it has become our duty
to describe.
The room was not of very large dimensions,
and every part was glittering with the collected
light of half a dozen candles, aided by the fierce
rays that glanced from the grate, which held a most
cheerful fire of sea-coal. The mouldings of the
dark oak wainscoting threw back upon- the massive table of mahogany, streaks of strong light,
which played among the rich fluids that were
sparkling on the board, in mimic haloes.  The
outline of this picture of comfort was formed by




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119

damask curtains of a deep red, enormous oak
chairs with leathern backs and cushioned seats, as
if the apartment were hermetically sealed against
the world and its chilling car es.
Around the table, which still si ood in the centre
of the floor, were seated three gentlemen, in the
easy enjoyment of their daily repast. The cloth
had been drawn, and the bottle was slowly passing
among them, as if those who partook of its bounty
well knew that neither the time nor the opportunity would be wanting for their deliberate indulgence in its pleasures.
At one end of the table an elderly man was seated, who performed whatever little acts of courtesy
the duties of a host would appear to render necessary in a company where all seemed to be equally
at their ease and at home. This gentleman was
in the decline of life, though his erect carriage,
quick movements, and steady hand, equally denoted that it was an old age free from the usual infirmities. In his dress, he belonged to that class
whose members always follow the fashions of the
age anterior to the one in which they live, whether from disinclination to sudden changes of any
kind, or from the recollections of a period which,
with them, has been hallowed by scenes and feelings that the chilling evening of life can neither revive nor equal. Age might possibly have thrown
its blighting frosts on his thin locks, but art had
laboured to conceal the ravages with the nicest
care. An accurate outline of powder covered not
only the parts where the hair actually remained,
but wherever nature had prescribed that hair
should grow. His countenance was strongly marked in features, if not in expression, Exhibiting, on
the whole, a look of noble integrity and high ho



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THE PILOT.

nour, which was a good deal aided in its effect by
the lofty receding forehead, that rose like a monument, above the whole, to record the character of
the aged veteran. A few streaks of branching red
mingled with a swarthiness of complexion that was
rendered more conspicuous by the outline of unsullied white which nearly surrounded his prominent features.
Opposite to the host, who it will at once be understood was Colonel Howard, was the thin,
yellow visage of Mr. Christopher Dillon, that bane
to the happiness of her cousin, already mentioned
by Miss Plowden.
Between these two gentlemen was a middleaged, hard-featured man, attired in the livery of
King George, whose countenance emulated the
scarlet of his coat, and whose principal employment, at the moment, appeared to consist in doing
honour to the cheer of his entertainer.
Occasionally, a servant entered or left the room,
in silence, giving admission, however, through the
opened door, to the rushing sounds of the gale, as
the wind murmured amid the angles and high chimneys of the edifice.
A man, in the dress of a rustic, was standing
near the chair of Colonel Howard, between whom
and the master of the mansion a dialogue had been
maintained, which closed as follows. The colonel
was the first to speak, after the curtain is drawn
from between the eyes of the reader and the scene.
"Said you, farmer, that the Scotchman beheld
the vessels with his own eyes?"
The answer was a simple negative.
"Well, well," continued the colonel, "you can
withdraw."
The man made a rude attempt at a bow, which




ï~~THE PILOT.

121

being returned by the old soldier with formal grace,
he left the room. The host, turning to his compamnions, resumed the subject.
" If those rash boys have really persuaded the
silly dotard who commands the frigate, to trust
himself within the shoals, on the eve of such a gale
as this, their case must have been hopeless in
deed! Thus may rebellion and disaffection ever
mneet with the just indignation of Providence! It
would not surprise me, gentlemen, to hear that my
native land has been engulphed by earthquakes, or
swallowed by the ocean, so awful and inexcusable
has been the weight of her transgressions! And
yet it was a proud and daring boy who held the
second station in that ship! I knew his father
well, and a gallant gentleman he was, who, like
my own brother, the parent of Cecilia, preferred
to serve his master on the ocean rather than on
the land. His son inherited the bravery of his
high spirit, without its loyalty. One would not
wish to have such a youth drowned, either."
This speech, which partook much of the nature
of a soliloquy, especially towards its close, called
for no immediate reply; but the soldier, having
held his glass to the candle, to admire the rosy
hue of its contents, and then sipped of the fluid so
often that nothing but a clear light remained to
gaze at, quietly replaced the empty vessel on the
table, and, as he extended an arm towards the
blushing bottle, he spoke, in the careless tones of
one whose thoughts were dwelling on another
theme" Ay, true enough, sir; good men are scarce,
and, as you say, one cannot but mourn his fate,
though his death be glorious; quite a loss to his
majesty's service, I dare say, it will prove."
" A loss to the service of his majesty!" echoed
11




ï~~122

THE PILOT.

the host-" his death glorious! no, captain Borroughcliffe, the death of no rebel can be glorious;
and how he can be a loss to his majesty's service
I am myself quite at a loss to understand."
The soldier, whose ideas were in that happy
state of confusion that renders it difficult to command the one most needed, but who still, fromn
long discipline, had them under a wonderful control for the disorder of his brain, answered, with
great promptitude" I mean the loss of his example, sir. It would
have been so appalling to others, to have seen the
young man executed instead of shot in battle."
" He is drowned, sir."
" Ah! that is the next thing to being hanged;
that circumstance had escaped me."
" It is by no means certain, sir, that the ship and
schooner that the drover saw are the vessels you
take them to have been," said Mr. Dillon, in a
harsh, drawling tone of voice. "I should doubt
their daring to venture so openly on the coast, and
in the direct track of our vessels of war."
" These people are our countrymen, Christophlier, though they are rebels," exclaimed the colonel. " They are a hardy and brave nation.
When I had the honour to serve his majesty, some
twenty years since, it was my fortune to face the
enemies of niy king in a few small affairs, Captain
Borroughcliffe; such as the siege of Quebec, and
the battle oefore its gates, a trifling occasion at
Ticonderoga, and that unfortunate catastrophe of
General Braddock-with a few others. I must
say, sir, in favour of the colonists, that they played
manful game on the latter day; and this gentleman who now heads the rebels sustained a gallant
name among us for his conduct in that disastrous
business. He was a discreet, well-behaved young




ï~~THE PILOT.

123

man., and quite a gentleman. I have never denied
that Mr. Washington was very much of a gentleman."
"Yes," said the soldier, yawning, 1 he was educated among his majesty's troops, and he could
hardly be otherwise. But I am quite melancholy
about this unfortunate drowning, Colonel Howard.
Here will be an end of my vocation, I suppose, and
[ am far from denying that your hospitality has
made these quarters most agreeable to me."
" Then, sir, the obligation is only mutual," returned the host, with a polite inclination of his
head:" but gentlemen, who, like ourselves, have
been made free of the camp, need not bandy idle
compliments about such trifles. If it were my
kinsman, Dillon, now, whose thoughts run more
on Coke upon Littleton than on the gayeties of a
mess-table, and a soldier's life, he might think such
formalities as necessary as his hard words are to a
deed. Come, Borroughcliffe, my dear fellow, I
believe we have given an honest glass to each of
the royal family, (God bless them all!) let us
swallow a bumper to the memory of the immortal
Wolfe."
" An honest proposal, my gallant host, and such
a one as a soldier will never decline," returned
the captain, who roused himself with the occasion.
" God bless them all, say I, in echo, and if this
gracious queen of ours ends as famously as she has
begun, 'twill be such a family of princes as no other
army in Europe can brag of around a mess-table."
" Ay, ay, there is some consolation in that
thought, in the midst of this dire rebellion of my
countrymen. But I'll vex myself no more with
the unpleasant recollections; the arms of my
sovereign will soon purge that wicked land of the
foul stain."




ï~~124

THE PILOT.

" Of that there can be no doubt," said Borrougheliffe, whose thoughts still continued a little obscured by the sparkling Madeira that had long lain
ripening under a Carolinian sun; " these Yankees
fly before his majesty's regulars, like so many
dirty clowns in a London mob before a charge of
the horse-guards."
" Pardon me, Captain Borroughcliffe," said his
host, elevating his person to more than its usually
erect attitude; "they may be misguided, deluded,
and betrayed, but the comparison is unjust. Give
them arms and give them discipline, and he who
gets an inch of their land from them, plentiful as
it is, will find a bloody day on which to take possession."
" The veriest coward in Christendom would fight
m a country where wine brews itself into such a
cordial as this," returned the cool soldier; " I am
a living proof that you mistook my meaning; for
had not those loose-flapped gentlemen they cah
Vermontese and Hampshire-granters (God grant
them his blessing for the deed!) finished two
thirds of my company, I should not have been at
this day under your roof, a recruiting instead of a
marching officer; neither should I have been bound
up in a covenant, like the law of Moses, could Burgoyne have made head against their long-legged
marchings and counter-marchings. Sir, I drink
their healths, with all my heart; and, with such a
bottle of golden sunshine before me, rather than
displease so good a friend, I will go through Gates's
whole army, regiment by regiment, company by
company, or, if you insist on the same, even man
by man, in a bumper."
" On no account would I tax your politeness so
far," returned the colonel, abundantly mollified by
this ample concession; "I stand too much you



ï~~THE PILOT.

125

debtor, Captain Borrougheliffe, for so freely volunteering to defend my house against the attacks of
my piratical, rebellious, and misguided cour trymen, to think of requiring such a concession."
" Harder duty might be performed, and no favours asked, my respectable host," returned the
soldier. " Country quarters are apt to be dull, and
the liquor is commonly execrable; but in such a
dwelling as this a man can rock himself in the very
cradle of contentment. And yet there is one
subject of complaint, that I should disgrace my regiment did I not speak of, for it is incumbent on
me, both as a man and a soldier, to be no longer
silent."
" Name it, sir, freely, and its cause shall be as
freely redressed," said the host, in some amaze
ment.
" Here we three sit, from morning to night,"
continued the soldier, "bachelors all, well provi
sioned and better liquored, I grant you, but like
so many well fed anchorites, while two of the
loveliest damsels in the island pine in solitude
within a hundred feet of us, without tasting the
homage of our sighs. This, I will maintain, is a
reproach both to your character, Colonel Howard,
as an old soldier, and to mine as a young one. As
to our friend Coke on top of Littleton here, I
leave him to the quiddities of the law to plead his
own cause."
The brow of the host contracted for a moment,
and the sallow cheek of Dillon, who had sat during the dialogue in a sullen silence, appeared to
grow even livid; but gradually the open brow of
the veteran resumed its frank expression, and the
lips of the other relaxed into a jesuitical sort of a
smile,  that was totally disregarded by the captain,
who amused himself with sipping his wine while
11 *




ï~~THE PILOT.

he waited for an answer, as if he analyzed each
drop that crossed his palate.
After an embarrassing pause of a moment, Colonel Howard broke the silence.
" There is reason in Borroughcliffe's hint, for
such I take it to be-"
"1 I meant it for a plain, matter-of-fact complaint," interrupted the soldier.
" And you have cause for it," continued the
colonel. " It is unreasonable, Christopher, that
the ladies should allow their dread of these piratical countrymen of ours to exclude us from theisociety, though prudence may require that they
remain sccluded in their apartments. We owe
the respect to Captain Borroughcliffe, that at least
we admit him to the sight of the coffee-urn in an
evening."
" That is precisely my meaning," said the captain; " as for dining with them, why, I am well
provided for here, but there is no one knows how
to set hot water a hissing in so professional a manner as a woman. So forward, my dear and honoured colonel, and lay your injunctions on thenm,
that they command your humble servant and
Mr. Coke unto Littleton to advance and give the
countersign of gallantry."
Dillon contracted his disagreeable features into
something that was intended for a satirical smile,
before he spoke as follows:
" Both the veteran Colonel Howard and the
gallant Captain Borroughcliffe may find it easier
to overcome the enemies of his majesty in the field
than to shake a woman's caprice. Not a day has
passed, these three weeks, that I have not sent
my inquiries to the door of Miss Howard, as became her father's kinsman, with a wish to appease
her apprehensions of the pirates; but little has she




ï~~THE PILOT.

I $1

deigned me in reply, more than such thanks as her
sex and breeding could not well dispense with."
SWell, you have been as fortunate as myself,
and why you should be more so, I see no reason,"
cried the soldier, throwing a glance of cool contempt at the other; " fear whitens the cheek, and
ladies best love to be seen when the roses flourish
rather than the lilies."
" A woman is never so interesting, Captain
Borroughcliffe," said the gallant host, " as when
she appears to lean on man for support; and he
who does not feel himself honoured by the trust,
is a disgrace to his species."
" Bravo! my honoured sir, a worthy sentiment,
and spoken like a true soldier; but I have heard
much of the loveliness of the ladies of the Abbey
since I have been in my present quarters, and I
feel a strong desire to witness beauty encircled by
such loyalty as could induce them to flee their native country, rather than to devote their charms to
the rude keeping of the rebels."
The colonel looked grave, and for a moment
fierce; but the expression of his displeasure soon
passed away in a smile of forced gayety, and, as
he cheerfully rose from his seat, he cried" You shall be admitted this very night, and this
instant, Captain Borroughcliffe. We owe it, sir,
to your services here, as well as in the field, and
those froward girls shall be humoured no longer.
Nay, it is nearly two weeks since I have seen my
ward myself, nor have I laid my eyes on my niece
but twice in all that time. Christopher, I leave
the captain under your good care, while I go seek
admission into the cloisters; we call that part of
the building the cloisters, because it holds our nuns,
sir! You will pardon my early absence firom the
table, Captain Borroughcliffe."




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THE PILOT.

" I beg it may not be mentioned; you leave an
excellent representative behind you, sir," cried
the soldier, taking in the lank figure of Mr. Dillon in a sweeping glance, that terminated with a
settled gaze on his decanter. " Make my devoirs
to the recluses, my dear colonel, and say all that
your own excellent wit shall suggest as an apology
for my impatience. Mr. Dillon, I meet you in a
bumper to their healths and in their honour."
The challenge was coldly accepted, and while
these gentlemen still held their glasses to their
lips, Colonel Howard left the apartment, bowing
low, and uttering a thousand excuses to his guest,
as he proceeded, and even offering a very unnecessary apology of the same effect to his habitual
inmate, Mr. Dillon.
" Is fear so very powerful within these old
walls?" said the soldier, when the door closed behind their host; " that your. ladies deem it necessary to conceal themselves before even an enemy
is known to have landed?"
Dillon coldly replied
" The name of Paul Jones is terrific to all on
this coast, I believe, nor are the ladies of St. Ruth
singular in their apprehensions."
" Ah! the pirate has bought himself a desperate
name, since the affair of Flamborough Head. But
let him look to't, if he trusts himself in another Whitehaven expedition, while there is a detachment of the     th in the neighbourhood,
though the men should be nothing better than recruits."
" Our last accounts leave him safe in the court
of Louis," returned his companion; " but there
are men as desperate as himself, who sail the ocean
under the rebel flag, and firom one or two of them we
have had much reason to apprehend the vengeance




ï~~TIHE PILOT.

129

of disappointed men. It is they that we hope are
lbst in this gale."
"Hum! I hope they were dastards, or your
hopes are a little unchristian, and-"
Hie would have proceeded, but the door opened,
and his orderly entered, and announced, that a
sentinel had detained three men, who were passing along the highway, near the abbey, and who,
by their dress, appeared to be seamen.
" Well, let them  pass," cried the captain;
" what, have we nothing to do better than to stop
passengers, like footpads, on the king's highway!
give them of your canteens, and let the rascals
ass. Your orders were to give the alarm, if any
ostile party landed on the coast, not to detain
peaceable subjects on their lawful business."
" I beg your honour's pardon," returned the
sergeant; "but these men seemed lurking about
the grounds for no good, and as they kept carefully aloof from the place where our sentinel was
posted, until to-night, Downing thought it looked
suspiciously, and detained them."
"Downing is a fool, and it may go hard with
him for his officiousness. What have you done
with the men?"
"I took them to the guard-room in the east
wing, your honour."
" Then feed them; and harkye, sirrah! liquor
them well, that we hear no complaints, and let
them go."
" Yes, sir, yes, your honour shall be obeyed;
but there is a straight, soldierly looking fellow
among them, that I think might be persuaded to
enlist, if he were detained till morning. I doubt,
sir, by his walk, but he has served already."
" Ha! what say you!" cried the captain, prick9




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THE PILOT.

ing up his ears, like a hound who hears a wellknown cry, " served, think ye, already?"
" There are signs about him, your honour, to
that effect. An old soldier is seldom deceived in
such a thing, and considering his disguise, folbr it
can be no other, and the place where we took him,
there is no danger of a have-us corpses, until he
is tied to us by the laws of the kingdom."
" Peace, you knave!" said Borroughcliffe, rising, and making a devious route towards the door;
" you speak in the presence of my lord chief justice that is to be, and should not talk lightly of the
laws. But still you say reason; give me your
arm, sergeant, and lead the way to the east wing;
my eyesight is good for nothing in such a dark
night. A soldier should always visit his guard before the tattoo beats."
After emulating the courtesy of their host, Captain Borroughcliffe retired on this patriotic errand,
leaning on his subordinate in a style of most familiar condescension. Dillon continued at the table,
endeavouring to express the rancorous feelings of
his breast by a satirical smile of contempt, that was
necessarily lost on all but himself, as a large mirror
threw back the image of his morose and unpleasant
features.
But we must precede the veteran colonel in his
visit to the "cloisters."




ï~~CHAPTER X.

"--And kindness like their own: -nspired those eyes, affectionate and glad,
K That seemed to love whate'er they looked upon,
" Whether with Hebe's mirth her features shone,
" Or if a shade more pleasing them o'ercast" Yet so becomingy th' expression past,
" That each succeeding look was lovelier than the last."
Gertrude of Wyoming
TIE western wing of St. Ruth house, or abbey,
as the building was indiscriminately called, retained but few vestiges of the uses to which it had
been originally devoted. The upper apartments
were small and numerous, extending on either
side of a long, low, and dark gallery, and might
have been the dormitories of the sisterhood who
were said to have once inhabited that portion of
the edifice; but the ground-floor had been modernized, as it was then called, about a century before,
and retained just enough of its ancient character to
blend the venerable with what was thought comfortable in the commencement of the reign of the
third George. As this wing had been appropriated
to the mistress of the mansion, ever since the build.
ing had changed its spiritual character for one of a
more carnal nature, Colonel Howard continued the
arrangement, when he became the temporary possessor of St. Ruth, until, in the course of events,
the apartments which had been appropriated for
the accommodation and convenience of his niece,




ï~~132

THE PILOT.

were eventually converted into her prison. But
as the severity of the old veteran was as often
marked by an exhibition of his virtues as of his
foibles, the confinement and his displeasure constituted the sole subjects of complaint that were
given to the young lady. That our readers may
be better qualified to judge of the nature of their
imprisonment, we shall transport them, without
further circumlocution, into the presence of the
two females, whom they must be already prepared
to receive.
The withdrawing-room of St. Ruth's was an
apartment which, tradition said, had formerly been
the refectory of the little bevy of fair sinners who
sought a refuge within its walls from the temptations of the world. Their number was not large,
nor their entertainments very splendid, or this
limited space could not have contained them. The
room, however, was of fair dimensions, and an air
of peculiar comfort, mingled with chastened luxury, was thrown around it, by the voluminous folds
of the blue damask curtains that nearly concealed
the sides where the deep windows were placed,
and by the dark leathern hangings, richly stamped
with cunning devices in gold, that ornamented the
two others. Massive couches in carved mahogany, with chairs of a similar material and fashion,
all covered by the same rich fabric that composed
the curtains, together with a Turkey carpet over,
the shaggy surface of which all the colours of the
rainbow were scattered in bright confusion, united
to relieve the gloomy splendour of the enormous
mantle, deep, heavy cornices, and the complicated
carvings of the massive wood-work which cumbered the walls. A brisk fire of wood was burning on the hearth, in compliment to the wilful
prejudice of Miss Plowden, who had maintained,




ï~~THE PILOT.

133

in her most vivacious manner, that seacoal was
"only tolerable for blacksmiths and Englishmen."
In addition to the cheerful blaze from the hearth,
two waxen lights, in candlesticks of massive silver,
were lending their aid to enliven the apartment.
One of these was casting its rays brightly along
the confused colours of the carpet on which it
stood, flickering before the active movements of
the form that played around it with light and animated inflexions. The posture of this young lady
was infantile in grace, and, with one ignorant of
her motives, her,employment would have been
obnoxious to the same construction. Divers small,
square pieces of silk, strongly contrasted to each
other in colour, lay on every side of her, and
were changed, as she kneeled on the floor, by her
nimble hands, into as many different combinations
as if she were humouring the fancies of her sex,
or consulting the shades of her own dark but rich
complexion in the shop of a mercer. The close
satin dress of this young female served to display
her small figure in its true proportions, while
her dancing eyes of jet-black shamed the dies of
the Italian manufacturer by their superior radiancy. A few ribands of pink, disposed about her
person with an air partly studied, and yet carelessly coquettish, seemed rather to reflect than lend
the rich bloom that mantled around her laughing
countenance, leaving to the eye no cause to regret
that she was not fairer.
Another female figure, clad in virgin white, was
reclining on the end of a distant couch. The seclusion in which they lived might have rendered
this female a little careless of her appearance, or,
what was more probable, the comb had been found
unequal to its burthen, for her tresses, which ri
12




ï~~134

THE PILOT.

valled the hue and gloss of the raven, had burst
from their confinement, and, dropping over her
shoulders, fell along her dress in rich profusion,
finally resting on the damask of the couch, in dark
folds, like glittering silk. A small hand, which
seemed to blush -at its own naked beauties, supported her head, imbedded in the volumes of her
hair, like the fairest alabaster set in the deepest
ebony. Beneath the dark profusion of her curls,
which, notwithstanding the sweeping train that fell
about her person, covered the summit of her head,
lay a low, spotless forehead of dazzling whiteness,
that was relieved by two arches so slightly and
truly drawn that they appeared to have been produced by the nicest touches of art. The fallen lids
and long silken lashes concealed the eyes, that
rested on the floor, as if their mistress mused in
melancholy. The remainder of the features of
this maiden were of a kind that is most difficult to
describe, being neither regular nor perfect in their
several parts, yet harmonizing and composing a
whole, that formed an exquisite picture of female
delicacy and loveliness. There might or there
might not have been a tinge of slight red in her
cheeks, but it varied with each emotion of her bosom, even as she mused in quiet, now seeming to
steal insidiously over her glowing temples, and
then leaving on her face an almost startling paleness. Her stature, as she reclined, seemed above
the medium height of womanhood, and her figure
was rather delicate than full, though the little foot
that rested on the damask cushion before her, displayed a rounded outline that any of her sex might
envy.
" Oh! I'm as expert as if I were signal officer
to the Lord high admiral of this realm!" exclaim



ï~~THE PILOT.

135

ed the laughing female on the floor, clapping her
hands together in girlish exultation. " I do long
Cecilia, for an opportunity to exhibit my skill."
While her cousin was speaking, Miss Howard
raised her head, with a faint smile, and as she turned her eyes towards the other, a spectator might
have been disappointed, but could not have been
displeased, by the unexpected change the action
produced in the expression of her countenance.
Instead of the piercing black eyes that the deep
colour of her tresses would lead him to expect, he
would have beheld two large, mild, blue orbs, that
seemed to float in a liquid so pure as to be nearly
invisible, and which were more remarkable for
their tenderness and persuasion, than for the vivid
flashes that darted from the quick glances of her
companion.
" The success of your mad excursion to the sea
side, my cousin, has bewildered your brain," returned Cecilia; " but I know not how to conquer
your disease, unless we prescribe salt-water for
the remedy, as in some other cases of madness."
"Ah! I am afraid your nostrum would be useless," cried Katherine; " it has failed to wash out
the disorder from the sedate Mr. Richard Barnstable, who has had the regimen administered to
him through many a hard gale, but who continues
as fair a candidate for bedlam as ever. Would
you think it, Cicely, the crazy-one urged me, in
the ten minutes' conversation we held together'on
the cliffs, to accept of his schooner as a showerbath!"
" I can think that your hardihood might encourage him to expect much, but surely he could not
have been serious in such a proposal!"
" Oh! to do the wretch justice, he did say
something of a chaplain to consecrate the mea



ï~~136

THE PILOT.

sure, but there was boundless impudence in the
thought. I have not, nor shall I forget it, or forgive him for it, these six-and-twenty years. What
a fine time he must have had of it, in his little
Ariel, among the monstrous waves we saw tumbling in upon the shore to-day, coz! I hope they
will wash his impudence out of him! I do think
the man cannot have had a dry thread about him,
from sun to sun. I must believe it is a punishment
for his boldness, and, be certain, I shall tell him of
it. I will form half a dozen signals, this instant,
to joke at his' moist condition, in very revenge."
Pleased with her own thoughts, and buoyant
with the secret hope that her adventurous under
taking would be finally crowned with complete
success, the gay girl shook her black locks, in infinite mirth, and tossed the mimic flags gayly
around her person, as she was busied in forming
new combinations, in order to amuse herself with
her lover's disastrous situation. But the features
of her cousin clouded with the thoughts that were
excited by her remarks, and she replied, in a tone
that bore some little of the accents of reproach" Katherine! Katherine! car you jest when
there is so much to apprehend! Forget you what
Alice Dunscombe told us of the gale, this morning!
and that she spoke of two vessels, a ship and a
schooner, that had been seen venturing with fearful temerity within the shoals, only six miles from
the Abbey, and that unless God in his gracious
providence had been kind to them, there was but
little doubt that their fate would be a sad one
Can you, that know so well who and what these
daring mariners are, be merry about the selfsame
winds that cause their danger?"
The thoughtless, laughing girl was recalled to
her recollection by this remonstrance, and every




ï~~THE PILOT.

137

trace of mirth vanished from her countenance,
leaving a momentary death-like paleness crossing
her face, as she clasped her hands before her, and
fastened her keen eyes vacantly on the splendid
pieces of silk that now lay unheeded around her.
At this critical moment the door of the room slowly opened, and Colonel Howard entered the apartment with an air that displayed a droll mixture of
stern indignation, with a chivalric and habitual respect to the sex.
"I solicit your pardon, young ladies, for the interruption," he said; " I trust, however, that an
old man's presence can never be entirely unexpected in the drawing-room of his wards."
As he bowed, the colonel seated himself on the
end of the couch, opposite to the place where his
niece had been reclining, for Miss Howard had
risen at his entrance, and continued standing until
her uncle had comfortably disposed of himself.
Throwing a glance, which was not entirely free
from self-commendation around the comfortable
apartment, the veteran proceeded, in the same tone
as before"You are not without the means of making any
guest welcome, nor do I see the necessity of such
constant seclusion from the eyes of the world as
you thus rigidly practise."
Cecilia looked timidly at her uncle, with surprise, before she returned an answer to his remark.
" We certainly owe much to your kind attention, dear sir," she at length uttered; "but is our
retirement altogether voluntary?"
" How can it be otherwise! are you not mistress of this mansion, madam! In selecting the
residence where your and, permit me to add, my
ancestors, so long dwelt, in credit and honour, I
12*




ï~~138

THE PILOT,

have surely been less governed by any natural
pride that I might well have entertained on such a
subject, than by a desire to consult your comfort
and happiness. Every thing appears to my aged
eyes as if we ought not to be ashamed to receive
our friends within these walls. The cloisters of
St. Ruth, Miss Howard, are not entirely bare,
neither are their tenants wholly unworthy to be
seen."
" Open, then, the portals of the Abbey, sir, and
your niece will endeavour to do proper credit to
the hospitality of its master."
" That was spoken like Harry Howard's daughter, frankly and generously!" cried the old soldier, insensibly edging himself nearer to his niece.
" If my brother had devoted himself to the camp,
instead of the sea, Cecilia, he would have made
one of the bravest and ablest generals in his majesty's service-poor Harry! he might have been
living at this very day, and at this moment leading
the victorious troops of his sovereign through the
revolted colonies in triumph.  But he is gone,
Cicely, and has left you behind him, as his deal
representative, to perpetuate our family, and to
possess what little has been left to us from the ra
vages of the times."
Â~ Surely, dear sir," said Cecilia, taking his
hand, which had unconsciously approached her
person, and pressing it to her lips, " we have no
cause to complain of our lot in respect to fortune,
though it may cause us bitter regret that so few of
us are left to enjoy it."
" No, no, no,' said Katherine, in a low, hurried
voice;  Alice Dunscombe is and must be wrong;
providence would never abandon brave men to so
cruel a fate!"
" Alice Dunscombe is here to atone for her er



ï~~THE PILOT.

139

ror, if she has fallen into one," said a quiet, subdued voice, in which the accents of a provincial
dialect, however, were slightly perceptible, ana
which, in its low tones, wanted that silvery clearness that gave so much feminine sweetness to the
words of Miss Howard, and which even rung melodiously in the ordinarily vivacious strains of her
cousin.
The surprise created by these sudden interrup
tions caused a total suspension of the discourse.
Katherine Plowden, who had continued kneeling
in the attitude before described, arose, and as she
looked about her in momentary confusion, the
blood again mantled her face with the fresh and
joyous springs of life. The other speaker advanced
steadily into the middle of the room, and after returning, with studied civility, the low bow of Colonel Howard, seated herself in silence on the opposite couch. The manner of her entrance, her
reception, and her attire, sufficiently denoted that
the presence of this female was neither unusual nor
unwelcome. She was dressed with marked simplicity, though with a studied neatness, that more
than compensated for the absence of ornaments.
Her age might not have much exceeded thirty, but
there was an adoption of customs in her attire that
indicated she was not unwilling to be thought older. Her fair flaxen hair was closely confined by
a dark bandeau, such as was worn in a nation farther north by virgins only, over which a few curls
strayed, in a manner that showed the will of their
mistress alone restrained their luxuriance. Her
light complexion had lost much of its brilliancy, but
enough still remained to assert its original beauty
and clearness. To this description might be added, fine, mellow blue eyes, beautifully white,
though large teeth, a regular set of features, and




ï~~140

THE PILOT.

a person that was clad in a dark lead-coloured silk,
which fitted her full, but gracefully moulded form,
with the closest exactness.
Colonel Howard paused a moment, after this
lady was seated, and then turning himself to Katherine with an air that became stiff and constrained by attempting to seem extremely easy, he
said" You no sooner summon Miss Alice, but she
appears, Miss Plowden-ready and (I aa bold to
say, Miss Alice) able to defend herself against all
charges that her worst enemies can allege against
her."
" I have no charges to make against Miss Dunscombe," said Katherine, pettishly, " nor do I wish
to have dissensions created between me and my
friends, even by Colonel Howard."
" Colonel Howai d will studiously avoid such
offences in future," said the veteran, bowing; and
turning stiffly to the others, he continued-'" I was
just conversing with my niece, as you entered,
Miss Alice, on the subject of her immuring herself
like one of the veriest nuns who ever inhabited
these cloisters. I tell her, madam, that neither her
years, nor my fortune, nor, indeed, her own, for
the child of Harry Howard was not left pennyless,
require that we should live as if the doors of the
world were closed against us, or there was no other
entrance to St. Ruth's but through those antiquated windows. Miss Plowden, I feel it to be my
duty to inquire why those pieces of silk are provided in such an unusual abundance, and in so extraordinary a shape?"
" To make a gala dress for the ball you are
about to give, sir," said Katherine, with a saucy
smile, that was only checked by the reproachful
glance of her cousin. " You have taste in a lady's




ï~~THE PILOT.

141

attire, Colonel Howard; will not this bright yellow form a charming relief to mybrown face, while
this white and black relieve one another, and this
pink contrasts so sweetly with black eyes. Will
not the whole form a turban fit for an empress to
wear?"
As the arch maiden prattled on in this unmeaning manner, her rapid fingers entwined the flags in
a confused maze, which she threw over her head
in a form not unlike the ornament for which she
intimated it was intended. The veteran was by
far too polite to dispute a lady's taste, and he renewed the dialogue, with his slightly awakened
suspicions completely quieted by her dexterity
and artifice. But although it was not difficult to
deceive Colonel Howard in matters of female
dress, the case was very different with Alice Dunscomnbe. This lady gazed, with a steady eye and
reproving countenance on the fantastical turban,
until Katherine threw herself by her side, and endeavoured to lead her attention to other subjects,
by her playful motions and whispered questions.
" I was observing, Miss Alice," continued the
colonel, " that although the times had certainly
inflicted some loss on my estate, yet we were not
so much reduced, as to be unable to receive our
friends in a manner that would not disgrace the
descendants of the ancient possessors of St. Ruth
Cecilia, here, my brother Harry's daughter, is a
young lady that any uncle might be proud to exhibit, and I would have her, madam, show your
English dames, that we rear no unworthy specimens of the parent stock on the other side of the
Atlantic."
" You have only to declare your pleasure, my
good uncle," said Miss Howard, "and it shall be
executed."




ï~~142

THE PILOT.

" Tell us how we can oblige you, sir," conti
nued Katherine, "and if it be in any manner that
will relieve the tedium of this dull residence, I
promise you at least one cheerful assistant to your
scheme."
" You speak fair," cried the colonel, " and like
two discreet and worthy girls! Well, then, our
first step shall be to send a message to Dillon and
the captain, and invite them to attend your coffee.
I see the hour approaches."
Cecilia made no reply, but looked distressed,
and dropped her mild eyes to the carpet; but Miss
Plowden took it upon herself to answer.
"Nay, sir, that would be for them to proceed
in the matter; as your proposal was that the first
step should be ours, suppose we all adjourn to your
part of the house, and do the honours of the teatable in your drawing-room, instead of our own.
I understand, sir, that you have had an apartment
fitted up for that purpose in some style; a woman's
taste might aid your designs, however."
"Miss Plowden, I believe I intimated to you
some time since," said the displeased colonel,
"that so long as certain suspicious vessels were
known to hover on this coast, I should desire that
you and Miss Howard would confine yourselves to
this wing."
" Do not say that we confine ourselves," said
Katherine, " but let it be spoken in plain English,
that you confine us here."
" Am I a gaoler, madam, that you apply such
epithets to my conduct! Miss Alice must form
strange conclusions of our manners, if she receive
her impressions from your very singular remarks
"All measures adopted from a dread of the ship
and schooner that ran within the Devil's Grip, yes



ï~~THE PILOT

1:43

ter-eve, may be dispensed with now," interrupted
Miss Dunscombe, in a melancholy, eflecting tone.
" There are few living, who know the dangerous
paths that can conduct even the smallest craft in
safety from the land, with daylight and fair winds;
hut when darkness and adverse gales oppose
them, the chance for safety lies wholly in God's
kindness."
" There is truly much reason to believe they
are lost," returned the veteran, in a voice in which
no exultation was apparent.
SThey are notÂ~ lost!" exclaimed Katherine
with startling energy, leaving her seat, and walking across the room to join Cecilia, with an air that
seemed to elevate her little figure to the height of
her cousin. ' They are skilful and they are brave,
and what gallant sailors can do, will they do, and
successfully; besides, in whose behalf would a just
Providence sooner exercise its merciful power,
than to protect the daring children of an oppressed
country, while contending against tyranny and
countless wrongs?"
The conciliating disposition of the colonel deserted him, as he listened. His own black eyes
sparkled with a vividness unusual for his years,
and his courtesy barely permitted the lady to conclude, ere he broke forth.
SWhat sin, madam, what damning crime, would
sooner call down the just wrath of Heaven on the
transgressors, than the act of foul rebellion? It
was this crime, madam, that deluged England in
blood in the reign of the first Charles; it is this
crime that has dyed more fields red than all the
rest of man's offences united; it has been visited
on our race as a condign punishment, from the
days of the deservedly devoted Absalom, down to
the present time; in short, it lost heaven for ever




ï~~144

THE PI LOT.

to some of the n. Pst glorious of its angels, and
there is much reason to believe that it is the one
unpardonable sin named in the holy gospels. '
" I know not that you have authority for believing it to be the heavy enormity that you mention,
Colonel Howard," said Miss Dunscombe, anticipating the spirited reply of Katherine, and willing
to avert it; she hesitated an instant, and then drawing a heavy, shivering sigh, she continued, in a
voice that grew softer as she spoke-" "'tis indeed
a crime of magnitude, and one that throws the
common backslidings of our lives, speaking by comparison, into the sunshine of his favour. Many
there are, who sever the dearest ties of this life,
by madly rushing into its sinful vortex; for I fain
think the heart grows hard with the sight of human calamity, and becomes callous to the miseries
its owner inflicts; especially where we act the
wrongs on our own kith and kin, regardless who
or how many that are dear to us suffer by our evil
deeds. It is, besides, Colonel Howard, a dangerous temptation, to one little practised in the
great world, to find himself suddenly elevated into
the seat of power; and if it do not lead to the
nommission of great crimes, it surely prepares the
way to it, by hardening the heart."
" I hear you patiently, Miss Alice," said Katherine, dancing her little foot, in affected coolness,
"for you neither know of whom nor to whom you
speak. But Colonel Howard has not that apology.
Peace, Cecilia, for I must speak! Believe them
not, dear girl; there is not a wet hair on their
heads. For you, Colonel Howard, who must recollect that the sister's son of the mothers of both
your niece and myself is on board that frigate
there is an appearance of cruelty in using such language."




ï~~THE PILOT.

145

"I pity the boy! from my soul I pity him!" exclaimed the veteran; " he is a child, and has followed the current that is sweeping out unhappy
colonies down the tide of destruction. But there
are others in that vessel, who have no excuse of
ignorance to offer. There is a son of my old acquaintance, and the bosom friend of my brother
Harry, Cecilia's father, dashing Hugh Griffith, as
we called him. The urchins left home together,
and were rated on board one of his majesty's vessels on the same day. Poor Harry lived to carry
a broad pennant in6 the service, and Hugh died in
command of a frigate. This boy, too! he was nurtured on board his father's vessel, and learned,
from his majesty's discipline, how to turn his arms
against his king. There is something shockingly
unnatural in that circumstance, Miss Alice; 'tis like
the child inflicting a blow on the parent. 'Tis such
men as these, with Washington at their head, who
maintain the bold front this rebellion wears."
" There are men, who have never worn the servile livery of Britain, sir. whose names are as fondly cherished in America as any that she boasts
of," said Katherine, proudly; " ay, sir, and those
who would gladly oppose the bravest officers in
the British fleet."
" I contend not against your misguided reason,"
said Colonel Howard, rising with cool respect.
" A young lady who ventures to compare rebels
with gallant gentlemen engaged in their duty to
their prince, cannot escape the imputation of possessing a misguided reason. No man-I speak not
of women, who cannot be supposed so well versed
in human nature-but no man, who has reached
the time of life that entitles him to be called by
that name, can consort with these disorganizers,
who would destroy every thing that is sacred10           13




ï~~146              THE PILOT.
these levellers, who would pull down the great, to
exalt the little-these jacobites, who-who-"
" Nay, sir, if you are at a loss for opprobrious
epithets," said Katherine, with provoking coolness,
"call on Mr. Christopher Dillon for assistance; he
waits your pleasure at the door."
Colonel Howard turned in amazement, forgetting his angry declamations at this unexpected intelligence, and beheld, in reality, the sombre visage of his kinsman, who stood holding the door
in his hand, apparently as much surprised at finding himself in the presence of the ladies, as they
themselves could be at his unusual visit.




ï~~CHAPTER XI.

uPrithee, Kate,!et's stand aside, and see the end of this controversy "
Sh a ksp ars.
DURING the warm discussions of the preceding
chapter, Miss Howard had bowed her pale face to
the arm of the couch, and sate an unwilling and
distressed listener to the controversy; but now
that another, and one whom she thought an unauthorized intruder on her privacy, was announced,
she asserted the dignity of her sex as proudly,
though with something more of discretion, than
her cousin could possibly have done. Rising from
her seat, she inquired" To what are we indebted for so unexpected a
visit from Mr. Dillon? Surely he must know that
we are prohibited going to the part of the dwelling where he resides, and I trust Colonel Howard
will tell him that common justice requires we
should be permitted to be private'."
The gentleman replied, in a manner in which
malignant anger was sufficiently mingled with calculating humihlty" Miss Howard will think better of my intrusion, when she knows that I come on business of
importance to her uncle."
" Ah! that may alter the case, Kit; but the
ladies must have the respect that is due to their




ï~~148

THE PILOT.

sex. I forgot, somehow, to have myself announced;
but that Borroughcliffe leads me deeper into my
Madeira than I have been accustomed to go, since
the time when my poor brother Harry, with his
worthy friend, Hugh Griffith-the devil seize
Hugh Griffith, and all his race-your pardon, Miss
Alice-what is your business with me, Mr. Dillon?"
" I bear a message from Captain Borroughcliffe.
You may remember that, according to your suggestions, the sentinels were to be changed every
night, sir."
" Ay! ay! we practised that in our campaign
against Montcalm; 'twas necessary to avoid the
murders of their Indians, who were sure, Miss
Alice, to shoot down a man at his post, if he were
placed two nights running in the same place."
" Well, sir, your prudent precautions have not
been thrown away," continued Dillon, moving
farther into the apartment, as if he felt himself becoming a more welcome guest as he proceeded;
"the consequences are, that we have already made
three prisoners."
" Truly it has been a most politic scheme!" exclaimed Katherine Plowden, with infinite contempt.
" I suppose, as Mr. Christopher Dillon applauds it
so highly, that it has some communion with the
law! and that the redoubtable garrison of St. Ruth
are about to reap the high glory of being most successful thief-takers!"
The sallow face of Dillon actually became livid
as he replied, and his whole frame shook with the
rage that he vainly endeavoured to suppress.
" There may be a closer communion with the
law, and its ministers, perhaps, than Miss Plowden
can desire," he said; " for rebellion seldom finds
favour in any Christian code."




ï~~THE P 1 lOT.

1119

" Rebellion!" exclaimed the colonel; " and
what has this detention of three vagabonds to do
with rebellion, Kit? Has the damnable poison
found its way across the Atlantic?-your pardon,
Miss Alice-but this is a subject on which you can
feel with me; I know your sentiments on the al
legiance that is due to our anointed sovereign.Speak, Mr. Dillon, are we surrounded by another
set of Demons! if so, we must give ourselves to
the work, and rally round our prince; for this
island is the main pillar of his throne."
" I cannot say that there is any appearance, at
present, of an intention to rise in this island," said
Dillon, with demure gravity; "though the riots
in London warrant any precautionary measures on
the part of his majesty's ministers, even to a suspension of the habeas corpus. But you have had
your suspicions concerning two certain vessels that
have been threatening the coast, for several days
past, in a most piratical manner?"
The little foot of Katherine played rapidly on
the splendid carpet, but she contented herself with
bestowing a glance of the most sovereign contempt
on the speaker, as if she disdained any further reply. With the colonel, however, this was touch
ing a theme that lay nearest his heart, and he an
swered, in a manner worthy of the importance of
the subject" You speak like a sensible man, and a loyal
subject, Mr. Dillon. The habeas corpus', Miss
Alice, was obtained in the reign of King John,
along with magna charta, for the security of the
throne, by his majesty's barons; some of my own
blood were of the number, which alone would be
a pledge that the dignity of the crown was properly
consulted. As to our piratical countrymen, Christopher, there is much reason to think that the yen13*




ï~~15o

THE PILOT.

geance of an offended Providence has already
reached them. Those who know the coast well,
tell me that without a better pilot than an enemy
would be liklely to procure, it would be impossible
for any vessel to escape the shoals among which
they entered, on a dark night, and with an adverse
gale; the morning has arrived, and they are not
to be seen!"
1 But be they friends or be they enemies, sir,"
continued Dillon, respectfully, " there is much
reason to think that we have now in the Abbey
those who can tell uis something of their true character; for the men we have detained carry with
them the appearance of having just landed, and
wear not only the dress but the air of seamen."
" Of seamen!" echoed Katherine, a deadly
paleness chasing from her cheeks the bloom which
indignation had heightened.
" Of seamen, Miss Plowden," repeated Dillon,
with malignant satisfaction, but concealing it under an air of submissive respect.
" I thank you, sir, for so gentle a term," replied the young lady, recollecting herself, and recovering her presence of mind in the same instant; " the imagination of Mr. Dillon is so apt to
conjure the worst, that he is entitled to our praise
for so far humouring our weakness, as not to
alarm us with the apprehensions of their being pirates."
'" Nay, madam, they may yet deserve tha,
name," returned the other, coolly; " but my education has instructed me to hear the testimony before I pronounce sentence."'
" Ah! that the boy has found in his Coke upon
Littleton," cried the colonel; " the law is a salu.
tary corrective to human infirmities, Miss Alice,
and among other things, it teaches patience to a




ï~~THE PILOT.

151

hasty temperament. But for this cursed, unnatural rebellion, madam, the young man would, at this
moment, have been diffusing its blessings from a
judicial chair, in one of the colonie~-ay! and I
pledge myself, to all alike, black and white, red
and yellow, with such proper dictinctions as nature has made between the officer and the private.
Keep a good heart, kinsman; we shall yet find a
time! the royal arms have many hands, and things
look better at the last advices. But come, we will
proceed to the guard-room, and put these stragglers to the question; runaways, I'll venture to
predict, from one of his majesty's cruisers, or, perhaps, honest subjects engaged in supplying the service with men. Come, Kit, come, let us go, and-"
" Are we then to lose the company of Colonel
Howard so soon?" said Katherine, advancing to
her guardian, with an air of blandishment and pleasantry, " I know that he too soon forgets the
hasty language of our little disputes, to part in anger, if, indeed, he will even quit us cill he has
tasted of our coffee."
The veteran turned to the speaker of this unexpected address, and listened with profound attention. When she had done, he replied, with a good
deal of softness in his tonesSAh! provoking one! you know me too well,
to doubt my forgiveness; but duty must be attended to, though even a young lady's smiles tempt
me to remain. Yes, yes, child, you, too, are the
daughter of a very brave and worthy seaman; but
you carry your attachment to that profession too
far, Miss Plowden--you do, indeed you do."
Katherine might have faintly blushed, but the
slight smile, which mingled with the expression of
her shame, gave to her countenance a look of additional archness, and she laid her hand lightly on




ï~~152

THE PILOT.

the sleeve of her guardian, to detain him, as she
replied" Yet why leave us, Colonel Howard? It is
long since we have seen you in the cloisters, and
you know you come as a father; tarry, and you
may yet add confessor to the title."
" I know thy sins already, girl," said the worthy
colonel, unconsciously yielding to her gentle efforts
to lead him back to his seat; " they are, deadly
rebellion in your heart to your prince, a most inveterate propensity to salt-water, and a great disrespect to the advice and Wishes of an old fellow
whom your father's will and the laws of the realm
have made the guardian of your person and fortune."
" Nay, say not the last, dear sir," cried Katherine; "for there is not a syllable you have ever
said to me, on that foolish subject, that I have forgotten. Will you resume your seat again? Cecilia, Colonel Howard consents to take his coffee
with us."
" But you forget the three men, honest Kit,
there, and our respectable guest, Captain Borroughcliffe."
" Let honest Kit stay there, if he please; you
may send a request to Captain Borroughcliffe
to join our party; I have a woman's curiosity to
see the soldier; and as for the three men-" she
paused, and affected to muse a moment, when she
continued, as if struck by an obvious thought"Yes, and the men can be brought in and examined here; who knows but they may have been
wrecked in the gale, and need our pity and assistance, rather than deserve your suspicions."
"There is a solemn warning in Miss Plowden's
conjecture, that should come home to the breasts
of all who live on this wild coast," said Alice Duns



ï~~THE PILOT.

153

combe; " I have known many a sad wreck among
the hidden shoals, and when the wind has blown
but a gentle gale, compared to last night's tempest.
The wars, and the uncertainties of the times, together with man's own wicked passions, have made
great havoc with those who knew well the windings of the channels among the "Ripples." Some
there were who could pass, as I have often heard,
within a fearful distance of the " Devil's Grip,"
the darkest night that ever shadowed England:
but all are now gone of that daring set, either by
the hand of death, or, what is even as mournful,
by unnatural banishment from the land of their fathers."
" This war has then probably drawn off most of
them, for your recollections must be quite recent.
Miss Alice," said the veteran; " as many of them
were engaged in the business of robbing his majesty's revenue, the country is in some measure requited for their former depredations, by their present services,.and at the same time it is happily
rid of their presence. Ah! madam, ours is a glorious constitution, where things are so nicely balanced, that, as in the physical organization of a
healthy, vigorous man, the baser parts are purified
in the course of things, by its own wholesome
struggles."
The pale features of Alice Dunscombe became
slightly tinged with red, as the colonel proceeded,
nor did the faint glow entirely leave her pallid
face, until she had said" There might have been some who knew not
how to respect the laws of the land, for such are
never wanting; but there were others, who, however guilty they might be in many respects, need
not charge themselves with that mean crime, and
yet who could find the passages that lie hid from




ï~~154,

THE PILOT.

common eyes, beneath the rude waves, as well as
you could find the way through the halls and galleries of the Abbey, with a noonday sun shining
apon its vanes and high chimneys."
" Is it your pleasure, Colonel Howard, that we
examine the three men, and ascertain whether they
belong to the number of these gifted pilots?" said
Christopher Dillon, who was growing uneasy at
his awkward situation, and who hardly deemed it
necessary to conceal the look of contempt which
he cast at the mild Alice, while he spoke; " perhaps we may gather information enough from them,
to draw a chart of the coast that may gain us credit with my lords of the Admiralty."
This unprovoked attack on their unresisting and
unoffending guest, brought the rich blood to the
very temples of Miss Howard, who rose, and addressed herself to her kinsman, with a manner that
could not easily be mistaken, any more than it
could be condemned" If Mr. Dillon will comply with the wishes of
Colonel Howard, as my cousin has expressed them,
we shall not, at least, have to accuse ourselves of
unnecessarily detaining men who probably are
more unfortunate than guilty."
When she concluded, Cecilia walked across the
apartment, and took a seat by the side of Alice
Dunscombe, with whom she began to converse, in
a low, soothing tone of voice. Mr. Dillon bowed
with a deprecating humility, and having ascertained
that Colonel Howard chose to give an audience,
where he sate, to the prisoners, he withdrew to
execute his mission, secretly exulting at any change
that promised to lead to a renewal of an intercourse
that might terminate more to his advantage, than
the lofty beauty whose favour he courted was, at
present, disposed to concede.




ï~~THE PILOT.

1 Christopher is a worthy, serviceable, good
fellow," said the colonel, when the door closed,
"and I hope to live, yet, to see him clad in ermine; I would not be understood literally, but
figuratively, for furs would but ill comport with
the climate of the Carolinas. I trust I am to be
consulted by his majesty's ministers when the new
appointments shall be made for the subdued colonies, and he may safely rely on my good word being spoken in his favour. Would he not make an
excellent and independent ornament of the bench,
Miss Plowden?"
Katherine compressed her lips a little, as she
replied" I must profit by his own discreet rules, and
see testimony to that effect, before I decide, sir.
But listen!" The young lady's colour changed
rapidly, and her eyes became fixed in a sort of
feverish gaze on the door. "He has at least been
active; I hear the heavy tread of men already approaching."
SAh! it is he certainly; justice ought always
to be prompt as well as certain, to make it perfect;
like a drum-head court-martial, which, by the way,
is as summary a sort of government as heart could
wish to live under. If his majesty's ministers
could-be persuaded to introduce into the revolted
colonies-"
" Listen!" interrupted Katherine, in a voice
which bespoke her deep anxiety; "they draw
near!"
The sound of footsteps was in fact now so audi
ble as to induce the colonel to suspend the delivery of his plan for governing the recovered provinces. The long, low gallery, which was paved
with a stone flagging, soon brought the footsteps
of the approaching party more distinctly to their




ï~~156

THE PILOT.

ears, and presently a low tap at the door announced
their arrival. Colonel Howard arose, with the air
of one who was to sustain the principal character
'n the ensuing interview, and bade them enter.
Cecilia and Alice Dunscombe merely cast careless
looks at the opening door, indifferent to the scene;
but the quick eye of Katherine embraced, at a
glance, every figure in the group. Drawing a
long, quivering breath, she fell back on the couch,
and her eyes again lighted with their playful expression, as she hummed a low, rapid air, with a
voice in which even the suppressed tones were liquid melody.
Dillon entered, preceding the soldier, whose
gait had become more steady, and in whose rigid
eye a thoughtful expression had taken the place
of its former vacant gaze. In short, something
had manifestly restored to him a more complete
command of his mental powers, although he might
not have been absolutely sobered. The rest of
the party continued in the gallery, while Mr. Dillon presented the renovated captain to the colonel,
when the latter did him the same kind office with
the ladies.
"Miss Plowden," said the veteran,for she offered
first in the circle, "this is my friend, Captain
Borroughcliffe; he has long been ambitious of this
honour, and I have no doubt his reception will be
such as to leave him no cause to repent he has
been at last successful."
Katherine smiled, and answered, with ambiguous emphasis" I know not how to thank him sufficiently for
the care he has bestowed on our poor persons."
The soldier looked steadily at her, for a moment,
with an eye that seemed to threaten a retaliation
in kind, ere he replied



ï~~THE PILOT.

157

' One of those smiles, madam, would be an ample compensation for services that are more real
than such as exist only in intention."
Katherine bowed with more complacency than
she usually bestowed on those who wore the British uniform, and they proceeded to the next.
" This is Miss Alice Dunscombe, Captain Borroughcliffe, daughter of a very worthy clergyman
who was formerly the curate of this parish, and a
lady who does us the pleasure of giving us a good
deal of her society, though far less than we all wish
for."
The captain returned the civil inclination of
Alice, and the colonel proceeded.
" Miss Howard, allow me to present Captain
Borroughcliffe, a gentleman who, having volunteered to defend St. Ruth in these critical times,
merits all the favour of its mistress."
Cecilia gracefully rose, and received her guest
with sweet complacency. The soldier made no reply to the customary compliments that she uttered,
but stood an instant gazing at her speaking countenance, and then, laying his hand involuntarily on
his breast, bowed nearly to his sword-hilt.
These formalities duly observed, the colonel declared his readiness to receive the prisoners. As
the door was opened by Dillon, Katherine cast a
cool and steady look at the strangers, and beheld
the light glancing along the arms of the soldiers
who guarded them.    But the seamen entered
alone; while the rattling of arms, and the heavy
dash of the muskets on the stone pavement, announced that it was thought prudent to retain a
force at hand, to watch these secret intruders on
the grounds of the abbey.
14




ï~~CHAPTER XII.

a Food for powder; they'll fill a pit as well as better."
Falstaf
THE three men, who now entered the apartment, appeared to be nothing daunted by the presence into which they were ushered, though clad
in the coarse and weather-beaten vestments of
seamen who had been exposed to recent and severe duty. They silefitly obeyed the direction of
the soldier's finger, and took their stations in a
distant corner of the room, like men who knew
the deference due to rank, at the same time that
the habits of their lives had long accustomed them
to encounter the vicissitudes of the world. With
this slight preparation, Colonel Howard began the
business of examination.
"I trust ye are all good and loyal subjects," the
veteran commenced, with a considerate respect
for innocence, "but the times are such that even
the most worthy characters become liable to suspicion; and, consequently, if our apprehensions
should prove erroneous, you must overlook the
mistake, and attribute it to the awful condition into which rebellion has plunged this empire. We
have much reason to fear that some project is
about to be undertaken on the coast by the enemy,




ï~~THE PILOT

159

who has appeared, we know, with a frigate and
schooner; and the audacity of the rebels is only
equalled by their shameless and wicked disrespect
for the rights of the sovereign."
While Colonel Howard was uttering his apologetic preamble, the prisoners fastened their eyes
on him with much interest; but when he alluded
to the apprehended attack, the gaze of two of
them became more keenly attentive, and, before
he concluded, they exchanged furtive glances of
deep meaning. No reply was made, however, and
after a short pause; as if to allow time for his words
to make a proper impression, the veteran continued" We have no evidence, I understand, that you
are in the smallest degree connected with the enemies of this country; but as you have been found
out of the king's highway, or, rather, on a by-path,
which I must confess is frequently used by the
people of the neighbourhood, but which is nevertheless nothing but a by-path, it becomes no more
than what self-preservation requires of us, to ask
you a few such questions as I trust will be satisfactorily answered.  To use your own nautical
phrases, 'from whence came ye, pray?' and 'whither are ye bound?' "
A low, deep voice replied" From Sunderland, last, and bound, over land,
to Whitehaven."
This simble and direct answer was hardly given,
before the attention of the listeners was called to
Alice Dunscombe, who uttered a faint shriek, and
rose from her seat involuntarily, while her eyes
seemed to roll fearfully, and perhaps a little wild
ly, round the room.
"Are you ill, Miss Alice?" said the sweet,
soothing tones of Cecilia Howard; "you are, in



ï~~160

THE PILOT.

deed you are; lean on me, that I may lead you to
your apartment."
" Did you hear it, or was it only fancy!" she
answered, her cheek blanched to the whiteness of
death, and her whole frame shuddering as if in
convulsions; " say, did you hear it too?"
" I have heard nothing but the voice of my uncle, who is standing near you, anxious, as we all
are, for your recovery from this dreadful agitation."
Alice still gazed wildly from face to face. Her
eye did not: rest satisfied with dwelling on those
who surrounded her, but surveyed, with a sort of
frantic eagerness, the figures and appearance of
the three men, who stood in humble patience, the
silent and unmoved witnesses of this extraordinary
scene. At length she veiled her eyes with both
her hands, as if to shut out some horrid vision, and
then removing them, she smiled languidly, as she
aigned for Cecilia to assist her from the room. To
the polite and assiduous offers of the gentlemen,
she returned no other thanks than those conveyed
in her looks and gestures; but when the sentinels
who paced the gallery were passed, and the ladies
were alone, she breathed a long, shivering sigh,
and found an utterance.
" 'Twas like a voice from the silent grave!"
she said, " but it could be no more than mockery,
No, no, 'tis a just punishment for letting the image
of the creature fill the place that should be occupied only with the Creator. Ah! Miss Howard,
Miss Plowden, ye are both young-in the pride
of your beauty and loveliness-but little do ye
know, and less do ye dread, the temptations and
errors of a sinfiul world."
" Her thoughts wander!" whispered Katherine,
with anxious tenderness; " some awful calamity
has affi'ected her intellects 1"




ï~~THE PILOT.

161

" Yes, it must be; my sinful thoughts have
wandered, and conjured sounds that it would have
been dreadful to have heard in truth, and within
these walls," said Alice, more composedly, smiling
with a ghastly expression, as she gazed on the two
beautiful solicitous maidens who supported her
yielding person. " But the moment of weakness is
passed, and I am better; aid me to my room, and
return, that you may not interrupt the reviving
harmony between yourselves and Colonel Howard. I am now better, nay, I am quite restored."
" Say not so, dear Miss Alice," returned Cecilia; "your face denies what your kindness to us
induces you to utter; ill, very ill, you are, nor
shall even your own commands induce me to leave
you."
1 Remain, then," said Miss Dunscombe, bestowing a look of grateful affection on her lovely
supporter; " and while our Katherine returns to
the drawing-room, to give the gentlemen their
coffee, you shall continue with me, as my gentle
nurse."
By this time they had gained the apartment,
and Katherine, after assisting her cousin to place
Alice on her bed, returned to do the honours of
the drawing-room.
Colonel Howard ceased his examination of the
prisoners at her entrance, to inquire, with courtly
solicitude, after the invalid; and, when his questions were answered, he again proceeded, as follows" This is what the lads would call plain-sailing,
Borroughcliffe; they are out of employment in
Sunderland, and have acquaintances and relatives
in Whitehaven, to whom they are going for assistance and labour. All very probable, and perfectly
harmless."
11         14 *




ï~~162

THE PILOT.

" Nothing more so, my respectable host," returned the jocund soldier; "but it seemeth a
grievous misfortune tha a trio of such flesh and
blood should need work wherewithal to exercise
their thews and sinews, while so many of the vessels of his majesty's fleet navigate the ocean in
quest of the enemies of old England."
" There is truth in that; much truth in your
remark," cried the colonel. " What say you, my
lads, will you fight the Frenchman and the Don,
ay! and even my own rebellious and infatuated
countrymen? Nay, by heaven, it is not a trifle
that shall prevent his majesty from possessing the
services of three such heroes. Here are five
guineas a-piece for you the moment that you put
foot on board the Alacrity cutter; and that can
easily be done, as she lies at anchor this very night,
only two short leagues to the south of this, in a
small port, where she is riding out the gale as
snugly as if she were-in a corner of this room."
One of the men affected to gaze at the money
with longing eyes, while he asked, as if weighing
the terms of the engagement" Whether the Alacrity was called a good seaboat, and was thought to give a comfortable birth
to her crew?"
" Comfortable!" echoed Borroughcliffe; "for
that matter, she is called the bravest cutter in the
navy. You have seen much of the world, I dare
say; did you ever see such a place as the marine
arsenal at Carthagena, in old Spain?"
" Indeed I have, sir," returned the seaman, in a
cool, collected tone.
" Ah! you have! well, did you ever meet with
a house in Paris that they call the Tuileries
because it's a dog-kennel to the Alacrity."
" I have even fallen in with the place you men.




ï~~THIE PILOT.

163

tion, sir," returned the sailor, " and must own
the birth quite good enough for such as I am, if it
tallies with your description."
" The deuce take these blue-jackets," muttered
Borroughcliffe, addressing himself unconsciously
to Miss Plowden, near whom he happened to be
at the time; " they run their tarry countenances
into all the corners of the earth, and abridge a
man most lamentably in his comparisons. Npw,
who the devil would have thought that fellow had
ever put his sea-green eyes on the palace of King
Louis!"
Katherine heeded not his speech, but sat eyeing the prisoners with a confused and wavering expression of countenance, while Colonel Howard
renewed the discourse, by exclaiming" Come, come, Borroughcliffe, let us give the
lads no tales for a recruit, but good, plain, honest
English-God bless the language, and the land for
which it was first made, too. There is no necessity to tell these men, if they are, what they seem
to be, practical seamen, that a cutter of ten guns
contains all the room and accommodation of a palace."
" Do you allow nothing for English oak and
English comfort, mine host," said the immoveable
captain; " do you think, good sir, that I measure
fitness and propriety by square and compass, as if
I were planning Solomon's temple anew! All I
mean to say is, that the Alacrity is a vessel of singular compactness and magical arrangement of
room. Like the tent of that handsome brother of
the fairy, in the Arabian Nights, she is big or she
is little, as occasion needeth; and now, hang me,
if I don't think I have uttered more in her favour
than her commander would say to help me to a reeruit, though no lad in the three kingdoms should




ï~~164

THE PILOT.

appear willing to try how a scarlet coat would suit
his boorish figure."
" That time has not yet arrived, and God forbid
that it ever should, while the monarch needs a soldier in the field to protect his rights. But what
say ye, my men? you have heard the recommendation that Captain Borroughcliffe has given of the
Alacrity, which is altogether true-after making
some allowances for language. Â~ Will ye serve?
shall I order" you a cheering glass a man, and
lay by the gold, till I hear from the cutter that
you are enrolled under the banners of the best of
kings?"
Katherine Plowden, who hardly seemed to
breathe, so close and intent was the interest with
which she regarded the seamen, fancied she observed lurking smiles on their faces; but if her
conjectures were true, their disposition to be merry went no farther, and the one who had spoken
hitherto, replied, in the same calm manner as before" You will excuse us, if we decline shipping in
the cutter, sir; we are used to distant voyages and
large vessels, whereas the Alacrity is kept at coast
duty, and is not of a size to lay herself alongside
of a Don or a Frenchman with a double row of
teeth."
" If you prefer that sort of sport, you must to
the right-about for Yarmouth; there you will find
ships that will meet any thing that swims," said
the colonel.
SPerhaps the gentlemen would prefer abandoning the cares and dangers of the ocean for a life of
ease and gayety," said the captain. " The hand
that has long dallied with a marlinspike may be easily made to feel a trigger, as gracefully as a lady
touches the keys of her piano. In short, there is




ï~~TIlE  PILOT.

16.5

and there is not a great resemblance between the
life of a sailor, and that of a soldier. There are
no gales of wind, nor short-allowances, nor reefing
topsails, nor shipwrecks, among soldiers-and at
the same time, there is just as much, or even more
grog-drinking, jollifying, care-killing fun around a
canteen and an open knapsack, than there is on
the end of a mess-chest, with a full can and a Saturday night's breeze. I have crossed the ocean
several times, and I must own that a ship, in good
weather, is very much the same as a camp or comfortable barracks; mind, I say only in very good
weather."
" We have no doubt that all you say is true,
sir," observed the spokesman of the three, " but
what to you may seem a hardship, to us is pleasure. We have faced too many a gale to mind a
cap-full of wind, and should think ourselves always
in the calm latitudes, in one of your barracks,
where there is nothing to do but to eat our grub,
and to march a little fore and aft a small piece of
green earth. We hardly know one end of a musket from the other."
"No!" said Borroughcliffe, musing; and then
advancing wwith a quick step towards them, he
cried, in a spirited manner-- " attention! right,
dress!"
The speaker, and the seaman next him, gazed
at the captain in silent wonder; but the third individual of the party, who had drawn himself a little aside, as if willing to be unnoticed, or perhaps
pondering on his condition, involuntarily started at
this unexpected order, and erecting himself, threw
his head to the right as promptly as if he had been
on a parade ground.
" Oho! ye are apt scholars, gentlemen, and ye
can learn, I see," continued Borrougheliffe. " I




ï~~166

THE PILOT.

feel it to be proper that I detain these men till to.
morrow morning, Colonel Howard, and yet I
would give them better quarters than the hard
benches of the guard-room."
" Act your pleasure, Captain Borrougheliffe,"
returned the host, " so you do but your duty to
our royal master. They shall not want for cheer,
and they can have a room over the servants' offices in the south side of the Abbey."
" Three rooms, my colonel, three rooms must
be provided, though I give up mnay own."
" There are several small empty apartments
there, where blankets might be taken, and the
men placed for safe keeping, if you deem it necessary; though, to me, they seem like good, loyal
tars, whose greatest glory it would be to serve
their prince, and whose principal pleasure would
consist in getting alongside of a Don or a Monsieur."
" We shall discuss these matters anon," said
Borroughcliffe, dryly. "I see Miss Plowden begins to look grave at our abusing her patience so
long, and I know that cold coffee is, like withered
love, but a tasteless sort of a beverage. Come,
gentlemen, en avant! you have seen the Tuileries,
and must have heard a little French. Mr. Christopher Dillon, know you where these three small
apartments are ' situate, lying, and being,' as your
parchments read?"
SI do, sir," said the complying lawyer, " and
shall take much pleasure in guiding you to them.
I think your decision that of a prudent and sagacious officer, and much doubt whether Durham
Castle, or some other fortress, will be thought too
big to hold them, ere long."
As this speech was uttered while the men were
passing from the room, its effect on them was un



ï~~THE PILOT.

167

noticed; but Katherine Plowden, who was left for
a few moments by herself, sat and pondered over
what she had seen and heard, with a thoughtfulness of manner that was not usual to her gay and
buoyant spirits. The sounds of the retiring footsteps, hQwever, gradually grew fainter, and the return of her guardian alone recalled the recollection
of the young lady to the duties of her situation.
While engaged in the little offices of the teatable, Katherine threw many furtive glances at the
veteran; but, although he seemed to be musing,
there was nothing austere or suspicious in his frank,
open countenance.
" There is much useless trouble taken with
these wandering seamen, sir,'" said Katherine, at
length; " it seems to be the particular province of
Mr. Christopher Dillon, to make all that come in
contact with him excessively uncomfortable."
" And what has Kit to do with the detention of
the men?"
" What! why, has he not undertaken to stand
godfather to their prisons?-by a woman's patience, I think, Colonel Howard, this business
will gain a pretty addition to the names of St.
Ruth. It is already called a house, an abbey, a
place, and by some a castle; let Mr. Dillon have
his way for a month, and it will add gaol to the
number."
" Kit is not so happy as to possess the favour
of Miss Plowder bat still Kit is a worthy fellow,
and a good fellow, and a sensible fellow, ay! and
what is of more value than all these put together,
Miss Katherine, Mr. Christopher Dillon is a faithful and loyal subject to his prince. His mother
was my cousin-german, madam, and I cannot say
how soon I may call him my nephew. The Dillns are of good Irish extraction, and I believe that




ï~~168

THE PILOT.

even Miss Plowden will admit that the Howards
have some pretensions to a name."
" Ah! it is those very things called names that
I most allude to," said Katherine, quickly. " But
an hour since, you were indignant, my dear guardian, because you suspected that I insinuated you
ought to write gaoler behind the name of Howard,
and even now you submit to have the office palmed
upon you."
" You forget, Miss Katherine Plowden, that it
is the pleasure of one of his majesty's officers to
detain these men."
"' But I thought that the glorious British constitution, which you so often mention," interrupted
the young lady, spiritedly, " gives liberty to all
who touch these blessed shores; you know, sir,
that out of twenty blacks that you brought with
you, how few remain; the rest having fled on the
wings of the spirit of British liberty!"
This was touching a festering sore in the colonel's feelings, and his provoking ward well knew
the effects her observation was likely to produce.
Her guardian did not break forth in a violent burst
of rage, or furnish those manifestations of his ire
that he was wont to do on less important subjects,
but he arose, with all his dignity concentred in a
look, and, after making a violent effort to restrain
his feelings within the bounds necessary to preserve the decorum of his exit, he ventured a reply.
" That the British constitution is glorious, madam, is most true. That this island is the sole refuge where liberty has been able to find a home,
is also true. The tyranny and oppression of the
Congress, which are grinding down the colonies
to the powder of desolation and poverty, are not
worthy of the sacred name. Rebellion pollutes
all that it touchesi madam.  Although it often




ï~~THE PILOT.

169

commences under the, sanction of holy liberty, it
ever terminates in despotism. The annals of the
world, from the time of the Greeks and Romans
down to the present day, abundantly prove it.
There was that Julius Caesar-he was one of your
people's men, and he ended a tyrant.  Oliver
Cromwell was another--a rebel, a demagogue, and
a tyrant. The gradations, madam, are as inevita2
ble as from childhood to youth, and from youth to
age. As for the little affair that you have been
pleased to mention, of the-of the-of my private
concerns, I can only say that the affairs of nations
are not to be judged of by domestic incidents, any
more than domestic occurrences are to be judged
of by national politics."  The colonel, like many
a better logician, mistook his antithesis for argument, and paused a moment to admire his own eloquence; but the current of his thoughts, which always flowed in torrents on this subject, swept him
along in its course, and he continued-" Yes, ma
dam, here, and here alone is true liberty to be
found. With this solemna asseveration, which is not
lightly made, but which is the result of sixty
years' experience, I leave you, Miss Plowden;
let it be a subject of deep reflection with you, for
I too well understand your treacherous feelings not
to know that your political errors encourage your
personal foibles; reflect, for your own sake, if you
love not only your own happiness, but your respectability and standing in the world. As for the
black hounds that you spoke of, they are a set of
rebellious, mutinous, ungrateful rascals; and if ever
[ meet one of the damned-"
The colonel had so far controlled his feelings,
as to leave the presence of the lady before he
broke out into the bitter invectives we have recorded, and Katherine stood a minute, pressing
15




ï~~170

THE PILOT.

her forefinger on her lips, listening to his voice as
it grumbled along the gallery, until the sounds were
finally excluded by the closing of a distant door.
The wilful girl then shook her dark locks, and a
smile of arch mischief, blended with an expression
of regret, in her countenance, as she spoke to herself, while with hurried hands she threw her teaequipage aside in a confused pile
"It was perhaps a cruel experiment, but it has
succeeded. Though prisoners ourselves, we are
at least left free for the remainder of this night.
These mysterious sailors must be examined more
closely. If the proud eye of Edward Griffith was
not glaring under the black wig of one of them, I
am no judge of features; and where has Master
Barnstable concealed his charming visage! for neither of the others could be he. But now for Cecilia."'
Her light form glided from the room, while she
was yet speaking, and flitting along the dimlylighted passages, it disappeared in one of those
turnings that led to the more secret apartments of
the abbey.




ï~~CHAPTER XIII

SHow I Lucia, would'st thou have me sink away
u In pleasing dreams, and lose myself in love-"
Cato.
THE reader must not imagine that the world
stood still during the occurrence of the scenes we
have related. By the time the three seamen were
placed in as many different rooms, and a sentinel
was stationed in the gallery common to them all,
in such a manner as to keep an eye on his whole
charge at once, the hour had run deep into the
night. Captain Borroughcliffe obeyed a summons
from the colonel, who made him an evasive apology for the change in their evening's amusement,
and challenged his guest to a renewal of the attack
on the Madeira. This was too grateful a theme
to be lightly discussed by the captain, and the abbey clock had given forth as many of its mournful
remonstrances as the division of the hours would
pe mit, before they separated. In the mean time,
Mr. Dillon became invisible; though a servant,
when questioned by the host on the subject, announced, that 1 he believed Mr. Christopher had
chosen to ride over to,- to be in readiness
to join the hunt, on the morning, with the dawn."
While the gentlemen were thus indulging themselves in the dining parlour, and laughing over




ï~~172

THE PILOT

the tales of other times and hard campaigns, two
very different scenes occurred in other parts of the
building.
When the quiet of the abbey was only interrupted by the howling of the wind, or by the
ioud and prolonged laughs which echoed through
the passages from the joyous pair, who were thus
comfortably established by the side of the bottle,
a door was gently opened on one of the galleries
of the "cloisters," and Katherine Plowden issued
from it, wrapped in a close mantle, and holding in
her hand a chamber lamp, which threw its dim
light faintly along the gloomy walls in front, leaving all behind her obscured in darkness. She was,
however, soon followed by two other female
figures, clad in the same manner, and provided
with similar lights. When all were in the gallery,
Katherine drew the door softly to, and proceeded
in front to lead the way.
"Hist!" said the low, tremulous voice of Cecilia, " they are yet up in the other parts of the
house; and if it be as you suspect, our visit would
betray them, and prove the means of their certain destruction."
"Is the laugh of Colonel Howard in his cups so
singular and unknown to your ear, Cecilia, that
you know it not?" said Katherine with a little
spirit; "or do you forget that on such occasions
he seldom leaves himself ears to hear, or eyes to
see with. But follow me; it is as I suspect-it must
be as I suspect; and unless we do something to
rescue them, they are lost, without they have laid
a deeper scheme than is apparent."
"It is a dangerous road ye both journey," added the placid tones of Alice Dunscombe; " but
ye are young, and ye are credulous."




ï~~THE PILOT.

1"73

C If you disapprove of our visit," said Cecilia,
"it cannot be right, and we had better return."
"No, no, I have said naught to disapprove of
your present errand. If God has put the lives of
those in your custody whom ye have taught yourselves to look up to with love and reverence, such
as woman is bound to yield to one man, hc has
done it for no idle purpose.  Lead us to their
doors, Katherine; let us relieve our doubts, al
least."
The ardent girl did not wait for a second bidding, but she led them, with light and quick steps,
along the gallery, until they reached its termination, where they descended to the basement floor
by a flight of narrow steps, and carefully opening
a small door, emerged into the open air. They
now stood on a small plat of grass, which lay between the building and the ornamental garden,
across which they moved rapidly, concealing thei
lights, and bending their shrinking forms before
the shivering blasts that poured their fury upon
them from the ocean. They soon reached a large
but rough addition to the buildings, that concealed
its plain architecture behind the more labouredi
and highly finished parts of the edifice, into which
they entered through a massive door that stood
ajar, as if to admit them.
Â~ Chloe has been true to my orders," whispered Katherine, as they passed out of the chilling
air; "now, if all the servants are asleep, our
chance to escape unnoticed amounts to certainty."
It became necessary to go through the servant's
hall, which they effected unobserved, as it had but
one occupant, an aged black man, who, being posted with his ear within two feet of a bell, in this attitude had committed himself to a deep sleep.
Gliding through this hall, they entered divers long
15*




ï~~174

THE PILOT.

and intricate passages, all of which seemed as familiar to Katherine as they were unknown to her
companions, until they reached another flight of
steps, which they ascended. They were now near
their goal, and stopped to examine whether any or
what difficulties were likely to be opposed to their
further progress.
" Now, indeed, our case seems hopeless," whispered Katherine, as they stood, concealed by the
darkness, in one end of an extremely long, narrow passage; " here is the sentinel in the building, instead of being as I had supposed, under the
windows; what is to be done now?"
" Let us return," said Cecilia, in the same manner; " my influence with my uncle is great, even
though he seems unkind to us at times. In the
morning I will use it to persuade him to free them,
on receiving their promise to abandon all such attempts in future."
"In the morning it will be too late," returned
Katherine; " I saw that demon, Kit Dillon, mount
his horse, under the pretence of riding to the great
hunt of to-morrow, but I know his malicious eye
too well to be deceived in his errand. He is silent
that he may be sure, and if to-morrow comes, and
finds Griffith within these walls, he will be condemned to a scaffold."
" Say no more," said Alice Dunscombe, with
singular emotion; " some lucky circumstance may
aid us with this sentinel."
As she spoke, she advanced; they had not proceeded far, before the stern voice of the soldier
challenged the party.
1 'Tis no time to hesitate," whispered Katherine; "we are the ladies of the abbey, looking
to our domestic afftairs," she continued, aloud, "and
think it a little remarkable that we are to encoun



ï~~THE PILOT.

175

ter armed men, while going through our own
dwelling."
The soldier respectfully presented his musket,
and replied"' My orders are to guard the doors of these
three rooms, ladies; we have prisoners in them,
and as for any thing else my duty will be to serve
you all in my power."''
" Prisoners!" exclaimed Katherine, in affected
surprise; "does Captain Borrougheliffe make St.
Ruth's Abbey a gaol! Of what offences are the
poor men guilty?"
"I know not, my lady; but as they are sailors,
I suppose they have run from his majesty's service."
" This is singular, truly! and why are they not
sent to the county prison?"
SThis must be examined into," said Cecilia,
dropping the mantle from before her face. " As
mistress of this house, I claim a right to know
whom its walls contain; you will oblige me by
opening the doors, for I see you have the keys suspended from your belt."
The sentinel hesitated. He was greatly awed
by the presence and beauty of the speakers, but
a still voice reminded him of his duty. A lucky
thought, however, interposed to relieve him from
his dilemma, and at the same time to comply with
the request, or, rather, order of the lady. As he
handed her the keys, he said" Here they are, my lady; my orders are to
keep the prisoners in, not to keep any one out,
When you are done with them, you will please to
return them to me, if it be only to save a poor fellow's eyes, for unless the door is kept locked, I
shall not dare to look about me for a moment."
Cecilia promised to return the keys, and she




ï~~176

THE PILOT.

had applied one of them to a lock with a trembling
hand, when Alice Dunscombe arrested her arm,
and addressed the soldier.
" Say you there are three? are they men in
years?"
" No, my lady, all good, serviceable lads, who
couldn't do better than to serve his majesty, or,
as it may prove, worse than to run from their colours."
" But are their years and appearance similar?
I ask, for I have a friend who has been guilty of
some boyish tricks, and has tried the seas, I hear,
among other foolish hazards."
" There is no boy here. In the far room on
the left is a smart, soldier-looking chap, of about
thirty, who the captain thinks has carried a musket before now; on him I am charged to keep a
particular eye. Next to him is as pretty a looking youth as eyes could wish to see, and it makes
one feel mournful to think what he must come to,
if he has really deserted his ship. In the room
near you, is a smaller, quiet little body, who
might make a better preacher than a sailor or a
soldier either, he has such a gentle way with
him."
Alice covered her eyes with her hand a moment,
and then recovering herself, proceeded" Gentleness may do more with the unfortunate
men than fear; here is a guinea; withdraw to the
far end of the passage, where you can watch them
as well as here, while we enter, and endeavour
to make them confess who and what they really
are."
The soldier took the money, and after looking
about him in a little uncertainty, he at length complied, as it was obviously true they could only
escape by passing him, near the flight of steps.




ï~~THE PILOT.

177

When he was beyond hearing, Alice Dunscombe
turned to her companions, and a slight glow ap.
peared in feverish spots on her cheeks, as she addressed them.
" It would be idle to attempt to hide from you,
that I expect to meet the individual whose voice
I must have heard in reality to-night, instead of
only imaginary sounds, as I vainly, if not wickedly
supposed. I have many reasons for changing my
opinion, the chief of which is that he is leagued
with the rebellious Americans in this unnatural
war. Nay, chide me not, Miss Plowden; you will
remember that I found my being on this island. I
come here on no vain or weak errand, Miss Howard, but to spare human blood." She paused, as
if struggling to speak calmly. " But no one can
witness the interview except our God."
Â~ Go, then," said Katherine, secretly rejoicing
at her determination, " while we inquire into the
characters of the others."
Alice Dunscombe turned the key, and gently
opening the door, she desired her companions to
tap for her, as they returned, and then instantly
disappeared in the apartment.
Cecilia and her cousin proceeded to the next
door, which they opened in silence, and entered
cautiously into the room.
Katherine Plowden had so far examined into
the arrangements of Colonel Howard, as to know
that at the same time he had ordered blankets to
be provided for the prisoners, he had not thought
it necessary to administer any further to the accommodations of men who had apparently made
their beds and pillows of planks for the greater
part of their lives.
The ladies accordingly found the youtnful sailor
whom they sought, with his body rolled in the
12




ï~~178

THE PILOT.

shaggy covering, extended at his length along the
naked boards, and buried in a deep sleep. So
timed were the steps of his visiters, and so noiseless was their entrance, that they approached even
to his side, without disturbing his slumbers. The
head of the prisoner lay rudely pillowed on a billet of wood, one hand protecting his face from its
rough surface, and the other thrust into his bosom,
where it rested, with a relaxed grasp, on the handle of a dirk. Although he slept, and that heavily,
yet his rest was unnatural and perturbed. His
breathing was hard and quick, and something like
the low, rapid murmurings of a confused utterance
mingled with his respiration. The moment had
now arrived when the character of Cecilia Howard
appeared to undergo an entire change. Hitherto
she had been led by her cousin, whose activity and
enterprise seemed to qualify her so well for the
office of guide; but now she advanced before Katherine, and, extending her lamp in such a manner as to throw the light across the face of the
sleeper, she bent to examine his countenance, with
keen and anxious eyes.
" Am I right?" whispered her cousin.
" May God, in his infinite compassion, pity and
protect him!" murmured Cecilia, her whole frame
involuntarily shuddering, as the conviction that she
beheld Griffith flashed across her mind. " Yes,
Katherine, it is he, and presumptuous madness has
driven him here. But time presses; he must be
awakened, and his escape effected at every hazard."
" Nay, then, delay no longer, but rouse him
from his sleep."
" Griffith! Edward Griffith!" said the soft tones
of Cecilia, " Griffith, awake!"
" Your call is useless, for they sleep nightly




ï~~THE PILOT.

179

among t(mpests and boisterous sounds," said Katherine; " but I have heard it said that the smallest touch will generally cause one of them to stir."
" Griffith!"' repeated Cecilia, laying her fair
hand timidly on his own.
The flash of the lightning is not more nimble
than the leap that the young man made to his feet,
which he no sooner gained, than his dirk gleamed
in the light of the lamps, as he brandished it fiercely with one hand, while with the other he extended
a pistol, in a menacing attitude, towards his disturbers.
" Stand back!" -he exclaimed; " I am your
prisoner only as a corpse!"
The fierceness of his front, and the glaring eyeballs, that rolled wildly around him, appalled Cecilia, who shrunk back in fear, dropping her mantle from her person, but still keeping her mild eyes
fastened on his countenance with a confiding gaze,
that contradicted her shrinking attitude, as she rephed" Edward, it is I; Cecilia Howard, come to
save you from destruction; you are known even
through your ingenious disguise."
The pistol and the dirk fell together on the
blanket of the young sailor, whose looks instantly
ost their disturbed expression in a glow of pleasure.
" Fortune at length favours me!" he cried..
"This is kind, Cecilia; more than I deserve, and
much more than I expected. But you are not
alone,"'
" 'Tis my cousin Kate; to her piercing eyes
you owe your detection, and she has kindly consented to accompany me, that we might urge you
to-nay, that we might, if necessary, assist you
to fly. For 'tis cruel folly, Griffith, thus to tempt
your fate"




ï~~180

THE PILOT.

"Have I tempted it, then, in vain! Miss Plowden, to you I must appeal for an answer and a justification."
Katherine looked displeased, but after a moment's hesitation, she replied" Your servant, Mr. Griffith; I perceive that
the erudite Captain Barnstable has not only succeeded in spelling through my scrawl, but he has
also given it to all hands for perusal."
" Now you do both him and me injustice," said
Griffith; " it surely was not treachery to show me
a plan, in which I was to be a principal actor."
"Ah! doubtless your excuses are as obedient
to your calls, as your men," returned the young
lady; "but how comes it that the hero of the
Ariel sends a deputy to perform a duty that is so
peculiarly his own? is he wont to be second in
rescues?
" Heaven1 forbid that you should think so meanly of him, for a moment! We owe you much,
Miss Plowden, but we may have other duties.
You know that we serve our common country,
and have a superior with us, whose beck is our
law."
" Return, then, Mr. Griffith, while you may,
to the service of our bleeding country," said Cecilia, "and, after the joint efforts of her brave
Schildren have expelled the intruders from her
soil, let us hope there shall come a time when
Katherine and myself may be restored to our na,
tive homes."
" Think you, Miss Howard, to how long a pe
riod the mighty arm of the British king may extend that time? We shall prevail; a nation fightnmg for. its dearest rights must ever prevail; but
'tis not the work of a day, for a people, poor, scattered, and impoverished as we have been, to beat




ï~~THE PI LOT.

181

down a power like that of England; surely you
forget that in bidding me to leave you with such
expectations, Miss Howard, you doom me to an
almost hopeless banishment!"
" We must trust to the will of God," said Cecilia; " if he ordain that America is to be free only
after protracted sufferings, I can aid her but with
my prayers; but you have an arm and an experience, Griffith, that might do her better service;
waste not your usefulness, then, in visionary
schemes for private happiness, but seize the mo
ments as they coffer, and return to your ship, if indeed it is yet in safety, and endeavour to forget
this mad undertaking, and, for a time, the being
who has led you to the adventure."
" This is a reception that I had not anticipated,"
returned Griffith; " for though accident, and not
intention, has thrown me into your presence this
evening, I did hope that when I again saw the fri
gate, it would be inyour company, Cecilia."
" You cannot justly reproach me, Mr. Griffith,
with your disappointment, for I have not uttered
or authorized a syllable that could induce you or
any one to believe that I would consent to quit my
uncle."
"Miss Howard will not think me presumptuous,
if I remind her that there was a time when she did
not think me unworthy to be intrusted with her
person and happiness."
A rich bloom mantled on the face of Cecilia, as
she replied" Nor do I now, Mr. Griffith; but you do well
to remind me of my former weakness, for the recollection of its folly and imprudence only adds to
mnay present strength."
"Nay," interrupted her eager lover, "if I intended a renroach, or harboured a boastful thought,
16




ï~~182

THE PILOT.

spurn me from you for ever, as unworthy of your
favour."
"I1 acquit you of both much easier than I can
acquit myself of the charge of weakness and folly,'continued Cecilia; " but there are many things
that have occurred, since we last met, to prevent
a repetition of such inconsiderate rashness on my
part. One of them is," she added, smiling sweetly,
"that I have numbered twelve additional months
to my age, and a hundred to my experience. Another, and perhaps a more important one, is, that
my uncle then continued among the friends of his
youth, surrounded by those whose blood mingles
with his own; but here he lives a stranger, and,
though he finds some consolation in dwelling in a
building where his ancestors have dwelt before
himre, yet he walks as an alien through its gloomy
passages, and would find the empty honour but a miserable compensation for the kindness and affection
of one whom he has loved and cherished from her
infancy."
" And yet he is opposed to you in your private
wishes, Cecilia, unless my besotted vanity has led
me to believe what it would now be madness to learn
was false; and in your opinions of public things,
you are quite as widely separated. I should think
there could be but little happiness dependant on a
connexion where there is no one feeling entertained in common.''
" There is, and an'all-important one," said Miss
Howard; "'tis our love. He is my kind, my affectionate, and, unless thwarted by some evil cause,
my indulgent uncle and guardian-and I am his
brother Harry's child. This tie is not easily to be
severed, Mr. Griffith, though, as I do not wish to
see you crazed, I shall not add that your besotted
vanity has played you false; but, surely, Edward,




ï~~THE PILOT.

183

it is possible to feel a double tie, and so to act as
to discharge our duties to both. I never, never
can or will consent to desert my uncle, a stranger
as he is in the land whose rule he upholds so blindly. You know not this England, Griffith; she receives her children from the colonies with cold
and haughty distrust, like a jealous step-mother,
who is wary of the favours that she bestows on her
fictitious offspring."
"I know her in peace, and I know her in war,"
said the young sailor, proudly, " and can add, that
she is a haughty friend, and a stubborn foe; but
she grapples now with those who ask no more of
her than an open sea, and an enemy's favours. But
this determination will be melancholy tidings for
me to convey to Barnstable."
" Nay," said Cecilia, smiling, " I cannot vouch
for others, who have no uncles, and who have an
extra quantity of ill humour and spleen against
this country, its people, and its laws, although profoundly ignorant of them all."
" Is Miss Howard tired of seeing me under the
tiles of St. Ruth?" asked Katherine. " But hark!
are there not footsteps approaching along the gallery?"
They listened, in breathless silence, and soon
beard distinctly the approaching tread of more
than one person. Voices were quite audible, and
before they had time to consult on what was best
to be done, the words of the speakers were distinctly heard at the door of their own apartment.
" Ay! he has a military air about him, Peters,
that will make him a prize; come, open the door."
" This is not his room, your honour," said the
alarmed soldier; " he quarters in the last room in
the gallery."
"h How know you that, fellow? come, produce




ï~~184

THE PILO I.

the key, and open the way for me; I care not who
sleeps here; there is no saying but I may enlist
them all three."
A single moment of dreadful incertitude succeeded, when the sentinel was heard saying, in
reply to this peremptory order"I thought your honour wanted to see the one
with the black stock, and so left the rest of the
keys at the other end of the passage; but-"
" But nothing, you loon; a sentinel should always carry his keys about him, like a gaoler; follow, then, and let me see the lad who dresses so
well to the right."
As the heart of Katherine began to beat less vehemently, she said
" 'Tis Borroughcliffe, and too drunk to see that
we have left the key in the door; but what is to
be done? we have but a moment for consultation."
"As the day dawns," said Cecilia, quickly, " I
shall send here, under the pretence of conveying
you food, my own woman-"
" There is no need of risking any thing for my
safety," interrupted Griffith; " I hardly think we
shall be detained, and if we are, Barnstable is at
hand with a force that would scatter these recruits
to the four winds of heaven."
" Ah! that would lead to bloodshed, and scenes
of horror!" exclaimed Cecilia.
" Listen!" cried Katherine, " they approach
again!"
A man now stopped, once more, at their door,
which was opened softly, and the face of the sentinel was thrust into the apartment.
" Captain Borrougheliffe is on his rounds, and
'or fifty of your guineas I would not leave you
here another minute."
" But one word more," said Cecilia.




ï~~TIHE PILOT.             185
"Not a syllable, my lady, for my life," returned the man; "the lady from the next room waits
for you, and in mercy to a poor fellow, go back
where you came from."
The appeal was unanswerable, and they complied, Cecilia saying, as they left the room" I shall send you food in the morning, young
man, and directions how to take the remedy necessary to your safety.'
In the passage they found Alice Dunscombe,
with her face concealed in her mantle, and, it
would seem, by the heavy sighs that escaped from
her, deeply agitated by the interview which she
had just encountered.
But as the reader may have some curiosity to
know what occurred to distress this unoffending
lady so sensibly, we shall detain the narrative, to
relate the substance of that which passed between
her and the individual whom she sought.
16 *




ï~~CHAPTER XIV.

SAs when a lion in his den
" Hath heard the hunters' cries,
- And rushes forth to meet his foes,
"So did the Douglass rise-"
Percy
ALICE DUNSCOMBE did not find the second of
the prisoners buried, like Griffith, in sleep, but he
was seated on one of the old chairs that were in
the apartment, with his back to the door, and apparently looking through the sniall window, on
the dark and dreary scenery over which the tempest was yet sweeping in its fury. Her approach
was unheeded, until the light from her lamp glared
across his eyes, when he started Irom his musing
posture, and advanced to meet her. He was the
first to speak.
" I expected this visit," he said, "when I found
that you recognised my voice, and I felt a deep
assurance in my breast, that Alice Dunscombe
would never betray me."
His listener, though expecting this confirmation
of her conjectures, was unable to make an immediate reply, but she sunk into the seat he had abandoned, and waited a few moments, as if to recover
her powers.
" It was, then, no mysterious warning! no airy
voice that mocked my ear; but a dread reality!"
she at length said  " Why have you thus braveo




ï~~THE PILOT.

187

the indignation of the laws of your country? on
what errand of fell mischief has your ruthless temper again urged you to embark?"
" This is strong and cruel language, coming
from you to me, Alice Dunscombe," returned the
stranger, with cool asperity; " and the time has
been, when I should have been greeted, after a
shorter absence, with milder terms."
I deny it not; I cannot, if I would, conceal
my infirmity from myself or you; I hardly wish
it to continue unknown to the world. If I have
once esteemed you--if I have plighted to you my
troth, and, in my confiding folly, forgot my higher
duties, God has amply punished me for the weakness, in your own evil deeds."
" Nay, let not our meeting be embittered with
useless and provoking recriminations," said the
other; ' for we have much to say before you communicate the errand of mercy on which you have
come hither. I know you too well, Alice, not to
see that you perceive the peril in which I am
placed, and am willing to venture something for my
safety. Your mother--does she yet live?"
" She is gone in quest of my blessed father,"
said Alice, covering her pale face with her hands;
" they have left me alone, truly, for he who was
to have been all to me, was first false to his faith,
and has since become unworthy of my confidence."
The stranger became singularly agitated, his
usually quiet eye glancing hastily from the floor
to, the countenance of his companion, as he paced
the room with hurried steps; at length he replied" There is much, perhaps, to be said in explanation, that you do not know. I left the country,
because I found in it nothing but oppression and
injustice, and I could not invite you to become the




ï~~188

TIE PIL.OT.

oride of a wanderer, without either name or for..
tune. But I have now the opportunity of proving
my truth. You say you are alone; be so no
longer, and try how far you were mistaken in believing that I should one day supply the place to
you of both father and mother."
There is something soothing to a female ear in
the offer of even protracted justice, and Alice
spoke with less of acrimony in her tones, during
the remainder of their conference, if not with less
of severity in her language.
" You talk not like a man whose very life hangs
but on a thread that the next minute may snap
asunder. Whither would you lead me? is it to
the tower at London?"
" Think not I have weakly exposed my person
without a sufficient protection," returned the stranger, with cool indifference; " there are many gallant men who only wait my signal, to crush the
paltry force of this officer like a worm beneath my
feet."
" Then has the conjecture of Colonel Howard
been true! and the manner in which the enemy's
vessels have passed the shoals is no longer a mystery!, you have been their pilot!"
" I have."
" What! would ye pervert the knowledge
gained in the spring-time of your guileless youth
to the foul purpose of bringing desolation to the
doors of those you once knew and respected!
John! John! is the image of the maiden whom
in her morning of beauty and simplicity I believe
you did love, so faintly impressed, that it cannot
soften your hard heart to the misery of those among
whom she has been born, and who compose her
little world?"
" Not a hair of theirs shall be touched, not a




ï~~1i1E  PILOT.

189

thatch shall blaze, nor shall a sleepless night befall
the vilest among them-and all for your sake,
Alice! England comnies to this contest with a
seared conscience, and bloody hands, but all shall
be forgotten for the present, when both opportunity and power offer to make her feel our vengeance, even in her vitals. I came on no such er-,'and."
" What, then, has led you blindly into snares,
where all your boasted aid would avail you nothing; for, should I call aloud your name, even
here, in the dark and dreary passages of this obscure edifice, the cry would echo through the
country ere the morning, and a whole people
would be found in arms to punish your audacity."
"My name has been sounded, and that in no
gentle strains," returned the pilot, scornfully,
"' when a whole people have quailed at it; the
craven, cowardly wretches, flying before the man
they had wronged. I have lived to bear the banners of the new republic, proudly, in sight of the
three kingdoms, when practised skill and equal
arms have in vain struggled to pluck it dowh.
Ay! Alice, the echoes of my guns are still roarming among your eastern hills, and would render
my name more appalling than inviting to your
sleeping yeomen."
" Boast not of the momentary success that the
arm of God has yielded to your unhallowed efforts," said Alice; "for a day of severe and heavy
retribution must follow; nor flatter yourself with
the idle hope, that your name, terrible as ye have
rendered it to the virtuous, is sufficient, of itself,
to drive the thoughts of home, and country, and
kin, firom all who hear it.-Nay, I know not that
even now, in listening to you, I am not forgetting
a solemn duty, which would teach me to proclaim




ï~~190

THE PILOt.

your presence, that the land might know that her
unnatural son is a dangerous burthen in her bosonm."
The Pilot turned quickly in his short walk;
and, after reading her countenance, with the expression of one who felt his security, he said, in
gentler tones" Would that be Alice Dunscombe! would that
be like the mild, generous girl whom I knew in
my youth? But I repeat, the threat would fail
to intimidate, even if you were capable of executing it. IF have said that it is only to make the
signal, to draw around me a force sufficient to
scatter these dogs of soldiers to the four winds of
Heaven."
" Have you calculated your power justly,
John?" said Alice, unconsciously betraying her
deep interest in his safety. " Have you reckoned
the probability of Mr. Dillon's arriving, accompanied by an armed band of horsemen, with the
morning's sun? for it's no secret in the Abbey,
that he is gone in quest of such assistance."
"' Dillon!" exclaimed the Pilot, starting; " who
is he! and on what suspicion does he seek this
addition to your guard?"
" Nay, John, look not at me, as if you would
know the secrets of my heart. It was not I who
prompted him to such a step; you cannot for a
moment think that I would betray you! But too
surely he has gone, and, as the night wears rapidly
away, you should be using the hour of grace to
effect your own security."
" Fear not for me, Alice," returned the Pilot
proudly, while a faint smile struggled around his
compressed lip: "and yet I like not this movement, either. How call you his name? Dillon!
is he a minion of king George?"




ï~~TIlE P  LOT.

191

" He is, John, what you are mn it, a loyal subject
of his sovereign lord the King, and, though a native of the revolted colonies, he has preserved his
virtue uncontaminated amid the corruptions and
temptations of the times."
1 An American! and disloyal to the liberties of
the human race! By HIeaven, he had better not
cross me; for if my arm reach him, it shall hold
him forth as a spectacle of treason to the world."
" And has not the world enough of such a spectacle in yourself? Are ye not, even now, breathing your native air, though lurking through the
mists of the island, with desperate intent against
its peace and happiness?"
A dark and fierce expression of angry resentment flashed from the ey es of the Pilot, and even
his iron firame seemed to shake with emotion, as
he answered" Call you his dastardly and selfish treason,
aiming, as it does, to aggrandize a few, at the expense of millions, a parallel case to the generous
ardour that impels a man to fight in the defence of
sacred liberty? I might tell you that I am armed
in the common cause of my fellow subjects and
countrymen; that though an ocean divided us in
distance, yet are we a people of the same blood,
and children of the same parents, and that the hand
which oppresses one, inflicts an injury on the other.
But I disdain all such narrow apologies. I was
born on this orb, and I claim to be a citizen of it.
A man with a soul, not to be limited by the arbitrary boundaries of tyrants and hirelings, but one
who has the right as well as the inclination to grapple with oppression, in whose name soever it is
exercised, or in whatever hollow and specious
shape it founds its claim to abuse our race."
" Ah! John, John, though this may sound like




ï~~192

THE PILO0I.

reason to rebellious ears, to mine it seemneth only
as the ravings of insanity. It is in vain ye build
up your new and disorganizing systems of rule, or
rather misrule, which are opposed to all that the
world has ever yet done, or will ever see done in
peace and happiness. What avail your subtleties
and false reasonings against the heart? It is the
heart which tells us where our home is, and how
to love it."
" You talk like a weak and prejudiced woman,
Alice," said the Pilot, more composedly; " and
one who would shackle nations with the ties that
bind the young and feeble of your own sex together."
" And by what holier or better bond can they
be united?" said Alice. " Are not the relations
of domestic life of God's establishing, and have
not nations grown from families, as branches spread
from the stem, till the tree overshadows the land!
'Tis an ancient and sacred tie that binds man to his
nation, neither can it be severed without infamy."
The Pilot smiled disdainfully, and throwing open
the rough exterior of his dress, he drew forth, in
succession, several articles, while a glowing pride
lighted his countenance, as he offered them singly
to her notice.
" See, Alice!" he said, " call you this infamy!
This broad sheet of parchment is stamped with a
seal of no mean importance, and it bears the royal
name of the princely Louis also! And view this
cross! decorated as it is with jewels, the gift of
the same illustrious hand; it is not apt to be given
to the children of infamy, neither is it wise or decorous to stigmatize a man who has not been
thought unworthy to consort with princes and nobles by the opprobrious name of the I Scotch Pirate.' "




ï~~THE PILOT.

193

"And have ye not earned the title, John, by
ruthless deeds and bitter animosity? I could kiss
the baubles ye show me, if they were a thousand
times less splendid, had they been laid upon your
breast by the hands of your lawful prince; but now
they appear to my eyes only as indelible blots upon
your attainted name. As for your associates,
have heard of them! and it seemeth that a queen
might be better employed than encouraging by
her smiles the disloyal subjects of other monarchs,
though even her enemies. God only knows when
his pleasure may suffer a spirit of disaffection to
rise up among the people of her own nation, and
then the thought that she has encouraged rebellion may prove both bitter and unwelcome."
"That the royal and lovely Antoinette has
deigned to repay my services with a small portion
of her gracious approbation, is not among the least
of my boasts," returned the Pilot, in affected humility, while secret pride was manifested even in
his lofty attitude. " But venture not a syllable in
her dispraise, for you know not whom you censure
She is less distinguished by her illustrious birth
and elevated station, than by her virtues and loveliness. She lives the first of her sex in Europethe daughter of an emperor, the consort of the
most powerful king, and the smiling and beloved
patroness of a nation who worship at her feet. Her
life is above all reproach, as it is above all earthly
punishment, were she so lost as to merit it; and
it has been the will of Providence to place her far
beyond the reach of all human misfortunes."
" Has it placed her above human errors, John
punishment is the natural and inevitable consequence of sin, and unless she can say more than
has ever fallen to the lot of humanity to say iruly,
17             13




ï~~194

THE PILOT.

she may yet be made to feel the chastening arm
of One, to whose eyes all her pageantry and power are as vacant as the air she breathes-so insignificant must it seem when compared to his own
just rule! But if you vaunt that you have been
permitted to kiss the hem of the robes of the
French queen, and have been the companion of
high-born and flaunting ladies, clad in their richest
array, can ye yet say to yourself, that amid them
all ye have found one whose tongue has been bold
to tell you the truth, or whose heart has sincerely
joined in her false professions!"
" Certainly none have met me with the reproaches that I have this night received from Alice Dunscombe, after a separation of six long years," returned the Pilot.
" If I have spoken to you the words of holy
truth, John, let them not be the less welcome, because they are strangers to your ears. Oh! think
that she who has thus dared to use the language
of reproach to one whose name is terrible to all
who live on the border of this island, is led to the
rash act by no other motive than interest in your
eternal welfare."
" Alice! Alice, you madden me with these foolish speeches! Am I a monster to frighten unprotected women and helpless children? What mean
these epithets, as coupled with my fame? Have
you too lent a credulous ear to the vile calumnies
with which the policy of your rulers have ever attempted to destroy the fair fame of those who oppose them, and those chiefly who clpose them
with success. My name may be terrible to the
officers of the royal fleet, but where and how have
I earned a claim to be considered formidable to the
helpless and unoffending?"




ï~~THE PILOT.

Alice Dunscombe cast a furtive and timid glance
at the Pilot, which spoke even stronger than her
words, as she replied"I know not that all which is said of you and
your deeds is true. I have often prayed, in bitterness and sorrow, that a tenth part of that which
is laid to your charge may not be heaped on your
devoted head at the great and final account. But,
John, I have known you long and well, and Heaven
forbid, that on this solemn occasion, which may be
the last of our earthly interviews, I should be
found wanting in christian duty, through a woman's weakness. I have often thought, when I
have heard the gall of bitter reproach and envenomed language hurled against. your name, that
they who spoke so rashly, little understood the
man they vituperated.  But, though ye are at
tim s, and I may say almost always, as mild and
even as the smoothest sea over which ye have
ever sailed, yet God has mingled in your nature a
fearful mixture of fierce passions, which, roused,
are more like the southern waters when troubled
with the tornado. It is difficult for me to say how
far this evil spirit may lead a man, who has been
goaded by fancied wrongs, to forget his country
and home, and who is suddenly clothed with powei' to show his resentments."
The Pilot listened with rooted attention, and
his piercing eye seemed to reach the seat of those
thoughts which she but half expressed; still he
retained the entire command of himself, and answered, more in sorrow than in anger
" If any thing could convert me to your own
peaceful and unresisting opinions, Alice, it would
be the reflections that offer themselves at this conviction, that even you have been led by the base
tongues of my dastardly enemies, to doubt my




ï~~196

THE PILOT.

honour and conduct. What is fame, when a man
can b)e thus traduced to his nearest fiiends! But
no more of these childish reflections! They are
unworthy of myself, my office, and the sacred cause
in which I have enlisted!"
" Nay, John, shake them not off," said Alice,
unconsciously laying her hand on his annrm; " they
are as the dew to the parched herbage, and may
freshen the feelings of your youth, and soften the
heart that has grown hard, if hard it be, more by
unnatural indulgence, than its own base inclinations."
" Alice Dunscombe," said the Pilot, approaching her with solemn earnestness, " I have learnt
much this night, though I came not in quest of such
knowledge. You have taught me how powerful is
the breath of the slanderer, and how frail is the
tenure by which we hold our good names. Full
twenty times have I met the hirelings of your
prince in open battle, fighting ever manfully under
that flag which was first raised to the breeze by
my own hands, and which, I thank my God, I have
never yet seen lowered an inch; but with no one
act of cowardice or private wrong in all that service, can I reproach myself; and yet, how am I
rewarded! The tongue of the vile calumniator is
keener than the sword of the warrior, and leaves
a more indelible scar!"
" Never have ye uttered a truer sentiment,
John,. and God send that ye may encourage such
thoughts to your own eternal advantage," said
Alice, with engaging interest. "You say that you
have risked your precious life in twenty combats,
and observe how little of Heaven's favour is bestowed on the abettors of rebellion! They tell
me that the world has never witnessed a more desperate and bloody struggle, than this last, for which




ï~~THE PILOT.

197

your name has been made to sound to the furthermost ends of the isle."
"'Twill be known wherever naval combats ai e
spoken of!" interrupted the Pilot, the melancholy
which had begun to lower in his countenance
giving place to a look of proud exultation.
"And yet its fancied glory cannot shield your
name from wrong, nor are the rewards of the victor equal, in a temporal sense, to those which the
vanquished has received. Know you that our
gracious monarch, deeming your adversary's cause
so sacred, has extended to him his royal favour?"
" Ay! he has dubbed him knight!" exclaimed
the Pilot, with a scornful and bitter laugh  " let
him be again furnished with a ship, and me with
another opportunity, and I promise him an earldom, if being again vanquished can constitute a
claim!"
SSpeak not so rashly, nor vaunt yourself of
possessing a protecting power, that may desert you,
John, when you most need it, and least expect the
change," returned his companion; "the battle is
not always to the strong, neither is the race to the
swift."
SForget you, my good Alice, that your words
will admit of a double meaning? Has the battle
been to the strong! Though you say not well in
denying the race to the swift. Yes, yes, often and
again have the datards escaped me by their prudent speed  Alice Dunscombe, you know not a
thousandth part of the torture that I have been
made to feel, by high born miscreants, who envy
the merit they cannot equal, and detract from the
glory of deeds that they dare not attempt to emulate. How have I been cast upon the ocean like
some unworthy vessel that is commissioned to do
a desperate deed, and then to bury itself in the
17*




ï~~198

THE PILOT.

ruin it has made! tHow many malignant headis
have triumphed, as they beheld my canvass open,
thinking that it was spread to hasten me to a gibbet, or to a tomb in the bosom of the ocean; but I
have disappointed them!"
The eyes of the Pilot no longer gazed with their
piercing and settled meaning, but they flashed with
a fierce and wild pleasure, as he continued, in a
louder voice" Yes, bitterly have I disappointed them! Oh!
the triumph over my fallen enemies has been tame
to this heartfelt exultation which places me immeasurably above those false and craven hypocrites! I begged, I implored the Frenchmen, for
the meanest of their craft, which possessed but the
common qualities of a ship of war: I urged the
policy and necessity of giving me such a force, for
even then I promised to be found in harm's way;
but envy and jealousy robbed me of my just dues,
and of more than half my glory. They call me
pirate! If I have a claim to the name, it was furnished more by the paltry outfit of my friends than
by any act towards my enemies!"
" And do not these recollections prompt you to
return to your allegiance to your prince and native
land, John?" said Alice, in a subdued voice.
" Away with the silly thought!" interrupted
the Pilot, recalled to himself asif by a sudden conviction of the weakness he had betrayed; " it is
ever thus where men are mane conspicuous by
their works--but to your visit-I have the power
to rescue myself and companions from this paltry
confinement, and yet I would not have it done with
violence for your sake. Bring you the means of
doing it in quiet?"
"When the morning arrives, you will be all
conducted to the apartment where we first met.



ï~~THE PILOT.

199

This will be done at the solicitation of Miss Howard, under the plea of compassion and justice, and
with the professed object of inquiring into your
situations. Her request will not be refused, and
while your guard is stationed at the door, you will
be shown by another entrance through the private
apartments of the wing, to a window whence you
can easily leap to the ground, where a thicket is
at hand; afterwards we shall trust your safety to
your own discretion."
" And if this Dillon, of whom you have spoken,
should suspect the (truth, how will you answer to
the law for aiding our escape?"
"I believe he little dreams who is among the
prisoners," said Alice, musing, "though he may
have detected the character of one of your companions. But it is private feeling, rather than
public spirit, that urges him on."
" I have suspected something of this," returned
the Pilot, with a smile, that crossed those features
where ungovernable passions had so lately been
exhibited, with an effect that might be likened to
the last glimmering of an expiring conflagration,
serving to render the surrounding ruin more obvious. " This young Griffith has led me from my
direct path, with his idle imprudence, and it is
right that his mistress should incur some risk. But
with you, Alice, the case is different; here you are
only a guest, and it is unnecessary that you should
be known in the unfortunate affair. Should my
name get abroad, this recreant American, this Col.
Howard, will find all the favour he has purchased
by advocating the cause of tyranny necessary to
protect him from the displeasure of the ministry."
"I fear to trust so delicate a measure to the




ï~~200

THE PILOT.

young discretion of my amiable friend," said Alice,
shaking her head.
"Remember, that she has her attachment to
plead in her excuse; but dare you say to the
world that you still remember, with gentle feelings, the man whom you stigmatize with such opprobrious epithets?"
A slight colour gleamed over the pallid brow of
Alice Dunscombe, as she uttered, in a voice that
was barely audible" There is no longer a reason why the world
should know of such a weakness, though it did
exist."  And, as the faint glow passed away, leaving her face pale, nearly as the hue of death, her
eyes kindled with unusual fire, and she added,
" They can but take my life, John, and that I am
ready to lay down in your service!"
"Alice!" exclaimed the softened Pilot, "my
kind, my gentle Alice!-"
The knock of the sentinel at the door was heard
at this critical moment. Without waiting for a reply to his summons, the man entered the apartment, and, in hurried language, declared the urgent necessity that existed for the lady to retire.
A few brief remonstrances were uttered by both
Alice and the Pilot, who wished to comprehend
more clearly each other's intentions relative to the
intended escape; but the fear of personal punishment rendered the soldier obdurate, and a dread
of exposure at length induced the lady to comply.
She arose, and was leaving the apartment with
lingering steps, when the Pilot, touching her hand
whispered to her impressively"Alice, we meet again before I leave this island
for ever."
"We meet in the morning, John," she return




ï~~THE PILOT.             201
ed, in the same tone of voice, "in the apartments
of Miss Howard."
He dropped her hand, and she glided from the
room, when the impatient sentinel closed the door,
and silently turned the key on his prisoner. The
Pilot remained in a listening attitude, until the
light footsteps of the retiring pair were no longer
audible, when he paced his confined apartment
with perturbed steps, occasionally pausing to look
out at the driving clouds, and the groaning oaks
that were trembling and rocking their broad arms
in the fitful gusts of the gale. In a few minutes
the tempest in his own passions had gradually subsided to the desperate and still calmness that made
him the man he was; when he again seated himself where Alice had found him, and began to muse
on the events of the times, from which, the transition to projecting schemes of daring enterprise and
mighty consequences, was but the usual employ.
ment of his active and restless mind.




ï~~CHAPTER XV.

" Sir And. I have no exquisite reason for't, but i've reason good enough."
Twelfth Night.
THE countenance of Captain Borroughcliffe,
when the sentinel admitted him to the apartment
that he had selected, was in that state of doubtfiu
illumination, when looks of peculiar cunning blend
so nicely with the stare of vacancy, that the human face is rendered not unlike an April day, now
smiling and inviting, and at the next moment clouded and dreary. It was quite apparent that the
soldier had an object for his unexpected visit, by
the importance of his air, and the solemnity of the
manner with which he entered on the business.
He waved his hand for the sentinel to retire, with
lofty dignity, and continued balancing his body,
during the closing of the door, and while a sound
continued audible to his confused faculties, with
his eyes fixed in the direction of the noise, with
that certain sort of wise look, that in many men
supplies the place of something better. When the
captain felt himself secure from interruption, he
moved round with quick military precision, in order to face the man of whom he was in quest.
Griffith had been sleeping, though uneasily, and
with watchfulness; and the Pilot had been calmly




ï~~THE PILOT.

203

awaiting the visit which it seemed he had anticipated; but their associate, who was no other than
Captain Manual, of the marines, was discovered in
a very different condition from either. Though
the weather was cool, and the night tempestuous,
he had thrown aside his pee-jacket, with most of
his disguise, and was sitting ruefully on his blanket, wiping, with one hand, the large drops of
sweat from his forehead, and occasionally grasping
his throat with the other, with a kind of convulsed,
mechanical movement. He stared wildly at his
visiter, though his entrance produced no other alteration in these purse:ts, than a more diligent application of his handkerchief, and a more frequent
grasping of his naked neck, as if he were willing
to ascertain, by actual experiment, what degree of
pressure the part was able to sustain, without exceeding a given quantity of inconvemnience.
" Comrade, I greet ye!" said Borroughcliffe,
staggering to the side of his prisoner, where he
seated himself with an entire absence of ceremony; " Comrade, I greet ye! Is th'e kingdom in
danger, that gentlemen traverse the island in the
uniform of the regiment of incognitus, incognitii,
'torum-dammee, how I forget many Latin! Say,
my fine fellow, are you one of these 'torums?"
Manual breathed a little hard, which, considering the manner he had been using his throat, was
a thing to be expected; but, swallowing his apprehensions, he answered with more spirit than his
situation rendered prudent, or the occasion demanded.
"Say what you will of me, and treat me as
you please, I defy any man to call me tory with
truth."
" You are no 'torum! Well, then, the war-office
has got up a new dress: Your regiment must have




ï~~204

THE PILOT.

earned their facings in storming some water battery, or perhaps it has done duty as marines. Am
I right?"
" I'll not deny it," said Manual, more stoutly;
"I have served as a marine for two years, though
taken from the line of-"
" The army," said Borroughcliffe, interrupting
a most damning confession of which" state line"
the other had belonged to. " I kept a dog-watch
myself, once, on board the fleet of my Lord Howe;
but it is a service that I do not envy any man.
Our afternoon parades were dreadfully unsteady,
for it's a time, you know, when a man wants solid
ground to stand on. However, I purchased my
company with some prize money that fell in my
way, and I always remember the marine service
with gratitude. But this is dry work. I have put
a bottle of sparkling Madeira in my pocket, with
a couple of glasses, which we will discuss, while
we talk over more important matters.  Thrust
your hand into my right pocket; I have been used
to dress to the front so long, that it comes mighty
awkward to me to make this backward motion, as
if it were into a cartridge box."
Manual, who had been at a loss how to construe
the manner of the other, perceived at once a good
deal of plain English in this request, and he dislodged one of Col. Howard's dusty bottles, with a
dexterity that denoted the earnestness of his purpose. Borroughcliffe had made a suitable provision of glasses, and extracting the cork in a certain
scientific manner, he tendered to his companion a
bumper of the liquor, before another syllable was
uttered by either of the expectants. The gentlemen concluded their draughts with a couple of
smacks, that sounded not unlike the pistols of two
practised duellists, though certainly a much less




ï~~THE PILOT.

205

alarming noise; when the entertainer renewed the
discourse.
"I like one of your musty looking bottles, that
is covered with dust and cobwebs, with a good
southern tan on it," he said. "Such liquor does
not abide in the stomach, but it gets into the heart
at once, and becomes blood in the beating of a
pulse. But how soon I knew you! That sort of
knowledge is the freemasonry of our craft. I knew
you to be the man you are, the moment I laid eyes
on you in what we call our guard-room; but I
thought I would humour the old soldier who lives
here, by letting him have the formula of an examination, as a sort of deference to his age and former rank. But I knew you the instant I saw you.
I have seen you before!"
The theory of Borrougholiffe, in relation to the
incorporation of wine with the blood, might have
been true in the case of the marine, whose whole
frame appeared to undergo a kind of magical change
by the experiment of drinking, which, the reader
will understand, was diligently persevered in, while
a drop remained in the bottle. The perspiration
no longer rolled from his brow, neither did his
throat manifest that uneasiness which had rendered
such constant external applications necessary; but
he settled down into an air of cool, but curious interest, which, in some measure, was the necessary
concomitant of his situation.
" We may have met before, as I have been
much in service, and yet I know not where you
could have seen me,"' said Manual. " Were you
ever a prisoner of war?"
" Hum! not exactly such an unfortunate devil;
but a sort of conventional non-combatant. I shared
the hardships, the glory, the equivocal victories,
[where we killed and drove countless numbers of
18




ï~~206

THE PILOT.

rebels-who were not,) and, wo is me! the capitulation of Burgoyne. But let that pass-which
was more than the Yankees would allow us to
do.   You know not where I could have seen
you-? I have seen you on parade, in the field, in
battle and out of battle, in camp, in barracks, in
short, every where but in a drawing-room. No,
no; I have never seen you before this night in a
drawing-room!"
Manual stared in a good deal of wonder, and
some uneasiness, at these confident assertions, which
promised to put his life in no little jeopardy; and
it is to be supposed that the peculiar sensation about
the throat was revived, as he made a heavy draught
before he said" You will swear to this-Can you call me by
name?"
" I will swear to it in any court in Christendom," said the dogmatical soldier; " and your name
is-is-Fugleman!"
" If it is, I'll be damn'd!" exclaimed the other
with exulting precipitation.
" Swear not!" said Borroughcliffe, with a so
lemnn air; " for what mattereth an empty name
Call thyself by what appellation thou wilt, I know
thee.  Soldier is written on thy martial front;
thy knee bendeth not; nay, I even doubt if the rebellious member bow in prayer."
1 Come, sir," interrupted Manual, a little sternUy; "no more of this trifling, but declare your will
at once. Rebellious member, indeed! These fellows will call the skies of America rebellious heavens shortly!"
" I like thy spirit, lad," returned the undisturbed Borroughcliffe; " it sits as gracefully on a
soldier, as his sash and gorget; but it is lost on an
old campaigner. I marvel, however, that thou




ï~~THE PILOT.

207

takest such umbrage at my slight attack on thy
orthodoxy. I fear the fortress must be weak,
where the outworks are defended with such a
waste of unnecessary courage."
" I know not why or wherefore you have paid
me this visit, Captain Borroughcliffe," said Manual, with a laudable discretion, which prompted
him to reconnoitre the other's views a little, before he laid himself more open; " if eaptain be
your rank, and Borroughcliffe be your name. But
this I do know, that if it be only to mock me in
my present situation, it is neither soldier-like nor
manly; and it is what, in other circumstances,
might be attended by some hazard."
" Hum!" said the other, with his immovable
coolness; "I see you set the wine down as nothing, though the king drinks not as good; for the
plain reason that the sun of England cannot find
its way through the walls of Windsor Castle, as
easily as the sun of Carolina can warm a garret
covered with cedar shingles. But I like your
spirit more and more. So draw yourself up in
battle array, and let us have another charge at this
black bottle, when I shall lay before your military
eyes a plan of the whole campaign."
Manual first bestowed an inquiring glance at his
companion, when, discovering no other expression
than foolish cunning, which was fast yielding before the encroaching footsteps of stupid inebriety,
he quietly placed himself in the desired position.
The wine was drunk, when Borrougheliffe proceeded to open his communications more unreservedly.
" You are a soldier, and I am a soldier. That
you are a soldier, my orderly could tell; for the
dog has both seen a campaign, and smelt villanous
salt-petre, when compounded according to a wick



ï~~208

THE PILOT.

ed invention; but it required the officer to detect
the officer. Privates do not wear such linen as
this, which seemeth to me an unreasonably cool
attire for the season; nor velvet stocks, with silver buckles; nor is there often the odorous flavour
of sweet-scented pomatum to be discovered around
their greasy locks. In short, thou art both soldier
and officer."
" I confess it," said Manual; ' I hold the rank
of captain, and shall expect the treatment of one."
" I think I have furnished you with wine fit for
a general," returned BorroughelitTffe; "but have
your own way. Now, it would be apparent to
men, whose faculties had not been rendered clear
by such cordials as this dwelling aboundeth with,
that when you officers journey through the island,
clad in the uniform incognitorum, which, in your
case, means the marine corps, that something is in
the wind of more than usual moment. Soldiers
owe their allegiance to their prince, and next to
him, to war, women, and wine. Of war, there is
none in the realm; of women, plenty; but wine,
I regret to say, that is, good wine, grows both
scarce and dear. Do I speak to the purpose, comrade?"
" Proceed," said Manual, whose eyes were not
less attentive than his ears, in a hope to discover
whether his true character were understood.
"En avant! in plain English, forward march!
Well, then, the difficulty lies between women and
wine; which, when the former are pretty, and the
latter rich, is a very agreeable sort of an alternative. That it is not wine of which you are in
quest, I must believe, my comrade captain, or you
would not go on the adventure in such shabby attire. You will excuse me, but who would think
of putting any thing better than their Port before a




ï~~THE PILOT.

209

man in a pair of tarred trowsers? No! no! Hollands, green-and-yellow Hollands, is a potation
good enough to set before one of the present bearing."
"And yet I have met with him who has treated
me to the choicest of the south-side Madeira!"
"Know you the very side from which the precious fluid comes! That looks more in favour of
the wine. But, after all, woman, dear, capricious
woman, who one moment fancies she sees a hero
in regimentals, and the next a saint in a cassock;
and who always bees something admirable in a
suitor, whether he be clad in tow or velvet-woman is at the bottom of this mysterious masquerading. Am I right, comrade?"
By this time, Manual had discovered that he
was safe, ano he returned to the conversation with
a revival of all his ready wits, which had been
strangely paralyzed by his previous disorder in the
region of the throat. First bestowing a wicked
wink on his companion, and a look that would have
outdone the wisest aspeot of Solomon, he replied" Ah! woman has much to answer for!"
" I knew it," exclaimed Borroughcliffe; " and
this confession only confirms me in the good opinion
I have always entertained of myself. If his majesty has any particular wish to close this American business, let him have a certain convention
burnt, and a nameless person promoted, and we
shall see! But, answer as you love truth; is it a
business of holy matrimony, or a mere dalliance
with 'the sweets of Cupid?"
" Of honest wedlock," said Manual, with an
air as serious as if Hymen already held him in his
fetters.
" 'Tis honest! Is there money?"
18 *                 14




ï~~210

THE PILOT.

" Is there money?" repeated Manual, with a
sort of contemptuous echo. " Would a soldier
part with his liberty, but with his life, unless the
chains were made of gold?"
" That's the true military doctrine!" cried
the other; "faith, you have some discretion in
your amphibious corps, I find! But why this
disguise, are the 'seniors grave,' as well as 'potent and reverend?' Why this disguise, I again
ask?"
" Why this disguise!" repeated Manual, coolly; " Is there any such thing as love in your rep
giment without disguise? With us it is a regular
symptom of the disease."
" A most just and discreet description of the
passion, my amphibious comrade!" said the English
officer; " and yet the symptoms in your case are
attended by some very malignant tokens. Does
your mistress love tar?"
"No; but she loveth me; and, of course, whatever attire I choose to appear in."
" Still discreet and sagacious! and yet only a
most palpable feint to avoid my direct attack. You
have heard of such a place as Gretna Green, a little to the north of this, I dare say, my aquatic
comrade. Am I right?"
" Gretna Green!" said Manual, a little embarrassed by his ignorance; " some parade ground, I
suppose?"
" Ay, for those who suffer under the fire of
Master Cupid. A parade ground! well, there is
some artful simplicity in that! But all will not do
with an old campaigner. It is a difficult thing to
impose on an old soldier, my water battery. Now
listen and answer; and you shall see what it is to
possess a discernment-therefore deny nothing
You are in love?"




ï~~THE PILOT.

211

" I deny nothing," said Manual, comprehending
at once that this was his safest course.
" Your mistress is willing, and the money is
ready, but the old people say halt!"
" I am still mute."
'Tis prudent. You say march-Gretna Green
is the object; and your flight is to be by water?"
" Unless I can make my escape by water, I
shall never make it," said Manual, with another sympathetic movement with his hand to his
throat.
1 Keep mute; you need tell me nothing. I
can see into a mystery that is as deep as a well,
to-night. Your companions are hirelings; perhaps your shipmates; or men to pilot you on this
expedition?"
" One is my shipmate, and the other is our pilot," said Manual, with more truth than usual.
" You are well provided. One thing more, and
I shall become mute in my turn. Does she whom
you seek lie in this house?"
" She does not; she lies but a short distance
from this place; and I should be a happy fellow,
could I but once more put foot-"
" Eyes on her. Now listen, and you shall have
your wish. You possess the ability to march yet,
which, considering the lateness of the hour, is no
trifling privilege; open that window-is it possible to descend from it?"
Manual eagerly complied, but he turned from
the place in disappointment.
" It would be certain death to attempt the leap.
The devil only could escape from it."
" So I should think, ' returned Borroughcliffe
dryly. " You must be content to pass for that
respectable gentleman for the rest of your days,
in St. Ruth's Abbey. For through that identical




ï~~212

THE. PILOT.

hole must you wing your flight on the pinions of
love."
" But how! The thing is impossible."
"In imagination only. There is some stir; a
good deal of foolish apprehension; and a great excess of idle curiosity, among certain of the tenants
of this house on your account. They fear the rebels, who, we all know, have not soldiers enough
to do their work neatly at home, and who of course
would never think of sending any here. You wish
to be snug-I wish to serve a brother in distress.
Through that window you must be supposed to
fly--no matter how; while by following me you
can pass the sentinel, and retire peaceably, like any
other mortal, on your own two stout legs."
This was a result that exceeded all that Manual
had anticipated from their amicable but droll dialogue; and the hint was hardly given, before he
threw on the garments that agitation had before
rendered such encumbrances, and in less time than
we have taken to relate it, the marine was completely equipped for his departure. In the mean
time, Captain Borrougheliffe raised himself to an
extremely erect posture, which he maintained,
with the inflexibility of a rigid martinet. When
he found himself established on his feet, the soldier
intimated to his prisoner that he was ready to proceed. The door was instantly opened by Manual,
and together they entered the gallery.
" Who comes there?" cried the sentinel, with
a vigilance and vigour that he intended should
compensate for his previous neglect of duty.
"Walk straight, that he may see you," said
Borroughcliffe, with much philosophy.
'" Who goes there?" repeated the sentinel,
throwing his musket to a poise, with a rattling
sound that echoed along the naked walls.




ï~~THE PILOT.

213

' Walk crooked," added Borrougheliffe, "that
if he fire he may miss."
" We shall be shot at, with this folly," muttered Manual. " We are friends, and your officer
is one of us."
" Stand, friends-advance officer and give the
countersign," cried the sentinel.
" That is much easier said than done," returned
his captain; " forward, Mr. Amphibious, you can
walk like a postman-move to the front, and proclaim the magical word, 'loyalty;' 'tis a standing
countersign, ready furnished to my hands by mine
host, the colonel; your road is then clear before
you-but hark-"
Manual made an eager step forward, when, recollecting himself, he turned, and added" My assistants, the seamen! I can do nothing
without them."
" Lo! the keys are in the doors, ready for my
admission," said the Englishman; "turn them and
bring out your forces."'
Quick as thought, Manual was in the room of
Griffith, to whom he briefly communicated the
situation of things, when he re-appeared in the
passage, and then proceeded on a similar errand to
the room of the Pilot.
" Follow, and behave as usual," he whispered;
" say not a word, but trust all to me."
The Pilot arose, and obeyed these instructions
without asking a question, with the most admirable coolness.
"I am now ready to proceed," said Manual,
when they had joined Borroughcliffe.
During the short time occupied in these arrangements, the sentinel and his captain had stood looking at each other, with great military exactitude.
The former, ambitious of manifesting his watchful



ï~~214

THE PILOT.

ness; the latter awaiting the return of the marine
The captain now beckoned to Manual to advance
and give the countersign.
"1 Loyalty," whispered Manual, when he, approached the sentinel  But the soldier had been
allowed time to reflect; and as he well understood
the situation of his officer, he hesitated to allow
the prisoner to pass. After a moment's pause, he
said
SAdvance, friends."  At this summons, the
whole party moved to the point of his bayonet;
when the man continued, " The prisoners have the
countersign, Captain Borroughcliffe, but I dare not
let them pass."
" Why not?" asked the captain; " am I not
here, sirrah; do you not know me?"
I Yes, sir, I know your honour, and respect
your honouir; but I was posted here by my sergeant, and ordered not to let these men pass out
on any account."
" That's what I call good discipline," said
Borroughcliffe, with an exulting laugh; " I knew
the lad would not mind me any more than that he
would obey the orders of that lamp. Here are
no slaves of the lamp, my amphibious comrade
drill ye your marines in this consummate style tc
niceties?"
" What means this trifling?" said the Pilot
sternly.
SAh! I thought I should turn the laugh on
you," cried Manual, affecting to join in the mirth;
" we know all these things well, and we practise
them in our corps; but though the sentinel cannot know you, the sergeant will; so let him be
called, and orders be given through him to the man
on post, that we may pass out."
" Your throat grows uneasy, I see," said Bor



ï~~THE PILOT.

215

roughcliffe; " you crave another bottle of the
generous fluid. Well, it shall be done. Sentinel,
you can throw up yon window, and give a call to
the sergeant."
" The outcry will ruin us," said the Pilot, in a
whisper to Griffith.
" Follow me," said the young sailor. The sentinel was turning to execute the orders of his captain, as Griffith spoke; when springing forward,
in an instant he wrenched the musket from his
'hands; a heavy blow with its butt felled the astonished soldier to the floor; then, poising his
weapon, Griffith exclaimhned" Forward! we can clear our own way now l"
"On!" said the Pilot, leaping lightly over the
prostrate soldier, a dagger gleaming in one hand,
and a pistol presented in the other.
Manual was by his side in an instant, armed in a
similar manner; and the three rushed together
from the building, without meeting any one to oppose their flight.
Borrougheliffe was utterly unable to follow; and
so astounded was he by this sudden violence, that
several minutes passed before he was restored to
the use of his speech, a faculty which seldom deserted him. The man had recovered his senses
and his feet; however; and the two stood gazing
at each other in mute condolence. At length the
sentinel broke the silence" Shall I give the alarm, your honour?"
" I rather think not, Peters. I wonder if there
be any such thing as gratitude or good breeding in
the marine corps!"
"I hope your honour will remember that I did
my duty, and that I was disarmed while executing
your orders."
" I can remember nothing about it, Peters, ex



ï~~216             riHl PILOT.
cept that it is rascally treatment, and such as I shall
yet make that amphibious, aquatic gentleman answer for. But, lock the door--look as if nothing
had happened, and-"
" Ah! your honour, that is not so easily done
as your honour may please to think. I have not
any doubt bt there is the print of the breech of
a musket stamped on my back and shoulders, as
plainly to be seen as that light."
"Then look as you please; but hold your peace,
sirrah. Here is a crown to buy a plaster. I heard
the dog throw away your musket on the stairs-.
go seek it, and return to your post; and when you
are relieved, act as if nothing had happened. 1
take the responsibility on myself."
The man obeyed, and when he was once more
armed, Borroughcliffe, a good deal sobered by the
surprise, made the best of his way to his own
apartment, muttering threats and execrations against
the " corps of marines, and the whole race," as he
called them, " of aquatic amphibii."




ï~~CHAPTER XVI.

SAway! away! the covey's fled the cover
Put forth the dogs, and let the falcon flyI'll spend some leisure in the keen pursuit,
Nor longer waste my hours in sluggish quiet."
THE soldier passed the remainder of the nigh.
min the heavy sleep of a bacchanalian, and awoke
late on the following morning, only when aroused
by the entrance of his servant. When the customary summons had induced the captain to unclose his eyelids, he arose in his bed, and after
performing the usual operation of a diligent friction on his organs of vision, he turned sternly to
his man, and remarked, with an ill-humour that
seemed to implicate the innocent servant in the
fault which his master condemned" I thought, sirrah, that I ordered Sergean
Drill not to let a drum-stick touch a sheep-skim
while we quartered in the dwelling of this hospitable old colonel! Does the fellow despise my
commands; or does he think the roll of a drum,
echoing through the crooked passages of St. Ruth,
a melody that is fit to disturb the slumbers of its
inmates!"
" I believe, sir," returned the man, "it was the
wish of Col. Howard himself, that on this occasion
the sergeant should turn out the guard by the roll
of the drum."
19




ï~~218

THE PILOT.

" The devil it was!-I see the old fellow loves
to tickle the drum of his own ear now and then,
with familiar sounds; but have you had a muster
of the cattle from the farm-yard too, as well as a
parade of the guard? I hear the trampling of feet,
as if the old Abbey were a second ark, and all
the beasts of the field were coming aboard of us!"
" 'Tis nothing but the party of dragoons from
-, who are wheeling into the court-yard, sir,
where the colonel has gone out to receive them."
" Court-yard! light dragoons!" repeated Borroughcliffe,in amazement; " and has it come to
this, that twenty stout fellows of the  th are not
enough to guard such a rookery as this old Abbey,
against the ghosts and north-east storms, but we
must have horse to reinforce us. Hum! Isuppose some of these booted gentlemen have heard
of this South-Carolina Madeira."'
",Oh, no, sir!" cried his man, " it is only the
party that Mr. Dillon went to seek last evening,
after you saw fit, sir, to put the three pirates in
irons.'.'
" Pirates in irons!" said Borroughcliffe, again
passing his hands over his eyes, though in a more
reflecting manner than before; " ha! oh! I remember to have put three suspicious looking rascals in the black-hole, or some such place; but
what can Mr. Dillon, or the light dragoons, have
to do with these fellows?"
"That we do not know, sir; but it is said below, sir, as some suspicions had fallen on their being conspirators and rebels from the colonies, and
that they were great officers and tories in disguise,
some said that one was General Washington, and
others, that it was only three members of the
Yankee parliament, come over to get our good old
English fashions to set themselves up with."




ï~~THE PILOT.

219

"Washington! Members of Congress! Go-.
go, simpleton, and learn how many these troopers
muster, and what halt they make; but stay, place
my clothes near me. Now, do as I bid you; and
if the dragoon officer inquire for me, make my respects, and tell him I shall be with him soon. Go,
fellow; go.'
When the man left the room, the captain, while
he proceeded with the business of the toilet, occasionally gave utterance to the thoughts that
crowded on his recollection, after the manner of a
soliloquy.
"Ay! my commission to a half-pay ensigncy,
that some of these lazy fellows, who must have a
four-legged beast to carry them to the wars, have
heard of the ' south side.' South side! I believe
I must put an advertisement in the London Gazette, calling that amphibious soldier to an account. If he be a true man, he will not hide himself
under his incognito, but will give me a meeting. If
that should fail, damme, I'll ride across to Yarmouth, and call out the first of the mongrel breed
that I fall in with. 'Sdeath! was ever such an insult practised on a gentleman, and a soldier, before! Would that I only knew his name! Why,
if the tale should get abroad, I shall be the standing joke of the mess-table, until some greater fool
than myself can be found. It would cost me at
least six duels to get rid of it. No, no; not a trigger will 1 pull in my own regiment about the silly
affair; but I'll have a crack at some marine in very
revenge; for that is no more than reasonable.
That Peters! if the scoundrel should dare whisper
any thing of the manner in which he was stamped
with the breech of the musket! I can't flog him
for it, but if I don't maLke it up to him, the -first




ï~~THE PIL OT.

time he gives inme a chance, I am ignorant of the
true art of balancing regimental accounts."
By the time the recruiting officer had concluded
this soliloquy, which affords a very fair exposition
of the current of his thoughts, he was prepared to
mneet the new comers, and he accordingly descended to the court-yard, as in duty bound, to receive
them in his proper pers6n. Borroughcliffe encountered his host, in ear.,st conversation with a
young man in a cavalry  liform, in the principal
entrance of the Abbey;  id was greeted by the
former with" A good morning to you, my worthy guard
and protector! here is rare news for your loyal
ears. It seems that our prisoners are enemies to
the king, in disguise; and Cornet Fitzgerald
Captain Borroughcliffe, of the  th, permit me
to make you acquainted with Mr. Fitzgerald, of the
-   th Light Dragoons."  While the soldiers exchanged their salutations, the old man continued" The cornet has been kind enough to lead down a
detachment of his troop, to escort the rogues up to
London, or some other place, where they will find
enough good and loyal officers to form a court martial, that can authorize their execution as spies.
Christopher Dillon, my worthy kinsman, Kit, saw
into their real characters, at a glance, while you
and I, like two unsuspecting boys, thought the rascals would have made fit men to serve the king.
But Kit has an eye and a head that few enjoy like
him, and I would that he might receive his dues at
the English bar."
" It is to be desired, sir," said Borroughcliffe,
with a grave aspect, that was produced chiefly by
his effort to give effect to his sarcasm, but a little,
also; by the recollection of the occurrences that
were yet to be explained; " but what reason has




ï~~THlE PILOT.

221

Mr. Christopher Dillon to believe that the three
seamen are more or less than they seem?"
" I know not what; but a good and sufficient
reason, I will venture my life," cried the colonel;
" K;t is a lad for reasons, which you know is the
founrdation of his profession, and knows how to deliver them manfully in the proper place; but you
know, gentlemen, that the members of the bar
cannot assume the open and bold front that becomes a soldier, wi,out often endangering the
cause in which they L _ oncerned. No, no; trust
me, Kit has his reasons, and in good time will he
deliver them."
" I hope, then," said the captain, cardlessly,
" that it may be found that we have had a proper
watch on our charge, Col. Howard; I think you
told me the windows were too high for an escape
in that direction, for I had no sentinel outside of
the building."
" Fear nothing, my worthy friend," cried his
host; " unless your men have slept, instead of
watching, we have them safe; but, as it will be
necessary to convey them away before any of the
civil authority can lay hands on them, let us proceed to the rear, and unkennel the dogs. A party
of the horse might proceed with them to -,
while we are breaking our fasts. It would be no
wise thing to let the civilians deal with them, for
they seldom have a true idea of the nature of the
crime."
"' Pardon me, sir," said the young officer of
horse; " I was led to believe, by Mr. Dillon, that
we might meet with a party of the enemy in some
little force, and that I should find a pleasanter duty
than that of,a constable; besides, sir, the laws of
the realm guaranty to the subject a trial by his
peers, and it is more than I dare do to carry the
19*




ï~~222

THE PILOT.

men to the barracks, without first taking them before a magistrate."
" Ay! you speak of loyal and dutiful subjects,"
said the colonel; " and, as respects them, doubtless, you are right; but such privileges are withheld from enemies and traitors."
SIt must be first proved that they are such, before they can receive the treatment or the punishment that they merit," returned the young man, a
little positively, who felt the more confidence, because he had only left the Temple the year before. "If I take charge of the men at all, it will
be only to transfer them safely to the civil autho
rity."
" Let us go and see the prisoners," cried Bor
rougheliffe, with a view to terminate a discussion
that was likely to wax warm, and which he knew
to be useless; ". perhaps they may quietly enrol
themselves under the banners of our sovereign,
when all other interference, save that of wholesome discipline, will become unnecessary."
" Nay, if they are of a rank in life to render
such a step probable," returned the cornet, " I am
well content that the matter should be thus settled. I trust, however, that Captain Borroughcliffe will consider that the  th light dragoons
has some merit in this affair, and that we are far
short of our numbers in the second squadron."
" We shall not be difficult at a compromise,"
returned the captain; " there is one a-piece for
us, and a toss of a guinea shall determine who has
the third man. Sergeant! follow, to deliver over
your prisoners, and relieve your sentry."
As they proceeded, in compliance with this arrangement, to the buildmg in the rear, Colonel
Howard, who made one of the party, observed" 1 dispute not the penetration of Captain Bor.




ï~~THE PILOT.

roughcliffe, but I understand Mr. christopher Dillon that there is reason to believe one of these
men, at least, to be of a class altogether above that
of a common soldier, in which case your plans may
fall to the ground."
" And who does he deem the gentleman to be?"
asked Borroughliffe-" A Bourbon in disguise,
or a secret representative of the rebel congress?"
" Nay, nay; he said nothing more; my kinsman Kit keeps a close mouth, whenever Dame
Justice is about to balance her scales. There are
men who may be said to have been born to be soldiers; of which number I should call the Earl
Cornwallis, who makes such head against the rebels in the two Carolinas; others seem to be intended by nature for divines, and saints on earth,
such as their Graces of York and Canterbury;
while another class appear as if it were impossible
for them to behold things, unless with discrimninating, impartial, and disinterested eyes; to which, I
should say, belong my Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, and my kinsman, Mr. Christopher Dillon. I
trust, gentlemen, that when the royal arms have
crushed this rebellion, that his majesty's ministers
will see the propriety of extending the dignity of
the peerage to the colonies, as a means of reward
to the loyal, and a measure of policy, to prevent
future disaffection; in which case, I hope to see
my kinsman decorated with the ermine of justice,
bordering the mantle of a peer."
" Your expectations, my excellent sir, are right
reasonable, as I doubt not your kinsman will become, at some future day, that which he is not at
present, unhappily for his deserts, right honoura
ble," said Borrougheliffe. " But be of good heart,
sir; from what I have seen of his merits, I doubt
not that the law will yet have its revenge in due




ï~~224

THE PILOT.

season, and that we shall be properly edified and
instructed how to attain elevation in life, by the
future exaltation of Mr. Christopher Dillon; though
by what title he is to be then known, I am at a loss
to say."
Colonel Howard was too much occupied with
his own ex parte views of the war and things in
general, to observe the shrewd looks that were
exchanged between the soldiers; but he answered
with perfect simplicity" I have 'eflected much on that point, and have
come to the opinion, that as he has a small estate
on that river, he should cause his first barony to
be known by the title of ' Pedee.' "
" Barony!" echoed Borroughcliffe; " I trust
the new nobles of a new world will disdain the
old worn out distinctions of a hackneyed universe
-eschew all baronies, mine host, and cast earldomns and dukedoms to the shades. The immortal Locke has unlocked his fertile mind to furnish
you with appellations suited to the originality of
your condition, and the nature of your country.
Ah! here comes the Cacique of Pedee, in his proper person!"
As Borroughcliffe spoke, they were ascending
the flight of stone steps which led to the upper
apartments, where the prisoners were still supposed to be confined; and, at the same moment,
the sullen, gloomy features of Dillon were seen as
he advanced along the lower passage, with an expression of malicious exultation hovering above his
dark brow, that denoted his secret satisfaction.
As the hours had passed away, the period had
come round when the man who had been present
at the escape of Griffith and his friends, was again
posted to perform the duty of sentinel. As this
soldier well knew the situation of his trust, he was




ï~~TH   PIL OT.

225

very coolly adjusted, with his back against the
wall, endeavouring to compensate himself for his
disturbed slumbers during the night, when the
sounds of the approaching footsteps warned him to
assume the appearance of watchfulness.
" How now, fellow!" cried Borroughcliffe;
" what have you to say to your charge?"
" I believe the men sleep, your honour; for 1
have heard no noises from the rooms since I relieved the last sentinel."
" The lads are weary, and are right to catch
what sleep they can in their comfortable quarters,"
returned the captain. " Stand to your arms, sirrah! and throw back your shoulders; and do not
move like a crab, or a train-band corporal; do you
not see an officer of horse coming up? Would
you disgrace your regiment!"
" Ah! your honour, heaven only knows whether I shall ever get my shoulders even again."
" Buy another plaster," said Borroughcliffe,
slipping a shilling into his hand; " observe, you
know nothing but your duty."
" Which is, your honour "
" To mind me and be silent. But here comes
the sergeant with his guard, he will relieve you."
The rest of the party had stopped at the other
end of the gallery, to allow the few files of sol
diers, who were led by the orderly, to pass them,
when they all moved toward the prisons in a body.
The sentinel was relieved in due military style;
when Dillon placed his hand on one of the doors,
and said, with a malicious sneer,
C Open here first, Mr. Sergeant; this cage holds
the man we most want."
" Softly, softly, my Lord Chief Justice, and
most puissant Cacique," said the captain; " the
hour has not yet come to empannel a jury of fat
15




ï~~22

THE PILOT.

yeomen, and no man must interfere with my boys
but myself."
SThe rebuke is harsh, I must observe, Captain
Borroughcliffe," said the colonel; " but I pardon
it because it is military. No, no, Kit; these nice
points must be left to martial usages. Be not impatient, my cousin; I doubt not the hour will come,
when you shall hold the scales of justice, and satisfy your loyal longings on many a traitor. Zounds!
I could almost turn executioner myself in such a
cause!t"
" I can curb my impatience, sir," returned Dillon, with hypocritical meekness, and great selfcommand, though his eyes were gleaming with
savage exultation.  " I beg pardon of Captain
Borrougheliffe, if, in my desire to render the civil
authority superior to the military, I have trespassed on your customs."
" You see, Borroughcliffe!" exclaimed the colonel, exultingly, " the lad is ruled by an instinct
in all matters of law and justice. I hold it to be
impossible that a man thus endowed can ever become a disloyal subject. But our breakfast waits,
and Mr. Fitzgerald has breathed his horse this
cool morning; let us proceed at once to the examination."
Borrougheliffe motioned to the sergeant to open
the door, when the whole party entered the vacant room.
" Your prisoner has escaped!" cried the cornet, after a single moment employed in making
sure of the fact.
" Never! it must not, shall not be," cried Dillon, quivering with rage, as he glanced his eyes
furiously around the apartment; " here has been
treachery! and foul treason to the king!"
" By whom committed, Mr. Christopher Dil



ï~~THE PILOT.

227

Ion?" said Borrougheliffe, knitting his brow, and
speaking in a suppressed tone: " dare you, or any
man living, charge treason to the - th!"''
A very different feeling from rage appeared now
to increase the shivering propensities of the future
judge, who at once perceived it was necessary to
moderate his passion, and he returned, as it were
by magic, to his former plausible and insinuating
manner, as he replied" Colonel Howard will understand the cause of
my warm feelings, when I tell him that this very
room contained, last night, that disgrace to his
name and country, as well as traitor to his king
Edward Griffith, of the rebel navy."
" What!" exclaimed the colonel, starting, " has
that recreant youth dared to pollute the threshold
of St. Ruth with his footstep! but you dream,
Kit; there would be too much hardihood in the act."
" It appears not, sir," returned the other; "for
though in this very apartment he most certainly
was, he is here no longer. And yet from this
window, though open, escape would seem to be
impossible, even with much assistance."
" If I thought that the contumelious boy had
dared to be guilty of such an act of gross impudence," cried the colonel, "I should be tempted
to resume my arms, in my old age, to punish his
effrontery. What! it is not enough that he entered my dwelling in the colony, availing himself
of the distraction of the times, with an intent to
rob me of my choicest jewel, ay! gentlemen, even
of my brother Harry's daughter--but that he must
also invade this hallowed island, with a like purpose, thus thrusting his treason, as it were, into
the presence of his abused prince! No, no, Kit,
thy loyalty misleads thee; he has never dared to
do the deed!"




ï~~228

THE PILOT.

" Listen, sir, and you shall be convinced," re.
turned the pliar..t Christopher. " I do not wonder
at your unbelief; but as good testimony is the
soul of justice, I cannot resist its influence. You
know, that two vessels, corresponding in appearance to the two rebel cruisers that annoyed us so
much in the Carolinas, have been seen on the coast
for several days, which induced us to beg the protection of Captain Borroughcliffe. Three men are
found, the day succeeding that on which we hear
that these vessels came within the shoals, stealing
through the grounds of St. Ruth, in sailors' attire.
They are arrested, and in the voice of one of them,
sir, I immediately detected that of the traitor Griffith. He was disguised, it is true, and cunningly
so; but when a man has devoted his whole life to
the business of investigating truth," he added, with
an air of much modesty,." it is difficult to palm
any disguise on his senses."'
Col. Howard was strongly impressed with the
probability of these conjectures, and the closing
appeal confirmed him immediately in his kinsman's
opinion, while Borroughcliffe listened, with deep
interest, to the speakers, and more than once bit
his lip with vexation. When Dillon concluded the
soldier exclaimed" I'll swear there was a man among them, who
has been used to the drill."
" Nothing more probable, my worthy friend,"
said Dillon; "for as the landing was never made
withouit some evil purpose, rely on it, he came not
unguarded or unprotected. I dare say, the three
werc, all officers, and one of them might have been
of the marines. That they had assistance is certain, and it was because I felt assured they had a
force secreted at hand, that I went in quest of the
reinforcement."




ï~~THE PILOT.

There was so much plausibility, and, in fact, so
much truth in all this, that conviction was unwillingly admitted by Borroughcliffe, who walked
aside, a moment, to conceal the confusion which,
in spite of his ordinary inflexibility of countenance,
he felt was manifesting itself in his rubric visage,
while he muttered" The amphibious dog! he was a soldier, but a
traitor and an enemy  No doubt he will have a
marvellous satisfaction in delighting the rebellious
ears of his messmates, by rehearsing the manner
in which he poured cold water down the back of
one Borroughcliffe, of the  th, who was amiusing
him., at the same time, by pouring good, rich, southside Madeira down his own rebellious throat. I
have a good mind to exchange my scarlet coat for
a blue jacket, on purpose to meet the sly rascal on
the other element, where we can discuss the matter over again. Well, sergeant, do you find the
other two?"
" They are gone together, your honour," returned the orderly, who just then re-entered from
an examination of the other apartments; " and
unless the evil one helped them off, it's a mysterious business to me."
" Colonel Howard," said Borroughcliffe, gravely, " your precious south-side cordial must be banished from the board, regularly with the cloth, until I have my revenge; for satisfaction of this insult is mine to claim, and I seek it this instant.
Go, Drill; detail a guard for the protection of the
house, and feed the rest of your command, then
beat the general, and we will take the field. Ay!
my worthy veteran host, for the first time since the
days of the unlucky Charles Stuart, there shall be
a campaign in the heart of England."
" Ah! rebellion, rebellion! accursed, unnatural,
20




ï~~230

THE PILOT

unholy rebellion, caused the calamity then and
now!" exclaimed the colonel.
" H-lad I not better take a hasty refreshment for
my men and their horses?" asked the cornet;
"and then make a sweep for a few miles along the
coast? It may be my luck to encounter the fugitives, or some part of their force."
" You have anticipated my very thoughts," returned Borroughcliffe. " The Cacique of Pedee
may close the gates of St. Ruth, and, by barring
the windows, and arming the servants, he can
make a very good defence against an attack, should
they think proper to assail our fortress; after he
has repulsed them, leave it to me to cut off their
retreat."
Dillon but little relished this proposal; for he
thought an attempt to storm the Abbey would be
the most probable course adopted by Griffith, in
order to rescue his mistress; and the jurist had
none of the spirit of a soldier in his composition
In truth, it was this deficiency that had induced
him to depart min person, the preceding night, in
quest of the reinforcement, instead of sending an
express on the errand. But the necessity of devising an excuse for a change in this dangerous
arrangement, was obviated by Colonel Howard,
who exclaimed, as soon as Borroughcliffe concluded his plan
"To me, Captain. Borroughcliffe, belongs, of
right, the duty of defending St. Ruth, and it shall
be no boy's play to force my works; but Kit would
rather try his chance in the open field, I know.
Come, let us to our breakfast, and then he shall
mount, and act as a guide to the horse, along the
difficult passes of the seashore."
" To breakfast then let it be," cried the captain;
" I distrust not my new commander of the fortress,




ï~~THE PILOT.

231.

and in the field Cacique for ever! We follow
you, my worthy host."
This arrangement was hastily executed in all its
parts. The gentlemen swallowed their meal in
the manner of men who ate only to sustain nature,
and as a duty; after which the whole house became a scene of bustling activity. The troops
were mustered and paraded; Borroughcliffe, setting apart a guard for the building, placed himself
at the head of the remainder of his little party, and
they moved out of the court-yard in open order,
and at quick time.. Dillon joyfully beheld himself.
mounted on one of the best of Colonel Howard's
hunters, where he knew that he had the control,
in a great measure, of his own destiny; his bosom
throbbing with a powerful desire to destroy Griffith, while he entertained a lively wish to effect
his object without incurring any personal risk. At
his side was the young cornet, seated with practised grace in his saddle, who, after giving time for
the party of foot soldiers to clear the premises,
glanced,his eye along the few files he led, and
then gave the word to move. The little division
of horse wheeled briskly into open column, and,
the officer touching his cap to Colonel Howard,
they dashed through the gateway together, and
pursued their route towards the seaside, at a hand
gallop.
The veteran lingered a few minutes, while the
clattering of hoofs was to be heard, or the gleam
of arms was visible, to hear and gaze at sounds and
sights that he still loved; after which he proceeded, in person, and not without a secret enjoyment
of the excitement, to barricade the doors and windows, with an undaunted determination of making,
in case of need, a stout defence.
St. Ruth lay but a short two miles from the




ï~~232

THE PILOT.

ocean; to which numerous roads led, through the
grounds of the Abbey, which extended to the
shore. Along one of these paths Dillon conducted his party, until, after a few minutes of hard
riding, they approached the cliffs, when, posting his troopers under cover of a little copse,
the cornet rode in advance, with his guide, to
the verge of the perpendicular rocks, whose
bases were washed by the foam that still whitened the waters from the surges of the subsiding
sea.
The gale had broken, before the escape of the
prisoners, and as the power of the eastern tempest had gradually diminished, a light current
from the south, that blew directly along the land,
prevailed; and, though the ocean still rolled in
fearful billows; their surfaces were smooth, and
they were becoming, at each moment, less precipitous, and more regular. The eyes of the horse
men were cast in vain over the immense expanse
of water, that was glistening brightly under the
rays of the sun, which had just risen from its bosom, in quest of some object, or distant sail, that
might confirm their suspicions, or relieve their
doubts. But every thing of that description appeared to have avoided the dangerous navigation,
during the violence of the late tempest, and Dillon was withdrawing his eyes in disappointment,
from the vacant view, when, as they fell towards
the shore, he beheld that which caused him to exclaim" There they go! and, by heaven, they will
escape!"
The cornet looked in the direction of the
other's finger, when he beheld, at a short distance
from the land, and apparently immediately under
his feet, a little boat that looked like a dark shell




ï~~THE PILOT.

233

upon the water, rising and sinking amid the waves,
as if the men it obviously contained were resting
on their oars in idle expectation.
'"Tis they!" continued Dillon; " or, what is
more probable, it is their boat waiting to convey
them to their vessel; no common business would
induce seamen to lie in this careless manner, within such a narrow distance of the surf."
" And what is to be done? They cannot be
made to feel horse where they are; nor would
the muskets of the foot be of any use. A light
three pounder would do its work handsomely on
them!"
The strong desire which Dillon entertained to
intercept, or rather to destroy the party, rendered
him prompt at expedients. After a moment of
musing, he replied"The runaways must yet be on the land; and
by scouring the coast, and posting men at proper
intervals, their retreat can easily be prevented; in
the mean time I will ride under the spur to
bay, where one of his majesty's cutters now lies
at anchor-It is but half an hour of hard riding,
and I can be on board of her. The wind blows
directly in her favour, and if we can once bring
her down behind that headland, we shall infallibly
cut off or sink these midnight depredators."
" Off, then!" cried the cornet, whose young
blood was boiling for a skirmish; "you will at
least drive them to the shore, where I can deal
with them."
The words were hardly uttered, before Dillon,
after galloping furiously along the cliffs, and turning short into a thick wood, that lay in his route,
was out of sight. The loyalty of this gentleman was altogether of a calculating nature, and
was intimately connected with what he considered
20 *




ï~~234

THE PILOT

his fealty to himself. He believed that the tosÂ~
session of Miss Howard's person and fortune
were advantages that would much more than
counterbalance any elevation that he was likely
to obtain by the revolution of affairs in his native
colony. He considered Griffith as the only natural obstacle to his success, and he urged his
horse forward with a desperate determination to
work the ruin of the young sailor, before another
sun had set.  When a man labours in an evil
cause, with such feelings, and with such incen.
tives, he seldom slights or neglects his work; and
Mr. Dillon, accordingly, was on board the Alacrity, several minutes short of the time in which he
had promised to perform the distance.
The plain old seaman, who commanded the
cutter, listened to his tale with cautious ears; and
examined into the state of the weather, and other
matters connected with his duty, with the slow and
deliberate decision of one who had never done
much to acquire a confidence in himself, and who
had been but niggardly rewarded for the little he
had actually performed.
As Dillon was urgent, however, and the day
seemed propitious, he at length decided to act as
he was desired, and the cutter was accordingly
gotten under way.
A crew of something less than fifty men moved
with no little of their commander's deliberation;
but as the little vessel rounded the point behind
which she had been anchored, her guns were
cleared, and the usual preparations were comA)leted for immediate and actual service.
Dillon, sorely against his will, was compelled
to continue on board, in order to point out the
place where the unsuspecting boatmen were expected to be entrapped.   Every thing being




ï~~THlE PILOT.            235
ready, when they had gained a safe distance from
the land, the Alacrity was kept away before the
wind, and glided along the shore, with a swift and
easy progress, that promised a speedy execution
of the business in which her commander has embarked.




ï~~CHAPTER XVII.

Po. Very like a whale.
Shalicakspeac.
NOTWITHSTANDING the object of their expedition was of a public nature, the feelings which
had induced both Griffith and Barnstable to accompany the Pilot with so much willingness, it
will easily be seen, were entirely personal. The
short intercourse that he had maintained with his
associates enabled the mysterious leader of their
party to understand the characters of his two principal officers so thoroughly, as to induce him, when
he landed, with the purpose of reconnoitring to
ascertain whether the objects of his pursuit still
held their determination to assemble at the appointed hour, to choose Griffith and Manual as his
only associates, leaving Barnstable in command of
his own vessel, to await their return, and to cover
their retreat. A good deal of argument, and some
little of the authority of his superior officer, was
necessary to make Barnstable quietly acquiesce in
this arrangement; but as his good sense told him
that nothing should be unnecessarily hazarded,
until the moment to strike the final blow had arrived, he became gradually more resigned, taking
zare, however, to caution Griffllith to reconnoitre




ï~~TIlE  PILOT.

23

the Abbey while his companion was reconnoitring -  house. It was the strong desire of Griffith to comply with this injunction, which carried
them a little out of their proper path, and led to the
consequences that we have partly related. The
evening of that day was the time when the Pilot
intended to complete his enterprise, thinking to
entrap his game while enjoying the festivities
that usually succeeded their sports, and an early
hour in the morning was appointed when Barnstable should appear at the nearest point to the Abhey, to take off his countrymen, in order that they
might be as little as possible subjected to the gaze
of their enemies by day-light. If they failed to arrive at the appointed time, his instructions were
to return to his schooner, which lay snugly embayed in a secret and retired haven, that but few
ever approached, either by land or water.
While the young cornet still continued gazing
at the whale-boat, (for it was the party from the
schooner that he saw,) the hour expired for the appearance of Griffith and his companions, and Barnstable, reluctantly determined to comply with the
letter of his instructions, and leave them to their
own sagacity and skill to regain the Ariel. The
boat had been suffered to ride in the edge of the
surf, since the appearance of the sun, and the eyes
of her crew were kept anxiously fixed on the cliffs,
though in vain, to discover the signal that was to
call them to the place of landing. After looking at
his watch for the twentieth time, and as often casting glances of uneasy dissatisfaction towards the
shore, the lieutenant exclaimed"A   charming prospect, this, Master Coffin,
but rather too much poetry in it for your taste; I
believe you relish no land that is of a harder consistency than mud!"




ï~~238

THE PILOT.

"I was born on the waters, sir," returned th
cockswain, from his snug abode, where he was disposed with his usual economy of room, " and it's
according to all things for a man to love his natyve
soil. I'll not deny, Captain Barnstable, but I would
rather drop my anchor on a bottom that won't
broom a keel, though, at the same time, I harbour
no great malice against dry land."
" I shall never forgive it, myself, if any accident has befallen Griffith, in this excursion," rejoined the lieutenant; " his Pilot may be a better man on the water than on terra firma, long
Tom."
The cockswain turned his solemn visage, with
an extraordinary meaning, towards his commander,
before he replied"For as long a time as I have followed the waters, sir, and that has been ever since I've drawn
my rations, seeing that I was born while the boat
was crossing Nantucket shoals, I've never known
a Pilot come off in greater need, than the one we
fell in with, when we made that stretch or two on
the land, in the dog-watch of yesterday."
" Ay! the fellow has played his part like a man;
the occasion was great, and it seems that he was
quite equal to his work."
" The frigate's people tell me, sir, that he handled the ship like a top," continued the cockswain;
" but she is a ship that is a nateral inimy of the
bottom!"
" Can you say as much for this boat, Master
Coffin?" cried Barnstable; " keep her out of the
surf, or you'll have us rolling in upon the beach,
presently, like an empty water-cask; you must
remember that we cannot all wade, like yourself,
in two-fathom water."
The cockswain cast a cool glance at the crests




ï~~THE PILOT.

239

cf foam that were breaking over the tops of the.
billows, within a few yards of where their boat
was riding, and called aloud to his men" Pull a stroke or two; away with her into dark
water."
The drop of the oars resembled the movemnents
of a nice machine, and the light boat skimmed along
the water like a duck, that approaches to the very
brink of some imminent danger, and then avoids it,
at the most critical moment, apparently without an
effort. While this necessary movement was making, Barnstable arose, and surveyed the cliffs, with
keen eyes, and then turning once more in disappointment from his search, he said
",Pull more from the land, and let her run down,
at an easy stroke, to the schooner. Keep a lookout at the cliffs, boys; it is possible that they are
stowed in some of the holes in the rocks, for it's
no daylight business they are on."
The order was promptly obeyed, and they had
glided along for near a mile, in this manner, in the
most profound silence, when suddenly the stillness
was broken by a heavy rush of air, and a dash of
the water, seemingly at no great distance from
them.
" By heaven, Tom," cried Barnstable, starting,
" there is the blow of a whale.". Ay, ay, sir," returned the cockswain with undisturbed composure; " here is his spout, not half
a mile to seaward; the easterly gale has driven the
czeater to leeward, and he begins to find himself
in shoal water. He's been sleeping, while he
shuld have been working to windward!"
" The fellow takes it coolly, too! he's in no
hurry to get an offing!"
" I rather conclude, sir," said the cockswain,
rolling over his tobacco in his mouth, very com



ï~~240

THE PILOT.

posedly, while his little sunken eyes began to
twinkle with pleasure at the sight, " the gentleman has lost his reckoning, and don't know which
way to head, to take himself back into blue water."
" 'Tis a fin-back!" exclaimed the lieutenant,
" he will soon make head-way, and be off."
" No, sir, 'tis a right whale," answered Ton.
"I saw his spout; he threw up a pair of as pretty
rainbows as a Christian would wish to look at.
He's a raal oil-butt, that fellow!"
Barnstable laughed, turned himself away from
the tempting sight, and tried to look at the cliffs;
and then unconsciously bent his longing eyes again
on the sluggish animal, who was throwing his huge
carcass, at times, for many feet from the water, in
idle gambols. The temptation for sport, and the
recollection of his early habits, at length prevailed
over his anxiety in behalf of his friends, and the
young officer inquired of his eockswain" Is there any whale-line in the boat, to make
fast to that harpoon which you bear about with you
in fair weather or foul?"
" I never trust the boat from the schooner
without part of a shot, sir," returned the cockswain; " there is something nateral in the sight
of a tub to my old eyes."
Barnstable looked at his watch, and again at the
cliffs, when he exclaimed, in joyous tones" Give strong way, my hearties! There seems
nothing better to be done; let us have a stroke of
a harpoon at that impudent rascal."
The men shouted spontaneously, and the old
cockswain suffered his solemn visage to relax into
a small laugh, while the whale-boat sprung forward like a courser for the gaol. During the few
minutes they were pulling towards their game,




ï~~THE PILOT.

241

long Tom arose from his crouching attitude in the
stern sheets, and transferred his huge form to the
bows of the boat, where he made such preparations to strike the whale as the occasion required.
The tub, containing about half of a whale-line, was
placed at the feet of Barnstable, who had been preparing an oar to steer with, in place of the rudder
which was unshipped, in order that, if necessary,
the boat might be whirled round, when not advancing.
Their approach was utterly unnoticed by the
monster of the deep, who continued to amuse himself with throwing the water, in two circular spouts,
high into the air, occasionally flourishing the broad
flukes of his tail with a graceful but terrific force,
until the hardy seamen were within a few hundred
feet of him, when he suddenly cast his head downward, and, without an apparent effort, reared his
immense body for many feet above the water,
waving his tail violently, and producing a whizzing
noise, that sounded like the rushing of winds.
The cockswain stood erect, poising his harpoon,
ready for the blow; but when he beheld the creature assume this formidable attitude, he waved his
hand to his commander, who instantly signed to
his men to cease rowing. In this situation the
sportsmen rested a few moments, while the whale
struck several blows on the water, in rapid succession, the noise of which re-echoed along the cliffs,
like the hollow reports of so many cannon. After
this wanton exhibition of his terrible strength, the
monster sunk again into his native element, and
slowly disappeared from the eyes of his pursuers.
" Which way did he head, Tom?" cried Barnstable, the moment the whale was out of sight.
" Pretty much up and down, sir," returned the
cockswain, whose eye was gradually brightening
16             21




ï~~?42

THE PILOT.

with the excitement of the sport; " he'll soon iun
his nose against the bottom, if he stands long on
that course, and will be glad to get another snuff
of pure air; send her a few fathoms to starboard,
sir, and I promise we shall not be out of his
track."
The conjecture of the experienced old seaman
proved true, for in a few minutes the water broke
near them, and another spout was cast into the
air, when the huge animal rushed, for half his
length, in the same direction, and fell on the sea,
with a turbulence and foam equal to that which is
produced by the launching of a vessel, for the first
time, into its proper element. After this evolution, the whale rolled heavily, and seemed to rest
from further efforts.
His slightest movements were closely watched by
Barnstable and his cockswain, and when he was in
a state of comparative rest, the former gave a signal to his crew, to ply their oars once more. A
few long and vigorous strokes sent the boat directly
up to the broadside of the whale, with its bows
pointing towards one of the fins, which was, at
times, as the animal yielded sluggishly to the action of the waves, exposed to view. The cockswain poised his harpoon with much precision, and
then darted it from him with a violence that buried the iron in the blubber of their foe. The
instant the blow was made, long Tom shouted,
with singular earnestness" Starn all!"
" Stern all!'' echoed Barnstable; when the
obedient seamen, by united efforts, forced the boat
in a backward direction, beyond the reach of any
blow  from  their formidable antagonist.  The
alarmed animal, however, meditated no such resistance; ignorant of his own power, and of the




ï~~THE  PIJ.OT.

243

insignificance of his enemies, he sought refuge in
flight. One moment of stupid surprise succeeded
the entrance of the iron, when he cast his huge
tail into the air, with a violence that threw the sea
around him into increased commotion, and then
disappeared with the quickness of lightning, amid
a cloud of foam.
" Snub him!" shouted Barnstable; " hold on
Tonm; he rises already."
"Ay, ay, sir," replied the composed cockswain,
seizing the line, which was running out of the boat
with a velocity that rendered such a manzeuvre
rather hazardous, and causing it to yield more
gradually round the large loggerhead that was
placed in the bows of the boat for that purpose.
Presently the line stretched forward, and rising to
the surface, with tremulous vibrations, it indicated
the direction in which the animal might be expected to re-appear.  Barnstable had cast the bows
of the boat towards that point, before the terrified
and wounded victim rose once more to the surface,
whose time was, however, no longer wasted in
his sports, but who cast the waters aside, as he
forced his way, with prodigious velocity, along
their surface. The boat was dragged violently in
his wake, and cut through the billows with a terrific rapidity, that at moments, appeared to bury
the slight fabric in the ocean. When long Tom
beheld his victim throwing his spouts on high
again, he pointed with exultation to the jetting
fluid, which was streaked with the deep red of
blood, and criedSAy! I've touched the fellow's life! it must be
more than two foot of blubber that stops my iron
from reaching the life of any whale that ever
sculled the ocean!"
" I believe you have saved yourself the tron



ï~~Q44

THE PILOT.

ble of using the bayonet you have rigged for a
lance," said his commander, who entered into the
sport with all the ardour of one whose youth had
been chiefly passed in such pursuits: "feel your
line, Master Coffin; can we haul alongside of our
enemy? I like not the course he is steering, as
he tows us from the schooner."
S'Tis the creater's way, sir," said the cockswain; " you know they need the air in their nostrils, when they run, the same as a man; but lay
hold, boys, and let us haul up to him."
The seamen now seized the whale-line, and
slowly draw their boat to within a few feet of the
tail of the fish, whose progress became sensibly
less rapid, as he grew weak with the loss of'blood.
In a few minutes he stopped running, and appeared
to roll uneasily on the water, as if suffering the
agony of death.
" Shall we pull in, and finish him, Tom?" cried
Barnstable; " a few sets from your bayonet would
do it."
The cockswain stood examining his game, with
cool discretion, and replied to this interrogatory- No, sir, no-he's going into his flurry; there's
no occasion for disgracing ourselves by using a
soldier's weapon in taking a whale. Starn off, sir,
starn off! the creater's in his flurry!"
The warning of the prudent cockswain was
promptly obeyed, and the boat cautiously drew off
to a distance, leaving to the animal a clear space,
while under its dying agonies. From a state of
perfect rest, the terrible monster threw its tail on
high, as when in sport, but its blows were trebled
in rapidity and violence, till all was hid from view
by a pyramid of foam, that was deeply dyed with
blood. The roarings of the fish were like the bellowings of a herd of bulls, and to one who was ig.




ï~~THE P3 LOT.

2.45

norant of the fact, it would have appeared as if a
thousand monsters were engaged in deadly combat, behind the bloody mist that obstructed the
view. Gradually, these effects subsided, and when
the discoloured water again settled down to the
long and regular swell of the ocean, the fish was
seen, exhausted, and yfelding passively to its fate.
As life departed, the enormous black mass rolled
to one side, and when the white and glistening
skin of the belly became apparent, the seamen well
knew that their victory was achieved.
"What's to be done now?" said Barnstable, as
he stood and gazed with a diminished excitement
at their victim; "he will yield no food, and his
carcass will probably drift to land, and furnish our
enemies with the oil."
" If I had but that creater in Boston Bay," said
the cockswain, " it would prove the making of me;
but such is my luck for ever! Pull up, at any
rate, and let me get my harpoon and line-the
English shall never get them while old Tom Coffin can blow."
" Don't speak too fast," said the strokesman of
the boat; "whether he get your iron or not, here
he comes in chase!"
" What mean you, fellow?" cried Barnstable.
" Captain Barnstable can look for himself," returned the seaman, " and tell whether I speak
truth."
The young sailor turned, and saw the Alacrity,
bearing down before the wind, with all her sails
set, as she rounded a headland, but a short half
league to windward of the place where the boat
lay.
" Pass that glass to me," said the captain with
steady composure. " This promises us work in
one of two ways; if sle be armed, it has become
21 *




ï~~246

THE PILOT.

our turn to run; if not, we are strong enough to
carry her."
A very brief survey made the experienced offILcer acquainted with the true character of the ves.sel in sight; and, replacing the glass with much
coolness, he said,,C That fellow shows long arms, and ten teeth,
beside King George's pennant from his top-masthead. Now, my lads, you are to pull for your
lives; for whatever may be the notions of Master
Coffin on the subject of his harpoon, I have no inclination to have my arms pinioned by John Bull,
though his majesty himself put on the irons."
The men well understood the manner and meaning of their commander; and, throwing aside their
coats, they applied themselves in earnest to their
task. For half an hour a profound silence reigned
in the boat, which made an amazing progress. But
many circumstances conspired to aid the cutter;
she had a fine breeze, with smooth water, and a
strong tide in her favour; and, at the expiration
of the time we have mentioned, it was but too apparent that the distance between the pursued and
pursuers was lessened nearly half.  Barnstable
preserved his steady countenance, but there was
an expression of care gathering around his dark
brow, which indicated that he saw the increasing
danger of their situation.
" Thatfellow has long legs, Master Coffin," he
said, in a cheerful tone; "your whale-line must
go overboard, and the fifth oar must be handled by
your delicate hands."
Tom arose from his seat, and proceeding forward, he cast the tub and its contents together into
the sea, when he seated himself at the bow oar,
and bent his athletic frame with amazing vigour to
the task.




ï~~THE PILOT.

247

" Ah! there s much of your philosophy in that
stroke, long Tom," cried his commander; "bkeep
it up boys, and if we gain nothing else, we shall at
least gain time for deliberation. Come, Master
Coffin, what think you-; we have three resources
before us, let us hear which is your choice: first,
we can turn and fight and be sunk; secondly, we
can pull to the land, and endeavour to make good
our retreat to the schooner in that manner; and,
thirdly, we can head to the shore, and possibly by
running under the guns of that fellow, get the wind
of him, and keep the air in our nostrils, after the
manner of the whale. Damn the whale! but for
the tow the black rascal gave us, we should have
been out of sight of this rover!"
" If we fight," said Tomn, with quite as much
composure as his commander manifested, "we
shall be taken or sunk; if we land, sir, I shall be
taken for one man, as I never could make any headway on dry ground; and if we try to get the wind
of him by pulling under the cliffs, we shall be cut
off by a parcel of lubbers that I can see running
along their edges, hoping, I dare say, that they
shall be able to get a skulking shot at a boat's crew
of honest seafaring men."
"You speak with as much truth as philosophy,
Tom," said Barnstable, who saw his slender hopes
of success curtailed, by the open appearance of the
horse and foot on the cliffs. " These Englishmen
have not slept the last night, and I fear Griffith
and Manual will fare but badly.  That fellow
brings a cap full of wind down with him-'tis just
his play, and he walks like a race-horse. Ha! ho
begins to be in earnest!"
While Barnstable was speaking, a column of
white smoke was seen issuing from the bows of
the cutter, and as the report of a cannon was




ï~~248

THE PILOT.

wafted to their ears, the shot was seen skipping
from wave to wave, tossing the water in spray
and flying to a considerable distance beyond them.
The seamen cast cursory glances in the direction
of the passing ball, but it produced no manifest effect in either their conduct or appearance. The
cockswain, who scanned its range with an eye of
more practice than the rest, observed, " That's
a lively piece for its metal, and it speaks with a
good clear voice; but if they hear it aboard the
Ariel, the man who fired it will be sorry it wasn't
born dumbP'
" You are the prince of philosophers, Master
Coffin!" cried Barnstable; " there is some hope
in that; let the Englishman talk away, and my
life on it, the Ariels don't believe it is thunder;
hand me a musket-I'll draw another shot."
The piece was given to Barnstable, who discharged it several times, as if to taunt their enemies, and the scheme was completely successful.
Goaded by the insults, the cutter discharged gun
after gun at the little boat, throwing the shot frequently so near as to wet her crew with the spray,
but without injuring them in the least. The failure of these attempts to injure them, excited the
mirth of the reckless seamen, instead of creating
any alarm; and whenever a shot came nearer than
common, the cockswain would utter some such expression as" A ground swell, a long shot, and a small object, make a clean target;" or, "A man must
squint straight to hit a boat."
As, notwithstanding their unsuccessful gunnery,
the cutter was constantly gaining on the whaleboat, there was a prospect of a speedy termination
of the chase, when the report of a cannon was
thrown back like an echo from one of the English




ï~~THE PILOT.

249

man's discharges, and Barnstable and his companions had the pleasure of seeing the Ariel stretching slowly out of the little bay where she had
passed the night, with the smoke of the gun of defiance curling above her taper masts.
A loud and simultaneous shout of rapture was
given by the lieutenant and all his boat's-crew,
at this cheering sight, while the cutter took in all
her light sails, and, as she hauled up on a wind,
she fired a whole broadside at the successful fugitives. Many stands of grape, with several round
shot, flew by the boat, and fell upon the water,
near them, raising a cloud of foam, but without
doing any injury.
' She dies in a flurry," said Tom, casting his
eyes at the little vortex into which the boat was
then entering.
" If her commander be a true man," cried Barnstable, " he'll not leave us on so short an acquaintance.  Give way, my souls! give way! I would
see more of this loquacious cruiser."
The temptation for exertion was great, and it
was not disregarded by the men; in a few minutes
the whale-boat reached the schooner, when the
crew of the latter received their commander ana
his companions with shouts and cheers that rung
across the waters, and reached the ears of the div
appointed spectators on the verge of the cliffs.




ï~~GHAPTER XVIII.

" Thus guided, on their course they bore,
Until they near'd the mainland shore;
When frequent on the hollow blast,
Wild shouts of merriment were cast."
Lord cf the Mle.
Tmn joyful shouts and hearty cheers of the
AriePl's crew continued for some time after her
commander had reached her deck.    Barnstable
answered the congratulations of his officers by cordial shakes of the hand, and after waiting for the
ebullition of dehlight among the seamen to subside
a little, he beckoned with an air of authority for
silence.
"I thank you, my lads, for your good will,"
he said, when all were gathered around him in
deep attention: " they have given us a tough chase,
and if you had left us another mile to go, we had
been lost. That fellow is a King's cutter, and
though his disposition to run to leeward is a good
deal mollified, yet he shows signs of fight. At any
rate, he is stripping off some of his clothes, which
looks as if he were game.  Luckily for us, Captain Manual has taken all his marines ashore
with him, (though what he has done with them or
himself, is a mystery,) or we should have had our
decks lumbered with live cattle; but, as it is we
have a good working breeze, tolerably smooth wa
er, and a dead match! There is a sort of national




ï~~TI  E    I A.. 2

251

obligation on us to whip that fellow, and, therefore
without more words about the matter, let us turn
to and do it, that we may get our breakfasts."
To this specimen of marine eloquence, the crew
cheered as usual; the young men burning for the
combat, and the few old sailors who belonged to
the schooner, shaking their heads with infinite satisfaction, and swearing by sundry strange oaths,
that their captain " could talk, when there was
need of such thing, like the best Dictionary that
ever was launched."
During this short harangue, and the subsequent
comments, the Ariel had been kept, under a cloud
of canvass, as near to the wind as she could lie,
and as this was her best sailing, she had stretched
swiftly out from the land, to a distance whence the
cliffs and the soldiers who were spread along their
summits, became plainly visible. Barnstable turned
his glass repeatedly, from the cutter to the shore,
as different feelings predominated in his breast, before he again spoke.
" If Mr. Griffith is stowed away among, those
rocks," he at length said, "he shall see as pretty
an argument discussed, in as few words, as he
ever listened to, provided the gentlemen in yonder cutter have not changed their minds as to the
road they intend to journey-what think you, Mr.
Merry?"
" I wish with all my heart and soul, sir," returned the fearless boy," that Mr. Griffith was safe
aboard us; it seems the country is alarmed, and
God knows what will happen if he is taken! as to
the fellow to windward, he'll find it easier to deal
with the Ariel's boat, than with her mother; but
he carries a broad sail; I question if he means to
show play."
"Never doubt him, boy," said Barnstable, "be




ï~~252

THE PILOT.

is working off the shore, like a man of sense, and
besides, he has his spectacles on, trying to make
out what tribe of Yankee Indians we belong to,
You'll see him come to the wind presently, and
send a few pieces of iron down this way, by the
way of letting us know where to find him. Much
as I like your first lieutenant, Mr. Merry, I would
rather leave him on the land this day, than see
him on my decks. I want no fighting captain to
workthis boat for me! but tell the drummer, sir,
to beat to quarters."
The boy, who was staggering under the weight
of his melodious instrument, had been expecting
this command, and, without waiting for the midshipman to communicate the order, he commenced
that short rub-a-dub air, that will at any time rouse
a thousand men from the deepest sleep, and cause
them to fly to their means of offence, with a common soul. The crew of the Ariel had been collected in groups, studying the appearance of the
enemy, cracking their jokes, and waiting only for
this usual order to repair to the guns; and at the
first tap of the drum, they spread with steadiness
to the different parts of the little vessel, where
their various duties called them. The cannon were
surrounded by small parties of vigorous and athletic young men; the few marines were drawn up
in array with muskets; the officers appeared in
their boarding caps, with pistols stuck in their
belts, and naked sabres in their hands. Barnstable
paced his little quarter-deck with a firm tread,
dangling a speaking trumpet, by its lanyard, on his
fore-finger, or occasionally applying the glass to his
eye, which, when not in use, was placed under one
arm, while his sword was resting against the foot
of the mainmast; a pair of heavy ship's pistols were
thrust in his belt also; and piles of muskets, board



ï~~THE PILOT.

253

ing-pikes, ai d naked sabres, were placed on different parts of the deck. The laugh of the seamen was heard no longer, and those who spoke
uttered their thoughts only in low and indistinct
whispers.
The English cutter held her way from the land
until she got an offing of more than two miles
when she reduced her sails to a yet smaller number, and heaving into the wind, she fired a gun in
a direction opposite to that which pointed to the
Ariel.
" Now I would wager a quintal of codfish, Master Coffin," said Barnstable, " against the best
-ask of porter that was ever brewed in England,
that fellow believes a Yankee schooner can fly in
the wind's eye! If he wishes to speak to us, why
don't he give his cutter a little sheet, and come
down?"
The cockswain had made his arrangements for
the combat, with much more method and philosophy than any other man in the vessel. When the
drum beat to quarters, he threw aside his jacket,
vest, and shirt, with as little hesitation as if he
stood under an American sun, and with all the discretion of a man who had engaged in an undertaking that required the free use of his utmost
powers. As he was known to be a privileged individual in the Ariel, and one whose opinions, in
all matters of seamanship, were regarded as oracles by the crew, and were listened to by his commander with no little demonstration of respect, the
question excited no surprise. He was standing at
the breech of his long gun, with his brawny arms
folded on a breast that had been turned& to the colour of blood by long exposure, his grizzled locks
fluttering in the breeze, and his tall form towering
far above the heads of all near him.
22




ï~~254

THE PILOT.

" He hugs the wind, sir, as if it was his sweetheart," was his answer; " but he'll let go his hold,
soon; anid if he don't, we can find a way to make
him fall to leeward."
" Keep a good full!" cried the commander, in
a stern voice, " and let the vessel go through the
water. That fellow walks well, long Tom; but
we ai e too much for him on a bowling; though, if
he continue to draw ahead in this manner, it will
be night before we can get alongside him."
" Ay, ay, sir," returned the cockswain; " them
cutters carries a press of canvass when they seem
to have but little; their gafts are all the same as
young booms, and spread a broad head to their
mainsails. But it's no hard matter to knock a few
cloths out of their bolt-ropes, when she will both
drop astarn and to leeward."
" I believe there is good sense in your scheme,
this time," said Barnstable; " for I am anxious
about the frigate's people-though I hate a noisy
chase; speak to him, Tom, and let us see if he
will answer."
" Ay, ay, sir," cried the cockswain, sinking his
body in such a manner as to let his head fall to a
level with the cannon that he controlled, when,
after diverse orders, and sundry movements, to
govern the direction of the piece, he applied a
match, with a rapid motion, to the priming. An
immense body of white smoke rushed from the
muzzle of the cannon, followed by a sheet of vivid
fire, until, losing its power, it yielded to the wind,
and, as it rose from the water, spread like a cloud,
and, passing through the masts of the schooner,
was driven far to leeward, and soon blended in the
mists which were swiftly scudding before the fresh
breezes of the ocean.
Although many curious eyes were watching this




ï~~THE PILO1.

255

beautttii ight fiorn the cliffs, thude was too little
of novelty in the exhibition to attract a single look
of the crew ot the, schooner, from the more inimportaric examination of the effect of the shot on
their enemy. Barnstable sprang lightly on a gun,
and watched the instant when the ball Would strike,
with keen interest, while long Tom threw himself aside from the line of the smoke with a similar intention; holding one of his long arms extended towards his namesake, with a finger on the vent,
and supporting his frame by placing the hand of
the other on the deck, as his eyes glanced through
an opposite port-hole, in an attitude that most men
might have despaired of imitating with success.
" There go the chips!" cried Barnstable. " Bra
vo! Master Coffin, you never planted iron in the
ribs of an Englishman with more judgment; let
him have another piece of it, and if he like the
sport, we'll play a game of long bowls with him!"
"Ay, ay, sir," returned the cockswain, who, the
instant he witnessed the effects of his shot, had re
turned to superintend the reloading of his gun;
" if he holds on half an hour longer, I'll dub him
down to our own size, when we can close, and
make an even fight of it."
The drum of the Englishman was now, for the
first time, heard, rattling across the waters, and
echoing the call to quarters, that had already proceeded from the Ariel.
" Ah! you have sent him to his guns!" said
Barnstable; "we shall now hear more of it;
wake him up, Tom-wake him up."
" We shall start him an end, or put him to sleep
altogether, shortly," said the deliberate cockswain,
who never allowed himself to be at all hurried,
even by his commander. " My shot are pretty
much like a shoal of porpoises, and commonly sail




ï~~THE PILOT,

in each other's wake.  Stand by-heave her
breech forward-so; get out of that, you damned
young reprobate, and let my harpoon alone."
" What are you at, there, Master Coffin?" cried
Barnstable; " are you tongue-tied?"
" Here's one of the boys skylarking with my
harpoon in the lee scuppers, and by-and-by, when
I shall want it most, there'll be a no-man's-land
to hunt for it in."
" Never mind the boy, Tom; send him aft here,
to me, and I'll polish his behaviour; give the Enghlishman some more iron."
"1 I want the little villain to pass up my car
tridges," returned the angry old seaman; " but if
you'll be so good, sir, as to hit him a crack or two,
now and then, as he goes by you to the magazine,
the monkey will learn his manners, and the schooner's work will be all the better done for it. A
young herring-faced monkey! to meddle with a
tool ye don't know the use of. If your parents
had spent more of their money on your edication,
and less on your outfit, you'd ha' been a gentleman to what ye are now."
" Hurrah! Tom, hurrah!" cried Barnstable, a
little impatiently; " is your namesake never to
open his throat again!"
" Ay, ay, sir; all ready," grumbled the cockswain, " depress a little; so-so; a damn'd young
baboon-behaved curmudgeon; overhaul that forward fall more; stand by with your match-but
I'll pay him! fire."  This was the actual commencement of the fight; for as the shot of Tom
Coffin travelled, as he had intimated, very much
in the same direction, their enemy found the sport
becoming too hot to be endured in silence, and the
report of the second gun firom the Ariel was instantly followed by that of the whole broadside of




ï~~THE PILOT

257

the Alacrity. The shot of the cutter flew in a very good direction, but her guns were too light to
give them efficiency at that distance, and as one
or two were heard to strike against the bends of
the schooner, and fall back, innocuously, into the
water, the cockswain, whose good humour became
gradually restored, as the combat thickened, remarked with his customary apathy" Them count for no more than love taps-does
the Englishman think that we are firing salutes!"
" Stir him up, Tom! every blow you give him
will help to open his eyes," cried Barnstable, rubbing his hands with glee, as he witnessed the success of his efforts to close.
Thus far the cockswain and his crew had the
fight, on the part of the Ariel, altogether to themselves, the men who were stationed at the smaller
and shorter guns, standing in perfect idleness by
their sides; but in ten or fifteen minutes the commander of the Alacrity, who had been staggered
by the weight of the shot that had struck him,
found that it was no longer in his power to retreat,
if he wished it; when he decided on the only
course that was left for a brave man to pursue, and
steered boldly in such a direction as would soonest
bring him in contact with his enemy, without exposing his vessel to be raked by his fire. Barnstable watched each movement of his foe with eagle eyes, and when the vessel had got within a lessened distance, he gave the order for a general fire
to be opened. The action now grew warm and
spirited on both sides. The power of the wind
was counteracted by the constant explosion of the
cannon; and instead of driving rapidly to leeward,
a white canopy of curling smoke hung above the
Ariel, or rested on the water, lingering in her
wake, so as to mark the path by which she was
17      22 *




ï~~258

THE PILOT.

approaching to a closer and still deadlier struggle.
The shouts of the young sailors, as they handled
their instruments of death, became more animated
and fierce, while the cockswain pursued his occupation with the silence and skill of one who laboured in a regular vocation. Barnstable was unusually composed and quiet, maintaining the grave
deportment of a commander on whom rested the
fortunes of the contest, at the same time that his
dark eyes were dancing with the fire of suppressed animation.
' Give it -them!" he occasionally cried, in a
voice that might be heard amid the bellowing of
the cannon; "never mind their cordage, my lads;
drive home their bolts, and make your marks below their ridge-ropes."
In the mean time the Englishman played a manful game. He had suffered a heavy loss by the
distant cannonade, which no metal he possessed
could retort upon his enemy; but he struggled nobly to repair the error in judgment with which he
had begun the contest. The two vessels gradually drew nigher to each other, until they both entered into the common cloud, created by their fire,
which thickened and spread around them in such
a manner as to conceal their dark hulls from the
gaze of the curious and interested spectators on
the cliffs. The heavy reports of the cannon were
now mingled with the rattling of muskets and
pistols, and streaks of fire might be seen glancing like flashes of lightning through the white
cloud which enshrouded the combatants, and
many minutes of painful uncertainty followed,
before the deeply interested soldiers, who were
gazing at the scene, discovered on whose banners
victory had alighted.
We shall follow the combatants into their misty




ï~~THE PILOT.

259

wreath, and display to the reader the events as
they occurred.
The fire of the Ariel was much the most quick
and deadly, both because she had suffered less, and
her men were less exhausted; and the cutter stood
desperately on to decide the combat, after grappling, hand to hand. Barnstable anticipated her
intention, and well understood her commander's
reason for adopting this course, but he was not a
man to calculate coolly his advantages, when pride
and daring invited him to a more severe trial. Accordingly, he met:the enemy half-way, and as the
vessels rushed together, the stern of the schooner
was secured to the bows of the cutter, by the joint
efforts of both parties The voice of the English
commander was now plainly to be heard, in the
uproar, calling to his men to follow him.
" Away there, boarders! repel boarders on the
starboard quarter!" shouted Barnstable through
his trumpet.
This was the last order that the gallant young
sailor gave with this instrument, for, as he spoke, he
cast it from him, and seizing his sabre, flew to the
spot where the enemy was about to make his most
desperate effort. The shouts, execrations, and
tauntings of the combatants, now succeeded to the
roar of the cannon, which could be used no longer
with effect, though the fight was still maintained
with spirited discharges of the small arms.
" Sweep him from his decks!" cried the English
commander, as he appeared on his own bulwarks,
surrounded by a dozen of his bravest men; "drive
the rebellious dogs into the sea!"
" Away there, marines!" retorted Barnstable,
firing his pistol at the advancing enemy; "leave
not a man of them to sup his grog again.'




ï~~260

THE PILOT.

The tremendous and close volley that succeeded
this order nearly accomplished the command of
Barnstable to the letter, and the commander of the
Alacrity, perceiving that he stood alone, reluctantly
fell back on the deck of his own vessel, in order
to bring on his men once more.
" Board her! gray beards and boys, idlers and
all!" shouted Barnstable, springing in advance of
his crew-a powerful arm arrested the movement
of the dauntless seaman, and before he had time to
recover himself, he was drawn violently back to
his own vessel, by the irresistible grasp of his
cockswain.
" The fellow's in his flurry," said Tom, " and
it wouldn't be wise togo within reach of his flukes;
but I'll just step ahead and give him a set with my
harpoon."
Without waiting for a reply, the cockswain reared
his tall frame on the bulwarks, and was in the attitude of stepping on board of his enemy, when a
sea separated the vessels, and he fell with a heavy
dash of the waters into the ocean. As twenty
muskets and pistols were discharged at the instant
he appeared, the crew of the Ariel supposed his
fall to be occasioned by his wounds, and were rendered doubly fierce by the sight, and the cry of
their commander to--
" Revenge long Tom! board her; long Tom or
death!"
They threw themselves forward in irresistible
numbers, and forced a passage, with much bloodshed, to the forecastle of the Alacrity. The Englishman was overpowered, but still remained undaunted-he rallied his crew, and bore up most
gallantly to the fray. Thrusts of pikes, and blows
of sabres were becoming close and deadly, while




ï~~THE PILOT.

261

muskets and pistols were constantly discharged by
those who were kept at a distance by the pressure
of the throng of closer combatants.
Barnstable led his men, in advance, and became
a mark of peculiar vengeance to his enemies, as
they slowly yielded before his vigorous assaults.
Chance had placed the two commanders on opposite sides of the cutter's deck, and the victory
seemed to incline towards either party, wherever
these daring officers directed the struggle in person.  But the Englishman, perceiving that the
ground he maintained in person was lost elsewhere,
made an effort to restore the battle, by changing
his position, followed by one or two of his best
men. A marine, who preceded him, levelled his
musket within a few feet of the head of the American commander, and was about to fire, when
Merry glided among the combatants, and passed
his dirk into the body of the man, who fell at the
blow; shaking his piece, with horrid imprecations,
the wounded soldier prepared to deal his vengeance
on his youthful assailant, when the fearless boy
leaped within its muzzle, and buried his own keen
weapon in his heart.
" Hurrah!" shouted the unconscious Barnstable, from the edge of the quarter-deck, where, attended by a few men, he was driving all before
him. " Revenge-long Tom and victory!"
" We have them!" exclaimed the Englishman;
" handle your pikes! we have them between two
fires."
The battle would probably have terminated very
differently from what previous circumstances had
indicated, had not a wild-looking figure appeared
im the cutter's channels at that moment, issuing
from the sea, and gaining the deck at the same instant. It was long Tom, with his iron visage ren



ï~~262

THE PILOT.

dered fierce by his previous discomfiture, and his
grizzled locks drenched with the briny element,
from which he had risen, looking like Neptune with
his trident. Without speaking, he poised his harpoon, and with a powerful effort, pinned the unfortunate Englishman to the mast of his own vessel.
" Starn all!" cried Tom, by a sort of instinct,
when the blow was struck; and catching up the
musket of the fallen marine, he dealt out terrible
and fatal blows with its butt, on all who approached him, utterly disregarding the use of the bayonet
on its muzzle. The unfortunate commander of
the Alacrity brandished his sword with frantic gestures, while his eyes rolled in horrid wildness,
when he writhed for an instant in his passing agonies, and then, as his head dropped lifeless upon
his gored breast, he hung against the spar, a spec--
tacle of dismay to his crew. A few of the Englishmen stood chained to the spot in silent horror
at the sight, but most of them fled to their lower
deck, or hastened to conceal themselves in the secret parts of the vessel, leaving to the Americans
the undisputed possession of the Alacrity.
Two thirds of the cutter's crew suffered either
in life or limbs, by this short struggle; nor was
the victory obtained by Barnstable without paying
the price of several valuable lives. The first burst
of conquest was not, however, the moment to appreciate the sacrifice, and loud and reiterated
shouts proclaimed the exultation of the conquerors. As the flush of victory subsided, however,
recollection returned, and Barnstable issued such
orders as humanity and his duty rendered necessary. While the vessels were separating, and the
bodies of the dead and wounded were removing,
the conqueror paced the deck of his prize, as i#
lost in deep reflection. He passed his hand, fre



ï~~THE PILOT.

263

quently, across his blackened and bloodstained
brow, while his eyes would rise to examine the
vast canopy of smoke that was hovering above the
vessels, like a dense fog exhaling from the ocean.
The result of his deliberations was soon announced
to his crew.
" Haul down all your flags," he cried; " set the
Englishman's colours again, and show the enemy's
jack above our ensign in the Ariel."
The appearance of the whole channel-fleet within half gun shot, would not have occasioned more
astonishment among the victors, than this extraordinary mandate. The wondering seamen suspended their several employments, to gaze at the
singular change that was making in the flags, those
symbols that were viewed with a sort of reverence,
but none presumed to comment openly on the procedure except long Tom, who stood on the quarter-deck of the prize, straightening the pliable iron
of the harpoon which he had recovered, with as
much care and diligence as if it were necessary to
the maintenance of their conquest. Like the others,
however, he suspended his employment, when he
heard this order, and manifested no reluctance to
express his dissatisfaction at the measure.
" If the Englishmen grumble at the fight, and
think it not fair play," muttered the old cockswain,
"let us try it over again, sir; as they are somewhat short of hands, they can send a boat to the
land, and get off a gang of them lazy riptyles, the
soldiers, who stand looking at us, like so many
red lizards crawling on a beach, and we'll give
them another chance; but damme, if I see the use
of whipping them, if this is to be the better end of
the matter."
" What's that you're grumbling there, like a




ï~~264

THE PILOT.

dead north-easter, you horse mackerel!" said
Barnstable; "where are our friends and countrymen who are on the land! are we to leave them
to swing on gibbets or rot in dungeons!"
The cockswain listened with great earnestness,
and when his commander had spoken, he struck
the palm of his broad hand against his brawny
thigh, with a report like a pistol, and answered,
" I see how it is, sir; you reckon the red coats
have Mr. Griffith in tow. Just run the schooner
into shoal water, Captain Barnstable, and drop an
anchor, where we can get the long gun to bear on
them, and give me the whale-boat and five or six
men to back me- they must have long legs if they
get an ofrng before I run them aboard!"
" Fool! do you think a boat's crew could contend with fifty armed soldiers!"
" Soldiers!" echoed Tom, whose spirits had
been strongly excited by the conflict, snapping his
fingers with ineffable disdain, " that for all the soldiers that were ever rigged: one whale could kill
a thousand of them! and here stands the man that
has killed his round hundred of whales!"
" Pshaw, you grampus, do you turn braggart in
your old age."
"It's no bragging, sir, to speak a log-book
truth! but if Captain Barnstable thinks that old
Tom   Coffin carries a speaking trumpet for a
figure head, let him pass the word forrard to man
the boats."
"No, no, my old master at the marlingspike,"
said Barnstable, kindly, " I know thee too well,
thou brother of Neptune! but, shall we not throw
the bread-room dust in those Englishmen's eyes,
by wearing their bunting awhile, till something
may offer to help our captured countrymen."




ï~~THE PILOT.

265

The cockswain shook his head, and cogitated a
moment, as if struck with sundry new ideas, when
the matter, they will sheet them down to their
leather neckeloths!"
With this reflection the cockswain was much
consoled, and the business of repairing damages and
securing the prize, proceeded without further interruption on his part. The few prisoners who
were unhurt, were rapidly transferred to the Ariel.
While Barnstable was attending to this duty, an
unusual bustle drew his eyes to one of the hatchways, where he beheld a couple of his marines
dragging forward a gentleman, whose demeanour
and appearance indicated the most abject terror.
After examining the extraordinary appearance of
this individual, for a moment, in silent amazement,
the lieutenant exclaimed" Who have we here! some amateur in fights'
an inquisitive, wonder-seeking non-combatant, who
has volunteered to serve his king, and perhaps
draw a picture, or write a book, to serve himself!
Pray, sir, in what capacity did you serve in this
vessel?"
The captive ventured a sidelong glance at his
interrogator, in whom he expected to encounter
Griffith, but perceiving that it was a face he did
not know, he felt a revival of confidence that enabled him to reply" I came here by accident; being on board the
cutter at the time her late commander determined
to engage you. It was not in his power to land
23




ï~~266

THE PILOT.

me, as I trust you will not hesitate to do; your
conjecture of my being a non-combatant-"
"Is perfectly true," interrupted Barnstable,
"it requires no spy-glass to read that name written on you from stem to stern: but for certain
weighty reasons-"
He paused to turn at a signal given him by
young Merry, who whispered eagerly in his ear" 'Tis Mr. Dillon, kinsman of Colonel Howard;
I've seen him often, sailing in the wake of my
cousin Cicily."
" Dillon!" exclaimed Barnstable, rubbing his
hands with pleasure; " what, Kit of that name!
he with 'the Savannah face, eyes of black, and
skin of the same colour;' he's grown a little whiter
with fear; but he's a prize, at this moment, worth
twenty Alacritys!"
These exclamations were made in a low voice,
and at some little distance from the prisoner, whom
he now approached and addressed" Policy, and consequently duty, require that I
should detain you for a short time, sir; but you
shall have a sailor's welcome to whatever we possess, to lessen the weight of captivity."
Barnstable precluded any reply, by bowing to
his captive, and turning away, to superintend the
management of his vessels. In a short time it was
announced that they were ready to make sail,
when the Ariel and her prize were brought close
to the wind, and commenced beating slowly along
the land, as if intending to return to the bay whence
the latter had sailed that morning. As they stretched into the shore, on the first tack, the soldiers on
the cliffs rent the air with their shouts and acclamations, to which Barnstable, pointing to the assumed symbols that were fluttering in the breeze
from his masts, directed his crew to respond in the




ï~~TIlE PILOT.

267

most cordial manner  As the distance, and the
want of boats, prevented any further comminunication, the soldiers, after gazing at the receding vessels for a time, disappeared from the cliffs, and
were soon lost from the sight of the adventurous
mariners. Hour after hour was consumed in the
tedious navigation, against an adverse tide, and the
short day was drawing to a close, before they approached the mouth of their destined haven. While
making one of their numerous stretches, to and
from the land, the cutter, in which Barnstable continued, passed the victim of their morning's sport,
riding on the water, the waves curling over his
huge carcass as on some rounded rock, and already
surrounded by the sharks, who were preying on
his defenceless body.
" See! Master Coffin," cried the lieutenant,
pointing out the object to his cockswain as they
glided by it, " the shovel-nosed gentlemen are regaling daintily; you have neglected the christian's
duty of burying your dead."
The old seaman cast a melancholy look at the
dead whale, and replied,
" If I had the creatur in Boston Bay, or on the
Sandy Point of Munny-Moy, 'twould be the making
of me! But riches and honour are for the grea.
and the larned, and there's nothing left for poor
Tom Coffin to do, but to veer and haul on his owr:
rolling-tackle, that he may ride out the rest of the
gale of life, without springing any of his old spars."
" How now, long Tom!" cried his officer,
tC these rocks and cliffs will shipwreck you on the
shoals of poetry yet; you grow sentimental!"
" Them rocks might wrack any vessel that
struck them," said the literal cockswain; " and as
for poetry, I wants none better than the good old
song of Captain Kid; but it's enough to raise sr



ï~~268

THE ILOT.

lemn thoughts in a Cape Poge Indian, to see an
eighty barrel whale devoured by shirks---'tis an
awful waste of property! I've seen the death of
two hundred of the creaturs, though it seems to
keep the rations of poor old long Tom as short as
ever."
The cockswain walked aft, while the vessel was
passing the whale, and seating himself on the taffrail, with his face resting gloomily on his bony
hand, he fastened his eyes on the object of his solicitude, and continued to gaze at it with melancholy regret, while it was to be seen glistening in
the sunbeams, as it rolled its glittering side of white
into the air, or the rays fell unreflected on the
black and rougher coat of the back of the monster.
In the mean time, the navigators diligently pursued their way for the haven we have mentioned,
into which they steered with every appearance of
the fearlessness of friends, and the exultation of
conquerors.
A few eager and gratified spectators lined the
edges of the small bay, and Barnstable concluded
his arrangement for deceiving the enemy, by admonishing his crew, that they were now about to
enter on a service that would require their utmost
intrepidity and sagacity.




ï~~CHAPTER XVIII.

SOur trumpet called you to this gentle parle.
King John.
As Griffith and his companions rushed from
the offices of St. Ruth, into the open air, they
encountered no one to intercept their flight, or
communicate the alarm. Warned by the experience of the earlier part of the same night, they
avoided the points where they knew the sentinels
were posted, though fully prepared to bear down
all resistance, and were soon beyond the probability of immediate detection. They proceeded,
for the distance of half a mile, with rapid strides,
and with the stern and sullen silence of men who
expected to encounter immediate danger, resolved to breast it with desperate resolution; but, as
they plunged into a copse, that clustered around
the ruin which has been already mentioned, they
lessened their exertions to a more deliberate pace,
and a short but guarded dialogue ensued.
" We have had a timely escape," said Griffith; " I would much rather have endured captivity than have been the cause of introdkcing




ï~~270

THE PILOT.

confusion and bloodshed into the peaceful residence of Colonel Howard."
" I would, sir, that you had been of this
opinion some hours earlier," returned lhe pilot,
with a severity in his tones that even conveyed
more meaning than his words
" I may have forgotten my duty, sir, min my
anxiety to inquire into the condition of a family
in whom I feel a particular interest," returned
Griffith, in a manner in which pride evidently
struggled with respect; " but this is not a time
for regrets;. I apprehend that we follow you on an
errand of some moment, where actions would be
more acceptable than any words of apology. What
is your pleasure now?"
" I much fear that our project will be defeated,"
said the pilot, gloomily; " the alarm will spread
with the morning fogs, and there will be musterings of the yeomen, and consultations of the gentry, that will drive all thoughts of amusement from
their minds. The rumour of a descent will, at
any time, force sleep from the shores of this island,
to at least ten leagues inland."
" Ay, you have probably passed some pleasant
nights, with your eyes open, among them, your
self, Master Pilot,"' said Manual; " they may
thank the Frenchman, Thurot, in the old business
of '56, and our own dare-devil, the bloody Scotchman, as the causes of their quarters being so often
beaten up. After all, Thurot, with his fleet, did
nc more than bully them a little, and the poor fellow was finally extinguished by a few small cruisers, like a drummer's boy under a grenadier's
cap; but honest Paul sung a different tune for his
countrymen to dance to, and-"
"I believe you will shortly dance yourself, Manual," interrupted Griflith, quickly " and in very




ï~~THE PILOT.

271

pleasure that you have escaped an English prison."
" Say, rather, an English gibbet,' continued the
elated marine; 1 for had a court-martial or a
court-civil discussed the manner of our entrance
into this island, I doubt whether we should have
fared better than the dare-devil himself, honest-'
" Pshaw!" exclaimed the impatient Griffith,
" enough of this nonsense, Capt. Manual: we have
other matters to discuss now;-what course have
you determined to pursue, Mr. Gray?"
The pilot started, like a man aroused from a
deep musing at this question, and after a pause of
a moment, he spoke in a low tone of voice, as if
still under the influence of deep and melancholy
feeling" The night has already run into the morning
watch, but the sun is backward to show himself in
this latitude in the heart of winter-I must depart,
my fi iends, to rejoin you some ten hours hence; it
will be necessary to look deeper into our scheme
before we hazard any thing, and no one can do
the service but myself-where shall we meet
again?"
" I have reason to think that there is an unfrequented ruin, at no great distance from us," said
Griffith; "perhaps we might find both shelter and
privacy among its deserted walls."
" The thought is good," returned the pilot, " and
'twill answer a double purpose. Could you find
the place where you put the marines in ambush
Captain Manual?"
"Has a dog a nose! and can he follow a clean
scent!" exclaimed the marine; " do you think
Signior Pilota, that a general ever puts his forces
in an ambuscade where he can't find them himself? 'Fore God! I knew well enough where the




ï~~272

THE PILOT.

rascals lay snoring on their knapsacks, some halfan-hour ago, and I would have given the oldest
majority in Washington's army to have had them
where a small intimation from myself could have
brought them in line ready dressed for a charge. I
know not how you fared, gentlemen, but with me,
the sight of twenty such vagabonds would have
been a joyous spectacle; we would have tossed
that Captain Borroughcliffe and his recruits on the
point of our bayonets, as the devil would pitch-"
" Come, come, Manual," said Griffith, a little
angrily, "you constantly forget our situation and
our errand; can you lead your men hither without
discovery, before the day dawns?"
" I want but the shortest half-hour that a bad
watch ever travelled over to do it in.'
"Then follow, and I will appoint a place of
secret rendezvous," rejoined Griffith; Mr. Gray
can learn our situation at the same time."
The pilot was seen to beckon, through the
gloom of the night, for his companions to move
forward, when they proceeded, with cautious steps,
in quest of the desired shelter. A short search
brought them in contact with a part of the ruinous
walls which spread over a large surface, and which,
in places, reared their black fragments against the
sky, casting a deeper obscurity across the secret
recesses of the wood.
"This will do," said Griffith, when they had
skirted for same distance the outline of the crumbling fabric; "bring up your men to this point,
where I will meet you, and conduct them to some
more secret place, for which I shall search during
your absence.
"A perfect paradise, after the cable-tiers of the
Ariel!" exclaimed Manual; "I doubt not but a
good spot might be seected among these trees for




ï~~THE PILOT.

273

a steady drill; a thing my soul has pined after for
six long months."
" Away, away!" cried Griffith; " here is no place
for idle parades; if we find shelter from discovery and capture until you shall be needed in a deadly struggle, 'twill be well."
Manual was slowly retracing his steps to the
skirts of the wood, when he suddenly turned, and
asked" Shall I post a small picket, a mere corporal's
guard, in the open ground in front, and make a
chain of sentinels to our works?"
" We have no works-we want no sentinels,"
returned his impatient commander; " our security is only to be found in secrecy. Lead up your
men under the cover of the trees, and let those
three bright stars be your landmarks-bring them
in a range with the northern corner of the wood-"
" Enough, Mr. Griffith," interrupted Manual,
" a column of troops is not to be steered like a
ship, by compass, and bearings and distances;trust me, sir, the march shall be conducted with
proper discretion, though in a military manner."
Any reply or expostulation was prevented by
the sudden disappearance of tb marine, whose
retreating footsteps were heard for several moments, as he moved at a deliberate pace through
the underwood. During this short interval, the
pilot stood reclining against a corner of the ruins in
profound silence, but when the sounds of Manual's
march were no longer audible, he advanced from
under the deeper shadows of the wall, and approached his youthful companion.."We are indebted to the marine for our escape," he said; "I hope we are not to suffer by his
folly."
"He is what Barnstable calls a rectangular
18




ï~~274

THE PILOT.

man," returned Griffith, " and will have his way
in matters of his profession, though a daring companion in a hazardous expedition. If we can keep
him from exposing us by his silly parade, we shall
find him a man who will do his work like a soldier,
sir, when need happens."
"'Tis all I ask; until the last moment he and
his command must be torpid; for if we are discovered, any attempt of ours, with some twenty
bayonets and a half-pike or two, would be useless
against the force that would be brought to crush
us."
" The truth of your opinion is too obvious,"
returned Griffith; " these fellows will sleep a
week at a time in a gale at sea, but the smell of
the land wakes them up, and I fear 'twill be hard
to keep them close during the day."
"It must be done, sir, by the strong hand of
force," said the pilot, sternly, " if it cannot be done
by admonition; if we had no more than the recruits of that drunken martinet to cope with, it
would be no hard task to drive them into the sea;
but I learned in my prison that horse are expected
on the shore with the dawn; there is one they
call Dillon who is on the alert to do us mischief."
"The miscreant!" muttered Griffith; "then
you also have had communion, sir, with some of
the inmates of St. Ruth?"
" It behooves a man who is embarked in a perilous enterprise to seize all opportunities to learn
his hazard," said the pilot, evasively; " if the report be true, I fear we have but little hopes of succeeding min our plans."
"Nay, then, let us take the advantage of the
darkness to regain the schooner; the coasts of
England swarm with hostile cruisers, and a rich
trade is flowing into the bosom of this island




ï~~THE PILOT.

275

from the four quarters of the world; we shall
not seek long for a foe worthy to contend with,
nor for the opportunities to cut up the Englishman
in his sinews of war-his wealth.'
' Griffith," returned the pilot in his still, low
tones, that seemed to belong to a man who never
knew ambition, nor felt human passion, " I grow
sick of this struggle between merit and privileged
rank. It is in vain that I scour the waters which
the King of England boastingly calls his own,
and capture his vessels in the very mouths of his
harbours, if my reward is to consist only of violated promises, and hollow professions: but your
proposition is useless to me; I have at length obtained a ship of a size sufficient to convey my
person to the shores of honest, plain-dealing America, and I would enter the hall of congress, on
my return, attended by a few of the legislators of
this learned isle, who think they possess the exclusive privilege to be wise, and virtuous, and
great."
" Such a retinue might doubtless be grateful
both to your own feelings and those who would
receive you," said Griffith, modestly; " but would
it affect the great purposes of our struggle, or is it
an exploit, when achieved, worth the hazard you
incur?
Griffith felt the hand of the pilot on his own,
pressing it with a convulsive grasp, as he replied,
in a voice, if possible, even more desperately calm
than his former tones" There is glory in it, young man; if it be
purchased with danger, it shall be rewarded by
fame! It is true, I wear your republican livery,
and call the Americans my brothers, but it is because you combat in behalf of human nature.
Were your cause less holy, I would not shed the




ï~~276

TIlE PILOT.

meanest drop that flows in English veins to serve
it; but now, it hallows every exploit that is undertaken in its favour, and the names of all who contend for it shall belong to posterity. Is there no
merit in teaching these proud islanders that the
arm of liberty can pluck them from the very empire of their corruption and oppression?"
" Then let me go and ascertain what we most
wish to know; you have been seen there, and
might attract-"
"You little know me," interrupted the pilot;
"the deed is my own. If I succeed, I shall claim
the honour, and it is proper that I incur the hazard; if I fail, it will be buried in oblivion, like
fifty others of my schemes, which, had I power
to back me, would have thrown this kingdom
in consternation, from the look-outs on the boldest of its headlands, to those on the turrets of
Windsor-Castle. But I was born without the nobility of twenty generations to corrupt my blood
and deaden my soul, and am not trusted by the
degenerate wretches who rule the French marine."
"'Tis said that ships of two decks are building
from our own oak)" said Griffith; "' and you have
only to present yourself in America, to be employed lmost honourably."''
" Ay! the republics cannot doubt the man
who has supported their flag, without lowering it
an inch, in so many bloody conflicts! I do go
there, Griffith, but my way lies on this path; my
pretended friends have bound my hands often,
but my enemies, never-neither shall they now.
Ten hours will determine all I wish to 1'now, and
with you I trust the safety of the party till my re -
turn; be vigilant, but be prudent."
" If you should -not appear at the appointed




ï~~'riHe PILOT.

2e7

hour," exclaimed Griffith, as he held the pilot
turning to depart, " where am I to seek, and how
serve you?"
"Seek me not, but return to your vessel; my
earliest years were passed on this coast, and I
can leave the island, should it be necessary, as I
entered it, aided by this disguise and my own
knowledge; in such an event, look to your charge,
and forget me entirely."
Griffith could distinguish the silent wave of his
hand when the pilot concluded, and the next instant he was left alone. For several minutes the
young man continued where he had been standing, musing on the singular endowments and
restless enterprise of the being with whom chance
had thus unexpectedly brought him in contact,
and with whose fate and fortune his own prospects
had, by the intervention of unlooked-for circumstances, become intimately connected. When the
reflections excited by recent occurrences had passed away, he entered within the sweeping circle of
the ruinous walls, and after a very cursory survey of the state of the dilapidated building, he
was satisfied that it contained enough secrct
places to conceal his men, until the return of
the pilot should warn them that the hour had
come when they must attempt the seizure of the
devoted sportsmen, or darkness should again facilitate their return to the Ariel. It was now
about the commencement of that period o deep
night, which seamen distinguish as the morning
watch, and Griffith ventured to the edge of the
little wood, to listen if any sounds or tumult indicated that they were pursued. On reaching a
point where his eye could faintly distinguish distant objects. the young man paused, and bestowed
24




ï~~278

THE PILOT.

a close and wary investigation on the surrounding
scene.
The fury of the gale had sensibly abated, but
a steady current of sea air was rushing through
the naked branches of the oaks, lending a dreary
and mournful sound to the gloom of the dnim prospect. At the distance of a short half mile, the
confused outline of the pile of St. Ruth rose
proudly against the streak of light which was gradually increasing above the ocean, and there were
moments when the young seaman even fancied he
could discern the bright caps that topped the
waves of his own disturbed element. The long,
dull roar of the surf, as it tumbled heavily on the
beach, or dashed with unbroken violence against
the hard boundary of rocks, was borne along by
the blasts distinctly to his ears. It was a time
and a situation to cause the young seaman to
ponder deeply on the changes and chances of his
hazardous profession.  Only a few short hours
had passed since he was striving with his utmost
skill, and with all his collected energy, to guide
the enormous fabric, in which so many of his
comrades were now quietly sleeping on the broac
ocean, from that very shore on which he now stooa
in cool indifference to the danger.  The re
collection of home, America, his youthful and
enduring passion, and the character and charms
of his mistress, blended in a sort of wild and feverish confusion, which was not, however, without
its pleasuras, in the ardent fancy of the young
man, and he was slowly approaching, step by
step, towards the abbey, when the sound of footsteps, proceeding evidently from the measured
tread of disciplined men, reached his ears. He
was instantly recalled to his recollection by this




ï~~THE PILOT.

279

noise, which increased as the party dehliberately
approached, and in a few moments he was able
to distinguish a line of men, marching in order towards the edge of the wood, from which he had
himself so recently issued. Retiring rapidly under
the deeper shadow of the trees, he waited until it
was apparent the party intended to enter under its
cover also, when he ventured to speak--
"Who comes, and on what errand?" he cried.
A  A skulker, and to burrow like a rabbit, or
jump from hole to hole, like a wharf-rat!" said
Manual, sulkily; t" here have I been marching,
within half-musket shot of the enemy, without
daring to pull a trigger even on their out-posts,
because our muzzles are plugged with that universal extinguisher of gunpowder, called prudence.
'Fore God! Mr. Griffith, I hope you may never
feel the temptation to do an evil deed, which I felt
just now to throw a volley of small shot into that
dog-kennel of a place, if it were only to break its
windows and let in the night air upon the sleeping
sot, who is dozing away the fumes of some as good,
old, south-side---harkye, Mr. Griffith, one word in
your ear.7'
A short conference took place between the two
officers, apart from the men, at the close of which,
as they rejoined the party, Manual might be heard
urging his plans on the reluctant ears of Griffith,
in the following words:" I could carry the old dungeon without waking
one of the snorers; and consider, sir, we might get
a stock of as rich cordial from its cellars as ever
oiled the throat of a gentleman!"
" 'Tis idle, 'tis idle," said Griffith, impatiently;
"we are not robbers of hen-roosts, nor wine-gaugers, to be prying into the vaults of the English
gentry, Captain Manual, but honourable men,




ï~~280

THE PILOT.

employed in the sacred cause of liberty and our
country. Lead your party into the ruin, and let
them seek their rest; we may have work for them
with the dawn."
"Evil was the hour when I quitted the line of
the army, to place a soldier under the orders of
an awkward squad of tarry jackets!" muttered
Manual, as he proceeded to execute an order that
was delivered with an air of authority that he knew
must be obeyed. "As pretty an opportunity for
a surprise and a forage thrown away, as ever
crossed the path of a partisan! but, by all the
rights of man! I'll have an encampment in some
order. Here, you serjeant, detail a corporal and
three men for a picket, and station them in the
skirts of this wood. We shall have a sentinel in
advance of our position, and things shall be conducted with some air of discipline."
Griffith heard this order with great inward disgust; but as he anticipated the return of the pilot
before the light could arrive to render this weak
exposure of their situation apparent, he forbore
exercising his power to alter the arrangement.
Manual had, therefore, the satisfaction of seeing
his little party quartered as he thought in a mnilitary manner, before he retired with Griffith and
his men into one of the vaulted apartments of the
ruin, which, by its open and broken doors, invited
their entrance. Here the marines disposed themselves to rest, while the two officers succeeded in
passing the tedious hours, without losing their
characters for watchfulness, by conversing with
each other, or, at whiles, suffering their thoughts
to roam in the very different fields which fancy
would exhibit to men of such differing characters.
In this manner, hour after hour passed, in listless
quiet, or sullen expectation, until the day had gra



ï~~THE PILOT.

281

dually advanced, and it became dangerous to
keep the sentinels and picket in a situation, where
they were liable to be seen by any straggler
who might be passing near the wood. Manual
remonstrated against any alteration, as being entirely unmilitary, for he was apt to carry his notions of tactics to extremes whenever he came in
collision with a sea-officer; but in this instance
his superior was firm, and the only concession
the captain could obtain was the permission to
place a solitary sentinel within a few feet of the
vault, though under the cover of the crumbling
walls of the building itself. With this slight deviation in their arrangements, the uneasy party remained for several hours longer, impatiently awaiting the period when they should be required to
move.
The guns first fired from the Alacrity had been
distinctly audible, and were pronounced by Griffith, whose practised ear detected the metal of the
piece that was used, as not proceeding from the
schooner. When the rapid though distant rumbling
of the spirited cannonade became audible, it was
with difficulty that Griffith could restrain either his
own feelings or the conduct of his companions within
those bounds that prudence and their situation req:uired. The last gun was, however, fired, and not
a man had left the vault, and conjectures as to the
result of the fight, succeeded to those which had
been made on the character of the combatants during the action. Some of the marines would raise
their heads from the fragments which served them
as the pillows on which they were seeking disturbed and stolen slumbers, and after listening
to the cannon, would again compose themselves
to sleep, like men who felt no concern in a contest
to which they did not participate. Others, more
24*




ï~~282

THE PILOT

alive to events, and less drowsy, lavishly expended
their rude jokes on those who were engaged in the
struggle, or listened with a curious interest to
mark the progress of the battle, by the uncertain
index of its noise. When the fight had been some
time concluded, Manual indulged his ill-humour
more at length" There has been a party of pleasure, within a
league of us, Mr. Griffith," he said, "C at which, but
for our present subterraneous quarters, we might
have been guests, and thus laid some claim to the
honour of sharing in the victory. But it is not too
late to push the party on as far as the cliffs, where
we shall be in sight of the vessels, and we may
possibly establish a claim to our share of the prizemoney."
" There is but little wealth to be gleaned from
the capture of a king's cutter," returned Griffith,
" and there would be less honour were Barnstable
encumbered with our additional and useless numbers."
" Useless!" repeated Manual; "there is much
good service to be got out of twenty-three welldrilled and well-chosen marines; look at those
fellows, Mr. Griffith, and then tell me if you
would think them an encumbrance in the hour of
need?"
Griffith smiled and glanced his eye over the sleeping group, for when the firing had ceased the whole
party had again sought their repose, and he could
not help admiring the athletic and sinewy limbs that
lay scattered around the gloomy vault, in every
posture that ease or whim dictated. From the
stout frames of the men, his glance was directed
to the stack of fire-arms, from whose glittering
tubes and polished bayonets, strong rays of light
were reflectcd, even in that dark apartment. Ma



ï~~THE PILOT.

283

nual followed the direction of his eyes, and
watched the expression of his countenance, with
inward exultation, but he had the forbearance to
await his reply before he manifested his feelings
more openly
"1 I know them to be true men," said Griffith,
" when needed, but-hark! what says he?"
"Who goes there? what noise is that?" rcpeated the sentinel who was placed at the entrance
of the vault.
Manual and Griffith sprang at the same instant
from their places of rest, and stood, unwilling to
create the slightest sounds, listening with the most
intense anxiety to catch the next indications of the
cause of their guardian's alarm. A short stillness, like that of death, succeeded, during which
Griffith whispered"'Tis the pilot; his hour has been long passed."
The words were hardly spoken, when the clashing of steel in fierce and sudden contact was
heard, and at the next instant the body of the sentinel fell heavily along the stone steps that led to
the open air, and rolled lifelessly to their feet, with
the bayonet that had caused his death, projecting
from a deep wound in his breast.
"Away, away! sleepers away!" shouted Griffith.
" To arms!" cried Manual, in a voice of thun
der.
The alarmed marines, suddenly aroused from
their slumbers at these thrilling cries, sprang on
their feet in a confused cluster, and at that fatal
moment a body of living fire darted into the vaulty
which re-echoed with the reports of twenty muskets.  The uproar, the smoke, and the groans
which escaped from  many of his pai ty, could
not restrain Griffith another instant; his pistol




ï~~284

THE PILOT.

was fired through the cloud which concealed the
entrance of the vault, and he followed the leaden
messenger, trailing a half-pike, and shouting to his
men"Come on! follow, my lads; they are nothing
but soldiers."
Even while he spoke, the ardent young seaman
was rushing up the narrow passage; but as he
gained the open space, his foot struck the writhing
body of the victim of his shot, and he was precipitated headlong into a group of armed men.
" Fire! Manual, fire!' shouted the infuriated
prisoner; " fire, while you have them in a cluster."
" Ay, fire, Mr. Manual," sai Jd Borroughcliffe,
with great coolness, " and shoot your own officer;
hold him up, boys! hold him up.:i front; the safest place is nighest to him."
" Fire!" repeated Griffith, making desperate
efforts to release himself from the grasp of five or
six men; " fire, and disregard me."
" If he do, he deserves to be hung," said Borroughcliffe; " such fine fellows are not sufficiently
plenty to be shot at like wild beasts in chains.
Take him from before the mouth of the vault,
boys, and spread yourselves to your duty."
At the time Griffith issued from the cover, Manual was mechanically employed in placing his
men in order, and the marines, accustomed to do
every thing in concert and array, lost the moment
to advance.  The soldiers of Borroughcliffe reloaded their muskets, and fell back behind different portions of the wall, where they could command th   entrance to the vault with their fire,
without much exposure to themselves.    This
disposition was very coolly reconnoitred by Mata! in person, through some of the crevices in




ï~~rHE PILOT.

285

the wall, and he hesitated to advance against
the force he beheld, while so advantageously
posted. In this situation several shot were fired
by either party, without effect, until Borroughcliffe, perceiving the inefficacy of that mode of
attack, summoned the garrison of the vault to a
parley.
" Surrender to the forces of his Majesty, King
George the Third," he cried, "and I promise you
quarter."
"Will you release your prisoner, and give us
free passage to our vessels?" asked Manual; "the
garrison to march out with all the honours of war,
and officers to retain tneir side-arms?"
" Inadmissible," returned Borroughcliffe, with
great gravity; "the honour of his majesty's arms,
and the welfare of the realm, forbid such a treaty; but I offer you safe quarter, and honourable
treatment."
" Officers to retain their side-arms, your prisoner to be released, and the whole party to return to America, on parole, not to serve until exchanged?"
" Not granted," said Borroughcliffe. " The
most that I can yield, is a good potation of the
generous south-side; and if you are the man I
take you for, you will know how to prize such an
offer."
" In what capacity do you summon us to yield?
as men entitled to the benefit of the laws of arms,
or as rebels to your king?"
" Ye are rebels all, gentlemen," returned the
deliberate Borroughcliffe, "and as such ye must
yield; though so far as good treatment and good
fare goes, you are sure of it while in my power:
in all other respects you lie at the mercy of his
most gracious majesty"



ï~~286

THIE PILOT.

" Then let his majesty show his gracious face,
and come and take us, for I'll be  "
The asseveration of the marine was interrupted
by Griffith, whose blood had sensibly cooled, and
whose generous feelings were awakened in behalf
of his comrades. now that his own fate seemed decided.
" Hold, Manual," he cried, " make no rash
oaths; Captain Borroughcliffe, I am Edward Griffith, a lieuteiant in the navy of the United Amnerican States, and I pledge you my honour, to a
parole--"
" Release him," said Borroughcliffe.
Griffith advanced between the two parties, and
spoke so as to be heard by both" I propose to descend to the vault and ascertain the loss and present strength of Captain Manual's party; if the latter be not greater than I
apprehend, I shall advise him to a surrender on
the usual conditions of civilized nations."
'c Go," said the soldier; " but stay; is he a
half-and-half-an amphibious-pshaw! I mean a
marine?"
" He is, sir, a captain in that corps-"
" The very man," interrupted Borroughcliffe;
" I thought I recollected the liquid sounds of his
voice. It will be well to speak to hih of the good
fare of St. Ruth; and you may add, that I know
my man; I shall besiege instead of storming him,
with the certainty of a surrender when his canteen is empty. The vault he is in holds no such
beverage as the cellars of the abbey."
Griffith smiled, in spite of the occasion and his
vexation, and making a slight inclination of his
head, he passed into the vault, giving notice to his
friends, by his voi,: in order to apprise them who
approached.




ï~~THIE PILOT.

287

He found six of the marines, including the
sentinel, lying dead on the ragged pavement, and
four others wounded, but stifling their groans, by
the order of their commander; that they might not
inform the enemy of his weakness. With the remainder of his command Manual had intrenched
himself behind the fragment df a wall that intersected the vault, and regardless of the dismaying
objects before him, maintained as bold a front,
and as momentous an air, as if tVhe fate of a
walled town depended on his resolution and ingenuity.
"You see, Mr. Griffith," he cried, when the
young sailor approached this gloomy but really
formidable arrangement, "that nothing short of
artillery can dislodge nme; as for that drinking
Englishman above, let him send down his men by
platoons of eight or ten, and I'll pile them up on
those steps, four and five deep."
" But artillery can and will be brought, if it
should be necessary," said Griffith, 1 and there
is not the least chance of your eventual escape:
it may be possible for you to destroy a few of the
enemy, but you are too humane to wish to do it
unnecessarily."
" No doubt," returned Manual with a grim
smile; " and yet methinks I could find present
pleasure in shooting seven of them-yes, just
seven, which is one more than they have struck
off my roster."
" Remember your own wounded," added Griffith; " they suffer for want of aid, while you protract a useless defence."
A few smothered groans, from the sufferers, seconded this appeal, and Manual yielded, though
with a very ill grace, to the mAessity of the case
c Go, then, and tell him that we will surrender




ï~~288

THE PILOT.

as prisoners of war," he said, " on the conditions
that he grants me my side-arms, and that suitable
care shall be taken of the sick-be particular to
call them sick-for some lucky accident may yet
occur before the compact is ratified, and I would
not have him learn our loss."
Griffith, without waiting for a second bidding,
hastened to Borroughcliffe with his intelligence.
"His side-arms!" repeated the soldier, when
the other had done; " what are they, I pray thee,
a marlingspike! for if his equipments be no better
than thine own, my worthy prisoner, there is little
need to quarrel about their -wnership."
" Had I but ten of my meanest men, armed
with such half-pikes, and Captain Borroughcliffe
with his party were put at.eadly strife with us,"
retorted Griffith, " he might find occasion to value
our weapons more highly."
" Four such fiery gentlemen as yourself would
have routed my command," returned Borroughcliffe, with undisturbed composure. " I trembled
for my ranks when I saw you coming out of the
smoke like a blazing comet from behind a cloud!
and I shall never think of somersets without returning inward thanks to their inventor. But our
treaty is made; let your comrades come forth and
pile their arms."
Griffith communicated the result to the captain
of marines, when the latter led the remnant of his
party out of his sunken fortress into the open air.
The men, who had manifested throughout the
whole business that cool subordination and unyielding front, mixed with the dauntless spirit that
to this day distinguishes the corps of which they
were members, followed their commander in sullen
silence, and stacked their arms, with as much regularity and precision as if they had been ordered




ï~~THE PILOT.              28b
to relieve themselves after a march. When this
necessary preliminary had been observed, Borrougheliffe unmasked his forces, and our adventurers found themselves once more in the power of
the enemy, and under circumstances which rendered the prospects of a speedy release from their
captivity nearly hopeless."
19             25




ï~~CHAPTER XIX.

"If your Father will do me any honour, so;.
If not, let him kill the next Percy himself
I look to be either Earl or Duke, I can assure you."
Falstaff
MANUAL cast sundry discontented and sullen
looks from his captors to the remnant of his own
command, while the process of pinioning the latter was conducted, with much discretion, under
the directions of Sergeant Drill, when meeting, min
one of his dissatisfied glances, with the pale and
disturbed features of Griffith, he gave vent to his
ill-humour, by saying" This results from neglecting the precautions
of military discipline. Had the command been
with me, who, I may say, without boasting, have
been accustomed to the duties of the field, proper
pickets would have been posted, and instead of
being caught like so many rabbits in a burrow, to
be smoked out with brimstone, we should have had
an open field for the struggle, or we might have
possessed ourselves of these walls, which I could
have made good for two hours at least, against
the best regiment that ever wore King George's
facings."
" Defend the outworks before retreating to the
citadel!" cried Borroughcliffe; " 'tis the game of
war, and shows science; but had you kept closer
to your burrow, the rabbits might now have all




ï~~THE PILOT.

291

been frisking about in that pleasant abode. The
eyes of a timid hind were greeted this morning,
while journeying near this wood, with a passing
sight of armed men, in strange attire; and as he
fled, with an intent of casting himself into the sea,
as fear will sometimes urge one of his kind to do,
he luckily encountered me on the cliffs, who humanely saved his life, by compelling him to conduct us hither. There is often wisdom in science,
my worthy contemporary in arms, but there is
sometimes safety in ignorance."
"You have succeeded,.., and have a right
to be pleasant," said Manual, seating himself
gloomily on a fragment of the ruin, and fastening
his looks on the melancholy spectacle of the lifeless bodies, as they were successively brought
from the vault and placed at his feet; "but these
men have been my own children, and you will
excuse me if I cannot retort your pleasantries
Ah! Captain Borrougheliffe, you are a soldier,
and know how to value merit. I took those very
fellows, who sleep on these stones so quietly, from
the hands of nature, and made them the pride of
our art. They were no longer men, but brave
lads, who ate and drank, wheeled and marched,
loaded and fired, laughed or were sorrowful,
spoke or were silent, only at my will. As for
soul, there was but one among them all, and that
was in my keeping! Groan, my children, groan
freely now; there is no longer a reason to be silent.  I have known a single musket-bullet cut
the buttons from the coats of five of them in a
row, without raising the skin of a man! I could
ever calculate, with certainty, how many it would
be necessary to expend in all regular service, but
this accursed banditti business has robbed me of
the choicest of my treasures. You I stand at ease'




ï~~292

THE PILOT.

now, my children; groan, it will soften your anguish."
Borroughcliffe appeared to participate, in some
degree, in the feelings of his captive, and he
made a few appropriate remarks in the way of
condolence, while he watched the preparations
that were making by his own men to move. At
length his orderly announced that substitutes for
barrows were provided to sustain the wounded,
and inquired if it were his pleasure to return to
their quarters.
"' Who has seen the horse?" demanded the captain; " which way did they march?    Have they
gained any tidings of the discovery of this party of
the enemy?"
" Not from us, your honour," returned the sergeant; " they had ridden along the coast before
we left the cliffs, and it was said their officer intended to scour the shore for several miles, and
spread the alarm."
" Let him, it is all such gay gallants are good
for. Drill, honour is almost as scarce an article
with our arms just now as promotion. We seem
but the degenerate children of the heroes of Poictiers;---you understand me, sergeant?"
" Some battle fou't by his majesty's troops
against the French, your honour," returned the
orderly, a little at a loss to comprehend the expression of his officer's eye.
" Fellow, you grow dull on victory," exclaimed
Borroughcliffe: " come hither, I would give you
orders. Do you think, Mister Drill, there is more
honour, or likely to be more profit, in this little
morrning's amusement than you and I can stand under?"
" I should not, your honour; we have both
pretty broad shoulders-"




ï~~THE PILOT.

293

" That are not weakened by undue burthens
of this nature;" interrupted his captain, significantly; " if we let the] news of this affair reach
the ears of those hungry dragoons, they would
charge upon us open mouthed, like a pack of
famished beagles, and claim at least half the credit.
and certainly all the profit."
" But, your honour, there was not a man of
them even-"
" No matter, Drill; I've known troops that
have been engaged, and have suffered, cheated
out of their share of victory, by a well-worded
despatch. You know, fellow, that in the smoke
and confusion of a battle, a man can only see
what passes near him, and common prudence requires that he only mention in his official letters
what he knows can't be easily contradicted. Thus
your Indians, and indeed, all allies, are not entitled to the right of a general order, any more than
to the right of a parade. Now, I dare say, you
have heard of a certain battle of Blenheim?"
" Lord! your honour, 'tis the pride of the
British army, that and the Culloden! 'Twas when
the great Corporal John beat the French king,
and all his lords and nobility, with half his nation
in arms to back him."'
" Ay! there is a little of the barrack readings
in the account, but it is substantially true; know
you how many French were in the field, that day,
Mister Drill?"
" I shave never seen the totals of their muster,
sir, in print, but judging by the difference betwixt
the nations, I should suppose some hundreds of
thousands."
" And yet, to oppose this vast army, the duke
had only some ten or twelve thousand well-fed
Englishmen! You look astounded, sergeant!"




ï~~294. THE PILOT.

4 Why, your honour, that does seem rather an
over-match for an old soldier to swallow; the random shot would sweep away so small a force."
" And yet the battle was fought, and the victory
won! but the Duke of Marlborough had a certain
Mr. Eugene, with some fifty or sixty thousand
High-Dutchers, to back him. You never heard
of Mr. Eugene?"
"Not a syllable, your honour; I always thought
that Corporal John-_"
"Was a gallant and great general; you thought
right, Mister Drill. So would a certain nameless
gentleman be also, if his majesty would sign a
commission to that effect. However, a majority
is on the high road to a regiment, and with even
a regiment a man is comfortable! In plain English, Mister Drill, we must get our prisoners
into the abbey with as little noise as possible,
in order that the horse may continue their gambols along the coast, without coming to devour our
meal. All the fuss must be made at the waroffice. For that trifle you may trust me; I think
I know who holds a quill that is as good in its
way as the sword he wears. Drill is a short
name, and can easily be written within the folds of
a letter."
" Lord, your honour!" said the gratified halberdier, " I'm sure such an honour is more-but your
honour can ever command me!"
" I do; and it is to be close, and to make your
men keep close, until it shall be time to speak,
when I pledge myself there shall be noise
enough."  Borrougheliffe shook his head, with a
grave air, as he continued-" It has been a devil
of a bloody fight, sergeant! look at the dead and
wounded; a wood on each flank-supported by a




ï~~THE PILOT.

295

ruin in the centre. Oh! ink! ink! can be spilt
on the details with great effect. Go, fellow, and
prepare to march."
Thus enlightened on the subject of his conmmander's ulterior views, the non-commissioned
agent of the captain's wishes proceeded to gixe
suitable instructions to the rest of the party, and
to make the more immediate preparations for a
march. The arrangements were soon completed.
The bodies of the slain were left unsheltered, the
seclusion of the ruin being deemed a sufficient
security against the danger of any discovery,
until darkness should favour their removal, in
conformity with Borroughcliffe's plan to monopolize the glory.  The wounded were placed on
rude litters, composed of the muskets and blankets
of the prisoners, when the conquerors and vanquished moved together in a compact body from
the ruin, in such a manner as to make the former
serve as a mask to conceal the latter from the
curious gaze of any casual passenger. There was
but little, indeed, to apprehend on this head, for
the alarm and the terror, consequent on the exag
gerated reports that flew through the country, ef
fectually prevented any intruders on the usually
quiet and retired domains of St. Ruth.
The party was emerging from the wood, when
the cracking of branches, and rustling of dried
leaves, announced, however, that an interruption
of some sort was about to occur.
" If it should be one of their rascally patroles!"
exclaimed Borroughcliffe, with very obvious displeasure; "they trample like a regiment of cavalry! but, gentlemen, you will acknowledge
yourselves, that we were retiring from the field of
battle when we met the reinforcement, if it should
prove to be such."




ï~~296

THE PILOT.

" We are not disposed, sir, to deny you the glory
of having achieved your victory single handed,"
said Griffith, glancing his eyes uneasily in the
direction of the approaching sounds, expecting
to see the pilot issue from the thicket in which he
seemed to be entangled, instead of any detachment
of his enemies.
"Clear the way, Caesar!" cried a voice at no
great distance from them; "break through the
accursed vines, on my right, Pompey!-press forward, my fine fellows, or we may be too late to
smell even the smoke of the fight."
"Hum!" ejaculated the captain with his philosophic indifference of manner entirely re-established, " this must be a Roman legion just
awoke from a trance of some seventeen centuries,
and that the voice of a Centurion. We will halt,
Mister Drill, and view the manner of an ancient
mar ch!"
While the captain was yet speaking, a violent
effort disengaged the advancing party from the
thicket of brambles in which they had been entangled, when two blacks, each bending under a
load of fire-arms, preceded Colonel Howard
into the clear space where Borroughcliffe had
halted his detachment. Some little time was necessary to enable the veteran to arrange his disordered dress, and to remove the perspiring effects
of the unusual toil from his features, before he
could observe the addition to the captain's numbers.
" We heard you fire," cried the old soldiez
making, at the same time, the most diligent application of his bandanna," and I determined to aid
you with a sortie, which, when judiciously timed,
has been the means of raising many a siege;
though, had Montcalm rested quietly within his




ï~~THE PILOT.

297

walls, the plains of Abr'am might never have drunk
his blood."
"Oh! his decision was soldierly, and according
to all rules of war," exclaimed Manual; " and had I
followed his example, this day might have produced a different tale!"
" Why, who have we here!" cried the colonel
in astonishment; "who is it that pretends to criti
cise battles and sieges, dressed in such a garb?"
" 'Tis a dux incognitorum, my worthy host,"
said Borroughcliffe, "which means, in our English
language, a captain of marines in the service of the
American Congress."
" What! have you then met the enemy! ay!
and by the fame of the immortal Wolfe you have
captured them!" cried the delighted veteran. " I
was pressing on with a part of my garrison to your
assistance, for I had seen that you were marching
in this direction, and even the report of a few muskets were heard."
"A few!" interrupted the conqueror; "I know
not what you call a few, my gallant and ancient
friend; you may possibly have shot at each other
by the week in the days of Wolfe, and Abercrombie, and Braddock, but I too have seen smart
firing, and can hazard an opinion in such matters. There was as pretty a roll made by firearms at the battles on the Hudson, as ever rattled
from a drum; it is all over, and many live to
talk of it; but this has been the most desperate
affair, for the numbers, I ever was engaged in.
I speak always with a reference to the numbers.
The wood is pretty well sprinkled with dead, and
we have contrived to bring off a few of the desperately wounded with us, as you may perceive."
"Bless me!" exclaimed the surprised veteran,
" that such an engagement should happen within




ï~~298

TIHE PILOT.

musket shot of the Abbey, and I know so little of
it! My faculties are on the wane, I fear, for the
time has been when a single discharge would
rouse me fir )m the deepest sleep."
"The bayonet is a silent weapon," returned
the composed captain, with a significant wave of
his hand; "'tis the Englishman's pride, and every
experienced officer knows, that one thrust from it
is worth the fire of a whole platoon."
" What, did you come to the charge!" cried the
Colonel; "by the Lord, Borioughcliffe, my gallant young friend, I would have given twenty
tierces of rice, and two able-bodied negroes, to
have seen the fray!"
"It would have been a pleasant spectacle to
witness, sans disputation," returned the captain;
" but victory is ours without the presence of
Achilles, this time. I have them, all that survive
the affair; at least, all that have put foot on English soil."
"Ay! and the king's cutter has brought in the
schooner!" added Colonel Howard. " Thus perish all rebellion for evermore! Where's Kit? my
kinsman Mr. Christopher Dillon? I would ask
him what the laws of the realm next prescribe to
loyal subjects. Here will be work for the jurors
of Middlesex, Captain Borroughcliffe, if not for
a secretary of state's warrant. Where is Kit,
my kinsman; the ductile, the sagacious, the loyal
Christopher?"
" The Cacique ' non est,' as more than one
bailiff has said of sundry clever fellows  n our regiment, when there has been a pressing occasion
for their appearance," said the soldier; " but the
cornet of horse has given me rcason to believe that
his provincial lordship, who repaired on board the
cutter to give intelligence of the position of the




ï~~TH E PILOT.

299

enemy, continued there to share the dangers and
honours of the naval combat."
" Ay, 'tis like him!" cried the colonel, rubbing
his hands with glee; " 'tis like him! he has forgotten the law and his peaceful occupations, at
the sounds of military preparation, and has carried
the head of a statesman into the fight, with the ardour and thoughtlessness of a boy."
"The Cacique is a man of discretion," observed the captain, with all his usual dryness of
manner, " and will doubtless recollect his obligations to posterity and himself, though he be found
entangled in the mazes of a combat. But I marvel that he does not return, for some time has now
elapsed since the schooner struck her flag, as my
own eyes have witnessed."
" You will pardon me, gentlemen," said Grif
fith, advancing towards them with uncontrollable
interest; " but I have unavoidably heard part of
your discourse, and cannot think you will find it
necessary to withhold the whole truth from a disarmed captive; say you that a schooner has been
captured this morning?"
" It is assuredly true," said Borrughcliffe,
with a display of nature and delicacy in his manner that did his heart infinite credit; "but I forbore to tell you, because I thought your own
misfortunes would be enough for one time. Mr.
Griffith, this gentleman is Colonel Howard, to
whose hospitality you will be indebted for some
favours before we separate."
" Griffith!" echoed the colonel, in quick reply,
"Griffith! what a sight for my old eyes to witness!--the child of worthy, gallant, loyal Hugh
Griffith a captive, and taken in arms against his
prince! Young man, young man, what would
thy honest father, what would his bosom friend,




ï~~300oo

THE PILOT.

my own poor brother Harry, have said, had it
pleased God that they had survived to witness
this burning shame and lasting stigma on thy respectable name?"
" Had my father lived, he would now have been
upholding the independence of his native land,"
said the young man, proudly. "I wish to respect
even the prejudices of Colonel Howard, and beg
he will forbear urging a subject on which I fear
we never shall agree."
"Never, while thou art to be found in the
ranks of rebellion!" cried the colonel.  " Oh!
boy, boy! how I could have loved and cherished
thee, if the skill and knowledge obtained in the
service of thy prince, were now devoted to the
maintenance of his unalienable rights! I loved
thy father, worthy Hugh, even as I loved my own
brother Harry."
"And his son should still be dear to you," interrupted Griffith, taking the reluctant hand of the
Colonel into both his own.
"Ah, Eaward, Edward!" continued the softenea veteran, " how many of my day-dreams have
been destroyed by thy perversity! nay, I know
not that Kit, discreet and loyal as he is, could
have found such favour in my eyes as thyself;
there is a cast of thy father in that face and smile,
Ned, that might have won me to any thing short
of treason--and then Cicily, provoking, tender,
mutinous, kind, affectionate, good Cicily, would
have been a link to unite us for ever."
The youth cast a hasty glance at the deliberate
Borroughcliffe, who, if he had obeyed the impatient expression of his eye, would have followed
the party that was slowly bearing the wounded
towards the Abbey, before he yielded to his feelaings, and answered



ï~~THE PILOT.

301

" Nay, sir; let this then be the termination of
our misunderstanding--your lovely niece shall be
that link, and you shall be to me as your friend
Hugh would have been had he lived, and to Cecilia twice a parent."
" Boy, boy," said the veteran, averting his face
to conceal the working of his muscles, "you talk
idly; my word is now plighted to my kinsman,
Kit, and thy scheme is impracticable."
"Nothing is impracticable, sir, to youth and
enterprise, when aided by age and experience
like yours," returned Griffith; " this war must
soon terminate."
" This war!" echoed the Colonel, shaking
loose the grasp which Griffith held on his arm;
" ay! what of this war, young man? Is it not
an accursed attempt to deny the rights of our
gracious sovereign, and to place tyrants, reared
in kennels, on the throne of princes! a scheme
to elevate the wicked at the expense of the good!
a project to aid unrighteous ambition, under the
mask of sacred liberty and the popular cry of
quality! as if there could be liberty without order! or equality of rights, where the privileges of
the sovereign are not as sacred as those of the
people!"
" You judge us harshly, Colonel Howard,"
said Griffith" I judge you!" interrupted the old soldier,
who, by this time, thought the youth resembled
any one rather than his friend Hugh; "it is not
my province to judge you at all; if it were!--but
the time will come, the time will come. I am a
patient man, and can wait the course of things;
yes, yes, age coop the blood, and we learn to
suppress the passions and impatience of youth;
ut if the ministry would issue a commission of
26




ï~~302

THE PILOT.

justice for the colonies, and put the name of old
George Howard in it, I am a dog, if there should
be a rebel alive in twelve months. Sir," turning
sternly to Borroughcliffe, " in such a cause, I
could prove a Roman, and hang-hang---yes, I
do think, sir, I could hang my kinsman, Mr. Christopher Dillon!"
" Spare the Cacique such an unnatural elevation, before his time," returned the captain, with
a grave wave of the hand: "1 behold," pointing
towards the wood, " there is a more befitting subject for the gallows! Mr. Griffith, yonder man
calls himself your comrade?"
The eyes of Colonel Howard and Griffith followed the direction of his finger, and the latter instantly recognised the Pilot, standing in the skirts
of the wood, with his arms folded, apparently surveying the condition of his friends.
"That man," said Griffith, in confusion, and
hesitating to utter even the equivocal truth that
suggested itself, " that man does not belong to our
ship's company."
" And yet he has been seen in your company,"
returned the incredulous Borrougheliffe; "he was
the spokesman in last night's examination, Colonel
Howard, and, doubtless, commands the rear guard
of the rebels."
" You say true," cried the veteran; " Pompey '
Casar! present! fire!"
The blacks started at the sudden orders of their
master, of whom they stood in the deepest awe,
and, presenting their muskets, they averted their
faces, and shutting their eyes, obeyed the bloody
mandate.
" Charge!" shouted the Colonel, flourishing the
ancient sword with which he had armed himself,
and pressing forward with all the activity that a




ï~~THE PILOT.

303

recent fit of the gout would allow; " charge, and
exterminate the dogs with the bayonet! push on,
Pompey-dress, boys, dress."
" If your friend stand this charge," said Borroughcliffe to Griffith, with unmoved composure,
" his nerves are made of iron; such a charge
would break the Coldstreams; with Pompey in
the ranks!"
' I trust in God," cried Griffith, C he will have
forbearance enough to respect the weakness of
Colonel B oward!-he presents a pistol!"
" But he will not fire; the Romans deem it
prudent to halt; nay, by heaven, they countermarch to the rear. Holla! Colonel Howard, my
worthy host, fall back on your reinforcements;
the wood is full of armed men; they cannot
escape us; I only wait for the horse to cut off the
retreat."
The veteran, who had advanced within a short
distance of the single man, who thus deliberately
awaited the attack, halted at this summons, and,
by a glance of his eye, ascertained that he stood
alone. Believing the words of Borroughcliffe to
be true, he slowly retired, keeping his face manfully towards his enemy, until he gained the support of the captain.
"Recall the troops, Borroughcliffe!" he cried,
" and let us charge into the wood; they will fly
before his majesty's arms like guilty scoundrels,
as they are. As for the negroes, I'll teach the
black rascals to desert their master at such a moment. They say Fear is pale, but, d-   e, Borroughcliffe, if I do not believe his skin is black."
" I have seen him of all colours; blue, white,
black, and party-coloured," said the captain. " I
must take the command of matters on myself,
however, my excellent host; let us retire into the




ï~~304             THE PILOT.
Abbey, and trust me to cut off the remainder of
the rebels."
In this arrangement, the colonel reluctantly
acquiesced, and the three followed the soldier to
the dwelling, at a pace that was adapted to the
infirmities of its master. The excitement of the
onset, and the current of his ideas, had united, however, to banish every amicable thought
from the breast of the colonel, and he entered
the Abbey with a resolute determination of seeing
justice dealt to Griffith and his companions, even
though it should push them to the foot of the
gallows.
As the gentlemen disappeared from his view,
among the shrubbery of the grounds, the Pilot
replaced the weapon that was hanging from his
hand, in his bosom, and, turning with a saddcned
and thoughtful brow, he slowly re-entered the
wood.




ï~~CHAPTER XX.

- " When these prodigias
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
These are their reasons,-They are natural
For, I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.'
Casca
THE reader will discover, by referring to the
time consumed in the foregoing events, that the
Ariel, with her prize, did not anchor in the bay,
already mentioned, until Griffith and his party
had been for several hours in the custody of their
enemies.   The supposed capture of the rebel
schooner was an incident that excited but little
interest, and no surprise, among a people who
were accustomed to consider their seamen as invincible; and Barnstable had not found it a dii
cult task to practise his deception bn the few
rustics whom curiosity induced to venture alongside the vessels during the short continuance of
daylight. When, however, the fogs of evening
began to rise along the narrow basin, and the
curvatures of its margin were lost in the single
outline of its dark and gloomy border, the young
seaman thought it time to apply himself in earnest
to his duty.   The Alacrity, containing all his
own crew, together with the Ariel's wounded,
was gotten silently under way, and driving easily
before the heavy air that swept from the land, she
drifted from the harbour, until the open sea lay
before her, when her sails were spread, and she
continued to make the best of her way in quest
20              26 *




ï~~306

THE PILOT.

of the frigate. Barnstable had watched this movement with breathless anxiety; for on an eminenrce
that completely commanded the waters to sonme
distance, a small but rude battery had been erected
for the purpose of protecting the harbour against
the depredations and insults of the smaller vessels of the enemy; and a guard of sufficient force
to manage the two heavy guns it contained, was
maintained in the work at all times. He was ignorant how far his stratagem had been successfiul,
and it was only when he heard the fluttering of the
Alacrity's canvass, as she opened it to the breeze,
he felt that he was yet secure.
" 'Twill reach the Englishmen's ears," said
the boy Merry, who stood on the forecastle of
the schooner, by the side of his commander,
listening with breathless interest to the sounds;
" they set a sentinel on the point, as the sun went
down, and if he is a trifle better than a dead man,
or a marine asleep, he will suspect something is
wrong."
" Never!" returned Barnstable, with a long
breath, that announced all his apprehensions were
removed; "he will be more likely to believe it a
mermaid fanning herself this cool evening, than
to suspect the real fact. What say you, Master
Coffin? will the soldier smell the truth?"
" They're a dumb race,"' said the cockswain,
casting his eyes over his shoulders, to ascertain
that none of their own marine guard was near
him; " now, there was our sargeant, who ought to
know something, seeing that he has been afloat
these four years, maintained, dead in the face and
eyes of what every man, who has ever doubled
Good Hope, knows to be true, that there was no
such vessel to be fallen in with'in them seas, as
the Flying Dutchman! and then, again, when ]




ï~~THE PILOT.

307

told him that he was a ' know-nothing,' and asked
him if the Dutchman was a more unlikely thing
than that there should be places where the inhabitants split the year into two watches, and had day
for six months, and night the rest of the time, the
green-horn laughed in my face, and I do believe
he would have told me I lied, but for one thing."
" And what might that be?" asked Barnstable,
gravely.
" Why, sir," returned Tom, stretching his bony
fingers, as he surveyed his broad palm, by the little
hlight that remained,. "though I am a peaceable
man, I can be roused."
" And you have seen the Flying Dutchman?"
" I never doubled the east cape; though I can
find my way through Le Maire in the darkest
night that ever fell from the heavens; but I have
seen them that have seen her, and spoken her
too."
"Well, be it so; you must turn flying Yankee,
yourself, to-night, Master Coffin. Man your boat
at once, sir, and arm your crew."
The cockswain paused a moment, before he
proceeded to obey this unexpected order, and,
pointing towards the battery, he inquired with infinite phlegm--
" For shore-work, sir? Shall we take the cutlashes and pistols? or shall we want the pikes?"
" There may be soldiers in our way, with their
bayonets," said Barnstable musing; 1 arm as
usual, but throw a few long pikes into the boat;
and harkye, Master Coffin, out with your tub and
whale-line: for I see you have rigged yourself anew
in that way."
The cockswain, who was moving from the
forecastle, turned short at this new mandate, and
with an air of remonstrance, ventured to say--




ï~~308

THE PILOT.

"1 Trust an old whaler, Captain Barnstable, who
has been used to these craft all his life. A whale
boat is made to pull with a tub and line in it, as
naturally as a ship is made to sail with ballast,
and-"
"Out with it, out with it," interrupted the
other, with an impatient gesture, that his cockswain
knew signified a positive determination. Heaving
a sigh at what he deemed his commander's prejudice, Tom applied himself, without farther delay,
to the execution of the orders. Barnstable laid
his hand familiarly on the shoulder of the boy,
and led him to the stern of his little vessel, in profound silence.  The canvass hood that covered
the entrance to the cabin was thrown partly aside,
and by the light of the lamp that was burning in
the small apartment, it was easy to overlook, from
the deck, what was passing beneath them. Dillon
sat supporting his head with his two hands, in a
manner that shaded his face, but in an attitude that
denoted deep and abstracted musing.
"I would that I could see the face of my prinsoner," said Barnstable, in an under tone, that was
audible only to his companion. "The eye of a
man is a sort of light-house, to tell one how to
steer into the haven of his confidence, boy."
"And sometimes a beacon, sir, to warn you,
there is no safe anchorage near him," returned the
ready boy.
" Rogue!" muttered Barnstable, "your cousin
Kate spoke there."
" If my cousin Plowden were here, Mr. Barn
stable, I know that her opinion of yon gentleman
would not be at all more favourable."
"And yet, I have determined to trust him!
Listen, boy, and tell me if I am wrong; you
have a quick wit, like some others of your family,




ï~~rIE PILOT.

309

and may suggest something advantageous."  The
gratified midshipman swelled with the conscious
pleasure of possessing his commander's confidence,
and followed to the taffrail, over which Barnstable
leaned, while he delivered the remainder of his
communication. "I have gathered from the 'longshore-men who have come off, this evening, to
stare at the vessel which the rebels have been able
to build, that a party of seamen and marines have
been captured in an old ruin near the Abbey of St.
Ruth, this very day."
" 'Tis Mr. Griffith!" exclaimed the boy.
"Ay! the wit of your cousin Katherine was not
necessary to discover that. Now, I have proposed
to this gentleman with the Savannah face, that he
should go into the Abbey, and negotiate an exchange.
I will give him for Griffith, and the crew of the
Alacrity for Manual's command and the Tigers."
"The Tigers!" cried the lad, with emotion,
"have they got my Tigers, too! would to God
that Mr. Griffith had permitted me to land!"
"It was no boy's work they were about, and
room was scarcer in their boat than live-lumber.
But this Mr. Dillon has accepted my proposition,
and has pledged himself that Griffith shall return
within an hour after he is permitted to enter the Abbey: will he redeem his honour from the pledge?"
" He may," said Merry, musing a moment,
"for I believe he thinks the presence of Mr.
Griffith under the same roof with Miss Howard, a
thing to be prevented, if possible; he may be true
in this instance, though he has a hollow look."
" He has bad-looking light-houses, I will own,"
said Barnstable; " and yet he is a gentleman, and
promises fair; 'tis unmanly to suspect him in such
a matter, and I will have faith! Now listen, sir.
The absence of older heads must throw great re.




ï~~310

THE I [LOT.

sponsibility on your young shoulders; watch that
battery as closely as if you were at the mast-head
of your frigate, on the look-out for an enemy; the
instant you see lights moving in it, cut, and run
into the offing; you will find me somewhere under
the cliffs, and you will stand off and on, keeping the
Abbey in sight, until you fall in with us."
Merry gave an attentive ear to these and divers
other solemn i:  "ons that he received from his
commander, w      aving sent the officer next to
himself in authe qty ii charge of the prize, (the
third in command be ig included in the list of the
wounded,) was compelled to, intrust his beloved
schooner to the vigilance of a lad whose years
gave no promise of the experience and skill that he
actually possessed.
When his admonitory instructions were ended,
Barnstable stepped again to the opening in the
cabin-hood, and for a single moment before he
spoke, once more examined th; countenance of his
prisoner, with a keen eye. Dillon had removed
his hands firom before his sallow feai:res, and, as
if conscious of the scrutiny his looks were to undergo, had concentrated the whole expression of
his forbidding aspect in a settled gaze of hopeless
submission to his fate. At least, so thought his
captor, and the idea touched some of the finer
feelings in the bosom of the generous young
seaman.   Discarding, instantly, every suspicion
of his prisoner's honour, as alike unworthy of
them  both, Barnstable summoned him, in a
cheerful voice, to the boat. There was a flashing
of the features of Dillon, at this call, which
gave an indefinable expression to his countenance,
that again startled the sailor; but it was so very
transient, and could so, easily be mistaken for a




ï~~THE PILOT.

311

smile of pleasure at his promised liberation, that
the doubts it engendered passed away almost as
speedily as the equivocal expression itself. Barnstable was in the act of following his companion
into the boat, when he felt himself detained by a
slight hold of his arm.
" What would you have?" he asked of the midshipman, who had given him the signal.
" Do not trust too much l _hat Dillon, sir,"
returned the anxious boy, i  ' Ai isper; "if you
had seen his face, as I   v ijen the binnacle
light fell upon it, as he came up the cabin ladder,
you would put no faith in him."
" I should have seen no beauty," said the generous lieutenant, laughing; "1but. there is long
Tom, as hard-featured a youth of two score and
ten as ever washed in brine, who has a heart as
big, ay, bigger than that of a kraaken. A bright
watch to you, boy, and remember, a keen eye
on the battery."  As he was yet speaking, Barnstable crossed the gunwale of his little vessel,
and it was not until he was seated by the side of
his prisoner, that he continued, aloud-" Cast the
stops off your sails, Mr. Merry,, and see all clear,
to make a run of every thing; recollect, you are
short-handed, sir. God bless ye! and d'ye hear r
if there is a man among you who shuts more than
one eye at a time, I'll make him, when I get back,
open both wider than if Tom Coffin's friend, the
Flying Dutchman, was booming down upon him.
God bless ye, Merry, my boy; give 'emr the
square-sail, if this breeze off-shore holds on till
morning:-shove off."
As Barnstable gave the last order, he fell back
on his seat, and, drawing his boat-cloak around
him, maintained a profound silence, until they had




ï~~312

THE PILOT.

passed the two small headlands that formed the
mouth of the harbour.   The men pulled, with
muffled oars, their long, vigorous strokes, and the
boat glided, with amazing rapidity, by the objects
that could be yet indistinctly seen along the dim
shore. When, however, they had gained the
open ocean, and the direction of their little bark
was changed to one that led them in a line with
the coast, and within the shadows of the cliffs,
the cockswain, deeming that the silence was no
longer necessary to their safety, ventured to break
it, as followsc"A square-sail is a good sail to carry on a
craft, dead afore it, and in a heavy sea; but if
fifty years can teach a man to know the weather,
it's my judgment that should the Ariel break ground
after the night turns at eight bells, she'll need her
main-sail to hold her up to her course."
The lieutenant started at this sudden interruption, and casting his cloak from his shoulders, he
looked abroad on the waters, as if seeking those
nortentous omens which disturbed the imagination
of his cockswain.
" How now, Tom," he said, sharply, " have ye
turned croaker in your old age? what see you, to
cause such an old woman's ditty!"
" 'Tis no song of an old woman," returned
the cockswain, with solemn earnestness, "but the
warning of an old man; and one who has spent
his days where there were no hills to prevent the
winds of heaven from blowing on him, unless they
were hills of salt water and foam. I judge, sir,
there'll be a heavy north-easter setting in upon us
afore the morning watch is called."
Barnstable knew the experience of his old messmate too well, to feel no uneasiness at such an opi



ï~~THE PILO.

313

nion, delivered in so portentous a manner; but after
again surveying the horizon, the heavens, and the
ocean, he said, with a continued severity of manner"Your prophecy is idle, this time, Master
Coffin; every thing looks like a dead calm. This
swell is what is left from the last blow; the mist
over-head is nothing but the nightly fog, and
you can see, with your own eyes, that it is driving
seaward; even this land breeze is nothing but the
air of the ground mixing with that of the ocean;
it is heavy with dew and fog, but it's as sluggish
as a Dutch galliot."
" Ay, sir, it is damp, and there is little of it,"''
rejoined Tom; "but as it comes only from the
shore, so it never goes far on the water. It is hard
to learn the true signs of the weather, Captain
Barnstable, and none get to know them well, but
such as study little else, or feel but little else.
There is only One who can see the winds of heaven, or who can tell when a hurricane is to begin,
or where it will end. Still, a man isn't like a
whale or a porpoise, that takes the air in his nostrils, but never knows whether it is a south-easter
or a north-wester that he feeds upon.  Look,
broad-off to leeward, sir; see the streak of clear
sky shining under the mists; take an old seafaring
man's word for it, Captain Barnstable, that whenever the light shines out of the heavens in that
fashion, 'tis never done for nothing; besides, the
sun set in a dark bank of clouds, and the little
moon we had was dry and windy."
Barnstable listened attentively, and with increasing concern, for he well knew that his cockswain possessed a quick and almost unerring judgment of the weather, notwithstanding the confused
27




ï~~314

THE PILOT.

medley of superstitious omens and signs with
which it was blended; but, again throwing himself
back in his boat, he muttered" Then let it blow; Griffith is worth a heavier
risk, and if the battery can't be cheated, it can be
carried."
Nothing further passed on the state of the weather. Dillon had not ventured a single remark
since he entered the boat, and the cockswain had
the discretion to understand that his officer was
willing to be left to his own thoughts. For neal
an hour they pursued their way with diligence;
the sinewy seamen, who wielded the oars, urging
their light boat along the edge of the surf with
unabated velocity, and, apparently, with untired
exertions. Occasionally, Barnstable would cast
an inquiring glance at the little inlets that they
passed, or would note, with a seaman's eye, the
small portions of sandy beach that were scattered
here and there along the rocky boundaries of the
coast.  One, in particular, a deeper inlet than
common, where a run of fresh water was heard
gurgling as it met the tide, he pointed out to his
cockswain, by significant, but silent gestures, as a
place to be especially noted. Tom, who understood the signal as intended for his own eye alone,
made his observations on the spot, with equal
taciturnity, but with all the minuteness that would
distinguish one long accustomed to find his way,
whether by land or water, by land-marks, and
the bearings of different objects. Soon after this
silent communication between the lieutenant and
his cockswain, the boat was suddenly turned, and
was in the act of dashing upon the spit of sand
before it, when Barnstable checked the movement
by his voice



ï~~THE PILOT.

315

" Hold water!" he said; " 'tis }he sound of
oars!"
The seamen held their boat at rest, while a deep
attention was given to the noise that had alarmed
the cars of their commander.
SSee, sir," said the cockswain, pointing towards the eastern horizon; "it is just rising into
the streak of light to seaward of us-now it s.ttles
in the trough-ah! here you have it again!"
" By heavens!" cried Barnstable, " 'tis a manof-war's stroke it pulls; I saw the oar-blades
as they fell! and, listen to the sound! neither
your fisherman nor your smuggler pulls such a regular oar."
Tomrn had bowed his head nearly to the water,
in the act of listening, and now, raising himself, he
spoke with confidence" That is the Tiger; I know the stroke of her
crew as well as I do of my own. Mr. Merry
has made them learn the new-fashioned jerk, as
they dip their blades, and they feather with such
a roll in their rullocks! I could swear to the
stroke."
"Hand me the night-glass," said his conamander, impatiently! " I can catch them, as the y are
lifted into the streak. You are right, by every
star in our flag, Tom!-but there is only one
man in her stern-sheets. By my good eyes, I
believe it is that accursed Pilot, sneaking from
the land, and leaving Griffith and Manual to die
in English prisons. To shore with you-beach
her at once,"
The order was no sooner given, than it was
obeyed, and in less than two minutes, the impatient Barnstable, Dillon, and the cockswain, were
standing together on the sands.




ï~~316

THE PILOT.

The impression he had received, that his friends
were abandoned to their fate by the pilot, urged
the generous young seaman to hasten the depar.
ture of his prisoner, as he was fearful every moment might interpose some new obstacle to the
success of his plans.
" Mr. Dillon," he said, the instant they were
landed, "I exact no new promise-your honour is
already plighted"" If oaths can make it stronger," interrupted
Dillon, " I will take them."
" Oaths cannot-the honour of a gentleman
is, at all times, enough. I shall send my cockswain with you to the Abbey, and you will either
return with him, in person, within two hours, or
give Mr. Griffith and Captain Manual to his
guidance.  Proceed, sir, you are conditionally
free; there is an easy opening by which to ascend
the cliffs."
Dillon once more thanked his generous captor,
and then proceeded to force his way up the rough
eminence.
"Follow, and obey his instructions," said Barnstable to his cockswain, aloud.
Tom, long accustomed to implicit obedience,
handled his harpoon, and was quietly following in
the footsteps of his new leader, when he felt the
hand of the lieutenant on his shoulder.
"You saw where the brook emptied over the
hillock of sand?" said Barnstable, in an under
tone.
Tom nodded assent.
" You will find us there riding without the surf
-'twill not do to trust too much to an enemy."
The cockswain made a gesture of great significance with his weapon, that was intended to




ï~~THE PILOT.             317
indicate the danger their prisoner would incur,
should he prove false; when, applying the wooden
end of the harpoon to the rocks, he ascended the
ravine at a rate that soon brought him to the side
of his companion.
27 *




ï~~CHAPTER XXI.

u Ay, marry, lot me have him to sit under;
He's like to be a cold soldier."
Falstaff.
BARNSTABLE lingered on the sands for a few mi
nutes, until the footsteps of Dillon and the cock
swain were no longer audible, when he ordered
his men to launch their boat once more into the
surf. While the seamen pulled leisurely towards
the place he had designated, as the point where he
would await the return of Tom, the lieutenant
first began to entertain serious apprehensions
concerning the good faith of his prisoner. Now
that Dillon was beyond his control, his imagination presented, in very vivid colours, several
little circumstances in the other's conduct, which
might readily excuse some doubts of his good
faith, and, by the time they had reached the place
of rendezvous, and had cast a light grapnel into
the sea, his fears had rendered him excessively
uncomfortable. Leaving the lieutenant to his reflections on this unpleasant subject, we shall follow Dillon and his fearless and unsuspecting companion in their progress towards St. Ruth.
The mists to which Tom had alluded, in his
discussion with his commander, on the state of
the weather, appeared to be settling nearer to the
earth, and assuming more decidedly the appearance of a fog, hanging above them in sluggish




ï~~THE PIOT.

319

volumes, but little agitated by the air. The consequent obscurity added deeply to the gloom of
the night, and it would have been difficult for one
less acquainted than Dillon with the surrounding
localities, to have found the path which led to the
dwelling of Colonel Howard. After some little
search, this desirable object was efihected, and the
civilian led the way, with rapid strides, towards
the Abbey.
" Ay, ay!" said Tom, who followed his steps,
and equalled his paces, without any apparent effort, "you shore-people have an easy way to find
your course and distance, when you get into the
track. I was once left by the craft I belonged to,
in Boston, to find my way to Plymouth, which is
a matter of fifteen leagues, or thereaway; and,
so finding nothing was bound up the bay, after
lying-by for a week, I concluded to haul aboard
my land-tacks. I spent the better part of another week in a search for some hooker, on board
which I might work my passage across the country, foi money was as scarce then with old Tom
Coffin as it is now, and is likely to be, unless the
fisheries get a good luff soon; but it seems that
nothing but your horse-flesh, and horned cattle,
and jack-asses, are privileged to do the pulling
and hauling in your shore-hookers; and I was
forced to pay a week's wages for a birth, besides
keeping a banyan on a mouthful of bread and
cheese, from the time we hove-up in Boston, till
we came-to in Plymouth town."
"It was certainly an unreasonable exaction, on
the part of the waggoners, from a man in your situation," said Dillon, in a friendly, soothing tone
of voice, that denoted a willingness to pursue the
conversation.
" My situation was that of a cabin passenger,"




ï~~320

THE PILOTi

returned the cockswain; "for there was but cne
hand forward, beside the cattle I mentioned-that
was he who steered-and an easy birth he had of
it; for there his course lay a-tween walls of stone,
and fences; and, as for his reckoning, why, they
had stuck up bits of stone on end, with his day's
woik footed up, ready to his hand, every half
league or so. Besides, the land-marks were so
plenty, that a man, with half-an-eye, might steer
her, and no fear of getting to leeward."
" You must have found yourself, as it were in a
new world," observed Dillon.
" Why, to me, it was pretty much the same as
if I had been set afloat in a strange country,
though I may be said to be a native of those
parts, being born on the coast. I had often heard
shore-men say, that there was as much 'arth
as water in the world, which I always set down
as a rank lie, fior I've sailed with a flowing sheet
months an-end, without falling in with as much
land or rock as would answer a gull to lay its eggs
on; but I will own, that a-tween Boston and Plymouth, we were out-of-sight of water for as much
as two full watches!"
Dillon pursued this interesting subject with
great diligence; and by the time they reached the
wall, which enclosed the large paddock that surrounded the Abbey, the cockswain was deeply
involved in a discussion of the comparative magnitude of the Atlantic Ocean and the Continent of
America.
Avoiding the principal entrance to the building,
through the great gates which communicated
with the court in front, Dillon followed the windings of the wall until it led them to a wicket.
which he knew was seldom closed for the night.
until the bou' for yeneral rest had arrived. Their




ï~~THE, PILOT

321

way now lay in the rear of the principal edifice,
and soon conducted them to the confused pile
which contained the offices. The cockswain followed his companion with a confiding reliance on
his knowledge and good faith, that was a good
deal increased by the freedom of communication
that had been maintained during their walk from
the cliffs. He did not perceive any thing extraordinary in the other's stopping at the room,
which had been provided as a sort of barracks
for the soldiers of Captain Borroughcliffe.  A
conference which took place between Dillon and
the sergeant was.soon ended, when the former
beckoned to the cockswain to follow, and, taking
a circuit round the whole of the offices, they entered the Abbey together, by the door through
which the ladies had issued, when in quest of the
three prisoners, as has been already related.---
After a turn or two among the narrow passages
of that part of the edifice, Tom, whose faith in
the facilities of land navigation began to be a
little shaken, found himself following his guide
through a long, dark gallery, that was terminated
at the end toward which they were approaching,
by a half-open door, that admitted a glimpse into a
well-lighted and comfortable apartment. To this
door Dillon hastily advanced; and, throwing it
open, the cockswain enjoyed a full view of the
very scene that we described, in introducing Col.
Howard to the acquaintance of the reader, and
under circumstances of great similitude.  The
cheerful fire of coal, the strong and glaring lights,
the tables of polished mahogany, and the blushing
fluids, were still the same in appearance, while
the only perceptible change was in the number of
those who partook of the cheer. The master of
the mansion, and Borroughlcliffe; were seated opn
21




ï~~322

rME PILOT.

posit, to each other, employed in discussing the
events of the day, and diligently pushing to and
fro the glittering vessel, that contained a portion
of the generous liquor they both loved so well; a
task which each moment rendered lighter.
" If Kit would but return," exclaimed the veteran, whose back was to the opening door, " bringing
with him his honest brows encircled, as they will
be, or ought to be, with laurel, I should be the
happiest old fool, Borrouighcliffe, in his majesty's
realm of Great Britain!"
The captain, whoi felt the necessity for the unnatural restraint he had imposed on his thirst, tc
be removed by the capture of his enemies, pointed
towards the door with one hand, while he grasped
the sparkling reservoir of the "south side" with
the other, and answered"Lo! the Cacique himself! his brow inviting
the diadem-ha! who have we in his highness's
train? By the Lord, sir Cacique, if you travel
with a body guard of such grenadiers, old Frederic of Prussia himself will have occasion to envy
you the corps! a clear six-footer in nature's stockings! and the arms as unique as the armed!"
The colonel did not, however, attend to half of
his companion's exclamations, but turning, he beheld the individual he had so much desired, and
received him with a delight proportioned to the
unexpectedness of the pleasure.  For several
minutes,; Dillon was compelled to listen to the
rapid questions of his venerable relative, to all of
which he answered with a prudent reserve, that
might, in some measure, have been governed by
the presence of the cockswain. Tom stood with
infinite. (omposure, leaning 'on his harpoon, and
surveying with a countenance where wonder wis
singularly blended with contempt, the furmniture




ï~~THE PILOT.

323

and arrangements of an apartment that was far
more splendid than any he had before seen. In
the mean time, Borroughcliffe entirely disregarded the private communications that passed between his host and Dillon, which gradually became more deeply interesting, and finally drew
them to a distant corner of the apartment, bul
taking a most undue advantage of the absence of
the gentleman, who had so lately been his boon
companion, he swallowed one potation after' another, as if a double duty had devolved on him,
in consequence of the desertion of the veteran.
Whenever his eye did wander from the ruby tints
of his glass, it was to survey, with unrepressed
admiration, the inches of the cockswain, about
whose stature,and frame there were numberless
excellent points to attract the gaze of a recruiting
officer. From this double pleasure, the captain
was, however, at last. summoned, to participate in
the councils of his friends.
Dillon was spared the disagreeable duty of repeating the artful tale he had found it necessary
to palm on the colonel, by the ardour of the veteran himself, who executed the task in. a manner
that gave to the treachery of his kinsman every
appearance of a justifiable artifice and of unshaken
zeal in the cause of his prince.  In substance,
Tom was to be detained as a prisoner, and the
party of Barnstable were to be entrapped, and of
course to share a similar fate.,. The sunken eye
of Dillon cowered bofore the steady gaze which
Borrougheliffe fastened on him, as the latter listened to the plaudits the colonel lavished on his
cousin's ingenuity; but the hesitation that lingered
in the soldier's manner vanished, when he turned
to examine their unsuspecting:- prisoner, who was
continuing his survey of the apartment, while he




ï~~324

THE PIL OT.

innocently imagined the consultations he witnessed
were merely the proper and preparatory steps to
his admission into the presence of Mr. Griffith.
"Drill," said Borroughcliffe, aloud, " advance
and receive your orders. The cockswain turned
quickly, at this sudden mandate, and for the first
time, perceived that he had been followed-into the
gallery, by the orderly, and two files of the recruits, armed.  " Take this man to the guardroom, and feed him; and see that he dies not of
thirst."
There was nothing alarming in this order; and
Tom Was following the soldiers, in obedience to a
gesture from their captain, when their steps were
arrested in the gallery, by the cry of " Halt."
"On recollection, Drill," said Borroughcliffe,
in a tone from which all dictatorial sounds were
banished, " show the gentleman into my own
room, and see him properly supplied."
The orderly gave such an intimation of his
comprehending the meaning of his officer; as the
latter was accustomed to receive, when Borrough
cliffe returned to his bottle, and the cockswain
followed his guide, with an alacrity and good will
that were not a little increased by the repeated
mention of the cheer that awaited him.
Luckily for the impatience of Tom, the quarters of the captain were at hanid, and the promised
entertainment by no means slow in making its
appearance. The former was an apartment that
opened from a lesser gallery, which communicated
with the principal passage already mentioned,' and
the latter was a bountiful but ungarnished supply
of that staple of the British isles, called roast
beef: of which the kitchen of Colonel Howard
was never without a due and loyal provision.--
The sergeant, who certainly understood one of the




ï~~rTHE PI LOT.

325

signs of his captain to imply an attack on the citadel of the cockswain's brain,* mingled, with his
own hands, a potation, that he styled a rummer of
grog, and which he thought would have felled
the animal itself that Tom was so diligently masticating, had it been alive, and in its vigour.
Every calculation that was made on the infirmity
of the, cockswain's intellect, under the stimnulus
of Jamaica, was, however, futile. He swallowed
glass after glass, with prodigious relish, but, at
the same time, with immoveable steadiness; and
the eyes of the sergeant, who felt it incumbent
to _do honour to his own cheer, were already
glistening in his head, when, happily for the credil
of his heart, a tap at the door announced the pre
sence of his captain, and relieved him from the
impending disgrace of being drunk blind by a
recruit.
As Borroughcliffe entered the apartment, he
comimanded his orderly to retire, adding";Mr. Dillon will give you instructions, which
you are implicitly to obey."
Drill, who had sense enough remaining to
apprehend the displeasure of his officer, should
the latter discover his condition, quickened his
departure, and the cockswain soon found himself
alone with the captain.  The vigour of Tom's
attacks on the remnants of the sirloin was now
much abated, leaving in its place that placid quiet
which is apt to linger about the palate, long after
the cravings of the appetite have been appeased.
He had seated himself on one of the trunks of Borroughcliffe, utterly disdaining the use of a chair,
and, with the trencher' in his lap, was using his own
jack-knife on the dilapidated fragment of the ox,
with something of that nicety with which the female goule, of the Arabian Tales, might be supposed




ï~~326

THE P1 LOT.

to pick her rice with the point of her bodkin.
The captain drew a seat nigh the cockswain,
and, with a familiarity and kindness infinitely condescending7 when the difference in their several
conditions is considered, he commenced the following dialogue:
" [ hope you have found your entertainment to
your liking, Mr. a-a---I must own my ignorance
of your name."
"Tom," said the cockswain, keeping his eyes
roaming over the contents of the trencher; "commonly called long Tom by my shipmates."
" You have sailed with discreet men, and able
navigators, it will seem, as they understand longitude so well," rejoined the captain; "but you have
a patronymick-I would say, another name-?"
" Coffin," returned the cockswain; "I'm called
Tom, when there is any hurry, such as letting go
the haulyards, or a sheet; long Tom, when they
want to get to windward of an old seaman, by
fair weather; and long Tom Coffin, when they
wish to hail me, so that none of my cousins of
the same name, about the islands, shall answer;
for I believe the best man among them can't measure much over a kathom, taking him from his
head-works to his heel."
"You are a most deserving fellow," cried Bor
roughcliffe, " and it is painful to think to what a fate
the treachery of Mr. Dillon has consigned you."
The suspicions of Tom, if he ever entertained
any, were lulled to rest too effectually by the
kindness he had received, to be awakened by this
equivocal lament; he, therefore, after renewing
his intimacy with the rummer, contented himself
by saying, with a satisfied simplicity"I am consigned to no one, carrying no cargo
but this Mr. Dillon; who is to give me Mr. Grif=




ï~~THE PILOT.

327

fith in exchange, or go back to the Ariel himself,
as my prisoner."
"Ah! my good friend, I fear you will find, when
the time comes to make this exchange, that he
will refuse to do either."
"But, I'll bed     d if he don't do one of
them!  my orders are to see it done, and back he
goes; or Mr. Griffith, who is as good a seaman,
for his years, as ever trod a deck, slips his cable
from this here anchorage."
Borroughcliffe affected to eye his companion
with great commiseration; an exhibition of comnpassion that was, however, completely lost on the
cockswain, whose nerIves were strung to their happiest tension, by his repeated libations, while his
wit was, if any thing, quickened by the same
cause, though his own want of guile rendered him
slow to comprehend its existence in others. Perceiving it necessary to speak plainly, the captain
renewed the attack in a more direct manner"I am sorry to say that you will not be permitted to return to the Ariel, and that your commander, Mr. Barnstable, will be a prisoner within
the 4hour,; and in fact, that your schooner will -be
taken, before the morning breaks."
" Who'll take her?" asked the cockswain, with
a grim smile, on whose feelings, however, this
combination of threatened calamities was beginning
to make some impression.
" You must remember, that she lies immediate
ly under the heavy guns of a battery that can
sink her in a few minutes; an express has already
been sent to acquaint the commander of the work
with the Ariel's true character; and as the wind
has already begun to blow from the ocean, hei
escape is impossible."
The truth, together with its portentous conse



ï~~328

THE PILOT.

quences, now began to glare across the faculties of
the cockswain. He remembered his own prognostics on the weather, and the helpless situation of
the schooner, deprived of more than half her crew,
and left to the keeping of a boy, while her commander himself was on the eve of captivity. The
trencher fell from his lap to the flodr, his head
sunk on his knees, his face was concealed between
his broad palms, and in spite of every effort the
old seaman could make to conceal his emotion, he
fairly 'groaned aloud.
For a moment, the better feelings of Borroughcliffe prevailed, and he paused, as he witnessed this exhibition of suffering in one whose
head was already sprinkled with the marks of time;
but his habits, and the impressions left by many
years passed in collecting victims for the wars, soon
resumed their ascendency, and the recruiting
officer diligently addressed himself to an improvement of his advantage.
"I pity, from my heart, the poor lads whom
artifice or mistaken notions of duty may have
led astray, and who will thus be taken in arms
against their sovereign; but as they are found in
the very island of Britain, they must be made examples to deter others. I fear, that unless they
can make their peace with government, they will
all be condemned to death."
" Let them make their peace with God, then;
your government can do but little to clear the log,
account of a man whose watch is up for this world."
" But, by making their peace with those who
have the power, their lives may be spared," said
the captain, watching, with keen eyes, the effect
his words produced on the cockswain.
" It matters but little when a man hears the
mes e ger pipe his hammock down for the last




ï~~THE PILOT.

329

time he keeps his watch in another world, though
he goes below in this. But to see wood and iron,
that has been put together after such moilds as
the Ariel's, go into strange harids; is a blow that a
man may remember long after the purser's books
have been squared against his nam- foi-r' ever! I
would rather that twenty shot 'should strike my
old carcass, than-i one should' hull the schoonei
that didn't pass out above her water-line."
Borrougheliffe replied, somewhat carelessly,
" I may be mistaken, after all; and, instead of
putting aiy of you to death, they mnay place you
all on board the,prisori-shlips; where you may
yet have a merry time of it' these ten or fifteen
years to come."
"How's that, shipmate!" cried the cockswain,
with a start; "a prison-ship, d'ye;say? you m:y
tell theim they can savL the expeise of one man's
rations, by hanging him, if they please, and th it is
old Tom Coffin."
" There is no answering for their caprice: today, they may order a dozen of you to be shot for
rebels; to-morrow they may choose to'consider you
as prisoners of war, and send you to the hulks for
a dozen years."
"Tell them, brother, that I'min a rebel, will ye?
and ye'll tell 'emi no lie  one that has fou't them
since Manly's time, in Boston bay, to this hour.
I hope the boy will blow her up! it would be the
death of poor Richard Barnstable,' to see her in
the hands of the English!"
" I know of one way," said Borroughcliffe,
affecting to muse, "and but one, that will certainly
avert the prison-ship; 'for, on second theoughts,
they will hardly put you to death."
"Name it, friend," cried the cockswain, rising
28 *




ï~~330

THE PILOT*

from his seat in evident perturbation, "and if it
lies in the power of man, it shall be done."
"Nay," said the captain, dropping his hand familiarly on the shoulder of the other, who listened
with the most eager attention, "'tis easily done,
and no dreadful thing in itself; you are used to
gunpowder, and know its smell from otto of roses?"
"Ay, ay," cried the impatient old seaman; "I
have had it flashing under my nose by the hour;
what then?"
"Why, then, what I have to propose will be
nothing to a man like you-you found the beef
wholesome, and the grog mellow?"
"Ay, ay, alPl' well enough; but what is that to
an old sailor?" asked the cockswain, unconsciously
grasping the collar of Borroughcliffe's coat, in his
agitation; "what then?"
The captain manifested no displeasure at this
unexpected familiarity, but smiled, with suavity,
as he unmasked the battery, from behind which he
had hitherto carried on his attacks.
" Why, then, you. have -only to serve your
King, as you have before served the Congressand let me be the man to show you your colours."
The cockswain stared at the speaker intently,
but it was evident he did not clearly comprehend
the nature of the proposition, and the captain pursued the subject"In plain English, enlist in my company, my
fine fellow, and your life and liberty are both safe."
Tom did not laugh aloud, for that was a burst
of feeling in which he was seldom known to indulge, but every feature of his weather-beaten
visage contracted into an expression of bitter,
ironical contempt. Borrougheliffe felt the iron
fingers, that still grasped his collar, gradually




ï~~THE PILOT.

331

tightening about his throat, like a vice, and, as the
arm slowly contracted, his body was drawn, by a
power that it was in vain to resist, close to that of
the cockswain, who, when their faces were within
a foot of each other; gave vent- to his emotions in
words:"A messmate, before a shipmate; a shipmate,
before a stranger; a stranger, before a dog-but
a dog before a soldier!"
As Tom concluded, his nervous arm was suddenly extended to the utmost, the fingers relinquishing their grasp at the same time, and, when
Borrougheliffe recovered his disordered faculties,
he found himself in a distant corner of the apartment, prostrate among a conf':sed pile of chairs,
tables, and wearing apparel.  In endeavouring
to rise from this humble posture, the hand of the
captain fell on the hilt of his sword, which had
been included in the confused assemblage of articles produced by his overthrow.
" How now, scoundrel!" he cried, baring the
glittering weapon, and springing on his feet;" you
must be taught your distance, I perceive."
The cockswain seized the harpoon which leaned against the wall, and dropped its barbed extremity within a foot of the breast of his assailant, with an expression of the eye that denoted
the danger of a nearer approach. The captain,
however, wanted not for courage, and, stung to
the quick by the insult he had received, he made
a desperate parry, and attenmpted to pass within
the point of the novel weapon of his adversary.
Theslight shock wat followed by a sweeping
whirl of the harpoon. and Borroughcliffe found
himself without arms, completely at the mercy of
his foe. The bloody intentions of Tom vanished with his success; for, laying aside his wea



ï~~332

THE PILOT.

pon, he advanced upon his antagonist, and seized
him with an open palm. One more struggle, in
which the captain discovered his incompetency
tb make any defence against the strength of a
man who managed him as if he had been a child,
decided the matter. When the captain was passive
in the hands of his foe, the cockswain produced
sundry pieces of sennit, marline, and ratlin-stuff,
from his pockets, which appeared to contain as
great a variety of small cordage as a boatswain's
store-room, and proceeded to lash the arms of the
conquered soldier to the posts of his bed, with a
coolness that had not been disturbed since the coinmmencement f hostilities, a silence that seemed inflexible, and a dexterity that none but a seaman
could equal. When this part of his plan was executed, Tom.paused a moment, and gazed around
him as if in quest of something. The naked
sword caught his eye, and, with this weapon in his
hand, he deliberately approached his captive,
whose alarm prevented his observing, that the
cockswaip had snapped the blade asunder from
the handle, and that he had already encircled the
latter with marline.
" For God's sake," exclaimed Borrougheliffe,
"murder me not in cold blood!"
The silver hilt entered his mouth as the words
issued from it, and the captain found, while the line
was passed and repassed, in repeated involutions
across the back of his neck, that he was in a condition to which he often subjected his own men,
when unruly, and which is universally called being" gagged."  The cockswain now appeared to
think himself entitled to all the privileges of a
conqueror; for, taking the light in his hand, he
commenced a scrutiny into the nature and quality
of the worldly effets tha. lay nt his mercy.




ï~~THE PILOT.

333

Sundry articles, that belonged to the equipments
of a soldier, were examined, and cast aside with
great contempt, and divers garments of plainer
exterior were rejected as unsuited to the frame of
the victor. He, however, soon encountered two
articles, of a metal that is universally understood. But uncertainty as to their use appeared
greatly to embarrass him. The circular prongs
of these curiosities were applied to either hand,
to the wrists, and even to the nose, and, the little
wheels, at their opposite extremity, were, turned
and examined with as much curiosity and care,
as a savage would expend on a watch, until the
idea seemed to cross the mind of the honest seaman, that they formed part of the useless trappings of a military man, and he cast them aside,
also, as utterly worthless.  Borroughcliffe, who
watched every movement of his conqueror, with
a good humour that would have restored perfect
harmony between them, could he but have ex.
pressed half what he felt, witnessed the safety of a
favourite pair of spurs with much pleasure, though
nearly suffocated by the mirth that was unnaturally
repressed. At length, the cockswain found a pair
of handsomely mounted pistols, a sort of weapon
with which he seemed quite familiar. They were
loaded, and the knowledge of that fact appeared
to remind Tom of the necessity of departing,
by bringing to his recollection the danger of his
commander and the Ariel. He thrust the weapons into the canvass belt that encircled his body,
and, grasping his harpoon, approached the bed,
where Borroughcliffe was seated in duresse.
" Harkye, friend," said the cockswain, "may
the Lord forgive you, as I do, for wishing to
make a soldier of a sea-faring man, and one whc
has followed the waters since he was an hour old,




ï~~334             THE PILOT.
and one who hopes to die off soundings, and to be
buried in brine. I wish you no harm, friend; but
you'll have to keep a stopper on your conversation till such time as some of your messmates
call in this way, which I hope will be as soon after
I get an offing as may be."
" With these amicable wishes, the cockswain departed, leaving Bor aLghcliffe the light, and the
undisturbed possession of his apartment, though
not in the most easy or the most enviable situation imaginable. The captain heard the bolt of
his lock turn, and. the key rattle as the cockswain witidrew -4t from the door-two precautionary steps, which clearly indicated that the vanquisher deemed it prudent to secure his retreat.
by insuring the detention of the vanquished, for
at least a time.




ï~~CIIAPT E XXII.

" Whilst Vengeance, in the lurid air,
Lifts her red arm, expos'd and bare;--
Who, Fear, this ghastly train can see,
And look not madly wild, like thee'1
'ollins.
IT is certain that Tom Coffin had devised n,
settled plan of operations, when he issued from
the apartment of Borrougncliffe, if we except a
most resolute determination to make the best of
his way to the Ariel, and to share her fate, let it
be either to sink or swim. But this was a resolution much easier formed by the honest seaman
than executed, in his present situation. He would
have found it less difficult to extricate a vessel
from the dangerous shoals of the " Devil's Grip,"
than to thread the mazes of the labyrinth of
passages, galleries, and apartments, in which he
found himself involved. He remembered, as he
expressed it to himself, in a low soliloquy, "to
have run into a narrow passage from the main
channel, but whether he had sheered to the starboard or larboard hand," was a material fact,
that had entirely escaped his memory. Tom was
in that part of the building that Colonel Howard
had designated as the " cloisters," and in which,
luckily for him, he was but little liable to encounter
any foe; the room    occupied by Borroughcliffe
being the only one in the entire wing that was




ï~~336

THE PILOT.

not exclusively devoted to the service of the
ladies. The circumstance of the soldier's being
permitted to invade this sanctuary, was owing to
the necessity, on the part of Colonel Howard, of
placing either Griffith, Manual, or the recruiting
officer, in the vicinity of his wards, or of subjecting
his prisoners to a treatment that the veteran would
have thought unworthy of his name and character.
This recent change in the quarters of Borroughcliffe operated doubly to the advantage of Tom,
by lessening the chance of the speedy release of
his uneasy captive, as well as by diminishing his
own danger.. Of the former circumstance he was,
however, not aware; and the consideration of the
latter was a sort of reflection to which the cockswain was, in no degree, addicted.
Following, necessarily, the line of the wall, he
soon emerged from the dark and narrow passage
in which he had first found himself, and entered
the principal gallery, that communicated with all
the lower apartments of that wing, as well as
with the main body of the edifice. An opera
door, through which a strong light was glaring,
at a distant end of this gallery, instantly caught
his eye, and the old seaman had not advanced
many steps towards it, before he discovered that
he was approaching the very room which had so
much excited his curiosity, and by the identical
passage through which he had entered the Abbey.
To turn,- and retrace his steps, was the most obvious course for any man to take, who felt anxious to escape; but the sounds of high conviviality, bursting from the cheerful apartment, among
which the cockswain thought he distinguished
the name of Griffith, determined Tom to advance
and reconnoitre the scene more closely.  The
reader will anticipate that when he paused in the




ï~~THE PILOT.

337

shadow, the doubting old seaman stood once more
nea the threshold which he had so lately crossed,
when conducted to the room of Borroughcliffe.
The seat of that gentleman was now occupied by
Dillon, and Col. Howard had resumed his wonted
station at the foot of the table. The noise was
chiefly made by the latter, who had evidently been
enjoying a more minute relation of the means by
which his kinsman had entrapped his unwary
enemy.
" A noble ruse!" cried the veteran, as Tom
assuined his post, in ambush; " a most noble  and
ingenious ruse, and such a one as would have
baffled Casar! He must have been a cunning
dog, that Cmsar; but I do think, Kit, you would
have been too much for him; hang me, if I don't
think you would have puzzled Wolfe himself, had
you held Quebec, instead of Montcalm! Ah,
boy, we want you in the colonies, with the ermine
over your shoulders; such men as you, cousin
Christopher, are sadly, sadly wanted there to defend his majesty's rights."
"Indeed, dear sir, your partiality gives me
credio for qualities I do not possess," said Dillon,
dropping his eyes, perhaps with a feeling of con
scious unworthiness, but with an air of much humility; " the little justifiable artifice-"
" Ay! there lies the beauty of the transaction,"
interrupted the colonel, shoving the bottle from
him, with the free, open air of a man' who never
harboured disguise; "you told no lie; no mean
deception, that any dog, however base and unworthy, might invent; but you practised a neat,
a military, a-a-yes, a classical deception on
your enemy, a classical deception, that is the
very term for it! such - a deception as Pompey,
or Mark Antony, or-or you know those old
29             22




ï~~338

THE PILOT.

fellows' names better than I do, Kit; but name
the cleverest fellow that ever lived in Greece or
Rome, and I shall say he is a dunce, compared to
you. 'Twas a real Spartan trick, both simple and
honest."
It was extremely fortunate for Dillon, that the
animation of his aged kinsman kept his head and
body in such constant motion, during this apostrophe, as to intercept the aim that the cockswain was deliberately taking at his head with
one of Borroughcliffe's pistols; and perhaps the
sense of shame which induced him to sink his face
on his hantis, was another means of saving his hfte,
by giving the indignant old seaman time for reflection.
" But you have not spoken of the ladies," said
Dillon, after a moment's pause; "I should hope,
they have borne the alarm of the day like kinswomen of the family of Howard."
The colonel glanced his eyes around him, as if to
assure himself they were alone, and dropped his
voice, as he answered"Ah, Kit! they have come to, since this rebel
scoundrel, Griffith, has been brought into the
Abbey; we were favoured with the company of
even Miss Howard; in the dining-room, to-day.
There was a good deal of ' dear uncleing," and
fears that my life might be exposed by the quarrels and skirmishes of these desperadoes who
have landed;' as if an old fellow, who served
through the whole war, from '56 to '63, was afraid
to let his nose smell gunpowder any more than if
it were snuff? But it will be a hard matter to
wheedle an old soldier out of his allegiance! This
Griffith goes to the Tower, at least, Mr. Dillon."
" It would be advisable to commit his person to
the civil authority, without delay."




ï~~THE PILOT.

339

" To the constable of the Tower, the Earl Cornwallis, a good and loyal nobleman, who is, at
this moment, fighting the rebels in my own native
province, Christopher," interrupted the colonel;
" that will be what I call retributive justice;
but;" continued the veteran, rising with an air of
gentlemanly dignity, "it will not do to permit
even the constable of the Tower of London to
surpass the master of St. Ruth in hospitality and
kindness to his prisoners. I have ordered suitable
refreshments to their apartments, and it is incumbent on me to see that my commands have been
properly obeyed. 'Arrangements must also be
made for the reception of this Captain Barnstable,
whr will, doubtless, soon be here."
SWithin the hour, at farthest," said Dillon,
looking aneasily at his watch.
"We must be stirring, boy," continued the
colonel, moving towards the door that led to the
apartments of his prisoners; " but there is a
courtesy due to the ladies, as well as to those unfortunate violators of the laws-go, Christopher,
convey my kindest wishes to Gecilia; she don't
deserve them, the obstinate vixen, but then she is
my brother Harry's child! and while there, you
arch dog, plead your own cause. Mark Antony
was a fool to you at a 'lruse,' and yet Mark was
one of your successful suitors, too; there was that
Queen of the Pyramids--"
The door closed on the excited veteran, at these
words, and Dillon was left standing by himself,
at the side of the table, musing, as if in doubt,
whether to venture on the step that'his kinsman
had proposed, or not.
The greater part of the preceding discourse was
unintelligible to the cockswain, who had waited its
termination with extraordinary patience; in hopes




ï~~340

THE PILOT.

he might obtain some information that he could
render of service to the captives. Before he had
time to decide on what was now best for him to
do, Dillon suddenly determined to venture himself in the cloisters; and, swallowing a couple of
glasses of wine in a breath, he passed the hesitating cockswain, who was concealed by the opening door, so closely as to brush hlis persdn, and
moved down the gallery with those rapid strides,
which men, who act under the impulse of forced
resolutions, are very apt to assume, as if to conceal their weakness from themselves.-Tom hesitated no longer, but aiding the impulse given to
the door by Dillon, as he passed, so as to darken
the passage, he followed the sounds of the other's
footsteps, while he trod, in the manner already
described, the stone pavement of the gallery.
Dillon paused an instant at the turning that led to
the room of Borrougheliffe, but whether irresolute
which way to urge his steps, or listening to the
incautious and heavy tread of the cockswain, is
not known; if the latter, he mistook them for the
echoes of his owh footsteps, and moved forward
again without making any discovery.
The light tap which Dillon gave on the door
of the withdrawing-room of the cloisters, was
answeied by the soft voice of Cecilia Howard
herself, who bid the applicant enter.:There was
a slight confusion evident in the manner of the
gentleman as he complied with the bidding, and in
its hesitancy, the door was, for an instant, neglected.
" I come, Miss Howard," said Dillon, " by the
commands of your uncle, and, permit me to add,
by my own" May Heaven shield us!" exclaimed Cecilia,
clasping her hands in affright, and rising involun



ï~~THE PILOT.

341

tarily from her couch; " are we, too, to be imprisoned and murdered?"
1 Surely Miss Howard will not impute to me"
-Dillon paused, observing that the wild looksnot only of Cecilia, but of Katherine an. Alice
Dunscombe, also, were directed at some other object, and turning, to his manifest terror he beheld
the gigantic frame of the cocklswain, surmounted
by an iron visage fixed in settled hostility, in possession of the only passage from the apartment.
"If there's murder to be done," said Tom, after surveying the.astonished group with a stern
eye, " it's as likely this here liar will be the one
to do it, as another; but you have nothing to fear
from a man who has followed the seas too long,
and has grappled with too maniy monsters, both
fish and flesh, not to know how to treat a helpless woman. None, who know him, will say that
Thomas Coffin ever used uncivil language, or unseaman-like conduct, to any of his mother's kind."
"Coffin!" exclaimed Katherine, advancing with
a more confident air, from the corner, into which
terror had driven her with her companions.
" Ay,' Coffin," continued the old sailor, his
grim features gradually relaxing, as he gazed on
her bright looks; " '.tis a solemn word, but it's a
name that passes over the shoals, among the islands,
and along the cape, oftener than any other. My
father was a Coffin, and my mother was a Joy,
and the two names can count more flukes than
all the rest in the island together; though the
Worths, and the Gar'ners, and the Swaines, dart
better harpoons, and set truer lances; than any men
who come from the weather-side of the Atlantic."
Katherine listened to this digression in honour
of the whalers of Nantucket, with marked cornm29 *




ï~~342

THE P) LOT.

placency, and, when he concluded, she repeated,
slowly" Coffin! this, then, is long Tom!"
" Ay, ay, long Tom, and no sham in the name
eithcr," returned the cockswain, suffering the
stern indignation that had lowered around his
hard visage, to relax into a low laugh, as he gazed
on her animated features; "the Lord bless your
smiling face and bright black eyes, young madam!
you have heard of old long Tom, then? most
likely, 'twas something about the blow he strikes
at the fish-ah! I'm old and I'm stiff, r. ow, young
madam, but, afore I was nineteen, I stood at the
head of the dance, at a ball on the cape, and that
with a partner almost as handsome as yourselfay! and this was after I had three broad flukes
logg'd against my name."
" No;" said Katherine, advancing in her eagerness a step or two nigher to the old tar, her cheeks
flushing while she spoke, "I had heard of you as
an instructer in a seaman's duty, as the faithful
cockswain, nay, I may say, as the devoted companioi and friend of Mr. Richard Barnstable-but,
perhaps, you come now as the bearer of some message or letter from that gentleman."
The sound of his commander's name suddenly revived the recollection of Coffin, and with it,
all the fierce sternness of his manner returned.
Bending his eyes keenly on the cowering form of
Dillon, he said, in those deep, harsh tones, that
seem peculiar to men, who have braved the elements, until they appear to have imbibed some of
their roughest qualities" Liar! how now? wha'. brought old Tom
Coffin into these shoals and narrow channels
was it a letter? ha! but by the Lord that maketh




ï~~THE PILOT.

343

the winds to blow, and teacheth the lost mariner
how to steer over the wide waters, you shall
sleep this night, villain, on the planks of the
Ariel; and if it be the will of God, that beautiful
piece of handicraft is to sink at her moorings,
like a worthless hulk, ye shall still sleep in her;
ay, and a sleep that shall not end; till they call
all hands, to foot up the day's-work of this life, at
the close of man's longest voyage."
The extraordinary vehemence, the language,
the attitude of the old seaman, commanding in its
energy, and the honest indignation that shone
in every look of his keen eyes, together with the
nature of the address, and its paralyzing effect on
Dillon, who quailed before it like the stricken
deer, united to keep the female listeners, for many
moments, silent through amazement.    During
this brief period, Tom advanced upon his nerveless victim, and lashing his arms together behind
his back, he fastened him, by a strong cord, to
the broad canvass belt that he constantly wore
around his own body, leaving to himself by this
arrangement, the free use of his arms and weapons
of offence, while he secured his captive.
"Surely," said Cecilia, recovering her recollection the first of the astonished group, "Mr.
Barnstable has not commissioned you to offer
this violence to my uncle's kinsman, under the
roof of Colonel Howard?-Misg Plowden, your
friend has strangely forgotten himself in this transaction, if this man acts in obedience to his order!"
"My friend, my cousin Howard," returned
Katherine, " would nF ver: commission his cockswain, or any one, to do an unworthy deed.
Speak, honest sailor; why do you commit this
outrage on the worthy Mr. Dillon, Colonel How



ï~~344

TIE PILOT.

ard's kinsman, and a cupboard cousin of St. Ruth's
Abbey?"
" Nay, Katherine "
" Nay, Cecilia, be patient, and let the stranger
have utterance; he may solve the difficulty altogether."
The cockswain, understanding that an explanation was expected from his lips, addressed himself to the task with an energy suitable both to
the subject and to his own feelings. In a very
few words, though a little obscured by his peculiar diction, he made his listeners understand the
confidence that Barnstable had reposed in' Dillon,
and the treachery of the latter. They heard him
with increased astonishment, and Cecilia hardly allowed him time to conclude, before she exclaimed" And did Colonel Howard, could Colonel Howard listen to this treacherous project!"
" Ay, they spliced it together among them," returned Tom; " though one part of this cruise will
turn out but badly."
" Even Borroughcliffe, cold and. hardened as he
appears to be by habit, would spurn at such dishonour," added Miss How ard.
" But, Mr. Barnstable?" at length Katherine
succeeded in saying, when her feelings permitted
her utterance, " said you not, that soldlers were in
quest of him?"
"Ay, ay, young madam,"' the cockswain replied,, smiling with grim ferocity, "they are in
chase, but he has shifted his anchorage; and even
if they should find him, his long pikes would
make short work of a dozen red-coats. The
Lord of tempests and calms have mercy, though,
on the schooner! Ah, young madam, she is as
lovely to the eyes of an old seafaring man, as any
of your kind can be to human nature!"




ï~~THE PILOT.

345

"But why this delay?-away then, honest Tom,
and reveal the treachery to your commander; you
may not yet be too late-why delay a moment?"
"The ship tarries for want of a pilot I could
carry three fathom over the shoals of Nantucket,;
the darkest night that ever shut the windows of
heaven, but I should be likely to -run upon breakers in this navigation. As it Was, I was near getting into company that I should have had to fight'
my way out of."
" If that be all, follow me," cried, the ardent'
Katherine;  I will conduct you to a path that
leads to the ocean, without approaching -the sentinels."'
Until this moment, Dillon had entertained a
secret expectation of a rescue, but' when he heard
this proposal, he felt' his blood retireating to his
heart, fromn every part of his agitated frame, and
his last hope seemed wrested from him. Raising
himself from the abject, shrinking attitude, in
which both shame and dread had conspired to keep
him as though he had been fettered to the spot, he
approached Cecilia, and eried, in tones of horror" Do not, do not- consent,- Miss Howard, to
abandon me to the fuiry of this man! Your uncle,
your honourable uncle, even now, applauded and
united with nie inmy enterprise, which is no more
than a common artifice in war."
"My uncle would unite, Mr. Dillon, in no project of deliberate treachery, like 'this,"' said Cecilia, coldly.
"He did, I swear by-"
" Liar!" interrupted the deep tones of the
cockswain.
Dillon shivered with agony and terror, while
the sounds of this appalling voice sunk into his inmost soul; but as the gloom of the night, the




ï~~346

THE PILOT.

secret ravines of the cliffs, and the turbulence of
the ocean, flashed across his imagination_ he again
yielded to a dread of the horrors to which he
should be exposed, in encountering them at the
mercy of his powerful enemy, and he continued
his solicitations" Hear me, once more hear me-Miss Howard,
I beseech you, hear me! Am I not of your own
blood and country? will you see me abandoned
to the wild, merciless, malignant fury of this man,
who will transfix me with that- oh, God! if you
had but seen the sight I beheld i-n the Alacrity!
-hear me,.Miss Howard, for the love you bear
your Maker, intercede for me! Mr. Griffith shall
be released-"
" Liar!" again interrupted the cockswain.
"What promises he?" asked Cecilia, turning her
averted face once more at the miserable captive.
" Nothing that will be fulfilled," said Katherine;
" follow, honest Toin, and I, at least, will conduct
you in good faith."
" Cruel, obdurate Miss Plowden; gentle, kind
Miss Alice, you will not refuse to raise your voice
in my favour; your heart is not hardened by any
imaginary dangers to those you love."
" Nay, address.not me," said Alice, bending
her meek eyes to the floor; "I trust your life is
in no danger, aid I pray that he who has the power,
wil have the mercy, to see you unharmed."
"Away," said Tom, grasping the collar of the
helpless Dillon, and rather carrybing than leading
him into the gallery: " if a soun., one quarter
as loud as a young porpoise makes, when he
draws his first breath, comes from you, villain,
you shall see the sight of the Alacrity over again.
My harpoon keeps its edge well, and the old arm
can yet drive it to the seizing."




ï~~TIHE PILOT.

347

This menace effectually silenced even the hard,
perturbed breathings of the captive;, who, with
his conductor, followed the light steps of Kathe-,ine through some of the secret mazes of the
building, until, in a few minutes, they issued
through a sma.l door, into the open air. Without
pausing to deliberate, Miss Plowden led the
cockswain through the grounds, to a different
wicket from the one by which he had entered the
paddock, and pointing to the path, which might
be dimly traced along the faded herbage, she had
God bless him, in a voice that discovered her interest in his safety, and vanished from his sight,
like an aerial being.
Tom.needed no incentive to his speed, now
that his course lay so plainly before him, but,
loosening his pistols in his belt, and poising his
harpoon, he crossed the fields at a gait that conmpelled his companion to exert his utmost powers,
in the way of walking, to equal. Once or twice,
Dillon ventured to utter a word or two, but a
stern" silence" 'from the cockswain, warned him
to cease, until, perceiving that they were approaching the cliffs, he made a final effort to obtain his liberty, by hurriedly promising a large
bribe. The cockswain made no reply, and the
captive was secretly hoping that his scheme was
producing its wonted effects, when he unexpectedly
felt the keen, cold edge of the barbed iron of the
harpoon pressing against his breast, through' the
opemning of his ruffles, and even raising the skin.
SLiar," said Tom, "another word, and Pll
drive it through your heart!"
From that moment, Dillon was as silent as the
grave. They reached the edge of the cliffs, without encountering the party that had been sent in
quest of Barnstable, and at a point near where




ï~~348

TIE PI,L(r.

they bad landed. The old seaman paused an
instant on the verge of the precipice, and cast his
experienced eyes along the wide expanse of watex
that lay before him. The sea was no longer sleeping, but already in heavy motion, and rolling
its surly waves against the base of the rocks
on which he stood, scattering their white crests
high in foam.  The cockswain, after bending
his looks along the whole line of the eastern horizon, gave utterance to a low and stifled groan,
and then striking the staff of his harpoon violently against the earth, he pursued his way along
the very edge of the cliffs, muttering certain
dreadful denunciations, which the conscience of
his appalled listener did not fail to apply to himself. It appeared to the latter, that his angry
and excited leader sought the giddy verge of theprecipice with a sort of wanton recklessness, so, dai -
ing were the steps that he took along its brow, notwithstanding the darkness of the hour, and the violence of the blasts that occasionally rushed by them,
leaving behind a kipd of reaction, that more than
once brought the life of the manacled captive in
imminent jeopardy. But it would seem, the wary
cockswain had a motive for this, apparently, inconsiderate desperation. When they had made good
quite half the distance between the point where
Barnstable had landed, and that where he had
appointed to meet his cockswain, the sounds of
voices were brought indistinctly to their ears, in
one of the momentary pauses of the rushing winds
and caused the cockswain to make a dead stand
in his progress. He listened intently for a single
minute, when his resolution appeared to be taken.
He turned to Dillon, and spoke; but though his
ice,as suppressed and low, it was deep and....te.




ï~~THE PILO'I.

349

"One word, and you die; over the cliffs You
must take a seaman's ladder; there is footing on
the rocks, -and crags for your hands. Over the
cliff; I bid ye, or I'll cast ye into the sea, as I would
a dead enemy!"
" Mercy, mercy!" implored Dillon; " I could
not do it in the day; by this light I shall surely
perish."
"Over with ye!" said Tom, " or-"
Dillon waited for no more, but descended, with
trembling steps, the dangerous precipice which lay
before him.: He was followed by the cockswain,
with a haste that unavoidably dislodged his captive from the trembling stand he had taken on the
shelf of a rock, who, to his increased horror, found
himself dangling in the air, his body impending
over the sullen surf- that was tumbling in, with
violence, upon the rocks beneath him. An involuntary shriek burst from Dillon, as he felt his
person thrust from the narrow shelf, and his cry
sounded amidst the tempest, like the screechings
of the spirit of the storm.
" Another such call, and I cut your tow-line,
villain," said the determined seaman, "when no..
thing short of eternity will bring you up."
The sounds of footsteps and voices were now
distinctly audible, and presently a party of armed
men appeared on the edges of the rocks, directly
above them.
" It was ahuman voice," said one of them, " and
like a man in distress."
" It cannot be the men we are sent in search of,"
returned Sergeant Drill; " for no,watchword that
I ever heard sounded like that cry."
"They say, that such cries are often heard, in
storms, along this coast," said a voice, that was
uttered with less of military confidence than the
30




ï~~.350

THE PILOT.

two others;" and they are thought to come from
drowned seamen."
A feeble laugh arose among the listeners, and
one or two forced jokes were made, at the expense of their superstitious comrade; but the
scene did not fail to produce its effect on even
the most sturdy among the unbelievers in the
marvellous; for, after a few more similar remarks,
the whole party retired from the cliffs, at a pace
that might have been accelerated by the nature of
their discourse. The cockswain, who had stood,
all this time, firm as the rock which supported
him, bearing'up not only his own weight, but the
person of Dillon also, raised his head above the
brow of the precipice, as they withdrew to reconnoitre, and then drawing up the nearly insensible
captive, and placing him in safety on the bank, he
followed himself. Not a moment was wasted in
unnecessary explanations, but Dillon found himself
again urged forward, with the same velocity as
before. In a few minutes they gained the desired
ravine, down which Tom plunged, with a seaman's
nerve, dragging his prisoner after him, and direetly they stood where the waves rose to their feet, as
they flowed far and foaming across the sands.The cockswain stooped so low as to bring the
crests of the billows in a line with the horizon,
when he discovered the dark boat playing in the
outer edge of the surf.
"What hoa! Ariels there!" shouted Tom, in
a voice that the growing tempest carried to the
ears of the retreating soldiers, who quickened
their footsteps, as they listened to sounds which
their fears taught them to believe unnatural.
"Who hails?" cried the well-known voice of
Barnstable.
"Once your master, now your servant," an.




ï~~THE PILOT

351

swered the cockswain, with a watch-word of his
own invention.
" 'Tis he," returned the lieutenant; "veer
away, boys, veer away. You must wade into the
surf."'
Tom caught Dillon in his arms, and throwing
him, like a cork, across his shoulder, he dashed
into the streak of foam that was bearing the boat
on its crest, and before his companion had time
for remonstrance or entreaty, he found himself
once more by the side of Barnstable.
" Who have we here?" asked the lieutenant;
" this is not Griffith!"
". Haul out and weigh your grapnel," said the
excited cockswain; " and then, boys, if you love
the Ariel, pull while the life and the will is left in
you."
Barnstable knew his man, and not another
question was asked, until the boat was without the
breakers, now skimming the rounded summits of
the waves, or settling into the hollows of the seas,
but always cutting the waters asunder, as she
urged her course, with amazing velocity, towards
the haven where the schooner had been left at
anchor. Then, in a few, but bitter sentences,
the cockswain explained to his commander the
treachery of Dillon, and the danger of the schooner.
" The soldiers are slow at a night muster,"
Tom concluded,:" and from what I overheard,
the express will have to make a crooked course,
to double the head of the bay, so that but for
this north-easter, we might weather upon them
yet; but it's a matter that lies altogether in the
will of Providence.  Pull, my hearties, pull--
every thing depends on your oars to-night.".
Barnstable listened in deep silence to this unex.




ï~~352             THE PILOT.
pected narration, which sounded in the ears of
Dillon like his funeral knell. At length, the sup.
pressed voice of the lieutenant was heard, also, uttering"Wretch! if [ should cast you into the sea, as
food for the fishes, who could blame me? But it
my schooner goes to the bottom, she shall prove
you coffin!"




ï~~CHAPTER XXIII.

" Had I been any god of power, I would
Have sunk the sea within the earth, ere
It should the good ship so have swallowed."
Tempest.
TiE arms of Dillon were released from their
confinement by the cockswain, as a measure of
humane caution against accidents, when they entered the surf; and the captive now availed himself of the circumstance to bury his features in
the folds of his attire, when he brooded over the
events of the last few hours with that mixture of
malignant passion and pusillanimous dread of the
future, that formed the chief ingredients in his
character. From this state of apparent quietude, neither Barnstable nor Tom seemed disposed to rouse him by their remarks, for both were
too much engaged with their bwn gloomy forebodings, to indulge in any unnecessary words. An
occasional ejaculation from the former, as if to
propitiate the spirit of the storm, as he gazed on
the troubled appearance of the elements, or a
cheering cry from the latter, to animate his crew,
were alone heard amid the sullen roaring of the
waters, and the mournful whistling of the winds,
that swept heavily across the broad waste of the
German Ocean. There might have been an hour
consumed thus, in a vigorous struggle netween
the seamen and the growing billows, when the boat
doubled the northern headland of the desired
30 *             23




ï~~354

THE PILOT.

haven, and shot, at once, from its boisterous passage along the margin of the breakers, into the
placid waters of the sequestered bay. The pasc
ing blasts were still heard rushing above the high
lands that surrounded, and, in fact, formed the
estuary, but the profound stillness of deep night
pervaded the secret recesses, along the unruffled
surface of its waters. The shadows of the hills
seemed to have accumulated, like a mass of
gloom, in the centre of the basin, and though
every eye involuntarily turned to search, it was
in vain that the anxious seamen endeavoured to
discover their little vessel through its density.
While the boat glided into this quiet scene, Barnstable anxiously observed" Every thing is as still as death."
" God send it is not the stillness of death-!"
ejaculated the cockswain. " Here, here," he continued, speaking in a lower tone, as if fearful of
being overheard, "here she lies, sir, more topoQrt; look into the streak of clear sky above the
marsh, on the starboard hand of the wood, there
that long black line is her main-top-mast; l
know it by the rake; and there is her night-pennant fluttering about that bright star; ay, ay,
sir, there go our own stars aloft yet, dancing
among the stars in the heavens! God bless hert
God bless her! she rides as easy and as quiet as a
gull asleep!"
" I believe all in her sleep too," returned his
commander. " Ha! by heaven, we have arrived
in good time: the soldiers are moving!"
The quick eye of Barnstable had detected the
glimmeriig of passing lanterns, as they flitted
across the embrasures of the battery, and at the
next moment, the guarded but distinct sounds i
an active bustle, on the decks of the schooicr.




ï~~TI E PIt LO               355

355

were plainly audible. The lieutenant was rubbing
his hands together, with a sort of ecstasy, that
probably will not be understood by the great majority of our readers, while long Tom was actually
indulging in a paroxysm of his low  spiritless
laughte,, as these certain intimations of the safety
of the Aral, and of the vigilance of her crew, were
conveyed to their ears; when the whole hull and
taper spars of their floating home became unexpectedly visible, and the sky, the placid basin, and
the adjacent hills, were illuminated by a flash as
sudden and as vivid as the keenest lightning.
Both Barnstable and his cockswain seemed instinctively to strain their eyes towards the schooner, with an effort to surpass human vision; but
ere the rolling reverberations of the report of a
heavy piece of ordnance; from the heights, had
commenced, the dull, whistling rush of the shot
swept over their heads, like the moaning of a
hurricane, and was succeeded by the plash of the
waters, which. was followed, in a breath, by the
rattling of the mass of iron, as it bounded with violent fury from rock to rock, shivering and tearing
the fragments that lined the margin "of the bay.
"A bad aim with the first gun generally leaves
your enemy clean decks," said the cockswain, with
his deliberate sort of philosophy; " smoke makes
but dim spectacles; besides, the night always
grows darkest, as you call off the morning watch."
" That boy is a miracle for his years!" rejoined the delighted lieutenant. " See, Tom, the
younker has shifted his birth, in the dark, and the
Englishmen have fired by the day-range they
must have taken, for we left him in a direct line
between the battery and yon homnmoc! What
would. have become of us, if that heavy fellow




ï~~356

TH-   tEu1IOr.

had plunged upon our decks, and gone out below
the water-line!"
" We should have sunk into English mud, for
eternity, as sure as our metal and kentledge
would have taken us down," responded Tom;
" such a point-blanker would have torn off a
streak of our wvales, outboard, and not even left
the marines time to say a prayer!--tend bow
there!"
It is not to be supposed that the crew of:he
whale-boat continued idle, during this interchange
of opinions between the lieutenant and his cockswain; on tlthe contrary, the sight of their vessel
acted on them like a charm, and, believing that
all necessity for caution was now over, they had
expended their utmost 'strength in efforts, that had
already brought them, as'the last words of Tom
indicated, to the side of the Ariel. Though every
nerve of Barnstable was thrilling with the excitement produced by his feelings passing from
a state of the most doubtful apprehension to
that of a revived and almost confident hope of
effecting his escape, hlie assumed the command of
his vessel' with all that stern but calm authority,
that seamen find it most necessary to exert in the
moments of 'extremest danger.   Any one of
the heavy shot that their enemies continued to
hurl from their heights into the darkness of the
haven, he weli knew must prove fatal to them,
as it would, unavoidably, pass through the slight
fabric of the Ariel, and open a passage to the water, that no means he possessed could remedy.His mandates, were, therefore, issued, with a full
perception of the critical nature of the emergen"
cy, but with that collectedness of manner, and:
intonation of voice, that were best adapted, to en



ï~~THE PILOT.

S57

force a ready and animated obedience.  Under
this impulse, the crew of the schooner soon got
their anchor freed from the bottom, and, seizing
their sweeps, they forced her, by their united efforts, directly in the face of the battery, under
that shore, whose sumimit was now crowned with
a canopy of smoke, that every discharge of the
oirdnance tinged with dim colours, like the faintest
tints that are reflected from the clouds toward a
setting sun. So long as the'seamen were enabled
to keep their little bark under the cover of the
hill, they were, of course, safe; but Barnstable
perceived, as they.emerged from its shadow, and
were drawing nigh the passage which led iTto
the ocean, that the action of his sweeps would
no longer avail them against the currents of air
they encountered, neither would the darkness
conceal their movements from his enemy, who
had already employed men on the shore to discern the position of the schooner. Throwing off
at once, therefore, all appearance of disguise, he
gave forth the word to spi cad the canvass of his
vessel, in his ordinary cheerful manner.
"Let them do their worst now, Merry," he
added; " we have brought them'to a distance that
I think will keep their iron above water, and we
have no dodge about us, younker!"
"It must be keener marksmen than the militia,
or volunteers, or fencible or whatever they call
themselves, behind yon grass-bank, to frighten
the saucy Ariel from the wind," returned the reckless boy; " but why have you brought Jonah
aboard us again, sir? Look at him by the light of
the: cabin lamp; he winks at every gun' as if he
expected the shot would hull his own ugly, yellow
physiognomy.  And what tidings, have we, sir.
from Mr Griffith, and the marine.?"




ï~~358

THE PILOT.

"Name him not," said Barnstable, pressing the
shoulder on which he lightly leaned, with a convulsive grasp), that caused the boy to yield with
pain" name himn not, Merry; I want miy tempei
and my faculties at this moment undisturbed, and
thinking of the wretch unfits me for my duty. But,
there will come a time! go forward, sir; we feel
the wind, and have a narrow passage to work
through."
The boy obeyed a mandate which was given
in the usual prompt manner of their profession,
and which, he well understood, was intended to
intimate, that the distance which years and rank
had created between theih, but which Barnstable
often chose to forget while communil.g with
Merry, was now to be resumed. The sails had
been loosened and set; and, as the vessel approached the throat of the passage, the gale, which was
blowing with increasing violence, began to make
a very sensible impression on the light bark. The
cockswain, who, in the absence of most of the inferior officers, had been acting, on the forecastle,
the part of one who felt, from his years and experience, that he had some right to advise, if not to
command, at such. a juncture, now walked to the
station which his commander had taken, near the
helmsman, as if willing to place himself in the way
of being seen.
" Well, Master Coffin," said Barnstable, who
well understood the propensity his old shipmate
had to commune with him, on all important occasions, " what think you of the cruise now.
Those gentlemen on the hill make a great noise,
but I have lost even the whistling of their shot;
one would think they could see our sails against
the broad band of light which is opening to seaward "




ï~~THE PILOT.

359

"Ay, ay, sir, they see us, and mean to hit us,
too, but we are running across their fire, and that
with a ten-knot breeze; but, when we heave in
stays, and get in a line with their guns, we shall
see, and it may be, feel, more of their work than
we do now; a thirty-two an't trained as easily as
a fowling-piece or a ducking gun."
Barnstable was struck with the truth of this observation, but as there existed an immediate necessity for placing the schooner in the very situation
to which the other alluded, he gave his orders at
once, and the vessel came about, and ran with her
head pointing towailds the sea, in as short a timlne as
we have taken to record it.
" There, they have us now, or never," cried the
lieutenant, when the evolution was completed. " If
we fetch to windward of the northern point, we
shall lay out into the offing, and in ten minutes we
might laugh at Queen Ahne's pocket-piece, which,
you know, old boy, sent a ball from Dover to Calais."
"Ay, sir, I've heard of the guin," returned the
grave seaman, "and a lively piece it must have
been, if the streights were always of the same
width they are now. But I see that, Captain
Barnstable, which is more dangerous than a
dozen of the heaviest cannon that were ever cast
can be at half a league's distance. The water
is buboling through our lee-scuppers, already,
sir.""
" And what of that? haven't I buried her guns
often, and yet kept every spar in her without
crack or spliriter?"
"Ay, ay, sir, you have done it, and can do it
again, where there is sea-room, which is all that a
man wants)for comfort in this life. But when we




ï~~360

THE PILOT.

are out.of these chops,,we shall be.embayed, with
a heavy north-easter setting dead into the bight
it is that which I,fear, Captain Barnstable, more
than all -the powder and ball,in the whole island."
'' And.yet, Tom, the balls are not to be despised,
either; those fellows have hound put their range,
and send their iron within hail, again: we walk
pretty fast, Mr. CofiJn,,but a thirtytwo can outtravel us, with the best wind that ever blew."
' Tom. threw a cursory glance towards the battery, which had renewed its tfire with a spirit that
denqted Ahey saw t1mir objeet, as he answered"It is.neer,worth a min's while to strive to
dodge a shot, for they are all c ommissionedto;do
their work, the:,same as a ship is commissioned Ito
cruise in -,ertiip ltitudes;;but;for the winds and
the weathe;, they are given.for a seafaring man
p -uard,,gainst, by making or shortening sail,
as.she case may be. N ow, the headland to the
outhward - stretches full three leagues to windward, and the shoals lie to the north; among which
God keep us from ever running this craft again!"
"We will beat her out of the bight, old fello.w,"
cried the lieutenant; " we shall have a leg of three
leagues in length to do it in."
":I have known longer legs too short," returned
the cockswain, shaking his head; "a tumbling
sea, with a lee-tide. pon a lee-shore, makes a sad
lee-way."
The lieutenant was in the act of replying to
this saying, with a cheerful laugh, when the
whistling of a passing shot was instantly succeeded by the crash of splintered wood, and at
the next moment the head of -the main-mast, after
tottering for an instant in the gale, fell toward
the deck, bringing with it the main-sail, and the




ï~~THE PILOT.

X61

long line of top-mast, that had aeen beating the
emblems of America, as the cockswain had expressed it, among the stars of the heavens.
"That' was a most unlucky hit!'" Barnstable
suffered to escape him, in the concern of -the momeat; - but, instantly resuming all his collect
edness of manner and voice, he gave his order
to clear the wreck, and secure the fluttering canvass.
The.mournful, forebodings of Tom seemed to
vanish with the appearance of a necessity for his
exertions, and he was foremost among the crew
in executing the +orders of their commander.
The loss of all the sail on the' main-mast forced
the Ariel so much from her course, as to render
it difficult to weather the point, that jutted, under
her lees for some distance into he ocean. This
desirable object was, however, effected, by the
skill of Barnstable, aided by the excellent properties of his vessel; and the schooner, borne
down by the power of the gale, from whose fury
she had now no protection, passed heavily along
the lan d, heading, as far as- possible, from the
breakers, while the seamen were engaged in
making their preparations to display as much of
their main-sail, as the stump of the mast woul
allow them to spread. The- firing from the battery.ceased, as the Ariel rounded the little promontory; but -Barnstable, whose gaze was now
bent intently on the ocean, soon perceived that, as
his cockswain had predicted, he had a-much more
threatening danger to encounter, in the elements.
When their damages were repaired, so far as
circumstances would permit, the cockswain returned to his wonted station near the lieutenant,
and after a momentary pause, during which his
31




ï~~362

THE PILOT.

eyes roved over the rigging, with a seaman's
scrutiny, he resumed the discourse.
"It would have been better for us that the best
man in the schooner should have been dubb'd of a
limb, by that shot, than that the Ariel should
have lost her best leg; a main-sail close-i eefed,
may be prudent canvass, as the wind blows, but it
holds a poor luff to keep a craft to windward."
"What would you have, Tom Coffin!" retorted his commander.  " You see she draws
ahead, and off-shore: do you expect a vessel to
fly in the very teeth of the gale, or would you
have me wehtr and beach her, at once?"
" 1 would have nothing, nothing, Captain
Barnstable," returned the old seaman, sensibly
touched at his commander's displeasure: "you
are as able as any man who ever trod a plank to
work her into an offing; but, sir, when that soldier-officer told me- of the scheme to sink the
Ariel at her anchor, there were such feelings
come athwart my philosophy as never crossed it
afore. I thought I saw her a wrack, as plainly,
ay, as plainly as you may see the stump of that:mast; and,.I will own it, for 'it's as natural to,love
the craft you sail in as it is to love one's self, I will
own that my manhood fetched a heavy lee-lurch at
the sight."
" Avay with ye, ye old sea-croaker! forward
with ye, and see that the head-sheets are trimmed
fla., But hold! come hither, Tom; if you have
sights of wrecks, and sharks, and other beautiful
objects, keep them stowed in your own silly brain;
don't make a ghost-parlour of my forecastle. The
lads oegin to look to leeward, now, oftener than I
would have them. Go, sirrah, go, and take example from Mr. Merry, who is seated on your




ï~~THE PILOT.

363

namesake there, arid is singing as if he were a
chorister in his father's church."
" Ah, Captain Barnstable, Mr. Merry is a boy,
and knows nothing, so fears nothing. But I shall
obey your orders, sir; and if the men 'fall astern,
this gale, it shan't be for any thing they'll hear
from old Torn Coffin."
The cockswain lingered a moment, notwithstanding his' promised obedience, and then ventured to request, that-.
"Captain Barnstable would please to call Mr.
Merry from the gun; for I know, from having
followed the seas pmy natural life, that singing
in a gale is sure to bring the wind down upon a
vessel the heavier; for He whorules the tempests
is displeased that. man's voice shall be heard;
when He chooses to send His own breath on the
water."
Barnstable was at a loss, whether to laugh at
his cockswain's infirmity, or to yield to the impression which his earnest and solemn manner
had a powerful tendency to produce, amnid such a
scene.  But, making an effort to shake off the
superstitious awe that he felt creeping around
his own heart, the lieutenant relieved the mind
of the worthy seaman so far as to call the careless boy from his perch, to his own side; where
respect for the sacied character of the quarterdeck instantly put an end to the lively air he had
been hutmnging.  Tom walked slowly forward,
apparently much relieved by the reflection that he
had effeeted.so important an object.
The Aiiel continued to struggle against the
winds and ocean for several hours longer, before
the day broke on the tempestuous scene, and the
anxious mariners were enabled to. form a more
accurate estimate of their real danger. As the




ï~~364

THE PILOT.

violence of the gale increased, the canvass of the
schooner had been gradually reduced, itil she
was unable to show more than was absolutely
necessary to prevent her driving helplessly on the
land. Barnstable watched the appearance of the
weather, as the light slowly opened upon them,
with an intense anxiety, which denoted that
the presentiments of the cockswain were no longer deemed idle. On looking to windward, he
beheld the green masses of water that were rolling in towards ' the land, with a violence that
seemed irresistible, crowned with ridges of foam;
and there were moments when the air appeared
filled with sparkling gems, as the rays of the
rising sun fell upon the spray that was swept
from wave to wave. 'Toward the land, the view
was still more appalling: 'The cliffs;, but a short
half-league under the lee of the schooner, were,
at times; nearly hid from the eye by the pyramids
of water, which the furious element, so sdddenly
restrained in its violence, cast high into the air,
as if seeking to overleap the boundaries that nature had affixed. to its dominion. The whole
coast, from the distant headland at the south,:to
the well-known shoals that stretched far beyond
their course) in the opposite direction, displayed
a' broad belt of foam, into which it would, have
been certain destruction, for the proudest ship
that swain, to have entered.  Still the Ariel
floated. (on the billows, lightly and in safety,
though yielding to the impulses of the waters
and, at times, appearing to be enguiphed in' the
yawning chasms, which,,apparently, opened be.
neath her to receive the little fabric. The low
rumour of acknowledged danger had found its
way through- the schooner   and the seamen, after
fastening their hopeless looks on the small spot of




ï~~THE PILOT.

365

canvass that they were still able to show to the
tempest, would turn to view the dreary line of
coast, that seemed -to offer so gloomy an alternative. Even Dillon, to whom the report, of their
danger had found its way, crept from his place of
concealment in the cabin, and moved about the
decks,; unheeded, devouring, with greedy ears,
such opinions as fell from the lips- of the sullen
mariners.
At this moment of appallinig apprehension,
the cockswain exhibited the calmest resignation.
He knew all had been done, that lay in the
power of man, to urge their little vessel from
the land, and it was now too evident to his
experienced eyes, that it had been done in vain;
but, considering himself as a sort of fixture in
the schooner, he was quite prepared to. abide her
fate, be it for better or for worse. The- settled
look of gloom that gathered around thie frank.
brow of iBarnstable, was in no degree connected
with any considerations of himself, but, proceed.
ed from that sort of parental responsibility, from
which the sea-commander is never- exempt. The
discipline of the crew, however, still continued
perfect and unyielding., There had, it is true,
been a slight movement made by one or two of
the older seamen, which indicated an intention
to drown the apprehensions of death in ebriety;
but Barnstable had called for his pistols, in a
tone that checked the procedure instantly, and,
although the fatal weapons were, untouched
by him, left to lie exposed on the capstan,
where - they had been placed by - his servant, not
another symptom of insubordination appeared
among the devoted crew. There was even, what
to a landsman might seem an appalling affectation
of attention to the most trifling duties of the ves31 "




ï~~366

THE PILOT.

sel; and the men, who, it should seem, ought to
be devoting the brief monrents of their existence
to the mighty btsiness of the hour, were constantly called to attend to the most trivial details
of their profession. Ropes were coiled, and the
slightest damages occasioned by the Waves, which,
at short intervals, swept across the low decks of
the Ariel, were repaired, with the same precision
and order, as if she yet lay embayed in the haven
from which she had just been driven. In this
manner the arm of authority was kept extended
over the silent crew, not with, the vain desire to
preserve a lingering though useless exercise of
power, but with a view to maintain that unity of
action, that now could alone afbford them even a
ray of hope.
" She can make no head against this sea, under that rag of canvass," said Barnstable, gloomily; addressing the cockswain, Who, with folded
arms, and an air of cool resignation, was balancinig his body on the verge of the quarter-deck,
while the schooner was plunging madly into
waves that nearly buried her in their bosom:
" the poor little thing trembles like a frightened
child, as she meets the water."
Tom sighed heavily, and shook his head, before
he answered" If we could have kept the head of the mainmast an hour longer, we might have got an offing,
and fetched to windward of the shoals; but as it
is, sir, mortal man can't drive a craft to windward-she sets bodily in to land, and will be in
the breakers in less than an hour, unless God wills
that the wind shall cease to blow."
"We have no hope left us, but to anchor; our
ground tackle may yet bring her up."
Tom turned to his commander, and replied, so



ï~~THE PILOT.

367

lemnly, and with that, assurance of manner, that
long experience only can give a man in moments
of great danger" If our sheet-cable was bent to our heaviest
anchor, this sea would bring it home, though nothing but her la ceh was riding by it. A northeaster in the German Ocean must and will blow
itself out; nor shall -we get the crown of t h gale
until the sun falls over the land. Then, indeed,
it may lull; for the winds do often seem to reverence the glory of the Heavens, too much to blow
their might in its very face!"
"We must do our duty to ourselves and the
country," returned Barnstable. "Go, get the two
bowers spliced, and have a kedge bent to a hawser: we'll back our two anchors together, and
veer to the better end of two hundred and forty
fathoms; it may yet bring her up. See all clear
there for anchoring, and cutting away the mast!
we'll leave the wind nothing but a naked hull to
whistle over."
"Ay, if there was nothing but the wind, we
might yet live to see the sun sink behind them
hills," said the cockswain; " but what hemp can
stand the strain of a craft that is buried, half the
time, to her foremast in the water?"
The order was, however, executed by the crew,
with a sort of desperate submission to the will of
their commander; and when the preparations
were completed, the anchors and kedge were
dropped to the bottom, and the instant that the
Ariel tended to the wind, the axe was applied to
the little that was left of her long, raking masts.
The crash of the falling spars, as they came,
in succession, across the decks of the vessel,
appeared to produce iio sensation amid that
scene of comulicated danger, but the seamen




ï~~36'8

THE PILOT.

proceeded in silence to. their hopeless duty of
elearing the wrecks. Every eye followed the
floating timbers, as the waves swept them away
from the vessel, with a sort of feverish curiosity,
to witness the effect produced by their collision
with those.rocks.. that lay so fearfully near them;
but long before the spars entered the wide border
of -foam, they were hid from view by the furious
element in which they floated. It was, now, felt
by the whole crew of the Ariel, that their last
means of safety had been adopted, and, at each
desperate and headlong plunge the vessel took,
into the aboÂ~om of the seas:-that rolled upon her
forecastle, the anxious seamen thought they could
perceive the yielding of the iron that yet clung
to the bottom, or could hear the violent surge of
the parting strands of the cable, that still held
them to:their anchors. While. the minds of the
sailors were agitated with the faint hopes that
nad been excited by: the movements of their
schooner, Dillon had been permitted to wander
about the vessel unnoticed: his rolling eyes, hard
breathing, and clenched hands, excited no observation among the men, whose thoughts were yet
dwelling on the means of safety. But now, when
with a sort of frenzied desperation, he would follow the retiring waters along the decks, and venture his person nigh the group that had collected
around and on the gun of the cockswain, glances
of fierce or of sullen vengeance were cast at him,
that conveyed threats of a nature that he was too
much agitated to understand.
"If ye are tired of' this world, though your
time, like my own, is probably but short in it,"
said Tom to him, as he passed the cockswain in
one of his turns, " you can go forward among
the men; but if ye have need of the moments to




ï~~THE PILOT.

369

foot up the reck'ning of your doings among men,
afore ye're brought to face your Maker, and
hear the log-book of Heaven, I would;advise you
to keep as nigh as possible to Captain Barnstable
or myself."
" Will you promise to-save; me 'if the vessel is
wrecked?" exclaimed Dillon, catching at the first
sounds of friendly interest that had reached his
ears, since he had been recaptured; "0! if you
will, I can secure you future ease; yes, wealth,
for the remainder of your days!"
" Your promises have been too ill kept afore this,
for the peace. of your soul," returned the cock
swain, without bitterness, though sternly; " but
it is not in me to strike even a whale that is already
spouting blood."
The intercessions of Dillon were interrupted
by a dreadful cry, that arose among the men forward, and which sounded with increased horror,
amid the roarings of the tempest. The schooner
rose orr the breast of a wave at the same instant,
and, falling off with her broadside to the sea; she
drove in towards the cliffs, like a bubble on the
rapids of a cataract..  Our ground tackle has parted," said Tom,
with his resigned patience of manner undisturbed,
" she shall die as easy as man can make her!"--
While he yet spoke, he seized the tiller, and gave
to the vessel such..a direction as would be most
likely to cause her to strike the rocks with her
bows foremost.
There was, for one moment, an expression of
exquisite anguish betrayed in the dark countenance of Barnstable; but, at the next, it passed'
away, and he spoke cheerfully to his men--
"Be steady, my lads, be calm; there is yet a
hope of life for you  our light draught will let us
24




ï~~370

THE PILOT.

run in close to the cliffs, and it is still falling water
-see your boats clear, and be steady."
The crely of the whale-boat,, aroused by this
speech from a sort of stupor, sprang into their
hlight vessel, which was quickly lowered into the
sea, and kept riding on the foam, free from the
sides of the schooner, by the powerful exertions of
the men. The cry for the cockswain was earnest
and repeated, but Tom shook his head, without
replying, still grasping the tiller, and keeping
his eyes steadily bent on the chaos of waters, into
which they were driving. The launch, the largest boat of the two; was cut loose from the
"gripes," and the bustle and exertion of the
moment rendered the crew insensible to the horror of the scene that surrounded them. But the
loud, hoarse call of the cockswain, to "look
out-secure yourselves!" suspended even their
efforts, and at that instant the A riel settled on a
wave, that melted from under her, heavily on the
rocks. The sh',ck was so violent, as to throw all
who disregarded the warning cry from their feet,
and the universal quiver that pervaded the
vessel was like the last shudder of animated nature. For a time long epough to breathe, the
least experienced among the men supposed the
danger to be past; but a wave of great height
followed the one that had deserted them, and
raising the vessel again, threw  her roughly
still further on the bed of rocks, and at the
same time its crest broke over her quarter, sweepming the length of her decks, with a fury that
was almost resistless.  The shuddering seamen
beheld their loosened boat driven from their
grasp, and dashed against the base of the cliffs,
where no fragment of her wreck could be traced,
at the receding of the waters. But the passing




ï~~TH PILOT..3?

billow had thrown the vessel into a position which,
in some measure, protected her decks from the
violence of those that succeeded it.
SGo, my boys, go,'' said Barnstable, as the
minoment of dreadful uncertainty passed'; " you
have still the whale boat, and she, at least, will
take you nigh the shore. Go into her, my boys.
God bless you. God bless you.all! you have
been faithful and honest fellows, and I believe
he will not yet desert you; go, my friends, while
there is a lull."
The seamen thrjew. themselves, in a mass, into
the light vessel, which nearly sunk under the
unusual burthen; but when they looked around
them, Barnstable and Merry, ' Dillon arid the
cockswain, were yet to be seen on the decks of
theAriel. The former was pacing, in deep, and
perhaps bitter melancholy,. the wet 'planiks of the
schooner, while the boy hung,' unheeded, 'on his
arm, uttering disregarded  petitions to.his commander, to desert the wreck. Dillon approached
the side where the boat lay, again and again, but
the threatening countenances of the seamen as
often drove him back in despair. Tom had seated
himself on.the heel', of the bowsprit, where he
continued, in an 'attitude of quiet resignation,
returning no other answers' to the loud and repeated calls of his shipmates, than by waving his
hand toward the shore.
" Now. hear me," said the. boy, urging his request, to tears; " if not for my sake, or for your
own sake, Mr. Barnstable, or for the hopes of
God's mercy, go into the boat, for the love of my
cousin Katherine."'
The young lieutenant paused in 'his troubled
walk, and for a moment he cast a glance of hesitation at the cliffs; but, at the next instant, his




ï~~372

THE PILOT.

eyes fell on the ruin of his vessel, and he answered--
"Never, boy, never; if my hour has come, I
will not shrink:from my fate."'
" Listen to the men, dear sir; the boat vill be
swamped alongside the wreck, and their cry is,
that without you they will not let her go."
Barnstable motioned to the boat, to bid the boy
enter it, and turned away in silence.
" Well," said Merry, with firmness, " if it be
right that a lieutenant shall stay by. the wreck, it
must also be right for_ a midshipman; shove off,
nPither Mr. Barnstable nor myself will. quit the
vessel."
" Boy, your life has been intrusted to my keeping, and at my hands will it be required," said
his commander, lifting the struggling youth, and
tossing him into the arms of the seamen. " Away
with ye, and God be with you; there is more
weight in you, now, than can go safe to land."
Still the seamen hesitated, for they perceived
the cockswain, moving, with a steady tread, along
the deck, and they hoped he had relented, and
would yet persuade the lieutenant to join his
crew.   But Tom, imitating the example of his
commander, seized the latter, suddenly, in his
powerful grasp, and threw him over the bulwarks,
with an irresistible force. At the same moment,
he cast the fast of the boat from the pin that held
it, and, lifting his broad hards high into the air,
his voice was heard in the tempest.
"CGod's will be done with me," he cried. "I
saw the first timber of the Ariel laid, and shall
live just long enough to see it turn out of her
bottom; after which I wish to live no longer."
But his shipmates were swept far beyond the
sounds of his voice, before half these words were




ï~~THE PILOT.

37;3

uttezed.  All command of the boat was rendered impossible, by the numbers it contained, as
well as the raging of the surf; and, as it rose on
the white crest of a wave, Tom saw his beloved
little craft for,the last time. It fell into a trough
of the sea, and in a few moments more its fragments were ground into splinters on the adjacent
rocks. The cockswain still remained where he
had cast off the rope, and beheld the numerous
heads and arms that appeared, rising, at short intervals, on the waves; some making powerful and
well-directed efforts to gain the sands, that were
becoming visible as the tide fell, and others
wildly tossed, in the frantic movements of helpless
despair. The honest old seaman gave a cry of
joy, as he saw Barnstable issue from the surf,
bearing.the form of Merry in safety to the sands,
where, one by one., several seamen soon appeared
also, dripping and exhausted.  Many others of
the crew were carried, in a similar manner, to
places of safety; though, as Tom returned to his
seat on the bowsprit, he could not conceal, from
his reluctant eyes, the lifeless forms that were,
in other spots, driven against the rocks with a
fury that soon left them but few of the outward
vestiges of humanity.
Dillon and the cockswain were now the sole
occupants of their dreadful station.  The former stood, in a kind, of stupid despair, a witness
of the scene we have related;, but as his curdled blood began again to flow more warmly
through: his heart, he crept close to the side bf
Tom, with that sort of selfish feeling that makes
even hopeless misery more tolerable wher.n endured in participation with another.
".When.. the tide falls," he said in a voice that
32




ï~~374

THE PILOTI

betrayed the agony of fear, though his words ex.
pressed the renewal of hope, "we shall be able to
walk to land."
"There was One, and only One, to whose
feet the waters were the same as a dry deck,"
returned the cockswain; "and none but such
as have his power will ever be able to walk
from these rocks to the sands."  The old seaman paused, and turning his eyes, which exhibited a mingled expression of disgust and compassion, on his companion, he added, with reverence-" Had you thought more of him in fair
weather, your case would be less to be pitied in
this tempest."
"Do you still think there is much danger?"
asked Dillon.
" To them that have reason to fear death.
Listen! do you hear that hollow noise beneath
ye?"
"'Tis the wind, driving by the vessel!"
"'Tis the poor thing herself,"' said the affected
cockswain, "giving her last groans, The water
is breaking up her decks, and in a few minutes
more, the handsomest model that ever cut a
wave, will be like the chips that fell from her timbers in framing!"
"Why, then, did you remain here!" cried Dillon, wildly.
" To die in my ceoffin, if. it should be the will
of God," returned Tomi. " These waves, to me,
are what the land is to you;. was born on them,
and I have always meant that they should be my
grave."
But 1-I' shrieked Dillon, "I amin not ready
to die!-I cannot die! -I will not die!"
" Poor wretch!" multered his companion;




ï~~THE PILOT.

"you must go, like the rest of us; when the
death-watch is called, none can skulk from the
muster."
' I can swim," Dillon continued, rushing, with
frantic eagerness, to the side of the wreck. ' Is
there no billet of wood, no rope, that I can take
with me?"
"None; every thing has been cut away, or
carried off by the sea. If ye are about to strive
for your life, take with ye a stout heart and a
clean conscience, and trust the rest to God!"
" God!" echoed Dillon in the madness' of his
frenzy; " I know tio God! there is no God that
knows me!'
"Peace!" said the deep tones of the cockswain, in. a voice that seemed to speak in the elements; " blasphemer, peace!"
The heavy groaning, produced by the water
in the timbers of the Ariel, at that moment added
its impulse to the raging feelings of Dillon, and he
cast himself headlong into the sea.
The water, thrown by the rolling of the surf
on the beach, was r.ecessarily returned to the
ocean, in eddies, in different places favourable to
such an action of the element. Into the edge of
one of these counter-currents, that was produced
by the very rocks on which the schooner lay, and
which the watermen call the "' under-tow," Dillon had, unknowingly, thrown his person, arid
when. the waves had driven him a short distance
from: the wreck, he was met by. a stream that his
most desperate efforts could not overcome. He
was a light and powerful swimmer, and the struggle was hard and protracted.  With the shore
immediately before his eyes, and at no great distance, he was led, as by a false phantom, to continue his efforts, although they did not advance




ï~~376

T-119 PILOT

hint a foot. The old seaman, who, at first; hate
watched his motions with careless indiffeerwe,
understood the danger of his situation at a
glance, and, forgetful of his own fate, hle sho tted aloudid, in a voice that was driven oVer the
struggling victim to the ears of his shipmates" ob
the sands" Sheer to-port, and clear the under-tow! sheet
to the southward!"
Dillon heard the sounds, but his faciulties
were too much obscured by terror, to distinguish their object; he, however, blindly yielded
to the call, and gradually changed his direction, until his face was once more turned towards
the vessel. The current swept him diagonally by
the rocks, and he was forced into an eddy, where
he had nothing to contend against but the waves,
whose violence was much broken by the wreck.
In this state, he continued still to struggle, but
with a force that was too much weakened, to
overcome the resistance he met.  Tom looked
around him fora rope, but all had gone over with
the spars, or been swept away by the waves. At
this, moment of disappointment, his eyes met
those of the desperate Dillon. Calm, and inured
to horrors, as was the veteran seaman he involuntarily passed his hand before his brow,: to
exclude the look of despair he encountered; and
when, a momtent afterwards, he removed the rigid
member, he behb.eld the sinking form of the victim,
as it gradually settled in the ocean, still struggling,
with regular but iinpotent strokes of the arms and
feet, to gain the wreck, and to preserve an existence that had been so much abused in its hour
of allotted probation.
"He will soon know his God, and learn that his
God knows him?" murmured the cockswain to




ï~~r HE PILOT              377
himself. As he yet spoke, the wreck of the Ariel
yielded to an overwhelming sea, and, after a universal shudder, her timbers and planks gave way,
and were swept towards the.. chiffs, bearing the
body of the sunple-hearted cockswain among the
ruins.
3*,




ï~~CHAPTER XXIV.

" Let us think of them that sleep
Full many a fathom deep,
By the wild and stormy steep,
Elsinore I"
Campbell.
LONG and dreary did the hours appear to
Barnstable, before the falling tide had so far receded, as to leave the sands entirely exposed to
his search for the bodies of his lost shipmates.
Several had been rescued from the wild fury of
the waves themselves, and one by one, as the melancholy conviction that life had ceased was forced
on the survivors, they had been decently interred irgraves dug on the very margin of that element b'n which they had passed their lives. But
still the form lofigest known and most beloved was
missing, and the lieutenant paced the broad space
that was now left between the foot of the cliffs and
the raging ocean, with hurried strides and a feverish eye, watching and following those fragments
of the wreck that the sea still continued to cast on
the beach. Living and dead, he now found, that
of those who had lately been in the Ariel, only
two were missing. Of the former he could muster but twelve, besides Merry and himself, and his
men had already interred more than half that number of the latter, which, together, embi aced all




ï~~THl     M'!,OTi.

379.

who had trusted their lives to the frail keeping of
the whale-boat.
" Tell me not, boy, of the impossibility of his
being safe;" said Barnstable, in deep agitation,
which he in vain struggled to conceal from the
anxious youth, who thought it unnecessary to follow the uneasy motions of his commander, as he
strode along the sands. " How often have men
been found floating on pieces of wreck, days after
the loss of their vessel? and you can see, with
your own eyes, that the falling water has swept
the planks this distance; ay, a good half league
from where she struck. Does the look-out, froni
the top of the cliffs, make no signal of seeing him
yet?"
" None, sir, none; we shall never see him
again. The men say, that he always thought it
sinful to desert a wreck, and' that he did not even
strike-out once for his life, though he has been
known to swim an hour, when a whale has stove
his boat. God knows, sir," added the boy, hastily
dashing a tear from his eye, by a stolen movement
of his hand, " I loved Tom Coffin better than any
foremast-man in either vessel. 'You seldom came
aboard the frigate but we had him in the steerage
among us reefers, to hear his long-yarns, and share
our cheer. We all loved him, Mr. Barnstable, but
love cannot bring the dead to life again."
"I know it, I know it," said Barnstable, with
a husliness in his voice, that betrayed the depth
of his emotion. "I am not so foolish as to believe in impossibilities; but while there is a hope
of his living, I will never abandon poor Tom
Coffin to such a dreadful fate. Think, boy, he
may, at this moment, be looking at us, and praying to his Maker that he would turn our eyes upon
him; ay, praying to his God, for Tom often pray,




ï~~380.

THE PI'LOT.

ed, though he did it in his watch, standing, and in
silence."
SIf he: had clueng to lite so strongly," returned
the midshipman, '" he would have struggled harder
to preserve it."
Barnstable stopped short in his hurried walk,
and fastened a look of opening conviction on his
companion'; but, as he was about to speak in, reply, the. shouts of the seamen reached his ears, and,
turning, they saw the whole party running along
the beach, and motioning,' with violent gestures, to
an intermediate point in the ocean. The lieutenant
and Merry harried back, and, as they approached
the men, they distinctly observed a human figure,
borne along by the waves, at moments, seeming
to rise above them, and already floating in the last
of the breakers. They had hardly ascertained, so
muchl, when a heavy swell carried the inanimate
body far upon the sands, where it was left by the
retiring waters.
" 'Tis my cockswain!" cried, Barnstable, rush.ing to the spot. He stopped  suddenly, however,
as he came within; view of the features, and, it was
some. little time before he appeared& to have collected his faculties sufficiently to add, iin tones. of
deep horror- " what wretch, is-this, boy! his form
is unmutilated; and yet observe the eyes! they
seem as,if the sockets would) not contain, them, and
they gaze as wildly as if their owner yet had life
---the liands are open ands spread, as though they
would" still buffet the waves-?"
"The Jonalih.! the Jonah!'I shouted the seamen,
with savage exultation, as, they successively approahed the corpse; "" away =with his carrion
into the sea' again1! give him to the sharks.!' let
Ihim tell lis lies in the claws'of;the lobster.!
'  rBnstable had' turned away from the revolting




ï~~THE PILOt.

381

sight in disgust; but when he diseoiered these
indications of impotent revenge, in the remnant
of:his 'crew:, he said, in that voice-, which all respected- and still obeyed--
" Stand back! back with ye, fellowsm! would
you:disgrace your manhood and seamanslip, by
wreaking your vengeance, on him   whom   God
has already in judgment!"  A silent, but significant gesture,towards the earth, succeeded his
words, and he walked slowly away.
"c Bury him in the sands, b'oys3T,' said Merry,
when his commander was at somie (little distance;
"the next tide will unearth himn."
The seamen obeyed his orders, while the midshipman rejoined his commander, who continued
to,pace along the beach, occasionally halting, to
throw  his uneasy glanees over the water, and
then hurrying onward, at a rate that caused his
youthfult companion,:to exert his greatest power
to maintain the post he had taken at his side.
Every effort to discover the lost cockswain was,
however, after two hours', more search, abandon
ed as fruitless; and with. reason for, the.sea was
never known to give up the body of the man who
tnight  be emphatically called its own dead.
" There, goes the' sin, already dropping behind
the cliffs," said the lieutenant,  throwing himself
on:a.roek; "and.the hour will, soon '.arrive to
set the dog-watches; but we have nothing left to
wateh over, boy; the surf and rocks' have fnot
even left us a whole plank, that we ray lay our
hea ds  on for the night."
":The men have gathered many artietes on
yon beach, sir," returned the lad;  they have
founad arms to defend earselves with, and food to
give us strength to use them."
" And who shall be our  nemy   asked Barn



ï~~382

T I J E  PIOT.

stable, bitterly;: " shall we shoulder our dozen
pikes, and carry England by boarding?",
" We may not lay the whole island under contribution," continued the bo-y, anxiously watching
the expression of his commander's eye; "' but
we may still keep ourseLves in work, until the
cutter returns from the frigate. I hope, sir,. you
do not think, our case so desperate, as to intend
yielding as prisoners."
' Prisoners!" exclaimed the lieutenant;,'  no,
no,: lad, it has not got to, that, yet! England has
been able to wreck my craft, I must concede, but
she has, as ret, obtained no other advantage
over us. She was a precious model, Merry! the
cleanest run, and the. neatest entrance, that art
ever united on the stem and stern of the same
vessel! Do you remember,the time, younker,
when I. gave the frigate my topsails, in beating
out of the Chesapeake? I could always do it, in
smooth water, with a whole-sail-breeze. But she
was a frail thing! a frail thing, boy, and could
bear but little."
S"A mortar ketch would have thumped to pieces
where she lay," returned= the midshipman.
" Ay, 'it was asking too much.of her, to expect
she could hold together on a bed of rocks. Merry,
I loved her; dearly did I love her; she was nmy
first command, and I knew and loved every timber
and bolt 'in her beautiful frame!"
SI believe it is as natural, sir, for a seaman to
love the wood and- iron in which. he has floated
over the depths of the ocean, for so many days
and nights," rejoined the boy, ' as it is for a
father to love 'the members. of his own family."
" Quite, quite, ay, more so," said Barnstable,
speaking as if he were choked by emotion.
MIerry'felt the heavy -grasp of the lieutenant on




ï~~TIJE PILOT.

3883

his slight arm, while -his commander continued,
in a voice that gradually icicreased'in power, as
his feelings predominated;. "and yet, boy, a humanu,being cannot love the creature of.his own
formation as he does the works of God. A man
can never regard his ship as he does his shipmates.- I sailed with him, boy, when every thing
seemed bright:, and happy, as.at your age; when,
as he often expressed it, I knew nothing and feared nothing. -I was then a truant from an old father and akind mother, and he did that for me,
which no: parents could have done in my situation-he was my father and mother on the deep!hours, days, even months, has he passed in teaching me the art -of our profession.; and now, in my
manhood, he has followed me, from ship to ship,
from sea to sea, and has only quitted me to die,
where I should have died-~-as if he felt the disgrace of abandoning the poor Ariel to her fate, by
herself'!"
" No7no-no- 'twas his superstitious pride!"
interrupted Merry; but perceiving that the head
of Barnstable had sunk between his hands, as, if
-he would conceal his emotion, the boy added no
more; but he sat respectfully watching the display
of -feeling that his officer, in, vain, endeavoured to
suppress. Merry felt his own form quiyer with
sympathy at the shuddering which passed through
Barnstable's frame; and the relief experienced by
the lieutenant himself was, note greater than that
which the midshipman felt, as the latter beheld
Jarge tears forcing their way through the other's
lingers, and fallingon the sands at his feet. They
werefollowed:by a. violent burst of emotion, such
as is seldom exhibited in the,meridian of life, but
iwvhichwhen it conquers the nature of one who has
buffeted tJ.echances of the world with the loftiness




ï~~384

T I J E PILOT.

of his sex and character, breaks down every bar
rier, and seems to sweep before it, like a rushing
torrent, all the factitious defences which habit and
education have created to protect the pride of man.
hood. Merry had often beheld the commanding
severity of the lieutenant's, manner,; in moments of
danger, with deep respect; 'he had been drawn toywards him by kindness and affection, in times
of gaiety and recklessness; but he now sate for
many minutes, profoundly silent;, regarding his officer with sensations that were nearly allied to awe.
The struggle with himself was long and severe
in the bosonm of Bar/nstable; but, 'at length; the
calm of' relieved passions, succeeded to his erotion. When he arose from the rockt, and removed his harids from his feattires, his eye 'was hard
and proud, his brow slightly contracted, and he
spoke in a voice so harsh, that it startled his compamnion"Cdme, sir; why are we here and idle!' are
not yon poor fellows looking up to us for advice
and orders how to proceed in this 'exigency?
Away, away, Mr. Merry; it is not a time to be
drawing figures in the sand with your dirk; the
flood-tide will soon be in, and we may be glad to
hide our heads in some cavern among these rocks
Let us be stirring, sir, while we have the suin, and
muster enough food and arms- to keep life in us,
and our enemies off us, until we can once more get
afloat."
The wondering boy; whose."experience had not
yet taught him to appreciate the reactioti of the
passions; started at this unexpected su'imons
to his duty, and 'followed B&rnstable towards the
group of Distant seamn.  ThWe ieutenant, who was
instantly conscious how' far pride - Had' rendeirehi m unjust, soon midlei~ated his ltg   strides aind




ï~~rHE P[LOT. 

38S5.ontinued in milder tones, which were quicldy converted into his usual frank communications, though
they still remained tinged with a melancholy, that
time only could entirely removeWe':have been unlucky, Mr. Merry, but we
need;,not despair-these lads have gotten together
abundance of supplies, I see; and, with our arms
we can easily make ourselves masters of some of
the;enemy's smaller craft, and find our way back
to,the frigate, when thisgale;has blown itself out.
We,  must kee.p ourselves close, though, or we shall
have the red-coats coming down..upon us, like so
many sharks arodnd a wreck., Ah! God..bless
her,.1erry! there is not such a sight to be seen on
the; whqle beach as two, of her planks 'holding together.",
The midshipman, without adverting 't this sudden allusion to their vessel, prudently pursued the
train of ideas, in which his commander had start.
ad.
" There is, an opening into: the country, but a
short distance south of us, where a brook empties
into the sea," he said. '" We might find a cover
in it,:orjn the wood above, into which it leads, until: we,can.. have a survey. of the.coast, br can seize
some.vessel t.o,carry us off."
' There would be a satisfaetion yin waiting till
the... morning watch, and then carrying that... accursed battery, which took off the better leg of
the ppor. Atriel!" said the lieutenant--" the thing
might be done, boy; and w.e could hQld the vyork.to,  until the Alacrity and. the frigate draw in to:land~"
"  If y ou prefer storming works t..boarding vesels, there is a fortress of stone,  r; Barnstable,.hi t $ dire  -tly 4on our beam.  g ogid.see it
25          33




ï~~386

THE PILOT.

through the haze, when I was on the cliffs, stationing the look-out--and -"
" And what, boy? speak without a fear; this is
a time for free consultation."
" Why, sir, the garrison might not all be hostile-we should liberate Mr. Griffith and the ma,
rine; besides--"
"B esides what, sir?"
"1 I should have an opportunity, perhaps, of seeing my cousin Cecilia, and my cousin. Katherine."
The countenance of Barnstable grew animated
as he listened, and he answered with something of
his usual cheerful manner"Ay, that, indeed, would be a work worth carrying! and the rescuing of our shipmates, and the
marines, would read like a thing of military discretion-ha! hoy! all the rest would be incidental,
younker; like the capture of the fleet, after you
have whipped the convoy."
"I do suppose, sir, that if the Abbey be taken;,
Colonel Howard will own himself a prisoner of
war."
"And Colonel Howard's wards! now there is
good sense in this scheme of thine, Master Merry,
and I will give it proper reflection, But here are
our poor fellows; speak cheeringly:to them, sir,
that We may hold them in temper for our,- enterprise."
Barnstable and the midshipman joined their
shipwrecked companions, with that air of authority which is seldom wanting between the superior
and the inferior, in nautical intercourse, but at
the same time, with a kindness of speech and
looks, that might have been a little increased by
their critical situation  After partaking of the
food which had been selected from aminong the




ï~~THE PI LOT.

fragments that still lay scattered, for more than
a mile, along the beach, the lieutenant ditected
the -seamen to' arm themselves with such weapons as offered, and, also, to make sufficient provision, from the schooner's stores, _o. last them for
four and-twenty hours longer. These orders were
soon executed; and the whole party, led by
Barnstable and Merry, proceeded.along the foot
of the cliffs, in quest of the opening in the rocks,
through which the little rivulet found a passage
to the' ocean. The weather 'contributed, as much
as the 'seclusion,of the spot, to. prevent -any discovery of the small party, which pursued its object with a disregard of caution that might,
under other.circumnstances, have:proved fatal
to its- safety.  Barnstable paused in his march
when they had all entered the deep ravine, and
ascended nearly to the brow of the precipice, that
formed one of its sides, to take a last and more
scrutinizing survey of the sea. His countenance
exhibited the abandonment of all hope, as 'his eye
moved., slowly from the northern to the southern
boundary of the horizon, and he:piepared to pursue his march, by;moving  reluctantly, up the
stream,: when the boy, who still; clang to his side,
exclaimed joyously
"Sail ho! It- must be the friigate in the offing!?.'A sail,!" repeated his commander; " whereaway do you see a sail in this tempest? Can there
be another as hardy and unbfortunate as ourselves!"
"Look to the starboard hand of the point ot
rock towindward!" cried 'the boy;" now you
lose it--ah! now the sun falls 'upon it! 'tis a sail,
sir, as sure as: canvass, can be spread in such a
gale!"




ï~~388

THE Pi [LOT

" I see what you 'mea'  " returned the: other
"but it seems a gull, skimming the sea! nay, nW
it rises, indeed, and shows itself like a bellying
topsail pass up that glass, lads; here is a fellow.
in the offing who may prove a friend."
Merry waited "the result"of'the lieutenant's ex
amination with youthful impatience, and did not
fail to ask, immniediately" Can you make it out; sir? is it the ship or the
cutter?"
" Come, there seeimeth yet some hope left for us,
boy," returned Barnstable, cldosirig the glass; "'tis a
ship lying.: under her main-topsail. If one might
but dare t -hwb-himself on these heights, hewvould
raise her   ull, and make 'surfe of her character!
But I think I know her spars, though even her topsail dips, at tirmes, when there 'is nothing to be seen
but her bare poles; and they shortened byher topgallant-masts."
" One would swear," said Merry, laughing, as
much through the excitement produced by this intelligence, as at his conceit, " that Captain Munson would never carry wood aloft, when he can't
carry canvass. 'I remember, one night, Mr.:Griftith wasa little vexed, and said, around the capstan, he believed the next order would be, to rig
in the bowsprit, and hduse l:wer-masts!"
" Ay, ay, Griffith is a lazy dog, and sometimes gets lost in the fogs 6f his own thoughts,"
said Barnstable  " and 1- 'suppose old Moderate
was in a breeze. However, this looks as if he
were in earnest; he must have kept the ship
away, ol" she would never have been where she is;
I do verily beiev 'the 'old gentleman iremembers
that he has ai fw of his officers and men m this
accursed island;: This is well, Merry, for slhould




ï~~'iiE Pil.  8r.

39

Wr take the Abbey, we have a place at hand in
which to put our prisoners."
"We must have patience till the mornihg)"
added the boy, "' for ro boat would attempt to
land in such a sea."
"' No boat cotuld land! The best boat that ever
floated, boy, has stiunk in these breakers! But the
wind lessens, and bdfore morniing the sea will fall
Let us on, and find a birth for our poor ladsj whete
they can be made more comfortable."
The two officers now descended from theiz
elevation, and led the way still further up the
deep and narrow dell, until, as the g:ound rose
gradually before them, they found  Aemselves
in:a dense wood, on a level with f  adjacent
country.
" Here should be a iruin at hahnd, if I have kept
a true reckoning, and know my eourses and distances," said Barnstable; " I have a chart about
me, that speaks of such a land-mark."
The lieutenant turned away from the laughing
expression of the boy's eye, as the latter archly
inquired" Was it made by one who knows the coast
well, sir? or was it done by some school-boy, tc
learn his maps, as the girls work samplers?"
"Come, younker, no sampler of your impudence. But look ahead; can you see any habitation that has been deserted?"
" Ay, sir, here is a pile of stones before us,
that looks as dirty and ragged, as if it was a
soldier's barrack; can this be what you seek?"
" Faith, this has been a whole town in its day!
we should call it a city in Amerip.a, and furnish
it with a Mayor, Aldermen, and Recorder-you
might stow old Faneuil-Hall in one of its rockers."
With this sort of careless' dialogue, which
33 *




ï~~:30 OHE PILOr.
Barnstable engaged in, that his men might dis
cover no alteration in his manner, they approached the mouldering walls that had proved so frail a
protection to the party under Griffith.
A short time was passed in examining the premises, when the wearied seamen took possession
of one of the dilapidated. apartmnents, and disposed themselves to seek that rest of which they had
been deprived by the momentous occurrences of
the past night.
Barnstable waited until the loud breathing of
the seamen assured him that they slept, when he
aroused the, drowsy boy, who was fast losing his
senses in the same sort of oblivion, and motioned
to him to, follow. Merry arose, and they;stoie
together from the apartment, with guarded steps,
and penetrated more deeply into the gloomlay ecesses of the place.




ï~~CHAPTER XXV..Xercury-" I permit thee to be Sosia again.
Dryden.
We must leave the two adventurers winding
their way among the br-oken piles, and venturing
boldly beneath the tottering arches of the ruin, to
accompany tne reader, at the same hour, within the
more comfortable walls of the Abbey; where, it
will be remembered, Borroughcchffe was left, in a
condition of very equivocal ease. As the earth
had, however, in the interval, nearly run its daily
round, circumstances had intervened to release
the soldier from his confinement-and no one,
ignorant of the fact, would suppose, that the gentleman who was now seated at the hospitable
board of Colonel Howard, directing with so
much discretion, the energies of his muasticators
to the delicacies of the feast, could read, in his
careless air and smiling visage, that those foragers of nature had been so.recently condemned,
for four long hours, to the mortification of discussing the barren subject of his own swordshilt.
Borroughcliffe, however, maintained not only his
usual post, but his well-earned reputation at tihe
table, with his ordinary coolness of demeainoui *
though, at times there were fleeting smiles, that
11 *




ï~~39.2

THE PILO'r.

crossed his military aspect, which sufficiently in.
dicated, that he considered the matter of his reflectioi to be of a particularly ludicrous character.
In the young man, who sat by his side, dressed
in the deep blue jacket of a seaman, with the fine,
white linen of his collar contrasting strongly
with the black silk handkerchief, that was tied,
with studied negligence, around his neck, and
whose easy air and manner contrasted still more
strongly with this attire, the reader will discover
Griffith. The captive paid much less devotion
to the viands than his neighbour, though he affected more attention to the business of the table
than he actually bestowed, with a sort of consciousness that it would relieve the blushing maiden who presided. The laughing eyes of Kataerine Plowden were glittering by the side of the
mild countenance of Alice Dunscombe, and, at
times, were fastened, in droll interest, on the rigid
and upright exterior that Captain Manual maintained, directly opposite to where she was seated.
A chair had, also, been placed for Dillon-of
course, it was vacant.
"s And so, Borroughcliffe," cried Colonel How,
ard, with a freedom of voice, and a vivacity in his
air, that announced the increasing harmony of the
repast, " the sea-dog left you nothing to chew but
the cud of your resentment!"
"That and my sword-hilt!" returned the immoveable recruiting officer. " Gentlemen, I know
not how your Congress rewards military achieve.
ments; but if that worthy fellow were in my comn.
pany, he should have a halberd within a week--
spurs I would not offer him, for he affects to spurn
their use."
Griffith smiled, and bowed in silence to the




ï~~CHAPTER XXV.

Mercury-" I permit thee to be Sosia again.
Dryden,
We must leave the two adventurers winding
thleir way among the broken piles, and venturing
boldly beneath the tottering arches of the ruin, to
accompany tne reader, at the same hour, within the
more comfortable walls of the Abbey; where, it
will be remembered, Borroughchffe was left, in a
condition of very equivocal ease. As the earth
had, however, in the interval, nearly run its daily
round, circumstances had intervened to release
the soldier firom his confinement-and no one,
ignorant of the fact, would suppose, that the gentieman who was now seated at the hospitable
board of Colonel Howard, directing with so
much discretion, the energies of his masticators
to the delicacies of the feast, could read, in his
careless air and smiling visage, that hose forag.rs of nature had been so.recently condemned,
for four long hours, to the mortification ot discussing the bar ren subject of his own sword-hilt.
Borrougheliffe, however, maintained not only his
usual post, but his well-earned reputation at the
table, with his ordinary coolness of demeanour
though, at tunimes there were fleeting smiles, that
11 *




ï~~294

THE PILOT

but, after following, the train of her own thoughts
min silent enjoyment for a moment longer, she seem
ed to yield to their drollery, and laughed, until her
dark eyes flashed with merriment. Cecilia did not
assume the severe gravity with which she some.
times endeavoured- to repress, what she thought,
the unseasonable mirth of her cousin, and the wondering Griffith fancied, as he glanced his eye from
one to the other, that he could discern a suppressed
smile playing among the composed features of Alice
Dunscombe. Katherine, however, soon succeeded
in repressing the paroxysm, and, with an air of infinitely comid gravity, she replied to the remark of
the soldier" I thinltk I have heard of such a process in nautical-,affairs as towing; but I must appeal to Mr.
Griffith, for the correctness of' the term'?"
"You could- dot speak with more accuracy," returned- the young sailor, with a look that sent the
conscious blood to the temples of the lady, "though
you had made marine termnis your study."
" The profession requires less,thought; perhaps,
than you imagine, sir; but is this towing often
done, as Captain Borroughcliffe- l beg his pardon
-as the Monks have it, sub silentio?"'
" Spare me, 'fair lady-," cried the captain, " and
we will establish a compact of mutual grace; you
to forgive my learning, and' I to suppress my suspicions."
"Suspicions, sir,' is a word that a lady must
defy."
"And defiance a challenge that a soldier can
never receive; so, I must submit to talk,English,
though the fathers of the church were my companions. I suspect that:Miss; Plowden has it in her
power to' explain the manner of Mr. Christopher
Dillon's departure."




ï~~TIIHE PILOT.

395

The lady did not reply, but a second burst of
merriment succeeded, of a liveliness and duration
quite equal to the former.
" How's this!" exclaimed the colonel; "permit me to say, Miss Plowden, your mirth is very
extraordinary I trust no disrespect has been offered to my kinsman? Mr. Griffith, our terms are,
that the exchange shall only be made on condition
that equally good treatment has been extended to
the parties!"
" If Mr. Dillon can complain of no greater evil
than that of being laughed at by r Miss Plowden, sir,
he has reason to call himself a happy fellow."
" I know not, sir; God forbid that I should for
get what is due to my guests, gentlemen-but ye
have entered my dwelling as foes to my prince."
"But not to Colonel Howard, sir."
" I know no difference, Mr. Griffith.  King
George or Colonel Howard-Colonel Howard or
King George. Our feelings, our fortunes, and
our fate, is as one; with the mighty odds that Providence has established between the prince and his
people! I wish no other fortune, than to share, at
an humble distance, the weal or wo of my sovereign!"
" You are not called upon, dear sir, to do either,
by the thoughtlessness of us ladies," said Cecilia,
rising; " but here comes one who should turn our
thoughts to a more important subject-our dress."
Politeness induced Colonel Howard, who both
loved and respected his niece, to defer his remarks to another time; and Katherine, springing
from her chair, with childish eagerness, flew to
the side of her cousin, who was directing a
servant that had announced the arrival of one
of those erratic venders of small articles, who
supply, in remote districts of the country, the pla,




ï~~396

TIHEl PiLF.,es of.more regular traders; to show the lad into
the dining-parlour. The repast was so far ended,
as to render this interruption,: less objectionable,
and as all felt the object of Getilia to be the testoration of harmony, the boy was ushered into
the room, without further delay. The contents
of his. small basket, consisting chiefly of essences, and the- smaller articles of:female economy,
were playfully displayed on the table,by Katherine,
who declared herself the patroness of the itinei
rant youth, and who laughingly appealed to the
liberality of the gentlemen in?behalf of. her protegee.
-" You_ perceive, my.dear guardian, that the boy
must be loyal; for he offers,- here, perfume, that is
patronised by no less than two royal dukes? do
suffer me to place a box..-aside, for. your especial
use? you consent; I see it in your eye, And,
Captain. Borrougheliffe,- as you appear to be forgetting the -use of your own language, here is even
a -.horn-bock. for you! How admirably provided
he. seems - to be.! You must have had St. Ruth in
view, when you laid in your stock, child?"
"Yes, my lady," the boy replied, with a bow
that was studiously awkward; " I have often heard
of the grand ladies that dwell in the:old, Abbey,
and-Ihavejourneyed a few miles beyond my rounds,
to gain their custom."
"And surely they cannot disappoint you. Miss
Howard, that is a,palpable hint to your purse; and
I know not that even Miss Alice can escape contribution, in these troublesotnie times. Comet aid
me, child; what have you to recommend,' in particular, to the favour of these ladies?"
The lad approached the basket, and rummaged,ts contents, for a momenti with the appearance
of aeep, mercenary interest; and then, without




ï~~THE PILOT.

397

lifting his hand from the confusion he had caused,
he said, while he exhibited something within the
basket to the view of his smiling observer" This, my lady."
Katherine started, and glanced her eye, with a
piercing look, at the countenance of the boy, and
then turned them, uneasily, from face to face,
with conscious timidity.  Cecilia had effected
her object, and had resumed her seat, in silent
abstraction-Alice was listening to the remarks
of Captain Manual and the host, as they discussed the propriety of certain military usagesGriffith seemed to hold communion with his
mistress, by imitating her silence; but Katherine,
in her stolen glances, met the keen look of Borroughcliffe, fastened on her face, in a manner that
did not fail instantly to suspend the scrutiny.
" Come, Cecilia," she cried, after a pause of
a moment, " we trespass too long on the patience
of the gentlemen; not only to keep possession of
our seats, ten minutes after the cloth has been
drawn! but even to introduce our essences, and
tapes, and needles, among the Madeira, and---shall
I add, segars, colonel?"
"Not while we are favoured with the company
of Miss Plowden,.certainly."
"Come, my coz; I perceive the colonel is
growing particularly polite, which is a neverfailing
sign that he tires of our presence."
Cecilia rose, and was leading the way to the
door, when Katherine turned to the lad, and
added" You can follow us to the drawing-room, child,
where we can make our purchases, withiout exposing the mystery of our toilets."
" Miss Plowden has forgotten my horn-book,
I believe," said Borroughcliffe, advancing from
34




ï~~THE PILOT.

the standing group who surrounded the table,
' possibly I can find some.work in the basket
of the boy, better fitted for the improvement of
a grown-up young gentleman than this elementary
treatise."
Cecilia, observing him to take the basket from
the lad, resumed her seats and her example was
necessarily followed by Katherine; though not
without some manifest indications of vexation.
" Come hither, boy, and explain the uses of
your wares. This is soap, and this a penknife, I
know; but what name do you affix to this?"
" That? that is tape,'' returned the lad, with
an impatience that might very naturally be attributed to the interruption that was thus given to his
trade.
" And this?"
" That??' repeated the stripling, pausing, with a
hesitation between sulkiness and doubt; "that?-"
" Come, this is a-little ungallant!" cried, Katherine; "to keep three ladies:dying with impa
tience to possess themselves.of their finery, while
you detain the boy, to ask the name of a tambouring-needle!"
"[I should apologize for asking questions that
are so easily answered; but perhaps he will find
the next more difficult to solve," returned Borroughcliffe, placing the subject of his inquiries
in the palm of his hand, in such a -manner as to
conceal it from all but the boy and himself. "This
has a name, too; what is it?"
" That?-that--is sometimes called-whiteline."
SPerhaps you mean a white lie?"
"How, sir!" exclaimed the lad, a little fiercely,
' alie!'




ï~~THE PILOT.

899

Only a. wh.ite one," returned the captain., What do you call this, Miss Dunscombe?"
"We call it bobbin, sir, generally, in the
north,'" said the placid Alice.
" Ay, bobbin, or white-line; they are the same
thing," added the young trader,.
". They are I thinyk, now, for a professional
man, you know but little of the terms of your
art," observed Borroughcliffe, with an affectation
of irony;" I never have seen, a youth of your
years who knew less. What names, now, would
you affix to this, and this, and this?"
While the captaih was speaking, he drew-from
his pockets the several instruments that the cockswain had made use of the preceding night to secure his prisoner.
"That," exclaimed the lad, with the eagerness
of one who would vindicate his reputation, ' is ratlin-stuff; and this is marline; and that is sennit."
",Enough, enough,?' said Borrougheliffe; " you
have exhibited sufficient knowledge, to convince
me that you do know something of your:.trade, and
nothing of these articles.  Mrs Griffith, dQ you
zlaim this boy?"
"I believe I must, siri'" said. the youpg. seaofficer who had been. intently listening to the
examination., On whatever errand you have
ventured here, Mr. Merry, it is useless to affect
tfurther concealment."
SMerry!' exclaimed.Cecilia Howard; "  is it
you, then, my cousin? are you, too, fallen into
the power of your eremies! was it not enough
that---"
The young lady recovered -her recollection, in
time to. suppress the remainder of the sentence,
though the grateful expression, of Griffith's eye




ï~~400

THE PILOT.

sufficiently indicated that he had, in his thoughts,
filled the sentence with expressions,abundantly
flattering to his own feelings.
How's this, again! cried the,.colonel; '"my
two wards embracing and fondling a vagrant,
vagabond pedler, before my eyes; 'is this treason,
Mr.: Giffith? or what means the extraordinary
visit,of this young gentleman
"Is it extraoidinary, sir'" -said Merry himself,
losing his 'assumed awkwardness, in the ease and
confidence of one whose faculties had been early
exercised, "that a boy, like myself, destitute -.of
mother and sisters, should take a like risk on him.
self, to visit the only two female relatives he has in
the world?"
"Why this disguise, then? surely, young gentleman, it was unnecessary to enter the dwelling
of old George Howard, on such an errand, clandestinely, even though your tender years have
been piraetised on,  to lead you astray from your
allegiance,  Mr. Griffith and Captain Manual
must 'pardon me, if I express sentiments, at my
own table, that they mayfind unpleasant; but this
business requires us to be explicit."
"The hospitality of Colonel Howard is unquestionable," returned the boy; "but he has a
great reputation for his loyalty to the crown."
"c Ay, young gentleman.; and, I trust, with
some justice."
S"Would it, then, be safe, to intrust my person
in. the hands of one who might think it his duty to
detain me..," This is plausible enough, Captain Borrougheliffe, and I doubt not the boy speaks with candour.  I would, now, that my kinsman, 'Mr..
Chr-istopher Dillon, were here, that I might.learD



ï~~THE PILOT

401]

if it would! be misprision of treason, to permit
this youth to depart, unmolested, and without exk
change'?"
" Inquire' of the young gentleman --after the
Caeique,,' returned the recruiting oficer, who,
apparently satisfied in producing the exposure of
Merty  had resumed his seat at the table  " per.
haps he 'is, in verity, an ambassador,: empowered
to treat on behalf of his highness."
"How say you," demanded the colonel; "do
you know any thing 6f my kinsman?"
The anxious eyes of" the whole party were fastened on the boy, for many moments, witnessing
the sudden change from careless freedom to deep
horror, expressed in his countenance. At length
he uttered, in an under tone, the secret of Dillon's
fate.
"lHe is dead."
"Dead!" repeated every voice in the room.:
" Yes; dead," said the boy, gazing at the pallid
tices of those who surrounded him...
A long and fearful silence succeeded the announcement of this intelligence, which was, only
interrupted by Griffith, who, said" Explain the manner+ of his..death, sir, and
where his body lies."'
"His body lies ir terred in the sands," returned
Merry, with a deliberation that proceeded from an
opening perception, that if he uttered too much,
henight betray the loss, of the Ariel, and,. conseqently,; endanger the liberty of Barnstable.
"In the sands!" wasechoed from,every part of
the ronom.
SAy, 'in the. sands; but how, he died,,I cannot
explhin';
"He has been murdered!" exclaimed CGolonel
-. Uwaird - whose.ommand: of utterance. wasi Fow
26           34*




ï~~402

THE.. PILOT.

amply restored to Ihim; "he -has been treacherous,
ly, and dastardly, and basely- murdered,!"
" He has not been murdered," said the boy,
firmly; ' nor did he, meet - his death among those
who deserve the name either of- traitors or of dastards."
" Said you not that he was dead? that my
kinsman was buried in the sands of the seashore?"
" Both are true, sir---
" And you refuse to explain how he met his
death, and why he-has been thus ignominiously interred?"
"lie received his interment by my orders, sir;
and if there be ignominyabout his grave, his own
acts have heaped it on himn. As to the manner of
his death, I cannot, and will not speak."
" Be calm, my cousin," said Cecilia, in an imploring voice; " respect the age -of my uncle, and
remember his strong attachment to Mr. Dillonm"
The veteran had, however, so far mastered his
feelings, as- to continue the dialogue withl more recollection.
"Mr. Griffith,'? he said, "1 shall not act hastily--you and your compaion will be pleased to
retire to your several apartments. I will, so far respect the  son of my brother Harry's friend as to
believe your parole, Will be sacred. Go-, gentlemen;.: you are unguarded.".
The.two prisoners- bowed- low: to the ladies and
their host,-and retired: Griffith however, lingered a moment on the threshold, to say" Colonel Howard, I leave the boy to your kindness and consideration. I know you will not for
get that his blood mingles with that of one who is
most dear-to you."
' Enough, enough, sir," said the veteran, waving




ï~~THE PILOT.

his hand to him to retire: "and you, ladies; this
is not a place for you, either."
"Never will I quit this child," said Katherine,
" while such a horrid imputation lies on him.
Colonel Howard, act your pleasure on us both, for
I suppose you have the power; but his fate shall
beAmy fate."
"There is, I trust, some misconception in.this
melancholy affair," said Borroughcliffe, advancing into the centre of the agitated group; " and
I should hope, by calmness and moderation, all
may yet be explained-young gentleman,: you
have borne arms, and must know, notwithstanding
your youth, what it is to be in the power of your
enemies?"
"Nev'er!". returned the proud boy; " I am a
captive for the first time.'.'
" I speak, sir, in reference to our power."
"You may..order me to a dungeon;: or, as I
have entered the Abbey in disguise, possibly to a
gibbet."
".And is that a fate to be met so calmly by one
so young!"
" You dare not do it, Captain. Borroughcliffe,"
cried:Katherine, involuntarily throwing an, arm
around the boy, as if to shield him from harm;
"you would blsh to think of such a cold-blooded
act of vengeance;, Colonel Howard."
"If we could examine the young man, where
the warmth of feeling,:which these. ladies exhibit.
might not be excited '' said: the -captain, apart to
his host " we should gain important intelligence."
"Miss Howard, and you, Miss Plowden," said
the. veteran, in a manner that long-habit had taught
his wards to respect, " your young, kinsman is riot
in the keeping of savages, and you can safely confide him to my custody. I am sorry that we have




ï~~404

THE PILOT.

so long kept Miss Alice standing, but she will find
relief on the couches of your drawing-room, Cecdia."
Cecilia!and; Katherine permitted themselves to
De conducted to the door, by,their polite, but determined guardian, where he bowed to their retiring persons, with the exceeding courtesy that he
never failed to use,- when in the least excited.
"You appear to know your danger, Mr. Merry,"
said Borrougheliffe, after the door was closed;
"I trust you also know what duty would dictate
to,one in my situation."
" Do it, sir," returned the boy;' "you have a
king to render an account to, and I have a country."'
" I may have a country, also,'' said Borroughcliffe, with a calmness that was not in the least
disturbed by the taunting air with, which the
youth delivered himself." I t is possible for me,
however, to be lenient, even merciful, when the
interests of that prince, to whom you allude, are
served-you came not on this enterprise alone,
sir?"
"Had I come better attended, Captain Borrougheliffe might have heard these questions, instead of putting them.?"
"I. an happy, sir, that your. retinue has been so
small: and yet, even the rebelschooner called the
Ariel might have furnished ybu with a more becoming attendance. I eannot hut think, that you
are not far distant from your -friends."
"He is near his enemies, -your honour,' said
Sergeant Brill, who had -n tered the room, unobserved; "for here is.a boy. wha says he has been
seized in the: old ruin, and robbed of- his goods and
clothes; and, by his description, this had should
be the thief."




ï~~THIC i'iLOr.             4O

405

Borroughcliffe signed to the boy, who stood in
the back ground, to advance, and he was instantly
obeyed, with all that eagerness which a sense of
injury on the part of the sufferer could excite.
The tale of this unexpected intruder was soon told,
and was briefly this:
He had been assaulted by a man and a boy,
(the latter was in presence,) while arranging his
effects, in the ruin, preparatory to exhibiting them
to the ladies of the Abbey, and had been robbed
of such part of his attire as the boy had found
necessary for his disguise, together with his basket of valuables.  He had been put into an
apartment of an old tower, by the man, for safe
keeping; but as the latter frequently ascended to
its turret, to survey the country, he had availed
himself of this remissness, to escape: and, to concelude, he demanded a restoration of his property,
and vengeance for his wrongs.
Merry heard his loud and angry details with
scornful composure, and before the offended pedler was through his narrative, had divested himself of the borrowed garments, which he threw to
the other with singular disdain.
% We are beleaguered, mine host! beset! besieged!" cried Borrougheliffe, when the other
had ended. "Here is a rare plan to rob us of
our laurels! ay, and of our rewards! but, hark ye,
Drill! they have old soldiers to deal with, and we
shall look into the matter. One would wish to
triumph on foot; you understand me?-there
was no horse in the battle. Go, fellow, I see
you grow wiser; take this young gentleman-and
remember he is a young gentleman-put him in
safe keeping, but see him supplied with all he
wants."
Borroughcliffe bowed politely to the haughty




ï~~406

THE PILOT.

bend of the body with which Merry, who now
began to think himself a martyr to his country,
followed the orderly from the room.
" There is metal in the lad!" exclaimed the
captain; " and if he live to get a beard, 'twill be
a hardy dog who ventures to pluck it. I am
glad, mine host, that this ' wandering jew' has
arrived, to save the poor fellow's feelings, for I
detest tampering-with such a noble -spirit. I saw,
by his eye, that he had squinted oftener over a
gun, than through a needle!"
" But they have murdered my kinsman!-the
loyal, the learned, the ingenious Mr. Christopher
Dillon!"
" If they have done so, they shall be made to
answer it," said Borroughcliffe, re-seating himself at the table, with a coolness that furnished an
ample pledge of the impartiality of his judgment;
" but let us learn the facts; before we do aught
hastily."
Colonel Howard was fain to comply with so
reasonable a proposition, and he resumed his
chair, while his companion proceeded to institute
a close examination of the pedler boy.
We shall defer, until, the proper time may arrive, recording the result of his inquiries; but
shall so far satisfy the, curiosity of our readers, as
to tell them, that the captain learned isufficient tc
convince him.: a very serious attempt was meditated -on the Abbey; and.,:as he thought, enough,
also, to enable him to -avert the danger.




ï~~CHAPTER XXVI.

-   u l hzvo. q, seen
so likely an embasuador of love."
Iercant of Vonice.
CICerTI  and Katherine separated from Ahice
Dunscombe in the lower gallery of the cloisters;
and the cdusins ascended'to tle apartment which
was assigned them as a dressing-room. The intensity of:feeling that was geadually naccumulating in: the- breasts of the ladies; as circeumstances
brought those in whom   theirÂ~ deepest interests
were centered, into situations of extreme delicaey,.it: niot of attail danger, perhaps, in some
mieasure, prevented -them from experiencing all
that conern which;the detection-. and arrest of
Merry might be supposed to excite.  The boy,
like themnselve,  wAs n monly yhild of one of those
three sisters, = ho caused The; elose connexion between so many of o  6eharacteS;' mid.his tender
years had led his cotusins t o regard him with an
affection that;exceeded the ordinary interest of
sUich 'an affinity; but- they knew, that in the
hanrids of Colonel Howard his person- Was sate,
though his liberty might.be endangered. When
the first emotions, therefore, which were created




ï~~408

THE PILOT.

oy his sudden appearance, after so long an absence,
had subsided, their thoughts were rather occupied
by the consideration of what consequences, to
others, might proceed from his arrest, than by any
reflections on the midshipman's actual condition.
Secluded from the observations of any strange
eyes, the two maidens indulged their feelings,
without restraint, according to their several temperaments. Katherine mtoved to and fro, in the
apartment, with feverish anxiety, while Miss
Howard, by concealing her countenance under the
ringlets of her luxuriant, dark.hair, and shading her
eyes with afair hand, seemed, tobe willing to commune with her thoughts neore quietly:
"Barnstable cannot be far distant," said the
former, after a few minutes had passed; " for he
never would have sent that child on such -an errand, by himself!"'
Cecilia raised here-inildIblue eyes-to the countenance of her cousin; as she answered" All -.thoughts of an exchange must now be
abandoned; and perhaps the persons-of the prisoners  will be held as pledges, to answer for the life
of Dillon,'
"Can the wretch be dead.? or is it merely a
threat;-or some device of that urchin.? he is a forward child, and would not hesitate to.- speak and
act boldly, onemergency."
" He is dead," returned Cecilia, veiling her
face- again,.in- horror; " the. eyes of the.:boy, his
whole doutitenanee -confirmed his- words! I fear,
Katherine, that Mr Barnstable has suffered his resentment to: ovetcoe  his discretion,, when he
learned the treachery of Dillon;- surely, surely,
though- the hard usages of war may justify so
dreadful a revenge on.an,enemy, it was unkind to
forget- the condition of--his own friends!"




ï~~THE PILOT.

409

"Mr. Barnstable has done neither, Miss Howard,?' said Katherine, checking her uneasy footsteps, her light fobrm swelling with pride; " Mr.
Barnstable is equally incapable of murdering an
enemy, or of deserting a friend!"
'.But retaliation is neither deemed nor called
murder, by men in arms."
" Think it what: you will, call it what you will,
Cecilia Howard, i will pledge my life, that 'Richard: Barnstable has to answer for the blood of none
but the open enemies of his country."
" Th'e,miserable man may have fallen a sacrifice to the anger of. that terrific seaman, who led
him hence as a captive!""That terrific seaman, Miss Howard, has a
heart as tender as your own' He is-"
ay,; Katherine," interrupted Cecilia, "  you
chide me unkindly; let us not add to our unavoidably-.misery, by -such harsheontention.''
"I do not contend with you, Cecilia-! I merely
defend the;absent and the innocent fromn your un
kind suspicmions, my cousin.":
" Say rather your sister,' returned Miss Howard, as their hands involuntarily closed- upon eac
other, '"for we are surely sisters! But let us strive
to think of something less horrible. 'Poor, poor
Dillon=! now: that he has,met a fate so terrible, I
can even fancy him less artful and more upright
than, we had thought him  You agree with me,
Katherine, I see by your countenance, and we will
lwell n- longer on:the subjet- Katherine! my
cousin Kate, what see you?'
Miss Plowden, as she relinquished her pressure of the hand of,Cecilia, had renewed -her walk
wuith amore regulated step; but she was yet maltk
ing her first turn across the room, vihen her eyes
became keenly set on the opposite window, and he
35




ï~~410

THE PILOT.

whole frame was held in an attitude of absorbed
attention. The rays of the setting sun fell bright
upon her dark glances, which seemed fastened on
some distant object, and gave an additional glow
to the mantling colour that was slowly stealing,
across her cheeks, to her temples. Such a sudden
alteration in the manner and appearance of her
companion had not failed to catch the attention of
Cecilia, who, in consequence, interrupted herself
by the agitated question we have related. Katherine slowly beckoned her companion to her side,
and, pointing in the direction of the wood that lay
in view, she said" See yon tower, in the ruin! Do you observe
those small spots of pink and yellow that are fluttering above its walls?"
" I do. They are the lingering remnants of the
foliage of some tree; but they want the vivid tints
which grace the autumn of our own dear America!"
" One is the work of God, and the other has
been produced by the art of man. Cecilia, those
are no leaves, but they are my own childish signals, and without doubt Barnstable himself is on
that ruined tower. Merry cannot, will not, betray
him!"
" My life should be a pledge for the honour of
our little cousin," said Cecilia. "But you have the
telescope of my uncle at hand, ready for such an
event! one look through it will ascertain the
truth-"
Katherine sprang to the spot where the instrument stood, and with eager hands she prepared it
for the necessary observation.
"It is he!" she cried the instant her eye was put
to the glass. " I even see his head above the stones.
How unthinking to expose himself so unnecessai i"y "




ï~~THE PILOT.

411

" '.But what says he, Katherine?" exclaimed Ceeilia, ' you alone can interpret his meaning."
The little book which contained the explanations of Miss Plowden's signals was tow hastily
produced. and its leaves rapidly -run over in quest
of the 'necessary number.
"'Tis only -a question to.gain my attention. I
must let him know 'he is observed."
When Katherine, as much to indulge her secret
propensities, -as with any hope of its usefulness;
had devised this plan for communicating with
Barnstable, she had, luckily, not forgotten' to arrange the necessary means to reply to.his interrogatories.. A very simple arrangement of some
of the. ornamental cords of the window-eurtains
enabled her to effect this purpose aad her nimble
fingers. soon fastened:the piecesof silk to the lines,
which were now thrown into the air, whenl these
signals in miniature were instanttly displayed in
the breeze.
' He, sees them!." cried  ecilia,   and-is preparing to change hiss flags.'
"I Keep theri - your eye on him' my cousin, and
tell me the. coloursthat he shows, with their order,
and 1 will endeavour Â~to read his meaning."
" He is as expert as yourself! 'There are. two
more of them flutterifng above the stones again.:
the upper is white, and the lower blabck:"
" White,over black, <repeated Katherine,rapidly. to herself, as she turned' the leaves o&f' her
bookl: a' My, messenger-.;has he.been, seen.''--
To that we must answer the unhappy truth, Here
it is--yellow, White, arid red. ' he isa'prisoner/
How forturiate thatI should haveprepared such a
question:: arid answer, What' says he  Eciliaj to
this news ""
"1k- is bsy:naking. his: changes, dear: Nayj




ï~~412

THE PILOT.

Katherine, you shake so violently as to move the
glass! Now he isdone; 'tis yellow over black,
this time."
" ' Grifith, or who2?' He does not understand
us; but I had thought of the poor boy, in making
out the numbers-ah! here it is; yellow, green,
and red-' my cousin Mrry?.'- He cannot fail to
understand us now."
"He-has already taken in his flags. The news
seems to alarm him, for he is less expert than be
fore. He shows them now-they are green, red,
and yellow."
" The question is, ' Am I safe2?'  'Tis that
which made him tardy, Miss Howard," continued
Katherine. "Barnstable is evei: slow to consult
his safety. But how shall I answer him? should
we mislead him now, how could we ever forgive
ourselves!"
"Of Andrew Merry there is no fear," returned
Cecilia, " and I think if Captain Borrougheliffe
had any intimation of the proximnity of his enemies,
he would not continue at the table.'
"He will stay there while wine will sparkle, and
man can swallow," said Katherine; "but we know,
by sad experience, that he is a soldier on an emergency; and yet, I'll trust to his ignorance this
time-here, I have an answer: ' you are yet safe,
but be wary.'"
"He reads your meaning. with a quick eye,
Katherine; and he is ready with his answer too:
he shows green over white this time: Well! do
you not hear me? 'tis green over white. Why,
you are dumb--what says he, dear?"
Still Katherina answered not, and her cousin
raised -her eyes from the glass, and beheld her
companion gazing earnestly at the open page,
whiIe the glow which.excitement. had before




ï~~THE PILOT.

413

brought to her check, was increased to a still
deeper bloom.
" I hope your blushes and his signals are not
ominous, Kate," added Cecilia; " can green imply
his jealousy, as white does your purity? what
says he, coz?
c"' He talks, like yourself, much nonsense," said
Katherine, turning to her flags, with a pettish air,
that: was singularly contradicted by her gratified
countenance; " but the situationof things requires
that should talk to Barnstable more freely."
I,i can retire," said Cecilia, rising from her
chair with a grave, manner.
"Nay, Cecilia, I do not deserve these looks'tis you who exhibit levity now!, But you can perceive for, yourself, that evening is closing in, and
that some other medium for conversation, besides
the eyes, may be adopted.--Here is a signal,
which will answer: ' When the Ahbey clock strikes
nine, come with care to the wicket, which opens, at
the east side of the.Paddock,,on the road: until
then, keep secret.' I had prepared this very signal,
in case an interview should be necessary."
' Well, he sees it," returned Cecilia, who had
esumned her place by the telescope, " and seems
disposed to obey you, for I no longer discern his
flags or his person."
Miss Howard now arose from before the glass;
her observations being ended;. but Katherine did
not return the instrument to its corner, without fastening. one long and anxious look- through it, on
what now appeared to be the deserted tower. The
interest and' anxiety produced by, this short and
imperfect communication between Miss Plowden
and her lover, did not fail-to excite reflections in
both the ladies, that furnished materials to hold
them in earnest discourse,:until: the entrance of
35 *..




ï~~414

THE PILOT'.

Alice Dunscombe announced that their presence
was expected below. Even the unsuspecting Alice,
on entering, observed a change in the countenances
and demeanour of the two cousins, which betrayed
that their secret conference had not been entirely
without contention. The features of Cecilia were
disturbed and anxious, and their expression not
unlike melancholy; while the dark flashing eye,
flushed temples, and proud, determined step (if
Katherine exhibited in an equal, if not a greater
degree, a very different emotion. As no reference
to the subject of their conversation was, however,
made by either of the young ladies, after the entrance of Alice, she led the wayv; in silence, to the
drawing room.
The ladies were received;-, by Col. Howard and
Borrougheliffe, with marked attention.  In the
former there were momnients when a deep gloom
would, in spite of his very obvious exeitions to the
contrary, steal over his open, generous countenance; but the recruiting officer mnaintained an air
of immoveable coolness and composure. Twenty
times did he detect the piercing looks of Katherine fastened on) him, with an intentness, that a
less deliberative man might have had the vanity
to misinterpret; but even this flattering testimonial of his power to attract, failed to disturb
his self-possession. It was in vain that Katherine en*deavoured to read his countenance, where
every thing was fixed iri military rigidity, though
his deportment appeared more than:usually easy
and natural.  Tired at. length.with her fruitless scrutiny, the excited girl turned her gaze
upon the clock: to her amazement, she discovered
that it was on the stroke of nine, and, disregarding
a depreating glance from her cousin, she arose
and quitted the apartment. Borrougheliffe open



ï~~THE PILOT.

edthe door for her exit, and, while the lady civilly
bowedher head in acknowledgment of his attention,
their eyes once =more met; but she glided quickly
by him, and found herself alone.in the gallery. Katherine hesitated, more than a minute, to proceed,
for she, thought she had detected in that glance.a
lurking expression, that manifested conscious se
cirity mingled with secret design. It waj not her
nature, however, to hesitate, when circumstances
required that she should be both prompt and alert;
and, throwing over her slighlt person a large cloak,
that was in readiness for the occasion, she stole
warily from the burilding.
Although Katherine suspected,most painfully,
that Borroughcliffe had received intelligence that
might prove dangerous to her.lover, she looked around her in vain, on gaining the open air,
to discover any alteration in the arrangements for
the defence of the Abbey, which might confirm
her suspicions, or the knowledge of which might
enable her to instruct IBarnstable how to avoid
the secret danger. Every disposition remained as
it had been since the capture of Griffith and
his companion.  She heard the heavy, quick
steps of the sentinel, who was posted beneath their
windows, endeavouring to warm himself on his
confined post; and as she paused to,listen, she
also detected the rattling of arms fi:om the soldier,
who, as usual, guarded the approach of that part
of the building where his coimrades were quartered.
The night had set in cloudy,arid dark, although
the gale: had greatly subsided towards the close of
the day; still the wind swept heavily, and, at moments, with a rushing noise,.,among the irregular
walls of the edifice; and it required the utmost
nicety of ear to distinguish even these well-known
sounds, among such accompaniments.     When




ï~~THE PILOT.

Katherine, however, was satisfied that her orgats
had not deceived her, she turned an anxious eye
in the direction of what Borroughcliffe called his
"barracks."  Every thing in that direction appeared so dark and still, as to create a sensation
of uneasiness, by its very quiet. It might be
the silence of sleep that now pervaded the ordinarily gay and mirthful apartment! or it might
be the stillness of a fearful preparation! There
was no time, however, for further hesitation, and
Katherine drew her cloak more closely about her
form, and proceeded, with light and guarded steps,
to the appoiAted spot. As she approached the wicket the clock struck the hour, and she again paused,
while the mournful sounds were borne by her
on the wind, as if expecting that each stroke on
the bell would prove a signal to unmask some
secret design of Bo'rroughcliffe.  As the last vibration melted away, she opened the little gate, and
issued on the highway. The figure of a man
sprang forward from behind an angle of the wall,
as she appeared; and while her heart was still
throbbing with the suddenness of the alarm, she
found herself in the arms of Barnstable  After
the first few words of recognition and pleasui e
which the young sailor:uttered, he acquainted his
mistress with the loss of his schooner, and the
situation of the survivors.
"And now, Katherine," he concluded, "you
have come, I trust, never to quit me; or, at most,
to return no more to that old Abbey, unless it be
to aid in liberating Griffith, and then to join me
again for ever."
" Why, truly, there is so much to tempt a young
woman to renounce her home and friends, in the
description you have just given of your condition
that I hardly know how to refuse 'your request.




ï~~THE PILOT.

417

Barnstable. You are very tolerably provided with
a dwelling in the ruin; and I suppose certain predatory,schemes are to be adopted to make it habitable! St. Ruth is certainly well supplied with
the necessary articles, but whether we should not
De shortly removed to the Castle at York, or the
gaol at Newcastle, is a question that I put to your
discretion."
"Why yield your thoughtsto such silly sub.
jects, lovely trifler!" said Barnstable, " when
the time and the occasion both urge us to be in
earnest?"
"It is a woman's province to be thrifty, and to
look after the comforts of domestic life," returned
his mistress.; "and I would discharge my functions with credit. But I feel you are vexed, for, to
see your dark countenance is out of the question,
on such a night. When do, you propose to cornmence housekeeping, if I should yield to your
proposals?'"
' I have not concluded relating my plans, and
your provoking wit annoys me! The vessel I have
taken, will, unquestionably, come into the land, as
the gale dies; and I intend making my escape in
her, after beating this Englishman, and securing
the liberty of Miss Howard and yourself. I could
see the frigate in the offing, even before we left
the cliffs."
"This certainly sounds better!" rejoined Katherine, in a manner that indicated she was musing
on their prospects; " and yet: there may exist some
difficulties in the way that you little suspect."
" Difficulties there are none-there can be
none "
"Speak not irreverently of the mazes of love,
Mr. Barnstable. When was it ever known to exist
unfettered or unembarrassed? even I have an ex.
27




ï~~448

THE PILOT.

pianation to   k of you that I would much rather
let alone."
" Of me! ask what you will, or how you will;
Sam a cal eless, unthihking fellow, Miss Plowden;
but to you I have little to answer for-unless a
foolish sort of adoration be ai offence against your
merits."
Barnstable felt the little Yhand that was supported on his arm pressing the limb, as Katherine replied, in a tone so changed fiom its: former
forced levity, that he started' as. the first sounds
reached his ears. " Merry has brought in a horrid
report!" she said; "I' would I could believe it
untrue! but the looks of the boy, and, the- absence
of Dillon, both confirm it."
" Poor Merry! he too has fallen into the trap:
but they. shall yet find one who is too cunning for
them. Is it to the fate of thit wretched Dillon
that you allude?"
" He was a wretch," continued Katherine, in the
same voice, "and he deserved much punishment at
your hands, Barnstable; but life is the gift of God,
and is not to be taken whenever human vengeance
would appear" to require a victim,"'
"His life was taken by hiin who bestowed it,"
said the sailor. "Is it Katherine Plowden who
would suspect me of the deed of a dastard!"
" I do not suspect you-I did not suspect you,'
cried Katherine; "I willinever suspect any evil- of
you again. You are not, you cannot be angry
with me, Barnstable? had you heard the cruel
suspicions of my cousin' Cecilia, and' had your
imagination been busy in portraying your wrongs
and the temptations to forget mercy, like mine, even
while my tongue denied your agency in the suspected deed, you would- you would at least have
le rned. how much easier it is to dcfend those we




ï~~THE PILOT.

41,9

love against the open attacks of others, than
against our own jealous feelings."
"'Those words, love and jealousy, will obtain
your acquittal," cried Barnstable, in his natural
voice and, after uttering_ a few more consoling assurances to Katherine, whose excited feelings
found vent in tears, he. briefly related the manner
of Dillon's death.
'" I had hoped I stood higher in the estimation
of Miss Howard, than to be subjected to even her
suspicions," he said, when he had ended his explanation. " Griffith has been but a sorry representative of our trade, tf he has left such,an opinion of
its pursuits."
" I do not know that Mr. Griffith would altogether have escaped my conjectures, had he been
the disappointed commander, and you the prisoner," returned Katherine; "you know not how
much we have both studied the, usages of war, and
with what dreadful pictures of hostages, retaliations, and military executions, our minds are stored!
but a moun'tain is raised off my spirits, and I could
almost say, that I am now ready to descend the
valley of life in your conipany."
"It is a discreet determination, my good Katherinc, and God bless you for it; the companion
may not be so good as you deserve, but you will
find him ambitious of your praise. Now let us devise means to effect our object."
" Therein lies another of my difficulties. Griffith,
I much fear, will not urge Cecilia to another flight,
against her-her-what shall I call it, Barnstable-her caprice, or her judgment? Cecilia will
never consent to desert her uncle, and I cannot
muster the courage to abandon my poor cousin, in.the:face of the world, in order to take shelter with
even Mr. Richard Barnstable!"




ï~~420

THE PILOT.

" Speak you from the heart now, Katherine?"
"Very nearly- if not exactly."
" Then have I been cruelly deceived! It is easter to find a path in the trackless ocean, without
chart or compass, than to know the windings of a
woman's heart!"
" Nay, nay, foolish man; you forget that I am
but small, and how very near my head is to my
heart; too nigh, I fear, for the discretion of their
mistress! but is there no method of forcing Griffith and Cecilia to their own good, without undue
violence?"
" It cannot be done; he is my senior in rank,
and the instant I releas him he will claim the command. A question might be raised, at a leisure
moment,, on the merits of such a claim-but even
my own men are, as you know, nothing but a draft
from the frigate and they would not hesitate to
obey the orders of the first lieutenant, who is not a
man to trifle on matters of duty."
" 'Tis vexatious, truly," said Katherine, " that
all my well concerted schemes mi behalf of this
wayward pair, should be frustrated by their own
wilfiul conduct! But after all, have you justly estimated your str:ength, Barnstable? are you certain that you would be successful, and that without
hazard, too, if you should make the attempt?"
" Morally, and what is better, physically cer
tain. My men are closely hid, where no one suspects, an enemy to lie; they are anxious for the enterprise, and the suddenness of the attack will not
only make the victory sure, but it will be renderea
bloodless. You will'aid us in our entrance, Katherine: I shall first secure this recruiting officer,
and his command will then surrender without slriking a blow. Perhaps after all, Griffith will hear




ï~~THE PILOT.

421

reason; if he do not, I will not yield my authority
to a released captive, without a struggle."
"God send that there shall be no fighting.-!" murmured his companion, a little -appalled at the images his language had raised befoe her imagination; "and, Barnstable, I enjoin you, most solemnly, by all your affection for me, and by every thing
you deem most sacred, to protect the person of Col.
Hovard at every hazard. There must be no excuse, no pretence, for even an ihsult to my passionate, good, obstinate, but kind old guardian. I believe I have given him already more trouble than
I am entitled to give any one, and Heaven forbid
that I should cause him any serious misfortune!"
"He shall be safe, and not only he, but all that
are with him, as you will perceive, Katherine,
when you hear my plan. Three hours shall not
pass over my head before you will see me master
of that:old Abbey. Griffith, ay, Griffith, must be
content to be my inferior, until we get afloat
again."
"Attempt nothing unless you feel certain of being able to maintain your advantage, not only
against your enenmies, but also against your
friends,'" said the anxious Katherine. " Rely on it.
both Cecilia and Griffith are refining so much on
their feelings, that neither will be your ally."
"This comes of passing the four best years of
his life within walls of brick, poring,over Latin
Grammars and Syntaxes, and such other nonsense,
when he should have been rolling them away in a
good box of live oak, and studying, at the most.
how to sum up his day's work, and tell where his
ship lies after a blow.. Your college learning niay
answer well enough for a man who has to live by
his wits, but it can be of little use to one who is
never afraid to read human nature, by looking his
36




ï~~422

THE PILOT.

fellow-creatures full in. the face, and whose -'hand
is as ready as his tongue. I have generally found
the eye that was good at Latin was dull at a coinpass, or in a night squall-: and yet,:Grif is a sea-man; though I have heard him even read -thestestament in Greek! Thank- God, I had the wisdom
to ' run away from school the second day they undertook to teach me a strange tongue, and  believe
I am the more honest man, and the better seaman,
for my ignorance!"
"There is no: telling what you might have been,
Barnstable, under other circumstances," tetorted
his mistress,, with a playfalness of manner that she
could not always repress, though it was 'indulged
at the expense of him she most loved; " I doubt
not but, under proper training, you would have
made a reasonably good priest"
"m If you talk of priests, Katherine, 1 shall remind youl that we carry one in 'the ship.  But
listen to my plan, we may talk further of priestcraft when an opportunity may offer."
Barnstable then proceeded to lay before his mistress a project he had formed for surprising the
Abbey that night, which was so feasible, that Khtherine, notwithstanding her recent suspicions of
Borroughcliffe's designs, came gradually ' to believe it would succeed. The young. seaman answered her objections with the readiness of an ardent mind, bent on executing its purposes, and
with a fertility of resources that proved he was no
contemptible enemy, in-,matters that required
spirited action. Of Merry's remaining firm and
fhithful he had no doubt; and although he acknowledged the escape of the pedler boy, he
urged that the lad had seen no other of his party
besides himself, whom -he mistook for a common
marauder




ï~~THE PILOT.              423
As the disclosure of these plans was frequently
interrupted by little digression,, connected with the
peculiar emotions of the lovers, more than an hour
flew by, before they separated. Bit Katherine at
length reminded him how swiftly the time was
passing, and how Much remained to be done, when
he reluctantly consented to see her once more enter the wicket, where they parted.
Miss Plowdeniadopted the same precaution in
returning to the house she had used on leaving it;
and she was congratulating herself on its success,
when her eye caught a glimpse of the figure of a
man, who was appairently following at some little
distance, in her footsteps, and dogging her motions.
As the obscure form, howevdr, paused also when
she stopped to give it an alarmed,, though inquiring
look, and then slowly retired towairds the boundary of the paddock, Katherine believing it to be
BaTinsta le watching over- her safety, - entered the
Abbey, with every idea of:alarm entirely losft ii
the pleasing reflection of her lover's solicitude.




ï~~CHAPTER XXVTII

SHe looks abroad and soon appears,
O'er Horncliffe-hill, a plump of spears,
Beneath a pennon gay."
AMarmion.
The sharp sounds of the supper-bell were i mg
in.g aong the gallery, as. Miss Plowden gained the
gloomy passage; and she quiickened her steps to
join the ladies, in order that no further suspicions
might be excited by her absence.-Alice Dunscombe was already proceeding to the dining parlour, as Katherine passed through the door of the
drawing room, but Miss Howard had loitered behind, and was met by her cousin alone.
"You have then been so daring as to venture,
Katherine!" exclaimed Cecilia.
"I have," returned the other, throwing herself
into a chair, to recover her agitation-" I have,
Cecilia; and I have met Barnstable, who will soon
be in the Abbey, and its master."
The blood which had rushed to the face of Cecilia on first seeing her cousin, now retreated to her
heart, leaving every part of her fine countenance of
the whiteness of her polished temples, as she said" And we are to have a night of blood "I'




ï~~THE PILOT.

425

We are to have a night of freedm, Miss Howard; freedom to you, and to me; to Andrew Merry, to Griffith, and to his companion!"
" What freedom more than we now enjoy, Katherine, is needed by two young women? Think
you I 'can remain silent, and see my uncle betrayed
before uiy eyes? his life perhaps endangered!"
" Your own life and person will not be held
more sacred, Cecilia Howard, than that of your
uncle. If you will condemn Griffith to a prison,
and perhaps to a gibbet, betray Barnstable, as you
have threatened--an opportunity will not be wanting at the supper table,,whither I: shall lead the
way, since the mistress of the house appears to forget her duty."
Katherine arose, and with a firm step and proud
eye, she moved along the gallery to the room
where their presence was expected by the rest of
the faminily. Cecilia followed in silence, and the
whole party immediately took their several places
at the board.
The first few minutes were passed in the usual
attentions of the gentlemen to the ladies, and the
ordinary civilities of the table; during Which, Katherine had. so far regained "the equanimity of her
feelings, as to commenice a watchful scrutiny of the
manners and looks of her guardian and Borrougheliffe, in which she determined to persevere until
the eventful hour when she was to expect Barnstable should arrive. Colonel Howard had, however, iso far got the command of himself, as no
longer to betray his former abstraction. In its
place Katherine fancied, at moments, that she
could discover a settled look of conscious security, mingled a little with an expression of severe'
determinatibn; such as, in her earlier days, she
had learned to dread as sure indications of the in.
36 *




ï~~426 -
THE PILOT,

dignant  hut upright justice of an honourable mind.
Borroughe1iffe, on the other hand, was cool, poliie,
and as attentive to the viands as usual, with the
alarming exception of discovering much less devotion to the Pride of the Vineyards, than he cornmonly manifested on such occasions. In this manner the meal passed by, and the cloth was removed, though the ladies appeared willing to retain their places longer than was customary. Colonel Howard, filling up the glasses of Alice Dunscombe and himself, passed the bottle to =the rocruiting officer, and, with a sort of effort that was
intended to rpuse the dormant cheerfulness of his
guests, cried.SCome, Borroughcliffe, the ruby lips of.you
neighbours: would be still more beautithful, were
they moistened with this rich cordial, and that, too,
accompanied by some loyal sentiment. Miss Alice
is ever ready to express her fealty to her Sovereign;;in her name, I can give the health of His
Most Sacred Majesty, with defeat and death to all
traitors!"
"If. the prayers of an humble subject; and one
of a sex that has but little need to mingle in the
turmoil of the world, and that has less right to pretend to understand the subtilties of: statesmen, can
much avail a High and Mighty Prince like him who
sits on the throne, then.: will he, never know temporal evil," returned Alice, meIkly; ":but I cannot wish death to any one,': not even to my enemies,
ifany I have, and much, less to a people who a e
the children of the same. family with myself."
" Children of the same family!" the colonel repeated, slowly, and with a bitterness of manner
that did not fail to attract the painful interest of
Katherine: " children of the same family! Aye!
even as Absalom was the child of David, or as




ï~~THE PILOT.

427

Judas was of the family.of the holy Apostles! But
let it pass unpledged-let it pass. The accursed
spirit of.rebellion has invaded my dwelling, and 1
no longer know where to. find one of my household, that has not been assailed by its malign in.
fluence!"'
" Assailed I imay have been, amongothers,",returned Alice;   but not corrupted, if' putity, in
this instance, consists in loyalty-"
".What sound is thlat  ' interrupted the colonel,
with startling suddenness.  Was' it not the crash
of some violence, Borroughcliffe?"
' It may have been-orie; of my  aascals whohas
met with a downfall in passing from the festive
board, where you know I regale them to-night, in
honour of our success-=-'to his- blanketi" returned
the captain, with admirable indiffetence; " or it
mnay be the very spirit of whom -yeti h'avd spoken
so freely, my host, tha-thas'taken umbtage at your
remarks, and is passing from the Fhospitiable walls
of St. Ruth into the open air, without ublnitting to
Ahe small trouble of aseetaining the 'position' 'of
doors. In the latter case there smay be some do.
zen  peiches.or:so of wall,to replace  ihthe mnorning.
The, colonel, who:had  risen, glanced his eyes;
uneasil" from the speaker to the door, and was
evidently but little disposed to SIenter into the pleasantry of 'his guest.
'- There are unusual noises, Captain Borrough:cliffe,'in the grounds of the Abbey~, if,niot in the
building itself," he said; advancing  'with a fine military air; from the table to the 'eetre of the room,
1:and, as master of the mansiorni, I will,' inquire' who
it is- that- thus '.unseasonably 'disturbs these,domains.
If as 'friends, they shall have welcome, 'thiUgh
their visit be unexpected; and if enemies, they




ï~~428

4  THE PILOT.

shall also meet with such a reception as will be.
come an old soldier!"
"No, no,' cried. Cecilia, entirely thrown offher
guard by the manner and language of the veteran,
and rushing into his arms. " Go not out, my uncle, go not into the terrible fray, my kind, my good
uncle! you are old, you have already done more
than your duty; why should, you be exposed to
danger?"
" The girl is mad with terror, Borroughcliffe,"
cried the colonel, bending his glistening eyes fondly
on his niece, "and you will have to furnish my
good-for-nothing, gouty old person with a corporal's guard, to watch my night-cap, or the silly
child will have an uneasy pillow, till the sun rises
once more: But you do not stir, sir?'
"Why should I?" cried the captain; " Miss
Plowden yet deigns to keep me company, and it is
not in the nature of one of the.  th, to desert
his bottle and his standard at the same moment.
For, to a true soldier, the smiles of a lady are as
imposing in the parlour, as the presence of his colours in the field."
" I continue undisturbed, Captain Borroughcliffe," said Katherine," hecause I have not been
an inhabitant, for so many months, of St. Ruth, and
not learned to know the tunes which the wind can
play among its chimneys and pointed roofs. The
noise which has taken Colonel Howard from his
seat, and which has. so unnecessarily alarmed my
cousin Cicily, is nothing but the  polian haip of
the Abbey sounding,a double bass."
The captain fastened on, her composed countenance, while she was speaking, a look of open admiration, that;brought, though tardily the colour
more deeply to her cheeks: and he answered with




ï~~THE PILOT.

something extremely eouivocal, both in" his emphasis and his air' I have avowed my allegiance, and I will abide
by it:. So long as Miss Plowdei Will deign to bestow her company, so long will she find me among
her most faithful and persevering attendants, come
who may, or what will."
" You compel me to retire," returned Katherine rising," whatever may have been my gracious intentions in the matter; for even female
vanity must crimson, at an- adoration ' so- profound
as that which can chaii Captain Borrougheliffe to
a supper table! As  your a!arfri has now dissipated,
my cousin, will you lead the way? Miss Alice and
myself attend you.''
" But not into the paddock, surely, Miss Plowden," said the' captain; "the door, the key of
which you have just turned, conimunicates with
the vestibule. This is the passage to the drawing
room."
The lady faintly laughed, as if in derision. of her
own forgetfulness, while she bowed her acklnowledgment, and moved towards the proper passage;
she observedThe madness of fear has assailed some, I be
lieve, who have been %able to affect a  better disguise than Miss HIoward.'
"Is it the fear of present danger, or of that
which is in reserve?" asked the captain; "but,
as you have stipulated so generously in behalf of
my worthy host here, and of one, also, who shall
be nameless, because hie has not deserved such a
favour at your hands, your safety shall be one of
my especial duties in these timies ofperil."
"There is peril, then!" exclaimed Cecilia;
-your looks arinounce it, Capt. Borrougheliffe!




ï~~THE PILOT.

something extremely eouivocal, both in" his emphasis and his air' I have avowed my allegiance, and I will abide
by it:. So long as Miss Plowdei will deign to bestow her company, so long will she find me among
her most faithful and persevering attendants, come
who may, or what will."
" You compel me to retire," returned Katherine rising," whatever may have been my gracious intentions in the matter; for even female
vanity must crimson, at an- adoration ' so, profound
as that which can chaii Captain Borrougheliffe to
a supper table! As  your a!arfi has now dissipated,
my cousin, will you lead the way? Miss Alice and
myself attend you."''
" But not into the paddock, surely, Miss Plowden," said the' captain; "the door, the key of
which you have just turned, conimunicates with
the vestibule. This is the passage to the drawing
room."
The lady faintly laughed,,as if in derision of her
own forgetfulness, while she bowed her acklnowledgment, and moved towards the proper passage;
she observed"The madness of fear has assailed some, I believe, who have been %able to affect a  better disguise than Miss Howvard.'
"Is it the fear of present danger, or of that
which is in reserve?" asked the captain; "but,
as you have stipulated so generously in behalf of
my worthy host here, and of one, also, who shall
be nameless, because hie has not deserved such a
favour at your hands, your safety shall be one of
my especial duties in these tiimes ofperil."
"There is peril, then!" exclaimed Cecilia;
your looks arinounce it, Capt. Borrougheliffe!




ï~~THE PILOT:.

4al

Katherine, breathless with interest; 'you.are.trle
master of my secret, Captain Borrboughelif e, aI-dbloodshed may he the consequence. L~:ean yet. go
forward, and, perhaps, save many inestimahle lives!
Pledge to me your honour, that they who come hither as your enemies, this: night, ishall depart in
peace,. and I will pledge to you. my life for the
safety of thy; Abbey."
" Oh! hear her, and shed not humane blood!'?.
cried Ceciliar
A loud crash:interrupted furtherspeech, and the
sounds of heavy footsteps.. were heard in the adjoining-room; as if mtany men were alighting.on its
floor, in;-quick succession.  Borrougheliffe':dre
back, wi.th great coolness, to the opposite:side of
the large- apartment,7and- took. ai sheathed -swotrd
from: the table where, it had been placed; -at'-the
same, moment the door was, burst open, andi Barnstable entered alone, but heavily. armed.
" You are my prisoners- gentlemen;,' said the
sailor, as: he advanced-; " resistance is:useless, and
without it you shall.receivefavout:.. Ha Miss- Plow.
den! myadvice was,. that you should. not be pres
sent:at this scene,'
SBarnstable,. we are. betrayed!'",cried the agi*
tated Katherine.  " But it-; is: nat yet= too late.
Blood has ndt yet been spilt, and you can retire,
without that dreadful alternative,  with honour.
Go, then, delay not another moment; for should
the soldiers of Captain: Borrougheliffe come  to the
reseue of their commander, the Abbey would be a
sC:eae of horror!"
" Go yoi away; go, Katherine,' said' her lover,:
withz impatience; " this is no place for. such as
you. Buit, Captain Borroughcliffe, if such be your
naime..you -must perceive that resistance is in vain
I have tengood pikes'in this outer rooni, in twcn



ï~~432

THE PILOT.

ty, better hands, and it will be madness to fight
against such odds."'
" Show me your strength," said the captain,
" thati may take counsel with mine honour."
"Your honour shall be appeased,, my brave
soldier, for such is your bearing, though your
livery is my aversion, and your cause most unholy! Heave ahead, boys! but hold your hands
for orders."
The party of fierce-looking sailors whom Barnstable led, on receiving this order, rushed into the
room in a medley  but, notwithstanding the surly
glances,- and savage characters of their- dress and
equipments, they struck no blow, nor committed
any act of hostility. The ladies shrunk back appalled, as this terrific little band took possession
of the hall; and even 'Borrougheliffe was seen to
fall back towards a door, which, in some measure,
covered his retreat.' The confusion of this sudden
movement had not yet subsided, when sounds of
strife were heard rapidly approachiig from a distant part of the building, and presently one of the
numerous doors of the, apartment was violently
opened, when two of the garrisbn of the Abbey
rushed into 'the hall, vigorouslypressed by twice
their number of seamen; seconded by Griffith,
Manual, and Merry, who were armed with such
weapons of offence as had presented themselves to
their hands, at their unexpected liberation. There
was a movement on the part of the seamen, who
already were in possession of the room, that
threatened instant death to the fugitives; but
Barnstable beat down their pikes with his sword,
and sternly ordered them to fall back. Surprise
produced the same pacific result among the combatants; and as the soldiers hastily sought a refiuge
behind their own officers, arid the released cap



ï~~THE PILOT.

433

tves, with their liberators, joined the body of their
friends, the quiet of the hall, which had been so
rudely interrupted, was soon restored.
" You see, sir," said Barnstable, after grasping
the hands of Griffith and Manual, in a warm and
cordial pressure, " that all my plans have succeeded. Your sleeping guard are closely watched in
their barracks,- by one party, our officers are released, and your sentinels cut off by another,
while, with a third, I hold the centre of the Abbey,
and am, substantially, in possession of your own
person. In consideration, therefore, of what is
due to humanity, aid to the presence of these ladies, let there be no struggle! I shall impose no
difficult terms, nor any long imprisonmnent."
The recruiting officer manifested a composure
throughout the whole scene, that would have excited some uneasiness in his invaders had there
been opportunity 'for more minute:observation; but
his countenance now gradually assumed an appearance ofanxiety, and his head was frequently turned, as if listening for further, and more important
interruptions. He answered, however, to this appeal with his ordinary deliberation.
" You speak of conquests, sir, before they are
achieved. My venerable host and myself are not
so' defenceless as you may choose to. imagine."
While speaking he threw aside the cloth of a side
table, from beneath which, the:colonel and himself
were instantly armed with a brace of pistols each.
"Here are the death warrants of four of your
party, and these brave fellows at my back can account for two more. I believe, my transatlantic
warrior, that we are now something in the condition of Cortes and the Mexicans, when the former
overran part of your continent-I being: Cortes,
armed with artificial thunder and lightning, and
28            37




ï~~434

THE PILOT.

you the Indians,' with nothing but your pikes and
slings, and such other:antediluvian inventions.
Shipwrecks and sea=water are fatal dampers of
gunpowder!"
"That we are unprovided with fire arms, I Will
not deny," said Barnstable; " but we are men who
are used, from infancy, to depend on our good right
arms for life and safety, and we know how to use
them, though we should even grapple with death!
As for the trifles in your hands, gentlemen, you
are not to suppose that men who are trained to
look in at one end of a thirty-two pounder, loaded
with grape, while the match is put to the other,
wil so much as wink at their report, though you
fired them by fifties. What say you- boys! is a
pistol a weapon to repel boarders?"
The discordant and disdainful laughs that burst
from the restrained seamen, were a sufficient pledge
of their indifference, to so trifling a danger. Borroughcliffe noted their hardened boldness, and taking the 'supper bell, which.was lying near him, he
rang it, for a minute, with great violence. The
heavy tread of trained footsteps soon followed this
extraordinary summons;' and prbsently, the several'doors of the apartment were opened, and filled
with armed soldiers, wearing the livery of the
English: crown.
'rIf you hold these smaller weapons in such
vast contempt," 'said the recruiting officer, when
he  perceived that Â~his menu had:. possessed themselves of:all the avenues,: 4it is in my power to
try the wirtue of some more formidable. Aftei
this exhibition of my strength:gentlemen, I presame you cannot hesitate to submit as prisoners of
war."
The seamen had been formed in something like
military array, by the assiduity of Manual, during




ï~~HE PILOT.

the preceding dialogue; and as the different doors
had. discovered fresh accessions to the strength: of~
the enemy, the marine industriously offered, new
fronts, until the small party was completely arranged in a hollow square, that might have proved
formidable in a chapge, bristled as it was with the
deadly pikes of the Ariel.
" Here has been some mistake," said Griffith,
after glancing his eye at the formaidable array of the
soldiers; " I take precedence of Mr. Barnstable,
and I shall propose to you, Captain Borroughcliffe, terms that, may remove this scene of strife
from thie dwelling of Colonel Howard."
SThe dwelling.of Colonel Howard,"= cried the
veteran,i' is the dwelling of his king, or,of the
meanest servant of the crown!; so,Â~ Borroughcliffe,
spare not the traitors on my behalf;:accept, no
other terms than such unconditional submiissionjas
is meet to exact from the rebellious subjects of the
Anointed of the Lord."
While Griffith spoke, Barnstable folded -his arms;
in affected composure, and glanced his eyes expressiyely at the shivering Katherine, who, with
her companions, still continued agitated spectators
of all, that passed, chained to the spot by their apprehensions; but to. this formidable denunciation
of the master of the Abbey he deemed proper to
reply"Now, by every hope I have of sleeping again
on skit water, old gentleman i it were not for the
presence of these three trembling  femalesbut I
should feel tempted to dispute, ate ore -the title
of his majesty  you may make such a covenant as
v u will with Mr. Griffith; b;ut if it contain one syllable about submission to your king, or of any other
allegiance, than that whieh:I owe to the Continental
Congress,.and the state of. Mlassacshusetts, you may




ï~~436

THE  P LOT.

as well considei the terms violated at once, for
not an article of such an agreement will I consider
as binding on me, or on any that shall choose to
follow me as leader."
" Here are but two leaders, Mr. Barnstable,"
interrupted the haughty Griffith; "the one of the
enemy, and the other, of the arms of America.
Captain Borrougheliffe, to you, as the former, I address myself. The great objects of the contest,
which now unhappily divides England from her
ancient colonies, can be,,in no degree, affected by
the events of this night; while, on the other hand,
by a rigid, adherence to military notions, much
private evil and deep domestic calamity must follow any struggle in such a place. We have but
to speak, sir, and these rude. men, who already
stand impatiently handling their instruments of
death, will aim them at each other's lives; and who
can say that he shall be able to stay their hands
when and where he will! I know you to be a
soldier, and that you are not yet to learn how
much easier it is to stimulate to.,blood, than to glut
vengeance."
Borrougheliffe, unused to the admission of violent emotions, and secure in the superiority of his
own party, both in numbers and equipments, heard
him with the coolest composure to the end, and
then answered in his customary manner"I honour your logic, sir. Your premises are
indisputable, and the conclusion most obvious.
Commit, then, those worthy tars to the good keeping of honest Drill, who will see their famished natures revived by divers eatables, and a due proportion of suitable fluids; while we can discuss the
manner in which you are to return to the colonies,
around a bottle of liquor, which my friend Manual
there, assures me has come from. the sunny side




ï~~THE PILOT.

437

of the islana of Madeira, to be drunk in a bleak
coi-ier of that of Britain. By mnay palate but the
rascals brighten at the thought. They know by
instinct, sir, that a shipwrecked mariner is a fitter
companion to a ration of beef and a pot of porter,
that to  such unsightly things as bayonets and
boarding-pikes!"
" Trifle not unseasonably!" exclaimed the impatient young sailor. "You have the odds in numbers, but whether it will avail you much in a deadly struggle of hand to hand, is a question you must
put to your prudence-: we stand not here to ask
terms, but to grants them. You must be brief, sir,
for the time is wasting while we delay:'
" I have offered to you the means of obtaining
m perfection the enjoyment of the three most ancient of the numerous family of the arts-eating,
drinking, and sleeping! What more do you require?"
"That you order these men, who fill the pass to
the outer door, to fall back and give us room. 1
would take, in peace, these armed' men from before
the eyes of those who are unused to such sights.
Before you oppose this demand, think how easily
these hardy fellows could- make a way for themselves, against your divided force."
"Your companion, the experienced Captain Manual, will tell you that such a manmoeuvre would be
very utnmilitary with a superior body in your
rear "
" I have not leisure, sir, for this folly," cried
the indignant Griffith. "Do you refuse us an unmolested retreat from the Abbey "
":dI o.
Griffith turned, with a look of extreme emotion,
to the ladies, and beckoned to them to retire, 'unable to give utterance to his wishes in words. Af37 *




ï~~438

THE PILOT.

ter a moment of deep, silence, however, he once
more addressed Borroughcliffe in the tones of connitiation.
" f Manual and myself will return to our prison;s,.and submit to the will of your government,"
he said, "can the rest of the party return to the
tiigate unmolested?"
" They cannot," replied..the soldier, who, perceiving that the crisis approached, was gradually
losing his artificial deportment in the interest of the
moment. "You, and all others, who willingly in=
vade the peace of these realms, must abide the issue.", Then God protect the innocent and defend the
right!'
"Amen."
":Give way,.villains!" cried Griffith,,facing the
party.that held the outei. door; ", give way, or you
shall be riddled with our pikes!"
" Show them your muzzles, men!P' shouted
Borroughcliffe; ":-but, pull no trigger till they advance."
There was an instant of bustle and preparation,
in which the rattling of fire arms, blended with the
suppressed execrations and.threats of the. intended
combatants; and Geeilia and Katherine had both
covered their faces:to veil the horrid sight that was
momentarily expected, when Alice Dunscombe advanced, boldly, between the points of th.y threatening weapons, and spoke in a voice that stayed
the harids that were already uplifted.
" Hear me, men! if men ye be) and not demons,
thirsting for each other's blood; though ye...walk
abroad in the semblance of him. who died that ye
might be elevated t the rank of angels! caHl ye
this war? Is thlis the: glory that i made to warm
the hearts of even silly and confiding women? Is




ï~~THE PILOT.

439

the peace of families to be destroyed te gratify
yeur wicked lust for conquest; and s life to be
taken in vain, in order that ye may!boast of the
foul deed in your wicked revels! Fall back, then,
ye British soldiers! if ye be worthy of that name,
and give passage to a woman; and remember that
the first shot that is fired will be buried in her bosom!"
The men, thus enjoined, -shruk before her commanding mien, and a way was made for her exit
through that very door which Griffith had, in vain,
solicited might be cleared for himself and par=ty.
But Alice, insteadof advancing, appeared to have
suddenly lost the use of those faculties which had
already effected so much. Her figure seemed rooted to the spot where she had spoken, and her eyes
were fixed irt a settled gaze as if dweHlling; on some
horrid object. While she yet stood in this attitude
of unconscious helplessness, the door-way became
again darkened, and the figure of the Pilot was
seen on its threshold, clad, as usual, in the humble
vestments of his profession, but heavily armed
with the weapons ofnaval war. For an instant, he
stood a silent spectator of the scene; and then advanced calmly, but with searching eyes, mnto the
centre of the apartment.




ï~~CHAPTER XXVIfI.

Doo Pedro. WelcomeSeignior: you are almost come to part, almost,.a fray.M ch ado about nothang
"DowN with your arms, you Englishmen!" said
the daring intruider  "and you, who fight in the
cause of sacreod liberty, stay your hands, that nrio
unnecessary blood may flow. Yield yourseif, proud
Briton, to the power of the Thirteen, Republics!"
" Ia!"' exchaimed B1rroughcliffe, grasiing a
pistol,; with an air of great resolution, "the vbrk
thickens- I had not included this man ii my esfimate of their riunibers. Is he a Samson, thiat his
single arm can chahgeF tihe fa ce of things so suddeinly "!"Down with your own veaponi, you masquerader, or at the =report 6of this pistol, your bbdy
shall become a 'target for twenty bullets."
"And thine for a hundred!" retir-ned the pilot
-" without there'! wind your call, fellow, and
bring in our numbers. We will let this confident
gentleman feel: his weakness."
He had not done speaking, before the shrill
whistle of a boatswain rose gradually on the ears
of the listeners, until the sense of hearing became
painfully oppressed, by the piercing sounds that
rung under the arched roof of the hall and penetrated even to the most distant recesses of the Ah



ï~~THE PILOT.

441

bey. A tremendous rush of men followed, who
drove in before them the terrified fragment ofBorrougheliffe's command, that had held the vestibule
and the outer room became filled with a dark mast
of human bodies.
" Let them hear ye, lads!"' cried their leader
the Abbey is your own!"
The roaring of a tempest was not louder than
the shout that burst.' from his followers, who continued their cheers, peal on peal, until the very
roof of the edifice appeared to tremble with their
vibrations. Numerous   dark and shaggy heads
were seen moving aTound the passage; some cased
in the iron-bound caps of the frigate's boarders,
and others glittering with the brazen ornaments
of her marine guard. The sight of tihe latter,dd
not fail to attract the eye of. Manual, who rushdj
among the throng, and soon re-appeared, foli wed
by,a trusty band of his own men, who took possession of the post held by the soldiers of Borroughcliffe, while the dialogue wgs continued be
tween the leaders of the adverse, parties.
Thos far Colonel Howard had yielded to his
guest, withl a deep reverence for the pripeipl s of
military ssubordination, the functions of a commander, but, now that affairs appeared to change
so materially, he took on hi iself the right to quest on these intruders into his w d ling."
" By what authority, sir," the Colonel demanded, "'is it that ypu dare.thus to invade the castle
of a subject of this realm? Do you come backed
by the commission of the lord. lieutenant of the
county, or has your warrant the, signature of His
Majesty's Secretary for the Home Department?"'
" I bear no commission from any quarter," retirned the Pilot; "I rank only an humble follo wet- of the friends of America; and having led




ï~~442

THP, PILOT.

these gen tlemeii lito danger, I have' thought. it _my: 7.dutyr to se h  e trY &fed'.  Thley 'tie 'noi safe,
and the' rlit to  coin inid all' that   1ar Ame' rest
with Mr. Griffith, Who. Is Cdnlinis~i666d' by' the
Continental Congress: for. such service.
When he bad' sp"oket.'he fell' back from the -position he occupied, in th& centrfr ~ftti ikrom,. to
one, of its'sids r 4Are, leaning his bo y 'against
the wainscot,h6 atdod' a sient d'bsetvet df 4w, t
folowed"c It app ears, tli~n, that t 19s, to you, dlegenieratie
son, of amnost 'worthy fathe%:that 1 must repeat miy
demand,' 'cot~tinued' th2eern   "   ywhat iright
is mny dwellin5 thus. riudely assailed? and, why is
m1y" quiet,{ ini th1e peace of those 1 pio'tct, so dar
ingly violated'?"
" I might' answer you, Col. 14owaFd;, b'y saying
that it is accordiig to the laws'6f ais or'rather
in retaliationi for the tho asiiidevils that yodi" Enalish troops have inflicted, b'etween7 M'aine "and.
Georgia; bukit I wish 'not  to:increas~ th6'  Piipleasant character of this scene, iih dwill  tell Y otu that
our- adv inage.shadl be iused' with n'iodeiration.
The instant that' our m6n can b6e col15e~d, and
our prisoners properly securedA your dwellin  shall
be restord to' 'yur' a- h A~t~.W    a' "6 n" f'bootersj sir, ahd'yo i W~itt find  it- so' after our departure. Cajjtai "nua hi d'Zaw 6ff  yor guaid
int6 tle 7 rotnd~ "ai rh fir  r id yoAr  'dispositions' for a
r~eturni na 61. to oiu bo sLkLl 't 't ie bodrders fall
outi jou 1b'r  r
T hoe a'pW ae  or-d-. of. the 'young 1iei4nant,
wihh'wdua'liveced' #ferT'the:r,  M c uck fashion
of his pcdfessioin' opeiadl xon tW? d~uster.of. dark
figures~ tbA were grouped around _-the dobr, lre' a
abharn; and as tl~e men whom Bar~nstable hadÂ~ led,




ï~~TIJ E:Pl l,.OT

443

folkiwer d;their sb~ipmnates:in.to,.the, Court-yard, the
rooms twas now left to such only, as mrig~ht,be termed
the!-gentlemen.of the..invading party, and. the,;aniily of_, CplonelHoward..
B arastable;had continued. silent since Mis senior
offier' had~ assumed; the -comn and, listening most
attentively.to eacl, syllable'' that, foil from  either
side:    butnow that so few remaind and the time
prssed,.he.: spoke: agnii
"If we are to take boat so soon, Mr. Griflith,,it
would be seemly that.due. preparations should be
mr3ade -to;reeeiye_ -.the ladies,. whjo are.t honour us
witb-th'eir presence;~ sh1all J take that dity o myThe abrupt =proposal;prpduced a unlyergsal surprise in his hearers;" though the abashed  and con-;SCius explressio-n pf Katherine,:Plowd i's. feat jres
su-fi ieintly indicated,. that to.her,. at, least, it was,tot altpgether; unexpeectod, T.he ong g jle- ce 'that
-sueeeed. the; qu~estion. was,:interrupted bly.,Colo-;neLhI owavd.:
-  Te,e arc. iasters, gentlemen;" help yorselves
to whatever: best, suits your indinat ions.. MVy
dwellh g n.y jgpods,. ands. ny.v rdsf a~re, alike a t
yopr~dposal}--Tr, perlips Miss,Alie; bere, good.
end,i Dt~s    mc     nscop e;.jmy suit the:taste
of-.somenAMpng ye t Ah!:,.dd w  Giffth! Edreat~e no~  tatennn;l eityagain, tlyou
All. =ev  turned involuntarily at,.te~v  xpcted
s ds I(nd   e:; uscgara fy'p  qf',4il.p~ t -wyas
seen resuming, its attitude of repose~qg1,b st-Fte
aill zapu h ivoryfi) re:ofj his.frme was working
with:.spr Ad:
When  the..astonished. looks. ~of- Cri it.eae to




ï~~444

THE PILOT.

dwell on this extraordinary exhibition of inter est
in his companion, they were turned imploringly
towards the fair cousins, who still occupied the distant corner, whither fear had impelled them.
" I have said, that we are not midnight marauders, Colonel Howard," he replied: "but if any
there be here, who will deign to coinmit them'
selves to our keeping, I trust it will not be necessary to say, at this hour, what will be their reception."
" We have not time for unnecessary comnpliments," cried the impatient Barnstable;   here is
Merry, whqo, by years and bjood, is a suitable assistant for them, in arranging their little baggage--
what say you, urchin, can you play the lady's maid
on emergency?"
" Ay, sir, and better than I acted the pedlerboy," cried the gay youngster; " to have my merry cousin Kate and my good cousin Cicily for
shipmates I could play our common grandmother!
Come, coz, let us be moving; you will have to allow a little lee-way in time, for my awkwardness."
" Stand back, young man," said Miss Howard,
repulsing his familiar attempt to take her ainm;
and then advancing; with'a maidenly dignity; nigher to her guardian, she continued, "  I cannot know
what stipulations have' been 'made by my cousin
Plowden, in the 'secret treaty she has, made this
night with 1r. Barnstable; this for myself, Colonel Howard, I would 'have you credit your brother's child wheti she says, that, to her, the events
of the hour have not been' more unexpected than
to. yatrself.'
The veteian gazed at her, fora Inonent, with
an expression of his eye that denbtedi reviVig ten.
deriess; but gloomy doubts appeared 'to cross his




ï~~THE PILOT.

445

mmlndagaih, and he shook his head, as he walked
proudly away.
"Nay, then,"' added Cecilia,: her head dropping
meekly on her bosom, "I may be discredited by
my <uncle, but I cannot be disgraced>without some
act of mty-own."
She slowly raised her mild countenance again,
and bendinrg her eyes on her lover, she: continued,
while a rich rush of blood- passed over her fine
features--
" Edward Griffith, I will not, I cannot say how
humiliating it is to think that you cari,.for an instant; believe I would again forget myself so much
as to wish to desert him whom God has given, me
for a protector; for one chosen> by my' own erring
passions. And you, Andrew Metry! learn to-respeet the child of your mother's sister, if not for
her own sake, at least for that of her who watched
your cradle -!'
'"here appears to, be some mistake," said Barnstable,, who- participated, however, in no trifling
degree, in the embarrassment. of then abashed-boy;
"but, like all other mistakes on' such subjects, it
can be explained away, I suppose. - Mr. Griffith,
it remains for you to speak:-danin.it, man," he
whispered, "-you are as dumb as a cod-fish----I am
sure so fine a woman is wortha little fair weather
talk --you are muter than a four-footed beasteven an ass can bray"'
" We will hasten ourt departure, Mr Barnstable," rsaid Griffith, -sighing heavily, and rousing
himself, as if from a trance.. These rude sights
cannot but appal the ladies. You wiVll please, sir,
to direct the order of our march to the rshore.
Captairi- Manual has charge of our prisoners, who
Smust -all be secured, to answer for an equaI:-namher of our own countrymen."
38




ï~~446

THE PIIOT.

"And our countrywomen!" said Barnstable.
"are they to be forgotten, in the selfish recollection:of.our own security?"
" With; them we have no. right to interfere, unless, at their; request,"
" By Heaven! Mr. Griffith, this may smack of
learning,' cried the other, "and it may plead bookish authority as its precedent; but let me tell you,
sir, it savours but a little of sailor's love."
" Is it unworthy of a seaman, and a gentleman,
to. permit the woman he calls his mistress to be so,
other than in name??'.
" Well,~4their, Griff. pity you,i from my soul.
I would rather have had,,a sharp strugglefor the
happiness that I, shall now obtain so easily, than that
you should be thus cruelly disappointed. But you
cannot blame me, my friend, that I avail myself ot
foitune's favour. Miss,Plowden, your. fair hand.
Colonel Howard, I return you a thousand thanks
for the care you have taken,,hitherto, of this preci:us charge; and believe  nme, sir, that I,speak
frankly, w.hen I say, that:next to myself, I should
choose to intrust her with you in preference to any
man on.earth.'
The':Colonel turned to the speaker, and bowed
low, while he answered with, grave courtesy--, Sir, you repay my slight services with too
-.much. gratitude. If Miss Katherine Plowdenihas
not become under my gvardianship:all that her
good. father,.GCaptain John,.Plowden:, of the. Royal
Navy, could hay.e wished a dautghter of his to:.be,
the fault,  unqudstionably, is  o he attributed to:my
inability to instruct, and to,no inherent quaity in
t.he young lady herself,, lwill not say, take her,
sir, since you haive he i:your. possession: already,
an4~ it woet; be out of ay power to: al.ter the arragement; therefore, I:gan conlywish that you




ï~~THE PILOT.
447

may find her as dutiful, as a wif, as she has been,
hitherto, as a ward and a sub ect."
KatheHne had yielhkd her hankd, passively, to
her lover; ahd stffered 'him tb ead o he mre into
the circle than she had before bn; bit now she
threw off his ar'm, and 'shaking aside the dark curls
which 'she had rather invited 'to fall i disorder
around hei' brow, she raised her face and looke'd
proudly up, with an eye that sparkled with the
spirit of it 'mistress; and a face that grew pale with
rmoti66 -Uea c inblnifent, as she ptoae ddGentleihen, the one imay be as ready to receive as thh other iS' to reject but has the daughter of John Plowden no voice ih this cool disposdl
of her person?  If her guardiin tirsof her presence, other habitatidns may 'be foind,  vithouit inIlicting '0 severe a penalty on' this gentlerm anAS
to "ompel him to provide for her  acco mddatiob
in a vessel' which must be "already straitened for
room!"
She turied, an'd iejoined her cousin With such
an air of maidenly resentment, as a y'ohg woruh
would be apt to 'di'sover, who found herself the
subject of matrimonial arrangement, withbOt hedr
owhiifeliigs being at all consulted. Barnstable,
who krew but little of the windings f tie femalh
heart, or how necessary to his mistress, ITtwithstanding her 'pretiou  dedTarations; the coointenance of Cecilia wa, to any decided and open act
in hi favodur, 'tood in stupid wonder at- heir declaration. He Couild not conceive that a womin. who
had alrhdf bntufred so miuch ih sedret in his behalf' aad W o had so often avowed ier weak ne-ss,
s6old 'brink to declare it again; at such a crisis,
tho '"thh eyes  of a universe were on her  1H
looked frtm one of the party to the other, aid imet
in every f ce  an 'ekressioi of delicate reserve, ex



ï~~448

THE PILOT.

cept in those of the guardian of his mistress, one
of Borroughcliffe.
The Colonel had given a glance of returning
favour at her, whom, he now conceived, to be his
repentiant ward, while the countenance of the entrapped Captain exhibited a look of droll surprise,
blended with the expression of bitter ferocity it
had manifested since the discovery of his own
mishap.
SPerhaps, sir," said Barnstable, addressing the
latter, fiercely, "you see something amusing.about
the person of this lady, to divert you thus unseasonably. We tolerate no such treatment of oui
women iti America!"
" Nor do we quarrel before ours in England,"
returned the soldier, throwing back the fierce
glance of the sailpr with interest; "-but I was
thinking of the revolutions that time can produce!
nothing more I do assure you. It is not half an
hour since I thought myself a most happy fellow;
secure in my plans for overreaching the sceme
you had laid to surprise me; and now I am as miserable a dog as wears a single epaulette, and has
no hope of seeing its fellow!"
" And in what manner, sir, can this sudden
change apply to me?" asked Katherine, with all
her spirit.
"Certainly not to your perseverance in the project to assist my enemies, madam," returned the
soldier with affected humility; "nor to your zeal
for their success, or your consummate coolness at
the supper table! But I find it is time that I
should be superannuate--I can no longer serve
my king with credit, and should take to serving
my God, like all other worn-out men of the world t
My hearing is surely defective, or a paddock wall
has a most magical effect in determining sounds!'




ï~~THE PILOT.

449

Katherine waited not to hear the close c this
sentence, but walked to a distant part of the
room, to conceal the burning blushes that covered
her countenance. The manner in which the plans
of Borroughcliffe had becomeknown to his foe, was
no, longer a mystery. Her conscience also reproached her a little, with some unnecessary coquetry as she remembered, that quite one half of
the dialogue between her lover and herself, under
the shadow of that very wall to which Borroughcliffe alluded, had been on a subject altogether foreign to contention and tumults. As the feelings
of Barnstable were by no means so sensitive as
those of his mistress, and his thoughts much occupied with the means of attaining his object,, he did
not so readily comprehend the indirect allusion of
the soldier, but turned abruptly away to Griffith,
and observed, with a serious air--
" I feel it my duty, Mr. Griffith, to suggest,
that we have standing instructions to secure all the
enemies of America, wherever they may be found,
and to remind you, that the S.. tates have not hesitated to make prisoners of females., in many instances."
'. Bravo!" cried Borrougheliffe; "if the ladies
will not go as your mistresses, take them as your
captives!"
-' Tis well for you, sir, that you are a captive
yourself, or you should be made to answer for this
speech," retorted the irritate B13arnstable. " It is
a responsible c;mmand, Mr./Griffith, and must not
be disregarded."'
"To your duty,. Mr. Barnstable,"' said Griffith,
again arousing from deep abstraction, "you have
your orders, sir; let them be executed promptly."
"I have also the orders of our common superior, Capt. Munson, Mr. Griflith; and I do,assure
29          38*




ï~~450

THE. P ILOT.

you, sir, that in making out my instructions for the
rieblr-poor thing! there are no, two of her timbers hanging together--but my instructions. were
decidedly particular on that head."
" And my orders now supersede them,"
" But am I justifiable in obeying a verbal ordei
from anl inferior, in direct.opposition to a written
instruction?"
Griffith had hitherto mnanifested in jhis deportment nothing more than a cold deterrination to
act,. but the blood now flew to,: every vasselt in his
cheeks and forehead, and. phis dark eyes flashed
fire, as he cried authoritatively---
"I How, sir! do you hesitate to obey?"
I' By-heaven,sir,; would dispute the command
of the Continental Congress itself, should they bid
me so far to forget nmy duty to- to-"
"Add yourself, sir!--  Mr. Barnstable, let this be
the last ofit  To your, duty, sir."
'My duty call me here, Mr, Griffith.',
" I must act, then, or be bearddt;by my own
officers, Mr Merry,.direct, 'Qptain ManaAl to
send in a serjeant and a file of mnarin.es.??
" Bid him come on himself!" cried Barnstable,
maddened to desperation by his disappointment;
'tis not his: whole corps that c'an disarm mne- let
them come on! Hear, there, you Aries! rally
arourd your captain."
" The, man among them who dare to cross that
threshold with0out,.my order, dies," cried Griffith,
menacing with a naked banger.the: seamen who
had promptly advanced at the call of iheir old commander. ' " Yield your sword, Mr. Barnstable, and
spare yourself the disgrace 0:f having it forced from
yo, by.a common tsoldier.'
",Let me see the dog -,who dare attempt it!"
exclaimed Barnstable,,flourishing. his weapon in




ï~~THE PILOT.

451

fiere anger. Griffith had extended his own, armin- the earnestness of his feelings, ard their hangers
crossed' 'eaeh other... The clashing of the steel
operated on both like the sound of the clarioni ona a
war-horse, ahd therewere sudden and rapid blows,
and as rapid parries, exchanged between the flashming weapons.
"Barnstable! Barnstable!" cried Katherine,
rushing into his earms, "I will go with you to the
ends"of the earth!"
Cecilia:Howard did not speak  but when Griffith ecovered his coolness;, he beheld her beautiful form kneeling at his feet,'with her pale' face
bent imploringly on his own disturbed countenance.
The cry of'Miss Plowden had separated the'combatants, before an opportunity for shedding blood
had been afforded-; but the young iien exchanged
looks -of keen resentment, notwithstanding the
interference of their mistresses. At this nmviment
Col. Howard advanced, and raising his niece from
her hum'hleposture, said"This is not a situation for a child of farry
Howard, thoughhe knelt in the presence, and, before the throne of her Sovereign. Behold, my
dear  Cecilia, the natural consequences' of this rebellion-!- It scatters discord in their ranks; andy:
by,its damnable levelling principles, destroys all
distinction of rank among themselves; even these
rash boys know not where obedience is due!"
"It is due to me," said the Pilot, who now
s'teppd forWard among the agitated group, "and
it is time that I enforce it. Mr. Griffith, sheath
yoir swod  ' And you, "siir, who have defied the
authlrity of your' senior officer; and have forgotten thle bligation of your oath, submit, and return
to you d rty."
Griffith started at the sounds of his calm voice'




ï~~452

THE PILOT.

as if with sudden recollection; and then bowing
low, he returned the weapon to its scabbard:ut
Barnstable still encircled the waist of his mistress
with one arm, while with the 9ther he brandished
his hanger, and laughed with scorn at this extraordinary assumption of authority.
" And who is this!" he cried, "who dare give
such an order to me P'
The eyes of the Pilot flashed with a terrible fire,
while a fierce glow seemed to be creeping over his
whole frame, which actually quivered with passion. But, suppressing this exhibition of his feelings by a sulden andpowerful effort, he answered,
in an emphatic manner" One who ha" -right to order, and who will be
obeyed '!"
The extraordinary manner of the speaker contributed as rmuch as his singular assertion to induce Barnstable, in his surprise;, to lower the point
of his weapon, 'with an 'air that might easily have
been inistaken for submission. The Pilot fastened
his glowing eyes on him, for an instant, and then
turning to the rest of the listeners, he continued,
more mildly" It is true that we came not here as marauders,
and that our wish is, tb do no unnecessary acts of
severity to the aged and- the helpless. But this
officer of the Crowri, and this truant American in
particular, are fairly our prisoner's; as such, they
must be conducted on board our ship."
" But the main object of our expedition?" said
Griffith.
' 'Tis lost," returned the Pilot, hastily-" 'tis
sacrificed to more private feelings; 'tislike a hundred others, ended in disappointment, and is forgotten, sir, for ever. But the interests of the Republics must not be neg!ected, Mr. Griffith.--




ï~~THE PILOT.

453

Thgugh we are not madly to endanger the lives
of.those gallant fellows, to gain a love-smile from
o eO young beauty, neither are, we to forget the
advaatages they may have obtained for us, in ord4er to procure one of approbation from another.
This Colonel Howard will answer well in a bargain with the minions of the Cirown, and may purchase the freedom of some worthy patriot who is
deserving of his liberty. Nay, nay, suppress that
haughty look, and turn that proud eye on any, rather than me.! he goes to the, frigate, sir, and that
immediately."
SThen," said Cycilia Howard, timidly approaching the spot where her uncle stood, a disdainfut
witness of the dissensions amongst his captors;
" then, will I go with him! He shiall never be a
resident among-his enemies alone.!"
I't It would:be more ingenuous, and more worthy of my brother's daugiter,'s said her uncle,
coldly, " if she at tbed her willingness to depart
to its proper motive."  Disregording the look of
deep distress with 'which Cecilia received this
mortifying rejection of her tender attention, the
old man walked towards Borroughcliffe, who was
gaawing the hilt of his sword, in very vexation at
the downfall of his high-raised hopes, and placing
hims6lf by his side, with an air 'of infinitely dignifie.  sibmission, he continued, ' act your pleasure
oq u, gentlemen:. you are the conquerors, and
we must even submit. A brave man knows as
well. how to yield with decorum, as to defend himself stoutly, when he is not surprised, as we have
been.. But if an opportunity should ever offer!Act, your pleasures, gentlemen; no two lambs
were ever half so meek as Captain Borroughcliffe
and myself."
The smile of affected, but bitter resignation, that




ï~~454

T EIt P IoT

the colonel bstoWed on his fellow-prisonera; w
retuirntliV ty"that officer ' ith" an?'at 6ipt- at' ri-ibi
lity thati abundantly' betokened the, disturbed  tite
of his feelings. Thbet.o,  ho eveir, succeded in
so far maintaining appeances, as to, contirplaate
the sueediig  ii6vements of th eonqterors with
a sufficient degree of oniposure.
The colonel steadily and eoldly rejected the advandes ofhis niece,who bowed meekly t ohis will,
and relinquished, for. the present, the hope of
bringing him to a sense of his injtistice. She,
however, employed herself in earnest, to give such
directioris as i vere necesary to eitforce the" esolution she '-had avowed, and in' this unexpected
employiment  she found botha ready and 'a WilYling
assistant 'in hlrr cousin. The latter, unknown to
Miss Howard, had, in anticbipation. of' soin1 su.ch
event as the present, long since mnade, in secret,
all those preparations-whice kmight become necessary to a sudden flight  from. the "Abbey. In con=
junction with her lover then, who, perceiving that
the plan  of the Pilot was frtfhering his own views,
deemed it most wise to forget his quarrel withthat
mysterious individual, sh e fleW' to point ouit the
means of securing th6ose articles which Wee 'already'  in  prepai-ation.  Tiitstable and Mery aconmpanied hielight steps among the -'narowi, dark
passages of the Abbey, "with  the utmost -delight;
the' formei' rep htedly aplo t  zdphii' her ':wit and
beauty, and, inded; all of her-various"mierits,' and
the latter, laughing, ahd induliging tidse bu'oyant
spirits, that a boy of his years and 'reflfection niight
be supposed to' feel, in such a horrid sCene; It
was 'fortunate  'for  her cousin, that Katherin  had
possessed so much 'forethought, for the atetinton
of Cecilia Howard was directed much noi-r&to the
comforts o0f her uncle, than to those which were




ï~~TruEi PILOT.

ppcesaiy for her"self.,Attended,.by:Alie  uns-.cpnih e,, th~e young mistress.  St.,,1Rtth..moved.thrcqug  the solitary. apartmients of the buildilng
list eningto,the mild, religiou~s; consolatioj of.h(,.
cqmnpafliqn, in sjlenee,. at tines,yielding. to those.
buists of mortfied feeling,:that s e. could. not repress,:or: again as, calmly,,giving her -orders. to lwr"
ni-J.-as if the intended- movepn~ent wsone of:b'it
ordinarIy interest... All. this.time: the party.in the:dining, hail xein ained. stationary. The:Pilot, as if
satisfied withi what he, had already done, sunk. back
to his. re6linino' attitude against th-e, all, tbaoigh
his eyes keenly, watched.: eyery.*,,oyvement of
the preparations, ini a mannier which deno~ted that
hi,.wasthe,master spirit that,,4irected. te whole.
trif ith iad,, however,   'esunepd, in._ppe~rance, the.cor maed, -And.:the busy-.,ea~nen addressed them.~
selves for o.rjers to: him..alope.. in.tliis manner:anl
sur was;consum~ed,  when Qeeii sadl ahei,appearing,ins lpecession,,at(ired: in.,abuitable manpoe, for thieir,..eparture,' And ffie..baggage of the.whole p;p-rty.havng:beenx tarqady_ _entrusted to a
petty:Q off" ie'.ai a party, of leis ymen, Griffth.gave
fq tfr, (he  customary,ordeir to, pt t the, )whole in iro-.tfton. The sbhrill, -piercing =w,' stle, of heboatswain
once!, pote _ rung "ax ong  the,gejlies and ceilings
of. the- Abbey, alnd. was foiwed4 by the..deep,
hparseta cr y of."w ayt there!. you shore-draft!. aiway,;tler,
you boarders.!.ahead_,.h Mave ahead, s ea-d0gs:1"
This ~extiaordinary summons. was.succ2eded by
hJe roll.?of -a- drum, anidthe.,strain: of a iif'e', from
AVitbou#t, when the whole party, mved,. frpun the
~ualding, in.) the order,that h... Â~beeni pre viously
y rocribed bye Captain. Manual,.-who acted; s_ thne
mnarshal;af the, forces,on:the..occasion.
The iot had conducted *his surprise with so




ï~~456

THE PILOT.

much skill and secrecy as to have secured every
individual about the Abbey, whether male or female, soldier or civilian; and as it might be dangerous to leave any behind who could convey intelligence into the country, Griffith had ordered
that every human being, found in the building,
should be conducted to the cliffs; to be held in durance, at least, until "the' departure of the last boat
to the cutter, which, he was informed, lay close in
to the land, awaiting -their,re-embarcation. The
hurry' of the departure had caused many lights to
be kindled in the Abbey, erid the contrast between
the glare witin, anid the gloomi without, attracted
the wandering iooks of the captives, as they issued ifto the padd6ck. One of those indefinable,
and uniccounrifa'ble feelings, which so often - cross
the humiian fiid, induced Cecilia to pause at the
gret  giie.f the grotunds, and lok back at the
Abbey, with a piresentiment, that she was to befi6ld it for the last time. The -dark and raggedl
outline of the edifice was clearly delineatedagairist
the northern: sky, whbile, the open windows, and
neglected doors, permitted -a view of the soliftude
within. Twenty tapers were shedding their useless light in the empty apartments, as if in m6ckery of the deserted walls, and Cecilia. turned,,;huddering, from thee sight, to press nigher to the
person of her indignant  uncle,  with -a secret imipresion that her presence would soon be motre necessary than. ever to his happiness.
The low hum of voices in front; with the occasional strains of the fife, and the stern'mandates of
the sea-officers, soon recalled her, however; fromthese visionary thoughts to 'the, surrounding realities, while the 'whole party pursued their way ' th
dilignce to the mar in of f   ocean.




ï~~CHAPTER XXIX.

A heftain to the Highlands borwd,
Cries. Boatman, do not tary!
And I'll give thee a silver pound,
To row us o'e the ferry.'
Lord Ullin'a Daugt.,THE sky had been: without a cloud during the
day, the gale haying been dry, and, piercing, and
thiousands of stars were.now shining through a
chill atmosphere. A  the:eye, therefore, became
acc stomed. to the change of light, it obtained a
more distinct: yiew of surrounding objects.  At
the head of the line, that w as stretched' along the
narrow pathway, marehed.a platoon of the marines,
who maintained the regular and steady front of
trained VWarriors. They were followed, at some
little. distance, by a lai;ge nd confused body of sea
men, hvlgyy ar;med, whose disposition to disor
di r an  ude mei:riment which became more vio
lent from T heir treading on solid ground, iwas with
difiiculty restrained. by the presence and severe
rehukes of their own, officers. In The centre of
tis,  enfu ed mass, the. whole of the common prisoners. were placed, but were no otherwise attended to by their nautical guard, than as they fumnished At  subjects,of fun and i:numberless quaint
jokes. At some distance in.their rear, marched
Col Hioward and Borrougheliffe, arm min arm.
39




ï~~458

THE PILOT.

both maintaining the most rigid and dignified si.
tence, though under the influence of very bitter
feelings. Behind these again, and pressing as mnigh
as possible to her uncle, was Miss Howard, leaning on the arm of Alice Dunscombe, and surrounded by the female domestics of the establishment
of St. Ruth. Katherine Plowdqlq moved lightly
by herself, in the sliadow of this group, with elastic steps, but with a maiden coyness, that taught
her to veil her satisfaction with the semblance of
captivity.  Barnastable..at hd her movements
with delight, within..six eet Oher, butsubmitted
to the air ofPcaprice in his mistress, which -seemed
to require that he should approach no nearer
Griffith, avpiding the direct line of the pa:ty, walked on its skirts in such a situation tiat' his eye
could com niand its '.Whole eXtent, in ordei  if necessary, to direct the movemnts. Another body
of the marines marched at ithe close of the procession, and Manual, in person; brought up the rear
The music had ceased by command, and nothing
was.now. audible, but the regular tread of the' soldiers, with the sighs of the dying gale, iuterrupted
occasionally by the voice of 'an officer, or the hum
of low dialogu-e.
" This has been a Scotch prize that we've ta
ken "  muttered a surly'old seaman; "a ship *i'thout head-ioney-. or eargo! There was kitchen
timber en ugh 'in the old.j fug of a place, to 'have
given any ou'tfit.in croekery and knee-buekles to
every lad in the ship; but, -no!' let a man's mouith
eater er so Imuch for foodand rahnent, damme,
if the offieers 'would give'. hin cleave to '.teal even
so good a thing as a spare Bible.",
aYi'x 'niays,8y all' that,  id then make but a
short yarin of the truth," returned the messmate,
who walked by his 'side; "'  if there had been such




ï~~THE PILOT.45

459

a  thmgas a ready made prayer handy; they~wouild
have  choused a poor fellow ou-t -of the-u-se of it.I say; r'Ben; I'll tell ye- wtphat; it's miy opinion, that
if a chap is to turn soldier, a'nd carry a musket,'he,
should= have soldiers'- play, and 'leave "to plunder'a
little-now the devil a th kg have. [laid ny,hands
on to'-night, except this fire'lock-j.'and my cutlashunles you can call' this  bit of  a tabie~clotlf son&thing= of az windfall.":
"'Ay!~y you ha ve  fallen In there with a fresh 'bolt
of duck. I! see '"..-said.the other, in Manifest adiration' of' the texture of' his  companion's' prize" why, it would'spi'ad as 'broad 'a 'cle as our mizenroyal,' if it,W-as  loosened!wel y:.i"6r luck
hasn't been e very trin's 'luck-florniy part, I1think
this here''  hat was '''ade for '"soime? ibliow's great
toe: l've igged it on miiy' head 'both' fore-and-aft,
anid  athwart shipas; but" curse6 th e inch 'can 1 drive
it dowin-rI say; Sdam! yo-u'll give us a'sh i t off  that
table-clothi?"
"cAy, ay, y~u can hiave one corner:of itb'; or for
that nmatter,  ye "can take Â~the 'full' half  N ick'; hot I
don't see that{ we go off t6 the ship -any r iher than
we'. landed' fitless you may  'iuster -she-Cattle
among your prize-money."
c o" 'ricleh!i' intefrupted' a, ivagish iyimg
5ailor, Who Â~had:beei" hitherto a- silent_ l stener to
thee cb nvrs~ati6.'betwTeen h17  olde~r' andd'i mnire calculatinY s6h.pniate' "I think' we' are setupfor a:
crui5'e 'itt theme seas viyer ee day watiches 'ast six
rionths ~ don't  you seee e have caught' &kddhbI
all' ovahce f  midnig ht'!
Wbl s~eiing, he laid' his bands; on. t bare
and'.voolly' heads'of Colo nci Hbward's't6 o -black
slavesWho were movingi ner' hlim; both;Occupied
in mdnurn'ful 'forebodinigs on the results that jwe~t
flkw firom:i this unexpected loss'- of thieir'libertyT.'




ï~~460,

THE PILO r
"Slue your faces this way, gentlemen,' he add=
ed;- " there; don't you think that a sight to put
out the binnacle lamps? there's darkness visible.
for ye!'
"Let the niggars.alone,'"' grumbled one of the
more' aged spca. ts "what are ye sky-larking
with the like of them., for? the next thing they'l
sing out, and thenf you'll hear one.of the officers
in your wake. For my part, Nick, I can't see
why it is that we keep dodging along.shore here,
with less than ten fathoms under us, when, by
stretching into the broad Atlantic, we might fall in
with a Jamatca-man every day or two, and have
sugar hogsheads, and rum puncheons as plenty
aboard us as hard fare is now."'
", It is all owing to that, Pilot," returned the
other; " for d'ye see, if there was no bottom, there
would be no Pilots.: This is a dangerous cruising
ground, where we stretch into five,fathoms, and
then drop our lead on a sand-spit, or a rock! Besides, they make night-work of it. too! If we had
daylight for, fourteen hours instead of seven, a-man
might trust to feeling his way for the other ten."
Now, a'n't ye a couple, of old horse marines!'"'
again interrupted the young sailor; " don't you
see that Congress wants us0to cut up. Johany Bull'
coasters, and that old Blow-Hard has found the
days too short for his business, and. so he. has landed a party 'to get hold of -night. -Here we have
him!.- and when we get off to the. ship, we shall
put him under hatches, and then you'll se,. the
face of the sun again! Come, my lilies! letthese
two gentlemen look into yotur cabir, windowswhat? you won't! Then I must squeeze., your
woollen night-caps for ye!"'
The negroes, who had bee. submitting, to his
humours with the abject humility of slavery, now




ï~~THE PILOT.

gave. certain low intimations that they were suffer
ing  pain, under the rough manipulation of their
tormentor.
" What's that!" cried a stern voice, whose
boyish tones seemed= to mock the air of authority
that was assumed by the spq    ',"who's that, I
say,  aising that cry among ye?"
The wilful yoror man slowly removed his two
hands from the. Woolly polIs of the slaves, but as he
suffered them to; fll reluctantly along their sable
temples, he;gave the ear.of one of,the blacks a
tweak that caused him to give vent: to another cry,
that was. uttered with a much greater confidence
of sympathy than before.
" Do ye hear, there i":. repeated Merry-" who's
sky-larlking with those. negroes?" '. 'Tis no one, sir," the sailor answered with affected gravity  "one of the pale:faces has hit his
shin against a 'cob-web, and:it has made his ear
ache.!"
"Harkye, you Mr. Jack Joker b how came you
in the midst of the prisoners? did not I order you
to handle your pike, sir, and to keep in the outer
line?"
" Ay, ay, sir, you did; and I obeyed orders as
long as I  could; but these niggars have made the
night so dark, that I lost my way!"
A low laugh passed through the confused: crowd
of seamen, and even the  midshipman might have
bee indulging himself in a similar manner at this
specimen of quaint humour from the fellow, who
was one of those licensed men that are to be fotid
in every ship. At length--
" Well, sir,"' he said, "you have found out your
false reckoning now; so get you back to the place
where I, bid you- stay."
"Ay, ay, sir, I'm going. By all the blunders
39 *




ï~~462

42THE' PILO~T

in thie ptrsef's  bdok, -Mr. Mery, 'but' that cobweb':
has' niade ee ' of  thiese  niggars' shed tears'! "Do
let me stay, to catch a little- ink, sir, to'' wirito' a'
letter 'W ith 'to my poor 'old,mother-devril the line
has =she" had' fromw me' 'since; we sailed' fi'on the
Chesatleak6 '
"If ye don't mind me -at once, Mr.-Jack Joker;
I'll lay myr cutlass over   otlr "head," returnedMerry, his 'voice 'now betrayihg" a m'iueh-greater  sy,,pathy -in the sufferings of' tha't abject 'racdwho'ar~e
still: in some measure, b'ut Who former"ly were ni uch'more, the butts of the unthinking' and licentious;
amblig our '16w count'yme'n.'-"  then'.ye.can w rit
your letter in red ink if y e- will!"
"'I wouldn't 'do 'it Tort' te wiorld;"' said Joker,
sneaking away, towards' his", proper. statioh-"'the'
old 'lady'~wouldb'' Jforg&!the hand, anrd -swoar it was
a' forgery  I  wonder,; though, if  the b reakeifs on
the coast 'of' Guinea he' black!",as''I've'  heard old
seamen say who have, cruised in them latitudes':-''
=Iis 'idle:1evityp iys' sudde-nly ihitetrupted by'a
volie that( spoke' dbove the low''htrn of the mtarch;
with-an, air~ df authority,-and a 'sever ty of tone' thatÂ~
could always quell,. by a single word;, the most vi -
olent' ebnllitio'n of mnerrimnent; in' the, crew.
TPhe~ low 'bukzi i  sounds of" l'Ay, there goes= Mei.
Griffith!"and of"   Jack' hasp kvbk6k up  the first
lett ' te-adb        'rr     oW-sep    isfwee  heard pa ssing 'amiong" the men.  But' these
suppressed' cointiunications soon' -ceased= anid.:eVen
Joek ' Jbker hinmself pursuted' his way with -diligence, oan the skirts. of the 'party, as  miutely ts' if
the power -of:speech did- not'belong to his.QiaP
zation
Th& reader has too often accompanied' us' over
the ground between. the Abbey and t'he-oceani,- torequire,anY -descrip'iu -of the route pursued by




ï~~'i'1ii. PILO0T.46

463

the. - e" en.durip:g tbeP 'precedig c iaracteristic
"~~6                           jiv a ssty ) L
4aent ssxyhii  Qp.gcurr~d' on! thje aul~r~.fte  r,
at tbe Cl )s.   tA ~e ni  Who il so unexpecte a4 Suim~.. moinenta"r auth~or y. witi t.
tlh had unaeco ntabI4y di.appeared from~ an
~be~,~'i~fit ~~titoed. tQ execise thie' i1iht of
con    n;   ihu    refen~ng,  o lany;Qth~er.for conxs1atiom' lie neverd Adressed' % mse~f to - Barr.$t ble,. zld it' was qppardnt thbt hth t3ae haughty
yo~~   rneI fe1t tjat the -tie whih h ld l1therto
ritd.the ii in such.;clo~e intimacy, vv,fdr the
pr~sent rat least,i~tiiely severed. Indeed.,.riffith was' only;restrained bey t1 e preseice  of  Cecljta an1. athe~irte. from;rrestng his irefractory
ilnferior on thie,spot  and Barnstabe, w'lpor Met a l
t1he_ consciousne ss oaf error, ith1titS i'per huInlty,;with difficulty' so far repreossed 4his~ f elin~gs,
as.to, forbear exhibiting in die. reseice  of hi~r misttress, such a i:if'estation of, lis  "spirit as his
iy oauncled vanity jn~uced hiin to. itijagin>,< was -necessayry to his. hand r.  The jt~co hovW:.ver acted
ii ~brmiuny onioi~c  ubjct; th~9dg  it was  wthout
Copce't, or;commi~unication1.' The  first, obj&et with
both   the young  men was to secure the~ emharka
tiop of the. faijr cousins;; anc J. Barnstabl e proceeded
in 'stantly to the boats, in order. to. Wastcn l he prepara~tions, that- vte. pgecesary:befQre th y could
r'eceive these unlexpe.cted captives: th d~e'scent
aftbe  lt  having be e11 in de in suceh force.Bs to
reqiretheuse of all the frigate's b'o~ts, which
wVere 'left: rding in the outer edgre of' the; suirf,
awataing the return ofthie expedition. ='A lo ti call
f oi i a nstabl'e gave,notiee to tlbe 'officer in -comnii aidahtl'a few moments, the beach'Nio was  t~vded with, the busy apd active crews of the 'cutters,'
'laiinehes2' '.barges;' '1jolly-boats,"',t 'pimaces,' or




ï~~464

THE PILOT.

by whatever names the custom of the times attached to the different atte-idaits of vessels of "War
Had the fears of the ladies themselves been c6nsulted, the frigate's launch would have been selected for their use, on account of its si~e'; but
Barnstable, who would have thought such a choice
on his pairt humiliatihg to his guests, ordered the
long, low barge- of Captain Munson to be drawn
upon the sand, it being pecduliarly the boat of honour:. The hands of fifty men wei-e applied to the
task, and it was soon announced to Colonel Howard and his wards, thait the little vessel was ready
for their reedption.  Manual had halted on the
summit of the cliffs with the whole body of the
marines, Where he was busily employed in posting
pickets and sentinels, and giving the necessary instructions to his men to cover the embarkation of
the seatmen, in a style thait he conceived to be altogether military. The mass of the common prisoners, including the inferior d0omestics of the Abbey,
and?the men o6f Bor oughcliffe, were also held in
the same place, under a suitable guard; but Colonel Howard and his companion, attended by the
ladies and their own maids, _had descended the
rugged path to the beach, aind were standing passively on the sands, whenthe iritelligence that the
boat waited f6or them was 4annoin'ced.
" Where ishe?" aisked Alice 'Duniscombe, turning her head, as if anxiouisly searching for some
other than those around her.'
"Where is who?" inquired Barnstable; "c' we
are all here, and the boat waits."
And will hle tear me-even me, from thl honme
of my infancy! the land of my birth and my af
fections!"
"I know not of whom you speak, madam, but




ï~~THE  JLOT

if it he. of Mr Grilith. he stands there, just with"
out that cluster of seamen."
Griffith, hearing himself thus named, approached.he ladies, and, for the first time since leaving the
Abbey, addressed them:--" I hopeI am already
understood," he said, " and that it is unnecessary
for me to, say, that. no female here -is a prisoner;
though should any choose to trust themselves on
board our ship, I pledge to then.he honour of an
officer, that they shall find themselves protected,
and safe."
"Then will I not go,' said Alice.
It is not epected of you," said Cecilia;
Syou have no ties to bind you to any here."(The eyes of Alice were still wandering over the
listeners) " Go, then, Miss Alice, and be the
nmistress of St. Ruth, until my return; or," she
added, timidly, " until Colonel Howard may declare his pleasure."
1" obey you, dear child; but the agent of Colonel Howard, at B..--, will undoubtedly be authorized to take charge of his effects."
While no one, but his niece alluded to his will,
the master of the Abbey had found, in his resentment, a sufficient apology for his rigid demeanour,
but he was far.top well bred to bear, in silence,
such a modest appeal to his wishes, from so fair
and so loyal a subject as Alice Dunscombe.
"To relieve you, madam, and for no.other reason, will speak on this subject," he said  "otherwise, I should leave the doors and windows of St.
Ruth open, as a melancholy monument of rebel[io, and. seek my future -compensation from the
Crowi,. when the confiscated estates of the leaders of this accursed innovation on the rights of
princes shall come to the hammer. But you;
30




ï~~TTE_ PILC'T.

Miss Alice, are entitled 'to' ev-ery considaeratiofl
that a lady c an expctt froii- a, eiil~maii. Be
Pleased, therefore, to w-rite to: mly agent,,and, iequest' himn to seal up 'my papers, and transmit them
to the office of his Ma. jesty's  ecret try of State.
TWhey breathe no tre'asomadami, and are entitled
t6 official protection. The house and  most of the
furnittfre,1 'as" you 'know, are the property' 6f my
lanld   whoin.due tine&,x ill doubitless take
chrarg e of his 6,wn. interest.  I kiss you rhand, MS
Alice, and I hope we shall yet meet rat StL Jameis's
-depend.on it, mnadam,; that the l.bycil-Chcirlotte
shall yet hon6ur your merits; I kinow shoe "cannot
bint estihiate your loyalty."
t' lYdi'e I wa s 'born, ina humbhle obscurity-here
1 'have lived, mdd here Ihope:to. die in quiet"returned the nieek Al';ice   ' "if' l have kno\"n an
pleasure, in ite  years, beyond 'tha t which every
Christian can find in our" daily duties, it has hbeen.,
mly sweet 'fr-i'eds, ln youir..ccidenital society.Such companions,' ini this r temote corner  of th~e
kingdom, has been ca,boon; too precious to. be enjoyed without ally-, it seems, and I have now to
exchange the past pleasurefor preseht pain. Adieu'
mny yoii 'friends 'let.your ttust bef lilhi, to
w hose eyes both prince -And peasant, the European
and the A mericaii aiea    ike  u  esalme
againl, though it be,ei;. in th  sdn  fBrti
nor. on. yur ow n  Tide   6W tiient.. Tht   said Cdlb'ide HowVard, advancin gand
t~ukiiig  her: hd w;ith kind es " that is the only
dislo~al 'sentihient I have ev er "heard fall fromi the
lips oA Miss Alike "Dunsco mbe!  Is it t6 be supposed that JlIeaveii has 'established orders amobng
men ahnd that it does not resp ect the wiorkCs of Its
owhi foi'atioi! But adieu; no doubt 'if time was




ï~~T1I1, PILOT.47

46 J

-pllowed. us; for. suitable explainations, wep should
ALh-;but rlittle, ot. no:dii~eenee of.-opiniopn;f.this
subj.ect."
A lice' did not appear to consider the mattei as
wvoithy- of. further~ discussion at; su~ch, a:mpment, for
tshe, gently returned.the, coloniel's,leave{: tking and
then,. gave her undivided; attention; to er fema e
friends. Cecjlia wvept. bitterly fon the. shoulder of
her respected coppa -,io,.g v.igv~t 4to her regre  at  larting, andl; her; e cited feelin~gs,; at, the
sane mnoment;.and  titherine,,pressed toq the side
of Alice, with tije liindlinieqs. po p.l by her
warm, but; trut   -bgart. r Their, xinbraccs, were
giveni and received,in, silence,,.and,,ech of the
young ladies. imoved towar~ds,the; bop4,.as slbe withdrew4.herself, fromn the.. arms of,,Mss ThfseQmbe.
C..Howard would not, precede I~is w~ards.; neither
would he assist, themn into the bar~ge..That attention';they received from 'Barnstable, 'who, after= seeigi- th.e, ladies and their attendants,,s ated, burned
to. the gentlemen, and observed-.,
"The. -boatw jaits."
tiVlMiss Alc   said Borroughcjiff'e, inbt
host, w ith,a  uessage; to his agentt;. willyou: doL a siit ilarsovice to me,,and,write. a, repor't to the comr; nd~e 'pf the d styict and just tel1 him_ what,.dolt
--.-ay, nse,the rplainest.ternis ancd say yvrit4 angass,
one.,Q aptain Bo ro }ghcljff ~a  e 4 nn~ in 1 T
'hi-air,. You mnay thyx p    v   of episo~de,
Ajli he; has be ',playing b07 pp p wvith.xe   jlouq:yo; g Jady,fromV the  olonkies, an4',1lkhe,a g-reat
hyhas:' had, Js bead, hrpk en.fpr hs, pajp isCp
My worthy. host,, or. rather f'ello: ~p io xe ', I fo
lo0w y loiu~iin du4ty, bound.",
ec,-St$E,"r tc;ed. QGritth; e",.-C p.   Eor c rlffe
Aoesnot. embmrk. in.that boat."




ï~~468

T'IIEI' IAT.n

" HIa! sir; am I to be herded with the common men? Forget you that I have the honour to
bear the commission of his Britannic Majesty, and
that--"
"'I forget nothing that a gentleman is bound to
remember, Captain 'Borroughcliffe; among other
things, I recollect the liberality of' your treatment
to myself, when a prisoner. The instant the safety of my command will justify such a step, not
only you, but your men, shall be set at liberty."
Borroughcliffe started in surprise; but his feelings were too much soured by the destruction of
those visions of glory, in which he had been luxuriously indulging for the last day or two, to admit of his answering as became a man. lie swallowed his emotions, therefore, by a violent effort,
and walked along the beach, affecting to whistle a
low, but lively air.
"Well, then," cried Barnstable-" all our cap.
tives are seated.  The boat waits only for its
officers!"
In his turn, Griffith walked away, in haughty silence, as if disdaining to hold communion with his
former friend. Barnstable paused a moment, from
a deference that long habit had created for his superior officer, and which was not to be snauen off
by every burst of angry passion; but perceiving
that the other had no intention to return, he ordered 'the seamen to raise the boat from the sand
and bear it bodily into the water. The command
was instantly obeyed; and by the time the young
lieutenant was in- his seat, the barge was floating
in the still heavy, though no longer dangerous surf,
and the crew sprang into their places.
"Bear her off, boys!" he cried; "never mind
a wet jacket. I've seen many a worthy fellow tumbling on this beach in a worse time than this!




ï~~'.'H  PILOT             46U
Now you have her head to sea; give way, my
souls, give way."
The seamen rose simultaneously at their oars,
and by an united effort obtained the command of
their boat; which, after making a few  sudden
ascents and as many heavy pitches in the breakers, gained the smoother seas of the swelling
ocean, and stemmed the watemrs in a direction for
the place where the Alacrity was supposed to be
in waiting
43




ï~~CHAPTER XXX

His only plot was tns-r-that much provoked,
H raised his vengeful arm against his country.
Thomson.
ALICJe DuiNSCOMBE remained on the sands,
watching the dark spot that was soon hid amid the
waves in the obscurity of night, and listening,
with melancholy interest, to the regulated sounds
of the oars, which were audible long after the boat
had been blended with the gloomy outline of the
eastern horizon. When all traces of her departed
friends were to be found only in her own recollections, she slowly turned from the sea, and hastening to quit the bustling throng that were preparing
for the embarcation of the rest of the party, she
ascended the path that conducted her once more
to the summit of those cliffs, along which she had
so often roved, gazing at the boundless element
that washed their base with sensations that might
have been peculiar to her own situation.
The soldiers of Borroughcliffe, who were stationed at the head of the pass, respectfully made
way; nor (lid any of the sentinels of Manual heed
her retiring figure, until she approached the rear
guard of the marines, who were commanded by
their vigilant captain in person.




ï~~THE PILOT.

471

" Who goes there-!" cried Manual, advancihg
without the dusky group of s6ldiers, as she ap
proached them.
" One whO possesses neither the power nor the
inclination to do ye harm," answered the solitary
female; " 'tis Alice Dunise9mbe, returning, bf permission of your leader, tb the place of her birth."
" Ay," muttered Manual, c4 this is one of Gritfith's unnilitarT exhiblitons of lii politeness! does
the man think that there was ever a woman who
had io Tongue! Iave you the countersign, madam, that I.ay avo you tl c oner sigtent warrant to pass   ka
" I have no other warrant besides my sex and
iveaknes uIless Mr. Griffith's knowledge that I
iave left him ean'be so considered."
" The two former ar eiough," said a voice,
that proceeded frdn' a figure which had hitherto
stood unseei, shadid by the trunk of an oak, that
spread its wide, but naked arms above the spot
where-the guard was paraded.
" Who have Wc here!" Manual again cried;
" cone in; yield or you wilt be' fired at."
" What, will the gallant Captain MUUual fire orn
his owni rescuer!" said the Pildt wit cool, disdtin,
as he advanced from the shadow   bf the triee.
He.had better reseve his 'bullets f18  r h  en
nies, thia waste themt on his friends.
"YYu have done a dahg rous ded, sir in ap..
proacling, clardestinely,a guaird of mrines! I
wonder that 'a man who h    already discovered,
to-iglt, that he has soiie  nowI e-e of tcties,
by so ably conducting a sirp rise; should betray' so
much ignorance in the' forms df "apptoaching ai
lickft'!"
" 'Tis now of no moment," returned the -Pilot; " my knowledge and iny ignoraine are alike




ï~~472

THE PILOT.

immaterial, as the command of the party is surren.
dered to other, and perhaps more proper hands.
But I would talk to this lady alone, sir; she is an
acquaintance of my youth, and I will see her on
her way to the Abbey."
" The step would be unmilitary, Mr. Pilot, ana
you will excuse me if I do not consent to any of
our expedition straggling without the sentries. If
you choose to remain here to hold your discourse,
I will march the picket out of hearing; though 1
must acknowledge I see no ground so favourable
as this we are on, to keep you within the range of
our eyes. You perceive that I have a ravine to
retreat into, in case of surprise, with this line of
wall on my left flank, and the trunk of that tree
to cover my right. A very pretty stand might be
made here,, on emergency; for even the qldest
troops fight the best when their flanks are properly
covered, and a way to make a regular retreat is
open in their rear.?',Say no more, sir; I would not break up such
a position on any account," returned the Pilot;
"the lady will consent to retrace her path for a
short distance."
Alice followed his steps, in compliance with this
request, until he had led her to a place, at some
little distance from the marines, where a tree had
been prostrated by the late gale. She seated herself quietly on its trunk, and appeared to await
with patience his own time for the explanation of
his motives, in seeking the interview. The Pilot
paced for several minutes, back and forth, in front
of the place where she, was seated, in profound silence, as if communing with himself, when suddenly throwing off his air of absence, he cam ne to
her side, and assumed a position similar to the one
which she herself had taken.




ï~~TITS. PILOT.47

473

l"ih  our: i's -at  ha id, Alice,;wbien4 we mtus~t
af' lhh at  length c mlixdriced,; ".it  nests With
Y-u s~ftwbheth r 4t shal beforev&r.
t e  "t th ehi be 'ftw ever, John,"' shb.eurod
with~ i slight tremour in her voice.
"TWa *ord' Wbtild  'ave betlh less' appalling,
id:tWig' accidei al  m edting~ nrevr 6C uir ed. And
et#ur chloce _itiy"   ave been dteirned by
pi Wc   'for' whaf is  there iii my fate that c~ani
teptJ Aj wbtinan to xti rh that,she n1iti 9 ha it!"
mY~efean yotir l6t is.that  of' tie Whro can
find h t4t "If6W, or 6vein- nro e,-toipartak e of his goys;
or to share in his sorrowvs, whose life is a con tintal
scent,  ~dangers and'a ctaities, df disappointmiits
ariih'ps,.then dlo ye 'know but littl-eof ~th
heaffV46 womian, if ye- dotibl 6f either her ability o
her;willingness, to  m.neet  hn wvith the  iian  of slier
choice.'
Y':ayr yoei 'thu, Alice! 'theh  _have.I misunder.
st oodyour meaning, or, misinteirpreted y6ureacs
My lot is -not altogether that of a neglected man,
ouriess.the favour' of prrnce, and' the smiles of
4u' his ca~n b'&thuis ormed!  My ife s t ev
one of many arid fearful dabigers; and  yet 'it is rd
fl1ld Aft ogther  ihcalamiities aid' misihaps; is
it, Alie?  He' paused a' niiomneht,' but, inn vaifor
her answer. "INay, then, I have been d'eeived
in" lest nray io thaf  the wdil "has 'ffixed to my
cot \-i ald  eitrrxeÂ~     I ''m' i ot, Alicei the
ra"'v ~ oul'be, -or even thie  mah ' I.had deemed
4trY u:have gdhied" a' name, 1oh 3, amdrig~ the
war~iorY dt th'- a tsw.e d in a 'stbddedd
Voice "'anid ' isms c namiio'hat" iay #be said td& b
XVifei blo!
MTebood "o my enemies, "Alice!
"The blood' of the siibjedts' of your natura.
43*




ï~~474

THE PI LOT

prince! The blood of those who breathe the air
you first breathed, and who were taught the sanie
holy lessons of instruction that you were first
taught; but which, I fear, you have too soon forgotten!"
"The blood of the slaves of despotism " he
sternly interrupted her; "the blood of the enemies of 'freedomn you have dwelt so long in this
dull retirement, and you have cherished so blindly
the prejudices of.your youth, that the promise of
those noble sentiments I once thought I could see
budding in Alice Dunscombe, has not been fulfilled."
"I have lived and thought only as a woman, as
become my sex and station," Alice meekly replied;
"and when it shal  be&necessary for me to live and
think therwise, I should wish to die."
"Ay, there lie the first seeds of slavery! A
dependent woman is sure to,make the mother of
craven and abject wretches, who dishonour the
name of mhn!"
" I shall never be the mother.of, children, goOd
or bad'"-said Alice, with that resignation iii her
tones that showed, she had abandoned the natural
hopes of her sex,.-" Singly and unsupported have
I lived; alone and unlamented must I becarried
to my grave."
The exquisite pathos:of her voice, as she.uttered this placid spaech, blended: as it was with the
swveet and calm dignity. of virgin pride, touched
the heart'of her listener, and he continued silent
many moments, as if in, reverence of her determinaion.. Her sentiments awakened in his own
breast. those feelings of generosity and disinterestedness, which had nearly been smothered in restless ambition and. the pride of suCeess. He resumed the discourse, -therefore, more mildly,, and




ï~~THE PILOT.

47.5

with a much greater exhibition of deep feeling, and
less of passion, in his manner.
I know not, Alice, that I ought, situated as I
am, aihd contented, if not happy, as you are, even
to attemipt to revive in your bosom those sentiments which I was once led to think existed there.
It caniinot, after a11, be a desirable fate, to share the
lot of a: rover like myself; 'one who may be termed a- Quixote in the behalf of liberal principles, and
who inay be hourly called to seal the truth of those
principles with his life."
"'here never existed any sentiment in my
breast, in which yqu are concerned, that does not
exist there still, and unchanged," returned Alice,
with liei single-hearted sincerity.
" DoI hear you aright! or have l misconceived
your resolution to abide in England! or have I not
rather mistaken your early feelings?"
" You have fallen into no error now nor then.
The weakness may still exist, John, but the strength
to struggle with it, has, by the goodness of God,
grown with my years. It is iot, however, of myself, but of you, that I would speak. I have lived
like, one of ouri simple daisies,  which 'in the budding may have caught your eye; -and I shall also
wilt like the huImble flower, when the winter of
my time arrives, without being missed froin the
fields that have known me for, a season. But your
fall,.John, wil be lik.e that of the oak that: now
supports us, and men shall pronounce on the beauty and grandeur of the jpoble stem while standing,
as well as of its usefulness when felled."
". Let thetm proinounce as they will! rethrned
the proud stranger. " The truth must be finaiy
knovn, aid when that hour shall comei, they will
say, he was a faithful and gallant warriori i his
day;  and a worthy lesson for all who are bi-rn in




ï~~A- s

THE PILOT.

4,avery, but would live: in-. freedom, shall be found.
in his exampl.
Suh, may be th~e langurage of, that distant.
people,, whom ye hayeadoptedin the place of those
that once formed- home and.kin to. ye,";said Alice,
glapcing her eye timi dly at i s Q contenance, as if
tp,. discern. how, far abe xnjght venture, without
awalening, his re e~~nt; "bit  hat, wilIl the
rtIi fn    lnlo youri bi rth transmit to their
chaffdren, -whno w ill be, the,chikkJen Q f. those that are
of your own blood?"
" They will1 say, i ce, wbateyer, their crool ed
policy. Imayl, sugt o~ ther c js4ppointed- van~ity
ecn urge..'Tht the pict.,e  hutsbe drawnp by, tie
fiiends of the hero; as,ell as >byisenemies!
Thbipk= you that 'there. are, not, peils as well as
swordA_ in.Anic?" 4
"I have ears that, merica c4lled a land, johp,
where.QQd. b a~.lvl~he4 hjIs fa.us wt  n upsp ari p. bpnt  where h  h:   bestowed many
cl-imres 'with their'  ev~ep fruits and wvere hiis,
power: iseXhihited.nd. 1es~s than 1s. mercy. Iti
sa~id: hie rivers Â~aref 'xvithout any known end, ad
dta,ll6eS,are fnund, in, F dr b~som,. whi.i would
put o} G erni Â~  Q~ea tQ ~J! ThQ. plains;
terIpn _ With verdure, are,: sp~i f aver.:y wio deq greesn Wi  yet@ ttiosg  WeJ vals, wh ch a si ge
hearL cani boJ,, oaye flnt:jwapfa,lg n i}.{ s iso t ' Johni."
h her; t. is a hrad~ lu d, that.car furi nshfood 'fs r
eqpsio4A and, cn              e ke*,fr ery affec-.
you ~   141 hpye,fun t 1's~  ce, iA~Your solit       J +yh;aye baeg~r:w, l~1 ts dQheyr justice!, It
i   pl t    w    i~4  it j ' Qok to, oth er na-.
s'e,tnntjti reaa}Qn. on.. the, ri'ht of,the




ï~~THE PILOT.

477

children, of that soil, to do whatever they may
deem most meet for their own welfare," returned:
Alice -- but can'men be horn in such a:land, and
not know the feelings  which.bind a. human being
to the place. of his birth-?"
', Can you doubt that they-should be patriotic?"
exclh imed the Pilot, in surprise. "Do not their
efforts:in this sacred cause-their patient sufferings- their long privations, speak loudly in their
behalf?"
'c And will they, who know so well how to love
hoie, sing the priisesof him, Who has turied his
riuthless hand  ag'ainst the land- of his fathers?"
' F'or ever harping on that word, home '-" said
the Pilot, who now detected the' -timid approaches.of Aliceto: her hidden meaning. "JIsynan a
stick or a stone, that he must be east into-the ire,
or buried in a wall, wherever.his fate may have
dooinedi him to appear on. the earth? The sound
of home is said to feed the vanity of an Englishman,: let=himr go where he will; but it would seem
to'. have: a still: more pow.effal  charmi with English
Â~Women.:!"
"It is the dearest of all terms to every woman,
John, for it embraces the dearest of  all ties! If
yur daiies of Americaiare ignoanat ofi its., charm,
alt the favours which God: has lavished on their
l0and-:will; avail their happiness but little."
}:, Alice,a said the Pilot, risingi in his:agitation,
"4I. see buts too wel1 the object of your altosions.
But on this subject we can never agree.;i for not
even your power can draw me from the path of
glory:.in which I am now tteading..- Our time. is
growing brief;..et us then talk -df-other thingsThis:may be theA last time -that ifshalWev r putifoot
on the. island of Britain."
Alice paused to struggle with the feelingsexei



ï~~478

TrilE   PILOT.

ted by this remark, before she pursued the dis.
course. But  soon shaking off the weakness, she
added, with a rigid adherence to that course which
she believed to be her duty--
" And now, John, that you "have landed, is the
breaking up of a peaceful family, and the violence
ye have shown towards an aged man, a fit exploit
for one whose object is the glory of which ye have
spoken?"
" Think you that I have landed, and placed my
life in the hands of my enemies, for so unworthy
an objdct.! No, Alice, my motive for this undertaking has been disappointed, and thierefore will
ever remain a secret from 'the world..But duty
to my cause has prompted the step which you so
unthinkingly condemn..This Colonel '-Howard
has some' consideratidon with those in power, and
will answer to exchange for abetter man. As for
his wards, you. forget 'their home, their magical
home, is in America: -unless, indeed, they find
them nearer at hand  undei,the proud flag of a
frigate, that is now waiting for them in the offing.'
" You talk of a frigate!" said Alice, with sudden interest in.the" subject -".. Is she your only
means of escaping from youi enemies?"
"Alice Dunscombe has taken but little heed of
passing events, to ask. sdch a question of me!" re
turned the haughty Pilot. " The question would
have sounded more discreetly, had it been, is she
the only vessel- with you that your enemies will
have to escape from?' "
"  Nay, I cannot measure my language at such a
momerit," continued Alice, with a still stronger
exhibition of. anxiety. " It was imy fortune to
overhear' a paftt of a plan that was intended to
destroy, by sudden means, those vessels of America that were in our seas."




ï~~THY, PILOT.

479

"That might be a plan more. suddenly adopted
than easily executed, my good Alice. And who
were those redoubtable shemeners?..
".I know not but my duty to the king should
cause me to suppress this information," said Alice,
hesitating.
S.Well, be it so," returned the Pilot. coolly;
" it may prove the means of saving the persons of
some of the royal officers from death or ceaptivity.
I have already said, this may b  the last of my visits to this, island, and consequently} Alice, the last
of our interviews-".  And yet,'' said Alice, still pursuing the train
of her own thoughts,   there.can.be but little
harm in sparing human blood; and:least of all in
serving those whom we,. have long known and regarded!"
" Ay, that is a;simple doctrine, and one that is
easily maintained,'' he added, with much apparent
indifference; " and yet king George might well
spare some of his servantsÂ~-the list of his abject
minions is so lonig "''
".There was a man named Dillon, who lately
dwelt in the Abbey, but tho his msysteriously disappeared,'? continlued Alice; ".or ratler who was
captured by your companions; know you aught of
him, John?"
"' I had e heard there was, a miscreant of that
name, but we have never met.: Alice if, it please
Heaven that this shall be the last"'--
" He was a captive in the schooner called the
Ariel," she added, still unheeding his affected indifference to her coinmUnication, " and when perjitted to return to St. Ruth, he %'st sight of his
solemn promise, and of his plighted honour, to
wreak his malice.  Instead of,:effecting the exchange that he had conditioned to see made, he




ï~~480

THE PILOT.

plotted treason against his captors}. Yes! it was
most foul treason! for his treatment was genero s
and kind, and his liberation certain.?
" He was a most unworthy scoundrel!, But,
Alice" -
" Nay, listen, John," she continued, urged to
even a: keenr interest in his behalf by his apparent
inattention; "and yet I should speak tenderly of
his failings, for 6he. is already numbered with the
dead! One part of his scheme:must have;been
fruistrated; for he intended to destroy that tchooner
which you call the Ariel, and to have taken the
person of the young Barnstable."
" In both of which: he has failed! The persa
of Barnstable I have rescued-,and  the Ariel has
been stricken by a hand far mightier than any of
this world! she is wrecked."
"Then is the frigate youronly means of escape'
Hasten, John, and seem not so proud and heed
less, fore the hour may cdme- when all your daring
will not profit ye against the machinations of secret enemies. This Dillon had also plannedt that
expresses should journey to a sea port at the south
with the intelligence that. your vessels were in
these seas, in order that ships might be despatched
to intercept your retreat,.
The Pilot lost his affected indifference, as she
prdeeeded, and before -she ceased speaking, his
eye Wa' endeav6uring to aticipate_ her words, by
reading her counteianee -th~toghE the duskyr midium of the stat4ight..
HMd' -  know you; this Alice?" the asked quiek"
ly'c-" and  what vessel did he arm e?'
" Oliaheice made me an unseenr listener to.'their
pli n'aid--I know not- but I forget  my duty,to: my
pin c! but, John? 'tis asking too much of weak
win-an to require that she shall:see the man whom




ï~~THE TI LOT.41

81. e once viewed. with.eyes of fa.&v.nr,:sacrificed,
iv e  a sword Hof caution,.i en in..seasoni,,might:enable him, to - avoid the- darngerr:!''
" Once viewed with an eye. of favour! Is -it then
so?" said the Pilot,.speaking,in a, vacant.,manner.
"But~ A lice, heard y. e the: force of the.ships, or
their- names?a Gie me their nameQs, ands.the firs
lord. of. your;Biih,    diat   shall- nt give: so
true ant accoutnt. oftAheirf, kce, as Iwill funrnish from
this list;(of my -own."),"Theirnam es were:certainly,l ent o ed,'~ said
4-i  with tender mnelachboly; 'fbut, the:name of
on fa4r wearer to. mne was' rirging in. riy ears, and
aa drvenb thema from_ mny mn
"Yo u are -the same good Alke. -one knew!
And. my: -namew. - as mentionped?: What::said they
of the Pirate?  Had his; arm tricke -a: blow that,made. the-in, tremble in;their Ab; bey?;lDid;they
calla hi m: coward, girl?"'
"It wa4s mnentioped =in:terms: that,pained my
heart. as aI iteed.  or,:it jseer too easy a task
to forgt the L1pse of years, nor are the. frelings of.3'uth} t be oeasily eradicte"
"Aythere: is luxury, iniwirp, that;with
all thi.aleet-d.abusethe slaves.dread me. im
their secet holds!"' ein4  the P'ilo~t, pacing, in
front zof his lAitener,; wi th1 q~k steps. "1Â~This it is
to be marked amo ng. *omns laove, all- Qther8 in
yop cllig!I hpe; yet to se tahe dy i  hen. the
third. Gerge.salo strt at -_.tb spi,6und oafI that name,,e.ven,within the walls of his:palarce.?
A licy Dunscom'be heard, hiw, in deep andmortifiend,len~ce.  Lt weas-:too _evident that a,liiik in the
chainl:f their sym pathies, twasbro et,: andsthat,the
weakness in which she. had beepn,upncnsgio i  inulging, was 'nt. by n~ core espondent emot iqns in
im..,After sink ig her head for a womenton hrer
3.1           42




ï~~482

THE PILOT.

bosom,..she arose with a.little more than her
usual air of meekness, and recalled the Pilot to a
sense of her presence, by saying, in a yet milder
voice"-I have now communicated all that it can profit
you to know, and it is meet that we separate."
" What, thus soon?' he cried, starting and taking her hand. " This is but a short interview,
Alice, to precede so long a separation."
"Be it short, or be it long, it must now end,"
she replied. "Your companions are on -the eve
of departure, and I trust you would be one of the
last who would wish to be deserted. If ye do visit
England again, I hope it may be with altered sentiments, so far as regards her interests. I wish ye
peace, John, and the blessings of God, as ye may
be found to deserve them. '.
"I ask no farther, unless it may be the aid of
your gentle prayers! But. the night is gloomy,
and I will see you in safety to the Abbey."
" It is unnecessary," she returned, with womanly reserve. "The innocent can be as fearless on
occasion, as the most valiant among you warriors.
But here is no cause for fear. I shall take a path
that will conduct me in a different way from that
which is occupied by your soldiers, and where I
shall find none but him who is e ver present to
protect the helpless. Once more, John, I bid ye
adieu."  Her voice faltered as she continued---
" Ye will share the lot of humanity, and have your
hours of care and weakness; at such moments ye
can remember those ye leave on this despised
island, and perhaps among them ye may think of
some whose interest in your welfare has been far
removed from selfishness."
" God be with you, Alice!''" he said, touched
with her emotion, and losing all vain images in




ï~~THE PILOT.

483

more woi thy feelingsr" but I cannot permit you
to go alone."
"Here we part, John," she said firmly," and
for ever!" 'Tis for the happiness of both, for I
fear we have but little in common."  Slie gently
wrested her hand from his grasp, and once more
bidding'him adieu, in a voice that was nearly inaudible, she turned and slowly disappeared, moving, with lingering steps, in the direction of the
Abbey.
The first impulse of the Pilot was, certainly, to
follow, and insist,on seeing her on the way; but
the music of the guard on the cliffs at that moment
sent forth its martial strains, and the whistle of the
boatswain was heard winding its shrill call among
the rocks, in those notes that hins practised ear
well understood to be the' last signal for embarkin g.
Obedient to the 'summons, this singular man, in
whose breast the natural feelings, that were now
on the eve of a violent eruption, had so long been
smothered by the visionary expectations of a wild
ambition, and perhaps of fieirce' resentments, pursued his course, in deep abstraction, towards the
boats. He was soon met by the soldiers of Borroughcliffe, deprived of their arms, it is true,
but unguarded, and returning peacefully to their
quarters.. The mind of the Pilot, happily for the
liberty' of these men,. was too much absorbed in
his peculiar reflections, to note.'this act of Griffith'' generosity, nor did he arouse from his musing until his steps were arrested by suddenly encountering a human figure in the path-way. A
light tap on his shoulder was the first mark of recogniltion he received, ~when Borroughcliffe, who
stood 'before him, said" It is evident, sir, from' what has passed this




ï~~48 4

THE PILOT.

evening, that you are not what you seem. Y  -.
may be some rebel admiral or general, for tght
that I know, the right' to Icommand havitig been
strangely contested aming ye this night. But he0
who will own the chief authority, I take the liber.
ty of whispering ih your ear that I have been scurvily treated by you--I repeat, most scurvily treated by you all, generally, and by you in partieular."
The Pilot started at this strange address, which
was uttered with all the bitterness that could be
imparted to it by a disappointed man; but he motioned with his hand for the captain to depart, and
turned aside to pursue his own way.
'Perhaps I am not properly understood," continued the obstinate soldier; "I say, sir, you have
treated me scutvily; antid I would not be thought
to say this to any gentleman, without wishing to
give 'hin  an opporti,:ty to -vent his anger.."
The eye of the Pilot, as he moved forward,
glanced at the;pistols which Borroughcliffe held in
his -hands, the one by the handle, and the other
by its barrel, and the soldier even fancied that his
footsteps, were quickened. by the, sight.  After
gazing at him until his forim' was lost in the darkness the captain  nUtteredato himslf" He is no. mote than a comnion Pilot after all!
No true-gentleman. would have received so palpable a hint with such a start. Ah! heave comes the
party of my worthy friend whose -palate knows a.
grape of the north side of MA adeira from one of the
south.i The dog has 'the thvrOat of a gentlean!l
we will see how he can swallow -a delicate allusiorn
to his faults!''
Borroughcliffe stepped aside to- allow the rmarines, who were also in motion for the boat,. ta
pass, and watched-with keen looks for the person




ï~~THE PILOT.

4$s)

oft he commander. Manual, who had been previously apprised of the intention of Griffith to
r41ease the prisoners, had halted to see that none,but thbse Who had been liberaited byr authority,
Wt6 e iifarching inffto the cutitry. This accidental
cir'eudmstance gave Borrou heliffe an opportunity
of mieetiig the 6ther at some little distance from
Either of their respective parties.
" I greet you, sir," said Boi-roughciiffe, " with
all affection. This has been a pleasant forage for
bu Captain Manual.''
The mariine w as far, from being disposed.to
wrangle, but there was that in the voice of the
other which caused him to answer--
i~ It woud have beein far pleasanter, sir, if I had
rivt an  pportunity of retirning to Captain Borrhugheiliffe some of the faivoiurs that I have received
at his hands."
"Nay, thih, dear sir, you weigh my modesty to
the eai-th!,  Surely you forget the manner in
which my hos itaity has already been requitedby somle tw  hoiours' mouthing of my sword hilt;
with a very unceremonious ricochet into a corner;
together With a love-tap, ieeeived over the shoulders of one of imy men, by so gentle an instrumrient
as the butt of a musket! D)aminme, sir, but I think
in: ungrsatfl ia ah only a better sort of beast!"
" Hfad the love-tap bin "given to the officer instlad of the man, ' returned MAnual, with all comehdai bl coolhess, "t it would have been better
JluMtice  and the riirod night' have answered as
Weli s the butt, to floor a gentleman Who carried
the ali'6wance of fotir thirsty fiddlei s under one
ii s9 jacket."
" Now, that is ratik ingiratitude to  or own
tordial ol' the south side, and a most biting insult!
[ really see but one way of terminating this wordy
42 *




ï~~186

THE P1 LOT

war, which, if not discreetly ended, may lead as
fa into the morning."
"Elect your own manner of determining the
dispute, sir; I hope, however, it will not be by
your innate knowledge of mankind, which has already mistaken a captan of marines in the service
of Congress, for a runaway lover, bound to some
green place or other."
" You might just as well tweak my nose, sir!"
said Borroughcliffe. "Indeed, I think it would
be the milder reproach of the two! will you mTake
your selection of these, sir? They were loaded
for a very different sort of service, but I doubt not
will answer on occasion."
" I am provided with a pair, that are charged
for any service," returned Manual, drawing a pistol firom his own belt, and stepping backward a few
paces.
" You are destined for America, I know" said
borrougheliffe, who stood his ground with consummate coolness;" but it would be more convenient for me, sir, if you could delay your inarch
for a single moment."
"Fi-e and defend yourself!" exclaimed Ma.
nual furiously, retracing his steps towards his
enemy.
The sounds of the two pistols were -blended in
one report, and' the soldiers of Boroughcliffe and
the marines all rushed to the place, on the sudden
alarm. Had the former been provided with arms,
it is probable a bloody fray would have been the
consequence of the sight that both parties beheld
on arriving at the spot, which they did simultaneously. Manual lay on his back, without any signs
of life, and Borroughcliffe had changed:his cool,
haughty, upright attitude; for a recumbent posture,
which was somewhat between lying and sitting.




ï~~THE PILOT.

487

" Is the poor fellow actually expended?" said
the Englishnian, in something like the tones of regret; " ell, he had a soldier's metal in him, and
was nearly as great a fool as myself!"
The marines had, luckily for the soldiers and
their captain, by this time discovered the signs of
life in their own commander, who had been only
slightly stunned by the bullet which had grazed his
crown, and who being assisted on his feet,. stood a
minute or two rubbing his head, as if awaking from
a dream. As Maiual came gradually to his senses
he recollected the business: in which he had just
been engaged, and(, in his turn, inquired after the
fate of his antagonist.
" I am here, my worthy incognito." cried the
other with the voice of perfect good nature; " lying in the lap of mother Earth, and all the better
for opening a vein or two in my right leg;-though
I do think that the same effect might have been
produced w ithout treating the bone so roughly!Bit I opine that I saw you also reclining on the
bosom of our common ancestor."
" I was down for a f w minutes I do believe,'
returned Manual; "there is the path of a bullet
across my scalp!"
' Htumph! on the head!" said Borroughcliffe,
dryly; " the hurt is not likely to be mortal, I see.
-Well, I shall offer to raffle with the first poor
devil I can find that has but one good leg, for who
shall have both; and that will just set up a beggar
and a gentleman!-Manual, give me your hand;
we have drankl together, and we have fought;
surely there is nothing now -to prevent our being
sworn friends!"
"WVhy," returned Manual, continuing to rub his
head, " I see no irremoveable objections--but you
will want a surgeon? can I order any thing to be




ï~~488

4S8        THE PI LOT.

do p? -There o the,signals again to embarkmarh te f~Iws dOwyn at quick tie sereat
my own nman: may. remain- with te, or, I can do a!togethier Without amistarnge,
'E rAh! you a1re;.wha 1i ICall P; well mae man,
mny.4o# frend.!. e eiwl J3rr ughcliffe;  -,ao
sieal plints abou~t your Tortes s? such n; gip isW, 4 -
woiryt be the. 4gdp,, WjQI <cerps, AItpo oaf.
a   ~ ~4try cornpany.-r-ez'1 s Dri l,gently;. handle
m  fIwere made of potter's clay,-  Wvil1,r ot;
detan  ou.loge, my fiend Manual, for I har.
igI al after- signal.; they mustÂ~ be in want, of same
Qf your astonfhing  rlesop-ins faculties  to set thm
afloat.",
Manual n       wlt~ e been Qfended. at the palpa..
blIe u Ipjin t1fT is n~eve friend made.to.o~ firmne  qfjcif Mip  e  4- hgapt hid. perceptiop pf, thjing,
ieei:a, liftL e 4ifs d., by a bgpanrng s~ nl that
ss qdto abjde near the regton of thon ht'. AS it
W     raipocated the goQdwihes othe other,
W4Rom-' a hboOK most cordially by the hand, and:
once more  renewed hip offers of service, after ex.changing sundry friendly speeches.
T I thank you quite as mtwh asIf. I were not at
all' indebted to you for letting blood, thereb~y rsaying me a. fit of apoplexy; but. Drill hase al-eady
despatched a mesh ner to B w - for a leh4i andi
they  lad may. brn  h  wo:dpt onuo
you:--Adieu, once maire, anti rememher,.;hat if'
~ou ever visit England  a gai as a freed, you are
to let me see you.'"
"1~ shall do'it" without fail.; and I.-shall keep you
to your promise if y ou o ace  nore put foot in
America.'
" Trust me for that: I shall stand in ned, of
s our  exeellent hel ad to gdido e sa fely Among




ï~~THE PILOT.              489
those rude foresters! Adieu; cease not to bear
me in your thoughts."
" I shall never cease to remember you, my good
friend," returned Manual, again scratching the
member which was snapping in a manner that
caused him to fancy he heard it. Once more these
worthies shook each other by the hand, and again
they renewed their p omi es Of future intercourse;
after which they separated lik two reluctant
lovers-parting in a manner that would have ut
to shame the fr iendship of Orestes and Pylades.




ï~~CIHAPTER XXXI.

SNey, answer me: stand and unfold yourself."
Hamlet
DURING the time occupied by the incidents that
occurred after the Pilot had made his descent on
the land, the Alacrity, now under the orders of Mr.
Boltrope, the master of the frigate, lay off and on,
in readiness to receive the successful mariners
The direction of the wind had been gradually
changing from the north-east to the south, during
the close of the day; and long before the middle
watches of the night, the wary old seaman, who
it may be remembered, had expressed, in the council of war, such a determined reluctance to trust
his person within the realm of Britain, ordered the
man who steered the cutter to stand in boldly for
the land. Whenever the lead told them that it was
prudent to tack, the course of the vessel was changed; and in this manner the seamen continued to
employ the hours in patient attendance on the adventurers.  The sailing-master, who had spent
the early years of his life as the commander cf
divers vessels employed in trading, was apt, like
many men of his vocation and origin, to mistake
the absence of refinement for the surest evidence




ï~~THE PILOT.

491

of seamanship; and, consequently, he held the litticl courtesies and punctilios of a man-of-war in
high disdain. His peculiar duties of superintending the expenditure of the ship's stores, in their
several departments; of, keeping the frigate's logbook; and of making his daily examinations into
the state of her, sails and rigging, brought him so
little in collision with the gay, laughing, reckless
young lieutenants, who superintended the ordinary
management of the vessel, that he might be said to
have formed a distinct species of: the animal,
though certainly of the same genus with his more
polished messmates:  Whenever circumstances,
however, required that he should depart from the
dull routine of his duty, he made it a rule, as far
as possible, to associate himself with such of the
crew as possessed habits and opinions the least at
variance,with his own.
By a singular fatality, the chapiamn of the frigate was, as respects associates, in a condition,
nearly assimilated to that of this veteran tar.
SAn earnest desire to ameliorate the situation of
those who were doomed to: meet death on.the
great deep, had induced an experienced and simple-hearted divine to accept this.station, in the
i'ond hope that he might be made the favoured instrument of salvation to many,who were then existing in a state of the most abandoned self-forgetfulness. Neither our limits, nor our present
object, will permit the relation of the many causes
thlat led, not only to an entire frustration of all his
visionary expectations, bat to an issue which rendered the struggle of the good divine with himself
both arduous and ominous, in order to maintain
his own claims to the merited distinctions of his
sacred office. The consciousness of his backsliding
had so far lessened the earthly, if not the spiritual




ï~~492

TH. 1111,01'.

Â~pride obf  e  thaphlin, as 'ta =induce hunY,o tt~ih
the s&ietrj -of the rude irintstein, who'se. Yei' h~ ad
b-rcitgh't hir~i,'at'tin  es-, 'tb fa   ckertain viW s d~f -}tÂ~
-'t trity, that.were -:si'nulat y affeied -by T.he p6&tVlikr chaiiatetr of the inidiVidu6l It 'ight  hav
been that -both fid theils'elves'ou of thueirplaces
-bt' it Was odwing to  oi'e sueh -secret by *pathy,
let its -origin 'be What It  weuJA, h  the t"wo earne
tor he fonid of each other's comp any.  On the night
in 'qpuestioh, Mir. l o'ltrope had invited the =chaplain
to- accompany him in t'. Alacrity; adding, in, his
broad,' roug h language,,that as  ythere waas to be
fighitiing -on' shore, ' his '-hand mtnght" come in -play
with s~dme  poor' felloiv or, other.".' This singular invitation' =had beebn accepted, as well from a 'desire
to relieve the monotony' of a sea: life "by any change,
-as perha-ps with a secret yearniing ifl tahe' breast of
the troubled divine, to get as nigh -to terra firmra 'as
'possible.- Accordingly, after the- Pilot had landed
with 'h i'sI boisterous, 'patyt, the, -saiin'g~ma'ster -and.
the chplIain, together with a boatswain's-mate andsornie tenl or tWelvi "seamn,' were left "in quiet
po'sssibti of the, cutter.- Th e first 'few h ours  of
this peacieable iht  Liou~s.& had bee n.'spent 'by the
w.orthby mhes'smates,'in the little, cabin- of the- vessel.
over -a eai of  grog -the' savoury 'relish of Which
was muiich,increased, by 'a charac, ristic 'disquisition
odnz polem ical asubjects, - -Whic out' feaders have
great:reason to regret it is t ot our presenit humour
to 'record. Whien, however, the w'inids invited -the
neiater approachi to the hostile.shores alrdady-nA~ntiofed,Â~ th'e prudenft 'sAilingmn 4er adjout-hed the
di'scus'sidn to -another and- h ote -suitable -time,. re&
iovih&--'himelf ahd the -can, by the samne opralibOn, to th  qiarter.dieck.
0"There," cried the honest tar, pacing the wood.
en vesise1, with great "self-contentment, by his side




ï~~THE PILOT.

493

on the deek, "Ithis. is" ship's comfort  There as ia
good deal -f what 1 call: a lubber's f iss, parson,
kept tp on board a ship that shalk be nameless, but
which 'bears, about -three leagues distant, broad
off iAn the ocean, and which is: lying-to under a
close-reefed  maintopsail  a foretopmast-staysail
and,foresail=-I call my hand a true one in mixing
a ean  take another pull 'at the halyards!--?twill
make your.teye twinkle like a light-house, this
dark morning! You won't?..Vell, we must give
no offence to the Englishman's rum..  After-a potent..draught had succeeded this considerate. de,
claration, he added -' You. dre a little like oui
first lieutenant, parson, who drinks, as-- I call.it, nothing but the elements  which is water:stiffened
with air!
" Mr. G:riffith may indeed be said -to: set a
wholesome example to the crew." returned the
chaplain, perhaps with a slight'consciousness 'that it
had not.altogether.possessed its due weight with
himself.:' Wholesome!" cried Boltrope; '. let me tell
you, my worthy leaf-turher, that if you,call such
a light diet wholesome, you.know butlittle of salt
water and' sea-fogs! -However, Mr: Griffith is a
seaman; and if he gave his mind.less to trifles and
gimerackb, 'he Would be, by the time he got to
about our:years,:a:very rational:sort of a.ompa,
nion.-.-But you see, parson, just now, he thinks
too much of stnall-follies-; such as. man-of-war disr
ciplyne.--Now there is rationality in giving, a fresh
nip to a rope, or in looking well at your -mats,,or
even in" crowning a cable; but damme, priest, if I
see, the use-luff, luff, you lubber; don't ye see.
sir, you are' steering for Gaurmany!~-Â~ I see the
use, as' I was saying- of making a rumpus about the
time when a man changes his shirt-: whether it be
41




ï~~49

X          THE.ILOT.

this wiveek, or next week, or, for that matter, the
week after, provided it be bad weather. I sometimies am mawkish about attendinig muster, (and I
believe I have as little to fear on the score of behaviour as any man,) lest it should be found I carried my tobacco in the wrong "cheek!"
"I have indeed thought it somewhat troublesome to myself, at times; and it is in a striking
degree vexatious to the spirit, especially when the
body has been suffering under sea-sickness."
" Why, yes, you were a little apt to bend your
duds wrong for the first month, or so," said the
master;" I remember you got'the marine's scraper on your head, once, in your hurry to bury a
dead man! Then you never looked as if ybu belonged to the ship, so long as those cursed black
knee-breeches lasted! For my part, I never' saw
you come up the quarter-deek ladder, but I expected to" see your shins give -way across the
combing of the hatch--a man does look like the
devil, priest, scudding about a ship's decks in that
fashion, under bare poles! But now the tailor has
found out the articles ar'n't sea-worthy, and we
have got your lower stanchions cased in a pair of
purser's slops,' I amspuzzled often to tell your heels
from those of a maintop-man!"
"I have good reason to be thankful for the
change," said the humbled priest, "if the resemblanee you mention existed, while I was clad in
the usual garb of one of my calling."
" What signifies a calling?" returned Boltrope,
catching his breath after  a most persevering
draught; "a man's shins are his shins, let his upper works belong to what sarvice they may. I
took an early prejudyce against knee-breeches,
perhaps fronit a trick live always had of figuring
the devil as wearing them. You know, parson




ï~~THE PILOT.

495

we seldom hear much said of a man, without formo;
ing some sort of an idea concerning his rigging and:
fashion-pieces-and so as I had no particular reason to believe that, Satan went naked--keep full,
ye lubber; -now you are running into the wind's
eye, and be d-  d to ye!-but as I was saying,
[ always took a conceit that the devil wore kneebreeches and a cock'd hat. There's some of our
young lieutenants, who come to muster on Sundays in cock'd hats, just like soldier-officers; butt,
d'ye -see, I would sooner show my nose under a
night-eap, than under a scraper V"
' I hear the sourid of oars!" exclaimed the
chaplain,,who, finding this image more distinct
than even his own vivid conceptions of the great
father of evil, was quite' willing to conceal his inferio ity by changing the dis-ourse-" Is - not one
of our boats: returning?"
"Ay, ay, 'tis likely-; if it had been. me, I should
have been land-sick before this -wear..round,
boys,-:and stand by to.. heavedto on. the other
tack.''
The cutter, obedient to her helm, fell off before
the wind, and rolling an, instant in the trough of
the tisea, came iup,agaii,easily -to her:oblique position, with her head towards.the cliffs, and gradu
ally losing her-way as her sails  were brought to
counteract each other, finallybecame stationary,
During the performane:of this evolution, a boat
had hove up out of.the gloom, in.the direction of
the land; and by the time the 'Alacrity.was in a
state of rest, it had approached,so nigh as to admit of- hailing
' Boatahoy!".,murmured Boltrope,  through. a
trumpet, which, aided by his lungs, produced
sounds not unlike the roaring of a,li:.
"Ay, ay,'' was thrown back firom a clear voice,




ï~~496

THE, PILOT.

that swept across the water with a fulness that
needed no factitious aid to render it audible.
' Ay, there comes one.of the- lieutenants, with
his ay, ay," said Boltrope-" pipe the side, there,
you boatswain's-mate! But here's another fellow
more on our quarter! boat- a-hoy!"
la   Alaerity"-returned ahother voice, in a direction different from the other
SAlaerity!- There goes my commission of Captain of this craft, is a whiff'" returned the sailingmaster.--.  That is as much as to say, here comes
one who will comminand when he gets on board.
Well, welit is Mr. Griffith, and I can't say,. notwithtanding his love of knea-bin ckles,  and small
wares, but I'm glad he is aut of the hands of the
English! Ay, here they all come upon: us at once!
here is another fellow, that pills like the jollyboat, coming up on our lee-beam, within hail-let
is see if he is asleep  boat a-boy!"
" Flag,' answered a third voice from a small,
light-rowing boat which had approached very near
the cutter, in a direct line from the cliffs, without
beingobserved.
"Flag!" echoed Boltrope, d rppping his trumpet
in amazement--' that's a big word to come out of
a jolly-boat! Jack Manly himself could not have
spoke it with a fullr.mouthh-bt P'11 know:.whd it
is that carries such. a weath r helm, with a Yankee
man-of-war's prize! Boat a-hoy! I say."
This last call was uttered' in those short menacing tones, that 'are intended to.. be. aderstoQd as
irtimating that the party: hailing is in earnest; and
it caused the men who were rowing, and who
were now quite close to the cutter, to suspend
their strokes, simultaneously, as if they dreaded
that the cry would be instantly succeeded by some
mnore efficient means of ascertaining their charae



ï~~THE PILOT.

497

ter. The figtl e that =was seated by itse in the
Â~tern of.th  boat, started at this second.summons,
nd thani as if with sudden recollection, a quiet
voice replied"' 'No 0,'- and ': flag,' are very different an"
swes,' grumblted Boltrope; " whatknow-nothing
have we here?"
He was yet mfuttering his? dissatisfaction at the
ignoriance of the individual that was approaching,
whoever it might be, when the jolly-boat came
slowly to their side, and the Pilot stepped frami
her.stern-sheets on the decks of the prize.
SIs  it you, Mr. Pilot?" exclaimed the sailingmater,' raising a battle-lantern witriin a foot of the
other's faee, and looking with a sort of stupid wonde(r at the proud and angry eye he encountered".is it you! well, I should have rated you for a,. an of more experience than to come booming
down upon a man-of-war in the dark, with such a
big word in your mouth, when every boy in- the
two 'vessels knows that we carry no swallow-tailed
bu.nting' abroad! Flag! why you might have got
a shot, had there been: soldiers."
The. Pilot threw hinm a still fiercer glance, and
turning away with a look of disgust, he walked
along the quarter-deck towards the stern of the
vessel; with an air' of haughty silence, as if disdaiing to atnswer. Boltrope 'kept his eyes fastened on' irn for a moment longer, with s6ome appearanee. of scorn;: but the arrival of the hpatfirst
hailed  which proved to be the barge, immediathly
drew 'hig attention to other matters. B iristable'
had bo:en rowing abo:it in the ocean for a iong
time; iunable to find the cutter, and as he had beei
corienpl.ld to suit his owni deita our to th6se: With
whom he was assoeiated, he reached the Alacrity
32             41*




ï~~498

THE PILOT.

in no very good;humoured mood. Colonel Howa d and his niece had maintained during the whole
period, the most rigid silence, the former from
pride, and the latter touched with her uncle's evident displeasure; and Katherine, though secretly
elated with the success of all her projects, was
content to emulate their demeanour for a short
time in order to save appearances. Barnstable
had several times addressed himself to the latter,
without receiving any other answer than such as
was absolutely necessary to prevent the lover from
takingdirect offence, at the same time that she
intimated by her manner her willingness to remain silent. Accordingly, the lieutenant, after
aiding the ladies to enter the cutter, and offering
to perform the same service to Colonel Howard,
which was coldly declined, turned, with that sort
of irritation that is by no means less rare in vessels of war than with poor human nature generally, and gave vent to his spleen where he
dared.
" How's this! Mr. Boltrop  " he cried, " here
are boats coming alongside with ladies in them,
and you keep yourgaft swayed up tillthe leach of
the sail is stretched like a fiddle-string-settle away
your peak-halyards, sir, settle away!"
" Ay, ay, sir," grumbled the master; " settle
away that peak there; though the craft wouldn't
forge ahead a knot in a month, with all her gibs
hauled over!"  He walked sulkily forward among
the menfollowed by the meek divine; and added,
"I should as soon have expected to see Mr. Barnstable come off with a live ox in his boat as a petticoat! The Lord only knows what the ship is
coming to next, parson! what between cocked hats
and epaulettes, and other knee-buckle matters, she
was a sort of no-man's land before, and now, what




ï~~THE  PI l I..1

499

with the women, and their ban-boxes, they?ll make
another Noah's Ark of her. I wonder they didn't
all come aboard in a coach and six, or a one horse
shay t!"
It was a surprising relief to Barnstable to be
able to give utterance to his humour, for a few
moments, by ordering the men to make sundry
alterations in every department of the vessel, in a
quick, hurried voice,,that abundantly denoted, not
only the importance of his improvements, but the
temper in which they were dictated. In:, his,turn:y
however, be was soon compelled to give. way by
the arrival of Griffith, in the heavily-rowing launch
of the frigate, which. was crowded with a larger
body of the seamen who had beeni employed:in
the' expedition. In this manner, boat after boat
speedily arrived, and the whole party were once
more happily embarked in safety, under their national flag.
The snall cabin of the Alacrity was relinquished
to Colonel Howard and his wards, with their attendants. The boats were dropped astern, each
protected by its own keeper;:and Griffith gave
forth thd mandate, to fill the..sails and steer broad
off into the ocean. For more. than an hour the
cutter held,her course: in this,direction, gliding
gracefully through the glittering waters, rising and
settlin.g heavily on the long, smooth billows, as if
conscious of the,unusual burden,. that she was
doomed to carry;, but at the. end of that.period,
her head was once, more brought near the wind,
and, she w as again held at rest, ~iWvaiting the ap
pearace of the dawn, in order to discover the position of the prouder vessel, on. which she was performing the humble duty of a tender..More than
a hunAdredand fifty living m.eni were crowded with,
in her narrow limits; and her decks presented, in




ï~~40oo

T[HE PILOT.

the gloom, as she moved along, the picture of a
mass of human heads.
As the freedom of a successful expedition was
unavoidably permitted, loud jokes, and louder
merrimeit, broke on the silent waters, from the
reckless seamen, while the exhilarating can passed
from hand' to hand, strange oaths, and dreadful
denunciations breaking forth at times; from some
of the excited:crew against their  enemy.  At
l ngth the:.bustle. of re-embarking gradually subsided, and many of the crew descended to the hold
of the cutter, in quest: of room to stretch their
limbs, when: a clear manly voice was heard rising
above the deep in those. strains that a seaman
most loves to: hear. Air succeeded air, from! different. voices, until even.the spirit of' harmony
grew dull with fatigue, and verses. began to be
heard where songs were expected, and fle.eting
lines succeeded stanzas. The decks were soon
covered:.with prostrate 'men, 'seeking their natural
rest, under the open heavens, and perhaps dreaming,_ as.they yielded heavily to the rolling of the
vessel, ofscenes of other times in their own hemisphere.  The. dark glances of Katherine were
concealed beneath herofalling lids; and even Cecilia, with her- head bowed' on the shoulder ot her
cousin, slept -sweetly in innocence ands peace.
Boltrope groped his way into the hold among the
seamen, -where, kicking one of the' most fortunate
of the men from his birth, he established himself
in his place, with all that cool:. indifference to the
other's comfort, that. had- growIr: with his experience; from. the time:when he was treated thus:cavalierly in his. own person, to the present moment.
In this manner, head.. was dropped' after head, on
the, planks, the guns, or onw whatever' first offered
for a pillow, until Griffith and. Barnatable, alone,




ï~~THE PILOT.

were, le1Lt paciig,:the;.different. sides of the qarte -
deck,, in haughty silence.
Ngviei.did= a rwni ig iat ch, appea r-:ong to
the two, young sailous, Who, wvere  thus,01prived,  by
resentm~nt.;nd= pride, of tbat~ f anId ara fiendly
cm. 4. nj on, 04lat, d: for, so- man:Yyears sweetened
the tedious hours: of,their lo  nds.;d at, times,
dreary.erve. TP >o inerea as.the-.s barrsmient of
their sitqation, C eci l  an  Ka 4h.rinei _suffering
frQr the confnenent": of the. sail: snd e rovded
qab~ik~ so.ught the -purer. air.of the 4ecpki aboutt the
time wherti th~e deepest sleep h dsetLd. on the
senrases: of, th~e wearied mariners. They stood,leaning, agaist the, t.aTraiI:,discuvsing  wyth  each
other in lowe and broker sentences;.but.i a. sort:of
inst iCive. kno, wedge, of the: embarrassment -which
ok t.i  e,we t tir 19vers, c auseq a guarded.ontr.   over every.r loot;ors: ges tire which: might.
be~ con~s, ued into anencouragement_ for one of the
youtng men; to- advancea at the expense of th e other.
Twenty times, howevery did the: impatient Barnstable feel- tempted _tQo. t-hrow off: the a-wkwvard.restraipt, anal approach,. his mistress; but -in:each
ins~knce was heycheeked by the.: Secret conscioustress off error,, as~ well as, by that;habituaJ, respect
for; suiperior rinkltat: formps apart" of tie nature.of
a searfier.  On: theother. han4iGriffth wardfEe~d.:- istgntion to0, -pof it 4k, his silent concess~ in hj? - fa -our, bie: nt~btd to. pate the,
ahort.quarter-deck0 with st ides:ore hrtri d  than;
etiver; an$ wa~s spen:ta tllr9oW  manOy: ar, ipatient
glanceqp -town dsh.  qarrQttehvnswere,
the: r:sigrts.of. the. lingering:. day mwight be eV..
pecte4: to, appear. fit: length_: Katherine ith
read; inag iiy,. an4'. perhaps,1 w th. sonic s ee,oquer y, --knaqe - thber en,ia sassvent~ 1rs:




ï~~502

THE PILOT

ing first, takirg care to address the lover of her
cousin"How long-are we condemnec to these limited
lodgings, Mr. Griffith?" she asked;:' truly, there
is a freedom in 'your nautical customs, which, to
say the least, is novel to us females, who have been
accustomed to the division of space!"
" The instant that there is. light to discover the
frigate; Miss Plowden," he. answered, " you
shall' be transferred 'from a vessel 'of an hundred,
to one of twelve hundred tons. If your situation
there be, less. comfortable, 'than when within the
walls of 'St., Ruth, you Will not' forget that they
who live on the ocean 'claim it as a merit to de
spise the luxuries of theland '
" At least, sir,7. returned Katherine, with a
sweet grace, which she well knew how to assume
on occasion, "what we shall enjoy will be sweetened by liberty and embellished by a sailor's hospitality. To me, Cicily, the air of this open sea
is as fresh and invigorating, as if it were wafted
from our own distant America!"
",4f you have not the arm' of a patriot, you at
least possess a most loyal in'iagination,,Miss Plowden," said  Griffith, laughing; " this soft breeze
blows in the direction of the fens of Holland, instead of the broad plains of America.-Thank God,
there come, the, signs of day, at last! unless the
currents have swept the ship far to the north, we
shall surely see her with the light."
This cheering intelligence drew the eyes of the
fair cousins towards the easti where their delighted
looks were long fastened, while they watched the
glories of the sun rising over the water. As the
nmorning had. advanced, a deeper gloom was spread
across the ocean, and the, stars were gleaming in




ï~~TIHE PILOT.

the heavens, like balls of twinkling fire, But now
a streak of pale light showed itself along' the
horizon, growing;-brighter, and widening at each
moment, until long fleecy clouds became -visible,
where nothing had been- seen before but the dim
base of the arch that overhung the dark waters.
This expanding light, which, in appearance, might
be" compared to a silvery opening in the heavens,
was soon tinged with a pale flush,: which quickened  wi th sudden transitions, into glows,yeti
deeper, until a belt of broad Aflanme,. bounded the
water, diffusing itself more 4aintly towards tahe
zenith, where it.inAelted into the pearl-colunred
sky,  or played on the fantastic:volumes.of a few
light:clouds with inconstant glimmering  While
these beautiful transitions were still before the
eyes of the youthful ad mirers of their beauties, a
voice was heard above themtn, crying as if 'front the
heavens" Sail-ho! The frigate lies broad off to seaward, sir!"
{" Ay,:ay:; you have been:wat-tehing. with one
eye asleep, 'fellow,'  returned- Griffith, "or we
should have heard you before  Look a little north
of the place where the glare of:the sun is coming,
Miss Plowden, and you -will be able toa see our
gallant vessel.?'. An inoluntary cry of pleasure burst from the
lips of Katherine, as she. followed.-his directions,
and first beheld the frigate through the, medium of
the flutuating tcolours of the m=nrniwg. The undulating outline of the lazy ocean- whicl-rose and
fell heavily against the bright boundary.of the
heavens, was without any relief to distract the
eye, as it fed- eagerly on the beaoties of the' solitary ship; Shy was riding sluggishly:on- the long
seas, with only two of her lower and smaller sails




ï~~5,04

THE PILOT.

spr a, to hold ]he1 din etrnrmnn:  but her'tal miasts'
and leiv    Â~ards v ere  painted agdinst ti e' f1iry
s;ihstr  ig ' lines  of dep bh' ck,; Whitb evefl the'
sf1Â~elt  rd in the maz s-. f herr r g ngm h t be
di~tinetty  traced,  setch n  from, rpa  6' spiir '.it
the'hea iit i accnra y  f  a. pietue. At Jmom'efts'
whether huge hull rose '~Va billdw, and was  lifted against the background of skay, its shape dnd
t diifidt iirns 'tie -b -ire~  int o vieW; but  these
ta isie t 'glinip Eewr~ soon  lollt, as it scttl-'d  into'
th'e trou gh leaving th ewavinig pars'b~in~b gracef lly towatdi:he wOate s as if about td follow 'thoi
v+eel into' theo b'osom o-f the' deep: As- a cleai'e
tight graduzally Mtole of tahe msees, the'.dehision of
eolouis anfd' distance& vaish ed together, anid w hen
a %lod' of day' precede' d 'the' ii~rmd iate" 4Wpearaiice
of the Sur, the; sh it 'bree  l6 plahunly* Visibke Withih'
a mille of the " ~ter, her blfiek hull' bhe'cke ed, with'
ports, and-her high- tapering "tnasts-exhibiftini thei'r
rper- p-roportiÂ~ods,and 'hiuled
At the first cry of" a sail,"the' crew of the=
Aid' rity' had -beeh  aronmsed ftoiii their s~liimbers by
the' shrill whistle of the batsWain and lbn' bWetire
the" adi ting loos or the IW t  co-usidi I 'h~ ceasedto dwell 11n the fasinatiii  ight' of'-rnori'iii ch as
in g; iighit froth' th 'Iihis" 6eife, the cutter va~s
again in motion 'to join- her consom t. If =seernd
but a  nortnt'befot theli little wasWin; what
thÂ~e tiid'  fei "fles  tabus ht,; a d~U glr,6hg  o~xiihty
to tie- 6te;r leR hndY ctiSe Ie~ slhe sl1   pa sed,,in o trdv 'io admitofa the 'fbl oW;h'Iar bgbM'tween
"fftland this' get4  ilii a_ d  +
captain, who' stood in":the ehatriel ' of his srAj$
waig 'h.y..a iith.6 coiklkil gi'~thg
"Yrou'arewetdie   ack;'C~t~dn'  aiujal'; wetcome, uWek oI' all:4 of dt i my b6 s! 'as uVacomei




ï~~THE PILOT.

505

as a breeze in the calm latitudes.";As his eye,
however, passed along the deck of the Alacrity, it
encountered the shrinking figures of Cecilia and
Katherine, and a dark shade of displeasure crossed
his decent features, while he added--" How's this,
gentlemen! The frigate of Congress is"neither a
ball-room, nor a church, that is to be thronged
with women "
"Ay,-ay," muttered Boltrope to his friend the
chaplain, " now the old man has hauled out his
mizzen, you'll see him carry a weather helm! He
wakes up about as often..as the trades shift their
points, and that's once in six months. But when
there has been a neap-tide in his temper for any
time, you're sure to find it followed by a flood with
a vengeance. Let us hear what the first lieutenant can say in favour of his petticoat quality!"
The.blushing sky had not exhibited a more
fiery glow, than gleamed in the fine face of Griffith
for a moment; but struggling with his disgust, he
answered with bitter emphasis--
" 'Twas the pleasure of Mr. Gray, sir, to bring
off the prisoners."
"Of Mr. Gray!" repeated the captain, instantly
losing every trace of displeasure, in an air 'of acquiescence." Come-to, sir, on the same tack with
the ship, and I will hasten to order the accommodation ladder rigged, to receive our guests!"
Boltrope listened to this sudden alteration in the
language of his commander,; with sufficient wonder; nor was it until he:had shaken his head repeatedly, with the manner of one who saw deeper
than his neighbours into a mystery, that he found
leisure to observe" NTow, parson, I suppose if you. held an alma.nack in your fist, you'd think you could tell, which
way we shall have the wind to-morrow!  but damn




ï~~500t

THE PILOT.

me, priest, if better _calculators than you- havn't
failed!;Because a lubberly-no, he's a thorough
seaman, lIll say that for the fellow!-because a
pilot chooses to say, 'bring ee off these here women,' the ship ist be so clttered with she-cattle,
that a.man will be obligated to spend half his time
in making his manners! Now mind what I tell
you, priest, this very frolic will cost Congress the
price of a year's wages for an able bodied seaman,
in bunting and canvass for screens; besides the
wear and tear of running-gear in shortening sail,
in order that the women need not be 'stericky in
squalls!"
The presence of Mr. Boltrope being required,
to take charge of the cutter, the divine was denied
an opportunity of dissenting from the opinions of
his rough companion; for the loveliness of their
novel shipmates had not failed to plead loudly in
their favour, with every man iii the cutter whose
hiabits and ideas had not become rigidly set in obstinacy.
By the time the Alactity was hove-to, with her
head tow'ards the frigate, the long line of ppbots
that she had been towing during the latter part of
the night, were brought to her side.,, and filled
with men. A wild scene of unbridled merriment
and gayety succeeded, while the seamen were
exchanging the confinemen of the prize for their
accustomed lodgings in the ship, during which the
reins of discipline were slightly relaxed... Loud
laughter was echoed  from boat to boat, as they
glided by each other; and rude jests, interlarded
with quaint humours and strange oaths, were freely bandied from mouta to mouth,. The noise,
however, -soon ceased, and the passage of Colonel
Howard and his wards was then effected, with less
precipitancy, and due decorum. Captain Munson,




ï~~THE PILOT              507
who had been holding a secret dialogue with Griffith and the Pilot, received his unexpected guests
wrth plain hospitality, but with an evident d'sire
to be civil. He politely yielded to their service
hi; two convenient state-rooms, and invited them
to partake, in common with himself, of the comforts
of the great cabin.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXII.

" Furious press the hostile squadron,
Furious he repe!s their rage,
Loss of blood at length enfeebles;
Who can war with thousands wage?"
Spanish War Song
WE cannot detain the narrative, to detail the
scenes which busy wonder, aided by the r elation
of divers marvellous feats, produced among the
curious seamen who remained in the ship, and
their more fortunate fellows, who had returned in
glory from an expedition to the land. For nearly
an hour the turbulence of a general movement
was heard, issuing from the deep recesses of the
frigate, and the boisterous sounds of hoarse merriment were listened to by the officers in indulgent
silence; but all these symptoms of unbridled humour ceased by the time the morning repast
was ended, when the regular sea-watch was set,
and the greater portion of those whose duty did
not require their presence on the vessel's deck,
availed themselves of the opportunity to repair the
loss of sleep sustained in the preceding night
Still no preparations were made to put the ship ip
motion, though long and earnest consultations,
which were supposed to relate to their future des



ï~~THE PILOT.

509

tiny, were observed by the younger officers, to be
held between their captain, the first lieutenant, and
the mysterious Pilot. The latter threw many an
anxious glance along the eastern horizon, searching it minutely with his glass, and then would turn
his impatient looks at the low, dense bank of fog,
which, stretching across the ocean like a barrier
of cloud, entirely intercepted the view towards
the south. To the north and along the land, the
air was clear, and the sea without a spot of any
kind; but in the east a small white sail had been
discovered since the opening. of day, which was
gradually rising above the water, and assuming the
appearance of a vessel of some size. Every officer on the quarter-deck in his turn had examined
this distant sail, and had ventured an opinion on
its destination and character; and even Katherine,
who with her cousin was' enjoying, in the open air,
the novel beauties Qf the ocean, had been tempted
to place her sparkling eye, to a glass, to gaze at the
stranger.
' It is a collier," Grifith said, ",who has hauled
from the land in the late gale, and vho is luffirng
up to his course again. If the wind holds here in
the south, and he does not get into that fog bank,
we can stand off for him and get a supply of fuel
before eiglit.bells are struck."
" I think his head is to the northwvard, and that
hlie is steering off the wind," returned the Pilot. in
a musing manner. "If that Dillonw succeeded in
getting his express far enough along the coast, the
alarm has been spread, and we... must be wary.
The convoy of the Baltic trade is in the North
Sea, and news of our presence could easily have
been taken off to it by some of the cutters that line
the, coast-I could wish to get the, ship as far south
as the Jielder,!?'




ï~~510

THE PILOT.

" Then we lose this weather tide!" exclaimed
the impatient Griffith; "surely we have the cutter as a look-ouit! besides, by beating into the fog,
we shall lose the enemy, if enemy it be, and it is
thought meet for an American frigate to skulk from
her foes!"
The scornful expression that kindled the eye of
the Pilot, like a gleam of sunshine lighting for an
instant some dark dell and laying bare its secrets,
was soon lost in the usually quiet look of his
glance, though he hesitated like one who was
struggling with his passions, before he answered"If prudence and the service of the States require it, even this proud frigate must retreat and
hide fromn the meanest of her enemies. My advice, Captain Munson, is,: that you make sail, and
beat the ship to windward, as Mr. Griffith has suggested, and that you order the cutter to precede
tus, keeping more in with the land."
The aged seaman, who evidently suspended his
orders, only to receive an intimation of the other's
pleasui e, immediately commanded his youthfult assistant to issue the necessary mandates to put these
measures in force.  Aecordingly the Alacrity,
which vessel had been left under the command of
the junior lieutenant of the frigate, was quickly
under way; and makirng short stretches to windward, she soon entered the bank' of fog, and was
lost to the eye. In the moiai time the canvass of
the ship was loosned, arid spread ieisuxrelyin:order not to distu bi the porjetiaon of the crew who
were sleeping; and followintg her little consort, she
moved heavily through the water,bearing up against
the dull breeze.
The quiet of regular ditty had succeeded t6 the
bitstleof imataking sail, and as the rays of the sun
'ell less obliquely on the distant land, Katherine




ï~~THE PILOT.

511

and Cecilia were amusing Griffith by vain attempts
to point out. the rounded eminences which they
fancied lay in the vicinity of the deserted mansion
of St. Ruth. Barnstable, who had resumed his
former station in the frigate, as her second lieutenant, Mwas pacing the opposite side of the quarterdeck, holding under his arm the speaking trumpet,
which denoted that he held the temporary control
of the motions of the ship, and inwardly cursing
the restraint that kept him from the side of his
mistress. At this moment of universal quiet, when
nothing above low dialogues interrupted the dashing of the waves as:they were thrown lazily aside
by the bows of the vessel, the report of a light
cannon burst out of the barrier of fog, and rolled
by them on the breeze, apparently vibrating with
the rising and sinking of the waters.
",There goes the cutter!" exclaimed Griffith,
the instant the sound, was heard.
"Surely,"' said the captain, " Somers is not so
indiscreet as to scale his guns, after the caution he
has received!"
". No idle scaling of guns is intended there,"
said the Pilot, straining his eyes to pierce the fog,
but soon turning away in disappointment at his inability:to succeed-" that gun -is shotted, and has
been fired in the hurry of a sudden signal!-can
your look-outs see nothing, Mr.' Barnstable?'
' The lieutenant, of the watch, hailed the man
aloft, anl demanded if any thing were visible in
the  direction of the wind, and received for answer,
that the fog intercepted the view: in that quarter
of the heavens, but that the sail in the east was a
phip, running large or before the wind. The Pior shook his head doubtingly at this information,
but still he manifested a strong reluctance to relinquish the attempt of getting more to the south




ï~~THE PILOT.

ward. Again he comnmuned with the commander
of the fi igate, apart from all other ears, and while
they yet deliberated, a second report was heard,
leaving no doubt but the Alacrity was firing signal
guns for their particular attention.
" Perhaps," said Griffith, " he wishes fo poini
out his position, or to ascertain ours; believing
that we are lost like himself in the mist."
"We have our compasses!" returned the doubting captain; " Somers has a meaning in what he
says!"
" See!" cried Katherine, with girlish delight,
" see, my cousin! see, Barnstable! how beautifully that vapour is wreathing itself in clouds above
the smoky line of fog! It stretches already into
the very heavens like a lofty pyramid!"
Barnstable sprang lightly on a gun, as he uepeated her Words" Pyramids of fog! and wreathing clouds! By
heaven!" he shouted, "'tis a tall ship! Royals,
skysails, and studding sails all abroad! She is
within a mile of us, and comes down like a race
horse,  with a spanking breeze, dead before it!
Now know we why Somers is speaking in the
mist!":.
"Ay," cried Griffith, " and there goes the
Alacrity, just breaking out.of the fog, hovering in
for the land!"
" There is a mighty hull under all that cloud
of Canvass, Captain Munson," said the observant
but calm Pilot-- it is time, gentlemen;, to edge
away -to leeward?"
" What, before we know from whom we run!"
cried Griffith; "my life on it, there is no single
ship king George owns, 'but would tire of the
sport before she had played a fiull game of bowls
with---,'




ï~~THE PI LOT.

513

The haughty air of the young man was daunted
by the severe look he encountered in the eye of
the. Pilot, and he suddenly ceased, though inwardly chafing with impatient pride.
T":The Â~ame eye that detected the canvass above
the fog, might have seen the flag of a vice-admiral
flutitering still nearer the heavens,": returned the
collected. stranger;, "and England, faulty as she
may:be, is yet too generous to place a flag-officer
in time of war, in command of a frigate, or a captain i' command of a fleet. She knows the value
of those-who shed their blood, in her behalf, and
it is thus that she is so well served.! Believe me,
Capt.. Munson, there is nothing short of a ship of.
the line under that symbol of rank,. and that broad
show of canvass!"
"We shall see, sir, we shall see," returned, the
old officer,whose manner grew decided. as the
danger appeared to thicken; ' beat to quarters,
Mr. Griffith, for we have none: but enemies to expect on this coast."
The order was instantly issued, when Griffith
remarked, with a more temperate zeal" If Mr. Gray be right, we shall have reason to
thank God that we are so light of heel!"
The. cry of " a. strange vessel close aboard the
frigate," having already flown down the hatches,
the ship was in an uproar at the first tap of the
drum. The seamen threw themselves from their
hammocks,, and lashing them rapidly into long,
hard bundles, they rushed to the decks, where they
were dexterously stowed in the netting, to aid the
defences of the upper, part of the vessel. While
this tumultuous scene was exhibiting, Griffith gave
a secret order to Merry, who disappeared, leading
his trembling cousmins to a place of safety in the inmost depths of the ship.
33




ï~~.14

THE PILOT

The guns were cleared of their lumber, and
loosened; The bulk-heads were knocked down;
and the cabin relieved of its furniture, and the
gun-deck exhibited one unbroken line of formidable
cannon, arranged in all the order of a naval battery
ready to engage. Arm- chests were thrown open,
and the decks strewed with pikes, cutlasses, p1stols, and all the various weapons for boarding.
In short, the yards were slung, and every other
arrangement was made with a Areadiness and dexterity that were actually wonderful, though all- was
performed amid an appearance of disorder and
confusion that rendered the ship another Babel
during the continuanee of the preparations. In a
very few minutes everylthinig was completed, and
even the voices of the men ceased to be-heard answering to their names; as they were mustered at
their stations, by their respective officersr Gradually the ship became as quiet as the grave, and
when even Griffith or- his.eommander found, it
necessary to speak, their voices were calmer, and
their tones more mnild than 'usual  The course of
the vessel was ehangedl to an. oblique line from
that in which their enemy was approaching,
though the appearance of flight, was:to be studioGusly avoided to the last mtinnt. When nothing
further remained to be done, every eye became
fix'ed on; the enormous pile of swelling canvass
that was rising, in -clod over cloud, far- hbove the
fog, and which was manifestly rioving, like driving vapour, swiftly to the north. Presently the
dull, smoky boundary of the.mist which rested on
the water, was pushed aside in vast volumes, and
the long taper spar- that projected from the bowpirit of,the strange ship, issued from-the obscurity,;and were quickly followed by the whole of'
the enormous fabric, to which they were mere



ï~~THE PILOT.

515

ly l ight appendages. For a moment, streaks of
reluctant vapour clung tQ. the huge, floating pile,
but they wei e soon shaken off by the rapid vessel,
and the whole of her black hull became distinct to
the;eye.
"One,. two, three rows of teeth!" said Boltrope,. deliberately counting the tiers of guns that
bristled along the sides of. the enemy; "a threedecker! Jack Manly would show his stern to
such a fellow! and even the bloody Scotchman
would run!"
e     tHard -up with your helm, quarter-master!"
cried Captain Munson; " there, is.indeed no time
to hesitate, with such an enemy within a quarter
of,a mile! Turn the hands up, Mr. Griffith- and
pack on the ship from her trucks to her lower studding-sail booms. Be stirring, sir, he stirring! Hard
up with your helm! Hard up, and be damn'd to
you!"
Thy unusual earnestness of their aged commander acted on the. startled crew like a voice
from the:.deep, and they waited not for the usual
signals of the boatswain and drummer to be given,
before they' broke away from their guns, and
rushed tumultuously to aid in spreading the desired canvass. There was one minute of ominous
confusion, that, to an.. inexperienced eye would
have foreboded the destruction;of all order in the
vessel, during which every hand,and each tongue,
seemed in motion; but it ended with opening the
immense folds of light duck which were displayed
nlong the whole line of the: masts, far beyond the
oinary sails, overshadowing. the waters for a
great distance, on either side of the vessel. Du.
ring the moment of inaction that succeeded this
puddenr exertion, the breeze, which had brought
vp the three-decker, fell fresher on the sails of the




ï~~516

TfLZ PILO'.

frigate, and she started away from her dangerous
enemy with a very perceptible advantage in point
of sailing.
"The fog rises " cried Griffith;" give us but
the wind for an hour, and we shall run her out of
gun-shot!"
"These Ninety's are very fast off the wind'  '
returned the captain, in' a low tone, that ivas in
tinded only for the ear of his first lieutenant
and the Pilot," and we shall have a struggle fot
it."
The quick eye of the stranger was glancing
ovei the movements of his enemy, while he' answered
"He finds we have the heels' of him already!
he is making ready, and we shall be fortunate tc
escape a broadside! Let hier yaw a little, ir.
Griffith; touch her lightly with 'the helm if we
are rakcd, sir, we are lost!"
The. captain sprang oh the taffrail of his ship
with the activity of a younger man, and in an instant he perceived th  truithof' the other's conjeeture.
Both vessels now ran for a fe v minutes, keenly
wateching each other's motions _likle two skilful
combatants; the 'Entiglish ship iiiaking slight deviations from the line of her course, and then, as her
movements were anticipated by the other, turning as cautiously in the opposite direction, unitil a
sudden and wide sweep of her huge bows, told 'the
Ame'icans plainly on' which tack to expect her.
Captain Munson made a silent, but impressive
gesture;with' his arnim, as if the crisis were too important for speech, which indicated to the "watchful Griffith, the way he wished the frigate sheered,
to avoid the weight of die iinpending danger. Both
vessels whirled swiftly up to the wind, with their




ï~~TrH E PILOT.

517

heads towards the land, and as the huge black
sid  f the 'three-decker, checkered with its triple
batteries, frwne'd full upon: her foe, it belched
forth a flood of fire and smoke, accompanied by a
bellowing roar that mocked the surly moanings of
the sleeping ocean. The nerves.o'f the bravest
man in the frigate contracted their fibres, as the
hturicane of iron hurtld by theim, and each eye
appeared to gaz_ in stupid wonder, asif tracing the
flight of the swift engines of destruction. But the
voice daf Captain M"u1son was heard in the dhin,
shouting while he waved his hat earnestly in the
required directionA.
"Meet her! meet her with the hi m, boy! meet
her, Mr. Griffith, meet her!"
Griffith had so fai- anticipated this movement, as
to have already ordered the head of the frigate
turned in its forimer course, when struck by the
unearthly cry,of the' last ton's utittered by his comrtander,.he bent his head, and beheld the venerable seaman driven through the' air, "his hat still
wavin, his gray hair floating in the wind; and his
eye set in the wivld look of death.
" Great God!" exclaimed the young man,
rushing to the side of the  hip, where lie was just
in tiine to see the- lifeless body disappear in the
wateirs that were dyed in its blood;" he has
been struck by a shot! Lower-away the boat,
lower-away 'the jolly-boat, the barge; the tiger,
fle."
' Tis useless," interrupted the calm deep voice
pf the Pilot; "'he has minet a warrior's end, and he
sleeps in a sailois grave! The ship is getting be%re the wind again, and the enemy is keeping his
vessel away."
The youthful lieutenant was recalled by these
44




ï~~518

THE PILOT.

W ords to his duty, and reluctantly turned his eyes
away from the bloody spot on the dark waters,
which the busy frigate had: already passed, to restme the commanid of the vessel with a forced
composure.
"lie has cut some of our running gear," said
the master, whose eye had never ceased to dwell
on the spars and rigging.of the ship,.  and there's
a splinter out if the main-top-m4st, that is big
enough for a fid! He has let day-light thrqugh some
of our canvass too, but taking it by-and-large, the
squall has gone over, and., little harm done-..
Didn't I hoar something said of C apt. Mmnnson
gettingjamm'd by a shot.?."
"He is killed!"-said Grifith, speaking in a
voice that was:.yet husky with horror.-" he is
dead, sir, and carried overboard; there is more
need that we forget not ourselyes, in this crisis."
"-Dead -!" said Boltrope, suspending the operation.of his active jaws for a mome-nt, in- surprise;
" and buried in a wet jacket! well, it is lucky 'tis
no woirse, for, damme if I did- not think every
stick in the ship, would have been cut out of
her!"
With this consolatory remark on his lips, the
master walked.slowly forward, continuing his. orders to repair the damages with a singleness of
purpose that rendered him, however upcputh as a
friend, on invaluable man in his station.
Griffith had: not yet brought his mind.to the
calmness that was. so essential to discharge the
duties which had thus suddenly and awfully devolved on him, when his elbow was lightly touched by the Pilot, who had drawn closer to his
side--.
"' The enemy appear satisfied with th(, experi.




ï~~TIHE PILOT.

519

mnient," said the stranger, " and as we work the
quicker of 'the two, he loses too mich ground to
repeat it, if he be a true seaman."
"And yet as he finds we leave him so fast,'
returned Griffith, "he must see that all-his hopes
rest in cutting us up aloft. I' dread that he will
come by the wind again, and lay us under his
broadside; we should need a quarter of an hour to
run. WithoUt his range, if he were' anchored!"
" He plays a surer game  see you not that the
vessel We.made in the eastern board shows the
hull of a frigate? 'Tis past a doubt that they- are
of one squadron; and that the expresses have sent
them in our wake.    The. English admiral has
spread a broad clew, Mr. Griffith, and as he gathers it -his ships, he sees that his game 'has been
suiecessful."
The faeu ties of Griffith had -been too much occuipied with the hurry of the chase to look at the
ocean; 'but startled at the information of the Pi16t, Who spoke coolly, though like a man sensible
of "the fexistence of approaching danger, he took
the glass from the other, and with his own eye examined the different vessels in sight. It is certain
that the experienced officer, whose flag was flying
above the light sails of the three-decker, saw the
critical -situation of his ch'ase, and reasoned much
ins the same manner as the Pilot-; or the fearful
expedient apprehended by Griffith would have
been adopted. Prudence, however, 'dictated that
ihe should prevent his enemy from. escaping hy
pr'essing,o closely on his rear, as to render it impjisible for the American to haul across his bows
and ruii into the open sea between his own vessel
arid tie nearest frigate of his squadron.  The
unpractised reader will be able 't c omprehend
the case better by accompanying the understand



ï~~520

THE PILOT.

ing eye of Griffith as it glanced from point tc
point, following the whole horizon... To the west
lay the land, along which the:Alacrity was urging
her way industriously, with the double purpose
of keeping her consort abeam, and of avoiding
a dangerous proximity to their powerful enemy. To the east, bearing off the starboard bow
of the American frigate, was the vessel first seen,
and which now began to exhibit.the hostile appearance of a ship of war, steering in a line converging towards themniselves, and rapidly drawing
nigher;.while far in,the north-east, was a vessel
as yet fainty discerned, whose. evolutions could
not be mistaken bysne who understood the move=
ments of nautical warfiire.
"We are hemmed;i~ effectually," said Griffith,
dropping the glass from his eye; "and I know not
but our wisest.course would be to haul.in to the
laiid, and cutting every thing light adrift, endeavour  to pass the broadside of the flag-,ship?"
"Provided. she left a rag of; canvass to do it
with!" returned the Pilot. ", Sir, 'tis an idle
hope! She would strip your ship in ten minutes,
to her plank shears. Had it not been for a lucky
wave on which so many of her shot struck and
glanced ppward, we should have had nothing to
boast of left from the fire, she has already given;.ve must stand on, and drop the three-decker as
far as possible."
" But the frigats.?" said Griffith, "what are we
to do with the frigates?".
"Fight theirm!'. returned the Pilot, in a low
determined voice, 4 fight them! Young man, I have
borne the stars and stripes aloft in greater straits
than this, and even.with honour! Think not that
rny fortine will desert me now!'
" We shall have an hour of desperate battle I'"




ï~~THE PILOT.

521

"' On that we vrmay caculate; but I ' have lived
through whole days of bloodshed! you..seem not
one to quail at the sight of an enemy."
"Let me proclaim your name to the men!"
said Griffith; " 'tw ill quicken their blood, and at
such a moment, be a host in itself')
SThey want it not,'' returned the Pilot, cheeking the hasty zeal.of the other with his hand. " J
would: be unnoticed -unless I am known as becomes
me: I will share your danger,. but would rinot rob
you of a tittle of your glory: Shouldi we come, to
a grapple," he continued, while  a smile of conseious pride gleamed across his face,' I iwill give
forth the word as a war-cry, and, believe me, these
English will quail before it!"
Griffith submitted to the stranger's Will, and
after they hid deliberated further on thei nature ol
their evolutions, he gavehis   attention again to the
management of the vessel  The first object which
met his eye on turning from the Pilot was Colonel
Howard, pacing the quarter-deck with a determined brow and a haughty mien, as if already in
the enjoyment of that triumph which now seemed
certain::
" I fear, sir," said the young man, approaching
him with respect, " that you will soon find the
deck:unpleasant and. dangerous: your wards
are'."
"Mention not the unworthy term!" interrupted
the colonel.  What greater pleaure ean. there be
than to inhale the odour of loyalty that is" wafted
from yonder floating tower ofthe king!-And danger'! you know but little of old George Howard,
young man; if you think, he would for thousands
miss seeing that symbol.-. ofrebellion levelled before the flag of his Majesty."
" If that be your wish, Colonel Howard," re



ï~~522

THE PI LOT.

turned Griffith, biting his lip as he looked around
at the wondering -seamnen who were listeners,
"you will wait in vain---but I pledge you my
word, that when that: time arrives, you shall be advised, and that your own: hands shall do the igno.
ble deed."
"Edvard Griffith,. why not this moment? This
is your moment of probation-,stibmit to the cleme cy of the crown, and yield your crew to the
loyal merciy. -In such a case I would remember the
child of my brother Harry's friendt; and believe
me, my nainme is known to the ministry. And you,
misguided arid ignorant abettors of rebellion! cast
aside youtr..useless. weapons, or:prepare to meet
the vengeance of yonder powerful and victorious
servant of your prince.'
'" Fail back! back with ye, fellows!" cried Griffith, fierely, to the men who were gathering around
the colonel, with looks of sullen vengeance.  If
a man of you dare approach him, he shall be cast
into the sea.'t
The sailors retreated at the order of their com.
hander; but the elated veteran had continued to
pace the deck for many minutes before stronger interests diverted the angry glances of the seamen
to other objects.
Notwithstanding the ship of the line was slowly
sinking beneath the distant waves, and in less than
anhot. fromi the =tim ei. she had fired the broadside,
no more than oie of her three tiers of guns was
visible from the deck of the frigate, she yet presented an irresistib'le obstacle against retreat to the
south. On the bther hand the ship first.seen,
diew so nigh as to render the glass no longer neces saiy i-n watching her movements. She proved
to be a frigate, though 'ore:o materially lighter
than the American, as'to h-ave rendered her eon



ï~~THE PILOT.

52

quest easy, had not her two consorts.ontmpued t
press on for the scene of battle with such rapidity.
During the chase the scene had shifted from -the
point opposite to St. Ruth, to the verge of thqse
shoals where our tale commenced. As they approached the latter, the smallest of the English
ships drew so nigh as to render the combat "unavoidable. Griffith and his crew had,noQt been idle
in the intermediate time, but all the. usual preparations against the casualties- of a sea-fight had been
duly made, when the drum once more called the
mnen to -,their quarters,, and the ship.was deliberately  stripped of her, unnecessary. sails, like a prize,fighter about,_to enter the aren'a.casting aside the
incumbrances -of dress. At the; instant she gave
this intimation of her intention- to abandon flight,
and: trust the issue to tlee combat, the nearest English frigate also took in her light canvass in token
of her acceptance of the challenge,
" He is but a little fellow', said Griffith to the
Pilot, who hovered at his elbow with a sort of fatherly interest in the other's conduct of the bRttle,
''.though he carries a stout heart.'".
" We must crush him at  blow," returned the
stranger; "  not a shot must be delivered until our
yards are locking."
" J.see him training his twelves upon us already;
we may soon expect his fire."
"4fter standing the brunt of a Ninety-gunshp,': observed, the collectedA ilot, w'' e shal not
shrink from the broadside of   T wosand-thirty."
' Stand to your. guas,.inen I" cried Gri~ith,
through his trumpet-' not a shot. is to be fued
without the order:"
'This caution, so necessary. t'o ch e  t:, ro  a
ofe th  eamen, was.- hardly uttered, before theienemybecame wrapped in sheets of ire an4Vr




ï~~524

THE PILOT.

lumes of.. smoke, as gun after gun hurled its iron
missiles at their vessel in quick succession. Ten
minutes, might have passedi the two vessels sheer-.
ingcloser to each other every foot they advanced,
during which time the crew of the American were
compelled, by their commander, to suffer the fire
of their adversary, without returning a shot. This
short period, which seemed an age to the seamen,
was distiriguished in their Vessel by deep silence.
Even the wounded and dying, who fell in every
part of the ship, stifled their groans, under the influence of the severe discipline, which gave a character to every man and each movement of the
vessel, and those officers who were required to
speak, were heard only in the lowest tones of resolute preparation. At length the ship slowly entered the skirts of the smoke that enveloped their
enemy; and Griffith heard  the man who stood at
his side whisper the word " now."
" Let them have it!" cried Griffith, in a voice
that was heard in the remotest parts of the
ship.
The shout that burst from the seamen, appeared
to lift the decks of the vessel, and the affrighted
frigate trembled like an aspen, with the recoil of
her own massive artillery, that shot forth a single
sheet of flame,. the sailors having disregarded, in
their impatience, the usual order of firing. The
effect of the broadside on the enemy was still more
dreadful, for a death-like silence succeeded to the
roar of the guns, which was only broken by the
shrieks and execrations that burst from her, like
the moanings of the damned. During the few miments in which the Americans were again loading
their cannon, and the English were recovering from
their confusion, the vessel of the former moved
slowly past he: antagonist, and was already dou




ï~~THE' PILOT.

525

l: g across her bdws, i;wheii the latter was sud.
d ily, and, cohsiderin g the in qutality of their
foces; it' may be added despeat ely, headed into
her enemy. The two frigates 'grappled.   The
sudden and furious charge miade by the EnglishmTan, as he threw his?masses of. daring seamen
along his bowsprit,;and' out 'of' his channels, had
nearly takoen Griffith 'by suiprise  but Manual, who
had delivered 'his first fire with the broadside, n6w
did good service, by orderihg his meni to beat back
the intruders, by a steady iand contiued discharge.
EVen the  vary Pilot lost 'sight of 'their other fdes,
in the' high daring Hof that 'mndeht, and smiles of
stern pleasure were exchanged bettweeir' him and
Griffith, as both cnpreheiided at-a glance their
advaniages.
" Lash his bowsprit to our mizzen-niast;,"' shouted the lietitenant, "and vwe will sweep, his, decks
as he lies!'
Twen'ty men sprang eagerly 'lot Wvard'to 'execute
the order, among. the foremost of whom;-were Boltrope and the stranger.
"Ay, now he's our own!"' cried the busy mastir, " and we will takae an owner's' liberties with
him, and break himin up- for by the eternial"
" Peace, rude man," said the Pilot:in a" voide
of solemn reinemonstrance;  "t  the next instant
you may face your' God; mock riot  his awfill
name
The miaster found time, befoe he 'threw himself from the spar on the deck of the frigate again,
to: cast a look of amnazemnent at his  0ompanion; who,
with asteady-inefi, but with 'an eye that lighted
with 'a warrior's ardour, viewed the battle that
raged around him, like 'one who marked its progressto control the restult.
The sight of the Englishfen, rushing onward




ï~~520

THE PILOT.

with shuts, -nd bitter. menaces., warmed the blood
of Colppon Iward, who pressed to. the side of the
frigate, an encoraged hi friends, by his gestures
od voice, to come on.
Away with ye, lid croake:!" cried the master, seizing him by the collar; ~ away with ye to
the hold, or I'll order you fired fmni a gv."
"Down with your ars, rebellious dog!. shouted the colone, carri~ed beyond limnself by the.:ardour of the fray; "down to the dust, and implore
the mrercy of your injured prince l?
Inigorated by a mom ntary glow, the veteran
grappled with  his:brawny antagonist, but the issue
of the. short struggle was, yet suspe-nded, when the
English,. driven back by the -.fire of the marines,
and the menacing front that Griffith with his;boarders presented, retreated to the. forecastle of their
own: ship, and attempted to return the dteadly
blows they were receiving, in their hull, from the
cannon, that Barnstable directed. A solitary gun
wad -al.they could bring. to hear on the.:Americans; but this, loaded with canister, was fired. so
ear as to send its glaripg flame into the.very faces
of their enemies. The struggling colonel, who
Was already sinking beneath tlhe arm of his fo4ag,
felt the rough grasp loosen fiqm his; throat, at the
flash, and the.two combatarts sunk powerless on
their knees, facing each oth r,
" How   now, brother!" exclaimed Boltrope,:
with a smile of grim fierceness;.  some of that
grist has gone to your mill,ha!"
No answer could, howe er, be given beforE th
yielding forms of both fell to the deck, wheqrg they
lay helpless, amid the din of the battlfe apd the
wild confusion of the eager combatatts,
Notwithstanding the furious struggle they witMessed, the elements did not cease their functioqus;




ï~~THET PILOT.52

4527

and t-wxg6d. by the I tree~e, anid I fteA irresistibly ' h
a wave,  th e A- erican  shi1 'tas'fo rced through thoe
water' stiil- further 'across 'the bows of her -er'efy
'The. idle fastenings of hemp and iron -were snapfed' as tnder, like 'strings -of tow, W n  Gith i
h~is own "ship  borne away fr~om the, Engli-shmnan "at
thie ih ta t that the bwsprit of the latter Was -thin
fid' its lasigs, anid "tumbled Â~into the sea, fo[
lowed by spar after" spatuntil nothing: of all her
pid tadc ling 'was r ema iing, but h' efewi 'paited
and usekless ropes  that' were l-eft dangling alobng the
stumps of  her low r masts.  As h~is own:stately'
vessel moved from the conifusion she had 'caffsed,
and tUft the dense- cloud of..smoe inwhich bin'
hel1Iless antagonist lay, -the eye-. of the jounig  rnan
glanced anxiously towiards the horizon,, Wherehie nowb~ rememibered 1he had more foes, to cont-end
"t.We lave' shaken off the  Thairty'tvWo mnost h'ap'.
pilyf b.'h said to the  Pilot, who followed is: no.
tld&~ with sin ula " in'te'rest; "b ut here is a-nnther
fellow sheertding id for us, who shows Is miany ports
as ourselves, and who appear's inclined for a closfir
inter view; besides the' 'hull }of the Nin ety, is rising
'again aid I fear she will be 'd'own but too 'soon!
ccWe nust keep th-e use of'our braces anid sails,"
rettrnted th, Pilotc ' nd on 'account_ close with
the oither  fiite-we Â~ must play a, dou~ble -gamne,
Iii~; ffd  fight-,this n'eW adversary with our heels as
'll as  ih-orgf Tis ti de 'then 'that WC "were 'busy, for he  is
shotte liug sail, andas  he' 'ears so 'fast W& e may, ex6~ to heap 'from, him every minut e; what do youi
propose.., sir?." Lek 'h gather in' his 'canvass," returned the
P~ilot; "cand when he thinksi, himself snug, we can
throw out a hundred men at once upon our yards




ï~~THE pILOT,

and spread every thing alow and aloft; we, may
they draw ahead of him by surprise; if we can
once get him in our wake I have no fears of drop
ping them al."
"A stern chase is. a long chase," cried Griffith,
"and the thing may do.! Clear up the decks,
here, and carry down the wounded; and as we
have our hands full, the poor fellows who have
done with us, must go overboard t once."
SThis melancholy duty was instantly attepded to,
while the young seaman.who commanded the frigate returned to his duty, with the;absorbed air
of one who felt its high responsibility. These occupations, however, did not. prevent his hearing
the sounds of Barn.table's voi e calling eagerly. t o
young Merry. Bending his head towards the
sound, Griffith beheld his friend, looking anxiously
up the main hatch, with a face grimed with smoke,,
his coat off, and his shirt bespattered with human
blood-" Tell me,: boy,'' he said, ".is Mr. Griffith
untouched? They say that a shot came in upon
the quarter-deck that tripped up, the heels of half
a dozen."
Before Merry could answer, the eyes of Barnstable, which even while he spoke were scanning
the state of the vessel' s rigging, encountered the
kind looks of Griffith, and from that moment perfeet harmony was restored between the friends.
" A.h! you are there,Griff,.and wiith a whole
skin, I see," cried Barnstable, smiling with pleasure; " they have passed poor Boltrope down into
onelof his owvn store-rooms:. If that fellow's bow
sprit had held on ten minutes longer,: what a mark
I shouldhave made on his face and eyes!"
" 'Tis perhaps best as it is," returned Griffith
"but what have you done with those whom we
are most bound to protect?"




ï~~THE PILOT.

529

Barnstable made a significant gesture towards
the depths of the vessel as h answered'On the cables'; safe as wood, ion, and water
can keep theni  though Katherine has had her
head up three times to-"
A summons from the Pilot drew Griffith away,
and the young officers were cominpelled to forget
thair indiidual feelings, in the pressinig duties of
their stations.
The ship which the American frigate had now
to oppose, was a vessel of near her own size and
equipage, and 'wheh 'Griffith looked at her again,
he perceived"that she had made her preparations
to assert her equalty in manful fight.
Her sails had been gradually reduced to the
usual quantity, and, by certaifi movenments on her
decks, the lieutenant and his constant attendant
the Pilot well i'understood that she only wanted to
lessen her distance a few hundred yards to begin
the action.
" NoWb spread every thing," whispered the
stranger.
Griffith applied the tiumpet to his mouth, and
shouted in a voice that was carried even to his
enemy-" Let fall-out -with your booins -sheehoine--hoist away of every thihg!"
The inspiriting cry was answered by a universa:6usiti; fifty men flew out on the dizzy heights
of they different spairs, wiile broad sheets of canvass rose as suddefily along thei masts, as if some
mighty bird were spreading i'ts wings. The Englishimali instantly perceived his mistake, and he
ansWeried the artifice by a rbar of artilleiry. Griffith watched the e ffe ts of the bi-oadside with an
absorbing interest as the shot whistled above his
head, but whlien he peireived his masts untouched
384




ï~~:63o

THE PILOT.

and the few unimportant ropes only that were cut,
he replied to the uproar with a burst of pleasure,
A few men were however. seen clinging with wild
frenzy to the cordage, dropping from rope to rope
like wounded birds fluttering through a tree, until
they fell heavily into the ocean, the sullen ship
sweeping by them, in cold indifference. At the
next instant the. spars and masts of their enemy
exhibited a display of men similar to their own,
when Griffith again placed the trumpet to his
mouth, and shouted aloud:
" Give it to them; drive them from their yards,
boys; scatter them with., your grape--unreeve
their rigging!"
The crew of the American wanted but little encouragement to enter on this experiment with
hearty good will, and the close of his cheering
words were uttered amid the deafening roar of his
own cannon. Thb   Pilot had, however, mistaken
the skill and readiness of their foe, for notwithstanding the disadvantageous circumstances undei
which the Englishman increased his sail, the duty
was steadily and dexterously performed.
The two ships were. now running rapidly on
parallel lines, hurling at each other their instruments of destruction, with furious industry, and
with severe and certain loss to both, though with
no manifest advantage in favour of either. Both
Griffith and.. tlhe Pilot..:witnessed with deep concern. this unexpected defeat of:their hopes, for they
could not conceal from themnselves; that each moment lessened,-their velocity through the water,
as the shot of their enemy stripped the canvass
from the yards, or dashed aside, the lighter spars
in their terrible progress.
s:We find Out equal:here 1" said Griffith to the




ï~~TIRE. PLot.53.531

'stranger  - "The, Ninety ig hdving-Up akai- 'like
at mountain, and, if wOc continue to shbeti =sail at
thi's rate, she.' i l s'oen be dowv' up" 6  us!
" You say  true,  sir," returned -the 'Pilot, inus~
ing; "c.the iuau shows judgment as' well as spirit;
l1i-e Was interrupted by aMerr, who:rushed from
the forward' part'of the, vessd, s " i',Vho1 face betokening the eagerness of his '9pirit, and. -th&y imi
portaunce -ofhis intelligene"The breakers;!" he ci ied, w hen nigh e: iongh
to be Â~heard. amid:the- din;" we are running dead
on a ripple,, and the sea iÂ~-'white not two huindred
yards ahead?
Thfe Pilot juimped =on a gun, and bend'ihrg to
catch;a (glimpse through, the "s moke, he shouted=,
i11- 6h6s  clear, piercing Wones, sthat-, coild be e v A
heard among, the' ro Taring of 1 the Cannon. "cPort.,
port your helm! we ar& <on the- Devil's Gdrip! pass
up- the -tumpet, sir; port -your "helm, fellow;; give.
it lhem; boys- give jt- Ito thept podEnglish dogs!"
Griffith uinhesitatinglyl relinq-uished',the symbol of
his' rank, fastening his ownt firta Ioak on the cai
but quic-k eye. of the Pilot, ands =gathering assti'anee
from the high 'coufiden:ee he' read in the  cotfotenane~e of thie stranger. The   eam en Were" toor b usly
with their, ainiand their riging to r&  _0td-'the
new: darger,- and  the- 4frigate efti'ted ane of thie
dangerou s -passes 6f tie=:shoals; i the" heat of a. severelty, cta.este4 bathle.-  Thle "wyderhm  loks
of::few of the, older siftrs -6la~eCd  at =the sheets
of' foamn that flew" by  thema; ini 'o ht= 'Whether the
wild gain Bols of this waves- were )oecasioned by -the
shot. ofte enemry-when sdel be noise off
caninon w-as succeeded by the_ sullen w ash  of* "the
disturbed 'elemeifit,and  pre'sent, the vessel glided
out-of her smokjy shroud, and was boldly -steering




ï~~532

THE PILOT.

in the centre of the narrow: passages. For ten
breathless minutes longer the Pilot continued to
hold an uninterrupted sway, during which the vessel ran swiftly by ripples and breakers, by streaks
of foam and darker passages of deep water, when
he threw down his trumpet and exclahned-.. What threatened to be our destruction has
proved our salvation!- --keep yonder hill crowned
with wood, one point open from the church tower
at its base, and steer east and by north; you will
run through these shoals on that course in an hour,
and by so doing, you will gain five leagues of your
enemy, who will have to double their tail."
The inonlent he stepped from the gun, the Pilot
lost the air of authority that had so singularly distinguished his animated form, and even the close
interest he had manifested in the incidents of the
day became lost in the cold, settled reserve he
had affected during his intercourse with his present associates. Every officer in the ship, after
the breathless suspense of uencertainty had passed,
rushed to those places where a view might be
taken of their enemies. The Ninety was still
steering boldly onward, and had already approached the Two-and-thirty; which lay a helpless wreck, rolling on the unruly seas that were
rudely tossing her on their wantbn billows. The
frigate last engaged was running along the edge of
the ripple, with her torn sails flying loosely in the
air, her ragged spars tottering in the breeze, and
every thing above her hull exhibiting the confusion of a sudden and unlooked-for check to her
progress. The exulting taunts and mirthful congratulations of the seamen, as they gazed at the
English ships, were, however, soon forgotten in the
attention that was required to their own vessel.
The drums beat the retreat, the guns were lashed




ï~~THE PILOT-             533
the wounded again removed, and every individual
able to keep the deck was requi ed to lend his assistance in repairing the damages of the frigate and
securing her masts.
The promised hour carried the ship safely
through all the dangers, which were much lessened by day-light, and by the time the sun had begun
to fall over the land, Griffith, who had not quitted
the deck during the day, beheld his vessel once
more cleared of the confusion of the chase and battle, and ready to meet another foe.:.At this period
he was sumnmoned to the cabin, at  the request of
the ship's chaplain., Delivering the charge of the
frigate to Barnstable, who had been his active assistant, no less in their subsequent laboursithan in
the eombat; he hastily divested'-bhiniself of the vestiges,of the- fight, and prOceeded to obey the repeated and earnest call
4A




ï~~CHAPTER XXXIII

Whither, 'militfallng dew,
While glows the heavenswith the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depthsdost thou pursue
Thy solitary way,
Bryant
WH-N the  young seaman, who.now commanded
the figate, descended from the quarter-deck in
compliance with the often repeated summons, he
found the vessel restored to the same neatness as
if nothing had occurred to disturb its order. The
gun-deck had been cleansed of its horrid stains,
and the smoke of the fight had long since ascended
through the hatches, and mingled with the clouds
that flitted above the ship. As he walked along the
silent batteries, even the urgency of his visit
could not prevent him from glancing his eyes towards the splintered side's, those terriBle vestiges,
by which the paths of the shot of their enemy
might be traced; and by the time he tapped lightly at the door of the cabin, his quick look had embraced every material injury the vessel had sustained in her principal points of defence. The door
was opened by the surgeon of the frigate, who, as
he stepped aside to permit Griffith to enter, shook
his head with that air of meaning, which, in one of
his profession, is understood to imply the abandonment of all hopes, and then immediately quitted




ï~~THE PILOT.

535

the apartment, in order to attend to those who
might profit by his services.
The reader is not to imagine that Griffith had
lost,sight of Cecilia and her.pusin during the occurrences of that eventful day.; on the contrary,
his troubled fancy had presented her terror and
distress, even in the hottest moments of the fight,
and the instant that the crew were called from
their guns, he had issued an order to replace the
bulk-heads of the cabin, and, to. arrange its furniture for their::accommodation, though the higher
and imperious duties of his station had precluded
his attending to their comfort in person. lie expected, therefore,'to find the order of the rooms
restored, but he was by no means prepared to encou;nter the:scene he was now, to witness.
3Between two of the sullen, cannpn, which gave
such an air of singular wildness to the. real comfort of the cabin, was placed a large couch, on
which the Colonel was lying, evidently near his
end., Cecilia was weeping by his side, her dark
ringlets falling in unheeded confusion around her
pale features, and' sweeping in their rich exuberance the deck on which. she kneeled. Katherine
leaned tenderly over the form of the dying veteran, while her dark, tearful eyes seemed to express. self-accusation blended with deep commiseration. A few attendants of both sexes surrounded the solemn scene, all of whom appearedtot be
under the, influence of the bopeless intelligence
wnich the medical officer had- but that moment
communicated. T'he servants of the shlip had.repaced.the furniture with a care that mocked the
dreadful struggle that..so recently disfigured the
warlike apartment, and the stout, square frame of
Biltrope occupied the 6pposite settee, his head
resting on the lap of the Captain's. Steward. and




ï~~53ti

THE PI t P O.

his hand gently held in the grasp of his friend the
Chaplain. Griffith had heard of the wound of the
master, but his own eyes now conveyed the first
intelligence of the ituation of Colonel Howard.
when the shock of this sudden discovery had a
little subsided, the young man approached the
couch of the latter, and attempted to express his
regret and pity, in a voice that afforded an assurance of his sincerity.
"Say no more, Edward Griffith," intertupted
the colonel, waving his hand feebly for silence;
" it seemeth to be the will of God that this rebellion should triumph, and it is not for vain man to
impeach the acts of Omnipotence! To my erring
faculties, it wears an appearance of mystery, but
doubtless it is to answer the purpose of his own
inscrutable providence! I have sent for you, Edward, on a business that I would fain see accomplished before I die, that it may not be said old
George Howard neglected his duty, even in his
last moments. You see this weeping child at my
side; tell me, young man, do you love the maiden?"
" Am I to be asked such a question!" exclaimed Griffith.
" And will you cherish her--will you supply to
her the places of father and mother, will you become the fond guardian of her innocence and
weakness?"
GGriffith could give no ether answer than a fervent pressure of the hand he had clasped.
" I believe you," continued the dying man;
"for however he may have forgotten to ineulcate
his own loyalty, worthy Hugh Griffith could never neglect to make his son a man of honour. I
had weak, and perhaps evil wishes in behalf of my
late unfortunate kinsman, Mr. Christopher Dillon;




ï~~THE PILOT.

537

but they have told me that he was false to his
faith. If this be true, I would refuse him the hand
of the. girl, though he claimed the fealty of the
British realms! But he has passed away, and I art
about to follow him into a world where we shall
find 'but one Lord to serve, and it may have been
better for us both had we more remembered our
duty to Him, whil; serving the Princes of the
earth. One thing further-know you this officer
of your congress well; this Mr. Barustable?"
"I have sailed with him for years," returned
Griffith,." and can answer for him as myself."
The veteran made an effort to rise, which in
art succeeded, and he fastened on the youth a
look of keen scrutiny, that gave to his pallid features an expression of solemn meaning, as he continued"Speak not now, sir, as the companion of his
idle pleasures, and.as the unthinking associate
commends his fellow, but remember that your opinion.is given. to a dying mai who leans on your
judgment for advice The daughter of John Plowden is a trust not to be neglected, nor will my
death prove easy, if a doubt of her being worthily
bestowed shall remain 1"
"He. is a gentleman," returned GrifBth, "and
one whose heart is not less kind than gallant-he
loves your ward, and great as may be her merits,
he is deserving of it all---like myself, he has also
loved the land that gave him birth, before theland
of' =his ancestors, }at--'
"That is now forgotten," interrupted the colonel. "after what I have this day witnessed I am
forced to believe that it is the pleasure of Heaven:
thatyou are to prevail l But, sir,.a disobedient.i.
ferior will be apt to make an, unireasonable com
miander. The recent contention between you-'




ï~~538

THE PILOT,

" Remember it not, dear sir," xclaimed Grifth with generous zeal- 'twas unkiyidl provoked, and it is already forgotten and pardoned.
He has sustained me nobly throughout the day,
and my life on it, that he knows how to treat a
woman as a brave man should!"
"Then am I content!" said the veteran, sinking
back on his couch; "let him be summoned."
The whispered message, which Griffith gave requesting Mr. Barnstable to enter the cabin, was
quickly conveyed, and he had appeared before his
friend deemed it discreet to disturb the reflections
of the veteran by again addressing him. When
"he entrance of the young sailor was announced.
bhe colonel again roused himself, and addressed
siis wondering listener, though in a manner much
less confiding and familiar than that which he had
adopted towards Griffith.
" The declarations you made last night relative
to my ward, the daughter of the late Captain  John
Plowden, sir, have left me nothing to learn on the
subject of your wishes. Here, then, gentlemien,
you both obtain the reward of your attentions!
Let that reverend divine hear you pronounce the
marriage vows, while I have strength to listen,
that I may be a Witness against ye, in heaven,
should ye forget their tenor!"
" Not now, not now," murmured Cecilia; " Oh
ask it not now, my uncle!"
Katherine spoke not, but deeply touched by the
tender interest her guardian manifested in her
welfare, she bowed her face to her bosom, in subdied feeling, and suffered the tears that had been
suffu sing her eyes to roll down her cheeks in
arge drops, till they bathed the deck.
" Yes, n6w, my love," continued the coonel,
"or I fail in my duty. I go shortly to stana face




ï~~THE PILOT.

539

to face with your parents, my children; for the
man, who dying, expects not to meet worthy
Hugh Griffith and honest Jack Plowden.in heaven,
can have no clear view of the rewards that belong
to lives of faithful service to the country, or of gallant aloyalty to the King! I trust no one can justly say, that I ever forgot the delicacy due to yout
gentle sex; but it is no moment for idle ceremony
when time is shortening into minutes, and heavy
duties remain to be discharged. I could not die
in peace, children, were I to leave you here in the
wide ocean, I had Almost said in the wide world,
without that protection which becomes your tender years, and still more tender characters. If it
has pleased God to removeyour guardian, let his
place be supplied by those he wills to succeed
him!"
Cecilia no longer hesitated, but she arose slowly from her knees, and offered her hand to Griffith
with an air oif forced resignation. Katherine submitted to be led by Barnstable to her side, and
the chaplain who had been an affected listener to
the dialogue, in obedience to an expressive signal
from the eye of Griffith, opened the prayer book
from which he had been gleaning consolation for
the dying-master, and commenced reading, in tremblinig tones, the marriage service.  The vows
were pronounced by the weeping brides in voices
more distinct and audible than if they had been
utte-ed amid the gay crowds that usually throng a
bridal; for though they were the irreclaimable
word that bound them for ever to the men, whose
power over their feelings they thus proclaimed to
the world, the reserve of maiden diffidence "as
lostri one engrossing emotion of solemnity, ereated rby the awful presenice in which they stood.
When the benediction was pronotinced, the head




ï~~540

rH E PIlO

of Cecilia dropped on the shoulder of her husband,
where she wept violently, for a momenit,.and then
resuming her place at the couch, she once'_ more
knelt at the side of her uncle. Katherine received
the warm kiss of Barnstable, passively, and returned slowly to the spot whence she had been
led.
Colonel, Howard sucededed in raising hie person to witness, the ceremony, and. had answered
to each prayer with a: fervent' amen.'. He fell
back,with the last words, and a look of satisfaction
shone in hisaged and pallid features, that declared
the interest he had taken.in the scene.
' I thank you, my children,~" he at length ut
tered, "I thank you, for I know how much you
have sacrificed to my wishes. You will find all
my papers relative to the estates of my wards
gentlemen, in the hands of my banker in London
and -you will also find there my will, Edward, by
which you will learn that Cicely has not come tc
your arms an unportioned bride. What my wards
are in persons and manners your eyes can; witness,
and I trust the vouchers in London will show that
I have not been an unfaithful steward to. their pecuniary affairs "
" Name it not--say no more, or you will; break
my heart," cried Katherine, sobbing aloudd in the
violence of her remorse, at having ever pained: so
true a friend. "  h! talk of yourself, think of
yourself; we are unworthy-at least. j am unworthy of another thought!"
The dying man extended,a hand to her in kindness,. and continued, though his voice grew, feebler
as he spoke--
":: Then to return to- myself- I would, ~ish o
lie, like my ancestors, in the bosom of the. earlth---
and in consecrated ground."




ï~~THE PILOT.

541

"It shall be done," whispered Griffith  "1 will
see it done myself."
" I thank thee, my son," said the veteran; " for
such thou art to me in being the husband of Cicely
--you will find in my will, that I have liberated
and provided for 'all my slaves-except those ungrateful scoundrels who deserted their master--
they have seized their own freedom, 'and they
need not be indebted to me for the same: There
is, Edward, also an unworthy legacy to the King;
his Majesty will deign to receive it-from an old
and faithful servant, and you will not miss the tri.
fling gift."  A le'og pause followed, as if he had
been summing up the account of his earthly duties,
and! found them duly balanced,. When he added,
"kiss me, Cicely-and you, Katherine-I find you
na e the genuine,feelings of honest Jack, your father.- --My eyes grow dim--which is the hand of
Grifith? Y. oung gentleman, I have given you all
that a fond old man had to bestow-deal tenderly
with the precious child- -we have not properly understood each other- I had mnistaken both you and
Mr.: Christopher Dillon,' I believe; perhaps I may
have also mistaken my duty to America-but I was
too old; to change my polities or my religion--I-1
-- Ioved the King-God bless him--"
His words became fainter and fainter as he proceeded and the breath deserted his body with -this
benediction on his.livid lips, which the proudest
monartch might covet from so honest a man.
The body was instantly borne into a state-room
lby the attendants, and Griffith and Barnstable supported thei  brides into the after-cabin, where they
left them seated on the sofa that lined the stern of
the ship, weeping bitterly, in each other's arms.
No part of the preceding scene had been unob.
served by Boltrope, whose small, hard eyes, were
46




ï~~542

rHE- PILOT.

observed by the young men to..twinkle, when
they returned into the state apartment, and they
approached their woupded comrade to apologize
for the seeming neglect that their conduct had displayed.
" I heard you were hurt, Boltrope," said Griffith, taking him kindly by the hand; " but as I
know you are not unused to being marked by shot,
I trust we shall soon see you again on deck.
" Ay, ay," returned the master, "you'll want
no spy-glasses to see the old hulk as you launch it
into the sea..I have had shot, as you say, before
now to tear my running gear, and even to knock a
splinter out of some of my timbers, but this fellow
has found his way into my bread-room; and the
cruise of life is up!".c Surely the case is not so bad, honest David,"
said Barnstable;" you have kept afloat, to my
knowledge, with a bigger hole in your skin than
this unlucky hit has made!"
' Ay, ay," returned the master, "that was in
my upper works, where the doctor could get at it
with a plug; but this chap has knocked away the
shifting-boards, and I feel as if the whole cargo
was broken up.-You may say, that Tourniquet
rates me all the same as a dead man, for. after
looking at the shot-hole, he has turned me over to
the parson here, like a piece of old junk which is
only fit to be worked up into something new.
Captain.Munson had a lucky time of it! I think
you said, Mr. Griffith, that the old gentleman was
launched overboard with every thing standing, and
that Death made but one rap at his door, before
he took his leave!"
". His end was.ndeed sudden!" returned Grif
fith;" but it is what we seamen must expect."
" And for which there is so much the more




ï~~THE PILOT.

543

occasion to be prepared," the chaplain ventured to
add, in a low, humble, and, perhaps, timid voice.
The sailing-master looked keenly from one to
the other as they spoke, and, after a short pause,
he continued with an air of great submission--
S'Twas his luck; and I suppose it is" sinful to
begrudge a man his lawful lack. As for being prepared, parson, that is your business-and not mine;
therefore, as there is but little time to spare, why,
the sooner you set about it the better; and to save
unnecessary trouble, I may as well tell you not to
strive to make to'much of me, for, I must own it
to my shame, I never took learning kindly. If you
can fit me for some middling birth in the other
world, like the one I hold in this ship, it will sit
me as well, and, perhaps, be easier to all hands of
us.". If there was a shade of displeasure, blended with
the surprise, that crossed the features of the divine at this extraordinary limitation of his duties,
it entirely disappeared when he considered, more
closely, the perfect expression of simplicity with
which the dying master uttered hiswishes. After
a long and melancholy pause, which neither Griffith nor, his friend felt any inclination to interrupt,
the chaplain replied"It is not the province of man to determine on
the degrees of the merciful dispensations of the
Deity, and nothing that I can do, Mr. Boltrope,
will have any weight in making up the mighty and
irrevocable decree. What I said to you last night,
in -our conversation on this very subject, must still
be firesh in your memory, and there is no good
reason why I should hold a different,language to
you now."
" I can't say that I log'd all that pass'd," returned the master, " and that which I do recollect




ï~~544

THE PILOT

chiefly fell from myself, for.he plain reason that a
mnan remembers his own, better than his neighbour's ideas. And this puts me in mind, Mr. Griffith, to tell you, that one of the forty-two's from the
three-decker, travelled across the forecastle, and
cut the l)est bower within a tifathom of the -clinch,
as handily as an old woman would clip heir rotten
yarn with a pair of tailor's shears!-If you will be
so good aA to order one of my mates to shift the
cable end-forrend, and make a new bend of it, I'll
do as much for you another time."
" Mentioh it not," said.Griffith; "rest assured
that every thing shall be done for the security of
the ship in your department-I will superintend
the whole duty in person; and I would have you
release your mind from all anxiety on the subject,
to attend to your more important interests elsewhere."
" Why," returned Boltrope, with a little show
of pertinacity, ' ha  an opnion, Itat the cleaner a man takes his hands into the other world, of
the matters of duty in this, the better he will be
fitted to handle any thing new.r- f t irtp'ason,
here, undertook to lay down the doctrine last
night, that it was no matter how well or how ill a
man behaved himself, so that he squared his conscience by the lifts and braces of faith, which I take
to be a doctrine that is not to be preach'd on shipboard, for it would play -the devil with the best
ship's company that Was ever mustered."
" Oh! no-no-dear Mr. Boltrope, you mistook me and my doctrine altogether!" exclaimed
the chaplain; "at least you mistook-"
6 Perhaps, sir," interrupted Griffith, gently,
" our honest friend will not be more fortunate
now. Is there nothing earthly that hangs upon
your mind, Boltrope? no wish to be remembered




ï~~THE PILOT.

545

to any one, nor any bequest to make of your property?"
SHe lias a: mother, I know,' said Barnstable
in a low voice; " he often spoke ot her to me in
the night watches; I think she must still be living."
The master, who distinctly heard his young
shipmates, continued for more than a minute rollirig the tobacco, which he still retained, from one
side of his mouth to the other, with an industry
that denoted singular agitation for the man, and
iaisinig one of his broad, hands, with the other
he picked the worn skin from fingers which were
already losing their brownish yellow hue in the
fading colour of death, before he answered--
SWhy, yes, the old woman still keeps her grip
upon life, which is more than can be said of her
son David. Y The old man was lost the time the
Susan and Dorothy was wrecked on the back of
Cape Cod; you remember it, Mr. Barnstable? you
were then a lad, sailing on whaling voyages from
the island! well, ever since that gale, I've endeavoured to make smooth water for the old woman
myself, thouigh she has.had but a rough passage
of it, at the best; the voyage of life, wifh her, having been pretty much crossed by rugged weather
and- short stores."
"And you would have us carry some message
to her?" said Griffith, kindly.
"Why, as to messages,?' -continued the master,
Whose voice was rapidly growing more husky and
broken, "there never has been many compliments
--passed between us, for the;reason-that she is
not more used to receive them-than I am to make
them:But if any one of you will overhatil-the
purser's books, and see vhat there is standing there
---to my side of the leaf--and take a little pains to
get it to the old woman-you will find her moor'd in
46 *             35




ï~~546

THE PILOT

the lee side of a house-ay, here it is, No. 10,
Cornhill, Boston. I took care-to get her a good
warm birth, seeing that a woman of eighty wants
a snug anchorage-at her time of life, if ever."
" I will do it myself, David," cried Barnstable,
struggling to conceal his emotion; " I will call on
her the instant we let go our anchor in Boston
harbour, and as your credit can't be large, I will divide my own purse with her!"
The sailing-master was powerfully affected by
this kind offer, the muscles of his hard weatherbeaten face working convulsively, and it was a
moment before he could trust his voice in reply.
'' I know you would, Dickey, j know you
would," he at length uttered, grasping the hand of
Barnstable with a portion of his former strength;
" I know you would give the old woman one of
your own limbs, if it would do a service-to the
mother of a messmate-which it would not-seeing that I am not the son of a-cannibal; but you
are out of your own father's books, and it's too often shoal water in your pockets to help any one
-more especially since you have just been spliced
to a pretty young body--that will want all your
spare coppers."
" But I am master of my own fortune," said
Griffith, " and am rich."
" Ay, ay, I have heard it said you could build
a frigate and set wher afloat all a-.taunt-o without
thrusting your hand-into any man's purse-but
your own!?
_ "And I pledge you the honour of a naval officer,"
continued the young sailoi, " that she shall want
for nothing; not even the care and tenderness of
a dutiful son."
Boltrope appeared to be choking; he made an
attempt to raise his exhausted frame on the couch,




ï~~THE PILOT.

547

but fell back exhausted and dying, perhaps a little
prematurely, through the powerful and unusual
emotions that were struggling for utterance. " God
forgive me my misdeeds!" he at length said, "and
chiefly for ever speaking a word against your
disciplyne; remember the best bower-and look
to the slings of the lower yards-and-and---he'll
do it Dicky, he'll do it! I'm casting off the fasts
--of life- and so God bless ye all-and give ye
good weather-going large-or on a bowline!"
The tongue of the master failed him, but a look
of heart-felt 'satisfaction gleamed across his rough
visage, as its muiscles suddenly contracted, when
the faded lineaments slowly settled into the appalling stiffness of death.
Grifith directed the body to be removed to the
apartment of the Master, and proceeded with a
heavy heart to the upper deck. The Alacrity had
been unnoticed during the arduous chase of the
frigate, and favoured by day-light, and her light
draught of water, she had easily effected her escape also among the mazes of the shoals. She was
called down to her consort by signal, and received
the necessary in ructions how  to steer during
the ipproaching night. The British ships were
now only to be ->intly discovered, like small white
speck's on the dark sea, and as it was known that
a broad barrier of shallow water lay between them,
the Americans no longer regarded their presence
as at all dangerous.
When the necessary orders had been given, and
the vessels were fully prepared, they were once
more brought up to the wind, and their heads pointed in the direction of the coast of Holland. The
wind which freshenVd towards the decline of day
hauled round with- the sun, and when that luminary
retreated from the eye, so rapid had been the pro



ï~~548

'THE P  rLOT.

gress of the mariners, it seemed to sink in the bao
somr of the ocean, the land having long before set.
tied into its watery bed. All night the frigate con=
tinued to dash through the seas with a sort of sul.
len silence, that,was soothing to the melancholy
of Cecilia and Katherine, neither of whom ldosed
an eye during that gloomy period.:In addition to
the scene they had witnessed, their feelings were
harrowed by the knowledge that, in -conformity to
the necessary plans of Griffith, and in compliance
with the new duties he had assumed, they were
to separate in the morning for an indefinite period,
and possibly for ever.
With the appearance of light, the boatswain sent
his rough summons through the vessel, and the
crew were collected in solemn silence in her gangways, to '1bury the dead.' The bodies of Boltrope, of one or two of her inferior officers, and of
several common' men who had died of their wounds
in the night, were, with the usual formalities, committed to the deep; when the yards of the ship
were again braced by the wind; and she glided
along the trackless waste, leaving no memorial in
the midst of the ever-.rolling waters; to mark the
place of their sepulture.
When the sun had gained the meridian the yes
sels were once more hove-to, and the prepara.
tions were made for a final separation. The body
of Colonel Howard was transferred to the Alacri
ty, whither it was followed by Griffi th and his
cheerless bride, while Katherine hung fondly from,
a window of the ship, suffering her own.:scalding
tears to mingle with the brine of the ocean  AfteI
every thing was arranged, Griffith waved his hand
to Barnstable, who had now succeeded to the coimmand of the frigate, and the yards of the latter
were braced sharp to the wind, when she proceed



ï~~THE PILOT.

549

edo the dangerous experiment of forcing her way
to the shores of America, by attemptirg -the pass
of the streights of Dover, and runniing the gauntlet-through the English ship's that crowded their
own channel; an undertaking, however, for whideh
she had the successfult example of the Alliance frigate,vwhich had borne the stars of America along the
same hazardous path but a few months previously.
h n the meanwhile the Alacrity, steering more to
the west, drew in swiftly towards the shores of
Holland, and about an hour before the setting of,the sun, had approached so nigh as to be once mnore
hove into the wind, in obedience to the mandate
of Griflith. A sm4al1 light boat was lowered intc
the sea, when the young sailor, and the pilot, who
had found his way into the cutter unheeded, and
am0ost unseen, ascended from the small cabin together. The stranger glanced his eyes along the
range of coast, as if he would ascertain the ekxact
position of the vessel, and then turned them on the
sea and the western horizon to scan the weather.
Finding nothing in the appearance of the latter to
induee him to change his determination, he offered
his hand frankly to Griffith, and said"Here we part. As our acquaintance has not
'led to all we wished, let it be your task, sir, to forget we ever met."
Griffith bowed respectfully, but in silence, when
the other continued,' shaking his hand contemptuously towards the land"4Had I but a inoiety of the navy of that degenerate republic, the proudest among those haughty
islAnders should tremble in his castle, and be made
to feel there is no security against a foe that trusts
his own strength and knows the Weakness of his
eenemy   But," he muttered in a lower and more
hurried voice, " this has been like Liverpool, and




ï~~THE PILOT.

-Whitehaven--and Edinburgh, and fifty more!
it is past, sir; let it be forgotten."
Without heeding the wondering crew, who were
collected as curious spectators of his departure, the
stranger bowed hastily to Griffith, and springing into the boat, he spread her light sail with the readiness of one who had nothing to learn even in
the smallest matters of his daring profession. Once
more, as the boat moved briskly away from the
cutter, he waved his hand in adieu, and Griffith
fancied, that even through the distance he could
trace a smile of bitter resignation, lighting his calm
features with a momentarygleam. For a long time
the young nlan stood an abstracted gazer at his solitary progress, watching the small boat as it glided
towards the open ocean, nor did he remember to
order the head sheets of theAlacrity drawn, in order to put the vessel again in motion, until the
dark speck was lost in the strong glare that fell
obliquely across the water from the setting sun.
Many wild and extraordinary conjectures were
uttered among the crew of the cutter, as she slowly drew in towards her fiiendly haven, on the appearnce of the mysterious pilot, during their late
hazardous visit to the coast of Britain, and on his
still more extraordinary disappearance, as it were,
amid the stormy wastes of the North sea. Griffith
himself was not observed to smile, nor to manifest
any other evidence of his being a listener to their
rude discourse, until it was loudly announced that
a small boat was seen pressing for their own harbour, across the fore foot of the cutter, under a single lug-sail. Then, indeed, the sudden and cheeriful lighting of his troubled eye might have betrayed, to more accurate obsetvers, the vast relief
that was imparted to his feelings by the interesting
discovery.




ï~~CHAPTER XXXIV.

Come all you kindred Chieftains of the deep!
in mighty phalanx round your brother bend;
Ilush every mrmur thai invades his sleepAnd guard the laurels that o'ershide your friend
Lines on Tripp
HERE, perhaps, it would be wise to suffer the
curtain of our imperfect drama to fall before the
reader, trusting that the imagination of every individual can readily supply the due proportions of
health, wealth, and happiness, that the rigid rules
of poetic justice would award to the different
characters of the legend. But as we are not disposed "to part so coldly from those with whom we
have long held amicable intercourse,'and as there
is no portion of that in reservation which is not
quite as true as all that has been already related,
we see no unanswerable reason for dismissing the
dramatis' persone so abruptly.. We shall therefore
proceed to state briefly, the outlines of that which
befel them in after life, regretting, at the same
time, that the legitimate limits of a modern tale
will not admit of such a dilatation of many a merry
or striking scene, as might create the pleasing hope
of beholding hereafter some more of our rude
sketches quickened into life by the spirited pencil
of Dunlap.
Following the course of the frigate, then, to



ï~~THE PILOT.

wards those shores, from which, perhaps, we should
nei er have suffered our truant pen to have wander.
ed, we shall commence the brief task with Barn.
stable, and his laughing, weeping, gay, but affectionate, bride-the black-eyed Katherine..The
ship fought her way, gallantly, through swarms of
the enemy's cruisers, to the port of Boston, where
Barnstable was rewarded for his services by pro
motion, and a more regular authority to command
his vessel.
During the remainder of the war, he continued
to fill that station with ability and zeal, nor did he
return to the,dwelli g of his fathers, which he soon
inherited, by' greiur descent, until after peace
had established not only the independence of his
country, but his own reputation, as a brave and
sueeessful.:se-offieer. When the Federal GoverninmeAt laid the foundation of. its present navy4 Captaam Brnstable was once more tempted by the
offer of a new commission to desert his home; and
for 'may years he w as employed among that band
of gallant seamen who served their country so
faithfully in times of trial and high daring. Happily, however, he was enabled to accomplish a
great deal of the more peaceful part of his service
accompanied by Katherine, who, having no chil,
dren, eagerly profited by his consent to share his
privations and hardships on- the ocean.  In this
manner they passed merrily, and we trust happilyi
down the vale of life together, RKatherine entirely
discrediting the ironical prediction of her forme r
guardian, by making, every thing considered,, avery obedient, and certainly, so- far as attachment
was concerned, a most devoted wife.
The boy Merry, who in due time beame v
mar, flung to Barnstable and Katherine, so long
as it was necessary to hold him in leading strings.;




ï~~THE PILOT:         5

553

and~ wheh heÂ~ receiVed, 'his tegui - promotion, his
firstf conmnid  was -under the- shadbw of:his~ kismnan's 'broad pendant." He- proved to be in'. his
rneridia, what his-yonthr, had,-so -strongly rind icited,Â~
a.!karless' active,' nrd teekles sail#,: and-his: yearsA
might' have extended:-to this. hirT had he n ott'alienr unrtiiely in _a. duel, with ak 'frgn.offied.r.
T he first act bf.Captain M aniual,> after landig
one nore on his nat ie soil, wasf to' mike: interestr
to, be again restored to. the linre of, the, army.  He
encountered buit little difieu'ity in this' att~mpt,
-'nd.waa soon hr posseessidu of the complete enjoyineirt of' that which his sett-lad -so' long pined after,
"c;a.steady drill.:'  He wa-s' in, time, to share in all
tespedd       ucse       hie   ewiatdtewr'%and also to. participate in his -due  proportion of -the
misery -of the drimy.' H is n-erits -were, not.forgoti.ten,- however, in 'the rearganizsation of the -fores,
and,he: followed, both ' $t.e Clair -and' 'his more'fortunate successor, Wayne, in' the Western camupaig'ns
About the- close: of the century, when; the Bi itishi
made their tardy relinquishment of the line' of posts
along 'the frontiers, Caprtaino Manual was  ordered
to take charge, With -his Company, of a small -stockade o i- our side.of onre'of -those;mighty. riv erS= thatsetsb bound'- to the territories of the Reph'blic.'in the
north:,- '_The- British' flag Was. Waiing: rover -the
rampgarts of a more- regula~r fortress, that- had beeni
reeently b iilt. d freetl-y  posit, within t hone
Iin eR of h  Canad-a-s  Manal- Wcas' not A M mn:to
neglect the obse v ries -of mihitar-: etiquette-, and
anderstanding that the 'neighbouring fork Was ecar-ft
raiide- by'a field oiffier he did' not'fail. t4. wait on.
that., gendtleman, in prb~er time, with aviw tocultivte.the. sOt of aoquaifitance that their, mu-i
tetal:: Bins womId render got only agreeable,
hut lhighly onviehient.: T he American' umartioc t
47




ï~~554

THE PILOT.

in ascertaining the.rank of the other, had not
deemed it at all necessary to ask his name, but
when the red-faced, comical-looking officer with
one leg, who met him, was 'introduceed as Major
Borrougheliffe, he had not the least diflieulty in
recalling to recollection his quondam acquaintance
of St. Ruth. The intercourse between these worthies was renewed with remarkable gusto, and at
length arrived to so regular a pass, that a log cabin
was erected on one of the islands in the river, as a
sort of neutral territory, where their feastings and
revels might be held without any scandal to the
discipline of their respective garrisons. Here the
qualities of many a saddle of savory venison were
discussed, together with those of sundry pleasant
fowls, as well as of divers strange beasts that inhabit those western wilds, while, at the same time,
the secret places of the broad river were vexed,
that7 nothing might be wanting that could contribute
to the pleasures of their banquets. A most equitable levy was regularly made on their respective
pocketsto-sustain the fordienexpenses of this amicable Warfare, and a suitable division of labour was
also imposed on the two Commandants, in order
to procure shch articles of comfort as were only to
be obtained from those portions of the globe where
the art of mroan had made a nearer approach to the
bo ]ntids of nature than in the vicinity of their
fortifications. All liquids in which malt formed an
itngredient, as well as the deep-coloured wines of
Oporto ivere suffered to enter the Gulf of St. Law
rerce, and were made to find their way, under the
superintendence of Borrougheliffe, to their destined
goal; but Manual was, solely, entrusted with the
iore Important duty of 'providing the generous liquor of Madeira, without any other restriction en
his judgment, than an occasional injunction from




ï~~THE PILOT.

555

his coadjutor, that it should not fail to be the product of the "' South-side!"
It was not unusual for the younger officers of the
two garrisons to allude to the battle in which Major-Borroughcliffe had lost his limb-the English
ensign invariably whispering to the American on
such occasions, that it occurred.during the late
contest, in a desperate affair on the North Eastern
coast of their island, in which the major commandant in behalf of his country, with great credit and
signal success; and for which service he obtained
his present rank "without purchase!"  A sort of
national courtesy prevented the two veterans, for
by this time both had earned that honourable title,
fr;om participating at all in these delicate allusions;
though whenever, by any accident, they occurred
near the termination of the revels, Borroughcliffe
would so far betray his consciousness of what was
passing, as to;favour his American friend with a
leer of singular significance, which generally produced in the other that sort of dull recollection,
which all actors and painters endeavour to represent by scratching the head. In this manner year
after year rolled by, the most perfect harmony existing between the two posts, notwithstanding the
angry passions that disturbed their respective
countries, when an end was suddenly put to the
intercourse by the unfortunate death of Manual.
This rigid observer of discipline never trusted his
person on the neutral island without being accompanied by a party of his warriors, who were posted -a a regular picket, sustaining a suitable line of
sentries; a practice which he also recommended
to his friend, as being highly conducive to discipline, as well as a salutary caution against a surprise on the part of either garrison. The major,
however, dispensed with the formality in his own




ï~~556

THE PILOT.

behalf, but was sufficiently,.good-natured to wink
at the want of confidence it betrayed in his boon
companion. -On one unhappy occasion, when.the
discussionsif ta new impoztation iad;made a heavy
inroad on the morning, Manuialleft the hbut to make
his way towards his picket, in,such a state of utter
mental aberration, as to forget the countersign
when challenged by a sentinel, when, unhappily,
he. met his, death by a shot from a soldier, whom
he= drilled to such an exquisite state!of insensibility, that the man cared but little whether he kill.ed Friend or 'enemy, so long as he kept within
military 'usage, and the hallowed limits established
by the artioles of war. He lived long enough,
holwever, to commend the fellow for the deed,.and
died while delivering an -eulogium to Borrough'cliffe on the high state of perfection to which he
had brought his command!
About a year before.this. melancholy event, a
quartereask of wine had,been duly ordered from
the:South side of the island of Madeira, which
was. at the death of Manual, toiling its weary way
up "the apids of the Mississippi and the Ohio;
having been made to enter iby the port of New.
Orleans, with the intention of keeping it as long
as possible under a genial sun.! The untimely
fate of his friend imposed on_ Borroughcliffe. the
neeessity: of attending to:.this.precious relick of
their mutual tastes; and he procured a:' leave
of absence from his sutperior, with.:the laudable
desire to proceed down -the streams and superintend its farther 'advance in person. The, resit
of his zeal was a high 'fever, that set in.the day
after he reached his treasure:, and as the doctor
and:the major espoused different theories, in
treating a disorder so dangerous in that climate;
the one advising abstemiousness, and the other ad



ï~~THE -PILOT.        5

551

ministering:repeated draughts of the cordial that
had *'drawn him so far fromhome, the disease was
left to act its pleasure. Borroughliffe died in
three days; and was tarried ack and interred by
the side of his friend, in he zvery hut which had
so dften resounded with their humours and festivities! We have ibeen:ihus particular in relating
the sequel of the lives of these rival cehieftains, because from their want of connexion with any kind
heart -f the other sex, no widows and orphans
were left to lament their several ends and furtheruore, as they were both mortal;:and might be expected to die at a suitable period, and yet did,not
terminate their career until each had attained the
mature age of three-score the reader can find no
just grounds of dissatisfaction at being allowed this
deep glanee: into the womb of fate.
The chaplain abandoned the seas in time o iretrieve his character, a circumstance which gave;o
little satisfaction to Katherine, who occasiondlly
an-aoyed her worthy husband on the subjeet of the
informality of their marriage.
Griffith: and: his mourning bride, conveyed. the
body of Colonel Howard in safety -to one of the
principal towns in.Holland, where it was respectfully and sorrowfully interred-; after which the
young man removed to' Paris, with a view of erasing
the sad images, which ithe hurried a:nd melanchaly
events of the iew preceding days ihad left on the
mind of his lovely companion. -From this place
Ceilia held communion, by letter, with her friend
Alice Dunscombe, and such suitable provision was
made in the affairs of her late uncle as the times
woulid permit. Afterwards, when Griffith obtained
the command which had been offered him, before
sailing on the cruise in the North Sea, they r
S47 *




ï~~558

TIITHE PILOT.

turned together to America. The yoxung man continued a sailor until the, close of the war, when he
entirely withdrew from.the ocean, and devoted
the remainder of his life to the conjoint duties of a
lhusband and a good eitizen.
As it was easy -to. reclaim the estates of Colonel
Howard, which, in fact, had been abandoned more
from pride than necessity, and which had never
been confiscated, their joint inheritances made the
young couple extremely affluent, and we shall here
take occasion to say, that Griffith remembered his
promise to the dying master, and saw such a provision made for the childless mother, as her situation and his character required.
It might have been some twelve years after the
short cruise, which it has been our task to record
in these volumes, that Griffith, who was running
his eyes carelessly over a file of newspapers, was
observed by his wife to drop the bundle from before his face, and pass his hand slowly across his
b)row, like a man who had been suddenly struck
with renewed impressions of some former event,
or who was endeavouring to recall to his mind
images that had long since faded.
".... See you any thing in that paper to disturb
you, Griffith?" said the. stili lovely Cacilia. "I
hope that now we have our confederate government, the States will soon recover from their loss;
es-but it is one of those plans to create a new
navy, that has met your eye! Ah! truant! you
sigh to become a wanderer again, and pine after
your beloved ocean!"
" I have ceased sighing and pining since you
have begun to smile," he returned, with a vacant
manner, and without removing his hand from his
brow.




ï~~THE PILOT.

559

"Is not the new order of things, then, likely to
succeed?:Does the Congress enter into contention
with the President?"
" The wisdom and name of Washington will
smooth the way for the experiment, until time
shall matuie the system. Cecilia, do you remember the man who accompanied Manual and myself
to St. Ruth, the night we became your uncle's pri
soners, and who afterwards led the party which
liberated us, and rescued Barnstable?"
'Surely I do; he was, the pilot of your ship, it
was then said; and I remember the shrewd soldier we entertained even suspected that he was
one greater than he,seemed."
"The  oldier surmised the truth: but you saw
him not on that fearful night, when he carried us
through the shoals! and you could not witness the
calm courage with which he guided the ship into
those very channels again, while the confusion of
battle was among us!"
" I heard the dreadful din! And I can easily
imagine the horrid scene," returned his wife, her
recollections chasing the colour from her cheeks
even at that distance of time; "but what of hirri?
is his name mentioned in those papers? Ah! they
are English prints! you called his name Gray, it
I remember?"
" That was the name he bore with us! he was
a man who, had formed romantic notions of glory,
and Wished every thing concealed in which he acted a part that he thought would not contribute to
his renown. It has been, therefore, in compliance
with a solemn promise made at the time, that I
have ever avoided mentioning his name-he is
now dead!"
"Can there have been any connexion between
him and Alice Dunscombe?" said Cecilia, drop




ï~~QJ o

THE PILOT.

ping her work in her lap, in a thoughtful manner.:lShm nit him alone; at her own urgent request,
the night Katherine and myself saw-, you in your
eonfinemerit, and.even then my cousin whispered
thatf they Were acquairited! The letter I received
yesterdaf, from Alice, was sealed with black, and
I wad rained with.the melaneholy, though gentle
manner, in whieh she virote oi passing from this
Word ito andtlier!"Griffith glanced his eye at his wife, with a look
of sudden intelligence, and then answered like one
wih beg.ri to see ivth the advantages of a clearer
atinosphere.,
"Cecilia, your conjecture is surely true I! Fifty
things rush to my mind at that one surmise- -his
acquaintance with that paitieular spot-&-his early
life, -his expedition -his knowledge of the abbey,
all confirmin it! He, altogether, was indedd a man
of marked character!"
" Why has he not been among us," asked Cecilia " he appeared devoted to our cause
" His devotion to A:merica proceeded from desire.of distinction, his ruling passion, and perhaps
a little also from resentment at some injustice
which he claimed to have suffered from hi3 own
countrymen. He was a man, and not therefore
without foibles-among which may have been
reckoned the estimation of his own acts; but they
were most daring, and deserving of psaie! neither did he at all merit the. obloquy that he received from his enemies. His love of liberty may
be more questionable; for if he commenced his
deeds in the cause of these free States, they terminated in the service of a despot! He is now
dead-but had he lived in times and under circumstances, when his consummate knowledge of his
profession, his cool, deliberate, and even desperate




ï~~TIHE PILOT.

56a

courage could have been exercised in a regular
and well-supported Navy, and had the habits of hi"
youth better qualified him to have borne, meekly,
the honours he acquired in his. age, he would have
left behind him no name in its lists that would
have descended to the latest posterity of his adopted countrymen with greater renown!"
"Why, Griffith," exclaimed Cecilia, in a little
surprise, "you are zealous in hi.Q cause! Who
was he?"
"A man who held a promise of secrecy while
living, which is not at all released by his death.
It is enough to know, that he was greatly instrumental in procuring our sudden union, and that
our happiness might have been wrecked in the
voyage of life had we not met the unknown pilot
of the German Ocean."
Perceiving her husband to rise, and carefully
collect the papers in a bundle, before he left the
room, Cecilia made no further remark at the time,
nor was the subject ever revived between them.

THE END.




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